Friday Night Comforts - Jay

Morgan's house always smelled like cinnamon, that warm, comforting scent that wrapped itself around you the moment you stepped through the door. It was the kind of fragrance that seemed to hug you, settle into your skin, and make you feel like you were in a safe space. The kind of scent that could make any bad day feel a little better. As soon as I kicked off my sneakers by the door and added them to the growing pile of footwear, I immediately felt the shift from the outside world to this place of comfort. The pile was a familiar sight—Alex's scuffed sneakers, Eli's spotless trainers that looked like they'd never seen dirt, and Tara's boots still flecked with mud from whatever outdoor adventure she'd been on before coming over.

"Jay, you're late!" Alex's voice boomed from the living room, followed by a cackle that could only belong to Tara. It was loud enough that it made me smile, despite the nerves bubbling up inside me. The teasing was part of the charm of hanging out with these guys.

"I'm not late!" I called back, shrugging off my jacket and hanging it on the coat rack.

"Late and a liar," Alex shot back as I stepped into the room, his grin wide and playful, his voice dripping with mock indignation.

The living room was classic Morgan—softly lit by mismatched lamps that made the place feel cozy and lived-in, the couch, as always, was piled high with blankets in every shade and texture, the perfect place to curl up and forget about the world. The coffee table was a chaos of bowls filled with popcorn, candy, and whatever snacks she could find in the kitchen, all waiting for us to dive into the usual movie marathon. Morgan was settled cross-legged in the armchair by the fireplace, their fur catching the golden glow of the nearby lamp, their posture relaxed but somehow always poised. Tara was sprawled out on the couch, her wings draped over the armrest, taking up more space than the average person could ever hope to. Alex had claimed the floor, leaning against the couch with his usual smug grin, as if he owned the place and was content with the world.

It was always nice coming over to Morgan's. Their parents were out most weekends on 'date night,' leaving the house to us, and it felt like we had the run of the place. The open-plan living room and dining area meant there was plenty of space for everyone to spread out, yet still be close enough for spontaneous conversations and laughs. The best part? No adults hovering over us, just the freedom to do whatever we wanted.

Eli was perched on the sofa armrest, his tail flicking lazily as he scrolled through his phone. Normally, Eli's calm, collected demeanour was unshakeable, but today there was something different about him. He wore a small, secretive smile, the kind you get when you're holding on to something that no one else knows yet. Something interesting. Something worth hiding.

"What's got you looking like the cat that caught the canary?" Tara teased, nudging him with her foot, her wings flapping slightly as she shifted to get a better look at him.

Eli set his phone down with a small chuckle, looking more pleased with himself than I'd ever seen him. "Something happened in art class today," he said, a bit of a blush colouring his golden fur.

"Oh, do tell," Alex said, leaning forward like a tiger ready to pounce, the drama in his voice as loud as his ever-present energy. For a straight guy, he was always way too invested in everyone else's romantic life, always eager to dig for gossip.

"There's this guy," Eli began, his cheeks flushing slightly, though his smile didn't falter. "He's new to the class, and we were working on portraits. He asked if he could draw me, then after class, he asked me out."

The room erupted.

Tara whooped loudly, her excitement echoing off the walls, while Morgan clapped their hands together in a pleased gesture, a knowing smile on their face. Alex practically leaped to his feet. "Finally! Eli's got a boyfriend!" he exclaimed, as if this was the most exciting thing to happen in years.

"It's just a date," Eli said, but the way his tail swished betrayed him, the subtle twitch betraying the nerves—or excitement—he was trying to hide.

"That's how it starts," Alex said with a wink, leaning in like he was giving sage advice to a friend. "Next thing you know, you're picking out matching outfits and planning a wedding."

Eli rolled his eyes but didn't stop smiling, clearly trying to maintain some semblance of composure. It wasn't hard to see he was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, but there was a light in his eyes that couldn't be ignored.

The excitement eventually shifted, and Alex's sharp gaze landed on me, his grin turning mischievous. "Speaking of potential love interests..."

I groaned, already knowing where this was going. "No. Don't even start." I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, already embarrassed by whatever Alex was about to say.

"Oh, we're starting," Tara said, sitting up with a grin that was too knowing. "You and Sam, huh?"

"There is no me and Sam," I said quickly, grabbing a handful of popcorn to stuff into my mouth, hoping it would distract them from my increasingly panicked expression.

Morgan raised an eyebrow from their spot in the chair. "But you are hanging out again?" they asked, their voice calm but curious, cutting through the banter with a simple observation.

"Yeah," I admitted, setting the popcorn down on the coffee table and trying to look casual. "On Sunday. Just playing Mario Kart. That's it."

"Uh-huh," Alex said, leaning back with a dramatic sigh. "Just Mario Kart. Totally normal. Not like he invited you to his house again. This is guy talk for Netflix and chill, I'm telling you."

"Maybe he just likes hanging out with Jay," Morgan said evenly, their voice cutting through Alex's theatrics like a calm wave over a storm. "Not everything has to mean something."

"Or maybe he's trying to figure something out," Alex countered, gesturing wildly as if he were giving an impassioned speech. "Bromance could become a romance??" He grinned, clearly enjoying himself far too much.

I felt my face heat up, "Can we not do this? Sam and I are just friends."

"Friends," Alex repeated, dragging the word out like it was some kind of foreign concept to him, as if the idea of someone just being friends with someone else was utterly ridiculous.

"I mean it," I said firmly, trying to hold on to the little bit of confidence I had left. "When I'm around him, it just feels... easy. Like I don't have to try so hard to fit in. It's nice." I glanced down at my paws, trying to figure out why I was telling them this, any why were my paws shaking?

The room quieted for a moment, the weight of my words settling over us. No one spoke for a few beats, and I could feel the tension, the unsaid thoughts hanging in the air.

"But what about his friends?" Morgan asked softly, their voice breaking the silence. Of course, they knew the full story, everything I'd explained, sparing no details—well, except for the part about Ben and I kissing, but that wasn't my secret to share.

My stomach twisted at the mention of Sam's friends. "I don't know," I said, my voice faltering slightly. "They weren't great at the cinema, but maybe..." I trailed off, unsure of how to finish that thought, unsure if there even was a 'maybe' that could make everything okay.

"Maybe what?" Tara pressed, her tone serious now, her earlier teasing gone. She leaned in, her wings tucked behind her in a way that made her seem more vulnerable than usual.

"Maybe Sam's different," I said, more to myself than to anyone else, as if I were trying to convince myself. "I think he is."

Morgan gave me a look, their expression careful, weighing my words. "Just be careful, Jay," they said softly, the concern in their voice unmistakable. "People like Kyle and Ben? They can't always see past their own ignorance. And I don't want you getting hurt."

"None of us do," Eli added quietly, his usual calm demeanour now tinged with a subtle protective edge. He'd been the one to sit silently during most of the conversation, but I could see he meant what he said.

"I'll be fine," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt, but I could hear the hesitation in my own voice.

"the football guys have a reputation, and Sam is a football guy" Alex said in a serious tone for once, "just be careful ok, I know his type!"

Tara jumped to her feet, clapping her hands together to break the tension. "Enough of this serious stuff. Let's watch something stupid and funny."

Alex perked up immediately, his grin widening. "Yes! Something with ridiculous explosions or bad acting—or both!"

Morgan rolled her eyes but smiled as she reached for the remote. "I've got just the thing," she said, settling back into their chair, and I couldn't help but feel a little better as the focus shifted away from the heavy conversation and back to something light-hearted.

As the movie started, the room quickly filled with laughter, the kind of laughter that wrapped around you like a warm blanket against the chill of uncertainty. The jokes were ridiculous, the kind of humor that made you forget about everything else, even for just a little while. For a brief moment, I let myself forget about Sunday, about the questions swirling in my head, and about the unease that had been building since Sam had invited me over again. I let the absurd jokes on the screen take over, letting the warmth in the room seep through my fur, calming the restless thoughts that had been plaguing me for days.

But even as I laughed at the silliest of jokes, I couldn't shake the nervous flutter in my chest. Every time I glanced at the others, I caught a glimpse of something else, some unspoken question hanging in the air.

Eventually, after the movie ended and the last of the jokes had settled into silence, Tara and I left Morgan's house to walk home. She only lived on the next street from me, so we often walked back together at night. There was something comforting about those walks—quiet, simple, the kind of peace you only get when the world feels still and everyone else has already gone inside..

Streetlights lined the road, casting long, spindly shadows across the pavement, their light flickering softly. The crisp air smelled faintly of smoke, a reminder of the many bonfires that were lit this time of year. Tara walked beside me, her wings tucked close to her body to keep the chill away, the feathers rustling with each step. The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable, but I could tell she was waiting for me to say something.

"That was fun," she said, breaking the silence, her voice carrying across the quiet street. "I'm glad we all got to hang out. It's getting harder and harder as we get older and more and more distractions come into our lives." Her words had a weight to them, like she was talking about more than just the movie.

"Yeah," I agreed, kicking a stray pebble along the sidewalk. It bounced off the curb and into the gutter. "It was nice."

Tara glanced at me, her sharp eyes catching the glow of a nearby streetlamp, and she raised an eyebrow, as if seeing straight through me. "You seem distracted, though. Thinking about Sunday?"

I hesitated, not sure whether to admit how much I was thinking about it. After a moment, I nodded. "Kind of. I guess I'm just nervous. I don't want it to be... weird."

Tara laughed softly, shaking her head. "Jay, you worry too much. If Sam didn't want to hang out with you, he wouldn't have invited you over again." She nudged me with her shoulder, a playful smile on her face. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"I know," I said quickly, my voice betraying the uncertainty I felt. "It's just—he's so different from me. What if we don't really have anything in common? Last time we had an assignment to do. This is just gonna be me and him, alone. No distractions, just hanging out." My words trailed off, and I found myself chewing on the inside of my cheek. Maybe I was overthinking things. Maybe it would be just like last time—easy, simple, no big deal.

Tara shrugged, the motion graceful with her wings. "You both like Mario Kart, right? That's something." Her tone was light, but there was an understanding in her voice, like she knew what I was feeling. "And maybe it's not about having everything in common. Maybe it's about finding the one thing that connects you."

I mulled that over as we crossed the street, the soft sound of our footsteps on the fallen leaves beneath us helping to soothe my nerves. The world around us felt far away, and in the quiet, I let myself breathe a little easier.

"You know," Tara said after a moment, her voice thoughtful, "it kind of reminds me of me and Alex when we first became friends."

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "How so?"

"Back in middle school, everyone thought we were going to end up together," she said with a grin, as if the memory itself was amusing. "Because we were always hanging out, watching anime, geeking out over Studio Ghibli films. We even had sleepovers all the time. But that was just one thing we had in common, really. Alex is a sports fan, and I'm an artist. We couldn't be more different."

I smiled at the thought of Alex and Tara back then—young, full of energy, their bond unshakable even back when no one quite understood it. "Yeah, I remember that."

"And sure, we love each other," Tara continued, her grin softening. "But it's not like that. It's never been romantic. People didn't get it, but we're just close. Sometimes, that's all it is."

I nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. Tara's explanation made sense. Maybe that's all it was with me and Sam. Maybe there didn't need to be anything more than just a connection. But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about Sam. Something I didn't quite understand yet.

"You think it's gonna be like that with me and Sam?" I asked hesitantly, the question lingering in the air between us. "I just... like how maybe I can fit in, you know?"

Tara tilted her head, considering my words. "Maybe. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Either way, you don't have to figure it out right now." She gave me a reassuring smile, the kind that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I didn't need to have all the answers.

We walked in silence for a while, the rhythmic crunch of our footsteps on the fallen leaves soothing my nerves. The night felt endless, but in the best possible way, like we could wander forever through the quiet streets.

"If it does go well," I said eventually, breaking the silence, "do you think I should invite him to your party next Wednesday?"

"My party?" Tara repeated, her eyes lighting up with amusement. "You mean bowling night? I don't know, Jay. Do you think he'd survive Alex trash-talking him for two hours straight?" She laughed, and I couldn't help but laugh along with her. "I'd imagine there's gonna be some serious competition between those two."

I laughed despite myself. "Good point. But it might be nice for him to meet everyone, you know? Like, maybe he'd feel more comfortable if he got to see what my friends are really like., I dont know, maybe i'm reading it wrong but there was a tension between Sam and his friends, maybe he could use a break from them too"

Tara smiled, nudging me with her elbow. "You're always looking out for people. I think that's one of the things I like most about you."

"Thanks," I said softly, my heart warming from her words.

We reached my house, and Tara gave me a quick hug before heading off toward her own. "Don't overthink it," she called over her shoulder, her voice light but full of care. "Just be yourself."

I waved goodbye, watching her silhouette disappear into the shadows before heading inside. My room was quiet except for the hum of my desk lamp, the stillness of the night settling around me.

I sat cross-legged on my bed, my phone in my hand, scrolling through Sam's Instagram again. Most of his photos were what I expected—team pictures from football games, group shots at swim meets, and a few selfies with friends I vaguely recognized from school. But there were others that surprised me.

One photo showed him holding a fishing rod, grinning as he showed off a fish he'd caught. It was tiny, but the grin on his face was immeasurable. Another shot had him sitting on the beach, the ocean stretching out behind him. His expression was relaxed, carefree. Then there was a candid shot of him laughing, his eyes scrunched up and his teeth showing, the kind of laugh that made you feel like you were seeing the real Sam.

I lingered on that one, studying it, and for the first time, I wondered—what does he do when he's not on the field or in the pool? Would he even enjoy bowling, or would he think it was lame?

I sighed, setting my phone down on the nightstand. It was hard to tell. For all the time we'd spent together playing Mario Kart, I still felt like there was so much I didn't know about him.

But maybe that was part of the fun—getting to learn who he was, little by little. And maybe, just maybe, I'd find out there was more to Sam than I ever imagined.

As I turned off the lamp and settled into bed, the soft rustle of the sheets against me, I couldn't help but feel a small spark of hope. Maybe Sunday would go better than I expected. Maybe this time, things would be different.

And maybe, just maybe, I was starting to figure out what it meant to really connect with someone.