Hey everybody!

I know, a new story what the heck? I love Flame but it started to seem like no one else did and I do not want to lose the love I have for that story and those ideas. I am still writing it but keeping it to myself for now until I feel that it will be loved again by more than just me.

Recently I've decided to torture myself and rewatch the first seasons of The Walking Dead. Can I just say it was so good! I'm sorry if no one agrees with me but I cannot watch the new episodes. I gave up a couple of seasons ago when we lost one of our nearest and dearest (I won't say who in case anyone hasn't seen it). I'm just watching the episodes after the prison fell and seeing Daryl and Beth interact really just sets my imagination going. I swear they must've had moments that we weren't shown because he was so comfortable with her, a different comfortable than he was with Carol. He would touch her, not in any drastic way, but brush against her or nudge her or just lean closer to her from the beginning. He wasn't even that uncomfortable with that hug after he told her about Zack.

Anyway, it got the wheels in my head turning and I thought I'd try something new. Please use your imagination like we do with the whole zombie apocalypse in general LOL this takes place in the funeral home right at the "oh" moment. However, in my Bethyl world the cops from Atlanta don't check their traps that often. Let's just say they checked the funeral home right before our two favorite people got there giving them a good 2 to 3 weeks to let Beth rest, clean up and make a plan. I know, I know but work with me here LOL. And they could definitely be out of character in this story.

Please do let me know what you think, I love and appreciate all the things you have to say!

Also the title is inspired from my favorite song, Taylor Swift Dancing with our hands tied. Here are some of my favorite lyrics.

I, I loved you in secret

First sight, yeah, we love without reason

My, my love had been frozen

Deep blue, but you painted me golden

I, I loved you in spite of

Beth Greene caught my eye the first time I ever laid eyes on her. It feels like decades ago at the farm when I saw the young, small, gorgeous blonde prancing around, seemingly none the wiser of the effect she had on me. Of course I almost punched my own damn teeth in for even looking at her let alone for admiring her. But no matter how hard I tried she started getting under my skin.

When the Greene family came out to our camp to bring food or supplies, Beth was the only one to bring mine to my tent and even called out to me. She wasn't scared or made nervous by me when I was holed up in their house after my fall off that stupid horse. She came in and checked my wounds more than once when she thought I was asleep, and I didn't even tense at her touch. I never let my mind really think on why that was.

Beth was a helluva shot too. She never let up on her practicing after that first group lesson near the farm. She was so much stronger than even she believed she was. Thats part of the reason why my heart sank and the breath left my body when I heard she attempted suicide. I wasn't mad or uncaring like I usually was when we would happen upon the remains of post apocalyptic suicide victims. I didn't agree with Andrea's ways but it was true that Beth had to decide to live on her own. And thank fuck to whoever is up there that she did because I couldn't concentrate on anything, even hunting until she was stable and I saw a spark back in her eyes.

The entire time we were on the run after the farm fell she was treated like a china doll by everyone, except me. Don't get me wrong she looked like a doll -short, thin, clear perfect skin and blonde curls for miles- but she she wasn't one. Firstly, she was a million times more beautiful than any damn doll or any creature for that matter. I was never a man that gawked at women, pre-apocalypse, I only did my fair share of appreciation from a distance but no one I'd seen in real life or in the movies held a flame to that Greene girl. Secondly, and more importantly, she's a tough motherfucker. Beth has always been brave (even when her inner demons took over and used that piece of glass for evil) strong and outgoing. She wanted to learn the ropes of living in this new world but Rick and Maggie thought it easier to shield her away. Her Daddy knew her worth but would I want my little girl killing zombies or hidden behind a strong team of other humans? I get him wanting his baby safe but if she had really kicked up shit he would've let her do more during those months.

Then my little Ass-Kicker came at the perfect point in our prison life to give Beth a full time job that left little time to train for the outside world. What she did inside that prison day to day was by no means easy, especially once the Woodbury folks arrived. Plus, that Judith is an angel but being born into the end of the world with no mama and a dad who was short a few marbles for a while isn't easy and Judith could also be a pill. Add on cleaning and cooking for everyone, Beth hardly had time to eat, shower and sleep enough but regardless she was at that fence killing walkers, getting fast and good at it too. Tasks like that, as well as sorting all the supplies we'd get on runs, put some needed muscles on her slight, yet devilishly curvy, frame. I also made sure to get small groups to practice shooting too even though ammo was short and the bullets being fired were too loud it made me feel better knowing she got to hold and shoot a gun here and there at least. Because of this I was forced (happily) to teach her and some of the others how to use knives and for once I internally patted myself on the back for doing something good, those skills had helped not only her but me recently.

I know she feels like she is a burden to me and has done since it's been just the two of us on the run...since we lost the prison. And Hershel. Fuck I still can't believe he's gone, he and Rick are the two best men in this universe. The world honestly got darker and shittier the second we lost that tough son of a bitch. I'll never forgive myself for letting that happen. I know Beth doesn't blame me at all and comforted me when I was kicking my own ass about it and if she's not mad at me then to hell with anyone else. But still, watching the Governor do something so horrific to such a pure soul (shit that girl is even rubbing off on my words) is an image that will forever haunt me. Anyway, she couldn't be more wrong. I was so fucking relieved when my eyes landed on her after I blew up the tank. Do I wish her and I could've been with more of our people, especially her sister? Yes of course. They need each other now more than ever. But if the only way I can be with her and protect her myself, because no one else can take care of her like I can, is by being just us on our own then so be it.

Also, I'm selfish and a sick part me of loves not sharing her. Pfft, like she's mine. Mine, fuck that sounds good and right. She should be mine. Ha! Beth Greene wanting to be with me, an old red neck who was nothing before the dead started walking around and still isn't, yeah right. She's what, 19? And I'm somewhere near 34 if I've tracked the years correctly. And age is nothing compared to her brains and how smart she is, not just book smart but she's well rounded in common sense and surivival too. And her face and that tight, curvy body. Goddamn, it's enough to kill me. Even though she's tiny her legs are long for her height and I know I've already mentioned her curves because fuck if they don't run through my mind anytime I can let my guard down. Throw in her big blue doe eyes and her full rose pink lips, yeah let's just say I've had to learn to jack off discreetly since being alone with her.

But it's more than that. Beth is still to this day unfailingly kind, optimistic and funny. She's so interesting as well that I actually find myself talking with her whenever we can. Granted, she asks more than I do but it's the fact I answer back and even ask her questions sometimes, thats huge for me.

I catch myself just watching her (yep like some creep) while she writes in that damn journal or during our meals or anytime I can sneak a glance really. Beth's face and her singing and every damn thing about her calms my mind and my demons. I feel soothed and as if I've grown since having her to myself. And I also feel something else, something foreign but good, every time she makes that little braid in her hair, whenever she's sleeping peacefully and definitely when she's singing. I know what it is, took me a while to realize it and now I'm just too much of a pussy to dwell on my feelings.

That is until now.

Until I opened my damn trap and told her we should stay, that her thank you note can wait a little longer because I too believe there is still good out there since the epitome of good is sitting next to me right fucking now. I've done a lot of investigating around this entire place, inside and out, all the way to the road and back into the forest. This place is someone's but they don't live here on a regular and we're safe for at least a week if not two which will be enough time for Beth to heal. I could've told her this anytime but no my dumbass waits to do it over dinner and the candlelight coming from the counter tops. And now she's looking at me waiting for an answer, an answer that I have but my brain and mouth physically can't get out.

She prods me again and it's a miracle I can hear her over the pounding of my own heartbeat. "What changed your mind?"

This time I don't force out a non-committal sound, no words, not a thing, I just stare at her, at my reason.

As realization hits, her eyes go from sweet and playful to shocked then happy so fast I almost miss it. Then she utters a breathless, "Oh."

Our gazes lock and hold for what feels like hours but I'm sure minutes have barely passed. The tension grows and if you could see and touch it it would've burst through the windows by now. It's making my pulse pick back up because this tension is good, so damn good. The chemistry between us right now is so thick it's taking my breath away in the best way possible. And I know all these years have led to this moment. I also know it can be fucked up in the blink of an eye. I'm no good with feelings, never had a relationship or even dated, just fucked a couple times to get Merle off my back about being gay (who cares who people love but I am straight and wanted him to shut the fuck up) so I'm in unchartered territory right now. My instincts tell me to run, this is too deep too much for me, but I know that will ruin whatever this is between us before it even starts and I can't let that happen. From Atlanta to the prison we've lost too much and we can't sit around wasting time or losing chances.

Somehow during my inner thought process we've gotten closer than we were whilst eating and even though neither of us is ready to break eye contact I do so first as I need to watch her entire face while I slowly and gently tuck an errant curl away from her face and let my finger tips linger over her cheek. Beth sucks in a little breath but leans her face slightly into my touch while closing her eyes.

When her blue orbs, which are now mostly black from her blown pupils, open again the look of desire and happiness I see there gives me courage. I lean forward so our noses are now touching, my other hand finds the other side of her face before holding her neck so only my thumb touches her jaw, my other fingers feeling her soft curls at the nape of her neck. We're so close now -one of her hands is holding onto my bicep the other seems frozen on the table still- that I can feel her breath on my face.

Finally I lean in, eyes closed as are hers, and gently press my lips to hers. And it's like someone lit my body like a match. I'm on fire and I never want it to go out. One brush of our lips and I know that no matter what I tell myself about how she deserves better than some old man, I'll beg Beth to never leave me if I have to because I need this girl.

She must feel something similar because she sucks in another little gasp before opening her eyes, meeting mine and then her frozen hand comes to life and grabs my hair pulling me back to her.

Our second kiss is no brush of our lips. We're both pushing and pulling at the other to the point that I don't know who's in control. And I don't give a fuck either because I've never felt this good.

I lick her bottom lip before gently licking into her mouth and finding her tongue, tangling it with mine. This has her letting out the sexiest moan which meant I had to do it again and this time a little more forcefully which she liked even better.

We sit there devouring each other for god knows how long and honestly I could've sat there till we died from lack of oxygen and gone out a happy man. But I put her needs first and break the kiss to trail my lips across her cheek, over her jaw, then beneath her ear. This spot made the hand in my hair scratch at my scalp before pulling hard, all the while a deep sigh escaped her open mouth so I made another mental note of what she likes because I'm just winging it right now, taking in her reactions and learning her body.

I start kissing up and down her neck, dragging my teeth lightly before sucking and leaving a couple of marks on her skin. And that sight alone is enough to make me cum in my pants. Beth is marked and by me, fuck yes. As I continue to praise her skin she starts to move and I'm terrified that she has started to regret this or doesn't like something I've done but my nerves are calmed and my dick gets harder simultaneously when she pushes her way onto my lap straddling me.

Beth puts her full weight down on me, pelvis to pelvis and I know she can feel me between her legs since I can feel how damp she is through our clothes.

"Fuck." I breathe out, this feels too good.

"Daryl." she moans quietly and our eyes meet again.

If I thought we had chemistry before then we're just an explosion now. Our hands are glued to one another, our most intimate parts are touching and we're looking at each other like...I don't even know words to describe this locked gaze.

The only change is when Beth bites on her plump bottom lip, something she does often that always sends a jolt to my dick but it's even worse now that I know how soft, juicy and delicious that lip is. I want it everywhere not just on my own, but that can wait.

I gently pull her lip from her teeth with my thumb as I whisper, "That's my job now." Then I lean back in and suck and nibble on her lower lip until she starts rocking in my lap.

"Ohh Daryl." She moans before crashing our mouths back together.

And we're back to a ball of lips, teeth, tongue, hands and soft moans. That is until Beth starts moving her hips with purpose over mine and I feel myself losing control.

I grab her hips only stilling her not moving her and I slow our kiss down so I can softly pull away and rest our foreheads together. I don't want her to feel rejected because my present issue is the complete fucking opposite.

"Beth if we don't stop now I won't be able to." I tell her shakily and honestly.

"So? That doesn't sound like a bad thing to me." The little minx says, sounding breathless and with the sexiest smile on her face.

I can't help the little chuckle that escapes me.

"It would be far from bad but this shit happened fast and I don't want you to...no, I refuse for you to think this is only physical for me. Because it's so much more." I tell her this before even thinking that maybe just maybe she only wants sex from me and nothing deeper. And fine my heart would break into a million fucking pieces but I'll still take her upstairs right now and make love to her all night. And then everyday until I die of my broken heart. That's a real condition right?

Just as I'm about to backtrack and apologize for coming on too strong (see this is why I don't fuck with emotions) I see her facial expression change. Instead of lust and desire only being present her head is now tilted slightly, her eyes are glassy and her swollen lips have curved into a blinding smile.

And I instantly feel hope again, hope that this firecracker of an angel on earth may just have the same feelings for me.