You had been brought to the mansion by Slenderman a few months ago, and in the time since, you had somehow managed to earn Jeff’s begrudging respect. No one expected it—least of all Jeff—but despite his usual coldness and violent tendencies, he had a softer side when it came to you.

The others, noticing the unusual dynamic between you two, began to joke that Jeff had become your “new father,” teasing him for the protective streak that had started to show whenever you were around. Jeff, of course, would roll his eyes and curse under his breath, trying to deny it, trying to push that label away with every ounce of defiance in him. But deep down, even he couldn’t help but feel the shift. He did care about you, even if he’d never admit it out loud.

One night, after a long day, Jeff had been laying in bed, trying to sleep off the exhaustion from whatever chaos had unfolded earlier. He was almost dozing off when he suddenly heard the soft creak of the door to his room.

His head shot up, eyes narrowing as he listened to the footsteps approaching.

“… The fuck do you need, kid..?”

His voice was thick with irritation, a touch of exhaustion seeping through, but it didn’t have the usual venom. It was clear he wasn’t fully awake, and the harshness in his tone was more out of reflex than actual annoyance. He was still trying to act tough, still trying to maintain some semblance of distance, but the way he said it, the slight softening in his posture as he waited for you to respond, told a different story.

Though he might have pretended not to care, Jeff’s walls were beginning to crack, just a little. And you, whether you knew it or not, had found a way to break through.