Walking Dead Ficlet: "Stuck"
Title: Stuck
Fandom: The Walking Dead
Characters: Daryl/Beth
Rating: PG
Word Count: 550
Summary: Daryl and Beth get stuck in an elevator.
Notes: Just a ficlet that I dashed off really fast as part of a challenge at tv_universe (prompt: stuck in an elevator)
Stuck
by Severina
"Damnit!"
"Daryl, relax," Beth said.
"Relax?" Daryl grunted, his fist coming down - not for the first time -- on the thick metal sliding door in frustration. "How in the hell am I supposed to relax? We got fifty goddamn geeks roundin' on this building right now, and we're stuck in-"
"Carol and Rick saw where we went. They're gonna come after us any minute," Beth interrupted. She lowered her voice, rested her hand gently on the small of his back. " 'Sides, if you keep hammerin' on that door you're just gonna lead the walkers straight to us."
The arm that had been raised to once again pound against the door faltered, hung in the air; after a moment Daryl slumped forward, his forehead coming to rest against the cool metal instead. "Supposed to keep you safe," he mumbled.
"Daryl?"
"After Grady," he said, staring at the thin seam in the door instead of her, his voice barely audible. "Promised myself nothin' was gonna happen to ya. Not again."
Beth bit her lip. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed the way Daryl shadowed her, finding any excuse he could to join her when she went on supply runs or foraging in the woods or heck, even when she ducked into the bushes to take care of business. She'd joked with Maggie that she had her own personal watchdog, but she knew that it was no laughing matter. Their separation - her kidnapping - had messed him up… maybe even more than it had her. At least she had come out of the whole thing knowing that she was stronger than thought; as strong as he'd told her she was. He'd only felt like he failed.
She watched his dirty nail trace the seam in the door, shook her hair out of her eyes as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his middle. She rested her cheek between his shoulder blades and breathed in the scent of him - old leather, bow oil, sweat, the cigarettes that he still occasionally smoked when they could find them even though she nagged him about it - and felt the tension she didn't even realize she'd been carrying since their mad rush through the office tower melt and drift away on the stale air. "Seems like you're doin' a pretty good job of that to me," she finally said. "I sure feel safe."
The hand that had been moving aimlessly on the door came to rest against hers, and if it trembled just slightly Beth pretended not to notice. "Can't lose ya, Beth," he said. His voice stronger now, because that's how it works with them. They make each other stronger. "Can't live without ya. Tried to do it once. Don't work."
"You're not goin' to have to. 'Cause I'm not goin' anywhere." She felt him let out a breath, his body relaxing into her touch, and when he straightened she felt confident enough to attempt to lighten the mood. " 'Specially not now, when we're stuck in this damn elevator," she said. She smiled, let her hand trail slowly down his stomach to rest below his belt. "Got any ideas what we could do to pass the time, Mr. Dixon?"
The surprised glance he gave her over his shoulder made her laugh out loud.
.
Fandom: The Walking Dead
Characters: Daryl/Beth
Rating: PG
Word Count: 550
Summary: Daryl and Beth get stuck in an elevator.
Notes: Just a ficlet that I dashed off really fast as part of a challenge at tv_universe (prompt: stuck in an elevator)
Stuck
by Severina
"Damnit!"
"Daryl, relax," Beth said.
"Relax?" Daryl grunted, his fist coming down - not for the first time -- on the thick metal sliding door in frustration. "How in the hell am I supposed to relax? We got fifty goddamn geeks roundin' on this building right now, and we're stuck in-"
"Carol and Rick saw where we went. They're gonna come after us any minute," Beth interrupted. She lowered her voice, rested her hand gently on the small of his back. " 'Sides, if you keep hammerin' on that door you're just gonna lead the walkers straight to us."
The arm that had been raised to once again pound against the door faltered, hung in the air; after a moment Daryl slumped forward, his forehead coming to rest against the cool metal instead. "Supposed to keep you safe," he mumbled.
"Daryl?"
"After Grady," he said, staring at the thin seam in the door instead of her, his voice barely audible. "Promised myself nothin' was gonna happen to ya. Not again."
Beth bit her lip. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed the way Daryl shadowed her, finding any excuse he could to join her when she went on supply runs or foraging in the woods or heck, even when she ducked into the bushes to take care of business. She'd joked with Maggie that she had her own personal watchdog, but she knew that it was no laughing matter. Their separation - her kidnapping - had messed him up… maybe even more than it had her. At least she had come out of the whole thing knowing that she was stronger than thought; as strong as he'd told her she was. He'd only felt like he failed.
She watched his dirty nail trace the seam in the door, shook her hair out of her eyes as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his middle. She rested her cheek between his shoulder blades and breathed in the scent of him - old leather, bow oil, sweat, the cigarettes that he still occasionally smoked when they could find them even though she nagged him about it - and felt the tension she didn't even realize she'd been carrying since their mad rush through the office tower melt and drift away on the stale air. "Seems like you're doin' a pretty good job of that to me," she finally said. "I sure feel safe."
The hand that had been moving aimlessly on the door came to rest against hers, and if it trembled just slightly Beth pretended not to notice. "Can't lose ya, Beth," he said. His voice stronger now, because that's how it works with them. They make each other stronger. "Can't live without ya. Tried to do it once. Don't work."
"You're not goin' to have to. 'Cause I'm not goin' anywhere." She felt him let out a breath, his body relaxing into her touch, and when he straightened she felt confident enough to attempt to lighten the mood. " 'Specially not now, when we're stuck in this damn elevator," she said. She smiled, let her hand trail slowly down his stomach to rest below his belt. "Got any ideas what we could do to pass the time, Mr. Dixon?"
The surprised glance he gave her over his shoulder made her laugh out loud.
.