Dog Fights

Chapter 8; Updates

Ezra pauses, sputtering for a moment before letting out a short laugh. He covers his mouth with the side on his hand, making Leon flush even more before he laughs too.

"Really?" Ezra asks, pulling at the bottom hem of his shirt. The pinkish-red fabric cuts off just above his belly button, the rest of his torso covered by high rising shorts. He's tied a white jacket around his waist upon arriving at 24/7, print hidden by its fold. "Rin picked it out."

"Hey, watermelon is good." Leon smiles, gesturing to the cartoon print on the center of the vampire's chest. "I can appreciate her style."

"It was this or one with a pineapple." Ezra chuckles, keeping a peaceful pace with Leon as they walk down the sidewalk. The neon signs of the city give light to the many people walking down the street, music from different open shops and street vendors filling what would be the silent city.

Not as many cars clog the street now, night runners preferring to walk in the dark around others. Vendors offer more supernatural styled goods, attracting those with a darker outlook on life.

"Night time is the best." Leon smiles, tilting his head up to the tall buildings. Glowing yellow lights speckle the dark metallic, bright light up screens flashing images for different advertisements or events in the area.

"Yeah," Ezra agrees, "I like the dark much better. I think the sun has something against me."

Leon rolls his eyes, lightly swatting his elbow as they walk. Ezra doesn't stutter in his movement, but his face flushes in the dark. Leon's hand is a lot warmer than Ezra's skin.

"Did you have any places in mind when you called me?" Leon asks, "or did you just want to wander?"

Ezra hums, bumping into Leon's shoulder as someone tries to slip past him. "I didn't think that far," he says, "I just wanted to get out a bit tonight."

Leon chuckles, wringing his hands together. "That's fine," he says, "the places I always try and get into are a few vendors my parents think are too dangerous for humans. Would it be too much to ask if we could slip by there before the night ends?"

Ezra shrugs, seeing the wonder weaving in and out of Leon's eyes. "Do supernatural creatures really fascinate you that much?" He asks.

Leon smiles, looking down. "It sounds a lot creepier when talking to one of those creatures," He says awkwardly, "but yeah, they do."

-:*:-

"Just take it," Ezra pushes sternly, holding out his thin white hoodie. Leon opens his mouth to protest again, closing it in frustration as Ezra narrows his eyes.

"It's not that big of a deal." Leon pouts, finally taking the hoodie and pulling it on.

"This is why your parents think places like this are dangerous for you," Ezra says lowly, "it's an outdoor vender so the workers have no control over who loiters outside. Two werewolves and three vampires have already brushed into you to pick up your scent; they can smell you. I don't doubt if I wasn't here you would have been groped at already."

"How does the jacket help?" Leon asks, crossing his arms and gripping the sleeves that fall over his hands.

"It smells like me," Ezra says, copying him by crossing his arms as Leon flushes, "you smell like a vampire that has some power under his skin."

Leon falls silent, stepping away from a random charm he had been studying. "Let's go," he says, turning his back to the vender. Ezra hesitates, only stepping forward as Leon links their arms and tugs him forward.

Ezra swallows down his shaken pride of allowing himself to be pulled into moving, struggling between whether to take his arm away or keep the warm touch. He's lead away.