previously titled beserk
A young gay witch with deadly powers on the fringe is traveling the U.S. in search of a substitute for suppressing his magic and a way to control his powers. Ezra Pierce was born into a religiously strict family with no one...
"so much of what we learn about love is taught to us by people who never really loved us at all." w o r d c o u n t : 1,280
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The smell of cooked bacon and eggs and freshly brewed coffee wafted through the kitchen as Ezra shuffled over to the stairs, shouting up them. "Nik! Paul! Breakfast!" He shouted and instantly Paul came scrambling down the stairs, Nik trudging behind him with heavy-lidded eyes. "Pads, no!" He hissed, nudging the cat away from the plates so she couldn't get hair in them.
"How's the hangover?" Paul shouted between heaving bites of his breakfast.
"Oh my god shut up." Niki hissed, clutching her head as she eagerly accepted the advil Ezra offered her. "I just want to sleep all day."
"Have fun, I'm taking Ezra surfing." Paul bragged and Ezra cocked a brow.
"I don't remember agreeing to that." Ezra pointed out, watching Paul grin cockily.
"Yes, well it's a nice day out and you deserve a good day. I planned everything out, no need to worry about anything today." Paul promised and Ezra's breath hitched at the intensity of his stare.
"Bye," Nik interjected after a bout of silence.
"Make sure you don't leave the doors open so Pads doesn't get out!"
When the two reached the door, Ezra saw a small brown package on the doorstep. There was no return address, in fact, no address at all. Only a name, written in careful cursive.
Ezra Abanoub Pierce.
Of course, because who else got fucked over by ominous witches with no clear indication of what side they were on.
He hadn't seen his middle name in years. And when a witch knew your middle name it was never good.
"Don't open it. You don't know who could have sent that." Paul warned but Ezra had already cut off the tape and opened the flaps.
"It's a necklace." He stated obviously, examining the golden chain with a full moon with two swords crossing over it. "I can't feel any bad energy coming off it. In fact, I only feel good energy."
He inhaled sharply as he saw a piece of paper at the bottom of the box.
They will arrive soon. Be careful.
Ezra sighed, setting the box on the table by the door. "I am so tired of cryptic messages from witches that never bothered with me until now! I just want to be normal, Paul."
"Then let's go be normal." Paul slung an arm around Ezra's shoulder. "Let's go to the beach. The lifeguards let me stash some surfboards in the hut for two bottles of whiskey every season."
Paul drove, glancing periodically at Ezra worriedly. "Why me? Out of all the witches. Not that there's many. Why fucking me?"
"C'mon, Ez, no more self-pity. You'll never discover anything that way. You need to step away and think objectively. But not right now of course. Later. After this." Paul explained, smiling so softly at Ezra the witch simply melted.
They got out of the car and suddenly he paused, eyeing a group of rowdy high school seniors, shoving each other and screaming loudly. They were immersed in a cloud of cigarette smoke, lips clinging to the tops of liquor bottles.
"You know them." Ezra stated, glancing at the group as he followed Paul to the small lifeguard hut. He didn't know much of who Paul was outside of who he was with the family he had amassed. Ezra had never gone to school or interacted with many kids in the town so he had never heard the rumors.
"They're not important. It was before the pack. My mom walked out on my family when I was young and my dad was never the same. It made me angry and I took out that anger on everyone around me. I met them and they just exacerbated my anger but I could never see that. Joining the pack helped me control it but meeting you really helped me grow out of it." Paul explained in a low voice, glancing at the group for just a moment. "Ignore them."
Ezra complied, accepting the surfboard Paul passed him. "I'll ignore him but I don't think I'm gonna be any good at this."
"You're going to be amazing because I'm an amazing teacher." He bragged cheekily. "You're gonna use a fish, it's just between a long board and a shortboard. I waxed the boards earlier so we don't have to worry about that right now. Once you get your wetsuit on, you'll strap that band around your left ankle to make sure the board doesn't fly away."
Paul handed Ezra a wetsuit and shut the door. "Is there a bathroom?" Paul pointed to a small door and Ezra disappeared into it.
After they changed the two headed out into the water, careful to maintain as much distance as possible from Paul's former friends, per his request.
Paul's hand was noticeably on Ezra's hip as he helped him get adjusted on the board. "Make sure you stay in the middle, and watch the nose of the board. It should always be a bit above the water. Make sure you raise your chest when you paddle and make long strokes." He directed, his board floating behind him as he helped Ezra.
"Fuck." Ezra cursed as he slipped forward off the board.
"It's alright, get back on." Paul comforted as Ezra pushed himself onto the surfboard.
They spent the entire day surfing and just as the sun began to set, Ezra caught his very first wave an stood successfully without falling.
Ezra cheered as they began to head in. "I fucking did it!"
"Hell yeah!" Paul smacked Ezra's extended hand. "You did amazing."
"Hey, Lahote!" Paul grabbed Ezra's arm.
"Keep walking." He said, his voice deathly serious.
"What? You too good for us now, Lahote? To busy suckin Uley's dick? You fuckin ditched us, man." One boy sneered, stepping forward as Paul's body stiffened and Ezra could feel him beginning to tremble.
"Fuck off, Jackson. I ditched you cause all you do is push people. It's unhealthy." Paul spit back, his hand tightly gripping the back of Ezra's wetsuit.
"You didn't seem to mind it when I got you whatever you wanted. Although I see you got cozied up to the town freak." Jackson sneered and instantly Paul snarled at him.
Ezra put a hand on the man's chest. "Paul, calm down. It's time to go."
"Yeah, leave, you fucking freak. I guess being the Cullens' boy toy just wasn't enough. You had to go fuck the steroid club too." Ezra whipped around on his heel, his balled fist eagerly connecting with the boy's face and sending him shooting back for his friends to catch. Blood splattered onto Ezra's split knuckles as the wailing boy's nose began to bleed profusely.
"Go, Paul. Go!" Ezra hissed, pushing the shifter forward toward the car.
They climbed into the pickup and Ezra hissed, dabbing a tissue to his sore, bleeding knuckles. After a moment of tense silence that choked the car, Paul burst out into laughter.
"It's not funny, that fucking hurt." Ezra pouted, soon chuckling to himself.
"I told you, Ez. You help me more than you know. Before, I would have beat the shit out of him. Not that he didn't deserve it." Paul glanced over at Ezra with a grin. "That was pretty badass though."
"Ah, I think sexy would be the word I'd use." Ezra interjected, pressing the tissue into his knuckles once more with another hiss of pain.
"Well if that's what you'd say I do believe I have to agree."
