They don't know about us (Daryl Dixon x Reader)

Part 9

--------Time skip brought to you by my hating the beginning of this episode.--------

"Are you okay?" Jenner asked. "Mmm." I responded. "

She hasn't eaten in days." Daryl said. 

"None of us have." Andrea spoke out my thoughts.

Jenner lead us to an area with food. Yes FOOD. We wasted no time digging in. a sat next to Daryl and Carol still needing to talk to Carol.

"Fine." Lori said.

"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner. And in France." Dale reasoned 

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then" Lori said chuckling. 

"What's it gonna hurt?" I asked a bit tipsy myself. 

"Come on. - Come on." Rick said to his wife

 "There you are, young lad." Dale gave him a glass laughing. 

"Eww." Carl spat. 

We all laughed. We hadn't laughed in I don't know how long. 

"That's my boy. That's my boy. Good boy." Lori said. 

"Yuck. That tastes nasty." Carl said sticking out his tongue.

"Well, just stick to sour pop there, bud." Dale said.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl chuckled clearly drunk. 

"What?"

"Keep drinking, little man. I want to see how red your face can get." 

"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly," Rick said.

"He is more than just our host," Jacqui said.

"Hear hear! Here's to you, doc."

 "Booyah! Booyah! " we all cheered.

"Thank you!"

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc? All the... the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?" Shane pushed  

"We're celebrating, Shane. Don't need to do this now." Rick said.

"Way to kill the mood." I muttered. Daryl sent me a 'shush' look.

"Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right? This was your move... Supposed to find all the answers. Instead we..." Shane paused chuckling. "We found him. Found one man. Why?"

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted." Jenner explained.

"All of them?" Shane asked.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door. They... opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time." I shuddered when he said that tugging at my sleeves. Daryl reached his hand under the table to squeeze mine gently.

"You didn't leave. Why?" Rick asked now curious.

"I just kept working. Hoping to do some good."

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man," Glenn said to Shane.

"Most of the facility is powered down including housing, so you'll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like," Jenner said changing the subject. "There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don't plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power. The same applies... If you shower, go easy on the hot water."

My ears perked up at that, "Hot water??" I asked.

"That's what the man said." Glenn said grining.

A little while later I was in the shower. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have a hot shower. And I think it's safe to assume we all did not take it easy on the water. After my much needed shower I went to the couches and saw Carol sitting down.

"Hey.." She said. "You gonna tell me what that little exchange between you and Daryl was about?"

"Oh right that..."

"Yeah that.." She responded grining.

"He told me he's in love with me. And I told him I was in love with him." I said calmly as I sat down next to her.

"FINALLY I thought everyone knew you were in love, except you two." She said laughing.

"Everyone knows??" I whisper screamed.

"Well no. No one knows. We all suspect it. I assume you don't want everyone to know?" She asked.

"No, not yet at least. Daryl wanted to tell Rick, I guess they're buds now or something, and I wanted to tell you."

"Aw. Well I'm happy for you. I mean, in this," She gestured around but I knew she meant the end of the world. "I'm happy you found each other again."

"Me too." She leaned over and hugged me and I greatfully returned it. "I should go make sure Daryl get's his drunk ass to sleep."

"Good luck with that." She chuckled.

I walked down the hallway to Daryl's room to find him sitting on the couch staring at nothing.

"Daryl..? Are you gonna go to sleep..?" I whispered.

"Yeah." He grunted in response. He got up from the couch and flopped on to the bed.

"Good night Daryl." I said walking out.

"Wait! Where are you going??" He asked. He was clearly drunk because he said it in such a voice that I had never heard before. Not from him.

"A couch to sleep," I responded stepping back inside.

"Stay?"

"Are you sure Daryl? You're drunk right now you might be pissed in the morning for not having a bed to yourself." I chuckled.

"I'd be pissed if you weren't here with me... I sleep better when you're around." He whispered and slurred.

"Okay.." I responded laying down next to him on the bed.

He adjusted so his head was on my chest and I let my fingers to comb through his hair gently.

"I love you." He mumble slurred.

"I love you too." I whispered as he fell asleep.

I followed his lead shortly after.

I woke up to scurrying around in the hall. I figured the others must be getting up. I figured I should too before they are all up and I have to make an excuse as to why Daryl and I were last.

I slowly started moving away from daryl but his hands tightened around y waist.

"Where are you going...?" He mumbled half asleep.

"Out. We don't want people knowing about us 'member?"

"Fine." He kissed my head as I snuck out the door.

A/N

Ik this is a shorter chapter but half of this episode I find so boring. So it is likely the next chapter will pick up at the point where Jenner tells them what happens when the timer hits zero.

I just don't want to do a lot of filler chapters, ik when I'm reading they are annoying so ill try to spare you the pain.

But as always let me know what you think and I hoped you liked it.

word count 1105

~Shy