The mood in the house was unusually light after the previous night's dinner fiasco. The smell of burnt stew had finally dissipated, and everyone seemed to be in a better mood. Kaelan stood in the living room, surveying the scene. Tonight was supposed to be different—no cooking disasters, no near-death experiences involving food. Just a simple, friendly game night.
At least, that was the plan.
"Alright, everyone," Kaelan called out, clapping his hands to get their attention. "We're playing a game tonight, and no one is leaving until we've had some good, clean fun."
Ethan, lounging on the couch, smirked. "Good, clean fun? In this house? You're dreaming, Kaelan."
Inas, sprawled out next to him, twirled a strand of her long silver hair around her finger. "What game are we playing? If it's charades, I'm calling it now—I'm unbeatable."
Damien, sitting in the shadowy corner of the room, scoffed. "Charades? Really? How about we play something that doesn't involve embarrassing ourselves in front of everyone?"
Seraphina, perched gracefully on the armchair, smiled. "I'm with Damien. Let's not make a spectacle. Perhaps a trivia game?"
Lucifer, of course, was having none of it. "Trivia? Charades? No, no, no. I vote for truth or dare. What's the point of game night if we're not risking our dignity?" He flashed a devilish grin, his fiery eyes practically daring someone to challenge him.
Kaelan sighed, knowing full well that once Lucifer set his mind on something, it was impossible to change it. "Fine. Truth or dare. But no dark magic, no tricks, and absolutely no summoning any infernal beings to spice things up."
Lucifer looked wounded. "Where's the fun in that?"
"You'll survive," Kaelan replied, handing a deck of cards to Seraphina. "You start. Let's keep it... mostly harmless."
Seraphina raised an elegant brow and shuffled the cards. "Let's see who's brave tonight."
---
Round One: The Truth Begins
Seraphina drew the first card. She scanned the room, eyes flickering between Kaelan and Ethan before settling on Damien. "Truth or dare, Damien?"
Damien leaned back, arms crossed, his crimson eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Truth. I'm not falling for your tricks."
Seraphina's smile grew mischievous. "Alright, tell us… is there anyone in this house you'd want to spend eternity with?"
The room fell silent, all eyes on the vampire. Damien's stoic expression faltered for just a second, but it was enough for Kaelan to notice. Damien, flustered? That was a first.
Damien cleared his throat, eyes darting around before landing squarely on Inas, who was grinning like a cat. "Not a chance," he finally said, avoiding the question.
Lucifer snickered from the other side of the room. "Weak answer. Come on, Nightshade, give us something juicy."
"Maybe next round," Damien shot back, his tone cool but his posture stiff.
---
Round Two: The Dares Escalate
Next up was Inas, who wasted no time. "Lucifer, truth or dare?"
Lucifer's grin widened. "Dare, obviously. Hit me with your best shot."
Inas didn't hesitate. "I dare you to go an entire round without making any sarcastic comments or flirting with anyone."
The room erupted in laughter, even Damien cracked a smile.
Lucifer, looking scandalized, threw his hands up in surrender. "You've doomed me, Moonsinger. Fine. I'll accept your impossible challenge."
Kaelan chuckled, shaking his head. "This is going to be interesting."
---
Round Three: Secrets Revealed
As the game wore on, the truths became more revealing, and the dares more daring. Lucifer struggled through his challenge, biting his tongue more than once as the room poked fun at him. But it was when the spotlight landed on Kaelan that things took an unexpected turn.
"Kaelan, truth or dare?" Ethan asked, leaning forward, his blue eyes locked on Kaelan's. The playful edge to his voice sent a shiver down Kaelan's spine.
Kaelan considered the question carefully. He knew that if he chose dare, Ethan wouldn't let him off easy. But truth… that could be dangerous, too.
"Truth," Kaelan finally said, bracing himself for whatever was coming.
Ethan's smile softened, but there was a glint in his eye that made Kaelan nervous. "Alright, tell us... if you had to choose one person in this house to be with, who would it be?"
Kaelan felt the room grow still. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, he regretted choosing truth. He glanced around, his eyes landing on each of his housemates in turn. Seraphina looked curious, Inas was grinning, Lucifer seemed thoroughly entertained, and Damien... Damien was unreadable.
But it was Ethan who held Kaelan's gaze. Those deep blue eyes were serious now, and Kaelan couldn't look away.
"That's a loaded question," Kaelan muttered, trying to stall. But he knew the rules. No dodging the question.
After a long pause, Kaelan took a deep breath. "If I had to choose... it would be Ethan."
The room collectively exhaled, and Kaelan saw a flicker of something—surprise? Relief?—in Ethan's expression before the usual smirk returned.
"Good choice," Ethan said, his tone light, but there was a warmth in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
---
Round Four: The Aftermath
The game continued for a while longer, but the energy had shifted. There were still laughs and playful jabs, but underneath it all, Kaelan could feel something different between him and Ethan. Something unspoken but undeniable.
As the night wound down and the group dispersed, Kaelan found himself standing outside on the balcony, staring up at the stars. The cool night air helped clear his mind, but he couldn't shake the feeling of Ethan's eyes on him during that last round.
"You meant what you said, didn't you?"
Kaelan turned to find Ethan standing behind him, his expression unreadable.
"About what?" Kaelan asked, though he knew exactly what Ethan meant.
Ethan stepped closer, his deep blue eyes searching Kaelan's face. "About me. About choosing me."
Kaelan's heart raced, but he forced himself to meet Ethan's gaze. "Yeah. I meant it."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Ethan smiled—a real smile, not the teasing one Kaelan was used to.
"Good," Ethan said softly. "Because I would've chosen you, too."
Kaelan felt a warmth spread through his chest, a feeling he hadn't allowed himself to acknowledge until now. Maybe this house, chaotic as it was, had brought them together for a reason.
And maybe, just maybe, this was only the beginning.