A/N ages

Daryl:17
Beth:15

Daryl honked the horn for the third time this morning as he sat in his truck waiting for Beth. It was the first day of school of his junior year and it was Beth's freshman year. She had explained to him all of the previous week before how nervous she was. He hadn't really known what to say to her because it was just school. He went to get it over with, he certainly didn't enjoy going to school. Beth kept reminding him that he was almost done, and if Daryl was being honest with himself he went because it seemed to make her happy that he was trying.

Beth was all he really had. Merle had gotten out of jail but he never came home, because of their father. Will had come back a few weeks after the death of his mother, in which he reluctantly had to go back home. His father had pretended like he hadn't left his twelve year old son all by himself after the passing of his mother for weeks, but it's not like Daryl expected a warm embrace from him either. It was the complete opposite actually, the beatings got far worse after her passing. When Daryl got a bit older and stronger though (like he was now) he was able to fight him off easier. Will still smacked him around a bit, but when that started to happen Daryl just left. He had saved up enough money to buy a truck, it had needed some tuning up but Daryl liked to fix it up anyway. He still found refuge over at Beth's more often than always.

About a year ago, Maggie had filed to be Beth's legal guardian. Their dad was hardly ever home, and when he was he only brought trouble. Daryl recalled one night seeing red and blue lights through his window from a crossed the street, he had panicked and threw on clothes running over to the Greene residence. The cops wouldn't let him through until a certain blonde came flying out of the house running to him, and crushing him in a hug. She explained how a some guy had shown up, apparently Hershel owed him money. He had pulled a gun on Maggie demanding she pay him back since her father wouldn't. Beth had called the cops, and the man had tried to run but the police caught him and hauled him off to jail for breaking and entering and unlawful possession.

That incident had sealed the deal for the judge, and granted Maggie full custody of Beth; even Beth's mother had no objection. She said that Beth would be better off with Maggie, that she honestly didn't have enough time to have Beth move to the city with her. So Maggie had kicked Hershel out telling him to not come back or contact them until he got his life together and decided that his kids were his actual priority. It was sort of rough on Beth at first. Feeling like neither of her parents wanted her anymore, but she adjusted. She was still a ray of sunshine like she had always been.

Finally Daryl spotted the flash of a petite blonde running in front of his truck to the passenger side; hopping in.

"Bout damn time gir-"Daryl trailed off as he caught sight of her.

Her hair was down in long golden waves, and she had makeup on. Not a lot, but enough to where he noticed since she didn't usually wear any. She had on a flowy yellow tank top and tight light wash jeans and sandals. She literally looked like a ray of fucking sunshine. He had never viewed Beth like this; he never was attracted to Beth physically. She had always just been his best friend; I mean yeah he always thought she was beautiful, but his was a different feeling. The sight of her right now had his throat going dry. Beth eyed him self-consciously.

"What…Is it too much? Is it the makeup? I- I know I usually don't where any but-"Beth rambled while looking at herself in the mirror.

"Nah…Ya look-"

"Ya look real nice Beth…" Daryl assured her before mumbling under his breath a 'too nice'. Every guy at school was gonna be all over her, especially being 'fresh meat' and all. The thought made him cringe. He was a seventeen year old boy; he knew exactly how they thought.

She gave a small sigh of relief, before giving him a beaming smile.

"Okay. Sorry I took so long I just wanted to look okay…" She fiddled with her hands.

"Ya aint gotta worry about how ya look Beth, ya always look good."

She smiled at him shaking her head and rolled her eyes at his comments. Beth always seemed self-conscious, and he never understood why. She was blonde, had huge blue eyes, and was tiny. Then again she was a fifteen year old girl; he guessed they were all like that. None the less, she was perfect. Even though his sudden revelation had him thinking a little too far into just how perfect he really thought she was. He ignored those thoughts and started the truck.

They arrived at the school and Daryl parked. Beth still nervously fiddled with her hands looking at all the other students and vehicle's flooding into the parking lot.

"Yer seriously that nervous…" Daryl eyed her amusingly.

He saw her clench her jaw and turn and glare at him.

"Yes Daryl…look at how much taller everyone is than me…" Beth said looking out of the window of the truck skeptically.

Daryl outright laughed, grinning at her. Out of all the things she had to worry about, that's what she was thinking.

"Yer gonna be just fine, I don't know what it is yer so worried about. You have friends, and yer smart, and pretty, oh and ya smell good I mean-"Daryl rambled on dramatically trying to get her to lighten up, because he never talked like this.

"Oh shut up…" She said playfully rolling her eyes and punching him in the arm.

"Damn and ya got a mean right hook…" He said grabbing his arm in exaggerated pain. He only did this with her; he never acted this way with anyone else. Anyone else and it was all glares and nods.

"Daryl!" She giggled, she got his point. Everything would be fine, she knew she was overreacting, but she still couldn't help but be a tad nervous. Daryl got out of the truck and she followed suit. Class still didn't start for another ten minutes. He leaned against the front of the truck lighting up a cigarette. Beth glared at him wrapping her faux brown leather cross body bag around her.

"Ya know those things will kill ya?" She mocked him for the thousandth time. She was always nagging him about smoking. Sadly he made it look good, so she could never actually be mad at him about it. He always made her stand far enough away from him though, saying he didn't want to corrupt her. She also knew for a fact that he wasn't supposed to be doing it in the school parking lot, but it didn't look like the first time he had done it. He simply shrugged at her.

Other people in the parking lot, and students passing them by stared at her and Daryl in awe. Beth scooted closer to Daryl before asking him.

"Why is everyone lookin at us?" She looked around warily.

"They aint never seen ya, they're probably wonderin what yer doing with me?" Daryl smirked before taking another drag from his cigarette.

Beth noticed all the girls glaring at her with what she could only assume looked like jealousy. She suddenly wondered if Daryl was some kind of forbidden fruit at school, I mean she knew he was rough and didn't always play with others but he was good looking. He probably fit perfectly into the 'bad boy' category in high school, which she knew girls went googly eyes over. She didn't think he had a girlfriend, unless it was a secret one or something because he was mostly with her.

"Why does it matter if I'm seen with you?" Beth asked lookin to him. But before he could answer her, a guy about the same height as Daryl with blonde hair and similar style in clothing called out to him by saying 'Dixon'.

"Hey man." The guy with blonde hair said before Daryl nodded at him and they clasped their hands and greeted in what Beth could only describe as a 'bro hug'.

"Who's this?" He asked looking at to Beth. She didn't miss the way he looked her up and down, which made her cheeks color slightly. Hopefully no one noticed.

"I'm Beth." Beth smiled to him, he was cute she had to admit.

"Oh you're the famous Beth." He gave a crooked smirk, in which Daryl kicked his boot glaring at him. That only earned a chuckle out of him.

"I'm Matt." He extended his hand to her in whom she took it giving him another small smile and a nod.

"You talk about me." Beth grinned to Daryl while elbowing him.

He looked down at her and raised his brows slighting smiling back.

"Don't flatter yerself Greene." Daryl mumbled.

She smiled back, she liked to tease him.

"Hey you still coming to the bonfire this Friday?" Matt asked.

"Yeah think so." Daryl replied taking a final drag off of his cigarette before throwing it down and stomping it out with his boot.

"What about you Beth, you coming?" Matt asked looking to her.

Beth was momentarily confused and didn't really know what to say, she had no clue about what bonfire he was talking about. So she was sort of at a loss for words.

"Yeah she'll be there." Daryl answered for her. She looked to him with wide eyes, apparently she was going.

"Great, see ya guys around." He smiled at her again with his gorgeous smile, and nodded to Daryl before heading towards the front doors of the school.

Beth was still watching him as he walked in to the school before Daryl snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Don't make me get ya a damn leash. I know what yer thinking, you steer clear of that. He's bad news for a girl like ya." Daryl eyed her seriously.

"Wha- I wasn't I just haven't met any of your friends before!" Beth knew she was blushing furiously.

"I wouldn't consider him ma friend. I mean it Beth, they'll all be real nice ta ya…until they're finished with ya."

Beth nodded to him. Maggie always told her that high school boys were always after one thing, but Daryl wasn't like that so Beth figured you had to make a few exceptions. She was two years younger than him, and he still hung out with her and didn't expect anything from her. They couldn't all be like Maggie and Daryl were saying right? The bell rang bringing her out of her thoughts as she followed Daryl into the school.

Beth exited the building making her way towards Daryl's truck, her first had gone well and she now felt silly for worrying so much earlier. Her classes were okay, and she had quite a few classes with people she knew which was good. Before Beth had barely entered the parking lot she heard her name.

"Hey Beth!" Matt the guy she had met from this morning was jogging towards her.

"Oh hi." Beth smiled as he caught up with her.

"You got a ride home?" He asked with a charming smile that in all honesty made Beth swoon even if she wouldn't admit it, and for a moment she forgot how to form words.

"Oh uh-I yeah…Daryl's giving me a ride home." She smiled and shrugged.

"Oh right." He chuckled looking to the ground then back to her.

"Are you guys like together?" He added.

Beth eyes widened a bit at his question.

"Daryl and me? Oh I- like dating? No…" Beth blushed and she didn't really know why.

"Oh okay. I mean he's mentioned you before, like having ta pick you up and stuff and you being his neighbor, but I just didn't know…" Matt laughed smiling at her.

"Yeah but maybe some other time…" Beth said quietly not really knowing if it was a onetime invitation or not.

Matt's eyes lit up at that.

"Yeah totally. I'll catch ya later Beth." He nodded and gave her one more half grin and left.

Beth let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. With that she made her way to Daryl's truck. He was already there waiting for her.

"Hey." Beth smiled to him as soon as she got close to the truck; he was smoking another cigarette except he was already sitting in the truck with his door open.

Instantly she could tell Daryl was in a bad mood, he just nodded and had a slight glare in his eyes. Beth hopped into the truck eyeing him carefully, wondering if she should mention anything about his behavior. Sometimes he got angrier if she said something, and sometimes he would talk about it. She had gotten pretty good at deciphering which would occur, and right now she figured she should ask.

"You okay?"

It was quiet for another few moments before he spoke.

"Thought I told ya to stay away from him Beth." His voice was calm but gruff.

Beth furrowed her brows at him.

"Matt?" She asked incredulously. Was that what he was pissed about?

He just turned and glared at her. Beth felt dumbfounded.

"He came up to me. He was just asking if I had a ride home?" Beth explained slightly frustrated at his sudden possessive behavior, acting like she had to answer to him.

Daryl laughed a humorless laugh, which only made Beth angrier with him.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I told ya not to hang around him Beth, I know the guy better than ya. I'm just looking out for ya…" Daryl sighed.

"I wasn't! I told you he came up to me. What was I supposed to just pretend I didn't see him? I turned him down, and said you were my ride home."

"You know what; I don't even have to answer to you! Maybe I should've said yes. At least he wasn't being a controlling ass to me." Beth huffed out before jumping out of the truck and slamming the door harder than necessary. She started walking towards the road.

"Where the hell ya going?!" Daryl hollered at her.

"I'm walking home." She yelled back at him.

Daryl cursed under his breath as he watched her storm off. He swore that Beth Greene had a worse temper than his own, and that was saying something.

Beth continued to walk furiously, before taking a few deep breaths and calming herself down. She knew she could get riled up easily and be dramatic. She had just never seen Daryl be so possessive over her before. The more she thought about it though, the more she realized that he only did it because he cared. He didn't do it to be controlling or because he was jealous, he did it because he honest to god didn't want her getting hurt. She trusted Daryl with everything she had, and if he said he knew Matt better than her (which he did) and that she should stay away, then she would. Sometimes her anger just clouded her judgment in certain situations like the one that had just occurred. Beth now wished she hadn't freaked out and decided to walk home in the Georgia heat, since it was about 10 miles to her house. Like she said, the anger was clouding her judgement…

Daryl drove about a mile towards the direction of home, on the route he knew Beth would be taking and waited for her. He wasn't about to let her walk all the way home, and he figured a mile would be enough time for her to walk it out and clear her head so she could calm down. Sure enough about five minutes later she came walking down the road.

Beth instantly spotted Daryl's pickup pulled off to the side of the road. She was grateful that he was so understanding and caring. He could have just gone home, and after she had yelled at him like that she wouldn't blame him…But he didn't. He waited for her. This only made her admiration for him swell. She was also grateful because even in the short distance she had walked, she had already broken out in sheen of sweat.

Beth walked up to the passenger side; she stood for a moment and rested her arms on the door leaning in through the window that was down.

"Does this mean you forgive me…?" She gave him a small smile.

"Nothin to forgive Greene, git in." Daryl shrugged but she saw the content look in his eye.

Doing as Daryl said, she hopped in and he took off.

"M'sorry I flipped out. I believe you Daryl. I'll stay away from him." She glanced at him with seriousness.

"I'm not trying ta tell ya what ta do just cause I can Beth, I just- I know him." Daryl explained.

"I know. I trust you, you know that." Beth replied.

Daryl looked at her intently and gave her a small nod.

The rest of the ride home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. Daryl parked over at his house, but followed Beth over to hers like most days. His dad was home, and he tried to avoid him at all possible costs. A lot of the time he waited till it was late and snuck in through his window so he didn't have to face him. Maggie was at work this time of the day, and when she wasn't she was off with her boyfriend. His name was Glenn and he was a pizza delivery boy. Every time he would come to the house to deliver their pizza he got all flustered and acted like a fool trying to give Maggie the change. Eventually he asked her out, and Maggie had said yes and started to like him just as much as he liked her. They had been dating for a few months now. Beth liked having Daryl's company since she was home alone a lot of nights.

Sometimes the loneliness bothered her, and she felt like nobody wanted her. Maggie was a grown woman now though, and Beth knew that she needed to live her life. Maggie had done a lot for her over the years and she deserved to be happy, so if it meant Beth had to be home alone quite a bit of the time so be it.

Beth's house was like Daryl's second home. Well scratch that, more like his only home. Yeah the house a crossed the street is where he grew up and where his bed was, but it only housed painful memories and was never what home felt like. So he was always very relaxed at Beth's and well…made himself at home.

Beth kicked off her shoes and threw her stuff into her bedroom before making a beeline for the fridge. She was starving…She hadn't eaten at school mostly because she was sure what the cafeteria served wasn't even real food, but her nerves had kept her from it. She ended up heating up leftovers from the night before for her and Daryl.

It was almost ten o'clock and Beth was snuggled up by Daryl on the couch watching tv.

"What time did Maggie say she got off?" Daryl asked bringing Beth's attention away from the tv.

"Uh like ten I think. But she said she was gonna run by Glenn's after work and to not wait up for her…So…" Beth explained knowing full intention as to why her sister was swinging by Glenn's so late.

Daryl nodded chewing on his thumb. It was a terrible habit he had always had, and Beth knew he was either nervous or contemplating something in his head when he did it. Whether he consciously knew he was doing it or not, but Beth could read him like a book.

"You can stay." Beth offered nonchalantly. She knew that's what he was thinking about…going home. She knew his dad was an asshole who took his anger out on Daryl. She'd seen the bruises; she'd even seen the gashes on his back. She'd helped him take care of them before. Of course he was pissed when she noticed the slight blood stain seeping through the shirt on his back, and as an instinct she had pulled it up and saw. She knew about them... and she knew they were scars now. They never talked about it though. He knew and she knew, but it was never spoken about. And that was okay.

"Nah, ya know she don't like me spending tha night." Daryl said with his hand still to his mouth.

Ever since Daryl had turned about fifteen, Maggie had declared that he was too old to now stay over at the house overnight unless it was an emergency and he had to. It was understandable, and she still let him stay as late as possible after that.

"Well she aint got to know…Daryl she won't be home till morning. I know her, she says she'll be home "later" but she never gets here until about seven the next morning. Its fine, I like it better when you stay with me anyway. She should feel better that you're here, and I'm not here by myself all night. I don't even know what she's worried about…" Beth shrugged.

Daryl let out a breathy chuckle. He knew exactly what Maggie was worried about, but it wasn't like that. He did worry about her when she had to stay here by herself, especially after what had happened with that guy demanding for money. Even though it was a while ago, you never know. Beth was so tiny; she probably couldn't even fight off a fly.

"Ya sure?" He asked just to be positive. He always felt like such a pussy, scared to go home because of his worthless drunk of a so called father. So he told himself, that it was more for Beth that he wanted to stay, ya know to look out for her.

"Yeah I want you to." Beth smiled to him.

Daryl nodded feeling instantly relieved he didn't have deal with going home.

"I never asked ya how yer first day went?" He asked because they hadn't got to talk about it after school since the whole Matt problem, and he knew she had been nervous.

"It was fine, you were right I had nothing to be nervous about." Beth smirked at him.

"Course I was." Daryl gave her a smug grin back.

Beth kicked him playfully while giggling.

"Mhm…you're always right even when you're not." She said scooting closer and leaning her head against his shoulder. She let out a large yawn while snuggling closer to Daryl. He simply put his arm around her.

"Don't make me have ta carry ya into yer bed again Greene…" Daryl chuckled looking down at her exhausted state.

"You won't just wake me up in a little bit." She said sleepily.

Before Daryl even knew it she was out like a light. Why she didn't just get up and go to bed in the first place, he didn't know. She always did this, and he would have to end up carrying her into her bed before he could go to sleep. He usually always slept on the couch when Maggie wasn't home, but sometimes when she was home and he needed to get away from his house when things got really bad he'd sneak in through Beth's window. How cliché right? Most of the time it was because he just didn't want to see anybody but Beth, not even Maggie. Beth never seemed to mind though; she always welcomingly took him in and made him feel like he was wanted. They never slept in the bed together, she had offered and said it was fine and that she could share, but he always took the floor.

Daryl had always admired Beth. She was his favorite person in the entire world, and he couldn't imagine wanting to spend his time with anyone else. His relationship with her had always been a strong friendship he thought. After today though and seeing the way she was interested in Matt he felt this urge and felt more protective than usual over her. Matt was a dick who would end up using her anyway, but that wasn't even the point. Daryl realized even if it had been some nice guy he would have still been pissed that she was interested.

He didn't want Beth to be with anybody else, and technically they weren't even together. They had never kissed, never been on 'a date', nothing of the sorts. That wasn't who they are; they grew up together and had become bonded. There was no pressure to make the right move, or say the right thing. With them it was just easy and natural and they just worked.

Daryl knew Beth felt the same thing, the same amount of trust and comfort and affection they had for each other, and they had just never taken it as far as to saying or being together. But they were…together. Wherever there was Daryl there was Beth and wherever there was Beth there was Daryl. That's just how it worked. That's how they worked.

A/N I hope you guys enjoyed. I had fun writing this chapter because they're older now and it's where the story is going to start slowing down a bit and not jump around so much. So expect the next few chapters to be around this time period. Please review; each review makes my day!