It happened again. The reign of the Poro Pyjamas, as Caitlyn liked to call it. She'd barely seen heads or tails of Ezreal in almost a week...and they lived together.
Ever since Ezreal had started exploring for the Arcanum Majoris, he was hardly ever home in Piltover and taking care of his old flat had been Caitlyn's (paid, of course) part-time job. After a while, going to his flat more than twice a week to make sure nothing had been destroyed and his stupid pet Poro hadn't died yet became more than a bit time consuming. Time she'd have preferred to use for her full-time job as Piltover's sheriff. Vi had suggested that she move Ezreal in with her since he really was only there for a few weeks at most and Cait had an extra room anyway. After a week of Ezreal's Poro following her home, she relented and contacted Ezreal to ask if she could move him out of his stupidly-far-away flat and into her own. Ezreal, too engrossed in his mission, allowed her to do so, stating that he'd pay her half the rent every month...as if she would ever let him get away with doing otherwise.
On the first Snowdown after Ezreal had moved in with Caitlyn, Vi had jokingly bought him a set of Poro Pyjamas (Pyjamas with a Poro pattern...not made of Poros...) and they hardly ever saw use even though they were incredibly comfy. Ezreal just preferred to sleep in light clothing. He'd mentioned that when he was younger, he'd carried around a blanket of a similar material but still chose to sleep light, even in winter.
The first time Ezreal had ever worn the Poro Pyjamas was when Lux broke up with him after finding out that he exhibited bisexual "tendencies". Caitlyn wasn't particularly surprised at the blonde girl's xenophobia either. Demacia was not well known for its acceptance of things that went out of the norm like that. Though they had their strengths and victories, the average Demacian was very rooted in monarchic and bloodline tradition, and Miss Crownguard was no different. She'd personally had a bet going with Vi and Jayce on when the secret would come out.
Ezreal had said that the Poro Pyjamas made him feel comforted—like a warm embrace, and began to wear them whenever he felt down or upset, but rarely did he wear them more than two times in a row. He'd worn them for almost a week after Lux had left him, and a few times since he'd gotten together with Talon almost a year later, but it was approaching another week of the Poro Pyjamas once more.
For all their faults, Noxians really didn't care what their citizens did with their free time. Sexual orientation wasn't even in the back of the Noxian mindset, only strength. But right now, Caitlyn had a certain Noxian to blame for her flatmate donning the dreaded Poro Pyjamas. Though she knew Ezreal had initiated the break, she knew Talon had acted terribly towards the boy at times. She really should have stopped Ezreal from getting involved with an assassin. Why couldn't he just find a nice Piltoveran partner that happened to be on the straight and narrow instead of falling for the Noxian bad-boy crawling through the shadows and stabbing people for money?
Sighing, she stood up and trudged up the stairs. The sound of obnoxiously loud sniffling came from Ezreal's room, echoing in the empty hallway. Caitlyn grimaced for a moment before taking a deep breath and putting on her most motherly face.
She knocked on the door lightly.
"Ezreal...? Are you alive?" She called, pressing her ear to the door.
"Yeah..." The muffled and stuffed up reply came as the door opened just a little bit, "Am I late on the rent or something...?"
Caitlyn blinked a bit and shook her head smiling, "Did you think you were gone for that long? I'm just worried about you. You really should leave your room."
Behind Ezreal she could see a stack of empty ice cream cartons, she had faith that he'd clean it up before he left on his next expedition but he still needed to stop moping and get out of the house for a bit.
"I...I guess so." Ezreal frowned, looking uncomfortable, "We could head over to the Institute...see if any matches are going on..."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan." Caitlyn smiled, "Jayce is holding a small get-together afterwards, why don't you come with me?"
Ezreal nodded, "I'll get dressed then."
Not even a half of an hour later the two stepped into the Institute of War. There was a match going on at the time and the two glanced into the spectators' portal. Whichever Summoner had Summoned Vi for this match was very skilled, absolutely dominating the enemy team. Ezreal watched in fascination, he'd been given temporary leave from the League to deal with his personal problems. This was what he was missing out on.
Ezreal stared intently as Jayce and Vi jumped onto Vladimir, obliterating him in a matter of seconds. He felt a surge of smug satisfaction as he watched the Noxian hemomancer disappear in a gleam of light.
"That is unusual."
A familiar voice drew him out of his reverie. He froze, his mouth going dry. Caitlyn remained oblivious as Ezreal glanced to the side. Pain shot through his chest as he saw Talon sitting nearby, probably done with his match for the day. Talon glanced over at Ezreal, not really fazed by the blond's presence, but quickly turned his attention back to Malzahar.
"Is that so?" He asked the Prophet, tilting his head to the side very slightly, "I didn't know that the Void itself was not deadly."
Ezreal bit his lip, fighting back tears as he watched the exchange. Talon had always tilted his head to the side like that whenever Ezreal had been excitedly telling him about his adventures. Ezreal felt like he was drowning as Malzahar's eyes caught his own, staring intently through the boy. His mind was flooded with anxiety and sorrow as he thought of Talon with Malzahar. Images of the much older man's body pressed, sweaty, against the Shuriman prophet tormented him as tears spilled over onto his cheeks.
"Cait..." He whispered, snivelling loudly, "C-Can we go home for now?"
"Huh? Why-?" It took Caitlyn only a second to lock eyes with Talon, her own blue ones taking on an icy, murderous glare as she stared the assassin down, "Yeah, let's go get ready for Jayce's get-together." She hissed, gently nudging Ezreal toward the door.
As soon as they walked into the flat, Ezreal burst into tears, sobbing miserably on his flatmate.
"What's wrong?" Caitlyn asked, gently petting the boy's hair. Her previous annoyance had been quelled, replaced by anger toward Talon and his incredibly inconsiderate way of being.
"I...I saw it..." Ezreal cried loudly, "I...saw them together..."
"Saw them? How?" Caitlyn's brow furrowed, had he drawn so much from just a simple interaction? Where was he getting this idea?
"I saw a vision..." Ezreal sniffled, "I...I don't want to believe it...but the way he was looking at Malzahar...it was like how he used to look at me!" He wailed. Caitlyn frowned sympathetically. She'd had her share of break-ups but none this violent. She rubbed Ezreal's back gently. Had she over estimated his emotional progress? He'd gotten his appetite back, and had been sleeping better recently, "I miss him..." He whispered, "But it's too late now...isn't it?"
"Oh please," Caitlyn huffed, "I seriously doubt that he's in a relationship with Malzahar. I can't imagine the two cross paths often and it took a near death experience for him to even admit that he cared for you." Truth to be told, she didn't want him to get back with Talon. But if it made him stop crying, she'd say anything right now.
"I guess you're right..." Ezreal sniffled, "What kind of event is Jayce holding?"
"Just a casual party, I think," Caitlyn said, thinking to herself, "Probably nothing too fancy this time."
"All right..." Ezreal sighed, rubbing his eyes quietly, "I'll go change...I feel dirty..."
Even though it was a casual event, Ezreal felt heinously under-dressed compared to Jayce's many lady-friends. He didn't really feel like socialising, so he leaned against the wall under a large landing that housed its own dining area.
He sipped at his wine bitterly, keeping his eyes on the floor in hopes that that got the message across adequately.
"I heard about what happened," Vi said, as she and Jayce approached him, "I'm sorry, kiddo."
Ezreal nodded blankly, shrugging.
Jayce took his wine glass, inspecting it closely. Ezreal was about to ask for it back but Jayce shook his head, "Here." He handed Ezreal his own glass, "That'll taste a bit sweeter than what you're drinking right now. You probably could use it."
Ezreal muttered his thanks to Jayce quietly and sipped at the wine. It tasted sweet, just like he'd said, and it didn't take long for Ezreal to finish the glass and seek out Jayce to find out which wine he'd been drinking.
"Stay here for the night," Jayce said, sipping on his wine, "Caitlyn is a bit too drunk to be driving you home; I think she's going to stay with Vi tonight."
Ezreal blinked, then he didn't even have a choice did he? The party-goers were funnelling out quickly, a good few of them stopped to bid a overly long farewell to Jayce as they did.
"C'mon, I'll show you the guest room." Jayce said, patting Ezreal on the back. Ezreal followed him up the stairs. He noted that the scientist really liked to show off his wealth of knowledge, and monetary wealth as well. Jayce herded him into a large room with a nice bed and lightly pushed him over.
He fell face first onto the bed, his head spinning just a little bit as he rolled over. Jayce was already at the door.
"Hey...wait..." He reached out to the older man. Pain welled up in his chest again as he thought of Talon once more, "I don't want to be alone..." Tears threatened to spill over onto his cheeks again as he thought of his vision of Talon and Malzahar. He'd been drunk before, but never like this. He'd never before considered the thought of himself being a sad drunk.
Jayce just stood, dumbfounded and a bit concerned. Ezreal looked up at him, blue eyes brimmed with tears.
"Please..." He begged breathlessly. Jayce sighed and sauntered over to him stiffly. Ezreal grabbed Jayce's wrists and pulled him down, longing for closeness. Jayce awkwardly patted the blond on the back, his brow furrowing when Ezreal grasped at his shirt, holding him tightly.
Ezreal breathed in Jayce's scent, the man's cologne fogged his senses, sending him into a dizzy spell. Through all his pain and misery, Ezreal found himself wanting—needing-a loving touch. Something to distract him from the visions that plagued him. He found his hands travelling down Jayce's back, his nails digging into the man's skin lightly.
"What do you want me to do, Ezreal?" Jayce asked huskily. He inhaled sharply as Ezreal buried his face in the crook of his neck.
"You know..." Ezreal mumbled, "Distract me."
"How would you like for me to do that?" Jayce pushed Ezreal back a little and stared him right in the eye. Ezreal licked his lips, his fingers kneading Jayce's skin.
"Kiss me." Ezreal whispered, blood rising to his cheeks.
Jayce was a bit taken aback by the boy's forwardness and, in all honesty, this didn't seem like a good idea. Caitlyn would have his head if he hurt Ezreal in any way, especially in this fragile state.
As he contemplated his options, Ezreal grabbed him with surprising force, pressing his lips against the older man's. Jayce could taste the alcohol on the boy's tongue as it invaded his mouth. He pushed Ezreal back into the bed, asserting his dominance over the boy as he explored his mouth.
Breaking away from the Ezreal, he stared down at him. Ezreal whined, tugging at Jayce's shirt. Jayce propped himself up on his elbows, taking sadistic pleasure in the boy's needy whining.
"What now?" He asked. Ezreal rolled his hips up against Jayce's, the sudden friction was like a bolt of lightning striking Jayce's spine, "You'll have to use your words." He scolded. Ezreal scowled, clearly embarrassed by Jayce's teasing.
"Take it off." He said, pulling at Jayce's sleeve. Jayce stood up, smirking down at Ezreal as he deftly undid the buttons on his shirt. Ezreal's eyes lit up hungrily as Jayce slowly peeled his shirt off, tossing it on the floor.
"Are you going to keep yours on?" Jayce whispered in Ezreal's ear, "You can if you want to."
Ezreal shook his head and stripped his shirt off quickly. Jayce hovered near him, not touching him in any way. Ezreal reached out to grab Jayce's wrists again, but Jayce was faster, holding his hands in front of him.
"Ah. Ah. Ah. Words." Jayce teased him, revelling in the blond's pouty face.
"Touch me." Ezreal muttered impatiently, carnal desire lighting his features. His facial expression quickly melted into a soft, dazed one as Jayce rubbed his thumb over Ezreal's nipple. Jayce wrapped an arm around Ezreal's waist, pulling him close as he latched his lips onto Ezreal's neck. The man's other hand found Ezreal's hair, yanking the long blond locks down to hold Ezreal in place.
Ezreal's arms wound around Jayce's neck, pulling the man closer. He whimpered, grinding his hips against Jayce's. He could feel Jayce's hard-on through his jeans and he felt a twinge of pride at his ability to do that to the man.
"Tsk. Tsk," Jayce warned, grabbing the back of Ezreal's jeans and pulling his hips down, "If you don't want to use your words like a big boy, I'll spank you like a little one."
Ezreal stared, wide-eyed, up at Jayce. For a famous Noxian assassin, he realised, Talon was pretty vanilla. This was the first time spanking had ever been brought up to him during sex. He squirmed nervously. Part of him wanted to be spanked. He remembered Talon asking him if he could bite him, thinking he meant something terrible and finding out that the man had just wanted to nibble on his neck, learning that the feeling of the man's teeth on his skin was one of the most erotic he'd ever experienced.
Still, Ezreal was not the courageous sort, he just nodded bleakly. Jayce smiled sardonically and stroked Ezreal's hair, leaning close to whisper in his ear.
"Now be a good boy and tell me what you want me to do." He growled, releasing Ezreal's pants.
Finding his strength, Ezreal pointed to Jayce's pants, "Off." He snarled, flustered and unused to being made to wait. Jayce pushed off of him again, leaving him cold to undress himself. He set to work, fumbling with his excess of belts as Jayce watched him, undoing his pants at a frustratingly slow pace.
He was doing it on purpose. Ezreal could tell from the gleam in his eye.
Jayce licked his lips, staring hungrily down at Ezreal as if he were prey. Only a thin layer of cloth separated them now. Ezreal's body was flooded with warmth and he unintentionally pressed his hips up against Jayce.
Jayce's eyes flashed darkly for just a moment as he grabbed Ezreal's wrists and flipped him onto his stomach.
"Hold still, little one." Jayce purred, yanking Ezreal's boxer shorts off. A soft 'clink' echoed in Ezreal's mind for a moment before Jayce's belt snapped across his backside.
Ezreal yelped, tears jumping to his eyes again. It hurt. It hurt like hell. But more than that, the humiliation of the situation shot straight to his groin. He didn't have time to think about it before the belt cracked across his skin again.
"What are you going to do from now on?" Jayce questioned, amusement ringing in his voice. Ezreal felt hot tears rolling down his cheeks. Pain, humiliation, arousal, and most of all confusion at that combination of feelings.
"U-Use my words..." Ezreal whimpered. There was barely any time between the words leaving his mouth and the sharp stinging sensation of the belt as Jayce beat him again.
"That's a good boy." Jayce muttered darkly, "Now count with me, okay? Ten more."
Ten? That was a lot.
Ezreal had no time to protest before Jayce brought the belt down on his backside once more.
"One..." Ezreal bit his lip, tears rolling down his cheeks freely. It hurt so badly. But the physical pain was nothing to the emotional derision driven home by the merciless beating.
"Two..." Ezreal's breath hitched in his throat. His rear burned from the belt. He wanted Jayce to stop—it hurt too much-but the coil in his stomach tightened with every snap. The stinging pain, the humiliation, it all shot straight to his groin. Was he going crazy?
"Three..." His breath came in short gasps. He wanted to cry in frustration, in humiliation. He wanted to beg Jayce to stop, to make love to him normally. But the heat pooled in his stomach told him not to. He wanted it. He wanted Jayce. He waited for the next blow but it never came.
He looked over his shoulder weakly as Jayce knelt down next to him and embraced him softly.
"Did I get carried away?" He mumbled, "Did I hurt you?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. Ezreal shook his head, smiling weakly.
"It felt good..." He croaked, "In a weird way." He added, rubbing his eyes with his arm.
"Do you want me to go away?" Jayce's expression turned serious, but scared. His intention had not been to hurt Ezreal; he'd figured the boy's former lover had to have done something in this spectrum with him. Perhaps it'd been too hasty an assumption.
Ezreal shook his head, "Make love to me...please..." He whispered. Jayce's cock twitched in response to Ezreal's words. The sincerity and longing in such a simple request melted the man's heart. Though he knew the boy's heart beat not for him, he couldn't turn down such an earnest request.
"As you wish." He said, standing and lifting Ezreal up bridal style. He laid Ezreal down on the bed grabbing two small tubes and foil packet from the bedside table. He rubbed his hands with the first tube and began massaging Ezreal rear gently.
Ezreal flinched; it was cold. But he relaxed quickly, the ointment taking the sting of the belt away. Ezreal recognised the second tube; Talon had the same one in his night stand. Before he could think about it too much, Ezreal felt Jayce's finger push into his body. The intrusion was unexpected but not unwelcome. His body hadn't forgotten being filled just yet and he pressed down onto Jayce's finger, moaning softly.
"I...I need..." Ezreal whimpered, trying in vain to vocalise what he wanted. Jayce hushed him with a finger to his lips.
"Baby steps." He whispered, pressing against Ezreal's prostate lightly. Ezreal's body spasmed violently. It'd been a while since he'd had any sort of sexual desire, let alone sexual engagement. He pressed down against Jayce again, whining. He hated waiting. Talon never made him wait or spanked him until he cried.
A second finger slipped easily into Ezreal's rear. He groaned as the older man stretched him wide. It didn't hurt and he had Talon's gentle but thorough ministrations to thank for it. His body relaxed, recognising the feelings and motions of Jayce's fingers as a a tool for pleasure. He clenched down on the intruding fingers, grinding against the hand supporting him. He moaned loudly as Jayce rubbed against his prostate more vigorously, pleasure washing over his body in waves.
Ezreal felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Maybe he should've talked to Talon first. Maybe if he'd not done...this...there would still be hope. His dismal thoughts were soon replaced by an irritated sense of abandon as Jayce's fingers slipped out of his body.
"J-Jayce..." Ezreal lifted his head a bit. The sound of foil ripping made the blood rush straight to his face. Jayce leaned over him, lifting the boy's hips up onto his lap.
"Do you want to stop?" He asked. He wiped an errant tear from Ezreal's cheeks but the boy shook his head.
"I want you..." The blond murmured. He closed his eyes, grinding his hips against Jayce. He needed to move on, get over Talon once and for all, and if that meant having a fling with Jayce, he was all for it, "I want you now..." He whined.
"As you wish..." Jayce responded hotly, pressing into Ezreal gently. It was a tight fit but by no means difficult; the boy had been loosened up quite a bit by his former long-term partner. Still, Jayce found his breath coming in short gasps as Ezreal's muscles pressed down against him. The younger boy had his hands over his face, embarrassed. Jayce gently pulled his wrists, moving his hands next to his heads. He stared down at the boy, marvelling at the neotenic beauty that he knew would never truly be his. Blue eyes stared back up at him, glazed over with arousal as he pushed all the way in, "Are you okay?" Jayce asked, making sure Ezreal hadn't backed out just yet.
Ezreal nodded, squeezing down on Jayce's cock and Jayce nearly collapsed on Ezreal at the pleasing sensation. He pulled back and slammed into the slender boy. Ezreal threw his head back, his breath hitching in his throat as Jayce rubbed up against his prostate. He whimpered, squirming as Jayce's lips latched onto his neck again. The erotic feeling as Jayce sucked on the crook of his neck was nothing compared to the feeling of Talon's teeth clamped tight around his flesh, but it quelled the searing pain in Ezreal's chest, drowning his senses is mindless pleasure.
"Jayce..." Ezreal moaned loudly, "Faster...please..." He dug his nails into Jayce's skin as he thrust his hips up to meet the older man's. He pressed himself up against Jayce, his sticky torso curling easily into the curve of the scientist.
"Mmm...relax a little...breathe..." Jayce gasped, pushing hard against Ezreal's prostate. He picked up the pace, kissing Ezreal's collarbone gently. He trailed soft kisses along Ezreal's shoulders, stroking the boy's side.
Ezreal whimpered, bucking his hips up. The passion, the pure sexual passion was driving him mad. He could barely see Jayce's face, but he could just make out those pale blue eyes staring right through him as Jayce pounded him into the bed sheets. A flash of heat as Jayce slammed his prostate had him writhing beneath the scientist, practically seeing stars.
"What's the matter?" Jayce mumbled, nibbling on Ezreal's ear, "Yordle got your tongue?" His hand found the boy's cock, stroking it slowly. Ezreal bucked up into Jayce's hand at the surprising touch. It was strange being pleasured from both sides at once; his toes curled and he moaned loudly as Jayce pumped him at a slow rhythm.
Ezreal locked eyes with Jayce. The older man's eyes were glazed over with arousal, looking at him impassively and sending a wave of humiliation through the boy. Was he doing something wrong? He covered his eyes with his arm, but it didn't quell the embarrassment in the pit of his stomach. He gasped, his cock twitching as the coil in his stomach tightened with every thrust; the heat of the shame he felt as Jayce stared down at him. He heard Jayce snicker and the pressure around his cock increased, pleasing friction sending his mind into a tizzy.
Suddenly, the pressure from his cock disappeared. Ezreal dropped his arm from his eyes to protest, but Jayce shoved his fingers, wet with pre-cum, into the boy's mouth. Ezreal gagged, his tongue unconsciously swirling around Jayce's fingers, lapping up the salty fluid.
"Suck." Jayce commanded and something about the look in his eyes told Ezreal not to defy him.
Ezreal pressed his lips together, grasping Jayce's wrist with his hands. He pushed the man's fingers further into his mouth, his gag reflex carefully trained by years of adventuring and sexual experimentation (Though most definitely not at the same time). He ran his tongue along the intruding fingers, pushing them apart gently.
Jayce shuddered as Ezreal's tongue glided over his fingers. He thrusted hard against the boy, the sound of their sweaty bodies rubbing and sliding against each other echoing in the empty room. Jayce pulled his fingers out of the Ezreal's mouth and pressed his lips to Ezreal's, his tongue forcing its way between the boy's teeth.
Ezreal's tongue pressed against Jayce's, weakly trying to force the older man out of his mouth. Jayce's hands found Ezreal's grabbing them and forcing them down into the plushy sheets of the bed as he humped the blond fervently. The older man's breath came in ragged gasps as he squeezed the blond's hands tighter. Ezreal responded by clenching down on his cock defiantly, his unfocused blue eyes staring up Jayce hotly.
Jayce watched Ezreal squirm and writhe beneath him, intrigued. He could feel the boy's muscles tensing and relaxing, his toes curling and uncurling against his back.
"Jayce..." Ezreal moaned, thrashing his wrists as his tried to break free of the scientists grasp. The tightness in his stomach was unbearable. He bucked up against the man, rubbing his cock against Jayce's stomach.
"Hush," Jayce shushed him, pressing his lips into the crook of Ezreal's neck, "Come for me." He whispered in the blond's ear, one hand yanking the boy's hair so that their eyes met.
Those words were all it took to drive Ezreal over the edge. He let out a strangled squeal as his own semen splattered over their stomachs. He saw double for a moment as he pressed up against Jayce, panting. He stared up at Jayce, his mind finally beginning to clear up. Guilt washed over him. He wanted to talk to Talon but he'd messed that up, hadn't he? Talon would never take him back now.
His mind began to fade into exhaustion. The covers were tucked in around him, still warm from their shared body heat. He glanced up, too tired to speak, as Jayce began to gently pet his head. He felt the tears coming again as Jayce sat on the edge of the bed, stroking his hair. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to be in Noxus, with Talon. He closed his eyes, willing Jayce to believe he was asleep and go away. He held his breath as tears started to roll down his cheeks, staining the pillow. The room felt cold, even cocooned in the fluffy blankets and sheets Jayce used in his guest room.
His mind swirled with disjointed visions as he drifted off to sleep. Talon sat alone in his home—their home—just vacantly doing things as he always did, sharpening his knives, cleaning the blood off of his clothing. Suddenly the man stumbled across the knife Ezreal had given him, made of high quality carbon steel. Talon wandered the Shurima Desert. He was close enough to touch. Ezreal reached out to grab Talon's clothes but his hand went right through the man. A familiar purple clothed figure stepped over him, Malzahar. The prophet spoke with Talon but the conversation was inaudible to Ezreal. Now in a small, one-room house in a place Ezreal had never seen, Malzahar and Talon sat together, speaking quietly to each other. Malzahar reached out and placed his hand on Talon's arm. Ezreal fell to his knees, crying into his hands. He wanted Talon back. He willed the visions to go away, deafening static filling his ears.
He woke with a start, guilty sobbing overtaking him as he recounted his dream. He was cold, shaking, sticky. The soft covers didn't replace the warm but awkward embrace of the man he longed for, the man he dreamt of. His chest hurt; it felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He wanted to run to Talon. He wanted to cry, beg for forgiveness. But he'd blown that. There was no chance that Talon was even going to listen to him after his outburst, much less forgive him. He didn't think he could even forgive himself after waking up half covered in cum.
A tentative hand touched his head, gently thumbing his hair.
"I've really ruined it, haven't I?" Ezreal hiccuped, more tears threatening to spill over as he leaned into Jayce's touch, "I can't just go back now. I can't undo what's happened. Talon would never look at me the same way...he'd never forgive me."
Ezreal buried his face in the pillow. He knew Jayce wasn't a serious relationship type of guy. This was a fling at best but a one night stand realistically. He'd thrown away everything for a moment's pleasure, for a little bit of revenge.
"Can I even forgive myself?" He choked out. Tears poured down his cheeks once more, "I'm horrible. I don't deserve forgiveness. I don't deservehim." He cried, trembling, "He deserves better than me, so much better than me."
Ezreal curled up tighter. He was cold, so very cold. Cold and alone.
"But I want him back so badly," He whispered, "I know if I leave it alone, I'll move on eventually too...but he made me so happy. I didn't want to lose him, but I drove him away. I'm the worst." The pillow was uncomfortably wet, but the tears wouldn't stop.
"Then come home."
Ezreal's eyes shot open wide. Talon? He had to be hallucinating, still dreaming. It was another one of Malzahar's tricks, wasn't it?
Still, he turned and found himself face to face with the Noxian who'd been haunting his dreams. More tears welled up in his eyes as he lunged at Talon, caring not for state of undress. Talon was here. Talon was here for him.
"Talon...!" Ezreal cried out, burying his face in the man's chest. Talon lurched backwards, awkwardly holding the boy to him, "I...You..." He stammered, babbling incoherently. Talon shushed him, rocking him gently, trying to comfort him.
"It's okay." Talon murmured, resting his chin on Ezreal's head, "Get dressed. We're going home."
Ezreal nodded, snot dripping down his face. He took no notice of anything else as he pulled his clothes on messily. Talon had come back for him. He was going home.
As he finished dressing, Talon took off the cloak he'd been wearing and wrapped it around Ezreal's shoulders before hoisting the blond up onto his back.
Ezreal looked around at his hometown as Talon carried him through the alleys of Piltover. The town was empty; you could hear the wind blow through the grass. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.
Ezreal rested his head on Talon's shoulder, the gentle motion as Talon travelled smoothly through Piltover lulling him to sleep.
"Hey," He yawned, breathing in Talon's scent, "I love you." He whispered, pressing his face into Talon's neck.
"...You too." Talon's voice was hesitant but serious. He'd never verbally responded to Ezreal's confessions of love, usually preferring to respond by squeezing Ezreal's hand or shoulder. Ezreal was shocked by the verbal admission, a smile spreading across his face.
He drifted off, slowly, as they left Piltover. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Ezreal felt warm.