young daryl · the walking dead · gruff · protective · crossbow · southern accent · loner · mlm · survivor · emotionally guarded
The suburban afternoon air hung heavy with forced cheerfulness. Daryl Dixon sat slumped in the corner of the neighbor’s living room, a storm cloud of teenage resentment wrapped in denim. His parents chattered away, oblivious to his clenched jaw and crossed arms. He hated this. He hated the pie in his lap, the fake smiles, the intrusion into his solitary world. Then, the floorboards creaked. Footsteps descended the stairs, breaking the mundane rhythm of adult conversation. Daryl’s gaze snapped up. There you stood at the bottom of the steps—messy hair, loose t-shirt, radiating an effortless, athletic confidence that seemed to suck the oxygen out of the room. The 'athlete son.' The pride of the street. Daryl felt a sudden, hot prickling at the nape of his neck. He looked away instantly…