Status: Ongoing

Starting Over

Finally Over

After what felt like an eternity you both safely reached the bike, taking more walkers down along the way. The aching in your ankle hadn't let up, so you gladly slumped over the bike exhausted.

You hear Daryl chuckle lightly, and you look up at him to see a hint of a smile.
"Is that a smile I see, Dixon?"

"What're ya talkin' about. I smile all the time."

Looking at him a little skeptical, you finally push up from the seat and sit on the curb instead. "If I had a dollar for every time you smiled, I wouldn't even have one."

He tries to hide the grin from appearing, but you know it's there. He just mumbles and loads the bags onto the bike. "Whatever."

Was that flirting just now? Your mind reels for an answer as you watch Daryl adjust all of the baggage. It seemed that lately you both talked more casually than usual, but you hadn't really thought anything of it until now. Especially since your mind finally started to catch up with what your body was feeling toward him.

When your eyes started to drift along with your head, you suddenly remembered the bag you hid. "We forgot the formula." You blurt out a bit louder than expected and see the faintest hint of Daryl's shoulders tense as he continues to strap the bags on.

"I'll go back. You wait 'ere." He advised with his back still facing you. "You can't go alone. I'm coming wi-"

"No." His sudden change in voice from playful to serious caught you by surprise as you stared at his unmoving back. You soon snap out of it though and go for the offensive.

"I can still run, Daryl. I'm not completely useless." You hope that the small joke makes the conversation less tense, but it's uneventful as he doesn't react. "Let me at least help fight off all those walkers that we saw. You did see them right? That's way too many for one man."

When he finally does reply you're completely taken aback. He turns and gives you the most intense stare down as he points right at you. "You are stayin' 'ere." His obvious and abrupt end to the conversation makes you incapable of any retorts as he walks away.

After you come to your senses and try to fight back though, you find that he has already disappeared. You reluctantly trust his idiotic decision to go alone and sit back and wait. But the longer you wait the more you think of the 'what ifs'.

What if that group finds him and does something?

What if he does get attacked and you're not there?

What if he's lying there bleeding right now and you're no where to help?

What if, what if, what--

The sudden sound of beating on concrete snaps you up, and you anxiously look in the direction of the noises. When Daryl appears around the corner running with bag in hand, you let out a breath you hadn't realized you were holding in.

He was yelling something incoherent as he got closer. You tried to understand, but you didn't really have to once you saw the huge herd emerge behind him.

You quickly limped over to the bike cursing aloud when you couldn't find the keys. When you finally did in a small pouch to the side, you shoved them in the ignition and revved the motor to life. Not having any patience, or self-control, you decide to swerve over to Daryl.

He doesn't bother to adjust as he jumps on behind you while holding the bag and yelling, "Go, go, go!!" With his very loud command in mind, you spin the bike around and speed off away from the flesh eating monsters.

When you've gotten a fair distance away, you slowly pull over to the side and stop. Turning the key back leaves nothing but the sound of cicadas between you and him. The little bit of silence is inviting, but it also leaves too much room to think.

Had he been bitten? You couldn't even find out because you were to scared to look at him. How close had he come to dying? You started to realize you almost lost him only moments ago. Just the thought brought chills throughout your body.

It was hard understanding what was going on in your head, but in some way you knew. You knew why he was so important to you. Why you couldn't seem to look away sometimes, why you couldn't get enough of his company.

Deep down it all made sense.

You at long last arose from the motorcycle and stood beside it. You didn't know if your were waiting for anything in particular or just the confirmation from Daryl himself. He stood along side you and seemed to be waiting too.

When you finally decided to really look at Daryl, you found him staring right back at you. His eyes were hard to read, like most of the time, but somehow you could see the same understanding in his expression.

Before you realized it, you practically jumped on him and wrapped your arms tightly around his neck. He immediately tensed but soon relaxed as he pulled you closer to him. The musky, earthy smell of him gave you a sense of security as you buried your head into his shoulder.

The warmth that the contact gave you seemed to effect your sense of the events just earlier as you felt something roll down your cheek. Daryl apparently felt the offensive liquid hit his exposed skin and pulled you far enough to look down at your face.

"Why're ya cryin' Y/N? We're okay now." The feel of his calloused finger wiping the tears away effects you more than you would have liked and you find yourself gasping out the words.

"You almost died Daryl. I couldn't--couldn't bare the thought of losing you." Daryl looked like a mixture of confused and surprised as you clutched onto his dirty shirt.

The look in his eyes gave you the unsettling feeling that what you said might change everything. That even hinting at what you were really feeling would destroy the barriers that both of you put up.

You started to realize that despite everything that you had come to terms with over the last few minutes, you would much rather continue to be beside him as a friend than to throw everything away.
You push away and briefly look anywhere but at him while anger builds up inside of you.

"Why couldn't you just let me go? I wasn't that hurt."

Daryl lets out some kind of huffing noise that lets you know he's getting just as angry as you are. He steps closer and forces you to look at his face.

"Yer ankle was fuckin' twisted Y/N. If I hadda brought you we'd both be dead. What the fuck are ya thinkin'?" The slight shaking that he added to the yelling pushed your anger up farther as you tried to do anything but cry.

"I know I was fuckin' hurt, but I still could've helped you, you--- you idiot!" The longer he stared down at you huffing and puffing from annoyance the harder it was stopping yourself from just pulling him down closer.

You were practically screaming at yourself to get it together as your eyes wondered from his eyes to his lips. You never knew exactly how much this frustration would effect you, but you were starting to find out.

Daryl's rough but smooth voice brings you back to reality as you stare into his eyes. He looks full of remorse while he takes hold of your shoulders, "Y/N, listen. Ya were in no shape fer runnin'. It was much better fer me to go alone."

Taking in his expression and honest words you realize you're getting worked up for no reason. "I know. I'm sorry I overreacted. I was just really worried that something happened." You feel almost like a child looking away guiltily.

Daryl chuckles, making you more relieved than ever. "I'm a'right. Jus' pissed that I lost some arrows back there." You look back up at him with a grin, "Well looks like you've got some carvin' to get to. Let's go."

The return of your normal banter settled a comforting silence over the two of you as Daryl took hold of the handlebars and you hopped on back. Your mind couldn't manage to compose itself though while you wrapped your arms around his midsection.

The closeness of him seemed to register more thoroughly now that you had come to terms with a few things, and it all somehow complicated life with Daryl more. All you could hope for is that things would stay just as they are.