The first rays of sunlight of the new year filtered through the tall windows of Jade's living room, casting a soft glow over the group of friends still scattered across the floor. The air was thick with the remnants of the night before—half-empty bottles, crumpled blankets, and the quiet hum of their collective breathing.

Jade stirred first, groaning softly as she shifted on the floor. Her head was nestled into the crook of Cat's neck, their bodies still entangled from the night before. Blinking groggily, she raised her head, surveying the room through bleary eyes.

Beck was half-sprawled across the couch, one arm hanging off the side. Andre had managed to contort himself in a chair, and Tori was still buried under a pile of cushions in the corner. Robbie, however, was awkwardly curled up in the middle of the floor, muttering something incoherent in his sleep.

Jade gently nudged Cat awake. "Hey... you alive?"

Cat mumbled something in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes, blinking up at Jade with a sleepy smile. "Morning..."

"Morning," Jade whispered back, her voice unusually soft as she glanced around, making sure no one was awake to witness the rare moment of tenderness. "You okay?"

Cat nodded, stretching out a little under the shared blanket. "Mhm. My neck's a little stiff, but I'm good."

Jade sat up, running a hand through her dark hair, still feeling the fuzziness from last night's drinks. "Yeah, well... at least you didn't end up like Robbie."

The two of them glanced over at Robbie, who was still muttering something, his glasses crooked and his hair a mess. Cat giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Poor Robbie," she whispered. "He tried so hard to keep up."

"Yeah, well, not everyone's cut out for the big leagues," Jade said with a smirk, though there was a touch of fondness in her voice. "At least he didn't puke. Yet."

The room remained quiet for a few more minutes, until the sound of rustling blankets caught their attention. Tori sat up, rubbing her eyes, her hair sticking out in several directions. She looked around, momentarily disoriented, before her usual cheerful smile spread across her face.

"Good morning, sunshine," Jade greeted her sarcastically.

"Good morning!" Tori said brightly, as if she hadn't had her first real drinking experience the night before. She stood up, stretching her arms high above her head. "Did everyone sleep okay?"

"As well as you can on a floor with Robbie snoring," Jade muttered, earning a soft chuckle from Cat.

One by one, the rest of the group began to wake up, stretching and groaning as they shook off the grogginess of the morning after. Beck was the last to rouse, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

"Everyone alive?" Beck asked, looking around with a sleepy grin.

"Barely," Andre replied, sitting up in his chair and rubbing his eyes. "Robbie's gonna need help walking home, I bet."

"I can hear you," Robbie mumbled, still curled up on the floor with his head in his hands. "And I'm fine. Just... never doing shots again."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "Never say never, Shapiro."

"Trust me," Robbie groaned, rolling over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. "I mean it."

Everyone chuckled softly, the atmosphere light as they began gathering themselves. But as the morning continued, Jade noticed Robbie's gaze linger on her and Cat more than usual. His eyes flicked between them, something unreadable in his expression. It wasn't judgmental—more like confusion, or maybe curiosity. Beck had a similar look, though he didn't say anything either, just gave the girls a knowing glance.

Eventually, the group sat down in the kitchen to drink some much-needed coffee. Tori busied herself at the counter, handing out mugs like she was running a café, while Jade and Cat found a spot on the barstools near the island.

Robbie kept glancing their way, clearly distracted. Finally, after sipping his coffee in awkward silence for a few minutes, he leaned forward, addressing them both.

"So... uh... Cat? Jade?" Robbie began, his voice hesitant. "Can I, uh... ask something?"

Jade, already sensing where this was going, shot him a warning look. "What?"

Robbie scratched the back of his neck, clearly nervous. "It's just... you two have been acting, like, really close lately. I mean, you're always close, but now it's like... close close."

Cat blushed, her eyes darting to Jade, who let out a long sigh.

"Is that your big question, Shapiro?" Jade said flatly. "Yes, we're close. Best friends tend to be that way."

"Best friends don't cuddle like that," Robbie blurted, earning a laugh from Beck.

Jade rolled her eyes, but there was a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "Maybe not your best friends."

"Are you guys, like... dating?" Robbie finally asked, his voice dropping as if he was afraid of the answer.

There was a beat of silence. Jade glanced at Cat, who was now nervously twiddling her fingers. Then, without any pretense, Jade turned back to Robbie and Beck and said, "Yeah, we are."

Robbie's eyes widened, clearly shocked, though not upset. Beck just gave a small nod, as if he'd already suspected as much.

"Oh," Robbie said quietly, still processing the information. "Cool... I guess."

Cat bit her lip, looking nervous. "You're not mad, right? We didn't tell everyone because we weren't sure how to."

"Nah, we're not mad," Beck said with a small smile. "I kinda figured something was going on."

Robbie, still looking a little stunned, nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's just... I mean, we've all been friends for years. It's a little... surprising."

Jade shrugged, leaning back in her seat. "Yeah, well, surprise."

Tori, who had been quietly listening from the counter, walked over and plopped down next to Cat. "I think it's great. They make a cute couple."

Cat smiled, clearly relieved. "Thanks, Tori."

"How long have you known?" He asked her.

"Not long." She replied quickly, shooting him a smile that read 'I'm sorry but it wasn't my place to tell you'

Robbie, his expression finally softening, smiled at them. "Yeah, I guess it's cool. Just... don't be all weird about it now."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Weird? Us?"

Beck laughed, shaking his head. "I think you two being together is the least weird thing about this group."