Two and half years later, five years after he left, here he was, walking Beth Greene, the only girl he'd ever loved more than his own life, down the streets from his past to her home.
He was back here not out of choice, but to process some paperwork for his own daddy's death, who he was happy to learn had finally kicked it just the week before. Walking out of the town hall with the paperwork, thinking about how the air was heavy with looming rain, he had walked right into Beth Greene.
He hadn't been able to help the look of surprise on his face, before a stab of hurt and pain bubbled up into his features which he had quickly closed down and schooled into a neutral expression.
After what felt like an endless amount of time where both of them just stared at each other in silence, Beth - always so fucking brave - finally spoke.
"Hey." She said breathlessly, looking up at him with her eyes impossibly wide as she took him in.
Just hearing her voice, after five years of picturing it in his head, made his mind reel. His eyes scanned her face, noticing a tiredness in her that wasn't there before. More make-up than he remembered the old Beth wearing but God, she was so beautiful.
"Hey yourself." He answered voice gravelly, watching the corner of her mouth quirk up slightly and feeling his own quirk in response.
Her features suddenly shifted, her mouth dropping to a frown and her forehead creasing in concern. "I'm sorry about your Dad." She said quietly, her eyes holding steady on his face, grounding him.
"Ain't nothing sorry 'bout that." He looked away, shifting slightly, before glancing at her again, his eyes uncomfortable staying on her face too long. "But I - ah - 'm sorry about yours."
Her face fell immediately, her eyes dropping to the floor and her shoulders turning in slightly.
"Thank you." She said shakily, before looking up at him. He waited for her to say more because despite the five year gap, he could read her and knew she wanted to.
He started to feel uncomfortable under her scrutiny as she seemed to search his face before she finally spoke again. "Thank you for being there." He couldn't help his eyes widen just ever so slightly before she continued. "I - umm - I saw your truck pullin' away." She suddenly looked uncomfortable before looking back at him levelly. "Least I think it was you. I - Daddy would have been so happy you were there."
He felt like he'd been punched in the stomach and his face immediately flamed. He tried to keep his face impassive while his mind frantically searched for a reason or excuse he could give for leaving. And then his mind started thinking about the first time he left and, after five years, he didn't know if he could give a good enough reason for that either.
Instead, his mind grabbed on to a handful of words that he couldn't stop coming out of his mouth before it was too late.
"Walk ya home?"
