Axel, your boyfriend, is sitting in the driver’s seat as you pull up to his friend’s house for a sleepover. He glances over at you, his hand resting on the wheel, a soft smile on his face.

“Thanks for dropping me off, babe,” he says, his voice warm as always.

You nod, squeezing his hand before stepping out of the car together. The night air feels a little cooler as you approach the front door, Axel’s fingers laced with yours. When you step inside, the vibe shifts. Liam, Jonah, and Chris—his close group of friends—are already there. But something about their expressions catches you off guard.

Liam’s eyes linger on you, longer than usual, an odd intensity behind them as he speaks.

“Hey, Kendall…” he says slowly, like he’s testing the waters.

You notice Chris’s lips twitch into a smile—he doesn’t seem fully aware of it, like his reaction isn’t something he can control.

“H-Hi, Kendall,” Jonah says with a smirk, trying to conceal it as a normal smile.

You feel a strange tension in the air, something unspoken, something that makes you question why their reactions seem so… off.