…

Chapter Twelve.

She was so fucking pretty and he kept opening his mouth and saying things and screwing things up. After he had gotten his slice of pizza and ginger ale – though he wasn't feeling hungry at all – they followed Merle to the bleachers where Annie was and of course, when Annie met Beth, she hugged her and Beth smiled a little and hugged her, too. The two women were now sitting next to each other with Merle next to Annie and Daryl next to Beth and Daryl was very aware that she hadn't spoken one word to him. Not since he made that comment about her eating.

He chewed on his slice of pizza mechanically as he watched the match start in front of them, the cheers rising through the crowd and he could hear Beth laugh softly at something Annie had told her. Something twitched on the back of his neck and he suppressed a sigh. He was an idiot. No one could ever say he wasn't. He knew he was nervous around her. He had never spent time like this with a girl and he didn't know what he was doing with her. He didn't get why she seemed so damn eager to spend her free time with him unless the girl was desperate for companionship.

He nearly sighed at himself. There he went, making assumptions about her when he had no right. She wanted to spend time with him because for some reason, she liked spending time with him and he had to just shut up and like it. And he did like it. Probably more than a man like him had a right to.

But he kept screwing it all up. He could kick himself for that comment he made about her eating. He had witnessed it firsthand. She got enough shit about her eating from her sister and Beth didn't need it from him, too. He knew he had upset her and when she had paid for her own pretzel, he couldn't help but stare at her because he realized that he had pissed her off, too. And now, she was giving him the silent treatment. She had been so excited to be there tonight – with him – and now, he didn't doubt that she was probably counting down the hours until it was time for him to take her home again. With one comment, he had messed everything up.

Messed up what exactly though? Daryl was still trying to figure that one out. Since he messed up, were they not going to be friends anymore? Daryl had finally let himself accept the fact that they were friends and now, had he messed that all up?

Daryl couldn't help but watch her from the corner of his eye – making sure she didn't know he was watching her – as she ate her pretzel. She was eating like she always ate. Almost meticulous. She had a napkin draped in her lap and she tore the pretzel into small pieces, making sure that the salt that fell off stayed on the napkin. She ate carefully and neatly and he wondered if all people with a recovering eating disorder ate like she did. Even her bites were careful and slow and he couldn't help but be fascinated by it all. He wanted to ask her about it but he didn't want to talk to her about eating; probably would never bring anything food-related up again.

He felt her flinch a little every time there was a collision and a thud of bodies on the rink and he couldn't help but look at her fully now.

"We can go if you want," he leaned in a little closer to her so she could hear him over the cheers and noise of the crowd around them.

He smelled her sweet scent and made sure he didn't close his eyes and just inhale.

Beth shook her head and turned to look at him and their eyes instantly locked. He was instantly aware of how close their faces were and he wondered if she was aware, too. If she was, she didn't pull back and Daryl found himself not wanting to himself either. She was probably the only person in the world he didn't mind being close to and he didn't know what the hell that meant.

"I'm fine," she said and her voice was almost too soft but her words were still able to find their way to his ears. "It just takes some getting used to."

He nodded and tried to think of something else to say because she was talking to him and looking at him and he wanted this to keep going. But his mind was blank and Beth looked at him for another moment before turning her head and looking forward again. Merle stood up and shouted a couple obscenities at one of the refs and he could see Beth's lips twitching at the outburst. Annie leaned in and said something to her then that Daryl couldn't hear and Beth laughed again.

Daryl sighed to himself. She had no problem enjoying herself with his brother and sister-in-law but being near him seemed to be practically torture for her. He was an idiot. Of course it was. He had treated her like some little girl who couldn't take care of herself and he had never thought of her as a little girl. She was a young woman who wasn't in need of a babysitter and he wasn't looking to be one to her either.

He finished his slice of pizza and he looked at her, debating whether or not he should tell her that he was going out for a smoke but deciding that she probably wouldn't care, he stood up without saying anything to anyone and began making his way down the bleachers. He tossed his paper plate and empty soda can into a passing trashcan and made his way back into the somewhat cool night. He walked away from the door and leaning up against the wall of the building, he lit a cigarette. As he exhaled, he stared up at the night sky.

He thought of being at that gas station with Beth just a few days ago, filling up his bike and listening to her hum as she looked up at the stars. Just thinking about her standing under the canopy of stark lights, his stomach clenched because he could see her perfectly in that moment and he thought of how she was the greatest girl he had ever met and how he just wanted to be around her more and more.

He wanted to take her out on a real date – just the two of them – where they could spend time together like they had that night and it would be alright if he kissed her at the end of it after he took her back to her daddy's house. He wondered if Beth would ever let him kiss her. Probably not. Probably wouldn't want to go out on a date with him either. She had called him her friend and he had to remember that. He shouldn't be wanting to go out on a date with her. He had never been on one before and he didn't the first damn thing about taking a girl out on one. Besides, what did two people do on a date besides eat? Beth would probably think he was trying to force feed her again if he asked her if she wanted to go out with him.

"Hey."

The sudden appearance of her voice nearly made him begin choking on his smoke but he managed to control himself and he exhaled as he turned his head to see her standing there. He must have really been deep in thought because she had been able to appear without him realizing it and no one had ever been able to sneak up on him. She stood there, looking nervous, her fingers fidgeting in front of her and she stood a couple of feet away, half in the darkness with him and half in the light coming from the front windows of the recreation center.

"Hey," he grunted back and then took another drag of the cigarette, looking away.

It took her a few moments but then he heard the crunching of gravel beneath her feet as she moved closer to him and then, she was leaning up against the wall beside him and he could feel the slight warmth radiating off of her and her sweet scent filling his nostrils past the smoke.

She was quiet so he was quiet, too.

"Can I try one?" She then asked softly, suddenly.

"No." His answer was immediate. He looked to her and his lips almost twitched in a smile as he saw her own lips weighed down at the corners with a frown. "It's a shitty habit to pick up."

"One puff isn't going to make me a nicotine monster," she said.

He shrugged. "Prob'ly not but I'm not riskin' it with you." He was surprised when she fell quiet and didn't push the matter anymore after that. He finished the cigarette in a few more drags and then dropped it to the ground, stubbing it out with his toe. "'m sorry 'bout earlier."

Beth shrugged. "It's alright."

"No," he shook his head. "It ain't." He looked at her and she was already looking at him, somehow her eyes seeming even larger to him. "I didn' mean anything by it."

"I know, Daryl," she said softly. "I have a tendency to overreact to comments made to me about eating."

"I don't blame you," he said. "I don't worry 'bout you eatin'. I never think 'bout that when we're spendin' time together. I guess the reason we're always eatin' when we're together is because… I don't know what else to do when I'm with you."

He almost winced because he could just imagine the way Beth might take that. But instead, he looked at her and was amazed to see a faint smile forming across her lips. She seemed to lean into him a little bit, her shoulder brushing along his arm and from that slight contact, Daryl could feel a fire spread across the back of his neck.

"I like spending time with you," she said to him softly.

Daryl was sure his throat had completely dried up and he wasn't able to speak but somehow, he found himself swallowing and he nodded his head. "Me, too."

That made her smile grow a little bit more and he could only stare at her because she was so fucking pretty and what was she doing, standing out here with him of all people? Before she got sick, she probably had a boyfriend. Girls like her always did. The good, clean-cut boyfriend who knew how to court her. And now, with her slowly getting better, she should be going back to boys like that. Not guys like him. His idea of courting her was taking her back to his trailer for grilled cheese sandwiches or eating junk food down by a creek or giving her stupid little gifts that were cheap and useless – and he tried not to think about the way she had smiled with each one.

Courting. He nearly snorted and he reminded himself that he wasn't courting her because he didn't want to court her; didn't know the first damn thing about courting any girl. He and Beth were friends and friends didn't court friends.

"Thank you, Daryl," Beth said softly and then he stood completely still as she raised herself on her toes and her lips came in the lightest contact with his face, close to the corner of his mouth. And her lips were only there for a second before she was pulling back but it felt as if he could feel every nerve inside of him explode at once.

He didn't say anything – what the hell was there to say? – and just blinked at her and he could see her blush clearly even as they stood in the darkness.

Beth was the one to break the silence. "Come on," she gave him a soft smile despite her still deep blush. "I don't want to miss the whole thing."

He nodded his head and followed her back into the center. They showed their star stamps to the man at the door before going into the field house. There was a break and a loud Blondie song was playing over the speakers. From the corner of his mouth, he could see Beth's mouth moving as she sang along though she was too soft and everything around them was too loud for him to hear.

"There you two are," Annie smiled as they came back up into the bleachers. "Beth, will you come to the bathroom with me?" She asked, standing up.

"Yes," Beth nodded with a smile.

"What do you do when we're home when there's no other girl for you to take a piss with?" Merle asked, tilting his head up to look at her.

Annie smacked him upside the back of his head and Daryl smirked, turning his head away so Merle couldn't see. Annie smiled down at Merle sweetly as Merle frowned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Give me a baby girl and I won't have this problem," Annie quipped before taking Beth's hand and pulling her back down the bleachers.

Daryl sat down and wasn't surprised when Merle slid over and settled himself next to him. Daryl didn't look at him though, expecting Merle to dive right into teasing him about Beth. Instead, Merle was grumbling, still rubbing the back of his head.

"Damn woman is talkin' 'bout kids more and more," Merle said.

Daryl shrugged. "So have a kid with her. You're married. Isn' that what married people do?" He asked, finally looking to his brother.

It was a mistake though because now that Merle had his attention, he grinned.

"You and Beth gonna have a kid?" Merle asked.

Daryl only frowned. "What the hell are you talkin' 'bout? Beth and me aren't married and I ain't lookin' to marry her."

Merle snorted at that. "Please, baby brother. You can fool your little angel but you're not able to fool me. You're lookin' at that girl like she's a star fallen to earth."

Daryl snorted at that but he wasn't able to think of a comeback. He had been wondering how he looked at Beth and now he seemed to have an answer.

"We're just friends," Daryl grumbled, finally able to say something.

Merle just kept grinning though. "Most times, friends make the best bed mates. Might want to look into that." He didn't say anything after that and when Annie and Beth came back, Merle slid back down so the two women could sit between them.

Beth sat beside Daryl and this time, she had no problem looking at him and smiling. Daryl did his best to smile back but honestly, all he was thinking about now was seeing Beth Greene naked; imagining her in his bed, her blonde hair across his pillow and her soft breath in his ear as he kissed his way down her body.

He shifted in his seat and quickly looked back to the rink when the match begun again. He could kill Merle for this.

…

It was almost eleven by the time he got her back home, his motorcycle roaring through the quiet night as he sped down the dirt road of the farm and came to a stop in front of the farm house's front steps. He felt Beth's arms slip away from his waist and it amazed him how such a little thing like her could make him feel so cold when she wasn't pressed against him anymore.

She stood beside the bike and gave him a shy smile. "I had such a good time tonight."

"Good," he was quick to say, his eyes falling to her face and he wasn't able to look away.

He wondered if Beth Greene had any idea how much power she had over him. He assumed it was power because he had never felt this before and no one else had sure as hell never made him feel like this. If her daddy's barn was to catch on fire right now and she wanted him to go in there and save that damn mouse from the shop that she had set free in there, he would without argument or hesitation.

She seemed to hesitate, her fingers fidgeting again and he couldn't figure out if she wanted to say something else or if she was waiting for him to say something. He had no idea what he was supposed to say though. Did other guys know what to say to girls when they looked at them like that?

She gave him a small smile. "Good night, Daryl."

But when she took a step away, Daryl couldn't help but reach out and snatch her hand, surprising both of them with the bold mood. She looked at him with slightly wide eyes and the tips of his ears began to burn as he dropped his hand again.

He kept his eyes on her though. "Would you wanna go out on a date with me?"

Daryl had no idea where the question came from because he had never thought he would ever ask her that. Of course, when she first started working at Dale's, he had never thought he would ever put himself anywhere near her and that plan had been blown out of the water. And now, he found himself wanting to spend as much time with her as he could.

And the way Beth was looking at him now and smiling faintly, he thought that maybe she was thinking the same thing.

"I would love that so much," she answered and he swore she sounded practically breathless.

And hearing Beth breathless only made him think of other things and he did his best to not shift on his seat.

He managed to swallow and give her a slight upwards tilt of his lips and the smile she gave him in return made all of the discomfort worth it.

…

I have some drama planned and it might be cruel to say but I'm excited to write it.

Thank you so, so much for your response to this story and thank you so much for reading! Please review!