Godfather-Grethan

Chapter 12

Third POV

Grayson was on his way to Anne's to pick up the gifts for Ethan, he told Harry if he could go to Ethan's while he left for Anne's, he didn't want to leave him alone

Harry left with Zayn to Ethan's, they all sat in the living room talking. Ethan had a stack of old photos his mother had taken when they were younger, they skimmed through them, Ethan and Harry reminiscing about the memories while Zayn just sat back and looked at the photos when they were done, he found a picture of little Harry naked in the bathtub, without Anne to poke fun at it Ethan took the role to embarrass Harry about it, Zayn took a picture of it to laugh about later

Harry found a picture of the both of them naked in a bathtub right after, "Hey maybe we should recreate this picture" Harry wriggled his eyebrows, making Ethan laugh some, "Yeah maybe with some shorts on"

They spent the rest of the afternoon with all those pictures, pointing out how happy they all looked, the old memories with laughs and smiles, Ethan teared up at one with his mom holding him on his lap, smiling at the camera with a cake laid out on the table, Sesame Street decorations hung around the room, frosting smeared on Ethan's cute puffy pale cheeks

Harry leaned his head on his shoulder for comfort, crying some himself, Zayn had a hand on Harry's knee, it was a somber atmosphere, natural for the recent events

~•~

Grayson was carrying the gifts to the trunk of his car as Anne helped with the last few, they hadn't talked much, they didn't have anything to say

Grayson thanked Anne for the help and told her she'd drop Harry off later if she'd like, she shook her head and said she was fine doing it, she wanted to, Anne's been a bit off since Kate, she doesn't want Harry too far, in fear of losing him to, her husband, everyone

Grayson drove home carrying all the gifts in a bag, most of them were just wads of money or gold jewelry, the typical gift you'd get for the occasion

Opening the door he sees the three huddled around the table, photos scattered and in piles of Kate and baby Ethan, some other family and friends

"Gray look, I never knew you had braces!" Ethan showed with a smile, laughing a little. Grayson looked over the picture with a cringe, "it's too soon to look at that"

Ethan laughed again, that smile back, not as bright and wide as usual, not nearly as beautiful as the one that's kept hidden, Grayson's glad he's smiling and laughing again, even if it's short lived he's missed it, seeing those teeth behind plump lips, eyes crinkling as his nose turns to the side ever so slightly, but Grayson can see it, and he loves it

He grabs Ethan in a hug, cradling his head with an arm as he kisses the top of his head, Ethan's smile falls some to a simple closed one of being cared for, comforted, for Grayson being there for him, loving him

They sit down and keep at the pictures, those same smiles that don't quite reach its peak, laughs that aren't as loud, still that pit that holds them back from truly enjoying their time, even with friends and family the loss of Kate holds them in that state of longing, to see her once more, hug her, kiss her goodbye or hello, see that kind smile a mother with love can provide, the one Ethan craves to see again

~•~

Anne comes to pick up the two, coming in to see the pictures she remembers taking and being a part of not too long ago, it seems like it had just happened, can still remember holding the camera as she took a picture of baby Ethan sat on Kate's lap, another off to the side of her and Kate smiling in front of Kate's newly bought house

She scurries to the kitchen where everyone's sat eating a pizza Grayson ordered, "you know Ethan if you want we have more pictures back at my place, I saw the ones you were all looking at that Kate kept, you two could come over and look at them whenever you want"

Ethan liked that, wanted to see all that his mother lived through, see through her past and remember all that she did, what he was proud of her for, most for just staying with him, keeping him and loving him which is hard for some to do, a decision she made and Ethan couldn't thank of her enough, something his father couldn't do

"I'd like that"

They left shortly after, Zayn and Harry waving goodbye from the car window

The promise to come over the following Saturday to all look at those photos she promised

~•~

Grayson started to clean up the photos and put them away in a closet where it was stored

"Hey Gray?"

"Yeah"

"I never asked you about, you know how you feel about Stacy" Ethan had forgotten about Stacy, the death of his own mother clouding most of everything

"I loved her...I did" tears welled up as Grayson stared at the ground

"I should have let her go sooner"

Ethan was dumbfounded, why would he let go his wife, or should have, or was going to in the first place, he loved her, they've been together since high school, got married, have a house

"What do you mean?"

"Stacy and I, we were having trouble in college, we fought more and didn't really see each other anymore, and I thought if I asked her to marry me it would get better" they were sat at the dining room table

"It got better, we were happier, we saw each other more and I thought we were ok" his voice wavering off

"Then after a couple months after moving into the house it started again, we talked less, didn't really see each other, we wouldn't even be together when we were home, we'd stay in different rooms, face away from each other in bed, I was thinking of divorce, I guess I didn't do it soon enough" Ethan thought they were perfect, that they seemed so happy and in love, but it was all just a curtain to cover the view behind it, the real stuff between them

"That's why I came here so much, or why Stacy almost never came to anything, I wanted to get away from her, wanted to be with Kate or by myself driving the streets doing nothing, with you"

"I'm so stupid I should have left her sooner, I-I, it's my fault why she's dead, why Kate's dead, why your without your mom, it's all my fault" Grayson sobbed with his head hung low, hands on his forehead

Ethan knew it wasn't his fault, none of it was, they had fallen out of love long ago and never acted on it, he hated him thinking any of this, that the thought even went through his head

Ethan got up out of his seat and embraced Grayson, letting Gray cry it out for a little longer, "it's ok Gray, it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong" Ethan's voice was hoarse from his own fallen tears, he didn't want him to think this, to keep the thought of any of it, to forget the idea and get over it

He wanted to help Grayson, to make him feel better, he caught his hand in his, dragging Grayson to the couch as Grayson's eyes were colored red, drooped and weary, he laid him down, grabbing the throw and laying it across them both, their heads bumped together as their eyes connected in a dizzy stare

Grayson looked down at Ethan, lips sucked in for a second to bring moisture, sniffing his stuffy nose, "thank you Ethan" he croaked out, voice weak and damaged

His gaze was set on Ethan's lower face, breath slowing as he doesn't move, chests pumping against one another, his arm curled around Ethan more bringing him closer, he leaned down getting close, lump going past his throat, lips coming together for mere seconds of, of love, of the love one has been neglected of, and the other never have experienced, the love they need, the closeness of another person, their eyes shut as Ethan stuffs his head in Grays chest, Grayson's chin on his head as they fall asleep together

The first time Grayson has slept soundly with another beside him in months, with the right person next to him, can wake up and want to stay, can be happy with his arms around another, the one they come home to and get to see everyday, someone they can love, something different