River awoke to the feeling of his lover shaking him, a gentle rousing that was nonetheless shocking when River remembered where they were going, and who was taking them. River clung to Ezekiel before they exited from the car, pressing delicate kisses against the older boy's throat as he came to accept his own grogginess. His body was sore and aching from sleeping in Cassandra's car, but that didn't bother him so much as long as Ezekiel was still tightly wrapped up into his arms. His partner said something, and River and to remove his face from his buried position against Ezekiel's neck in order to comprehend the wispy words leaving the his mouth.<br/><br/>"You do? You remember?" River asked, his gaze slowly shifting to the residence Cassandra had pulled up to. The house looked big, bigger than Father Lamont's from the outside, but the boys had only ever been allowed to spend their time in the basement for the most part. Thirteen years, fifteen for Ezekiel, shut away underground in a dimly lit hovel. The boys had caught glimpses of Father Lamont's home when they were brought up and taken outside, to get their monthly dose of sunshine and exposure to the outside world, but what lay beyond the basement and the path from the basement door to the front they boys had never been allowed to know.<br/><br/>Ezekiel was clutching River's hand tightly as they approached the front door, and River did his best to comfort his best friend silently, not wanting to draw attention from Ezekiel's mother. He walked practically on his toes, ready to run at a second's notice if it was what Ezekiel wanted to do. River followed Ezekiel everywhere. Anywhere. It didn't matter, as long as they were together, their fingers intertwined with one another. River was only happy when he could feel Ezekiel's pulse beneath his finger tips.<br/><br/>Cassandra lead them inside and River watched with wide as she poured them glasses of iced tea. It looked refreshing and delicious, but Ezekiel didn't touch it, and River never ate or drank anything unless Zeke did so first. Despite the dry feeling on his tongue, River held back from indulging himself, pulling Ezekiel into his side as the older boy spoke to his mother, nodding in agreement when Zeke claimed they had been together "always."<br/><br/>"There was no life before Ezekiel," River mumbled, pressing his face into the shorter boy's hair and inhaling, finding comfort in the familiar scent. He meant his words. Not only did River remember very, very little of the life he had before joining Ezekiel in Father Lamont's basement, he didn't truly care to know. River believed that his life without Ezekiel had been mere wandering, ghost-like, lost until they came together. Zeke often supported these feelings in River, telling him over and over how horrible it had been before Father Lamont had brought him home. River wished Lamont had taken him sooner. He could've accepted two extra years of pain and torture if it meant he could be with his love.<br/><br/>A few words were traded between Ezekiel and Cassandra, and River was relieved when Ezekiel bluntly said they were sharing a living space, leaving no room for Cassandra to argue. River loyally followed Ezekiel as he was lead to the stares, but paused curiously when Zeke did so.<br/><br/>"You are scared?" River asked, bringing up a soft hand to stroke Ezekiel's creamy white cheek. "I am, too. But we are together. And I will never let anything bad happen you to ever again. I will protect you." River offered his love an exceptionally rare smile, leaning forward to press a kiss against Zeke's lips. Without another word, River took the lead, pulling Zeke up the stairs but stopping at the top so Ezekiel could show him where his old bedroom was, assuming he remembered.<br/><br/>When the two boys entered the bedroom, River shut the door behind them. There was no lock, but there was a dresser situated against the wall. River moved and grasped onto the dresser, grunted and pulling it across the floor, which was easy enough due to the piece of furniture being empty. River tugged it along until it was blocking the door, preventing anyone from coming in to disturb them. They were safe, for now.<br/><br/>River returned to Ezekiel and placed his hands on the smaller boy's waist, pulling him close. "There. No one can come in unless we let them, see? We can rest here for the night, if you'd like. And if not, we can leave. If you're too scared, or if you get a bad feeling in your stomach, you tell me, and we'll run. I don't care where. I don't care where we go as long as no one tries to separate us."<br/><br/>Now that they were alone, River had no reservations about stripping his best friend, his fingers deftly working at undoing Ezekiel's belt. Even if Ezekiel didn't want to have sex--which was rare, but still possible--they could lie together naked on the bed, finding comfort in one another's skin. The clothing had started to make River feel confined and itchy, trapped. They were both covered in dried fear sweat and stank, but River didn't care. Father Lamont had never allowed them to use deodorant or to bathe with overly scented soaps, insisting the chemicals were satanic. The boys were used to one another's smells.