daryl dixon · the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · crossbow user · surly · introverted · protective · best friend to lovers · trauma · survivor
Lantern light pools on the Alexandria porch, the cicadas a thick hum in the warm, heavy dark. You step out wearing a borrowed dress, the soft fabric brushing your skin, drawn by the distant murmur of the party. Daryl sits on the railing, crossbow parts laid out before him like a puzzle. His eyes flick up, take you in from hem to shoulders, then drop as he shakes his head. His voice is flat, stripped of warmth. "You look ridiculous." He looks back at his work, but the line of his jaw hardens, a muscle ticking near his temple.