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Why they had chosen to watch a scary movie, they didn’t know. On a stormy night no less. Brooke and Chloe were both terribly afraid of these kinds of things. The music, the settings, the monsters and ghouls just got to them both. Every suspenseful moment, the two were found hiding behind their hands or pillows. Just their luck, they would always peek out at the moment some demon would appear. They shrieked and latched onto each other as the movie rolled on. The girls whispered to each other, saying they wanted to stop the film, but neither of them could find it within themselves to even get off the bed. The remote was laying on the TV stand, and they didn’t dare get closer to the screen. Their backs were pressed against the wall as they curled into each other.
As terrifying as it was, Chloe felt it was kind of nice to be so close to her.
Brooke was sitting sort of sideways almost parallel to the wall. She had brought her legs up to her chest and eventually swung them over Chloe’s lap. Her head lay on her shoulder, and her arm that wasn’t hugging herself was draped around Chloe’s neck. She herself was leaning into her as she wrapped an arm around Brooke’s waist. At some point, the two had grabbed each other’s hands and never let go. They was so close, she could feel Brooke’s chest rise and fall with her stressed breathing. She could even sense her heartbeat accelerate during the scenes. It almost matched her own.
By the time they had finished watching, both of them were incredibly afraid. They said in near silence, the only sounds being the world outside. The rain crashed on the roof as a flash of light lit up the skies, followed by a deafening boom. Brooke noted that they should stop before Netflix automatically began to play something else. Chloe had just barely managed to run forward and turn of the TV when the horrifying face on screen made her nearly throw the remote. Shutting it off, she strided to the door and flicked off the lights. A little shaken by the darkness and movie, she quickly returned to her spot.
As she sat back to the bed, Brooke asked, “Can we never do that again, please?”
“Why would I ever want to?!” she replied, smacking her with a pillow as she sat.
“True.”
“Yeah. Let’s just… Let’s just go to sleep okay?”
“Okay…”
“I’ll go onto the air mattress.” Standing up, she began to walk towards the other side of the room where the mattress had lied.
“Chloe noooo. Stay with me...” Brooke pleaded. She had grabbed her arm with one and pulled her back to sit down. Crawling forward, she latched on entirely and began to fall back, taking Chloe with her. She tried to pull her arm back, but the action lacked motivation. It would probably be nice to sleep next to Brooke. Chloe would be able to indulge in a few more hugs and touches, so she certainly wasn’t complaining. Besides, neither of them were in the best state of mind after watching that;it would be beneficial.
Wordlessly, she stopped fighting and just pulled the cover up over the two of them. It was nice. She could get used to this. Just Brooke, holding her arm. Not immensely intimate, but just comfortable. She began to relax and drift to sleep. As she cautiously brought herself to lay closer though, she was disappointed to feel Brooke’s grip loosen. A second later though, she had lay her arm over Chloe’s stomach, snuggling into her. However, Chloe’s arm was still locked between their bodies. Slowly, she drew it out from between them and placed it comfortably around Brooke.
“G’night Chlo…”
“Night, Brooke.”
Thoughts of the movie now gone, she fell asleep to the sound of the rain.
It felt only moments later when she was woken up with a kick to her shins.
Brooke was turned away from her as she thrashed about. She was tossing and turning as she mumbled incoherently. Whatever she was saying sounded like a distress call. The moments she wasn’t crying out at something, she was heavily breathing. Not quite hyperventilating; it was too slow, but it would turn into it any moment soon.
Sitting up, she pulled her up from her starfish on the bad as she tried to wake her up. “Brooke. Brooke? Brooke wake up. Wake up! Wake up! ” The blonde was starting to try and wriggle out of her grasp. She was still lost in her dream, and it probably felt as if Chloe was holding her captive. Desperately, she searched her braid for something that wouldn’t just feel like more torture. She obviously couldn’t hit her, and shouting wasn’t doing much. She’d try and pour water on her face but that was too far, and then they’d have to move to the air mattress.
She felt so awful watching Brooke panic while in her arms. Her calls were starting to become clear now that she was so near. The occasional calls morphed into a constant stream of, “Let go!” Tears were falling from her face now as she wildly flailed in her grasp.
Every sort of touch Chloe could do to try and wake her would only be more aggression in her dream.
Except maybe one.
In a last ditch attempt to get her to wake up, she caught Brooke’s face in her hands and planted her lips on hers. She kissed her for only a few seconds, enough to feel her body calm down. After that, she immediately pulled back, feeling rather warm.
Brooke was staring at her wide eyed. Chloe could see her flushed face in the moonlight. It could’ve been from the dream, or maybe it was from the kiss. Regardless, she had to ask.
“Are you okay?” Worriedly, her eyes ran over her face, checking her expression. She still seemed afraid. Her mouth still hung open in shock, and her eyebrows were still furrowed in discomfort. The wide eyes could’ve been anything really. She ignored that, know that her kiss and its consequences should be coming second to Brooke’s well being.
“I uh, I’m… It was just the stupid guy from the movie.”
“Oh, hon…” She sympathized, petting Brooke’s hair as she cried into her shoulder.
“I… Yeah…”
“You don’t need to say a word… Just breath.” She squeezed her a little reassuringly. They sat there for a while just the way they were, Brooke calming herself down as Chloe provided support. She liked putting it that way. Brooke didn’t need Chloe to make her calm. The girl was strong; she wouldn’t be a mess on her own. She just had Chloe to push the process along. Afterall, a stress cry was always fine, but sometimes it just felt better with a friend.
In a moment, Brooke was feeling just fine. She pulled off of Chloe’s shoulder and wiped away some of her tears as she offered a shaky smile.
“Thanks for uh... that,” she said, patting down her hair where sleep and her fit hand shaken it.
Chloe laughed at the small gesture, “It’s nothing. I’m here for you, okay?”
Brooke nodded, her eyes shifting down to the bed. She sighed as she fiddled with her hair. Chloe figured they should go back to sleep, but she wanted to make sure her friend was one hundred percent fine. So, she watched her sit there, sort of swaying side to side as she repeatedly braided and undid a small strand in front of her face.
“Chloe?” she asked softly. It was hesitant and shy. She didn’t move here gaze back up to meet her eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Did that kiss… mean anything to you?
Struck by the forwardness of the question, Chloe sat up straight. She wanted the kiss to mean something. She wanted to be able to say she kissed her with a passion unlike she did with any guy. She wanted to know that when she kissed Brooke, the girl would enjoy it and kissed back with as much love as she did. But technically… That particular kiss was a sort of last resort. It was quick, with a lot more worry and hope than adoration. She supposed that could be considered love. Since she was worried for Brooke.
Deciding that, yes, it did mean something, she confessed, “Um… Yeah. I’ve kind of wanted to do that for a long time. I’m like super into you, Brooke.”
The girl in question looked up from the bed, her eyes alight. “Really?”
Chloe giggled in delight as she saw the smile on her face. “Yes!”
“I’ve been super into you too!”
“Really?!”
“YES!”
At total repeat, the two began to fully laugh at themselves. It was around five am and one was just crying, but neither could care less.
Lurching forward to tackle Brooke in a hug, she asked, “Will you go out with me?"
“Of course!” Then, Chloe was peppering her face with small kisses, both of them forgetting the nightmare, the storm, and even the scary movie that brought them this.