Ethan Woods (lockingdoors) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-11-23 13:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | #may 2018, ethan, ethan x jules, jules |
Who: Ethan and Jules
When: May 19, Saturday Night
Where: Prom After-Party, then Jules's House
Status: Complete
Jules wasn't drunk. Maybe almost-drunk. Prom had been fun, except for the time she had to stand there and smile when Vic won prom queen, and the after party was even better, mostly because it had alcohol. And it had been several months since Jules had anything alcoholic to drink so while she knew she should have taken it slow. But she was surrounded by friends and there was music and a part of her really needed to numb things a bit so it made sense to accept nearly every drink that made its way into her hand.
It seemed like Ethan was having a good time too. He had disappeared from her side to go get a drink and after brushing off questions from her friends about who he was and if he was single, Jules pulled away from the group to find him. He was pouring something into his red plastic cup when she slipped into the kitchen. Without falling, of course, since she had ditched her heels a half an hour ago. "You're super popular," Jules told him, grinning as she leaned against the large kitchen island. "Try not to find yourself alone in any of the rooms tonight. I know if at least four girls who would take advantage."
Ethan had been having a great time, but most of that could be attributed to Jules. He usually enjoyed her company, but once she’d relaxed a bit she was really a lot of fun. He could tell that she’d been disappointed not to win prom queen, but she hid it well, and he hoped she’d realize that it wouldn’t mean anything in a couple of weeks. It didn’t seem to ruin the night, for which he was thankful, and once they were past it things only improved. They’d been enjoying themselves enough that an afterparty sounded a good idea, though Ethan was doing his best not to slide from buzzing into drunk. It was a hard line to walk, but he thought he was managing it well enough. Another drink shouldn’t be too much. “Four?” Ethan grinned, glancing up at Jules as he finished topping off his drink. “That’s a new record for me. I’m flattered, even if I’m not interested.” It was always good for his ego to know a girl thought he was hot, especially when he’d been without one for a while. “Need a refill?”
Jules set her cup down, nudging it toward Ethan. She probably shouldn't have another, but she was past the point of thinking rationally. Thankfully she didn't live far so Ethan could drive her home, or they could walk if he got too buzzed. "Why aren't you interested? I mean, a couple of them can be total bitches, but some of them are okay." Jules knew she didn't sound too convincing, but she didn't want him thinking she would freak out if he found himself interested in one of her friends. Maybe she just kind of hoped he wouldn't because he was her friend and she really didn't want to share him with people right now.
"Why would I be interested in them when I'm here with you?" Ethan asked with a little smirk and a raised brow. Granted, Jules didn't want to find herself alone in a bedroom with him, which should probably be taken into account, but Ethan had determined hours ago that Jules was the only girl worth his attention at this event. Victoria had potential, and he could see why she had the attention of so many of the guys, but she had a resting bitch face and her smile didn't reach her eyes. When Jules smiled, she shined. Ethan topped her off, then slid her drink closer to her, leaning in as if sharing a secret. "I don't know if you know this, but you're more than just okay."
Jules took the cup, her gaze locked onto Ethan's. She felt her cheeks burning hot and she knew it wasn't entirely because of the alcohol she had consumed tonight. "I was more than okay a long time ago," Jules said, trying not to let any tinge of sadness seep into her tone. She went to prom and she was at a party and she was buzzing and having fun with a friend. And Ethan was having fun too and making her feel better about herself. Was it a crime not to like it a little bit? "But I don't know about being more than okay now. You had the unfortunate luck to meet me after I had become a total mess." Jules smiled and brought her cup up to her lips. "The old me would have never lost prom queen to Vic." Jules glanced over her shoulder quickly before turning back to Ethan, her smile widening as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Don't let her hear me say that."
"Meeting you has never felt unfortunate," Ethan said with a sincerity that was impossible to hide. His life had suddenly become interesting when Jules stepped into it and, while some of that was due to her abilities, he knew most of that was her own magnetic personality. It was easy to see how she could've won prom queen and he was certain that the only reason she hadn't was that it had ceased to be a priority. Ethan knew that Jules had more important things on her mind than a high school popularity contest. "I think you could take her," he whispered back with a grin. "What would the old you have done differently anyways? And don't say spend more time with your friends or I'll feel bad for stealing you away."
She hadn't been fishing for compliments, but she was grateful to Ethan for making her feel like she wasn't a total loser, or a freak. The last few months had certainly been easier with him in her life. Jules sipped her drink, smiling behind her cup when he said she could take Vic. She definitely could, although Jules had a feeling Vic could fight dirty if she had to. His question prompted her to shrug before she set her cup to the side. "I don't know. I would have...acted like myself more. Tried hard at school, pretended to care. I would have had to act like nothing was wrong. People don't want to be around me when I'm feeling down or upset. They want me to be flirty and smile, and maybe a little bitchy. I'm sure you know what it's like to be the person everyone wants you to be."
"Yeah, I do," Ethan agreed. "But I guess, now that everyone's gone, it doesn't seem as important as it did. Like, why do I care what they think of me if that's not really who I am anyways? If they only like the squeaky, shiney, perfect version of you, or only like you on your good days, then honestly, they aren't really your friends. Which sounds really harsh, but... it's kind of freeing when you realize that none of them really matter." It wasn't something Ethan had understood at the time, but the farther he got from high school, but more he felt that it didn't really matter. Being at a prom that wasn't his own emphasized it even more. "Maybe the Jules I've been hanging out with isn't what you'd consider the best version of yourself, but... I think you're pretty awesome," he said, his smile turning softer. "And more than deserving of a crown."
Despite everything that had happened over the past year, it was still hard for Jules to let go of her place in the world. Or at least at Chamberlain High School. She was used to being popular, to getting attention and being liked and envied. Sometimes she wished she could rewind everything, go back to junior year and redo everything and just stay oblivious. Date whoever she wanted, win prom queen, graduate and go to college far away. Jules didn't want to peak in high school. She wanted to be someone. But more and more it felt like she was going to be stuck in Point Pleasant forever. At least she wasn't alone. Jules returned Ethan's smile, her face flushed. "Has anyone ever told you that you're too nice?" she asked, her tone taking on a teasing lilt. "You're going to reawaken my ego and then I'm going to be impossible to be around."
"Hmm, don't get that one too often," Ethan grinned. He could be a charmer from time to time, especially with girls he was interested in, but there was no ulterior motive when it came to Jules. He felt like he was speaking the truth. "So? I like girls a little bit feisty," he snickered. "That being said, sometimes I get the impression the old you wouldn't have given me the time of day, so maybe meet somewhere in the middle." It was a little bit selfish, but he sometimes worried that the moment she got over her past, she'd have better people to hang out with than him. They had a connection, but eventually he doubted that their shared abilities wouldn’t be enough.
Jules was sure what Ethan called feisty, other people would call bitchy, but that was okay. Jules was who she was. People could take it or leave it. She eyed Ethan before giving him an incredulous look. "You know that's so not true. The old me didn't dislike nice guys. You're all just a rarity... like unicorns." Jules paused and scrunched up her nose. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Unicorns aren't rare. They're myths. You know what I mean!" She laughed then, her eyes shimmering with amusement. "You're the kind of guy the old me would have chased after with like... intense determination. But I can definitely find my way to somewhere in the middle. That's kind of where I want to be. I guess it's just taking a while. Sometimes I feel like I can wake up and be that person, but then it's really hard." Her smile softened. "But I'm glad I know you, and I'm glad you came to my house tonight. It means a lot to me."
"You just called me a unicorn!" Ethan laughed, finding that far funnier than he probably would have if he was sober. Drunk logic was the best logic though and he was able to follow her well enough between laughs. “I wouldn’t mind being chased by you,” he grinned, “even with ‘intense determination’.” What Jules was dealing with wasn't just going to go away overnight though. It wasn't just a breakup; it was a loss and it made sense that that would affect her differently, especially since she had a part in it. From his viewpoint, he thought she was doing great, but he knew what it was like to be harder on yourself than on others. "I'm glad you said yes," he smiled. "I admit, I'd have felt a little foolish if you said no, though I knew that was a pretty strong possibility."
Jules began to laugh when Ethan did, unable to stop the bubble of giggles forming in her throat. It felt weird to laugh again, but not in a bad way. There might have been a tinge of guilt along with it, because she shouldn't be happy in any capacity, but the alcohol and company made it hard to be morose tonight. A blush crept up her neck and cheeks when Ethan said he wouldn't mind being chased by her. It occurred to her, rather belatedly, that he was flirting with her. Was she flirting with him? Jules couldn't really tell. They had been hanging out for the last several months, not to mention all the work they've been doing with his uncle. It felt natural, in a way, like she was becoming normal again somehow. "You made it hard to say no," Jules murmured, giving him a softer smile. "And I would have probably regretted not going, so... thanks. Again. I should just get a marker and write that on my forehead so you see it every time we hang out."
Ethan didn’t intend to flirt with Jules. It was something that just happened when the tone was light and happy and he’d had one too many drinks. He usually made a point of keeping his distance, aware that she wasn’t ready for it and how it could complicate things later, but as she began to blush he wondered if it was really such a bad idea. She was beautiful and fun and it felt really damn good to hold her attention. “Don’t do that,” he grinned. “It’ll ruin your pretty face. Though it might keep some of the guys away. Except those that are into things like facial tattoos, which really don’t seem like your type.” He thought maybe he knew her type after meeting her ex and seeing the friends she hung out with, but he was trying not to assume.
“If I want to keep the guys away I’ll just write fuck off,” Jules said with a laugh. Sure, she’d had some male attention in the past few months but Jules almost always had male attention. Being depressed and indifferent didn’t really stop them from asking her out or trying to flirt with her at school. A few of them assumed because she’d fucked Jasper Lucas that she’d fuck anyone. It was safer to give her shit now that Jasper was gone and couldn’t kick their ass. Jules reached for her drink and swallowed what Ethan had poured her in three gulps. It hurt her throat a little but that was okay. She would probably be sick in the morning, but that was okay too. “Do you want to walk back to my house?” she asked. They were having fun but Jules was ready to put the party behind them. She wanted Ethan to herself for a while, before Vic or someone else got their claws into him.
"I mean, it sends a message," Ethan laughed. The funny part was that he could see her gaining more attention for doing something like that than less. Though it wouldn't be positive attention, so maybe that was something? It didn't matter--she was just joking anyways. Ethan nodded and threw back the rest of this drink. He didn't really need it, he wasn't thinking so much about how he would get home. If he had to sleep in his car for a bit, he would. "Yeah, let's go," he smiled. "Don't want to be the last ones here anyways." He wasn't really ready to go home, but if Jules was ready to leave, then he'd follow her lead.
"Oh, definitely not. The ones who are here last are usually too drunk to go anywhere, and then there's puke and fights and it's not fun." Jules smiled and straightened away from the counter, feeling a little lightheaded. She would probably have to take off her shoes outside because the last thing she needed was to trip and fall in heels. Jules took his hand to lead him out of the kitchen and through the house. Her head was swimming and she desperately wanted some fresh air. Thankfully no one attempted to stop and talk to her. The music and the crowd was making her feel a little claustrophobic. There were some people milling around outside, but once they were on the porch, Jules breathed in deep, feeling relieved to be out of that space. She couldn't remember the last time she had that much to drink. "We can get your car in the morning... is that okay? It'll be fine here."
Ethan followed her to the front of the house, ready to steady her if she needed it, his hand holding hers as she led him through the crowd. It always felt like the crowds were thicker after a few drinks, or that they'd turned the music up a few notches. The air was definitely cooler outside, but it felt fresh and invigorating, and with the loss of the music it was a welcome change. "Oh, yeah, it'll be fine," Ethan said, deciding he would just have to wing the rest of the evening. They could walk to Jules’s, but the walk back to his apartment was too far even if he was sober. "It kind of amazes me when people can throw parties like that. They're great to attend, but man, I wouldn't want to clean up afterwards."
"I've been the one to clean up after and it sucks," Jules said with a laugh. She realized she was still holding his hand, so she let it go, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Reaching down, Jules pulled her heels off, sighing happily despite the sidewalk being hard against her heels. That was okay. She began to walk in the direction of her house, happy enough to put the party behind them. "Usually I bribed smoe guys from school to help, and then that would end up with them doing all the work." She smiled and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "That makes me sound horrible, I know, but I am so not cut out for cleaning. Especially knowing what some of my friends do in empty rooms."
Ethan felt a small pang of disappointment when she pulled her hand away, but he reminded himself that friends didn’t hold hands while they strolled down the street together and that’s all they were—friends. Which was fine. He was having fun and she was happy and that was what mattered. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to clean ‘em either. But I can’t really imagine how I could bribe girls to do the cleaning for me. And my friends would want more than a few beers for the road for that kind of work,” he smiled. “My mom only ever allowed outdoor parties. Too much that we could break or ruin indoors. Clean-up’s a lot easier when you can just hose everything down.” Now all he had was his little apartment, where he couldn’t imagine hosting more than a dozen and even that might feel cramped.
Jules wasn't really embarrassed to admit she flirted and showed cleavage to get what she wanted. At least, she used to. If guys thought she would make out with them later, they usually did what she asked them to do. "What does your mom think about all of this?" Jules asked, walking with Ethan across the street. "You living here now and... well, everything. Does she worry about any of it?" Jules was pretty sure her words were coming out clear enough, though her tongue felt a little dry and she was really hoping she wasn't slurring her words. Downing that last bit of alcohol had probably been a bad idea.
“Oh, yeah,” Ethan snorted. “She worries I’m not off at college, meeting new people. That I’ll up just like my father, working for my uncle in a secret facility with a job that no can know about. or I have to lie about. She worries if I’m eating right, or drinking too much, or that we’re going to open up some other dimension with tentacle monsters that attack me before we can close it. you know, all things moms worry about,” he laughed softly, swaying a little as he walked. He knew that monsters existed, he believed the stories Jules had shared with him, but he had yet to see one with his own eyes, so it still felt a touch fantastical. His mother wasn’t thrilled about how sucked in to his uncle’s work he’d become, but Ethan wanted to be a part of it. It was his birthright and she couldn’t stop him. “What about you? What’s your mom think?”
"Your mom sounds really invested in your future." Jules smiled because she could just imagine the woman trying to brush Ethan's hair and scolding him over his food choices. Her own mom did that sometimes, but probably for different reasons. Margaret Cooper was more about appearances than genuine concern. Clutching her heels in her fingers so she wouldn't drop them, Jules glanced at Ethan, which made her head swim a bit and it took her a moment to refocus and not veer off into the grass. "I think she's just happy I'm not still curled up in my bed. Sometimes I think she's known about this my whole life... she wanted me to go away for college like, really bad, but I think that was just when I was with Jasper. Now I think it's like... one more way for her to control my life, or whatever." Jules blew a small raspberry between her lips. Ugh, how much further was her house? Her muscles were starting to feel rubbery. "I don't know what I'm doing with like... anything."
Ethan thought his mom was pretty typical for a single mother of an only child, but from the little time he'd spent around Margaret Cooper, and from what Jules had told him, he knew they were drastically different. His mother wanted him to leave for college because she thought it would be good for him in almost every way possible, but he knew she secretly liked having him close by. It wasn't a control thing, not like it was with Jules's mom. He snickered, amused by Jules blowing a raspberry at her mother. "Maybe she just wanted what she thought was best for you," he offered, then laughed softly when he bumped into her, his own steps a bit wayward. He continued on after steadying Jules, not wanting to knock her over. "It's your life though. You do what you want. And--And no one says you have to figure it all out now. People like to say if you don't do something, you're gonna miss out, but you'll miss out either way on whatever other thing you might've been doing, you know?"
Jules gripped Ethan's arm when he bumped her, but she was wrinkling her nose at him. "Blech. No, don't defend her. Like, she wants what's best for her, not for me. But yeah, I mean, it is my life. I'm going to do whatever I want to do. Right now, I totally want to do what I'm doing. I want to know more about this." She held up one of her hands to show Ethan, though he quite obviously knew what she was talking about. "It seems more important than going to college and pretending to have it all figured out. I want to stay here and figure it out here. And then? Who knows?" She lifted both arms, her face turned up to the sky. "Maybe I'll be a total loser. Or I'll be amazing. Maybe we'll turn Point Pleasant into some kind of utopian paradise." She had no idea if she said it right. Her tongue still felt it had a life of her own. They were nearing her house and Jules bumped her hip against Ethan's. "You wanna stay tonight? You can't drive home and it'd be stupid to walk that far."
“I do what I want,” Ethan piped in with a laugh, imitating something, but he couldn’t remember what. Then she held up her hand and he did the same, instantly feeling that magnetism between their fingertips. It wasn’t always there, but somehow thinking about their abilities brought them to the surface. When her arms went up, his dropped down again and Ethan turned, attempting to walk backwards so he could watch her. It was a bad idea and he almost immediately had to turn back around before he fell on his ass. “You’ll be amazing, no matter what. You’re always amazing,” he grinned. “We need to find a paradise that people can escape to, a getaway like no other, ya know? A luxury vacation to another world or somethin’.” He snickered some more, then tripped up when she bumped him this time, barely catching himself. She was right; he wasn’t fit to drive. He was barely fit to walk. He felt amazing though, fuzzy and warm and drunk in the best way, even if his speech wasn’t perfect. “If you don’t mind, yeah. I was thinkin’ I’d sleep in my car, but your couch’d be more comfortable. And—And we can stay up and talk s’more.”
Jules thought about what it would be like if they turned this entire town into something amazing and beautiful. But she didn't think it was possible. It would just be a pretty mask disguising something horrible and dark. "I don't know that anyone here deserves paradise," she said before reaching for his arm to cling to the rest of the way to her house. Jules had a feeling she was going to throw up later, but for now it was just dizziness. "And no, you don't have to sleep in your car, don't be dumb." For a second, she thought of Jasper, before he started sleeping more frequently at his dad's. Sleeping in his car, alone. Jules swallowed hard and closed her eyes, depending on Ethan to get her a few more steps without her falling on her ass. "We can talk all night if you want, but I bet you'll pass out fast. Boys always pass out fast."
"You do. We do. Even if nobody else does. It could be our secret, like that first place. I wanna go back there sometime." Ethan still had the flower he'd picked, sitting in a vase in his kitchen. Miraculously, it was still alive, impossibly so. He had no idea how, but wasn't willing to present it to his uncle in order to find out. Ethan smiled down at her as she clung to his arm, hoping he could manage to keep her up, rather than them both tumbling into the grass. "I can stay up so long as I don't put my head down. Once my head hits the pillow, I'm a goner. I bet you're the same. Girls are usually lightweights and you haven't partied in months." He hadn't exactly been partying it up either, but he was bigger than her, had more muscle and several inches in height, so he should be able to handle more than her, yet he felt like they'd kept up with each other. If he was drunk, she was drunker.
He was right. The last time she had partied was the night of the winter formal, when Jasper had broken up with her. Her stomach seemed to recoil at the memory and Jules swallowed, hoping to keep all puke down until the morning. "I'm not usually a lightweight," she protested, once she was sure the nausea had passed. "But I guess I sort of feel it now. I'll just try to keep my head off the pillow. I feel bad you're gonna have to sleep in your clothes. I'd get some stuff from Jason but you're like... eighty feet taller than he is. You'd look super ridiculous." And funny. Just imagining Ethan in Jason's clothes made her giggle.
"Eighty-feet?!" Ethan laughed. "Is your step-brother an ant? I'm imagining his sweatpants hitting me right below the knee, like some medieval breeches or something." It definitely generated an amusing image, with everything shrunken as if he'd somehow stuffed into a child's set of clothes. "If I'd been smart, I'd 've grabbed the bag from my car. I had a change of clothes in case you didn't wanna go. But I'll be fine in this,” he said with a little wave of his hand. “I can make it work." He could ditch his shoes and his belt and his tux shirt and just sleep in the pants and undershirt. It wouldn't be the most comfortable thing ever, but it was far superior to sleeping in his car.
Her giggles turned into laughter, despite how silly the mental image was. "You're like... Jack and the Beanstalk, but like... you're the giant." He really wasn't that tall, but he definitely had a few inches on Jules. And probably Jason. Jules glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the party they had left. "If you want to go back and get your bag, you can. Or you can just sleep in your boxers or whatever. It's not like anyone is going to try and attack you in the middle of the night. We have a guest room too, so like, you don't have to sleep on the couch." She hoped he would hang out with her for a while first though. "Everyone's going to watch you do a walk of shame back to your car in the morning though. No one in Overlook has anything better to do than watch each other through their windows."
Ethan looked back in the direction of his car, but it felt a long way away at this point. Jogging there and back would most likely result in him falling on his ass and he was so close to making it to Jules house without a mishap that it didn't seem worth it. "It's only a walk of shame if you're ashamed of it," he smiled. "Plus, I'm like ninety-nine percent certain I'm not the only one who'll be guilty of it. Unless you're worried about what people will say? Got any especially nosey neighbors?" He recalled that Theo lived close and wondered which house was his. And Bash's. And Victoria's. He could see her spreading rumors just based on his parked car alone.
Jules stared up at him, her mouth agape for a moment. Then she laughed again. "Oh my god, you're right. So yours will be like, the walk of no fucks to give? Because that would be amazing." Jules had never actually done the walk of shame herself. Well, maybe once or twice, but she liked to think she had high standards. Sort of. "All of the neighbors here are nosy. Like, if Vic sees your car out front, she'll come to her own conclusions, which'll be so wrong, but that won't stop her. Bash would probably just text me to make sure we're okay. And anyone else, well... I don't care." And she really didn't. People had been gossiping about her for years now, and more so since Jasper disappeared. If she listened to any of it, she would go crazy so it was easier to ignore it all.
“You hear that? I don’t give a fuck!” Ethan yelled to the neighboring houses before laughing some more. It was late, they were probably all asleep, but he wanted them to know it anyways. “Victoria can think whatever she wants because even if she’s wrong, she’ll be jealous, and that’s a win for you. And it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Bash ‘ll be doing his own walk of shame. I’ll give him a wave as we pass on the street.” And he’d assure her friend that they were fine, everything was fine, and he had nothing to worry about. Which was kind of a shame. In another life, Ethan would’ve been proud to stay the night at Jules’s house. Now it was just… whatever this was. But it was good. She was wonderful and he was lucky to have her in his life.
Jules laughed again, which felt a lot better than feeling almost sick from all of the alcohol. "Vic is always jealous of me," Jules boasted. She didn't know that for sure, or even believe it, but she was feeling confident, fueled by liquid courage, so who cared? It wasn't like Vic was around to hear her. "I guess it's only fair that she got to be prom queen tonight since I like, beat her everywhere else." Jules flipped her hair dramatically behind her shoulder. "But if you have any hot friends to set her up with, let me know. That's the least I could do for her." Her house was across the street and Jules clung to Ethan's arm with one hand, the other still carrying her shoes. There was a light on inside, but she could see the dimness in her mom's bedroom window from her television. She would leave them alone, Jules was sure. "Did you have fun tonight though? I mean, like, for real."
“Hmm, I need a better gauge of her level of bitch first, otherwise I won’t know if I’m doing them a favor or cursing them,” Ethan grinned. Victoria was hot, but he got the sense that she was a handful. His friends might not appreciate him bestowing that kind of drama upon them. But he’d think about it. There might be someone up to the task. “I did, like, for real,” he smiled down at her as she clung to his arm. “I like hanging out with you, and it was fun to get all dressed up. And I liked meeting your friends.” He considered telling her that they should all hang out more often, but he kind of liked having her all to himself and he wasn’t willing to give that up just to be more social. “Your mom won’t mind me staying?” he asked, lowering his voice as they walked up to the door. They weren’t sneaking around, he’d been yelling only moments ago, but it felt right to be quiet in case she was sleeping.
"It could always be a blessing and a curse," Jules pointed out. She checked the door, finding it unlocked, which was good because Jules was pretty sure she left her purse in Ethan's car. Weird that she was only now realizing it. Maybe she was too distracted by Ethan and getting home. Jules glanced at him as she pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Please, my mom loves you. She won't mind. She'd rather you stay here than sleep in your car or drive home after drinking." Dropping her shoes in the foyer, Jules ushered Ethan inside and then closed the door behind him, fumbling a bit with the lock until she got it in place. "You want any water or whatever?"
Ethan toed his shoes off, glad to be out of his dress shoes, then followed Jules deeper into the house. He’d been there a good number of times, but never in the dark and definitely never this drunk. He stuck close to her, hoping not to bump into anything unseen. “Yeah, water’d be good,” he said as he began to loosen his tie. The sooner he could get the bulk of his tux off, the better. It would feel good to relax. “You should have some too. It’ll help with the hangover.” He knew he wasn’t getting out of one completely, but he’d do his best to prevent it from being epic. And while he’d teased Jules for being a lightweight, she was actually doing pretty well, but he didn’t want to make any bets yet. He’d consider it a win if he didn’t end the night holding her hair back as she puked.
Jules groaned. "Don't remind me of the hangover. I'm going to try and pretend I'll feel really good in the morning." She already knew that wasn't going to happen but just the thought of having to throw up made her want to throw up. Jules padded into the kitchen and tugged open the fridge to grab two waters. She was feeling a little dizzy and disoriented and she hoped Ethan would catch her if she fell on the stairs. The last thing she needed was to crack her head open like Edward. Her stomach rolled uncomfortably but Jules did her best to ignore it. She turned and handed Ethan his water before twisting the cap off of her own to take a sip. As she did so, she looked at him in the dark, feeling grateful that he was there. Jules could only imagine what she would have gone through in the past four months without him there to help her. Feeling oddly emotional, Jules set her water bottle down and stepped forward to hug him tight.
“If you feel really good, I’ll make you pancakes,” Ethan smiled as she handed him his water. They might be burnt or rubbery, his attempts at cooking were kind of a crapshoot, but he’d give it a try. Unfortunately, he doubted either of them would be interested in food. All he expected to have for breakfast were painkillers. He’d just opened his water bottle when she suddenly hugged him, and he set it down on the counter to hug her back. Other than the little bit of dancing they’d done earlier in the night, it was the closest he’d been to Jules since they’d met. He could smell her shampoo and feel her breasts pressed against his chest, and as she breathed he could feel it on his neck. One hand came up to gently caress her hair, an impulsive move yet he still knew better than to mess it up. His other hand gently rubbed her back. It felt so good to have her in his arms that Ethan held his tongue, pretty sure that he was on a different wavelength than her and anything he might say in that moment would be wrong. It was one of those moments where he wished he knew what she was thinking, otherwise he was sure to fuck this up.
Being hugged felt nice and it was comforting in a ways she couldn't really explain. Jules wished she could tell Ethan everything, but it still didn't feel right even now. He was separate from that part of her and she couldn't help but want to keep it that way. Jules knew it was the alcohol making her feel this way, but she didn't think Ethan was bothered by it. Thanking him again for taking her to prom felt redundant and unnecessary, even though the urge was there to do it. With her eyes shut, it felt so easy to just sink into Ethan's arms and relax. "Will you lay down with me?" she murmured, aware that she might be asking too much, but Jules didn't want to fall asleep alone.
"Yeah," Ethan answered, though he knew it was an absolutely horrible idea, feeling the way he did. Not just drunk, which almost always over-complicated things, but confused. There'd been a line drawn since the beginning that they were just friends, not necessarily by any fault of Ethan's, but because Jules was unavailable for a number of reasons, all of which were incredibly valid. And Ethan respected that. She'd become an invaluable friend to him and he didn't want to do anything that might risk losing that. But when she was in his arms, pressed against him, all soft and warm, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. In any other situation he'd take this as a sign that she wanted to do more than just lay down together and it left Ethan wondering if he was being incredibly obtuse. He held her a second or two longer, then tightened his hold for just a moment before releasing her. "Come on," he said, reaching for his water bottle. "Let's go upstairs before we pass out in your kitchen."
If Jules had been sober, she might have opted against asking him to lay down with her. Ethan was her friend and he meant a lot to her, but she would have been lying if she told herself there wasn't maybe some kind of attraction there. But Jules had no idea what it really was. They had a connection she didn't have with anyone else and he had come into her life when she was feeling depressed, scared and vulnerable. Jules didn't want to do anything to ruin what they had now. If she lost Ethan on top of everything else, she wasn't sure she could handle it. When Ethan released her, Jules opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision. She picked up her own water bottle to walk with him to the stairs. "Think I could convince my mom to turn the stairs into an escalator for these moments?" she asked Ethan as she headed up the steps. "Or like, a conveyer belt just to dump my ass in the hallway."
"I'm not sure I could handle moving stairs at the moment," Ethan snickered. If the floor started moving, he would eat it for sure. "If we were sober," he said, and the slight slur in his voice was definite evidence that they were not. "I'd suggest trying to just open a portal to your room. Then we could just walk through and avoid the stairs entirely." It wasn't something they'd ever tried before and Ethan was impressed with his brain for coming up with such a brilliant idea in its current state. Why did their portals have to lead to another world? Why couldn't they lead to another part of town or another country? "We should try that sometime. Just to see if it's possible. Wouldn't it be awesome to just, like, go visit Paris for the day? Or Tahiti?"
"Oh my god, we'd probably end up in like... alternate universe Paris," Jules groaned. Though the idea was intriguing. They could find different worlds, why not find doorways in this one? She wondered if his uncle had ever thought about it, but Jules was feeling too fuzzy in the head to really think it over, or ask Ethan. She led Ethan down the hall to her room, drinking some more of her water as she headed directly for her dresser. On any other night she would have just pulled off her dress and fallen into bed in her underwear, but she couldn't do that with Ethan there and she didn't want to scare him away. "You know where the bathroom is if you need it," she said. "In our main bathroom down the hall there are like... extra toothbrushes and stuff? If you want I can see if Jason has any sweatpants you can borrow if you don't want to sleep in your boxers."
“If it’s not a major pain, sure, but otherwise I’ll be fine,” Ethan told her as he slid off his jacket and folded it over the back of her chair. If he was in a guest room, he didn’t think it mattered what he slept in, but if they were going to lay around for a while, then sweat pants would be nice. He just didn’t want Jules to have to go through a lot of trouble to get them. He made note of the spare toothbrushes down the hall though, since he’d likely want one of those come morning. “I’m gonna use the bathroom real quick. Give you a minute to change,” he said as he began to unbutton his shirt. As gorgeous as she was in that dress, he was willing to bet she was eager to get into something more comfortable.
"Totally not a major pain," Jules said, setting her water down on her nightstand. She averted her eyes from watching Ethan unbutton his shirt and quickly turned to grab some pajamas from her dresser. The movement caused her head to swim and Jules swayed a little before righting herself. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. While Ethan was in the bathroom Jules changed into her pajamas, not entirely sure she would even have the energy to wash her face. But she wandered to Jason's room and managed to pry a pair of sweatpants from him before returning to give them to Ethan.
It didn’t occur to Ethan that unbuttoning his shirt might be something that might make Jules uncomfortable, especially since he had an undershirt on, but he did have the common sense to return to the bathroom to switch from his tux pants to Jason’s sweatpants. All the changing of clothes took a lot more energy than Ethan thought he possessed, but he was glad he’d done it in the end. He was far more comfortable in sweatpants and a t-shirt. “So much better,” he said as he returned to her bedroom. He took a sip of water, then came to sit on the edge of her bed. “How you feelin’?”
It wasn't that watching Ethan take off his shirt was uncomfortable... or maybe it was, but not in a bad way, exactly. Just in a way that she couldn't quite put her finger on and Jules was too tired to really think about it too much. She was definitely more comfortable in her own pajamas now and Jules figured she could worry about her hair later. There weren't dozens of bobby pins to pull out tonight, thankfully. Jules gave him a smile and crawled up onto her bed, sighing with relief when she stretched out. "Like I'm going to be a pain in the ass in the morning," she mumbled. "So I'm sorry in advance. What 'bout you?"
"I can handle it," Ethan snickered. "'specially since I'm partially responsible for taking you out and all." She could be a bitch in the morning and he still wouldn't regret it. He doubted he'd be a ball of sunshine himself. Hangovers generally didn't make people more pleasant. Ethan scooted up the bed to lay beside her, propping his head up on his hand as he laid on his side to face her. She looked so cozy and soft that Ethan lightly ran his fingers down her arm before letting his hand settle on the bed. "Drunk," he grinned. "But still in that happy, fuzzy way where everything feels good."
"Remember how that feels now, 'cause you're going to feel like shit in the morning I bet." Jules grinned and tried to keep her heavy-lidded eyes open. It was probably crossing a line or boundaries or something, but she had asked Ethan to lay with her and she had wanted that for a reason. His presence was comforting and while she'd had a lot of fun tonight, it had also been a little painful on some level. Nothing in her life was working out the way she had wanted it to, but in the midst of all of it, she had found Ethan and that meant a lot to her, even if Jules didn't always know how to show it. Scooting in closer, Jules curled up a bit against him and closed her eyes. She knew she ought to try and stay awake and talk with him, but she was comfortable now and he was comfortable too and she just wanted to feel like she could sleep tonight without nightmares.
"Nothing that a few Advil won't cure," Ethan said, and wrapped an arm around her as she curled up against him. He could tell then that he was probably going to pass out there, that he was far too comfortable to move unless she asked him to. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd actually slept with a girl and it had never been like this. "At least we'll feel like shit together," he chuckled softly and when he looked down at her this time he noticed her eyes were closed, so he closed his as well. Ethan pressed a small kiss to the top of her head, then felt himself begin to drift towards sleep before he could really question whether it was appropriate or not. The line between them might have been fuzzy at the moment, but as much as he wanted to see what was on the other side, he wanted to do so with a clear head. The last thing he wanted was for her to end the night was a regret.