Nadia thought for sure the way the night started everyone would be too distracted and forget about the dreaded horror films. But no, Minerva had to fucking remember and she convinced Luca and Cameron to watch them. Nadia was outnumbered three to one.

Now she's huddled against Luca, her nails digging into his arm while she watched the Evil Dead through a tiny hole in the blanket she covered herself with. 

"Is it almost over?" She whimpered, she shouldn't be watching shit like this. That possessed woman's eyes were going to haunt her damn dreams.

Luca chuckled, "God, I hope so, I think my arm is bleeding."

"This is what you get for making me watch this." She grumbled.

"Oh, come on it's not that bad," he moved the blanket from her head, "nothing scary is happening right now."

She opened her clenched eyes to watch the obnoxiously large screen, just as the demon possessed woman popped her head out of a hatch in the floor. Nadia screamed and buried her face in Luca's side. "You're an asshole."

His body shook with laughter, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." He pulled the blanket back over her and patted her head like a child, "you better stay under the blanket or it might get you," he teased.

She gripped his arm tighter and snarled, "Fuck off." But it did nothing to stop his laughter.

"Oh, Nadia," Minerva giggled, "I wasn't sure if this one was going to be too much for you." 

Nadia glared across the darkened living room at her, "you did this on purpose." 

Minerva had the audacity to wink at her from her cuddled place under Cameron's arm. 

That bitch. Minerva knew exactly what she was doing. Nadia could never get through a scary movie without hiding under a blanket or clinging to the closest object next to her. This was Minerva's stupid ass attempt to play cupid.

It wasn't going to work because she and Luca didn't like each other like that. So this little trick of hers is just an unnecessary annoyance.

It just made me terrified to go back to my apartment...alone. Fuck, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.

Nadia kept her eyes firmly shut for the remainder of that fucked up movie. This was the last time Minerva got to pick movies for a night like this. Her damn vivid mind is going to have her sleeping with the lights on for days.

Somehow, she managed to fall asleep in the middle of all the screaming, gunshots and chainsaws blaring on the screen. Must've been the weed and alcohol taking the wheel and knocking her scared ass out. 

She woke to Luca gently nudging her awake, "Hey, the movie's over now," he whispered.

She yawned, "thank God for that." 

"Mm-hm, can I get my arm back now?"

Her eyes grew wide as she slowly released her death grip on his arm and slid her leg from around his, "sorry," she mumbled. 

"It's alright," he chuckled, "I didn't mind it." 

A blushed burned over her cheeks and her heart thumped, he didn't mind it? 

"Alright you two, I think Minerva and I are going to head home." Cameron said as he and Minerva popped up from the couch.

"Yeah, Nadia do you want us to take you home or is Gordon taking you?" Minerva said, picking up her purse from the table.

Dread washed over Nadia at the thought of going home to her empty apartment. She usually stayed with Minerva after scary movie night, but that bitch is probably going to Cameron's. 

"Are you okay?" Luca's concerned voice pierced through her frightened thoughts.

Maybe...maybe I can stay...here. Shit, I can't ask him that.

Luca would think she was such a weirdo. What thirty-two year old couldn't go home by herself because she couldn't handle a movie?

Fuck fuck fuck...it's either here or my quiet, creaky empty apartment.

"I'll have Gordon take me home." 

"Okay, cool. I'll call you tomorrow then," Minerva said as she bent down to hug her and she slapped a hand on Luca's shoulder, "thank you for an awesome night, we definitely have to do this again." 

"I look forward to it," he chuckled and got up to walk them to the door.

"Be good, you two," Nadia called to them. 

"We will, see you both soon," Cameron said, bumping Luca's fist and waving to Nadia. 

Luca closed the door and turned to her, "do you want me to call Gordon for you or have you already messaged him?" 

"No," she said, biting her lip, "um, would you mind if...if I stayed here tonight?"

Luca's eyes grew wide and a soft laugh escaped his lips, "are you too afraid to go home?"

She cringed and nodded, "Yes, I-I usually stay with Minerva but...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's so stupid." She laughed and she wanted the floor to swallow her hole. She was so awkward. 

His golden eyes softened, "it's not stupid. I don't mind if you stay."

"Thank you." She breathed as a wave of relief washed over her. She didn't want to ask him in front of Minerva. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of thinking her little plan worked. Because it didn't. She's just scared and staying here is the better option.

"Yeah, I didn't know horror scared you that bad," he chuckled and started picking up glasses and empty chip bowls.

She nodded, getting up to help him, "I have a very vivid imagination it's why I love fantasy but horror," she shuddered, "it haunts me for days." 

"You're going to think I'm weird, but I envy you for that." 

She raised an eyebrow, "Why would you want to feel this scared?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, I love that creepy feeling I used to get as a kid. I keep hoping to find a movie that can scare the shit out of me." 

"Okay Mr. Underworld, you're fucking weird." 

A devilish grin spread over his lips, "I'm pretty sure you meant King of the Underworld." 

She burst out laughing, "No, I meant mister." Her cheeks burned up to her ears. The way he was standing there with his hands on his hips, making his muscles even more pronounced that black t-shirt, made her heart stutter. She could picture him sitting on a throne with a black jagged crown atop his head and the only thing bright about him would be those golden eyes. 

There goes my vivid imagination.

"Mr. Underworld," He held a hand to his chest, "I feel a bit offended by that."

"Aww, did someone want to be King?" She giggled.

His shoulders sagged, "no," he muttered.

She continued to laugh, "Oh my God are you...sulking?

He scrunched his face, "no I'm not sulking. Come on, let me show you to the guestroom." 

She grinned, plucking her purse from the counter and followed behind him, "You're sulking...you like being called Hades, the great King of the Underworld, don't you?" 

The corners of his eyes crinkled and a smile tugged at his lips as he opened a door, "no, but it got your mind off the movie didn't it?" 

Her eyes grew wide and she choked out a laugh, "Yeah I guess it did." She looked into the room and she was blown away by the spectacular view from the floor to ceiling windows over looking the Boston skyline, "Holy shit, does every room have this amazing view?" 

"Um, yeah except the bathrooms and the kitchen," He said and she caught the slight blush on his cheeks, "if you want a change, some of my sister's clothes are in here so help yourself. She won't mind." 

"Thank you for letting me stay."

"You're welcome," he nodded, "if you need anything I'm just down the hall."

"Okay, good night, Luca." 

"Good night, Nadia," he smiled and closed the door behind him.

She slowly looked around the room. It was like something out of a magazine. The bed linens were surprisingly a light cream color with hints of gold littered amongst the fabric. The bed's headboard was white with gold trim. The bedroom furniture was dark wood that contrasted against sheer gold drapes hanging on either side of the enormous windows.

Luca's sister must've decorated this room, it was too warm and cosy to be his design. She padded to the bed and plopped her purse on it. She rummaged through one of the dresser draws and found a t-shirt and a pair of leggings to wear to bed. 

She felt a little awkward wearing his sister's clothes but he did say to help herself and she hated sleeping in jeans. She slid into the bed and almost moaned at the softness of it. She pulled the blankets around her and tapped the light switch next to the headboard.

The room fell into darkness and her heart started pounding in her chest. She pulled the blankets over her head and closed her eyes. The minute she closed them she swore she heard a small cackle and a vision of that evil woman's eyes materialised in her mind.

Her eyes popped open, she slammed her hand on the light switch and sat up. Nope. She was not ready to sleep. She leaned over the bed and plucked a book out of her purse. She'd just read for a while until she calmed down. She needed to get her mind on something else and Niklaus could certainly do that.

A/N: Oh my poor girl! I love horror films for the reason Luca likes them, but I also have a vivid imagination like Nadia so when I do find a scary movie that actually scares me, I sleep with the lights on too 🤣