Zeke groaned as he heard his phone ring. He fumbled blindly and answered it, pressing it against his ear. "H'lo…?"
"I'm so-sorry, did I wake you up?" a soft shaky voice whispered. Zeke frowned and opened his eyes.
"Who is this?" he asked sharply.
"I-I'm sorry." The person on the other end whispered. "I-I didn't know what else t-to do. He'll kill me if he knew I was doing this."
"What? Who's going to kill you?" Zeke asked, frustration making his words sharp.
"M-My b-boyfriend."
Oh.
"OK, what is your name and where are you?" Zeke asked, sitting up. "I take it you need help? How did you get this number?"
"You are the 13th person I called." The boy whispered. "People are not-." There was a loud sound and the boy whimpered in fear. Zeke grimaced. "Shit, he's back. I have to go. I'll call you back?"
"O-." Before Zeke could respond, the line went dead. He swore and looked at the phone number in his call log. He tried calling back but it went into voicemail. "Fuck!"
He looked at the time. It was almost 4AM, he still had hours before he had to get up for work, but that phone call had disturbed him.
There was no way he was going to sleep now.
*
"So I got a phone call." Zeke said later in the morning when his brother and his brother's boyfriend showed up at his restaurant. "Weird call. Some kid was…well, he said his boyfriend wanted to kill him."
"Oh?" Zion asked in his cop voice. "What did you do?"
"Well, I think his boyfriend came back 'cos he hung up." Zeke shrugged. "Could have been a prank. But…"
"Probably." Alex said. "Did you call him back?"
"The number was hidden." Zeke lied. He stood up. "I'm going back to work, see you guys later."
It was probably a one off thing. Like, who calls a stranger in the middle of the night and says stuff like that?
*
He was on his way home after locking up when his phone rang. It was the same number that called him earlier.
"You had me worried for a bit there." Zeke said. "Are you OK?"
"Y-Yeah." The boy sniffed. "Sorry about this morning. He doesn't know about this phone."
"What is your name?" Zeke asked. The kid sounded like he had been crying.
"S-Simon." The kid whispered.
"Hi Simon." Zeke said. "I'm Zeke."
Simon chuckled. "I've never met a Zeke before."
"Consider me your first."
"OK." Simon said quietly.
"Where are you?" Zeke asked as he walked home.
"I-I can't tell you that." Simon said. "He'll know…"
"So what do you want from me?" Zeke didn't mean to sound harsh, but he was frustrated. The kid-Simon-wasn't giving him anything.
"S-Sorry. I-I just wanted someone to talk t-to." Simon said. "We m-moved and I-I don't know anyone here. I j-just needed a f-friend. I'm s-sorry."
Zeke sighed. "OK. We can be friends." He heard Simon sigh. "But on one condition."
"What's that?" Simon said warily.
"Tell me the truth." Zeke said.
"O…K." Simon said slowly. "That's all?"
"I'll know if you lie." Zeke said. "My brother is a cop, I've had practice."
"Oh." Simon sighed. "OK."
Zeke smiled. "So friend, when is your birthday?"
Simon laughed. "March 28th. You?"
"August 30th." Zeke answered. "Where do you live?"
Simon hesitated. "N-New York."
"Really? Me too." Zeke said.
"You live in New York?" Simon asked. "Wow."
"Yeah." By then, Zeke had gotten to his apartment. "Are you going to hang up on me like the last time?"
"I said I was sorry." Simon said, giggling. "He would have killed me if he saw the phone."
"Is he-Is he hitting you?" Zeke asked the question bugging him. "And don't lie to me."
Simon was silent. "I-I'm not a victim."
"I didn't say you were." Zeke said.
"He-He's stressed and he d-doesn't handle stress well." Simon said. "He loves me, he's just…"
Zeke threw himself on the couch. "OK. What is your favorite dessert?"
"What?"
Zeke laughed at the confusion in Simon's voice. "I'm a chef and I bake. I like to bake for my friends."
"Oh." Simon sighed. "I like chocolate."
"Me too." Zeke said. "None of my other friends do, can you imagine?"
"What?" Simon said incredulously. "But, it's chocolate."
"That's what I said." Zeke said, smiling. "I'll bake you a cake."
"Thank you." But he sounded sad. "But I can't get it. I'm not…I don't really go out."
Zeke frowned. "We'll figure something out."
Suddenly Simon gasped. "I have to go. Jon will be home soon."
"Wait," Zeke said, loudly. "Can I call you?"
"Maybe I'll text you." Simon said quickly. "Thank you, Zeke."
"Call me anytime." Zeke said, he knew he sounded desperate. "Even if it's in the middle of the night. OK?"
"OK." Then the line went dead.
Zeke sighed. "What the hell?"
***
A couple of blocks away, in an apartment building; a slim brunet turned off his phone and put it in a water proof case. Then he opened a plastic can of flour and stuffed his it in there.
He was smiling.
It felt strange.
It had been a while since he smiled.
Jon had dragged him all the way to New York, where he knew nobody. He had been given a promotion and that came with a transfer.
Simon had lied to Zeke when he said he wasn't a victim.
He was.
He was also worthless and stupid and useless and weak.
And no one would ever want him.
Jon was it.
Sometimes he thought about ending it all. He had come close once, but he couldn't go through with it.
He was also a coward.
He had also thought about killing Jon too. One night, while Jon slept peacefully next to him, he had watched him and thought about plunging a knife into his throat while he slept.
He didn't dare.
One, he hated the sight of blood.
Two, with his luck, he would mess it up and Jon would kill him for sure.
So he did nothing.
Until he found the phone. It was an old phone. He found it when he was cleaning out the guestroom, Jon used as his study.
Simon had tried his sister's number but it was disconnected. That was when he started dialing random numbers.
Some picked up. Others went straight to voicemail.
He had just about given up when he dialed Zeke's number. When he had picked up, he thought the guy would curse him out like the others had done. But he didn't.
Now he had a friend.
Simon couldn't stop smiling.
He started making dinner for Jon. His boyfriend loved pasta and meatballs. It was easy and quick. Simon looked at the time and his smile dimmed. Jon would be home in an hour.
It was enough to kill his good mood.
***
"So he called again." Zeke said the next day. It was a weekend and he didn't open till midday. "And we talked. His name is Simon."
He was at his Zion and Alex's loft, having breakfast, like he did every Saturday.
"Really?" Alex asked. "What did he want?"
"Nothing. I guess he just needed to talk to someone." Zeke said. "He says he just moved into town and he doesn't know anybody."
"What did you say?" Zion asked him.
Zeke shrugged. "He's cool, I guess." Zeke said. "It's just phone calls. And he calls me, I don't call him. What's the harm?"
His brother stared at him. "What else?"
Zeke shook his head. "I'm not sure…I think his boyfriend hits him."
"Why would you say that?"
"Just some of the things he says." Zeke said. "But get this, he loves chocolate."
"Wow, he's a weirdo, like you." Alex said, laughing.
"Hey!" Zeke smiled. He saw Zion frown. "Dude, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Zion said. "It's just kinda weird. Just be careful."
Zeke rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom."
*
By the time he took a break, it was almost six in the evening. Weekends were always hectic. He picked up his phone and swore when he saw four missed calls and a text message.
The calls were from a hidden number and the text was from an unknown number.
Hi.
Zeke sighed and thought about calling. Instead he typed a quick reply and waited.
Almost immediately, his phone rang. "Hey." Simon said quietly.
"I'm so sorry." Zeke said. "Weekends are my busiest days."
"It's OK." Simon said. "Jon was called away at work so I was just…"
"Where do you live?" Zeke cut him off. He didn't know why but he wanted to see him.
"I told you, New-."
"No, your address." Zeke clarified.
Simon was quiet, but Zeke could hear him breathing shakily. "I-I can't. I'm sorry."
"Why not?" Zeke pressed.
"Jon will kill me." Simon said. Zeke blew out a breath.
"I kinda hate this Jon guy." He said.
"He's not so bad." Simon said, giggling. "Just intense. And being a cop isn't an easy…"
"He's a cop?"
"Uh…I mean, he, uh," Simon stuttered.
"Simon…" Zeke growled.
"Yes." He sounded resigned. "He's a cop. That's all I'm telling you."
"Fine." Zeke said. "So what do you do for fun?"
"Oh, I play the guitar." Simon said. "Not so much now though."
"Why?"
"I-My guitar broke." Simon said, sadly.
"Let me guess, Jon?" Zeke really hated this Jon person.
"It was my fault really." Simon said quickly. Can we talk about something else? Please? What do you do for fun?"
"I cook. I bake." Zeke replied. "Sometimes, I fight. But I'm way too pretty for fighting, so…"
Simon laughed and Zeke grinned. "Wow, you are so modest." He chuckled.
"Well, I have my moments." Zeke said.
"I'm sure you do." Simon said. "Lemme guess, you're a blond. A regular dudebro."
"The blondest." Zeke said on a laugh.
"I knew it!" Simon chortled. "Is it true that blonds have the most fun?"
"I can't believe you even have to ask." Zeke said. "Of course we do."
Simon laughed. Zeke loved the way his laugh sounded. He wondered how it would sound if he heard it for real, not through the phone.
"OK, OK." Simon said. "You have blue eyes. No, something exotic, like…pale purple."
"Purple?" Zeke scoffed. "No. I have one blue eye, the other is green. I have heterochromia."
"Wow, really?" Simon sounded awed and Zeke blushed. "I have never seen that before. That is so cool."
"Why thank you." Zeke laughed.
"I bet you get all the girls, huh?" Simon teased.
"Sometimes." Zeke said.
"You lucky dog." Simon said, chuckling. "OK, blond, heterochromic eyes…hmm, you're tall, like 6ft or more, built like a surfer."
"Well, I'm about 6'2" and I look more like a brawler."
Simon giggled like a high school girl. "No! I refuse to believe that. I bet you're beautiful."
Zeke found himself blushing again. "No I'm not. I'm a man. I'm hot."
"Of course." Simon said and Zeke could almost imagine him rolling his eyes.
"Let me do you." Zeke said then slapped his hand over his mouth when he realized what he said. Simon laughed.
Aloud.
"Be careful, Zeke." Simon said. Zeke rolled his eyes.
"You are a pervert." He joked. "OK, I think you have long black hair and green eyes and you are built like the Rock."
Simon sounded like he was gasping for breath. "You are really bad at this."
"Hey." Zeke said, rolling his eyes. "OK, what do you look like?"
Simon was silent for a while. "I'm OK I guess. I mean, I'm no Dwayne Johnson. I have brown hair and brown eyes. Skinny and short."
"Hot." Zeke said. Simon giggled.
"Oh yeah." Simon said dryly. "I'm a rockstar."
"I knew it!" Zeke said, laughing.
They talked a bit about this and that, then Zeke had to get back to work. "Are you sure I can't call you?"
"No, I can't risk that." Simon said quickly. "But you can text me. I'll reply when I can."
Zeke supposed that was OK. He wasn't completely satisfied, but it would have to do.
"Sure." He said softly. "Simon…take care."
"You too." Then Simon hung up.