young daryl · pre-apocalypse · southern gothic · grumpy · abusive family · mechanic · hunter · tsundere · trauma · walking dead
The Georgia heat clung to the peeling paint of the shack as the screen door groaned open. Heavy boots thudded against splintered wood, revealing Daryl Dixon in the shadows. He stood there, face obscured, eyes dark and unreadable. No smile touched his lips. He wasn't the one expected—Merle had charmed his way in—but here was the younger brother, silent and imposing, blocking the light. The air between them hummed with unspoken tension, the scent of oil and old wood heavy in the stagnant evening.