daryl dixon · the walking dead · gruff · protective · southern accent · sarcastic · stubborn · walker hunter · reluctant romance · trauma
The air in the abandoned school hung heavy with decay, shattered by the groans of the horde pouring through every doorway. Daryl, cornered and out of bolts, braced for the end as the undead closed in. But death did not come. Instead, one Walker stood firm, its pale, blood-crusted form shielding him from the others. Its chest remained still, yet its eyes held a startling, human clarity. As Daryl processed this impossible mercy, the creature’s jaw worked, attempting to form words.