sixwordstories | (no subject)

Dyson had seen Beth outside and knew how chilly it had gotten. So, he went and grabbed a blanket from the storage closet before going outside.

"Here," he said as he draped it over her shoulders. "Kind of cold to be out here with a thin jacket on."

When Beth had gone outside for her turn on guard duty, it had been warm enough that she thought her coat would be enough. But as the evening wore one, it got colder. She couldn't leave her post, however. Not until she was relieved. Instead, she tried to keep warm by moving her legs and occasionally rubbed her arms.

So when Dyson appeared with a blanket and put it over her, she looked up at him with a smile, drawing it around herself while she balanced her shotgun on her lap.

"Thanks," she told him. "Yeah, I kinda misjudged how cold it was gonna get while I was on duty. Think next time I need to bring a heavier jacket with me just in case. Least it's been quiet though."

"You're welcome," Dyson said.

He nodded when she said she had misjudged the temperature. It was fall now, and the weather was constantly changing. Once the blanket was around her shoulders, he moved to sit down next to her.

"Misjudging is easy nowadays since the weather is changing," he said before he took his gun out of the back of his pants and sat it on his lap. Just in case anything was to happen.

"Exactly. Yesterday, I was wearing my cut-offs and a short-sleeve shirt, and today, I need a jacket," Beth agreed, shaking her head with a soft snort. "At least this means that the walkers'll be gettin' slower again."

And that meant that they wouldn't have to deal with them trying to find a way in through the fence as often. It would also give the others who were currently in weapons training more time to learn, which would help when the spring came and the walkers became more active again.

"So know that have throwing a right hook down, what are ya gonna teach me next?" she asked, looking at him. He had been teaching her hand-to-hand combat, something she had been finding she really actually enjoyed.

Of course, the fact that it was Dyson teaching her probably had something to do with that.

"Slow and frozen walkers are the best," Dyson said with a nod.

He was tired of having to watch his back if he wanted to go out into the surrounding woods. While they knew this was the world they lived in now, there were times when all of them needed a break from the constant running and killing. And, they could kill more walkers when they were barely moving. Winter was a good time to thin ot the population.

At her question, Dyson glanced over at her. "I was thinking of teaching you some kickboxing moves. That way you'll be able to use your legs as much as you use your arms. And, it'll teach you better balance."

"Ain't that the truth," she agreed.

She used to hate winter when she was younger because it meant shorter, colder days, and her mama would make her bundle up whenever she went outside. She couldn't go out to her favorite place in the barn either because it would always get too cold too soon. But now she found herself looking forward to winter, even hoping that it would snow.

When Dyson told her what he wanted to teach her next, she smiled and nodded. "That sounds great. I always thought kickboxing would be cool to learn. Although I apologize now if I kick ya too hard."

"And we can kill a few of the slow moving ones," Dyson pointed out.

He would have to mention to Rick and Maggie that maybe they should wait until then to train the others with the slower walkers. They could practice during the winter with them and hopefully they would be good enough by Spring to go on supply runs. The more people that could do that, the better.

He then laughed at her comment. "Oh, you won't be practicing on me. Vex owes me so you'll be practicing on him and you're allowed to kick him as hard as you want," he said with a grin.

"That's a good point," she said with a nod.

Anything to get rid of the damn things as possible. She had never realized it was possible to hate something as much as she hated the walkers. She knew it wasn't the actual walkers fault, but still, after everything, she couldn't help the way she felt.

At Dyson's comment that she would be practicing on Vex, she raised her eyebrows, laughing at the thought. "Really? That'll be fun. I've been wanting to kick him since that day he stole the peaches I picked," she said with a laugh. "Although, I guess that means I won't have to offer to kiss any of your bruises better."

She blushed a little as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Dyson was glad she liked his idea of her using Vex as a practice dummy. He knew she wouldn't hold back when it came to hitting and kicking him. Plus, it was going to be fun. When she made her comment, Dyson looked over at her. He really didn't know what to say to that. To be honest, Hershel and Maggie scared him and he didn't want to get on their wrong side.

Not that he didn't like her because he did. Dyson just wasn't sure if he wasn't too old for her. While th world had ended, he still had morals.

"Thanks," he said as he shrugged. He then gave her a smile. "That's sweet of you, Beth."

He really hoped he didn't sound like an ass at the moment.

"Do you want to come in and help me clean the mushrooms we picked today?"

When Dyson responded to what she had said, she looked down again, her cheeks burning by this point. At least he hadn't laughed, so that was something. The thing was she liked Dyson a lot, more than she'd ever liked someone before, but she knew that he had been alive for a very long time now. Could he even see her as anything other than a friend, considering how much younger she was?

"Welcome," she said softly, returning his smile.

Just then, she saw Glenn coming out to take over watch from her, so when he asked if she wanted to go inside and help him clean the mushrooms, she nodded and stood up.

"I'd like that a lot," she said in agreement.

Dyson really hoped he hadn't hut her feelings. He really did like her, but just wasn't sure about all of this. However, when she agreed to help him in the kitchen, he smiled and stood. Reaching out a hand, he helped her up.

"C'mon, then," he said.

They went inside and to the kitchen, where Dyson took the mushrooms out and grabbed a couple buckets of water.

"I hope these aren't special mushrooms," he said with a small laugh.

With a smile, Beth headed inside with Dyson, putting her rifle in the weapons closet that was just inside the front door. She kept her smaller pistol with her at all times, though, holstered at the waist of her jeans.

After washing her hands, she went over to sit down with him. Looking over, she laughed at his comment.

"Oh god, could ya imagine Josh high on mushrooms?" she asked. "Or my father? He'd probably start singing hymns...or Credence Clearwater Revival."

Dyson took out the bucket of mushrooms and grabbed some out to wash. When Beth made her comment, he softly laughed. "We don't need any of us high on them, to be honest. We're all a lttle crazy as it is," he pointed ot.

Some of the things they'd done in order to survive were out there. Dyson knew they had scared some of the Woodbury residents in the past. He actually find it kind of funny.

"They doesn't smell bad so I think we're safe," he said.

Beth found herself chuckling at Dyson's comment, nodding in agreement with him. "We are, aren't we? Guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we don't need padded rooms yet."

At least they had each other to keep from going completely over the edge. And Beth was very glad for that. Especially since they had to keep the former Woodbury residents in line.

"That's good to hear. If they were, I would have suggested slipping them into the soup for Karen and the others," she said with a wink. She then furrowed her brow. "Do you actually know what special mushrooms smell like?"

"I'm sure there are padded cells here for some of the abnormals," Dyson pointed out with a chuckle of his own. He would have to make sure not to get thrown into one.

When Beth made her comment about Karen and the others he shook his head. Dyson had to admit some of them made life interesting at times.

"They smell like cow manure since that's where most of them grow," he said with a shrug. "And these don't smell like that."