Transcending The Stars - 2. February, 2019

Friday, February 1st

"That's right, everyone! I beat Jimmy Vause twice!" Ezra gloated to the camera, but Eamonn's exasperated sigh distracted him.

"I'm not in the business, Ez, so don't take my word as gospel but I'm pretty sure she wants you to cut original promos," Eamonn told him dryly with a deadpan voice. "Are you going to stand on stage and repeat what the beefcakes said a few months ago word for word?"

"Oh! Blast!" Ezra went pink as he realised he'd lost sight of what he was supposed to be doing. "Can we start again?"

"It's not like I have much better to do while the net's out," Eamonn lifted the beanie off his head to scratch at his shaggy hair. He wore one of those things all year round, sometimes even when he went to sleep. "Stop trying so hard. It's cringy as all hell."

"Rude!" Ezra pointed at him, then Eamonn signalled with his fingers. Three, two, one. "I'm Ezra Luczynski - don't ask me how to spell it! ...Wait! Cut! I should do this with my shirt off!"

Eamonn rolled his eyes so far back in his head that it was a miracle they didn't fall out of his skull as Ezra tore his pullover and shirt off over his head to expose his athletic body - and immediately began to shiver.

"So be it," his younger brother restarted the recording and used his fingers to count once more.

"I'm Ezra Luczynski - don't ask me how to spell it!" Ezra began, but Eamonn made a sound of disgust and lowered the phone. "Hey! That was gonna be the one! I could feel it!"

"Every time you make that joke a small part of me dies," Eamonn chastised him. "I guarantee that anyone who looks at this is going to think you're an idiot. Just do what you'd do at LEW and finish this up before I decide I'd rather hang out with Mom."

Ezra rubbed his biceps with his small hands, shivering in the cold. They did not turn on the heating because it was both expensive and because Glennys would relentlessly force her kids to change the thermostat based on her body's whims.

"I have all week to do this before you decide you'd rather hang out with her!" Ezra laughed, his teeth chattering. "That's a weak threat. You wouldn't be any good at cutting promos!"

Eamonn managed to grin before setting up the camera on his phone again.

"Stop trying to ham it up," Eamonn suggested, his breath visible in the frigid air. "On TV they all have characters and shit, but these people know nothing about you. Just do something you'd do in a show, I think. You're a likable guy."

"Wow, you said something nice about me," Ezra teased him. "I must be doing something right!" Still, it wasn't easy to do a promo without an opponent and a crowd in front of him. He ran out of words. He wasn't sure where to start.

"You're really not. That's why we're on the eighth take," Eamonn's words were often tactless and easily taken the wrong way out of context, but Ezra knew him well enough to know that his big little brother was only poking fun. "If you're gonna be shirtless, at least make your muscles look good. Flex a bit! Okay, I'm gonna lead you in this time, because 'I'm Ezra Luczynski' is making me cringe. You ready?" Ezra nodded, and his brother counted three, two, one again.

"So you're Ezra Luczynski," Eamonn spoke in a comically deep voice, almost making his brother break character. It was a welcome intermission from the nonchalant deadpan delivery. "Care to tell me why anyone should give a damn about a pipsqueak like you?"

"I will make you give a damn about me!" Ezra stood up, the fire inside him stoked and roaring to life. "I might be young, and I might be short, but I've been training and performing longer and harder than anyone my age! Working harder than anyone of any age!! Every week I'm stronger, faster and more determined than I was last time! But more than that, I was sick a lot as a kid and professional wrestling gave me something - it gave a reason to power through! It gave me a purpose! It gave me hope, life and faith, and I will dedicate my life to repaying for what it did for me! Wrestling is me, and I am wrestling! So, you want to know why should give a damn about a pipsqueak like me? I get why you'd think you don't need to. I don't come from a wrestling background. I don't have a rich family. I don't have any claim to fame! But I have been fighting scary things my whole life!! I don't care how big your name is, how many Championships you've won or how much dough you have in the stupid Dolce & Gabanna wallet in your overpriced Armani suit - you will never be able to lace up my old knock-off Vans! I have everything to gain and nothing to lose! That's why you should give a damn about me!"

"Wooooo!!" Celeste clapped from the doorway, having been roused by her brother's passionate speech and coming to see what was happening. "That was awesome!" She was in two minds about wrestling. It was fake and stupid according to her, but it was neat when her brother did it.

"That was pretty awesome," Eamonn agreed, putting an end to the video recording and sending the video to Ezra's email. "I have goosebumps. Legit, Ez, that was a hundred times better than any of that staged shit you've been trying to spit out."

"I think I need a nap after that," Ezra had managed to make himself sweat in spite of the cold and put his shirt back on. "That tired me out!"

"So are you sending that to the wrestling lady?" Celeste asked, jumping onto the end of Ezra's bed and making it sag. Hmm. She is pretty plump at the moment. Maybe I can make her do some cardio with me!

"That's the plan!" Ezra panted, slicking his damp hair back with a clammy hand. "Eamonn's gonna edit up a video of my highlights for me because he's the best brother in the world."

"My fee is ten per cent of your earnings if you make it to KADA," Eamonn declared, his left eyebrow briefly twitching - indicating that he was joking but also probably not. Hmm.

With the fifteen-year-old, one had to rely on physical tells to know when he was joking, serious, happy, sad, angry... or anything! He had the same delivery when he spoke at their father's funeral as he did when he ordered a pizza. Despite how it seemed, the emotions were there! You just had to know where to look!

"Who's going to look after Mom if you leave?" Celeste asked the question Ezra had been trying his best not to think about for a long time. The reason he'd delayed his video for so long was on the off-chance he succeeded in landing some opportunity before his mother was able to rejoin the active world.

"She'll be okay! She's getting better, and she'll be able to do things on her own again," Ezra reassured her, but Eamonn laughed scornfully at him. "What?"

"Do you even know our Mom?" Eamonn asked him facetiously, folding his arms across his chest. He did not bother to lower his voice, even though the door of their bedroom was open. "If she thinks you're going to leave her, I guarantee you she will throw herself down the stairs and break her other hip so that you're stuck here forever and all that shit I went through to keep you alive will be for nothing."

As if on cue, the boys and girl all jumped as they heard something smash in the room outside. Oh no, Ezra thought. He's upset her again.

"My point exactly!" Eamonn shouted at her.

"I'll go and talk to her," Celeste sighed and rolled her brown eyes. She took after their mother whereas the boys both looked a lot like their late father.

After Celeste wisely shut the door behind her, Ezra bounced from his bed over to Eamonn's and wrapped his arms around the wiry youngster, determined to heat up that cold heart with his love! Eamonn was hurting, but he didn't show it. Ezra just knew. Eamonn never hugged him back, but that didn't matter! He accepted the affection, and that was good enough! Ezra dragged him down to the mattress where they looked at the grubby ceiling together.

"It's not her fault everything happened," Ezra said after a time, guilty about being the reason Eamonn and Glennys fell out. "It's mine."

"Bullshit on that," Eamonn replied, turning his head to look at Ezra. The boy's eyes seemed washed out and tired. "If I'd known ahead of time that you were going to waste my kidney by letting Mom manipulate you into being her nursemaid, I wouldn't have given it to you."

"How is taking care of you guys a waste?" Ezra asked, painfully aware that after all the marrow and blood transfusions, he was on the verge of becoming more Eamonn than Ezra if he relapsed again. "I love you!"

"Because we don't need you to take care of us," Eamonn shot him down immediately and wrenched free. "I just got video evidence of how much wrestling means to you! That wasn't acting, Ezra. You were speaking right from the heart. So get the fuck out of Litchfield and make the most of the sacrifices I made, damn it! If you let her steal any more of the time that I bought for you, I'll hate you both forever!" Eamonn scooted away and sat down on the end of his bed, his face buried in his hands. "Can you please go away?"

Ezra often preached about how short life was. Never take anything for granted! Make the most of every moment! In the ring, at work, with Beau, he was a ball of endless, unquenchable optimism and spirit. That wasn't always the case at home, however. All he saw was the devastation his four battles with leukaemia had wreaked on his family. Glennys spent so much time in fear of losing him and taking care of him, seeing him at his worst for many years. It took a toll on her emotionally and psychologically, and now she needed sympathy and attention at all hours of the day. Eamonn had grown cynical and cold, seeing himself as little more than a sack of spare parts for his big brother. Of the four, he was the only one who actively rejected God from his life. Celeste grew up alone with minimal support and love while her family was too busy making sure Ezra managed to hang on to his life - it was probably why she found so much comfort in food. It was difficult not to blame himself for his family's dysfunction. It was hard not to feel guilty for surviving. He wanted so much to give back to them. It felt selfish to run off and become a wrestler, no matter how badly he wanted to do it.

Knowing his brother needed space, Ezra picked up his phone and slowly left the room, shutting the door behind him. It sucked! He was stuck between two people who had gone through hell to help him out. His mother put everything she had into making sure he pulled through every single time the disease came back. His brother donated blood, marrow and even one of his organs for the same purpose, but they wanted different things for him. Glennys wanted him close - to spend as much time with her as he could. Eamonn wanted him to leave - to chase his dreams while he could.

"Are you finished talking about what a bitch I am?" Glennys asked him miserably, sitting on the recliner with her head in her hand. Celeste was doing her best to brush broken glass into a dustpan from the opposite wall.

"You're not a bitch," Ezra's heart fell when he saw her so miserable, and he couldn't help shuffling over to her. "You know how Eamonn gets. Puberty's doing a number on him! Don't worry. We love you."

"He hates me," Glennys moped, and Ezra felt resentment quickly bubbling inside. Whether he hates you or not, there are some things he's right about!

"He doesn't hate you," He reassured her. "Do you need anything? The toilet? A new show? I can make you something to eat if you like."

"No," Glennys sighed out loud. "I just want my sons to appreciate how much I've done for them."

Celeste caught Ezra's expression and smiled on her way past to let the broken glass shatter as it fell into the bin.

"Do you see me here?" Ezra obnoxiously jumped up and down in front of her and waved his arms. "Do you see me out here actively loving you and doing my best to make you happy?"

"Oh, you don't mean it," she said, then she yelped in pain as she moved around. "I know you're looking to leave me alone here the moment you get a chance."

"How can you say I don't mean it?" Ezra asked her, bewildered. "Aside from every second Saturday night, I'm either working at the diner so I can help take care of you, or I'm here taking care of you! How about you show some darn gratitude? I don't even get to see my boyfriend anymore because I'm so busy trying to keep you happy! He's still in Litchfield because he's waiting for me! I'm running the risk of losing him so I can be here for you!"

The way Ezra's voice began to rise caused Eamonn to creep from their bedroom and poke his eyes out from behind the doorframe. Celeste, too, was watching intently.

"Is it too much to ask that after all the years I looked after you that you could do the same for me?" She began to sniffle, and Ezra rolled his eyes. "If Beau loves you, he will understand."

"No, he won't understand!" Ezra shouted at her. "He wants to start a life in Minneapolis, and I don't know what world you live in, but he's probably not going to wait forever while I deal with your abandonment issues! If you're only interested in being a victim forever, then don't count on me being a part of it!"

It was silent for a short while. Neither Eamonn nor Celeste dared get involved, and Glennys didn't seem to know how to respond now that Ezra wasn't eating out of her hand.

"I didn't know you were so unhappy," she finally defended herself.

"Well, I am!" Ezra told her angrily, upset that he didn't admit the truth to himself earlier. "I didn't mind because I thought it was worth it to make you happy, but you're so determined to be fucking miserable that I'm just wasting my time!"

He spun on his feet and pushed past Eamonn as he returned to his room.

"Ezra?" Glennys shouted from her chair. "What are you doing?"

"Good on you," Eamonn proudly congratulated him. He and Ezra locked fists as they always did when one of them succeeded. Ezra fought through the guilt that still gnawed at him and packed some clothes into his bag.

"Ezra!" Glennys shouted again, but he ignored her again.

"You'll be okay if I duck out for a night?" Ezra asked his brother, who merely shrugged.

"I've endured her this long. What's another night going to do?

Ezra briefly hugged him before hoisting his backpack over his shoulder and cramming his small feet into the beat-up old Vans knockoffs he still wore. When he returned to the main room, Glennys was standing close by, making her way over to investigate for herself what he was doing. Funny how mobile she can be when she puts her mind to it, he thought.

"Where are you going? What are you doing?" Glennys asked him, her brown eyes full of panic. "You can't leave me tonight!"

"Yes, I can!" Ezra walked around her. "I'm going stay with Beau."

"Why? Don't you care about me? And your brother and sister?" Glennys challenged him as he snatched his toothbrush from the bathroom and kissed his little sister on the top of her head. "Your father would turn in his grave!"

Using his father to try and manipulate him was the final straw for Ezra. Glennys had sunk very low in the past six weeks to keep her son on a leash, but that was beyond horrible. Unforgivable! He felt nothing but contempt for her.

"Whatever Mom," he replied morosely before leaving the apartment. "Honestly, I'm starting to think he got drunk and crashed just to get away from you."

When Ezra arrived at his boyfriend's oversized house, it was Beau himself who opened the front door and immediately embraced him, raining kisses all over his pale face. Ezra felt the curves of his boyfriend's body as they snuggled in the cold of the pathway to the house, loving how familiar everything felt. Beau's hips, back, chest and even his cute butt never changed while they were growing - or while Beau was growing, at least.

"I wasn't expecting you!" Beau, dressed in his sleepwear, was beginning to freeze and he dragged his boyfriend into the house. "Why are you here? Are you going to stay over?"

"Is that okay?" Ezra asked him shyly, and Beau excitedly grabbed Ezra's bag from him.

"Uhh, yes! It's about time!"

~

Monday, February 11th

"You know, you can take a break any time now, big man!" Beau leaned over the front of the treadmill, but Ezra wasn't ready to slow down. Faster! Harder! Embrace the burn!! "Ez, seriously, you look like you're about to faint."

"Easy... Ezy!" He panted and puffed as he ran hard, grinning up at his boyfriend. His tank top was saturated, and his hair kept falling back down over his face, but he would not stop. On the other hand, Beau always ended too quickly! He broke a sweat and got his blood pumping, but he never went to third gear and wanted to leave long before Ezra did.

"I don't mean to coerce you, but I'm pretty horny," Beau flashed a provocative smile, and Ezra raised his eyebrows. "We can have a different kind of workout."

"You win!" Ezra turned the treadmill up for the final sprint. One minute. He always finished his run this way. Faster! Harder! KADA won't accept anything less!!

"You should take your shirt off next time," Beau looked at him hungrily, and Ezra laughed. "Or not! Bitches be looking at you like they want a turn."

"JEA...LOUS!" Ezra shouted, and he didn't hear anything after that, tuning everything out.

The only thing that existed at that moment was his body and his intent to push it to its limit. It's a pretty resilient thing! It never gives up, and neither do I! Eventually he propped himself up with the arms of the machine and hopped down on the sides of the treadmill, pressing the off button and almost collapsing forward and coating it with his sweat.

"AARGH!!" He cried out as he felt relief and pain all at once wash over his whole body. "That was awesome!!"

"My big man's such a hunk," Beau reached forward and kissed him on his forehead. Ew, Ezra thought with an audible giggle. I must be disgusting right now. Beau never seemed to agree - in fact, he seemed to like it.

"Okay you promised me sex, let's go!" Ezra wiped himself and the machine down with his towel, only to look up and see Beau watching him with a look of adoration on his face.

"You're an idiot!" Beau kissed him hungrily on the lips.

"Do you mind taking that outside?" Wendell, the personal trainer in charge of the gym, asked as he walked by. When Beau looked at him with indignance on his face, Wendell shrugged. "It's not the gay thing - this is just not the place for sucking face."

"What do you say?" Ezra asked, suggestively biting his lip. "Should we go for a little drive, then?"

"Sounds good to me!" Beau laughed, picking up his towel and rubbing himself down before stuffing it back into his bag. "See ya, Wendell. We'll gay it up somewhere else."

"Oi! Don't be rude!" Ezra shoved Beau from behind. "That's my job!"

In Ezra's opinion, Beau had somewhat of a persecution complex. To him, everyone was always staring and judging because he and Ezra were two of the very few gays in the town. He was self-conscious all the time, always worrying about what people were thinking. Ezra didn't agree. While disdain was written on the face of some townsfolk, very few people in his experience made remarks one way or the other. Still, he didn't doubt that Beau got it worse than he ever did. In school, it was Beau who got the teasing - never Ezra, even though they were publicly dating. It didn't do a lot for his self-esteem. We should just leave town, he thought, imagining living in a tiny apartment with Ezra, struggling to pay bills and rent. They'd both pursue their individual dreams by day and fuck like animals by night. No family! No obligations! Just them! Perfect!!

"You need a better car, Ez!" Beau told him for the millionth time since he bought the crappy old thing. "At least get it painted!"

"Are you volunteering?" Ezra asked, tossing their bags into the back seat. "You're the one with the rich daddy!"

"You're my daddy, and you are not rich," Beau flirted. Ezra laughed out loud and hopped down into the driver's seat.

"I'm never letting you drive ever again," Ezra lamented, grabbing the lever and pushing the seat nearly all the way forward. "You have too many legs! And they're far too long!"

"Good!" Beau retorted, buckling up as they waited for the car's engine to warm up and putting his hand on his boyfriend's knee. "I don't want to be seen dead driving your car!"

"Good!!" Ezra one-upped him, laughing with his lover. "You'd kill us both anyway with your terrible driving skills!"

Beau, knowing Ezra would forever win this game, decided to shut him up by gently pushing his tongue into his boyfriend's mouth. Beau always tasted sweet somehow, as though he'd been sucking on candy. He probably snuck in chocolate while I wasn't looking! Devious bastard!

"Let's go to our spot!" Beau put his hand on Ezra's hardening crotch. "Watching you break a sweat does things to a man! I thought you'd never stop working out!"

"That so?" Ezra didn't need to be told twice. "Let's get out of here, then!"

The car was never intended to be anything more than a way to get from A to B - but the boys, both still living with their families, had nowhere reliable to fool around except in the back seat of the old bomb. Beau had no car of his own after his parents found the sneaky stash of pot during an inspection, so he used Ezra's when it wasn't in use. As work, the gym and the high school were within walking distance of Ezra's apartment, Beau was quite often free to go on trips with his boyfriend's car - usually to Minneapolis to enjoy a day of city life. Thus, as much as Beau liked to criticise and make fun of Ezra's mode of transport, it was mostly in jest - mostly!

"Hey, Ez," Beau cautiously asked him as they putted along slowly on the icy road, looking for the turnoff to the old, battered track that lead to only a few barns and fields. "Does it have to be Minneapolis?"

"Yes?" Ezra frowned. "Why? Are you having second thoughts?"

"Gosh no!" Beau exclaimed as they rounded the corner. They'd be alone when they made it up the road some more - free to talk, cuddle, kiss and then some. It wasn't textbook romance, but they did the best with what they had. "I want to leave this place ASAP! When's your Mom's hip finally better?"

"I'll probably never know," Ezra was still bitter about his mother. Since their blowup, Glennys had been giving her eldest son the silent treatment and then loudly complaining that he would not speak to her. "Celeste said she sees Mom getting up and going to the toilet in the night, so I know she's full of shit when she tells me she can't. It's been six weeks and you'd still think someone shot her in the spine! Don't worry, cutie. I'm locked and loaded! When I hear back from KADA - wanting to sign me maybe or kick me to the curb or whatever - then I'm ready to hit Minneapolis."

"You're still gonna stick with that wrestling stuff, huh?" Beau sighed out loud. "You can't just get a job and do something--"

"Something I don't want to do?" Ezra cut in, but Beau tutted at him.

"Something safe!" Beau stressed the word. "Safe! I actually thought you broke your neck that night when you fell. I really did. I was so scared, Ez. I don't want to be scared every time you get in that stupid ring."

"That stupid ring means everything to me," Ezra drummed his cold hands on the steering wheel. "I'm doing it. End of story!"

"You're a jackass sometimes," Beau growled, folding his arms. "If you do manage to get signed, then you'll be traveling most of the time and I'll never get to see you anyway."

"Okay then I'm a jackass," Ezra submitted to that, but he had his heart set on KADA Wrestling - to be like the heroes who gave him something when he thought he was down and out. "But I'm doing it! End! Of! Story!"

"Whatever. Your chances of making it are like, a million to one," Beau snarkily pointed out. "Why can't you just be realistic about this stuff?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Ezra told him firmly, turning to look him in the eye. "I mean it, Beau. You can't change my mind, so you may as well stop before you only end up making one or both of us upset."

"Fine! Fine!" Beau swung his hand and hit the dashboard with a thud. "Put yourself at risk. Get paralysed."

"Do you want me to take you home?" Ezra put his hand on the gearstick. "Because if you're picking a fight, I don't want to be a part of it."

"Yes! No!" Beau grabbed Ezra's hand and kissed it. "I don't mean to fight! I mean... you're everything to me, you know? You're the only thing that Litchfield ever gave me. I'm nearly nineteen and you're basically all I have to show for my life. I can't lose you. If I have to tie you down to the bed to keep you safe, I will!"

"Will you now??" Ezra, soothed by his boyfriend's honest attempt to mend things, playfully raised his eyebrows. "I thought you were the submissive! Have you been lying to me this whole time, you treacherous slut??"

"Yeah, well the thought of losing you just makes me crazy!" Beau wasn't entirely joking, but he did manage to smile and rub his cheek against Ezra's small hand. Ezra followed his lead and cupped his face.

"You're always crazy! But I love you!" Ezra reached over to kiss him, and Beau was incredibly receptive.

"I love you too," he nibbled on the younger boy's ear, making him purr with joy. "Why don't we slip over to the back seat and cuddle a bit?"

"I was hoping we'd have sex, but whatever," Ezra winked, and Beau slipped his hand into the glovebox and fetched what to the untrained eye looked like an empty McDonald's burger case, but in fact contained the small tubes of lubricant necessary for such endeavors. Honestly, Ezra couldn't believe that nobody, especially nosy Celeste, had found them, but it was his car. He didn't have to explain what he did in it to anyone.

We're an odd couple, Ezra thought with an outward laugh. Our roles are reversed entirely from what people would expect! Beau was tall and twinky, submissive and a total bottom. Ezra didn't believe the older guy would ever top anyone in his entire life. People took one look at short, well-built Ezra, on the other hand, and always thought bottom. Nope. I'm a top, baby! And I'm gonna top my boyfriend!

Because of their height difference, it was always Ezra who straddled Beau's lap when they made out. This way their lips were almost at the same level and Beau moaned into Ezra's mouth as the younger boy tore their shirts off. They were sweaty and primal after their workout. Somehow, it added a sordid, naughty aspect to their lovemaking. There was no strong scent of body odour - the two having deodorised before they worked out, but there was a musk that filled the car. The smell of sex. It was like pheromones glided from their skin as they rubbed their bodies together, as they kissed, licked, bit and nibbled at each other - first the lips and tongue, then the ears, then the neck, shoulders, nipples... Ezra loved having his nipples played with. Beau knew just how to make his head spin with gentle but firm bites. For Beau, though, it was his back that was an erogenous zone. While they played, Ezra made sure to massage, rub and scratch at Beau's spin, making him whimper with delight and grow goosebumps all over his fair skin.

"Do you want to ride me?" Ezra couldn't handle it much more. He needed to feel Beau around him.

"Yaas!" Beau let Ezra lie down after putting a towel underneath them, shimmying off his shorts and boxers, letting a five-inch cock spring free. "I never get tired of this," Beau eyed Ezra's naked body off with lust and immediately took him into his mouth.

Ezra groaned in bliss and gently played with Beau's hair - shit Beau, how much product do you use? Wow. Neither boy had ever been with anyone else, both losing their virginities to each other. It started with blowjobs, and then it progressed slowly to anal sex as the boys watched amateur porn together and learned. The first time they attempted sex was as it appeared in a raunchy scene between two twinks once - the well-endowed top slid right into the bottom without any apparent application of lube at all. That did not go well when the boys tried it, and it was quite some time before they tried it again! But after all the awkward mistakes and learning experiences, they were good together. Beau had a knack of knowing when and how to seduce Ezra almost without fail, and he often prepared beforehand. Beau's tongue hit all the right places, and he suckled with just the right amount of pressure to make Ezra's eyes roll to the back of his head.

After a short while, Beau slipped his shorts down, slicked himself up with his hand and straddled the smaller boy, easing himself down on the steel-hard rod underneath and causing both to groan and whimper in unison. The look of bliss and joy on his boyfriend's face always made Ezra so happy. As Beau began to rock back and forth, Ezra matched his rhythm by thrusting up and down. The windows fogged up with the intensity of their lovemaking, and in their remote location, the boys had no reason to be quiet, letting their ecstasy and joy cry out freely as they kissed and hugged and writhed.

"Harder," Beau begged after a while, and Ezra slowed down.

"I'm getting close," he warned his boyfriend, grinding into the warmth of him as he kissed Beau's fingers.

"I don't care! Just don't stop!" Beau egged him on, his voice husky with need, and Ezra obeyed, increasing the speed and force of his thrusts until Beau's intermittent moans became one long sigh of pure joy. Ezra erupted inside him, his vision blurring and his chest tightening as he cried out in pure happiness and joy. Can life get any better than this?

"Oh my god," Beau was exhaling in rapid, shallow breaths. "Oh my god."

Ezra looked down to the slightly curved cock that was leaking precum all over his belly and smirked. Sometimes he stroked Beau to orgasm with him, and on rare occasions, Beau was horned up enough to explode without touching his cock at all, but Ezra liked it best when his boyfriend was left a puddle of nerves, hypersensitive and ready to explode, because there was a more fun way to finish him off. Beau knew what to do and pulled himself off, the towel catching anything that might have leaked out, and Ezra immediately sucked his boyfriend's meaty cock down to the base. Beau cried out in a comically high-pitch tone, and it only took half a dozen bobs of Ezra's head to make Beau explode. After licking his lips clean, Ezra and Beau passionately kissed, slowly winding down to a cuddle and nuzzle.

"We're going to be okay, right?" Ezra asked, his teeth and tongue gently playing with the sensitive skin of Beau's neck.

"Yeah. I love you too you much, my big man!" Beau's big arm squeezed him close. "We'll work something out."

~

Saturday, February 16th

"Hi, you got Ezra," he answered his phone, stir-fry cooking in the pan. He wasn't a good cook, but neither Eamonn nor Celeste complained. Somebody did, and if she didn't like what he was cooking for her, she could bloody well go hungry.

"Ezra, honey," he immediately recognised the voice, and in spite of what he was doing, he jumped up and down on the spot. "It's Gloria Droese. Is now a good time?"

"Now is the best time!!" He squeaked back at her, causing Celeste to look at him with amusement on her faces. "It's Gloria!" He whispered back to Celeste, whose smile widened and she gave him two big thumbs up.

"So Kelsey did her part, and I had a good look at your highlight reel," Gloria spoke, and Ezra burned with nerves. Does she think I'm bad? Sloppy? Short?? "I'm impressed. You're a decent all-rounder, and your promo was so inspiring it made me want to get right back in that ring!"

"You mean that?" Ezra felt faint and braced himself on the dining table. "You liked it??"

"I did - but there are some things I want to address at the same time," Gloria admitted, and Ezra felt the swords stinging him. Oh no! I am too short!

"What things?" He asked, letting Celeste take over and poke at the ingredients in the pan with the wooden spoon. She fancied herself a decent assistant, but she caused more problems than she solved.

"Well, you've definitely got the type of fire and charisma KADA looks for!" Gloria praised him. "You're strong, you've got stamina and you're willing to take bumps. These are all big points in your corner! But unfortunately, wrestlers of your size are rarely taken seriously unless they're high-flyers. Are you comfortable with that style of wrestling? Cruiserweight, dives, springboards and all that?"

"I am!" He boasted with pride. "So I'm not too short?"

"I shouldn't think so! It's not about the size of the dog in the fight; it's the fight in the dog!" She laughed, but there was more. "You also mentioned that you've been sick as a kid. Do you mind if I ask you about that? Is it something that might affect your ability to wrestle long-term?"

"Ah--oh...ahm..." although she couldn't see him, he blushed. He was hoping this wouldn't have to come up. "I had leukaemia, but I've been in the clear for two years now."

"Shit, that's rough," Gloria inhaled deeply. "Sorry, honey. I suppose you're in tip-top shape now if you're wrestling the way you are, though?"

"I am! I've never been in better shape!" Ezra claimed and glared as Glennys watched him from her recliner, eavesdropping with her arms folded. Things were still tense between them. "Don't be sorry, though! I've never been good at being a victim!" He made sure she heard that.

"That's a beautiful attitude right there," Gloria took a short while before she answered him. "That's going to get you far in the wrestling industry - trust me. You'll have to be cleared by KADA's medical team to compete, but if you're fighting fit, I don't see a problem. Now, just one more thing..."

"Another one?" Ezra whimpered into the phone.

"I see a lot of tributes to some very dear friends of mine," Gloria's thick accent made it hard to understand every word she said. "Diego, Vause, Lance, Waya, Rachel Reid... I mean, they'll be flattered as hell to know that you're a fan - but I'm afraid I don't see what it is you do that makes you Ezra."

"What do you mean?" He asked, crestfallen.

"Well, we already have those people on the roster," she explained gingerly. "The moves you showed off in this tape are mostly the signatures of other wrestlers. Don't get me wrong, you're doing a great job, but I don't want to see those guys. I want to see you, and I don't see you in this video."

"Oh," Ezra felt as though the light inside him went out. I blew it! Blast!!

"Don't be discouraged, Ezra. What you've given me is solid, it's just not the material I'm looking for," Gloria told him, and Ezra grimaced.

"I understand. Thanks for giving me a chance," he screwed his eyes shut. Dammit!

"Hey hold now, you're not giving up yet, are you?" She asked, and he opened his eyes again. "We're not done!"

"We're not? Awesome!!" Ezra shouted out aloud, startling Celeste and making her laugh.

"Heh," Gloria chuckled. "I for one think there's room for you on the KADA roster. So I'm sorry for the short notice, but do you think when you wrestle tonight, you could record something new for me? Show me who the real Ezra Luczynski is! I want to see you wrestling and not the KADA lineup. Make sure you use a unique finisher."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Ezra began to bounce in excitement all over again. "And you actually pronounced my name right!"

"I'll be honest Ezra, I had to rehearse it," Gloria admitted, and he laughed. "So in short, you've won me over, honey. But Michelle will want to see someone unique. That's how you get in with her. Show her what you can do - not what Diego Silva can do."

"Alright! Thank you so so so so much!" Ezra spun around and immediately squeezed Celeste between his strong arms. "I won't let you down!"

"Sorted. Send it to this number when you have a moment. Have a great night, and I look forward to seeing what you can do! Good luck and kick ass!" Gloria hung up, and Ezra was stunned.

"Who was that?" Glennys asked as if she didn't know.

"Did go well? Are you gonna be a wrestler?" Celeste asked him, trying to weasel her way out of his hug.

"Um! Yes! But not yet!" Ezra panted. The call so charged him with energy and nerves that for a moment he'd forgotten to breathe. "I have to send new footage tonight! Ahh! I need to be a high-flyer! And I need a new finisher!! Ahh shit shit blast shit--"

"Tell Eamonn!" Celeste broke in before Ezra could get stuck in one of his tangents and he took off, dashing past his mother and barging into his bedroom.

"Eamoooooonn!" He called, and Eamonn quickly turned his phone off. There was no mistake what he was watching. That woman was enjoying herself - or the paycheck that came with pretending she was. "Oh! Was that-- were you?"

"Yes," Eamonn looked away, pink with embarrassment. "You're supposed to be cooking dinner. What do you want?"

"Is now a good time?" Ezra asked awkwardly.

"Is now a good time?" Eamonn mocked him in a high-pitched. "What do you think? Just tell me what."

"Okay!" Ezra bounced back and forth on his feet. "Gloria called me back! She likes me! She thinks I could have a real shot at KADA!!"

Eamonn's face broke apart into a dazzling smile when he heard the news.

"Hey, congrats!" He hopped up and locked his fist with his brother's. "So what happens now?"

"Well... she wants one more video recording," Ezra revealed, and Eamonn's eyebrow twitched. "Can you do that for me tonight? Please?"

"Okay, but you have to do something for in return," Eamonn sat back down and folded his arms. When Ezra looked at him quizzically, he laid down his terms. "Bring me some of that lemon drizzle cake from the diner tomorrow, and you've got a deal."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Ezra was almost annoyed he had to wait two and a half hours to level some fool with his super fly moves. He threw himself on Eamonn, who stood there like an awkward tree with a monkey hanging from it. "Ohmygodthankyou! Thank you! Suh-weet!!"

"Don't mention it," Eamonn snickered, before returning to his bed. "Like, any of it. You get me?"

"You know, if you wanna... watch porn and stuff, you can tell me, and I'll make sure I leave you alone for a while," Ezra offered, turning his voice down.

"I just told you not to mention it!" Eamonn threw a shoe at him, which Ezra blocked, but both boys were laughing.

"Dinner soon!" Ezra informed him and shut the door behind him.

"Ezra, help me up, please," Glennys asked, extending a hand to him. He stopped. Her words were pragmatic and stiffly spoken, but that was a delightful change from the constant whining and self-pity.

"Of course, Mom," he grabbed her hand, and she smiled at him as he pulled her to her feet. He didn't think she needed help anymore, but if she needed proof that he still cared, he would give it to her. We are family, after all.

"Nothing's burning!" Celeste updated him with pride, and he kissed her on her head on the way past.

"You are without a doubt my favourite sister!" He cooed, winking and taking over the cooking process again.

"Gee, thanks. I'm your only sister," she pointed out.

"It doesn't always work that way!" He quipped, desperate to finish the meal and go to LEW where he could get ready to wow the audience and Gloria too. "Eamonn's my only brother, but he's not my favourite!"

With their bellies full and morale at an all-time high, Ezra and Eamonn drove all the way to the high-school a mere few blocks away, and Ezra could barely contain himself. Wrestling had that effect on him. It never failed to send his heart through the roof, and he couldn't sit still. Tonight, he was to face Orson McDonagh - a beefy redhead with a Yosemite Sam style moustache and the hairiest forearms anyone had ever seen. Worse, he was to lose! I need to debut a new finisher tonight! But I have to lose!!

"Who said you have to win?" Eamonn comforted him when Ezra went ballistic with panic at the news. "We're editing this. I'll record you saying it's your finisher. Calm. The fuck. Down."

Orson liked to to go full David vs Goliath in the ring. Ezra, looking to showcase a cruiserweight moveset, was more than happy with that arrangement. He had only one request - to perform a move from the top rope. Orson had no qualms with that. After all, the more intense the show, the more fun for everyone involved! Orson ran through the basic structure of the match - he even promised to sell Ezra's top rope move as a finisher by kicking out at the very last second. That would be sure to get a rise from the crowd at least! They didn't know who was going to win! It could be Ezra every bit as much as it could be Yosemite Sam over here!

Ezra couldn't help but notice when he entered that his boyfriend wasn't there. No sign of Beau. Awwww. That made the Born This Way entrance seem so... pointless without him. Every time Gaga played and Ezra declared his love for Beau by greeting him before hopping in the ring. , he would see stars in his lover's eyes. Eamonn didn't let him down, though! Eamonn gave him the fistlock they always did, and after Ezra launched himself over the top rope onto the canvas, he looked back to make sure Eamonn was indeed recording. He was! Ezra modified his style for this bout - to be more of a high-flyer. That meant speed, agility and acrobatics. They weren't his strongest suit, but he did an excellent job, he thought. His springboards were crisp, and his technique was solid.

When Ezra climbed up to the top rope to deliver the coup de grâce, he felt his legs shaking. C'mon! I can do this! I gotta do this! I will do this!! New finisher?? I'll give you a new finisher!! When Orson was in position, Ezra braced himself, then he launched off, somersaulting through the air right at his opponent. Ezra's legs landed on Orson's shoulders, and the two went down to the canvas with a hell of a crash!! The townsfolk were incredibly receptive, thoughtfully chanting "Holy shit!" and giving a mass shout of surprise when Orson managed to avoid a pinfall loss by a mere millisecond. Although Orson ended up smashing Ezra into the canvas with a spinning Powerbomb and winning, Ezra's top rope moment was easily the set piece of the whole match.

"Whoa!" Eamonn was as close to gushing with excitement as Ezra had ever seen when they met up after the show. "I didn't know you could do that! Wow!"

"You got it on camera, right??" Ezra pleaded, grabbing his brother's arms and shaking him. "Tell me you did!!"

"Ahh..." Eamonn bit his lip in shame. "My phone ran flat before that part... I'm really sorry."

"It didn't!" Ezra felt something crush his heart in a vice. "No! No no nono nononononono!! Someone must have got it! Somebody had to have recorded it, right?? It was my ticket to KADA! Why didn't you charge your phone?? Argh!"

"Chillax," Eamonn laughed and pointed at him. "Of course I got it, Ez. I wouldn't let you down!

"You asshole!" Ezra laughed in relief and threw his arms around his brother. "I can't believe you would do that to me!!"

"Well, maybe you should learn to knock when you come into our room," Eamonn's eyes twinkled with mischief, and Ezra laughed and punched him in the shoulder. What a jerk move! "Have a look!"

Eamonn found the part of the match in which Ezra catapulted himself from the top rope, somersaulted in the air and landed on Orson. It looked devastating from that angle! Smooth and crisp! True high-flyer stuff! Yes! Yes!! Everything's coming up Ezra!!

"Oh my god!" Ezra cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Right?" Eamonn agreed. "Let's see KADA say no to you now!"

Thank you to everyone who reads my work.