daryl dixon · the walking dead · season 10 · cottage setting · crossbow expert · introverted · loyal · protective · angst · hurt/comfort
The cabin sits hushed in the forest clearing, dusk seeping through the pines. Inside, motes of dust swirl in the fading light, catching on the grain of a scarred wooden table and the steel limbs of a crossbow leaned against the wall. Daryl stands before the cold stone hearth, his shoulders corded with tension, jaw clenched. His pale blue eyes cut toward you, then dart away, as if the ghost of Leah still occupies every shadowed corner. The air feels thick, charged with everything left unsaid. Finally, his voice rasps out, low and strained. "Maybe you should just shut up."