His Wings (D.D. fanfiction)

Chapter 23

I stepped outside and settled onto a rough-hewn log, patiently waiting for Eugene to finish repairing my hearing aids. The night sky stretched above, a sea of stars, and I couldn't help but think about our tumultuous relationship. Daryl and I—why was it so hard for us to get along?

A gentle tap on my shoulder startled me, and I spun around, my heart racing with alarm.

"Hey," Daryl signed with his hands, and my eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

"You remember?" My stomach fluttered with a mix of excitement and nostalgia, and he nodded, his lips forming the words slowly.

"A little." The corners of my lips curled into a smile. Even after all these years, he remembered how to communicate with me through sign language.

My mind was filled with the memory of him visiting me in the hospital after my accident. I was only 14 when they told me that my hearing was now badly damaged and that I would have to wear hearing aids for the rest of my life. Going from being a perfectly healthy young girl, to being a disabled young girl was a big shock for me. I remember Daryl sneaking in to visit me, I was crying my eyes out and he just held my hand and watched me mourn for who I used to be. After my first few lessons of signing I remember teaching him a few words so we could communicate before getting my hearing aids, the fact that he could remember it all these years later filled me with a sense of hope.

"Sorry about what I said." His lips moved, and I turned away, fixing my gaze on my feet.

"You don't have to be so harsh," I muttered.

He touched my shoulder so I would look at him, I glanced up at him to see he looked rather conflicted.

"Ya just don't listen, and I get worried-"

"But why?"

"What ya mean?" He knotted his brows and focused on my face with those dark captivating eyes.

"Why do you worry about me? I know you don't care Daryl-"

"Fuck it, Alex, I do care!" He interrupted me, his sudden change of heart leaving me flustered. He couldn't be serious, could he?

"What?" I stammered.

"I don't wanna see ya hurt, I made that promise for a reason. So when ya reckless and end up getting hurt, I get pissed off cos I tried to stop it from that happenin'." He shrugged, and I nodded, finally realizing the depth of his concern.

"So, you do care? You're not in love with Carol?" I asked and he started to laugh a little it seemed, oh how I wish I could hear it.

"Nah, why would ya think that?" His lips moved, and I couldn't help but blush.

"I don't know, you two seem close."

"Thought ya supposed to be smart?" He teased, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"In science, not with people," I retorted, and he smirked. I started to lean into him and to my surprise he let me.

"I've missed this Dar..." I sighed and I felt him shift uncomfortably. I turned to gaze up at him and he didn't seem quite like himself. I sat up straight and leant away from him, worried I was being too much.

"When ya left I was with Beth, and I couldn't stop worrying about ya. So, when I lost her and found ya in terminus, I was angry that ya been there all that time doing ya thing-"

"But I wasn't happy Daryl, I prayed every day for you I was surviving." I eagerly interrupted him. He gazed up at me and furrowed his brows.

"I just...it's hard for me to let ya in. I did and then I lost ya." He frowned.

"I know, I'm trying to not run Daryl but I need you, I really do. I've missed you." I confessed softly. He looked into my eyes, and our gazes danced across each other's features.

"I find it hard to let ya know how I feel, sometimes ya make me so fuckin' frustrated but ya make me happy too. Ya give me a reason to keep going through this shit." apart from his remark about me making him frustrated I couldn't help but smile.

"Sometimes I find you stubborn, and I can never read your mind but the thought of being with out you makes me sick." I gazed up at his beautiful blue eyes, and saw they were focusing on my lips.

My stomach fluttered with a cascade of butterflies as I gazed at him in awe. It had been too long, I couldn't hide my feelings any longer. We gently inched closer towards each other, my eyes closing as we trembled, our noses touching and skimming each others, our lips tantalizingly close. This was it, the moment I had dreamed about since I was a teenager. Daryl pulled away abruptly and I felt a wave of embarrassment barrel into me.  I opened my eyes and pouted, disappointed that we were so close yet not close enough.

"Daryl?" He put a lip to my finger and I swallowed with nerves.

"I hear something," he mouthed, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"Up," he signed, his hands quick and firm. I got up and he put his arm around the small of my back to protect me, aggressively pulling me closer to him. He got out his crossbow with one hand and raised it up, looking around for the culprit. His strong arm gripped onto my small frame as I clung onto him.

Suddenly, a man emerged from the bushes, tackling Daryl before he could react. I went down with him as we were forcefully pushed to the ground. One of the assailants grabbed me, covering my mouth with something as two others pummelled Daryl. I thrashed in the kidnapper's arms, desperately attempting to reach Daryl. My screams were muffled by the hand over my mouth, but I had to save him.

"Daryl!" A blood-curdling scream escaped my lips, but it was silenced by the intruder's grip. They then raised an object and struck me on the head. Everything went black, and as consciousness slipped away, my last thoughts were of Daryl.