Lucas impatiently tapped his foot as he stood outside the dormitory, waiting.
Ness had promised to take him to see a movie in town, and Lucas did not plan to be late to the showing. Granted, the movie wasn't for another hour, but Lucas would be hard pressed not to not see the film on a date that he was invited to. Although he looked forward to spending quality time with his roommate-boyfriend, he was not as excited in regard to the movie that he subconsciously agreed to and was too late to back out of.
Rise of the Dark Dragon. Lucas heard something about the ill-named movie involving cults, massacres, or monsters, or some combination of the three. Critics were hailing it as the horror movie of the season, most likely influenced by the spirit of the October month. Lucas was never much for horror movies, but his annoying brother would not stop blabbing on about how amazing of a movie it was whenever he was around him, and so Lucas had to make sure it wasn't as great as his nerd of a sibling was making the movie out to be. Then, when Ness suddenly thought of going on a movie date, Lucas impulsively reacted with voicing out the horror movie of choice, dreading his decision since then.
The sun shone as bright as it ever did in the late afternoon, but its heat was balanced with autumn's refreshingly cool winds. Lucas had dressed warmly in preparation for a cold movie theatre, and he could feel the pores of his head beginning to sweat as a result. He wasn't sure if his feet were itching with perspiration or if they ached from standing for so long. He figured he should have waited in his room for his boyfriend, but they were both already outside at the time, and thought it would be mannerly to wait and walk back to the room with him together. Though, he didn't expect Ness to take this long on this particular day.
Before he clenched his teeth in impatient frustration, Lucas heard the wild calls of jocks coming from the path to the beach, meaning that his boyfriend had finished and was returning. Ness, in nothing more than his indigo board shorts, split with his friends and came strolling up the path towards the blond.
"Hey babe," Ness blurted as he gave the blond a pat on the shoulder. All anger that the blond had prepared to throw at the taller boy diminished temporarily when he felt himself almost swooning after remembering how blessed he was to have such an attractive lover. The surfer's damp hair glistened under the sun, and wet drops of ocean water lingered all over his well-toned body. For a moment, Lucas realized how slightly tanner Ness had gotten from spending so much time at the beach, but the darker skin brought out his cheerful complexion more handsome than ever. Lucas just wanted to hug and kiss him already, but he didn't want to risk his outfit getting unnecessarily wet even just slightly, despite wanting him so much.
Lucas finally recaptured his frustration, and squinted at Ness, feeling slightly guilty about doing so. "You took longer than usual today," he stated. "We're going to be late."
Ness let out a small chuckle. "Fourside brought some amazing waves today, couldn't miss out," he responded. "The movie's not for another hour anyways. Just relax." His hand moved up to the blond's hair and ruffled it playfully, then walked past him into the dorm building.
Lucas's face flushed in anger at being dismissed so easily and out of embarrassment for being teased by his boyfriend. He quickly turned to follow Ness back to their room. "I am relaxed!" he exclaimed. "I just want to make sure we don't miss the movie."
"And I'm saying it's not for another hour," Ness continued. "We still have time to get there. What's the rush?"
Lucas paced faster to keep up with his boyfriend's speed. "You're always relaxed after surfing," he answered. "And when you're relaxed, you're not exactly fast enough."
By the time the blond pointed out the taller boy's traits, the two had made it back to their room, with Lucas closing the door behind them. As Ness grabbed a towel hanging nearby, he turned to the blond. "I'm not going to let you miss the movie," he assured. "We'll head out as soon as I take a shower and stuff."
Lucas sighed, "Fine." Then, he eyed up and down the taller boy, not even trying to be inconspicuous about it.
Ness smirked at him. "You know you're always welcome to join me."
"I already took a shower!" he excused. "Besides…" Lucas's face flushed redder as he stared shyly. "…we'd just be wasting more time together in there."
Ness chuckled, enjoying how easy it was to make him blush. "I'm just teasing, Luc'." He stepped into the bathroom floor and then dropped his shorts, aware that the blond was following behind. He threw the towel over his shoulder, not bothering to cover his lower extremities knowing it wasn't necessary to considering their level of bond. "And you know, doing that stuff with you is never a waste of time."
Lucas huffed out again, waving off the thought before he indulged on it any more than he needed. "Shut up. Just don't take too long. So... no singing."
"Aw, why not?" Ness playfully whined. "You know I like to sing in the shower."
"Yeah, but you take forever in the shower when you sing," Lucas reminded. "Like, at least half an hour."
Ness paused, his face falling with disbelief. "Do I really do that?"
Lucas nodded smugly. "Yes, you do."
Ness shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well… can I at least sing one song? Gotta keep my voice steady so I can serenade you better in the future."
The blond grinned at the thought, remembering where the guitar cased was placed in their shared room, and knew how easy he was captivated whenever Ness pulled out his guitar in front of him, and in recent occasions, for him. College life certainly brought new aspects into his life, he admitted.
Lucas firmly looked at the taller boy. "Okay, fine, but I better not hear you sing a second song."
"You wanna join me and make sure I don't?" Ness said, smirking at him again.
Lucas fumed out air as his face flushed with red once more.
"I'm kidding. I promise: one song." Ness's smile twitched wider as he stepped into the shower, closing the curtain behind him.
Lucas shook his head as he turned around, realizing that Ness always seemed to be able to get the better of him somehow. If it were anyone else, he would hold nothing but hostility, but he knew Ness was purposely being playful and reluctantly welcomed his silly manners. Much to his humiliation, Lucas had no choice but to keep waiting. He didn't feel like walking to his assigned bed. Instead, he just flopped down on his back on Ness's bed—and remembered the one time he slept in it with Ness for experimental purposes since they had gotten together just a couple of weeks ago. The bed's size wasn't intended for two people to sleep side by side, so sleeping together wasn't very comfortable even trying to cuddle all night for the first time, thus they were still stuck sleeping in separate beds. Lucas was still upset over the fact that the dorm managers insisted they don't move the beds for any reason, and there wasn't much they could do about installing a new bed since it would have costed more than what they both could afford at the moment. For now, Lucas enjoyed what comfort Ness's bed had to offer: it was refreshingly cool, cozy, and conveniently painted with Ness's natural scent: the sea breeze of a surfer jock that frequently valued hygiene.
Lucas had closed his eyes to indulge himself in wonderful memories that he had made with on the bed influenced by his sense of smell, and before he knew it, Ness had returned with a towel around his waist. Ness tossed his swim trunks into his hamper as Lucas sat up in bed. "Told ya' only one song," said Ness, his back to Lucas as he opened the closet door.
Lucas wished he had listened to his boyfriend's wonderful singing talent. He heard something like a Siren's enchanting voice singing in his dorm room, but didn't exactly listen the whole time he was in his short daydream. He rubbed his eyes wide awake. "Good, now get dressed so we can go," he voiced.
"Yeah, yeah," Ness replied indifferently. Without hesitation, Ness dropped his towel to grab a pair of boxer briefs. Not wanting to close his eyes again, he gazed at the sight of Ness's bare body. Ness had no qualms about showing off his body, in fact he knew how much his boyfriend enjoyed the sight of him. Lucas thought Ness toned his body well with constant working out and exercise just to tease him like this any moment he could together, but he knew Ness was serious about how he took good care of his health and fitness. Still, Lucas couldn't help but feel uneasy at the sight of such a man, not out of envy, but of serendipity. He questioned again: how blessed he was to be in a relationship with such a beautiful boy, and wondered if fate enjoyed the sight of the blond being teased as much as Ness did.
"Lucas?" called out now half-naked Ness. "You hear me?"
The blond snapped out of his second daydream. "Huh?"
Ness walked over, only in his underwear, and plopped next to the blond to pull him close with his arm. "You sure you don't to… fool around before our date?"
"Ness." Lucas squinted, but his lips were gradually growing into a smirk.
Ness smirked too, and then pecked the blond's lips to soften his frustration. "You're so easy, you know."
Lucas lightly bumped his head with Ness's. "Shut up. What did you actually say?"
"I asked you, where do you want to eat after the movie?" Ness stated again.
Lucas pulled his head away, staring at Ness in disbelief. "We're eating out too?"
"Well, why not?" Ness inquired. He stood back up and resumed searching for outgoing clothes in his closet. "As long as we're out on a date, we might as well make the best of it."
A moment of silence settled as Ness pulled out his choice of clothes to wear. After slipping into jeans that fit just right, he buttoned on a blue-yellow plaid dress shirt while watching the blond put on a thinking face, awaiting a response.
"I don't know, really," Lucas finally answered. "Somewhere quick?"
Ness tilted his head playfully. "You don't want me to take you out on a romantic, candlelit dinner?"
Lucas sneered back at him. "As much as I'd love that, you know our wallets combined can't handle a fancy dinner in the Big Banana until both of us get our next monthly allowances."
Ness softly scoffed. "Okay, rain check on our romantic dinner until then?"
"Oh, I guess," Lucas answered mockingly. "As for tonight, how about we go for burgers, my treat?"
"Burgers after a movie? Perfect." Ness, now fully dressed and lightly masked in a fascinating body spray, motioned for Lucas to get up. "Alright, now let's not be late, hm?"
"Yes, let's not," Lucas followed Ness to the door, but Ness stopped dead in the doorway.
"Oh no," Ness uttered in a low tone.
Lucas's heart dropped quickly. "What is it?"
"I…I think gravity suddenly increased on me. I can't move." Ness couldn't keep a straight face, and was glad it wasn't apparent to the blond.
Lucas pouted behind Ness's back. "Ha-ha, Ness. Now move." But Ness became a statue in the doorway, and his muscular frame effectively trapped Lucas inside the room. Even after Lucas poked him lightly, he didn't bulge. "Come on, Ness, this isn't funny."
"I'm telling you, I'm stuck. You're going to have to move me yourself." Ness turned his head to show off his smile, stabbing Lucas at his mind.
"Ness!" Lucas angrily shouted as he pushed harder against him. Though harder he tried, the same physique that Lucas had been admiring was impeding his every intention. He nudged the taller boy with his own shoulder, pacing his stamping feet in place, but Ness continued to be firmly glued in his spot.
Having let the joke run its course, Ness moved out of the doorway. Ness was unaware, though, that Lucas had placed all his weight against his back, and so the golden crouton was headed crashing straight toward the ground. Ness quickly caught his roommate in a dip to keep him from hitting the floor, then pulled him back up towards his own body. Ness looked at his lover after cradling him into his arms, and Lucas gazed back up at the boy who was delicately holding him.
"You're such a jerk," Lucas muttered straight at his face.
Those words, unsure if they were a prank to get back at him, or if they were genuine, struck Ness deeply. His expression quickly dropped into a frown. "I'm sorry," he responded, and the grasp he had on the blond was firmer. His chin was placed against Lucas's forehead, and he pressed his lips onto him after a moment of embrace.
Lucas realized how honest Ness's feelings had reacted, and he carefully pulled his head away and looked up. He cupped Ness's face down to him and collided his lips with his own. Eyes closed gently and their lips were locked tightly together, until Lucas pulled away smiling.
"Hey, it's okay," Lucas told. "I didn't really mean it."
"No, I went too far," Ness shook his head. "Lemme make it up to you."
Lucas warmly grinned at him. "Well, buy me popcorn and a drink for the movie then. How about that?"
"Deal," Ness smiled back at him, and gripped hands with his boyfriend before they began their walk together.
The duo made their way to the nearby subway station, leaving the beachside dormitory by train and headed further towards the heart of the city. It was only just a couple blocks of walking distance for them to arrive at their date destination.
At the theatre, it became apparent that Ness and Lucas were not the only ones earnestly waiting for Rise of the Dark Dragon; the theatre was packed with people. Lucas made sure to point out that had they arrived any later, they might not have been able to secure tickets for themselves. However, thanks to his insistence on being as prompt as possible, they were able to snag a few of the last tickets for their five o'clock viewing.
As promised, Ness treated his boyfriend to buttered popcorn and a soda, while spontaneously buying the same items for himself. Then, they made their way inside and took seats in a corner area of the theatre, taking two available seats at the end of a row. Ness teased himself to a few pieces of his movie popcorn, but Lucas held onto his box tightly, refusing to eat any until the movie started. However, his rumbling stomach influenced by the smell of fresh, warm buttered popcorn didn't enjoy this particular decision.
The boys chatted idly while the pre-show advertisements rolled on the screen. Their small talk included Lucas promptly mentioning to not to do the cliché yawn and throwing an arm around him gesture—but rather, just pull him quickly close only if he felt scared. Ness was confident he was strong-willed to handle whatever the movie would throw at him, and instead heeded his boyfriend to take his words to heart as well. As the wait lengthened, Lucas noticed how Ness was eating before the showing, and tried to romantically feed him, but purposely failed in a comedic way. They enjoyed their laughs, unaware of how fast time seemed to pass by when they were naturally enjoying each other's presence. Eventually, the lights dimmed, the previews started, and then the movie began.
Half an hour into the movie, Lucas had nearly devoured all his popcorn while resisted drinking all of his soda to prevent himself from abruptly going to the bathroom. As the plot grew darker and more horrific, Lucas ate more insatiably; he had underestimated the fear aspect of the film. Screams were sounded in the theatre on occasion, and he wasn't sure if it was from someone in the audience or from a sound effect in the movie. With every scream, he felt his skin ready to tingle. At every jump scare, Lucas's body flew out of his seat, and at every torture scene, his entire body shivered furiously. Throughout the viewing, he felt short bursts of nausea, and wasn't sure if it was an sensual response from seeing so much bloody massacre, or if it was a gradual effect from the salty butter from his popcorn. At some point, he wondered, how could his brother… or really, anyone, like this stuff?
Ness could feel the uneasiness radiating off his boyfriend. He whispered to the blond if he was okay, but Lucas quickly denied any hesitation. Ness knew he was lying, noticing how Lucas held onto the armrests with a deathly grasp, and his eyes were wide open with both curiosity and anxious anticipation. After realizing Lucas couldn't look away, he decided to try to relieve him someway without interrupting his viewing. Amid the movie, while not taking his own eyes off the screen, Ness pried one of Lucas's hands free and held it in his own. Lucas's body reacted to the comfort of holding Ness's hand—his breathing softened, and his heartbeat slowed—but his mind was so enveloped with seeing the movie to the end that he didn't take a complete conscious notice of his boyfriend's effort to calm him.
After the movie, the two left the theatre and headed to one of their favorite burger-selling franchises in the area. Instead of choosing to dine inside, Lucas insisted they take their food to eat back at the dorm, excusing himself with the fact that daylight was quickly fading and that it would be safe if they returned as soon as possible.
Ness felt very guilty throughout the night. Despite Lucas admitting how greatly he enjoyed spending time with him, it was obvious that the evening ended with repercussions. This was further reinforced when Ness noticed the half-eaten hamburger thrown into the trash—Lucas usually never wasted good food. It was his invitation that brought him out to the scary movie in the first place, but had no idea it would affect him this much. He figured he should make it up to him as soon as possible…
"Lucas," Ness muttered lazily from his bed.
The movie's ending credits rolled, and Lucas kept a brave face for his roommate as they left the crowded theatre, but Ness saw right through his mask. Lucas had uttered words of appreciation for their time together, but he never admitted how the film absolutely terrified him. Blood splattered everywhere, shadows crept in every frame, and the most horrifying creation he had ever seen… it was more than etched in his mind, he could imagine himself being a part of the film. He would walk cautiously down a dark path just like the heedless island citizens… only to be gored down by the ultimate—
"Lucas!"
The blond groaned lightly where he lied. "What?"
"Go to sleep," Ness spoke.
"I am."
"Then stop twisting and turning. The bed creaks louder than you think."
Lucas sat up, looking across the room in the darkness at his turned over roommate. He let out a weary sigh and crashed back into his mattress.
He laid still for a moment, but the dark images crept back into his mind. Before long, he was tossing himself about again in a futile attempt to get comfortable.
As Lucas continued to turn in his bed and hold his head, he failed to hear a disappointed sigh, but froze when he heard the sound of a bed creaking that wasn't his own. He felt footsteps tremble closer, and then they stopped right before him. He was afraid to turn his back around.
"Scoot over," ordered the voice. Lucas's body reacted without question, and then he waited. In just a moment more, the figure laid himself down on the bed.
"Ness?" questioned the blond. He turned his body over, only to be immediately caught by an arm and pulled closer to his chest. For a very brief moment, it felt like he was about to be entrapped by a monster from the movie. Instead, he felt a light breathing brush his face, and a warm, bare body engulfing him with protection.
Like usual, Ness had stripped down to just his boxer briefs to sleep, while Lucas wore one of many plain undershirts and loose shorts. Even so, Lucas's skin shuddered bashfully just from the touch of Ness's body, whether his own was protected by fabric or not. Ness had then wrapped his arms around Lucas and dragged him closer to his chest. An exasperated Lucas now laid on Ness's bare chest, unable to move in his hold.
"What are you doing?" asked Lucas, his sound almost muffled by the other's close body.
Ness let his head relax on the single pillow they shared together. "If you can't keep yourself still, then I will. Now, go to sleep."
Lucas struggled in Ness's hold, but there was nothing he could do. Lucas glared at his boyfriend's chest in the dark. He let out a big, deep breath, hoping the warm fumes tickled the older boy's skin and caused even a slight reaction. Though Ness failed to budge, the breath calmed Lucas very highly, as with his deep inhale, he got a big whiff of Ness's scent. Being that it came from himself, the smell was naturally potent with the combination of ocean, body spray, deodorant, and something… uniquely homely. Altogether, it was a very pleasant aroma.
Lying on his chest, Lucas could feel Ness's torso slowly rising and falling with each breath, and the rhythmic motion further relaxed him. The calm, steady breathing Ness shared reminded the blond how tranquil he needed to be as well. Then, he noticed his boyfriend's body heat was emanating greater warmth than before. The state he was in was better than being engulfed in a luxuriously soft blanket. Against his will, Lucas began to feel very cozy.
As Ness fell deeper asleep, his hold on Lucas loosened. The blond could easily escape his position, but a strong impulse kept him from moving. It wasn't because moving around would wake him, or that moving around in a small bed would cause more trouble than comfort. He would never admit it so easily, but being this close to Ness felt so relaxing that he didn't want to change how he was receiving such a comforting aura by even a little bit.
Lucas felt his eyes growing heavy, and realized how inevitable that he was going to fall asleep at this rate. Ness was surely asleep at this point, and so Lucas nuzzled his head into Ness's chest and let out one last, deep breath, praying that his unconscious, soon-to-be-asleep body would not move in his spot. The horrific scenes from the movie were far at the back of his mind. Lucas drifted off to sleep with only pleasant thoughts and images of his lover smiling at him as he was held close in his grasp. Just before his mind went completely blank, a small few words of appreciation escaped him, knowing he wouldn't get the chance to say them again until another loving moment such as right now.
"Thanks, Ness."
