Title: Unconscious Grace
Author: Liat
Disclaimer: not mine
Also found at:
~*~
Part 8
~*~
Bright walked around in a daze for the rest of the day. He didn't notice when, for breakfast, he made cereal with grapefruit juice. Didn't notice that his shirt was on backward and inside out. That his shoes were on the wrong feet. Amy saved him from total humiliation when she grabbed his arm to keep him from toppling down the stairs again, this time from the very top.
When the time finally rolled around for Ephram to come by, Amy and Dr. and Mrs. Abbot had already cleared out. Bright was freshly showered and his clothing carefully selected to look effortless yet sexy. Khaki cargoes, casually wrinkled, a soft, well-worn cotton T-shirt the same color as his eyes, and bare feet.
Ephram was 12 minutes early. Not wanting to appear too eager, he paced the sidewalk in front of the Abbot's house for 7 minutes, sat on the banister of their porch for the remaining 5. Then he waited one minute before ringing the doorbell. It would be a little telling if he got there exactly at 6:30. So he decided 6:31 was okay. Bright answered the door looking absolutely delectable. Shoving trembling hands into the pockets of his old, faded jeans and licking his lips (partly from nerves, partly from wanting to swallow Bright whole), Ephram walked inside. Bright led him to the living room and they sat down on the couch, much in the same places as the night Dr. Abbot had caught them. Ephram glanced at Bright across the couch before saying,
"Hey."
Bright flashed a quick smile, *that* smile, and echoed,
"Hey."
Fidgeting, Ephram said softly,
"I can't even remember why we're not talking."
Bright sighed,
"I was being stupid and I annoyed you. It was totally my fault and I am so, so sorry."
"No way, Bright. It's so not your fault. I was being bitchy. I should definitely be the one apologizing."
Bright shook his head quickly, protesting,
"I was being immature and annoying and you just wanted to pass Chemistry."
Ephram insisted, scooting closer,
"Like I care if I pass chemistry. As long as I pass your chemistry, I'm happy."
Getting distracted as Ephram ran a finger up his arm, Bright stammered,
"I---wait, what?"
Ephram grinned, coming closer,
"God, Bright. You're so damn cute."
Confused now,
"Did I miss something? What happened to the pissed off Ephram? The one that wasn't talking to me?"
Ephram's finger paused in its descent down Bright's chest and he said, raising on eyebrow,
"Do you want that Ephram back?"
Bright shook his head,
"God, no! But how did we go from that to this in a space of, what, 4 seconds?"
Ephram just grinned, leaned in close, his lips centimeters from Bright. He whispered, breath washing over Bright's face,
"I love you, Bright."
Too stunned to react, Bright sat there, eyes wide, as Ephram closed the distance.
Ephram pulled away, frustrated when Bright didn't kiss him back. He looked at Bright expectantly, smiled at the expression on his face. He cupped Bright's face in his hands, snuggled closer,
"Bright. Kiss me back."
When he pressed his lips to Bright's this time, Bright responded, shifting to press Ephram into the cushions of the couch. Bright kissed Ephram back, kissed the breath out of him. When he had to pull away, needed air, Bright said in between puffs of breath,
"Up---stairs---now."
Grinning, panting, Ephram sat up, taking Bright's hand and let him lead him upstairs.
~*~
Hours later, they lay curled together in Bright's tiny bed. They vaguely heard the door downstairs open and shut, as they were too wrapped up in each other. They did hear the footsteps on the stairs, though, and Ephram had the sense to duck under the covers just before Amy opened the door, popping her head in the room. If she noticed the heaps of clothing on the floor, 2 of everything, she didn't say anything. She just shot him a grin, blew him a kiss, and left, shutting the door behind her. Bright slid his head under the covers, rolled his eyes at Ephram,
"Why don't I lock my door?"
Ephram smiled, waited while Bright got out of bed to lock the door. When Bright got back in bed, Ephram sighed, wrapping his arms around Bright's middle. Lying his head on Bright's chest, Ephram started to talk, was interrupted by Bright.
"Ephram?"
"Hmm."
"I love you."
Smiling widely, Ephram replied,
"I love you, too."
With a huge yawn, Ephram snuggled closer, then fell asleep.
~*~
He tried to sneak in the next morning. Never being good at that, he, naturally, got caught.
"Ephram Brown!"
Wincing, Ephram turned to where his father was sitting, on a couch in the den. He walked over to Andy slowly, tried to look nonchalant as he sat down, threw a leg across the arm of the easy chair he was sitting in. He folded his arms across his chest, discreetly fingered Bright's class ring her wore around a chain through his shirt.
"Yeah, Dad?"
Andy squinted at Ephram, trying his hardest to look angry, stern.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"
Ephram shrugged,
"Nowhere, really."
"Ephram."
Ephram sighed, rolled his eyes,
"What does it matter, Dad? I'm home now." At Andy's look, Ephram huffed, "I was at the Abbot's."
Andy raised an eyebrow,
"Oh? Are you and Bright speaking again?"
Ephram rolled his eyes, mumbled,
"Yeah, something like that."
Ephram was looking down at his lap, so he didn't see the little grin pass over Andy's face before he said,
"So, are you two back together, then?"
Ephram nodded without thinking, then, stunned, realized what Andy had said. He looked up, mouth hanging open,
"What? You---you knew?"
Andy grinned,
"I was a teenager once, and quite good at picking locks."
Ephram's expression quickly became horrified at the thought of what Andy might have seen. Andy laughed, enjoying Ephram's discomfort,
"Don't worry, Ephram. I didn't see anything."
Ephram sighed with relief, but his expression was still appalled. He said,
"What exactly did you see?"
Andy shook his head,
"You were just sleeping. Don't worry. No.extremities were exposed."
Ephram winced, swallowed around the lump in his throat.
"So you're.okay with it?"
Andy shrugged,
"It's not what I expected, certainly not what I would have chosen, but I've had time to deal with it."
"Really?"
Andy shrugged,
"Delia doesn't know, don't tell her. We'll talk about it later, because right now you need to get dressed for school."
Ephram nodded, slowly getting up and walking out of the room. Oh, just wait till he told Bright.
TBC.
Author: Liat
Disclaimer: not mine
Also found at:
~*~
Part 8
~*~
Bright walked around in a daze for the rest of the day. He didn't notice when, for breakfast, he made cereal with grapefruit juice. Didn't notice that his shirt was on backward and inside out. That his shoes were on the wrong feet. Amy saved him from total humiliation when she grabbed his arm to keep him from toppling down the stairs again, this time from the very top.
When the time finally rolled around for Ephram to come by, Amy and Dr. and Mrs. Abbot had already cleared out. Bright was freshly showered and his clothing carefully selected to look effortless yet sexy. Khaki cargoes, casually wrinkled, a soft, well-worn cotton T-shirt the same color as his eyes, and bare feet.
Ephram was 12 minutes early. Not wanting to appear too eager, he paced the sidewalk in front of the Abbot's house for 7 minutes, sat on the banister of their porch for the remaining 5. Then he waited one minute before ringing the doorbell. It would be a little telling if he got there exactly at 6:30. So he decided 6:31 was okay. Bright answered the door looking absolutely delectable. Shoving trembling hands into the pockets of his old, faded jeans and licking his lips (partly from nerves, partly from wanting to swallow Bright whole), Ephram walked inside. Bright led him to the living room and they sat down on the couch, much in the same places as the night Dr. Abbot had caught them. Ephram glanced at Bright across the couch before saying,
"Hey."
Bright flashed a quick smile, *that* smile, and echoed,
"Hey."
Fidgeting, Ephram said softly,
"I can't even remember why we're not talking."
Bright sighed,
"I was being stupid and I annoyed you. It was totally my fault and I am so, so sorry."
"No way, Bright. It's so not your fault. I was being bitchy. I should definitely be the one apologizing."
Bright shook his head quickly, protesting,
"I was being immature and annoying and you just wanted to pass Chemistry."
Ephram insisted, scooting closer,
"Like I care if I pass chemistry. As long as I pass your chemistry, I'm happy."
Getting distracted as Ephram ran a finger up his arm, Bright stammered,
"I---wait, what?"
Ephram grinned, coming closer,
"God, Bright. You're so damn cute."
Confused now,
"Did I miss something? What happened to the pissed off Ephram? The one that wasn't talking to me?"
Ephram's finger paused in its descent down Bright's chest and he said, raising on eyebrow,
"Do you want that Ephram back?"
Bright shook his head,
"God, no! But how did we go from that to this in a space of, what, 4 seconds?"
Ephram just grinned, leaned in close, his lips centimeters from Bright. He whispered, breath washing over Bright's face,
"I love you, Bright."
Too stunned to react, Bright sat there, eyes wide, as Ephram closed the distance.
Ephram pulled away, frustrated when Bright didn't kiss him back. He looked at Bright expectantly, smiled at the expression on his face. He cupped Bright's face in his hands, snuggled closer,
"Bright. Kiss me back."
When he pressed his lips to Bright's this time, Bright responded, shifting to press Ephram into the cushions of the couch. Bright kissed Ephram back, kissed the breath out of him. When he had to pull away, needed air, Bright said in between puffs of breath,
"Up---stairs---now."
Grinning, panting, Ephram sat up, taking Bright's hand and let him lead him upstairs.
~*~
Hours later, they lay curled together in Bright's tiny bed. They vaguely heard the door downstairs open and shut, as they were too wrapped up in each other. They did hear the footsteps on the stairs, though, and Ephram had the sense to duck under the covers just before Amy opened the door, popping her head in the room. If she noticed the heaps of clothing on the floor, 2 of everything, she didn't say anything. She just shot him a grin, blew him a kiss, and left, shutting the door behind her. Bright slid his head under the covers, rolled his eyes at Ephram,
"Why don't I lock my door?"
Ephram smiled, waited while Bright got out of bed to lock the door. When Bright got back in bed, Ephram sighed, wrapping his arms around Bright's middle. Lying his head on Bright's chest, Ephram started to talk, was interrupted by Bright.
"Ephram?"
"Hmm."
"I love you."
Smiling widely, Ephram replied,
"I love you, too."
With a huge yawn, Ephram snuggled closer, then fell asleep.
~*~
He tried to sneak in the next morning. Never being good at that, he, naturally, got caught.
"Ephram Brown!"
Wincing, Ephram turned to where his father was sitting, on a couch in the den. He walked over to Andy slowly, tried to look nonchalant as he sat down, threw a leg across the arm of the easy chair he was sitting in. He folded his arms across his chest, discreetly fingered Bright's class ring her wore around a chain through his shirt.
"Yeah, Dad?"
Andy squinted at Ephram, trying his hardest to look angry, stern.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"
Ephram shrugged,
"Nowhere, really."
"Ephram."
Ephram sighed, rolled his eyes,
"What does it matter, Dad? I'm home now." At Andy's look, Ephram huffed, "I was at the Abbot's."
Andy raised an eyebrow,
"Oh? Are you and Bright speaking again?"
Ephram rolled his eyes, mumbled,
"Yeah, something like that."
Ephram was looking down at his lap, so he didn't see the little grin pass over Andy's face before he said,
"So, are you two back together, then?"
Ephram nodded without thinking, then, stunned, realized what Andy had said. He looked up, mouth hanging open,
"What? You---you knew?"
Andy grinned,
"I was a teenager once, and quite good at picking locks."
Ephram's expression quickly became horrified at the thought of what Andy might have seen. Andy laughed, enjoying Ephram's discomfort,
"Don't worry, Ephram. I didn't see anything."
Ephram sighed with relief, but his expression was still appalled. He said,
"What exactly did you see?"
Andy shook his head,
"You were just sleeping. Don't worry. No.extremities were exposed."
Ephram winced, swallowed around the lump in his throat.
"So you're.okay with it?"
Andy shrugged,
"It's not what I expected, certainly not what I would have chosen, but I've had time to deal with it."
"Really?"
Andy shrugged,
"Delia doesn't know, don't tell her. We'll talk about it later, because right now you need to get dressed for school."
Ephram nodded, slowly getting up and walking out of the room. Oh, just wait till he told Bright.
TBC.