Cassandra Cillian was sad.
Perhaps sad was the wrong word. Sad was the death of a goldfish, or the end of summer, or even just breaking your favorite calculator. This was the despair of facing your own mortality, looking it in the eye, and realizing you were going to lose.
Her nose had bled for a solid hour, spontaneously after they returned from a foray in the jungles of central India. That was the longest it had ever gone, like a crimson faucet. Now, she avoided the boys like the plague, holing up in a small room in the farther parts of the library, a room filled with yarn from top to bottom.
She liked to knit, listen to the gentle click-clack of the needles as her scarf grew longer and longer. It was approximately fifteen feet by now, not really a scarf anymore. Whatever it was, it was a teal green, the color of Ezekiel's eyes, and the dark denim blue of Jake's well-worn jeans. It was therapeutic, and it was hidden away.
Or so she thought. The wooly door creaked open in a way that sounded almost like the quiet baa-ing of a sheep. Ezekiel padded in quietly, uncharacteristically somber. He sat beside her and she refused to look at him, but she felt his presence keenly as her needles clicked and clacked against each other.
"Cassie," he murmured after several minutes of the clicking silence. "Cassie, come out."
"No." She counted the Fibonacci series in her head, letting her fingers guide her knitting as she closed her eyes and focused on the scent of wildflowers and pinecones, who followed this mathemagical pattern.
He didn't wisecrack, or try to charm her. He didn't wheedle or cajole like Jake would've. His response was two barely audible letters, "ok."
Another minute of silence passed. Cassandra added in a vibrant auburn color yarn, like her hair. It helped contrast the two blues, and it looked rather pretty added to her tapestry.
"Hold me," she requested, longing to be warmed. Her flesh was pale and had blue undertones, so different from her typical rosy hue. A remnant of her brush with death, no doubt.
"Well, it's about damn time you ask for that," Ezekiel quipped, shifting to curl around her protectively. She dropped her needles and held his hands over her stomach, melting into him. "We've only been together, what, four months now?"
"I'm dying faster than I thought," she replied by way of explanation. "You can't get too close. It'll hurt all the more when you lose me."
"Ezekiel Jones doesn't lose," he scoffed. "Especially not the woman he loves."
Love. That word had become pennies tossed into the wishing well by the three of them, hearing the splash each time they said it. Watching the ripples it made. They tossed so many pennies, it was like they were made of change and had nothing but hopeless wishes.
"You'll still have Jake," she mumbled absently while Ezekiel trailed soft kisses down her neck. She saw bright red flashes each time his mouth connected, each just for a second but so vibrant.
"We still need you, Kitten." His voice was muffled by her skin, but she could understand him perfectly. "You think Cowboy could put up with my wonderful self for five minutes without you around?"
Cassandra hummed in agreement. She supposed he was right, because the two were still at it like cats and dogs. Ezekiel was the cat, Jake was the dog; she knew that for sure.
"Can you stand, Cassie?" he asked after another stretch of silence. He smelled like spices from their mission, and Cassie was acutely aware of it when he shifted. It set off something like a Bollywood song in her head. Oh bother. She couldn't tell what it was. She'd have to look it up.
To answer, she shakily pushed herself to her feet. In one fluid motion, Ezekiel lifted her as though she weighed no more than a twig, but she knew for a fact she was heavier than he was. Maybe he'd been working out with Jacob. That would be good bonding time for them.
She wrapped her arms around him and dozed as he carried her through the winding halls of the library. She didn't know where he was going, and she was pretty sure she didn't care right now. In all honesty, she sort of hoped they never got there.
Ezekiel opened the door to a room and hot air billowed out, bathing Cassandra in a cloud of steam that warmed her soul. It was too soon, but she always liked going to the kitchen, so it wasn't all bad when Ezekiel set her down gently in a chair.
Stone was fishing around in the pantry. She couldn't tell what he was looking for until he pulled out a huge box. Cereal of some sort. Her eyes followed him as he placed it on the counter in front of her, then turned to the fridge.
He pulled out some milk and some strawberries, then spun a knife in his hand that seemed to appear out of nowhere to Cassandra's tired eyes. He chopped the strawberries hypnotically, then poured the cereal in a bowl. Cheerios. They made a rather satisfying sound. The milk went in next, then the strawberries, and Jake added a spoon for good measure.
"Ezekiel said you'd never tasted Cheerios," he explained. "My momma used to make me Cheerios just like this when I was young and I'd gotten banged up. It always helped me, so I hoped it'd help you."
Cassie didn't even realize she was crying until he reached across the table to wipe her eyes. Ezekiel sat on his hands a bit awkwardly, never good when the tears came out. She started to cry harder.
"I love you both, so much," she gasped between sobs. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I'll let you hurt me any day if it means I get to love you," Jake replied. "You and World Class Thief over there are the best things that ever happened to me, and I'd never let go of either of you."
Cassandra ate her Cheerios in hiccupy silence while the boys watched her closely. As she finished the bowl, she yawned wide and both boys leapt to their feet.
"No, I got this, mate." Ezekiel pushed past Jake. Even though they were all an item, Cassandra though he still got a tiny thrill from competing with the guy. It just made their love life more fun.
Stone harrumphed and placed the bowl in the sink. "You never miss a chance to manhandle her, do you?" He watched in amusement as Cassandra made a pleased grin when Ezekiel scooped her up again. She giggled. She was very transparent, but she didn't care.
They all marched off to find the guest room, a dark room with a king-sized bed perfect for the three of them. The library always gave just what they needed, Cassandra thought as Jake unlocked the door with their key. Especially each other.
A/N: Second fic of the year, second Librarians fic. Who would've guessed. Thanks to my lovely pal Luna for the nickname idea! Hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you think!