Jump For My Love

[Alexandra Lawson]

"Well." Alex paired a sheepish smile with a similarly themed laugh and shrug of her shoulders. She hadn't said anything to Ezra, or Jack for that matter, because she knew both of them were, in a certain way, invested in her well being, to put it nicely. She didn't think Ezra would ever be as skeptical and outwardly threatening as Jack could be when it came to her and the boys she chose, but she was concerned the news of her not being single would alter the way her and Ezra interacted. Their's was a strong, yet unorthodox relationship that often crossed possible lines that 'spoken for' individuals probably shouldn't cross. While Alex didn't care and would continue the strange, quirky dance the two had been performing for years regardless of her relationship status, the last thing she wanted was to make Ezra nervous about it.

Thankfully it didn't seem like Ezra cared much nor would the topic of her boyfriend become more than just a blip on the radar of this sunny afternoon. Another laugh, this one carrying far more mirth and merriment, escaped as Ezra listed off the names of her closest friends. It did put into perspective how lucky she truly was to have met and connected with so many amazing people. "Yeah, yeah." She said waving her hand before shifting her position in the water to begin swimming back to shore. Or at least close enough to where her tiny legs could reach the bottom. "There you go pointing out how stupid lucky I am." She glanced over her shoulder and cast a warm smile to the tall, slender young man. Her eyes gleamed with a silent 'thank you'.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra watched as Alex swam away before he followed behind her, still wading the deeper end.

"It really is stupid how lucky you are to have me." He chuckled before catching the look she sent him and his smile softened. He shrugged lightly in response before looking down at his fingers.

"They're pruning again. You better save your towel before I get to it." He teased, threatening to move.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex wouldn't argue. She was lucky. Not just for Ezra but for all the people she'd grown close to over the years that made her life that much brighter. Though there was no denying the tall, lanky young man who had a habit of putting things he knew she'd be looking for on top shelves would forever hold his own, very special place in her heart.

The threat wasn't taken as hollow or unfounded and spurred Alex on faster. She scrambled toward the shore with a bit of a pout overtaking her features and hurried to scoop up her beach towel. She turned toward Ezra and shot him a glare as she went to wrap the towel around her slender body. "I'm going to get you back for that one of these days." She promised with little bite to her words. It wasn't as if she could do much anyway.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra couldn't help but laugh, clutching his stomach and doubling over when he saw her rushing up to the banks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again." He said, though they both knew he wouldn't stop doing it.

He waded to the shore and got out, shaking his head of the water before grabbing his own towel to dry off. "Hey, didn't we leave our clothes up that branch?" He frowned slightly as he looked to where he thought he had left their clothes.

Ezra looked to Alex for confirmation that they had indeed put it there.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex supposed she understood the amusement the six-foot-plus young man got from keeping things out of reach from her barely five foot tall self. Sure, it was sadistic and evil to constantly be placing her food and anything else Ezra could get his hands up on high perches and forced Alex to climb them in order to retrieve her belongings but Alex guessed someone as tall as Ezra liked to lord their height over the short people of the world. If she didn't love him as much as she did, she certainly would hate every moment of it instead of considering each incident of his shenanigans as a challenge.

"Right." Alex turned a skeptical eye toward Ezra as she tucked the towel into itself so it would remain in place around her slender body. "Like I'm going to fall for that." The statement was immediately followed by a look in the direction Ezra was referring. A resigned sigh escaped as she now had to eat her words. "Oh, damn it." Alex cursed with an almost comical stamp of her foot before rushing toward the tree in question. There was, as Ezra had already pointed out, a distinct lack of clothing hanging from the branches. "That was one of my favorite shirts!" She protested, looking all around in vain for the culprit.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra most definitely did not like to lord his height over everyone. Just Alex. And only because of the way she would go about getting the things down.

At Alex's disproving tone, Ezra shook his head, pointing to the tree. "No, this isn't my doing." He tried to reason as he looked around to see who would have taken it. "Damn it." He snapped his fingers in consternation before sighing. "We're gonna have to walk back to school like this." He scratched the back of his head as he looked down at his outfit, so glad he was at least wearing something less revealing than Alex.

"Uh...you can use my towel if you want. To cover...yourself."

[Alexandra Lawson]

"Nah, I'm okay." Alex said, leaning to one side and gathering her hair in her hands so she could squeeze the water from the brilliant, red tendrils. She muttered to herself something about her 'damn hair' and sponges before running her hands through her damp locks and shaking them out as best she could. She let out a sigh that was surprisingly content for the situation they were in.

"Come on." Alex glanced back to Ezra, his presence instantly making the stolen clothes a distant memory. It was just some stitched fabric, after all. There were few things that could have pulled Alex down from the mood she was in. She smiled and reached her hand out to the tall, slender young man. "Let's head back." Her eyes shone brightly as they watched him. "It's a movie and popcorn kinda day."

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra got momentarily distracted as Alex twisted her hair to get most of the water out. He couldn't help but stare at his best friend's bare shoulders before blinking when she turned around.

"Yeah what? Yeah oh ooh yes." Ezra threw the towel over his shoulder and followed Alex from the back. "I'm choosing the movie this time. Don't give me that face. I am not watching another gore horror. You can have your campy axe murderers some other time. I'm watching anything Marvel and you can't stop me." He stubbornly threw his head up and walked past her.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex stopped in her tracks and almost went to give Ezra a pout but he simply continued moving along. Shortly after, the hand Alex was holding onto ran out of slack and she was pulled forward after him. Trotting a strides until she caught up, Alex soon slowed to a brisk walk so she could match Ezra's long stride.

"Okay. Fine." She said with a certain sense of defiance touching her voice. "As long as it's not Ant Man." Alex's eyes rolled as she threw up her hand that wasn't wrapped around Ezra's in exaggerated exasperation. "Because who cares about Ant Man?"

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra subconsciously rubbed the back of Alex's hand as they walked together. He slowed down a little when Alex caught up and took his time so they could enjoy the soft breeze when it came.

He turned to her when she voiced out her demand. He chuckled and shrugged. "You got it. Though I care about him. He's useless but his ants are cute." Ezra said. They could totally meet in the middle. If there was actually a superhero themed horror slasher movie, he'd gladly watch it.

As it were, they were going to have watch something Alex would watch and that wasn't a bad compromise to him.

"I'd give you a piggy back ride but I think I burned my back."

[Alexandra Lawson]

"Ants are not cute." Alex insisted, turning her eyes up to Ezra, her nose scrunching up in distaste. "They're never cute and that movie can be the best thing ever committed to film and I'm still not going to be able to find any interest in something called Ant Man." Alex, for all her charm and wit still possessed a wicked stubbornness that was often misguided and sometimes utterly pointless. She didn't care. No matter what anyone said Ant Man would never be something she would ever give enough of a damn about to sit and watch. "It's Ant Man." She insisted again, before rising to her tip toes and pushing herself into Ezra, head lifted to watch him as she did so, as if she would be proving her point by doing so. "Ant Man, Ezra. Ant Man!"

Settling back down into her normal stride, an evil (for someone who preferred wearing pink onesies to bed) grin spread across Alex's face. Her head tilted slightly as she glanced up to her much taller friend before she leaned backward to get a look at the aforementioned sun burnt spot. Sure enough the skin on Ezra's back and shoulders had been infused with a bright, reddish tint. "Hey." She said suddenly, returning her attention back to him. "Remember, just a little while ago when you held my towel up so I could reach it. And then when you jumped out of the water and scared me?" She didn't wait for an answer. Alex lashed out with her free hand and brought her open palm across the red tinged skin of Ezra's back. It wasn't a hard hit, just enough to make it sting and even the score. "Now we're even." Alex said, lifting the sweetest, most innocent smile she could muster up to Ezra as she moved along, her stride nearly a merry skip at this point.

[Ezra Cooper]

"Ant Man's ants are. Quit yapping about it, jeez." Ezra rolled his eyes and chuckled when she tried to get all up in his face about it. He placed a hand on her forehead and ruffled the hairs closest to his fingers. "You're adorable but don't make me hit you about Ant Man's ants."

In hindsight, he shouldn't have told Alex about his back. He knew what was going to happen and yet he happily trotted into the snake pit. Well, Alex was hardly a snake but still, the metaphor sticks.

The pain made Ezra gasp and wince, yelling out an ouch, hissing at Alex.

"Good God woman. Who hurt you?" Ezra asked with a laugh. "Jesus." He used his towel to cover his back. "No piggy back rides ever." It was a lie. Like he could actually stop letting her ride him.

[Alexandra Lawson]

The sweet, innocent smile still shone brightly on Alex's face as she tilted it upward toward Ezra. Alex wasn't a particularly cruel person who took delight in causing pain, though she knew an opportunity to get even when she saw one. If she had wanted to make it really hurt she was positive she could have. She didn't pack much of a punch in her tiny frame but she knew how to slap a sunburn with the best of them. It came from having grown up in sunny California. Maybe sunburn slapping was a regional thing.

Alex gave a mischievous shrug, tilting her head and turning her eyes upward in an innocent gesture. One her gaze dropped back to Ezra she watched him a moment before she bit her lower lip and turned away. She moved forward, quickening her pace with a skip to her step as she bounded on back toward campus.