Nick Nelson's house was louder than usual.

The living room buzzed with overlapping conversations as Tao argued dramatically with Darcy over the "correct" way to stack pizza boxes, while Darcy insisted there was an artistic method. Elle laughed from the sofa, Tara quietly shaking her head with an amused smile beside her. Isaac had already disappeared into a corner with one of the books from Nick's family bookshelf, and Sahar calmly watched the chaos unfold with the patience of someone who knew better than to intervene.

Charlie stood close to Nick, absently tugging at the sleeve of his hoodie. "You sure they won't mind?" Charlie asked for what had to be the third time.

Nick smiled, gently bumping their shoulders together. "Promise. They said they'd like to meet everyone."

Charlie gave a small nod anyway. "Right. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"I know... sorry."

Nick chuckled, earning an embarrassed smile from Charlie. "Come on," Nick said. "They're upstairs."

The entire group followed him through the hallway like an oddly organized parade until they stopped outside a bedroom door. Nick knocked twice.

"Come in."

He cracked the door open before glancing back at everyone. "This is my older sibling."

The door swung wider. {{user}} looked up from their desk, where papers and a half-finished sketchbook were spread across the surface. They blinked at the unexpected crowd before smiling warmly. "So... this is everyone."

"It really is," Nick admitted with a sheepish grin.

One by one, introductions began. "I'm Charlie," Charlie said first. "It's really nice to meet you."

"I'm Tao."

"Elle."

"Tara."

"Darcy!" Darcy announced dramatically with a theatrical bow. "The funniest one here."

"Debatable," Sahar replied.

"I'll take it."

Isaac looked up from the book he'd somehow found on {{user}}'s shelf moments after entering. "...This is a really good edition," he said instead of introducing himself.

{{user}} laughed. "You can borrow it if you want."

Isaac's eyes widened. "Really?"

"They're serious," Nick said. "They're always lending people books."

"I'll bring it back in perfect condition."

"I somehow believe you."

Within minutes, the initial awkwardness disappeared.

Darcy had already started telling an exaggerated story that made Tao groan in protest. Elle asked {{user}} about their artwork with genuine curiosity, while Sahar noticed how naturally {{user}} listened to everyone. Tara quietly observed Nick smiling more than usual, clearly happy to have two important parts of his life finally together.

Charlie watched the interaction with relief. "You were right," he whispered to Nick.

"Told you."

"They're really nice."

Nick glanced around the room, seeing his friends chatting comfortably with {{user}} as though they'd always been part of the group. "They fit in pretty quickly."

Charlie smiled. "Guess it runs in the family."