The Jacuzzi
Title: The Jacuzzi
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: Chris/Ethan
Rating: slash - implied
Author's Note: This takes place not long after Chris is invited to move in, and before the majority of the cast. If you look closely and squint a little, it gives some insight into Chris.
Ethan belongs to guiltycross. Chris is mine.
The front door closed with a quiet click. He left the light off; it was late, and he didn't want to wake anyone. Sliding off his jacket and loosening his tie, he moved through the shadowy hall to his wing of the house. He was exhausted; his conference had taken all night, and then there were the required after-conference drinks.
Ethan briefly considered taking a stop in his study, maybe pull out some paperwork, but he changed his mind when he got to the door. Tomorrow, then, there would always be time to do it tomorrow. He moved to his bedroom, pausing curiously for a moment outside his bathroom. It almost sounded as though the Jacuzzi was running, but that wasn't possible.
In his bedroom he turned on a lamp, unbuttoning his shirt and removing his shoes. The shoes he placed in his closet, the shirt he put in a laundry bin. He exchanged his slacks for a pair of sweatpants, and then backtracked to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
When he opened the door, however, a billow of steam greeted him. There was the sound of lapping water, as though a body had moved too quickly in it. He narrowed his eyes and peered through the steam.
Chris ducked under the water, trying to hide.
He shook his head and stepped over to the side of the Jacuzzi. "It's a funny thing about water-it's clear. I can still see you." He folded his arms across his bare chest and stared down disapprovingly at his newest housemate. If he'd known the man was going to cause trouble, as he had a habit of doing, would he have ever invited him to live there?
Chris bobbed back up, flashing him a watery grin. "Ummm. Sorry."
Ethan sighed. "I thought I made it clear that my area of the house was off-limits, excepting special permission? I do not mind you using the Jacuzzi, Christopher. I only require that you ask first."
The younger man rested his arms on the side of the tub. "I'm sorry, really. I just… It was calling to me. I needed to relax. You know?" He looked up at him hopefully. "I would have been out of here before you'd even noticed, except… I think I fell asleep." He rubbed his eyes for emphasis.
He could tell that was true-his fingers were pruney, and his eyes looked a little tired, as if he'd been woken from a satisfying nap.
"You shouldn't fall asleep in the tub," he reminded him, as though scolding a child, turning to his sink to take out his toothbrush. He was trying to give Chris the opportunity to get out of the tub without Ethan watching him. "If you need to relax in my tub, ask first," he repeated. "I understand the need to relax, believe me. I often need it myself."
"Then why don't you join me?" Chris suggested. His tone was hard to pinpoint. Sly? Suggestive? Eager? Nonchalant? Perhaps it was a mixture of it all.
Ethan froze, his shoulders tensing. Toothpaste kept squeezing out of the tube, but he didn't notice. It wasn't surprising; Chris hadn't exactly kept his preferences a secret. But with the prospect presenting itself to him like that-it took Ethan a few moments to remember why he would have to turn it down.
"I can't. It would be inappropriate," he replied shortly, a hint of remorse flitting in and out of his voice.
"Not inappropriate," Chris contradicted. "Just two guys, relaxing in a tub. What could be more innocent than that?" There was a leer on his face that Ethan, with his back to him, did not see, but heard it in his voice nevertheless.
"I think it's about time you returned to your own room," Ethan told him firmly, setting the toothpaste aside and glowering down at the blob on his toothbrush. He hoped these incidents weren't going to continue-he wasn't sure how long he could keep refusing him. He put his toothbrush in his mouth to distract himself.
Chris splashed a little in annoyance. "It's so boring up there. The rest of you are all down here. I feel like you're punishing me, keeping me locked up in a tower."
Ethan chanced to glance at him in the mirror. Chris wore a sulky expression on his face, resting his chin on his arms and staring at the floor. Suppressing a smile, Ethan shook his head and spat into the sink, turning the faucet on to wash it away. "It's where the spare bedrooms are." He tilted his head back to rinse his mouth out.
"It's lonely," came the soft-almost sad-reply.
Placing his toothbrush away, Ethan dared to turn back around. Chris was attractive, his wet hair falling in his face, his lower lip jutting just slightly. He seemed simple, but Ethan had a strong feeling it was only a façade. He didn't really want to know what kind of thing would make a man like Christopher desire such a façade.
He pulled a fluffy white towel out of his closet and held it out purposefully. Chris looked up at him, sighed, and stood up, not bothering to be careful about what body parts he flashed. Ethan quickly averted his eyes as Chris stepped forward into the towel, coming a little too close, so that Ethan could smell his soapy sweetness. He wrapped the towel around his waist, dripping on the floor, and smiled at him, mask snapping back in place.
"Let's do this again. Next time you can be naked too," he said helpfully.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, and pointed to the door. Chris left with a laugh. The man grabbed another towel and mopped up the wet floor. Then he drained the tub, and went to bed.
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: Chris/Ethan
Rating: slash - implied
Author's Note: This takes place not long after Chris is invited to move in, and before the majority of the cast. If you look closely and squint a little, it gives some insight into Chris.
Ethan belongs to guiltycross. Chris is mine.
The front door closed with a quiet click. He left the light off; it was late, and he didn't want to wake anyone. Sliding off his jacket and loosening his tie, he moved through the shadowy hall to his wing of the house. He was exhausted; his conference had taken all night, and then there were the required after-conference drinks.
Ethan briefly considered taking a stop in his study, maybe pull out some paperwork, but he changed his mind when he got to the door. Tomorrow, then, there would always be time to do it tomorrow. He moved to his bedroom, pausing curiously for a moment outside his bathroom. It almost sounded as though the Jacuzzi was running, but that wasn't possible.
In his bedroom he turned on a lamp, unbuttoning his shirt and removing his shoes. The shoes he placed in his closet, the shirt he put in a laundry bin. He exchanged his slacks for a pair of sweatpants, and then backtracked to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
When he opened the door, however, a billow of steam greeted him. There was the sound of lapping water, as though a body had moved too quickly in it. He narrowed his eyes and peered through the steam.
Chris ducked under the water, trying to hide.
He shook his head and stepped over to the side of the Jacuzzi. "It's a funny thing about water-it's clear. I can still see you." He folded his arms across his bare chest and stared down disapprovingly at his newest housemate. If he'd known the man was going to cause trouble, as he had a habit of doing, would he have ever invited him to live there?
Chris bobbed back up, flashing him a watery grin. "Ummm. Sorry."
Ethan sighed. "I thought I made it clear that my area of the house was off-limits, excepting special permission? I do not mind you using the Jacuzzi, Christopher. I only require that you ask first."
The younger man rested his arms on the side of the tub. "I'm sorry, really. I just… It was calling to me. I needed to relax. You know?" He looked up at him hopefully. "I would have been out of here before you'd even noticed, except… I think I fell asleep." He rubbed his eyes for emphasis.
He could tell that was true-his fingers were pruney, and his eyes looked a little tired, as if he'd been woken from a satisfying nap.
"You shouldn't fall asleep in the tub," he reminded him, as though scolding a child, turning to his sink to take out his toothbrush. He was trying to give Chris the opportunity to get out of the tub without Ethan watching him. "If you need to relax in my tub, ask first," he repeated. "I understand the need to relax, believe me. I often need it myself."
"Then why don't you join me?" Chris suggested. His tone was hard to pinpoint. Sly? Suggestive? Eager? Nonchalant? Perhaps it was a mixture of it all.
Ethan froze, his shoulders tensing. Toothpaste kept squeezing out of the tube, but he didn't notice. It wasn't surprising; Chris hadn't exactly kept his preferences a secret. But with the prospect presenting itself to him like that-it took Ethan a few moments to remember why he would have to turn it down.
"I can't. It would be inappropriate," he replied shortly, a hint of remorse flitting in and out of his voice.
"Not inappropriate," Chris contradicted. "Just two guys, relaxing in a tub. What could be more innocent than that?" There was a leer on his face that Ethan, with his back to him, did not see, but heard it in his voice nevertheless.
"I think it's about time you returned to your own room," Ethan told him firmly, setting the toothpaste aside and glowering down at the blob on his toothbrush. He hoped these incidents weren't going to continue-he wasn't sure how long he could keep refusing him. He put his toothbrush in his mouth to distract himself.
Chris splashed a little in annoyance. "It's so boring up there. The rest of you are all down here. I feel like you're punishing me, keeping me locked up in a tower."
Ethan chanced to glance at him in the mirror. Chris wore a sulky expression on his face, resting his chin on his arms and staring at the floor. Suppressing a smile, Ethan shook his head and spat into the sink, turning the faucet on to wash it away. "It's where the spare bedrooms are." He tilted his head back to rinse his mouth out.
"It's lonely," came the soft-almost sad-reply.
Placing his toothbrush away, Ethan dared to turn back around. Chris was attractive, his wet hair falling in his face, his lower lip jutting just slightly. He seemed simple, but Ethan had a strong feeling it was only a façade. He didn't really want to know what kind of thing would make a man like Christopher desire such a façade.
He pulled a fluffy white towel out of his closet and held it out purposefully. Chris looked up at him, sighed, and stood up, not bothering to be careful about what body parts he flashed. Ethan quickly averted his eyes as Chris stepped forward into the towel, coming a little too close, so that Ethan could smell his soapy sweetness. He wrapped the towel around his waist, dripping on the floor, and smiled at him, mask snapping back in place.
"Let's do this again. Next time you can be naked too," he said helpfully.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, and pointed to the door. Chris left with a laugh. The man grabbed another towel and mopped up the wet floor. Then he drained the tub, and went to bed.