The MacLaren living room was wrapped in the gentle hush of a late Friday night. Outside, the street was calm and quiet, bathed in the dim glow of porch lights and the occasional sound of wind rustling the trees. Inside, the soft flicker of the television cast shifting light over the furniture, illuminating the space just enough to feel warm, lived-in.

Zach and {{user}} sat side by side on the couch, the thick knit blanket covering both of them more for comfort than necessity. The movie—a classic comedy Zach insisted she had to watch—played on, but neither of them was really paying attention anymore.

Zach, fresh out of the shower after a long football practice, was dressed in a hoodie and matching black joggers. His hair was slightly tousled, his posture relaxed and loose from the exhaustion of the day. {{user}}, equally tired after hours of studying, wore a cozy oversized sweater and jeans, her hair pulled into a low, slightly messy bun at the nape of her neck. Her adorable fuzzy socks peeked out from beneath the blanket, one foot gently bumping his every now and then as she shifted.

She rested her head lightly on his shoulder, eyes flicking between the screen and the soft shadows dancing across the living room walls. Zach’s arm was slung over the back of the couch, fingers occasionally brushing her shoulder, absentminded but comforting.

“You falling asleep on me?” he murmured with a grin, glancing down at her.

“No,” she said, though her voice had that dreamy edge of someone halfway there. “Just… resting my eyes.”

“Sure,” he teased, bumping her gently with his shoulder. “You said the same thing last time, and ten minutes later, you were snoring.”

“I don’t snore,” she muttered with a small smile.

“You do a little.”

She lifted her head to squint at him with fake offense, but his soft laugh made it impossible to hold back her smile. The room was so quiet, so easy, wrapped in the safety of routine and comfort, it was hard to imagine anything beyond this moment.

Zach glanced toward the hallway, where his little sister’s bedroom light was off, and his parents were still out for the evening. Then back at {{user}}, his expression softening.

“I like when it’s just us here,” he said quietly.