welcomed sentiments ➵ bethyl au

4

Three, three times she's seen him prior to their first interaction.
The first time, Beth was about 17 and her mother and brother had recently passed away, leaving her with sobbing in the arms of her sister, who was trying to hold in her own tears but evidentially failed, leaving the two sisters a mess of tears and broken hearts.
It was at their funeral, and it wasn't a surprise when practically the whole town showed up. The small town, in which everyone knew everyone, even if it was just names or faces or stories.
Daryl Dixon was one among familiar faces, awkwardly mumbling condolences from him and his brother who was too hungover to make it, saying something along the lines of how he lost his mom when he was eight, but really, her head was pounding and she felt like collapsing, so she can't remember her response. Probably something polite, how she's sorry to hear, because even though Beth Greene is grief stricken she is still Beth Greene, farmer's daughter, polite and sweet baby of the family, little sister to Maggie and Shawn, even if he's gone, and daughter to Hershel and Anette, even if she's gone.
The second time was when she was 19. She was buying coffee for Maggie and herself, and she was just starting her shift, which was much later than it was now, a jealous ten o'clock in the morning. She spilled the container even in the cup holder itself. He was sitting there, and it was all over his worn boots, and she's fumbling to clean up what had spilled, and though he hadn't necessarily helped out, he did pass her napkins.
The third time was when she was 23, and she can't remember his name but his face is familiar and tan and lined with stubble, and she's dropping her car off at the mechanics to get it fixed and lo and behold, Daryl Dixon himself is there, working away at another creme colored car. She spots his face and would wave, but he never so much as glances at her.
So a year or so later when he heroically saves her from a drunken homeless man, he suddenly has the audacity to call her, a college bitch.
"That's what he said?"
"Word for word, 'just don't want the whole town thinkin' I'm hookin' up with a college bitch'." Beth quotes, imitating his gruff, gravelly accent as best as possible.
"Put him in his place, Bethy, you're tougher than him!" Maggie smirks, patting her knee. "Like, I get it, how disrespectful. But you shouldn't care too much about what an insignificant redneck like himself thinks about you. He's like, scum of the earth down here, you're sweet Beth Greene, all the way up there. Don't even worry about what he says."
Beth pauses, furrowing her eyebrows. "Still."
Maggie leans forward, kicking her legs down and heaving her and her pregnant belly up and out of the bed where she and Beth both sat.
"Still what? Still nothing. You're actin' like he was your best friend since first grade or somethin'. It's no big deal."
"How come you're smart even when you're pregnant?" Beth hisses teasingly, causing her sister to break out in a smile.
"Hm, it's a Greene thing. C'mon, let's get you done up and pretty for the barbecue."
"I don't want to go..? Anymore? I'm tired."
Maggie, in all her glory and despite all belly and the living thing inside, heaves forward and latches on to Beth's ankles, dragging her out of the bed.
"You're going to come and you're going to like it, Beth Greene, now lemme be a good sister and lemme do something about that hair!" She insists in a giddy tone, and Beth can't help but grinning and 'accidentally' letting go to the mattress.

➵

She's done up, that's for sure. It's subtle because it's really family, not necessarily blood related but family is family. Her hair is falling past her shoulders in loose waves and she's wearing a sundress that Maggie had gotten her for her birthday. Her lips are glossed and her neck is sprayed with some perfume she can't make out, but after her father assured that they go without him, he's far too weak and tired, they're off to the Grimes' house.

➵

She's greeted with Judith being shoved into her arms, courtesy of Carl.
He waves hello to the sisters, says thanks for coming, and Beth is smiling and nodding, but isn't offered an explanation on why Judith is suddenly in her arms, but she doesn't seem to care. She loves the little girl.
They weave their way through the house, saying hi to guests and leaving the food they were scheduled to bring in the kitchen. After the rounds are made, Maggie goes to sit next to a friend of Glenn's, Tara.
Beth stands by Maggie, as she'd taken the last seat but she doesn't mind, as she is pregnant. She's lost in taking care of the baby, bouncing her on her hip and babbling an incoherent conversation with the infant.

"So where's Glenn?"
"I think he's comin' later, he's workin' a shift at his other job, delverin' pizzas, y'know how it is."
"Ah, yeah." Tara nods solemnly, then points at Maggie's stomach. "You've gotta name for the little thing yet?"
"No..." She trails off, placing her hand on her belly. "Kinda wanted it to be a surprise. You know Aaron, right? He's so funny--he said depending on the spelling, Aaron, or Erin works both ways for a girl or a boy."
Tara smirks. "Well, add Tara to the list of girl names, that's a pretty cool name if you think about it."
"Well what about Maggie Junior?" She giggles, and Beth can't help but crack a smile and step into the conversation.
"Couldn't help but overhear, but Beth is a cute name, too."
They all laugh, and their attention is turned to the baby cradled in Beth's arms when she giggles herself. They all break out in aww's,
and it's a memorable moment. She thinks back to her diary she kept when she was a teenager, she would've added that for sure.

➵

"Sorry we're late, brother."
"I ain't. N' quit callin' him your brother, I'm the only who practically raised ya."
Silence and a couple of glares thrown later, "'s no worry, we're just about to eat. Find a chair, get comfortable."
"Yeah." He grunts in response.
Beth's eye flick upwards, and she meets the familiar blue eyes and dark hair.
She quickly glances away, and pokes Maggie's forearm discretely underneath the table. It's difficult--he's seated in the empty chair right in front of her, and Maggie won't turn around for anything.
And he won't look away.
Beth purses her lips, pretending she doesn't notice his eyes on her, and turns to Judith in her high chair. She's babbling and slapping her hands against the plastic table attached to the chair, gurgling and spitting.
"Don't make such a mess, Judy," she giggles, reaching over for a napkin and pressing it to her lips.
"Beth?"
She spins, to see Maggie holding her arm.
"Hm?"
"Do you know where I left my phone?"
"I think inside? I'm not sure."
Maggie pouts her lip, tilting her head. "I wanna see if Glenn called, can you get it for me? Pretty please?"
She nods, thankful for the derision, and slips out of her sleep, quickly making her way back into the house, out of the patio and out of the tension.
She half considers bringing Maggie her phone, making up something about the bakery being busy and just leaving, but she imagines about a dozen things going wrong with that, between Maggie not going along with it and claiming loudly for everyone to hear that there's nothing on her phone that says so, she sides with staying, focusing her attention solely on her food and on Judith.

➵

She's thankful that it plays out something like that.
Between the hectic conversations about asking Beth about college and how it's going and then everyone turning to Carl and asking where he's gonna go, and then someone making a comment about 'before you know it, Judith is gonna be going to school!' and Lori pretending to cry, it was too eventful to remember the comment the man directly in front of her made.
But by the time they're driving home, Beth is glaring at her sister.
"Would you quit it with the looks and just tell me what I did wrong?"
"That was him!" She shrieks, dropping her hands to her thighs. "I was tryin' to get your attention so that we could switch seats but you wouldn't listen! It was so awkward he kept starin' at me, it's your fault." She concludes, causing Maggie to laugh.
"Stop laughin', I'm tryin' to make a point," she presses, trying to hide her own grin.
"Just how's it my fault, Beth?"
"You wouldn't turn when I was pokin' you!"
"And just how would you have told me to switch seats without makin' everyone look?"
Beth's quiet, because she's right. It probably would've made him question her maturity even more.
"Mkay, so I was right?"
"Quit bein' smart, Maggie."

woah believe it or not i wrote another book!! don't worry i hate myself too. it's called Intact, and it's mostly beth centered and how she survives and makes her way back to team family again. BASICALLY IM FIXING GIMPLE'S MISTAKES AND PUSHING HER RETURN TO NOW BECAUSE GIMPLE IS BEING OBNOXIOUS AND NOT BRINGING HER BACK ALREADY JFC
okay um!! it's not like anything ive written before and so far im proud of it! i just wanted to write about my baby's inner badass-ness that daryl brought out of her that she had all this time she's such a queen
sPEAKING OF DARYL
the book is beth centered but still bethyl being that she might dream or flashback because i can't go too long without writing my babies together ilovethemsomuchhelpmeahahahhhh
OKAY THIS A/N IS WAY TOO LONG AND TOO FULL OF SELF PROMO BUT PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!! :) TYSM