Chapter Text
Y/N slid a bottle of beer towards one of the customers, giving him a polite smile as he walked away from the bar. She picked up a glass as she looked around, wiping it clean with the dry cloth in her hand. It wasn’t especially busy at the bar, but it wasn’t dead either. Probably because Merle Dixon was, yet again, running his drug dealing business in the establishment. Y/N never liked the fact that Merle dealt drugs, especially not in the place she worked in but who was she to tell him not to? It’s not like she owned the bar either, she was just the bartender there, but that didn’t stop her from stating her opinion that she didn’t like it. Like that would ever stop Merle from doing what he wanted to do.
Still, as much of an asshole Merle proved to be, Y/N respected him. Her father and Merle were in the same biker group since Y/N was just a child. Many of the members of the biker group became her guardians and cared for her, even after her father left the group due to the decline in his health. That’s when she forced herself to drop out of school, at the age of seventeen, and work in the bar to pay off the bills for her family; it was only her and her father at home, her mother left when Y/N was barely a few months old. She heard that Merle left the group shortly after her father had, although she never found out the real reason, Y/N had a feeling that it was to help her father out. Before, Y/N would barely ever see Merle or his brother, Daryl, outside the club, but after leaving, they came by regularly as if to check up on them and make sure they were okay.
Placing down the glass in her hand, Y/N looked up to make sure Merle and his crowd weren’t causing trouble. Expectantly, Merle has his arms wrapped around two separate women. Y/N shook her head at the sight when she noticed Daryl getting up from his seat and making his way towards the bar. A feeling of happiness rose inside her as Daryl walked towards the bar and Y/N smiled brightly at him, habitually reaching for his usual order of beer and placing it on the counter for him.
Daryl Dixon was completely different from his brother. No matter how much Daryl always said he was an asshole like his brother, Y/N never saw him that way. The two had practically grown up together since her father and Merle spent all their time with the biker group, they were naturally dragged along. Being relatively the same age, the two got along but Daryl was never the talkative type. He knew everything about her, what her family had gone through and Y/N was always grateful for him because he was always there for her when she needed someone. The only person she had other than her father was Daryl. The only thing Daryl didn’t know about her was that she had a crush on him. She’d thought about telling him, confessing to him that she liked him, a lot, but she always went against the idea. Knowing how Daryl was, Y/N was always afraid that if she told him how she felt, he would run the other way and she’d lose him even as a friend, and she didn’t want that, ever.
“Hi Daryl, you got bored of so much deep conversation?” Y/N joked, making Daryl scoff with a smirk.
“Yeah… and I finished my beer.” he replies, reaching out to take the one she’d placed on the counter, taking a sip, he then looked down, “you uh… you okay?”
Y/N blinks at him, of course, he must have picked up on her thinking once again about her feelings for him; for someone so oblivious, Daryl sure was attentive.
“I guess…” she chuckles with a shrug, “yeah, yeah I’m good, thanks.”
She gives him a small smile to reassure him that she’s actually okay and Daryl seems to believe it as he nodded at her, looking down again.
“Yo Daryl!” they hear Merle’s voice call out drunkenly, “bring yer big bro a bottle o’ whiskey, will ya?!”
Daryl rolled his eyes in annoyance making Y/N chuckle in amusement. She turns around towards the back bar and grabs a bottle of whiskey, placing it on the bar in front of Daryl with a smile. Y/N watched as he took the bottle back to Merle and sat down at his table. Throughout the night, Y/N would glance up towards Daryl to make sure he was okay. She knew him enough to know that he wasn’t the most comfortable in the bar, he was only there for his brother. Another thing that Daryl didn’t know about Y/N was that she took the bar job because she knew Daryl went there nightly because of Merle, but of course, Daryl would never know that either.
As Y/N was wiping down the counter, she looked up to glance again at Daryl only to frown this time. There was a girl staring at him and it looked like Daryl was very uncomfortable with this. The girl was new, at least, Y/N thought so since she’d never seen her around before; she’d appeared a couple days ago. Y/N didn’t know who she was, but there was something about her that she did not like, a woman’s intuition perhaps. It wasn’t even that Y/N was jealous of her either, she’d seen Daryl around other women and none of those times did she feel jealous. There was just… something explainable about this one girl that Y/N did not like at all, she had to trust her gut.
Eventually, Y/N saw Daryl get up from his seat and walk towards the bar. Y/N knew that he was going out for a smoke, but in the times she’d seen him uncomfortable around women, she deeply wished that he would go up to her, maybe demotivate the women from trying to approach him. But of course, that never happened. Y/N’s frown deepened when she saw that girl who was staring at Daryl follow him out of the bar. It was times like this that Y/N wished that she didn’t work at the bar so that she could follow Daryl out, spend time with him, and keep skanky girls like this one away from him.
After what felt like way too long, Daryl finally came back inside the bar with the girl trailing behind him. He looked uncomfortable and awkward, so Y/N waved at him to try and make him feel more at ease. She had to hold in a giggle when he waved back at her, he could be so cute sometimes.
Daryl went back to his seat by his brother’s table and Y/N continued on her job, serving customers and wiping down the bar and glasses. Soon enough, it was closing time, Y/N’s favorite time of her shift, but for a completely other reason than anyone else’s. For the other girls at the bar, closing time meant they could go home while Y/N cleaned up everything else. For Y/N, it meant that she could spend more time with Daryl since he made a habit to help her clean up even when she kept telling him he didn’t have to. She liked that he cared about her to help her close, make sure she’s safe.
“Want me to help ya?” Daryl asked as he approached her.
Y/N smiled at him gratefully and nodded at him. Whenever they cleaned up together, they barely talked but Y/N didn’t mind. She just liked being able to spend time with him considering that they were practically alone in the bar together. After making sure the place was clean, Y/N grabbed her things from the back while Daryl waited outside for her like he always did. Turning off all the lights, she closed up the front of the bar.
Y/N couldn’t help but let out an audible sigh when she saw Merle making out shamelessly with one of his girls but then her eyes fell on the girl beside the couple; the girl who followed Daryl out of the bar earlier. Y/N still didn’t have a good feeling about her. She didn’t even know what she was still doing here, but Y/N had made an educated guess that she had some kind of relation to the girl who was eating Merle’s face.
“Someone’s getting busy.” she snorted out a laugh as she looked in Merle’s direction, earning a snort back from Daryl, Y/N grinned at him and waved, “see you, Daryl.”
He smiled back at her and nodded, it was only then that Y/N walked away towards her father’s car. Her father always picked her up from work despite his health, he was very protective and always wanted her to be safe.
“Hi daddy,” she said with a smile once she was in her father’s car.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he replied as he started the car, he scoffed and shook his head as he drove away, “Merle’s at it again, ain’t he?”
“What else is new?” she chuckled at her father’s observation.
“Well, there’s that girl beside them, she’s new,” he said, glancing at Y/N to catch her fallen expression, “what? Is that Daryl’s girlfriend?”
“No!” Y/N couldn’t stop herself from saying, she blushed as her father gave her a knowing look, “I mean… what makes you think that?”
“Your reaction, for starters,” her father chuckled, “when I brought her up, you didn’t seem to like it.”
“I just… I don’t know who she is, but I just don’t have a good feeling about her,” she revealed but then quickly added, “but it’s not because of Daryl.”
Her father nodded thoughtfully, “so… you don’t like a girl you don’t know at all, but it’s not because she’s around Daryl.”
Y/N rolled her eyes and groaned at her father’s words, “just drive.”
Her reaction earned her an amused chuckle from her father. He knew that Y/N liked Daryl, but she didn’t tell him. She didn’t have to tell him for him to know, but that didn’t mean that Y/N was ever going to confess that secret to her dad. She knew though that if she ever did, her dad would never judge her, he’d talk to her if she ever needed it.
—
The next day was just like any other, Y/N woke up, cooked breakfast for herself and her father, then he went off to work. Y/N didn’t like that he was still working with his health issues, but like her, he was stubborn about it, not taking no for an answer. The only plus side was that his job was at a flower shop owned by one of his closest friends so Y/N didn’t have to worry that they were overworking him. After Y/N washed the dishes from their breakfast, she tidied up the house a bit to her father’s liking then got ready for work herself. Her shift started in the late afternoon but sometimes she liked to go down to the bar early to help out the other girls.
Just like every other day, regulars would come in and sit at their usual tables. Y/N recognised a bunch of them as Merle’s clients, waiting on their dealer to come for their supply. A booming loud voice could be heard when Merle walked into the bar, he’d always liked the attention when he entered, unlike Daryl who escaped straight to the counter to be away from his attention-whore of a brother. Y/N chuckled slightly at Daryl’s retreat even if she was used to seeing this every day she worked.
As always, the two of them didn’t speak as Daryl just sat at the bar and Y/N served drinks and wiped down the counter. Her habit of looking around the bar caught up with her and she couldn’t help her glare when she saw Merle not-so-subtly handing a baggy of drugs to one of his customers. She let out a sigh of disapproval as she shook her head, then looked towards Daryl as she felt his eyes on her. He gave her an apologetic look once she looked his way and it made her feel better about the situation. Y/N never told him she didn’t like it that Merle dealt drugs, much less in her work place, but she didn’t have to tell him, Daryl just knew.
“Not your fault,” she tells him just like every other time he felt the need to apologize for his brother.
Daryl smiled softly at her words, then looked down and Y/N knew that he still felt guilty about it regardless of what she told him. The door of the bar opened and naturally, Y/N looked up at whoever walked in. She couldn’t help her frown when she saw the girl from yesterday, Ima, she believed was her name, walk in with the girl Merle had undoubtedly taken home. Her frown only deepened when Ima walked towards the counter, smiling at Daryl.
“Hi,” she greeted him.
“Hey,” Daryl said back with awkwardness in his voice.
Ima then turned her attention towards Y/N, “sweetheart, can you get me a beer?”
Y/N had to stop herself from scoffing or rolling her eyes when she heard the nickname; she’d been able to let it slide when men who weren’t from their town tried to hit on her, but the way Ima’s condescending voice sounded when she said the word really got on her nerves. Regardless, an order was still an order so Y/N had to stay professional. She nodded even when Ima’s attention was no longer on her and proceeded to grab a beer from the fridge.
“Daryl… thank you for last night.”
If words could feel like a punch to the gut, those were it. Y/N paused her actions and looked up at Daryl, hoping that he would snap at the girl for joking around like that. He wouldn’t have taken her home… right? When Daryl just nodded though, Y/N’s chest tightened. She hated this feeling, she wanted it to go away but it wouldn’t.
Merle Dixon was supposed to be the asshole, the one to take home random girls and treat them like sex objects without caring about their feelings or emotions. That was the biggest thing that set apart the two brothers, Daryl actually cared about other people even when he refused to let it show. That’s what led Y/N to start liking him in the first place, but it seemed that Daryl wasn’t so different from his brother after all.
Y/N took a deep breath, trying to get a hold on her emotions. She slammed the bottle on the countertop, the force nearly shattering the bottle. Without another word, she walked towards the other side of the counter. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now, not even Daryl, but then again he never talked to her anyway. Probably because he didn’t see her as someone he wanted to fuck. She tried to make herself seem busy, wiping down the counter, drying the glasses with a clean cloth, anything to get her mind off what she just learned.
“Hey… Y/N,” she heard Daryl calling out to her, she decided it was best to ignore him in case she snapped at him, “you okay?”
“I’m fine!” she snapped; well… so much for not snapping.
“You uh…. Ya sure there’s nothin’ wrong?” Daryl asked, his voice genuinely sounded like he cared, “yer dad-”
“My dad is fine!” Y/N snapped again, turning to glare at him, “well, no he isn’t, he’s dying, but same as yesterday, and the day before that…”
“I’m sorry…” Daryl muttered.
His apology shattered her anger in an instant. His words were real, he meant it. He did care about her. Now, she was just upset at herself for letting herself think that badly about Daryl. He’d never sleep with a random girl like Ima without getting to know her first. If he did sleep with her, maybe he felt an actual connection to her. Y/N looked up at the girl in question, sitting down at Merle’s table. Now Y/N just felt sad, if her and Daryl actually had a connection… what did this girl have that Y/N didn’t? It didn’t help that she couldn’t shake off the feeling that this girl was bad news.
“I didn’t know you were looking to get yourself a bitch now,” she said, she’d wanted to sound like she was joking but her tone was dripping with venom.
“She ain’ my bitch… an’ she ain’ a bitch, she’s jus’ followin’ her cousin ‘round,” he explained.
Great, now he was defending her, what a hero; Y/N scoffs, “whatever…”
“The last time I called someone a bitch, ya clipped me on the head and told me not to call girls that,” Daryl reminds her.
Y/N had to stop herself from smirking at the memory, and the fact that Daryl still remembered that too.
“Yeah, I’m a hypocrite,” she scoffs then turns away from him, still upset at the whole situation, “I have work to do.”
When she heard Daryl getting up from the bar stool to go back to sit with his brother, all she wanted to do was tell him to stay with her. Keep her company, talk to her, maybe even bond with her like he seemed to bond with Ima, but of course, she didn’t. She never did. The same heart wrenching feeling came back when Y/N watched him sit down with Ima. They were barely talking, that much Y/N could see but the sight of them sat down together didn’t help her heart ache.
“Hey, barkeep? Hello?” one of the waitresses, Sally, calls out to her, bringing her back to reality, “you alright?”
“Yeah, sorry… got an order for me?” Y/N responded, forcing a smile on her lips.
“Yeah, round of shots for table 5,” Sally said, handing her the slip for the order.
“Coming right up,” Y/N said, taking the slip from her coworker.
Getting back into the groove of things, Y/N filled the shot glasses for Sally to bring to the customer’s table. Maybe working could keep her mind off things, but that proved useless when she looked up and saw Daryl walking outside with Ima by his side. There it was again, that tight feeling in her chest. She tried to tell herself that he was just going out for a smoke and Ima just annoyingly tagged along, but the fact that Daryl was letting her tag along hurt more. Part of her thought that maybe Y/N should start smoking so that she can hang out with Daryl more, but she knew her father would kill her for even thinking about it.
It felt like they were out there together for hours but it was really only ten minutes at most. When they finally came back together, Y/N thought it was best to not pay them any attention for her own sanity but that proved to be hard when Ima threw a drink in some guy’s face.
“You’re gonna regret that!” the guy shouted as he lunged for Ima, only to be pushed back by Daryl.
“Fuck off!” Daryl shouted; of course he had to protect her…
“Yeah, get the fuck out o’ here!” Merle chimed in, “ya ain’ welcome here no more!”
The guy glared at him and Y/N saw the look in Daryl’s eyes, he wanted to fight this guy. There was only so much jealousy and heartbreak she could take in one day. First she finds out that Daryl and Ima might have something, now she had to watch him protect her.
“If you’re going to fight, take it outside!” Y/N yelled at them all, not wanting to see any of it, “I’ve told you all a million times, bunch of assholes!”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, nobody’s gonna fight, right?” Merle directed his last word to the guy, and he answered him with a scoff before leaving the bar.
Once he was gone, Y/N went back to wiping down the counter and by old habit, she glanced around the bar. She really wished she hadn’t though when she saw Ima scooting closer to Daryl who didn’t seem to want to move away. Y/N spent the rest of her shift looking down at the counter or the glasses she’d wiped clean. Soon enough, it was closing time, and Y/N didn’t know whether to be happy about that or not. She expected Daryl to leave with Ima and not help her clean up like he used to, but to her pleasant surprise, he did. She didn’t talk to him though, she didn’t want to. She was honestly upset at him for putting himself in a situation where he could have gotten hurt, but at this point, who was she to care about him that way? Y/N was just his friend… if even that.
As per usual, Daryl went outside when Y/N went to the backroom to gather her things and close up. She turned around to see Daryl talking to Ima once she locked the front door, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. Y/N didn’t bother saying goodbye to Daryl like she usually did and just made her way to her father’s car that was already parked on the side of the road.
“Everything okay?” he asked her once she got in the car.
“Yeah… everything’s just perfect…” Y/N sighed, trying not to sound pathetic but she knew she did.
“So… from your expression, I’m guessing I was right about Daryl and that girl?” he said as he started driving away.
“I don’t know… maybe… I mean… they spent the night together so there has to be something going on…” Y/N looked down, “never expected Daryl to actually fuck a random girl though…”
“Two things,” her father said, raising a hand from the steering wheel to hold up two fingers, his tone authoritative, “I understand you’re upset but you should always try not to use that kind of language.”
Y/N nodded obediently at that, “I know… I’m sorry…”
“And did Daryl tell you that he slept with her?” he asked her.
“He didn’t say it but he didn’t exactly have to either, that bi-” Y/N caught herself before finishing the word, earning her a look from her father, “that girl… Ima… she thanked him for ‘last night’… what else could it mean…”
Her father lets out a breathy chuckle as he shakes his head, “you know, for my daughter, you really are some kind of stupid.”
Y/N frowns at his words, “ouch.”
“That girl thanking him could mean a million things, how do you know it was just for sex?” he said.
“I don’t…” Y/N responded sheepishly.
“And you know how Daryl is, you really think he would sleep with someone he just met? Just like that?” he asked.
“I don’t know!” Y/N groans, not even liking the thought of it, “maybe he’s just following in Merle’s footsteps, who the hell knows?!”
Her father heaved a sigh then quickly turned the car around, startling Y/N, “dad, what are you doing?!”
Not giving her a direct answer, he drove the car down the road, passing the bar and then slowing down when he saw two figures walking along the sidewalk. Y/N furrowed her brows when she recognised the two as Ima and Daryl.
“Dad… let’s just go home, I don’t want to see where they…” she couldn’t even finish her sentence.
“Shush, just look,” he told her, nodding pointedly at them.
He’d slowed the car down and was basically trailing the two. Y/N looked up at them with a heavy heart, watching as they stopped in front of an apartment complex. Ima went inside after seemingly thanking Daryl and he began walking away. Daryl was walking her home, making sure she was safe. Just like he did with Y/N when he stayed with her to clean up. How could she be so stupid to jump to the conclusion that they were sleeping together, she should have known Daryl wouldn’t do that.
“Feeling some kind of stupid, yet?” her father teased.
Y/N chuckled softly and nodded, “yeah, I am… can we go home now?”
“You don’t want to pick up Daryl and drive him home?” he asked, his teasing grin never leaving his face.
“No!” Y/N protested; if the circumstances and reason why they went this was in the first place was any different, she would have told him yes.
“Alright, you’re the boss.” he chuckled before finally driving back in the direction of their home.
—
The night routine continued for Y/N, starting up her shift then feeling her heart break throughout when she saw Daryl and Ima together. Even though her father proved to her that Daryl wasn’t sleeping with her, Y/N couldn’t help but feel…. Jealous. She didn’t like Ima at all, and she was sure that it didn’t actually have to do with her being jealous. The more Y/N thought about it, the more it irked her. Ima could probably tell that Y/N liked Daryl and she was trying to get a rise out of her. Why else would she so ambiguously thank Daryl for the previous night in front of her? Ima was a manipulative bitch.
Y/N did her best to not look in Daryl’s direction in fear of what the sight might make her feel. It was only when closing time came that she had the courage to actually look at him. Daryl was alone with Y/N again, cleaning up the place so the girl who does the opening shift doesn’t have a headache with the mess.
“You’re looking rather cozy with that bit- with that girl,” she said, trying to sound casual but she was pretty sure her voice sounded spiteful; she wished she hadn’t said anything now, but since she did, “you’re just fucking her or is it something official?”
She didn’t know why she said it, she knew that they didn’t do anything, her father helped prove that. But here she was, spewing shit about them being together.
“I ain’t fuckin’ her!” Daryl snapped.
Y/N kept on angrily wiping down the table, she was angry at herself for saying that to him. Although, when he denied that they were doing anything like that, it helped her feel lighter. Maybe she said it just to get a confirmation out of him… but there were much smarter ways to do that and it wouldn’t have Daryl fuming at her.
“Yeah, well…” she scoffs, trying to play it off, “not my business, I know.”
“I ain’t!” Daryl said again, “we jus talk! She’s new here, only got her cousin an’ she ignores her when Merle’s ‘round!”
An uneasy feeling of jealousy rose up in her again as he spoke about Ima, “oh, poor baby girl,” Y/N said, dry sarcasm in her voice.
“What the hell has gotten into ya?” Daryl said.
“I just hope you know what you’re getting into,” Y/N shrugged.
“The fuck is that s’pposed to mean?”
Y/N threw the cleaning cloth on the table and looked at him, how could Daryl be so damn blind, so damn stupid, “Daryl, you know why all those girls are always around Merle.”
“I ain’t my brother and she knows it,” Daryl scoffed, “an’ she ain’t like that, I told ya, she’s jus’ alone here followin’ her cousin.”
She hated hearing him defend her, “yes, because her cousin drags her here by the hair every night,” Y/N snapped, but she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Daryl… I know people like her, you know people like her, she’s bad news. Why don’t you see it?”
“She ain’t,” Daryl said, scoffing, “ya don’t know her.”
“And you do?” Y/N asked, hoping that Daryl couldn’t see the tears brimming in her eyes with the dark lights in the bar, she knew he hadn’t when he shrugged, “look, I don’t know what she wants or what she’s playing at, following you all the time, but I don’t want-”
“Yeah, ‘cause nobody would wanna talk to me jus’ ‘cause, without wantin’ somethin’, yeah, tha’s what you’re sayin’?!” Daryl snapped before letting Y/N finish.
No, no, no, this was not at all what she meant. Y/N shook her head, but Daryl didn’t seem to see it, he was angry because he had completely misunderstood her.
“‘Cause who would be ‘round a Dixon without bein’ a bitch an’ bad news, yeah? Well, you do, so whatever that makes ya…” Daryl scoffed, turning around to walk away.
“Daryl, I didn’t mean it like that and you know it!” Y/N desperately shouts after him, unable to stop the tears from falling, “you’re being an idiot!”
Of all things to tell him in that moment, she chose to call him an idiot. Well, that made her the biggest idiot, but really, what else was she supposed to say? Daryl was angry with her because he misunderstood what she meant, she didn’t want him to be caught up in the wrong crowd or get hurt because he couldn’t see what she saw. Was she supposed to confess that she was always willing to be around him because she loved him? Knowing Daryl, he might have gotten more angry thinking that she was messing with him.
On her way home, Y/N didn’t speak to her father, she was caught up in her own thoughts. Was she just biased towards Ima because she liked Daryl? Was she just blinded by her jealousy that she couldn’t see that maybe Ima was actually a good girl instead of what she felt? Could she even trust her gut on these things anymore? All of these questions haunted her and she felt sick. Maybe Y/N was the horrible manipulative bitch instead.
The cycle of her routine continued throughout the week, to her surprise. Y/N thought that Daryl would have stopped helping her clean after their argument. She didn’t know what to do though, there was still a tension between them, but she couldn’t bring herself to apologize for accusing Ima of being one of those girls. Y/N was still trying to figure out whether it was all in her head or not, and it was driving her crazy.
It made her feel slightly better though when she felt Daryl stealing glances at her. She knew he could feel the tension and he didn’t like it either. He seemed okay with ignoring her presence though when Ima pranced toward him, Y/N tried to drown out their conversation until she heard Daryl telling her that Ima probably wouldn’t like camping. The amused scoff left her lips before she could catch herself.
“Because your heels would get trapped on the mud and you’d complain all the time about sleeping on the ground even with a tent,” Y/N said to Ima, smirking at her.
“Oh, I’d be very glad to sleep in Daryl’s tent… has he taken you camping with him a lot? Hm? No? Never?” And there it was, the true bitch inside Ima was showing and yet Daryl was completely blind to her tone and voice.
“I uh…” Daryl frowned as he stuttered, “I always hunt alone.”
Y/N nodded at that, she knew that and she never questioned it even if she wanted him to ask her to come along one day. Ima’s attention on Y/N seemed to go completely on Daryl though as she began to beg him to go. Y/N was sure that he wouldn’t take her, but there it was again, the tight feeling in her chest when he started telling her that it isn’t that he doesn’t want to take her.
“My cousin’s calling me,” she heard Ima murmur before walking towards the table.
Y/N rolled her eyes, she knew this play all too well. She was trying to make Daryl feel like shit for not taking her camping, he couldn’t actually fall for that… could he?
Daryl let out a sigh, turning towards Y/N, “why ya always have to be so mean to her?”
Correction, he really could fall for that…
“Because you’re an idiot and you’re blind,” Y/N didn’t try to hide her annoyance, “I didn’t know that pussy makes you brainless like every other asshole.”
Y/N expected him to snap at her, but he didn’t. He just walked away towards the table, towards Ima. She let out a swear under her breath before looking up at the ceiling, trying to hold in her tears. If things were going to continue on like this, Y/N should consider trying to find a new job. It hurt too much to be here, around Daryl while he was hovering around Ima. The main reason she agreed to take the evening shift was that she knew Daryl would be there, that she could maybe spend more time with him, but now that just seemed like a dream that was fading ever so far away.
—
For the last two days, Daryl didn’t come by to the bar but Y/N knew that he was out hunting. She missed him being there even if their friendship was strained lately. Part of her was glad he was gone though, she didn’t want to keep seeing him being all friendly with Ima. She’d come and gone from the bar the two days too, another thing that relieved her since Y/N was actually foolish enough to worry about Daryl taking her out hunting. By the late evening though, Y/N started to worry more, Daryl should have been back by now. The only thoughts she could think was that something might have happened to him. Where was he? Was he okay? Was he safe?
A wave of relief overcame her when the door opened and Daryl stepped into the bar later that night. He was okay, he was safe. Thank God. Although she still didn’t exactly greet him with a smile or wave like she always did, especially not when Ima hugged him. The sight made her feel sick to her stomach.
Daryl surprised her though when he walked away from Ima towards the bar to Y/N. She looked at him with a raised brow, not exactly knowing how to react since they hadn’t really spoken properly for a while.
“This is for yer dad an’ you, rabbit,” Daryl said, taking out a small container from his bag.
“Thanks…” Y/N said quietly, so he did think of her and not just Ima.
She went to the backroom to place the container with her things, she couldn’t help but smile at the thought. By the time Y/N came back from the backroom though, Daryl was gone and so was Ima. She sighed, knowing that the feeling of her tightened chest was something she should be getting used to at this point.
Before Daryl came into the bar though, Y/N saw Ima using the drugs Merle had sold to her cousin. She wondered if Daryl would notice… okay that was stupid, of course he would notice. What would Daryl say to her? Y/N knew that Daryl hated drug abuse because of the piece of shit his brother would turn into whenever he was high. She knew that he’d tried it once too, and he hated it. Maybe Daryl would finally see the kind of person Ima was when she was high and ditch her. Although… he seemed too attached to her to abandon her.
Especially if Ima didn’t want him to abandon her. Y/N had seen it too clearly the last few days, Ima had gotten so many guys to buy her drinks, manipulate them by telling stupid sob stories of her life back in the city, it was all bullshit though, anyone who didn’t want her pussy could tell. Well… those guys and Daryl couldn’t tell.
It felt like the two of them were outside for longer this time around, fear and jealousy coursed through her veins at the thought of Daryl just leaving the bar with Ima without letting anyone know. It relieved her yet again though, when Daryl walked back through the door with Ima trailing behind him. Y/N couldn’t help but notice that he looked more flustered than usual. Maybe he did yell at her for being high, but he didn’t seem angry flustered. Her stomach dropped at the realization that something must have happened between the two. Y/N had only seen him flustered like that when she first hugged him when they were teenagers, and then he’d eventually gotten used to it. But this was Ima, she’d hugged him before and he didn’t get this flustered. Something must have happened….
When Daryl stayed back to help Y/N clean up, she didn’t want to ask him if something happened between him and Ima. She didn’t want to confirm it and she also didn’t want to make Daryl flustered again and run away from her. He’d been doing that too often lately.
—
“So, have you thought about finding another job?” Y/N’s father asked from the dining table.
She furrowed her brows together as she registered her father’s words, she flipped over the egg in the pan, “what? Why would I do that?”
“The bar is killing you, Y/N, at least the evening shift is,” he called her out, “you’ve been miserable for the past few weeks.”
Y/N sighed as she spread the cooked eggs on the plate that already had strips of bacon piled on them. She brought the plates to the dining table, setting one in front of her father.
“I’ll be fine, I like the evening shift…” Y/N tried to lie through her teeth.
“You used to like it, now you hate it.” he pointed out and he had to add, “because of Daryl.”
It was no surprise her father caught on to how sad she was every time she left the bar. The last few days had been torture for her, Daryl and Ima had gotten so much closer it seemed. It barely even mattered anymore that Daryl stayed back to help her clean, they didn’t talk or anything, the complete opposite of when he was with Ima. He talked to her, laughed with her, joked around and drank with her. The night before, he was even getting drunk with her playing some stupid game. She was worried for him so she told him to go home and sleep it off, but she didn’t know if he would even take his advice, it wasn’t like she was Ima.
“You’re right…” Y/N found herself saying, “I hate it… I hate seeing them together… but I don’t want to avoid him… I don’t want to lose him like that.”
“Why don’t you just talk to him? Tell him how you feel whenever he’s with Ima?” he reasoned.
“Are you kidding me? What the hell am I supposed to say? ‘Oh hey Daryl, I hate seeing you with Ima because I like you, I’ve liked you for years and I hate that you’re choosing this manipulative bitch over me’?” Y/N’s emotions got the better of her, the words came flowing out and before she realized it, tears were streaming down her face.
“Come here, sweetheart,” her father’s voice calm but pained as he watched his daughter cry, he gently pulled her into his arms, attempting to comfort her.
The small apartment was quiet save for Y/N’s sobs as she cried in her father’s arms. She hated feeling like this, she hated crying over Daryl, but it just hurt so damn much.
“I think it’s best that you find a new job, or at least talk to your boss about changing to the morning shift, the Dixons don’t go there in the morning,” her father said softly.
Y/N shook her head, sniffling softly, “I don’t want to… even if… even if I can’t be with him like that… I still want to be his friend, I don’t want to avoid him.”
“That’s a big decision, Y/N,” he gave her a stern look as she pulled away from his embrace, “are you sure you’re okay with seeing them together? Because at the rate they’re going, they’re going to become an item and when you see that, it’s just going to hurt you more.”
Just the thought that Daryl and Ima being an official couple hurt, so there was no doubt that it would destroy her if she ever saw that in front of her. What was she supposed to do though? Shut him out and abandon their friendship just because of a girl Y/N didn’t like?
“I know… but I can’t just leave him like that,” a tearful smile on her face, “I gotta be there for him.”
The frown on her father’s face was one of sympathy and disapproval but he still respected her decision, “Daryl’s a damn fool not to choose you.”
Y/N let out a scoff as she wipes her tears, “I wish you’d tell him that…”
“Did you want me to?” her father asked, only partially joking.
“No,” Y/N said immediately.
“Because I can,” he said, earning a series of no’s from Y/N, “he’ll be there tonight when I pick you up right?”