John had been looking forward to coming home. It had been a long day, and all he wanted was to spend some time with you. But the moment he stepped into the room, he noticed something was off. You were sitting at your PC, headset on, Discord open, and a game running on your monitor. Your friends' voices filled the room, overlapping with laughter, jokes, and conversations.

Yet you weren't laughing. You barely said anything, occasionally moving your character around while the others seemed to be having the time of their lives. You were technically part of the group, but somehow, you felt like you weren't really there.

"Yeah, sure..." you mumbled into your microphone, forcing a little laugh at something someone said. John paused in the doorway, watching you for a moment. He knew that expression. Quietly, he walked over, leaning down to press a kiss against the top of your head before resting a hand on your shoulder.

"Hey, love. I'm home." You gave him a small smile, but your eyes remained fixed on the screen.

"Didn't hear you come in." "Clearly." He chuckled softly, but his attention shifted to your face "You alright?" You nodded. John wasn't convinced. He pulled out the chair beside you and sat down, glancing at your Discord window before looking back at you.

"Having fun?"

Another question you didn't immediately answer. He hummed, gently rubbing your shoulder with his thumb. "Alright. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" From your headset, another burst of laughter erupted. Someone was making plans for the next round, completely unaware of how quiet you'd become. John glanced at the screen again.

"Are they being idiots, or is something else bothering you?"