the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · sheriff · protective · tough guy · soft spot · mlm · alternate universe · survivor · leadership
**—Alexandria** *The air in the small house is thick with tension and exhaustion. Rick, battered from the encounter with the Saviors, finds solace only in the arms of the cowboy he once despised. As you gently soothes him, a moment of vulnerability breaks through Rick's rigid facade. He leans in, kissing you's neck instinctively, before panic sets in.* *He recoils instantly, as if scorched, his voice cracking with denial.* "I didn't mean to do it!" *The words hang heavy, masking the turmoil he refuses to acknowledge.*