Problem

[Alexandra Lawson]

"No way." Alex moaned for her friend's plight, drawing out the last syllable of 'way' for a second or two in the process. "That sucks so bad." Though she did offer Ezra a little squeeze of reassurance. "You want me to burn her eyebrows off?" She asked. "I could make it look like an accident." It wasn't as if it'd be the first time something like that had happened. "Well, she's dumb anyway." Alex said, snuggling back in and giving a yawn.

"I'm okay." She assured him, though they both knew she would probably be out at first opportunity. Alex usually had to two settings. 'Off' and 'manic'. It wasn't unlike her to be scampering around with seemingly boundless energy one moment and then curled up on the floor in some random spot the next. "At least let me cover for the food." She offered. "Make it so tonight's suffering wasn't in vain."

[Ezra Cooper]

"Yes way." Ezra responded, mimicking Alex's Californian drawl, feeling quite reassured that she was willing to do that for his sake. "Eh, for liking Vic, yes. For passing me up? Still up for debate." He shrugged.

"Yeah. Of course you are." He teased before snorting at her offer. "Who's suffering?"

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex's head lifted from Ezra's shoulder and she shot him a glare. It wasn't a very effective glare as it looked more like it was coming from a kitten who was attempting to eat but hardly had the energy to keep their head up in the process. "You're too modest for you're own good, Ezra." She assured him. "You put up with me, for whatever reason. That alone should put you up for sainthood."

"Not now, obviously." Alex let out a soft giggle and patted Ezra's shoulder where her hand was already wrapped around him. "But my god do you know how long it takes to get ready for the shows?" Alex's head dropped back to its proper place in the crook of Ezra's neck as he moved along. "I have to sit still for, like, half an hour." Which, if anyone knew Alex that alone was a feat of monumental proportions.

[Ezra Cooper]

Even if he did see the glare, Ezra would have just pinched Alex for trying to look menacing. It was like one of those videos he loved watching with baby animals growling or yipping. Cute, not menacing.

Her spouting off his apparently good attributes made him chuckle. "Aren't saints supposed to be celibate though? Got that down pat." He shrugged before reaching behind him and resting his palm against the back of Alex's head, squeezing it a couple of times before returning to its original position under her knee.

Chuckling once more, he rolled his eyes and turned his head a little in her direction. "Maybe they should start putting Skittles in the mirror for you to concentrate on."

[Alexandra Lawson]

"Oh, God, Ezra." Alex rolled her eyes and giggled, giving her faithful steed a playful bap on the shoulder. She really had no interest in learning anything at all about Ezra's sex life, lack thereof or whatever. Though, even Alex understood she was dealing with a guy who'd just left a burlesque club where many of the dancers' outfits left very little to the imagination. She supposed a comment here and there was to be expected. "Is that all guys think about?" She teased. Just because she understood where he was coming from (possibly more than he could imagine), it didn't mean she wasn't going to give him crap.

"Oh, ha ha." Alex replied dryly and sent another bap into Ezra's shoulder. "Very funny." For a brief moment the intellectual side of Alex's brain (yes, there was such a thing) debated whether or not to point out the fact that putting Skittles anywhere near her while bored in a makeup chair wouldn't serve the purpose Ezra was implying. If anything, that would make the situation worse as she would have to get up to fetch the beloved candies. Of course, Alex only proceeded to pout again and bury her face into the crook of Ezra's neck. "Shut up. You suck." She whimpered.

[Ezra Cooper]

"What? What'd I say?" He chuckled, knowing exactly what he said. "Being celibate? That's the farthest thing on my mind right now actually." He replied in the most serious tone he could muster before snorting and laughing out loud.

"Or maybe threaten to throw it in the trash one by one if you moved." Ezra continued with his teasing. He turned his head to start messing her hair up with his nose. "I do not. I'm delightful." He said with a beaming smile.

[Alexandra Lawson]

"Now that's just rude." Alex huffed and gave a pout, even though Ezra couldn't see. "A perfect waste of Skittles." A low giggle escaped as she tightened her grip on Ezra for just a moment in an affectionate hug. In truth, Alex wasn't nearly as obsessed with the shelled candy as she sometimes let on. To be sure there was no lack of love for the fruity goodness that could be found within the brilliantly colored packages but she clung to the concept more because it was a quirky, fun little thing between the two of them. Ezra seemed to delight in offering her candy and she was more than willing to oblige. That Skittles did happen to be her one diet weakness was simply a bonus.

"Hold on, I'm slipping." Alex said quietly before shifting her weight and sliding off Ezra's back. Her sneakered feet hit the pavement beneath them and she sighed lightly before shaking her arms out. They were nearly back to campus, she could see the Academy just ahead but her arms were growing tired. She stretched, her back popping audibly before she gave a low groan and leaned down to grope at her right ankle. "I think I twisted it coming off stage." She muttered with a frown.

[Ezra Cooper]

"But the best way to keep you still, no?" Ezra asked with a raised eyebrow, challenging her to disagree. It was all fun and games really. In the end, he just liked to tease her and sometimes for the reason that her adorable reactions made him smile and would keep him smiling the rest of the day.

He paused in his walk when she said she was slipping and he turned around to look at her. "Oh jeez are you okay?" He asked, though obviously knowing she probably wasn't all too peachy.

"Okay. You're getting off your feet." He decided before scooping her up in his arms and pulling her up to him, securely placing his arm under her knee and behind her neck. "Better?" He asked, looking down at her.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Ezra wasn't wrong in thinking some sort of forced bribery may have to be involved to get Alex to settle into a makeup chair for as long as she had to. She remembered always being amazed at actors who had to sit and get prosthetic applied for film roles spending hours on end being worked on every day for months at a time. She knew there was no way she could ever manage to do that. Good luck for Ezra in trying to get Alex to admit that. Instead, she merely stuck out her tongue at him in the universal sign that she had little else in response.

The complaint about her ankle wasn't a complete lie. Alex did feel a sting in the joint as she was leaving the stage not long ago and it was exacerbated by the soreness she felt from being one of those girls who never got along with high heels on any level. But she'd also be lying if she said she hadn't just anticipated, but welcomed Ezra's response. Her arms slipped almost affectionately around his neck and she turned herself toward him so she could bury her face in his chest. She always felt so protected and comfortable in Ezra's presence. Here in his arms while letting the fatigue of the day settle over her was no exception. "You're too good to me." She murmured softly.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra chuckled and let Alex have her way. It wasn't even a big deal for him to concede, especially since there would be no reward for him should he continue. Besides, there was just no way he could even keep a straight face if he continued teasing her anyway.

When Alex curled into him, Ezra smiled at her sentiment. He wasn't going to lie and say that this didn't feel right. Although he knew he shouldn't be this close to her. She was in a vulnerable state, even though she didn't act like it. She had broken up with her boyfriend. It just seemed incredibly tacky of him to want anything out of this just yet.

"You're just lucky you're a hobbit." He teased. They were nearing the school and he was utterly relieved. He didn't know how much longer he could take having Alex this close to him without doing anything about it.

[Alexandra Lawson]

"I'm not a hobbit." Alex protested weakly. There was little fight left in the girl as she clung to her beloved friend. She felt the weariness settled over her and she was thankful Ezra had been there, lest she have to deal with either walking back to campus alone or catching a cab which always freaked her out.

She let out a low, reluctant groan as she ended up having to be put back onto her feet. Alex let her touch linger just for a moment, her fingertips sliding across the back of Ezra's neck and shoulder as she got her feet beneath her. They'd reached the dorms and, yet again, Alex found it lucky she and Ezra roomed together. It was late and the two of them sneaking about in the middle of the night would otherwise raise suspicions if they got found out. The last thing she wanted was to be romantically linked with anyone at this point. Let alone the guy who was like a brother to her.

"Come on." She said with a yawn as she moved forward to pull open the door leading into the dorms. The time in Ezra's arms had made her sleepy, though she wasn't ready for the night to end just yet. "I need food and to get out of these shoes."

[Ezra Cooper]

"Yeah you're not. You're more a dwarf." Ezra continued teasing, no malice touching his words.

He did feel bad for having to put her down but he had to fish out the keys to their room from his pocket and that required him to let Alex go. Once inside, he was tempted to pick Alex up again but he let her move on her own.

Without much thought, he followed her into her room and gently pushed her on to her bed. It wasn't so much a tradition as it was a thing Ezra just automatically did when Alex was too tired to do anything else. He sat on the floor by her side and removed her shoes before slowly kneading into the soles of her feet.

"What're you feeling for?" He asked.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex's eyes narrowed as she sent a playful glare in Ezra's direction. She pursed her lips and almost gave him 'the look' complete with her hands on her hips but she quickly found herself being pushed to her bed. Whatever sarcastic reply she had at the ready was forgotten the moment she felt her body sink into the soft mattress. She splayed out over the blankets and let out a low groan when Ezra's fingers started working on her shoe laces.

"Anything that you can just sit there and throw at my mouth without making too much of a mess." Of course Alex didn't have the slightest clue what sort of food would meet such an odd set of criteria. At this point, food was secondary. She practically melted into the bed as she felt Ezra's touch pressing into the soles of her feet. Within seconds she was already drifting off into her own mind. At least until Ezra fingertips found the one spot on her left foot that was ticklish.

"Ezra!" She squealed with a laugh as she jumped and pulled her feet away. "You know I'm ticklish." Alex protested, though she didn't hesitate in stretched her legs out again in order for him to continue.

[Ezra Cooper]

"I don't have time to fry tater tots for you, Red." Ezra chuckled as he hankered down to start massaging Alex's feet. He didn't realise he had hit Alex's ticklish spot until she pulled away laughing.

"Oh did I? I didn't know that." He shook his head, holding back his laughter as she unfurled her legs once more. "You mean I shouldn't do anything to this spot?" He pressed on it again just to see her squirm.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Even though she had freely returned her feet back to Ezra, Alex couldn't help but keep a wary eye on him. There was something about the little smirk of his that lingered just beneath the surface of his laughter that tipped her off to exactly what he was going to do. She knew it was coming and still walked into it. With another burst of giggles, Alex scooted backward, pulling her bare feet away from him and drawing them up beneath her.

"Why, Ezra? Why?" She pouted with a look of utter heartbreak and betrayal spread across her face. She curled inward, wrapping her arms around herself while peering to Ezra with the saddest, most puppy-dog eyes she could possibly muster.