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For what feels like the hundredth time that night, Leo feels an iron-like grip tightening around his upper arm.
“Ouch! Gabriel, you’re going to break my arm!”
“Sorry! So sorry, I’m just… This movie is so - ” to his credit, Gabriel does loosens his grip on Leo, but still clutches to him as the movie goes on. Leo notices that, and can’t help the smirk forming in his face
“Aw, babe, are you scared?”
Gabriel mutters something indiscernible in response, and Leo chuckles lightly before cuddling closer to him.
It’s another one of their movie-dates, ever since that first time they went to the local theater instead of doing their school assignment, watching movies together sorta became their thing, and since they started dating, Gabriel has taken up to himself to show Leo all of his favorite movies, from the silly action blockbusters to some classical musicals. The only genre they haven’t watched yet was horror movies.
It had been Gi’s idea. Leo had told her about their date last friday, alone in Gabriel’s home, his father away at work. She’d said it would be romantic, clinging to one another in search of comfort against the fear. She had even suggested one of her favorites movies, and Leo decided it was worth a shot.
The best thing about watching movies with Gabriel is the moment he would lean close to him and describe whatever it was that was going on in the screens in quiet whispers. Afterwards, Leo could only remember around half of the movie’s plot, but the shivers that Gabriel’s hushed voice sent down his spine were more than worth it.
But right now, Leo starting to seriously regret his decision. Gabriel seems to be too caught up (or too scared, to be honest) in the movie to even came up with an coherent thought, much less to properly narrate it to his boyfriend, and Leo is starting to get seriously bored.
“You know, I’m starting to think this movie relies too much on visual effects to be scary”
“Leo...”
“I’m serious! There’s no atmosphere, no build up! And the sound effects are ridiculous, really, and don’t get me started on the dialogue...”
Before he can get started on the dialogue, Leo feels a handful of popcorn being thrown at him.
“Can we please just watch the movie?”
“Well, I guess you can...” he says dryly, and Leo can’t possibly know what a eye roll looks like, but he’s read about them, and he’s sure he can feel Gabriel rolling his eyes at him.
Leo chuckles again, running his fingers through his hair, to get rid of the popcorns that were stuck there and snuggles closer to Gabriel once again. He still has a lot to say about the atrocious dialogue, but Gabriel sounds more relaxed now, so he decides it was worth it.
“Where are Jessica and Chad going again?”
“Into the woods”
“The one where the serial killer is hiding?”
“Yes”
“Why?”
“They are looking for their friends”
“The ones who died like, twenty minutes ago?”
“They don’t know that, Leo!”
“I’m blind and I know that!”
Gabriel opens his mouth to say something back, but then Chad and Jessica start to very loudly make out in the middle of the very creepy and deserted woods, so any argument he could have in defense of the movie’s logic dies in his throat
Gabriel seems to have calmed down enough to actually tell Leo of what is going on, but his voice is still a bit shaky.
“Okay so now the three friends who are still alive just found the killer’s hiding place”
“Great, so now they’re going to call the police, right?” maybe he’d judged the movie to harshly, it’s only been thirty minutes after all.
“Actually, they just ran inside”
“What? Are these people trying to get killed?” he groans, and decides to never listen to Giovana’s advice ever again, on movies or dates.
“That’s not the point, Leo - “
But what exactly was the point, Leo never found out, because in that exact moment they hear a shrill, ear piercing, blood freezing scream coming from the TV.
Gabriel screams too, and even Leo feels as if his heart is frozen in his chest.
He breathes deeply, once, twice, all the while feeling Gabriel shaking next to him.
“Well, now they’re dead, right?”
“God, I hope so”
About half an hour later and Leo wouldn’t be able to describe the movie’s plot at gunpoint. All he knows is that at least another four horny teenagers have gone into the woods and died very loud deaths there.
Gabriel startles, squawks and squirms next to him, and it’s almost amusing enough to make up for the fact that yet another couple is sneaking out to make out in the woods.
Almost.
At some point, Leo just gives up on trying to make sense of what’s going on and decides to just try to make the best of it. He leans back on the couch next to Gabriel, who snuggles closer to Leo everytime some character screams, which is quite often. It’s… cute, actually. Usually, Gabriel is the one looking after him, so it feels nice to be the one who offers him some comfort for a change, even if it is from something as silly as a mediocre slash movie.
It would be cuter if Gabriel wasn’t so twitchy. He practically jumps out of his skin everytime something scary happens, and Leo’s face is hit with an elbow or hand more than once.
He stutters and apologizes every time though, and snuggles even closer, so Leo could not be bothered to complain.
Maybe Giovana had a point after all.
“I’m sorry if this wasn’t a very good date” Gabriel says, when the movie is finally over, sounding sheepish
“Don’t say that. I actually had fun” and he’s not even saying that just to be nice; he finds out that almost against his will, he sorta liked the movie. Not that he’ll ever admit it.”And I was the one who suggested it, so really, I should be apologizing to you”
Or Giovana should apologize to both of them. He’s not sure.
Gabriel chuckles awkwardly next to him, slides closer to him, but before he can say or do anything, Leo hears his phone ring, and he already knows who it is.
His conversation with his mom lasts less than five minutes.
“She says she’ll be here in ten.” now it’s his turn to sound apologetic. Gabriel groans good-heartedly, and Leo feels the couch shift when Gabriel stands up.
“I’ll walk you downstairs, then”
Leo sighs and stands up too, and he doesn’t even need sight to know Gabriel has his hand stretched out to him.
By now, he already knows the layout of Gabriel’s apartment and his building by heart, but he doesn’t let go of Gabriel’s hand for one moment as they make their way downstairs. When they reach ground floor Gabriel holds the elevator’s door for him, and they keep holding hands as they cross the lobby.
They reach the building’s door, and instead of crossing it… Gabriel stays put, still holding Leo’s hand, which means that Leo stays put too.
Frowning, Leo turns until he’s facing Gabriel, and tentatively raises his other hand until it’s resting on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
“Hey, is everything alri - ”
His words are cut short when he feels both of Gabriel’s hands coming up to gently cradle his face. Leo has a hard time breathing as he feels one of Gabriel’s hands coming up to curl on his hair and the other one going down to rest on the back of his neck.
This kiss in nothing like the rushed, heated ones they usually share on their dates, this feels soft, and delicate, and stupidly sweet. It reminds him of their first kiss.
Leo pulls Gabriel closer, and they keep kissing for what feels like hours, and when Gabriel finally pulls away, they are both panting, which is a bit ridiculous, considering how gentle they were with one another, and Leo thinks the kiss didn’t last nearly long enough.
Or maybe, he thinks, as he hears the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up to the sidewalk, they had a perfect timing.
“Leo, sweetie, are you ready to go?” Leo hears his mother’s call from the car “Gabriel, how are you doing, honey?”
“Just fine, Mrs. Ribeiro, thank you. How are you?” Gabriel’s voice is even, but Leo notices he sounds slight out of breath, and Leo grins widely at him, as he hears his mom reply:
“Please, call me Laura” as she always does.
“Well, I guess this is it then”, Leo says, far too innocently.
“Yeah, guess so. Bye, Leo”
“Bye, Gabriel” he whispers, before turning away towards the car direction. He can feel his face heating up as he’s climbing inside the car in the passenger seat, and he hopes his mom won’t say anything, because he’s sure she will notice.
“And don’t forget, you and your father are invited for lunch on sunday!” she says to Gabriel
“We’ll be there!” he answers, and then they are driving away. Leo sits quietly the whole ride, but he must be blushing (and he knows for a fact that he’s grinning like a idiot), because a few minutes since they left Gabriel’s place his mom breaks the silence.
“So... how was your date” she asks, a little awkwardly and faar too knowing.
“Better than I expected, actually” he says, and his smile widens.