I loooooove you guys! I'll try to update 'Ain't No Rest For The Wicked' tonight, but I'm watching Boondocks Saints, and...Norman Reedus is just...fucking perfect. Don't ya agree? :) REVIEWS MAKE UPDATES COME FASTER!
"Beth? Would you kindly remove your sunglasses, please?" Dr. Grimes stopped class to request.
Beth slumped down in her seat. "The light hurts my eyes," Beth tried, resisting the command.
"I prefer to see the eyes of my students so that I know they are paying attention," her professor replied sternly.
Beth took a deep breath and slowly moved her shades down her nose. She knew everyone was staring at her and there as no getting around it. Several gasps were followed by a complete silence when she unveiled the bruises around her eyes and the ones that were brushed across her temple.
She quickly pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head and looked at the teacher with a raised eyebrow, as if it ask if she was satisfied. Thankfully, Dr. Grimes continued on with his lecture, and it wasn't until the class was over that he talked to Beth again. With her bag slouched over her arm, Beth attempted to slink out of the door undetected when she was stopped by a hand on her arm. She flinched but calmly turned her head toward the man.
"Beth," Dr. grimes said in a low voice, "I'm concerned."
"Why?" Beth was on the immediate defense. "I've turned all my work in on time and I haven't missed a single class..."
Her professor looked her over from under his thick eyebrows. "I'm used to your usual make up, but I don't think that purple really suits you."
Beth looked down at the ground self-consciously. "Yes, well, I'm not a big fan of it either. But I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Not that it's anyone's business, but I tripped and fell down some stairs last weekend," Beth said in a clipped tone. "I have a class to get to, thanks for your concern." She left without another word. Dr. Grimes was just trying to be nice, but Beth didn't want anyone to know what had happened. Ever.
_
"Do you want to go out tonight?" Maggie came and flopped onto the couch next to where Beth was studying, causing Beth's entire person to bounce several inches in the air.
"Nah, I have a lot of reading to do," Beth replied without looking up from her book.
"Beth. That's all you've been doing for the last two weeks. I swear, you never go anywhere besides school and work," Maggie complained.
Beth cleared her throat and readjusted herself in her seat. "It's just a really busy time of year and I don't want to get behind."
"What's up with you?" Maggie asked quietly and Beth finally met her eyes. "Ever since you allegedly fell down those stairs," Maggie air quoted, "you've been such a recluse."
"Maybe it messed up my head," Beth shrugged and laughed lightly.
Maggie was not amused. "What really happened that night? And don't bull shit me."
Beth gulped. "I told you what happened. It was an accident, nothing more," Beth said the vague words and knew they were partly true.
Maggie narrowed her eyes. "You don't lie to me, so I'm gonna trust you and let you be a nerd on a Saturday night."
Beth cracked a small smile. "Thanks. I just uh, have a lot of stuff going on." Beth motioned to the various textbooks and papers that surrounded her, but she was referring to other things. Much darker things.
Beth ducked when Maggie tried to muss her hair. "Okay, I'll see you later. Or tomorrow, if things go well tonight," Maggie waggled her eyebrows and smirked.
"Get outta here, loser." Beth threw a couch pillow at her.
Being left alone on a Saturday night really sucked, but being left alone to her thoughts was even worse. She knew she couldn't hide forever, but she just needed to until she could figure out what the hell she was going to do.
_
She hadn't realized that she'd dozed off on the couch until a knock at her door roused her. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was just past one in the morning. Figuring it was a drunken Maggie, Beth ignored the knocking because that idiot had a key.
But the knocking persisted on. Beth stood up and stretched, her head had a dull throb from her awkward sleeping position on the couch. She stumbled over to the door and opened it without thinking.
"Why didn't you use your key? I was sleeping," Beth whined, her eyes still squinted closed.
"Sorry, Priss. Not who ya were expectin'."
Beth's eyes snapped open and she went pale as she was faced with Merle outside her door. "How the hell did you find out my address?" Beth glared.
"We have yer friend ta thank fer that," Merle grinned and reached an arm out to the area obscured by the wall, pulling back a guilty and angry looking Daryl.
"Beth, it wasn't like that," Daryl tried, pushing Merle off of him.
"There's no time fer small talk," Merle interrupted him. "We have big thangs ta discuss," he pushed passed a shocked Beth and walked into her apartment, leaving Daryl and Beth to stare at each other.
"Why the hell did you tell him where I lived?" Beth scathed.
"I swear I didn't. I- fuck," Daryl ran a hand over his hair. "I had yer address in my phone so that I could check in on ya if I ev'r needed ta. An' Merle stole my phone an' went through it. He's been houndin' me fer the last two weeks 'bout where ya were. I guess he figured that he might be able ta find a phone number in there. But-"
"He found something even better, my address," Beth shook her head.
"I'm so fucking sorry," Daryl whispered. "But it'll be better if ya just get this over with."
"Better for me, or better for you?" Beth retorted but pushed her door aside. "Come in. If he tries anything, I'll kick both of your asses."
Daryl actually smirked a little. "I'd like ta see ya try."
"Seriously don't tempt me. I get livid when someone wakes me up. You're walking on thin ice already," Beth shut the door behind her.
She shivered when she felt Daryl next to her shoulder. "Really, I'd like ta see ya try," Daryl admitted quietly, his breath gently hitting Beth's neck.
Beth ignored the comment and walked over to where Merle had made himself comfortable on the couch, his legs stretched out and his arms behind his head. Beth hoped he cut himself with that stupid knife he used as a hand. Wasn't that illegal? Beth snorted. She figured half the things the man did before he got out of bed in the morning were illegal.
"This is a nice place ya have here, Priss," Merle nodded, surveying his surroundings.
"My name is Beth, and I'm glad you enjoy what you see because you'll never be here again." Beth sat in an opposite chair and scowled.
Daryl snorted and Merle smiled widely. "Ya have ta fight, Priss."
"I don't have to do anything. I have a life. One that is free of delinquency, thank you." Beth crossed her legs and brushed the hair out of her face. She glanced over and saw that Daryl was still standing, halfway between her and Merle and at an apparent impasse.
"Let me put it this way, ya could make ten thousan' in one night. Hell, even more than that 'cause o' yer looks."
"Where does this money come from?" Beth asked and Daryl and Merle both looked slowly to the ground. "Somewhere illegal, I'll bet. Yeah, no."
"That ain't temptin' ta ya? That much money?" Daryl's voice was bright and Beth was a little alarmed to see how pleased she was by the prospect.
"No. Not at all. You really don't expect someone like me to fight men the size of a train, do you?" Beth quirked an eyebrow at Daryl.
"They hav'a woman's league. Ya'd be surprised at some o' the chicks out there. Their tough." Daryl stuck his hands in his pockets and looked over to Merle.
"We all git a cut o' the winnins'. If ya win, we win," Merle said diplomatically. "We don' fight as a team, but we win as a team."
"So I'm the only one who's getting beat to hell and the rest of you get to reap the benefits?" Beth scoffed. "That hardly seems fair." Beth couldn't believe that she actually appeared to be negotiating. This wasn't right, nothing was up for discussion. Or at least nothing should have been up for discussion.
"We all take our turn," Daryl piped up. "We make it even, fair."
"Each member o' our team brings somethin' special, an' Priss, we got nothin' like ya," Merle licked his lips.
"I'm not going to fill your empty mold for a female who can mess someone up. You'll have to keep looking." Beth looked down at her fingernails, trying to feign disinterest. But truthfully, she was bubbling up inside. She was flattered and excited that they wanted her.
"Enough! I ain't negotiatin' here. I will have ya. If I don' git ya, yer life will be hell. I know where ya live, I know ya have a sister that left several hours ago, an' I can fin' out a lot more, quickly," Merle growled and Beth finally found it in herself to be scared.
"Merle, she said no. Let's jus' leave her alone," Daryl tried to intervene.
"Shut the fuck up!" Merle snapped. "Ya' stuck up fer this girl enough. An' ya made yerself look like a pussy when ya wouldn' fight her. Yer opinion don' mean shit ta me righ' now."
Daryl glanced at Beth, a look of remorse in his eyes. "Can I at least have the rest of the weekend to think about it?" Beth offered, not necessarily intending on giving in but wanting the angry man out of her apartment.
Merle took a deep breath, his demeanor once again slipping back into a charismatic one. "Sure, Priss. I'll have Dixon leave ya my number. If I don' hear from ya, I'll come lookin' again," he said as he leaned forward on his knees.
"Fine. Just leave for now, please," Beth replied in a tight voice.
"I'm gon'," Merle laughed a little evilly. "Dixon, don' be far behind me. If we're goin' ta be fightin' wit' her then I don' want ya gettin' friendly," he warned as he left from whence he came.
Beth grimaced at that and Daryl simply looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorr-"
"I know," Beth cut him off and held up a hand. "I just...I just need to think about this."
"Ya might say yes?" Daryl asked in a surprised voice.
Beth looked up at him, licking her lips. "It doesn't seem that I have much of a choice."
"I can keep him 'way from ya, I can try ta-"
"I can handle myself," Beth huffed, cutting Daryl off once again.
"When did ya become so fuckin' tough?" Daryl asked as he leaned against the wall.
Beth looked down at her nails. "I think it was always in me. It was just dormant, waiting for something to let it out."
"I ain't gonna lie, it's kind o' cool," Daryl bit his lip and smirked.
"You think it's hot," Beth teased and Daryl went stiff. "Okay seriously, why do you always tense up when I joke like that?"
Daryl shook his head. "I don't." Daryl insisted but his tone was indeed very tense.
Beth laughed bitterly. "If we do end up fighting together, you have to deal with the fact that I'm taking a liking to you. So if your uncomfortable with it, then sorry."
"Ya shouldn't assume thangs that ya don' know nothin' 'bout," Daryl said under his breath, his jaw going tight, just as it had during their last argument.
"I don't know you, but I can read your body language pretty well. I make you uncomfortable, and I'm guessing it's because you're worried that I'll attempt to jump your bones any second. And not in the fighting sort of way," Beth finished and leaned back in her chair.
Daryl wrung his hands. "Ya need ta lose the attitude or I really will kick yer ass. Whether we on the same side er not. I'm outta here."
"Listen, you need to stop being so tense and mysterious and shit, always needing to suddenly leave. I'm sick of not knowing what you're thinking," Beth raised her voice.
"Ya aint been 'round me enough ta have a clue 'bout who I am er what I'm thinkin'! Why do ya even care?" Daryl held out his hands in exasperation.
"I can usually read people really easily! And with you, I don't have a clue. It's really frustrating, okay," Beth finally admitted.
Daryl was quiet for a moment. "So yer pissed 'cause ya don' know what I'm thinkin'?"
"In part, yes," Beth immediately replied.
"Are ya gonna keep actin' like a dick 'til ya have a read on me?" Daryl questioned.
A dick? Beth sighed. "Probably." Beth knew her own faults and could easily predict her behavior.
Daryl took a deep breath and squinted his eyes shut for a moment before- "I think yer really fucking sexy. After ya fought Merle an' I came back here with ya, all I wanted ta do was show ya how much that fight turned me on. But as Merle said, I can't git friendly with ya, in any sense o' the word. So whether we fightin' on the same side er not, nothin' is gonna happen. Here's Merle's number," Daryl put a piece of paper on the coffee table. "If ya don' call, he will deliver on his promise ta come find ya again," Daryl said quickly and then strode toward the door.
"Wait!" Beth called out after letting Daryl's words sink in for a moment.
Daryl paused with his hand on the doorknob. "What," he whispered.
"You were...turned on by me?" Beth's voice shook. "
Daryl slowly turned around. "It don' matter. There ain't nothin' we can do 'bout it."
"I won't tell, but...your attractive to, you know..." Beth nodded quickly.
Daryl's blue eyes turned black. "It's hard ta resist somethin' as sweet lookin' as yerself...but, I guess I'm gonna hav' ta try."
Beth didn't answer, but rather tried to process all of this new information. "Yer face healed well," Daryl said softly, interrupting Beth's thoughts. It was mind boggling how he could go from completely feral to calm in a quick second.
"I had to say I fell down some stairs. Like a clumsy idiot," Beth smiled wryly.
"Wish ya coulda told the truth. I think people would've been pretty impressed," Daryl smiled back and Beth stared at his mouth in slight awe for a moment before snapping back to reality.
"Not the people I run with. How are your ribs?" Beth asked with concern.
"Healin'. They hurt like hell fer the first few days. They feel pretty good t'day, though," Daryl smiled and rubbed his hand gently over the afflicted area.
"God, your smile is seriously amazing," Beth blurted out.
Daryl closed his lips over his teeth. "I think it's goofy."
"It's nice," Beth countered and let her tongue run lightly over her bottom lip, still looking at Daryl's mouth.
"Ya should stop," Daryl said in a strained voice.
"Why?" Betj looked up at his eyes, which wasn't any safer.
"You make me wanna..." Daryl bit his tongue.
"I think you should," Beth said with a shiver and leaned a little closer.
Daryl closed his eyes and let his head rest against the door. "We can't. Ya don' understand. If anyone found out there was somethin' going on, we would be fucked."
"What do you mean?" Beth asked, but her mind was still on putting her lips against Daryl's.
"It would git messy. But I don' need ta tell ya the details, 'cause it's irrelevant. We ain't gonna be anythin', darlin'."
Beth glared. "Like I wanted anything, anyway."
Daryl smirked lightly. "Ya wanted it. Ya want me. Ya know there's somethin' 'tween us."
"Shut up. If we can't do anything about it then you can't talk about it. Neither of us can. Alright?" Beth dealt out.
"Fine. We won' talk 'bout it."
"But it will still be there," Beth chewed her bottom lip.
"But we'll ignore it," Daryl offered.
"Yes, we will," Beth said resolutely. "Tell Merle that he'll be hearing from me soon."
Daryl narrowed his eyes. "Are ya goin' ta tell him yes?"
"I- don't know yet," Beth admitted.
"I won' let him hurt ya," Daryl whispered. "No matter what ya decide."
"Why would you bother with protecting me?" Beth asked meekly.
"'Cause o' the thing that we aint supposed ta talk 'bout," Daryl gave a small smile. "Maybe see ya 'round?" he asked and ducked his head in a goodbye gesture.
"Yeah, see you," Beth breathed out.
After the door was shut behind Daryl, Beth locked it and put her back against the wood, sliding down to the ground. She rested her head on her knees, the feeling of being so close to Daryl was still buzzing through her.
Once she had collected herself, she went over and grabbed the piece of paper that had been left on the coffee table. It had Merle's number scribbled on it, but it had Daryl's, too.