Lets Stay Like This (Little Nightmares)

Friday afternoons..

It was another Friday afternoon, and as usual, Mono and Six had made plans to hang out at Mono's house after school. They'd managed to snag a couple of movies from the local store earlier—some old horror flicks they could both laugh at, since neither of them scared easily.

By the time they arrived at Mono's place, the sun was already setting, casting a golden glow through the windows. Mono's parents were out again, leaving the place to them. Six kicked off her boots by the door and immediately sprawled out on the couch, tossing her jacket into the corner. Mono, on the other hand, headed for the kitchen, grabbing a couple of sodas and some snacks before joining her.

"You always make yourself right at home," he teased, handing her a soda and sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. His legs took up most of the space, forcing Six to scoot over to make room.

Six snorted, cracking open her soda. "Someone has to keep your boring house from feeling like a crypt," she said, glancing around with her typical smirk.

They both settled in, the first movie starting with a grainy opening sequence that looked more like a bad joke than anything terrifying. Six immediately leaned forward, laughing at the cheesy effects. "This is what you call a horror movie? Really?" she teased, side-eyeing Mono.

Mono grinned, but his mind wasn't really on the movie. As much as he wanted to play it cool, he couldn't help but sneak glances at Six out of the corner of his eye. There was something different about tonight—he didn't know what it was, but every time she laughed or shifted on the couch, he felt this weird knot in his chest. Maybe it was just the close quarters, or maybe it was something else.

Six, on the other hand, was her usual self—though, if she was honest, something about the quiet of the room, the coziness of Mono's house, and the way they always ended up just the two of them was starting to feel different to her too. She wasn't good with this stuff—feelings, especially—but she was trying her best to just brush it off as nothing.

The movie played on, and after a while, Six felt herself sinking further into the couch, getting more comfortable. She wasn't really watching the screen anymore, though. Her attention had wandered, and now she found herself watching Mono. She hadn't noticed before just how tall he'd gotten lately—his legs stretched almost halfway across the room, it seemed. She glanced down at her own much shorter legs, huffing a quiet laugh. It wasn't fair.

Without thinking, she kicked his shin lightly. "Hey, tree boy, scoot over. You're taking up all the room."

Mono raised an eyebrow, shifting slightly, but not enough to really give her any more space. "Can't help it if I'm tall," he teased. "Maybe you're just... you know, extra short."

Six's eyes narrowed, but there was a teasing spark behind them. "You wanna say that again, stretch?" She kicked him again, a little harder this time, but Mono just grinned, unfazed.

"You heard me," he shot back, his grin widening.

In an attempt to retaliate, Six shoved his leg with her foot, trying to push him off balance, but Mono was too quick. He grabbed her ankle, catching her by surprise, and in one swift motion, he tugged her closer, her smaller frame sliding across the couch toward him.

Six gasped, flustered for a split second as she found herself practically pressed up against him. Mono froze too, his hand still holding her ankle. They were way closer than either of them expected, their faces just inches apart now. The room seemed to go quiet for a moment, the playful teasing suddenly giving way to an awkward, intense silence.

Six's cheeks flushed, though she'd never admit it. She felt her heart skip a beat, something unfamiliar stirring in her chest. Her instinct was to pull away, to retreat behind her usual tough-girl façade, but something kept her there.

Mono, equally caught off guard, was staring right at her. He felt the heat rise to his face, unsure of what to do or say. He had always been so careful to keep things easy between them, not wanting to make things weird, but right now, he was failing miserably at that. He let go of her ankle slowly, clearing his throat.

"Uh... sorry," he mumbled, eyes darting away as he leaned back, giving her space again.

Six, recovering from her moment of flustered panic, quickly tried to play it off. "Yeah, you better be," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and sinking back into her spot on the couch. She kept her gaze fixed on the screen, refusing to look at him, but the heat hadn't left her cheeks.

For a while, they just sat there, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. But it wasn't bad—it was just... different. A weird, new kind of energy that neither of them knew how to handle.

Eventually, Mono broke the silence. "You okay?"

Six nodded, still not looking at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Mono chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

There was another beat of silence before Six finally glanced his way, a small, teasing smirk pulling at her lips. "You're a terrible movie buddy, you know that? You can't even handle a little teasing without getting all weird."

Mono rolled his eyes, his usual sarcastic humor kicking in to deflect from the awkwardness. "Says the one who almost died of embarrassment just now."

Six shot him a glare, but there was no real malice behind it. "You wish."

They both laughed quietly, the tension easing a little as their playful banter resumed. But even as they settled back into their usual dynamic, there was still something lingering beneath the surface—a small, flickering feeling that neither of them quite knew what to do with.

The movie ended, and as the credits rolled, Six stretched and yawned, still feeling a little flustered from earlier but trying her best to act normal.

"Guess I'll head home," she said, standing up and grabbing her jacket.

Mono nodded, walking her to the door. "Yeah. Same time next week?"

Six paused at the threshold, glancing back at him. "Yeah. Same time." She hesitated for a second, then gave him a small, genuine smile—a rare one that wasn't hidden behind her usual sarcastic mask. "Later, Mono."

Mono smiled back, feeling that same weird knot in his chest again. "Later, Six."

As she walked down the front steps and disappeared into the evening, Mono stood at the door for a moment, staring after her. He didn't know what was going on between them, but whatever it was, it was new... and maybe not so bad.

((1100+ words))

This one had a small bit of shipping but I think that's as intense as it's getting for now!! Hope you enjoyed, save travels little one, thanks for reading!!