Epilogue 2
"Do you need to step outside?" Came Asher's voice, soft and concerned, right next to Cailen's ear.
Cailen was about to nod his head yes because he felt like he was on the edge. But then, his eyes locked on a little brown eyed boy sitting in the corner with his knees pulled up to his chest.
It was the boy from the hall.
He was a bit older than the rest, probably about seven or eight, with shaggy brown hair that nearly hid his brown eyes.
Cailen shook his head and jerked it towards the little boy then looked at Asher. He could tell Asher understood what he wanted when he looked over at the boy then back to him, his eyebrows raising.
"Really? The foot-stomper?" Asher chuckled as Cailen nodded his head. "Okay, but I'm keeping my feet away from him."
Cailen snorted as they made their way over to the little boy, Cailen trying to not pay too much attention to the disappointed looks of the other children.
He saw when the boy realized they were coming to talk to him. It was in the confusion on his face and the way he looked around to see if there were any other kids around that they could be coming to instead.
When he realized that they were in fact coming to him, a look of nonchalance passed over his features, like he didn't care if they did or not but Cailen knew better.
"Hello." Cailen said, smiling at the little boy as he kneeled down in front of him.
The boy looked a little wary, like he wasn't sure why they would be talking to him.
"Hi." The boy replied, his voice quiet and unsure.
He remembered what it was like to have some stranger come up to you and start asking all these random questions. So he tried to not be too much like that, but it was difficult because he wanted to know more about this boy.
"My name is Cailen, this is Asher. What's your name?" He asked.
He felt a hand on his back and saw Asher kneeling down as well to join in on the conversation.
"Ezekiel." The boy replied. He still had his knees pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around them and his head hung in a sort of shyness.
"It's nice to meet you, Ezekiel." Asher spoke in a friendly tone.
"That was quite the stomp in the hall." Cailen said instead of going right into the questions.
The boy looked up at him with this, more surprise and confusion crossing his face. Cailen saw Asher give him a look out of the corner of his eye but ignored that because Asher didn't understand.
Of course, there was no way he could and of course, Cailen knew that it was wrong of Ezekiel to do that but it was also wrong of that couple to do what they did.
"He deserved it." Ezekiel mumbled, going on the defensive immediately.
"He did." Cailen agreed, feeling Asher's fingers tapping into his back gently. Cailen mentally rolled his eyes. "Of course, there are better ways to handle that kind of situation." He added for Asher's benefit.
"I know." Ezekiel replied. "But that way is funnier."
He fought to keep a straight face at Ezekiel’s reply, seeing that Asher was struggling as well and he thought he knew why. Ezekiel's reply was what Cailen would have probably said if the roles were reversed.
Ezekiel sighed, letting his legs go and crossing them in front of him, his hands falling into his lap and he regarded Cailen and Asher.
"I'm eight years old, my favorite color is orange, I like to play football, I like batman, I don't like broccoli or spinach, I'm not very good at school and I'm clumsy." Ezekiel listed off, obviously having been through this process one or two times before.
"I'm sure one of the younger kids would interest you more." He finished.
It was kind of sad how much older he sounded, he pulled at Cailen's heart strings and had him looking to Asher. He could see Asher noticed this as well with the frown on his face and somehow, Cailen just knew.
He knew he wanted to take Ezekiel home with him.
He wasn't sure why, maybe he really was just letting his emotions pick for him, taking pity on Ezekiel. Maybe it was the way he saw a lot of himself in the little boy and he didn't want Ezekiel to grow up like he had, always doubting himself, much like he was now.
He didn't know why, but he did know this was the child he wanted to take home with him.
Asher seemed to realize this, his eyes searching Cailen's and a small smile slowly spreading across his lips before turning to Ezekiel.
"Well, now that we know all about you, do you have any questions for us?" Asher asked, his smile staying as he made himself comfortable on the ground, pulling Cailen down with him and wrapping his arm around his waist.
Ezekiel looked a bit suspicious, like this was some kind of joke but eventually spoke.
"Are you friends?" He asked, his eyes darting between the two of them.
Cailen bit his lip, looking to Asher at the same time Asher looked to him.
"Cailen is my husband." Asher said simply, looking back to Ezekiel.
"Oh. Okay." Was his reply before he started asking them more and more questions.
The questions were simple and slow at first, like what their favorite colors were but eventually progressed into ones with more importance as Ezekiel seemed to grow more comfortable with them- like if they had other children.
Cailen figured he's realized that this was not a joke and they were seriously considering him and he could see those walls being lowered with every second that passed.
When the questions started to dwindle again- Ezekiel seeming to run out and resorting to questioning them about their age and unimportant things- Cailen looked to Asher, sending him a silent question that Asher picked up on right away.
Asher smiled at him, nodding before pecking him on the lips and turning to Ezekiel who was watching them curiously.
"Ezekiel, we've had a wonderful time talking to you and we'd love it if you'd want to come home with us. Would you like to be a part of our family?" Asher asked, a wave of fondness for the man he loved washing over Cailen.
Cailen grinned, nuzzling a bit closer to Asher before turning to see Ezekiel looking at them like they confused him. Despite his confusion, Cailen could see that underneath that was a shred of hope mixed with a sliver of excitement.
Right there and then, he knew they had made the right decision.
"Okay." Was his reply, quiet and small but filled with a lot of emotion.
There was happiness and doubt, excitement and disbelief, and the same expression he knows meant that Ezekiel didn't think they were serious and that this wouldn't last.
Cailen knew they could change that and couldn't wait to do so.
He found a place to call home.
And Cailen couldn’t wait to give Ezekiel that.
End.