Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Shelf Incident The Bunch of Friends house was never quiet. Not truly. Even on the rare days when nobody was filming, somebody was always doing something ridiculous. Usually Anthony. Today was no exception. Hannah had settled onto the couch with her laptop, intending to spend the afternoon editing footage. The living room was peaceful for approximately seven minutes. Then the front door burst open. Anthony stumbled inside carrying three large cardboard boxes stacked so high they blocked his vision. "I have returned!" Immediately, everyone in the room looked up. Coy was the first to speak. "No." Anthony stopped. "What do you mean, no?" "I don't know what you're doing, but no." Anthony carefully lowered the boxes onto the floor. "You haven't even heard my idea." "That has never helped before." Will nodded from the kitchen. "He's got a point." Anthony ignored both of them. "I bought furniture." Silence. A dangerous amount of silence. Hannah slowly looked up from her laptop. "Furniture?" Anthony spread his arms dramatically. "Furniture." Coy looked horrified. "Why?" "Because this house is disorganized." The room collectively stared at him. Will nearly dropped the glass he was holding. Anthony pointed around the room. "Look at this place." "Anthony," Hannah said carefully, "your desk currently has three coffee cups, a rubber duck, two cameras, and a sock on it." Anthony considered this. "That's called organized chaos." "That's called a problem." Anthony grinned. Hannah immediately regretted saying anything because somehow he looked far too pleased that she'd joined the argument. Unfortunately, Coy noticed. His eyes narrowed. Interesting. Very interesting. Half an hour later, the living room floor had disappeared beneath a sea of wooden boards, screws, instruction booklets, and cardboard. Anthony sat cross-legged in the middle of the mess. The instruction manual lay nearby. Completely untouched. Hannah stared at it. Then at Anthony. Then back at the instruction manual. "Are you going to read those?" "No." "Why not?" "I understand furniture." Will laughed so hard he had to sit down. "You understand furniture?" "Yes." "You bought the wrong size mattress last year." Anthony pointed accusingly. "That was one time." "You slept diagonally for two months." "That is not relevant." Coy appeared from nowhere carrying a bag of chips. "It is absolutely relevant." Anthony sighed dramatically. "Nobody supports me." "We support you," Hannah said. Anthony brightened immediately. Then she added: "We just don't trust your judgment." The entire room burst into laughter. Even Anthony. For a second, Hannah forgot she was supposed to be working. Instead she found herself watching him. It wasn't intentional. At least she didn't think it was. Anthony was just… Easy to be around. He made every situation funnier. Every boring moment more interesting. Even assembling furniture somehow became entertaining when he was involved. Which was probably why she kept smiling. And why she kept looking over every few minutes. Not that she noticed herself doing it. The actual construction process somehow went worse than anyone expected. At one point Anthony attached a shelf backward. At another point he lost the screwdriver despite holding it in his hand. Coy spent ten minutes laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. Will offered helpful advice. Anthony ignored every single suggestion. Hannah eventually sat beside him to help. The moment she did, Anthony started listening. "That piece goes there." "Okay." "Turn it around." "Got it." "Tighten that screw." "Done." Coy immediately pointed. "Oh, now he listens." Anthony froze. "What?" "You ignored me and Will for an hour." Anthony opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Hannah suddenly found the floor very interesting. Will smirked. Coy looked like he'd just discovered buried treasure. Anthony threw a spare screw at him. Coy dodged effortlessly. "Suspicious." "It's not suspicious." "It is." "It's literally not." "It literally is." The argument continued for another five minutes. Meanwhile Hannah tried very hard not to smile. Eventually, after nearly two hours, Anthony stood up. The bookshelf stood proudly in the center of the room. Everyone stared at it. Anthony spread his arms. "I did it." For one glorious second, nothing happened. Then the shelf slowly leaned sideways. The room fell silent. Anthony watched it tilt. "Uh." The shelf collapsed completely. Wood crashed across the floor. A cloud of dust filled the air. Silence. Then everyone exploded with laughter. Coy actually fell onto the couch. Will was wiping tears from his eyes. Anthony laughed too. Because honestly? It was kind of impressive. Hannah laughed so hard she couldn't breathe. When she finally looked up, she realized Anthony was staring at her. Not in a weird way. Not intentionally. Just… Looking. His smile softened slightly. And for a second the noise around them faded. The laughter. The chaos. Everything. It was just the two of them. Then Coy walked directly between them carrying a random wooden board. "Good news." Anthony blinked. "What?" "I think we accidentally built a chair." The moment disappeared instantly. Everyone laughed again. The conversation moved on. The afternoon continued. But later that night, lying awake in bed, Hannah found herself thinking about that brief moment. The way Anthony had looked at her. The way neither of them had looked away. The strange flutter in her stomach. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her from smiling. And somewhere across town, Anthony was lying awake too. Thinking the exact same thing.
Chapter 2: Everyone Else Knows
Hannah's plan for the next day was simple. Avoid thinking about Anthony. That was it. No overanalyzing random conversations. No replaying moments in her head. No wondering what that look yesterday had meant. Just a normal day. A completely normal day. Unfortunately, the universe seemed determined to make that impossible. The second she walked into the Bunch of Friends house, she heard a loud crash from the kitchen. Followed by Anthony yelling, "THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN." Hannah sighed. Some things never changed. She followed the noise into the kitchen. Anthony was standing in front of the stove holding a spatula. The pan in front of him was producing an alarming amount of smoke. Hannah stared. Anthony stared back. Neither spoke. Finally Hannah pointed toward the smoke. "Should I be concerned?" "No." The smoke alarm immediately went off. "Okay, maybe a little concerned." From upstairs came a groan. Then another. Then the sound of someone stumbling into a wall. A few seconds later, Coy appeared in the doorway looking exhausted. "I was asleep." Anthony pointed at the stove. "The eggs betrayed me." "The eggs betrayed you?" "Yes." "How?" "I don't know." Coy looked at Hannah. "See what I have to deal with?" Hannah laughed. Anthony grinned. And just like that, she felt that annoying flutter in her chest again. Great. Wonderful. Exactly what she didn't want. By noon, everyone had gathered in the living room to brainstorm future video ideas. Which sounded productive. In theory. In reality, it was chaos. Anthony stood in front of a whiteboard. "Okay, hear me out." Nobody liked the sound of that. "We spend twenty-four hours living entirely according to fortune cookies." Coy immediately raised a hand. "No." "Why not?" "Because last time you said 'hear me out,' we got kicked out of a pet store." "That happened one time." "It happened twice." Anthony ignored him. Will was already laughing. Meanwhile Hannah sat on the couch pretending to look at her phone. Pretending being the important word. Because Anthony was pacing around the room while talking. And somehow she kept watching him. Not intentionally. Her eyes just kept finding him. Every time. It was becoming a problem. A very embarrassing problem. Across the room, Coy noticed immediately. He didn't say anything. At first. He simply watched. Then he glanced at Will. Will glanced at Hannah. Then Anthony. Then back at Coy. The two exchanged a look. The kind of look that meant trouble. The meeting ended with exactly zero useful ideas. Nobody was surprised. Eventually people spread out around the house. Will disappeared somewhere upstairs. Coy wandered into the kitchen. Anthony flopped dramatically onto the couch beside Hannah. Neither acknowledged how close they were sitting. Which was probably why everyone else noticed immediately. Anthony sighed. "I'm out of ideas." "That's impossible." "What do you mean? "You always have ideas." "They're bad ideas." "They're still ideas." Anthony laughed. "That's actually fair." For a while they just talked. Nothing important. Movies. Music. Funny comments from fans. Random memories from old videos. The kind of conversation that should have felt ordinary. But somehow didn't. Time passed faster when she talked to him. Hannah wasn't sure why. Anthony wasn't sure either. Neither of them realized nearly an hour had passed.Until Coy walked into the room. Stopped.Looked at them. Then immediately backed out. A few seconds later he returned holding Will. "What are you doing?" Anthony asked. Coy pointed dramatically. "This." "What?" "This." Anthony looked confused. Hannah looked confused. Will looked entertained. Coy threw his hands into the air. "You've been sitting here talking for an hour." "So?" "You don't understand." "No, I really don't." Coy looked like he was physically suffering. "They still don't know." Will nodded sympathetically. "They really don't." Anthony stared. Hannah stared. Coy stared back. The silence stretched. Finally Anthony pointed. "You're being weird." "Weird?" Coy practically shouted. "YOU TWO ARE THE WEIRD ONES." Will collapsed onto the couch laughing. Anthony groaned. Hannah wanted the floor to open beneath her. Coy continued. "You spend all your time together." "We're friends." "You text constantly." "We're friends." "You literally look for each other in every room." Anthony froze. Hannah froze. For some reason that one hit differently. Coy immediately noticed. His eyes widened. "Oh my gosh." "What?" Anthony asked nervously. "You didn't deny that one." Nobody spoke. Because honestly? Neither of them had an answer. Later that evening everyone gathered outside to watch the sunset. It wasn't planned. Nobody was filming. Nobody was working. They were just hanging out. The sky glowed orange and gold above the city. The air felt cool. Peaceful. For once, nobody was arguing. Nobody was filming a challenge. Nobody was trying to turn a random idea into content. Everyone simply sat together. Anthony ended up beside Hannah. Again. Not intentionally. At least that's what both of them told themselves. The group talked quietly as the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon. At some point Coy looked around. Then smirked. Then leaned over to Will. "I give them two weeks." Will nodded. "That's generous." Anthony threw a bottle cap at them. Coy laughed. Hannah laughed too. And when Anthony heard her laugh beside him, he smiled without even realizing it. For a brief moment, watching the sunset with everyone around them, everything felt easy. Comfortable. Right..Neither of them noticed the way they kept glancing at each other. But everyone else did. Especially Coy. And if Coy was right—and he hated how often Coy was right—things were about to get a lot more complicated.
Chapter 3: Partner Challenge The trouble started three days later. Which, according to Coy, was three days too late. Everyone was gathered in the living room for another video planning meeting. Anthony stood in front of the whiteboard again. That alone should have worried everyone. "Okay," Anthony announced, "this one is actually a good idea." Immediately, nobody believed him. Will folded his arms. "That's what you said before the fortune cookie idea." Anthony ignored him. "We're doing a partner challenge." The room quieted. That actually sounded reasonable. Anthony continued. "We split into teams of two. Each team gets a list of challenges to complete around the city. Whoever finishes first wins." Coy nodded. "Okay. That's not terrible." Anthony looked offended. "Thank you?" Then he held up a bowl. "Random teams." Coy immediately looked suspicious. "Random?" "Random. "Actually random? "Yes." "You didn't rig it?" Anthony stared. "Why would I rig it?" Coy looked directly at Hannah. Then directly at Anthony. Then back at Hannah. Anthony groaned. "Oh my gosh."."I'm just asking questions." “You are absolutely not." The drawing began. Will and another member of the group got paired first. Coy got paired with someone else. Then Anthony reached into the bowl..He unfolded the final slip..His expression immediately changed. Coy jumped out of his seat. "WHO IS IT?" Anthony looked down. Then up. Then down again. "Hannah." The room exploded. Coy screamed. Actually screamed. Will nearly fell off the couch. Hannah felt her face turn bright red. Anthony looked equally horrified. "Guys, it's random." "No it isn't," Coy said. "It literally is." "No." "It literally is." "No." Anthony pointed at him. "You watched me write the names." "That doesn't mean anything." "What does that even mean?" Coy smiled. "It means destiny." Everyone laughed. Anthony buried his face in his hands. Meanwhile Hannah tried very hard not to smile. And failed. The challenge began the next morning. The first task involved finding a specific mural somewhere downtown. Simple. Or at least it should have been. Anthony somehow led them in the wrong direction. Twice.."Anthony." "Yeah?" "We've passed this coffee shop three times." "No we haven't." "We literally have." Anthony looked around. The exact same barista waved at them through the window. "Oh." Hannah burst out laughing. Anthony laughed too. "Okay, maybe we're a little lost." "A little?" "A medium amount." They ended up stopping for coffee before continuing. Which turned out to be a mistake. Not because of the coffee. Because of the conversation. The challenge faded into the background. Instead they found themselves talking. Really talking. Not just the quick conversations they usually had during filming. Not the jokes and chaos everyone else saw. Actual conversations. The kind that lasted longer. The kind that mattered. Hours seemed to disappear. At one point Hannah glanced at the clock. "We've been sitting here for forty minutes." Anthony looked surprised. "Seriously?" "Seriously." Neither of them seemed particularly eager to leave. Which was dangerous. Because the challenge suddenly felt a lot less important than spending time together. By late afternoon they had completed most of the tasks. The final challenge involved visiting a small park overlooking the river. The moment they arrived, both slowed down. The view was beautiful. The water reflected the evening sunlight. The city skyline glowed in the distance. For once, everything felt quiet. No cameras. No shouting. No Coy. Just the two of them. Anthony sat down on a nearby bench. Hannah joined him. Neither spoke immediately. The silence wasn't awkward. It felt comfortable. Like neither needed to fill it. After a moment Anthony leaned back. "This has been fun." Hannah smiled. "The challenge?" Anthony glanced over. "No." Her heart skipped. Anthony immediately looked away. Apparently realizing how that sounded. The tips of his ears turned red. Which only made Hannah smile more. "You know what I mean." "Maybe." "You definitely know what I mean." She laughed softly. For a moment neither spoke. The sun was beginning to set. Everything around them glowed gold. And for the first time, Anthony found himself wondering something he had spent weeks trying not to think about. What if Coy was right? The thought should have terrified him. Instead, it felt strangely nice. The drive home was quieter. Not uncomfortable. Just thoughtful. Both were stuck in their own heads. Trying not to think about things. Which naturally meant they thought about them even more. When they finally returned to the house, everyone was waiting. Including Coy. Of course. Coy immediately ran forward. "HOW WAS IT?" "It was a challenge." "BORING ANSWER." Anthony sighed. "It was fine." Coy narrowed his eyes. "Fine?"."Fine." "Hannah?" Hannah smiled. "It was fun." Coy gasped dramatically. "Oh my gosh." Anthony groaned "What now?" Coy pointed between them. "You used different answers." "What?" "Anthony said fine." "And?" "You said fun." "And?" Coy looked like he'd just solved a murder mystery. "Progress." Will laughed from the couch. Anthony looked ready to throw something. Unfortunately for him, Coy wasn't finished. Not even close. Because after spending an entire day together, something had definitely changed. Neither Anthony nor Hannah wanted to admit it. But everyone else could see it. Especially Coy. And the more obvious it became, the harder it was getting to pretend nothing was there. Something was changing. Slowly. Quietly. But undeniably. Neither of them knew what would happen next. Only that things were becoming a lot more complicated. And maybe… A lot more exciting.
Chapter 4: Jealousy.
Anthony spent the entire week trying not to think about the partner challenge. This was difficult. Mostly because everyone else refused to let him forget it. The second he walked into the house on Monday morning, Coy looked up from his phone. "How's your wife?" Anthony nearly dropped the coffee he was carrying. "What?" Coy grinned. "Hannah." Anthony pointed at him. "You need a hobby." "I have one." "No you don't." "Yes I do." "What is it?" Coy smiled proudly. "Watching you two fail to realize you're basically dating already." Anthony groaned. From the couch, Will laughed so hard he had to put down his drink. "He's got a point." "He does not." "He kind of does." Anthony decided he hated both of them. A few days later, the group was filming a collaboration video with another creator. Everyone was excited. The set was busy and loud. Cameras were everywhere. People moved back and forth preparing equipment. Anthony arrived early. For once. That alone should have been concerning. He was helping set things up when Hannah walked in. His face immediately brightened. Not that he noticed. Unfortunately, Coy noticed..And Will noticed. And basically everyone else noticed. Hannah waved. Anthony waved back..Coy looked between them. Then sighed dramatically. "This is painful.".Will nodded.."It really is.".Neither Anthony nor Hannah heard them. They were already talking..The filming started smoothly. At first. Then Anthony noticed something. One of the guest creators had spent a lot of time talking to Hannah. Too much time. At least according to Anthony. They laughed together. Talked between takes. Worked on challenges together. Completely normal things. Totally innocent. And yet every time Anthony looked over, he felt annoyed. Which made absolutely no sense. Because Hannah could talk to whoever she wanted. Obviously. So why was it bothering him? He tried ignoring it. That lasted approximately seven minutes. Coy appeared beside him.."Oh.".Anthony sighed. "What?" Coy smirked. "You're jealous." "No." "You absolutely are." "No." "You looked over there six times in thirty seconds." Anthony looked away. Unfortunately, that wasn't helping his case..Coy pointed dramatically. "You like her." "I know." The words slipped out before Anthony could stop them. Silence. Both froze..Coy blinked. Anthony blinked. Then Coy screamed. "I KNEW IT." The entire room turned toward them. Anthony immediately slapped a hand over Coy's mouth. "Stop." Coy looked thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. Anthony had never regretted anything more. Meanwhile, Hannah was having her own problem. Because the guest creator wasn't the only person making her jealous. There was another girl participating in the collaboration. She and Anthony got along immediately. They joked around constantly. Worked together during challenges. Spent half the afternoon laughing. And every time Hannah saw it, something twisted in her stomach. She hated it..Not because Anthony was doing anything wrong. He wasn't. But because the feeling itself told her something she wasn't ready to admit. She cared. Way more than she wanted to. Way more than was probably smart. And that realization was terrifying. That evening the filming finally wrapped up. Everyone was exhausted..The guest creators left. The equipment was packed away. For the first time all day, things felt quiet. Most of the group headed home. Only a few people remained. Including Hannah and Anthony. They found themselves sitting outside on the back steps while everyone else cleaned up. The sky was turning orange as the sun began to set. Neither spoke for a while. Finally Hannah broke the silence. "You seemed distracted today." Anthony laughed nervously. "So did you." "Fair." They smiled. Then looked away. Then smiled again. Neither knew what to say. Neither knew how to explain the things they were feeling. The conversation drifted into easier topics. Funny moments from filming. Future video ideas. Stories from childhood. The usual. But beneath every word, something else lingered. Something neither was brave enough to address. Not yet..Inside the house, Coy stood at the window. Watching. Will walked up beside him. "What are you doing?" "They're sitting together again. Will glanced outside. "Yep." "They've been out there for forty minutes."."Yep." Coy sighed. "I don't understand how they're this oblivious." Will thought about it. "Fear." "What?" "They both care." Coy nodded slowly. That actually made sense. Because sometimes admitting your feelings meant risking something important. And both of them valued their friendship too much to risk losing it. Even if everyone around them could see what was happening. Even if it was becoming impossible to ignore. As the evening grew darker, Anthony and Hannah finally stood to leave. They walked toward the parking lot together. Still talking. Still laughing. Still finding reasons to stay a little longer. Eventually they reached their cars. Neither moved immediately. The conversation slowed. The moment stretched..For a second it felt like one of them might say something. Something important. Something honest. Instead Anthony smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Hannah smiled back. "Yeah." "Good." Neither knew why that one word made them so happy. But it did. And as they drove home that night, both found themselves thinking about the same thing. Maybe their feelings weren't as one-sided as they'd feared. Maybe. Just maybe.There was something there. Something worth taking a chance on. But neither was ready for that conversation yet. Not quite.
Chapter 5: The Almost Confession
By Friday, everyone in the group had reached the same conclusion. Something needed to happen. Not because Anthony and Hannah weren't getting closer. They absolutely were. That was the problem. Weeks had passed. Everyone could see the feelings. Everyone could see the tension..Everyone except the two people involved seemed willing to admit it. Which was becoming incredibly frustrating. At least according to Coy. "They're impossible." Will looked up from his phone. "They're scared." "They're driving me insane." "That too.".Coy sighed dramatically. "I deserve compensation." "You deserve less involvement." "Rude.”.That evening, the group gathered for a movie marathon. The original plan had been simple. Watch one movie. Maybe two. Hang out. Go home. Instead, someone suggested a third movie. Then a fourth. Then Anthony ordered enough snacks to feed an army. By midnight, nobody was making good decisions anymore. The living room was lit only by the television. Empty snack bags covered the coffee table. Everyone looked exhausted. Coy was stretched across one couch..Will was half asleep in an armchair.Someone was using Shirley as emotional support. The movie continued playing. Nobody was really paying attention anymore. Especially Hannah. Because at some point during the night, Anthony had sat beside her. Not unusual. It happened all the time. Except tonight felt different. Maybe because the room was quieter. Maybe because everyone was tired. Maybe because she was becoming increasingly aware of how close they were sitting. Whatever the reason, it was making concentration impossible. Around one in the morning, the movie ended. Nobody moved. The credits rolled. The room remained silent..Then Coy suddenly stood up. "I'm going home." Everyone stared. "You drove here." "Correct." "You've been asleep for an hour." "Also correct." Will laughed. Coy pointed dramatically toward Anthony and Hannah. Then toward the front door. Then toward Anthony and Hannah again. Nobody knew what he was trying to communicate. Not even Coy. But he seemed satisfied anyway. A few minutes later he left. Soon after, everyone else started heading out as well. One by one. Until eventually only Anthony and Hannah remained. The house felt strangely quiet. For the first time all day, there were no interruptions. No jokes. No chaos. No Coy. Just the two of them. And somehow that made everything feel more complicated. Anthony stretched. "Well." "Well." Neither moved. Anthony laughed. "We should probably clean this up." "Probably." Neither moved again. That made both of them laugh. Eventually they started gathering empty cups and snack wrappers. The work gave them something to focus on. Something other than how nervous they suddenly felt. Unfortunately, it didn't help much. Because every time they reached for the same thing, their hands brushed. Every time one made a joke, the other smiled. Every time the conversation slowed, neither wanted it to end. After cleaning up, they ended up back on the couch. Because apparently neither wanted to leave. Though neither would admit it. Outside, rain tapped softly against the windows. The house felt warm. Comfortable. Safe. Anthony leaned back. Hannah curled up at the opposite end of the couch. For a while they talked about everything. Favorite memories. Old videos. Embarrassing childhood stories. Future goals. Dream projects. The kinds of conversations people only had late at night. The kinds that somehow felt more honest. At some point Hannah looked over. Anthony was already looking at her. Neither looked away. The moment stretched. Longer than usual. Long enough for both of them to notice. Long enough for both of them to feel it. The room suddenly seemed very quiet. Anthony's heart was racing. So was Hannah's. He should say something. He wanted to say something. The words sat right there. Just waiting. All he had to do was speak. "Hannah...".
Her breath caught. "Yeah?" Anthony opened his mouth. Then stopped. Because suddenly every possible outcome rushed through his head. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if things became awkward? What if he ruined everything? The friendship mattered too much. She mattered too much. And fear won. Again. Instead he smiled nervously. "Nothing." For a split second, disappointment flickered across Hannah's face. Small. Almost impossible to notice. But it was there. And Anthony immediately hated himself for backing out. The conversation continued. But something had changed. Not in a bad way. If anything, things felt even more obvious now. Because both of them knew. Maybe not exactly. Maybe not completely. But enough. Enough to understand that something important was sitting between them. Something neither was ready to name. Not yet. Eventually it was nearly three in the morning. Hannah stood. "I should probably head home." "Yeah.".Anthony stood too. Neither seemed happy about it. They walked toward the door together. The rain had slowed outside. The night felt quiet. Peaceful. When they reached the porch, both hesitated. Neither seemed eager to say goodbye. Anthony laughed softly. "This is ridiculous." "What is?" "We spent the entire day together." "And?" "And somehow I still feel like it wasn't enough." The words slipped out before he could stop them. Silence. Immediate silence. Anthony froze. Hannah froze. Neither spoke. Then slowly, Hannah smiled. A genuine smile. The kind that made Anthony forget how to breathe. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I know what you mean." For a second neither looked away. Neither wanted to. The moment felt important. Like something neither would forget. Eventually Hannah stepped toward her car. "I'll see you tomorrow." Anthony smiled. "Definitely." She drove away. Anthony remained standing on the porch long after her taillights disappeared. Because for the first time, he wasn't wondering if he liked Hannah. He knew. The real question now was whether he was brave enough to tell her. And that was a lot scarier.
Chapter 6: The First Date (That Isn't Officially a Date)
The problem started with a text message. Which, in Anthony's defense, seemed completely innocent at the time. Anthony: There's a street festival downtown this weekend A few minutes later: Anthony: Looks fun. Then: Anthony: You should come. Anthony stared at the message. Then immediately panicked. Because suddenly it sounded like he was asking Hannah out. Which— Okay. Maybe he was. Sort of. Possibly. Before he could overthink it any further, his phone buzzed. Hannah: That sounds fun. A second message appeared. Hannah: What time? Anthony smiled before he could stop himself. The next day, Coy somehow found out. Nobody knew how. Nobody ever knew how. One moment Anthony was quietly drinking coffee. The next moment Coy burst into the room. "YOU ASKED HER OUT." Anthony nearly inhaled his drink. "I did not." "You absolutely did." "I absolutely didn't." Coy pointed dramatically. "You invited her somewhere." "As a friend." "Sure." Anthony frowned. "What does that mean?" "It means nobody believes you." Will walked into the kitchen. "What happened?" "Anthony asked Hannah on a date." Anthony pointed at Coy. "Stop saying that." Will thought for a moment. Then nodded."Sounds like a date." Anthony groaned. By Saturday morning, Anthony had somehow become more nervous than he'd ever been before filming. Which made no sense. He had performed in front of thousands of people. He had approached strangers. He had organized ridiculous challenges. So why was meeting Hannah making him nervous? The answer was obvious. And he didn't want to think about it. The festival was crowded. Music drifted through the streets. Food vendors lined the sidewalks. Colorful lights hung above the crowds. Anthony arrived first. Which never happened. Ever. Normally he was late to everything. Today he arrived fifteen minutes early. Coy would never let him live this down. A few minutes later, Hannah appeared. And suddenly Anthony forgot whatever thought he'd been having. She smiled when she spotted him. His heart immediately forgot how to function. "Hey." "Hey." For a moment both just stood there smiling. Neither seemed capable of forming complete sentences. Then Hannah laughed. "You're early." Anthony looked offended. "I can be early." "No."."That's fair." Both laughed. And instantly the nervousness faded. Just a little. The afternoon turned out surprisingly perfect. Not because everything went according to plan. Nothing ever did. Especially with Anthony involved. They got lost twice. Anthony accidentally bought lemonade that was mostly ice. A seagull stole part of his lunch. Neither stopped laughing for nearly ten minutes afterward. Somehow every small disaster only made the day better. Hours passed quickly. Too quickly. One moment they were arriving. The next they were wandering through rows of festival lights as evening approached. The sky slowly darkened above them. Everything glowed gold and orange. For a while neither spoke. The comfortable kind of silence settled between them. The kind that only happened when being around someone felt easy. Anthony glanced over. Hannah was smiling. "What?" she asked. "You've asked me that before." "Because you keep looking at me."Anthony immediately looked away. Hannah laughed. And somehow that made things worse. Or better. He honestly couldn't tell anymore. Back at the house, Coy was pacing. Will sat on the couch watching. "You need to relax." "I can't." "They're fine." "I know." "Then why are you pacing?" Coy pointed dramatically. "Because they're on a date." Will sighed. "It's not officially a date." Coy looked horrified. "It is spiritually a date." "What does that even mean?" "I don't know." "But it's true.” As the festival came to an end, Anthony and Hannah found themselves walking toward the parking lot. Neither seemed particularly eager to leave. The conversation slowed. The night felt calm. For once, nobody else was around. No cameras. No audience. Just them. Anthony shoved his hands into his pockets. "I had fun today." Hannah smiled. "Me too." The smile lingered. So did the silence. For a second it felt like one of them might say something important. Something that would change everything. Instead Hannah laughed softly. "You know everyone's going to think this was a date." Anthony groaned. "They already do." "Coy?" "Coy." She nodded knowingly. "That checks out." Anthony smiled. Then looked at her. Really looked at her. The lights reflected softly in her eyes. And for one terrifying second he almost said it. Almost told her everything. Instead he took a breath. Soon. Not tonight. But soon. Because every day it became harder to pretend. And every day he became a little more certain. He was completely, hopelessly falling for her. And judging by the way Hannah looked at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention… Maybe she was falling too.
7: The Misunderstanding
For a few days after the festival, everything felt different. Not dramatically. Not officially. But different enough that both Hannah and Anthony noticed. They texted more. Talked longer. Found excuses to spend time together. Even simple things felt special now. A coffee run became an hour-long conversation. A planning meeting turned into sitting together and laughing at inside jokes. A quick text somehow became a late-night conversation. Neither wanted to admit how much they looked forward to those moments. But they did. And everyone else noticed. Especially Coy. Unfortunately, that was where the problem began. It happened during a filming day. The group had gathered early. Equipment covered every available surface. People moved around preparing cameras. The usual chaos. Hannah had stepped away to grab something from another room when she heard voices from the hallway. Anthony was talking to Will. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop. Honestly. But then she heard her name. And stopped. Just for a second. "Have you told her yet?" Will asked. Anthony sighed. "No." "Why not?" There was a pause. A long one. Then Anthony answered. "Because if she doesn't feel the same way, everything changes." Hannah's heart skipped. For one hopeful moment she thought— Then Anthony continued. "And maybe it's better if I move on." The words hit like a punch. Move on? The excitement she'd felt instantly disappeared. Hannah stepped back before either of them noticed she was there. Her stomach twisted. Because suddenly another possibility appeared. Maybe Anthony didn't feel the same way anymore. Maybe he liked someone else. Maybe she had imagined everything. All the smiles. All the moments. All the signs. Maybe she'd just wanted them to mean something. Meanwhile, Anthony had no idea what had happened. He spent the rest of the day wondering why Hannah seemed distant. Not rude. Not angry. Just… Different. Every conversation felt shorter. Every smile seemed smaller. Every time he approached, she seemed distracted. By evening he was completely confused. Coy noticed immediately. "Something's wrong." Anthony frowned. "What?" "Hannah." "What about her?" Coy looked around dramatically. Then lowered his voice. "She keeps avoiding you." Anthony stared. That couldn't be right. Could it? Unfortunately, once Coy pointed it out, he couldn't stop noticing. And the more he noticed, the worse he felt. The next few days were strange. For the first time in weeks, they weren't spending as much time together. Not because they were fighting. They weren't. Not really. Neither knew there was even a problem. But somehow a distance had appeared. A small one. Still. It hurt. Anthony hated it. Hannah hated it too. Neither knew how to fix it. By Thursday, Coy had reached his breaking point. "I can't take this anymore." Will didn't even look up. "What's wrong now?" "They were making progress." "Okay." "And now they're sad." "Also okay." "No, it's not okay." Will finally looked up. Coy pointed dramatically across the room. Anthony sat at one end of the couch. Hannah sat at the other. Normally they would have been talking. Laughing. Sitting together. Instead there was empty space between them. The sight was almost disturbing. Will frowned. "Okay." "Right?" "Something definitely happened." Coy nodded. "We investigate." "We are absolutely not investigating." "We investigate." The investigation lasted approximately ten minutes. Mostly because Coy had the subtlety of a fireworks display. He walked directly up to Hannah. "What happened?" Hannah blinked. "What?" "You and Anthony." "Nothing happened." Coy narrowed his eyes. Then immediately walked over to Anthony. "What happened?" Anthony looked equally confused. "I don't know." Coy stared. Then stared some more. Then walked away. Will raised an eyebrow. "Well?" "They're idiots." "That's what I thought." That evening, Hannah found herself sitting alone outside. The sun was beginning to set. The air felt cool. Quiet. She stared out toward the horizon. Trying not to think. Failing miserably. Footsteps approached. She already knew who it was. Anthony sat beside her. For a moment neither spoke. The silence felt heavier than usual. Finally Anthony broke it. "Did I do something?" The question caught her off guard. "What?" "You've been acting different." Hannah looked away. Anthony's voice softened. "If I upset you, I'd rather know." For a second she almost told him everything. The hallway. The conversation. The words she'd overheard. Instead she asked the question that had been bothering her all week. "Do you like someone else?" Anthony froze. Completely froze. "What?" Hannah immediately regretted asking. But it was too late now. The question hung between them. Anthony stared at her. Then realization slowly appeared on his face. "What do you think you heard?" The answer wasn't defensive. Or angry. It sounded genuinely confused. Which somehow made Hannah feel even more nervous. Because maybe— Maybe she'd misunderstood something. And if she had… Then this conversation was about to become a lot more complicated.
Chapter 8: The Truth
For a moment, neither of them moved. The evening air felt cool around them. The sunset painted the sky in shades of orange and gold. Normally Hannah loved moments like this. Right now, she wanted to disappear. Anthony was still staring at her. Not upset. Just confused. "What do you mean?" he asked gently. Hannah looked down at her hands. A part of her wanted to change the subject. Pretend she hadn't said anything. But she'd already come this far. So she took a breath. "A few days ago, I overheard you talking to Will." Anthony's eyebrows lifted. "Oh." "You said if she didn't feel the same way, everything would change." Anthony immediately understood. "You heard that part." Hannah nodded. "And then you said maybe you should move on." The words sounded just as painful now as they had that day. Anthony stared for a second. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed. Not in a mean way. Not because he thought it was funny. More like someone realizing how badly a situation had gone wrong. "Oh no." Hannah frowned. "What?" "Oh no." "Anthony." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Hannah, you missed the rest of the conversation." Her stomach flipped. "What?" Anthony looked at her. Really looked at her. And suddenly she wasn't sure she was ready for whatever he was about to say. "The person I was talking about..." He stopped. Then smiled nervously. "Was you." Silence. Complete silence. Hannah stared. Anthony stared back. Neither moved. Neither spoke. For a second Hannah wondered if she'd heard him correctly. Then her brain caught up. And everything stopped. The noise from the street. The wind. The world. It all seemed very far away. "You..." Anthony nodded. "Yeah." Her heart was racing so fast she thought it might explode. "You were talking about me?" "I've been talking about you for months." A nervous laugh escaped him. "I just usually don't realize I'm doing it until Coy points it out." That actually made Hannah laugh. And somehow the tension broke. Just enough. Anthony leaned back against the bench. "I didn't know you overheard that." "I wasn't trying to." "I know." Another quiet moment passed. This one felt different. Lighter. The misunderstanding that had hung between them all week was finally gone. And now neither had anything left to hide behind. Which was somehow even scarier. Anthony swallowed. "Hannah?" "Yeah?" His heart was pounding. This was it. The moment he'd spent weeks avoiding. Months, if he was being honest. And suddenly he realized something. No matter how terrified he was, not saying anything was worse. Because he was tired of wondering. Tired of pretending. Tired of backing out every time he got close. So before he could lose his nerve, he spoke. "I like you." The words hung in the air. Simple. Honest. Terrifying. Anthony immediately wanted to throw himself into the ocean. Anywhere but here. Instead he sat frozen. Waiting. Hoping. Panicking. All at the same time. Hannah couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not because she hadn't hoped for it. She had. More than she wanted to admit. But hearing the words out loud felt different. Real. And suddenly every moment from the past few months rushed through her mind. The bookshelf.The partner challenge. The festival. The late-night conversations. The way he always made her laugh. The way she looked for him whenever she entered a room. The way she missed him when he wasn't there. The answer had been obvious for a long time. She'd just been too scared to say it. A smile slowly appeared. "I like you too." Anthony blinked. "What?" Hannah laughed. "I said I like you too." "You do?" The disbelief in his voice was so genuine that she laughed harder. "Anthony." "Sorry." He was smiling now. A huge, ridiculous smile. The kind that made her smile too. Neither could stop. Inside the house, Coy happened to glance out the window. His eyes widened immediately. "Oh my gosh." Will didn't even look up. "What now?" "They're talking." "Okay." "No." Coy pointed dramatically. "THEY'RE talking." Will finally looked outside. A slow smile appeared. "Oh." "Right?" "Definitely." Coy immediately grabbed his phone. "What are you doing?" "Preparing a celebration." "You don't even know what happened." "I know enough." Outside, neither Hannah nor Anthony noticed any of that. They were too busy laughing. Too busy finally being honest. Too busy enjoying the fact that neither had to wonder anymore. Eventually the conversation slowed. The comfortable silence returned. But now it felt different. Because now they both knew. Anthony glanced over. Hannah was already looking at him. For a moment neither looked away. The distance between them suddenly seemed very small. Very noticeable. Anthony's heart sped up. So did Hannah's. And for one brief second, it felt like something might happen. Then a loud crash came from inside the house. Followed by Coy yelling, "I'M SO HAPPY.”
Both immediately burst out laughing. The moment shattered. But neither minded. Because for the first time, there would be another chance. And another after that. The important part was already done. They knew. Finally. After months of uncertainty, months of almost-confessions and missed opportunities, the truth was out. And somehow, everything felt lighter. Better. Like the beginning of something wonderful.
Chapter 9: The First Kiss
The problem with finally admitting your feelings was that life didn't magically become less awkward afterward. If anything, it became more awkward. At least for Anthony and Hannah. Because now they knew. And that changed everything. And nothing. They still spent time together. Still joked around. Still filmed videos. Still hung out with the group. But now every smile felt different. Every glance lasted a little longer. Every moment carried the knowledge that neither of them had before. The knowledge that they liked each other. A lot. And neither really knew what to do with that information. The next morning, Anthony arrived at the house feeling strangely nervous. Which made absolutely no sense. He'd confessed. Hannah liked him back. That was good. Great, actually. So why was he nervous? Before he could figure it out, the front door opened. Hannah walked in. Immediately their eyes met. Both smiled. Then both looked away. Then both smiled again. Coy, who was watching from the kitchen, dropped his spoon. "Oh, this is unbearable." Will looked up. "What happened now?" "They're smiling." Will blinked. "They've always smiled." "No." Coy pointed dramatically. "It's different now." Will glanced over. Anthony and Hannah were standing awkwardly in the entryway trying to decide whether to hug. Neither committed. Both backed out. Then both laughed nervously. Will sighed. "Oh." "RIGHT?" The next few days were surprisingly nice. Without the uncertainty hanging over them, everything felt easier. The conversations came naturally. The laughter felt effortless. And for the first time in months, neither had to wonder how the other felt. Still, there was one thing neither had talked about. The obvious thing. The thing both were thinking about. But neither wanted to bring up first. Their relationship. Or whatever this was. Because once they talked about it, it became real. And real was scary. Three days later, the group was filming a challenge downtown. Everything was going smoothly. Which should have been a warning sign. Because things never went smoothly. Especially when Coy was involved. The challenge itself was simple. Teams would complete tasks around the city. The catch was that teammates had to remain attached by a long ribbon tied around their wrists. Coy thought this was hilarious. Anthony suspected Coy had invented the challenge specifically for him and Hannah. Coy denied this. Nobody believed him. The day quickly descended into chaos. Anthony and Hannah got tangled in the ribbon. Twice. Anthony accidentally walked into a sign. Once. Coy intentionally walked into a sign. Twice. Nobody knew why. At one point Will laughed so hard he couldn't continue filming. The entire day felt ridiculous. And somehow perfect. By evening, most of the challenges were finished. The sun was beginning to set. Golden light filled the streets. The group took a break near a small overlook above the river. Everyone scattered. Some grabbed food. Others checked equipment. For the first time all day, Anthony and Hannah found themselves alone. Still connected by the ribbon. Neither had bothered removing it yet. Anthony looked down. "We should probably untie this." "Probably." Neither moved. Anthony laughed. Hannah laughed too. The moment felt strangely familiar. Like all the other moments they'd shared over the past few months. Only now there was no uncertainty. No misunderstanding. No fear about whether the feelings were mutual. Just them. The evening breeze stirred gently around them. The river reflected the colors of the sunset. Everything seemed quieter somehow.
Anthony looked over. Hannah was already looking at him. Neither looked away. For a moment the world felt very small. Very simple. Just the two of them. Anthony's heart raced. He could tell Hannah was nervous too. But she wasn't pulling away. Neither was he. Slowly, carefully, Anthony stepped closer. The ribbon between them loosened. The distance disappeared. Hannah's breath caught. So did his. Then— A loud voice echoed across the overlook. "IT'S HAPPENING!" Both jumped. Anthony nearly fell backward. Hannah burst out laughing. Across the park, Coy was standing on a bench. Pointing dramatically. Will had his face buried in his hands. "Coy!" Anthony shouted. "What?" "You scared us!" Coy gasped. "You were about to kiss!" The entire group turned. Anthony wanted to launch himself into the river. Hannah was laughing too hard to stand. Will walked over and grabbed Coy by the shoulders. "You need to stop." "I physically cannot." A little while later, after everyone had calmed down, the group started packing up equipment. The sun had nearly disappeared below the horizon. The sky glowed deep orange and purple. For a brief moment, Anthony found himself alone with Hannah again. This time there were no interruptions. No yelling. No dramatic announcements. No Coy. Just silence. Comfortable silence. Anthony smiled. "We're never going to hear the end of this." "Nope." "Coy's going to make it his entire personality." "Definitely." They laughed. Then the laughter faded. The moment stretched. Neither looked away. Slowly, carefully, Anthony reached for Hannah's hand. She squeezed it gently
And this time, neither let go. The sunset reflected in the water behind them. The world seemed to pause. Just for a second. Then Anthony leaned forward. Hannah met him halfway. And finally— After months of friendship. Months of almost-confessions. Months of wondering. They kissed. It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't perfect. It was better. It felt real. When they finally pulled apart, both were smiling. Neither could stop. "Wow," Anthony said quietly. "Yeah." "That was..." "I know." Neither could think of a better word. Because honestly? There wasn't one. Unfortunately, Coy appeared thirty seconds later.
One look at their faces and he immediately knew. His scream could probably be heard from another state. "I KNEW IT!" Will groaned. Anthony laughed. Hannah laughed too. And for the first time in a very long time, everything felt exactly right.
Chapter 10: Officially Together
The morning after their first kiss felt strangely normal. Which was unexpected. Anthony had assumed he'd wake up feeling completely different. Like the world had changed overnight.
Instead, the biggest difference was that he couldn't stop smiling. Unfortunately, everyone noticed. Especially Coy. The moment Anthony walked into the house, Coy narrowed his eyes. Then he gasped dramatically. Then he pointed.
"Oh my gosh." Anthony froze. "What?" "You have the smile." Anthony immediately knew he was in trouble. "What smile?" "The smile." "That doesn't explain anything." Will walked into the room carrying a drink. He looked at Anthony once. Then nodded. "He definitely has the smile." Anthony groaned. "I hate both of you." Coy smiled. "No you don't." Unfortunately, Coy was right. A few minutes later, Hannah arrived. The second she walked through the door, Coy screamed. Again. At this point, nobody even reacted. They were used to it. "What now?" Hannah asked. Coy pointed dramatically between her and Anthony. "You both have it." "Have what?" "The smile." Will nodded."The smile."
Neither Anthony nor Hannah had any idea what that meant. But judging by the look on Coy's face, it probably wasn't good. The truth came out about twenty minutes later. Not because Anthony or Hannah planned on telling anyone. They hadn't. They simply weren't very good at hiding it. At one point Hannah sat beside Anthony on the couch. Coy noticed. Then Anthony reached for her hand without thinking. Coy noticed that too. Then Hannah smiled at him. And that was apparently the final piece of evidence. Coy jumped onto the coffee table. "I KNEW IT." Everyone looked up. Anthony immediately regretted existing. "What are you doing?" "I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT." "No." "YES." "Coy." "YOU'RE DATING." The room fell silent. Then everyone started talking at once. Somebody cheered. Someone else started clapping. Will looked completely unsurprised. Anthony buried his face in his hands. Hannah laughed so hard she nearly fell off the couch. The next several days were chaos. Not because anything bad happened. Because everyone suddenly became invested in their relationship. Very invested. Too invested. Coy treated the situation like the season finale of a television show. Every time Anthony and Hannah entered a room together, he applauded. Every time they sat beside each other, he looked emotional. At one point he actually pretended to wipe away tears. "You guys are ridiculous." Coy pointed dramatically. "And yet you're happy." Anthony had no comeback. Despite all the teasing, things were good. Really good. For the first time, neither had to overthink every interaction. Neither had to wonder. Neither had to guess. Everything felt easier. They spent more time together. Went on actual dates. Talked for hours. Sometimes they didn't even do anything exciting. Just sat together. Watched movies. Walked around the city. Shared quiet moments. And somehow those became their favorites. Because being together was enough. One evening, a few weeks later, the group gathered at the house. No filming. No planning. Just hanging out. The sun was setting outside. Music played quietly in the background. Everyone seemed relaxed. Anthony sat on the couch. Hannah beside him. Her head resting lightly against his shoulder. The room felt warm. Comfortable. Peaceful. Coy stared at them from across the room. Anthony immediately became suspicious. "What?" Coy sighed. "I'm just proud." Anthony groaned. Will laughed. "I never thought we'd actually get here." "What does that mean?" Hannah asked. Will looked genuinely surprised. "You know they had a betting pool, right?" Silence. Anthony slowly turned toward Coy. "You had a what?" Coy looked nervous for the first time in his life. "A very small betting pool." "A WHAT?"
"It was mostly for fun." Anthony couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hannah was laughing too hard to help. Will looked completely unashamed.
"It wasn't even close." "What wasn't?" "The winner." Anthony frowned. Will pointed at Coy.
"He guessed you'd start dating first." Coy stood proudly. "I know people." "You are unbelievable."
"Thank you." "That wasn't a compliment." "It was to me." As the night continued, the group drifted outside. The sky was dark now. Stars scattered across the horizon. Everyone sat together talking. Laughing. Telling stories. The kind of night nobody wanted to end. At one point Anthony glanced around. At Will laughing. At Coy somehow arguing with three people at once. At the rest of their friends. Then at Hannah beside him. And suddenly he felt grateful. For all of it. The friendship. The memories. The chaos. Every ridiculous moment that had led here. Because none of it had happened the way he'd expected. And somehow that made it better. Hannah noticed him smiling. "What?" Anthony laughed softly. "You ask me that a lot." "You look thoughtful." "I am." "About? Anthony looked around. Then back at her. "How lucky I am." For a moment Hannah just stared. Then she smiled. The same smile that had completely ruined his ability to think months ago. And honestly? It still worked. Across the yard, Coy noticed. Of course he did. He nudged Will. "They're doing the thing again." "What thing?" "The staring." Will looked over. Then sighed. "Yeah." "They're never beating the allegations." "What allegations?" "I don't know." "But they're guilty." Will laughed. And for once, everyone else joined in. Because after months of near-confessions, misunderstandings, jealousy, and encouragement from extremely nosy friends, Anthony and Hannah had finally figured it out. And honestly? It was about time.
The End😁