A/N Thank you all again! Now we know what Daryl does and it seems our couple have made a little headway. What's next?
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You can try to fight it, you can push against it all you want, but you won't win. Things are going to happen the way things are supposed to happen. What's meant to be is always going to find its' way. Occasionally though it seems fate needs a facilitator. A bit of intervention from an unexpected source.
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It was killing him but he was doing this, he was staying away from her. He had to. Even though it felt like he was putting himself through some kind of unspeakable torture he still fought. When he'd see her outside it was all he could do to act as if he hardly noticed her. As much as he wanted to speak to her he didn't, he'd just give her a nod of the head and go on about his business.
He would have simply gotten on the bike and taken off for a few days but he couldn't do that. He had custom orders to fill and he was restoring three antique long guns for a small museum. So he did his best to avoid her and he stayed miserable. He felt alone, isolated and he was tormented by both his dark thoughts and his deep longing to be near her.
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She was upset and she wanted it to be all his fault. The trouble was he hadn't done anything wrong. Well that was just it though, wasn't it? He hadn't done anything at all. It had been nearly two weeks and he hadn't come by and he hadn't invited her to his place. She thought they'd made a little breakthrough when she visited him, but apparently her thinking was all wrong. Whatever was up with him it was just who he was, and everything about who he was felt like a mystery to her.
Anyway, if she gave it a little thought the fault was really hers. She was the one who'd made all the moves. It was obvious he wasn't interested, not in any way. He wasn't interested in being neighborly, he wasn't interested in being friends, and he definitely didn't seem interested in the idea of being a little more than just friends.
As much as she tried to accept all of that and move on, there was something preventing her from it. There was the thing. The thing where she saw the way he looked at her. It wasn't like he was checking her out in some lustful way. And it wasn't anything weird either, it wasn't strange and it wasn't creepy. This was something so different, it was almost like he was longing for something or missing something and he thought she had whatever that was. Like he wanted to talk to her or engage her in some way but there was a reason he couldn't. Was she just imagining these vibes she got from him? She didn't know the answer. All she knew was when he looked at her that way she wanted to go to him. She wanted to hold him and she wanted him to hold her.
She also knew there was something weighing on his mind and whatever it was it was dark and it was heavy. She had no idea what it may be, she just knew it was there.
She also felt sure she needed to stop putting herself through this and she had to do it now. She was busy with work and she needed to concentrate. She didn't have time to be thinking about him. A business owner in Seattle had bought a couple of her pieces on line, checking out her work, and now he'd placed a very nice order for a variety of her creations. This new account was promising and she needed to take care of business. Mr. Dark and Dangerous was going to have to take care of himself.
Besides, it was stupid to waste so much time thinking about him. She knew better than to try and figure out why a man acts a certain way. And she wasn't inclined to make excuses for his behavior. If he was really interested in her he would have made some kind of move by now. It hurt that he hadn't, a lot, but she had to accept it, it was clear he wasn't going to make the effort.
Anyway, it wasn't like they had something going on, they had nothing, nada, zero. They'd had a drink together once and that was only because she'd brought it to him and practically forced her way into his house. That was it, he probably thought she was the one who was a weirdo.
She was so done with thinking about all of this, she'd been obsessing over him since she moved in. Her head was spinning and she needed a break. She decided to just take her book outside for a half hour or so, sit in her chair and read quietly. She'd try hard to clear her thoughts, clear them of him.
She was just on her way out the back door when she heard the roar of a bike. She was pretty certain the Dark One was home so it must be his brother Merle. No one else ever came around to see Daryl except customers and they all went in the front entrance. Sure enough, she'd just sat down in her chair when the gate opened and the big chopper pulled in the lot.
He smiled as he walked her way and she smiled back. He was the friendly brother. "Hey there Beth, how ya doin' today?"
"I'm doing great Merle. I was just taking a little break to regroup. How're you doing?"
"Real good thanks, I just come ta get little brother outta the shop for a few minutes. I'll see ya in a bit."
She smiled again and watched as he knocked on the door once and then entered the gunsmith's shop.
What happened next kept her in her chair a lot longer than she'd intended.
It was about five minutes later when the brothers came out of the unit. She wasn't prepared to see Mr. Dark and Dangerous in a sleeveless shirt. It was obvious it hadn't always been sleeveless, but it was sure as heck sleeveless now.
Of course she'd known all along he was built. That would be a hard fact to miss, and it wasn't like she'd never checked him out. Even in those shirts he usually wore anyone could see the fabric was straining a little around his biceps. But this look, well this look brought it. There they were in full view, the best looking set of arms she'd ever seen. He glanced her way and she was embarrassed to be caught staring, but at least he said, "Hey Beth."
She tried not to be obvious as she watched the brothers walk over to the cargo trailer. Daryl opened the baker's style doors and she saw it was full of outdoor things, and just like his shop it was neat as a pin. He pulled out a colorful target and handed it to his brother. Merle set it up just on the other side of where the bikes were parked.
Then he took out a compound bow and handed that to his brother. What came next seemed to suit Daryl Dixon perfectly, it was a big black crossbow. Were the brother's going to war? It didn't matter. Whatever they were doing she couldn't take her eyes off them.
They stood back from the target and Merle shot first, it looked like the arrow hit just three or four inches from the bullseye. It was very cool to see, but what came next was truly a sight to behold. Daryl Dixon loading and cocking the big crossbow. Magnificent. That was the word that came to mind. He shot the big weapon and he was right on target, she wasn't at all surprised.
She watched them go back and forth that way, taking shots and talking smack like guys do, seemingly having a good time. She glanced down at her watch and was stunned to see she'd been out there almost an hour. As much fun as watching them was, she had work to do. She stood and just as she did Merle started walking toward her. She waited, assuming he had something to tell her.
He smiled widely as he approached her, "Hey Beth, c'mere a minute." She couldn't imagine what he wanted but she saw no reason not to do as he asked. She smiled and walked right over and he took her elbow, "C'mon over here an join us a minute."
She noticed Daryl was watching his brother closely. His eyes were squinted nearly shut and a look of suspicion was apparent on his face. Merle set the compound bow inside the trailer and continued leading her over to where his brother stood with the crossbow in hand. It was out of the blue and Merle did some serious over acting when he remarked, "Oh shit! I just remembered I's s'posed ta be out pickin' up a gallon a milk for the kids. I best run do that right now or the woman at home is gonna break every damn bone in my body. Don't you worry now young lady, Daryl here, he's gonna show ya how ta shoot that crossbow."
There was no mistaking his look, Daryl was furious with his brother and she was about to die of embarrassment. All the while Merle was just smiling as he hurriedly put his helmet on, straddled the bike and he was gone.
As Merle rode off she heard Daryl mumble under his breath, "Fucker." Kill me now she thought, but instead she held her head up and told him, "Hey, don't worry about it. It wasn't my idea and I really couldn't care less." What she'd be happy about is if she could just keep her dignity long enough to get back inside her place before she crumbled. She liked Merle and all, but damn him, this was worse than middle school.
She couldn't wait to get the heck out of there and inside her own place. She tried to look nonchalant as she turned and started that way. "Hey, Beth, hey…" Daryl's fingers had tightened around her wrist and he was pulling her back toward him. It was just enough force, just enough to let her know he didn't want her going anywhere, but not so much it seemed threatening.
"Hey Beth, I'm sorry. It's just that he pulls shit and I don't know why or where it comes from. Anyway, sorry if I acted like an asshole. I just kinda wanna kill him sometimes is all." Then he shocked her, he actually laughed. It was quiet and it didn't last long but now she knew he was capable of laughter. "There's a lotta times I kinda wanna kill him."
"Well it definitely caught me by surprise, and talk about awkward. I'd say on the awkward scale it's a solid eight."
He just smiled, nodded, chewed his lip like he always seemed to do when he was thinking, and asked her, "Would ya wanna give it a try? I could show ya." Now he wondered just what the fuck he thought he was doing and why. The easy answer was he wanted to spend time with her. He wanted to be near this woman...but no it was something more than just that. He felt such a deep longing for her, and in far more than just a sexual way. There was no denying sexual desire was part of it, but this was so much more. Whatever it was it seemed to have it's own power and he wasn't strong enough to fight it. He had to try harder and he would. Right after this he'd do the right thing. He'd leave her be, he needed to do that. But that was his problem. He could never seem to do the right thing.
"I'm kind of nervous Daryl. By the look of that big thing I'm not even sure I'll be able to lift it." She smiled and continued, "But I'm also very curious. I'd like to give it a try if you're willing to show me. Maybe you'd better move your bike though, I wouldn't want to hit it."
"Naw, don't worry, ya ain't gonna hit the bike. I'ma be helpin' ya. It'll be fun, you'll see." He was in deep now and he was going to do this thing, and dammit it was going to be fun for her, and he was going to allow himself to have fun. Then he'd make himself stay away from her for good. Today would be the end. He'd get on his bike in the morning and take off for a while. Right after he went over and beat the shit out of Merle.
"Here, lemme show ya how ta load an cock it, that's where ya use the most strength. If ya bend at the knees just a little it helps. Watch now." Was he kidding? Hadn't he noticed she'd been watching him do this all morning? Checking every move he made?
He loaded and cocked it, lifted and aimed, and he made it look so effortless when he hit the target. Then he held the big bow out to her, "Your turn."
Panic set in, she was pretty sure she was about to totally embarrass herself. She reached to take it from him and if he hadn't retained a hold on it she was sure she would have dropped the big weapon. The thing must weigh 70 pounds. She didn't make a habit of picking up 70 pound objects.
"Wow, I knew it was probably heavy but I didn't expect that."
"Yeah well it ain't built for someone your size that's why I'ma help ya keep hold of it. But you'll see, you'll get used to it and you'll build up a lotta strength." He asked himself just what he thought he was saying. Shit, he was talking like they'd be doing this all the time and that couldn't happen. He wouldn't let it happen. Just this once and then that was the end of it.
"First we'll see how ya do tryin' ta load n cock it, k?"
"Alright, I'm not sure I can do this but I'm kind of excited to try." She was happily surprised that he took it slow and he gave her step by step instructions. He impressed her with how calm and patient he was. She would have never thought that would be the case with him, but it was. He was soft-spoken and encouraging and it put her at ease.
He did have to help her, she just didn't have quite enough strength to pull the bowstring all the way back, but he didn't tease her. He complimented her and acted like she'd done great. "Alright, now I'ma stand right behind ya and help ya hold it up. You try'n aim and remember ta keep both eyes open. I'll be doin' the best I can ta look down the sight with ya an we'll see if we can't hit sumthin', k?"
"Yes and please let's hit something besides your motorcycle."
He snorted out the smallest of laughs. "Yeah, let's go for the target instead."
He knew he shouldn't have done this, he knew how dangerous it would be to have his arms wrapped around her. He could smell the sweetness of her and feel the softness and the warmth of her, it was almost like he was drunk on her. He was a selfish asshole, but damn it felt so good.
She had to stop herself from leaning back into him. She could feel the power and the strength of him and it was warm and inviting. The darkness was there, the darkness was always there, but it wasn't her darkness and he wasn't imparting it on her. And whatever was happening between them it didn't feel dark at all. It felt gentle and protective.
He shook his head as he tried to clear his thoughts. He tried to think about what he should be thinking about and not what he was thinking about. "Ya got a bead on it?"
"I think I do."
"A'ight, lemme try n look with ya." He was behind her and his arms were around her, his hair was mingling with her hair and their skin was touching and it was so distracting he almost couldn't focus. Thank God shooting the bow was almost second nature to him. "Okay, when ya think ya got it just pull the trigger."
She did and although it didn't stick the target it did graze it before falling to the ground. Just being that close to making it was exciting for her and she turned in his arms. She beamed that smile at him and kind of squealed, "I did it Daryl! I actually hit something!"
She was so happy and so proud, and he was surprised by how happy he was of her, "See? I knew you could. Ya wanna try again?"
"Yes! Please! I think I could get pretty good at this."
"Yeah, I'm sure you will."
"So what do you do with this big thing Daryl, just play with it here in the yard?"
He had a sort of half smile when he answered, "Ya serious girl? Play with it here in the yard? I don't play with nuthin'. I'm keepin' my skills sharp so when I go out huntin' I ain't wastin' my time."
"You hunt with this?" She sounded so surprised.
It gave him pause, ah shit he thought, does she have something against hunting? He sounded a little defensive when he answered, "Yeah I do. Why?"
"Well my gosh Daryl, you have so many guns why would you use this thing?"
He shrugged and sounded kind of pissy when he answered, "Sometimes I take a rifle, a pistol or a shotgun out, it depends on what I'm huntin', but I like the bow too. Ya think I oughta limit myself ta just one thing?"
He didn't understand why, but she kind of smiled, "Oh heaven's no, I wouldn't want you to limit yourself. It's just a little unexpected I guess."
Now he gave her that dead-eye stare, "Uh huh, ya got sumthin' against huntin'?"
"No. What makes you think that? I'm no hunter Daryl, but my Dad and my brother do plenty of hunting."
Then she looked at him hard enough it made him want to squirm and she sounded kind of tough when she said, "Why don't you just stop that Daryl."
"Stop it? Stop what? Whaddya talkin' about girl?" Now there wasn't much doubt, he definitely sounded both defensive and pissed off.
She sounded calm and very serious, "Please stop thinking I'm going to judge you for your profession or your hobby or anything else. Okay? I saw how apprehensive you were when I was in your shop. And now you assume I have something against hunting. I'm not a closed-minded or judgemental person Daryl. Even when I don't care for something I'm always willing to listen to the other side." She looked in his eyes with her soft warm eyes and he felt it again, the pure goodness of her.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It happens that I think you're a real good person." He was upset with himself, he never meant to offend her.
She could see he was upset and she didn't want that, things had been going too well, "Thank you for saying that. Now you also said you were going to show me your shop and how you do what you do. I've waited quite a while and I'd say there's no time like the present."
He couldn't help himself and and he couldn't deny himself any longer. He liked that she'd stood up to him, she had a little spunk. It went just right with all the goodness and the light, and it was just one more thing that pulled him in. One more thing that made him want her near him.
Fuck it, he was tried of playing, "Yeah, that sounds good, I'd like to show ya around. Just lemme put this stuff away."
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A/N Thank you so much for taking the time to read along. Please leave a comment / review. The chapter photo of our couple is posted to my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick - please check it out. I hope to see you all back her next Wednesday for more of Dark & Dangerous. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee