#darkwants: everly ft ezra 05

[misaligncd]

status: closed

pairing: everly & ezra

with: @darkwants

it was hard to believe that it had only been two months since her life had been forever changed. everly still couldn't believe the news that she had gotten after what she had thought would be a routine visit to the clinic. after all she had been feeling run down for days. there had been some flu going around. the last thing that she needed was to be at work if she was sick due to working in the food industry. she remembered sitting in that doctor's office and holding onto ezra's hand. the doctor had said the three words that everyone dreaded hearing.

ever since that day it had been a flurry of doctor appointments, treatment, emergency room visits and letting go of her dream. she had never imagined that she would be where she was. let alone that ezra would be there with her through it all. she wouldn't have blamed him for leaving. after all she required a lot more care than ever before. the side effects from the treatment weren't pleasant to say at the very least. that afternoon she had spent a better part of it puking her guts up. ezra had been taking a nap which she knew he needed. she had been watching some random movie on tv when she had felt her stomach flip.

after that it was like something out of the exorcist and he managed to get her to the bathroom. she had turned into an utter mess by the time she finally seemed to stop. tears were streaming down her face as he reached to help her out of her now soiled clothes. he had started to run a bath. she forced herself to take a deep breath as he seemed concerned. a sob bubbled up that she wanted to hold in," i'm sorry," she breathed," i don't-you shouldn't have to do this."

[screamiingsiilence]

"what an utter relief," she teased, knowing that it was likely none of his employees truly cared if she noticed them. she had only visited his garage a handful of times. she had no idea if she was going to keep that up since everything was different. it had been made clear by the fact that ezra had been so determined to get her back. he was already behaving differently and she hoped she was doing the same. in their time apart she had been kept busy but he had always been in the back of her mind. she never thought that he would barge into her apartment or even find her when she was grocery shopping. there had been more than a few times he had shown up.

everly couldn't remember the last time she felt so at ease. her movement was slow as she peppered kisses along his throat. he was even tilting his head to give her more access. everything about that moment felt perfect. they weren't rushing, desperate like they usually were. instead they were able to enjoy the moment and let it drag out. happily she returned the kiss that he gave her," i love hearing you call me that." she knew that he liked when she referred to him as title and he seemed to have rotation of pet names for her. the blonde pretended to think, going to tap her chin playfully with her finger," just never stop touching me." her words were barely above a whisper but she knew that it didn't matter," just kiss me and never stop touching me like you are right now."

"don't worry, i'm sure his feelings won't be hurt." he didn't expect everly to remember the faces of all his employees because after all, he was the one she'd stopped there to see and that wasn't that often. that was part of why he'd asked them to keep an eye out, ezra had known they wouldn't be recognized, but of course they could recognize her. even if ezra didn't have pictures of her, they all still knew him well enough to be aware that ezra didn't date, that he didn't entertain the same woman more than a handful of times before moving on and getting bored, so his frequent mentions of evenings with everly were odd enough, and his subsequent temper tantrum over losing her and wanting her back was unheard of. everly had made herself memorable in ways that she didn't even know of and ezra was willing to do things she likely wouldn't expect if it meant keeping her with him.

smiling at the feeling of her lips against his skin, ezra turned his head slightly to give her better access and hummed when she agreed with him. he'd missed everly, even if perhaps she didn't realize it, and hearing her call him sir was just another way of driving in how her absence had impacted him. it was good to have her back, it made him feel settled in a way that he hadn't been, his anxiety from before temporarily forgotten, his internal tension soothed away by warm water. "that's my girl." he murmured, cupping the back of everly's neck and squeezing lightly as he kissed her again. there wasn't any of the frenzy from the afternoon present in the kiss, instead it was almost like they were getting to know each other all over again, learning one another as a couple who had time instead of rushed lovers that met up only to steal satisfaction and run off like thieves afterwards. "so how should i make you feel noticed, hmm?"

[misaligncdarchive]

there was always a worry in the back of her mind. that she wasn't actually in the hospital and still out in the woods. she sometimes had to ask the staff if she was really there. the shrink had told her that it was normal to have such fears and thoughts. she was learning how to handle them all. there was so much change for her after those nine months out in the middle of no where. she remembered what things had been like for her before that flight.

how she had felt like ezra and her were falling apart. she knew that everything was different for them now. she no longer shied away from displays of affection. instead she was the one initiating them more often than not. it seemed they both were determined to not take anything for granted. it was why she wasn't bothered by the way ezra seemed to take his time before he moved to stand upright.

she merely laughed a little, her nose crinkling," how about we wait and see? a comprise." she knew that he had been nervous about telling her that he had moved. he had explained to her why he had done it. that was why she had come around to the idea. she had realized that maybe it was a good idea that she move into a new place that wasn't haunted by old memories. memories that were hard enough for her to handle without reminders. she found herself giving him a small smile," i'll be happy wherever we are as long as i have you."

it was a big step for her to be so willing to be outside. that was why she had suggested that they eat out there. she was going to wheel herself a bit closer to the table as he got settled. her hands went into her lap as she took a look around them," it does," she breathed," good thing there are some clouds." she looked back towards him, watching as he began to get the styrofoam unwrapped," it's not easy," she admitted," but i know i can't hide indoors forever and there isn't really a massive amount of trees, it makes it tolerable." she hoped he believed her because she knew he worried," does the house have a big backyard or anything?"

there had been so much bitterness in their old relationship that for weeks after everly was rescued, there were still times when ezra would hesitate outside the door, wondering if they'd finally arrived at the day when she would no longer want to see him, when her panic had ebbed enough that she would turn him away because she no longer needed him. it was nice to feel something soft towards her, to be able to feel fondness and affectionate without worry about how she would turn sharp and prickly like a thorn, stabbing at him as soon as he revealed himself to be vulnerable for her. he even felt proud of her for being outside, and it was good to know that everly wasn't the only thing healing because their relationship was as well.

hand clutching tightly at the back of everly's chair, ezra was still smiling when she tugged him into another kiss and he hummed in response. if they'd ever been so affectionate before, he no longer remembered it, and having everly be so open and sweet with him was as warm a feeling as the sun on his back. brushing his nose against hers as their lips broke apart for a second time, ezra didn't shift away from her as she spoke, taking in the details of her face up close - her eyelashes and the shape of her eyebrows, the shifting color of her eyes and the way her hair fell. he'd gone so long without seeing her face and now he was lucky enough to see her every day.

"you could, but maybe i could also make it better." ezra countered easily. he'd always had a worry that his previous home wasn't good enough for her, wasn't modern enough or stylish enough, but old and care worn and full of too many expectations of a lifestyle that just didn't seem to fit with everly. the new house was smaller, but it was brighter and newer, plus it was closer to her grandma, which was the big selling point for ezra. he was still concerned that she may not like it, but he was willing to have it fixed up however she wanted if it meant he could keep her happy. "i just want it to be a place where you're happy."

it was sappy, but it was also true, and everly's return gave him a new reason to be glad that he sold the house because there had been so many bad memories in it by the end. he wanted to keep their good connection going and even when their kissing was finished, ezra wanted to linger. "sure, sun feels nice out here today." he agreed easily, moving back to sit in one of the chairs and set the container on the table so he could start working on the styrofoam. "how are you taking it? enjoying being outside?"

[fcundaticnsofdecay]

she wasn't even sure how she had landed in the private chef game. yet she knew that the money was good and she was basically her own boss to point. sure she had to please the people who hired her but that was also pretty easy. most people seemed to want the same things for the get togethers. the world that she served was one where people tried to impress. that meant overpriced and rare if possible. half the time it was never fun or creative.

that was why part of her was looking forward to working for mr. morgan. he was somewhat of an overnight success given his show. she truly didn't have any idea what it was about besides the fact that it dealt with cars. that wasn't exactly her thing but it was clear from the look off his home that he had done very well for himself. he had hired her for the party that he intended throwing. she had fallen in love with the kitchen given everything was state of the art.

whenever she worked with someone new she didn't have any of her staff with her. instead she wanted to get to know them to an extent and figure out their ideas. that was why she had brought her tablet with and was seated at the island," i handle all the menial tasks but all i need from you is what you are thinking menu wise and just letting me know what i'm allowed to spend." she reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear," no champagne fountains, scout's honor," she paused," i'm just intending on an open bar, i have a guy who will amaze you and we will have a variety of selection since you aren't wanting just the usual champagne." something told her that he wasn't really the champagne of wine kind of a guy but she barely knew him.

for: @fcundaticnsofdecay inspo: the car show au pairing: ezra and everly

considering how many of his meals growing up were originally frozen, the fact he now paid someone to cook for him was outrageous. sure, it wasn't like it was something he did regularly and if it was just himself, then ezra still just grabbed something frozen and slipped it into the oven or the microwave more often than not, but this was more than just him, it was a group. not only had the first season of the show wrapped, but they were confirmed for a second season and ezra wasn't about to let that pass without thanking the guys that worked for him and helped make them all rich.

well, maybe they weren't rich compared to movie stars, but jesus fucking christ, one hundred thousand per episode was on par with what ezra made in an entire year before the show came along. when your income suddenly increased tenfold, you felt rich and had more money than you knew what to do with, which was what led to the new house in the first place. no one could deny that ezra had made his way up in the world from his childhood, but ezra would prefer to bury all memories of his life from before under at least a yard of concrete, so he wasn't going to bring it up as long as no one else did.

hopefully everyone would want to talk about the show and how good the party was and not about ezra's origin story, and the food at least should be high quality considering he was paying someone to cook for the event. "and there's nothing i need to do for you except stay out of your way? i don't need to reach out to hire other people or arrange food deliveries, you handle all of that?" he asked, wanting to make sure that there wasn't some tiny details that she assumed he knew and he was overlooking since he was in over his head. because really, ezra would have no fucking idea what to buy if she asked him to, but he was happy to pay for all of it if she could handle the selection and make sure the event didn't end up fucked up. "and you swear you're not going to try sneaking in some kind of champagne fountain, right?"

[fcundaticnsofdecay]

she couldn't help but do a double take at his words. mostly because every other person she worked for at least had an idea for the menu. granted she had started to think ezra was more or less a fish out of water when it came to such events. not that she would ever actually say that to his face. she couldn't help but take a good look at him even as he spoke and basically seemed to want to give her free reign," how about this? since you clearly don't have a basis for what you want, we do a tasting? i can come up with some ideas and whichever you like best, we go with?"

the last thing that she wanted was to make a bunch of food that he wouldn't even enjoy or try. she knew that she also had to keep in mind of any of his guests had any sort of allergies or was vegan, etc. she remembered hearing other people in her industry complain about it. yet that was the world they lived in and no one wanted a law suit on their hands. part of her was a bit puzzled about what to make given she knew the show had been about cars. it wasn't exactly her usual clientele but she knew that she could figure out something.

"i promise that is more than enough," she teased, shaking her head as she wrote down the number on her tablet. only to circle it and then glance back up at him with her eye brows raised," pretty sure polar bears are endangered and i'm betting they wouldn't taste that good." she was going to put a check next to the open bar," i'll get in touch with my supplier and i'll have him come up with a list for your approval." she knew that he seemed hands off but she had to make sure he signed on off it all," there is a science to keeping them from melting but this kind of event? not the type i'd have those for." plus if you asked her they were just insane and a hassle to deal with. yet she always had to give the customer what they wanted. she cleared her throat and sat up somewhat," did you want buffet style or would you prefer if i had waiters with serving trays?"

bold of her to assume that he was thinking of any sort of menu at all. "i figured i'd leave that in your capable hands. you're the foodie, after all, i trust your judgement." ezra's idea of food for a party was either things like hot wings and chips and dip for football games, or veggie trays and sandwiches cut in quarters for funerals, he had no idea what was supposed to be served at a wrap party. fancy cheeses that they didn't serve in stores? things topped with honey? salads with home baked croutons? he had no fucking idea, but if she made it, he'd pretend it made sense and eat it, even if it did have oranges in it. "i have more faith in you to know what to make for this kind of event than me."

at least he could answer the question of cost, because he'd actually googled that to try to find out the answer. it wasn't that he was that concerned about the cost, but he wanted to make sure he wasn't being a cheapskate since it seemed like a lot of things were more expensive than he'd realized. sure, it had been funny to find out there were people that paid eight dollars per cube of ice, but he hadn't had the money to pay for expensive, fancy shit back then. (and he still wasn't paying that much for an ice cube, even if it was 'mathematically efficient'.) a google search had told him tom cruise paid a hundred thousand dollars for the wrap party of some project he was in, but that was for four hundred people and involved renting out a floor in a tower or something. ezra was just having people over to his house and not nearly that many, so at least his party wouldn't bankrupt him.

"i was hoping not to go over twenty thousand, that was my top budget, but i don't know if you can cook enough food to cost that much money in one day. and if you can, please don't tell me. i don't need to know about thousand dollar steaks made from… fuck, i don't know, a polar bear or something." would polar bear steak even be legal? would that matter to someone rich? "an open bar will work fine, we already popped champagne and those fountains just seem messy. same with ice sculptures, and how do they even keep those from melting? makes no damn sense." plus, he didn't like champagne that much. just give him a beer or two and he'd be fine all night, but that couldn't be said for the rest of the party, so... open bar it was.