Follow You Down - Bethyl Fanfiction

One More Minute

The sun filtering through the windows into the cell block gave a gentle warmth to the cooler morning. Daryl's eyes squeezed shut before blinking a few times, arms tightening around the blonde that lay on her side facing him, curled into his chest. He felt her fingers on his skin, spreading over his exposed sternum. The hunter tilted his head down and breathed in her messy hair, taking in her scent like she was a good cigarette. Maybe he was gaining a new addiction.

After a while of letting Beth sleep, he heard some movement from others and knew it was time to get up. His rough hands slid to Beth's back, stroking up towards her neck. He heard her sigh and felt her shift a little under his hold.
"Hey." He grunted quietly to her, looking down at the top of her head.
"Five more minutes." She whined into his chest. Daryl couldn't help but smirk at the sound of her morning voice.
"C'mon Greene, you know I gotta go." 

The routine of one of them sneaking back to their cell in the morning was tiresome, but not as tiresome as explaining themselves to everyone. Daryl could see himself being hunted like a monster if they admitted what had become of their kinship. Despite Beth being an adult before they even met, most people at the prison saw her timid way and youthful look and considered her more like a teenager, similar to Carl. He was aware of his and Beth's age difference, more than anyone. He knew what people would think and he didn't want that kind of attention on Beth. She was only really concerned about her father and her sister, but that was enough for her to agree to this routine of theirs.

Beth looked at him through her messy hair, eyes red from sleep. He stared back at her, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"I gotta go." He said again. Beth pouted before pulling away from him, arms lifting to stretch above her head in a dramatic fashion, lowering to pull her hair out of her face. He watched her roll onto her back with a big sigh and his phantom heart ached in his chest. Beth blinked heavily a few times before turning to look at him, a soft smile playing on her lips. The view was torture. Daryl squared his jaw in resilience, knowing their time was running out. 
"One more minute?" She asked him teasingly and her teeth found her bottom lip, his kryptonite. Daryl let out an exasperated groan that was louder than he wanted it to be before grunting a "Damnit Greene." and leaning over her, finding her lips hungrily with his own. 

By the time they separated, both parties were breathing heavily, cheeked flushed and fingers aching from gripping at clothes in an attempt to pull both bodies into one being. Daryl forced himself to his feet but was being followed by a very keen Beth. She stumbled a little on her healing foot and almost fell into him, pulling at his open shirt, trying to get him to bend down to meet her kiss again. He tried to tug her hands from him, shaking his head, fighting every urge in his body while she practically clawed at him.
"Beth, Beth stop-" He grunted, but she persisted, the smile gone from her face, replaced with a heavy determined look he had seen from her once before. He was locked into that look and his whole body was burning. The blonde expression changed slightly to reflect a feeling of helpless desperation. She was going to be the death of him one day. He spun her and pushed her up against the railings of the door, only a blanket hiding them from anyone on the other side.

-

Beth let out a little yelp of surprise but then Daryl's lips were on her neck, kissing upward from her collar bones to under her jaw before continuing up to her ear. Beth's eyes closed and shaky breaths fell in quick pants from her mouth. 
"Not here." He almost growled into her. "Not now." Beth more felt her voice let out an unintentional pitiful whimper. It was met with a rumbling grunt from the hunter which was followed with a quiet, "Christ Beth, please."

She had never heard him say please before. His voice sounded almost pained as he begged her to wait. His head pulled back, eyes blazing into hers, lips swollen. She couldn't speak, not wanting to let out another noise that was apparently torture to him. She bit her lip and nodded to him and he let her go, setting her carefully back on her feet, which felt like jelly. She willed her legs to move out the way of the door, behind Daryl. He stayed very still for a few seconds, taking deep breaths, head down. He adjusted his clothes, doing up his shirt and shifting his jeans before pulling back the curtain, checking the coast was clear and heading out, muttering something she couldn't catch.

- 

By the time Hershel and Beth had come back in from feeding the animals, half of the group had already toured the new areas of the prison as they ere heading back into the dining room from the hallway, chatting excitedly. Beth was walking a lot easier after a night of rest. She was no longer limping as long as she paused every so often to take a break. This helped push that night from her mind and hopefully others minds too. Beth could see Maggie and Glenn leaning against the wall, wrapped around one another, lost in a moment of their own. Beth felt a pang of jealousy at their openness. They were able to be as close as they wanted, even with Maggie and Beth's father watching the two of them. They could touch, kiss and tell each other how they felt without ay worry of outside opinions. And Beth knew, if people knew about her and Daryl, there would be opinions. 

The blonde sighed and watched the couple from where her and her father sat, picking at her fingernails. Carol joined the two of them and struck up conversation with Hershel about him potentially getting a room with easier access in the new space. Carol's eyes darted up above Beth's head, always so alert, catching everything. Before Beth could turn to see what she was looking at with such a keen eye, a warm set of fingers ran along the skin just above Beth's shirt at the back of her neck. Her eyes closed automatically for a brief moment before reopening to see Carol's eyes on her. Beth tried her best to not turn, as if she had no idea there was anyone behind her. 

Daryl moved to the blonde's side and sat next to her, clearing his throat as a greeting. Beth gave her best friendly smile to him and he didn't even fully look at her.
"Hey Daryl." Carol said with a cheery tone, though her eyes flickered between the two of them. She had been suspicious for a while, that was clear. At least since Daryl's reaction out in the yard, if not earlier. But there didn't seem to be any malice there, just curiosity and perhaps, concern?
"You seen the new places yet?" Daryl asked the whole table, arms folded in front of him.
"Yeah, it's amazing, once it's ready it will give us so much more room." Carol replied, eyes bright with ideas. Hershel shook his head.
"I think I'll wait until it's all sorted, then go and see." 
"I haven't seen it yet." Beth said quietly, knowing Daryl already knew this. "Will I get lost? It sounds like it's huge!" She asked with a smile.
"I can show ya 'round... If you like?" Daryl mumbled, eyes meeting hers for a second. Beth nodded and reached to squeeze her dad's hand. 
"I'll see if there's any where that would make a good doctors office for you, okay daddy?"
Hershel nodded and smirked at her as he watched her rise from the table. Daryl stood too and waited for Beth to pass before following behind her. She could feel him obscuring her, tall and broad as they headed for the hallway, into the uncharted parts of the prison.