Beth tapped her pencil against the book she was currently reading, trying to get her head into her studies, and failing miserably. She could hear the music blaring in the living room where her roommate, strictly platonic (even though she'd been doing her best to change that fact), sat tinkering with a part from her engine that was making her car give off the worst screeching sound. She flashed back, for the hundredth time, thinking about how she'd come to be living with Daryl Dixon, the most oblivious man in Georgia.
She'd met Daryl Dixon strictly by accident. She'd been scouring the campus ads looking for roommate ads or rooms for rent when she'd happened upon a posting that piqued her interest. A guy had posted his room up, saying that he was moving in with his girlfriend but he needed to find someone to take over his current living situated. That in itself wasn't what interested her, but the poster went on to describe the current roommate. It had said he was a mechanic and worked most of the time and was hardly ever home, so it would be like living in the two bedroom apartment all by herself. That had been a really exciting prospect, and when she saw the rent she couldn't pass it up. She'd dialed the number and talked to an older student, Tyreese, about everything. He'd been hesitant at first, hoping for a guy to take over the room, but he'd agreed to at least let her walk through the place.
She'd definitely seen nicer places, but for the rent she wasn't going to complain. Daryl Dixon, the mysterious roommate, had come home just as she was getting ready to leave and that had sealed the deal. He'd been covered in oil and grease and smelled completely like engine grime and something woodsy that she had come to just associate with Daryl, and she'd been hooked. He'd grunted at her and Tyreese and then bid a hasty exit when he'd heard she was there to look at the room. It hadn't boded well for her when she'd left, but she'd gotten a call from Tyreese two days later asking when she was free to sign leasing paperwork and move in. She had moved in by the end of the week (a week before on campus housing closed for the summer) but that was the start of her trouble.
Daryl Dixon was never mean, but he was very distant when she'd moved in, and it had been incredibly lonely. She'd offer to make dinner for the two of them and he'd grunt at her (which she'd assume meant he'd like food) and then he'd go into his room, slamming the door and she wouldn't see him again until dinner was done. Even then it wasn't like he'd sit down to eat with her. He'd usually grab a bowl or a plate of what ever she made, mumble out a 'thanks' and close himself back up in his room. It had been incredibly frustrating. She'd finally blown up at him a month into living there, yelling at him that if he didn't like her he could have told Tyreese not to let her move in. He didn't have to treat her like crap. She hadn't seen him for two days and was actually planning on posting the room again, when he surprised her one evening (an evening she had to stay super late to study and write a term paper) by making them dinner. When she'd looked at him with a question in her eyes he'd just mumbled out an apology and they'd sat in companionable silence eating dinner. Things had been a thousand times better since then, and she actually considered him a friend now.
Dragging herself back to her studies she groaned and dropped her head down onto her book. There was no way she was going to be able to read and remember anything about Early Psychology Practices today so she shut her book and walked out into the living room, slouching down onto the couch to look at the doodad Daryl was currently playing with. Daryl looked up at her and quirked a brow. "Thought you had a big test comin' up." She nodded. "Shouldn't you be studyin'?" She nodded again and sighed, her head falling down to land on his shoulder. "Want me to turn off the music?"
"No. It's the most boring text I've ever had to read and I just can't focus right now. Figured I'd come out and learn a few things about car doohickies." He gave a snort. Everything to her was a doohickey or a doodad. He'd tried to teach here and there, and for the most part stuff stuck, except for the names. He shook his head and continued to fiddle with the pieces as his mind wandered to the petite blond currently leaning against his shoulder.
When he'd first seen her, he'd thought she was an angel, all light and bubbly, her long blonde hair flowing around her shoulders. She'd seemed so innocent and way too nice and he'd instantly been drawn to her. Ty had informed him she was looking to take over his room and Daryl had to give himself a shake. This girl was going to move in and haunt his every waking thought with her pretty smiles and sweet voice and it was going to drive him crazy. Part of him wanted to scream a big fat resounding NO, but a bigger part (the part that had won out) had chanted yes, yes, yes. and just like that she'd moved in and it had been like living in hell. She'd make him dinner and try to talk to him, and she had no idea how she was driving him crazy. Causing him to have thoughts, thoughts no man his age (he was almost ten years older than her) should be having about this pure, sweet, innocent woman now living with him.
When she'd lost it on him, he'd seen a glimpse of that spitfire that hid underneath her sweet exterior and it just made him want her more. He fought himself for two days before he decided he could at least be her friend. Since then it had been a sweet sort of torture. She was naturally touchy feely. Usually sitting too close to him, touching his arm and resting her head on his shoulder, but he liked it, and so far he hadn't let his mind run away from him. He could make this work and then she'd move on and he'd have these sweet memories to remember.
"Is it broken?" Her voice floated up to him.
"Nah. Looks like it needs a new baring and possibly some lube and screeching will stop." He breathed. Her scent of strawberries and vanilla hit his nose and he had to resist the urge to take a deep breath. He looked down at her and her blue eyes locked with his and the air seemed electrically charged. He had been faced with opportunities to kiss his beautiful roommate many times, but had never worked up the courage to do anything about it. There was no way she would welcome anything like that from him. Her eyes flicked down to his lips and just like that he was lost.
Beth bit her lip when she looked into his eyes. She was going to just go for it. What was the worst that happened? She'd have to find a new place to live? That didn't strike her as something Daryl would do. He'd never do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. With a quick breath she pushed up and her lips touched his. Instantly it was like electricity shot through her. She vaguely heard the thunk of the car part landing on the table and then his hands and arms were around her, pulling her closer to him. The angle was awkward and the kiss became strained but Beth was damn sure not going to let it end this soon. Quick as lightening she slid a leg over his and then she was straddling him, hands threaded into his dark hair as his hands gripped her hips. She could feel him through the thin layers of clothes and it made heat pool in her belly. The kiss ended and they both stared at each other, panting lightly, waiting for the first to react. She let out a soft giggle and a big smile before leaning in. "Bout damn time…" she murmured before she leaned forward and kissed him again. And Daryl couldn't help but mentally agree. It was about damn time, and now that it had happened…there was no way he was going to let stop.