Norman Reedus Imagines

I will love and protect you (Daryl)

CREDIT TO:http://grimesftwinchester.tumblr.com/

"Pete, I don't understand why you're being like this. Rick is a good guy! Why are you acting this way?" I spoke sternly, trying my hardest not to raise my voice as I attempted to reason with the man who believes our leader is trying to hit on his wife, Jessie.Pete and I stood outside, just in front of the gates as I tried to tell him that Rick has no intentions of stealing his wife. Although I know that Rick and Jessie have chemistry, I also happen to know that Rick has too much respect for people and wouldn't just wreck their marriage for the sake of his own happiness or satisfaction. It's hard to keep up a relationship now, especially as you never know how long you're going to get with someone before something happens and they die or you die. I guess that's why Pete's so afraid, but he's a tough guy, we've seen the way he hauls Jessie around like he owns her. Occasionally it seems controlling and possessive, so I doubt Rick would go out of his way to challenge him.I don't know how I got into this conversation with Pete in the first place, but he doesn't seem to be taking it too well. One minute I was with Daryl discussing the armoury, the next minute I was battling it out with a (most likely) abusive husband and obsessive control-freak who hates us. I wish Daryl hadn't walked off to go help Aaron, he'd have so much to say to Pete. I'm no match to how tough Daryl is... I guess that's why I admire him so much. Where is he when you need him?"Rick and your group and you, you're all trying to steal her. You're trying to steal everyone here! You think you're so much stronger than us, all because you've had to kill a few dozen walkers. Well unlike you, we're civilised, we don't pick a fight for no God damn reason!" He yelled, taking a couple of steps forward and getting too close to me. I swallowed a lump in my throat before looking the sadistic bastard dead in the eyes."You say that again..." I spat, teeth gritted as I balled my hands into fists and tried not to punch him square in the face for raising his voice at me, "Go on... I dare you. Say we're not civilised. Say we're killers... Go ahead."He chuckled slightly, shaking his head before sighing, "I don't think so," he said, before raising his arm and hitting me across the face. I fell back with shock, collapsing to the floor as my hand immediately flew up to my cheek as I pressed at the sore skin from the sudden blow. He looked down at me, his eyes boring into mine evilly as I breathed heavily, fear overtaking my body as I attempted to find the energy to stand up. My legs wouldn't move, and I certainly couldn't take my hand off of my face as I felt the heat from the already developing bruise on my cheek.I heard a rustle behind me before something dropped onto the ground beside me. I looked down and saw Daryl's crossbow sat on the grass, before he appeared above me, "HEY!" He shouted at Pete. Pete looked at Daryl and his eyes widened. I couldn't tell what he was feeling but he began to back away, stumbling a little over his own feet, "Don't you dare walk away from me. Come here... Come back if you think you're so damn tough!"Daryl stormed towards Pete, grabbing him by the shirt and holding him directly in front of him as they glared at one another, "Are you gonna tell me why you just hit her? Why you just hit her across the face, sending her flying onto the ground? Huh?!" Daryl shoved Pete hard, causing him to fall onto the ground opposite me. He glanced over at me and for a moment I thought I saw an apology in his eyes before Daryl leant down and grabbed him by the chin, "Don't you even look at her you son of a bitch!" He landed a punch beside Pete's eye, and I could almost feel the pain rushing through my own body as the sound of Daryl's fist colliding with Pete's cheekbone made my spine tingle."Daryl..." I whimpered. He turned to look at me, and I could see the sheer hatred in his eyes for Pete as his eyebrows were furrowed and his pupils were dilated. His mouth hung open as he panted, his hair sticking to his forehead as beads of sweat trickled down his face. He walked over to me slowly before crouching down and moving my hand away from my face. He grazed the skin with the back of his fingers, making me wince from the pain, "What are you gonna do?" I whispered, leaning towards him so our faces were inches apart. I desperately wanted to kiss him in that moment, not only to thank him for protecting me, but to show him what I've been dying to tell him since we met.He took in a deep breath before exhaling. His breath hit my face, making my body shiver as he stood up and wiped his face on his shirt."Wait and see," He smirked, before going straight back over to Pete and kicking him. Pete cried out in pain as Daryl thrashed him in the side with his foot, his boot colliding with Pete's ribcage over and over again, making the man writhe around on the floor and beg for him to stop, "This... Is what you get... For hurting... Y/N!" He squatted to the ground and grabbed Pete by the throat, pushing him into the dirt, "You don't know how much I wanna kill you right now..." Daryl almost laughed before standing up and kicking Pete one last time, "You hit anyone else here and I swear the next time we talk I'll shoot an arrow through your skull, you got that?!... Come on Y/N."Daryl helped me up off of the floor before grabbing his crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder. We walked to my house, leaving a bloody and whimpering Pete on the floor. Daryl put his arm around me and helped me inside, sitting me down on the couch before disappearing.He came back into the room with a towel and some ice. He wrapped the ice up inside the towel before he gently pressed it to my face, making me flinch and cringe as he moved it over my cheekbone, trying to prevent a giant bruise from forming anytime soon. We sat there in a comfortable silence, his heavy breathing the only sound in the room as he looked after me. I watched as the perfectly rugged man took care of me, softly pressing the ice to my wounded face, and hushing me whenever I whined at the pain. He finally pulled the towel away as the ice began to melt and became ineffective. He left it on the coffee table as he shuffled on the couch to get closer to me.He placed his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him for a one-armed hug. I wrapped my body around his, craving his touch as I forced everything in me to not cry or show weakness. I need to show that Pete can't get to me... "Daryl, why did you defend me?" I asked suddenly, not controlling the words spilling out of my mouth as he tilted his head to look at me. I looked up at him as he raised his eyebrows, thinking of a reply."Why wouldn't I?" He simply asked as if it was obvious."I... I don't know. I just thought that -""You thought I'd just walk past and watch him beat the shit out of you? Y/N... You know I'm no passer-by, he wasn't gonna get away with that..."I looked at him for a moment, taking in his every feature as I searched for an answer in my mind but couldn't find one. I sighed before sinking into his grasp again, burying my face in his chest and breathing in his scent. He coughed loudly, and I instantly saw it as a sign of discomfort, so I pulled away and moved to the side, away from him, "No... I didn't mean -" He started and I just shook my head."It's fine Daryl. I get it.""No you don't," He stood up and began to pace the room in front of me, his finger and thumb squeezing the bridge of his nose before he stopped and stood directly opposite me, staring at me, "I didn't just protect you because I thought you needed my help... I did it because, well... I was scared. I was scared he was going to seriously harm you or even worse - kill you. I couldn't let that happen! I'd feel empty for the rest of my life without you here. I wouldn't be able to cope, everything happened so fast over there. I knew I had to show him that he's not the boss or I would've regretted it until the end of time. You don't know how hard life would be without you Y/N... You don't know. That's why you don't get it.""I... I don't understand. Daryl, y... You're so strong what do you mean life would be difficult without me?""Because I love you!" He blurted out, his eyes widening as he obviously realised what he'd just said. I was relieved I hadn't stood up from the couch or I would've fallen straight back onto it after hearing those words leave Daryl Dixon's mouth... "Well, there! Now you know.""Daryl... I...""I get it, you don't feel the same. Spare me the sympathy speech Y/N, I kind of saved your life let's just leave it at that, yeah?""No.""What?""I said no. We're not leaving it at that, we're not leaving it at anything. If you would just give me a second to speak you'd know that I was about to say I love you too.""Y... You do?""Yeah, I do. And you don't know how terrifying it was for me to watch you fight with the guy! He could've hurt you too but he didn't which I'm so glad of but... I don't know, the same things you've just said were the exact same things that went through my head too."I stood up from the couch and walked over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder, "You really do love me?" He asked, and I nodded. I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before feeling his arms wrap around my back and pull me close, as he too kissed me, his lips softly brushing my temple, before he whispered, "You don't know how long I've waited to hear that..."