AN: I started this in the beginning of 2009 after rewatching some Ethan episodes of Queer as Folk US. Its one of my favorite shows and I've always disliked Ethan, but the romance between him and Justin was some so beautiful to me. I will forever ship Justin and Brian, it was the most beautiful canon ship that there ever was or will be in my opinion. At least, until Klaine becomes real. So this is the first thing I've posted on , even though I've been reading stories on here since I was 11.
I'm not going to give a disclaimer because I think its stupid to have a disclaimer on a site were the only thing you can post is not your original idea.
Anyway. I really hope you like it. I am struggling with the next chapter and I would love feedback or ideas. Thank you and enjoy! :)
The Professor's Acquaintance
The sound of the violin floated through the air like a delicious smell. The blond flipped his head back removing his hair from his eyes. He was drawing a picture of the musician, with the stick of charcoal in his right hand. It was a lovely dictation of the pure passion the violinist exuded whenever he played. The way a strand of curly black hair fell over his face and the small tuff of hair on his chin that added the bad boy look to his façade. He bit his lip ever so slightly when the last drawn out note was played. Justin looked up from his sketch, smiling. Ethan returned it and walked over and sat next to his boyfriend.
"It's beautiful," Ethan whispered. He was in awe that the god on Justin's paper could even remotely be himself.
"You say it like you've never seen him before." Justin smiled. That smile very much fitted the nickname given to him by Debbie: Sunshine. It's true, it's like a beam of light shines from him whenever he's happy, lighting up your whole world.
"Well I don't know anyone that gorgeous," Ethan said after giving Justin a kiss, "Except…maybe you."
"I do," Justin replied giving in to the kiss. "And it's not me…. He's handsome, with adorable curly hair…dimples to die for, and is amazing in bed." Justin whispered his voice becoming a little husky as Ethan's hands grazed the side of his body.
"He sounds amazing…when can I meet him?" Ethan asked into Justin's mouth.
"Sorry, he's got a boyfriend."
Ethan laughed, "Hmm, I think I know who you're talking about now." They smiled into the kiss.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The two men groaned in harmony. "Maybe they'll just go away?" Justin suggested when Ethan broke the kiss to sit up and stare at the door; the person outside knocked once more, and then a third time.
"I'll get rid of them." Ethan got up and walked to the door. He suddenly realized how exhausted he was. Physical fitness was never one of his goals in life; however he might need to start working out if he was to keep that stunning master piece in his bed. He laughed out loud stopping in the middle of his kitchen to ponder about what he had just thought.
"Open up Ethan! Its Felix," anther slam on the door, "I need your help!" Ethan froze ripped from is thoughts like a machete through a jungle.
"Who's Felix?" Justin asked.
Ethan sighed and braced himself as he grabbed the knob and opened the door. Felix was in the middle of screaming his name again. The boy looked at Ethan for a second, as though he was in shock that his friend had actually opened the door.
"Oh Ethan it's so good to see you!" Felix nearly shouted as he wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders.
"Felix, what are you doing?" Ethan asked taking the taller boy's hands and placing them at his sides. Felix looked around the curly brunette and saw Justin on the couch staring awkwardly.
"Oh my god, Ethan has a boyfriend!" Felix made his way around Ethan and went to sit next to Justin. "And he is gorgeous, where did you find him?" Felix grabbed Justin's hand and kissed it. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Felix Jones-"
"Any reason you decide to show up out of the blue after running off with my sister for two years?"
"You have a sister?" Justin asked getting up and nearly hiding behind Ethan, subtly of-course.
"You never told him, how precious! Are you ashamed of us now?" Felix asked also standing.
"No, I just assumed the girl who never once called me her relative and you were gone for good when you left." There was a snarl in Ethan's voice.
"Well, we're back," Felix sort of reminded Justin of Emmet, in the accents of his voice and the way he held himself, he also had that joyful vibe around him.
"Why?" Ethan demanded.
"Because Victoria's in trouble and she thinks you can help." Felix sighed and took a step towards the two boys.
"Why would I do anything for her?" Ethan tensed up as if talking about the loathed Victoria made him nervous.
"Because she's you sister," he swallowed. "She's sorry about what she said and wishes you'd forgive her, although you'd never hear it from her lips."
Ethan gave in, "what's wrong?"
"I don't know, but she keeps telling me we need to find you. So I asked around, trying to find any trace of the brilliant and beautiful Ethan Gold. Someone told me to look up this street, this is the 50th room I've knocked on looking for you and now…"
Ethan clenched his teeth; he didn't want to do anything for his sister. The last time he saw her she was shouting 'goddamn faggot' from the street and running off to Europe with his ex who randomly decided he was bi. Ethan glanced at Justin who couldn't have possibly been more confused. But he smiled and said, "You should go."
Ethan sighed, "So where is she?"
Felix bit his lip, "um see that's the thing…I don't exactly know where she is."
Ethan's mouth fell open. "She's in some sort of 'trouble' that only I can fix and she's gone?"
"Maybe Deb's seen her, she sort of attracts troubled youth," Justin suggested.
"Who's Deb?" Felix asked.
"She pretty much owns the Liberty Dinner."
"That's perfect; we haven't eaten in, like, two days."
A lonely girl sat in the corner of a diner on Liberty Avenue. She hadn't eaten in what she was sure was 30 hours 42 minutes, but who's counting. She desperately wanted to order something. She checked her wallet for the 8th time in half an hour. Nothing. And there would still be nothing when she'd check again in 5 minutes. The nice woman whose nametag read 'Debbie' had either completely 'forgotten' there was a table by the door or was senile. Debbie kept giving the girl a funny look and biting her lip. Suddenly four men walked through the door that, to the lonesome girl's great relief, pulled Debbie's attention completely off her.
"Hi Ma," the second shortest of the four said in a down beat voice.
"MICHAEL!" Debbie nearly screamed, as warm smile lighting up her face. They kissed each other on the cheek and hugged. They talked for a while before Michael went to find a booth while the others were greeted minus the shouting. "Hello Emmet…"
A taller man with a flamboyant blue shirt and tight orange jeans hugged Debbie around the neck and smiled widely, "Deb…you are looking extra fabulous today." Emmet kissed her again and followed Michael to the booth.
"Theodore!" Debbie said as if he were an old friend she hadn't seen in years. Even though by the look he gave her he'd come here every day of his adult life. And last but not least the fourth and final man standing in the doorway; he had a half expectant, half sarcastic look on his face. All the last man received from the older waitress was a lousy: "Brian."
He returned it with a sour, "Debbie."
The girl in the corner couldn't suppress a giggle. Brian raised his eyebrows and tossed a look her way. The girl couldn't take her brown eyes off of his green ones. It was the look of pure fascination on her face that kept Brian's attention. She made like she was going to stand up; she so desperately wanted to talk to him. But she found straightening up released an intense pain in her side. She frowned and sat back down. By the time she looked up again Brian was in the booth with his friends. The girl's eyes stayed firmly glued to Brian as he talked and smiled.
"Like what you see?"
"Excuse me?"
"Come on, Hun, you've been sitting here for an hour. Is there something you want?" Debbie stepped into the girl's line of vision.
"I'm waiting for someone," she moved to look around Debbie but the PFLAG mom took a step to the right.
"Do you want something in the meantime? You're a stick!"
The girl finally made eye contact, "um, no, I don't order if I can't pay."
"Mikey, you're pathetic," Brian said in a half cynical, half loving smile on his face. Then the girl smiled as Michael and Brian shared a kiss. Debbie rolled her eyes.
Suddenly a cute blond stumbled into the diner. He smiled when he saw Debbie and she let out a shout; "Sunshine!" They exchanged cheek kisses and he scanned the diner. His eyes rested on Brian for a moment then continued to look. Finally he spared a glance at the girl in front of Debbie. He bit his lip, no one in the diner looked remotely like Ethan except for her.
"Victoria?"
The girl frowned and nodded.
"You know who she is?" Debbie asked. The two boys who had come in behind the blond scooted around Debbie and sat in the booth with Victoria.
"Felix!" Victoria cried as the man sat by her. She wrapped her arm around his waist as their lips touched warmly. When they parted Victoria looked at the black haired boy across the table. They stared at each other for a long, both trying to read the other.
"Ethan," Victoria finally said.
"Victoria…it's been a long time." Ethan looked as though he had just smelled something nasty.
"Are you still playing?" Felix seemed more interested in this question that Victoria was.
"Yes."
"He's amazing," the blond butted in. Ethan smiled wearily as if Justin were a child revealing too much information in an adult's conversation.
"Who is this?"Victoria asked.
"His name is Justin and he's Ethan's boytoy – I mean friend, he's Ethan's boyfriend." Felix laughed. Justin stared at his folded hands on the table, awkwardly. The table fell silent.
"Victoria."
"That is my name." She smiled still holding on to Felix.
"What's wrong? Why did you need to come back?" Ethan asked leaning in. Victoria opened her mouth, and closed it again. She repeated the motion at least three times. Felix squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. But before another word could be spoken a tall very muscular man with sand colored haired walked through the door.
"Good morning, Ben." Debbie said hugging him. There was considerably less enthusiasm than the others but no one seemed to notice. Victoria, losing all traces of the conversation stared at the man strangely.
"What's the guy's name?" She asked Felix, "who wrote R U 1 2?" She watched Ben kiss Michael and then pull up a chair because Brian wouldn't move.
"Um…Ben Bruckner?" Felix replied perplexed. Justin and Ethan exchanged a look. Victoria smiled and pulled a book out of her shoulder bag.
"Order me something, Hun, I'm wasting away." She smiled, kissed Felix, and casually strolled over to Ben. She stood there rocking on the balls of her feet until the conversation was done.
"Looks like the professor has a secret admirer," Emmet said in a sing-song voice. The table laughed. Victoria joined in.
"Close," she said. "Um, hello Mr. Bruckner, my name is Victoria Gold and I was wondering if you would sign my copy of your book?" She showed him the book in her hands. Ben wiped his mouth on a napkin and stood up, all 6 foot 2 inches, amazing 8-pack, and huge shoulders of him.
"Oh, yes, of-course," Ben smiled. The picture in the book looked 10 times less handsome.
"Thank you so much!" Victoria gave him the book and a pen. "And let me just say the picture in the book doesn't do you justice." She smiled. Ben finished his message and handed her the book, she took it as if it were fragile glass.
"There you go."
"The book really touched me, I mean, I know it's supposed to be about a gay man positive with HIV but it still hit me in a way that just inspired me. I actually wrote a novel because of it. I don't know if you've heard of it? At a Snail's Pace? I wrote it in Paris I'm not even sure if they're selling it here."
"Really, I'll have to look it up some time," Ben raised his eyebrows. "What's it about?" he said genuinely interested.
"Yea it's about these two travelers, best friends, who go explore the world and then they realize one of them is positive and it their struggle to overcome and accept and live in the now." Victoria explained. "I went exploring myself actually to do research."
"That's pretty remarkable." He looked surprised and clearly impressed.
"Thanks. But it all has new meaning, seeing as two weeks ago I found out I'm positive." The last part was a hushed whisper followed by a sudden inconspicuous look around the diner.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry…how are you dealing?" Ben asked, turning away from his friends at the table.
"Oh I'm fine, thanks for asking, I'm just worried about how my baby brother will take it." She glanced back the black haired boy he was talking to Felix with a worried expression.
"Wait a minute…you're sunshine's boyfriend's sister?" Debbie, who had been listening in, asked loudly. The two jumped.
When Victoria finally registered that the woman was talking to her she asked, "Sunshine?"
"Justin."
"Um, yes," she said frowning.
"And you're positive?"
"God Ma, shout it louder, I don't think the people outside could hear ya."
Debbie looked around. "Sorry," she said. She looked Victoria in the eye, "and you haven't told him yet?"
"The last time I saw him was two years ago, and he seemed pretty pissed. And I've let him down so many times."
"You need to tell him," Ben said.
"Yea, I know, that's why he came here. I told him something's wrong with me but he doesn't know what." She stopped talking and looked lovingly over at Ethan. Ethan was smiling and laughing with Justin. Felix looked over and gave Victoria an encouraging smile. She sighed.
"If you ever want to talk," Ben said slowly. "I'm free...anytime; you can come to my apartment, or call, or meet me…" Ben and Michael shared a look.
"Um, Ben, Honey. Can I talk to you for a second?" Michael asked getting out of the booth.
"What's his deal?" Victoria asked after Michael sent her a warning look.
"Michael is Ben's boyfriend, sweetie." Emmet explained. "By the way, my name is Emmet." He and Victoria shook hands. She smiled warmly.
"I'm Ted, Ted Schmidt," Ted said offering his hand as well. The three of them gave a look to Brian.
"Well, I'd better go…" Victoria said uncomfortably. "My partner might get jealous if I spent too much time with hot men." The trio laughed.
"No, why don't you stay, and tell us about yourself. Now that you're best friends with the professor, we should get to know you too." Brian said pulling her into the booth with him.
"In other words; Michael's going to be seeing you a lot so I want to figure out if you're a creepy psychopath?" She asked looking into Brian's green eyes. Emmet dropped his fork and Ted began to cough painfully. Brian just stared, a condescending smile appearing on his face. When Ted finally unlogged his bacon he stared from Brian to the girl and back again.
"He's my best friend," Brian answered.
"Does he know that?"
"Of-course he knows that." Emmet said. Victoria was now an extremely interesting person, she read Brian from across the room, not many can do that, believe it or not.
"Thank you, Emmet," Brian said fake-smiling.
Suddenly Ben and Michael returned. Victoria stood. "Well Victoria it was nice meeting you, here's my cell phone, if you need to talk call me, any time," Ben said shaking her hand and tossing her a gorgeous smile. He kissed Michael, "well I'm off, important lecture, bye." A chorus of goodbye's came from the table.
Victoria watched him walk away; "I'd better go, then, wish me luck," she crossed her fingers.
"Good luck!" Emmet and Ted said together, they then laughed and kissed.
"Hey Victoria, can I ask you something?" Michael said quietly catching her before she made it to her table.
"Yea sure," She gave him her fullest attention.
"It's just…a friend of Ben's; the one who infected him actually, died recently. So if you wouldn't mind coming by or something….it's just he thinks it's his fault and to be able to help you would really help him get over it." When Michael was done he looked expectantly at her.
"Were they close?"
"Yea, they were lovers." Michael cleared his throat. "So, um, what do you thing?"
"Oh yes, of-course, to have help from my mentor. It would be more than amazing, don't worry I'll most likely call tonight to tell him how it goes." She smiled. Her returned it and thanked her.
Victoria sighed and sat back down next to Felix. "What was that?" Ethan nearly shouted.
"I'm sorry, I never thought I'd get the chance to meet Ben Bruckner, and get him to sign my book. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity so I took it," she explained calmly.
"It's not really once in a lifetime, Ben's my friend, I could have introduced you," Justin said.
"Who are you again?" Victoria asked. Justin opened his mouth frowning. "Oh right, Sunshine."
"I see you've met Deb."
Victoria smiled.
"Victoria, tell me what's wrong or I'm walking out of here right now."
"Ethan." Felix said indignantly.
"No, you dragged me all the way down here, scared me shitless because I thought you were in some sort of trouble. Now if it's that important-"
"I'm HIV positive."
"You're WHAT?"
"Ethan, please don't yell…" Felix soothed.
Ethan stared at the couple in complete incredulous shock, "I will yell if I want to!" he shouted. He turned to his sister and took a deep breath. Slowly, a look of understanding dawned on his face, "Is that why you left? Is that why you hurt me? So you could go away and I wouldn't look back! That I wouldn't care if my only sister was in trouble? In pain? Could possibly die?"
"No, no, no, no, Ethan it's nothing like that…"
"Then WHAT is it like?"
"I just found out two weeks ago. I wasn't going to even tell you, but then Felix thought you should know. I was going to drop by the neighborhood, give you my novel and be on my merry way. But seeing Mr. Bruckner here, it's opened up a whole new chapter in my life, one I didn't even know could be written."
Felix grimaced, "she wanted to go run off to Germany to die." Ethan looked shocked, Justin was just staring. Everyone in the diner seemed to be listening to their conversation.
"Tuna melt, heavy on the fries." Debbie said putting a plate in front of Victoria. The latter threw a look around the table.
"Deb…we didn't order anything," Justin said.
"I know. But she looks like she could use a meal." Debbie said pointing to the only girl at the table. Ethan was still sitting there in half-disgusted shock.
"Thanks Debbie, but I've lost my appetite."
"What are you talking about you're a toothpick!" Debbie complained.
"As you've said before," Victoria smiled.
"Honey, you really should eat," Felix whispered. He glanced at Justin who was trying to wake up his boyfriend. Victoria's stomach growled. She looked up at Felix and whispered something into his ear. "Oh yes, of-course, silly me." Felix dug into his pocket and pulled out an expensive looking leather wallet, "How much?"
"Huh, oh, nothing, it's on the house," Debbie replied. Victoria shook her head and pushed the delicious plate away.
"Just make me pay, it's ok, I've got enough. Actually I've got enough to buy this whole diner. So just give us the bill to make her eat." Felix always had a way with people. This smile on his face just made you want to heed his every will. But he always had someone else in mind, mostly Victoria.
"Ok, that'll be $7.50," Debbie said. She wasn't happy, but she couldn't help but smile when Felix flashed his pearly whites. He shoveled out a 20 and told her to keep the change. Then they got into an argument over that before Debbie finally grabbed the bill and stalked away. Victoria smiled and took a huge bite of the sandwich. She finished it in record time and was off to devour her French fries. When she was done she thanked Debbie graciously and put her full attention back on her brother who was now having a whispered conversation with his boyfriend.
"Ethan…I," she started.
"Go to Germany to DIE?" Ethan asked angrily. "And you – what – just thought I'd let you do it?" He slammed his hands on the table, "do you know me at ALL?"
"Ethan!" Felix hissed.
"No, Felix, it's ok. You have every right to be angry after what I did to you before I left, and now I come back to tell you I'm leaving again. Believe me; I would be pissed at me too. But listen, I came back to get you're forgiveness, then I'm out of your hair for good," Victoria explained.
"What are you talking about, I'm the one who should be apologizing for before you left, I stole your boyfriend," said Ethan pointing to Felix.
"But I took him back…then you never returned my calls."
"Because you called me a 'goddamn fag' before you left."
"No, I didn't…."
"Yes, you did. I distinctly remember you were getting into the cab when you turned and shouted it at my window," Ethan said leaning over the table.
Victoria thought for a moment. Then suddenly Felix burst out laughing. "She didn't call you that, she was shouting at me." He said through gasps of laughter.
"That's why you never returned my phone calls, or even wrote back?" Victoria asked.
"I thought you were pissed at me, I didn't want to read them," Ethan explained.
"But you were in love with him..." Victoria thought out loud.
"No. We had sex. You're the one who's in love," Ethan corrected.
"You are such an asshole," Victoria playfully smacked Felix. He shrugged. They laughed together, that's when Felix noticed Justin's confused and slightly uncomfortable expression.
"You never told him about all this?" Felix asked Ethan.
"Well you guys were gone for a LONG time…. I nearly forgot I even had a sister," he replied embarrassed.
"Ok, so two years ago I was a struggling artist, desperate to publish and sell my first novel. And my boyfriend here, a perfect as he is, has an addiction even I can't fulfill-"
"I'm a big, fat, bottom," Felix cut in, smiling.
"You're straight…but you like sex with men?" Justin asked.
"More like he's gay, but apparently in love with my sister," Ethan explained.
"Anyway," Victoria continued. "Every once and a while he finds a really good fuck, in this case it was my brother, and he falls in love with it and does anything to…experience it again."
"Until my woman knocks some sense into me or we move away, for a while," Felix finished.
"So how many times did it happen in the time you were gone?" Ethan teased.
"About 8," Victoria rolled her eyes. "Like that guy from Luxembourg – what was his name, Sven?"
"So we came back, because German men are way too hot."
"How long are you staying?" Ethan wondered.
"I'm not sure, I was planning on giving you my newly finished novel so you could try to get something published in the US, but now that I've met Professor Bruckner…. Maybe I'll do it myself," she shrugged.
"That's so cool," Justin exclaimed.
"That I'm staying?"
"That you've written a novel! That's so admirable."
"Thank you, I've written two already. They're published and being sold all over Europe, actually." Ethan rolled his eyes at his sister.
"Are you being paid?"
"As we speak," Victoria smiled. "In Franks, of-course, and Pounds, and Euros…speaking of money, are you still – um, street performing?"
"Yes, I am," Ethan smiled and looked at Justin.
"With that violin Papa gave you?"
"I thought you said your grandfather gave it to you…" Justin said.
"That's what they called their grandfather, he was a great man. Always so happy – but seriously strict too," Felix explained. Justin nodded.
"Of-course I'm still using it – why?" Ethan asked tilting his head to one side and ignoring Felix proclaiming his love for their grandfather.
"It's just when I cracked mine open there-"
"You WHAT!" Ethan cut in. "You cracked open Papa's antique violin?" He was nearly yelling.
Their grandfather had given them two violins when they were little. He had gotten them after the Holocaust. He had played a violin to the others in the ghettos and camps to try to lighten their spirits, sadly however none of his audience ever made it out alive. The violin has since become a symbol of hope for him. Their parents were thrilled when Ethan began playing immediately. They signed the siblings up for lessons. The two children learned to play with equal the skill, but Victoria never seem as passionate about it as her brother. Too busy writing in her journals, the girl locked the instrument up in a case until Felix's recent stunt in Europe, when she resurfaced the violin and began to play. Not soon after she broke out into a rage of anger and 'accidentally' threw it to the ground and…stomped on it.
"Yes, I did, and you will never guess what I found inside," Victoria said, giggling slightly at her brother's reaction.
"You FOUND something inside?" He started angrily, but then curiosity got the best of him. "…. What was it?"
"Papa's will."
Ethan gasped. "The one they could never find?"
"The very one."
"W-what did it say?"
"That both of the violins should go to a museum, he wanted most of his money to go to you and mom. Hmm- oh and he wrote a great essay on how we should move forward and not back, that we should embrace the time we have on Earth and line in the low. It was amazing, with an undertone of mystery. I now know where I got my talent from. He also wrote something for you." She went to dig through her bag. She pulled out a black folder and opened it. Then she slide out 10 sheets of music and handed them to her brother.
"What's this?" Ethan asked looking through them.
"It's Life."
"What?"
"That's the name: Life. I played it, it's really beautiful." Victoria smiled. Ethan looked like she had just handed him a new puppy.
"I have to play this." Ethan whispered as if it was his life's ambition just to play his grandfather's work.
"Oh, of-course." Victoria nodded. She looked at Felix who was smiling at Ethan's face.
"No, I mean like right now." Ethan whispered rereading a bar on the sixth page.
"That's probably best, Felix and I have to find a place to stay as it is," Victoria smiled as she watched her brother get up out of the booth. He was so preoccupied with the music that he almost forgot to say goodbye. But after a rather loud throat clearing helped him remember, hugged his sister, kissed Justin, and hurried out of the diner.
Victoria admired the back of her brother's head until it was lost in the crowd. "So, now long have you two been seeing each other?"
"A month," Justin smiled. Victoria noticed why the waitress called him Sunshine; his smile had a brightening tone to it.
"And is he still into that romantic stuff? Flowers, and chocolates, and serenading you awake?" Felix asked sentimentally.
"Yes, how do you-?"
"Ex, remember?" Felix asked pointing to himself.
"Oh, right. Anyway, it's quite at change for me, I love it."
"You're last boyfriend didn't believe in love and romantic evenings?"Felix asked.
"My last boyfriend- if you can even call him that- didn't believe in monogamy," Justin explained, as if he were talking about annoying dog.
Felix threw an incredulous look at Victoria; she returned it, a hint of a smile on her face. "In what way?" she asked.
"He fucked around, pretty much every night…we had a deal so it wasn't like he was cheating or anything, but – it's complicated."
"Kind of like our deal, honey," Felix said perking up.
"Shall we tell him?"
"Let's," Felix smiled. He was proud of them for coming up with the brilliant solution to their one relationship problem: he likes dick. It's like the fucking clause of dating. They can fuck other people, as long as Felix is on top, and Victoria doesn't stay over at his house.
"We have a fucking deal ourselves. We funk around too. I mean, come on, he's gay."
"And she just likes sex."
"So we devised a plan. He can fuck – if he tops."
Justin laughed at the absurdity of their deal. But then again, people must think that about what he and Brian shared.
"And she can fuck," Felix continued, "If she doesn't stay the night."
Justin stared at the couple, who kissed and smiled back at him.
I am aware that is an awkward explanation. I'll try to come up with a better way to explain it, maybe I'll put it in the next chapter or something.
I please review I want to know what you think!