My Secret Santa Fic: for 
thepurpleswitch. Happy Holidays!
Title: Something Different
Author:featherduster
Written for:thepurpleswitch because she's rocksy and I was her Secret Santa.
Disclaimer: Not Mine... but oh, if they were...
Notes: HUGELY unbeta-d. And: Since it's a Holiday present, if you don't like it... I'll write another. :)
Something Different
"I never…" Ephram starts in a thoughtful tone. He’s fishing for something else to say. "I never went skydiving," he finishes quickly.
"Well, that’s not a surprise, really. But come on, Ephram. These are supposed to be…good," Bright tells him, looking down at the shot glass in front of him. "I’ve never been either, so no shot for me. You go again, though. That was stupid."
"Fine," Ephram says, reluctantly. "I never… Fuck, Bright. These things are fucking hard to think of!" he yells, but gives in when he sees the look on Bright’s face. "Fine. I’ve never kissed a guy."
Bright looks at him inquisitively, but then takes a shot quickly. He swallows audibly and counters with, "I’ve never kissed a girl."
Ephram blinks twice, and slowly raises his glass to his lips, downing what little alcohol is left. "Well," he says. "That’s something different, isn’t it?"
~ * ~
Bright wakes up the next morning and blinks a few times. The sunlight that’s streaming in through the crack in the curtains is blinding. He looks around, throwing the blanket off of his legs, and sits up. He’s sitting on the couch in Ephram’s apartment, and Ephram is sprawled on the floor beside him, a beer bottle in one hand and a lollipop in the other. He’s sound asleep, snoring lightly, and Bright moves quietly, trying not to wake him. He walks to the bathroom and flips on the lights, squinting for the brightness of it. Bright runs his hands through his hair and down his face, noticing the slightly disheveled look he has. He hasn’t shaved in three days and the stubble that’s formed on his cheeks and face burns as he runs his hand across it. When Bright walks back into the kitchen, Ephram is awake and pouring himself a glass of orange juice. There’s a large bottle of extra-strength pain relievers sitting on the counter next to him, and he looks up and winces when Bright walks in.
"You wanna…walk…quieter? Or something?" Ephram asks, and then swallows three of the pills.
"Is it really…" Bright says, and then stops when Ephram winces again. "That bad?" he whispers.
"Bright. Come on. I had about 20 shots, four beers, and a glass of wine. It can’t be good, can it?" Ephram asks, and walks back to the couch, where he lowers himself slowly and sinks into the cushions. He rubs his forehead slowly, and Bright joins him, pulling the shades shut tightly.
"Do you remember anything? Other than the fact that you drank, you know, too much?" Bright asks tentatively.
"Well, if anything happened last night, I’m completely oblivious. I don’t remember a damn thing anyone said or did."
"Ah, I see. Want a recap?" Bright asks him.
"Yeah, actually. That would be nice. Just to make sure I didn’t…do anything stupid. Like…drop my pants in front of a cop car, or something," Ephram tells him. "I did that once, a couple of years ago. It didn’t work out too well," he says, and laughs.
"Okay. We saw a movie. Well, we saw a couple of movies. And then we decided to mess around a bit, we mixed up some drinks, sat on our asses, and played ‘I Never’. You drank way too much, and there were a lot of sappy confessions, and then…you passed out. I watched another movie and slept. And then…here we are, really," Bright clarified for him.
Ephram scratched his head. "Sappy confessions?" he questioned.
"Yeah, man. You admitted your favorite pair of underwear is a pair of hot pink briefs, you’re secretly hoarding chocolate under your bed because it helps when you get lonely, and I told you I’m gay. All in all it was an uneventful night," Bright laughed.
"I did WHAT? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do NOT own a pair of hot pink briefs. I don’t know where the hell you would get that kind of idea, man, but that’s not fucking funny. And about the chocolate… It’s…comforting. That’s all. I can like chocolate if I want to," Ephram sniffed indignantly. "And uh…how. How did I… react?"
"To what?" Bright asked him.
"To the fact that you’re gay."
"You, uh. You kissed me," Bright says, avoiding Ephram’s eyes. "So really, that’s one less thing you can use for that game now, huh?"
Ephram groaned. "Bright… I." Ephram started. "I’mnotgay," he spits out, and looks at Bright childishly. "I think… I think I was REALLY drunk, and I don’t think I knew what I was doing. I… I’m sorry, if it means anything. I mean, I’m okay with it, and everything, not that I wouldn’t be, but. I’m just not… I’m not gay." Ephram scuffs his shoe against the kitchen floor, shifting uncomfortably under Bright’s stare.
Bright chews on his lower lip, watching Ephram intently. He opens his mouth to say something, but thinks better of it and stops himself.
Ephram can see Bright’s eyes gloss over, tears forming, and he walks over and places a hand on Bright’s arm. "Bright-"
Bright inhales sharply, and steadies his voice before speaking. "No, dude. I didn’t think you were. I mean, it’s kinda obvious you were just really drunk. Don’t worry about it, it didn’t really mean anything, anyway," Bright says, brushing Ephram’s hand aside, and pushing past him to the living room. He stands by the couch for a minute, looking around him, and then leans over and starts folding his blanket, rearranging pillows. When he’s finished, he turns to Ephram, who is still standing in the kitchen watching him.
"I…uh. I should probably go, don’t you think? My shift starts in about…" He checks his watch. "In about seven hours, so I should probably get prepared, yeah?" Bright walks over to the closet by the front door and grabs his coat, shoving it on and pulling on his gloves and scarf. Bright looks at Ephram for a minute before walking out the door, and turning to catch the elevator down to street level. He makes a left, turning towards his own apartment, pulling his jacket tightly around him and blowing on his hands, trying to get them even warmer through his gloves. He didn’t regret it, not really, because he knew Ephram never really liked him anyway, but it was worth a shot. Everything about it was worth at least one shot.
thepurpleswitch. Happy Holidays!Title: Something Different
Author:
featherdusterWritten for:
thepurpleswitch because she's rocksy and I was her Secret Santa.Disclaimer: Not Mine... but oh, if they were...
Notes: HUGELY unbeta-d. And: Since it's a Holiday present, if you don't like it... I'll write another. :)
Something Different
"I never…" Ephram starts in a thoughtful tone. He’s fishing for something else to say. "I never went skydiving," he finishes quickly.
"Well, that’s not a surprise, really. But come on, Ephram. These are supposed to be…good," Bright tells him, looking down at the shot glass in front of him. "I’ve never been either, so no shot for me. You go again, though. That was stupid."
"Fine," Ephram says, reluctantly. "I never… Fuck, Bright. These things are fucking hard to think of!" he yells, but gives in when he sees the look on Bright’s face. "Fine. I’ve never kissed a guy."
Bright looks at him inquisitively, but then takes a shot quickly. He swallows audibly and counters with, "I’ve never kissed a girl."
Ephram blinks twice, and slowly raises his glass to his lips, downing what little alcohol is left. "Well," he says. "That’s something different, isn’t it?"
~ * ~
Bright wakes up the next morning and blinks a few times. The sunlight that’s streaming in through the crack in the curtains is blinding. He looks around, throwing the blanket off of his legs, and sits up. He’s sitting on the couch in Ephram’s apartment, and Ephram is sprawled on the floor beside him, a beer bottle in one hand and a lollipop in the other. He’s sound asleep, snoring lightly, and Bright moves quietly, trying not to wake him. He walks to the bathroom and flips on the lights, squinting for the brightness of it. Bright runs his hands through his hair and down his face, noticing the slightly disheveled look he has. He hasn’t shaved in three days and the stubble that’s formed on his cheeks and face burns as he runs his hand across it. When Bright walks back into the kitchen, Ephram is awake and pouring himself a glass of orange juice. There’s a large bottle of extra-strength pain relievers sitting on the counter next to him, and he looks up and winces when Bright walks in.
"You wanna…walk…quieter? Or something?" Ephram asks, and then swallows three of the pills.
"Is it really…" Bright says, and then stops when Ephram winces again. "That bad?" he whispers.
"Bright. Come on. I had about 20 shots, four beers, and a glass of wine. It can’t be good, can it?" Ephram asks, and walks back to the couch, where he lowers himself slowly and sinks into the cushions. He rubs his forehead slowly, and Bright joins him, pulling the shades shut tightly.
"Do you remember anything? Other than the fact that you drank, you know, too much?" Bright asks tentatively.
"Well, if anything happened last night, I’m completely oblivious. I don’t remember a damn thing anyone said or did."
"Ah, I see. Want a recap?" Bright asks him.
"Yeah, actually. That would be nice. Just to make sure I didn’t…do anything stupid. Like…drop my pants in front of a cop car, or something," Ephram tells him. "I did that once, a couple of years ago. It didn’t work out too well," he says, and laughs.
"Okay. We saw a movie. Well, we saw a couple of movies. And then we decided to mess around a bit, we mixed up some drinks, sat on our asses, and played ‘I Never’. You drank way too much, and there were a lot of sappy confessions, and then…you passed out. I watched another movie and slept. And then…here we are, really," Bright clarified for him.
Ephram scratched his head. "Sappy confessions?" he questioned.
"Yeah, man. You admitted your favorite pair of underwear is a pair of hot pink briefs, you’re secretly hoarding chocolate under your bed because it helps when you get lonely, and I told you I’m gay. All in all it was an uneventful night," Bright laughed.
"I did WHAT? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do NOT own a pair of hot pink briefs. I don’t know where the hell you would get that kind of idea, man, but that’s not fucking funny. And about the chocolate… It’s…comforting. That’s all. I can like chocolate if I want to," Ephram sniffed indignantly. "And uh…how. How did I… react?"
"To what?" Bright asked him.
"To the fact that you’re gay."
"You, uh. You kissed me," Bright says, avoiding Ephram’s eyes. "So really, that’s one less thing you can use for that game now, huh?"
Ephram groaned. "Bright… I." Ephram started. "I’mnotgay," he spits out, and looks at Bright childishly. "I think… I think I was REALLY drunk, and I don’t think I knew what I was doing. I… I’m sorry, if it means anything. I mean, I’m okay with it, and everything, not that I wouldn’t be, but. I’m just not… I’m not gay." Ephram scuffs his shoe against the kitchen floor, shifting uncomfortably under Bright’s stare.
Bright chews on his lower lip, watching Ephram intently. He opens his mouth to say something, but thinks better of it and stops himself.
Ephram can see Bright’s eyes gloss over, tears forming, and he walks over and places a hand on Bright’s arm. "Bright-"
Bright inhales sharply, and steadies his voice before speaking. "No, dude. I didn’t think you were. I mean, it’s kinda obvious you were just really drunk. Don’t worry about it, it didn’t really mean anything, anyway," Bright says, brushing Ephram’s hand aside, and pushing past him to the living room. He stands by the couch for a minute, looking around him, and then leans over and starts folding his blanket, rearranging pillows. When he’s finished, he turns to Ephram, who is still standing in the kitchen watching him.
"I…uh. I should probably go, don’t you think? My shift starts in about…" He checks his watch. "In about seven hours, so I should probably get prepared, yeah?" Bright walks over to the closet by the front door and grabs his coat, shoving it on and pulling on his gloves and scarf. Bright looks at Ephram for a minute before walking out the door, and turning to catch the elevator down to street level. He makes a left, turning towards his own apartment, pulling his jacket tightly around him and blowing on his hands, trying to get them even warmer through his gloves. He didn’t regret it, not really, because he knew Ephram never really liked him anyway, but it was worth a shot. Everything about it was worth at least one shot.