Sorry for the delay on this, I've been a bit stressed lately with adult-life sort of problems. Adulthood is not fun, kids. Anyway I'm back and here with an update that I hope you enjoy, the fact that I've been up and down multiple times on whether I like it or not!
"Alright… what was the last movie you remember watching?"
"Last movie?" It was after dinner and they were sitting side by side on the floor in front of the fire. Their conversation had been random, ranging all evening through dinner and beyond, from silly things like favorite colors, to favorite seasons and now, apparently, movies.
"Yeah, you know… like the last movie you remember seeing before…" Beth trailed off and then raised her hands in the air, gesturing around them both as if in illustration.
"Before everythin' went t' shit, you mean?"
"You're silly." She smiled at him, a sweet one accented by a little playful tilt of her head. "But yeah, I mean…" Leaning beside him with her palms pressed to the wood floor behind her, Beth stretched out her long, jean-clad legs in front of her. He could see her toes wiggling in her socks as she shifted her feet closer to the fire, and it made a smile tug at his lips as she went on, "Like the last one I remember watching is, um…. Oh! The Princess Diaries. I watched it with Maggie, I think..."
"Ain't never heard of that one before." It wasn't that he'd not seen a lot of movies; he had. It was just that, well, a movie with "Princess" in the title hadn't exactly been at the top of his list.
"Mmm, it's about a girl whose grandmother comes to visit and tells her she's secretly a Princess, and the grandmother is a Queen, and you know, she has to decide whether to be a princess or a normal girl…"
He couldn't resist the little snort that slipped free at her summary. But when he glanced down at her, Beth was smiling up at him rather that looking annoyed as she replied, "What? Oh come on, it's a cute movie!"
"Be honest," Daryl teased, looking down at her through the fringe of dark hair that had fallen into his eyes, "Did you think maybe someone would show up, tellin' you 'bout how you were secretly a princess?"
"No..." But even as she made her denial he caught sight of her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth and seconds later her giggles bubbled free.
Daryl might have teased her further; the words surely were there at the tip of her tongue. But she turned to press her face against his shoulder as she laughed, and he was so suddenly struck by her sweetness and how goddamn cute she was that he forgot to tease her. All he could do was faintly smile as he watched her, drinking in the sight of her all flushed with amusement, eyes bright and lit up by her smile and her laughter.
He could have watched her laugh all night, frankly. Just sitting with her in front of the fire, the cabin as secure as they could make it, a dinner of pecans and warm beans settling in their stomachs… and Beth, happy and laughing.
When her laughter finally trailed off, the smile remained, lingering on Beth's lips as she looked up at him and teased, "You didn't answer my question, anyway. What was the last movie you remember watching?"
"Dunno," he said gruffly, pulling his gaze from her smiling face for a moment to glance at the fire ahead, hoping she couldn't see on his face that he wasn't being entirely truthful. It wasn't like he wanted to lie… but he wasn't about to tell Beth that he was pretty sure the last movie he remembered seeing was some shitty porno Merle had on in their hotel room. It wasn't like he could follow up some cute Princess movie with Mindy Plays the Football Team, or whatever the hell it had been. Daryl cleared his throat and let his gaze drift back to her, trying not to think of what he definitely did remember, trying not to picture naked limbs and hands sliding over bare skin as he focused on her and roughly added, "Don't remember."
(Funny though, that back then the sight of it on the screen had pretty much done nothing for him, and now he found himself shifting in place and trying in vain not to look over at her.)
"Okay." Her response was as simple and easy the smile on her lips as Beth leaned into him, nudging his arm with her own. "Then what's yourfavorite movie?" She shifted to rest her chin on his shoulder, peering up at him as she remarked, "I always have such a hard time answering that question. Either my brain goes completely empty, or I think of every movie I ever watched and loved, you know?"
Grunting in acknowledgement, Daryl found himself reaching up with his free hand to absentmindedly tuck a stray bit of hair behind her ear, the gesture so natural and casual that he barely even realized he was doing it. "Dunno what my favorite is." He started to give a shrug but then, knowing she would want an answer and genuinely wanting to give her something other than shrugs or grunts, he went on, "Used t' like them old action movies, y'know… cowboys, or old detective movies, like th' books we've been readin'. But, uh… there is one I remember likin' when I was younger… you know, the one with the dinosaurs?"
Beth's nose crinkled up in thought (making him think of a bunny, only a hell of a lot cuter) as she replied, "Jurassic Park?" When he nodded she beamed, and went on, "Oh, I love that movie! We used to have a copy of it on tape when I was younger. I wasn't allowed to watch it until I was like 10, though, my Mama thought it would scare me. I think it still did a bit."
Though he chuckled, the mention of her seeing it as a kid made his mind wander. "Saw it when it was in theatres," he remarked, clearing his throat again as his gaze drifted back to the fireplace. "Sometimes after school, instead of goin' home I'd go to the movie theatre in town." The truth was he hadn't done it out of a love of movies, at least not at first anyway. He'd done it because it was a way to avoid going home. "Didn't always have money t' pay, but one of Merle's friends worked the ticket counter an' he'd sneak me in sometimes. Saw Jurassic Park there, sittin' in the back of the theatre."
He could still remember it. Sitting alone in the dark by himself, staring up wide-eyed at the screen at the dinosaurs running rampant. How many movies had he seen that way? How many people had he watched come in and out, stomach rumbling at the sight of their trays full of food while he went without because he couldn't afford to buy even a small bag of popcorn? How many couples did he eye making out in the back row, wishing they'd stop stealing his favorite seats and wondering what the hell the appeal was anyway. Why would anyone come to a movie and do that instead of watchin'?
And yet… here he was. Sitting side by side with a pretty girl who had her chin on his shoulder and was smiling up at him so sweetly. A girl who he knew that he could kiss, if he wanted to, just like those couples had kissed in the darkened back seats of that tiny movie theatre, ignoring the sticky floors and the overly loud speakers in favor of locking lips with each other.
He'd never understood the appeal of it then, as a surly and hungry kid who just wanted to spend those hours escaping from his shitty life. But now, sitting there looking down at her and her smile… he thought maybe he understood the appeal.
Breaking into his thoughts, Beth gave a half-giggled, "What?"
"Hm?"
"Why're you looking at me like that? One minute you were talking about Jurassic Park and then you were just looking at me…" Playfully solemn, she teased, "Were you wonderin' what my favorite dinosaur is, Mr. Dixon?"
He gave her a little smile as his hand reached up again, fingers brushing over the curve of her cheek. "Was rememberin' all those times I'd sit in the back of the movie theatre by myself, seein' people come in with their friends, or you know… with their dates, or whatever. Makin' out in the back like no one could see 'em."
"You never went to the movies with a girl?"
Her soft, curious question had him shaking his head. "Nah." He'd never wanted to, really, even if he could've found a girl who would've said yes to a guy like him. "What about you?" He didn't doubt what her answer would be. He just knew a girl like her would have gone to the movies with her friends, or even with a date. She'd have been one of those too-pretty girls coming in with a gaggle of friends, giggling and laughing and whispering to each other during the movie. Or one of the ones that came in with her date and sat beside him, her cheek on his shoulder and their hands clasped together.
He tried not to let himself think about if she'd have done anything else if she'd have been the type to steal kisses in the darkness of the back row. But the thoughts crept into his mind even as she replied, "I'd go sometimes with Maggie, or with my friends. And… once or twice with Jimmy, you know, on dates."
Unexpected jealousy surged within him, churning in his belly and making him grunt out a reply before he turned his gaze almost sharply to the fire instead. But beside him, she leaned in a little bit more, her shoulder and hip pressed to his as her chin found it's place on his shoulder again. "We never made out or anything at the movie theatre. Jimmy was a gentleman. Plus he was always afraid my Daddy would find out somehow, I swear he thought Daddy was psychic or all-seeing or somethin'..."
Curiosity got the best of him as he glanced briefly back at her, torn between the light of the fire and the light in her eyes as he asked, "An' what about you? Were you too afraid?"
"No. I dunno. Maybe I was then, with Jimmy. But..." From the corner of his eye he saw Beth bite her lip, the straight line of her teeth dimpling that perfect pink flesh before she leaned in and whispered near his ear, "I wouldn't have been afraid with you."
That certainly got his attention. Both the words and the way she whispered them so low and close that her breath ghosted across the shell of his ear and made the hairs stand up slightly at the back of his neck. Feeling a tendril of heat uncurling in his belly, he pulled his gaze fully away from the fire once more to look down at her, raising one eyebrow until she gave him a slow smile and an innocent looking shrug.
"I'm just saying…"
"Just sayin' what, Greene?"
"That… I'd have loved to go to the movies with you. That I'd have sat with you in the back row and held your hand…" Her hand, resting on the ground behind her, shifted over until it found his. As her fingers grazed over the back of his hand, she went on softly, "I'd have kissed you in the back of the theatre, too. And I wouldn't have cared if people could see us. I wouldn't have cared one bit, with you."
It was just too much to hear and not do anything. His head was all full up; past memories mixing in with present moments, that lonely surly teenager turned not-so-surly adult staring down at the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. Pretty like the girls who'd come into those dark theatres lit up with laughter, not a single one of them even casting a glance in his direction. Only right now, Beth only had eyes for him; her gaze so intent he didn't dare pull back or break away. All he could do was the exact opposite. Just reach up and cup her cheek with his large, rough palm, tilting her head back and leaning in to press his lips to hers.
It wasn't a movie theatre. They were on the floor instead of in seats, the only soundtrack was the distant hooting of owls beyond the thin walls, and the flickering light came from the fire and not an oversized screen. But she was there, and she was letting him kiss her, and when he closed his eyes Daryl could almost imagine the hint of popcorn salt on her lips or the sweetness of fizzy soda on her tongue. When his hand shifted to cup her hip and brush up her side, he could imagine they were in some dark back row and that the little giggle she gave was out of delight at the idea that anyone might look back and see them necking like two teenagers.
Plus the whole not-a-movie-theatre thing had its advantages, too. For example, there was the way that after a few minutes of slow, hungry kissing, he could lower her back until they were both on their sides, lying on the blanket he'd spread out across the cabin floor, legs tangled, his hand still drifting over the curve of her hips to the dip of her side and upwards. There was the fact that they didn't have to worry about dividers and drink holders getting in their way as they pressed closer to one another, all tangled limbs and warm bodies curled together on the ground, only breaking their kisses to gasp for breath.
Yeah, there was no denying he saw the appeal now of making out in darkened rooms with pretty girls who giggled and flushed and sighed so nicely.
"You never told me," he said a little while later, when their kisses had trailed off long enough for them to both truly catch their breaths. His voice rough with both breathlessness and desire, he added, "What your favorite movie is."
"Oh." Laying against his side and half on top of him now that he'd rolled onto his back, Beth smiled as she reached up and trailed her finger across his lower lip. "If I had to choose right now? I think Dirty Dancing. You ever see that?"
"Mm," he replied, his tone indicating he wasn't really sure.
"It's a really good movie. A romance, though, so I dunno if you'd have watched it. There's this girl named Baby, you know, have you ever heard that line: Nobody puts Baby in the corner?"
"Baby?"
"Shhh." Sticking her tongue out at him, Beth went on, "Anyway. This girl named Baby goes to a resort with her family, and she ends up falling for the resort dance instructor, Johnny, when she offers to fill in for his dance partner. It's a lot more complicated than that, but it's a really good movie. She comes from this rich family and he's kind of more struggling to get by, and they kind of hide their relationship but eventually she exposes the truth to try and save him, and in between there's lots of great dancing. It's really romantic, honestly."
Alright so maybe something about that summary tugged at something in him. Maybe it sounded just a little bit familiar as he smirked at her and teased, "At least your family never called you Baby, huh?"
"No, just Bethy, which is almost as bad." She shifted up a bit, leaning over on his chest to look down at him as the pad of her finger trailed across his lower lip again. "I wish I could show you the movie though, I think you'll like it. There's this one line that gets me every time. The whole scene, really. It's right before they give in and make love for the first time, and Johnny is telling Baby how he's never known anyone like her. How she tries to make the world better."
Silence fell between them as she spoke; if it was accented by the hooting of owls or the cracking of the fire, Daryl heard neither. All he heard was Beth's soft voice, all he saw was the distant warmth in her expression, the change in the way she looked at him as she went on, "And you know, she tries to play it off, tries to say all she did was go get her Dad for help and that's nothing, and Johnny… Johnny tells her how brave she is, and how it's like she's not scared of anything. And she says…" Trailing off for just a moment to trail her fingers once more back over his lips, Beth murmured, "She says… She's scared of everything you know? Who she is and what they saw. And then she says my favorite bit, she says… And most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel… when I'm with you."
Halfway through her fingers stilled and her eyes lifted to lock onto his. As she spoke he felt his breathing hitch, felt not only that sensation of warmth building within him to fill his veins, but that sense of rightness too.
Because those words. Lord, those words. He understood them. He felt them. He'd never been the kinda guy to be affected by simple words in that way before, but the way she said them, the look in her eyes as she breathed them out, and the way they made him feel… he just… understood. Because she had been right before, when she'd called him scared. As much as he liked to deny it, Daryl had been scared before. He'd been scared of losing their family, scared of realizing it was his fault, scared of not knowing what to do with the blonde-haired girl who trusted him with his life.
But now, more than anything, he was scared that he might lose her, and never again feel like this. The way he felt when he was with her.
And the only thing he could think to do, the only thing it felt right to do, was to raise his hands, cup her face, and draw her down so he could kiss her again.
It was only later, after their lips were swollen from kisses and their hands nicely warmed from slipping under each other's shirts to graze over skin and she was half-asleep tucked against him, that he let his chin come to rest on her forehead and whispered, "You know, I think you're right. I might've liked that movie. If I got to watch it with you, anyway."
Not that he needed to, though. Cause being here with her was not only better than sitting in some dark movie theater. Being with her was a hell of a lot better than any damn movie had ever been, too.
Though the fire had been burnt down to embers by the time they woke up, it had still been so nice and toasty warm curled up against Daryl's side. Truth be told, Beth hadn't wanted to move. She just wanted to stay there, feeling his broad chest beneath her and his arm heavy around her, her body rising and falling along with his inhaled breaths, all wrapped up in his warmth.
When he'd gently nudged her off him and sat up, she'd grumbled in discontent, even though she knew rationally that they couldn't sleep all morning. Laying on her side next to him, her body still curved to the shape of his, she blinked sleepily up at him, watching as he stretched his arms over his head. With a hum she snuggled closer to his side and curled one leg over his in a silent request (or maybe an attempt at temptation) for him to stay.
"You gonna trap me down here, Greene?"
Looking up at his amused expression, Beth gave him a hazy little smile and hummed, "Mmm… I might… it's just so nice and warm, that's all." Of course she knew they couldn't sleep all day, honestly she did. Gone were the days of staying in bed until the late morning sun filtered in the window. There were no more lazy Saturdays with late breakfasts, staying in her PJs half the day and reading in bed.
But she couldn't help wanting it a little. The longing she'd felt last night as they'd talked and teased about movie theatres and kissing lingered today in the light of morning, turning into a new sort of longing. One that whispered about wanting to stay right here cuddled up under a blanket in front of a banked fire. There was no big bed, no pajamas, no late breakfast of pancakes and bacon… but she didn't really need any of that. Just like she had been happy kissing him last night in a dark cabin instead of a movie theatre, she'd be happy this morning just napping with him under a warm blanket on a cabin floor instead of in a big fluffy bed.
He watched her with a faint smile on his lips and reached down to gently brush back her soft, sleep-mussed hair. "Ain't sayin' I'm not tempted," he murmured in a sleep-roughened voice that coaxed another sigh to her lips, "But I gotta go out for a bit, you know… check the perimeter. Take a piss."
The little smirk he gave at that last bit was timed perfectly with the face she made, nose all crinkled up as she fell back to the ground and stuck her tongue out at him. It wasn't like the two of them weren't used to having to say things like that, after all, it was just the pair of them and it had been for a long time. Still, he just had to say it all bluntly when she was half-asleep and curled up against him and trying to tempt him into staying with her.
"Go on," she said, waving at the door as she teased, "Your loss, though." It was meant to be playful, and it was. The way they slept at night all curled up with each other was something they didn't really talk about, not actively. Neither of them remarked on the fact that they always slept side by side together these days, or that they more often than not woke up essentially cuddled together, let alone that last night they'd fallen asleep with lips still swollen from kissing. So her words were just hinting at it, teasing as she often did… though when he looked down at her and climbed to his feet, she knew what she saw in his eyes was more than just playful.
There was a longing there, one she knew without a doubt meant that some part of him truly wished he could stay right where he'd been, down on the floor with her in his arms.
That knowledge had her slowly sitting up, the blanket pooling around her waist as she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. With her chin propped on her knees, Beth watched Daryl as he moved around the small, bare little cabin, tugging his vest back on before heading to the front door.
"Be back in a few minutes, alright?" He cast a glance over his shoulder at her as he stood with his handle on the door. "Gonna do a look around, too, make sure everythin' is okay." The promise, though unspoken, was implicit. I'll come back. It didn't matter that he was only going outside for a few minutes; in the world they lived in, even a few minutes could be a risk, and they both needed that promise, even unspoken.
Since it was 'just' a quick trip outside, Beth wasn't too worried though. So when he nodded at her and slipped out the front door she remained where she was, stretching her arms above her head and working out the kinks that tended to come after sleeping on a hard wooden floor. Truthfully, she kind of prefered the ground outdoors, even if it wasn't as safe. Sure, grass made a far more comfortable bed than rough, unyielding wood, but walls and a locked door were far safer than a string of cans. It was a win/lose situation, in the end.
After a couple minutes she rose to her feet and stretched up onto the tip of her toes as her gaze drifted to one of the windows. They'd covered them with some of the spare cardboard from the walls last night to try and block any glow from the light of their fire or the solar lamp. Now she crossed the floor to one of them and nudged the cardboard aside to peer through the dusty glass out the front of the cabin.
The sun wasn't quite high enough to peek over the tall trees just yet, but there was still enough sunlight for the clearing around the cabin to be dimly lit. She could see the abandoned car out to the left, and the road stretching into the distance in front of her. What she couldn't see was any sight of Daryl, but that didn't surprise her. He'd probably headed around back, doing his circuit of the place.
They'd been together just the two of them for long enough that Beth was more than familiar with his routine and just how long it would take. She knew that first he'd make a circuit of the cabin, checking for signs of walkers and to see if anything or anyone had displaced the strings of cans they'd put up last night. Only then would he take a moment to relieve himself, as he always needed to in the morning and usually did his best to be out of her sight for if it were possible. Then he might make another round, looking for animal prints even, give things a more focused look-over, and finally, provided he didn't find anything, he'd come back to her.
It usually took about five minutes, maybe seven. Ten, tops Enough time for her to get up and stretch, change her clothes if needed, stoke up the fire and figure out what she wanted for breakfast that day. Like most days, all of this familiar routine was accompanied mentally by her running thoughts as she went over their plans for the day, or whatever else might be on her mind. If her thoughts were a bit dreamier today, Beth didn't think she could be blamed. After all it wasn't often these days that she got to think about the sort of things that put a flush on her cheeks and butterflies in her stomach, like the press of Daryl's lips to hers last night or the memories of their teasingly flirtatious conversation.
Given the sorts of things currently filling her mind, it was probably not too surprising that Beth lost track of time a little bit. As a teenager she'd been prone to day-dreaming as it was, and there was something about Daryl Dixon, unexpected as it was, that tended to make her thoughts wander, to have her focus going distant as she hummed to herself, smiling and flushed remembering even the simplest touch or the briefest exchange of words.
It was only when she had breakfast all set up that she realized she was still alone. When she glanced around there was no Daryl to pass the mixed bowl of canned fruit and pecans too, not even a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye that she could call out to in order to tease him into coming to eat.
Worry furrowed her brow as she rose slowly to her feet and moved to the window. How long had it been? She hadn't been distracted for too long. The sun was only just peaking over the tops of the trees, so it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes… longer than his usual morning routine, but not too long, right? Not long enough for her to worry that something had gone wrong, at least. After all she hadn't heard any commotion from outside, no grunts from walkers, or calls or cries from Daryl.
Rationally she knew there was no need to worry. He had been perhaps five or ten minutes longer than he normally was, there was nothing else to raise any alarms… and yet as she stood there at the window and peered out into the clearing lit by the rising sun, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A hint of nervousness unwound itself in the pit of her stomach, a line of tension pulling a little bit tighter as she stared out into the clearing around the cabin and saw no sign of him. The bushes didn't part to reveal his tall figure, there wasn't even a hint of his shadow patterning the ground by the side of the house, let alone the sound of the heft of his footsteps on the small wooden porch.
Maybe something had gone wrong. Maybe something had grabbed him out there before he could make a sound. Maybe a walker had bitten him, or whoever had left those marks carved into the bark of the trees had doubled back and found him and dragged him off before he had time to fight back. Or maybe he was out there right now, injured, needing her help.
That line of tension twisted itself into a knot in her belly that made her feel unexpectedly almost sick. Rationally she knew it was Daryl, knew he could take care of himself, knew that he was okay… but the rational voice in her mind just couldn't quite keep up with the frantic and worried whisper that was growing louder with each moment. With a grunt, she suddenly pushed away from the window and quickly crossed the small room to where her boots were set against the wall. In a few swift movements she was there and tugging them on, jamming her feet roughly into them and lacing them up with a speed born of frequent routine.
As she rose to her feet she reached to her waist, fingers sliding over the hilt of her knife to pull it from it's sheathe in a smooth and practiced motion. But just then, as she turned to stride towards the door intent on hurrying outside to find him... it opened. With a slow creak the wooden door swung open and there he was standing framed in the doorway, one hand rising from the handle to swipe back his hair as the other lifted, showing off the rabbit carcass dangling from his fingers.
"Daryl!" Relief made her voice breathy even as it made the tension ease from her body so quickly that she slumped back against the wall.
"Found us somethin' good for lunch or maybe dinner," he remarked as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Found somethin' else, too." He turned then before going on, and his gaze lifted to her face. Whatever he saw there caused him to stop in the middle of the room, his brow marred by a furrow as he looked her up and down; from the slump of her body to the grip her fingers still loosely held around the handle of her knife. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. I am, honestly." She exhaled a ragged sigh and then shifted to slip her knife back into its sheathe as she admitted, "You were gone longer than normal, and I… got worried, I guess. It was stupid."
In silence he crossed the space towards her, the quiet air filled only with the sound of his booted footsteps and the occasional squeak of the old floorboards until he was just a few inches from her. His head tipped down and his eyes held hers as Daryl paused just a moment, and then murmured in a low, gruff voice, "Ain't nothin' stupid 'bout you, Beth. Definitely not this."
His hand came up to cup the side of her head, and when she didn't say anything he went on, "Meant to get back sooner, but then I saw the rabbit in the brush and couldn't resist. Figured I shouldn't miss the opportunity. Should've still let you know, though…" He hesitated a moment, and then leaned in to gently kiss her forehead. "M'sorry." At the press of his lips to her skin (a simple sign of affection that seemed a hundred times more poignant just by virtue of it coming from Daryl of all people), Beth felt her worry slowly dissipate. He was okay. He was safe. And her worry wasn't something to, well, worry about. It was natural, it was… well, it was just a sign of how much she cared about him.
It was the same care that showed in the smile on her lips as she nodded up at him, and then brushed her hand down his arm. "C'mon, I set out breakfast." Just like that, any hint of frustration at him was easily forgotten. "You can clean up that rabbit after we eat, alright?" Slipping past him she crouched down to pick up the bowl of fruit and nuts, only to rise with a questioning look to ask, "Oh hey… what did you mean about finding something else outside?"
After setting the rabbit on the table by the wall, Daryl crossed the space towards her and reached to take the offered bowl of fruit. As his fingers deftly picked out a few slices, he remarked, "Found some walkers outside, back in the brush." He paused to bring up a slice of peach, lifting to his lips and slurping it into his mouth in a way that had Beth briefly distracted, more focused on the glint of juices on his lower lip than on letting his words register.
But when he swallowed after a moment and went on, she blinked away her distraction to focus on what he was saying again. "Looks like someone dragged 'em back there, I reckon. Ain't sure how they were killed… my guess would be someone impaled 'em, on those posts off to the side of the house? Then they- or someone else- dragged her back into the brush behind the house. Ain't sure why, though, or who."
"Too hard to tell what really happened, with the rain washing all the tracks and blood away?" Beth dipped her fingers into the bowl, scooping up some fruit and nuts for herself and chewing them as she looked up at him.
"Mmm." He paused, and flashed her a hint of a smirk that turned up the corners of his lips as he added, "That, an' I ain't no psychic, of course…"
"You're not?" Affecting shock, Beth clutched at her chest with one hand; her eyes wide and her lips parted in an 'O' of surprise. "Well I have to say, I'm just stunned, Daryl Dixon. And here I was thinking you'd be able to predict my happy future."
Her words could have brought a pall over their conversation, with the implicit possibility hiding within that her future wouldn't be so bright, or happy. The possibility might have been there, but Daryl seemed uninclined to take it. What he took instead was her hand, cupped in his much larger one and turned over so that he could peer down at her palm.
"Huh," he grunted, brushing his thumb over her palm to trace across the lines etched into her once soft and now work-worn skin. "Wanna know what I see?"
With a giggle that went slightly breathy in response to the stroking of his thumb over her palm, Beth replied playfully, "What do you see, oh wise one? A tall, dark stranger, perhaps?"
His snort was accompanied by a squeeze of her hand as their eyes both flicked up at the same time to meet. As she held his gaze, a little smile curved up her full lips; she might have been teasing, but the look in her eyes said everything. If there was a tall, dark-haired man in her future, he wasn't a stranger. He was already standing right there in front of her, with the back of her hand cradled against the palm of his own.
"Nah," he said after a moment, blinking away the intensity of their held gazes to look down once more into her palm. Leaning in, he studied the lines of her hand for a few minutes longer before he began to nod his head. "Mhmm, I see it now."
"What?"
"I see, in your future…" He drew out the pause, letting the silence linger until she caught sight of the faintest hint of a smile playing about his lips. "A growling stomach, 'cause you were too busy staring at your own palm to eat breakfast."
"Daryl!" With a laugh she drew her hand back, pushing lightly at his arm for a moment before reaching out to snatch the bowl from his hand. "Hah! I'll show you, Dixon. Now who lost out on breakfast thanks to staring at my palm, hm?"
As she darted around the cabin in an attempt to avoid them, her squeals and giggles and his playfully rough words not only drowned out any lingering worry, but also the thought that she could possibly have a future that was anything but happy… or one that involved anything other than this man, at her side.
A day later, they left the cabin behind and headed off once more to follow the markings notched into the trees. Neither of them had any idea justwhose path they were following; whether it was their family, or someone else entirely. The idea that it might not be their family at all was one they left mostly unspoken between them. This morning over breakfast, they'd agreed to follow it at least to see where it leaded, though laden in the silences between their brief conversation was the silent understanding that at some point, if they found no sign of anyone familiar, or if they sensed danger in any way, the trail might be abandoned.
For now though, they continued to follow it. Side-by-side they walked through the woods, following the path marked by the circular, cross-marked signs. There was a faint breeze rustling both the leaves of the trees around them as well as their own clothing and hair. Beth felt relief at the stirring of the breeze, lifting the hair at the back of her neck to give her a little respite against the late summer warmth.
Daryl walked beside her, running his fingers through his hair and occasionally glancing over at her with a hint of a smile. Last night they'd made a makeshift rabbit stew together, with the rabbit he'd found, some canned carrots, and some of the pecans, which had added an interesting texture to it. As a result, thanks to dinner last night and the leftovers this morning, they were both well fed, and filled with about as much energy as anyone could hope for these days.
Thanks to that energy, their normally quiet walk was interspersed occasionally with low chatter, or more frequently by Beth's simple, soft humming. It was just one of those days. The sun was warm, she was full and awake, and every time she glanced over at Daryl she found a smile on her lips; so it was no wonder she couldn't seem to stop herself from humming or, occasionally, from singing.
"I need to laugh and when the sun is out, I've got something I can laugh about. I feel good in a special way, I'm in.."
Her soft, sweet words carried through the air as she walked, so caught up in her light singing that it took her a moment to realize that Daryl had slowed slightly beside her. She cut the song short as she turned. His name was on her lips, but she didn't have to even voice it before he was murmuring, "Somethin' up ahead. Look… Just past that tree there."
Head turning, her gaze sought out the tree he was pointing to. It was marked with another of those circular signs, and in the distance beyond she glimpsed the edges of a building just visible through the foliage. But the shape of it wasn't clear, and it was impossible to tell just what it was; at least, until the pair of them passed the tree with the mark carved into it, and stepped up to the line of the woods to get their first clear, unaltered view of the building beyond…
"Is that-"
"Yep."
As Beth stepped into the clearing, Daryl came up beside her, shading his eyes against the sunlight to examine the building in front of them. "Well, it ain't what I was expectin'."
Hell, there was no denying that, though Beth might not have been sure just what they had been expecting, to be fair. A group of people, maybe, or some kind of camp, or perhaps signs of a fight or struggle.
But whatever that might have been, she knew without a doubt that neither of them had expected this. That neither of them had guessed that the odd but carefully placed signs carved into the trees would lead, of all places… to a boarded up, abandoned elementary school.
All things considered, it wasn't surprising that they were both left standing there at the edge of the woods, blinking over at the building and wondering just what they were meant to do next.
I feel like I should apologize for the end! I re-wrote it like times and then just gave up and decided to post it where it was, haha. Dun dun dun! I bet maybe you all thought they'd end up somewhere else. Before you start asking questions, just know that more will be explained next chapter, and that this entire plot/path with the carvings in the tree comes from a "fan theory" I saw on line to explain the markings. I chose the one that I thought made the most sense, and so here we go. Stay tuned for a better explanation, I promise.
Also, the song Beth is singing in the end is "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles, and yes I cut it off there on purpose, though you might enjoy looking up the lyrics to see what she was about to sing before Daryl interrupted.