A.N. - My people! So class is done for the semester. Which apparently means that I'm back to being unable to write anything short. This update is pretty long and I actually felt like I cut some stuff out of it because it was already getting long before I got to the Thanksgiving part. It has been proof read exactly once b/c it took longer than I thought it would so please forgive me if it reads awkwardly.

For anyone also reading FotW I really hope to start a new chapter for that tomorrow since I haven't updated that story in forever.

Thanks so much to everyone for the support and I'm sorry to anyone I didn't get replied to for the last chapter.

Happy reading, and happy holidays!

Chapter 24

Friday, November 10th & Thursday, November 23rd

She couldn't believe he'd brought her here.

If she'd been asked to make a list of places she thought Daryl would never willingly take her to, this might be in the top ten. Beth found herself practically glued to the floor near the building's entrance, unable to stop from staring at the scenes going on around her. The windowless room, for all its attempts to bar the natural light, was glowing from a hundred different angles with a near neon glow. The greyish carpeting under her boots felt both thin and perhaps slightly spongy with things she'd rather not think about, and there were occasional rowdy yells coming from unseen and unknown corners.

Continuing to watch the cacophony of sound and color being thrown at her from every which way, Beth was finally offered a bit of a lifeline when Daryl made his way back to her, shuffling money from one hand to the other. Perhaps because of what they'd just finished doing only a couple of hours ago, her sudden notion that she didn't know him was a startling one. While there were a lot of facets of her grumpy, and often monosyllabic, love that she was sure hadn't been unveiled to her – she hadn't thought this one existed.

Daryl took one look at her face once he'd reached her, and immediately came up short. She cursed herself internally and watched him begin to shift uncertainly while he flashed a quick look behind him at the pulsing lights that caught on the edges of his hair and the soft seams of his leather vest. The close air of the room filled her lungs as she took a quick breath in and smiled at him reassuringly.

"We don' gotta..." he said, peeking up at her a little shyly through his hair, and shuffling the money nervously once more from hand to hand.

"No," she was quick to answer, closing the rest of the distance between them in a step. "No I want to, just caught me off guard is all."

Beth cupped her hands together and bumped them into one of his closed fists. Small tickling stings lanced up from where the rough bits of his skin caught on hers. It settled in a nice tight glow within her palms as she held his somewhat hooded gaze, and Beth grinned widely at him when the pile of coins clinked into place.

"No shit," Daryl rasped lowly, throat working slightly before he continued. "Over here lookin' like I took yer ass to a strip joint or somethin'."

Flicking a glance to the nearest tinkling and chiming machine, Beth felt her expression go rueful. "It isn't exactly dinner an' a' movie like you were sayin' earlier," she whispered back in her defense, body swaying in closer to him without conscious command. There was a twinging prickle near her hips, a shiver in her muscles, as she watched the skin near his collar bone tighten when he swallowed.

"Thought this," he stopped and shrugged, "thought this might be, I'dunno..."

More fun.

And with that Beth entered an unlikely entry to her list.

-Likes arcades

Daryl jerked his chin to one side, and Beth followed his direction, and did so with what seemed to be a permanent smile on her mouth. He walked so closely to her that she felt his heat ease into her like a wave before his arm was actually brushing hers. He'd been doing that since they'd gotten up to go on their date. Little brushes, small grazes, like he couldn't help it, or maybe he'd been doing it for a while, and it was only now that she was noticing it so acutely.

It was ridiculous, how hard she was having to work in order to keep herself under control while simply walking next to him. How her blood felt like carbonated bliss in her veins, and how every aspect of the man at her side seemed heightened to an unbearable degree. She could scent him over the metal and cheap carpet, could pick out his sharper tones without thought.

The back of their hands touched as they rounded a corner of pinball machines, and entered an aisle filled with games she'd only ever seen in old movies. Names like Pac Man and Centipede shown out in blaring shades. Beth didn't second guess her heightening urge to touch him, and wrapped a newly freed hand around his forearm. The quarters made a happy jingling sound in her pocket, and she curled her other arm around the one of his she'd already gotten a hold on.

Basically hanging on him, Beth stubbornly ignored the tenseness in the corded flesh under her grasp. There was no one in this row of games, no audience or spectators to judge or heckle them...or whatever the heck else Daryl might be worried about when it came to PDA. He was probably greatly regretting his choice from earlier, to hold her hand in the car on the ride over here.

She'd wanted to go on his bike, but it was still raining and they had to head straight to the farm after their date to pick up Auri anyway.

Beth had just about jumped clean out of her skin when his fingers had scooped up her own, and she'd blinked at him in surprise until he'd muttered something about changing his mind if she didn't cut it out. Holding hands. Such a simple silly thing. Something she'd taken for granted while with Jimmy. But Daryl had never made the move to. And for all her bullheaded courage when it came to him, in her willingness to push him on almost everything else, Beth somehow hadn't gotten around to attempting hand holding for any real length of time.

His choice to initiate it had caused her to have the irrational reaction of wanting to both cry and jump his bones all in the same moment.

Though.

Maybe it wasn't all that irrational.

Glancing up at him, Beth was trapped quickly by his returned look, and everything from earlier came spilling into her. The press and stretch of him, the slide of his skin, how he'd all but slammed into her until she'd lost all semblance of cohesive thought. Beth's cheeks flushed as the sensations ghosted their way over her flesh, as her muscles clenched sorely from biceps to calves. If it wasn't for the way he looked at her now, she'd probably be embarrassed about how much she'd liked the amount of force he'd used. How those first careful thrusts had felt nice if not overly pleasurable. Not until she'd told him that she loved him, not until he'd had her hold onto him so tightly - moved into her like he knew exactly what it would take...

"Quit," Daryl said, voice scraping its way out of him. Beth felt her eyes widen in surprise before he was bending down to mutter closer to her ear. "What'n the hell m'I gonna do with you girl?" His tone implied he knew exactly what she was thinking, and found it as distracting as she was currently finding his entire being.

Her hold on his arm had constricted until she could feel the throb of the blood in his veins and the limb ended with his knuckles pressing hard into her thigh. Licking her lips, Beth met his gaze a little steadier when he straightened back up. She didn't have it in her to answer him, everything that came to mind would in no way go towards settling the situation or the wildfire in his narrow eyes. He'd wanted a date, even more than she had actually, and this was where he'd decided to take her.

Had trusted her enough too.

Daryl never did anything for no reason. He'd wanted to share this with her.

"Ya gonna tell me what this place means to you?" she asked, loosening her death grip on his arm by degrees, shivering when the pressure on her thigh didn't leave or lessen.

"Maybe, some time."

Beth's eyes narrowed as he tugged her forward, the corner of his mouth twitched up, and the sweet press of his hand finally separated itself from her leg. The spot was overly cold and aching without him there as he led them over to a group of mostly unfamiliar looking machines.

"You been here before?" she tried again, leaning her head on his shoulder when they came to rest in front of a Galaga screen. Part of her felt a brief irritation at herself for clinging onto him like she was, seemed a bit too clichéd maybe, but then his lips were in her hair while he answered and she didn't care much more after that.

"Once or twice." He stood there for a few more moments before shaking the arm she was attached to softly, and removed his mouth from the top of her head as she dropped her hold and smiled up at him. "Place 's only been here last few years."

Beth meant to question him further but the next thing she knew, he was dropping one of his quarters into the game and nudging her in front of the controls. Tapping one of the buttons, he gave her a crooked little smile before gesturing to the brightly flashing colors. She felt giddy; the situation was almost as strange as if he really had taken her to a strip club or something. It was basically the opposite kind of entertainment she would picture him enjoying – ever. But every time she shot a disbelieving smile his way, he was either grinning sheepishly back at her, or staring at the movements on the screen.

She couldn't be certain, but it looked as if his face had a reddish tinge, for her first couple of glances anyway.

They played for the next hour or so, breaking for food after a while which the place also served, along with alcohol if one was old enough to purchase it. Daryl still refused, in an uncharacteristically teasing way, to tell her how it had come about – him liking arcade games – which only made Beth more and more curious. She'd never gotten into the whole gaming thing herself, though she knew that Shawn had always loved them. There'd been more than one occasion that saw their mama dragging him out of places like the one Beth was in now. She realized (while crunching on a particularly salty chip) that it made her miss her brother, being amongst the flickering lights and robotic tunes.

The holidays were right on top of them.

Maybe he'd be coming home for one or both of them.

"So which one is your favorite?" she asked suddenly, the memory coming to her in a blink, how much Shawn had loved the fighting games…Street Fighter…Mortal Kombat…Street Kombat…Something like that. Daryl shrugged and became incredibly focused on his turkey sandwich, running a stained finger under his lips to wipe away some stray mayo. "Ah c'mon Daryl," she wheedled, reaching over and running quick fingernails down his bare arm. "Ya have ta' have one that's your favorite."

Swallowing his last bite, he hollowed his cheeks while considering her, before gesturing behind him quickly at a row of pinball machines. Her brows knit as she looked at them. She and Daryl had walked by them three different times and he hadn't seemed interested in the least.

"Nah," he muttered, seeing her expression, "s'back in the corner that way."

Cramming her last bite of sandwich in her mouth, Beth hopped up and grabbed their trash, tossing it all away quickly. She snagged his wrist and pulled him to standing, and smiled sweetly at him, looking like a chipmunk while she finished chewing. Making her way through two rows of games before hitting the corner he'd indicated, Beth found herself at a bit of a loss as they stood there.

The only game she recognized there was Tetris.

And she doubted…

Daryl edged past her and put a coin in each slot, looking at her expectantly over his shoulder until she grinned and moved to stand beside him. She felt like this entire event had turned her topsy-turvy all over the place. It had gotten, before this, to where it seemed as though she had a decent grasp on who this man was – had a whole long list to prove the attention she had paid to him too. But now, stealing peeks as they played, he'd managed without a word to become lodged all the more firmly within the shivering layers of her heart muscle.

If she hadn't already told him she loved him, she'd be liable to do it right now.

Though, the longer they played Tetris, the more she was able to get that impulse under control.

"Kickin' yer ass Greene," Daryl said, voice pitched low as he took out rows in great big sections at a time in comparison to her slower line by line removal that was earning her less points. "Ain't all people your age s'posed to be good at these things?"

Beth snapped a glare at him, which was a mistake, as she immediately misplaced an awkwardly shaped block and fouled up several lines at once. Her next (and much better timed) scowl saw him with a crooked half-smile that just about managed to make her losing, and his shit talking, ok.

Almost.

Timing it the best she could, Beth focused on that dip of skin near the crook of his neck that'd caught her attention earlier. Moving quickly, she knocked his arm away – ignored the surprised grunt he made. Latched onto the unsuspecting depression with her lips, and sinking a tongue there, she then slid down to the ridge by way of her teeth. Nipping at the bone and tasting the light saltiness. Daryl could do nothing more than make another startled noise, before Beth slipped away and successfully got back into the flow of the game without making too much of a mess of her side. Whereas Daryl didn't appear capable of even looking at the screen anymore, from what Beth could see in her peripheral vision anyway. Blocks piled up in a haphazard tower until he was able to shake himself out of it and get moving once more.

She expected him to say something. Call her a cheater or maybe an even more colorful term than that. But he didn't say a word, cleared his throat, kicked some gravel around in there from what it sounded liked to Beth, and went about cleaning up his field of play. The longer it went on, the more she realized how freaking nervous his silence made her. She kept jerking quick and searching glances at him, and jumping now and then whenever his movements picked up speed. They completed the first level, and still he made no kind of move to retaliate, and the suspense was building a nifty little panic room in her rib cage.

It was right around the time she'd become lost once more in the endless puzzle pieces – that he was suddenly pressed up behind her. Arms barring her in on either side as he fit himself along her back, pushing into her until her hips hit the machine and she released her own unintentional squeak of surprise. His weight was so much that Beth actually had to snap a hand up to the screen in front of her, bracing herself as Daryl rolled his hips and made it perfectly clear what her little assault had done to him. The next sound she made was a whoosh, as all the air left her, looking about them in a panic and expecting to see some scandalized or shocked gamers gawking at them.

But no.

Of course he had taken the time to check that there was no one else in this area. Of course, he'd have wanted to be certain, that when he rocked his hard-on into his girlfriend's ass, that no one would see it. And that no other soul would hear the moan that came cartwheeling from her as he hooked an arm under hers and palmed her breast, squeezing and kneading roughly – his tongue making a trip up her neck before curving the shell of her ear. Knowing it was a horrible decision, and doing it as quickly as she could anyway, Beth arched back into him. Feeling the heated line of his dick between her cheeks and the rumble in his chest, and then his hand was making a hurried and scraping track down her stomach.

"Daryl," she breathed, just barely, as oxygen was an elusive little shit at the moment. Repeating his name again when all the response she got were broad fingertips dipping below the hem of her jeans. He growled an inquisitive sound in her ear that only made the shift of her hips happen all the more. Words were clouding and flying away at random. "Think we…lost."

She'd gotten a quick impression of the GAME OVER screen between her eyes attempting to stay open and reflexively closing – as her body pulsed in his hold like all those flashing lights coming from the machines around them.

"Don' feel like it."

And Beth knew if she gave him just a moment more and an inch or two to work with, he'd have at least one finger inside her already. She wanted to. Wanted all of him now that she knew what that felt like. If anything it was even more now, if that was possible, then what she'd felt when she had walked into his house this afternoon. He'd clearly snapped a bit too. To be risking this here.

Her thought process was devolving into heat and pressure, caring only about how much of each she could get, and some shrill but distant part of her knew she had to get them to stop.

At least for now.

At least while they were here.

He was keeping her in place with only his hips pinning hers to the game. Grabbing, with a surprising amount of restraint, at her jaw – turning her enough for a kiss that made her lips ache against her teeth. Beth grasped blindly down, snatching at his wrist and yanking. All of her body was screaming at her to push him farther down, but of the two of them she was clearly the only one able to resist the high enough to get them out of here.

Daryl moved away so quickly that he needed to rush back just as fast in order to steady her coltish legs that were trying to drop her on her ass. They both stood there breathing in great chest-pulling pants. There was a solid ache building in her thigh, and she distantly recorded the knowledge that the wad of quarters in her pocket had no doubt produced a bruise where he'd grinded them into her leg.

Turning once her wobbling legs allowed her, Beth met his gaze and fisted her hands into the leather encasing his heated frame. He was coming back to himself in blinks she could tell. Her heartrate barely went down as she tried to do the same. Tried to remember where they were and who she was, to become more than this writhing heap of nerves that groaned for his attention. But despite this, most of her consciousness was in the wetness that seeped into her underwear, the shuddering that lived in her stomach and limbs, and every throbbing part of her that was honed into his every motion and inhale.

"Christ girl," he whispered, voice almost getting lost. "I's only," his hands cupped her elbows and drew her closer, "only meanin' t' screw with ya. Like you…"

Beth watched him as the sentence dwindled into nothing.

It might be the wrong way to think of it. It might make them that unhealthy couple that ended up doing more harm to one another than good. But she couldn't stop the relief that filled her, once she realized he was spiraling at the moment just as badly as she was. The touching, in all its forms, wasn't something he was having any better luck with.

Making one of the easiest decisions of her life, Beth nodded an answer, there was nothing for him to explain or sound apologetic for. It was clear in his face how out of control he'd just felt, how out of control he must have been to seek and escalate it.

More than that.

If she were to kiss him now, turn back the way she had been and resume her position – that he was in fact capable of doing all that and more to her all over again. Beth moved to interlace their fingers, and led him without another word toward the exit. They were either going to make the time to get back to the cabin and pick up where they had just left off, or maybe…Maybe Daryl knew a spot, a quiet spot they could park the car and keep going.

"I'm glad ya picked this place," she told him quickly, flicking a look at him and his shell shock that appeared to be dissipating at a rapid pace, if his expression was anything to go by at any rate. "I really do like it."

"Yeah?" he asked, his grip tightened minutely on her hand as they went out the door.

Threads of sunlight made it down to them through the broken up storm clouds.

"Yeah, gonna have ta' bring me back here sometime."

"Alrigh'. Think I can do that."

He was keeping pace with her now as they got closer and closer to the car.

Beth smiled excitedly as they both nearly jogged the rest of the distance.

This was already the best date she'd ever had, but it was also kind of shaping up to be one of the best days that she'd had too.

Thursday, November 23rd

Beth eased her key to Daryl's place into the lock of the door, and didn't even attempt to stop the smile that split her face. She was unabashedly excited (and mildly nervous) for this day. Everyone and their dog were going to be showing up to her parents' farm and she'd been up since before the sun to help get things ready.

It was all hands on deck.

She, Maggie, and mama had gotten everything rolling, but then Eric and Aaron had showed up, followed closely by Amy and Sasha. The amount of food involved was truly shocking. Not to mention a little worrying when it came down to the timing, and if it rained or they got hit with a cold snap, they were totally S.O.L. because there was absolutely not enough room in the house for the amount of visitors that were going to be showing up.

Her sleep deprivation mixed headily with a fantastic minor stab of adrenaline, and had her creeping her way through a barely lit living room that she now knew by heart. Down an equally darkened hallway, the thought occurred to her that Daryl might take her head off as she opened the door of his room, but thankfully she found him peacefully curled up on the bed.

A swirl of pride and worry eddied in her chest when she thought he'd slept through her approach, but a smoke and sleep clogged voice rambled its way out to her when she'd almost reached the mattress.

"Yer fuckin' early."

Hiking up her long woolen skirt, Beth eased her way over until she lay in her usual position against his back. All of her hummed at the proximity to him. Finally, for the first time in over a week they were in her favorite place, in nearly her favorite position. And timetable be damned, she was going to hijack a moment or two with her man before they had to get going.

Retail being what it was, they'd both been busy, but then with Daryl's other job and Otis catching pneumonia…They'd barely had time to breathe, let alone sleep or do anything else. He'd been running himself near to death, helping her daddy out in every spare minute, and she'd pitched in wherever he couldn't.

All the while they'd been shooting looks and texts at each other that only served to make what down time they could get frustrating as all get out. Had she known things were going to get this way, Beth was sure she'd have plucked up the courage to ask her mama to watch Auri for even longer that day they'd had their date. Because twice wasn't nearly enough to be with Daryl, not even close, but that time in the car had been…

She traced along his spine with her hand, gliding her fingernails to the waistband of his sweats before scrunching up the fabric of his shirt and slipping into the heat below. This time she attempted to get the curving of her lips under control, tamping down the tingling thrill she got when her progress wasn't impeded or growled at. The rise of his hip bone under her palm made her sigh happily against the back of his shoulder, and she rested her forehead there when she was able to wrap her fingers around him at last. Warm and heavy in her hand. Their next breath was synched and deep as she stroked him slowly.

"Daryl," Beth said, his name was barely a murmur in the basically lightless room. She didn't get anything resembling an auditory response from him, but his next breath out had some force to it that might have been inquisitive in nature. "We gotta get goin'."

It wouldn't surprise her, if he could feel her next grin through the fabric of his shirt when he rumbled an indignant grunt back to her. Butting her nose and chin against his shoulder blade, Beth squeezed lightly and increased her pace just the smallest bit. It wasn't what would get him off. In all honesty, she knew that this was the exact amount of speed and pressure that'd only wind him up, but wouldn't quite get him all the way there.

"C'mon."

"Uh-uh," he grated, breath scratching like a growl at the back of his throat.

"Daryl," she said again, voice clearly teasing now as she continued. "I made ya pumpkin cake an' everythin'."

Her breath huffed out against him as he really did make a very bear-esque noise and leaned back into her. Offering her better leverage, he was no doubt trying to encourage her to do the dang thing right, like he knew she could. Inhaling deeply, Beth was aware that her few stolen moments were going to be running short soon, but she'd also been on a situational buzz since she'd woken up this morning. There were so many people at her folks' place already. Lord knew there were plenty of them there to help her mama if Beth were to ferret away just a little while longer for herself.

Daryl followed her movement when she pulled away, and rolled onto his back. She could just see his nostrils flaring while he kept his eyes shut. For all his stubbornness, he couldn't stop how his hips bucked up when she released him, or the way his fingers curled to fists so he didn't make a move to catch her. Beth drew the blanket that'd been covering him down his legs, moving a little awkwardly as she rose up and straddled him. He still didn't open his eyes, which only made her bite her lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh. Blocky hands dragged themselves across the bed to grip her legs, and she watched in amusement as his brows furrowed at the feel of her bare skin.

It wasn't until she'd hooked determined fingers around his waistband and started tugging it down that his lids cracked open and he considered her with a slitted gaze. Copying the look as best she could, Beth yanked until he lifted up somewhat to help her, all the while his hands rubbed and kneaded farther and farther up her thighs. The condoms were lying on the floor next to the mattress, probably in the exact spot they'd landed on the day she lost her virginity, and therefore were easy for her to pluck up and get opened. Her face felt heated as she rolled the rubber down his length, that heady swirl of tiredness and vivid expectation making her breath and hand shake as she did so. She bunched up her skirt higher and held eye contact with him as he got the cloth of her panties out of the way and edged his middle finger past her lips.

Daryl breathed something out that sounded like the Lord's name, and followed the middle with his pointer, crooking the two and pumping idly until she couldn't keep her eyes open. Head lolling to one side, Beth hesitantly met each plunge with a roll of her hips. They didn't have time for this, not really, not this pace – no matter how sweet and toe curling it was. She stripped off her black long sleeved top and pushed at his forearms until he slid out of her – helping her adjust until she was sinking down on top of him with a hiss through gritted teeth.

And this was like the backseat of the car but more comfortable – it was their impromptu picnic in the woods – with him laid out underneath her. That same barely contained aspect that looked like danger in his eyes, but promised all the soul rending pleasure she could take.

That she could handle.

Remembering that day, how loose limbed and comfortable he'd been, Beth realized there was something like that in him now. That it had been there, she thought maybe, since the first time they'd slept together. It was highly possible for her to be wrong, and it sounded a little self-centered to think so, but she felt sure that that was the first time she'd noticed it. Below the frenzy of them wanting to kiss and touch, there'd been a peace in him. One she could appreciate and recognize.

Daryl let out an unsteady breath, cracking any semblance of control or mastery she may have thought him in possession of. She rocked experimentally and watched with avid interest as his lips parted and that narrow opening of his eyes blinked closed.

Recalling something else he'd liked from that day in the woods, she leaned forward, pressing them together from where they were joined to where she covered his mouth with hers. She scratched lightly through his whiskers while tracing the seam of his lips, gasping when he jerked an answering thrust into her. His hands on her thighs were almost claw-like, and Beth knew she was probably acquiring a new set of bruises to go with the yellowing blotch near her hip. Daryl shuddered out a lungful into her mouth, but otherwise she could tell he was doing everything he could to hold still for her.

There was a tilting wave of need that grabbed at her spine when she felt the tremble in his bruising grip. When she knew that she could tell him to do anything, make him do anything, and felt the power of that sink all the way down to her cunt where she squeezed around him until he groaned. The sound pleading for mercy, but still he remained motionless, giving her all the say in how this early morning fucking was going to go.

"No moving," she whispered, clocking the way his stillness turned stiff before he was nodding against her mouth.

Her movements, despite her commanding words, were timid and disjointed. This wasn't her first experience being on top, but their time in the backseat of her Santa Fe had basically seen her clutching onto him while Daryl did all the work. Now she wanted to do that, be able to take him like he'd done twice to her that day. Her next push back into him did something almost right apparently. Because his hold tightened and his hips surged forward, and even though what he did felt far better than what she'd been attempting - he was breaking her rules.

Making a tsking noise, she reached and gathered up his hands, pinning them on either side of his head. Daryl muttered something darkly against her cheek, nuzzling until she dropped enough to bite at his neck.

"Don't," he said, but the tone sounded too much like Please to be anything else.

"Better mind me then Bear." Balancing carefully, she unhooked her bra, smiling against his throat where she felt it vibrate with his grumble. "Does it feel better like this?" she questioned, rolling and canting her hips, "or like this?" She braced her forearms against his chest and moved herself up and down his cock several times, panting with the effort.

"Yeah," he moaned, making her choke out a laugh. "What the fuck ya askin' me for?" The question sounded weighted and painful, his chest and abdomen shaking slightly against her with his attempt to behave. "Do it how ya like woman, just fuckin' do it though."

"You like it hard Daryl?" she asked teasingly, that giddiness coloring her tone as she began riding him once more.

"Know you do," he answered, and something in his voice had her drawing back to look at him, another question in her eyes when his cracked open to check on her.

"Ya want it slower? Softer?"

"Nah," he said, shaking his head, but she had stopped moving at the sight of him. There was a layer of sweat covering them both. Beth could feel the movement, like a tide inside, as her body tried to understand why the pleasure had stopped too soon. Like maybe it would just froth and simmer her over the edge itself if she didn't figure out how to get it done, and soon. "Ain't got time anyway, right?"

"No, but-" A cry, with an equally harsh spasm, tore through any ability she may have had to focus when he arched underneath her.

Spine bowing, she dug desperate fingers into his chest to steady herself.

"Ya really want me t' stop?" he asked, repeating the motion but with more force. "Huh?"

The next snap of his hips – Beth met with a hard smack when their skin collided – and they both let out noises of appreciation. Daryl's arms came up to wrap around her bared back, to keep her in place and flush against him and they worked out a rhythm that forced a continual train of roughened sighs and cries from her that were stifled only by Daryl's neck.

When the tempo peaked and she was certain the next sound to escape her would reach clear out to the old highway, she sunk her teeth into him again and nearly sobbed her orgasm as she bit. His hands snapped to her ass, holding her still as he used her to reach his own climax, one that had him cursing and pushing into her until she was sure the condom wouldn't be able to handle the force.

But then he was motionless beneath her once more, several breaths and heartbeats winding their bodies down until he was able to reach between them and pull out of her.

Beth could only manage a weak half-roll while he stripped the intact rubber from himself, before she all but flopped back onto him with a content murmur. Daryl rubbed her back in a heavy way, like he wanted to be certain of her wholeness. His limbs eventually coming to a stop and wrapping her up while they floated down from their high.

"Tell me," he said, so quietly that Beth wasn't entirely sure she'd heard him correctly.

His arms constricted mildly around her and she tipped her head back to respond just as lowly against the underside of his jaw. "Love you Daryl, love you so so much." The heated skin there pressed itself against her lips when he swallowed, and she kissed him in slow searching sweeps of her mouth.

"Missed you."

Beth froze, jaw closing and teeth scraping, thinking steadily in the ever brightening room. It had struck her, during their first time, that she didn't actually need him to say it back. That her telling him was as much for her as anything. And she had no idea why it kept occurring to her that she could hear something other then what he said, but that miss you had certainly sounded like a love you too. Even stranger was how ok she was with that, with feeling that love instead of having it told to her.

"Me too," she told him, reveling in the strength of his arms and the peace in her head. "We'll do it slow next time, promise." He drew in a breath, no doubt thinking to argue or dismiss the need, and she turned his face to hers and kissed him quiet.

A high pitched squeaking yawn sounded out nearby, and they both jumped and focused on the baby monitor just as Auri started jabbering happily to herself. Daryl and Beth huffed amused breaths in unison. He turned them over with an easy heave, rubbing his face against her neck a little, sending shivers along her nervous system before kissing down her collar bone to her chest.

"How late are we?" He waited for her answer while taking one unsuspecting nipple into his mouth, circling it with his tongue while she attempted to speak.

"Not too bad, I don't think, left ta' get you two plenty early."

"Figured," he told her with a nod, mouthing at her sternum before making it to her other breast, so it could receive the same attention as the first. "Yer mama gonna give me hell fer waylayin' her best worker?"

"Maybe," she laughed, cradling the back of his head as he sucked and flicked, twisting her back up until she was pushing at him with a groan. "Oh my Lord, stop yourself mister."

"Hmm," his relenting noise was quickly nullified by the hand that traveled up her thigh and slid past her underwear. "M' in trouble anyway," Daryl answered to her gasp of a question.

Beth's eyes shut, and she couldn't manage to drag his hand out of her until he'd sent her unraveling all to pieces again below him.

There was a slight wet sound and without looking she knew he was licking his fingers clean. Steadying her breath for what felt like the tenth time that morning, Beth opened her eyes at last, feeling a prickle of panic at how easily she could see in the suddenly well-lit room.

Oh, they were getting close to seriously being in trouble.

Being a little concerned that submitting to a single additional kiss from him would see them arriving at the farm in time only to eat and by lectured, Beth rolled out from under Daryl and stood on wobbling legs. Auri was starting to sound less bubbly in her babbles, and she noticed how he eyed the monitor a little guiltily. That was probably for the best, because they really needed to kick their butts into gear right now.

Thanksgiving at the Greene's was an all-day affair. Visiting and the eating of h'orderves lasting until around three, then the actual meal happened, and finally the post turkey nap where everyone passed out until the evening and desert happened. This year she doubted everyone would be staying for all of that, but her, Daryl, and the baby would be.

They'd both been able to get Thanksgiving off, which was in and of itself a kind of miracle. Then again, they were both working Black Friday from three in the morning until noon. Which she felt they stood about as good a chance of surviving as an apocalypse of some kind. So she was determined to enjoy all of today that she could, and so far it hadn't failed her expectations.

Of course, Daryl hadn't met her brother yet either so...

"You gotta get ready real fast," she said, motioning towards his closet as she bent down to grab her bra and shirt from the floor. "I'll get Auri fed an' everythin', just scoot quick as ya can alright?"

When he didn't answer, she turned to see him gazing up at her, something startling close to affection in his gaze before he dipped his chin and hid his face. Swinging around on the mattress he got to his feet, rangy and still lightly tanned despite the lateness of the year. Beth quit moving as he came to stand in front of her, looking bashful as his darkly hued eyes skated up her body.

"Ain't got nothin' nice like that t' wear."

Her lips curved as she tugged her shirt over her head and back into place, yanking out her hair ties to redo the ponytail that was in a tangled mess from his grasping hands.

"You don't have to wear anythin' other than what ya usually do," she informed him, brows rising at his disbelieving scowl. "I'm serious alright? I just got done up 'cause..."

"Everybody's gonna be there?" he tried when she trailed off. Even Rick, Michonne, and their respective kids were coming. She'd invited Carol and Sophia too but they had their own traditions that they were trying to establish after Carol's divorce from Ed.

"No, well yeah, but mostly because," and now it was her turn to be shy, "'cause a' you."

Beth watched as his eyes widened slightly before tracking up the calf high black boots she'd borrowed from Maggie, the tartan woolen skirt in shades of black and red, and the long sleeved shirt she was plucking at nervously. Dipping down, he kissed her lightly, knocking his nose against hers when he was through.

"G'on an' feed the kit, 'll be done quick."

Her cheeks bunched with her flushed smile, and she nodded before doing just that.

When they pulled up to the farm house Daryl let loose a low whistle that made Auri trill and giggle in her car seat. There were almost as many cars pulled onto the grass lining the drive now as there had been for his baby shower, with people milling about in varying states of heavy clothing as they chatted and snacked. The tables had been set up on the front lawn this time and several of the arrivals waved cheerfully at them as they got parked.

"I'mma see if Hershel has anythin' he needs doin' 'fore I go diggin' into any of that food."

Curling in her lips, Beth reined in her smile and hopped out from the passenger seat. The two men were almost as unlikely a set of friends as Rick and Daryl were, but she kind of got the feeling that her guy enjoyed having that almost familial link with someone that he was almost certain he could depend on. It was super sweet, and she was careful not to let him know she thought so. No reason to get him uncomfortable if she could avoid it.

"I'll go check in with mama and let everyone spoil Auri with attention."

They'd only taken a couple of steps toward the house when a figure opened the front door and leaned out to stare at them. Beth quit breathing for a moment before waving excitedly and, Auri on her hip and Daryl getting jerked along by the hand behind her, she hustled to the steps as her brother moseyed out from behind the screen and came down to meet them.

"Shawn!" she said, and felt close to crying as she dropped Daryl's hand to sling an arm around her brother's neck. Auri mumbled confusedly as she was jostled by the hug, and Beth stayed only a beat longer before drawing back to get a look at him. "Ya look so different," her statement made his ever expressive face contort in question and she laughed. "No you look really good. It just feels like forever since I've seen you."

"Only since your graduation lil' sis." She nodded at his reminder, her hand on his chest and his slightly broader one covering hers. "Heard you've been keepin' yourself plenty busy since then though."

Her lips parted slightly when his warm gaze left her and skidded over to Auri before jerking the other way to Daryl, and it wasn't lost on her the way his normally wide eyes narrowed fractionally. She'd known this was a possible reaction from him, actually the probable one, and she'd talked to Daryl about it so he wouldn't be caught by surprise. Fixing Shawn with a pointed look, Beth let her hand fall out from underneath his, and did what she and Daryl had agreed on.

"I have been yeah," she answered at last, gesturing to the baby and then the silent redneck behind her. "This is Aurora and Daryl Dixon," smiling more than she actually felt like doing, Beth took a half-uncertain step around her brother. "I'm gonna go see if mama needs anything, you boys don't be gettin' yourselves into any trouble ok?"

A quick glance to Daryl didn't instill an extreme amount of confidence in her, but this is what he'd wanted, no chance of her fighting with her family because of him.

"No worries sis," Shawn said lightly.

Each step to the front door felt like the wrong choice.

Her ears picked up on some small talk behind her, consisting mostly of her brother sounding vaguely snarky, and Daryl grunting in a clearly irritated way. She'd just reached the door when her dad came out, sharp eyes looking past her immediately before coming back to her. He offered Auri a quick tickle to her belly that made her squawk and wave her arms about, before winking at Beth and heading across the porch and down the steps.

Sighing in relief she went inside – where she was met with a choir of voices that called out in greeting.

"Oh my God honey," Eric said, all but skipping over to her. "Please can I hold her? Please, please, please?"

Aaron looked over from a conversation he was having with Sasha, his expression going from comical to mildly adorable as he watched Beth hand Auri over to his husband.

For her part, Aurora took one look at the skinny baker and began a chortling coo that had the entire room ahh-ing in unison. There was a warm swelling in her ribcage when she saw Eric's eyes go over-bright and his nervous smile turn blinding. There was no way to prove it, but as far as she was concerned, Auri was a great judge of character and it was always reassuring to have that theory reinforced.

After that she went about doling out hugs and hellos to those loitering about the living room.

Once all that was done with though, it was far past time for her to get back into the kitchen and make sure her mama wasn't overworking herself. She found Annette, Maggie, Glen, and Amy all together, and from the amount of laughter, she guessed everything was going alright. She caught some ribbing for taking so long to pick up Daryl and Auri, but after that as they all pitched in to get the rest of the snack food out and finish up the prep for the main meal, everyone fell into general banter.

Maggie was going to Glenn's parents' place for Christmas, and they all made a clamor enough to cause Glenn's face to darken a couple of shades. Her sister was also in the middle of planning a huge summer fund raiser celebration for Negan, while simultaneously seeking employment back in her hometown. Amy and Gareth were planning to have another baby soon and Andrea couldn't make it for the occasion today because she'd just gotten promoted to partner and was insanely busy.

Beth realized as she chatted with Amy about Gareth's family opening up another Taxi depot branch in Atlanta, since things were going so well here, that she was incredibly glad that Daryl had elected to stay outside. Personally she loved all the bustle and gabbing back and forth, however, she could just imagine how claustrophobic the hunter would be in here now. Hopefully her daddy had been able to smooth things over between Daryl and Shawn, because it'd be nice if she could stop worrying about people's reactions to her and him dating sometime soon.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon trickled by in a similar way, with her taking breaks now and then to go visit with the other guests. Not to mention keep an eye on her brother and Daryl, who seemed to have decided to stay out of each other's way. She was already coming up with a discussion to have with each of them after today was over. It had occurred to her more than once how similar the two were, they'd probably get along great if they could just chill the heck out.

When the time came for the main meal to be served, they put the two long folding tables end to end, and arranged themselves down their lengths. Beth was surprised to see how relaxed Daryl was, giving her the barest curve of his mouth when they got Auri set up in a highchair between them. The mild breeze blew scents of dry leaves and chilled earth, all mixed with the food that stress tested the weight limit on each of the tables. And when her Daddy asked everyone to join hands, Beth's eyes burned as she watched her man's expression go wry for only a moment before he was slipping a finger into his daughter's hold. Doing the same on the other side, Beth beamed at him over Auri's dark mop of hair, candy blue flashed back at her before they were all bowing their heads.

"Lord I thank you for the gifts you've seen fit to bestow on us," Hershel began, voice deeper and resounding until even the person at the other end of the table could hear. "Your glory and mercy is what brings each of these souls to be here and healthy on this day of thanks, and for that O Lord we return to you all our love and gratitude. Thank you Lord for allowing all our friends and family to be with us here today, we are truly blessed to be so rich in our company. And on a personal note Lord, I'd like to thank you for the happiness of my three wonderful children and my extraordinary wife Annette, their joy is all I could ever hope for. I pray next year sees us all here again. Amen."

There was an answering chorus around the table.

As they began to pass around the food and dig in, conversation broke out like firecrackers and laughter was close behind. Beth and Daryl quickly became engrossed in feeding mashed potatoes and gravy to Auri for the first time. The baby's dark blue eyes went incredibly wide with surprise, and Beth did her best not to make a goofy spectacle of herself with how cute she found that chubby little face. Looking across the goop covered infant, she saw that at least she wasn't the only one. Daryl watched his daughter with such an endearing grin on his face that Beth had a nearly overwhelming desire to lean over and kiss him.

But of course, even if he was willing it'd make him terribly uncomfortable, not to mention she doubted most of her family would approve – except for Maggie maybe. She made the mental note to kiss the ever lovin' heck out of him later, and went back to watching Auri scoop a handful at a time of potato into her mouth.

"Daryl!"

Many heads turned to where Sasha was helping her daughter Becca eat some stuffing.

Daryl responded with an upward tick of his chin, broad hand patting around the table beside him in search of a napkin for his kid.

"Tell Aaron over here that I got that outfit Auri's wearing and not him and Eric."

"And by her," Abe interjected, elbowing Tyreese who was trying to steal some turkey off his plate. "She means us."

"I meant what I said," Sasha laughed, nabbing the turkey herself and leaning in to kiss him when he tried to get it back. "Don't know how this man can't remember something from only a few months back."

"Ok," Aaron began, clearly looking to defend himself. "First of all, it is closer to like six now, and I know it was some kind of bright colored…something."

Eric looked at his husband in slight exasperation.

"Look at it though!" Sasha demanded, smile flashing brilliantly along with several others that were tuned into the discussion. Beth noticed her brother's mouth ticking up spasmodically like he couldn't seem to help it. "It's covered in Care Bears. You know I had a whole Care Bear theme going on. Did I not?" She looked at Beth for confirmation, brows stretched up near her hairline.

Everyone turned to Beth for an answer, even Daryl, who she was pretty sure knew it already but preferred to let her do the talking.

"Sorry Aaron."

Her apology was met with a groan from one person and a delighted cheer from another as Aaron glared halfheartedly at Eric, but only got a glass of milk waved at him dismissively.

"Don't even," the baker said, completely unconcerned. "I tried to tell you. Ours was Wreck It Ralph, you know how much I love Venelope."

"Dang it." Beth barely heard the mutter over the chatter as Aaron nodded. "The glitch, right."

"Daryl honey," her mama called quietly, people breaking off into different conversations all around them. "How's that bassinet working out? Still alright?"

Daryl bobbed a head nod in answer before responding. "Yeah, but m'gonna get 'er a' crib for Christmas. Doc says she might be thinkin' a' rollin' over an' stuff soon. Figure I better get her into something a little more stationary."

She knew it was ridiculous, and that he'd mutter many obscenities at her if she said it aloud, but Beth couldn't help but be a little proud of him. This kind of thing was not in his regular wheel house, and while he was holding his body in a way that told her he was nowhere in the vicinity of being truly at ease – he was trying so hard to be a part of everything going on anyway.

The rest of the meal went on without incident and she was glad to see that Rick's son, Carl, and Michonne's younger boy, Andre, appeared to be becoming fast friends. The two eating quickly and then asking if they could go investigate the farm, which was allowed – as long as they stayed close. After that all the adults chatted until it felt like it was getting later on in the day and cleanup started to happen. Everyone joined together to stop Annette from doing any of it, and as Beth's daddy was always quick to point out –

Many hands made light work.

It was around five, that Beth found herself laid out on her side, on top of a few blankets in the barn – a heavy patchwork quilt riding low on her arm as it covered the three of them. Daryl across from her and Auri between them, the baby already asleep and snoring lightly. Like during the prayer, Aurora held a finger from each of them, their nail beds and knuckles grazing now and again with each small exhale. The turkey-coma was quickly weighing down her eyelids, and Beth blinked lazily at the man who was making a careful study of her features.

"Ya never told me ya know," she whispered, drawing his gaze to hers. Daryl hummed in question, a few strands of his hair threatening to obscure his face. "'Bout the arcade, how ya ended up likin' it so much."

"Hmph," he answered, jaw quirking to the side before he decided to continue. "Was a lil' place in m'hometown, not even an arcade or nothin', jus' a' market with a' couple'a games in it." He scooted a bit closer, curving his body around Aurora, and Beth found herself instinctively doing the same. "Anytime I couldn' be in the woods 'cause the weather, or'd missed school 'cause a' m-" he swallowed down the rest of it and his focus slipped away from her momentarily to the sleeping baby. She felt a frost covered anger in her gut, bowed her body even more until their knees touched. Blue came back up to meet hers and he nodded the smallest amount before going on. "I'd save up all the change I could find, hid it in an old coffee tin out where no one would find it, an' when one a' them days rolled around I went in and spent the day there. Ole' man that owned the place didn't hassle me, long as I had the coins t' play an' didn't beat on the machines too much when I lost."

"Ya felt safe there?"

Daryl's face scrunched uncomfortably but he managed to hold her sight as he nodded.

"Only lasted couple'a years, old man Crenshaw died durin' a bad winter. Bank took the store, closed it down, sold all the shit inside including those games."

They were quiet for a while, feeling the warmth build inside this small pocket of world they'd constructed.

"You'll take me back there right?" she asked through a yawn. "To the arcade?"

"Arcade, meadow," he listed, going back to tracing the sweep of her cheekbone, the flare of her upper lip. "Wherever."

She was incredibly pleased all of a sudden that they'd been forced to take their nap here. Had they tried to do a similar set up in the house, they would have no doubt been tripped over – there not being too many patches of floor large enough to house the three of them. She'd voiced a concern about having Auri out in the slightly chilly building, amongst all the hay and animals. The little girl's health was something that rode central in Beth's mind at all times, and she wasn't sure if the barn would be alright for her respiratory system. But Daryl had shaken his head, said he'd grown up around a lot worse and faired ok.

So here they were.

A lot more people than she'd expected to had chosen to stay and nap – her bedroom had been volunteered to house some of the guests. Though honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if she found out it was Daryl's idea that that had happened.

Which was fine by her.

He was back to looking mostly peaceful.

Which was definitely something that she felt echoed within herself.

Auri kept a surprisingly sure hold on the both of them, and Beth watched Daryl's eyes slide along her face until the warm food in her belly, the long hours of the day, and the steady beat of her heart lulled her to sleep.

Any feedback welcome