This is it guys. I wasn't sure whether to do one more chapter after this but it felt right to end it where I did. Sequel maybe at some point? Let me know. I'm always open for suggestions and shit. If you guys love these two I'd be up for doing more of them when I've got to my other stories.
I hope you enjoyed this one. It took me to places I didn't expect it to go when I first started it but that's why I love writing.
I'll be starting on the sequel to Flames very soon and I have another Daryl story I'll be posting after this one.
I hate writing endings so I hope this makes you happy and it's okay for you lovelies.
Thank you for reading and being on this journey with me! I love you guys!
"What about this one?" Glenn asked as he glanced at Daryl curiously. Daryl walked over, his brow furrowing before he shook his head.
"Nah. It's way too big," he huffed, getting frustrated that he couldn't seem to find the right thing he was looking for.
"I thought you said you wanted big?" Glenn asked with a frown.
"Not that big. She's fuckin' tiny. Put that on her finger she'd fall right over," Daryl snorted, Glenn shook his head with a wry grin.
"We should have brought Eric along. He already has a few ideas on what rings she might like. He could have brought his notebook with him," Aaron said softly as he looked at a ring in his hand.
"Notebook?" Daryl asked hesitantly as he watched him. Aaron put the ring down and looked at Daryl amused.
"Come on. You really think if you tell him you're planning on proposing to Zoey he wouldn't start planning things? He's already got everything planned out, you won't have to lift a finger when she says yes," Aaron chuckled. His husband had been so excited ever since Daryl mentioned he wanted to ask Zoey to marry him.
"Ain't sure she'll say yes," Daryl sighed, being his usual pessimistic self. Both Glenn and Aaron turned to look at him like he had grown another head.
"You're kidding right?" Glenn asked incredulously as Daryl just shrugged at him.
"Of course she'll say yes! How could you even doubt that?" Aaron chided with a frown. Daryl rolled his eyes and gave him a look.
"And how the fuck d'ya know she'll say yes?" he asked sceptically.
"Because she loves you more than anything. Anyone can see that. Trust me, if Maggie would agree to marry me, Zoey will agree to marry you," Glenn snorted, fishing out another ring from the broken counter. They were in a run-down jewellery store. Most things still here since no one really had a need for these things now. Except for the current moment.
"What about this one?" Glenn asked again as he held another ring out. Daryl took it and inspected it. He didn't really know what he was looking for. He couldn't say he'd done this shit before. But he knew when he saw this ring that it was it. It just felt right. It had a decent-sized diamond in the middle with a few smaller ones either side. The silver ring just seemed right to him and he nodded, a smile forming on his face. The lengths he had gone to in order to figure out her ring size was comical. At first, Maggie had offered up her ring so he could see if it fit and whilst she was asleep he had slipped it onto her finger. It was a little big though. In his desperation he had ended up using a bit of string, wrapping it around her finger and cutting it so he had a string the size of the circumference of her fucking finger. Rick had found it hilarious when he told him.
He hadn't meant for everyone to know. Whilst Zoey was having a girls night, Daryl had gone over to Ricks. Aaron, Eric and Glenn were also there and as he quietly spoke to Rick about his plan to ask her, Eric had overheard him. Of course, the man was excited and announced it to the whole room and he wanted the ground to swallow him whole as they all made a big deal out of it. He was glad now that they knew though, that they were helping him with this. Rick was back home distracting his girl whilst he picked the best ring for her.
After rummaging in the back to find the right size for her and grabbing some wedding bands for the pair, something Aaron suggested that he wouldn't have thought about, they made their way home. When he got out of the truck Rick walked down the porch steps to meet him with a grin.
"How is she?" Daryl asked him, worrying about her as he always did.
"She's fine. She's in there with Judith and Carl, I think we distracted her enough. Did you get it?" Rick asked with a grin. Daryl had been taken aback by how excited his family was over this, it made his heart swell in his chest.
"Yeah," Daryl smiled, unable not to as he grabbed the box out of his pocket. He opened it and Rick looked, nodding in approval. He heard the front door open and Zoey appeared and he stuffed the box back into his pocket. The nerves were running rampant in him now. He had all he needed and he was planning on getting it over with today. He was shitting himself that she would say no.
"You're back!" she beamed at him, making his heart beat all funny in his chest. A month had passed since they first had sex but no matter how long they had been together, she always made him feel like his insides were mush. She bounded over, kissing his lips softly and he felt the tips of his ears turned pink as Rick smirked at him.
Later that night after dinner Zoey was washing the dishes as Daryl paced in the living room. He was trying not to freak out visibly but he couldn't help it. It was one thing thinking about doing it, but actually proposing to her and putting himself in such a vulnerable position was terrifying. He'd never thought much of marriage, even before the turn. He had always thought it was pointless. People still broke their vows and it just seemed like a way for people to throw money around and have the spotlight on them. After the turn it seemed even more stupid. When Glenn and Maggie got married he didn't see the point in it. It wasn't like there were laws and shit now anyway. But now he found himself wanting that with her. He couldn't explain it but he wanted them to officially be bound together. To declare their love and take the next step. He felt like a fucking idiot for wanting such a thing.
"Are you okay?" Zoey asked, making him jump as he hadn't heard her sneak up on him. She frowned as she looked him over. He was so jittery and acting strange.
"You're acting weird, what's wrong?" she frowned. He shook his head and looked at the floor and her heart was hammering away. She was thinking the worst of course. Wondering if something happened when he was out the walls. What if he was bit and he couldn't bring himself to tell her? He was sweating, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, what if he had a fever? Her heart was sinking and she stepped closer, brushing the hair from his face.
"Did something happen when you were out?" the concern in her voice made his heart ache. He just needed to do this. Rip it off like a damn band-aid before she worried herself sick.
"I gotta do somethin'. And...and I ain't want ya to laugh at me alright?" he said carefully. It felt like the breath was sucked out of her lungs as he looked at her. He looked so small. Like a young boy who was scared and lost. It made her feel weird but she nodded at his bizarre request. He inhaled deeply trying to calm himself before he rummaged in his pocket. He got down on one knee and Zoey's eyes bugged out of her head as he opened the box with the ring in it. Her brain was trying to catch up with her and it felt like her heart stopped beating entirely as she just blinked down at him.
"Ya know I ain't good with this shit. Ain't good with words but I… I know it might seem stupid, with the world the way it is. But I really want ya to be my wife. I wanna be yer husband. To treat ya like the queen I know ya are. I want… I want to spend the rest of my life showin' ya how much I love ya...if ya'll have me," he fumbled over his words as he looked up at her imploring, fully expecting her to shoot him down.
She was silent for a moment and every second was killing him. He just needed her to reject him and get it over with.
"Yes," she whispered, her lower lip quivering as tears filled her eyes.
"What?" he asked sounding dumbfounded at her answer. She snorted as she wiped her eyes and shook her head at him. She had no idea why he thought she would say no. She wanted to shake him for even thinking that.
"Yes! I'll marry you!" she sniffled with a laugh.
Daryl couldn't even put into words how elated he was. How his heart expanded in his chest as he stared at her in disbelief. He grinned at her, his own eyes pricking with tears as his shaky hand took out the ring and slipped it onto her finger. He stood up as she smiled at the ring admiring it and it made him feel good that he picked right. It was a perfect fit too.
"How did you know my size?" she asked incredulously.
"Don't ask," he snorted, wiping his eyes as she stepped closer. She pulled him down and kissed him hard, the pair pouring their emotion into the kiss. He was still shocked she said yes.
"I love you Mr Dixon," she grinned up at him. He felt like he was getting lost in her blue eyes as he looked down adoringly at her.
"I love ya too Mrs Dixon," he smirked, making her laugh lightly.
"How do we do this? Do we have an actual wedding or are we married now?" she asked curiously as he stroked her cheek affectionately.
"No fuckin' clue. Best ask Eric," he snorted. She quirked a brow looking at him.
"Eric?" she asked curiously.
"Aaron said somethin' about a notebook. He's planned the whole fuckin' thing," he said with a shrug. She laughed and shook her head. It didn't surprise her really. The man got excited about anything.
"Does everyone know?" she asked, leaning into him as he nuzzled her cheek. Obviously from what he said Aaron and Eric knew and she had a feeling Glenn knew since Daryl was on runs with him and no doubt helped with the ring.
"I dunno. Few people. Mighta ran their mouth off though so I've no idea," he murmured into her hair and he inhaled her sweet scent. He could just lose himself in her forever. He fucking wanted to. He never would have imagined himself to feel this way about anyone. To love them like this, to want to marry them. Even after all they had been through together, it felt surreal to him. Never had he felt happiness this great before. He looked at her and he felt like everything was right with the world, despite all that was wrong outside of those walls. She was everything to him. He lived and breathed her. She was a part of him and he was a part of her. All it fucking took was the world to end for him to finally get his happy ending.