A/N: Thanks to last Sunday's Daryl heavy ep. and the influence of "arm porn" - have a little Bethyl fluff. ;)
Enjoy! ~ Lis
Warding away the early morning chill, Daryl snuggled deeper under the covers, feeling the absence of the warmth that he craved. He rolled over, reaching for Beth and found only the empty space she'd occupied earlier. Forcing his eyes open against the bright morning sun streaming through window, Daryl threw his arm over his head and groaned, blinking rapidly, allowing the world to come back into focus. From the adjoining bathroom, he could hear Beth's sweet humming over the spray of the shower, and he smiled. Having her here with him, in his arms all night ...that was everything. Stretching and pulling himself up into a sitting position, he was greeted by the dumb dog, wagging its tail furiously from the bottom of the bed. The lodge was still quiet beyond his bedroom door.
"Mornin' dumb do- ...Willie," Daryl corrected himself. The dog stretched, in reply, it's long tongue hanging out of its mouth, as usual. "Yer still a dumb dog," Daryl informed him, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, regretting it the minute his feet touched the cold wood floors.
The fire had withered away to nothing in the wee morning hours, leaving a dampness hanging in the air of the room. Fall was upon them. Winter was coming. Throwing his arms up over his head, he stretched again, the blanket concealing his nakedness slipping, as he drug himself up to his full height and stood directly in the rays of the rising sun streaking through the window pane.
Making a mental note that the windows needed to be boarded today, he crept to the pile of garbage bags In the far corner of his room, rubbing his hand against the light spray of hair on his belly. Beth, still being secretive about some of their contents, had insisted they be brought here last night, taking on the task to sort through them and distribute the items they'd accrued on yesterday's run. It made sense since he had the biggest room on the lower level, and no one who had an intelligent thought in their head would come poking around in Daryl Dixon's room.
Rustling through the bags at the top of the stack, he tore one open and began to rifle through the contents, then tied it closed when he didn't find what he was looking for, and moved to another. Three bags in, his searching hands found their mark, and with a satisfied smile, he quickly hung it in the closet, and shut the door. Daryl bent to quick throw another log on the fire, wanting the room to be warm for Beth when she dove into her task of unpacking the bags later, and stoked the dying embers underneath it, finally satisfied when they began heating the log and a small flame ensued.
"Tha hell ya lookin' at," he spat at the dog as he walked by the bed, then checking to make sure his bedroom door was locked, made his way into the bathroom.
The steam hit him in the face as soon as he opened the door, wrapping around his chilled body like a warm misty cloak and leaving a fine sheen of moisture on his naked flesh. Hot water. It was one of the few luxuries from the forgotten world that he actually missed.
He and Rick had spent the better part of an hour filling the generator yesterday as they discussed the presence of Noah. Then pushing through a maze of spiderwebs and God knows what other things he didn't even want to think about, in the tiny crawl space under the lodge that housed the water heater, to reignite the pilot light. With Noah's help, they now had enough fuel to last two months at least, three if they used it sparingly, so they had agreed that they would only use it to power the well pump and the stove for the time being. The water heater was powered by gas, and who knew how long that would last, but Daryl planned to take full advantage of it.
Peeling the shower curtain back gently, he lifted one foot into the tub, then the other, climbing in behind Beth. Bent over with one of her shapely legs propped on the rim of the tub, she was awkwardly sliding a disposable razor against it, her injured arm tucked protectively against her, she hadn't even noticed him. Patiently, he watched, not wanting to startle her, and waited for her to finish while he admired her backside, his body already responding to her nearness. Her humming ceased as she planted her foot back on the tub floor and straightened, backing into the hot spray of water and bumped into Daryl, the evidence of his arousal poking her in the lower back.
"Mornin' Mr. Dixon," she chirped, leaning into his embrace as he wrapped his well toned arms around her tiny waist, drawing her closer to the hard wall of his chest, being mindful of her injured arm.
"Greene," he greeted her with a nod, leaning forward over her shoulder to place a chaste kiss on her wet cheek. "Thought ya could use a hand washin' up," he grinned, reaching one hand for the bottle of her signature strawberry scented shampoo. "Or two," he finished, with a mischievous smirk.
"You're too kind," she teased him, with a soft laugh, leaning her head back onto his broad shoulder, anticipating his helping hands. "But you better hurry so I can slip back to my room before everyone starts wakin'," she warned him.
Holding his palm flat out in front of her, he squeezed a drop of the strawberry scented goodness into his hand, then replaced the bottle and rubbed his hands together vigorously to create a good lather. Turning them inward, he placed them on her flat tummy, smoothing them in a circular motion as he brushed them upwards, painting soapy designs on her slippery wet skin. His calloused palms moved higher, brushing the undersides of her breasts, and then careful not to hurt her, he gently lifted her arm, leaving a soapy lather in his wake as he washed her upper body, intentionally avoiding her more sensitive private areas and enjoying the soft mewling sounds she made deep in her throat as he stroked her soft pliant body into arousal.
Saving the best for last, he brushed one arm lightly against her breasts, cupping one, his thumb flicking against one of her nipples, as his other hand, palm flat and fingers spread, snaked its way down her belly. Beth leaned forward into his hand and Daryl knew she wanted him to touch her there. He just couldn't resist teasing her though, dragging his hand back up, but only for a moment.
"This what ya want?" His raspy voice whispered against her neck, as he slid his soapy fingers down into the patch of curls between her thighs, slipping his index finger between her folds.
Beth moaned, and moved her hips at his hand in response, rocking her lower body against his soapy hand, enjoying the sensations spilling out through her nerve endings, making her body tingle. After a few minutes, they proved to be too great, as her legs grew shaky and she clutched the wall with her good hand to keep herself from buckling at the knees.
Daryl steadied her, abruptly removing his hands and nudged her under the water to rinse off. "Glad I could be of assistance," he mumbled, biting back a laugh, knowing that if Beth would be facing him, her eyes would be shooting daggers his way.
When she had rinsed the suds completely from her body, Daryl switched places with her, dipping his head under the stream of hot water and closing his eyes with a content sigh as it flowed down around him. He heard the snap of the shampoo bottle again and opened his eyes to see Beth lathering her hands, her injured arm still pulled tight against her side. Lifting her good arm, she placed her small hand on his chest, moving it in a vertical motion up and down the expanse of his broad chest and stomach.
Daryl watched her wash him, his emotions a mixture of awe and tenderness and very obvious arousal. He loved to look at her, loved the shy innocence she displayed, even in the midst of passion. The way she kept her eyes downcast and the way she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth when she was contemplating how to turn him on, when truthfully, just being in her orbit did that all on its own.
Placing his large hand over her very small one, he pushed it downwards, guiding her to his hardness, gasping when she wrapped her fingers around the length of him and with a flick of her dainty wrist, began stroking. Daryl groaned, his eyes rolling back into his head as Beth continued her sweet assault on his senses, reveling in her own newfound sexual prowess.
"Easy sweetheart," he said, his voice a husky growl, as he halted her movements and pulled her in close for a kiss, wrapping his arms around her so he could rub down the length of her back, his large hands spanning her tiny waist.
Taking the hand of her good arm in his, he wove it up around his neck, instructing her to hold on, then hooking his other hand up under her knee, Daryl pressed her back against the shower wall and entered her in one swift movement, sending a deep moan spilling out of Beth's mouth.
He held her pinned there against the shower wall, his hips moving in a frenzy against hers, Beth's face buried into his shoulder masking her shrieks of building pleasure. When her muscles began to clench and constrict around him and Daryl was sure she was cresting that wave, he rode it with her, then held her in his arms until their breathing slowed and their heart rates returned to normal.
Raising her eyes up to meet his, her fist still in his hair, Beth placed a kiss to the side of his jaw, nipping his skin lightly with her teeth, and Daryl grunted, feeling his arousal beginning anew. Would he ever get enough of her?
"Best keep that sweet lil' mouth to yerself girl, or yer gonna get me in trouble. Got work ta do ta'day," he grumbled, placing a tender kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering.
"I sure will try, Mr. Dixon." Beth nodded, with the most serious face she could muster, a playful gleam in her eyes.
Daryl turned the water off and pushed the shower curtain open, reaching one of his long arms out to grab the two white fluffy towels hanging on the towel rack. He draped one on Beth's shoulders before quickly toweling off and securing it around his lean waist as he stepped out onto the fluffy rug at the base of the tub.
Taking her hand to assist her in climbing out, Daryl surprised her, hooking his arm up under her knees and carrying Beth bridal style out of the bathroom, gently laying her on the center of the bed like she was a porcelain doll, fragile and delicate. It was an illusion, a farce. Daryl knew Beth was a tough little cookie underneath all that softness, the source of her strength caged deep within her breast, beating against the palm of his hand. Her heart.
She alone had possessed the strength to hold him up when the world came crashing down around him, she alone the only one to not only crack the hard exterior surrounding his own heart, but shatter it into a million God damned pieces. A wall that he had spent so long building, disappointing brick by disappointing brick. It shook his perspective, shook him straight to his soul.
Yesterday she had told him that she loved him, yet he could not summon the courage to say it back, although he yearned to. No matter how hard he tried to force it down, that small part inside deeming him unworthy still lingered, rising back up unexpectedly like bile, and he hated himself for it. Hated that he sometimes still felt suspended in time, perpetually eleven years old, unwanted and abused, seeing the worlds ugliness far too soon in life. Grown up before his time, not because he wanted to, but because he had to, and then cursed himself for being the dumb emotionally stunted piece of shit that he was. But no, he couldn't tell her yet, he wasn't ready and Beth damn sure deserved no less.
"So serious," Beth frowned up at him, gently brushing the hair out of his eyes with her fingertips. "Are you okay, Daryl?"
Daryl shrugged, straightening his knees and lowering himself down onto the bed beside her. "Ain't never been better," he replied with complete honesty.
Gliding her hand down the line of his jaw, Beth gently drug her thumb across the faded remnants of his bruise. "I think you need a date with a razor, Mr. Dixon."
"Nah," Daryl replied, rolling over onto his back, draping his arm over his face.
Rustling outside the bedroom door altered them the household was starting to stir and Daryl couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment, knowing he'd stay here with her in this bed all damn day if he could, if no one would be the wiser. He'd slept better last night than he'd ever had in the last thirty six years of his miserable existence. The dreams that usually plagued him never came, as if holding Beth in his arms kept all his bad thoughts at bay. He wanted her to stay. With him. In his room. Permanently.
Summoning the last remaining strands of his courage, Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat, leaving his arm over his eyes, as if to serve as some fake protective force field to hide the fear he knew was swimming in their depths. Fear of unworthiness, fear of rejection. "Beth?"
"Yes Daryl?" She answered back in her sweet sing-song kind of way.
"Will ya ...I mean ..." Daryl sighed, struggling with his words. He tried to swallow, but his throat was suddenly dry. "Most of yer stuffs already here an' ..."
Beth carefully lifted herself up on her elbow, reaching for Daryl's arm and tugged it away from his face so she could look at him. "You want me to stay?" She asked. Knowing this was a huge step for Daryl, knowing this meant the group was bound to catch on, those who hadn't already, anyway.
With her blue eyes beaming down on him, Daryl felt entranced, captivated by her innocent beauty, her hair a tangled blonde mess, her skin still flushed and wet from their lovemaking in the shower. Yes! he screamed on the inside, but all he could manage was a nod.
"Okay Daryl," Beth nodded back, shaking her head slowly. "I'll stay," she answered, placing a kiss to the scruff of fur on his chest. "Now about that shave?" She laughed.
"Ain't no damn negotiations, girl," Daryl growled, rolling her underneath him, and smothering her giggles with his mouth, he kissed her passionately. To say that he was elated was an understatement.
They both had a busy day ahead of them, but Daryl figured the world could wait just a little longer as he tugged the towel open, removing the barrier that separated them and made love to Beth Greene one more time.