He wakes to find Beth crouched in front of him, peering intently at his face.
He'd slept well the night before, waking only twice, once when Ash left her room to use the bathroom, and then when Morgan returned in the early hours of the morning, giving him a nod of acknowledgement on the way to his room, no surprise or suggestion that he should return to his own bed. He'd slept better than he remembers sleeping in months, better than he's slept since the prison fell.
He can still feel the weight of her in his arms as he'd carried her to her room, her slight form tucked against his, relaxed as she allowed herself to slip into sleep. He had carried her and willed himself to let it replace his memory of the last time he had done so, of that long terrible walk out of the hospital, her body a dead weight in his arms and every one of his steps dragging.
Now early morning light filters through the windows, lighting Beth's head from behind, her hair like a halo. In a few hours time he'll need to make his way to his day's duty - clearing walkers from around the Safe Zone today and checking the traps, making reinforcements where they're needed. For now he can lie here, one arm bent backwards under his head, the other over his stomach, and just be here with her, just be. It's been a long time since he's had that, since he's been content to be in the moment, not pulled back by the past, or anticipating what's to come.
"Morning," Beth whispers, as if afraid of waking the others, "You sleep here?"
"Mmhmm." He makes a noise of agreement, bringing the am that had been supporting his head up to rub his eyes with his hand, and levering himself into a sitting position. The previous night he had wanted nothing more than to curl up beside her on the bed, to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. He hadn't wanted to let her out of his sight, in case fate conspired to steal her from him yet again. In the end Daryl had settled for spending the night on the couch in their living room, content to be close by just in case she needed him.
Beth just nods without asking any questions, remaining in her crouched position as Daryl sits, looking up at him now rather than down.
"You hungry?" he asks her, "Can make us some oatmeal. Ain't much, but could be worse."
"You going to make me breakfast, Daryl Dixon?" Her smile could light up a room, her tone gently teasing.
"S'not that hard." He protests, hoping that his skin doesn't betray him, hiding his embarrassment at her words. He would do anything for her, making a pot of oatmeal ain't anything to be proud of.
Beth watches as he opens the cupboards, searching before he pulls out a plastic container with the oats, then a saucepan, measuring in enough for not only them but for Morgan and Ash, then adding the water, and finally lighting the stove.
"They give the same rations to all newcomers," Daryl explains, "Gardens ain't doing too bad, better since Rick took over, so there's enough vegetables to go around. Actually got some chickens and goats, had 'em since the turn, so there's eggs and milk twice a week for each person."
"Eggs and milk?" Beth exclaims, "I haven't had any since the farm, thought I'd never have any again. Seems like a good place, a safe place. Is it?"
She pushes herself up to perch on the bench, sitting close by to him, her bare toes nudging his leg where he stands stirring the pot.
Daryl shrugs, "Safe as any place these days. Probably most comfortable place I've ever lived, before or after. Everyone's settled in now, all got jobs to do. They'll assign you one as well today."
He grabs two bowls and divides half the oatmeal evenly between them, leaving the other half for those still sleeping. Shaking his head at Beth's efforts to take them from him, he tells her to grab a couple of spoons from the drawer and carries the bowls to the table. He sets them down at two places next to each other, and watches as Beth places a spoon next to each bowl before she takes her place. It's homely, comforting. It's what he hasn't allowed himself to want, not since the funeral home, since he allowed himself to believe for a few precious moments that they might be able to have this before it was ripped away from him.
"Maggie was saying she'll ask for the day off today, spend it with me." Beth says as she digs a spoon into her oatmeal, bringing it to her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "You make a good oatmeal, Daryl Dixon."
He makes a noise in the back of his throat, shakes his head slightly to refuse any credit, then tilts his head before replying to her first statement. "Do both of you good, being together again. Do Maggie a world of good."
Beth is eating slowly, blowing on the mixture on her spoon each time before bringing it to her mouth, and she takes her time before replying.
"You and Maggie, something's not right, is it? I noticed yesterday."
She's always been too damn observant for her own good, and he should've expected her to work it out at some point, the awkwardness that now exists between him and her big sister. Should've expected it, but hadn't realised it would happen so fast.
He shrugs noncommittally, awkwardly, before he looks at her. "We both said some things, haven't really spoken since."
Beth nods, and he's relieved when she doesn't ask him what was said, not wanting to repeat it. He doesn't hold it against Maggie, not really, he knows people say stupid things when they're grieving. But after he'd said his piece to her, he hasn't tried to make it right between them, has figured she can do so if she wants to, it's not him that needs to cross the distance. Yet Maggie has let that gulf remain, whether due to embarrassment or some other cause, Daryl doesn't know.
"I'll fix it," Beth states confidently, "I'll make it right again."
She smiles at him then, and he can't help but believe her. It will be right again simply because she wants it to be, because how could the world refuse to get in line when Beth Greene orders it to be so? He's convinced she could walk on water if she set her mind to it. Hasn't she come back from the dead after all? Come back from the dead and sitting next to him at this small table, eating oatmeal and looking at him as if she's been given all she ever wanted.
Oh how he wishes he could be everything she's ever wanted.
He thinks he could say something then, give her some sign, lay his heart out on the table in front of her and let her do what she wished with it, whatever she wanted. Knows she'd treat it well if she were to take it, knows it would always be safe in her hands.
But there's a knock at the door, and Beth jumps up to answer it, telling him to keep eating even as Daryl moves to rise to his feet. Despite the fact he's lived here safely for a month he still feels a sudden fear, a desire to check who it is before he lets them near her. He stays where he is though, trusts her to judge for herself, knows that she doesn't need his overprotective fears when she's shown again and again she's capable of looking out for herself.
Daryl hears Maggie's voice as she opens the door, and has to stop himself from tensing, finishing the last few spoons of his oats instead, scraping the bottom of the bowl before gathering it up and heading for the sink, washing it with the water set by in a bucket before he turns around to acknowledge the new arrival.
Maggie is sizing him up when he does so, her gaze wary, and he has to force himself not to shrink under it, to fold in on himself. It ain't her choice who her little sister wants around, and it's not on him if she doesn't approve. He hasn't done anything, hasn't even tried to do anything like what she thinks of him.
It's a different matter that he aches to try, burns to be able to reach out as he truly wishes, to lay himself at Beth Greene's feet and hope that she'll have him. He knows he'll always be hers regardless.
"I'd best get going," he addresses Beth then, keeping his eyes on her rather than her sister.
"You don't need to," she tells him, "Stay awhile."
"Nah, best get ready for work. Michonne will have my ass if I make us late."
"I'll see you later." It's said softly, half a statement and half a question and he nods in reply before turning to go, briefly meeting Maggie's eyes before he leaves the apartment, walking across the hall to his own.
Michonne is pulling on her shoes when he arrives, raising her eyebrows as she sees him walk in the door.
"You ready?" Daryl asks, and she inclines her head in reply before she farewells their other flat mates, stopping to kiss Judith goodbye.
"See you all later." Daryl tells the room at large, meeting Rick's nod with one of his own. His brother won't ask, won't question him on where he was the night before or what occurred and Daryl's thankful for it.
Michonne is another matter entirely.
"So?" she begins, giving him an earnest look as she leans against a tree trunk, waiting while Daryl pulls a bolt from the head of a walker, wiping it down before he replaces it.
"So what?" He replies, his own eyebrow raised this time, daring her to come out and say what she's thinking.
"Not one to kiss and tell, Dixon?"
"Who said anything about kissing?" Daryl mutters, trying to stare Michonne down.
Just because he hadn't, it didn't mean he hadn't thought of it, didn't mean he didn't want to. That wasn't what last night was about though, wasn't why he'd followed her in. What they'd shared then, that was more important, more vital, than giving in to any urges he'd had. They'd both needed it, to let out all the things kept inside while they'd been apart. They'd needed to be able to put that past aside, put it away, and they'd needed to do it together.
After what Beth had told him, Daryl's going to be damn sure that it's what she wants before he tries to take anything further. He won't be that man, the one that pushes, the one that tries to claim what's not his.
"Alright, alright, keep your secrets," Michonne's tone is teasing, a smile on her face, "I just wanted you to know how glad I am for you, Daryl. You get some happiness, you make sure you grasp it with both your hands, you hear me?"
Daryl thinks he already has, he thinks that even now he can feel himself holding on for dear life.
A/N: Is anyone nervous about this Sunday? I'm hella nervous but holding out hope! Please do review if you've enjoyed it :)