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"Look what I got," Peter said, pulling out a movie from his bag after setting his things down.
Harry walked over and squinted. He then took the movie from Peter's hand.
"Seriously, Pete? 'The Fly'?" He laughed. "This isn't even scary."
Peter scoffed. "Yes, it is! I tried to pick something in the middle…"
"This is beginner's level stuff, Pete." Harry rolled his eyes. "But sure, let's watch it."
As Harry flimsily tried to get the DVD player to work, Peter put the popcorn in the microwave. After some troubleshooting, Harry got the system to work. Proudly, he returned to the couch.
"You finally fixed it?" Peter called out from the kitchen.
"Looks like it!"
After a minute or so, Peter returned with the bag, steam releasing into the air. He sat down next to Harry.
"If you get scared," Harry roughly pulled Peter close for a second. "You can cuddle up next to me." He quipped before letting go. Peter adjusted his glasses and shook his head.
"Whatever," Peter muttered, smirking.
Peter grabbed the blanket from atop the couch and pulled it over both of them. "Sorry, it's so cold in here. Aunt May doesn't like it when I turn the heat up too much."
"It's alright, Pete," Harry reassured.
Harry reached for the remote and flipped through the start menu. He turned to Peter, who was anxiously waiting for the film to begin. He pressed start.
As they watched the movie, they, of course, grabbed popcorn. Usually they'd take turns reaching into the bag, but sometimes they'd both go for a handful at the same time and their fingers would brush against each other.
Peter's heart raced for a majority of the movie, and not because it was scary—which, Harry was totally wrong about, because it was definitely not beginner-friendly— but because of his close proximity to his friend. While they usually would watch movies or play video games together, something felt different tonight.
Harry was, quite frankly, bored with the movie. He'd seen much worse, and he'd boast about it to Peter constantly. He found it quite adorable that Peter was clearly trying to impress him by watching a horror movie. He could practically hear Peter's heart racing in his chest.
Harry didn't want to tease Peter too much. While he was acting as though he was making fun of Peter, something in him was hoping that he'd really cuddle up to him in fear. Harry never liked to admit it to himself, but deep down, he knew he loved Peter more than he should. He loved to take care of him and be there for him, and he wished they could be a little closer.
The movie was grotesque, to say the least—at least in Peter's opinion. He didn't understand why the movie elicited such a strong reaction in him—he had fought villains grosser than that! Still, scene after scene, he found himself retreating further under the blanket.
While his eyes were partially hidden through a web of his fingers, partially fixated on the screen—Harry's eyes were solely on Peter.
"You alright?"
"It's a good movie," Peter mumbled.
"That's not what I'm asking," Harry said with a soft laugh. Wordlessly, he inched just slightly closer to Peter—not that Peter needed the protection.
Peter didn't notice, or, if he did, he didn't mention it.
"You seem pretty terrified."
"Am not."
One scene particularly terrified Peter. Much to his embarrassment, he yelped and pulled Harry closer to himself.
Harry smirked. "Told you."
"Okay, fine, you win! Can we turn this off?" Peter winced.
"Are you serious? It's just a movie," Harry said without thinking. He quickly realized what he had said, conceding, reaching for the remote again. "We'll finish it some other time."
"Thank you."
"What did you think of it so far?" Harry inquired. He noticed Peter's trembling hand, lying languidly on the couch. It was the only thing he was thinking about.
Peter replied—not that Harry bothered to pay attention. Rather, he allowed his mind to wander, conjuring an image of something thought to be unattainable.
"Harry?"
"What?"
"I asked what you thought of it."
"Oh. It's alright," he said dryly. "Still, I can't believe you were actually scared," he mumbled. He shifted his gaze to Peter's eyes, something new burning inside him.
He suddenly couldn't resist any longer, he inched his hand towards Peter's and laid it on top.
Once again, Peter hadn't said anything. Rather, he intertwined their fingers and lay his head on Harry's shoulder.
Their soft intimacy was left unspoken, breathed into existence in a few short actions. It was new, yet such a familiar feeling, as it was always meant to be this way. There was something there, something intrinsic that Harry couldn't put a finger on. Whatever it was, he welcomed it, reveling in its paradoxical novelty and simplicity.
He wondered how long it had been this way, how many moments that had come close to reaching it. He wondered if this feeling was one that they shared, or if it existed only in Harry's mind. He hoped it didn't—hoped that Peter too had made this discovery.
And, if this truly was what he thought it was, what was he to do with it? This short-winded elation proved nothing of his character, would inspire no change in his intentions. He intended to watch a movie with a friend, so that's all he could do. He lacked that impulsiveness that Peter had—his singular move had been impulsive enough. It was well within his character to let this fly by him. And yet…
"It's a good movie," Peter said softly.
"Mhm," Harry hummed. He didn't look at Peter, for fear of wanting. "It really is."