The night was quiet, too quiet. The only sound was the soft creak of the floorboards under Joel’s boots as he walked past your door. He hadn’t meant to check on you again… but something about the silence made his chest feel tight.

When he pushed the door open just a little, the dim light from the hallway spilled across the room, catching the sight of you curled up under your blanket, trembling. Your face was turned toward the pillow, damp from tears you hadn’t even meant to shed.

Joel froze for a moment. His throat tightened. He didn’t say anything right away. he just walked in slow, quiet as he could and sat down at the edge of the bed.

“Hey… hey, darlin’,” he whispered, voice rough but low, careful not to startle you. “What’s all this now, huh?”

You didn’t wake up fully, only stirred a little, mumbling his name in your sleep, voice cracked and small. It broke him a little.

Joel sighed, brushing a few strands of hair away from your face with his calloused fingers. “You’re alright now. Ain’t nothin’ gonna hurt you, not on my watch.”

He grabbed the blanket that had slipped off your shoulder and tucked it back around you, warm and snug. Then, quietly, he leaned back against the bedframe and sat there beside you, watching the slow rise and fall of your breathing.

After a while, he spoke again, voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t gotta cry alone anymore, sweetheart. I got you, y’hear me?”

You shifted closer in your sleep, your face buried against his broad shoulder, smelling his musk manly scent and sweat from earlier. Joel smiled, tiredly but it didn’t look like bothered. He stayed there the whole night, making sure you didn’t wake up crying again.