I Need You (Daryl Dixon Fanfiction)

Chapter 10

Rue-

It was storming pretty furiously outside, the thunder boomed so loud it shook my windows. Frightened I jumped out of bed, and ran across the hallway to Daryl's room. I quickly crawled under his covers curling up, with my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, a little stiffly." You okay?" He whispered. I nodded still frightened, shaking with fear. He held me tighter against his chest, and kissed the top of my head," you're okay I'll keep you safe."

This was the first storm I experienced with another person, the first storm I could run to someone for comfort. I was always alone, and I would usually cry myself to sleep. The warmth radiating from Daryl was very comforting, but it also made my cheeks feel like fire, being this close to his exposed chest was making me very... uh what's the word, not flustered, nervous? Anxious? Not sure what it was. I loved feeling his arms around me though, I felt safe, my frightened shaking had stopped, my body was finally relaxing. My eyes were closing, sleep was coming back to me. Hearing Daryl's long, deep, relaxed breathing was soothing, and I finally gave in, and fell asleep.

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I was woken by a warm embrace, I snapped my eyes open, instantly alert. I jumped up out of bed, crashing into the night stand knocking it over. I then realized it was just Daryl." Uh, I'm sorry." I picked the night stand up, pain shooting through my hurt hand, but I ignored it, until I was done picking everything up.

"It's okay, just relax." He sat up, helping me pick up everything," let's go change that." He pointed to my hand and I looked down at the blood that soaked through the bandage that was now dry. We went down to the bathroom, I sat on the edge of the tub this time, taking my bandage off wincing as the blood pounded through my hand, I rinsed it off in the tub, allowing the warm water to wash the dried blood off my shaking hand. After I finished Daryl put a hand towel on my lap, and I dabbed the water off my scabbing hand.

He grabbed the gauze, and started wrapping it around my shaking hand." Ow, ow, its more sensitive today." I winced.

"Sorry." He loosened it a bit, then continued wrapping it," don't punch anything today." He joked.

"Ha, ha, I can bottle it up, until my hand heals, or I'll just use the other hand." I nudged him with my left hand. He smirked," thanks, nurse Dixon." I joked, as I got up and headed for the kitchen.

"I prefer doctor." He followed after me. We snatched a couple muffins from the kitchen and went out to the front porch sitting closely. We watched the morning shift struggle to keep their eyes open as they swapped out with the night shift." What'd ya say bout goin huntin this mornin?" He stuck another hunk of muffin in his mouth.

"Sounds good to me." I finished the last of my muffin and headed for the door.

"Ya gonna wear shoes this time?" He gave me a crooked smile, that always made me melt.

"You wish." I kicked my foot up behind me, and stomped my way inside.

I went upstairs pulling on what was my dad's Punisher shirt, it had scattered holes across it, that I never patched up. I pulled on my tattered skinny jeans, wrapping black shoe laces around my left calf. I grabbed my hoodie, my antler jacket, my "buck" pack, man that will never get old, my bow, arrows, and knife. I went downstairs throwing my things on the couch next to Daryl, who was putting his boots on.

"See that's one reason I don't wear shoes." I smiled at him.

"Well, my feet ain't as tough as yours." He grumbled.

"So how long we gonna be out so I know how much food I need to pack." I pulled my pack into my lap.

"Three days, at most, but pack a little extra." I started to empty out my pack. Pulling a stack of scrap papers out, that were covered in scribbled writing. A stack of various bracelets, a dirty envelope containing pictures, and my dad's bible.

"What's all that?" Daryl looked amongst the mess I left on the coffee table.

"Just stuff that belonged to my family, here." I handed him a beaded bracelet." Keep it." I fiddled with the bracelets I was wearing. A pink one with a tree charm, a purple one with a sparrow charm, then my beaded bracelets, earthy toned; they were my sisters. He grabbed the envelope of pictures and started flipping through them.

"So this is your sister and your brother?" He showed me a picture of a young girl with long brown dreadlocks, wearing an olive colored jacket, standing next to a boy that was taller than her with shaggy dirty blonde hair down to his shoulders, wearing a black hoodie. Both were smiling, even though they were both dirty, covered in blood, both wielding their huge knives we had taken from a store. I nodded sadly, I sniffed and hopped up going to the kitchen, putting cans in my pack.

Daryl continued studying the stack of pictures, I wasn't sure what he would see, I didn't remember what was in there. He got up from the couch bringing a photo to me." I like this one." He placed a picture in my hand.

It was a picture of me, I was standing in what looked to be an open field, the morning sun shining on my face, my eyes closed my face content, and smiling lightly. My hair was wild, as the wind tossed it around, I had either mud or blood splattered on my face, my other arm held out to the side of me. I was happy, even though I was alone, this must've been when I finally came to terms with my family's deaths. I set the photo on the counter sliding it away from me.

"Lets go, I don't want to remember anymore of this." I pulled my backpack on, going over to my pack of arrows, I attached it to my belt, and wrapped the strap securely around my thigh I tightened the draw string at the neck of the pack, then hopped around a bit making sure my arrows wouldn't fall out. I adjusted on my belt at my hips, lacing it through one belt loop, letting the rest slack on my hip, I locked my knife into place. I then grabbed my bow, pulling it over my head and shoulder, wearing it on my back. I stood by the front door, waiting to hear Daryl getting his things. I looked at the floor, then the wall, then my bandaged hand, I can keep it bottled up, until it heals. No I can't.' I said in my thoughts, I stepped out onto the porch, slamming the door shut behind me.

I took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I sat down with my back against the house, panting in anger, as I looked at my shaking hands. Daryl stepped out onto the porch and looked down at me.

"Lets go." He gestured with his hand, and we went over to a pick up, loading a thick wool blanket, and a tent in the back, we put both of our packs in the back, our weapons remaining close. We were off on our first hunting trip together.