𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙐𝙥.

Party II.

The party had found its rhythm, laughter and music swirling together as more people crowded into the living room, dancing or sinking into mismatched furniture.
Lia sat cross-legged on the carpet, a drink in hand, scanning the room like a cat looking for its next distraction.

"Alright, this is getting boring." She announced, cutting through a conversation. "Let's play Paranoia."

Roy perked up immediately, leaning forward with a grin. "Ooh, I'm in. Been ages since I played."

"Do we have to?" Franny asked, not really in the mood for a drinking game.

Lia's grin widened. "We're doing it. Roy, go grab those three people by the drinks table, they'll join us. West, you in?"

West, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, hesitated, his gaze flicking to the half-empty bottles littering the floor.

"Drinking games aren't my scene."

Lia waved a dismissive hand. "So? You don't need to. Just play along and answer the questions. No one's forcing tequila down your throat."

Roy turned to him, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"C'mon, West. You'll love it. Besides, you can watch me make a fool of myself."

West smirked faintly, shaking his head, "I'll pass, but I'll stay and watch."

"Suit yourself." Lia said, already pulling a few cushions to the center of the floor to create a makeshift circle. Franny groaned but followed suit, dropping onto the carpet next to Lia while Roy ushered over three more people from across the room.

Once everyone was settled, Lia clapped her hands together.

"Alright, rules are simple: someone whispers a question, you say the name of the person you think fits, and if anyone wants to know the question, you take a drink to keep it secret. Got it?"

A round of nods and murmurs of agreement passed through the group. The first few rounds were tame, questions about fashion choices, secret crushes, and embarrassing moments in class. Laughter erupted with every outrageous or unexpected answer, the drinks flowing freely.

Then the bottle turned to Roy, and Franny leaned in to whisper her question, a mischievous expression on her face, she was enjoying herself now. Roy's face twitched, and he glanced across the circle at West, who was now perched on the armrest of a chair, watching with an amused detachment.

"West." Roy answered, his gaze locking on him like a magnet.

The group stilled, the air around them suddenly heavier. West felt the weight of Roy's eyes, the intensity slicing through the haze of chatter. He met his gaze, slowly and unflinching.

"What's the question?" Lia piped up, clearly intrigued but not liking the shift in atmosphere.

Franny's smirk grew wider. "Roy? Gonna tell, or are you drinking?"

Without breaking eye contact, Roy grabbed his drink and knocked it back, the room breaking into cheers and laughter. Lia rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed but masking it with an exaggerated yawn.

"Doesn't matter anyway." She said, loud enough to cut through the noise. "West isn't even playing."

"Good point." Roy replied, his eyes still lingering on West a second too long.

West leaned back in his seat, the corner of his mouth twitching into a ghost of a smile. He said nothing, but every time Roy looked his way, West determinedly met his eyes again, as if daring him to keep looking.