TWD ~ Daryl + Reader ~

Seen and Unseen

The truck ride is mostly quiet, just the sound of the gears and the tires on the road, a lot of the way to Negan's home. That is until you reached the halfway point and Alden started asking you questions.

"So, you're (Y/N)?" You kinda just glance at him, he seemed to scare himself that he actually asked. But as you turn to look back at the road you see Andy slightly glaring towards Alden out of the corner of his eye. In the end, you just nodded and elbowed Andy in the side.

As Alden notices the playful nudge between you and Andy, his demeanor changes and he seems unbothered by Andy from then out as he continued to examine you.

"I'm sorry to ask, but why are you staring at me?"

"Not many of the Saviors get a chance to see you," Alden explains while he pulls his eyes away from you and looks out the window, "you should get used to being stared at."

"Great."

"Don't worry too much." You can partly see the smirk on Alden's lips. "Negan won't let them stare long." His smirk quickly drops, "He'd probably kill them from even looking at you-"

"Shut up, Alden!" Andy's voice roars through the small space. Alden turns stiff and stares out the window with a blank stare.

Andy's yelling makes you jump. Though you would never tell Andy, it admittedly reminded you of how your pops would yell. You couldn't help but start to pick at the wrapped cloth on your right hand. Your fingers still throb but that can't stop you from twisting them once again.

You don't notice at first but as the truck starts to slightly drift around on the road, your eyes tare away from your hand to see Andy looking at you with apologetic eyes. 

"Sorry." He says in almost a whisper, "I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't," you give him your warmest smile before he looks back at the road, "I'm alright."

Andy's regret-filled eyes stare at the road as he says; "Alden is correct, though." What he says doesn't phase you, you already figured Alden was telling the truth. "Also, like at Hilltop, I wouldn't be surprised if Negan made you stay in his room the whole time. Might try to keep you away from his wives and he will definitely try to keep you from seeing the torturous things he does to the people there."

Your eyes flicker towards Andy. You know some of the things Negan has done. He throws people in pitch-black rooms to break their souls, beats people to death with his bat, and many other things you've heard people talking about. But there are still things that he does that get to you. With many things he does being similar to your pops, and with you not wanting anything to do with men like him you try to block that part out whenever you're with Negan.

"If you really think he would do any of that," you feel Alden shift in his seat beside you as your wrapped hand moves to grasp your left hand, "why would you believe it's safe for me to go?"

You know the reason, Maggie and Sasha are the reason, but you wish he could tell you another. You wish that he could tell you that he trusts Negan and would vouch for your protection. However, you know he can't and that he won't.

"Negan changes when he's around you, he's less violent, and while that could be a bad thing for his position, it could be good for the Saviors and the others to see him like that."

Not trust. Not even because he thinks you'll be safe. But rather for the fact of Negan's people needing to see him in a different light. 

Andy has always cared for others, especially those who are treated badly, so his caring for the Savior's people doesn't surprise you. Rather it makes you reluctantly smile, for he is the Andy that protected you a year ago, and what he's doing proves it.