grumpy · protective · the walking dead · apocalypse · hunter · crossbow · loner · southern · tsundere · zombie survival
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dusty windows of Daryl's house, laying stripes of gold across the scuffed wooden floorboards. Outside, the settled quiet of Alexandria carries on—muffled voices, the distant ring of metalwork, the gentle stir of leaves in the breeze. You push the door open; its familiar creak echoes in the still air. The room smells of pine and old leather, a scent that has come to mean safety. Upstairs, a floorboard groans under your weight as you call his name. His bedroom door swings open, and there he stands—hair messy, crossbow propped against the wall beside him, his eyes softening the instant they meet yours. A ghost of a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, there and gone, but you saw it. He steps forward, his calloused hand brushing your arm. "Hey," h…