Imagine that the boy you've been talking to for years over a radio sacrifices everything to meet you for the first time ever.

. .

. .

"This is 7045. Come in, 2237."

The staticky voice warbles over the speakers and you rush towards the comms room.

"I repeat, come in, 2237. Over."

"Joel? That you?" You ask, grinning. It's been a few days since you last heard him.

"It's me, YN. How are you holding up?"

"I'm, uh, I'm okay." You say, grin slowly falling. "Sucks being the only survivor in my colony, but hearing your voice always brightens my day." His laughter comes over the radio and it warms your heart greatly.

When Agatha-616 was headed straight for Earth and everyone decided to nuke the asteroid, your father called and told you to get to New York asap. You tried, but you couldn't make it and you ended up finding a colony willing to take you in when the humans were suddenly being hunted by enormous ants, cockroaches, lizards and basically every small creature you could think of.

The colony was outfitted for long-term survival, but your numbers quickly dwindled after the first year of living underground. Your colony lost more survivors on hunting trips and even more survivors when they attempted to start their very own garden outside (something about plowing the Earth attracted some gnarly creepy crawlies and you were forced back to living off MREs). Everything was going okay for a while, but the people you were living with just couldn't handle it. So they left and you stayed behind, fiddling with the radios and doing your best to get a stronger signal in hopes of finding your father somewhere out there.

Then when your thoughts turned dark and gloomy, Joel's voice over the radio was your saving grace. And he's been your saving grace for the past three years.

"..and then we had this breach down in the bunker, but the guys got it all patched up. Hopefully it was just a rare occurrence."

"God Joel, that's so scary."

"Yeah. Yeah it was."

A moment of silence hangs between you and then you can't help the following words that tumble from your lips. "God I wish we could have met before all this shit went down."

Another moment passes, then, "Yeah. Me too."

Before you can say anything, your wristwatch starts to beep. You sigh. "Sorry, Joel, but it's time for me to go. Gotta catch some Z's if I want to wake up early and fiddle with my radio tower again."

"Okay. Be careful. I'll talk to you soon."

"Talk to you soon, Joel. 2237, over and out."

◈◈◈◈◈◈

The next day you become so immersed in your work that you nearly forget to eat lunch and then forget all about your daily check-in with Joel. The only reason you remember is because your bedtime alarm beeps and your stomach rumbles to let you know you skipped a meal. You feel terrible and want to reach out to him, but you know Joel's colony only has a signal during certain hours of the day.

So praying that Joel isn't too upset about your absence, you eat a quick dinner, bathe, and then climb into bed.

When you wake up the following morning, it's raining out so there's no use in trying to fiddle with the radio tower. You eat and then grab a book to pass some time, and when the rain stops later that evening you go over to the look-out dome to watch the Sky Jellies (iridescent jellyfish-like creatures) that take flight after a good downpour because they thrive in the moisture in the air.

Then during your normal chat time with Joel, you head over to the radio and wait. When he doesn't reach out at his usual time, you take the initiative to reach out first.

"2237 to 7045. Come in, 7045." You hold your breath, counting the seconds until you hear the voice you so desperately want to hear. "7045, come in. Over." Another handful of seconds pass and your heart sinks. "Joel? Are you there?"

Just as you're about to give up, static crackles over the speakers. "2237, this is 7045. You've got Tim."

"Oh. Tim. Hi!" You say, smiling at the fact you're talking to someone new. "I've heard so much about you."

A deep chuckle follows your words. "So you're the infamous YN. Joel can not shut up about you." Though there is no one around, you can feel a blush forming. "How are you holding up out there, kid?"

"I'm managing," you say. "Talking to Joel helps a lot. And speaking of, where is Joel? He's usually good about timing our calls just right."

There's a moment of silence and dread instantly fills you. Oh no. "I don't know how to tell you this, YN, but Joel left."

"What?! What do you mean he left?"

"He said he was going to meet you."

And oh. Oh if that isn't the most swoon worthy thing that boy could do. "That goddamn fool!" You yell. "What the hell is he thinking?!"

"We tried stopping him, but he wouldn't hear us out. He was really set on getting to you."

You sigh, leaning back in your seat and pinching the bridge of your nose. Then tapping down on the speaker button, you say, "I'm so angry at him right now, but I'm also really excited at the prospect of finally meeting the face behind the voice."

"I know you really like the kid, YN, but Joel isn't exactly a survivor. We're all rooting for him, but from what we've seen Joel's not made to survive outside."

"None of us are, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"He'll still be a few days out, but if he gets there you be sure to give us a call. We'd like to hear his voice again."

"When he gets here," you amend his sentence, "then yeah, we'll give you a call."

Tim's chuckle crackles over the speakers yet again. "Alright. Well our signal's about to go out so I'll-"

The signal cuts out and you sigh, fully leaning back in your seat and exhaling loudly.

Joel is on his way. He's on his way and you're finally going to meet the boy you've slowly fallen for even though you've never met him face to face or know what he looks like.

Suddenly feeling quite nervous, you run around to make sure your bunker is presentable.

◈◈◈◈◈◈

A couple days later, you're repairing some solar panels when the portable radio you have clipped to your belt comes to life.

"2237? Come in, 2237."

You reach for the walkie at your hip, hitting the button on the side as you bring it up to your mouth. "Joel?!"

"YN! Hey."

"Your colony told me you were coming here," you say. "Are you okay?" The radio is silent. "I was worried for you. And it's really good to hear your voice."

"Yeah, it's good to hear your voice too." Your heart beats double at his words and you can almost picture a dopey smile accompanying said words. "But I'm good. I'm okay."

"I- I can't believe you're actually doing this," you say in disbelief still.

"I know. It's crazy. YN, I cannot wait to tell you everything. I feel like a whole new man, you know?" You huff a laugh at his confident tone. "You should see me out here. I'm fighting monsters. I'm in a motel right now with a robot and a dog."

Your grin slowly falls as your brow furrows. "A robot?"

"Yeah. It's a Mav1s. An actual working Mav1s. Can you believe it?"

You gape. You've been searching for a Mav1s for as long as you can remember, but so far you've had no such luck. "Joel, how far are you from me?"

"Um, how far? I'm getting close." There's a moment's pause and then, "I'm about 8.2 miles from you."

"Joel, listen. It's going to be tough, but I need you to bring Mav1s with you."

"Bring the robot with me? YN, she has no legs. They were bitten off. And even if I could bring her, she'll run out of power before I can get to you."

"Joel, just please trust me and get her here any way you can."

"Um yeah. Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you. And be safe! Please be safe."

He laughs. "I will. You don't have to worry-"

The radio cuts out and you sigh, clipping the walkie back to your belt. You bow your head and say a quick prayer for Joel's safety and pray he can bring Mav1s along with him because if he can, you can finally call out for your dad.

Hearing a roar in the distance, your head snaps up and your heart pounds furiously. Quickly scrambling, you cut off the several lamps you had scattered around you to do your work in the dark. The last thing you want is to attract one of the enormous moths because those took forever to leave.

Gathering your tools and lamps, you walk back towards your bunker entrance and walk right in. Locking the door behind you, you hang up your supplies and then head to shower off the day's grime from your body.

◈◈◈◈◈◈

The following afternoon you made sure to contact Joel's colony and tell them he had contacted you and was almost to your location. They seemed surprised he had made it so far and though you wanted to be offended on Joel's behalf, you couldn't help but understand their disbelief. Walking out in the open for so long was basically a death sentence, but Joel had made it so far.

It's another day and a half before anything happens and it just so happens to happen when you're fixing a leak in one of the water pipes. You're so focused on your work that you don't hear the telltale sounds of chirping until it's too late.

A grasshopper the size of a Volkswagen Beetle (clearly an adolescent) jumps and lands just ten feet in front of you. You yelp in surprise before falling back on your butt, staring with wide eyes and a hammering heart as the insect slowly inches towards you. It's head tilts this way and that way to keep you in its sight, it's wings fluttering in agitation as you try to inch away and stand up at the same time.

"Fuck it." You sigh. Once you have your feet beneath you, you calculate the distance between your current position and the bunker door. "Here goes nothing." You bolt towards safety, jumping over obstacles and ducking when the grasshopper leaps in front of you to swing the stinger on its butt towards you. You trip, but roll with the momentum until your feet are back under you once more.

The sudden sound of a dog barking makes you stumble and suddenly you're looking for the source rather than keeping an eye on the bunker door.

"YN?!"

As if possible, your heart pounds even faster. "JOEL?!" The distraction of a rather cute boy running towards you gives the grasshopper just the right amount of time to perfect it's next leap and swing of its stinger.

But rather than catching the pointy end, the broad side of the stinger catches you in the side and sends you flying sideways off your feet.

"Noooo! Hey, ugly, over here!" The grasshopper latches onto your ankle with it's mouth, picking you up until you're dangling upside down. You scream, arms wind milling, and the dog continues barking up a storm. "Put her down!"

Seeing an arrow fly a little too close to your leg, you manage to gather enough wits to stare at Joel upside down. "Are you crazy?! You almost hit me!"

"I'm sorry! Boy, attack!" The dog snarls and lunges for the grasshopper's legs as Joel reloads his crossbow.

Your ankle burns as the insect's mandibles dig into your flesh and you know it's only a matter of seconds before the grasshopper flies off because of Joel and his dog's insistent badgering. Coming to a realization of what you have to do, you inhale and exhale deeply before bringing your right hand in front of your face and double tapping on the wristwatch tied there around your wrist. Right before your eyes, it turns into a gleaming silver fingerless-glove encasing the palm of your hand and wrist with a round repulsor in the middle of your palm.

Whistling shrilly, the insect seems to freeze. You take its moment of hesitation to take aim right between its eyes and release the single shot energy blast. Almost immediately the grip on your ankle goes lax and you fall, landing with a grunt of pain. The grasshopper thankfully stumbles and falls away from you and then your groans turn into hisses of pain as the glove on your hand starts to burn your palm.

With a yelp, you're quick to claw it off and toss it away from you.

"Hey. Hey! You're okay. You're fine." Someone- Joel, it's Joel!- falls to their knees beside you as hands hover around you while looking you over for any more injuries. And oh! He's cute. Like seriously cute.

You and Joel stare into each other's eyes for several long seconds, taking each other in before he closes the distance between your faces and his lips cover yours. Your surprised exclamation is muffled and you can't help but smile and then laugh against his mouth. When he notices you aren't exactly returning the kiss, he rears back with wide eyes and an apology slipping from between his lips.

"I'm sorry! I just- and you- and I didn't think that you were so-"

"Hey. Hey!" You laugh, cutting him off and sheepishly biting your bottom lip. "It's okay. No apology needed. You just caught me by surprise is all. A good surprise. A surprise I wouldn't mind happening again sometime in the near future."

His scared expression smoothes out to that of relief and his dopey smile absolutely does not make you swoon. Well, it does but you won't be telling him that. He opens his mouth to retort, but before he can get a word out his dog is pushing between you and licking your face. "Wait, Boy. No! You gotta ask first, you weirdo."

You start to giggle as you turn your face this way and that way to make the dog stop licking you. He eventually gets tired of Joel trying to push him away and stops, stepping back some before plopping down and resting. "He's just a dog, Joel. Doggie kisses are always welcomed." Joel stares at you, eyes glinting with amusement and adoration as you reach over to give Boy some scratches around his neck. "Now can you help me up? I really need to tend to my ankle."

His eyes widen as he remembers you had been attacked by a monster, his gaze darting to your red and swelling ankle. "Shit! Yeah, come on." He straightens himself up, holding out his hands for you to grab onto so he can pull you up. You wince when you put a bit of weight on your hurt ankle, shifting your weight to your uninjured leg. "So, uh, what was that blaster on your hand? I don't think I've ever seen something like that."

You shrug. "Just an experiment. I've been interested in engineering and mechanics since I was a little girl. The monster apocalypse just gave me the time to read a bunch of books and tinker with the supplies. But the glove is useless now. It only had enough juice for one shot. I'll have to make more."

Joel stares at you before he breaks out into laughter. "You're such a nerd. How did I not know this?"

"Shut up." You weakly punch at his shoulder, wobbling a second later and latching back onto his arms. He grins. "Whatever. Did you at least bring Mav1s with you or are we going to have to make a trek back to her last whereabouts?"

"Oh, um, yeah." He says. He glances around before he spots what he's looking for. "She's in that wheelbarrow over there. When I told her you wanted to meet her, she powered down at five percent. But now that we're here, mind telling me what's going on?"

"Sure. As soon as you get Mav1s inside the bunker."

"What? But you need-"

"I'm fine. I can hobble my way to the bunker."

"YN-"

"Joel." You lean forward, up on the tips of your toes and press a chaste kiss to his lips. You grin at his astonished expression, tapping his chin, and then fall back on the heels of your feet. "Get the robot, will 'ya? And meet me in the bunker." Then glancing down, you click your tongue at the dog. "Come on, Boy. Let's get inside."

A choked off sound escapes Joel's throat and you laugh as you start to hobble your way towards the bunker with Boy at your side. You make your way inside, grinning as Boy rushes around to make himself at home on a cushy bean bag while you head towards the kitchen. You grab yourself a couple pieces of cloth, a bandage wrap and then reach into the cabinets for a jar of paste you made from some medicinal herbs you found a few months back.

Then hobbling back towards the couches, you smile at Joel as he wheels in Mav1s and drops the barrow then and there before making a beeline for you.

"What do you need?" He asks.

"A bowl of water," you tell him. "I need to clean the area."

He nods and rushes towards the kitchen to get you what you need. While he's doing that, you kick off your shoe and pull off your sock. Then when Joel has set the water bowl down next to you, you get to work dipping the cloth in water and wiping off the blood around the sensitive skin on your ankle. There's no actual puncture wound, which you're grateful for, but the grasshopper's mandible left behind a scrape all around your ankle.

Hissing and wincing in pain, you dab your ankle dry before opening the jar of paste and smearing it atop the scrape.

"What's that?" Joel wonders.

"Medicine. There's no deep wound, but I still don't want the scrape to get infected."

"Ah. Got it."

Wrapping the bandage over the paste, you clip it off so it remains tight. Sighing at a job well done, you then glance up and meet Joel's gaze. "Hi," you muse.

He chuckles, sheepishly running his hands through his hair. "Hey."

Your nose wrinkles in amusement. It's awkward being with Joel face to face, but at the same time it's not. "I can't believe you made it."

"Honestly, neither can I." He chuckles. You have no idea what to talk about now that he's here, but apparently Joel is still intrigued to know what you want with the robot. "So.. Mav1s?"

"Oh. Yeah! Help me up." Joel helps you up, hooking an arm under your own and around your back to help you walk. When you're standing right in front of her, you can't help the giddy feeling rushing through you. "Mav1s, power on."

A second passes and her face comes to life before she emits a few beeps and whirs. Her eyes blink and then, "Oh. You must be YN! You are even prettier than Joel imagined." Eyebrows appear on the screen of her face, wiggling up and down in Joel's direction.

"Hey!"

You giggle, nudging Joel to let him know you aren't offended. "Hello Mav1s. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well. Is this the sole reason for making Joel bring me here or were you in need of a favor with the last remainder of my power?"

"I actually need a big favor from you, but before we get into that, how about we recharge you to your full potential?"

"You can recharge me? I'd love that!" Fireworks explode on her screen in excitement.

"Really?" Joel asks. "You have the ability to recharge her?"

You glance at him, grinning. "Yep. Mechanics nerd, remember? This bunker is all sorts of tricked out. You're going to love it." Then looking back at Mav1s, you tell her, "Why don't you put yourself into sleep mode and I'll have Joel wheel you into my lab."

"Of course! Thank you ever so much." Her eyes blink twice before she emits some sort of noises and the screen of her face blanks.

Looking at Joel, you then pat his hip. "Come on, stud, and follow me. She'll probably take almost a full day to properly recharge."

Joel snorts. "Stud?"

"Yep. You're hot. Deal with it."

As you start hobbling towards a hallway, Joel's laughter makes you smile the entire way. You get Mav1s set up in your makeshift lab and take a seat on a stool as you let Joel be nosy. He's astounded by your setup, computers and radios still in such a good condition that he hasn't seen for quite some time. Joel grins at a bookshelf stuffed with informational books and you hold your breath when you see him browsing the picture frames you managed to salvage from your home.

"Whoa. Cool," he breathes in awe. "You met Tony Stark." You gulp, watching as his brow furrows at the next picture and at the next. "Wait a minute. You actually knew Tony Stark pre-apocalypse? You look pretty cozy in these pictures with him."

Chuckling nervously, you say, "Um, yeah. He's actually my dad." Joel whirls around, mouth agape. "How did you think I became so good with electronics?"

"I- I- what?"

"I've been looking for something that will give me a long range signal, but so far no dice. Not until you called me yesterday and told me you met an alive Mav1s."

"So that's why you wanted Mav1s?"

"Mhm. She has access to the world wide web. She can hack into radio wavelengths and I need her long range distance to reach New York. If I know my dad, he'll be holed up in the compound with the others."

"Holy shit. You think that can actually work?"

"I do." You smile. "As long as my dad or anyone is still alive in that compound, we can reach them with Mav1s."

It takes Joel a moment to understand what you're telling him and then he's making his way towards you until he's stopped right before you. You grin up at him, laughing when you realize he's leaning down for a kiss after a moment's pause. One hand reaches up to grasp at his shirt as his hands cup your face, and the languid kiss makes your toes curl and wanting more.

When your lungs start to ache from the lack of breathing, you break the kiss and lightly pant against Joel's mouth. He smirks. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"So much better than I imagined." That surprises a laugh out of him and you push him back so he's not towering over you. "So while Mav1s charges, why don't you go shower and then you can pick out your dinner. There are crates next to the bathroom full of clothes, the crates labeled by size so you'll be sure to find something."

He groans. "Yes. A shower sounds amazing right about now."

"I bet it does." His face and neck are smudged with blood and dirt, but it doesn't make him any less handsome. "Come on. I'll show you where the bathroom is. Afterwards, we'll call your colony to let them know you're safe and sound."

When you show Joel the various crates of clothes, he manages to find him something to wear before pecking your lips once more and locking himself in the bathroom. With a laugh, you hobble back towards the main room and make sure to lock the bunker door and set the alarms so no one or any monster gets the drop on you.

Heading to the kitchen, you grab a few MREs so Joel has a variety to choose from. Boy seems interested in what you're doing in the kitchen and you can't help but feel guilty. You rip into one of the MREs and let Boy eat what he can from one of them before serving him up a bowl of water. Then when Joel joins you, you're not surprised when he picks out the chicken burrito bowl, trail mix, cheese spread and an orange beverage powder.

Joel chows down and you eat your own MRE next to him, leading him back towards your lab where your radio system is set up afterwards.

You take a seat on a stool in front of the microphone, glancing over your shoulder at Joel. "Do you want to do the honors?"

"Nah." He grabs his own stool, sitting directly behind you and pulling you back into the V of his thighs. With his arms wrapped around your waist, he hooks his chin over your shoulder. "Let's surprise them. You talk first."

"Okay." You chuckle, pulling the microphone closer to you and holding down the button to speak. "2237 to 7045. Come in, 7045."

You wait, relieved when there's an almost immediate reply. "YN, is that you?"

"Yeah it is. How are you guys?" You ask.

"We could be better, but we're alright for now. Have you heard from Joel yet?"

"Funny you should ask.."

Joel chuckles behind you. "Hey Ray. I'm here. I made it."

"Joel! Hey guys, Joel made it! He's with YN!" The two of you laugh as several voices try to speak at once, everyone relieved and happy to hear that their friend is still alive and kicking until Ray makes everyone quiet down. "So how is it, man? How was the surface? I want to know everything!"

"What I want to know is how everything with YN is? Is it everything you hoped for?" You can hear the slight teasing in the female's voice and you grin, reaching up and over your shoulder so you can reach behind Joel's head and scrape your fingernails at the nape of his neck.

"I, uh, yeah." Joel clears his throat and you chuckle. "Everything with us is great. Her bunker is awesome and guess what? She has a functional cooling system here. It's awesome!"

"God I would kill for some cold air."

You and Joel laugh. "But yeah. The surface is crazy, guys. I got myself a dog and then I fell into a sandgobbler's nest."

"What's a sandgobbler?"

"I met two survivors out there who helped me a bit, but we had to part ways after a couple of days and I killed a monster with a grenade!"

"What?! Where the heck did you get a grenade?"

"Then I met a real life Mav1s and she-"

"A Mav1s?! What's she like?"

"Mav1s is so cool, guys. Her legs had been bitten off so she powered down until survivors came along. I was the first survivor she met. She was totally fun to talk with. But, uh, but enough about me. What's going on there at the bunker?"

The radio is silent, and both you and Joel tense. "It's not good, Joel. The monsters are ripping through our defenses. It seems like we're going to have to move sooner rather than later."

"Shit."

"Hey, um, sorry for intruding," you say, "but I might have a solution. You guys might just have to hang on for another week or so."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Tomorrow I'm going to use Mav1s and try to find out if my dad is still alive. If he is, he'll more than likely send out a recovery team and if that happens then we'll swing by your colony and pick you up."

"And if there is no recovery team?"

"Then Joel and I will make the trip back to you guys, and you'll come stay here with us."

"That would be amazing," some female says. "Thank you."

"Don't even mention it. You guys are Joel's people therefore you're my people. And I look after my people. I'm just sorry we can't get to you right now."

"No. Don't apologize," Ray says. "We can hang on until the rescue. Should we start packing now?"

"Yes. Pack whatever you are going to want to bring along with you."

Joel squeezes you, kissing your neck to show his gratitude as you and his colony continue to talk. He speaks up every now and then, but he's content to listen to you bond with the family he left behind. Far too quickly, the radio signal cuts out and you and Joel reluctantly head out of the room after you check to make sure Mav1s is properly charging.

With nothing left to do and the excitement of the day finally vanishing, exhaustion makes itself known and you are more than ready for bed. But before you can go to bed, you have to make sure the bunker is locked up properly and check the cameras to make sure there are no monsters within a certain perimeter of the bunker.

Yawning, you start powering down the main lights and leaving nightlights on so you and Joel can still see. "So obviously there are many spare bedrooms, but if you want to share a bed I have no objections."

Joel gapes and it takes a moment for his brain to reboot. "I, uh, y-yeah. I d-don't mind sharing."

"We're just sleeping, Joel. At least for now," you muse. "No funny business until at least day three."

He snorts, but visibly calms down. "Okay. Then let's get some sleep."

You lead Joel to your bedroom, surprising him when you turn on a functioning rotating fan to make your room even cooler. Boy follows you and you laugh when he jumps on the bed only for Joel to chastise him. You assure him it's fine and you halt his reply when you start unbuttoning your shorts.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?"

You roll your eyes. "I'm getting comfortable so I can actually sleep, Joel." He blinks at you and you slowly grin at him while your shorts fall and you step out of them. "Are you going to stand there and tell me you sleep comfortably in pants? I mean, I can see you chose pajama pants but still. If you have boxers underneath and prefer to sleep in those sans shirt, I won't mind at all. But just so you know, I can only sleep in a shirt and underwear."

He gulps. "And we can s-still cuddle?"

"No, Joel, I'm going to shove pillows between us." You deadpan. "Of course we can cuddle! I haven't cuddled in years. I miss it."

"Okay." He chuckles.

When you notice he's hesitant while playing with the waistband of his pants, you turn around and pull back the covers of your bed in order to settle down. Boy is already sprawled at the foot of the bed and from the corner of your eye you watch Joel hurriedly climb into bed in just his boxers.

When you lay down and pull the blanket over you, you turn on your side so your back is towards Joel. You can feel him getting comfortable and then hesitate before he scoots up right behind you and slides his arm over your waist. It doesn't even take a second for your body to relax into his and then Joel sighs, trying to snuggle even more against you.

"I'm really glad you took a chance to come out and meet me," you quietly murmur.

"Same." He presses a kiss to the back of your shoulder. "I hope your dad doesn't try to kill me."

"That's only if he's alive."

"Oh he's alive," Joel mumbles. "He's Iron Man after all. No one can take out Iron Man."

"Oh my god, you're a total fanboy!"

"Am not."

Boy quietly woofs as if contradicting him and you snort as Joel calls his pet a traitor. "Get some sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us, then possibly an even busier week if things don't pan out like I hope they do."

Joel hums in agreement. "Okay. Night."

◈◈◈◈◈◈

When you wake up, you're expecting to be in some sort of position that will either have you or Joel profusely apologizing out of embarrassment. Instead, you wake up alone on one side of the bed as Joel practically hangs off the other side. A little confused, you glance in between the two of you and find that Boy has moved from the foot of the bed to in between you and Joel. He's so relaxed, laying there on his back, that you can't pass up scratching his belly.

Boy's foot kicks out even as he slumbers and you giggle. Joel is still knocked out cold, so instead of waking him you let him sleep.

You eventually fall back asleep, but it isn't for long. The slightest movement wakes you, so when you feel the bed shift you groan and your eyes flutter back open.

"Whoa.. what the-" You watch as Joel nearly falls off the bed, grinning as he catches himself and then flops around to see why he was on the edge in the first place.

"Morning." You muse. "Sleep well?"

"Hmm." He sleepily rubs at his eyes while yawning. "How'd I end up all the way over here?"

"Pretty sure Boy had something to do with it." Joel glances down at the lump of fur separating you and him, and he huffs. "Betrayed by man's best friend."

"Leave him alone. He deserves a good night's rest. Both of you do."

"Mhm." Joel scratches Boy's belly, patting him just enough to wake the dog before shooing him back to the foot of the bed. He smiles and stretches, and scoots back towards the middle of the bed. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have since the world went to shit."

"Well I don't mean to brag, but-"

"Shut up." You laugh, playfully nudging Joel before scooting closer and positioning yourself in the crook of his arm so your head is there cushioned on his shoulder. You sigh as your body relaxes once more. "I actually don't want to get up today. I just want to stay in bed."

"But today's the big day! Are you actually going to pass up trying to reconnect with your dad?"

"Mav1s is still charging. She probably won't be done until midday."

"Well then you have until midday to show me the bunker."

"Ugh." You whine. "Now I remember exactly why I liked my solitude. I didn't have anyone to answer to or show around."

Joel laughs. "I brighten things up around here. Admit it."

"I'll admit nothing."

With a sigh of reluctance, you push away from Joel and get out of bed. You grunt when you put weight on your injured ankle, but sigh in relief when you notice it's a lot more manageable than it was yesterday. You pick up your shorts from the floor, hopping into them and then flipping off Joel when he laughs.

"Not a morning person. Noted."

"Nope. At least not until my face is washed and I've eaten something."

Joel chuckles, but freshens up himself after you're done in the bathroom. When he joins you in the kitchen, he gleefully picks out his own MRE for breakfast and chows down. When Boy starts to whine, Joel lets him out to use the bathroom and hunt for his own food.

The two of you check on Mav1s, seeing that she's only at eighty-seven percent and you proceed to show Joel all around the bunker. He's quite impressed with how you've managed the upkeep of it all. There's nothing to do around the bunker until Mav1s wakes up, so you and Joel keep yourselves busy by learning more about each other.

You've been talking for three years over the radio, but you had never gotten too personal. He tells you how he was originally from Fairfield- or Ground Zero as everyone now deemed it- and he had lost his parents during their escape. That's where the people who now formed his colony found him, pulling him into the bed of a truck before fleeing to the bunker.

He admitted a few more things- like his favorite movies growing up, his favorite music, and the fact that his ex-girlfriend was at Jenner Beach, but had broken up with him after he spent months tracking her down over the radio- and in return you spoke about your own childhood. You were always nervous about telling people all about how you grew up, but you felt comfortable admitting everything to Joel. He listened to how you were a surprise pregnancy, but a welcomed one. Your parents had shared custody of you, but as Tony became more involved with Stark Industries and made a name for himself, your mother thought it was best to distance yourselves from the Stark name. You or Tony didn't take any issue with that since the paparazzi acted like feral animals, but it didn't stop Tony from taking care of you from afar.

By the time you and Joel have shared most of your life stories, it's about time that Mav1s should be done charging. So when you both walk into your lab, you're surprised to see the robot already awake and taking in her surroundings.

"Well hello!" Mav1s chirps. "I am so happy to be seeing you right now."

"Hi, Mav1s," you muse. "Do you feel recharged?"

Joel snorts as Mav1s happily nods. "I do. I really do! Thank you for your hospitality."

"You're welcome."

"Is it now the time for you to tell me what favor you had in mind?"

"Oh. Wow. Straight to business it is then." You sheepishly chuckle.

You go on to explain your big plan to the robot, asking if she can hack into the Avengers compound where a computer system by the name of JARVIS should still be up and running. You tell her who your father is and how you hope to find him or some of the other Avengers still alive, also hoping that they're still powering their quinjets in order to retrieve you and Joel.

Mav1s seems all too happy to help. "Of course. Do you wish for me to start searching for their specific radio wavelengths now?"

"Oh, um, sure. If you're able to."

The screen of Mav1s' face completely blacks out before various wavelengths and numbers start scrolling through at a fast pace. You gasp and Joel hurriedly collects two stools from across the room so the two of you can sit while Mav1s does her thing.

A few minutes pass and then, "Oh! I think I've found something."

In your excitement, your right hand grasps for Joel's and he readily slides his fingers between yours. He squeezes your hand in comfort and you swear you can barf when you hear, "You have entered a private channel. Please state your name and business."

"J-JARVIS?"

A few seconds pass. "Miss YN?"

Tears instantly fill your eyes as Joel's knee starts to bounce anxiously. "Hey J. Long time no speak."

"It is so good to hear your voice, Miss YN. I have contacted Sir and he will be on the line momentarily."

"Dad's alive?"

"Yes, Miss. All of the Avengers are currently accounted for under my roof with the exception of Thor who has made New Asgard another sanctuary for the midgardians."

"Holy shit. The god of thunder is still here," Joel breathes in awe.

You huff a laugh, nudging Joel when you see his awestruck expression.

"YN," Mav1s suddenly says, "it appears your father is trying to make a video connection. Do you wish-"

"Yes!" You cut her off. Wincing, you apologize. "Sorry, Mav1s. Yes, please, connect us if you can."

Mav1s' face flickers and then your dad's face pops up. "YN?!"

"Dad!"

There's a cheer in the background and you can see Steve, Natasha, Clint, Bucky and Bruce passing by to really see if it's you. The tears fall faster and Joel brings your hand into his lap so he's squeezing it with both of his while running his fingers over your knuckles.

"Where the hell are 'ya, kid? We have been scouring everywhere for you."

"I didn't get far before I had to join a colony," you say. "For years I've been looking for some type of power source to reach long distances, but it wasn't until Joel decided to come see me that he ran into an actual functioning Mav1s and brought her here so I was able to reach you."

"..who's Joel?"

"Oh my god. Seriously? That's what you're asking right now?"

Laughter erupts from your dad's side, but Joel is quick to make you lean over so he's in view of Mav1s' camera. "H-Hi, Mr. Stark. My name's Joel Dawson."

Tony's eyes narrow. "Mhm. And how is it that you know my daughter, Mr. Dawson?"

"Nope." You push Joel back out of view. "Nope! You are not pulling rank right now and intimidating my- well whatever Joel is. I'm an adult and we're in the middle of the apocalypse. Put a smile on that grumpy face of yours and be grateful Joel risked days on the surface to come see me. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be talking right now."

Your dad pouts and your lips twitch in amusement. "Fine. But I reserve the right to intimidate him all I want when we go get you guys."

Joel tenses as your heart soars. "What? Does this mean you still have functioning quinjets?"

"Duh! I'm Tony motherfuck-"

"Language!"

You bark out a laugh at Steve's admonishment and your dad's annoyed eye roll, warmth filling you at all the laughter you can hear. When your dad and pseudo family calm down, you ask, "How many people are you able to take in?"

"As many as you want, kiddo. How many you got?"

"I-It's actually my colony, Mr. Stark," Joel says, leaning back into view. "There's about nine of them and a cow. When I left, it was right after our defenses were breached. We checked in with them yesterday and it's not good. Monster after monster keep breaching their defenses."

Before Tony can say anything, Steve is stepping into view of the camera. "Sure thing, Joel. We can take two quinjets; one for survivors and another for the cow and any supplies everyone wants to bring along."

"We also have a dog," you say. "And Mav1s. She's currently stuck in a wheelbarrow because her legs were bitten off a while back."

Steve's lips twitch and he nods. "Sure thing, YN. Just get us the coordinates and we can be there by tonight."

"Uh, yeah. C-Coordinates. We can do that." But before you can even attempt to figure out your coordinates, Mav1s is sending them for you.

"I don't actually know the coordinates for my colony," Joel says, "but when you get here I have a map of sorts. You kind of have to see it to understand it and I can also help guide you in their direction."

"Sounds good, kid." Steve nods.

Just then Tony pushes him aside, grinning. "Start packing, daughter o'mine. I'll be seeing you really soon."

"Fly safely!"

The video feed cuts out and you sag against Joel. "Did that- did that just really happen?"

"Yeah, it did."

You sit up, facing Joel, and slowly smile at him. One moment you're just staring at each other and the next the two of you are kissing as if your lives depend on it.

"Aw. Young love," Mav1s coos. When you and Joel break apart, slightly panting in order to catch your breath, you find Mav1s has hearts for eyes as she watches the two of you. "I have a feeling the two of you are going to make adorable babies."

Joel chokes and your eyes widen. "Mav1s!"

"I only speak the truth," she says. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to recharge once more so I'm fully functioning on the flight to my new home."

You and Joel can only watch as Mav1s shuts herself down to recharge once again, and then you're meeting his amused gaze. "So, uh, how about you try to go get your colony on the radio and make sure they're ready by tonight. Don't tell them who's picking them up though. I want to surprise them."

"Alright."

"And I'll go start packing up to see what we can take with us."

Joel nods and you reluctantly get up to head back to the main room. "Hey YN?" He calls out just as you're almost out the door. You turn around and wait for him to continue. "I'm really glad I came out all this way to be with you."

You slowly smile, nodding. "Yeah. Me too."