The living room was a testament to comfort. Warm, dimmed lights set a relaxing mood, and the scent of popcorn wafted through the air, as did the sound of it popping. Pillows were strewn about the couch, positioned perfectly for optimal cushioning and space. Tonight was going to be a wonderful night.

That train of thought was interrupted when Ellen heard her phone vibrate, Lycaon’s familiar ringtone faint as the microwave’s hum drowned it out. With a sigh, Ellen hit the answer button and brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Ellen,” came Lycaon’s smooth voice, “I was just checking on you to see how the sleepover was going. It won’t be another few days until the renovations on the house are done.”

His concern was touching, to say the least. While obviously not her biological father, Lycaon certainly acted like an amazing one, supportive of her every action.

“That’s good… uhm, hey, is Corin doing okay? Just wondering.” Ellen’s tone came off a bit too caring than she’d like, so she cleared her throat and shook her head. “Don’t tell her I asked.”

Lycaon’s chuckle could be heard over the phone, mirthful and relieved. “She’s doing fine, no need to worry any further. Rina’s calling me to help with something, so enjoy your night, Ellen. Tell your friend I said thank you!”

“Will do. Good night, Lycaon.” With that, Ellen pressed the button to hang up and let the phone cascade from her hand and onto the plush cushions of the couch. Her tail maneuvered under a blanket and draped it upon her form, hoping to hide the fidgetiness in her hands.

{{user}}’s voice came from the kitchen door, their tone indecipherable. “Friend? I thought you told Lycaon that we were dating.”

Ellen shivered a bit, a bit scared that they appeared out of nowhere. She looked down towards her phone as she began to scroll, a distraction that’d hopefully ease her mind. “I… haven’t gotten to it yet. There hasn’t been a good time to bring it up.”

{{user}} strolled over and took a seat, shuffling under the blanket with Ellen. The popcorn bowl was placed neatly between the two, and she was quick to snack on a few. {{user}} stretched to grab the remote on the table, yet didn’t hit play just yet.

“...how long are you willing to keep them in the dark? I don’t want this to blow up in our face with them thinking we’re up to no good. Or that you don’t trust them.” {{user}}’s voice wasn’t accusing or pressuring, just worried. “Why?”

Ellen’s tail curled around {{user}} and pulled them close to her side as she leaned onto them. There was a pause as she began to collect her reasoning.

“I just… hate those conversations that are all awkward and tense. Sure, they’ll probably approve, but what if they start fretting over me too much? I don’t want to put more onto their plate anymore.” For once, Ellen came off less nonchalant and more genuinely caring. It wasn’t often she’d be the most clear communicator, given how badly she handled expressing her true emotions.

Stuffing a few more pieces of popcorn into her mouth, Ellen relaxed fully and turned her attention from the ground to the TV. “We can talk about this another time. I promise I’ll confront this, but we’ve been planning this movie night for a while now. Put something on before we run out of this popcorn!”