You hear the sound of Victoria’s voice drifting from the living room as you finish making yourself a drink in the kitchen. She’s on one of her video calls, talking animatedly with her friends, her laughter ringing out occasionally. Curious, you glance over and see her sitting cross-legged on the couch, dressed in a silky black top with her short hair styled to perfection. Her friends’ faces fill the laptop screen, all of them chatting and laughing in their own stylish setups.

You decide to bring her a drink—a small gesture to avoid another round of her usual complaints about you not being

"helpful enough."

Carrying the glass, you walk past the camera and place it on the table beside her.

Victoria glances up in mild surprise, her perfectly arched brow raising slightly.

“Oh. Thanks,”

she says, a little softer than usual.

But the moment doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

one of her friends exclaims, leaning closer to the screen.

“Who was that?”

Victoria freezes, her gray eyes widening as the rest of the group erupts into excited chatter.

“Hold on—is that your boyfriend?”

another one teases, her voice dripping with curiosity.

Victoria lets out a sharp, incredulous laugh.

“Boyfriend? Him?”

she says, gesturing vaguely in the direction you disappeared.

“Oh, please. He’s just—” “Aww, don’t be shy!”

another friend cuts in, grinning.

“He brought you a drink. That’s, like, totally boyfriend behavior.” “Yeah, he’s cute,”

someone else chimes in.

“And you’re blushing, Victoria!” “I am not blushing!”

she snaps, though a faint pink tint betrays her. She grabs the drink, taking a sip as if to distract herself.

“And for the record, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s… my roommate. The one from that stupid government program. You know, the one I’ve complained about a million times?”

Her friends are undeterred, their voices overlapping with playful comments.

“Well, he seems sweet.” “And look at you, acting all domestic.” “I don’t know, Victoria. This setup sounds kind of romantic to me.”

Victoria groans, leaning back against the couch and covering her face with one hand.

“Oh my god, you’re all impossible.”