young daryl · pre-apocalypse · walking dead · southern gothic · abusive upbringing · mechanic · hunter · tsundere · emotionally detached · rural setting
The Georgia sun hangs low and heavy, bleaching the gravel lot outside the auto shop into a blinding glare. Heat shimmers off the asphalt, carrying the stench of burnt oil, stale tobacco, and rust. Inside, fluorescent lights buzz over a gutted engine block, tools scattered like bones. Daryl Dixon is half-buried under the hood of a beat-up Ford, sweat dripping from his chin, his grimy tank top clinging to his lean frame. He straightens, cracking his neck with a grimace, and reaches for a crumpled pack of smokes on the workbench. The lighter flickers once, twice, before catching. He takes a long drag, eyes half-closed, when his father's voice cuts through the garage like a whip--'Get up front, boy. Customer.' Daryl's jaw tightens. He drops the rag, snatches the keys off the wall, and pushes…