Once again, I apologize for the wait. This chapter is somewhat of a filler chapter, but be warned, there is serious conflict coming up in the next chapter (HUGE thanks to Mccorv3 for talking out the details with me!). Enjoy and please review!
Daryl literally groaned aloud when the hot water from the showerhead hit his skin. He closed his eyes and leaned into the steady stream of water, only half-seriously considering trying to make the motel their official home if only to have access to the luxury of hot water for more than just today. He hadn't planned on showering, but when Beth had mentioned that the motel's hot water heater was apparently still functioning, it was an opportunity even he couldn't pass up.
Daryl had woken at dawn, and despite the few hours he'd slept since his watch had ended, he had felt surprisingly rested. After opening the door to peek at Beth on her watch outside, he had shuffled into the bathroom to take advantage of the hot water. He had forgotten how good a hot shower felt, and he could feel the built up tension starting to ease out of his muscles.
Suddenly he heard the sound of the curtain sliding back a bit, and he grinned as two slender arms wrapped themselves around his middle from behind. Beth pressed her naked body against him and he covered her arms with his own, holding onto her embrace. After a few moments, he turned around in her arms to face her, the water now cascading down his back. She smiled up at him, looking tired but also content. Daryl raised his hands to cup her face and brought his lips to hers. She seemed to melt into him, and she moaned softly when his tongue entered her mouth. The sound woke the hunger in him, a feeling Beth seemed to be able to provoke with the flip of a switch. She pressed her body against his, and he slid his hands down her body to cup her ass, giving each cheek a firm and possessive squeeze.
Daryl hoisted Beth up, her legs immediately wrapping around his waist as he did so. He backed her against the shower wall and pinned her there with his hips before trailing rough kisses along her neck. She moaned and rolled her hips, grinding herself against him. Daryl attempted to raise her higher, intending to impale her on his cock, but he quickly felt his foot sliding against the wet porcelain of the tub. Before he could gain his balance, he slipped forward, losing his grip on Beth in the process. She gave a surprised yelp as the pair of them tumbled to the floor of the tub in a tangled wet heap.
"Shit, you okay?" he asked gruffly, rubbing his elbow where he had hit it against the tub.
Beth looked at him with wide eyes before suddenly bursting into giggles. Daryl scowled at her, but it only made her laugh harder. The corners of his mouth twitched, and a small chuckle soon fell from his lips before he could stifle it.
"Now I see firsthand why Maggie always said shower sex is impractical," Beth said between laughs.
Daryl snorted. "Never tried it till now. If this even counts as trying it. I think Maggie's probably right."
Beth shook her head, her face still lit up with amusement. Daryl sighed, still grinning himself, and stood from the floor of the tub. He offered a hand to Beth and pulled her to her feet when she took it.
"Maybe we should just stick to washing," Beth suggested. Daryl nodded.
"Yeah. But later, we're picking up where we left off."
Beth flashed him an impish smile.
"Absolutely."
The breeze from the open window tousled Daryl's hair as they drove down the small county highway. Next to him in the passenger seat, Beth leaned against the side of the truck drifting in and out of sleep. She was tired, and it showed on her face, but Daryl still found himself blown away by her beauty. It shone from her both inside and out, and the fact that she was just as pure and wonderful on the inside made her even more gorgeous to him. Maybe it was the few good days they'd had on the road so far that were making him feel sentimental, but Daryl couldn't help noticing how strong his feelings for Beth had become.
He had spent weeks wondering if what he felt for Beth was love. And after she had told him that she loved him, he had questioned his feelings even further. But now, he knew he was in love with Beth. He had known for a while, but he hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. It wasn't that he felt that being in love with Beth was wrong, it was that actually admitting that he was in love with her terrified him. Beth was the first woman Daryl had ever loved, and his defensive tendencies made him feel that his love for her was a vulnerability. All his life, he had kept people at arm's length, never letting them get close enough to be able to hurt him. Now, Beth had all the power. She had the power to hurt him, and even worse, this love for her had the potential to destroy him if she was ever taken away from him again.
Daryl's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he remembered Rick's grief over the loss of Lori. He didn't want to think about what losing Beth would do to him. Loving someone in today's world was a dangerous thing. But regardless of whether Daryl chose to acknowledge it, it was there, and it wasn't going anywhere.
He knew he should tell her how he felt. Not only did Beth deserve to hear it, but he actually wanted to tell her. He had never in his life told another person that he loved them, and now that he found himself in a position to do so, it was a thrill, albeit a terrifying one. But he had no idea how to tell her. It seemed like a simple enough task, but actually getting himself to say the words was no easy feat. Daryl wasn't good at talking about his feelings, especially something as new and unknown as this. He sighed a little to himself and vowed to find a time to tell her soon.
Suddenly a loud bang from the right front wheel pulled Daryl out of his thoughts. Beth jerked awake from the sound, and Daryl gripped the steering wheel hard to keep the truck steady. He gradually eased his foot off the gas and the truck began to slow down, the right front wheel thudding loudly. When the truck finally slowed to a stop, he put it in park and turned to look at Beth, who had a hand pressed over her heart.
"What the hell just happened?" she asked breathlessly.
"Tire blew out," Daryl muttered.
"Oh no," Beth groaned. "Now what do we do? Everything we own is in this truck! We can't just leave it behind."
"There's a spare and a jack in the truck bed," Daryl replied. "Sucks, but it ain't the end of the world."
Beth arched an eyebrow at him and Daryl smirked a little.
"Okay, it is the end of the world, but it ain't the end of this truck. C'mon, I'll need you to look out for walkers while I get the spare on."
"Thank goodness you know what you're doing," Beth sighed as the two of them exited the truck.
"You never changed a tire before?"
"I barely even drove before the world ended. I was sixteen when it all started," Beth pointed out.
"Well, you're gonna learn now."
Beth followed Daryl to the back of the truck. She kept her eyes on their surroundings as he pulled back the tarp covering their belongings and began rummaging around for what he needed. Two walkers were shuffling toward the truck from the edge of the trees that bordered the road, drawn by the noise of the tire blow out. Beth met Daryl's eyes and gave him a nod, pulling her pink hammer from her belt loop and heading toward the dead. Daryl went back to retrieving the spare and the jack from the truck, his eyes flitting between Beth and the task at hand.
She swung the hammer into the forehead of the first walker and kicked the second one back to give her a moment to wrench the hammer free. The bloodied hammer made contact with the side of the other walker's head seconds later, sending it crumpling to the ground next to the first. Beth wiped the hammer clean on one of the downed walker's shirts before walking back to the truck with a nonchalant expression on her face. Daryl felt his lips twitching into a half smile at the sight; he couldn't believe that at one time, most people had thought Beth to be weak. She was clearly anything but, and he loved the strong woman she had become.
Beth watched as Daryl showed her how to change the tire, her gaze moving between the instruction before her and their surroundings to make sure no biters snuck up on them. The task didn't take long, and soon the spare tire was in place and the pair were climbing back in the truck. Daryl made a mental note to try to find a gas station with a functioning air dispenser so that he could make sure the rest of the tires were properly inflated. The last thing they needed was another blow out, as the only spare was now in use.
They continued driving for a few hours without incident until Daryl saw a sign up ahead that prompted him to slow down and squint at the text on it. It read, "Lee's Hot Rods & Classic Car Restoration: 2 miles" with an arrow pointing down a side road. He turned down the road the arrow was pointing at.
"Where are we going?" Beth asked.
"Saw a sign for a garage for hot rods and such down this road. The spare we're rollin' on is pretty old, so it might not last long. They're bound to have some tires and maybe even spare engine parts we could use in the future. This truck's old, it ain't gonna function perfectly forever. Best stock up on mechanical supplies while we can."
Beth nodded in agreement, and soon they were pulling into the parking lot of a large tin building with several garage doors lining one side of the building. The area around them appeared to be deserted. They climbed out of the truck with their weapons ready and approached the building. Daryl peered into the windows on one of the garage doors and whistled.
"Some good lookin' cars in there," he said. "Almost a shame to be lootin' 'em for parts."
Beth grinned and peered in as well, her smile growing wider at the sight of the classic cars inside. Daryl went to the door that led to the office of the garage, but found it locked.
"Mind if I borrow your pretty pink hammer?" he asked, and Beth handed it over with a smile. She stood back as he used the hammer to smash the glass of the office door window and reached inside to unlock it. Daryl handed the hammer back to her as he opened the door and ushered her inside.
A large window in the office looked out into the garage, which appeared to be void of walkers. Even with the garage only illuminated by the light spilling in through the windows, the classic cars looked shiny and beautiful. Daryl opened the door to the garage with Beth following.
"They're amazing," she breathed as she looked around at the vintage cars. "I like knowing that they still exist here undisturbed. It's like a piece of history."
"It is," Daryl agreed. "I'll see if there's any parts we can use."
He moved around the garage collecting parts while Beth studied the classic cars in awe. He was able to find a few tires that seemed to be the correct size, and several engine parts he was sure the truck would need at some point. He piled the loot by the door.
"Daryl," Beth's voice called to him softly from across the garage. "Come look at this."
He made his way over to her to find her standing in front of a vintage trailer with a smile on her face. A large "For Sale" sign was leaning against it.
"1966 Aristocrat LoLiner ST," Daryl read from the sign. "$10,500. Damn. That's a hefty chunk of change."
"Yeah, but look what else the sign says. '12V solar-powered battery. Propane gas stove and water heater. Electric water pump.' That's why it's so expensive. It was upgraded to run on solar power, aside from the stove and water heater."
Daryl stared at the trailer, the wheels turning in his mind as he realized what Beth was getting at.
"Daryl, do you think we could tow this behind the truck? I don't know much about cars, but it seems like it just attaches to a regular trailer hitch. If we could take this, we'd have a roof over our heads no matter where we are, plus the opportunity to have solar-powered electricity if we need it. It seems like a jackpot to me."
Daryl hummed in agreement, circling around to where the trailer would be hooked up to a trailer hitch. It wasn't anything special, and he was sure it would attach to their truck just fine. He looked to Beth and grinned widely.
"Jackpot is right," he said, and Beth gave a little squeal of glee.
"Let's look at the inside!" she exclaimed, hurrying to the door of the trailer and pulling it open.
She stepped inside and gasped in delight, and Daryl followed behind her. He chuckled a little at Beth's expression of pure joy and shook his head at the inside of the trailer. He felt like he had been transported back in time to a 1960s housewife's dream. The trailer was decorated in a baby pink and blue color scheme. The floor beneath his feet was light pink, and the small kitchenette in front of them was equipped with a baby blue propane stove with a matching mini refrigerator, a tiny sink, and a small counter where a pink dish dry rack sat. The white kitchen table opposite the kitchenette was framed by pink bench seats, and small white curtains with pink polka dots lined the windows. On the other side of the trailer, a white bench seat looked like it pulled out into a twin bed, and behind it, there was a very tiny bathroom with a small toilet and a showerhead that was attached to the wall. Throughout the trailer were white cabinets that allowed ample storage space. It was like a miniature 1960s home.
"Can you believe this?" Beth gushed. "This is so charming! It's perfect!"
Daryl chuckled and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm gonna be livin' in this thing. Ain't exactly my style."
Beth gave him a playful shove as she beamed at him.
"I think it's adorable. It already feels like home."
"Don't get too attached already," Daryl said. "Still gotta make sure the truck is able to haul it. I wouldn't go movin' your stuff in just yet."
Beth just shrugged, seemingly not worried. And Daryl couldn't help noticing how suited she was for the little trailer. Beth was everything that was bright, good, and sweet, and she deserved a home that matched her personality and goodness.
"C'mon," he said, jerking his head toward the trailer door. "Gotta open one of these garage doors to back the truck in so I can hitch up the trailer. Also gotta load up all the supplies we got. Why don't you see if you can find extra propane tanks or batteries? This one takes a 12 volt, so make sure it's the right kind."
Beth beamed at him and suddenly threw her arms around him. Daryl let out a surprised chuckle and returned her embrace. She pulled back slightly and stood on her toes to press a kiss to his lips, which he gladly returned. He felt his heart do flip flops as she pulled away, pure happiness shining in her blue eyes.
"This is quite possibly the best thing we could have found," she said. "Now, no matter where we end up or where we go, we get to take home with us."
Daryl smiled softly down at the woman he loved. She was right, and it made him swell to think that she had been the one to truly teach him the meaning of "home."
The trailer I described was inspired by a real trailer. If you want to see pictures of this adorable 1960s beauty, go to my Tumblr page! My username on Tumblr is ElsaEditorial, same as on here. There's a link on my profile page. :)