Work Text:
Keith was sitting alone in his living room with a laptop placed on the clear coffee table in front of him. There were Chinese takeout boxes scattered on the table empty and stained with grease, sitting or laying beside the laptop and next to the TV remote.
He was waiting. Waiting for an email. An email that could possibly change his life.
Keith was an aspiring actor. He acted in small roles, like the main character’s best friend, or brother, but he was never the main character. So when he auditioned for the main character role in an upcoming movie, he was not confident that the role would be his.
That is, until the email popped up in his mailbox congratulating him of scoring the role of Charlie Law, a boy struggling to cope with his father’s death and his mental health that almost drove him to insanity to only be helped by another boy.
It was basically a cliche gay love story, but Keith wasn’t complaining.
The other main guy was in no way a manic pixie dream boy where he dies in the end and doesn’t pursue his own happiness, but spoiler, it is a happily ever after and the secondary main character does have issues of his own that are worked out by, Keith thinks, the power of teamwork and love.
It was a highly anticipated movie, a screenplay adaption from an overwhelmingly famous book. Keith almost felt the stress now settle on his shoulders once he received the email. He knew he had to work his ass off for this movie, he definitely did not want to disappoint the LGBTQ+ community or absolutely spoil the book or receive terrible rotten tomatoes.
With a deep exhale of relief, Keith leaned back against the couch and rubbed his face with his hands. He let out a nervous chuckle for two things. One, he didn’t want to fuck everything up, and two, he doesn’t know the other he’ll be acting with. It was a terrifying thought that almost plagued nauseating anxiety all over Keith’s body.
Keith was never comfortable with kissing lips or touching bodies that he wasn’t familiar with, but that’s the “show biz baby” (as Lance put it, a fellow actor). Keith sometimes never even touched person he was greatly familiar with. He never knew why, but sometimes he didn’t mind. He didn’t mind until his body would be screaming for attention, his hands itching to caress someone or be caressed.
Keith could say it was somewhat uncomfortable. Uncomfortable to grow close to another person. But at times, he was afraid of the innocent intimacy, scared that they would leave him like his dad did and leave him in the dust. His dad was one of the last people he was comfortable with, the last person he loved. The only person Keith grew to be intimate with was his brother Shiro. Shiro let him in first, broke down his own walls for Keith before Keith broke his own down. Keith couldn’t be more grateful.
He let himself be hugged whenever he was severely down in the dumps. He would let himself be hugged when he tore down his walls and finally let himself be vulnerable, since Shiro said it would be good for him. It wasn’t for a little while at first, but Keith soon learned that it was okay to be vulnerable once in a while and get some love.
So, just for the movie, Keith will tear down his walls with weak sledgehammers.
Keith was running late. Horrendously late. He thought he had a little time when he got in line for a fresh coffee, but when a woman decided to fucking speak with the manager, Keith knew he was fucked. With a steaming cup of coffee almost burning in his hand, he got into his car and drove until he reached the movie lot.
With a heavy packet of script held under his arm, he hurriedly walked in the studio after showing his ID. He was quickly informed by a director, whose name was Alfor, that they will not be acting today but running lines between characters, just a practice.
Alfor, Keith decided, was a very kind man, judging by the quick interaction they shared. Unlike every other director he had worked with, Alfor brought a pleasant and calming presence, and was forgiving when he noticed Keith was late.
The set was being set up, people bringing props in and out, and outside as well. Walkie Talkies cracking with static and indistinct muffled voices that were calling certain names, hoping for aid.
Keith was making is way through the studio, he stepped to the side to let others through, and would occasionally accidentally bump shoulders with someone. The actor made it to his dressing room, the door was decorated with his name, and once he shut the door, he leaned against it and sighed out. The action made it seem like a smitten teenager in a romance movie with an overused plot.
But Keith was just relieved that he wouldn’t have any awkward touching with a passerby. He sat down on the black couch that was neatly pressed up against the navy blue wall and flipped the first page of his script. He skimmed through the first strip of dialogue. Keith tried hard not to look at the ending, he never looked at the ending, he always wanted it to be a surprise.
Keith was getting into the first scene, he was deeply immersed. He even found himself wondering what would his character do. The headspace he was in was interrupted by a knock on his door. Keith granted access.
It was Alfor’s daughter, Allura. She specialized in clothing and makeup. She was an unbelievably gorgeous woman with smooth, rich, dark skin that seemed to shimmer like glitter. She also had vitiligo under the corners of her eyes that she was insecure about in her younger years, but grew to love them. Her hair was a stark contrast against her skin, a beautiful, angelic white, that looked and felt like silk. Her eyes were absolutely captivating, almost three colors at once. Too bad Keith was gay.
“Good morning, Keith! We’re just about ready to run some lines! Be out in five.” She said, her voice like the sweetest honey. Keith smiled up at her and nodded.
Keith wanted to ask who the secondary, and love interest, character was. All he knew was that it was someone he definitely doesn’t know and that the character would be Spaniard, taking after the actor himself. But, Keith couldn’t bring himself to ask.
“Okay. Thank you.” He replied instead. She gave him a bright smile and closed the door behind her as she left. Keith read over his lines again.
Keith’s phone vibrated beside him, lifting it up and looking at the caller ID, he answered it.
“Hey, Shiro.” Keith chirped, happy that Shiro called.
“Hello, Keith. Did you arrive safe?” He asked. Shiro was like a brother and a dad rolled into one. It was sometimes a good combination, but sometimes terrible. He would make horrible dad jokes, but would provide amazing advice, and care for him like he was an older brother.
“Yeah, I did. Kind of nervous. Still don’t know who will be playing Ezra.” Keith replied with a sigh following after.
“If he was casted, he’s probably good, don’t worry. I don’t think they’d cast a horrible person, you know. Off and on set.” Shiro reassured, smiling on the other side of the line.
“You’re probably right,” Keith murmured, not fully convinced. “It’s silly, right?”
“What? Being anxious about meeting and working with a new person? Definitely not. You have every right to be. Don’t think about it too much, Dino.”
Keith groaned at the nickname, “Don’t bring Dino back.”
Shiro gave a hearty chuckle on the other end, “You were obsessed with dinosaurs, how am I supposed to deny myself the pleasure of calling you Dino.”
Keith face-palmed, “You’re the worst.”
“Thank you,” Shiro teased. “Okay. I have to work.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Keith got up from the couch with the script under his arm and exited his dressing room. A director took him to another room where a long desk ran across the middle of it and chairs along the side. Directors had already taken their seats and Allura as well. Keith took a seat next to her before another man walked into a room.
Allura gently elbowed Keith to get his attention.
“That’s-“ She started.
”James Griffin.” Keith finished.
James Griffin. James fucking Griffin. The guy who bullied him and also the guy he punched. It wasn’t like Keith regretted the punch, but had now realized that he should have handled that situation differently and not with violence. Ever since that day, they have never talked. Their problems never resolved.
An uneasy tension was brought upon the two when they locked eyes. Keith could have explained the moment when they caught each other’s gaze by saying it was like in slow motion. He could almost, almost, see guilt in James’ gray eyes, but that could have just been his imagination.
“Keith Kogane, this is James Griffin.” Alfor announced. “He will be playing Ezra Franco, your love interest and best friend.”
The black haired boy did not know how to react. Should he be angry? Should he be upset? All he knew was that he had to pretend everything was alright between them. Fake it til you make it.
“Nice to meet you.” James greeted with a painfully bright smile.
Keith could only smile back. “You too.”