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He didn't want to have to think about what had happened, or what had very nearly happened. He didn't want to have to think about Lagertha, and the continued silence that seemed almost deafening in his head--and how strange that, when her presence had seemed like such an inconvenience before. Zeke just didn't want to think. He wanted to turn his brain off, he wanted to return to the routine and ease of life before they'd shipped him and damn near everyone he cared about off to the desert. Before half their team was picked off one right after the other.

He wanted--needed--distractions.

Ever was a great distraction. He'd always been a great distraction, but Ezekiel appreciated his particular brand of company all the more in the aftermath of the Sahara. Ever never wanted to talk, he didn't push, he didn't linger on the what ifs or the almosts. Both of them seemed to want nothing more than to forget, and that was just dandy.

It didn't even matter that Zeke still wasn't at a hundred percent. His ribs still protested anything too vigorous, and his shoulder was a constant ache that never really went away, but dimmed in intensity.

He cupped his hands around pale cheeks, drawing the taller man in to catch his lips as he backed them both down one of the hardly visited book aisles in the library. It was late, later than most hunters bothered to be there, and that was the only excuse Zeke had for being so damn bold in a place like this. He'd waited around with his nose in a book for the crowd to thin, for Ever's shift to be over.

The stumble would have strong hands leaving Ever's face to catch him at the hips, steadying him as much as pulling him in closer as he leaned back against a the wall, grateful for the support since his own balance wasn't all that great yet either. Once he had it though, the tips of his fingers disappeared beneath the edge of Ever's shirt, sliding along warm skin as he made a rough noise that might have been assent.

It took a long moment for him to draw back enough to give an actual answer. "You should." He liked the glasses. Admittedly that wasn't what had him dragging the Lifer into dark corners, or at least not the only reason, but he did like them.

Probably he should have considered heading towards the dorms before things went too far, but the idea of letting the other man go, even temporarily, wasn't particularly appealing. He'd push as far as Ever would let him.

Cain would get the echoed remnant of a little laugh, and that at least would make it clear that the library was occupied by other people instead of monsters, or ghosts, or anything else spooky. Another book fell as Ever leaned in against Zeke, fingers through his hair and smothering another laugh.

"There are definitely cameras in here, you know." He offered it quietly, against Zeke's mouth.

Laughter? People. Violet orbs rested on the sight before them in the oppose aisle of books. Was it two guys? Had to be look at the height compared to the shelves, the builds, damn they were tall, bastards. Rattled nerves started to settle as he watched in mild interest despite himself, idiots. Why would they be doing this in a library of all places.

A moment later and it heated up...

Cain swallowed a lump and hissed as a stack of books fell from the darker headed mans elbow. Curiosity aside this pretty well pissed him off to see, mostly because he had to take duty here from time to time as well and like ******** hell he was cleaning up someones mess. And maybe just a touch of something else placed anger in him. Disgusting mother- was that - Cain's eyes widened as he saw the nose, there was no mistaking that face. The voice was forgettable but that face, not a chance.

It was, him, that blonde weirdo from when he was on file duty.

That in mind Cain had no problem with what he did next, not that it would matter if it wasn't the guy but this made it somehow sweeter. To ruin the fun, standing up he pulled a handful of books and gave the two a very stern glare across, scolding, "hey morons, this is a god damn library not a gay bar you can't have sex in the dark corners. And stop dropping all the damn books on the floor, do either of you know what a hassle it is to ******** pick them up?"

Zeke, distracted as he was, responded to Ever's reaction rather than the angers voice that seemed to be scolding them through the shelf beside them. He blinked, not entirely focused, and rolled his eyes to peer at the irrate young man without pulling his mouth away from the side edge of a pale jaw line. He didn't seem all the perturbed by the sudden presence of an audience, or by Ever dissolving into laughing fits against his shoulder. The Life wasn't pulling away, and that would have been the only thing that would have bothered him in that moment.

It was hidden, but he was smiling. More than a little amused by just how affronted the new arrival was by having stumbled upon them. "Ever knows," he mused, wrapping fingers in the top of his jeans. "He's usually the poor sap they have working in here." His head tilted, dragging scruff against Ever's cheek, expression going thoughtfully amused. "You sure we can't ******** in here?" The grin deepened, bordering on obscene. "It's be fun."

"Be nice, Zeke." It was said through another wheeze of a laugh, Ever swatting at the front of Zeke's shirt in a distracted kind of way. He was almost, almost recovered: took just one more moment to sober up his expression and blink at the pair of them. Mock-serious. Overly so.

"Don't you remember what it's like to be a virgin?" Not that he made any effort to untangle, of course.

"Embarrassed. Confused." Slowly, his faux-serious expression turned to real serious instead, and Ever nudged Zeke back just a touch to give them breathing room. His tone took on a faintly reproachful edge, tapping fingers against Zeke's chest as his own history kicked in. It made him more empathetic, at least.

"Ashamed." But he ended it by ticking Zeke under the chin, too.

Well, Cain had a point there. His virginity did not have anything to do with His and Ever's lack of common ******** decency. Zeke smiled at him benignly, loosening his hold on Ever's hips as he was nudged. He hooked his fingers in worn belt loops, maintaining that lingering touch without flaunting it.

As much as the Mist enjoyed digging and picking and exposed insecurities, he did not direct such petty hobbies towards those he gave a s**t about. Cain wasn't on that list, yet, but if the way he responded to Ever's comments were any indication, there were enough similarities there for Zeke to reign in his natural desire to needle at him. Picking at one would mean picking at the other.

Not that it seemed to matter. Cain was gathering up his things, determined to stalk away from him, and Zeke would have been fine with that, happy to return to what they'd been doing before they'd been interrupted. The smaller man turned away in a huff, started for the exit, and Zeke's attention slid easily back to Ever with a small tug at his side to try to draw him in again.

Then he heard the books hit the floor, the smack of a hand on the shelf beside him, and he sucked in a breath through his teeth as he watched the whole thing spill over, directly on top of the poor blonde. He let Ever go to reach for the shelf, started to pull it upward before Cain's cursing rang out through the empty library.

Well then.

"Français hein ? Eh bien voilà un choc." His accent was awful, butchered Parisian, rusty around the edges. He righted the shelf with a grunt, then crouched beside the fallen trainee. "Est-ce que tu vas bien?" A pointed glance was shot towards Ever.