he watched xav’s tenderness with mild surprise, him holding so still as he let the cat consider him, assessing his hand before she finally deemed him adequate to pet her. “what can i say? i’m a fixer.” he mused softly, only half-joking. it was something carol was always getting on him about. “it’s not a good name– i know that, i’m just… waiting to really find the name that captures her essence, y’know? my mom already had her name picked out for me and everything and like, she kind of swung and missed with that one.” he rolled his eyes at the regality of the name winthrop resting on his scrappy, inked shoulders. it fit much better with xav’s account of butlers and nannies and a polished marble mansion. “but uh, i guess we’ll just find out if you have a cat allergy, then? you’re staying here for the long haul still, right?”
Even after falling into Win's arms Xavier still felt tension tingling underneath his skin, restraining his movements from the loud, impulsive energy he usually exuded. And then the kitty took the spotlight, and the discomfort in his chest turned into careful care instead, finally allowing the nerves and the stress to wash away in a long exhale. He smiled when he heard Win say he was a fixer, a small puff of air escaping through his nose. A fixer, what an understatement, he thought. Had they had at least a glass of wine or two, he would have been tempted to break into a monologue about how much more than just a fixer Win was, how using such a simple label undervalued the impact he’s had on people around him and the appreciation he deserved for it, the message echoing the drunken strings of words from his parisian voicemail, but as things stood, all he had the energy to do was nod, leaning closer to his shoulder to place a kiss on top of his bare skin, whispering a quiet "Thank you."
He lingered in the moment, letting his forehead rest on Win's shoulder, his hand reaching out in search of the kitten again. The warmth and familiarity around him helped him feel grounded for the first time in a couple of weeks. "Winthrop Emmons," he giggled, his breath brushing against WIn's skin, "sounds royal." With another gentle stroke of the little ball of fur, he laid down next to Win, resting on his side, his arm left stretched over Win's bare chest to provide a warm backrest for the kitten. ‘you’re staying here for the long haul still, right?’ the uncertainty of the question jabbed at his heart. The time when moving out was firmly on the table felt like such a long ago and yet, when he thought back to it, only a couple of short weeks had passed. "Just try to get rid of me," he hummed, nuzzling against Win's skin. Even if Win did try to get rid of him, Xavier was willing to do a thing most uncharacteristic for him and model himself after the kitten, sticking his claws down into Win's bed, refusing to separate from it. It was a sobering thought, realizing he's finally found something worth fighting for, when he was so used to just walking away. "Winthrop Emmons," the quiet whisper disturbed the moment of silence, luring a smile onto Xav's lips, "what's your middle name?"
