A/N: Well hello there my lovelies. I've had this idea for a one shot stuck in my head for a while now, so here it is down in words. Hope you enjoy :)
Not forgotten about The Road To Happiness. Just something I wanted to write in between :-)
Summary: Once upon a time...that's the way their story was going to be told. Rules be damned...
Rating: T
Paring: Daryl/ Beth
Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing...
Inspired while listening to 'Drowning Man', The Bono and MadelynIris version
………
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love...
It had been a love unlike any other. One which, right from the beginning, had been warned to them was never to happen. The subtle glances. The 'accidental' brush up the side at the dinner table. None of it had gone unnoticed by the group as they had tried to carry on with their day to day survival.
He remembered the minute he had set his sights on her back at the farm, thinking he was in for trouble. Like a moth to a flame, he found himself drawn to her. A gravitational pull which he had no control over...One he didn't even know if he wanted to have control over. Her big blue eyes called out to him from the small gathering on the porch. Eyes filled with curiosity and wonder as she stared back at him; a hint of a smile dancing behind them as she watched him step off his bike. He had struggled to hold his own smile back as the corners of her lips curled upwards ever so slightly. Her very own silent greeting from her father's side, he was sure.
Out of everyone, it was her Daddy who had noticed first. An instinctive step in front of her being proof of that as he had stared him down, the challenge 'try it' written on his stony face. Daryl had only been able to smirk a little; a soft chuckle escaping past his lips before dropping his gaze to his crossbow and slowly walking off. He had known at that moment that he was hooked on Beth Greene. The thought of going another day in his miserable life without looking into her piercing blues brought him nothing but turmoil. A sickening feeling deep in his gut.
As the days passed, it didn't take either of them long to realise that they were under constant watch. Her father's gaze burning a hole into the back of his skull whenever he caught him looking at his youngest. Their brief conversations cut short with a clear of the throat. The unspoken attraction between them was the cause of much unwanted attention. The disapproving grunts from the group enough evidence needed to let him know that if he stepped one foot out of place, they'd have no qualms about feeding him to the walkers. But still he didn't care. The feelings which rose up within him whenever the girl looked his way was enough to send him crazy.
As far as he was concerned, there was only one real obstacle which stood in his way, and it was called Jimmy. The snivelling little kid, in Daryl's opinion, was the one thing he hated most on the farm. His nice guy attitude and eagerness to help whenever and wherever necessary were just a few things on the long list Daryl had managed to conjure up during his short stay. Everything the kid did pissed him off, and although he knew deep down that the guy was more than likely a genuinely nice young man, he had her, and for that reason alone Daryl hated him.
The burning jealousy which started in the pit of his stomach whenever he saw the two of them together seemed so foreign to him. Hell, it was a feeling he never even knew existed until she walked into his life. But after nearly two weeks on the farm, he was convinced that it was a feeling which was never going to go away. Watching him hold her back the day those barn doors flew open had almost killed him. Her strangled sobs ringing loud and clear in his mind as he had been forced to put a bullet into what used to be her mother. He could only pray that she would forgive him.
After the last walker...little Sophia, had stumbled out from the barricaded hell, he dropped his gun and stormed off. The cries from Lori and Andrea only distant mumblings in the back of his mind as he pushed on into the woods. He didn't care what happened to him out there. Didn't care if he died an agonising death. No pain could be worse than the fucked up mess that was already going on within him. He carried on with his journey until he came to a small clearing; the hot summer sun blocked by the tall over grown trees. There, he fell to his knees, his hands disappearing into the masses of wildflowers surrounding him.
He didn't know quite how long he had sat there. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. He didn't care either way. Waiting for death was the only thing on his mind at that point. When the sounds of branches and twigs snapping behind him interrupted the silence, he believed his time was coming to it's end. The light footsteps making their way closer and closer to him. But it wasn't until he watched his trusty crossbow being lowered down next to him out the corner of his eye, and the old battered pink Chuck's slowly walking into his line of vision, did he finally look up.
There, Beth stood looking down at him. Her tear stained cheeks, glistening in the little sunlight that broke through the gaps in the trees. In wonder he watched as she gently lowered herself down in front of him, her long blonde hair falling just above her elbows as she slowly reached out and pressed a small hand to his cheek. Leaning into her touch, Daryl never drew his eyes away from her crystal pools of blue. Inching closer to him, she brushed the hair from his eyes before resting the other hand on his shoulder, her finger tips gently skimming over the exposed skin of his neck.
"What about Jimmy?" Was all he managed to force out, his voice sounding that of a strangers as she once again shifted forward on her knees.
"Jimmy's a friend." She replied in a whisper, their faces drawing closer and closer.
Without uttering another word, Daryl ran a hand through her long blonde locks before pulling her in towards him; their lips meeting in a fiery kiss as her arms wove round his neck. Lying her back into the wild lilac flowers, Daryl pushed his crossbow to the side with his boot. Pulling back slightly he looked down at her. Her usually pale cheeks were flushed pink. Her sparkling eyes dark with passion. Brushing her hair from her face, Daryl could only smile. Her curls splayed out onto the flowers around her, like a halo. Bending down, he captured her lips once again.
Until then he never knew angels existed.
The sun was threatening to set when they pulled themselves up; Daryl buckling his worn belt as Beth finished retying her faded shoes. Slinging his crossbow onto his shoulder, he silently pulled her into his chest before tilting her chin up to meet her gaze. With a slight blush she smiled, a sight which he believed, would forever render him speechless. With a kiss and promises of meeting again, they made their way back to the farmhouse.
Her Daddy had been furious that night, demanding she told him where she had run off to for so long. With stutters, she had been truthful. Telling him that she had went in search of Daryl to bring him his crossbow. After a lecture on safety and a punishment of an early night, Beth was sentenced to her room, Daryl's eyes never leaving her as she climbed the old stairs.
Still standing in the foyer of the old house, Daryl turned his attention to Hershel and Rick. Both men stared at him with fire in their eyes, Hershel's fist balling at his side as he glared down at the bowman. With a command to stay away from his daughter, he wasted no time or breath in asking for explanations before storming away.
With a sigh, Rick ran a hand down his tired face, the fire in his eyes quickly being replaced by panic as he dropped his gaze to the floor. With panic of his own beginning to build up within him, Daryl shifted uncomfortably on the spot.
"Look, I just needed some time..." He mumbled, Rick turning to face him "Didn't know the girl would come lookin' for me."
Pacing slightly, Rick's hand flew to his hips as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"We have a good thing goin' on here. We can't risk losin' it..." He replied curtly, finally coming to a stop close to Daryl's side "Whatever it is that's goin' on between the two of you...It ends now."
It had killed him to hear that. The one thing in the whole world that had brought him happiness was being ripped away from him at the seams. Forced to end before it had even begun. Heavy hearted he had trudged outside towards his tent, kicking at the dust as he less than carefully tossed his crossbow to the ground. But as he stood looking at the battered weapon at his feet, he couldn't help but turn to look back at the house, a small smile pulling at his lips once again when he saw her pressed up against her bedroom window looking out at him.
...Rules be damned...
It was two days later when they had each made excuses to sneak off; both meeting in amongst the wildflowers under the shade of the trees. With gentle touches and soft kisses they had stayed there in a world of their own. The only sounds coming from the birds in the sky and the wind in the trees. But as a member of the dead stumbled into their line of vision, both knew that their short time that day had come to an end.
The sun was yet to rise when they met five days later. The hot summer air telling them that it would be daybreak soon. With soft kisses, they lowered themselves into the growing flowers as the birds began to sing their morning songs. Daryl couldn't think of another place in the whole world where he'd rather be at that moment. He couldn't even remember a time before the world had went and gone to shit, where he had been as happy. But as the sun came up, his morning shift on watch called out to him.
Her sister had caught her sneaking off the fourth time they went to meet. He had been standing, waiting in their spot for what felt like hours. Fear slowly eating away at him as he stared out into the trees for any sign of her arrival. When she finally arrived he had managed to relax, a small smile pulling at his lips as she got closer to him. But as she did he saw that she wasn't alone. Maggie traipsing clumsily behind her.
He'd expected a screaming match. An all out war with the older Greene sister when she approached him in the clearing that day. He'd been shocked when she gave a small smile and pulled him in for a hug, a quick whisper in his ear to take care of her leaving him dumbfounded before she headed back in the direction of the house. Beth couldn't stop smiling at her sister's approval. In turn, neither could Daryl.
Neither knew that their last day in amongst the wildflowers would be their last day on the farm. It had been early once again. The birds singing away in the trees as they huddled together under the old woollen blanket Beth had brought along. With her head resting on his chest she lay tracing patterns over his heart; Daryl absentmindedly running a hand through her tresses as he watched the sky change colour between the spaces in the branches up above.
Pressing a kiss to his chest, Beth propped herself up on her elbow before leaning over him and peppering his face with kisses. Daryl couldn't stop himself from chuckling as he pulled her closer. His hand reaching out to tuck a curl behind her ear.
"Tell me a story..." She whispered, lying back down beside him, her head once again finding solace on his chest.
"A story?" He questioned with a chuckle, turning to envelope her in a protective embrace "I don't know any stories."
"You don't have to know one." She smirked, running a finger down his chin as her lips drew closer to his "You just need to make one up."
Running a hand down her bare back, Daryl racked his brain for a story to tell her. The whole idea of storytelling was totally foreign to him. Even as a child he couldn't remember getting a bed time story as his mother tucked him in.
"Don't know how to make one up." He finally breathed out, again running a hand through her hair as he returned the previous favour and showered her face with kisses.
Kissing him, Beth gently pushed him back, a soft giggle escaping past her lips.
"I know..." She began, brushing the hair from his eyes "Tell me the story of us."
"Us?" He asked with a small smile.
"Yeah." She replied, pulling the blanket a little higher up "Us."
Propping himself up, Daryl looked down at her as the small clearing began to brighten; the birds morning songs getting louder.
"I think I can tell you that story." He smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips before clearing his throat "Ok, here it goes...Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love..."
………
A/N: Well that took a totally different turn than planned, but I'm actually really pleased with the way it turned out. I just hope you guys liked it, because in the end, it's your opinions that count :)
Please let me know what you all thought. This style of writing is a little different to what I usually do, and I would love some feedback. Thank you :) xx