#fanfic commission

[sourwolf-sterek32]

Found You- Part 2

Summary: Nearly 10 years ago, you left home after a bad incident with your parents, Rick and Lori Grimes. In that time, you married a redneck down south and started a family. But it all came crashing down when the dead started to walk.

Pairings: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 10.8k

Warnings: language, blood, brief attempted SA (nothing happens)

PART 1

A/N- Back with a part 2!! Thank you to my lovely follower who commissioned this fanfic and wanted a part 2. I really hope she likes this, and I hope you all enjoy it as well. ❤️

*6 Months Later*

The prison had fallen. Your home, your safe haven, your everything was ripped away from you within an hour.

The Governor and his soldiers arrived thirsty for revenge with a tank, which ploughed through the fences and blasted holes into the walls of your home. The prison didn't stand a chance.

You managed to escape with Rick, Carl and your youngest son Dean. But you had no idea where the others were or more importantly were Daryl, Merle and Ricky were and it was killing you.

Michonne had showed up at some point joining the four of you in your journey to some community called Terminus. There were signs placed around the area everywhere with directions on how to get there, so you hoped that Daryl and Merle would be there, and you prayed to anyone who was listening that little Ricky was with them.

"We're close. Just got to make it through another day." Rick suddenly said, breaking the silence as you sat around the campfire on the side of the road.

Carl and Dean were asleep in the abandoned car you had come across on the road. It was a good place to camp for the night, the kids safe inside the vehicle where no walkers would be able to get to them.

"If folks there are taking people in, they have to be strong. They have to have a system." He continued to say.

"I wonder if the whole thing's legit." Michonne responded while you sat there silently and stared at the flames of the campfire.

Michonne and your father continued to talk about Terminus, but you were barely listening too busy thinking about the day the prison had fallen, the day that you last saw your husband and eldest son.

"On the bus. Go!" Maggie's voice shouted across the courtyard.

You looked up from where you were taking cover behind a turned over table, Daryl and Merle right beside you, breathing heavily and reloading their assault rifles.

Maggie and a few others were ushering some of the kids into the bus, getting ready to evacuate if it came down to it, but you could only see Ricky amongst the kids, no sign of Dean anywhere.

"Cover me. I'm going to make sure the kids are on the bus." You shouted above the gunfire.

Daryl and Merle both nodded before they stood up and started returning fire at the Governors men. You didn't waste any time before you took off sprinting across the courtyard, jumping over the bodies of the fallen and around the debris the tank had caused.

Maggie was rushing out the bus as you reached it, her eyes wide and panicked as she scanned the area behind you like she was looking for something.

"Have you seen Beth?"

You shook your head, "no. Is Dean in-"

You didn't get a chance to finish that sentence before she was sprinting off in the opposite direction shouting her sisters name desperately. You stepped into the bus, your eyes raking over the kids and elderly on the seats before you spotted Ricky standing on one of the seats and looking out the window anxiously.

"Ricky, baby." You sighed, rushing down the aisle before he turned around and threw himself into your arms. You hugged your boy back tightly before you pulled away and grabbed his shoulders, holding him in front of you. "Where's your brother? Where's Dean?"

Ricky’s face paled and he glanced over his shoulder at the brick walls of the prison and your stomach dropped. Dean was still inside?

"I-I didn't want to leave without him. But the adults told us to go, and I couldn't find Dean and-and. I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry." Ricky whimpered, his eyes now swimming with tears.

"No, no, it's okay. It's not your fault. Hey, look at me, baby, it's not your fault." You insisted, cupping his face with your hand as the tears started to fall and you wiped them away with your thumb. "I need you to be brave for me, okay? I need you to wait here and I will go and get your brother."

Ricky nodded, biting his trembling bottom lip in effort not to cry before you leant forward and placed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"I will be right back."

You spared one last glance at your son before you ran back out the bus and sprinted towards the main door of the prison.

"Dean!" You shouted, rushing inside and searching high and low for him. "Dean, where are you?!"

You checked the cafeteria first, then the shower block, but Dean was nowhere to be seen.

The cellblock was next. He wasn't in the cell that he shared with Ricky. He wasn’t in yours and Daryl's cell either and that was when you really started to panic. You began to check every single cell, throwing back all the blankets and sheets trying to find him.

"Dean! Where are you?" You shouted desperately.

"Mummy?"

You spun around so fast, nearly giving yourself whiplash in the process before you spotted your son peeking out from the door to the cell at the far end of the room. Merle's cell. Of course, he was hiding in there.

"Dean!" You rushed over and dropped to your knees in front of him, cupping his face with your hands and searching his body for any injuries, but he seemed to be fine. "Thank God. C'mon, we need to go."

You scooped Dean up in your arms and rushed back outside to put him in the bus with the other kids, but the bus was gone. It wasn't parked in the courtyard anymore. It was gone, which meant Ricky was also gone.

"No, no, no, no, no. No!" You screamed, shaking your head in denial.

This couldn't be happening. No. This couldn't be fucking happening. Your boys were gone.

"W-what's happenin'?" Dean whimpered, getting upset that you were upset.

"It-it's okay. Everything's okay." You reassured, despite the fact that your eyes were filled with tears, and it most definitely wasn't okay.

You frantically looked around taking in the carnage and destruction left over from the fight, but there was no more fighting. The gunshots had seized, and the army tank was quite literally on fire. You couldn't see any people, yours nor the Governor, but there were walkers. Lots of walkers.

The gunfire and explosions having drawn them in from the woods. Everyone must have already evacuated, there were too many walkers to fight, and the prison was destroyed. They had all left.

"Y/N!" Carls voice suddenly shouted.

You looked to your left to find him struggling to hold Rick who was leaning heavily against him.

Shit.

You sprinted over to them, shifting Dean onto your right hip before hooking your father’s other arm around your shoulder, helping take the weight from Carl. Ricks face was busted up, bloodied and bruised, the Governor having done serious damage. You hoped he had killed that son of a bitch, but you didn't ask, you had bigger things to worry about.

"Did you see where the bus went?" You quickly questioned, looking between them.

"No, was Judith on the bus?" Carl asked, grunting as the two of you helped Rick across the courtyard.

Shit. Judith wasn't on the bus, and you didn't see her in the prison either. Where the hell was she?

"I didn't see her. Where's Daryl and Merle?" You asked, but Carl shrugged his shoulders.

Maybe they had gotten on the bus before it left?

"We-we need to get out of here." Rick stuttered, his voice sounding as pained as he probably felt right now.

You nodded in agreement, the three of you picking up the pace and heading for the gap in the fence towards the woods, but out of nowhere, Rick suddenly stopped walking and was staring at something on the ground in the distance.

"What are..." Your voice died in your throat when you saw what it was.

Judith’s baby basket.

It was sitting on the ground in the middle of the courtyard, but it wasn't exactly empty. It was full of blood. Fresh blood. Oh, dear God.

You felt like you were going to be sick as tears burned in your eyes, but you couldn't look away from it no matter how badly you tried.

Judith was dead. Your baby sister was dead.

Your father and brother were both crying. Your arm tightened around Ricks waist as he leant more into your side while he sobbed. It was a different kind of pain hearing your fathers cry like that. He was always the strong one, the one that never broke, but seeing him like this broke your heart and you couldn't stop yourself from crying either.

"Hey, Y/N? Y/N?" Rick's voice called out, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You blinked, bringing yourself back to the present as you looked over at your father who was eyeing you worriedly.

"Sorry, what?" You asked.

"We're going to find the others. You know that, right? Ricky too. They're probably already at Terminus right now waiting for us."

You appreciated his words and knew he was only trying to reassure you, but you also knew that wasn't guaranteed. The others might not be at Terminus and if they weren't, then what? How were you ever meant to find Daryl? Or what if Daryl and Merle were at Terminus but Ricky wasn't with them?

"Hey." Rick said gently, leaning over and grabbing your shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

You took in a deep shaky breath and nodded while fighting back the tears you could feel starting to rise at your fathers' words. It was something so simple, the reassurance and kindness of a father, but it was something that you had spent years without. You had missed it. You had missed him so much.

"Dad... what if they're not there?" You asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't. Don't think like that."

"But-"

"If there is one thing I know about those Dixon brothers, it's that they always find a way to come back. They're kinda like a cockroach if you think about it. No matter how hard you try to kill them, they just keep coming back." Rick explained with a soft chuckle causing you to smile.

"Especially Merle. He's the slipperiest cockroach of them all. Getting shot by the Governor didn't stop him from coming back." Michonne added.

That was true. They always did find a way back. Even when Merle went after the Governor all those months ago and Daryl tracked him down by himself, they both came back. Merle was bleeding from a gunshot wound, but he still made it back. They both did.

"Oh, dearie me." A males voice suddenly said.

That voice was close. Really fucking close.

You jumped to your feet in an instant, pulling out your handgun and rushing to the car where Dean and Carl were, to protect them from whoever had snuck up on you guys. However, you only reached the hood of the car before a man suddenly stepped out from the shadows and blocked your path.

You quickly pointed your gun at him, but he didn't seem threatened in the slightest. Instead, he started to grin from ear to ear, showing off his crooked yellow teeth under the moonlight.

"You screwed up, asshole. You hear me? You screwed up." The same voice from earlier said.

You spared a quick glance over your shoulder and your stomach dropped when you realised how many of them there were. You were outnumbered, and out gunned.

A man wearing what looked to be a biker denim vest was leaning beside Rick. He had a handgun pressed to your father’s temple while one man stood behind Michonne, a gun to her head and two others stood across the campfire, some kind of assault rifles in their hands and aimed at the three of you.

You quickly turned back to the big man in front of you, his sickening grin still as wide and as disturbing as before.

"Today is a day of reckoning, sir. Restitution. A balancing of the whole damn universe." The man who you figured was the leader continued to say.

"Everyone drop your guns, or I shoot your buddy between the eyes." You threatened, finger resting on the trigger as you took a step to the side so you could see everyone else as well as keeping your sights on the big man.

The leader glanced over at you in clear amusement before he looked back down at your father.

"You might wanna tell your girl over there to lower her gun."

Rick didn't dare move his head, not when the tip of a barrel was still pressed against his temple, but his wide panicked eyes shifted over to you.

You yanked your hunting knife from the sheath on your belt and swapped hands with your gun. Within a blink of an eye, the blade of your knife was pressed to the big man’s neck and your handgun was in your non-dominant hand and aimed at their leader.

"You might wanna lower yours first." You shot back.

The man laughed, but it wasn't a normal laugh, it was forced, it was angry, and you didn't like it.

"We have you five to one."

You tilted your head, "I like those odds."

The man seemed taken back by your words, but before he could say or do anything, a voice you feared that you'd never hear again suddenly cut through the still night air.

"Joe!"

Daryl Dixon suddenly stepped out from the woods across the road, his crossbow hanging loosely in his hand by his side. He wasn't looking at this 'Joe' though, his eyes were glued to yours and yours only.

Those ocean blues were torn between relief and panic before he looked over at Rick, eyeing the gun to his head cautiously.

"Hold up. Just hold up." Daryl continued to say.

"This is the guy that killed Lou, so we got nothing to talk about." One of the guys across the campfire suddenly said.

"The thing about nowadays is we got nothing but time. Say your piece, Daryl." The leader -Joe- instructed.

"These people, you're gonna let 'em go. These are good people."

"Now, I think Lou would disagree with you on that. I'll, of course, have to speak for him and all 'cause your friend here strangled him in a bathroom." Joe responded.

Oh, crap.

Rick had told you about that, but you didn't think the guy’s group would track you down.

"You want blood, I get it." Daryl said, dropping his crossbow before holding his arms out to the side. "Take it from me, man. Come on."

What the hell was he doing? Was he trying to get himself killed?

"This man killed our friend. You say he's good people. See, now that right there is a lie. It's a lie!"

Suddenly one of the men turned on Daryl and slammed the butt of his rifle into your husband’s stomach. Daryl doubled over with a grunt of pain before the other man joined in and they both started to punch him.

"Teach him, fellas. Teach him all the way." Joe encouraged.

"No!" You screamed, shifting the sights of your gun at the two men attacking Daryl.

You were so focused on those other men, you had momentarily forgotten about the big man beside you. The blade of your hunting knife had shifted away from his neck, and he used your distraction to his advantage.

Within a blink of an eye, the big man yanked the knife from your grasp before grabbing you by your wild hair and throwing you backwards. There was nothing you could do to stop yourself from hitting the bitumen, hard. The gun tumbled from your hand as you landed on your side, skidding across the road from the sheer force of the throw.

Road rash covered your left arm. Your skin broken and bleeding, but you couldn't feel it. You weren't sure if you could feel it even if you wanted to because you were zeroed in on one thing, and one thing only, the big man who was now opening the car door to get to Dean and Carl.

"No!" You screamed, springing to your feet and slamming the man into the car door, effectively shutting it in the process.

You could hear Dean crying from inside the vehicle and you spared a quick glance through the window to find Carl holding your son trying to comfort him.

"Fucking bitch." The man hissed, his head apparently heaving hit the roof of the car from your shove as he turned to face you, his nose now heavily bleeding.

Oh, he was angry.

There was nothing you could do to stop the hand that came your way. He grabbed you by the collar of your shirt and swung you around before pinning you against the hood of the car.

You grunted at the hard impact and tried to thrash out of his grip, but he had stepped up against you, his body pinning you down against the hood, making it impossible to move.

"You leave her be!" Rick furiously shouted in the background somewhere, but there was nothing he could do.

The other two men were still beating Daryl over the other side of the car. You couldn't see him from where you were, but you could hear the punches and grunts. They were going to beat him to death.

You tried to kick the man out from behind you, you tried to throw your elbow back to hit him, but he had you pinned down well. You weren't getting out of this.

"Listen, it was me. It was just me!" Rick continued to shout.

"See, that's right. That's not some damn lie." Joe responded. "Look, we can settle this. We're reasonable men. First, we're gonna beat Daryl to death. Then we'll have your two girls. Then the boys. Then I'm gonna shoot you and then we'll be square."

Nope. That is not going to happen.

You thrashed against the hood of the car, trying again to get free and although it was pointless, you kept trying.

"Stop your squirming." He laughed from behind you, his hand reaching up and starting to lift your shirt.

"Get the fuck off me!" You yelled, but that only made the man laugh even more.

Suddenly, a gunshot fired nearby, halting the man's hand on your shirt instantly. Dread filled your stomach as you tilted your head to the side in fear, expecting the worst.

Joe took a stumbling step away from Rick, holding his bloodied nose, and it wasn't hard to figure out that your father must have headbutted him. Rick quickly got to his feet and punched Joe, but Joe punched him back just as hard, sending your father to the ground in one hit.

"I got him." Joe declared, reassuring his men before he kicked Rick in the stomach. "Oh, it's gonna be so much worse now. Come on, get up!"

The hood of the car suddenly shifted under you, and you looked up to find Daryl now being pinned against it on the other side, the men still punching him repeatedly.

"No! Stop!" You screamed, watching helplessly as he got beat.

"Get away from her before I-" Rick started to shout before Joe cut him off.

"What the hell are you gonna do now, sport?"

You yanked and thrashed in the man’s grip as you looked back over at your father to find Joe now practically hugging Rick to his chest, pinning him down. You, Daryl and Rick now all pinned down while Michonne sat with a gun trained to her head.

This was it.

This was how it ended.

Then, Rick suddenly bit down into Joe's throat causing the man to cry out in pain before Rick pulled his head back, taking out a chunk of flesh from Joe's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere from the literal hole in his neck before his body dropped to the ground.

Rick spat the mouthful out, blood dripping down his mouth, staining his beard and the once white woollen collar of his jacket a bright crimson red.

The man behind you had stopped, clearly having watched the whole thing happen too. Your father stood there for a moment, staring down at Joe's body, clearly shocked with what he had just done.

Michonne and Daryl were quick to use the bad guy’s distraction to their advantage, taking them down easily. The man holding you suddenly dug his fingers into the back of your dirty blonde hair and yanked you off the hood of the car before holding you in front of him, pressing the blade of your own hunting to knife to your throat.

Great, he was using your own knife against you.

Michonne quickly pointed her gun at him, but the guy was using you as a human shield. She was a good shot, but you did not trust her enough to take this kind of shot.

"Let her go." She ordered, glaring at the man behind you.

His grip only tightened on you, the knife digging into your neck a little harder causing you to wince.

"He's mine." Rick growled.

Your father suddenly marched straight past Michonne and the man behind you gasped in fear, his body now trembling as he stared at Ricks animalistic rageful eyes.

Suddenly, the man let go of you, pushing you back into the car as he took a few shaky steps backwards as if to surrender before Rick speared his knife straight into his neck.

You quickly stepped in front of the car door window, blocking Dean and Carl's view of your father. You found yourself unable to look away as Rick yanked the knife out before slicing it through his neck once again, blood gushing out the wounds like a waterfall.

"Y/N? Sweetheart, shit, are you okay? Sweetheart, are you okay?" Daryl's voice suddenly questioned before he appeared in front of you, snapping your attention away from your father.

Daryl's face was a mess with reddening bruises and blood, but he didn't seem phased by his own injuries. He was too busy scanning your body up and down, searching you for injuries. His eyes hovered over your left arm which you hadn't even looked yet, but you knew it wasn't bad.

You could still hear Rick stabbing the man behind Daryl. The sound of the blade slicing through flesh and blood irreplaceable in the now silent night. He just kept stabbing, and stabbing, and stabbing the man, but you didn't try to stop him. He needed to unleash his anger somehow, so you let him go.

Daryl's blue eyes met yours with a questioning look, and you realised that all this time, you hadn't said anything or answered his questions. You had been too caught up in your own head to notice.

"I-I'm okay." You stuttered, still a little shaken after everything that just happened. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, but you knew that was bullshit. By tomorrow morning his face was going to be covered in bruises, but you knew Daryl was no stranger to that.

Rick eventually stood up and dropped the blood laced knife to the ground before he glanced over at you, and you met your fathers gaze over Daryl's shoulder.

His eyes had a faraway look about them, like he wasn't entirely there after what he had just did, but there was a flash of concern amongst the rage brewing inside of him.

"I'm good. Dad, I swear. I'm okay." You reassured, knowing that was what he was worried about.

Rick hesitated for a second, like he wasn't sure if he should believe you or not before he glanced at Daryl and seemed to realise that you were in capable hands before he simply nodded and turned away, walking off into the woods.

"Wait-" You quickly said, side stepping around Daryl to go after him before Michonne grabbed your shoulder.

"Let him go. He needs to cool down. He'll be back."

You wanted to disagree with that. Not liking the thought of him being out there alone in the dark after all of this, but you knew Michonne was right, your father wouldn't have walked off if he didn't need the space, you had to respect that.

Michonne gave you a small reassuring smile before she walked over to the car and opened the door. Carl was quick to climb out, and instantly hugged the other woman. Michonne seemed taken back by the sudden display of affection, but she quickly hugged him nonetheless.

Little Dean fearfully stuck his head out the car door and you quickly dropped to your knees in front of him, taking in his tear-streaked face and terrified eyes.

God, you hoped he hadn't seen all of that.

"Holy shit, Dean!" Daryl gasped, shock and utter relief filling his voice.

Deans scared eyes suddenly lit up hearing his father's voice and his head snapped up in Daryl's direction, those little almond shaped hazel eyes widening into saucers.

"Daddy!"

Your heart melted watching Dean climb out the car and practically throw himself into Daryl's arms who had only just crouched down before having to catch the five-year-old.

"H-how? I... I thought he was on the bus?" Daryl whispered, tilting his head up to you in shock, his eyes shimmering with tears before he looked back down at the boy in his arms. "I thought you were on the bus. 'N when I checked the bus and ya weren't there, I thought..."

He thought Dean was dead.

Daryl thought his son was dead. These past two weeks he had thought little Merle Dean was dead, but he wasn't He was right here, and you felt yourself tearing up just watching him hold his son.

"Wait." You suddenly said, realisation hitting you like a truck. "You checked the bus? Was Ricky still-"

Daryl smiled through his tears before he stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly, cutting your sentence off.

You frowned in confusion and opened your mouth to ask what the fuck that was, but then you heard it.

"Mummy! Mummy!"

Your heart just about stopped at the familiar voice before you spun around to find Ricky running out from behind a tree across the road.

"Oh my God." You gasped, sprinting the remaining distance to your son before you bent down and lifted him up into your arms, hugging him tightly.

"Daddy told me to hide in the trees and to not come out until he whistled. I did it." Ricky said proudly, his little arms wrapped tightly around your neck.

"You did, baby. You did so good." You sobbed, unable to hold your tears back as you held him. "I missed you. I missed you so much."

"Ricky!" Dean suddenly squealed.

Hearing his little brothers voice had Ricky snapping into action. He let go of your neck and began to wriggle in your arms, wanting to be put down. The last thing you wanted to do was let go of him, but you forced yourself to do it as you gently lowered your eldest son to the ground.

The second his shoes hit the ground, he took off sprinting to the car where Daryl was still crouched, holding Dean, but he quickly released the other boy, and you watched through silent tears as the brothers reunited and entangled themselves together in a big hug.

Daryl got to his feet and walked back over to you, not saying a word before he snaked his arm around your waist and pulled you into his side. His warm, gentle hands were comforting, they were safe, and you allowed yourself to be manhandled before you leant your head against his shoulder.

Silent tears were still trickling down your face, your eyes glued to your sons who were hugging one another before you wrapped your arms around Daryl's stomach and hugged him too.

"We're okay, sweetheart. We're all okay." Daryl whispered, kissing the top of your head. "I love ya."

-

You awoke the following morning inside the safety of the car. Carl and Michonne were both passed out in the front seats while Ricky and Dean were curled up on the backseat, their heads resting in your lap.

"We should save it to drink." You heard your father say from somewhere outside the car.

"You can't see yourself, Y/N and the kids can." Came Daryl's reply.

You glanced out through the window of the car to find Rick sitting down against the front wheel of the car, using Daryl's red rag to wipe the dried blood from his face before Daryl sat down beside him.

You turned your attention back to the two boys in your lap, drowning out Daryl and Ricks conversation about Beth, who, by the sound of it, didn't make it.

Ricky began to stir a little in his sleep before his bright blue eyes fluttered open and he smiled sleepily at you.

"Hi, baby." You whispered, resting your hand on the side of his face and brushing his cheek with your thumb gently. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to go."

Ricky nodded ever so slightly before his eyes slipped shut again and he rolled over, shifting closer to his brother who was still out like a log.

"I knew they were bad, but they had a code. It was simple. Stupid, but it was something. It was enough." Daryl continued to say quietly from outside.

"And you were alone." Rick reminded him.

Carefully, you shifted your sons heads out of your lap before quietly opening your car door, not wanting to wake them or Michonne and Carl who seemed to be making the most of this rare sleep-in opportunity.

"They said they were lookin' for some guy. Last night they said they spotted him. I was hangin' back. I was gonna leave... but, I thought I heard Y/N shout. That's when I saw it was you guys. Right when ya saw me. I didn't know what they could do."

Daryl's voice was heavy with shame, the same way his guilt was weighing down upon his shoulders. He blamed himself for what happened. He felt responsible for it all.

"It's not on you, Daryl." Rick insisted, but Daryl refused to look at him. "Hey. It's not on you. You being back with us here, now, that's everything. You're my brother."

You quietly closed the car door behind yourself, successfully getting out without waking anyone before you walked around the vehicle to find the two of them still sitting against the front wheel and looking out at the woods ahead. Their poker faces were terrible, you could see the emotion washing over the two of them from that conversation, but neither of them wanted to show it.

"I think you mean, son-in-law." You piped up, trying to lighten the mood.

"Jesus." Rick exhaled with a chuckle as he tilted his head up towards you. "We were having a moment here."

"By sitting side-by-side and staring straight ahead? What a touching moment." You teased causing Daryl to snort softly in amusement. "You guys okay though?" You asked seriously.

They both gave you a small nod, although you suspected that neither of them would admit if they weren't okay, so it was a stupid question really.

You sat down beside Daryl, leaning your back against the frame of the car before reaching over and grabbing his hand, lacing your fingers together before shifting your hands into your lap.

Daryl didn't say anything, he simply let you hold his hand in silence as the three of you sat there together.

"Merle?" You asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

Daryl shrugged, "went to get Ricky out the bus. By the time I came back, he was gone. Haven't seen him since."

Shit.

Daryl's head quickly turned to you, and you could practically see the light bulb shining brightly above his head at the sudden thought or idea he had just gotten.

He glanced over at Rick almost cautiously, but your father was too busy staring down at his blood-stained hands to notice the look. Daryl quickly turned back to you before mouthing the words, 'Judith?' and your heart shattered.

You bit your lip and silently shook your head, willing the tears you could feel coming to stay back as Daryl’s expression dropped. His own heart shattering, but he didn't say anything. He didn't react loudly, seeming to realise that it would be bad to bring that topic up in front of Rick.

"Merle is probably at Terminus." You suddenly said, wanting to change the topic to something positive.

"He will be, and we should get a move on if we wanna make it before sundown." Rick pointed out, and the two of you nodded in agreement.

-

Later that day, the group of you were walking straight into Terminus after hiding a duffle bag of weapons in the woods for backup. You wandered straight through the back gate without being stopped and entered some kind of old building where a group of people were seated at tables and seemed to be drawing up maps.

"Hello." Rick called out, announcing your presence.

Everyone in the room froze at the unexpected voice before a man sighed and dropped his paint brush onto the table.

"Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch. You here to rob us?"

"No. We wanted to see you before you saw us."

"Usually we do this where the tracks meet." The man continued to say, stepping out from around the table to walk over to you. "Welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth."

You stood back in silence letting your father do all the talking with Gareth and before you knew it, a man named Alex was giving you all a guided tour around the community.

It wasn't until you got outside to what seemed to be an outdoor cafeteria type area, where someone was cooking a barbeque that it all came crashing down.

Michonne, Alex and the woman behind the barbeque were talking while you scanned your surroundings and the people in the area before your eyes landed on a man wearing prison armour.

Where the hell did he get that from?

You kept looking around, noting all the fresh gardens and tables set up under large umbrellas where a few people were sitting and eating. But then you saw something that you'd never misplace.

Daryl's poncho.

A woman sitting at one of those tables was wearing his poncho. It was his. You knew it was his because it had that little hole by the bottom left where Ricky had burnt it while playing with Uncle Merle's lighter without permission.

How the fuck did this random person get Daryl’s poncho? How did that other guy have prison riot armour?

Alarm bells were starting to go off in your head. All of this was just one giant red flag, and you couldn't ignore it.

You adjusted your hold on Dean who was resting on your hip before you took a step forward until you were between Daryl and Rick, both of them looking around the area on high alert.

"Not to alarm anyone, but that guy is in prison armour and that chick is wearing your poncho. How?" You asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Both Daryl and Rick suddenly turned tense in realisation, their heads snapping in those people’s direction.

Okay, good. So, you weren’t just being paranoid. It isn't just a coincidence.

Rick suddenly marched forward just as Alex went to hand Michonne a plate of grilled meat. Your father smacked the food out Alex's hand and grabbed the man, wrapping his arm around Alex's neck and holding his back against his chest with a gun to the side of his head.

In an instant, you drew your handgun from the holster on your hip, aiming at other people in the area who had already raised their own weapons at the group of you.

"Ricky, behind me. Now." You ordered, not taking your eyes off the armed people in front of you.

You felt Ricky grab onto the back of your pants, hiding behind your legs before you glanced over at Daryl to find him with his crossbow raised, Michonne and Carl also following suit with their guns.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick questioned, and you only just realised that he pulled out a silver pocket watch from Alex's pocket which you assumed belonged to someone at the prison.

"You want answers? You want anything else? You get them when you put down the gun." Alex responded.

"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle. How good's his aim?"

You quickly glanced over at the roof to find that there was in fact a man on the roof with a scoped rifle. Shit. How did you not notice him earlier?

You quickly shifted your sights onto the man on the roof, trusting Daryl, Michonne and Carl to have the others under control. Your fingers rested against the trigger as you aimed at him with one hand, the other firmly holding Dean to your side.

"Where did you get the watch?" Rick repeated sternly.

Alex began yelling at the sniper to lower the weapon and not do anything. To your surprise the man listened and lowered the sniper, but you kept your handgun aimed in his direction not taking any chances.

"I got it off a dead one. I didn't think he'd need it." Alex tried to say, his shaky hands raised in surrender, but Rick didn't remove the gun from the side of his head.

"What about the riot gear? The poncho?" You questioned, not bothering to look at the man as you spoke, keeping your sights on the sniper.

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop." Gareth's voice suddenly answered. You quickly spun around with your gun raised to find the other man standing directly behind you. "Found the poncho on a clothesline."

"Bullshit. That is my husband's poncho. Try again."

Gareth eyed you cautiously, staring down the barrel of your gun before he glanced over at Rick, dismissing you completely.

"What's there left to say? You don't trust us anymore." Gareth simply responded before turning his attention over to your father. "Rick, what do you want?"

You kept your gun trained on Gareth while Rick spoke with him before Gareth suddenly raised his hand to signal someone and Rick fired his gun without warning.

It all happened so quickly.

Dean and Ricky both screamed in fright, and you looked over at your father realising that he had just killed Alex. A second later, gunfire erupted, and you quickly turned around to shoot Gareth, but the man had vanished.

Shit.

You turned your body to the side, trying to shield Dean in your arms and Ricky hiding behind your body as you returned fire at the other people. Daryl suddenly picked up Ricky in his arms before you all took off running away from the gunfire.

Dean was whimpering in your arms, his body trembling as he buried his face in the crook of your neck. You wanted to comfort him, to reassure him that everything would be okay, but with the bullets raining down on you, now was not the time for that.

After a few seconds of running, it became apparent that those people weren't shooting to kill you, they were shooting by your feet. They were shooting at the ground trying to herd you in whatever direction they wanted you to go in.

Oh, that couldn't be good.

"They want us to go this way. They're shooting at our feet!" You shouted above the gunfire.

"We don't have a choice, keep running!" Rick shouted back.

As suspected, they herded you guys like damn sheep in a pen and before you knew it, you were trapped out in the open between a tall, barbed wire fence and a large warehouse building, nothing but an old train cart to your left.

"Drop your weapons! Now!" Gareth shouted.

You looked up to find him now standing on the roof of the warehouse, another man beside him with an assault rifle aimed at you all.

Damnit, how the hell is this guy everywhere?

"Now!" He repeated when none of you moved.

You glanced around trying to find a way out, but you were trapped between the fence and warehouse that was lined with men with guns aimed at you all. There was nowhere to go.

Daryl looked over at you, his bruised but fearful eyes locking with yours before he dropped his crossbow to the ground and lowered Ricky down beside him. Rick looked between you all, his mind working overtime trying to think of a way out of this, but you knew there wasn't one.

Slowly, you lowered your handgun to the ground before putting Dean down as well, wanting your hands to be free in case you had to fight.

The second Dean was on the ground, Ricky rushed over before Daryl could stop him and he quickly grabbed his brother protectively and pulled him behind you, both of them grabbing onto the back of your pants for safety.

Rick, Michonne and Carl all lowered their weapons as well, none of them looking happy about it.

"Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go." Gareth suddenly instructed.

There was a train cart on your left with the letter 'A' spray painted on the side. He wanted Rick to go inside there? Great, perfect. This was not going to end well.

"You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies, and you end up in there anyway." Gareth further explained, noticing your fathers hesitation.

Rick glanced over at you and Carl for a brief moment, giving you both a small nod before he began to walk towards the train cart.

"Now the archer."

Like Rick, Daryl hesitated. He didn't want to leave you and the boys out here when there were several men on roofs with guns aimed directly at you. You gave him a small nod of encouragement, despite not wanting him to leave you either. But you also knew that if you pissed off Gareth and didn't do as he said, it wouldn’t end well.

Daryl sighed, but started to follow Rick.

"Now the samurai." Gareth instructed a few seconds later. Michonne glared up at him but obeyed. "Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai, in that order."

"My kids!" Rick shouted, not taking his eyes off you and Carl as Daryl and Michonne lined up behind him in front of the door to the train cart.

Gareth looked back down at you and although it was hard to see his face from all the way up on the roof of the warehouse, you could see that he was grinning.

"I am not going anywhere without these boys." You stated sternly, your hands behind your back, holding onto your sons as you glanced over at Carl who took a few steps closer to you, his brown eyes filled with terror.

"Relax, mama bear. You and the three boys can go."

Carl quickly grabbed Ricky’s hand while you picked up Dean and you hurriedly walked in the direction of the train cart.

"Ringleader, open the door and go in." Gareth shouted from the roof.

"I'll go in with them." Rick shouted back, not taking his eyes off you and Carl as you walked over to them.

"Don't make us kill the girl now."

Ricks face twisted in anger. He glanced at the door to the train cart before glancing back at you, not wanting to go inside when you and Carl weren't there yet, but seemed to realise he didn't have a choice.

You watched as Rick climbed up the steps before he pulled open the door to the train cart before stepping inside, Daryl and Michonne following before you and Carl reached the steps.

"Go." You said, nodding at Carl to go inside first.

He nodded, his hand still holding Ricky’s as he slowly walked up the steps with his nephew and stepped inside before you followed. Daryl instantly stepped in front of you, his hand cupping the side of your face before he looked down at Dean in your arms when suddenly the door behind you slammed shut.

It was dark inside. The only light was streaming in through the small gaps in the door barely lighting up the cart. You could see Daryl in front of you though, his eyes never leaving yours, like he had been afraid that he would never see you again after getting momentarily separated.

"It's okay." You whispered, grabbing his hand with your free one before glancing over at Ricky who was still clutching Carl’s hand tightly.

"Rick?" A voice suddenly questioned.

Wait. That voice... you knew that voice.

You turned around and had to do a double take when a couple figures stepped out from the shadows at the far end of the train cart and your jaw dropped when you realised who they were.

Glenn and Maggie.

Holy shit, they were alive.

"You're here." Rick responded, sounding as shocked as you were.

A few other people suddenly emerged from the darkness, two familiar faces, Sasha and Bob, but the other men and women were strangers, although Maggie and Glenn didn't seem worried about them.

"They're our friends. They helped save us." Maggie explained, like she could somehow read your mind.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded, his hand still holding yours. "Now they're friends of ours."

"For however long that'll be." The big redhaired man muttered, shaking his head before he turned away.

"No." Rick stated, shaking his head causing the man to turn back towards him. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."

Your father walked over to the door, peaking through the small gap as the redhaired man stepped forward, "find out what?"

“They're screwing with the wrong people."

-

Nobody slept a wink that night, minus Ricky and Dean. Those little boys could sleep anywhere if they wanted to. The rest of you stayed up talking, Daryl telling Maggie about Beth, Glenn introducing you to Tara, Rosita, Abraham and Eugene.

They seemed like decent people, Eugene was a little strange, but was nice enough and Maggie and Glenn vouched for them, so that was all you cared about.

The group of you made weapons out of anything that you could. Gareth had apparently stripped the others of all their weapons, but you still had your hunting knife on your belt and pocketknife. The knives were used to carve wood out from the side of the cart, shaving off the tips and making them into weapons.

Carl helped as well, but also sat in the corner with Ricky and Dean, keeping your boy’s company and trying to distract them from how scary this whole thing must be for them.

"Alright, got four of 'em pricks comin' our way." Daryl announced from where he was keeping watch through the gap in the door.

"Ricky, Dean, you two stay right there, okay? Don't move." You instructed, looking over at your boys who were still sitting in the corner.

They both nodded, but Ricky must have sensed the urgency in your voice because he reached over and grabbed his little brother’s hand to make sure Dean didn't try and move.

You turned back to Daryl who had stepped away from the door, and you handed him your hunting knife. He took it with a nod of appreciation before you pulled out your pocketknife, flicking the blade out with your thumb.

"Y'all know what to do. Go for their eyes first. Then their throats." Rick instructed.

"Put your backs to the walls on either end of the car, now!" A male’s voice shouted from outside.

None of you listened. You all huddled around the door with your weapons raised ready to attack the second that door got pulled open. But then a hatch suddenly opened in the roof, daylight streaming down at you all.

You squinted at the bright light, unable to see what was up there before something suddenly fell through the hole and clanged onto the ground. You looked down in confusion and your stomach dropped when you saw the silver device by your feet.

Oh, fuck.

"Move!" Abraham's voice boomed through the cart.

Daryl grabbed your arm, yanking you away from the canister before shielding your body with his just as it exploded with a loud bang.

The force of the explosion sent you and Daryl to the ground. Your body crashed into the hard floor. In the back of your mind, you acknowledged that the explosive had been some kind of stun or gas grenade and nothing lethal, but that little piece of information was useless right now as you laid on the ground quite literally stunned and ears ringing loudly.

You blinked, trying to get your head straight as you glanced around, the entire cart filled with white smoke as you cough and spluttered. Your vision was blurry, but you could see Daryl lying on the ground beside you, not fairing much better.

Your body wouldn’t cooperate as you tried to move, your limps feeling numb as you tilted your head to the side and allowed yourself to relax slightly when you spotted your sons across the cart. Ricky was covering Deans body with his own, shielding his little brother from the explosion.

Suddenly, the door to the cart slid open, and you watched helplessly as a group of men marched inside and started to drag some of you out.

"Daddy!" Dean cried, peeking out from behind Ricky to see his father being hauled away by the men in riot armour.

"No!" You yelled, staggering up onto shaky feet and reaching for Daryl who seemed to be unconscious in the man’s arms. "Let him go!"

You rushed forward, your head spinning and ears still ringing from the explosion, but then something hard slammed into the side of your head and the last thing you heard was Rick screaming, "don't touch her!" before everything turned black.

-

"My dad's gonna be back. They all are."

That was the first thing you registered when you started to wake up. The second being what sounded like screams and gunfire in the distance.

What the hell was going on?

"They are. And we need to get ready to fight when they do." A different voice said. A voice you knew.

Maggie.

Slowly, you blinked your eyes open to find that you were laying on the floor of the train cart with two sets of familiar eyes looking down at you in worry.

"Mummy! You're awake!" Dean said happily, plonking himself down on top of you in a hug.

You grunted at the sudden impact before Ricky hugged you as well and you laid there for a moment and wrapped your arms around your sons holding them against your chest.

They were okay. Your boys were okay.

Maggie suddenly stepped into your line of sight, hovering above you almost worriedly.

"What happened?" You asked, your voice coming out weaker than you expected before you cleared your throat and tried again. "What happened?"

"They took Glenn, Rick, Daryl and Bob. But there was an explosion not long ago and now it sounds like a war outside. We're not sure what's going on. Can you stand?"

Ricky must have been listening because he suddenly let you go before he grabbed his brother and pulled him off you, giving you room to sit up as you looked around. The others were all sitting and standing around, everyone's eyes on you.

You could hear the sound of walkers above the rapid gunfire, their distinct growls and snarls coming from outside the train cart.

Maggie held her hand out and helped you to your feet before Carl walked over and handed your pocketknife back to you which he must have found on the ground.

"Thanks." You said, taking the knife before suddenly the door to the train cart opened and Rick stood in the doorway.

"Come on! Fight to the fence!" He shouted, briefly looking at you all before he turned and began shooting walkers with what appeared to be an AK-47 in his hands.

Where the hell did he get that from?

Everyone hurried out through the open door before you could even move, but Daryl pushed past them and stepped inside the cart, his wide panicked eyes frantically searching the small space before he saw you standing beside the kids.

"You good?" He quickly asked, rushing forward and grabbing the side of your face, gently tilting your head to the side to look at the bruise on your forehead from the hit that knocked you out.

You grabbed his hand and lowered it from your face, "I'm good. Let's get out of here."

Daryl nodded, before he picked up Dean in his arms and you grabbed Ricky’s hand with your free one and you rushed out the train cart where the others were fighting the herd of walkers.

Shit, there were a lot of them.

"Y/N!" Rick's voice suddenly shouted.

You looked up and only just had enough time to catch the assault rifle he tossed your way.

"You hold onto the back of my shirt, and you don't let go, understand?" You instructed, looking down at Ricky who frantically nodded, grabbing the bottom of your shirt in a vice like grip.

Daryl was taking out walkers with a metal pipe in one hand while holding Dean to his chest with the other and you quickly raised your rifle and began shooting at the walkers, taking them out one by one.

"This way! C'mon!" Your fathers voice shouted.

The group of you ploughed your way through the herd of the dead, clearing a path until you reached the tall, barred wire fence that lined the community. Abraham and Rosita found an old blanket and threw it over the top of the fence to cover the sharp barbs.

Everyone began throwing themselves over the tall fence with Abraham’s help.

"You keep shooting, I'll get Ricky over the fence." Michonne instructed.

You glanced over your shoulder and nodded at your son to go with Michonne who quickly picked him up and rushed over to the fence where Daryl was lifting Dean over to someone on the other side.

Satisfied that your boys were in safe hands, you turned around to find a group of men appearing up on the rooftops of the warehouse, giving you deja vu.

"Y/N!" Your father shouted for backup, raising his rifle towards the men.

"I see them." You responded, wedging the butt of the rifle into your shoulder before you looked through the scope.

The crosshairs were moving all over the place as you tried to hold the gun still, but your hands were shaking too much, so you just squeezed the trigger and shot in their general direction. It seemed to work though because after a few seconds, they were all dead.

You and Rick turned your sights onto the walkers that were getting closer and closer, their rotten bodies stumbling through the courtyard towards you all.

You began to shoot at them too, trying to buy the others time to get over the fence before your gun suddenly clicked, the bullets no longer firing.

"I'm out of ammo!" You called out, dropping the rifle and drawing your pocketknife back out.

"Get over the fence, I'll cover you!" Rick shouted, stepping in front of you protectively while he kept shooting at the walkers.

You hurried back over to the fence just as Abraham helped the last person over and you glanced over your shoulder, "Dad, c'mon!"

Abraham helped you over the fence, making quick work of it before you landed on the other side where the others were all waiting. Rick landed beside you a moment later, stumbling a little failing to get his footing before you grabbed the collar of his jacket and steadied him.

"Thanks." He sighed, breathlessly, resting his hand over yours just as Abraham hauled himself over the fence too.

You glanced over to find Daryl holding Dean while Ricky stood beside him, holding his free hand before you glanced around at the others, relieved that everyone was okay.

Daryl led you all through the woods, tracking your old footprints from yesterday before he found where Rick had buried the bag of weapons. While your father dug up the bag, he argued with Abraham and the others about what to do next, but their arguing came to a quick stop when footsteps approached you all from behind.

You turned around quickly and reached for your knife, but froze when you saw that it was Carol.

Holy shit, she was alive.

Daryl was the first to react, putting his son down before rushing over and hugging her. You let out a small chuckle of disbelief, unable to believe she was alive as you walked over to her.

"I'm so glad you're okay." You said.

"I'm glad you guys are okay." She replied, looking between you and Daryl with a big smile before she glanced at someone over your shoulder.

"Did you do that?"

You turned around at your father’s voice to find him motioning back in the direction of Terminus and suddenly it all made sense. The explosion that Maggie told you about, that was Carol.

Carol nodded before Rick pulled her into a hug and you smiled watching the two of them reunite.

"She had a little help!"

Merle Dixon suddenly emerged from the woods, and you found yourself paralysed to the spot in pure disbelief. He was alive. Holy shit, he was alive and him and Carol had just saved your lives.

"Uncle Merle!" Ricky and Dean both squealed.

Your kids seemed to process this information quicker than anyone else because within a flash, they were sprinting over to their uncle. Merle grinned, kneeling down with his arms out just as your sons threw themselves into his embrace causing Merle to chuckle.

"Have you two grown since I last saw ya? Look how big you are! You're gonna be out huntin' with me in no time." Merle exclaimed, hugging his nephews tightly before he tilted his head up towards you and Daryl, and a relieved smile spread across his face.

"Jesus, man. I thought you were dead." Daryl muttered, trying not to show how much he really cared, but you could hear the emotion in his voice.

Merle just grinned, letting go of his nephews before he stood up and took a few steps towards his brother. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Merle shook his head and pulled Daryl into a tight hug.

"Ain't nothin' can kill me, little brother." Merle reassured, patting Daryl's back before he glanced over at you. "Y/N, get your freckled face over here 'n give ya brother-in-law a hug."

You rolled your eyes at his choice of words, but walked over anyway just as Merle lifted one of his arms off Daryl and pulled you into the family hug. You closed your eyes and hugged the two of them, allowing yourself a moment to let your guard down as you stood in the safety of their arms.

"Dixon, is that you?" Abraham suddenly called out.

Wait, what?

You and Daryl pulled away from Merle in confusion to find Merle looking just as confused as he looked in the direction of the voice to find Abraham slowly walking towards him.

"Ford?" Merle questioned in shock.

A giant smile broke out across the redhead’s face, and if you weren't mistaken, that was the first time you had ever seen the man smile.

"Son of a dick, it's really you." Abraham exclaimed, holding his hand out.

Merle grinned, taking Abraham’s hand before they pulled each other into a quick hug-pat thing that guys seemed to always do.

"Wait, you two know each other?" You asked, looking between them in confusion.

The two of them pulled apart and Merle nodded, "we sure do. I know him from my army days."

"Bro, you got kicked out the army." Daryl pointed out causing Merle to glare at him, but there was no real heat behind it.

"We were in Basic together." Abraham supplied, still smiling brightly. "Man, remember all the shit we used to get up to?"

Merle grinned, "remember that night when we-"

"Whoa, is this story PG rated?" You quickly asked, glancing over at Ricky and Dean who were looking up at Abraham and Merle like they were the most fascinating people on this planet.

"None of Abrahams army stories are PG rated." Rosita spoke up, shooting the redhead a smirk. "We should probably get going. I don't wanna be near that place when those walkers get out."

Yeah, she had a fair point.

"You have to come with me." Carol quickly said, pointily looking at Rick as she spoke before she suddenly turned around and began walking off through the woods.

"She's right. C'mon, Officer Friendly, you're gonna love this." Merle announced, turning and following Carol.

You glanced over at your father in confusion who met your gaze with equal amounts of confusion, but you just shrugged your shoulders before the group of you all followed the two of them through the woods.

Eventually you reached a small dirt road which you then followed, neither Carol nor Merle elaborating any further about where you were going, until you spotted an old wooden cabin in the distance. The door to the cabin opened a moment later and your jaw dropped when Tyreese stepped out with baby Judith in his arms.

Rick made a sort of strangled gasping sound in the back of his throat beside you before he quickly pulled his rifle off his shoulders, holding it out in your general direction. He couldn't speak, but you didn't need him to as you took his gun before he sprinted down the dirt road.

Carl ran after your father and tears started to blur your vision as you watched Tyreese hand over your baby sister to them before Sasha jogged over engulfing her brother into a tight hug.

The rest of you all slowly walked over to them. Merle was holding both Dean and Ricky in his arms while he chatted away with Abraham. Your sons refusing to leave their uncles side, but Merle didn't seem to mind.

Daryl slung his arm over your shoulder, and you rested your head against his chest and wiped the tears from your eyes as Rick handed Judith to Carl.

"Thank you." Your father said, turning to Tyreese.

"Don't thank me, man. Dixon was the one that saved her back at the prison."

Everyone's head snapped in Merle’s direction who was too busy talking with Abraham to hear what was going on, but he noticed the sudden attention because he stopped whatever he was saying and looked around at everyone in confusion.

"What?"

"You saved Judith." Rick stated, like he couldn't quite believe it was true.

"Yeah, I did," Merle nodded seriously, glancing over at the baby girl in Carls arms before he chuckled. "And you lot doubted my baby-sitting ability."

You rolled your eyes, "that is because you keep teaching my sons bad language. We don't want Judith’s first word to be asshole."

"Well, someone's gotta be the fun uncle. It sure as shit ain't gonna be Mr. Goodie Two-shoes over there." Merle responded pointing at Glenn. "No offence, man."

Glenn laughed softly, "no, that's fair."

"I think I like Glenn better. He hasn't taught those boys anything bad." You pointed out, giving Glenn a small appreciative nod.

"Wait, wait, what about that day Glenn gave Ricky the lighter?" Maggie suddenly reminded.

"I swear, I didn't think he'd try and set that poncho on fire." Glenn said defensively.

"That was you?" You gasped, looking over at Glenn who had the decency to look guilty. "I've been blaming Merle for the past two months."

Daryl snorted softly from beside you, "to be fair, it is usually always Merle who does stupid shit."

"I am standing right here." Merle exclaimed, pretending to take offence to the whole conversation causing you all to start laughing.

"Hold on, I'm confused." Rosita suddenly said, looking between your family. "Rick is your father, but he is also Carl and that baby’s father, and Daryl is your husband, and those boys are you sons?"

You chuckled softly, "yeah, pretty much."

"Oh, okay. That makes total sense." Tara nodded sarcastically.

"It's okay, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and I've known them for a while now." Michonne piped up causing you all to start laughing again.

"We need to go." Rick announced once the laughing had stopped.

You looked over at your father to find him staring at the smoke in the distance. The community of Terminus still burning from the explosion Carol and Merle had caused.

"Yeah, but where?" Daryl asked, his arm still over your shoulder.

"Somewhere far away from there."

-

Next Chapter

-

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[eddie-sweetheart]

Autumn Sunset

Once, Eddie helped Steve with unrequested but much-needed love advice. Now, as the sun sets in the countryside surrounding Hawkins, it's time for Steve to return the favor.

Tropes: Eddie x female reader, body positivity, fluff and a very sweet love confession.

Warnings: Drug use, light swearing, physical insecurities.

Word count: 6.5k

Author’s notes: This work has been adapted from a commission for a very sweet and lovely mutual of mine. If you're reading this, thank you for asking me to write something for you: it was an honor! 🤍

🌹 Masterlist 🌹

You’ve never seen a sunset as perfect as this. As the van runs along the empty road, the trees a green blur outside the windows and the words Leaving Hawkins - Come again soon getting smaller and far away in the rearview mirror, you can’t take your eyes off the gold and fire that’s striping the blue Indiana sky. 

It’s not the first sunset you’ve witnessed on the road, but this one feels special. The mesmerizing colors, broken up here and there by pink fluffy clouds, are not simply beautiful: they look properly glorious, as if they’re carrying a beautiful secret that they can’t wait to share with you - as if something good is laying there, just past the line of the horizon.

It’s a peaceful sight, one that perfectly matches the wide, silent fields of the countryside - a tranquil sea of green just outside the city lines, still dewy from the morning rain and apparently untouched by the horror and devastation that plagued Hawkins two seasons ago. 

It was spring, and it was terrifying, and as the memories start echoing at the very edge of your mind you push them away, focusing on the falling leaves that are scattered on the dark concrete like orange, brown and red confetti. It’s over, for now, and you’re all okay: that’s what matters. The present moment, the beauty and warmth of autumn, the company of your friends.

Your friends. You move your gaze away from the window and the flowing road, and glance at the six of them with a soft smile. As the sky is starting to get darker outside, they seem to light up the interior of the live-in van with their laughter, jokes, and affectionate bickering. 

“Guys, come on” Robin is groaning, slumped in front of you across the small foldable table as she turns around to look behind her, at the back of the van. “Can’t you at least wait until we get there?”

“We’re not smoking it yet, we’re just getting it ready” Jonathan explains, glancing up at her from under his fringe with a tilted smile before getting back to what has been his occupation for the past few minutes. That is, rolling a joint with the help of Argyle, who’s methodically grinding weed, and Eddie, who’s selecting the buds from his infamous lunchbox. 

The three of them are sitting at the back of the van, pressed together in the same long, sofa-like seat that saw some of you ready for a final battle just a few months ago - but there are no spears or spiky shields today; only three six-packs and a bag full of snacks. 

Robin lifts her eyebrows up, unconvinced. “Steeeeve” she exclaims, turning back around before getting up from her seat and taking a few, wavering steps towards the front of the van, grabbing your headrest for balance as the vehicle swerves slightly. “How long?”

“Buckle up, Robin” Steve replies, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, “if you don’t want me to get arrested for speeding, it’s going to be another half hour”.

Beside him, Nancy turns around in the passenger seat to face Robin. “We can put on some music, if you want”.

“Great idea, Nance” Robin exclaims, lowering her voice immediately after. “Anything but Metallica, please” she whispers to Nancy with a pleading look. “It’s triggering”.

Nancy smiles and nods, understandingly. “Deal. What about some Madonna?”

“Oh, that’s perfect. Thank you” Robin replies before getting back to her seat with a sigh, literally throwing herself on the flowery chintz of the lining. It’s a hideous print, you think to yourself, but you wouldn’t change it.

“Hey, y/n”

A soft tap on your foot, and your eyes shoot up to meet Robin’s. 

“You okay?” She asks you, leaning forward on the small foldable table. “You haven’t said anything in, like, half an hour. I’m getting worried over here, you know”.

“I was just admiring the sunset” you reply, giving her a small, reassuring smile, “it’s just… I don’t know, it’s different today”. 

Behind Robin, Argyle turns his gaze away from the grinder in his lap to look outside. 

“Woah, dude, she’s right” he exclaims, mouth agape as he stares in stupor at the flashes of color that are getting lower and more intense as you drive. “It looks like strawberry and peach soft serve with cherry syrup on top. So sick”. 

“That was weirdly specific” Eddie observes as both he and Jonathan follow Argyle’s eyes and turn around to look at the sky. The warm light plays glittering games with their features, drawing golden stripes on Jonathan’s hair and getting caught on the shiny surface of Eddie’s rings, the reflection hypnotizing as you get caught in it. 

Your eyes follow the soft lines of Eddie’s fingers, which are still expertly clutching the thin paper he was rolling, and go up to the arches of his wrist. Unexpectedly, as your gaze travels back to his face, your eyes stumble into Eddie’s and you’re met by one of his signature tilted smirks. 

“Earth to y/n” Robin suddenly says, snapping her fingers in front of you and making your head turn back to her. You don’t realize it, and if Robin notices she doesn’t let you know, but there’s a hint of blushing on your cheeks. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” She asks you, her eyes narrowing as she inspects your face for your reaction, nose scrunching up and eyebrows furrowing.

“Robin” you firmly state, your smile now wider, “I promise. I need this today as much as you guys do, but I’m okay, really. So,” you expertly divert the topic, “what’s on the menu tonight?”.

You already know Robin’s answer: the usual, duh, and she’s right - and it’s perfect. Sandwiches, popcorn and chocolate brownies have turned into a stabilizing, comforting routine meal every time you and the others take off to spend some time outside of Hawkins. After the earthquake, even if the imminent danger of Vecna’s evil plans seems vanished for now, life in town has taken a toll on you all, especially for you and the rest of the older gang. With Max in the hospital with no signs of recovery so far, Lucas by her side day and night, Hopper’s return and Eddie’s difficult name-clearing process, Will’s recurring headaches and shivering spells, and all the other side effects of your latest close encounter with the Upside Down, it’s no wonder that sometimes you really feel the need to just go away. Not forever, of course, not even for long - but an evening outside the living hell Hawkins is turning into is what helps you all relax, somehow, and take the weight of being responsible for a group of very strong and determined but still fragile and young kids off your shoulders. Protecting them is your priority, and you do it gladly - but, sometimes, you need to take care of your own selves, too.

The first time was your idea. It happened after one of Eddie’s breakdowns, a panic attack that woke him up during an older-gang-only sleepover at Steve’s. He couldn’t breathe, and for a few minutes he kept yelling about the demobats, swearing that they were outside and they were looking for him, following his scent. Of course, there was no trace of those evil creatures (you all made sure to check just in case), but nothing seemed to convince Eddie. When he miraculously calmed down, an idea popped up in your head and you suggested going for a drive - and everyone agreed.

Of course, you took the van - but not Eddie’s old one. That was sadly gone, along with the trailer, because of the earthquake. Eddie and his uncle had hence moved into Hopper’s cabin, forever grateful for Jim’s offer to help them out until things got quiet again (if they ever will, you all thought). And, since no one had come to reclaim it, Eddie had also been able to keep the van you’d stolen from his neighbors to reach The War Zone before going to the Upside Down to face Vecna one last time. And it quickly became your vehicle of choice to run away. 

Despite its first stolen trip, the van became a lifeboat that night, as it led you from the Harrington’s big, empty house to the countryside outside Hawkins, a peaceful haven where you were able to forget everything about what lies beneath your hometown for a couple of hours.

And it’s towards that same countryside that you’re headed right now, as the sun sets in the autumn landscape. It’s not a long drive, really: it’s been less than thirty minutes since you’ve crossed the city limit when the van slows down into a gravel road on the left. A wide field opens up in front of you, a sparse cluster of trees to the right marking what’s lately become “your spot”. 

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen” Steve announces, slowing the van to a halt once you reach the tree line and killing the engine, “here we go”. 

“Finally” Robin sighs as she grabs the bag of snacks and as soon as Nancy opens the door she climbs down the two steps that lead outside the van. After putting one six pack in the minifridge, you grab the other two and hold them close to your chest, following the girls into the fresh autumn air. 

The sun is now lower on the horizon and its colors are warmer than ever in the dark blue sky - and your place looks as beautiful as always. You take a deep breath, inhaling the clean air of the countryside and all its nuances - from the scent of dewy grass to the earthy smell of the ground and surrounding grove, it’s all so familiar that you almost feel at home. 

An intruding whiff of cheap cologne and weed makes you turn around, just to find Eddie leaning against the open van door, the unlit joint he rolled dangling between his lips as Jonathan and Argyle make their way outside and towards the others, holding a few picnic blankets in their arms. 

“Need a hand with those?” Eddie asks you, nodding at the beers as he lifts a lighter to his mouth. The brief flicker of the flame warms up his eyes for a second, and it’s soon followed by a thin sliver of greenish smoke reaching up into the sky.

“I’m good, thanks” you reply, trying not to let your eyes linger too much on his hands, or on his lips - which are so close to you now, but not close enough. Something twitches in your chest, but you shrug it away with one of your bright smiles. “I’m a big girl, you know. But thanks for offering, though”.

Eddie playfully smirks, taking a step towards you. “Do you want some, then, big girl?” He asks you, lifting the joint between the two of you. 

“Yeah, why not” you reply, smiling as he gets closer, but you soon realize that you can’t take the joint without dropping the beers. You move to place them down on the ground, but Eddie stops you.

“Here” he says, and suddenly his fingers are very, very close to your lips as he offers you the joint to take a drag. 

Your heart starts beating a little bit faster as you inhale. You can almost feel his skin on your lips, and the idea sends shivers down your spine, making your mind race as you try not to get too caught up in the fact that Eddie is just so close. 

It’s hard not to think about it, though - just the sight of the moles you’re spotting on his neck, of his dark hair curling up beside his lightly blushing cheeks and the chocolate shade in his eyes are making your head spin. Is it possible that you’re high already? 

“Hey, you two!” Jonathan’s voice makes you suddenly turn around. One side of you is relieved, because you’re blushing already and there’s no way Eddie isn’t going to notice that - but another, tiny part of you is annoyed that your friend has unconsciously broken whatever spell you and Eddie were under.

“Come make yourself useful for once” Jonathan says, “And don’t smoke that all on your own, please”.

You and Eddie look away from each other, the ghost of a smile still lingering on your lips, and you finally make your way towards the others. 

Steve and Jonathan are setting up a small circle of stones, in the middle of which Argyle is throwing some dry branches and sticks he’s collected among the trees in order to light up a fire - which, even if it’s not big at all, has become a necessity with the chilling breeze of autumn. In the meantime, next to the improvised fireplace, Robin and Nancy have set up the blankets under a big oak at the edge of the tree line. The snacks have been unpacked and laid out like a proper picnic setup. As you drop the six packs on the checkered wool, the dry, fallen leaves scattered on the ground beneath the blanket make a crunchy sound, and you remember something.

“Wait a second” you say, and as the first flames of the fire start crackling and everyone else sits down, you walk back to the van to turn on the radio. 

The first few notes of Wild Heart by Stevie Nicks seep through the open doors of the vehicle as you come back to your friends with an innocent smile. The quick beat of the cymbals makes Robin’s head turn and her eyes open wide in surprise.

“No way, y/n!” She says as she looks at you with her mouth open, clutching an open can of beer close to her chest, “I love this song! Actually, this whole album, it’s- it’s the best album ever!”

You giggle as you sit down next to her and Nancy in front of the fire, opening a beer for yourself and clinking it against hers. “I know” you reply, taking a sip, “That’s the first thing I thought when I found it in one of my drawers at home. That’s why I picked it for tonight’s soundtrack - I know how much you love our Stevie”.

“What was that?” Steve asks, plopping down by your side, soon followed by Eddie.

You, Nancy and Robin look at each other and burst out into a fit of laughter, causing an expression of utter confusion to appear on Steve’s face and a knowing, restrained smirk on Eddie’s lips.

“Oh, don’t worry, Stevie” Robin says, taking a deep breath between a giggle and the other and throwing an arm across your shoulders, “all you need to know is that our y/n has the best taste in music”. 

Steve looks at Eddie, trying to find some answers to whatever joke you’re going on about.

“Don’t look at me, Harrington” Eddie observes, smirking as he takes a drag from the joint before passing it to Argyle. “I told you you should stop listening to Elvis Presley and start broadening your musical horizons”.

“Yeah, dude” Argyle confirms, coughing a little smoke, “This music right here is actually not bad”.

“Not bad?” You exclaim, almost offended, as you take another sip from your beer. “Stevie Nicks is a literal goddess. You can dance and sing, cry and laugh to any of her songs - I’m ready to fight you on this”.

While you talk, Eddie keeps his eyes on you, silent as you giggle and jokingly argue with everyone about music. Every now and then, you throw a glance at him, too. The fire reflected on his rings, the first stars in the still blue sky glittering in his eyes, the flash of his grin make him sparkle like Christmas lights - and your eyes are fireflies, constantly drawn to him, whether you like it or not. But you do like it. A lot.

As the songs go on and change, you keep drinking and chatting with Robin and Nancy, and a pleasurable dizziness starts clouding your mind in a very good way. You feel lighter, more carefree, even happier than usual - here, surrounded by your friends, snacking on the food you prepared together and drinking until your legs are pervaded with the right amount of numbness, you feel like there’s nothing you have to worry about.

You take a look around you, and you’re glad to see that everyone’s having a good time. Eddie and Argyle are smoking, Robin and Steve are affectionately bickering about Robin’s latest crush, Nancy and Jonathan are settled into a loving hug beside you. It feels perfect, and just as you’re thinking that it couldn’t get any better, the first notes of Stand Back start playing. 

“Oh, y/n” Robin says, immediately interrupting her conversation with Steve and looking at you with an excited glint in her eyes. “I looove this one!”

“Me too”  you reply, your voice a little higher than usual as you sway your head lightly, getting lost in the rhythm. “God, I want to dance to it so bad” you suddenly exclaim, “will you be my partner?”

Robin nods enthusiastically. “Always! Come on” she says, and as you two start getting up, Argyle follows your move.

“You want to dance, too?” You ask him with a huge smile, surprised at the idea of Argyle dancing.

“Oh no, thank you, y/n” he smiles back, “I just need to go pee. Maybe later?”.

You and Robin exchange an amused smirk as Argyle disappears in the woods. Then, without a second thought, you get off the blankets, take each other’s hand and start dancing, Stevie Nicks’ voice guiding your moves.

As you spin and twirl, Robin’s arms linked with yours, Eddie’s eyes linger on you. He doesn’t notice it, but a smile is blooming on his lips as he looks at the way your hair moves in the air, how your face lights up as you sing along and how ethereal and lighthearted you look in the rising moonlight. He’s not just looking, he’s admiring the way in which, for a few minutes, you seem happy and serene, and he’s beyond grateful that there’s something in the world capable of giving your beautiful mind some rest - even if that’s just a song. Maybe, Eddie thinks, one day it might be one of my own songs.

Eddie’s not the only one watching, though. Steve’s eyes have been moving back and forth between Eddie and you for a while - but now, he’s decided that he’s done with it.

“Come on, man” he says with a sigh, making Eddie turn around towards him, “don’t you think it’s time for you to talk to her?”

Eddie frowns, lowering his gaze as a soft shade of red starts spreading on his cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Harrington”.

“Maybe you don’t” Steve talks back, scoffing, “but the way you’re visibly pining after y/n has been loud enough for everyone to notice by now. Except her, of course, but that’s how it always goes, doesn’t it?”.

Eddie doesn’t reply, but Steve can almost hear his thoughts spinning under his curly, messy hair. 

“Look” Steve tries again, scooting closer to him and lowering his voice. “You once told me that I had to do whatever it took to get Nancy back, because to your - and I quote - cynical eyes, the way she jumped into Lover’s Lake after me was a sign of true love. I did try, and it didn’t go well, as I honestly kind of suspected, deep down. She’s moved forward, just as I have, and right now Jonathan is what she needs - it stings a little, but I’m happy if she’s happy” he calmly says, throwing a glance behind his shoulder at Nancy and Jonathan, snuggled up one against the other and chatting quietly next to the fire. “But even if it all went to hell, you were right” he continues, finally finding Eddie’s eyes as he looks back at him, “You were so right, and I’m glad that I tried, because I gave myself a chance. And I’m not saying this to build your hopes up or whatever, but something tells me that it might go differently for you if you tried”.

Eddie doesn’t really know what to say. His mouth twitches slightly as he tries to find the right words and build up the courage to finally let his guard down and open up. A few months ago, if someone had told him that he would confess his feelings about you to Steve The Hair Harrington, he would have told them to fuck right off; but right now, after everything he’s gone through - after everything you’ve gone through together, he doesn’t see the point in hiding behind his armor anymore.

“What if she doesn’t… you know” Eddie finally says, gesturing wildly with his hands as he tries to find the right words, “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. She’s too… she’s too fucking special, Steve”.

Steve smiles. “I know” he says, patting the denim vest on Eddie’s back, “I know. But Nancy and I are still here, aren’t we? And I’m sure if that was the case, y/n would never want to lose you as a friend. But you’ll cross that bridge when you get there. Talk to her first, trust me. You’ll regret it if you don’t”.

“And what the hell should I say?” Eddie sighs, thrusting his fingers in his hair, “I write songs and D&D campaigns every fucking day, but it all goes to shit when it comes to this. ’Hey y/n, I think I’ve been in love with you since the day you saved me from a swarm of raging demobats and I can’t stop thinking about you, every fucking song reminds me of you and please tell me that you feel the same because otherwise I’ll have to jump into one of the earthquake cracks and die of shame in the Upside Down?’ She’d kick me in the face if she heard that”.

“No, she won’t” Steve replies, trying to hide his slightly amused grimace, “but maybe you should leave the Upside Down bit out of it”.

Eddie groans in defeat, dropping his forehead on top of his knees.

“Look” Steve concludes, his gaze lingering back on the fire, moving a stray branch into the flames with the tip of his Nikes, “the words will come. Just find the right timing and you’ll be good”. 

Eddie sighs, looking up to take another look at you and Robin, who are totally out of breath and hugging in a final spin as the last few words of the song fade out into the autumn air. He nervously scratches his cheek as you two come back to him and Steve, plopping down in front of them with your empty beer cans swinging in your hands. 

“God, that was fun” Robin exclaims, her grin beaming almost as much as yours. 

“We need to do that more often” you agree, your eyes meeting Eddie’s for a second before you look away, “turn this into a dance party or something, I mean”. 

“Yeah, but that has to count as a workout, because I’m exhausted. And, I think I need another drink” Robin says as she looks around on the blanket, only to find out that the first two six packs are already gone.

“Nooo” she complains, throwing her head back to face the sky with her eyes closed in disappointment, “I’ve just sat down”. 

You’re quick to pat her on the leg, before getting back to your feet. 

“No worries, friend” you say with a grin, “I’ll go get us some fresh beer. There should be one last six pack left in the van”.

“You’re too good for this world, y/n” Robin sighs, throwing you a theatrical kiss with her hand. You catch it and pretend to store it safely in your back pocket with a laugh before walking back towards the van. 

Eddie sighs. Steve looks at him. Eddie looks back, and Steve nods. Robin frowns, suspiciously looking back and forth between the two of them, until Eddie finally slaps his palms on the denim covering his thighs and starts getting up, too. 

“Well, shit” he exclaims, making even Jonathan and Nancy turn towards him with a curious look, “no time like the fucking present”.

As he makes his way towards the trailer, everyone looks at Steve. 

“What?” He replies, trying to casually hide is proud smile, “the guy’s finally getting a grip”. 

🍂🤎🍂

The van is actually very close to the grove, but the tipsiness and the weed you’ve had are making each step feel incredibly slow and heavy to take. You really wish you could just lie down on the blankets, staring at the sky and at the first few stars that are blinking in the blue above, getting them mixed up with Eddie’s glinting, beautiful eyes as you lay your head in his lap, the cold of his rings a refreshing feeling on the skin of your cheeks…

You shake away the thought as you take the few steps that lead inside the vehicle. No use wondering about that - it’s just wishful thinking. 

The inside of the van is dark, but the light from the rising moon and the fire is strong enough for you to see quite clearly and immediately locate the mini-fridge. 

You open the small door and grab the beers, thinking to yourself that the tape will be over in a few songs and will need a proper replacement - but your thoughts are interrupted by a soft knock on the van door that makes you almost jump around.  

“Jesus, Eddie” you exclaim as soon as you recognize his messy hair and Metallica shirt, “you almost gave me a heart attack”

Eddie lifts his hands up to apologize, his rings glinting in the electric light he has just switched on. “Sorry, y/n” he says, his eyes shyly lifting up to yours. 

You shrug, lifting the beers up and placing them on the table before closing the fridge. “You’re okay” you reply, “Did you need anything?”

“No, no” Eddie stutters, almost tripping on his own feet as he climbs up the steps. You tilt your head, confusedly looking at him until he lets out a sigh and walks inside. “Well, uhm, actually yes. I need to tell you something. Can I…?”

You nod, maybe just a little too quickly. “Yeah, of course” you say, leaning back against the counter, the six-pack now forgotten. 

“So, uhm” Eddie begins, “Do you remember the first time we came here? You suggested it after…”

“Yeah” you nod, your shoulders relaxing a bit. “Yeah, I remember”

Eddie smiles softly. “Good, okay. So, we were on the road and Harrington was driving, of course - I still don’t get why you guys won’t let me drive my van” he adds, shaking his head. 

You try not to laugh. “Because you have a tendency not to respect speed limits, Eddie” you suggest. 

“Yeah, ‘kay, you got me there” Eddie sighs, and you both let out a small giggle before he gets all serious again. “So, anyways, Steve was driving and all of a sudden you made him turn and we found this place - you ran outside and you looked at the trees. It was at sunset, just like today. And the sun was, like, surrounding you, surrounding us, and you said…” he hesitates, feeling as if he’s at the edge of a cliff with nothing but air and void beneath him. No turning back, now. 

“…that it looked perfect” you say, finishing the sentence as you picture the moment in your head. 

“Yeah. You said that” Eddie nods. “And I thought that it wasn’t the place that looked perfect. I actually realized… as I saw you there, still smiling that smile of yours in spite of it all… I knew then that you were the one who did. Look perfect, I mean”.

Too stunned to speak, you stare at him as he walks up to you. 

“And it’s not just that. You don’t just look perfect, y/n, you are perfect. And not in the ‘there’s nothing wrong with me’ way - but just in the way you are, good things and bad things and everything. It’s your brightness, the way you light up the room when you walk in, the way you always have a nice thing to say to us, to me, when things go wrong. I know better than anyone that perfection doesn’t exist - I’m a reject, a freak, I‘ve always been nothing but fucking imperfect. But that day, when we got here and I saw you - really saw you, I realized that you’re perfect for me”. 

“Eddie…” you tentatively say, still flabbergasted at his words, “you can’t mean that. I’m not perfect, I’m definitely not. Why do you… I mean, I don’t even think I’m your… type?”

“Jesus H. Christ, y/n” he laughs, “I’m here risking a fucking stroke, trying to declare my love for you and you think you’re not my type?”

You stay silent, trying to look anywhere but at him. But he speaks again, and this time he’s right there in front of you.

“I’ll tell you what my type is, then” he says, the tip of his index finger suddenly lingering over the collar of your shirt, sending sparks through you as his touch travels across the exposed skin of your neck. 

“My type is a woman who’s passionate about the things she likes” he almost whispers, his breath tickling your cheek as he leans forward. “She sees the people around her, listens to them, cares about them. She somehow always finds the strength to smile, even in the darkest of times, and when she does it’s impossible not to smile back. She also makes me think of music, even artists I’ve never listened to - she makes me want to know more about the world, to live more. And live better” he continues, his hand now tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear.

“My type” Eddie goes on, his lips dangerously close to yours now, “has a beautiful, beautiful name. She’s called y/n. Did you know that?”

You find the courage to look up at him and to finally say something. 

“No, I… I didn’t”, you reply. It sounds such a silly thing to say if you think about it, but Eddie doesn’t mind - he smiles, giving you one of his blinding, wide and slightly upside-down grins. And he finally kisses you. 

You don’t know what you expected his lips to feel like. Not that you haven’t thought about it every now and then - but knowing that the chances of you two actually kissing totally belonged to another universe (maybe), you always prevented your thoughts from wandering in that dangerous territory. But now that your most secret and very well-hidden wish has materialized, you’re blown away by the mixed feelings that you’re experiencing all at once. 

Eddie’s lips are surprisingly soft, but they’re firm and deliberate about each movement they make, gently but passionately pushing and pulling yours in a dance that makes your head spin and your breath quicken. It feels as if he’s desperate to deepen the kiss, to taste every inch of you, but also as if he’s somehow holding himself back in order to savor each second of it. It feels surreal to admit this to yourself, but you feel seen and wanted, and it’s amazing because this time you know it’s true without any shadow of a doubt. 

Eddie’s hands wander along your face, cupping your cheeks and stroking your hair, loving you with his touch wherever his lips cannot be. His ringed fingers travel down your body, finding your waist and pulling you closer to him against his chest - and when his arms tighten around you, you unconsciously wince a little. 

If it was anyone else, this tiny movement would go unnoticed - but Eddie is too focused on you and he cares too much not to feel it. So, not without a lot of effort, he stops the kiss - and to you, it feels like the floor has suddenly disappeared beneath your feet. 

“What’s wrong, y/n?” He asks you, his hands back on your cheeks as his eyes stare deeply into yours. 

You shake your head in dismissal. “Nothing, I’m good - very good, actually” you try, blushing. 

Eddie smiles, but he keeps studying you. It’s the swift downward glance that you automatically take that tells him everything he needs to know. 

He sighs. “Will you close your eyes for me, please?” He finally says, “Just for a second”. 

You don’t really know what to reply, so you follow his lead and suddenly it’s all dark. 

“Come here” he says softly, taking your hand and making you take a few steps away from the counter. “Now stand still and don’t look until I tell you to”. 

You wait patiently. A door opens, lightly creaking on its hinges, and then you feel Eddie moving right behind you. His arms unexpectedly slide up to your shoulders, moving your hair all to one side of your face. His lips flutter on the exposed skin on the back on your neck - just a soft peck, and then he speaks again. 

“Open your eyes and tell me what you see”

You do as he says and you find yourself in front of a narrow mirror, glued to the inside of a tall cabinet door. 

“So?” Eddie encourages you, his eyes looking straight into the reflection of your own. 

“I see myself” you tentatively say, not sure where the conversation is going. 

“That’s it?” Eddie inquires, his gaze still up and his face next to yours, his chin resting on your shoulder. 

“Yeah” you reply, trying to understand. “The usual me - nothing special, really”

Eddie smiles. “The usual you” he echoes, agreeing but not completely. “Well, let me show you what I see. But I promise you, it is special”. 

Eddie proceeds to spread your hair across your shoulders. “First, I see your hair, and it’s fucking amazing. What shampoo do you even use?” he asks, causing you to giggle. “See how that smile lights up your face? God, I love that shit. You look like the sun. And your eyes? I could get lost in them any day. If you look at me like that any longer I swear to Jesus I might melt” he continues, making your heart warmer and warmer with each word. 

“Eddie…” you whisper, not even knowing what you’re trying to say.

“I’m not finished, sweetheart” he gently replies, “can I go on?”

The loving look in his eyes is your defeat, and you nod without another word.

“Good” he says, his hands now caressing your arms. “Then, after that beautiful face of yours, I see your arms, and I remember how peaceful they felt when you held me back in the Upside Down. I was an inch away from death, and you were the lifeline that kept me here with just a hug. You were yelling something at the others, but I couldn’t hear you because I was too caught up in how comfortable I felt in your arms - something that seemed impossible in that hell of a place”.

You blush, and something in the mirror starts to change as you understand what he means.

“Then I see the rest of you, your shapes, your whole body, and I love it” Eddie continues, a hint of hesitation as he opens up to you. “I love everything about it, y/n. Every inch of skin, every soft corner, every muscle and every bone in your body - I want you to know that it deserves love, because it makes you you. It allows you to breathe, to run, to live. To be here, with me. How could I not love it when it allows me to touch you, to hold you?”

You’re left speechless as you stare at the reflection in the mirror, watching Eddie touch you in a way no one has ever touched you before - not merely looking at you, but seeing you, making you feel his appreciation for you, his hair now mixed with yours as he fondly kisses your neck while his hands wander under your flannel to hold you close.

When he looks up again, a hint of worry flashes across his face as he notices a lonely tear running down your cheek.

“Oh, no no no” he says, rushing in front of you to hold your face in his hands once again. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, is it something I said?”

Unexpectedly, as he dries the tear with his thumb, you let out a short, gleeful laugh. “It’s everything you said” you admit, holding his piercing gaze, “I’ve never thought about it this way, and… it’s beautiful, Eddie. I’m not sure I deserve all of that, but thank you. It means more than you can imagine”.

“You do deserve it, y/n - you deserve the whole world” he says, leaning closer to you with a smile, “And don’t even get me started on how sexy you look all the time”.

“Oh, shut up” you giggle, and he finds the best way to do as you say - that is, kissing you.

🍂🤎🍂

“What did I miss?” Argyle says, as he appears from beyond the tree line and gets back to the others by the fire. “Are we not dancing anymore?”

Steve, Robin, Jonathan and Nancy smile, their suspects now confirmed by the unnecessarily long time it’s taking you and Eddie to get some beers.

“No worries, man” Steve says, as Argyle plops back down next to him. “We can dance later”.

Argyle looks around, then at the van. Nancy will later tell you that she could almost literally see the little gears in his brain spin as he tried to connect the dots. But then, he suddenly realizes.

“Ooooh, I see” he says, nodding energetically, “well, about daaamn time”.

“Yeah” Robin smiles, the soft autumn breeze rustling her hair. “You’re totally right. About time”.

🍂🤎🍂

Hope you enjoyed this one shot :) Feedback is always welcome!

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[almaadst]

I'm working on a very interesting crossover! (・ω<) Commission info Finished art!

#wip #supergirl #Revan #dc comic #star wars #commission #fanfic illustration #crossover #dc and star wars crossover #work in progress #flat color illustation #art #digital art #crossover commission #art commission #fanfic commission #Kara Danvers #Kara Zor-El #supergirl commission #supergirl fanart #dc commission #supergirl and revan #Sith Lord #star wars commission #revan star wars #open commission #my art #almaadst

[poleaxewife]

Hello there! We are Cassiopeia. Today we're officially opening our writing commissions! Some background about us, we have been writing for more than a decade in various formats. We have an AO3 account where we are presently writing Kommandant Für Kommandant, a Signalis fanfiction that is currently over 20k words and is still ongoing.

We are multifandom and capable of researching almost anything for writing a story.

That is where you come in, dearest reader.

We have opened our commissions! At the moment, we have three slots open and an entirely clear back-queue.

If you would like to commission us, please read our TOS linked below.

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[stickysex]

ﾟ 𖤐 . about us ⛓️ ！

꒰poke꒱— ✦ ’

‹ pronouns: she/her, he/him.

‹ personal blog: here.

‹ age: 24.

‹ role: fanartist and writer.

‹ likes: jjba, movies (especially musicals), elden ring, the smashing pumpkins, the strokes, the smiths, pokemon, dogs, chocolate, catholic subtext in media, yakuza (the game), lord of the rings, devilman crybaby, game of thrones.

‹ carrd: here.

꒰lia꒱— ✦ ’

‹ pronouns: she/her.

‹ personal blog: here.

‹ age: 19.

‹ role: writer.

‹ likes: jjba, horror movies, fran bow, stardew valley, dinosaurs, sanrio, pop, puzzles, sci-fi, mystical stuff, jurassic park franchise, maze runner books/movies, k-dramas, coquette stuff, ghibli studio movies.

‹ carrd: here.

꒰stickysex꒱— ✦ ’

‹ our brumis blog.

‹ meant to share our fanfics and drawings (and yours, too!).

‹ accepting prompts, plots, hc and promotion requests (as long as they're 100% related to brumis).

ﾟ 𖤐 . our goal ⛓️ ！

➢ we want to help other brumis shippers find each other and promote our works since this couple is unpopular among jjba fans, especially in the brazilian fandom.

➢ we'd love to get ideas and requests from other brumis shippers since we often want to develop scenarios or oneshots but lack inspiration.

➢ we'll gladly share/repost any brumis-related works and promote challenges in the future, this way both sides can have fun and appreciate nice pieces of art of our favorite couple pairing.

➢ non-commission asks (for example: asking us to share our hcs, opinions, etc) are fine with us, so don't be shy!

➢ if you like jjba content not necessarily involving brumis, check our solo profiles!

ﾟ 𖤐 . our schedule ⛓️ ！

➢ we're both focusing on personal projects and also busy with our daily lives at the moment, so taking commissions may be rare.

➢ this profile may not be active very often. we'll try to log in to check on any interaction or request, but tumblr isn't our main social media. please, be patient.

➢ if you need to contact us individually, please check our individual profiles to ensure we receive and respond to your message.

➢ our deadlines are distinct. depending on which one of us will take your request, it may take longer or shorter to get what you asked for.

➢ your request may be executed differently than you proposed if we deem it appropriate (for example: you asked for a brumis mermaid oneshot, but we made it a brumis mermaid hc).

ﾟ 𖤐 . goodbye ⛓️ ！

➢ please like and reblog.

➢ consider following us.

#brumis #bruno bucciarati #guido mista #jjba mista #jjba bucciarati #fanart #fanfic #drawing #illustration #ao3 fanfic #ao3 #ao3 writer #jjba fanart #jjba part 5 #jojo fanart #jjba #yaoi #hc #headcanon #request #commission #art commission #archive of our own #fanfic writing #fanfic commission #ideas #send asks

[starry-stan-blog]

my commissions are open

i've probably mentioned this before, but I do fic comms !!

fandoms: mxtx novels, bnha

$12 for 1000 words, minimum word count is 1000 words, nsfw and sfw fics

DM if you're interested, or email me via [email protected] !!

#fic commissions #commissions #fic #fanfic #fanfic commission #fic commission #kofi #kofi commission #svsss #danmei #mxtx #tgcf #mdzs #bnha #mha #heaven official's blessing #scum villain's self saving system #mo dao zu shi #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #tian guan ci fu #ren zha fanpai zijiu xitong #bingqiu #moshang #hualian #wangxian #fengqing #xicheng #bingliushen #liushen #qijiu

[moiloru]

💛 Dream Gaming, Chapter Eight 💛

Here's the eighth chapter of this story, commissioned by @metalinjector95! It's been a while since it was last updated, so I hope you enjoy it!

#chiaki nanami #sonia nevermind #mahiru koizumi #peko pekoyama #hiyoko saionji #ibuki mioda #mikan tsumugi #akane owari #fanfic commission #danganronpa

[this-writer-d]

need a little dirty smut of your fave couple? Some sugery sweet fluff of your otp? Maybe a lil hurt/comfort?

I'm still taking commissions ;)

Open to anything! Discussion required though. Multiple fandoms and even original fic if so desired.

My commission info can be found here

#yumihisu #clexa #supercorp #raylla #talder #catradora #fanfic commission

[half-bakedboy]

Assistance with Necessary Expenses

Hi friends, as some of you know, I had to leave my job a few months ago due to physical and mental health issues. I have been utilizing my savings to survive and I am in the process of searching for another job to help me get by, but in the meantime, I am... well, struggling.

With that being said, I am taking requests for fic and art! Fandoms include Shadowhunters, 9-1-1, Teen Wolf, Stranger Things, Criminal Minds, and others by inquiry! If you don't have a specific idea, you can tell me your preference of creation (fic/art) and I can gift you something using a randomly generated fluff/angst/kinktober prompt! 

Click here for examples of my work.

If you have the means to help me get through the next month or so, please feel free to donate whatever you can. I don't have a specific commission structure, but I promise to create something you will very much love and show my appreciation for your support. 

Find my Ko-Fi here

#shadowhunters #911 on fox #911 #teen wolf #stranger things #criminal minds #commissions #fanfic #fanart #fic commissions #fanfic commission #fanart commissions #art commissions #boost #malec #buddie #steddie #sterek #femslash #mlm #thank you in advance if you donate ❤️

[medikkink]

The Interview: A Piers Nivans x Reader (Commission)

This was a commission for @/canned_bugs on instagram! If you like what you read here and want to commission me as well, feel free to dm on here any time! Commission info will be on my pinned post :)

-

You and Piers Nivans had been friends since middle school. You remember being drawn in by his adorable smile and caring personality. Looking back, Piers was probably drawn to you for the same reasons. Whenever you were with him, you always felt as if he had your back and would protect you at all costs. You could remember many times when some junior or senior jerks tried to harass you but were always scared off by the 5'9" freshman. The two of you were as thick as thieves back then, and nothing much has changed since. Sure, you guys were much busier now that you were adults, but, Piers always found the time to call while away on duty. It was during one of these calls, in fact, that Piers brought up this very opportunity.

Continue reading here: Wattpad AO3 Quotev

#resident evil #resi evil #resident evil fanfic #fanfic commission #piers nivans #piers nivans re #piers nivans x reader #resident evil six #resident evil 6 #chris redfield #finn macauley #commission #oneshot #friends to lovers #childhood friends #female reader #femme reader #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil x reader #piers nivans x female reader #piers nivans x femme reader #original fic

[almaadst]

Finished illustration for fanfiction! It's a DC comic and Star Wars crossover! On the artwork, you can see  Kara Zor-El and Revan fighting side by side! The whole fanfic you can read HERE. Please support the writer and give his work some love (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ) Other: Commission info Kuvira and Seyi Bleach OCs

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT MY or OWNER PERMISSION!

#supergirl #revan #dc comic #star wars #commission #fanfic illustration #crossover #dc and star wars crossover #work in progress #flat color illustation #art #digital art #crossover commission #art commission #fanfic commission #kara danvers #kara zor-el #supergirl commission #supergirl fanart #dc commission #supergirl and revan #sith lord #star wars commission #revan star wars #open commission #my art #almaadst

[kiryoutann]

I've made changes to my commission payment method. Now, you can pay via Paypal and Ko-fi.

I have two empty slots. Hit me up and lemme write for ya!

To find out how to commission me, check this out. Read reviews of my commission works here. My Genshin Impact masterlist is here.

(like, reblog, and share to help a sis!)

#ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ — interacting! #writing commission #commission #fanfic #fanfic commission #story commission #genshin impact x reader #genshin commission #genshin impact commission #childe x reader #diluc ragnvindr x reader #alhaitham x reader #genshin commissions

[bi-forest-fire]

Shout out to my new favorite fanfic author @ellorypurebloodculture for writing a fanfic and giving it to me in such a stunning way. It even got a cool title!

#harry potter #hermione granger #fanfic commission #this is now a treasured family heirloom #sirius x hermione

[cocrante]

In these months of hiatus I've been quite busy thinking about new stories, especially the one about King Deshret and the Goddess of flowers that some people asked for. I've put a lot of thought into it and couldn't quite give it the shape I wanted but I think I've now found my own way to present this fanfiction. I will write it as soon as possible, for now I've already jotted down some notes :)

Spoiler alert: angst

#☕ : blog messages #fanfic commission #haikaveh #king deshret and the goddess of flowers

[moiloru]

🏫 All for a Bright Future, Ch. 2 🏫

Hey! Here's a new chapter of this fic, which is a commission by @metalinjector95! I hope you all enjoy it!

#chiaki nanami #seiko kimura #chisa yukizome #ao3 #ffn #danganronpa #fanfic commission #metalinjector95