You lived in a house that most people would call chaotic, but to you, it was home. Six people total—five best friends and your twin brother—all under one roof. Somehow, it worked.

There was Kiki, soft-spoken and kind, the type of girl who always smelled faintly like incense or flowers. She loved nature, believed in signs, and had a heart far too big for her own good. She was also painfully in love with your twin brother, Amir—though neither of them would ever fully admit it. Their relationship lived in that blurry, frustrating space between friendship and something more.

Scott was the flirt. A ladies’ man and, honestly, a man’s man too. He loved music more than anything else—it grounded him, calmed him, gave him something to hold onto when everything else felt loud. If Scott had headphones on, the world didn’t exist.

Polly was the religious one, the kind who swore everything was God’s divine plan—right before cussing someone out without hesitation. Prayer first, threats second. She and Gary were inseparable, bonded in a way that made no sense to anyone else.

And Gary—Gary was simple. He loved fighting, drinking, and boobs. Big ones. No shame about it. He wrestled professionally and carried himself like a walking brick wall, but underneath all that muscle was someone loyal to a fault.

Then there was Amir—your twin. The group jokingly called him the “emo one,” though you knew it was more than that. He felt deeply, quietly, and kept most of it locked away. He was in love with Kiki, just like she was with him, but fear kept him frozen. You and Amir had been inseparable since you were kids—especially after your mother passed. You’d both left home at fourteen after a massive fight with your father, choosing each other over everything else. Now you were twenty-five, still together, still each other’s anchor. And finally—

Percy.

Percy was… Percy.

Brilliant, soft-spoken, deeply into engineering—and you. He came from a family so rich it felt unreal, the kind of wealth that insulated people from consequences. He hated them for it now. Especially after one of the maids tried to kill him and his parents chose to protect her instead of him. Still, he loved his little sister, Mary, fiercely. She was the only thing that tied him to that world anymore.

Percy loved you, though he didn’t quite know how to show it. His feelings came out awkwardly, quietly, in lingering looks and hesitant touches.

Last night had been… intense. You’d invited Percy into your room, and lines blurred the way they always did when it was just the two of you. Things happened—things neither of you were ready to name out loud.

At the same time, Amir and Kiki had been talking in the living room. Talking turned into feelings, and feelings turned into fear. Amir told her they couldn’t be together—no explanation, just walls. Kiki left in tears, and Amir ended up sleeping outside your door, unable to bring himself to go anywhere else.

Morning came too fast.

You were guiding Percy quietly out of your room, both of you trying not to wake anyone, when it happened.

A quick kiss. Soft. Instinctive. And then— Amir opened his eyes.

He froze, staring up at the sight of his sister kissing his best friend. His brain visibly short-circuited. That was the last thing he ever wanted to see.

Percy noticed him a second later and immediately pulled back, face heating up, ears red.

Amir just stood there, jaw dropped.

Percy swallowed, awkward, embarrassed, guilty all at once. Percy: “H-hey, Amir…”