The Walking Dead Imagines (Requests OPEN)

[Daryl Dixon] When Emotions Come Knocking

This has been requested by one of my fave readers _PurpleMoonlight_ , who has commented and favourited since the beginning. Thanks so much for the ongoing support, you are one of the reasons I have continued with such enjoyment!
Enjoy x

PROMPT
Your relationship with Daryl isn't much on the surface but you both have unmistakable feelings for each other. One day you catch Daryl in tears and you comfort him- which ignites something between you two.

[info: set in 05:10]

Death is always inevitable. Its unescapable. No matter where you go, as long as you bleed and breathe, you will always be followed by death.

There is nothing like the feeling you get in your stomach when someone you love dies. It's a different kind of pain from being stabbed or shot but it still hurts just as much. Sometimes you wondered about death. It was so beautifully normal. So granted. It was something that occurred every day dead rising or not, so why did every single time seem so different, feel so big? Hurt so much? That was the thing with death. Unpredictable, unescapable and inevitable. Those were the rules. The rules that would never change. As long as living remained possible, so did dying.

Your feet padded along the footpath lightly. Your skinny frame trailing behind the group, with your head hung low and your chest rising and falling. Twelve people walked by your side, shoulders slumped and legs aching from all the walking. Everyone weeped for Beth Greene, the bright young girl who had died only a day ago. Everyone mourned the loss, everyone took on the pain. Some more than others too. Daryl, the one who you'd really fought for, took this on the hardest. He had spent quite a lot of time with Beth after the group had been split up. You knew he was hurting. It only took one look and you knew your companion was hurting, which made you hurt- because there was nothing much you could do to help.

He walked behind the group with you, every step tiring him more. Everyone passed around bottles of water and you took it reluctantly, feeling the water slide down your dry throat. Glenn held out the water for Daryl after you. Daryl shook his head and Glenn insisted.
"Don't" Daryl growled at him. Glenn turned his head, continuing up the road. Daryl turned to you and Abraham, who followed the rest.

"Tell em' I'm looking for water." he told you guys. You could hear the pain in his voice despite how subtle it was. You cared about Daryl a lot, so it pained you to hear this. He branched away from the group and forged into the forests. Part of you wanted to follow him and the other wanted to let him have his space.

You waited about ten minutes before Abraham, who clutched a bottle of liquor in his hands turned to you.

"You're gonna go after him? Right?" He asked, a little too loud. He was drunk. Of course. He seemed like the kind of guy to drown his sorrows in liquor.

"What?" you asked, turning to face him but continuing to walk behind the group.
"Daryl. He's off, so you're gonna go after him and make sure he's alright, aren't you?"

You frowned at him, with a downcast look on your face.

"Why me?" you asked, though your voice didn't seem to sound so surprised.

"Because..." he hesitated. "That's what you two do. You run around and sniff each others asses." He swung the bottle up to meet his lips and swallowed a large portion of the liquor.
"Right." You nodded. "I'll go. Tell Rick?"
Abraham nodded and you split from the group, trudging through the shrubbery and bush.
You did so for about five minutes before the smell of an ignited cigarette filled your nose and you followed the scent, like an animal. You ended up pushing into a clearing with a big barn in the distance. Up the road you saw Daryl, against a tree and hunched. You approached him slowly and the closer you got, you saw that he was crying. Hard too.
"Daryl?" You asked, just metres away. He continued to sob, so you slid down beside him, your feet dragging along the dirt as you landed on the ground with a thud.
You wrapped your arm around him and he turned, placing his head on your shoulders and sobbing on them.
You rubbed your arm up and down his back, as his chest continued to puff up and down at a fast rate, letting out the pain. This was the first time you'd seen him cry and half of you was in shock, the other half felt like crying for him.
"Daryl." You repeated, softer. You felt his breathing slow down but he kept his head on your shoulder.
"I'm here. It's okay." You whispered. Normally this would have all felt wrong and out of place but right now, you didn't care. You didn't care about the details, you cared about Daryl.

After a little while he pulled away, directing his focus to the distant features in front of you. The trees, the barn, the high rising shrubbery.
"You know..." You whispered, resting your head on your knees. "When I first saw you I saw cement. Someone that had never started out strong and hard but someone who had turned that way over time. I thought 'God, this man, he's built for the apocalypse. He's going to take this thing on." You let out an exasperated pained laugh. "I told myself 'make sure you stick with him because he's gonna make it. He's gonna get us out of this hell."

You turned to face him, placing a hand on his arm and gently gripping it. He flinched at the contact. Barely. Hardly visible but it was there. You saw it.
"But hiding your emotions doesn't make you stronger. It makes you look stronger. People think things will get better if they don't cry and they pretend it's not real. People keep their emotions bottled up without realising that sooner or later it's going to come out. Sooner or later they're gonna break down."
You knew these words all too well.
"You're my poison Daryl. You're the only one here that I would follow to the end of the world. The only one. So hell, if you can't cry in my arms and talk about all the shitty feelings and junk with me, then I give up."

He smiled. It was a strained and painful smile but it was something.
"I-" his normal growl had changed to a light whisper. His voice was weak. "I can't take this damn death anymore. I can't do that." He mumbled. You tilted your head, still holding on to his arm.
"Soon I'll be alone." He bowed his head and you leaned over, nudging him lightly with your shoulder.
"Maybe one day." You whispered. "Maybe one day when the sweet release of death yanks me away, then you'll be alone- but until I'm dead you'll always have me." He looked at you, his face looking a little more relaxed.
"You mean that?" He asked. You smiled sweetly, tucking your hair behind your ear.
"I sure as hell do." You retorted, a grin plastering on your face. Right now, a burst raised in your chest and you felt the sudden impulse to tell him you loved him. To tell him that you always had.
"I mean..." He trailed on. "If I'd ever lost you.."

That made a lump in your throat form. You knew you had strong feelings for him- and sometimes subtle flirtation was shot back but you weren't sure he felt the same. Now, something just felt so connected. Your feelings felt accepted and returned.
"You'd what?" You asked him, playing with your fingers.
"Don't know." He replied, standing up abruptly. He dusted off his worn out black jeans and held out a hand for you. You took it and allowed him to hoist you up. You didn't let go though.
"Daryl?" You asked, still holding tightly onto his hand. "If I kissed you right now...would it be weird?"
He looked at you for a second. "Probably."
You bit your lip.
"Would you kiss back?"
"Probably."
So you leaned over, slowly. Very slowly. You leaned over and placed your lips on his. They didn't move. They just stayed there, together. You held the kiss for a while, before the dark clouds above you erupted into the first clap of thunder and tiny droplets of rain begun pouring down.
You pulled away, looking up at the sky.
"Water!" You exclaimed, holding your arms up and letting it drench your skin. You turned around and saw Daryl's eyes on you. With rain pouring down on him as well. All he did was stare at you. Not shield himself from the rain. Nothing.
"I love you!" You shouted, your voice carried away by the loud sound of rain beating down on dirt and thunder clapping.

And through all the mess, all the pain and all the loss, you heard him yell back:
"I love you too."

Okay so I tried my best. I'm not too good at awkwardness but I know Daryl is the king of awkward tough guy act so I did my all time best. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!