Like yesterday they watched a movie, after they had dinner and washed up the dishes. And like yesterday Beth cuddled herself against Daryl's side and he simply loved it. He smiled into her hair, when he noticed she was already tired and he couldn't wait to see her sleeping face again. Daryl was thinking, if Beth would want to sleep at his place again tonight, but before she could fall asleep the movie was over and Daryl was almost a little disappointed, when they saw the final credits.
Slowly he started to move and Beth sat herself up. Clearing his throat he said "C'mon girl, I will bring you home." But before he could stand up, Beth took his hand and she watched his face a little nervously. "Daryl, can.. can I.. can I sleep here again?" Not knowing what to do or what to say Daryl just looked at her. "I mean only if you want that." Beth finally added.
He wanted to tell her how bad he wanted that, but of course his mouth stayed close and he just nodded with a smile down to her. Beth's face relaxed again and she also smiled up at him and Daryl thought that this time she was the one who didn't know what to say.
So Daryl stood up and took her in his arms, like yesterday. With a giggle Beth pulled her arms around his neck and said "You don't have to carry me Daryl. I'm still awake." And this time he told her the truth "I like it, carrying you." Daryl could feel how his head was getting hot, but he knew he had obviously said the right thing, when Beth pulled herself closer to him and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. "You are the best, Daryl Dixon, you know that?" He answered her with an embarrassed smile.
Daryl laid her carefully on the soft mattress of his bed and this time Beth took the blanket on top of her on her own. Looking up at him with her big deer eyes he couldn't act otherwise than leaning down and placing a quick kiss on the forehead. "Good night girl." Daryl whispered, his mouth still near her skin. "Good night Mr. Dixon." Beth whispered back, when he left the room.
Next morning Daryl tried to make breakfast and not too loud noises while doing so, because Beth was still asleep upstairs. He was finish just in time, when he could hear her footsteps on the stairs. When Beth entered the kitchen she stopped and looked at the full table. A little proud and smiling to himself Daryl said "Good morning Beth." After a few seconds she finally said "Good morning Daryl. I thought you don't eat breakfast?" "Yeah, I still don't do it, but this is for you." Beth began to smile at him and finally she lowered herself on the next chair. "Thank you Daryl."
He just nodded in her direction and watched her, while she was looking at the things he had made on the table. "But I can't eat this all on my own Daryl. You have to help me." He shook his head and answered "I don't eat anything in the morning girl." "Then just sit next to me, I don't want to eat alone." And of course Daryl did, like he got told.
When Beth couldn't eat anything anymore, she said "I will put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow." For tomorrow. Beth wanted to sleep again here tonight.
Tonight Beth fell asleep in Daryl's arms again, while they were watching TV. The final credits came way too fast, because Daryl enjoyed it to have her that close. After he turned out the TV, he took her in his arms and went upstairs. Laying her sleepy body in the bed, covering her with the warm blanket, kissing her maybe a little longer on the forehead today and whispering good night to her, he just wanted to pull away when she began to move under the blanket and suddenly she took his hand.
"Daryl?" she asked sleepily her eyes half closed. "Yeah sweetheart?" "Please, lay next to me." Daryl frozen and looked shocked down at her. She just couldn't mean that serious, or.. "Please." She begged him.
Looking Beth one more time straight in her now opened eyes, Daryl finally nodded and with a fast beating heart he went to the other side of the bed. He lowered himself slowly, taking his feet on the mattress and thinking just one second, if he should get under the blanket to her, when he finally did it. Beth was right, of course she was right, the bed felt like a cloud. His bed was way bigger than Beth's and they even didn't touch each other and a few years ago Daryl would have been glad about that, but now he just missed her warm body.
Before he could even get comfortable, Beth already turned around and crawled closer to him. Daryl welcomed her in his arms with a smile and when she was finally laying comfortable he placed a kiss on her head and thought to himself that this will be the best rest he will get since years.
They went on like that. Daryl came home after work, took a shower, waited till Beth came to him, they made dinner, talked about their day during dinner, washed up the dishes, went for a walk after, or drinking lemonade on his porch, playing ludo or watching TV. And it always ended the same, they slept together in the same bed. They always felt asleep with her head laying at the place between his shoulder and neck, but sometimes, when Daryl woke up during the night or in the morning her head was on his belly, her feet knotted with his, her arm around his chest.
One morning he woke up and all he could see were blond locks. Beth was pressing her back against his chest and belly. And he was damn glad that he hadn't a morning wood that day. Daryl's arm was around her middle, which was holding her close to himself, his face buried deep in her hair. How much he loved it waking up and seeing her laying next to him like a sleeping angel. After some time watching her , Daryl always pulled carefully away from her, trying not to wake her.
Like every morning he made her breakfast and stayed by her side, while she was eating. One day Daryl ate a little too and with every more day he ate more and more, now the two of them were eating breakfast together every day.
When Beth came to him this evening she had a little back pack with her. Daryl didn't ask her what was in there, he just noticed it. When they were both damn tired after the eighth round of ludo she said, that she will go upstairs, while Daryl went in the bathroom. When he entered the bedroom Beth was standing in front of him with opened hair, short sleeping pants and a sleeping shirt. Daryl frozen for a moment. Now he knew what was in the pack.
"Why are looking at me like that?" Beth asked him with a smile in her face. After clearing his throat he answered "Because I have never seen you with your hair opened." Beth crawled into the bed and asked when Daryl lowered himself on the other side of the bed. "Do you always sleep in your clothes Mr. Dixon?"
If he was serious, yes. He hadn't slept in a pyjama or just with his boxers on since the apocalypse had begun. Just in case, something will happen. But when he thought about it having her soft, warm skin on his, made his heart jump. So he responsed with a smile and "No." Slowly and also a little nervous he began to open his belt.
Beth turned to her left and took out the light from the lamp on the little table next to her bedside. Maybe she was thinking, that so it would make it easier for Daryl, when the room was dark. And it was really better for him then and more comfortable. Finally his pants were gone, next to his socks and jacket but he won't take of his shirt. Beth just shouldn't see his scars.
She didn't say anything, when he crawled under the blanket to her, just with his boxers and shirt on. Like she had read his mind before, she took her bare legs on his and Daryl almost whimpered at the beautiful feeling it gave him. That one feeling in his belly, he still couldn't name. Daryl could feel how her heat went into his body and finally back into hers again.
While Beth stroked his legs with hers, Daryl could tell that she had shaved legs. Finally her toes found his and she stayed, moving them above his and he answered her with also moving his toes. Daryl almost began to laugh into her hair then. He had never believed that he would lay one day with Beth Greene together in one bed, cuddling and touching her toes with his.
When he could hear her breathing getting more regular, Daryl kissed her forehead and whispered good night into the darkness. She answered with moving her toes above his.
Time pasted by and in one late summer night Daryl woke up because Beth was moving next to him. The second he opened his eyes she began to scream. Quickly he sat himself up and tried to turn her to his side, because she showed him her back. "NO! Not him!" Beth started to hit with her legs on the mattress and tried to get free from his hold.
"Beth. Beth." Daryl tried to wake her up. "NO! Let me go!" she screamed again. Daryl took her by her wrists so she couldn't beat him. Hoping that he didn't grape too tight, because Daryl didn't want to hurt her. "Beth, wake up. It's me. Daryl." She stopped moving then and opened shocked her eyes.
The second Beth saw him clear the tears began to run out of her eyes, while she whimpered his name. Quickly he took her in his arms and carefully stroked her back. "I got you sweetheart. It was just a dream. I got you." While Beth was crying at his chest he craddled her lovingly, hoping to make her calm down a little. Her whole body trembled and her shoulders shook, while she was crying into his chest.
While one hand hold her close to his body, Daryl's other stroked Beth's head gently. "Everything will be good sweetheart. It was just a dream. You are safe. I'm here." Daryl hated it to see her like that and he almost cried with her, but he had to be strong for her. Even when she stopped sobbing by his chest, he kissed her forehead the whole time. His lips on top of her head whispering "I got you. Everything is good."
After minutes of just laying in each other arms, Beth finally looked up at him. Her eyes glassy and red. Daryl had the need to kiss all her tears away, when she looked up at him like a wounded deer. Of course he didn't kiss her tears away, instead he carefully whipped them away with his thumb. Beth leaned into his touch, when his palm stroked her soft cheek.
"You good sweetheart?" Even in the darkness Daryl could see that her mouth was a little swollen, because she had cried so much. Beth pulled her lower lip between her teeth and nodded slowly. When Daryl pulled her closer to him, he finally noticed that she was laying between his feet, her chest on his belly. After kissing her forehead one more time he asked her worried "Do you often have such nightmares?" After some seconds Beth was finally able to answer him "I just had them a few times, but they were never like.. like that."
Stroking her head Daryl told her "It was just a nightmare sweetheart. It's over now." Beth tried to give him a little smile, but failed pitifully. "I have dreamed that you.. you were gone.. you got killed.." Because of her high voice Daryl could tell that she was near new tears, so he quickly stopped her and said "It was just a dream Beth. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you, ever. I will always stay by your side. We are here now, together. You are my life." Unable to respond anything she laid her head on his belly again.
Daryl never stopped stroking her back, head, cheek or whatever his fingers could find from her soft body. Somehow he thought that his breathing was maybe calming her down, because it was the only thing she could hear with her ear on his belly.
Only then Daryl asked himself how late it probably was. It was still dark outside and it looked like that sunrise was still far away. It was Sunday tomorrow, Beth and Daryl had their day off. Deanna had decided this a few weeks ago, because there were so many people in Alexandria now, that they could all take the weekends off, except for the one who had to keep watch. They all got the work done during the week, so they had two days were they could do whatever they wanted. For Daryl was this just one thing, Beth.
Even the fact that they didn't have to stand up early next morning, Daryl knew that Beth needed the rest. Especially after her nightmare. But he could say that she wasn't sleeping, because her hand was grabbing tight his shirt and her breathing wasn't regular. "You should try to sleep some more sweetheart." He told her soothing.
Moving on his belly Beth answered him "I'm afraid that I will have a nightmare again." "I'm here sweetheart, I will wake you before anything will get worse. You need the rest." Making herself comfortable again she whispered into the darkness "I will try. But it's so quiet. Can you.. can you tell me about your day?"
Daryl smiled to himself, he had already told her about his day at their dinner, but of course he will do it again, if this made her feel safe. He tried to tell her every detail he could remember and Daryl thought that maybe his voice and his breathing got her finally so relaxed again, that she fell asleep. Leaning down to kiss her head one last time, before Daryl laid back and watched her sleeping body. He didn't fall asleep again, he stroked her back and head the whole night long, felt her breathing against his belly, listened to her sleep sounds.
Even after the sun had risen up at least two hours ago, Daryl stayed in the bed with her. Normally he left it with sunrise, before she will wake up, but today he stayed. And if he was serious he didn't want to leave.
Finally her body moved on his and after rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she looked up at him. Beth's eyes weren't red any more, they were that bright and beautiful like always. "Good morning sweetheart." "Good morning Daryl." She stretched herself before she went on "Do you know that you are the most comfortable pillow in the whole world?" He smiled and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Did you ever have breakfast in bed before?" Daryl asked her still smiling. "No." Beth giggled. "Then let us try it."
The weeks passed by and Beth slept at his place every night. She didn't move in, at least they never said it out loud. Sure she had her pyjama, a toothbrush, her brush, her shampoo and some clothes to change in his house, but all her other staff was still at Maggie's and Glenn's house.
Beth was always hours before Daryl done with her work and then she did some things for the school, like correcting the children's homework or something like that, in her room before she came to Daryl. She also didn't shower every day at his place, just sometimes, like today.
After dinner Beth had told him that she will take a quick shower and then she will come back downstairs to him in the living room. The water from the shower had stopped already a long time ago, too long. The minutes passed by and Daryl couldn't hear anything from her upstairs. He began to worry.
So Daryl went closer to the stairs and listened if he could hear anything upstairs. Nothing. "Beth?" He finally asked loud. Still nothing. Now he was really worried. He took two steps at once, till he reached the bathroom door. The room was empty, Beth wasn't in there. Looking around, Daryl noticed that the bedroom door was opened. And there she was.
Daryl watched her from the door frame, while Beth was standing in front of the big mirror. She hadn't heard him, because she was looking strained at her reflection. Obviously in this moment Beth was the one, who was speechless like Daryl always was, when he looked at her. He stopped smiling to himself, when Beth moved and he could finally see her face in the mirror. She was looking sad, worried, even scared.
Carefully he went over to her, because Daryl didn't know, if she had finally noticed him, till he was standing behind her and she could see him in the reflection. He wanted to ask her what's wrong, why she was sad, but all what left his lips was "Beth?"
Then she looked up at him for the first time, exactly Beth was looking up at his reflection. Looking at her own face again she took her hand slowly up, till her fingers touched the scar on her cheek. Then Daryl got it. Beth didn't see herself like Daryl did, she thought that she wasn't pretty any more.
"Why do they have to be in my face?" Getting closer to her Daryl said "You are still pretty Beth." He wanted to tell her all, that she was the most beautiful woman he had every met in his life, that she was unique, the definition of pure, perfect, but he couldn't tell her because..because Daryl didn't know how.
Finally Beth turned around, so she was looking him straight in his eyes. "No, I mean why do they have to be in my face?" Daryl looked confused, because he didn't know what she wanted to tell him with that. "I mean so everyone can see them. So everyone is thinking that I'm weak."
Then he finally got it. "You aren't weak Beth, you know that." "Yeah, I know that and you know it too, but all the other Maggie, Rick, Michonne, Carol the Alexandrian's. Everybody is looking at me like I'm just weak, that they have to protect me, that I can't do anything on my own." "But you know that this isn't the truth and one day they will all get it." "Maybe, but I think if the scars would be somewhere other on my body, they wouldn't act like that."
"But they would still be scars." "Yeah, they would, but they wouldn't see them." Daryl closed the distance between them more, when he carefully placed his thumb on the scar by her cheek. "But you got your scars, because you were already strong then. You fought for your life, for your freedom, for your happiness. And that's the difference Beth. Scars aren't scars. The only scars you should hide are they that don't have a reason, about which you are ashamed."
Now it was Beth's time to look confused, when she asked "Daryl, what do you mean with that?" He looked into her eyes one last time before he pulled his palms away from her and stepped in front of the mirror, his back showing to her.
Daryl breathed in one last time, before he took the hem of his shirt in his shaking hands and with one quickly move he pulled the fabric over his head, before he could change his mind. His back felt cold, his whole body was shaking and he was feeling damn sick, when he could hear her gasp. Feeling his eyes began to burn and the first tears were on the edge of his eyes, Daryl suddenly felt her warm, soft hand on his back.
His lungs were searching for air, which he finally gave them with a loud gasp. Beth touched every scar of his back, from the beginning to the end. She touched them all, every scar his father had given him. And it felt so damn good. Like a big weight was falling off of his shoulders. Now Beth knew everything about him. Nobody in his whole life knew about them, even Merle didn't. He was just too damn ashamed and he still was, but Beth was the only person he knew, who would make him feel good again.
Daryl leaned against her touches, wanted more of her body heat above the skin no one had ever touched in his whole life before. His body had stopped shaking, when she had traced a scar for the first time, but the tears were running down his cheeks like little rivers. Daryl opened his eyes again and looked up, after he had blinked some time, he could see Beth finally clear again. She wasn't looking him in the eyes, she just looked at his back.
Beth explored his back with her eyes and fingers and Daryl thought that this was the most beautiful thing she had ever done for him. He watched her in the reflection the whole time and when she leaned closer and kissed every scar Daryl got even more goose bumps on his whole body. Her kisses were burning into his sensible skin, but he loved it. He loved it so much. She took her time, but after she had kissed the last scar she whispered his name, her lips still so close to his skin, and finally she threw her arms around his middle like she had done at the moonshine shack.
But this time Daryl responded her hug and touched her arms with his palms, pressing his back against her chest. His warm tears were falling down on both of their arms, but they didn't care. They even needed this moment. When Daryl finally felt strong enough, to look Beth straight in the eyes and not in the reflection, he turned around, Beth never let go from him. "You are also still beautiful Daryl." He smiled into her hair, while he still cried quietly. "You don't deserve them. You are the bravest, strongest, loyal and good natured person I have ever met in my whole life. You deserve so much better Daryl." After some seconds Beth finally pulled away from him, but just a little, so she could take her arms around his neck.
Standing on her toes she whispered into his ear "You are my hero Daryl Dixon."