Chapter Text
Ben wonders if there's such a thing as smart-curtains; ones that open or close with an app. If not, he should invest in a startup willing to make one for him. That, or, blow up the sun- whichever is more feasible.
The morning light shines brightly through his open blinds, falling squarely on him. He's at least face down on his bed and blocking it out, but the heat is becoming intolerable even on this autumn morning. The faint, familiar scent of coffee wafts in the air- further wakening him from his not-so-deep slumber. His lack of sleep is to be expected; he only got in from New York a couple of hours ago. The film festival he attended was fun, but flying back to Los Angeles immediately after was basically him begging to be jetlagged.
But then again, as an actor, it's nothing he's not used to.
The promise of a fresh pot of coffee is more than enough to tempt him to get out of bed, but that would be admitting defeat. He wants to sleep in on his day off- rare as it is. And why shouldn't he? Despite only being twenty-two years old, Ben Pincus is an industry veteran, having acted for both film and television since he could talk. He'd dare say he's a solid B-Lister. Of course, his job often requires long and tiring days- so, he feels he should enjoy any comforts he’s afforded, and sleeping in on an unbusy day is one of them.
Except today isn’t an ‘unbusy day.’
Ben groans into his pillow, remembering the phone call he had with his agent while he was waiting for his flight last night.
‘Remember, the meeting is at nine! I know you're still in the middle of filming for ‘Survival’ but I really think you’re going to want to hear what they have to say.’
‘Not that I don’t appreciate all you do for me Mae, but you realize I'll get in at three in the morning, right? If we count the drive from LAX, I won’t get home until 5.’
‘You can sleep on the plane!’
‘...’
‘Ben.’
‘...Right.’
‘Perfect! Don’t be late!’
If you were wondering, he couldn’t sleep a wink on the plane.
He finally finds it in him to flip over, freeing himself from the face-down position he sleeps in. Like this, the sun is bright in his eyes and the smell of coffee grows even stronger. Of course, the fact that coffee is being brewed at all means the house-keeper is already here, which in turn means it’s already seven in the morning.
'Remember, the meeting is at nine!'
Ugh…
Ben lies there in silence for all of five seconds before he gets up, throws on his bathrobe, and heads to the kitchen.
Mae Turner is not someone to be trifled with- a fact he's learned the hard way.
She only manages two other people, but she somehow gives them all one-hundred-ten percent. Ben is always going to auditions, landing roles, and attending events thanks to her. Heck, without her, he wouldn’t have even been able to attend that film festival he’s still so tired from. She works him hard, but she has never steered him wrong. In all the years Mae has been his agent, her opinions and stubbornness- something one needs in this industry- have been pillars he’s relied on. Without her, who knows what kind of career he’d have. That’s not to say she’s pulling all the strings or anything; She listens to what he wants but knows what’s best, and often enough, the two intersect.
So, whatever it is he’s going to be offered at the meeting, the fact that Mae seems so gungho about it means it’s at least worth the trip.
The smell of coffee is suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of bacon and toast, and Ben can’t get to the kitchen fast enough.
He glides down his long hallway, passing poster after poster hanging on either side. They’re all of movies or series he’s been a part of, and the further down one goes from the bedroom, the older the role. He pointedly ignores the poster that hangs right next to the door to the kitchen as he heads in.
“Oh, Ben! You're up early.” His housekeeper, Firecracker, greets cheerily. She stands in front of his gas-range, pans covering it. 'Firecracker' is a nickname he came up with, since her initials are FC, and her actual name is kind of long. She was very enthusiastic about it, saying her friends in school called her something similar. Though, many times, he finds himself simply calling her 'FC.'
“Got a meeting in a couple of hours. Besides, I could smell the tasty things being whipped up in here.” He teases, wringing his hands hungrily.
“Oh, you flatter me.” She giggles. “Nothing is ready just yet. If you wait in the living room, I’ll bring you a plate when it’s done.”
“Sounds great. The coffee is ready, though?”
“Already got a cup for you on the counter.”
“You know me so well, FC.” He sings playfully, already reaching for the mug. He smiles to himself as he takes a sip, hearing his young housekeeper giggle at his words.
He heads out of the kitchen, once again ignoring that poster next to the door.
To Ben’s grateful surprise, the living room is already warmed up, the blinds are open and the TV is tuned in to the celebrity news channel. FC has been his housekeeper for less than a year and she’s already his favorite yet. Though to be honest, the bar is pretty low. Last year, he had one who turned out to be a stalker that hadn’t been properly vetted. One day, he came home early from a shoot and found the guy rifling through his hamper, doing God knows with his laundry. Ben shudders at the memory.
“-and from what his agency has told us, he’s accepted the role of a leading man in an upcoming romcom! Let me tell you, since ‘Love, Simon’ I’ve been dying to see Zach Mitchell in another romance movie.”
Ben relaxes into his recliner, takes another sip of his coffee, and turns the volume up.
“Now, let’s move on to the rumor mill.”
Ah. Here we go.
Ben wouldn't admit it, but he's a bit of a gossip- always interested in what he and his fellow actors are supposedly up to, with healthy dose of skepticism of course. Some of the things they report on are downright lies, and in some extreme cases, have damaged someone's reputation beyond repair. Though, when one is a public figure, one learns to take everything with a grain of salt. In Ben's case, he's learned to ignore headlines like, ‘Ben Pincus and Maisie Lockwood rumored to be dating’.
Yeah, there are a few things wrong with that.
One: she’s too young. A four year age gap is nothing really, at least by Hollywood standards, but she's a literal 18 year old. Nothing against being that young- that's how old FC is, actually- but she's here as an employee, and the idea of dating someone that age is... Yikes.
Two: they’ve interacted once. Ever. Twice, maybe. They both voiced characters in the same animated movie, but they never recorded anything together. Ben doesn’t do pressers very often, and the few he did were by himself. They literally met during the movie’s red carpet premiere. He guesses the only other time they could have met was if they were at the same party- a rare but not unheard of thing for him. Maybe some paparazzo saw them near each other, or something mundane like that, and drew his own conclusions.
And, most importantly, three: Ben is gay. That isn't public knowledge or anything, but still.
So yeah, don’t believe everything you hear.
“And, no surprises here, but there is talk that Darius Bowman has another new movie role lined up. No word on how big his involvement is yet. It’s all very hush-hush, but a little birdie told me that a famous screenwriter has been linked to the project as well.”
Ben smiles at that report, hoping that ‘rumor’ is true.
He and Darius were co-stars on Camp Cretaceous, a mildly popular show about teens at a dinosaur-themed summer camp. Ben played Sean, the wimpy kid who grows bolder each season, and Darius played Paul, the de facto leader of their ragtag group of misfits. The show itself ended years ago, but they’ve kept in regular contact since. In fact, Ben keeps in touch with most of his former CC co-stars to varying degrees, the most being the other campers.
With one glaring exception.
In the hallway hangs the only memorabilia Ben has displayed in his home of his time on Camp Cretaceous- the show’s season five poster. The only reason he even has it is because his mom gave it to him as a birthday present. She visits him a few times a year, so he can’t exactly not have it up.
Ben ignores it every time he passes it because of… him.
Kenji.
His hands instinctively itch, and he almost reaches for hand sanitizer he no longer carries around. He chastises himself for relapsing for a second. Remember what Doctor Harding told you- calm down and focus on other things. Ben takes a massive swig of coffee and groans from the slight sting of it, hoping it proves enough of a distraction as he wills himself not to think of that guy again.
“Need a refill, Ben?” Firecracker asks, the housekeeper appearing behind him. She has a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast in one hand and the coffee pot in the other.
“Huh? Oh. Yes, please.” She tops him off and hands him the plate, then scuttles back to the kitchen. He’d offer her to sit with him out here and eat, but his mood is slightly soured since he thought of you-know-who.
It’s been a while since he’s seen him in person. This is by design, of course. He checks in advance if the guy is attending any event or premiere he's invited to, and if he is already confirmed to be going, Ben will cancel his own appearance. Its certainly caused some less than ideal situations, but Ben would rather deal with that than him. There are of course times when it's unavoidable, and the pair inevitably are at the same place at the same time. When that happens, they are, shall we say, less than cordial with each other. The interactions don't last long, since Ben can't stand being around Kenji for more than a minute, but through fake smiles for the cameras, the two can be quite passive-aggressive.
Yeah, it's mutual. Kenji seems to have the same aversion to him, though probably without the psychological tics.
Besides those rare moments, they don't see a whole lot of each other. Ben doesn't go to reunions the Camp Fam invites him to, and his guilty pleasure of celeb gossip is limited to television, where he can quickly turn it off if a certain someone appears. However, there are times, like now, that he just happens to think of the other. He takes a moment to collect himself. Just sitting there, his food growing cold. The sounds from the TV are just white-noise now.
“...freak.” he whispers involuntarily, flinching as the word leaves his mouth. It’s been a while since he’s done that.
Two minor relapses aren't all that concerning, but it irritates him nonetheless. Apparently, semi-scalding his mouth and a brief conversation with his housekeeper wasn’t enough of a distraction.
The sooner you leave, the sooner you can focus on work- or whatever it is Mae has lined up for you.
Ben scarfs down the delicious breakfast, unable to hold back a groan of satisfaction, followed by a short coughing fit from eating too quickly. He takes the plate to the kitchen and goes to change. Minutes later, Ben emerges in his ‘schmoozing outfit’, or so Mae calls it. It's literally just a blue dress shirt and some khakis- formal but comfortable.
Before he can head out, he hears the TV still on in the living room. He must have forgotten to turn it off after eating. Sighing, he heads back in.
Just as he’s about hit the power button on the remote, the ‘rumor mill’ changes topics, and the image plastered on his screen stops him- A familiar face with the perfect coiffure. Standing next to him, another familiar face, framed in bright pink hair.
Then the headline, in all bold letters, steals his attention.
<KenLynn: Marriage On The Horizon?>
“We saved the juiciest for last, folks!” The excited host announces. “There is speculation that Kenji Kon and Brooklynn may be tying the knot in the near future. We have confirmed with sources who live in the same building that movers were taking an abnormal amount of boxes out of the luxury apartment. Maybe they're looking for a larger home now that they're engaged? The most solid evidence we have is that Brooklynn has been seen wearing a new ring lately, and we can't help but wonder about the timing of all this.”
Ben slinks down into the chair, absorbing every word being said.
“Ben? I thought you-” FC's voice cuts in. Ben immediately shushes her, not wanting to miss anything. He hears her utter a soft ‘oops, sorry’ before shuffling on to do whatever it is she does when he's not home.
“The couple have always seemed happy together, but is there reason to think they'll finally take the next step in their relationship?”
Ben said it himself earlier: take everything you hear with a grain of salt. This is all just entertainment for the masses and shouldn’t be treated as gospel.
But for some reason, one he doesn't want to analyze at the moment, he can’t tear himself away from the television.
“I’m sure everyone remembers how their characters Ryan and Jenna on ‘Camp Cretaceous’ got together in season four, as did the actors who played them. They were just teenagers at the time, but they've remained together ever since. Kenji was by her side after her accident that left Brooklynn with only one arm, and it seemed nothing could stop the two. If the rumors are true, one of the sweetest couples in Hollywood are writing a new chapter in their storybook romance.”
Ben has enough wits about him to scoff at that.
He still doesn’t turn the TV off, though. Which is a mistake.
The image next to the host switches to a group shot of all six of the main cast on the set of Camp Cretaceous and Ben feels like he’s been sucker punched. It’s a candid shot, probably taken by one of the staff. Sammy and Yaz are sharing an orange from crafty, Brooklynn is sleeping on Darius’ shoulder as he talks to an AD, and Ben and Kenji are laughing about something.
The sight of him and Kenji, as they were back then, makes Ben’s stomach churn.
“-and that's not all! Another rumor has it that Kenji is in talks for a new role along side-”
Ben finally shuts off the TV.
Once again, he has the urge to reach for sanitizer- to which, he ignores. He doesn't get up for another few minutes, just sitting in his cooling living room, in silence.
--
Despite his minor Kenji-induced setback, Ben still manages to leave early. A good thing too, because of course, there's traffic. By the time he makes it to Masrani Studios, it's already 8:56.
He walks briskly past the busy people working, running into some writers and other staff he recognizes, only offering a polite smile as he makes his way through the offices. He knows he has the right conference room when he finds Mae outside, furiously scribbling away on her tablet. The woman looks up and smiles at him.
“You wore the schmoozing outfit. Good.”
“Hey, I didn’t think I’d see you here.” He tells her, only mildly out of breath.
“I could say the same to you, Sean.” She teases, making an exaggerated display of checking her watch.
Ben smirks at the nickname. Mae has been working with him since his time on Camp Cretaceous, and back then she developed a habit of calling him by that character’s name. Others called him that too, notably someone he'd rather not bring up. Despite his complicated feelings about his time on the show, he still finds the nickname endearing.
“Traffic. Barely slept, too.” He tells her, emphasizing the 'barely' part, reminding her of their conversation the previous night.
“Well, look alive, yeah? This meeting could be career changing.”
“No pressure, huh?”
“Oh, don't worry. It’ll be fine.”
“What even is this meeting about? It’s not an audition, otherwise you wouldn’t have me go in with such little sleep. It’s not about an award or charity, otherwise you’d have just told me over the phone." His eyes shift, looking at her scrutinizingly. "If I’m guessing, it’s something that’s already been decided and I’m simply being informed.” Ben deduces, not entirely liking his conclusion.
“More like consulted with, rather than informed.” Mae corrects. “If you say no to what they’re offering, that’s that. But I want you to keep an open mind and wait until the end of the meeting to decide.”
“That totally wasn't cryptic or anything.”
“Trust me. No matter what happens in there, know that I truly think it’s a good move. Of course, you have the final say.”
“Of course.” He hesitantly agrees. Why is she speaking in riddles? Is… Is this not going to be a pleasant experience? She seems insistent that he stays and listen, despite him not knowing whatever this thing even is about.
Mae’s smartwatch buzzes.
“Ah, they’re ready for you. Go in, I’ll join you after I make a call.”
Before Ben can even say anything, she’s already on her phone. From what he hears, she's arranging a meeting for one of her other talents, so he doesn't bother interrupting. With a deep breath, Ben enters the conference room.
The long table with chairs lining it on either side is empty, but for three people. At the end of the table sits an middle-aged gentleman Ben vaguely recognizes. A red-haired woman sits to his left, and a face he saw just that morning on the TV sits to the man’s right.
“Darius?”
“Ben!”
Ben excitedly half-jogs to Darius, who gets up and meets him halfway. They hug, both groaning in happiness at this unexpected reunion. The last time they met in person was a year ago, and entirely by chance. They both happened to be filming different things in Vancouver and ran into each other on the street. They ended up having lunch and spent the afternoon catching up.
“It’s so great to see you, man!” Darius beams. "Did you get taller again?"
“I guess?" Ben shrugs sheepishly. "It’s been too long, man.”
“We don’t live that far from each other. We really should meet up more often.”
“Oh for sure. Syncing our schedules is gonna be tough, though.” Ben laments.
“Don’t I know it. Oh! Where are my manners? Ben, I’d like you to meet some people.” Darius guides Ben to where the other two people in the room are sitting, both politely smiling at him. “Ben, this is Simon Masrani. He, well, owns the studio.”
“A pleasure. I don’t normally meet the talents of the films I produce, but I had to make an exception today.” The man tells him warmly, shaking his hand with vigor.
“And this is Claire Deering. She’s the writer for the film.”
“I’m also a producer, but that’s not nearly as exciting.” The woman jokes as she takes his hand.
Ah, so the rumor mill was right about this. Ben wonders if anything else they talked about is true...
“So… it’s a film we’re working on…?” Ben asks hesitantly, picking up on how Darius introduced the other two. They all smile at him like he said something hilarious. When he doesn’t join them, Darius’ brows shoot up.
“Wait… don’t tell me Mae didn’t tell you?”
“She’s been very vague. All I know is that she’s adamant I listen to what you guys are going to say.”
“Ah…” Masrani muses. “Well, in that case, I shall let Miss Deering fill you in. I'm needed elsewhere anyway.” The man stands and offers one final handshake to Ben and Darius. “It was so nice meeting you both. I can’t wait to meet the others.” With that, the man excuses himself from the room. Before the door can shut, Mae comes in, hurryingly sitting herself next to Ben.
“Sorry I’m late, what’d I miss?”
“Apparently, Ben has no idea about the project we’re here to discuss.” Claire tells her. Mae grimaces at that.
“Ah. Yes, well, that was a decision on my part. I knew Mr. Bowman had a meeting with you before him, so I thought he’d be more receptive with him here.”
Ben exhales in annoyance. They’re talking about him like he’s not even here. That, and Mae basically just admitted to trying to manipulate him into staying. Which, of course, wouldn't be the first time, but still. It would also mean Darius was in on her little plan, though, he can't find it in him to be upset at that.
“Well, I’ll summarize the project in three words: Camp Cretaceous reunion.” Claire says emphatically.
…What.
“What?”
“Well, it’s more complicated than that. The movie has nothing to do with our show.” Darius explains quickly, seeing Ben becoming more and more confused. “It’s just- The studio’s draw for this movie is the CC cast all being in it- assuming, of course, you accept the role.”
"Okay... I don't understand, why make a movie with all of us now?"
“I don’t know if you know this, but the show has been trending since it was re-added to Netflix earlier this year.” Mae adds on. “Everyone’s more interested in all of you now than even when the show was on air.”
“Huh. That would explain why I got stopped for photos and autographs more than normal when I was in New York.” Ben muses aloud. Ben has never been the type to use social media, despite how much Mae insists it would be good for PR, so he definitely doesn't do any ego-scrolling or whatever. Without this meeting, he never would have guessed people were suddenly getting into Camp Cretaceous again.
“And while I know people would love to see a revival, I thought we should take a more… unique approach.” Claire explains, a playful lilt in her voice. “I’m just glad I was able to convince Simon to greenlight it. He wanted a timeskip story, despite the logistical nightmare. But an original, heartfelt story that happens to feature all of you? So much more meaningful than some cash grab, wouldn’t you say?”
“Sure. It's just- You don’t think by the time the film actually releases, the hype will have died?” Ben ponders, trying to look at all the angles.
“Oh, it will dwindle, no doubt. But if the PR team is to be believed, there will still be enough interest when it eventually hits theaters. Besides, the story isn't so weak it won't generate it's own interest.”
“That's good to hear. So, the girls have already signed on? I'm the last to join?”
“Well, Brooklynn hashed everything out on her end yesterday, Yaz is coming in tomorrow, as is Sammy who's flying in soon and they told me they’re definitely on board. I'm doing it, if you're wondering. So, yeah, pretty much.” Darius explains.
"And let me tell you, getting Sammy to come back from Texas was no easy feat." Claire sighs.
“Huh.”
No wonder Mae didn’t tell him herself. It’s… a lot to take in.
Ben won’t lie, he’s very tempted to say ‘Yes’ right now, no question. They had a lot of fun on the set of CC and wouldn't mind experiencing that again. And, frankly, it’s been a while since he’s been in a movie. The process of filming a movie versus television is very similar in many aspects, but there’s just something about being on a movie set that makes the whole experience feel grander.
Mae even called this project a ‘career changer.’ Does she mean because it would be capitalizing on their show’s current popularity? Or is she implying he might finally push beyond B-List status? In either case, all the more reason he should say ‘Yes’, right? She's never steered him wrong.
Then, all at once, an important detail surges to the front of his mind.
“Did- Did Kenji say he’ll do it…?”
“Well, yes and no…” Darius answers cryptically, flinching the second Ben brought up the other man. Everyone in their little circle knows about Ben’s whole ‘avoid Kenji if possible’ mindset, so Darius was probably expecting Ben to bring him up.
“What does that m-”
Before Ben can finish his question, the door to the room opens, and enters someone he’s thought more of in the last couple of hours than he has in the last couple of years.
-eight years ago-
“H-hi! My name is Ben Pincus, and I’m playing the role of Sean!”
The meeting room is jam packed with people- writers, directors, the cast, and dozens of others. As Ben finishes his short intro, they all politely clap, a few of them laughing at his nervousness. After he takes his seat, his Mom who’s sitting behind him gives his shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
Sitting across and on either side of Ben are his new castmates. He's happy that six of them are all around the same age, and hopefully getting along won't be too difficult.
Ben smiles to himself, giddy about starting this new chapter in his life and his career. Assuming the pilot does well and they get picked up, this will be Ben’s biggest role yet. So far, he’s only been able to land commercials or one-episode roles. This will be his first time he’s playing a character for an extended period of time. Serialized television is a big step forward!
Heh, if this does well, maybe he can even get an agent.
The director and writers have already introduced themselves, and now it's the cast's turn. The adults insisted the six of them go first. Darius, Brooklynn, Sammy and Yaz (and now Ben) have all gone already, leaving one left.
The last kid to go is the taller boy sitting to Ben's right. He sits there with an expensive polo and gaudy sunglasses, looking very much like someone who thinks he's a celebrity. Every time someone finished their introductions, he golf clapped. Literally. A rather intimidating man who Ben assumes is the boy's dad sits behind him, though he doesn’t seem to pay attention to anything but the laptop he brought with him.
Now that it’s his son’s turn, he closes the thing and watches him intently.
“Hey, everyone. I’m Kenji, the star of the show.” The statement gets a good amount of laughs from the adults, and out of the corner of his eye, Ben sees a proud smirk now resting on that intimidating man’s face. “Kidding, sorry. No, I’m Kenji Kon, and I’ll be playing Ryan. Can’t wait to work with you all.”
Kenji takes his seat, and Ben, observant as he is, notices the boy’s smile fade the second everyone was no longer looking at him. So, too, did his shoulders- drooping as if a weight had been lifted.
...what was that about?
Well, whatever it was, Ben gets the feeling he and Kenji aren’t going to get along. ‘Star of the show’? He said he's kidding, but he gets the feeling he wasn't. Ben was already put off by the way he’s dressed- though knowing he's playing rich-boy Ryan, it’s rather in character. If Kenji is anything like Ryan, Ben is sure they’re not going to be friends.
Still, if they’re going to be working together for a while, he should make an effort to at least be amicable.
“I like your glasses.” Ben whispers to Kenji, saying the first thing to come to mind. Everyone else is currently paying attention to the adult cast members now introducing themselves.
“Huh? Oh. Thanks, man.” Kenji replies timidly, maybe not expecting Ben to talk to him. The taller boy doesn’t say anything else, so Ben changes topics.
“Did you read the script yet?”
“Uh, sorta? Honestly, only the first half, probably.”
“Same, I got too nervous to get through the whole thing.” He lies. In fact, Ben was so excited that he read that script front-to-back several times over. He could recite all his lines without it at this point- not that he has that many. Still, he’s trying to make friends, and Kenji seems a bit nervous talking to him for some reason.
“I got to the part where Paul teases Ryan about being scared of the lizard in the jeep.” Kenji admits. "I kinda didn't wanna read more after that."
“Oh, I know which part you’re talking about. To be fair, he was annoying Paul up until then.” Ben supplies. Kenji grimaces at that.
“I know, but when I signed up, I didn’t know Ryan is actually kind of a scaredy cat. They just told me he was a ‘cool guy’ who takes some warming up to.”
“Well, they told me straight up, ‘Sean is a wet blanket and a scaredy cat.’ And hey, at least you get the coolest introduction out of all of us.” For a brief second, a smile- not like the one the boy put on when he was introducing himself, but a softer, genuine one- crosses Kenji’s face.
“You don’t think it’s too much? Coming into camp in a helicopter?”
“A little, but I think it sets up what to expect from Ryan pretty clearly.”
“Huh. That’s true.” Kenji muses. Suddenly, a glint of mischief is in the taller boy's eye. “Guess that’s better than barfing on the boat ride over, huh?”
Ben pouts. Kenji stifles a laugh at the sight, and Ben gets to see that smile again.
“Sorry, just messing with you.” Kenji practically wheezes out.
A snapping sound comes from behind and Kenji’s back goes ramrod straight and his shoulder squared. His eyes focus squarely on the director who’s been giving a short speech. Ben doesn’t have to look to know where that sound came from. It was pretty freaky- all at once, Kenji's demeanor shifted, and he's no longer like the guy he was just talking to.
Ben isn’t the most socially apt person, but even he knows that whole thing wasn’t normal. He doesn’t try to talk with Kenji for the rest of the meeting- at least, not while that man is watching.
Though, from that brief, genuine conversation he had with him, Ben starts to think that maybe Kenji isn’t as bad as he initially thought.
-present-
Seeing Kenji on TV for a minute and seeing him in front of him are very different experiences. At least with the TV, Ben can shut it off whenever he wants. Here, he’d literally have to get up and leave to avoid the other- that, or jump out the window directly behind him. As it is, he starts to unconsciously scratch at his arms a bit before mentally slapping himself.
As Kenji saunters in, all swagger and confidence, Ben considers jumping out the window option the most viable.
“Darius! C’mere, bro!” Kenji sings, holding his arms open wide. Darius smiles as he makes his way over and embraces the taller man.
“We went rock climbing and had dinner last week. You’re acting like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Ugh, anytime apart feels like forever, man.” The pair chuckle at the quip, and Ben just sits there, trying to process everything. Kenji’s eyes train on Claire, and once again, his arms are wide open. “Oh, if I knew my favorite screenwriter was on board, I would have said ‘Yes’ immediately.”
“Yeah, yeah. Good to see you, kid.” Claire laughs as they embrace. "You just missed Simon. I'm sure he'd have liked to catch up."
"Ah, I see him often enough. Just surprised he didn't tell me about all this himself."
Then, Kenji’s eyes focus squarely on Ben.
His smile drops and a slightly uncomfortable expression settles on his face. His hands fidget on either side of him. This is very different to the Kenji that just greeted Darius and Claire. Heck, this is different from the abrasive Kenji he's seen at events the past few years. This is more like the nervous Kenji he met all those years ago, in a room just like this.
Then in an instant, Kenji's lopsided grin is back, and Ben is snapped out of his thoughts, firmly rooting him in the present.
“Hey.” Is all Ben offers, looking in Kenji’s direction, but refusing to meet his eyes.
“Hey. It's been what, a year?”
“Two.” He reminds him curtly. "Comic Con, remember?" The tension is palpable, and as it is, he knows he’s probably making things awkward for everyone else in the room.
Curiously, when Ben happens to glance Claire’s way, the look on her face says she’s very much interested in this conversation, for whatever reason.
“Right, I remember." Something shifts in Kenji's eyes. "Wait... don't tell me you're also joining the film?”
The disbelieving voice throws Ben. Does... Kenji also not know what's going on? It sounds like he at least knew it was a film, but he seems as much in the dark about the other details as Ben is. He didn't seem all that surprised to see Darius, but then, he did seemed surprised to see Claire.
“Maybe? I don’t know." Ben admits. "I’m not even sure what the movie is about. All they’ve told me is Darius and the girls from Camp have agreed to be in it.” Instinctively, he looks to Mae, who returns his gaze sheepishly.
“Ah. Yes, well, your agent Kelly was on board-” Mae starts to explain to Kenji, but is cut off by Claire.
“It’s a romance movie.”
“What- really?” Ben asks, not expecting that answer. He's never worked on one of those before. Is this what Mae meant by 'career changer?' Are they considering Ben for the male lead?
“Well, who's going to be playing the leads?” Kenji asks before he can. Ben grimaces.
So far, Ben's CV contains a variety of roles: a doctor, a cop, a zombie survivor, and of course, a teenage camper, to name a few. The show he's currently filming has him as a man trapped in the wild, living off the land. The closest he's ever gotten to play any kind of 'romance' role was in an episode of 'Drama Hospital' where he played a guy with a dying girlfriend.
“Ben, I want you to know, I wouldn’t have agreed to this meeting unless-” Mae starts again, but this time, Ben cuts her off himself, growing more anxious the more they pussyfoot around the topic.
“Who? Who's playing them? Tell me.”
Is it him and Brooklynn? Or Sammy? Is it Kenji and Brooklynn? Cliche, but not unexpected. It would be pretty interesting seeing action hero Yaz step into the romance genre. Honestly, no matter who the leading lady ends up being, Ben isn't sure he'd want to sign on if Kenji is the leading man instead of him. Darius, he'd be fine with- Happy, even. Kenji? Not so much.
“The film is called ‘In The Stars’ and it's a gay romance set in the 80s. I want you and Kenji to be the romantic leads.” Claire answers, her eyes flitting between everyone.
Oh.
Ben once again glances at Mae, who looks at him with a mixture of hope and concern.
He told her earlier this year he wanted to publicly come out and hopefully play his first openly gay character. He knows she's been feeling studios out for a while, but so far, he hadn't heard word of anything being offered. He's also made clear to her he'd like to dip his toes into the romance genre eventually, though if it could be as a gay character, that would be two birds with one stone.
This is the break he was waiting for.
Never would he imagine it would be opposite him.
All this secrecy suddenly makes sense. Kenji is why she was so hesitant to say much of anything. Kenji is why she wanted him to hear the offer in a meeting. Did she know he was going to show up? Ben is sure he would have refused to come if he knew in advance the guy was going to be here. She knew Darius was going to be here, so that isn't farfetched.
Despite his current feelings towards the man, his immediate instinct is to look at Kenji- to gauge the other’s reaction to this information.
From what he can tell by his body language, he's just as floored by the information as Ben. That said, Kenji isn't protesting or laughing it off like he thought he would. In fact, he seems to be taking this rather well. Still, the other is not so subtly wiping his hands on his expensive pant legs, and his posture and demeanor conveys vulnerability.
The most telling thing, however, is the other man's eyes. They alone would tell Ben everything- expressions and emotions that only Ben saw, in moments that he hasn’t even thought of in years. As it is, those eyes meet his, also searching. Before him stands something he hasn't seen in quite some time- a pensive Kenji.
It suddenly occurs to him that the shorter man is doing the same thing he is. He wants to know what Ben thinks of all this, waiting on his next word with baited breath. He's not sure why, but he gets the feeling that his own answer to the role offer might determine Kenji’s. Ben isn’t sure he likes having that power right now. He knows it isn't just Kenji that's waiting on what he says next. Judging from how they're now all looking at him, how they move forward with the project may be determined on if he agrees or not.
Ben has to remind himself that Mae knows best, and wouldn't put him in this awkward position if she didn't think this wasn't a good move. And, he reminds himself that he does have the final say in all things, regardless if he'd be throwing away the role of a lifetime.
Darius has been a rock for Ben in the turbulent ocean that is show-business. They both had to navigate the kind of life that comes from going from child-actor to proper actor, and for better or for worse, they've always been there for each other. He, and the rest of the 'Camp Fam' (as Sammy insists on calling the six of them) know of Ben's tiff with Kenji, though the details of why that is remains (mostly) only between him and the taller man.
What he's saying is Darius and Mae know that this is a difficult position for him, and they still want him on board.
But the only thing that overrides all of those thoughts, the only thing that makes him even consider doing this after learning the 'catch', is that Kenji knows how difficult this would be for him.
The fact he’s still here, even after what was said between them the last few years, even after years of actively avoiding one another, waiting on what Ben says next before he makes his own move, tells Ben something has changed with the taller man.
Not that it should matter, because nothing has changed with Ben.
But still. He can't pass this opportunity up just because of... everything.
So, despite his better judgment- despite almost every fiber of his being telling him to walk out of here and wait for something else, the words that leave his mouth are:
“Tell me more about it.”
And everyone seems to release the same, collective breath.
In his peripheral, Ben can see a small smile on Kenji's lips.
Ben, unsure of what he’s getting into, feels like the walls are closing in and he’s gotten himself trapped somewhere he shouldn’t.