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"Random Subject Prompts"

Chapter 009: Daryl Dixon

TV Show: The Walking Dead

Prompt: Rice porridge

Chapter Warning: Considering what show this is, enough said

Author's Note: This takes place during Season 7, though I haven't caught up with all of the aired episodes yet, and some scenes/moments will be out of order if not entirely made up by me

KH*DD*KH*DD

From his crouched position leaning against the wall, Daryl warily watched as Negan escorted a slim Asian woman into the cell. From what he could see through his bangs, she had pale, creamy skin, and a delicate build. She also appeared around Daryl's age, maybe a year or two younger.

She was dressed the nicest he'd seen in a while, probably ever since the dead started coming back to life and attacking the living. The sweater dress she wore was an off-white color and hugged her curves in the right places, with black leather leggings, and ankle boots on her small feet. Around her neck, she had a thin chain that had a pinkish jewel dangling from the end. Her hair was a silky, naturally wavy raven color that was currently tied back into a high ponytail, her bangs framing her facial features – namely, the unique amethyst eyes that stared back at Daryl unflinchingly.

Negan chuckled, grinning his charming yet sinister grin. He wasn't carrying Lucille, but Daryl could spot Dwight hovering near the entrance to the cell.

"This is Kagome," Negan introduced, gesturing with one hand to Kagome. "And, Kagome, this is Daryl. I need you to be a dear and look after him, alright?"

Kagome's eyes never wavered from Daryl's. "Okay," she softly acquiesced. Her gaze abruptly dropped, staring at the ground now. "I'll make him something to eat." She didn't wait for permission to leave, just turned quietly on her heel and exited.

Negan waited until Dwight followed Kagome then turned his attention back onto Daryl. His smile took on a hard edge, and he leaned down until they were nearly nose-to-nose.

"I'm warning you right now, boy, if anything – and I mean anything – happens to that young woman, I'm going to drag your ass back to Alexandria, and I'm going to force you to watch as I kill each and every one of your remaining friends. Understand?"

In response, Daryl remained silent, his eyes focused in the opposite direction. Let Negan think he'd traumatized him – he didn't care. When Daryl got out of this place, he was going to kill Negan in the most brutal way he could manage. And then he was going to hunt down Dwight. The other man really shouldn't have touched Daryl's motorcycle, crossbow, and vest.

His warning given, Negan smacked Daryl's cheek smartly. "Good. Glad we understand each other." Standing straight, he waited until Kagome silently entered the cell once more a few minutes later. This time, she carefully carried a bowl of steaming-hot food. "There's a darling. Doesn't that smell excellent?"

Kagome stood to the side, waiting for Dwight to place a folding chair nearby. She had requested for two, but Dwight had refused. She could have one for herself, but the prisoner wasn't allowed the small luxury.

Negan nodded in approval. "Everything seems squared away, here. I'll just leave you two to get acquainted," he said, a mocking smile on his face. Before he left, he stroked the top of Kagome's head. He signaled Dwight to leave, and the two men left without another word.

Silence settled heavily within the small prison cell. Daryl went back to warily watching Kagome, while said young woman did her best to focus on anywhere else.

Finally, she quietly said, "I made rice porridge. It's… easy to digest."

When he didn't respond, she moved slowly, cautiously, to unfold the chair and placed it as close to Daryl as she dared. She then placed the bowl of food on the hard seat, stepping back when the task was complete.

"Please… eat it." Straight white teeth nibbled on her bottom lip.

Daryl didn't move. He could crouch for hours on end, thanks to his years of having to do the same when tracking animals in the woods. When was the last time he properly sat in a chair, anyway? It seemed like a lifetime ago to him.

Besides, he would rather observe Kagome. Something was… different about her. Off, maybe. He wasn't sure, but she had his attention. In a way, she reminded him of Beth, all big, vulnerable eyes but with a hidden spine of steel. But Daryl had a feeling Kagome was more – much more than she appeared. He just couldn't figure it – her – out.

Kagome sighed, briefly closing her eyes before reopening them to lock with his. Amethyst clashed with blue – and that was when Daryl saw it. That fiery spark that he'd been waiting for without actually knowing it. A fire started to burn behind that indifferent gleam she'd portrayed when Negan had been there. She definitely had a fiery spirit.

Daryl inwardly smirked. Got you.

KH*DD*KH*DD

Later that day, Kagome brought in two bowls of food. The one from earlier was still on the chair, cold and ignored, but she didn't seem fazed that her generosity had been wasted. Her mask was back in place, an indifferent façade she'd perfected when around the Saviors. If she didn't let anything outwardly bother her, Negan couldn't do or say anything that would upset her. Most of the time, she felt as though she were observing the world she currently existed in through somebody else. Her heart was effectively closed off, nothing and no one allowed to crack the ice surrounding it.

But Daryl… Daryl had the potential of slipping through.

And she could never let that happen.

Carefully, she placed the new bowl of rice porridge in front of said male. When he didn't move or otherwise react, just continued to stare at her, Kagome sat against the wall opposite of him. She brought her legs up to her chest, and slowly began eating like they did this every day, not caring if her clothes got dirty from the ground.

What the hell is she doing? Daryl questioned, perplexed, and eyes narrowed as he tried to analyze Kagome's actions. He didn't understand, not even a little bit.

His eyes trailed down to the steaming bowl of food, before looking back up at the young woman directly across from him. He couldn't help looking at the food once more, his nostrils flaring as it took in the delicious scent. The meal itself looked simple but smelled amazing.

Kagome's voice was quiet, nearly faint, when she finally spoke. Daryl's eyes and attention were instantly focused on her once more, with a laser-like sharpness.

"I thought the problem was that… you didn't want to eat alone." She stirred the plastic spoon within the bowl's contents, her eyes seemingly finding the action mesmerizing. "Was I… wrong?"

No, you weren't wrong, he thought, gaze trailing back to the food again. But I still can't eat it. It might show weakness. It might be poisoned. It could be a lot of things.

But he mostly just didn't want to break.

Watching two of his friends being brutally murdered hadn't done it. Being beaten black and blue hadn't even fazed him. The psychological games Negan played were nothing.

But being showed such kindness… And by a girl who appeared like a fresh cut daisy… If he started to care about her – if something were to happen to her because of him…

Daryl grit his teeth until it felt like they'd crack from the pressure.

I can't break. I won't.

KH*DD*KH*DD

"You're very stubborn," Kagome commented, bringing in yet another bowl of rice porridge. The others had been cleared away so that the dishes could be reused, but mostly because the food was now inedible from being out. "Here. I suggest you eat this one."

Daryl was still in the same spot as when she first met him, though he'd changed his position. He now sat Indian style, and almost appeared as though he didn't have a care in the world. The fact that both eyes were as black as a panda's didn't even seem to bother him.

He watched Kagome as she placed the bowl near him, ignoring the chair she'd left in his cell, then took her seat across from him. She'd changed her clothes, and her hair looked damp, though it was still in a high ponytail. She now wore a flimsy, crimson tank top, a cream colored cardigan, black jeans, and the boots she'd worn earlier. The necklace was once more around her neck, and Daryl briefly wondered if it was important to her.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, arms wrapping around the limbs to hold them in place, and laid her chin against her knees. Her eyes didn't flicker around the cell this time, instead staring directly into his boldly.

Her next words were blunt and straightforward. "If you don't eat, you won't have enough strength to escape." Her head cocked to the side, like a curious puppy. "Or kill anyone, let alone threaten them. You'll be too weak to do anything."

His eyes widened in shock, the first real emotion he'd shown since she'd met him the other day. He had obviously not been expecting those words to pop out of her mouth.

Kagome inwardly smirked. Got you.

KH*DD*KH*DD

Despite the fact that Daryl remained mute, it didn't discourage Kagome from speaking to him. He found it… oddly soothing. Sometimes, she chose her words carefully, like she was afraid someone other than him might overhear. Other times, she was blunt and brutally honest. And when she wasn't speaking, she seemed to bask in the silence that they shared in that little cell.

But no matter what the situation was, Daryl just grew more and more confused.

Kagome was an enigma, a puzzle that couldn't be solved quickly or thoroughly enough. Normally, he was able to sum up a person within moments of first meeting them, but she confounded him in a way he wasn't familiar with. Her emotions weren't displayed easily, but her eyes gave her away when she was unguarded. Or frustrated with his continued acts of stubbornness.

Kagome gathered their used bowls and plastic spoons, turning to exit the cell. Casually, as if in afterthought, she said, "Whatever you do… Don't leave your cell." She was gone, the door closed firmly behind her, in the next second.

Alone, Daryl furrowed his brows. What is that supposed to mean? Confusing woman…

Later, when he found the cell unlocked and his subsequent failed escape, he understood the warning. He understood it all too well.

KH*DD*KH*DD

Her fist clenched as her eyes stared dully at the photograph Dwight had thrown into Daryl's cell. She'd heard about what happened; how Negan had beaten two men to death with Lucille, because Daryl's group had killed some of his men. She had also heard the second man – she assumed the one in the photograph – had been killed as 'a lesson' to those who opposed Negan's rule and dictatorship. It had been Daryl's punishment for punching Negan in the face instead of bowing and submitting.

"Is this… your friend?" she softly, gently asked. What no one heard, however, was the quivering rage underneath.

Daryl didn't respond, not that she blamed him. She could tell that he was more closed-off than ever. His eyes hadn't even flickered when she entered. He kept staring at that damned picture, as if they were physically connected.

"Can you… tell me his name?"

His mouth moved, though barely any sound escaped. The name he gave came out breathy and strained. "… Glenn." It took everything he had to utter that one word.

Kagome nodded. Reaching down, she carefully picked up the photo and tucked it into a pocket. "Glenn… That's a good name. He'll be remembered." Placing the bowl of rice porridge down, she said, "Eat. You'll need your strength."

His eyes still hadn't moved from where the picture had laid, like it was still there. And he didn't make one move towards the food.

And just when I got him to finally start eating, too, she thought, taking her usual seat against the opposite wall across from him. If she didn't think it would raise unwanted attention, she would've hunted down Dwight and planted her fist in his face.

Instead, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.

"This is probably pointless to say, but… You shouldn't blame yourself for your friend's death. It's not as though you wanted or had anticipated that that would happen. It's not your fault… Daryl." That was the first time she'd used his name, and it did funny things to her inside. "If you want to blame someone, blame Negan. Or Dwight. They're doing their best to break you, but…" Her eyes slowly opened, staring at the ceiling. "But I don't believe you're that weak. In fact, I think you're going to use this experience to fuel your hatred, your rage, to avenge what's been done to you – but more importantly, what's been done to your friends."

When Daryl remained quiet, she sighed and stood to leave.

"Think about what I said."

Before the door could fully close, however, Kagome smiled secretly as she caught the sound of Daryl lifting the bowl and the scrape of the plastic spoon.

KH*DD*KH*DD

It wasn't long after that incident when Daryl started talking to her. His voice was raspy, gravel-rough – and sexy as Hell. She didn't know what about it made her react in such a way, but it was what it was. Butterflies had taken flight in her stomach at the sound of his voice even as she stared in wide-eyed amazement at him.

"Why do you keep feeding me this rice slop?" he asked, scowling at the newest bowl of said 'slop.'

Kagome softly huffed, affronted. She took her usual spot against the cement wall, her own bowl in hand. "It's not… slop," she said, a bite of heat to her words. "It's rice porridge. You haven't had a decent diet in a long time. If you start to eat on a regular basis with regular food, you'll just make your stomach upset as your body has to adjust to the change. There's no way you're wasting food by just throwing it up later."

Daryl turned his scowl onto her, knowing it wouldn't affect her but did it anyway. "Then why the heck do you keep eating it?" If there was regular food to eat, she should be eating it. Was she an idiot?

The look she gave him was dry, dull, and like she thought of him as being the idiot between them. Her next words only proved it.

"Are you an idiot?" she rhetorically asked, not actually expecting an answer. "It's because this is what you're eating. It's only fair I eat the same thing, especially if we're eating together."

At that, he didn't know what to say. All he could do was watch as Kagome went back to eating her portion of the rice porridge she'd made for them.

Then he, too, picked up his bowl and began to slowly eat.

"Thanks… for the food," he gruffly said, uncomfortable. Having good manners hadn't been his top priority his entire life, but that didn't mean he didn't have them. Especially when it came to a confusing young woman with unique amethyst eyes.

Kagome's lips twitched into a small smile. "You're welcome, Daryl."

KH*DD*KH*DD

"Tell me about Negan," Daryl requested – or demanded – during one of their shared meals. He had finished his a while ago, but Kagome was lingering and seemed to find her bowl's contents more interesting than usual.

The way she blinked suggested she'd been lost in her thoughts. But she didn't lift her gaze, her plastic spoon making lazy circles in her leftovers.

"Negan…" she began, voice soft as always, "is complicated and… complex. He can be charming one moment, and beating someone to death with Lucille in the next. He's very calculating, always planning and scheming how best an individual can serve him. Dwight is a good example."

A corner of her mouth lifted, mockingly amused. "Heck, Negan must like you, Daryl. You'd probably be dead by now if he didn't. It's why he's trying so hard to break you – to get you to join the Saviors. Negan would probably even give you Dwight's position in his little gang if you asked."

"Yeah, I'm a real lucky son of a bitch," Daryl sarcastically replied. But he took her words to heart, analyzing and planning how best to use the information she willingly gave him.

Her eyes suddenly sharpened, and her gaze locked with his with an intensity that had him wanting to shift where he sat. Her expression had gone to stone, her mask in place once more. He almost winced. He hadn't seen that particular look for a while, and he was honestly sorry to see it back.

"There are worst things than death." Her words were feather-light, deathly calm. It sent shivers up Daryl's spine. "Negan was the one who found me. I don't know how, but he did. He… saved me from a group of men who…" The way her sentence trailed off said more than enough.

Daryl clenched his fists tightly, jaw locked in anger. Just the thought of Kagome being in that position, vulnerable and trapped, had him seeing red. If he could leave his prison, nothing would've stopped him from hunting those bastards down and teaching them a lesson.

But he had to know. "Did they…?"

Kagome dropped her eyes. "They came very close. One second, they were holding me down, and the next Negan was there, swinging Lucille with this expression of… utter rage on his face. Like I said, he's complicated and complex, but there are some things he is crystal clear on. Rape is something he does not tolerate. All of his wives are with him, because they chose to be."

Daryl wasn't about to thank the man for saving Kagome, but he could appreciate what Negan had done to save her from that traumatic experience. Others weren't so lucky.

"Does that mean you're one of them, too?" Something inside of him twisted painfully at the thought, but the question had been asked before he could stop it. If he could ask the question, then he could handle the answer no matter what it was.

"One of Negan's wives? No," she answered. "I'm… not sure what I am to him. I just know that he treats me differently from the other women here. I always thought it was because of the… circumstances of how he found me."

"So," he carefully worded, making sure their conversation didn't carry passed the two of them, "if you had the chance to leave this place… you wouldn't?"

"Don't misunderstand me, Daryl. Just because I won't raise a hand against Negan, don't plan on killing him with every breath I take, doesn't mean I want to stay here for the rest of my life." Her voice hardened, as did her eyes. "I won't kill him, but… I would rebel against him."

And that, Daryl thought, was all he needed to know.

KH*DD*KH*DD

When the day came to finally escape for good, Daryl made sure to find Kagome first the moment he was released from his cell. He didn't want anything to happen to her, and he damned sure didn't want her disappearing in the ensuing chaos. There was no way he'd be able to find her when she had so many options and directions to choose from. Expert or not, his tracking skills wouldn't be enough.

Weapon poised and ready, Daryl quickly scanned his surroundings and cleared rooms the fastest he'd ever done. He didn't actually have a clue where Kagome stayed, but he had a feeling it would be close to his prison. Negan had ordered her to take care of Daryl, after all. She couldn't do that if she were far away.

"Daryl, we gotta go," Rick yelled out, his favored handgun pointed up to the ceiling, his eyes swiftly moving to make sure no one snuck up on them.

Daryl kept his focus. "Give me a sec." Bursting through the last door, he stopped when he finally found Kagome. She was sitting at a medium-sized table, calmly sipping from a mug. From the light scent in the air, he assumed it was some sort of tea.

Kagome stared at the new arrivals, brow rising in question. "What's this?" she murmured, slight interest coloring her tone. She appeared otherwise unfazed by the intrusion.

Rick called out Daryl's name from somewhere behind him, but Daryl's attention was entirely centered on her.

He lowered his knife, eyes intense and determined. "I'm leaving," he stated. "We're leaving. Get some stuff, and let's go… Kagome." It was the first time he'd spoken her name. Inwardly, he admitted to liking it. It made his stomach flutter in a way he'd never felt before – and he liked that, too.

Hell, he just liked… her. Did he really need to examine and have a reason for liking someone? No, he didn't think so. He felt what he felt, and that was that. He couldn't change something that felt so inevitable. Like it was meant to be.

And he knew Kagome was meant to be with him.

Kagome cocked her head to the side, like a curious puppy. Her eyes were unblinking, locked with his as she stared into his soul. Judging his intentions. His will, maybe. "What are you doing, Daryl?"

His only response was one word:

"Rebelling."

KH*DD*KH*DD

Time Skip – 2 Years Later

Daryl quietly entered his house through the backdoor, not wanting to disturb the only other occupant inside. He'd left around dawn to hunt in the woods, his catch strung, skinned, and cleaned over his shoulder. His crossbow was leaned against the opposite shoulder.

He paused when he saw Kagome sitting at their dining room table, calmly sipping a mug of tea. It was reminiscent to the time when Rick and the others had come to save Daryl and free everyone from under Negan's tyrannical rule. Since then, things had surprisingly calmed down. Daryl wasn't used to someone not causing trouble for their group, but he was grateful for the reprieve.

It mostly had to do with Kagome. Everyone had needed time to learn to trust her, not sure what to do with a young woman that had been so close to Negan. And Kagome had had to learn to trust them. Daryl had made her transition easier, and even Carol pitched in her support, taking Kagome under her wing and guidance. The older woman had simply found the attention Daryl gave Kagome extremely cute and wanted to foster their romance into what it was today.

Kagome's amethyst eyes locked onto his form, still sipping the hot, soothing liquid. "You came back rather fast," she offhandedly commented. "I was expecting you to come back later in the afternoon."

He smirked, setting his catch on the side to deal with later. His crossbow was also placed down but within easy reach. "Missed you," he replied. He shrugged off his angel-winged vest to set it over a chair. The piece of clothing had certainly seen better days, but he still wore it whenever he went out. "How long have you been awake?"

She set her cup down, tilting her head back to welcome Daryl's kiss. She hummed in delight, a relaxed expression on her angelic features that had been absent when she was still a part of the Saviors. "Long enough," she answered, voice soft with affection.

Daryl absolutely adored the woman Kagome had bloomed into since getting away from Negan and his ilk. Back then, she'd been closed off and indifferent, sometimes childlike in her actions and gestures. Her manner of speech had been between two extremes; either soft and halting or blunt and brutally honest.

Now, he got to bear witness to the utter sweetness she'd hidden, the glow in her eyes pronounced and beautiful. She wasn't just surviving day-to-day anymore – she was living. She expressed herself in various ways, had no trouble starting a conversation with anyone she crossed. She was friendly and outgoing but, mostly, she let herself be unguarded around those she trusted and cared for. She was no longer a wilted flower, but the fresh cut daisy he'd once compared her to.

"Oh yeah?" he replied. "What you been doing?"

She shrugged. "Thinking."

Daryl sat in the seat next to her, brow raised. "Thinking about what, exactly?"

Instead of answering right away, she crawled into his lap until she was straddling his legs, with her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands instantly held her by the hips to steady her, even as he smirked at their new position.

"I think I like where this is going," he huskily said, nose bumping hers gently.

Kagome giggled, the sound sweet and mischievous. She lightly slapped his shoulder as she pulled back from his seeking mouth. When he scowled, it was her turn to smirk. "Don't be a pervert, Daryl. I just… wanted to ask you something." At the end, her tone turned insecure and a little nervous. But her eyes remained direct.

He sighed, but acquiesced. "Fine. What?"

"I wanted to ask this a while ago, but I couldn't find the courage…" She paused for a second. "Why… Why did you take me with you?"

Seeing her so unguarded made his insides turn to goo. Not that he would ever admit it, of course.

Daryl used one hand to brush her bangs back from her forehead. He didn't like public displays of affection but when they were alone, like this, he showered her with as much as he could. He knew she enjoyed it, and this was his physical way of showing he cared deeply about her. Words, he knew, sometimes weren't enough.

"What do you mean?"

She gave him a dry, dull look that questioned his mental prowess. "Don't be dense. I'm asking why you took me with you. You could have just left me there in my room. You could have let me escape on my own, to fend for myself, after you and your group captured and imprisoned Negan. But… you didn't. I was just wondering why."

Back then, he hadn't been completely sure, himself. But…

"Because, Kagome," Daryl answered, making sure she could see directly into his eyes, "you made me rice porridge."

Her one act of continued kindness had been his saving grace. The reason why he hadn't broken, no matter what Negan and Dwight had put him through. That simple dish and their ensuing conversations had led to a forming bond that continued to grow each day they were together.

"Rice porridge?" she questioned, confused and a little incredulous.

He smiled. "Yeah. Rice porridge." With that, he slanted his mouth across hers in a tender kiss as he held her close.

And if Daryl had it his way, he'd never let Kagome go.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! (:

Sorry I won't be able to respond to everyone's review, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for your continued support and kind words :D This chapter is dedicated to all of you, so I hope you enjoyed it (: Have a safe and wonderful December and see you in the New Year! #2017