Peace Love and Walkers

by beccablue64

Max and Jesus are best friends. It's always been just the 2 of them. What happens when they meet a new group with a certain handsome redneck? My own personal spin beginning with introduction to Hilltop. Does not necessarily follow cannon. First fanfic, so comments are welcomed. I do not own anything related to TWD. Eventual Daryl/OFC relationship

14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Daryl stared at her with wide eyes. Did he just hear her right? Was she in love with him?

The silence between them was awkward. Daryl couldn't believe that this beautiful woman sitting in front of him was filled with self-doubt. She always seemed so confident and easy going, always seemed…happy. And here she was, telling him that she could be the exact opposite.

Max could see Daryl processing everything that she had just confessed to him. She knew he didn't judge her for her past mistakes, just like she didn't judge him. But she didn't know if he felt the way about her as she did for him. The longer he went without saying anything, the more insecure she felt.

"I think I'm going to go lay down for a bit. I'm suddenly feeling really tired," Max said as she stood and headed toward the bedroom.

Daryl still sat there on the sofa, not knowing what to do. He wanted to grab her and tell her that she was all he thought about since meeting her. He wanted to tell her that it was her that kept him from completely losing himself while being tortured by Negan. He wanted to tell her that he was in love with her too, but he couldn't make the words come out of his mouth. So he just sat there, dumbfounded.

When she went into the bedroom, he knew he had to do something. He didn't want her thinking he didn't care about her. He didn't want her to feel insecure and doubt what she had told him. So he stood up, raised his head high and walked into the bedroom.

She was already curled up on the bed, but he could tell she wasn't asleep yet. He thought he heard her soft cries. He kicked off his boots and lay next to her, his arm wrapping around her waist, bringing her in close to his body.

Max let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding in when she heard him come into the bedroom. She pretended to be asleep because she didn't want to face the whole "rejection" conversation. Instead of the dreaded "I don't like you in that way" talk, she felt him lie next to her, holding her tight. She took hold of his hand wrapped around her and brought it up to her chest, pulling him that much closer. Forget the Blue Ridge Mountains, forget the rocky Maine coastline, this was her new happy place.

Sorry to end the chapter like this, but you gotta have some fluff before you can get to the smut J