A/N: This was a tumblr prompt I was given by an anonymous person. The prompt was: "Daryl just tell me how you really feel" so...here ya go!
She was back. She was safe. She was three feet away and all he could do was stare at her. The moonlight shone brightly down on them, her blonde hair glowing and her blue eyes wide as they moved from his eyes to Carol's and back, disbelief on her face.
It had been weeks since she was taken and all Daryl wanted to do was run to her and hold her to him. But he couldn't. His feet felt like they were cemented to the ground, ignoring his brains commands to run, grab her. His brain whirled and things he needed and wanted to say were cramming down his throat, but his mouth felt dry and his tongue wouldn't move. He blinked, hard, several times as though he was worried she was a hallucination but every time his eyes reopened, she was still there.
"Daryl? Carol?" Beth finally asked, her voice seemed small in the stillness around them. Carol moved forward, quickly wrapping the blonde in a tight hug. The two were silent for a moment before Carol whispered something in Beth's ear and stepped back. Beth's eyes were filling with tears as she stared at the hunter in front of her before glancing back to Carol, her smile bright as she took in their faces like she needed to keep looking at them to keep breathing.
"I'll go get you something to eat," the older woman explained before turning and giving Daryl a knowing look and leaving the two alone. Beth stepped cautiously towards the hunter and that seemed to be all he needed. His crossbow fell to the ground as he stepped forward, hurriedly, stumbling almost, towards the blonde. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his wrapped around her and pulled her into his body tightly, his head tilting down into her.
"I'm so sorry, Beth. I should have protected you, I should have found you, saved you. I'm sorry." A tightness left Daryl's chest and he sucked in a deep breath for what felt like the first time since she had been taken. Beth tightened her hold on him, breathing in the smell of him, her heart racing and the smile never leaving her face.
"It's not your fault, Daryl." She told him, her cheek resting against his chest as she listened to his heart beat return from its sporadic, accelerated rate to a semi-steady thrum.
"Beth, I…" his voice rumbled through his chest into her ear and she sighed. Joy filled her as every breath reminded her that he was here, that she was holding him again, that she was hearing his deep voice and that she was home. "You."
Confusion filled Beth and she tilted her head back slightly to meet his gaze. It was piercing, intense, and she realized it was the same look he had given her at their candlelit dinner weeks ago.
"What changed your mind?" The gaze and burning of his stare had kept Beth pushing for the past few weeks she had been surviving and running alone, trying to find him. She needed to finish that conversation, to tell him what she had been feeling and that he had changed her too and she sure as hell wouldn't let walkers or strangers keep her from doing so.
"You," he had just told her. She had changed his mind. The intense look in his eyes told Beth more than that though, just like they had in their time together, especially that night at the funeral home. This man cared for her. Deeply. Over their time apart, Beth had come to realize the same for her. She cared for this man, deeply. Their friendship was unique, special, and Beth loved that. But she loved this man.
"You too," she told him softly, making him quirk an eyebrow, his eyes searching hers curiously before a look of recognition crossed his. His grip on her tightened and his forehead met hers, his eyes closing and his breathing deepening.
"Tell me," his voice was soft and low, his breath brushing her face as he spoke. Tell me what you feel.
"You changed me too, Mr. Dixon. You gave me strength when all I wanted to do was lay down and cry over the past few weeks. You gave me a purpose, a goal, a job. To survive and find you, to tell you that I care about you. Not just friends, not just family. I care about you, Daryl." Silence met Beth's words and a fear dug its way into her stomach. Had she said too much? Her eyes stayed focused on his throughout her entire speech and she saw confusion and surprise filtering through, as if he hadn't expected her to feel anything for him but underneath it all, she could see that burning intensity and even some trepidation.
"Tell me how you feel," she whispered to him even though they both knew she could see it on his face, in his eyes. She could see his brain whirling, trying to find the right words but she could also see a frustration building and she nodded softly, giving him permission to skip the words. His hands raised from her back and cupped her face, his eyes searching hers imploringly, his thumbs brushing dirt off of her cheeks before his head leaned down, angling so that his lips could meet hers, softly and uncertainly at first. Both sighed into the kiss and Beth felt his lips smile against hers.
She was home, she was safe, she was loved.