A/N: This chapter is twice as long as the first three. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading and remember to leave a comment!
Beth stayed with him for the rest of the day, telling him sternly that she wouldn't be leaving until Merle woke up and announcing once he'd returned from the cafeteria that she'd stopped by his house before she'd come to the hospital and packed him a bag. She said she had enough clothes and essentials to get him through the next few days and had booked a room in a nearby motel, asking with a faint blush if he'd mind sharing with her. When Rick pointed out that the hospital staff would probably kick him out at some point, he'd conceded, thanking her quietly before reminding her that she didn't have to stay. She'd simply shrugged with a small smile and handed him his bag and a room key.
Rick left late that first night, once the hospital staff had insisted that all non-family members vacate the floor at the end of visiting hours. He'd promised to call the next day to see how Merle was doing and Daryl thanked him as much as he could for making the trip with him. Standing outside the hospital, both shifting their weight uncomfortably as they fought for the words to say to one another, the friends had shared a quick hug, with smacks on the back, then nodded with quite a bit of throat clearing until Beth had stepped in to give Rick a proper hug and thank him for coming. Once she separated from Rick, he'd given Daryl a pointed glance and shifted his eyes to look at Beth, reminding his friend of what he'd said earlier that day. Daryl nodded once, stuffing his hands in his pockets and said goodbye.
Beth drove them to the motel, leading the way to the room and turning on a few lights once they were inside. "You can take the bathroom first," She offered with a smile.
Daryl shrugged, "Thanks. Probably gonna just go to bed, shower in the morning."
Beth nodded, rifling through her own bag for a moment before retrieving a small cosmetics bag patterned in blue and purple. She disappeared into the bathroom then reemerged wearing a soft baby pink t-shirt and long gray pajama bottoms, her hair removed from it's braid and falling loose over her shoulders. She stood at the bathroom sink and brushed her teeth then combed through her long blonde hair, humming absently. Daryl laid down on his bed and tucked an arm behind his head, watching her from the corner of his eye. She was here, staying with him, because his brother was in the hospital. Someone she'd never met but someone that was important to him was hurt and she had left her home and who knew what else behind to be here at his side.
Now that he'd realized what he really felt about her, it was hard to see her as just a friend anymore. Everything she did and said only made him realize just how much he cared about her, how much he loved her. Because he did, he loved her. He'd been a dumb ass not to see it sooner, to ignore the signs and convince himself that she was no more than a friend. Beth was more than that, had always been more than that since the first night she'd sat next to him on the floor of Maggie and Glenn's living room and whispered little jokes about the movie they were watching, making him feel comfortable and safe sitting next to such a pretty girl.
She turned off the light and went to her own bed, tugging on her t-shirt and smiling at him a little nervously. "I brought you a few changes of clothes if you want out of the stuff you've been wearing for almost twenty four hours."
Daryl shrugged a little, "Don't bother me. Ain't got extra clothes when I go huntin'."
Beth shrugged in response, rolling her eyes playfully, "Suit yourself, they're there if you need 'em."
Daryl waited until she got under the covers, turning off her bedside lamp, then stood up with a groan, fumbling through his bag and pulling out a worn old t-shirt and sweat pants before heading for the bathroom to change. He decided he'd better brush his teeth after all the coffee he'd had otherwise his morning breath would probably knock her over, then headed back for the bed, still staying on top of the covers. He glanced over at her to see if she was asleep and found her eyes staring back at him, a smug smile on her face.
"Shut up, didn' want to sleep in my jeans," Daryl grumbled at her and she only smiled more in response.
He turned his head away, glaring up at the ceiling and she sighed from over in her corner, shifting under the covers. He glanced over again and saw that she'd scooted closer to the edge of the bed nearest him and was still watching him, that soft expression on her face that made him want to tell her anything.
"He's going to be okay, you know," Beth said softly, her eyes reassuring and direct. She was so sure he almost believed her and had to look away before he could let himself start hoping for more than was realistic.
"Maybe," He grumbled into the dark and she sighed again in response.
"He's doing okay so far, better than they expected," She pointed out quietly, voice not argumentative but hopeful. "He's strong, Daryl. He's going to get through this and be giving you crap again before you know it."
His lips twitched at that and he rolled his head to look at her again, letting her see the smile he normally kept hidden from people. She smiled brightly in response, and he replied, "Yeah, not sure if I want him to wake up then."
"Yes you do," Beth corrected with a laugh, "But don't worry. I'm here and I won't let him be too mean to you."
"Means a lot," Daryl replied seriously, meeting her eyes, "You bein' here."
Beth's playful smiled faded and she nodded once seriously, "I didn't want you to be alone."
"I know," He acknowledged, continuing before he could stop himself, "Been alone my whole life but this… doin' this alone? Don't know if I could've."
Beth's lips twitched in understanding, "I know and you shouldn't have to go through anything alone, not with me around."
Daryl stared at her for a long moment, not knowing what to say, before he finally nodded once, turning to face the ceiling again. After a long moment of silence, he said quietly into the darkness, "Never want to be without you, Beth." When she didn't respond, he turned his head to look at her and saw that her eyes were closed, her breaths slow and even. He mentally kicked himself for taking so long to tell her, even vaguely, what he was thinking and feeling, and decided that he'd find the right time to tell her, and soon.
The next morning, Beth rose first, starting up a pot of coffee using the small pot the hotel provided and choosing one of the packets of ground coffee that sat next to it. Daryl heard her take a shower and started to get up once he heard her in front of the sink again, pouring two cups of the brew and bringing one to him with a bright smile.
"Morning," She greeted cheerfully and Daryl groaned a little in response, accepting the styrofoam cup as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Beth frowned at his surliness, "I thought you'd be more of a morning person, considering you hunt and everything."
Daryl took a long gulp of coffee, wincing as it ran hot and bitter down his throat, and responded gruffly, looking up at her, "I get up early, don't mean I'm awake or like it."
Beth shrugged, rifling through her bag to produce two protein bars and two more apples, "I guess that makes sense." She tossed him his breakfast, giggling lightly when he had to scramble a little to get his reflexes up and running enough to catch them, then added, "We can get something more substantial once we get to the hospital but at least we can go see Merle before we need to make a breakfast run."
Daryl nodded, munching on the apple noisily, and dug into his bag again to retrieve fresh clothes before disappearing into the bathroom for a shower of his own. When he emerged, Beth was fully dressed with her hair was pulled back into a braid and she was standing before the large mirror carefully applying a thin layer of mascara. Finished, she returned the tube to her cosmetic bag and smiled at him in the mirror, "Ready?"
"Just goin' to the hospital," Daryl mumbled as they grabbed their things and headed out, "Don't think Merle'll mind if ya don't have any make-up on."
Beth tossed him his forgotten protein bar and shrugged, "It's just a habit, really. I had extra time while you were in the shower so I threw it on." She smirked at him as they climbed into her car and added, "Plus, what if he wakes up? I want him to see me for the first time looking awake and pretty instead of exhausted and thrown together."
Daryl snorted, "Won't care about nothin' 'cept you're blonde."
Beth frowned as she drove, thinking on that for a long moment before responding, "Well, then I guess it's a good thing I washed my hair."
"You can worry 'bout what my brother thinks of you when he wakes up," Daryl responded with a grunt.
"Oh, I know he'll like me," Beth confidently asserted, glancing at Daryl with a smirk, "I'm very likable." Daryl felt his lips twitch in response and Beth's grin widened even more as she added, "See? Even you like me."
Daryl met her eyes for a long moment before he looked away, chickening out yet again, and flicked a wrist towards the road, "Yeah, just keep drivin'."
They found Merle in the same condition as before, improved but still not awake. Dr. Stookey assured them that most of the swelling in his head had gone down and that Merle should be waking up within the next few days. Beth and Daryl took their seats at his bedside, Beth holding Merle's bruised, callused hand and singing to him in a soft voice. Daryl loved listening to her, the rise and fall of the notes as she went from song to song, sometimes closing his eyes and letting the music just flow around him, letting it wrap around him like a soothing, warm blanket.
After about an hour, he left quietly, telling Beth he was going to get breakfast for them both and she nodded with a smile, not breaking her song. He bought two breakfast sandwiches and some coffee from the cafeteria and hurried back before the could get cold, stepping back into Merle's room to find that Beth had gone silent, eyes wide, and one of the nurses standing by with her fingers on Merle's wrist.
"The hell's goin' on?" Daryl asked, handing Beth the food when she rose and went to him.
"Merle squeezed my hand a few minutes ago," Beth answered with a smile, eyes bright and hopeful. She followed Daryl's gaze to the nurse and added, "I called for a nurse to make sure he was okay, not in pain or anything."
The nurse offered Daryl a calm smile and replied, "He's still okay. If he was in pain we might see a rise in his heart rate but everything looks normal." She glanced between the two and directed, "Be sure to call again if anything changes."
Beth nodded, thanking her, and looked up at Daryl happily, "See? He's coming out of it. He's going to be okay."
Daryl met her eyes for a long time then nodded once, agreeing this time. "Yeah," He conceded, leading her back to their chairs to resume their vigil, "Seems like it."
They sat in the hospital room all day, taking turns to go get food and walk around the floor. Beth returned from one trip with a potted bamboo plant in one hand and a Get Well Soon balloon in the other. She hummed as she tied the balloon to Merle's beside table, carefully arranging it to it wouldn't be in the way, and then placed the bamboo next to the small plant she'd brought from the farmer's market.
"Gonna have a whole greenhouse in here if ya keep bringin' him plants," Daryl commented with a slight smirk.
Beth rolled her eyes good- naturedly and replied, "Bamboo are lucky and you can never have too many plants."
She used to room's mauve water pitcher to water the first plant and smiled happily at her work, glancing over her shoulder at Daryl, "See? It makes everything feel less depressing, right?"
Daryl felt his lips twitch and he nodded once, watching her through the fringe of his hair, "Yeah."
She sat back down in her chair and reached into her oversized purse, smiling as she held out a small snow globe with a miniature man holding a guitar and the words "Song and Soul of the South- Macon, Georgia" etched across the plastic blue bottom. She shook the dome until silvery glitter rained down over the guitar player and shrugged when he raised an eyebrow at her in a question. He took the snow globe from her and shook it again, glancing at her as his lips tilted upwards slightly. She grinned and settled into her chair, turning on the TV and starting to flip through channels with the sound on mute.
After that their short outings turned into something of a game. Daryl returned from one trip to stretch his legs with a brown teddy bear wearing a baby blue t-shirt with a bright yellow smiley face on it and a pop- up get well card for Merle. The card had a dinosaur holding a balloon and Daryl carefully balanced it between the two plants, knowing Merle would give him hell when he saw it but not caring when Beth laughed softly at the display. He handed her the teddy bear without a word and she beamed at him, holding it tightly to her chest.
The gifts were small after that, a candy bar here, something silly from the gift shop there. Once Beth brought a notepad and some colorful pens, sitting with Daryl to play tic- tac- toe and hangman over the arms of their uncomfortable chairs. Daryl returned from his next trip with a packet of playing cards with peaches on the back and they spend the afternoon playing Gin Rummy, War, and Go Fish. Before long they advanced to poker, opting to use fun things like french fries or movie night votes as bets. Beth was surprisingly good at poker and by the end Daryl owed her a trip to the movie theater, dinner at a sit down restaurant, and an ice cream sundae.
"Sounds like a date," He joked, glancing up at her from the tally they'd kept.
Beth blushed a little and smiled with a shrug, "I wouldn't say no."
Daryl stared at her, wondering if it would scare her off if he agreed. He chewed on his lip thoughtfully, meeting her eyes as she tilted her head slightly, so still as she waited he wondered if she was even breathing.
A shrill ringing filled the room and he cursed under his breath, pulling out his phone and answering. When Beth raised her eyebrows in a question, he told her, "'S Rick," and stood to take the call in the hallway outside the room, needing a little room to breathe.
"How're things?" Rick asked and Daryl could hear Michonne barking questions in the background.
"He's doin' alright," Daryl replied, mind still on the conversation with Beth. "Squeezed Beth's hand earlier so doc thinks he might be awake soon."
"That's good news," Rick replied, voice relieved. After a pause, he asked pointedly, "And how's Beth doin' with all this?"
"Okay, I guess," Daryl mumbled, shifting his weight slightly. "Glad she's here but she's probably gettin' sick of me and eatin' hospital food."
"She say that?" Rick asked.
"Nah, she's too nice to admit it," Daryl answered, chewing on the side of his thumb.
"I wouldn't be puttin' words in her mouth," Rick warned, "I think she's direct enough that she'll tell you if she needs a break." Daryl grunted non-committally and Rick went on, "Well, checked on your house and everything is still standing. Stopped by the shop and told them about Merle so you're off the hook for work for a few more days."
"Thanks, man," Daryl replied, "Completely forgot about work." His mind turned to Beth and he thought out loud, "Wonder if you should call Beth's work too."
"Already did," Rick answered instantly, "She called in before she left to get to the hospital and told them she needed a few days."
Daryl glanced at the closed door in wonder and commented, "She didn't have to do that."
"No, she didn't," Rick agreed. "But she did anyway. Now why she did it, well, that's something to consider, isn't it."
Daryl grunted again, "Yeah, already kind of figured out why."
"Really?" Rick asked and Daryl could practically hear him leaning into the phone eagerly.
"Ain't tellin' ya nothin' till there's somethin' to tell," Daryl grumbled pointedly.
"Alright," Rick replied gruffly, "And when might that be?"
"Soon," Daryl responded without thinking and Rick chuckled into the phone.
Daryl hung up and took a moment before going back inside the room, wondering when, or even how, he should tell her what he was feeling. He no longer thought she was indifferent to him, not after all the time and care she'd put into staying by his side and caring for his brother. He remembered her blush when he'd suggested the bets she'd won all together sounded like a date and how she'd replied that she wouldn't say no if he asked her. Whether or not she saw him that way really wasn't in question anymore, he knew the answer. So why was he still so afraid to say the words?
Instead of going inside he headed outside the hospital, texting Beth on the way as he headed for a Chili's within walking distance and picking up some real, non- hospital food to go. As he walked back he wondered what would happen when they returned to their regular lives. Would Beth still feel the same way, would he? He only doubted himself for a moment before he completely dismissed the idea. He knew what he felt was real, had been for a long time before he chose to acknowledge it. He wanted Beth, wanted to be with her, to make her as happy as she was able to make him. He stepped into the elevator to head for the fourth floor and decided right then and there when Merle woke up at last and Daryl and Beth went home, he was going to ask her out. If she said yes like she'd promised, they'd go on their date to a movie and dinner with an ice cream sundae to top it off and he'd tell her how he felt, plain and simple. He had time between now and then to figure out exactly what words to say to tell her everything, he just had to have enough courage to do it.
He returned to the room, slipping in quietly while Beth talked to a nurse who had stopped in to check Merle's vitals, watching Beth smile and thank the nurse sincerely before she noticed him. Her smile grew even more and he stepped further inside to let the nurse make her way out the door, walking up to Beth and pulling the rolling table to hover between them so they could eat what he'd brought.
"Thanks for bringing all this," Beth said, glancing at him as she took a long, grateful sip of lemonade. "Was it far? You could've taken my car."
Daryl grunted, "Nah, only a few blocks. Didn't mind the walk." He jerked his chin towards Merle and asked, "He still okay?"
Beth nodded, finishing a bite of salad before responding, "The nurse said his vitals are steady so he's stable other than the coma."
Daryl winced at the world, feeling like he'd lost his appetite. He set his fork down and shifted in his seat, wishing like hell that he wasn't here, wasn't faced with his only flesh and blood still clinging to life, unconscious in a hospital bed. He felt a small hand reach for his, clasping it tightly, and he held on like it was a lifeline, taking a long, shuddering breath. When the tightness in his chest began to ease, he glanced at Beth, tracing the worried line between her eyebrows with his eyes for a long moment before responding in a low voice that rasped, "'M alright."
Beth smiled kindly, "I know."
They finished eating in silence before Daryl revealed the chocolate lava cake he'd ordered for dessert, lips twitching into a smile as Beth grinned eagerly. "'S better than that Snickers bar I brought ya earlier," He said quietly, feeling his ears warm as Beth sniffed approvingly, "Might not be warm anymore though."
"It's perfect," Beth replied, happily accepting a spoon he offered and taking the first bite with relish.
Daryl took a bite too and nodded, "Yeah, 's alright. Never had one before, thought it looked good on the menu."
Beth stared at him in fake shock, "You've never had a chocolate lava cake?" He shrugged, and she sighed dramatically, "You definitely need me around, Daryl. I'll get you to expand your horizons a little." She eyed him for a long moment then asked with trepidation, "Tell me you've had a 7-Up cake before."
Daryl chewed his thumb for a moment before replying, "How you get a cake from 7-Up? Ain't that a soda?"
Beth rolled her eyes but smiled, patting his arm patiently, "I'll make you one when we get home."
"Make me one too, sugar?" A raspy voice came from the direction of the bed.
Daryl spun to see Merle opening his one good eye and squinting at them both with a toothy, broken grin. He could feel Beth standing beside him, her side pressed close to his as she wrapped an arm around his waist in her joy. Daryl glanced down at her then looked back at his brother and replied, "You finally awake after that two day nap, you stubborn son of a bitch?"
He felt Beth's hand tighten on his waist but Merle laughed, his throat raw and dry, "Can't leave ya alone on this here planet, little brother. Ya life'd be too damn boring without ol' Merle to keep things interestin'." Daryl snorted and Merle's eyes went to Beth, swooping over her appreciatively before he shifted in the bed with a wince, "Now who's the pretty young thing?"
Beth stepped forward, releasing her hold on Daryl and holding out a hand to Merle, "I'm Beth, Daryl's friend."
"Yeah, I bet you are," Merle hinted with a wink, shaking Beth with his fingers that were exposed beyond the cast. "How'd my little brother get a pretty gal like you to sit here in this stinkin' room to look at my old tired ass?"
Beth shrugged, ignoring the innuendo like a pro, and replied, "I care about him and he cares about you. Where else would I be?"
Merle studied her for a long moment then replied more seriously, "Well damn, ain't you somethin'."
Beth smiled at him then glanced at Daryl, saying happily, "I'm going to go find a nurse, let them know he's awake."
Daryl watched her go then looked back at his brother when he heard a low whistle emanate from the direction of the bed. Merle met his eyes, grinning wolfishly again, and raised his eyebrows, "Friend, huh?"
"Shut up, Merle," Daryl muttered, sitting down in his chair again. He looked his brother over and asked, "How you feelin'?"
Merle shifted again and replied flippantly, "Ain't bad, all told. Those bastards got me cornered but I reckon I did some damage on my way down." He narrowed his eyes a little at Daryl and asked, "They say anything to you about the guys that got me? They still walking on two legs a piece?"
Daryl grunted, "Nah, man. Was too worried you'd finally done your sorry ass in."
Merle laughed again, rasping, "It'll take a lot more than a handful of pansy ass boys to take out ol' Merle." Daryl shook his head, wondering how his brother could be so casual about waking up in the hospital with his brother by his side and Merle noticed the gesture, eyes narrowing again before he asked, "Hell, how long was I out?"
Daryl's eyes rose from their study of the hospital issue bed linens and responded coolly, "Two days." Merle started to grin again, clearly getting ready to brush it off, but Daryl continued seriously, "Your brain was swelled up and you had surgery to stop bleeding inside ya. Weren't no picnic. Doc didn't know if ya'd make it past the first day." He ran a hand down his face and sat back, tired now that his constant worry about his brother was gone.
Merle considered all this for a long time, his smirk fading, and finally he replied, "Well, shit. Sorry, little brother. Didn' mean to scare ya none. You know your big brother can take care of himself."
Daryl flicked his wrist towards the bed, "Ya need to keep your mouth when you're in there, man. You was probably spouting off like some redneck dick and got ya ass handed to ya."
"Hey, now," Merle protested raising a hand with a slight wince, "Wasn' nothin' like that. Those shits wanted me to deal for 'em. I told 'em to pound sand."
Daryl blinked at him, not trusting him, and asked, "They wanted ya to deal in the prison?"
Merle laughed roughly and clarified, "Nah man, can't get that shit around the guards. Other stuff, yeah, but not what they's sellin'. They wanted me to start dealin' for the cartel when my term comes up in a few months."
Daryl's eyes widened, "The cartel?"
Merle waved him off, "Now don't go gettin' ya panties in a bunch, Darylina. I told them no, like I said. I may be a mean, dumb son of a bitch but I ain't dumb enough to get in bed with those crazies."
Daryl relaxed, just a little, and replied, "Guess ya have half a brain left, anyway."
Merle snorted in reply just as Beth came back into the room, a nurse trailing behind her. She smiled at Merle and said politely, "Mr. Dixon, the nurse is going to check your vitals, if that's okay."
"Ain't nobody ever called me Mister anything, sweetheart," Merle said with a sleazy grin, "But that's fine by me."
Beth went to Daryl and pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and holding him as tight as she could. "He's okay now," She whispered into his ear and Daryl allowed his arms to wrap around her too, feeling her warmth against him, and letting the words hit him.
Merle whistled and Daryl glared at him over her shoulder, letting her go when she pulled back slightly to glance at his brother. With an easy smile she replied, "I see someone is feeling okay?"
Merle laughed roughly as the nurse took his pulse, "I'm peachy, darlin'. Looks like you got my little brother feelin' fine too."
Beth's face turned pink but she simply shrugged and answered, "Someone had to look out for him while you were flat on your back."
The nurse recorded Merle's vitals and left, telling Daryl and Beth she'd find the doctor and update him on the changes. Merle watched her go with a leering stare then turned back to Beth and chuckled, "You're a spit fire, ain't ya."
Daryl took a step towards his brother and growled, "She's been real nice to ya. Don't be an asshole."
Merle raised his hands and shrugged, adopting a look of innocence, and Daryl looked at Beth, wanting to be sure she was okay. She smiled at him and shrugged while rolling her eyes. "I'm fine," She said quietly, "I'm going to leave you two alone until you're ready to go, okay?"
Nodding, Daryl reached for her without thinking and pulled her close, mumbling, "Thanks. Be down to meet ya in a bit."
Beth smiled happily, waved to Merle, and left the brothers alone. Daryl promptly glared at his good- for- nothing brother and said, "Why you gotta be like that?"
When Merle spluttered defiantly, Daryl just waved off his protestations, sitting down again in his chair and eyeing Beth's empty spot. Now that his brother was awake and back to being himself, Daryl wanted to be downstairs with her, listening to her laugh and making her smile. He eyed his brother and wondered if he deserved that, if he deserved her. Not long ago he was almost Merle's twin, aside from the dealing and lewd behavior. He'd been aggressive and mean, probably would have wound up in prison himself if his luck had been any worse. Instead he got to live a nice life in a small town with friends and a girl that seemed to want to be around him, and maybe as more than just friends. It almost didn't seem real, like he'd gotten some fabled second chance, and he told himself he could never go back to being that, should never even let himself look back at who he'd once been.
After what felt like an eternity the doctor made an appearance, acknowledging Merle's improved state and signing the order to move him from the ICU to another floor, where he'd be observed from another day then discharged back to the prison infirmary for recovery. Daryl noticed Merle's eyes register a slight panic as he realized this stint back into society was only temporary and for a moment he wished he could keep his brother from having to return to that place and serve his time. Daryl thanked the doctor then said goodnight to Merle, telling him he'd be by in the morning to see him before heading back home with Beth. Merle had stayed quiet and Daryl could tell he would be sorry to see him go, even if he'd never admit it.
Daryl found Beth in the hospital lobby, her legs pulled up beside her in a vinyl arm chair in a corner, reading a worn paperback as she absently twirled the end of her braid between two fingers. He approached slowly, knowing he'd never seen anything so pretty in his life. She seemed to sense his approach and she raised her eyes slowly to see him walking towards her, her face breaking into a brilliant smile. She quickly gathered her things and rose to meet him, taking his hand as they turned for the door.
As they walked out, she asked, "What did the doctor say? Are they going to move him out of the ICU now that he's awake?"
Daryl nodded, "Yeah, said he's stable and outta danger so they're gonna move 'em to another floor in the mornin'." He glanced down at her and added, "Tole Merle we'd be by to see 'em but then we're goin' home."
Beth frowned a little and asked, "You sure you want to leave so soon?"
Daryl shrugged, "Only gonna be here through tomorrow then he's back to the prison."
Beth watched him carefully then nodded too, "Okay, that sounds like a plan then, if you're sure."
Daryl jerked his chin upwards, "Yeah, he'll be alright and he don't need me hangin' around to call him out for hittin' on the nurses."
Beth laughed lightly and they climbed into her car to drive back to the motel. When they finally got inside, Daryl took her hand again, causing her to pause and look up at him with a question in her blue eyes. He shuffled a little, taking comfort in her soft skin against his palm, and finally he said in a low voice, "Thanks, for everythin'. You… made it all easier for me, more than most would've done."
Beth smiled softly and replied sincerely, "You're welcome. Anytime you need me, Daryl, I'll be there. I promise."
He jerked his chin upwards slightly, "I know." He shuffled again, looking down at his feet for a long moment, still clinging to her hand, and then added as he looked up at her through his hair, "Maybe when we get back… we go on that date, the one you won in poker?"
Beth's lips twitched a little and she asked hesitantly, "Really? I mean, don't feel obligated just because of the bet or because I came here."
"It ain't cause of all that," Daryl cut her off, "I'm askin' ya, for real."
Beth's eyes widened slightly but she smiled happily and then nodded quickly, "Yeah, of course."
Daryl nodded, feeling a rush of relief, and replied, "Alright, good." He looked around and clarified, "We can set it up when we get home. I just… wanted to ask ya 'fore I chickened out."
Beth laughed and squeezed his hand lightly, "Well, I'm really happy you didn't chicken out."
They both went through their nightly routine, this time Beth automatically climbed into bed to lay on the side closest to Daryl, smiling at him when he climbed into his own bed and glanced at her.
"I know it was a sucky situation," She said quietly, "But I'm really glad I got to spend all this time with you."
Daryl nodded, "Yeah, probably would've been rough if ya hadn' been here."
Beth's smile faded a little and she added, "It never felt like enough time, those movie nights at Maggie's. I got to see you, what, once a week, maybe for three hours? We could never really talk, except for when you drove me home, and that always kind of bothered me, like I was being cheated out of something… great." Daryl watched her as she spoke, her expression a little distant as she voiced her feelings, just as it always looked when she'd talk while he drove her home.
"Yeah, makes sense," He mumbled into the stillness and her eyes lifted to meet his across the small space between them. "Kind of felt like that too, although takes me time to warm up to people so was probably better that I got to know ya slowly at first."
Beth snuggled down into her pillow and smiled softly, "Makes sense. Guess it happened when it was supposed to."
Daryl felt his lips tug upwards as he watched her face relax and grow drowsy, her breathing slowing as she started to drift off into sleep. He'd never felt so safe, so sure of anything in his whole life and as he counted her breaths and studied the faint lines of her face, he realized he'd never been this close to someone before. Somehow Beth had stolen her quiet, sweet way into his heart and made a home there, almost without him realizing it and by the time he had he'd been unwilling to stop her. Instead he'd opened himself further to her, tearing down walls and opening the door to welcome her inside. He doubted that now that she was there that he'd ever even want her to leave. She'd become a permanent part of him, something that would ache and hurt all the time if ever she decided to move on, if ever she looked at him and saw the parts of his past he wished he could erase. He'd take the pain gladly though if it meant she could be part of him, even for just a little while.