Chapter 11: Home

Ezra spent the next half an hour deep in thought. He was finally getting a home. He just hoped he didn't do something to mess it up. What if he made Kanan mad enough to kick him back out on the streets? He was taken out of his thoughts by feeling to hands planting firmly on his shoulders.

"So Ezra, you ready to get out of here?" Kanan asked.

"Yeah," Ezra said. He got up once Kanan removed his hands from his shoulders and followed him outside.

Ezra was slightly confused when Kanan did not lead him into one of the cars that were parked in the lot, but towards the sidewalk. Ezra shrugged and followed, they walked not very far, only about three blocks, until they reached an apartment complex. "Here we are." Kanan said.

Kanan led him up the stairs until he reached apartment number 203. Kanan unlocked the door and held it open for Ezra to walk in, which he did. Ezra was slightly awed by the apartment. While it was a good sized apartment for one it might be slightly cramped for two, so Ezra knew it had to be a big deal for Kanan to let him stay. From what he could see there was one bathroom, a small kitchen, and one bedroom, but the couch looked like it could fold out into a bed.

"How about we start you off with a shower." Kanan said.

"Alright." Ezra said. Kanan led him to the bathroom. He pulled some towels out from underneath the sink and set them on the counter.

"Pull the handle out to start the water, turn it to the left for hot water and turn it to the left for cold water." Kanan explained.

"Okay." Ezra said.

"While you shower, I'll work on supper. What do you like to eat?" Kanan asked.

"Food," Ezra responded without thinking.

"No I mean, what kind of food do you like to eat?" Kanan said with a small laugh.

'He thinks I'm joking.' Ezra thought. "I like to eat food."

"What kind though?" Kanan asked.

Ezra could tell he was getting slightly frustrated at his answers. "You can't be too picky on the streets." He started to explain. "You eat what you can get, whether you like the taste or not."

Kanan stayed silent for a moment. "I'll get pizza. Teenagers like pizza." He walked out.

Ezra shrugged off his dirty clothes and laid the towels out, setting the hand towel on the floor next to the shower, the bath towel on the closed toilet and wash cloth inside the shower.

He followed Kanan's instruction on how to turn on the water after he stepped into the shower, getting instantly blasted by cold water. He turned the handle to the left and the water got warmer until it hit the perfect temperature.

After getting wet everywhere he looked at the line of bottles on the side of the shower. He grabbed the bottle of shampoo first, squirting some in his hand and started to rub it through his hair. This proved a difficult task, considering his hair was matted from going eight years without proper brushing or washing. It was also cut unevenly to just past his shoulders, considering it was only cut by him whenever he can find scissors.

Finally all the mats were out and Ezra looked amusedly at how dirty the water was after it past over him from the years of dirt that was coated on him. Ezra rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and grabbed the conditioner bottle. He read on the bottle that this was supposed to make his hair softer, exactly what he needed after all the weather worn stuff that happened to it over the years.

He decided to let that sit in his hair while he washed his body. He grabbed the washcloth and poured some soap on it before scrubbing every part of his body as hard as he could to get all the dirt of. It did hurt in some places do to his beating by the Imperials but overall it felt good to finally be rid of the dirt.

After rinsing his hair out, he figured he used enough of Kanan's water and turned it off. He stepped out of the shower and started to dry off. But then he noticed something. His clothes were gone. What was he supposed to do now?

Ezra completely dried off, but his hair still dripped some, so he wrapped the towel around his waist tightly so it wouldn't fall off. He opened the door, and called out, "Um, Kanan?"

"Yeah kid?" Kanan called back.

"Where are my clothes?" Ezra asked.

He heard footsteps and Kanan was soon on the other side of the open door way. "Well I got rid of them. What good is it if you get cleaned then got back into dirty clothes?"

"Then what am I supposed to wear?" Ezra asked. "I don't think you want me walking around your apartment in a towel."

"You can borrow some of mine until we get you clothes tomorrow." Kanan explained and led Ezra towards the bedroom. Kanan pulled out a pair of underwear, sweat pants, a T-shirt and socks. "Put these then go ahead and put the towel in the hamper."

After Kanan left Ezra did as he asked. It felt weird wearing someone else's underwear, but not nearly as weird as wearing the same pair for four months. The sweat pants were far too large for his small frame, being to large about the waist and the legs pooled at his feet. As for the T-shirt, it was always sliding off one shoulder or the other. As he pulled the socks on he rolled up the pants legs in effort to not be tripping over them.

Ezra knew he had to find a way to keep the sweat pants from falling of his narrow hips to prevent a wardrobe malfunction. He looked on the nightstand and saw a hair tie, like what Kanan must have used to pull his hair back. Ezra grabbed it and bundled the extra fabric of the pants off to the side and tied the hair tie around it.

"That should work." Ezra mumbled to himself. He left the room to locate Kanan. It wasn't that hard with how small the apartment was.

As Ezra walked into the main part of the apartment there was a knock on the door. Kanan answered it.

"Hello." The man at the door said. "You ordered a pizza?"

"Yes," Kanan said. He handed the man some money and the man in return handed him a box. Kanan brought the box over the counter after bidding the man at the door a farewell.

Kanan opened the box and looked at Ezra with a smile. "So there is a kid under all that dirt."

Ezra rolled his eyes but didn't respond, not really knowing how to deal with jokes.

"Well don't just stand there, the pizza isn't going to eat itself." Kanan said. He pulled out two plates as Ezra approached.

Kanan took a look at the ill-fitting clothes. "Yeah, first things first, you need your own clothes. We'll do that tomorrow."

"You don't work tomorrow?" Ezra questioned.

"No, I'm kind of on leave because I shot those guys." Kanan said, rubbing his neck with one hand as he placed two slices on each plate.

"You didn't have to save me." Ezra said, taking the plate Kanan handed him.

"You would have died." Kanan reminded.

"I know, but at the time, death didn't see that bad." Ezra said. "I mean, no one cared for me, and I would be back with my parents."

"What did happen to your parents anyway?" Kanan asked taking a seat on the couch.

Ezra sat next to him, he didn't want to answer that. "I'd rather not talk about that." He took a bite of the pizza. It was warm and tasted so good. There were so many flavors in each bite. He started to eat it eagerly.

"Like the pizza I see." Kanan said.

"I haven't really had warm food since I've been on the street. There was one time about a week ago when a woman bought me something at a diner but other than that, I haven't really had a hot meal since my parents died."

Kanan gave a sad smile. "So why not tell me a bit about yourself."

"Like what?" Ezra said before his next bite.

"Anything you feel comfortable with sharing." Kanan offered.

"I'm 14, but I'll be 15 on October 6th." Ezra said.

Kanan made a mental note to remember the date to get him something for his birthday. "What kind of things do you like to do?"

"Not much time to enjoy pleasant things when you're struggling to get through the day." Ezra admitted. "But I do like to sing when I get the chance."

"You are a good singer." Kanan remarked.

"Thanks," Ezra said. Kanan could see a light blush across his face.

'He must be unused to receiving compliments,' Kanan thought.

There was an awkward silence so Kanan turned the T.V. on.

Kanan and Ezra finished off the pizza and silent watched T.V. for the next two hours, unsure what else to do. Kanan figured he better get the bed set up.

"Could you get up?" Kanan asked, and Ezra didn't refuse. Kanan took the cushions off the couch before pulling at the base until it pull up and out to fold out into a bed. He left and grabbed the sheets and pillows for it. He finished up the bed and left to get changed.

Kanan just finished changed and headed back to the couch bed, with the intent to sleep on it and let Ezra have the bedroom, but when he came back, Ezra was already on the couch bed and seemed to be fast asleep.

Kanan recalled how Ezra said he had been currently staying at the park, and so the couch bed was probably the most comfortable thing he's slept on in the past several years. Kanan sighed and pulled the blankets further up Ezra before heading back to his bedroom to sleep.

He could tell his life was about to get far more interesting.

Note I am a girl, so if it seemed like Ezra showered like I am sorry that I don't know how guys shower.