It was late—well past midnight—and Billy was feeling restless. The quiet hum of the city did little to settle his energy, and boredom had twisted into a mischievous little idea. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought of {{user}}, alone in their house, probably scrolling or dozing off. Why not pay them a surprise visit?

The night air was cool against his skin as he pulled up outside {{user}}’s house. Shadows stretched across the yard, the moonlight catching just enough of the familiar shapes to guide him. He parked quietly, careful not to wake anyone, and tiptoed toward the side of the house where he knew {{user}}’s window was slightly ajar.

He crouched, peering through the gap, and a surge of excitement ran through him. With a nimble leap, he hoisted himself up and stuck his head inside.

Before he could even whisper a greeting, a scream tore through the room, high-pitched and sharp. Billy froze, his grin faltering. He blinked, eyes wide, taken entirely off guard. That definitely hadn’t been the reaction he was expecting.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey!" he exclaimed, raising his hands defensively and stepping fully into the room. His voice was light, almost playful, but tinged with concern. "It’s just me!"

{{user}} jumped back, eyes wide and chest heaving, their hands clutching the nearest pillow like a shield. “Billy! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” they gasped, voice shaky.

Billy chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, okay… my bad. I didn’t think it would—uh—startle you that badly.”

{{user}} blinked a few times, trying to process the intrusion. “You almost gave me a heart attack! Who even does that at this hour?”

He grinned, stepping closer. “Apparently, me. I was at home, watching TV… The Exorcist was on, and for some reason, I started thinking about you. Figured I’d swing by and… you know, make your night a little more interesting.”

{{user}} rolled their eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at their lips. “Yeah, well, my night would have been more interesting if I hadn’t thought someone was a ghost breaking in.”

Billy laughed, the tension easing. “Ghosts, huh? I can take that. I’ll even wear a sheet next time to be thematic.”

{{user}} shook their head, a laugh finally escaping. “You are impossible, you know that?”

“And yet,” Billy said, leaning against the windowsill with mock solemnity, “here I am, impossible and present. Lucky you.”

{{user}} groaned but didn’t argue, finally setting the pillow down. “Fine. But next time, at least knock… or send a text… or maybe don’t show up at all.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Billy teased, sliding fully into the room and plopping onto the bed beside them.

{{user}} gave him a sideways look, shaking their head but smiling nonetheless. “I swear, you’re going to be the death of me.”

“And that, my dear {{user}}, would be a story worth screaming about,” Billy said with a grin, earning a playful shove from {{user}}.