WALKERS, the walking dead.

daryl

"you could've died!"

that's all you heard from him, lying on the bottom bunk in a cell cleared out just for you. hershel was kneeling beside you, checking your wound. you had been out for a few days, leaving daryl worried and angry at you. he refused to leave the cell, staying by your side in case you would wake up. now you were awake, daryl had started his lecture.

he was mad at himself, he never should've let you go.

a couple days ago, you had went on a supply run. it was meant to be quick and easy, just gathering some stuff for baby judith and the other kids. you went with glenn, maggie and another guy from woodbury, expecting the place to be deserted.

you'd never seen so many walkers in your life. not even when the herd had stumbled upon the highway your group was scouting on, or the one that took over the farm. no, this was even bigger.

it didn't help that when you all got there the woodbury guy (who you learnt his name was nick) admitted he didn't know how to shoot- and it was even worse when he misfired and shot you.

but when you returned, with that bullet wound in your stomach, you'd scared the hell out of daryl. he was so incredibly pissed, and after questioning glenn and maggie so much they were pissed too. they tried their best, but it wasn't enough. you still got shot.

"daryl- listen to me, please." you sighed, and the archer quietened and looked at you, willing you to go on. hershel looked up from his work, and took your words as his cue to leave, knowing he would be intruding on a private moment between yourself and the archer.

"i'm okay, i'm alive. i'm sorry that i scared you." he never admitted he was scared, you just knew.

"you couldn't have prevented it, so don't blame yourself."

the way you just knew him so well, made his heart flutter and his resolve break. sitting down beside you, he took your hand gently and placed a kiss on each bruise that had formed on your knuckles. when he looked at you again, the loving smile on your face gave him the courage to tell you what he had been feeling for so long now.

"i can't lose you..."

the next day, hershel had finally deemed you clear of bed rest, and you couldn't be more excited to finally step out of that dark and cold cell you'd been in for the past few days.

as you stepped out from under the small rain shelter of the prison, the sun rays burning your eyes just made you smile. daryl was next to you at all times, keeping a a careful watch on you.

you took the archers hand gently in yours, and lead him through the paths into the first green field. you took your time walking there, admiring the beauty of the late spring day. you took a seat in amongst the daisies, coaxing the archer to join you. with a huff, he sat with you. the sun basking down on the two of you, you finally felt peace.

like there was no walkers, no worry, no pain. just a regular day back in the old world. but you new that if that was so, you would never have met him, the man who meant the most to you.

it was worth it, going through it all to end up there.