You guys really know how to make me smile :) I really appreciate everybody's feedback. It makes me really happy to know that y'all are liking the story so much! I'm sad that the story will be ending soon, but I promise of another story, or maybe even a sequel :) I decided to update again due to the amount of reviews I received, and because I know y'all want to know what happens between the two ;) I'm glad everybody like the Boondocks Saints bit I put in there ;) anyways! I thank you all again, much love, and happy reading! Reviews are loveeeee.
Beth put her pillow over her head and groaned. It was the rare occasion that Maggie had actually succeeded in Glenn home and they were getting to know one another in her room. There was quite a bit of growling on his part though and moans that sounded a bit like meows from her. Beth hoped they weren't doing some sort of kinky animal role-play because she just didn't want to hear that shit.
Giving up on the weak muffling powers of her pillow, Beth grabbed her ipod and put on her headphones, adjusting back against her pillow with a huff and crossing her arms over her chest. Her head bobbed mindlessly to the low beat of the song while she chewed on her lower lip and looked up at the ceiling, debating how this would go. See, when Beth listened to music, it either effectively drowned out her thoughts or it simply spurred them on, and lately she had a hell of a lot of thoughts.
Daryl's face hit her mind abruptly and Beth closed her eyes tightly, gritting her teeth. What was once a welcome sight had now become a painful reminder of what Beth didn't have anymore. After they'd met the other night, Beth had felt relieved that Daryl wasn't being cold toward her. But after more inadvertent deliberation, Beth realized that maybe it would have been better if Daryl had been cold toward her, because it would mean that he was still upset about them ending.
On the other hand, maybe Daryl being civil and trying to be himself was his way of saying that he wasn't actually that mad to begin with, and that after the fight was over, he'd be ready to resume things with Beth.
"Fucking hell," Beth groaned and changed the song in hopes that Daryl's face would leave with it. She had already spent entirely too much time thinking, and she would be meeting with Daryl the next night, which meant even more thoughts would be jammed in with the rest. She just wanted answers and some sort of resolve, but she wasn't getting any of that.
Beth had done her homework and Daryl had texted her the next meeting time and told her that he was ready to start practicing, meaning he was feeling better. It was a relief for Beth to hear, but she was really not looking forward to getting physical with Daryl in the fighting sense instead of the desirable one.
She wet her lips and drummed her fingers against the bed, taking a deep and calming breath. It wasn't just troubling thoughts of Daryl that had been frequenting Beth's mind, but also recollections. Bad ones, sure, but mostly the good ones. The ones that made Beth's stomach swirl and her cheeks flush faintly in remembrance.
Usually when a relationship ended for Beth, she wouldn't spend another second thinking about it. The lack of sex was a huge factor, she figured. She didn't regret having sex with him in the slightest, but sex definitely made it harder to forget.
But Daryl wasn't hers anymore and so when she started getting hard thinking about their sex, she felt guilty and ashamed. She moved the pillow that was on her face to between her legs in an effort to ignore the pestering of her lower parts but as always, her body had a mind of its own.
With a frustrated sigh, Beth slid her hand down over her bare stomach and into the confines of her panties to cup herself a little bit. She bit down on her lip to hold back any sounds as she started stroking it with purpose, her brow creasing in pleasure and her breathing becoming heavier.
She honestly just wanted to get it over with so she could sleep, so she went for the images that she knew would be make it feel the best, even if it'd make her feel like shit after. She thought of Daryl's hands on her, kissing her hard while he thrust quickly in and out of her in rhythm, their bodies melding together and their orgasms building. Beth let a quiet moan slip after a few moments and lifted her hips, her hand becoming a blur of movement as turned her head to bury her face in her pillow, groaning into it and finally releasing.
The hurt and shame had started to set in but thankfully the need to sleep won out and she was able to drift off without much more thought anything. When she woke up it'd be a different day but same story, and the only thing she had to look forward to was how entertainingly awkward it'd be for Maggie the next morning with her awkward sex with Glenn.
While Beth and Daryl were miserable, things in Merle's life seemed to be looking up. He was going to make a lot of money from the scorned lovers' fight and he was either going to be rid of Priss for good or have her finally put in her place. Either way, Merle would be satisfied.
So he walked in ease on the way to pick up his daughter for the weekend. The steel nub was in place of the blade he usually carried on his prosthetic. He had shaved and worn something nice that was a far cry from his usual intimidating street garb because her mother had no idea what Merle did to earn his money. She didn't care anymore, anyway.
Merle raised his eyebrows when she opened the door with a displeased glare. "Oh, it's you," she sighed.
"Easy, Carrie," Merle rolled his eyes.
"You know I don't like it when you call me that," she tapped her nails against the door frame. "Sophia is almost ready."
"I called ya that fer years.." Merle sighed loudly and looked past her to see Sophia come running.
"Daddy!" she wrapped her arms around him in an almost tackling hug, which of course didn't even make the sturdy man budge.
"Hey, kiddo!" he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Ready ta go?"
"Yeah, are we still going to see a movie tonight?" she asked in a sweet voice.
"O'course, darlin'. Go wait in the car fer me, yeah? I need ta talk ta yer mom fer a second," he said gently and she complied. When Merle turned back to Carol, she did not look pleased.
"What do you want?" she crossed her arms over her chest. "I do have a life that doesn't involve you."
Merle refrained from calling her a bitch and continued on with his original thought. "I was thinkin' I might take Sophia on a little trip sometime next month.. I'm 'bout ta git a raise at work an'.."
"I don't think that's a good idea," she held up a hand to stop him. "I mean.. You never had her for longer than a weekend."
"Yeah...'ecause ya don' let me have her fer longer than that.." he reminded, trying to control his flaring anger.
"There's a reason. You're not responsible and I don't trust your temper.." she shook her head. "And you know I have good cause not to."
"I'd never git angry 'round her. 'sides, ya always knew I had anger issues.. But ya decided ta be with me anyway, didn' ya.." he pursed his lips.
"Well, we all know how that turned out," she shrugged her shoulders. "He's out, you know.." she added after a moment.
Merle blinked and his jaw tensed. "Who is?"
"You know who.." Carol raised her her eyebrows. "He got out of jail a few days ago on probation."
"How do ya know that, anyway?" Merle asked in a tight voice to hide any twinge of uneasiness.
"We kept in touch.." she said timidly, "over the years. He's moving to the city, too."
"I see.." Merle attempted to remain calm. "I really don' care. But.. He don' know 'bout Sophia, right? Ya weren' stupid enough ta tell him, were ya?"
Carol rolled her lips in and swallowed, suddenly finding something very interesting on the floor to avoid Carol's stare.
"Are ya.. Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me? Seriously, Carol? Nice, real nice. I can' believe ya'd trust him after everythin'!" Merle scoffed.
"He's not the man he used to be! He has changed, okay? Martinez is a good guy and it just took some discipline to bring it out in him," Carol argued but her tone was careful.
"Yer unbelievable.." Merle snarled and ran his fingers through his short hair.
Carol gulped and looked past him to the car uneasily. "If you're mad then maybe you shouldn't take her right now.."
"Ya ain't keepin' Sophia away from me," he shook his head. "If ya want him back in yer life, fine, but keep him the fuck away from my daughter. Ya have no idea what he's capable o'," he warned and walked away from the door, going to join his daughter in his car and deciding that he wouldn't let his temper ruin his time with her. But as he drove her home, his heart pounded nervously at the thought of Martinez free somewhere nearby.
Maggie plopped on the couch next to Beth the following day with a box of girl scout cookies. Beth gave her the side-eye and Maggie smiled wide, her teeth dark brown from the mint chocolate cookies she had obviously been eating a lot of.
"Ew, brush your teeth," Beth chucked a pillow at her.
Maggie didn't even flinch when it hit her face. "No way, there's no point in brushing my teeth yet if I'm still gonna eat more," she grabbed her bottle of water and guzzled some, swishing the water around in her mouth and smiling after. "Better?"
"Yeah.. But you're still gross," Beth sighed, too exhausted to think of a more witty insult.
"Ooooh, Fight Club," Maggie wiggled her ass against the couch cushion, getting comfortable and looking at the flat screen TV. "But why are you watching this when it's like, your life?" She asked, taking off her glasses to clean a chocolate smear off with the bottom of her shirt.
"Because Daryl wants me to watch it to get prepared.." Beth brought her knees up to his chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and shrugging. "I used to find this entertaining but now it just feels all too real."
"How are things with Daryl, anyway?" Maggie nudged Beth in the arm.
"We're in some sort of relationship limbo, I dunno. I can't tell if we're even friends or if he's just putting up with me and trying to be nice so I'll cooperate for this fight," Beth sighed loudly and rubbed her nose.
"Pretty sure you're just over-analyzing as always. You know, anal isn't always a good thing," Maggie said very matter-of-factly.
"What the.." Beth looked at her sister incredulously and laughed. "It amazes me that you think you're clever when you say shit like that."
"I'm just saying, go with the flow and do what you've gotta do. Once you're free from this whole thing, maybe you and Daryl will have another chance. One thing's for damn sure, there's no way you can make it work if you don't get your skinny ass free. So, get out of your head and focus on beating Daryl up," She handed Beth a cookie.
Beth took it and popped it in her mouth, mumbling around the food, "thank you. I'm meeting with him tonight, so we'll see."
Maggie wrinkled her nose while he watched Beth talk with her mouth full. "Really, you call me gross? I don't understand how someone so pretty can be so disgusting.." She tutted and stood up from the couch.
"Hey, by the way.." Beth swallowed. "I wasn't gonna ask but, what the hell did you and Glenn do last night..? I heard animal noises."
"Ohh.." Maggie shuddered. "He made me chase him around the room and bark like a dog. It's amazing what I'll put up with to get some. Anyway, he took the whole being a cat thing pretty seriously. You should see the scratches on my back!" She started to lift her shirt and Beth covered her eyes.
"Noooo, I don't want to see them," Beth shook her head adamantly.
"Wow, you're a pretty big wimp for someone who punches people for a living," Maggie laughed and headed off toward her room. "Good luck with Daryl later, don't be stupid."
"Yeah, thanks.." She would need to remember that. As much as she hated to admit when Maggie was right, she was right. Beth just needed to get over herself, as always, and focus on cooperating for the fight. So she watched the movie attentively and took mental notes on the way the actors and stuntmen moved their bodies to block and inflict "damage". After having fought for real, Beth could tell the distinction between that and the fake stuff, which meant that Merle would be able to tell, too. It was all going to be much harder than Beth had initially thought.
"Good, that's good," Daryl nodded, watching Beth's form as she swung punches at a sandbag that Daryl had hung up in the barn as a makeshift solution to not having the nicer equipment that Merle had provided.
Beth was punching in a slightly different and more ineffective way, like Daryl had just taught her. The technique she was practicing and trying to grill into her mind was one that wouldn't hurt Daryl as much when Beth's fist met his face. It wasn't the correct way to punch, but it looked real and it wouldn't do the damage of a legitimate hit.
"I need a little break," Beth panted and leaned down to rest her hands on her knees.
"Ya, we can take five minutes," Daryl allowed and glanced down at his watch.
Beth sighed and wiped the sweat dripping down her forehead with the bottom of her wifebeater, her cheeks burning when she felt Daryl's eyes on her. She dropped the shirt and rolled in her lips as she caught the movement of Daryl's Adam's apple in a slow gulp. Beth would have smirked and teased him but she couldn't bring herself to move; the tension was holding her in place.
After a fully charged moment, Daryl sighed loudly and took a long swallow of water, wiping his lips on the back of his hand. "Alright, ya seem warmed up.." he noted lowly. "I want ya ta try kneein' me next ta the hip but make it look like ya got my lower stomach, okay?"
Beth blinked and let out a deep sigh. "You make it sound so easy," she stretched her neck from side to side and approached Daryl cautiously.
"No, Beth, the fight ain't 'tween two turtles, it's 'tween two people that are supposed ta be fightin' hard," Daryl reached out and grabbed Beth's arm, tugging her forward abruptly. "Now, I gotten rid o' the distance so ya jus' have ta hit me," he raised his brows.
There was still hesitance in Beth and it pissed her off because she knew it was only holding both of them back. If she couldn't hit Daryl when it was just the two of them, there was no chance she'd be able to perform in front of a huge crowd of people. "Fuck, I.."
Daryl rolled his eyes and shoved Beth on the shoulders. "Com'on, hit me," he said in a commanding tone.
Beth narrowed her eyes and rolled her shoulder back when Daryl moved to push her again. "Quit it, I'm getting to it," she grumbled.
"There ain't no time fer thinkin', girl, jus' react," Daryl elbowed Beth in the side and Beth put up her other arm to block him before he could go for it again. "Don' make me hurt ya badly.." Daryl said in a warning tone that said he really didn't want to.
A look of disappointment covered Daryl's face when Beth swallowed nervously and dropped her arms. When Daryl swung his fist back with an apologetic sigh, Beth reacted quickly. She ducked to avoid the punch and gripped Daryl's shoulder while she angled her knee to make impact just to the left of Daryl's hipbone, making the man groan a little and stumble back.
Beth froze as Daryl rubbed the spot with his head ducked down. After a moment he slowly lifted his head and a faint, proud smirk was on his lips. "So ya do have some fight left in ya."
Beth pretended to scratch her cheek with her raised middle finger. "I've got plenty."
"Ya? Show me more.." Daryl wet his lips and without warning flipped around behind Beth and caught her arms in a tight hold.
Beth struggled against them and growled in frustration, finally stamping on Daryl's foot and bringing her elbow back just below Daryl's ribs, like they had talked about. When Daryl's grip loosened a little, Beth forced her forearms against Daryl's hold to break free. She turned around and took a swing at his jaw, landing a punch squarely on it and making Daryl's head move roughly to the side.
Beth put her hand over her chest and panted, waiting for Daryl's reaction to the punch. Beth didn't want to have to punch Daryl in the face during the fight, but even she knew that it would look beyond fake if they didn't go for each other there. But after Daryl's instruction and Beth practicing on the sandbag, she had no idea if she'd executed it properly.
Daryl raised an eyebrow and turned his head to face Beth once again, a small huff of laughter coming from him. "Damn.. Not bad."
Beth scoffed and was able to hold back a blush at the intense look Daryl gave her as he rubbed over his jaw.
"That's exactly what we need. We have ta go hard but not so hard that we really do beat the shit out o' each other," Daryl spoke again as if his instructions were easy.
"Well.." Beth bit down on her lip and shuffled a foot against the dirty ground when a lingering thought pushed to the front of her mind. "What if Merle catches on that it's fake? I mean.. What if he notices that we aren't fighting as hard as we can.."
Daryl sighed deeply and brought his hands to the back of his neck. "If that happens then.. We go fer real."
Beth blinked and her eyes widened at the idea. "W-what? That's absurd! You're saying we will really have to fight, all out?"
"If Merle notices that we're takin' it easy on each other, fuck yes. Beth, do ya really want him ta back out on his deal an' keep ya on? This is yer fuckin' chance ta be free an' I'll be damned if ya lose it 'cause yer a pussy 'bout this," Daryl said sternly. "I'm serious, Beth. If I think that Merle suspects us, 'm gonna give ya a cue ta start really hittin' me."
"I can't, no!" Beth started pacing and shaking her head. "This is not what we agreed on. The only reason why I even complied was because you said that we would fake it."
"An' we will," Daryl looked her in the eyes. "But we have to consider all possible outcomes.. Merle knows me, okay? He knows how I fight an' if he's payin' close attention, he will be able ta tell that 'm holdin' back. So.. We might have ta really fight in the end."
Beth honestly felt like crying, but not because she was sad, but because she was so fucking frustrated by her status of being owned by Merle. And it was for that very reason that she knew she had to do this how Daryl said. She had to play by the rules, this one last time.
"Fine. I have one condition though, and there's no way you're saying no," Beth braved and cocked an eyebrow.
"What is it?" Daryl said in faint annoyance, obviously expecting Beth to have some sort of retort.
"If I hurt you.. You have to let me take care of you after, just until I know you're okay. Then, I'll go or do whatever you want," Beth spoke clearly and firmly.
Daryl hesitated and gave Beth a pained look before nodding slightly. "Okay.. But if I ain't hurt that badly, then no."
"No, you let me take care of you, even if you aren't hurt that badly. I think.. I think we owe it to each other to just talk and be together a little bit before this.." Beth held out her hand to the side and swallowed thickly. "Before this all ends."
If Beth hadn't seen the conflicted look on Daryl's face before he dropped it down, she might have thought that Daryl really was over her and feelingless. "Alright. Y'all be.. Y'all be hurt too. I'll make sure yer okay an' then yer sister can take over. She'll do a good job."
"Have I mentioned that this sucks? All of it.." Beth picked up her water bottle and took a sip. "I don't really want the last day we spend together to consist of us kicking each other's asses, you know?"
"Beth, please," Daryl held up a hand. "We ain't gettin' into that. Ya an' I both have no clue what's goin' ta happen. We'll just.. Go with it. Okay?"
Once again, Daryl made something sound so easy when it really wasn't. "Yeah, okay," Beth nodded, knowing she'd only make things worse by bringing up more painful topics. At this point, physical pain was more bearable than the emotional kind.
"So, ya hit me now.." Daryl changed the subject. "But ya need ta feel how I do it."
A thought crossed Beth's mind that if anyone overheard their conversation it would sound incredibly kinky and fucked up. "I can handle it," Beth shrugged. "Just, try not to give me another black eye. People think I'm an asshole when I wear sunglasses indoors."
Daryl chuckled lowly. "Don' worry, yer eyes are safe. My aim is pretty spot on," he cracked his knuckles and flexed his fist. He raised his fist and looked at Beth's face. She was grimacing, wincing. He breathed deeply and felt a sickening feeling wash over him. "Ya have ta tell me if ya feel like it's too hard," Daryl whispered. He felt like he was going to be sick. He breathed in deep and connected his fist to her jaw.
"Fuck," Beth groaned and worked her jaw after, bringing her hand up to it and thinking. "Yeah.. That wasn't too bad," she decided slowly with a nod. "I can bear it."
Daryl let out an audible sigh of relief. "Excellent, I guess ya really do have a hard head," Daryl teased and didn't see it coming when Beth shifted quickly to kick Daryl in the back of the knees, making him crumble to the ground.
Beth moved behind him and got him in a headlock, laughing. "Maybe you should spend less time making fun of me and more time watching your back."
Daryl abruptly reached back and grabbed Beth's hips, hunching his back forward at the same time to flip Beth over his head and make her land rather unceremoniously on her back on the ground. The dust around them sifted up and Beth coughed at the impact and the dirt particles.
"I think I can do both, yeah?" Daryl smirked down at her and stood up, brushing off his knees.
Beth lifted her head slowly and propped herself up on her elbows, wincing. "Hey, why didn't you teach me how to do that?" She whined and rubbed the back of her head.
"'cause I can usually only git ya ta focus fer a few minutes 'fore ya git distracted," Daryl wiped his face on his towel.
Beth stood up and cringed as she cleaned the dirt off the ass of her pants, stepping over to Daryl. "I'm focused.. I want to learn how to flip you over. Maybe if we do a lot of that then the crowd and Merle won't notice we aren't hitting each other as much as we could be. I mean, it's all about the show, right?"
"Actually.. That's a pretty fuckin' good idea," Daryl admitted. "The people go wild over shit like that."
"See? My hard head is clever, at least," Beth grinned and Daryl twisted the towel in his hand and snapped Beth on the back with it, making her squeak and punch Daryl in the shoulder.
"Damn, yer gettin' stronger," Daryl lifted his shoulder with a groan and squinted one eye. "Alright, 'm gonna teach ya how ta do what I jus' did."
"But wait.. Are you sure I am strong enough for that?" Beth asked sheepishly, her confidence waning. The image of her flipping Daryl was more comical than anything.
"It ain't 'bout strength, it's jus' 'bout applyin' the proper resistance," Daryl popped his lips. "So git down on yer knees."
Beth bit back a smirk and Daryl huffed. "Oh, come on," Daryl shook his head but Beth caught the faint pink coloring of his cheeks and it made her stomach tighten.
She complied and got down on her knees as Daryl moved behind her. "Alright," he wrapped his arm around Beth's neck. "Yer back is gonna do most o' the work when ya bend over, ya jus' have ta git a good grip on my hips er thighs. Whichever is easier ta grab."
Beth reached back and felt around blindly as the pressure on her neck increased a little. They both froze when her hand accidentally brushed Daryl's crotch. Beth quickly moved her hands to Daryl's hips. "I'm sorry, I.."
"Definitely don' grab me there.. I can recover from a lot, but not if ya flip me by my dick," Daryl said seriously but after a beat they both started laughing.
"Oh my God.." Beth wheezed as Daryl still had a grip around her neck. "I solemnly swear to not flip you by your dick, Daryl."
"See? Ya stopped focusin' again," Daryl tried to scold but he was still laughing a little.
Beth rolled her eyes and gripped Daryl's hips firmly before bending forward and awkwardly but effectively flipping Daryl over on his back. Daryl landed with a surprised 'oof'.
"I think I was focusing fine," Beth brushed off her hands and looked down at Daryl's upside down face.
Daryl blinked up at her and dropped his arms out to the side. "Yer a fast learner.."
"When I really want to know how to do something, I learn very fast," Beth murmured and swallowed at the rising tension that was between them. Beth was still on her knees and the top of Daryl's head lay a foot or so away. Beth wet her lips and rested her hands on her thighs, her heart pounding in her chest. "You just gonna lay there all night? Did I win?" She attempted to lighten the mood.
Daryl sat up, shaking his head. "I don' give up that easily," he fixed the vest on his shoulders and turned to face Beth, getting on his knees as well to take a breath. "Ya did good, Beth," his eyes slowly met hers.
"I have a good teacher, so.." Beth's lips quirked up in a nervous smile as she was watched Daryl inch just a little closer.
Daryl licked the corner of his lips and pursed them, his eyes searching over Beth's face. "Ya'll have a bruise where I punched ya.." he brought his hand up to lightly trace a finger along Beth's jaw line.
Beth's breath hitched and she tried hard to not move, so afraid that if she did Daryl would come to his senses and stop touching her. After a moment, Daryl's hand dropped and his head moved down with it. "God, Beth.."
"It's okay.." Beth mumbled, finding her voice.
"No, this is harder than I thought it would be.." Daryl shook his head slowly.
"It's exactly as hard as I thought it would be," Beth shrugged. "Maybe we should call it a night?" Beth was shocked by her level head and her ability to resist what she wanted so much.
"Ya.." Daryl sighed. "I guess we should," he looked at his watch. "We been here fer four hours.. Ya probably have other shit ta do," he stood up and stretched his back before offering Beth his hand to stand up too.
When Beth took it, the charge between them was only amplified and it caused her to stand shakily to her feet. They didn't drop each other's hands right away and Beth studied them for a quiet but intense moment. When she dared to look at Daryl's face, she found him looking right back at her.
"I.." Daryl bit down on his bottom lip hard. "'m sorry.."
"For what?" Beth's voice came out unevenly and her brows creased.
Instead of answering, Daryl leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to Beth's. Beth breathed in quickly through her nose and let her lips return the pressure, lightly parting them after a moment to see what Daryl would do. Daryl slipped just the tip of his tongue between them and curled it lightly to brush over Beth's tongue. Beth shivered and gripped Daryl's upper arms, her head tilting so she could slide her tongue further along Daryl's.
Daryl roughly grabbed Beth's hips and pulled them against him, his hands finding Beth's ass and kneading it while his teeth scraped over Beth's bottom lip. A moan from Beth was muffled into the kiss and she let her arms move around Daryl's neck, licking and nipping at his upper lip.
Both shuddered when their bodies became flush and Beth's hands tangled in Daryl's hair, tugging on them lightly as their tongues twisted and swirled between their parted lips. Far too soon, Daryl pulled back with a soft wet noise emphasizing their lips separating.
They rested their foreheads together and panted over each other's lips while Beth waited for Daryl to freak out, because she knew it would come.
As anticipated, Daryl let go of Beth and turned his back on her, shaking his head. "Fuck, fuck.."
"Relax.. It's okay," Beth started in a weak voice.
"No, it ain't. I kept tellin' ya that it was over an' then it was me who kissed ya.. I had no right ta," Daryl murmured and brought his hands to his temples.
"You had every fucking right to," Beth started to get annoyed. "I don't see the big deal in you kissing me. We've done it before, Daryl, a lot."
"It'll be jus' like last time, darlin'. We'll git wrapped up in it an' we'll start slippin' an' git sloppy 'bout our work," Daryl turned with his arms crossed over his chest, his lips slightly swollen. "'m sorry, but I can' let history repeat itself. I have no intention fer that ta happen."
"Then why the hell did you kiss me? We were doing fine," Beth huffed and reached to grab her jacket.
"I said I was sorry!" Daryl argued. "I couldn' resist.."
"Yeah, well, you don't get just part of me. You can't kiss me whenever you want and apologize and think it'll be okay," Beth shocked herself with her own words.
"Beth...Ya jus' said it was okay.." Daryl said in a confused voice. Frankly, Beth didn't blame him for feeling that way.
"I meant, it's okay to kiss me if you want more. If you want it to be how it was. But you can't just kiss me when you feel like it and then go back to being cold right after. Sorry, but, my feelings have already been through the blender. I don't need them shaken up any more," Beth asserted and put her jacket on.
Daryl tilted his head, studying Beth's face before dropping his head in shame. "Yer right.. Yer completely right. It won' happen again, I swear ta ya."
"Wait.." Beth held out a hand. "That's not what I want, either. Fuck.. Don't say it won't happen again. Just.. Let's stick to our rules until after the fight, and like you said.. We'll see where it goes. But Daryl, I can't fall for you more if you're just going to drop me again after.. I really can't."
"I understand.." Daryl said tightly and swallowed roughly after. "Completely."
"Come on.. It's late, let's go," Beth murmured shakily, the whole situation feeling a bit surreal.
Beth crossed her arms over her chest when the cool night air hit her and she could see her breath as it came out in shaky strains. The loud noise of Daryl locking up the barn seemed even more punctuated in the silence around them, making Beth feel uneasy.
Daryl looked over at the car and then back to Beth, apology still in his eyes. "I hope that didn'.. Mess up how well we been able ta be 'round each other."
"It's not going to affect anything," Beth closed her eyes and shook her head, shivering lightly. "Let's get in the car because I'm freezing."
Daryl nodded and reached out to pat Beth on the arm before walking toward where the car was parked and hidden by some trees, just in case. "I talked ta Merle...Since 'm back in commission, the fight is goin' ta be in a week. I didn' tell ya b'fore 'cause I didn' want ta stress ya out.. We can meet a couple o' more times b'fore then but, 'm learnin' that there ain't a whole lot we can do ta prepare."
"Great, fucking great.." Beth sighed loudly and kicked at some loose gravel.
"Beth.. It's almost over. Yer almost out o' this an' then nobody will call the shots but yaself," Daryl said gently.
"And you-" Beth began.
"An' I will fend fer myself, as always," Daryl reminded her firmly. "It ain't nothin' fer ya ta worry 'bout anymore."
Beth sniffed but kept her face from conveying the hurt that Daryl's words had caused. "Yeah, I know you can take care of yourself. But just.. Remember our deal, okay?"
"I remember it, an' I will let ya care fer me a bit if I'm hurt after the fight," Daryl nodded slowly and unlocked the car.
"Good.. Where is the fight gonna be anyway?" Beth questioned, opening her door tiredly.
"There's a few different venues that Merle is checkin' out," Daryl rolled his eyes. "But my guess is that he'll go fer the biggest. There's an ol' amphitheater nearby that is temporarily closed fer repair. It's risky but, that'll draw an even bigger crowd," Daryl sighed and got into the car, starting it up and turning on the heater, much to Beth's pleasure.
"I just can't wait to get it over with," Beth said honestly, looking out the window and listening to the sound of the tires rolling over the gravel. "It makes me feel sick to even think about it."
"It's gonna be okay, Beth," Daryl hesitantly reached over and put his hand on her knee, squeezing it.
Beth turned her gaze to Daryl and their eyes met. "You sure about that?"
"Yeah.." Daryl glanced at the road and then back to Beth with a slow nod, his hand searching for Beth's to lace their fingers. "I'm sure."
Beth looked down at their hands as if they were foreign objects she was trying to interpret. Rather than add this occurrence to the endless mysteries and thoughts in her head, she decided to ask. "Do you mean that you think we might have a shot after all of this..?"
Daryl rubbed his lips together and slid his hand over the steering wheel, nodding faintly. "I don' see how I can stay away from ya. I don' know how I convinced myself that maybe I could."
Beth's breath caught and her heart started beating at an embarrassingly loud volume. "After all of this is over, we're gonna figure it out," Beth rested her cheek against the headrest, looking at Daryl and rubbing her thumb along Daryl's knuckles. "Even if it takes time and we have to go through more shit, I think we've proven we can handle it."
Daryl looked over at her with a sad but genuine smile. "Yer right.. It don' mean that ya can hold back when we fight, though. Ya know that, don' ya?"
"I have an even greater reason to not hold back now," Beth held up their hands and squeezed Daryl's "Don't worry, I'm going to make sure I win so I can get out of this.. And be there for you when you do, too."
Daryl brought Beth's hand over and kissed the back of it. The feeling was so familiar and comfortable but it also frayed Beth's nerves. It seemed a million ways of fucked up that the whole reason why she was doing this fight was so she could be with Daryl and yet Daryl was the person she was fighting. Merle was a bastard through and through, and no matter what Beth had to do, she was going to make him pay for everything he had done to Beth and Daryl.
…...
He snuck out from the protection of the woods and watched the car drive away, his mind racing with what he'd overheard the two talking about. He'd recognized one of them, Dixom, but he was older now and with a girl that he didn't know. He leaned against the wall of the barn, reveling in the nostalgia that being there brought him as a grim smile covered his lips.
"You can't hide from me, Merle. You owe me, and it looks like I'll be seeing you in a week at the fight," Martinez cracked his knuckles and let out a hoarse chuckle, his gold and silver capped teeth reflecting the moonlight.