Woo..i'm late...someone should have reminded me to update…
"Heeey open the dooooor." Ezra called as he knocked on the door. It was snowing earlier then expected and cold was not something he liked, "Its cold out here! C'mon!"
He waited a second longer before Beth pulled the door open. "It's just weird I tell you." she chuckled, stepping aside for him. "Come in, warm up."
"What's weird?" Ezra kissed her cheek and dusted off his head and shoulders.
"News was saying last night that it wasn't gonna snow for a couple more days, right? You're brother just kept shaking his head and said 'Nope, it's gonna snow tomorrow morning'." Beth pointed out the door for effect. "Weird."
Ezra chuckled, "Yup, he's our personal barometer."
"If he can do the same thing for sunny and rainy days then my wardrobe might be saved." she smiled, leaning him in.
"He can I think. Where is he?" Ezra asked.
"Kitchen. He's been at a window watching the snow fall for hours. The window might change but he's always at one of them. Said something about a different perspective." she said, leading him into the kitchen where his brother was seated on the floor, looking out the back door.
"Has he gone out?" Ezra asked, following her.
"I asked him and be babbled about not liking to go out in the snow without you." She shook her head. "Hey Cris."
Cristof barely flinched at all but had his face pressed to the glass of the back door from where he sat. He stared at in a daze, watching the snow flakes fall.
"So you wanna go outside with me?" Ezra asked.
He perked up instantly. "Yes. Can we?"
"I am going to need a blanket." Ezra looked to Beth with a smile, "You wanna come?"
"Sure." she shrugged, watching as Cristof jumped up and dashed out of the room like a small child, presumably to grab his coat and shoes. "Why do you need a blanket?"
"I hate the cold." He chuckled before yelling to his brother, "You put on a sweater too!"
"I got the impression he scared you once or something. It's hard to know for sure. That boy talks fast." she laughed quietly, walking down the hall to look into the linen closet to pull out a blanket.
"He did. Got lost once, almost froze to death because he decided to sit down and wait to be found." Ezra said reminiscently. "Now he never sits on cold ground or I guess, goes out in the snow without me."
"That's kinda adorable." Beth muttered to herself. "Guess he learned that lesson better then he needed to."
"Always been like that" He nodded, "He either will do it or he won't."
"He the same way with touching stuff?" Beth asked softly when she heard Cristof coming back towards them. She didn't want him to over hear in case he was sensitive over the problem. "At first I thought it was just a...you know in a new place kind of thing but he still won't touch anything he doesn't have to, but he's way curious."
Ezra shrugged, "I don't know what he has. Doctors don't know what he has. That's one of the other odd things about it. But anyway, he's just particular about certain things. Nothing to really worry about."
He wouldn't tell her about his brother. He trusted her plenty but there was no reason to drag her into that mess and he was sure Cristof wouldn't either.
"Let's go!" Cristof said, appearing suddenly at Ezra's side. "Just for a little while."
"Now he's setting a limit." Beth mused, slipping her coat on.
"Sweater under there?" Ezra asked.
"Yes." He smiled brightly. "Yes, yes, yes."
"Jeez Ezra." Beth chuckled, opening the kitchen door that lead out to her tiny yard. "He heard you the first time."
"Yeah. I want that blanket." Ezra stared out into the yard.
Beth waved the blanket at him that she held. "Come get it."
Cristof smiled faintly, waiting patiently for his brother to go first. He liked the prospect of his brother having friends even if he didn't know them.
"Thank you." Ezra smiled lightly. Walking closer, he pressing his lips to hers as he removed the blanket from her hands. He turned back to his brother before shaking his head, "Go on."
Cristof was almost bouncing on his feet as he went outside. He was oddly quiet since normally when he was excited he couldn't stop talking but this time he only walked out a few paces and stared up towards the falling snow.
"You like snow, Cris?" Beth asked.
There was a pause between them before he answered. "Not so much. But I like this snow."
Ezra smiled wide at his brother's response. He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders before walking out, "It's pretty... "
"Yes." Cristof smiled, letting the snow land on his face. "I like to watch it fall. It's like it falls slowly. It hypnotizes."
"I've always liked snow." Beth mused, following them out into the yard.
"I always flinch cuz my eyes are afraid they'll land in them." Ezra mused. "So how did the day go? Or...your day and both of your evenings together."
Beth just glanced at him when Cristof didn't answer. He almost looked dazed as he stared up at the falling snow. "I'm not sure he moved at all while I was gone. At least it didn't look like it." Beth muttered softly.
"Does that sometimes too" Ezra commented though he was careful to keep the concern off his face, "Evening went good though?"
"Yeah. He followed me for a little while and I got him talking by asking questions. He was more interested in the snow though." Beth said softly, watching as Cristof took a few steps away from them.
"Sounds like my brother." Ezra smiled lightly, "He's still not feeling great I'm sure. It was only my wishful thinking that he would be better so soon."
"As long as you're sure it's normal for him." Beth commented.
"It's like stars falling." Cristof said suddenly. He smiled softly, his face already turning red.
"Billions and billions, just for us." Ezra agreed, holding an arm out to Beth, the blanket draped over it.
Beth slid into his arm and smiled, laying her head on his shoulder. "Is really pretty, and it'll probably snow through the night so tomorrow everything will really be covered."
"All night." Cristof repeated.
"Maybe I should stay. I gave Cris half my cloths, I'll have some for the morning." Ezra offered, wrapping his arms and the blanket around her.
"If you want to." Beth smiled up at him. "He might like that. Though I dunno how he'll take it when you go home."
"He seems to be dealing alright. What about you though?" Ezra asked, "Will I be ruining your nightly plans?"
"If I got nightly plans, chances are good you're involved. It's alright." She laughed softly.
Ezra paused and sighed a little. He was sure he was over thinking things but he couldn't seem to do otherwise. " Maybe he does need space..."
"Just an adjustment period." Beth agreed.
"Maybe." Ezra looked to his brother.
Cristof hadn't moved an inch since he had last spoke and was getting covered in snow as he watched it fall.
"He's so attached to you." Beth mumbled.
"Goes both ways." Ezra shrugged, "Tricky childhood."
"That's really great though, Ezra." Beth smiled up at him. "I bet he's loads better with you then in that hospital."
They both paused when they saw Cristof starting to sway slowly, a soft hum passing his lips.
Ezra nodded, "Lord I hope so."
"C'mon. We'll go inside. I'll make some coffee or tea." Beth said. "C'mon Cris."
Cristof tilted his head towards them a little but made no other moves to show that he heard her. He took a step further away and rubbed his hands together slowly as they grew cold.
"Would you mind starting the tea and giving him a few more minutes?" Ezra asked.
"Sure." Beth nodded slowly, pulling away from him and turning to go back inside. "Neither one of you should stay out long."
"I sure as hell won't." Ezra muttered, walking toward his brother.
Cristof was still singing softly under his breath, staring up at the snow and more then likely hurting his neck. He didn't seem to be paying attention to either of them and didn't even notice his brother until he was standing right next to him.
"You are so catching a cold." Ezra chuckled, reaching up to dust off his brother's head.
"A cold?" Cristof questioned, looking at him. "I'm sorry."
"Why? You'll be the one sick, not me. I'm not mad. You try to freeze yourself to death again and I'll be mad." Ezra mused, "You ready to go in?"
"Do we have to?" he muttered.
"No. Can stay out for a few more minutes." Ezra shrugged, a few more minutes out didn't matter to him.
"Kay." Cristof muttered, rubbing his hands together again.
"Here." Ezra slid the blanket off his shoulders to wrap it around his brother.
"Uh uh! It's Ezra's!" Cristof shook his head. "It's Ezra's."
"Yeah and I'm nice and warm and you're not." Ezra rubbed his brother's back.
Cristof smiled weakly. "I don't mind the cold. You know that. It used to be nice before that time back then. I don't mind it."
"I know you don't." Ezra smiled, walking over to sit on the steps.
Cristof tailed behind him, working himself up into a panic. "We can go in if Ezra wants to. Ezra doesn't like the cold. The house would be better."
"I was just gonna sit. You sat inside all day Cris, relax for a few minutes." Ezra smiled softly. After all this time he was used to his brothers panicking and speech.
Cristof knelt in front of him with a pout. "This isn't my house. Of course I sat all day."
"You can do what you want here too." Ezra said, patting the step next to him, "As much as you would at my house. Beth doesn't mind."
"No, I can't." Cristof frowned, getting up a to take the offered seat.
"Yes you can, I officially give you permission." Ezra said wrapping his arm around Cristof's shoulders.
"No." Cristof said stubbornly. "It doesn't feel right. It's not home."
"You're gonna be staying here too long to just do nothing." Ezra argued.
"No, I'm not." Cristof said softly, leaning his head on Ezra's shoulder. "But I'm not worried about it. It'll work out."
Ezra sighed, "All right."
"It's gonna be hard." he said softly, pressing his nose into his brothers shoulder. "But things have to be hard to get to a good place. Especially to get the results you want to have in the end."
"That is what they say." Ezra smoothed his hand over Cristof's hair.
"It's gonna be hard Ezra. It will be. But harder if we don't just let it be hard the way it wants to be." Cristof sighed.
"Why don't you just tell me what you know, mm?" Ezra said quietly.
"It's not what I know yet, Ezra. It's what I feel now. That feeling that swells in my head and in my stomach. What I should know won't come. I'm too afraid to touch things. I'm too afraid to know to much this time." He whispered.
Ezra tightened his arm around his brother, "I just don't want to find out too late you're in danger Cris."
"I don't want to find out to soon either." Cristof muttered vaguely, not bothered by his brothers hold on him. "Something's coming for me. Somewhere."
"That doesn't make me feel better but... I guess nothing will huh? C'mon, lets go in." Ezra rubbed his brother's arm.
"I'll never hide from Ezra. Not unless it keeps him safe. Ezra will always know first. It's okay." Cristof sighed softly again, getting up.
"I appreciate that Cristof, and unless it will flat out kill me, I want to know okay?" Ezra said as he stood.
Cristof didn't answer that time, only walked inside after kicking the snow off his shoes and dusting off his coat.
"Hey, that was serious Cris," Ezra tapped his shoes before heading in after his brother.
"Hm, hm, hm." Cristof muttered, refusing to answer him. "I'd like snow better if it wasn't so cold."
"Most people feel the same." Beth chuckled, standing at the stove.
"All people feel the same" Ezra sighed, knowing he wouldn't get a response. As much as he'd like to argue about it, he'd lost the chance.
"Nu uh, nu uh. Some people like the snow in the cold." Cristof paused. "I'd like it a lot more if it wasn't cold and if it wasn't white."
"Snow cones aren't white." Ezra mused.
Cristof eyes widened slowly and a grin was in place almost instantly. "Can I have one? That's a lot easier then painting the snow which is what I had wanted originally."
"Wow." Beth chuckled softly. "That's...new."
"Only if Beth's got lemon juice or something we can use," Ezra shrugged, "Or extracts and food coloring, I could work with that but I don't think she'd have that."
"You want a snow cone in winter. For real?" Beth stared.
"She thinks I'm weird." Cristof whispered loudly to his brother after a short pause filled with silence.
Ezra laughed, "Haven't you ever wanted ice-cream in winter? Same thing babe. We're more original then that."
"Well I got some stuff." she said, "You're welcome to look through it and see if you can use it. I've never made snow cones before."
"What does making them before have to do with anything?" Cristof asked, slipping his coat off.
Ezra laughed again, walking toward the kitchen; "Because, my dear brother, not making them means you're more...getting snow in a bowl."
"I'm fine with a bowl of snow as long as it isn't white." Cristof smiled happily. "I've often thought about eating a bowl of snow. Sounds yummy."
"You boys have fun with that." Beth said, hitting Ezra's shoulder. "You're dripping."
"And in pain." he chuckled, slipping of his coat and draping it over her head playfully.
"Hey!" She chuckled. "I'm hiding the snow cones."
"Ezra!" Cristof whined suddenly at the threat.
"And I'm hiding you, how odd of a coincidence" Ezra laughed, taking his coat back and draping it over a chair once he reached the kitchen.
"How mean, Ezra." Cristof scolded, trailing behind him.
"I'm only playing." Ezra reached back to mess up his hair.
Cristof laughed softly, swatting his hand away. "Okay. Can I have a snow cone now?"
Thanks for reading.
Sadistprincess-I'm glad you feel close to Cris. I have to say he definitely has a permanent room in my head. I adore him, which might be a little odd. Cris is hard to predict in who he likes and who he doesn't but it's pretty easy to tell if you watch what he says. ^_^ thanks for reading.
SeasonsReasons- ^_^ sry to cause the frustration but that makes it a good story.
Artisttb- thanks for reading.