Dog Fights

Chapter 19; Reunion

Ezra swallows, digging his toe into the ground. "I know," he finally admits, "I just can't stop thinking about it. I never wanted to trust anyone when I got here, and now that I opened up I'm being told they can't be trusted at all."

"He didn't say everyone," Gabe adds, pushing the trash can back into place, "he said someone; a witch. How many witches do you know?"

Ezra looks down, counting on his fingers. "...Five," he murmurs, looking up with a confused look plastered on his face. "What if it's Rin?" he asks quietly, "like she's trying to get my attention? Maybe the hiding is so her kidnapper won't be able to trace the magic. What if-"

"Ezra!" Gabe exclaims, making the vampire flinch. The room falls into silence, quiet except for Ezra's breathing.

Gabe draws in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Ezra," he starts again, "please, just calm down; you're too worked up."

"I can't help it!" Ezra runs his hands into his hair, tilting his chin down. The red splatters on his white shirt finally catch his eye, making memories of blood and gore flash through his mind. His breath hitches in his throat.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Ezra says hollowly, pulling his arms back down, "maybe all the trauma is finally hitting me, and I'm slowly falling apart. I was trafficked and bet on for five years. I don't doubt it'd mess with me- I'm just, I'm broken."

The two stand in silence, unsure of what words they could pull up to make the situation any better. Maybe Ezra is right, and the never ending adrenaline is finally fading. Perhaps his dream of getting rescued is being chased away by the continuous threats of recapture, and reality is finally shaking him awake.

"Maybe it'd help to go spend the night with your claim," Gabe suggests quietly, now awkward with the information Ezra had just spit out.

The vampire stares, lips parted in an attempt to get any more words out. He closes his mouth as Gabe glances away.

"I'll get ahold of him," Ezra mutters, feeling the shivers return and begin tormenting his already trembling hands. He picks up whatever scraps of paper towels were left on the table, digging broken glass into his palms before he throws them away and exits the cafeteria. Gabe never moves.

-:*:-

"I got you a present."

Ezra glances up from his spot laying on Leon's bed, pushing back into a sitting position as the younger leans down into his closet. It takes a moment before he pops back up, smiling wide as he steps forward and places a small pink case into the vampire's hands.

"A present?" Ezra asks, cracking a small smile at Leon's grin, "why'd you get me a present?"

"I wanted to," Leon says simply, shrugging his shoulders as Ezra raises an eyebrow. "Open it."

Ezra looks back down, pulling open the small oval case. He blinks in confusion, making Leon grin even wider.

"They were the best I could find," the younger says, putting a hand on the back of his neck, "yours were broken after that hunter broke into the house, so I looked for a new pair."

Ezra carefully pulls the thin black rimmed glasses out of the carrying case, running his fingers over the pink chain attached to either ear piece. He looks up at a happy Leon. "Is this..?"

"That chain is actually yours," he explains, "I found it under my bed; it wasn't broken."

Ezra looks down again, struggling to force down the remaining trembling of his hands in the silence. He takes a moment before swallowing; it's hard to find the right words to say.