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"Daryl talk to me" Negan demanded as Daryl's silence was killing him from the inside out.
Daryl let out a sob and turned his back on Negan.
"What do you want from me Negan? You know what happened already" Daryl said as a tear rolled down his cheek.
Had managed to escape from the Reapers and Pope but what he had been through once again, was just too much to handle.
"What I know, is that if you don't tell me what they did to you, I'm gonna go find them myself" Negan growled as he grabbed Daryl's arm who flinched like Negan would be hurting him despite not being rough.
"They tortured me, ok?!" Daryl snapped at him and couldn't keep his tears anymore. "Locked me up also. Bet that they will become your best friends since you both tried to break me!"
Negan's eyes widened in shock and anger. Promised to himself that they would be paying dearly.
"Listen to me," Negan said decisively as he touched Daryl's face so that their eyes would meet "no one has the power to break you. Not me and certainly not them. I didn't save Dog during the snowstorm so that this Leah could have him. He's yours and only yours. Gonna take him back from her either she wants to or not"
Daryl kept sobbing though and seemed too lost in his pain.
"I don't want you to do anything for me..." Daryl replied bitterly as he released his arm from Negan's grasp.
"Self-pity isn't suited for Daryl Dixon, you know that," Negan said to him as he could see that Daryl was suffering from everything that had happened.
"You, them, what's the difference?" Daryl asked with pain in his eyes.
Negan felt tears filling up his eyes as well and wrapped his arms slowly around Daryl. Expected him to move away but he didn't.
"The difference is that I love you" Negan chocked out as he held Daryl tightly. "Will kill them all for daring to harm you..."
Daryl cried hard and Negan felt his heart breaking.
"Will it ever stop?" Daryl asked in a trembling voice "people hurting me?"
"It will because you're not alone now," Negan said as he wiped his tears with his black jacket.
Daryl sighed with tiredness as their eyes met again.
"Can you lay with me for the night? Don't think I can sleep alone. Feel very upset still..."
Negan's eyes softened at that.
"Of course I can. Dog will be brought back so that you can teach him to chase me around at last..."
Daryl let out a small chuckle at that despite his distress and Negan held the younger man closer to him.
They laid to their sleeping bags and Negan wrapped his arm around Daryl carefully.
"Noone else can have my Daryl" Negan mumbled softly.
Daryl nodded slowly and leaned in for a kiss. Their first one with Negan who kissed him back emotionally.
"Love you too" Daryl whispered to him "Thank you for having my back..."
"Always" Negan promised and he meant it. Would make these Reapers and Pope wish they had never messed with his Daryl.
That he knew for sure.