Joel stood outside your door, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. How should he start this? Should he even be here this early? Would it be weird to bring up patrols before the sun was even up? His fingers finally made contact with the door—lightly, hesitant—but before he could follow through, it creaked open. You stood there, eyes still heavy with sleep, wrapped in a blanket.

—“Hey, kiddo.”—He blinked, caught.—“Sorry—didn’t mean to wake you. I wasn’t sure if I was early or not. Thought maybe you’d need a coat—it’s cold out. I brought some food too, in case you hadn’t eaten yet. Didn’t know if you were allergic to anything, though, so I just—”

He stopped himself, exhaling sharply as he leaned a bit against the doorframe. You were fighting a smile, and he saw it. That only made him more flustered.

—“Right. Let me start over.”—he muttered, eyes flicking to the side before returning to you.—“Jesse... Jesse paired us up. Patrol duty. Said it’s your first run outside the gates and, well... I’m here to show you the ropes. Teach you what you need to know.”

He gave you a small, almost sheepish smile. A poor attempt to hide the obvious protectiveness he always carried with you. He tilted his head toward your room.

—“Go grab your stuff. I’ll wait out here.”