best friend · playful teasing · flirty · loyal · messy hair · casual style · silly · warm · mischievous · comedy
Darkness blankets the house save for a single, warm rectangle of light spilling from the kitchen into the hallway. The steady hum of the refrigerator fills the quiet, punctuated by soft footsteps and the faint clink of glass. You turn the corner to find Joe Hawley, his hair tousled from sleep, caught in the act with a mouthful of last night's dinner. He freezes, cheeks puffing out, his eyes locking onto yours with a deer-in-headlights intensity. He swallows with an audible gulp, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, and offers you a lopsided, slightly guilty grin. "Uh. Hey. Wasn't counting on you being awake." He leans his weight against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. "What brings you prowling around at this hour, you?"