No Way Out •Daryl/Negan•

Not Tomorrow Yet

"I'm bac-Fuck!"

Negan opens the door, just in time to see a figure crumble onto the floor. It takes less than a second for him to realize it was Daryl and in his hand was a knife. He barely has time to react before he's on his knees trying to pull the hunter's hands away from the weapon. Daryl lets him, revealing a large gaping wound, blood pouring out rapidly. He was obviously dazed, his focus quickly fading in and out as he lost blood.

Daryl looked at the Savior with a look of confusion and shock as he looked up from the injury. The pain had finally registered and he let out a pained groan. Negan wasn't supposed to see him like this.

In full concentration, Negan pulled the blade from Daryl's abdomen and threw it to the side with displeasure. The blood was leaking more freely now so he carefully placed his hands over the wound and pushed, applying as much pressure as he could.

Daryl was gasping for breath now, a panicked look on his face as reality finally set in. Tears were pouring from his eyes as he considered the end. He tried to not look at Negan's face; it hurt too much to think of his leader trying so hard to save him.

"I'm sorry..." Daryl gasped. The pain pooled like a hot puddle of fire in his stomach.

"Shh... be quiet," Negan muttered, breathless as well. His voice was different than usual. He sounded more worried and alarmed.

Daryl tried to sit up, wanting to tell Negan one last goodbye. Instead, Negan only pushed him back down into a laying position and pleaded softly, "Stay still. You'll only make the bleeding worse. Breathe for me, Baby, breathe."

Daryl breathed with Negan, drawing in a big breathe and slowly letting it out. It didn't help the pain any but he no longer was hyperventilating.

"I love you..." Daryl softly whispered. Blood had begun spilling between his lips, a single drop of the red liquid sliding down his chin as his eyes fluttered tiredly.

Negan's bottom lip trembled slightly as he pressed his mouth into a thin line. Negan had never really known what love was until he met Daryl. The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that he didn't want anyone else in his life besides the hunter. The thought of him dying was heartbreaking and a too-real possibility as he laid bleeding in Negan's arms.

"Don't-" Negan's voice cracked but he cleared his throat quickly,"Don't say that. You aren't going anywhere, you hear me? You ain't gonna fucking die on me."

Suddenly Daryl went still, his breathing shallow and his eyes closed, and Negan's heart stopped.

"Fuck!" The Savior yelled.

"Sir?"

Negan whipped his head to the side to see one of his men at the door with a concerned look.

"Get Doctor Carson, NOW!"

The man sprang into action once his eyes laid on the bloody site.

Negan stayed in his spot, making sure to apply pressure and keep Daryl's head up. Within moments he hears hurried footsteps and then the sound of panting. Doctor Carson stood there for a moment, dumbfounded at first before he came to his senses and moved to the new patient.

He immediately checks for a heartbeat, pressing his ear to Daryl's chest. Once he finds it, he nods and continues with his routine steps.

"He's alive but he's bleeding profusely. We need to get him to my office. Quickly," The doctor murmurs as he rips off a portion of Daryl's shirt off to press against the wound in hopes of stopping some of the bleeding.

Negan doesn't hesitate before gathering Daryl into his arms and hurrying to Carson's room as gently as possible. Blood was soaking to his shirt as he pressed the cold figure to his chest.

"Hang in there, Darling," Negan murmured into the archer's hair.

The Savior leader paid no attention to the people he passed on the way, completely ignoring their soft gossiping and confused looks. He finally reaches the room and sets Daryl on the metal table, Docter Carson right on his heels.

Holding Daryl's hand seemed to be the only thing Negan could do as the Docter scurried to do everything he could. He bandaged the wound and stuck one of the few IVs they had left into his arm. Now they had to wait.

Doctor Carson watched from a distance as Negan carefully brushed Daryl's hair out of his face before stroking his cheek. He could obviously tell that Negan cared deeply for the unconscious man, and it was unusual to witness this kind of love from Negan, a man he had learned to be afraid of. He cleared his throat before saying, "... I'll leave you two alone then."

Negan hardly listened to the doctor as he left the room, shutting the door tightly behind him. The room was then filled with a deathly silence.

"Why..."

Negan wasn't stupid. He knew why. He knew the man was in no condition to be alone and yet he still chose to leave him by himself. The man was in guilt and sorrow and Negan only made it worse by lashing out at him. It was only a matter of time before something liked this happened. Negan pushed him too hard and now he could be dying.

A soft rustle comes from the table as Daryl slowly opens his eyes, a groan leaving his lips. He immediately looks down at where the pain was, then it all comes back to him. Bandages wrapped all around his stomach and in his arm was a needle attached to a tube of clear liquid. He tries to remove it when a hand stops him. He looks to his side to see Negan, and for once, he smiles. His smile is shortlived when he comes to the realization that the man must be furious.

"I-I'm sorry..." Daryl whispers. His mouth still tasted of copper. "I just... just thought-"

"No, you weren't thinking," Negan snaps, but his voice wasn't cold or hard, but rather full of concern and disappointment.

"I-"

"No, you are gonna shut your mouth and listen to me." Negan says lowly, gripping even tighter onto Daryl's hand. He takes a long breath before continuing, "This is not how things work. You feel fucking shitty, you come to me and I'll fucking fix it. You... you sure as hell don't do this! You have any idea how fucking worried sick you made me? You could have died, Daryl! And not only that, but you would have become one of Them!  I-"

Negan shook his head, trying all he could to hold back the tears that wanted to come so badly. Negan doesn't cry... and he sure as hell won't start now. "-You just can't die."

Daryl looked at the brunette with confusion and awe as the words began to sank in. Negan... cared. The idea alone caused tears to trickle from his eyes which Negan carefully wiped them away with his thumb.

He grips the archer's chin softly before bringing their lips into a kiss Daryl had never witnessed before. It was full of so many feelings and emotion and promises that he could no longer hold back the sob that was stuck in his throat. Negan brings Daryl's head to his chest as the younger man sobbed and babbled nonsense. After several minutes, his cries subdue to hickups and from there they laid together, just finding comfort in each other.

Negan pulls Daryl off of him for a moment, making blue-eyes look into his brown ones.

"None of their deaths was your fault. The redhead, Glenn, the widow, even the damn baby... all on me. I don't want you blaming yourself anymore, got it?" Negan spoke softly but his voice held a demanding tone to it.

Daryl didn't quite believe him but he nods anyway. He just wanted Negan to hold him again. Kiss him, cuddle him, and just make everything alright again.

"It hurts..." Daryl mumbles, closing his eyes in a wince as his hand moves to his stomach.

"I know, Darling. Just relax," Negan coed, playing with the man's long locks in a gentle manner.

Daryl sighs. He liked Negan like this.

"Can we go back to your room?" the hunter mumbles, suddenly very tired.

"Later, but for right now sleep."

"Don't leave me..."

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise Darling."