Happy Soul
pkstarstorm
Summary:
TJ invites Cyrus to hang out at his house and watch a scary movie, and Cyrus ends up with an oversized hoodie and a few fears conquered.
"So, how does it feel to be 13 now?"
A friendly voice rang through Cyrus' ears, accompanied by the clanging of a red lunch tray against the flimsy lunch table; breaking any silence that was previously there.
"Ah— good!" Cyrus replied with a smile, looking up from his own red tray to see the source of the voice, Marty, scooting himself up to Buffy. "I'm mostly just glad It's over." He gestured outwards dramatically with his hands, signalling that he was over it. "Oh yeah, you missed Cyrus totally tearing up the dance floor." Buffy said half sarcastically, nudging Marty with her elbow. "What I would've given to see that.." Marty sighed, reaching over and taking a bite of Buffy's apple.
Cyrus didn't really know when it started happening, but Marty was including himself in their group more often, and the way he made Buffy smile and laugh gave Cyrus his own mini butterflies. He was glad to know someone like Marty would be there for her if he suddenly got attacked by wolves; even if it did mean having less leg room at their lunch table.
As Buffy and Marty bickered now, Cyrus only able to make out an exasperated "What- my apple!" from Buffy before turning away from them, he noticed Andi and Jonah making their way towards them out of the corner of his eye, laughing at something between eachother.
Cyrus squinched his eyes. During his bar mitzvah yesterday it seems like they patched things up, which meant a lot less stress for all of them; yet Cyrus still felt a pit in his stomach as he looked at Jonah again. He hadn't mentioned his feelings for Jonah since he first talked with Buffy, and he could feel all of his emotions being bottled up as the minutes ticked by. Yet he didn't feel like talking about it, he'd rather deal with his emotions himself. Which with everything that his therapist has told him; should not be his first thought.
"Hey, Cyrus." Jonah said with a smile as he sat down across from Andi, who had sat next to Cyrus without him even noticing. He broke out of his own moody thoughts to give a warm smile back, then turned towards Andi to tell her about this new camera he's been researching for his 'big director gig'. "Oh, so you're still gonna do the school video thing huh?" Jonah chimed in, catching Cyrus off guard. "Yeah, are you still sure you don't wanna be in front of the camera?" Andi chuckled, and soon enough Buffy and Marty came back to earth after discussing proper apple eating etiquette for the past five minutes.
"Cyrus listen, you can just cast me as the lead star; I promise I won't be mad." Marty added, earning a light punch in the arm from Buffy. "Ow."
Now as the conversation turned to how Buffy's light punches were more like her hitting you with a ton of bricks, Cyrus hardly noticed the footsteps that trailed up behind him; followed by the arm laid over his shoulders. "Hey, day-after-birthday boy." Cyrus turned his head to see TJ looming over him, smiling. Not menacingly, more like when a Great Dane really wants your attention.
"Hey, basketball guy with scarily good dance moves." Cyrus smiled back, referencing the night before where TJ totally showed him up on his own turf. "Finally.. you recognize my real talent." TJ joked. He looked a little stressed out, like he had something to say but was waiting for the right time. Cyrus laid his head back to get a better look at TJ's facial expression, and noticed his eyes flicking between Cyrus and the rest of the group. They definitely had noticed him, but paid no attention other than an occasional glance from Buffy.
"So, do you wanna hang out later?" TJ managed to blurt out, moving his arm from Cyrus' shoulder to lean on the table. "I was just thinking my place, watch a couple movies." He trailed off, his back now turned away from the rest of the group and his focus on Cyrus. "That sounds fun. But I have to let you know, I'm good with anything but horror." Cyrus mentioned and immediately regretted, as any previous look of stress on TJ's face turned to mischief.
"Guess we're watching horror."
"No!" Cyrus whined, grabbing the hem of TJ's hoodie as he turned to walk away. "See you later; I'll text you the address." TJ flashed a smile one last time, reaching his arm out to ruffle Cyrus' hair before walking to his own table. Slightly annoyed yet happy from the invitation, Cyrus reached up to his own hair to smooth it out.
Cyrus doesn't quite remember giving TJ his number, but remembers seeing TJ at the party yesterday during all the commotion. It was nice to just have a minute alone, and he distinctly remembers the fresh air as he and TJ sat outside if only for a few moments.
"Well that was.. weird." Buffy muttered to Cyrus once TJ had left. "How so?" Cyrus asked with a tilt of his head. "Why didn't he invite any of us? we were all sitting right here."
"He probably figured you would say no." Marty added, through a mouthful of deli salami. "Sure, but the thought still would've been better than nothing. And maybe you guys would've went." Buffy said, earning a few disgruntled noises from the rest of the group. "I don't really know TJ like that." Jonah shrugged.
"Alright.. point taken." Buffy accepted that there really was no point in him asking, but you could almost see the steam coming off of her as she stabbed a fork through her own food. "But if for some reason all his friends are there and they try to stuff you in the fridge; call us." Andi patted Cyrus' shoulder. He nodded, making sure to have them on speed dial incase he was somehow stuck in a fridge. "Don't worry about me. TJ really isn't that kind of guy." Cyrus said, looking over at Buffy to see her glaring daggers into him.
"Okay.. I'll be careful." He put his hands up, which seemed to calm her down if only slightly. Buffy really was scary when she was looking out for his wellbeing.
As everyone finished their lunch and started getting ready to leave, Cyrus couldn't help but wonder what made TJ so eager to ask Cyrus to hang out right then and there. If anything he thought TJ would rather pull him off to the side and talk privately, but he came to the realization that this is only a good sign; and TJ was possibly trying to get closer to the group in someway.
—
"Hello? Swingset boy?"
Cyrus called out, knocking at the door of a small house tucked away in a small neighborhood. From the outside it looked like it couldn't be any bigger than two bedrooms; the main focus being the sleek dark-wooded garage at the front, and a dark stone path curving around the side of the house revealing a neat black welcome mat accompanied by a small fern. A bit different from the welcome mat at his own home that reads 'Wipe your paws', which promptly gets switched out to a nicer one before important guests come over.
"Swingset boy? That's a new one." TJ opened the door, and at that moment Cyrus had never felt more overdressed in his life. Before arriving he made sure to text TJ and find out if it was only them or if more people were going to be there, so he could know which outfit was appropriate. TJ replied that it was only gonna be them two, and asked if that was okay, which Cyrus replied that yes it's fine; as he was secretly relieved he didn't have to worry about the fridge thing anymore.
But what didn't cross Cyrus' mind is that it really was just them. The fact that TJ was an only child and had the entire house to himself meant that he would, of course, be comfortable. So as Cyrus stood there in his most casual black formal pants and a dark blue blazer, the boy in front of him was wearing the same black hoodie from earlier that day and a pair of sweatpants. He could only stifle a nervous laugh.
"Come in then, it's cold outside." TJ stepped out of the way for Cyrus to walk in. "The movies are at the bottom there," TJ pointed towards a stand at the end of the room that was holding up the TV, with several different movie box sets and game consoles. "Make yourself at h-mfh." TJ mumbled, already in the kitchen opening a bag of popcorn with his teeth. As TJ struggled with the microwavable popcorn, Cyrus decided to ditch his heavy blazer at the coat-hanger and start searching through his movie options. He wondered if he could get away with picking a comedy.
"What're you thinkin' over there?" TJ called out, the microwave door shutting and the faint popping noise signalling that TJ had succesfully opened the popcorn. "Thinking if we should watch Nightmare on Elm Street.. or a historic masterpiece." Cyrus held up both movies for TJ to see, the historic masterpiece being Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore.
"Cyrus." TJ shook his head, walking over to take the movies out of his hands. "Are you really scared?"
"No.. a little." Cyrus looked up at TJ. It's not that he was particularly scared, he just didn't see the enjoyment in watching scary things for fun. He never liked things like haunted houses or games filled with jumpscares just cause it didn't interest him, but for some reason right now he wanted to be pushed out of his comfort zone. He wanted to experience things that weren't in his immediate interests, and TJ was looking down at him with a soft smile and raised eyebrows and Cyrus felt content.
"I'm guessing that's just part of your stuff, yeah?" TJ leaned down to place the Nightmare on Elm Street disc into the DVD player, and Cyrus sighed realizing that this really was it, and that there was no Adam Sandler comedy to comfort him past this point. "And guess who's responsible for that part of my stuff now." Cyrus muttered a phrase that wouldn't make sense to anyone else, but TJ just stuck out his tongue in response. "One less part of your stuff you gotta worry about."
TJ handed Cyrus the remote to press play when he was ready, which Cyrus was grateful for since he was still processing what was happening, and then the lights were off and only the soft glow of the tv and a table-side lamp lit up the room. TJ sat down on the dark fuzzy couch in front of the TV, and patted the seat next to him for Cyrus to sit. "Okay, I'm not a dog." He sat, finally pressing the play button. "Good boy." TJ teased, looking over at him with that big smile and crinkled eyes. Cyrus tried to ignore the tease, but TJ was staring at him for way too long and he couldn't help but laugh.
Within the first minute alone Cyrus could already tell it was just another cliche 80's horror movie. The main villain, he guesses, sharpening some sort of metal. The loud sounds of banging metal together almost making him cringe. "Scared already, Goodman?" "You bet. Metal is just my worst fear." "That's next level ironic."
The first 20 minutes or so continued on like this, jumping at certain small scares and getting teased by TJ, who also jumped at the exact same time; while almost spilling the entire bowl of popcorn he eventually got up to get. "Are you cold?" TJ asked, looking over to see Cyrus almost shivering. Since leaving his too-formal-blazer at the coat hanger he was left in just a black t-shirt, and the cold outside was slowly fogging up the windows. "Heck yes." "Okay. Be right back." TJ got up, placing the popcorn bowl that was balancing on his leg in Cyrus' lap.
He wasn't gone too long, just long enough for him to miss a single jumpscare, which Cyrus had to suffer through alone. "Boo!" TJ exclaimed, dropping something on top of Cyrus. He'd never admit it, but it did scare him a little only cause he didn't expect it. "Boo." Cyrus said less enthusiastically, picking up what was dropped on him to see an oversized black hoodie, with red and white racing stripes down the sides of the arms. "Ooh, nice. Thanks." He pulled it over his head, tighenting the hood until he looked like a small medieval shop merchant.
"Oh, wrmmh." Cyrus muffled through the sweater. "What?" TJ pulled the hood down, Cyrus' hair now sticking up in all the places it shouldn't. "Oh, warm." He repeated, and from the faint glow of the TV Cyrus swore he could almost see TJ blush. "Oh. Warm." TJ murmured almost to himself, pulling the hood back over Cyrus' head. The popcorn was now in TJ's lap, and they were nestled closer than before, just close enough for their shoulders to be touching.
After they both got settled and got back into the movie, Cyrus pulled his hoodie down; opening his mouth for TJ to give him popcorn. He couldn't reach over comfortably now without bumping TJ, so he opted for the easier route. "I thought you said you weren't a dog." TJ laughed, placing a single popcorn in his mouth. "You're a dog." Cyrus shot back mindlessly, more focused on the movie. The only thing to break his focus was a small "woof," from the other boy, sending them both into a laughing fit.
"You're really an underdog."
"You're an updog."
"Shut up."
Now TJ didn't seem to mind feeding Cyrus, it almost became like clockwork as the movie went on with Cyrus' head eventually laid on TJ's shoulder, and Cyrus realized that he's been in this scarily similar situation before; but this time he wasn't scared. This time he felt content and his cheeks were warm and his side was pressed up against TJ's and he realized what it meant to want to be next to someone. And as the movie ended with that cheesey bloody-text-font neither of them wanted to get up.
"Wasn't so bad, hmm?" TJ poked Cyrus in the side, him lifting his head to reveal a sleepy lop-sided smile, and Cyrus could tell for sure now how red TJ's cheeks were.
"Can we watch an Adam Sandler movie now?" "Yeah, sure thing updog."
As they refilled their popcorn, watched Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore for the good of Cyrus' soul, and clumsily laid their arms around eachother Cyrus finally let himself live in the moment. Looking up at TJ from where he laid on his shoulder, he let himself blush and he let himself feel jittery and he didn't bottle anything up.
And as a sleepy Cyrus stood at the door to where his step-mom was waiting outside, they smiled as if they had just won the lottery. "I should give your hoodie back," Cyrus went to pull the hoodie over his head, but TJ poked his stomach before he could; making him laugh. "No, keep it. You look good," He stammered, "In it, I mean." He added, scratching the back of his head. Cyrus laughed, and he leaned over and replaced TJ's hand at the back of his head with his own, and he placed a small kiss at the edge of his lips. He had to tippy-toe to reach up to him, and as he relaxed back down he looked up at TJ and was scared for what he might find; but TJ was smiling and his eyes were warm and his cheeks were red and before Cyrus left he made sure to place a small kiss of his own on Cyrus' lips. "You look good, too." Cyrus added with a final smile.
"Did you have fun?" Cyrus' step-mom smiled as he climbed into the car, holding his dark blazer as the red glow on his cheeks only lingered from the cold. "Yeah, I did."
