A/N This little Daryl Dixon one shot is part of the community writing exercise to write a Reedus character and his one true love. If you guys want to read more of the stories in this series, you'll find them here: community/Reedus-s-One-True-Love-Challenge/112219/3/0/1/
You'll have to choose the M rating in the filters section to see all the stories in the community.
*Background: This story takes place before the Zombie Apocalypse. It is set in Daryl's small hometown. Daryl is fifteen at the beginning of the story and ages to twenty-one. I hope I made the idea that Daryl could care about someone believable by creating a childhood sweetheart. He trusts this girl enough to have feelings because he grew up with her. That's the key. Otherwise, he'd seem a bit OOC.
*Thanks for reading.
xx
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings , etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way affiliated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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The quiet girl, whose gaze darted away from his like a frightened animal, bewitched him with her strange mix of sorrow and determination since he'd first noticed her. Now he could feel the silk of her skin against his, just like he had dreamed at night alone in bed licking his wounds after another of his dad's whippings. But this was no dream, she was clinging to him as though he was the strongest boy in the world.
Daryl felt a mix of pride and protectiveness battle his low self-esteem. He couldn't believe she was hugging him, had flung her arms around him.
"You saved me," was all she could manage between choking sobs.
Daryl supposed he had.
"Why?" She asked stepping back. He felt empty when she let go. He winced and considered her question.
Why? He thought back to the first moment he saw Alabama. It was late September and she was new at school. Not many people moved to the small Georgia hollow so he noticed. A gentle breeze caressed her as she walked across the schoolyard. Daryl swore the breeze was blowing just for her, moving her dark chin length hair off of her face. She closed her eyes not seeming to care when the wind lifted up the peplum of her shirt, allowing him to see the small goosebumps on her stomach.
He didn't know what happened to him at that moment. The air rushed from his lungs all of a sudden as if hoping to join in that breeze that engulfed her. Maybe it was love that made his head spin and his eyes lose focus. Maybe it was fate that twisted his stomach into knots at the sight of her. At that moment, all fifteen-year-old Daryl Dixon could think of was her.
That was why, but what he said was "Cause I hate them guys. Douchebags." He shifted uncomfortably at her question and when she gently wiped the blood from his mouth with the sleeve of her sweater he winced.
Daryl hadn't been looking for Alabama after school that day, not exactly, but he'd found her backed up against the trash incinerator behind the brick building surrounded by three boys. As he walked behind them, he heard Danny Stinson say "Hell you're so damn ugly, I'd have to put a sack over your head before I could get a hard on." The other two Frank Johnson and Taylor Mattson laughed and squeezed in closer to her. They were seniors who'd been held back a year or two and were bigger than Daryl.
"But I bet that whore sister of yours taught you some tricks, huh? Let's find out? Make me hard bitch." Danny hissed referring to her older sister Misty the town prostitute. Alabama had moved here to live with her after their parents died in an accident a few months back. Her sister's profession made her an easy target for bullies. "Leave me alone you dumb prick!" she shot back but the truth was she was scared. There were the three of them and they were all so big. Alabama shut her eyes tightly and began praying. She hated the tears that ran down her pink cheeks. Daryl's blood boiled and rage surged. He launched himself at the main tormentor. He got in a few real good licks before the others tackled him to the ground and took turns punching him. They might have killed him if the janitor hadn't come along with a cart of trash to burn. Daryl's head ached for a week and he had trouble seeing the blackboard for several more but it had been worth it to feel her arms around him and hear the tone in her voice when she thanked him. It was the ice breaker they needed to begin their tentative friendship. They planned revenge on the three bullies together. It was exciting to have a partner in crime. Daryl wasn't so lonely anymore. He didn't get in as many fights, didn't skip school unless it was with Alabama and stayed away from home and the old man as much as he could.
As the school year continued, they'd eat lunch together and find each other between classes. Neither teenager had any adult supervision and neither wanted to be 'home'. They'd usually spend nights sitting by the creek talking until all hours, sometimes watching dawn break over the trees.
"Do you ever wish the next day would never come? Like tomorrow is just gonna be too hard?" Alabama sighed.
"I'll take your tomorrow." Daryl offered. "I'll hang on to it for you 'till you're ready to use it." He narrowed his eyes, taking her seriously. "Deal?"
"Deal." She replied. There was that smile he loved. The one that made his heart skip beats.
But on his sixteenth birthday it all changed.
Daryl saw the look of confusion when Alabama answered her door. Before she could say anything Merle shoved his younger brother inside. "Tell that sister of yours to get her ass out here. A paying customer is waiting!"
She flashed him cold disbelief making Daryl's face redden and he couldn't look at her. "Happy birthday little brother. You're sixteen now, gonna get that cherry popped." Merle laughed. Daryl hadn't believed Mere would really do this. Daryl felt the bottom of his world drop when Alabama tore outside. He was gonna ask her out that night. Finally got his nerve up. He had it all planned until Merle hijacked him.
"Fuck this!" He chased after her, but he couldn't find her anywhere not even the creek.
Their friendship survived but changed. Daryl knew he could never admit he liked her as more than a friend. Not after what had happened. He'd lost what little courage he had. He watched her graduate high school while he dropped out. She got a job at the box plant and stayed in town, but he spent most of his time hunting so they began to see less of each other. After Merle had joined the army, Daryl figured it was time for him to get out of his old man's clutches, so he moved in with an uncle a few counties away.
3 years later
"Misty, I love you but why do you make me come to these parties?" Alabama asked.
Rolling her eyes at this frequent argument she replied "Because I love you sis. I want everyone else to see how amazing you are. And because there will be hot guys. You're way too single."
"They're all the same loser guys we see every day in this damn place. Hell, I went high school with most of these assholes. That's why I'm single." Daryl's gone that's why I'm single.
"Yeah yeah…" Misty said dragging her through the door of the house party. Alabama was bored within minutes.
Wandering out to the porch for some air, she spotted him. She hadn't seen him in years, and as her eyes took in the small changes in his profile, he turned and looked right at her. Daryl Dixon. Her breath caught as she saw him break away from the guys he was talking to and start toward her. Just as she was about to move, a hand grabbed her and spun her around.
She pulled free when she saw it was Johnny, more of a stalker than an ex-boyfriend. "Get off me." She said shortly as she pushed him away.
"Alabama, come on. You ain't still mad at me are you?" The guy complained. "Thought we were friends." His fingers were running down her arm as she stood silently fuming, shocked by his nerve. "Special friends. Come on. Been weeks, you know we're good together."
She lowered her voice and the tone was steely. "Johnny, I don't want to be friends. I don't want to breathe the same fucking air as you. Leave me alone."
As she started to walk away, he grabbed her harder. A voice came from behind them, low and dangerous. She felt the chill of it brush against her. "She doesn't wanna talk to you. Let her go."
"Mind your own business Dixon." Johnny replied. "Aint your town no more, or girl no more."
Alabama looked over and saw Daryl's jaw tensing his eyes flashing cobalt fury. Pulling her arm away, she walked into Daryl pushing him back from the possible brawl. His urge to protect her had always been so strong. It had been one of the reasons he had left town, hoping that being away would help him get over her. He saw now how stupid that had been.
Daryl glanced at Alabama. He forgot how small she was. He hadn't seen her in three years. He put his hands on the railing and gazed out over the yard. "Did he hurt you?" His voice was mild, but Alabama knew his temper and how fired up he could get. He was the last person she wanted to get into trouble on her account.
"No. When did you get back?"
He couldn't look at her. The sight of her had made him weak. "Yesterday. For the funeral. My...dad's. I head back in a few days."
Alabama sighed. When he'd first left, she'd missed him miserably. He'd been her best friend for so long, but he hadn't told her, hadn't told anyone he was going.
"You didn't tell me you were coming back. Just like you never told me you were leaving. What did I do Daryl?" Her eyes were filling with tears, which made her furious enough that she almost missed his reply.
"Couldn't. You wouldn't have wanted me to go. And hell if I could stay here."
Wrapping her arms around herself Alabama stared up at the stars. "You left me, alone." Her voice, barely a whisper, almost broke. "We were a team remember? We were gonna get out of here together."
He finally turned toward her, his heart breaking as he saw how hurt and fragile she looked. "You had Misty, your friends."
"What about my tomorrows? You were supposed to hold them for me. Do you know how many I didn't want? Without you here? Daryl I didn't have you!" She shouted, suddenly more angry at herself than at him as she rushed down the steps toward the road.
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He found her by the creek as he knew he would. She shivered as she sat staring into the water, its trickling flow endlessly soothing. He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders not speaking for a minute as he took in the peaceful moment.
"I'm sorry Bama. I had to get away from here. I should have told you, but I thought it would be easier this way."
"To just leave without a word?" she interrupted. "Not face what you were leaving behind? It was cowardly and cruel. I never thought you were either."
"Wish I could change how I did it. But I needed to go."
Hearing her small sob, he hugged her to him.
"I know. He could have killed you." She referred to his father. She pulled away from him. "It was selfish of me to want you stay and risk that."
"That's not…"
"Don't." She cut in. "You're alive. You're back. I'm happy for you. But don't." She threw his jacket at him and began to walk away. "I can't do this."
"Alabama wait!" He grabbed her arm, surprised when her fist came around and connected with his jaw.
"Had enough of men grabbing at me tonight." She said, vibrating with anger. Seeing the barb hit home as he stepped back, she felt a small prick of shame. He'd always protected her, he'd never hurt her.
"Let me walk you home. We don't gotta to talk. Wanna make sure you're safe is all."
She nodded. She was curious about how things had been and how he was. There were the physical changes, his hair was shorter, his body seemed more solid, and he held himself differently. But there was more. His manner had changed. He seemed more distant from people than he had ever been before if that was possible. She wanted to hold him and tell him it was ok, that they were ok. But the pain was still fresh; the pain at his desertion had almost broken her.
When they reached her house, she turned to him. "I really am glad you're ok Daryl. I thought about you. A lot."
He smiled, and for a minute he was her Daryl again. That smile he only ever gave to her, and her heart ached so much she thought it would break. They stood for a minute, frozen, neither daring to move.
Suddenly she heard him whisper, "dammit," as his arms came around her and he crushed his mouth to hers. Surprised, she kissed him back. He smelled exactly as she remembered, his sweet, musky scent filled her senses as his tongue teased her lips apart and found hers.
He pulled away just as suddenly. "I'm sorry.. I..." He rasped nervously running his hands through his dirty blonde hair.
They stood there for a moment, breathing ragged until she finally spoke. "You wanna come in?"
Daryl nodded. She'd fixed up the place. Charming and mismatched. A fascinating combination of things that she liked and he felt at home there right away.
"So, what happened out there?" She asked, sitting on the couch.
"Think what happened is I kissed you."
"Why?"
He swallowed hard. "Cause I wanted to do it just about forever." He sat beside her and gave a small almost nervous smile as the flush bloomed on her cheeks. She was watching him warily; he understood and tried to ignore his fear that she might push him away, out of her life if he did what he needed to do now, to take the risk. There was no more running away from her. Honestly, she was the reason he'd come back. It was Alabama not the funeral for a son of bitch father he hated. He'd spent years trying to forget about her, trying to get over her, but it was useless. He had to know once and for all.
"I love you Alabama. I always have. I couldn't stay here and be just friends anymore. Couldn't watch you dating guys that weren't me. Couldn't watch you fall in love and get married. Couldn't watch someone else give you the life I wanted us to have. I'm a Dixon, a loser, I can't give you shit. So I left. I left to get over you, so I didn't have to watch. Not cause of the old man. I left because I love you, and being away from you was better than losing you." He chewed on the rough skin around his thumbnail. He continued "But I didn't get over you. Don't think I can. Not until know for sure that you don't feel the same. So I'm asking you Bama, do you...could you ever love me?"
She was speechless as her stomach flipped. The last thing she had ever imagined being the reason for him leaving was this. But looking into his eyes she knew. She knew that not only was he telling the truth, but also that she did love him. She'd loved him since she threw her arms around him when she was fifteen and said 'You saved me." Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his again, softly, nerves making her hesitant until his arms came around her and pulled her against him. "You're the only one I've ever wanted Daryl."
They stayed locked together on the couch, exploring one another's mouths, their taste. His hands lightly skimmed her sides as he held her. He didn't want to break the kiss, didn't want to pull away from her even for a second, but her soft moan undid him. Both were breathless as they stared into one another's eyes. His fingers were still trailing softly along her arm, making her smile. He wanted to take her right there, but she looked so sweetly innocent; he knew she deserved better, so he stood and taking her hand followed her to the bedroom. He could sense her nerves while they stood at the foot of the bed, as it dared them and he felt twinges himself. All the years of wanting her were coming to an end. He could finally be with her, but he was suddenly scared to touch her, scared to hurt or disappoint her. Stop thinking. He let his body take over. His fingers traced her shoulders then his lips moved to take their place. Her soft sighs built his confidence. He wanted to make this perfect for her. He wouldn't be able to bear it if she regretted being with him. His face was calm, his expression was reverent.
He unzipped the dress, her breath catching as he slid it slowly down her body. He could see goosebumps rising on her skin, she looked so pale and fragile, but he knew how tough she was, she might bruise, but she wouldn't break. He'd always been fascinated by that stubborn fierceness in her, so in contrast with her looks. It had always amused him to see her so underestimated and then come out on top, even when it was him that was beaten. He smiled at the memories as the dress pooled at her feet.
Alabama made no efforts to step out of it. She just stood, watching him, her breathing becoming a little erratic as he reached back to her bra, barely suppressing a groan as he freed her breasts. His thumbs brushed over her hard nipples and he felt the shudder run through her. He couldn't take anymore, her scent was intoxicating and he was uncomfortably hard now. Her hands brushed his aside as he started to unbutton his shirt.
"Let me." She whispered softly, her fingers tackling them quickly and sliding the worn flannel off his solid shoulders.
She went to work on his jeans and soon they were in just their underwear. Her eyes locked on his as she slid her fingers into her panties and pushed them down stepping out and away from her clothing, never leaving his gaze. The atmosphere in the room had intensified and Alabama could feel her heart beating faster. She swallowed, nervously. He was her best friend. Daryl dropped his head and kissed her. His lips were soft and she instinctively opened her mouth to his, their tongues meeting. Reaching up to touch his throat as they kissed she felt his pulse fast under the smooth, smooth skin.
When she looked up, his gaze raked across her greedily. She felt a jolt of pleasure shoot down her body as he stared, pulsing into her groin in a way she'd never felt before.
"I need you," he growled, his voice rough and low.
She nodded into his neck. "It was always supposed to be this way."
He hurriedly rid himself of his boxers, taking pleasure in the way her eyes widened at the sight of his erection.
He pushed her on the bed and pulled her into another deep kiss. He didn't want to rush, but he needed to feel her, taste her, make her his. He broke the kiss as his hands continued to explore her body. His fingers lightly traced down over her stomach. He smiled, feeling her quiver as he circled over sensitive areas and then his lips began a slow trail in pursuit of his fingers. His mouth found her nipple and he gently teased it with his tongue, biting softly. He was surprised to hear her moan, "harder," but happily obliged as he tugged it between his teeth. By this time, his fingers had traveled between her thighs and when he felt how wet he'd already made her he had to groan against her breast. Her own moans merged with his as she lifted her hips and arched her back.
Daryl was throbbing with need, his cock painfully hard, but he wanted so badly to give her pleasure that he ignored the desire to just plunge inside. Instead, his mouth trailed back down her body, two fingers slipping into her as his tongue finally flicked over her swollen clit. Her hips bucked as he wrapped his lips over the hard nub, his tongue lashing at her as she squirmed and whimpered. His fingers curled inside of her, grazing over her g-spot as his free hand lightly pressed against her belly. He rolled his fingers as he slid in and out of her, her taste filling his mouth as he sucked and teased her clit.
Her moans were validating him, they came louder and faster as her body writhed wildly beneath him. He could feel her getting wetter as he removed his fingers and dragged his tongue along her slit, moaning at the taste of her arousal. She whimpered drawing his hand back to her center and he knew how close she was. His fingers resumed pumping into her, keeping the gentle pressure on her g-spot as his tongue lashed over her clit faster, sucking harder.
Her body tightened for an instant and his name was a low groan in her throat as she shattered. Her orgasm sent spasms through her as he continued to indulge himself in her. Her juices coated his hand and chin as he ran his tongue over her again, always flicking back over her clit until she begged him to stop. "I ...can't... oh God Daryl, it's too much its-" she managed as her body trembled and slowly came down from the overwhelming sensation.
Daryl moved back up beside her, planting a soft kiss on her throat before pulling her close and holding her until her shudders subsided. They shared a long, deep kiss, her tongue teasing along his lips as she tasted herself on them. He jerked as he felt her small hand wrapping around him. She stroked him softly, her hand sliding along his length as the kiss became greedy and breathless
Daryl couldn't wait any longer. Laying her back down, he let her guide him as he slid between her legs. She smiled as his eyes came back to hers. He wanted to remember how she looked the first time he entered her and became one with her. Teasing the head of his cock along her along her slit he pressed inside gently opening her around him. He groaned as he felt her, so hot and wet, wrapping around him tightly and his name escaped her lips on a sigh. Fighting the urge to just thrust, he slowly slid, inch by inch, watching her eyes go cloudy as they moaned in unison. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her legs came around him, her hips slightly elevating and allowing him to slide deep until he was enveloped in her tight walls. He lay there, unmoving for a minute, resting his forehead against hers as his eyes closed. They fit so perfectly together like pieces of a puzzle.
He was so overcome he wasn't sure he could last long, but as her fingers began to trace lightly over his back he began to move slowly, his cock sliding out and back into her. He started to build up a slow rhythm, her hips moving to meet his as his lips pressed to hers. They kissed long and slowly, moaning against one another's mouths as their tongues entwined.
Wrapped up in each other, so attuned, they began to increase the pace, his thrusts becoming faster and harder, her hips rising and falling to meet the thrusts. Daryl slid his hand between them to rub gently at her clit, loving the way she trembled and tightened around him. His lips ran along her jaw and he buried his face into her neck as she held him close to her. He could feel her heart hammering in her chest, knowing his was beating just as hard as he plunged into her, lost in her completely.
Continuing to tease her clit, Daryl felt it swell as he rubbed her wetness over it, her whimpers becoming more desperate. He wanted her to come for him again, to feel her release around him as he buried himself in her, knowing he couldn't hold on much longer himself. Her strangled gasp urged him to rub her faster as his cock relentlessly slid home in her.
"Come for me Bama," he said, just as she groaned, "I am...God Daryl... I...you make me come so hard...only you..."
She clamped around him, his cock buried completely in her. Every spasm had her pulsing around him so that he couldn't take any more, he kissed her hard as he let go, emptying himself into her as her body still shuddered from her own climax.
They lay there for a while, entwined together, kissing softly, neither wanting to break the spell by speaking. Finally, he looked up into her eyes and seeing no regrets, he relaxed. He'd alway loved her and he knew he would for the rest of his life. They drifted off into sleep, secure in the fact that this was just their beginning. He'd have all her tomorrows.