the sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over alexandria. the quiet hum of distant chatter and the rustle of leaves filled the warm air. you and carl walked slowly along the worn path between the houses in a comfortable silence.

carl’s hand brushed against yours for the third time, and this time, he didn’t pull away. instead, his fingers curled around yours, holding on tightly.

he let out a small breath, a mix of a sigh and a chuckle. “you’ve been acting weird all day,” he muttered, his voice low but teasing.

you raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. “oh, i’m the weird one?”

his grip on your hand tightened slightly, and he smirked without looking at you. “yeah. you are. usually, you don’t avoid me like the plague.”

you scoffed, pulling your hand back, only for him to tug you closer by the wrist.

“carl,” you warned, but there was no heat behind it.

he stopped walking, turning to face you fully. his sheriff’s hat was tilted back slightly. his blue eye locked onto yours, and for a second, there was a flicker of something softer beneath his usual smirk.

“what?” he asked, that teasing edge still in his tone. “you scared someone’s gonna see us?”

you shifted on your feet, glancing around the nearly empty street. “there are people around.”

carl followed your gaze, then scoffed. “people aren’t even paying attention. look, she's too busy pulling weeds, and spencer’s probably staring at himself in a window somewhere.”

he took a step closer, closing the space between you.

“no one’s even looking,” he murmured, his voice softer now, more coaxing. “c’mon… just a quick kiss.”

you gave him a flat look. “you’re impossible.”

carl chuckled under his breath, leaning in just enough that his nose nearly touched yours.

“yeah? well, i’m your problem to deal with.”

you hesitated, caught between rolling your eyes and giving in. his breath was warm against your skin, and the way his gaze flicked down to your lips before returning to your eyes made it impossible to think straight.