His Chosen One

Two

Nicklaus

"M-May I sit here?"It's hard not flinch when even I can hear the nervous inflection in my voice when I speak to delicate Ezra for the very first time, though I do not have time to dwell on it as my mind is stunned into submission by the flush that fills his sweet cheeks as he avoids my gaze by tucking his slender chin down into his far shoulder...

And at first, when he nods I do not understand what he's nodding to... Until it dawns on me that I've asked him a question and quickly unfasten the bottom button of my suit coat... My decision to dress as though this might be considered our first date in order to try and give the best first impression possible to the Angel that has so solidly wrapped himself around my heart one that has singled me out from the other predators in the room, all of them having chosen softly colored button-downs and some variation of slacks so as to try and disarm the mother's that we all find ourselves now mixed into.

As expected, the adorable young man next to me says nothing, he simply waits patiently for the matron to introduce us all, our names having not been shared with her charges until this very moment so they could match names to faces and not have any preconceived notions of us to be let down from, the blush that rises to my cheeks nearly as bright as Ezra's own as he shifts about nervously trying not to fall prey to the urge to peek up at me through his dark honey-toned lashes as me, though he cannot resist letting his chin wander over to the shoulder closest to me to try and look at me without really looking at me...

His curiosity probably that of the innocent variety and nothing more, though his lingering hazel eyes do make my heart pound... And when they finally wander up to my face I find myself having to look away from him and focus on the fine china set before us to try and figure out how to keep my breathing even in his presence... To figure out how to keep myself calm enough on the outside to not startle or scare him...

But as I feel his eyes exploring my face as the Matron finishes the introductions around the room I cannot help but notice how moist my palms have become under his gaze before he peels his eyes away from me and focuses himself on waiting for her permission to start enjoying the spread set before us... His hands timid when she gives a final nod and finally walks away... He's so gentle as he unfolds the napkin set so carefully in folded fashion next to his saucer holding his teacup, the way he drapes it in his lap drawing my eye for longer than intended, a clearing of his throat shocking me back to my senses so that I finally look away from his hands.

Everything about him is just so charming... And so petite... His height and weight had been listed in the catalog, and I knew that he would be small and soft, but I hadn't been prepared to deal with the reality of just how taken I already am with him and his stunning daintiness...

All I find myself wanting to do is stare at him in all of his slight tender beauty though I do know that I need to try and give him at least some kind of reprieve from the longing held within my gaze... A longing he himself may not be familiar with yet, the flush of his cheeks growing ever darker when I find myself stopping him when he reaches up to serve himself.

Ezra

"Please... Allow me." No one had ever dared sit this close to me before, and no one has ever even offered to pour my tea, let alone insist on it... At least... They hadn't with the intention of actually focusing on me like this man that I do find ever so intimidating has...

His focus on me so intense that I almost had not heard his name when it had stumbled across Ms.Ezalie's lips... And yet no matter how hurriedly she had pushed it from her mouth I cannot help but feel that it matches his stern-looking demeanor and three-piece slate gray suit so well...

He certainly looks like a Nicklaus with such hard blue eyes that his dark hair already slightly silvered and just as impeccably groomed as his full and tidy beard... No one else had put so much effort into their appearance for today, the residents not seeing the need seeing as how we had assumed that this afternoon would be no different than any other afternoon of peaceful playtime and socialization...

But it seems this predator had thought to put true effort into dressing for today instead of wearing the same kind of shirt that makes our guests so hard to differentiate from the decor that tries so very very hard to make us feel cozy despite the fact that every single one of us knows just how sterile our shared home looks from the outside with all of its whitewashed brick... The barbed wire swirling itself along the top of the fence meant for our protection, though as a child it often felt like it was meant to prevent us from ever escaping and finding a real home... Like in the pictures my family would bring to show me all of the different events that I have missed needing to be sheltered here.

I cannot help but stare in amazement as Nicklaus scoops up the teapot I had been reaching for, the golden handled ones always filled with my favorite brew of cinnamon and spices that always managed to clear my head and my heart whenever they feel too overloaded with my own loneliness, the pouring of the deep brown liquid ever graceful as he fills my delicate teacup with an amount that invites me to ask for more once it is finished...

I cannot find it in myself to do more than giving a nod of appreciation after he pours himself some of the same blend and then turns towards me, "Would you like one of the sweets?"

I do want one of the sweets... I want the chocolate petit fours that have been a favorite of mine since Wendy had brought one to me after a very bad day for us both... We had squirreled ourselves away in my room at the end of her shift that day and had shared it while curled around each other and talked about nothing for over an hour until we had succeeded in making each other crack a smile... But I am not sure that I want one if it means I might have to vocalize my preference so that he might get it for me...

No... Instead I find myself sinking down until I can rest my head in the crook of my elbow on the table and escape the pressure that has built inside of me due to his unwavering eyes, a whimper pouring from the back of my throat without my permission as a light shivering starts to work itself up inside of me and tries to shake my very spine to pieces... How I hope he understands that this is nothing more than my own shyness surging forward... That his eyes are unnerving to me even though I am flattered by his attentiveness.

"Ezra... Ezra, have I done something to upset you?"

Nicklaus

It had been listed in the short summary of his personality in the catalog that he is terribly shy... That he has trouble interacting with others because he gets so overwhelmed so easily, but I had not been prepared to find that sweet Ezra melts under even the gentlest of prodding and that melting is currently garnering the attention of the others seated around the same table as us, some of the guards along the wall opposite us raising their eyebrows at me as my hand hovers over Ezra's shoulder, stopping short without being given permission to actually touch the beauty that so unknowingly controls my heart, "Ezra?"

My calling of his name is only answered by another heartstring-pulling whimper that has my palm descending onto the soft cashmere of his sweater so that I might offer some form of comfort to him while he tries to cope with the stimulation that comes with trying to interact... At first, I almost expect him to shrug me off of the lovely yellow cardigan he had shrugged on over his white shirt, but when I unconsciously move to rub his back I find him actually leaning into the feel of my hand wandering in circles on his back.

I expect someone to step forward and try to stop me, touching not technically permitted and heavily advised against until our chosen mother actually agrees to our affections... But instead, one of the caregivers that has been chosen to stay and keep watch over our conduct halts the security personnel that tries to step forward with a patient raising of her hand and a tilting of her head to the side as she watches and realizes that the true decency I hold in my heart would prevent me from ever attempting to compromise Ezra's virtue... Or any other mother currently residing here.