With one more vitality draining teleportation, Ezra was back in Faewall. He stopped by his office to go through everything he'd learnt before going ho.
It was ti for that break.
He teleported to the entryway of his house, greeted by the familiar scent of lavender and wood. It was a welco reminder of the life he had outside of his job.
For once, Ezra was determined to leave the weight on his shoulders at the door.
As he moved through the quiet hallways of his ho, the tension in his shoulders began to ease.
His wives were all here, and tonight, he wanted to focus on them. He wanted to focus on the peace they offered in the midst of everything else.
He found Gen first. She was seated by the window in the living room, enjoying the morning sun with a cup of tea in hand, staring out at the city below.
Her peacekeeper uniform was still on, though her boots had been kicked off to the side. She turned when she heard his footsteps, a smile a little less teeth away from being called warm spreading across her face.
"Back already?" She asked, setting her tea down on the table. "I thought you'd be neck-deep in paperwork until noon."
Ezra chuckled softly, moving to sit beside her. "I needed a break. All investigations can wait for a few days. Besides," he added, his eyes softening as he looked at her, "I've missed being ho."
Gen leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Well, I'm glad you're here."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few monts before footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Red walked in, her fiery hair bouncing on her shoulders as she walked. She raised an eyebrow as she saw Ezra, her lips quirking into a smirk.
"Ezra Matten, ho before noon? It's a Christmas miracle."
He laughed, a sound that felt rare lately. "What can I say? Even captains need a break."
Red crossed the room and sat on the arm of the couch beside him, leaning down to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Well, it's about ti. Gen and I were starting to wonder if you'd forgotten what we look like without our uniforms."
"Never." Ezra said with a grin, wrapping an arm around Red's waist as she settled beside him.
It wasn't long before Olivia entered the room as well, her presence as calm and grounding as ever.
She wore a simple dress, her usual combat gear set aside for the evening. Her eyes, always sharp and observant, softened as she saw Ezra sitting with Gen and Red.
"Good evening, love." Olivia said with a small smile. She walked over to him, leaning down to kiss him gently before sitting across from them in a plush chair.
Ezra exhaled, the stress of the day slowly lting away in the warmth of their presence. It had been too long since he'd spent ti like this.
His wives took the opportunity to catch up on what they'd been doing lately, specifically, the new hobbies they had picked up.
"So," Red said with a teasing grin, "since we've all been running around doing vampire peacekeeper things, I think it's ti we admit that life outside of that is... well, necessary."
Gen snorted from where she sat beside Ezra, her hand idly tracing patterns on his arm. "Speak for yourself. I've actually found a way to stay busy that doesn't involve smashing in doors or interrogating suspects."
"Oh?" Ezra tilted his head toward her in curiosity. "And what might that be?"
Gen's eyes sparkled mischievously as she sat up a little straighter. "Urban exploration."
"Urban what now?" Red raised an eyebrow, just as confused as everyone else.
"Urban exploration." Gen repeated, grinning. "I've been going around the city, checking out abandoned buildings, tunnels, and hidden places that people don't usually see."
"You'd be surprised at how many forgotten spots there are in Faewall. There's sothing strangely peaceful about exploring places no one else bothers with."
Ezra frowned before nodding like everyone else. The hobby fit Gen much more than anything else he could think of. Well, except for paintball.
"I should've known your new hobby would involve sneaking around the city." He said.
Gen laughed, shrugging. "Hey, it's not sneaking if no one knows you're there. And besides, it's good exercise. I get to practice my stealth, and sotis I find bits of history that have been long forgotten. It's like exploring a part of Faewall that's been lost to ti."
Olivia, who had been quietly listening, glanced over at Gen with mild curiosity. "And no one's caught you yet?"
Gen smirked. "Please. Who's going to catch ? I'm a peacekeeper, rember? And if anyone does spot , I can always flash my badge and say I'm investigating sothing 'official.' Works like a charm."
Red laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Leave it to you to turn sneaking around into a hobby. I'm surprised you haven't dragged us along."
"I was going to, but I figured I'd let you enjoy your downti." Gen replied with a wink. "Besides, I don't think Olivia would approve of climbing around old buildings and crawling through tunnels."
At this, Olivia chuckled. "You're right. That sounds less like a hobby and more like an unnecessary risk."
Gen waved a hand dismissively. "It's not risky. It's exciting. You'd love it if you gave it a try."
Olivia gave a small, amused shake of her head. "I'm quite content to keep my feet on solid ground, thank you."
Red, leaning forward, looked at Olivia with a glint of interest. "Speaking of which, Liv, have you picked up any hobbies lately? Or are you still too busy plotting to overthrow the mortal governnts?"
Ezra chuckled at the playful jab, and Olivia's eyes flickered with amusent as well. She crossed her arms, settling back in her chair.
"I haven't taken up any hobbies." Olivia admitted, though there was no hint of embarrassnt in her tone. "I prefer to keep myself focused on what's necessary. The city keeps busy enough."
Gen groaned dramatically. "No hobbies at all? Co on, Olivia, you have to have sothing outside of work. It can't just be all business, all the ti."
Olivia arched her brow. "Not everyone needs a hobby, Gen."
"Well, I think it's a sha," Red chid in, leaning in toward Olivia with a grin. "You'd be good at sothing like painting. I can just see it now. Olivia with a canvas, carefully plotting out every single brushstroke."
Ezra chuckled, picturing the scene. "Or maybe sothing more.. target oriented, like archery."
Olivia gave them both a mildly exasperated look. "You're both terrible at this."
Red laughed, throwing her hands up. "Hey, I'm just saying. You'd probably be amazing at whatever you tried. Though I bet you're secretly doing sothing fascinating and just haven't told us yet."
Olivia shook her head again, a faint smile on her lips. "You'll be the first to know if I ever take up painting."
Ezra leaned back, watching his won laugh and tease each other.
"This is exactly what I needed." He murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.
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