Daryl Dixon x Reader

The Lone Ranger

~Daryl's POV.~

I had sat outside my tent, just sharping sticks for the hell of it. Was tired from staying up last night, but I wouldn't even try lying and say I wish I didn't stay up. (Y/n) was a kind girl that was starting to really grow on me. And seeing her fight back at Shane didn't help the girl get off my mind. "Daryl?!" I look up to see her sister rushing towards me. I shoot her a questioning look. "My sister- you seen her? She was with you last time I saw her. Beth needs her." I drop the stick and stand up. "Dunno, why would she leave?" She runs her hand over her face, clearly freaking out. "Her and my daddy- they handle their emotions differently." She seemed fine last night when we had finally left. What could've happened? "Can you look for her? I might have an idea of where she'd be. I just can't leave Beth." I nod and put my knife back into its sheath around my waist. "She used to go to this old house out in the woods, she'd smoke cigarettes and marijuana till her lungs were black." I turn to my tent, grabbing my crossbow, throwing it over my shoulders. "Think I came across it awhile back. Won't take long." She said her thank you's before running back to the farmhouse.

Maggie definitely knew her sister. On the way to the house I had already found (Y/n)'s footprints. Finally the old house had come into view. I walk up to the door and slowly open it, the place had smelt strong of jane, she probably smoked worse than my brother ever had. I crept around the house, stopping at a door where it had smelt the strongest. I knocked. She must've gotten spooked because it all was silent. "It's me. Daryl." I hear feet get close to the door and she opens it. I look into her bloodshot eyes. How she still had marijuana was a wonder. "Who sent you?" She looks down a bit, but I never once looked away from the girl. "Maggie. Said Beth needs ya." She clears her throat before meeting my gaze again. "She okay?" I answered with a simple two words. "In shock." She nods slowly and goes to move forward but stopping when I hadn't moved from the doorway. "What happened?" Never taking my eyes off of the girl. "What are you talkin' about?" She looks up in confusion, but I can tell from her eyes she knew what I was asking about. "Last night to now. You seemed fine. Then you come out here and smoke your brains away." She let out a gentle sigh and dropped her head. "I couldn't sleep." We stand there in silence for a bit, she still hadn't picked her head up. I move to the side to make room for her to get by. "Come on." She glances up to me before walking past me. Walking our way back to the farm.

~ (Y/n)'s pov.~

I make my way up the steps to the house and as soon as I step foot inside I hear sobbing. I slowly creep my way to the spare room and open the door with caution. It was Maggie. She looks at me with teary eyes, Beth lying below her on the bed. "Where's Daddy?" She looks back down at Beth, wiping her tears. "At the bar. Glenn and Rick are gettin' him now." I walk into the room fully, closing the door right behind me. I walk over to the medical supplies in the corner of the room. To check on Beth. "She's only in shock, dehydrated as well. Just gotta keep an eye on her." I say looking back at Maggie after checking Beths pulse. "You left. You and Daddy left me. I was all alone and I didn't know what to do!" I drop my head and stand up. "I know. That was unfair of me to put you in that situation. I wasn't the only one who lost someone." I walk to Maggie and hold her in my arms as she lets her tears fall down her face and onto my shoulder. "I love you, Mags." She sniffles and I hear her smile as she talks. "I love you too."

My father had still not returned with Glenn and Rick. And Lori had gone out to look for them. Shane had gone out and returned with a very bruised and cut Lori. "What happened?" Everyone starts approaching Lori and Shane after seeing her state. "I was in an accident. I'm fine. Really. Where's Rick?" I glance to Shane, seeing him walk away. I understand why he did it. "They're not back? Where are they?" She now directs her attention to Shane. "Look, I had to get you back here." She charges him and starts hitting him. I knew Shane cared for Lori, so I knew he wouldn't hurt her. Everyone standing back and watching the scene unfold. "You asshole! He's my husband!!" Shane backs up, trying to calm the situation before him. "Lori, I will go after him. I will find him. Look, first things first I gotta- I gotta look after you. I gotta make sure the baby's all right, okay?" Everyone around looks completely shocked. "You're having a baby? Why didn't you tell me?" All eyes turns to the young boy. Lori just looks between Carl and Shane. I can't imagine how that must of felt. I walk up to Lori with Dale behind me. I grab her arm gently to get her attention on me. "Why don't we take you inside." She nods with tears forming in her eyes as she follows Dale and I inside.

After cleaning up Lori and checking for damage around the stomach we head out into the living room where Carl sat with Dale. "I'm so sorry that I left, without telling you." She says to Carl, taking a seat next to him on the couch. "It's okay. I wasn't scared. When's dad getting back?" There's a pause before she answers. Rubbing her son's knee as a form of comfort. "Let's hope soon." "I wanna be there when you tell him about the baby." "Oh, love, he already knows. We were just, finding the right time to tell you." I push myself off the wall and walk out the room to give them some space. "I'll be on the porch if ya need me." Lori gives me a smile as Dale just nods. As I walk out I bump into Shane. "Hey." He looks down at me, waiting for me to continue. "If you're going to talk to Lori, you should wait. Give her some space till she's ready." He just turns around and walks into the living room anyway. I let out a moan in frustration and head out to the porch. I turn my head to the left when I see movement. "Nurse Greene." I smile a bit and walk over to take the empty chair beside him. "Mr. Daryl. Seat taken?" He shakes his head 'no' before passing over the cigarette. We sit in the comfortable silence, taking in the sound of the crickets and frog croaks every so often. It was yet another beautiful and peaceful night. I look over to Daryl at the sound of shuffling. "Gonna go for a walk 'round the farm. Ya comin'?" I sigh a bit looking at the door. I'm sure they'd be fine for awhile. Plus, could use the distraction from the worries of my father's return. I stand up and follow behind the tall, blue eye'd man.

"So...you gonna tell me why you asked me to join you on your walk Mr.Daryl?" We had been walking the outline of the farms fence in silence since we had left. He only glances back at me but continues walking in silence. "If you were just gonna ignore me, why'd ya ask me to come?" He stops walking and turns around looking me dead in the eyes. I could see anger, but I'm not sure why. "Why'd ya leave?" I lowered my head and let out a sigh. Grabbing the fence to lean against. "After you left, and I went up to bed, every time I closed my eyes I just saw my brother. What he was...dead in the barn. I just kept reliving that moment. How do you just go back to living life after that?" I look at him and he walk up beside me. Placing his hand on my lower back. "I lost my brother too. 'cept not like you did. Jackass got himself cuffed to a building, didn't wait for me to come get 'em. Cut his hand off- I don't know where he is now. Point is, I know what it feels like to lose a brother, ya not alone. Ya got ya family. Ya got me." I let a tear fall after hearing the words fall from his mouth. He spoke with such gentleness and comfort. His face had softened from before. He gives my lower back and careful rub before walking backwards. "Ya ready?" I give him a smile in which he returns.

Everyone goes back to their beds. We'd all decided that it'd be smart to wait till morning to go out and find My daddy and the others. Beth had come back to, no longer being in the state of shock she was in. I had just given her and Maggie a glass of water and sharing a 'Goodnight' before heading up to my bed. I try to close my eyes but just like the night before, I couldn't sleep. Sighing in defeat I rise from my bed, throwing on a light jacket and head outside. I turn my eyesight to the tree line. I could just go back to the house, come back before sunrise. But then, Daryl's words start to replay through my head. Looking out far away from the others was a lone tent. I stare at it for a good while before stepping down from the porch and towards the lone ranger's campsite. Reaching the tent I start to get a bit nervous and regret my choice. "Daryl?" I call out in a hushed voice, waiting a few minutes but then hearing nothing. Well this was a bit embarrassing. I turn to walk away but stop when I walk into someone's hard chest. I lose my balance a bit but the person grabs my hips to help steady me. I look up to be met with deep blue eyes. A quiet chuckle escapes from my lips, feeling a bit timid. "Ya need somethin'?" Daryl says, letting go of my hips and taking the crossbow from off his shoulder. I clear my throat and fix my hair that fell in front of my face. "Uhm- Yes. I can't sleep." He continues to gaze into my eyes, never breaking eye contact once. "Wanna sleep here?" My brows furrowed in confusion, heat rising to my cheeks. I must've heard him wrong. "W-With you?" A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. He breathes out a laugh and nods with an 'mhm'. "Yeah." I say as nonchalantly as I could under the gaze of Daryl's heavy and dark blue eyes. He stays there a few moments longer before walking past me and into his tent. I stand still in the same spot, blinking quickly to help come back to reality.

As I step into his tent I start to see how small it was, only having a single sleeping mat. He starts adjusting to make room for me beside him, looking up at me as if to tell me to 'come on'. I close up the tent behind me and slowly make my way next to Daryl. He was lying on his back, one hand on his stomach and the other draped over his eyes. My daddy's gone and I'm already in a mans bed. He was not going to like this one bit. But, what was the harm? The world's different now.