Angel (Daryl Dixion x Reader)

~51~

   The next morning you waited for everyone to wake up. You had ended up staying up all night long. Ears open, eyes open. Genuinely unable to just sleep after yesterday. Daryl and you were supposed to sleep after first switch out, but you just couldn't. Especially not after you kept hearing twigs snapping every other hour. Though your husband tried to reassure you it was probably just a deer walking by, or coyote hanging around because of the rabbit and squirrel he'd cooked up. You couldn't shake the bad feeling. So as Daryl eventually fell asleep beside you. All the while you and Aberham kept exchanging glances all throughout the night. You could tell your old friend wanted you to rest. Go trust him to keep everyone safe while you slept, but the stern nod from you told him to keep his eyes peeled. After the fire died, you had the time to realize you could see a bit better in the darkness. That you could make out every single one of your family and friends laying around on the forest floor. Every single one of their facial details in the dark. It was strange, kind of like night vision googles but not at the same time. Now the sun was beginning to raise in the sky, and you stood from Daryl's sleeping body when you heard a walker a few feet away. It was just one from the sound of the dragged gate. Aberham glanced at you raising and went to grab his gun, but you held a hand out steadying his now tired nerves. He paused and you walk your other hands fingers across your palm. A silent 'Walkers', then you held up one simple finger. He nods in silent acknowledgment, keeping an eye on you as you stepped ten feet from the group. Standing on guard until you saw it walking towards you slowly. It came straight for you, sniffed at you, and went to brush past you when someone snores lightly. You let it, whirling to grasp its throat and stabbing the base of its skull. Laying it down gently so the thud of its body didn't startle anyone. Even though they'd be up in a matter of minutes anyway with the steady rising sun.

After you ripped your knife from its skull, and wiped the blade clean on its tattered green sweat shirt, you stalked back to camp. Aberham was just staring at you a bit stunned, but he still gave you a curt nod of thanks. You could see he was tired, but he was also still rather amazed that the walkers seemingly ignore you. It wasn't like you could blame him. You didn't know if you'd ever get used to that, but it was extremely useful at least. Your eyes catch a glance of Eugene briefly, before you lean against the tree beside where your husband was minutes from waking on his own. Staring to wonder if that scientist actually be able to kill all the walkers, and if so.. would he be able to use your blood to find a cure for this? Would he be able to cure or vaccinate your family, your husband? So when they died, they wouldn't have to take a blade to the brain just to keep their body's down permanently? You wondered if it was possible. If you were immune, it had to be at least possible, right? Even if you were the only one on the planet that was immune- which that thought was previously impossible until now. So there was at least a chance at it. Right? The hope of a possible cure was something you found slowly igniting within you again. A hope that you'd long strangled to death after the CDC, and it was slowly being reborn. Even despite Jenners voice in the back of your mind telling you, "There is no cure. This is our extinction event.". It still was there. A little, tiny ember of hope glimmering in your chest. You just hope that the cure wouldn't cost you your life. Because after everything, you knew that your family, and especially your husband, wouldn't let you give your life. Not for this world.

Your half way convinces that Daryl wouldn't have let you do it if you'd of been his before the world ended. But now? He'd definitely not let you make that sacrifice, and apart of you didn't know if you even could. You weren't sure if you could put him through losing you permanently. Knowing that he'd have to watch the world rebuild its self because you'd given your life for it? You knew in your heart he wouldn't want to be apart of that. Not when he already had such a deep rooted hatred for how things ran before the world ended. Before him? You'd of done it. Without question or hesitation. But now? You wouldn't just be sacrificing yourself... You'd be sacrificing his heart and soul too. And you didn't know if you fucking had it in you to do that to him. You knew you didn't. Not him- Not your sweet, beautiful husband... As if on cue, like he knew you were mulling over your possible eminent death, he lurches up right. "Angel-" he breaths lowly, almost afraid. You immediately push off the tree and kneel down beside him. His eyes snap to you. The relief flooding them as his hand grabs the side of your face gently. Needing to feel your skin against his. "..M' right here, baby." you softly tell him before you kiss his wrist. He sighs lightly and nods in more relief than acknowledgment. You smile at him lightly, brushing some of that dark hair from his eyes. His hair was getting so long, and you loved it. The way it curled slightly and framed his features and made those bright, crystal blue eyes of his pop all the more? Damn- It made him impossibly more beautiful. "..We gotta get moving soon." Aberham says lowly from across your group still half out. Some of them staring to stir awake now. You look over at him and nod, "Yeah... We're still too close to that fuckin' place. I can still smell the smoke." You admit quietly over to the burly red head, who raises a quizzical brow at you. Not able to pick up on the slightest scent of smoke still in the wind when it blew down from the direction of Terminus. You could though. And it was there. Miles off but there all the same.