I noticed that some people had been really sad by the oneshots I had posted in the "Yeah, We'll Be Good" collection, so I decided to post this, hopefully lifting peoples spirits with some Bethyl fluffiness! :) I really hope you all like this as much as I do :3
The entire Prison had been acting strange toward Beth recently.
She had tried to ignore it, sure that it was just something that was happening that she probably didn't need to know about, but as it went on, it seemed that everyone was hiding something just from her. And she started to worry.
Could it be something with little Judith? Did they have to leave again and no one felt comfortable enough to tell her?
And then, the worst thought of all crossed her mind… Had they figured out about her feelings for Daryl?
She had planned to talk with Maggie about it, tell her about her feelings and ask her what she should do about them, but no icebreaker she could think of had seemed right. Especially since Beth thought that she had been receiving some hints of mutual feelings from the archer. It wasn't that Beth thought her feelings for the archer were a bad thing, but she was completely aware of the fact that others in the Prison might not understand the connection she felt with the man.
It only confused her further when, one night, after her shower she went into her cell, and she saw a large thin box with her name scrawled messily on the front. She walked carefully over to it, gently tugging off the top, and gasping at the gift inside.
It was a beautiful midnight blue dress with a sparkled bodice and a long, flowy bottom. She held it up, watching it sparkle in the dim light of the cellblock.
"You just gonna look at it or are ya' gonna put it on?"
Beth turned to look at Maggie, who was smiling, one hand resting on her sister's cell door.
"This is for me?" Beth asked, joy filling her very soul.
Maggie nodded. "Yep, and that's not all Bethy. Put it on and come outside," Maggie said.
Beth nodded, watching Maggie go before sliding out of her clothes and putting the gorgeous gown on.
Once she had adjusted it to set just right, letting her hair down to try and look a little less like a kid, she walked out of her cell, noticing that no one was in the cell block, but shrugging it off and walking outside.
She had no idea what awaited in the Prison yard, but if had anything to do with the wonderful dress she was wearing, she couldn't wait to find out.
She tried to think of a reason for this to be given to her. It wasn't her birthday, was it? She hadn't really been keeping track of that kind of thing to be honest. It had taken so much work just to take care of the kids, help with the food and chores. She hadn't really thought about herself much at all.
All thoughts dissipated as she walked through the the doors into the warmth of the outside.
Beth didn't know what to say when she walked into the prison courtyard. There were lights strung through the chainlink fencing, and sparkling paper stars were hung from those lights. She could smell wonderfully cooked meat and instantly her mouth watered. The women were dressed up in, at the very least, summer dresses, and the men wore button ups and ties. Even Daryl had a nice gray button up on with a charming red tie, though he looked a little uncomfortably in the formal wear, she would tell him later how nice he looked.
Maggie walked up to her sister, her green eyes shining brightly. Beth noticed the pretty green dress Maggie had on, and that she had pinned one side of her short hair back. She must have slipped the dress on while Beth was getting ready.
"Surprise!" Maggie said excitedly.
"What is all this?" Beth asked, looking around in awe.
"Daryl told me 'bout how you were sad you didn't get to go to Prom," Maggie said, grabbing her sisters hands. "So he, Rick, Glenn, Carol, Daddy and I decided we'd give you your own little one."
Beth's eyes shimmered with tears, and she wrapped her sister in a thankful hug. "Oh, Maggie… Thank you!"
Maggie chuckled, hugging her back warmly. "Don't forget to thank Daryl, Bethy. If he hadn't said anything, none of this would've ever happened."
Beth pulled away, laughing as Maggie gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "I will. Don't worry."
Music played gently in the background as Beth started to make her way over to Daryl, but not before walking over to Rick, giving him a kiss on the cheek and hugging her father with all the happiness and love she could muster. She laughed as she saw Carl dancing with Judy, who was in a little dress of her own.
Then she slid up next to Daryl, who eyed her carefully as she made her way over. She bumped his shoulder with her own, hardly able to keep the smile off her face. "Thank you," she said softly.
Daryl scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Was nothin'."
Beth looked at him fully, trying to show with her eyes just how grateful she was. "Really Daryl, I mean it. I didn't even know you were listenin'."
He mumbled something gruffly, something she couldn't understand, but she just giggled and grabbed his arm, soaking the warmth of him in through her fingertips. "Dance with me!"
In this moment, she didn't care if everyone knew about her affections towards the older man. She was so happy that he had helped to do all this for her, that she could care less if all the survivors all over the world knew that she was falling in love with Daryl Dixon. All she wanted, all she ever could've asked for in this moment, was a dance with one of the few people she truly cherished left in the world.
"What?" Daryl looked startled. "Hell no, Girl! Go ask Rick to or somethin'!"
"Why not? I wanna dance with you!" Beth said, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Then something dawned on her. "Don't tell me that you, badass archer Daryl Dixon, can't dance."
Embarrassment flashed on his face and his lips tightened into a straight line, but he didn't deny it.
Beth's gaze turned soothing as she tugged on his arm again. "S'okay Daryl, I don't know either."
Daryl blinked. "Ya' don't?"
Beth shook her head. "Not properly, no. I seen it before in movies, but I never been properly danced with."
Daryl hesitated for a moment, positive that if she wanted to be "properly" dance with, he wasn't the man to ask, but something in her gaze made him not really care how much of a fool he would look like trying to dance with the spritely young woman. He rotated his shoulders a bit before taking her hand shyly, his intense yet awkward gaze on her. She just smiled.
"I can't promise I won't step on yer' feet, Girl," he warned.
Beth laughed. "Ay' can't promise anythin' either, Dixon."
They moved out onto the makeshift dance floor, him mumbling something about her having pxie feet which made her giggle.
She tried to position them how she had seen it done in movies before everything had collapsed, her hand on his shoulder, his hand rested on her hip, while their other hands were linked together at their opposite sides.
They started to move, awkwardly at first, but it wasn't as bad as Daryl expected it to be. Beth made their mistakes feel silly, but not in a bad way, and the beautiful expression on her face when she laughed soothed his nerves a bit, while making his stomach feel weightless and fluttery.
After a few minutes, they had gotten a gentle rhythm, and Beth, without warning, moved in closer, putting her head on Daryl's chest, smiling even as her stiffened slightly at her closeness.
Despite the music that was playing, Beth sang a song softly, the truth of song from her childhood settling between them.
"Tale as old as time.
True as it can be.
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends,
Unexpectedly."
Daryl would've started laughing if the words hadn't hit the nail so hard on the head with how he was feeling. He felt her look up at him, and he looked down at her, watching the way the small sparkling lights danced in her eyes, and wondering absentmindedly when he had started to notice her womanly beauty. He felt his heart soften when their gazes met, and a small, joyful smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.
Good God Girl, he thought helplessly. What have you done to me?
"Just a little change."
Beth chuckled at that line, feeling the soft sharpness of his gaze on her own, knowing that something indeed had changed between them. That a line had been crossed, and there was no going back.
"Small to say the least.
Both a little scared,
Neither one prepared…
Beauty and the Beast."
The words swirled around them, and Daryl found that he could care less that the entire Prison could see them dancing, watching them look into each others eyes with something new and strange in their eyes.
Daryl was scared, this girl could tear down his walls without giving him the pain he had always expected would come with it. She gave him joy, and made him want to dance, so long as it was with her, and showed him that there was still light in this dark, unforgiving world.
He hadn't been prepared for such a seemingly weak slip of a girl to hold so much strength in her heart. To give so much strength to his own.
"Ever just the same,
Ever a surprise.
Never as before,
Ever just as sure,
As the sun will rise."
Beth was breathless under his watchful eyes, the song a mere murmur against the sound of their hearts beating, and she tripped a bit, feeling him catch her swiftly, without a second thought. He held her closer after that, using her clumsiness as an excuse to hold her tighter.
They weren't really dancing, just taking steps with what sounded in time to the song that fell from Beth's lips. They both knew that it probably looked strange to everyone else, but it didn't matter to them one bit. Daryl already knew that he couldn't dance, and Beth was content just to be in his arms.
"Tale as old as time.
Tune as old as song.
Bittersweet and strange,
Finding you can change,
Learning you were wrong."
Beth had been wrong about Daryl. At first he had seemed mean, uncaring, and rude, and Beth had done all she could to stay away from him. But she knew now that he was sweet, gentle, and cared about people in his own way. She saw, as soon as she had let herself, the underlying hurt that lay in his soul, which is what caused him to feel the need to close himself off so entirely. He had even spent a time telling her, for whatever reason, feeling that she was the person to confess the awful truth of his life before everything. The truth of his heartbreaking childhood that Beth knew he hadn't deserved. Not that his personal pain seemed to matter to him at all. He was always helping people, his effort in throwing her a Prom only one example of his seemingly endless kindness.
Yes, she had been wrong. She had thought she would hate Daryl Dixon, instead, she loved him.
"Certain as the sun,
Rising in the East.
Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme…
Beauty, and The Beast."
She smiled wide and he couldn't help but smirk back, her happiness insanely contagious.
"Can I interrupt?" They both turned towards Hershel, who looked amused. "I'd like to dance with my daughter, if you don't mind Mr. Dixon."
Daryl looked startled, but stepped back from Beth, disappointment flashing in her baby blues as he mumbled an apology and went over to stand beside Rick.
"You love him, don't you Bethy," Hershel stated more than asked.
Beth blushed as Hershel started to guide her in a dance. "I care about him, Daddy. I think It's love, but… I dunno."
"He's a good choice Bethy," Hershel said, surprising Beth.
"Really, Daddy?" Beth said, smiling wide at him.
"He's strong, he's capable of taking care of you, and he cares about you." Hershel seemed to be in deep thought. "I'm going to talk to him, alright?"
Beth rolled her eyes. "Just don't scare 'im off Daddy."
Hershel chuckled. "No promises, Bethy."
Hershel took her over to where Daryl and Rick stood side by side, handing Beth off to Rick who laughed, complimenting her dress, looking a little lighter, just like everyone else.
Daryl watched Hershel carefully, ready to help if he had any complications walking.
Hershel just sat down on the picnic table next to Daryl, watching Beth as Rick twirled her, making her laugh and smile, both of them stopping to see Judith who was laughing in Carl's arms.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told Glenn, Daryl," Hershel said suddenly, his voice strong, but also soft, almost in encouragement.
The two men shared a look of mutual respect as Hershel said, "You might understand one day, but there is never a man who's good enough for your baby girl, until one is." Hershel put a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "You helped bring happiness to my Bethy's face, and I trust that you can take care of her. Protect her. Just as you've done for everyone else here. Someday, I won't be here to take care of my girls, I want to leave them with someone who can take good care of them, love them. Maggie has Glenn, and now, Beth has you."
Daryl just listened to Hershel, not sure what to say, and feeling incredibly humbled by what the older man was saying.
"But, before I completely hand her over to you, I want you to answer one question," Hershel said, and Daryl nodded.
"Do you love her?"
Daryl watched Beth, trying to find the courage to say what he wanted to. That he did love her, that he always would. That she was his light in the darkness, his hope in the seemingly endless deprivation.
All that would come out was a soft, "Yeah."
Hershel knew that that simple word was all the archer could bring himself to say, and smiled, knowing that Daryl responding to that question at all meant he would take wonderful care of his baby girl.
Hershel chuckled as Beth came back over, pulling Daryl back onto the dance floor, her blonde hair and beautiful dress swishing softly as she laughed. Without warning, Beth stood on her tiptoes, pressing a chaste kiss to Daryl's lips, who gave Beth a surprised look once she pulled away.
With a hand on each of the archer's upper arms, she smiled brighter than the sun at him and said, "Wouldn't be Prom without a kiss from my date." Daryl chuckled, giving her a small smile as he watched her from under his bangs.
It had been a slow burn, sometimes too slow for Beth, but she had been patient, knowing better than to go after Daryl head on. Daryl had liked that she knew him better than anyone ever had, and that she had wanted to. That she loved him anyways.
They knew this was it, the start of everything they had been looking for, the happiness in the joyless world they now lived in. He was her reason to be strong and to learn to fight, not just Walkers or people, but her own demons as well, and she his reason to believe in the good people, even one's as messed up as himself, could do, and could be.