Ezekiel Kel & Demetri Howell
Location: Outside the Arena -- Camp Half-Blood
Skills:
Ezekiel glanced around the camp again before walking off with Demetri. The walk was quiet and awkward. Zeke was starting to wonder what the point of this was. Surely Demi didn’t want to walk with him and not talk. Zeke turned to question him when Demetri started talking. He listened to Demetri and rolled his eyes. He didn’t see much reason in apologizing. Demi would likely do this again.
It kind of caught him off guard though when the reason why Demetri really wanted to see him was to give him a gift for Christmas and his birthday. Ezekiel hadn’t received many presents of the years, just from his mom and a couple from his half-siblings when they could exchange gifts. Demetri handed Ezekiel the box though and he took it, staring at it a moment before opening it up.
”My birthday is December 12. I’m sixteen,” he added, encase Demetri didn’t even know that. He hesitated in opening the box. What if it was some prank and the box was empty? Demetri spoke about a wrist watch though so Ezekiel stole his courage and opened it up. What lay inside was something Ezekiel hadn’t anticipated.
There was a watch but there was also a book. The prequel to one of Zeke’s most treasured possessions. Zeke had always wanted to read the Iliad but he had come to camp and couldn’t afford his own copy. Zeke ran fingers over the cover before opening it up and read a couple lines before he shut it and looked at the wrist watch.
Pull the dial? Zeke shrugged and pulled on it. He nearly dropped his book when the watch transformed into a guitar. At first, Zeke was more shocked than anything. He had a perfectly good guitar, why would he need another but upon closer inspection he saw why this one was different.
Ezekiel ran his fingers over the carvings, noticing several scenes from the Odyssey placed around the guitar. He shifted his book under his arm to rotate the guitar around. Once he looked it completely over he looked up at Demetri.
”Why?” Zeke had no idea what to say. He was battling between being happy and waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Why? Why?! There was a lot that Demetri was expecting. Refusal, or anger, maybe even disappointment, but being asked why? That wasn't on his list of reactions. He opened his mouth to speak, closing it instantly as he realized he hadn't quite had the answer to that question. Or at the very least he had no way of articulating it. A small chuckle escaped, then another, a bit of nervous laughter coupled with the strange situation before him.
"Really? That's your reaction is why?" Demi let out a long sigh before giving Zeke a smile.
A part of him was glad that he hadn't seen Zeke smile just yet, after all had the son of Apollo simply given him a smile then Demetri would've likely melted on the spot right then and there.
"Like I said, I missed my best friend's birthday and Christmas. I couldn't very well have left it at that. And besides...You've done a lot for me already...it's the least I can do for you." Demetri cleared his throat, getting rid of any sappy sentiments that may threaten to make him tear up.
"Figure this way you can take your music on the road. It's Celestial bronze so it'll be sturdier than a normal acoustic, and collapsible so you aren't carrying any extra weight." Ezekiel looked back at the guitar when Demetri smiled at him. He looked over the crashing waves and rocks, the ship Odysseus was on and the sirens even. The detailing was incredible. Demi had done this? Put in all this effort for him, just because Zeke worked on his eye and gave him a kiss? And don’t even get him started on the pristine copy of the Iliad.
”Bullshit,” he said and pushed the dial back in. The guitar shrunk back to a watch and Zeke set it and the book, regrettably back into the box and handed them to Demetri.
”And what exactly comes attached with these presents, hmm? You want to come talk to me now whenever you want? You want to hold hands,” Zeke sneered.
”And when exactly am I ever going to get to hit the road with my guitar and not constantly have my life threatened?” "Hey it's Celestial Bronze, maybe you can walk them over the head, though I don't recommend it. My last 'quest' had a ton of downtime during travels. Ya know...between all the fighting. Figured...well…" Demetri looked towards the familiar wooden box, now being handed towards him. He placed his hands I'm his pockets, shaking his head at Zeke.
"I won't take them back. They're yours now. And we already hold hands, it's just when we're alone though. And I can come bother you anytime I want, it's kinda what I do." He said sticking his tongue out at Zeke.
"There's no conditions. No rules or strings. Just...a gift. Nothing more." A part of him knew there was more to it. Even though he didn't want to admit it to either himself or Zeke. But the conversation felt as if it was beginning to get too serious, too emotional. Something he needed to change and quickly. A sneer made its way onto his lips as he looked at Zeke.
"But a kiss wouldn't be so bad of a thank you." He teased, clearly not meaning what he'd said wholeheartedly.
”Of course,” Zeke said. He looked back at the box, he really wanted to keep the items inside. He sighed, bringing the box back. Finally, his own copy of the Iliad and a brand new guitar. The one he currently had had been used when it was bought but Zeke didn’t care. It was everything to him and it still was. This, this was just something else.
Ezekiel looked up at Demetri when he mentioned a kiss and he glared.
”You really are pushing your luck.” Zeke opened the box, confirming the items were still inside and didn't magically disappear. He was still waiting for that to happen and would likely be waiting for that to happen for a while.
”Well, thank you… I guess. I didn’t get you anything so,” Zeke shrugged, feeling awkward. It was still so strange to Zeke to have someone like Demi care this much about him.
Demetri smiled when Zeke finally accepted the fact that he wasn't going to take back the items. Thanking him, in an awkward fashion that could rival Demi's own self. He took a step closer towards Zeke, feeling a bit safer now that there wasn't the threat of him shoving the box into his chest and leaving.
"You didn't have to get me anything. It's October 20th by the way. I'm also sixteen." He gave the blonde boy a dimpled smile. Glancing over towards the light of the campfire.
"Next Christmas, let's share some Hot Coco together, that can be your gift. I'm certain that spot looks beautiful in the winter snow too."Now he was pushing his luck.
Ezekiel watched Demetri’s feet inch closer to him. His eyes followed up legs and torso until they landed on Demetri’s face. Zeke glanced at the missing eye, itching to fix it as was his habit but he knew there was nothing more that could be done. Zeke shifted his gaze to the other eye and frowned.
”Sure, if we live that long.” Zeke made a habit of not looking too far into the future. Call him pessimistic but the life expectancy of a demi-god was not high. For some reason, the date of Demetri’s birthday didn’t surprise him. With the dark look and black hair that covered half his face, Halloween seemed like Demi’s time to shine. Of course, being able to shift into whatever he wanted helped that theory along.
Demi wanted so badly to reach out and touch Zeke. To place his thumb underneath his chin and lift up his face and tell him to cheer up, to not be so pessimistic. But they were in public, outside, with campers nearby. Even if they only saw a silhouette it didn't matter. Zeke had a reputation to uphold.
"We'll make it that far. I'll make sure of it." a part of him wanted to swear on the River Styx. To show the gods they could beat the odds. But that was a dangerous game to play, and Demi already knew what he would do if anything happened to Zeke.
Demetri fidgeted in his stance, shifting weight from one foot towards the other and playing with the ball inside his jacket pocket. A part of him wondered why it couldn't be Celestial Brass? At least Brass was self cleaning when it came to germs. He let out a small sigh as he looked towards Zeke's hair, watching how it glowed in the light of the flames, even from this distance. As if the light itself was attracted to him and forces to make his hair shimmer like golden silk.
"Oh, um, weird question. Any chance you guys have brown contacts at the infirmary?" Ezekiel gave Demetri a skeptical look before he looked towards the fire. One couldn’t ensure survival, especially a group of people who constantly put their lives on the line. Sure, Zeus might fight a little more for his flesh and blood but he may also make sure the death created an epic tale.
He still didn’t see anyone from the Roman camp. It was starting to irritate him that they were waiting around for their cousins to finish with some meeting. He shoved one hand into his pocket, holding the box in his other hand.
Zeke frowned at Demetri’s question and looked back at Demetri.
”Uh, no. Why?” Needing a coloured contact was more of a beauty concern rather than a health concern.
Demetri kicked the ground a bit, scuffing the front of his shoe with dirt. He hadn't expected Zeke to care enough to ask a follow up question. It was bad enough that his ADHD brain had caused him to change tracks so quickly and blurt out a thought in his mind he hadn't wished to articulate. His fingers continued to fiddle with the enchanted eye for another moment.
"Don't tell anyone. But I shift my eyes everyday. Unfortunately the enchantment they placed on my new eye uses my natural color...I'd rather hide that." Ezekiel rolled his eyes at that explanation.
”I thought we'd discussed that Demi. The eye colour doesn’t matter besides, I’m starting to prefer the blue,” he said with a shrug. He looked back at the fire, wondering why he just said that. Did he even really care that much? Well, Zeke was hoping Demi was going to shift into someone else to make this easier but he hadn’t.
”We should head back. Thanks again… bitch.” He glanced at Demetri again, giving him a bit of a smile before turning to head back to the fire. As he turned around, he saw Lauryn approaching them with a strange look on her face. Zeke felt a chill surrounding them but he didn’t think much of it. The closer Lauryn got allowed Zeke to see a glow to her eyes and then she was raising a sword. Zeke raised his arms to block but she just cut into his arms and into Demetri’s.
”What the fuck Lauryn?!” Zeke reached into his pocket, pulling out his sun medallion. Zeke tossed the box to the side, pushing the center of the sun and held his sword in front of him. Zeke stepped to block Demetri as well, not even thinking about it as he did it.
