Chapter Text
The next morning, Y/N woke up to the feeling of Daryl’s hand playing with her hair as she had her head on his chest. She shifted to look at him and smiled softly at him. Before she could stop herself, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
“Morning,” she whispered.
“Mornin’,” he said back to her with a smile.
Y/N felt her heart flutter, she wanted to wake up like this in Daryl’s arms every single day. Maybe she could talk to him about it when they got back home. He’d been sleeping on the couch the whole time they’ve been together and Y/N just never knew how to bring it up. Daryl seemed to like holding her while they slept, so maybe he would be open to the idea? The thought of him wanting to hold her and enjoying it made her giggle.
“What’s so funny?” he asked with a raised brow.
Y/N blinked at him when she realized again that she’d made a noise, she shook her head and buried her face in his chest. She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled again then she felt his lips on top of her head.
“C’mon, we gotta get up.” he said, gently pushing her off him.
Dean and Jo were already up and out of their tents when Daryl and Y/N came out of theirs. After having a light brunch, the couples went off on their own. Dean and Jo went back to the riverside, they wanted to see if they could catch any of the fish there. Y/N wandered off into the woods on her own again, she knew that Daryl would want to hunt. What surprised her was when he followed her from their camp and tugged at her arm to follow him.
“I thought you liked hunting on your own,” she said.
“I do…” he muttered, then he looked at her, “but I like spendin’ time with ya out here more…”
Y/N smiled at his words, “really? Even if I end up scaring away any game?”
He snorted at that, “yeah, even if I can’t hunt anythin’ ‘cause o’ ya.”
She giggled and then happily held his free hand as she walked with him through the woods. They didn’t share any words as they went around, Y/N knew to keep quiet and she kept her footsteps as soft as possible, mimicking Daryl’s movements. After watching and observing him for a while, she picked up a thing or two about tracking; it wasn’t very hard for her since in the few times her father took her hunting, he’d taught her the basics of tracking too, but that was a long time ago.
It seemed like Daryl had lost what he was tracking when he stopped in his steps, looking around with a frown. Y/N noticed and looked a little further ahead then smiled when she saw tracks again. She gently tugged at Daryl’s arm and pointed in the direction, making him look. She heard him let out a small chuckle and he looked at her.
“Didn’t know ya knew how to track,” he said.
She shrugged, “I learned a while ago, now let’s go before it gets away.”
“Like our chupacabra?” he asked, a teasing smile on his lips.
“Maybe it is our chupacabra,” she chuckled.
Daryl chuckled as well then they went off to continue tracking the animal. Soon enough, they were able to track down the animal responsible for the footprints, a possum. Y/N had to look away when Daryl shot at it with his crossbow; she’d always been squeamish when it came to killing animals even when she went hunting with her father.
“Ya a’right?” Daryl seemed to have noticed, he had a worried frown on his face.
She looked back at him and nodded, “yeah, I’m fine.”
Daryl let go of her hand and gently caressed her face, making her blush, then he went over to pick up his kill, knowing Y/N didn’t want to see it, he tried to hide it from her view as best he could. She smiled at him, grateful for him for being so considerate.
“I guess it wasn’t our chupacabra,” she joked just to reassure him that she really was okay.
Daryl snorted a laugh, “yeah… let’s hope the other two like possum.”
He took her hand in his again then led her back to the camp, it seemed that Jo and Dean were still by the riverside since the camp was empty. Daryl sat down by the tent to prepare the possum for dinner.
“I’m gonna go look for more wood, I think we used most of what I found last night,” Y/N told him.
“Don’t go too far,” he called out to her suddenly, making her stop in her tracks and she looked back at him, he was looking at her as well, “ya worried me yesterday… so… uh… jus’… be careful…”
Y/N felt a warmth in her heart when she heard his words and she stepped towards him again, “did you… want me to stay with you?”
Daryl bit his lips together, his face was turning red and then he nodded slightly. She smiled and then went over to sit with him as he prepared the possum. She didn’t mind the preparation of the meat, it was just the part when the animal died that bothered her mainly. Soon, Dean and Jo had come back from the riverside just in time for Daryl to start cooking the possum. They all joked around as they dined, then after sharing more stories, they’d gone off to bed.
The next day, Y/N didn’t know whether she was looking forward to it or not. Jo had told her before that they were going swimming in the nearby lake. It wasn’t that Y/N didn’t know how to swim or didn’t enjoy swimming; in fact she loved swimming. It was just that she had never worn such a revealing bikini before. After she got changed, Jo practically had to drag her out of the tent so that they could go. The entire time, Y/N couldn’t look at Daryl, too embarrassed and rather scared of what he thought of her in a bikini. That and the fact that he was shirtless made her flustered as well.
She finally felt more relaxed though when they reached the pond. The clear blue waters were so inviting. She let the cool water wash away the summer heat. As the water created sort of a mosaic for her body, she felt more confident and swam up to Daryl, lightly splashing him with water and making him chase her around the lake. They all played and had fun in the lake until it was early evening when they knew they had to return to the camp and pack up. Daryl had helped wrap a towel around Y/N’s body as they trekked back to the tents. As soon as they were all in dry clothes, they began to clean up their supplies and pack up their tents and headed home, parting ways with Dean and Jo from the campsite.
Y/N made her way straight for the bathroom when her and Daryl got home. She was dirty from the full weekend of camping and even though the water in the lake looked clean, she was able to feel the dirt on her skin after drying herself off.
“Hey, I’m gonna take a quick shower,” she said as she made her way to the bathroom, then she turned around and smiled at him, “then maybe we can order in some food? I know you’re tired too, I didn’t want to make you cook for me right after camping.”
Daryl smiled at her and nodded, “whatever ya want.”
There was a softness in his voice and his eyes when he looked at her that made her step to him. She was drawn to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. The way he snaked his arms around her waist to pull her in deeper and kissed her back gave her the courage and boldness for her next actions.
She pulled away from him slightly and whispered on his lips, “wanna join me?”
Y/N watched as Daryl’s eyes widened at her words, his cheeks blushing a bright red. He didn’t respond right away, he just stayed silent and as always, the feeling that she may have messed everything up in just three words creeped up on her with each silent second that passed. She was being too forward, she pushed him too far, and now she made him uncomfortable. Why did she always have to do this?
“Sorry… I… uh…” she said, backing away, her heart pounding and her cheeks heating up in embarrassment, “I’m sorry…”
She was about to run to the bathroom, lock herself inside for probably forever when she felt Daryl grab hold of her hand and pull her back to him. He pressed his lips to herself in a breathtaking kiss that had her panting when he pulled back.
“I wanna…” he said, his voice shy, then he repeated to reassure her, “I want to.”
Y/N smiled softly at his words then pecked his lips gently before taking the lead and going into the bathroom with him. It started off with silly awkwardness as they both undressed, mainly because they hadn’t seen each other without clothes before… then there was the shyness as they stepped into the shower together. The running water seemed to help disperse the awkwardness between them as Y/N faced Daryl. She looked up at him and giggled as his hair was now drenched with water. She reached down for the shampoo and proceeded to wash his hair, massaging his scalp gently and she could swear she heard Daryl purr. He did the same as he took the bottle from her, running his fingers through her wet locks.
Showering together was so simple yet so intimate. They didn’t speak while they shared this moment but Y/N felt that they were at a completely different level of understanding afterwards. He’d seen her in her barest state, literally, and even though she felt shy about it still, she no longer felt that there was any distance between them anymore. Daryl was hers, and Y/N was his.
“What did ya feel like for dinner?” Daryl asked as he sat behind her on the couch, drying her hair with a towel .
“Anything,” she said, then she let out a content sigh, a happy smile on her face.
She felt Daryl stop drying her hair and put the towel somewhere on the couch, she then let out a small yelp when she picked her up and sat her in his lap. Her back was pressed against his chest as he held her to him, he nuzzled his face into her neck. She shifted her body so that she could see his face, her arm wrapped around his neck.
“Can I ask you something?” she said, then continued when he nodded, “can you… start sleeping in my bed with me than on the couch?” she wasn’t able to stop herself from blushing at her own words.
Daryl bit his lips together before answering, “I wanted to ask ya that before… didn’t think ya’d like it…”
“Are you kidding? Of course I’d like it,” she said almost immediately, earning a smirk from Daryl, “I mean… who wouldn’t like a personal heater in their bed…”
He eyed her playfully at that, “oh yeah? That the only reason?”
Y/N hummed a yes with a cheeky grin on her face, only to have Daryl start to tickle her. She let out a laugh as she tried to get away, squirming in his lap. The light chuckle Daryl let out as he tickled her was music to her ears, and the fact that she was the reason for his laughter made her the happiest girl alive.
—
Y/N woke up in her bed, frowning when she found it empty. For the last few months, she’d grown used to waking up in Daryl’s arms so waking up alone now felt odd for her. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up and got out to bed. Unfortunately, it seemed that not only was her bedroom empty, the entire apartment was too. Pouting, the covered plate on the dining table caught her attention. Y/N walked over to it and picked up the note that was placed on top of the cover.
“‘Morning Sunshine, went out to finish some things, made you breakfast though, love you, and happy birthday’,” Y/N read aloud, a small smile on her lips at the last few words, “least you could have done was give me a kiss for my birthday….”
She put the note down on the table and lifted the cover to reveal the plate. She couldn’t help her giggle when she saw that the eggs and bacon had been arranged into a smiley face.
“How are you so cute..” she said to herself.
She then sat down at the table and started eating the breakfast Daryl had made for her. As she ate, Y/N couldn’t help but wonder where Daryl was. What did he need to do that he had to sneak out before she even woke up? She was sure he wasn’t up to anything bad, but she just expected that she’d be able to snuggle in his arms that morning, especially since it was her birthday. She’d have to get him to snuggle her extra that day.
She never wanted to be the kind of girlfriend that was extra clingy, and she tried not to be at first. Not that she had a problem with being clingy to him either, she just didn’t want to annoy him or make him uncomfortable. However, when she saw how shy and cute and overall happy Daryl seemed when she told him that she missed him, seemingly liking that she was clingy to him, she did it more.
After Y/N had finished her breakfast and washed the dishes, but then she wasn’t sure what to do. She had dinner plans with Dean and Jo for her birthday, but that wasn’t until later that evening. The only thing she really wanted to do all morning and afternoon was snuggle with Daryl, but she couldn’t exactly do that with him not present.
It was soon afternoon and Daryl had not come back to the apartment. Y/N wondered that maybe he got called to the garage for a shift or something, but then again, he had no reason not to call her and let her know that. She even got the day off from her job at the nearby cafe just for her birthday. It wasn’t like Daryl to leave her hanging like that.
She decided to just get ready to go out, hoping that Daryl would be back by the time she was ready. She stepped into the bathroom, showered, styled her hair, then went to the bedroom to put on her makeup. She was pretty much done with her makeup when she finally heard the door open and she practically ran out of her room to greet Daryl at the door.
“You’re back!” she grinned as she ran to him, tackling him in a hug and earning a small chuckle from Daryl as he hugged her back.
“Yeah, sorry, got held up at the garage,” he told her, he caressed her face when she looked up at him, a loving smile on his face, “happy birthday, sunshine.”
Y/N giggled when he kissed her forehead, “you could have called to let me know where you were, I was getting worried…”
He bit his lips together before gently holding her hand, he nodded pointedly towards the door. She tilted her head in slight confusion but followed him out of the apartment anyway as she was already ready to go out. They stepped into the elevator together and Daryl kept glancing at her, making her shy even if they’ve been together for more than half a year.
“Can ya… close yer eyes?” he asked hesitantly.
“Close my eyes?” she asked to clarify and he nodded, biting his bottom lip as is nervous.
She smiled at him and then did as he asked. She trusted him and he was holding her hand the entire time. Daryl carefully led her outside as she kept her eyes closed at his request and soon he’d brought her outside.
“Alright…” she heard Daryl say as they stopped at a spot outside the building, “ya can open ‘em now…”
Y/N slowly opened her eyes, not knowing what to expect to see and she gasped at the sight in front of her. It was a bike. It wasn’t Daryl’s, his was parked beside this new one. It wasn’t brand new, but it was still perfect. She didn’t need to ask if Daryl built it for her, she just knew, it had Daryl written all over it.
“This is what you were up to all morning?” she asked, taking her eyes off the bike to look at Daryl.
He nodded, a shy smile on his face, “ya like it?”
“I love it!” she grinned and hugged him tight, “thank you, Daryl!”
Y/N remembered a couple of months ago, Daryl had mentioned getting her a bike one day. It was when he’d taken her out riding, he wanted her to show him how well she rode. At first she was shy about it, but in the end, he was impressed with her form and how she handled his bike. He had told her that his bike was too big for her though and she agreed. She guessed that was what made him determined to put together a bike for her, custom to her size and everything. It was just perfect.
“As long as ya like it,” he said, then he gestured to her bike, “c’mon, try it out.”
“Am I giving you a ride?” she said, a teasing smile on her face.
Daryl snorted a small laugh, “if ya want, it’s yer day.”
“Hmm… I suppose I could give you a ride since you built this for me,” she chuckled, then she mounted the bike.
She couldn’t help the blush on her cheeks when Daryl got on behind her. Up until now, it had always been him giving her rides and she felt slightly flustered as he held her from behind as he sat on the bike. It was easy to get used to though, and as she rode, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking that this was just the perfect bike for her.
She rode with Daryl behind her for a few rounds around the block then returned back to her apartment building. She wanted to get used to the bike but she also wanted to spend time with Daryl more. Since she knew he was at the garage fixing up the bike all morning, he wouldn’t have let himself eat until he finished, that’s just how he was. So Y/N convinced him to take her to one of her favorite restaurants to have lunch. The two walked hand in hand into the restaurant and were quickly seated to a table. As they looked through the menus, Y/N was quick to decide what she wanted as this was one of her favorite restaurants. Daryl was still flipping through the menu and Y/N couldn’t stop herself from taking the time to admire him as he sat across from her. She had a loving smile on her face as she watched him.
It seemed as though Daryl felt her eyes on his as he looked up and blinked at her, seemingly shy, “wha’?”
She shook her head and grinned, she secretly loved it when he got shy, “nothing, just admiring the view.”
He scoffed then looked back down at the menu, shaking his head, “you’re ridiculous.”
“I just like admiring pretty things,” she said, the teasing grin never leaving her face.
“Ain’ pretty,” he muttered.
“Ain’t pretty… but you gotta admit, you’re cute,” Y/N said.
“Nah… you’re the cute one,” Daryl said, a small smile on his lips.
“You’re cute too…” she pouted when he kept rejecting her compliments, “will you at least agree that you’re handsome then?”
Daryl looked up at her, giving her a look before sighing softly, “fine.”
Y/N giggled, feeling successful that he had finally agreed with her on something that had to do with him in a positive light. The waiter then came back to their table and took their orders as Daryl hastily made a decision. After a bit of teasing about him being handsome from Y/N, their food quickly arrived. The two of them ate as they conversed comfortably with each other, and Y/N even tried to feed Daryl a bite from her plate. He refused at first but then she pouted, and eventually he gave in, earning a smile from her.
After they’d finished their lunch, Y/N suggested that they took a walk in the park as they had on their first date. Daryl complied but they rode to the park from the restaurant instead of walking since they had to meet up with Jo and Dean for dinner later in the evening. The two of them walked as they held hands, strolling in the park and Y/N loved it. They had done it quite a few times after their first date, and it was something she never got tired of.
“Daryl…?” she said as they walked, he hummed in response, “I wanted to… say something…”
She stopped him from walking and faced him. She looked up at him and she could see that he was nervous, wondering what she was about to say. She smiled at him reassuringly before speaking.
“I love you,” she started, she felt the blush on her face as she spoke, “the last few months, living with you, just being with you, have been the happiest months in my entire life. I don’t know what I would ever do without you because you’ve become the most important person in my life. And I guess… I just wanted to say… thank you for… well, for everything.”
Daryl looked at her for a moment, his eyes soft, then he took a small step towards her, his hand caressing her face gently, “I should be thankin’ ya… I’d be a mess if it weren’t for ya… ya put me back together when everythin’ was fallin’ apart for me… ya were there for me whenever I needed ya even when I didn’t deserve-”
“Stop,” Y/N interrupted him, putting her index finger on his lips, “I didn’t say all of that to make you feel bad or apologize for whatever, so don’t.” she could read him like a book, he was wracking his brain for the right thing to say, she let out a small chuckle, “you know usually when someone thanks you for something, the usual response would be you’re welcome.”
Daryl snorted a laugh at her words but instead of responding verbally, he pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply on the lips. Y/N melted into the kiss as she felt that this was Daryl’s way of thanking her. He had always been a man of few words, he liked to prove everything through actions and this kiss was his proof that he was thankful for her, that he cared for her, and that he loved her, at least that’s what Y/N felt through his kiss.
The two of them were breathless as they pulled away from the kiss, Y/N was panting slightly, “I guess that works,” she said with a shy smile.
Daryl chuckled then pecked her lips again, “should we start headin’ to the restaurant to meet Jo an’ Dean?”
“It’s either that or we can head back to the apartment…” Y/N said, giving him a shy but suggestive smile earning her a playful eyeroll.
“We ain’ got time for that,” Daryl said, but Y/N caught the slight smirk on his face as he pulled her back towards his bike.
Y/N didn’t comment on it as she let Daryl take her back to his bike as she knew it was getting close to their dinner reservations. He mounted the bike first and Y/N got on after him, he looked over his shoulder and smiled at her before speeding off. Daryl slowed the bike down as they arrived at the restaurant they were supposed to meet up with Dean and Jo. Getting off the bike, she grinned as she held his hand and walked into the restaurant.
Dean and Jo were already seated at a table waiting for the two to arrive. They all sat down at the table together once they were done with the hugs and greetings. The waiter soon came by to take their orders then they were left alone again to wait for their food. Jo gave Dean a knowing look then he nodded, making Y/N tilt her head in confusion. Her confusion turned into surprise though when Dean took out a black rectangular box and handed it to her. It looked fancy.
“Happy birthday,” Jo said with a grin.
“Oh my… you guys shouldn’t have,” Y/N said with a shy smile, taking the gift.
“Go ahead and open it,” Dean insisted.
She looked at Jo then at Daryl who both smiled encouragingly at her. Y/N then looked back down at the box before carefully opening it. She couldn’t help her gasp when she saw the contents. There was a bottle of some lavish brand of whiskey situated in between two crystal glasses. She’d seen the brand before when she worked at the bar, but no one ever went for it because it was so expensive.
“Wow… I don’t even know what to say,” Y/N said, looking up at her two friends with a grateful smile, “thank you.”
“As long as you like it, Dean was thinking of getting you tequila but I knew you’re a whiskey type of girl,” Jo chuckled.
“I’m an ‘anything but tequila’ type of girl,” Y/N smiled, “maybe we can swing by the bar later, crack this open and enjoy it together.”
“You don’t have to! It’s yours, we got it for you two to enjoy together, hence the matching glasses,” Dean pointed out.
“I know, but honestly, the last time I drank alone with Daryl… I nearly killed him,” Y/N glanced sheepishly at him as she referred to the night she lashed out at him in her apartment.
Daryl rolled his eyes playfully, but she knew he was aware which night she was talking about, “yeah well… ya didn’t,” he said, leaning in to kiss her temple.
Y/N giggled at the kiss then looked at the other two, “it’s settled, we’re going to the bar after for drinks, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”
With that, the plans for the night were decided. Their food had arrived at their table and they conversed like old friends do, then after dinner, they headed to the bar. Y/N wanted to see her old friends at the bar as well, so this was a good opportunity to visit. She also promised Daryl not to start any fights; she was only half joking. Once she walked through the door with Daryl, she was greeted enthusiastically by the other girls telling her how much they missed working with her.
The four of them hung around the counter where Sally was, she’d taken over Y/N’s old position as bartender. She enjoyed spending her birthday catching up with old friends and getting tipsy with people she’d grown close with all the while having Daryl attached to her. Sometime through the night after they’d opened the bottle of whiskey Dean and Jo gave her, Merle came up to the counter to greet her. It was rather obvious he was drunk.
“Hey there sweetheart!” he slurred his words, “happy birthday!”
Y/N smiled at him but she was a little wary, he looked like he was going to fall over any minute, “thank you, Merle, you should head back to your table, you can barely stand.”
“Nah, I’m fine!” he waved her off, “say, why don’t ya come ‘ere an’ let Merle give ya a big birthday kiss!”
“Merle, stop…” Daryl said, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder, “you’re drunk, man…”
“Daryl! Oh right… Y/N’s yer girl now! I’m sorry lil’ brother,” Merle let out a chuckle as he pat his brother’s shoulder, then he turned around and belted loudly, “yo! All drinks on me tonight! We’re celebratin’ my brother’s girl’s birthday!”
Everyone in the bar cheered at his words and Y/N looked at Daryl with a worried expression, she leaned in so he could hear her, “shouldn’t you… stop him?”
“Nah… nothin’ can stop him at this point,” Daryl shrugged, taking a swig from his beer he’d ordered earlier, “he’ll jus’ regret it tomorrow when he finds out he spent all his money on shots.”
Y/N chuckled and shook her head, “yeah… well, that’s his choice.”
Daryl nodded, “he’s never done this before though…”
“Guess he’s really accepting me as your girl?” she grinned teasingly.
He scoffed playfully at her then held her closer to him, “you’re my girl regardless o’ what Merle thinks.”
Y/N giggled as he kissed her lips. This was definitely one of the best birthdays she’s ever had, spending it with people she loved and cared for. Even having Merle there was enjoyable for the first time ever.
—
It was quiet throughout the apartment as Y/N laid in bed with Daryl, her arm laying across his bare chest. She was awake, surprisingly before Daryl, as she admired his sleeping figure with a smile on her face. Soon, he started to stir in his sleep, a sign that he was about to wake up. Y/N closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep when she saw this but soon she felt him poking her cheek, earning a small giggle as she opened her eyes to see him smiling lazily at her.
“Ya been watchin’ me sleep again?” he asked.
“Can’t help it, you’re adorable when you’re asleep,” she said, grinning and then she shifted her body so that she was laying on top of him, she leaned down to kiss him, “plus, you should be used to it by now.”
Daryl chuckled softly as he kissed her back, his hands sliding over the bare skin of her back as he held her close, “ya know we can’t stay in bed all day today…”
“I know… you have a shift at the garage today,” she said with a small pout.
He pecked her lips gently before stroking her face with his thumb, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“I know, I’ll just miss you like always,” she sighed softly, “you go get ready and I’ll make you breakfast?”
Daryl nodded with a soft smile then Y/N rolled off him and sat up on the bed. She reached down to the floor to pick up a shirt and her underwear, getting herself somewhat dressed.
“Stealin’ my shirt again?” he said with a chuckle.
“It’s comfy,” she said back with a grin, “and I like it.”
“Yeah?” he said, moving beside her on the bed, he plants a kiss on her neck, “looks better on ya anyway.”
Y/N giggled at his words then the two finally got out of bed. Daryl went to the bathroom for a shower and she started to make her way to the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. She furrowed her brows together as she went to answer the door, no one ever really visited her so she didn’t know who it could be. Her face turned into a frown though when she opened the door and saw Ima standing there. It seemed like she was surprised to see her as well as she gawked at her in the hallway.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Y/N wasn’t able to hide the harshness in her voice.
“I’m here for Daryl,” she said, “I got this dump as his new address from one of the guys at the bar.”
Y/N scoffed at her words, “yeah, and how many dicks did you have to suck to get it?”
“Clearly none if they gave me the wrong fucking address,” Ima said, clearly annoyed at Y/N, “I don’t suppose you’re gonna let me know where he is?”
Y/N knew that she should have just slammed the door in her face right at the question, but the memories Ima’s sudden appearance brought up made her think otherwise. Ima had gone out of her way to gloat about being with Daryl, rubbing it in that Daryl was hers, and all in all doing whatever she could to piss her off. Y/N wanted to get back at Ima for all the pain she’d caused both her and Daryl.
“Well, I can tell you that you have the right address,” Y/N said just before Ima turned on her heels to leave, Y/N had a smirk on her face before she spoke again, “Daryl lives with me.”
Ima scoffed at her words, a frown on her face, “really?” doubt was coating her voice.
“Yeah, really,” Y/N said, shrugging.
She watched as Ima’s eyes looked down at the shirt Y/N was wearing. There was a look of recognition in her eyes before she looked back up at her. Y/N couldn’t help the smug look on her face when she realized that Ima knew she was wearing Daryl’s shirt.
“Fine, let me talk to him then,” Ima said, trying to force her way into the apartment but Y/N didn’t budge from the door.
“He’s in the shower right now, tell me what the hell you want and depending on what bullshit it is, I might tell him you came by,” Y/N said, standing her ground when Ima glared at her.
“I want Daryl back,” Ima said with annoying confidence in her voice, her words ignited a rage in Y/N’s heart and it seemed like she saw that since Ima smirked at her, “but you’re not gonna pass that on or tell him that I came by because you’re scared.”
“Scared of what?” Y/N seethed, now glaring at Ima.
“Scared that once Daryl sees me and knows I want him back, he’s going to choose me over you like he did before, because you know he will,” Ima’s smirk grew as she spoke.
If this was a year ago, Y/N would have felt her heart break at her words, thinking they were true because of her insecurities. She would have believed Ima’s words if it weren’t for Daryl proving to her that throughout the year of them being together that he loved her, and cared for her more than anyone else. That he wouldn’t make the mistake of choosing another over her ever again. Y/N had grown over the past year alone and she wasn’t going to let Ima step all over her or try to take Daryl from her.
She let out a sharp breath, then glanced behind her to make sure that Daryl was still in the bathroom before she quickly shoved Ima back towards the wall in the hallway, shutting the door behind her. Ima gasped at the sudden push but before she could say anything, Y/N was pinning her to the wall, her hand on her throat cutting off most of her air, and her face dangerously close to the Ima’s.
“You listen to be very carefully because I’m only saying this once,” Y/N said in a low voice, “stay the fuck away from me, and stay the fuck away from Daryl. Get the fuck out of our town if you want to keep this pretty little face of yours.”
“Y-you won’t do anything to me,” Ima tried to speak but panic was evident in her voice.
“You wanna bet?” Y/N tightened her grip on her throat, her nails digging into her skin, making Ima panic more and her hands clawed at Y/N’s as she struggled to breathe, “let me give you another piece of advice, never fuck with a biker’s daughter.”
Y/N released her tight grip on Ima’s neck, letting her gasp heavily for air as she was thrown down the hall towards the elevators, “I’m not letting go until you’re either knocked out or dead if I see you again, now get the fuck out of here.”
Ima glared at her but said nothing, her hands holding onto her own neck. She then got up and ran towards the elevators. Y/N sighed then went back into her apartment and Daryl had just stepped out of the bathroom.
“Where’d ya go?” he asked, a confused frown on his face.
“Oh uh… nowhere, someone was just at the door, salesman for something, I told him off though,” Y/N said; she didn’t want to lie but she felt that it was her best option, she didn’t want to bring up Ima back into his life in case it still hurt to think of her, or he would get angry that she was trying to stir shit up again.
“And… ya went out like that?” he said, narrowing his eyes at her.
Y/N blinked at him, not knowing what to say since she realized that she was only wearing his shirt and not pants, she was rather revealed. She bit her lips together and shrugged sheepishly.
Daryl sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “that guy’s gonna come again for sure if he saw ya dressed like that…”
She made her way to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have gone out like this… but if he does come back, you can answer the door and scare him away?”
“For his sake, he better not come back…” Daryl said in a low voice, almost a growl, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his body, “I’ll kill him if he tries anythin’.”
Y/N couldn’t help her giggle at his words, she pressed her lips to his in a deep, loving kiss. She loved that Daryl was just as protective as her when it came to the other.
“If ya keep this up, I’m gonna be late for work…” Daryl said, slightly breathless after pulling back from the kiss.
“Yeah, well… your fault for not wearing a shirt,” Y/N said with a teasing smile.
Daryl scoffed playfully at her words then let her go so that she could head towards the kitchen. She took out the carton of eggs and a pack of bacon to start on their breakfast. She’d cooked the bacon first and had the strips on two plates before getting to the eggs. Before she cracked them into the pan though, she turned around since she felt a pair of eyes on her. She chuckled when she saw Daryl standing there, watching her cook.
“Do you have a thing for watching people cook, Mr. Dixon?” she teased then turned back to cook the eggs.
She heard Daryl chuckle then she felt his arms snake around her waist as he held her in a back hug, “nah, jus’ love watchin’ ya.”
“You’re lucky I understand you, otherwise that would have sounded really creepy,” she said with a chuckle.
Y/N stood in front of the stove with Daryl holding her from behind as she finished with cooking breakfast. She turned off the heat then plated the eggs. She was about to ask Daryl to help get the cutlery when he beat her to speaking.
“Marry me.”
Y/N stopped all her actions then spun around in Daryl’s arms to look at him, she wasn’t sure she heard right but she hoped with all her heart that she did. She stared at him wide eyed as he waited for her response.
“What did you say?” she had to confirm it.
Daryl blushed and bit his lips together before he repeated his words, “I said marry me…”
“I never thought I’d hear that from you…” Y/N spoke the truth, “I mean… I never doubted you or anything like that but… you never… really cared about the idea of marriage before…”
He nodded, “I know… but I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout this a lot… I wanna spend the rest o’ my life with you, an’ only you… I wanna take care o’ ya forever… wake up with ya in my arms every mornin’… fall asleep every night holdin’ ya…”
His words brought tears to her eyes. She felt overwhelmed with happiness at this moment, she couldn’t find the words to express it. She knew that Daryl was never a vocal person, so it must have been a lot for him to say all those things to her.
“Shit… did I say somethin’ wrong?” he frowned in concern, “I’m sorry I-”
“No! No, you didn’t,” Y/N was quick to correct his thinking, she shook her head, “I’m just happy… these are happy tears. What you said… just made me really really happy.”
He reached up to caress her face gently, “ya sure?”
She nodded with a smile, “yeah… and yes, I’d love to marry you.”
Before Daryl could ask if she was sure about her answer, Y/N pressed her lips to his. Her arms wrapped around his neck to hold him close to her. Everything felt right in this moment. Y/N was in the arms of the man she loved with all her heart, and she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Yeah, this is how things are supposed to be.