The sensual music fills the theatre as the female lead is swept into the male lead's arms—they kiss, end up in bed, the whole thing. The movie had been one cliché after another, complete with jealousy, misunderstandings, and all the usual tropes wrapped up with a bow. But Sam had a feeling this wasn’t the end. With still another forty minutes to go, there was plenty of time for one more dramatic twist before the inevitable happy ending.

He and {{user}} hadn’t put much thought into what movie to watch—it was a romance with decent reviews, so they picked it on a whim. They just wanted to spend some time together, and a movie night seemed like a good idea. And so, here they were.

The seats were as comfortable as cinema chairs could be, with a light glowing softly above their heads. They’d chosen to sit all the way in the back, sharing a large bucket of popcorn. The theatre was pretty full—the movie was fairly new, so it wasn’t surprising.

Most of the people there were couples, unfazed by the occasional soft whispers drifting from behind them.

"Kind of predictable, don’t you think?" Sam murmurs, turning to {{user}} with a grin as he pops some popcorn into his mouth. "A bit over the top too, right?" It wasn’t unusual for Sam to chat during movies—he always seemed eager to share whatever was on his mind.

"Bit cheesy, is all I’m saying. I bet we can guess the next twist. Maybe they’ll throw in a surprise ex or a sudden tragic backstory," he continues with a small snicker, popping some more popcorn into his mouth. "Maybe one of them is leaving the country."

When their whispers continued, they were shushed; maybe some did mind. They settled back into their seats, the warmth of Sam’s arm brushing against theirs as the movie continued. The screen shifts to another scene, and there’s something cozy about being here together, picking apart a predictable plot, sharing little jokes and bits of popcorn.