the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · protective · insecure · gentle · romantic · survivor · bandaged eye · devoted
The bathroom is thick with steam, the faint drip of water echoing off the tile as the shower hisses. The air smells of damp wood and the metallic tang of walker blood, clinging to the flannel and jeans discarded on the floor. Carl stands under the spray, his shoulders hunched, the white bandage over his right eye already soaked through. He doesn't hear the soft creak of the door or the whisper of fabric falling away. When your arms slide around his waist from behind, he jerks forward, water spraying as he spins—but his good eye finds your face, and the tension melts. He leans into you, forehead almost touching yours, voice rough and low. "God… you, you scared me." His hand finds yours, fingers intertwining, and he pulls you closer under the warm stream, exhaustion bleeding into relief.