Disclaimer: I do not own Heavy Rain or the characters featured in this story. Nor am I affiliated with Quantic Dream in any way. This story is a work of fiction. All characters featured belong to Quantic Dream, except the original characters that may enter the story in the future.
Author's Note: This is a story that I've been putting together in my mind for quite some time. I always thought that Ethan and Norman would be perfect together, which is something I decided to conjure up myself. I hope you enjoy the story. Rated M to be safe; I plan on including mature themes in the future.
1/
Norman Jayden pulled alongside the parking space outside of what he believed was Ethan Mars' current residence. It had been over a year since the Origami Killer was discovered and the murders had been put to a permanent end. The constant rain had finally stopped and the weather had been beautiful for the past few weeks – it was very seldom had the city spotted a raindrop fall from the sky. As Norman exited his car, he moved his sunglasses from the top of his head to the usual position on his face, blocking out the bright sun that illuminated the entire city.
The brunette ascended through the stairwell of the small, yet immaculate apartment complex and reached the second floor, and with a brief knock on the door of apartment 203, he was greeted with a familiar face. "Hello, Ethan," he said, almost surprised to see him looking so well. Ethan, dressed in a neutral red polo shirt and light blue jeans raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. "Norman Jayden," he laughed. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again?"
The ex-FBI agent smiled and pocketed his sunglasses, for they were of no use inside the building. "I thought I'd stop by for a visit now that I'm back from Manchester. I hope I'm not intruding." Ethan stepped aside and gestured for his visitor to enter his home. "Of course not. How was England, by the way?"
Norman shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a traveller – it was just a small, spur of the moment decision for a well-deserved vacation. It's nice there, but much like New York in my opinion in terms of atmosphere."
Ethan sat with Norman on the brown leather couch and examined him. In Ethan's opinion, Norman looked somehow younger – perhaps it was his casual attire opposed to the business suits he wore when he worked for the Bureau. Norman sported a black pinstripe button-up shirt, the sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows, the shirt itself unbuttoned just enough to reveal his chest and the white muscle shirt he wore underneath. He wore black slim fitting jeans to match, with a sort of boot-cut seam. His face showed off a close shave, his hair was perfectly tended to, and his eyes sparkled as if they were made of diamonds.
The radio in the kitchen played some soft music which seemed to soothe the apartment and those dwelling inside – the house was kept as clean as if it were new; the three bedroom apartment that Ethan and Shaun had originally moved into was remodelled to have two bedrooms and a studio for Ethan's architectural work. The overall design of their home had an Autumn theme to it in terms of neutral, yet warm décor, and the furnishings were equally modern and original.
Norman turned his attention to Ethan's personal life. "How is Shaun, by the way?" Ethan smiled and cleared his throat. "Shaun is doing well – he's exceeding in school and picked up painting as a hobby. He's quite good, I think."
"He must get the creativity from you," Norman complimented. "Have you spoken with Madison at all?"
"Oh of course – she usually comes to visit nearly every other day. Madison is undeniably one of the best people I've ever met in my life, apart from you of course." Norman smiled. "I just regret not engaging with her romantically – she's been dating that journalist friend of hers, Sam."
Norman made a sympathetic facial expression. "You needn't worry, Ethan. You'll find someone. It's just sad that Grace—" Norman stopped instantly. "I'm sorry, I forgot about...you know."
Ethan smiled weakly. "It's all right. It's been about a year since." He strummed his fingers along the arm of the couch and made an inquisitive face. "Norman, you wouldn't—" but before Ethan could finish, Norman had already slid across the couch and pressed his lips to Ethan's in one swift motion. The intensity of the kiss forced a heavy gasp from Ethan once Norman had pulled away. Ethan pondered what had just happened for a moment, as Norman questioned why he just did such a thing.
"Ethan, I'm sorry; I didn't know—I mean, I thought I—" Norman stammered, still thinking about the kiss and undeniably wanting more.
The other man smiled faintly, continuing his thought cycle. "It's all right, I just—that felt really nice." Ethan put his hand on Norman's and smiled. "I didn't know you were...you know."
Norman shook his head. "I'm not...I go both ways. But I've never been romantically involved before – what with my job, I never found the time to actually even think about it...but now that I'm done with the FBI, I've had time to settle down...and do some self-reflecting." Ethan began to speak, but Norman cut him off. "The whole ordeal was traumatizing, Ethan. But it taught me a few things – I learned how to care for someone and empathise with them, especially when they needed empathy and help more than anything else. I wanted to be the one to stick by you throughout everything, but it was hard when you were believed to be the criminal all along...and with me working on the red, white, and blue side...I couldn't do much."
"Norman, you did what you could, and that was enough. You believed in me, that I was innocent and that I would ultimately save my son. You helped me, you were there for me, and even if you couldn't do more, you did what you could at the time and that was more than enough. What I'm saying is, thank you...and I owe you so much."
The other brunette nodded a few times and smiled. "I—I just did what I thought was the right thing to do. And because of everything...I fell in love with you, Ethan. And I want you. Now."
Ethan slammed his lips against Norman's, his warm tongue slipping inside the other man's mouth, exploring the warm, wet environment with great pleasure. The two of them found their way to Ethan's bedroom and landed on the incredibly soft Queen-sized bed. Norman undressed Ethan to his dark blue boxer briefs and pushed him down onto the bed as his stripped to his white and light blue striped boxers. Ethan traced his fingers along Norman's abs and waistline, nearly drooling at the soft, silky skin of his lover. Norman climbed on top of Ethan and kissed him passionately, the other man's hands finding their way underneath Norman's boxers, squeezing and rubbing his soft, smooth arse.
Norman ran his hands through Ethan's soft, light brown hair and continued slamming lips with him. It wasn't until a moment later, did Norman snap out of his daydream and realize that Ethan still had his arms around him, engaging in more kissing on the couch. The two men broke the kiss equally as Ethan gazed into Norman's olive eyes. "I, um..."
"I'm as speechless," Norman laughed. "I think I should go, but I'll stop by again soon if you'd like."
"I would indeed. It was nice to see you again." Ethan walked Norman to the door and watched him enter the elevator down the hall after flashing a quick and shy smile. Ethan walked back to his apartment and closed the door. Leaning against it, he noticed that Norman left a scrap of paper on the coffee table with his phone number and address.
Keeping the information safe in memory and in his mobile phone, Ethan pocketed the piece of paper and laid on the couch and closed his eyes. Norman's beautiful face was burned into his memory. His luscious brown hair and olive green eyes, his smooth skin kept tidy with close shaves, and his gorgeous smile. It was that moment when Ethan pondered the idea of he and Norman being together intimately.
:: Covenant ::
Norman entered his apartment and with a quick motion, shut and locked the door behind him. He fetched a knife from the utensil drawer of his kitchen and an apple from a basket of fruit on the counter and sat at the kitchen island. Slicing off pieces of the red, delicious fruit, Norman ate in silence and thought about Ethan and what had happened at his apartment.
The brunette was incredibly happy at the happenings of the morning, that was for certain. He felt anxious to see Ethan again. "Why did I leave so soon?" he asked himself. "Neither of us felt awkward. Maybe I need to think about this first?"
He sighed and finished his snack, throwing the core into the garbage bin as he headed to his bedroom. He washed his hands and his face in the bathroom and collapsed on the velvet sheet-covered bed, a small groan finding its way out of his throat. He resisted the urge to cry into the pillow next to him, for his love for Ethan burned inside of his chest. Norman felt the beat of his heart throughout his entire body as it ached in longing for Ethan. "I love you, Ethan," Norman finally said, after what seemed like an hour of endless tears.
:: Covenant ::
Ethan flipped through an architectural magazine he had purchased the day prior to Norman's visit. The day grew and the sun slowly set, changing the colour of the sky from a bright and beautiful baby blue to a darker shade of blue, the sky becoming peppered with stars that resembled diamonds, shining brightly in the night. The clock on the wall of Ethan's living room struck nine and the young man tossed the magazine on the table and walked over to one of the windows to the left of the room. He gazed up at the sky and spotted a star shining brighter than the rest.
The brunette smiled to himself as he remembered something his mother would recite every night before she went to bed. Ethan admired the star and recited the phrase quietly. 'Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight; wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.' Ethan mentally made his wish and wiped a single tear from his eye as he went to check on his son.
Ethan opened Shaun's bedroom door slightly and smiled. He turned to leave, but stopped when his son awoke. "Dad?" Ethan turned and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. He turned on the bedside lamp and sat on the bed next to his son. "Are you okay, Dad?"
"Yes, Shaun, I'm fine. What makes you think otherwise?"
Shaun hesitated for a moment. "You've been quiet since I got home from school." Ethan pursed his lips and averted his eyes for a moment before returning to meet his son's gaze. "Dad, is something wrong?"
"Nothing is really 'wrong', Shaun. I just have a lot on my mind that I think you're a bit too young to hear right now." Ethan wanted to cry just mentioning that obscure detail to his son.
"Dad," Shaun began, "You know we all have to make choices, and sometimes they're for the best. I think you should do what your heart tells you. You're a strong man, Dad. You will be okay."
"Goodnight, Shaun," Ethan said, unsure of what else to say. "I love you."
"I love you too, Dad."
Ethan turned the lamp off and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He stood by Shaun's door, pondering what his son had told him. Ethan laughed a little at the fact that his eleven year old son had given him perhaps the best advice he's heard to date. That's when Ethan walked over to the telephone and dialled Norman's number. "Norman, it's me, Ethan. I need to talk to you."
