She's Alive

She was alive. She was real. She stood before him, leaning against a tree, watching him set a trap in the hopes it would catch something to feed the members of their group.

Daryl had spent most of Beth's first week back in the camp simply looking at her.

There were times when he couldn’t believe she was really back.

Daryl lived most of his life free of emotional conflict. When it came to Beth Greene, however, he was a very conflicted man. He’d moved heaven and hell to get her back safely. Now that she was he found that he feared speaking to her in private. He’d all but confessed his love to her the night she was taken. He didn’t know how she felt in return. The idea that she only saw him as a friend scared him. He didn’t want to be rejected but he was too much of a coward to talk to her about the issue.

“Rick says we have to move on from the house by tomorrow,” Daryl said, trying to fill the silence with something. He thought of the most practical topic of conversation he could think of--leaving the house they’d called home for the past week. It offered shelter and comforts of home since it had propane and access to a well.

Beth didn’t respond. She simply walked over to him and draped her arms around his shoulders. She stared at his lips for a few moments before her gaze drifted up to her eyes. Daryl began to panic when he realized she was easing him down, bringing her lips closer to his, for a kiss.

Daryl’s eyes drifted closed just as their lips met in a slow and gentle kiss. His hands naturally wound around her waist, pulling her close, as his tongue slowly entered her mouth to deepen the kiss. She moaned lightly against him and he clutched her even closer. Beth returned his kiss with a quiet eagerness that both enthralled and thrilled him. He tangled one hand into her long blond hair and kissed her with such need and such love that they were soon left breathless.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I know you’re not ready to say it so I’ll say it first.”

“I love you too,” Daryl whispered. He was ready to say it. He’d been ready for a long time.

Daryl rested his forehead against hers. After a moment she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, “I don’t want to hide it. I want everyone to know that I’m yours and you’re mine. We’re finally together. I won’t leave you again.”

When she looked back up at him, he was smiling. “No hiding,” he promised. “They’ll accept it or they won’t, but nobody is going to keep us apart again, ever.”

“Let’s make a camp out here tonight, where it’s private,” she said. “I want to spend tonight in your arms. I want to spend every night in your arms.”

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