Unsavory Consequences
Title: Unsavory Consequences
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: Ethan/Graham
Rating: slash - soft
Author's Note: Part of the After the Secrets series, following Post Card Secrets piece. The After the Secrets pieces will each contain two parts: What Would Never Happen and What Actually Happened.
Unsavory Consequences
After the Secrets: What Would Never Happen
Ethan and Graham
Ethan found Graham in the living room, his books spread out over the same table they’d shared their secrets around earlier that day. He was carefully highlighting his notes, nibbling his lower lip, brow furrowed in concentration.
He sat down next to him, pulling the textbook towards him and skimming its content. “Human Biology,” he concluded. “Good subject. Are you doing well?”
“Not as well as I’d like to be doing,” Graham admitted, blinking up at him, coming out of his study-reverie. He stretched a little and ran his fingers through his hair. The feathery locks fell back into place.
Ethan quickly moved his gaze back to the textbook. His face took on a thoughtful expression. “Would you like some tutoring?”
Surprise made its way onto Graham’s pretty face. “From… you?” He said it cautiously, almost afraid he was coming to the wrong conclusion.
He laughed. “Well, yes, that’s the idea.”
“Since when do you have time to tutor?”
“Since… well…”
It suddenly hit him. “Ethan, it didn’t take me so long to learn how to read because I’m stupid. My parents didn’t send me to school when I was little. It wasn’t until I went into foster care that I was finally sent.”
“...Ah.”
Graham shook his head. “I can’t believe you thought I was an idiot.”
“I didn’t think that,” Ethan protested.
“And anyway, I thought the purpose of the game was to share secrets without sharing secrets. So that we wouldn’t know whose was whose!”
“Yes, but… I could just… tell. I apologize.”
“Any other secrets you figured out?” he asked dully, thinking of his fear of sleeping.
Ethan smiled. “Certainly.” He leaned in, cupped his jaw, and kissed him deeply, his lips soft against Graham’s. When he moved away, he stroked his cheek tenderly. Graham’s eyes slowly opened, a little dreamy. “I thought it a shame you hadn’t had that experience yet.”
He blinked at him, the dreamy look fading. “Pursuing desires with unsavory consequences?”
The older man stared at him. “How did you--?” he wondered.
“Please, Ethan,” Graham said, standing up. “Who else would use the word ‘unsavory’?” He smiled at him sadly. “I’d really rather not be your unsavory consequence.”
“Graham, you’re not the consequence.” Ethan shook his head. “The consequence is what people would say. They…. they would disapprove. The age difference… They would call me a pedophile,” he finished quietly.
“I’m nineteen,” Graham reminded him flatly.
He shook his head helplessly. “And I’m nearing thirty. That’s a decade between us.”
“So love does have conditions,” he surmised, looking away.
“Oh, Graham, no, don’t think that. It’s just that… I could never make you happy.” Ethan reached out and took his hand, Graham jerked it away.
“How do you know?” he demanded. “Unless you try?”
Ethan pulled him forward anyway, embracing him. “Graham, you are going to find someone who will take your breath away. Someone you will love so fiercely and so devotedly that nothing else will matter. I can’t be the one. If things had been different--”
“If I had been older.”
“And if I wasn’t an important figure in the business and scientific worlds. Then perhaps.” He placed a kiss on his forehead, sweetly, chastely. “You still have a whole world of experiences waiting for you. I would only hold you back from them.”
“That’s not true,” Graham muttered into his chest.
“It is. You’ll see that someday.” Ethan rose from his seat, and smiled at him. “In any case, Graham… I do think you’re beautiful.”
After the Secrets: What Actually Happened
Ethan and Graham
Ethan left Nathan in the lab, bidding him a good night. On his way to his bedroom, he passed Graham, seated at the living room table with his books spread out, highlighting his notes. Ethan paused, glancing at his watch.
“Graham? It’s nearly midnight.”
The boy looked up, stifling a yawn. “I know, Ethan.”
“What are you studying?”
“Human Bio. I have a quiz tomorrow.”
Ethan stood there awkwardly for another moment or so, fishing for things he’d like to say. The game they had played earlier, Chris’s idea of sharing secrets, was still running through his head. Certain secrets that had been read off he was almost certain belonged to Graham, and he badly wanted to discuss them with the boy.
Particularly the one about never being kissed.
“Well, don’t stay up too late, or it really won’t matter how much you’ve studied.”
“I know.”
“Have a good night.”
“Night.” He turned back to his books, and Ethan turned to his wing of the house.
Perhaps another time he would ask him about it.
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: Ethan/Graham
Rating: slash - soft
Author's Note: Part of the After the Secrets series, following Post Card Secrets piece. The After the Secrets pieces will each contain two parts: What Would Never Happen and What Actually Happened.
Unsavory Consequences
After the Secrets: What Would Never Happen
Ethan and Graham
Ethan found Graham in the living room, his books spread out over the same table they’d shared their secrets around earlier that day. He was carefully highlighting his notes, nibbling his lower lip, brow furrowed in concentration.
He sat down next to him, pulling the textbook towards him and skimming its content. “Human Biology,” he concluded. “Good subject. Are you doing well?”
“Not as well as I’d like to be doing,” Graham admitted, blinking up at him, coming out of his study-reverie. He stretched a little and ran his fingers through his hair. The feathery locks fell back into place.
Ethan quickly moved his gaze back to the textbook. His face took on a thoughtful expression. “Would you like some tutoring?”
Surprise made its way onto Graham’s pretty face. “From… you?” He said it cautiously, almost afraid he was coming to the wrong conclusion.
He laughed. “Well, yes, that’s the idea.”
“Since when do you have time to tutor?”
“Since… well…”
It suddenly hit him. “Ethan, it didn’t take me so long to learn how to read because I’m stupid. My parents didn’t send me to school when I was little. It wasn’t until I went into foster care that I was finally sent.”
“...Ah.”
Graham shook his head. “I can’t believe you thought I was an idiot.”
“I didn’t think that,” Ethan protested.
“And anyway, I thought the purpose of the game was to share secrets without sharing secrets. So that we wouldn’t know whose was whose!”
“Yes, but… I could just… tell. I apologize.”
“Any other secrets you figured out?” he asked dully, thinking of his fear of sleeping.
Ethan smiled. “Certainly.” He leaned in, cupped his jaw, and kissed him deeply, his lips soft against Graham’s. When he moved away, he stroked his cheek tenderly. Graham’s eyes slowly opened, a little dreamy. “I thought it a shame you hadn’t had that experience yet.”
He blinked at him, the dreamy look fading. “Pursuing desires with unsavory consequences?”
The older man stared at him. “How did you--?” he wondered.
“Please, Ethan,” Graham said, standing up. “Who else would use the word ‘unsavory’?” He smiled at him sadly. “I’d really rather not be your unsavory consequence.”
“Graham, you’re not the consequence.” Ethan shook his head. “The consequence is what people would say. They…. they would disapprove. The age difference… They would call me a pedophile,” he finished quietly.
“I’m nineteen,” Graham reminded him flatly.
He shook his head helplessly. “And I’m nearing thirty. That’s a decade between us.”
“So love does have conditions,” he surmised, looking away.
“Oh, Graham, no, don’t think that. It’s just that… I could never make you happy.” Ethan reached out and took his hand, Graham jerked it away.
“How do you know?” he demanded. “Unless you try?”
Ethan pulled him forward anyway, embracing him. “Graham, you are going to find someone who will take your breath away. Someone you will love so fiercely and so devotedly that nothing else will matter. I can’t be the one. If things had been different--”
“If I had been older.”
“And if I wasn’t an important figure in the business and scientific worlds. Then perhaps.” He placed a kiss on his forehead, sweetly, chastely. “You still have a whole world of experiences waiting for you. I would only hold you back from them.”
“That’s not true,” Graham muttered into his chest.
“It is. You’ll see that someday.” Ethan rose from his seat, and smiled at him. “In any case, Graham… I do think you’re beautiful.”
After the Secrets: What Actually Happened
Ethan and Graham
Ethan left Nathan in the lab, bidding him a good night. On his way to his bedroom, he passed Graham, seated at the living room table with his books spread out, highlighting his notes. Ethan paused, glancing at his watch.
“Graham? It’s nearly midnight.”
The boy looked up, stifling a yawn. “I know, Ethan.”
“What are you studying?”
“Human Bio. I have a quiz tomorrow.”
Ethan stood there awkwardly for another moment or so, fishing for things he’d like to say. The game they had played earlier, Chris’s idea of sharing secrets, was still running through his head. Certain secrets that had been read off he was almost certain belonged to Graham, and he badly wanted to discuss them with the boy.
Particularly the one about never being kissed.
“Well, don’t stay up too late, or it really won’t matter how much you’ve studied.”
“I know.”
“Have a good night.”
“Night.” He turned back to his books, and Ethan turned to his wing of the house.
Perhaps another time he would ask him about it.