So this is my first Bethyl fic like ever and I really hope this doesn't suck too bad. Anyways, hope you enjoy it, the main inspiration I got for this was the song "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, if you haven't heard it I recommend it. Don't forget to comment/favorite/follow if you like it and stuff.
There were lots of things Beth hated about her job, and the night shift was one of them. It was long, boring, and all the coffee she drank to keep herself awake made her jittery and restless. Nobody came in at night anyways besides an occasional insomniac or person stumbling in from the bar drunk out of their mind and ready for a late night meal. The night shift meant for six long hours Beth sat around, scrubbing the counter tops until her arm hurt and fighting herself to stay awake.
"I see I'm not the only one stuck with the graveyard shift." The town sheriff, Rick, chuckled as he walked into the diner, making Beth snap her head up from where she was resting it on the countertop. She smiled sleepily in response, nodding slowly as she took the coffee cup and a clean mug to his booth, knowing that was exactly what he wanted.
"Unfortunately," She groaned, filling up his mug as she glanced up at the clock. The bright red 3:42 mocked her, and Beth realized she would need another cup of coffee soon. "But I need the job."
"You know you don't have to do this." Rick retorted, pouring a hefty amount of sugar into his coffee as Beth went around the counter to grab a few packages of coffee creamer. "Lori could always use the extra hands around the house, especially with Judith."
Beth rolled her eyes at him with a smile, Rick was constantly dropping her not so subtle hints about needing help with the new baby, but she earned more at the diner and she couldn't beat the tips. She would love to help, but she wouldn't take it as a job.
"You know I love Judith," She chuckled, taking the empty creamer cups as he used them. "But I can't just quit."
Now it was Rick's turn to roll his eyes as the bell over the door rang out, making Beth glance over to the newcomer. A man she didn't recognize was at the door, shifting his weight awkwardly from foot to foot. His cheeks and nose were bright red from the cold and his hair was tousled from the wind blowing outside. He was shivering slightly, and Beth could tell the poncho and worn out jeans he was wearing didn't do much to keep the January chill away.
"You got coffee here?" He asked, his voice holding much more of a southern drawl that she was used to. Beth held up the coffee pot so he could see, wincing when a drop sloshed out and hit her arm.
"Sit anywhere, I'll be over in a second." She said as the man nodded, sliding into a booth across the small diner from where she was. Beth scrunched her nose up at the strange man before turning back to Rick. "I gotta go help him now, just holler if you need something, alright?"
"Will do, Beth." Rick replied, giving her a nod as she turned on her heel to get a coffee mug for the stranger. When she approached his booth he looked up from his hands and gave her a once over, making Beth blush. She knew the light yellow work uniform was dingy because she always forgot to throw it in with the wash and she had dried pancake batter in her hair from where Jimmy had flicked some at her before leaving for the night. She was an absolute mess and somehow a random stranger made her notice it.
"Uh, I'm Beth, can I get you anything besides coffee?" She asked, setting the mug down on his table. He shook his head quickly, downing half of the coffee the second Beth pulled the pot away.
"No thanks." He said simply, not saying anything else and dropping his gaze to his cup. She nodded slowly and backed away from him.
"Well I'll be behind the counter if you need anything." She waited for him to give her a response, a nod, a glance in her direction, anything. When she realized she wouldn't be getting a reply she turned on her heel and retreated to her spot behind the counter, topping off Rick's cup as she passed by.
It wasn't long before Rick left to answer a call from the bar not far from the diner, probably from a fist fight or someone who's designated driver ditched and needed a ride home. She almost chased him down as he rushed out of the diner to give some of the tip money back; despite how much she said she didn't want him to, Rick always gave her much more than necessary. That left Beth alone with the stranger, who hadn't spoken since she gave him his first cup of coffee.
"Need a refill?" She asked with a yawn as the clock hit 4:15 am. The man looked up, his blue eyes cloudy and obviously tired.
"Yeah," He answered, his voice gruff. "That'd be good."
Beth grabbed the freshly brewed pot of coffee and made her way over to him, filling up the cup with shaky hands. She wanted to kick herself, of course that would happen when she didn't want to look like a freak.
"You alright?" He asked as some of the coffee missed his mug completely and landed with a splash on the table. Beth blushed in embarrassment and leaned over the table to grab some napkins to clean the mess she had made.
"Yeah, I-I uh just shake sometimes. When I'm tired or hungry, you know? It's weird." She said, knowing he probably wouldn't understand. "S-so are you new in town? I mean it's small so everybody knows everybody and I haven't seen you around before. I hope I'm not prying too much but-"
"You ramble a lot." He interrupted her word vomit. She blushed and chewed on the inside of her cheek beside she couldn't think of anything to say in response. He was right, she did tend to ramble when she was nervous, and right now she was very very nervous. "Just got in earlier, with my brother. First thing he did was hit the bar, and I came here."
Beth nodded slowly, tapping her nails on the side of the coffee pot so her fingers wouldn't fidget too much. It was the five cups of coffee that made her so damn jittery, she told herself so she wouldn't have to admit to herself that it wasn't just the caffeine. "Are you staying long then?"
He shrugged, and Beth couldn't help but notice the way the muscles in his arms pulled and flexed as he moved. She felt herself flush for the millionth time that night, but she quickly blamed it on the fact that she was right next to the air conditioner which was spewing out warm air.
"I dunno. Merle, my brother, usually decides if we stay somewhere or not. Don't stick around anywhere for too long though." He answered before pulling a flip phone out of his pocket and glancing at the tiny screen. "This is him." He mumbled, hints of frustration laying beneath the regular gruffness of his voice.
He answered the call and Beth quickly walked away to give him privacy so she busied herself by cleaning the countertop again even though it was already spotless. After a minute the man stood up, tugging his poncho back over his head and digging a crumpled bill out of his pocket. He tossed it on the table and made towards the door, and that could have been it. It could have been a simple conversation between two people in the early hours of the morning, but of course Beth had to open her big mouth and ask the question that had been picking at her brain since she first saw him.
"What's your name?" She called after him. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to her, giving her the same once over he did when he first arrived.
"Daryl." He said simply, his face void of any emotion. "Daryl Dixon."