Like a Brother

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra was just exiting a bakery with a box full of donuts and donut holes when he saw someone vaguely familiar.

Now, Ezra wasn't in the business of just going up to a complete stranger on the off chance that they were the people he thought they were. This time though, he couldn't help it. The guy looked like the boxer he and his friends went to see the match where he got injured. He remembered because the boxer was also a Cooper. What were the odds of them being related? Slim to none, really. But Ezra did like the match he had watched and up until the injury, Vincent Cooper had been a contender.

Picking up the pace, he cleared his throat and braced himself before tapping the guy's shoulder and holding his hand up in greeting. "Hey, man. You're...Vince Cooper right?"

[Vince Cooper]

Vince had made his way through town for a quick stop at the local drug store. His shoulder was killing him and he needed some Icy Hot. Since moved, Vince wasn't really sure where all these new shops were so finding them was kind of a pain in and of itself. Everything was different than it was back in high school. 

Eventually he found the place and quickly purchased some of the soothing cream and Advil. As soon as he walked out, Vince cracked opened the small white tube and rubbed the cream onto his shoulder. He probably put more than he should've put the more he put on, the better it felt. Someone was giving him a funny look as he stood with his hand under his jacket rubbing himself with groans of pleasure. Feeling awkward, the hand was removed and he started quickly down the sidewalk in hopes that no one else was watching. Once he was safe from embarrassment Vince winced and massaged the sore tendon. His handing heated up and it backfired - just making it worse. "God damn." He murmured as he rotated it a few times. 

When the guy tapped him Vince turned and met his hand shake. He tried his best to wipe the pure annoyance and uncomfortable pain from his face. However, being too focused on his present emotion, Vince didn't manage to cool down his hand and when the collided Vince low-key brace himself for the guy to freak out. 

When it seemed to go unnoticed, Vince raised a brow and studied the guy for a half second. How was his hand not severely burned and how did he know his name? "Uh - yeah that's me. What about yourself?" Vince tired to be polite as possible without seeming pretty weirded out by the situation. 

[Ezra Cooper]

The burn coming from Vince both excited and terrified him but he managed to keep it cool. So he was also a mutant. Nobody burned up that much without passing out. As Ezra adjusted his body temperature, he brightened his smile and nodded.

"Ezra. Cooper too. I saw your match in Vegas. Thought you were...excellent." He gushed a little with a deep dimpled grin. "I'm sorry you got into that injury though. Has it healed? Are you here for a match or something?"

[Vince Cooper]

"No way bro! Coopers must be a long line of handsome black men." He joked with a slight scoff. Vince's expression dramatically changed when the guy from up Vegas. What were the odds that someone in the small town of Kalispell say his first semi-pro fight. "Ha, so you saw me get my ass whooped." He passed and shrugged. "No need to sugar coat it. But then, to make this worse, I swung with all my last fight left and tore some tendon or something in my shoulder. Of course, it put me out for awhile."

Vince scratched the bag of his head and shook it. "Nah, it still hurts like a bitch." He gestured to the plastic bag in his hand. "Trying to relieve some of the pain as you can see. But no, no upcoming fights here that I know of."

"I'm just back home for awhile taking a break off the circuit. I've been traveling, fighting since I graduated high school so -" Vince shrugged again. "I guess I'm just getting some rest somewhere familiar and homey."

[Ezra Cooper]

"Clearly." Ezra chuckled, pulling his hand back before his smile faltered a tiny bit at the change of expression. He started to shake his head in protest when Vince brought himself down. "Oh no nah I mean you were a fighter though. You could have beaten the guy if you didn't get that injury." He winced slightly.

Ezra's dark brown eyes dropped down to the bag before looking back up at the boxer's face and nodded. "Oh, you grew up here? In Kalispell?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in the middle. "Or did you just study here? BA alum?" He asked.

[Vince Cooper]

Vince smirked. "Thanks for the optimism, really." The pyrokinetic shook his again replaying all the mistakes he had made that night. He tried not to. In reality, Vince came out her to get away from it. He was pretty embarrassed by the loss. Everyone told him he couldn't and... he couldn't. He thought he beat the negativity like in a movie or something.

It bugged him everyday.

He raised an eyebrow when Ezra mentioned B.A. Either he'd heard all the bullshit the media was pushing about his powers or... he was a mutant. Just then it clicked for Vince and he smiled. "Yeah. Bellefonte is where it's at. But uh I got recruited only a few miles outside of town. Grew up there with my mama until one day - " Vince stopped and his free hand burst into flames, cutting off at the wrist. His entire hand was covered. " - that happened." 

He cracked a big grin as he thought back to the time. "But it was kind of..." Vince gestured towards his whole body. "Everywhere."

"Notice I didn't burn you when we shook hands. You a student?" He paused and overlooked the guy as if regretting his words. "Or an alum as well?" 

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra shrugged. He didn't seem all that enthused to have a fan. He knew it had been a major loss for Vince but Ezra still thought he made a huge effort. He had potential, his opponent was just bigger. But he wasn't going to weird the guy out any more than he already probably was.

His eyes widened in surprise as a grin appeared on his face. "You're a pyro! How cool is that?" Ezra gushed. "My girlfriend's one too. I don't know how y'all learn to control it but damn." He grinned.

Nodding when asked about his status, Ezra responded. "Alum. And working there right now." He turned to show Vince the logo of the school's EMS team. "I'm an emergency tech over there. Graduated a couple years ago." He rubbed the back of his head as he remembered a small piece of information he had tucked in the back of his mind.

Frowning slightly, he decided against sharing it. He was probably already freaking the guy out. "Uh...would it be too much if I asked you to sign my donut box? And...God I feel like such a fanboy...take a picture with me?" He grinned sheepishly.

[Vince Cooper]

Vince shook his head in remembrance of his first few weeks after he manifested. "It didn't come easy, I can tel you that." It wasn't worth going into right there on the street with a complete stranger. He scratched the back of his head trying to do the math. "Uh, I graduated... what? Six years ago?" He asked himself as he calculated for a split second. "No seven. Yeah, we wouldn't have seen each other. I skipped college life." The pyro shrugged. "Just wasn't for me. I spent the past years traveling and just trying to get fights." 

Vince felt like he owed this guy an explanation for where he had been for some reason. It was completely unnecessary but it felt right. 

When he asked for a picture Vince was surprised. The truth of the matter was he never really had "fans". In fact, he wasn't really famous or known to be anything -. What's the word? Worthy, I guess you could say. I mean getting knockout your first fight sure as hell wasn't something to be proud of. Much less, giving autographs for it. However, he figured for an average guy living life in Kalispell, something was something. Still, it was a bit weird for Vince.

"Uh yeah... For sure. You gotta pen or something?" 

[Ezra Cooper]

The math added up and Ezra was convinced this was the Cooper his teacher once asked whether he was related to him. He chuckled and shrugged. Ezra wouldn't actually tell an absolute stranger his life story, but the only reason he went through college was because he was completely cut off from his mother and he had nowhere else to go. At least Vince saw an option.

"I think one of my teachers had you in his class because he asked whether we were related." He brought it up, amused at the thought. "I'm like, just because we've got the same last name? Dang." He chuckled.

When Vince agreed to sign his autograph, Ezra shifted the box so he could use one hand to rummage through his pockets, knowing he had a pen on him. He brandished it with flourish before handing it over to Vince. He then shoved the box in Vince's direction and waited hopefully.

Once the other Cooper had signed the box, Ezra walked over to the other man's side and whipped his phone out, ready with a huge, dorky and deeply dimpled smile.

[Vince Cooper]

He could get signing the box and how that could be worth something if he ever got big. To be honest, a picture in the middle of side walk was kind of pushing it for Vince's comfort zone. I mean don't get me wrong, he loved the attention, but something just felt wrong to him about. In heins-sight, the pyro was just beating himself up about it. However Vince took his boxing very seriously and... a loss was a loss.

This guy seemed to be really excited about their similar names and his boxing career so Vince smiled as wide as ever as picture took. 

He thought about what the guy said about the teachers. When Ezra had first said it Vince dismissed it sort of rudely but he had benign thinking. "Wait was it Mr. Johnson? Because that fool is my man!" Vince laughed thinking back to his memories at B.A. 

"Those were the good ole days, man." 

[Ezra Cooper]

Unaware of the older Cooper's inner turmoil, Ezra happily clicked away a few times on his phone before sending one to his girlfriend, Alexandra Lawson. Met a boxer! He has the same last name as me! He pocketed his phone and looked up with a look of recognition when Vince mentioned Mr. Johnson.

"Yep! He's the one! What're the odds, huh?" Ezra grinned before nodding at the sentiment before shaking his head and reaching a hand out again. "I've taken too much of your time already. You probably have like a ton of things to do. Thank you so much for the autograph. You want a donut? I could spare you one."

[Vince Cooper]

Vince didn't want to laugh at the guy when he saw him send the picture to someone. It seemed so corny to him for some reason. He sheepishly smirked to himself at the sight. When he affirmed Vince's question about the teacher, he smiled at the guy. "Yeah I know most everyone around there." He told Ezra. "Vince Cooper is kind of a uh -" He trailed off mocking the voice of a stereotypical, meathead jock. " - household name up there at BA." He joked with the guy and let out a chuckle.

"Oh no I'm good." Vince rejected the offered as he raised his hands. "Gotta keep the temple pure." He patted his stomach. "Sadly." He looked at them in temptation. "I really want to though. I really really do but uh - I gotta blast man." He backed away and patted his shoulder. "Gotta ice this baby up for the next fight!" He shouted to guy and spun around to go on his way.