After Beth blinked and her eyes filled with new tears, she whispered back "I love you too Daryl Dixon." Feeling his own tears in his eyes, Daryl pressed his lips against her forehead. That was it the whole time. He was in love with Beth Greene. And she even loved him back. Daryl would have never believed that sweet Beth could love someone like him. He was just the happiest man on the whole world in this moment.
Pulling a little away, just to see if she was injured, but thankfully Beth was just dirty all over her body and the blood she had on her clothes and arms didn't look like her own. "You okay sweetheart?" He still asked her worried. While the tears running down her cheeks Beth shook her head and whimpered "No."
Daryl took her closer to his chest again and stroked her shaking back. "I got you sweetheart. Everything will be good. I'm here. I got you." Only then Daryl noticed Aaron standing next to them, Eric close to his side, but he didn't care about them or anyone other who did see them. All what mattered now was Beth. His princess.
Her head still deep in the fabric of his shirt, Beth said with a trembling voice "Please, bring me home Daryl." After kissing her head one last time he said "Alright. Come here." With that he took her bridal style in his arms and went back to the gates. He was going down the street to her house, when Maggie came out of the building and ran to their direction. Daryl saw her before Beth did, because her head was resting in the place between his neck and shoulder.
"Is she injured?" Maggie screamed. Beth began to move then and Daryl let her on the ground again, so she could hug her sister. "No Maggie, I'm okay. And Aaron is too." Maggie stroked her little sister's head, while she said with a trembling voice "Thank God you are okay." After Maggie let go from her, Beth almost fell back into Daryl's arms. She was tired and powerless.
"I will take her into your house." Daryl told Maggie, but suddenly Beth was looking up at him with her big deer eyes. "No Daryl. I want home." Daryl looked confused and also a little worried down at her. He wanted to bring her home. Home into Maggie's and Gleen's house.
Because Daryl still didn't get it, Beth explained "I want home Daryl. I want home to your house. I want home to you." Daryl's place was her home. Daryl was her home. Shocked he nodded down to her and took her again bridal style into his arms. Daryl looked at Maggie, expecting a confused, maybe even angry look, but she just nodded at him and whispered "Thank you."
On the dark streets of Alexandria Daryl took his princess in his arms home. Just the fact that Daryl could feel and hear her breathing was already enough for him. Beth was alive. His princess was alive.
He took her the whole way to the bedroom and placed her carefully on the soft mattress. Daryl helped her to get out of her boots, socks, jeans, vest and shirt. When she was just sitting in her underwear in front of him, he took of his shirt and gave it into her hands, before he turned around so she had her privacy. While he was waiting till she was finish, Daryl took of his own boots, socks and jeans.
When he lowered himself on the mattress, Beth was already cuddled into the blanket, with his shirt on. After Daryl had gotten to her under the blanket he took her closer to his chest and stroked her head. "I got you sweetheart. You are safe now." "I thought I would never see you again Daryl." As soft as he could, with his still trembling fingers, he stroked her cheek and looked her deep in the eyes. "I also thought that I would never see you again, but I'm not going anywhere without you sweetheart. I'm here, I'm not gonna leave you."
Leaning into his touch, Beth kissed the inner side of his hand and somehow Daryl also wanted to cry again. When she put his hand with her soft one away and placed it instead on top of the shirt, where her heart was beating inside Daryl couldn't stop the tears any more. "Everything is over Beth. I won't ever let anything like that happen to you again." He whispered into the darkness.
Beth watched his face, watched the tears running down his cheeks with her beautiful eyes. When she started to kiss the tears away Daryl closed his eyes. Beth kissed every spot on his face, his cheeks, his forehead, his nose even his closed eyes. And Daryl hoped, prayed that she will also kiss his already waiting lips and when she finally closed the distance between their lips he was in heaven again. It was a short, but a very soft, sweet kiss.
Before Beth started to place a second kiss on his lips she whispered "I love you." and Daryl got goosebumps because of her warm breath on his lips. While their lips were dancing together, Daryl took her even closer to his body and somehow Beth finally managed to lay between his legs and she didn't stop to kiss him for one second. When they finally had to stop, Daryl was still holding her face close to his, so he could see her eyes when he told her "I love you too."
While he was stroking her soft cheeks with his palms Daryl whispered "You should try to get some rest sweetheart." Beth slowly nodded her head. Daryl could tell that she was already damn tired, but something discourage her. "You won't leave me side, do you?" After kissing her forehead, Daryl whispered "No, I won't ever let you go sweetheart. I'm here."
Almost not noticeable Beth nodded and slowly she laid her head on top his chest, her arms on his side. Daryl laid his hands on her back and held her close. Within seconds Beth was asleep and Daryl followed her quickly.
Daryl woke up, because he had a nightmare. Of course he had after the things that had happened last night. But when he looked down and saw that Beth was still sleeping peacefully in his arms, he calmed slowly down again. It was just a nightmare. She was still here, in his arms.
After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes Daryl looked out of the window. It was still dark, maybe one hour before sunrise. Daryl promised Beth to stay with her in the bed and even if he wanted, he just couldn't leave her. His own body felt broken, felt injured, because of the things that had happened and the nightmare.
Looking down at Beth's sleeping body he saw, that the blanket had slidden down her shoulders during the night, so he carefully laid the warm material back up, so her whole body was finally covered again. Daryl couldn't believe and also couldn't say how much he loved this girl. His princess. She was his everything, his hope, his love, his reason, his life. And he will protect her forever.
Till Beth slowly opened her sleepy eyes, Daryl stroked her back and head the whole time, thanking God for bringing her back to him. Slowly she took her head away from his belly and looked up at him. Softly Daryl took away some hair, which was falling in her face and placed it behind her ear, while he asked "You are okay sweetheart? Did you sleep well?" "Not enough, but I feel good." Smiling more to himself than to Beth he said "That's my girl."
The second the words had left his lips Daryl frozen. Yeah, she was his girl, but he had never told her that before. With her big eyes Beth looked up at him "I'm your girl?" After clearing his throat he answered "Yeah. I mean if you want to be my girl?" "As long as you are my man, I will be your girl." Beth smiled up at him.
Daryl smiled back at her and leaned down to kiss her, even when this all felt damn unreal, kissing her, saying that she was his girl and telling her "I love you." After Beth had told him that she loved him too and kissed him one more time, they both got up.
Beth said that she will take a shower and Daryl found himself sitting against the wall on the opposite of the bathroom door. Maybe he won't ever let her alone again, he was just too afraid about losing her. When Beth came out again, she was wearing her dirty jeans from yesterday and his shirt again.
She smiled down at him, like she had already expected that he was sitting there. While he stood up, Daryl asked her "Why are you wearing my shirt again girl?" He didn't mind one bit, because he loved it, when she was wearing his shirt, but she always just wore it for sleep and not during the day. "Because I don't have a shirt to change here, just the dirty one from yesterday."
Daryl nodded his head, while he tried to find the words he was searching for. Taking her tiny hand in his bigger ones he began "Beth sweetheart, do you.. do you want to move in?" Beth's eyes widened and with a big smile she nodded her head and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh yes Mr. Dixon. I want."
After breakfast they went over to Maggie's and Glenn's house to pick up her things. Daryl was standing next to Beth's side, when she told her sister that she will move into Daryl's house. And again Daryl expected a worried and even angry Maggie, but instead she hugged her little sister and said "Oh Bethy, haven't you moved in since a long time?" They stayed some time by Maggie and Glenn in the living room, but then they went upstairs and Daryl helped Beth getting her stuff in four boxes.
When they left her sister's house again and went up with the boxes in their arms the street to their house, Beth looked up at Daryl and gave him one of the smiles, only Daryl got from her. The rest of the morning they spent to stow her stuff, while the record player was playing in the background and Beth was singing to it. And again Daryl thanked God for bringing his girl back to him.
After lunch it began to rain, fall was close. Beth took herself a sweater, when they went into the living room to watch a movie. Daryl knew that she was feeling cold, so he made a fire in the fireplace and Beth thanked him with a sweet smile.
Together they were cuddling on the couch, a warm blanket around them. They were both laying on their sides, because the couch wasn't that big, thankfully wasn't that big.
Beth's forehead was resting next to his chest so he could place his chin on top of her golden locks. Daryl breathed her in, while he was stroking her lower back. They weren't watching the movie any more, maybe they never did. They were just watching and listening to each other. Watching the movements from the other, listening to the breathing from the other, till they both drifted off to sleep.
When Daryl opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw were Beth's beautiful eyes watching him. With a still sleepily voice and stretching himself Daryl asked her "Are you watching me girl?" "Yeah, like you are always watching me while I'm sleeping." Beth answered with a smile.
After Beth had placed a soft kiss on his lips, Daryl kept on looking at her. He didn't deserve her, not even one bit. After clearing his throat he said "We should talk Beth." Her look changed, but she still said "Okay."
After they both had gotten up and they were facing each other, Daryl slowly began "Beth.. I don't know if I can give you the things you want, you need. I don't know if I can love you like I should. Like your mother, father, Maggie or your brother always wanted you to be loved, I don't know if I can give that to you."
Beth took Daryl's hand in hers, while she spoke with a serious voice "I don't want you to love me like my family would want it, I want you to love me like you do. I love you how the way you are Daryl. Don't think that you aren't good enough for me, because you are. You always were."
Daryl tried to smile back at her, but he failed pitifully. "I will always love you Beth, but when you ever want to leave or if you will find another one, you can go if you want." "Stop with that Mr. Dixon. I will also always love you, you are my life, remember? You are my everything, I won't leave you."
Looking her in the eyes to make sure that she meant that all serious, he still had to asked her one more time "You sure?" "I wasn't that sure about something in my whole life. I love you Daryl Dixon and now stop worrying." Beth told him.
Daryl slowly nodded his head, even when he was still worried. With her soft hands Beth stroked his cheeks and Daryl leaned into her touch. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that?" Daryl whispered to her, while he watched the flames from the fire dancing in her eyes. "And you are the best thing that ever happened in my life." Daryl closed the space between them and kissed her softly.
They stayed on the couch next to the fire the whole day long, they also ate their dinner there and when they both felt tired again, Daryl took his princess bridal style into his arms and upstairs to their bedroom.
Daryl gave his shirt to her, in the second he took it off, and let her have her privacy. When he returned from the bathroom, Daryl saw that Beth still had her long hair into a braid, she was probably already too tired to open it. Daryl always loved it to see her hair opened, because then he believed, that only he saw her like that, not any other man had ever seen her like that.
Daryl cuddled himself next to her in their bed, feeling her body heat made him just realise how much he had missed it, even the few minutes he was in the bathroom. Pressing her back against his chest, they both felt asleep, still holding each other hands.