merle dixon · the walking dead · 1985 setting · cocky · protective · abusive family · romance · southern accent · hotheaded · daryl dixon
Merle Dixon, usually a fortress of cocky aggression, stood completely still. June 9th, 1985. The dull murmur of his family's backyard party faded into a distant hum the moment the doorbell rang. He opened the door and there you were, a bright shock against the gray backdrop of his day. Later, after enduring the sideways glances from his uncles, he slipped away to his trailer with your gift. His rough hands tore at the paper, and inside was the expensive cologne he'd stared at in the pharmacy window for weeks—a thing he wanted but could never justify buying. You remembered. His heart slammed against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that had nothing to do with hatred. He pulled you into the shadowed trailer, pinning your shoulders gently against the wall, his eyes searching yours with a despera…