Well, after a longer hiatus than intended, here it is! If you loved our pair in the last story, this one is going to have a couple obstacles, twists, and turns. Hope y'all enjoy it!
"Will ya make up yer damn mind already?!"
If time fixed all, it certainly hadn't found a way to cure Daryl's impatience. I could remember a time when dragging him to McGinty's was an ordeal of it's own, nearly impossible actually. First it was because he didn't want people to see him in his bright green cast. Then it was because we were spending time with my friends. However, eventually my surly neighbor became fond of my little group and bringing him along no longer seemed like a chore. He usually stuck by me but over time had grown to accept Tyreese (mainly because he was the closest to Daryl's age) and Glenn (because 'the chinaman was an entertaining drunk). Apparently I was taking far too long getting dressed for Daryl's liking though.
"I mean seriously, ya look fine in whatever!" Daryl shouted from the living room as I was dressing in my bedroom. Even though we'd both decided on being friends, he still spent more time in my apartment than his own, not that I blamed him much. I would look for an escape too if I lived with his older brother, Merle.
"But I don't wanna look just fine!" I replied, throwing the recently rejected sweater onto the chair in the corner of my bedroom. Regardless of the fact that Daryl and I were "just friends", I was still adamant about dressing up when we went out. Sasha always told me it was because I was 'playing the game', and maybe she was right, but that didn't change the fact that I wanted to look my best. Settling on a bright red strapless shirt, dark blue jeans, and my black cowboy boots, I let my hair down and checked my makeup before walking out into the other room. "Alright, I'm ready!"
Daryl stood from my couch and stared at me. His look was a mix of desire and possession that I'd grown accustomed to seeing. While we both knew that neither of us were exactly happy with being platonic, neither of us mentioned otherwise. We both acknowledged that we'd rushed things a bit before and we were determined from allowing that to happen again. "The hell you are" he hissed, making his way into my room to grab my black sweater from its usual place behind my door. He threw it over my shoulders, careful not to let himself touch me before coming around into my view again.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked, my big sky doe eyes looking up into his darker, brooding blues. "I think I look fine."
He swallowed slightly before answering. "Yeah, and so will ev'ry other guy in that bar" he retorted. Even though I couldn't yet understand all of the facets of Daryl's personality, I knew that he was protective to a fault. That was the risk I took when I grew closer to the guarded man and I was fully aware of the fact. I locked my eyes on him and creased my brow, letting him know that he was up to something again. He sighed loudly, exasperated, before continuing. "Just...please wear the damn sweater? I don't feel like gettin' into any fights this time." Remembering what happened the last time I'd received unwanted attention at McGinty's and how I'd had to talk Officer Walsh out of arresting Daryl on the spot, I put my hands up in mock defeat before shrugging on the sweater and earning a knowing grin from the man before me.
"Happy now?"
And with a nod, we were out the door and walking downstairs to where the cab was already waiting. I'd learned by then to not let Daryl drive us on the motorcycle when we went out, even though it usually upset him that he had to be 'driven around like Miss Daisy'.
Once we pulled up to the bar and we split the fare, Daryl held the door as we both walked to the back and joined my friends. We were greeted by a warm chorus of already tipsy hoots and hollers and we took our normal seats, beside Sasha but staying together.
It didn't take long for the normal ribbing to start, and it was apparently Glenn's turn to kick it off. "Can you guysss jus date alreadyy?" the pizza boy yelled over the drunk twins from my psychology class attempting to sing "Livin' on a Prayer". Daryl and I looked at each other and then back at Glenn before the Asian man spoke again, a large smile coming to his lips. "Look! You even stare at me the same!" Everyone erupted into fits of laughter as the waitress came to take the order for our first round of drinks.
Shortly after our first couple rounds, I excused myself to use the restroom and was followed by Amy, one of my first friends I'd made when I first moved to Savannah. Luckily we were alone because the conversation we had would have been enough to make me physically ill.
"Beth can I ask you something?" the young blonde asked as she tussled her hair in the mirror and fixed her makeup. She was one of those girls who never had a hair out of place, her lips were always fire red, and her clothes always fit a bit too well. If I didn't know her as well as I did, Amy would have reminded me of that vile woman I'd see at the Dixon's apartment so long ago. Shaking the bitter memory away, I smiled sweetly at my friend. "Of course, what's going on?"
Amy's cheeks blushed as bright as her lips as she leaned against the bathroom wall. "You and Daryl..." she said quietly, "Y'all are just friends now right?"
Her question made my stomach sink. I knew why she was asking, there was usually only one reason a woman would ask that of another. My mind began to fill with thoughts of my friend wrapped around Daryl, flirting with him, kissing him, everything I wanted to do. The second my thoughts shifted to other things, I quickly regained composure and started to wash my hands. "Yeah" I answered, my eyes trained on my hands as I wrung them to the point of pain. "We're just friends."
I felt arms wrap around my waist tightly and I heard happy squeals ringing in my ears. "Oh thank God" she sputtered, "I wanted to go for it but I wasn't sure, with y'all being so close and everything." Pulling away from me, she looked me dead in the eyes. "So it's okay if I..."
"Yup" I answered briskly, pulling away from her. "Totally fine. Best of luck to you." Before I could tell her how I really felt about it, she'd left me alone in the bathroom and I returned to the table to find her seated next to Daryl when she'd been previously on the other side next to Tyreese. I suppose he saw the look on my face because he swiftly pulled me down into the seat and ordered me one of the strongest drinks he could think of. I'd never been more grateful for alcohol until I saw Amy's hands grasping onto Daryl's, oblivious to the fact that he was obviously uncomfortable. Was it obvious, or was it because out of everyone at the table I was the only one that knew Daryl Dixon.
After a few hours of drinking games, funny stories and a mild mannered arm-wrestling match between Tyreese and Daryl (with Glenn drunkenly commentating), I'd finally had enough to drink that the group was able to convince me to go and sing. Pulling me to the stage, Sasha picked the song for me before leaving me to rejoin our group. The second the melody hit my ears, my heart jumped into my throat. My blood raced as the mic was slipped into my hand and my eyes automatically found the all too familiar stare locked on me. Even with Amy's eager advances, I was the one who had his attention and I wasn't about to let go of it just yet.
Taking a deep breath I brought the mic to my lips, sat on the rickety wooden stool and let the words flow without thinking twice.
"I feel a sin comin' on
I feel a right that's about to go wrong
I got a shiver down to the bone
I feel a sin comin' on..."
And boy, did I ever...
What did y'all think? Make sure to let me know! If anyone is curious, the song Beth sang is "I Feel a Sin Comin' On" by Pistol Annies.
I feel a sin comin' on
I feel a right that's about to go wrong
I got a shiver down to the bone
I feel a sin comin' on
I gotta buzz in my brain
Drunk on a love goin' down like champagne
I got a feelin' it's gonna leave a lipstick stain
And I'd be the only one to blame
And you can see it
All over my face
Sweet temptation
All over the place
Give me tall dark and handsome,
Mix it up with something strong
I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on
Please Jesus don't hold me back
I know it ain't mine but I want it so bad
The smoke in the whiskey
Got me feeling easy
And after I'll fade in the glass
And you can see it
All over my face
Sweet temptation
All over the place
Give me tall dark and handsome,
Mix it up with something strong
I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on
And you can see it (and you can see it)
All over my face (all over my face)
Sweet temptation
All over the place
Give me tall dark and handsome,
Mix it up with something strong
I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on
I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on