This is the first bethyl thing I ever wrote and I know its a slight bit ooc but I've never really wanted to tweak it so that's that.

The elevator creaked and groaned beneath Beth's feet as it made its way up to her floor. She bit back a squeal of terror as it shook and she stumbled a little in the small space, bumping into the man who leaned against the wall in the corner, looking uncomfortable. Beth choked out an apology and he nodded in acknowledgement. She was terrified of the old contraption, only having taken it to avoid Zachary, the creepy asshat who never stopped hitting on her.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped. She stared at the dial at the top of the door, stuck between the fourth and fifth floor. She moved forwards to press the dingy red help button.

"Hello?" A voice came from the speaker above, making her jump.

"The elevator's stuck." Beth said in response.

"I'll call maintenance." The speaker-voice said. "Larry's real busy, though, so it may take a while. How many are in there?"

"Two." Beth squeaked.

"Larry says he'll be over to take a look in half an hour. Y'all hang tight, y'hear?"

Beth's breaths came out in shorter, quicker pants and her eyes widen. She knew this was a bad idea. She knew it. The elevator was broken. She be stuck in there forever. They wouldn't be able to fix it. Maybe, it'd drop the fifty feet into the basement. Or maybe-

"Hey." A rough voice coughed from the corner. Her eyes swiveled from where they were glued to the floor number over towards the man she bumped into before. He cleared his throat. "What's your name?"

She was bewildered he was talking to her. Beth knew him, or well, knew of him. He definitely wasn't known for his conversational skills, that was for sure.

"Beth Greene." She said shakily after a few beats. She fought to focus on him rather than their situation, but her eyes kept drifting up to those numbers, and her breathing fought to steady itself. "Yours?"

"Daryl Dixon." He replied with that deeper, soothing voice of his. She'd never heard anything like it. It was soft and kind, but with a gruffness to it, like if you struck the wrong cord it could become rough and intimidating in a second.

"Nice alliteration." Beth murmured. "Daryl Dixon. Its sweet."

He humphed for a moment, looking her up and down. His gaze warmed her head to toe. For a moment she didn't think he was going to reply, or maybe he thought she was stupid. Maybe she'd said the wrong thing. Maybe-

"Not as sweet as Beth Greene." Daryl said quietly. She stared at him for a moment, really taking him in. He was still leaning against the wall in the corner, hands stuffed into his pockets. His dark, shaggy hair fell into those shocking blue eyes that he usually kept glued to the floor. She didn't know why. They were the best eyes she'd ever seen in all of her nineteen years. He was dressed in the only type of attire she'd ever seen him in, ripped and greasy blue jeans on bottom and a cut off shirt with that vest on top. The vest with the angel wings she admired so much.

Beth looked down, suddenly self conscious of the sweet yellow sun dress and cow girl boots she'd slipped into that morning. Suddenly, she felt childish with her hair pulled back into her signature braid infused pony tail. She nearly forgot he was waiting for her to respond.

"Oh." Was all she settled on. Beth let her eyes draw back up to the numbers above the door, the arrow that was fixated between the two floors, the source of all of her current inner turmoil. She told herself to stay calm. She tried to will her breathing to stay steady, and her heart rate not to pick up, but it was futile. Her anxiety and panic was welling back up within her and her breathing came back in pants.

Suddenly Daryl was standing in front of her, taking hold of her chin and gently tilting her face up so that she would meet his eyes.

"Come on now, girl." Daryl murmured. "You breathe with me okay? In and out, in and out, jus' like that."

Beth followed the near stranger's lead, her hand straying from the clenched ball it was at her side up to rest on him, feeling the rise and fall of his chest, and the pounding of his own heart. Now that was bewildering. Why was he nervous?

"Good, Beth, keep breathing." Daryl said softly. "'S okay. In and out."

She followed his lead for a while, and listened to the gentle tone his rough voice took.

After a while, when she'd finally got a hold of herself, lead out of the fog by this man's voice, a small giggle escaped her, once she was calm enough to let her previous thoughts catch up to her.

"What's so funny?" He asked, his voice slightly irritated, but she could tell he was more amused than not.

"Thought I was the one having a nervous break down." Beth said quietly. "So why's your heart racing faster than mine, Mr. Dixon?"

"Just ain't so used to being so close to such a pretty girl, Ms. Greene." Daryl responded. Beth's surprise was mirrored on his own face.

"You think I'm pretty?" She asked, tilting her head and looking up at him. She started noticing more about him, like the fact he was a head taller than her, and the smooth curve of his jaw, which was covered in stubble.

She noticed the way his ears tinged red from where they peaked out from under his hair, matching the faint red on her own cheeks. He nodded jerkily before the elevator lurched upwards and she once again fell into him, though this time she laughed, and he chuckled a little strained.

The bell dinged and they both stepped off the elevator awkwardly.

"I'll walk you to your place." Daryl offered and Beth nodded with a smile. Really, they lived just across the hall from each other, but Beth still found the offer sweet. They arrived at her door and she looked up at him in a beat of silence.

"You wanna-"

"I was wondering-"

They laughed again, easier this time, and looked one another in the eye, blue on gorgeous blue.

"You wanna go out some time?" Daryl tried again.

Beth grinned. "As long as we don't go anywhere near an elevator."

"Deal." He agreed with a smile. They seemed so much easier to come by with this girl. They arranged the date and time, quickly exchanging numbers despite the fact they were only feet away.

"See ya, Mr. Dixon." Beth smiled softly as she opened her door and stepped in.

"Good night, Ms. Greene." Daryl replied doing the same. He waited until she closed her own door so that her dazzling smile was the last thing he saw before he closed his own.