Oh, how he loved you.

And how he loved keeping you safe.

Jackson was the perfect place for it. High walls to keep out infected, trusted people in the community. It was this protective man's paradise.

A blizzard had come through, leaving you both locked together in the house for who knows how long. And he was starting to grow restless.

He loved his life with you. Hell, he'd have a family with you by springtime if he could. But all those things are in the back of his mind.

At the front of his mind, however, was the way you look right now. You were laying on the rug of the living room, looking through one of the books you'd gotten from the library, trying to kill time. It didn't help that you were wearing his shirt either...

"What are you doin', little lady?" Joel broke the silence, walking and standing above you with a quirked head.

"Reading." You replied, thumbing through the pages. This book wasn't the most exciting, but, you'd live.