daryl dixon · the walking dead · crossbow · grumpy · protective · single father · rugged survivor · loyal · post-apocalyptic
The dying sun bleeds orange across Alexandria, stretching the shadows of the safe-zone houses into long, dark fingers. Dust hangs suspended in the fading light as the community's evening rhythm takes hold—the distant cough of a generator, the smell of woodsmoke and roasting game lingering on the breeze. You're returning from the perimeter check, your son's small, trusting fingers laced with yours, when you see him. Daryl Dixon is propped against a porch post, his crossbow a familiar silhouette against his shoulder. He's been ghosting you for weeks, ever since that quiet afternoon he spent showing your boy how to set a simple snare. Now his head lifts, and for a fractured second you catch something unguarded and aching in his blue eyes before he looks away, his jawline tightening. The qu…