I grabbed my raincoat and pulled the hood up tightly. I put on my old sneakers since I didn’t care about them getting ruined.

                I left my room, sneaking out of the house through the garage. As soon as I stepped outside, I realized just how bad this storm was.

                I contemplated driving, but realized that would wake up my parents. There’s no way they would let me go out in this storm. I was just going to have to walk.

                I took off running towards the wall, nearly slipping several times. Lightning kept flashing, and the thunder was roaring. The wind threatened to push my hood off, and I tightened it on my head.

                My glasses were being pounded with rain, making it hard to see. I stumbled along in the storm, my heart racing. I really hoped that Ezra wasn’t stupid enough to be sitting up on the wall in this storm. He would get struck by lightning.

                I slipped and fell forward, hitting the ground hard. I grit my teeth, slowly pushing myself back to my feet, my body cold and soaked.

                There was no use in trying to dry off my glasses since they would just soaked again anyways, so I just kept moving. I had to get to Ezra and make sure that he was okay.

                The wall came into my sight and I squinted up at it wildly. My vision was screwed up thanks to the rain assaulting my glasses.

                “Ezra!” I called, my voice barely audible over the screaming wind. “Ezra!”

                There was no reply, and I briefly wondered if I was an idiot for coming here. Ezra was a smart enough guy. Surely he would’ve gotten out of the rain by now on his own.

                Feeling like the biggest moron in the world, I followed along the wall until the church came into view. I darted towards it, nearly slipping again. I went up the stairs and under the dry pavilion of the church.

                I pulled my glasses off and unzipped my raincoat, using my shirt to dry off my glasses. I put them back on and jumped away in surprise.

                “I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice me,” Ezra said with a smile.

                He was sitting under the pavilion, rubbing his arms. There were goosebumps along his skin and he was soaking wet, his hair sticking to his face. He was wearing shorts and a hoodie, and they hung heavily on him, weighed down by the rain that had soaked them.

                “You idiot,” I said, going over to him. “Why would you come out in the storm?”

                “It was just raining when I came out,” he said, indicating his hoodie. “I just put my hood up and hoped it would stop. Then it started storming really bad. I figured I’d just wait it out under here.”

                “You’re going to get sick,” I said, pulling my raincoat off and draping it over him.

                “I can’t wear this. It’s yours. You need to head home before you get sick,” he said, trying to hand it back to me.

                I shook my head at him. “Just wear it, Ezra. I’m not putting it back on.”

                He sighed and pulled his hoodie off, revealing a wet T-shirt on underneath. He pulled the raincoat on and zipped it up, still shivering but looking a little warmer.

                I sat down next to him. “Do you live far from here?” I asked.

                “Too far to walk in this storm,” he said.

                “Could you call for a ride?” I asked.

                He shook his head. “Nah, everyone in my house would be asleep by now.”

                I sighed, leaning back. “We could wait it out, but it doesn’t seem like it’s stopping anytime soon.”

                “We can wait until it lightens up a little, at least,” he said.

                “I guess. Let’s give it ten minutes and see if it eases up any,” I said.

                He nodded and unzipped the raincoat. I stared at him in confusion as he did so.

                “What are you doing?” I asked.

                He pulled his arm out and held that half of the coat out to me. “Come on. You’re only wearing a T-shirt,” he said.

                I hesitated before moving next to Ezra, our bodies pressed together. I pulled the jacket around myself, realizing just how cold I was.

                I looked over and saw that Ezra was smiling at me. “What?” I asked.

                “You were worried about me,” he said smugly. “That’s why you came here.”

                “I figured you were too stupid to know you couldn’t sit out on a wall in this storm,” I said.

                “Contrary to popular belief, I do have some intelligence. Besides, I took meteorology,” he said, laughing. “And anyone with common sense would try to get out of this storm.”

                I looked up at him, and our faces were close together since I was curled up to him for warmth. He smiled at me.

                “Thanks for coming to check on me,” he said.

                “I graced you with my presence,” I said.  

                “I sincerely appreciate it,” he said, laughing. I could feel his body vibrate as he laughed.

                “Ezra, why would you even come out if you knew it was going to rain? Why wouldn’t you just stay home for the night?” I asked.

                “I don’t mind the rain,” he said. The sky flashed and boomed with thunder. Ezra gestured towards the sky. “Now this? This I mind.”

                “Are you afraid of storms?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

                “They make me anxious,” he admitted.

                “And yet you’re sitting outside in the middle of one,” I said with a sigh.

                “I didn’t know it was going to storm this bad!” he whined. I could feel his body wince every time there was thunder and lightning. His body was also extremely tensed up, which made his shivering awkward.

                I sighed and moved closer to him. He leaned back, closing his eyes, probably pretending he was anywhere other than outside in the middle of a bad storm.

                I could remember being terrified of storms when I was younger. Hank would come into my room and hold me, singing to me and sleeping with me for the night to make me feel better.

                I put my arm around Ezra and he opened his eyes, looking down at me. I could see the light fear lingering in his gaze. He could act like this was an everyday occurrence, but he was way more afraid of this storm than he was letting on.

                “Don’t act so tough,” I said, suddenly feeling my anger rising. “Everyone has fears. I’m not going to make fun of you or anything. Cover your ears and close your eyes. It’ll make you feel better.”

                He nodded and did just that. He hid his face against my shoulder, hands pressed tightly over his ears. I kept my arm around him, watching the storm as it continued on. By the time I was 11, I had gotten over my fear of storms.

                I watched as the storm eased, just a little. The rain was still pouring down like it was the damn apocalypse, but the thunder and lightning eased its frequency.

                I shook Ezra and he picked his head up, pulling his hands away from his ears. I stood up, pulling him with me.

                “Come on. You can stay at my house for the night,” I said. “It’s raining really hard. Keep the raincoat.”

                He shook his head, taking it off and throwing it to me. “No, you’re somewhat dry. It’s pointless for both of us to get soaked, and I’m already drenched from earlier.”

                I sighed and pulled my raincoat back on, realizing that he was right. He pulled his wet hoodie on, pulling the hood up despite the fact that he still had his purple beanie on.

                We dashed out into the rain. My glasses were instantly wet again, and Ezra grabbed my hand, leading me along and pulling me out of the way of hazards that I had somehow avoided on my way here.

                We reached my house and darted into my garage. I held a finger up to my lips, signaling silence. I led Ezra into my house and we crept back into my bedroom.

                “We can take turns showering downstairs so that we don’t wake my parents up. You go first, you need some warm water. You look freezing,” I said. I grabbed clean clothes and tossed them to him. “Just go out to the kitchen, down into the basement, and it’s right there.”

                He nodded and left my room. After about 20 minutes, he came back freshly showered. I went down and turned on the hot water, stepping in once I had stripped.

                I let the water warm up my freezing skin, forcing myself out before I took too long of a shower. I pulled on clean clothes and went upstairs to my bedroom.

                Ezra was sitting on my bed, and I realized that this was the first time I had ever seen him without his beanie on. His hair was messy from towel drying it.

                He looked different without the beanie on. It made the innocence of his face stand out more.

                I studied Ezra’s face, almost a little fascinated by it. He was all sharp angles and jaw line, with eyes that would look mean if it wasn’t for the constant smile he threw up. That look buried in his eyes that screamed he had seen some bad things in his life was there. And yet his face presented so much innocence.

                “Would you like a picture? I can autograph it,” he said, smiling at me.

                “You have an interesting face,” I said, crawling onto my bed.

                “I’m going to take that as a compliment,” he said.

                “I guess it kind of is. I’m not saying you’re ugly,” I said, gathering my blankets around me so I could make a cocoon of them and emerge in the morning as a beautiful butterfly.

                Or, you know, as a grumpy teen.

                I pat the spot next to me on my bed. “My bed’s big enough. Just sleep here,” I said, closing my eyes. I felt exhausted.

                Ezra laid down without a smartass comment like I was used to. Hm maybe I needed to get better people in my life. You knew there was a problem when the lack of a sarcastically sexual remark worried you.

                “Thanks for letting me stay here,” he said.

                “Shut up. I’m sleeping,” I mumbled, rolling over.

                “Goodnight,” he said, laughing.

                I mumbled out something else and curled up, squeezing my eyes shut tighter. I found myself tumbling into sleep.

                                                                                                ***

                I opened my eyes and sat up slowly. Ezra was next to me on my bed, reading one of my books. I raised an eyebrow at him.

                “Help yourself,” I said.

                He looked up and set the book down. “I have trouble sleeping, and woke up early. So I figured I’d read for a little.”

                I groaned. “Why is it that everyone has sleeping problems? Mitch has sleeping problems, you have them…” I shook my head. “Sucks to be you people. I enjoy sleeping all night.”

                I got out of bed and gestured at him to follow me. We went out to the kitchen and my mom looked at him in surprise.

                “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had come over. Ezra, right?” she said.

                “Yes ma’am. It was kind of a last minute thing,” he said, sitting at the table with me and offering her his easy smile.

                Hank came out to the kitchen in shorts and a long sleeved shirt. I could tell by his expression that he was more irritable than usual today. His withdrawal was probably getting worse.

                “I’ll just make you guys eggs for breakfast,” mom said, glancing nervously at Hank before turning to make the food.

                After a few minutes, she set down a plate of eggs in front of each of us. She set the ketchup down in the center of the table.

                I reached for it at the same time as Hank and tried to move my hand away so he could get it. My hand bumped the glass of milk he had poured for himself a minute ago, and it spilled over, getting onto his shirt and shorts.

                “Fucking dammit Rio!” he exploded, standing up.

                “Hank, please, it was just an accident!” mom said quickly, moving towards us. “Don’t get mad at him! It was just an accident!”

                Hank grabbed the bottle of ketchup and whipped it at me. I winced as it hit me in the chest and fell into my lap.

                “I’m sorry Hank,” I said, watching him anxiously.

                “You are such a fucking dumbass! You worthless piece of shit!” he yelled, clenching his fists.

                “Hank, please calm down,” mom begged, moving over to me protectively. “Please, it was just an accident. You can change your clothes and I’ll wash those, okay?”

                “You piece of shit!” he snapped at me again before storming out of the room. I winced as his bedroom door slammed a few seconds later.

                “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” mom asked in worry.

                “I’m fine,” I said, feeling my eyes darkening. “It’s just his withdrawal. He always gets worse around now, and you know it.”

                I looked over and realized that Ezra was clasping his hands in his lap, staring down at the table. He was chewing on his lip nervously, his body shaking very slightly.

                But the look in his eyes announced that it wasn’t Hank that had put him in this state. I mentally sighed, realizing what was going on. Scared of the storm, scared of the yelling that had just gone on.

                He wasn’t necessarily scared of storms or Hank. It was the loud noises. The thunder booming, and Hank yelling. That’s what scared him.

                “Ezra,” I said.

                He looked up and smiled at me, but it wasn’t the overly happy smile he usually gave. It was a smile that said he was trying and well aware that he was failing.

                “Are you okay?” he asked.

                “I’m fine,” I said, rubbing my chest where the bottle had hit me.

                But that look from the other night was more potent in his eyes. Ezra had problems, and they were disturbing him more than he would ever let on.

                I watched him as he regained his happy composure. Whatever his problems were, they had to do with loud noises. I couldn’t think of anything like that, though.

                I turned away from him and calmly started to eat as my mom watched me with concern in her eyes. I couldn’t let myself worry about Ezra’s problems no matter how curious I was; I had my own issues to deal with.

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A.N.- For those of you still bitter over Shio, here is an amazing Shio one-shot to cheer you up :D

 http://www.wattpad.com/59087346-will-you-bxb-help-me/page/9

So, let me know what you think of Hank, and Ezra, and the relationships ^-^