A Spirit Between Us (bxb)

Chapter 14 - Sleepover.

The boys had decided to distract themselves from all the supernatural chaos, knowing they'd never be able to relax enough to sleep if they kept stressing about the paranormal world. Finding the book had given them a glimmer of hope, and Archie promised he'd start reading it first thing tomorrow. Hopefully it could explain even a little bit of what was going on, but for now, they needed a break.

They took a quick trip to the store to grab snacks and a toothbrush for Archie. On the way there, Finn filled the silence with mindless chatter, trying his best to act casual and hide his bubbling excitement. On the way back, though, he nearly tripped over his own feet when Archie's hand accidentally brushed against his. He blamed it on a crack in the sidewalk.

Once back at Finn's house, they each ordered a pizza. Finn devoured his in minutes, while Archie, after a few bites, was already full, leaving several slices untouched. Finn made a mental note to finish those later.

They settled after eating and began getting ready for bed. Finn tossed Archie a pair of joggers and a t-shirt to sleep in, which, when Archie put them on, looked absolutely ridiculous. The clothes were comically oversized on the blonde, practically swallowing him whole.

Finn had to bite his lip to stop from bursting out laughing, but a few snickers still escaped. Archie shot him a very unamused glare, his arms swimming in the sleeves. The way the t-shirt sagged down past his elbows made him look more like an annoyed toddler than intimidating, though.

Finn grinned, trying, and failing, not to laugh. "You look like a kid who raided their dad's closet."

Archie deadpanned. "Do you want me to haunt you after I die?"

Now, they were scrolling through an endless list of streaming services, trying to pick something to watch. Finn asked if Archie had seen pretty much every popular movie under the sun, and each time, Archie's answer was the same: "No."

"You've never seen The Hunger Games?!" Finn practically gasped, utterly shocked by Archie's lack of pop culture knowledge.

"No." Archie repeated for the 100th time.

"That's criminal. We're having a marathon." Finn declared.

Archie glanced at the time. "It's nearly 11 p.m. We can't start a movie marathon now."

"Sure we can," Finn said with a grin, already putting on the first movie. "We'll just have to continue it next time."

Archie smiled softly, the kind of smile that was small but genuine. "Next time." He liked the sound of that.

It didn't take long for Archie to get completely sucked into the movie. His expression softened as his eyes glued themselves to the screen, following every twist and turn as the movie unfolded. The flickering light from the TV cast shadows across his face, highlighting the slight furrow in his brow and the occasional widening of his eyes as the action ramped up.

Finn, however, found himself more interested in watching Archie than the movie. Every time a big moment happened, a tense confrontation or a dramatic plot twist, Finn would sneak glances at Archie, eager to see his reactions. When Primm was chosen and Katniss volunteered, Archie's mouth had dropped open slightly, his fingers absentmindedly tugging at one of the rings on his hand. During the intense scenes in the arena, Finn caught the way Archie leaned forward just a bit, clearly engrossed.

Finn couldn't help but smile to himself, feeling a warm flutter in his chest every time Archie's expression changed. It was like seeing the movie through fresh eyes, and watching Archie, someone so cool most of the time, get completely invested was more entertaining than the film itself.