His red eyes studying me were all I could hear. Even the clock rang mute. He still hadn't stopped looking.
How did he know?
… Why was he looking at me like that?
I wasn't…
I didn't think he'd notice.
Was he just making sure?
He seemed so certain, like he knew for certain before he turned around.
Every second felt like an eternity… What would his answer be?
I had no idea what I'd do either way. I hoped he wouldn't have any. But…
‟Alright. If… you want to. I can stay a bit longer."
… no luck…
‟… Alright, c-come on in, we can…"
I couldn't think past that… My thoughts weren't catching up to what happened before. I was a lap behind. I felt so dizzy I thought I saw snow falling past the windows.
‟… Wanna watch a movie?" - He said meekly. Like I'd break if he spoke wrong.
‟… sure."
‟Cool, horror?"
‟… D-do we have to?"
‟No offense, Noelle. But I think I'll fall asleep if we watch another Christmas movie."
‟… Fah. Yeah."
We… we went back to the drawing room. The lights were off but the fuzzy glow coming off the Christmas tree was rising off the walls, just enough to give everything a mellow glow. I used to love sleeping next to that tree when I was little… but, now, I wasn't anywhere close to sleepy. My head was running the track full speed, hoping to close the gap.
‟We can try one of Dess's DVD's." - Kris was back in his spot on the middle couch. Pointed to the Player sitting over the empty fireplace.
‟I-I don't know about those…"
My sister had brought them in with her, we didn't watch them because they weren't very Christmas.
‟What are you, scared?"
. . .
‟… I'll put one in, then…"
It was called… Abnormal Activity. It had a cheap-looking cover with a bed on it… Well, can't be too bad.
The disk started spinning and I went back to… Oh no… Where do I sit? Snowflake water poured over me. I can't sit somewhere else… It's a horror film, and I'd be rude if I invited him back in and then sat that far away… I had to be next to him… Gosh Darnit Noelle, he likes you. Now he'sgonna think you're leading him on… and you can't even blame him, you invited him in! I swear I'm not, just that… I don't know. I felt… I wasn't thinking. I was being strange. I don't want to think about it… But I'm not trying to lead you on, Kris. Alright? I'm just sitting here because it's where I have to. As a host.
You should really tell him this out loud, you know?
‟Uhm… let's start?" - Disbelief hadn't left his face as he awkwardly reeled over to me. Don't look at me like that, I'm as shocked as you.
‟… Oh, yeah."
The movie was… was it a movie? It looked like a home-video, and not the exciting kind. Was it in the wrong case? It looked unusual for a commercial movie. Kris seemed to be enjoying it well enough…
‟Kris… what is this?"
‟A movie? You looked at the cover."
‟Is it? It doesn't… feel like one."
‟… Maybe they made it themselves."
‟Who?"
‟Dess and stuff, from college." - Kris suppressed a short yawn after he said that.
‟Yeah, I don't think so."
‟Why not?"
‟They'd at least have a better camera."
‟… Maybe it adds to the atmosphere?"
‟… Still, even we have a bette-"
‟!"
‟T-The Door Moved! Kris!?"
‟Uhh… it did?"
‟Yes!"
‟Maybe it was windy?"
‟Do you see any windows in the shot!?"
Kris was looking down at me with… wait, am I?— I'm grabbing him again! Don't look at me like that! I was just startled! … If I could, I would go upstairs and grab Sir Bearington. But guess whowould think I'm a little girl who still talks to her plushies?! And he gave me Sir Bearington, so it'd be double awkward!
He always wears these oversized sweaters. Doesn't he think they're too big if he has to roll the sleeves up that much? Sometimes I think he wears them just to tempt me into grabbing them… It's an old habit, I only do it when I'm— Did the door move again!? What's thatbehind it!?
‟Uhm… Noelle." - He was looking down at me with worry through his eyes. Of course, he was also blushing ear to ear. Great job on that one, jinglenuts.
‟You don't have to keep watching if it's so scary."
‟What?! No, it's even scarier if I don't know what happens next!" - I took the opportunity to get back on my cushion.
‟A-alright." - He scratched his cheek as he returned to the screen, and sunk back in his spot.
— Wait, had he grown taller? I could barely notice it under that tacky tarp of a sweater he'd been wearing… He was almost eye-level with me! Since when!? It was weird to see Kris not being short-short… He had always been a little pipsqueak, running under everyone's eyes while stuffing dirt and mustard into their pockets… More like a little demon, if I think about it… Was I hallucinating? Was he sitting on something?
‟Hey, Kris?"
‟What?"
He had one arm along the couch's back, hair swept aside to actually see what was happening. His eyes stabbed through the darkness. Looking intently at mine. Why am I thinking about this?
‟… Did, have you… grown taller, by any chance?"
‟Hm? I have? Since when?"
‟H-How should I know?… It's your body, silly."
‟Then, maybe? It's not like I check every day in the mirror to measure myself."
I just saw you put your platform shoes on, Kris… nobody cares how tall you are.
But if I say that, he'll probably… no he'll definitely get hurt.
The movie kept going and… I think I started to see why Dess told me to watch it late at night. It was… really unsettling. It just, it seemed real, like maybe it actually happened. I started checking over my shoulder, looking at the entrance… We didn't lock the door, did we? I really should've. At least I wasn't watching it alone, but Kris being that quiet wasn't calming me down much.
‟They hide it real well." - He shifted close to me to whisper, like we were at a cinema.
‟Hide, what? I don't see anything."
‟Look in the back of the shot, over the counter."
‟Over the-?"
There was something standing there.
I won't lie, I screamed loud enough to wake Mom up. And jumped and wrapped around him. Then I just… froze like that.
I forgot how warm he was. All humans were supposed to be like that, but he's the only one I've ever felt, or even seen with my own two eyes… It's… I remember I thought it was too much. I used to wonder how he didn't burn up from the inside; I couldn't stand being around it. But the fireplace was off… and, it didn't feel bad, even if I had to angle my head to not skewer him. That's not why I couldn't move though… From where my ears were, I could clearly hear it.
His heart.
I could actually hear it beat inside his body. It… it's scary. I never knew you could actually hearit beating. It was like a drum, thumping in a weird rhythm I hadn't ever heard, and the sound was… icky. I can't describe it, it kept going back and forth through me. I wasn't expecting it to beat that fast. It was so unsettling, I forgot to breathe. Humans are… I'm sorry Kris. They're like animals. Their bodies are made of flesh and skin. They don't even need magic to stay alive. That's why he was always so scary… I'm a pansy, and I trust him too much to defend myself… so if he ever… got angry or… sick of me… It wouldn't be hard for him to… I mean, he used to carry a knifearound… even though he wouldn't even need—
‟Noelle."
He had his serious face on, I'd only seen that face when he was fighting for our life. His eyes were pointing straight through me, and I couldn't see any emotions in them. I was paralyzed for a second.
‟… I still like you."
I immediately let go. Huh!?
‟… So, you should try not to… hug me like that. I'm still a guy and… it's not easy. For me." - And he returned to the idiot with red bulbs for eyes. That awkward grin hasn't changed.
‟Okay?… Sorry." - And he went back to the screen without looking at me again. I kept checking, and he didn't.
… What am I thinking?! Kris? Him? He can't hurt flies, I've seen him try. He's the last guy I should be afraid of… He's even saved me a few times in the Dark World. Even if he could… he'd never, ever try it… I feel so bad for being scared of him… Am, am I burning up? Oh gosh, I've been red all over for a while. I'm probably glowing redder than the tree. Now he'll really think I'm just—
Haah… I've really screwed the hooves this time… It's clear he won't try anything, thank the Angel for that… Sometimes he's just, all of a sudden he gets super scary and my body unconsciously starts… Stop thinking about this!
He'd gone silent after that, the movie was all I heard… which was only 90 minutes, but it felt… longer. Like four hours long, the tension was being painfully dragged out. I was about ready to jump behind the couch by the end, Kris wasn't saying much, so he was either bored to death, or… thinking about someone.
And wait, is that? It's… It's THAT! The thinghanging around at night!
‟Kris, is that…
… Kris?"
He… wasn't responding.
‟Kris? Kris, answer me?"
Was this, was he pranking me?
‟This isn't funny anymore, Kris?! Answer!"
I started shaking him and… his body fell limply to the side.
‟… K-Kris!? KRIS!"
His face was… he was… he-
‟You fell asleep!?"
That idiot! Don't SCARE ME like that!
He always does this!
I'm going to sleep then!
