Zeke and Simon left Manhattan just after noon the next day. Simon had, with assurances from Lucas, Zion and Zeke, written a statement and Zion promised to take care of their Jon problem.
Back home, Simon went into the guestroom and fell asleep again. Zeke called the restaurant and told his assistant that he'd be away till the end of the week. As he hung up, a call came through from…Simon?
"Hello?" he said cautiously.
"Where is Simon?" Jon growled.
"Who is this?" Zeke asked, thinking fast.
"You tell that ungrateful piece of shit that I found the phone." Jon snapped. "You tell him that he's going to be sorry when I get my hands on him."
"You stay away from him." Zeke warned, cursing the slight tremor in his voice. "Or else…I swear you're the one who's going to be sorry."
"You shouldn't interfere in other people's relationships." Jon said. "Simon is mine and I'll get him back. You can't stop me."
Zeke hung up after that and called Zion. "Jon just called. He used the phone Simon had used to call me."
"What did he say?" Zion asked, in his 'cop' voice and Zeke was glad that his brother was good at his job.
"He just threatened to hurt Simon, basically."
"Well, as of this moment, he's a wanted man." Zion said. "Lucas called the chief and…Jon is nowhere to be found."
"Shit." Zeke swore. "What do we do now?"
"You do nothing. Just make sure your boyfriend is safe." Zion said. "Let the police handle this."
"He's not my…"
"Don't care." Zion said, before hanging up. Zeke rolled his eyes. Asshole.
*
Zeke didn't mention Jon's phone call to Simon or the fact that he was MIA. He just wanted Simon to focus on getting better.
Besides, the police would find Jon soon and everything would be fine.
Right?
Then there was the fact that Bella was upset with him for keeping everything that had happened from her.
"I can't believe you told Mom before you told me." Bella grumbled. "And you had to drag my girlfriend into it."
"Bella, babe…I had to think of Simon." Zeke sighed. Simon was still asleep in the guestroom when his sister stormed into his house. He and Bella were in the kitchen where he was making dinner. "Wait, who told you?"
"Zion." Bella smirked. "He was so mad. It would have been funny if I wasn't left in the dark too." She scowled at him.
"Of course." Zeke sighed. "It's…complicated. And Simon was…thing is, I couldn't tell anyone."
"But, you told Mom." She said, hurt in her voice. "And Diane."
"And?" Zeke was tired of defending himself.
She glared at him. "I hate you."
"No, you don't." Zeke rolled his eyes. "You didn't see him. I did what I thought was best."
A soft sound behind him had him turning.
"Uh, Zeke?" Simon said softly, rubbing one eye with the heel of one hand. Zeke smiled at him.
"Hey bestie." Simon rolled his eyes and Zeke chuckled "This is my sister, Bella. Bells, Simon, my new roommate."
"So you are the one who made my brother drive all the way to Manhattan." Bella stated, walking towards Simon who took a step back. Bella had that effect on people. She was a little too much, a little too fast.
"I, uh, what?" Simon stumbled over his words. "I didn't…"
"Bells…" Zeke warned. "Easy…"
"Zeke doesn't drive." Bella said. "He hates it."
"I don't hate it." Zeke protested. "I just prefer not to…sometimes."
"Yeah, sure." Bella said, smirking. She eyed Simon, frowning. "What happened to your face?" her eyes widened. "Is this why you went to Mom, Zeke? Wow, I have never seen a black eye that big."
Jace saw Simon fidgeting. "Bella, behave."
"It's OK." Simon said. "I-It was my boy-ex-boyfriend. Zeke helped me get away."
"What?" Bella frowned.
"My ex did this." Simon said, pointing to the bruises on his face and neck. "I'm fine now. Zeke saved me."
"Wait, wait…" Bella inhaled. "Zeke helped you get away from an abusive ex? How did you two even meet?"
"Uh…"
"He came by the restaurant." Zeke said and caught Simon's look. Bella loved drama and this was drama. Knowing her, she was going to blow this out of proportion.
"Oh." Bella said thoughtfully. Then she grinned. "That is so sweet. I'm glad you got away from that asshole. No one should go through shit like that."
"Uh, thanks, I guess." Simon said. Bella linked her arm through Simon's and pulled him into the living room saying chattering about something.
Zeke laughed. His sister was just intense but harmless, so Simon was safe.
"Bells, are you staying for dinner?" Zeke called out.
"Nah, hermano, Diane is picking me up soon." She replied.
Zeke heard them chattering and allowed himself to slide into the space in his head where he went while cooking. It was quiet and peaceful and he zoned out.
Jon was missing and coming after Simon.
So much for calm and peaceful.
It had been two days since Jon called but he was never far away from Zeke's thoughts. Simon was getting better. He was sleeping more and the haunted look in his eyes was slowly fading like the bruises on his body.
He had also started eating. Jace enjoyed cooking for him because his reaction to everything Jace put in front of him was every chef's dream.
Simon had been with him for less than a week but Jace couldn't remember when he wasn't in his life. Simon was finally trusting him to take care of him and Zeke was going to hold on to that.
He liked Simon a lot and he wanted to help Simon overcome this traumatic phase of his life because it was just that; a phase. And having him worry about Jon was not going to cut it. Zeke wanted him to live without the threat of Jon hanging over his head and if that meant him keeping certain pieces of information away from him, so be it.
Simon was his and he was-
What the hell?
"Hey blondie." Diane's voice shook him out of his thoughts. Zeke jumped.
"Oh, hi Di." He smiled.
"You OK?" Di asked. "You looked like you were doing some heavy thinking. I called your name twice."
"Yeah, sorry." Zeke blushed a little. "Have a lot on my mind."
"Wanna share?"
"It's fine." Zeke said, smiling. "I'm good. What's up?"
"Simon's looking better." Diane said, smiling. "And I heard Zion got mad."
"Yeah, he's always mad about something." Zeke said dismissively.
"You'd think since he got a boyfriend he'd change his bitchy attitude." Diane said laughing. "But no, he's still as grumpy as ever."
"At least he's happy." Zeke said.
"Yeah. Let's be grateful for the smallest of mercies." Diane said. Bella squealed from the living room. Diane winced. "You didn't tell me Simon spoke Spanish."
"Simon doesn't…" Zeke frowned. "Simon speaks Spanish?"
"Yeah?" Diane rolled her eyes. "You didn't know? What sort of a boyfriend are you?" she laughed out loud.
"Simon is not my boyfriend." Zeke said, scowling. "He's my friend and I'm just looking out for him."
"But you like him." Diane said.
"Of course I like him." Zeke rolled his eyes. "He's adorable and funny and he kinda called Zeke a bitch. Besides, he loves chocolate. I'm keeping him."
"No! He did what" Diane laughed. "What did Zion say? I bet he was speechless."
"Oh, he was." Jace laughed. "It was surreal."
Zeke cleaned up in the kitchen and went into the living room with Diane. Bella and Simon were talking like they were best friends. She was looking at an old worn out notebook and saying something excitedly in Spanish.
"OK, stop that." Zeke said grumpily. "We can't understand you. Switch to English."
Bella grumbled. "Ugh, fine."
Simon laughed and Zeke grinned. He liked it when Simon laughed. It was cute.
"Did you know Simon was in a band?" Bella asked excitedly. "When he was in high school. Apparently he was the shit."
"We were alright I guess." Simon said; his cheeks pink. "I had a lot of fun."
"Yeah, you said you played the guitar." Zeke said. "Maybe I can get you one so…"
"You don't need to do that." Simon said quickly. "You've done a lot for me already."
"Remember when Diane was in the rockstar phase?" Zeke asked Bella.
"Oh my God." Diane covered her face. "I made my dad buy me a guitar. Then I discovered girls…story for another time. I think I could get you my old guitar. I haven't seen it in years."
"Uh…"
"It's settled." Bella said. "I'll bring it over when she finds it and you'll play something for me, for us. How's that?"
Simon looked a little overwhelmed and Zeke saw his lower lip quiver before he pressed it into a tight line and stood up. "I,uh, excuse me." He choked out before bolting.
"Did I say something?" Bella asked stricken. " I-I didn't…"
"No, babe." Diane said thoughtfully. "I think it just…got too much for him."
"I'll check on him. I'll be right back." Zeke stood up and walked towards the guestroom.
***
Simon scrubbed at his eyes with his palms. Why was he crying now?
Diane and Bella had done a nice thing for him and he just had to make it weird by being an emotional idiot.
Damn you, Jonathan!
"Fuck." He whispered.
He heard a knock. "Simon, are you OK?"
Zeke.
"Yeah, I'm OK." He said steadily. "Come in."
Zeke walked into the room, his face worried.
"It's OK, if you don't want the…" Zeke started.
"No, I do." Simon interrupted. "I have…just been a little emotional lately. I-I actually miss it. Playing and singing. It's been too long, you know?"
Zeke smiled and pulled him in for a hug. "I get it."
Simon pressed his face against Zeke's shoulder and inhaled. He was really lucky he met someone like Zeke. Someone good and pure. Someone ready to protect him.
His very own white knight.
Yeah, and you're a princess.
He chuckled slightly.
"What's funny?" Zeke asked, smiling as he pulled away.
"Just had a silly thought." Simon grinned. He saw the worry fade from Zeke's eyes. "I'm sorry for being silly."
"It's OK." Zeke shrugged and put an arm around his shoulder. "You're dealing. It's fine."
"Thank you." Simon smiled; leaning against Zeke as they walked back to the living room where they found Diane and Bella making out.
"Dude!" Zeke yelled. Simon laughed when Zeke covered his eyes with one hand. "I told you, not in my house. Jeez!"
Diane cackled. "I thought that was limited to just sex."
"No. It wasn't." Zeke was laughing.
Simon giggled as he pulled Zeke's hand away from his face. He looked at Zeke and noticed how his face lit up. He wasn't lying when he said he was hot.
He was more than hot.
He was beautiful.
Simon smiled softly as he looked away to meet Bella's knowing smirk. He blushed and ducked his head. "Diane, thank you. I'd love to play for you guys sometime."
***
"Do you want to come with me to work?" Zeke asked.
Four weeks had passed since Simon had left Jon and he was a completely different person. He wasn't so skinny anymore and all his bruises were gone. He didn't like going out much and was content to stay indoors while Zeke went to work.
Zeke hated leaving him alone but Bella promised to check in on him during the day in between her classes.
"What if…?"
"Hey." Zeke said. "You can't be cooped up indoors the entire month. I think I've indulged your agoraphobia long enough. Besides, you are pale, you need some sunlight. Come on. We can get drinks after."
"Bribing me with overpriced alcohol." Simon said dryly. "Yay."
"Don't be grumpy." Zeke said. "We already have Zion for that."
"Haha." Simon rolled his eyes.
"Really, come on." Zeke pressed. "You need to get out of the house."
"I do need to get out of the house." Simon agreed. "I was thinking. Maybe I could get a job? I'm all better now. It's time I stop mooching off you."
"Baby steps." Zeke said laughing. "Let's see how you survive in the wild."
Simon rolled his eyes and scoffed. "You've got jokes, don't you?"
Zeke hadn't heard from Jon since that first phone call and call him naïve; but he hoped that the guy had disappeared forever.
That was obviously wishful thinking, but a guy could dream.
The next day, Simon and Zeke walked to the restaurant. Simon clutched Zeke's hand tightly and cast darting glances around.
"I should be offended you know?" Zeke said, dryly
"What? Why?" Simon frowned. "What did I do?"
"I'm here." Zeke said; faux pouting. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Simon sighed and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Force of habit."
Zeke threw his arm around his shoulders. "Well, don't worry. I've got you."
"I know." Simon said. "I just have the feeling he's going to come for me."
Zeke stiffened slightly. "Let him come. I'll kick his ass."
"My hero." Simon fluttered his eyelashes. Zeke grinned and ruffled Simon's hair.
"And don't ever forget it."