A Ghost With No Name- Bl- Officer and Thief

Zev was hungry.

The kind of hunger that sat deep in his ribs, curling tight, gnawing at his insides. The kind that made his hands tremble just slightly, his stomach twisting up in a slow, miserable ache.

And still—

He wasn't going to eat.

The tray sat in front of him, untouched. Some standard, boring police station meal—probably cold, definitely awful—but still food. Something his body was screaming for, something that would stop the emptiness curling in his gut.

But the second the officer set it down, something inside him locked up.

He wasn't begging.

He wasn't taking charity.

He wasn't some pathetic stray waiting to be fed.

So he sat there, arms crossed, ignoring it.

Across from him, Elias sighed.

He had been watching for the past three minutes, saying nothing, just letting Zev dig his own grave. But now, with his patience clearly running out, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"You're not eating."

Zev scoffed. "Thanks for the update."

Elias gave him a look. "You're hungry."

"No shit."

Elias exhaled through his nose, long and slow, like he was really trying. "Then eat."

Zev didn't move.

Elias didn't react. Just stayed sitting there, calm, steady, completely unbothered.

And that—that—somehow made it worse.

Because if Elias pushed, if he ordered him to eat, if he made it a thing, Zev could fight him on it. Could snap back, tell him to go to hell, tell him to shove his food and his concern somewhere else.

But instead—

Elias just waited.

Zev gritted his teeth. He hated this.

Hated that Elias could see right through him. That he probably knew exactly what was going on in Zev's head—knew this wasn't about the food itself but what taking it meant.

Elias leaned back, glancing at the tray like it wasn't even important. "Alright."

Zev narrowed his eyes. "Alright, what?"

"You don't have to eat," Elias said simply. "But if you don't, you're going to pass out the second you stand up."

Zev scoffed. "Not my problem."

Elias tilted his head slightly. "It will be when I have to carry you out of here."

Zev's face burned. "Like hell you will—"

"Then eat."

Zev clenched his jaw so tight it hurt.

Elias still wasn't looking at him, just watching him with that calm, knowing expression, like he had already figured out exactly how this would end.

And fuck—maybe he had.

Because after another minute of miserable silence, of his stomach twisting and his body feeling like it was seconds away from shaking apart, Zev finally—finally—caved.

He let out a long, exhausted sigh, grabbed the tray, and started eating.

Not fast. Not desperately.

Just steady. Even.

Like it wasn't a big deal.

Like this hadn't been a battle of sheer stubborn willpower that Elias had somehow won without even trying.

He refused to look up as he ate.

But he could feel Elias watching.

Not smug. Not victorious.

Just watching.

The tension in the room eased.

Finally, Elias sat back, stretching his arms slightly before speaking. "You've got another thirty minutes in here. They're wrapping up the paperwork."

Zev stilled for just a second. His hands tightened around the tray.

"...And then?"

"I'll drop you back at the motel."

Zev let out a slow breath.

It shouldn't have felt like anything.

He had been expecting that, obviously. It was the only thing that made sense. But still—he had half-expected Elias to just let him go, to leave him to fend for himself, to walk away like any other cop would.

Instead, Elias was saying, I'm taking you back.

Not leaving him stranded.

Not dumping him on the sidewalk.

Just getting him home.

He swallowed another bite, mind heavy, body heavier. He was still so damn tired, but at least now the hunger wasn't clawing at his insides. At least now, for the first time in hours, his body didn't feel like it was fighting him.

His eyes flicked up.

"...How long have I been here?"

Elias didn't hesitate. "A day."

Zev's breath hitched.

A day.

He had lost a whole day.

His fingers clenched around the tray as his mind scrambled to make sense of it. He had been in here long enough that time had melted into something shapeless, long enough that he had stopped keeping track.

He should have known. Should have counted the hours, kept himself aware, kept himself from slipping too far. But they had worn him down, kept him exhausted, hungry, pushed him into this slow, endless waiting game—

And Elias just told him.

No hesitation. No power trip. No dragging it out just to make him suffer.

Just—a day.

Zev let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding.

And then, before he could stop himself—

"...Thanks."

Elias glanced at him, brow raising slightly, like he hadn't expected it. "For what?"

Zev's jaw tightened.

He shouldn't say this. Shouldn't make it real.

But fuck it.

"For everything," he muttered, voice low. "For... this. And for everything else."

It felt too much on his tongue, too big, too raw, but it was true.

For the food.

For not waking him up.

For telling him the time without making him beg for it.

For not treating him like he was less.

For at least pretending to care, longer than anyone ever had.

Elias watched him for a moment, silent.

Then—softly, like it wasn't a big deal—

"Anytime."

Zev exhaled sharply, rolling his eyes, acting like the moment hadn't just happened. Like he wasn't terrified by the fact that it mattered.

But for some reason—

For some reason, his chest felt lighter.