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"Go be with the one you love," Ezekiel shouts, the words sounding pained as they pass through his lips and Cassandra only watched in horror as their pilot for the evening took off.
It was sweet, of course, that he was toing to go see his love, but that left them stuck without a way to save the world, to save Christmas, to save Santa — and wow, she still couldn't believe she knew Santa— and it was frustrating.
There was nothing they could really do, but wait.
With the waiting, the awkward silence between the two of them, Cassandra came to a startling realization.
It sounded like he knew, like Ezekiel knew how painful it was to live without the one you love and Cassandra couldn't help wondering if it was someone from his past, someone from his present, what had happened to make him sound so... sad.
She watches him, observing how still he is, hands steepled under his chin as he stares off into the void, deep in thought.
It was kind of unsettling to see him so still, for once, when he wasn't in the middle of stealing something. She was sure that he probably never stopped moving about, even in his sleep.
"Ezekiel?" she calls, surprised when he jumps, turning to her, a glassy sheen in his eyes, the hat's magic not working to cheer him up.
She knew he wouldn't cry in front of her. She decided that she wouldn't bring it up, not wanting him to feel too uncomfortable.
"Yeah?"
"When you said that to the pilot," she starts, watching him tense minutely, "did you mean that?"
"You mean would I have said that if I wasn't wearing the hat?" She nods, watching him take a deep breathe before sighing resolutely. "Yes and no."
Cassandra tilts her head in confusion and he chuckles. "I meant what I said. Love is the supreme power and he should be at home with the one he loves, but I wouldn't have told him that."
"Because of the mission?"
"Yeah. Kind of." Ezekiel shakes his head a little, refusing to look her in the eye as he continues to speak. "Yeah, we wouldn't have a pilot for the mission. We'd be stuck like we are right now, but," he trails off.
"You didn't want to be vulnerable."
Ezekiel doesn't say anything. He just lowers his head, staring at the ground, trying to gather his thoughts.
Cassandra isn't sure what to say. She's never seen him so serious, so resigned before. He's usually peppy, happy and running around. At the very least hyperactive.
They are silent for a few more minutes, the silence awkward, heavy and tense, neither party sure of what to say to the other until Cassandra can't take it anymore.
"What happened?"
Ezekiel seems to shy further into himself before sighing, deeply, already resigning himself to tell her and she almost feels bad. He glances at her for only a second as he gathers his thoughts.
"Coming to the Library was a chance for me to start over, to do what I liked in a way that would benefit others," he started. Cassandra was about to protest, about to point out that wasn't what she meant when he continued talking. "It was something I never thought I'd be able to do again."
Cassandra had questions about that part, but decided to let it go so he could talk to her.
"Meeting you guys was amazing. I finally had a family who saw something in me that wasn't just a great thief. Of course I had to ruin that with feeling." Ezekiel laughed bitterly, the sound so wrong coming from him. She had a feeling she knew where this was headed though.
"Jacob."
It was just one word, one name, but Ezekiel seemed to fold into himself, sorrow seeming to drag down his whole demeanor and she knew she had been right.
"I thought it was a crush at first, fleeting, fanciful, but it didn't go away. Every moment, every touch, every conversation just seemed to make me feel more and," he trails off, shaking his head again, wiping away a tear that Cassandra pretends she didn't see.
"You can't tell him."
"He's one of the only people who support me, who sees the good in me and I can't lose that. I can't even chance losing that," he whispers, voice hoarse.
Cassandra understands.
They don't say anything, sit in companiable silence for a while, neither of them able to talk.
"Cassie?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. You know, for listening."
"Of course. You're family," Cassandra mutters, once again ignoring the tears that seem to be a constant for Ezekiel tonight, Santa's magic hat having no power against it.
She supposed that love really did trump everything.
The door to the shed opens up, the cold air sweeping in as the others join them and Cassandra can see the way Ezekiel's eyes linger just a moment too long on Stone.
She also sees the way Stone's eyes linger just slightly too long on Ezekiel and she knows that her family will be alright in the end.