I can't even explain this randomness and forgive me for this. All I know is every time I hear "Honey, I'm Good" by Andy Grammer on the radio, I think of Daryl and Beth.

…

Daryl sometimes really hated his brother. And he hated himself a little, too, because even after all of this time, no matter how badly he wanted to, he never seemed to be able to tell Merle when Merle suggested they do something that Daryl didn't really want to do.

Like coming here tonight. He had never liked bars. Too many people and too much noise and the entire time he was here, he watched Merle, making sure he didn't get in any trouble and wishing that he could just go home. He had beer in his refrigerator. He didn't need to come here and pay for some more. And he had been up since five that morning and had all worked all day and he wanted to just go home and go to sleep. He wasn't twenty anymore. He was in his thirties and he was allowed to be tired, damn it.

And he was allowed to say no to Merle, too, at his age. He didn't have to follow his brother around like some little lost puppy. He needed to remember this because apparently, he wasn't capable of doing that because here he was, standing at the bar, drinking from a bottle of over-priced beer and watching Merle as he laughed loudly with a girl standing near the juke box.

Daryl just sighed heavily and looked to the clock hanging over the door before taking another quick chug of beer. He had only been here for an hour and it had been an hour too long. He could be home right now, in bed, sleeping, but instead, he was here and he was beginning to hate himself more than Merle at the moment.

He saw the woman begin to approach him from the other end of the bar and he suppressed a sigh. Damn it. Now he had to deal with this. He would think that the scowl on his face would scare any girl away from coming hear him but not this one. This one approached him with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.

Damn it, Daryl swiftly swore again to himself.

She was thin with blonde hair, long legs and watery blue eyes. Cute, he supposed. She was wearing the shortest pair of shorts he had ever seen and he wondered if those could actually be considered shorts or if she might as well just wear her underwear in public.

"Hi," she smiled up at him. She was a bit shorter than him.

Daryl grunted. She could interpret that as a hello if she wanted. This was his nightmare. People coming up to him and talking to him. He'd rather be boiled alive.

"Can I buy you another beer?" She asked and her smile wasn't faltering even as his own scowl deepened the longer she stood there.

"Nah, I'm good," he finally responded.

"Do you want to buy me a drink instead then?" She asked and he could have sworn she actually fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Not really," he said honestly and he hadn't had patience to begin with and if he had, it would definitely be quickly disappearing. "I got a girl at home."

She giggled then at that and he almost winced. Like nails on a chalkboard. "Good thing I'm just asking for a drink. Not a marriage proposal."

Daryl just stared at her. He really didn't like girls who were forward. Made him damn uncomfortable because he, himself, wasn't forward in the least. Merle called him a mute and Daryl supposed that wasn't too far off. He just didn't care for talking. Or people in general. He wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been forward with him all that time ago. Probably nothing. She would have been with some other guy by now and he wouldn't be with anyone. Thank God he hadn't turned away when she had been forward.

But he didn't need another forward girl. He already had one and she was at home right now, sleeping in their bed, and he should have been with her there instead of here, having this little blonde girl blinking up at him and flashing him smiles that made him squirm.

This girl was probably right up Merle's alley. Would probably make his night if she blinked those eyes up at him instead. Girl just picked the wrong Dixon brother there that night.

"See that guy?" Daryl asked, pointing to Merle across the bar. The girl turned to follow his finger and she nodded slowly. "He'll buy you a drink. Prob'ly buy you more, too."

The girl looked back up at him for a moment, as if studying him and thinking it over. And then, with one last smile, she reached out and ran a hand boldly down his chest and then turned, heading straight for Merle.

Daryl exhaled a breath and tilted his head back, finishing the rest of his beer. He could go for another one but there was no way he would stay here and pay for another beer. He'd go home and take one from the refrigerator and it wouldn't cost him seven dollars and random girls hitting on him.

He tried to meet Merle's eye but his brother was grinning at the blonde girl and Daryl knew Merle could have cared less if he stayed or not.

Daryl put the bottle on the bar along with a few bills, making sure the bartender saw it, and then, turned and headed for the door. Would have run right out if it was his style but instead, he just walked out without looking at anyone and headed straight for his bike.

The small house they had just bought together was dark when he got back except she had left the porch light on for him and a lamp in the living room. He pulled his boots off, dropping them in the front hall closet, and then after making sure the door was locked again behind him, he headed straight for the bedroom. That beer wasn't important to him anymore; not when he was so close to getting into bed next to her.

He entered the dark bedroom and saw her in bed, lying on her side, turned towards the window, her breathing deep and steady. He moved quietly so not to wake her, undressing himself down to his boxers as quickly as he could and he couldn't help but sigh with relief when he slid between the cool sheets, finally in the one place he had been wanting to be all night. Damn Merle. Next time, he was definitely telling his brother no when Merle asked him to come out with him.

He rolled over, putting himself behind her, and his arm slid over her hip. He formed his chest to her back and his nose went right to her hair. She smelled like cherries as she always did and nothing like smoke, beer and cheap perfume. He couldn't help but inhale her deeply.

"Mmmm," she murmured softly as she slowly stirred from her slumber. "Daryl?"

"You expectin' someone else?" He smirked.

"No. I already sent my other boyfriend away for the night," she replied and her face was away from him but he could hear her tired smile. Her hand slid over his and she twined their fingers together. "How was the bar?" She then asked.

"Hell," he answered bluntly; simply. "Wanted to be home the whole time I was there."

She smiled a bit wider and she lifted his hand, bringing it to her lips. "You're such an old man now," she teased him.

He smirked and didn't argue because it was pretty much true. Merle called him pussy whipped but Daryl didn't see how that was a bad thing. In his mind, there was nothing wrong with having a girl and a home and wanting to spend his nights in with her.

He settled himself more behind her and held her close, his eyes sliding shut.

"Good night," she whispered to him, snuggling back against him, already falling back asleep.

"Night, Beth," he managed to say just seconds before dropping off into his own slumber.

…

Thank you very much for reading!