This time he overheard them by chance. He was about to turn the corner of the building when he heard Beth talking to Tyler. He stopped to listen.
"I'm sorry, Tyler. I never meant to hurt you."
"You said you didn't have a boyfriend."
"He wouldn't admit to being my boyfriend, and we broke up. I really thought it was over."
"But now he wants you back." Tyler paused. "Do you love him?"
"Yes," Beth said without hesitation.
Daryl wasn't prepared for the emotions that overwhelmed him. His mother had been the only person in his life to ever say that she loved him, and she had died when he was just a kid. He turned and walked back the way he had come from so they could finish their conversation in private.
Later, he impulsively took her hand as they walked to dinner. She looked at him in surprise and then gave him one of her sunny smiles. They were greeted by complete silence from the group.
"Stop your gawking. We're together, so get used to it." He turned a hard stare on his brother, who was grinning like a fool. "You got something to say?"
"Be nice," Carol said.
"Ain't I always?" A look passed between them, and Carol was suddenly flustered, while Merle had an entirely different smile on his face.
Rick had tensed up and looked at Hershel, but he relaxed again when he saw that the man didn't seem disturbed by the news. Maggie smiled at them with tears in her eyes.
"Dude, way to man up!" Glenn exclaimed.
Carl looked confused as he glanced at Tyler, but the young man said nothing. Carl shrugged and turned his attention back to Sarah.
A few days later, Daryl decided to talk to Michone. He had picked her because she was female, and because he knew she wouldn't gossip about anything he said to her.
He dove right into it. "What's it like for a woman the first time she…" He looked at her helplessly. "I ain't never been with no virgin before."
"I see."
He looked at the ground. "I want it to be good for her," he mumbled, but she heard him.
He missed the look of admiration she gave him. By the time he looked up, her face was again a mask of indifference, because she knew that's what he would need to get through the strange conversation they were about to have. Milton passed by and glanced at them, but he didn't come over to interrupt their conversation. Michone allowed herself a small smile before she noticed Daryl's puzzled expression.
"Still waters," she said. "They do run deep."
So it was about a week later that he again ran over the steps in his mind. Make sure she's well lubricated. Mission accomplished, as she was soaking wet from the pleasure he had just finished giving her with his tongue. He lay next to Beth in the RV as she calmed down after her orgasm. Then he slowly got her excited again by caressing and kissing her body. He began to lick her again in the place only he had touched, but she pulled away from him.
"Daryl, as much as I love what you do to me, you're stalling."
"Maybe we should wait."
"Okay," Beth said. "We'll wait while I do this." She began to kiss his neck. "And this." She moved to kissing and licking his chest, making him moan in that way that turned her on so much.
When he felt her tongue on his stomach, he pulled her up into a fierce kiss. "Are you sure?"
She scrambled off the bed and found the condom in his pants pocket. "Yes, I'm sure." She handed him the condom and lay back on the bed while he opened it and put it on.
He positioned himself between her legs and gazed at her while he stroked her thigh.
"Yes, Daryl. I want you now." Her sultry voice convinced him.
He entered her in one swift thrust. She gasped in pain while he went completely still. He had been upset about this part. "Ain't there no way to do it without hurting her?"
"No," Michone had insisted. "You have to break the hymen, and it's better if you do it quickly. She'll feel a sharp pain, but then it will be over."
He waited for her to adjust to him before he slowly began to move. "Oh," she cried, but not in pain this time.
Being sheathed in her incredible tightness, he was glad he had listened to Michone and found his release earlier in the day so he could last longer now. Even so, it was an effort to hold back as Beth began to moan in pleasure beneath him. He found the rhythm that had her meeting his thrusts with abandon. When he felt her clench around him as she came, he couldn't hold back any longer.
After he pulled out of her, he disposed of the condom and went back to the bed to snuggle against her. "Are you okay?"
"Mmm," she purred. "Better than okay. How about you?"
He kissed her shoulder. "I love you." The words felt foreign on his tongue, but they sounded right.
She slowly turned to look at him. "Did you just say—"
"Yeah, I did. How about that?"
She squealed and kissed him. "I love you, too!"
It took him a minute to realize what he was feeling. It was happiness, and he thought that he could get used to it.
Notes:
So, I'm a sucker for happy endings after all. It's important here, since we're not likely to get that on the show. This is the end of the story. I've been obsessed with writing it, but now I have to get back to my housework before my family declares a mutiny.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your response to this story, both in views and reviews has been incredible. This may not seem like much, but it's the longest fanfic I have ever written, and it's all because of your encouragement.