Title: Unconscious Grace
Author: Liat
Disclaimer: not mine
Also found at:
A/N: just to clear a few things up, in case you were confused: Amy was never told about Bright and Ephram's relationship. Umm.Colin and Bright are still friends. This isnt one of those stories where Bright becomes a social pariah or anything. He's still all popular and everything, I just didn't feel that any scenes with Colin (so far) were necessary. Anyways.back to the story!
~*~
Part 5:
~*~
"So, remind me again why we're here."
Bright glared briefly at Ephram before returning to scanning the room for the kegs. Finally spotting them with a triumphant "ah-ha!" Bright grabbed Ephram's hand and led him through the throng. The kegs were situated in front of a wall of windows over-looking the swimming pool. The pool was full of people either fully clothed or in their under-garments. Ephram watched the people in various stages of inebriation and undress with a look of distaste on his face. Bright was filling up a red plastic cup with beer when he caught the look on Ephram's face. Rolling his eyes, he said,
"Loosen up, Ephram. It's a party."
Ephram looked back at Bright, who handed him the cup of beer. Taking a tentative sip, Ephram retorted,
"Oh, yeah, I know. You're supposed to get drunk and go skinny-dipping, then end up in some random closet or bedroom hooking up with a total stranger."
Bright flashed him a wide grin and said, toasting him with his cup of beer,
"You learn quick, but," he leaned closer, pressing his lips against Ephram's ear, "I'm not a total stranger."
Ephram snorted into his cup, trying very hard not to turn his head and nibble on the lips that were discreetly tugging on his earlobe. When Bright pulled away, Ephram couldn't contain the little sigh of longing that escaped, or the flash of need in his eyes when he glanced at Bright. Looking around the room over the rim of his cup, Ephram shook his head and drained the rest of his beer. Making a face, he handed the cup back to Bright. Shocked, Bright looked from the empty cup to Ephram and back to the cup before shaking his head and refilling it.
~*~
4 cups of beer, 3 cups of spiked punch, and a couple vodka shots later (taken from someone's parents' liquor cabinet), Ephram was lounging out on a chair by the pool. Bright was sitting next to him, watching him with worried eyes. He leaned closer to Ephram and said,
"Are you sure you can hold all that alcohol, man? You drank a lot."
Ephram turned his head to look at Bright. He smiled slowly and said,
"You must not know me as well as we thought, Abbot. I can hold my alcohol. Comes from being Jewish and hanging out with my crowd back in New York."
Still a little skeptical, Bright leaned back and turned his attention to watching the people in the pool. It was the first he had heard of friends back in New York, but he didn't really think that that was the time to pursue the subject. Once he finished the contents of his cup, Bright stood up and held a hand out to Ephram. Ephram looked up at Bright and, taking his hand and standing up, said,
"We going to get more beer?"
Bright laughed,
"No, but we are going. Home."
Ephram scowled,
"I don't wanna."
Bright grinned cheekily, cupping Ephram's elbow and leading him inside,
"Too bad, bub."
Ephram was still scowling, but he got into the car obediently.
By the time Bright pulled into his driveway, Ephram was half-asleep. Bright had to lift him out of the car and support him as they walked inside. Amy was still up watching late-night reruns of I Dream of Genie. When Bright dragged Ephram inside and she saw Ephram, she laughed loudly.
"Ephram? What the hell happened to you?"
Bright scowled at her and said quietly,
"He's tired. And just a little bit shit-faced."
Amy grinned while she watched Bright struggle to get Ephram up the stairs. When he finally succeeded, he had to stop for a minute, leaning against the banister to catch his breath. He made it to his bedroom, shutting and locking the door and dropping Ephram on the bed. Ephram sighed, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. He looked up Bright sleepily and smiled. Bright smiled back and sat down next to Ephram, putting an arm around his waist. Ephram let his head drop onto Bright's shoulder. Bright rubbed his cheek on the top of Ephram's head and murmured,
"You smell."
Ephram laughed softly and struggled to stand up. He said, walking towards the bathroom door,
"Come wash my back, Abbot?"
Rolling his eyes but smiling, Bright followed Ephram into the bathroom. He was surprised to see Ephram already naked and standing in the shower, fiddling with the knobs. He commented,
"You undress quickly."
Ephram shot a grin over his shoulder, then returned to tying to get the shower to work. Bright struggled not to laugh while he watched Ephram stand there butt-naked, tip of his tongue caught between his teeth in concentration, turning the knobs the wrong way. After a few minutes with no success, Ephram stamped his foot and said huffily, turning to Bright,
"Will you turn the damn shower on please?"
A few giggles escaped while Bright leaned forward to turn on the shower. Ephram sighed, his frown disappearing, as he stepped under the warm spray. He turned his head to look at Bright,
"You just gonna stand there or are you getting in?"
Bright smiled and started to remove his clothes slowly. Ephram raised one eyebrow and turned to watch Bright's little strip-tease with interest.
~*~
Amy could hear giggling coming from Bright's room well past 3 o'clock in the morning. Rolling her eyes, she snuggled further under her covers, pulling her pillow over her head to try and muffle the sounds. It didn't work, but she eventually drifted off.
~*~
"Shut up, Ephram, you'll wake Amy up."
Ephram rolled his eyes,
"Please, I'm not the one who keeps moaning so loudly."
Bright scowled,
"I do not."
Ephram grinned and moved to prove his point. Bright watched Ephram warily as he slid down Bright's body. Realizing his intent, Bright let his eyes flutter shut and he bit his lip *just in case*.
Ephram was right.
TBC.
Author: Liat
Disclaimer: not mine
Also found at:
A/N: just to clear a few things up, in case you were confused: Amy was never told about Bright and Ephram's relationship. Umm.Colin and Bright are still friends. This isnt one of those stories where Bright becomes a social pariah or anything. He's still all popular and everything, I just didn't feel that any scenes with Colin (so far) were necessary. Anyways.back to the story!
~*~
Part 5:
~*~
"So, remind me again why we're here."
Bright glared briefly at Ephram before returning to scanning the room for the kegs. Finally spotting them with a triumphant "ah-ha!" Bright grabbed Ephram's hand and led him through the throng. The kegs were situated in front of a wall of windows over-looking the swimming pool. The pool was full of people either fully clothed or in their under-garments. Ephram watched the people in various stages of inebriation and undress with a look of distaste on his face. Bright was filling up a red plastic cup with beer when he caught the look on Ephram's face. Rolling his eyes, he said,
"Loosen up, Ephram. It's a party."
Ephram looked back at Bright, who handed him the cup of beer. Taking a tentative sip, Ephram retorted,
"Oh, yeah, I know. You're supposed to get drunk and go skinny-dipping, then end up in some random closet or bedroom hooking up with a total stranger."
Bright flashed him a wide grin and said, toasting him with his cup of beer,
"You learn quick, but," he leaned closer, pressing his lips against Ephram's ear, "I'm not a total stranger."
Ephram snorted into his cup, trying very hard not to turn his head and nibble on the lips that were discreetly tugging on his earlobe. When Bright pulled away, Ephram couldn't contain the little sigh of longing that escaped, or the flash of need in his eyes when he glanced at Bright. Looking around the room over the rim of his cup, Ephram shook his head and drained the rest of his beer. Making a face, he handed the cup back to Bright. Shocked, Bright looked from the empty cup to Ephram and back to the cup before shaking his head and refilling it.
~*~
4 cups of beer, 3 cups of spiked punch, and a couple vodka shots later (taken from someone's parents' liquor cabinet), Ephram was lounging out on a chair by the pool. Bright was sitting next to him, watching him with worried eyes. He leaned closer to Ephram and said,
"Are you sure you can hold all that alcohol, man? You drank a lot."
Ephram turned his head to look at Bright. He smiled slowly and said,
"You must not know me as well as we thought, Abbot. I can hold my alcohol. Comes from being Jewish and hanging out with my crowd back in New York."
Still a little skeptical, Bright leaned back and turned his attention to watching the people in the pool. It was the first he had heard of friends back in New York, but he didn't really think that that was the time to pursue the subject. Once he finished the contents of his cup, Bright stood up and held a hand out to Ephram. Ephram looked up at Bright and, taking his hand and standing up, said,
"We going to get more beer?"
Bright laughed,
"No, but we are going. Home."
Ephram scowled,
"I don't wanna."
Bright grinned cheekily, cupping Ephram's elbow and leading him inside,
"Too bad, bub."
Ephram was still scowling, but he got into the car obediently.
By the time Bright pulled into his driveway, Ephram was half-asleep. Bright had to lift him out of the car and support him as they walked inside. Amy was still up watching late-night reruns of I Dream of Genie. When Bright dragged Ephram inside and she saw Ephram, she laughed loudly.
"Ephram? What the hell happened to you?"
Bright scowled at her and said quietly,
"He's tired. And just a little bit shit-faced."
Amy grinned while she watched Bright struggle to get Ephram up the stairs. When he finally succeeded, he had to stop for a minute, leaning against the banister to catch his breath. He made it to his bedroom, shutting and locking the door and dropping Ephram on the bed. Ephram sighed, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. He looked up Bright sleepily and smiled. Bright smiled back and sat down next to Ephram, putting an arm around his waist. Ephram let his head drop onto Bright's shoulder. Bright rubbed his cheek on the top of Ephram's head and murmured,
"You smell."
Ephram laughed softly and struggled to stand up. He said, walking towards the bathroom door,
"Come wash my back, Abbot?"
Rolling his eyes but smiling, Bright followed Ephram into the bathroom. He was surprised to see Ephram already naked and standing in the shower, fiddling with the knobs. He commented,
"You undress quickly."
Ephram shot a grin over his shoulder, then returned to tying to get the shower to work. Bright struggled not to laugh while he watched Ephram stand there butt-naked, tip of his tongue caught between his teeth in concentration, turning the knobs the wrong way. After a few minutes with no success, Ephram stamped his foot and said huffily, turning to Bright,
"Will you turn the damn shower on please?"
A few giggles escaped while Bright leaned forward to turn on the shower. Ephram sighed, his frown disappearing, as he stepped under the warm spray. He turned his head to look at Bright,
"You just gonna stand there or are you getting in?"
Bright smiled and started to remove his clothes slowly. Ephram raised one eyebrow and turned to watch Bright's little strip-tease with interest.
~*~
Amy could hear giggling coming from Bright's room well past 3 o'clock in the morning. Rolling her eyes, she snuggled further under her covers, pulling her pillow over her head to try and muffle the sounds. It didn't work, but she eventually drifted off.
~*~
"Shut up, Ephram, you'll wake Amy up."
Ephram rolled his eyes,
"Please, I'm not the one who keeps moaning so loudly."
Bright scowled,
"I do not."
Ephram grinned and moved to prove his point. Bright watched Ephram warily as he slid down Bright's body. Realizing his intent, Bright let his eyes flutter shut and he bit his lip *just in case*.
Ephram was right.
TBC.