Beth
Beth can't sleep. Again. Turning left and right had done nothing to make her feel relaxed enough to finally doze off. She had vowed to herself to stay in her room for the night, get some rest and have a nice dream, for a change. But it's not working so far. She is laid on her back, staring at the ceiling above, going through everything that happened during the eventful day; first the discovery of Daryl's job offer, followed by the visit at the chapel and a jog under the rain. Then, Daryl kissed her on the porch steps of the house. Only what happened in the bathroom afterward topped that...Beth kicks the sheets away from her. It had been unexpected, intense and...crazy, in a very good way. Whenever she catches herself thinking about it she feels her cheeks heat up. And then Maggie had come home. That was it, he showered, she helped cooking dinner. Later that afternoon she wanted to see Daryl again but there just wasn't a chance. He'd gone out after his shower to discuss something with Rick and Michonne and as far as she knows he stayed at the Grimeses for dinner as well.
Now she's all alone and after a couple of hours of tossing and turning she knows she won't sleep at all, which at least will keep the nightmares at bay. She gets up and walks to the window. She lifts the pane and props her elbows on the sill, glancing up at the charcoal sky, lit only by the moon. A delicate breeze finds its way inside, causing her to shiver just a little. The sight of the big round moon gives her peace. It's one of the things that she really holds on to, because among all the ugly of the world there's still something that remains untouched and beautiful. The moon will never cease to glow in the night, the stars will always come out. It must count for something. She sighs, suddenly wishing for Daryl to be there with her. Maybe she could go see if he's back.
Beth grabs her new favorite long-sleeved cardigan and slips her arms in, then walks on her tiptoes out of the room. She's careful not to make any noise and arrives quickly at Daryl's door. She knocks only once, very softly, and waits. The seconds pass and there's no answer. He could be sound asleep. Beth gathers some courage and opens the door just slightly to see inside. To her surprise, it's empty. His bed is intact, the window closed shut. A lump forms in her throat. She can either go back upstairs or wait a while for him. She decides for the latter and goes sitting on his bed. It had felt way more comfortable the night before, but maybe she'd been too tired or too busy enjoying Daryl's warm arms around her to notice. She lies down on her side, bringing her knees to her chest. She'll stay just for a few more minutes. Just a few more.
Daryl
It's late when he walks through the front door. He had dinner at Rick's place and after that he went to Aaron's house to talk about the last details on their first recruiting trip. He'd also worked on the motorcycle that Aaron had shown him the first time he was there. It was the closest thing to a hobby he could get. The floorboards creak under his shoes, the noise magnified by the silence reigning in the house. He touches the doorknob to his bedroom but stops there. Turning around, he glances at the staircase. She must be sleeping by now or so he hopes. She'll defeat the nightmares that still visit her at times, he knows she will. It just kind of sucks that he couldn't find a minute to talk to her after what had happened a few hours earlier. He blows out a breath and turns the knob.
He's already closed the door behind him when his eyes land on the bed. He can barely make out her slender silhouette, but the pale moonlight coming from the window helps. She's huddled on her side, his pillow clutched between her arms, head resting on a part of it. The look on her beautiful face is peaceful. Daryl takes off his leather vest while crossing the room, then he sits on the chair near the bed and quietly slips off his shoes. He moves to the bed and joins her trying not to wake her in the process, because that would be a damn shame. Whether she'd come to his room because of her nightmares of simply because she wanted to see him, he's certainly happy she did. He lies down beside her, pressed against her back, one arm covering her waist. The weight of the day is suddenly descending on him. Daryl nestles closer to her and it doesn't take long before his eyes give in and close.
Beth
She stretches her whole body. She relaxes again and opens her eyes. At first she doesn't remember where she is but it comes to her quick enough. It's Daryl's room, the night before she'd sneaked inside hoping to see him and maybe talk a while but she'd found the room empty. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for him. The bummer is that he still isn't there. The morning light sparkles in the room and her eyes squeeze to adjust. If Daryl isn't there then he must be gone already. She can't help but feeling a little disappointed, but it's okay, she trusts he will be alright. She sits, ready to get out of bed when her hand touches a piece of paper that crackles under her fingers. Beth picks it up and takes a better look at it. It's a note, from him.
I didn't wanna wake you. I guess you didn't have nightmares tonight. Don't worry about me, okay? Be back soon.
Her eyebrows shoot up. That's true, she didn't have a single bad dream, and that's without being aware of Daryl's presence. A smiles slowly forms on her lips; he'd been there with her, after all and he even took the time to write her a note. She didn't even notice, she was sleeping so soundly. Beth folds up the note and presses it against her chest. She sighs, closing her eyes, and believes his words. He'll be back.
Hi! coming soon a badass Beth chapter and a Daryl-centric one (sort of). Thanks for reading my fanfiction, your reviews and appreciation mean a lot to me ;)