Chapter Text
Daryl sighed, opening the door to his apartment and dropping his keys on the table near the door.
"Rick!" He yelled out, waiting for the four-legged fluff ball to come running out of one of the rooms. "Ricky, I'm home!"
And that's when Rick came into his view, running nearly full speed towards his owner in a playful stance.
Daryl knelt down, petting his dog and scratching behind his ear where he knew he liked it.
"You ready for your walk, little guy?" Daryl cooed, letting Rick lick at his face.
Daryl attached Rick's blue leash onto his matching collar before grabbing his keys and opening the door.
After the door was locked once more, they began their walk through the neighborhood. Rick sniffed at all the plants, his head moving swiftly through the bush of flowers all the while knocking a whole lot of petals onto the ground.
"Come on, Ricky," Daryl spoke, and Rick returned to his owner's side.
Once they made it back home, Daryl began to make dinner for the both of them. It was easier on Rick's side, being that all Daryl had to do for him was scoop dog food into a dog bowl. Water into the water bowl.
After he was done with that, Daryl decided to just order a pizza, tiredness taking over the better of him. His days at work felt like they were just getting longer. He was tired of working around people that didn't even want him there.
To be a team, you have to work as a team. But the people at his job just simply forced their name into the word itself as if it was always that way.
Daryl was seated on the couch when Rick came walking out of the laundry room where he eats. He easily jumped up onto the couch, and curled himself up next to Daryl, laying his furry brown head on Daryl's lap.
"It's almost your birthday," Daryl grumbled.
Rick's ears perked slightly; the best that they could while he was laying down. The huskies excitement for his birthday clearly showing through.
Daryl mindlessly let his hand drop down to the husky's fur while he waited on his pizza to arrive.
The atmosphere around them was relaxing, and that was the first thing Daryl loved about Rick. Even though he wasn't exactly a human, everything felt happy around him.
The doorbell rang, and they both got up from the couch, walking to the door side by side.
"Hey, Glenn," Daryl greeted, signing his name on the receipt and pushing money into the pizzaman's hands, in exchange for the pizza.
"Hey Daryl, hey Rick!" Glenn beamed. "How've you been?"
Rick somewhat smiled at the slight attention that he was given.
"Alright, jus' tired," Daryl replied. He wasn't very strong under the category of 'small talk,' but he still tried. "'bout ready to find a new job."
"That's cool, do what makes you happy," Glenn nodded his head in understanding before looking at his watch. "I gotta go, got a few more pizzas to deliver before I clock out, but I'll see you around, man!"
Daryl nodded, watching the China man walk away before closing his front door.
That night after Daryl got out of the shower, spotting Rick already asleep on his bed, he got a phone call.
"Hello?" Daryl mumbled.
"Hey, Daryl, it's me," His current girlfriend, Amy, spoke softly from the other side. "I hate to do this over the phone, but... I don't really think this is working out. I just don't feel as happy as I did when we first got together, and you're a great guy, but-"
"I'm just way too undateable? I get it, makes you just like everybody else," Daryl cursed at the tears that he felt building up. Two whole years down the drain. "Fuck me for ever giving two shits, right?"
"No, Daryl, I love you, I just..." He knew she'd have a hand in her hair by the sound of her sighing. "It's just not as strong as it was. Sometimes you love people and you keep them, sometimes you let them go," she let out a breath that Daryl knew she takes before she starts to cry. "I need you to let me go, Daryl."
He ended the call, throwing his phone at the wall.
Fuck him for ever giving two shits about anyone other than his fucking dog.
At the thought, he turned to look at Rick who was now awake. He let out a whimper, probably knowing that Daryl was upset. In return, the tired man released a sad laugh.
All the man wanted was a voice to come home to. Fall asleep with the only one that loved him more than love. He would never say that Rick wasn't enough, though.
Rick licked at his face as Daryl climbed under the covers.
"Love you too, buddy." Daryl kissed the top of his furry head, and watched as Rick scooted closer so he was basically laying on his stomach. "Ah, Ricky!"
Daryl didn't exactly try his best to get Rick to move. He honestly thought that the full weight of his dog was comforting to be under.
"Just wish I had a person who loved me as much as you do," he mumbled softly with his eyes closed.
Rick layed his head on Daryl's shoulder, his owner's arm around his slim body to hold him in place. They both went to sleep quickly.
Daryl woke up late the next day by sloppy wet kisses.
"Aw, Rick! Okay, I'm awake, I'm awake!" Daryl grumbled, sitting up and pushing the dog away in a playful manner.
He glanced at the clock, noticing the late time. He would've let himself lay down for just a few more minutes, but he quickly reminded himself of the shit everyone would give him for being late.
Only him.
Fucking Shane Walsh could arrive an entire week late to work and everyone would just nod it off as 'he already works hard enough.'
Daryl let out an exasperated breath, running his hands through his hair.
He stood from his bed, his gaze following his dog as he moved through the room.
"Okay, buddy, I gotta head to work."
Rick jumped up, his front paws on Daryl's shoulders, and his back paws on the bed.
Daryl had his hands somewhere on his back, slowly petting the husky through his whimpers.
"No, you can't come to work with me. My job doesn't let dogs in."
Rick pushed out a frustrated bark.
"Rick, come on, buddy." Daryl tried, but Rick had already jumped down and walked out of the room.
And no matter how much Daryl wanted to follow his grumpy friend, he had to get ready for work. So he did that.
Rick followed him to the front door, trying to slip his way outside so he could go with his owner. But Daryl had only cracked the door wide enough so that he could fit himself through, leaving Rick by himself.
"Be a good boy, I'll be back."
Daryl closed the door behind him, locking it. He got into his car, and drove in silence towards his job. The entire, and seemingly short, twenty minutes there.
Daryl sat at his desk, getting a start at the huge pile of paperwork he had to get done by the end of the day.
"Daryl, do you think you can get these done for me? I'm running late for my doctor's appointment," one of the ladies asked, before he could even get the ink to work on his pen.
"Nah."
"Please, I got the pile that you needed me to do done-"
"No you didn't, you put that same pile that I gave you back on my damn desk, you didn't do shit."
How did he keep his cool? Even he didn't know that.
"But I-" the lady tried again. What was her name? Lori?
"Look, Lori? The same exact documents that you supposedly 'got done' for me are sitting underneath this pile of like fifty documents that I need to fill out by three. And they weren't fucking filled out, so guess who still has to fucking do that? Me."
"But, Daryl-" Lori started, and quickly cut herself off after catching the glare that the man sent her way. She straightened her back, and raised her chin slightly. "That wasn't a question, Mr. Dixon, you are going to get these done for me so I can catch my appointment."
And with that, she walked away, leaving behind the twenty unfilled documents that were, apparently now, Daryl's responsibility.
He was losing his patience by the second.
Just as he turned back to his desk, another worker walked up to him with more papers.
"Daryl can you-?"
"No!" Daryl answered abruptly.
"But-"
"Why do you shits think I have all the time in the world for you? We are not friends just because we grabbed one fucking beer! I don't see why I'm the only one people are walking all over like I'm some fucking carpet!" He breathed harshly, "if you want your fucking papers done do them yourself."
"Daryl, these aren't even my papers though..."
Daryl didn't answer. He got his pen to work, and began scribbling what needed to be scribbled on the documents in front of him.
That night, Daryl got home later than usual. He could barely keep his eyes open.
At least he got all his papers done.
Just because they were in his pile doesn't mean they were his responsibility, and the tired man wasn't taking shit anymore. He hasn't taken anyone's shit for his entire life--except for Rick, but that's under different circumstances--why would he start now?
"Ricky, you ready for your walk?" Daryl yelled out, tiredness visible in his voice. "Come on, buddy, I know you probably gotta piss."
Still nothing.
Daryl walked further into his apartment, past the living room and into the next room, which was the kitchen. When there was no sign of him in there, he checked the laundry room. The dining room he rarely uses, the bedrooms, the bathrooms.
Wait, back it up.
He walked backwards, backing up until he was in the doorframe of his room.
He saw Rick's fluffy tail underneath the bed. He was hiding, which was rare for him.
What scared him so bad?
"Come on, buddy, I'm home."
All he got out of that was a strange whimper that he hadn't heard before.
Daryl walked to the other side of the bed, and got on his knees to peek underneath the bed where Rick was hiding.
"Whatever's got you scared ain't here anymore," Daryl clarified, hoping that would be enough for his friend to come out of hiding.
That was before his eyes focused so he could see through the darkness underneath the bed.
He gasped as Rick looked up at him... but this wasn't exactly the same Rick he had left this morning.
This man looked up at him with a steady gaze.
He pushed himself forward, and Daryl backed up, a little pissed off at what he was seeing. Where the fuck was his dog?
The man stood before Daryl, holding a shy smile.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Daryl snapped, holding up a lamp for defense, once the man was out from under the bed and standing directly in front of him.
"It's me, Rick!" The man said cheerily.
That's when Daryl spotted his tail that was slowly wagging.
His eyes created a trail across the man's naked body, taking in the man's clear chest and structured jaw. For him to be a dog, he wasn't that hairy.
"What?" Daryl was so far past confused, that he didn't know what else to call it.
"I'm your dog... Rick!" He gave a little wave, before returning his hand to his side.
This was by far the most eventful day that he's had in a while, Daryl had to admit. And whatever tiredness that he'd had when he first walked in was now completely gone.