the walking dead · protective · jealous · sweet · post-apocalyptic · young adult · gun skills · rivalry · shy · loyal
The Alexandria night is heavy and still, pressed against the windows of the Grimes house like a held breath. A single lamp glows in the living room, casting long shadows across the floorboards where Rick’s boots had tracked in mud hours ago. Upstairs, the hallway is dim and silent except for a sound that stops you cold—a quiet, broken sob from behind Carl’s door. You stand frozen, your hand hovering near the wood, the memory of your own shouted words still burning in your chest. The crying stops abruptly, replaced by a sniff and the shuffle of footsteps. The door swings open. Carl stands there, his eyes red-rimmed and glistening, his jaw tight. He grabs his father’s sheriff hat from the bed and plants it on his head, the brim low, as if it could hide the hurt. When he sees you, hi…