A litany of curses in several different languages ran through Ezra's head, with more than a few escaping his lips. He had seen Tony act like this before far too often. The last time he had done this however was many years ago. Ezra almost missed the signs.
In many ways he and Tony were alike. They had both been hurt terribly in their childhood. Their behaviors towards others reflected that. Ezra tended to hold himself aloof. To keep others at arms reach and not let them get close. Once they did get close if they were willing to take the time and effort Ezra was loyal to a fault. You were family to him. Mel, Mary, Moha, Joe, and Tony held that title in his life, and the girls too by default. The people on the periphery of Mary and Moha's life were to different degrees also important to him. Lately 6 men in Denver were starting to be categorized in that way in his head with one firmly staying under the heading of mate, no matter what his head tried to tell his heart.
Tony on the other hand played the class clown. Ezra had even seen him act like a sexist pig if Tony thought that would project the image or attitude he wanted to portray. He would let you in but you never knew the real him only what he let you see. The shallow womanizing jock. From the little interaction that Ezra had seen with Tony's team he could tell they didn't know the real him.
If he ever let his barriers down and let you see him as he truly is he was also like Ezra. You would have no friend more loyal. Tony however was always waiting for you to change your mind about him. Even after he let you in. Actually, if Ezra thought about it, Tony was more wary after he let you in. He expected people to hurt him even unintentionally.
The first year Joe had brought him home from boarding school he was exceedingly polite each visit. He went along with what all of the other teens wanted never saying anything that would cause an argument and therefore no more invitations home with Joe.
Every time he even imagined that he was unwelome he was ready to go back to school within the hour. It quickly became apparent that Tony was under the impression that no one would ever truly want him, tolerate him but never actually want him, Tony. It took Mary from the time Joe brought him home in sophomore year until graduation to convince Tony he was wanted and a part of the family.
He had a few episodes over the years. Most notably when Marie was born and summarily abandoned by her mother when he back slid with them, but they were few and far between.
Ezra knew that with that short snippet Tony had heard he was preparing to pull away again. He wasn't exactly sure why but he knew the signs well enough. If he let Tony leave now it would be hard to get him back, and Ezra didn't mean back into the hotel room. He meant back as his cousin, his family.
Ezra stood there for all of 10 seconds and then quickly followed his cousin stopping to give his lover a quick kiss and only saying "We will have to discuss this later just know I love you. Now I have to chase after an idiot."
Vin on the other hand was stunned. This was the type of reaction he had feared. Ezra just didn't understand how coming out would cost him his family. Tony leaving demonstrated that.
Ezra looked at Vin as he was hurrying away and said "Don't worry about it. It is not what you think. You just inadvertently touched a huge nerve."
Ezra left Vin half dressed in the room and hurried out in the hallway to catch Tony before he could make the elevator. Thankfully he hadn't taken the stairs.
"Antonio, where are you going?"
"Oh hey Ez, shouldn't you be back with Vin? What are you doing out here?" Tony was now into his normal behavior to keep people at bay the dumb jock persona. He winced inwardly but kept his face studiously blank. It was never good when Ezra called him Antonio. He would almost rather be called Mr. DiNozzo.
"Tony this is your cousin Ezra, you can't fool me. I know you too well. This act didn't work when you were 15. It didn't work when you were 25. It's not going to work today. It won't work when we are old and grey. You are stuck with me, with this family no matter what you do. You can't drive us away.
"Now come on back to the room and let's settle this. I have you out here trying to leave because you think that Vin is making me choose between him and you. Then I have Vin in there convinced that you left because you are upset that I am in a homosexual relationship with him. We need to work this out; you are both too important to me to let this misunderstanding continue."
Ezra grabbed Tony's arm and steered him back to the suite. "You know after a stunt like this I should call Mary and have her come and spend some quality time with you. Tell her you were thinking of doing a runaway like you used to… You would be lucky to get rid of her in six months; she would mother you to death."
To anyone who didn't know Tony that well it would seem that this was a nightmare scenario. An older woman mothering him seriously cutting into his social life. Causing him to be dateless. That would be anyone who didn't know him. Ezra knew him well and was seriously considering calling Mary and Moha because their youngest son seriously needed some reassurance and apparently no one else in the family had noticed. How could he still think after all these years that he was disposable to them? The thought pained Ezra more than he cared to admit.
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Vin stood a minute in the doorway of the room he shared with Ezra last night. If he had his way last night would be the first of many such nights the first of many things shared with Ezra, if he had his way. The way Ezra lit out of here after Tony made that possibility seem very unlikely. He couldn't fault his lover for chasing his cousin after he fled. Family is important, more so when you have so little. It was a lesson Vin knew full well. The less family you have the tighter you hold on to what you do have. He just wished that Ezra holding on to his family didn't mean giving up what they could have had together, giving up Vin.
Vin slowly gathered up his clothing and started getting dressed he knew he would be leaving soon and wanted to be ready to go before he was asked to leave. He hoped he would still be able to make the flight the others would be on back to Denver today. He really hated to fly and it was worse if he had to fly alone.
Vin was sitting on the couch in the main salon of the suite when Ezra returned a few minutes later. He heard voices outside the door and then it was opening with Tony and Ezra entering the suite.
"Ezra it's ok. I wasn't leaving at least not permanently, I just think that you need to be alone with Vin now. I promise that I won't disappear. How can I? Marie is in Morocco with Moha's family you know I would never abandon her."
"Why did you feel the need to flee now Tony?"
Ezra saw Tony look at him. He knew that look. It was the one he had helped his cousin hone for undercover work. It was the basis for the smoke and mirrors. It wasn't the poker face, this was went into the poker face. It was the crafting of the con. The blending of truth and fabrication, just enough of each to be believable.
If Tony had been trying to fool anyone else he probably would have succeeded. Anyone one but the master, anyone but Ezra . Goodness knows he succeeded in fooling Gibbs for all these years.
"And Tony let's try for the truth this time hmm?" Ezra said in a deceptively mild voice. Vin had heard him use that same voice during interrogations with gun runners and actually scared the hell out of him.
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