As they walked their way back to Alexandria through the woods the sun was starting to set. Golden sun beams strayed through branches as the sky turned into a soft yellow mixed with hints of orange, following with a nice breeze brushing through the trees.
Their boots crunched the leaves beneath their feet on the dirt trail back as the sound of silence filled the area in a rare peaceful way. An afternoon of hunting well spent. Lydia wanted to come along and Daryl didn't mind, so he brought her with him.
There was some conversation here and there, but only about the tracks they were following and how close they were to a buck they'd been tracking. Only problem was that the tracks led to a deer that'd already been someone else's dinner when it'd been laying half open and cleaned out by some walkers.
Frustrated a curse had slipped past his lips, but their plans for hunting hadn't been over just yet. Squirrels were the second option and Daryl knew how to hunt squirrels. They'd wrapped up the day with a rope filled of the little bastards. Seventeen to say the least which wasn't that bad for a win.
With his crossbow strapped onto his back and the rope of squirrels hanging on his shoulder, Daryl had been looking straight ahead, eyes briefly looking around the forest in habit when he'd heard Lydia's voice catching his attention.
"You know I saw it.."
His brows furrowed, "What?"
"Your scar."
Feeling his feet come to a stop, he watched as she kept her eyes on him.
"What scar?"
"The one on your wrist" she pointed towards his left hand, watching as he gave it a glance. Knowing all too well on what she was talking about he felt his stomach knot at the thought. The faded scar on his wrist she'd somehow spotted was only visible if you really focused on it. It was old, but it was there. Just barely.
"It's faded, but it's there" she continued softly," it's not like mine. It's different like if you'd done it yourself" his eyes dropped from hers as he shifted his footing, biting the inside of his lip.
"Why'd you do it?"
He shrugged," I was stupid"
"No" she shook her head, drawing his eyes back to hers," You were in pain."
Biting the inside of his lip a little harder, he felt himself becoming vulnerable. The thought of why he'd cut himself in the first place brought a wave of nerves he hadn't felt overcome him in a long time. He'd never told anyone about that little scar, but that was because no one ever saw it. It was that subtle. No one knew about.
Lydia was different though. She'd been in the same position, but her mother wasn't a redneck drunk who'd get wasted and beat on her kids for absolute no reason at all. Her mother had just been psychotic. Beating her because she said she loved her. That was bullshit.
Taking a breath, he kept his eyes on hers for just a moment before lifting them to the trees around them. Taking a moment in silence before he'd go telling a story he'd never told before.
"I was in the woods.." he started off low as he gave her a glance before returning his gaze back to the trees," Had a shitty day. The day before I got jumped on my way home from school by some assholes" his eyes fell to his feet before looking towards Lydia.
"Got home and my dad was drunk. He beat my ass, threw glass and yelled at me" he lightly shook his head," after that I got in my room and I didn't feel a thing.."
"You felt numb."
He nodded," yeah, until I didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"I broke that night. Got low and started thinkin' bout things that I've thought of before, but I'd never do" he paused, switching his gaze to the trees as he let the silence between them linger for a moment before continuing," next day I skipped school and threw my sore ass out my room window. I went into the woods and found a spot far from my place" looking down at his wrist again, he lightly shook his head, keeping his eyes on the faded scar," got tired of burnin' cigarette buds on my hand, so I grabbed an arrow"
"Did it help.."
He shook his head"Nah" he rose his eyes back to her," it just added another scar."
She was listening as the silence between them overcame their space. There was nothing to be said. Daryl didn't stand around for it to continue for too long. With one last look, he gave a light nod and returned his gaze ahead of himself before continuing his stride. The sound of her footsteps following right beside him as they continued their path back to Alexandria.
It was a comfortable silence. An understanding that was between them from their talk about his past and it held relief. After so many years someone noticed the tiny scar. Someone who could relate to him found it.
"Has anyone ever asked?"
He shook his head, keeping his eyes ahead of himself," No ones ever seen it."
•
•
•
Upon making their entrance into Alexandria, Daryl threw a hand to Lydia's shoulder and gave it a pat,
"Go grab yourself something to eat. I'll meet you in the dining hall."
"Okay" she nodded before walking her own way as they split paths.
Searching for a specific someone, Daryl found his feet trailing a path towards Michonne's place. Coming into view the closer he got, he found what he'd been looking for when he'd seen Connie sitting on the steps on the front door, drying off Dog with a towel as if he'd had a nice bath.
With a smile grazing his lips at the sight, Dog noticed him with a swift turn of his head and gave an excited bark. Jumping up from his spot next to Connie and bolting towards him, leaving her in absolute shock before her eyes rose to find out why dog had reacted in such a way.
Watching her eyes meet his, she smiled, watching him give a small wave that she mimicked before she stood up from her spot to meet him half way. Dog yelped again, brushing against his legs and forcing Daryl to stop and pet his best friend.
"Hey, buddy" he uttered as he brushed his hands through dog's dark mane before a gentle tap of a hand touched his shoulders, bringing his eyes back to a smiling Connie. Giving dog one last pet the mutt trotted away happily from between the two as if knowing to give them their space.
Opening his arms, he embraced her small frame against his in a warm hug that lingered for a few loving moments before they broke apart, eyes meeting.
"He finally got a bath today?" Daryl signed in question watching Connie give a nod.
"Surprising, right."
"Yeah. Been trying to hose him down the last couple days and he just runs off"
Connie's brows rose with a smirk dancing on her lips," Guess he just loves me more"
Daryl scoffed. An amused smile forming on his lips," Yeah, don't blame him" he admit," he's a traitor."
Connie grinned, laughing lightly as her nose wrinkled in a cute way, he was drawn to.
"So, I see you guys had a good day of hunting" she signed, looking towards his shoulder at the line of squirrels that littered the rope.
"Yeah" he nodded," we were hunting for a buck, but walkers had got to him before we did. Squirrels were the second option."
"Still impressive." Her smile lingered for just a few second before her brows furrowed questionably," Where's Lydia?"
"Dinning hall" Daryl simply signed before adjusting the rope of squirrels on his shoulder. Taking the moment to retrieve the words in his head he'd practiced since his walk to Alexandria, he briefly rose a hand to the back of his neck with a light rub before dropping it back to his side.
"I uh-" he hesitated, watching as she kept a close eye on him," I have something I want to tell you" he spoke while she tilted her head to the side, eyes lightly squinting curiously.
"Of corse. What's ups?"
Daryl briefly considered not responding. Thinking about giving a light shake of his head and a never mind, but he couldn't. He didn't want to hide anything from her. Something so personal that he'd kept to himself for the longest time had been told to someone he trusted. Some who could relate in the slightest way and understand the same pain, but Connie was important. He could trust her.
He didn't think it would be fair to not let her in about his dirty little secret. He was ashamed of it, but he'd grown to forget it until today. Until it was seen for the first time. Connie once asked him if the scars she'd seen were all he had and he'd told her it was, but they weren't. He never told her about this small one that probably meant the most out of the others that littered his back and chest.
This little faded scar mattered most because it wasn't caused by another. Only himself caused this one. A low point he only brought himself to once. It was always there to remind him about what he'd done and how hard that week of his life had really been. A week that exhausted him physically and mentally. It was almost too abusive to a point he'd broke down more than once than he usually had. Bad temptations ran through his mind to end it all, but he'd never had the strength to act on them.
His father drank the most that week. Throwing glass, beating on him relentlessly for the little things. Screaming in his face telling him how worthless of a son he was. School got rough and he'd been jumped by some assholes that liked to talk a whole lot of shit. Merle wasn't there to help or protect. He never had been.
So this was important. It was necessary.
"Did I ever tell you about the scar on my wrist.."
There was a brief moment of silence as he watched her brows furrow in confusion before realization hit her, changing her features into something more soft. Her eyes dropped from his briefly, switching between his two hands before glancing back to his eyes,
"Which one?"
Without a word he lifted his left hand. With her gentle touch, she held his hand, turning it over so his palm was facing up and her eyes scanned over his wrist. It didn't take long for her to see what he was talking about when she'd rose her other hand and laid it onto his faded scar.
Their gaze met. Her eyes were sincere and held a comforting warmth that told him what ever he had to say was okay. He was safe. In that moment, her hands dropped from his and wrapped around his torso. Pulling him into a hug. No second later he'd done the same and held her close. Both soaking in the comfort of one another in the soft silence of the community and brush of wind against their warm skin. He had a lot to explain, but for now a hug would do.
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NOTE•• For more backstory on Daryl's abusive past that links with this chapter check out my story Dixon's Stick Together the Second Chapter tells the backstory of this chapter••
Hey, everyone! So, I just wanted to do a little Daryl whump in this chapter. I've never seen much stories of Daryl and Connie ever talking or getting close to talking about his abusive past, so I wanted to go into that a little bit. Also this was one way for me to have Lydia and Daryl talking about something they could relate to if ya know what I mean.
Anyways, hope you love this chapter and I'll see you guys real soon with another chapter that's happier and has more Daryl/Connie in it!!