The sun was almost completely gone from the sky when Ezra showed up. Between a bodega and a laundromat, Tormund sat, his face breaking into a smile once he saw Ezra.

With his tangled, dusty hair, unshaved beard, and patched clothes, Tormund blended in perfectly with the city's forgotten corners.

But to Ezra, he was a fixture.

Every day after his shift, Ezra would branch by a takeout to get a burger and chicken wrapped in wax paper.

And once in a while, he would drag Tormund out to the barber for a trim, laughing at the man's continuous jokes.

“Ezra, my boy. "You've gone and made my day again,” he said, peeking into the bag that Ezra handed him with a grin. Today, the food was different – beef and noodles. He looked up with an even bigger grin, “This beats scavenging for scraps with the alley cats.”

Ezra chuckled as he crouched down beside the old man, “Mr. Tormund, it's just takeout. I wish I could offer better. I’d rather see you in a proper place, you know. Somewhere without…” His voice trailed away as his eyes traveled to the littered alley. A stray dog sniffed an overturned trash can and Ezra stuck his nose up in disgust.

Tormund laughed, his voice raspy. He flexed his arms, which were more bones than flesh, as if he were posing for a bodybuilding contest.

“I’d never give up my throne. Independence suits me, doesn't it?”

Ezra watched him, amused, then looked away for a moment. When he turned, he swapped Tormund’s tattered smelly jacket with a new one.

“Mr. Tormund, you're too stubborn for your own good,” he said.

“I would say the same for you,” he smiled. You know, stubbornness is what keeps me going. But you, you're headed for big things,”

Ezra paused, looking straight at the older man's face.

“I feel it in my bones,” Tormund said.

Ezra laughed, shaking his head, his eyebrow cocked, “What are you now? Some fortune teller? Have you been reading my palm in my sleep?”

He pushed himself off the floor and dusted the bottom of his jeans.

“Just an old man’s hunch. "You keep doing right, and the world will catch up.” Tormund replied as he sipped water from a bottle Ezra had gifted him a few months back.

Ezra nodded, wanting to say something, but Tormund was now muttering words and staring at a particular spot. This was an indication that the conversation was over.

“All right, I'm off. Stay warm tonight, okay?”

Tormund looked up, his eyes sharp and focused once again, “Tell that roommate of yours, Ty, to slow down with the ladies. Man’s gonna catch something nastier than a cold if he keeps that revolving door spinning.”

Ezra laughed. In truth, Ty was quite the womanizer. He had dropped a few words of advice here and there in the past, but Ty didn't look like he was ready to stop anytime soon.

“Tormund, you swore you weren’t peeking into our place!”

“Peeking? I was not doing any of that. "The apartment is right there,” Tormund gestured to the four-storey building just across the street, “I told you those curtains were a bad idea. Should’ve listened when I said they’d give you no privacy.”

“Don't tell me it's the noodles that have got you so chatty today,” Ezra said.

“You treat me well, kid,”

“And for some reason, you refuse to crash at our place when it gets too cold to be outside,”

“Gotta be here for the last day, kid,”

Ezra's brow furrowed in confusion. The phrase hit like it always did. Although he never voiced his concerns, Tormund's talk of the last day always sounded like he meant his own end.

And this thought kept Ezra awake some nights.

As usual, he kept quiet and only stared at Tormund.

“Good night, Tormund,”

With his hands tucked into his pockets, Ezra turned and walked with quick steps into the old apartment that housed his overpriced studio.

Inside, as expected, he found Ty on their sagging couch. A woman straddled him – not the brunette from yesterday, this one was the typical blonde with blue eyes – kissing his face while he chuckled.

Ty’s taste in women was as predictable as the sunrise – anyone who smiled back.

“Yo, Ezra,” he faced the blonde as he spoke, “Didn’t expect you back yet." This is my heart and soul, my reina, Sofia.”

Yesterday, Bridget was his heart and soul. Sofia looked so innocent, Ezra didn't think she knew what Ty was up to.

It was not in his place to tell her anyway.

He plastered on a grin, “Really nice to meet you, Sofia. Ty’s been talking about you nonstop. I'm sick at this point. I'm Ezra,”

She smiled back, her cheeks flushing as she looked at Ty, “Nice to meet you, Ezra. Unfortunately, Ty has told me nothing about you.”

“That's a shame,”

Ezra excused himself and headed to his room, eager to get his work clothes – which reeked of oil and sweat – off and take a nice refreshing bath.

But as he headed into the bathroom, a sharp pain hit his gut. He stopped in his tracks, fingers tightening around the door frame in a bid to ease the pain.

The ache was not new. It had been bugging him all week, but this was nothing compared to the previous ones. It felt like a jackhammer was tearing through him.

He tried to breathe through it, but the pain only seemed to worsen with each breath he took, dropping him to his knees.

He wanted to call for help, but he bit his lip, stopping himself until he collapsed on the rug with a dull thud.

Ty didn't notice until an hour later, when Ezra didn't come down for a snack like he always did. And when he called Ezra's name a few times with only silence in return, he poked his head into the room to find his friend sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

“Sofia,” he called out, panicking. “Help me, quick!”

Sofia rushed in, and together they carried Ezra's limp body to the couch. Ty fumbled around with his phone to call a cab.

Two minutes later, one already in the vicinity pulled up, and they piled in, speeding to the closest ER.

When the nurses asked what was wrong, Ty’s head was so scrambled that he couldn't put words together properly.

“He just… he was fine, then he wasn’t …collapsed, right there! Help him, please!”

The nurse, patient, and understanding, listened to him, nodding calmly.

A stretcher was provided, and a doctor approached, her voice steady and reassuring.

“We’ll take it from here. I’ll run some tests and let you know what we find. Try to stay calm. I'm sure he'll be fine,”

As the nurses wheeled the stretcher away, Ty leaned into Sofia for some support.