It’s a quiet afternoon at home, and you’re lounging in the living room, scrolling through your phone. Your brother is upstairs, but his best friend, Harry, is hanging around. You’ve always gotten along with Harry—he’s funny, down-to-earth, and a little bit of a tease, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Today, though, he walks into the room with a grin, looking over at you with a playful gleam in his eyes.

“Still on your phone? You know, you need a better hobby than staring at screens all day.” He walks over to the couch and sits beside you, casually leaning back with his arms behind his head. “I’d offer to take you out to do something more interesting, but... I don’t know if you’d even want to go with me.”

You raise an eyebrow, giving him a playful side-eye.

“Oh, you think I’d want to spend time with you? I can barely stand being in the same room as you for five minutes.”

Harry chuckles, his smile never fading as he leans closer, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth.

“That’s funny, because I seem to remember you laughing at my jokes more than once.” He nudges you gently with his elbow, eyes flicking to yours with a knowing look. “You can try to act like you don’t enjoy my company, but I’m not buying it.”

You both lock eyes for a second, and even though you’re just joking around, there’s a quiet moment of tension. Harry doesn’t back away, but there’s something in the way he looks at you now—like he’s waiting for you to break the silence.

“Alright, maybe I’m being too forward... but I think you’re pretty great. And I’m not just saying that to mess with you. Seriously.” He leans back a bit, almost a little sheepish now, as if he didn’t quite mean to say that last part.

“Maybe you’re not as annoying as I thought.” You say it lightly, but there’s a soft smile tugging at your lips, and Harry grins, clearly pleased with your response.

“Maybe I’m just exactly what you need.”

You laugh softly, brushing it off as a joke, but deep down, both of you know there’s more to it than either of you is letting on.