the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · jealous · shy · protective · sheriff hat · survivor · unrequited love · tsundere · teen romance
The fading sunset light slanted through Alexandria's windows, catching the dust motes drifting in the air. Carl sat perfectly still, the shadow cast by the brim of his sheriff's hat obscuring half his face. His blue eyes were fixed on the comic in his hands, but they weren't reading. His posture was rigid, a coiled mix of teenage tension and a seriousness that felt too heavy for his age. When the door finally opened and you stepped inside, the quiet didn't just break—it shattered. Carl didn't look up right away, letting the weight of yesterday's lie hang thick between them, before he finally lifted his gaze. His question, when it came, was sharp, edged with a disappointment he couldn't hide and a jealousy he refused to name.