"You almost ready?" Zak calls from the other room.

"Almost!" I answer placing the last few items into the container. 

"This storm is really coming in now." He adds, making me look up from the kitchen island towards the window where raindrops dashed across the window. 

"Woah, you're right." I reply looking at it for a few more seconds before returning back to what I was doing. 

Tonight was Halloween and one of the first nights Zak had taken off. Normally, he would be doing an investigation, with the veil between the worlds being thin, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to gather evidence. But instead, he chose to take it off and use an episode filmed last week for their spot on the channel.  Leaving the rest of Vegas to fight off the evil spirits of the night. 

Grabbing two bottles of water and the containers, I make my way into the lounge where Zak is stood looking out into the garden and towards the Vegas skyline. 

"I think it's going to thunder." He says with his back to me. 

"Then you better get away from the window." I tell him, setting the food and drink onto the table. 

Gracie lifts her head from her bed and slowly pulls herself up to jump up onto the couch, ready for our movie night. I smile and reach down ruffling her fur before looking at Zak. "Ready when you are."

He turns with that heart stopping smile of his and makes his way over. "You sure you wanna watch this?" 

The wall mounted TV shows a face that I used to have nightmares about..

"What could possibly go wrong with watching a horror film on Halloween?" I ask. 

An involuntary squeak escapes me when Zak pulls me down onto the couch beside him and places my legs over his. 

"Well let me know if you get scared."

"Why? You going to protect me?" I tease. 

He looks away from the TV to me before answering. "Always."

His sincerity makes my heart squee making me snuggle in closer. "Let's do this."

As the film starts, I feel his fingers playing with the ends of my hair. Once upon a time, I used to find it odd sometimes annoying, but I soon learnt that the small gesture not only relaxed me, but comforted him. Now it was normal, instinct even. 

"You know what I find intriguing?" Zak asks making me look at him. "That you wanted to watch this."

"How so?"

"This film is based of Ed Gein, it's the only room in the museum that I know you're uncomfortable. But tonight, you wanted to watch this film." He responds. 

"Hmm. You know, the mask always used to terrify me and for some reason, the older the film, the scarier it is."

"That's because they didn't have so much red tape."

I agree. "The house is really nice though. Big, I mean. Obviously needs a major overhaul. He can keep the flesh lamps, nipple belt and tongue necklace though."

Zak laughs. "Not your taste?"

"Flesh isn't in this season."

His laugh turns into a high pitched one making me giggle myself and watch as holds his stomach. He very rarely uses his real laugh, embarrassed because it's not a manly bellow. But I love hearing it each time and wish it was something I could record and keep. 

Our laughter eventually dies out as the film progresses and when I jump, I feel his hand tighten on my knee and arm pull me into him a little more. 

There's a bit, where I'm absolutely engrossed, unable to blink or even breath, when I hear...
"Did you make snacks?"

I barely nod, and lean forward, picking up a container before setting it on my lap so that we could both eat through it. 

"Well damn, look at this." I hear him say before I hear crunching and a satisfied noise leave his chest. Looking over at him in the dark, I see him peering into the container, using the light of the TV to pick his next item. 

Our eating habits vary, and sometimes in the evenings, we tend to eat the wrong foods and regret it. So tonight, instead of sitting here with potato chips, candy and chocolate, I had made us both a snack box, filled with healthier options. Such as carrots, apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, sliced peppers, houmous, baked chewy bars and only a small section of popcorn.
I clearly made the right choice and only seconds later, I am being hand fed a strawberry. 

"This is so good." He whispers. 

I nod "I made you one for work tomorrow too." 

"You made me lunch?" He asks causing my eyes to move off the tv yet again to look at him. 

"Yep. Similar to this, all healthy, no rubbish."

"Nobody has ever done that.. Thank you." He says before kissing me on the cheek and pulling me in closer again. 

We both fall back into the film and it's just getting to a scary part, when Leatherface is about to find his next victim when the TV cuts out and everything turns black. 

A protest is on the tip of my tongue, but a scream escapes when a clatter of thunder sounds, scaring me half to death. I grab Zak instantly before letting go when he complains about my nails. 

"Sorry. Sorry." I apologise rubbing his arm. 

"Sit here, don't move. I'm going to find some candles." He says moving my legs off his. 

"You're coming back right?" I ask. 

"Of course sweetie." He answers. I can barely make him out in the darkness thanks to his dark clothes, but feel him kiss me on the forehead before disappearing. 

Gracie snores quietly beside me, calming me down enough to look around. A few minutes later and with the power of the torch on his phone, Zak comes back with two candles in his hand. 

"Is that all the candles you have?" I ask. 

"Nope." With a rustle he drops a bag of tea lights on the table. Working as a team, I open the bag and set the candles out, pushing up the wick so that he can light it before. 5 minutes later, we have a glowing table of candles, turning the dark room into a romantically lit one. 

"This is nice." I tell him as he sits back down. 

"I knew I bought them for a reason." He smiles, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch, and placing it over our laps. 

"So much for spending Halloween watching scary films huh?" I ask. "It's kinda ruined it."

"Meh, I don't mind. I got you, Gracie, we got candles, we are all cosy and it's raining outside with a little thunder. To me, this is perfect. Besides, I prefer to have you all to myself."

I giggle "Is that so?"

"Yeah. So Ed Gein can get in line. Cause tonight, you're all mine." He answers with a tight hug.

"I am loving the sound of that already."