Merle Dixon didn’t show many emotions other than cockiness, aggression and horny-ness ,but right now? God, it was hard not to.

It was his birthday, June 9th to be specific.

His family (Daryl and of a few of his douchebag uncles) organised a small outdoor party for him, just a family get together of sorts. It wasn’t much, but it was all he needed.

Around halfway through a small ding from the doorbell rang and Merle went to open it, I suppose he mustn’t have been expecting your happy go lucky face when he opened the door, because he looked shocked.

You gave him his present and talked to him like it was the most normal thing in the world. He knew you didn’t have much money, so he knew how you went out of your way to get this.

It was only a little while after you joined the party that he had actually opened it, and boy, he wished he did it sooner. A few weeks prior when you, Merle and Daryl were roaming the streets of your town, Merle had stopped to look in the window of a pharmacy at a fancy cologne, upon another look, he realised it was far too expensive for him to afford, so he continued on his way with you two.

And now, opening the gift you got him, he truly showed some emotion to see the exact cologne he was looking at in the window. You remembered…

He eventually pulled you away from where you were sitting talking to Daryl (because he was the only person you knew besides Merle and everyone else there was giving you filthy looks) and brought you into his little trailer and gently held your shoulders next to the wall of the back door.

“Why… why’d ya get ‘dis, Sugartits…? how’d ya even afford…”

He was speechless, glancing into your eyes so deep he could feel his heart pump with something other than hatred for once. The realisation that he loved and wanted to protect you running deep into his veins as your doe eyes stared back at him.

“Sugartits…” he’d say once more, looking for answers from a girl who he realised was someone who truly cared about him, and not just the idea or look or feel of him.