Title: Movies.
Pairing: Matsukura Kaito / Matsuda Genta.
Length: ~ 1680 words.
Summary: Genta wants to be cool. He just doesn't know how to. At least not alone.
Note: For Cortney. Matsumatsu is always right but sorry if the fic itself isn't.
Genta isn’t scared of horror films. Really. He also doesn’t believe in ghosts or anything along those lines, because--- who would? Only little people get scared because of that, and it’s not like he’s little, or scared, or something. He is a full (or well, middle) grown up boy and he shouldn’t be - he even has hair on his legs! Really, he has. If you look close enough.
That’s what he tells himself when he presses play. Yuta, the coolest guy in class, told everyone that he had watched the latest horror film a few days ago alone at home, when his parents went out and clearly had told him not to. He said he wasn’t scared, that he was a tough guy, and that even if it looked like the little girl was about to come out of the screen, he didn’t even scream once. While he got some disapproving looks from his other classmates, most of them just rolling his eyes and going back to their seats, those words left Genta with sparkles in his eyes and his mouth open. He wanted to be that cool. And that was what brought him where he is, alone at home (since his parents had gone to eat dinner with his sister) and buried between a thousand cushions. His arm still trembles with the remote in his hand, trying to keep his eyes open just enough so he can quickly close them when necessary.
But the credits kick in and he has to refrain from screaming at the letter A with some cobwebs reminding himself how cool he’d become if he doesn’t. He decides to pause with tears in his eyes even before the actual movie starts, and falls flat on the sofa bringing a cushion up to cover his face. He didn’t think being cool would be as hard.
Suddenly, though, he gets the cushion out of his face while he stares at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes. “I got it”, Genta whispers. He quickly gets out of the sofa and heads to the table next to the cupboard in the living room, where the telephone is. It may look like he hesitates, telephone already in hand but no intention to dial the number, but he’s got all this decided. With a smile, some seconds later, he presses the numbers he already knows by heart and waits. As someone kind of asks him “Hello?” on the other line, he pouts to himself and prepares to put into action the cutest voice he had to practice for weeks and never, never failed. Of course, this time isn’t an exception.
“Don’t tell me you called me for this.” Kaito is standing on the living room, next to Genta, as they both stare at the TV. The screen remains frozen in the same part, only the credits with a lot of cobwebs decorating them, and Genta looks at the older smiling.
“I want to be cool”, he says as he heads to the sofa, covering himself with cushions again and motioning Kaito to do the same. “I wanted to be cool alone but that seems much harder than I thought, so maybe I can become the coolest guy in class with someone’s help? It’s always been Yuta, we need some change.”
Kaito scoffs at Genta’s innocent words, getting himself on the sofa and covering his lap with the cushion the other boy gives him. Genta is still making himself comfortable, frowning a little when the position isn’t right and moving again. Kaito laughs at that, suddenly stopping when he puts the head on his lap, facing the TV. “Here, comfortable”, there’s a smile in his voice but Kaito just hums and asks him what the movie is about only to change the subject.
“I don’t even know. I asked him which one it was and he just gave the DVD to me the next day, so I thought I wouldn’t be that scared if I just put it in, you know? Like facing the fear up front, like a real hero.” Genta looks proud of himself, fidgeting with the remote on his hand and sneezing later as the cushion he’s using on Kaito’s lap touches his nose.
“Doesn’t that make you more of a coward instead? You’re hiding from the truth”, Kaito laughs and ruffles Genta’s hair, only getting a complain in response. “Come on, press play.”
And as he does, it could have been worse, really. Genta actually enjoys the film, more than being completely terrified by it. It isn’t as scary as he thought, with Kaito next to him, and when he knows something which might scare him is about to pop up, he just hides his face in the cushion and laughs a little, grabbing Kaito’s jeans. He feels warm, protected, and most of all, happy. He doesn’t even scream once - he’s totally going to tell Yuta about this. He will be the coolest one in class after he sits on the table and proudly tells all his friends. Plus he made Kaito watch the film with him. That would give him extra points from the female classmates.
While he is enjoying his thoughts more than the movie itself, though, the ending credits start to appear and he lets out a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. He carefully gets up, taking the cushion with himself, and goes to the nearest wall to turn on the light. After turning the TV off and facing the sofa again, though, he freezes.
“Kaito?” He still rests on the sofa. Pale. His lips almost purple. His eyes too sparkly from retaining his tears. And Genta can’t help but to make a sad face instead of laughing at him like anyone would have done. “Does something happen? Why are you like this?”, he rushes to sit next to him on the sofa, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder and caressing it over his sweater.
Kaito looks down at his lap, where only some minutes ago Genta had his head placed, and uses his sleeve to wipe the tears that had already left his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry”, he keeps repeating as he feels Genta getting closer to him, his warmth on his side and his head slowly falling on his shoulder instead of his hand.
“Were you scared? Do these things scare you?”, he draws patterns on Kaito’s jeans, his eyes getting full of tears already because of the guilty feeling. “Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have made you watch this stuff… We could have watched the LEGO film! Being cooler can wait, I don’t even care if Yuta’s cooler than me if that implies you will be okay, you know!”
Genta says the last sentence almost screaming, some tears already running down his cheek and leaving wet spots in Kaito’s sweater. The older, having calmed down a little, turns his head down to look at him and carefully ruffles his head again. This time, though, Genta doesn’t complain.
“I’m sorry, it’s not your fault so don’t be like this, please. It hurts more seeing you cry than how terrified I was because of this film.” Genta responds squeezing tightly to Kaito’s side, nodding a little against his shoulder. It’s not until some minutes later that he finally gets away, wiping his slightly wet face and looking down at the sofa muttering one last I’m sorry.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m fine now”, he smiles and lights up at Genta’s (finally) subtle smile as well.
Some noise coming from the door makes them both turn their heads towards it, only to find Genta’s family getting in the house. His mother doesn’t even look surprised to see the other boy there, instead smiling at him and asking him about his own mother and her whereabouts.
“It’s quite late, though. Genta, you have spare pajamas, right?” Genta nods, watching his mother put the coats they were wearing on the chairs. “Lend some to Kaito. You’ll stay over tonight, right? I’ll call your mother, that way I can also talk to her a little bit. It’s been so long!”
And as much as Kaito feels troubled and a nuisance, Genta reassures him he isn’t taking his hand in his and squeezing it. He looks up and smiles at him, making Kaito relax and take his hand tight in his, as well. He isn’t frozen at all now.
After hearing Genta’s mother for a while on the phone, the house falls silent. They’re both on Genta’s bed, staring at the ceiling and the younger probably smiling more than he should. The house is quite big, and since at night it gets cold easily, the beams make strange noises that have Kaito shivering a little.
Genta, noticing that, carefully presses his hand next to Kaito’s, asking for permission. And as he only stares at his side, a blush on his face, Genta takes that as a yes and squeezes tight, closing his eyes. It feels weird being like this, though. Him being the one to take care of Kaito, he thinks. But at the same time it feels so, so right and he wishes they didn’t have to go to work tomorrow so they could spend all day watching Disney films that would only make Kaito smile and laugh. “You don’t have to be scared, you know. I’m here.” Genta lets the words slip from his tongue and smiles at himself as he feels Kaito fidgeting with the sheets with his free hand.
“Don’t tell any of this tomorrow at school, though. Like, promise you won’t”. Kaito makes a weird face as he closes his eyes, covering himself up until his chin and tries to sleep, the blush still on his cheeks.
Genta laughs. “I promise”.
And if he gets closer to Kaito when he feels the older shudder because of some noise from the living room despite not being scared at all, tomorrow he’ll say he did it because he was scared as well. Terribly scared. Because he’s cool as that, after all.