Walking Dead Imagines

Do Better part 1 - Daryl

"Could you do a Walking Dead imagine where your character has an abusive boyfriend and no one notices. Then at some point Daryl notices when he accidentally walks in on the reader getting changed and sees the bruises. He tries to save you from the boyfriend but you believe you deserve it"

Warnings: Language, mentions of abuse

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 725

Your life has always been far from perfect, but that's to be expected, especially in the world you live in now. When the world went to shit, the first few months, you spent with a couple of different small groups. Eventually, you came across the prison, and you have been with them ever since. You and your boyfriend, Austin. Before the virus, he was an asshole. But as the world got shittier, so did he. He is very abusive to you, constantly hitting and hurting and forcing himself on you. You know it is wrong, and you want better, but he's all that is left of the old world. He wasn't always this bad, he could change...

Daryl knows you and Austin are together, of course, everyone knows. You know that nobody really likes him, either. Rick is constantly giving him dirty looks and refusing to let him come on runs, and Michonne is the same way. Maggie has openly expressed her feelings of worry and disgust to you before, and Daryl... Let's just say that he does his best to avoid Austin, because everyone can tell how much he is disgusted by him.

You don't really know why, he doesn't know how your boyfriend treats you behind closed doors, so why does he hate him so much?

You are actually very close with Daryl, especially since coming to Alexandria. You guys liked to be on watch together, talking about random things, being friends. You are the only person besides Rick and Carol that he is really close with, so you feel flattered. It has cost you, whenever Austin sees you two together, you pay for it later that night, but you can't trade Daryl. He is so nice to you, so protective, understanding, everything you've ever desired in a person.

You slowly peel off you shirt as you prepare to go out on a run with some of the group. You see your bruises in the mirror, dark and shameful. You look away, reaching for your other shirt, as the door opens. "Shit, sorry, Y/N." Daryl exclaims as he stands at the doorway, realizing you are half-naked. He goes to walk out of the room, before something catches his eye, other than your figure. It's what's on your figure... "What the fuck?" He mutters, walking over to you. "Daryl!" You exclaim, attempting to cover yourself, but he takes your arm. You flinch, used to Austin roughly grabbing your arm when he goes to hit you, but Daryl takes in lightly, noticing your flinch. He looks over the bruises going down your arms, stomach, chest... "He did this." He practically growls, letting go of your arm. You gulp and quickly put on the other shirt, watching as he walks to the other side of the room, fuming. He punches the wall angrily, making you jump, getting scared.

His eyes fall back on you and he tries to relax himself. "Ya think this is okay?!" He asks, his voice raised, but not hollering. You look down, ashamed. He can tell, he can relate, after all, his father beat him. "Ya don't deserve this." He says, walking back over to you. He is conflicted, he is trying to support you but all he can think about is beating the prick, to death. "He's gone." Daryl says. "No." You respond, not wanting him to die. If they kick him out of the community, he might as well be dead.

"I'm tellin Rick." He decides, knowing that he will not tolerate any of that. "Daryl, this is between me and him." You try to reason, but he shakes his head, getting angry all over again. "No! It's not! This is not how ya treat a woman! What the fuck, Y/N?! Why're ya protectin the bastard?!" He exclaims, outraged. You deserve so much better, he is mad at himself for not realizing this was going on sooner. He should have protected you. You feel tears burning at your eyes. You know he is right, but it's not that simple. You do all you can think to at the moment, and bury yourself in his arms, holding in the sobs trying to escape. You feel his arms hesitantly wrap around you in a tight hug, and he rests his chin on your head. "Ya gonna be okay." He promises.