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“Matteo, stop it.” David reached for the gimbal, trying to get it from Matteo’s hands. He hadn’t even had the chance to film with it yet. If Matteo broke it, David might have to break Matteo.
“But it’s cool.” Matteo waved it side to side, pulling a face as he did. The lens wasn’t even facing him, it was just Matteo being Matteo, and David had to bite back a grin. It was a little bit difficult being mad at him when he looked like that—but just a little bit.
“You’re supposed to be in front of the camera,” David said. He lowered his voice, and spoke more somber. “Oh, shit.”
Matteo paused instantly, the gimbal halted in the air. “What?”
David immediately grabbed it from Matteo’s looser grip, easily commandeering it again. “Bam.” David pushed on Matteo’s shoulder, and Matteo let himself stumble to the side as he rolled his eyes. “Now go be an alien.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be an alien,” Matteo said.
“But you are an alien,” David said absently as he adjusted the camera. They weren’t even doing a lot of filming today—they planned on coming back tomorrow—but David needed to get a sense of the space and what would work best. He wanted to block some shots and come up with a plan. He was amazed he lucked out with Kiki and Carlos’ crap apartment being the perfect setting, and he was grateful they were letting them into the space.
David was also very lucky to have a supportive boyfriend who was willing to play a part in the film.
“What if I don’t want to be an alien?” Matteo asked.
Or maybe not so much.
David sighed and glanced up at Matteo, a deadpan expression on his face. “What would you like to be, Matteo?”
“A unicorn,” Matteo said instantly. He stuck the tip of his tongue between his teeth and grinned.
David laughed. He tried not to—encouraging Matteo’s ridiculousness right now would not be very productive. But he couldn’t help it. There it was, bubbling right out of him.
Matteo smirked, like he was proud of making David laugh like that. “Yup,” he said. “That’s exactly what I want.”
“Yes, you are very majestic and mystical,” David said, rolling his eyes. “But there are no unicorns in this film.”
“Would be better for it,” Matteo mused.
“It will be just fine the way it is.”
“Of course it will, it’ll be awesome,” Matteo said immediately. As if he wanted to backtrack on all the unicorn nonsense and reaffirm that David’s original plan was good enough.
Which it was, but David couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth tugging up, just a little, even though he was paying attention to the gimbal. “Yeah,” he said.
Matteo sauntered over and then poked David in the cheek. “It will.”
David batted his hand away. “Stop.”
Matteo poked him in the cheek again. “It will.”
“I know, okay,” David said, rolling his eyes. Matteo poked him in the cheek. “Will you stop—you’re being annoying.”
“Yes,” Matteo said. And he poked David in the side, right where he knew David was ticklish.
David wanted to actually be annoyed but he wasn’t. He bit down on his lips to stop the smile and took a small step out of the way but it only encouraged Matteo. He stepped forward with his fingers pointed like guns and tried to poke David in the belly.
David protected the gimbal as best he could, but ended up backed against the badly painted wall. “Would you stop?”
“Nope,” Matteo said. He poked at David’s cheek one more time but David snapped his teeth at Matteo’s finger. Matteo pulled away quickly, startled, but laughed.
“You,” David said seriously, “are the most annoying boyfriend.”
“That’s alien boyfriend, thank you very much.”
“Fine. Annoying alien boyfriend confirmed.”
Matteo poked David in the belly, ever so gently, and said, “Boop.”
David was so surprised by it that he laughed, loudly. He could feel how wide his smile was, and Matteo had a soft smile on his face in return.
“There’s the reason,” Matteo said.
David’s laughter trailed off and he couldn’t help but smile fondly. “What?”
“Right there. That’s the reason why I’m annoying.” Suddenly, Matteo stepped back and pulled the alien mask down over his face. He put his arms out to the side. “I’m an alien. Direct me, director!”
“What do you mean?” David said, pushing from the wall.
“I mean, let’s do this,” Matteo said, voice a little muffled by the mask.
“You’ll have to speak up,” David said. Matteo avoided his question, possibly, or misinterpreted it, but he was focused on working so David let it pass.
Matteo actually listened to David, going to stand where David wanted and let David take some shots. It was simple and easy and fun. Matteo stopped being a brat long enough for David to do the work he wanted, and David appreciated that.
“Okay,” David said finally. The lighting had changed as the sun moved. He’d have to remember that for the following day. “I know what I want to do tomorrow. Except…” David trailed off and frowned, watching back some of the footage he’d taken.
“What?”
“You look too much like you. Too human. We need something other than the mask.” David pursed his lips together in thought as he viewed the recording. This was why he’d asked for Sam’s help, though he hadn’t actually discussed Matteo’s role nor given the time for her to come up with something before he started shooting with Matteo.
There was a shuffle around and he heard Matteo get into something but David kept his eyes on the camera, trying to work it out.
“Psst,” Matteo said. If he started throwing rocks at David right now, David was not going to be pleased.
He glanced up and saw Matteo shroud in a drop sheet used for painting. There was paint and plaster splotches on it, hopefully dry, but it was over Matteo’s head and hung around his body. He looked like a cream coloured ghost with a bright green alien face.
David tilted his head to the side, considering. “I think with a smaller blanket, something less ghostlike—”
Matteo stuck his arms out to the side and slightly waved them, and started making, “Woo-ooo-ooo,” sounds. Just like a terrible Halloween ghost.
“Right, less that and more morose alien.”
Matteo dropped the sheet around him and pushed up the mask again. “Morose. I will work on this.”
“Do you even know how?” David muttered to himself, and knelt down to put the gimbal safely in its case.
“It’s called acting, David,” Matteo said loftily. “This could be the start of an amazing career for me.” Matteo shuffled over to stand right next to David.
“Maybe, maybe,” David said. He closed the case and stood up.
“Are we done?” Matteo asked.
“For today, yes. We’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Good,” Matteo said. He reached out and poked David on the cheek. “Boop.” David rolled his eyes but grinned. Matteo’s smile was soft again as he said, “And there it is.”
“What?”
Matteo reached out and took the case, and put it ever so carefully onto the floor. Then he stepped in close to David, and David’s hands went automatically to Matteo’s waist. They ended up moving together until David was leaned up against the wall again.
“The reason to annoy you. The reason for everything I do for you, actually.” Matteo kissed David’s cheek, right where he’d just been booped. He pulled back to look at David, and David smiled at him. He couldn’t even help it. “That smile,” Matteo said.
Then he poked David right in the belly, and David’s face scrunched up and he tried to frown but the corners of his mouth kept tugging up. “And that one,” Matteo said.
He kissed David firmly, slipping his hands under David’s shirt. His thumbs rubbed against small of David’s back. David smiled into the kiss. “And that one,” Matteo said against David’s lips.
“We should go,” David breathed out. “Because there are things I want to do to make you smile and we really shouldn’t do it here.”
“Fuck that,” Matteo said, and pressed his face into David’s neck. “We had to listen to them. If they come home, they’ll just—”
“No. Nope. We are not letting them walk in on us.” It was tempting, though, with the way that Matteo was sucking on his neck. David pressed his thumbnails hard into Matteo’s hips, causing him to yelp and flinch back.
“Ass,” Matteo said, but he laughed. David didn’t say it out loud, but he’d do anything to hear that sound.
“Let’s go,” David said, picking up the case. “We’ll come back tomorrow to film an actual scene.”
“And fuck on their—“
“No.”
“Fine, can we make out?”
“Maybe,” David said. “If filming goes well.”
“I will be the best alien,” Matteo promised, holding his hand up to his heart. “Promise.”
“With the best director,” David said teasingly.
“But of course.” Matteo took David’s hand and tugged him to the door. “Let’s go home.”
“Absolutely,” David agreed, and smiled.