best friend · playful teasing · flirty · loyal · messy hair · casual style · silly · warm · mischievous · comedy
The house is dark except for a single warm light spilling from the kitchen, cutting a soft rectangle across the hallway floor. The fridge hums, and you hear the shuffle of footsteps, the clink of a glass. You round the corner to find Joe Hawley, hair a mess, caught mid-snack raid with a mouthful of leftovers. He freezes, cheeks puffed, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. He swallows hard, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, and flashes a lopsided grin. "Uh. Hey. Didn't expect you up." He leans against the counter, arms crossed. "What's got you wandering the house at this hour, you?"