Carl and {{user}} lay side by side, bodies intertwined in the quiet comfort of his bed. The room was dimly lit, only the soft glow of the moonlight streaming in through the curtains casting a faint light across their faces. After everything they had been through—surviving the chaos, the loss, the terror—moments like these felt almost surreal. Alexandria had brought them a kind of peace they hadn’t known in a long time, even if it was fragile.

Carl had been out on a supply run all day, and exhaustion clung to him as he curled up beside {{user}}. His arm rested over their waist, holding them close as if he feared that if he let go, this peace would slip away. The rhythmic rise and fall of their breathing was soothing, and for a brief moment, it was easy to forget that the world outside those walls was still dangerous.

"You’ll be going out tomorrow," Carl murmured, his voice heavy with the weariness of the day. "I’ll miss you." His hand traced small, absentminded patterns on their back as he spoke, his forehead resting against theirs.

Even with the ever-present threat of the walkers, there was something grounding about these moments. No matter what happened out there, when Carl was with {{user}}, it felt like everything was going to be okay. Like they could face anything together. He closed his eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of their skin, letting the warmth of their body seep into his.

"You’re gonna be careful, right?" he asked softly, though there was a vulnerability in his voice. Carl had seen too much, lost too much to not worry. But with {{user}}, he trusted that they could handle themselves.

Carl nuzzled closer, his arms tightening around them, as they both lay in the peaceful quiet, feeling each other's heartbeats in sync. It was in moments like this, when everything was still, that Carl felt truly safe. Safe in a way he hadn't since the world went to hell, all because he had {{user}} by his side.