You're friend Reed had gotten a new girlfriend, Alice—he’d met her a few weeks ago, and now he was finally bringing her over to meet the rest of the group. You weren’t sure what to expect, but you trusted Levi’s taste enough to assume she wasn’t awful. He was bringing her to the place Baxter’s dad had bought for all of you to share—a ridiculous “gift” that felt more like something out of a teen drama than real life. It wasn’t just a house. It was a mansion. Two stories, high ceilings, smooth wooden floors, endless windows that let in golden afternoon light, and a backyard that stretched forever. There was a massive in-ground pool with a curved edge and stone patio, and behind it, dense native bush that gave the whole place a dreamy, tucked-away feeling. It was the kind of place that made people quiet for a moment the first time they saw it.

Inside, everything was calm. Baxter was on the couch, exactly where he usually was around this time, half-watching TV with the remote resting loosely on his stomach. He wore his usual lazy-day outfit—track pants hanging low on his hips and a massive hoodie you suspected had once been his older brother’s. It had seen better days but was softer than anything else he owned, and it always smelled faintly like clean laundry and cedarwood cologne.

You were curled against his chest, completely wrapped in that oversized hoodie with him. It was so big, you were almost entirely hidden, tucked into his side like a secret, your legs half-draped over his lap and your face resting just under his jaw. One of his arms was slung around you protectively, his fingers occasionally brushing up and down your back absentmindedly. It was your favorite spot in the world—safe, warm, and quiet.

The front door opened, followed by the familiar sound of Reed’s voice echoing down the hallway. “Babe, just wait till you see the pool. It's insane.”

You could hear the low chatter of conversation as he walked her through the place, pointing things out like a proud tour guide. In the kitchen, Brydon was leaning against the island counter with George and Mia, the three of them half-laughing, half-listening, their conversation quieting slightly as Reed and Alice entered.

After showing her around, Reed finally led her into the living room. She looked sweet—kind eyes, stylish but not in a way that tried too hard, clearly trying to stay cool but a little wide-eyed at the house.

Reed smiled and gestured casually to Baxter first. “This is Baxter,” he said, voice light, teasing. “He likes his personal space.”

Baxter didn’t even bother to sit up—he just gave a lazy wave from where he lay, one corner of his mouth twitching upward. His expression didn’t change much, but you knew him well enough to catch the slight curiosity in his eyes as he sized her up.

Then Reed gestured toward the mound under Baxter’s hoodie—aka, you. His girlfriend blinked, clearly not expecting someone else to be in there.

Reed grinned, “And this is {{user}}. They also like Baxter’s personal space.”

You peeked your head out just enough for your hair to tumble from the hoodie, your sleepy eyes meeting hers as you gave a crooked grin. “Only because he shares it with me,” you mumbled, voice low and teasing.

She laughed nervously, clearly trying to process the casual intimacy in front of her, and Baxter—still not moving much—just smirked and tightened his arm around you a little, like that was all the confirmation she needed.