Ezra was not disappointed.
No.
Not even slightly.
Why would he be?
Why would he be disappointed over—No. He was not even going to finish that thought because he was absolutely not disappointed.
'Then why am I annoyed?' he wondered, staring stubbornly at the collar of Helios' uniform instead of his face. 'There is no reason to be annoyed.'
Definitely no reason.
Oh, who was he kidding?
He was annoyed.
And yes, maybe a little disappointed.
Why?
Because Helios had mentioned the possibility of "helping" him after Ezra explained the situation.
Helping.
And Ezra should not have been surprised. Helios was practical. Responsible. Infuriatingly composed. Of course he would offer assistance in a straightforward, clinical way.
And yes, if Helios had actually meant the help help, Ezra would have denied it with his entire soul. He would have rather thrown himself off the palace balcony than admit he needed that kind of help.
But some twisted, traitorous part of him had still—
