First things first, I am dedicating this to carpediem-365 because I am pretty sure that this would not have happened without her lovely encouragement even though I am awful and still took forever to write the damn thing. I blame Norman Reedus...all those damn photos are too distracting.
Second, here is the second and final part and while I would love to venture into this universe more I have no plans at the moment but maybe someday...in the far, distant, future there could be more but as of right now, I have done all I wanted to accomplish with this so I really hope you enjoy it! This part also turned out to be a lot longer than Daryl's and idk why, I guess Beth just had more to say... :)
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Beth stomps her way over to the barn and pushes the doors open roughly, causing them to slam against the old wood with a bang and she quickly shuts them again, her small indication to anyone outside that she didn't want to be bothered and begins to march her way over toward the stables and toward Nelly's stall.
All she wanted to do was go to the mall and get a few new dresses and when she overheard Maggie telling Daddy that she was going there with Glenn she had innocently asked to go along and somehow it turned into a fighting match with Maggie calling her a spoiled little brat who always gets what she wants and Maggie just wanted to spend some alone time with her boyfriend and didn't need some kid tagging along.
Beth was so angry that ever after their Mama convinced Maggie to let her come along, using the excuse that Beth didn't need a babysitter at the mall, just a ride there, Beth changed her mind and didn't want to be near anyone at the moment. So she stormed her way out of the house and headed straight for the barn because she knew Nelly would understand, and then of course she nearly laughs at herself because she is muttering away to a dang horse.
She takes in a deep breath and wrinkles her nose against the pungent smell of cigarettes that always seemed to be lingering in the air of the barn lately and she sighs, figuring that Shawn has once again picked up the habit - though he claims he only does it occasionally - and she finds it frustrating that even though she gets called a kid all the time and treated like a baby, her siblings were always the ones doing irresponsible things, like Shawn and his drinking and Maggie sneaking out to see Glenn.
"I just can't believe her Nelly. She's so mean," she sighs, brushing the animals coat. "You don't think I'm a kid, right?"
"Nah, but pretty sure talkin' to animals don't exactly make ya sane."
Beth jumps at the unexpected voice, letting out a squeal and stumbling back, nearly tripping on the bucket of feed behind her and she whirls around to see a guy standing just outside the stall, an amused looking smirk on his face and Beth can feel her cheeks warm with embarrassment.
"Jesus!" she gasps, her eyes wide as she looks at the stranger in front of her, placing a steadying hand on Nelly. "What are ya doin' in here?" she asks and then her mind catches up to her and she furrows her brow, straightening her stance and staring the guy down. "Wait, who even are you?"
"'M Daryl," he speaks, still grinning at her as he rests his arms up against the stable door, looking in at her curiously.
The name sounds familiar and she suddenly remembers the stories Shawn has told about his friend, Daryl Dixon, who up until right now, Beth was sure she would never have met, having only caught a few glimpses and muffled conversations.
"Oh, right, Shawn's friend," she voices aloud and glances back down at Nelly, making sure that her little moment of panic hadn't frightened her horse. "Still don't explain why ya here though." she says then, raising an eyebrow at him.
Daryl just shrugs. "Didn't feel like stayin' at my place and yer Daddy don't mind." he says and Beth suddenly remembers the hushed whispers and she doesn't know all the details but she's a smart girl and it isn't hard to figure out that Daryl doesn't have the best home life.
"Well next time a little warning would be nice. Nearly gave me a heart attack." she mutters and she feels her cheeks warm again as she thinks back to how she almost fell over and he just shrugs again, as if scaring her half to death and possibly causing her to fall and break something was no big deal and she finds herself huffing and rolling her eyes before she can stop herself and when she looks over to see him smirking at her, finding this all so amusing, she bites her tongue and turns her attention back to Nelly.
Who the hell did this guy think he was anyways?
"So ya always talk to animals 'cause I might have to tell Shawn he should worry 'bout his baby sister." she hears him ask then and she takes in a sharp breath, narrowing her eyes at him as she turned to look at him.
"I'm not a baby and no one needs ta worry 'bout me." she huffs out and she sees Daryl's eyebrows shoot up at her tone, and she scolds herself when she sees the smirk on his lips because she knows she's done it now.
He has read her like a book and even though he doesn't comment, instead holds his hands up as if Beth is pointing a gun at him, she knows that she has given this stranger all the information he needs to know just what makes her tick and she can just tell that he has filed it away, intending on using it some day and she isn't sure why that bothers her so much, why this stranger knowing something about her that irks her to no end is such a big deal but she just has this feeling about him and she can't figure it out.
She lets out a sigh and gives Nelly another stroke before she turns around and places the brush back on the shelf, deciding that her escape to the barn has been futile, and makes her way over to the door and she is almost disappointed when Daryl steps away because Beth is not a violent person but she wouldn't have minded "accidentally" knocking the guy over with the gate.
She turns around and locks up the gate just as that smell hits her again and she glances over to see Daryl with a cigarette between his lips and suddenly it all makes sense and she just wants to scream at this point.
"Those thangs'll kill ya. Shouldn't be smokin'. No wonder this barn always smells like smoke." she can't help but mutter as she begins to make her way over to the door, intent on now escaping to her room and trying to forget everything about this day has ever happened.
"Whatever ya say, Baby Greene." Daryl suddenly says behind her and with a sharp intake of breath she is turning around, her face already in a glare as she stares him down.
And there it was, that smoking gun, that final blow and oh, does she have things she wants to say to this guy, this guy she barely knows and who knows nothing about her and yet he has picked up on the very thing that she hates and that's when she realizes it.
He wants a reaction from her. She can tell but that stupid cocky smirk on his lips that he is just waiting for her to go off on him and she isn't sure why, doesn't know what he finds so amusing about her being annoyed but instead of giving him what he wants she just turns back around and pushes the barn door open again, not even caring that they have slammed against the wood again and she is stomping away and it isn't until she is a few feet away that she finally has an explanation to go with that feeling she first got about him and she all but groans because wasn't that just the icing on the cake, one more thing that she needs to worry about.
Daryl Dixon was going to be a huge problem in her life, this much she was sure of.
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She flinches as another piece of bread hits her face and she takes in an annoyed breath as she looks around the table to find everyone else wrapped up in their own conversations - seriously how could no one be noticing what he is doing? - before she finally looks over to stare into a pair of smirking blue eyes.
"Do you mind?" she hisses across the table.
"Not really, no," Daryl says nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders as he takes another bite of food.
Beth huffs and looks back down at her food, stabbing her chicken angrily. She keeps her head down, even when she feels more crumbs being thrown at her and it isn't until Shawn finally pulls Daryl's attention away, talking about some idea they have about opening up a mechanic shop when they graduate, that she finally relaxes.
She glances at him again from across the table, tilting her head slightly. She knows that if she keeps doing it, she will be caught by him but she can't help herself. She remembers all the stories Shawn had told about Daryl Dixon - most of them over this very same table they were now eating dinner at - but ever since that first time she met him a month ago, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about him - not in that way of course but just in natural curiosity.
It was strange how before that night in the barn, Beth was almost certain she would never meet this infamous Daryl Dixon. She was always so busy, always on the go, seeming to catch a few glimpses here and there as she was leaving or she would hear the rough tone of his voice through the walls of the house, his gruff but quiet tone seeming to make him sound much older than he was. Now though, after finally meeting him "face to face", it was like she couldn't avoid him.
He was there, smoking in the barn or helping her Daddy with something on the farm. He was hanging with Shawn on the porch and helping Mama in the kitchen, pulling a jar down from a shelf she couldn't reach and he was just so damn different than anything Beth was used to and she couldn't help herself, he fascinated her really. So of course, her curiosity that had constantly gotten her into trouble before was certainly taking over now and she found herself staring at the dark haired, blue eyed mystery across from her. She couldn't explain it and didn't understand it but she just wanted to know him, even if he did annoy the absolute hell out of her.
And every time he saw her, he just got that look, another thing she could never explain, but he would look at her and his lips would curve into a smirk and his eyes seemed to get this mischievous glint and the more she thought about it, she suddenly realized he was giving her that look right now.
"Enjoyin' the view, Baby Greene?" he asks gruffly, smirking as he tipped his glass back, taking a drink of his soda.
Beth rolled her eyes before glaring at him because, oh, how she hated that stupid nickname he had given her and she ignored his chuckle as she swallowed another bite of food. Because lord, didn't she just feel like a fool, how whenever he called her that, in that gruff voice, looking at her with those hard, but also soft eyes and that damn smirk, and she always glared at him, always showed him her displeasure of it but she would never, ever tell anyone how her heart started beating just a little faster in her chest when his gruff voice and blue eyes are focused on nothing but her. Yeah, she was a fool alright.
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She feels him before she sees him as she is frosting the cupcakes in front of her and even though she was prepared for him to do something she still jumps when he pokes her sides. She lets out a squeal and rams her elbow behind her but he quickly moves out of the way before she can hit him, chuckling as he leans over the opposite counter, grinning at her as she glares at him.
"What are ya makin' now?" he questions, laughing as she slaps his hand when he reaches over to grab a cupcake.
"Nothing for you," she mutters, adjusting the frosting bag in her hands before she goes back to frosting.
"Good. You're making me fat, Baby Greene," he says seriously and this time she misses him as he snags a cupcake and immediately brings it up to his lips, licking the top of it.
She huffs. "Well I ain't tellin' ya to eat them, in fact, I'm pretty sure I yell at ya not to," she remarks, rolling her eyes.
He lets out a chuckle and she keeps her focus on the cupcake in front of her, her hand steady as she squeezes out the frosting. She should have been expecting it when his hand reached out, tapping her elbow but she wasn't and her hand slipped, causing the frosting to smear along the side of the cupcake and down onto the counter and she gasps and looks up to glare at him and he just smirks. She doesn't even think twice when she reaches down and plucks a frosted cupcake off the counter before chucking it at him and this time she is the one to laugh as he looks at her in shock, pink frosting smeared across his cheek and down his shirt.
He is around the counter in an instant and heading towards her and she quickly turns around, bracing against the counter and trying to block his reach of the cupcakes.
"Daryl! Don't you dare I've been baking all day and -"
She doesn't even get to finish her sentence before she gets a face full of frosting herself and by the time Hershel and Annette appear in the doorway, watching the two fighting against the other, a total of six cupcakes have been lost in the battle. The two break apart at the sound of Hershel clearing his throat and Beth finds herself blushing once she realizes she had been wrapped up in Daryl's arms, him holding her back against his chest as he smeared frosting on her face from behind.
"I thought ya were makin' cupcakes for the church bake sale Bethy?" Hershel asks, a smile in his voice.
"I am," she answers and she has to bite her lip against her smile as she hears Daryl's quiet chuckle behind her.
"I see," Hershel nods his head and Annette laughs.
"Oh I told you darling, just you wait, I give it a year, maybe two. You'll see." Annette gushes and is practically beaming as she gives a knowing look up to Hershel who just smiles down at his wife before looking at the two in the kitchen.
Beth furrows her eyebrows, catching a glimpse of Daryl seeming just as confused as her but before she has time to question it, Annette is pulling her away and up the stairs, telling her she needs to clean up and get back to work just as Hershel throws a towel at Daryl and saying he'll meet him in the barn.
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She sees him enter the barn from her perch by the window and she instantly begins to worry her lip. With the late hour, she didn't have to guess what happened. So without another thought she silently heads toward the bathroom and grabs the first aid kit out from under the sink. Everything in her is screaming at her, telling her to turn around as she quietly makes her way to the barn but she is her Father's daughter so she continues forward, across the lawn - the moon shining down on her the only form of light - and stops at the door before taking a deep breath and pulling it open.
She has just barely shut the door when the smell hits her and despite her reason for coming out here, she can't help but roll her eyes.
"Thought I told ya ta stop smokin' in here?" she calls out, placing her hands on her hips and stepping farther into the barn.
"Ain't it past yer bedtime, Baby Greene?" she hears his gruff voice from above and she pauses slightly, noticing that his voice sounded off, different, almost smaller somehow.
"Very funny." she mutters and she hears a very faint, but still there, chuckle.
She takes in a deep breath before she begins to make her way over to the ladder. She tucks the first aid kit under her arm before she begins the climb and as she reaches the top she pokes her head over and sees him sitting a little ways away, over in the corner and she pulls herself the rest of the way up and begins making her way over to him.
"The hell you want, girl?" he mutters defensively, glaring at her over his cigarette as she takes a seat in front of him.
She doesn't say anything but sets the kit down in her lap and she watches as he looks down, understanding crossing his features before he looks away, sucking in a hard breath from his cigarette and he glares out at the barn, not saying anything more.
"How bad is it?" she asks quietly, hesitantly.
He turns his glare onto her, his eyes guarded. "Don't know what yer talkin' 'bout."
"Daryl," she tries but he cuts her off.
"M'fine!" he snaps, moving to stub his cigarette out on the bottom on his shoe but he moves too quickly and she winces herself when she hears his hiss of pain.
"I've seen 'em before, ya know. I was comin' downstairs for a drink that night when Shawn dragged ya inside and Daddy stitched ya up in the kitchen. Please, just let me help you." she says, wringing her hands together in her lap and then she looks up at him.
He takes another moment before he returns his gaze to her's and when he does she notices his eyes are guarded - more so than they usually are - and she doesn't say anything and neither does he but he's looking at her like he is waiting for an answer. His eyes narrow slightly before he looks away again and just when she thinks he is going to send her away he clears his throat and then nods his head, just barely but she sees it.
She gets up on her knees and crawls behind him and even though his shirt is dark she can already see the blood has soaked through and she places her hands down at the hem of his shirt, her fingers grazing his skin and she feels him tense. She pauses, waiting until she sees the nod of his head again before she pulls the shirt up further and he hisses again but raises his arms and she tosses the soiled fabric beside them and she has to work hard not to gasp when she sees his back.
It's bad, of course it is, but she isn't sure what she finds the most heartbreaking - his fresh wounds or the scars that have already began to heal. She pops open the first aid kit and she tries to be gentle as she goes to work cleaning out his cuts but he still flinches and she still hears him try and stifle his small noises of pain and before she realizes it she finds herself humming - she's not even sure what song is it - but she does know that it seems to relax him some, his tense shoulders easing slightly under her careful hands and she doesn't speak until she is pressing down the last piece of gauze.
"I can bring ya one of Shawn's shirts, don't want ya puttin' that other one back on," she whispers, beginning to clean up the mess and she feels him shifting in front of her, turning so that his back is no longer facing her.
"Nah, s'alight. Gotta another one over with the rest of my stuff," he mumbles around his thumb at his lips, motioning over to the small bag of his things he keeps up in the hayloft and the thought of that nearly makes her frown but she catches herself, knowing that pity is the last thing he wants to see.
"Okay," she says easily and snaps the kit closed.
"So, since ya didn't go runnin' to get yer Daddy, I take it it wasn't so bad," he mutters then, nodding his chin back.
She shakes her head. "It was bad but ya've had worse." she shrugs, knowing he doesn't want to make a big deal out of it.
He just nods his head, his eyebrows furrowing slightly and when she begins to get up, letting him have the alone time she knows that he wants he reaches out and grabs her wrist. She freezes, looking up at him and he doesn't say anything, in fact, the face he is making almost makes it seem like he can't say anything, like he suddenly forgotten how to talk but she can see it in his eyes and she just gives him a small smile, reaching out to squeeze his arm and he drops his hand, bringing his thumb up to chew at the nail again. She is just about to get up again when she suddenly finds herself speaking before she can stop herself.
"I know ya don't want no one knowin' about it, or seein' your scars, ya think they will treat ya differently or think you're weak but you're not that Daryl. Your scars, they prove you're a survivor. You're strong, you're probably the bravest man I know Daryl Dixon." her words are soft, softer than a whisper but she knows he hears.
He's looking at her again, his eyes seeming to search for an answer and she can feel how thick the air has grown between them. She continues to stare at him, letting him draw whatever it is he needs as his eyes search her's and she ignores the strange feeling that is forming in her belly as she realizes how close they are, up here in this hayloft, alone. He finally looks away though, thankfully, and he makes a noise she isn't sure whether to call a scoff or a snort.
"Whatever ya say, Baby Greene." he says, reaching out for the pack of cigarettes by his feet and she gets up then, him lighting the cigarette between his lips the last thing she sees before she climbs down the ladder.
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She is sitting on the yellow curb in front of the gas station, glaring down at her feet when she hears the familiar rumble of that stupid truck and she groans. Great. Just what she needed. She tries to duck her head, hoping that he won't see her but Daryl Dixon is one of the most observant men she thinks she has ever met and she isn't surprised when a shadow covers her, blocking out the light from the setting sun.
"Beth?" his rough voice asks, a hint of surprise laced in his voice. She looks up at him and he furrows his brow. "The hell you doin'?"
"Sittin'." she answers and his face falls flat as he crosses his arms, obviously not appreciating her sarcasm.
"You waitin' on someone?" he asks then, shifting his feet.
She shakes her head. "Nope."
"How'd ya even get here?" he asks then, starting to get annoyed at her short answers.
She sighs loudly. "There was a guy. Said guy didn't know how to keep his hands to himself or understand the meaning of the word no and so I told him to drop me off here and leave."
"What's his name?" Daryl nearly growls and she gives him an exasperated look.
"Don't. I handled it already, don't need ya makin' a bigger mess a'things." she says with shake of her head.
"Handled it? Ya call gettin' left behind at a gas station handled?" he asks with amused annoyance.
"I told him to leave!" she argues, standing up and glaring at him.
Daryl looks like he wants to say something else but he just lets out a puff of breath and shakes his head. "Yeah. Whatever. Just get your ass in the truck, girl."
"S'cuse me?" she asks.
"Ya heard me. Tell me to leave ya all ya want but I sure as hell ain't gonna leave ya behind so you can either get in the truck willingly or I can just throw ya over my shoulder. Your choice, Baby Greene." he crosses his arms against his chest and just starts at her and she glares right back but goes and gets in the truck anyway because she knew he was serious.
She makes him drop her off at the diner so she can hang out with Amy and it's only a few hours later when she get's the call, telling her how her brother and some crazy redneck jumped him and broke his nose. She wants to scream but finds herself laughing instead, just for a moment.
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He finds her in the barn and if it were any other day she might have laughed at how the roles were reversed. He takes a seat next to her, pulling out his pack of smokes and she doesn't even bother with scolding him - what was the point anyway? He didn't speak, just smoked his cigarette and she stared straight ahead but she felt his eyes on her every now and then.
"Shawn or Daddy send ya out here?" she asks, her voice flat.
"Nah." he answers with a shake of his head.
"My mom is dead, Daryl," she states bluntly and she isn't sure why she says it but a part of her is hoping that maybe he will argue, tell her this is all a bad dream.
"I know," he says quietly and she squeezes her eyes shut, sucking in a sharp breath.
"It's not fair," she rasps, tears pooling in her eyes.
"I know." he repeats and she sniffles loudly.
"Why are you here?" she questions, wiping away a tear that had finally escaped.
He shrugs. "Needed a smoke and yer in my spot."
She lets out a pathetic laugh that sounds more like a sob. He finishes his cigarette but he doesn't leave, just continues to sit there with her and even though she came out here because she wanted to be alone, she can't help but be grateful that he seems to know what she needs without her having to ask.
"Thank you," she whispers and she doesn't even question herself when she leans her head over on his shoulder.
He tenses slightly but she feels him slowly relax beneath her cheek as she closes her eyes again.
"Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, Baby Greene," he mutters and she almost smiles.
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She is sitting on the porch when she hears the rumble of his motorcycle begin to come down the driveway but she keeps her gaze ahead, not looking at him when he stops just in front of the house before he parks and cuts the engine. She wraps her arms tighter around her legs, wincing slightly when she feels a slight burn in her wrist at the movement.
"Hey," she hears his gruff voice and she finally looks up.
"Hi," she says softly, trying her best to give him a small smile before she looks away from him again.
"Ya good?" he asks, his voice still rough but there was a hesitant undertone, as if he was almost afraid to ask her.
She tenses as he takes a seat beside her, his arm briefly rubbing against hers.
""M fine," she snaps before she sighs and her shoulders slump. "Just happy to be back home." she then says, her tone softer.
He makes a soft humming noise as if in agreement, not seeming bothered by her small outburst. She closes her eyes tightly, trying to keep her breath steady.
"C'mon," he speaks up then, standing up and turning around, holding his hand out to her.
"What?" she asks, furrowing her eyebrows as she places her hand in his, letting him pull her up.
"We're gonna go for a ride," he says, beginning to walk back to his bike.
"Where?" she asks, trailing behind him.
"Just get on," he grunts, swinging his leg over and sitting down before he starts it, letting the engine roar to life.
He looks over at her expectantly, raising his eyebrow and she sighs before she gives in and follows his movements, swinging her leg over and sitting down behind him. She slides her arms around his middle, mindful of her wrist, and leans closer into him.
"Gonna have ta hold on tighter than that, Baby Greene," is the last thing he says before he takes off and as Beth lets out a small squeal of surprise, she hears him chuckle in front of her.
She isn't sure how long they ride around, the wind blowing her hair around wildly but she is sure that she hasn't smiled this much in a long time. She is even laughing as he takes a sharp turn, causing her to squeeze him just a little tighter and she hears him let out a small grunt. After a while of sitting back and letting the wind blow through her hair, she leans into him again and rests her cheek against his back and she smiles.
When she feels the road become rough and bumpy she looks up to see he has turned off on a small dirt road, heading into the woods. She doesn't voice her concerns, she trusts him, and he continues to lead them further into the woods before he stops at a small cabin.
"What is this place?" Beth asks, beginning to get off as he cuts the engine.
Daryl shrugs as he too gets off the bike. "Dunno. Just some old huntin' cabin I found awhile back, don't even think anyone's been here in years. But c'mon, I wanna show ya somethin'."
He nods his head in the direction behind the cabin and begins to trek toward the woods and Beth follows silently. He leads her along a small hiking path before he drifts off into the growth and just as he pulls a branch out the way for her, she sees where he was leading her.
She steps into the small clearing, letting out a small gasp as she looks around. The field is filled with wildflowers and the sun shines down at just the right angle, casting an orange glow on a small creek and it is one of the most beautiful things she thinks she's ever seen. She suddenly knows why Daryl brought her here and as he stands beside her, she reaches down to lace her fingers with his and she is almost surprised when she feels his fingers squeeze her's in response.
"Thank you," she whispers. "It's beautiful." She looks up to see him staring down at her, an unreadable look on his face and when he doesn't respond she speaks again. "Don't ya think it's beautiful?"
He nods, just barely. "Mm hmm," he grunts and Beth smiles, looking back over at the small retreat, trying not to notice how his gaze is still on her.
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Beth is sitting at the piano, her fingers gliding over the keys and she's singing softly. The storm outside is still going strong. The power was knocked off almost two hours ago but she didn't mind. She had lit a few candles and even though it was a little eerie being in the house alone, she realized it wasn't so bad when she played. Just as the chorus is ending she hears the sound of someone clearing their throat and she whips around, her fingers knocking clumsily against the keys.
"Sorry," Daryl mutters sheepishly from where he's standing, leaning against the door frame.
"What are ya doin' here?" Beth asks, wondering how she hadn't heard the sound of his truck pulling up but when there is another loud crack of thunder she gets her answer.
Daryl shrugs as he walks into the room. "Hershel called. Said he was tryin' to get ahold a ya for the past hour. Asked me to swing by and check on ya. Told 'em it was probably just the power but you know yer Daddy."
Beth smiles and rolls her eyes. "So ya decided to brave the storm just to make sure I wasn't hidin' scared in a closet or somethin'?"
"Nah, I know yer tough. Just didn't like the thought of ya being here alone s'all." his voice is low and he ducks his head before he plops down on the couch. "'Sides, the couch is comfier here. And it smells nicer." he says with a small chuckle before turning and leaning back, spreading out on the couch.
"Really?" she asks, raising her eyebrow.
"I ain't kiddin'. Your brother is a slob, Baby Greene." he says seriously, shaking his head and Beth giggles.
"Believe me, I know." she adds and as there is another flash of lightening, followed by a low rumble of thunder, she looks over to see Daryl laying with one hand behind his head, the other close to his chin and he runs his thumb along his lower lip.
"Why don't ya go on and play some more? Keep singin'." he says quietly.
"I thought my singin' annoyed you?" She questions, thinking back on all the times he had teased her before.
He shrugs. "Well, ain't like I can turn on the TV or nothin'."
She looks at him for a moment before she smiles and turns around. The candles flicker around her as she starts to play again, picking up right where she left off before.
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Maggie is throwing her a surprise party for her eighteenth birthday and they keep calling it a "surprise" party but Beth has known about it since that day she came home early from the daycare - Jacqui tellin' her she deserved a break - and she walked in to see Glenn, Maggie and Shawn sitting at the kitchen table discussing - quite loudly - the details about her party. Daryl is even there, looking painfully bored and sipping on a beer and when he goes to take another drink his eyes drift up and catch her standing there, leaning against the door frame with her eyebrow raised and he nearly snorts his beer all over the table, giving her an amused smirk.
Everyone turns then and there is a chorus of groans and curses as she admits that she had heard nearly every word and after Maggie muttered out a dammit Beth, she had laughed and headed upstairs, telling them that don't worry, she would be sure to act super surprised and so a few weeks later she can't help but give Daryl a confused look when she comes out of the daycare to see him waiting there on his motorcycle, smoking a cigarette and glaring at the sidewalk.
"What are ya doin' here? Thought Shawn was pickin' me up?" she questions as she stops in front of him, his eyes coming up to find her's.
"Yeah well Maggie needed him for somethin' and told me I had no choice but ta come and get ya so looks like you're stuck with me," he grumbles out and flicks his cigarette away.
Beth raises her eyebrow. "Had no choice? What did she do, threaten ya or somethin'?" she asks in disbelief and when he just narrows his eyes at her, making his answer obvious and she finds herself laughing. "No way. What on earth could Maggie have over you?"
Once again he doesn't answer but he just looks at her with this intense gaze and Beth isn't sure why but her heart seems to skip a beat as he continues to stare at her before he looks away and kicks the bike to life.
"Just get on the damn bike Baby Greene, got a surprise party to get to," he mutters and she giggles again before rolling her eyes and climbing on and she lets out a gasp and a curse - that causes Daryl to bark out a laugh - as he quickly pulls away from the curb, barely giving her a chance to wrap her arms around him.
They weren't riding for very long before Daryl pulled off into the parking lot of a gas station and came to a stop at one of the parking spots right by the door.
"What are we doin'?" Beth asks curiously as he taps her knee, hinting for her to get off.
"Need more smokes," he says and Beth gives him a look as he grins up at her as she swings her leg around and stands next to the bike.
Daryl rises but just as he is about to swing his own leg over he pauses and looks back up toward her, an amused, almost mischievous smirk forming on his lips.
"Just thought'a somethin'. You're an adult now," he says with a teasing tone. "You can go in and buy my smokes."
"I ain't buyin' you nothin'," she remarks, crossing her arms and trying hard not to smile.
Daryl chuckles. "Easy tiger, I'll give ya the money." he digs in his pocket and hands her a twenty dollar bill. "Marlboro red." he says then, giving her a playful shove toward the door and Beth glares back at him before she pulls open the door of the gas station.
Beth was in and out of the store in less than three minutes and even if she acted like it wasn't a big deal when she walked over toward Daryl and all but threw his pack of cigarettes at him, she was feeling just a teeny bit exhilarated over having bought something that just yesterday she would not have been able to do. She even felt slightly nervous when the clerk had taken her license and seemed to study it for longer than necessary, as if he thought it were fake and even though Beth knew she had nothing to worry about she still felt a sense of raw thrill at the possibility of being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing.
She would never ever admit that to Daryl though.
He laughs as he catches the pack in his hands. "So, how's it feel, Baby Greene, doing something bad?" he teases her again and she glares a him before shaking her head.
"Oh c'mon, legally buying you a pack of cigarettes has hardly left me feelin' corrupted." she snarks as she braces herself on his shoulder's and swings her leg over the bike, climbing back behind him.
"Hmm," she hears Daryl murmur in front of her. "Guess I'll just have to find another way to taint your innocence." he muses and then brings the bike back to life and Beth is thankful that he can't see behind him because she can feel her cheeks burning in an unexpected - and slightly unexplainable - blush.
.
.
.
When Beth hears the door open and close she gets up from her position on the balcony and steps back inside the apartment, still clutching the glass bottle in her hand.
"That was quick," she says , expecting to see Shawn but she pauses when she spots Daryl instead, kicking off his boots and snapping his head up to look at her.
"The hell you doin' here, Baby Greene?" he asks, confusion mixed into his aggravated tone.
"Shawn and I were supposed to be havin' a movie night, ya know since I'm leavin' in a few days," she explains and then watches as he shrugs off his vest and throws it down on the couch. "I thought ya were workin' tonight?"
"I was...Dale decided to close up early and sent us home." he grumbles and plops down on the couch.
"Don't gotta sound so mad about it," she teases, taking a seat on the armrest on the opposite side of the couch from him. "At least ya got the night off now."
"Yeah well now I lost 'bout six hours'a pay and we ain't never gonna get this damn garage opened up if we ain't got the money." he mutters, bringing his thumb up to his mouth to begin chewing on his nail.
"Don't worry, it'll all work out. I know you guys can figure it out." she gives him an assuring smile and he looks up at her, biting his thumb before he gives her a slight nod and clears his throat.
"Yeah," he sighs and then leans back into the couch. "Where is your brother anyway?"
Beth is the one to sigh now. "He went to go get the food...he was supposed to have it all ready but you know Shawn, always gettin' sidetracked. So I showed up and he is running around lookin' for his wallet, sayin' he forgot about the food and then he shoves this bottle at me and told me to drink up and he would be back in a flash. It was only a few minutes after you came in, I'm surprised ya didn't see him."
Daryl shook his head and then finally seemed to notice the bottle in her hand. "What is it?" he questions sitting up and staring at her.
She looks back down at the label. "Peach Schnapps. He said I'd like it," she explains with a shrug and Daryl lets out a groan.
"Your brother's an idiot," he mutters and then before she can stop him he is standing up and snatching the bottle out of her hand.
"Hey!" she shouts and gets up to follow him toward the kitchen.
"Ain't gonna let your last drink 'fore you leave be no damn Peach Schnapps," he tells her seriously as he sets the bottle down on the counter with a loud bang - and Beth is surprised that the bottle didn't actually shatter - before he goes toward the fridge and she watches as he digs around the fridge a bit before pulling out two mason jars filled with a clear liquid and hands her one.
"What is it?" she asks him curiously as she reaches out to take it with a hesitant hand.
"Moonshine." he answers proudly, just a hint of a smirk on his lips and she wrinkles her nose as she stares down at the jar.
"C'mon Baby Greene, ya scared?" he teases her before he turns and walks out of the kitchen and she juts her chin out, following him as he tracks through the apartment and swipes his pack of cigarettes off the coffee table before heading toward the balcony.
There wasn't any furniture out there - they were two men, what the hell did they need fancy chairs for, Shawn had told her obnoxiously the first time she came over - so she took a seat over on the left side, her back against the railing and she watched as Daryl did the same on the opposite side so that they were facing each other and he set his jar down before he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up and Beth was well past the point of caring if he smoked anymore - in fact, if she were being honest, a part of her actually liked the way it smelled and how it would always remind her of him whenever she caught a whiff of it.
She gently twisted the lid off of the jar in her hands and brought it up to her mouth, taking a small drink and she squeezed her eyes shut as the burning liquid ran down her throat.
"Ugh," she groans, looking up to see Daryl watching her with an amused smirk. "That's awful."
"It'll get better," he says, giving an noncommittal shrug before taking his own drink, not even flinching.
She smiles and shakes her head and for a while, the two of them are just quiet, looking down at the street below them, both just taking the occasional sip of their drinks and she realizes that it's actually kind of nice. Daryl was the one person she didn't mind just sitting and doing nothing with, not even talking about stupid things with just to keep the awkward silences away but as much as Daryl annoyed her, she had to admit that she had never felt awkward whenever the two managed to get stuck together like this.
"So, I'm leavin' in a few days," she finally speaks up after a while and he just hums in response, nodding his head and picking at his nail. "Daddy's makin' a big ole breakfast before I have to catch my flight on Friday, you should come." she says with a shrug and then smiles. "He says it will probably be the last decent meal I have in awhile."
Daryl smirks at that and then takes another drink before he shakes his head. "Nah I can't. Gotta work."
"Well you can just call off," Beth says with a grin.
He snorts. "Yeah, ya ain't that special, Baby Greene," he says, his tone just as playful as hers.
"Ya know what I think?" she asks then, taking another drink - beginning to feel a slight buzz - and Daryl raises his eyebrow in question. " You act all tough and like to annoy me, like ya really can't stand me, but like I said at the party, yer gonna miss havin' me around. In fact, I think ya might actually like me." she grins, leaning her head back against the railing.
"That what you think?" he asks in a rough voice, his eyes narrowing.
"That's what I know." she answers boldly and he lets out a scoff of a laugh.
"Whatever ya say, Baby Greene," he says then but his voice is deeper and she can't ignore the way he's looking at her, and he doesn't say anything more and the longer he stares at her, the more intense his gaze becomes and she swears her heart is beating so fast he can hear it.
Suddenly his gaze softens and just when she thought he was going to say something, they both jump at the sound of the front door slamming against the wall and Shawn yelling out that the food was here and Daryl gets up and goes inside and just like that, whatever moment they were having was gone.
It was a little while later when she was laying down on the couch, pretending to be asleep, as she felt Shawn drape a blanket over her when she heard Daryl's bedroom door open - he had quietly slipped away after stealing some food and left the siblings alone for the rest of the night - and she heard him and Shawn talking in the kitchen as there was a rattle of plates and running water.
"You really gonna let her leave without tellin' her?" she hears Shawn ask.
"Don' know what yer talkin' 'bout," she hears Daryl respond gruffly.
"You know exactly what I'm talkin' bout," Shawn says then and Beth has to resist the urge to sit up and look over toward the kitchen, resist the urge to ask just what they were talking about.
The kitchen is quiet then and Beth can feel sleep slowly beginning to take over her as she sighs and snuggles closer into the couch, catching a faint scent of cigarette smoke and leather and just before she drifts out completely, she hears Daryl's rough voice once again.
"Jus' let it go, man. Ain't the right time."
She wakes with a gasp to see a dark figure looming over her and she nearly lets out a scream before she feels a rough hand gently rest over her mouth.
"Relax, just me," Daryl says and it takes her a moment to nod against his hand as she looks up at him with wide eyes and he removes his hand. Before she can even ask him what he is doing she hears him clear his throat. "You're layin' on my vest." he says then and now Beth understands why she had been smelling him all night.
"Sorry," she whispers and pulls the article out from under her head and holds it out to him.
"S'fine," he mutters gruffly, taking the vest and shrugging it on as he takes a step back.
For a moment she thinks that will be it and it suddenly registers that this will be the last time she sees Daryl Dixon before she leaves for New York and she tries to push down the unexpected feelings that surface with that thought. She thinks Daryl must realize this too because just as he turns to step away he suddenly looks back and brings his thumb up to his mouth.
"Hey," he all but grunts and she sits up slightly, raising her eyebrow - though she isn't sure if he can see it with the lack of light but he continues on either way. "Uh, take care'a yourself, Baby Greene."
She looks at him, listens to the way that for once, when he calls her that, it isn't in a mocking tone or to try to get a rise out of her. He says it in a way that makes her heart flutter and she has to remind herself to breathe and she finds herself nodding her head at him.
"You too," she says quietly and this time he nods, continues to stare at her for just a moment longer and then he is walking away and opening the door and closing it behind him and when she lays back down on the couch, she lets her breath out in a sigh before she turns over and falls back asleep.
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Five years was a long time to be away and as much as she loved being in New York - truly, she did - being back home in Georgia was an amazing thing. She missed her family and even though she tried to come home as often as she could, she is ashamed to admit that it was not a lot and not for very long and there were times where she couldn't even see Shawn or Maggie before she was back on a plane and back in the big city and living off of caffeine and studying til her eyes were sore and more often than not she woke up hunched over the kitchen table, her back and neck aching something awful and a small puddle of drool in the crease of her textbook.
That was why as soon as she could she was back on a plane - this time for the last time- and headed to Georgia and she hadn't planned on finding a job so quickly but before she even steps off the plane she has her first shift planned at the hospital. She decided to move back into her old room on the farm for the time being, spending as much time with her Daddy as she could and she knows eventually she will have to find a place of her own but she is perfectly content with living in her childhood home.
She missed it, missed almost everything about being back on a farm - even the unpleasant smells and lack of privacy - but more than anything, she realized she missed him. And wasn't that something. The man all but drove her insane but ever since that first night being home and being woken up by Shawn, calling her to come and make sure Daryl was going to survive the night after getting in a meaningless bar fight she finds herself going to the garage as much as she can, often using the excuse of bringing the guys lunch more often than not and if either of them know the real reason why she comes here, well, Shawn keeps quiet and Daryl is oblivious.
At least until today. Today, she catches Shawn smirking and rolling his eyes, shaking his head and muttering something about closing her mouth as he walks out into the garage and she makes some comment - she can't remember what exactly it was - that causes him to turn back around and give her a look and she just rolls her eyes at him this time and goes back to shamelessly - but subtly - watching as Daryl is bending over the hood of some leggy brunette's car who is giggling like a schoolgirl and twirling her hair and Beth tries her best to tune out the flirty laugh and just watch as Daryl's muscle bunch in his shirt as he leans back up and closes the hood and when the woman steps closer to him Beth has to force herself to look away and glare at the Styrofoam container in front of her.
"Quit glaring at my food, Baby Greene," Daryl says as he walks in, wiping his hands with a red bandanna. "Don't want ya scaring it off 'fore I get a chance to eat it."
This time she turns her glare up to him and he just smirks before plopping down in the chair behind the desk and slides the container towards him.
"So where ya gonna take her?" she asks, beginning to pick at her nails.
"Wha'?" he asks around a mouthful of food, looking at her like she was crazy.
"That woman, that was just out there with you, she was all but swooning over you," she clarifies and Daryl's eyes go wide and Beth has to hold back a laugh at the bewildered look he is giving her. "Oh c'mon, ya really couldn't tell?"
"Nah," he says with a shake of his head, his face bunching up for a moment before he turns his attention back to the food in front of him. "And don't matter none, I ain't interested." he adds after a moment, almost as an after thought.
She nods and grins at him. "So no wedding bells in the near future for Mr. Dixon?" she asks in a teasing tone.
He nearly chokes on his food and the tips of his ears begin to turn red as he gapes at her. "Hell no."
She giggles then and Daryl makes some kind of disgruntled humming noise and goes back to eating once again and Beth finds her lips moving and words coming out before she can even try to stop them.
"Ya know, now that I think about it, I don't ever remember ya bringing a girl around," she muses and reaches over to pick a fry out of his container, looking up at him expectantly.
He shrugs and for a moment she doesn't think he is going to answer but he clears his throat and glances away. "There was a few, never meant much though." She nods and is about to speak up again but he stops her, his eyes now locking in on her own. "What about you? I was half expectin' ya to come home with some fancy doctor or a pretty city boy."
She can't help but laugh before she leans back, fiddling with the bracelets around her wrist. "There was a few, never meant much though." she repeats back to him and then stands up, grabbing her purse off the desk. "And I knew I was always gonna come back here, It'd been stupid to try and start anything." she heads toward the door before she glances back at him, a smile playing on her lips. "'Sides, I prefer my men a little dirty and kinda rough around the edges, ya know?"
She walks out then, feeling a blush covering her cheeks and she wonders if he knows she was talking about him. Something in the way she feels his eyes watching her every move as she walks out to her car makes her think he does.
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.
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She is not nervous, nope, definitely not. Except, well, she kind of is and you wouldn't think that with the way she all but ambushed Daryl in the parking lot of the garage earlier that she was feeling anything less than bold but as soon as she hears that familiar rumble of a motorcycle she feels her heart rate quicken and she can't help but smooth down her hair again - even if she knows within a few minutes it will be windblown beyond repair. She hears her Daddy begin to laugh and she turns around to see him watching her, shaking his head and giving her a heartwarming - and highly amused - smile.
"Don't know what you're so worried 'bout Bethy, you and that boy have been headed this way since the beginning," he says and she tries to speak up, to deny it, but he's speaking again and she sees the way his eyes shine. "Your Mama always saw it, way before all the rest of us did. I reckon she is all but giddy looking down on ya now."
This makes Beth smile and the nerves she was feeling all but vanish as she steps over to him and rises on her toes, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you Daddy," she whispers and he just nods before he turns back around, headed upstairs and Beth takes one more calming breath before she grabs her small purse, slings it over her shoulder and heads out the door.
Daryl is waiting by his bike, a cigarette hanging from his lips and he looks up as the door slaps against the frame.
"I was gonna come get ya," he says gruffly, tossing his cigarette away and she smiles as he looks down, his ears turning red. "Jus' needed a minute," he mumbles then and Beth quickly bounces up on her toes and places a swift kiss on his cheek and just as she is about to step away she feels his hand on her hip.
"Such a gentleman," she teases and he glares at her but there is no bite behind it.
He shakes his head then, letting out a sigh. "Ya drive me crazy woman," he whispers and she can't help but grin then.
"Well no point in stoppin' now, right?" she says then and he smirks.
"Right," he agrees and then hesitantly leans down and places a small and quick kiss on her forehead before he nods over to the bike.
He sits down and she climbs on behind him and this isn't the first time she has ever rode with him but when she wraps her arms around him, something just feels different. And it's a good kind of different and she thinks he feels it too because he hesitates just a moment too long before he brings the bike to life and turns and heads down the driveway and she isn't sure what he had planned but she is excited either way and she can't stop smiling.
Even fifteen minutes later when the rain is pouring down and she can hear Daryl cursing under his breath she is still smiling as he comes to a stop under an old bridge and shuts off the bike. She squeezes his middle before she hikes her leg over and stands up and Daryl is quick to follow and she watches in amusement as he begins to pace the small shelter, glaring out at the rain like it is the most offensive thing he's ever seen.
"Fuckin' ridiculous," he mutters. "I kicked Shawn outta the apartment and was gonna make ya food and all this other shit and then this happens." he gestures out to the pouring rain. "Can't ride in this shit! It wasn't even suppose to rain! Don't even know when it's gonna stop neither."
"Daryl," she says, taking a step towards him but he continues his pacing.
"So much for a first date," he grumbles then.
Beth stares at him for a moment, her lips still curved in a smile and they are both soaked, their clothes and hair dripping water down onto the pavement and Beth can't help but start laughing. It is the most obnoxious thing and Daryl looks over at her like she's grown a second head but she can't stop and there are tears forming in her eyes and she tries to calm herself but the giggles just won't let up.
"The hell you laughin' at, Baby Greene?" he grumbles, crossing his arms against his chest. "Look, I know it ain't no fancy thing but I was tryin' to, hell, I just wanted this be perfect alright? Cause it's you and ya deserve it and I," he takes in a deep breath, letting it out in a huff and Beth finally calms down and walks over to him.
"Daryl," she says and waits for him to look over at her as he is still glaring out at the rain, his cheeks tinted red and his thumb between his lips.
"What?" he snaps, looking down at her as she takes his hand.
"This is the best date I've ever been on," she tells him and he drops his thumb from his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows at her and just stares down, his blue eyes locked on to hers and she can tell he is searching for something so she just continues to look at him, her gaze never wavering until he finally sighs, giving her hand a squeeze.
"Yeah?" he asks quietly and his eyes soften and he takes another step toward her, their chests nearly touching.
"Yeah," she assures him and he grins before he lets out a chuckle.
"Always knew you weren't exactly sane," he mumbles and before she can protest he is leaning down and his lips are on her's.
Yeah, it was the best date ever.
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.
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She squeezes onto him a little tighter as he turns down a small dirt road and it only takes her a moment to realize that this wasn't the first time he has brought her here. She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she walked out of the hospital to see him waiting for her at the curb, telling her nothing but a gruff 'get on' and she still doesn't have any idea why he has brought her out here as they stop in front of the old hunting cabin.
He cuts the engine of the bike and taps her knee gently, signalling her to get off and she does so, holding onto his shoulders and then taking his hand when he offers it out to her as he climbs off himself.
"Ya remember this place?" he asks, almost hesitantly and he smiles when Beth nods her head.
"I remember," she says quietly and looks over toward the small path she can see just beyond the cabin, a path that leads to a field of wildflowers and a small creek and is the place where Daryl took her to show her that there was still beauty left in this world, even when it didn't seem like it.
"I've been thinkin', ever since Shawn proposed to Andrea, that I should start lookin' for my own place. Thought of this cabin and did some diggin'. Found out that after bein' abandoned by the previous owner the state claimed it. Rick said he can probably pull some strings and I know it ain't much but I figure I can fix it up, make it nice again," he shrugs then and Beth can't help but smile, knowing that he was trying not to make it seem like such a big deal but she knew him well, knew just how much this meant to him.
"Well I think it's perfect," she says, stepping away from him and walking closer to the cabin. "I mean, it'll take some time and lovin' but I know ya can fix it up real nice. Plus, you'll have easy access to the woods, be able to go huntin' whenever ya want. Oh! And we can even plant a garden and grow our own vegetables and we can be that really weird couple that just lives off the land and never goes into town, it'll be great!" she says with a small giggle and she continues to look at the cabin, cocking her head slightly and thinking of all the things she can do with it.
"We?" Daryl speaks up behind her and she suddenly freezes, realizing what she had implied with her rambling and she feels the blush forming on her cheeks as she turns around but she is surprised to see him standing there with a grin on his face. "Ya wanna move in with me, Baby Greene?" he asks in an amused tone.
"I, I mean I just meant that, ya know, I could help ya out and I wasn't thinkin' and I know that ya don't, weren't plannin'," her ramblings are caught off as Daryl leans down, placing his lips on hers.
He chuckles as he pulls away. "I was plannin' on askin' ya, just didn't know how," he says and then grins down at her. "Guess ya just saved me the trouble."
She almost hits him but then his words suddenly register in her head and she is pulling him down instead, crashing her lips against his.
.
.
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The first time it happens Beth isn't sure who was more surprised.
They had been living in the cabin - now fully renovated and actually livable - for a couple months. She had just gotten home and after taking a shower and washing away the hospital smell she had began to start on dinner, cooking up some of the rabbit Daryl had brought home the night before and she was singing along to the radio when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and she is instantly hit with the familiar scent of cigarettes, leather and motor oil and she leans back into his embrace as she feels his lips on her neck.
"Smells good," he hums and she giggles as he runs his lips across her skin, his scruff tickling her neck.
"If ya don't stop, smellin' it is the only thing you'll be able to do," she playfully scolds him, trying to reach for the spoon so she could stir the pot.
"Yeah yeah," he grumbles and pulls her back into his chest one more time and she quickly turns around, pecking his lips before she playfully pushes him away and he grumbles some more before he walks away, muttering that he was going to take a shower.
And it's later, after dinner, when they are curled up on the couch, watching some old movie and he has his head in her lap and her fingers are running through his hair and she can feel him drifting off to sleep so she leans down and presses her lips against his forehead. She both hears and feels his hum of content and she smiles as she leans back up.
"I love you," she whispers and she sees his lips twitch in a smile of his own.
"Love ya too, Baby Girl," he mumbles and Beth's hand freeze's in his hair.
It wasn't the "I love you" that had her heart skipping a beat in her chest because while it had taken a while for him to say that the first time, he had no problem speaking it anytime after that, but it was the name that followed that had surprised her. He had never called her something like that and while most couples used terms like babe and honey, Daryl had always just called her Baby Greene and she was fine with that and it didn't bother her like it had when they were kids - in fact, she was sure ever since coming back from New York she actually enjoyed the way he called her that - but hearing him call her Baby Girl had her feeling all sorts of things and when she looked down to see him staring up at her with wide eyes, obviously surprised by his own words, she can't help but beam down at him.
"Don't get used to that," he mumbles then, his ears turning red and he closes his eyes again and Beth just laughs softly.
She was pretty sure neither of them thought he would end up calling her that as often as he did and he still called her Baby Greene and Greene and of course, just Beth but it was moments when that other name would slip out that she knew, without a doubt, that this man was so in love with her and her heart would beat wildly in her chest and she would smile and pull him close and just hoped that he knew that she loved him just as much, though she figured that if Daryl Dixon didn't know how much she loved him by now, well, he definitely was "the dumbest man she has ever met".
.
.
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Beth was laying in bed, twirling the small diamond ring around on her finger when she heard the motorcycle pull up outside and even though she was beyond nervous she was still so excited for him to be home. She had had the day off and he had spent nearly all day at the garage and it had taken every ounce of will power to just wait for him to come home and not drive up there and make a scene.
She heard him come inside and kick off his boots and a few minutes later he was standing in the doorway, giving her a questioning look because she was never just laying around in bed, always having to do something, and even though he told her all the time that she needed to just sit down and relax he was obviously surprised to see her doing just that.
"Decided to take your advice," she explains with a shrug, a smile tugging at her lips. "And ya know, being lazy and doin' nothing is actually quite nice."
Daryl smirks, stepping into the room and shrugging off his vest. "Yeah," he says and then raises an eyebrow at her. "Got room for one more?"
She pretends to think about, tapping her finger on her chin and letting out a hum. "I think so," she says and she is barely finishing the sentence before he is plopping down beside her, snuggling his face into her neck and swinging his arm over her stomach and she can't help but laugh as he grumbles against her neck, even though she doesn't know what he's saying.
They are both quiet for a while, his breath ghosting across her neck and her hand is running through his hair and across his back and every now and then she feels him shiver and she can't help but smile. She feels her eyelids getting heavy and she nearly drifts off to sleep before she suddenly remembers that there was something she has to tell him. And she can almost laugh at herself because she had spent nearly all day in this bed just wondering how she was ever going to tell him this and now he's here and she forgets all about.
Daryl must sense her change of mood because he shifts slightly, lifting his head up slightly to look at her and he leans forward to kiss her and she feels herself sigh against his lips. It was true, she had spent nearly all day trying to come up with a way to tell him and wondering about how he would react but with that simple kiss and with the way she had nearly forgotten about it just moments ago she knows that she has absolutely nothing to worry about because this man loves her and she loves him and they are married and they have been headed this way since the beginning.
So without thinking anymore about it, she lifts his arm that he had haphazardly thrown across her body and takes his hand before she gently places it down on her belly. She watches as his face furrows in confusion at her actions because he wasn't a dumb man, he knew that this meant something, and he looks up at her expectantly.
"Baby Dixon," she tells him softly, applying just a little bit of pressure on his hand that is still resting against her stomach.
It doesn't take him long to figure it out and her lips twitch as she watches the look of first bewilderment and then awe take over his face and he looks down at her belly with a loving gaze, his hand moving in a small circle before he looks back up at her and grins.
"Baby Dixon," he whispers back and he leans down lifting her shirt so that he can place a feather light kiss against her belly.
She smiles then, thinking back on all of this and how it all started because she was annoyed, and he was kind of a jerk, and he liked the way she glared at him when he called her Baby Greene.
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OHMYGODITSFINALLYDONE.
This took me a ridiculously long time to write (for real, just ask carpediem-365, she knows) and I really hope it turned out alright and I am very happy with it because I love this universe where Shawn and Daryl are best friends and Beth and Daryl always tease each other and kind of hate each other but really they are madly in love with the other. It's perfect and Daryl and Beth are perfect and I'm not crying, YOU ARE!
...