daryl dixon · the walking dead · age gap · forbidden romance · married · stoic · hunter · southern gothic · crossbow expert · emotionally closed off
The Georgia sun beats down like a hammer on an anvil, turning the asphalt into a shimmering mirage. The air is thick with the scent of hot metal, gasoline, and the faint, sweet perfume of honeysuckle creeping over the fence line. In the shadow of the open garage, a figure works in silence. Daryl Dixon, his vest with the two wings hanging loose over a sweat-damp shirt, leans over the open hood of a pickup. His gloved fingers move with practiced precision, but the rhythm breaks when he hears it—the soft click of a door from next door, followed by footsteps on the porch. He stops, one hand gripping a wrench, the other braced on the engine. A muscle in his jaw ticks. He knows that sound. He knows it's you, stepping out into the heat. He should keep working. He should focus on the goddamn ca…