The first time it happened Daryl didn't even realize it. It was a few weeks after they had escaped from Terminus and mere days after they had happened to run into Beth in the little storefront she had been holed up in. They needed food so Daryl, who had been the group's main hunter since the escape, decided to go out and see what meager meal he could scrounge up for them.

He had just put his hand on his bow when Beth jumped up from where she sat next to Maggie and grabbed her knife off the floor to follow him. No one ever accompanied Daryl on his hunts, despite the worries that Rick and Abraham presented about him being off on his own, but Daryl always insisted that he needed the time by himself and that if he was gone for longer than half an hour they could create a damn search party for him.

But when Beth began to follow him to the door Daryl found that he did not mind. They had spent weeks together on the road, he was used to traveling with her in silence so he knew that he could still hunt with her. Besides, they hadn't had a moment to be alone since they had found each other and he couldn't deny that the prospect of a few moments alone with her excited him.

The rest of the group did not seem to be surprised when she followed him out the door, they had done it with so little fanfare that Daryl was sure no one had even noticed. As Beth was shutting the door behind them Daryl heard Glenn distinctively call out, "Safety first guys!"

Daryl had assumed that Glenn was telling them to be safe on the hunt, which he thought was stupid because he was always safe out there.

The second time it happened Daryl assumed Glenn was just being strange. It was a few days later and Beth and him were sitting next to each other in the back of the truck that they had hot-wired to take them on to DC. Beth had fallen asleep next to him and at some point her head fell upon Glenn's shoulder who was sitting on her other side. Glenn had met Daryl's eye before lightly moving Beth over to rest against Daryl's shoulder.

At Daryl's confused face all Glenn did was shrug and give him a small half smirk. "Thought she'd be more comfortable."

The third time Daryl began to wonder if there was a joke that he was not in on.

They were all sitting around their low burning fire, the remains of rabbit grease still stuck to their fingers, when Rick announced that they should all try to get some sleep. Daryl was not on first watch so he stretched out on the dirt on the outskirts of the firelight and rested his head on his arms. He had just closed his eyes when he heard Glenn say softly.

"You know Beth I think it looks a lot more comfortable over there. You know, next to Daryl."

He heard a noise that sounded like a light slap as a few of the group snorted or chuckled but when Daryl opened his eyes Beth was making her way across the group towards him. Even in the fading firelight he could see the light pink blush on her cheeks.

The fourth time it happened Daryl was sure he was simply over thinking things

They were once again sitting in the back of the truck as it creeped among the numerous abandoned cars cluttering the interstate. Daryl was trying to remove the dried blood and brains from some of his arrows as the truck rattled alone when Glenn interrupted the silence.

"You should sing Beth." he said as he wrapped his arm around Maggie's shoulder and looked across the truck to where Beth sat pressed against Daryl's side in the close quarters.

She made a small surprised sound at his request before she blushed and twisted her hands in her lap.

"What do you want me to sing?"

"Well what's Daryl's favorite song?" Glenn asked, a teasing tone light in his voice. Daryl looked up in time to see Maggie bite her lip and look away but before he could say anything Beth began to sing the opening lyrics of his favorite song and he shut his mouth with a snap as he stared at her.

The fifth time it happened, Daryl finally realized what was happening.

The group had stopped for the night, the fire had long since burned out as Daryl kept watch over their small camp. His crossbow rested in his lap as his eyes scanned the darkness surrounding them, his ears peeled for any signs of danger.

Only the sound of the other's breathing reached his ears before he heard a small sigh. His eyes followed the sound to where Beth lay only a few feet away, curled on her side. As he looked at her she slowly sat up, and with her blanket wrapped tight around her shoulders she crawled over to sit next to him. Daryl was not surprised as this happened almost every night he kept watch.

Beth always slept next to him so he knew how little sleep she actually managed to gain at night. They never discussed the nightmares that kept her awake but Daryl had woken up to her panting breath and fingers clawing at the dirt more than once to know that they wouldn't talk about it until she brought it up first.

Neither of them said anything as she joined him in his silent vigil over the group.

They sat in silence for a long moment before Beth whispered. "There's so many stars."

Daryl looked over to see her head tilted up towards the gap in the trees above them, the night sky cluttered with pinpricks of light above them. He grunted in response.

"Its the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Beth continued causing Daryl to look over at her. The starlight illuminated her face and her blue eyes were bright and wide as she gazed up at the night sky.

"Have you ever seen something so beautiful?" she whispered tearing her eyes away from the sky to look over at Daryl who shifted nervously at having been caught staring.

Perhaps it was that nervousness that made him blurt out "Yes."

As Beth opened her mouth, most likely to ask him what, there was a groan from one of the sleeping figures a few feet away.

"Would you two just shut up and kiss already?" Glenn groaned as he rolled over in his blankets to glare at them.

Daryl felt his brow furrow in confusion as Glenn shook his head and turned away. Daryl turned slowly to look over at Beth who met his eyes shyly. She shrugged nervously as Daryl's mind finally began to click in place everything that had been happening between them lately.

Her hand was soft under his chin as she tilted his head down to meet hers but her lips against his were even softer.