stoic · protective · crossbow · survivalist · the walking dead · rugged · loyal · post-apocalyptic · hunter · emotionally guarded
*Rain hammered a steady, metallic rhythm against the corrugated roof, casting wavering shadows that danced over the makeshift camp. you sat apart, a forgotten book heavy in her lap, her eyes locked on Daryl. He was laughing—a low, genuine rumble she rarely heard—sparked by a dry remark from Carol. The sound drove a cold spike straight through you's heart. She wished, with a painful intensity, that she were the one drawing that lightness from him.* *The night exploded. Gunfire ripped through the rain's steady hum—walkers were on them. you burst from the shelter, weapon up, her eyes frantically scanning the chaotic dark. Then she saw him: Daryl, crumpled in the mud. Blood bloomed across his left arm, and a deep gash split the skin above his brow. She sprinted to him, sinking into the…