TWD ~ Daryl + Reader ~

The Embrace

You walk back towards the building where Morgan had led you and the others to your rooms. As you get closer your mind dives deeper into thought.

'What are we going to do if the Kingdom doesn't join us against the saviors? Are we going to be able to take them? Will we all die? Will I have to watch as they all die? Will Negan kill Andy right in front of me? Will he save me for last? Or will it even come to that? Will Rick change his mind and just capture Negan? Will Negan be allowed to live? Will he change if they let him?'

"Hey." Your thoughts stop as the low almost cold voice echoes through your ears. You look up the stairs you're about to ascend to find Daryl sitting on the top step peering down at you. "Hi." You faintly smile.

You walk up the stairs and as you get closer to the top Daryl stands keeping his eyes on you. When you go to pass him, he stops you. "What did ya do ta your hand?" Daryl grasp your right hand and holds it like it's the most fragile thing in the world.

You hadn't noticed until that your index finger is a dark blue with your other fingers being twisted out of place as well. "I guess I twisted my finger too far."

"(Y/N) you twisted all of'em outta place, your index finge' so far that you've cut off its blood flow." Daryl's blue eyes peer into yours with worry invading them. You've only seen his eyes like that in the nightmares you had when Negan had him. "Come on we have't set'em properly."

What he said wasn't a suggestion, right after he said it he pulled you down the hallway and into the room Morgan gave him. He sits you on the bed as he looks through the room for something to wrap your hand and stabilize it.

He ends up grabbing one of the spare shirts from the cabinet in the corner of the room. He rushes back towards you and sits on the bed beside you. He delicately takes your hand and holds it between you two. "If I set'em then wrap'em tigh'ly with pieces of the shirt I shouldn' 've to find a stabilizer."

"It's fine, Daryl, I can fix it myself." He looks at you and without warning, he twists your ring finger back into place, making it pop as you feel the bones collide. "Shit!" You yelp as you try to pull your hand away, but Daryl holds it in place.

"If ya hold still I can make it quic', a'ight?" You hold a few tears back as you nod. "A'ight. Now I'll count ta three." You nod once more as you hold your left hand over your mouth. "One. Two." He quickly pops your middle finger back into place, making you scream into your hand as your tears fall. "You a'ight?" You let your tears fall then you slowly nod. "Okay, last one. One. Two. Three." Daryl twists your index finger and pushes it into place. You only let out a small muffled yelp as you squeezed your eyes shut.

You keep your eyes shut, even when you feel the clothe of the shirt being tightly wrapped around your fingers and hand. You feel Daryl wrap the clothe around your fingers then securely wrap it around the base of your hand and the wrist, then he takes it back around your fingers a few times before he ties it off in the middle of the top of your hand. Daryl holds your hand in his as he glances towards your closed eyes.

"You a'ight?"

You open your eyes to see Daryl tenderly holding your throbbing wrapped hand and him looking over at you. "I'm fine." You sheepishly smile, "I've never done that before."

"Why did you?" Your smile fades as you see his blue eyes contort with concern, it makes you want to tell him. However, you know how much he doubted coming here, how much he already thinks being here is hopeless. If you add to his doubt he might not bother to stay and hear the King's decree.

"I was caught in a train of thought, wasn't the best train to be stuck in." You smirk at him, not wanting to tell him the rest.

"Seems like it." Daryl glances down at your hand then back up to your face. "Where'd you go?" Your eyes slightly widen as they make contact with his, "You ain't gotta tell me."

"I was summoned by King Ezekiel." You bluntly say as you pull your wrapped hand from his grip. "He wanted to know my thoughts about what was said during the meeting."

"What did you tell him?" You see Daryl's hands turn to light fists as he anticipates what you're about to say.

"At first I told him that we should just kill all of them, but by the end, I realized that Morgan could be right. We could only have to kill or capture Negan, then the rest of them will fall in line."

Daryl stands from the bed, the knuckles of his fists turning white. "And which would ya prefer? Would you rather that some bitch be captured or killed?"

You don't know. You've known that it would come down to Negan being killed, but you didn't want to think about it yet. You don't want to bring yourself to have to think about it, because you know you feel for him. Whether what Negan felt for you was real or not, you still feel it. But you feel something more with Daryl, something real, that you know he's not faking. However, the truth is, even if you don't know what to do with Negan, you don't want him to die.

You look up and see Daryl looking at you waiting for your answer. "I don't know."

"You don't know if you want that some bitch that terrorized ur home, that took ur brother, that took ownership over you, that killed my friends, that took me, dead?" You see his anger growing in his eyes.

"If you put it like that then yes, I want him dead." Not a total lie.

"Then don't say that Morgan is right." The white on his knuckles starts to fade as he takes a deep breath.

His blue eyes close as he continues takes another deep breath and his fists start to soften. You stand from the bed and take the step to him to close the space. Your left hand moves to find his as your right hand goes to pull his head to meet yours. Your foreheads rest against each other as you hold his hand within yours.

Then Daryl's arms move around you to pull you closer to him. Your arms wrap around his torso with your hands holding onto his lower back while his are around your waist. You rest your head on his shoulder and you feel his warm breath on your neck as he holds you against him. Just standing there in his embrace you close your eyes and just breathe.

Apart from what Daryl thinks you understand how he feels and why he wants Negan dead. But you've also seen the part of Negan that no one else has seen. You didn't want Negan dead if that good part of him could be brought to light for everyone to see.

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~A/N~

Please not that this chapter could be very important in what is to come. I know you may not like (Y/N) having a thing for Negan, but please indulge me.

As always, thank you for reading. Don't forget to hit that star. All the love.