015. Audience [6]
Look what you're doing, look what you've done
But in this jungle you can't run
'Cause what I got for you
I promise it's a killer
Gorilla, Bruno Mars
It had probably been about two weeks since Beth had to patch up Merle, and she had still not been able to speak with Daryl...
She tried not to let it hurt her. Daryl could be like this. He could become standoffish and distant; antisocial. But... Well she supposed she thought after all their talks and time together, Daryl wouldn't be as distant. Things had been good until him and Merle got into their fight...
Merle. At the thought of the older Dixon – who had been on her mind far more lately since she had to patch him up and now knew how warm and hard his skin felt – Beth let her eyes find him. She was sitting on one of the picnic tables with a guitar Michonne had found for her a week ago, tuning it as she watched the older man circle the guard tower with Michonne.
After their fight, Michonne had taken Daryl's spot and Daryl did late evening with Carl. Carl had seemed a little bummed to loose Michonne as his partner, but Beth had seen the two standing and talking and knew Carl was happy to have some guy time with someone that wasn't his father or one of the younger kids. Carl just didn't fit with many of the kids here now... Which was a little sad to Beth, but understandable.
She watched Merle snicker and try to coax something at Michonne, who ignored him with ease or said something back. Whatever she would say would either cause the older man to laugh or scowl at her, but he never seemed to let it stick long because he was at it again and giving her shit.
Beth had to give Michonne credit. She was so patient with everyone. Beth just wished she could be patient with herself. She was always mumbling about stupid mistakes she'd make or stating people should just leave her behind. Beth hopped she'd come out of that someday.
"Too damn hot to be sitting out here, Girl," a familiar voice gruffly drawled behind her.
Beth looked away from the tower and over her shoulder at him. He was smoking a cigarette and standing way back from her. He wasn't looking her way, but at least he didn't turn tale the moment her eyes landed on him.
"Oh.. You're talking to me again?" she asked, not sounding mad or childish... Just surprised.
She saw him wince before she looked down at her new guitar – the words "Angel" carved on the back scratched against her knee as she adjusted it in her grip – and struck out a few cords, tweaking at it. It was tuned perfectly, but she still liked messing with it.
"Hurmph," was all he said and Beth felt herself straighten and get up from her seat.
"That's not an answer, Daryl... You've been running away from me... Did I do something? I thought we were... Close. I mean I know we're not friends but still..." she said softly, turning to look at him, hugging the guitar close to her, eyes trying to keep with his.
She saw him stiffen and stare back at her, his expression emotionless and the cigarette now hanging from his mouth, needing to have the ashes flicked soon. But he didn't move at first and Beth felt hurt... Fine. If he wasn't going to talk then fine.
Sighing, Beth turned and made for the tower. She heard him curse and then she heard heavy footsteps behind her before she turned and he was standing right behind her, looking ready to grab for her to stop her. But she was ready, and turned to face him head on.
"Where are ya goin?" he asked, voice gruff.
"To sit with Michonne and Merle," she said softly, stepping back and trying to turn back to them.
"The hell ya doin' hangin with mah brotha?" he asked, a hint of surprise to his tone.
"Since he was the only Dixon not running from me like I kicked his best dog," she said softly and trying to make for the guard tower again, only for Daryl to stop her.
She heard him curse again as she turned to face him, trying not to get angry. He was acting like a child and she didn't want to deal with that. She was trying to have a good day and enjoy the nice day they were being given. But Daryl was just leaving a lot of questions unanswered and making her feel frustrated. She didn't get that with Merle...
Merle. That was it. Daryl wasn't Merle... And she was comparing them. Beth looked at Daryl – really looked at him – and realized that was the main reason she'd been hurt. She hadn't had this trouble with Merle because Merle was blunt and forward and loud and Daryl was... Daryl.
Sighing, Beth reached up and touched his arm. He stiffened and he met her eyes and she shook her head at him. She was being the childish one. Daryl was trying. He wasn't good with his words, and she knew that. At least he'd tried to talk to her.
"Yer gonna be pissed," he grumbled and Beth frowned, having not expected that as he opened his mouth and cut her off.
"I'm already pissed, Daryl... What did I do?" she asked, pleadingly now because she felt she needed to know.
"Ya left yer curtain open too much... I came back ta try and ask ya a question that night," he said slowly, body stiff and cheeks growing red.
Beth frowned, trying to understand... When it hit her. Her eyes widened and she drew her hand back from him, mouth opening and closing in surprise. Oh... Oohhh! Oh God! Beth's face began to grow red and dread dropped into her stomach like ice.
Daryl had seen her pleasuring herself... For his brother! She'd put on a bet of an extra show for him... And Daryl had seen it?! Panic washed through her... Along with a strange arousal that made her want to kick herself.
God no wonder Daryl hadn't been able to look or talk to her! He must have been mortified and embarrassed and-
"Oh," she said with a squeak and Daryl stiffly nodded, not looking at her as she could see him tighten his jaw and clinch his teeth.
A silence fell between them and Beth fought for something to say... But could think of nothing! What do you say to someone about that? Hey, sorry you caught me masturbating, hope things can stay okay with us? No! You just... She didn't know what to say here...
"I'm... Not pissed," she said instead, causing him to jerk and look at her.
Beth bit her lip and steadied down her thrumming heart, fighting down the urge to bolt from him. Daryl looked so upset and miserable and she felt bad. She didn't want things to be weird or awkward between them and she certainly didn't want him thinking she hated him for it. It wasn't fully his fault either.
"I should've checked my curtain... It's my fault... I'm sorry... It wont happen again," she said after a pause, face red and twiddling with the guitar.
She saw Daryl's shoulders drop, seeming less tense but also staring at her with a little frown. She tried not to flinch at that frown. Something about it told her he was annoyed or trying to think of something to say to her.
But he didn't. Instead he nodded and shouldered his crossbow – which he'd been holding at his side – and gave her a tight lipped smirk before backing up and turning. Beth watched him leave and found her eyes roaming down his back before she felt mortification and looked away sharply.
Bad! Bad, bad, bad!
-0-
"I should've checked my curtain... It's my fault... I'm sorry... It wont happen again."
Daryl bit his thumb – a bad habit he'd had for years – as he traveled the length of the yard, thinking back to Beth's words.
The confrontation had gone better than he thought. Hell he hadn't meant to say anything to the girl, but he'd fuckin opened his mouth like an idiot and then he'd gone and outted himself for what he'd seen and she'd looked so embarrassed and well he'd expected her to shriek at him.
But she hadn't... And a part of him felt something about that wasn't right.
Daryl liked to think he'd gotten pretty damn good at reading body language. He may not do well with talking to people, but reading someone was a hell of a lot easier than running his glob at them. And as he'd watched her, Beth hadn't shown any disgust. Not even a twitch of it. Even in shock, the human body would still react in some way to being violated.
Beth hadn't even seemed the least bit freaked out by what he'd told her.
'Maybe she wanted someone to watch her, man. Maybe little girl is a little wild like that,' the little voice - the one he'd been trying to ignore lately - suddenly spoke up in Daryl's ear, repeating what he'd been telling Daryl for the last few days.
And at first he had told the voice to fuck off... But now he was starting to wonder if it wasn't maybe right... Hell it would explain a lot, actually. It would explain why – two nights after witnessing what had been the most hottest and disturbing thing ever – he'd come across her doing it again! The flap open enough to allow enough light to be seen.
He'd come back on a later night and found that the flap was open, but she was asleep and it wasn't open enough to see in just know that she was in there. And it happened again another few nights later. And Daryl had begin to think he was just going nuts, but he knew now that couldn't be it...
Beth was leaving her flap open for someone to watch her...
-0-
Merle watched Girlie, taking in the way her fingers moved easily across the strings as she played, smirking as he knew what else Girlie was good at doing with them fingers. He inwardly snickered at his crude thought as he leaned against the railing, listening to Girlie play.
She seemed in better spirits at least. He'd seen her confrontation by the picnic tables with his brotha and he had to wonder what went down. Girl looked confused and upset. Probably feeling the same way he was about Darylina and his recent attitude. Boy was starting to really piss him off.
"She said, "You did not hear this from me, all I'll say is momma's got that place out in Monterrey." Oh, how fast can I go, gotta catch that little, red Rodeo. She drove off with my heart, I gotta let her know, need the girl in that little, red Rodeo. Texas plates, candy-apple red Rodeo." she sang happily, amusing him with her choice of song.
The Nubian Queen even seemed pleased with her choice as the two stood on either side of her, listening as she sang and played the guitar. He could still recall the joy that split across her face a few days ago when she'd been presented with the little gift that ihe/i had found. He'd made the ninja tell her it was from her so it wouldn't look weird.
Plus Merle Dixon didn't do nice and gifts.
"The greatest man I never knew lived just down the hall... And everyday we said hello, but never touched at all! He was in his paper. I was in my room... How was I to know he thought I hung the moon," she sang, dragging Merle from his thoughts as he realized girl had changed stations on him.
His throat dried as he heard her soft, sweet voice coo out the words to a song he remembered his mama playin on the old record player she had. When their Pa wasn't around, she'd always pull out her records – which she hid from his wrathful hands – and play a few for him and later Daryl up until the bottle and her chain smokin caught up to him.
"Never did like that song," Michonne spoke up as Beth stopped to tweek her instrument as it clucked out on her while she was playing.
"Ya just aint got good taste," Merle scoffed as Girlie smiled at them, shyly plucking at a few strings.
"My taste is much better than yours," she assured before walking around them to go to the stairs and stretch for a bit, knowing Merle could handle the rest of the shift.
Wasn't like much happened. After The Governor was killed, the main thing they had to worry about was watching for possible rogues or letting the motherfuckers pile up on the fence. That was why they had fence watchers, who went about stabbing and taking down the numbers in shifts.
It wasn't until he heard Girlie plucking out a tune that he realized he'd been left alone with her. He blinked down at her and she paid him no mind. From where he stood he had a good view down her baby blue tank-top and he realized that the way she was sitting had her legs straddled around a pole and her shorts were short enough that their pockets poked out at the end.
Merle bit the inside of his cheek to bite back a groan and fight down a hard-on. All those times watchin' Girlie play inspection on herself came to mind and he felt his hand twitch to do a little exploration himself. After getting the feel of her skin imprinted on his brain and sensory memory, he was starting to itch for a chance to get at her again.
Which was annoying as all shit really.
"Merle... What are you doing?"
Merle frowned and then bit back the urge to jerk his hand and curse. In his stupidity while being lost in his thoughts, that damn itch must of felt like actin' up cause right now his fingers were workin in the back of Girlie's scalp.
Her hair felt soft and clean and fine and he wanted to grab a handful of it. But he decided perhaps he should take his hand back... But then he saw Girlie's eyes were half-lidded and she was biting her lip. A slow smirk spread across his mouth and he started working his calloused fingers into her scalp.
"Nuttin, Girlie... Why? Want Ol' Merle ta stop?" he snickered.
"No..." she moaned, and Merle instantly felt all the blood go south and he cursed in surprise.
Girle jumped slightly and he jerked his hand back and smacked his palm on the metal of the bars. He stepped back and ran his fingers through his growing hair. Fuck me sideways! The hell kinda noise was that?
He could feel Girlie's eyes on him but he didn't look over. It was bad enough he was getting a cock show almost every night as she touched herself, unaware that he was watchin. Now he was touchin her and hearing those kinda sounds from her? Fuck that!
"Think ya best go now, Girlie. Got a job ta be doin," he rasped.
Out of the corner of his eye she saw her look puzzled, but she didn't fight it. Instead she got to her feet and stared at him before making off down the stairs. He watched her walk from the tower – watched the way her ass moved – and he banged his head down on the metal bars of the guardrail.
He needed to get outta here for awhile. He was puttin himself in way to deep water, and he knew if he kept goin he was likely to drown.
R&R Plz