Pairing: Colin/Ephram
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes you learn more about a person by looking at what they like than by looking at the person directly.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Wish I did, but right now the proper owners are doing a pretty good job, so I'll live. Please don't sue me--fandoms keep me broke.
Notes: Tons of thanks to Chelsea for the beta! This is a bit of fluff I wrote the other night on a whim.
Feedback: Sure, please, happy to hear it.


Just
by Nicole D'Annais
Copyright 2003


--

Colin held the manga close to his face, his lips moving slightly as he read the words. He adjusted the pillow behind him, propping himself up against the head of Ephram's bed, before going back to the manga. He'd gotten into the habit of staying at Ephram's so late reading the manga he seemed to have all over the room that he'd been a frequent weekend guest--at least when Amy wasn't trying to monopolize his time.

He hadn't seen this particular manga before tonight, but apparently it one was one of Ephram's favorites, judging by where it had been stashed by the bed, and Colin was paying close attention to every detail.

Until the manga hit him in the face.

Or, actually, the balled-up sock knocked the manga into his face. Colin lowered the book slowly, looked down at the sock now in his lap, and up at Ephram, who was smiling that weird, half-smile that always made Colin wonder just what was going on up there in his brain.

Probably a lot more than Colin had going on in his own brain.

So much for not reminding himself of his problems for one night. He smiled at Ephram and raised the book again, only to be attacked by the matching sock. Colin lowered the book and raised an eyebrow at Ephram. "What?"

"Didn't anybody ever tell you not to hold the book so close to your face?"

Colin shrugged. "I don't remember, so I guess that means it's okay," he said, lifting the book again, this time to hide his grin.

He'd read one more page before a t-shirt came sailing at him, covering the book. "Okay, either this room is warmer than I thought, or you are in the middle of the weirdest strip-tease I've ever seen."

Ephram laughed. "Have a lot of strip-tease experience to go on?"

"I might."

"HBO doesn't count."

"Then no." He raised the book again, as much to see what was going to come flying at him next as to actually read.

Something small sailed past his ear, followed quickly by something thrown with better aim. He picked the rubber band up off his pants leg and tossed it at Ephram. "That all you got, Brown?"

He got considerably more than half a grin before Ephram launched himself off the chair and landed on his side at the foot of the bed. "Why are you so into that one?" he asked, pointing at the book, now in Colin's lap.

"You tell me."

"Huh?"

Colin closed the book and put it to the side. "It's your favorite, right?"

"Yeah."

"I was just reading to see if I could figure out why."

"Oh." Ephram turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know. I like the story."

As he picked the manga up again, Colin nudged Ephram in the side with his toe. "I got that, dumb ass. But I'm going to figure out why."

He didn't even find his page again before his feet were attacked, and the book went sailing to the floor as Colin tried desperately to get his feet away from Ephram's sadistic fingers.

"Ephram! Stop! Please--" Colin gasped out. "Enough!" He managed to yank his feet out of Ephram's hands and get his own knees under him, pinning Ephram on his back with his good hand. "So," Colin said, leaning forward until he was inches away from Ephram's face, "just what is it about this story?"

"Nothing."

Colin noticed several things all at once. His hand was on Ephram's bare chest, where smooth, warm skin covered a heartbeat that seemed to be getting faster by the second. His thumb twitched a few times, then moved slower, enjoying the feeling of that skin beneath it, and Ephram's eyes widened.

"Ephram...." He waited, expecting Ephram to move, or blink, or sneeze or whatever, anything to break this spell, but Ephram just stared up at him with dark eyes, his mouth still open just a little, breathing heavily from their horseplay. Slowly, allowing plenty of time for Ephram to get out of the way, Colin closed the distance between their mouths. He could feel Ephram's breath, inhaled deeply, and then their lips met.

Somehow, Colin felt short, crisp hair and realized that his hand was on the back of Ephram's head, holding him in place. He felt fingers threading their way through his own hair, and only then did he really notice the most important detail.

Ephram was kissing him back.

Not just a little, either. Ephram was throwing himself into it with the passion he usually reserved for really good music, or his favorite anime and manga.

His favorite manga. Colin pulled back until their lips were barely touching. "Ephram?"

"Hm?" Ephram answered, his head moving forward, trying to recapture Colin's lips.

"Why is it your favorite?"

"What?" His eyes opened, and he blinked a few times. "Oh." The red tint of his face told Colin that he was right to wonder. "I'll give you a hint," he said, dragging Colin's head back down until their lips and tongues met, until all thought of any other kiss he'd had left Colin's admittedly short memory.

A quick shove later, Colin found himself alone on the bed. Ephram was straightening up from the floor. "Bathroom," he explained, that hint of a smile on his face again as he picked up his shirt and put it on.

He was almost to the door before Colin called out his name.

"Sorry, a hint is all you get," Ephram said.

"No, it's not that." He waited until Ephram had turned back to face him. "Your shirt's inside out."

"Oh." The red tint returned again as Ephram quickly put his shirt on right side out and left. Colin went back to the manga, skimming the story now, hoping to have at least some clue before Ephram came back.

By the time Ephram walked back into the room, Colin had put the manga back in its hiding place and was lying there, waiting. Ephram stopped a few feet from the bed. "Did you give up?"

"Oh, no. I think I got it."

"Oh." Ephram moved over to his desk, picking up a couple of manga and straightening them. "It's late, maybe we should--"

"Ephram."

He didn't look up. "My dad went to bed. So--"

"Ephram." Colin waited until Ephram's eyes were on him before he stood up and stealthily closed the small distance between them. "I liked the characters," he said, his head tilted to one side, "but I think maybe Tamura should've been a blonde. And she was right to worry about Sekine and Kosakai's relationship." Colin leaned closer, whispering, "Definitely two guys headed for trouble."

"Colin--"

He put his hand over Ephram's mouth. "Don't think." He moved his hand, and Ephram closed the rest of the distance.

"But..." Ephram muttered against Colin's lips as they stumbled onto the bed. "Not fair," he managed to get out.

Colin pulled back to smile down at him. "See, now that's the lesson I learned from that manga. Only honesty is fair and just."

Ephram frowned. "I don't remember that part."

"Applied learning."

"Oh." The half-smile appeared again. "Well, if we're being honest...." Ephram leaned up for another kiss, but then he pulled away, and the smile was gone. "Colin...."

Colin shook his head. "Don't tell me you're gonna say that I was wrong about the reason that was your favorite manga."

"No. It's just...y'know, neither Sekine or Kosakai really wanted to hurt Tamura's feelings."

His eyes closed, Colin took a deep breath. "Look," he said, meeting Ephram's eyes again, "you think this would be any easier for Amy if, say, you went off with Laynie and I went off with Kayla?"

"No, but now I have the absolutely disgusting mental image of you with Kayla to add to my problems."

"Sorry," Colin said with a faint smile. "Disgusting image or not, you get the idea. There's no way to make this any easier for her, Ephram. But lying to her would be worse."

"I know, it's just...."

Colin smiled softly. "It's just. That's all there is to it, whatever happens." He backed off, ignoring the coldness against his chest as he lay on his back. "We can forget this happened," he started, then laughed humorlessly, "or at least try to pretend it didn't," he amended, turning his head to look at Ephram. "It's up to you."

Ephram stared at him for a minute. "Is that what you want?"

"No."

He blinked a couple of times. "So what do you want?"

Something about the sound of Ephram's voice on those words heated up his insides. He rolled onto his side again, propping his head up with his hand. "I'll give you a hint," he said, moving in for another kiss, happy when he met no resistance.

Ephram was willing to go along with this, wherever it might lead. That was enough for now.

He'd deal with everything else tomorrow.

---

END


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