"You fucking this creep?"
Ezekiel tore his eyes away from the screen, shoved the phone in his face, and the other squinted at the increased brightness.
"It's not your business." He backed up and held out his hand. "Phone. You probably know that Angelica will come in here, always talking to somebody. Your slick ass probably has half of her SSN at this point."
He ignored him, putting the phone in his palm after typing something in but not letting go of it just yet.
"No, I don't think you get it; if this is Joseph Turner, then it is my business because, from the looks of it, he's fucking you. Do you even know—"
Third times the charm.
"He was one of the first friends I made after you disappeared, and I moved. This has nothing to do with you?!"
He yanked his hand away and scowled, putting the device back in his pocket. Ezekiel raked a hand through his hair, a single ridged cord snaking its way up his neck.
"You ever met his family? Don't you find it strange that they're so famous around here, but no one actually knows them? If this is all you get from this, there's something seriously wrong with him and those people. I don't have time to expla—"
Jericho got in his face and hissed out his next words. His day was doomed from the start, and it would only get worse from here. What the hell could Ezekiel know about Joseph that he didn't? Let alone his family?
"Only thing I'm getting from this is that you need to keep your nosy ass out of my business. Save the rest of that useful information for someone who gives a fuck."
Zeke's eyes darkened, he looked taken aback for a moment but in the next the anger melted off of his face leaving it blank. Jericho knew he'd crossed a line but he was still well within his right to be angry.
He cocked his head to the left, upper lip curled, and stepped even closer into his personal space. Placing heavily tattooed fingers onto the edge of the sink behind them and leaning in next to his ear.
"When did you get so fucking cheeky, hm?" He growled out, soft breath fanning over the side of his cheek. "I don't watch my bitch for a couple of years, and this is the stupid shit you go and do behind my back?"
Jericho dropped his eyes down to the tiled floor. He was quick to respond when someone else had an attitude problem, though. But, Ezekiel could read him like a book and always managed to shut him the fuck up
That's how he knew Ezekiel needed to stay out of his life. Once you get a taste of something good, you crave more of it, and in this case, it was the way Joseph treated him, like treasure. Yet, at the same time, he was scared.
The blond was so sweet and goofy, put him in his place when he needed to and it was different when they were just friends. He's seeing all that affection and possessiveness in a new light now, Jericho wants it but isn't used to all of it just yet. He didn't want to go back to being treated like shit even if it was familiar.
"You know," he started, voice low enough to kiss the fancy, cream, marbled tiles on the ground, "I was trying to be patient with you, Jericho. But that mouth..." he tutted, "You still know how to push all the right buttons, don't you? It's been years since we've seen each other, and this is how you treat me?"
He couldn't muster up a remark, looking at him while he focused on calming his breathing was out of the question too.
"Nothing, huh. You were just getting smart with me a minute ago."
The hand Ezekiel had on the sink reached down to grab the back of Jericho's thigh and squeezed, he had to bite back a pained whimper, he was still sore.
"All I've ever done was try to help, and this is what I fucking get!? I'm disappointed in you but tell me something, how did you feel afterward?"
His hand moved upwards slowly and the grip tightened even more, Jericho felt heat involuntarily seeping into his lower abdomen. He exhaled harshly and cut his eyes in the general direction of the door.
Wondering why no one had come in yet. There are at least fifty people in this damn restaurant, and none of them have to use the restroom? Something was off. He released him to lightly smack the side of his face.
"Eyes."
The brown-haired boy reluctantly returned his gaze, and Zeke glared into them for what felt like an entire minute until his face lit up like a candle.
"Oh... you were scared, weren't you? It hurts? That's crazy, though, because I could've almost sworn you liked that shit. I'm surprised he didn't do you worse, you're looking good these days."
He grit his teeth at the mock praise, shame clawing its way up to his throat with fiery fingertips and spreading onto his cheeks like a wildfire. All of yesterday's emotions began bubbling to the surface and multiplying. It was school all over again.
Jericho was the one being hurt here, but all his inner-child wanted was wanted was for Ezekiel to tell him he didn't mean it, that it was just a joke, and he was sorry.
His other hand grabbed his face, yanking his head up and the fabric of his sweater down to check his neck, probably for hickeys. This wasn't anything new; Ezekiel was always aggressive. But it either worsened with age, or something happened because it was never this bad.
It didn't matter which one it was, he hated the way his body was reacting. Enjoying every second of this manhandling against his will. The other man clicked his tongue at the dark purple marks on his throat. How could he even explain this to Joseph?
"I asked you a question."
Jericho nodded his head. Tears burning in his eyes as Zeke shook his head and laughed, letting go to put both hands on either side of the counter, caging him in. He leaned forward until their noses were touching.
"Use that pretty mouth of yours for me? I want words."
He quickly breathed out a yes.
"Yes? Yes, what?"
Whining, he finally added "Yes, I was scared!"
He was reaching his breaking point and he needed to fucking leave, now. Joseph would be so proud of him if he slammed his big head into the mirror and left him on the floor. Jericho wanted to kill him and then go cry about it.
"Shh... it's okay. But, when I tell you to do something, what are you going to do next time?"
He responded softly and without breaking eye contact.
"Listen."
Ezekiel smiled this time, wide and easy and then pushed off of the cold surface, backing away completely this time.
"See? You're doing so well already."
Being anywhere near him while he was like this was unbearable; he made him mad so he wasn't out of the woods yet. Ezekiel wouldn't let him go anywhere until he was done anyway because he always had to be in control.
He crossed his arms over his chest and looked past his head. Jericho's mind and body were in opposite states, and he hated that he was feeling any of this at all. Zeke still had this claws this deep in his flesh. Tears ran down his cheeks but he didn't wipe them away, the uncomfortable sensation distracted him.
Suddenly, there was knocking, and he heard Angelica whisper shouting his name on the other side of the door. Both of their heads snapped toward the sound. Jericho desperately looked at the door but stopped himself from answering or moving.
Ezekiel stepped toward him again when the noise stopped. Black dress shoes abusing the soft tiles as he took Jericho's face in one hand, wiping away his tears and studying him.
"You've never cried in front of me before, not even when I'd hit you. I used to think you were crazy. Everything I've said or done in the past, I'll admit that it was fucked up, but I never meant for things to turn out like this."
He pulled his hand back to remove the headband on his head. Turmoil brewing in his dark eyes, the guilty expression leaving his face.
"Just go, you're face makes me feel shitty."
'How do you think yours makes me feel?'
Jericho wanted to say it but he didn't want to start another argument. He had to wet a paper towel because the area around his eyes stung after he rubbed them too hard. He was ashamed of himself, Ezekiel had a negative effect on his life, but that was the closest thing he would get to an apology from him.
Jericho's affinity for pain only worsened when he got with his first 'boyfriend' at fifteen. Joseph didn't have a clue. Jordan Pyre was an outcast, freak, ghost, whatever the hell else people called him, and a junior at Alamance before he dropped out toward the end of the year.
Pyre was the kind of guy who wasn't used to getting what he wanted, but when he did, he held on for dear life. Was controlling and paranoid about every little thing, too. But he looked at him the same way the blond does now, like he was an angel sent from heaven.
He needed to fill the gaping hole left by Ezekiel. Jordan was perfect at first, gentle, couldn't keep his hands to himself and he spoiled him but started wanting more than he was willing to give, so he cut him off. Doing that wasn't easy and it ruined Jordan's life. Thus, he was alone again.
It was bad enough to the point where he attempted to date a girl at one point. That didn't work out, of course, she was open-minded and kind as hell, but he never felt anything more than that for her. Jericho looked like every other straight guy, but he wasn't. At least she never hit him.
He checked his phone after washing his hands and turning the faucet off, the other boy studying his every movement quietly from his place on the wall. It made him anxious; he made him nervous because he was unpredictable. But it was those damn mood swings that drove him all kinds of fucking crazy.
Five missed calls from Angelica and several more texts; she even went old school and emailed him once or twice. The shorter sniffled and laughed softly, despite the situation, as he finished his message that he didn't get to send earlier and told her he was on his way out.
When he put his phone back in his pocket and walked over to the door, he realized why no one had come in the entire time, why Angelica didn't burst through the door. It was locked, for fuck's sake.
Ezekiel already knew it was him or suspected it, at least. He tried not to show too much emotion as he rushed to unlock and push it open.
"I'll see you around, Parris."
He shivered and then sped up, checking outside through the large windows for Angelica's car after searching near the bathrooms.
It was parked closer to the entrance, and there were fewer people outside waiting in line now too, Jericho checked the time. He was in there being harassed for almost twenty minutes.
His eyes still hurt slightly, but he hoped that it wouldn't show too much. He didn't feel like lying to Angelica again, so he texted her the TL;DR. Catching up with a childhood friend that cut him off and they ended their friendship on bad terms.
The brown-haired boy walked over to the car and waited. Angelica hadn't exactly seen him until he stood directly in front of her window. He laughed when she jumped in surprise, almost dropping her phone, and rolled the window halfway down.
"I called you 300 times, and I know you heard me at that door. Did you fall in the damn toilet or something!?"
He laughed again, but it didn't even sound believable to his ears.
"Yeah, something like that."
Angelica rolled her eyes, unlocked the door so he could get in the passenger seat, and started the car. They weren't moving, and he turned to see the short girl staring at him. Her hair was in two low messy buns today and the excess fell over her thin shoulders like a waterfall.
"You know I'll get the full story of you eventually, right?"
Jericho exhaled slowly but nodded. He'd tell her about it, just not now. All this beating around the bush will eventually come back to bite him in the ass though, he's unlucky.