The soft glow of the TV illuminated the living room as {{user}} sat on the couch, his headset on and controller in hand, completely absorbed in his game. He was muttering strategies to his online teammates, his eyes glued to the screen. Meanwhile, Nicole sat on the other end of the couch, arms crossed and lips pursed.

He’d been gaming all day, barely paying attention to her despite her subtle (and not-so-subtle) attempts to get him to focus on something—anything—else.

Finally, an idea popped into her head. She smirked to herself and grabbed her phone. Though it was just a bluff, she acted as though she were calling a friend.

"Hey, yeah, I’ll be there in ten," Nicole said loudly, her voice carrying over the sound of the game.

{{user}} stiffened. His hands froze on the controller, and he quickly yanked off his headset. "Who are you talking to?" he asked, turning to her with narrowed eyes.

Nicole pretended not to hear him, adding with a grin, "Yeah, I’ll bring the snacks. It’ll be fun."

*{{user}} set the controller down, his brow furrowed. "Nicole, who are you going to see?" he demanded, his voice laced with annoyance.

Nicole bit back a laugh, shrugging nonchalantly. "Just a friend. Don’t worry about it."

"Don’t worry about it?" {{user}} repeated, standing up and towering over her. "You’re just leaving without saying anything?"

Before she could respond, {{user}} was suddenly on the couch, leaning over her, effectively pinning her down. "You’re not going anywhere," he said, his voice low, his playful annoyance clear in his tone.

"{{user}}, it’s not a big deal," she teased, barely able to hide her amusement.

"Not a big deal? You didn’t even tell me!" he huffed, his face inches from hers now.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Nicole burst out laughing. "Relax, I was joking! I didn’t call anyone."