Daryl Dixon x Reader romance

Chapter 17

⚠️ May contain spoilers and triggering events⚠️

We set up some tents just outside of Hershels farm, but still inside the fence. I understood why he didn't want us in the house, at least not yet.
"The crickets are really loud." I whispered as I rolled on my side in the dark tent.
Daryl looked up at me and nodded in agreement.
"Try to sleep. We need to look for Sophia tomorrow." He said, reaching his arms out and pulling me into his chest.
I closed my eyes and drifted off.

When I woke up, Daryl wasn't there. I headed out of my tent and saw a lot of people awake, and standing around the car.
I walked over and put my arm on Daryls shoulder, leaning over to see what they were looking at.
It was a map, probably so we could search the area of Sophia.
"Y/n, you come with me." Daryl said. I nodded.
"I'll go back to the highway. See if Sophia went back there." Shane said looking up at everyone.

I followed Daryl out, and he didn't say a word.
"You think we'll find her?" I asked as we entered the woods.
"I know we'll find her." Daryl said back, obviously not interested in conversation today.
We walked in silence, and I just followed Daryl until we came to, what seemed like, possibly another church or even just a home.
"C'mon." Daryl whispered as he walked faster towards the house.
I followed him, and kept my hand on my gun in case I had to fire it.
Daryl went in through a door and slowly turned around every corner, making sure to be aware if there were any walkers. We entered rooms, but there was no sign of anything until what sounded like footsteps went above us.
"You hear that?" I asked, pointing above my head to where the sound came from.
"Yeah." Daryl said as he turned around and headed up the stairs. We entered this room and there were opened food cans on the ground. "She's been here. Or someone has." I whispered, holding up my gun.
Daryl and I both eyed a door that seemed to be creaking open.
Daryl nodded and opened the door. No one was there, but there were blankets on the floor. Someone was sleeping there.
Daryl sighed and I looked at him. He looked back at me for a second but turned away and closed the door.
He headed down the stairs and outside.
"Sophia!" He called multiple times.
"Shhh!" I whisper yelled back. Daryl ignored me and continued calling.
He eventually gave up and stood there, staring up at the sky. I glanced over and saw a Cherokee Rose's.
Daryl and I used to try to find flowers all the time in high school for fun.
"Daryl." I said as I tapped his shoulder and pointed at the flowers. He slightly smiled and walked over to them, bending down to get close.
Daryl started ripping them out of the ground.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked, laughing.
"Getting em for Carol. You know what they stand for, I don't gotta tell you again." He said as he held the flowers in his hand and walked back. I followed.
The Cherokee Rose's symbolize grieve and pain.
Daryl always believed the story that when the Indians were moved off the land, the Cherokee mothers cried and her tears fell on the ground because they were loosing their children along the way.
He believes that the mothers asked for positivity, to uplift them. The next day, the rose grew where the mothers tears fell. I've heard it so many times.
I smiled and followed Daryl back to Hershels farm.

We got back to the farm and everyone looked disappointed that we didn't have Sophia.
Daryl ignored them and I tried to.
"I'm gonna go give this to Carol." Daryl said to me as he dropped his bag down and headed into the RV.
I climbed up in a tree in front of Hershels house.
"Why are you always in that damn tree?" T dogg asked as he looked up at me.
"It's quiet. Away from y'all." I said as I pulled my diary out of my backpack.
T dogg walked away without saying anything and I opened my diary and started documenting what had happened today.

I must've wrote and drawn for a few hours because it got dark.
"You didn't eat?" Daryl asked as he pulled himself up on another branch in the tree.
Now that I thought about it I hadn't eaten for 2 days. It didn't phase me.
"No." I said and continued writing.
Daryl looked at me but I looked at my diary, still focused on finishing the writing.
"What?" I closed my diary and looked up at Daryl who was staring at me. I smiled.
Daryl leaned his head back against the tree and continued staring at me.
"I've known you since grade 9 and I'm still tryna figure you out." Daryl said in a whisper like voice.
I put my diary in my backpack and put my backpack on my stomach.
"That a bad thing?" I asked and I looked Daryl in the eyes.
"No, because I doubt you have me figured out either." He whispered.
He was right. I didn't have him figured out and he sure as hell didn't have me figured out, even though he knew me better than anyone. Even better than Carley.
"You should eat. Stupid idea to die from starvation when you got food." Daryl said rubbing his hands together.
I knew he was right, but I had no interest in taking care of myself.
"Don't worry. Anyways, wanna go out in the morning, look for Sophia?" I asked.
Daryl paused for a second but nodded.
"It's dark. Everyone's sleeping." Daryl said, trying to get my to go in the tent with him.
"Not us. I'm not tired." I said , pulling my knife out of my pocket and running it against the tree, in order to sharpen it.
Daryl was about to say something but paused when we heard a tent unzip and Lori went out and squat.
"Oh my god." I whispered, realizing Lori was taking a pregnancy test.
Daryl looked at me but quickly spun his head back. We waited a couple of seconds and saw Lori out her hands over her mouth. "It's gotta be positive." Daryl whispered.
"With that reaction, for sure." I whispered back, clinging onto the tree. Lori stood there for a minute but then walked back into her tent.
"Holy shit." Daryl whispered.
"Okay, lets go." I laughed. We walked to our tent and crawled in. Daryl put his arms around me and kissed my head. "I love you." He whispered. The words almost shocked me. I was always the one to say it first.
I paused for a minute and turned around and looked at him in the eyes. "I love you too." I whispered back. Daryl held me again and we both drifted off to sleep, knowing Loris secret.