Another Tear Falls

[Alexandra Lawson]

((OOC Note:  Takes place directly after this thread.))

Alex sat on the kitchen counter, mouth open in a stunned silence as Onnie's world seem to fall apart right in front of her.  Again Alex's lips moved in a futile attempt to form the right combination of words that would make everything okay.  It wasn't fair.  None of it.  It wasn't fair to Onnie that she had to hear the news from someone other than Jack.  It wasn't fair that Alex had to be the one to carry that burden.  It wasn't fair that Jack had cancer.

Alex sniffed and watched as Onnie moved to slip out the door.  She had failed in having the strength or presence of mind to even muster some cliche words of comfort or condolences.  All the red-haired girl could do was sit and stare as her roommate and friend walked out.  She dropped her gaze and sighed.  Slowly she brushed some cereal crumbs off the material of the bright pink onesie she was still wearing.  Looking upward she brought a sleeved hand up to wipe at the tears that streaked down her cheeks before carefully slipping off the counter to the floor, leaving the small, red plastic car with the overly cheery leprechaun behind.

She paused just long enough to push the dorm room door fully closed before crossing the common area to the familiar door of Ezra Cooper.  Again she brought her sleeve up to wipe at her eyes before she pushed open the door and stepped inside.  Her eyes, already beginning to redden from the tears, focused on her roommate.   She didn't say a word, she just stood in the doorway, feeling every bit as lost as she looked while she let her gaze slide over the room.  The bowl of cereal the young man had just fetched from the kitchen was sitting on his bedside table largely untouched while he lay in bed, already in a deep slumber.

There was only a moment's hesitation before Alex stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind her.  She crossed over to where Ezra lay, her padded feet nearly silent against the carpet, and lifted the edge of the blanket Ezra was beneath.  Without a word she slunk under the warm blanket and went to slip into the bed, stifling a light sob.  "Ezra."  She whispered.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra knew he should at least go for a run after he showered but the moment he got back from taking the cereal, he went out like a light.

Though he was definitely in a deep sleep, the moment he felt his blankets being tugged, his arm wrapped around Alex as she crawled into bed. He didn't know anything was wrong until he heard his name whispered almost too quietly.

"What's wrong?" He asked before pushing himself up on one arm to look over at Alex to see tears on her face. "Whoa hey, what happened?" He asked gently, pulling her by her shoulder.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex felt long, slender arm go around her and pull her close. She turned into the warmth of the body that was hidden beneath the cover, burying her face into Ezra's chest. It wasn't like her to seek out this sort of affection but she was at a loss. There was little reason for her to be as upset as she was but she couldn't shake the image of Onnie's face as the realization dawned on her. The way her flawless features had gone through the scope of emotions under the weight of the revelation Alex had unintentionally let slip.

Pulling back just enough so she could capture Ezra's gaze, Alex peered into his eyes. Fresh tears fell, running down her cheeks as she so obviously searched for the right words. She sniffed again and searched the concern in the deep, brown eyes looked at her. In the end she could only shake her head before she pressed her lips together in a tight line to prevent another round of sobs from taking hold.

[Ezra Cooper]

When Alex turned and buried her face in his chest, it was his immediate reaction to pull her in even closer, his arms around her tightening.

He didn't know what had happened between the time he got his cereal and now but he knew it was bad if Alex was crying like this.

Releasing her a little, but still keeping her close when she moved, he looked down at her, wondering why she was so upset. He pulled one arm close to him before wiping the tears off her face. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me." He said, pressing his lips against her forehead for a long while before pulling her back into his embrace.

It never felt right when he didn't know what was upsetting her.

[Alexandra Lawson]

The brief conversation she'd had with her roommate came as a shock to Alex. It felt as if the weight of the situation was dropped on her in full force. Until now it hadn't seemed real. She had managed coax the terrifying news from Jack himself but it hadn't all fully sunk in until she saw the reaction out of someone who loved Jack more than she. It was as if she was just now realizing this was something she should be concerned about.

Alex remained silent for a long time. Even though she felt drowsy, sleep never came. After a few scattered sobs that caused her body to quake, she'd settled comfortably into the embrace of her closest friend and confidant. Her hands were pressed against Ezra's chest, fingers curled to grip the front of his shirt. Slowly Alex stirred, pulling away just enough so she could tilt her head up to look at Ezra's face.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra could feel her tiny body shaking every now and then and it pained him that all he could do was hug her and let her cry. But all he did was rub her back and let her release everything.

When she finally stopped and looked up at him, he adjusted himself so they were more eye to eye. He pushed her hair out of her face and cupped her cheek.

"You feeling any better?" He asked, his tone soft and gentle.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex nodded faintly, her eyes lingering upon Ezra's for a long moment, her hands splaying across his chest before she slowly pushed away. She swallowed hard. Her throat felt dry and raspy and she felt a headache coming on. She must have looked quiet the mess despite her attire consisting of bright pink colors. Slipping from beneath the blanket she shivered as she felt the much cooler air of the room and sat up.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, looking to her feet once she'd swung them over the edge of the bed. "It's Jack." She didn't know if the news was something she could have kept under wraps, or if it was okay to tell. This conflicted with wanting to put Ezra's mind at ease and explain why she had came to him so distraught. "He has cancer and... I thought he told Onnie." She gestured in the direction of the common area where the fateful conversation had taken place. "She didn't know and I told her." Alex twisted her body so she could turn to face Ezra. "She was crushed, Ezra." She said with a heavy sigh. "Her face-" She couldn't continue. She turned back around and shook her head. "It's all just so unfair."

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra tried to smile reassuringly and nodded, as a non-verbal confirmation. He let her go and when she moved to the edge of the bed, Ezra sat up and scooted closer to her, rubbing her back when he was next to her.

He didn't expect her to speak but when she did and she mentioned Jack, Ezra couldn't help but frown slightly. As the story unfurled, a mixture of emotions stirred in the heat manipulator. Alex tended to take on the emotions of the people she cared about, much like an empath. She feels deeply and strongly despite it not happening to her.

Ezra didn't know Jack that well but hearing someone his own age having it sounded scary. Being someone close to a person with cancer and not knowing was a whole other story. One Ezra probably didn't want to know about either.

"I'm sorry, Al." He finally mustered after a long silence.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex sniffed and glanced over her shoulder to Ezra as he moved closer. She offered him a pained, yet comforted smile and leaned into him. She let out a low, heavy sigh and closed her eyes. She felt foolish for being so upset over something that didn't concern her in a way it did Onnie or Jack. She wasn't sick or the one in love with the young man who was. Alex was only a friend, a bystander for all intents and purposes. A bystander who'd messed everything up.

"It's going to be okay, though, right?" She asked, sounding very much like the helpless little girl she felt like at the moment. Her eyes lifted upward to peer at Ezra. Her gaze was bright, as always, if not weighted down by the heaviness in her heart. She sniffed again and brought a hand up to wipe at the corner of one of her red-rimmed eyes. She was nearly pleading with Ezra. It didn't matter if either of them believed it. She just needed to hear the words.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra rested one hand loosely around Alex's waist and rest his forehead against the back of the girl's head. He hated seeing Alex this way. It broke his heart to see his best friend feel too much sadness. Even if she was a bystander.

He moved when Alex turned to look at him. He raised a hand and wiped an errant tear that she didn't manage to wipe. With a finger, he pulled up Alex's chin and he placed a long kiss on her forehead. "You're going to be okay, Skittles." He whispered.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex's lips parted to speak but there were no words. She gazed up to the young man who'd been her best friend from the moment they met. She couldn't help but flash briefly back to that day when a nervous and scared fifteen year old girl had stepped foot onto the Bellefonte campus only to be quickly scooped up by a lanky kid with a goofy smile and a big heart that never stopped giving.

The feel of Ezra's lips against her forehead brought with it a surge of emotion. She tilted her head upward, catching his gaze with hers. A hand came up, preventing him from pulling further away by resting gently against his cheek. Alex studied Ezra's eyes for a long moment, finding nothing but peace and solace within. With a sudden motion her fingers slipped from his cheek to the back of his neck, her touching stiffening as she pulled him in to place a heated, possibly foolish kiss upon his lips.

[Ezra Cooper]

The heat manipulator ironically did not detect the heat coming off between the two of them. The situation was heavy, the tension was thick and he should have seen it coming. But when Alex's incredibly soft lips touched his, there was nothing in Ezra's mind that screamed that this was wrong. For one moment, Ezra indulged in his fantasies. In that brief moment, he turned into the reckless teenager who didn't care about anything else but his own feelings, his own wants and needs.

But that was just it. A brief moment. There were too many variables, too many possibilities and what ifs that could result in a demise of a beautiful friendship that they had built for the past four years. It was unfair to both of them, Ezra thought. Although he knew that Alex wouldn't do something mindless, he also knew Alex was vulnerable. She was upset over something and emotions always ran high and were confusing at times like these.

Ezra didn't blame Alex for this but he couldn't continue. Could he? No. No he couldn't. The worst thing that could come out of this is Alex would call it a mistake. Alex would tell him that she was feeling too much. Alex would think that Ezra was taking advantage of her.

Ignoring the whining in his head and the sudden squeezing of his chest, Ezra pulled back gently, also pulling Alex's hand from the back of his neck. He forced a smile on his face and pressed his forehead against Alex's. "Everything's going to be fine."

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex melted into Ezra's touch and the surging heat that instantly erupted between the two of them. Her grip on his neck tightened as she shifted, turning to face him so she could deepen the kiss. her body was acting seemingly of its own volition now. Her mind was far too muddled, her heart much too overwhelmed for their to be much intent behind her actions. All she knew for certain was the explosion emotion that came with the kiss that enveloped every fiber of her being.

The moment didn't last long. As sudden as the sound and noise had started it was cut off. The instant drop in emotion was almost shocking and Alex let out a low gasp as Ezra pulled away. Her chest heaved and she felt a tingling sensation in her extremities, as if her limbs had fallen asleep. Again her lips parted to speak but now words came out for the moment. Her eyes closed as Ezra's forehead came to rest upon hers. Slender arms slipped around Ezra, holding onto him for comfort as she exhaled a slow, nearly ragged breath in an attempt to calm herself. It was only then that she dared speak. She leaned into him again, enjoying his closeness as the words slipped through her lips in a soft, hushed whisper. "I love you Ezra."

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra tried not to cringe when Alex pulled close to him. He tried not to read too much into the gasp she emitted after he pulled away. He wanted so badly to believe the words she had just uttered went beyond friendship.

He knew it didn't.

"Love you too kiddo." His voice broke a little. Given the circumstance, it didn't sound too out of place. His jaw was aching as his arms wrapped around Alex's tiny frame. Moment of weakness. That was all this was.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Another sigh escaped as the words poured effortlessly from Ezra's lips. Alex knew she'd made a mistake from the moment had pulled away. She'd been foolish and reached out to her friend for comfort in a way that she never should have. Of course Ezra was too good of a person to let this become a problem between the two. He was always like that. He always had the right things to say at the right times. Alex would never fully be able to put into words the affect he had on her whenever he was around. But he was destined for bigger and better things. He was the star of his own show, shining brightly in the center of the stage. Alex was merely a secondary character, standing off to the side forever doomed to be the 'quirky sidekick'.

Her hold on Ezra tightened into a hug. Alex held onto him for a long while before releasing him and pulling back. Fresh tears were now stinging her eyes but for a much different reason. "I have practice." She said in a straight lie. She didn't know what else to do but she had to get away. She moved to slip away and get to her feet. "After, though..." She said tentatively as she glanced back toward Ezra. "Maybe we could do something?" Her gaze fell as she pulled a handful of her hair over her shoulder and toyed nervously with the end. "I don't want to be alone tonight."