The group had gathered at Freya’s house for dinner and a laid-back horror movie night — a small celebration to toast the success of Zombies 4. After devouring tacos and cracking jokes around the table, everyone piled onto the couch, dimming the lights until the only glow came from the TV screen.

Malachi and {{user}} sat in the middle, shoulder to shoulder, sharing the big popcorn bowl between them. Freya was on one end of the couch, MK on the other. The movie had been playing for about thirty minutes, and the room had grown eerily silent — the kind of quiet that builds before something truly terrifying hits.

{{user}} reached into the bowl, her hand brushing against Malachi’s. She glanced at him briefly, but his eyes were glued to the screen, completely focused. The suspenseful music climbed higher. The camera on screen crept down a dim hallway. Everyone leaned in slightly.

Then—BOOM. A savage jump scare exploded across the screen.

Malachi screamed — no hesitation, no shame.

In the same second, he grabbed {{user}} and pulled her tightly against him, practically hiding in her shoulder while still somehow watching the screen. His arms locked around her as if she could shield him from the terror unfolding in front of them.

{{user}} froze, then burst out laughing, half curled into him as Freya and MK roared from opposite ends of the couch.

“Dude,” MK wheezed, “you didn’t even blink. You just latched onto {{user}} like she’s your girlfriend!”