Okay, I wasn't planning on posting this since I meant for it to be just for my friend, FinntheHuman, but she convinced me to post it and here I am! The idea came to me when I read Finn's story Understand(which you all should read if you hadn't). I really want to see a Daryl/Tyreese bromance. I would cry if they did that on the show(which I know they won't). Some warnings, though. First, this was meant to be funny and some parts are, but most of it is serious. Second, there is a bit of Rick bashing. I'm not a fan of his character and there was more I wanted to do with him, but I tried to keep it in character for all characters involved. The funny parts(or the parts I consider funny) may seem OOC, but I wrote them for a friend so I took some liberties. I hope that doesn't bother you all! Oh, and of course, like everything TWD I write, there will be Caryl! :D
Oh, and please forgive me for the summary. It is not my strong point and trying to describe this story was very difficult!
Please enjoy!
Terminus was theirs. Gareth and his minions were gone. Dead. Nothing remained of the cannibalistic community. Not even the piles of human bones found in various parts of the warehouse. Rick had announced that this place was as good as any and they began to set up shop there. Groups of two or there would go out in search of the many signs leading to Terminus and tore them down. They didn't need anymore of the bad kind of survivors to find them.
It had been several months since they all took Terminus and their numbers had only grown slightly. Those that had happened upon the place were welcomed in, just like the prison, if they answered the three questions Rick posed to them.
In those few months, several things changed in the life of Daryl Dixon. Things that, looking back on it now, he was glad happened if even at first, he had felt the opposite. No longer was he considered Rick's follower, Rick's right-hand man or basically, Rick's loyal and obedient dog. He was still a very valuable member of their survivor community and some looked to him for leadership. Carol, too, was looked to in that way, as well. Rick was no longer considered the one and only leader. They didn't have a council, since that had not worked out so well, in the end.
Daryl sat on top of one of the train cars, which they now used for storage and looked out over the fences and into the woods. The same woods Carol had materialized out of and started kicking ass. If it hadn't been for her and the walker army she and Tyreese had round up, they would have all been dead and possibly eaten. Not by walkers, either. Daryl shuddered at the thought.
"Cold?"
"Huh?" Daryl turned in his perch to watch Carol climb on top of the car.
"I just saw you shiver and wondered if you were cold." She took a seat next to him. "Looks like you're back to the sleeveless lifestyle. I can get you a blanket, if you want."
"Naw, I ain't cold. Just been thinkin'."
"About?"
"You and how you came in here kicking ass that night." He nudged her in the side. "Never seen you look so sexy."
"I was covered in walker blood!" Carol smiled and nudged him back.
"Still thought you were sexy." He moved closer and wrapped an arm around Carol's waist. Once Terminus was completely theirs, Daryl hadn't wasted time in letting Carol know how he felt.
After a few moments of silence, Carol spoke. "So, you and Tyreese, huh?"
"Yep. Jealous?" He bumped her playfully.
"Of course not!" She pinched him lightly. "He's a good man."
Daryl sighed. "That's what I thought about..."
"He still is one, Daryl. He just wasn't good for you. He didn't treat you like how you should be. Tyreese will."
"Yeah, because he's big enough to fight his own battles."
"That's not it and you know it." Carol knew that Daryl was still bitter about everything that had gone down between him and Rick. He had every right to be.
Daryl leaned his head on Carol's shoulder, which showed how comfortable in their relationship he had become. Carol skimmed her hand up his back until her fingers met the long hair spilling over the collar of his shirt.
"Tyreese forgave you. He knew what you did wasn't out of spite. You were trying to save lives and he knows that you feel that choice everyday. I couldn't stand by Rick, anymore, when I saw that he still looked at you with anger and mistrust." He looked up at her.
"He had every right t-" Daryl pressed a finger to Carol's lips and shushed her.
"I've heard it plenty of times, Carol. You didn't deserve that. We're family and that's not how a family acts." Reaching up, he wiped a stray tear he knew Carol probably didn't even know was falling. "He kicked you out on your own, knowing that no one can make it on their own, anymore. It was a death sentence."
"But I didn't die. I survived and here I am."
"What if you hadn't? I would have never seen you, again. Nearly gave up when I was Beth. It was all too much. All the loss. First, you and then, our home..." He trailed off into silence.
"Daryl, there's something I want to tell you." Carol sniffled. "I know I should have told you this awhile ago, but-"
"Hey, what's going on?" A deep voice startled the couple. Daryl sat up and glared at Tyreese who had just climbed up on to the train car.
"Shit, man, we were about to have a moment," he growled.
"Whoa." Tyreese held up his hands in a placating manner. "I can leave if you want me to. Didn't mean to ruin a moment."
"Don't go, Tyreese." Carol smiled and patted the spot next to her. "We were just talking about you." The tears that had slipped down her cheeks during her talk with Daryl were long gone and she looked genuinely happy to see the larger man.
"Oh." The big man walked and took a seat besides Carol. "Is that why my ears were burning?"
"Yep," Carol quipped. "Daryl and I were just talking about what your ship name should be."
"Ship name?" Daryl looked at Carol oddly. That had to be the most random thing to come out of her mouth. "Like a boat?" What the hell was she talking about? They weren't talking about a ship name. Whatever that was.
"I was talking with Lyssa, John's girl, and she asked me what mine and Daryl's 'ship' name would be. Apparently, it's our two names smashed together."
Both men were still giving her odd looks. So, she smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Our name would be Caryl."
"Ain't that just your name?" Daryl pointed out.
"Well, the other name would be Darol."
"And that's my name. I don't get it."
"Daryl and Carol rhyme, so when our names are mixed together, they sound like one of our names. Caryl is spelled C-a-r-y-l and Darol is spelled D-a-r-o-l. Personally, I like Caryl, better."
"Me too," Tyreese agreed. "One Daryl is enough. We can always have more Carols." The big man wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulder and pulled her close for a hug.
"Hey, that's my woman you're huggin' on, man." Daryl narrowed his eyes at Tyreese.
"So? She's my friend and I can hug her if I want." To spite his friend more, Tyreese pulled Carol even closer. The air was pushed from her lungs, but she didn't say anything.
Daryl just shrugged and sat back on his hands. "Fine. But don't be surprised when I push your ass off this train car."
Tyreese let go of Carol. "You would do that to your best friend? Shit."
"I've done worse to my friends," he mumbled. The air grew tense as the trio remembered what Daryl had talked about.
It had been after they completely took over Terminus for themselves when Rick had approached Carol and asked her to leave. Daryl hadn't heard the conversation, but watched it from a distance and from their body languages; knew exactly what was being said.
In an instance, Daryl had crossed the distance between the pair and threw a punch at Rick's face. Carol had jumped back in shock, not registering for a second what was happening in front of her. Tyreese had to come and separate the two, much as Daryl had done to Rick when he attacked Tyreese at the prison.
"She belongs here just as much as you and me!" Daryl yelled, jabbing a finger at Rick, who was struggling to sit up. "Without her, we wouldn't even be here. Your daughter wouldn't even be here!"
When Tyreese realized what had started the fight, he let got of Rick and looked like he wanted to take a swing at him, too. "You were going to kick Carol out?"
Rick wiped the blood from his split lip and looked up at the large man. "I was."
"What for?" His voice came out in a growl. "There's nothing this woman has done to cause her to be banished. Nothing."
"This coming from the man who cried for her blood at the prison." Rick finally got to his feet and glared at Tyreese. Daryl was huffing, still angry, by his side. Carol stood a little bit away, not knowing what to do.
"I forgave Carol for what she did. She did what she did to end their suffering, I know that, now, and I know that she feels it everyday. This is the kind of person who would do anything for her family and you want to kick her out?"
At this time, they had attracted a small crowd. Glenn and Maggie stood several feet away, while Sasha and Michonne both looked like they were about to jump in, as well. Luckily, Carl was with Judith and putting her down for her nap.
When Rick opened his mouth to speak, Tyreese cut him off. "If you say you don't want her around your children, I will knock you back on your ass." Rick's mouth shut with a snap.
"Do you even know what she had to sacrifice to keep your daughter safe?" Tyreese continued.
"Tyreese." Everyone swiveled to look at Carol, who had spoken softly. "It's all right. Thank you. If Rick really doesn't want me here, then I'll leave."
Daryl took a step forward. "Like hell, you will."
She ignored him and looked at Rick. Everyone looked at Rick and waited for his answer. They all held their breaths when he finally answered.
"You can stay, Carol."
"Hmph," Daryl snorted. "You say that like you're the king of fuckin' Terminus. You can stay, Carol," he mimicked. "If she wants to stay, then she fuckin' can. She already had to deal with one asshole in her life telling her what she could and couldn't do, she doesn't need another one." With that, Daryl stalked away.
Everyone else stood in stunned silence at what they had just witnessed.
That night, Daryl came to Carol and told her exactly how he felt and he learned what happened to Lizzie and Mika. As Carol, laid in his bed, curled into his side, Daryl vowed that he would never let anything bad happen to this woman, ever again.
Back on top of the train car, the mood between the three of them had gone dark as they each remembered the events of that day. The day Daryl had broken ties with his supposed 'brother' and best friend.
"Sorry to have brought it up," Daryl spoke up first. Carol reached over to squeeze his hand and give him a smile.
"It's okay."
"Yeah," Tyreese said. "That was a hard day for us all, but look at us, now." He smiled. "Here we are thinking up ship names to give one another." He nudged Carol. "So, what would mine and Daryl's ship name be?"
"Whoa, now!" Daryl protested. "We ain't...together. We don't need a 'ship' name."
"Course you do!" Carol said with delight. "You two have a bromance!"
"A bro what?" Daryl was getting more confused by the minute.
"A bromance," Tyreese answered. "It means we love each other like brothers."
"Oh okay." Daryl nodded, seeming to understand. "I get it-wait, what?" His head jerked to face Tyreese.
Carol covered a giggle with a hand and slid back a bit so that Tyreese and Daryl didn't have to look over her head to see one another.
"Dude, we're brothers. Accept it."
"Well, at least I'm the better lookin' of the two of us." Daryl smirked.
"Just so you know, Daryl, you were the better looking between you and Merle," Carol said. It didn't hurt to talk about Merle, now, and Daryl couldn't help but smile at Carol.
"Come on! I'm loads better looking than this redneck," Tyreese protested with a teasing grin.
"Like hell, you are!" Daryl shot back.
Carol watched the exchange, the smile on her face never wavered. This was the kind of friendship Daryl needed and deserved. Tyreese didn't treat him like a dog who he would make go out and do all the dirty work for him. With Tyreese, Daryl opened up a bit more and Carol had witnessed the two men throw playful jabs at one another. Rick hadn't done that and when Merle did, they weren't playful. They had been hurtful.
"Dareese," she blurted. Daryl and Tyreese stopped their bickering and gave her an odd look. "That could be your ship name. Or it could be, Tyryl."
"Dareese." Both men said at the same time.
"I love you."
Carol and Daryl were alone in their room. Daryl spooned against Carol and rubbed his nose into her feather soft hair. It was the first time either one of them said those words out loud. When Daryl had told Carol how he felt, those words never slipped out, even though he wanted them, too. Now, he said them, easily.
Carol turned and faced him. "That was what I was going to tell you, earlier."
"Before Tyreese showed up?"
She nodded. "You beat me to it, though." Cupping his cheek and rubbing a thumb over the stubble there, she smiled.
"You mad?"
"Of course not. I'm glad you said it to me, first." She kissed him. "I love you, too."
"Probably wouldn't have had the balls to say it, if Tyreese hadn't pulled me to the side and read me to the riot act about it."
"I am so glad you two are close, Daryl. He's good for you."
"Yeah," he agreed.
"So, should I tell Glenn to call you two, Dareese?" She could barely control the laughter that was bubbling up.
"Hell, no! It would be all over Terminus in a matter of seconds!"
"Aw, you don't want everyone to know that you and Tyreese have a bromance?"
Daryl didn't say anything and slid a warm hand underneath Carol's shirt so that it rested it on the smooth, soft skin of her abdomen. Carol's breath hitched and the topic of Glenn and bromances was soon forgotten as Daryl's hand slid higher.
"I love you," Daryl said again and claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.
About the title. I was having SO MUCH trouble thinking of a title for this, so me and FinntheHuman brainstormed for a good while and this is what we came up with. I hope you all liked it!
Thanks for reading!