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“Ezra?”
“OHH EZRAAAA!! YOOHOO!!”
It wasn’t like Ezra to run off and go missing, however the Skeletal hitchhiker was nowhere to be found, leaving both Phineas and Gus frazzled and worried for their partner. They’d notice him acting strange all day, as if there was something weighting him down. They paced around the graveyard, nearly running into several spirits, all clueless on Ezra's whereabouts.
“Gee, Gus, you don’t think he hitchhike without us, do ya?” Phineas worriedly asked the prisoner, who shrugged. “He ain’t the type but he’s been actin’ funny all night, I dunno Phineas, but I worry for him.”
After a while night searching the mansion grounds, they found him, curled up next to a tombstone, his hat covering his face as his body trembled occasionally. “Ezra?” Phineas worriedly approached his partner, kneeling down beside him, “Ezra what happened?”
“…go away.” He muttered sadly, refusing to lift his head up. Gus joins the pair, his brow furled as he looked at Ezra sympathetically, “We was worried ‘bout you, Ez. We’ve been lookin’ all night for ya!” Ezra sighs, his head lifting up to reveal his tear stained face, letting out a small sniffle. Phineas immediately wraps his arms around Ezra, causing the Skeletal spirit to immediately burst into tears, sobbing in Phineas’ arms. “Ez, Ez what happened?” Phineas worriedly queried.
“It...it’s my death day today. I know it happened a while ago but…God I wish I hadn’t screwed up. I was awful, Phineas, and because of my actions I’m dead now! Just a lousy prankster in life AND in death! Heck I don’t think the mansion wants anything to do with me either, I’m sure they’d all be glad if I was in someone else’s graveyard!” His head buries into Phineas’ shoulder, sobbing once more. The other two Hitchhikers sat closely to him, arms around Ezra, “Aw, Ez, y’ know that ain’t true!” Gus exclaimed, patting him gently on the shoulder, “y’ may be a trickster, both then and now, but the other haunts love your pranks! Why the other day I saw it with my own two eyes! Remember last week when ya got ol’ Harlan?” Ezra’s head lifts, nodding, remembering his prank against the Ghost Host himself, “The classic water bucket over the door prank, I remember, he was fuming.” Gus nodded, “that’s true, but guess who else was there? Victor! He saw that and burst into laughter, heck I haven’t seen him holler like that in ages! He was practically on the floor!” Gus chuckles, causing Ezra to smile a little.
“Besides, Ez, if you hadn’t ended up in the mansion, we would’ve never met!” Phineas added, leaning against Ezra gently, “I still remember the day we met like it was yesterday, why we all met in this exact graveyard too! We were all so unsure about staying in the mansion, I remember you frightening a mortal half to death trying to escape, we saw you and thought it was a great idea to try and hitchhike a ride so we all got in with you!”
Ezra chuckled, remembering their first hitchhiking attempt together, “Two lovebirds, they drove off not suspecting a thing, that is until they looked in the rear view mirror!” He suddenly bursts into laughter, “we didn’t get very far!” The three of them laugh, Ezra wrapping his long arms around the pair, bringing them in closer as he snuggled up between them, “You guys are the best, I dunno what I’d do without ya!”
“Aw Ez,” Gus sighs, leaning up to peck Ezra on the cheek, causing the other to blush, “We love you too!” Phineas joins in, the two kissing Ezra all over, causing the Skeletal ghost to fluster hard, chuckling, “I love you both too! Maybe I do belong here after all!” As the sun slowly rose, the three sat quietly together, enjoying each other’s presence as they rest, cuddled up in a little pile in the graveyard. “Happy death day to me.” Ezra sighs to himself, smiling.