Honestly this title just sucks. I'm sorry.

Daryl really had to learn how to tell Beth no. That woman just had too much control over him, or as his brother would say, he was whipped. He was wound so tightly around that girl's perfect, soft, little fingers that he couldn't help but do whatever the hell she asked him to. That was how he found himself standing outside the hen house at the Greene family farm, chickens perched on his shoulder, and chicks hopping around eating the spilled seed from the bucket he'd dropped. He had no idea how these little birds had gotten the jump on him. All he'd done was lean over to throw the seed down, and suddenly they were settling themselves on him. The more he wriggled and tried to get them off, the deeper they dug into his shirt. Oh, he'd get Beth back for this.

A giggle drew his attention to the blonde in question as she walked out of the barn where she had been brushing the horses. Her giggles turned quickly into full blown laughter as she got closer and saw the chicks pecking around his feet, and the annoyed look on his face.

"Oh my goodness! I'm- I'm sorry!" She panted through her laughter. "You look so ridiculous!"

"Bethany Anne Greene! You come help get these demon birds off me!" Daryl said indignantly.

Beth sobered a bit and closed the space between them with a grin. She easily dislodged the birds, smiling the whole time as he halfheartedly glared at her. Daryl caught a glimpse of the pond behind her, just a few yards away and smirked. "You know what's really funny, Greene?"

Beth looked at him wide eyed, following his line of sight and shook her head backing away. "Daryl Dixon, don't you dare."

"Gotta get you back somehow, don't I?" He asked matching her steps back with a few steps of his own towards her. Beth turned to run, but he caught her easily and lifted her up into his arms as she squealed and laughed.

"Daryl, don't!" She protested, and if he thought she really minded he would have set her down in a heartbeat, but he knew she didn't. He approached the edge of the pond and walked around it and onto the dock that lead out deeper into the water. Beth had given up fighting and decided to cling to him tightly instead.

"You ready?" He asked once they'd reached the end of the dock. She grimaced and nodded, and with that he tossed her forwards into the water. Beth popped back up with a grin a moment later and Daryl couldn't help but smile down at her. God, was she beautiful.

"Help me up." Beth said, reaching up her hand towards him, and really he should have noticed the mischievous look that danced in her eyes but he was too busy memorizing the way her soaked white shirt clung to her body as he offered her his hand. Beth gave a tug and he fell forwards into the water next to her and came up sputtering, only to find Beth already swimming towards the shore. He followed her and met up with her on land, and pulled her against him. She reached up on her toes to press her lips to his, and he reveled in the feeling of her, and her smile against his mouth.

"What the heck is going on out here?"

Daryl and Beth moved apart, but only slightly as Hershel hobbled down from the house.

"We were just swimming, daddy." Beth said, batting her eyelashes sweetly at her father.

"That what you kids call it these days?" Hershel asked with a glare, though they both knew he wasn't really upset with them. The couple merely grinned and shrugged in response. The old man shook his head with a small smile of his own. "You two had better make sure you get the chickens back in the coop."

Hershel left back up to the house and Daryl turned back to Beth, pecking her once more on the forehead before she pulled away.

"You know I ain't done with you yet?" Daryl said, following her back towards the coop and the barn.

"Oh, I know." She grinned. "I know."