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I Will Follow You Into The Dark

Chapter 23

~Author's Note: Hey guys, here's your next chapter. Be forewarned, it contains some fluff. I am not going to apologize though; they deserve some fluff at this point! I hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading! You're all awesome!~
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Beth only had a second before the moment just exploded.

There was nothing to make sense of...arms entangled, hands grasping, their bodies colliding in the most brutal manner, forced so close there were only clothes left in between. Lips met, were bruised and bitten, hair pulled... no romance, just instinctual and primal need.

Somehow they both made it to the ground with a painful crash of bodies and Beth's back slamming on top of the butt of Daryl's crossbow.

"Owww..." She half cried, half laughed.

"Sorry..." Daryl apologized before attacking her lips again, lifting her and roughly pushing the bow aside.

It was in that moment that they both seemed to realize how careless and stupid they were being. They were both alive, and that was something to celebrate, but this was not the time or the place...getting all hot and heavy in the woods when anything could be lurking out there. As they came back to their senses without a word to each other, Beth breathed deeply and slowly. She took in everything about Daryl. His smell...he smelled like sweat, and dirt, and blood, and woods-feral and wild-like a man who survived in their world should smell-and it inflamed her. His weight on top of her, his body pressed against her, the feel of him breathing with her, feeling a lot more than she had ever felt before...and they were both alive...so very alive! She didn't blush away because everything was finally starting to turn out how it was supposed to.

And they didn't stop, he just slowed down and went easier with her. Daryl reached down and kissed her long and deep. It wasn't a soft or timid kiss, but the bruising intensity of the previous moments had faded. What it was though was possessive. Her lips were sore and stinging, but that was a price she was willing to pay. And most of all, she could feel his fingers entwined in hers, grasping like they would never let go. Sometimes what seemed like the most simple gestures turned out to be the most intimate ones. Daryl pulled away from the kiss, looking down on her, contemplating...what she didn't know. This time, she didn't look away.

"You okay Beth?"

She nodded, still a little breathless.

"Did I hurt you?" Here he was again with the concern.

"Yeah..." Beth said, laughing breathlessly as she answered.

She was pretty sure they had both done some damage to each other...damage they would be feeling sooner or later once the adrenaline wore off.

Daryl gave her a wry smile letting out a breathy "hmmph" as he shook his head.

"Come on, lets get you outta the dirt."

Daryl sat up, pulling her with him until he was sitting on the ground and she was straddling his lap.

"And this is better?" Beth couldn't help question, feeling just a little seductive despite being covered in dirt, and snot, and now saliva added to the mix.

"No...not really..." Daryl went a bit awkward. " But you're fine..."
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"I...I'm sorry..." Beth read him wrong and tried to move off him.

That was the last thing he wanted. Daryl grabbed her hips with both hands to stop her from moving. How could she be so damn innocent?

"You're fine...I'm just not better..." She looked at him all confused and awkward. "Never mind...just forget about it...just never mind..." There just wasn't anything he was willing to say at this point.

Despite how awkward and self-conscious he felt, Daryl lowered his head shaking it while trying to hide his reaction. His reaction wasn't for Beth, it was a reaction to himself. This is probably why he had that personal rule about what kind of women he slept with. He hoped he wasn't gonna be a shitty teacher. He started to teach her how to track...but when it happened, it wasn't gonna be as easy as a tracking lesson, for either of them. He felt real dread. But how could he dread something they both wanted...it would turn out okay...wouldn't it?

"Did I do something wrong?" She sounded so sad, and the expression on her face was so heartbreaking. How could she be so unsure of herself after everything that had happened...everything he had shared with her and told her. Did Beth not believe anything he said?

"No...no Beth...you can't do anything wrong..." Daryl assured her.

They were going down this road, and since they were eventually going to get there, she had to have that kind of assurance. The responsibility would all fall to him. And she'd all but said she was a virgin...and that scared the shit outta him. His rule had been about women with little experience...girls with no experience entirely off his radar. They would both be in virgin territory. He'd never...he pushed that thought away...it was something to consider at a less emotionally charged moment...when he could clear his thoughts and actually think about something besides Beth sitting on his lap.
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Sitting quietly with Daryl, it finally all sank in-the anxiety, fear, sadness, desperation-all the emotions attached to the idea that she had lost him. Beth closed her eyes, breathing deep, trying to let it all go. She felt Daryl's hand slide under her shirt and up her back, following the path of her spine. She shivered at first until her body realized that the steady caress was meant to calm, not arouse.

"Are we going to pretend this didn't happen?" Beth questioned once the tensions had eased.

"What?" Daryl sounded confused. Well, a lot had happened...maybe it would be better to pretend that some of the past night never occurred Beth considered.

"Are we going to pretend that you didn't kiss me?" Beth let a hand tentatively connect with his chest.

"Were we pretending before...ain't no reason to pretend...is there?" Those blue eyes, how they bore into her.

He hadn't ever acknowledged that he'd kissed her...had he...wasn't that the same as pretending? Daryl was so confusing.

"No." There never had been a reason in her book.
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"We're gonna be okay Beth..." Daryl assured her as he stroked the soft skin of her back, both of them still coming down from their very emotional night and reunion.

And there came the tears again! She tried unsuccessfully to wipe them away with the back of her hand only to make more dirt camouflage on her face. She was right...she was a mess...but it didn't matter to him.

"I've never cried so much over a boy in my entire life Daryl Dixon..." Beth exclaimed as she tried to wipe the tears and dirt from her hands onto her equally dirty shirt.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Daryl wondered to himself about the crying over "boys".

"Yeah...I don't know if I qualify as a 'boy'...and I ain't worth cryin' over." It probably wasn't the answer she was looking for; it was the truth though.

But he reached behind her neck and pulled her down into a kiss all the same. Was this okay? Was this what she wanted? He was doubting every move he made, but he needed to know.

"Beth..." it came out all strangled and awkward after he released her from the kiss.

"Yes..." She was all serious now, and the tears were fading.

"Ummm...no...never mind..." Daryl decided against it.

"What? You started it, you have to say it now. That's the rule," Beth insisted.

Shit...gotta open your mouth when everything's goin' just fine. And what was this "rule"? What were they, 10?

"Can you...will you promise me something..." Here he was, all self-conscious again, tryin' to find his words.

She nodded her head.

"I...well...I said...promised I'd keep you safe as long as I'm alive...I plan on sticking around. Will you promise that too...that you won't leave...me?" Daryl knew he had abandonment issues, but to ask her to promise this? Was he tryin' to chase her away?

"Yes. I promise." Beth's response was immediate, not a single second of hesitation. And she sounded stone cold serious. Maybe he needed to clarify what he meant.

"Ummm...I mean...my promise means even if we find our group or other people again...and I was kinda hoping you could promise...the same thing too." He was reaching here, and he hoped Beth couldn't hear the insecurity in his voice...but who was he kidding.

"I know...and I promise I won't leave you...it's kind of the only thing I have to offer..." She smiled soft and shy, avoiding eye contact. He wished she wouldn't do that. He had done that his entire life. And why did she underestimate herself...what she had to offer...to him? He reached out, lifting her chin gently.

"Kiss me...?" Daryl wasn't quite sure if he was asking her or telling her, but she did.

Beth was so hesitant, so shy of herself and her actions...even more than he was, but he let her go and followed her painstakingly innocent lead. It was beautiful.

It all felt right. This was right. He had something real now, and there was no one he would let take it from him. He'd told himself that he would be lost if he kissed her again. He wanted to be lost...and in losing himself in Beth, he gained more than he'd ever imagined...more than he deserved.

Beth had just made him the best offer he'd ever been made in his entire life. Maybe it...life...started now...

Notes

Comments

@Smokey85
Awww...thank you so much for coming back to read! You are amazing. I truly appreciate it!

Aireabella Aireabella
3/30/19

I am so happy you are back! I love your stories and always look forward to your updates! Thank you for sharing your work :)

Smokey85 Smokey85
3/26/19

@McDrogoInaNewWorld
So glad that you enjoyed it! It always makes my day when I can make people happy by doing what I love! Thank you so much!

Aireabella Aireabella
6/14/18

Yay!!! Another great chapter on the books, can’t wait to see what happens next!!

@blesdirishangel
Thank you so much for coming back to my fic and for your comment! I am glad that you love the update. You are amazing!

Aireabella Aireabella
6/7/18