Daryl's POV

Present

"Hey. It's been awhile."

Conflicted and frozen to the spot, my heart and mind wage war. Elation swells in my chest, threatening to suffocate me. A thousand thoughts race through my head.

She's alive. Aria's back. How? Is this real?

Yet even with the joy filling me up, there's a nasty blackness tainting the edges of my mind. Rage mixes with the exhilaration, dredging up deep-rooted pain that makes my fists clench at my sides.

She left.

That kick starts a chain reaction, extinguishing the light of happiness with frustration, loneliness, and grief. Emotions that were buried a year ago, dredged up with an ugly vengeance.

Those evergreen eyes watch me carefully, and I wonder if she can still read me. If after all this time she can recognize how broken she left me.

The impulsive side of me wants to close this short distance, hug her tight, and hold on for dear life. Too bad, though because I've learned again. Your heart is a traitor, and your mind is your friend.

"It's been a while?" I snarl, feet no longer frozen as I take a step forward. "That's all you got to say to me? It's been a while?"

Aria's gaze drops, lean arms coming up to wrap around her chest. "Yeah, pretty shitty greeting," she admits, sounding worn thin.

I scoff. "That's an understatement. You've been gone a whole damn year and you ain't got shit to say other than that?! How about sorry? You got any idea how fucking hard it's been without you? How fucking hard I tried to move on? No, give me something better than it's been a while."

My nostrils are flared, breaths sharp as I stare her down. She's still as beautiful as the day I met her, but she's changed in the last year.

A thinner, leaner body than I remember with hardly an ounce of fat on her petite frame. Those long dark locks are cropped short, brushing her shoulders now. It's wavier too, no longer weighed down by the length.

Sighing, Aria drops her arms to her sides. With shoulders slumped, her body screams defeat.

"You're right."

Her gaze locks with mine, and I clench my jaw. I hate seeing the honesty swimming in those depths. Hate that she caused this pain that twisted my heart.

"I'm sorry. I know that it's not enough and you deserve a lot more than two simple words, but it's all I got. I'm a piece of shit, Daryl. What I did was selfish and I'm sorry."

My throat burns, the threat of tears growing. She's right. "Sorry" ain't enough. It means nothing after everything that has happened, yet I want it to. I wish it could be the answer and I could hold her again. But the pain of this last year, nothing can make me forget that. Not right now.

"Do you want me to leave?"

I choke on my breath, her words causing my heart to stutter. It's reflex, the simple word torn from my lungs in a fierce growl.

"No."

Aria nods, chewing on her lip. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fucking sure, Aria!" The incredulous question sets me off, appalled by the thought. "I've wanted this for a fucking year. You think I want you to go?!"

"I don't know what you want, Daryl," she admits with defeat.

Rubbing her temples she sits back on the bar stool. A heavy breath leaves her and she glances behind her at Sam and Dean.

Walking through that door, I only saw her. Now, I take the two brothers in.

Nothing has changed in the months they've been gone. Both look the same dressed in their usual attire of ragged flannel and jeans. A little worse for wear, I'd say if the dark bags under their eyes are any indication of the long journey they've been on.

The two meet Aria's pleading gaze but remain blank faced, indifferent to the battle between us.

Realizing she's alone in this, Aria bows her head, standing up once again.

"Look, I know me being back isn't easy. You're pissed and you have every right to be. You said you don't want me to leave-"

"I don't," I interrupt, knowing that it's the last thing I want.

Despite, how hurt I am I don't want her to go again. She's back, and I'd rather be pissed and have her back than have her gone.

My words have no impact as Aria plows on, ordering. "Just think about it, all right?" I start to protest, but she stops me. "I'll be on the back porch. When you're ready, come and get me."

With that, she leaves, heading down the hallway to the back door. I bite my tongue, thinking over her words. Truth is, though, I ain't got to debate this. A whole year I've wished for this. I ain't letting it slip by without a fight.

Following her, I reach the door right before it shuts. It swings open as I push through, startling Aria.

"Daryl-"

"There ain't anything for me to think about, Aria." I tower over her, a fire of resolution burning in my chest. "I didn't want you to leave the first time. The hell makes you think I want you to leave again?"

Hesitating, she bites her lip, looking away from me. There's hardly any space between us. She can't escape and the charged energy in the air only adds to that.

"I just-"

"What?"

"I want to give you a choice!" Aria explodes, reminding me why the King of Hell nicknamed her firecracker.

With muscles coiled tight, forest eyes aflame, she's ready to go twelve rounds right here on the spot. Yet, as quickly as the anger rolled through her, it's gone. She sags back against the railing, shaking her head with a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."

Confusion has my eyebrows drawing together. It ain't her reaction so much as her admission that has me reeling for a moment. Aria blows up. She's impulsive, quick to judge. Why she apologized, I don't understand. My anger simmers and I wait, letting her take a moment.

"I didn't give you a choice when I left," she admits, her words a soft whisper, ghosting with a sea of regret. Her arms crossed over her chest, gaze trained over my shoulder instead of meeting my stare.

"So, let me do this now, all right? I don't have any right to walk back into your life after what I did. If you want me to go, I'll go. If you want me to stay, I'll stay."

Dropping her head, she moves, trying to slip around me to escape back into the house.

I catch her by her arm. Fire licks its way from the tips of my fingers up and into my chest at the contact. Evergreen eyes meet my ocean ones, searching in the silence drifting between us.

It pisses me off to see the uncertainty in those eyes. That's how I'm supposed to feel, not her. She is the one who always runs. Not me. I'm always fucking left behind to pick up the pieces. I want her to stay. Stop running in the other direction because I can't chase her anymore. There ain't much left in me to fight.

"Stay."

The word falls from my lips with ease, and I tighten my grip around her bicep, an unconscious action in fear that she will run. There's another beat of silence, eyes locked before Aria looks down once more.

"Okay."

An inaudible breath rushes from me. I let her go and put some space between us — those few steps feeling like an ocean. It's needed, though. All of this — the situation and her, in general, overwhelms me.

This ain't how I pictured this, but I also gave up thinking she would ever come back a long time ago.

You didn't completely give up.

I finger the chain around my neck, the ring resting over my heart. Looking up from the ground, I find Aria staring at me, her attention on my fingers that still trace the chain. She catches me watching and looks away, arms crossed over her chest as she chews on her lip.

God, this is so fucked.

"Does anybody else know?" I ask after another stretch of silence.

It's strained the air between the two of us. Funny how sometimes our expectations never live up to the real thing.

Confusion lines her features, eyebrows cinched. "That I'm back?"

I nod and Aria shakes her head, explaining reluctantly. "I thought it would be better to see you first before getting everyone's hopes up."

Again, anger burns in my chest. How can she believe that I wouldn't want her back?

"That's stupid," I retort.

She shrugs her shoulders, forcing a bleak grin. "What can I say? I don't think very highly of myself."

I did.

We stare each other down. Neither sure how to go on with this conversation. We're strangers now, both uncertain how to navigate the seas separating us.

Aria heaves a deep breath, looking away as she takes in the backyard. She holds herself like she will fall apart without her own tight grip.

"It's impressive what you've guys built here. You should be proud of yourselves."

I chew on the inside of my cheek, nodding. This is small talk, and I hate it. It ain't what we do. Yet, I can't get my tongue to spit out the storm of thoughts brewing in my head.

The door opens, an inaudible sigh of relief slipping from me. Dean stands there, features relaxed as that smug grin plays on his lips.

"Great, you're still here. How fucked am I if I eat that apple pie Carol's got sitting on the counter?"

I snort, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. Leave Dean's obsession with pie to be my saving grace from an awkward reunion with the girl I love.

"It's your funeral, man."

His grin grows wider. "Worth it."

Rolling my eyes, I follow the eldest brother back into the home, glancing over my shoulder before I shut the door. Aria hasn't moved. I chew on my lip unsure what to say.

Don't be such a pussy, Darylina. Just fucking say what's on your mind.

"You gonna come with?"

Those evergreen eyes snap to my ocean ones, surprised that I'm still waiting for her. She takes one last look at the corrugated steel wall that lines the backyard. A surge of panic makes my stomach knot up.

Is she thinking about leaving? Was she telling me the truth when she said I get a choice?

After a brief moment, Aria releases a long breath. Hesitation sits heavy on her shoulders, weighing them down. Yet, she still nods, turning to follow me.

Even with all the pain and confliction, I can't help the small grin that tugs at my lips. It's a small win after a year of losses, and I let myself soak in it for the moment because now I know she's staying. The hard part now is figuring out if I can let her back in.

A/N: Hey! So, here's the proper reunion that took a year and some months for me to deliver to you. Answers are coming soon to what happened during that year for Aria and it's not pretty.

Chapters are going to stay about this size for the duration of this story. It's easier for me to handle and allows me to update faster.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!