Chapter Text
It took a snarling Merle pointing his rifle at Rick to get him to back off - the man was stupid when it came to his own safety, but his heart was in the right place and he was truly worried about Glenn as well. Insisting on letting him come along.
He relented after Merle's threat to shoot his balls clean off, and Daryl gave a pat to the man's shoulder before jumping into his truck and stepping on the gas as soon as Merle got in as well.
They pushed the truck to its limit as they couldn't get to the small town fast enough, just the thought about Glenn being out there unarmed had both of them choking down panic.
Merle and Daryl loved each other, they respected each other and they relied on each other but Glenn.. The adored Glenn, and it would have been embarrassing to realize that the kid had them both, the big and bad Dixon brothers, wound around his little finger. Daryl would travel to hell and back if it meant keeping his baby brother safe and happy.
He would also kick the kid's bony butt to the moon and back if it meant that he'd stop putting his life at risk like this.
Merle seemed to be thinking something similar as he grunted before glancing over at Daryl.
"Ya git to smack his stupid behind first lil' brother. I kno' he has been pushin' yer buttons for some time now. But. He will get a trashin' each evenin' for 4 days, and 2 of these days he's mine, ya hear me? When we find 'im, unharmed, we get 'im home and then ya do what ya have to."
Daryl nodded. And he ignored the little voice whispering "Yea if he actually is unharmed" in his head - because if they kid was injured or...worse, then that was the end of this family. Of him and Merle.
"Ther' - town's comin' up"
Daryl nodded again as he also noticed the wooden houses that was what these country folks would call a town. They only had gotten to the outskirt of the town when they heard a gun go off.
Merle almost jumped out of the car while it was still rolling - both knowing there was no way that they could go in with the truck if there was a walker horde in there. Another gun shot.
Daryl put pulled out his crossbow and ran after Merle, making their way silently through the buildings - hearts beating hard as they prepared for the worst. And then coming around a corner to see Glenn sitting on one of the buildings roof, gun in his hand and shooting at the walkers shuffling on the street. Daryl only had a second to feel relief over that Glenn wasn't actually totally unarmed.
What the actual fuck?
There weren't many walkers actually. A few already dead probably by Glenn's hand, and there were only about 5 or 6 of them trying to climb the walls of the building where Glenn were.
The kid wearing a sulky face and almost looking bored as he fired his gun again.
Only startling a bit as Merle roared and went at the few walkers that were left, Daryl's sure aim bringing down 2 of them in a few seconds, the rest standing no chance when Merle started to swing his giant knife at them.
"Are ya outta ya fuckin' mind?! What tha hell are ya tryin' to do?! Bring every walker within' 10 miles here? Yer suppose ta be the smart one kid!"
Daryl yelled up at the kid who looked down at them - his face showing a bit of relief then went back to sulking as he glared at Merle.
"What do you care? 'm fine. I have more bullets"
Oh. The kid did not fuckin' sneer at him, fuck no.
"Git down here. Now"
Merle growled.
Glenn glared even harder and then jutted his chin out.
"No. Fuck you."
Before Daryl realized it he had climbed half up the wooden building, anger lending him strength as he pulled himself up the last bit, a part of him burning in satisfaction as Glenn's first shocked, then horrified face was infront of him.
The kid had the actual balls to try and kick at him before Daryl had him on the ground belly-down, sitting on his back facing the kid's behind as he pulled down his jeans and boxers.
Glenn let out a scream, but this one was not a scream of fright but of rage. The kid was spitting mad.
Cursing out both Daryl and Merle, kicking his long legs the best he could with his pants tangled around his ankles, and trying to turn his torso so he could beat his fist on Daryl's thigh.
Daryl quickly got to work in smacking the bucking buttocks hard, gritting his teeth as the kid started to scream even louder and worse curses - a part of him worried that there might be more walkers around. But if they hadn't come out when Glenn started to fire his gun he doubted they'd come now.
He brought his hand down harder on the unprotected backside then he'd ever done before - he needed the kid to break quickly so that he wouldn't fuss too much on the way back to the farm.
Still Daryl made sure to keep an close eye on the color of the kid's buttocks - how ever angry he was he didn't want this to turn out to another beating. That was what had gotten them here in the first place.
A door creaking alerted Daryl that Merle had found his way up to the roof, but he didn't pay any attention to his big brother as he finally heard a sob break free from the kid. He wasn't sure if the kid had seen Merle, or if his now red butt was starting to burn a bit too much. Daryl figured it could be a mix of both.
Glenn's legs now involuntary kicked as Daryl's hand connected with his behind, and he started to whine and whimper when Daryl went for his sit spots.
And then, finally after a few minutes of this, the kid started to cry for real. Big wet tears, hiccupping sobs and wails of forgivness.
Daryl drew a deep breath before bringing his hand down hard 6 times, and then stopping altogether.
"I'm s-s-sorryy! I-I am..! Sorry! Please!"
It took awhile for Daryl to realize that Glenn wasn't begging him for forgivness. He was begging Merle. Or both of them.
But the kid's arms were reaching for their oldest brother, and Daryl quickly pulled up the Glenn's pants and underwear before he rose as the kid started to buck under him - this was the moment where it would all be ok or they'd all break.
Daryl knew it was the first choice as Merle took 2 giant steps and then lifted the kid up with his hands under the kid's armpits, and proceeded to give him a bear hug. Glenn's long legs winding around Merle's hips as he clung to him while crying his grief out.
If Daryl saw tears on Merle's cheeks, and if he felt his own cheeks become damp he never pretended to notice.
"Don' ya ever do somethin' like this again ya hear? If yer mad at me then ya can kick me in tha nuts but don' ya ever risk yer own life for me! Yer too god damn importan' ya fuckin' little brat!"
Merle voice grew louder at the end, but he still held on to the kid as he'd never let him go - even going as far as kissing the top of the kid's head.
With a stupid grin Daryl brushed away the wetness on his cheeks with his arm, and rested his forhead against Glenn's neck for a second before nudging Merle and nodding towards the door that led down.
"Gotta go, might be more of 'em walkers coming soon"
Merle nodded and ruffled Daryl's hair, he still didn't let the kid go and he started making his way down. But he stopped for a second when Glenn reached out with one arm towards Daryl.
"I'm really sorry Daryl.. I've been such a ass to you. I didn't mean to, you know..? I was just.. You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry. I deserved this spanking.. I'm glad we got it over with.."
Glenn more or less whispered, his face burning from shame and regret.
Merle let out a dark little chuckle at the kid's last words.
"Oh yer fuckin' sadly mistaken if ya think yer getting off this easily baby bro. Ol' Merle will be having an' talk to yer behind as well.. For 2 days. Then Daryl will make the same appointment for 2 days as well. And afta that we can only hope we've gotten tha point across, or else ya wont be sitting down comfortably for the rest of yer life ya lil' shit."
Merle snorted and Daryl watched as Glenn's eyes became wide enough to swallow his whole face.
"What?!"
The sound the kid made when uttering that one word could only be described as a squeak.
"4days!?? Waitwait waait! No! You can't! Hey put me down! Merle! Daaryl you can't be serious!! That is so not fair! Meerle..!!!"
Daryl couldn't help the chuckle that came tumbling out as the kid went from clutching at Merle to trying to crawl over his shoulder in an effort to get away. Daryl's grin truly cheerful because even though the kid was screeching complaints and such now, he wasn't really afraid of neither of them.
This was just a kid realising his butt would be toast for a couple of days - this was not a kid that was panicking over getting a beating, over getting abused.
Heh.
They were finally fine again.