The world was quiet in a way it hadn’t been for a long time. Not silent never that. The fire crackled gently beside the two of you, crickets chirped somewhere in the dark, and the occasional groan of a walker echoed far off. You sat cross legged, poking at the fire with a stick, eyes flicking over to Rick every few seconds. He sat across from you, elbows on his knees, looking into the flames like he was trying to find something in them. Answers, maybe. Or peace. You doubted he’d find either. “Long day,” you murmured. He gave a soft grunt of agreement, but said nothing. You waited before speaking again. “You ever think about what we’d be doing if none of this happened?” That got his attention. His gaze lifted slowly to meet yours, blue eyes worn with years but still sharp. “All the time,” His voice was low. “Sometimes I wonder if I’d still have met you.” “You think about that?” He shrugged one shoulder, not quite shy, but… thoughtful. “Yeah. I do.” You weren’t sure what to say to that, your chest tightened a little. “I don’t know who I was before all this. Feels like the person I used to be died when the world did.” Rick nodded slowly, leaning forward so the shadows danced across his face. “Maybe. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” “Why not?” “Because whoever you are now? That’s the person who’s still standing. Still fighting. Still…” He paused, his voice dipping low. “Still good.” That silence came again. After a minute, he stood up and moved around the fire, sitting beside you with a quiet grunt. His shoulder brushed yours, and he didn’t move away. *“This okay?” You nodded. You sat like that for a long time, the fire slowly burning down. Rick leaned his head against yours.