^Nothing to do with the story but my god he's gorgeous^
Everything that happened next was a blur, Merle and Dad ran forewords lifting Daryl and draping one arm over each of their shoulders and carried him towards the house.
What if he died? What if I never get to tell him that what I feel is more than just some crush? If I never get to hear his voice again? Or see his ocean blue eyes staring into mine?
What if he doesn't make it?
"Lyla! Come on, we gotta move." Shane's voice ripped me out of my thoughts and I took of running towards the house that Daryl had disappeared into.
Just as I was about to go through the front door a body appeared and caught me before I could fall.
"Come on, Hershel needs space to work. He said he'll come get us when he's done." Dad whispered as he slightly nudged me to walk back down the steps. "I need to talk to you Lyl's." He said as he sat me down on the bottom step taking a seat beside me.
"If it's the whole stay away from the Dixons thing mums beat you to it." I mumbled looking down at the dirt I was moving around with the toes of my shoes.
"What? No, no. She's just stressed, that's all, you know she's pregnant right?" He said as he kept his eyes infront rather than looking at me.
"Uh, no I didn't. Congratulations?" I said, more like asked, looking up at him.
He looked at me and sighed leaning forwards with his arms on his knees. "She was having an affair Lyla, with Shane, of all people." He started as he looked away from me and up at the clouds above.
"I know." I whispered looking away. "Carl told me this morning, said he saw them when we was at the quarry, the day you came." I said playing with my fingers.
"I don't know what to do, that baby might not even be mine, what if I can't love it the same as you and Carl?" He asked looking at me, desperation in his eyes.
"Hey, you are the best damn dad I could have ever asked for, that anyone could ask for. It might take some time but I'm sure you'll grow to love the baby regardless of who it's biological father is, Lori loves me even though I'm not hers." I pointed out leaning my head against his shoulder.
"When did you get so damn grown up?" He whispered looking down at me.
"I'm 21 now daddy, I couldn't stay a baby forever could I." I smiled at him as he shook his head.
"I love you Lyla, you know that right?" He said as he hugged me in our sitting position.
"Of course I know, I love you too Daddy." I smiled returning the hug and standing up.
"I'm gunna go see how Merles doing, probably not great." I smiled sadly at my dad thinking about the man lying upstairs with a bullet hole in his head.
Nodding his head he looked up at me. As I was walking away I heard his voice once more.
"Lyla! By the way, the Dixon's ain't all bad." He said winking at me. Shaking my head I let out a small laugh and continued to walk away.
——————
"Hey Merle, how you doing?" I asked as I sat down next to Merle who was sharpening a stick into an arrow, I'm assuming for Daryl.
"I'm fine, he's a fighter, he'll be fine too." He said quietly not taking his eyes off his arrow.
"You know, before Daryl left for his hunting trip we sat right here and I told him to leave me alone." I told him trying to keep the tears away.
"You did?" He asked with shock in his voice.
I sighed before saying, "Yeah, I told him that if he didn't want me that's fine but he's gotta leave me alone. Merle, what if, what if he doesn't survive? What if I never get to say sorry?" I cried as the damn broke and tears fell from my eyes.
"Hey, hey, don't ya think like tha'. He's a Dixon, he'll be fine. Ya know, the only thing tha' can kill a Dixon, is a Dixon." He said as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leaning my head again his shoulder I sighed once again, wiping under my eyes to try get rid of the tears.
"Lori told me to stay away from you two ya know, says she don't trust you." I said without thinking, just needing to fill the silence.
"Lori huh? Ain't she ya mum?" He asked.
"You don't know? She's my step mum, my real mum died when I was only a year old, I don't remember her." I said quietly.
"What happened?"
"Brain cancer. Dad and Lori remarried when I was like 5 maybe 6, then they had Carl and I just took to calling her mum I guess, she loved me like her own." I said looking down and remembering the times before the world went to shit.
"Life's shit Dear Lyla, now more than ever." He sighed when he suddenly jerked up and looked towards the house.
Following his gaze I saw Hershel walking down the steps of his home, I could already see the red blood stains that covered his shirt and parts of his trousers, making my heart drop. Standing up we both raced over there to see what he had to say.
"The bullet grazed his head, he had an arrow that had gone straight through his left side. I've stitched him up and he'll be just fine in a couple days. But he will need time to rest, which means no going out into the woods." He said looking pointedly at my dad for the last part.
"Thank you Hershel." Dad said shaking his hand.
"Ye, thanks for savin' 'im." Merle said sounding unsure as he too shook his hand. I've never heard Merle say thanks for anything, not sincerely. Guess he's really hurting.
"Can we see him?" I asked eagerly a slight bounce in my step.
"Of course, he was asleep when I came down." Was all he needed to say before I had paced past him, racing up the stairs to the same room Carl was in.
Knocking on the door softly I waited a few seconds but a reply never came so I took it upon myself to walk right in. Opening the door slowly I peeked in to see Daryl lying on the bed one bandage wrapped tightly around his head and another around his torso that was peeking out below his top. Quietly closing the door behind me I walked over and took a seat in the chair beside him.
Looking over his injuries I couldn't help but let a few tears slip.
"Damnit Dixon, why you gotta make me cry for." I muttered to myself since he obviously wasn't going to reply.
"I'm sorry Daryl, I didn't mean what I said this morning, about leaving me alone. I over reacted and I'm sorry, I just uh." I paused as I took a deep breath and looked over at his face."I just like you, a lot. At first I thought it was just a crush, one that would go away in a couple days. But the feelings still there, every time I look at you I get butterflies, even while you're lying here half dead." I let out a small laugh before sighing again as more tears made an appearance. "Please wake up Daryl. I don't care if you don't want anything to do with me, I just want you to be okay, please." I pleaded grabbing hold of his hand and resting my forehead on it.
"Mmm, Merle, Snake, Horse, Damn, Lyla." Shocked I flew upright and looked over to see Daryl twitching slightly and mumbling in his sleep.
"Hey, Daryl, it's okay you're fine, I'm here." I whispered placing a hand on both of his cheeks. "I need you to wake up for me, okay? Show me those eyes, you can do it, you're a Dixon." I pleaded as I looked into his closed eyes, praying for them to open, and they did.
"Lyla?"
"Daryl! Oh good god man what did you think you were doing? You fucking shit! Don't you dare do that again!" I said swatting at his chest in a moment of pure rage that he thought it was okay to go out alone.
"Stop woman damn." He grumbled as he grabbed my hands and lowered them from his chest.
"Sorry but seriously Daryl! You almost died and you was alone." I said sadly as I looked into his eyes.
"Hey, I was fine till tha' blonde bitch shot me." He said looking up at the ceiling.
"That's not the point Daryl, what happened anyway?" I asked.
"Some snake spooked the damn horse, threw me off an' I fell down some hill. Landed with an arrow in me an' a walker in ma face." He grumbled as he tried to pull himself up so he was sitting.
"No, no, no, Daryl. You lay there and you get better." I said as I gently pushed him back down.
"C'mon, I ain't layin''ere all damn day." He complained as he finally sat himself up with a huff. "I'm fine."
"Cause the only thing that can kill a Dixon is a Dixon, right?" I smirked as realisation crossed his face and he closed his eyes.
"Been talkin' to Merle then?" He guesses as he reopened his eyes and looked at me.
"How'd ya guess." I teased as I leant back in my chair trying to get comfortable.
"Because tha' used to be his sayin' tryna reassure 'imself more than anythin' else." He said before stopping and looking at me trying to get comfortable. "Come 'ere, that chair looks shitty." He mumbled as he slowly shifted over so there was some room beside him.
Sitting next to him I couldn't help but notice that our thighs were touching.
"How ya feeling?" I asked looking up at him.
"Got a damn headache." He said with a slight laugh.
"No way?" I asked sarcastically him giving me a look that I couldn't help but laugh at.
"I was scared ya know, when I saw you hit the ground. I thought you were gone." I said sadly as I looked down at my hands, only for him to take one into his own, locking our fingers together.
"I ain't goin' nowhere, I'll always be near by." He reassured me quietly while looking at our joined hands.
"Always?" I ask quietly looking up into his eyes.
"Always." He whispered.
I'm not sure who leaned in first or if we both leaned in together, but a moment later our lips touched. His dried cracked one running over mine, filling my stomach with nothing but butterflies as our lips moved in perfect sync like it was supposed to be. All too soon we slowly pulled away and looked into each other's eyes.
"I'm sorry." We both whispered at the same time causing us to laugh slightly.
"I like you Daryl, a lot." I whispered looking down avoiding his gaze.
"I like you a lot too, Lyla." He whispered back without hesitation.
Looking up to find his eyes staring into mine I leaned foreword and reattached our lips once again, it was cut short however by a knock at the door. Pulling away I stood back up and sat in my uncomfortable chair, a wave of hurt rushed across Daryl's face before it went back to his hard 'no feelings' demeanour, just as Merle and my dad came into the room.
"Hey lil brother, how ya doin'?" Merle asked as he took a seat on the bottom of his bed.
"I'm fine, when can I get out?" Daryl muttered while looking at my dad.
"Hershel said two days bed rest. Then only light duties for a while." He was told, apparently only aggravating him.
"Screw tha' I ain't sittin' in this damn bed for two days." He grunted as he sat himself foreword and swung his legs over the side to stand up.
"Daryl I really think you should listen to Hershels advice and stay bed." Dad said as he reached out to stable Daryl.
"Nah I'll go lay in the tent, I ain't stayin' 'ere." He said once more and hobbled out of the door with the help of Merle and dad without looking back.
Guess he wins that one.