Jump Scare - Maaka Autumn AU Scenario (Patreon)

“Three bags of caramel popcorn, please,” Maaka asks with a large grin before looking at me. 

“What did you want?”

The guy behind the counter chuckles, gaining a confused frown from Maaka.

“He’s serious,” I comment, holding back a laugh as the guy’s expression twists from amusement to shock.

“Oh,” he replies before scooping out the popcorn.

Maaka grabs up the bags easily and grasps them into the crook of one arm, using his free hand to wrap around me and tug me closer.

The laughter from before I could contain, but my smile at his easy affection is something I can’t hide.

“Is this too much?” he asks, gesturing with a nod to his arm. “Especially for a first date?”

I shake my head and lean into him. “It’s fine. And I suppose technically we could class this as our third date.”

“Third?” he blurts out, his thick, dark eyebrows arching into expressive curves. “I’d say that mission we spent those days staking out that supernatural at the hotel as our first.” His gaze sweeps over me in apparent memory of how close we had to get in order to fit into some rather cramped cupboards for surveillance…not that either of us were complaining.

I hold up two fingers. “Second was that time we ended up stuck in the meeting room together when the lock jammed. Pretty sure our vending machine snacks could class as a dining date.”

His lips spread into a grin that almost causes the people passing by to swoon, as well as my own legs go into a slight wobble. “Oh right. Yeah, that totally counts!”

Maaka hands our tickets over to the usher before we head into the movie theatre. We settle into the middle row, already leaning into each other the moment we take our seats.

He spreads the popcorn bags between us. “Help yourself.”

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright with this movie?” I ask as I pop a few sweet kernels into my mouth. Something about caramel and autumn seems the perfect mix.

He shrugs his large shoulders. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well,” I roll my lips together before continuing, “Tane told me you’re…not the best when it comes to jump scares.”

“He what?!” A cacophony of ‘Shhhh’s’ follows his outburst, and I’m glad he can’t see my silent laughter in the gloom of the theatre. “He what?” he repeats in a much quieter voice.

“Is it true?” I ask.

He blusters and fumbles, gesturing with his hands and sputtering over a reply before frowning deeply. “…I’ll be just fine.”

A sudden blast of music announces the beginning of the horror movie—a good choice for a Halloween date, Farah had suggested—so we turn to face the screen, but not without our legs moving to brush each other’s and remain touching throughout.

-

To give Maaka his due, he managed to hide his obvious flinches as the variety of jump scares and sudden bursts of horror-inducing activity pretty well for most of the movie.

It’s not until a flurry of music builds up the next one to extreme levels that he yelps and sends the popcorn flying around us like sugary shrapnel.

I burst out laughing, once more gaining us a chorus of shushing, so I do my best to stifle the sound, but it’s impossible as Maaka throws a glare in my direction.

“That wasn’t my fault,” he whispers, throwing his hands out towards the screen. “Everyone jumped at that.”

I rest my hand on his thigh without thinking. “Not quite so spectacularly though.”

His gaze drops to the touch, and I swallow hard as I make to draw away, but he takes my hand to keep it in place. “It helps with my anxiety,” he explains with a growing smile.

“I’m sure it does,” I murmur back, leaning in as he makes to close the gap. “Anything else I can do to help with that?”

He moistens his shapely lips and lets his attention linger on my own parted mouth. “Oh, for sure.”

His kiss is just like him: enthusiastic, strong, but every motion done with care. It’s warm and makes my mind fuzzy with happiness, my body radiating with just as much energy.

Considering I was supposed to be the one helping to distract him, I can barely even remember where we are as I lose myself to the moment.