Space Man

Movies

Xisuma pov

We ended up watching a lot—and I mean a lot—of movies in his native tongue. I honestly didn’t understand most of what was being said, but seeing how much he enjoyed them made it worth it. I hadn’t realized just how many movies were in Polish and Swedish until he started pulling them up one after another.

To my relief, he managed to navigate the settings and turn on English subtitles for me, which I was incredibly grateful for. Still, it was more about seeing him happy than actually following the plots.

At one point, he got this mischievous glint in his eye and insisted we watch a Christmas horror movie. He said I’d like it.

I didn’t.

It was terrifying.

The entire time, I was gripping the couch cushions like my life depended on it, glancing at him occasionally to see him completely unfazed. He even laughed at some of the parts I found horrifying.

“This is horrible, Keralis,” I said, half-joking, half-serious, as I recoiled from yet another jump scare.

“Oh, come on, Shishwammy,” he replied, his tone dripping with amusement. “It’s just a movie! Besides, look at this part—it’s brilliant!”

I didn’t dare look at the screen, but his enthusiasm was undeniable. He was practically glowing with excitement, which made me begrudgingly stick it out.

By the end of it, I was sure I’d never sleep again, but seeing him laugh and chat animatedly about the movie made it almost worth it. Almost.

“You’re evil, you know that?” I muttered as the credits rolled.

He just smirked and shrugged. “You’ll survive, Shishwammy. Besides, now you have great taste in movies.”

“Debatable,” I replied, but even as I grumbled, I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing him so carefree, even just for a little while, made all the terror and discomfort worth it.

Apparently, that was just the beginning of what Keralis gleefully referred to as a “torture fest.” After the Christmas horror movie debacle, he pulled out an arsenal of genuine horror films—movies so terrifying that I couldn’t even bring myself to watch.

Somehow, at some point, I found myself huddled under a blanket I didn’t even remember grabbing. Where it came from was a mystery, but I was beyond grateful for it. It became my shield from the onslaught of jump scares and eerie soundtracks.

Keralis, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. He cackled uncontrollably, his laughter filling the room every time I flinched or made some sort of panicked noise.

“My misery is your joy, huh?” I muttered from beneath the safety of the blanket, my voice muffled but dripping with sarcasm.

He peeked under the blanket, his grin practically splitting his face. “Absolutely, Shishwammy. You’re so cute when you’re scared!”

“I’m not scared,” I lied, clutching the blanket tighter as another blood-curdling scream came from the TV.

He snorted, clearly not buying it, and ruffled my hair before returning his attention to the movie. I peeked out briefly, only to immediately regret it as the screen showed something I really didn’t want to see.

“Keralis, why do you like these movies?” I asked, genuinely baffled.

“They’re fun!” he replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You get the thrill without the danger. It’s perfect!”

“Yeah, perfect for you,” I grumbled, retreating fully under the blanket again.

For the rest of the night, I stayed hidden while he laughed and teased me, occasionally poking at the blanket to see if I was still alive under there. Despite the terrifying ordeal, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. His laughter was infectious, and even if I was suffering, seeing him so happy made it worth enduring the horror marathon.