To make for my recent downer drabble, here's a fluffy!
Huddle
Premise: set between episode 4x12 and 4x13 in which Daryl is reluctant about what he has to do for him and Beth to survive one night
Genre: Romance/Humor
"Shit!"
For as long as Daryl had gotten to known Beth, he knew that she would never utter obscenities unless she was hardcore serious. She started rubbing her arms together. "I didn't think it would get this cold so fast!"
"Me neither," said Daryl. He couldn't hide the fact that he was shivering as bad as Beth was nor could he deny seeing his own breath as he puffed. The temperatures had dropped at an unexpected rate and Beth and Daryl were still in the same short-sleeve clothing that they burned down that house together only days ago.
It also didn't help matters that neither of them had slept much since then.
Daryl tried to focus. Normally, the two of them didn't mind traveling at night when it was necessary but the cold weather and exhaustion hindering their progress meant that they would have to find shelter for the night.
Thankfully there were no signs of walkers nearby and they eventually found some form of rotting structure. The place had to have been abandoned before the apocalypse began in its shape. But it had four walls, boarded windows, and a solid standing door. From the looks of it, it could've formally been an old shed. Still, it was the only thing they were going to find before they both froze to death. "Come on."
The one-room structure wasn't too small and only a bit warmer than outside. Hard to believe a walker would even stick around here, but Daryl didn't take any chances. Once it was clear, Daryl and Beth got inside. The space was rather empty. Trash was scattered everywhere. The only thing left that was of any use to them was a worn-out mattress on the ground. These were signs to indicate that this was once someone's shelter, but whoever they were, they had to have moved on a long time ago.
"I guess this will have to do, won't it?" Beth sat on the mattress making herself comfortable. "Big enough for two."
"What are you sayin'?" asked Daryl.
"I'm saying we're both freezing. Look at you, you're still shaking a bit. I can tell."
"I can handle myself just fine."
Beth was getting real worried. "What's wrong, Daryl?"
He tried to avoid look over at the mattress. "Nothing...it's just...don't wanna get in your personal space."
She smiled upon realizing that the mighty hunter Daryl Dixon was just being quite nervous. "Come on, Daryl. It's not like I'm trying to get you into bed or anything...I mean not like that! We're two full-grown adults trying to survive, aren't we?"
Daryl was not going to deny that. He knew that Beth had done alot of growing up, more than he had, since they left the prison or hell, probably longer before that. He saw a curtain hanging over one of the boarded windows and carefully took it down. "This could help, I guess."
Beth then curled herself up to one side of the mattress, closest to the wall. Daryl took a moment to collect himself. The curtain was too small and too thin. And they both knew that they weren't gonna get a good night's sleep unless they warmed up and their only means, until they could find warmer clothing, was through body heat.
Even though that they had both accepted in their own little way that it was just the two of them now, Daryl wasn't sure how close he was allowed to get...let alone wanted to get to Beth Greene. But then he thought of the first time she hugged him back at the prison...the first he had ever been hugged by anyone as he could recall. And her hugs always came with no strings attached. It made him think of a couple of the women back at the prison whom he had gotten to know, only to find they were crushing on him. Carol had jokingly called them his "fangirls". Beth, however, was no fangirl. When she hugged him it was her way of showing that she cared about him...as a human being. He wasn't used to the idea of anyone treating him like that, no matter how respected and loved he was by the people. He remembered just standing there in complete confusion when he realized he was subconsciously caressing her elbow.
This girl never played games with him. Hell, she was never the type to do that with anyone. He doesn't think he ever shared a bed with a girl that didn't result in her getting something out of it. But Beth wanted nothing from him but his well-being. She was serious about their need to survive.
If animals could huddle up together for warmth and nothing more, surely two humans could do the same.
He put his stuff aside only bringing the curtain with him. Beth was facing the wall as he got on the mattress. Yes, the mattress was meant for two but just barely. There was hardly room for either of them to have their own space. The curtain could only cover one of them but that didn't stop Daryl from trying.
"Are you okay? Do I need to scoot further?"
"You scoot any further, you'd be smeared to the wall," said Daryl. "I told ya I'm fine. Try to get some sleep."
"Okay." Even with just mere inches of space between them, Daryl could feel Beth relaxing her body but he still felt quiet tense.
'Come on, man,' Daryl thought to himself. 'Don't be such a pussy.'
He then realized that he really was feeling warmer with Beth there. So he closed his eyes and let himself release all the tension from his body. He only hoped that his 'junk' didn't get into her space to make things even more awkward. He hadn't forgotten the age gap between them either. Aside from this, his head was still distracted with too many other thoughts at once. There was no possible way he was gonna be able to sleep like this.
"Sorry."
"Huh? Sorry for what?"
Beth was unable to turn her head to look at Daryl. He didn't realize that she was even awake. "Well sorry for waking ya."
"Is that all, Daryl?"
He sighed. "The other day...when I was ...teaching ya how to use a crossbow..."
"I've seen my dad act worst when he drank. Maggie's done a few crazy things too." Daryl hadn't forgotten though that it was more than him just getting riled up. He wonders if she remembers how he was unintentionally man-handling her in the process. "But you know...," she said. "...maybe I should learn, just in case something were to happen to you."
"I thought you said I was gonna be the last one standin'."
She then turn her head up slightly enough that Daryl could see a small smile on her face. "You never know what can happen."
"Alright," he said. "Starting tomorrow, we'll get you started on the basics...how to find your way around, stuff like that."
"Okay. Goodnight, Daryl."
"G'night."
She rested her head down again and closed her eyes. Daryl was starting to feel comfortable. He could feel the warmth from her radiating off of him and vice-versa. This wasn't so bad he thought. He wasn't use to any particular kind of closeness but he didn't have to be. If anything the awkwardness felt rather nice. He stretched his arm out and before he knew it, it was resting gently over Beth's. His mind was too exhausted to think about what he was doing or what he should do. Suddenly he felt the fingers on said arm becoming intertwined with hers...with only his thumb free to gently caress her hand. Her actions also were subconscious as she was still fast asleep.
Feeling her was truly like a dream, comforting and surreal. His weight shifted until he realized there was no space between them anymore. He wondered if she knew that she was completely curled up in him now. He was also starting to wonder why that would even matter. By the time he realized his head was resting against her shoulder and the arm around Beth had tightened, he knew it wouldn't. They were warm. They were comfortable. They were surviving.
Animals do it all the time, he tells himself. Cats, dogs, and rabbits. That's what he lets himself think about before he finally falls asleep for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.
