[ honestly, alex's first instinct to uninvited contact isn't a good one-- between the abuse he's survived and his homeless years, he's very cautious with when and how he allows himself to be touched, and he always needs to feel in control of it. when billy puts his hand on his shoulder, therefore, it's all he can do not to flinch away and reach for his garotte, all nerves for a brief and ugly moment.

thankfully, his control of himself is nearly iron, and he'd had enough warning to brace himself. even so, he takes a sharp breath in through his nose, and it takes a moment for him to push the tension back out of his spine. it's fine, billy's just being kind, and normal people fucking touch one another like this. stop being a dumbass, fierro. ]

No, [ he shoots down nearly immediately, though it's not clear at first what he means. he hesitates, voice gentling as he goes on. ] No, you don't have to-- I can look after myself. [ he's done it his entire life, up until winding up in valhalla. shieldmates had been-- a novelty, a good one, but it's different here. he's on his own again.

he shifts out from under the hand, turning on the bench toward billy and folding his legs instead. ] Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather sort through it myself. [ whatever his relationship with his not-mother will be, whatever lessons there may or may not be.

at last, though, his lips quirk back up, expression lightening faintly. ] Yeah? [ his glance drifts back up to the helm, brows lifting. ] I never would've guessed. [ the boyfriend bit, that is. ]