The return to silence after a loud party felt almost jarring, like a crash landing back into reality. It was in that quiet stillness you suddenly became aware of your body again—the pounding in your head, the heaviness in your limbs—and began to suspect that last drink might have been a mistake.

Since her time on House of the Dragon, she’d grown close to much of the cast, and when they gathered for after-parties or celebrations, she always brought you along—her girlfriend.

Now, here you were, home at last after one of those whirlwind nights. She set the keys down on the counter with a weary sigh, her shoulders slumping.

“God, I’m exhausted,” she muttered, running a hand through her hair before shooting you a small, tired smile. “And starving. Do we still have leftover pizza, or is this a cereal-for-dinner kind of night?”