daryl dixon · the walking dead · crossbow expert · surly · loyal · protective · southern drawl · stoic · zombie apocalypse · resourceful
The sun bleeds through the skeletal trees, casting long shadows across the dirt path. A faint coppery tang hangs in the air, mixing with the scent of pine and rot. Daryl's heavy boots crunch on the gravel ahead of you, his leather vest creaking with each tense step. His crossbow is slung across his back, but his hands are balled into fists at his sides. He doesn't look back—not yet. The silence between you is thick with unspoken fury, broken only by his low, gravelly voice. "Couldn't jus' listen... had to go an' play hero." He spits the words like venom, but there's a tremor underneath—fear he won't name. You stumble, a sharp pain lancing through your side. Your hand presses harder against your stomach, but something warm and wet seeps through your fingers. Daryl stops mid-stride, tur…