I have the flu so I had a bit of time to write this :) I hope you all enjoy it! I am overwhelmed by the amount of reviews that this story is getting, and I just wanna thank each and everyone of you so much! I love you guys!
Training was going more than well. The Short Program, even though it was still a bit rusty, was done. Now all they had to do was practicing it until it was absolutely perfect.
Beth loved that routine, the intensity of it: the throws, the lifts, the death spiral, they were all difficult and breath-taking, but that wasn't what she loved the most about it.
The choreography was beautiful, and performing it with Daryl was quickly becoming one of her favourite things.
It was incredible how such a private, closed off person like he was could become such an emotional, raw performer. His intensity astounded her, it took her breath away and it made her heart pound so fast that sometimes she wondered how she manage to keep skating.
It had been a week since the day they had issued the statement, the day when Daryl had decided to be her skating partner. They were starting to learn each other, and they worked really well together.
She now how protective he could get, and made it a point of always reassuring him that she trusted him, of showing him that she was comfortable skating with him. And she could tell that he was trying to control his temper, having noticed that it made her feel uncomfortable and it caused her to skate so much worse whenever he was in a bad mood, and that he was starting to trust her back.
By now, she had accepted that she had a crush on him.
There was nothing she could do to help it: he was handsome, but so shy and unaware of it. He was strong, and fiercely protective and now that he was losing the surly temper around her, she could see that he really was a very quiet person.
She couldn't help it that she had a crush on him, but she had decided she wasn't gonna acknowledge it. It wasn't because she thought Rick would disapprove, or anything. After all, Rick and Lori had started as partners and were now married with kids.
No, it wasn't because of that.
She just didn't wanna make things complicated now that they seemed to have found a balance. The press would have gone crazy; their personal business would have affected their performances. It's not like Daryl would have wanted her, anyway.
He was older, he was a man. A very handsome, intriguing man. She thought he was starting to like her as a friend, but she knew he was never gonna see her as more of his partner.
Looking at old pictures of him skating with Andrea and noticing just how beautiful his old partner was, she knew she just wasn't up to par. She wondered if they had ever had anything romantic going on, and if maybe that was the reason why he had just walked out on her.
In any case, she wasn't gonna do anything about her silly, school-girl crush apart from waiting for it to pass. In the meantime, she could relish in the feeling of his hands on her while they skated and let herself believe, even if just for a moment, that the burning desire she saw in his blue eyes when he looked at her during their routine was not just an act, but reality.
Wishful thinking, that was.
He was fucked.
He could just pray that Beth hadn't noticed the way he looked at her while they skated together. Normally, he managed to control himself, but when he skated he was completely exposed.
Skating had always been his one vehicle to let his feelings out, and that was turning out to be a damn curse.
When they were on the ice together, he couldn't hide. He couldn't hide the way his skin was on fire when he touched hers, that seemed made of porcelain. He couldn't keep his eyes away from hers. Her sweet smell tormented him, and her smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He had never felt like this in his whole life. Hell, he used to make fun of Rick for the way he talked about Lori, but now he understood, for there was nothing he wanted more than kissing Beth Greene's perfect lips and holding her close to him forever. Fuck. He had never desired physical contact before. Sex, sure, but not this damn romance novel sort of shit.
He didn't know how to stop this, but he knew he had to.
Girls like Beth Greene didn't go out with men like him. All his life, he had never dared to look at a girl like her, let alone fall in love with one.
He knew what his place was. He had never dated anyone, 'cause he wasn't made for stuff like that. He had had sex with some beautiful women, but their beauty was loud and somewhat vulgar.
Beth was so delicate, and sweet, and kind. She deserved the kind of guy who wanted to take her out for a date at a nice restaurant, and she sure as hell didn't deserve someone like him.
He wasn't gonna do anything about it. Fuck no.
But when she smiled at him and sat next to him on the benches and had her lunch with him, or when she brought him baked goods, he could pretend, even just for a moment, that she liked him, too.
Wishful fucking thinking, that was.
"I'm sorry, I always get stuck here"
She was getting frustrated with herself: they were rehearsing the Short, and one of the lifts wasn't working properly, and it was her fault.
"'s okay."
Daryl's hoarse voice came from behind her. He put his hands on her waist and turned her around, gently.
"Let's try one more time. Ya gotta look at me, follow my lead" he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. He was doing that more and more often now, touching her casually, and Beth wasn't gonna complain.
Rick reached her and gave her a few instructions before they tried again.
This time, her eyes staring into Daryl's, her whole body in complete sync with his, the lift was successful.
He put her down, and she could see that he had that smirk of his on his face, looking pleased and even a little proud.
She couldn't stop herself.
She skated towards him and threw her arms around him, with a cheerful sound.
"I made it! We made it!"
He cleared his throat, his hands circling her back lightly.
"Yeah, ya did" he murmured.
"COME ON GUYS!" Rick shouted from the side of the rink "Good job, now I want you to do the whole program from the top"
Beth took a step back. Daryl's ears were red, and he wouldn't look at her.
She smiled at him and reached to take his hand and gave it a squeeze before letting it go.
"Thank you"
They did the whole program again, and it was their best performance to date.
They were sitting in Carol's studio, and she was holding a CD in her hand.
"The Free Skate is ready. Before I walk you through the routine I want you to tell me what you think of the music. I have to say, as soon as I heard it, I thought it was perfect for the two of you."
She put the CD in the player, and Beth waited anxiously for the music to start.
She glanced at Daryl, and although he was trying to look disinterested she could tell that he was as curious as she was about this.
As soon as the first notes played, Beth jumped to her feet and ran towards Carol, hugging her.
"I LOVE THIS SONG! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she was jumping up and down excitedly, while Rick laughed. Daryl's lips twitched and he looked like he wanted to smile.
It was an Orchestra version of "Music of the Night", from the musical "Phantom of the Opera". Since she was a kid it had been her favourite musical, and she loved that song to pieces. She had begged Carol so many times to let her and Zach skate to it, but the choreographer had always refused.
She guessed her change of heart had something to do with Daryl.
After the first impact, Carol had grown to like him, and he seemed to be getting more and more comfortable around her too. Carol like to poke fun at him and he didn't seem to mind. Sometimes he even joked back.
Beth turned towards him.
"What do you think? Please tell me that you like it"
"Even if I didn't would that make any difference?" he asked, sardonically.
She shook her head no, sitting back next to him, and Carol showed them the choreography. If possible, it was even more beautiful than the Short: Carol really had to be inspired, these days.
Glenn was at her place, and they were watching a horror movie.
They used to do this all the time with Zach, but he had gone home to recover and spend time with his family, so it was just the two of them.
She had invited Daryl, but he had declined muttering some excuse. Beth tried not to feel a little hurt about that, reminding herself that he was not a people's person. Besides, she was perfectly comfortable with Glenn.
He was like a second brother to her, now that she was far away from Shawn. He wasn't as bossy as her real brother was, and he definitely was clumsier and goofier, but she loved him all the same.
"So is Maggie coming to visit anytime soon?" Glenn asked, unashamedly.
"She said she was gonna come before the qualifications, so hopefully she'll be here by the end of the month" she said. Glenn looked really excited about that. "You know, I told her she should go on a date with you."
Glenn stopped eating his pop-corn, looking shocked and a bit terrified.
"And… and what did she say? Did she say yes?"
"She said maybe. But that's good! We can work on that and make it become a yes" she smiled, winking at him with a conspiratorial look.
"Oh sweet Jesus. Wow. Wow. Okay, that's good."
"You genuinely look like you're having a panic attack" she laughed at him.
"Of course I'm having a panic attack! I have zero experience with actual women!"
"What, have you only dated aliens?" she joked, and Glenn elbowed her.
"No! You know how it is, I never have time. The only girls I dated were in high school and it was a disaster. Where am I even gonna take someone like your sister?" he sounded on the edge of a meltdown.
"Glenn" she put a hand on his arm "You need to relax. Maggie isn't some goddess, I'm sure she'll like whatever you decide you wanna do, okay? Just be yourself and it'll be fine"
He nodded, calming down a bit.
"Maybe not bowling though. Maggie hates bowling" she added, thoughtfully.
Her phone rang really early that morning, and she reached for it while she came out of the shower. It was Rick.
"Hello?" she answered, a bit worried.
"Hey Beth, did I wake you up?"
"No, I just finished showering. What's going on?"
"We need to have that press conference sooner than I thought." He said, and she could tell he definitely wasn't pleased about it. Rick hated the press, but he was incredibly good in conferences. He just had this authoritative air about him that always seemed to charm journalists.
"Why? Has something bad happened?"
"Nothing major. Just the competition taking advantage of the situation"
"Who?" she asked, but she already knew the answer.
"I just read an interview this morning. Andrea Harrison talks about how sorry she feels for you that your only choice was a retired, unreliable skater. Says she hopes you can find someone else for the next Olympics"
"What a witch" Beth muttered, under her breath.
Andrea Harrison was a coach now. After her retirement, she and Philip Blake had become trainers of a new, promising couple: Amy Harrison, Andrea's little sister, and Shane Walsh, an older skater who had been Lori's partner before Rick was. Rick hated him, and he wasn't particularly fond of Philip either. She guessed that extended to Andrea, now.
Anyway, Amy and Shane were a really great couple, and they had come in second at the last National Championship. They were Beth and Daryl's main competition, together with Rosita Espinosa and her brother, Carlos.
"Yeah, you could say that. You and Daryl are coming over for dinner tonight after training, so we can discuss how to approach the media"
"Okay. I'll see you at the rink in a bit, then"
"Drive safe."
If Daryl had been affected by what Andrea had said, he hid it well.
They had started putting together the Free skate, and Beth was loving every minute of it. She liked working with Carol, loving the way the older woman could create something so beautiful out of nowhere and then give it life using their bodies as her instruments.
Carol seemed enthusiastic as well, which wasn't something you saw everyday.
After a long, intense training, Daryl and Beth had driven to the Grimes', where Lori had prepared them a nice dinner.
As they sat at the table, Beth noticed the way Carl eyed at Daryl, a mixture of intimidation and awe. What surprised her the most though was the way Daryl held Judith after Lori handed her to him.
After a moment of stiffness, he started rocking her in his strong, muscular arms, and the baby seemed immediately won over by him, making happy little sounds and reaching for his face. He was a natural at that too, it seemed, and Beth thought she was gonna pass out at the sight.
Dinner was nice, and Beth was glad Daryl was finally doing something with the rest of them. She loved seeing him and getting to know him outside the rink. She had the feeling it was a privilege that few people were accorded.
When they finished and Carl was reluctantly sent to bed, Rick discussed his strategy with them.
"It's simple. We keep it short and we tell the truth. Beth, the press loves you, you know what to do. Be spontaneous, and if they bring up Andrea's comments just say that it's her opinion and you respect that. Nothing more."
Beth nodded, glancing towards Daryl. He seemed a bit tense now.
"As for you, Daryl-"
"Lemme guess. I shouldn't be spontaneous"
Beth laughed softly, and so did Rick.
"Well, yeah. I'm not saying you should lie" he clarified "All I'm saying is, whatever shit they come up with to get a reaction out of you, don't react. Keep to the plan and it'll go fast and smooth"
Daryl looked as if he had doubts about the 'smooth' part, but he agreed.
As they walked back to their cars after having said goodbye to Rick and Lori, Beth couldn't help asking.
"Did it bother you? What Andrea said?"
They were in front of her car now, and he was standing right in front of her.
"Nah. 's the truth" he answered, with a shrug.
"You know I really am happy with this arrangement, right?"
He didn't answer, so she continued.
"Whatever reason you had to quit… I trust you that you're not gonna do that to me" she said, and she believed it.
"I would never do that to you. And Rick" he said, quietly.
Beth nodded, and she put a hand on his arm. Daryl stared at it for a moment before looking at her.
"I know" she said, fervently "I trust you, Daryl"
He looked like he was gonna say something, but then he decided against it and started walking towards his truck after a gruff 'goodnight'.
He was almost there when Beth couldn't resist asking him one more question.
"Why did you quit, five years ago?"
He was silent for a while, and then shook his head.
"Doesn't matter anymore. Not gonna bail on ya" he said, and with that, Beth knew the conversation was over.
I hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter! If anyone is interested in listening to the music for the LP, it's "Phantasia - Music of the Night" on youtube :) Review\follow if you liked it! And if you wanna be friends, I'm on tumblr: francescadb is my url! I hope to update soon