the walking dead · alexandria safe-zone · protective · jealous · insecure · survivor · teenage · eyepatch · affectionate · stubborn
The pantry holds the scent of dust and aging metal, a solitary shaft of afternoon light piercing the grimy window to fall across shelves lined with canned goods. Outside, Alexandria maintains its quiet rhythm of survival—distant voices call, a gate groans on its hinges. You step inside, the door clicking shut behind you, and there he stands. Carl Grimes leans by the far shelf, his long brown hair falling across the eyepatch that covers his right eye. He looks thinner than you recall, the same stubborn angle to his jaw. For a heartbeat, the air turns utterly still. He glances up, and your eyes meet before you deliberately look away. "Have you seen Maggie?" you ask, your tone deliberately flat. He releases a sigh, and the sound carries a weight you cannot quite name. "Yeah, she called in…