Dog Fights

Chapter 9; First Impressions

"Don't get used to it," Ezra says, "I don't do it often."

-:*:-

Leon unlocks and pushes open the door to his house. It's a moderately sized place tucked in to a series of similar looking buildings, all two stories with a front porch and small lawns. Ezra already memorized which yellow house it is, considering it's the first in line on the street next to the city buildings.

"Mom?" Leon calls into the dark kitchen, reaching blindly around the wall until he flips on the light switch.

"Usually they're still up." Leon hums as he steps in, crossing his arms before turning back to the open door. "Maybe they went out for- Ezra?"

Leon hesitates, peeking his head out the doorway after being unable to spot the vampire. He yelps and stumbles back as Ezra's head pops down from the porch overhang, red eyes shining in the shadow of the kitchen light as his black hair dangles away from his face.

"How-" Leon puts a hand on his chest. "Why?"

"That's a UV light," Ezra says, gesturing to the door, "it burned."

Leon furrows his eyebrows, looking back into the kitchen. "I'm sorry," he says, "I didn't know. My dad put it in... Why on the porch roof?"

Ezra shrugs. "I always used to do this, and this was the closest dark place," he says, making Leon cross his arms. "And I'm assuming that's your room right there? It looks cool."

Leon flushes, making Ezra's stomach twist. His blank face hides any fact he noticed. "Did you look in my window?" Leon asks, stepping back into the house to turn the light off. The kitchen goes dark.

Ezra disappears, a second later dropping back down onto the sidewalk. He pushes his messy hair out of his face, looking back up to the porch as Leon steps into the doorway.

He leans on one hip, crossing his arms over his chest. In the dark of night with only the pale street lamp in front of the house, the heat from Leon's body shines warm in Ezra's eyes. He raises an eyebrow, seeing Ezra stare from the bottom of the porch steps.

"What?" Leon asks, making Ezra flush. "Are you hungry? Or am I just that pretty?"

Ezra stutters for a moment, immediately shutting himself up and covering his mouth with the side of his hand. His tone drops flat, sounding defensive when trying to seem unbothered. "Both?"

Leon cracks a smile, turning back to the door as he laughs. "I have something for you then," he says, "c'mon."

-:*:-

"Okay." Leon presses his hands together, spinning to face Ezra in his computer chair. "I don't- oh my god."

Ezra glances up, running his tongue over his stained teeth and fangs. His fingers shine red in the light of Leon's two computer screens, reflecting the glow of the string lights bordering the ceiling. "What?" he asks, licking the popsicle stick before it can drip.

Leon rolls his eyes, jumping up and leaving the room. He returns quickly, grabbing Ezra's hands and using a handful of tissues to wipe the red away. "You didn't get any on my bed, did you?" He asks, trying to see any possible stains in the dark. "My parents will think I let you do something to me or did something weird myself."

"No," Ezra says, watching the human's hand hold his own in place, "nothing on the bed."

Leon pulls back, standing up straight and looking down at the vampire. Ezra blinks, many faces replacing the human's in a moment of returning memories. To be looked down on is a common place in his mind.

Leon frowns, tilting his head. "Sorry," he says, turning and tossing the tissues into a small lidded trash can by his door, "I didn't mean to linger."