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"...and Kill Ezra" Jett leaned back into the wall they'd been loitering nearby.
The others near about lost it. They had been playing Kiss Marry Kill to kill time as they walked the streets, trying to pick out whatever low stake robbery they could.
The options kept getting consistently insane. For example, common names were Darkseid, Constantine, The Joker, Batman, even Jason himself made it into the list at one point. Lian loved to stir the pot, obviously, stoking the fire to push increasingly uncomfortable options.
Thats how it landed on Jett with his three picks. Eugene, PJ, and Ezra. And he picked in that exact order, smirking, hands behind his head, munching on a bubblegum he was not entirely sure from where he got.
They all thought it was funny. Well, one of them wasn't. The blonde had a sour face, the size of a skyscraper. At some point they'd made Proxy upset. They either did not notice or decided not to mention it.
In Jett's case it was the first one. He'd been a little too distracted that night and, by accident, ended up neglecting Ezra's disgruntled face.
So now that they were walking back to their respective places...
"-I definitely was the one moving the best tonight. No offense, PJ" Jett gloated
"None Taken" Jeffrey shrugged "You and Ez kind of showed off."
"Heh! Right Ez?" Jett turned around to look at him.
The blonde just shrugged dismissively, hands in his pockets. "Whatever..."
"Ez?"
"I said Whatever, Blitz. What do you want me to say? Should i suck your cock while at it?!"
That was unexpected. Ezra wasn't a saintly, holier than thou type of person who never said a swear word. But normally the cursing one was Wildcard, maybe Cheshire Cat. Even Eugene said more swears on average than Ezra did.
Plus, he'd called Jett by his lastname. It felt...
Poisonous.
"Ezzy are-"
"I don't want to hear it." He lifted his palm and made Jett bite his tongue, using his powers to make his mouth snap shut. Jett looked more hurt by the fact he'd do that in the first place than him actually getting hurt. He scrambled inside his mind trying to find what he said or did wrong. Maybe during the fight of tonight against those punny excuses of criminals? No, that didn't make sense. As Jeffrey said, they were practically having fun. They completely wiped the floor with them.
For all his intellectual prowess, PJ looked stunned as well. "Uhm..." He pointed at both of them "Not sure what this is..."
"It's nothing, PJ" Ezra turned to him. The glance he shot Jeffrey was way less radioactive than the glare he had reserved all night for Jett. "See you tomorrow, Jeff..."
"Dude. What gives?" Jett approached him but the blonde just pushed him back with his telekinesis. He shot Jett one final glare before walking off towards the bus stop.
Jett was beyond stunned. He felt confused, dazed even.
"I should...uh...head inside. My dad..."
"Yeah...you go ahead...I'll try to figure out what's up with Proxy" Jett crossed his arms. "Nighty night"
"...maybe just...give him some space?" Was PJ's final advice before he closed the door as quietly as possible.
Psh...give him space? That's the exact opposite of Ezra's power. It'd be like giving a kryptonian a handful of kryptonite.
Jett wasn't just going to go home with one of his buddies angry at him for something he wasn't sure about.
So he ran towards him.
"Go away Jett!" Ezra yelled without turning back, hearing him come closer.
"Ez, come on." He stopped a few feet away from him. Ezra did too, turning around to see him. Jett realized that Ezra was less angry and more hurt. He was both, but in different proportions, and both had Jett's name. Jett gulped. "At least tell me what I did?"
Ezra seemed to lose it.
"I- you don't even-"
"No! That's why I'm asking you"
Ezra chuckled, rubbing his face. It wasn't a happy chuckle. It wasn't even out of amusement. It was a sound someone makes when they are doing whatever other option besides crying.
"Really Jett?" He crossed his arms "You're gonna pretend you don't remember saying that?"
"Can you stop being a pretentious ass and just tell me?"
He was starting to get nervous.
“Earlier when Lian was playing Kiss Marry Kill with us, you got to pick between me, Eugene and PJ”
“So?”
Ezra shook his head, probably weighing his options. Their friendship was really about to be tested over a game of choice? No. It was something that went beyond friendship that was being tested right now.
“I mean- You'd really pick Eugene over me? After everything we've been through, Blitz?”
“I-” Jett let out a sigh of disbelief. Was this really what it was all about? “Ezra, it was just a game! Besides, Eugene and PJ are my friends too, you know?”
It felt insane.
“That's not what I meant”
“You're really upset over me picking someone else for a kiss?” He laughed. He genuinely laughed out loud at the ridiculous conundrum. Ezra was that upset over a game teenagers play to kill time? A game that meant nothing? Ezra himself said he'd kiss PJ's dad! In front of PJ!
Then something changed in Ezra's face.
“You know what just…” Ezra sighed. His shoulders dropped “Just drop it”
“Nuh-uh, I think the fuck not” Jett grabbed his wrist. Ezra simply wiggled his way out of the grip. “I didn't pick you? That's what you're bitching about?”
“IT'S NOT THAT” Ezra snapped, Jett felt the hairs on the back of his head stand up like a cat's. “It's nothing about the game, Blitz. It's how you reacted to me being an option. You were disgusted. At me. AT ME, Jett Blitz!” Ezra roared “But now I know you'd pick anyone else first instead of the person you called best friend to his face. Unless that meant nothing too?” His breath shuddered.
He bit his lip looking like he might cry. Jett had never before seen Ezra even be upset. Crying felt like an alien concept to apply to him.
The blonde's bus showed up as if on cue.
“Ezra.”
He wanted to shake him. Of course he'd pick him! He'd pick him over anybody anytime! He wanted to shake him. He moved to shake him, but he just pushed Jett away.
“Jett, Let's just…not talk for a while.” He walked off towards the bus stop “I'm sorry i just…i have to weigh our friendship a little bit better.”
As the bus rode off, Jett Blitz was left confused, dizzy. He felt like he might puke. Did he really just go through a falling out with the boy he considered his best friend up until now over a silly game?!
Whatever. Pick your battles Ezra Calder, die on the hills you wanted to conquer. See how many people hold a funeral for you.
If he was to get angry at a game of choice then Jett had no more time to waste with him. Ezra said it himself, they should probably stay apart.
Even then, Jett's heart felt…fractured.
___________________________________________________________________
『>CheshireCat♡: @Wildcardd.
>CheshideCat♡: Are you alive even?
>Fairplay: Jett, it's been days. Nobody's heard anything about you.
>Fairplay: we really don't want another missing person.』
It had been three days. Jett felt like he had somehow deflated. He read the messages through the notification box. The last two days he rejected phone calls, mentions, DMs, and even the odd knock on his door. He'd barely even gotten up at all. His normally messy pink hair was now matted against his pillow, and his stomach was killing him. He didn't even bother to even type anything.
That was the worst part of this messed up triduum of sorrow that enveloped him. He'd only been wasting himself on YouTube, watching useless video after useless video. Doomscrolling himself to his grave. Or just until he started to develop bed sores. Whichever happened first.
And inside his head was just…Ezra's sad eyes on loop. A hurt look tattooed into his retinas so he'd never been able to look the other way. To say he'd messed up was an understatement. He fucking blew it.
Ezra was his buddy after all. He'd always find himself smiling whenever the blonde one would use his powers as an excuse to stick closer to him and draw as much physical affection as he could. Or hearing him laugh at the most stupid pun he'd make and have his entire day turn out immediately better, that little smirk, the way his eyes would sparkle just above his rose cheeks, tilting his head in a forty five degree angle and just look at him. Thinking about it used to give him warm fuzzies.
Right now it only gave him a sensation akin to vertigo.
Jett felt like that. And he felt so weak. So stupid. Borderline insane.
He realized this was dramatic. This was a childish stunt. Ezra didn't want to hang out with him anymore. So? He has three other friends. But he doesn't get warm and fuzzy when Lian tilts her head, or when Eugene laughs at dumb bullshit, or when PJ's eyes sparkle when he's on one of his rather educational rants about whatever piece of technology was on his mind that day.
So then why?
He'd never ever pick Ezra last for anything. He was his first everything. Pinned chat, emergency contact, he even has a folder of just selfie the two of them had taken!
So…why…
[BZZT]. His phone buzzed. And he read the notification.
『PROXYBOY: Jett.
PROXYBOY: Can we talk?
PROXYBOY: Pls?
PROXYBOY: I'm worried
PROXYBOY: we all are 』
His heart did a small flutter reading that. Ezra was texting him?
In all honesty he'd never bother to check if he'd blocked him at all.
But suddenly he was standing up, ready to get out of bed.
And he logged in for the first time in three days.
『Wildcardd: what up』
Real smooth. If he could beat himself up he would. He wished his powers would intervene, cause something to go so inconveniently wrong right now and make his phone fry up. Or cause Ezra's connection to just dip. He'd even be happy with a Carrington event.
『PROXYBOY: thank god. I was afraid you'd gone』
Why
『PROXYBOY: Can we talk? Just us? In person?』
The pink haired boy considered it. On one hand, he was already washing up in the event of having to actually go see Ezra Calder in person. He couldn't go and just stink up the place, looking like he looked. Feeling like he felt.
On the other…
『Wildcardd: Why would you want that?』
After all, the one that broke things off was Ezra.
『PROXYBOY: :(』
That did it for some reason. That broke his will. What little remained of it anyways. He'd probably make a horrible green lantern.
『Wildcardd: Meet at seven. That little plaza near my block.
PROXYBOY: ofc
Wildcardd: And tell the others I'm alive or smth.
PROXYBOY: on it.』
And so Jett Blitz changed into nicer clothes and fixed up his hair.
___________________________________________________________________
Jett wanted to run.
In all honesty, Jett was making a conscious decision to not accidentally create some sort of traffic accident, making his phone (or Ezra's) run out of battery, or just run out of the way. But he stayed. Beneath a tree.
He had memories of this park. Memories of everyone in the group. But who cared about any of them? He had memories of Ezra Calder sleeping under a beam of sunshine, or cuddling into his arms because it was cold, or eating his fries because he'd already finished his and was feeling peckish. He loved those memories.
“Jett?”
He turned around. Ezra had always been this small? No, Ezra's barely taller than him. But the way he looked was…
“Sup” Jett muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and looking the other way.
“You've been…away…?”
“Not really…” Jett sighed, sitting beneath what once was his favorite tree. “I just…have a lot going on”
“I bet” Replied Ezra. Sitting next to him.
Silence.
“I may…have overreacted”
“May?” Jett turned to him with a smirk. Ezra blushed and looked the other way, flustered, as if he couldn't physically look at Jett.
“You deserve an apology” He took one deep breath, looking at his friend's eyes. Then back into the distance of the park. “Jett…hearing you say that felt really bad. I mean, it mainly was that…the way you made it sound like felt like you were not…joking”
“I- i was joking! Ezra!” He placed his hand on his shoulder. “Really i…i didn’t understand-”
“There's…no, nevermind. What I mean is that…Jett…I'm sorry I reacted like that. It was just so…petty. I…i mean, i hurt you over nothing” Ezra's lip trembled. “I made you feel like you hurt me over a joke. And then….what? There's nothing more…dumb. I'm sorry, Jett”
“You are dumb.” Jett crossed his arms. “You made me feel like I was never going to see you again. You need to really work on your emotional outburst…”
Ezra finally turned back to him “if you…hate me now…i understand.”
Ezra saw the pink haired boy looking like a puppy when you kick away its food bowl.
“You know I should just beat your ass up…” Jett grabbed Ezra's shoulder a little tighter now. “I really wanna. But…”
“But?”
“Man…i just…love you.” Jett fell forward, pressing his forehead on Ezra's shoulder, resting his head there. Trying his best not to make it even more awkward. “Of course I'd pick you…you dummy. Why did you have to put me through all of that?”
“I wasn't thinking straight…you know my powers make me slightly more…uhm…reactive”
“Oh hush.” Jett looked up at his eyes. “Give me the hug I deserve”.
Ezra's arms were already tightly wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to his chest, where Jett felt like he belonged all along. He snuggled into him, blurring the lines where one begins and the other ends. Ezra leaned in, his nose pressed against his pink hair, taking in that smell, the musk of Jett's scent combined with the cheap hairwash and dye he uses. It felt good. If this was the middle of a fight, his powers would be as strong as they get.
“Soo….would you-”
“Yes.” Jett replied “I'd pick you.”
“I didn't even get to finish my sentence!”
“Alright alright…”
Ezra chuckled
“Kill?”
“Not you.” Jett mumbled.
“Marry?”
“You” Jett mumbled, pressing even closer into his shirt.
“And kiss?”
Jett perked up. Ezra noticed how his face, his cheeks, seemed to be the same color as his hair. It made his heart feel like a hummingbird.
“Jett?~”
“Maybe one peck?”
Ezra leaned down and pressed one quick, velvety kiss on Jett's forehead. It felt like fireworks. Well, being with Jett normally did. He never wanted to face the real feelings he held for him. Everything felt better when Jett was there. Ezra hoped he could make it up for him somehow. But for now he wanted to have his best friend cradled safely between his arms and his stomach.
In one quick motion, he grabbed his phone, took a selfie and sent it to Lian. Hoping that proof would suffice that everything would be back to normal ideally.
Lian only texted back one barfing emoji. PJ called both of them extremely dramatic. And maybe they were, they were dramatic.
For now, it didn't matter.