There’s many things Arthur regretted, but the most apparent one on his list had to be choosing horror movies for his and Lewis’s boys night.
Enraptured in the mystery unfolding on screen, Arthur’s hands latched onto the arm of the couch, and Lewis’s hand. He hardly noticed when the man chuckled and took it for him. Now it’s been three scenes later and despite his clammy hands, Lewis still traced his thumb in relaxed circles.
If Arthur could tear his focus away from the screen, he would have been grateful. But no, he had to choose a movie that was so engaging that his thoughts simply wouldn’t stop. All of his nerves were tense as the suspense grew, the tension thickened, and the antagonist slowly creeping in to settling on both the protagonists and his mind like a thick cloud of dread.
He was holding his breath. Something which Arthur would have noticed, but he just couldn’t tear himself from the screen. He’s literally on the edge of his seat and with each second is a new tick, a new theory, a discovery-!
The screen exploded with light as something lunged directly at the camera, accompanied by a loud noise that definitely wasn’t him screaming but definitely should have been.
Body locking up, Arthur spasms against his closed throat. Spring loaded muscles launching himself back and slamming against the couch, and his arms- having no idea what to do except blindly flail and grasp onto anything, anything at all, latch onto loose fabric. Head pressing against something, Arthur gave into the distinct and intense need to hide away.
“Whoa-!” Lewis’s voice resounded through Arthurs entire head as the man stretched and leaned back. A horrible reminder that Arthur was in reality and oh, the thing he’s holding onto so fucking tightly wasn’t a pillow or hiding place it was his FRIEND-!
The tv’s volume it’s shut off, the lights freeze, and the warmth Arthur buried himself into shifted and stretched. Instead of burying against the firm structure of a rib cage, Arthur’s moved so his clenched eyes are pressed to something firm and squishy. Then, that warmth hooked around him, and he’s being pulled close and into Lewis’s lap.
All the while, Arthur’s fingers shook and his thoughts buzz.
“F-f-fuck me life,” he finally rasps out, prying his own face from the front of Lewis’s chest, “h-holy shit? Did you see that coming too?” He asks, lifting his head and taking in Lewis’s expression. It’s a mix of concern and amusement, and it matches the energy of those large fingers rubbing circles along his back
“I didn’t,” Lewis says, “I’m assuming you did?”
Arthur nods, burying his face again before letting out a pained whine. “Y-yeah! Fucking scared the tits off me still.”
Lewis chortled, pressing a hand to his lips to quiet the giggles. “I can tell.”
As he slowly regained his breath, the proximity became more and more apparent. Lewis was holding him… really close, wasn’t he…
Arthur’s face warms up for an entirely different reason. “Fu-fuck, shit.” He hissed, pushing himself to sit up straight a bit, and he meekly meets Lewis’s affectionate gaze, “s-sorry about that man.”
Lewis rolls his eyes, and squeezes Arthur close to his chest. His laughter like breath gracing Arthur’s forehead as Lewis nestles a kiss to his hairline. “Nothing to be sorry for, I got scared too.”
“Thank god I’m not the only one..”
“No, no, you have a habit of picking some of the scariest things known to man.” Lewis points out. Although it was a lie, and Arthur was a few seconds from pointing out how Vivi gave them both nightmares for weeks with her collection… but Lewis cuts off his thoughts. “Maybe we should turn on something else for a little bit? A nice rom-com so we can at least fall asleep tonight.”
“A rom-com…” knowing Lewis, it would be the cheesiest thing known to man, or the two of them will be clutching at each other as the drama unfolds and families are broken apart by a single kiss. “I… I can get behind that, yeah. Let’s turn on a romcom.”
And instead of listening to the small voice in his head, reminding him just where he sat, Arthur made no attempts to scoot out of Lewis’s hold. Relaxing and leaning his head against Lewis’s chest.
And the kiss on the forehead he earned afterward, comforting and affectionate, filled his chest with the nice tension of butterflies.
