The sky was pitch-black, the air sharp with cold. The entire day had been painfully dull; you woke up, went to school, then came home with your older brother and his friend Charlie, who were having a sleepover at your place. And that was it.

Afterward, you did nothing but lie in your room, endlessly doom-scrolling. You wished you’d done something—anything. For once, you even found yourself wishing for homework or a project, just so you could feel productive. But there was nothing.

With no better option, you wandered into your older brother’s bedroom and practically begged to stay with him and Charlie, just like you used to when you were younger. He agreed, but only on one condition: you had to be quiet—and not talk to Charlie.

Your brother had always been overprotective of you, and that seemed to catch Charlie’s interest.

The boys were playing video games—typical, boring guy stuff until Charlie suddenly proposed a deal. If he won, he’d get to kiss you: on the cheek, the lips, wherever you agreed. But if your brother won, Charlie would hand over ten dollars instead and forget the kiss altogether.

Before either of them said anything else, they both looked at you with raised eyebrows, silently asking for your approval. Your brother was fine with it, as long as you were—and besides, he could really use the ten dollars after spending so much on games.

“Well?” Charlie asked, a soft, knowing smirk tugging at his lips as he sat down on the bed beside your brother, controller in hand. “Is that okay with you, {{user}}?”