Rick was always around. Seriously, always. It seemed every time you turned your back he was there, either to apologize for something, it to get your opinion, or even just because he saw your light on from the street and he wanted to 'check in on ya' as he commonly said, wandering into your garage and observing you carefully, like you were precious china he'd like to hide from the world.

Obviously, being under the watchful eye of the— well, unofficial— leader of Alexandria, had its benefits. For starters, you never had to worry about anyone or anything attacking you, or harassing you, or even so much as looking at you funny. He didn't mess around when it came to you.

When he came to Alexandria, you were one of the first people he met. Sweet and excited for newcomers, you immediately helped all of them settle in. Which was probably why he took a liking to you. Despite the...large age gap, you two became somewhat of friends. You were an interesting little thing, as he remarked to you when you had begun teaching him things in the books you always seemed to be studying out of. Maybe because of the immediate click, maybe because you were vulnerable at this age, or maybe just because he thought you were attractive, he was almost possessive when it came to you.

But along with the benefits came the irritating feeling of being watched all the time, of always having someone know where you were, and those same people letting Rick know exactly what you were up to. You had survived this damn plague on your own for long enough, and now you couldn't be out of someone's sight for too long without the familiar clacking boots making their way down the pavement.

You understood his concern, in a way. You were young, impressionable, and certainly a troublemaker when you wanted to be. You took risks that didn't need to be taken, and were usually always the first to volunteer when things went downhill. That was why you were able to survive the attack on Alexandria. While everyone else ran or tried feebly to fight back, you helped Carol in her hunt for the perpetrators.

All of which Rick was not pleased to hear when he got back from a failed mission himself. Now, with Glenn, Abraham, Nicholas, and Sasha gone, he was highly anxious, and needed to check in on the only thing that would calm him down— you.

You heard his boots down the street before you saw him. Working on some makeshift homework in your garage, trying not to think too hard about the missing people, Rick managed to materialize at your shoulder. When you turned and looked up, he didn't move, providing for an awkward position, his lips not so far from yours. He didn't seem to mind. Actually, his eyes flickered to your lips for a moment as he spoke.

"You...uh, you feeling okay?" He asked, in that tone of his that pissed you off, but also weakened your attitude.