Daisy popped a french fry in her mouth and glanced over at Lincoln. He had a pillow clenched in his hands, about to raise it at the slightest moment.
"You sure you wanna keep watching this? We're only a half hour in and you look like you're about to bolt out of the window."
"I'm fine." Lincoln said sharply. Daisy raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
"Mmkay," she ate another french fry.
A minute later, he was practically in her lap. His hands were shaking and she could hear his breathing become faster and shallower each breath. He was so close she could almost feel his pulse pounding throughout his body into hers.
Not that she minded.
Daisy felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as Lincoln pressed closer to her.
"Okay, for the love of GOD, will you please just let me turn off the movie?" Daisy exclaimed, attempting to keep her face cool and miserably failing. Lincoln didn't seem to notice anything off, though, being paralyzed with fear and all.
"Fine!" he hollered, whipping the pillow up to his face as the murderer guy came on screen. They were watching a 'classic' (according to their streaming service), "Jeepers Creepers".
"Lincoln, –"
"– Mm defitely un hurred pecent rkay!"
At least, that's what Daisy heard through the pillow pressed against his face. She sighed and flipped off the TV.
"Honestly, it's not even one of the more scary ones."
Lincoln vacated his pillow hiding space with wide eyes.
"I'm having a hard time imagining anything scarier than that." Daisy rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"There's not even any damn ghosts in this movie. Ghosts are some scary shit, okay? This is just straight up murderer guy. There's a little alien shit goin on, but that's it. If you have a hard time thinking past the whole serial killer trope, I suggest you watch Paranormal Activity. That's some scary ghost-y shit. Man, it'll freak you the hell out." Daisy gave a little shiver, recalling watching it with Fitz in the late hours of the night.
Lincoln had an incredulous look on his face.
"Why? Why would I ever want to do that?"
"Oh wait, that's right. You hate fun and ghosts," she remarked, hoping for rebuttal.
"I do not hate fun. Or ghosts. Just that horror movies are really really not my thing."
Daisy smirked.
"Trust me, I know. You were practically on top of me, Lincoln." His face turned bright red.
"If you know I don't like horror movies, why are you making me watch them all the time?"
"Exposure therapy, I guess."
Lincoln huffed and tossed the pillow at her, getting up.
"I'm going to get a pop. How about you –" Lincoln crooked a finger at her, narrowing his eyes. "– put on a movie that I can actually get through pissing myself from fear?"
Daisy raised her arms in defense.
"Hey, you agreed to it." Lincoln rolled his eyes. Daisy grinned once he had left the room and began flipping through Netflix again.
"You want one too?" Lincoln called from the kitchen.
"Yeah, grab me a root beer. And how do you feel about a chick flick?"
"Anything's better than a horror movie."
"No, wait! The Breakfast Club." Daisy selected it with the remote. The music started up. Lincoln yelped from the kitchen.
"Are you starting it without me? Don't you dare, I love that movie," he said frantically, leaping over the couch with two sodas and a bag of microwave popcorn. She grabbed her root beer and leaned back against the couch as the movie began to start. She glanced over at Lincoln, who was staring at the screen, entranced. He tore his attention away from the screen to look back at her.
"What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing," she quipped before turning back to the television and this time, actually paying attention to the movie. After a minute or so, she had noticed he was looking at her as she had looked at him before. That look had a bit of feeling attached, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Lincoln."
"Yeah?" he replied, coming to his senses and jerking his face away from hers, back to the TV screen. Daisy smiled to herself.
"Nothing."
Suddenly, the door opened, hitting the wall opposite. In burst Hunter with enthusiasm unmatched by anyone in Daisy's apartment.
And possibly planet earth, she thought.
"What's up? You look like you've just met the queen and she told you she liked your shoes." Lincoln said, turning towards Hunter.
"Tickets!" Hunter managed to get out, gesturing wildly with several pieces of paper in his hand.
"To what?"
"Fright Night!" Daisy's eyes lit up.
"Seriously?" she asked in excitement. "I thought they didn't go on sale until this weekend!"
"They didn't, but Bobbi's doing some volunteer work or something and she got tickets for us early!"
Daisy squealed in excitement (which might have frightened Lincoln a bit, she didn't squeal very often) and snatched one of the pieces of paper Hunter was holding out.
Lincoln had stayed quiet since Hunter had mentioned "Fright Night," eating his popcorn and watching the movie that was still playing. Daisy had finished reading the details and glanced over at Lincoln. She slid along the couch until she was touching his shoulder.
"Please?"
"No."
"Lincoln, please?"
"Still no."
"C'mon, it'll be fun and I'll even hold your hand when the ghosts come out, because I know you hate ghosts, just please please please please pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase?" Lincoln sighed and put his popcorn down, looking her straight in the eyes.
"I've never gone for all the years I've been around for Halloween. If I can't even get through a movie you consider to be 'not that scary because there are no ghosts', how do you think I'm gonna handle a haunted house designed for insane thrill-seekers like yourself?"
He raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer, and then added "Also, I don't hate ghosts."
Daisy bit her lip.
"Well?"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." She rolled her eyes in frustration. "Lincoln, please? How about you go because I'm your best friend and you want to do something fun with me, your best friend and that particular best friend really wants you there and also –" Daisy pulled a sinister kind of grin onto her face, "– also, that best friend won't get you a Christmas present if you don't go."
Lincoln put a hand to his forehead.
"Do you really, honestly, want me to go?"
"Yes."
"Okay, fine, but if I go and I don't scream the whole time you owe me two Christmas presents."
"Deal." Daisy extended her hand and Lincoln shook it.