Something Better
Title: Something Better
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: former Chris/Matt
Rating: slash - implied
Author's Note: All right, so this piece is the last installment of an untitled series about Chris's first serious relationship. I don't know if I will ever write more pieces in the series, showing the progression of their relationship. I wanted to initially, but... there's just so many other fics on my plate. Anyway, this piece is not only a finale to a series, but something of a beginnings to another--a Chris and Ty series! Rejoice, for they are highly entertaining. But the series might break your heart a little.
Ty was expecting a date Tuesday night, so when his apartment was buzzed that evening, he hit the button with a, "Come on up!" and ran into the bathroom to check his hair. There was a knock on the door about a minute later, and he moved over to open it, looking cool and casual for about two seconds. Then he saw who it was.
"Kit?"
Chris stood in the hallway with a duffel bag over his shoulder, looking unshowered and miserable. Ty hadn't seen him in over a month, when they used to see each other nearly every day. Then it had been a couple times a week. Then maybe once a week, and then hardly at all.
"Hey, Kiwi," he said with a half-hearted attempt at a grin.
Ty reached out and hugged him on impulse. "Aw, hey, Kit. Long time no see! What's up? Where've you been, buddy? Come in. You look like shit. What's wrong?"
Chris took a few uncertain steps forward. Ty closed the door behind him, studying his face with a worried little frown. He avoided his gaze. "I… I was wondering… I mean, if you say no, it's cool. But… could I stay here a couple days?" he asked, looking up at his best friend.
He thumped him on the shoulder. "Hey, of course! You know you're welcome anytime." He hesitated. "Did, uh, did something happen?"
Chris shook his head. Then he nodded. Ty just waited patiently for him to come out with it. "I, uh. Matt and I… We… broke up."
"Oh, Kit." Ty pulled him into a hug again. Chris buried his face into his shoulder. His buzzer went off. "Oh, damn. Kit, hang on a sec. I'll be right back." He held up one finger and ran out the door. Chris shuffled over to the couch and slumped down, hanging onto his duffel bag for dear life.
When Ty returned, he looked up at him curiously. "Who was that?"
"It's nothing. I had a date tonight, but I told her I had to cancel," Ty explained.
Chris looked outraged. "You did what? Don't cancel on my account. Go on your date."
Ty flopped down next to him, ruffling his hair. "No way. My best friend is more important."
He looked immediately ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, Ty," he whispered. Ty raised an eyebrow.
"What for?"
Chris sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. "For not… being there. Being around. I got so wrapped up in things with Matt and I ditched you, and I'm sorry."
Ty punched him lightly on the arm. "Don't be stupid. I know how it is. Don't worry about it, Kit." He paused, seeing the way his friend drooped, looking so empty and lifeless. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked quietly.
He was silent for a long time. "No," he said finally. He looked up, suddenly pulling his mask into place, and grinned. "Hey, got any new games?"
Ty let it slide. He knew Chris would talk about it when he was good and ready to talk about it. If it was video game therapy he needed, it was video game therapy he would get.
"AGH!" Chris threw his controller down after losing his third game to Ty. He threw himself back against the floor. "I'm so not on my game tonight," he moaned.
Ty laid down next to him, folding his arms behind his head. "You kind of suck," he agreed. "But then again, you always kind of did."
Chris swatted him. "Shut up." He paused, listening to the sounds of the video game telling them 'game over.' "I missed this."
"Me too." Ty smiled at him affectionately. "It's been so long since I've last kicked your sorry arse."
Chris flung himself on top of him, shoving and punching, and Ty laughingly wrestled him back to the ground, pinning him easily, though Chris didn't exactly struggle against it. At least, not until Ty put his armpit in his face.
"Ugh, bastard!" He shoved him off. "You reek, go take a shower."
Ty sniffed his armpit, followed by his other one. "I do not!" He pointed a finger at him. "But speaking of showers, maybe you wanna take one, huh?"
Chris swept a hand over his hair sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be a bad idea."
He patted Chris on the belly. "Take a shower. Put some comfy pj's on. We'll watch a movie or something."
"You know my comfiest pj's means being naked, right?"
Ty grinned and smacked him half-heartedly over the head. "Something a little less revealing than that." He shooed him towards the bathroom. Chris went in, and Ty turned to the task of picking out a suitable movie. Something that would cheer Chris up.
Inside the bathroom, Chris stripped off his clothes and turned the shower on. He caught his reflection in the mirror and stared for several long seconds, loathing in his gaze. His eyes pricked hotly, and he stepped inside the shower to camouflage what he suspected were going to be tears.
The water was almost scalding, but he didn't turn the handle to lower the heat. He ducked his head under the shower, soaking his hair through. He stood there with one arm pressed against the shower wall in front of him, his eyes closed, trying to control the horrible feeling that was rising up.
It burst from him regardless, a sob escaping his lips. He slowly slumped down to the bottom of the tub, wrapping his arms around his legs and rocking.
When he got out of the bathroom, after the shower had gone cold and his fingers had started to wrinkle, Ty was waiting patiently, movie choice made, snacks prepared. With a towel wrapped around his waist, Chris slowly pulled a pair of shorts and a t shirt out of his bag, and disappeared into the bathroom again to change.
“What are we watching?” he asked when he came back out again, shuffling over to the couch to curl up next to his friend.
“Lord of War,” Ty answered, handing him a bag of chips. Chris pulled out a handful and started to munch.
“Mm. Jared Leto,” Chris said. “You trying to cheer me up, Kiwi?”
“Maybe?” Ty sounded genuinely uncertain of his answer, and Chris grinned at him, scooting closer so that he could lean against him and rest his head on his shoulder. Ty wrapped an arm around him and started the movie.
Emotionally drained, Chris fell asleep somewhere around the halfway point. Ty let him sleep, tucked up against him. When the movie ended and he shifted off the couch, Chris woke up.
“So, did Leto go all heroic and die?” Chris mumbled groggily.
Ty ruffled his hair. “Yeah, he did. It was epic. You gonna crash on the couch?”
“Mhmmm.”
“I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow,” Ty told him, and disappeared. When he came back with the promised items, Chris was asleep again. Ty carefully lifted his head to tuck the pillow under him and placed the blanket over him. Chris slept on.
Some hours later, he woke up, and had that horrible feeling when you're not quite certain where you are. Then he remembered Ty, and leaving, and Matt. That's when he realized what had woken him up. He wasn't used to sleeping alone.
It took him some moments of contemplation before he made up his mind. Blanket and pillow in tow, he got up and made his way to Ty's room, pushing open the door and peering into the darkness inside.
He shuffled his way over to the shadowy outline of a bed and climbed in. Ty woke up, turning towards him in confusion. Chris wiggled closer to him.
"Can I sleep with you?" he whispered, all too like a child who, scared of the storm, came begging to his parents.
Ty simply pulled an arm around him and fell back asleep. Chris curled into him. It wasn't Matt. It was nothing like being with Matt. Maybe it was better.
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: former Chris/Matt
Rating: slash - implied
Author's Note: All right, so this piece is the last installment of an untitled series about Chris's first serious relationship. I don't know if I will ever write more pieces in the series, showing the progression of their relationship. I wanted to initially, but... there's just so many other fics on my plate. Anyway, this piece is not only a finale to a series, but something of a beginnings to another--a Chris and Ty series! Rejoice, for they are highly entertaining. But the series might break your heart a little.
Ty was expecting a date Tuesday night, so when his apartment was buzzed that evening, he hit the button with a, "Come on up!" and ran into the bathroom to check his hair. There was a knock on the door about a minute later, and he moved over to open it, looking cool and casual for about two seconds. Then he saw who it was.
"Kit?"
Chris stood in the hallway with a duffel bag over his shoulder, looking unshowered and miserable. Ty hadn't seen him in over a month, when they used to see each other nearly every day. Then it had been a couple times a week. Then maybe once a week, and then hardly at all.
"Hey, Kiwi," he said with a half-hearted attempt at a grin.
Ty reached out and hugged him on impulse. "Aw, hey, Kit. Long time no see! What's up? Where've you been, buddy? Come in. You look like shit. What's wrong?"
Chris took a few uncertain steps forward. Ty closed the door behind him, studying his face with a worried little frown. He avoided his gaze. "I… I was wondering… I mean, if you say no, it's cool. But… could I stay here a couple days?" he asked, looking up at his best friend.
He thumped him on the shoulder. "Hey, of course! You know you're welcome anytime." He hesitated. "Did, uh, did something happen?"
Chris shook his head. Then he nodded. Ty just waited patiently for him to come out with it. "I, uh. Matt and I… We… broke up."
"Oh, Kit." Ty pulled him into a hug again. Chris buried his face into his shoulder. His buzzer went off. "Oh, damn. Kit, hang on a sec. I'll be right back." He held up one finger and ran out the door. Chris shuffled over to the couch and slumped down, hanging onto his duffel bag for dear life.
When Ty returned, he looked up at him curiously. "Who was that?"
"It's nothing. I had a date tonight, but I told her I had to cancel," Ty explained.
Chris looked outraged. "You did what? Don't cancel on my account. Go on your date."
Ty flopped down next to him, ruffling his hair. "No way. My best friend is more important."
He looked immediately ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, Ty," he whispered. Ty raised an eyebrow.
"What for?"
Chris sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. "For not… being there. Being around. I got so wrapped up in things with Matt and I ditched you, and I'm sorry."
Ty punched him lightly on the arm. "Don't be stupid. I know how it is. Don't worry about it, Kit." He paused, seeing the way his friend drooped, looking so empty and lifeless. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked quietly.
He was silent for a long time. "No," he said finally. He looked up, suddenly pulling his mask into place, and grinned. "Hey, got any new games?"
Ty let it slide. He knew Chris would talk about it when he was good and ready to talk about it. If it was video game therapy he needed, it was video game therapy he would get.
"AGH!" Chris threw his controller down after losing his third game to Ty. He threw himself back against the floor. "I'm so not on my game tonight," he moaned.
Ty laid down next to him, folding his arms behind his head. "You kind of suck," he agreed. "But then again, you always kind of did."
Chris swatted him. "Shut up." He paused, listening to the sounds of the video game telling them 'game over.' "I missed this."
"Me too." Ty smiled at him affectionately. "It's been so long since I've last kicked your sorry arse."
Chris flung himself on top of him, shoving and punching, and Ty laughingly wrestled him back to the ground, pinning him easily, though Chris didn't exactly struggle against it. At least, not until Ty put his armpit in his face.
"Ugh, bastard!" He shoved him off. "You reek, go take a shower."
Ty sniffed his armpit, followed by his other one. "I do not!" He pointed a finger at him. "But speaking of showers, maybe you wanna take one, huh?"
Chris swept a hand over his hair sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be a bad idea."
He patted Chris on the belly. "Take a shower. Put some comfy pj's on. We'll watch a movie or something."
"You know my comfiest pj's means being naked, right?"
Ty grinned and smacked him half-heartedly over the head. "Something a little less revealing than that." He shooed him towards the bathroom. Chris went in, and Ty turned to the task of picking out a suitable movie. Something that would cheer Chris up.
Inside the bathroom, Chris stripped off his clothes and turned the shower on. He caught his reflection in the mirror and stared for several long seconds, loathing in his gaze. His eyes pricked hotly, and he stepped inside the shower to camouflage what he suspected were going to be tears.
The water was almost scalding, but he didn't turn the handle to lower the heat. He ducked his head under the shower, soaking his hair through. He stood there with one arm pressed against the shower wall in front of him, his eyes closed, trying to control the horrible feeling that was rising up.
It burst from him regardless, a sob escaping his lips. He slowly slumped down to the bottom of the tub, wrapping his arms around his legs and rocking.
When he got out of the bathroom, after the shower had gone cold and his fingers had started to wrinkle, Ty was waiting patiently, movie choice made, snacks prepared. With a towel wrapped around his waist, Chris slowly pulled a pair of shorts and a t shirt out of his bag, and disappeared into the bathroom again to change.
“What are we watching?” he asked when he came back out again, shuffling over to the couch to curl up next to his friend.
“Lord of War,” Ty answered, handing him a bag of chips. Chris pulled out a handful and started to munch.
“Mm. Jared Leto,” Chris said. “You trying to cheer me up, Kiwi?”
“Maybe?” Ty sounded genuinely uncertain of his answer, and Chris grinned at him, scooting closer so that he could lean against him and rest his head on his shoulder. Ty wrapped an arm around him and started the movie.
Emotionally drained, Chris fell asleep somewhere around the halfway point. Ty let him sleep, tucked up against him. When the movie ended and he shifted off the couch, Chris woke up.
“So, did Leto go all heroic and die?” Chris mumbled groggily.
Ty ruffled his hair. “Yeah, he did. It was epic. You gonna crash on the couch?”
“Mhmmm.”
“I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow,” Ty told him, and disappeared. When he came back with the promised items, Chris was asleep again. Ty carefully lifted his head to tuck the pillow under him and placed the blanket over him. Chris slept on.
Some hours later, he woke up, and had that horrible feeling when you're not quite certain where you are. Then he remembered Ty, and leaving, and Matt. That's when he realized what had woken him up. He wasn't used to sleeping alone.
It took him some moments of contemplation before he made up his mind. Blanket and pillow in tow, he got up and made his way to Ty's room, pushing open the door and peering into the darkness inside.
He shuffled his way over to the shadowy outline of a bed and climbed in. Ty woke up, turning towards him in confusion. Chris wiggled closer to him.
"Can I sleep with you?" he whispered, all too like a child who, scared of the storm, came begging to his parents.
Ty simply pulled an arm around him and fell back asleep. Chris curled into him. It wasn't Matt. It was nothing like being with Matt. Maybe it was better.