"W-What?" Edward stammered, his eyes darting between them.
Aeris' glare could have frozen fire. Her cheeks, faintly pink, only made the contrast sharper.
"What? There's plenty of space in my room—" Seraphine began playfully.
"He can sleep on the couch downstairs," Aeris interrupted, voice calm but edged. "Tomorrow we can think of alternatives."
Edward raised both hands in surrender. "Y-yeah, the couch works great. Perfect, actually."
Seraphine pouted but didn't argue. "Fine."
Still, she didn't leave before giving Edward a long, squeezing hug—one that lasted a second too long. He stood stiffly, caught between confusion and panic, until she finally let go and disappeared into her room.
Aeris lingered, oddly composed now that the moment had passed. "Goodnight," she said before she also turned and vanished into her room.
The house fell silent.
