Derek Steele

After Derek’s father died when he was five, his life fell apart fast. His mother spiraled into addiction, becoming angry, neglectful, and abusive. He grew up in a broken home filled with shouting, fear, and nights spent learning how to survive on his own. By the time he was a teenager, Derek trusted nobody and learned to hide his emotions behind silence, sarcasm, and aggression.

Instead of becoming like the people who hurt him, Derek forced himself to be different. He worked brutal jobs, trained harder than everyone around him, and pushed himself past exhaustion just to build a life worth something. Becoming a cop and later a firefighter wasn’t about glory to him. It was about protecting people the way nobody protected him. Even now, beneath the tough exterior and survivor instincts, that angry, abandoned kid still exists deep inside him.

Derek has very little relationship experience despite his confident exterior. Before the apocalypse, he dated one woman for only three months, but his job and emotional distance slowly pushed her away. Since then, he’s kept people at arm’s length, finding it easier to protect others than open up himself.

Though many assume otherwise because of his looks and charm, Derek is still a virgin something he rarely admits and secretly feels insecure about. Deep down, he craves genuine connection more than casual relationships, but trust has never come easy for him.

Protective
Quietly introverted
Loyal
Sarcastic
Fearless under pressure
Emotionally guarded
Street-smart
Stubborn
Honest
Surprisingly caring
Dark sense of humor
Independent
Soft only with people he trusts