To the end and back [daryl Dixon x reader]

One

the archer

Edited

Fifty-four days it's been fifty-four days since the initial outbreak. I am trying to remember how I got here with this group by a quarry just a bit out of Atlanta. It's all jumbled together: how my roommate got infected, how I got out of the city, how Shane found me stumbling towards their camp. There were many people here, enough to keep each other protected. We had a couple cars and tents, guns and weapons. Some of us go out for supply runs every now and then just to pick up food and other essentials.

There's a couple kids here too. I don't know how they can play around and be happy-go-lucky after what they've seen. All the people here are lovely except for a few I don't bother with because I'm scared of them. Like Daryl and his brother Merle, those two motherfuckers scare me. They both have heavy Southern accents, and I swear they do drugs. Since we were running low, Daryl, Shane, and Glenn had gone into the city to grab some extra food for the camp.

It was starting to get dark. I'm sitting in a lawn chair by the fire with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. They had been out for about 3 to 4 hours when we heard the sounds of cars pulling up. Everyone turns around to ensure it's them and not some random person. It is them, though.

They all get out with backpacks full of things like food and water. If we're lucky, they'll bring back some toys for the kids, new clothes, and even random little gadgets. Some kids ran up to the cars as the three men got out. I turn back around, staring at the fire.

I don't know what day it is, what time, or what month. It's starting to get dark. The walkers are way more active at night, so I always try to get into my tent as soon as the sun begins to go down. Amy walks over and sits next to me. Amy and I get along well because we're the same age. "You alright?" She asks I shrug in response. Sometimes, I just think, think, and think, which makes me go down the rabbit hole of asking myself, why me? Why was I here? Why was this happening? What did I do to deserve this? "Just a bit hungry, y'know?" I whispered.

We don't get to eat three meals a day like we used to anymore, and my body was still getting used to the scarce amount of food. "Me too," she whispers back. I watch as Shane walks back towards camp with Lori and her son Carl. Carl has short brown hair, blue eyes, and freckled cheeks. You'd often mistake them for a family, but they're not. Apparently, Shane was a cop and was Lori's husband's partner before the outbreak. Lori's husband died, so Shane's taking over. Carl has a brand-new toy car in his hands, which he's showing off to Sophia, Carol and Ed's daughter. She's got an almost strawberry-blonde bob, brown eyes, and freckles.

"Hey." I see Daryl standing before me with a package of instant noodles. My brows furrow, confused because I've never really spoken to him. His hair is short, like he had a buzz cut, but it's grown out, and he has blue eyes. I wasn't going to lie. He was a handsome man, just kind of scary at times. "Hi?" I say in more of a questioning tone. "I, um, got ya this while we were out," he said, tossing me the package. I smiled. That was sweet. "I heard ya talkin' bout missin' it, so I just..." he said, trailing off. "Wow, thanks, Daryl," I say with a giggle. He nods but quickly walks off to his brother. "That was cute," Amy says, and I roll my eyes. "Okay..." I sigh as I pat the package of noodles. "...I will admit that was actually really sweet." I sigh as I lean my head back. The sun is getting lower. "you gonna head out?" She asks. I nod as I push myself up out of the chair. "Night Am's," I yawn as I walk toward my tent.

I unzip my tent and step in. I try to make my tent feel as comfortable and at home as possible. So, I have bunches of pillows and blankets I've brought and collected throughout the month or two we've been going through this. I sit crisscrossed on my sleeping bag and zip my tent back up. I sigh as I lay back, placing the package of noodles with all of my other belongings. (Books, clothes, and other things I managed to grab before fleeing my apartment.)

I began to think about Daryl, realizing I never expected him to be that sweet. Especially to someone he's barely talked to. He was usually hot-headed. Both he and his brother had unpredictable tempers. That was Nowhere near the Daryl I had spoken to earlier. I don't remember falling asleep, but I shot up in a cold sweat. I don't even remember the dream, but I instinctively grab my knife. I listen closely to make sure I don't hear any walkers before unzipping my tent and crawling out. The fire is still blazing, and I can see Glenn sitting in front of it. It's definitely early morning.

 I could tell by the sky. I walked through the overgrown grass, it tickles my lower legs as I did so. I sit next to Glenn and sigh as the heat of the fire hits my face. "Hey," I say quietly. He looks up at me and smiles. "Hey, y/n/n. Can't sleep?" He asks. I nod slightly as I lean back in the chair, I'm sitting in. "nightmare," I whisper. He nods. "Same, can't close my eyes without seeing a Walker. "I lean my head against his shoulder. Glenn was the first person I was open to talking to once I got here. I was too scared of the others, but Glenn was the sweetest guy I've ever met.

"Do you ever think about how it was before?" I ask, and he nods. I think about it all the time: what if this never happened? Would I still be going to college; would I still be living in my shitty apartment. Sometimes, I think about how I would've never met Glenn or Amy if this had never happened. "Yeah, all the time," he whispers as he grabs my cold hand, warming it up. "Do you miss it?" I say, turning my head. He nods. "of course I do..but if this never happened, I'd never have met you." I nod with a smile and a laugh. "You're like my best friend, y/n," he says, and I laugh as I bury my head in his shoulder. "You should go back to bed," Glenn whispers. I nod, lifting my head off his shoulder. "I'll see you later," I say, pushing myself off the chair. "Love you!" Glenn shouts as I walk away.

"Love you too!"