xx. me & your ghost [alexis]

[Deleted]

꧂ꕥ꧁ ❝ admidst the mists and coldest frosts; with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts; he thrusts his fists against the posts, and still insists he sees the ghosts.❞ ✄ coding and layout cadeparade song outfit wordcount 848 tag Alexis García

The bright afternoon sunlight was headache-inducing, even through his nearly black sunglasses. Ezra stifled a groan, head throbbing with the reminder that last night he didn't hydrate enough and now he'd suffer the consequences. Hangovers usually weren't a thing for him. He was a man with poor coping mechanisms, but he wasn't by any means a careless one.        This hangover in particular however would be a stern reminder to not get quite so trashed next time. It probably didn't help that the only reason he was up this early was because he'd fallen off the edge of the air mattress in his apartment and smacked into the pretty hand-carved hardwood walnut artisan bullshit floor. His actual bed wouldn't be here for another day or so. A mental note was made to never again go through a moving company. Going from a king-sized to a full-sized was evidently jarring enough for him to find himself in his current situation. He weaved his way down the streets of downtown, in search of the only hangover cure he knew worked. Greasy fast food for breakfast. Or lunch. Whatever.         Picking his way down the street, he scanned the shops as he passed. A couple of friends had recommended Nacho Bitch to him to try at least once, but he didn't want to disrespect Todd and Daniel's wishes by stopping in in his rather lackluster current state. Jonah kept pace with him, looking focused as ever in his teal vest. Regardless, Ezra didn't wanna work him too hard. Must be a pain looking after my arse all day. He finally decided to go into the Astaria Bistro. It looked like they had pizza, and he hoped, a tap. A waitress smiled at him and Jonah, and led them out to the fenced in patio.         "This alright gentlemen?" she asked. Ezra nodded politely, ordering a bottled beer from the chic little craft beer menu, and a water for Jonah. With another pretty smile, the waitress was gone and he sat looking at the menu.        The sun filtered through the trees that dotted the sidewalk, and a nice cool wind breezed through. For a moment, the pit in his chest seemed to relax, releasing some of the tension that had built up over the last few months. He generally tried to not let his mind wonder too far, after all, who knew what kind of shit it would drag up if he let it run free. But run it did for the time being. He thought back to just a few months ago, back when he had to arrange two funerals when there should've been none. At the thought of that, the proverbial knife that'd buried itself in his chest did a little twist. His lips tightened reflexively in a grimace.        Jonah put a paw on his leg and it brought him back to the moment. Ezra reached down to pet the shepherd, only to find him still sitting at attention and looking up at his owner. Jonah rested his head in Ezra's lap and he felt a little part of his heart soften at it. He was letting him know it was time for his medication. Ezra opened the little velcro pouch on the side of his vest and pulled out the pills, shaking out two exactly and putting the bottle away. He patted his companion on the head, turning back to the menu and dry swallowing the pills. At least someone was looking out for him.        The waitress came back a moment later with the drinks, and she set a cute little dish on the ground for Jonah and filled it up for him, which he seemed to appreciate greatly. She proceeded with taking his order, and he sprung for a coffee and two slices of the greasiest pizza they had. Once they were alone again, Ezra took a long swig of the ice cold beer. Out the corner of his eye, he could've sworn he saw the fluttering of long, curly black-brown hair in the chair in front of him. He froze in place, panic rising in his chest, only moving to set the beer back down on the patio table.        Jonah nudged his arm, and Ezra held him close, scritching his ears and closing his eyes. Silently he counted to ten, taking note of of the things he could feel around him. The chair, the breeze, Jonah's soft fur, the people talking and laughing around him. Bit by bit he inched himself back to the present. His lashes fluttered as he opened his eyes, looking down to find Jonah's head in his lap once more. Ezra gave him a tight, grateful smile. Finally letting his eyes move to the seat in front of him, he found it empty. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and throwing his head back, he took a long drink just as the waitress came back with the coffee and food.       "Thanks luv." he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, thoughts diverted from the macabre for the time being.

[Alexis García]

Gucci would've been far too flashy so instead Alexis walked down the street in clothes he would've considered rags. A black and white Adidas track suit. A similarly black and white Adidas hat covered most of his curls. He pulled the black bill further down, keeping his eyes glued to the sidewalk. This was it - his incognito outfit. Alexis had just spent the past couple hours at a fan meet and greet. Despite all the grief people gave him, VALENCIA was growing rapidly in popularity here in the United States. Especially amongst the teenage girls.

Alexis tried his hardest to walk in the shadows. He so desperately needed to blend in. Oh, what the young man would give in this moment in time to have invisibility abilities. His pheromones had been going haywire, and it had caused a horde of teenage girls to lose any self control they had. His band had to cancel the meet and greet promptly, and they all ran like the apocalypse just occurred. Even still, the pheromones were fluctuating, pulling the attention of people dotting the street to him almost like a magnet. It was at this very moment, that he heard high-pitched squeals behind him. Alexis didn't even have to look to know exactly where the screams of hell were coming from.

"Fuck," he huffed, pulling the hat even tighter to his head while picking up his speed. He could hear the pounding of their feet. The closer they got, the faster his heart beat and threatened to jump straight out of his chest. As a response to his nervousness, his pheromones reacted in kind, becoming even stronger. It made Alexis nauseous. However, for the hell hounds on his trail, it was all the fuel they needed to pump their scrawny legs even faster. His speed walk quickly turned into a trot, only to turn into a full on sprint within mere seconds. Teenage girls were fast when they weren't glued to their phones. Rounding a corner, his eyes flickered frantically, looking for a place to hide. His eyes settled on the door just a few feet in front of him and he slowed down and slipped inside. He breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling sporadically. He was in shape, having to do all sorts of errands for Aegis, but these girls were on his heels like no other. He made a mental note of it, and wandered if his pheromones were so strong at times to boost the adrenaline in others. He could only hope his heightened pheromones wouldn't case a scene in here. The only escape he'd have then was the door he just passed through. The girls squeals rang in his ears, and he knew they were still on the lookout. It was a busy time, and not many tables were open, however, he found a seat open out on the fenced in patio. It was risky, being outside and all but at this rate, leaving out the door he came would get him found out much faster.

A waitress came up to him, asking if it was just him dining in this afternoon. Alexis shook his head, "No. I know that guy out on the patio," gesturing with a nod of his head in the general direction of the patio. She gave a warm smile, and allowed him to seat himself, handing him a menu. She faltered a little bit, staring at him a little too long. Normally, he'd bask in this attention but with a horde of fifteen-year-olds rapidly approaching, he ducked away from her quick. Walking up to the table, he didn't miss a beat by sliding casually into the chair and holding up the menu to cover the side of him that faced the street. Looking over at the man, whom he would not properly look at until later, all too occupied with the situation at hand, across the table, he spoke with a frown, "Just let me sit here for like five minutes and I'll be out of your way," he paused, his Spanish accent thickly clinging to every word, "though it doesn't seem like you're waiting for anyone anyways.." He could only hope this man wouldn't be overcome by any of the pheromones radiating off of him. He shrunk in his seat as the rowdy girls slowed down. One of them chirping about how Alexis couldn't have gotten too far. Frowning, he reached into his pocket and slipped the man across the table a Benjamin fresh off the printing press, "Don't say anything," he hissed. One would suppose a "please" would suffice, but he'd rather pay for someone's cooperation. It usually seemed more effective. Alexis looked down at the dog all snug in a teal vest, "He better not be a talker.." he said, groaning. It was more to himself than anyone else. Narrowing his brown eyes, he spoke gently to the pooch, "I'll get you a nice bone after this if you stay quiet."

[Deleted]

꧂ꕥ꧁ ❝ admidst the mists and coldest frosts; with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts; he thrusts his fists against the posts, and still insists he sees the ghosts.❞ ✄ coding and layout cadeparade song outfit wordcount 571 tag Alexis García

He'd just finished taking the last bite of his pizza, and he chewed away at it momentarily before swallowing. His eyes fell to the table in front of him where his beer sat next to the cup of black coffee just delivered to him. Tentatively, he took a sip, face screwing up into a grimace. As he set it back down, he looked at the two drinks before shrugging to himself and pouring the remainder of the beer into the jet black coffee. Just as he was setting down the bottle, a young man approached the table and sat down like they were a couple of blokes on a blind date and that this was as natural as tea time with nan. Ezra's brows knitted together curiously, and he started to say something to the stray, but was stopped by what sounded less like a plea and more like a command. This cheeky bastard, he thought incredulously even before the second half of the sentence left the other's lips.        Ezra remained quiet momentarily, before taking his round brimmed hat off and setting it atop his unwelcome companion's pompous, curly little head. He slipped his jacket off, scooting out of his chair and standing between this chav and the fence. He draped it over the other, effectively forming a visual barrier between the girls frantically pounding the pavement and his new mate. Part of him though the other was cute, granted he didn't fully understand what was going on between this stranger and those girls. They acted like he was famous or something. He'd die before he ever admitted out loud. The wind tousled his hair, and he looked down at the little brat once more as the girls moved on and continued the search further down the street.  Alexis, eh? That's this chav's name? He thought, moving to take his seat once more. Jonah laid next to his chair languidly, lifting his head briefly when spoken to and then resting it once more once he discerned it wasn't his business. Good dog.         "He's no' much for conversation." Ezra replied easily. Taking up his coffee/beer concoction once more, he pushed the bill back across the table. "Thanks, but no thanks, peaches. M'afraid my love isn't for sale." He knocked back the mixture and set the cup back on the table, throwing a haphazard wink across the table, and moving to stand once more. Retrieving his hat and jacket, he clicked at Jonah who got to a sitting position. Any bit of irritation he felt had melted away, and he started to admittedly feel a little weird. His skin had started to feel uncomfortably warm, and worse clammy. To the best of his knowledge, beer and coffee together didn't do that. He pushed it to the back of his mind and conceded to take a nice long nap when he got back to the flat. Fishing his wallet out of his back pocket to leave a tip, he said his heartfelt, touching goodbyes to the young lad.         "Well, I'd say it's been a pleasure to make your acquaintance Alexis, but frankly you're a bit of an arse. Cheers mate." With that, he lightly tugged Jonah's leash with his right hand, clutching his receipt in the other hand. Turning on his heel, he waved a lazy goodbye, not bothering to look back. Thank Elizabeth herself he'd paid before having to deal with that awkwardness.

[Alexis García]

Alexis bristled as a hat was placed on his head, and his shoulders tightened up in response. He shot the man a nasty side eye. It was the first time he really stopped to take a gander at the man's table of whom he hijacked. He could admire the style. It was punkish, and similar to how Alexis had to dress up on stage. However, the lack of name brands was a mistake he wouldn't make himself. He shuffled uncomfortably. The other man was closer to him than he would've liked, and he did his best to focus on his pheromones. They were slowly falling down, he could tell that much as he could smell his own pheromones and didn't find them as overwhelming as he did earlier. Still, he could never be certain. A swift breeze blew through, and Alexis looked on with a grumpy gaze as the other man's hair became a bit tousled in response. He thought he found him attractive, especially since he seemed a bit older. But the other man's later actions would dash any thought of him romantically from his mind, at least for the foreseeable time being. The other man left his side almost as soon as he came, taking his wretched hat with him.

Alexis harrumphed, crossing his arms while rolling his eyes at the same time. "I'm offering him a bone.. for fuck's sake.." Oddly enough, he took the dog's disinterest personally. He was a lover of dogs, primarily because they provided company without being affected by his pheromones. They often got in the way of most social interactions, even that of his band members. Either way, conversationalist or not, any dog would've killed for a bone, or so Alexis thought.

Alexis' grumpy, pouted look only grew when his crisp one hundred dollar bill was sent back his way. He'd seen many men's pride crumble for money. So why wasn't his? Alexis would've gladly snatched the bill had the roles been reversed. Arms still crossed, he tapped his foot, looking away in sheer annoyance. Sure, he should be grateful that the man didn't blow his cover, but he wasn't. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the man and his dog got ready to make their leave. As soon as he was passed, Alexis thought about staying. He was hungry, but his irritation boiled over and go the better of him. Hands grasping the table, he pushed himself up, not bothering to push his chair back in.

Alexis quickly caught up and matched the man in stride. "You know who I am, mate?" he asked sternly. Sighing, he pouted, his young age making its appearance in his arrogance, "If you don't want money, you must want an autograph, right?"

[Deleted]

꧂ꕥ꧁ ❝ admidst the mists and coldest frosts; with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts; he thrusts his fists against the posts, and still insists he sees the ghosts.❞ ✄ coding and layout cadeparade song outfit wordcount 657 tag Alexis García

He gave the waitress a polite smile as he left, tipping his hat to her and leading Jonah beside him, making sure to move out of the way of other patrons. He walked at a casual pace, eager to get back to the flat, but not enough to waste the sunshine and fresh air. As he'd thought, his hangover was beginning to go away, and he could enjoy the scenery a lot better now that his head didn't feel like Manchester United did an Irish jig on his head with spiked cleats. His carefree enjoyment of the outdoors was quickly cut short by a little human-sized gnat buzzing in his ear. Ezra bit his lip to hold in a laugh, sparing a sidelong glance at Alexis. At first he'd been a little agitated by the holier-than-thou attitude, but as the length of their acquaintance with each other had extended for the time being, he found the egotistical jerk kind of funny.         He feigned as if he were thinking very hard, tapping his finger to his chin and humming for added, cartoonish effect. He kept the act up for a few more moments before replying,        "Oh, I know! You're Ezra Mournspire!" he paused for a beat, and then: "No wait...I'm so silly, that's me! You're Alan. Or was it...Andre. Aaron? Oh! Alexis. Right. Ohoho, goodness me. I must be getting rather senile in my old age, you'll have to forgive me boyo." Well, Alexis really did leave him a blast crater-sized opening for that barb. It would be rude of him not to take the opportunity bestowed upon him. The pout was just the cherry on top for Ezra, truly. He threw him a wicked, toothy grin, so wholly and truly pleased with himself.  Thankfully, that weird feeling he'd been getting back at the bistro was fading into obscurity. He chalked it up to the receding hangover.            He audibly scoffed at the offer of an autograph. Seriously, who did this bloke think he was? Honestly, Ezra felt relieved on this guy's behalf. If he'd tried to pick this fight with some other bloke, they very well may have rearranged his pretty face via immediate plastic surgery, paging doctor knuckle sandwich. This kid was gonna get himself killed talking like that to random strangers. The crime rate in Astaria had not escaped his notice when he'd been apartment hunting. The lower eastern side of this city was a den of crime. Honestly who knew what kind of n'er-do-wells would clean his clock for getting up on his little soapbox like he was.            "Sure mate, if it'll help you sleep at night, I'll take an autograph. Maybe I can make a quick ten pence on Ebay, or scam some Beatles-loving old nan out of their hard earned nest egg by claiming it's Lennon's honest to god signature." He answered, rolling his eyes so hard he thought he might get stuck like that. Honestly the nerve of this guy.             "Listen sweetheart, as lovely as this has all been, I've got an incredibly hot date with a hash pipe and a bottle of gin back at my flat. So if you could pull your head out of your arse for a moment and bugger off," He stopped walking, turning on Alexis so that green eyes met brown. Ezra only had about an inch or two on the other bloke, but he used it as best he could to loom over him,  "that'd be sugarcoated swell, with whipped cream, and cherries, and extra sprinkles on top. No offense to you dear, but I'm not really a puff n' pass kinda guy." He considered momentarily that he might be being a tad obtuse, maybe a little too harsh on the guy. He was clearly already having a hell of a day being chased by those girls. But pushing people away was his business, and business was so good he might have to go public soon.

[Alexis García]

Alexis' face was going to get perpetually stuck if he continued to frown, yet he did it anyway. Scoffing, he continued to silently fume. His smart ass attitude was quickly wearing thin on Alexis' patience. Why he was still wasting his time on the other man, who had cheekily introduced himself as Ezra, he wasn't certain of himself. Part of it, which he would never truly admit to himself, was the fact that Ezra didn't know who he was. VALENCIA wasn't Kanye, but they weren't worm food on the music industries food chain either. Realistically, he should've known the older man wasn't in their demographic in the first place, and yet, here it was making his skin crawl in irritation anyways.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he continued to glare as Ezra messed around with him, pretending to not know his name. He probably looked like he was damn near about to blow a blood vessel, his face growing warm with anger. He wasn't usually so easily picked on, but something about this guy just ticked him right off. Ugh, the nerve of some people.. he thought, rolling his eyes as dramatically as he could without his eyes completely rolling back into their sockets. Ezra's witty quips threw him off. No one around him quite had the audacity to speak to him that way. His band mates were on a different level, and he spent most of his day around people that worked for him. He'd fire their ass in a heartbeat. Sadly, he couldn't just fire this man from existence. If only it worked that way.. he mused, relishing in the thought momentarily.

"Well, not with that attitude am I giving you an autograph," he huffed, as if his defiance would cause Ezra to get down on his knees and apologize and beg for an autograph. He had his pride, despite how he was currently acting. He was still walking after Ezra, but had fallen a bit behind and wasn't quite paying attention and bumped into Ezra. Backing up to put space back in between the two, he grunted, "Mucho cuidado con lo que dices!" Translated into English, it more or less meant "watch it." Sure, Alexis in this scenario was a bit more the one at fault having been the one to tail the man in the first place, but he'd never admit that.

The height difference wasn't much, but he felt as if Ezra was trying his best to still look down on him. Puffing out his chest a bit and standing a bit taller, he did his best to stretch up, a stern "don't mess with me look" on his features and to appear even taller than he truly was. He was about up to his limit with the lip Ezra was giving him. Focusing, Alexis willed his pheromones to increase, and increase they did. Whether this would have any sort of effect on Ezra, he wouldn't know. They worked a vast majority of the time to sway people into being more, well, into him but it was never a guarantee.

"Does everyone in the U.S. have a stick up their ass?" he fumed. He longed for Spain, coming up on a year since he'd been here in this pitiful state with its oceans. He shuddered at the thought before turning his attention back to Ezra. All he did was offer to pay this guy and give him an autograph. What had he done? Alexis ran a hand through his curly hair, and fished around in his pockets for his cigarettes. This whole encounter was frustrating, and he wasn't entirely sure why he was still here, but he was. Then, it hit him. Truly a bit late where it would make Abraham probably croak dead on the spot. Ezra Mournspire. That's what he had said his name was earlier and Alexis physically face-palmed at the realization. This bastard in front of him was his bodyguard assignment. He hadn't been given full details yet and was supposed to start in a couple days. But, this was the guy he was sent to protect nonetheless. Now he really needed a cigarette. Packing the box, he took one out and frantically placed it to his lips, holding there as he fished around for a lighter and mumbling, "fuck, fuck, fuck... fuuuuuck," as he did so. Lighting it, he took a long draw, closing his eyes. Just his luck. Opening them again, he looked at Ezra with profound irritation, "I can't believe it's you I have to watch." he spat, before taking another pull. 

[Deleted]

꧂ꕥ꧁ ❝ admidst the mists and coldest frosts; with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts; he thrusts his fists against the posts, and still insists he sees the ghosts.❞ ✄ coding and layout cadeparade song outfit wordcount 521 tag Alexis García

He was forced to bite back another laugh as Alexis puffed his chest up. It reminded him of a kitten fluffing up it's fur to seem bigger and more threatening. He was only partially able to make out what the boy had said in Spanish, his college gen eds truly failing him there. Whatever it was, it was said with as much venom as the other seemed to be able to muster. Honestly, by this point he'd fully expected Alexis to be throwing punches. Despite his previous assessment of the bloke, his patience seemed to be holding out against the volley of blows Ezra was dishing him.        Alexis had just started to say something that sounded bitter about the U.S. Just then, another wave of weirdness rolled in with a vengeance. He instantly felt sick to his stomach, and a wave of nausea hit him like a truck. He thought he saw a flash of recognition in Alexis' eyes and he wondered what that could've been about. His thoughts stuttered and spun for a moment, causing him to shudder involuntarily. He couldn't be sure but it looked like the boy was searching his pockets for something. He noted the cigarette in his mouth and imagined a lighter.          Next to him, Jonah whined. He turned his head to look but the motion set his head swimming with dizziness. His hand that held the leash shot out on a reflex, built up after one too many nights almost falling on his arse. He momentarily reached for Alexis, redirecting himself out of sheer will and spite. He could feel he was in for a tumble, and narrowly managed to grasp the brick exterior of a shop before dropping to his knees.          "Bollocks!" he spat, concrete biting into his knees. Jonah was at his side, doing what he could to comfort his owner. Ezra had only barely just registered what Alexis said as he finally seemed to find his lighter. He cursed in repetition, saying something cryptic that disoriented Ezra further.            His heart seemed to be beating out of his chest, so loud he thought maybe even Alexis might hear it. What an embarrassing place to have a dizzy spell. He forced himself to try refocusing, going back to what Alexis had just said. Watch him? Was this kid some sort of stalker? Or maybe he meant something else. Ezra risked a shift in position, maneuvering himself so his back was against the wall. He wasn't in a position to move until the nausea passed, so he guessed he was stuck here listening to the strange goings on of this pest. He fished his own pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, poising one between his lips and lighting it with the lighter from the same compartment. Taking a long drag, he willed his mind to stop spinning long enough to respond,            "What in the nine hells are you on about?" he asked, his voice more reserved than before. He studied Alexis' face for any clues to what he meant, and found himself staring a little longer than he intended. Ezra looked away forcefully, dragging on his cigarette once more.

[Alexis García]

Alexis inhaled sharply with every drag of his cigarette, completely distressed. This man, this cockney fellow, this dick was the babysitting job he'd taken on for the foreseeable future? He groaned, eyeing Ezra who was almost turning green in the face with sickness. He knew who the culprit was and it was the man that stared him back in the mirror everyday. Part of him actually felt a little bad, but he had no way to reverse what he'd done. His grasp of his power was amateur level at best. Maybe if he wasn't currently having his world turned over on its side he could, but his head was scattered. It would take some time potentially for his pheromones to return to a less overwhelming level. Alexis looked on helplessly as he saw Ezra shudder, only to fall to his knees. He kept his distance, knowing that even if he tried to help the other man back up, it wouldn't do much. It was best Ezra had some space between them until he wasn't so overcome by Alexis' power. He held back a smirk, as part of him was enjoying seeing the prick crumble on the sidewalk. While he may have been able to contain his smile, a knowing, mischievous glint shown brightly in his chocolate eyes.

An eyebrow cocked at the change in tone coming from Ezra, almost as if a little more pacified. Though, falling sick on one's ass and being told you have a bodyguard was surely a lot to take in in a single moment. Sighing, he tossed his cigarette on the ground, snuffing it out with a stomp and twist of his foot. Looking plainly at Ezra he said, "I got a bodyguard assignment to protect an at risk citizen. That at risk citizen is you," he paused, stuffing his hands in to the pockets of his sweatpants, "I also work at Aegis, I'm sure you've heard of it if you live here," he droned on with a shrug, "You've got people wanting to kidnap you what with that power of yours," he finished off nonchalantly. Perhaps more tact could have been used in the delivery of such news, but he wasn't the biggest fan of Ezra, and he was sure of the feeling being mutual. The thought of having to be around him constantly more or less became an agitating thought. So much for focusing on the band.. he thought grumpily. He stayed in the spot he stood, waiting for Ezra to digest this new information and whistled softly to the tune of one of VALENCIA's songs.

[Deleted]

꧂ꕥ꧁ ❝ admidst the mists and coldest frosts; with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts; he thrusts his fists against the posts, and still insists he sees the ghosts.❞ ✄ coding and layout cadeparade song outfit wordcount 490 tag Alexis García

Doing what he could to steady his breathing, he looked back at Alexis just in time to catch a twinkle of mischief in those eyes. Yeah yeah, laugh it up boyo, he thought in irritation. He narrowed his own eyes at what Alexis said to him next. Bodyguard? Him? In what world could Alexis protect his sorry arse? So many question buzzed in his brain. Like who would want to kidnap him? He was a chemical engineer. While they weren't a dime a dozen by any means, there were surely better ones than him.         "Aegis eh? Yeah I've 'eard of it. They must really be hurting for help if they sent you, huh?" He laughed, not willing to give up the ghost of his pride, even with his back literally against the wall. What Alexis said next rocked him to the core, however. Ezra had never told anyone about his powers, outside maybe Saadia. But she was...well she was gone. He was careful he'd thought. He nearly never used his powers unless some punk got cocky in the pub and thought they'd gang up on the Brit. Even then, it was only ever defensive, and only ever to push people away. Again, literally. Ezra racked his brain, but the answer was there all along.         "Alistair..." he growled through gritted teeth. His face contorted to rage, and he did his best to start getting up. Finishing his own cigarette, he stubbed it out. Pushing himself forward, he planted his hands against the sidewalk, wobbling as he forced himself up. He let out a frustrated, shuddering breath as he got to his knees once more.         "Bloody hell. That slimy piece of shit. I'll put him in his grave if it's the last thing I do." That bit was quieter. He struggled, head still swimming, but managed to grasp the wall again and pull himself to his feet. Another skill gained from too many drinks at the bar. He leaned with his shoulder against the wall, fixing Alexis with a piercing stare.          "So say I believe what you're saying is true. Then what? You babysit me wherever I go?" he asked, more rhetorically than anything. This was, a lot admittedly. His head hurt just thinking about how annoying this was all going to be. He was a grown ass man. Even if they did nab him, which would be a task in itself, or at least Ezra liked to think so. It's not like he couldn't just break out of there once more. He'd kicked his da's ass the last time they faced off, he could easily mop the floor with the old geezer again. Unless there was something Alexis wasn't telling him. He thought a little more. If Aegis was getting involved, it had to mean something right? They didn't just step in for no reason.           "Ain't that just a kick in the bollocks. Well Alexis, mind if I call you Lex?" END