"So you and Daryl, huh?"
Quite frankly, Beth's surprised that it's taken Maggie this long to bring up the topic. It's been ten days since they'd walked in holding hands, and it's only now as they stand in Maggie's kitchen, shelling peas for dinner, that she's spoken of it. Beth guesses that Maggie has been waiting for sufficient privacy to grill her properly on exactly what's been going on.
Beth's been busy since then, with rarely a moment to spare. When she's not on duty, she ensures that she keeps up her training, sparring with either Daryl or Michonne, or else practicing with her bow. She's also insisted that Ash keep up her own training, dragging the girl along with her a few times a week to ensure she doesn't get rusty. Just yesterday, she and Daryl had taken Ash and Carl out tracking, trying to improve their skills. It had felt good to be teaching them, to be doing their bit to ensure that the teenagers can look out for themselves.
"Me and Daryl." Beth confirms, looking up at Maggie as her eyes sparkle mischievously. If her sister thinks she's going to get any information out easily then she's got another think coming.
"Well there's something that I could never have predicted before." Maggie mutters, looking down at the peas in her hands before shaking her head. "You and Daryl Dixon, of all people."
"And why's it so hard to believe, Maggie?" Beth asks, rolling her eyes at her sister.
"You're just such different people is all," Maggie shrugs.
"And you and Glenn weren't?" Beth questions, raising her eyebrows.
Maggie inclines her head, admitting that Beth has a point. "But you have to admit that before the prison fell nobody could've predicted it. You always liked those clean shaven, good boy types."
Beth knows that Maggie's teasing her, and she laughs, "So based on my two incredibly short previous relationships, you decided I have a type? As for me and Daryl, maybe we just never knew each other properly before we lost the prison. I mean we knew each other... But it's different, you know? We'd never really had a chance before that. Who knows, maybe it never would've happened, or maybe one day I would've just woken up and really seen him."
She likes to think that she would've, that even if they hadn't lost everything with only each other to rely on, she still would've come to love him, to hold him as dearly as she does now. It wasn't that she'd never noticed him before the prison fell, that she'd never thought of him. Truth be told she'd spent a great deal of time thinking about him, noticing the things he said and did, and those he didn't, observing from her role in the background. It wasn't that she'd meant anything by it, it hadn't been a crush exactly, she'd just thought... We'll she'd thought that he deserved something better in his life, something nice. Beth had noticed that for all the time Daryl spent looking out for other people, there wasn't anybody looking out for him. There had been a part of her, after Zach died, that had realised she wanted to do that for him, to be that for him - a comfort when he needed it. Then everything had gone to hell, and for awhile that thought had been lost, along with so much else.
"It's good to see you happy," Maggie says softly, "Daddy would have been glad to see you like this. He might have given Daryl a talking to first, but he would've been pleased in the end."
Beth nods, not trusting herself to speak, and nudges Maggie's shoulder with hers, to show she appreciates the sentiment.
"Now enough of the serious talk," Maggie exclaims, her tone brightening, "And let's get done to what I really want to know - is he good in bed? Are you being careful?"
"Maggie!" Beth squeals and shoves her sister, "You can't just ask me that!"
"Why not? The first time that Glenn and I got together it was over a box of condoms!"
Beth snorts at that, remembering the story that Maggie had confided to her long ago. Even if things haven't progressed that far yet it's not as if Beth isn't keen on doing some forward planning. Should she spot a box of condoms on the run planned this week then she'll be picking it up to save for when they do get to such a point.
"There's something I've been wanting to know, did this just happen or were you together when you were out on the road?" Maggie asks then, breaking Beth out of her thoughts, her expression curious but her tone cautious.
Beth can't help the blush that comes to her checks as she replies, "We weren't... We weren't together before I was taken. I think maybe we were getting there, moving towards it, but we hadn't quite made it yet. It's still new, we're still working all these things out."
Maggie nods, her expression thoughtful, and for a moment Beth thinks that the conversation is about to take a serious bent, until she hears the next words out of Maggie's mouth.
"So have you slept together yet?"
"Maggie!"
"What?" Maggie is unrepentant, grinning at her. "I have to look out for my little sister, don't I? And by that reaction I'm guessing the answer is no. Just so you know, your big sister is here for you if you have any questions."
"Gee thanks, Maggie," Beth rolls her eyes, "I might do that just before I die of embarrassment."
"You don't worry, Bethy, if that man knows what's good for him then he'll treasure you, and if he doesn't then I'll sort him out."
Maggie might be annoying, but she is Beth's big sister, and having this conversation with her while sitting in a kitchen, shelling peas - it feels normal. It feels like something that could've come before, back at the farm, giggling as they discussed a boy that Beth liked.
"Just please don't embarrass him, Maggie, please tell me you won't ever say anything about this to Daryl."
"As long as he keeps you happy I won't," Maggie promises, "And how could he not want to? I've seen the way he looks at you. Even with these scars you're still so beautiful, little sister."
"I don't mind the scars," Beth tells Maggie honestly, "They remind me what I went through to get here - that I'm a survivor, that I made it."
She doesn't think that Daryl minds her scars either. He's never mentioned them, doesn't look at them overly long, though from time to time his fingers will pause upon them, a thumb running along a ragged ridge before his kisses will deepen, an added fervency in them as if he's trying to breathe her in, to feel her life within him.
There's a sudden clearing of a throat and both of the girls turn around, Beth's cheeks burning red when she realises it's Daryl, and wonders how much he heard.
"You about done?" He asks, stepping almost hesitantly into the kitchen, "Ash was looking for you, said somethin' about wanting to help check the snares."
"Of course," Beth exclaims, "I forgot I told her we'd do that today. You okay if I go, Maggie?"
"Sure this isn't just an excuse to sneak off with my sister, Dixon?" Maggie asks, eyebrows raised, and Daryl gives her a look.
"Don't need to do no sneaking." He replies, just a bit of sass in his tone, and Beth can't help the giggle that escapes her lips.
"No, you don't." She tells him, and standing on her toes she quickly pecks him on the lips before she squeezes his bicep and slips past him and towards the door.
"You coming?" Beth asks, as he follows her up the stairs and then down the hall towards her apartment.
"Nah, I'm good. You and Pippi have got it covered." Daryl replies, "Thought I'd go see how Rick's doing, if he needs anything for that garden of his on our next run."
"Sounds good." Pausing by her door, Beth again stands on her toes to kiss him, lingering this time as he leans in. "I'll see you at dinner."
He takes two steps backwards, his eyes fixed on her, before he turns to jog down the stairs and Beth makes her way inside.
She's happy with how well Ash has been doing since they've arrived here. The girl seems to have settled well into what counts for normalcy, enjoying her time at the community gardens and farm. She's been trying to make friends with Alexandria Safe Zone's other teenagers, and Beth has been heartened to see that she's developing a bond with Carl, often chatting with him when the group gathers together.
Ash hasn't forgotten what she learned on the road though, Beth can see that. That's why Beth tries to ensure that every day they get to spend some time together, focusing on Ash's skills or just talking.
They check the snares one by one, collecting rabbits and making adjustments or replacing the traps as needs be. It's a quiet activity, but there's occasional conversation as they work.
"Was your old community like this?" Beth asks, as she cleans her knife after dispatching two of the three walkers that had happened upon them. She'd let Ash handle the third one, watching carefully in case it got out of hand, but full of pride when the girl had stepped up, dispatching it efficiently.
"They're more organised here," Ash admits, "The walls are better and it feels more secure. It reminds me of my old home in a lot of ways though. The people here... I feel sometimes like they've forgotten how dangerous it can really be out there. I don't want that to happen to me."
"And that's why we'll keep training." Beth states firmly, "That's why we'll keep going out here, so we remind ourselves of what the world really is."
Ash nods, agreeing with her, and sheathing their knives they resume their circuit, two more snares to check before they can head back. The community may have its own supply of meat, but it's heavily rationed, and anything extra they can bring in helps to supplement their diet.
They talk for awhile about their jobs, about Ash's goats that keep trying to escape into the vegetable garden and Beth's clearing operation and what they're hoping to find on the eventual run, when Ash becomes quiet, pausing before she changes the topic.
"Carl and I have been talking."
"I'm glad, you both need a friend." Beth is gentle in her tone, encouraging, she knows that Ash has more to say.
"I've met the other kids, talked to them, and they're nice but... they don't understand. They haven't been out there. Carl does, he gets it." Ash pauses then, turning her knife over in her hands. "I told him about how you and Morgan rescued me, about the men that killed my brother and wanted to rape me. When they were on the road they ran into men like that, who wanted to hurt him and Michonne and kill his dad. I think it helped us both, to talk about what happened to us."
Beth hadn't known, probably still doesn't know half the things that happened to her family while she was gone. Her heart aches for both Ash and Carl then, for all the kids who have had to grow up too fast. Beth might have been young at the time of the turn, but at least she'd had her childhood, at least she'd had her years of carefree adolescence. These teenagers, only five years younger than her, they've missed out on all that. Instead they discuss shared trauma, and how best to cope with it.
Beth hugs Ash then, wraps her arms around her tightly and squeezes. "You're both so strong," she tells her, "Never forget that. It's okay to need to cry, or to need time to recover, it doesn't make you any less strong. I hope Carl knows that too."
"Thanks mum," Ash tells her cheekily, but Beth can see the emotion in the girl's eyes as she says it, the deeper gratefulness behind it.
"Time to head back." Beth announces once they've checked the last snare, this one empty.
"Why, you have a hot date with Daryl tonight?"
Beth knows that Ash is just teasing but she feels her cheeks go red anyway. "Hush, you."
"When you talked about him while we were on the road, I tried to picture him. He doesn't look anything like I thought he would." Ash admits, "He's far scruffier for one thing, he's also quieter than I thought he'd be. But him and you, you just fit. I could see it the first time, when we met him on the road, I can see it when you're with each other. It's just... It's good to know that there's still love. There's still good things. Who knows, maybe one day there will be for me too."
"There will be, there definitely will be." Beth promises her, "And when there is, you'll have me to talk it over with."
"So you're going to give me the sex talk eventually?" Ash teases, and Beth blushes, earning a laugh from the younger girl. "Have you ever...?"
"No," Beth admits, before her lips quirk, her eyes sparkling, "But I'm sure by the time you need the talk, I'll know something or other that I can share with you."
The two girls laugh, before remembering where they are and quietening, even as the walls of Alexandria Safe Zone come into view.
"You'd better, the way Daryl keeps looking at you, or I'm really going to lose hope in romance."
Beth doesn't mind the teasing, either from her elder sister, or the girl who is almost a younger one to her. She's here, she's alive, and slowly but surely Daryl and her are working their way towards something beautiful. Beth can put up with a bit of teasing, for all the happiness she's been given.
Daryl is sitting on the bed beside her, taking off his boots, when he clear his throat, peering up at her from beneath the bangs that always seem to fall in his eyes. He's been quiet during dinner, even more so than normal, and Beth has been wondering what exactly is on his mind.
"I heard you and Maggie, when you were talkin'."
Beth groans, and swears she just might kill Maggie for all the embarrassment she's put her through. "How much did you you hear?"
"Just the end, when she said that about your scars, and you... What you said, it's true. All of it."
He leans over, slowly tracing his fingers over the ragged line on her cheek before he moves to the scar on her forehead and finally the one caused by her gunshot wound. "Most beautiful thing I ever seen in my whole damn life, that's for sure, scars or no. You should be proud of them. You earned them, you survived, showed all of us."
She hadn't been worried what he would think about her scars, in truth the idea had never even entered her head until Maggie mentioned it. Hearing it from his own lips however is different, to know that she was right in not worrying, that she's beautiful to him no matter what has occurred - it causes something to unfurl from within her, she knows that whatever has taken root between them in the last days is beginning to flower.
"I never doubted you," she whispers to him, "Maybe some of the others have looked at me differently since I came back, but you never did." She pauses, gives him a small grin, "Not differently in a bad way anyhow."
She kisses him, light and sweet, as his fingertips stay on the scar on her cheek, smoothing over it slowly. Beth is just about to deepen the kiss when Daryl pulls away, clearing his throat and looking away, his eyes trained to the ground as he rolls his shoulders.
"Been wantin' to show you something," he says, a strange awkwardness apparent in his tone. "Woulda done so sooner or later, but now seems right. Thought you should see."
Beth is confused at first when Daryl begins to unbutton his shirt, but rather than making a joke about it she sits quietly, knowing by his tone and the nervousness she senses from him that this is important.
Finally done with the buttons, he shrugs out of his shirt, and Beth notices that Daryl's hands tremble where they clutch his knees before he turns his back to her.
There, written across it in a clear history, are marks of violence. Some are deep, and some have not healed as well as others, but they're all old, all committed sometime in the distant past when Daryl must have been just a boy. She thinks of him at that time, of how scared he must have been, of the pain he must have endured with nobody to comfort him, because there is no doubt that these marks were caused by somebody who should have protected him and who chose to hurt him instead.
Beth knows she's been silent too long, knows it by the stiffness of Daryl's shoulders as he sits with his back to her, the slight hunch of his spine. She leans forward and wraps her arms around him, hugging him tightly as she rests her cheek against his shoulder. She can feel the change as it comes, the relaxation of his body, the long exhalation as he lets out a held breath.
"I ain't never been proud of them before," Daryl finally says, his voice choked, "Never wanted anyone to know, not even my own brother. Then I heard you today and I thought that maybe, maybe I don't need to hide."
"You don't, not with me, never with me. I want you to know that I'm so very proud of you." Beth tells him, a fervency in her voices as she touches his shoulder gently to make him turn towards her, "No matter what happened to you, you didn't let that darkness overtake you, you didn't let it change who you are or take your goodness away. You're so strong, Daryl, stronger than you know."
He buries his face into her neck then, his hands clutching her shoulders, and his voice comes out muffled. "Maybe you gotta keep reminding me sometimes."
Beth remembers her earlier answer to the same statement, but that - that doesn't fit anymore. "I will," she promises him, "I'll be here to remind you as often as you need it."
They sit like that for a long while, as she strokes his hair with one hand, the other smoothing across his back, lightly touching upon the scars there on its journey. Beth doesn't linger overly long on any one, not knowing how Daryl might react if she did. She keeps her hands light and soothing, and concentrates on the sound of his breathing as he slowly lets his tension go.
"If you ever want to tell me about it, then I'm here to listen." Beth promises him softly, "And if you don't want to, then we can just put it away here and now, we can let it go."
It takes him awhile to reply, long moments in which he takes a few halting breaths before he is finally ready to speak.
"Nah, reckon I could tell you. Reckon it might help... with putting it away."
And so they curl up together on the bed, Daryl's shirt still off, and he begins to speak. Beth rests her head against his chest as they lean against the headboard and lets him, staying silent for the most part, wanting to let him get it out, these things that he has held inside him for so long. There are times that she wants to cry as she listens to him, but she holds it in, needing to be strong for him as he shares his story, opening up the parts of him that he has kept hidden for so long.
When Daryl is finally done, he takes a long breath in, and it seems to Beth as if he breathes easier, as if there is a weight that is no longer upon him. She pushes herself back from him and turns around, lifts a hand to cup his cheek and pushes the hair back from his eyes.
"I love you." She tells him, simply, because it is a simple matter, and because he needs to know it.
Daryl looks at her in that moment as if she's everything he's ever wanted, as if all the gifts he never received have come at once. He looks at her, and then he raises a hand to rest it on the back of her neck, caressing it.
"Don't know why you would." He comments, his voice breaking a little on the words.
"Sure you do," Beth replies, pushing herself forward so that her lips are within an easy distance of his, his breath hot on her face. "For exactly the same reasons that you love me."
Daryl chuckles then, the sound shaky, "Ain't nothing the same about it. You, you're everything. Couldn't not love you if I tried. Me? I keep waiting for you to get some sense in that head of yours, realise what a mistake you've made."
"Plenty of sense in this head, that's the secret to how I survived the bullet." Beth jokes, before
looking down to find his hands and entwine their fingers. "It's you and me, Daryl. That's how it's meant to be, that's how it will be from now on. I'm not going anywhere unless it's with you."
Daryl whispers her name like a prayer before he closes the distance between them, his lips crashing down upon hers. Beth knows that he needed to hear it, even if he'd known the truth of it in his heart, he'd needed her to say the words. He kisses her desperately, his teeth clashing with hers as she opens her mouth, almost biting her lip as he takes it into his mouth.
He picks her up and places her on his lap then, rocking her against him, his lips finding the hollow of her throat as he does so, clamping down to suck upon the spot so that Beth knows that she'll have a mark there in the morning. She moans at the sensation, digs her fingers into his back as she clutches him. It feels as if they've finally crossed a line, that they are ready for whatever might come next. He kisses down her shoulder, his mouth hot upon her skin, and Beth grinds against him, struggling to get as close as possible. His hands slip underneath her top, warm against the skin of her abdomen, and as one of finds the curve of a breast, Beth reaches down to grasp the hem of her shirt, before she tugs it over her head.
It's enough to make Daryl stop, pulling away from her, his breath uneven and his eyes wide as he first takes her in and then looks away. "Maybe we should stop."
"Why?" Beth asks, trying to control her own breathing as she grips him tightly, balancing herself as best she can. "I'm ready, Daryl. I want this. I want you."
He groans then, leans forward and buries his head into the crook of her neck as he pulls her closer, her bare skin warm where it touches his own. "I want you badly, Beth. Worse than I've ever wanted anything, but I ain't got nothing, no protection. I thought maybe, on the next run, didn't want to assume..."
He trails off and Beth suddenly giggles, unable to stop herself. The absurdity of it, that they've almost been stopped by Daryl's chivalry in wanting to wait for her to indicate her readiness, and her own embarrassment in asking Maggie for help. She bends her head to place a kiss on his dark hair, while his hands flex against her. She knows better than to suggest they should go ahead without protection, there's too much risk involved and she doubts that Daryl would ever agree, luckily it doesn't have to be a choice though.
"But we don't have to stop," she tells him earnestly, reaching into her jeans pocket to pull out a foil packet from the strip that Maggie had placed there earlier with a wink. "Not that I was planning, but Maggie, she likes to be helpful."
He looks up in time to catch her blush, and wordlessly pushes himself forward to kiss her once more, and this time Beth can sense the true force of his desire, the slight desperation as he struggles to restrain himself. It's some time before he can gain enough control to pull himself back again, by which time his hands have found the clasp of her bra, stilling upon it as he speaks.
"You just tell me what you like, whatever you like, and I'll try. It's been a long time, it's... I'll try my hardest, Beth."
Beth looks into his eyes and sees how truly hesitant he is. Daryl might have more experience than her, but in the ways that truly matter she understands that most of this is probably as new to him as it is to her.
She reaches behind her, beneath his large hands, and undoes her bra, allows it to fall from one shoulder, and then the next, before discarding it on the floor to join her top. Trembling only a little as she does so, Beth takes one of his large hands and guides it to her breast, feels the hitch in his breathing as he moves her fingers to caress her, his eyes locked upon hers all the while.
"I've never... I've never gone this far," Beth admits, and when Daryl would've pulled back from her she grabs his hand, holding it firmly in place. "But I want to, Daryl. I might not know what I like yet, but we can figure it out."
She holds his gaze until he finally nods, before moving slowly, deliberately, to enclose his mouth around one of her nipples, even as he rolls the other between his fingertips.
And that, oh, Beth definitely likes that.
It takes them time, and there's definitely some awkwardness, some fumbling, as they seek to please each other. She's wet before he's even undone her jeans, sliding them slowly down her legs as he follows them, leaving open mouthed kisses on her thighs, then her calves, and finally a kiss upon her ankle, her foot cradled in the palms of his hands. Her underwear is next to go, as he hooks his fingers beneath the fabric to slide it down, kissing the junction of her leg with her hip as he does, so very slowly, so very carefully.
Daryl takes his time to make sure she's comfortable, stroking her slowly, rubbing her clit until she's morning and squirming before he slips one finger inside, pausing while she adjusts to the sensation before he adds another. It takes them some time, takes Beth time to overcome her embarrassment to let him know what she likes best, when he needs to go faster or harder, how best to touch her. Daryl might have started awkwardly, unsure of every movement, but he watches her intently, and Beth knows that he's taking note of every gasp and moan, remembering what she likes best and learning how to bring her to the edge.
It scares her a little, as he increases his speed, his fingers pumping in and out of her as he leans forward, holding her closer as he croons into her neck to let go, let go. It scares her, because Beth is used to being in control of her body, has feared losing it, and this, this is completely beyond that - it's the loss of speech and coherent thought, the loss of any type of control as she gasps his name, so incredibly close now.
"Let go, Beth, I've got you. I've got you."
It's enough, it's the safety of his voice and his hands, and Beth lets go of the last thread she was hanging onto, lets it roll over her, shuddering, until she has to reach down and still his fingers because it's too much, too much.
"Oh Daryl," she breathes, "Daryl," as she pulls him up to kiss her, presses her lips to his hungrily, urgently, as she comes down from the high.
He pulls back to look at her, props himself up on his elbows to do so, and there's no cocky self assuredness in his gaze, instead what Beth sees is a need for reassurance, as he raises one hand to stroke her cheek before pushing a strand of hair back from her face tenderly.
"You alright?" Daryl asks, his voice low, unsure, and Beth knows what it is that he really wants to ask her.
"Perfect," she tells him, "Perfect."
He breathes out, his shoulders dipping as she sees some of the tension leave him, and not wanting to wait, Beth reaches out to undo his belt before she moves to the fastening of his belt.
"You sure?" Daryl asks, holding himself still as he waits for her reply, ready even now to stop should she give the word despite the need she can see in his eyes, a pure hunger there. "We don't gotta."
"I'm sure." She promises him, and he helps her to remove his pants, pulling his boxers down with them before he looms above her, naked and looking anywhere but at her face.
Beth might not have much experience but she knows enough to reach between them to take him in her hands, her touch first unsure and then growing more confident as an almost guttural moan escapes his throat.
"Beth, you gotta stop." He reaches down to place his hand on hers, holding her wrist. "It's... I haven't done this in years, and I'm not gonna... You keep touching me like this and it's gonna be over before it's begun."
She nods, understanding, and releases him, reaching for the condom to pass it to him, watching as he tears it open before covering himself.
"You gotta tell me if it hurts, or if you need to stop." Daryl asks of her, his expression so earnest that Beth loves him all the more for it. She's surprised that she's not more nervous, but this, this is right. This is her and Daryl and there's nothing to be scared of, no reason to wait when this is what they've been slowly moving towards, when over the last few days as their kisses and touches have become more heated the waiting has almost killed her.
"I will." Beth promises him anyway, and with a nod to indicate that she's ready, she reaches up to cup his cheek before moving her hands to grip his shoulders as Daryl positions himself to enter her, moving slowly, his gaze trained on her as he does so.
There is pain, but it's nothing compared to the feeling of him inside her, filling her up, nothing to the feeling of his skin against hers as he covers her body with his, warm and clammy with sweat. Daryl buries his face into the curve of her neck, groaning as he sinks into her, and Beth raises a hand to thread through his hair, gripping it.
"Beth, I'm not gonna last long," his voice is strained as he says it, and Beth can tell he's already having difficulty holding on, "It's been too long, and you're so damn tight and wet. God, girl, you've got no idea how good you feel."
"It's okay, Daryl," She reassures him, "Whatever happens, it's us, me and you, and that's what makes it right. Now stop worrying."
He nods, places a kiss upon her shoulder and begins to move within her - long, slow, strokes that have her breath hitching in her throat. He tries, Beth knows he does, but before too long his breath is coming in short gasps as he struggles to hold on.
"It's okay, just let go, let go." Beth whispers into his ear, and as if he'd needed her permission, he allows himself to slam into her once, twice, three times before he's shuddering against her, taking in air in large gulps.
"Sorry, shit, I'm so sorry." Daryl begins, until Beth shushes him, shaking her head.
"There's nothing to be sorry about, nothing. This, it was just our first time, and there's so many morep ahead of us."
He finishes her with his fingers anyway, ensuring that she comes before he lets himself relax, gathering her into his arms and pulling the blanket over their naked bodies as she snuggles against him, tucking herself securely against his chest.
"Sure it was alright?" Daryl asks her, his voice slow with sleep, and as Beth raises her head to look at him, she can see that his eyes are already heavy lidded.
"It was wonderful." Beth's not lying, despite what Daryl might see as a failure on his part. She won't forget his tenderness, or the way he'd taken care of her, or her name on his lips as he came. She's warm and comfortable as she lies here with him, his fingertips softly trailing up and down her back and she feels so very loved, so very cherished. "I love you."
Daryl snorts at the first part of her reply, before dropping his cheek to rub it against her hair. "You keep telling me that and I'm gonna get used to it."
"That's what I want."
Daryl turns his head then to press a kiss to her forehead before he speaks. "Never loved anyone so much as I love you, Beth. Don't know what to do with it all sometimes, how to keep it inside."
She raises herself then, propping herself up on crossed arms balanced on his chest. "Then you let it out, you show me." She kisses him, slowly, languidly, his tongue tangling with hers when she opens her mouth. "And you keep doing it."
"Reckon I could do that," Daryl replies, his hands raised to smooth over the bare skin of her shoulders before he trails them down her arms to grasp her hands in his. "Reckon I could do better."
And he does. Oh god but he does.
A/N: I am really, really sorry about how long this took to post. I've recently gone back to work after 6 months leave, and the end result is I've had a lot less time and been a lot more tired, but I kept writing little bits and pieces till it got done! There should be only one part left after this, which I don't believe will take very long, and then we're done!
A huge thank you to the reviewers, particularly to Natercia and Lexi to whom I can't reply. Natercia: each time I see your comment I immediately go to google translate and then grin at the screen as it reveals your lovely words. Obrigada :)