Beth's arms around him kept him from falling as he cried silently and pitifully.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he was ashamed, crying like a damn baby in front of a girl, no less.
But he was also glad she was here. He'd finally opened up and told her how he felt about it all. He'd spilled his feelings of guilt and humiliation, shame and sorrow, and anger rooted so deep he could barely feel anything else most days.
She took all of that in, and she still slid her arms under his and around his waist, pulling him against her small body.
Her embrace was cool even in the hot afternoon sun. It felt better than rain would at the moment.
It kept him there as the tears trailed down his cheeks and dripped onto the leaves beneath him.
He turned around, dropping to his knees in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his head into her stomach.
Her fingers sifted through his hair hesitantly and he nuzzled his face against her stomach in appreciation.
He had needed this, the comfort of another human. But he hadn't known, he'd never needed it before.
Something about being vulnerable in her arms felt right.
Eventually she fell in front of him, placing her small hands on his shoulders.
"It wasn't your fault, Daryl. You did the best you could, we both did. There was nothing we could have done."
She moved her hands to his cheeks and he lifted his head to meet her eyes. They pierced him deeply, like an arrow to the heart.
Her hands were soft, like flower petals or a rabbits fur, and so gentle.
"You saved my life, and even if I'm just one person it still makes you a good person." Her eyes searched his and she leaned forward.
He thought for a second she was going to press her lips against his, and as soon as the idea was in his head it stuck and his lips ached for her touch.
But instead her lips caressed his cheek. It was as if she'd branded him with the innocent touch. Her lips were too damn soft and hot. She smelled damnably delicious.
She was like the forbidden fruit, dangling in front of him invitingly for a moment.
Daryl wanted to grab her, pull her close and show her how glad he was she was there with him. He wanted to tell her that even if he could go back he'd still save her, even if it meant everyone else died.
She'd become everything to him within moments it seemed. His world spun out of control for a few seconds before he gravitated towards Beth's eyes again.
She smiled, the expression a punch to Daryl's gut, and stood up.
"I'm still thirsty." She stated, practically gliding away from him.
That night, they talked. For the first time he actually had a conversation with her.
It was nice, and he refused to think about he'd never told anyone else something about his past.
She was the first.
When he was rewarded with an insight to her mind, the little fantasy she'd had about her family, he'd gladly do it again.
They were completely different, but the parts of him that were missing she filled in. It worked the same for her. She was innocent, Daryl was damaged. Daryl felt as if he were already dead, and she had never seemed more alive.
They fit together like puzzle pieces.
They had fun splashing moonshine everywhere and Daryl loved listening to Beth's quiet little giggles.
He sloshed some at her sloppily and she gasped and hit him with some as well.
He huffed a small chuckle which made her grin grow. They covered as much of the house and porch they could and together they burnt down the shack.
She flipped it off and when she whacked his arm he followed suit, a small smile gracing his lips as his soul grew the tiniest bit lighter.
They stumbled through the woods, her giggle echoing off the trees around them.
Beth tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground with a gasp. Daryl laughed at her and tried to help her up.
She grinned and pulled him down next to her. She climbed onto his lap and put her hands on his shoulders.
Daryl wasn't laughing anymore, his blood was burning hotter than the shack they'd left behind,
"Oopsies," Beth whispered in his ear
" Yeah, you're definitely a light weight." He managed to whisper back, the skin of his shoulder tingling where her fingertips brushed against them.
Beth hummed and pressed her self down on his lap, wiggling slightly, "What're you doing?" He choked out.
"Just getting comfortable."
"You can't, we have to find a place to-" His words died when she skimmed her lips against his neck and inhaled then exhaled, her moist breath caressing the hot skin of his neck.
"We have to find a camp."
"Can we cuddle again when we get back?"
"Beth-"
She whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing his legs with her thighs.
"Please." Her tone did wonders to his lower regions and grimaced as he hardened, it'd been stirring as she'd squirmed but luckily they both wore jeans. Her voice though, it was breathless and needy, and closer than hell to his ear.
He imagined her begging him for other things and he almost groaned as the images floated around in his head.
"Just get off."
She did, but she wrapped herself around his arm, his bicep resting in the valley between her breasts as she rubbed her cheek against his skin.
"Find your camp Mister. Dixon." She murmured.
He found a place to stay for the night but he walked them in circles to prolong the inevitable. He had hoped she forget about her question.
As soon as he stopped and they began setting up in their usual routine he calmed a bit. He left to do one sweep of the area, when he came back he was frozen in the opening.
Beth had unzipped both their sleeping bags, using one as padding and the other as a blanket. Her eyes were closed and her hair fanned out around her head like a halo.
He hoped she was asleep, but as soon as he crawled beside her she was wrapping her limbs around him.
He felt her heat through their clothes and he cursed fate for making Beth Greene so damn perfect.
He tried to ignore the lust, repeating to himself over and over that she was too young and too pure for him. The more he thought about it the more his mind and body betrayed him.
He liked how clean cut and innocent she was compared to him, he couldn't help but imagine how she would look being corrupted.
And as much as he was ashamed of wanting her, he was also equally drawn to her because of her age. She was untainted. If he ever took her she'd be completely his. Probably for the rest of time.
As he slowly fell asleep next to her his mind lowered some barrier and the thought of just giving in and sampling her, just once at least, because it was really inevitable and he should do it before it got even worse made itself known.
He woke up from his dream with a start. Beth was mumbling beside him in her sleep.
Somewhere in the night they wound up spooning, her backside pressed firmly against his groin.
His arm was resting over her, his hand almost touching her breast.
He thought back to when he'd been yelling at her in a drunken anger, dragging her outside and grabbing her, pulling her against his body.
His hand had brushed against her tits then, and the shot of lust had made it past his rage for a few seconds.
He moved his hand ever so slightly, cupping the flesh of one in his hand.
She stirred in her sleep, turning towards him and opening her eyes.
He flushed, deeply humiliated as he realized he'd been caught molesting her.
"Fuck, Beth I-"
"Thank god," she interrupted him, one of her hands grabbing his hair and pulling him closer.
Her lips crashed against his.
His entire being just froze as her lips trembled against his.
She pulled away, biting her lip and looking rejected.
Her fingers began to loosen in his hair and Daryl finally reacted.
One of his hands reached down to her thigh, hiking her leg up and over his so that her center pressed against his.
He pushed against her back so that her entire body pressed against his.
"This what you want?" He questioned her.
He saw the nervousness in her eyes as she nodded quickly.
He captured her lips this time, putting her into a fog of desire as his lips feathered across hers slightly. He increased the pressure, his mouth claiming hers hotly.
His tongue darted out, teasing along the seam of her lips.
She wasn't sure what to do, but when his hand slipped down to her ass and squeezed it she gasped, allowing his tongue to sweep against her.
He moaned, her eyes rolling back into her head as he worked her with his tongue. Eventually he pulled back and bit her lip.
She did it back and he thrust his hips, the friction causing all of the blood in her body to turn to lava.
She kissed him madly, her hands roaming over his shoulders, chest, and neck. Her nails scraped against his skin and he groaned, pressing himself even closer.
His hand slipped between them, skimming over the side of her breast over and over until he suddenly ripped her tank top down, exposing one bra-clad mound.
His finger skimmed where the fabric met her skin and her breath hitched in expectation.
He moved the cup down, her little pink nipple pebbling beneath his gaze.
He looked up at her eyes and saw the curiosity and desire in her gaze.
Her innocence made him even harder and he bent down to the breast, blowing his breath across it. She shivered in his arms and he smirked before darting his tongue out, testing her reaction as he traced around her nipple.
She writhed beneath him, pushing her jean clad pussy against his restrained erection.
Daryl growled and took the nipple in his mouth, ready to watch her lose control.
She moaned, the sound traveled down his spine. His entire body burned for her, but his dick was practically begging for attention.
He ground it against her, his mouth continuing his assault on her nipples.
They tasted wonderful and fit perfectly in between his lips.
He moved his hand lower, cupping her through her jeans. She tensed but her hand didn't try and stop him. When she put it on his arm it was to guide it up and under her jeans.
His fingers dipped beneath her panties, dancing across her untouched flesh.
Her folds were slick with desire and when he found her little clit and flicked it she practically jerked in his arms. He was forced to relinquish her nipple to take her mouth, quieting her screams as his thumb continued to twirl her clit and he slid his index finger into her tightness.
He could barely move one finger inside of her, there was no way she'd be ready to do anything else that night.
Strangely enough this was enough, watching her pupils dilate and take over the innocent blue, seeing her naked breasts heaving, brushing against his chest.
Her fingernails dug into his arm as he slid a second finger in at the same time he sucked on her tongue.
One more stroke of his thumb and he felt her walls clenching around his fingers.
She whimpered and screamed into his mouth and when he pulled away to hear it his name fell from her lips and he came out of no where, right inside his jeans.
He kept her fingers inside of her and his eyes on her face until he climax ended. He withdrew his fingers and brought them to his mouth, sucking the juices and rolling his eyes into the back of his head at the taste of her.
"Best thing I've ever tasted." Daryl said.