Here we are, this is a little more cheerful. I won't keep you long (mostly because I have to go to bed soon), but the theme for day 4 is: Movie! See you at the bottom of the page.

Sven had lost track of the movie's plot long ago. He had no idea who any of the characters were, he didn't understand why any of them said what they did; honestly, he'd even forgotten the title of the film. And yet, he was content to stay right where he was. This was entirely due to the person sitting next to him: the head liaison of the Toppat Clan- and his new boyfriend- Burt Curtis.

The two of them had only started dating recently, but it had quickly become a hot topic with everyone in the clan. Apparently, Burt's affection for him was a widely accepted fact long before their first date, and it embarrassed Sven to no end that everyone knew before he did.

Though the chief and his right hand man had granted him permission to date the liaison (while not so subtly exchanging money under the table), he still minimized public displays of affection with Burt. After all, given how much he'd cracked down on the other Toppats for breaking those rules before, it was only fair. Somehow, though, no matter where or when he decided to indulge in such things as holding Burt's hand, there was someone nearby to tease him for it. He'd gone out of his way to prove it once, though in hindsight, he probably shouldn't have chosen to hide in the janitor's closet to hold Burt's hand. He was never going to live that down.

Despite the teasing and embarrassment, though, Sven refused to consider not dating Burt. When he eventually became chief, he'd be dealing with far harsher words from his subordinates for far more than who he chose to hold hands with. If he couldn't handle this now, he'd never be taken seriously as a leader, and the fact was that he liked Burt and wouldn't leave him for something that wasn't his fault. So he'd take the clan's jokes and exaggerated winks and gross kissing noises, all for his boyfriend's sake.

Since Sven avoided PDA like the plague, he knew he had to compensate with more affection in their private time. Tender hugs, handpicked snacks, and today's event: quality time on the couch in Sven's quarters. Sven's room had a TV, though he rarely used it, but Burt had practically attached himself to the device whenever he had free time while Sven was busy. He'd pitched the idea of watching a movie together every so often, and Sven had tentatively agreed. He didn't have much appreciation for films- he was more interested in books and the fine arts- but Burt clearly did, so that was all there was to it.

So now here he was, sitting on the couch in front of his television, holding a bowl of popcorn in his lap and leaning lightly into Burt. Burt leaned into him as well, one arm wrapped around to hold Sven close by the waist as they watched his selection for tonight. The lights in Sven's room had been dimmed greatly, letting the images on the screen flicker their ghostly blue light on the walls.

Sven had absolutely no idea what was going on. It was an animated film with a long and complicated name, and somehow the characters had gone from watching an opera to sword fighting on top of a giant robot for reasons Sven could not wrap his head around. In fact, he was hardly watching the movie at all now, his attention focused solely on something much more interesting: Burt himself.

Burt was not one to express himself openly; his face was naturally subdued and he often spoke monotonously, though Sven had been privy to hearing his words laced with emotions for a variety of reasons. This particular film, however, seemed to tip Burt's emotional scales in a different direction. His lips had formed a small smile for almost the entirety of the film, he frequently exhaled sharply through his nose, and his grip on Sven's waist tightened whenever the music grew tense. He'd even made a fist with his other hand at one point; apparently the protagonist had said or done something worth such a gesture.

It was a completely different side of Burt that Sven was not used to, but found himself entranced by. Would he ever be able to make Burt smile like that all the time? Did he want to? As enthralling as Burt's cheeriness was, Sven held his seriousness and dedication in great respect. The Toppat Clan wouldn't be what it was without him, and Sven felt a ticklish sort of fluttering under his sternum at the thought he had been deemed worthy of such a man's attention.

"Sven," Burt said suddenly, "you're smiling. Did you like it?"

"W-what?" He blinked and looked at the screen, just in time to catch some of the characters walking out of an office before the screen faded to black. Wait, weren't they just on an island?

He turned back to Burt, who was eyeing him expectantly. "You're definitely smiling. Did you like the ending?"

Sven's face flushed. The most appropriate response would be to say yes, but what if Burt prompted for more detail? He wasn't even sure of the movie's title, let alone the ending! He looked away quickly, searching his brain for what to do.

Burt tilted his head, smile fading. "Did you… not like it?"

"...You liked it," Sven said, hoping he'd successfully dodged the question.

Burt glanced at the TV, no longer smiling. "So you didn't like it."

Fy fan, he needed to fix this! "It's not that!" He said, a bit louder than he meant to, if the way Burt leaned back was anything to go off of. "I-it's not that," he repeated, "it's just…"

Burt shrugged, though Sven could tell it was half-hearted. "It's okay if you didn't like it, Sven. It's not for everyone; honestly, I probably could have picked something more to your tastes-"

"Inga!" Sven's cheeks burned as Burt regarded him strangely. "The truth is…" Gud, this was embarrassing, but he couldn't think of a better excuse than the truth. "The truth is, I… didn't watch the movie."

Burt looked confused. "You didn't? But you were right here-"

"Because!" Sven forced the words out, getting more and more embarrassed with each syllable. "B-because, I was watching… y-you…"

They stared at each other for a long moment. Burt's eyes were unreadable, like a million different thoughts were going through his head at once. Finally: "...You were watching me?"

Sven looked away. "I-it was just so obvious that you were happy; I couldn't look away from your face!"

"You like my face?"

"Ja! I like… your face." Sven covered his face with his hands and groaned. He sounded like an absolute fool, and probably looked like one, too.

He felt Burt's fingers brush against his hands, and he hesitantly pulled them away to see Burt staring into his eyes. "I like your face, too," he whispered, leaning forward and planting a quick kiss on his mouth. Sven whined, eyes squeezed shut as he buried his face in Burt's neck. Burt patted him on the back… then pulled him roughly onto his lap and crushed him in a bear hug. "I am going to make you watch that movie again, though," he said between the kisses he peppered all over Sven's neck.

Sven squeaked and squirmed, resigned to his fate as the TV turned off automatically and the empty bowl of popcorn sat next to them, completely forgotten.

The movie in question is "Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva", an extension of the video game series of the same name that very much includes opera houses and sword fighting on giant robots. Absolute nonsense if you've never played the games, but it's one of my favorite movies ever, it makes me so happy.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you thought, and I'll see you tomorrow. Until then!