Shutting her computer and releasing a deep sigh, Beth leaned back in her desk chair, tapping her fingers against her arm and staring out the window before her. She had just finished getting her thoughts together about the night before enough to compile some notes for her research. She refused to let what was going on with Daryl and his visceral reaction to the fighting to become issues in distracting her from what was important. If she could just stay on top of her schoolwork then at least she would have one thing that was a little bit predicable and controllable in her life.

Truth was, Beth was thankful for a way to keep her mind off of deeper tugging thoughts of how Daryl would act that night, or how Beth herself would behave. And that kiss.. That fucking kiss that Beth could still feel if she thought about it. She shook her head and closed her eyes tight to push it away.

It was best to go into the night not expecting anything other than training, because that's what they were supposed to do and nothing more. Beth smiled a little wryly, rolling her eyes and standing up with a stretch. She never was one to do exactly what she was told.

"Hey! How was the hot date last night? I'm guessing not so good since only one side of your bed has been slept in and you look like shit," Maggie spoke as her head abruptly popped around Beth's doorway.

Beth's eyes traveled to the bed and then to Maggie, shrugging her shoulders up. "I told you I wasn't going to put out, didn't I?" Clearing her throat, Beth walked past Maggie to fold some clothes strewn on the other side of her bed, which was something she didn't do often. Maggie, being the perceptive ass she was, picked up on it.

"Uhh.. What's going on? Have you been body snatched?" Maggie walked up to her and poked her arm, looking over her face skeptically.

Beth pushed her off lightly. "No, maybe I'm just changing, trying to start better habits." Beth had to inwardly roll her eyes at herself because she knew the habits she was forming were not good in the slightest.

"Wow...You really do need to get out more," Maggie tsked. "Come to the bar with me, Carl and Lizzie tonight. I promise, no lizards invited. We miss hanging out with you."

"Aww, how cheesy are you?" Beth teased but inside she felt a little twinge of sadness. She missed her friends too. "I'd love to but.. I actually have plans again tonight, so," Beth spoke carefully, preparing for the inquisition that was definitely coming.

"With the same guy?" Maggie's eyes widened. "Awe! I'm proud of you! We miss you and all but I'm fully aware of how much you need to get laid." She clapped Beth on the back, grinning and leaving Beth pleasantly surprised. "You can bring him by the bar if you want."

"Eh.. I think I'll wait a bit before I bring you guys into his life. I mean, he still has hope of living a Carl and Maggie free life," Beth joked, patting her sisters's arm. "But really, I'll think about it.. We'll just see how tonight goes," Beth said in an effort to appease Maggie, though she knew only her words wouldn't work forever.

Beth glanced at the clock, seeing it was 8:30pm already. "I've gotta get ready. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Beth smiled genuinely at her intrusive but caring sister.

"Yeah, for sure. Hey, I'll leave you the apartment tonight, okay? Just in case your date goes really well," Maggie wiggled her eyebrows.

"You don't have to, it's not going -" Maggie cut Beth off with a raised hand.

"I'm just saying, I'll crash at Carl's. Or, who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky too," Maggie said proudly. "I miss Glenn."

"You are truly disgusting. See you later," Beth laughed, shooing her.

"Love you too, sis," Maggie waved, leaving the room and heading straight toward the bathroom.

Beth wrinkled her nose, shutting her door and taking a collecting breath before getting dressed to leave. Included in her apparel for the night were an unfeeling heart and stone-cold face. She had a suspicion that she might need them, but she didn't know how durable and lasting they were.
_

Daryl was looking at his watch when Beth stepped through the metal sliding door of the warehouse, as if he was hoping Beth could be even a minute late so he could get after her. Normally, Beth would have made some petulant remark but being that she had no clue which mood Daryl might offer her, Beth kept her mouth shut.

"Thanks fer bein' on time frr once," Daryl said dryly, his gaze turning toward a punching bag hanging from a lower part of the ceiling.

Beth resisted the urge to be smart and addressed the bag instead. "We've never used one of those before.."

"Na, but clearly the way we've been trainin' ain't been workin' out. I thought ya could try somethin' more.. Independent," Daryl murmured, tugging on the strings of his hoodie.

Beth's eyes dropped to the ground. "You mean.. I should try something where I don't have to touch you at all." Her symbolic armor was already fading quickly away.

Daryl scuffed his boot against the cement ground before walking toward the bag, pulling some bandaging out of his sweatshirt pocket and holding it up. "Ya need ta wrap yer hands an' wrists o' else they will take a pretty brutal beatin'. I ain't goin' ta give ya boxin' gloves though. Ya won' need them if yer punchin' right."

"I have some gloves already, thanks," Beth shot back, not meaning for her reply to be so short but unable to shake the weird feeling in the air. She stepped up to the bag, flexing her gloved fists.

Daryl looked at Beth's fingerless gloves and then chanced a look at her face. "Those gloves ain't goin' ta protect ya how ya need it. Trust me, please. I've had plenty o' injuries an' I know how ta avoid 'em."

For some reason, Beth was suddenly incredibly annoyed. Daryl wanted her trust on this but Beth couldn't even trust him to not bail on her if things got intense between them again. She couldn't only trust him on some things and not others, at least that was her thinking and rationale when she spoke next. "I'll take my chances."

"Are ya really goin' ta challenge me on this?" Daryl's brows knitted together, looking at Beth in slight dismay and frustration.

"Look, I know you're my trainer but we are different people and we are going to fight differently no matter how you try to mold me," Beth shrugged off her jacket, and pulled her hair up and held up her hands. "These gloves are tough and I haven't hurt my hands thus far. You've never tried them so you don't know how they work."

"Darlin'... This is the stupidest thang ta pick a fight over. Seriously. 'M jus' tryin' ta look out fer yer bones, ya know, in case ya don' want ta break them," Daryl shook his head, scoffing. "Stop bein' stupid, take off the fancy gloves an' let me wrap yer goddamn hands. Ya can put the gloves back on after."

Beth swung her arm back, hitting the bag with a strong and precise punch, making its weight swing. It did hurt a little but not to the point where she needed to admit it. Daryl watched the punch with slightly parted lips before looking back at Beth and her hand. "I think they get the job done, don't you?" Beth said smoothly and raised an eyebrow high, taking another punch with her left hand this time.

Crossing his arms over his chest and letting out a deep sigh, Daryl watched Beth take punches. "Yer the worst fuckin' student an' listener in the world."

"Come on, Daryl...You know you like the challenge," Beth said in a faintly flirtatious tone, hitting the bag with extra force to try to distract from it.

"Hey, hey, not so hard. Miracle gloves o' not, this bag can break yer hand if ya hit it too hard the wrong way," Daryl said warningly, obviously ignoring Beth's comment.

"I'm. Not. Going. To. Break," Beth said each word with a punch accompanying it, trying to tune Daryl out completely, focusing instead on her form and pace, things that she and Daryl had been working on.

"Even the strongest can break, Beth...ya don' have ta prove anythin' ta me.." Daryl mumbled, shaking his head and tilting it down.

"Apparently I do," Beth panted, stilling the bag with both hands and looking at Daryl with narrowed eyes. "You think I'm not taking this seriously, that I'm just trying to find a way to get with you or something."

"What?" Daryl glared at her. "That's a fuckin' ridiculous thang ta say. What happened last night ain't got nothin' ta do with all o' this. I don' doubt that yer serious, I jus' think that we both got sidetracked an' need ta get focused again."

"Then you need to admit that the way we were training was the best for me. That I was improving. I work better with a living and breathing person rather than an inanimate object that doesn't react," Beth grumbled.

"Beth, every fighter uses the bag at some point o' another. Ya can hit it way harder than ya can a human without inflictin' pain. I don' see what the big fuckin' deal is here," Daryl walked away from Beth, tensing his fists.

"The big fucking deal is that you and I both know I can throw a strong and hard punch. That's not what I need help with. I need help with technique and footwork and stealth and all the things that you can help me with, Daryl. Not this hideous bag," Beth said with disdain in her voice.

She knew she was being irrational and childish. Years of psychology courses had trained her to analyze herself in tense situations, whether she liked it or not. She was acting out because she was still upset and confused about the night before and she couldn't seem to stop himself.

"I wish ya would do what yer told fer once without fightin' me on it!" Daryl called out in anger, turning to face Beth.

Beth jumped a little at the way Daryl's voice carried, blinking and taking a deep breath while tightening her jaw. "Fine, you want me to punch the bag? I'll punch the bag, Daryl." Beth started hitting the bag with consecutive punches, her heart racing.

Daryl walked back toward her cautiously. "Slow down, remember? It ain't 'bout the rate o' hits, it's 'bout the execution.. An' don' go so hard, y'all fuck yer wrists. Especially without them wrapped."

"I've got this, Daryl," Beth replied through gritted teeth, her whole body tensing as her right wrist twisted wrong on a particularly hard punch. "Damn, damn, damn...!" Beth stumbled back, grimacing in pain and cradling her wrist with her other hand.

"Shit.. Beth! Yer so stupid, fuck.." Daryl's voice was ridden with concern and frustration and Beth held back her tears, keeping her face as even as she could.

"I'm f-fine.. I just have to shake it off," Beth nodded weakly, attempting to shake her wrist and crying out in pain. "Okay, not so fine. Shit." Beth closed her eyes, her head spinning a little at the pain.

She hadn't even noticed that she'd started to wobble on her legs until Daryl's strong arms were steadying her from behind. "Alright, I'm takin' ya home. Yer useless ta me now," Daryl's words were harsh but his tone was gentle and Beth leaned on him gratefully, catching a soft hint of his cologne.

"You're going to yell at me, aren't you.." Beth asked shakily, wincing as a twinge of pain shot through her wrist.

"Definitely, but not now. Jus'...Relax, I'll get ya home," Daryl sighed loudly, leading Beth carefully out the door.
_

Beth was embarrassed. Her behavior had not only shown a level of immaturity to Daryl but it had also landed her with a fucked up wrist. She brought her knees to her chest on her bed where Daryl had insisted she go rest.

"I got aspirin, water an' ice. Oh, an' guess what? Now ya git ta wear the same wrap on yer wrist that ya were such an asshole 'bout wearing' earlier," Daryl said while he walked into the room, setting the things on Beth's nightstand and unrolling the bandage, his posture tense and his face tired.

Beth took the pills and swallowed them with a sip of water, wetting her lips and looking at Daryl cautiously before speaking, "I'm sorry.."

"Yer sorry? Seriously?" Daryl sat down on the edge of Beth's bed, looking at her incredulously. "That was fuckin' reckless. I git that ya were mad at me but hell, yell at me, scream at me, but don' risk yerself like that again. Yer lucky this is jus' a sprain that will heal up in a few days if ya take care o' it. It coulda been much worse," Daryl took a deep breath after speaking and Beth nodded softly.

"I just.. I know I acted stupidly and I promise to control my emotions. I haven't gotten to the point where I can shut them off like you can.." Beth replied meekly, holding out her wrist for Daryl to wrap with a slight cringe.

"Ya learn ta only focus on the fight. It takes time an'...Obviously I ain't perfect at it either," Daryl cleared his throat, glancing at Beth's face briefly. "I don' care how mad at me o' frustrated wit' me ya are, ya need ta listen ta my advice. I been doin' this fer years an' I can help ya avoid injuries an' mistakes that I made. I didn't have anyone helpin' me, darlin'."

"I know.. I will listen, I promise," Beth bit her bottom lip hard, wincing as the bandage started to round her wrist.

"Breathe.. I'll be as gentle as possible." Daryl's expression was concentrated while he wrapped Beth's wrist expertly.

Beth couldn't help but study Daryl closely during this moment. The way his tongue poked out of the corner of his lips a little and his eyes focused so carefully. The tension between them was still there. Being that close to Daryl on her bed and at night only amplified it. Not only that, but Daryl was being so caring and attentive. It was a side that Beth didn't see that often in Daryl, but one that she knew was strong underneath the surface.

When Daryl was done, Beth let her hand rest on the bed, her breathing even but her heart pumping quickly in her chest. "Thank you.. For everything. I'm not going to let you down like this again, I swear," Beth spoke sincerely.

"Ya didn' let me down. It was a stupid mistake an' a painful one, I think ya won' make it again...Will ya?" Daryl's voice was soft and Beth knew that his words also addressed the night before.

Beth licked her dry lips, running the fingers of her unaffected limb through her hair slowly while she looked at Daryl's face. "I.. I can't promise I won't do something stupid again. But I do promise to try my best not to." From Daryl's expression, Beth knew that he understood her double-meaning too.

Dar swallowed hard, lacing his fingers and exhaling slowly. "I'm.. I'm tryin' really hard, Beth."

"I know, and you're doing a great job at training me. Even if I act ungrateful and childish, I know you're trying hard and I'm glad it's you who's helping me in this unfortunate situation.." Beth was rambling and it took Daryl's next words to shut her up.

"That ain't what I meant.." Daryl's head shook faintly, his eyes traveling to meet Beth's, making her breath hitch.

Stretching her legs out and carefully crossing her arms over her chest, Beth mumbled her reply, "What did you mean?"

Daryl licked his lips, his eyes slowly descending Beth's body and over her legs. "I'm tryin' really hard ta not.." Daryl glanced back up, looking a little guilty, "Ta not want ya."

"Oh.." Beth blinked in surprise, trying to slow her racing pulse. "I'm not trying to make it harder for you, I'm sorry.."

"Stop apologizin'," Daryl's lips turned upward in a faint smile. "Yer jus' bein' yaself. Annoyin' an' stubborn you." Daryl rubbed at his temples, perking up in attention and looking at the door. "Where's yer sister, anyway?"

"She's out for the night, hoping to get laid but will likely end up passed out on our friend's couch," Beth chuckled lightly, rolling her eyes and exhaling deeply.

Daryl smiled lightly. "I should go an' let ya git some sleep. Make sure ya ice that as much as ya can stand it. When it hurts a bit less ya need ta move it as much as yacan stand. It will be less stiff that way." He stood up, straightening out his hoodie.

"Hey, Daryl?" Beth looked up at him, chewing on her lower lip.

Daryl tensed a little, carefully looking at Beth's face. "Ya?"

"It's hard for me, too."

"I know.." Daryl murmured lowly.

"Especially after last night.."

"We ain't gonna talk 'bout it, though.. It's best ta jus' pretend like it didn' happen," Daryl sighed and walked toward the door, stopping to lean against the wall beside it and look at Beth from a safe distance.

Beth furrowed her brow. "But it did happen and like I said, I'm not great at shutting feelings off like you."

"Remember how I jus' said ya should listen ta my advice?"

"Yes, but that's just in cases where I might get hurt," Beth replied quickly.

"That's right," Daryl said back, closing his eyes.

Beth absorbed Daryl's words with a soft sigh. "Then fine, it didn't happen."

"Beth..."

"No, it's okay," Beth murmured, standing up and huffing softly when Daryl tensed up more. "Relax, I just have to go get ready for bed," Beth motioned with her good hand toward the bathroom door next to where Daryl was standing. "I'll see you soon, I guess." Beth looked at Daryl briefly before starting to step through the doorway, pausing. "Thank you for taking care of me.."

"It ain't a big deal," Daryl mumbled back, looking at Beth's face with conflict, her deep blue eyes showing the slightest sadness.

"You okay?" Beth asked despite herself.

"As okay as ever," Daryl replied with a firm nod. "Goodnight, Beth. Make sure ya lock up behind me."

It took Beth two seconds before she reached out and grabbed the back of Daryl's hoodie, tugging on it to keep him from walking out the door. Daryl turned to her, blinking in confusion. "What..?"

Taking a deep breath, Beth stepped before him, backing him up against the wall slowly. It occurred to her how they kept meeting against walls, but this time the mood was entirely different than it was the night before.

Their eyes stayed locked as Beth leaned in and pressed the softest kiss on Daryl's unresponsive lips, her eyebrow lifting a little to ask if it was okay. Daryl's hand came to the back of Beth's neck and their lips met again but with purpose.

Closing her eyes, Beth leaned into Daryl, parting her lips lightly in the kiss, sighing through her nose when she felt Daryl's tongue curiously stroke her lower lip. Beth's tongue slipped out to teasingly brush against Daryl's between their lips before pulling back and pecking Daryl's lips once more, knowing she shouldn't push it further than that.

Daryl blinked his eyes open slowly, both of their breathing heavier than before. Beth just waited for Daryl to freak out, storm out, yell at her and say that he couldn't train her anymore. But it didn't happen. Instead, Daryl studied her face carefully, his eyes dwelling on Beth's plump lips and his tongue wetting his own.

"Ya never listen ta me.." Daryl finally spoke and Beth knew better than to reply to that. "Ya piss me off so much an' ya don' seem ta care 'bout gettin' yerrself into danger. Most o' the time I don' have a fuckin' clue what yer thinkin' er why yer thinkin' it," Daryl's voice was low and near a growl.

Again, Beth knew that Daryl wasn't wanting any input, and she was feeling smaller and smaller. She gulped, looking at Daryl's face. "I.. "

"No, shut up," Daryl cut her off, gripping Beth's chin with his thumb and forefinger and looking her in the eyes. "Girl, nobody can know.. When we're in public we have ta act like there ain't nothin' goin' on 'tween us. Ya understand?"

Beth nodded the best she could with Daryl's grip. "But wait, are you saying that you.."

"I'm sayin' that my whole life is spent fightin' an' I never git a break from it. I don' wan' ta fight this," Daryl motioned between them, releasing his hold on Beth.

Beth's heart was pounding loud enough to be heard in the silence of the room. "I don't want to fight it either.."

Daryl's expression was relieved but still serious. "There are rules though."

"Of course, I would expect nothing less from you," Beth teased wryly and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Fer instance, it don' distract ya from yer training, it don' b'come a habit an' like I said, nobody finds out."

"I can deal with all of that, it's what I figured," Beth nodded quickly, her lips puckering subconsciously while he looked at Daryl's. Unfortunately, Daryl pulled back as Beth mustered the courage to lean in for another kiss.

"Ya need some sleep an' rest yer wrist. Sweet dreams, Beth," Daryl paused before pressing a chaste kiss on Beth's forehead and walking out the door with his head tilted down.

While Beth leaned against the wall of her bedroom, she realized that this wouldn't be typical and it wouldn't be easy. Maybe Daryl had surrendered to the fight but he had spent years building a protective wall around himself and his feelings. One that Beth would not be able to easily break through and she wasn't going to attempt to.

As she made her way to brush her teeth, Beth accepted that she still wasn't the one calling the shots, Daryl was. But she couldn't help the little smile on her lips that stayed with her until she fell asleep, even with the pain of her wrist. Daryl wanted her and he wasn't going to fight it anymore.

It was already an hour after Beth had fallen asleep that her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Beth simply burrowed more into her pillow at the noise, still sleeping soundly and unaware of the text message that flashed across the screen..

Merle: Got a fight lined up for you, Priss. One week. You better be fuckin ready.