crushed ambrosia ( jasper hale )

thirteen. - verging on sleep deprivation

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THURSDAY. January 11th — forks library

WITH the beginning of their semester getting into full swing, and winter causing just about everyone to turn up their heaters as high as they'd go, Ezra has been battling a cold and constantly verging on sleep deprivation for the past week.

"Ezra?" Jasper Hales southern twang awoke the blond out of his stupor, jerking him awake from where he had definitely put his head down for a moment to rest his eyes on the library table.

"Uh, yes, hey man, whats up?" Ezra replied, trying his hardest to act casual as he ran a hand through his hopefully not terrible hair and wiped his chin to clear away the moisture there, stretching his back and hearing the satisfying crack it made. All the while the honey haired male watched from the doorway with a slight grin on his face.

"You alright to study today?" Jasper asked as he finally moved from the door to his unofficial seat.

"Yeah totally, never been so psyched to learn about dead people." Ezra curtly answered, sending his golden eyed companion a cocky grin as he opened his binder and they set to work.

This session wasn't particularly and different from any of their past sessions. Jasper talked in his warm tone about history, asking him questions and somehow making what was, in Ezra's fine opinion, the most boring topic to exist, a little less boring. This time however, Ezra couldn't focus as well, eyes kept drifting to the tiny snowflakes that were slowly but surely melting into Jasper's golden locks. Couldn't help but look at the black jean jacket that had replaced his usual leather one, and seemed to fit his shoulders even better then the first. Couldn't help but remember that the same leather jacket was hidden in the back of Ezra's closet and curling with the scent of honey and citrus and something particularly Jasper. It was completely unfair, the way he could keep Ezra's gaze so thoroughly focused on him, like he was a drug that kept the blond going back to him again and again and again.

Maybe it was because of this, this strange mix and pull for the desire for something, a want and need that Ezra could not comprehend yet his body seemed to know exactly what it was, maybe it was because they had been getting closer in the weeks and days they had spent in this tiny room, talking about dead people and ancient ideals. Maybe Ezra had contracted a deadly disease that left him with a wandering gaze and fidgety limbs, but for whatever reason Ezras foot slid slowly from where it had been resting on the ankle of his other foot and found Jaspers. Raggedy converse touched what were no doubt expensive boots or something pristine and perfect and Jasper stopped in the middle of his sentence.

The moment stayed, hanging like the world around them had stopped, like they were in a movie and this was the dramatic scene where the world ended and Ezra Newtons bare ankle was Jaspers covered one and Ezra was opening his mouth to make some lame apology, could feel his cheeks reddening and was already cursing himself for the mistake he had made, the boundary he had crossed, when Jasper Hale continued reading about the colonization of America, and his boot covered foot came to hook around Ezras sneaker covered one, and the world started spinning again, and Ezra's heart continued to beat wildly in his chest, and a boundary that was thought to be a wall, turned into a doorway.

WEDNESDAY. January 24th — newton sporting outfitters

POPPING mint flavored gum loudly, and using the counter to spin around in his rolly chair, Ezra did what he could to not let the boredom of working at four on a Wednesday literally kill him. With his father pushing him to take more shifts, and start pulling his weight more around the shop, Ezra offered to pick up more shifts when needed, but he had forgotten just how boring it got to work at the store when the only customers he had gotten that day were a few gus off the reserve buying stuff for ice fishing, and Ezra could only keep them in the shop with questions about their day for so long before wishing them luck and waving them out.