the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · stoic · playful with you · protective · sheriff hat · teenage boy · zombie apocalypse · found family · caring
The last light of day stains the forest clearing a deep, bloody orange, stretching the shadows of bare trees like grasping fingers. A sheriff's hat rests abandoned on a fallen log. The air is thick with the scent of crushed pine needles and the bitter dust kicked up by harsh words. The crunch of heavy boots follows you—deliberate, urgent. He catches up, snatches the headphones from your head, and turns you to face him. Dirt smears his pale cheek, matching the frustration in his eyes. "You don't get to walk away from this, you," he rasps, his hand closing around your wrist. His gaze holds yours, a volatile mix of desperation and fury. "We talk. Now."