Ezra’s pale face was growing bright red as his face turned to surprise. My own cheeks began to turn rose, our faces less than a foot apart. They both started stuttering their apologies as they got up and turned away Caiden grabbing his other arm and chuckling awkwardly. Theon, face blank and concerned, cracked slightly at the blunder of the two, his mouth cracking into a humorous smile.

“Caiden, are you okay? We were talking and you suddenly froze; you were paling and sweating a lot. You shook a lot and fell out of your seat once Ezra talked to you” Theon would voice his concern as he placed his hand on my still shaking shoulder. I would flinch, my shoulders and back going rigid from the unknown touch. Why did I have to have these memories, why did I have to go through this. What did I do to deserve this? Why is it so unfair?

“Uh… ye-yeah, I’m okay, I’m okay” My voice quivered. My eyes held their gaze and stared at my continuously shaking hand. I would clench it and hide it inside my coat pocket, my fingers quickly finding the golden object that sat in my pocket, rolling it between my fingers.

“Okay, let’s keep tending to that hand, and Ezra, could you get him some water please?” Theon would instruct as he gently placed a hand on my back, slowly guiding me back to the seat before resuming his process of sewing my wound shut before wrapping it up. The entire time, my eyes were fixed on Ezra who was bustling back and forth through the rooms for a few minutes before taking a seat on one of the desks, pulling some goggles on and some tools out and beginning to work on something. I watched him with such fascination as he quietly hummed, his fingers slowly and delicately folding and screwing and placing gears, wires, and small pieces of metal together, gradually creating something. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, and I doubt I would understand, but watching him work was so enticing, I could barely blink, scared that he would vanish if I did. Theon simply chuckled to himself, drawing my attention back to him.

“What are you laughing at?” I asked incredulously.

    “Oh, its nothing, it's just good to see someone interested in my son-he has never had good luck with romance” My eyes widened and it was blatantly obvious that my ears and cheeks were growing bright crimson, filling my face up as I started to mumble and stutter to myself.

    “What?! No-no, y-yeah, no, I don’t have a cru- no, what are you talking about- you don’t know what you’re talking about-” I would quickly turn my head and most of my body the other way, covering my face with my free hand, one of my fingers rolling my dark and curly hair through it. Theon would chuckle at my embarrassment, turning his head back and forth as he smiled kindly and calmly. I would hiss slightly as he finished sewing my hand before taking out a roll and wrapping it around my hand carefully and slowly.

 “It is okay to have a crush on someone Caiden, he really is a great boy and it is okay that you are infatuated with him, but I warn you, do not jump headfirst- get to know him first, fall for him over time so you are not purely attracted to him only because of his looks.” Theon would instruct, his brow ushering down as he worked. “I don’t want him to be hurt again. He was so heartbroken when she left him for a better looking guy who was a good person, just not as devoted as he was and that tore-destroyed him. I don’t want him to go through the same thing he did before, so if you hurt my son, I know both magic and how to create a flintlock”

He would glare down at me, his eyebrows shoved together and his mouth in a small sneer. His sapphire eyes were now like two blades of frozen wrath, piercing into my soul, bearing into my own eyes and holding me at knifepoint. I felt my breath leave me as I knew that this old soul could probably kill me, if not physically, he could absolutely do so with those piercing eyes. I would nod rapidly.

“I promise to not hurt your son, Th-sir!” I almost shouted before I squeaked and went quiet. Within a moment of silence and his eyes reading digging deep into my soul, like he was reading my reaction, he would nod and the kindness and softness flooded back into his face and his eyes as he turned his head down, continuing to work on my hand. His face softened and his thick but wispy eyebrows returned to a neutral position, his normal smile returning.