River was hungry. The snacks on the table looked appetizing, but Ezekiel hadn't touched them, so he refused to do so as well. He wasn't going to eat anything without Zeke's approval. The older boy was incredibly clever, River had known this since they were little, and if he didn't trust something then surely there was good reasoning behind it. His arms were still wrapped around Ezekiel's waist and he had no intention of letting go anytime soon. The police officer milled around for a bit, eventually ceasing his questions until the other man returned. They stood by the doorway whispering to one another, the nameless officer holding up too photos, though River couldn't see them from where he was seated. Once the sound of gruff murmurs faded, Watson returned and sat across from the boys once again. He had two files in his hand and a collection of other papers, but River didn't want to look at them. He just wanted to leave. With Ezekiel.<br/><br/>Watson asked them where they came from, pencil in hand, ready to record whatever words came from the boys' mouths. Although River had been given the exact same warning as Ezekiel and had absolutely no intention of answering the police officer's questions, Ezekiel put his hand over his mouth anyway, encouraging the lessons Father Lamont had beat into them. River's body trembled at his companion's touch, and he leaned his head against Zeke, obediently keeping his lips knit together in defiance. Ezekiel spoke for both of them. River was not needed now. Zeke would take care of everything.<br/><br/>They traded words back and forth, but that didn't last long. Zeke wrapped himself like a protective shield around River's body, and River hid his face against Ezekiel, not wanting to look at Watson any longer. His breathing was steady now that he was in Zeke's arms, and any hints that River was about to succumb to one of his panics had disappeared for now. When Ezekiel stood and began to take off his clothes, River mimicked the young man's actions without thought, unbuttoning his shirt and revealing the top of his chest before Watson stopped them both. River looked at the cop curiously. He hadn't been paying much attention to the cop's words, hadn't realized Watson had mentioned something about a physical examination. He had merely been imitating Ezekiel, something he had done as far back as he could remember. But now Watson was telling them both no, and Ezekiel stopped, so he did, too.<br/><br/>While Ezekiel had snatched the presented sticky note out of the cop's hand, River waited until Watson had set the piece of paper down in front of him. He didn't want to touch the cop or be touched himself. He took the paper delicately into his hands, seeing two names he vaguely remembered. Natasha Nicholson. Julian Hayes. Each name had a string of numbers scribbled underneath. He frowned, placing the paper back down on the table and saying nothing.<br/><br/>When Watson exited the room, finally leaving River and Ezekiel alone, River threw himself onto the older boy, pressing his lips against Ezekiel's and savoring the comforting, familiar taste of his mouth. It did not cross his mind that anyone could see them. River was ignorant to some of the ways of the world and didn't think that it was possible the police officers wouldn't leave them<i>completely</i>alone. After a long stretch River pulled away, shaking his head and wiping at the saliva that remained on his lips. "If we call, they're going to take us away from one another," River said, his voice gentle and low, his words meant only for Zeke. "He said they were going to do this," River whispered harshly, his tone switching abruptly, almost as if a different person were speaking through his lips. "He said they were going to employ tricks to trap us. What if this is a trick? We do not know if these numbers are right. And even if they are, they'll tear us apart, rip us, shred us into little pieces and we can't be put together if we're pieces, Ezekiel."<br/><br/>River sighed heavily, bringing his fists up to his temples and tapping at them with sharp raps of his knuckles. "Head, he said. They'll get into our heads. I want my head to be empty and free from manipulation. I don't trust them. Do you trust them, Zeke? What do we do? I'm scared they're going to try and separate us again. I don't want that. I need you."<br/><br/>The sticky note still sat on the table, somehow managing to emit an intimidating aura despite being nothing more than paper, letters, and numbers. River stared at it for a long while, seeing flashes of his mother's face, or what he thought to be his mother's face, though he tried to push them away. All tears he had cried for mommy and daddy had dried up many, many years ago. There was nothing left.<br/><br/>"You're not thinking of calling, are you?" River asked, wondering if there were dangerous thoughts swirling around in his beloved's head.