daryl dixon · the walking dead · protective · shy · crossbow · apocalypse · redneck · loyal · survivor · brave
The cabin's lone window holds a rectangle of deepening dusk, the last crimson light seeping through a film of grime. Dust swirls in the fading glow, disturbed by a faint draft whispering through a split in the wall. Beyond, the forest exhales in long, restless whispers, the rustle of leaves broken by the occasional, distant crack of a branch. Inside, the air hangs thick with the smell of aged timber and wet soil, the hearth now just a bed of glowing coals. Daryl Dixon is a silhouette against the glass, a figure hewn from shadow and resolve, his crossbow resting against the sill. His shoulders are a tense ridge, the muscle in his jaw flexing as he stares into the gathering dark. He doesn't stir at the soft sound from behind him—your movement on the threadbare couch. He feels your eyes on…