Golden Cage

22/24

"No...I just...I just want you to hold me..." That was all you had wanted, all you had needed since those Saviors had taken you. Daryl seemed unsure, but then he carefully reached out his arms, tentatively as if he thought you might pull away, but you didn't, scooting closer and burying your face on his chest as he wrapped his arms around you. Your emotions after everything that had happened were too strong, though, and you couldn't help but cry again.

"Shit...shit, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was like that."

"It's not that...." It wasn't only that, but you didn't know how to put into words all that you were feeling. "Just...long day..." Was all you could whimper, not wanting to dwell on everything that had happened.

Daryl held you close for a long while, stroking your hair, trying to calm you down as he kept whispering apologies to you from time to time. You let kept yourself snuggled to his chest, slowly feeling safe and protected again as his warmth and comfort enveloped you.

Eventually, you pulled back, though you made sure Daryl kept his arms around you. He still looked at you unsure, as if expecting you'd be angry at him and would push him away, or anything like that. You weren't mad, though, just still a bit shaken, and you still felt a bit like crying when you thought about Daryl yelling and being angry like that. But you believed he didn't mean it. You knew he had been so scared, and that he'd been angry at himself. He'd lashed out at you, and it wasn't okay, but you knew he regretted it, you weren't going to doubt about forgiving him when he was apologizing. You reached out to brush his hair away from his face and Daryl seemed taken by surprise at first, but then he was closing his eyes and leaning into your touch.

"Where did you go?" You asked softly.

"Nowhere. Just needed to get out of here. Ride."

You nodded, you knew some times things were too much and he needed space and to cool off. "I don't like it when you don't come back before the light goes out," you said and Daryl just hummed at your words.

"Did you have dinner?"

"I'm good." You hadn't even thought about eating, and you were sure your stomach would close if you tried to put something in it, but it seemed Daryl thought different.

"You gotta eat."

"I don't feel like it..."

"You can't go all night without eating something."

"Fine..." You let out a sigh. You knew he was right. "But if I'm eating, then so are you."

"I'll go get you something."

Reluctantly, you let Daryl go, scooting to sit up against the headboard and watching him go. As he closed the door behind him, your apprehension was back, you couldn't help it. You tried not to let anxiety creep into you. Everything was okay, Daryl wasn't angry and the Saviors were gone, sent away. Nothing like that was going to happen again. There were more Saviors in there, sure, but those were different, you had seen them trying to stop the ones that attacked you, going to help you. The bad, or at least worse, ones were gone. You were in your room, door locked. You were safe. Everything was going to be okay.

Despite repeating yourself those words again and again, you took a relieved breath once Daryl was finally back and you weren't alone, his presence bringing you that feeling of safety. You knew he was beating himself, that he thought he'd failed you, that he hadn't kept you safe, and you wished you could show him how it made no sense, how protected you felt when you were with him.

Daryl had brought with him a big bowl of stew, something that hopefully wouldn't upset your stomach and that you'd be able to eat, despite the mild anxiety that clenched your belly. He sat down next to you and passed you one of the spoons he'd brought, and you both ate in silence, though you noticed Daryl giving you worried glances here and there.