Beth sighed as she ducked behind a wall. This was getting ridiculous. Beth was a nice girl, and because of that she had a hard time really putting a guy down (even if the guy really deserved it and she really wasn't into him.) She just didn't have the heart to be frank and honest and tell him to kick rocks. It was because of that that she found herself currently hiding out behind a building, peeking around the corner to see if Zach had left yet.
Zach was a nice guy. Glenn (her sister's fiancé) had introduced them. And they'd hit it off at first, but Zach was more into football and drag racing, where Beth was more into music and art. The longer they spent time around each other, the more it became apparent that they had less and less in common. There in laid her problem. She wasn't even remotely interested in dating him, but had no idea how to break it off. As far as Zach was concerned (because he was so blissfully oblivious) she was over the moon for him and craved his attention all the time. Beth snorted.
The only person she was over the moon for was Daryl Dixon. Long-time friend, and 100% not interested in her. She'd always been like a little sister to him (or so she assumed) and he'd never done anything to make her think things might change one day. Even the day she'd come waltzing into his place wearing short-shorts and a tank top (it was hot out for crying out loud) he'd simply snapped at her to put on some clothes before tossing a sweatshirt over to her to cover herself. She'd grumbled to herself about wasted opportunity and flopped on the couch waiting for Ty (Daryl's roommate) to show up with his sister, Sasha (who was thankfully back from college for the summer.) Even when Beth turned twenty one and had a party planned for everyone to go out to the bar to celebrate, Daryl had grudgingly decided to go, and only because 'he needed to make sure she didn't wind up in the gutter covered in her own puke.' Yeah, there was absolutely no way Daryl was interested in her, which still left her with a man sized problem that she couldn't seem to make go away.
"What are you doin' Greene? Playin' hide and seek?" Daryl snarked from behind her as he watched her hiding out.
"Shhh." She hissed. "If you're not…great." She turned furious eyes to him and he was surprised to see her advancing on him. "You brought this completely on yourself." Before he could even question it, Beth was wrapped around him. Her arms were around his neck, her body was pressed up against his and her lips were battling with his in a way he'd never let himself think about.
Daryl sucked in a breath, trying to maintain some sense of control of himself but the second her tongue popped out of her mouth and started to tease his lips he was lost. He'd spent every waking moment since he'd met her, which was back when she graduated high school (she and Sasha were in the same grade and he'd gone to see Sasha walk.) trying to remind himself that a guy his age shouldn't want a girl like her the way he did. He'd battled with himself time and time again when she showed up to his apartment in barely-there clothing during the summer, waiting for Sasha. She'd caught him one time, in a moment of weakness, and he'd snapped at her and threw a sweatshirt at her. She had no right taunting him like that when there wasn't a damn thing to be done about the frustration he felt.
When she'd turned twenty one he'd been wracking his brain trying to figure out how to make sure no one took advantage of her without being a creep, when she'd turned around and invited him along. He'd spent the rest of the night death glaring every guy giving her the once over and had even come close to breaking a guy's nose on the dance floor because he was getting too handsy with her. After that Daryl had decided to never go out with her to a bar again. She was flirty naturally, but when she'd been drinking she'd practically been glued to him and it had been hard to keep his damn hands to himself.
Now, with her pressed up against him, kissing him, he couldn't be held responsible for the fact that his hands settled on the small of her back. He couldn't get in trouble for the way his mouth moved with hers and his tongue came out to dance with hers.
"Hey Beth, I was just…oh." A young guy's voice broke the spell between them and they whipped apart to stare at a guy, Zach (Daryl surprised to find he knew the guy's name), as they guiltily shifted apart from each other.
"Hi Zach." Beth chirped cheerfully beside him, like she hadn't just kissed Daryl speechless. Like she hadn't just plastered herself all along his body. "I haven't heard from you in a while." Before Zach could respond. "You know Daryl, my boyfriend." Daryl's eyes snapped to her as she reached out and took his hand. Zach stared at them gaping for a second before he nodded and shoved his hands in his pocket. "Well, we were off to go do lunch. Weren't we babe?" His heart thudded heavily in his chest and he fought the urge to look at her with wounded eyes.
"Yeah." He responded dumbly.
"It's been great catching up, Zach. See you around." She chirped again and pulled Daryl down the street, around Zach, and towards the diner. She let out a breath and chanced a glance at Daryl who was looking at her thunderously. She was going to pay for that. "Sorry about that…" She said softly, and dropped his hand. She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"No big. You really think that'll fly? The first person he tells is gonna set him straight." She looked at him. "There ain't nothing between us…and you damn well know it." Her eyes looked wounded and he stiffened his spine against the urge to comfort her. She'd just used him to get out of a bad situation. No concern for him and his feelings.
"Yeah, well…it ain't for lack of trying." She mumbled and he stopped in his tracks, heart thumping. She whirled on him, eyes wide and scared like she'd just said something dangerous, and truthfully maybe she had. "I-I…Wh-what I mean is…"
"What the hell you mean? You been tryin'?" She just stared at him, the panic mounting in her eyes. "It's a simple answer Beth. You been tryin' to get my attention? Yes, or no?" She waited a heartbeat, her eyes darting to the sidewalk before she breathed out her answer.
"Yes." Suddenly, all the pieces clicked into place for him. One step. It took one step (but really like half a step…or maybe just an awkward shuffle) to close the gap between them. His hands came up to cup her cheeks and drag her eyes to his. He searched her eyes.
"You gotta be a bit more clear with your signs, babygirl." he rumbled and waited. He was giving her an out. She could clearly see a way to go back and keep things the way they had been, but she'd be damned if she wanted things to stay the way they were. She stretched up again, still slowly, to kiss him, but this time he met her halfway. Their lips and tongues battled each other until someone driving by decided to honk and draw them back to their senses. They parted, each panting, and staring at the other. "So what was that about lunch?" He rumbled. If he didn't get his brain onto something safe, he was liable to take her home and really make a mess of their friendship. Beth had other plans. She grabbed his hand and turned around the corner, making a bee-line towards his apartment. "Whoa, slow down babygirl. Shouldn't we think this through?"
She smiled a big crooked grin at him. "Daryl, I've been thinking this through since I graduated high school. I'm done thinking it through." He stopped in his tracks. Damn, he'd waited too damn long for this moment. "Do you need time to think it through?" When he shook his head in the negative she smiled a sinfully seductive smile at him. "Then how about this…I'll race ya, and the last one there owes the winner lunch." He grinned at her.
"Alright. On you mark." He started, "Get set." He took a breath. "Go." Neither one of them could tell you who won, but then again, by the time they got to his door (many kisses and touches later) neither one of them was really racing anymore.