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Ezra screams as the blow lands. He’s not sure how many he’s had at this point, only that it’s enough to the point where he’s lying, leg at an odd angle, in a heap on the ground. The overseer raises his whip, cracking it across Ezra’s side. The boy curls into himself further, sobbing.
“Please...please don’t….”
“If you bothered to listen to your lord when you were supposed to, then you wouldn’t be in this situation,” the man says with the voice of his father. Ezra sobs harder.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he shrieks as the overseer kicks him in the side once more before raising his whip.
“Apologies won’t save you.”
The whip cracks down.
Ezra gasps, pulling his blanket to his face and breathing into the fabric to ground himself. You’re okay you’re fine it was just a dream you’re fine—
“Ezra?”
There’s a knock on his door and he gasps again, pulling the blanket around his shoulders and scrambling off the bed. He walks to the door, unlocking it and opening it to see Kanan with a fist raised to knock again.
“You okay, kid?” he asks, brows knitting in concern at Ezra’s reddened eyes.
“No,” Ezra whispers, shaking his head.
“Wanna talk?”
“No.” He moves to hug Kanan before hesitating. He pauses for only a second before rushing to complete the hug, dropping the blanket and burying his face in the man’s chest as he returns the gesture.
“Night terrors?”
“Ye- yeah,” he murmurs, nodding.
“The Pits?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, kiddo.” Kanan strokes his hair comfortingly, and soon Ezra feels stable enough to release him.
“‘s okay.”
“It’s not. He shouldn’t have done that.”
“‘s okay now- now, becau- because I have you,” Ezra mumbles, rubbing his eye as another tear falls.
Kanan pulls him into another hug. “I love you so much, kiddo, you know that?”
Ezra nods into Kanan’s chest, sniffing. “Love you too.”