You ran across the yard, adrenaline still pumping through your veins as you approached Maggie and Daryl. Maggie jogged to meet you, putting her hands on your shoulders and looking you over with concern.
“You alright?”
“Yeah,” You nodded, “I’m fine.”
“Okay,” Maggie breathed, managing a smile.
Maggie glanced back at Daryl, who stood a few feet away, watching you with a stony expression. Maggie patted your shoulder before heading back up towards the gate. You took a few steps towards the archer, glancing over at the fallen walker with the arrow in its forehead.
“Thanks for the assist.” You smiled.
“What the hell were ya thinking?”
His words hit you square in the chest, the harsh tone sudden and unexpected. Hurt and confusion swirled in your stomach.
“The water line was clogged. I had to clear—”
“Why did ya go out alone?” Daryl stepped closer, cutting you off as his voice got louder, more unsteady. “Where’d that bright idea come from?”
The confusion and hurt flared into annoyance at the sarcasm in his last question. You set your jaw, determined.
“I can take care of myself.” You challenged, meeting his gaze. “And you’re one to talk! You always go out alone. Who are you to—look, I didn’t need your help back there. I had it on my own.”
“I know that!” Daryl shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. “Yer strong, ya take care of people. But ya can’t just go out like that! Ya can’t just go without me like that. I can’t…”
His gaze softened some, his voice lowered from a shout to a shaking rasp. Guilt lanced through your chest as you considered his words. If he’d been the one in your place, if you’d been stuck behind the fence while he fought...
“I can’t lose ya too.” Your stomach flipped at that, the leftover adrenaline setting your nerves on edge as you looked at him. “I—I just, I got this feeling like—like I knew ya could be somebody who would...who might...and I wanted t’do the same for ya. But I—”
You moved before you really knew what you were doing, propelled by the unanswered questions and the feelings you saw mirrored in his expression. With the worn fabric of his shirt in your hands, you pulled Daryl closer and pressed your lips to his.
You kissed him with everything you had, pouring everything you needed him to know into the contact between you. You knew Daryl wasn’t good at expressing himself with words. He was a man of thought and action. You hoped, with nerves thrumming through you, that he might open up through this. No words needed, just a kiss.
But that’s not what happened. You realized, quickly, that he wasn’t moving. Daryl just stood there, rigid and frozen to the spot. He didn’t reach out to touch you, he didn’t lean into it, and he definitely didn’t kiss you back.
You pulled away, horror and shame filling your stomach. Taking a few steps back, you looked at him. Daryl blinked at you, his usual stoic mask replaced with shock.
“Oh, God.” You covered your mouth, feeling embarrassment burning your cheeks. “I’m sorry. I thought–oh, God. I’m sorry…I–”
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Fanfiction"This place you have," You said. "It's secure?" "Yeah." He scoffed, as if the question offended him. "Th'prison about three miles west." The prison. You were much farther south than you'd thought. "I can take ya there, but you've gotta answer some q...
