wc: 4.4k
pov: xavier x you
tags: heavy angst, slight fluff, slight mature content
warnings: major character death
18+ MDNI
It hurt.
Looking at her always hurt.
Xavier blinked slowly as he watched you walk towards him with two drinks in hand, grinning cheekily as you sat down next to him on the park bench. The sweet scent of your green apple shampoo wafted through the air, manipulating his senses and filling his thoughts exclusively with you.
15 minutes.
He’s been able to get 15 minutes with you alone every day during your breaks since he started at UNICORN two months ago, and he finds himself shamelessly gripping onto every last second. He stared at the way your eyelashes fluttered in the Spring breeze while a single strand of hair disobediently made its way across your face. He slightly chuckled as he watched you pout and try to blow it out of the way.
“Here, let me get that for you.”
A warm touch grazed against your forehead as he gently tucked your hair out of the way with a small smile, and deep down you hoped that he didn’t notice the way your ears were flaming up. You clear your throat and hand him his drink, the strawberry milkshake looking completely out of place with his Hunter uniform and it made you hold in a chuckle.
The arrival of Spring came abruptly, and with the harsh grasp of Winter finally loosening, you were looking forward to spending some more time with Xavier. It’s been a while since you’ve worked together but for some reason nobody seems to know much about him. He was quiet, fast, and hardworking. But he never shared anything else, anything extra, with anyone.
You snuck a peek at the boy sipping on his pink drink while looking up at the willow tree swaying above, and you couldn’t help but wonder everything about him. From his soft silver hair that was caught in the sunlight to his mesmerizing ocean eyes, you wanted to know so much more.
“So, Xavier.." you started carefully, "..got anything fun planned this weekend? Spring’s finally here, do you…maybe want to go see the cherry blossoms together?”
The boy turned to look into your eyes, his lips loosening from the straw and becoming agape, as if a little baffled but at the same time also processing your invitation. You gulped and quickly raised your hand up in defense before laughing awkwardly, “I-I mean, me and Tara are going to see them t-tomorrow! She told me I should invite you!” Why am I lying?!
You looked back into Xavier’s eyes nervously, getting a little lost in that clear blue before he finally spoke.
“No thanks, I..already have plans.” Xavier smiled, a gentle but polite smile, his gaze feeling unfamiliar as usual.
“A-ah..okay.“ you murmured, your heart sinking slightly.
Quietly sipping on your drinks without another word, the conversation seemingly reaching an abrupt end, and soon both your hunter watches rang to remind you it was time to get back to work. Xavier stood up first and reached his hand out to you, as if waiting for something. Looking up at him, you were slightly taken aback by this sudden friendly action. He continued to stare back at you and you couldn’t help but carefully put your hand in his, fingers barely coming in contact with his palm when he suddenly pulls away, rubbing the nape of his neck sheepishly as he looked to the side.
“I..just wanted to help you throw away your empty cup.”
You looked down at your empty drink and realizes what he meant, internally face-palming for being way over your head. What is the matter with you?!, you silently cursed to yourself as a wave of embarrassment rushed over you. You smiled awkwardly and handed over your empty cup, muttering a quiet “Thank you” before he walks a few steps towards the trashcan and threw it away.
The air was more silent than it should’ve been as you both walked back to the building, many times during this short five minute walk you wanted to say something to Xavier but you just couldn’t, the words eluded you, trapped behind your nervousness. Before you both knew it, you were back at the office and Tara runs to greet you, clinging onto your arm with a playful grin. “You’re finally back! Did you get me that sandwich I wanted?”
Xavier doesn’t say anything and walks by the both of you, throwing a polite smile in Tara’s way to greet her as he sits back down at his own desk, immediately diving back into his paperwork from that Wanderer attack earlier this morning.
Maybe next time I can ask him if he wants to do the paperwork together..
With Tara’s relentless chatter and meetings scheduled by Jenna, the day sped by faster than usual. You couldn’t help but constantly sneak peeks at Xavier throughout the day, as if practically dying for a chance to interact with him. Whether it was him getting up to refill his water, or rummaging through different files. Now it might be a bit ridiculous to say, but you feel as if there was an invisible string bounded between you and him, yet you couldn’t really pinpoint what it exactly was.
All you knew right now was that you had shamelessly fallen for the new guy, your heart was hopelessly entangled in feelings that felt both exhilarating and terrifying.
Xavier kicks off his worn sneakers and sinks down onto the couch, The night sky outside was like an ocean of darkness, studded with glittering stars that seemed to twinkle just for him. Despite the beauty of the cosmos spread there before him, his mind was fixed solely on one person. Leaning his head back, he took a deep breath as he held up his hand, tracing the spot on his palm where your fingers had brushed against his earlier that day, and a suffocating sensation began to bloom in his chest without warning, as if invisible fingers had reached out to tighten around his heart.
He wanted it.
He wanted to tell you everything, he wanted to look you in the eyes and tell you how you made him feel, how looking at you every time tugged on his heartstrings, how the sight of your smile swept him off his feet, how the sound of your laughter echoed in his ears like a melody, and how he wished he could tell you how much he loved you.
He loved you.
I love her. I love her so much. I wish I could-
The night breeze whistled outside, cutting through the silence like a gentle warning.
No..you can’t be selfish right now Xavier…You’re already close enough. You can’t be so greedy.
Oh, but he wants to be. He wants to be greedier, the yearning within him was insatiable. He wanted to be so, so much greedier. He wanted to run downstairs and hold you in his arms, to gently stroke your hair and tell you everything on his mind, to kiss you and to pour his heart out onto your lips until you both run out of breath, and most of all, he wanted to watch the stars with you again, to see your beautiful face illuminated underneath those twinkling lights as he holds you in his arms. Only this time, he’s not going to let you die.
He wanted it so bad. All of it. Every fleeting moment he could cling to, every laugh, every heartbeat, every last second that he can get, that he can salvage, with you.
But you can’t.
Xavier looked up at his living room shelf absentmindedly, an unmarked date glaring back at him from his calendar, a stark reminder that he forgot to mark his daily 'X' this morning.
This is my 214th Spring on Earth.
He glanced out at the balcony again, and suddenly the strong whistling of the wind subsided, as if the world around him was holding its breath, quieting down just for him.
And it will be my last.
You smiled as you snapped some more pictures for Tara, she was trying many different poses in front of the cherry blossom trees and seems like you suddenly beared the job of being her personal photographer. Tara squeals as she rushed over to you, immediately taking her phone so she can check the photos you took. Looking up at the pink flowers, Xavier’s face popped into your mind. You couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing at this moment.
Stop thinking about him! What is wrong with you?!
Accidentally groaning a bit too loud, Tara quips her brow at you in concern, “Are you okay?”
Embarrassed, you brush it off with a laugh. Claiming that you were probably just hungry. Tara rolled her eyes at you playfully and grabbed you by the arm, walking and talking at the same time, going on about this new restaurant that just opened near the park, and to be honest you weren’t so sure your head was there anymore after that.
All you remembered was watching the cherry blossoms float down slowly as Tara’s voice went on in the back of your mind, and a petal landed on your shoulder, but before you could grab it, it was swept away by the wind, drifting out of your sight before you could even begin to miss it.
That petal, so light and fleeting, inexplicably reminded you of Xavier. The sensation caught you off guard, and your heart sank for no reason.
Before you knew it, you were rambling out a scattered apology to a confused Tara, promising her that the next meal was on you before you ran in the opposite direction.
The direction of your home, of Xavier’s home.
Xavier was surprised to see you at his door, clutching onto your bag as a light sheen of sweat glistened on your forehead. For a moment, he faltered, unsure of what to say, but you broke the silence first.
“H-Hey.”
“…Hi.”
Staring at each other in silence, the air between you charged with an unspoken tension. Xavier leaned against his doorframe as he continued to blink at you, not really showing a sign of wanting to let you in. You licked your lips, “I-Um, I just wanted to check up on you.”
He tilted his head in confusion, that gorgeous silver hair cascading softly over his hooded eyes, “Check on me?”
Your heart raced at how ridiculous your concern sounded. It sounded insane, you knew it did, but you couldn’t shake off the feeling that rose upon you when that petal fell on your shoulder. Whether you were being crazy or not, seeing Xavier in his white t-shirt and plaid pajama pants still gave you a sense of relief.
“Yeah..um…my w-watch reported there were some Wanderers around the area.” Seriously?
Xavier raised a brow, a hint of skepticism in his gaze as he crossed his arms while you kept talking.
“So I’m just making sure y-you’re okay.” Seriously?!
Looking up, you were able to catch that flash of amusement from his eyes before it was gone. Your cheeks started feeling hot, a bit mortified by how unnecessary this all seemed, and you knew you needed to escape from this embarrassing moment now or else you’d never let yourself live this down.
Clearing your throat, you stood up straight, “A-anyways, it seems like everything is fine here so I’ll just be goin-“
“Want to come in?”
You don’t know how you got here, but one moment you were both flustering over a simple touch on his palm, and now he has you pinned beneath him while he’s kissing down your neck.
Holy shit, is this really happening?
Xavier’s lips were like feathers gliding against your skin, the gentleness was enough to drive you insane and wanting more. He placed a final kiss on the end of your collarbone before coming back up, his beautiful sapphire eyes gleaming back at you. There was a moment of silence before you let all sane thoughts abandon your mind and you grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, pulling him in for a deep kiss.
He smelled like the cherry blossoms, and while he pulled away to take off his shirt, all you could think about was chasing after his lips again as you pulled him back in urgently. His surprised chuckle didn’t go unnoticed before it was eaten up by your lips.
It felt familiar. The way he smelled and the way he felt against your touch, it was all too familiar. Why?
Xavier’s hand gliding up your thighs erased away any last thoughts from you, his breaths felt ticklish against your cheeks as he buried his body closer to yours, whispering incoherent love poems beside your ear.
That night felt so long, but you weren’t complaining. Each heavy breath and gentle whisper was etched into both of your souls and you know you’d never forget about today. As you lay there in Xavier’s arms, you couldn’t help but trace your finger across his face. Starting from his eyebrows to his long eyelashes, and finally his puffy lips, and you giggled to yourself as you remembered how hard you were kissing and nibbling on them earlier.
You quickly retreated your hand as you felt him shift, letting out a small groan in his sleep when he suddenly pulled you closer, you blush at the feeling of being bare against each other. It was so intimate, so intense, so full of love.
I love you, Xavier.
As he held you tight in his arms, you leaned into his warm chest, his steady heartbeat as if singing a lullaby into your ears, eventually pulled you away to a night of deep sleep.
It’s been 57 days since you and Xavier started dating.
Every moment together felt like pure ecstasy, like it was a movie, a fever dream, and sometimes you would wake up in the middle of the night thinking none of it was real. But in those fleeting moments of doubt, the comforting warmth of Xavier's embrace would envelop you. His strong arms would pull you into a cocoon of safety, and his face, nuzzling against your hair, would assure you that everything was okay.
You don’t know why you were so worried about losing him, nothing bad has even happened, but you couldn’t shake off this dark feeling that loomed over your head every single day that Xavier was going to be taken away from you.
In these 57 days, you’ve both done so much together.
You still remember the way he shocked both you and the waiter by eating over 10 plates of sliced beef at his favorite hot-pot restaurant, or when he surprised you by playing a beautiful song on his piano during your one month anniversary, his fingers dancing gracefully over the black and white keys like he was born to be this perfect.
And how can you forget when he almost blew up the kitchen because he wanted to bake egg tarts for you? You still remember the sheer horror on his face, mixed with a hint of panic as flour flew everywhere while the oven continuously beeped back at him, and it made you laugh until your sides ached.
But maybe one of the most significant moments of all, was that you’ll never forget the day when he handed you a small box with a silver key lying inside.
“What is this?” You looked at him teasingly.
“It’s a key,” His cheeks filled with a rosy pink as he smiled, shyly rubbed his neck, “to my apartment.” The meaning behind that simple gesture resonated deeply with you, a promise wrapped in trust and intimacy.
You also remember the day you finally dragged him to see the cherry blossoms together, and laughed when the petals were all landing on his head, as if the wind that day heavily disagreed with him. He would relish in the sound of your laughter, he would hold you in his arms as he kissed you dearly, and he would gently soothe you to sleep underneath the shade.
Spring was a beautiful season, fleetingly beautiful, filled with the soft aroma of flowers and the gentle breeze, the warm sun and the sound of willow trees rustling, and the burning, blooming love of you and Xavier.
All you knew at that moment was that you wanted to spend all of your Springs— no, every single season together, forever.
2:31 A.M.
Xavier groggily opened his eyes, he instinctively checked the space next to him first and his gaze softened as he saw your bare back facing him. He leans in to plant a chaste kiss on your shoulder blade before pulling back, almost unwillingly. As he slowly rose from the bed, every movement felt heavy, weighted with the shadows of the impending reality。 He grabbed his phone and walked out of the bedroom, making sure to close the door gently to prevent from waking you up.
He sees texts from Jeremiah flash across the screen, rubbing his eyes to shake off the remnants of sleep, he finally gets a clear look at what it says.
He knew this day was coming, he always did, even Jeremiah, and they both knew now that there was no way to stop it.
Looking up at the shelf in his living room, his eyes stared directly at the date that was circled with a red marker.
It’s here. I can’t drag it on anymore.
Xavier took a deep breath and closed his eyes, he could feel the life being slowly sucked out of him, and as much as he and Jeremiah have been trying to figure out a solution to this problem for the past 214 years, seems like at the end it was still inevitable.
He was dying, yet all he could think about was you.
His mind raced, engulfed by images of shared memories, the silhouette of your back when you’re trying to save his kitchen disasters, the way you would gently treat his wounds when he got hurt during a mission, and how beautiful you looked underneath the moonlight when he holds you in his arms.
Xavier knew he fucked up. From the moment he invited you in he knew he fucked up. If he didn’t let his selfishness take over him, if he didn’t get close to you, if he could’ve kept his distance, maybe this would’ve all been a lot easier.
For you? Or for himself?
He gripped the edge of his shirt tightly, knuckles turning white, and a heavy tear lands on his lap.
But he loved you so much.
Fuck, he loved you so much.
His body caved inwards as he trembled, burying his face into his hands as he gasped out soft sobs. His vision becoming blurry with hot tears as they kept falling.
Look at yourself, crying, as if you didn’t bring this upon yourself.
Xavier tries to roughly wipe away the tears that fall out but he can’t stop it fast enough. He finally manages to catch his breath and looks up at the clock, it was almost time.
He couldn’t help but look in the way of his bedroom, thinking about how you were going to react when you wake up and he isn’t there, when you habitually reach over for that warm embrace and he won’t be there to give it to you. Xavier’s eyes teared up again but he quickly wiped it away.
You gotta go Xavier.
He stands up to grab his jacket but froze when he hears a soft voice.
“Xavier?”
There you were, standing sleepily behind the couch, footsteps so gentle that even he didn’t notice. His eyes widened at your sudden appearance, slightly dumbfounded, standing there with his jacket in one hand not knowing exactly what to do.
“Where are you going?”
He continued to look at you in the dark, not daring to utter a word. The only source of light was the moon shining in from outside, and he gripped his jacket tightly in his hand as he tries to make out your features.
“Is everything okay?”
You started to move closer to him and blinked when he seemed to move back.
“Xavier?”
The sleepiness started to slowly slip away when you realized that something was wrong. You tried to make out his facial expressions but he was stepping so far back from you that it was impossible. Finally taking big steps, you walked up to Xavier standing in the dark alone and cupped his face.
It’s..wet? He was crying?
“Xavier.” You called out to him again, “Xavier, what’s wrong?”
Silence.
“Xavier, don’t scare me.” You croaked out, and suddenly tears were unknowingly flowing down your face as well.
“Xavier!”
He suddenly pulls you into a tight embrace, as if the air was knocked out your lungs, as if he was holding on for dear life.
“I’m so s-sorry…” He gasped out, wet tears staining your hair as he hugged you tighter without another word.
When you both finally stopped crying, he brought you out to the balcony and draped a blanket over you both as he finally told you everything. About a planet called Philos, about that strange guy from the flower shop, about rebirth, and about how old he really was, who he really was.
It was a lot of information to grasp at once, but you listened to him, you held onto his hand tight and listened to him. He continued to explain that by being so far away from Philos, his immortal life force is being drained away slowly by the hour ever since he first arrived on Earth, and very soon his heart will stop beating altogether.
“S-so, you’re going to d-die?”
The words seemed like a joke coming out of your mouth, as if this was all a funny prank and that any moment now he would laugh his perfect laugh and tell you that everything was going to be alright.
It wasn’t.
“We tried everything.” Xavier whispers, holding you tighter against him, “Jeremiah and I…we tried everything we could think of for the past 214 years.”
The night sky was quiet, as if even the wind knew about his demise.
“I never meant to get so close to you.” Xavier said as his hands trembled, he looked down as if in shame, “I’m sorry I brought you into this. I should’ve known better, I-I couldn’t control myself, I’m s-sorry, I’m so so sorry,” He hiccupped, “I couldn’t help it, I love you so m-much. God, I love you so much. I love you so fucking much.”
Tears started to well in your eyes and Xavier quickly reached out to wipe them away, you close your eyes and hold onto his hand, leaning your wet cheeks into it and gripping onto his warm fingers as tightly as you can because you know very soon you will never feel them again.
“How much more time do we have?” You whispered.
Xavier’s gaze met yours, a mix of pain and resignation in his eyes, “Maybe 10—, 15 minutes at the most.” He can feel his body slowly becoming weak, his hand losing their grip, and his eyes starting to feel heavy.
You reached out to cup his face, your fingertips tracing the contours of his cheek as tears brimmed in your eyes, unable to stop the quiet sobs that whimpered out. You held him in your arms and felt him lean his head against yours. The stars overhead twinkled in the night sky, but they felt dimmer now, overshadowed by the heaviness in both your hearts. Xavier tries his best to muster a smile at you, the same smile that showered you with feathery kisses underneath those cherry trees, the same smile that eventually turned into hearty laughs as you played games together on Saturday afternoons, and the same smile that pressed against your forehead when he said “I love you” for the first time.
My star, you’re losing your light so fast.
Please, please don’t take him away from me so fast. Please.
You silently begged, you're not even sure to who, —fate, the cosmos, or something or someone even higher—to address your desperate wishes, and you begged and begged and begged that you could have one more moment, one more minute, even if it’s just one more precious second with him.
To be able to laugh with him underneath those cherry blossoms again, to see his confused and annoyed face when he pulls out another batch of burnt cookies, to hear him whisper sweet nothings into you ear, to hear him say “I love you” again. You would do anything for another moment.
You closed your eyes, hiding from the reality that threatened to break you into pieces as you felt his grip loosen around your hand more and more, you were too scared to look yet you were also too afraid to let go. You clutched onto his hands as tightly as you could, tears dropping onto the backs of your intertwined skin as you continued to cry.
“I….love…you.”
The words slipped from his lips like fragile whispers. You turned your head and looked at Xavier, his skin was gradually losing its glow and his shining eyes began to dull. As if gathering up all the energy he had, he whispered again.
“I love…you..so..m-much..”
Your vision blurred under the weight of your tears as you cupped his face, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his cold lips. Hot tears were streaming down your face and escaping into your mouth, mixing with the bitterness of reality, each droplet a poignant reminder that this was all too real— that Xavier was slipping away.
“I love you too. So, so much.” You sobbed out.
But it was already too late.
Xavier’s lifeless body leaned heavily against you, his head slumping over your shoulder as you cried and cried and cried, the sound echoing in the stillness of the night hauntingly. You wrapped your hands around his waist tightly and kept crying, until your eyes started to burn, until your tears soaked through his shirt, until his entire body started to feel cold.
My star.
You hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go for even a second as you continued to cry.
Spring will come again, my star.
You pressed a long kiss against his ear, whispering a final “I love you.”
word count: 5.2k
pov: caleb & zayne x female (afab) reader
♡ : Caleb and Zayne both cant sit still after you attended your first college party. You're not sure why they're always so on edge about you having some fun, its not like anything bad is going to happen — right?
tags: college/frat party au + you are kindaaaaa intoxicated + mentions & use of weed/alcohol + evol usage + cursing + maybe a bit of ooc at times but its no biggie + is there even a plot??? + smut coming up next chapter beware
note: finally the long awaited caleb and zayne story is here *nosebleed* writers block is real because why did this take me almost 2 days to write...anyways i have never written a 3 way story before and tbh i was so faded for the most part writing this so i genuinely hope it doesnt suckdjsnfds i hope its good and that u guys like it! i did not proofread so pls forgive me and pt.2 will be coming up soon!
enjoy as usual :)
Part 2 (m)
Sunday . Jan 1
7:31 A.M
You groan in annoyance at the loud blaring alarm echoing throughout the room. You flail your arm around the bed blindly, reaching for your vibrating phone before hastily shutting it off. The sun was shinning in through the window already but your eyes refused to open. As if the brightness and dry throat wasn't enough of a nuisance, your stomach started growling too.
What the hell even happened last night?
A sharp pain hits you in the head as you try to think back and it makes you wince, you try to get up from the bed to get a glass of water and you freeze when you suddenly feel warm skin touching your fingers. Slowly opening your eyes, you let out a shriek when you see the person laying in bed with you.
"What the FUCK?!"
.
.
.
Saturday . Dec 31
10:32 P.M
Humming along to the music blasting loudly on the phone, you frantically find a pair of dangling pearl earrings and put it on in front of the mirror. You were way late for the annual New Year's party but it is cooler to show up late, right?
"Come on, we're so late! Are you ready?"
"Coming!!"
You grin as the earrings behave well today and you were able to put them on with ease. Reaching for your lip gloss, you re-apply it onto your lips and made sure your makeup looked perfect. You quickly grab your things and shove them inside your small purse before checking your outfit one last time in the mirror and rush out of your room. Lea; your roommate, was already standing by the foyer with her shoes on and she urgently rushes you as you struggle to put on your boots. She smiles slyly as she texts someone on her phone, "Nick said there's a ton of hot guys there tonight for us," she looks at you with a playful glint in her eyes, "maybe it's about time you mess around with someone before we graduat- hey!" She pouts and rubs her arm at your soft punch, cutting off her words. You finish tying up the laces on your boots and stand up straight to look at her, raising a brow.
"No thanks, after 4 years here I think I've seen it all." you sneered.
You made sure all the lights were closed before walking ahead of Lea, checking your phone to make sure that the cab you called was downstairs. A text pops up at the top and you click into it, using your other hand to press the elevator button.
From: Caleb
hey you arrive at the party yet?
Before you can even respond, another text vibrates in.
From: Caleb
when will you be back?
And followed by multiple more..
From: Caleb
make sure you get home by 12
dont drink too much
youre not wearing too little are you?
let me see what youre wearing
are you going with any guys?
rmbr to text me when you arrive
You rolled your eyes at his texts, he is always like this, you thought to yourself. Its the last year of college and you've spent so much time studying and focusing on classes that you never had the chance to attend an actual party before. When Lea invited you this year, you couldn't help but feel the thrill of going, maybe it was being rebellious? Now you regret even letting Caleb know about it.
You send him a quick reply back before shoving your phone into your purse for the night.
I'm not a little kid anymore, stop bugging me!
.
.
.
10:48 P.M
Caleb furrows his brows as he stared long at your reply, pursing his lips in annoyance as his eyes practically drilled into the screen. He wanted to call you and give you another nagging before he stopped himself and sighed in defeat, instead he opened up an app on his phone and watches as the tiny blue dot on his screen move at a fast speed towards your campus.
So she called a cab, huh?
He lays back on his hotel bed with one arm on the back of his head as he continued to watch your movement on the map. He didn't tell you that he was back in Linkon for a week but he thought it was better to not let you know yet, especially not when just two weeks ago you both got into an argument about finals.
"She better not get wasted."
.
.
.
11:02 P.M
The loud music blaring out from the stereos banged on your eardrums as you walked in. The annual New Year's party was always held in the Kappa House by President Nick, who was close friends with Lea. The blue and purple lights glimmer in the dark house as the sounds of music, yelling, and laughing drown out your thoughts.
"You guys finally made it!"
A deep voice greets you and Lea from the shadows as Nick emerges from the crowd of people dancing against each other, running his hand through his ash blonde hair to see better. He grins and pushes two red cups into our hands, the room was too dark to make out what color the liquid was but it smelled like oranges and you can hear the bubbling fizz. Nick and Lea hug each other while he cracks some witty joke about her outfit before he turns to look at you, holding out his hand.
"Hey! Welcome to the party."
You smile sheepishly and shake his hand in return, ears glowing red as you realize you knew nobody at this party besides Lea and had no idea what you should even be doing right now. The nervousness gets the best of you and before you can think coherently you take a big swig of the drink in your hand, emptying the cup. The liquid burns your throat as you let it flow down, the orange flavor lingers faintly as it flows back up to your nose at the same time. Nick hollers loudly which induces the others around him to do the same and he laughs before quickly replacing the empty cup in your hand for another full one, except it felt heavier this time. Where is he pulling out the god damn drinks from?!
"Damn, Lea! Your girl knows how to drink!" Nick looks at you in awe with an impressed smile stretched across his face. Lea looks at you in surprise before laughing too, hanging her arm around your shoulder with a grin.
"Well, she is here to have fun tonight. Lead the way Nick."
You glare at Lea but before you can protest, Nick guides the both of you through the crowd of the big house, it was your first time seeing the inside of this place and you couldn't help but stare in awe. The high ceilings seemed so out of reach, and the big white marble imperial staircase complimented the red and golden decorations hugging the pillars around it. You were taken out of your thoughts when Nick brought you both into a different section of the house, there was a large U-shaped black sectional sofa in the middle with a black stained glass coffee table to match. You held onto Lea tighter on the arm as the shyness slowly creeps up your body, watching as Nick introduced the both of you to the people who were already sitting there, seemingly playing some sort of drinking game.
"You guys have fun, I'll see you around." Nick hugs the both of you with one arm before disappearing into the crowd again.
You follow Lea and sit down on the edge of the sofa, your palms started to sweat as thoughts ran wild in your head which made you clutch your drink even tighter
What do I do now?
What game are they playing?
What if I say the wrong thing?
Where is the bathroom?
A tap on your shoulder brings you back to reality, you realize the boy next to you was looking at you with a warm smile. His soft black hair almost draping over his eyes and you notice he has a dimple imprinted on the left side of his cheek
"Hey, first time here?"
You nodded in embarrassment and lick your lips, "How'd you know?".
The boy chuckles and stares back at you with a smug glint in his eyes, "I've been to all of Nick's parties. Never seen you before." He rests his cheek in his hand as he props it on his thigh, smiling up at you. Your face flush red and it edges you to take another sip of your drink. The same burning sensation hitting you again and it makes you clear your throat, the boy chuckles softly at your reaction before sitting up sluggishly.
"My name's Aiden."
He holds out his hand and you shake it quickly while also introducing yourself, hoping he doesn't feel the lingering sweat from your hands. You look to your other side and realize Lea has already moved herself to the opposite end of the sofa, making herself comfortable next to a tall muscular boy who was in a black tank top. You glared at her for leaving you alone and she smiles sheepishly and mouths Sorry before quickly adverting your gaze and goes back to talking to the boy.
She never changes, you retort to yourself as you recall all the times she would stumble back to the apartment drunk with a guy every two nights.
You shuffle your body on the sofa trying to get more comfortable but you know it's useless. The nerves buzzing in your body was uncontrollable and it didn't help that your bloodstream was already being slowly filled up by alcohol, or at least you hope it's just alcohol.
Aiden raises a brow at you as he watches before holding out his own cup and clinks it against yours, the sensation of his fingers bumping against yours gets your attention back.
"Cheers." he grins.
He drinks all the liquid in his cup in one go before letting out a satisfied ahh sound. You nibble on the bottom of your lip before also emptying your own cup with your eyes shut close. The haze felt heavier now but the liquid was starting to taste better and easier to take in. You look up at him and sees him leaning closer to you, his breath almost hitting your skin as his silver eyes peered hotly into your soul.
"Let's get another?"
You blink in a trance and give him a small nod as he grabs a hold of your hand, making sure to guide you and your wobbling legs to the bar area. His touch was warm and the cold feeling of his silver rings pressing against your palm evened out the sensation.
Little did you know, your phone was vibrating off continuously in the depths of your purse.
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11:49 P.M
The twitch in Caleb's eye doesn't go unnoticed as he grips the phone tightly, eyes practically glued to the screen as all his texts are left on 'Delivered'. He inhales a sharp breath before standing up and throwing on his coat, grabbing his car keys on the way as he leaves the hotel room. He really wanted to let you have your fun tonight, and give you your space, he really did, all you had to do was answer his texts. Or pick up his calls. How can he not worry about you? You brought this all onto yourself.
The elevator doesn't come fast enough as Caleb rapidly presses the button, as if that will magically make it arrive quicker. His brows stay furrowed as he steps in and hits for the Parking Lot.
10 minutes. He thought to himself, that's how long it'll take for him to ride to your campus, pick you up, and drop you back home. He checks his phone again to make sure your location was still at the same place before shoving it into his pockets, he takes in a deep breath before walking out of the elevator in stride steps. Remembering where he was last parked, Caleb inserts and twists his key and hears the engine roaring to life loudly before quickly speeding off.
.
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11:52 P.M
You're not sure how many drinks you've had up to this point because the buzzing in your body and brain was really hard to ignore now. It definitely didn't help that you took such a long drag of the joint that was passed to you by Aiden earlier, claiming that it will help you feel better from the constant urge to hurl. You eyes were clouded by all of the smoke floating in the room and you stumbled slightly over the empty cups on the floor as you tried to navigate out of the crowd.
So hot..hot..
The insane urge to get some fresh air overtook you like no other and eventually, you don't even know how, you were able to successfully slip out of the crowd and onto the front porch of the Kappa house. You wobble hazily to the nearest bench and sat down, burying your face into your hands as you groaned in embarrassment. Great job, just great. First party ever and you get shitfaced like this? God you are so embarassin-
A loud rattling noise catches your attention and you look up to see Aiden walking towards you with a red cup in his hand, his red and white varsity jacket swaying with the winter gust that passes by. You immediately hold up both your hands in defeat while shaking your head.
"Oh no, I can't anymor-"
"It's water." he teases.
You feel your cheeks start to burn up, you grin sheepishly and takes the cup from him as you mutter a low 'thank you'. You take a sip and closes your eyes in relief as the icy sensation cools down your entire body. Aiden sits down next to you and you naturally scoot to the side a bit to make room for him.
"You feeling alright?"
You nod quickly and flash him a small smile, taking another sip of the water. Aiden shifts next to you and suddenly his jacket is on your back. You blink at him in confusion and he grins warmly, moving a little closer to you without realizing.
"Your dress is barely covering you." He quips as lean close.
"Ah—thank you." You were slowly starting to feel the chilliness hit you in the bones, thank god you were wearing those fleece tights otherwise the cold might make you pass out first before the alcohol does. The sky was dark and you swore you could see some stars twinkling behind the shadows but the lights glowing out from the big house made it impossible to catch. You hear cheering coming in from inside along with a bunch of different voices screaming about a countdown.
"I guess it's almost the New Year." Aiden doesn't look away from you as he speaks, propping his hand behind him and leaning backwards slightly. "Should we kiss?"
You choke on the water and cough non-stop, you look at him with wide eyes trying to register what he just said. Aiden laughs and pats your back, but the next second his arm was resting on your shoulder and it was pulling you closer. Your fingers gripped the cup tightly and you gulp nervously. Aiden is pretty cute, you thought to yourself as you stared at his lips, imagining how soft it will probably feel against your own.
"5!"
It's not wrong to kiss him..right?
"4!"
It won't mean anything.
"3!"
His breath was mixed with the scents of orange and musk, it felt weirdly warm.
"2! —"
The countdown noises along with the intoxicating scent of his perfume drowned out all your last rational thoughts, and as you gradually close your eyes too you hear a startled 'what the fuck?!' and the next thing you knew, Aiden had his entire back slammed against the pillar across from the bench. You gasp and quickly got up to help him, he grunts in pain as he tries his best to stand up, "what the fuck was that?" he hissed as he looked left and right for the culprit, only for a deep voice to send a chill down both of your spines.
"You picked the wrong fucking girl."
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12:13 A.M
The air was so thick that it was starting to become suffocating.
You pick at the skin on your fingers as you bit your bottom lip, not daring to look away from the window even though you were clearly not admiring the view outside at all.
Usually, he was never this...quiet. You've annoyed and pestered and got on his last nerve lord knows how many times, but you can tell it was different this time. You can't help but think back to how he practically dragged you off the campus grounds, how he was able to spot your purse sitting on the sofa amidst the crowd inside and send it flying into his hands, how his dark eyes glared at Aiden and with the flick of his fingers; threw Aiden's jacket off your back and onto the boy's own face, and how he didn't say a single word as he made you get into the passenger seat of his car and locked the doors. You scoffed as you thought back on it, since when did his temper get so bad?
But deep down, you knew you should've replied to his texts, or at least let him know you were okay after such a long time. You chewed on your lip as you sneaked a glance at him driving with his brows furrowed, but you were just having fun! Who stays glued to their phone at a party? When did he even come to Linkon? And why's he being such a dick?!
All the thoughts swirling in your mind makes you let out a dissatisfied grunt and you wince before you could catch yourself. A sharp turn was made that makes you shift in your seat before Caleb puts the car in park and sits there in silence as the engine died down. You could hear both your heavy breaths echo through the car (although you can't lie, most of it was probably coming from you) as you struggle to keep your eyes open with the alcohol pumping through your veins. The silence was starting to become deafening and you decided to break the bubble first, unable to let this odd feeling linger any longer.
"Okay. Well. Thanks for driving me back."
He doesn't give you a response at all and you can see the heaving of his chest as he grips tightly onto the steering wheel, his knuckles turning pale. You press your lips into a thin line at the loss of any indication that he wanted to speak before unbuckling your seat belt, "see you then— "
"Who was he?"
Your hands froze as his raspy voice finally spoke barely holding in the angry hiss that threatens to spill. A response was caught in your throat and you felt weirdly guilty of something, as if everything you did tonight was a crime.
"Who?"
The big inhale he took at your response made you smirk for some reason, you knew it was wrong to mess with him right now, but he can blame it on the alcohol if he really wants to. Besides, who does this to someone that's barely conscious?!
"You know who." he grits through his teeth.
"Oh, just some guy I met at the p-party." you grunt, why am I stuttering?!
Caleb finally turns to look at you, his gaze slowly softening even though he tried to stay angry. How could he? You were flushed across the face from the cold and alcohol, that burgundy and white laced dress was barely covering your legs, and he can't help but feel the drowsiness radiating off of you. He places his hands on the headrest of your seat and leans in, noticing the way your fingers started to timidly pick at each other.
"So you just go around kissing anyone now?"
You don't reply at first, his tone dripping with snark and tease and it just made you fumble in your seat more. You don't turn to look at him but his eyes were definitely piercing into the side of your face at this moment.
"College has made you brave, hasn't it?"
He scoffed when he realized you weren't going to respond, he leans back and pulls out his car keys before stepping out. You watch through the window nervously as Caleb makes his way to the other side and opens the car door, kneeling down with his back faced towards you. You sniffled, "I-I can walk on my own just f-fine." A hiccup escapes your lips and you can't ignore the chuckle that comes from Caleb.
"Get on, I'll carry you upstairs and go."
What were you so nervous for? Caleb used to give you piggyback rides all the time, why was it so hard to get on right now? Was it really all the alcohol's fault?
Nevertheless, with no other option you groggily grab your purse and slowly pace yourself as you gripped onto Caleb's jacket. He peeks at you and reaches out behind him to grab your legs to help you get on him quicker.
So warm...
Caleb's body was like a human furnace radiating right against you and suddenly the Winter breeze was not so bad anymore, you sigh in content and nuzzles into his back comfortably as you close your eyes. You certainly missed this. While holding onto Caleb's neck as best as you can, you hear him close the door behind you and locking the car before he starts walking into your building. While waiting for the elevator, Caleb turns his head to check on you only to realize you were starting to doze off.
He sighs, trying to nudge you a little, "Hey, how much did you drink?"
"Idontknowimsotiredshdjfngmh.." You can only let out incoherent mumbles as the drowsiness takes over you bit by bit, you shut you eyes to avoid any more questions because if Caleb finds out about the joint you took a puff out of he would definitely never let you hear the end of it. You both quietly make it up to your floor without anymore questions, he carries you with ease down the hallway until someone suddenly calls out to him.
"Caleb?"
The sound makes you lift your head up as well, with puzzled eyes you struggle to see past Caleb's body to see who it was but Caleb holds onto you a little bit tighter, you can feel his fingers gripping deeper into your thighs.
"What are you doing here?"
"I can ask you the same thing."
You try to look past Caleb's shoulder, "Who is it?" you mumbled.
Standing right outside your door was no one other than Zayne. Your head was trying to race back to why he would be here, but the buzzing came back every time you tried to think. His tall body was frigid as he scanned you and Caleb both up and down with a questionable look in his eye. Realizing you were at your front door, you lightly struggled off of Caleb's back and landed on the floor, almost face planting to the ground until both men lunged forward to grab you.
"What did you do to her?"
"Wha— me?!"
"Who else is here?"
You hear Caleb scoff in disbelief at Zayne's stern voice, the way he immediately accused him was just like the old days. He hasn't changed at all.
"What are you even doing here?" Caleb raised an eyebrow and crosses his arms, throwing a question back at Zayne.
"I was just — It's none of your business."
You looked back and forth between both men with barely opened eyes, they were standing closer and closer to each other and you can feel the iciness raise a little bit in the small hallway. You shake your head and quickly come between the two, cutting past them both and pressing your thumb on the keypad to swiftly unlock the door and stumbling in. You hear their movements behind you, following you in while still bickering as if they also lived here.
"Shouldn't you be in Skyhaven?"
"Well, shouldn't you be busy studying for your Doctorate?"
"I asked you first."
"I asked you first."
You furrowed your brows as you kicked your boots off and slip into your home slippers, tossing your purse on the cabinet at the foyer, their constant whispering and arguing was about to make your head explode.
"Can you guys stop?!"
Caleb and Zayne stops talking immediately, however they continue to glare at each other like children as they also slide their shoes off at the entrance. You look at them both with hands on your hips, tilting your head at them in confusion. "What is this? A sleepover?"
Caleb clears his throat, "Just want to make sure you're okay before —"
"Happy New Year. I brough you some sweets, as promised."
Caleb shoots Zayne another sour glare for cutting him off, you both look down and didn't realize the small pink bag Zayne was holding until now. You had almost forgot about the conversation you had with Zayne yesterday and how upset you were when that new dessert shop was sold out of their newly released chocolate cake. It was all coming back to you slowly now as you rubbed the bridge of your nose.
"I—I didn't know you would come tonight, you could've called first."
"I did. At 11 P.M. When I got off work."
Zayne's fast and straightforward answer throws you off a little bit, face reddening with embarrassment when you realize it was you who haven't checked their phone all night long. You clear you throat before taking the small bag from Zayne, "Thanks."
The air was so eerily quiet, with nobody saying a word you had to break the silence once again. "Do you..do you guys want to have some together?" You hold up the small bag and looks at the both of them for an answer. Caleb and Zayne both turn to look at each other, they clearly did not expect the company of the other. You sighed in exasperation at their childish behavior and walks to the kitchen, taking out three plates and forks while ignoring them.
"Kitchen. Cake. Now. Before I kick the both of you out."
You rolled your eyes as they both walked in, slightly nudging against each other, was it a form of dominance or just being pure childish? You didn't even want to know. You take the cake out of the bag and couldn't help but admire the beautiful chocolatey goodness in front of your eyes. You've been craving this cake ever since the bakery released it but due to finals and studying you never really had the chance to step off campus to try it. Grabbing the plastic knife it came with, you eagerly cut into it and messily take out three individual slices for each of you. Zayne walks up behind you and opens up the upper cabinet to take out a glass and pours you some water while Caleb gawks at him in bewilderment, how did he even know where that was? Has he been here before?!
Zayne offers you the water, "Drink before you eat that. You look like you've drank a lot tonight." You can't resist his endearing gaze and takes a sip of the water before Zayne's suddenly patting your head with a smile, "Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, she had some real fun alright." Caleb sneers as he leaned against the kitchen island with his arms crossed, whispering to himself underneath his breath, "if you consider kissing random guys fun.."
You shoot Caleb another chagrined glare which makes him jump a bit but he holds his pose, you turn your attention back to Zayne, "I had fun. Thanks for asking Zayne." You smiled at him the best you can, you were probably 80% drunk and faded at this point and is almost losing control of your facial expressions so you pray you didn't look like an idiot. You set the glass down and digs out a slice of the chocolate cake with your fork before trying it, the thick sweetness spreads quickly on your tongue and you moan in content. This was definitely what you needed after all that heavy drinking and the bitter taste left behind by the never-ending clouds of smokes swirling around in the Kappa house. You went for another bite right away, completely ignoring the two men standing near you. Zayne clears his throat, "Caleb, don't you have to be back in Skyhaven?"
"I'm not going anywhere. Who's going to take care of her then?" Caleb says.
"I'm here now." Zayne retorts back.
The stare down is happening again, are they 5 years old fighting over the last toy train? They used to get along just fine when we were younger. However, your thoughts were snapped back into reality when Zayne inches close, his eyes fixed on you as he looks down.
"How's the cake? Good?"
You gulp down the pieces as you eat and you nod, emitting a low chuckle from Zayne as he nudges the water glass towards you again. "Drink more water, slow down."
Caleb lets out an annoyed grumble before picking up his fork and trying the cake as well, he silently chews as he continues to stare at you and Zayne, eyes slightly twitching watching the two of you standing so close.
"Don't I get a glass of water too, Dr. Zayne?" Caleb asks sarcastically, slicing through the mood.
He wasn't annoyed at Zayne being here, oh no, he was more annoyed at how fluid and easy it was for Zayne to navigate and know where things belonged in your house compared to him. He's definitely been here before. Zayne's eyes turn into slits as he grabbed a glass for Caleb and poured water in it as well, you can see his Evol crackling around the glass as he grips it, making it colder.
"Here— "
Zayne nudges the glass towards Caleb while the latter secretly rolled his eyes.
"—And I'm not a doctor yet." Zayne corrects him.
"Well, you're gonna be anyway. That was just my way of congratulating you early." Caleb says.
Zayne has graduated college a few years ago before Caleb and has been studying hard to get his Doctorate so he can be official. You frown thinking about the amount of work he must have to do everyday, and yet he was still able to get you the dessert you wanted at such a late hour. You stare at his side profile as he and Caleb starts bickering, again, and you silently admire the jet black hair that wasn't styled today, the way his sharp jawline flowed so perfectly on his face, and the curve of his pretty lips as you wonder if he's any good in kissing. Your brain was getting jumbled up again yet you bit your lip unconsciously.
Zayne: GALEN - a Roman & Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher. The name also means "calm" and "tranquil".
Caleb: PERSES - the son of Titan Crius and Eurybia, he is the god of destruction. The name also means "to sack", "to ravage" and "to destroy".
Sylus: TARTARUS - the deepest region of the world, where the wicked and Titans were locked up. It is the lowest point of the universe, located below the Underworld.
Xavier: HERMIT - the word comes from Greek word eremites, which means "one of the desert". The Hermit also means "introspection" and "solitude".
Rafayel: TAMINO - refers to a character from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. Tamino is a prince who is lost in a foreign land and being pursued by a monster, he eventually falls in love with the daughter of the Queen of the Night.
IDENTITY/RUMOR:
Zayne: WARDEN - Nobody gets to walk out of his prison. Not when they are alive, at least.
Caleb: COUNCILMAN - He is an ambitious politician who is eyeing the entire city.
Sylus: MYSTERIOUS ASSASIN - You better have your last words ready before this man knocks on your door.
Xavier: EX-ENFORCER - Danger often hides behind the softest eyes and the sharpest fangs.
Rafayel: LEADER OF FLOWIN' FIRE - A Praedator rose from the ashes. The entire city is but a playground at his disposal.
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