The van died on the border of Georgia and Tennessee a few days later. With angry clouds threatening snow above, Daryl decided that shelter was more important than transportation. Beth was sad to leave the van, she'd grown fond of the outdated cassette tapes and the mattress that she shared with Daryl.

"Got everythin'?" Daryl asked as dawn began to conquer the sky.

Beth nodded, zipping up an army coat they'd found at an abandoned Goodwill the day before. "Let's get moving, Mr. Dixon. It's cold."

He snorted and grabbed her hand out of habit, pulling her down the road. "C'mon then, Greene."

…

Appalachia seemed to grow when Georgia started to sink.

After a few days of hiking into the quiet mountain range, they came across a few vacation cabins sitting on the edge of a clearing.

"Which one you wanna clear first?" Daryl asked, squinting down at Beth.

"Let's take a look at that one." She pointed to a large A-Frame cabin the furthest from the road. It was mostly clear of walkers, save one hanging from a noose in the bathroom. It was a nice size, with a small living and kitchen area, a fireplace, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a loft with a large window. There was an overgrown garden behind the house, a few solar panels on the roof, and a stream not too far away.

"Ya think we can stay here?" Beth asked, setting her bag down on the dusty kitchen table.

"Don't see why not. We'll have to find some wire and poles for fences, but for the most part we should be okay for at least a lil' while," he replied. "C'mon, let's go see if there's anything else useful."

She followed him into the rest of the dark houses, all filled with mold and critters and weeds in the floorboards. Mother Nature seemed to be taking back what was rightfully hers in the first place. They were able to scavenge a few blankets, some cans, and a couple of warm clothes.

That night, Daryl built a fire and Beth was almost able to pretend that the world hadn't ended. She was warm, somewhat clean, and not hungry for the first time in weeks. She watched their shadows dancing in the firelight as they sat side by side in front of the fire.

"I was thinkin' we could check out that town down the road a few miles back. Get some supplies, stock up before winter hits," he murmured into the quiet, the only sound being the scrape of his knife against sticks of wood as he carved them into arrows.

Beth nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, scooting closer to him. "Sounds good. We leavin' early?"

He grunted. "Yeah. Don't want to be stuck out there after sundown."

She nodded again and inched herself away slightly so she could face him properly. "I have a real good feelin' about this place," she said, absentmindedly playing with a loose string on the knee of his pants.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She glanced up and was startled by the heaviness of his gaze. Beth stared back at him for a few moments before kissing his lips softly. "Don't you?"

Daryl nodded and shrugged shyly, dipping his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck.

Beth knelt closer to him, and kissed his forehead lightly. "I'm headin' to bed. You comin'?"

He nodded, glancing up at her. "Just gotta check the locks first."

She hummed and stood, taking their cans into the sink. A few minutes after changing and climbing into the dusty sheets, she felt the mattress dip as Daryl settled in next to her. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest.

In that moment, Beth felt something stir deep inside of her. This was meant to be.

…

Days passed, and the duo settled into somewhat of a routine. They often made runs to the neighboring town together, or Beth would stay at the cabin and work on the garden while Daryl hunted for their dinner. Their elevation made it difficult for walkers to find them, so clearing their barbed wire fence wasn't an everyday task.

Clouds had darkened the skies and made the air slightly muggy when Beth saw Daryl out the kitchen window one afternoon, staggering into the yard from a supposedly "quick" run with blood on his hands and a dark, damp patch on his side. Dropping the spoon she was drying, she ran out the front door to meet him.

"Daryl!" she gasped, taking his shaking, bloodied palms into hers. "Are you alright?"

He stood silently for a moment, then shook his head, wincing. He kept his eyes to the grass beneath them.

She glanced up at his eerily blank face, worried. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?" He nodded and let her lead him inside.

Beth carefully sat him down on one of their rickety kitchen chairs. She quickly brought over a bowl of water and a rag. Wetting the cloth, she wrung it out and started cleansing his hands of the blood. "Is it yours?" she asked quietly. "Do I need to look at anything?"

Daryl shook his head, staring out the window intently. "There were men," he muttered a few minutes later. "They had kids. 'Cept they…" He clenched his fists, swallowing hard. "They were bad men."

Beth's stomach churned as she listened. She knew that prying the information out wouldn't do any good, and she didn't want to know the specifics. After finishing with one hand, she took his clenched fist into her hands and rubbed small, hopefully soothing circles.

The fire crackled loudly, causing Daryl to look at Beth. She could feel his eyes on her, but continued to gently clean his hands of the blood that needed to be spilled. When she was done, she wiped them off with a warm towel.

She stood up to leave and dump the water out, but a large hand on her waist begged her to stay. "Remember when I said you needed to keep on remindin' me sometimes?"

Beth remembered that night, the dusty floorboards of the cabin and pungent smell of moonshine. She nodded, meeting his eyes and tucking a piece of hair behind his ear.

"You do. Every day," he murmured, closing his eyes and leaning into his touch. Beth marveled at the way his walls seemed to completely dissolve every time she merely traced her fingers on his skin. Daryl sighed as she ran her fingers through his greasy hair.

Beth bent forwards and pressed her lips to his forehead. "I could say the same about you, ya know." She kissed his temple and gently asked, "How does soup sound tonight?"

He nodded and let his hand fall from her waist, bringing his thumbnail to his lips.

She quickly heated up a can of chicken noodle soup over the wood stove, humming quietly and aware of Daryl's eyes on her the whole time. They ate quietly and Daryl rinsed the bowls in the sink afterwards.

"You wanna head to bed? I'll check the gates," she offered, more of a statement than a question. Daryl nodded and trudged upstairs while Beth braved the cold and double checked that the fences and doors were locked up tight.

She found Daryl in their bed, shirtless and curled up on one side under the covers. She quickly changed into her night shirt and climbed in behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist. She was surprised when he took her hand in his and squeezed.

Beth kissed the back of his neck and settled into the pillow. "I'm right here, Daryl. Just relax," she murmured, pressing her lips against his shoulder blade before falling into a dreamless sleep.

…

After that night, Daryl became more physically affectionate with her. He would peck her lips each time he left to check the traps and each time he returned. When she cooked, he would approach her from behind and rest his hands on her hips, placing chaste kisses on her hair and the back of her neck. Beth wanted to cry whenever she saw the now commonplace tender look in his eyes before he swooped down for a kiss. She felt so blessed that he felt so comfortable with her.

They didn't encounter many people when they went out on runs, which they were thankful for. Outside of their home, they kept the contact to a minimum. It was about surviving, there would be time for affection later.

Autumn came to an end quickly, and snows started to fall earlier than Beth remembered.

"All locked up?" Beth asked one night, dog earing a page in an old thriller and placing it on her nightstand.

Daryl nodded. "Haven't really been a lot of walkers around lately. I think the snow slows 'em down."

"Well, that's good," she replied distractedly, chewing her lip.

"You okay?" he asked and shed his layers of warm flannels and thick jeans.

"Yeah, it's nothin'."

"You sure?" Daryl slid into his side of the bed, wearing his usual pajamas of a tshirt and boxers.

"Well, it's just…" Beth paused and sat up to face him. "I wanna try somethin'." Taking a deep breath, she tugged her worn tank top over her head and tossed it onto the ground.

Daryl's eyes widened and darkened, lips parting slightly. "Beth – what're you –"

She cut him off with a kiss and pressing her bare chest to his. He inhaled sharply and pulled away quickly.

Beth blushed hotly and covered herself in shame. "Shit, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just thought – I mean I feel you when I wake up in the mornings and – I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the world and – shit Daryl, I'm sorry –"

"Beth," he interrupted, grabbing her arm. "It's not you it's… I shouldn't be the one. For this. I'm not – you deserve more. I don't want ya to regret fucking a Dixon in a backwoods cabin."

"Daryl," she sighed, "I thought you knew." Cupping his jaw with one hand and placing the other one at the back of his neck, she placed kisses from his chin to his cheekbone. "There's no one else I'd rather be with. It wouldn't matter if circumstances were different. It would've always been us. Just you an' me." She tilted his head up, forcing him to look at her. "We don't hafta do anythin' you don't wanna do. But you need to know that it's okay if you do."

He swallowed audibly and gently ran his fingers up her side. Beth shivered as he grazed the soft skin of the underside of her breast. "I've never… done this with someone like you," he said lowly, never breaking eye contact.

"Someone like… oh." Beth blinked, and the vulnerability in Daryl's eyes made her want to burst into tears. Instead, she kissed him, tugging on his lower lip lightly. She took both of his hands and placed them on her waist.

She sighed as his callused hands ran up her skin and finally cupped her small breasts. She raked her fingers through his dark hair, reveling in the new sensations. He parted his lips and let her in, tongues tasting each other lightly. Daryl kissed across her jawline and down her neck, focusing on a patch of skin just below her ear.

Beth tugged on the hem of his shirt, and he let her pull it over his head. She giggled as he threw it across the room, admiring his muscular physique. Her fingertips lightly traced over the scars on his torso. "You're the bravest man I've ever met," she murmured, maneuvering a leg over his and straddling him.

Daryl ducked his head, lips latching onto a spot on the opposite side of her neck. Beth hummed and pressed her chest to his, breath hitching as her nipples made contact with his chest hair. Warmth pooled in her stomach, steadily spreading throughout her abdomen and her thighs. Twitching slightly, she started grinding her hips against his. She hissed as she rubbed against his growing bulge, aching for contact.

"Shit, baby," he groaned and pulled back slightly, looking up at her, pupils darkened. "Can't be doin' that." He snaked one hand down her stomach and under her tattered pajama bottoms and threadbare panties. "This okay?"

Beth nodded and gasped as his fingers ran through her coarse curls and into her wet slit. His touch was overwhelming, from the taste of him on her lip to the thumb on her nipple and the heel of his palm pressing up against her clit.

Breath hitching, she arched forward, shocked by the intensity his touch brought. Of course, she'd touched herself before, but it had never felt like that. She opened her eyes – which she hadn't realized were closed – and met his gaze. A boyish grin spread across his features and contrasted against his darkened eyes.

"'S all for me?" he murmured, dipping one finger into her panties and spreading the evidence of her arousal in circles.

Beth whimpered in response, hiding her reddening cheeks by pressing her face into his neck. A low moan was ripped from the back of her throat as his thumb pressed lightly against her clit and a finger inched into her cunt.

"Daryl… more… please…" she purred into his skin. His fingers quickened their pace and brought her closer to the edge.

"You gonna come for me, Beth?" he asked huskily in her ear, breathing out her name. "Gonna feel so good."

She gasped and came undone in his arms, biting down on his neck. Daryl flat-out growled and continued stroking her until her cries lessened. "Y'alright?" he asked and pushed her away slightly to meet her eyes. "We don't have to go any further, ya know."

"I want this," she whispered, ignoring the blush that formed on her cheeks. "I can tell you do too." She lightly brushed the cotton of his boxers over his hard cock.

Daryl hissed, and Beth marveled at his reaction to her touch. "Fuck," he whimpered, settling his hands just above the hem of her panties. "These gotta go."

After a minute of awkward scrambling, Beth straddled him, naked and blushing furiously.

Daryl gazed at her heavily, running a hand down from her waist to the outward curve of her hip. "You're so fuckin' beautiful, Beth."

She ducked her head, hiding her smile. "Should I lie down? I-I've never done this before…" she stammered out nervously.

He brought her closer to his chest, kissing behind her ear and down her neck. "You can do whatever ya want. Might be more in control on top though, since it's your first time." He pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. "Are ya sure you want to do this, Beth? You're not –"

She cut him off with a harsh kiss. "I told ya, I want this." Taking a deep breath, she brought herself up on her knees. "Like this?"

Daryl looked up at her, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "I think ya know what you're doin'." He leaned against the headboard and placed his hands on her hips, a small smirk threatening to dance across his features.

Beth kissed him deeply and began to lower herself on his cock. He definitely wasn't small, but it wasn't as painful as her girlfriends had described. Their first times had always been described as painful and tense, but she didn't feel that way at all. Him being inside of her brought a fullness that could have been overwhelming, but wasn't.

Daryl hissed out a breath and closed his eyes, mumbling curse under his breath. Beth let herself adjust before rocking her hips back and forth. The slight uncomfortableness faded into pleasure, and soon their bedroom was filled with the sounds of moaning and shuddering breaths.

She moved up and down, crying out when he hit a certain spot inside of her. "Daryl," she sighed, her voice deep and almost unrecognizable.

"Fuck, Beth," he grunted through clenched teeth and snaked a hand down to play with her clit.

The intense stimulation brought her almost to the edge once again. "Daryl, I'm almost there," she whimpered, clenching around him.

"Christ," he moaned, "'S okay, baby. Just let go, I'll take care of you."

Her orgasm hit her hard, the waves of pleasure almost overwhelming. She cried out his name as if it was the only word she knew. Soon after, Daryl came with a low moan from the back of his throat.

Beth collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily as she descended from the rush. She blinked lazily and started to fall asleep.

"That was stupid," he grumbled, placing a hand on her lower back.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she looked up at him, emotion crawling up her throat. "What?" she asked hoarsely and started to roll off of him.

"What? Christ, I didn't mean that was stupid," he quickly replied, pulling her back. "Nah, I's just sayin' we didn't use a condom."

"Oh," she breathed out with relief. "Oh." She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him, furrowing her eyebrows. "That was stupid."

"How 'bout a run tomorrow?"

Beth giggled and snuggled into his chest. She nodded and let herself fall asleep in the warmth of his embrace.