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Ezekiel opened the door to his apartment and had never felt so relieved. He’s covered in soot and other things he’d really rather not think about. Apparently there is no clean way to stop
dragons from destroying the greater Boston area. So after days of researching
(okay Cassandra and Stone researching while Jones worked on finding entry and exit points to the museum the dragons were living under.)
They finally got the dragon stones back in their rightful places,
lulling the dragons into another hundred year sleep. That being said it still took 4 days and roughly 8 hours of sleep in total to call it good.
As soon as he steps in to his spacious 2 bedroom he rents in Portland, Ezekiel drops his bag and beelines it for the shower. Taking off his unacceptably grimy clothes and goes. Stepping in to that shower, just letting the hot water sooth his aching muscles and ridding himself of any evidence that the week even happened, well besides the gigantic bruise on his left side.
Leaving the shower Ezekiel finally starts to unwind, he changes into his softest sweat pants and an oversized shirt before heading to the kitchen to get some much needed sustenance, before crashing for what he hopes will be the next 12 hours. As Jones starts compiling what was left in his kitchen into some sort of meal (man he needs to go shopping) he’s left with a PB&J and half a bag of pretzels. As bone tired as his body is, his brain had other ideas, mainly thinking about a certain Cowboy he knows.
Stone has been acting weird ever since he got back from Kansas. He went to help his dad sort out the final bits of paperwork he needed so he could sell the family business. It was no secret Stone’s relationship with his dad was strained, but that didn’t seem to be the reason the Cowboy was so distracted after coming back to the Library. Several times now, Ezekiel has caught Stone just zoning out at his desk looking at old scrolls but really being miles away in his own head.
Ezekiel would then go up to him and flick his arm until he snapped out of it.
“Quit it Jones!”
“No can do cowboy, whats got you so spacey anyway? You’ve been like this ever since you got back from your folks place.”
Stone straightened his posture and said “I’m fine Jones.”
“Seriously Stone, you know if you ever need to talk I’m here, right?”
“Y-yeah I know its just… not something I can talk about yet, I’m still sorting out my own head.”
“Okay.. but, day or night I’m here”
And no matter how many times he’s said that to Stone over the years. He always just looks over to him and gives him this tiny smile that ignites his heart with warmth.
“Thanks Jones”
. Its 12:30 am when Jones officially calls it a night, he grabs his phone off the coffee table and walks towards his bed. Just as he’s about to slide into those enticingly soft, cozy sheets when his phone starts to ring. Jones doesn’t have anyone in his life who'd call him in the middle of the night, besides Stone and maybe Cassandra if she’s stuck on an experiment and needed a proper distraction.
Ezekiel answers on the third ring
“Hello?” his voice already sounding quieter with anticipated sleep.
“uh- hey Jones, i-i didn’t think you’d answer...”
“Jake, I said I’d be here, day or night, I don’t go back on promises like that. Whats up? You okay?”
“Yeah, no, I’m good. Just can’t sleep figured I’d try my luck.. see if it wasn’t just me.”
Ezekiel perks up at this, saying “ thought it was just me who sleeps like shit after an intense mission’s been completed. Adrenaline's a bitch man.“
Stone makes a noise that's somewhere between a laugh and a sigh
“Definitely not just you. My bodies exhausted but my brain is wired ya know?”
“Do you want to come over?” Ezekiel asks before his mouth could catch up with his brain. There’s a heavy pause on the other end of the line, and then Stone says “I can be there in like 20 minutes?”
“I’ll leave the door unlocked, just come in when you get here.. uh- see you soon?”
Then Jones hangs up before Jacob can say anything else.
As Ezekiel waits for Jake to get there, he busies himself with tidying up the living room, then wiping down all his kitchen counters (which probably wasn't that necessary) before forcing himself to just sit down on the couch. He winds up flipping through channels until landing on some alien documentary, eyes starting to droop already now that he's still.
Soon there’s a knock on the door and then he hears the creak of the front door opening and the familiar sound of combat boots hitting the floor and being nudged aside.
Jacob walks into the apartment looking sort of nervous and unsure. He's so adorably flustered Ezekiel thinks not stopping the smile that forms on his face as he registers his friends appearance. Wait, did he just say ADORABLY?? So gonna have to analyze that later. Jacob comes over to Jones and plops down on the couch next to him, sitting so close there thighs are flush together.
Ezekiel is discovering that he really doesn’t mind the warmth or the solid feel of Jake next to him. It’s comforting in a way he didn’t even know he needed. Ezekiel turns to look at Jake, letting his head drop down to rest on the back of the couch. Jake looks right back at him, not breaking eye contact even when a slight blush starts to tint the cowboys cheeks.
“How are you doing?” Ezekiel asks
“Better than I was 30 minutes ago. Not sure why Jonesy but you have an oddly calming effect on me,when you’re not pissing me off.”
He huffs a laugh at the nickname, giving him way more butterflies than it had any right to, and says ” Happy I could help”
Suddenly Jakes soft smile is gone and he’s fixing Ezekiel with a look he can’t quite decipher. Jake is turning his body towards him, disconnecting Ezekiel from that warmth he has already grown so fond of. There’s a long moment where they just stare at each other. Waiting to see who will talk first. Jake cracks.
“Zeke…. when I was home everyone was asking about you, how you’re doing, when you're coming back with me to visit? It-it made me realize how much you were there for me last year when my Grandpa passed. You came with me even though you didn’t have to, you didn’t know anyone there besides me... I was so sure people were going to find you too loud or too sarcastic.”
He chuckles at that, not finding it in him to be offended or to argue that he is indeed nothing but awesome of course everyone was gonna love him.
”But there you were worming your way into everyones heart. It got me thinking that we’ve come such a long way from when we were first starting out as Librarians... all those dumb fights we used to have, all the glares and eye rolls and empty threats. I was trying to pinpoint the moment that..things shifted for us but it happened too gradually. One day I wanted nothing to do with you and the next I was worried if you didn’t text me 20 times a day” Stone lets out another quiet laugh.
Ezekiel doesn’t know where this is going, but he does know the exact moment their relationship shifted.
They were coming back from an eventful day in Norway, putting some very rude ice trolls back into their sacred cave, and Stone had slipped on a patch of black ice, slipping back toward the cliffs edge. He didn't think, he just dived for Jacob, pulling him towards himself so he didn’t fall over the cliffs jagged edge. Jones was so worried about Jake, he couldn’t even let go of him for a full minute after he was safely on solid ground. Something must have shown on his face. The fear of almost losing Jake of almost having to watch him fall, how terrified he was of what could have just happened. Must have shown all over his face because Jake was looking at him with a look of curiosity and appreciation, for saving him sure, but also understanding. Like Jake finally saw just how deep Ezekiel cared for him. After that moment it seemed they were more in sync, more aware of each other and their feelings. Sure they still bickered but there was no real bite to it anymore.
“Zeke what I’m trying to say is- I really like you. and I can’t picture my life without you in it, and going home..seeing how you won over so many of my friends and extended family..well it just made me realize that I want you there, by my side, in all aspects of my life. Not just work, but also just everyday things. Everything’s better with you in it Jonesy”
“Jake..” Jones says cause in the moment words were really hard.
“I know, that was a lot. I should probably g-“
Ezekiel grabs at Jakes flannel, pulling him back to his side, intertwining their fingers and giving his hand a light squeeze.
“No wait, please don’t leave”
Jake sighs saying,“Listen I just needed you to know that- I want this. I want a life with you, and I don’t want to hide anything from you.. look I understand completely, that this is a crazy leap of faith and you might not even be attracted to men...but I had to tell you.”
Ezekiel takes a moment to really take Jake in, his soft rumbled hair, his faded flannel and joggers, the equal parts hope and fear in his eyes. And Ezekiel just knows He knows that he loves him, that hewould do anything for him, anything to make his eyes light up, for that big genuine grin take over his face. Suddenly it feels like the easiest thing in the world to lean over and kiss the cowboy like he’s always wanted to.
As soon as their lips touch its electric, Stone has a moment where he doesn’t move, doesn’t react at all. And just when Ezekiel is starting to feel like he somehow managed to read this entire conversation the wrong way, he feels strong warm hands wrap around his shoulders and then they are off. Kissing like nothing else in the world mattered, like the entirety of their lives have lead them to this point. In a way it had.
And then that contact just wasn’t enough, without breaking the kiss Ezekiel moved one of his legs over Jakes and is firmly planted in his lap, that little action seemed to be the green light Jake was looking for, cause now the kiss wasn’t as tender, now it was all heat, and teeth, and tongues.
Ezekiel thinks he could stay like this for the rest of his life, running one of his hands through Stone’s already mussed hair, while the other is focused on mapping out every muscle in Jakes back.
Jake makes this little sound that shoots tingles all down Jones spine. A warmth was building in the pit of his stomach he had never felt before. He was so enthralled by Jakes touches and kisses that when he starts to make his way down Ezekiels neck it just becomes too much. Too much heat, too many sensations and somehow still not enough.
“Cowboy.” he says in a gentle whisper, the nickname making Stone stop his ministrations and pull back to look him in the eye.
“Not that I’m not loving this new development, but… I need you to be sure..I can’t have this be a one off. Fuck, I like you so much I don’t think I could handle knowing what it's like being so close to you and then having that taken away. So if this is something you- need to get out of your system I don’t think I can do...” he trails off because Jake is looking at him with the fondest expression and he feels heat start to rise to his cheeks. He kind of feels like hes going crazy, looking away before he see’s the typical shift from “ about to have my dirty way with you to “you’re right this was a mistake”. He knows this won't be any different. Why would it be?
But then Jake gently takes his chin in his hand and lifts his head up so they're eye to eye.
“Baby, were you not listening when I told you I want this to be forever? Cause I do. I-I’ve never felt this way about someone, and truthfully I don’t think I ever will again. If you’re in this, I’m with you all the way. For the long haul. God..that was so cheesy” He finishes with a self deprecating chuckle.
At first Ezekiel Is too distracted by the insane way his heart skyrocketed at the way Jake called him /Baby/to register the rest of his words. But when he does, he feels the the biggest smile forming on his face, his heart is beating at a rate that surely cannot be healthy at this point, he's sure Jake must be able to hear it.
Something must have shown of his face because looking at Jake with pure unadulterated Love because Jake is kissing him again, pouring all his love in it.
After they’ve broken apart for air Jake murmurs "Fuck you're beautiful" in the Ezekiels ear.
Ezekiel might be dead, that might be the only explanation for this.
Jake is looking up at him with just adoration and care. Panting lighty with a smile on his face, squeezing Ezekiel's hips anchoring him to this moment, like he can read his mind racing thinking this is too good to be true.
Jones pushes Jakes hair back out of his face, he just holds him there for a second, seeing those deep blue eyes before doing what he's best at, taking a leap of faith, he says “ I think we can make forever happen. Granted its gonna be tough working together, on top of having a new relationship but I know you’re no quitter and I’m way to selfish to ever give you up now that I've got you. So lets do this.”
Meanwhile Jakes practically on the verge of tears thinking “this is it, I found my person. “
Ezekiel slowly lifts his body off of Jakes and once he’s properly standing, shaking out some of those stiff muscles. He grabs the cowboys hand and slowly pulls him to his bedroom. It takes Stone a second to realize where they're going but when he does he wraps his arms around the thief and chuckles into the back of his neck adding a sweet kiss before saying simply “Take me to bed Jonesy”
And Ezekiel does just that. They are both way to exhausted from this weeks event and all the emotions they just poured out to each other to do more than some serious making out and then some equally serious cuddling. Turning off the light Ezekiel Jones realizes that this week might be the best one of his life. Well at least so far, he has a feeling things will only get better from here.
Sure they have the team to tell and its going to be tough navigating both being Librarians and being together but for the first time in a long time he’s ready to put in the work.