Title: Those Eyes
Rating: PG-13 – language
Pairing: you'll see
Summary: I was in the mood to write a Halloween fic and this is what I got. Hope you like it.
Bright was still trying to figure out why the hell he came to the stupid costume party. He tugged at the ruffled collar of his shirt as he peered out the holes of his mask. Now I know how Zorro felt, he thought, smiling to himself. The smile faded as he saw Amy. Of course, this was her party – one of the first things she organized for the activities council at the University of Denver – so she was bound to bet there. She had made him come and picked out his costume. Bright remembered their earlier conversation.
"What am I and why?" he had questioned, irritated.
"You're a gentleman. And why? Because Halloween gives us a chance to dress up as something that we're not," Amy had replied, pushing the costume into Bright's hands, smiling.
"Ouch. That hurt, Amy. You cause me such pain…in my ass."
Amy smirked before saying, "I'll leave that to your boyfriend." She broke into a grin as her eyebrows arched up, then she quickly left Bright's room before he could respond.
Bright was still confused about what Amy had meant about his 'boyfriend.' First off, he wasn't gay. And second, he, Bright Abbott, what NOT gay.
"Hey, Bright," Amy greeted cheerily, a friend of hers that Bright couldn't place at her side. Of course, the fact that half of the face was covered by a mask didn't really help much in the whole recognizing people thing. "This is a friend of mine, visiting from out of town."
The friend held out a slender hand and Bright shook it. "Hey," he greeted. Bright waited a few moments for a response and, when he didn't receive one, gave Amy a questioning look.
"Ohh. Month-long vow of silence. Ends at midnight – same time as the revealing. Um, I've gotta go…do stuff. You two have fun." Amy scurried away just as Bright opened his mouth. His sister really had a habit of having to have the last word.
"So…" Bright began, having no the slightest clue how to start up a conversation with someone who was taking a vow of silence. Well, at least she's pretty hot, he observed, eyes wandering over the somewhat form-fitting dress. It kind of matched Bright's costume – they looked as though they came from the same era. His eyes continued to wander and stopped at the low neck-line at the chest. Or lack-there-of. Wow. Talk about flat. Maybe she's a gymnast. Bright smiled at that. It was a total possibility. Amy's friend was easily Amy's size. The party might not turn out as bad as Bright had previously thought. "Have you known Amy long?" he asked.
The hot-and-may-possibly-be-a-gymnast friend shrugged as if to say, 'Oh, maybe a while.'
"Maybe I should stick to simple yes/no questions."
The friend nodded.
"You wanna sit?" Nod. Bright led the way to a table. "Um…so, yeah. This is usually the part where you tell me about yourself, but…" He smiled and the red-painted lips of the friend's mouth curled into a smile as well, eyes understanding. And familiar. Bright leaned over the table a little to look into those eyes. Very familiar. But how? Who did he know that had grey-green eyes?
"Are you from Colorado?" A shake of the head 'no.' "But you've been here before, right?" A nod. "Have we met?" Another nod. "So I know you." A shrug and a nod. "How long until midnight?" The friend glanced at a bare wrist and shrug one slender shoulder. "So, I know you…I have no idea who you are. Should I know?" Eyes kind of squinty and a slight shrug in reply. "Maybe?" A nod. After a while of silence between the two, Bright could hear a slow song begin. "Do you want to dance?" Slightly hesitant, then a nod. Bright offered a hand, then started off towards the designated dance area. Bright rested his hands at the small of Amy's friend's back as arms draped loosely around his neck. He pulled the body slightly closer, one hand drifting upwards, absently caressing. The muscles there were taut, the body lean. Yep, she's a gymnast, Bright concluded. Amy probably met her through dance class.
The two danced every slow song or sat in a comfortable silence until Amy's voice interrupted the chorus of a slow song Bright couldn't remember the name of. "Okay, guys. It's eleven – only an hour until the unmasking," she said. "I'll let you all know when we're halfway there, then again when we've got five minutes. The countdown is at midnight. I hope you've all had fun and met some really interesting people." The song resumed and Amy's gymnast friend resumed the previous position, with their head resting lightly on Bright's shoulder.
Bright began to get kind of worried. What was going to happen after midnight? Why was he so attached to someone who he wasn't sure he remembered – someone who couldn't even speak a word to him? Why were those eyes so damn familiar? He was positive he had looked into them many times before.
A burst of hopefulness in his chest, then it was crushed by thoughts of reason. No, there's no way. It couldn't be. I would know. And I'm not gay.
The song ended, transitioning into a more upbeat song that Bright remembered seeing on MTV the other day. He took a pale hand in his and started outside. The grey-green eyes were confused. "I know. You're probably wondering why I drug you out here when it's only, like, 30 degrees, but I just wanted to get away from all the people inside for a few minutes." He looked down at the freshly fallen snow – the powder glittered in the light from the moon and the street lamps. "I just feel like I know you," he said. "I know your eyes. And your smile. I just can't place them…everything about this evening will change at midnight, but I want it to change now." One of Bright's hands tangled in the curly dark mass of synthetic hair, careful not to pull the wig off, as his other hand circled around a narrow waist. His mouth descended on red-painted, slightly-parted lips.
A while later, Bright could vaguely hear Amy inside announcing that it was midnight, then beginning the countdown. Bright was afraid that the magic of the night would flee and disappear. "You ready to do this?" A nod. "On the count of three. One…two…..three." Bright pulled his mask off, squeezing his eyes shut, not ready to look at the face behind the mask.
He heard an impatient sigh, then, "Dude, open your freaking eyes."
Bright's eyebrows drew together, then his eyes flashed open. "No freaking way." A hand ran through his hair, tousling curls. "Holy shit, man. What the fuck?"
There was a long silence. "I knew you'd be surprised and stuff, but honestly."
"Sorry, I'm in shock. You? Shit, man, why didn't you tell me?"
"It was Amy's idea. She called me and-"
"Hey, boys," Amy said from the doorway. "Why don't you come inside before you freeze?" She turned to head in, but suddenly stopped. "Oh, and, Ephram? Your lipstick is a bit smudged."
"So, are you…?" Bright trailed off.
"Gay?" Ephram supplied. "Yeah, I am."
"Oh…I'm not. Or, at least wasn't. But, when I thought about how familiar your eyes were, I hoped it was you…"
"Wow. I'm what made you cross over? I feel honored. 'Cause, you know, Brad Pitt's really hot. And Hugh Jackman. Spike on Buffy. The broody guy on that WB show. You know who I'm talking about, right? The brothers that played basketball – the blonde one. Yeah. Enough to change a guy."
"I liked you better during your vow of silence. Why did you take a vow of silence anyway?"
"I didn't. We just needed a cover for why I couldn't talk to you. My voice would have given me away and Amy didn't want you to find out until midnight."
"Yeah. 'Cause I just don't see you being silent for much longer than a few hours. You would die if you couldn't make sarcastic comments."
"Bright," Ephram began, those eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled, "shut up and kiss me."
fin
A/N: I felt bad about cross-dressing Ephram, but it had to be done. This idea struck me the other day, so there it is. Hope you liked my B&E.
Rating: PG-13 – language
Pairing: you'll see
Summary: I was in the mood to write a Halloween fic and this is what I got. Hope you like it.
Bright was still trying to figure out why the hell he came to the stupid costume party. He tugged at the ruffled collar of his shirt as he peered out the holes of his mask. Now I know how Zorro felt, he thought, smiling to himself. The smile faded as he saw Amy. Of course, this was her party – one of the first things she organized for the activities council at the University of Denver – so she was bound to bet there. She had made him come and picked out his costume. Bright remembered their earlier conversation.
"What am I and why?" he had questioned, irritated.
"You're a gentleman. And why? Because Halloween gives us a chance to dress up as something that we're not," Amy had replied, pushing the costume into Bright's hands, smiling.
"Ouch. That hurt, Amy. You cause me such pain…in my ass."
Amy smirked before saying, "I'll leave that to your boyfriend." She broke into a grin as her eyebrows arched up, then she quickly left Bright's room before he could respond.
Bright was still confused about what Amy had meant about his 'boyfriend.' First off, he wasn't gay. And second, he, Bright Abbott, what NOT gay.
"Hey, Bright," Amy greeted cheerily, a friend of hers that Bright couldn't place at her side. Of course, the fact that half of the face was covered by a mask didn't really help much in the whole recognizing people thing. "This is a friend of mine, visiting from out of town."
The friend held out a slender hand and Bright shook it. "Hey," he greeted. Bright waited a few moments for a response and, when he didn't receive one, gave Amy a questioning look.
"Ohh. Month-long vow of silence. Ends at midnight – same time as the revealing. Um, I've gotta go…do stuff. You two have fun." Amy scurried away just as Bright opened his mouth. His sister really had a habit of having to have the last word.
"So…" Bright began, having no the slightest clue how to start up a conversation with someone who was taking a vow of silence. Well, at least she's pretty hot, he observed, eyes wandering over the somewhat form-fitting dress. It kind of matched Bright's costume – they looked as though they came from the same era. His eyes continued to wander and stopped at the low neck-line at the chest. Or lack-there-of. Wow. Talk about flat. Maybe she's a gymnast. Bright smiled at that. It was a total possibility. Amy's friend was easily Amy's size. The party might not turn out as bad as Bright had previously thought. "Have you known Amy long?" he asked.
The hot-and-may-possibly-be-a-gymnast friend shrugged as if to say, 'Oh, maybe a while.'
"Maybe I should stick to simple yes/no questions."
The friend nodded.
"You wanna sit?" Nod. Bright led the way to a table. "Um…so, yeah. This is usually the part where you tell me about yourself, but…" He smiled and the red-painted lips of the friend's mouth curled into a smile as well, eyes understanding. And familiar. Bright leaned over the table a little to look into those eyes. Very familiar. But how? Who did he know that had grey-green eyes?
"Are you from Colorado?" A shake of the head 'no.' "But you've been here before, right?" A nod. "Have we met?" Another nod. "So I know you." A shrug and a nod. "How long until midnight?" The friend glanced at a bare wrist and shrug one slender shoulder. "So, I know you…I have no idea who you are. Should I know?" Eyes kind of squinty and a slight shrug in reply. "Maybe?" A nod. After a while of silence between the two, Bright could hear a slow song begin. "Do you want to dance?" Slightly hesitant, then a nod. Bright offered a hand, then started off towards the designated dance area. Bright rested his hands at the small of Amy's friend's back as arms draped loosely around his neck. He pulled the body slightly closer, one hand drifting upwards, absently caressing. The muscles there were taut, the body lean. Yep, she's a gymnast, Bright concluded. Amy probably met her through dance class.
The two danced every slow song or sat in a comfortable silence until Amy's voice interrupted the chorus of a slow song Bright couldn't remember the name of. "Okay, guys. It's eleven – only an hour until the unmasking," she said. "I'll let you all know when we're halfway there, then again when we've got five minutes. The countdown is at midnight. I hope you've all had fun and met some really interesting people." The song resumed and Amy's gymnast friend resumed the previous position, with their head resting lightly on Bright's shoulder.
Bright began to get kind of worried. What was going to happen after midnight? Why was he so attached to someone who he wasn't sure he remembered – someone who couldn't even speak a word to him? Why were those eyes so damn familiar? He was positive he had looked into them many times before.
A burst of hopefulness in his chest, then it was crushed by thoughts of reason. No, there's no way. It couldn't be. I would know. And I'm not gay.
The song ended, transitioning into a more upbeat song that Bright remembered seeing on MTV the other day. He took a pale hand in his and started outside. The grey-green eyes were confused. "I know. You're probably wondering why I drug you out here when it's only, like, 30 degrees, but I just wanted to get away from all the people inside for a few minutes." He looked down at the freshly fallen snow – the powder glittered in the light from the moon and the street lamps. "I just feel like I know you," he said. "I know your eyes. And your smile. I just can't place them…everything about this evening will change at midnight, but I want it to change now." One of Bright's hands tangled in the curly dark mass of synthetic hair, careful not to pull the wig off, as his other hand circled around a narrow waist. His mouth descended on red-painted, slightly-parted lips.
A while later, Bright could vaguely hear Amy inside announcing that it was midnight, then beginning the countdown. Bright was afraid that the magic of the night would flee and disappear. "You ready to do this?" A nod. "On the count of three. One…two…..three." Bright pulled his mask off, squeezing his eyes shut, not ready to look at the face behind the mask.
He heard an impatient sigh, then, "Dude, open your freaking eyes."
Bright's eyebrows drew together, then his eyes flashed open. "No freaking way." A hand ran through his hair, tousling curls. "Holy shit, man. What the fuck?"
There was a long silence. "I knew you'd be surprised and stuff, but honestly."
"Sorry, I'm in shock. You? Shit, man, why didn't you tell me?"
"It was Amy's idea. She called me and-"
"Hey, boys," Amy said from the doorway. "Why don't you come inside before you freeze?" She turned to head in, but suddenly stopped. "Oh, and, Ephram? Your lipstick is a bit smudged."
"So, are you…?" Bright trailed off.
"Gay?" Ephram supplied. "Yeah, I am."
"Oh…I'm not. Or, at least wasn't. But, when I thought about how familiar your eyes were, I hoped it was you…"
"Wow. I'm what made you cross over? I feel honored. 'Cause, you know, Brad Pitt's really hot. And Hugh Jackman. Spike on Buffy. The broody guy on that WB show. You know who I'm talking about, right? The brothers that played basketball – the blonde one. Yeah. Enough to change a guy."
"I liked you better during your vow of silence. Why did you take a vow of silence anyway?"
"I didn't. We just needed a cover for why I couldn't talk to you. My voice would have given me away and Amy didn't want you to find out until midnight."
"Yeah. 'Cause I just don't see you being silent for much longer than a few hours. You would die if you couldn't make sarcastic comments."
"Bright," Ephram began, those eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled, "shut up and kiss me."
fin
A/N: I felt bad about cross-dressing Ephram, but it had to be done. This idea struck me the other day, so there it is. Hope you liked my B&E.