Title: Tastes of Home
Writer: Azure K Mello
Warnings: slash, angst, original male character.
Part:1
Distribution: ask me.
Rated: R
Spoilers: through to "Blind Faith"
He had tried his best. Despite everything that had happened Ephram had still harbored his crush on Amy right up until that moment. He had opened up to her and told her about the death of his mom. They were closing the pool for the night and he had started to tell her about how he knew she must have felt. And then she had turned to him and with one statement had caused all of his feels for her to die. She told him she wished that Andy wasn't his dad because every time she looked at Ephram all she could see was his father and what he had done to Colin.
At first he had been upset and defended his dad, and then later he thought over her words and found them simply amusing. The fact was, she had *never* seen him as anything *but* Dr. Brown's son. The whole reason she had cultivated their unnatural friendship was to get Ephram to have his dad look at her comatose boyfriend. And Ephram had put aside his crush and asked Andy to try. It wasn't his fault that it had gone wrong, and it wasn't his dad's fault either. Amy was just using it as an excuse to drop Ephram, which was fine, his pathetic obsession had run its course.
And Bright had watched him all summer. Either out of pity or actual respect he had cultivated a friendship with Ephram. It had started with Colin and the understanding that they both wanted him ok. Bright had watched as the whole town had shunned the Brown's and admired Ephram's strength and the fact that he ignored it all, he had realized that maybe Ephram was used to it and he had reached out. He was thankful that Ephram had tried so hard with Amy and when all was said and done he liked the boy. . . maybe a little too much.
School started again and it wasn't as scary. He had a friend in the crowd and one friend was better than what he had started with last year. He tried to remember that he only had two more years to go. He tried in class and just hoped that things would go smoothly. Then the whole Madison episode had happened. But even she wasn't too bad, he could cope with her. After all, she liked Delia so how bad could she be? He walked towards Bright's car at the end of the day. He had failed his drivers test the day before but Bright had made some joke about lugging Ephram's ass around and it had all been ok. He had seen the look in Bright's eyes and almost pitied the older boy. He knew a crush when he saw one. Ephram liked being the object of someone's affections. Moreover he knew he would never have to deal with them. Which was good as he didn't have the energy to help someone with their sexuality crisis. Bright was too much of a homophobe to ever act on anything he felt. Just as he reached the pickup someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and was confronted by Amy.
"Can we be friends again?"
"Ok?" he replied slightly confused.
"Thank-you." She threw her backpack into the truck bed and climbed into the car.
And just as Ephram was about to climb in after her, he felt another tap on his shoulder. And as he turned his mouth was caught by the mouth of the taller boy. "Do you know?" said Ephram as he broke away, "you are still the only person who greets me like that."
"What, you mean in this cosmopolitan atmosphere no one kisses hello?" asked Jack with a lilting smile.
"Jackson what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you."
"Ephram?" said Bright from behind him. "Are you going to introduce us?"
"Bright and Amy, this is Jackson. A friend from back east."
"So where's your whole entourage?" asked Jack with a smile.
"This is kind of it."
"The great Ephram Brown has consigned himself to hanging out with two people? You're fucking me."
"No I'm not." His voice was slow and cold. Jack reached his hand into Ephram's back pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "For fuck's sake. Do you have any other great plans? You've ousted my nicotine addiction within three minutes of getting here. Next you'll be talking about the time I split my lip open and cried like a bitch with a skinned knee even though really I couldn't feel it as I was so drunk I could barely stand."
"That was a fun night." Jack smirked at him. "I missed you, Eff."
Bright and Amy were shocked by Ephram's outburst. A swearing, smoking Ephram was not someone they knew. This new side of Ephram was somewhat unnerving.
"I could tell. What with all the letters you wrote," Ephram was sarcastic and biting.
"I'm sorry."
"How is everyone?"
"Danni got into Julliard and dyed her hair green as apparently her old colour was passé and mainstream."
"Wasn't it blue?"
"Yeah. And Andy and Jay are still at school with me. Jax dropped out the minute he turned sixteen, working for his uncle. Olivia is well, doing something I don't understand on the stock market but still at school. Janet and Dave transferred to Regent High, I don't really know why. The clique got expelled for. ."
"Let me guess," interrupted Ephram, "dealing."
"It was inevitable. Apparently if it had been pot they only would have been suspended. But you know them, they figured why deal weed when you can do heroin." Jack agreed with a nod. "We all miss you."
"Why are you here?" asked Ephram again.
The coldness in Ephram's voice cut Jack to the core. "I just wanted to see you."
"So are you leaving now?"
"Eff, please, come for a walk with me. All I want is ten minutes and if you still hate me I'll leave. I could say it all right here but I've already ruined you rep with the cigarettes so why do more damage by airing all your dirty little secrets."
"Ten minutes," said Ephram softly. He cast an apologetic look to the pair in the truck, "Bright I'm sure I'll talk to you later."
Writer: Azure K Mello
Warnings: slash, angst, original male character.
Part:1
Distribution: ask me.
Rated: R
Spoilers: through to "Blind Faith"
He had tried his best. Despite everything that had happened Ephram had still harbored his crush on Amy right up until that moment. He had opened up to her and told her about the death of his mom. They were closing the pool for the night and he had started to tell her about how he knew she must have felt. And then she had turned to him and with one statement had caused all of his feels for her to die. She told him she wished that Andy wasn't his dad because every time she looked at Ephram all she could see was his father and what he had done to Colin.
At first he had been upset and defended his dad, and then later he thought over her words and found them simply amusing. The fact was, she had *never* seen him as anything *but* Dr. Brown's son. The whole reason she had cultivated their unnatural friendship was to get Ephram to have his dad look at her comatose boyfriend. And Ephram had put aside his crush and asked Andy to try. It wasn't his fault that it had gone wrong, and it wasn't his dad's fault either. Amy was just using it as an excuse to drop Ephram, which was fine, his pathetic obsession had run its course.
And Bright had watched him all summer. Either out of pity or actual respect he had cultivated a friendship with Ephram. It had started with Colin and the understanding that they both wanted him ok. Bright had watched as the whole town had shunned the Brown's and admired Ephram's strength and the fact that he ignored it all, he had realized that maybe Ephram was used to it and he had reached out. He was thankful that Ephram had tried so hard with Amy and when all was said and done he liked the boy. . . maybe a little too much.
School started again and it wasn't as scary. He had a friend in the crowd and one friend was better than what he had started with last year. He tried to remember that he only had two more years to go. He tried in class and just hoped that things would go smoothly. Then the whole Madison episode had happened. But even she wasn't too bad, he could cope with her. After all, she liked Delia so how bad could she be? He walked towards Bright's car at the end of the day. He had failed his drivers test the day before but Bright had made some joke about lugging Ephram's ass around and it had all been ok. He had seen the look in Bright's eyes and almost pitied the older boy. He knew a crush when he saw one. Ephram liked being the object of someone's affections. Moreover he knew he would never have to deal with them. Which was good as he didn't have the energy to help someone with their sexuality crisis. Bright was too much of a homophobe to ever act on anything he felt. Just as he reached the pickup someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and was confronted by Amy.
"Can we be friends again?"
"Ok?" he replied slightly confused.
"Thank-you." She threw her backpack into the truck bed and climbed into the car.
And just as Ephram was about to climb in after her, he felt another tap on his shoulder. And as he turned his mouth was caught by the mouth of the taller boy. "Do you know?" said Ephram as he broke away, "you are still the only person who greets me like that."
"What, you mean in this cosmopolitan atmosphere no one kisses hello?" asked Jack with a lilting smile.
"Jackson what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you."
"Ephram?" said Bright from behind him. "Are you going to introduce us?"
"Bright and Amy, this is Jackson. A friend from back east."
"So where's your whole entourage?" asked Jack with a smile.
"This is kind of it."
"The great Ephram Brown has consigned himself to hanging out with two people? You're fucking me."
"No I'm not." His voice was slow and cold. Jack reached his hand into Ephram's back pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "For fuck's sake. Do you have any other great plans? You've ousted my nicotine addiction within three minutes of getting here. Next you'll be talking about the time I split my lip open and cried like a bitch with a skinned knee even though really I couldn't feel it as I was so drunk I could barely stand."
"That was a fun night." Jack smirked at him. "I missed you, Eff."
Bright and Amy were shocked by Ephram's outburst. A swearing, smoking Ephram was not someone they knew. This new side of Ephram was somewhat unnerving.
"I could tell. What with all the letters you wrote," Ephram was sarcastic and biting.
"I'm sorry."
"How is everyone?"
"Danni got into Julliard and dyed her hair green as apparently her old colour was passé and mainstream."
"Wasn't it blue?"
"Yeah. And Andy and Jay are still at school with me. Jax dropped out the minute he turned sixteen, working for his uncle. Olivia is well, doing something I don't understand on the stock market but still at school. Janet and Dave transferred to Regent High, I don't really know why. The clique got expelled for. ."
"Let me guess," interrupted Ephram, "dealing."
"It was inevitable. Apparently if it had been pot they only would have been suspended. But you know them, they figured why deal weed when you can do heroin." Jack agreed with a nod. "We all miss you."
"Why are you here?" asked Ephram again.
The coldness in Ephram's voice cut Jack to the core. "I just wanted to see you."
"So are you leaving now?"
"Eff, please, come for a walk with me. All I want is ten minutes and if you still hate me I'll leave. I could say it all right here but I've already ruined you rep with the cigarettes so why do more damage by airing all your dirty little secrets."
"Ten minutes," said Ephram softly. He cast an apologetic look to the pair in the truck, "Bright I'm sure I'll talk to you later."
