A/N: So I thought you all deserved a little more fun than what was in the reunion. Enjoy
Beth let out a long, dejected sigh. Empty again. All the cupboards in this kitchen were barren just like all the others they had checked this afternoon. She and Daryl had not stayed at the house long after the blow outs that had happened. The group was in desperate need of food and water so the pair offered to go searching for the much needed provisions. The couple of hours they had spent in the nearby houses had brought them limited supplies. The group at the compound had done a good job of clearing the houses close by so the pair had to be extra diligent in their searching. Beth and Daryl hadn't found any food yet but were able to fill up several bottles with a deposit of rain water from a storm not long ago. Beth also located a couple of suckers in a long forgotten junk drawer. A prize to bring back to Oscar so that at least they wouldn't be going back empty handed.
To her disappointment, so far they had stayed completely on task. Not a single pause or rest during their searches except for stopping at an overrun garden with budding pink strawberries. They had stopped long enough to pick a few of the ripest ones, gobbling them down. Beth had left the final two bars from her pack for the others to eat. Food really wasn't her primary focus right now. She was more than a little disappointed she hadn't gotten one of Daryl's mouthwatering kisses yet. Not a single distraction for them but Beth could feel Daryl watching her every time he thought she wouldn't notice, just like the days back at the cabin. She couldn't help but do the same, fleeting sideways glances at her man.
"Beth," called Daryl, breaking her from her thoughts.
"In here," she returned, closing the dishearteningly empty cupboard doors. "Nothing. Again.
"Mmm," he replied in a low tone. "Me neither."
She walked over to where he was standing in the kitchen entry way. "On to the next house then?"
Daryl nodded, his eyes lingering on her face. His body tensed slightly at her approach, barely noticeable to just about everyone but her. It was something she picked up, noticing him doing it whenever anyone entered his space. She knew Daryl didn't like people to touch him but somehow she knew these stiffened muscles weren't the same as with other people. From the months alone together, Beth knew the difference. She saw the difference while at the compound, when they were with people again. Beth believed this rigid stance was one to keep him from her, a habit he developed the weeks and months they were alone. He seemed to still be in the habit. He had yet to really initiate contact beyond the kiss he gave her two nights ago when she declared herself to him.
Time to give him another push. Beth smiled up at Daryl, brushing her hand over his as she walked by him. Her fingers grazed the back of his hand. Just the contact with his warm flesh again, the briefest touch, was enough to send a shiver of delight through her and created a want for more.
Daryl must have felt it too because suddenly his fingers latched on her wrist, stopping her instantly. Beth looked back at him, the desire apparent in his dark blue eyes. There was only a breath's space between them before they drew together, lips crashing into one another. Beth let her mostly empty pack fall to the floor with her bow, letting her hands wander over the living, muscular man in front of her. His crossbow found its way to the counter top next to him before allowing his rough hands to run along the exposed flesh of her arms. He repeated the motion from wrist to shoulders, caressing her slowly as they kissed just as achingly slow. There was a hunger in the kiss but it was restrained and controlled in a way that was achingly sensual.
The kiss slowed, Daryl nipping at her lower lip. "I… I was worried I was never going to kiss you again," Beth admitted breathlessly as Daryl finally completely broke the kiss between them.
He pulled back and looked at her intensely. "Never a chance of that," Daryl replied throatily, moving to kiss her again with a new urgency.
Their kissing quickly spiraled out of control. His hands moved from her arms to her backside, cupping her bottom fully. Beth let a small, sweet moan of encouragement escape her against his lips. Spurred by the sound, suddenly Daryl was picking her up, her body pressing fully against his. Going on pure instinct, Beth automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. She knew it wasn't safe to give into these baser urges but there was no stopping right now, especially as his hands tightened on her bottom.
Daryl walked them deliberately to the next room without breaking the kiss, sitting down on the closest couch there. Beth was now straddling his lap, returning every fevered kiss eagerly given to her. He pulled at the fabric of her yellow tank top, pushing up the material and allowing his fingers to skim along her lower back. Beth gave a little shudder of pleasure, her center involuntarily moving for more contact and causing her to brush against his growing hardness.
"Beth," he groaned achingly into her kiss.
He tasted of strawberries. It was the only coherent thought running through her spinning head while she kissed him. Beth buried her hands in his hair and broke the kiss to look intently down at him. His pupils were dilated, his eyes black and rimmed with indigo blue. It caused her heart beat to redouble in her chest, knowing she was the cause. Beth held his gaze steadily, and then very slowly and very purposefully she repeated the action of rocking against him.
"Sonofa…" inhaled Daryl harshly, unable to control the flood of powerful sensations washing over his entire body at such a slight motion. The archer tightened his hands on her backside once more, almost as if he was trying to hold her in place. Beth couldn't help but allow a small smirk to creep onto her flushed face. She did that to him, this was all new but the experience was extraordinary. It was beyond anything she had ever felt before.
Beth pulled against the grip trying to hold her in place and repeated the slow grinding motion once more. Daryl met her this time with a panting breath, rocking his hips up to meet her motion as he allowed his head to drop back against the couch, closing his eyes. Beth gasped as the hardness of Daryl rubbed against her aching center. She couldn't stop herself, it all felt too good to stop, as she continued once again to roll her hips against him. Daryl met her each time, pressing her down harder onto him as he rocked up to meet her each time.
She leaned forward, not stopping the blessed contact of their grinding hips. "I want you," escaped her breathlessly, a confession she uttered almost mindless, a moist heat growing between her legs.
At her husky confession, a violent shudder wracked Daryl's entire body and caused his fingers to dig hard into her sensitive back side. The make out session they were having was getting more intense by the second, both of them caught up in the moment. Beth knew they had agreed to take things slow but with the heat of what was happening right now, she knew she couldn't help herself and didn't know if she entirely wanted to even if she could stop. Hours after they had finally accepted what was between them as a couple, after months of fighting against it, they were torn apart. It could happen again at any moment in this violent, crazy world surrounding them. Waiting and taking this relationship slower didn't really seem like an option anymore.
As if sensing her thoughts, Daryl flipped Beth around, his muscular arms guiding her gently so she was laying down on the couch. His body was instantly on top of hers, grinding himself hard into the sensitive spot between her legs and grazing his mouth along her exposed throat. Beth bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to stifle the cries of pleasure from escaping her, but didn't quite contain them all. Her whimpered releases drove Daryl on, his hungry mouth nibbling on the delicate flesh of her neck while his hands explored under her shirt. The pleasure was intense, assailing her every nerve ending. This was going to happen; there was no stopping the electric force between them.
Beth's hands traveled under his shirt and vest, skimming her hands against his marred back. He flinched at the first contact but didn't stop her as she pressed her palms hard against him, caressing the skin of the man she desired. Daryl raised his head and hungrily found her lips with his own, demanding entry to the sweetness he knew lay within. She found herself realizing she was far beyond denying him anything… ever. Her heart skipped a beat as his hand came up, cupping her breast in his large hand. Reflexively, her nails scraped against Daryl's back as she arched up to meet his caress, his thumb strumming over her tender nipple.
Then there was a thud, a soft sound from in the room that came from neither of them. Both Daryl and Beth froze, lips pulling apart from one another and ears opening to more than the breathy moans and resounding beating of their own hearts. A blurred, scurried movement in the corner of the room broke Daryl off Beth and to his feet in one swift motion, his knife pulled from his hip and ready. Beth did the same, rising to a sitting position on the couch and pulling her weapon to her hand. It suddenly felt so stupid to have left both their bows several feet from them.
There it was crouched under a decorative table that held a fancy twisted glass lamp. Its long tail twitched angrily as the yellow eyes of the tabby cat stayed locked on them. It let out a low rumbling growl from its chest, letting them know they were not welcome here.
Beth made a move to go for her bow but Daryl stopped her. His hand locked on her wrist in a fashion that was so similar to five minutes before that it caused a stirring sensation low in her stomach. Beth gave him a questioning look, not understanding why he was stopping her from getting them dinner tonight. Albeit it was a cat, which was probably going to be worse than squirrel. All the same, Beth knew you couldn't pass up a meal in this day and age.
Daryl seemed to understand her question, even without words, one of the things she absolutely loved about him. "No."
"Why?" she asked him softly, the cat grumbling again at the noise they were making.
He jerked his head over to the feline. "Teats. She's full of milk. Reckon she must have kittens here. Ain't gonna take a mama from her babies."
Beth looked to the tabby again, noticing the swollen areas for the first time. The cat was thin, she could see that even under the brown stripes covering the animal but she wasn't starving. Beth understood the desire to keep the cat family alive, giving their lives a chance. She hadn't really wanted to find out what cat tasted like and she hoped she never had to.
"C 'mon, we should go to the next house," said Daryl with a raspy edge to his voice. He offered her a helping hand to rise from the couch.
She tilted her head back and to the side, giving him a sensual smile as she took his hand in her own. Beth pulled against him, not wanting their moment to end, and brought him back to the couch next to her. She wasn't ready to stop, wanting only to go forward despite their agreement for a slower progression. Did she dare push him on it? If she was honest with herself, she didn't really think she'd have to push too much from the hardness pressing against her thigh again as he cupped the side of her face with one hand and kissed her softly.
Beth reached for him, wanting his body to be covering her again only to have Daryl pull back from her.
His lips left hers. "We need to stop. We can't…"
She allowed herself a deep breath. "I don't think we really have to."
Daryl looked at her, his eyes still dark from the passion they had explored. His stare was amazing and intense, consuming her and holding her in place. Her breath picked up just from the look he held in his eyes. Her hand was on his knee, her fingers curling into his flesh.
"Beth," he uttered her name so softly.
She leaned to him, kissing him again before he could say more. Beth knew she was not one sided in this driving need. He kissed her back, and she could feel the force and the hesitation in him at the same time. She could tell his restraint was cracking.
That's why it was a surprise when he pulled back from her for a second time, groaning as he did. "Gotta stop, Beth."
She followed his retreat, nipping at his collar bone. "Why?"
He swallowed thickly under her teasing. "We- we can't…. This shouldn't be your first. Dirty, dusty room. Damn creepy cat watching us."
"Don't care about that as long as it's with you," Beth murmured, her lips against his beating heart of his throat.
"I do," Daryl replied, his hand at her shoulder and gently pushing her back from him. "Beth… I ain't… we don't have any protection."
She knew she should be grateful that one of them was keeping a level head, knowing that the thought hadn't even entered her head. She knew it was for her protection but at the moment, she just didn't care.
Before she could open her mouth to protest, Daryl gave a sharp shake of his head, "No, Beth."
Beth closed her eyes and sighed. "S'kay." She rested back into the couch, breaking all contact with him and letting herself calm down. It wasn't what she wanted, not by a long shot, but she knew it was the right decision.
A silent minute passed between them before Daryl cleared his throat. "We just can't chance it… not without… I mean, we shouldn't-"
Beth smiled at his stuttering and opened her eyes to him. "I said it was okay. I meant it, Daryl. I won't lie to you like that. It's okay. We'll live, right?"
The edge of his mouth twitched up. "Yeah, guess we will. Might be a bit hard to walk back for some of us though," he teased.