... Chapter 36 ...

Figuring it best to not draw any more attention to himself than was absolutely necessary, Daryl walked the bike through the woods for the last two miles, covering the rest of the distance to arrive back at the house around dawn. It wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter. The main road leading to the mortuary ran straight through the center of town and there was no way in hell he was going to risk taking it without knowing exactly what it was he was riding through.

Wasn't like he hadn't thought about it though... he had... the daunting thought of pushing the bike that far practically insisting on it. An unexpected run-in with a group of walkers just outside of town had been quick to dissuade him of the notion. Scattered all over the asphalt, the few by themselves would've been easy to avoid, especially for a experienced rider like himself. It was the unknown amount that awaited him after the fact that had him ultimately deciding that he wasn't suicidal.

Reckoning it better to be safe than sorry, Daryl had veered the bike off of the road, cutting off both the headlight and the engine to push the Triumph silently back the way that he knew best. Arduous to say the least, the endeavor drained him of what was left of his stamina, the energy required to balance the bike's weight stretching it to the limit.

Although the terrain was flat for the most part, the trees that populated it were dense, making the darkness all around him seem that much more murky. Choosing to focus on the task at hand rather than the ambient noises that were trying their damndest to fuck with his head, Daryl pushed the bike until his muscles throbbed, his vision straining to decipher his way through the blackness. Although the detour had taken a lot longer than he preferred, he figured it was worth it to get both the bike and himself back to the house in one piece.

Clearing the woods, Daryl finally came out at the far side of the cemetery and huffed a sigh of relief with the knowledge that he was almost done. Over the ridge in the distance, the early morning sun was struggling to break through the clouds starting to creep back over the area. The mortuary sat alone amongst the tombstone and he made his way to the path that led directly to its front door, the gravel crunching under the bikes wheels and his labored breathing the only sounds to be heard.

Looking around for anything amiss, he noticed that the wind was starting to pick up again. As it churned insistently at the bare tree limbs overhead, it was nothing but an unfortunate reminder that the next round of storms were heading their way. Now that he was aware of it, he was glad that he'd chosen to go get the motorcycle when he did.

Pulling around to the back of the house, he set the bikes kick stand down with the heel of his boot and let the Triumph tilt on its own weight. Daryl didn't trust leaving it sitting out in the open so he went to go find something to cover it with. Eventually settling on an old paint tarp, he camouflaged it the best he could and left it there to suffice. With every part of his body aching, he was fucking dead on his feet. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed and lose himself in the welcoming abyss of sleep.

Taking the extra time necessary to check the exterior of the house, Daryl silently unlocked the front door and went upstairs. The house was eerily quiet and for a moment he was worried that he wouldn't find Beth in their room where she should be. Pushing open the bedroom door, he was relieved more than he could say to find that his fears had been unfounded. There in the minimal light he could see the girl sprawled out in the bed in just a t-shirt and her underwear, dead asleep and blissfully unaware of his return.

Propping the Horton against his side table, he shrugged off his jacket and vest before toeing off his muddy boots. Tugging the shirt he was wearing off over his head, he carefully crawled into bed next to her, unable to help himself as he slid an arm around her waist to pull her to him. He sighed in unexpected contentment as the warmth of her skin met the cool expanses of his own. Humming in return, Beth settled herself more snuggly into his lap only to fall asleep once more.

Daryl buried his face into her hair, surprised to find how much he had missed her. Hell… it wasn't even like he'd been gone that long. With a lack of any real impediments trying to make his life miserable, the journey to get the bike had been a lot less problematic than he'd expected. Not that it was a bad thing.

Of course, knowing that he missed her wasn't doing much for implementing his game plan of emotionally detaching himself and he sighed again resignedly for knowing it. Closing his eyes, he was too goddamn exhausted to dwell on it. The way he reckoned, there was plenty of time to figure out the ground rules for the two of them later.

….

He was dreaming, he fuckin' had to be.

Holy shit… if he was, he didn't ever want to wake up…

On her knees in front of him, Beth was staring up at him shyly as she held the rigid length of his dick steady for her mouth. Completely lost in the hazy moment, Daryl gritted his teeth in anticipation, barely daring to believe that she was willing to attempt such a thing. She had him throbbing painfully in her hand and he closed his eyes in bliss as she tentatively ran the tip of her tongue from his root to his tip.

Christ, do it… that's it... jus' like that…

He fisted his fingers into her hair, willfully holding her in place as the pouty fullness of her lips opened again in slow motion. Her little pink tongue came out to flick at him once more and he slid himself purposefully over its welcoming surface, pushing himself in deep as her eyes fluttered closed as well.

Fuck yeah…

Daryl moaned in his sleep, the sensation of what he was doing as amazing as he had always imagined it would be. He could practically feel her fingers tighten at his base as he worked himself steadily into the back of her throat, his load gaining the traction it needed to coat her insides in a torrent of thick hot spurts…

From next to him, Beth rolled away from the intense heat his body was generating, unintentionally dragging Daryl out of the best goddamn dream he'd ever had. His eyes sleepily flickered open as he lay there burning up from it, images of what had just transpired still coursing provocatively through his brain. Unable to move for fear of discharging messily in his pants, he saw in his peripherals that she was in the process of waking up herself. Yawning, she stretched languidly as she rolled onto her back, none the wiser to the excruciatingly awkward predicament in which he found himself.

What the fuck... now what the hell was he gonna do?

With him having only just taken her virginity, it wasn't like she was at a level of comfort with the act yet to where he could just roll her onto her stomach and purposefully finish from behind her what she had so dreamily started. Squeezing his eyes shut for knowing it, Daryl willed the aching erection away, forcing himself to think of anything but the hot little mouth that had caused it in order to do so. When he finally felt secure that he had succeeded enough to risk moving, he glanced over to see Beth staring at him.

''You're back.'' She said, stating the obvious.

Decidedly needing a cigarette after the erotically charged gamete he'd just been run through, Daryl reached into his side drawer where he kept a few for emergencies purposes and dug one out. Figuring the last five minutes fit that bill to a fucking tee, he shoved it in his mouth and lit it, using the disposable lighter he kept there with them just in case his own wasn't handy. He slumped back down onto the pillow and pulled a drag all while fighting off the wave of disappointment that came from waking up from such a thing.

''What can I say,'' He muttered around where it hung now between his lips, ''Shit didn't take as long as I thought.''

"That's a good thing, right?'' If the girl was aware of any lingering tension strangely radiating from him, she sure as hell didn't show it. ''How was it out there?''

Daryl thought about it before replying on an exhaled cloud of smoke, '' 'Bout tha same as it is everywhere else. Few more walkers… nothin' I couldn't handle.'' He flicked the ash into the nearby ashtray and looked over at her through the hair that hung limply in his eyes, ''How 'bout here with you? Any issues?''

In the process of pushing herself from the bed, Beth paused for a moment before assuring him quickly that everything had been fine. Feeling better for hearing it, Daryl gratefully lost himself in the quietness that came with her leaving the room for whatever reason that might've been. Settling into the ambiance, he tiredly finish up his smoke as his mind wandered aimlessly and without purpose.

With a bare arm set under his pillow, his head lilted over when she came back in. The muted light that managed to filter in through the boarded windows was quick to show him that her arms were covered in a multitude of abrasions, ranging in size and redness. Upon seeing them Daryl immediately shoved himself into a sitting position, the sudden movement making him inadvertently lightheaded.

''What tha hell...''

He could practically see her hold her breath in anticipation of the questions he was about to barrage her with as a look of dismay unwittingly crossed her face. Not caring in the slightest, he bit out, ''What's all that about? Why ya covered in cuts for?''

Sliding back into the bed, Beth quickly pulled the covers back over herself and arranged them carefully as if doing so could magically make him forget he ever saw them. Keeping her tone even and calm, she said placatingly, ''They're nothing… just scratches really.''

''Yeah?'' He growled, ''From?''

She shrugged, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

Daryl swept a hand down his face, his jaw clenching with the effort it was taking to not reach across the bed and shake the answers out of her. Knowing that she wasn't one to respond well when he got to yelling, he checked his frustration at the door and tried a different tactic. ''Didn't think I needed ta say this but I jus' finished walkin' damn near thirty miles. I'm tired as shit. Don't make me ask ya again.''

''I'm not making you do anything!'' She said more earnestly. ''Seriously, it's no big deal!''

''It is ta me.'' He pushed the covers back from her hip to find even more. ''Jesus! What tha fuck happened? Did ya or did you not jus' finish tellin' me that everythin' here went fine!''

''It did! I… I just ran into some trouble in the cemetery, that's all. Much like you, it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle!'' She rushed to add when her assurances did nothing other than make his eyes darken skeptically.

With her obviously feeling that he was overreacting and him fully believing that she wasn't reacting enough, Daryl pressed his fingers to his brow, taking a moment to calm himself down considerably. Drawing a deep breath, he regarded her before finally asking, ''You a'right though?''

Upon hearing his more composed tone of voice, her brow rose. ''Oh… so you do care. I was starting to think that you just wanted to yell at me...''

Daryl sniffed for the smartass commentary not being completely unexpected. Now all he had left to do was slow the steady pounding of his heart. After all, he would've had a hard time living with himself if something bad had happened to her and he hadn't been there to stop it. ''Yeah, well… that could still be a possibility. Jus' give me tha nutshell version an' we'll see.''

Realizing that he wasn't going to just let the subject drop, Beth sighed and told him about the five walkers that had trapped her in one of the old mausoleums. Without spinning the account too dramatically, she went through how she had locked herself in, leaving herself no other escape route other than the entrance. For lack of another viable option, she had resorted to having to create one for herself, the cuts that now marred her skin coming from her crawling out over the jagged rubble as quickly as possible. When she was done, Daryl couldn't help but feel as though he seriously needed another cigarette.

Slumping back against the headboard, he glanced over to where she was sitting there staring at him apprehensively, waiting for his reaction.

''I think I saw tha walkers you're talkin' about. Five big bastards, right?''

She nodded, seemingly relieved that he wasn't going to fly off the handle unnecessarily. ''Their arms were too long for me. I couldn't get a clean kill through the bars of the gates... at least not without getting dragged in. It was real scary for a moment. I…''

She paused, the silence extending long enough for Daryl to look over at her questioningly.

Lost in thought about it, Beth's gaze rose to meet his and she swallowed before saying quietly, ''I almost gave up… almost. My mind blanked and I couldn't see past the better choices I could've… or should've made. I kept hearing your voice in my head telling me to move and as much as I didn't appreciate it at the time, I think … I think its what ultimately gave me the push I needed to get myself out of there.''

Daryl regarded her for a moment. ''Nah, ya did that all on ya own. It's like I done told ya before, you're strong an' ya knew what needed ta be done. Everyone's allowed ta get scared… hell, we all do now an' then. It's all about how ya handle it after tha fact that counts. What ya did was fuckin' smart. I wouldn't have thought ta do it, that's for damn sure.''

Beth's eyes widened at the unexpected compliment, making Daryl realize that he had unintentionally given it. "Everyone gets scared?" She smiled before saying somewhat skeptically, ''Even you?''

''It happens…'' He shrugged with a smirk, shoving his pillow more comfortably under his back, ''Not always, but sometimes. Usually when I'm bein' told by a certain girl… I ain't sayin' no names mind you, that she got into tha very trouble I already warned her would earn her a spankin' if she found herself in again.''

''Oh, is that right?'' Beth said, still smiling as her eyes narrowed disbelievingly, ''Y'know, I might be scared of a lot of things but that's not one of them. And besides, I wouldn't have gotten into trouble if you had just killed those five walkers when you first saw them. I mean... technically, you ran into them first so I don't think I can really be blamed when it was you that chose to not do your job of saving the day an' all.''

The excuse was said with such sassy conviction that Daryl could feel the corner of his mouth notch up for hearing it, finding it more damn cute than he should of considering the circumstances. Like there was even a snowballs chance in hell that he was going to buy into any of that. Shaking his head disbelievingly at the notion, he made a point of saying, ''First up, you're always ta blame. Even if shits going exactly as expected, I'm still fuckin' blaming you. Secondly, I probably could've killed them walkers but… I don't know, guessin' I must'a been scared or somethin'…''

When his poor attempt at humor made her roll her eyes, Daryl reached across the bed and snagged her by the wrist, making her yelp in surprise as he hauled her determinedly on top of him. He sat her so she was straddling him, her bare thighs at his hips. Situating the girl more comfortably on his lap, he let his fingers lightly graze her from her waist down to her knees.

''Either way, I promised ya a spankin'… an' if I'm anythin', it's a man of my word." He drawled, trying his damndest to look like he meant it.

Beth's eyes widened as she stared down at him from her unexpected new vantage point. She obviously didn't know what to make of such a statement, especially considering that it had often been alluded to but never implemented. Seeing the humorous glint in his eyes, she gasped out, ''Oh my god Daryl! Don't you dare!''

Daryl let his palm hover threateningly over the area he had in mind, chuckling when she made a grab for it wildly. Sitting up, he playfully wrestled with her in his determination to see his intentions through, the supple curve of her ass protected by nothing but a thin layer of yellow fabric. Now laughing as well, Beth bucked against him, unable to help herself as she did everything in her power to deter his efforts to make contact.

That was all it took to change the dynamics of the lighthearted interaction and Daryl's gaze turned serious for knowing it. Getting his way like he always preferred, his hands still sought his initial objective but now did so for an entirely different reason.

He pulled her purposefully against him, causing the remnants of her laughter to fade in her throat as she became fully cognizant of it as well. He was so close he could see the pulse under her delicate skin skyrocket to life as the blood in her veins instantly began to race. Their bodies pressing together had the air charging around them as it always did and now that the girl was breathtakingly aware of it, her gaze dropped hesitantly from under its very palpable weight. Daryl paused, suddenly realizing that for some reason she was nervous.

"What's tha matter?'' He asked quietly, tilting his head to catch the eyes that seemed determined to look everywhere but at him directly, ''Ya a'right?"

Her hands were pushing lightly at his chest, making the question warranted. Beth met his gaze shyly before whispering, ''I don't know… I guess I'm not quite used to us being… this way… with each other yet.''

Daryl leaned back against the headboard, relieved as shit to know that he hadn't stepped over some invisible boundary.

''What ways that?'' He asked, keeping his voice low and unassuming. Tightening the hands he had at her hips, he manipulated the warm spread of her thighs against him, purposely stroking the heated core at their center against the rigid erection now back to straining between his own. ''… this way?''

Her lips parted as she nodded slightly.

''Don't ya like bein'… this way… with me?'' Daryl continued, repeating the enticing action just because he could.

Again, she could only nod. This time though it was accompanied by a slow aroused gasp.

Turned on himself, Daryl let his gaze drop down to where she had unknowingly but instinctively melded herself around him, the damp folds protected by her panties already pulsing with a need that she obviously hadn't gotten a handle on yet. Encouraged for feeling it, Daryl pressed himself against her once more, her body seeming to welcome the erotic interaction despite the trepidation that lingered in her eyes.

Beth elicited a breathy moan, the sexy sound of which compelling him to say to her, '''Cause I sure as hell like bein' this way with you. Probably more so than I should. What can I say… everythin' about ya is so damn soft…''

Using the hands she had at his chest, Daryl pulled her down to him, doing so just enough to leave her mouth hovering mere inches away from his own. For reasons he couldn't explain, he wanted her to close the distance between them herself... and he would damn well lay there and wait for her to do so. He needed her to show him that she wanted him too… that she wanted everything that he had to give as much as he fucking wanted to give it to her. With his resolution of controlling just how invested he planned on becoming riding him hard, there was no way in hell that he was going to put himself out there more so than he already had, his own stubborn pride demanding it.

Beth regarded him for a moment but didn't disappoint, lowering herself the rest of the way to kiss him with all the fieriness his body raking against hers had induced. She surrendered herself to him fully, the inexplicable nervousness that had initially come over her erased by the allure of his words. Feeling more confident for it being gone, her fingers threading eagerly into his hair, pinning his mouth under the weight of her own. Raking his lower lip between her teeth, she smiled when he grunted against her, the guttural noise letting her know how much he liked what she was doing.

With the premise of the test he was subjecting her to falling to the wayside, Daryl rolled her onto her back, yanking her t-shirt up and over her head as she went. The ardency of the moment had him back against her immediately, taking over as his mouth found hers to kiss her with all the hot blooded need she brought out in him. Sprawled beneath him, Beth met him fervidly for knowing it, mewling when he broke from her to drag his tongue to the sensitive area behind her ear.

Licking at her until she was shuddering helplessly, Daryl smiled himself for having gotten the exact response he had come to expect. Using his lips, he trailed a path down her body from there, finding her nipple to draw it between his teeth. Beth surged against him as the heated pull of what he was doing set every sensory point she had to blazing. Her nails dug into his back as he coaxed at her, his tongue teasing at the hardened peak until she cried out against him. He lavished the same attention on the other before moving on, his fingers stroking over the silkiness of her stomach before his mouth followed the path they were taking.

With the ache at her core becoming almost unbearable, Beth pressed herself to him, her body throbbing for a degree of relief that only he could provide. Daryl flicked his tongue at her belly button and much like it had their first time together, the deliberate action instantly causing her breath to hitch. She bucked beneath him awkwardly, her hands now fisting into the tangle of blankets beneath her as though doing so could prevent her from falling off of the edge of what he obviously intended to do...

''Daryl…'' She panted, her lower lip snagging between her teeth apprehensively as he shifted himself down on her further still, ''Oh my god… I don't…''

''Shhh…'' He hushed, his breath ghosting over the skin at her hip as he hooked his thumb into her panties. Lifting himself from her just enough to pull them impatiently down her legs, he tossed them to the floor to be forgotten. ''Remember what I told ya 'bout me puttin' my mouth on you wherever I could get it? Well, this is me doin' it… an' I've been wantin' ta do it to ya for tha longest damn time…"

Easily resisting the small hands that were trying their best to dissuade him from his objective, Daryl settled himself right against her to nudge softly at the curls that protected her most intimate center with his chin. Taking his time, he teased at her with the course scuff that grew along his jaw line, brushing it over the apex of her slit until her hips began to undulate from beneath him of their own accord.

"That's it… jus' relax… I promise you're gonna like it…''

From where she lay, Beth watched what he was doing breathlessly as a flush of heat seared vividly across her skin. Every feminine instinct in her was responding against her will and despite her trepidation. That Daryl would even think to do such a thing had her pulse jumping wildly and it was making her lightheaded. Unable to tell if it was from nervousness or excitement, she swallowed and pulled a deep breath, allowing herself to tentatively experience what he had in mind.

As if sensing it, Daryl used the calloused pad of his thumb to spread her slightly before lowering his mouth slowly between her thighs. She gasped sharply, her body arching from the bed as his tongue found her easily. He stroked it against her highly sensitive clit before sliding it into her depths, stabbing at her sensuously until she was writhing on him. Beth buried her face into the crook of her arm and cried out against her skin, the sensations he was inducing almost more than she could possibly bear.

Having gotten the reaction he was hoping for, Daryl nudged himself even deeper into her heat, the sinewy lock of his arms keeping her hips tightly to him. All the aspects that made him an effective hunter seemed to come into play, the natural tendencies that came inherent slowing the furious pounding of his heart to allow him to focus all of his intent on her. She was responding even better than he hoped she would and was without a doubt just as sweet. Keeping his pace slow and steady for knowing it, he garnered her taste to memory before dragging his tongue up to flick the tip of it where it counted the most.

With the recollection of how hard she had come on his fingers urging him on, he began working her in earnest, adjusting his technique until it was as unique as she was. The girl pressed herself against him, her body tensing in spasms until he found the steady rhythm that had her moaning. Bringing her to the brink of the abyss, he slid a finger deep inside her to stroke it purposely over her hidden trigger. It was then that he drew her clit between his teeth to suckle at it strongly…

Beth heaved from the mattress as she soared over the edge, orgasmic waves of pleasure surging powerfully through her. To ensure that her release was as intense as possible, Daryl tightened his grip and continued to lap at her softly, the pressure of his tongue easing until she eventually came back down to earth and her body was left throbbing against his mouth. The measure of his efforts left her shuddering in its wake and only when she was completely spent did he stop, her labored breathing the only sound filling the air around them.

Daryl pushed himself up from between her legs and purposely wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. There was an arrogance burning in his eyes that caused Beth to blush furiously at her unadulterated response to what he had just done to her. Embarrassed by it, she wanted nothing more than to hide her face in her pillow but found that she was still too euphorically depleted from her orgasm to drag it down from above her head.

''It's a little late ta be gettin' all shy on me now.'' He smirked, seeming to find her quandary amusing.

''I mean… what…? How…?'' Finding the making of a coherent sentence impossible, she gave up, hiding behind her hands instead as he just grinned wider for knowing it.

''Hell yeah. See... what'd I tell ya? I knew you'd like it.'' He crawled over the sprawl of her legs to dig in his side drawer for a condom.

Dazed but deliriously happy, Beth thought about it as he slumped down next to where she lay still trying to catch her breath. The unopened condom was wedged between his teeth as he unbuttoned his pants to kick them off. Tearing the wrapper open, Daryl rolled the rubber onto himself, the aching erection that had plagued him from the moment he'd woken up now throbbing that much more painfully for having reveled her unguarded response.

The simple act of looking down at what he was doing had the sinew that ran the length of his abs pulsing and Daryl looked over to see her staring at him. Worried that he had jumped the gun in thinking what was happening between them was going any further, his brows drew, ''What?''

Her lower lip wedged firmly between her teeth, she regarded him with no small degree of curiosity. "How did you know?''

The morning sunlight was skimming across the bare expanses of her skin, making it glow as she basked in the after effects of her orgasm. It made it a hell of a lot harder than it should've been for him to pay attention to what she was asking. ''Know what?''

A flush of color pinkened her cheeks again. ''That I'd like it...''

With the condom on, Daryl came back to her, nudging her knees apart with his own so he could guide himself tantalizingly to her entrance. Braced on his elbow, he took a moment to peel away an errant lock of pale hair that clung to the dampness lingering at the base of her throat.

''I know 'cause I know you.'' He drawled, easing himself slowly into her tight sheath. Her darkened eyes remained locked on his, her gaze unwavering despite the fact that she was now back to quietly panting for air.

''Don't have'ta be doin'… this…'' He locked himself against her, burying himself in deep, ''…ta know what ya like. Everythin' about ya tells me in ways that don't need words. I'm jus' good at readin' it is all…''

The bluntness of his full penetration had the girl tensing unwittingly as she unfurled to accommodate him. With the full length of himself now imbedded, Daryl leaned down to kiss her, somehow proving his own point by knowing without having to be told that she still found the act initially painful. He trailed a hot path to her ear, letting the stubble at his jaw rake alluringly across her skin.

When she shivered against him, he finished what he was saying, the low cadence of his voice ghosting over the curve of her neck, ''And I sure as hell ain't averse ta usin' it against ya… 'specially when it lets me do this…''

He withdrew from her heat only to sink back in even deeper. The snug vice of her body seemed to welcome his invasion and Beth arched up against him in response, the discomfort caused by his initial entry having faded much like it had before. His voice at her ear had her completely immersed back in the moment and she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him with all that she had, wanting him to know it. With her legs around his waist, she accepted his every stroke as he surged into her repeatedly, the residual wetness from her orgasm ensuring him an easy passage.

Melding his body to hers until they were completely in sync, Daryl found himself having to slow down again, realizing quickly just how close he was to blowing his load. Goddamn… seriously? What was it about her that had him losing the control that had come so easily in the past? Bracing himself on one arm, he went to reach between them when Beth stopped him, knowing fully what he planned.

''No…'' She breathed, making him pause, "this one's for you."

Any thoughts he had to the contrary were completely shot to hell when she tightened her legs around him, their surprising strength pinning him in her to the hilt. Taking the bold gesture to mean that she wanted him to fuck her in the no holds barred way he'd never allowed himself to dream about, Daryl settled his weight on her and did exactly that, thrusting into her hard like a piston stuck in overdrive. Beth could only pant from beneath him, pulling up her knees to give him full unlimited access to her depths. It was all it took for him to come harder than he ever had before, his body shuddering from the force of it as he emptied himself inside her.

Daryl hissed out an expletive from between his gritted teeth, unable to help himself. Utterly drained, he collapsed on top of her despite every intention he had of not doing so. He buried his face into the dampness at her throat as he gasped for air... vaguely aware of her fingertips as they softly traced the scar lines that ran the length of his back.

Not wanting to crush her like his body was threatening to do, he eventually detached himself from her hold and slumped down at her side with a long drawn out groan. The oxygen deprived haze he was in was making him feel like he was drunk, the dizzying sensation not helped by the racing of his heart. When both issues finally resolved themselves, he let his head lilt over only to see her looking at him expectantly...

''What tha hell?" He finally managed to say, coming off of his pillow to see her better, "That weren't even close ta bein' fair, ya know that?''

''What?'' Beth said innocently, smiling with an ingrained sense of feminine satisfaction that he never would've expected someone so young to possess. ''I have no idea what you're talking about.''

Daryl tsked in disbelief. Struggling to remove the condom, he said with a smirk, ''Yeah, right… sure ya don't.''

Righting the blankets, they both settled back down in the bed, Beth tiredly draping herself across the dampness lingering at his chest. The mutual energy expelled only added to the previous days exertions, making both of them too exhausted to do anything other than fall back asleep. Beth did so immediately leaving Daryl alone with his thoughts he lay there in the aftermath. The warmth of her naked body was pressed right against him and he suppressed a yawn, knowing full well that they should at least try and get up to put some clothes on.

Too damn tired to care, he pulled her in closer instead, the faint scent of wildflowers clinging to her skin quick to remind him of the resolution he had all but forgotten in the heat of the moment.

What had been so clear on the ride home had now become discouragingly convoluted. The efforts he was taking to protect his heart had him stuck in one hell of a quandary, one he was having a hard time coming to terms with as the opposing sides of it warred in his head. On the one hand, he could stick to what he knew, keep himself emotionally detached from the girl and not risk the debilitating fear that came with giving a shit. On the other was everything she had come to mean to him, a slim chance in a fucked up world to find a degree of happiness that he never deemed himself worthy of.

A self proclaimed emotionally stunted asshole with no personal experience to pull from, Daryl knew he didn't have the fortitude he needed to figure it out. He had never been in the semblance of a relationship before, at least not one that he could say he actually cared about. The girls in the past had come and gone, without names and completely faceless. They had served their purpose before disappearing from his mind without a trace. Much like his brother, he had used them all without qualms and had never felt the slightest degree of regret about it until now.

He closed his eyes, tired of dwelling on it. Drifting off to sleep, his mind gradually cleared as the slow, even cadence of his breathing fell into line with that of the girl in his arms.

He had wondered earlier what it was about this one in particular that had him losing every facet of the control that had come so easily… and now he knew...

It was her… Elisabeth Analeigh Greene specifically.

For him, it had always been about her.

…...

Another long chapter done and I would love to hear your feedback!

I am halfway through writing Chapter 40 as I post this and was wondering how you were liking the pace of the story? Is it moving too slow? Are the intimate scenes too much? I have to say, I really like writing them but know that they are a bit more than the average fanfic would usually entail. Am I staying true to both Daryl and Beth? Any input is always welcome! Thanks for reading and as always, look for new updates on random monday mornings.