Unbearble

Ezra had been staring at the ceiling for two hours with only minor turns here and there on the bed. She stuffed her face into the pillow and groaned.

Everybody else had gone to bed due to the jet lag but she couldn’t even blink her eyes close for more than five seconds. She was restless and she knew why. Abruptly, she pushed herself up and sat at the edge of the bed with a huff.

She treaded quietly through the darkness of the house, hoping not to wake any of the boys. She looked at the digital clock in the living room. It read ten seventeen.

Ezra sighed. It felt much later than that. She continued to the kitchen and went straight for the fridge. The only light source in helping her eyesight came from the fridge.

She yelped as she saw something moving from the corner of her eye.

A hand clamped over her mouth, “Shh, it’s me, N.”

She tried calming her breathing as he slowly let his hand drop from her mouth. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

N smiled sheepishly, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Ezra mumbled.

“Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head, “No. I’m assuming you can’t either?”

He grabbed her hand, “There’s a remedy for that, come on.”

Ezra stared at her surroundings.

“Is everything to your liking?” N asked as he plucked apart his chopsticks.

Ezra snapped her attention to him, “Huh? Oh.” She followed suit in his actions, “Yeah, this place is amazing. It’s dainty but cozy.”

He laughed, “I meant your room.”

“Oh,” Ezra blushed in embarrassment, “It’s fine. It’s more than enough really.”

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me or the guys.” He watched Ezra with fascination as she tried grabbing the noodles within the chopsticks. She brought the food to her mouth only for it to slip between the utensils and back into the bowl.

N bit his lip to keep in his laughter.

Again, she tried and failed. However, this time N laughed when she groaned in exasperation.

She looked up at him embarrassed in hearing his laughter.

“Here,” he poised his chopsticks and demonstrated, “You hold them like this.”

A couple of tries and giggles later, N decided to be forgiving and handed her a spoon and a fork.

“You had these the entire time?” Ezra whined, “Why didn’t you just save me the embarrassment, huh?”

N chuckled and moved his seat right next to Ezra on her left. He brought his arm around her, hand on the chopstick and placed it in between her fingers.

His face was close to hers when she turned her head to look at him. She swallowed thickly as she felt the mood shift, all humor gone.

“You have to understand Ezra,” his voice had gone soft now. He firmly cupped her right hand and brought it over the bowl, picking up the remaining noodles.

Ezra focused on their hands, her heart clenching for such a strange reason. Her stomach swirled into knots.

She followed their hands as he brought the chopsticks towards him and into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully as he looked at her. She grew wary of him.

He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear, “That we learn from failure, not from success.”

N pulled back and let go of her hand, his warmth gone and feeling nothing but the small chill that swept across them.

His stare was too intimidating. Ezra had to look away.

Her gaze drifted to her hand, chopsticks still in place.

She felt the lightweight of a sweater embrace her shoulders. Ezra looked up, his left hand outstretched. She sucked at her bottom lip.

He waited.

She noticed his somber expression. Yet, his eyes said something completely different.

He smiled endearingly at her.

She relented.

Ezra took his hand.

Notes

Word Count: 645

Hope you understood the foreshadowing and ending here. A little bonding time with N and Ezra, you could say.