Jacob Stone knows he's a genius. And he knows most of the world is never going to look at him right off the bat and say, "Hey, this guy must be really, really smart."
But he's beginning to think even his teammates truly doubt his intelligence. Ever since Flynn came back to them and Moriarty joined them, Flynn and Ezekiel had been acting. Well. As you would expect them to. So a few weeks ago, Eve had sent them on a solo mission. And from the looks of it, it had gone well. They hadn't given specifics on what had happened, but had proclaimed they'd taken care of it. And said they had worked out some issues.
Ever since, they'd been acting weird. Not in the way they were being nice to each other, that wasn't the weird part. (They still bickered anyways, but it was less often and seemed to be more good natured than anything else.)
No, the weirdness lay in that they started taking solo missions together. And they wouldn't go into details when people asked about them. They'd say a few things and then split off and flutter away like evanescent moments lost in time.
So recently, Jake had individually asked them about their most recent mission. Flynn had told him something about werewolves in Ireland. Ezekiel had told him something about Harpies in Singapore.
Obviously, they were lying. They were up to something. Something big, based on how often they went on their missions. Jake for the life of him couldn't imagine what the two of them could be hiding. Frankly, he was angry. They were supposed to be a team! They weren't supposed to hide things from each other.
Jake, determined to get to the bottom of the situation, merely bided his time until the next solo mission. He spent a good time around the Annex, so he'd know if they headed out the Backdoor together.
Low and behold, on a particularly uneventful day at the Library, Jake was reading through manuscripts at the Round Table, when Flynn entered, Ezekiel trailing behind him. Ezekiel pulled out his phone and began to type rapidly, and the Backdoor lit up. Jake watched them, trying to appear only slightly interested.
"Where are you two going?" Jake asked. Flynn and Ezekiel looked at each other, looking for an answer. That alone told Jake enough.
"Some disappearances in Germany. No big deal, we've got it. Probably just a rogue vampire " Flynn announced. Jake nodded, pretending to accept that answer.
"Right. Well, have fun. Try not to die." Jake said, looking back at what he was pretending to be doing, hoping if he was dismissive to them they wouldn't be suspicious.
They left, the door clattering closed behind them. Jake stood, hurrying quickly over to the globe. He waited for what he deduced would be enough time for them to be down whatever street or hall they'd come out in, before he respun the door to the same location, and pulled it open. A slight jerk through the membrane or whatever Jenkins was calling it, and he found himself on a busy street. He spun around, peering into the crowds, until he spotted two familiar heads bobbing away.
Jake stayed back, trying to appear as if he were just another tourist, as he followed them through busy market streets. They seemed to be walking pretty slowly for a dire mission, and laughing a lot.
He followed them all the way to a particularly expensive, old looking hotel. Well, it looked old and medieval on the outside. On the inside, as he slipped into the busy foyer, he found it was a bit more modern. He got distracted by the beautiful seventeenth century architecture, and when he turned to look back, the two of them were gone. He cursed, and hesitated, before he headed to the front desk.
Even with his best German and his most winning smile, it took a long time and some smooth words to convince the lady at the front desk to give him the room number of his friends. He supposed he was picking up some tricks from the two of them.
The room was on one of the top floors, one of the more romantic suites. Jake assumed they'd probably gotten it for some reason. Maybe because it was bigger? Maybe they were planning a stake out? Maybe Ezekiel just enjoyed luxury. So did Flynn, Jake realized, in his own way.
He came upon the door and summoned all his dignity, and knocked on the door. Nobody replied for a good few minutes.
"Guys? I know you're in there." He called. Still, no reply. He glanced up and down the empty hall. Then he reached out, and just on whim, tried to the door handle.
It opened easily, to reveal a extravagant room. Flynn's satchel was on one of the armchairs by the paneled glass balcony doors.
"Guys?" He called. Nothing. He walked through the suite, found a master bathroom, with another door at the back of it, probably leading to a closet. Jake frowned, looking at the interesting marble counter of the bathroom while he thought. They must have come up here, and then left again. But why would they leave the door open -
As if on cue, he heard the door of the room open, and heard voices approaching. Jake whipped around, and shuffled behind the half open bathroom door. He didn't know why he felt the need to hide, but at least for a little while, he wanted to see what was going on for a little while before they knew he knew something was going on.
"...I'm telling you, pizza is better." Ezekiel's voice wafted in, as footsteps echoed farther into the center of the room.
"You think pizza is better than everything. You wouldn't know quality food if it bit you in the ass." Flynn huffed, sounding like he was shutting the door behind him. A flop and the sound of bed springs sounded out, and Jake assumed Ezekiel had jumped on the bed.
"Don't project your desires on food." Ezekiel teased. Jake furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Flynn asked.
"You are such a biter. You know how many scarves I had to fish out, to cover up the hickies and the bite marks you've given me? Luckily, I look good in scarves." Ezekiel laughed. Jake froze, feeling his brain short circuit. Hickies? Biting? What? Why - why the hell would Flynn be - that didn't make any sense.
"Well, you also look very good covered in hickies and bite marks." Flynn countered, and his voice was lower, closer.
"Whatever, I look good in everything. You just like biting. Half a mind to wonder if you're the rogue vampire we claimed to be fighting." Ezekiel quipped.
"Yeah, well, I came pretty close…" Flynn replied, voice different now. Distant, edged with remorse and memories that should be left in the past.
Then there was an interesting beat of silence. Jake was still trying to process what in the hell-
"I'm sorry." Ezekiel said, and his voice was soft. Genuine. Jake felt like he'd been slapped. Had Ezekiel just apologized? Sincerely? Without any sarcasm or defense? What was he even apologizing for? "I didn't mean to bring that up." Ezekiel carried on, and the bed creaked.
"It's alright. You know, if you don't like the biting, we talked about how we need to talk-" Flynn started to say, seeming to struggle with openness.
"I do! I was just pulling your leg." Ezekiel cut him off.
"Well, you're hard to read." Flynn huffed.
"I know. I like it that way. I know it drives you crazy." Ezekiel said, with an air of smugness. The bed creaked more, and the position of their voices shifted somewhat.
"Everything you do drives me crazy." Flynn said, more of a breath that a sentence. Jake senses the atmosphere had shifted, and he inched forward, farther into the corner the half-open door and the wall made. He pressed his eye to the hinge of the door, trying to squint through the crack that it opened up.
He could see that they were both on the bed, and with a slight focus of his vision, they became clear. Ezekiel was laying back on the bed, legs half hanging off, while Flynn's mouth was pressed into the curve of his neck. Flynn's hand was in between Ezekiel's legs, and Ezekiel's head was tilted back, his eyes closed and a smile on his face.
Jake could only state, jaw going slack. What the fuck. What. What the hell, what the fuck was going on, why were they touching each other like that! No, no, no, what the fuck-
Ezekiel moaned, and Jake felt his face start to burn. He could not remember a time in his life that he had ever been as mortified as he was right now. Screeching rang through his head, thoughts devolving into pure confusion, disgust, and disbelief. This could not be happening. Was this a nightmare? Some fucked up nightmare?
Flynn moved to straddle Ezekiel, and grabbed his wrists, moving to press them to the bed above Ezekiel's head. Ezekiel wasn't a twig, he had some good muscles on him underneath his so-called fashion sense. But Flynn was experienced, Flynn was a trained fighter. Flynn could do anything to Ezekiel and probably get away with it. Jake could barely process they where banging, let alone process he fact Ezekiel was just letting himself be over powered.
Flynn returned to biting and sucking on the younger Librarian's neck, and Ezekiel bucked up against him. Jake felt like he was going to throw up. It suddenly occurred to him they really were about to fuck. Right there. Right in front of him!
He had to get out of here. He turned, eyes locking on the closet door. With a fever of panic, he tiptoed towards it. He reached for the handle, and closed his eyes, praying. Begging. Flynn could use whatever door he liked all the time, and right now, Jake really really needed Ray to let him do it to.
He turned the handle, and stepped through, and felt a jolt before blinking to find himself in the Annex.
"Thank you!" He shouted, up towards the empty Annex, running his shaking hands through his hair. He then walked swiftly out of the room. He needed a fucking drink.
Jake found himself now avoiding the two men, trying to mentally process the information he'd mistakenly sought out. For the next few days, it played through his head, tormenting him.
Ezekiel and Flynn. Flynn and Ezekiel. They were having sex. And had been for a while, apparently. And keeping it a secret.
Of course they were keeping it a secret! It was just…wrong. And no, not because they were guys. Jake himself liked both, even if he attempted to be subtle on the matter. No, it was wrong, because Flynn was what, twenty plus years older than Ezekiel? Plus...it was obvious Flynn was just using him. He was using Ezekiel to take out whatever issues he had revolving around his break up with Eve. Ezekiel was young, still a kid, in Jake's opinion. And he was being taken advantage of! The power imbalance here wasn't even just about the age, it was just...there was no way this wasn't toxic. And Ezekiel was just going to get hurt, he was probably already getting hurt.
And Ezekiel and Jake may not get along all the time, but they were friends. Partners. Jake only got so mad at him because he knew the thief was better, could be better. And he was protective of his friends. Especially his younger friends, who didn't have the best people skills, and were being coerced into a highly inappropriate relationship. If you could count secretly messing around a relationship.
Jake's shock and mortification soon morphed into anger as logic cleared up the fog. Anger at Flynn, for doing this to Ezekiel when everyone could tell Ezekiel had probably already been hurt before.
He decided he would do something about it fairly quickly. Over the next few days, he forced himself to stomach his feeling and begin to stick around the Library more, instead of brooding in his apartment over the matter. He tried his best to act normal around Ezekiel and Flynn.
His chance came when he entered the Annex one afternoon, to find Moriarty and Eve eating lunch with Cassandra and Jenkins.
"Where are Flynn and Ezekiel?" Asked Jake, instantly noticing the lack.
"Went on a mission to Montreal, I think." Cassandra said. Jake's jaw clenched. He headed towards the backdoor. Moriarty's knowing gaze followed him.
"And where are you going?" The fictional inquired.
"I was planning on going with them." Jake lied, as the door lit up.
"But you just asked us where they were, implying you did not know." Moriarty pointed out.
"I was wondering if they'd left without me yet, I was running late." Jake maintained, as he reached to pull open the doors.
"Remember that what you do not know can hurt you, Doctor Stone." Moriarty called, both his title and the cryptic phrase giving Jake pause. He looked back. It occurred to him that Moriarty had probably figured out what was going on before Jake had. That only made Jake angrier, and soon he found himself in the bustling, French speaking streets of the largest city in Quebec.
He wandered around for what felt like forever, picking up a few clues and making a few assumptions, until he finally found his colleagues. They were in the Botanical Gardens, and Jake kept himself out of few as he finally closed in.
He approached from behind, narrowing his eyes as they came into few. They were sitting on a bench, by the water. Flynn had his arm around Ezekiel's shoulders, a she sipped some sort of drink. The intimacy of the scene only served to righteously piss Jake off more. He started walking faster, already formulating the harsh words he had for the oldest Librarian.
But as he grew closer, the scene grew more distinct, and he found himself stopping a few yards behind them. He blinked, drinking in what he was seeing.
Ezekiel was leaning into the crook of Flynn's arm, and Jake suddenly realized he was asleep. He was asleep against Flynn's shoulder while Flynn looked out over the gardens, eyes following the movements of people walking on the other side of the water.
Jake stared, feeling suddenly like he'd miss stepped. Ezekiel was...he was really asleep. No doubt about it. And most people wouldn't think much of it, people fell asleep in public every once in awhile. But not Ezekiel Jones. There was so way in hell Ezekiel Jones would ever let himself fall asleep in public, or even around other people. He never let his guard down, not even at the Library. The few times that they'd been on a mission overnight, Ezekiel had not slept. He never slept around them. In fact, Jake was certain the only times he'd personally seen Ezekiel sleep where the gas poisoning incident, and the incident with Ray.
If Ezekiel would let himself fall asleep like this, around Flynn and in public...it meant he must feel safe. He must trust not only Flynn enough to be vulnerable around him, but he must also trust Flynn enough to put his safety against other threats in his hands. Ezekiel didn't even trust Eve with that, Jake was sure.
As Jake processed this earth shattering revelation, he watched Flynn's head turn to look down at his young lover, and a content smile graced his features. It then occurred to Jake how…calm Flynn was. He was relaxed, he was sitting still, and didn't seem to have any intention of moving. Flynn was always moving, always restless. But not now.
Jake blinked, as if he'd woken up from a dream. He ducked his head, and then he turned away, beginning to walk back the way he'd come.
Jacob Stone knows that Ezekiel is not stupid. And if he feels safe around Flynn, and if Flynn feels content around him, then...whatever was going on between them was not what Jake had assumed. And if Ezekiel was safe, well, Jake had no business sticking his nose in. Better to leave them alone for as long as they wanted. For as long as they needed.