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so i was wondering if you were free tonight?
::
Hunter looked at the text warily. Up at the clock.
9:14 pm.
Well…
Yeah, he tried to think of some excuse, but there was nothing. Literally nothing for him to do at home, or outside, or anywhere. He could pick up groceries, but that was hardly an ‘all night’ thing, and in any event he had already gotten groceries a couple of days ago.
:: Yeah. Where are we going tonight? ::
It was really amazing how many abandoned places there were in this city, considering that Hunter had never noticed literally any of them before.
:: My place, actually ::
Well that’s new.
It wasn’t that he’d never been to Chase’s apartment… Actually. He hadn’t- not really. The closest he ever got was standing in the doorway while Chase filled his arms with all the ghost hunting crap, which was enough to determine that Chase had an apartment, and not much else.
“... For real?”
For real; Chase opened the door not half a minute after Hunter knocked- “oh wow, you actually came! When you didn’t answer my text I thought- I dunno, I assumed you were just...” He trailed off, not really finishing that line of thought.
“Of course. Why’d you ask me over?”
Chase opened the door wider, inviting Hunter in. “I was gonna hang out and watch some of my favorite movies; since we live in the same apartment complex, I figured it might be nice to invite you over, you know?”
“Oh.” Ah. Fuck . Not that Hunter was opposed to watching movies- just that he was opposed to watching them… with other people. “... What kind of movies?” At least it probably wouldn’t be-.
“Horror, mostly.” Double fuck. “That alright with you?”
“Yeah, I guess.” He shrugged, stepping in.
It was not, in fact, alright with Hunter, but the idea of- of seeming like a wuss was just. Out of the question. It did not matter that Hunter categorically disliked horror, it did not matter that he would end up with nightmares as a result, and it did not matter that the fact that Chase had said they were his favorite movies, which meant Chase would almost certainly be watching for Hunter’s reactions.
None of these things mattered, because Hunter would simply suck it up and live through an hour and a half of torment-film specifically engineered to make him miserable . He could do that, easily.
He curled up on the couch, ready to sit as still as a stone gargoyle through whatever hells Chase had planned- watching his friend set up the last bits. Popcorn, candies, pillows- and turning off the lights. Not that he’s afraid of the dark.
If he didn’t sit through this, then… Then Chase might stop wanting him around. Or just decide that he wasn’t actually any fun to have around. What if Chase decided that Hunter wasn’t any fun? He wouldn’t be wrong exactly but it would still hurt to think that might be the case.
Hunter didn’t exactly have a lot of friends, and even watching horror movies might still be preferable to sitting in his apartment until he had to go to sleep.
It was so, incredibly, NOT preferable to staying at home, alone.
Every time Chase snickered, Hunter shot angry glares- only to find that somehow, Chase was laughing at the movie , and not at him . Which made him feel like an ass, in addition to the trembling that he was so, so sure that Chase could probably feel through the couch.
“Oh man, I forgot just how cheesy this movie is! Dude I’m so sorry- I promise I have good taste!”
Hunter was 100% sure that people do not actually turn green when they’re nauseated, nor white when they’re scared. He was also, equally, 100% sure that he had turned some sickly shade of pale miserable green, as he watched a woman shriek hideously- just before erupting in a splatter of blood and gore.
He let his head fall into his knees, pulling his arms up closer, tighter around his head. He was a fool for thinking this would be tolerable. He should have left when he had the chance.
Next to him, Chase laughed at the sight. “I forgot just how much fake blood they used in this scene. It’s kinda ridiculous, ri-..?”
Of course- of course when he finally decided to just try and shut the whole experience out, of course that was when Chase noticed his reactions. Just when he was sure that Chase would actually be too focused on the movie, and then this.
He wished he had it in him to be surprised, but for all his faith in science, he knew just as well that the universe had a mean sense of humor, and if it could make things worse, well, why wouldn’t it?
God .
What a time to be alive. Hunter could feel his heartbeat in his throat, could hear the dull thud, thud that could have been from the movie, or could have been his own terrified pulse.
“... Hang on. Are you okay?”
What a time to be alive! He groaned, and it sounded for all the world like he was about to be sick.
He did not have an excuse for the shivering, especially considering he could even be considered warm at the moment, wearing long sleeves and a scarf that was mostly just for looks. Vanity did not spare him this time- and when had it ever?
The best he could come up with was; “yEah i’m-.”
Oh good lord . Hunter coughed, trying to get his voice back to its normal register. “I’m fine. Just… Just tired, is all.”
Yeah there was no chance in hell that Chase believed him. A fact which was confirmed when, mere moments later; “... Oh! Ohhhh. I see.”
He whipped around to face Chase, only now feeling justified when he glared- and saw a perfectly smug face, for just a moment. “ What ?”
And just like that, the smugness was gone, “In that case, do you wanna stop for tonight?” and Chase was perfectly innocent to whatever Hunter had been experiencing.
Which was, of course, absolutely nothing. “Huh?” Did he really not-? “O-oh. Uh. Sure.”
“Cool! In that case, want me to walk with you back to your apartment?”
“I mean. You don’t have to.”
“Nahhh, I’ll walk with you. Come on, let’s go. We can finish this some other time, if you remind me.”
Well he was definitely not going to be reminding him of anything. He slowly uncurled, getting his feet on the ground, and avoided taking Chase’s offered hand- if his hands were as cold and clammy as they felt, then that would be a pretty obvious thing that even Chase couldn’t possibly miss.
It was still surprising that he had managed to miss any of the rest of it, but Hunter wasn’t about to look a gift oblivious friend in the mouth. That would be foolish, and he had done enough foolish stuff for one night. For one year, in fact.
It wasn’t until they had gotten to Hunter’s door that Chase started to speak- and Hunter realized that he might have been grinning the whole time. “So… Big tough guy can’t handle a few jumpscares, huh?”
Hunter froze, halfway to turning his key. “What?”
Chase’s voice positively dripped with amusement. “Oh, you know.”
If Hunter turned the key a little too forcefully, then really, who was to tell? “Yeah, sure. Shut up.”
“Need me to check under your bed for monsters? I mean, we left all the ghost hunting equipment back at my place, but-”
“I– shut UP!” And if Hunter had gone pink about the ears and nose, then that was entirely Chase’s fault. The door slammed terribly loudly, and Hunter flinched at the noise, but…
But at least he was in his own apartment, no longer subject to Chase’s teasing.
Good lord.
What a pain in the ass!