Rhiannon flinched as a spoon clattered to the tile floor. She watched with a small, amused smirk as Daryl cursed and scrambled to catch the utensil he dropped, almost knocking his coffee mug right off the counter in the process.
"Shit!"
"You ok over there?" Rhiannon asked, trying to hide her smile, though she couldn't deny the small sliver of worry at his flustered actions.
That wasn't normal for the almost always stoic and skilled bowman.
"Fine. You want any?" He asked her, holding up his mug in offerance.
"No, I'm good. Don't wanna cause more trouble for you." She teased and he rolled his eyes, moving to take a seat next to her at the table.
Rhiannon eyed Daryl carefully, her brows furrowing as he tapped his foot erratically, a far away look in his eyes as he gnawed on his bottom lip.
"Are you sure you're ok? You seem jittery." She asked again and he startled slightly, looking over at her with wide eyes, as if he hadn't noticed that she'd been observing him.
"'M fine." He shrugged her off.
He didn't want her to know that, yes, he was shitting bricks. He didn't want her to know why. He didn't want her to know the enormous step he was planning on them taking that day. And he didn't want her to know that it was terrifying him to his core.
He would ask her to marry him today, that he was sure of. He just hoped his anxiety would let him be able to actually get the words out.
He knew she wanted to marry him, knowing she'd talked to Glenn about it had eased his mind slightly, but he couldn't help the insecure voice in the back of his head that asked 'what if'.
What if she said no?
Daryl shook his head, feeling anxiety crawl up his throat, threatening to stop his breathing. He couldn't allow himself to think of that possibility because he knew it wouldn't happen.
But it could…
Daryl grit his teeth, screaming at his own mind to shut up.
Rhiannon was still watching him curiously, noticing how on edge he was.
"Guess that blow job last night wasn't good enough if you're still so tense." She mumbled sarcastically, causing Daryl's head to whip up and he stared back at her with his mouth agape in surprise, a blush flaring across his cheeks.
"That's not… I don't-" He stammered nervously and shook his head, letting out a light laugh. "Last night was… mind blowin', don't ever doubt that." He told her and Rhiannon snickered.
"So what's going on? Why are you so jumpy?"
Daryl just shrugged, his mind racing to try and find a believable excuse.
"Just nervous 'bout today."
"We're just finishing the wall. Nothing to worry about."
Daryl smiled lightly, looking up to finally meet her eyes. "You know me, can't help but worry 'bout you."
Rhiannon laughed and leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before standing from the table. The kitchen was soon crowded with the rest of their family as they rushed to get their final fix of caffeine before starting what would be another long, grueling day of hard work.
Rhiannon was slotting her sword over her shoulder as she made her way down the steps of the porch, Daryl just a step behind her, he'd barely strayed a few inches from her all morning. It wasn't so unusual, but with his strange behaviour on top of that, she couldn't help but feel slightly confused still.
She knew he got worried, but this was ridiculous. They weren't even heading towards the quarry today, just finishing the wall and checking the roads on the route, making sure they were clear of distractions that could derail their plan. She didn't know why he was so nervous.
"Rhiannon!"
She looked up, a wide smile coming to her face as she saw Jack running towards her, Jenelle a few paces behind as she tried to catch up with him.
"Hey, buddy."
"Whoa, is that a crossbow?" The toddler practically screeched in excitement as he saw the weapon Daryl was carrying.
Daryl's brows raised in surprise. "You seen one before, kid?"
"He read some medieval book a few months back and he's been obsessed ever since." Jenelle explained, her tone suggesting just how much she hated the idea of her young son fancying any kind of weaponry.
Rhiannon gave her friend a look as if to say 'good luck with that' and laughed at the fascination on Jack's face as he stared at the weapon.
"Can I shoot it?"
"Absolutely not." Jen spoke up instantly before Daryl could try and let him down easy. Jack pouted and stared up at his mom pleadingly.
"As soon as you grow a few inches, you come find me. Sound like a deal?" Daryl offered and the smile was back on Jack's face instantly.
Rhiannon's heart fluttered wildly as she watched Daryl with Jack, causing a longing to swell within her so suffocatingly. She smiled as Daryl kneeled down, giving the toddler a high five, so effortlessly causing the toddler to become enamored with him.
Jenelle came to Rhiannon's side and nudged her playfully.
"He's cute."
"Yeah, you raised a good little guy."
Jenelle scoffed in amusement and rolled her eyes. "I meant Daryl, but thank you." She looked back at the pair and smiled as Jack rattled off question after question about crossbows for Daryl who, like the good man he was, patiently answered each and every one. "You really lucked out with him."
Rhiannon blushed, feeling nothing but complete love for the man in front of her.
"Yeah, I really did."
Jenelle saw the look in Rhiannon's eyes, how they were focused solely on Daryl and she couldn't help but smile. She'd never seen her best friend so taken before and she was so happy she found someone that made her truly happy.
Back in New York she had started to worry that Rhiannon would never settle down and find that happiness.
Jenelle was so thankful to see it now. So thankful that Daryl made her best friend happier than she'd ever seen.
"Ok, Jackie, time to go. We gotta let them get to work." Jenelle spoke up, interrupting Jack's rambling.
"Are you gonna kill all those bad guys Mr. Rick was talking about?" Jack asked Daryl and the hunter couldn't help but feel taken aback by the word 'kill' coming out of the toddler's mouth.
"We're gonna make sure this place is safe." He explained, trying to be as vague as possible so as to not give the kid nightmares about what lurked beyond the walls. Thankfully, Jack took his words, seemingly sated with Daryl's explanation. He looked to Rhiannon, motioning for them to get going.
"I'll meet you at the gate." Rhiannon told him. He nodded and waved to Jenelle and Jack, unable to keep a smile off his face as Jack waved goodbye to him enthusiastically.
He felt an uncomfortable twisting in the pit of his stomach, a longing he wanted to ignore. He didn't have time to think about that yet. One step at a time.
Rhiannon turned to face Jenelle as Daryl left, eyeing her friend carefully. She'd noticed the apprehension on her face when she mentioned Rhiannon and Daryl having to leave.
"Are you ok?"
Jenelle sighed, hesitating before meeting Rhiannon's eyes.
"I'm just feeling kinda useless sitting at home while you guys get this shit done."
"Jen-"
"No, I know I have no clue what I'm doing out there. I'd be more of a distraction than help. I just wish I could do something."
"You are doing something. You're raising a kid in all this chaos. There's not a lot of people that could handle that." Rhiannon assured her but she still looked unconvinced.
"That doesn't help anyone else."
"It helps me." Rhiannon told her honestly, making her friend look up at her questioningly. "Jack is so sweet, it's impossible not to be happy around him. We need that more than anything now. And you did that. You're raising him that way, not anyone else."
Jenelle smiled lightly, her eyes finding her son who was now enthralled with a caterpillar he'd found on the sidewalk.
Rhiannon's smile faltered and she cleared her throat of the emotion that was bubbling within her.
"I had a miscarriage out on the road." Rhiannon said suddenly, making Jenelle look up at her with wide, shocked eyes. Her mouth opened but no words escaped her. "It was… the lowest point of my life. It was so hard to get over, it's still hard to think about sometimes, but being with Jack, he just… it feels easier to deal with around him."
As soon as she was done speaking, Jenelle was throwing her arms around Rhiannon tightly, leaving her almost breathless.
"I'm so sorry." Jenelle whispered. Rhiannon felt a lump in her throat and she hugged her friend, feeling the comfort she thought she'd never get again. She, once again, felt so relieved to be reunited with her friends, the people that had been there for her for years.
"Don't ever feel like you're useless, cause you're raising that boy and that's the most important thing you could be doing."
"Thank you." Jenelle said quietly, her voice raspy with emotion that was still racing within her at Rhiannon's confession. They pulled away from the hug and both women let out small laughs when they saw their mirroring tear filled eyes. "Thank you for telling me. And if you ever need to talk about it, I'll always be here."
"I know you will."
Jenelle smiled and hugged Rhiannon again, feeling the need to comfort her. "Be careful out there."
"Always am."
It had been a long day. The wall was finally up, standing strong to divert the walkers away from the road that led straight to Alexandria.
The run in they'd had with a group of walkers earlier had shaken everyone.
Rick had wanted the Alexandrians to take care of them, wanting them to have at least some experience taking out walkers before they were thrown into the dangerous plan that would soon be unfolding.
It had been a shit show.
Rhiannon, Daryl, Michonne and Morgan had been the ones to step up and take out the walkers when it was clear the Alexandrians were not comfortable getting near the flesh eating corpses and had no idea what to do to take them out.
"Keep your distance from them during the run. Don't need you putin' your ass on the line for them." Daryl whispered to Rhiannon harshly, his cold glare locked on the people he considered to be useless cowards.
"Daryl-"
"No, you ain't gon' be anywhere near those assholes when shit's goin' down." He demanded and Rhiannon sighed. She wasn't going to just leave them to deal with the threat themselves when they were clearly in over their heads, but she couldn't deny that the worry she heard in Daryl's voice had her hesitating, reluctant to let herself be the courageous hero for the Alexandrians.
The conversation quickly ended as they caught up with the others as the group continued to make their way through the route, Rick explaining step by step what was to be done at each checkpoint.
There was a small, one stop shop town on their route that they needed to make sure was clear so there would be nothing to distract the walkers from their trek.
They stopped in the parking lot of the small strip mall, eyeing each store with scrutiny. They didn't know what lurked inside, if it would cause them trouble.
"We can't take chances, not now. We need to clear these stores. We can't risk somethin' distratin' these walkers." Rick explained to the group. "We need groups tacklin' each buildin'. Can't spare a single inch not bein' checked out."
"Glenn, Maggie, Tara and Heath, you take the pharmacy. Morgan, Carter, Michonne, you take the thrift store. Daryl, Rhiannon-"
"We'll take that one." Daryl called out, pointing to the jewelry store on the end of the strip before Rick could assign them another store.
Rick looked over at Daryl with a barely contained smile on his face. He knew what was about to happen. Daryl scowled at him, silently pleading with him not to make a big deal and tip Rhiannon off.
Thankfully, she hadn't noticed the giddy expression on Rick's face, or how Merle gave a thumbs up to Daryl as they passed.
"Alright. The rest of us take the bank. Let's go."
Rhiannon was none the wiser to Daryl's plan, what was about to happen that would change everything for them, or how incredibly nervous Daryl suddenly was. She knocked against the window to the store and after about ten seconds, after hearing no disturbances, she opened the door that was miraculously unlocked.
She was surprised Daryl was letting her take the lead on this. Usually, he was demanding to enter first, ready to take the danger head on to spare her. She turned to face him and saw him as he was this morning, fidgeting nervously, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth anxiously.
"You ok?"
Daryl just nodded, though his nervous expression didn't lighten in the slightest.
Their weapons were raised, ready to attack any threat, as they stepped into the jewelry store that was surprisingly still very much intact. It looked like it'd been untouched since everything started.
"Why don't you check the back, I'll check behind the counter." Daryl offered and Rhiannon looked over at him again, surprise etched on her face. She nodded slowly, unsure of his new found ability to let her go on her own, but complied nonetheless and made her way into the back office.
Back in the front of the store, Daryl let out a harsh breath and laid his crossbow on the counter, letting his hands run over his face as he tried to calm his racing heart.
It felt surreal knowing what he was about to do. He realized, though, how right it felt, how it was something that had been unknowingly looming over him for a long time. Ever since Maggie and Glenn had gotten married at the prison and Rick had made a teasing comment about him and Rhiannon taking that step, had the seeds been planted, had he begun to think about Rhiannon being his wife.
Despite how scared he was, he couldn't wait. He couldn't deny how happy he would be to finally take that next step.
Daryl looked down at the glass counter, his eyes scanning the many rings that were displayed. He knew Rhiannon wouldn't like the idea of him taking a ring off a walker, of giving her something that once belonged to someone else.
She needed her own.
It was overwhelming to look at the many different styles and diamonds he saw. His brows furrowed and he felt himself beginning to panic even more at the thought of picking something she hated.
He didn't know what she liked. She never wore jewelry, she never talked about what kind of ring she would want, it wasn't ever something they talked about. And he got the feeling jewelry wasn't really her forte.
His eyes were frantically moving from the doorway to the back office Rhiannon had passed through and back to the glass case in front of him. He wouldn't have much time before she came back and caught him red handed.
He suddenly paused, his eyes catching on a ring reflected in the sunlight peeking through the windows. It was oval shaped, with colours reflecting off the walls in brilliant greens, blues and purples that reminded him of the northern lights.
Daryl smiled, almost subconsciously. He knew she would love that. She once told him that seeing the northern lights was one thing left on her bucket list, one thing left in the world she absolutely wanted to see.
He knew she would appreciate the sentiment.
With trembling hands, he smashed his crossbow against the counter, shattering the glass. He reached in, grabbing the ring, letting out a shaking breath as he held it firmly in his hands.
He startled, shoving his hand behind his back as he heard rushed footsteps. Rhiannon came out from the back room, her eyes wide and weapon raised, ready to attack. Her tense body relaxed slightly when she didn't see any walkers and she looked around in confusion at the glass that covered the floor.
"Are you ok? What the hell happened?" She asked breathlessly.
Daryl just stood rigidly, staring back at her with wide eyes. He wondered if it were possible for his heart to fall right out of his chest, it was beating so hard. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him, noticing how tense he was. His lack of answer only made her worry more.
"Daryl, what the fuck is going on with you?"
"I uhh, I wanna - I gotta do somethin'. Somethin' I should'a done a long time ago."
Rhiannon looked at him quizzically. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she suddenly feared the worst.
Daryl let out a shaking breath and slowly brought his hand forward, opening his fist, revealing the ring he held.
Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise, her face betraying every ounce of shock she felt. Her stomach jumped, making her feel like she'd just experienced that first daunting hill on a rollercoaster. Her eyes immediately filled with tears as she looked up at him, almost waiting for the punchline.
"Daryl…"
She couldn't believe this was real.
"You… really?"
Daryl just nodded in response, his throat forming a lump at her emotional response that he didn't trust his voice at that moment.
"You really want that with me?" She asked, her voice trembling. Daryl met her eyes, the pure devotion in his gaze undeniable as he looked at her.
"Always."
He stepped forward, reaching out to take her hand in his. She let out a shaking breath as she got a good look at the ring, reality setting in as she finally realized that it was actually happening, that this was no practical joke.
"Shouldn't you be down on one knee for this?" She teased softly.
Daryl's face dropped and he looked at her in panic. His heart stuttered but he slowly began to drop down to one knee, only getting halfway before Rhiannon stopped him, her hands holding his elbows.
"Oh my god, no, I was just joking." She spouted off frantically, her eyes wide with shock that he actually started to do it. She figured he thought it was too much of a cliche, too much like what everyone else did for him to follow suit.
But he didn't care. Nothing about their relationship was conventional. He felt like she deserved some sense of normalcy. He continued, bending down on his right knee, staring up at her with conviction.
Rhiannon exhaled shakily, wiping the tears that fell at his gesture, at what she knew was coming next. She could see how nervous he was, how he was practically shaking in his boots, and she slowly dropped to her knees in front of him, showing him she was right there with him.
Daryl looked relieved and smiled at her gratefully. He cleared his throat, willing the lump in his throat to stop its hindrance on him. Her gesture was enough to render him unable to speak.
He reached out, his shaking hands holding hers tightly.
"This ain't somethin' I ever thought I would have. When I met you, I knew you would be trouble for me." He started, letting out a slight laugh, shaking his head as he forced himself to focus and not break down in tears like he was so close to doing.
"It was… I felt like… you - fuck, I had this all planned in my head and now I can't think of any fuckin' words." He rambled, bowing his head bashfully.
Rhiannon leaned forward, her hand reaching out to cradle his cheek.
"It's ok, It's ok, I don't need some long, romantic speech. I just need you." She assured him.
He looked up at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Nah… I wanna do this. I gotta do this… for you." He said softly. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You were the only person I ever met that made me feel like I didn't have to hide. You never judged me, you never put me down. Most people see me, some good for nothin', redneck asshole, and they think they got me pegged… but not you."
Rhiannon smiled lightly, her grip on his hand tightening as she felt him tremble against her.
"You made it so easy. For the first time in my miserable life, I felt like I could be myself, that it wasn't a bad thing to be myself." Daryl spoke softly, pausing to let himself get his bearings. "I never had this before, never had someone to care about an' someone that cared 'bout me. I don't know if I'm doin' any of this shit right, but I hope you know that I'm tryin' so fuckin' hard to do it right for you. I wanna do it right for you."
Rhiannon smiled through her tears, sniffling and taking a deep breath to calm herself before she burst into sobs at his words.
"So… will you-" Daryl paused, needing to take a moment to catch his breath. "Will you marry me?" He spoke, looking her straight in the eyes. It was the first time that day she saw him so sure of himself.
Rhiannon smiled and let out a soft sob.
"Yes." She was barely able to get the word out but she knew Daryl understood. His face turned into one of disbelief, looking at her with the softest expression she'd ever seen.
"Really?" He asked quietly, as if needing reassurance that she was being honest, that this truly was happening, that he was finally getting everything he ever wanted.
"Yes, I'll marry you." She said again, her face morphing into a wide smile. Daryl let out a delighted laugh, a tear falling down his cheek before he quickly wiped it away. With shaking hands he reached out, gently placing the ring on her finger.
He practically pounced on her, his hands cradling the sides of her face as he crashed his lips to hers. They were both letting out small laughs between kisses, tears streaming down both their cheeks in sheer joy.
"I love you." He whispered and Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself not to cry even harder.
"I love you too."
Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. Rhiannon felt nothing but pure relief and bliss as she held onto him. Feeling her husband's arms around her was the greatest feeling in the world, she realized.
She would never take it for granted again.
"What about you?" She asked, pulling away slightly.
Daryl looked at her in slight confusion. "What d'ya mean?"
"What about a ring… for you?" She asked hesitantly. "Can't have those ladies in Alexandria thinking they have a chance with you. They gotta know you're mine."
Daryl scoffed in amusement at the thought. He turned, his hand brushing through the shattered glass and reached into the case, picking out a simple white gold band to match hers. Rhiannon swiftly grabbed the ring from him, giving him a wide smile.
"My turn."
Daryl was breathless at the sight of her, his heart stuttering for the millionth time that day as he saw her giddy expression.
Rhiannon let out a shaking exhale, preparing herself for another onslaught of emotions as she held Daryl's calloused hand in hers.
"I always felt like I was doing something wrong. All of my friends were finding their person, falling in love and I started to think there was something wrong with me. Until I met you. You are my person, you are the only one I've ever loved so deeply, I never thought it was possible to feel like this. I know that nothing was wrong with me all those years… I was just waiting for you."
Daryl felt choked at her words, at the way she looked at him so sincerely with those tear filled eyes. It left him breathless.
His heart felt like it was seconds away from bursting into a million pieces as she shakily placed the ring on his finger.
The sight was strange for him, but the feeling was something so unreal, so incredible, he had trouble believing this wasn't a dream.
Rhiannon could barely contain her emotions and a smattering of tears fell down her cheeks as she looked at their rings, joining them forever. She startled slightly as she felt his touch, his thumb gently brushing against her cheek, wiping her tears away.
She looked up at him, reaching out to mirror his actions, her own thumb caressing his cheek to gather his tears.
Rhiannon let out a breathless laugh, looking down at the shining diamond on her finger once again, as if not believing it were real.
"I can't believe we did this." She laughed breathlessly.
Daryl looked at her almost nervously. "No regrets, right?" He asked, sounding slightly nervous.
Rhiannon reached out, winding her arm around his neck and resting her forehead against his.
"Never."
Daryl smiled and leaned forward, kissing her gently. Rhiannon melted into him, kissing him back with fervor, passion flowing through both of them as they kissed as husband and wife.
Their smiles were wide as they pulled away from each other, though they refused to leave even a few inches between them.
"I know it ain't official or nothin', I just… I don't wanna go a single day without you as my wife. It don't have much meanin' now but I-"
"No, it does." She interrupted him. "We'll make it official."
Daryl looked at her questioningly and was even more confused as she got to her feet, moving behind the cash register and scouring the shelves. She let out an 'ah ha' as she pulled out a binder and ripped out a piece of paper, turning it on it's back to the blank side.
Daryl got to his feet, moving to stand beside her, watching with amusement. He let out a snort as she wrote 'Binding Legal Contract' at the top of the paper.
"Joining in marriage…" She mumbled as she wrote the words. "Ok, sign here."
Daryl smiled at her antics and took the pen from her hand, signing his name where she pointed. He handed the pen to Rhiannon who took it from him with a coy smile, each of them feeling like giddy teenagers.
She signed her name, abruptly stopping as she looked down at the signature that was so familiar to her.
Rhiannon Greene.
She stared at it for a moment before crossing out her last name and writing her new one.
Rhiannon Dixon.
Daryl's breathing hitched as he looked at the signature. He felt tears welling in his eyes again at the sight.
Dixon. She was a Dixon now. She was his wife. He didn't think he ever felt so happy in his entire life.
"There. It's official."
Daryl took the paper with their signatures on it, smiling down at it fondly and folded it, tucking it safely into his vest pocket, right next to the picture he kept of her.
"I still can't believe this." Rhiannon gushed, holding her hand out to look at her ring. She was mesmerized by it. "How long have you been planning this?"
"About a week. You uhh- you gave me the idea." He confessed and she looked over at him in confusion. "You mentioned gettin' married when you were high on your painkillers. And I kinda couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout it since then."
Rhiannon's face fell and she looked at him slightly horrified, a slight blush flushing her cheeks in embarrassment.
"Oh shit." She mumbled. "Is that why you were acting so weird?"
"Sorry." He mumbled quietly. "Jus' freaked me out, I guess. Thought you said it cause you were high. But I knew it was somethin' I wanted with you, was jus' scared you didn't want that with me."
Rhiannon laughed slightly. "Man, we're such idiots."
"Hey, we worked it out, didn't we?"
Rhiannon looked over at him and the fidelity she saw in his gaze, the sureness she saw in his expression, had her smiling.
"Yeah, we did. Just like we always do."
Daryl smiled softly and leaned forward, unable to leave even the smallest distance between them, and pressed his lips to hers softly. His arms wounds round her waist, holding her to him tightly as they kissed passionately.
Rhiannon tugged on the ends of his hair, making him moan against her and kiss her harder. She let out a whine as his tongue teased hers. She never wanted this to end. He backed them up until her back met the wall behind them. He wasted no time in leaning down, grabbing her by the thighs to hike her upwards, holding her tightly in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms clutching him tight as they kissed fervently.
Rhiannon was broken from her reprieve when she heard muffled voices from outside the store. The others were done with their search. She reluctantly pulled away from Daryl, though that didn't deter him as he started to rain kisses down her jaw to her neck, reaching that sweet spot under her ear that made her moan and grip onto his back tighter.
"We shouldn't keep them waiting or they'll come find us." She breathed out, but Daryl just grunted in response, clearly not as worried as she was, as he continued to greedily press his lips to her skin.
"I don't know about you, but I don't feel like giving them a show." She said, finally making him pull away, a deep scowl etched on his face.
"Don't care 'bout them, just wanna kiss my wife." He rasped and Rhiannon felt her legs turn to jelly.
Wife. She was his wife.
She smiled a wide, giddy smile and let out a small giggle, feeling so overjoyed at the notion. He crashed his lips to hers again, making her whine, her fingers tangling into his long, shaggy hair. He left her dazed and breathless, kissing her until her knees felt weak until finally pulling away, allowing the both of them to breathe.
"Fuck, guess you're right." Daryl said, his voice betraying just annoyed he felt at the interruption as he finally heard the voices of the rest of the group outside.
"Don't wanna be." Rhiannon mumbled, making Daryl smirk. He couldn't help himself, leaning forward to indulge himself in one last kiss before they had to face the music.
Outside the store, Maggie was tapping her foot erratically, her eyes drifting to the jewelry store for the thousandth time.
"They're takin' too long. We should go in there, make sure they're ok."
"Nah, they got this handled." Rick said to her. He'd seen the terrified look in Daryl's eyes as he led Rhiannon towards the store, he knew this would be a monumental step for the couple and the last thing he wanted was for them to get interrupted.
"Rick, come on, you know this should've been easy, it's the smallest store. Somethin's wrong." Maggie argued, worry clear in her eyes.
"Maggie, they're fine." Glenn tried to assure her. He didn't want to blurt out what was really happening, he figured Rhiannon would want to be the one to tell her, not him.
"You can't know that!" Maggie yelled.
"Hey, here they come." Merle called out, interrupting what would have been an emotional rant.
Maggie turned on her heel and sighed in relief as she saw Rhiannon and Daryl walk out of the store, hand in hand. She was so relieved to see that they were ok, she didn't notice the giddy smiles on their faces, how they leaned into each other as they walked, as if they were young teenagers experiencing their first summer of love.
"What the hell guys? Took you long enough." Maggie chastised them as they approached the group.
The couple blushed, sharing shy glances at each other.
"Sorry, lost track of time." Rhiannon waved her off. She hoped Maggie would let it go, but her feeble excuse only had her sister rolling her eyes.
"You had to worry me just cause you wanted to get laid?"
"No!" Daryl blurted out in horror, his cheeks blazing pink as the others in the group snickered at his expense.
"Then what the hell took you- holy shit." Maggie's jaw dropped and her face twisted into a grin as she finally noticed the shining ring on her sister's finger. She dropped the gun in her hands and she stumbled forward, her hand shooting out and grabbing Rhiannon's harshly. "Oh my god." She breathed out.
Rhiannon blushed under her sister's fawning, but she couldn't help the wide grin that grew once again.
Glenn clapped his hand on Daryl's shoulder. "Happy for you, man."
"Thanks." Daryl said quietly, feeling bashful under the many eyes on him and his new wife.
Wife
He couldn't stop the word from rolling around his mind. It left the best, most pleasurable twisting in his stomach.
"Congrats, brother. Knew you had it in ya." Merle greeted him, throwing his arms around his little brother in a rare hug, throwing Daryl off slightly. His eyes widened at the open affection his brother was showing him and he hesitantly raised his arms, slowly hugging him back.
In contrast, Maggie was hugging Rhiannon so tight, she could barely breathe.
"I can't believe it." Maggie cried. "I'm so happy for you."
Rhiannon smiled at how happy the news made her sister, laughing slightly as she saw the tears in Maggie's eyes. She watched with amusement as her sister moved to Daryl, giving him an equally bone crushing hug, making his eyes widen slightly at the grip he hadn't expected.
Rhiannon herself was soon wrapped in another hug. She smiled, wrapping her arms around Rob who was just as eager to show his congratulations for her.
"I knew he was a good guy, finally making an honest woman out of you." He teased making Rhiannon laugh and push him playfully.
"Asshole." She muttered with a smile.
"But seriously, I'm happy for you. You really scored with him. Those arms-"
"Don't." Rhiannon warned halfheartedly and Rob laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.
The congratulations continued on until the couple were giving each other wide eyed looks of equal signals for help. They felt overwhelmed by the attention they were receiving, even from the Alexandrians they barely knew.
The celebration didn't stop there. Once they were back in Alexandria, Rick insisted on having a family dinner, allowing the group to be with each other to celebrate their marriage. Rhiannon was happy, it was the most traditional wedding she was ever going to get and celebrating with the people she loved the most was the best she could have ever asked for.
She couldn't help but long for the people she loved that couldn't be there. She took a hearty sip of her wine, forcing the thoughts from her head. Today is a happy day, don't think about that. She watched with a smile the chaos Merle and Abraham were causing with their drunken, shameless stories.
Yes, this was perfect to her.
Daryl, on the other hand, could do without the party. He just wanted to get his new wife upstairs and celebrate on their own.
At the dinner table that was cramped with their family, Rick stood from his seat, holding up his wine glass, making Daryl groan in annoyance at what he knew was about to come.
"I'd like to make a toast to the happy couple." He said, smiling smugly at Daryl who glared back at him. "You two have come a long way from those 'secret' smiles you tried to hide back on the farm. I can't think of two people better suited for each other and I'm so truly happy to see you two so happy."
Rhiannon smiled bashfully at Rick's words. She remembered all the teasing they endured at the farm and on the road after they'd lost their home. She remembered trying to keep their relationship a secret, but it was no use. Hiding how they felt for each other, how much they cared for each other was a failing effort.
"To the Dixon's." Rick cheered, raising his glass, clinking it with the other dozen that were thrust forward along with the cheers and hollers of the group.
Rhiannon blushed at the name, at finally being called a Dixon. She and Daryl shared a smile at hearing it out loud for the first time, both of their stomachs fluttering with butterflies.
The party continued well into the night, wine flowing at an exceptional pace. Daryl stood from his seat, taking Rhiannon's glass to fill up, earning him a lovesick and slightly tipsy smile from his wife, leaving him unable to suppress a smile of his own.
He made his way into the kitchen, grabbing another bottle of wine from the cabinet to fill up the empty glasses.
Suddenly, a smack on his arm had him jumping, his arms raising in defense.
"Ow! What the hell?" He cursed, turning to face Carol with a raised brow.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me you were planning on proposing." Carol accused, crossing her arms over her chest. He smirked, able to see how genuinely happy and moved she was to know that two of the people she cared about most had married, despite her guise of anger.
"Knew you wouldn't be able to play it cool around Rhi."
Carol opened her mouth to argue but she quickly closed it, realizing he was right. She remembered when she found out about Rhiannon's miscarriage without her knowing and Carol hadn't been able to look at her without crying. Rhiannon had figured it out almost instantly.
"I guess." She sighed dramatically. Carol finally smiled and reached out, placing her hand on Daryl's arm as she turned serious. "I'm happy for you, Pookie."
Daryl rolled his eyes. "And you ruined it."
"Shut up." Carol scolded softly and moved forward, hugging him tightly.
Daryl smiled, hugging Carol. His eyes drifted towards the dining room where the most important people in his life were. He watched with content as his brother sat next to his wife, boisterously welcoming her to the family.
He found it hard to believe this was really his life.
Rhiannon had lost count of how many rounds they'd gone, how many times he'd brought her to ecstasy. It had been hours, she was sure, and she was bordering on exhaustion, but Daryl was determined to make this last round last as long as possible, to draw out her pleasure as much as possible.
She was perched in his lap, his hands gripping onto her waist tightly as she grinded against him. She tightened her thighs around him as her legs were wrapped around his waist, causing him to shudder against her, his hands moving her faster against him.
Rhiannon let out a loud moan, feeling herself approaching that fall off the cliff edge. Daryl, sensing she was close, leaned forward, biting at that spot just below her collar bone that he knew sent shivers down her spine.
Rhiannon smiled, her hips stuttering at the feeling of his lips on her skin.
"Daryl… oh god." She moaned breathlessly, the sound of her voice making his head spin.
The pride that flowed through him as he watched her face contort in pure bliss was something so foreign, but so good.
"Yeah, right there, darlin'. I got ya." He rasped, moving his hips against hers, allowing himself to reach even deeper within her, causing a needy whine to escape her through gritted teeth.
Rhiannon felt her entire body tremble, her mouth falling open but no sound came out as she was catapulted over the edge into pure euphoria. Her hips moved raggedly, her steady rhythm gone as she came hard. Stars swam across her vision and it was all she could do to hold on and ride out the feeling.
Daryl grunted as her nails dug into his shoulders painfully. He watched her carefully, eyeing every inch of her face, every expression, every twitch of her brow, quirk of her lips, that signalled pleasure.
He stilled his hips, loosening the grip he had on hers and gently caressed her skin that was reddened from his harsh hold. He watched her as she came down from her high, her eyes slowly blinking open and she stared back at him reverently, a spacy look in her eyes.
She slowly started to move her hips again, wanting Daryl to reach his end, but he stopped her, lifting her off of his aching length that was screaming for another release.
Rhiannon looked at him with slight confusion and reached out, wanting to give him the same pleasure he'd just given her, but he caught her by the wrist, stopping her again.
His other hand settled at the base of her neck, bringing her down to press his lips to hers earnestly. Rhiannon moaned softly against his lips, her brain becoming fuzzy once again as his tongue played with hers.
He moved her slowly, gently coaxing her to lay on her back so he was hovered over her, his lips never breaking from hers as he did. Minutes passed as they kissed, neither one of them willing to break apart.
It wasn't until Daryl's roaming hand found its way to her breast and Rhiannon had to moan as he pinched her nipple, did their kiss finally end. Daryl smiled down at her adoringly before his mouth soon followed his hand.
Rhiannon whined what sounded like his name, her fingers tangling in his hair as he laved at her breast.
"Daryl, I wanna-" Her words cut off as he kissed her harshly. She wanted to please him, to give him the same attention he was giving her. Her trail of thought was scattered, lost to her, as he began to move down the length of her body, his mouth finding every inch of her body that made her toes curl and her stomach twist with pleasure.
She let out a breathless laugh, running a hand through her hair as he heaved her thigh over his shoulder as he settled into place at the end of the bed. She shuddered, her hips rising off the bed as she felt his breath over her wet heat.
"Daryl, please." She begged, her own voice sounding high pitched, whiny, unfamiliar to her.
He didn't waste any time, beginning to devour her with his mouth, moaning against her at the sweet taste he didn't think he would ever stop longing for. The sounds of her moans were music to his ears. He was willing to do this all night just to keep hearing them.
Rhiannon's head fell back against the pillow as his tongue moved against her sensitive clit. An embarrassing moan left her, one she knew she should've stifled, but she'd lost all sense of her surroundings. She couldn't possibly stop herself now.
She reached down, tugging at his hair, making his eyes raise to meet hers. She shivered at the hunger she saw in his gaze and she leaned up on her elbows, watching with wide, lust filled eyes as her husband ate her out.
"Oh god, yes, yes. Don't stop." She whined. She moaned even louder as Daryl's forearm pinning her abdomen down, keeping her writhing hips still for him as he worked at her.
She threw her head back, her hands pulling at his hair as he plunged his tongue inside her, the both of them groaning in unison. Rhiannon shivered, her hips undulating against his face as she felt herself dangerously close to the edge yet again.
"Daryl, Daryl, Daryl… uh… fuck!" She cried out, her body trembling as he made her cum again.
Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, her chest heaving as his tongue slowed its movements against her pussy. He finally raised his head, watching appraisingly as her body trembled before him as she calmed down from another high.
Daryl kissed his way back up her body, showing attention to every inch he could find.
"You ok?" He asked and she nodded wordlessly, heavy pants still escaping her. She opened her heavy eyes, her drowsy gaze meeting his.
"Now you're trying to kill me." She mumbled, her words slightly slurred from the back to back intense pleasure she'd felt all night.
Daryl smirked. "Never." He whispered and kissed her hard.
She moaned and wrapped her arm around him tightly, her fingers gently toying with the ends of his hair.
Daryl, still feeling a fire within him, still with a raging hardon, reached down, his hands gently coercing her legs open.
"Daryl…"
"Shhh, I got you."
He reached down, his fingers gently brushing against her sensitive clit, making her shiver against him, biting her lip harshly to stifle a moan.
"Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief.
"Wanna make my wife cum."
Rhiannon laughed, a delighted sound that made Daryl smile widely. He looked down at her, watching as her smile fell and her jaw dropped as he dipped two fingers inside her.
"You're unbelievable." She spoke with a moan.
Daryl watched with fascination as her back arched, her brows furrowing and her eyes slamming shut as he curled his fingers inside her. Every moan she let out, every tremble against him, it was all so overwhelming to him in the best possible way.
It didn't take long until she was a quivering mess, unable to utter any more words. All too soon, she was arching up off the bed, her hands gripping onto his biceps tightly as she chanted his name like a breathless prayer as he brought her to ecstasy again.
Daryl didn't take his eyes off her as she recovered, her fiery gaze meeting his, and he knew he couldn't hold off any longer.
"Please." She mumbled, making pride flow through him again at the fucked out sound of her voice.
He couldn't believe that it was him that had left her such a wreck.
Rhiannon whined, grinding her hips against his to coax him inside her when he didn't respond, too lost in his ogling to actually make a move.
Daryl grunted when her heat brushed against his hard cock that was begging for release. Seeing her in rapture time after time had him so close to losing it already.
"Wanna make my husband cum." Rhiannon said quietly, her sultry gaze locked on his. Daryl moaned at her words and moved himself to hover over her, hooking her leg over his hip.
They both let out shaking breaths as he moved himself inside of her in one slow thrust. Daryl didn't waste any time in building a quick rhythm and soon the sound of their skin slapping, the headboard hitting the wall behind them and their desperate moans filled the room.
Rhiannon held onto him tightly, her hands clutching his back as she felt his body trembling against hers. She knew he wouldn't last long. She tightened her walls around him, making him practically collapse against her, now propped on only his elbows, a loud grunt falling from his lips as he moved erratically.
"Mmmm fuck, yeah. Fuck, Rhi, that's it." He panted, his eyes squeezing shut as he neared his end.
Rhiannon moaned loudly as his hand that tangled in her hair pulled, making her neck arch backwards.
"Yes, Daryl, give it to me." She whined breathlessly.
Daryl moaned savagely and thrusted into his wife desperately. Rhiannon knew he was gone. She pushed at his hips, knowing he was too far gone to think about repercussions in his state. He whined at the loss but it was quickly replaced with a gasp as her hand gripped onto his hard cock as she began to jerk him off rapidly.
His body tensed, his toes curled and he buried his head in the crook of her neck, pulling hard at her hair as he came hard. His body jerked and a loud, shameless cry of pleasure ripped from his throat as he spurted his release on her stomach.
Rhiannon smiled at what she was able to do to him, the sounds she was able to pull from the surly hunter. Her hand gently ran up and down his back in soothing patterns as he lay against her as his erratic breathing started to slow.
The silence that surrounded the room was deafening as both their ears rang from the earth shattering pleasure they'd wrung out of each other.
"You ok?" She whispered. He nodded against her shoulder, unable to form any words in that moment.
Daryl lazily raised his head, her eyes meeting his and they both smiled. He leaned forward, slowly pressing his lips to hers, his gentle motions void of any desperate lust he'd possessed just minutes before. They were both sated.
"Fuck, should'a done that a long time ago." He rasped.
"What, get married or have tantric sex?"
Daryl huffed out a laugh and laid his head back on her shoulder, his arm moving to wrap around her waist, hugging her tightly as half his body remained laying on her. He'd meant getting married, but thinking over their night, the endless pleasure, he couldn't deny that it was something he was willing to do again and again, night after night.
"Both." He mumbled shyly.
"Can't argue with that." She responded tiredly.
Daryl moaned softly as her hand gently brushed through his shaggy hair and he felt his eyes becoming heavier. "Love you... Mrs. Dixon."
Rhiannon smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Love you too, Mr. Dixon."
It finally happened!
So sorry for the long wait, especially leaving the marriage hanging over you all. September comes with many stressors and I'm fully regretting becoming a TA.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and all the fluff and smut that came with it!
Thank you to everyone that's stuck with this story for so long and of course the new readers who have given this behemoth of a story a chance. It means the world to me to get your feedback and your nice words, love you all xx
