Title: Last and the First

Author: Sasusc

Fandom: The Walking Dead

Pairing: Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene

Rating: PG

Notes: Vague ASZ timeline, within the first year and no Saviors, Beth Greene lives

Summary: Based on this prompt I found on Tumblr: "I get to spend another year with you." A short, fluffy New Year's Eve ficlet.

Alexandria was celebrating late into the night. They had spent the last couple weeks celebrating the traditional December holidays of Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Even with the low temperatures and the falling snow, they found a way to show their happiness and appreciation for their friends and family.

Beth Greene found herself sitting high off the ground on one of their lookout platforms along the steel fence surrounding Alexandria. It was covered, keeping most of the falling snow off of her and her companion. A gust of wind had her burrowing closer into the man. Daryl squeezed her hand before tugging their clasped hands into his coat's pocket.

"Why don'tcha go on back? M' shift's almost over," he mumbled into the top of her head.

She shook her head. "It's almost midnight."

"So?"

"So… It's New Year's Eve…or just about. Eric was trying to keep track. He thinks he's off by a few days. He lost a couple days here and there."

Beth turned to look at him. Daryl was still staring off into the distance, trying to spot any movements. It was late into the night and the snowfall made it almost impossible to notice much of anything stirring. The cold and the snow basically froze the Walkers where they stood, and it wasn't likely they would get attacked any time soon. But Rick still had people take shifts guarding their community, and Daryl had taken the night shift to allow his family to attend the festivities the community was throwing. Beth attended but left the party early to come out here to sit with Daryl.

"Yeah? What'cha getting at, girl?"

"There's this little tradition people typically do at midnight to welcome in the new year."

"Get drunk?"

Beth rolled her eyes. "No, silly. Kiss. People usually kiss at midnight."

Daryl glanced up at the sky. "Can't see the damn moon and we don't have any watches on." He shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "How we know when it's midnight? Won't be no glass ball dropping or fireworks in the sky."

"Come on, Daryl! I ain't never had someone I wanted to kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve. Daddy never let me go to any parties before. And last year we didn't have much to celebrate."

"I never had anyone I wanted to kiss, either. Not anyone that mattered. Merle was always dragging me out to the bars and getting us shitfaced to bring in the new year."

Beth rested her chin on his shoulder. "Do you want to kiss me?"

Daryl made a point of looking around. "I don't see anyone else here."

He bit back a smirk when she pouted up at him. She noticed and poked his side.

"Can't you just admit you want to kiss me?

His hummed reply turned into a strangled gasp as Beth quickly climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs. Her hands found his shoulders and held on. She wiggled slightly into a more comfortable position.

His hands dug into her hips to stop her movements. "What you playing at?"

Beth leaned forward until they were nose to nose. She stared into his blue eyes. "I want to be the last kiss you have this year, and the first one for the next."

His nose rubbed against hers as he titled his lips closer. "That so?" he whispered against her lips.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Daryl did just that, pressing a soft kiss against her lips before opening his mouth slightly to suck her bottom lip into his. His hands pulled her down to grind against himself when she surged up to press their bodies closer. They lost time as they kissed and moved against each other. Their breaths, when they pulled back from the other, became little misty cloud puffs around them. Eventually, Daryl pulled back panting. Their foreheads rested against each other as they attempted to get themselves under control.

His body still felt heated from the makeout session, but he knew it wouldn't be long before the cold zapped them of their warmth once again. He sighed and moved to kiss the scar peeking out from under her hat at her hairline above her ear. He hated that her body, and especially her face, was marked with scars…a reminder of the time she had been taken from him and his failure at protecting her. But they also were reminders that she was a survivor…that she lived through the hell that was Grady Memorial Hospital and came out tougher and stronger.

"I get to spend another year with you," he said softly, pulling her in closer. He could feel her smile against his neck.

Beth loved these sweet little moments between them. It wasn't often Daryl would say or do something romantic first. He was still so hesitant and uncomfortable opening up to her with words. Beth didn't mind so much. He usually made it up with his actions behind closed doors, telling her his thoughts with his hands and fingers. She didn't need big fancy declarative words like she had sighed and swooned over in movies as a teenager with her friends before the Turn. Daryl could say a lot with just a look or a quick tangle of their fingers as they walked side by side. She had little knick-knacks Daryl brought back from his runs because he thought it was something pretty she would like. She knew it was his way of saying he cared when he couldn't find the words. She even had pressed flowers in her journals he had given her at various times. So no, she didn't need the words to know that he cared and loved her, but she savored his words when he voiced them.

She burrowed into him, wishing she could zip herself under his coat and soak in his body heat. The wind had shifted, blowing more snow their way under the covered platform. She was glad his shift was ending. They could spend the rest of the night snuggled tightly together under the covers on their bed.

A sharp whistle sounded from the ground. "Sorry I was late," Rosita called up. "Shit, it's cold out here."

Daryl chuckled. He squeezed Beth's thighs before shoving her off of his lap. Beth squeaked.

"Rude!"

"Always."

Rosita jumped in place and rubbed her glove hands together as she waited for them to climb down.

"Happy New Year, lovebirds. There's still some spiked hot chocolate left to warm you up."

A wide grin spread across Beth's face. "We don't need hot chocolate or alcohol to warm us up."

Rosita high-fived Beth and winked. "Get it girl!" She slapped Daryl's ass as she passed him-- something she probably wouldn't have done if she hadn't had a few drinks in her. "Enjoy!"

The girls giggled at Daryl's shocked face. He was quick to shake it off and drop his arm across Beth's shoulder, hauling her into his side. They waited until Rosita got to the top of the ladder.

"Night, Rosita."

"Happy New Year!" Beth said excitedly.

"If it starts looking bad, get inside. Don't want to find a frozen Rosita popsicle in the morning."

She waved them off.

Beth glanced up into the sky as they walked away. "Do you think it's gonna get worse?"

Daryl squinted up too. "Mmm. Never been this far north before."

"Think she'll be okay?"

He jerked his head to the right. "Looks like Eugene is heading her way. Don't trust that lying peeping tom much, but he'll keep an eye on her. Plus, I think Abraham plans to stay awake. He'll haul them both in if he thinks it's too bad outside." Daryl already made a mental note to come out here in a few hours to check on them.

He kissed the top of her head. "C'me on, girl. Let's get inside and warm up."