The rain fell hard, the thump continuious on the roof above you. Thunder blending in with the downpour, and lightning cracking light in the dark sky.
Tossing back and forth, you jerk awake. Your eyes wide as you try to slow your breathing. The beating of your heart louder than the rain, almost as if it'd beat out of your chest.
Daryl lays soundly beside you, his arms still somewhat wrapped around your waist as you begin sitting up.
Looking down at him, as you pulled your knees towards your chest, he looks calm. He almost always looks tense during the day, but at night he's relaxed.
He's years older than you, many more than you. But as he sleeps it's as if time has rewinded. He looks younger as he sleeps.
The sheets wrapped around his torso, leave his chest and back bare. He's gotten comfortable enough with you to not need to wear a shirt to bed, and earlier in the night since you both were alone in this house neither one of you needed your clothing as much.
His bare back shows his scars, but when he sleeps he looks as though the world has not touched him. That the pain of his past is just a faded memory.
With a slight movement, Daryl opens his eyes. Still half asleep he mumbles lowly, "You okay?"
As sleep laces his words, there something about the way he talks when he wakes up that causes you to feel a warmness inside. A bubbly, lovely feeling.
You nod, not saying anything. That in itself causes him to sit up, waking up more now.
"Talk to me." There's a soft tone to his words, one you recognize as concern.
"It's nothing," You whisper, your voice feeling distant. "just a bad dream."
Daryl's hand slides up from the small of your back, over your spine to your shoulder. The move sending chill and goosebumps over your skin.
"Why didn't ye wake me?" He asks, knowing that you can always wake him if you can't sleep. Or if a nightmare comes over you.
You look over at him, your eyes meeting his in the dark.
"You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you up."
Your answer you know frustrates him, always putting your needs in front of his own. It's more important to him that you get sleep rather than himself.
"You shoulda woken me up." He insists, so you simply nod. Knowing he won't budge on the subject.
Leaning back into his touch, your back touching his bare chest. His arms instantly wrap around your torso, pulling you back into him farther as he leans against the headboard.
"What was the dream?" He asks you, his warm breath tickling your ear.
You shake your head, not wanting to relive it.
"Okay, you ain't got to talk about it."
You both sit there, until you speak up minutes later.
"It was you."
You voice shakes, and you find your own hands clinging onto his arms that hold you tightly.
"You turned and I--" His lips being pressed to your temple calm the sobs that back up in your throat.
"Shh," He whispers soothingly. "I'm alright, right here with ya."
Although his calming words help you to breathe again, tears still find their way out of your eyes. Trailing down your cheeks until they fall onto his arms.
The water disappearing as it soaks into his sun kissed skin.
"What I tell ya bout cryin?" He says, keeping his tone soft. He's never been one for crying, nor people crying around him.
He knows you will, and that you have to. He just hates the fact that when it happens he's not good at the comforting part.
"I'm sorry." You whisper and feel his lips kiss you bare shoulder.
"Don't be," Daryl says as you can smell the wind and musk in his hair and on his skin. "Ain't great at helping when you start cryin. That's all."
He admits it with a sense of vulnerability, something he's still guarding.
"What are you talking about?" You ask confused, twisting in his arms a bit to face him better.
"You help me when I cry better than anyone else. When I'm like this," You sniff, wiping a tear from your face. "you sit with me. Just waiting to make sure I'm okay."
"And when I had that nightmare the first time we shared a bed," Daryl kisses your shoulder again, signalling to continue. "you stayed up till I fell back asleep. Watched me so I wouldn't face anymore bad dreams."
Daryl hums softly, remebering that night.
"You're the best at comforting me when I cry Daryl," You tell him. "You're the best because you love me. That's all you have to do."
Daryl's thumb runs softly over your cheeks, where the tears once fell. As if trying to run any trace of them away.
"Come on," He says pulling you down onto the mattress with him. "Lets get you some sleep."
With his arms still holding you tightly, and the soft sound of him breathing you soon doze off.
And Daryl stays awake, holding you, loving you... Making sure that no more bad dreams come to you.
A/N: ah! Daryl you sweetie! 😍 Question for you all, I want to write a one shot of the last episode of season 6 where we meet Negan, I wrote a small one for my other book Daryl Dixon GIF Imagines, and I'm wondering if you would like to read a longer version of that one... Or a new one all together? Let me know and thanks for reading!
