Disclaimer: A nod to the genius Robert Kirkman for creating this wonderfully dark, post-apocalyptic world. I do not own or have rights to any of the characters/plot of this series. I'm simply a fan indulging in my post-apocalyptic fantasies.
Thank you Nicole for taking the time to edit this for me! 3
Happy Valentines Day! This is a prompt request that I recieved on tumblr and thought a bit of Bethyl fluff would be the perfect gift for you guys!
oaktreewolf on tumblr requested a Bethyl fic where Beth lives and a male grows really close to her, causing Daryl to get extremely jealous.
Hope you enjoy~! XOXO
…
Daryl watched her, sitting next to Noah, quietly discussing something around the campfire. They had been doing that since the first night they'd left Grady Memorial Hospital. Noah had become, more or less, her shadow. Everywhere Beth went, he could find Noah close behind.
It was…irritating.
He supposed it was 'normal' for Noah to have some sort of 'hero complex' when it came to Beth. She had saved him…twice. The first had been their harrowing escape down the elevator shaft, in which only Noah had managed to actually get away, and the second was when Dawn had reneged on her part of the exchange. Giving Noah a hug, Beth had coolly let the younger man go and turned to approach the group. Daryl would never forget the seriousness of her features as she walked beside him, leaving Noah behind, only to subtly brush her fingers against his wrist and take his gun from his hand. Without hesitation, she turned and shot Dawn through the side of the head.
Blood and brain matter covered the impeccably clean walls as the officer's dead body slid down into a heap on the floor. Dark crimson covered the white tile as blood continued to drain from the exit wound and Beth never flinched. She immediately took aim at the remaining officers who had lifted their guns in the group's direction. Officer Shepard had called everyone to hold their fire, claiming 'it was just about her,' and with that, Beth had solved everyone's problem by taking the life of the deranged lieutenant.
It had been two weeks since then and never once had Beth shown any remorse for what had happened in that tiny hallway. He wasn't sure what to make of the entire situation, but he hadn't really talked to Beth about it. As a matter of fact, Daryl could count on one hand the number of times he'd spoken with the blonde since her return. He hadn't actively gone out of his way to try and speak with her, their last, true conversation weighing heavily between them, but every time he'd considered striking up a conversation, her shadow was always in the way. She hadn't outright avoided him either, Beth generally being the one to initiate the few conversations they'd had, however she seemed content with a just giving him a wave and a smile every so often.
He had missed her when she'd been gone, just like she had predicted, but what he hadn't counted on was how much he missed her now that she was back and there was a metaphorical chasm between them.
"You're staring," Carol nudged him in the side with her elbow.
"Am not," Daryl grumbled, immediately averting his gaze.
"If you wanna' talk to her, just go talk to her," Carol huffed, "What's the deal with you two anyway?"
"Nothin'," Daryl replied all too quickly.
"I heard the way you talked about her in the car that night," Carol glanced from him to Beth and back again, "I noticed the way you looked at her when you first saw us at the hospital. I see the way you look at her now. That's not nothin' Daryl."
Carol was right. It was definitely something. His wordless confession and her breath of understanding, right before their world went into chaos as walkers overwhelmed their safe haven had played in his thoughts every day since she'd been taken. The scene seemed to be on repeat now that she was back.
"Jus' leave it alone Carol," Daryl grumbled, standing and dusting off the seat of his pants.
"If that's what you want," Carol sighed, following suit and leaving him to move closer to the fire.
Daryl watched as the older woman seamlessly joined Beth and Noah's conversation. He wasn't so numb to his emotions that he couldn't feel sting of jealousy as it tore through his chest. Carol made it look so easy to just walk up and include herself in their discussion.
Clenching his jaw, Daryl picked up his crossbow and sauntered into the woods.
…
He wasn't sure when it had happened, but over the next few days he'd begun to notice things about Beth and Noah that he hadn't before. Every morning, when Noah woke up, he'd gather two servings of whatever meager meal they were having, if they'd been able to find anything at all, and he would take it to her as he coaxed her away from her dreams. Beth, who cared for Judith during the night while Rick took his turn on watch, would stay up long after everyone else had fallen asleep. She should have been allowed to sleep later than everyone else, but every morning she would rise without complaint when Noah woke her.
Beth had told him, while they were together after escaping the prison, about how tiring it had sometimes been caring for Judith and taking care of all her other responsibilities. He still remembered the lone tear that slid down her cheek as she fought not to cry, expressing how much she missed everything that had become a normalcy while living in her tiny cell. Knowing now what he didn't know back then, he grew more and more annoyed with Noah's early morning wake up calls.
He'd never been overly fond of Noah to begin with. They'd met under such…strenuous circumstances and his interactions with Beth were doing little to improve his standing in Daryl's eyes. He'd stolen their weapons, nearly gotten Carol killed, and he'd later found out that Beth had helped Noah escape, but that he'd left her behind in that horrid hospital while he had limped to safety. When they had went to extract her and Carol, he'd been the cause of their plan going awry. In a way, he'd also cost Tyreese his life when the older man had followed behind him when he barreled into his old home. Wherever Noah went, whoever he was with, bad luck seemed to follow. Daryl felt like they'd all faced enough hardships already and he wasn't about to let anything else happen to Beth.
He'd also noticed that during the day, Noah would only stray from her side if she was talking with Maggie or sometimes Carol. He would help her with whatever she was doing, being it feeding Judith, refilling water bottles, or sharpening her knife. She'd smile when they talked, laugh at whatever lame joke Daryl heard him tell her, and just overall seemed to enjoy the younger man's company. At night Noah would get her bedding ready for her and stay up until she told him to go to sleep while she cared for Judith. No matter how Daryl looked at it, it seemed like the two of them were an item.
"Somethin' wrong?" Rick asked beside him.
"Huh?" Daryl tried to play off the glare he'd been sending Noah, "Nah. Jus' thinkin'."
"What about?" Rick sat on the ground beside him.
"We're outta' food," Daryl immediately replied.
It wasn't an outright lie. They were out of food. They were camped on a county road, a few miles outside of a small, suburban neighborhood. The likelihood of them finding any food was slim, as the neighborhood had probably already been picked clean, but there was always a chance that things had been missed or houses had been skipped.
"Yeah," Rick squinted his eyes up at the morning sun, "You feel like goin' on a run?"
"I'll go," a soft voice answered across from them.
Daryl recognized the voice without even having to look.
"Beth," Rick breathed.
"Daryl knows I can handle myself," she didn't allow Rick to continue, "I can take care of 'ah few walkers, jus' the same as anyone else, and I wanna' go."
Daryl felt Rick's eyes drift over to him as he stared at Beth.
"I'll go with her," Noah offered, "I need to start pullin' my weight around here."
Daryl sighed, knowing the words that were going to come out of Rick's mouth before he spoke them.
"Daryl'll go with you two," Rick announced, "Just in case somethin' happens."
"We can handle it," Beth argued.
"It's fine," Daryl bristled at Beth's tone, "Better'n sittin' around waiting for you two t'get back."
"When do we leave?" Noah asked in an enthused tone.
"Get your shit," Daryl rose from his seat and glanced at the younger man, "We leave as soon as you're ready."
Beth's eyes lingered on him for a moment before she handed Judith over to Rick and turned her back to him, walking across the road to where her bag lay next to her blankets.
"Keep 'em safe," Rick said quietly, now standing and bouncing Judith on his hip.
Daryl kept his eyes on Beth and nodded a reply.
As she gathered her things, he couldn't ignore the way Noah hovered over her, making sure she had everything from her knife to an empty bag to use for anything they found. Growing more irritated by the second, he yanked his crossbow over his shoulder and made his way to the edge of camp. He couldn't wait for this trip to be over and it hadn't even begun.
…
"No, no," Noah reached for the front door of the house they were about to search, "Let me."
"Noah…" Beth sighed, "I know how to check for walkers. We've already beat on the door. If there were any moving around in there, we would've heard 'em."
Daryl breathed out through his nose. He had lost his patience the moment he heard Beth laughing at something the younger man said as they made their way to the neighborhood and now hearing Noah coddle her as if she wasn't capable of taking care of herself was quickly pushing him past his limit.
"We can't be too careful," Noah placed his hands on her biceps and began gently moving her away from the door, "They might have just not heard you."
"Oh for the love 'ah…" Daryl groused, "Get tha' hell outta' the way."
Noah, alarmed by his outburst, moved to the side just in time for Daryl to kick the door in.
"Daryl," Beth hissed, "Don't be so loud."
"What? Like you and yer' boyfriend here discussin' who was goin' first?" Daryl spat, immediately regretting his tone.
Beth's face fell and her lips pressed together in a tight line. Brushing off Noah's hands from where they still held her, she removed his…her knife from its sheath, and marched passed him into the house. Daryl rubbed a hand down his face, immediately following after her with his crossbow raised, and heard Noah moving behind him as they made their way through the house. Beth had found a few firecrackers in a cardboard box when they'd searched the garage, and Daryl had found some tattered blankets in a linen closet, but the house was completely void of both food and walkers.
"What now?" Noah asked as they returned to the front porch.
"We keep lookin'," Beth immediately replied, not sparing Daryl so much as a glance as she walked nimbly down the steps and climbed the privacy fence into the neighbor's backyard.
She didn't talk to him for the rest of the afternoon, but the small smile she gave him when they searched the fifth house on the street and found a few cans of food, was enough for him to know she'd gotten over being upset with him.
…
"You're staring again," Carol whispered in his ear while taking a seat beside him.
Daryl tried to act as if he didn't jump by adjusting his position on the ground where he sat, but he knew Carol had noticed. He waited for her to make some sort of snarky comment about him being so engrossed in watching Beth that he'd let his guard down, but it never came.
He didn't bother denying it this time.
"I heard you guys went through an entire neighborhood to find food. That Beth refused to stop lookin' until you guys found something," Carol murmured as she took another bite of canned green beans.
"A whole neighborhood?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah," Carol nodded fervently, "According to Noah, you guys scoured the planet for the last cans of food in existence with Beth as your fearless leader."
"Figures," Daryl grumbled and scraped the remaining sweet peas in his can onto his spoon.
"He has quite the hero complex when it comes to Beth, doesn't he?" Carol asked teasingly.
"Kid acts like she hasn't lived 'ah day out here," Daryl sneered, shoving his spoon into his mouth.
"Sometimes girls like to be taken care of," Carol sighed while staring at the young blonde across the campsite from them.
"She can take care of 'erself," Daryl tossed his empty can onto the ground.
"You made sure of that," Carol smirked at him, "didn't you?"
"I jus' helped her figure some stuff out," Daryl looked away in search of his water bottle, "Nothin' she couldn't have done on her own."
"Hmm," Carol hummed, "Sounds to me like you took care of her, until she could take care of herself."
Carol's words made Daryl pause mid-sip.
"Yeah, well," Daryl lowered his water and bit the inside of his bottom lip, "She showed me some things too."
They sat in silence while Carol finished her food.
His eyes would venture over to where Beth sat, bouncing Judith on her knees, talking animatedly with the toddler. When he realized that Noah was nowhere to be seen, Daryl was tempted to snatch his Lil' Asskicker from the blonde and hopefully get a moment or two alone with Beth.
"You should go," Carol said beside him, as if reading his thoughts.
Daryl nodded and took a few steps toward the two girls. It was at the halfway point, in between Carol and Beth, in which Noah reappeared. In his arms was a moth eaten blanket he'd found earlier and Daryl watched as the younger man draped it over her shoulders. He caught the smile she gave him as she glanced over her shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Daryl remained rooted in place. It was only when Beth looked up at him that he realized he needed to move. Needed to look away. Needed to do something, but he just continued to stand there with his fists clenched and his teeth creaking under the pressure his jaw was applying.
"Daryl?" Her voice was soft; curious.
Daryl wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned around. He didn't look back, didn't care how confused Beth sounded as she called after him. He didn't want to see the way the campfire danced in her big, blue eyes or the shadows it cast upon her porcelain skin. He stomped right back to where he'd be sitting with Carol and snatched his crossbow off the ground where it had been laying.
"Daryl," Carol reached for him, "what're you doin'?"
"Nothin'," he spat, "I ain't doin' a damn thing."
He marched into the woods, much like he'd done a few days prior, and didn't stop until he could no longer hear the voices calling his name.
…
He had managed to avoid her all day, but if Beth was anything, she was stubborn. She'd finally managed to corner him on the edge of camp while it was his turn to stand watch. She was quiet and if it hadn't been for her catching her boot on the tin can his dinner had been in half an hour ago, he wasn't sure he would have heard her at all.
"Hey," she managed a weak wave as she stood frozen in place.
He relaxed, taking his hand off the hilt of his knife and exhaled, "Hey."
"I uh…," she paused, "You seen anything?"
Daryl twisted back around on the hood of the abandoned car he'd perched on, "Nah. Quiet tonight."
"That's 'ah good thing though," she stated and quickly added, "Sometimes."
"We ain't seen 'ah walker anywhere near here," his sharp eyes trailed over the trees, across the county road, and over the field they had camped near for the night.
"Think they've made 'ah herd?" Her eyes shifted nervously through the darkness.
"Most likely," Daryl replied honestly.
"Great," she murmured and climbed onto the hood beside him.
Daryl felt a heavy tension between them. He was all too aware of how sour his mood had been the past few weeks. He was quick to lose his temper, not even Beth being safe from such outbursts, and he knew she wanted to know what happened the night before.
"We're friends, right?" Beth asked, catching him off guard.
"Uh, yeah," he shrugged, "I guess."
He wasn't sure the term 'friends' quite covered what he and Beth were. They had been on the verge of…something before she'd been taken and that something had never been address since her return.
"We're friends," she said more confidently, "and friends tell each other when somethin' is wrong."
"What're you gettin' at Greene?" Daryl feigned ignorance.
"You," she huffed.
"Yeah?" He grumbled, "And what about me?"
She gave him a pointed look, "You can pull your crap on someone who doesn't know you, but it's not gonna' work with me."
"Is that right?" He stood and threw his arms up in the air, "Well Miss Priss. You seem t'know me so well. Why don't you tell me what's goin' on?"
"If I knew what your problem was, I'd of already done somethin' about it," Beth shoved off of the hood of the car and placed her hands on her hips.
Daryl felt his blood simmering under his skin.
"Oh yeah? You think I'm jus' somethin' you can 'fix?' You think just because we spent 'ah lil' time together, told each other a few things, that you can come over here an' wave some stupid magic wand and shit jus' goes away?" Daryl took a step closer to her, "Ain't tha' way it works."
"What tha' hell is your deal?" Beth blinked, but didn't back down, "You've been keepin' your distance, actin' like you want nothin' to do with me, an' the few times we have been around each other you ignore me or snap at me. I wanna' know why?"
"I don't recall me givin' you any special treatment when we were at tha' prison. Why does it matter now?" Daryl stepped back and adjusted the strap of his crossbow, refusing to look at her.
"It matters because we're long past how well we knew each other at tha' prison. It matters because of whatever happened at the mortuary. It matters because it was you who never stopped lookin' for me. It matters because you matter t'me," Beth furrowed her brows at him, "I want t'know what changed for you."
Daryl peeked up at her through his fringe, knowing she couldn't see his eyes from the shadows the moon cast upon them.
"I'm not gonna' pretend like our conversation at that table never happened," Beth whispered so quietly that Daryl barely made out her words.
Daryl opened his mouth to say something, but another voice cut him off.
"Beth?"
"I'll be there in a minute Noah," Beth answered in the direction the young man's voice had sounded from.
Daryl watched her for a moment, noticing how soft her skin looked under the light of the moon, how her eyes seemed to shine in the dark, the discolored cast still encasing her hand that could soon be removed, along with the stitches across her cheek and forehead that protruded from her healing wounds, and the tension around the corners of her lips.
"You're really gonna' shut me out?" The tone of her voice betrayed the hurt look she was trying to hide.
Daryl glanced over his shoulder, feeling Noah's eyes on his back, and shrugged, "I got no reason t'share anything with you."
"That's bullshit," Beth sneered.
"Why don't you run along now," he dismissed her while flicking his wrist a few times towards the direction of camp, "Your boyfriends waitin' and I got 'ah job t'do."
Beth's eyes turned to icy slits, but she made no effort to counter his accusation. Instead she straightened her shoulders and walked past him as he climbed back on to the hood of the car. He listened to her footsteps taking her back to camp, hating himself for not being able to just tell her what had been bothering him, but the fear of rejection far outweighed speaking his thoughts. He had seen how close she'd grown to Noah. If she defended the younger man to him, Daryl was sure it would crush everything lingering between them, not that he probably hadn't done so himself with this last conversation.
"That's it," her words ripped him from his thoughts.
Daryl panicked.
"It's Noah," she turned to look at him, "isn't it?"
This was the moment he'd been dreading since he'd first seen the two of them together. This was the moment where she shattered any hope he had of ever finding someone who actually understood and accepted him. This was the moment where she chose Noah over him. This was the moment that Beth Greene broke him.
"You're so stupid," she smirked at him and continued walking towards camp, leaving him dumbfounded where he sat.
He blinked and crinkled his brows at her retreating figure.
He wasn't sure what he had been expecting her to say, but it definitely was not that. This was the first real conversation they'd had, just the two of them, since she'd been reunited with the group. He assumed she was probably waiting for him to take the initiative, to let her know that they were still…whatever they were, and he'd noticed her reservation when he'd failed to do so. In truth, he had wanted to drag her off and finish the conversation they'd been having at the mortuary, but something had always kept him from doing so. Fear? Regret? The truth? He wasn't sure exactly, but he was sure that her remark had confused him more than anything else.
"What tha' hell was that?" Daryl breathed and scratched the back of his head.
Focusing back on his guard duty, Daryl couldn't help the small smile that ghosted across his lips.
…
It's been a full twenty-four hours since his conversation with Beth. They'd moved on from their spot on the side of the road and continued towards the Georgia state line, making camp for the night under an overpass, and waking to the first walkers that any of them had seen in days. They'd taken them out with ease, quickly packing up camp, and getting an early start for the day. However, just before noon, things had taken a turn for the worse. As much as Daryl had wished he'd been wrong about the herd, the mass of undead bodies shambling in front of them proved otherwise.
"What do we do?" Noah's panicked voice grated on Daryl's already frazzled nerves.
"There's nothing the way we came that we can use for cover," Michonne declared, katana drawn, and eyes fierce.
"Well we can't stay here," Carl stated the obvious, holding Judith securely in his arms.
There were at least a hundred or more walkers between them and the direction they were traveling. Overgrown, open pastures lined the road. Every moment they stood there, they were slowly being pushed backwards by the oncoming walkers. They would either have to try to run around the group or turn back and take a detour. Either way, Daryl knew they weren't getting through the herd and if they didn't make a decision quick, hundreds of corpses would be chasing them, rather than the few stragglers that had noticed them so far.
"Anyone see anything nearby?" Carol asked as everyone began scanning their surroundings.
"There," Maggie yelled and pointed toward the field on their left, "That's 'ah roof."
Daryl's eyes cut to where she was pointing and he caught a glimpse of the sun glaring off of tin in the distance.
"Might be a barn," Sasha interjected as she swung Tyreese's hammer and took out a nearby walker.
"Best option we got right now," Rick bellowed over the groaning of the undead.
"We need a distraction. Too many walkers have noticed us," Beth commented, standing protectively in front of Carl.
"She's right," Abraham agreed, "They'd just follow us and tear the building down tryin' to get to us."
"The firecrackers," Glenn barked, immediately dropping to his knees to sift through his bag for the miniature dynamite sticks Beth had found.
"We'll run the opposite direction," Maggie moved to guard Glenn's back while he searched, "Get them going away from the barn and then we'll circle back and meet you there."
"What? No," Beth stabbed her knife through a walker's eye socket, "We stick together."
"We'll be right behind you," Maggie patronized her.
"Daryl," Glenn spoke as he pulled the bundle of firecrackers out of his bag, "You got 'ah light?"
Daryl removed one hand from his crossbow reached into the front pocket of his jeans. When his fingers brushed the top of the lighter, he pulled it from his pocket and held it out for Glenn to take, keeping his eyes on the walkers in front of them.
"You bes' bring that back," Daryl glared at Glenn for a moment, expressing the underlying meaning of his statement.
"We will," Glenn nodded.
"I'm coming with you," Beth glanced towards her sister.
"Whatever we're doing," Michonne hissed as she decapitated two oncoming walkers, "we need to do it fast."
"I want you t'go with the group," Maggie stepped toward Beth and grabbed her shoulders, "We'll get the walkers chasin' after the firecrackers and then we'll catch up with you."
"I just found you. I'm not gettin' separated from you again," Beth argued.
"We all got jobs t'do," Maggie planted a quick kiss on her forehead, "Remember?"
Beth opened her mouth as if to continue the dispute before sighing and accepting her defeat.
"This is a bad plan," Eugene mumbled from the back of the group, "The probability of them returning in ratio to the quantity of walkers present is less than point two-five percent."
"Shut up Eugene," Rosita spat, while the group began to move, "Jesus…"
Daryl kept his eyes on Maggie and Glenn, running into the opposite field, and watched at the walkers immediately began chasing after them as the first 'pop' of the firecrackers sounded. They ran toward the tin roof, praying it more than just a dilapidated frame barely standing on the ground, and the sound of firecrackers behind them was the only sign that indicated the duo was still alive.
…
It had been hours since the older Greene and her husband had been separated from them. Daryl had watched Beth pace, Noah right on her heels, but she didn't seem to notice him or anyone else for that matter. Unable to keep still himself, Daryl decided to check over the barn once more. When he'd finished, he'd looked over to where Beth had been and found her missing; Noah sitting gloomily on a square hay bale. Knowing she was somewhere in the barn, he didn't feel like he was the one who should be seeking her out after their last conversation, and went about building a fire pit to keep them warm as the temperatures began dropping with the setting of the sun.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he saw Carol climbing down the ladder that led to the loft. He glanced over to where Noah had been sitting and found the hay bale vacant. Casting a glance around the barn he found the younger man sitting next to Carl, Rick, and Abraham, having a conversation, but Beth was nowhere in sight.
"She's askin' for you," Carol said as she reached the last step and her feet touched the ground.
Daryl squinted up towards the ledge of the loft.
"I can keep a fire going," Carol encouraged with a smile.
Daryl nodded and stood, his legs aching in protest from where he'd been kneeling next to the small pit for however long, absently prodding at the wood feeding the flames that lit the interior of the barn.
Climbing up the ladder, he found Beth sitting in the large, square opening of the loft doors. She glanced back at him and smiled as he crept toward her.
"They started 'ah fire in the field," Beth pointed to the black smoke rising into the sky several miles away.
Taking a seat beside her, letting his feet dangle over the edge of the opening next to Beth's, he let his eyes roam over the horizon.
"They've been gone 'ah long time," she murmured softly.
"Grass was dry. Wouldn't have taken much t'start a fire," Daryl stated matter-of-factly, "Probably cut off their route back."
"Probably," Beth agreed.
They lapsed into silence.
The cool evening air blew softly against his cheeks and he could feel tiny bumps spreading across his skin from the wind's caress. It would be winter soon and they would need to find a place to hide out before the first layer of snow covered the ground. They'd need to try to get a stockpile of food going, as impossible as that seemed, and start stashing water bottles to drink if they couldn't find a water source near wherever they chose to ride out the cold.
A pressure on his shoulder snapped him back to the present and he glanced down to see blonde hair draped across his arm. Blue eyes shifted to look up at him and Daryl swallowed quickly, forcing his eyes back to the smoke filling the sky in front of them.
"You gonna' tell me what your deal has been?" He could feel her breath on his neck with every word she spoke.
Daryl tightened his jaw.
"Is Noah tha' reason you've been avoidin' me?" She inquired bluntly.
"I haven't been avoidin' you," he knew it was a lie, but said it regardless, "an' why would he have anything t'do with it anyhow?"
"I dunno'," she exhaled softly against his skin and he had to will himself not to shutter, "Maybe you thought I had 'ah thing for him?"
"Ain't none of my business," Daryl grumbled, not liking where this conversation was headed.
"Well in case anyone was curious," she lifted her head up and he could feel her stare boring into him, "Noah's a friend, nothin' more."
"I done said it was none 'ah my business," he peeked at her from the corner of his eye.
"I was jus' lettin' you know," Beth shrugged her shoulder, "I'm tired of you avoidin' me."
"I haven't been avoiding ya'," Daryl replied sheepishly.
"Oh really?" Beth huffed, "Then why is that we've been together for over two weeks now and the only conversations we've had is when you snap at me? Why do you keep starin' at me instead of comin' over and actually talking t'me? Why'd you turn around and walk off tha' moment Noah brought me 'ah blanket the other night? Why do you-"
"Alright, alright," Daryl groused, "I get it."
When she didn't reply, he looked over at her, and her pained expression caused him to turn and fully face her.
"Dawn told me I was alone when they 'found' me," she said quietly, looking down at her hands, "I knew the mortuary had gotten overrun, but I just kept tellin' myself that there was no way you had…"
It hadn't occurred to Daryl that she would have had no idea what had happened to him. He knew she had been taken in the black car, but she hadn't seen him exiting the house and running after her. If she was unconscious, she would have never heard him yelling her name. Those people could have told her anything and Beth wouldn't have known the difference.
She took a deep breath and brought her gaze back up to his, "You have no idea how relieved I was when I saw you, standin' across the hall from us, with Rick and everyone else."
"Yeah," Daryl cleared his throat, "Me too."
Beth smiled, "Sometimes I wish we could go back to when it was jus' you and me, sittin' around that little table, eating peanut butter an' jelly with our fingers."
Daryl smirked, "I could go for some of them pig's feet right about now."
"So gross," Beth laughed and Daryl found himself chuckling along with her.
As their laughs faded into sighs of content, Daryl felt a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. He'd needed this. Needed to know where she stood with Noah. Needed to know she didn't blame him for being held captive in that hospital. He needed to know they were still on the same page as when they'd been torn apart.
"Noah feels like he owes me this huge debt," Beth said, looking out toward the fields, "He feels guilty for leavin' me behind, but if I'd gotten out with him and we'd left Atlanta, I would've never found you guys. So it was 'ah blessing in disguise I guess."
"Yeah," Daryl agreed, "S'pose it was."
"Dawn let things…happen," she revealed quietly, "She tried to act like it was 'for the good of everyone,' but really it was just because she wasn't as in control as she liked to think she was."
Daryl listened to her lightly thumping her heel against the wooden barn doors beneath them and waited for her to continue.
"I think Noah feels guilty for what I did. For what he couldn't do," she speculated while tilting her head, "but there was no way I was leavin' him behind in that hellhole with her."
"It bother you?" Daryl asked, referring to what she'd done at the hospital.
"Walkers are one thing, but killin' a person…," her words trailed off before she sat up straighter and looked at him, "I jus' try not to think about it."
Daryl kept his gaze on her.
He understood all too well what she meant. It was easier to avoid thinking about it altogether than it was to face the consequences of those actions. He also knew how unhealthy it was to internalize everything, but he wasn't going to make himself a hypocrite by telling her so.
"So," she sighed and forced a smile on her lips, "Noah might have me on a bit of a pedestal right now, but that's just because of everythin' I've done for 'em. It doesn't mean anything."
Daryl scoffed, "Punk's got some hero complex bullshit for ya'."
Beth's smile went from strained to genuine, "Maybe a bit."
"'A bit' my ass," he smirked, "I bet you can walk on water accordin' to him."
Beth swatted his arm, "Be nice."
He nodded; a smirk still spread across his lips, and looked over the edge to the ground below.
"No more avoidin' me," Beth said firmly beside him, "I don't like it."
He looked up from where he'd been staring to see her serious expression.
"Alright," he acquiesced.
"Even if Noah's around," she added.
"Even if he's around," Daryl agreed.
"We still have 'ah conversation we have t'finish ya' know?" Beth gave him a knowing look.
"I got no idea what you're talkin' about," Daryl replied sarcastically.
The way she stared at him made him feel like there was something more she wanted to say, but she kept her thoughts to herself. He continued to hold her stare as her eyes danced between his. He could hear his heart beating in his ears and the air suddenly seemed thicker with each breath he took. When her gaze dropped to his lips, he felt his chest tighten and his fingers dug into the wooden boards beneath his hands.
"Beth?" A voice called from below.
They both jerked and looked below them as two figures became visible in the dark.
"About time," Beth breathed and hopped up from where she'd been sitting.
Maggie and Glenn were covered in walker blood, dirt, and soot, but looked no worse for wear.
Beth offered her hand and helped Daryl stand. He followed behind her as she hurried toward the ladder, nearly running into the back of her when she suddenly stopped and twisted back toward him.
"I never told you thank you," she murmured while looking up at him.
Daryl furrowed his brows, "Fer' what?"
"For not givin' up on me. For lookin' for me even when you didn't have any idea what had happened to me. For comin' and gettin' me from that hospital even though you didn't know what you were walkin' into," she rambled loud enough for him to hear.
"You don't gotta' thank me," Daryl shrugged a shoulder in an effort to seem nonchalant, "Was the right thing t'do."
Her eyes flitted over his face and he was once again left wondering what she was thinking.
"I'm sorry you mistook Noah's 'hero complex' thing for somethin' else," she apologized sincerely.
"Guess there's that whole saying about assumin' shit for 'ah reason," Daryl admitted gruffly.
Beth smiled, placing her hands on his shoulders, and rising up on her toes to press her lips against his cheek.
Daryl stood still, unsure of what to do, and felt a strange sensation crawl up the back of his neck and spread across his cheeks.
"'Ah girl can have a hero of her own, right?" She whispered in his ear before pulling away and bounding down the ladder.
Daryl rubbed the back of his neck, stepping close enough to the edge that he could see her as she tackled Maggie the moment the older Greene entered the barn, and chuckled lightly at how stupid he'd been for the past two weeks. If he had just taken the time to talk to her, he could have avoided all the anguish he'd put himself through, and have been slightly more understanding as to why Noah felt so attached to Beth…only slightly though.
Then again, seeing how Noah was towards Beth, it made him rethink what she had whispered in his ear. If she felt even a smidgen towards him as the way Noah felt towards her…
Maybe having a hero complex wasn't so bad after all.
...
A/N: The firecrackers that Glenn uses are a nod to the game Dying Light. I absolutely loved that game! If you haven't played it and you like games with the parkour aspect (like Assassin's Creed), with a zombie twist, you should absolutely check it out!
The barn is a reference to the 'storm scene' we've seen with Daryl in the season 5b teasers.
Leave me some love and let me know what you thought! I hope everyone had a great day, having a Valentine or not (I'm lucky enough I have 2 little munchkin's to be mine) with chocolates or whatever it is your into for Valentines!