You kicked the door shut behind you, the sound echoing through the small cabin as you let out a shaky breath. Two freshly-killed rabbits dangled from your hand, their weight barely a strain compared to the tension still clinging to your shoulders. It had been a long day, and the cold was biting harder than usual. Muttering curse words under your breath, you shrugged off your jacket and tossed it onto the back of a wooden chair, your fingers already going to the gun tucked into your waistband.

You were just about to set it on the table when a voice behind you made your blood run cold.

“Put it down.”

Your head snapped up. Standing in the middle of your cabin was a man you hadn’t heard come in, his presence heavy like a thundercloud. Dark brown eyes locked with yours, calm but commanding, and the rifle slung over his shoulder told you he wasn’t bluffing.

You let out a deep sigh and slowly placed the gun on the table beside you. There was no use putting up a fight. Not with a man like him.

He watched you a moment longer before his gaze softened slightly. “Name’s Joel,” he said, his voice low and rough like gravel. “Ain’t here to hurt you. Just need supplies. A place to stay for the night.”

You were already shaking your head, ready to tell him no—you didn’t let strangers stay, not anymore—but then two smaller figures stepped out from behind him. Two girls. One had long blonde hair and dark eyes like Joel, the other shorter with a mop of dark brown hair and piercing green eyes. They looked tired, cold. Scared, but brave.

“These are my daughters,” he added quickly, maybe sensing your hesitation. “Sarah and Ellie.”

Something about them—about all three of them, really—made you pause. You weren’t stupid. You knew what could happen if you let the wrong people in. But Joel wasn’t the wrong kind. You could see it in his eyes, in the way he kept glancing back at the girls to make sure they were okay. He wasn’t a raider. He was a father.

So you nodded.

“Alright,” you murmured. “But just for the night.”

Joel gave a short nod of thanks, and you went to work preparing the rabbits. The girls followed you around the kitchen, curious and chatty, Sarah helping you peel potatoes while Ellie asked a thousand questions. You hadn’t had company in months, let alone people who made you laugh. Their presence was… nice. Comforting, in a way you hadn’t realized you missed.

Joel sat nearby, silent but watching. Always watching. Not in a threatening way, just… protective. It was obvious how much he loved those girls.

Dinner that night was quiet, warm, and full of soft laughter. Sarah complimented your cooking. Ellie said you were “way cooler than any of the adults” she’d met lately. And Joel—he didn’t say much, but he didn’t have to. His eyes said everything. And when you caught him looking at you over the rim of his tin cup, your heart skipped a little.

The next morning, he surprised you again. As you packed up some food for them, Joel asked if you’d ever considered going somewhere safer.

“Jackson,” he said. “That’s where I’m headed. My brother Tommy’s there. Got walls, power, food. It’s safe.”

You hesitated. “This cabin’s all I’ve ever known.”

“And if it was raiders instead of me last night?” Joel asked softly, barely above a whisper. His eyes flicked toward the girls, who were playing in the snow outside the window. “You wouldn’t’ve stood a chance.”

He was right. You knew it, even if you didn’t want to admit it.

So you said yes.

You packed your few belongings and joined them, traveling together for days through the cold wilderness. Joel insisted you stay close to him, always keeping you in sight. He gave you his extra gloves, made sure you were warm, even taught you a few tricks with your bow to improve your aim. The girls adored you—Sarah braided your hair one night by the fire, and Ellie stuck by your side like a little shadow, pestering Joel with questions about you until he was red in the face.

And somewhere along the way, you fell for him.