ALEX LOOKED LIVID DESPITE the smile on his face. Reyan was staring at him with an expression which was hard to read, but Alex wasn't looking at him at all. No, he was staring right at Elisabeth, her lips parted in surprise. In the glow of the moon she looked kissed by starlight, her azure eyes reflecting Alex. She was so put together in comparison to him, even now his blouse open and his mask tied to his wrist, crimson smeared across his cheeks like flames and fire burning in his laugh, like the sound alone could scorch a heart.

"You are clearly inebriated," Reyan stated," this is a formal event, what are you, a hooligan?"

"You know what," Alex said, spreading his arms," I actually am. Nothing is a bad decision if I'm having fun."

"That is a terrible reasoning," Reyan replied.

"I am a terrible man," Alex smiled.

Levi was nodding along, being supportive in his own way. If it was Will here he would have cheered, but then again with Will here the situation would probably deescalate within minutes. He was the only one of them four who really had that capability. Ella didn't mind, it was always fun watching a fight.

"How did he even manage to get drunk?" she said, leaning in to whisper to Levi," we were gone for twenty minutes tops."

"Don't underestimate Alex," Levi said solemnly," if we had a frat at St Joseph he honestly would be the head."

"Not you?" Ella teased, even though she knew the answer," you know, with your charismatic leadership and all."

"Hell no," Levi said," any gathering of people sounds terrible. I don't care for charisma, just for my peace of mind."

"You're head of a gang."

"Don't remind me, I try to forget every day."

Right at that moment Alex stopped in front of Reyan, tilting his head to the right as he held his gaze. Reyan however didn't seem to be in for any games, grabbing Alex' shirt with a neutral expression on his face. It was Elisabeth's voice who stopped Alex from punching Reyan right in the face, her voice clear despite the fact that she didn't rise it in volume at all.

"Calm down," she said," I care for you both, I don't want to see you fight."

Reyan looked at her in silence, taking a step back a moment later, but Alex started choking, seeming to have forgotten to breathe for a moment.

"Fuck," he coughed as he doubled over," is this how I'm going to die? I always thought it was going to be by Levi's hand."

"He does seem like he would kill you without remorse," Reyan agreed.

Levi frowned at them both, before looking at Ella in a silent complaint. She pecked him on the cheek, the gesture immediately easing his dissatisfaction.

"I'm sorry," Alex said, his back straight again and a hand on his chest, as if to recover still from the lack of air," it just felt weird to know you care about me."

"Why?" Elisabeth blinked," I hang out with you every chance I get, of course I do."

Ella had half-expected Alex to joke about his amazing presence, but instead he seemed lost for words for the first time in his life.

"Elisabeth," Reyan said, not seeming to care about Alex at all," I came to ask you to be my girlfriend, but the setting seems to be ruined. I'll retry next week when it's nice weather again."

"Rei," Elisabeth said, gaze softening," I -"

"Don't reply just yet," he said, holding up his hand," not until I've asked it for real."

He turned around then, leaving them behind. Elisabeth however didn't seem conflicted, simply sad, like the answer she had was one which was bitter on her lips. She placed her head on her knees again, her curls cascading down around her, and Alex walked up to her, quietly crouching down at her feet.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What for?" she said, voice muffled against her dress.

"For being like this," he said," for confusing you all the time. I -" He swallowed, looking down at his scarred hands. "I've only loved someone once and when that ended it nearly broke me. I don't know what I'd do if I'd lose you too."

Elisabeth raised her head, her gaze locking with Alex.

"Why do you assume it will end in flames?" she said," I don't need apologies, Alex, just clarity."

"Everything with me ends in flames," he said," things around me simply do. I fuck things up, Elisabeth, I do. I don't know how to open up, how to love healthily. What if we end up screaming at each other too?" He breathed out, voice barely a whisper. "What if I become like my dad?"

Ella felt like she was watching something she shouldn't, but there was no way she and Levi could leave now without them noticing. So she simply stood still, her mind wandering to Alex' father for a moment. She had caught snippets about what kind of man he was. He had been cold, Alex had once said, a man made of ambition and anger only. Once Alex had mentioned he hadn't talked to him in two years. It was bizarre, considering they lived in the same house. His mother however, that was someone she knew nothing of. Levi didn't speak of his friends' privacy and she didn't pry, it was not her business after all. Still, she doubted there was much love between Alex' parents at all, if only because of the way he seemed to view vulnerability as a sin.

Some people really shouldn't have become parents.

"You won't, Alex," Elisabeth said, cupping his cheeks in her hand.

"How do you know?" he said.

"I know," she said easily, watching him so softly it felt like a kiss on it's own," you are not your father, Alex, the fact that you worry about that is proof enough."

Alex remained silent for a moment, head dipping as he breathed out. When he looked up again he was back to his usual self, his composure so natural Ella wouldn't have thought he had just opened up if she hadn't seen him. Elisabeth didn't seem to mind, gently letting him go as she smiled at him.

"So," he said," I know you have a lot of suitors, but surely I am the best?"

"You're silly," she chuckled, pushing him playfully.

Alex dramatically fell down, clutching his heart as if in betrayal, and when they locked gazes her smile wavered.

"I am not going to reply to anything right now," she said," not when there's still a lot of things you have unresolved with Ava. You don't need to solve them for me, Alex, of course not, but I will not be in a relationship with three."

He didn't evade his gaze this time, no surprise on his face as he nodded. Hesitantly he reached out to her hand, only grazing her fingers before he pulled back.

"I know," he said quietly," I will. For me and for Ava as well. We deserve that closure."

When he got to his feet he was smiling again, bowing gallantly as he offered Elisabeth a hand. She took it, seeming curious about what he was doing, before laughing as he twirled her around. He mirrored her expression, stepping back as he looked at her.

"I'll let you enjoy your night drama free now," he said," you do deserve that."

"You do as well," she said.

"Unfortunately, I am the drama," he said, sighing," it's hard to be the main character wherever I go."

She chuckled and he turned around to go, already in the ballroom when someone bumped into Elisabeth. Her chair fell, a yell leaving her lips as the guy who had walked past caught her. He had a too wide smile and eyes which felt like claws on your skin, graying hair not seeming to stop him from flirting.

"I apologize, Miss," he said," how could I have passed by such a gorgeous lady as you? Will you let me buy you a drink?"

"No, thank you," Elisabeth said politely.

She tried to pull back, but he kept her in place, hand lowering from her back. Alex had looked back to wave one last time, eyes widening once he saw what was going on. His expression was furious as he ran back, Levi also moving at the same time, but it was Ella who grabbed his arm and twisted it, smile sugary sweet. The man shouted in pain as she put more pressure, before pressing down on his back with her knee as he fell to the ground. Smoothly she took a ring off his finger, holding it up in front of his face as she beamed at him.

"Does your wife know you're like this?" Ella said," or do you save being a prick for when no one can see you?"

"You bitch," he spat.

At that Ella's expression brightened and without any hesitation she threw the ring off the balcony, a distant splash of water audible.

"Nice throw," Levi said, hand above his eyes as he peered at the garden," if Will had seen this he would have recruited you."

"What do you say?" Ella said," shall I play baseball, Peterson?"

"I might even think about making a banner," he said as he walked over, cracking his knuckles," but only because it's you."

He punched the man in the face then, his head snapping backwards as Levi stared down at him, expression emotionless.

"That was for calling her a bitch," he said," now shall I give you another one for being a motherfucker?"

"You knocked him out," Ella said, glancing downwards as she felt all of the man's resistance fade away at once.

Levi looked almost disappointed at that, Ella letting the man go with a chuckle as she walked over to Levi and pecked him on the lips. He always was the cutest when he was protective over her, even though she could easily take most of the grown men in the room. Honestly, she would have said all, but Clarkson was immortal.

"Are you both alright?" Elisabeth asked, words honest as she looked up at them," thank you."

"Fuck," Alex said, finally reaching them as he placed a hand on Elisabeth's cheek," are you alright? I'm so sorry, Lisa -"

"It's fine, Alex," she reassured him," nothing really happened, he was disgusting, but I'm fine."

Alex checked for any possible injuries, only letting out a sigh of relief when he was positive she was fine. He looked over at Ella and Levi, nodding at them thankfully, before rising his gaze to the sky, breathing out and turning towards the man.

"How bad will my karma be if I kick a man who's already knocked out?" he asked.

"You don't have anything to lose," Levi said.

The man started murmuring then, causing all of them to snap their gazes towards him. He pushed himself up with difficulty, stars dancing in front of his eyes as he roughly wiped the blood off his lips.

"I thought I'd give you a chance after this," he said," but I should have known better, of course Vince's son is a bastard just like him -"

"What?" Alex said, staring at him in shock.

"Vince?" Ella said confusedly, only noticing then how Levi had completely frozen over.

He stared at the man without a word, but when he spoke he sounded almost haunted.

"Vince is my father."