Baby It's Cold Outside
Based off of the song "Baby It's Cold Outside"
Beth stared out the window at the softly falling snow and smiled slightly. It had been 2 weeks since she walked through the gates of the Alexandria Safe Zone with Morgan. 2 weeks since she was reunited with the family who thought she had died at the hands of Dawn at Grady Memorial, the family that had buried her and mourned her loss. She still remembered the feel of everybody's arms around her when they were reunited. Maggie held her to her chest and sobbed, saying over and over how sorry she was. Rick held her tight and kissed her forehead before Carl handed her Judith, the little girl's chubby fingers tangling in her hair. She remembered all of it, but the one thing she remembered most was Daryl's strong arms, pulling her to him so tightly she almost couldn't breath, but she didn't care. She was back with him and she instantly felt like she was home.
She shuddered at the memory of his arms and his scent as she continued to watch the snow fall. She had barely seen the archer since that night, but she knew he was watching. She could feel his presence, but keeping his distance. She also knew he was around because she would constantly find things left on the front porch of the little, one room cottage the people of the safe zone had given to her. It was small, but perfect for her. Maggie had begged her to stay with her and Glenn in their extra room, but she had wanted her own space, her own time to acclimate herself back into the family. "Maybe that is why he is keeping his distance too" she thought to herself as she looked back out the window.
The first things she found one day after coming back from a visit with Maggie was a pink scarf and hat along with a stack of fire wood. She looked at it and smiled, knowing he had heard her comment the night before about how cold it was here. She knew it was him instantly. She didn't know why, she just knew.
A few days later she found a new journal, a box of cookies and another stack of fire wood. She heard one of the other members of the safe zone, John, talking about how when he found the box of cookies out on a run, Daryl traded his rations for two days to get them. Beth almost went to give them back to him, since Daryl needed to eat, but then she changed her mind. She knew that Daryl was very private and she knew that nobody probably knew that he had given them to her. She put them in her cabinet, not being able to eat them till he was actually with her.
The last things that were left was this morning. She had been talking to Carl about Christmas being in a few days while she bounced Judith on her knee at dinner the night before. She had said how much she missed having a Christmas tree and how she would have loved to show Judith one. She hadn't noticed Daryl come into the living room that Rick shared with Michonne, Carl and Judith till a few seconds later. She looked up at him and flashed him a bright smile. She saw him shift nervously on his feet and bring his thumb up to his mouth as he nodded a hi at her and walked into the kitchen to talk to Rick.
"Some boys! Judith, if you know what's good for you, don't like them till you can understand them. Your Uncle Daryl is the most confusing of them all" Beth said with a sigh as Judith clapped at her.
Well that morning when she woke up and opened the door to go see Maggie, she found a small, freshly cut pine tree and two jars of moonshine on her porch. She could not believe that he had done that for her, it was the greatest gift that anybody had ever given her. She stopped for a moment and smiled, remembering the night at the cabin with the moonshine.
That day she got Carl and Judith and they started making paper ornaments to put on the tree. Carol had stopped by during the day and helped a little. She asked once about where the tree came from. All Beth did was shrug and try to hide the blush that came across her cheeks. Carol smiled back, acting like she hadn't just figured it out.
So there she was, standing watching the snow come down harder and harder from her window as the night got darker and darker, occasionally looking back over to the tree in the corner of her room and smiling as the fireplace set off a warm glow thru the room. As she turned to look back out the window, she saw a shape of a man walking thru the snow. She knew who it was instantly by the cross bow she could make out on his back. "Even in the safe zone he was always prepared" she said as she shook her head with a smile. He had another stack of fire wood in his hands as he tried to make his way thru the snow up her little walk. She smiled to herself, he obviously had not seen her looking out the window and knew that this was her chance. She waited till she heard him lightly walk on her porch and she opened the door, causing him to jump and drop the firewood to the ground.
"Hi" she said sweetly as she moved outside a little more. He looked at her, his cheeks red from what she was guessing could be the cold, cuz Dixon's don't' get embarrassed, right?
"Hi" he grumbled back as he turned to walk back down the steps. She instantly reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Come inside Daryl, it's cold out here" she said sweetly as he turned to her. His piercing blue eyes looking directly into hers.
"I shouldn't stay" he said gruffly as he tried to turn back around.
"I had been hoping you would come by" she said softly, causing him to turn back around to look at her.
"Please Daryl, it's cold outside" she continued as she started to gently pull his arm. She saw the resolve leave his face for a moment as he followed her inside. She shut the door behind them and then saw how red his hands looked.
"I shouldn't be" he started but was stopped as she took his hands into hers.
"Your hands Daryl, they are as cold as ice" she said as she rubbed his hands feverishly to warm them up. He watched for a second, loving the soft feel of her hands before he pulled them away.
"M' fine" he said as he walked further into her living room. She saw him looking around nervously and smiled.
"It's not much but I like it" she said softly as she walked up beside of him, brushing her arm against his as she walked past him and stood in front of the fire.
"I should go. Rick will be wondering where I'm at" he said as he turned back around.
"Please Daryl, you can't go" she said as she ran up to him and grabbed his hand. She saw his shoulders sigh at her touch as he turned around to face her. His eyes fixed on hers as she smiled at him.
"I missed you Daryl, so bad. All I thought about was getting back to you while I was in that place" she said with a shudder as she remembered Grady. He moved a little closer to her and squeezed her hand.
"Then after Morgan found me, all I could think about was getting back to you again. And that was all I could talk about once I could talk again. I think I probably drove Morgan a little crazy with my Daryl talk" she said quietly as she looked back up at him. She could see the emotion in his eyes. He gently let go of one of her hands and moved his hand up to her cheek, gently running his thumb across the scar that was on her lower jaw. In that instant he saw it again, the gun shot, her falling to the ground, all the blood. He let go and jumped back a little.
"I can't, It's my fault. All my fault. I gotta go" he grunted as he looked around, his eyes filled with panic and worry and in that instant Beth realized why he had been staying away. She walked slowly to him, and gently placed her hand on his cheek.
"This is not your fault. None of this is your fault. You are the reason I survived and I'm not going anywhere" she said softly as she looked at his face, that gorgeous, magnificent face. She leaned up on her tip toes and gently brushed her lips with his. She felt him tense for a moment as she moved her lips back to his again. Then she felt his hands gently start to wrap around her back as he softly started kissing her back. It was soft and sweet and the greatest kiss either had ever experienced. As they broke apart, Daryl leaned his forehead against hers.
"I really should go. People will talk" he said just above a whisper. His hands were gently moving up and down her back.
"Let them talk. It's up to your knees out there now. You can't do that to me" she said with a small hint of a smile on her lips.
"Do what to you?" he asked softly with a raised eyebrow as he looked down into those pools of brilliant blue. He swore he could get lost in them now that he saw them again. They were the same eyes that made him wake up gasping for air for months until that night he saw her again.
"What if you go out there and get pneumonia and die? How would I ever live with myself if I let you go?" she asked him sweetly, fluttering her lashes at him. He chuckled then, he had too. She was standing there, looking at him all innocent and sweet, knowing exactly what she was doing to him and he knew it was working.
"Oh well we can't have that" he said with a small grin of his own as he pulled her to him again and kissed her lips softly. As Beth started to melt into him, he pulled back and looked down at her. She really was beautiful, all light and sparkly like some god damn treasure. And he knew it was true, she was his treasure. The most precious thing he had ever seen. Beth gasped just a little at the emotion in his eyes and then grabbed his hands as a huge smile spread across her face and she pulled him over to the sofa.
"Sit. I will get us something to drink and eat" she said as she pushed him gently onto the couch. He looked around again at the room and his eyes landed on the tree in the corner.
"Nice tree" he called out to her while she was in the kitchen. He heard her laugh a little as she came out carrying a tray.
"Yeah, this really amazing guy, probably the most amazing, sweet, generous guy I know got it for me. We can thank him for our snacks as well" she said as she placed down the tray and he saw the jars of moonshine and box of cookies. His heart sped up as he looked at her. How did she knew that all of it was from him?
"Sure he isn't some redneck asshole?" he asked softly. Beth looked at him and shook her head.
"Nope, he is brave and strong and protective and the sexiest man I have ever seen" she started as she leaned over and grabbed the jar of moonshine "but he can be a dick sometimes when he drinks" she said as she handed him the jar. He looked at her and flashed her a sly Daryl smile. It was the sweetest thing she had ever seen.
"Not gunna tonight. You really think all those things about me?" he asked. Beth nodded softly and leaned over, placing her lips against his again. It was another soft kiss, but it spoke so much, more than either of them could actually say.
"Merry Christmas Daryl" she said softly as she leaned her forehead against his.
"Merry Christmas my Beth" he said back, as he gently ran his hand on her cheek.