"Actually, you know what, I'm bringing you with me."
"Huh?"
Elle watched as Ezra then made his way right back into the living room, crouching back down as his arms suddenly wrapped around Elle's slender figure, picking her up and carrying her down the hall with a surprised yelp coming from her. He was definitely getting much more comfortable around her, though even then, he still touched her as if she were the most delicate of porcelain.
"It all looks so different from up here..." She mumbled as they walked.
"Yeah?" He chuckled, shaking his head just a bit.
He then brought her into his room. It was big, bigger than his living room for some reason. And there was a fireplace. That's why he brought her in there. In front of it was some blanket and pillows as his tv was off to the side. He had lots of expensive stuff, it looked nice.
Ezra gently brought her down unto the pillows and blankets around the burning fireplace warming the room, there was a book laying off to the side, it seemed he was there a lot.
"Here, it's much warmer in here, kid."
He said as he was on his knees behind her, pulling the blanket back around her that he gave her earlier before standing up. Elle held the blanket close around her, suddenly feeling so warm and homey.
"I think..I have something that might make you feel better.." Ezra said as he walked over into a closet.
"What? " Elle asked, watching him pull something out of a closet and bring out what looked like...a hoodie! Her smile was uncontainable, giddy, like an excited child. It would smell like him... that thought alone made her jumpy with anticipation. Dang. She liked him too much for her own good.
Ezra sat down and handed it to her, showing another small smile. He was smiling more with her, she made him smile. "You think this'll make up for a bad night?"
"Yes, I think this will!" She exclaimed and stood up. She very promptly put the hoodie on over her dress as Ezra watched with hands on his hips. The hoodie completely covered the dress and fell long passed her arms. She flopped the sleeves around and giggled like a child, making Ezra himself chuckle at the sight. So cute. "I love it!" She exclaimed and sat back down next to Ezra. His smile was burned into her brain.. it was lovely.
Little things made her happy. That's part of why her and Samual never worked. He would always go above and beyond for these grand gestures. The thing was, they had no meaning. They were just to keep her in line with him. But Ezra did little things. Giving her hoodies because he knows she likes them, smiling at her every now and again, letting her into his home. It held so much weight, so much intention. She was going to miss him when she had to leave..
"I-I'm glad, kid." He chuckled out, his hand running his hair back as his eyes glanced over at her.
"You know..Is it weird to you, that just last night we were strangers. And now we're friends?" She asked him, turning her body to face him. "I've never connected with someone so fast before.. it kind of scares me... does it scare you?" She asked barely above a whisper. He tilted his head to the side a bit, the question made him think.
Even if Elle hadn't really known Ezra that well..it seems that she came to the best person possible. He had no bad intentions with her, all he was doing was taking care of her because that's what she came here for. She was upset, and all he wanted was for her to not be so. He was definitely trying his best for sure. And it seemed that he was doing a good job so far.
"I'm..not sure.." He said with a shrug, he didn't think much of it at all. Eventually, hr shook his head as he then sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "After my family was killed..I-..I was afraid of ever finding someone to just..be there for me." He confessed, taking a moment to pause before he then continued.
"I was afraid I'd lose them too.." He whispered before then looking back down. "After all these years..spending a day with you made me realize just how quiet it had been..all this time.." Ezra then looked back over at her and smiled with a certain sadness within his gaze that was unexplainable.
He had opened up to her for the first time and he had never done so before with anybody else. The sight made her stomach do somersaults.
But she felt the air shift from a child-like excitement to a heavy sorrow.
What had this man been through..?
Elle was..rather shocked by his words. Her eyes were wide. His family... killed. No wonder he was lonely and brooding. Fear had overtaken the man. She couldn't blame him.
He had been alone for so long because he was afraid of feeling that same pain he felt all that time ago.
Elle gently laid her hand on his arm, making his eyes look up into hers. "You don't have to be lonely anymore.." she whispered in a hushed voice. "I am sorry for what happened.. I'm sure your family was wonderful. I mean, you came from them, and I think you're wonderful.." She said and looked at him.
"Loss is...a part of life. Being afraid of losing those you love is not an irrational fear. But don't let yourself live in silence because of it. You are strong Ezra. You could probably survive anything.." She truly meant what she said.
She saw him as strong and steady, able to handle whatever life would throw at him.
His eyebrows raised as his gaze softened. For a moment, his eyes glossed over with tears, making him quickly look down and away from her.
He didn't want to seem weak, though her words had truly hit him deep out somewhere. He couldn't explain it.
Elle saw it. The hint of something deep inside those dark eyes. Something she had said had struck deep in the man's emotions. Elle kept her arm on him, running it gently as a comfort. She didn't necessarily mean anything by the movement, just a comfort to her hurting friend.
"But I am your friend now. Which means I won't let you be so alone anymore. And I'm never quiet so you can't escape that." She joked lightly, keeping her hand on his arm. "I'm glad to have met you Ezra. Even if it wasn't intentional.. you have turned into a most lovely surprise.." Elle gave him a genuine and soft smile.
His eyes glanced up at her as he let out a forced laughed, a tear falling down his cheek.
"Fuck.." He quickly wiped his eyes, still chuckling. Ezra was embarrassed to cry in front of her.
"S-Sorry, it's just-.." He rubbed at his eyes some more, letting out yet another quiet chuckle. "-Nobody's ever said anything like that to me before.."
Elle couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Her heart cracked almost immediately at that sight.
Such despair and pain resided in the sweet man before her.
Sure, he was broody and dark.. but under all that was a soft, broken soul. How she longed to repair those cracks with laughter and joy. She got on her knees and shuffled to sit in front of him, still on her knees to accommodate the height difference as listened.
Ezra showed the girl another sweet smile. "You make me feel..so different.." Shaking his head as a blush flushed over his cheeks, he looked away from her, looking down at the carpeted floor covered in blankets and pillows. "Like I think I-I'm going crazy sometimes.." Ezra chuckled out, letting out a sigh.
He didn't know what all that meant, but that's just how he explained it. She could only take that in as he wished..he didn't really understand it himself.
Without another word, Elle took her hands and gently used her thumbs to wipe away his tears, making his gaze almost immediately meet back with hers. The gesture made his own heart skip a beat a few times.
"You're not crazy Ezra.." she chuckled softly "You're feeling." She said, "It's what friends do when they can trust each other." She smiled and tilted her head.
"Haven't done that in a while, kid.." He chuckled out, biting down upon his lip as he looked down.
Though What she did next surprised Ezra.
She hugged him.
Elle wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, her face on his shoulder. She held on not too tight and not too loose. It was perfect. His eyes widened as his face flushed a deep red. His heart immediately began to speed up as he froze for a moment. It's like he almost forgot how to hug. It had been so..long.
"You don't have to hide yourself around me Ezra. I want to see you, and who you are. And that means all of you. Even when you're crying. Especially when you're blushing." She teased, having to add one jab in there for fun, he rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"O-Oh..You're still on that?"
Ezra chuckled once again before slowly pulling away, though not all the way. Her arms were still around his neck as his arms were still around her waist.
He didn't want to be seen weak in front of her. Real men didn't cry..did they? Ezra wanted to keep believing that, but he couldn't help but be hit with the wave of emotions that she was causing him to feel. It was a lot and overwhelming to take in all at once.
But he melted within her gentle embrace.
His eyes closed for a moment as his strong arms slowly wrapped around her slender figure, showing a small smile as he let out a sigh.
One of his hands then came up and cupped her cheek, his fingers tucked ever so slightly under his chin as his thumb rubbed over her cheek, making her eyes look up into them, suddenly realizing how close they were.
Elle studied him for a moment. His face was near perfection, each feature able to stand on its own. Yet it all came together to one picturesque face.
"You're beautiful..You know that?"
He spoke softly with a small, sweet smile whilst he looked down at her.
Elle's heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat. The world seemed to stop spinning as it turned its attention to the two, locked in an embrace. And that smile.. no amount of fame, no award, and no amount of success could have prepared her for this. For this connection that seemed to sit above everything she thought she knew.
"And I'm not just talking about this face.."
He chuckled as his fingers playfully pinched at her cheek, making her face just turn pomegranate red right then and there with a smile upon her lips. "I'm talking about you..What's inside of you, kid..All of you..You're beautiful..I really think you are." Ezra spoke so softly, so delicately to her as he looked down at her. They were so close, he wasn't used to it all.
He didn't even know why he was saying all of this like he was..but he was.
He thought she was beautiful.
That was it.
Elle knew at that moment that Ezra wasn't leaving her life any time soon. She didn't have any words.. somebody had finally rendered the girl speechless.
Elle's hand gently came up and brushed some of his hair away. "Well.." she whispered. "I guess it's my turn to be flustered.."
"Yeah?"
Ezra chuckled just a bit more. It was rather amusing just to watch her. It was cute.
She looked away nervously for a moment, biting at her lip as Ezra chuckled . "Thank you, Ezra.. it means something more.. hearing it from you I mean." She said quietly.
"I'm glad..I was only just speaking the truth.." He said softly as his hand still cupped her cheek, his fingers moving some hair from his face.
She stared at him for a moment, not wanting to leave this bubble of protection and happiness she had found. "I made the right choice coming here tonight huh?" She said and smiled at him.
"I think so.." Ezra said softly as he smiled down at her, his head tilting to the side a bit
"And I knew it, you totally like me. Mr. 'I am darkness' over here. You totally like me." She poked at him a little.
"Maybe.." He teased at her with a little grin, making her smile grow.
"But I like you too. So I guess we're both in for it.." she teased and he rolled his eyes, but there was also a seriousness in her voice that he caught unto.
"Yeah you do.." He said with a wink.
"You've worked your way in Ezra. And now you're stuck with me." She whispered and inched closer to him. She really just wanted to be close to him, especially his warmth.
"Stuck with you..?"
He asked with that very grin, his eyes looking down directly into hers as he didn't dare leave her gaze. His arms pulled her just a bit closer to himself as his thumb continued to rub over her soft cheek ever so slightly, she was only getting closer and he was letting her. This was a bad idea, but he was letting her.
"What're you up to, huh?"
He teased at her as his voice fell into a whisper, biting down unto the inside of his lip, his eyes watching her as close as physically possibly as he looked down at her.
How could Elle know? This was new.. all uncharted waters. And she was but a ship, hoping to travel safely through the waves of her own feelings.
Ezra felt as if he was frozen in time in the midst of her embrace. The world seemed to stop for a moment. Just for the two of them.
Everything stopped.
The air stopped moving.
Elle's heart stopped beating, even the crickets in the night stopped their chirping. It was as if the world had gone silent just to give these two the space to be. Elle was left with no other thought.
She was here..with him.
But fear worked it's way in like a virus. She could see them happy... for a moment..Then the press would get involved, they would do anything they could to tear Ezra down. He would never have a moments peace.
The memories of being bombarded by paparazzi, memories of the hate, the rumors, the drama that would go around. Memories of Samuel. How tormented Ezra would be like she was.
She saw, plain as day, that her life was not good for him.