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He was easy on the eyes.
He was, wasn’t he, there was no denying that, and even when Daryl thought he hadn’t been interested, at first, he was aware of that. For so many months they had been struggling, fighting, and surviving somehow, and he just kept pushing the thought away, kept pushing his feelings away, until the day he realized it was too late.
He tried to tell himself that he didn’t notice that Rick was pretty with his blue orbs and his pouty kissable lips for the longest time, but in the end he lost against himself, against his traitorous body and heart, and fell in love.
Side by side, and over and over again, being there for each other and for their family. There was just no escape, it had to happen.
That was what Rick always said, at least. Rick said it was fate and that they had to come to this point eventually. He even believed that they would have met even without the apocalypse, because they were meant to be together. Daryl always smirked and scoffed whenever he had to listen to that romantic crap. He didn’t believe for one second that Rick would have looked at him twice in the old world, but he indulged him, and let him believe, because it was kind of sweet, and brought a kind of warm feeling to his stomach, of course if anyone asked him he’d deny everything.
And it wasn’t only Rick’s looks that drew him like moths to the flame. First time he saw him, the first thing he noticed was determination. There was an aura around him that exuded this tangible energy of concealed power. He sensed this power in Rick, and it attracted him and made him want to be as close as possible to the man.
From the moment it started there obviously was no way to stop this. They were just meant to end up here. Well here, at the moment, meant lying on his back in a nice warm soft bed in the Alexandria safe zone. They made it here, and Rick was determined to stay, Daryl after some troubles in the beginning came around and managed to settle in as well.
“Morning.” The sleepy and throaty voice of his partner roused him out of his musings. Daryl couldn’t but smile lovingly at the dark tousled head that was raised slightly, one hand scrubbing over his stubble, and face, his blue eyes squinting slightly. Rick had slept on his stomach, the smooth skin of his back looking all warm and inviting, he now turned on his side and leaned on one arm. When their eyes met, Rick answered with a bright smile.
“Morning sleepyhead.” Daryl said.
“Come here you sexy man.” Rick growled, he pulled him down, his hand curled around Daryl’s neck. “Kiss me.” And they did, morning breath and all. This was their ritual, this was what happened every morning.
This was their life now.
Together always.