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"Are you sure about this?"
"No." Carly Beth pulls her blanket closer, "Play it anyways."
Sabrina nods, clicking play on the VHS player and hurrying back to Carly Beth's couch. She snuggles up next to Carly Beth before the machine has time to finish thinking, preemptively ready to offer comfort.
Halloween dates have always been a staple of their relationship, from trick-or-treating to costume parties. And now, to romantic dates. But their Halloweens have always taken on a softer approach than tonight, usually involving Sabrina saving Carly Beth from some bully or the couple ignoring the holiday altogether and instead enjoying typical time together.
Tonight is different. Tonight the romantic movie Sabrina picked up from Blockbuster has been replaced with a movie aptly titled Halloween. Tonight, Carly Beth is taking this as a sign that it's time to get over her fears.
She barely makes it through the opening credits, the mere idea of a horror movie welling up in her chest, choking her breath, leaving her sputtering against Sabrina's shoulder.
"Carly Beth." Sabrina keeps her voice as calm and strong as possible. She's been through this so many different times with her, she's picked up a few tricks. "Breathe. Close your eyes and plug your ears and breathe."
Carly Beth nods numbly, cupping her hands over her ears and breathing hard. Sabrina slowly edges away from her, trying to focus on the ragged sound of her breathing while she hurries to the VHS player. She hits pause, rewind, and then eject. Sabrina tucks it back into its casing as Carly Beth's breath regulates, returning to her with hands on her elbows.
Carly Beth looks up at her with eyes that seem to focus better. Cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I'm--"
"Don't be sorry. Never be sorry."
Carly Beth nods, then smiles when Sabrina presses a kiss to her forehead. To the bridge of her nose. To her cheek. Carly Beth laughs softly, sadly. "It's like your kisses are magic or something. They really help."
Sabrina barely manages to stifle a laugh. "Do you think if I spent an entire horror movie kissing you, you'd get through it?"
Carly Beth bursts into giggles, and Sabrina counts this as a point toward her and against the ever-present threat of anxiety in Carly Beth's life. Love has set her into an eternal war against it, even if she prefers to think of it as a continuous quest toward comfort, happiness, and relief.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better. I don't want to try again."
Sabrina nods. "What do you wanna do?"
Carly Beth hums, her eyes fluttering back closed. "I dunno. I don't think I can think right now."
"Okay." Sabrina shifts, letting Carly Beth lean forward into her embrace. Cuddles, she chooses. "Let me know if you think of anything."
Carly Beth nods, and she doesn't.