A.N. Holy Moses pals I am back! Lots of fun was had, I came back home sun burnt which is the sure sign you've vacationed properly. Hope y'all missed me as much as I missed you, thanks for all the support and patience while I was gone.

Enjoy this chapter and heads up for Thursday's update - it's a bit of a monster, super long, could have split it up but I figured you guys wouldn't mind it too much ^.~

I wish you all some lovin' readin'!

Chapter 21

He didn't have a whole lot of time left, it was early morning and Aaron was going to be coming by anytime now to head out with him in search of the campfire they'd seen the night before. It had been close, too goddamn close, if whoever it belonged to was an enemy, they'd easily be able to find the Safe-Zone. If they were a good person, the kind they wanted here, then whoever it was could just as easily bypass Alexandria altogether, and would no doubt die out there.

Leaving Beth here had been a hard choice for him to make, he was already riddled with that gut wrenching anxiety that he hated so goddamn much. But the other signal his gut had been sending him, was that it was safer in here (at least for now) than it was out there, even with him being there as well.

He couldn't risk her, and even when he thought that fight they'd had was it, that she didn't want anything else to do with him after how she'd flinched away from his touch, after what she'd said…It still hadn't been an option for him to go back on asking her to stay put, her dropping him would rip out every lightened shade he had, but causing her death, wasn't something he could bear even the thought of, wouldn't let it happen at all – not if he could do something to prevent it.

His hands moved over his bow, checking and rechecking, ass firmly planted on the porch's wide railing, back pressed against one of the supports, he did his best to keep himself occupied. Had to, that blonde haired woman of his was inside, and Daryl was pretty sure if he got within a few feet of her, he'd sweep her up and take her right back to their room.

See if she was willing to wrap those pretty lips of hers around him again before he…

He'd rolled out of bed quick as he could this morning, dressed and ignored his painfully tight pants until his body had settled, it was taking everything in him not to go back on something else he'd said.

Lucky, that's what he was, first time in his life far as he could tell, that Beth didn't hate his welshing guts. That his attempt at hugging her, no matter how well intentioned it had been, didn't completely fuck everything up by triggering some shit from Grady she hadn't realized could happen. He'd fuckin' known she was pissed, knew she had all the right to be, but he'd watched her fold clothes and wanted desperately to hold her close – tell her it'd be alright even if they both knew he couldn't promise her that with any real certainty.

And then she'd…

He shook his head, nearly fumbling his hold. It was over. That's what mattered, she hadn't meant it, panicked and said some shit that cut at him a bit, made her imperfect in the strictest sense. But to Daryl, made her all the more perfect for him, woman had some jagged edges. Just meant they could knock along his, maybe they'd chip them off together.

"Good morning." The quiet footfalls he'd heard making their way up the sidewalk had stopped in front of their house, and Daryl cut his sight over to the speaker. Blonde woman, one that Beth said was a little off for some reason. Jenny? Jill? Fuck, that didn't sound right. "I'm Jessie."

So close.

He grunted some kind of response that might have been construed as a greeting, eyes going back to the weapon in his hands. Seeing as she moved up the stairs in his peripheral, woman must be coming to see Rick, didn't seem like a good idea. From what he'd heard, things were getting more and more tense between the lady's husband and the community's recently appointed constable.

Instead of making for the front door, she came to stand between him and the second set of doors off to the right of the main entry, still a good distance from him but the proximity still made his skin itch and his eyes narrow. Wasn't he still being avoided like the plague around here? He wasn't much of one for small talk or making friends, he'd already buddied up with Aaron and Eric - he'd met his goddamn quota.

"Rick inside?" She questioned, arms folded loosely, genial enough smile on her mouth.

Shrugging and muttering he kept an eye on his bow, even though he was technically done checking and rechecking it, and the other eye on the blonde woman that wasn't his blonde woman that was still next to him and staring. The hell did she want, sure as shit wasn't making her way to the front door to knock or nothing.

Finally giving up, he turned and eyed her in mild irritation. "You know…" She tilted her head a little, eyes squinting with her smile. "I already gave Rick a haircut."

He could feel his face screw up a little at the insinuation, or maybe the offer, of her giving him a cut like she had Rick. "Yeah?" He grumbled, eyes turning back to his bow. "Hadn't noticed."

"I could-"

The front door opened, and he didn't know who it was, but anyone was welcome at the moment.

"Daryl I packed you some-" Beth stalled out, a thumb hitched back over her shoulder. "Food. Hi Jessie how're you doin' this mornin'?"

The woman smiled easily and nodded. "Doing good Beth, how're you?"

"Doin' just fine thank you." Daryl watched her eyes jump back and forth, mouth slightly parted like she was about to say something. He was doing his best to stare at her as hard as he could, hoping to recall some of that ability they'd had, of having an unspoken conversation. Fuckin' telepathy was a thing right?

He saw her eyes narrow a little at him.

What?

His gaze flashed to their guest.

Don' ya fuckin' leave me out here with 'er.

He almost snorted at the way she smiled a little to herself close to wistful, obviously pleased that the only blonde he was wanting to spend time with was her. Clearing her throat a little, Beth crossed the porch to settle against the railing he was sitting on. Of course she leaned right into the place where his ass had been comfortably placed, knocking into him and about sending him pitching over the side.

On reflex he snapped out an arm, wrapping it tight around her waist, while his other one was busy keeping his bow from hitting the ground. His body tensed at the viewed contact, but when he went to remove the offending arm, Beth latched onto his wrist and kept him in place. Of course he could force the point, wrench away from her hold, probably be able to land the fall on the other side of the railing…

She curved the hand of her old shirt twined arm around the bottom side of his grip, her right hand laying itself against his wrist, looking all the world like they'd done this millions of times. He glanced at Jessie from under his hair, saw her look of surprise through her slightly frozen smile.

"So were you lookin' for Rick?" Beth asked sweetly, leaning more into him so that he'd have to do the same in order to keep his seat. "Or were you needin' anythin'?"

The newcomer's eyes were glancing back and forth between the two of them like she was trying to figure out if Beth was playing a joke on her right now. "I…was looking for Rick yeah." She made a quick motion at him, and Daryl's grasp flexed involuntarily into Beth's stomach. "But then I got a look at his hair and was offering him a trim."

His girl made a little sound of surprise before twisting to look at him. "Oh gosh I don't know. I kinda like it this long." She removed her left handed hold, sliding soft fingertips across his forehead and cheek, pushing some of the strands that lay there out of his eyes. "Don't you Daryl?"

Damn, she's beautiful.

He really fuckin' wished they were alone, so he could kiss her, girl was so damn gorgeous, knew how to shake off people without causing shit to get weird, could half read his mind so he didn't have to talk, not when he didn't feel like it. And she never complained not once, about his look, smell, or general cleanliness, how the hell was he going to leave her here for a whole day, not knowing if he'd be back in that time for sure or not…

His arm tightened and he shrugged, feeling his face flush when she smiled happily at him. He needed her to be safe, hadn't been to this place where the fire had been seen, didn't know who or to what he'd be tracking. Wasn't safe, even less than usual, he knew all this – wasn't going to change his mind but – fuck he was gonna miss her so bad.

"Well in that case." Jessie said with another smile. "I guess I'll see you guys later, have a good one."

Beth waved cheerfully while he kind of nodded and kept eye contact, which was as friendly as he was willing to get at the moment. They waited until her footsteps faded and then, while keeping hold of him, Beth turned and steadied him a bit as he swung his legs down. He followed without comment as she tugged him back inside the house by his wrist, stayed silent as she led him into the kitchen where she was apparently loading him up with food for his trip.

"Only gonna be gone a' day, Beth." There was something in his voice that made him feel embarrassed, didn't remember ever hearing it there before.

"Plannin', you're only plannin' on bein' gone one day." She corrected, almost business like all of a sudden in her tone, dropping her cool hand from his wrist and closing up the bag she'd prepared. "Ain't gonna risk ya goin' hungry from short sightedness."

Her sudden change in demeanor caught at him, tripped his warning center, she'd obviously been putting on a happy face out on the porch and was in all reality completely stressed out. Wasn't hard for him to guess about what, since he was feeling the same way about the same thing.

"I hunt, woman." He set his bow on the counter, trying to keep her face in sight, even as she started fussing with the bag that looked perfectly sealed up to him. "Should keep some a' that for you an' the-"

She waved an irritated hand and he stopped talking immediately. "Just don't. Alright? I can't…" There was a stiff set to her mouth, a slightly wider quality to her eyes. "I'm not goin' with ya, so I gotta do somethin'." She swallowed hard twice, ducking his eyes as she headed into the laundry room, he couldn't seem to help but stay on her heels. "Somethin' to make it feel like I'm helpin' ya ta' come home."

She started pawing through some of the clothes of his she'd cleaned, searching desperately for something that she couldn't seem to find. "Hey." He didn't touch her, still a little gun shy maybe, but came up beside her, arms loose and ready to hold her if he got the chance. "I'm comin' back alrigh'? Ain't gotta help nothin', I'mma be back here by tomorrow night."

She shook her head hard, and he saw the way her lips were pursed, the pink flush as she continued to search through his clothes for a moment more before slamming her hands down on them.

"Damnit!"

He fuckin' hated everything about this moment, he should have taken it more into account what other feelings besides angry she'd be having about him going off without her. Hell they hadn't been apart really since he'd gotten her back from Grady. He'd refused to leave her even when they'd made their trip to Richmond and gone to check out Noah's old neighborhood.

"The hell're you lookin' for?" He murmured it to her, trying his best to be some kind of calm that she could maybe latch onto.

"That red rag of yours." Eyes closed, the answer came out as a bit of a grumble.

"Already got it out of there when I woke up." He'd sidled closer to her as he spoke, feeling like he was trying his best not to spook a jittery doe. "Thanks, for gettin' it washed."

Her whole face crumpled and she sucked in a harsh breath before turning and pressing her face into his chest. Frame shaking as she covered her eyes and cheeks with her hands, cried into him, her shoulders and back shivering with each inhale against his own hands that held her to him. He didn't know if he'd ever had someone as worried about him as Beth Greene obviously was right now, most people expected him to just be able to take care of himself, which he could but…felt nice, having someone that didn't just expect him to be alright.

Felt like glass in his arteries though, to hold her while she cried, that shit he couldn't let stand.

"So," he mumbled into the hair by her temple, "ya really like my hair long huh?" Her breathing stopped in between exhales, paused for a bit before huffing out something that thankfully sounded like the ghost of a laugh.

"'Course." She answered him quietly, hands dropping from her face to wind around him. "I like it quite a' bit actually, don't you?"

He shrugged, just happy to have her less upset. "Don' really care."

"I figured as much." She sniffed as she drew back from him. "You notice how Jessie didn't keep lookin' for Rick?"

He blinked down at her a couple times, keeping hold of her elbows, having trouble for a moment trying to place the name, before the events of only a few minutes ago came back to him.

"Nah, not really."

Her mouth pulled all to one side like she was considering something, before dropping her head back down to his chest. "Think she's lookin' for someone to save her, I'd think half the town was enough." She mused sadly, fingers digging in now and then against his back. "Maybe she's thinkin' you're a sure bet, or maybe she just doesn't realize how many people are already workin' on it."

"Ain't got a fuckin' clue a' what you're talkin' about." Fortunate for him his growling never seemed to put her off any, she just held on tighter while she explained to him what Rick and Carol had been talking a lot about lately, how maybe no one had said anything to him because most of the people in the community were still scared witless of him.

He was only able to give a grunting answer of acknowledgement in response. Did he like the idea of any woman getting beat on like his old man had done to his mom? Hell no. But if the others thought they could handle it, and that he shouldn't get into it, he wasn't about to intervene.

There was a knock on the front door and they broke apart reluctantly, Beth grabbing the small bag of food from the kitchen while he swung his bow onto his back and they made for the entrance in silence. He answered the door, greeted Aaron with a jerking nod before muttering a quiet goodbye to her, taking the offered knapsack with a twitching smile of thanks. She stayed on the porch as he made it down the steps and headed for the gate, feeling the back of his neck itch like crazy with every step.

"You alright Daryl?" Aaron asked. Daryl was sure his face was probably a little stormy while he did his best to get passed the nasty cinching in his chest.

Thing was, he couldn't quite manage an answer, even a nod seemed too much to deliver at the moment. He was leaving his girl here, his girl, he had this gut feeling something bad was going to go down and he wanted her in the safest place possible. So he was doing kind of a shitty thing and asking her to stay put, just this time, until he could train her more and then she wasn't ever leaving his side.

Because he couldn't take this shit.

And if this whole situation didn't suck enough ass, they'd spent their last few minutes before he left, talking about some chick he didn't even know. When what they should have been doing is memorizing each other's taste, or at least just holding onto one another until he had to go. Didn't care how much of a pussy the voice in his head that sounded like Merle said that made him, Beth was his and he'd keep it that way for as long as she let him because he…

He knew.

The gate was opened for them, and without being able to even breathe properly, he turned.

And looked back at her.

She'd seemed unable to let the distance between them stretch without doing anything about it herself, she'd gone down the steps, trailed along the sidewalk behind them a ways so that even though the house was no longer viewable from his place at the main gate, she was.

He could hear Aaron's questioning tone from beside him but couldn't make out the words, didn't even try to, she'd followed him after they'd said goodbye, could have easily turned around and gone back in the house and he'd have been looking at empty street and manicured lawns.

"An' that's the whole point, neither of them have to be told, it's more like they can't help it."

She wasn't wrong, not for him, not right now.

Her movements stilled and through the rib shaking beat of his heart he felt like they weren't nearly half a street away or more, that he was standing right in front of her, could see the way her eyes went wide – how her lips parted in a surprised little oh.

He held her there for a moment or two more, just to make sure, just to imprint the look on her porcelain scar-swept face before he nodded once, and turned back around to head out the still open gate. Hell and high water had been gone through to find Beth, he was willing to go through much of the same to make it back to her again.

Of course, he didn't have any idea at the time just how close to the literal truth he'd get to that by the time he, Aaron, and Morgan came trudging back through those gates the next night. He'd been close, closer than he had in a long time, to dying – known it while he sat in that damn car – walkers clawing at the windows, and a good man at his side.

He'd been pissed as fuck too, for being right, for ever leaving Beth Greene's side no matter the situation or how unavoidable it had seemed at the time. But most of all, he was pissed he hadn't said that shit at the gate out loud to her, it'd taken him too long, way too fuckin' long to realize what the hell the feeling was that twisted up his heart muscle like it was. So she never got to hear him say it, and Beth deserved to hear how much she was loved every damn day.

The knowledge of how badly his death was going to wreck her had been almost overwhelming, that he'd lied to her without meaning to, and Daryl Dixon wasn't a liar – not about the things that mattered. He owed this Morgan guy, owed him big time, because if Heaven was a thing, and he'd done enough to balance his books, he was pretty sure Beth would have curb stomped his ass soon as her time came around and she met him up there.

Wasn't as surprised as he may should have been when they came in on the scene they had, Rick covered in gore, killing that Pete guy like he was Deanna's attack dog. Maybe it needed done, after what Daryl had been told, maybe it was Rick going off the damn deep end again, he'd have to keep an eye out…But he'd be lying if he said it wasn't the voice after Morgan's shocked recognition of their blood covered leader that he cared most about.

"Daryl?"

And then a flash of blonde was pelting towards him, skirting a dazed looking Rick, before plowing into his chest, arms vising his middle as he wrapped his own around her shoulders. He was home, just like that, one hand moving to cradle the back of a ponytail topped head as she breathed him in deep.

There was so much obvious insanity going on around them, he had shit he needed to take care of he knew, but now? Right now? Anyone trying to make him drop his hold, would get themselves a sound ass kicking.

That's all he had to say on the matter.

He could hear talking from the group in front of him, heard some answers and explanations being given, flicked a quick glance to Rick to make sure his brother was through shooting people for the night, but mainly his entire focus was the woman in his arms.

"You're late." Her words came muffled from his chest, and he wanted to be somewhere not in the view of just about every person in town, because the sound of her lilting voice was making his throat feel swollen and his weary eyes feel burnt.

"Ain't midnight yet." He muttered back, knowing that their relationship was pretty well evident to all those who had previously not been in the know.

Though, with all the bat-shit insane things that had just happened, he figured this might not break the town's folk top ten items of things to discuss this week. They had to stick around until past midnight to detangle the worst of the fallout. He couldn't just leave the others to deal with everything, even if all he wanted was to go curl himself around his girl and get some sleep. Or not sleep, whatever the fuck she wanted to do.

She shadowed him for most of the night, always staying where he could glance and see her quick, which he did more often than was remotely necessary. By the time they'd worked everything they could out for the night, and people were headed back to their homes or stumbling off in whatever direction to clear their heads, she came to his side, laced her fingers with his.

"Come on." Aaron was the one to say it finally, jerking his head towards their houses. "They can work out the rest without us, because if I'm tired you're exhausted."

He shook his head even as he met Rick's haunted eyes and motioned his head similarly towards home, receiving a vague nod in return. "Did as much as me." His protest to Aaron was met with a worn-out smile as the three turned to begin the short journey.

There was an awkward silence as no one wanted to discuss what they'd all just seen, not that he would have tried to, but he figured the other two were trying to think of something suitable to say that didn't seem forced. It was moments like these he was glad to not be a talker, no one expected him to fill silences.

"Well it might sound odd to say." Aaron began haltingly after a few moments. "But I am glad to see that you two worked everything out." Daryl's gaze snapped to the side, could see the back of Beth's head as she looked at the curly headed man in surprise. He'd brought this up to Daryl as they sat in that car, talking about how Daryl was trying to fit in with the community. Telling him it was seeing him and Beth, and then the two of them leading the others to safety that had made him decide to bring them back to Alexandria. "I uh, I was watching remember? When the two of you were by the barn, before the storm hit."

Memories flew through him and he felt his face flush, ears even burning as he dropped his gaze and focused on the street ahead of them, no way in hell was he going to talk about that shit, hadn't in the car when he thought he was about to die. Beth could if she wanted, but he was already trying to deal with all the new emotional mine field level of stuff that was happening with them right now, no way could he offer any kind of intelligible comment about that day by the barn.

"Oh, that's right you were." She said after a moment, tightening her grip marginally on Daryl's hand.

Aaron sounded immediately embarrassed as he continued. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about how you uh…" He fumbled a bit before continuing. "I stopped listening once I realized what…what was going on. I swear. But like I was telling Daryl, it made me sure. You know, about what good people you all were."

Daryl felt her eyes on him, and peeked at her through his hair, she was looking his favorite kind of glow, all pearl and fairy lights – like she had back on the steps the night they'd drank together.

"Yeah, only took me forever to convince him there was such a thing as a good person." She squeezed his hand again, and he leaned a bit on his next step to bump her shoulder.

They'd reached the group's houses and Aaron nodded them a goodnight as he continued down the road, stopping suddenly to turn and call back.

"You two should come for dinner soon," his eyes flicked back to the mess they'd just walked away from, "seems like a good time to keep your friends close and all that."

Daryl nodded in answer, saw Beth do the same albeit more enthusiastically, lifting a hand to the other man as he turned to make it home to his own love. It was Daryl's turn to lead her up the steps, entering the house and making it to their room without a word. She'd barely gotten the door clicked shut behind them, and he'd barely slung off his bow, when he was yanking her into a hug that he might have thought was a little too hard if she wasn't binding him just as tightly.

He marveled not for the first time about the way she fit against him like they'd been planned that way, to fit against one another, clicking into place to know they'd found that mythic other half that sounded like bullshit – but was the realest thing he'd ever felt.

Unlike him, she smelled like fresh soap and clean clothes, her hair silky to the touch now that she had the time and means to tend to it. His arms were wrapped almost completely around her, hands feeling the softness of the dark loose knit sweater she'd been given. The tight hold she had around his neck was impeding his ability to do the other thing he really wanted at this moment, which was to kiss her until he couldn't breathe.

"We're not doin' that again right?" She whispered into the nearly complete darkness of their room, and he shook his head next to hers, managing a barely audible –

"Hell no."

"Kay good." And her voice sounded strained even through her relief. "Do I wanna know how bad it got out there for ya?"

Walkers piling out of semi-trailers, heads being whipped off by a chain, dead hands and mouths slamming against the glass next to his face.

"Nah." He murmured succinctly, releasing his hold so that he could pull her arms from him, humming as he pushed her back enough to bring his lips to hers.

And there was that bite of wild sugar that he'd missed for what felt like years even though it was only a matter of hours, and there were his hands dropping to slide down that perfect fuckin' curve of her ass to bring her flush against him once again. He swallowed her noises whole, rolled his tongue like he did his hips, feeling himself harden at the familiar intoxicating sensations.

She hadn't said anything about him looking back at her, about how they both knew what it meant when he had. Not that he'd given her the time to, not that he planned on doing so anywhere in the next good while. Maybe this was it, maybe they were ready, he hadn't really thought that far ahead. He just wanted the taste of her in his mouth, the smell of her ground into his skin like her hot little cunt was to his stiffened dick.

Small adamant hands were shoving at his clothes, and he had to drop his hold so that his vest could hit the ground, and then it was her tripping nimble fingers down his button up. He broke from her mouth, catching his breath over the hitching grating noise in his throat, bending down a little to lick a broad tongue along her neck, nipping as she shoved the long sleeves off his arms, making his sleeveless plaid his last barrier between her and the hot skin of his chest.

"Layers." She groaned, working on the final set of buttons. "So many."

"S'cold out there." His explanation was muttered against her neck, hands clutching her hips until the shirt was finally ready to be discarded, leaving him in jeans and boots.

She hummed an answer, placing her chilled hands against his heated abdomen, causing him to growl as he pulled her against him once again. He'd prefer more skin to skin contact, something he'd never have thought to find himself wanting, but he still couldn't bring himself to start removing her clothes.

Felt like something he should wait for her to either direct him to, or begin herself.

"I missed ya like crazy." She whispered, sending searing pangs of want through him as she threaded her fingers into his hair for the sole purpose of tugging him off her neck and back onto her mouth. "God Daryl, I couldn't even sleep without ya." He was only able to shake his head against her parted lips, hoped she understood it meant that he couldn't either.

That if he wasn't in the middle of being tongue deep in her, he'd be dead to the world on that mattress right now. As it was, the earlier adrenaline was bleeding into a new surge from touching her, and he could feel the fine tremble in his bones, wanted to curse his weak body because if she felt it she'd stop them, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep it in check.

Maybe the 'if they were ready' part wasn't going to matter one way or another, because he might not be physically able, might fall unconscious halfway through – freak her right the fuck out. He pulled his mouth from hers, reached up to place his hands on either side of her neck, breathing deep while he could, eyes sliding open to see her looking at him in the near darkness. His hands looked almost black against her pale skin, and in a dazed kind of way he realized after fighting all those walkers and hauling ass back home, he was fuckin' filthy.

If he ran his hands over her like he wanted, she'd be tracked in old blood, dirt, and five other kinds of grime. It was making him calm down a little, a nagging feeling of embarrassment tempering his still throbbing need. She blinked at him, eyes probably straining to see in the low light, she was all he wanted – maybe the only thing he had ever been brave or crazy enough to want.

"What's wrong?" She was running slowly warming hands up and down his flesh, simultaneously cooling him while upping her own temperature.

He pulled his hands from her reluctantly. "M'all covered in walker an' shit from the road." It didn't seem right, touching her when he was this covered in nasty crap that'd leave marks that weren't made simply by his teeth or fingertips on her skin.

Ain't even slept with 'er yet Dixon, gettin' a little ahead of yourself there.

Tilting her head she looked at his hands for a little while before returning light reflecting pools back on him. "Did ya wanna go shower?"

Wanna fuck you or sleep.

He shrugged, dropping his head to hide behind his hair, feeling too strung out to care that the tactic was something he had been trying to break himself of. Not to mention, it was near pitch in the room and she probably couldn't see much of him to begin with.

"Daryl?" She murmured it real low while coming up on the tips of her toes, his name sending pleased little trembling shivers down his spine and the muscles of his back. "I don't care if you don't, ya know that right?"

Thing was, he did, made it all the more necessary to give her everything she deserved. Beth deserved a nice place like this to live, comfortable bed, food in her belly, clean and happy as long as possible – that's what he wanted to give her, maintain for her. She also deserved a man not covered in gore, grease, and mud.

She sighed quietly, and her words froze him in his tired uncertainties. "I don't think I wanna do this to ya." Her fingers were hooked into his pants, knuckles scuffing the smooth skin between his hips.

His head wasn't working right, she didn't want to what, fuck him? Had that really been what they were moving towards, but now she was backing out? Or had she been planning on doing something else to him, flashes of memory involving her hot mouth and pain too mixed with pleasure to matter went through his mind and he felt heat bake his cheeks.

Of course she didn't want to do that with him, any of that, he was unclean in a lot of ways that mattered and…but hadn't she just said…she didn't care about that. His eyesight seemed to flicker, shooting through sunspot white haze for a moment, and he blinked several times, trying to focus. She was frowning up at him, he was probably standing too close, he attempted a shuffling step backwards, but she clung to her grip on his jeans and he looked down a little in surprise.

"Don' gotta do nothin' w'me." He rasped, trying to understand why she was suddenly much stronger than he remembered. "L'ego."

"Mister, you think I didn't hear what Aaron said, 'bout you bein' exhausted?" He went to put his hands on hers, get her hold off him, but got a little distracted with the softness his rough hands found there.

Love those hands…

"M'gonna go sleep on the porch." He informed her, thumbs running smearing circles into the bones that stood out as she flexed her fingers into the material of his jeans.

"Hell you are, didn't I just get done tellin' ya I couldn't sleep without ya?" Fuck, she had too, he knew that, knew he hadn't been able to do so either. Goddamn it. He glanced over at the bed, heaving a tired breath. "C'mon, take your boots off an' we can go to sleep, no rush on us doin' anythin' tonight, that's what I meant." She tugged on his pants to draw his slow moving attention back to her, that loss of adrenaline was a bitch. "You know that's what I was talkin' about right?"

He managed a nod, leaning back, still unable or unwilling to break her hold. "Don' wanna sleep in the bed."

"But I'll be in the bed." She prodded with a soft smile, pulling him towards her, he rocked back into place and she met his mouth with hers. She ran a questing tongue along the seam of his mouth until he gave into the sensation with a grunt. He thought he felt her hands shift on his jeans, but she was licking her way along the backs of his teeth, and he just wanted to freefall into the feeling. Stopping after a few more dizzying moments she whispered against his lips. "I'll rub your back 'til ya fall asleep."

He groaned when he felt her hand slide inside his drawers, soft skin gliding against his sweat soaked pubic hair that he didn't even want to think about the state of, wrapping a warmed hand around his still hardened cock and squeezing slightly. His head bowed to rest against hers, and his breath left him haggard when she ran a light palm over his head, gathering the small amount of moisture she found there and ran down the aching length of him.

She sure was a quick fuckin' learner, that's all he could say, girl gripped him just right, made him release fatigued pants and near whines as she worked his dick like she'd done it for years, knew just how he liked it. Of course it was a real possibility that he was tired out of his mind, and just her touching him at all was enough to make him want to come.

Soap and Beth filled his nose, soft sweater now bunched in his shaking hands, holding on with everything in him, as his hips began making unsteady thrusts into her tight hold.

If he hadn't been feeling so uneasy about the state of him, he'd have maybe pushed her back on that bed, kissed her until she started pulling off more of his clothes – hopefully some of hers too so he could feel every goosefleshed inch of her. Could lap and suck chunks of that ivory bliss into his mouth, if his hands had been their normal shade of brown instead of near black, he'd have liked to see them splayed against pale ribs and pressing those tits of hers up – be able to appreciate the contrast between those rosy little nipples and his tanned flesh.

If he were cleaner, he'd maybe ask her to use her mouth again, look down in the low light as blonde hair bobbed along his cock, keep his eyes open to see her look up at him as she moved and moaned. His hands slipped under her sweater, fingers sinking into the giving tissue, as he tried to remember why it was that he hadn't wanted to sleep in the bed with her tonight.

"M'all dirty." He panted his late arriving response against her mouth, before she was sucking his bottom lip between hers. Even as her pace increased and he felt a coiling that was about to snap, and did, when she moved her free hand to his hair, moaned into his mouth when he gripped her hard along her waist, desperate for a purchase as he came all over her wrist and his boxers. "I'mma fuck up the sheets." He finished once he'd caught his breath, and she huffed out a laugh, withdrawing her hand gingerly, licking along her wrist as she pulled him like a water legged foal towards the bathroom.

"You're sleepin' in our bed tonight Daryl Dixon." She was a fuckin' wonder, he didn't even know what to do with her…with what she'd just done to him, for him. He should be embarrassed by how quickly he'd came, just like when she'd had her mouth wrapped around him, probably didn't harbor well for the first time they fucked.

And the way she was smiling at him in the darkness, all flashing blues, and liquid tongue on her pale flesh, he wondered if his tired body would keel over if he got hard all over again at this point.

Though, her jacking him off definitely got the result she'd wanted. "Kay." Was all he mumbled, nodding as he did his best to hold up his unbuttoned and unzipped pants from falling and tripping him. "Migh' fuckin' kill m'self in the shower though."

"Not gonna shower, worst of it's on your clothes an' hands." She explained this in such a soothing calm voice, if he didn't have the sticky proof catching at him still, he'd think she was the one that just fuckin' orgasmed. "Here."

He moved where she motioned, blinked blearily against the light flicking on in the bathroom, watched her raptly as she guided his hands under the running faucet. Blinked suddenly teary eyes as she washed their hands together, leaning into him and humming another tune he didn't know, but that stitched up his heart anyway.

He should tell her, say it now, she deserved to hear it out loud.

"There, perfect." She smiled at him in the mirror, and he swallowed and bobbed his head even though she'd barely gotten the worst layer from his mildly trembling hands. "Ok, now do ya need me ta' get your boots undone? Or do ya got 'em an' I'll get ya some sweats to sleep in?"

He shook his head, throat dry and painful like the rest of his body. "Got 'em."

"Not even gonna argue about the sweats?" She questioned, teasing mixed with genuine surprise and he managed another shake and a mildly twitching mouth. "Think I'm gonna enjoy keepin' ya this easy to persuade Daryl." Warmth flooded his face at her look, redoubled when she smiled so sweetly it hurt his chest to see. "Seems like a win win, dont'cha think?"

"Seems like." He croaked, clearing his throat when she smiled wider and left him to get those sweats she'd just talked him into. He tried his best not to feel like a coward as he sat on the closed toilet lid, unstringing his boots in tired jerking movements.

He'd tell her, he would, but she knew now anyway so it was alright, she'd ask him to say it if it started bothering her. But she shouldn't have to, wouldn't, he'd get there – he would.

Shucking off his boots, still damp socks, he stood and let pants and boxers fall. Toeing them against the wall, he moved back to the sink, turned on the water to a warmish temperature and splashed it fitfully against his sticky softened dick and pubic hair. She appeared in the doorway and he froze, her eyes trailed heatedly down his body – and he couldn't help but feel less awkward under a gaze as beautiful and approving as Beth Greene's.

Girl deserved better than him, but wanted him like mad, and he couldn't seem to help but feel the same for her. Through the weariness of his body and bafflement of his mind, he watched her set his clothes on the counter, go to one of the hanging towels, and handing it to him – watch as he slowly dried himself.

He should stumble and cringe from a stare as intense as hers was while he pulled on all the clothes she'd brought him. Didn't though. Would never admit how good the stretchy material of the sweats felt on his stone heavy limbs, and he might never tell her just how much he liked it when she wrapped sure fingers around his wrist and pulled him behind her. Did though.

He flicked off the bathroom light, grumbled lightly when she folded back the comforter for him on his side and waved him in. But he didn't say a thing when she climbed in and motioned for him to lay his head on her chest, just rolled into and onto her with a barely controlled sigh. Her steady hand made sweeping passes against his thinly covered back, and he wrapped an arm around her to hold her tight – drifting to sleep with every easy exhale of her lungs.

Fuck, did he love Beth Greene?

Hell yes – never loved as much in all his life.

And he'd say it too, he would, soon…soon.

So hopefully the look back got at least some awe's and I get maybe there might be some thoughts like, maaaan I don't think they're ever gonna do it, understandable however their first kiss was from Daryl's POV and it didn't seem fair to have the first kiss, the silent love you, and their first time knockin' boots be from his side... hint...hint.

Hope you guys liked the chapter, excited to hear from y'all regardless.