** 𝕝𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 .

⌊  closed  starter  ⌉  EZRA  &.  SALEM

       ❝  i  dunno  —  i  know  you’re  not  really  into  succulents  like  i  am  but  it  made  me  think  of  you  when  i  stopped  in  one  of  the  plant  nursery’s  downtown.  so  i  figured  why,  you  know  ??  ❞  salem  started  off  with  as  he  entered  into  the  all  too  familiar  theater  room  in  ezra’s  house.  there’s  a  nervous  edge  prickling  the  hairs  on  his  arms  not  only  from  being  whipped  enough  to  bring  ezra  a  freaking  gift  just  because,  but  also  just  being  aware  of  how  frequently  he’s  inhabiting  the  younger’s  home.  almost  to  the  point  of  rivaling  how  much  time  he  spent  as  his  own  apartment.  licking  dry  lips,  salem  kicked  off  his  doc  martens  chelsea  boots  beside  the  coach  and  sat  beside  ezra.  he  shouldn’t  be  feeling  bashful  over  buying  his  friend  something  yet  here  he  is  looking  like  some  dumb  asshole  about  it.  either  way,  he  offered  out  the  small  succulent  in  the  just  as  small  pot.  ❝  besides,  i’m  here  enough  anyway  so  consider  this  succulent  as  my  own  toothbrush  in  the  bathroom.  it’s  an  echeveria.  ❞  salem  spoke  again,  meeting  ezra’s  gaze  with  a  small  smile  and  a  teasing  lilt  to  his  next  words.  ❝  i  thought  it  looked  pretty  and  the  pink  ends  made  me  think  of  your  hair.  it  doesn’t  need  much  watering  …  also  why  i  thought  this  would  work  well  with  you.  perfect  for  the  busy  architectural  types  on  the  go  and  always  out  the  door  with  their  cup  of  motor  oil  ready  to  start  the  day.  ❞ 

“Oh, I- um, thank you? You didn’t have to get me this. My birthday was last month,” he responded in a questioning tone, reluctantly reaching his hand out to take the pot from the older boy, then placing it on the table in front of them. “But thanks. I suppose it’ll be a nice addition to my ensuite. Something about the bathroom steam that keeps it thriving, right?” A muffled laugh escapes his lips, though Ezra couldn’t help but question Salem’s intentions behind the gesture. Was this really something Salem did just for him? Probably not. A mental reminder to check if Kam or Jason’s received the same addition to their bathrooms the next time Ezra drops by their respective places. Whatever. He’s not supposed to be too concerned about it. It’s perfectly normal for friends to gift things to each other. “Stop it. My motor oil coffee may be a choice, but it’s also a curse. You know my dumb allergies are there to remind everyone that I’m also human. It’s not fair if I’m that perfect.” Ezra rolled his eyes and quickly regained his composure to flip back to their routine of jabs, giving his friend a soft nudge before turning away back towards the screen. “Besides, I don’t think I’ve been very busy. I got a chance to drop by Hagrid’s office earlier today between classes. Didn’t realise it was this nice to be friends with a professor ; I wouldn’t have to fight the entire computer booking system just to find a quiet place to chill.”

“Odd question, don’t ask, but do you have glue, by chance?” she asked, holding her broken shoe in one and it’s heel in the other.

Ezra scoured inside his messenger bag, only to look back up at Niji empty-handed. “Shit, I think I left my supplies back in the studio. I can drive you to Michaels if you’d like? Or we could go look for a new pair downtown. That doesn’t look very... salvageable to me.”

“That’s actually a great idea, except I have to make room for my boyfriend’s clothes, too.” Autumn sighed with a roll of her eyes. How dare Ramon take up space. “We haven’t settled on a place yet, but I think I’d want brand new furniture so everything matches and looks nice.”

“Then tell him to cut down his wardrobe. Surely he’ll understand. You have your priorities.” Ezra nodded at the woman’s remark, visibly impressed. “It’s definitely worth the time and effort. I don’t get why people go for furnished apartments just because it’s convenient. Plus, you two could go on a cute little IKEA date. Nothing screams relationship building more than trying to figure out how the fuck you’re supposed to assemble an IKEA shelf.”

       like  most  of  his  time  spent  with  ezra,  salem  found  it  easy  to  fall  into  laughter  each  time  he  made  a  joke.  he  wasn’t  sure  if  that  was  due  to  the  younger’s  great  sense  of  humor  or  maybe  his  judgment  had  been  skewed  from  how  wrapped  salem  was  around  his  finger  in  such  a  short  span  of  time.  ❝  who  knows,  maybe  i’ll  turn  on  hgtv  by  myself  —  see  if  their  design  wisdom  holds  up  in  comparison  to  yours.  though  i  doubt  there  would  be  as  much  enthusiasm  for  bidets  so  it  won’t  be  the  same.  ❞  salem  answered  with  an  upward  curl  to  his  lips.  the  mere  thought  of  how  much  he’d  gotten  used  to  daily  conversations  with  ezra  and  being  in  the  other’s  company  fo  extended  periods  of  time,  to  being  cut  off  to  merely  phone  calls  and  facetime  requests  had  been  a  stark  question.  if  it  hadn’t  been  for  him  accidentally  hanging  up  on  ezra  once  and  calling  him  back  swiftly  after  the  fact,  then  salem  wouldn’t  have  otherwise  noticed  the  shortest  call  time  of  their  many  chats  had  been  an  hour.  an  embarrassing  heat  rushed  to  his  face  at  the  mere  memory  of  realizing  he’d  fallen  asleep  talking  to  ezra  and  seeing  that  regardless  of  the  fact,  ezra  hadn’t  hung  up  until  salem  woke  up  to  go  to  the  bathroom  later  on  in  the  night  and  noticed  the  light  up  screen  of  his  phone.  maybe  he  had  been  reading  too  much  into  what  it  could  mean  and  his  own  optimism  was  the  blame.  ezra  was  too  nice  to  hang  up  whereas  salem  was  inconsiderate  enough  to  fall  asleep  mid-conversation.  he  couldn’t  tell  if  ezra’s  body  so  close  against  his  from  behind  was  a  comforting  presence  or  not.  even  with  how  fidgety  he  felt  from  the  proximity  and  the  shame  of  liking  it  as  much  as  he  did,  salem  stayed  put  so  he  wouldn’t  arise  any  suspicion  in  the  younger.  he  had  to  act  normal  if  he  wanted  this  to  go  away.  ❝  truly,  i’m  honored  that  you  decided  to  grace  me  with  your  sheer  talent  and  presence.  maybe  one  day  i’ll  be  as  great  as  you.  although  why  do  i  get  the  feeling  that  your  offer  is  to  lessen  the  fact  that  i  actually  suck  ??  i’ll  have  lunch  with  you  either  way  so  try  not  to  worry  too  much.  ❞  salem  replied  smoothly,  tone  laced  in  a  good  natured  teasing  as  looked  back  to  ezra,  amusement  twinkling  in  his  gaze.  honestly,  he’d  been  expecting  the  younger  to  step  away  once  salem  had  made  his  first  successful  shot.  any  of  his  expectations  of  what  to  happen  next  were  thrown  away  when  ezra’s  arms  looped  around  his  waist,  pressing  them  closer  together  as  he  leaned  his  chin  down  on  salem’s  shoulder.  he  could  feel  his  mind  turn  to  static  all  the  while  his  heart  seemed  to  lodge  itself  in  his  throat.  breathing  seemed  to  be  something  he  had  to  remind  himself  to  do  and  he  was  certain  any  of  his  attempts  to  keep  the  blush  off  his  face  at  this  point  was  futile.  exhaling  a  breath,  salem  willed  himself  to  relax  against  ezra  and  briefly  indulged  himself  in  the  thought  of  if  this  is  what  it  would  be  like  to  be  with  the  younger.  what  dating  someone  you  actually  liked  and  enjoyed  being  around  felt  like.  salem  never  claimed  to  be  anything  other  than  selfish.  after  a  moment,  he  leaned  his  head  against  ezra’s  and  with  a  light  breath  of  a  laugh,  salem  brought  up  his  free  hand  to  play  with  ezra’s  newly  dyed  pink  strands  of  hair.  ❝  are  you  saying  you’re  my  good  luck  charm  ??  guess  i  may  have  to  keep  you  around  for  a  little  while  longer  then.  ❞  salem  hummed,  oddly  content  in  the  moment  despite  how  much  his  heart  hammered.  he  watched  his  friend  from  his  peripheral  view  and  offered  a  small  yet  playful  smile.  ❝  i  see  the  thought  of  missing  me  too  much  made  you  go  pink  too.  don’t  they  say  imitation  is  the  highest  form  of  flattery  ??  don’t  worry  though,  i  don’t  mind;  i’m  flattered.  you  look  good.  ❞  any  other  jokes  died  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue  the  moment  ezra’s  lips  pressed  against  his  cheek.  salem’s  breath  hitched  and  he  swallowed  the  dryness  in  his  mouth.  ❝  i  think  it  will  help.  ❞  salem  breathed  out,  hand  pausing  in  ezra’s  hair  while  he  licked  his  lips.  ❝  but  i  don’t  know  how  well  i’ll  do  with  you  clinging  to  me  like  an  octopus.  not  that  i  mind  —  you’re  warm  and  i’m  a  little  cold.  are  you  …  are  you  sure  you  just  don’t  wanna  call  it  a  game  and  we  can  go  eat  ??  ❞  with  how  close  the  two  of  them  were,  salem  didn’t  find  it  necessary  for  him  to  raise  his  voice  louder  than  a  murmur  for  ezra  to  hear.  he  scratched  lightly  at  the  younger’s  scalp  one  last  time  before  dropping  his  hand  and  resting  it  on  the  edge  of  the  pool  table.

There was something about Salem’s words, despite its bite, and how the older recently was acting around him that convinced Ezra that the older boy cared. Although there was a slight fear that blossomed from being seen as possessive or overprotective, he would take any excuse to spend more time with the boy. “Maybe I am. You’ve said that a million times and yet you still choose to spend time with me, Salem. Stop clowning yourself. Admit that you do enjoy being around my presence.” The constant teasing between them was a routine and it came with no hard feelings, but at times Ezra would wonder if there was any truth behind them. Did he hope that there was? When his thoughts drove him away from a no, which would be the answer he would vocalise if anyone ever asked him about it, Ezra drew in a breath. It felt almost suffocating. That’s when Ezra knew. Perhaps it was a possibility he wanted to pursue. Something to ponder on. However, it hit him that not even moments ago Ezra heard the older boy call him his best friend. That should be enough of a sign, shouldn’t it? That it was merely friendship the other was seeking, and nothing more? Whatever. Ezra pushed the lingering thoughts to the back of his head, letting himself enjoy whatever moment that was going on between the both of them. When Salem ran his fingers through his hair, it took every fibre in him to not blush and think about it. Best friends do this all the time. It’s nothing. “Excuse me, it’s a lighter shade of pink. But thank you. Not that I didn’t know that already,” he hummed, voice deep and faint despite his words. Close to being defeated, Ezra hoped that his budding confidence would mask the sudden nervousness he was so desperately trying to hide. “Then I guess another one won’t hurt,” he teased easily, as if it was only natural for him to act this way. His thumb trailed softly over Salem’s high cheekbones before pressing his lips against them. Salem’s next comment only had him tighten the hug just a little more, a smirk pulling his on lips as he tilted his head to scan the other’s expression. “Alright, we could do that if it’s what you want. You’re letting me pay, though. No ifs, no buts. And if I check my Venmo after this to see a transfer from you then I’m cancelling our HGTV sessions until further notice. Call it my treat after not seeing you in so long.” Slowly, he let go of Salem’s waist and took a step back. Fingers tightened around Salem’s wrist as Ezra pulled him away from the pool table towards the dining area, eyes scanning around the proximity and finding a vacant booth by the corner of the dive-in bar. After leading the way there, Ezra lets go of his grip and slides into the booth, smiling over at Salem as he gently tapped the seat next to him. “Come on, sit by me. There’s plenty of videos from Bali that I want to show you. I feel like you’d like it there, they have an annual writers’ festival and I can see you being in your element with your poetry and everything. And we could stay at one of those bamboo hotels too. The roofing is absolutely gorgeous. Anyway, we’ll have a good time when we go.” His heart hammered behind his ribs, eyes watching the other in anticipation, waiting for whenever the other decides to sit himself. Admittedly, it was good to be back. Whether it meant being back in Vesta or by Salem’s side, Ezra wasn’t sure. Whatever this was, although it made him feel vulnerable, sometimes scared, he was happy for the most part. And he wouldn’t change it for the world.

     The way she looked at him, eyebrows raised, lids blink, and a smile spreading on her lips was, was enough to indicate how much she wasn’t buying his defense. “Given the fact that I had to drag you here, I think we can safely say you have never been this excited to see me, and am I not a friend?” She challenged, though she already knew the answer. Though it didn’t offend her. She know the giddy feeling that bubbled in your stomach whenever you knew there was a possibility of running into the person who crept into your thoughts at night. The person who all it takes is the mention of their name to bring a smile to your lips. She wouldn’t hold it against him. “That’s not what I meant at all.” She quickly assures giving him a soft shove. “I just meant I knew Gavin was my best friend and I was glad to call him that. No matter what. Whenever i thought about seeing him and would get really excited I’d justify it with, well of course I’m happy to see him he’s my best friend. Or when I custom made him something for the first time and I spent full days on something that would usually take me a couple of hours, again i’d say well of course I want him to like it, he’s my best friend. At some point that excuse just isn’t going to work anymore.” She offered with a small shrug. “But I can tell you, even with all its complications, telling him how felt was really the best thing I could have done for myself…— plus Gavin has more recently told me that I’m his person and while that doesn’t mean he’s ready to date me anytime soon or at all, it’s still a wonderful feeling.”

The way Imani’s eyes lit up at the mere mention of Gavin had Ezra laugh -- short and sweet, followed by a shake of his head at just how hopelessly romantic his friend always was. It was always a joy to see happiness spread across Imani’s face. For it wasn’t anything remotely like this the last time they met. “See, that’s you and Gavin. I’m really glad that everything worked out between you two, I was worried sick the night you called and when he left for Chicago. Though, if that’s what it took to get the both of you to arrive to that conclusion, then I suppose that was worth it. But like I said, that’s you. Meanwhile, we-” he swallowed thickly, confused, and as always, overwhelmed by Imani in a way that he couldn’t exactly point his finger on. Somehow her narrative rung a bell -- it was a story that was too relatable, even -- as if it hit the mark and resurrected whatever dilemma he kept pushing to the back of his head. His hands became fidgety and his eyes kept darting towards the floor as he began to speak, licking his lips to counter the dryness in his mouth. “I’m not like that. Do I care about Salem? Of course I do. The way a friend cares about another, because that’s exactly what he’s been telling me all this time. He calls me his best friend. To my face. And if that’s how he really sees me, then I don’t see why it should change.” The words just slipped through his lips, outside of his control, and whatever train of thought that played inside his mind kept being vocalised. “I don’t think that I show him that I do in fact care about him enough, at least explicitly. But I’m sure he’s aware of it. Salem’s a smart guy. He’s probably figured it out himself, one way or another.” At this point, Ezra wasn’t even sure if he was referring to anything that was purely platonic anymore. Clearly, it was different: between having passing thoughts of the matter in the comfort and privacy of his own bedroom, and when he could hear his own voice validate his emotions not only in front of himself, but also in front of someone he could trust. As he looked up to meet the other’s gaze, Ezra released a deep sigh he didn’t know he was holding. “It’s really not that easy, Imani. I’m afraid that if I do tell him, I’m just going to freak out and ruin everything. It won’t be the same.”

“I really need a clear out. I think I’d need a whole moving truck for my clothes alone.”

“Do you have to move your furniture too? Because here’s an idea. Why don’t you just keep your clothes in whatever storage you have them in now and fill in the truck with those instead?” Ezra proposed with a tilt of his head at the offer he was giving. “Wait, but what if your drawers clash with the wallpapers at your new place? That’s a big no. Forget everything I just said. Is your drawer made out of wood? Or maybe it could also work fine if it’s a neutral colour. Whites and blacks go with almost everything.”

“Mental manipulation, so you can start minding your own business.”

“It was actually Salem’s idea, and we both chipped in. I heard BBC’s Planet Earth plays better with headphones on and I’d like him to have the full experience without having to worry about the occasional pounding noise thanks to the washing machine, y’know?” @gavin-grey @salemhwang

       the  indignant  huff  to  leave  his  lips  is  one  he  barely  considered  before  it  happened,  but  it  soon  transitioned  into  a  half  laugh-half  sputter.  dark  hues  blink  incredulously  before  succumbing  into  crescents  —  a  seemingly  common  occurrence  whenever  salem  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  the  younger.  ❝  literally  i  am  one  of  those  people,  you  brat.  fine;  i’ll  buy  my  own  plane  ticket  then  and  splurge  on  first  class.  i’ll  offer  these  bony  shoulders  to  my  seat  partner  who  isn’t  you.  ❞  salem  teased  back  as  he  willed  the  heat  to  leave  his  cheeks,  though  he  was  certain  that  concentration  would  only  lead  to  a  headache  and  further  redness.  you  know  …  it’s  whatever.  he  can  play  it  off  to  the  overhead  light  right  above  the  pool  table  and  call  it  a  day.  less  to  consider  of  his  feelings.  any  possibility  of  the  blush  dusting  across  his  cheeks  proved  to  futile  at  ezra’s  next  words,  yet  that  didn’t  mean  salem  wouldn’t  shoot  him  a  playful  glare  to  distract  from  that  fact.  ❝  i  don’t  know  what  you’re  trying  to  prove  since  i  already  told  you  i  missed  you.  is  it  a  crime  to  miss  my  best  friend  when  he  so  dearly  wishes  to  talk  to  me  throughout  his  own  beach  getaway  trip  ??  ❞  he  challenged  back  despite  the  downward  drop  of  his  stomach,  partly  from  calling  ezra  his  best  friend  for  the  first  time  to  his  face  and  just  the  fact  of  referring  to  the  younger  as  his  best  friend  when  clearly  his  sentiments  geared  toward  more.  thankfully,  ezra  didn’t  know  that  and  salem  planned  to  keep  it  that  way.  his  thoughts  on  the  matter  proved  to  be  silly  to  even  worry  about  when  he’d  only  been  expecting  ezra  to  verbally  guide  him  through  the  ways  to  improve,  especially  now  that  he  could  feel  the  warmth  of  his  body  inching  closer  to  his.  the  overhead  light  had  salem  feel  overheated  in  his  hoodie  and  a  dryness  overcame  his  mouth.  he  silently  nodded  along  to  ezra’s  suggestions  before  lightly  humming  to  showcase  that  he  was  indeed  listening  and  following  what  was  said.  the  last  thing  he  expected  was  for  ezra  to  be  as  close  as  he  was.  salem  felt  like  he  was  suddenly  some  freaking  protagonist  in  a  shitty  romance  film  with  the  way  his  heart  hammered  at  the  close  proximity.  fucking  feelings,  man.  this  sucked.  ❝  if  i  don’t  get  this  then  i’m  rescinding  any  and  all  compliments  i  made.  ❞  salem  quipped  weakly,  even  hearing  the  lack  of  challenge  in  his  words.  his  fingers  twitched  from  their  position  on  the  cue  and  salem  felt  gross,  almost  like  he  was  taking  advantage  of  ezra  for  finding  more  enjoyment  in  having  him  this  close  when  on  his  end  it  was  purely  for  platonic  helpfulness.  feeling  the  other’s  gaze  on  his  face,  salem  bit  down  on  his  tongue  and  kept  the  other  in  his  peripheral  vision.  his  breath  paused  and  whatever  moment  he  thought  was  happening  was  one  he  kept  short  by  knitting  his  eyebrows  and  turning  his  attention  back  to  the  cue  ball.  swallowing  the  lump  in  his  throat,  salem  listened  to  ezra’s  command  and  aimed  at  the  cue  ball.  chocolate  hues  acutely  followed  its  movements  and  widened  in  surprise  once  it  hit  center  on  one  of  his  own  and,  albeit  slowly,  moved  toward  one  of  the  pockets  before  dropping  in.  ❝  oh  my  god.  i  did  it  !!  ❞  salem  exclaimed,  laughing  giddily  to  himself  and  tossing  a  bright  smile  over  his  shoulder  to  ezra.  ❝  guess  it’s  good  to  learn  from  the  pool  shark  himself,  huh  ??  ❞  what  salem  hadn’t  expected  when  he  turned  his  head  was  for  ezra’s  face  to  be  as  close  to  his  as  it  was  and  it  had  him  freeze,  eyes  widening  slightly.  whatever  quip  he  had  on  his  tongue  evaporated  as  his  gaze  dropped  down  to  ezra’s  lips  and  he  remained  silent.  what  if  he  just  —  no,  absolutely  not.  salem  refused  to  let  any  intrusive  thoughts  linger  further  and  whatever  moment  that  may  have  been  them  had  broke  once  salem  chuckled  faintly  as  his  attention  traveled  back  up  to  meet  ezra’s  gaze  even  with  the  heat  still  prevalent  on  his  features.  he  had  to  make  it  seem  like  he  wasn’t  just  casually  staring  at  the  other’s  lips  with  a  brief  idea  of  what  if.  ❝  thank  you.  i  still  think  you’re  gonna  win  though.  ❞  salem  joked  in  a  soft  tone  with  hopes  of  keeping  things  light  between  them.

It brought a warm feeling to his chest knowing how easy it was for them to flow back into their routine of quips and retorts. Even if Ezra was only away for a week, he always found it different, and oftentimes difficult, to not be physically around people he deemed as close. “Not at all. Who would provide you with your daily dose of bidet reviews when I’m gone?” Though Ezra wouldn’t admit it, but Salem wasn’t wrong. While the time away from Vesta and the responsibilities that came with it was nice, something was missing. As much as he enjoyed all the activities he had lined up for himself, it would’ve been better if there was someone to share it all with. The next jab that broke from the older felt half-hearted, which was most definitely odd coming from Salem out of all people. Though Ezra figured that it might just be an off day for his friend, and decided to shrug the feeling away. “So be it,” were the only words he threw back, hoping that disregarding it would help Salem focus on his shot and stance, which proved successful once Ezra heard the sound of the balls sink into one of the pockets. “Well, you’re learning only from the best. It’s not everyday you get the privilege of being guided by a hotshot billiard player like me,” Ezra scoffed, though the smile on his lips kept growing wider that it reached his dimples. “Tell you what. If you make this next shot, then I’ll let you win. Think of it as a make or break. Whatever happens decides the winner, and then we can go get some food after. I’m absolutely starving.” His hands were fidgety and he wasn’t sure of how to stop, for it was distracting him from his own train of thought. But with him standing behind Salem, and with what seemed like the other reacting well to the support he was giving, perhaps Ezra was doing something right. Seemingly unconventional teaching methods and all. Ezra’s first instinct prompted him to wriggle his hands between Salem’s arms and wrapped them around the other’s waist, resting his head on the juncture between Salem’s neck and shoulder. “I think you already have your foundations laid quite well. You probably just need a little bit of luck, y’know?” Dark brown eyes widened ever so slightly as they darted back towards the older’s face and before he knew it, Ezra couldn’t help the smitten grin that pulled on his lips. Some things really are prettier up close. Without much thought or hesitation, Ezra leaned in closer to plant a short kiss on Salem’s cheek, a bashful smile gracing his features as he pulled away. “How’s that for good luck? Maybe a bit of that pool shark magic will rub off on you.”

“You say that as if I needed to try. My presence is enough of a blessing, I can’t help that I’m irresistible.”

“I mean, I guess I just don’t want it to ruin our friendship. I’d like to stick to our usual scheduled programming of banter since it’s what we’re used to. Plus, any showing of sentimentality would just continue to feed his ego. As if his ego isn’t big enough. Don’t tell him, though -- Kam’s pretty much like an older brother to me. And I appreciate him sticking around.” @kamsaelim

“Of course I do. But you can go ask Imani if you’d like some intel on a firsthand experience, she would know exactly what a crush on me means.” @imanidarbandi

     Truthfully, if she kept denying or feigning confusion she was hoping he would get the hint and stop bringing it up. But this was Ezra after all, it was probably her consistent denial that drove him to continue to bring it up. “Hm. Don’t recall.” She finished with a shrug of the shoulders. Just because he’d continue bringing it up doesn’t mean she would stop denying it. “But you were definitely ready to ditch me for him. I’m cool with it though, only because you being so smitten is such a change of pace. It’s like watching an animal in the wild, I want to keep watching. To learn more about the mythical thing happening right before my eyes.” She wanted to keep her pushing lighthearted. Never wanting to be one to make her friends uncomfortable with what she had to say, but also wanting to make sure they weren’t purposefully keeping themselves from finding happiness. “That’s so crazy because I said the exact same thing about Gavin. And now look at us. Starting to see those parallels yet?”

Her constant denial on the matter never fails to amuse him, as the edges of his lips perk up into a smile. “Is it really that bad to be excited to see a friend? I’m not smitten, Imani.” Just... interested. Beyond platonic means of interest. Possibly. Slightly? Ezra wasn’t even sure. “The only mythical creature between the two of us is you with those fairy wings. I’m impressed that you’ve survived the faire so far without having those wings stuck to a branch.” The worst part about entertaining this conversation with Imani was how he knew for a fact that she had a point. Imani wasn’t completely bluffing. Perhaps a little stubborn and pushy with her approach, but having known her for so long, she would only do it when she knows that she’s right. But Ezra’s first instinct kept steering him to nitpick into her words, taking the slightest mention of another topic that he could easily divert to, crossing his fingers behind his back in hopes that they’d finally let the matter at hand go. “Oh right, Gavin. I haven’t seen him since he left for his trip. How are you two holding up? I mean, the last time you mentioned him was the double date... and I don’t see what you’re trying to tell me here. You’re saying that you’ll be the one picking me up for burgers and milkshakes after bowling? Why, thanks for your service.”

       salem  avoided  ezra’s  gaze,  choosing  to  look  forward  at  the  line  gathering  by  the  turkey  leg  food  stalls  and  offering  a  shrug  to  the  other’s  words  so  he  could  avoid  the  rush  of  heat  to  his  cheeks  from  seeing  the  other’s  reaction  to  his  words.  ❝  if  you  can’t  beat  'em  then  join  'em.  besides,  i  never  said  you  didn’t  look  hot.  ❞  he  settled  on  in  an  offhand  tone,  slipping  his  hands  in  the  back  pockets  of  his  jeans  so  he  wouldn’t  pick  at  his  nails  out  of  nerves.  he  hadn’t  how  these  fucking  feelings  had  him  reconsidering  how  he  acted  around  his  best  friend  now.  it  was  fucking  pathetic.  he’s  derailed  from  his  train  of  thought  at  the  sound  of  ezra  humming  from  salem’s  hand  in  his  hair  and  fondness  easily  replaced  the  trepidation  he  felt,  showing  across  his  features  as  salem  turned  to  smile  at  the  younger  and  dropped  his  hand.  ❝  humble  too,  huh  ??  ❞  he  teased  lightly  with  a  faint  chuckle.  there’s  a  cutting  edge  to  what  ezra  said  next  that  salem  is  unable  to  find  a  reason  as  to  why  he  felt  as  wounded  as  he  does.  a  small  voice  in  the  back  of  his  head  told  salem  that  ezra  was  only  hanging  out  with  him  out  of  obligation,  like  the  regatta  when  he  eventually  went  off  to  build  sandcastles  with  niji.  though,  the  selfish  part  of  him  had  salem  stop  and  stand  in  front  of  ezra  with  a  downward  pull  to  his  lips.  definitely  not  a  pout  —  there’s  a  difference.  ❝  excuse  me,  you’re  not  leaving  me  here  by  myself.  who  else  will  i  judge  everyone  with  ??  you  know  what  i  think  ??  i  think  you  haven’t  found  something  fun  to  do  yet.  ❞  salem  replied  with  grin  and  a  playful  lilt  to  his  tone.  without  much  thought,  he  reached  out  to  grab  ezra’s  free  hand  and  began  to  walk  backward  as  he  pulled  the  younger  along  with  him.  ❝  shall  we  try  out  the  crow’s  nest  ??  or  would  you  prefer  the  dragon  swing  ??  ❞

He broke into a laugh -- a reaction he was used to around Salem, who always seems to spark something in Ezra. “The fun in that could only last so long. At this rate I feel like I’m immune to the secondhand embarrassment. It’s too much to handle that I just don’t care anymore.” Insistence of wanting to go home was already lined up in his tongue when he felt Salem’s fingers pull him away, almost clumsily tripping over his own feet as he tried to match the other’s pace. “Is there a third choice? I dunno, try out my seven seater and go home?” Ezra sighed, throwing his head back as he reluctantly trailed behind Salem’s lead. He tried to push down the hesitance that previously laced his words. The least he could do was to appreciate Salem’s efforts, despite the adamance, of ensuring that he had a good time. “Imani dragged me to the crow’s nest earlier and it was alright. A little nauseating, but I guess I could go for a second round,” he proposed an offer he didn’t realise would make it back on the table, but perhaps it was the change in his company that inclined Ezra to give it another shot. Once he caught up with Salem’s pace, Ezra took the older boy’s fingers and locked them into his, swinging his hand gently while they continued walking towards the attractions area. “I mean, we could go on both if you want. I don’t really mind. It’s not like I have anything better to do,” he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, biting down on his lip. “Not that I don’t want to spend time with you. Don’t get me wrong. I just -- I’m glad you’re here.”