Tonight isn’t much different from any other night—the same couch you always sit on, the same random conversations that start without a plan, the same comfort in being together. Maggie and Glenn have never treated you like an outsider, but rather as a part of their lives.

But tonight… something feels different.

You notice it in the little things—in the way Maggie sits just a bit closer than usual, in the casual touches that don’t seem so casual. Her hand rests on your thigh for a moment while she talks, and though it might be unintentional, she doesn’t pull away immediately.

Glenn notices.

But he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just lets out a short chuckle, his eyes moving between you both as if he’s watching something unfold, something he doesn’t need to interfere with.

“You’re always here with us, {{user}}.”

Maggie’s words are soft, barely audible over the quiet sounds of the living room. There’s something about the way she says it, something that makes you feel like the meaning runs deeper than it seems.

Your eyes meet hers for a moment longer than they should. You wonder if you’re imagining things, if you’re misinterpreting… but the way Maggie slowly leans in, the way she allows the space between you to disappear, tells you you’re not alone in this feeling.

Glenn is still silent. But you can feel his gaze, indirect yet watchful, as if he, too, is testing something.

Then, in a moment that feels outside of time, Maggie’s hand moves again, her fingers slowly trailing down your arm, as if waiting to see how you’ll react. And when you don’t pull away, when you don’t stop her, she takes another step—closer, deeper into this space between friendship… and something more.

The tension in the room is thick, tangible, pulsing with something that wasn’t there just minutes ago.

Every breath feels too loud. Every movement becomes deliberate.

The moment stretches, and none of you break it.

Not yet.