Fandom Tale of Two Survivors { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate nodded towards Alex as Kaiden took his hand. He was so intrigued by the sheep. These were creatures he had seen throughout his travels, and when he was younger, a nice older woman explained what she did with them, but that was a long time ago. He was fascinated. “You got to be with the sheep?” he asked as they walked away from the other two. Ezekiel waited until they were further away before he turned to Alex. “Brother, it has been a long journey, hasn’t it?” he asked with a gentle and knowing smile. ​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden chuckled as he heard Nate's question. "I did. And I've gotten to work with other animals too. Back where we came from, we had cows, sheep, horses, goats and chickens." Kaiden said as he led them towards the barn. Once inside, he brought him into a small room off to the right. "This is where the feed for the sheep is. They get this food morning and night." Kai explained, opening the barrel to show Nate.

Alex looked at Ezekiel and he could feel the tears brimming his eyes already. "It's been.. a very long journey." He finally said, walking over to a swing on the porch and sat down. He patted the seat beside him. "The people I mentioned before.. the other smiley ones? That would be Carlos and Kaleb. Two wonderful men who turned into brothers, into family." His voice dropped off, eyes facing his hands that twined in his lap.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate was absolutely fascinated. He was so intrigued that it took away all of his worries at least temporarily. He walked through the barn with wide eyes as though he were seeing the best place in the world. He had also been in barns, but never had they been ones where he had any say. They weren’t for him. He excitedly followed Kai over to the feed. “That’s impressive. I wish I had that opportunity. I’ve worked a little with cows before. We were trading work for information once. Me and my mama. And I got a tour of a goat farm one time. But that’s.. that’s so many.”

Ezekiel walked with him and sat beside him. If Alex had not wanted to move, he would have moved him anyway. “You lost them.” This was not a question. He could tell. He had seen that loss. This was the same kind of loss that they knew from when Alex lost his younger brother. From when they thought they lost Theo. “And that’s what you’ve been trying to avoid around him.” Ezekiel knew there was something. This seemed like it was probably the thing in between them.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden heard Nate and he smiled, knowing where he could take Nate when he was up to it. "Well, we grow our own livestock here too. So once you're able to walk more, we can go the barns down in town." He said as he smiled hearing him as he grabbed two scoops of grain. "One scoop in each trough and sheep share." He explained, leading Nate out to the pens and dumped a scoop in each trough. "Ready to help bring them in?"

Alex looked at Ezekiel and the moment he was sitting down beside him, he leaned into his brother's shoulder. "Yes. A big part of the long story. So I met Nate in North Dakota, we defeated a bloater, three clickers and three runners. Then we traveled, headed back to Seattle. We made it to the border, after Nate was attacked by a runner and a close call bite to his jacket, but not his skin. And I fell out of a tree and hurt my back. We went through to South Dakota, avoiding hunters, and then we were chased by hunters. A bear chased us into Montana and clawed my leg up. Then we met Carlos and Kaleb. A pair that became family quickly. Carlos was very.. flirty and Kaleb was an ex FEDRA officer. Nate got upset when he found out, but after a night of being grumpy, they got along better. We made it through this city, Nate with claw marks on his leg, Carlos got shot in the shoulder and Kaleb shot in the waist. But we made it out." Alex paused, tears falling down his face as his breath caught in his throat.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate watched how Kaiden used the scoops. One for each trough. Naturally. Sheep were far better at sharing than any humans. “Yes! Are they trained to come with a certain sound or something? Or we do we go get them?” He could only imagine until Kai took him. Though he wished he had learned more when he was younger, he was happy to have Kaiden now.

Ezekiel wrapped an arm around Alex the moment he leaned against him. He listened, his facial expressions giving away his surprise and wonder as Alex spoke. When Alex finally paused, he felt it only appropriate to fill that silence that choked him. “And to think that we were going on a journey. Alas, no, I believe you have had more. And ex FEDRA officer.” He flicked his eyes towards the barn a moment then moved his attention back to Alex. “Many are upset by ex FEDRA officers. But of all people, we should know not to judge a supposed enemy.” His lips curled upward at that. “Alright. If everyone made it out then, what happened next?” Alex needed to tell someone. He needed to release all of this from where he was storing it away to keep Nate going. If Alex needed to cry at him through these words, then that was what Ezekiel would have happen.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden laughed, listening to Nate before he shook his head. “No they aren’t trained to come by sound.” He said as he walked out into the pasture. “We have to circle around them and herd them towards the barn.” Kai added as he led the way around the field and behind the herd of sheep.

Alex saw the surprise and wonder. He nodded, hearing that. “Yes. We know that and it didn’t take much for Nate to figure it out.” Alex said as he sighed, wiping tears away. “What happened next, well we’d already agreed to share the farmhouse with them. And we were going to raise baby horses and have one named Ireland. So we were traveling again to Seattle. We found an abandoned town, like one that was untouched by humans at all. And we spent the night there, oh! And before we made it, Carlos had asked Kaleb to marry him. They were going to have the ceremony here.” He said softly. “And.. we find them perfect outfits, a dress for Carlos and a nice outfit for Kaleb. We played games there that night, had a huge feast and even bathed. It was great. Then it all changed when we made it to Washington.” Alex paused again, swallowing hard. This was going to be the toughest part of the story to tell. He needed a moment to collect himself before he broke down. He knew he would and he knew he had to. He could only be strong for so long.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Herd them. Alright, he could probably circle. Now that it had been enough time from when he woke up, he was walking well on his own. He might be able to run, though he was not certain. Having never herded sheep before, he was not certain if that was necessary. He followed Kaiden out and into the field. “Okay, I can follow your lead? Unless you would like to see my loose interpretation of ‘circle around them’.” He chuckled to himself, because he knew that he would somehow to do that wrong. Thank goodness for the fencing otherwise, with that much spinning and circling, he was not sure if he would make it back to the barn.

There was one part of this story that did not make a lot of sense to Ezekiel. Okay, well, that was not true. There were plenty of parts that needed additional context, though not for understanding. He smiled at the idea of these two men getting married. If they had gotten married here, that would have been beautiful. Weddings were some of the best events. The joining of two in love was one of his favorite things as it was for many of the Seraphites. “Alex,” he began softly. Gently. He knew that this was going to lead into the parts that were harder to say. It was always easy to talk about the great things. It was much harder to speak about the bad. “Why were you going back to Seattle? We left for the same reasons you did. Why did you want to go back?”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden chuckled, looking over at Nate. "You can follow my lead. I won't make you do it on your own." Kai said with a laugh as he started making soft 'psst' sounds and moving in a semi-circle around the back of the herd, guiding them towards the barn. "See how I'm doing it?" He asked as he continued on, doing what he was doing. The sheep slowly started moving towards the barn.

Alex was never a good story teller, but he was also trying to get out the story without breaking down completely. His emotions were clouding some of the more.. important parts probably. He heard that soft name. Heard his questions. "Nate was headed to Washington. He was a Firefly, and he heard that a group had taken in the remaining Fireflies. That group was Kai's. The WLF. I didn't realize that until we got to Washington but at that point I'd led him that far and I wasn't going to ask him to give up his mission, just because of me. And I certainly wasn't going to leave him."​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate followed closely behind. He listened for a while and then attempted to replicate the sound. He wanted to make sure he knew what he was to be doing when this became his responsibility. His and Alex’s. He was not so worried about Alex. He was fabulous at everything that he did. “I see the pattern,” he answered as they moved. “Herding. Yes, that does make sense. The sheep cannot help but move as you are telling them when you constrict the circle. That is clever.”

Ah. And there it was. Back to the WLF. Their relationship with that group was one of the most complicated things Ezekiel had ever tried to understand with only his relationship with Kaiden superseding that. “You have always been a very dedicated person. I always wished to have your tenacity.” He was always so strong even as he was so much younger than the rest of them. There were times that it felt that Alex despite his age was older and wiser than them all. “Washington.” He brought it back to the loss. “What happened in Washington? Why did you find me with only one companion and a shattered heart?”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden watched as Nate replicated the sound and heard him, nodding. "Yes, exactly! Just like that." He said as he watched the sheep respond to him. They moved towards the barn with a chorus of 'baa's' and he smiled. "You are doing so well at getting them to listen. You'll be a proper farmer in no time." Kai added as they moved the sheep towards the barn.

Alex looked at Ezekiel, hearing him and he felt a small smile cross his face. "Thanks." He said, before he heard Washington again. Alex bit his lip and looked down at his lap. "We made it to Washington, and.. we went through a building and made our way to the fourth floor, but we could only climb to the third floor. We searched the third floor to find a way up. And.. while we were on that floor.. C- Carlos.. he g- got bit.. And he made us pro- promise not to tell Kaleb who wasn't with us at the moment. And.. we did. We weren't going to tell him but then when we got to the fourth floor through a hole in the ceiling, Kaleb.. he, he stepped onto the fire escape stairs and they collapsed with hi- him on them.." Alex paused, turning his head into Ezekiel's side, needing a moment to collect himself as tears flooded down his cheeks.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate was having a great time. This was perhaps not his calling in life, but he was determined to be good at this now that it was meant to be his job. He was ready for that. He needed that. “Thanks,” me muttered with an unsure smile as they continued. This was somehow both a slower and faster process than he expected. Some sheep moved into the barn immediately and some sheep seemed to want to hang outside some more.

With the arm he already had around Alex, Ezekiel pulled him into a tighter almost hug. Ezekiel had never been much of a hugger, but in a time like this with such an admission, he felt that it was necessary. “That was an unfortunate string of events,” he said as he thought of how awful that must have been. He could only imagine what he would have done if someone in their family was bitten and another fell. “I am so sorry.” He waited as Alex so quietly cried against him. Waited until the moment seemed long enough. “Do you want to tell me what happened to Carlos after?” That story was not over. He had only been bitten.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden noticed some of the sheep didn’t quite want to go inside. “Okay, so with the more stubborn sheep, you need to kind of push them along. Move behind them and nudge them in the right direction.” Kai said as he went to a rogue sheep and pushed on it gently to nudge it towards the barn.

Alex nodded as he felt the tighter pull of an almost hug. He heard that sorry and eventually he calmed down again. Alex heard the question and pulled away enough to continue talking. “So.. Carlos, he and Kaleb were a beautiful pair. One was never far from the other. And when K- Kaleb fell, he jumped down after him. When the d- dust settled, K- Kaleb was pinned by metal, one had pierced his side and he was d- dying. The sound of metal falling called a horde to us. So Carlos created a ring of trap mines, and they.. they sacrificed themselves so we could survive..” Alex swallowed hard. “Hearing Nate.. I had to pull him away, had to pick up pieces that had shattered. And.. it only got worse.” Alex turned back for a moment. Letting all the tears fall that he’d refused before. Letting the emotion and turmoil inside him since that day out. And it felt.. so nice. He felt airy almost, like he was lighter and getting this off his mind. It was weird too though.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

“Oh you mean a literal push.” Nate was not sure why he was assuming that giving them a push was a figure of speech. Just kidding, they needed a nudge. Okay. He watched how Kai gently guided the sheep where they needed to go. Nate wondered if the sheep were able to discern what was happening. Some of them seemed to understand but some did not. That was fascinating. He helped as well.

The ultimate sacrifice. That was what was threatening to make Alex fall apart. The moment that meant that Alex and Nate could survive but not the other two. Of course that would hurt. Ezekiel knew that it would. He wrapped his other arm around Alex as well as he cried. This was so much to bear. Three years ago, when Alex was too young to do all that he did, felt too close to now. Nineteen was still too close to that sweet young man. Ezekiel hated that this was something he had to know. “I am so sorry,” he whispered. “But they must have loved you to keep you safe like that.” He wondered what Alex meant by it only getting worse, but he couldn’t imagine. He could imagine how watching something like that might affect someone. ​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden looked back at Nate, hearing him and then he watched him do the same thing. “Yes. Many sheep will stick with their herd but some decide to stray. And the ones that stray we gently guide back.” Kaiden explained as he moved after one off on its own.

Alex cried, he cried for Carlos, and he cried for Kaleb. He cried for Nate and he cried for himself. Being strong, keeping Nate going since the loss had been so hard on him. But he knew that was what he needed to do, what he wanted to do. “They did. They were the older brothers I never expected to f- find. It was actually C- Carlos who helped me realize.. just who how much I l- loved Nate. And he was my f- first kiss too..” Alex sniffled and sighed, not moving. “After that loss, we made it to Seattle.. and Ezekiel, the moment they.. the moment they saw me.. they ripped me from Nate’s side and sep- separated us. I was taken to the.. the apartments. And it was just as horrible as the stories say, just as terrifying and scary. And.. And I was all alone.” Alex felt his throat close as he turned back into Ezekiel’s side. While it was helpful to get this stuff out, it was difficult and hard too.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

“Sheep are strange creatures.” This was Nate’s conclusion. They were so fluffy. They had the best kinds of lives. They clearly knew what needed to happen, and yet they didn’t do it. Did they want to eat and have shelter or not? he nudged one along that sharply told Nate what she thought about that. He nudged her again. She went the opposite direction. Nate groaned. “Come on. Don’t you want to eat food? you take too long and everyone else will eat it all.” He thought this would have been a reasonable argument if the sheep could understand him.

Ezekiel’s heart stopped, body froze, hand no longer able to gently rub his brother as he told the things that torment him. The beautiful things lost. And the horrible things that Alex would never be able to shake. The apartments. That was a place Ezekiel had never personally been, and he did not ever want to see it. Those were the places that made him forget all of the progress they took in forgiving their enemies. Those rooms were the reason that this war continued. He closed his eyes and reminded himself that Kaiden and his family were not a part of that. That Hayden might have known about it but did not have the power to do anything about it. Not even Hayden. After also taking a moment for himself, Ezekiel turned so that he was better facing Alex. He wrapped his arms more firmly. “Of all the people in the world, they took the one who was most willing to forgive. My brother, are you okay?” It was a loaded question he knew could not easily be answered. Of course he was not okay. That was why they were doing this. ​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden couldn't help but laugh at that, nodding his head. "Yeah, they certainly are. But their wool is key to making clothes and their meat is good." Kai said as he nudged one along as well. "You can use their wool when you shear it off to trade with I'm sure." Kaiden added as he went back and found another straggler.

Alex felt the hand stop rubbing and he moved his face out of Ezekiel's side to look at him. His eyes were watery, tear trails still fresh on his face as he heard him. He felt him turn and the arms wrap around him more firmly. Alex sniffled and shook his head. "No, I'm not okay. And what was worse, w- was when N- Nate found me.. we came across G- Grant in there and J- Juliet. She had been taken after I left. But.. but but we freed them and they were helping the others out." Alex said as he recalled how gaunt and broken Grant was. "And then I saw Lev the next morning be- because we had to stop.. the storm that had occurred was too great, and I found out th- that Y- Yara was killed in a r- raid on the island by the wolves.."​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate looked at Kai, momentarily distracted from his job as he considered that. Trading wool could be a way to obtain other items. He had not seen much of this community, but it felt like it ran via trades. This he could handle. He was very good at that. He had to be with the nomadic lifestyle his mama gave them. The sheep he was herding had wandered off track again, so with a sigh, he was after her. “Come on, girl. Foooood.” Finally he was getting her to go the correct direction. “When we get them all in, what do we do?”

The evil in this world was so persistent. Once, Ezekiel thought that it was the sin of humanity that brought the curse of demons down on them. The Elders told him and his people that the WLF were nested with sin. They told them that in surviving against their enemies proved how they were chosen. How they thrived. Though Ezekiel turned his back on that way of thinking, of assuming that all others were a scourge, hearing about these kinds of things, about the apartments, made him wonder if perhaps they were right. Perhaps they were more right than he wanted them to be. There was evil. There was plenty of it. Those demons – infected – were not evil. He would argue that the vast majority of the WLF were not evil. But the people who stole away humans to torture like that were. Juliet was a sweet girl. Grant was a great man. If they were taken and tortured, it was not because of the wrongs they did to those wolves. And poor, young Yara. Killed. He shut his eyes and willed away the thoughts of sorrow for it was not his time to despair. “We are from a strong people, Alex. People like Grant and Juliet. Like young Lev and Yara. Like you. And you found beauty in a world despite what those who would oppress us would tell us. You have suffered and witnessed suffering unlike anyone should know. Your survival brings me renewed strength.” He held Alex close for them both. “Your strength to hold on and then your strength to let go is a great skill. I always knew you were wiser and braver than all of us.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden chuckled, seeing Nate move after a stray sheep. “Once we get them in, we shut the stall door, make sure they have water and hay as well before we shut the barn up for the night.” Kaiden said as he finally got most of the sheep inside the barn.

Alex looked at Ezekiel, hearing him. Strong people? He thought about what he’d found since he’d left. Nate, Kaleb, Carlos. Love, loss, hurt, comfort. So much happened in so little time it seemed. He just curled into his older brother, his mind fractured and his eyes full of tears. There was so much. “Thank you.” Was all Alex could manage to say. He didn’t realize how much he missed him until he had Ezekiel back again. “I appreciate everything. And I’m so happy you were here in this town. I missed you.”​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate followed this last straggler for when she inevitably moved the wrong direction. He moved to the other side and eventually got her to move inside the barn. “Alright, that doesn’t seem too hard. He walked with Kaiden back into the barn as well to see that all those sheep already moved into the stall.

Ezekiel hated that he left Alex. He wanted so much to bring him with them. He was worried that when he was gone that something horrible would happen. It would seem that it had, yet, at the same time, something beautiful happened too. Alex may have lost, hurt, and bled, but he also loved. Deeply. There was nothing greater than that. “I have missed you more than I could ever say. I feel that it was fated that we would one day find one another again. No matter who guides us, we have found home here. I hope you can too.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden headed into the barn, looking at Nate and nodded. "It's really not as hard as it seems." He said as he swung the stall door shut and locked it. He beckoned Nate over to show him the water and hay troughs near the food ones. They were both full. "It's smart to fill them after you clean the barn in the morning, that way you can't forget to do it." He suggested, smiling at Nate.

Alex was still buried with his face into Ezekiel's side when he heard his words. He lifted his head up to look at him, blinking away tears as he smiled, a real smile for the first time in a while. Not one he gave Nate, not one he tried to give himself. "I hope we can as well, though we'll need some guidance on how to really fit in here in order to make it home." He said as his stomach decided then to grumble. What wonderful timing, thank you. Alex sighed softly, looking over at the barn. "We'll have to get some food here, but I don't know how or where to get some." He said, not really wanting another dinner of corn or carrots but he would, because that was what they had.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Forgetting was a highly likely possibility here, so he liked the ideas for how to avoid that. “I should make a checklist to use at least for the beginning. That way I definitely never forget anything.” He turned to the sheep and smiled. “I don’t want you guys to live a less fulfilling life because of me, you know. You’re too cute for that fate.” He turned back to Kaiden. “Thank you. For teaching me. For having the patience.” He looked at the opened of the barn. “And for staying with me while Alex… has time to work through things.” His gaze slid to the floor. “I know it’s been hard for him too. He so strong for me. I know he is. I used to be the optimist. That’s been him now.”

Ezekiel always felt safe with Alex’s smile. It was an extension of that kindness within him. Ezekiel could only wish to hold that kindness. His own was never like Alex’s. “Ah, you’re hungry! Well, that does make sense. We can get you set up with some of our food and maybe we can get some donations to get you started, but we also have a communal cafeteria for everyone. That’s where Kai and I have dinner every night. With the whole family.” Ezekiel grinned like they were sharing some sort of insider secret. “To include his father. We heard stories, and they do not do this man justice. Though he is far kinder and reasonable than I assumed, he certainly can prove to be exactly as described.” He patted Alex’s leg. “Do you want to go eat? I think our men should be done soon.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden nodded, listening to that and smiled. "It's probably the smart thing until you get used to it." Kai said as he smiled at Nate, and then he heard him talking to the sheep before he looked at him. "You're welcome. I've had lessons in patience from growing up with my brother Theo. That man has way to much energy sometimes and he can be a little.. much." He said with a small laugh. Kai looked out at the opening of the barn as well before walking over and putting a hand on Nate's shoulder. "Alex.. is probably one of the most loyal and strongest men I've ever met, and while I haven't really gotten to know you yet, I trust him. I know he's trying to help you and if you ever wish to talk to someone else, I've been told I'm a good listener." He said with a warm smile.

Alex looked at Ezekiel with a slightly flushed face and a sheepish smile. "I don't mind the idea of a communal cafeteria, but I'm not sure we'll want to be around all kinds of people every night. I like the idea of working to get our own food, however I can help out." Alex said as he looked at Ezekiel, his eyes wide as he nodded. "Really? Hmm. If Nate is okay going to eat, I'd love to go eat. I kind of would like to meet this man we heard so much about." Alex said, chuckling softly.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate placed his hands in his pockets as he tried to think of what exactly to say. He had no idea what to expect when they made it to Jackson, and he never would have thought about it being people from both of their pasts. Oh, Cameron. He wished that he had been more able to talk to him. Be around him. He was such a close friend for so many years. What happened? Nate was afraid. That was what happened. He smiled at Kai and bowed his head to him out of respect. “For once upon a time being one of those wolves that stole my Alex away, you’re not at all who I thought you might be. Though, I knew you couldn’t be like the rest of them. There was no way Alex would love you so much.” He walked out of the barn and peered back to the house. “And if he’s like Alex’s brother, then he’s probably not so bad either.” He stood there a moment, staring out at a whole lot of nothing. He turned back. “Thanks, I may take you up on that offer.”

Ezekiel grinned and shook his head. “No one wants to be in there all the time.” He almost laughed. “No one except Hayden. And he most certainly wants to be there every time at the same time with all of us together. That man.” He leaned forward like this was a weight all on its own. “You can meet him today, eat that food, and then maybe tomorrow we head around and get you a starter pack. What do you think about that?” He looked over as he heard the barn doors. “Ah, they are nearing their end.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan, Cameron Harris and Kaiden Lachlan (And the Smith Clan)
Former Seraphite, Former Firefly, Former WLF | 19, 23, 26 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Kaiden looked at Nate as he headed to the barn doors, stepping outside with Nate. "Well, Alex was a big part of our story, and I'm glad he's found someone who makes him happy. He deserves that. Wait, they stole him away?" Kai blinked, not knowing that. "Theo.. well the only way to explain him is for you to meet him. So why don't we head on up to the house? And you're welcome." Kaiden said, shutting the barn doors behind them. He made his way to the house, slowly and keeping pace with Nate.

Alex chuckled hearing that and sighed, wondering just who this man was. "That sounds like a great idea." Alex agreed, looking up and seeing them headed this way. "Thank you brother. For everything." Alex said, hugging Ezekiel one last time before he got up and headed towards Nate. "Hello love. Did you have fun with the sheep?"​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews, Emmett Adler, and Ezekiel Finch
Former Fireflies and Former Seraphite | 21, 24, 29 | Current location ;; Wyoming

Nate hesitated for a moment as he thought about that question. Before they reached the other two, he looked at Kai. “They took him. They took him and they…” He blinked away the tears that he knew came from actions he should have been able to stop. “They hurt him.” Then he looked back at the other two and plastered on the smile that he did genuinely feel even if it was tainted by all the sadness and hardship that surrounded them. Ezekiel was only able to enjoy that hug for a moment before Alex was gone to see Nate again. Nate all but ran the last ten feet to him and took his hand immediately. “Sheep are stubborn. They remind me of Ben honestly.” Ezekiel stood on the porch for a moment and slowly made his way down. “We were talking about heading to dinner. We aren’t too late, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”​