I'm so not sorry. This title is shit.
Beth had hit a lot of lows in her life, but she was sure this was one of her lowest. It was late, probably around one in the morning if she had to guess. Not only had she forgotten her keys to her apartment back at the farm, but she'd been starving and went to the vending machine to grab some food when she'd gotten her arm stuck inside. She wished she hadn't been so stupid, but she had really wanted those chips. She was hungry and exhausted.
So here she was sitting on the ground, arm stuck in the vending machine at a ridiculous hour. Beth let out a frustrated cry and began to wiggle her arm again, but stopped with a yelp of pain when she twisted too far in the wrong direction. This was humiliating. She could only imagine how bad it'd be when someone found her and rescued her.
"Beth Greene? What the fuck are you doing, girl?" Beth snapped her head up to the source of the voice and never wanted to be invisible more in her life. Daryl Dixon stood a few feet away with a smirk, though she could see the concern in his eyes. Concern for her sanity, Beth was sure. He'd always seemed to run into her at the worst times, but he hadn't ever treated her like she was crazy, like she was sure anyone else would have considering the unfortunate events that usually surrounded their encounters, this one included. Not to mention her growing crush on the man.
"I forgot my key at daddy's farm and Frank- you know Frank, right? The janitor?- he went home so I'm locked out for the night. I haven't eaten in hours, so I just came to get some chips but they got stuck and I tried to grab them but now I'm stuck too! And my phone is in my car and-!" Beth cut her rambled explanation short when a chuckled erupted from his lips. She snapped her head up, shocked, and quite a bit offended.
"Daryl Dixon! Are you laughin' at me?" She asked incredulously. His chuckles turned into full blown laughter and he doubled over, finding far too much entertainment for her liking. "This is a serious matter! I am in pain!"
"I'm sorry!" He panted out between bouts of laughter.
"Daryl, please!" Beth pleaded and Daryl sobered up at the pain in her voice. He nodded, still smiling, and crouched down over her to better assess the situation. He nodded again as he leaned closer to her. Suddenly, Beth couldn't find enough air to fill her lungs and she felt her heart race at his close proximity.
Get it together Bethany Anne Greene he's just trying to help you! It doesn't mean anything, she scolded herself.
Daryl took her arm gently in his hand and moved it a little, causing her to flinch and let out a gasp of pain. He loosened his already loose grip in response.
"Okay?" He asked her and she nodded.
"This is so embarrassing." Beth groaned leaning her head back against the machine.
"Y' know this ain't so bad. One time, my brother Merle and I were tresspassin' in some wooded area, but we got caught. We had to slip through this little hole in a fence. I was only 'bout thirteen, so Merle was probably twenty-two or so, not small by any means. I crawled through the hole easy 'nd quick, but Merle, his pants got caught on the way through." Daryl told her, and Beth laughed, predicting where the story was going. He smiled at the sound. "They ripped clean off leavin' him in nothin' but his boxers. Didn't have time t' grab 'em, had to run 'fore the owner of the place got his dogs out after us. Worse part is, we had to walk passed the town's bar to get back to our bikes. That bar was always full, there's no tellin' how many people saw him in nothin' but his underwear that day."
Daryl leaned back away from Beth and she immediately missed his warmth.
"Well, let's go." He said, standing up and offering her his hand. Beth glanced between him and her freed arm, shocked. She accepted his hand and he pulled her easily to her feet.
"Did you tell me that story to distract me?" She asked. She was nearly pressed up against him now, and even in the dimness, she could see his pulse was fluttering just as fast as hers.
"Didn't wanna see you in pain." He muttered with a shrug, his gaze anywhere but on her. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close before pulling back a little.
"Oh Daryl Dixon, I could kiss you!" Beth said with a grin and flushed when she realized what she said.
"Why don't you?" He challenged, and that was all it took for her to close the space between them and press her lips to his.