“Sorry… It’s all my fault…”

Those were Daryl’s last words as he held you in his arms. You just remember a few flashes that damn night. And Daryl, panting with you in his arms, running through the dense vegetation. A group of hungry biter. A desolate and abandoned house. And then the emptiness. The darkness. A few days later, after the tragic event, you woke up with a shock, a fierce nightmare still alive a few days earlier. Shane… You still couldn’t understand what had happened to you. The only positive thing is that the damned bastard was dead. He would never look at you like that again. Your body still bore the signs of the injuries you suffered. Bruises and scratches, everywhere. You could not speak. You opened your mouth, but your breath was stifled by tears that never stopped running down and moistening your still-bare and tortured legs with its wetness. You looked for something you could wear, but there was nothing. At least in the first room there was nothing to wear… But an old mattress on which Daryl had slept, a wooden table and a large window from which the sun lit up and thus the whole room. You tried to get up, but your legs could not hold your weight. You felt weak and tired, without any strength. You suddenly collapsed on the mattress. Daryl jerked briefly. He was there sleeping peacefully next to you. The blanket slightly covered his stomach, his chest was free, lifting steadily under his steady breathing. His arms were over his head and he was slightly inclined. His face had a relaxed and very calm expression… You sat closer to him, crossed your legs and started watching him closely. Shortly thereafter, you slowly approached his face as he had done a few days ago. You leaned your hand gently on his cheek and felt his beard brush against your hand. Immediately, Daryl was alarmed, grabbed you hard and threw himself over you. Your body reacted as well. You pushed him away and slipped away from him, then crouched in a corner. You hid your face in your arms on my knees so he would not see you crying. You shiver… What happened to you?

“Sorry Y/N, I didn’t want to…”

You raised your head and looked at him. He knelt with one hand in his hair and visibly worried face on the mattress. He looked at you, but you could not answer his gaze. You didn’t want that. You felt terrible. You felt ashamed…

“Don’t look at me…”, you whispered, suppressing your voice under your arms.

“Why? You are the best in this damn world…”

You opened your eyes incredulously after this sentence… Daryl kept looking at you. He had never said such a sentence to you before. He came up to you on all fours, and when he was close enough, he took your arms and lifted them behind his neck. He grabbed your body, lifted you gently and let you sit on his thighs. You couldn’t move, you didn’t know what to do. You were scared but at the same time you were attracted to him. Your body rejected it, but something that came from the deepest inside resisted and let itself be touched by these so experienced and powerful but fine hands. He started to touch your hair as you leaned your head against his shoulder and you enjoyed it as his fingers moved through it. He stroked your pale face with his thumb and let your head tilt. You started to get carried away by his movements, but there was still a certain amount of dislike in you. A warm and bitter tear of yours fell on his hand, but Daryl was immediately ready to dry the next, gently caressing the corners of your eyes.

“I could watch you for hours…”, he whispered in your ear. A shiver ran through your back and made you utter a slight moan. Every minute you clung to him, you felt your body give in to the temptation to let you live with him. How was it possible? He approached your face, put his cheek against it, you were blushing instantly, closing your eyes and beginning to listen to your breath more and more. Daryl got up slightly and took you in his arms. You hugged him tightly, almost unable to breathe, and crossed your legs behind his back. You began to feel a sense of protection and trust again, something you had never felt before. Daryl’s arms were so damn strong, but with his tender touch right now, he started to drive you crazy with them. You put your cold nose on his soft, warm skin and you could smell his wild and captivating smell. He again seemed like an angel to you. Daryl sat down on the mattress and let you stretch out on the green blanket. He lay down next to you and pressed you to his chest, near his throbbing heart. He touched your lips with his finger and kissed your forehead as he stroked your hair with one of his hands.

“Excuse me…”, he said in a whisper. You raised your head with a perplexed face. You couldn’t understand the meaning of these excuses.

“It was all my fault, I wasn’t allowed to leave you alone…”

“Please don’t say another word…”

You put your arms around him and closed your eyes, catching the beatings of his heart and his deep breath. You both stayed there. And for a very long time… In this house in the middle of the forest, far away from everything and everyone. You two and your warm bodies, full of love, passion and longing.

Alone between death, but together in life.