Best Friends to the End

"I can't believe he remembered" Sadie said to Daryl as she helped dump bags of ice into coolers.
"I'd hoped he forgot, but ya know Merle, always lookin' ta party" Daryl said closing a lid and moving to the next.
It was November and Merle had made good on his promise of a party for Daryl and Sadie. When Daryl had left for school that morning Merle told him to make sure he and Sadie came back right after so they could get the party started. AKA fill every cooler Merle could find within a five mile radius, stolen borrowed or otherwise, with booze and ice while Merle was out finding the drugs.
"How can he afford all of this anyway?" Sadie questioned filling the last cooler and slamming the lid.
"Ya really wanna know?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope, guess not."
Daryl snuck a look at her as she took a break to stack wood in the fire pit. Same long brown hair, same sparkling green eyes, same- well almost the same- athletic body, same dazzling smile... He couldn't figure out when Sadie went from little girl to beautiful woman. He certainly understood why it seemed like guys were always staring though.
"What?" Sadie asked smiling at him.
'Dummy, gone and got caught starin' again' he thought to himself. "Nothin' just wonderin' when ya got so old s'all" he said with a laugh.
"You're only two days younger than me Dixon so quit it!" Sadie laughed. "I'm never going to live it down."

Just then Merle's truck rolled back into the driveway. He hopped out almost as soon as it was in park, "y'all done with 'em coolers? My, I mean ya'll's, guests gonna be gettin' here soon."
Daryl rolled his eyes and told him they just finished.
"Guess I better go change into my party outfit" Sadie said brushing the wood pieces off of her hands.
"Need help?" Merle asked with a grin.
"Dammit, Merle!" Daryl yelled.
"She knows I'm just messin'!" Merle defended, "sorta" he added with a wink at Sadie.
Sadie shook her head and went into the house and quickly to Daryl's room before locking the door to change.
It was definitely cooler out now and since it was an outdoor party she opted into something comfortable. Dark blue skinny jeans, a green long sleeve shirt that made her eyes pop and flip flops. She put on a simple amount of mascara and eyeliner then ran a brush through her hair. She wasn't trying to impress anyone but it was her party so she wanted to look nice, dammit.

When she exited the room she noticed a few people had arrived. Seeing them she thought 'how does it seem some of them are drunk already?!'
She walked through the living room in search of Daryl and found him in the kitchen. She side stepped a greasy looking guy smoking a joint and walked in his direction. He looked up at her and did this weird face he always made when she tried to dress nice. It was kind of a look of shock and approval all in one. The one time she brought it up he turned bright red so she chose to ignore it from then on. Next to him was an older-than-him woman, probably a Merle conquest who managed an invite in the hopes he could, uh "befriend" her, again. The woman was talking but Daryl wasn't listening so she put her hand on Daryl's back. This caused Daryl to jump slightly and tense up. Sadie knew exactly why he did this. It was exactly why she never touched his back without announcing to him first and only once she had his ok did she do it ever so gently and slowly. Daryl held the scars of his childhood on his back.
"No touching" Sadie told the woman, wrapping am arm around Daryl's waist. Daryl wrapped his arm around Sadie, so thankful she stepped in. This way it made it seem like Sadie was a defensive girlfriend, not something that needed explanation.
"I.. I'm sorry, I didn't know" the woman stammered.
"It's ok, just remember next time", Sadie said and pointed a finger to Daryl's chest, "mine."
The woman nodded and walked off.
Daryl kissed Sadie's templed and mumbled a thank you.
"Don't thank me, now you owe me", Sadie said grinning at him. Daryl groaned in response. He knew this meant he would have to do something he didn't want to. He'd have almost rather gotten rid of the woman himself. Almost. Having Sadie point at him and claim him almost made him die of happiness on the spot, even if it was just an act.
"Let's go out and sit by the fire, it's getting crowded in here" Sadie said, noticing the significant number of bodies inside the trailer now. Most of them doing drugs so if the cops showed up they had a chance to hide it.
They weaved their way outside to see Merle had gotten the flames going pretty tall and someone had set up a radio at the edge of the trailer. It was loud enough Sadie could hear a song was playing but couldn't quite make out the words. They took up their usual bench and Daryl opened a beer he had grabbed on the way.
"Want one?" He asked Sadie, taking a sip.
Sadie shook her head no.
"Jus' a taste?" Daryl tried again.
Sadie caved and took a small sip. When the beer hit her lips she grimaced and spat it on the ground.
"Daryl Dixon I have never tasted anything so vile in my life!" She exclaimed wiping her mouth on her shirt sleeve. "How on earth can you drink that shit?"
Daryl was busy laughing his head off.
"Stop it" Sadie said giving him her hurt puppy face.
Daryl calmed himself and pulled her into a sideways hug, "sorry, didn't mean ta laugh. Ya never had a sip 'fore, really?"
Sadie shook her head no and then laid it on his shoulder, "no and now I know why- it was terrible!"
"Well now look at ya, ya done had yer first beer an' yer officially an old lady" Daryl said showing her the time on her watch. Midnight, it was officially Sadie's birthday.
"Well then since it's my birthday I want my present now" Sadie said, recognizing a slow song that just started on the radio.
"Sadie I didn't..." Daryl started, feeling embarrassed because he didn't have anything to give.
"Dance with me" she said standing up and pulling his hand.
"No" Daryl said, " I don't dance."
"It's my birthday present!" Sadie whined at him and gave him the puppy dog eyes once more.
Daryl downed the last of his beer and allowed her to pull him up, "I guess."

They walked over near the music and Sadie put his arm around her waist and her hand around his neck. She tucked her remaining hand in his and laid it on his chest, "now just sway" she said laying her head on his shoulder. "It's easy".
Daryl was sure she could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Hell, he was sure it was going to bang itself right out the front of his shirt. But if she did she never let on and he began to allow himself to relax into her body.
When the song ended another started and Sadie didn't let him pull away.
"Daryl you're doing great" she encouraged.
"Right" he snorted. He didn't believe he was a good dancer for one minute but he wasn't about to stop now. This was perfect; dancing with the person he cared most about in the world close, very close he might add, under the moonlight. If he was a sappy romance writer he couldn't have pictured it more perfectly.
"No, you're doing great" Sadie said, "so great... that maybe you could be my escourt for my debutante ball?"
"What?! No! Noway!" Daryl said trying to look at her face but she wouldn't remove her head from his chest.
"PLEASE Daryl! I don't want to do it but mama and daddy said I had to. I don't want to dance with some random guy I don't know all night and make small talk. Come with me! All you have to do is walk me out, dance with me, eat and make small talk." Sadie was begging.
"That's it, huh?" Daryl said sarcastically.
Sadie stopped dancing and nodded at him.
"Besides" she said grinning devilishly at him, "you owe me, remember?"
Daryl sighed, knowing now he was stuck. "Alright" he agreed.
"YES!" Sadie yelled before jumping into his arms for a hug.
"What's going on over here?" Merle asked.
"Daryl is going to be my escourt for my stupid debutante ball" Sadie said, kissing Daryl's cheek.
Merle began laughing. "Well look-y there, Darlene, you are finally going to become a woman of society", Merle erupted into laughter at his own joke, "our little deb!"
But daryl wasn't even paying attention to him, all he could think about was the fact he was about to make an ass of himself in front of every important person in their town.