A/N: Quick warning for explicit sexual content (after all this story was rated M for a reason).

Chapter 10: Sorry

Beth stepped inside her bedroom and Daryl had another hesitant movement. He stopped for a second at the doorframe, his thoughts couldn't stop racing. After the short trip on their way here, the heat of the moment had left his mind and he was now realizing what she was expecting from him. He wanted the same; he wanted to touch her, to feel her, to smell her. His body was leading him towards her while his brain was telling him that this was a one-way road. There was no turning back. After, everything would change.

She sat down on her bed, her eyes locked on his. He closed the door behind him and took the few steps that separated them. It only took him a few seconds but it felt like years. He stopped in front of her and she lifted up her head to look at him, her blue eyes narrowing in the darkness of the room to adjust. The moon was the only light filtering through the window's thin curtains.

One step closer and he cupped her face with his two hands. In the gym- just moments ago- he was so sure and so determined. Now in the intimacy of the bedroom all the walls around him had grown back and every move seemed like an ordeal.

Beth felt it and she stood up to reach his mouth and kissed him without any hesitation.

The kiss was soft and shivering. His hands moved from her face to the small of her back and brushed the hem of her tee shirt. She pulled back slowly and locked her eyes with his. It was a reassuring look and a questioning one. He knew this was the moment where she was giving him the chance to stop and maybe leave. Because she could feel how tense he was and although she didn't want him to leave, far from it, she still gave him the chance.

When he didn't react, too numb from her smell and her touch, Beth's hands reached to the front of her shirt and she lifted it up over her head. Her porcelain skin was almost blinding in the dark. Her chest was heaving up and down, full of anticipation and fear.

Daryl's fingers brushed her stomach, so lightly he could feel her skin shiver under them. He flattened his hand and let the heat of her body pierce through his palm.

How could he be so paralyzed right now? How couldn't he touch her, couldn't feel every corner of her body? He was helpless and the heat invading his whole body had made him incapable of moving. The more he wanted it, the more he forgot how to do any of this. He had been with a few women, in semi-conscious states, barely remembering how it felt. It had been too long and he had never been with someone he wanted so much. Someone that actually mattered.

Her soft hand on his cheek woke him from his altered state of mind and her lips on his brought him back to reality. Getting back his senses, his body woke up in a start and he locked his arms around her bare back, brushing across the fabric of her bra. He felt her moving under his kiss, getting rid of her shoes with her feet. She moved backwards and fell onto the bed. She unhooked herself from his embrace to lay down. He sat next to her and bended down to unlace his boots. Turning around still fully clothed, he leaned slowly on her until her head was on the pillow.

Beth let out a muffed groan in her throat when she felt his weight on her and his hand on her stomach again, brushing her skin with his thumb. This time he kissed her, deep and wet. His tongue was caressing hers, their bodies eager to feel close.

Her hands ran up and down his biceps and made their way under his vest to remove it from his shoulders. He helped her, letting it drop with a dull thud on the wooden floor.

She hesitantly slid her hands under the bottom hem of his sleeveless shirt, knowing what her fingers tips would find under there. In all the time they spent together, she had heard of it, sometimes even had a glimpse of his scars but she never fully seen them and she never dared to ask who had done this to him. His body tensed a little and he stopped kissing her to lift his head. A smile, so light, crossed his face. If she hadn't known Daryl so perfectly she wouldn't have noticed. But she did. Her hands reached their way to his back, the skin surprisingly soft and the scars even softer under her touch.

She removed his shirt and their skins were brushing each other in a delightful sensation. Daryl's lips made their way onto her jawline, on her neck, his right hand brushing the blond strands of hair away to have better access. He lightly bit the skin right above her collarbone making her whisper his name, the first words breaking the silence for the first time since they entered the bedroom. He felt himself becoming hard against her thigh. He knew she could feel it too and she responded by shifting her hips under him, her hands gripping at his shoulders.

Their bodies were so close, her own belt and his were hurting her skin. Her hands reached down to the belt buckle, forcing him to lift his hips up so she could get rid of it. He rested his forehead on the nape of her neck, breathing heavily, heating the skin of her collarbone. When she unbuckled the belt and opened the buttons of his jeans, her small hand buried itself inside. His breath caught in his throat as a moan when she wrapped herself around his length. The heat of her palm and the smell of her skin under his nose, it was almost too much, he could have come just by her touch and it took him all the concentration he had inside him not to let himself give up under her touch.

She started stroking slowly up and down and Daryl arched up even more, closing his eyes fiercely. She kissed his temple softly and broke the silence when she softly murmured, almost inaudibly.

"We need a condom."

Daryl lifted his head and looked into her eyes. It was real, it was happening and fear slowly rose inside his chest. She was under him, vulnerable, beautiful, her eyes full of desire and as much as he wanted it, it was the scariest thing he'd experienced in years. He shook his head lightly, his eyes adverting her and dropping at her neck.

"I can- I can go ask Maggie." She whispered shyly.

The words and the implication of having Maggie know Daryl was with her made his chest tighten even more. He reached down hastily to take her wrist between his fingers and she immediately stopped moving. Her body tensed under his in surprise.

He let go of her wrist and rolled on his back by her side.

"Daryl. Don't…"

He sighted and rubbed his hand on his face before sitting on the side of the bed and buckling back his belt.

Beth suddenly felt cold and very exposed without his weight on top of her, she sat down and her hand reached his shoulder.

"Daryl..."

He dropped his hands on his lap and stayed on the edge of the bed. She could now see the damage on his skin and his large tattoo clearer than she had ever seen but this wasn't what she was worried about at the moment.

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

"Y'have no reason to be." His tone was harder than he intended. He paused before whispering more softly. "M'sorry."

He wasn't mad at her. He was mad at himself. After everything they've been through, after she showed him that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, he still couldn't find the strength in himself to let go and just enjoy the moment, just enjoy her.

"We don't have to Daryl."

The way she said his name. He could have spent an eternity listening to her voice saying it. No one has ever said his name like she had. It was the sweetest and the most comforting sound he has ever heard.

"Just stay. Lay down with me."

She circled her hands around his waist and rested her cheek on his bare back. The warm of her skin burned deep down and through his heart. He didn't have to leave. Maybe if they took this slowly. Maybe he would learn to let go.

And like she was reading his mind, she whispered. "I understand. I- I want this. But we don't have to. Not just yet. Being with you is all that matters to me. Just being with you."

He turned around and rested a hand on her cheek, brushing it lightly with his thumb.

"Okay."

And she smiled. She was happy. There was no fear, no pain, in her eyes. She really just wanted to be with him.

She stood up on the other side of the bed, undoing her belt and bending down to remove her jeans. He stayed where he was, paralyzed again at her sight. Her white porcelain thighs, her blue panties with small white stars, the soft curve of her back.

She walked to a chair on the edge of her room to get the long tee shirt he had seen her with a few evenings ago. Turning her back to him, she removed her bra and pulled the shirt hastily over her head. When she faced him, she had a weak, shy smile on her face. And he still hadn't moved.

She untucked the covers of the bed to slide under them.

"Com'on." She made a small head movement to encourage him.

Daryl turned around, when he reached his belt, the memory of Beth's hand around him came back, an overwhelming heat spreading in his whole body. He closed his eyes and once more it took him everything to stop thinking about it and not grow hard again. Lying down with her might be a dangerous idea at this point but it was all he wanted right now. He wasn't ready to leave her side.

When he had removed his pants he slid under the covers next to her just wearing his boxers. Lying on his back, his body stiffened when she came closer and he moved his arm up so she could settle her head on his bare chest, her hand tentatively resting on his skin. Her fingers moved back and forth softly between the tattoo he had on his chest and a scar right above it. He knew she was staring at it and probably avoiding touching it, but oddly he found that he didn't care. Slowly she felt his muscles relax under her soothing touch.

They stayed silent for several minutes, just enjoying the natural heat of their bodies warming the bed and getting used to being next to each other in such proximity.

"I'm glad you stayed." Beth finally said, her breath tickling the hairs of his chest.

"Mmhm." He only mumbled.

And they let the silence stretch in the bedroom, wrapping them in a comfortable atmosphere. It left right, good, even natural. Their almost naked bodies tangled into each other. They fell asleep together with the feeling of belonging to one and other.

…

The sun was faintly shining inside the room when Daryl woke up. They had shifted position during the night. Beth was turning her back to him and he was spooning her, his arm resting lazily on her breast and her left hand wrapped around his. Her bottom was slightly brushing his skin, the light fabric of her panties soft on his lower stomach, raising a familiar twitch between his thighs.

Daryl took a deep breath, his nose nuzzled in her blonde hair, the scent of her sleeping body filling his brain.

He slowly slid his arm from under her loose grip and moved smoothly from the covers to find his pants on the ground. He dressed up quickly, took his boots from the floor and turned around at the door to look at her, to engrave in his memory the sight of Beth Greene peacefully asleep, hair spreading around her on the pillow and the mess of sheets and covers where he was lying a few moments ago.

He closed the door, careful to be quiet and finished buckling his belt. He laced up his boots on the corridor before going down the stairs with light feet.

When he walked down the hallway he caught movement in the corner of his eyes. He turned to the opened kitchen door and Glenn was there, looking at him puzzled and slightly amused, a coffee pot in his hand.

Daryl's breath stopped and all he wanted right now was to run away. He froze and Glenn lifted the pot in his direction with a much more obvious smirk across his face.

"Coffee?"

"S'not what you think." Daryl answered with more guilt in his voice than he would have wanted.

"I didn't say anything."

Daryl stomped out outside leaving Glenn behind yelling at him "Good morning to you too!" right before Daryl closed the door loudly.

Daryl almost ran down the alley and went to his bike. He brought it back to Rick's side of the street. From everyone he should have ran into this morning, it had to be Glenn. Damn, the man was the worst at keeping secrets and he knew the group would know about his night with Beth within the hour.

He shook his head as he went inside the house, realizing that even if Glenn hadn't seen him leaving earlier, his bike in front of the Greene's house and the fact he hadn't come to sleep on Rick's couch last night would have sold them out anyway. He needed a shower but most of all he needed a coffee to wake up from this nightmare. When he entered the kitchen he immediately spotted Michonne pouring dark liquid into two cups. She didn't bother to turn around. "You want some?"

She was only wearing a blue shirt, too big for her that probably belonged to Rick. This was clearly the morning of walks of shame.

"Can't believe I'ven't seen this comin'." He only said, resting his back on the fridge while Michonne was pouring another coffee for him. She handed it to him and took a sip of her own cup.

"You've been away a long time."

He looked down at the cup, despite everything that had happened in this short morning his only thoughts were on Beth, her warmth and her bare legs entangled with his.

"We told Carl and Judith the other day. Carl's more observant than you, he said he knew. Apparently he wasn't really buying it when Rick said he had to spend the night at the station, when he was actually staying at my place. So yeah… We won't have to hide now. You can gossip with Glenn all you want." She said with a malicious smile on her face.

Daryl snorted and drank from the cup.

"Why were you hiding?"

"We weren't sure. We didn't know where this was heading. I think we needed some time to figure it out on our own. And with everyone around all the time... Well this group is a blessing but damn they are nosy!"

"Mmh ya don't say."

Michonne was suddenly very silent and he could feel her look on him. When he lifted his eyes from the cup, he could feel that she had some pressing questions. And he knew exactly what it was about.

"Shut'up Michonne. I've had enough of everyone's opinion about what I'm doing."

He didn't feel angry, his tone wasn't harsh, he was just speaking his mind. Was he getting used to speaking about Beth and his feelings to his friends? Or was it just the night they shared that had oddly calmed him down?

"And what are you doing? 'Cause now you're only hurting her."

"No I'm..." He answered quickly, feeling very defensive. He couldn't tell her where he had spent the night and what almost happened. It had definitely changed things between him and Beth but he wasn't sure how for now. "I try not to. I tried to stay away from her."

"And that's how you're hurting her."

"No I- "

She didn't let him finished. "Don't lie to yourself Dixon. We all know that if you really want to go on this mission, you'll go and nothing's gonna stop you. She knows. But at least enjoy the moments you have with her. She will wait for you to come back. I'm sure she will."

Daryl's head bent down again, staring at the mug in his hand and biting nervously his lower lip. Michonne gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder before heading back upstairs with the two cups of coffee.

Daryl went to the living room, pulled the curtain to the side and looked outside at Beth's bedroom window. Nothing was moving. Life on the street outside was slowly waking up too, people occasionally walking by on their way to work while Daryl drank his coffee, his eyes still locked on the window. They had spent a lot of nights together in the past. In the woods, in the trunk of cars. And at the warehouse, fingers entwined and their bodies closer than they ever had been. But never like last night. Never without boundaries, never without restraint. In spite of how the evening had started, the heat had let a much deeper feeling settle down.

He had spent the night with Beth Greene.

A/N: Well to be completely honest, I am quite happy of how the chapter had turned out. I wanted to write steamy sexy smut, but it is not like him. I can't see them having a super hot first time. I'm a sucker for slow burn and I also very much agree with NR, Daryl has no game. He hadn't had sex since the apocalypse started (and probably not a lot before that) so realistically it made no sense to me to start with a bang. So yeah Beth had to lead the way and he was scared.

Hope you understand and you're not disappointed. I promise smut will be back ;)

I maybe pushed Richonne a little too strong in this chapter. And the weird thing is that I don't necessarily ship it in the show ahah. But still they could be so cute together (yes I said cute, I find Rick is very very cute. And scary too. I love him for that).

Thank you so much for reading lovelies, I really really hope you liked this chapter because it's one of my favorite. Oh and I haven't seen last night's episode! I won't likely be able to see it only Wednesday, could you please avoid any spoilers in your reviews? I really hate spoilers. Thanks!