Chapter 6
They returned to the funeral home in silence. The scruffy ol' mutt they'd adopted came bounding towards them as soon as they walked in, jumping up excitedly. Beth ruffled its ears and utilizing the jar of pig's feet still in the hall, lay some scraps on the floor, distracting it. While watching it eat, her heart pounded. She straightened up, turning to Daryl.
"So, what, we're just not going to talk about it?" her voice cut through the tension radiating around them. "Ain't nothin' to talk about." He said, glaring at her, his blue eyes flashed in warning. "That's bullshit Daryl! You almost kissed me!" she challenged. "I didn't see you fuckin' stoppin' me!" came his defensive reply. "Oh my God, are you blind?!" Beth shouted in frustration. Her reaction only made things worse. Daryl chewed his bottom lip, jaw tensed as he tried to hold back his anger. "I, I want you, can't you see that? Don't, you, you, umm…?" her voice trailed away.
She felt so fuckin' stupid, a man like him would never want her, she was too innocent, too young, and totally inexperienced…
"Of course I want you! What, do you need everythin' set on a golden fuckin' plate for you?!" he sniped, becoming more aggressive. "You're bein' a jerk!" Beth took a step forward, unafraid of his outburst. This was important, she wasn't goin' to let him back out.
He balled his fists, desperately attempting to ignore his thoughts. "If we go there I'ma lose you!" his voice finally cracked. Tears welled in Daryl's eyes, he hated the idea of losing anyone, especially her, the thought of it hurt him somewhere deep inside. "I…" Beth didn't know what to say. "You're all I got left…" he went on. His expression was more raw than she'd ever seen it, his pain made her physically uncomfortable. "I'm not goin' to get lost, I survived, I'm still livin'!" she assured him. He tried to push her away from his body. "I don't wanna be afraid for you, I don't wanna be afraid of nothin'!" Daryl shouted, shaking his head like a child. That stung, it made her sound fuckin' incapable. "I can take care of myself!" she threw back, looking at him meaningfully.
The tension around them shattered. Daryl's stance relaxed and Beth bowed her head. "You can't see what I see." She said softly, staring at her muddy boots. "If you knew me back then…" he sighed. "Then what?" she asked, her pale pink lips pursed in concern. "You think a prom queen like you would look twice at a red neck ass hole like me?" he demanded, his deep voice full of self hatred. "Stop it! Its about who we are now, you wouldn't have looked at me either." Beth said, gazing at him sadly.
Daryl's lips twitched as if recalling a faded but happy memory. "You think I didn't notice you as soon as I set foot on your dad's fuckin' farm?" he replied, unable to look at her. It made her gasp in disbelief. Back then she'd had the hugest crush on him. "I was with Jimmy, I…" she started regretfully. Daryl looked extremely awkward, he didn't like to think of her with any of the boys she'd dated, he wished they'd never touched her. "Those guys you fucked around with, I kept my distance Beth, what'd you expect?" he growled, beginning to get angry again. "We could've…" she began, trying to calm him. "You know Rick woulda stomped my fuckin' ass." He interrupted.
A wide gap of silence opened between them. It seemed to go on forever. "What do we do now?" Daryl broke in. Their eyes locked, just like they had in the convenience store. "Kiss me Daryl, kiss me…" she whispered. Silence reigned for a long moment. Daryl was aware of seconds slipping by as he wrestled with both guilt and desire, if they did this, if he let himself care, or even love her, he wasn't prepared for the agony of havin' her ripped away from him, but on the other hand, he wanted to hold her while she slept, make sure she was strong, and to keep her safe. A grainy, naked image flashed unbidden into his head, him sliding his dick into her… He made his mind up.
Without any more hesitation Daryl stepped forward, pinning Beth firmly against the wall in one quick movement. She could feel his warmth radiating as his lips hovered over hers. His hand gently tilted her chin upwards, forcing her to look up at him. Her breathing was deep and strained, whimpering as she felt him hard in his pants against her stomach. He kissed her passionately, demanding surrender. She'd never been kissed like that before, it made her dizzy to the point of madness. He attacked her neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses on her soft skin before grazing it between his teeth. She moaned, feeling her knees go weak. So many sensations hit her at once, the tingling scratches of his facial hair, the nipping against her neck, the hot wet lashing of his tongue against hers.
She felt moist and slippery between her legs. It was much too intense. Daryl groaned, managing to drag himself away from her. "If we keep goin' I ain't gonna be able to stop…" he rasped, out of breath. Beth's eyes all at once became wide in fear. "What?" he asked, concerned. "Daryl, I, I'm a virgin…"