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One Word Series
by bigboobedcanuckChapter Three: Want
Rated: R.
Disclaimer: I own jack.
Feedback: It absolutely makes my day, so please.[ * ]
“Hey, Ephram.”
Great. Amy. A few months ago (hell, maybe even a few weeks ago), Ephram’s heart would have leapt at the sound of her voice. Now all he felt was guilt. He’d tried to avoid her and had been doing a pretty good job. Because avoiding Amy meant avoiding Colin, which was at the top of his priority list.
“Hi. How’s it going?” He forced a smile onto his face.
“Great. Things are great. You seem pretty quiet lately.”
“What, you miss me at the cool kid’s table?” Ephram turned back to his locker and pulled out a textbook.
“Yeah.” At Ephram’s look of disbelief, Amy lowered her head. “I just wanted to say hi, Ephram.”
Ephram softened. It really wasn’t Amy’s fault that he was crazy about her boyfriend.
Whoa.
What the hell was he thinking? He shook his head and slammed his locker shut. “Everything’s cool, Amy. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Okay. Oh, there’s Colin. Bye!”
Ephram tried not to watch her move down the hall, but he couldn’t look away. Amy reached Colin and gave him a big kiss. Colin didn’t take his eyes from her. Ephram turned and walked away, refusing to allow himself the luxury of looking back again.
--------------------
“So, how’s Colin doing these days?”
Ephram froze. He kept his eyes on the carrot he was chopping, the knife hovering an inch above. “How should I know? I’m not his doctor.”
“But you are his friend, right? I didn’t mean medically, just in general.”
“He hangs out a lot with Amy and Bright. He seems fine.” Ephram concentrated on breathing. In. Out. In. Out.
“Well, that’s good. It can be hard for some patients who’ve been through what he has to readjust to their old lives.”
“Oh, Colin’s doing just fine, don’t worry about him.” Sarcasm tinged Ephram’s voice. He resumed chopping. Yep, Colin was doing fine. Hanging with his loyal girlfriend and his old buddies and not giving a thought to Ephram. Sure, he had said that he cared about him, but that only seemed to be when he wanted…the word got stuck in Ephram’s brain. When he wanted that.
Ephram looked up at his father, who was looking at him with concern.
“What? Dad, why are you staring at me?”
His father sighed. “Sorry, you just seem…I don’t know, not yourself lately.”
“What, surly and sarcastic? Since when is that not me?” Ephram rinsed the knife off and dried his hands. “I’ve got homework, you’ll have to make the rest of dinner without me.”
Upstairs in his room, he shut the door and laid down on the bed, closing his eyes.
If only he could somehow close down his brain.
-------------------
“Faggot.”
Ephram’s heart stopped. His eyes were fixed on the interior of his locker, and if he could have, he’d have climbed inside.
“What’s the matter, faggot? Here, I’ll give you something big to suck on!” Raucous laugher followed and Ephram turned to see Wendell getting shoved into the lockers. The relief that they weren’t talking about him was swift.
“Hey! Leave him alone!” The words were out of Ephram’s mouth before he even knew he was saying them. Heads swiveled and the jocks regarded Ephram.
“Aw, isn’t that sweet? Wendell’s boyfriend is standing up for him.”
“I’m not his boyfriend. Just stop being such dicks and leave him alone.” Ephram’s heart pounded and the queasiness had returned to his stomach. Bright and Colin were not among the dumb jocks hassling Wendell, for which he was grateful. He recognized a couple of them from the day at the mine, when they had made the prank call to Amy. “He’s not gay. God, can’t you morons be a little more original?”
“Who do you think you’re calling a moron?” The leader moved towards Ephram. Wendell took the opportunity to make a hasty exit.
“Hey, guys. What’s going on?” Colin appeared, moving out of the way as Wendell rushed by him.
“We’re just going to teach this little asshole not to go around calling people names.” He approached menacingly.
“Come on, Harris. It’s not worth it," Colin said, his tone firm.
Harris halted his progression and they all looked at Colin. Colin The First’s power over his court was still in evidence. Bright appeared at his side and they all shuffled off to go talk about banging chicks, Ephram presumed.
He tried not to think about why Colin had defended him. He also tried not to think about how Colin’s lips were perfectly shaped for kissing, and how much he wanted to run after him down the hall.
His heart still pounded.
-------------------------
Ephram stood at the sink, washing his hands. School was over, but he’d had to make a pit stop before heading home. The door opened and he looked up into the mirror to find Colin standing a few feet away.
Ephram gulped and looked down at his hands again.
“You okay?”
Ephram scrubbed his hands together, focusing intently. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You know, that thing in the hall.”
“It’s fine, I was just sticking up for Wendell, who thanked me by running away as soon as he could.”
“I think they’re clean.”
“What?”
“Your hands.”
Ephram turned the tap off and moved to the paper-towel dispenser. “So, is there anything else? I told you I’m fine.”
Colin shuffled his feet, but still didn’t leave.
“What?” Ephram spun around and faced him. “Do you want me to thank you? Fine, thanks for stopping those cretins from kicking my ass. There.”
“That’s not…”
“What? Not good enough for you?” Sudden fury clouded Ephram’s mind. He didn’t recognize his own voice. “Oh, I know what you want. Why else would you be here, right?”
“Ephram…”
Colin was caught off-balance as Ephram pushed him into one of the empty stalls.
“Ephram, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. What’s your problem?”
Ephram locked the door behind him and they stood close in the small stall.
“What’s my problem? You’re my fucking problem, Colin.” He lunged forward and kissed Colin angrily. Colin didn’t resist and clung to him. As their tongues battled, their hands moved roughly over each other’s bodies. Ephram turned, pressing Colin against the stall door.
“You want me to thank you, Colin? Is this what you want?” Ephram sank to his knees, undoing Colin’s jeans. God, he was about to do it.
Actually become a cocksucker.
“Ephram, stop. Stop. I mean it.” Colin pushed Ephram away, his hands still resting on Ephram’s shoulders. “This isn’t…you don’t have to do this.”
Ephram looked up at him, his chest tight and the tiles cold beneath his knees. Suddenly, the anger drained from him.
“Don’t…don’t you want me anymore?”
They stared at each other, each struggling to control their breathing. Colin’s left hand moved to Ephram’s face. He gently stroked his cheek.
“God, you have no idea. But not like this, Ephram. Not with you hating me.”
“I don’t hate you.” Ephram’s voice broke slightly. He relaxed his hands from where they clutched Colin’s hips. Colin’s fingers danced over his cheek and their eyes held.
“Colin? Hey dude, you in here?” Bright’s voice broke their reverie and Ephram leapt to his feet. He crouched on the toilet and Colin did up his pants.
“Colin?” Bright was right outside the stall.
“Yeah, I’m just finishing up. I’ll see you outside, okay?” Colin was clearly trying to keep his voice neutral.
“You sure you’re okay. You sound weird.”
Ephram held his breath and shifted slightly to keep his balance.
“Yeah, Bright. I’m fine. Really. Dude, I’m just taking a crap, okay?”
Bright laughed nervously. “Sorry, man. I’ll be outside.”
Neither Colin nor Ephram moved until they heard the door shut. Colin turned and faced Ephram.
“I’d better go.”
“Yeah, see ya.”
“Ephram…look…I’m sorry. I just don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
“That makes two of us.”
Colin smiled slightly and Ephram found it impossible not to do the same. “I’ll stay in here for a while, so Bright doesn’t see me leaving.”
Colin nodded and left. Ephram uncurled his legs and sat down. After a while, he thought that he should probably get up and go home and not spend all night in a school bathroom.
But he stayed for a bit longer, afraid that when he was engulfed by the fresh air, the lingering scent of Colin on his skin would fade.(c) everfic. cue edna's voice: i don't own squat, private.
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