Beth looked dreamily up at the big house in front of her.
After their past nightmare 24 hours, which involved, running, hiding, a sprained ankle and another long trek through the deserted and increasingly cold woods. It was almost like an oasis in a desert to find an actual building, that on first impressions looked fairly intact, with no signs of being overrun with walkers or looters.
They had stumbled across a graveyard, which in turn had led them to this house.
It was a little strange looking. Like a house you saw in a movie, or dream. But it didn't feel real.
Maybe she was dreaming, Beth thought as she hobbled up the front steps. Resting on Daryl's shoulder, she was unable to stop a small smile from crossing her lips, whilst he remained serious and whispered protectively, "Stay close".
Beth knew that Daryl was wary about any unknown place, with good reason. He had experienced unimaginable horror. But despite his reservations, Beth had a good feeling about this one. Perhaps she was being unrealistic, but Beth just wanted to hold on to the thought, that someone good had lived here, that something good was about to happen to them here. Because they deserved it, and there was just something about this place, despite it's quirks that felt good to her.
"You think there is still someone living here?" Beth whispered in his ear.
"If there is, they aint exactly going to be welcoming us with open arms," he mumbled back, his eyes alert.
"Dunno, there must still be some good people in the world," she replied hopefully.
"Nope, all the good people are gone, only the bad ones left now," he said in a low blunt voice.
Daryl wished he could share Beth's bright out look on the world, but his view of reality was a lot grimmer. Even before the outbreak he had never been given any reason to see the good in things.
Beth fell silent by his side.
She wanted to say to him that that his statement about good people being gone, couldn't be all true as they were still in the world. But she knew he wouldn't appreciate it. He didn't exactly see himself as all good. So she chose to say nothing instead.
….
Beth was still rested on Daryl's shoulder as he opened the front door, her backpack clumsily knocking back against it as she stumbled through, causing it to fly noisily against the wall. A noise that would be sure to stir any potential walkers out from wherever they could be lurking inside.
They both froze for a second, their hearts thumping furiously in rhythm with each other, adrenaline flooding their veins as they anticipated the onslaught of another walker killing spree. But to their surprise the only sound they were met with was silence, deathly silence.
After a few seconds, Daryl's tense body relaxed slightly as he edged further inside. Being sure to take it slow, partly out of caution and partly because he knew Beth couldn't move too fast with her sprained ankle behind him.
"Stay close," he said again, his voice firm, but full of concern.
Beth pressed her slight body a little closer to his muscular back, breathing in his manly scent trying to quell any nerves, the lines of their personal space having become more and more blurred over the time they had recently spent together. Even if Beth had wanted to move away from him at that moment, her injured ankle made it near on impossible. She was completely reliant on him and she trusted him with her life.
They moved from one room to another slowly and cautiously. The house was clean and tidy, so much so it was almost a little creepy. Everything was just a little too perfect. Reaching the main room, they found it was large and full of rows of chairs neatly lined up, a grand piano to the side and a big wooden coffin placed on a stand at the front. A stark reminder that the big old house they had found was in fact an old funeral home. Ironically though it seemed to feel the most free from death than anything they had experienced in a a long time.
"Lets find the kitchen," Daryl mumbled, moving out of the room, eager to see what, if any, food supplies were left.
The kitchen was large, again seemingly untouched and spotlessly clean. Causing Daryl to fear even more that there was something not quite right about their new discovery. No-where was this immaculate anymore. There had to be someone keeping this place up. Just who? Was the worrying question. Daryl didn't trust anyone and this looked likely to be a set up.
He didn't voice his concerns to Beth though, as they both set to work, opening all the cupboards examining the insides. Unable to hide the surprise from appearing on their faces, as they found endless stacks of carefully arranged un-perishable food. Assortments of cans, bags of dried rice and pasta, unopened chips and bottles of water and soda. There was enough food to keep them going for weeks. Plus a whole cupboard stocked full of medical supplies.
"This is great," Beth said as she started to shovel the supplies in to her backpack her face lighting up. It would certainly keep them going on their journey for a while.
Daryl's face remained stony as he further noted the lack of dust in any of the cupboards. At best they were looting someone's supplies, at worst they were falling in to a trap.
"You think we should take it?" Beth said, stopping for a brief second as her conscience hit in, looking at Daryl.
"We'll leave some," Daryl replied, he knew this was no time for conscience, it was every man for himself now, but still something buried deep inside him made him stop and say that.
Beth hobbled back towards the last unopened cupboard, crying out as she stumbled slightly awkwardly on her sprained ankle.
Daryl stopped what he was doing, putting his filled backpack down on the floor, moving over to where Beth was leaning against the worktop. "Let's get that ankle strapped," he said gesturing for her to sit back on a chair.
He wasn't a medic, but Daryl knew a little first aid, he needed to treat her injured ankle properly if it was going to heal quickly. Sprains could turn nasty he thought, nastier than a break. He'd had a few in his life time.
Beth didn't say anything as she sat down, letting out a small sigh of relief as the weight came off her swollen foot.
Daryl crouched down in front of her, gently taking her foot in his lap. She didn't object as he tugged her boot off, and slowly peeled away her damp sock. Working in silence.
Despite being black and blue, Beth had the most beautiful foot he had ever seen Daryl thought, as he tore at a roll of bandage with his teeth, pale and dainty like a porcelain doll.
Beth watched as his large warm fingers, expertly placed the bandage around her small delicate ankle. Wrapping it across the bottom of her foot, bringing it up the inside of her ankle and around the back applying slight tension as he provided additional support. Pressing lightly on her sensitive spots, causing her to wince a little.
"Sorry," he said awkwardly, pausing for a moment, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her more.
"It's okay," she was quick to say, as he finished off securing the end.
His hand lingering just a little too long on her foot when he was done. Her leg resting just a little too long on his thigh, enjoying the feeling of his toned muscles underneath her, unable to stop her mind from teasing her with thoughts of what could happen if he moved his skilled fingers up a little higher, causing her to blush a little. She looked at him catching his eye for a brief second, a ripple of butterflies hitting her, before he abruptly looked away, swiftly removing her leg from him as he quickly stood up.
"Better go and secure the place," he mumbled, hurriedly leaving the room.
Leaving Beth sat on her own in the middle of the strange kitchen, pondering if she had imagined what had just happened as she reached down for her sock and boot.
…...
Daryl had checked every room. Nothing out of the ordinary, until he had stumbled across a few dead bodies, walkers once he presumed, lying with funeral make up on, in the morgue at the base of the house. They had looked as though they were about to be buried in some kind of ceremony. It had creeped him out a little, but nothing would shock him much these days after everything he had seen. It was a funeral home after all, and seeing dead bodies, and walkers was just the norm now.
It would have creeped him out more, to have found the place completely clear of any kind of dead, he thought, as he moved along the long hall, on his way to locate Beth.
...
The room was filled with the soft sound of a piano, as satisfied the place was fully secure now, Daryl found Beth in the main room singing along to some song he didn't recognise.
He flopped down in to one of the more comfortable looking chairs. Normally her singing grated on him, but on this occasion he didn't mind it so much he thought, as he leant back placing his hands behind his head. Her voice was almost like a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. It filled the air with hope and happiness.
Beth wasn't quite sure how she had found her way to the piano. but she was glad she had, singing had always been a kind of therapy to her, both before and after the outbreak. It made her feel alive, like there was a point to everything. With each note she hit and each word she sang she felt like little parts of herself were slowly coming back alive, like there was something to live for after all.
Catching Daryl out of the corner of her eye, her voice wobbled slightly, she felt self conscious all of a sudden. Having an audience never normally bothered her, it hadn't back at the prison when she'd sung her heart out despite knowing it irritated everyone. But here, just her and Daryl in the large slightly spooky room she felt a little exposed as she trailed off and stopped. Glancing across at him.
"Place is secure…umm..carry on," he said in a soft voice, a voice she wasn't sure she'd heard before.
She smiled back at him, surprised, her eyes lighting up again.
There was something subtly different about him. He was softening, just a little. Slowly she sensed his guard was dropping around her, and despite all the darkness, that made her smile a little.
Daryl relaxed in to the chair even more as he continued to watch her.
Her light blonde hair was falling messily around her young pretty face as she sang, framed by the light of the bright flickering flames surrounding her. It was a rare sight to see something so special. She was as innocent as you could get in this world. But she was also wise beyond her years. She knew what to say and how to behave in far more ways than he ever had. He didn't see her as a child anymore either, she was a young woman.
He placed his hand behind his head. Something about it being just the two of them now was causing his mind to wander in ways he knew it shouldn't. He closed his eyes….
…...
"You think it's safe to stay tonight?" Beth said as she dug her fork in to the canned peaches in front of her, her wide eyes searching Daryl's face intently.
It was after dark now and they were back in the kitchen.
"Safe as anywhere," he mumbled with a mouthful of food.
Beth nodded as she ate some more in silence.
She wasn't overly worried. With him she felt safe.
She looked around the kitchen, it reminded her a little of her old kitchen back at the farm. Except that one was more cosy, it had always been so full of life and laughter with all her family there. She imagined what this cold empty kitchen would be like under different circumstances. She wondered what it would be like to live here…. to make a life here, a life with Daryl she thought as she realised just how closely she was sat to him.
She pressed her lips together, putting her fork down as she said,"We should maybe work out what we're saving for the road."
Daryl didn't say anything at first, concentrating on digging out the lid of a can with his knife. But her words had been heard loud and clear. They had only been here a short time but the thought of hitting the road again, did not seem particularly inviting to him. He knew Beth was desperate to find the others. He was too. But she was injured and they both needed to rest, he reasoned with himself.
"Maybe, we don't have to go tomorrow. We could just, y'know, stick around here for a while longer. Make it work with whoever lives here or somethin, build a life here," he said clumsily, looking across at her to gauge her reaction.
As crazy as it seemed to him, he was beginning to think that perhaps they could be happy staying here for a bit together, just the two of them. Happy without the others. Maybe, it wouldn't be the end of their world if they didn't find them, maybe they didn't have to die trying.
Beth's bright blue eyes widened with surprise as she swallowed her mouthful of peaches in one big gulp.
He was starting to see her as an equal, as someone he was happy to spend time with, to live here with, to build a life here with! They were survival partners now, close friends, family, maybe even….
"What changed your mind?" She questioned, her eyes meeting his straight on, realising he was a little out of his comfort zone.
For a moment he looked lost for words, making her wonder some more what had made him say that to her.
"You know," he said, flicking his hair. Trying to sound casual.
"Don't 'you know', me. What changed your mind?" Beth asked again.
He didn't speak, but he didn't have to, the emotion in his eyes giving him away.
"Oh," she said softly, her eyes filling with emotion too. Slowly realising what he what was getting at.
He remained silent, looking back at her in the dimly lit room. Her big blue eyes searching his face. It scared him how much she needed him, how much he was starting to need her.
He had no idea what to do next. But he knew his heartbeat was raging in his chest. His feelings for her were changing, deepening, she was starting to stir something in him. Something he hadn't thought he was capable of. She was giving him hope.
In a way, she was starting to become his world now, his reason to live.
They were all alone. Things were different. He craved her, needed her, wanted to be close to her so badly.
Daring himself, he moved a little closer to where she was was sat, stopping briefly, before she moved closer to him.
He moved his hand up to touch the side of her face with his thumb, still keeping eye contact, checking she was okay with what he was doing, allowing actions to express what he didn't fully have the confidence to say with words.
Beth felt her heart skip a beat, feeling a flutter spread across her body at the sensation of his touch and the anticipation of what was to come next. Willing him with her eyes, to take things further. To read the signal she was giving him. She wanted him. Not as a friend or a brother, or a chaperone. She wanted him.
Just the mere thought of him in that way, was making every nerve in her body tingle.
Understanding they were on the same page. He leaned in. Trembling a little, he lightly brushed his lips with hers.
Slowly, intimately, he kissed her.
Beth immediately felt herself melt against the feel of his lips, parting her own lips for him as she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck, not wanting to make any sudden movements. This was unexpected, but magical. She could scarcely believe he was kissing her.
Finding their rhythm, the kiss became more intense, more passionate, releasing any tension that had been building up between them.
Nothing mattered here, not absent friends, not their pasts, their ages, nothing, all that mattered was how they were feeling right now. Happy. Connected. Wanted. Safe.
Eventually the kiss slowly broke apart.
Daryl brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face as they both smiled nervously, a little taken aback, unable to speak, confused. This wasn't meant to happen. Or was it?
"I err.. " Daryl started, just as there was a loud banging from the front door, causing them both to jump to their feet.
"Stay there," he said with authority, as he grabbed his cross bow, bounding out the door, before she could say anything.
A/N - This chapter was (in my little bubble) what I thought, (or hoped), should have happened on the show. It may seem a bit rushed for them to kiss here, but I think the way they were looking at each other in the kitchen on the show, they were DEF heading that way. So, I'm wondering whether to wrap things up here and work on something else now. Thoughts? Anyone like to see more to the story? Maybe finding the others again?