The Walking Dead Imagines!

Daryl Dixon x Reader

You paced the prison floor nervously, shaking off Carol's kind hand of comfort in favour of burning a hole in the floor with your anxious steps. "They'll be back, Y/N, please don't fret. Worrying won't do anything but harm," She said, as you sat down beside her, finally tired of your pointless walking.

"It's been a while," You muttered and Beth only sighed, used to the spills of worries tumbling from your lips over the past day or two. Your swollen ankle had been acting up, and Rick had forbidden you from coming to fetch Glenn and Maggie, and no matter how much you begged to go, not wanting to be left behind, he refused.

Daryl had huffed out a laugh at your insistence, your stubbornness reminding him so much of his own; he found it endearing, but he would never tell you that. "Be back soon," he said, pressing a scruffly kiss to your forehead in a rare show of affection before he left with the rest of the group.

You weren't a couple but everyone knew the two of you liked each other, even though you were both beautifully oblivious. You tried to keep your hopes up, hoping that something would happen if you could drag up the courage to confess. You quickly realised you couldn't circle the prison the whole time they were gone and let Carol lead you to your cell bed before hugging her tightly, knowing if anyone understood how much you missed Daryl it would be her.

You barely slept that night, a few hours of dreamless rest, and you jumped to be the first up, and in the watch tower, waiting for your friends to come home. It was hard, after this all started, to not get caught up in intrusive thoughts and to keep believing they would always return alive and well. You felt you did pretty good at keeping positive, at least compared to others in the camp.

You scoured the perimeter of the prison, quickly taking out any walkers that came near out of pure boredom, swinging your legs off the side. It wasn't until you saw a car pull into the prison, and heard Ricks yells, seeing Carol rush down to the gate that you jumped up, your heart racing. You could see Daryl again. You hadn't realised how much you'd been craving the gruff mans company until it was gone, longing for when the two of you would hunt together, sneaking glances and small grins. Getting him to smile properly had been your own personal goal at the farm and now he'd only opened up more it made your stomach squeeze with happiness.

Rick looked completely exhausted, worn down when you saw him and it made your belly ache with anxiety. Something was wrong. Glenn helped Maggie out the car, giving you what you hoped was a small smile as you enveloped them both in a tight hug. You nodded to Michonne, and wrapped your arms around Rick, glad to have them back safe. "Where's  Daryl?" you said, hoping they'd pretend not the hear the wobble in your voice at his noteable absence.

Rick hesitated, "Y/N..." You frowned, he was holding something back. "what happened? is he hurt?" "He left. With Merle," Glenn said, his face screwed up in hatred at the mention of the other Dixon's name and you balked. "He wouldn't do that..." you felt your face begin to burn with anxiety, your hands sweaty as they rubbed against your jeans. "I'm sorry Y/N, but we couldn't have Merle here. He beat Glenn to a pulp and he's awful. Woulda messed everything up,"

"But why...." You trailed off, knowing how much Daryl loved his toxic brother. You had secretly hoped they'd never be reunited again, Daryl was so much happier away from him. "They're family, he wouldn't come without him,"

You could feel your cheeks reddening in frustration, the efffort of keeping your emotions at bay becoming strenuous as you processed what had happened. He wasn't coming back. He wasn't coming back. Daryl has left with Merle, left you behind without a second thought it seemed. Carol gave you a sorrowful smile and you struggled to return in, turning on your heel and walking back to the prison, damned if you'd been caught crying over him.