A Hard Man To Love

Faith

Before you could even turn down the small hallway to your bedroom your front door opened and Daryl walked in with little Lizzie in his arms. Merle stopped in his tracks and quickly moved behind the kitchen island. You crossed your arms over your chest and smirked over at Merle who had his hands braced on the island with a murderous look in his eyes. Daryl just grinned and shook his head at the two of you as his eighteen-month-old daughter pulled at his beard.

"Damn cock blockin' basterd," Merle muttered.

"Yer lucky Merle, I heard the two of ya in the backyard and waited," Daryl told him with a raised eyebrow as he removed Lizzie's hands from his scruff.

Merle dropped his head and shook it, "What the hell ya doin' here lil brother?"

"Carol tried calling ya Grace but ya didn't answer," Daryl walked over to the kitchen and sat Lizzie on the island and blew a raspberry at her before looking over at you. "She wanted ta warn ya that Philip is plannin' on bringin' Andrea tonight."

"Ah fuck me," Merle cursed.

Daryl gave Merle a hard look and swept Lizzie's hand away from his beard again, "Think ya already did that big brother."

Merle straightened and pointed a finger a Daryl while pulling his lips into a snarl. Before the two could start any kind of argument you put a hand on Merle's arm and saw him visibly uncoil. "It's okay guys. Really. What happened between Andrea and Merle was over a year ago."

"It's not okay Angel," Merle told you. "Philip's just bringin' that dick eatin' cunt to start shit."

"Shhhhheeeeeeittttt..." Lizzie repeated and clapped her hands.

Merle scrubbed his hand over his face and you silently laughed.

Daryl didn't look amused, "Carol's gonna be pissed if she starts saying that regular like now."

Merle grinned and waved a hand at the little girl, "Just tell her it's my fault, she can come beat the..." He looked to you for help but you just grinned and shook your head at him. "Stuffin' out of me."

"If he does bring her tonight just don't get into anything with them Merle," Daryl sighed and picked Lizzie up again whose hands automatically latched onto his beard making her father roll his eyes. "I gotta trim this so she stops puttin' her hands in it."

"You could use a haircut too Daryl," you tell him with a grin, his dark brown hair was starting to get floppy.

"Yeah, yeah. Carol's gonna cut it when she gets home later. I'll get her to trim this to Lizzie safe length then too," he made a face at the little girl in his arms and laughed when she squealed at him.

You looked over to Merle who was smiling at his brother and niece. It was one of those wide rare sincere smiles he wore when something really touched his heart and it made your heart melt into a big puddle at your feet. Daryl left with Lizzie then calling a gruff 'Later' behind him as he walked out of the front door.

Merle's blue eyes turned on you then and while the smile was still there his eyes look troubled, "I'm sorry Angel."

Smiling at him you walked over to where he still stood behind the island and put your hands on his chest. His arms came around you and his hands rested at the small of your back as he looked down into your eyes. "That is over and done with Merle. It's a mistake of the past, we dealt with it, and I'm not going to keep punishing you for the same things over and over. I love you and we're celebrating your one-year sober anniversary and our engagement this afternoon."

He leaned down to kiss you then, and it was a soft, sweet kiss rather than the hard and fast you expected based on how you both were feeling before Daryl walked in. You felt his arm reach behind your back before he leaned down and his other went behind your knees and he stood with you in his arms.