Norman Reedus Imagines

Christmas Eve

CREDIT TO:http://imagine-daryldixon.tumblr.com/

It was one day before Christmas and I had nothing to give to Daryl. Of course we had agreed to go without presents as it pretty much meant risking your life to get out there and find something but judging by how Daryl had been acting the last couple of days I was pretty sure he had something up his sleeve. While I had nothing. Well, nothing than myself perhaps.. But that wasn't really special since we had been dating for about eight months now and giving myself to him was more or less a daily thing. Just thinking about it made me blush and giggle like a teenager but with Daryl everything felt so special... So right. I've never felt anything like that before and that alone was reason enough to go looking for a present. I wanted to give something to him, a symbol of my love, something he could have with him when I wasn't around. Maybe that was cheesy. Maybe he wouldn't even like it...

No, he would definitely like it, he was just acting as if he didn't but deep down I knew he enjoyed our love as much as I did.
Maybe Carol could help...

Making my way down the halls towards her cell I couldn't help but feeling like someone followed me. I couldn't here footsteps but the feeling wouldn't go away. Turning a corner I stood still, turned around and only seconds later my stalker bumped into me. Just as expected...
"Glenn!?" I looked him up and down. "Why am I not surprised it's you!?" I grinned at him. Glenn on the other hand looked down rubbing his head.
"I didn't mean to follow you...", he mumbled, "I... Uhm... You know... Daryl..."
"Daryl what!?"
"He kinda asked me to make sure you... Uhm... No, forget it. I promised to keep my mouth shut and for once I will!", he declared breaking into a big smile. "You can thank me later for not spoiling anything."
"You're weird", I said punching his shoulder playfully.
"I know." Glenn shrugged. "See you later."
"Where are you going now!?" I watched him as he ran down the corridor and as he was about to turn the corner he looked back at me.
"Hiding from Daryl!", Glenn said. And with that he was out of sight leaving me startled.
I stood there for another minute or two not sure what to think or what to do. Glenn was definitely in on something and it was pretty obvious that it had a lot to do with Daryl what made me even more eager to get something for him as well. I couldn't face him with empty hands tonight.
"Carol!"
She was sitting on her bed sunken into an old book that was about to fall apart as it had been read by so many people.
"What is it, Sweetie?" She looked up from the book and asked me in. I sat next to her as she put the book away.
"That book!?"
"Oh... that!?" A faint smile crossed her face. "I used to read it to Sophia every night. She loved it so much and I... I guess one gets a bit nostalgic around Christmas..." She tried to hide behind her smile, but her glistening eyes gave her away. She tried to avoid remembering her daughter because it still hurt too much, but every now and then I could hear her cries at night, heard her sobbing through the thick curtains. "How can I help you?", she asked swallowing her tears.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you..."
"You didn't." She smiled at me and this time there was no sadness in it.
"Okay..." I took a deep breath. "It's about Daryl."
"Isn't it always!?" Carol laughed illuminating everything around us with her warm laughter.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be. It's love and you are allowed to talk about it as much as you want. Devour every second you can, dear." She took my hands in hers and squeezed them softly. "Life is too short to feel sorry for something so wonderful."
"Well.. you see.. I think Daryl has something planned for tonight..."
"Oh.. you figured?!" Carol grinned a knowing smile.
"Uhm... yeah, but I.. I have nothing. I haven't been out on a run without Daryl and I couldn't look for anything and... wait... What did you just say!? You know something too!?"
"Of course I do. I always do", she said with a wink.
"So.. what am I supposed to do? I don't know where to find a present..."
"You don't have to do anything, dear. Just wait... when the time comes, you'll know what you can give to him." Carol pulled me towards her giving me a warm hug. "Sometimes it's the small things that mean most."
"You're talking in riddles..."
"You'll see, everything's gonna be fine." She hugged me once again before she pushed me out of her room. "Now go back and do the right thing."
And before I could say another word Carol had closed the curtain behind her, shutting me out. It was pretty clear that she wouldn't help me understand, or help with getting a present for Daryl... the only thing she helped me with was being even more confused than before...I had hardly thought that possible but here I was...
I wandered around the prison for another hour, asking everyone for ideas or help but no one could help me. The only thing I got was a pat on the back and a few words of how everything would turn out great and how I shouldn't worry too much. It was past sunset when I finally returned to the cell I shared with Daryl.
The curtain was closed as always, nothing unusual about that, but still with what happened today I felt nervous. My hand was trembling when I reached out to pull the curtain aside. The room inside was illuminated with candles and the smell of vanilla lingered in the air. A nice change to the usual smell of rotting flesh that had covered the earth when the dead started walking.
But what took my breath away was standing in the middle of the room stepping from one foot to the other. Daryl was wearing a black suit, a bit too small around his broad shoulders, and the tie was a bit messy like he had never gotten the chance to learn how to properly tie it. His smile was gorgeous, he was grinning from ear to ear as his fingers kept fiddling with some of his buttons.
"I've been waitin' for ya", Daryl mumbled. He rearranged his jacket and took a step towards me.
"Daryl", I breathed as he took my hands and pulled me into the room. Overwhelmed by the moment I couldn't think straight. I still had no idea what was going on when Daryl sank down on one knee.
"I... uhm... Dunno how to start this, ya know...", Daryl muttered looking down. He cleared his throat as if he had to work up the courage to speak first. The courage to lay open his feelings. My knees were shaking as I waited for him to find his voice. "It hasn't been long...", he said, his voice huskier than usual, "but time isn't what it used to be, right!?" He looked down for a second, before he faced me again. "So... ya know... I'll be yours for the rest of it. And I want to...make this right." Daryl smiled at me as he pulled something out of his pocket. A small red box, a relic from another time. Daryl slowly opened the box to reveal a ring inside and it began to dawn to me. I looked down at the small golden ring with its white stones surrounding a bigger blue one. I had never seen a piece of jewelry as beautiful but then again I was sure I would have thought the same about a plastic ring knowing what the ring would mean to me... to us.
Daryl cleared his throat once again before he looked at me: "Will you marry me?"
"YES!", I yelled, tears started to fill my eyes. Forgotten the hunt for a gift for Daryl, forgotten the world around us. Just Daryl and me and the future that was waiting for us. Our hands were trembling as Daryl put on the ring. We both looked at it for a while, slowly realizing what it meant for us as lovers, as partners.
"I love you", I whispered, finally wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry I don't have a present for you..."
"Ya said yes..." Daryl shrugged. "That's all I wished for." He pulled me closer to him, gently pressing his lips on my forehead. "I don't need anythin' else." His hands wandered up to my face making me look at him. He rested his forehead against mine. "Nothin' else...just you", he whispered before sealing my lips with his.