It was a feeling Daryl knew well. The feeling of rejection. He had felt that most days of his life, either in failed relationships, friendships, jobs, or even just passing people on the street. But he had never gotten so far as he did with someone only to have them turn on him like that. "Not right now, Daryl." Or, "I want to sleep alone tonight, okay?" Those words stung more than he thought they would. But he was Daryl Fucking Dixon. He didn't let a stupid thing like feelings get in his way so after three days and nights of that bullshit, he said fuck it.
I'm done.
Daryl went about his business, ignoring the pitying looks from other members of their group. He knew that they knew something was wrong between their supposed two leaders. They weren't blind to it and it wasn't like Rick and Daryl had been particularly shy about their relationship the past few months. It had been developing over the course of a year. They had finally been shoved into it by Carol and once the words had been spoken, they couldn't be taken back. Looks turned to touches, touches turned to holding, holding turned to groping, and well…
But Daryl couldn't think on that now. Sitting hidden on a tree branch, he felt he had watched the deer grazing below him long enough. In a swift move he felled it, watching it drop to the ground beneath him. Quickly, he gutted it, effectively cutting out at least 50 pounds so it was a little easier for him to get back to their group. After burying the entrails to detract the walkers, Daryl hitched up the kill the best he could to be the easiest to carry.
A couple of hours later, he walked up on the gates with the doe, but no one was as happy to see him with food as they usually were. "'S wrong wit' y'all?" he grunted, dropping the doe off for other people to skin and cook.
Carol put her small hand on his arm with a soft smile. "You were gone for a whole day, Daryl," she answered softly.
"Ain't nothin' new. Ain't easy all the time," he huffed, reshouldering his crossbow, but thinking twice about everyone's solemn faces. "Someone die? They starve?" he asked, suddenly feeling guilty. He was out there wallowing in his self-pity of losing a relationship when he could have been bringing food back to save someone's life.
Carol shook her head, but took a step back. Daryl could already feel him approaching. The energy rolling off Rick's body was a powerful force and it radiated anger. Turning around, Daryl was met with the piercing blue eyes and set jaw of his former lover. "Daryl, a word?" he asked sternly, walking away before receiving an answer, hand poised on his hip holster.
Daryl seriously considered not following, but he knew Rick would seek him out later so it was best to get this over with now so he could sleep. With a soft grunt to Carol, he followed suit.
Rick led him to a private area of the courtyard, effectively secluding themselves from everyone else for the first time in over five days. "You were gone for 22 hours, Daryl."
He just shrugged his response. It was pointless to argue about this. "Came back, didn't I? Brought food. What more do you want from me?" Daryl turned, ready to head back into the prison, but Rick caught his arm.
"I ain't done yet," he warned.
Daryl wrenched his arm free. "Yeah ya are. Ya don't have the right to be worryin' 'bout me like that anymore."
The look of hurt surprised him. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You're done with me. I get it. Ya don't need to say it."
"What gave you that idea? I ain't done with you." Rick stepped closer to him, trying invade his personal space, but Daryl stepped back.
"Yeah, ya are. Ya don't want me anymore. That's fine, but ya coulda at least said so four days ago and not kept me thinkin-"
"Daryl!" Rick reached out for him then, pulling the unwilling hunter closer to him. "Stop this. I ain't done with you, with us. I just… needed some time."
"Yeah, time," he snorted, shrugging out of his grasp. Turning, he started to walk away, steeling his face from the emotions raging within him.
"Don't you fucking walk away from me. I told you I ain't done," Rick tackled him down to the ground, shoving the crossbow off his arm. He held him there, pinned in front of everyone in the yard. "Now ya listen. I needed some time cause I… shit… there's no easy way to say this. I started this relationship cause I liked you, now I'm in fucking love with you and that scared me. It killed me that you were gone for so long and I thought… I thought I'd never get a chance to tell ya."
Daryl just stared up at him. Rick's words had been quiet, shared just between the two of them, but he could feel that multiple eyes were upon them, with Rick straddling his waist, hands holding his arms beside his head. He knew it looked like they were in for a show, either a fight or something far more kinky.
"Ya ain't in love with me," he groused, trying to dislodge Rick's thin frame from his hips.
"Daryl fucking Dixon," Rick sighed. "I. Love. You. And I'd appreciate if you'd stop being a pain in my ass."
"Then get offa me."
"Kinda like it here." Rick grinned down at him, grinding his ass down on Daryl's hips. ""S been awhile."
"Yeah, well your communication skills suck."
Rick raised an eyebrow at that. "So says the man who ran off in the woods for a whole day because he thought I didn't like him anymore."
"Yeah well I thought ya didn't like me anymore cause ya kept kickin' me outta your bed."
"How about we go to my bed now?"
"Ain't showered."
Rick sighed, leaning down and kissing him roughly. "I could just take you right here." Daryl grunted, seriously considering it if it wasn't for the audience around them. "Ya can shower afterwards. Then I can make ya dirty again."
