the cozy atmosphere of louis' house enveloped me as the evening progressed, filled with laughter and the warm glow of soft lighting. game night had turned into a delightful escape, a whirlwind of playful competition and teasing between louis and his sisters.

i settled comfortably on the couch, leaning against louis' shoulder, feeling the warmth radiating from him. it was just the five of us—louis, phoebe, daisy, and lottie—huddled together as we prepared for another round of charades.

"alright, ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be amazed." phoebe declared, dramatically throwing her arms wide as she addressed the group. "imogen, you're up first. let's see what you've got."

i rolled my eyes playfully, trying to shake off the nerves that always accompanied being in the spotlight. "here goes nothing." i said, standing up and grabbing a card from the pile. glancing down, i stifled a laugh at the ridiculousness of the prompt.

"just don't embarrass yourself too much," louis teased, his voice low and playful, nudging me with his shoulder. i felt the warmth of his teasing smile, and it made my heart flutter.

"shush, tomlinson," i shot back with a grin, determined to impress everyone. i dove into a goofy performance, pretending to be a robot, and the room erupted with laughter.

"more like a broken robot." daisy howled, clutching her stomach.

louis leaned back, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "fucking hell, imogen, you're so bad at this it's almost painful. but it's kind of cute, so i'll let it slide."

"oh, you're a real charmer, aren't you?" i replied, playfully rolling my eyes, but inwardly, his words warmed me. it felt nice to be included in their banter, and even nicer to have louis by my side.

as the rounds continued, i couldn't help but lean more into louis, finding comfort in his presence. he was the perfect mix of funny and sweet, and his occasional sarcastic comments had me giggling more than once. there was something about his laid-back attitude that made everything feel effortless.

eventually, it was lottie's turn. she picked up a card and glanced at it, looking more serious than usual. "i can do this," she said to herself, taking a deep breath. we all leaned forward, eager to see what she would come up with.

"show us what you've got!" i cheered, offering her an encouraging smile.

with surprising energy, she began to act out "running a marathon." it was unexpectedly impressive; she moved around the room, mimicking a runner's stance. the sisters erupted into laughter, and even lottie cracked a smile mid-performance, the tension in her shoulders easing.

"you look like you're about to trip over your own feet, ya dick." louis called out, laughing. "watch out for the imaginary finish line."

"hey, at least i'm trying!" lottie shot back, her competitive spirit ignited. it was nice to see her opening up a little, her playful side coming to life.

after a few rounds, we took a break for snacks, and i found myself in the kitchen with louis, who was rummaging through the cabinets looking for more chips.

"you know, for someone who claims to be an artist, you're surprisingly bad at charades," he said with a smirk, tossing a chip in his mouth. "like, how did you manage to turn a robot into a weird dance-off?"

"hey! that's called creativity, tomlinson," i retorted, laughing. "besides, it's not my fault your sisters are too loud for me to think straight."

"oh, come on, my sisters are perfect, it's just you who can't keep up with the tomlinson chaos," he teased, brushing my shoulder lightly with his. i could feel the electricity between us, making my heart race.

"you're lucky i like chaos, or i'd be out of here faster than you can say 'suck it, tomlinson,'" i said, rolling my eyes dramatically. "but really, your sisters are so nice."

"just don't tell them that," he said, winking. "they'll never let me live it down."

the banter continued, and i could feel the tension from earlier melt away as we returned to the living room for another round of cards against humanity. the humor got progressively raunchier, and with each outrageous card played, the laughter only grew louder.

"fucking hell, some of these are messed up," louis said, holding up a card that had us all gasping with laughter. "i swear, who the hell comes up with this shit?"

"probably the same people who think it's okay to make jokes about penguins," i joked, sending him a playful nudge.

"okay, that's fair," he admitted, grinning. "but seriously, you need to step it up. i can't be the only funny one in the room."

as we laughed and joked, i felt more at ease, and even lottie began to warm up, her laughter mixing with ours. she leaned over to me at one point, a playful glint in her eyes. "you know, you're not as bad as i thought you'd be."

"thanks, i think?" i said, grinning. "i'm glad to have your approval."

"oh, believe me, it's a big deal. usually, i'm the funny one," she shot back, crossing her arms with mock seriousness.

"not with me around," i laughed, leaning against louis again, who was watching us with an amused expression. his arm slipped around my shoulders, pulling me closer. the warmth of his touch sent butterflies racing through my stomach.

the evening carried on, filled with laughter and light-hearted competition. eventually, as we began to wind down, we all sprawled out on the couch, tired but content. louis had his arm draped casually over my shoulders, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"so, when's the next game night?" i asked, glancing around at everyone. "i think we should make this a regular thing."

"i'm down," phoebe said, tossing a chip into her mouth. "as long as you promise to bring that robot dance again."

"only if you promise not to try and marathon run," i shot back, earning a laugh from everyone.

lottie chimed in, "you know, imogen, you're actually fun to hang out with. maybe you should come more often."

"i'd love that! i enjoy hanging out with all of you," i replied, my heart swelling at the unexpected compliment.

as the night came to an end, we all began to disperse. louis and i lingered for a moment, standing by the door as his sisters headed to their rooms. the house was quieting down, but the warmth of the evening lingered in the air.

"you did great tonight," he said, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes sparkling with genuine admiration. "you fit right in, and i'm glad you're a part of this madness."

"thank you louis. it was a blast," i replied softly, feeling a warmth spread through me. "i really had fun."

"good, because i want you to be around more. i mean it," he said, his tone suddenly serious, and it made my heart race.

"i'd like that too," i confessed, meeting his gaze. there was an intensity in his eyes that made everything else fade away.

he stepped a little closer, a teasing smile returning to his lips. "but just so you know, next time, i'm going to kick your ass in charades."

"in your dreams, tomlinson," i shot back, a smile spreading across my face.

as i turned to leave, he reached out, catching my hand and pulling me back gently. "wait, one more thing," he said, his voice low and playful.

"what is it?" i asked, turning back to him.

"don't get too comfy. i'm going to have to keep you on your toes," he replied, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"bring it on," i said, trying to sound more confident than i felt. as i stepped out into the cool night air, my heart raced. i couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something incredibly special.