Hiya!! This is my intro and link post that Iâll be pinning to my profile!
This post consists of; links to my Ao3, art instagram, and Reddit. As well as the links to the fan-fictions/drabbles Iâve written and/or are working on!!
I go by Nana, since itâs the last two Letters of both my first and last name!
I am apart of multiple fandoms, some Iâm heavily into are genshin, love and deepspace, marvel (comics & mcu/showverse), supernatural (mmm.. dean), and then jjk + some more!
I have a passion for art and marine biology (I plan on going to school for it with my best friend teehee)
Some note worthy things now;
- Iâm 20 years old (1-5-05)
- I have a ferret named Azra (named after my first ever oc/ original character)
- I post once in a blue moon :(
- I mainly post sfw, I canât write nsfw/smut for the life of me
Thatâs all Iâve got for my intro, now onto the links!! -đŠ
Summary; you confessed to your penpal right before heâs supposed to come to America to spend the summer with you, then it seems he drops on the face of the earth?
Pairings; lads!xavier x non-mc!reader
Note; I wanted to add that Xavier might be a little ooc, since this is kind of self indulgent. this part focuses more on Xavierâs side of the story! It might be longer or shorter than the other parts, Iâm not entirely sure hehe! anyways enjoy!! -đŠ
(side note I have a job now, sorry for the late upload ;-; very very late)
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Highschool was rough, it could be compared to a personalized hell in your opinion. It was filled with late nights studying, drama you didnât want any part of, and worrying about getting scholarships for college. However, Xavier had been the backbone of your sanity. His letters bringing a calm, you found yourself indulging more in knowing him. Youâd found yourself on occasion asking him more about his life rather than sharing yours. It was a distraction, a way to talk to your best friend while getting through school. Youâd just gotten home from school today when you saw another letter on your desk, a smile gracing your exhausted face. Your backpack hit your bed with a thumb as you stumbled to get your shoes off. When you finally sat down in your chair, you had taken the time to look the envelope over. It was the usual colored drawing, this time it was cute little rabbits sitting on stars. A little note on the edge of the envelope âI spaced while in class and drew these, I thought you would find them cuteâ you did infact, find them cute. You carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the letter carefully. It was a two page letter, you always loved when he would write you longer letters.
âDear (name)
Lately Iâve noticed you donât talk about things going on in your life, I have to admit Iâm a bit worried about you. I would like it if youâd tell me about how youâre doing, even if itâs stuff you donât want to share with others. Youâre allowed to be vulnerable with me, weâre best friends after-all. I know how hard school can be, especially since you want to get into a big college. Your hard work is going to pay off I just know it!
About your questions in your last letter, i am infact still friends with mc and Jeremiah. However you still take the cake, I donât believe I could ever tell them half the things Iâve told you in full confidence. I hope you know how much I care about you despite the fact that you live in a different country thousands of miles away from me, youâll be my best friend until our dying days. I would hope when weâre older we live near one another, I wouldnât mind spending everyday with you.
I think you should go to homecoming with your friends Amy and Duncan! It would be good for you to go have fun, I wish I could be there! We donât have prom or homecoming here, so Iâm sad I miss out on things like that. However I donât mind too much since Iâd rather spend those with you.
I canât wait for the day we finally meet up, I have so many things I want to do with you. Like go to a cat cafe, or to the iceskating rink. I have so many things I want to do with you, it hurts to think we live so far from one another. I am patient though, Iâd wait my whole life if it meant id get to see you one day! Anyways, remember to eat, drink lots of water, and to never procrastinate on school work!
Sincerely Xavierâ
You sighed longingly, best friends. Of course, you both were best friends. Why did you have to aquire such strong feelings for a guy who youâd never met in person? You sat there silently, rereading the letter over and over. Had you not known any better youâd say he felt the same from how often he mentioned that he âcanât wait to meet and hang outâ or âget old togetherâ heâd even written in a letter that he hoped when youâre both old and need attention constantly, that you get to spend your last days together. He was always so kind and sweet in his letters, not to mention supportive. It hurt to think he probably didnât feel the same. You just couldnât believe a guy like him could reciprocate your feelings. Oh how your teenage brain raced from one daydream to another when thinking of Xavier. It hurt so much to realize your crush was likely fruitless. You just hoped that when the day came, you didnât have such strong feelings anymore.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Xavier couldnât deny it, he was falling in love with her through every letter she sent. He found himself sitting at his desk writing love letters he couldnât ever bring himself to send because he was convinced (name) couldnât feel the same. They havenât even met in person yet, however that didnât stop his heart from burning for her. He was sitting in class spacing out again, his mind traveled over the ideas of how their first meeting would go. Would it be like those movies where the two love interests embrace in a long needed hug with a tender kiss at the end? Or perhaps it could be a meeting filled in tears that have such strong emotion behind them? He wondered if she ever thought about him the same way, if she felt as strongly as he did.
â-Xavier!â Mcâs voice finally brought Xavier from his daydreaming. âHm?â He responded, a yawn escaping him as he stretched lightly. He could use a nap now that he think about it. He heard mc give a small sigh, âyouâve been going space cadet mode a lot lately, have you been thinking about her? You havenât told us about her in a while!â Mc turned her chair around to face Xavier, Jeremiah sitting on his own desk next to Xavierâs. He smiled lightly, âyeah, Iâve been thinking about her-â âI told you! You own me boba now mc!â Jeremiah cut Xavier off, which started a small playful argument between them. Xavier simply sat back and watched, eventually he looked out the window then at the skyâhe should write another letter when he gets home.
âXavier do you want to go to the boba shop on our way to your house for the study night?â Jeremiah asked with a gleeful grin on his face. Xavier gave a deadpanned lookâhe forgot about the study night. That means theyâll see his desk filled with letters. He silently wished some imaginary force would strike them all down right now so he wouldnât have to deal with mc and Jeremiah teasing him. âSure.â Xavier finally responded, mc and Jeremiah singing their praises for Xavier agreeing.
Xavier had a thought that often showed up in his head. âWhat would it be like if I grew up with (name) instead of them?â He had an inkling that his feelings would have been ten times worseâbut he would be close to her. He would often go back on childhood memories and imagine them with her there, what would she have done when he got hurt when playing with mc? Would she have helped him put his bandaids on? They were little things he would mull over for hours at a time. His infatuation with a girl who heâs never met in real life was worrying at times. What would he even do given the chance to meet her? Would he run to her? Or would they simply walk to one another calmly? âXavier you look like youâre gonna start cryingâ you good man?â Jeremiah asked, waving a hand in front of Xavierâs face. The blue eyes boy blinked, his eyes had been super watery today. âNo, I got dust in them this morning so theyâve been sensitive all day.â Xavier would make sure to remember not to think about the what ifs while out with his friends.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
âOoooo are these from your little penpal Xavier~?â Mcâs voice was full of tease, which made Xavier wish he had just cancelled. âYes, now can you two focus? Weâre supposed to be studying.. not talking about my penpalâ mc groaned âno funâ before plopping down onto the ground, Jeremiah had his notes out already. âSo where is she from?â Jeremiah broke the silence, earning a slightly frustrated look from Xavier. âSheâs from America. Now no more questions about her or I will cancel this study session.â Both mc and Jeremiah stopped after that, they did their studying without asking anymore questions. However, Xavier was thinking about her every other thought. Making his studying a little more difficult. Usually he would write a letter for her and then study, making it easier as he would get his thoughts out of his system. It had been a routine he had for years now, so breaking that routine was making him slightly loose it internally. âXavier donât you write letters to (name) before you study?â Jeremiah asked while scribbling some annotations down on his papers. Xavier was silent for a moment, almost frozen. âI suppose I do write her letters before I study..â, Xavier thought hard for a moment, they surely couldnât mind right? Both mc were silently studying away until Jeremiah spoke again âthen why donât you do that? Iâm sure it would probably help.. weâre gonna be here for a few hours anywaysâ. Xavier silently praised whatever celestial being heard his wishes. He hummed in acknowledgment to Jeremiah before he stood up, his two friends watching sneakily as Xavier grabbed very nice looking paper and a blue pen that had a thin tip. He came back to sit down, immediately he was writing.
âDear (name)âŠâ
The study session had gone on after that perfectlyânot a single interruption. Xavier had fully finished writing his letter to (name) within forty minutes. Jeremiah and mc were packing their backpacks up when mc asked. âSo.. why do you write so much? Thatâs like four pages worth!â Xavier felt a small blush creep onto his cheeks. How was he supposed to explain that he writes everything he thinks about to her? âI was recalling an old memory that relates to the letter Iâve last receivedâ he chose his words carefully, mc hummed in response. âReally? You guys must know everything about each-other then! I think having a special friend just for me would be niceâ mc had mentioned before how she was inspired by Xavier to aquire a penpal. Xavier has insisted she do, as it can serve as a way to escape their normal lives. When mc and Jeremiah had finally left, Xavier sat in his desk chair for a whileâlooking the letter over. Was it too long? (Name) hadnât ever complained about it before, if anything she wrote even longer ones on occasion. He noticed that if anyone who wasnât himself had read this letter it would look most similar to a love letter.
â..I cannot wait until we get to grow old together- what am I thinking? What if she doesnât see me that way in the slightest?â Xavier whispered to himself, he was mulling over every little sentence. Not a single word he read could be written in a more perfect mannerâhowever the way it was written made everything seem to point to one things.
That he was absolutely infatuated with this girl.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
âDear Xavier,
Iâm absolutely delighted to hear how well your schooling is going, I myself am very nervous for my graduation coming up.
I know we havenât sent letters back and forth as much as we did, however I cannot lie. You plague every moment of my day, itâs not a bad thing of course. I simply wish we had an easier way to communicate, though that would defeat the purpose of being penpals at that point. This weekend I went to the movies with Amy and Duncan again to see this horror movie. Amy and I both dressed as the main characters and got tons of compliments on our outfits, then when Duncan showed up he had dressed as the killer in the movie! We had tons of people taking photos with us after the movie it was so much fun! The movie was called âmidnight massacreâ or something like that, you should watch it! Itâs pretty good for being a indie horror film. We all took a photo together with Duncanâs digital camera and got it printed out for our shared picture album. I had a few extra pictures left over so I thought youâd like to keep some! Iâm the one dressed in the grey shorts, boots, and brown jacket! Amy is dressed in the cute babydoll shirt and jeans, I can assume youâd be able to guess Duncan since he was wearing the killers mask! It was so much fun, I canât wait for Halloween to roll around again so we can go in matching costumes to the yearly Halloween party at the park in my neighborhood! I think youâd get such a kick out of it! Do you celebrate Halloween? Itâs one of my favorite holidays! So much candy and dressing up, plus the weather cooling off, then the pumpkin everything? Best season ever? its autumn! The checkpoint between summer and winter!
âŠâ
The letter went on to ask Xavier how he was doing then answering all the questions he asked in his last letter. He looked at the photos in the envelope, three photos. One was of her and Amy, the other two were almost the same but one was in characterâAmy false screaming and (name) holding a flashlight at the killer(Duncan). The other was all of them smiling, Xavier felt a smile pull at his own lips. Thatâs what you look like? Youâre beautiful, at least in his opinion you are. He sat there for hours looking at you. It became a bit worrying when he realized he was just sitting there. He was confused, unable to conjure up any actual thoughts after seeing her. Would she think heâs cute? Attractive? Was he her type? Thousands of thoughts about the âwhat ifsâ swirled around his head, even throughout his dreams.
The next morningâluckily a weekendâwas filled with him looking for a photo of him, mc and Jeremiah. As well as him writing the letter he wanted to send, he scrapped so many letters all because he didnât believe they did his thoughts justice. He couldnât find words to put on paper to explain his thoughts, had seeing her really made him loose a few brain cells? âXavier?â His motherâs voice brought him back to earth. Xavier looked up from his desk to see her standing there with a small plate with breakfast on it. âAre you writing to (name)?â she walked forward, sitting the plate down lightly on the clear side of his desk. Xavier nodded âIâm not sure what to write, itâs like I loose my train of thought when I go to write.â He explains, his mother humsâthinking. After a passing moment she offers âwhy donât you just respond to some things she said in her last letter? Then tell her about your week?â Xavier mulled it over, he nodded lightly âI guess that would be good.. thanks momâ Xavierâs mom smiled softly, fixing his bed head lightly before she left his room. Xavier turned back to look at his desk, pushing the paper to the side he started to eat his breakfast while deep in thought. He could do what his mom suggested, he just hoped he could find more to say as well.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Soon highschool was coming to an end, Xavier just hoped that after university he could finally take a trip to see (name). The two had sent letters back and forth the last few months that were about either he or her coming to visit. He thought about it, heâd rather go to America to spend some time with her than to have her come here.
As of this moment, Xavier was walking through the mall with mc and Jeremiahâthat was when he saw something that piqued his interest. He strayed from his friends, walking off in the store to a section that was dedicated to small animal themed keychains. When was the last time he sent her a gift? Surely itâs been awhile. While browsing the available keychains, he came across one that was very cute. A rabbit sleeping in a crescent moon, a little carrot in its lap. He felt a smile pull at his lips as he flipped it over in his palmâthinking if he should purchase it or not.
âIs it for your girlfriend?â An older feminine voice asked from beside him. Xavier looked to the older woman, slightly surprisedâhe hadnât seen her when he walked over. Xavier nodded slowly a small blush creeping up his cheeks and onto his ears. âSheâs not my girlfriend yet..â the older woman gave a small chuckle, she picked another keychain upâit was a matching to the one he held in his hands. âIf you get that one, you should have the matching one.. it might come in handy to the two of you if your to lose one another in a crowd.â She placed it in Xavierâs palm, it was a rabbit, white and a light crĂšme colorâit sat upon a star, it seemed the keychains perfectly fit together. Xavier looked to the old woman only to see she was gone, âweird.. I guess it wouldnât be a bad purchaseâ he mumbled to himself before finding his friends again.
Would (name) like this one? It wasnât the same as the ones she collected. Though he couldnât help but smile at the thought of her having it on her bag, would she think of him everytime she saw it? His mind wandered, he turned the corner into the isle he assumed he had seen his friends walk into to see a sight that left his albeit speechless. In front of him âjust a few feet awayâ his two friends were kissing. They both jumped, looking at Xavier with shock while blabbering on about how it was a misunderstanding. Xavier watched them both with wide eyes before he felt a chuckle escape his throatâonly for it to form into a heavy laugh. âOh- oh man this is priceless! I knew the two of you had something going on!â Xavier heaved. Both mc and Jeremiah looked at him in shock, both unable to process their usually calm and collected friend laughing his ass off at them. He knew? Of course he knew. Xavier had caught them weeks prior, he simply just hadnât said anythingâwanting his friends to tell him in confidence. Though he had to admit this was much funnier. âYou- you knew!?â Mc half shouted, Xavier nodded in response still catching his breath from laughing so hard. âOf course I did, the two of you arenât hiding it very well. Especially with all those little touches? It was almost, unbearable to be aroundâ mc huffed with a false annoyance, Jeremiah had a sheepish smile.
After a passing moment, the three were off on their way back to Xavierâs house, planning on studying for the rest of the day. Though the entire time Xavier couldnât help but feel hopeless. His best friends are together, yet he still yearns for a girl who heâs never even met before. Is he going to ever have a happy ending with her? Or will he ultimately have to move on? Heâs left tossing and turning this night because of the unanswered questions he has plaguing his mind.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
It was closer to Valentineâs Day now, Xavier was miserable. Everyday he would see happy couples while he was out. Looking at matching keychains, matching clothes for couples, anything and everything. Even his favorite cafe he frequents had been overran with couples every time he goes. Xavier had been left to his thoughts of what would being on a date with (name) be like? Would she be flirty or shy? Sweet or sour? What kind of dates would she want to go on with him? Would she like him that way? His mind was in ruins over this girl.
âHey xavi! Suprised to see you here!â Xavier is brought out of his own thoughts by Jeremiahâs voice. âYeah.. I guess, are you two on a date?â Xavier asked, he had noticed mc was standing next to Jeremiah with a happy expression. âYeah! But we noticed you sitting alone so.. we thought youâd like some company!â Mc smiled. Xavier motioned for them to sit.
The entire time, Xavier couldnât help but imagine what itâd be like if (name) was here as well, would she crack jokes? â-Xavier..Xavier!â Jeremiah broke him from his thoughts. âDude youâve been a lot spacier lately, are you good?â The worried expression on their faces made Xavier let out a heavy sigh. âIâm fine,âŠjust.. thinkingâ mc furrowed her brows at that, âitâs about (name) again isnât it? Has she sent you a letter yet since the last one?â She hadnât, but Xavier just kept coming up with excuses for it. Maybe she was busy, or itâs just taking a long time through the mailâhe was making any excuse to not say she had finally gotten tired of him.
âXavier.. maybe you should move on? Itâs been years and youâre still pinning over this girl. you guys havenât even had a phone callâŠâ mc had a softer tone with her wordsâas if she knew they would hurt him. Xavier just looked at the table, biting the inside of his cheekâthinking. âSheâs not like that, thereâs got to be something going onâ he sighed. He refuses to believe she just decided to never send another letterâit couldnât be.
The rest of the lunch had turned a bit sour, Xavier ended up leaving early to go home. Though his mind kept going back to what mc had saidâthat he needed to move on. He had been pinning over (name) for years, before he even realized how he felt. The fact that she was apart of everything he did despite not physically being here speaks levels. He just cannot think of moving on, itâs been years, heâs practically grown up with (name)âdespite the distance.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
âOh, sweetheart one of (names) letters came through! The postman said it took awhile in the mail because of bad weather!â Xavier felt his heart skip a beat, he knew he shouldnât give up on it, he couldnât bear the thought of it. Quickly, he rushed to go retrieve the letter from his motherâexcited to read what she had sent to him.
Upon entering his room he saw three envelopes, all addressed to himâdifferent dates on each. He picked the eldest letter up first, seeing the edges wrinkledâhe furrowed his brows whilst taking a seat in his chair.
âDear Xavier.
Your last letter was short, are you doing alright? Has school been stressful? I donât mean to be needy or overly worried, I simply worry for you.
To answer your one question, yes I do love the matching keychain you sent to me last. I have it on my bag, many of my friends ask about it. Iâm happy to say that I tell them itâs from my best friend, and that weâre matching!
To tell you about my week so far, itâs been rough, all the testingârunning around to finish last minute tasks. I was so busy I almost forgot to finish writing to you. However I am glad to say I did not forget, I finally took a moment to take a breath and write to youâŠ.â
Her next letters went on to tell him about some other things happening, she had said that she was waiting for him to respond to her last one. Howeverâshe stressed to him in said letters that she was getting worried if her letters were being sent or not. Xavier felt his heart start to race, reading the last letter where she had wished him a happy Valentineâs Day. She had spoken about how sheâs jealous of all the happy couples, but that sheâs âwaitingâ for the right person. She said â..Iâm sure Iâve met the right one, Iâm just waiting for him to make a moveâ he was hoping she meant him. Oh how he felt the delusion kick in, wishing with all his heart while he wrote a letter back to herâthat the man she had been talking about was him.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
âTo my dearest Xavier,
I wonât send this letter to you until I feel the time is right, however I need to tell you the truth.
I am in love with you, and have been for years. Every letter you send, every gift I receive from youâit furthers my absolute adoration for you. I feel as though Iâm healing a part of my heart I hadnât known was broken when I write to you, and when I read your letters.
Maybe Iâm crazy, Iâm sure you couldnât feel the same.. but I have to tell you the truth. You make my days better without being in them, simply thinking about you makes my heart race and my cheeks turn rose. I did not think it possible to be so infatuated with someone so far away, someone out of reach..
I love you Xavier..â
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Authors note; hey guys. So itâs 2026 ;-;, I got busy with work and getting into nursing school! Iâll finish the rest of this story slowly, but I hope you like this very very late chapter! I hope you guys canât tell where I stopped and picked up, because Iâll be honest I kind of forgot the plot but itâs okay I reread it ALL and remember now. Anywhoooo- peace out âïž Iâll be back in a week (hopefully)
This has no tags, however if your stalking my page or waiting for an update on from heart to ink as well as a second part to hot chocolate, theyâre coming I promise. I was kidnapped by the art gods and theyâve forced me to become a prophet of artistic nature. New parts should be updated today!
Summary; Even after that tragedy, he saw her likeness within anything his eyes met. Her smile, her voice, her touch, all of it brought him to ruin. He craved her very being, as if it was the very fruit his existence thrived off.
Alt sum/warnings; After your death, Xavier finds himself seeing you amongst the walls of the palace, however he finds that youâre not just his imagination./ghost!queen!reader, king!xavier, mentions of ghosts, lots of angst and mental turmoil on Xavierâs part.
Pairings; king!xavier x ghost!queen!reader.
Note; this is a long oneshot inspired by the new myth coming out for Xavie đ« Iâm obsessed guys, heâs my main ilh so muchhh đđ this is super angsty, and theres like absolutely no comfort, unless you squint really hard at the end? Itâs like kind of comfort idk you gotta read to find out. -đŠ
It was lonely sitting in the dining hall, no one aside from the few maids and guards at either entrance. What once was a room thatâd been filled with laughter of two individuals âwho may have very well shared a soulâ was missing. A king sat at one end of the table, solemnly looking at the food presented to him. It was a dish he never particularly enjoyed, however his beloved had taken quite the liking to it. His eyes didnât lift from the plate, his hands shook lightly when he held his fork. So lost in the memories of his beloved he hadnât noticed the hot tears that rolled down his cheeks. He swallowed lightly as the fork reached the dish, gathering a bite sized piece of the food. When it finally reached his mouth, he let out a barely audible, shaky sigh. The taste was enough to bring memories tumbling out of the deepest corners of his mind. âThis is so good! Oh the sweet and tender meat along with the greens is like heaven blessed my mouth~â his beloved would have explained between bites that could be pictured as shoveling the food into her mouth. He never did appreciate every little quirk she had, how sheâd fiddle with the hems of her sleeves when nervous or play with her fingers. The sound of a shaky sigh escaped his throat, never once had he found himself so vulnerable. So alone. Yet here he was, a king who rules with an iron fist crying in the dining hall. But not a soul dared to utter a word, for they all knew very well that losing the queen meant losing the king. What would their home come too if he go on like this?
Once he regained his composure to the beat of his ability, he found he was no longer hungry. âYour majesty.. are you sure you are finished eating?â His beloveds personal maid asked. The older woman was a kind soul, never harsh with anyone. Xavier didnât have the courage to look her in the eyes. âYes. I will be heading to my quarters.. do not allow anyone to enter my hall until the morningâ.
As xavier walked down the halls, he found himself standing at the entrance of the palace, where the grand splitting staircase stood. A painted portrait of her hung up, where everyone who entered would see. He had the painting done as a gift to her, as she had claimed sheâd never had a portrait done. Her smile was still as radiant as the last time he saw it, he would have rather had her here next to him than to look at a portrait. He stood there for what felt like minutes but in reality was hours. The moonlight replacing the sunset, placing a softer cooler light against the portrait. âIt is late my dear, shouldnât we be getting to bed now?â Her words echoed in his head. Words she spoke on the occasion that theyâd spend to long on their strolls, or when she would find him in the dead of night wandering the halls. When xavier finally walked away, he felt like he was ripping a piece of his heart out. Not that he had any left after her death. He knew very well that any attempt at sleep would end in a nightmare, or rewatching her untimely death.
Soft touches bring his eyes open, a pair of (e/c) ones looking back into his. He felt fingers caress his cheek, it felt as though even her touch beckoned his very soul into the light. Fingers patting along with the humming that came from her. So soft, like flower petals just after the flower blooms. He could lie here for hours, relishing in her gentle touches and soft voice that brought ease to his bones. âWhat were you dreaming of my love?â Her voice dripping with that adoration she held for him. He simply smiled, reaching his hand up to hold her cheek. He brushed his thumb against the corner of her mouth, then over her Rosie cheek. âI donât recallâŠâ his voice laced with a sleepy tone, his eyes darting around to take in every detail of her. She smiled widely, leaning into his touch with closed eyes. Humming softly âwell I hope it was a good dream.. youâve been napping for awhile now, loveâ he feels her free hand âthe one that had been fiddling with the grass next to herâ run through his hair. He hummed in response, âi could lay here for hours..â his voice was softer than usual. Probably due to the tiredness settling back in. Her eyelashes flutter against his thumb. âWell, the grass here is softer than usual⊠I donât believe Iâd mind sitting a little longerâ she smiled against his palm. He couldnât help the soft sigh that escaped his lips as their eyes connected once again. She went to speak, her mouth opening but nothing came out. Everything fading, she looked worried as she faded.
Xavierâs eyes opened quickly, he didnât know what to look at. He tried to even out his breathing before he decided to sit up, a hand found its way to his chest. His heart was racing, pounding against his chest as if it craved to escape. âMy love.. youâre shakingâ she would have said, waking up just moments after him. If she were here of course. She would hold his head to her chest âcaress his hairâ telling him innocent nothings amongst how it was simply a dream heâd endured. His eyes slowly pull up to look at her side of the bed, empty is what it was. Nothing but space now that she was gone. Xavier couldnât help the sob that escaped from the deepest parts of him. He held his face in his hands, finally allowing himself to sob uncontrollably. He should have known sooner, he could have hired the very best doctors in all of the regions. Gotten every specialist to treat her if sheâd just said something. Except, she had claimed it was a common cold, that it would come and go with the season. Why hadnât he noticed how she became so frail? So weak and sick looking? How could he turn a blind eye simply because she claimed she was fine? Had she known? known that she was dying? Thoughts that were more so questions race through his head. A turmoil of emotions brewing within his head.
âLove?â A voice says softly, Xavier pauses, his eyes widen as he looks the direction of her voice. There in front of the clear window stood a silhouette of his beloved. She took a step forward, or rather she floated towards him slightly. He couldnât move from the pure shock he was in. âMy Love? Why are you crying?â Her voice echoed softly. Xavier took a shaky breath in, his eyes flickering around to take her appearance in fully. She was pale, almost translucent against the moonlight. âYou.. your not-â Xavier felt another sob breath free, he shook his head covering his face he spoke between sobs. âYouâre gone- dead- youâre just a mirageâ he couldnât believe what his mind had done. How had his mind twisted to make him picture her standing here as a ghost? Was it his guilt haunting him for being too late to save her? âOh love.. let me see..â he felt fingers touch the area of his cheek exposed and the back of his wrist. He flinched from the coldness of the touch, however he came to slowly look up. She held a soft distant look in her eyes, she had that same kind smile she always wore. He felt her hands wipe the tears away, her eyes seemed heavy with emotion. âMy love.. I hate to see you cry.. it feels like a crime against the stars for you to be like this..â Xavierâs breath was uneven, one of his hands shakily reached up to feel her arm. When his fingers made contact âshe was freezingâ it felt as if his hand could go straight through her. He couldnât believe his eyes, surely this was another nightmare. She leaned into the touch, then she sat down in front of him, pulling him to lay his head down in her lap. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes, crying so much had worn him down. âI never wanted to see you like this my love.. you know why I didnât say anything..â she started, he listened carefully, maybe this wasnât a nightmare after-all. Maybe it was his mind trying to find comfort amongst the grief. âI didnât want you to worry.. you had enough on your plate already.. but I carry the guilt that I left you far too soon.â Her fingers ran down the bridge of his nose. He spoke with a broken voice âyou werenât supposed to go before me..â he watched her face twist into a saddened expression. She cupped his cheek with one hand, the other played with his hair. âI know.. just know that I will love you.. even in death. That I will be waiting for you at the end. You should live a long healthy life before coming to me okay?â She leaned down, kissing the corner of his mouth. âYou shouldnât allow my death to ruin all we had worked for, okay?â Xavier nodded lightly, his own hand reached up to caress her cheek. They both sat like that for a while longer, Xavier didnât want this moment to end.. however deep down in his heart he knew that she had to go. That she was truly gone.
After that night, Xavier would catch glimpses of her within the edges of his vision. He believed heâd finally started going insane from grief. He would see her walking around out of the corner of his eye, only to turn to see she wasnât there. Ever since that night it felt like his mind was betraying him every waking second of his miserable life. âSire, should we reschedule the meeting with the duke?â A member of the court says with a hint of worry. Xavier takes a moment, finally after trying time and time again he locked his eyes onto her. She moved eerily swift, looking at the fabric banners on the walls. âYes. I believe Iâm still feeling under the weather. You are all dismissed.â He says not sparing a glance to them. His eyes glued to how her mildly translucent fingers danced across the fabrics, bringing it to look as if a breeze had settled in the room. Once the members of the court had gone. Xavier stood up slowly, âmy beloved? Is that you?â His voice came out as a half whisper. She turned to look to him with a surprised look that softened quickly. A small smile formed upon her lips, âyou can see me, my love?â Her voice echoed eerily. Xavier couldnât help but hold a sadness in his expression âyes.. I can see you. Youâve been wandering lately..â he finds his feet betraying him. He walks closer, only for her to walk towards the sunny spot from the stain glass. The colors danced across her translucent skin delicately, has she always been this beautiful? He couldnât recall a moment heâd noticed the way the shadows fell on her face. He tore himself apart for not taking in every single tiny detail of his beloved before she passed. She spoke once more âher voice was softer this timeâ it sounded as if she was really here. âI miss the sunshine.. sitting in the garden with your head in my lap had always been my favorite parts of our daysâŠâ Xavier could recall those moments. Moments where he would sleep soundly for hours while her fingers danced across his skin. The sunshine acting as a warm blanket, wrapping both he and his beloved in the warmth of love. His favorite part of those moments would be when you would softly hum melodies he would have heard her play earlier in the day. She always did have a knack for playing the piano. âI remember.. I enjoyed when you would hum softly while playing with my hair.â She was looking at him now, she had a sad look on her face despite the small smile present. âI quite enjoyed how youâd smile when I would hum.. I donât believe Iâve seen you smile for a while now, my love.â Xavier knew she was right, he hadnât been able to smile since sheâd gone. He just couldnât find it in him, not even a smirk would grace his face now.
âYouâve gotten paler.. why donât you take a trip to the garden, love? It would be good for you..â her concern was clear as day, Xavier would have denied the suggestion.. however he wondered if the sunlight would warm his skin the same as it had when she was here. Would he feel the warmth of love envelop him? Or would it feel like a lifeless shell of what once was? âI donât remember the last time Iâd been in the garden. It may not be the same as you last seen.â He says with a tone that could only be described as hesitant. He watched as her head turned to the side, like she was confused. She gave him a tiny giggle before she responded âmy love, the gardeners tend to the garden daily. It should very well be the same as you last saw unless it be a different season.â Thatâs right, the gardeners did tend to the gardens daily. Xavier had almost forgotten that life still moved on after she died, that things were still in motion. Heâd forgotten that despite the grief he was feelingsâhe had a kingdom to run. âI suppose I wouldnât oppose a trip to the garden..â. She clasped her hands together with a happy sigh, âsee! Itâs not a bad idea after-all is it, my love? Iâm sure the sun feels just divine today~â Xavier watched the soft colored hues of light dance across her skin as she moved, he felt a smile pull at his lips. It felt foreign, to smile. He watched as she smiled softly, letting a small sigh escape her lips. âYou have such a wonderful smile my love, i wish youâd smile more..â her voice held a certain guilt to it, mixed with clear sadness. Xavier shook his head lightly âIâll remember to smile more if that eases your worry..â
Xavier had finally lost it, he had been seeing hallucinations of his beloved for months now. Only rarely could he interact or speak with her. The way she would disappear just before he could get close enough. He simply longed to hold her, to speak with her, hear her voice and feel her touch once more.
He was sleeping less than peacefully when he shot up in a cold sweat. Droplets of sweat running down his forehead and neck. A nightmare of holding his beloved in his arms, body lifeless and eyes lightless. His hands burned, he wanted to rip them off. He prayed that if he were to be reincarnated, she wonât die in his arms again. Xavier got out of bed, wrapping his robe around himself with uneven breathing. He didnât know what to think, all he knew was he needed to take a walk. Even if it was midnight, a walk would serve him well. Grief, it was the worst curse known to man. It could ruin even the strongest souls, crack the toughest walls of the mind. He hadnât known himself to be capable of such emotions until heâd met her. He thought back on that day while walking down the halls aimlessly.
It was the middle of spring, a season Xavier wasnât particularly fond of. He had never thought to hard about what seasons he preferred. Though heâd be a liar if he were to say the flowers that bloomed werenât breathtaking. It was a warm day with a cool breeze, any other day he wouldnât have noticed it. However today was not like any other day, for in the garden of his home sat a girl. A princess, sitting in the grass of the garden of his home. A palace that had been like a prison since he could remember. Had his parents finally lost their minds? He was not interested in marriage, nor any relations to other people. Though, he couldnât help but wonder why she was sitting in the grass. Shouldnât a princess be sitting at the tea tables rather than in the grass?
âStaring wonât get you anywhere your highnessâ her words were soft, like a freshly woven blanket. She didnât open her eyes once, rather she laid back into the grass. Allowing the sun to shine on her, she was practically glowing. Xavier felt himself at a loss for words, did all princesses act like this or was she different? âYou donât seem to care for the ladylike manners most princesses abide by⊠do you?â Xavier asked, he stayed firmly stood a few feet away from her. She simply sighed, âi simply donât care what others think, I enjoy everything to the fullest. The grass here is truly so soft, isnât it?â He was silent, heâd never touched the grass in the garden. He watched as her hands ran through the grass, he wonders, how would her hands feel running through his hair? What an odd thought, he hadnât ever thought of things like that before. âIâm not sure, Iâve never taken the time to find out.â The princessâs eyes open quickly, she looks at him with a slightly surprised look. âReally? Well thereâs more room here. Donât be shy now arenât you supposed to be this cold prince?â So she had heard of his reputation for being particularly cold to others. He shook his head lightly in disbelief, not just in the situation at hand but the fact that he was walking over to take a seat next to her.
âSee? The grass is soft! The sun is like a nice warm blanket and the grass is like a soft bed~ my I could lie here for hours, couldnât you?â She left out a sigh, it seems she was quite relaxed. At least Compared to Xavier that is, he was sitting there like stone. Millions of thoughts running through his head, why had he decided to sit so close to her? âI suppose it is..â his voice was a low mumble, she turned her head to look at him, a soft smile on her lips. She motioned her head to usher him into lying down just as she was doing. Xavier hesitated but lied back with a small gulp, however he found she hadnât been bluffing. It was indeed comfortable, he could lie here for hours now that he thought about it.
After that day Xavier had gone to the garden religiously, waiting for the princess to come and lay in the grass with him. Itâd become routine, then as time went on their relationship thickened. Soon enough theyâd gotten married, he could still remember how she looked in that wedding dress. Xavier was now standing at the garden, it was cooler out. The autumn air was filled with the soft scents of browning leaves. The once green grass now covered in brown leaves, he wondered if the grass was still as soft as when she was here. He wondered if the garden really hadnât changed, that the ghost of his beloved was telling the truth. It was inevitable in his head, him walking towards the patch of grass he had lied in so often with his beloved. Upon lying down in the grass he looked up at the moon that shone brighter than usual. He couldnât remember the last time he had taken the time to look at the moon, or the night sky. âMy love?â Her voice echoed once again, he turned his head in the direction of it. She sat in the grass next to him, leaning back on one hand while the other was gently placed in her lap. Xavier smiled solemnly, she looked absolutely divine compared to the last few days. Perhaps it was the moonlight. She brought the hand from her lap to caress his cheek, a sad look on her face. âI think itâs time for you to go now.. Iâll be okay.. I promise, my belovedâ Xavierâs voice shook, he knew she was hurting still being here. Even if she wasnât alive, she was causing him harm by lurking, not giving him time to properly grieve. As much as it hurt to admit, he knew it was time for her to move on. She nodded lightly, âI was just.. worried. I didnât want you to feel alone.. I wanted to hold onâ Xavier sat up, he held her at tightly as he could without his hands going through her. After a moment passed, Xavier looked at his hands. No longer was his beloved wife, his queen, in his arms. Instead her wedding ring sat softly in the middle of his hands. She truly was his other half, his soulmate. âWhen the day comes, I pray weâre given more time together..â
It was as if there hadnât been another in the first place âthe king sat in the garden alone againâ sitting alone just as he once did in his youth. The cool autumn wind ruffling his hair, the moons light cooling his skin. Where once love had been found, itâs now absent. However, just because it was absent did not mean it hadnât existed. The love had been real despite being invisible to others. So now, he lay looking at the night sky, a soft feeling washing over his body. Even if his beloved was gone now, he knew that one day, their paths would cross again.
He knew deep down that his queen would come back to him, whether it be in another live hundreds of years later. She would be back, and he would love her all the same.
So howâd yall like this one? This is probably not gonna get a part 2 because 1 how would that even work and 2 this took me about a whole night to finish writing. Iâm still working on the next part to âfrom heart to inkâ and a part to âhot chocolateâ. I wanted to take a small break from writing but I gotta write, THE VOICES- THEYRE TELLING ME TO WRITE MORE -đŠ
A piano softly sings out against the quiet walls of a lonely palace. Fingers softly tapping the keys to a soft melody, one that held emotions no one could understand. A longing for something more, a desire to feel something more than the loneliness that clings to the skin. Your fingers dance across the piano keys softly, while you hum along to the melody you made. You spent your days often within this room, not a suitor in sight. All due to the fact you had a curse, one that made you âunsightlyâ âdisfiguredâ. A pair of elongated ears, how foolish those men are. Your ears are the least interesting thing that graces your very being. For instance, youâre playing the piano at this very moment. Classically trained, not to mention the fact that you are the princess of this kingdom. Who didnât want to marry a princess? Well apparently everyone the king and queen, your parents, had summoned.
âMadam? It is about tea time, shall I bring it to this room?â Your maid says peaking into the room. You stop playing the piano abruptly, quiet for a moment. âI would like to have tea in the garden Evelyn. Fresh air should do me some goodâ Evelyn smiled softly, the old womanâs smile lines prominent. She has been your maid since you could remember. Always there to comfort you when your mother and father were gone. She was quite a wonderful woman, someone you held in high regard compared to others. She had taught you to be the woman you are today. âIâll go gather the other maids, weâll have your tea ready very soon! Shall I send another maid to accompany you down to the garden madam?â You thought for a moment, as you stood âno need, I shall enjoy the time alone on my walk. However i would enjoy some grapes with my tea, Evelyn.â The older woman nodded, her smile never faltering âI see, I shall make sure you have your grapes madamâ. Once Evelyn had left, you looked to the piano you stood away from, just for a moment. This room was where Evelyn would teach you, how you miss the days when it was simply you and Evelyn. Little you had not a single care in the world, nor any responsibilities. You fixed your dress a small bit, adjusting it to be comfortable before you walked to the garden. You are quite excited to enjoy some grapes and tea while in the spring sunlight.
Your walk to the garden was filled with comfortable silence, you had passed the meeting hall, peaking in to see your mother and father. They spoke to who seemed to be other royalty from neighboring kingdoms. You hadnât bothered to interrupt, you didnât want to make the guest uncomfortable. When you finally did reach the garden, Evelyn was already there, setting the teaser up at the table near your favorite flowers. âAh youâre here now! I have your grapes, I believe theyâre Concord grapes this timeâ Evelyn explained while you took a tea. She poured your tea as you took a grape, popping it into your mouth it was sweet and crunchy. You hummed with content, âtheyâre quite delicious Evelyn, thank you for bringing me these!â
Your tea in the garden was going nicely, a soft breeze ruffling the leaves of the flowers. Sipping your floral tea, the sound of the guards at the entrance of the garden peaked your interest. âSir you cannot enter the garden while the princess is-â âI was sent by the king and queen. I will enter.â The manâs voice responded. You didnât bother to turn your head in the direction of them. You knew it was another suitor who would immediately turn the other way once he sees your ears. However you were suprised to hear Evelynâs voice. âOh- sir do you need a seat? Iâll fetch a chair!â You looked away from the flowers to see a man standing there, a prince to be exact. His clothing fitted, hair neatly done as a small crown dawns his head. He didnât have a look of shock, nor surprise, he simply looked at you with a look of adoration. Your brows furrowed âmay I help you?â You half muttered. He smiled softly âI would like to court you, princess (name).â
Shock filled your bones, your cheeks heated up, this prince wanted to court you? You never had any real romance aside from the books Evelyn would sneak you. At a loss for words the prince gave a small chuckle, âyou seem to be at a loss for words, is it too warm out? We could speak inside if youâd preferâ you could see he was teasing you, he sat down next to you once Evelyn brought the chair. You huffed âit is not too warm, I simply didnât expect company todayâŠâ your eyes flicked away from him as your mind raced. Could he be simply teasing? Surely he couldnât be serious- you felt something cool touch the tip of one of your elongated ears. You flinched away, looking in his direction with wide eyes. He flinch back, his own face shocked. âTheyâre real?â He mumbled, you furrowed your brows, âof course theyâre real.. I know theyâre unsightly-â â-theyâre beautifulâ he interrupted you. You could hear Evelynâs small gasp, despite the fact she tried to hide it with a small cough. The princeâs eyes flicked around as he studied at you. It seemed he didnât show any signs of disgust or discomfort. You couldnât held the worried look on your face as you felt unsure how to proceed. âThank you.. I donât believe anyone has ever said that before..â you responded. His eyes finally met yours, filled with an emotion you couldnât place. âWell I hope to say it more often as it is the truth. Again, would you allow me to court you?â
You were silent for a moment, the eye contact you both held was something you had only read about. The feelings you felt bubbled as you looked for words. You swallowed lightly, the pink blush creeping on your cheeks clearly apparent. âI wouldnât mind.. if you courted me..â you felt shy, unsure how to process this moment. However all you knew was the look in his eyes could be described as that of a child looking at the stars for the first time.
ê§ àŒșâ àŒ» ê§
This was written on a whim while I was taking a small break from what I was doing earlier. I thought it was cute so I decided to post it, Iâm working on the third part to from ink to heart(Xavier), as well as a follow up part to hot chocolate(zayne), I used this as a practice for tone? And other things, Iâm trying to get the hang of writing good scenes and not rushing things. Any tips are also welcomed from fellow writers :> -đŠ
Short Summary; you confessed to your best friend/penpal right before heâs supposed to come to America to spend a week with you and your family, it seems he drops on the face of the earth?
Pairings; lads Xavier x non-mc!reader
Note; so I just wanted to add to say thanks for all the support! Iâm glad people enjoy my writing. These first new parts are going to be semi-short blurbs of memory, sort of building up to longer passages. Some might have little to no mentions of Xavier, while others are purely you writing to Xavier. And Xavier writing to you. Maybe a few mights even sort of be Xavierâs side of things? But theyâll slowly get longer and longer. Also your friends names are Amy and Duncan (couldnât think of any good names) -đŠ
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Just cornering your fifteenth birthday, you had sent Xavier a letter telling him how excited you were to be turning fifteen. You hadnât heard from him yet
âhoping youâd at least hear from him on your birthdayâ but you know people get busy. However the excitement for your birthday outshined any worries and anxieties you had about Xavier.
You were beyond excited since your mother and father had decided theyâd take you to the mall with your friends. You were getting boba at the food court with your friends when you heard one of them ask. âSo whatâs new with your penpal (name)? You havenât told us about any new letters!â You were hesitant, your fingers running against the hem of Xavierâs cardigan you wore. âNothing particularly interesting! We just talked about how the four year mark of us being penpals was coming up and my birthday!â You kept it vague, it seemed to satiate Amyâs curiosity. However Duncan asked a question that made your face flush. âDid you tell him about the massive crush you have on him yet?.. now that I think about it do you even know what the guy looks like? What if heâs like super ugly or something?â Duncan snickered afterwards at the thought, Amy punching his shoulder. âWell even if he is, itâs her business if she still likes him or not Duncanâ she rolled her eyes at him. You chuckled lightly to yourself. The two were your only real irl friends, and them actually liking you was more than enough.
âBrown sugar boba for (name)?â The worker called out however when you turned to grab it you bumped into the person next to you. âAh sorry! I didnât see you there!â You apologized quickly before you got your boba. You shook the boba tea before putting the straw in so the brown sugar syrup at the bottom would mix in. Then you put the straw in and took a sip, it was like heaven was blessing your tongue. â(Name)! We should go to the hot topic! I heard thereâs a new sale for the- ah excuse us!- thereâs a new sale on the teeshirts!â Amy and Duncan walked over past the person youâd bumped into just moments before. Amy grabbed your arm pulling you along. You made eye contact with a pair of blue eyes as you were pulled in the direction of the hot topic. Weird, you felt a sense of familiarity in them.
âSo anyways you said earlier that Xavier sent you this cardigan? Itâs really cute!â Amy spoke as you walked away. Nodding âyeah! I had said something about now having tons of comfy sweaters and stuff and he sent me this one. Itâs so soft! Itâs like being wrapped in a nice soft cloudâ you hummed. Duncan groaned loudly âgod you two and talking about Xavier, I swear Iâm gonna get a brain aneurysm just hearing another sentence about itâ it was funny how different any and Duncan were, but they somehow took your mind off the pair of blue eyes youâd seen just moments before. âoh! I saw somewhere that hot topics now carrying these cute blind bags! We should get some! Theyâre like these keychains, (name)!!â Amy changed the subject. How could you say no to matching blind bag keychains?
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Your birthday came and left quickly, you had spent so much time with Amy and Duncan that by the end of the weekend you were exhausted. The summer only just started but you could swear Mondayâs felt just the same as when you were in school. You hadnât even had time to check what had come in the mail for you. A mixture of gifts from relatives and family, even things your parents had ordered for you off of a wishlist you made. It wasnât a ton of stuff âyou could thankfully say you werenât overwhelmedâ but it was still more than you were use too. Sitting on your bed you looked at the pile of envelopes. You looked through them in a haste, wanting to see if Xavierâs letter had come in yet. Then you see a beautifully decorated envelope. It was drawn on, a beautiful night sky âwith this pretty silvery liningâ You flipped it over in your hands. A soft smile graced your face as you open it, a long very neatly written letter inside. The paper was even pretty, not the usual notebook paper.
âDear (name).
Iâm not entirely sure how to start this, aside from wishing you a happy fifteenth! Itâs shocking to think weâve been penpals for so long, I didnât expect to find friendship in this seeing as originally it was just something to pass the time. However I have to admit your letters and gifts are now something I look forward to, I find myself waiting for the mail to come just to see if your letters shown up yet. Iâve even found myself making references to you while talking with some of my friends, it was funny I mentioned you to mc again and she didnât seem upset this time. We talked it over and it seems she was just upset because I had kept you a secret from her. Quote âshe seems to be a big part of your life so I was just upset I hadnât know you had a penpalâ, its just funny thinking about how you have such an influence on me for living thousands of miles away.
Iâm currently writing this while stargazing and I have to say, I hope one day I can share a moment like this with you. Itâs calm and quiet out, I often write to you at this spot. I drew what the sky looks like on the envelope so that maybe you can see what I see. Anyways, I hope your birthday is, or was, amazing!
Sincerely, Xavier
Ps. I sent you another gift! I hope you like it!â
You felt tears weld up in your eyes- you couldnât help it while reading the letterâ you rubbed your eyes and sniffled. âStupid Xavier.. why does he have to be so niceâŠâ you mumbled. Then you realized there was a small box next to the others sent by your family that looked similar to the card. It had a prettyâbut faded from the travelâdrawing on the side of a crescent moon and stars. When you held it in your hands it wasnât super light nor heavy. As you open it, you see light blue, dark blue, and baby blue tissue paper within. Carefully you took the tissue paper out to see multiple items. Something that was a little darker, fabric like. Something that resembled a stuffed animals of sorts under the cloth, and a few small charms scattered inside. The first thing you pulled out ended up being a teeshirt, it had a small space ship embroidered on the top left corner, then a printed spaceship on the back. It was cute and you instantly knew it mustâve been Xavierâs from the looks of it. You sat it down in your lap, you then pulled out a cute stuffed rabbit. It had a little carrot in its hands and little button eyes, It looked hand made.
There were a few charms inside that you made a mental note to put on your bag. However the last thing inside was a little box, and a note taped to the bottom of it.
âI spent my allowance on this, I saw them and saved up since I remember you saying you didnât have any cute dainty ones. Donât ask how much they were, I just want you to be happy!â
You cocked a brow at the note, what could Xavier be talking about? You opened the little box to see a pair of the cutest silver crescent moon earrings that had tiny little chain stars hanging down. You gasped at them, they were so pretty and you felt your cheeks heat up violently. âDamnit Xavier you gotta stop with these giftsâŠâ you thought to yourself. It was almost too much, you didnât know what to think or feel. Your penpal was sending you gifts that felt so personal, like he was in love with you or something. He canât be in love with you though, he didnât even know you. You convinced yourself he couldnât like you how you liked him, it just wasnât possible.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Xavier was sitting at the cafe table with mc and Jeremiah. He was spacing out, wondering if (name) had gotten his gift or not. âWeâve got a couple more days here, do you want to go so anything today Xavier?â Mc inquired before taking a sip of her latte. Xavier broke from his spacing to respond âI remember seeing a mall not too far from here, maybe we can check out the stores?â
Xavier already felt his patience wearing thin, mc and Jeremiah had convinced him to go on a trip to the us for the summer program they were doing. He couldnât help but think he hadnât written to (name) to tell her he might not respond for a while. Now, he was waiting online at a boba stand in the mall while mc and Jeremiah both were bickering back and forth.
He felt his thoughts wander, wondering what (name) could be up too, if she was enjoying her birthday. He was spaced out when he felt someone bump into him. He wasnât worried since it felt like a tap if anything. âAh- Iâm so sorry! I didnât see you there!â The girl spoke nervously, she had pretty (e/c) eyes. Before he could respond she walked to the boba worker to claim her drink. He was looking at her cardigan, it looked identical to the one he sent to (name). For a second he had this hopefulness that it was her. Then another person bumped into him. âAh- excuse us!-â a girl pulls a guy by the hem of his sleeve. Going up to the girl whoâd bumped into Xavier just moment before. He couldnât hear there conversation over everyone, not understanding theyâre English too well. He made eye contact with her as she walked past, and it seemed she recognized him is some way. However within seconds her friend was pulling her away. â-Xavier!â Jeremiah snaps his fingers at Xavier. The blue eyes boy looking his way quickly. âHuh? Sorry whatâs going on?â Jeremiah sighs at Xavier âwe asked if you wanted the brown sugar or the taro?â Xavier felt himself relax for a moment âIâll take the brown sugar bobaâ
As Xavier stands behind mc and Jeremiah who order the bobas. He finds his mind wandering, what if that was her? But it couldnât be, the chances of that are one in a million. Then his thoughts went back to the worry he felt about not being able to read her letters she sends for the time heâs on this program trip.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
You had been writing to Xavier weekly for about a month, however it seemed either he had forgotten to respond or finally disappeared. Then you got a letter from him just a week before school was supposed to start back up. You were sitting on your bed reading a teen romance novel, when your mom walked in. âYouâve got a letter from Xavier bunbun, how is that book?â She sat the letter down at the edge of your bed. You looked up quickly, trying hard to conceal your excitement as you snatched the letter up. âItâs good!! I got to the part where the lead meets her love interest for the first time!â You beamed, your mother smiled lightly âIâll be sure to give it a read when youâre done with it then. Donât go to bed too late, youâve got to settle back into a school schedule, ninth grades no joke~â. As your mom left you opened the letter quickly, seeing a longer letter this time.
âDear (name)
Iâm sorry for not being able to write for awhile, Iâve read all your letters and I can guarantee Iâve gone through all the emotional stages at this point. I had gone on a summer program trip with my friends mc and Jeremiah for a month. They had signed me up without my knowledge so I got dragged along. I was excited to see you loved the gifts! I was so worried you wouldnât like them!-â
He went on to tell you about the summer program ârespond to the things you asked in your lettersâ and how he had been so worried about you thinking he ghosted you. You felt your heart warm at this, he was always so thoughtful. You werenât quite sure how youâd respond to this long letter but you were sure youâd find a way to respond, as well as thank him. You look at the earrings again, theyâre were just so pretty. You decided to try them on, you were so excited you would wear them all the time now.
You walked to the mirror on your vanity, you took your studs out that your mom had gotten you. Putting the crescents in you felt your cheeks warm. They were so pretty and elegant. They felt like something one of those main characters of a romance novel would wear with a beautiful dress. You sat there admiring them for a while, thinking of Xavier. He was always so kind in his letters, not to mention that he was thoughtful and wonderful to speak too. You hoped that one day âwhen you were olderâ that maybe youâd get to meet him in person. You were worried your feelings would cloud judgement but what teenage girl doesnât have complicated feelings for their best friend? You just hope that maybe there would be a chance for you and Xavier.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
âDear Xavier.
I loved your gifts, the earrings are absolutely beautiful. Iâve been wearing them all the time! Iâve gotten tons of compliments on them, youâve got amazing taste! My mom was confused where I got new earrings from until I explained and then she gave me a weird look. I think itâs because she thinks youâre too kind. I loved the drawing of the night sky, i hung the envelope in a frame on my wall! Itâs just so pretty, you have a hand for drawing! I wish I could really sit there and stargaze with you, we could sit in silence or talk about anything and everything. My birthday was amazing, I got to go out with my two friends! It was so nice, we all got these cute matching keychains! On that note, I love the keychains you sent me!! I put them on my bag almost instantly when I saw them, theyâre just so cute!âŠâ
Xavier was sitting at his desk, smiling at the letter as he read. He had reread it about three times, it was just such a refresher from his daily life. School, friends, his family, even the extracurriculars he was in. At the end of the day he looked forwards to (name)s letters. He couldnât say for certain what they were, however he was positive he had strong feelings for her. Unsure whether theyâre romantic or platonic, he was just infatuated with her. Everyday she was in his head, he would think âoh sheâd like thisâ â(name) would find this funnyâ. It was like he saw her in everything, even mundane things. Xavier looked over at the mp3 player she had sent him, it was charging after he used it almost all day. âI wonder if she would feel the same..â he murmured to himself, biting his thumb as he spaced out. Mind wandering, how would they meet? Would he go to her or would she come to him?He wasnât sure. âXavier!â He heard his motherâs voice call. Heâd have to save his wandering thoughts for another day. However one things stayed on his mind, how did he really feel about you?
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Alrighty, thatâs the end of this part! This is definitely going to be a slow burn and a âthey both think that the other doesnât like them the same way, but theyâre both obliviousâ kind of vibe! I know my writing isnât the very best, but Iâm still learning and growing!! I tend to add details where they should be and move on from one scene to another pretty fast. Which Iâm trying to learn not to do, so I hope despite all of that you guys still enjoy my subpar writing :P -đŠ
Long Summary; You thought for sure that your penpal had either dropped off the face of the earth after you confessed your undying love to him or just decided to stop responding. You waited hours.. then right as you were about to leave.. he still hadnât shown up. So you head home, the rain drenching your clothes.. you were sure he didnât feel the same. Youâd lost your only real friend to stupid feelings- whats that sound?
Pairings; lads Xavier x non-mc!reader
Note; takes place in a irl au, basically heâs from china (where the game is originally made) so I thought that if the reader is from America and Xavier is from china itâd make more sense?? Idk anyways this is on the longer side, multiple parts, and is kind of self indulgent, enjoy!! -đŠ
I kind of experimented with my writing on this one, so if you see things like em dashes, etc etc thatâs why lol. -đŠ
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
You had been in elementary school, you didnât have many friends and often times you sat alone during activities. Your sweet teacher had tried to get you to talk to the other students but you simply didnât want to. Opting to instead color, write, and play with the paper dolls youâd make in art class. Then she had a miraculous idea. Sitting down during recess with you she spoke softly âsweetie, do you like writing?â You nodded with big eyes looking up from your coloring sheet. She smiled softly at you, âwould you like to write to a friend? You can write to them and theyâll write back, itâs called a penpalâ you chewed on the inside of your cheek, thinking. A penpal? You thought for a moment more before you nodded with a smile âyeah!â Your teacher had felt like sheâd finally won. That day she sent you home with a pamphlet with a note for your parents to read through.
You sat at the dinner table eating your macaroni and cheese. Then you remembered the pamphlet. âMama! Can I go grab the packet miss john wanted me to give you?!â You say with way more energy than your parents had ever seen you exert. You mom nodded softly âgo grab it then come back to finish your food bunbunâ you quickly got up and ran to the coffee table in the living room. You grabbed the packet and note paper, rushing back to the dining room where you half slipped on the tile floor. Your mother took the pamphlet while motioning you to sit back down to finish your food. You took bites of food nervously while watching your momâs brows furrow while she read the papers. Then she had a look that screamed âoh okay.. that seems fineâ she looked to your father who was watching her silently. âWhatâs it for?â He asked before taking another bite of food. You chewed on the inside of your cheek, your mother explaining to your father what it was. After she was done speaking, your father looked to you âyou want to write to someone? A kid your age in another country?â You nodded quickly, âyes sir, miss john told me Iâd get to make a friend! And that Iâd uhm.. get to write..â you felt sheepish, your father had that look in his eye. The one that meant he was thinking really hard, he took a sip of his water before speaking âI see no harm in it, so long as my little girl is happyâ you jumped up as fast as your little legs could and hugged your father tightly, then ran to your mother to hug her as well. You were beyond excited to have a new friend.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
The first letter to arrive, arrived on a stormy day. It was summer now, while other kids your age would run around the parks and neighborhoods with their friends. You tagged along with your mom and dad to work, your mother worked as a nurse while your dad was a mechanic. But on days you didnât, you would be spending the day with your dog Jack. Youâd named him after your motherâs favorite character âJackâ off of a movie called midnight. You saw the mailman put the mail into the box and you quickly ran outside, not caring that it was raining. âOh- do you live here lil lady?â The mailman asked softly. You nodded âyes sir! I came to get the mail! Iâll take it!â You say holding your hands out. The man chuckled softly, handing the mail to you. You rushed back inside as fast as your little feet could take you before putting all the mail on the coffee table. You looked through it before you finally found a letter addressed to you.
You opened it gently, the envelope was white with this pretty drawing on the back of the moon and stars. It was most definitely drawn with crayon. You took out the piece of notebook paper and couldnât help the smile your ten year old face held as you read.
âDear penpal.
My name is Xavier Sterling, I am eleven years old. My mom told me that youâre from America, Iâm from china! My favorite food is beef hotpot! My favorite color is yellow! And I take fencing classes! I hope we can be good friends!
Sincerely Xavier Sterlingâ
It was short and sweet. You couldnât help the excitement you had, he even wrote in English? Youâd be sure to ask your mom and dad if you can learn Chinese to better talk to Xavier.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
You had been writing back and forth to Xavier for going on four years now. You were in eighth grade now and getting ready for the bigs tests for this year. The ones that determined if you passed your classes or not. You were studying hard in your room, when your mom walked in letter in hand. âYouâve got another letter from Xavier bunbunâ your mom sat the letter on your desk. Then you noticed she was holding a small box. âWhatâs that mama?â You ask taking the letter and sitting it ontop of your notebook. Your mom smiled softly âyour penpal sent you a gift I think. Remember not to study too hard and to get some rest okay?â She ruffled your hair then kissed the same spot. You groaned as you fixed your hair.
Once your mom had left the room, you quickly opened the letter. Iconically Xavier had done another cute space themed doodle on the back of the envelope. You opened it to see it was almost a two page letter, probably the longest one youâd received from him.
âDear (name)
The last letter you sent was hilarious, your cousin really landed face first into his birthday cake? I wish I could have seen that in person, I assume it would be so much funnier. Iâve been doing pretty good with school this year, I have faith that Iâll pass easy. Iâm not so sure about my friends though, it seems theyâve all forgotten to study. When I study I like to have a paper to doodle on while reading so I can pay attention better! I think you should try it!! Also, happy four year anniversary!!! Or well early four year anniversary! I know itâs not for another two weeks but Iâm happy that weâve been friends this long! I think I still have the first letter you sent in Chinese, I remember how I had to decipher some words like they were gibberish, itâs still so funny thinking about it! I will say your Chinese has definitely improved! I canât wait until I get to hear you speak in person!
One of my friends, mc, found your letters in my room and got really upset. I donât know why, I explained to her that weâve been penpals and best friends for four years now. She just kept saying âsheâs not a real friend thoughâ but that just isnât true. Youâve listened to be talk about some stuff that Iâve never told anyone before. Youâve told me things no one knows either, Iâve been there for all the milestones! Of course not in person but in spirit! I think sheâs just upset that I have other friends besides her. Not sure why sheâd be upset about that, but honestly youâre my favorite. You even hang my letters up on your wall! I have yours on my bookshelf in order from the first to the latest. Anyways, I wish you tons of luck on your exams! I sent you a gift as well, I hope it helps with your studying!!
-sincerely, Xavierâ
You smiled widely at the letter, he was the sweetest guy youâd ever known. You look to the box, you gently folded the letter back upâplacing it into the envelopeâthen putting it off to the side. You took the small box into your hands, when you opened it you found soft yellow and your favorite color tissue paper. âHow cute..â you mumbled, a small blush appearing on your face. You pulled the tissue paper out to find something soft. You pulled it out to find it was a cardigan. Way too big to be one thatâs fit you.. was this Xavierâs? You noticed on the inside of the collar that it had his initials stitched into it. Your face was red hot by now. There were more things inside the box, you pulled them out one by one. First was a note card, then a yellow mp3 playerâwith the chargerâa few Chinese candies, and a really nice mechanical pencil that was paired with a cute eraser and extra led.
You picked the notecard up âyou mentioned you donât have any soft sweaters or cardigans, so I thought youâd like one of mine. I also thought youâd like to listen to something while studying and I thought this mechanical pencil was really cute and something youâd use often!â You couldnât help but smile, your heart beating quickly. You put the cardigan on, it was comfy and a bit oversizedâyou enjoyed the softness regardlessâyou grabbed a pair of earbuds plugging them into the mp3player.
When you turned it on, it already had a playlist titled âplay me :)ââyou clicked on itâ when it started playing you heard Xavierâs voice. âThis is a first recording my voice for anyone.. but I thought youâd like to listen to something nice while studying..â he went on to read one of your favorite stories. He read it in Chinese of course but you couldnât help but swoon. You never felt like this before for anyone.. let alone a boy. You listened to him read for awhileâeventually finding out he had been learning how to play the guitarâ you listened to him sing softly the words to one of your favorite songs âirisâ by the googoos. You couldnât help but kick your feet in excitement. You couldnât wait to write back to him, but first you needed to finish up studying.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
You wrote back to Xavier, as well as making up a small present for him. You remember him mentioning in a letter that he wishes he had a bracelet or something to fiddle with when nervous, and how he wanted to listen to music that you liked. So you took a few hours over your weekendâto break from studyingâso you could make him a bracelet. A cute one that was made from string in your favorite colors. You added a yellow beads to either of the ends that hung down. You then set off to your dadâs computer to download music onto an as card. You had sent him a mp3 player similar to the one heâd sent you awhile back with some songs you loved. You created a playlist of more songs you loved, you even recorded yourself reading one of Xavierâs favorite books.
You were so engrossed with reading aloud you didnât notice that both your mom and dad were watching with big smiles. Snapping a few pictures to keep for themselves of their daughter reading.
After you finished up with everything you sat down to write a little note for him to put in the box.
âDear Xavier
Thank you for the wonderful gifts! The cardigan is super soft and Iâll definitely wear it often, i was surprised to hear your voice! Itâs very nice to listen too, I think your singing is wonderful! I hope you enjoy the music I sent! As well as the other gift!
Sincerely (name)â
You quickly put everything inside the boxâit felt emptyâ you decided you would gift him something else as well. You thought long and hard about it until you remembered he had said he didnât have the cute collectible keychains in his country. They were these cute animal themed keychains that were dressed in fruits. You gave him the cute rabbit themed one, wrapping it in the same tissue paper he sent in his box.
You were sure heâd like the gifts you would send to him, especially since it was almost the four year anniversary of you two becoming penpals! Of course you had friends nowâall of which knew of Xavierâbut non of them compare to him. His letters have this weird calming effect that entice you to reread them when bored, sad, happy, all the time. You carry a little copy of your favorite letter from him. He was talking about the trip he took to the zoo and how the little rabbits at the petting zoo part were his favorite. Youâre friends often asked why you never exchanged phone numbers or some kind of socials, but you just enjoyed writing letters. It was this sort of need to be able to get home, and write a letter to your best friend. Who were they to tell you that you should at least know what he looks like? You were just glad to have a friend you could rely on. Even if it be through words written on paper and little gifts sent back and forth.
âËâĄđȘ¶â .âŠđâčâ Ę. đđ
Thatâs the end of chapter one :P I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it :> Iâll be working on the next chapter.
Side note, the first few chapters will go through pretty slow, theyâll be about the growing bond between reader and Xavier. How their letters evolve from just simple friendly words to deeper meanings, poetry shared and gifts given stuff like that. :P -đŠ
Summary; You have hot chocolate with zayne and find out he infact likes you the same as you like him. Crush on crush type stuff, Iâm bad at summaries take a chance and read it I promise itâs like half okayish.
Pairings; Zayne x Pa!reader (physician assistant)
A/n; This was actually written for my best friend (aka my sister) so I hope she likes it đ€đ€đ€. This is supposed to be fluffy and MIGHT have multiple parts depending on how I go about writing this. Future me will add another note at the end like I usually do! Anyways, enjoy my jellyfishies -đŠ
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Prelude;
Cold was what it was right now- no actually itâs freezing. The cold was nipping at the tip of your nose and cheeks. Bundled up in a thick wool coat, a matching warm scarf that covered the lower half of your face. Youâd been told last night youâd be working with Dr.Zayne. You hadnât actually spoken to the cold looking man before but you had heard wonderful things about his work. Alas, you decided like any other morning youâd get hot chocolate from the cafeteria and wait the thirty minutes you had until youâd clock in.
Two years ago youâd say you had no interest in Zayne, aka your âBossâ. However it seemed you had steady fallen down the rabbit hole. Every morning you both spent it sitting in each others company. Of course having hot chocolate with a cinnamon roll. At first it was filled with silence, you would look out the cafeteria window at the courtyard while Zayne would simply look at his hot chocolate quietly. Then something happened one day, about four weeks into these silent mornings heâd started to ask you questions. They were work related at first, but eventually the two of you had thoughtful conversations. Which would continue after work while you were getting ready to head home. It was something youâd never admit to out loud. It was just weird, you hadnât had a crush like this in years. You were so used to doing your routine that his presence messed it up.. albeit in a good way. Now you sit in Dr. Zaynes office. It was lunch, the two of you had opted for lunch inside unlike how youâd been spending them in the cafeteria.
âSo howâs the patient in room 304? His surgery went well, so Iâd hope his healing process is going just as smooth?â Zayne asked snapping you out of your thoughts. You form a small smile on your face as you recall âMhm, heâs doing very well. His daughters came to visit him. It was quite a sweet moment I caught them havingâ. Soft fluffy moments like that always made your long days feel worth it. âI see, Iâm glad to hear that..â Zayne trailed off, it seemed he was deep in thought. You took a few bites of your salad, it was the last meal you had planned before you would have to go to the grocery store again. âWhatâs on your mind Dr. Zayne?â You say, taking another bite. His eyes looked up lightly before he looked to you. âWould you like to have lunch with me this Sunday?â You almost spit your salad out. It seemed Zayne himself was taken aback by his own words. You covered your mouth quickly, finishing the food in your mouth before you responded. âAhem.. what.. what brought that on? Not that I donât want to I just- itâs odd for you to uhm..â you felt your cheeks dust pink as your eyes dart away from his. âI donât..uhmâŠ. I wouldnât mind..â
The rest of lunch was filled with awkward but welcomed conversations. It seemed zayne had suprised himself quite a bit with that, though you had to admit you undermined what this meant. You convinced yourself throughout the rest of the work day that this was going to simply be a friendly lunch together. He probably just sees you as a friend.. right? Well you believed it. You refused to believe your coworker could see you in a romantic light. No one in the history of forever had ever heard of Dr. Zayne being in a relationship with anyone. Always rejecting people coldly, never making more than just acquaintances.
You were washing your hands off after helping one of the nurses with a patient. Minding your business when a nurse cornered you in a friendly manner. âYouâve got to tell me how you became friends with Dr. Zayne! The whole hospital is whispering about how you got through that coldness and became his friend!â You were drying your hands off and gave her a half turned confused look. âWhat are you talking about? We just work togetherâ you dismissed. The nurse squinted her eyes, crossing her arms âreally? So you donât have breakfast and lunch with him everyday? Or have each otherâs personal numbers?â You were at a loss for words, you werenât a fan of the nurses in this department to begin with so this was just a topping onto the already dressed cake. âLook.. weâve worked with each other the last two years. He and I are going to at least be friendly? Donât dig into this too much because itâs really not that deepâ you scratched the back of your neck hoping your response would satiate the curiosity of this nurse. She squinted at you again before sighing âif you say so.. but everyone can see how you two look at each other. Itâs really easy to see you both like one anotherâ before you could uttering another word the nurse left. You stood there for a moment, what were you to do? Ignore that everyone knew? You were so sure you hid it well, and what does she mean both? Drying off your hands you stew on it longer than you should.
At the end of your shift, youâd realized you had left your lunchbox in zaynes office. As you make your way to his office you realize just how screwed you are. Almost the whole hospital knows about your crush on him? Do they somehow know about lunch this Sunday? You were boiling alive in your own mind when you felt a tap on your shoulder. âHey.. you seem a bit out of it, are you alright miss (name)?â You hear zaynes voice, you couldnât help the soft smile spreading across your lips. âIâm alright, just tired.. gosh I cannot wait to go home and sleepâ you false a yawn, Zayne shakes his head lightly. He mustâve also been heading to his office, âyou left your lunchbox in my office.. I was coming to bring it to you.â He held it up, you hadnât even taken the time to look at his hand that held the lunchbox. You were half suprised he decided to bring it to you. âThanks! I was just coming to grab it, do you uh.. want to text me the plans for this weekend then? Iâll be heading home soon..â you feel sheepish, the more you think about it the more it feels like a date. You cannot help but rewind the conversation you had with that nurse. Him like you? Insane, impossible, just not realistic right? âI see, well Iâm glad I decided to bring it to you. Iâll text you about it after I leave work in about an hour.. you enjoy sweets yes?â You feel your cheeks warm, you nodded âyeah, I like sweets and desserts.. if itâs got sugar Iâm gonna like itâ you leave out a small chuckle, zayne smiling softly. âThatâs great, Iâm sure youâll enjoy our date then-â zayne was interrupted when he was called away over the intercom. You quickly took your lunchbox and parted ways with Zayne who looked genuinely upset your conversation had gotten cut short.
âWait a minute did he say date?â You say out loud to yourself as you stop dead in your tracks.
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Over the weekend you had finally gotten off, you panicked. You and zayne, a date? A date? You couldnât believe that this was happening. You were excited but terrified. You had seen how zayne would reject people, he was less than kind. Not rude of course but not nice either, just cold. You were currently getting ready for your lunch âdateâ with zayne. You had three outfits picked out that all looked similar in style. You settled for a cute dress that stopped at about your ankles, paired with a soft cardigan, some cute flats, and a cute hair clip that matched your soft dress. It was overall a cute soft outfit. Perfect for the cool fall weather where it could be cold one second and warm another. âDoes this look okay?â You mumbled to yourself, you looked at yourself in the mirror a little longer. Youâd put on the smallest amount of makeup, unlike at work. You hoped Zayne wouldnât mind, you werenât sure of his preference. Not that you cared, you could do what you wanted to. However the thought of him liking you the way you are was a thought you couldnât shake. *Bing* your phone buzzed, was that him?
Zayne ; would you mind if I came to pick you up?
You stared at the text for a moment, lost completely, he wanted to pick you up? You quickly typed back.
You ; I wouldnât mind at all! Hereâs my address (ââââââ) thank you for offering to pick me up!
You quickly sat your phone down. He was going to come pick you up, you were panicking now. Where is your purse? Do you smell alright? Every thought ran through your head causing you to spiral until you heard your phone buzz again.
Zayne ; itâs no problem, I have to admit I didnât expect you to agree to go on a date with me :)
You looked at the message with a deadpan for a moment.. had he thought you didnât reciprocate this whole time? You were so nervous and excited. You could not believe your eyes. It really is a date, and he must really feel the same. Right?
You ; really? How could I ever say no to you?
You sat quietly on your couch, your eyes fixated on your phone, he mustâve been driving by now right? You sat there twiddling your thumbs until you had the bright idea. You should probably walk downstairs since it would not only kill time but make it easier for you to get to him without wasting anytime. You grabbed your keys and purse, shutting the lights off then locking the door behind you. As you walked to the elevator you felt your stomach twist with butterflies. A date.. with zayne. You felt like you were in a dream, you felt pretty today too so that just made this so much more dream like. You spaced out a little too long and found yourself almost missing the ground floor and going back up. You felt your phone buzz, you continued to walk towards the front of the lobby. Pulling your phone out you saw another message from zayne saying he was here. You quickly walked out to see he was waiting outside of his car with a soft smile youâve only seen him share with you when in the confined space of his office. You couldnât help the blush that warmed your cheeks. âYou look wonderful, donât overthink itâ zayne spoke reassuringly. he seemed to always know when you were spiraling in your own head. You let out a chuckle âis it that noticeable?â Earning a chuckle from him. You finally felt like youâd won, you were going on a date with the nicest man youâd ever met. Someone who seemed to truly see you.
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Thatâs the end :P if you want a part 2 Iâll gladly write it but I wasnât sure how to end it đđ. This was sitting in my drafts for a hot minute, I thought I had posted it but I guess not đ welp here is it and I hope you enjoyed it :> Iâll be working on some more works (can guarantee theyâll probably be Drabbles and blurbs)
Summary; when you wish upon a shooting star, often times you go about life forgetting about it. However once in a millennia, a wish will be granted. The shooting star will land, then transform into the wish. So why is it, when a dark prince wished upon a shooting star, his wish came true and it landed in the grassy lands behind the palace?
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
Pairings; Prince!sylus x Star!reader
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
A/n; we are recapping on the first Drabble (the whole things gonna be on this post) so itâll be interesting to see how this works out on tumblr and ao3 since i write in my notes app on my free time ;-;. Anyways enjoy my jellyfishes!!
-đŠ
Ps. This is not edited nor proof read bc if I proofread I psych myself out of posting :P
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
To recap;
It was stupid, childish even. Wishing upon a shooting star? How dumb must you be to believe in wishes? Then again the prince couldnât complain, as he himself stood at his windowsill wishing upon a shooting star. It was an idiotic wish âgive me a companionâ the ruby eyed prince didnât expect anything. Even if his wish were to become reality, heâd assume it would take form of a dog or animal. âIâve stood here too long.. I shall go to bed..â the prince thinks to himself, taking himself to bed as it is what he originally intended to do.
In the fields behind the palace and its gates. A shake could be felt for miles around, a âmeteorâ hitting the ground. In the midst of smoke and small sprinkles of rain the âmeteorâ transformed. The light radiating red, then into a soft yellow, then white. As the smoke cleared, a woman sat on her legs. Not a soul in sight, yet this woman felt no fear, she knew sheâd never be alone so long as the moon and other stars in the night sky kept watch.
The prince had awoken, it was late perhaps a few hours before sunrise. He had felt a shake, what could it have been? An attack? Or perhaps a falling star? Nevertheless it meant nothing as the prince felt he couldnât fall back to sleep. He prepared to take a walk, well that was before he looked out his window. He took a double take, seeing the smoke coming from a hole in the ground, had a star fallen? A meteor maybe? Curiosity surged through the princes bones as he felt himself compelled to investigate. Surprisingly no maids were awake, nor his parents. The only people awake were the guards at the gates and their stations. âPrince Sylus! How may we assist you?â A guard asks, giving a curt salute. Sylus, the Prince, simply hummed. âI want to investigate that smoke and hole, just that ways of the palace. I shall go alone, however if I shanât return in a timely manner you can come to assist meâ with that the prince walked off. The grassy lands filled with florals that seemed unaffected by the landing of a star. As sylus got closer, the smoke dissipated. He could see a figure when walking closer, at the edge of the knee deep hole he found himself at a loss for words.
There sat a woman, whom wore a white and pale yellow dress, it was silky looking and seemed to have star like symbols across the chest. She was looking to the sky, a dreamy look on her face before seeing him. Her eyes glistened with curiosity, the prince was stock still. He watched as she tried to stand, failing miserably a few times before sylus felt himself compelled towards her. âAre you.. hurt?â Sylus finds the words come out with an uncomfortable softness to them. The woman turns her head at him, similar to a confused animal. She brought a hand up to feel his face was a look of awe. âWhat have I gotten myself into..â he mumbled before helping her out the hole. No shoes, luckily no injuries, and what seemed to be a head full of curiosity. Sylus was in deep, and he had no idea how to get out.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
Part two;
It was odd, she had only just woken up. She could remember the spacial winds that would brush on her as she would fly through space. Remembering the warmth from her fellow stars, planets, and the moon. So feeling the ground under her hands and.. legs? Odd she never knew she could take a form like this. Looking at the night sky she wondered what ever could have happened that lead her to this moment. Only moments ago she was simply a shooting star, now she sat on the ground with a human body.
âAre you.. hurt?â She looked in the direction of whatever that may have been. Curiosity bubbling up in her, a foreign but welcomed feeling. It was like her new body knew what to do.. she just couldnât control it yet. She failed multiple times to stand, huffing in frustration. That was before this human walked towards her, he helped her stand while speaking in a tone that was soft on her ears. âCareful nowâ she looked at him with a fluffy feeling bubbling in her abdomen. It was like her new hands had a mind of their own as she held his face. âSoft..â she thinks to herself. Her head turning as she looked at him closely. Ruby eyes that feined cruelness, but she could see a hurt and softness hidden deep within them. His hair was on the longer side and a soft white-ish silver color. She felt herself swooned by him, a feeling foreign to her. The man helped her walk, hoisting her out the hole created by her impact. He mumbled to himself âwhat have I gotten myself into..â it seemed he must be doing something wrong? She hadnât a clue, simply enjoying this manâs company as he held her hand.
The walk was wonderfully quiet and calm, well while it lasted of course. As soon as Sylus stepped foot inside the palace walls with this woman, maids rushed around quickly. âOh my- your highness should we take her away from you? She must be a bother-â the head maid goes to grab the woman only for Sylus to pull her away. âno, she is not a bother.. could you gather her some clean clothes and get her cleaned up? She will be staying here.â Sylus carefully chose his next words ânot a word of this gets outside the palace or I will have your heads.â He spoke in a whisper, as to not frighten the woman who simply was entranced by the floral arrangements in the hall. The head maid and other maids shared a look before the head maid leaned in. âJust a wash and some clean clothes?â Sylus rolled his eyes lightly âyes. I should not have to repeat myself.. bring her down for breakfast afterwards.â Sylus watched as the maids ushered the woman away. She looked at them with a confused look as she looked back to Sylus. He simply faired a small smile before turning to go to his own quarters to ready for the day.
It was quite funny, sylus had been walking down the hall when he heard the head maids voice. âMiss! Get back here! You cannot run around like that it is unlady like- UGH!!â He watched down the hall as the woman ran around in all but a towel, her hair wet and leaving a trail of water drops behind her as she looked out the window at the light of day. He watched as the maids grabbed her, pulling her back into the bathing room.
Moments later the head maid peeked her head out to see Sylus. The woman let out a clearly tired and aggravated sigh. âYour highness.. where ever did you.. come across such a.. woman?â She seemed to choose her words carefully while wiping the water from her brows and fixing her uniform. Sylus gave a small smirk, âI found a fallen star, she was behind the palace within the fields.â In this world, such things werenât unheard of. Though rare, the world often seemed to breach the line between real and fantasy. âI see.. well she is.. quite a unique characterâ the maid spoke with a hard look. Sylus simply shrugged âI tend to attract the odd ones.. I expect to see her for breakfast soonâ. As Sylus walked away he could hear the head maid arguing with the woman again, telling her to stay still. This would surely be interesting.
At breakfast it was⊠Odd to say the least. While the queen and king sat eating their breakfast in peace. This woman their son had âfoundâ sitting at their table looking at her plate of meticulously prepared food with curiosity. âEhem.. son. Who might this be?â Sylusâ mother spoke softly. Sylus hummed while watching the woman across from him âmy new companion.â Was all he said, he took a bite of his own food. Realizing she had no clue what to do, he waited for her to look at him to eat a bite. She mimicked him, her eyes glistened with something similar to joy as she chewed the sweet fluffy food. She hummed with a softness, practically melting. The king and queen watched, despite their initial worry they were rather glad their son wasnât hurting anyone or anything. They actually felt relaxed as they didnât need to hear about how their son killed anyone this morning. They silently hoped this change would be permanent, and that he truly is going to change for the better.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
The next few days were a whirlwind of emotions sylus hasnât ever felt before. He couldnât help but keep his star within arms length. But it seemed he didnât need to keep her on a leash seeing as she followed him around like a lost dog. âSylus!â She would say with a big smile when she wanted his attention. He had taught her his name after she had said âyourâŠhighness!â In attempts to gain his attention from the book he was reading.
âSylus!â She whispered within the library, Sylus looked up to see her. She was wearing another soft looking dress, this one had soft blue and yellow. Sylus believed sheâd look better in red if he was honest with himself. âYes star?â He smiled sitting his book down. She held her behind her back, and just before getting close to him she pulled out a handful of tulips with a big smile. âLove!â She whispered as if she was telling a secret. Sylus felt his cheeks dust pink, love? Tulips mean love of course.. but what could his star mean by this? âAre these for me?â Sylus spoke with a small smile. She nodded quickly motioning for him to take them, her smile still sitting on her lips. Sylus stood up, taking the flowers into one hand he held his other hand out to her after sitting his book down on the table. âHold my handâ he spoke with softness, a softness he became comfortable only sharing with her. She placed her hand gently in his, Sylus quietly lead her away.
Within minutes they were both standing infront of a teacher. âIâd like for you to teach her to speak, read, and write.â Sylus explained to the teacher. His eyes followed her around as she explored the room. The teacher spoke âehem.. I see.. i will get to work!â And like that the teacher was already talking to her. She simply turned her head at the teacher but seemed to be interested and listening. Sylus had to admit, he had a growing fondness of her. It was hard to want to hurt people when his time was taken up by the very thing he wished for. Not that he had it in him to complain, he was rather comfortable with the idea. For sylus was simply happy he had something- someone. Who is his and only his.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
Within the time span of weeks that stretched into months. Sylus found himself utterly infatuated with her. She spoke elegantly, had such good manners now, and was overall a normal âpersonâ. But she held her curiosity nature close to her heart, reading and exploring all around. Of course she still stuck to Sylus like glue, like right now. She was looking out the windows of the library, âSylus! Look! Thereâs another bird!â She whispered loudly to him, he was only a few feet away from her reading a book. âYou seem rather interested in birds sweetieâ the pet name rolled off his tongue, something he never imagined heâd ever do. âMhm! Iâve never gotten to experience human life before! I want to see everything!â She turned to look at him with a smile. Sylus looked up, he felt a smile pull at his lips. âReally? So you truly are a star?â She didnât hesitate to nod, âmhm!! I donât know.. how I ended up a human but I remember flying through space for forever and then I woke up here!â She walked over to plop a seat next to him, she leaned over to look at the book in his hands. Sylus watched her closely, âwhat if I were to tell you that youâre human because of me? Would you still love me if Iâm the one who wished you human?â He watched her smile fade for a moment as she thought, she bit at the inside of her lip as she squinted before a soft smile settled her lips. âI would still love you! If youâd be the reason I can experience all of this Iâd be quite grateful! âŠEspecially since youâre so very kind to meâ her cheeks dusted a soft pink as her eyes flicked away from sylusâ. Sylus felt a bit flushed himself, heâd never heard her say she loved him. Even in the round about way it was said, the meaning was still there which made sylusâ brain short circuit for a split second. She spoke in a half whisper âSylus.. what is that thing that your mother and father do sometimes in the morning? Where they press their faces together?â She didnât dare look at him, Sylus felt his cheeks defy him and turn a bright red. He was at a loss, she was asking him about kissing? It was almost adorable how she didnât have a clue as to what it was, but she caked to him asking about it. How cute. âIt is called kissing sweetie.. why do you ask?â She quickly looked at sylus, leaning closer âis that what humans do when they love each other?â A concentrated look on her face. Sylus felt a smirk pull at his lips âit is.. do you want to kiss me? Sweetie?â He watched as her eyes widened, she quickly looked away ââŠyeah..â she whispered almost too low for him to hear, Sylus found himself amused by how curious yet flustered she could get. âwell.. I believe itâs time we go for a walk..â Sylus stood up, walking towards her before he softly tilted her head up to give her a peck on her cheek. Her face flushed red while they went on a walk to the garden. Sylus was in no hurry to rush things, as he knew he would have her for the rest of his life.
He had finally found his princess, a princess made of stars and wishes. Just as sheâd found the prince of her dreams she hadnât known existed.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
(Okay how was that????!!?? I donât know how I feel about it since I didnât know how to end it. I wanted it to be cute and fluffy? I wanted to give like.. little mermaid vibes? Girl whoâs never humanâd before and boy who is just infatuated?? Sylus is a tad bit out of character but I mean heâs a love bug deep down yk? Anyways I hope you enjoyed my jellyfishes -đŠ)
Summary; An old friendship in the midst of a hot summer, featuring otter pops.
ËâđŒËâč đŠč âșïœĄÂ°
Pairings; Lads love interests x non-mc!reader
ËâđŒËâč đŠč âșïœĄÂ°
Note; Not specific to any of the boys, itâs just a cute little one-shot/ Drabble idea I had :P oh and I didnât proofread lol, anyways enjoy my jellyfishes -đŠ
ËâđŒËâč đŠč âșïœĄÂ°
ËâđŒËâč đŠč âșïœĄÂ°
It was hot, way too hot to do anything aside from lay on the ground under a tree and eat the otter pops youâd stolen from the freezer. Cicadas buzzed at the heat, birds flew around as did the summer bugs. The sky was big and blue, only few clouds could be seen. As much as youâd like to say you hated it, the summer gave you a comfortable sound to your usually silent office life. You were enjoying this, lying under a tree and watching the clouds slowly inch by.
Then of course all comfortable silences come to an end eventually. âThere you are, how long have you been lying there?â His voice comes to your ears, you close your eyes before you can see his face. Maybe if you pretended to be asleep heâd walk away? You hoped thatâd be the case until you could feel his take a seat next to you. A sigh pulls from your lungs âIâm not sure, Iâm just relaxing out hereâ you take another bite of your otter pop, finally opening your eyes to see his face partially above yours. It seemed he was just looking at you. He squinted lightly before leaning back against the tree. âI see, you could have told me or mcâ silence enveloped you once more. The sound of cicadas, birds, and bugs filled your ears. Then of course he had to speak again, âdo you think mc likes me?â How odd, you assumed they were both already together from the uncomfortable closeness they had. Not to mention how gross their flirtatious banter back and forth was. You know youâre his friend but sometimes you can handle all of that. Maybe it was because you yourself have had the biggest crush known to man on this guy, or the fact youâve finally given up on giving him hints. Whatever it was, it seemed to have left you unable to respond. Leaving an uncomfortable silence between yoo both, it was awhile before you finally responded with an internal grimace. âIâd assume she doesâ you kept it sweet and short, but it seemed that wasnât enough to settle his mind. âSheâs really nice, I was hoping you two would hit it off. Do you like her?â You silently prayed for her to come steal his attention away once more. âI donât mind her, she seems nice. You know how I am around new peopleâ luckily after your response he finally closed his mouth. As much as youâd love to talk to him, you wanted to replace in silence more. Another bite of your otter pop, the cool sweetness spreading across your mouth. It was a perfect way to stay a little cool in this hot weather. You ignored how he stared at you, like he wanted to say more but knew from the look on your face you wanted silence. âOkay you staring isnât going to get you anywhere, what do you want?â You ask him with a tired glance in his direction. His cheeks dust lightly, like a kid caught doing something bad. He looked away from you, it seemed he was looking at the ground. âItâs nothing really, I was just thinking about that time in grade school when we shared otter popsâ his words bring back that memory. Your first kiss, so weird it was him who suggested it.
Two ten year olds sit under a familiar tree, one has a red otter pop while the other had a blue.
âIf we kiss would your lips turn purple?â The boy asks, the smaller one of the two turns to him and gives a curious look. âI dunno! It would be cool if they did though!â They were silent before the boy asked âcan I kiss you to find out?â âSureâ the other responds almost too quickly. And like that they both peck each other on the lips, the sticky sweet residue of the otter pop on their lips.
In the end their lips were not purple and it was a fruitless effort.
Remembering that was unpleasant at best. You looked away from him, back at the sky. âYeah, I do remember. Our lips never did turn purple.. such effort wasted what a shameâ you fein a sigh and lift a hand to your forehead to ass dramatics. A chuckle comes from him in response âvery funny, and here I thought⊠well anyways. When do you plan on heading in?â He thought what? You had to admit to the curiosity that ran through you now. You didnât question it though, you offer a simple response. âProbably soon, Iâm running out of otter popâ you hold the mostly eaten purple otter pop up.
The silence that followed was comfortable, well at least in your opinion it was. You watch the clouds inch by once again, just as you had been doing. Why was he still sitting here? You were sure you had heard someone call him. You close your eyes, the sound of summer buzzing in your ears. You finished off your otter pop as the minutes rolled by with the silence of summer. You sit up, eyes still closed as you stretch. You stand up, dust yourself off then look to him. Heâs sitting there just watching, like he wanted to say something to you but feared your response. You let out a small sigh, âcome on, itâs getting late and Iâm sure mc is wondering where you are-â âshe left a few minutes agoâ he interrupted, you cock a brow at him as he stands up. âAlright.. well I assume youâve got to get going unless you plan on hanging around longer.â You shrug, turning to walk. While youâre facing away from him you look up at the sky again, he speaks âwhat are you looking at?â Youâre silent as he seems to keep his distance. âNothing, Iâm just remembering something funny. Do you want an otter pop when we get inside?â Nothing, was it really nothing? You had no idea as it plagued your mind the rest of the night. Every memory of how he treated you completely different from how he treated mc. While he knew you could handle your own problems, he never showed the same worry he showed for her. Why is that? You assume it must be because you truly are just a friend.
âSure, maybe Iâll finally get another kiss off of youâ he playfully jabs at you, earning a playful glare from you. âYeah, yeah. In your dreams lover boy, donât you have a thing for mc? Canât go around acting like you can get kisses off everyone now can you?â You tease. Only you didnât get another playful jab back, he simply looked at you like a kicked puppy. âWhat? Iâm only joking come on-â you go to walk but he grabs your upper arm, he looks at you like heâs searching for something in your eyes. âDo you really believe that? That I like mc?â You give a weary glance at him, had you misunderstood the situation? âYeah.. you guys spend like.. every waking moment together and are always hush hush⊠I thought you two had a thing for one another?â
Heâs silent, like heâs thinking of a response. He lets your arm go, âsorry.. uh letâs go inside then, I call the red otterpopâ he says, albeit trying to be playful his brows were still furrowed with what seemed to be confusion. You just mentally shrug it off, whatâs the worst that could happen. He likes you instead and is upset you donât see it? As if, he couldnât ever see you in that light⊠right?
ËâđŒËâč đŠč âșïœĄÂ°
(Teehee, okay what do we think? Itâs another Drabble but I thought it was kind of cute. I donât feel like writing versions of this for all of them so I made it as vague as possible to what love interests it could be, so imagine your boy and boom youâre good. Anyways time to work on the other two works -đŠ)
Summary; when you wish upon a shooting star, often times you go about life forgetting about it. However once in a millennia, a wish will be granted. The shooting star will land, then transform into the wish. So why is it, when a dark prince wished upon a shooting star, it landed in the grassy lands behind the palace?
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
Pairings; prince!sylus x star!reader
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A/n; reader is sort of like.. not mc? Imagine isekai but you didnât have a life before you woke up in a grassy land, you simply remembered the coolness of space and feeling the space wind against your body, another note under this!
NOTE!!!; this is raw and unedited, if there are spelling errors, grammar errors, or words that seemed that could have been autocorrected or used wrong just leave a comment noting them. I am lazy and didnât feel like proofreading I had a dream and ran with it when I woke up :D!!
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
It was stupid, childish even. Wishing upon a shooting star? How dumb must you be to believe in wishes? Then again the prince couldnât complain, as he himself stood at his windowsill wishing upon a shooting star. It was an idiotic wish âgive me a companionâ the ruby eyed prince didnât expect anything. Even if his wish were to become reality, heâd assume it would take form of a dog or animal. âIâve stood here too long.. I shall go to bed..â the prince thinks to himself, taking himself to bed as it is what he originally intended to do.
In the fields behind the palace and its gates. A shake could be felt for miles around, a âmeteorâ hitting the ground. In the midst of smoke and small sprinkles of rain the âmeteorâ transformed. The light radiating red, then into a soft yellow, then white. As the smoke cleared, a woman sat on her legs. Not a soul in sight, yet this woman felt no fear, she knew sheâd never be alone so long as the moon and other stars in the night sky kept watch.
The prince had awoken, it was late perhaps a few hours before sunrise. He had felt a shake, what could it have been? An attack? Or perhaps a falling star? Nevertheless it meant nothing as the prince felt he couldnât fall back to sleep. He prepared to take a walk, well that was before he looked out his window. He took a double take, seeing the smoke coming from a hole in the ground, had a star fallen? A meteor maybe? Curiosity surged through the princes bones as he felt himself compelled to investigate. Surprisingly no maids were awake, nor his parents. The only people awake were the guards at the gates and their stations. âPrince Sylus! How may we assist you?â A guard asks, giving a curt salute. Sylus, the Prince, simply hummed. âI want to investigate that smoke and hole, just that ways of the palace. I shall go alone, however if I shanât return in a timely manner you can come to assist meâ with that the prince walked off. The grassy lands filled with florals that seemed unaffected by the landing of a star. As sylus got closer, the smoke dissipated. He could see a figure when walking closer, at the edge of the knee deep hole he found himself at a loss for words.
There sat a woman, whom wore a white and pale yellow dress, it was silky looking and seemed to have star like symbols across the chest. She was looking to the sky, a dreamy look on her face before seeing him. Her eyes glistened with curiosity, the prince was stock still. He watched as she tried to stand, failing miserably a few times before sylus felt himself compelled towards her. âAre you.. hurt?â Sylus finds the words come out with an uncomfortable softness to them. The woman turns her head at him, similar to a confused animal. She brought a hand up to feel his face was a look of awe. âWhat have I gotten myself into..â he mumbled before helping her out the hole. No shoes, luckily no injuries, and what seemed to be a head full of curiosity. Sylus was in deep, and he had no idea how to get out.
. Ęâ âč . Ę âĄ Ę . âč â Ę.
(Should I do a part two? This is kind of like a Drabble/preview for an idea I had *smiles evily*)
Lawd I didnât expect this to get likes- hereâs part two :P
âWow,â Xavier whispered, almost like he hadnât meant to say it out loud.
You blinked, caught off guard. He was staringâno, gazingâlike you were something out of a dream.
Or maybe a particularly poetic hallucination.
You instinctively took a small step back, your fingers twitching at your sides as a shy warmth bloomed across your cheeks.
âIs there something on my face?â you asked, voice quieter than usual.
Of course, that snapped him right out of it.
He coughed, his expression smoothing into that carefully polite, vaguely princely calm you assumed was his default setting.
Stoic. Controlled. Maybe a little embarrassed.
You were currently seated across from him at a long, ridiculously ornate dinner table that looked like it belonged in a museum rather than someoneâs actual home.
It was an arranged marriage, one you hadnât really protested.
Mostly because the alternative involved crawling back to school, where existential dread roamed the halls like a vengeful spirit.
So, marriage. Sure. Why not.
You hadnât seen a picture. Not a single hint of who this man might be. Just your motherâs breezy, âHeâs charming, calm, and mature,â like she was describing a limited-edition tea set.
But as you sat there now, staring at the man who would somehow become your husband, you realized charming didnât quite cover it.
Because Xavierâsilver-haired, blue-eyed, and carrying that whole otherworldly melancholy like a tailored suitâlooked like heâd stepped off the cover of a novel where people fall in love and die tragically.
Great. Now you had to marry that.
His mother, seated gracefully beside him, clasped her hands together with the kind of delight only aristocratic women and overzealous matchmakers could muster.
âOh, what a lovely girl your daughter is,â she beamed at your parents, as if you werenât sitting right there, very much alive and blinking.
You offered a polite smile, the kind you reserved for distant relatives and overpriced waiters, while Xavier glanced your way againâthis time with something almost like amusement flickering behind those calm blue eyes.
Apparently, being praised like livestock was the beginning of romance now.
Dinner dragged on, the distinct hum of polite chatter between your future in-laws and your parents filling the air like a background track you hadnât asked for.
Voices rose and fell in curated excitement over wedding venues, family values, and the excellent weatherâas if any of that would help you survive this evening.
Especially not when you could still feel his occasional glancesâcurious, measured, and far too calm for someone whoâd said âwowâ like heâd seen a shooting star five minutes ago.
You stabbed at a green bean with a little more force than necessary.
Romance was off to a fantastic start.
ââą
After dinner, you were gentlyâread, forciblyâescorted onto the terrace by none other than your future husband. The orchestration, of course, courtesy of four overly enthusiastic parents and their favorite phrase of the night.
âGo spend some time together, dear. Itâs important to foster relationships.â
You could practically hear the wedding bells in their eyes.
Xavier walked beside you in silence, his steps unhurried, posture perfectly straight like heâd been trained for these situations.
He didnât seem flustered at all.
Meanwhile, you were trying to remember how breathing worked.
The air outside was cooler, quieter.
The terrace opened out to a garden bathed in moonlight, which wouldâve been romantic if it didnât feel so much like the set-up to an arranged marriage-themed reality show.
You stopped near the railing, resting your hands lightly on the cold stone.
âSo,â you started, âshould we awkwardly pretend this isnât weird, or lean into it?â
Xavier looked at you, a slow flicker of amusement tugging at the corners of his lips. âI vote for leaning in.â
You felt the heat creep up your neck, crawling right into your cheeks like it owned the place.
You looked away quickly, pretending to be incredibly invested in the night sky, only to nearly choke on your own spit.
Smooth.
Then, as if the moment hadnât already thrown you off balance, Xavier spoke againâcalmly, casually, like he wasnât currently dismantling your ability to function.
âYouâre nothing like I imagined.â
That time, you actually choked.
You coughed, spluttered, and did your best to recover whatever shred of dignity you had left, eyes wide as you turned toward him. âIâwhat?â
He tilted his head slightly, watching you with that unreadable expression of his. âIn a good way,â he added, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. âYouâre⊠unexpected.â
You werenât sure if that was a compliment or a polite warning.
Either way, your heart decided to skip a beat just to be dramatic.
âUnexpected⊠how?â you asked, narrowing your eyes just slightly, curiosity now outweighing your embarrassment.
Xavier didnât answer right away.
He turned his gaze toward the garden below, thoughtful, like he was sorting through a mental checklist he hadnât realized heâd made.
âI thought youâd be quiet,â he said finally, âshy, maybe. The kind of person who keeps their head down and says yes to everything.â
You raised a brow at that. âWow. Romantic and flattering.â
He glanced at you, lips twitching. âI meant that as a compliment.â
âOh, sure. Everyone dreams of being described as âmeek and agreeable.ââ
That earned you a proper smileâsmall, rare, and slow to form, like he wasnât used to sharing it. âBut youâre not,â he said. âYouâre⊠sharp. Funny. A little defensive.â
You blinked. âAgain, not really selling it.â
âAnd honest,â he added, eyes lingering on you now, softer somehow. âVery honest.â
The way he said it made something flutter in your chestâannoyingly poetic and completely inconvenient.
You smiledâjust a littleâas you turned your gaze to the moonlit garden below. The flowers were in bloom, the air carried that faint, earthy scent of late spring, and for a moment, the world felt quieter than it had been all night.
âWhat did you think of this arrangement?â you asked gently, not quite looking at him.
There was a pause.
Long enough that you began to wonder if heâd heard you, or if he was calculating the safest answer.
âI didnât think much of it at first,â he admitted finally, voice low and steady. âJust another political tie. Something expected of me.â
You nodded. Fair. Youâd thought the same.
âButâŠâ he continued, and you glanced at him from the corner of your eye, âthen you walked in. And suddenly, it didnât feel so transactional anymore.â
Your heart gave a traitorous little lurch. You told it to calm down. It didnât listen.
ââŠRight,â you said, managing a soft laugh. âWell, thank you for not calling me a tax write-off. Thatâs reassuring.â
Xavierâs lips quirked again, eyes warm despite his usual calm. âIâll do my best to exceed expectations.â
You both fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that didnât need to be filled. The soft rustle of leaves in the breeze, the distant chirp of cricketsâit all felt oddly soothing.
For the first time that evening, the weight of obligation on your shoulders began to ease, replaced by something quieter, lighter.
Maybe⊠this arrangement wasnât so bad after all.
Xavier shifted slightly beside you, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw him glance your way again.
There was something hesitant in his postureânot nervous, exactly, but deliberate. Like someone unused to starting conversations that didnât involve diplomacy or battle strategy.
âSoâŠâ he began, carefully, âwhat do you like to do when youâre not being ambushed by marriage proposals?â
You turned to look at him, amused. âOh, you know. The usual. Read. Nap. Avoid emotionally loaded dinners.â
He gave a soft chuckle at that, clearly trying to mask it with a cough. âSounds like a full-time job.â
âItâs exhausting,â you said with a mock sigh. âBut someoneâs got to do it.â
He smiledâgenuine and easy this timeâand leaned his elbow on the railing. âAny books youâd recommend?â
That caught you off guard. âYou read?â
âIâm not just a pretty face,â he said dryly.
âWow. Multitalented and humble.â
He shook his head, but his eyes were fixed on you now, open and interested. âIâd like to know what you like. What makes you laugh. What makes you⊠you.â
The words werenât romantic, not in the obvious way. But the sincerity in his voice, the way he said them without trying too hardâit stayed with you.
Just like the quiet warmth growing in your chest.
âI hope things go well then,â you said with a small smile, the kind that lingered even after you looked away.
Xavier was quiet for a beat, watching you like he was memorizing the curve of that expressionâsoft, a little unsure, but hopeful all the same.
âThey will,â he said, not with bravado, but quiet certainty. âIâll make sure of it.â
It wasnât a promise wrapped in poetry, but it settled deep in your chest, heavier than you expected.
And for once, you didnât feel like running from it.
ââą
Back at home, the moment the front door clicked shut behind you, all the calm dignity youâd maintained on that terrace evaporated like mist.
You spun toward your mother with wide eyes and a completely undignified squeal. âOh my god, Momââ
She barely turned from where she was removing her earrings, already smirking like sheâd won some secret bet with the universe. âLet me guess. You like him.â
âLike him?â you repeated, pacing in chaotic little circles.
âHeâsâheâs calm and composed and smart and he actually smiled at one of my jokes, and he said I was unexpected in a good way, andââ
âI knew youâd like him,â she interrupted with maddening satisfaction, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow like a smug matchmaking oracle.
You stopped mid-spiral. âYou set me up.â
Her smirk only widened. âTechnically, you agreed.â
You groaned, burying your face in your hands as your mother chuckled softly in the background, utterly pleased with herself.
And okay, maybe you did like him. Just a little. Maybe.
You settled into your room with all the grace of someone experiencing a slow, romantic meltdown.
Your motherâs chuckles echoed down the hallway like the smug laughter of a triumphant mommy duck whoâd successfully nudged her chick into the pond of marriage.
You groaned and faceplanted into your bed, limbs sprawled dramatically as you tried to suffocate the feelings spiraling inside you.
Unfortunately, your brain had other plans.
It conjured him againâXavier, standing on that terrace like heâd been carved from moonlight and good intentions.
You remembered the way his absurdly long lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks, so delicate it was almost unfair. His blond-silver hair had swayed in the breeze like it had been choreographed.
And those pale blue eyes⊠gods, they were unreal. Like someone had trapped the entire sea inside them just to make your life harder.
You let out a strangled sound and shoved your pillow over your face.
You were engaged. To that.
And worseâyou liked it.
ââą
The first date was⊠heartwarming.
Not in the overly romantic, violins-playing kind of way, but in the unexpectedly gentle kind of wayâthe kind that crept up on you and made your chest ache a little without warning.
Xavier sat across from you at a table set for two in the center of an otherwise empty, dimly lit restaurant. A chandelier hung above, its golden light casting a soft, intimate glow over the polished silverware and the quiet space between you.
It was like stepping into a scene from a movieâone you hadnât realized youâd auditioned for.
You glanced around, taking in the surreal quiet, the absence of clinking plates or murmured conversations. âIs⊠is this entire place just for us?â
Xavier rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of color rising to his cheeks.
âMy parents insisted I rent out the entire evening,â he admitted with a sheepish smile, looking both apologetic and awkwardly charming.
âBut why settle for awkward silences over coffee when you can have awkward silences under a chandelier?â
That made him laughâsoft, but real. âExactly,â he said, and for a second, that serious, guarded façade of his cracked wide open.
And just like that, the nerves in your chest loosened.
âSo, what do you do? Like work and the likes,â you asked, casually between bites of steak, trying not to sound too curious or too investedâeven if you absolutely were.
Xavier looked up from his plate, pausing for a second like he was deciding how much of the truth to hand over.
âIâm with UNICORNS,â he said simply.
You blinked. âUNICORNS?â
âUnited Nations Intelligence and Covert Operations Reconnaissance Network Squad,â he recited, completely straight-faced.
You stared at him, fork frozen halfway to your mouth. ââŠThat spells UNICORNS?â
He gave the faintest shrug, as if he wasnât aware how ridiculous that sounded. âAcronyms arenât really my department.â
You snorted. âRight. So basically, youâre a space prince turned secret agent.â
He blinked. âThatâs⊠technically accurate.â
You nearly choked on your steak.
âYouâre joking.â
âIâm not.â
You stared at him for a long moment.
Silver hair. Calm voice. The whole mysterious aura thing.
Of course he was a secret agent. Of course.
âOkay,â you muttered, setting your fork down. âAnd here I was thinking Iâd have to make small talk on this date.â
Xavier smiled into his glass, and you caught the flicker of amusement in his eyes. âYou still can. Iâm excellent at pretending to be normal.â
âIf youâre a secret agent,â you said, narrowing your eyes at him as you leaned forward slightly, âthen how is it okay that you reveal yourself to me?â
Xavier lifted his gaze, the corners of his mouth twitching like he was holding back a grin. âClassified,â he replied smoothly, taking a sip of his wine.
You raised an eyebrow. âThatâs not an answer.â
He set the glass down with infuriating grace. âLetâs just say⊠my clearance allows for certain disclosures under specific circumstances.â
You crossed your arms, pretending to be skeptical even as your curiosity prickled. âAnd thisââ you gestured between the two of you, ââis one of those circumstances?â
Xavier smiled softly, and this time it wasnât sheepish or politeâit was warm. âYouâre worth the risk.â
You blushed at thatâviolently, of courseâquickly masking it with a cough and an exaggeratedly casual bite of steak, like that would somehow neutralize the weight of his words.
Youâre worth the risk.
Nope. Still devastating.
The evening flowed gently after that, the tension between you easing into something quieter, more natural.
You found yourself laughing more than youâd expectedâsoft bursts of amusement over his dry remarks, while he watched you with that calm, almost amused smile, like he was cataloging every expression you made.
He didnât talk much, but when he did, it was thoughtful.
Measured.
Like he was actually listening. Really listening.
You told him about your hobbies. How you loved reading, writing, getting lost in stories and then furiously threatening to strangle fictional men for breaking your heart.
âTheyâre not even real,â you said dramatically, waving your fork in the air, âand yet they ruin my week. My mental stability. My skin.â
Xavier tilted his head, eyes crinkling just slightly. âSounds like a dangerous habit.â
âIt is,â you agreed solemnly. âBut Iâm too far gone.â
He nodded. âNoted. Iâll try not to become the inspiration for your next emotional breakdown.â
You paused mid-chew. âWow. That might be the most romantic thing anyoneâs ever said to me.â
And just like that, he smiled againâslow, rare, and entirely disarming.
Xavier dropped you off at your estate, the sleek car rolling to a gentle stop in front of the stone steps.
The lights from the veranda cast a soft glow across the driveway, and there she wasâyour motherâwaiting with the patience of someone who definitely hadnât been peeking through the curtains for the past ten minutes.
As you stepped out of the car, she descended the steps with a far-too-innocent smile.
âOh, please join us for a while!â she called out brightly, clasping her hands together with the enthusiasm of a socialite and the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
You nearly tripped on the gravel. âMom.â
Xavier blinked, caught slightly off guard. âOh, I wouldnât want to intrudeââ
âNonsense,â she beamed. âWe have tea. And leftovers. And years of awkward silence to fill.â
You gave Xavier an apologetic look. âSheâs not usually thisââ
âYes, I am,â your mother interrupted, already turning on her heel. âCome along, dear!â
Xavier glanced at you, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. âShould I be worried?â
âTerrified,â you muttered under your breath.
But when he followed you up the steps without hesitation, you felt that warm little flutter returnâjust slightly out of rhythm with your heart.
Once inside, your mom wasted no time nudging the both of you toward the couch with all the subtlety of a seasoned matchmaker on a mission.
âSit, sit!â she chirped, practically shoving you into place before plopping herself down across from you with a cup of tea and that glint in her eyesâthe one that said she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
You landed on the plush cushion with a small huff, Xavier sliding in beside you like this was perfectly normal, like he hadnât just spent the last two hours slowly dismantling your emotional walls with his quiet charm and devastating smiles.
You gave your mom a weak protest. âThis is⊠not necessary.â
âNonsense,â she waved off with a grin. âIâm just enjoying the company of my future son-in-law. Thatâs not illegal.â
You side-eyed her, but honestly, it wasnât a big deal. You had just had a wonderful dinner. He was polite, thoughtful, andâsurprisinglyânot emotionally constipated.
Still.
He was sitting very close.
Not touching you, technically.
But the cushion dipped slightly where his thigh rested against yours, and suddenly you were acutely aware of everythingâhow warm he was, how tall he sat, how his cologne smelled like cedar and rain and danger to your composure.
You folded your hands in your lap, trying to focus on your mom rambling about wedding colors and seating charts, but Xavierâs presence beside you was magnetic.
Steady. Quiet. Very hard to ignore.
You mightâve leaned slightly away from him.
And then just as quickly, leaned back.
No use pretending now. You were officially doomed.
âMom, the wedding is four weeks away,â you groaned, slumping back into the couch like it could absorb your embarrassment. âYou donât have to talk about it every day.â
Your mother only sipped her tea, entirely unbothered. âAnd miss the joy of watching you squirm every time I say the word bouquet?â
Xavier chuckled beside you, low and warm, and you immediately regretted everything. Because that sound? That sound was now imprinted on your soul.
You shot him a look. âDonât encourage her.â
âIâm not,â he said, clearly encouraging her. âBut itâs⊠entertaining.â
You narrowed your eyes at him. âYouâre supposed to be on my side.â
âI thought I was.â
Your mother clapped her hands lightly. âLook at you two. Bantering already. Like an old married couple.â
You sighed into your hands. Xavier smiled againâcalm, amused, and entirely too comfortable. And even as you groaned, somewhere deep inside, a tiny part of you liked how it all felt just a little too natural.
Shaiya raised an unimpressed brow from where she sat cross-legged on your rug, holding her phone in one hand and wearing the most amused smirk youâd ever seen on her.
âSo youâve got a crush on the guy youâre marrying. Tragic.â
You threw a pillow at her.
She dodged it effortlessly, grinning. âNo, seriously. This is the dream. Arranged marriage and youâre catching feelings? Youâre living in a slow-burn fanfic.â
You groaned into your blanket. âNo, no, this is a problem. A very pretty, well-dressed, emotionally devastating problem. He said I was unexpected. He smiled. He rented an entire restaurant. Who does that?â
You peeked at her through your fingers. âShaiya.â
âYes?â
âI think Iâm doomed.â
She tossed the pillow back at you. âNo, babe. Youâre in love.â
You let out a muffled scream into your blanket.
She just laughed. âIâm giving it two weeks before you start writing âMrs. Xavierâ in the margins of your notebook.â
You groaned, dragging a pillow over your face. âIâm used to writing fanfiction about fictional men, not marrying a guy who seems to have walked out of one.â
Shaiya cackled, absolutely zero sympathy in her voice. âPlot twistâyouâve been isekaiâd into your own arranged marriage AU.â
You peeked out from under the pillow with a glare. âThis isnât funny.â
âItâs hilarious. Youâre the main character. Brooding husband with mysterious past? Check. Hidden softness? Check. Devastating smile that causes existential crises? Check.â
You groaned again. âHe smells like a metaphor and talks like a deleted scene from a historical drama. I was not built for this level of emotional turbulence.â
Shaiya nodded sagely. âNo one is. Thatâs how you know itâs real.â
You flopped back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. âIf I end up writing love poems in the margins of my planner, please stage an intervention.â
âOh, I wonât stop you,â she said, already pulling out her phone. âIâll just record it for the wedding slideshow.â
âYouâre officially disinvited from my wedding,â you deadpan, sitting up just enough to squint at her with all the fake seriousness you could muster.
âI documented history,â she shot back, already typing something suspiciously fast on her phone. âYour children will thank me one day.â
You narrowed your eyes. âShaiya.â
âYes, Mrs. Secret Agent?â
You threw the pillow again. She didnât even try to dodge it this time, just laughed as it hit her square in the face.
âFine,â you muttered, collapsing dramatically again. âYou can come to the wedding.â
âI knew youâd cave.â
âBut only if you swear not to make a toast about fanfiction.â
Shaiya looked up from her phone, absolutely glowing with mischief. âNo promises.â
You were so in trouble.
Soon after, Shaiya gathered her things, still grinning like sheâd won a lifetimeâs worth of blackmail material.
As she headed down the hallway, she called over her shoulder, sing-song and far too loud, âCanât wait to see adorable mini-yous and secret agents running around!â
You groaned from your doorway. âShaiya, go home.â
She just laughed, turning to wink at you before disappearing down the stairs. âGive my regards to Mr. Tall, Calm, and Tragic!â
You slammed your door shut with a huff, leaning against it as silence settled back into the house.
Mini-yous and secret agents.
You stared blankly at the wall, then promptly screamed into your hands.
This was getting out of hand.
ââą
A week before the wedding, Xavier surprised you with a calm, âIâd like to take you to pick out your dress,â like he was asking if you wanted teaânot subtly offering to participate in one of the most emotionally overwhelming rites of passage in existence.
So naturally, you said yes. And then spent the entire morning internally spiraling.
It was awkward at first.
Mostly because you were trying very hard not to be a complete nervous wreck. The boutique was gorgeousâwarm lighting, soft music, rows of delicate lace and silk that whispered life-changing decision with every swish.
And there Xavier was, sitting far too calmly in one of the velvet chairs, flipping through a bridal catalog like he did this every Thursday.
Meanwhile, you were trying not to combust.
You peeked at him between gowns. He didnât look bored or out of place. In fact, he looked⊠focused. Thoughtful.
Like this mattered to him.
When you stepped out in the first dress, hands fidgeting at your sides, you half-expected a polite nod or something neutral.
Instead, his gaze liftedâand he just looked at you.
Not like you were trying on fabric. Like you were becoming something real.
âYou lookâŠâ he started, then paused. A rare moment where words seemed to fail him. ââŠbeautiful.â
Your brain short-circuited. Your stylist cooed.
And you?
You forgot how to breathe for about seven seconds.
This wedding might just kill you.
You bit the inside of your cheek, willing your pulse to calm down as you smoothed your hands over the fabric, trying to act like you werenât melting under his gaze.
âDo you like it?â you asked, your voice more steady than you expectedâonly slightly breathless.
Xavier tilted his head, his eyes not leaving you. âI do,â he said, softly but certain. âBut the question isâdo you?â
You blinked, thrown for a moment.
âI meanâŠâ You turned toward the mirror, taking yourself in again. The dress hugged you gently, not flashy, not overly grandâjust enough detail to feel like you belonged in a dream. âI think I do.â
Xavier stood, walking over with unhurried steps. He stopped just behind you, enough distance to be respectful but close enough that you could feel the quiet weight of his presence.
His reflection met yours in the mirror, eyes still warm. âThen thatâs the one.â
Your heart betrayed you again with an uneven thump.
âOâOn second thought, Iâll try a few more,â you blurted, the words tripping over each other as your blush bloomed faster than your dignity could recover.
Xavier blinked, clearly amused, butâmercifullyâdidnât say a word.
You turned so quickly you nearly tripped on the hem of the dress, fumbling your way back into the dressing room with all the grace of a flustered Victorian heroine trying not to swoon.
Once inside, you let out a breath you didnât realize you were holding, pressing a hand to your burning cheek.
Outside, you could hear Xavier flipping pages in the catalog again, his calm voice murmuring something to the stylist.
No teasing. No smug follow-up.
Just⊠waiting. Patiently. Like heâd wait all day if you needed.
You stared at yourself in the mirror, then let out a very quiet, very overwhelmed laugh.
Yep. You were so doomed.
You stepped out in the second dress, holding your breath without meaning to. This oneâthis one felt different.
It wasnât over-the-top, but it shimmered just enough under the soft boutique lights, with delicate embroidery trailing down the bodice and a skirt that moved like you were floating.
Like a fairytaleâbut not the soft, gentle kind. More like Cinderella on crack, if she ditched the glass slipper for a knife in her garter and a comeback locked and loaded.
You felt powerful. Gorgeous. Slightly dangerous.
Xavier looked up the moment you stepped out, and for a moment, he didnât say anything at all.
Which, frankly, was worse than a compliment. Because he stared.
You shifted on your feet. âToo much?â
He stood slowly, eyes never leaving you. âNo,â he said, quietly. âItâs perfect.â
You felt your breath catch againâbecause somehow, he didnât say it like he was talking about the dress.
And suddenly, you werenât sure if you were ready to marry him⊠or fall headfirst in love with him.
Either way, you were spiraling.
Elegantly, of course. Like a fairytale heroine in heels.
Afterward, with the kind of effortless grace that should not be legal, Xavier handled everythingâhis posture composed, voice low as he spoke with the staff, arranging every last detail with calm precision.
You stood behind him, half-hidden near a rack of veils, watching the scene like you were in a slow-motion movie montage you hadnât signed up for.
He moved like someone born to command attention but never demanded itâunassuming, composed, elegant in the way only someone dangerous could be when they werenât trying.
And there he was, calmly signing forms and coordinating where to send your wedding dress, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Your wedding dress.
You, meanwhile, were standing there with your heart doing somersaults in your chest like it had zero survival instincts.
It wasnât just the way he looked doing it. It was the way he didnât look at you while doing itâas if this wasnât some grand gesture, but simply what he did.
Quietly take care of things. Gently, but without asking.
You pressed your hand over your chest as it fluttered againâannoyingly dramatic.
Yep.
This man was going to ruin you in the most inconveniently romantic way possible.
ââą
The night before the wedding, the world felt hushed. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that settled in your lungs and refused to leave.
Everyone else had retreatedâfamily fluttering with last-minute details, planners running over final checklists.
But you found yourself out on the balcony of the estate, the moon casting silver across the garden, soft and endless.
And Xavierâof courseâfound you there.
He didnât say anything at first. Just walked up quietly and stood beside you, his presence grounding in that calm, ever-steady way.
For a while, the silence felt enough. The good kind.
The kind that didnât need to be filled with nervous laughter or pointless words.
And then, you exhaled. âYou nervous?â
He glanced at you, then shook his head. âNot really.â
You smiled, eyes drifting down to your hands resting on the stone railing. âI thought Iâd be. But Iâm not.â
He tilted his head. âWhy not?â
You paused, biting your lip, unsure how to say it without sounding like a complete idiot.
âI thinkâŠâ You hesitated, then braved a glance at him. âI think I might actually like you. Like⊠really.â
Xavier looked at you, his expression unreadable at firstâbut then something shifted in his eyes. Softened.
He didnât speak right away, and for a split second, your heart lodged somewhere in your throat.
But thenâquietly, gentlyâhe said, âGood.â
You blinked. âGood? Thatâs it?â
He turned fully toward you, his voice lower now.
âBecause I think Iâve been liking you for a while now. I just didnât know how to say it without making it sound⊠heavier than it is.â
You stared at him, a warmth blooming deep in your chest.
âIt is kind of heavy,â you whispered.
âI know.â He reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from your face with a tenderness that made you still. âBut I donât mind carrying it.â
And under the silver night, with barely inches between you, that almost-confession settled between your hearts like a promiseâunspoken, quiet, but real.
The day of the wedding arrived with a kind of dreamlike hazeâeverything moving just a little too fast, yet not fast enough.
People buzzed around with clipped voices and half-screamed checklists, but all you could hear was the thud of your heartbeat as you stood behind the grand double doors, clutching your bouquet like it was the only thing tethering you to the earth.
Your dad stood beside you, his hand steady on your arm. âYou okay?â
You gave a weak nod. âYep. Totally fine. Just, you know⊠about to get married to a gorgeous secret agent Iâm pretty sure Iâm falling for. No big deal.â
He chuckled softly. âYouâve got this.â
You didnât answerânot because you didnât believe him, but because you were too busy trying not to throw up out of sheer romantic terror.
On the other side of the doors, Xavier stood at the altar.
Poised. Steady.
He wore a pale suit tailored within an inch of its life, silver hair catching the soft light from the stained glass above. And yet, despite the opulence around him, he looked only forwardâtoward the doors.
Toward you.
He wasnât smilingânot quite.
But his expression held that familiar softness, that calm warmth that only you seemed to bring out in him.
Like the world could be on fire and heâd still be there, waiting.
The music began.
Your hands tightened on the bouquet.
You met your fatherâs eyes, took a deep breathâ
And the doors slowly opened.
Warm golden light spilled into the chapel, catching on the soft fabric of your dress, the shimmer of the veil, the slight tremble in your hands.
Every pair of eyes turned toward youâbut you only looked at one.
Xavier.
The moment your gaze met his, the world seemed to still. The music faded to a low hum.
The pressure in your chest eased, just slightly.
He didnât look shocked or overwhelmed, didnât do anything dramatic.
He just breathed, like seeing you walk toward him was the most natural thing in the world.
But his eyesâhis eyes said everything.
There was awe there, yes, but also something gentler.
A quiet certainty.
Like heâd been waiting for you not just today, not just these past weeks, but his whole lifeâand only now realized it.
Your feet carried you forward, one step at a time, your father guiding you down the aisle, grounding you in each heartbeat.
You were aware of the petals scattered along the path, the subtle scent of white lilies in the air, the soft rustle of guests shifting in their seatsâbut none of it compared to the weight of Xavierâs gaze.
You finally reached him, hands trembling slightly as your father placed yours into Xavierâs.
Xavierâs fingers closed around yoursâwarm, steady, reverent.
âYou lookâŠâ he whispered, leaning just slightly toward you, enough for only you to hear, âlike you stepped right out of one of your stories.â
You smiled, despite the tears pricking the corners of your eyes.
âAnd you,â you whispered back, voice shaking, âlook like the ending I didnât dare write.â
He didnât smileâhe softened. Completely.
And as the ceremony began, as vows waited on the other side of breath and silence, you realized something profound.
