Summary: Mac and MC watch a horror movie together.
Genre: So much Fluff you’re gonna PERISH
Author’s note: Mac and MC are in the early stages of their relationship. Also, I switched to first person. The fic should’ve been shorter but I’m starting to believe I’m physically unable to write anything below 1200 words lmao
Summer is almost over and I’m already nostalgic. The song of crickets outside the open windows fills my ears and my mind as the fresh breeze of late evening comes in, brushes across my face and gently sweeps some strands of hair aside. Soon the leaves will start to fall, the air will get colder and I will forget of the whole comfy “sleeping in your underwear with no duvet” summer thing.
Mackenzie is staying with me tonight: after our evening stroll we decided to just sit in and cuddle on my couch. It’s Friday and we can be as late as we want to; I’m laying down and she’s sitting with my feet on her lap, tv remote in her hands as she’s focused on the difficult task of finding a good movie to watch at almost 12 AM.
“How’s it going with your search?” I ask with an amused smile, stroking her thigh with my feet. Anything would be fine for me, really; as long as she’s with me, I could watch the worst movie on the planet and still somehow enjoy it.
The bright colors projected by tv ads light up her face and I notice her frown.
“Hmm, not much luck. Just some horror movie” she mumbles, not too excited about it.
I immediately get up in a sitting position and look at the screen, my eyes trying to focus. “Oooh! We’ve never watched a horror movie together, have we?” I don’t have that much experience to say that, but it seems to be one of the “things you absolutely have to do once you’re in a couple”. Plus, it sounds fun.
Mackenzie looks at me with eyebrows raised, like she’s trying to connect the dots; then she tilts her head and chuckles. “…I see. Yeah, let’s do it. Will be nice to see you clutch my arm when you get scared” She smiles and lightly pinches the tip of my nose with two fingers. “And then I will have to lie to you and tell you that ghosts aren’t real… Sorry, babe”
I laugh and pinch her nose in return. “You’re talking to Miss “I spent my teenage years watching horror movies to the point where they don’t scare me in the slightest”, babe. But I will definitely pretend to be scared, so that I can have my protective girlfriend hugging me and telling me it’s okay”
Two strong hands wrap around my waist and pull me onto Mac’s lap, where her arms can encircle my chest and shoulders in a warm hug from behind. I let out a happy sigh and relax against her chest, nearly melting in her embrace. She presses her full lips against my ear and whispers, in a voice that was surely meant to be reassuring but ends up causing tingles in my whole body: “You don’t need to pretend anything to have a hug from me”
“I know…” I whisper back, absorbed in a lovely haze, caressing her forearms around me.
The movie is about a family going to live in a farm in the middle of nowhere, where their two kids start to see ghosts. Nothing too original, but I’m focused nonetheless. Ghost movies have a special appeal to them, I think… Somehow they never get old.
Sure, it’s strange as hell to realize that ghosts are real, after having spent my childhood being afraid of them and later becoming a super-skeptic and convincing myself that they don’t exist… only to eventually find out that all supernaturals are definitely real – and I’m dating one, even. What a wild ride.
The girl in the movie goes to explore the basement by herself and there’s a sudden jumpscare. “Old trick”, I think to myself. However, I can’t help but notice a slight shift against my back.
I turn around to look at Mackenzie: she’s looking at the screen and her expression is indecipherable, just like the “Sheriff face” she puts on whenever she’s working, but something doesn’t add up. Her jaw looks clenched rather than relaxed.
She notices me and her expression softens. “Enjoying the movie?”
She nods with a smile and I stretch my neck to place a kiss on her cheek.
Technically speaking the ghosts in this movie are well made, and it’s not the usual trope of overall wearing, expressionless ghost kids. They still don’t scare me, but I pretend they do just so I can get to grip on Mac’s forearms, still enveloping my chest. In return, she kisses my temple and hugs me tighter every time; and as she does, I begin to fully understand why do couples watch horror movies together.
Near the end of the movie there’s a scene where the ghosts come out of the walls and it’s really creepy: I’m going to point it out to Mac when I feel a distinct flinch beneath and behind me. I turn around, faster than the time before, and she’s doing the Sheriff face again; but this time I can clearly see the clench of her jaw, and her expression seems more like a “Oh shit she’s looking at me, act cool quickly!” rather than a calm and collected show of confidence.
“Is… there something wrong, babe?” she asks, her voice betraying the same feeling as her face.
I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “I could ask you the same, ‘babe’.” I shift in her lap and she reluctantly allows me to, so that my body is sideways instead of forward and I don’t have to stretch my neck to look at her.
Mac tries to feign confusion, but I know how to read her face far too well to fall for it. Brows furrowed in worry, I reach for both her cheeks with one hand and pinch, squishing them and forcing her to look at me. “Are you scared, Mac?”
Her eyes widen for a second and she just stares back; but having realized I’m not going to let it go, her act eventually falters and she sighs in defeat.
I force myself to not giggle at how cute she looks.
“Okay, okay, you win…” she mumbles, blushing and looking away. “Ghoshtsh creep me out… they alwaysh have. Now can you shtop squisshing my fashe?”
As comical as the situation looks, I can’t help but feel a bit guilty.
My eyes soften and I let go, gently cupping her cheek instead. “Oh, Mac… I didn’t realize. I’m so sorry”
She places one larger hand on mine and chuckles, sad puppy face turning to her usual amused, confident self, her smile reaching her glimmering eyes. “It’s alright, babe. I was doing my best to cover it anyway”
A reassured sigh escapes my lips and I stroke my thumb against her jaw. “And you don’t have to. Just… be yourself with me, I would never judge you for being scared”
The sad puppy face comes back for a moment. “Sorry… it’s the habit”
I stroke her cheek some more. We’ve been together for two months now, and although I still don’t know everything about her past, I want her to be as comfortable as possible with me. “Wanna go to bed?”
Mackenzie smirks mischievously and wraps her arms around my body again, pulling my chest against hers. “Not yet, babe. Let’s cuddle here some more…”
She turns off the tv and puts the remote away, switching her attention back to me.
There really is something beautiful about late summer nights.
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