Xavier Is For Those Who Need Peace.

little comforts with the lads li’s

(a self-indulgent imagining of them with a neurodivergent MC)

✨ xavier & overstimulation

(not the sex kind, sorry. but probably that too) Xavier completely understands when you get overwhelmed by existing. he gets the same feeling sometimes. you develop a code for it eventually, a combination of eye contact and eyebrow-raising that signals to the other person that you need out, whether from a Hunter’s Association party or a grocery store with way too many people. back at home, you’ve created a haven together- eye masks and soft blankets for him, headphones and fidgets for you, whatever makes you feel peaceful and calmed. the ceiling lamp is absolutely not allowed- Xavier drapes the walls with soft spheres of light or swirls a firefly-glow of sparks along the bed in a warm canopy.

🎨 rafayel & hyperfixations/jumping hobbies

you might as well consider collecting hobbies a hobby in itself. crochet needles and yarn, jigsaw puzzles, a wood burning setup, a console and video games- whatever brings you joy, Rafayel is enthusiastically behind it. he doesn’t judge you for wanting to learn a new art style out of the blue- he’ll sign up for a pottery class with you and buy you pounds of clay. he loves your passion and enthusiasm and matches it with his own. he loves being creative with you, in whatever form it happens to take that day. plus, with the amount he spends on paint and canvas, he’s not about to judge you for getting boxes of new supplies for something. he’s hyping you up every time! even if it isn’t an interest he shares, he’s happy you’re happy.

🩺 zayne & health anxiety/ocd

no matter how many times you ask for it, Zayne is happy to give you reassurance. yes, that chicken was cooked all the way. you have a weird flutter in your chest? of course he'll listen to your heart. he listens to every symptom, every worry with unfailing patience. after all, he wants to be your protector, your safest place- this is just one way to be that for you. he never makes you feel irrational for your fears, just steadily helps you face them each and every time. he doesn't judge your compulsions, but he offers his expertise whenever you ask- he lets you take your temperature ten times a day but also explains the normal range and when to actually worry.

💭 sylus & overthinking

okay hear me out, this goes both ways: he helps ground you when you’re overthinking negatively but also supports you when you’re being enthusiastic about literally anything. he’s all in- if you have a favorite tv show he’s watching every episode and reading every analysis of it so you can discuss. he’s fully invested in your office drama, your gossip, your made-up stories about the bird family that lives outside your apartment window. but he also soothes you when you spiral into worry or fear. he happily goes through what-if scenarios with you, most of them ending in him spectacularly defeating anything that could ever threaten you. he makes it clear over and over again that you’re completely safe with him, physically and emotionally.

❤️‍🩹 caleb & insecurity

his life mission to make you feel adored. he makes a point of worshipping every part of you, especially anything you consider a "flaw". nothing is too much or too little- you're perfect exactly as you are. if he overhears you complaining about your thick thighs on a call with Tara, he's going to be buried in them later that night, pressing kisses to every inch. he loves working out and training with you. if you want to get healthier he's gladly cooking fresh ingredients into nutritious meals and helping you build up a fun fitness routine- but if there's even a hint of it being because you don't like the way you look in the mirror? he's going to benchpress twice your body weight in front of you just to prove he can. or better yet, he flings you over his shoulder easily and brings you to the bedroom to "work on your confidence".

II ▷ 𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑 — " orion's home "

part 2 of the 𝐥&𝐝𝐬 + 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 [other parts: zayne, rafayel, sylus]

— exploring Xavier as a father, both of your children’s relationships with you and their Dad, as well as delving into their passions and personalities

note: each LI has different MCs, meaning each child/ren of the other LIs have different mothers and aren't related

ᴛᴀɢꜱ: fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, crack; xavier has some insecurities and secrets, recessive genes (take this as it is trust me), maybe a little canon-divergent bc of some hc inserts of xavier's myth lore, canon-timeline inaccuracies (?) bc of pop culture references, dirty jokes/references

❥ a/n: finally posted 😭 this has been in the drafts for too long.. if u want a tag in the next part, which is rafayel's, just let me know!! im planning on a permanent taglist post soon but i wanna finish this mini series first 🫶🏼 i apologize for the grammatical errors and if the character is a bit ooc as this is my interpretation of them. pls be nice c: and i absolutely appreciate every reblog and comments 🥺💗

0:03 ───|────────────────────────

𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑 has two sons, and definitely a present father to them. He never truly gave much thought about having kids with you in the first place, more content on having you all for himself. He wouldn't have a child unless you wanted one, seeing how you would look longingly at children and their families laughing together, and a part of him started to consider it as well. He's glad he did, because now he has his own personal constellation he calls home, you at the center, starlights that motivate him everyday. Given his own upbringing, he will never force his sons to do something they truly don't like and let them follow their heart’s desire. He had some insecurities at first, seeing he's never had a good relationship with his own father, fearing he might turn out the same as him. With enough reassurance from both you and his sons, he grew more confident that yes, he is a deserving dad and a great father despite the inevitable ups and downs.

𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 

The eldest son, looks a lot like Xavier mostly because he's got the same puppy eye shape and face structure, but oddly he doesn't get any of you or Xavier's eye colors

Xavier is taken aback the moment his son first opened his eyes, cradling him in his arms, his breath caught for a moment

It's something Xavier thought he'd hoped to never see again, ironically; a distant memory he's buried away, memory from home

But when Lance's eyes—a shade of forest green, gleaming into jade under the sunlight, like an eternal spring—look up at him with innocent wonder, the resemblance of his father’s eyes stops there.

Xavier can't help shedding a tear or two.

You didn't question it further, knowing enough about his past at this moment. The look of aching familiarity in Xavier's gaze was all it took to have some understanding

Xavier grew up being told he resembled his mother a lot more—his overall soft features and crystal blue eyes—something he was more grateful for, but genes sure are.. funny.

Lance loooooves Xavier's presence so much as a baby (even until his teen to adult but he’s never saying that out loud)

You would struggle putting him to sleep some nights alone when Xavier is somewhere on a solo mission

His cries seemed endless as you tried everything, from feeding him, to changing his diapers, to swaying him with a lullaby, yet nothing seems to work

Xavier comes home, utterly exhausted from his mission. He goes straight to Lance in your arms, sensing your own stress and exhaustion, wanting to help

You insist he needs to rest too, but the moment he's taken his son in his arms, the cries almost instantly settles down

“Sshhh, Dad's home now, baby. Let's sleep now, okay?” Xavier whispers as he gently sways him, the movement you were trying to emulate. He places a feather-light kiss on Lance's forehead, and like magic, he's asleep.

You stare at Xavier in awe.

Since then, it's been kind of a thing that Lance immediately just falls asleep faster in his dad's hold

Even when he grows into a toddler, he treats his dad like a beanbag (Xavier doesn't mind, not at all. It’s very welcome, encouraged even)

He would curl himself silently on his lap and immediately be knocked out. It was their shared routine. 

You have a dedicated album for those moments that’s honestly an accurate montage of Lance’s growth. Every week there's a new wallpaper of them on your phone

Your personal favorite was when Lance is holding onto him like a koala bear and Xavier's splayed over the playmat like a starfish, sleeping without a care in the world

But then Lance hits puberty

So it gets awkward from then on, since he was growing taller by the day, gaining inches above Xavier's own height

“My baby is so big now..” Xavier pouts playfully, ruffling his hair.

Lance sighs. “Dad, can you not say that.. please..” But he makes no move to stop him anyways.

Xavier gets slightly upset over it. In his perspective, he can never be too old or too big to be his nap time buddy

You and Xavier call him your baby even well into his teens much to his dismay

The more he grows taller, the more he's a victim of being mistaken for Xavier's older brother

It's funny at first but Lance is like “🤨 Isn’t he supposed to be 40 something?”

When both you and Xavier are away, toddler Lance was left to the trusty babysitter Uncle Jeremiah

It seemed like a hassle at first but Lance was so quiet, too quiet even sometimes just playing by himself.

Jeremiah would get him to open up by telling random stories from other planets and such

Lance's favorite was him talking about Lumiere's exploits, because it was so highly detailed unlike other stories.

Learned to make flower crowns from scraps. You get one every time you come to pick him up.

“Look, Mommy is princess!” Lance would say proudly as you hold him, wearing the daisy flower crown you received from him. 

Xavier smiles, leaning to place a kiss on both you and your son's cheeks. “No, Mommy is our queen, and you're our prince.” 

Best believe teen Lance is the no. 1 Hater when he catches you and Xavier being loveydovey. he just finds it so cringe.

He's giving you both a nasty side-eye as you laugh at his disgust

He's quite athletic, but he used to hop from sport to sport because he can't really a feel to what he likes the most

A natural genius, the one that sleeps at the back of the class but somehow still gets one of the highest grades in their batch 

He's unaware that he's the campus crush because of his weird intimidating but cool aura but in reality they have noooo idea he's a loser geek.

It’s really just his bitch resting face (courtesy of his mother), which image shatters when he smiles, bunny teeth and a small dimple on his cheek. 

Very reserved. Doesn’t keep secrets but won’t share about himself until you ask. Like he would casually tell you he survived jumping off a cliff and give no context until you ask.

More of a listener than a yapper, so he’s seemingly dry to talk to but will remember every single thing you say

He’s learned to read people really well–an empath if you will–an ability he inevitably developed when his dad had a vault full of secrets and masked emotions.

He was bluntly honest as a kid, growing more tact as he matures later on

Although he can take hints about what others feel/think, it doesn’t mean he’s a pushover if they’re crossing a boundary, He’s not a people pleaser in terms of he’s not trying to fit into whatever norm is going on, just doing his best to live true to himself

Other than napping, his favorite past time as a kid was sword fighting with the endless collection of lightsabers he's got, battling against you and/or Xavier

It kind of becomes actual training sometimes, and you BET Xavier's old ass be saying:

“When I was your age, I already know how to parry.”

You give Xavier a look. “Honey, he's 6.”

Star Wars becomes his personality for the inevitable part of his childhood

And you bet you were the one spoiling him with all that merch. Lance's favorite was the Millennium Falcon lego set. He cried opening that Christmas gift

Inherited his massive geekiness from you 

His core memory was sitting on Xavier's shoulders, his hands clutching his father's hair, you looping arms with Xavier side by side, as a Lego Star Wars parade marched on, fireworks in the background

Starstruck for an entire month after that

Loves it when you also tell stories about Lumiere at bedtime (unbeknownst to Xavier,) eyes twinkling and all.

Then he would also add his own stories he heard from Jeremiah, and you both just yap until you fall asleep

So respectful when he asks to borrow your Lumiere figurines.. and you LET him, which says a lot because those babies are expensive

Needless to say, Lance is also a talented swordsman, quite inspired to follow both of your footsteps as hunters

Your favorite memory of him was when you brought toddler Lance with you one time to the Hunter's Association, just to surprise Xavier for his birthday (yes, the man is still working, but you had a cake prepared for him and all)

The boy was a bundle of awe and wonder, loving how cool the hunters looked despite being shy to talk to them

He was literally being cooed and coaxed by your coworkers with candies and it was so cute to watch his round cheeks and ears become rosy from the attention

Xavier finally finished his mission, body growing heavy with exhaustion as he returned to HQ to fulfill his report. He settles down a bench, getting comfortable against the wall and about to lull into a nap when a loud voice echoes.

“Soooo, Lancey, who's your favorite hunter?”

Xavier shot up his seat, wide awake, the drowsy weight on his eyelids evaporated. He stumbled in his feet slightly from standing up too suddenly. Confusion knitted his brows. Why was his son here? Or was it another Lance?

He's now noticing the empty desks and his colleagues gathering around presumably his son. Slowly, he comes closer from behind, unnoticed by your officemates. 

“But I have more than one favorite..” Lance says, and Xavier's ears perched. He found himself tiptoeing over the crowd trying to spot Lance. A smile graces Xavier’s face after spotting Lance– eyes glued on the floor, hands fidgeting over the candies given to him. He was sitting on your lap, hugging him in place, and you were smiling from ear to ear, your gaze on your son. Lance was slowly getting more comfortable, the shyness seeping out of him.

“Oohhh, so if you have to rank them then, what would it be?” someone quips, and your coworkers hit the dude’s shoulder playfully for the ‘scandalous’ query. 

But it gets everyone curious, even both you and Xavier.

“Hmm.. it's Daddy and then Mommy and..” Lance mutters, and everyone is gasping dramatically, including you.

“Mommy’s lower than Daddy in your list?” You pouted in mock sulking, and it had Lance panicking a little.

“N-noo, Daddy's in third, and then Mommy is second, and then first is Lumiere!” 

Everyone's laughing and hollering now.. except Xavier.

You finally notice him, standing as still as a statue–clear, utter, guttural, mind-shattering distraught in Xavier's face, and it unfortunately made you laugh harder that your stomach began to hurt. You swear his soul left his body.

Lance was confused why it was so funny to everyone, nervously laughing, then he also spots Xavier. He beams, a vibrant signature bunny smile with his two front teeth, and Xavier almost forgets he didn’t just rip out his heart a few seconds ago.

“Dad!” Lance hops off your lap, rushing over to embrace him around his waist. Everyone was cooing at them, greeting Xavier a happy birthday but he didn't really register them. His ears were still ringing from the revelation.

Xavier bends to his knees, giving him a proper embrace back. Lance looks up at him, still smiling, until he notices the pout on Xavier’s face.

“Dad, don't be sad..” Lance pouts too, patting Xavier's had the same way his father would if he was upset. Xavier nuzzles against his tiny hands.

“But why is Dad in third place..” Xavier asks, and you're dying at the back because his puppy eyes were at work. Everyone else was snickering to themselves.

But Lance wasn’t Lance unless he says his truth.

Lance tilts his head, thinking to himself. “Because.. um.. I don't know if Dad can beat Lumiere..?”

(Cue a series of ‘oooohhs’, and you scold them, telling them to go back to their stations now, and they do after much persistence.)

“Lanlan—now Dad's actually sad now.” You try to intervene before your son continuously bluntly destroys his Dad's heart.

“But why? My dad is still the best Dad in the whole universe.”

Lance states it like an undisputed fact, and Xavier's heart swells so much it tightens his chest.

Because Lance wasn't Lance unless he's saying his truth. 

(Cue a series of ‘awwws’ from everyone in their desk cubicles.)

To him, that matters more than any hunter ranking. A deep part inside Xavier he's been holding for years is finally exhaled, filled in turn with relief. Lance never talks a lot, but when he does he really means it. In the void in Xavier's chest, was a star that burned brighter twinkling in the pattern of your laughter at that moment—he is another major star in Xavier's personal constellation, unabashedly warm and tiny, spring in his jade eyes and Lepus in his smile, contained perfectly in his embrace.

“Ah! I-I’m sorry—No cry!” Lance stammers as Xavier's eyes water, hands flailing on his face to wipe them, but Xavier thinks to himself that Lance has got nothing to apologize for.

Xavier just embraces him closer, face buried on his son's shoulder. He smelled of strawberry kids liquid soap and baby powder—home.

“Dad's very very happy, baby.” Xavier mutters, muffled by his clothes. “Thank you.”

“Happy birthday, my love,” You greet, inching closer with a lit birthday cake. The radiance of your smile in that moment couldn't be dimmed by anything.

Lance jumps excitedly in his grasp. “Oh yah! Happy birthday, Dad!” 

That declaration was the best birthday gift he could ever receive. 

𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 — “Axel”, “Sandy”

youngest son, born 10 years after Lance

An unplanned baby (because of Freakvier) and the reason why Lance would give the both of you a nasty side-eye when you're both too lovey-dovey

“I thought Axel's favorite sleep buddy would be me, but now Lance has a mini-Lance the Koala Bear, part two.”

“Don't worry, honey. You're still my favorite pillow.” Xavier leans to kiss you, tender and soft, swallowing your giggles and the ‘you’re so cheesy’ you were about to say.

Lance walks in on that ill timing again, tangible disgust on his face, and with the meanest tone, he lets out—

“Ew.”

You're laughing, as Xavier pettily embraces you tighter, shameless that he's caught again. “You can knock you know, baby.” he says.

“Firstly, this is the living room. Second, one sibling is enough, please.” 

“Lance!” You throw a pillow at him, and he just catches it.

“I’m not joking, Mom!”

Incredibly touchy since birth, doesn't get lulled to sleep other than when he felt he was skin to skin contact every time

Axel is a mini you with freckles reaching until his back, matching your face structure and hair, big blue eyes like Xavier's, but a deeper shade, with hints of brown in the middle

The reason his nickname is Axel was because when he was in kindergarten to lower elementary, he kept misspelling his name as “Axelander”

You, Xavier, and Lance later understand it was because he is dyslexic

The nickname stuck because Lance was kind of a bully as a kid (aren't all older brothers really) and would never stop calling him that.

Axel never took it to heart though and finds it funny.

It takes a lot to actually upset him, because he's sometimes unnaturally optimistic about everything. Imagine Laios from Dungeon Meshi? Yeh. That.

Although Lance has absolutely 0 tolerance when other kids would bully him seriously with the nickname. That's only his privilege.

In actuality, Axel doesn't really realize he was being bullied at all and was just happy his peers were talking to him

Sandy was your nickname to him, because his favorite place in the playground park was the sandbox and he gets absolutely dusted quite literally.

Lance actually has multiple nicknames for him. These include but aren't limited to: “Axelander Sanderson the Great,” “Sandman Eater,” (he ate sand at one point) and his favorite, “Axelotle”

Does not care that you and Xavier call him their baby until his adulthood. 

The most creative comeback this boy can muster is.. “Uglancelot” and “Lame-cy” which doesn't even offend him it's just funny attempts

Despite that, he's actually very close to his brother even between you and Xavier, since he's taking care of him when you're both away on a mission

Unlike his brother and father, isn't easily sleepy; a light-sleeper.

His favorite pastime as a kid was recreating WWE moments on the mattress with any of you three.

And he looooves taking the Wanderer roleplay when they play swordfight with lightsabers

Because this baby’s special interest is Wanderers!

He would be listening to Lance and You rambling about Lumiere and he would ask more about what kind of Wanderer he defeated.

The little man's treasure was an encyclopedia of Wanderers he received from Xavier in his 10th birthday

He cried, yes. You took a picture and it's Lance's favorite one of all time.

Axel would bug you, Xavier, or Lance with questions or just asking help if he can't read a word properly the entire time

He has the whole contents ingrained in his memory since then. He can and will recite it given the chance just to annoy Lance.

Of course he ended up with more and more Wanderer related things, from books to figures to actual pictures

Learns to be secretive as hell because Lance tends to be super nosy when it came to his business and can read anybody like a book, a pamphlet even

Like father, like son I suppose

He still gets busted by dear bro though

Needless to say, this boy is loser geek doubled

Would be competitive as hell with video games against his dad and brother

The King of Rhythm Games, no one can beat him in that field.

Actually more of a social butterfly than Lance, but sometimes assumes everyone is his friend even when they're questionable people (why Lance gets worried sometimes), it was worse as a kid

Is not a people pleaser but pleased around people type beat

His comfort movie series is How To Train Your Dragon

Influenced his ultimate dream of befriending a Wanderer, preferably also a Dragon-type

Horrible with swords, but a great marksman from almost any long ranged weapon` 

Would playfully steal you away from Xavier when Lance is doing his 😒 face again at you both being.. sus

Has a trouble magnet streak, absolutely stressing the hell out of everyone, especially Xavier

But Axel’s puppy eyes are the puppiest to puppy eye no other puppy can actually eye, ever (this isn't making sense but that's the point), so he almost gets away with it every time

Like you think you already built a tolerance from both Xavier's and Lance's double kill puppy eyes when they're trying to get something they want

But Axel's puppy eyes are a whole other level. It was heartbreaking and knee buckling, and you know damn well that Lance and Xavier uses him as last straw 

And it still actually works to your dismay

The privilege as the youngest, Lance would grumble

Imagine having to live with three pleading puppy eyes everytime you say no. You must be a strong woman.

Xavier though? Well..

Xavier should be mad, really. He already knew this boy’s tactic very well. He can already hear both you and Lance berating him already in the future just after this.

Axel was left under Jeremiah’s care as per usual after school, as the boy absolutely loves the greenhouse and chattering with Jeremiah in general. You confirmed you would be home later than usual, Lance was preoccupied with training for the Hunter Licensure Examination, so that left Xavier with the task to pick him up from Philo. He planned to take Axel out to the arcade, something they haven’t gone to in a while and the 11 year old has been insisting on getting the new plushie for you when you get back. Xavier even went on a quick trip from the store just to get him his favorite yogurt drink, a small smile on his face.

Which slowly dissipated after the scene Xavier witnessed just outside the flower shop window

By one of the lounging tables, Axel was sitting rigidly, had his head drooping down that his hair masked his face, and his knuckles paling from squeezing his own knees. Across the table was Jeremiah, palms rubbing all over his face in what seemed like exasperation. 

When Xavier caught on his son slightly trembling, the confusion brewing in him quickly burned into something else.

“What am I supposed to tell your dad—” Jeremiah groans, but gets cut off by Xavier bolting inside, the welcoming jingles of his shop door rattling violently. The gardener paled before the all too familiar tempered glare Xavier was throwing him right now.

“Tell me what?” Xavier spat, hurrying over Axel’s side, placing a careful hand on his back, but the sudden contact made Axel jolt, his face shooting up to look at him–big eyes swollen red from tears and snot–and something was crumbling in Xavier’s ribcage, eliciting an eye twitch.

Slowly, he turned his head towards Jeremiah in an unnerving manner, a terrifying look in his eyes as he utters again, “Tell me what?”

Jeremiah swears he’s had more close brushes with death whenever it comes to dealing with Xavier instead of actual apocalyptic cosmic threats, and this was no different. After an elongated sigh, he began to explain the situation.

Apparently, Axel found a way to get into the Hunter’s Association Database through Jeremiah’s computer for more in depth information of Wanderers, and apparently it alerted an alarm system from HQ sending Jeremiah’s computer a warning that it would seize everything that was in that device–all including some access to.. their past, if they did not stop and identify themselves. Xavier didn’t need that part elaborated, knowing Jeremiah’s crucial role in their expedition, and in all honesty? Xavier didn’t really care much about matters pertaining to that after everything he has now, until..

“He used [Name]’s ID and account to log in.”

Axel stiffened, his arms wrapping around Xavier’s waist flinching into tension, face digging into his side. Xavier’s soothing caresses slowly drew to a stop when he registered what he just said. Dread crept in his nerves when he remembered earlier this morning how You were going frantic the entire time on where the hell You could have lost Your ID while running late.

“Axel..” Xavier sighed, petting his hair, “..baby, look at me right now.”

He didn’t, shaking his head as he started to hiccup again, keeping his face stuck on his side now damp with tears. Xavier pulled him away slowly, kneeling down to meet his son’s eyes, but now it was glued on the floor as he fidgeted in his seat in guilt.

“I’m not mad..” Xavier cupped his face, wiping his tears that slowly continued to tear in his heart. “Just tell me the truth and I will help, okay?”

“I-it’s–I–” hic, “I did–It’s true,” Axel sobbed, “I-I’m sorry–Sorry, Dad–”

“Sshh, it’s gonna be fine, alright? Let’s go home–”

“N-no!” he blurted, puffy, terrified eyes now meeting Xavier’s own. He clutched his father’s hands, shaking. “Don’t–don’t tell Mom, please?”

In all honesty, he was going to tell you the situation, as you both were past that stage in your relationship of keeping secrets–especially this kind. You already knew about his past, your shared ‘history’ with him, so this shouldn’t be that much bigger right?

But there it was, a pleading gaze of a deep blue–spheres of weeping Neptunes–eyes anyone can drown in. It drove Xavier’s instincts to just cradle him in his arms for as long as he can away from everything overwhelming–consequences be damned. 

He is a responsible father and a husband, but he is also just a man.

“Dad, please? I-I promise I’ll make up for it..” Axel continued to plead, sealing the deal for Xavier’s left resistance.

“Alright. But I’ll hold onto that promise right now..” Xavier gave him a stern look. “Don’t ever do something like this ever again, promise me, because I will tell your mother. You’ll have.. Different consequences for now, but.. I want you to remember this. Promise?”

“I promise.” Axel swore, calming down from his breakdown as Xavier pulled him into a proper embrace.

An exasperated sigh tore through their little moment, followed by a clearing throat. The two looked over to the source on the other side of the table.

“I think.. There’s also another one you need to say sorry to, baby.” Xavier nudged his son.

“I’m sorry, Uncle.. Please don’t hate me.”

And who is Jeremiah to do so when he looks at him like a kicked puppy who can do no wrong? He is also just a man.

(The two leave the shop after Xavier secured Jeremiah’s secrecy, going for the ice cream and arcade hang out like Xavier planned. He also made sure to clarify and sort the alarm with HQ with a quick call along the way. At the end of the day, they both go home in a happy note like nothing ever happened as Xavier returned Your ‘found’ ID.)

12:28 ──────────────────────────|──

ꜰᴜɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛꜱ !!

Lepus is the Hare or Bunny constellation. It was a bird turned bunny by the goddess of spring, Ostara to escape the hunter. It rests under the foot of the Orion constellation.

Orion the Hunter is a huntsman in mythology and is often referenced due to the Orion's Belt. He is cursed to be a constellation, forever stuck in the sky, hunting something he can never reach alongside his two Canis Majoris and Minor hunting dogs, all because of his arrogance

Axel was born in the Winter Solstice (December 22)

You can take these facts however as you please ☺️😌.. ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ

acc tags: @cordidy @dann-acalle thank you for your support and patience!!

not me haunting your asks in every single blog you own 😈 sooo, do you write parents!au? bc I wanted to request some scenario abt how sylus, caleb and xavier would react to their kids telling u to shut up. I KNOW ITS WEIRD BUT ITS A OLD TREND I THINK?? anyway, love ya babe 💘💋💋

੭⠀ A little prank.

⋆⠀AUTHOR'S NOTES: I love parents!au so much 😭

⋆⠀FEATURING: Xavier, Sylus, Caleb.

⋆⠀WARNING: English is not my first language, so it may contain some mistakes.

Your son’s favorite pastime was annoying his father, and he was certainly better at it than anyone else. Not only that, but he also managed to convince you to help with yet another one of his… pranks.

The boy smiled when he saw his father heading to the kitchen and turned back to his video game. Not long after, you walked into the room with something in hand. “Sweetheart, could you take this—”

“Shut up, mom,” he tried to say in an irritated tone, but a smile was plastered across his face.

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀XAVIER

Not even five seconds had passed before your son was groaning in pain, Xavier’s slipper lying on the couch beside him after hitting the back of his head squarely. “Dad—”

Xavier raised the other slipper, pointing it at the boy. “Apologize. Now,” he said, his eyebrows furrowing. “Is that any way to talk to your mother?”

“But I was busy, and she—” Once again, the boy didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence, the other slipper flying straight at him. Xavier crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on his son.

You widened your eyes and placed a hand on your husband’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “Okay, okay, it was a… joke, just a prank.”

Xavier gave a faint smirk, glancing at you. “…Yeah, I knew that.” He pulled you into a hug, sticking his tongue out at your son. “You think I’d stop at that if I saw him disrespecting you like that?”

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀SYLUS

Sylus prided himself on being an exemplary father. He was patient, fun—or so he thought—and wealthy. I mean, surely his son was already having a better childhood than most people who came from the same place Sylus had, right?

And perhaps it was exactly that freedom and comfort in his presence that made the boy feel confident enough to make that kind of joke.

“I must’ve misheard. Definitely,” Sylus said loud enough for both of you to hear. You turned away so he wouldn’t see your expression, while your son simply grimaced.

“Dad, she could’ve just asked one of my uncles to go—or, I don’t know, gone herself!” the boy said, spinning the pieces of a pistol between his fingers.

Sylus’s steps were almost inaudible; it was as if he had teleported to his son’s side. He crossed his arms, an irritated expression on his face. His son had never seen that look before—at least, not directed at him.

“Don’t you dare talk to your mother like that under this roof,” he said. “I don’t care if she could’ve asked someone else—if she tells you to do something, you do it. She brought you into this world.”

The boy couldn’t hold back his laughter, bursting out in hysterics. Your husband opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw you laughing as well. He let out a sigh, rubbing his face. “You too now?”

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀CALEB

Honestly, your son was expecting Caleb to yell at him or chase after him, but it was even more terrifying to see him stay silent, slowly turning to face the boy.

He froze, setting the video game controller down on the coffee table. Caleb’s eyes stayed fixed on him, and his silence lingered just long enough to make the boy shift uncomfortably under the stare.

When Caleb finally spoke, his voice was strangely calm—and that wasn’t exactly a good thing. “You have five seconds to do as your mother said and come back here, and another five to apologize and explain yourself.”

You let out an awkward laugh before wrapping your arms around your husband. “It was just a joke, I swear.” Caleb glanced at you, slipping a hand under your shirt to give you a pinch. “Ouch! It was his idea!”

He rolled his eyes but let out a relieved laugh, despite his irritation with your newfound way of spending free time. “I should’ve known.”

*throws odypen doodles at you & runs very fast*

also I sketched out my new penelope design shjskdj

PLEASE PART 2 ON THE SELF DOUBT ANGEST PUHHHLEEEEEEASE

SELF-DOUBT │ PART 2

Pt.1

PAIRING: Love and Deepspace men x reader (reader is implied to be the MC in Caleb's part)

SYNOPSIS: Part 2 of "Self-doubt" - comfort!!

A/N: Finally, it's here. Hope you enjoy!

Xavier

Finally deciding to go home and drown your sorrows in sleep, you stood, your limbs heavy, your breath unsteady. But before you could take a step, the sound of approaching footsteps stopped you in your tracks.

Soft at first, deliberate, hesitant—yet steady. Familiar.

You didn't have to look up to know who it was.

A quiet sigh left your lips. "Xavier."

He didn’t speak right away, but you could feel him watching you. There was no judgment in his gaze, no demand for explanation. Just patience. A patience that made something fragile inside you crack even more.

Wordlessly, he sat beside you, close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from him, even in the biting chill of the night. Neither of you spoke, and for once, the silence wasn't unbearable. It was different. Softer.

"You scared me," he finally admitted, his voice quieter than usual, as if he was afraid that speaking too loud would shatter whatever fragile state you were in.

You swallowed, your fingers curling into the fabric of your sleeves. "I’m fine."

Xavier hummed, unconvinced. "You’re not. But I’m not here to force you to talk. I just... didn’t want you to be alone."

Something thick lodged itself in your throat at his words. The lump of emotions you'd tried so hard to suppress threatened to spill over.

"Why?" Your voice was barely above a whisper, so raw it almost hurt to speak. "Why do you always—"

"Care?" he finished for you, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips, though his eyes remained serious. "Because you matter to me. You always have. And I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but I know one thing for certain—you are not some afterthought. You are not unworthy. You are not less."

Your breath hitched, eyes burning. "You don’t understand."

Xavier exhaled, running a hand through his hair, frustrated but not with you—with whatever had made you feel like this. "Then make me understand. If you don’t want to talk, I’ll sit here with you until you do. If you want to pretend everything is fine, I’ll let you. But I’m not leaving."

You turned to him then, really looked at him. At the certainty in his expression, the unwavering belief in his eyes. It was so infuriatingly Xavier—so effortlessly kind, so utterly steadfast—that it made your heart ache in ways you couldn’t put into words.

You opened your mouth, but no excuses came. No lies. No ways to push him away.

Instead, your voice cracked, and before you could stop yourself, you whispered, "I don’t know how to stop feeling like this."

Xavier didn’t hesitate. He reached out, hesitantly at first, as if giving you the choice to pull away. But you didn’t. You let him take your hand, let his warmth seep into your cold fingers, grounding you.

"You don’t have to do it alone," he murmured. "I don’t care how long it takes. Just… don’t shut me out."

The dam inside you broke.

A choked sob tore through you, your body shaking under the weight of everything you had been holding in for far too long. And Xavier—he didn’t flinch, didn’t let go. He simply pulled you close, wrapping you in the kind of embrace that felt less like comfort and more like something solid. Something safe.

You clung to him, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you allowed yourself to believe that maybe—just maybe—you weren’t as alone as you thought.

And maybe, just maybe, you didn’t have to be.

His fingers traced slow, soothing circles against your back, his breath warm against your temple. "I don't want you to disappear into the dark. If you let me, I'll stay."

The words, so simple yet so profound, settled into your chest like an ember, slow-burning and tender. You lifted your head, meeting his gaze, and in the hush of the night, something unspoken passed between you—something delicate, something inevitable.

Xavier’s thumb brushed the damp trail of a tear from your cheek, his touch unbearably gentle. "I see you," he murmured, and before you could think, before you could hesitate, he was leaning in.

It was soft, barely there—a whisper of a kiss against your forehead, a silent promise. Not rushed, not demanding, just steady. Just real.

And for the first time, you let yourself believe it.

Zayne

The city had always been too loud, yet tonight, it felt impossibly quiet. The kind of quiet that pressed against your ribs, heavy and suffocating, filling the spaces between heartbeats with something unnamed and unrelenting. The café door had long since closed behind you, but the ghost of Zayne’s presence still lingered, his voice a phantom echo in your mind.

You walked without direction, only moving because stillness felt too much like surrender. The night air was crisp, laced with the scent of rain that hadn’t yet fallen, and you breathed it in as if it could cleanse the weight of everything left unsaid. But it didn’t. Of course it didn’t.

Your phone remained in your grasp, screen dark, thumb hovering over his name in your messages. A message unsent. A confession you didn’t dare put into words. You had told yourself you would let this go, let him go—but wasn’t that the cruelest kind of lie?

You stopped beneath the glow of a streetlamp, light spilling over you in fragile, golden threads. Your breath wavered, hands tightening around the fabric of your sleeves. And then, against every instinct screaming at you to forget, to move on—you typed.

“I’m sorry.”

It was inadequate. A pitiful offering for the storm that had brewed between you. But before you could backspace, before you could rethink, you pressed send.

The reply came faster than expected.

“I’m still here.”

Three words. Simple. Unwavering. And yet, they shattered something deep inside you.

You closed your eyes, letting the night swallow you whole. You should have walked away. You should have ignored him the way you had trained yourself to. But Zayne had never been someone you could ignore. And perhaps, just this once, you didn’t want to.

With unsteady fingers, you called him.

The line rang once.

Twice.

A third time.

And then—

“Come back inside.”

His voice was quiet, intimate in a way that sent a tremor through your chest. He wasn’t asking. He wasn’t demanding. Just offering. Leaving the choice in your hands, as he always did.

Your throat tightened. Your heart ached.

For a long moment, you said nothing. You listened to the silence stretching between you, to the quiet promise hidden in his words. And then, with a breath that felt too much like surrender, you turned on your heel, retracing your steps back to the light.

When you stepped back inside, the café was quieter than before. The world outside had not changed, and yet, everything within you had shifted. Zayne was still there, waiting, his gaze unreadable but warm. A cup of something hot sat across from his own, waiting for you, as if he had always known you would return.

You sat without a word, hands wrapping around the warmth of the cup. For a moment, there was only the quiet hum of the café, the soft clink of porcelain, the steady presence of him beside you. And then—

“I never wanted to be someone unreachable,” he murmured, his fingers resting just inches from yours on the table. “Not to you.”

Your breath hitched, something fragile pressing against your ribs. “Zayne—”

“I see you,” he said, voice as steady as the earth beneath you. “Not as an afterthought. Not as someone passing through my life.” His gaze flickered to yours, sharp and unwavering. “But as someone I want in it.”

Something deep inside you cracked wide open.

A shuddering exhale left your lips, and before you could stop yourself, your fingers brushed over his—hesitant, uncertain. But when he turned his palm upward, intertwining his fingers with yours, it was effortless. As if he had been waiting for this moment, just as much as you had.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight in your chest eased. The walls you had built so carefully, so stubbornly, faltered in the warmth of his touch.

And for once, you let them fall.

Rafayel

The world felt quieter without him in it.

You told yourself it was for the best, that you had made the right decision. And yet, as the days bled into nights, as the hours passed in dull monotony, you found yourself reaching—again and again—for something that was no longer there.

For him.

For the sound of his laughter, for the weight of his presence filling the spaces you hadn’t realized were empty. For the warmth he carried so effortlessly, the kind of warmth that lingered long after he was gone.

But you had done this to yourself.

And now, you had to live with it.

Or at least, you thought you did—until the knocking started.

Soft at first. A hesitant tap against the door, as though testing if you were even home. And then, more insistent. Steady. Patient. Unyielding.

You ignored it, at first. Pressed your hands against your ears and willed it to stop, to go away. But the universe was never that kind.

“Cutie.”

Your breath caught.

Muffled through the door, but unmistakable. His voice—soft, coaxing, laced with something raw beneath the teasing lilt. A plea hidden in a single word.

You curled deeper into yourself, fingers tightening around the blanket you had wrapped around your frame. If you stayed silent, he’d leave. If you waited long enough, he’d realize you weren’t worth it. That you were doing him a favor.

But he didn’t leave.

He sighed, the sound heavy, filled with something you couldn’t quite name. And then—

“I’m not mad at you.”

The words struck harder than you expected. You squeezed your eyes shut, hating the way your heart clenched, the way your resolve wavered like sand beneath the tide.

“I just...” A pause. A shift, as though he had leaned against the door. “I don’t understand.”

You swallowed. You didn’t want him to understand. Didn’t want him to see the ugly, selfish parts of you, the ones that whispered that maybe—just maybe—you wanted him to fight for you. That you wanted to be more than just another passing moment in his life.

“I thought you knew by now.” His voice was quieter, words woven with something impossibly tender. “You don’t have to keep up with me, cutie. You were never supposed to.”

Your throat tightened.

“I just wanted you there.”

Your fingers twitched. Trembled. Your resolve, already fraying at the edges, threatened to unravel completely.

“I don’t care if you don’t want to see me right now,” he continued, and there was something steady in his voice now. Certain. “But don’t think for a second that I don’t see you.”

A shaky breath. Yours, not his. He was always so sure. So steady. A lighthouse in a storm you hadn’t even realized you were lost in.

The silence stretched between you, thick with everything left unsaid. And then, softer—

“I miss you.”

Your hands clenched into the fabric of your sleeves.

A choice.

A breath.

A surrender.

With trembling fingers, you unlocked the door.

The moment it cracked open, he was there.

Rafayel—bigger than life, impossibly beautiful in the dim light of the hallway. But his eyes, sharp as they were, softened the moment they met yours. He looked at you as if you were something precious. Something worth waiting for.

Something he would wait for, as long as it took.

You exhaled, the weight in your chest easing just slightly. And for the first time in days, you let yourself be selfish.

You stepped forward, barely a breath between you, and before you could think better of it, his arms were around you.

The embrace was immediate, crushing in its intensity. His hands found the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair as he held you tight, as if to assure himself you were real, here, not slipping through his fingers like a dream about to fade.

“Don’t do that again,” he murmured into your hair, voice uneven, raw in a way you had never heard before. “Don’t shut me out.”

Your fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket, knuckles white, grounding yourself in the warmth of him.

“Okay,” you whispered, breath hitching when he pulled back just enough to look at you. His hands cradled your face, touch achingly gentle, reverent, as if memorizing the details of you in case you disappeared again.

He searched your face, gaze flickering between your eyes, your lips, before he exhaled sharply, like he had just made a decision. And then—

Soft. Slow.

His lips brushed against yours, a question, a promise, a silent plea. You melted into him, sighing against his mouth, letting yourself be held, letting yourself be wanted.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, breath mingling with yours in the quiet of the night.

“Come inside,” you murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

He smiled, something warm, something yours, and just like that—the world wasn’t so quiet anymore.

Sylus

The hours slipped by in hazy disarray, the wine glass now empty, the room a blur of half-formed thoughts and aching silence. You could feel the chill of the night seeping deeper into your bones, but it wasn’t the cold air that made you shiver. It was the weight of your own thoughts—the gnawing self-doubt, the quiet loneliness that seemed to stretch out forever, wrapping itself around you like an unwanted lover.

You told yourself to be strong. You told yourself to forget. To move on.

But it was impossible to ignore the echo of his name in your mind, the memory of his touch, the way his eyes had looked at you—so soft, so gentle, like you were something more than just a fleeting shadow in his world. You had convinced yourself that it didn’t matter, that you didn’t matter to him. But now, in the silence of your empty apartment, that lie was unraveling at the edges.

You were not enough for him, and yet you had never wanted anything more.

The sound of your phone vibrating again cut through the haze, and for a moment, you simply stared at the screen. The name flashed once more.

Sylus.

The familiar pang of longing twisted in your chest, a sharp, bitter ache. You didn’t want to open it. Didn’t want to be reminded of everything you couldn’t have. You had closed that door, hadn’t you?

But the phone buzzed again. And then again.

Without thinking, your thumb slid across the screen, the message lighting up the dim room.

"I’m outside."

Your heart stuttered in your chest.

You blinked, the words swimming before your eyes. Your pulse quickened. He was here. And for a moment, you almost convinced yourself to ignore him, to let him be just another chapter you could close. But that wasn’t you, was it? You were never one to run from what you felt, no matter how terrifying it seemed.

The sound of his footsteps echoed against the hallway, distant but unmistakable. The way his boots hit the ground with that gentle weight, as though each step was taken with purpose. You felt the air shift as he drew closer, your skin prickling with the intensity of his presence.

The door knocked softly, almost too softly, as though he was waiting for you to make the first move. And for the first time in what felt like forever, you hesitated.

“Please,” his voice reached you, quieter now, as if spoken through the layers of pain you had wrapped yourself in. “Let me in.”

Your breath caught, and without thinking, you turned the knob.

The door swung open, and there he was.

Sylus.

The light from the hallway cast him in a soft glow, outlining his silhouette in such stark contrast to the darkness behind you. His eyes—those eyes, the ones that could see straight through every defense you put up—were soft. Warm, even. There was an urgency to his gaze, but also a tenderness, as if he was afraid to touch you too suddenly, afraid to break the fragile moment that existed between you.

“I couldn’t leave,” he murmured, and his voice cracked just the slightest bit as he spoke, his own emotions laid bare.

Your heart ached at the sight of him, standing there, vulnerable in a way you hadn’t seen before. The man who had once seemed so untouchable, so unreachable, now seemed almost fragile in his need for you.

“You don’t have to do this,” you whispered, voice shaking.

But he stepped forward anyway, and in that moment, everything shifted. His hands were warm when they cupped your face, his thumb brushing away the traces of tears you hadn’t even realized you were still holding back.

“I do,” he said, his voice low and firm, yet undeniably soft. “I do, because I’ve never needed anyone the way I need you.”

And with those words, your world fell away.

Without another word, he pulled you into him, his embrace fierce yet gentle, as though he was afraid you would slip away if he didn’t hold on tight enough. His scent enveloped you, familiar and grounding, and for the first time in days, you allowed yourself to sink into it. You let yourself surrender to the warmth of his arms, the only place that felt like home anymore.

“I was so afraid,” you whispered, your voice muffled against his chest. “So afraid of being nothing to you.”

His fingers threaded through your hair, and he pressed his lips against the top of your head, the softest kiss, a promise more than a gesture.

“You were never nothing to me,” he whispered. “You were never a fleeting thing. I just... I didn’t know how to show you, not when I was so terrified of losing myself in you.”

You pulled back slightly, just enough to meet his gaze, the depth of his words reflected in the dark pools of his eyes. For the first time, you saw it—the same raw vulnerability, the same fear of not being enough that you had harbored so deep inside.

And in that moment, it no longer mattered who was enough or not enough. All that mattered was that he was here. And so were you.

You kissed him then—softly, slowly, as if testing whether the world would allow such a moment of peace to exist. But his lips were insistent, and soon enough, the kiss deepened, your worries melting away with each touch, each press of his body against yours. The weight of your doubts lifted, replaced by something far more comforting, far more real.

In his arms, you were not lost. You were not a fleeting moment. You were everything.

And as the night wrapped itself around you both, the air no longer felt cold. It felt warm. It felt like home.

Caleb

It was almost absurd, how you could feel so much for someone, and yet, never have them see it. Caleb, your constant. The one who would always be there to crack a joke, to make you laugh when the world felt heavy. But as time passed, it became harder to pretend. Pretend that the ache in your chest was just something you could ignore, pretend that you could be content with the role of the background character, the one who never got the spotlight.

You stared at the ceiling, the dim glow of your phone still lingering in the darkness, his name burning through the cold night. You were so tired of pretending, tired of holding everything inside, locking it away like some precious treasure only you could see. But it was suffocating you, this secret love, this thing you never asked for but couldn’t escape.

The steady buzz of your phone in your hand felt like a pulse, like a lifeline, but also like a reminder of everything you couldn’t have. It hurt too much to answer. It always did. Because with Caleb, every conversation felt like an act of theater, a performance where you smiled and pretended to be happy, to be fine, when the truth was you were drowning. Drowning in a love that never had a chance to be returned, that was never meant to be returned.

Another message lit up the screen, and your chest tightened. "Pipsqueak, please answer me. I’m worried."

Worried. His words rang in your ears, his concern always just enough to make you feel seen, but never enough to pull you from the depths of your own feelings. You wanted to scream at him. To ask him why, after all this time, he still didn’t see you. Why couldn’t he see what was right in front of him?

But you couldn’t. Because if you did, you would break. And breaking meant losing him entirely. It meant letting go of the one piece of your life that was still solid, the one thing that still anchored you to the world.

With a trembling hand, you turned the phone face down on your nightstand, the silence between you now absolute. The emptiness felt suffocating, but you couldn’t take back what you had already done. You had locked him out, not just from the room, but from your heart. And maybe that was the best thing for both of you.

But as the hours passed, the weight of that decision grew heavier, until it felt unbearable.

Your phone buzzed again. It was him, and this time, you didn’t hesitate.

You picked it up, feeling that familiar pang of hope and fear coil in your chest. There was no turning back now. He was calling, and you—well, you couldn’t run anymore.

“Hey,” you whispered, almost too quietly. The sound of your voice was fragile, like it might shatter if you said too much.

“Y/N, you okay?” Caleb’s voice came through, low and concerned, but there was something more to it this time. Something you hadn’t noticed before—the way his voice lingered, the way it softened when he spoke your name.

“Yeah, just tired,” you replied, forcing a smile into your tone. It wasn’t enough to mask the sadness, but it would have to do.

There was a pause on the other end, and then he sighed. “You’re lying.”

You let out a small, bitter laugh. "Am I?"

“Yes,” he said simply. “I know you better than that.”

And for the first time, you felt the walls you’d carefully built between you begin to crack. Caleb, as oblivious as he was, somehow always knew when you were hiding something. It was frustrating, maddening even, but in that moment, you couldn’t deny it. His understanding of you, his ability to see through your armor, made everything feel even more impossible.

“I’m fine,” you said again, but it was weaker this time. "I just… I need some space, Caleb. It’s nothing. Really."

His voice softened, as though he could sense the lie even through the phone. “I don’t believe you.”

You were silent for a long moment, the weight of the conversation pressing in on you. There was so much you wanted to say, so much you had to say, but the words felt tangled in your throat.

“Caleb,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper, “I just—sometimes, I feel like I’m invisible to you. Like no matter how much I try to be there, it’s never enough.”

And there it was. The truth. The raw, aching truth that you had buried for so long.

You waited for him to speak, to laugh, to dismiss your feelings as something trivial. But instead, there was a silence so thick it felt suffocating.

And then, in the quiet, he finally spoke.

“I never meant to make you feel that way,” Caleb said, his voice unusually quiet, the usual teasing lilt replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. “I… I never saw it like that. But I should have. I should’ve seen how much you’ve always been there. How much I’ve taken you for granted.”

You swallowed, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. You didn’t know how to respond. You didn’t know if you even could.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he continued, and there was something in his voice now that made your heart ache. “You’re not invisible to me, pips. You’ve never been.”

And in that moment, you allowed yourself to believe him, just for a little while.

You didn’t know what would happen next, what this would all mean, but for once, it didn’t matter. Caleb had seen you. Really seen you. And that was enough to keep you holding on.

“I’m here,” you whispered. “Always.”

And in the space between those words, something shifted, like the universe itself exhaled, allowing you both to breathe again.

I Exist to Nobody (but you.) – Part 1

Summary: You meet your soulmate on a serendipitous afternoon in your grandparents' backyard.

And on all levels except physical, Xavier is a normal boy.

Word Count: 4.2k

Tags: fem!reader x xavier, you x xavier (no use of Y/N), imaginary friend AU, imaginaryfriend!xavier, childhood friends (to lovers, but not in this chapter!), themes of codependency?, lil sprinkle of family issues lol, growing up, time skips as a plot device, again– pretty self-indulgent 

A/N: I understand that AUs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay! Xavier’s always been a comfort character to me and I wanted to write something different for him, which led to this baby <3 

(art + banners are made by urs truly x)

Part I

You stand a little over three feet, and your hair is in braids. 

You’re wearing your Sunday special; a pretty purple dress with a frilly skirt and your favorite pair of stripe-print leggings. Your sparkly jelly ballerinas have been long since discarded somewhere in the grass as you run barefoot in your grandparents’ backyard. 

You’re playing hopscotch by yourself, with the family Shiba for company. The sky is starting to turn into a pretty orange hue and you hear your mom calling from inside the house when you see something white move from the corner of your eye. 

With all the curiosity befitting a four-year-old, your tiny feet carry you in the direction where you saw it; near the mossy undergrowth, beneath the canopy shade of the old Kousa dogwood tree that stood for more than four generations behind the residential building you’d spent some days hiding in when you didn’t want to go back inside for dinner. 

It’s as safe a spot to you as it is familiar, so it takes you by surprise when you find something unexpected; in the form of a small, pale boy with hair the color of rain clouds in the summer, sitting with his legs up to his chin, looking like one of those little elves in your fairytale books. 

A pair of blue eyes meet yours, alight in childlike wonder.

_____

Xavier doesn’t know how he came to be; just that he’s now present in this plane of existence, in the phantom body of a four-year-old boy, in a place he knows human beings call a back-yard. 

He knows this—just as he knows things on an objective level; like what a house is, what the creature covered in fur is called (a small wolf), or what a human girl looks like. 

What he doesn’t understand is the knee-jerk reaction to hide when his sudden appearance catches your attention, which brings him to his current attempt at concealing himself amidst a thicket; beneath the tree with star-like blooms. 

He doesn’t account for the beating of his heart when your searching gaze lands on him, nor the unfamiliar excitement of being seen feels like. 

“Hi!” You finally exclaim after a few seconds of consideration, squatting down in front of him. Xavier notices that you’re missing a front tooth when you give him a big smile. He also notices how his heartbeat quickens at the sight. “Are you an elf?!” 

“No,” he responds quietly. “I’m human. I think.” 

His voice sounds odd to his ears. 

“Oh,” you say with an undercurrent of disappointment. “Well, that’s okay! I’m human too!”

You say it with such enthusiasm that Xavier’s lips pull up in a hesitant smile.

Bouncing back up to your feet, you pat away the nonexistent dirt from your dress and extend a hand towards him. “D’you wanna play with me? Oh, oh—we can play hide-and-seek! You seek, I hide!” 

You're off to run somewhere before he could answer. He doesn't know what hide-and-seek entails, nor what it means to be amongst the living.

He doesn’t know that many things, but he thinks he’d like to know more about you.  

___

You head inside the house after your mom calls you for a fourth time, her voice straining in (rising) agitation. Towing behind you is your new (best!) friend, who you decide is joining you for dinner.

 

“This is Xavier!” You point at the boy sitting on the chair you dragged near yours, eyes wide as he takes in the spread on the table in front of him. “I saw him outside and we played hide-and-seek!”

  

Your mom exchanges a look with your grandmother. She glances at the chair beside you, then at you. 

She sees your wide grin. Resigned, she sighs and smiles indulgently. 

“Hello, Xavier.” 

The boy perks up at that. She could also–?

…No. 

It’s not obvious at first glance. But when he studies the expression of the woman who shares the same nose and chin as his new friend, he notices that her eyes look past him. Not at him. 

Xavier falters upon realizing the… facade. He is aware that his form isn’t as corporeal compared to yours. His skin has a certain translucent quality to it, more obvious under the stark, fluorescent lighting. The manner in which he moves isn’t unlike the minute particles floating in the air; more buoyant, less solid. Less tangible. Less aliv–

You squeal in excitement, and he’s distracted. He watches as you turn in your seat to face him– to look straight into his eyes and tell him—

“I’m your bestest friend now, okay?” 

You say it as a statement; like a promise. And for a second, he feels more present in the world.

So you are. His bestest friend. 

Xavier’s chest feels warm; he likes the sound of that. 

___

“Grandpa, Xavier says your beard looks funny!”

“Huh? Who’zat??” 

_____

You learn the concept of an imaginary friend after introducing Xavier to person number six, who happens to be your preschool teacher. 

You overhear her discussing boring adult stuff with your mom when the latter comes to pick you up after school. You and Xavier are in a corner, playing princess and knight. It’s just the two of you, away from the other kids, since your friends refused to join when you’d asked them if they wanted to play too. 

Or rather— they don’t think it’s fair that you just made someone up to be the knight, and have them play the villains. 

That confused you. You also notice how it made your best friend sad. So in the end, you decided that you don’t need anyone else! Xavier is already the best knight who is now also an evil dragon.

“Honey, don’t you want to play with your other classmates?” Your teacher, Miss Dahlia, asks you as she and your mom amble closer to where you and Xavier are; her tone gentle, yet careful. 

You shake your head, a ‘harrumph!’ leaving your mouth. “They didn’t wanna play villains with us. But ‘sokay, Xavier is an evil knight dragon now.” 

Miss Dahlia smiles the same smile your mother gave you at dinner last night. “Oh, of course, sweetie. But maybe you and… Xavier can find someone else to join you?” 

Your brows furrow, starting to feel irritated about the whole thing. “I told you, they don’t wanna! They said they dun’ wanna have someone made up play the knight!” 

Your mom sighs and the two share a look. 

After a moment of hesitation, your teacher begins to explain how your friends “may not be able to see” Xavier since he’s special and only appears to you. That “It’s good you’re being very independent, sweetie, as long as you don’t let Xavier prevent you from hanging out with your actual friends.”

Because, according to Miss Dahlia, he’s just an imaginary friend. 

You blink, not understanding. Xavier is silent beside you. “Huh?” 

You’re looking at the boy in question, trying to make sense of how the other kids—and apparently, everyone else—can’t see him when he’s sitting right there. You don’t understand, and it’s making you more annoyed. 

So the moment Miss Dahlia finishes talking, you tell her that you’re happy playing with just Xavier, and that you’re gonna continue to play princess and evil knight dragon now, please and thank you. 

___

Back home, you and your imaginary friend lie starfish on the floor of your bedroom. You stay quiet while you count the barely visible water spots on your ceiling, waiting for the other person to speak. 

He doesn’t. 

Feeling fidgety, you break the silence. “They don’t see you.”

“I-I don’t think so.” 

“But I see you.” You stress the word, turning on your left to look at Xavier when you say it. 

“Yes,” He agrees, twisting his head to the right so that he’s facing you too. You try to figure out how he’s feeling about the situation—with all the naivety of a child your age—but his expression doesn’t give much away. 

You’re about to ask him directly when, finally, his lips curve into a small smile. A knot loosens in your chest.

“Don’t worry,” Xavier assures you. “That’s enough for me.” 

_____

You lost another round of hide-and-seek.

“‘S not fair,” you grouse, stomping a foot in frustration. “You always find me so fast!”

“We could always play tag instead,” Xavier offers. 

“As if you don’t win at tag too!” 

_____

It’s another bright, sunny Tuesday and your mom leaves you with her usual instruction to behave well for Mrs Dela Peña, a kind—albeit a little strict—lady in her mid-seventies who lives a block away from your house, and your babysitter since you were in diapers. You’re eight now, and starting to make heads with your multiplication tables, but your mom still thinks you’re a big baby that needs looking after. 

You think you’re old enough to be left alone during your summer break when she has to go to work, but she refuses to leave you by your lonesome no matter how much you insist. 

“I have Xavier with me anyway!” 

Your mom just shakes her head whenever you use that as an argument, not bothering with a response. 

So with the usual pout on your face, you stand at the front door with your arms crossed as you grudgingly bid your mother goodbye. 

“–and don’t forget to eat all your greens later for lunch, okay?” She reminds you one last time before giving you a wet kiss on the forehead. You scrunch your nose as you wipe it off. “Love you, honey. I’ll be home by six.” 

And off she goes. You turn to face Xavier—whose hair is a little longer now, almost past his chin, but with eyes the same shade of marble blue—and complain, “She always treats me like a little kid!” 

“But you are a kid,” he tells you, sounding a little confused by your ire. “And it’s normal for parents to care for their children, no matter how old they are.” 

You grumble, narrowing your eyes at him. “I know, but you’re supposed to be on my side.” 

“I am on your side,” Xavier says, blinking innocently. “I tell you when Mrs Dela Peña isn’t looking so you could hide your broccoli before she sees.” 

He does make for a good lookout. You divert the subject. 

“Okay, whatever. But we’re still on Project: Veggie Throw, right?” You ask him, excitement replacing the crabbiness from a moment ago.

Xavier hums in assent, both him and you sharing the same aversion for all things leafy and (barely) edible, despite the other one’s inability to eat. 

Apparently, just explaining to him the yuckiness of a watercress salad is enough for him to take your side of things. 

Xavier sneaks into the kitchen—quiet as a mouse, as usual—to observe the old woman who’s starting to prepare for lunch. He notes the celery stalks being chopped on a wooden board and makes a sound of disgust.

The little phantom boy waits until the woman finishes the rest of the vegetables to put on a corner before calling out to you:

“The veggies are contained in one spot, agent. Over.” 

Your head pops out to peek from behind the wall that connects to the kitchen. Xavier, who’s now sitting cross-legged on the countertop close to the awning window, waves you towards the sink while Mrs Dela Peña’s busy taking something out of the fridge. 

Trying your best to move swiftly before she could catch you in the act, you zip straight to where the sliced vegetables are, bath towel ready to snatch them away when—

“There’s that tuxedo cat again from yesterday,” Xavier casually comments, peering through the open blinds. “I think he’s brought a friend this time.”

Like second nature, you respond without thinking, “You mean Mr Snuffles?”

“...”

“...”

“Oh, I didn't see you there, sweetie!” Mrs Dela Peña exclaims, eyes crinkling from the smile that graces her face as she sees your frozen form over by the aromatics. “Would you like to help with the cooking? Oh-ho! Be a dear now and soak those mung beans in water, will you?” 

“... Sorry,” Xavier sheepishly offers, then shrinks down from your betrayed look. 

You end up on stir duty. The large pot filled with beans and green produce seems to bubble ominously as you’re forced to listen to the same story about Mrs Dela Peña’s neighbor for the nth time. 

An apologetic Xavier dutifully recites to you the play-by-play on how Mr Snuffles and his racoon friend are rummaging through the trash bins as penance, and you swear to be more conscious of your audience next time you’re speaking to your invisible friend. 

_____

You’re in fourth grade, and exam week is coming up.

You look at the textbooks that are laid neatly on the living room table, untouched. Then at the TV. Maybe you could sneak in one episode before—

“No screen time before you finish studying, dearie!” An older Mrs Dela Peña calls out from the kitchen, apparently having a sixth sense for children and their sneaky ways. “Your mother wants you to complete the set of exercises she’s left for you there before you watch your an-e-mays.” 

Groaning in response, you let your head fall down onto the table with a thunk. “But it’s booooring!”

Xavier hums sympathetically, patting your head with a spectral hand. “I can read beside you. Do you want me to ask you the questions?” 

“I want to watch Killua beat those guys at dodgeball,” you sulk, voice coming out a little muffled against the oakwood surface. “Not memorize dates from, like, a hundred years ago.” 

“Killua isn’t here to help you with The Revolution, I am.” You’re caught off-guard by the shortness in Xavier’s tone, enough to raise your head to stare at your friend curiously. He keeps his gaze fixed on the questionnaire in front of him. 

Wait. That gives you an idea.

“I think I know how you could help me, Xavi,” You say slowly, excitement creeping in your voice. Why haven’t you thought of this before??

The pouting boy tilts his head in confusion. You start explaining what you have in store for him for the next couple of days, and before you even finish your spiel, the pout is gone and Xavier’s nodding along with your plan, seeming to be fully on board. 

The idea that his… nonphysicality could finally be of use to you has him feeling oddly giddy. You, on the other hand, look identical to a cat that ate the canary as you reach for the remote. 

Seems like you’ll be able to watch your second favorite pale-haired boy after all. 

___

You’ve been asked to stay after class, two days before the end of midterms. 

Your history teacher has been on it with your adviser for a while now, in a heated argument about your test results. Well, yours and another student in your class. 

“How is that even possible? He’s sitting three rows behind her!” 

“I don’t know how she did it, but they even got the same answer to the third essay down to the last sentence!” 

You and your partner-in-crime share a look of alarm. Uh-oh.

Any attempts at making you fess up led to nowhere. You keep denying all claims of cheating, and your adviser recalls nothing that could warrant suspicion on the day of your World History exam. 

Without enough conclusive evidence of your dishonesty for them to be able to pin the blame on you and call it a day, their resolution to this ‘conundrum’ is to have you take another test in the faculty office tomorrow after school, under the watchful eyes of two (wary) teachers. 

-

-

-

You let Xavier help you one last time—by relaying to you the answers from the paper tucked between two books on your teacher’s desk—before deciding that it’s probably for the best if you refrain from using your invisible friend for anything that could cause you more trouble in the long run; especially on the remaining days left of midterm week. 

Xavier looks deflated, but agrees. (The pout is back, though.) 

_____

“Where’d you get the name Xavier anyway?”

“It came to me in a dream,” he says cryptically. His face betrays nothing, so you can't figure out whether he’s telling the truth or just messing with you. 

“... Right.”

Xavier hides a smile. 

_____

“Hey, what are they talking about?” You ask Xavier from your perch on top of the staircase. You’ve been eavesdropping on the conversation downstairs for a while now, but you could barely make sense of the words being thrown around except for a couple of bad ones. 

Xavier cocks his head to the side, trying to listen in as well, before deciding to just transport himself closer to the source. 

Your dad, a man that you’ve spent considerably less time with compared to your grandfather (or basically everybody else, for that matter), came to visit today for reasons that aren’t really clear to you. But judging from the hushed whispers and periodic bouts of angry shouting down the living room, it isn’t for anything good. 

Your mom frequently uses the term “deadbeat”, and sometimes when she’s really in a mood, “a good-for-nothing waste of a man” when describing your father. You don’t have much of a relationship with him to feel offended on his behalf so you just nod along and agree when your mom goes off in a tirade.

You wonder sometimes, how things would be if you had a dad. A better one, perhaps. The kind of dad that picks you up after school in an SUV, just like how the dads from your class do for their kids. Or someone that’d take longer “shifts” at work to bring home enough to take care of the family, like how your mom does.

You wonder what it would be like to spend the holidays with another parent – the three of you welcoming New Years at home with a bunch of round fruits and maybe some sparklers, instead of having to sleep early at your grandparents’ house. 

Xavier floats back to your side after a few minutes, face set in a frown. “They’re saying something along the lines of moving somewhere nearer the city and finalizing the papers for the divorce. Your father’s talking about remarrying, as well.” 

It’s relayed to you in monotone, like someone reading off a script—or reciting exactly what they’ve heard sans the curse words—that it takes you a moment to process the information. 

After a beat, the only thing that comes out of you is a small, “oh.”

“Are you… okay?” 

It doesn't take much time for you to shake your head, along with the passing pipe dream you’ve entertained, if only for a few short minutes. 

You stand up from your crouched position near the top banister, leaving your little hiding spot to go back to your room. Xavier follows. 

“It’s fine,” you tell him with a shrug. “Do you wanna read Nightwing with me?” 

He agrees, of course. If he curls up closer to you when you stay up later that night to stare quietly at the glowing stars on your bedroom walls, neither of you brings it up in the morning.

_____

You had a fight with your mother earlier today. Xavier’s with you while you sit quietly on the tire swing behind your house. 

“Would you come with me if I go someplace far away from ‘ere?” 

“How far do you want to go?” 

“I dunno,” you shrug half-heartedly. “It’d be cool if we could go live on a planet of our own, don’cha think?” 

“Just the two of us?”

“Yeah. Somewhere I can just…” You struggle to find the words, but you settle on– “Breathe, I guess.” 

A flock of birds fly eastward. Envy colors you green as you think about the fact that they could call any place home without being tied down to a single location. 

“I’d like that,” Xavier smiles. “Maybe we could, one day. Once mankind improves the means for intergalactic travel.” 

“...Whatever you say, Xavi.” 

_____

It's your twelfth birthday.

You’re sitting at the head of the table surrounded by friends and family as they sing you a happy birthday. In front of you is a sunflower yellow buttercream cake with rainbow sprinkles and two lit candles in the shape of a large ONE and TWO. 

“Happy birthday to you,”

You watch your friends; girls in school that you grew up with since kindergarten, and some boys that you’ve climbed trees with during lunch breaks. Almost all of them have already gone through one or two phases over the course of years you’ve known them, and some you consider your closer friends are even acting a little distant as of late, already outgrowing old interests that you’d once shared. 

Even the general consensus on shows like Adventure Time and Spongebob has changed drastically ever since they all started watching Disney Channel. Flashy cell phones and handheld consoles are traded in place of old Barbie dolls and LeapFrog books; the latter are now kept hidden inside a dusty box underneath the bed, like forgotten relics of a simpler time.

“Happy birthday to youuu,”

They look different now, too. Some shot up in height, others gained a measly few inches. Some ditched the braids in exchange for a shag cut. The cooler kids even started wearing makeup. 

(You think you’d like to try putting on eyeliner if your mom wasn’t so strict.)

“Happy birthday, dear– ouch!” A yelp. “Jeremy, you dumdum, stop moving the cake too much!” 

Your gaze then shifts to your right, almost instinctively, to a space that all your other guests would find empty.

There, always by your side, your best friend remains the same as ever. Not the same in the sense that he looked the way he did when you first saw him eight years ago in your grandparents’ backyard, no. You’re not blind to the changes he’s gone through, in stages similar to your own. 

He’s grown taller, for one; almost as tall as you are now. The chub in his cheeks lost some of its roundness, and his limbs are lankier. His hair went through phases of being short, long, and the awkward in-between. When you had asked a couple years back how he’s able to change the length of it without going to a salon, he simply said he does it “to match yours when you do.” 

All-in-all, his physical appearance passes as a regular twelve-year-old boy, if not for the slight ‘otherworldly’ aspect one could probably… overlook. So ‘the same’ isn’t really how you’d describe him. 

“–happy biiirthday to youuu!” 

Xavier mouths the song along with the people in your life, his gaze trained on you the entire time. You look into the same galaxy-blue that you’ve associated with home, comfort, and just Xavier in every way—and you understand.

Constant. The word you're looking for is constant. 

You blow out your candles, wishing it could last forever. 

_____

“Don’t you think you’re getting a little too old for an imaginary friend, dear?” 

_____

Xavier finds you up the roof one rainy afternoon. You look like you’ve been crying. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach from the sight of your red-rimmed eyes. He sidles beside you, close enough that his right side almost merges with your left. 

(He’d like to imagine that you could feel him—as a source of warmth, of comfort to you while you shiver from both the cold and the heavy emotions weighing you down. He wishes he could be more than just a presence.)

“M-mom said that,” you sniff, angrily rubbing away the wetness in your eyes with the back of your hand. “–tha’ when I grow older, you won’t show up anymore.

That—that you’d be gone, ‘cos imaginary friends don’t stay with you when you’re all grown up.” Your bottom lip wobbles by the end of your sentence. 

A dark rain cloud looms overhead, signaling the coming of a storm stronger than the current downpour that’s drenching you to the bone. 

“You won’t leave me, would you, Xavi?” You whisper, turning to gaze at your dearest friend with greedy eyes, committing his form to memory, just in case he– “You won’t disappear on me, right?” 

There’s a crackle of energy in the air; a drop in temperature that causes the fine hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end.

“I don’t want you to ever go away.” 

(Neither does he.)

Something builds up inside Xavier. A desire, a need stronger than the limitations of the circumstance he’s dealt with since the beginning of his existence. It’s as vast and tumultuous as the birth of a star, and equally as brilliant. 

(He wants, he needs, he wishes–)

An answer from the high heavens comes in the form of a lightning strike, illuminating the world in a blinding veil of white for less than a second. The resounding “crack!” feels like a blessing. Like an affirmation from the court of gods listening in on the boy’s plea. 

A boon is granted, born from an ambition so great. And for a moment, Xavier burns brighter than any of the billion pinpricks of light in the night sky. 

-

-

-

On a roof, two children sit facing each other under a raging tempest, threads of fate tying them together in an unbreakable bond. 

Snip.

Something falls into place. 

“Never,” he vows. “I’ll always be with you. Forever.” 

Just Be Yourself

Xavier; Zayne; Rafayel; Sylus; Caleb x female!reader || with teenage kids!

Genre: fluff

Warnings: 300-600 words, lgbtq+ kids!, married lads&reader, reader likes women too in Sylus's part!

Note: as a pansexual person I know how much of a struggle coming out to your parents may be, but I believe our dear lads men would do a great job at creating a safe space for their kids to come out to them

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How would they react to their kids coming out to them?

Xavier was lying on the couch, peacefully watching tv and falling asleep when his 16 year old son interrupted his tries to take a nap.

"Dad?" he walked around the couch to get to him and shake his shoulder a bit.

"Hm..?" was the only response he got, Xavier not even bothering to open his eyes.

"I have something to talk to you about. Can you quit sleeping for a moment please?" and finally he saw his dad opening up his eyes (only half way) and sitting up.

"Yes?"

"Well I..." his son turned to look at the carpet, clearly stressed about something judging by the way he played with his fingers nervously.

Not rushing him Xavier simply stayed in one position, trying not to fall asleep.

"I'm... Gay..." finally he said, looking into his dad's eyes matching his own.

The next moment of silence seemed to last eternity, the teenager would lie if he said he wasn't afraid of his dad's response, even if you already assured him he'll accept him no matter what.

"Okay." that... Was it?

"Okay?" Orion repeated after Xavier, tension leaving him, allowing confusion to take place.

"Okay. It's not my business to tell you who to love." he stated like the simplest thing in the world.

In a second he was wrapped in a tight hug which he reciprocated a little too slow from the lack of his afternoon nap.

"You're the best, dad!" his son cried out into his shoulder, squeezing Xavier tighter before letting go of him to run somewhere "Mom, you were right! I can't wait to tell my boyfriend that he can come over for lunch!"

Xavier lied down again, getting comfy under the material of a blanket when...

BOYFRIEND?!

He looked in the direction his son disappeared to, not feeling sleepy any longer.

Sitting in the dining room with his laptop and a half finished coffee Zayne continued filling up patients reports regarding his last surgeries.

He heard footsteps coming from behind him, recognizing them as his child's he continued with his work not turning around to acknowledge the teen, expecting them to pass by the room on their way to the kitchen.

"Dad? Can I talk to you about something?" he heard the hesitation accompanying their voice.

"Of course, what's bothering you?" he said not taking his eyes off the monitor.

"Could you... Not focus on your work for a bit..?" the presence of vulnerability accompanying their quiet words made him worried.

"Yes, forgive me." he took his hands off the keyboard, turning his head towards the teen.

What he saw made him pause for a moment, brows arching in confusion.

There he was, his 16 year old son, standing with eyes dropped to the floor, nervous, almost crying and in... Make-up?

Seeing how they didn't seem eager to express what was bothering them Zayne decided to push the topic a little bit, already expecting what the conversation was going to be about.

"You look nice." he simply stated, not a hint of anger or disappointment in his voice.

The shock he saw on the teen's face the very next second spoke loudly, tears forming in their eyes.

With a hand gesture he asked them to come forward, taking their hand into his.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he gently stated, brushing one tears away from their cheek.

Nodding their head they tried to compose themselves enough to make a sentence leave their closing on the air throat.

"I... I want you to call me Ivy from now on." Zayne brushed their hair away from their eyes, the warm present in his eyes, reserved only for his little family.

"Ivy." he said, testing it on his tongue and nodding approvingly "I like it."

He saw the way his daughter bit her lip so as not to let out a sob before crashing her dad into a hug.

"Don't ruin your make-up, I know mom worked hard on this one." she laughed at the comment "To this day I remember how your mom cried at the party once, with a napkin under her eyes, refusing to smear her mascara."

"Mom's always been a girl boss, wasn't she?" they laughed together.

"That she was, and you're exactly like her." he felt the hug tightening up even more.

"Those god-damned SEAGULLS-" Rafayel screamed, looking at the mischievous bird that stole his paintbrush simply because he put it on a table for a second too long to take a sip of the tea made by you.

"Why are we yelling?!" now the artist didn't only scream but also jumped, startled.

"When did you get here?!" he looked with hurt at his daughter, holding a hand to his chest to calm his heart down.

"Stop yelling!" he heard you, his wife, screaming from the kitchen.

"Of course, cutie!"

"Sorry, mom!" they both answered, turning in the direction of your voice, your figure hidden behind a wall.

Rafayel looked at his daughter, waiting to see whether she wanted something or if he could come back to his peaceful (not really) lookout for inspiration.

"I have news~" she said, almost singing it, and swaying to the sides with a huge grin on her face.

"Hit me with it." he watched her happiness, preparing for the news of the century.

"I have a girlfriend!" she jumped up and clapped her hands in joy.

Rafayel almost fell from his stool.

"A what?!"

"I said something!" your voice rang from the kitchen again, with your head peeking out to send him a firm glare.

"I'm sorry, honey, love you!" he said to you before turning back to his daughter "A what." he pointed at her in shock.

"A girlfriend! You know, a girl, that I really, really like? Like you like mom?" she explained to him sarcastically, watching as he tried to process the information.

"Okay, first of." he raised a finger and looked at her with disappointment "I don't like your mom, I love her." he said firmly, it was important to correct that huge HUGE mistake his daughter said.

"I love you too, darling!" you butt in again, to which he pointed approvingly in your way, still hidden behind a wall and busy.

"And second." he didn't move his eyes away from his grinning daughter "You're too young to have a girlfriend!"

"Dad, I'm 16 years old! I'm turning 17 in half a year!" she protested.

"You're still a baby!"

"I'm not a baby anymore."

"To me you'll always be a baby!" he cried out, upset that his child grows up.

"Dad, pleasee-" she groaned in disbelief.

"Also since when do you like girls?!" he looked at her sternly "How come I didn't know about it?"

"Oh please, I couldn't be more obvious about it, I had a crush on every single one of the female characters in every single movie we watched together." she deadpanned to him to which he responded with his lips turning into a straight line, eyes half closed, a hand on his chin and thinking.

"Okay, yeah, the signs were there." he nodded his head "But didn't you have a boyfriend like a year ago?"

"Yeah, I'm bi, dad." she explained.

"Oh shit double the idiots to protect you from." his eyes widened in panic.

"Daaad." she groaned again, he was unbelievable. She raised her head to look up at the ceiling before her eyes fell back to him "So, you're okay with this?" she asked, a little bit unsure, but still calm.

"What, with you being bisexual? Sure, love who you want to love and all that. What I'm not okay with is all the idiots that are gonna try to win you over that don't deserve you. No one deserves you!" she laughed at his antics.

Yeah, she loved her drama queen dad.

"Father, I have something important to tell you." Sylus stopped humming, turning his head to sneak a glance at his 17 year old daughter. He was currently cooking dinner for you, since you were in too much pain to move due to your period, he wanted to spoil you in every way he could.

"Yes, Lilith?" he asked while taking out plates.

"I hate men." she said, standing with her arms crossed over her chest and sending a dead glare from those red eyes of hers.

"Just like your mother." he muttered, completely unfazed, still focusing on the task at hand.

"No, dad, I mean I'll never be with one, I hate looking at them, and want to throw up anytime I see one without a shirt." he still didn't look like the information shocked or hurt him "I like women, okay?" she said firmly, annoyed at his lack of reaction. Now he finally turned to look at her again.

"Like I said; just like your mother." he deadpanned. His daughter's mouth fell open in confusion.

"Wait, mom likes girls?" he nodded, not caring too much for the topic "But she married you?!" now he chuckled.

"Yes, you see, Lily, your mother hated men, always did, still does, saying that they are all scums and she'll never find herself in a relationship with one." she smiled gently, as if reminiscing his wife's words brought him joy "But then I came along, and now she hates every single man, except for me. Now, your mom is attracted to all genders, in case you haven't noticed yet." he looked at the teen, crocking an eyebrow.

"How was I supposed to notice?! Every time I am with the both of you somewhere in public all you two do is stare at each other and tease each other to the point I want to cry, cause I'll never have someone love me like you love each other!" she argued with him, making some very energetic hand gestures. Sylus only chuckled, yes, him and his wife are crazy over each other.

"Now, now, sweetie, I'm sure you'll find someone who'll love you just as much. Now I do have to say, I prefer you liking women too, I'm not a... Huge fun of teenage boys anywhere near my daughter." he said, coming back to focusing on the cooking.

"Thanks, dad, I knew I could count on you to understand." she said, more calmly this time, grinning right after "Oh! Also, I sneaked to mom like 10 minutes ago, we're doing a self-care evening today while watching movies, wanna join?" she asked, clapping her hands, like a kid talking about sweets.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Just make sure not to hug her too tightly on the sad scenes, she doesn't feel too well today." Lily nodded, running out of the kitchen right after to get into her pajamas.

She loved days on which her always busy father found the time to indulge in her little plans.

It was early morning, Caleb as usual woke up first to start off his day with making breakfast for his family. On any other day it would be you who'd join him in the kitchen first, before your kids wake up, especially on the weekend like this, but this time his oldest son was the one to greet him first.

"Hey, dad." he simply said, reaching out for a glass to pour apple juice into.

"What's got you to wake up at 7am on Saturday?" Caleb asked, focused on cutting vegetables.

"Didn't sleep well last night, I have something to talk to you about, I already talked to mom about this last week when you were gone on a mission, decided it's better to do it before Skye and Ethan wake up." he stated, as calm and collected as his father.

"Sounds serious, what's up?" he sneaked a glance at his son, still working on the breakfast.

"Well I... I have a partner. We hit six months together recently, and I wanted to... Invite them for dinner sometime, you know, so that you'll meet them." he explained slowly, Caleb listened in silence, connecting dots in his head.

"Where's the catch?" he said instantly when Alec stopped talking.

"No catch just..." the teen exhaled.

Caleb looked at the 18 year old boy, waiting for him to finish the thought.

"They're... Non-binary." he finally said, his dad's expression didn't betray how he felt about that "And since we never talked about stuff like that, I wanted to ask if that's... Okay with you."

"Date who you want to." he simply said "I just want you and your siblings to be happy." he put the perfectly chopped veggies on the pan.

"So you won't have a problem with addressing them accordingly?"

"Nope." he didn't hesitate "Now if that topic is over, go and set the table, usually your mom is the one helping me with that, but today you were faster than her, congrats." Caleb chuckled hearing his son groan.

"Waking up early is no fun." he stated before getting to work.

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≡;-꒰ 𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑 ꒱₊˚ ପ⊹ I  𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

╰┈➤ ❝ xavier x afab!reader | VALENTINE'S EVENT !

tags : established relationship, general teasing and banter, kisses, cuddles, lots and lots of fluff, xavier glows when he's happy <3

wc : 2k

an : I MISS HIM. I MISS HIM I MISS HIM I MISS HIM I MISS HIM I MISS HIM AHUHUHUHU i needed to get this out of my system omg,,, this is the happiest i've been with writing for a while tysm @bunbunnies for the request AND HAPPY WHITE DAYYY !! (p.s. please listen to the song i swear it adds to the vibes) (p.p.s. additional tag @ourlittleuluru for also inspiring this hehe)

taglist : under the cut! (SIGN UP HERE)

ko-fi jar / commissions

Everyday is enough of a special day as long as it's with you.

Your eyes blinked open.

The advantage of sleeping in Xavier's room was that the blinds were drawn—it was the perfect environment to be conducive for sleep, so much so that the peaked, late-afternoon sun, did little to stir you awake. The sheets were warm, and cozy, and soft… You could sink into the mattress, so cloud-like and weightless.

It was dangerous, in a sense. Staying here made you forget what other things you had on your to-do list for the day. But turning your head to the side to rest your eyes upon the soundly sleeping figure next to you made everything worth it. Warm sunlight peeked in slightly through the blinds, illuminating the room in a soft, dim glow, but you didn't really need it. If anything, the only light you felt that you needed was right here, right next to you.

You noticed faint, barely-noticeable particles of light floating around the crown of his head, and you smiled.

Those weren't from the sunlight.

He must be having a good dream…

You shifted slightly. The movement pulled you away from his embrace just a little bit, but it was enough to get him to stir.

"Mmmnh…"

He didn't open his eyes, but his arms tugged you closer by the waist. An instinctive reaction, you could only assume, and a soft laugh fell from your lips in response. Something about the way he held you made him feel akin to a weighted blanket; despite being clearly asleep, his grip on you was firm enough that you could barely wiggle free from him this time.

You felt sleepy nuzzles into your shoulder, and you smiled and pat his arm.

Pats wouldn't work, of course.

Gently, you shook him, trying to nudge him off of you.

Bleary eyes opened, vision unfocused.

"What… time is it?"

A playful scoff on your end. "Gee, I dunno, Xavier. I'm kinda stuck here."

He blinked, for a moment. Once, twice. It took a while, and you patiently waited, eyebrow raised as your words—and the way he was hugging you so firmly—finally registered in his head. A hint of sheepishness was present on his gaze as he allowed you free from his grasp. You were quick to soothe with a kiss to the tip of his nose.

He sat up with you as you moved to reach for your phone, and out of the corner of your eye, you could see him rubbing his eyes as if it would do anything to help the sleepiness subside.

12:30 in the afternoon.

This was new—you never got to sleep in this much when you were alone, but sleeping with Xavier seemed to bring out newer, sleepier, admittedly lazier sides to you that you didn't know you could have. It was a good thing, of course; at least this time, you could actually rest. There was something freeing about it. Xavier never judged you for sleeping in with him; in fact, he'd much rather have you do just that than wake up without him.

And then your eyes drifted towards the date.

February 14th.

A moment of realization dawned.

You'd gotten so caught up in this just being another simple, restful day off, that you'd completely forgotten…

Slowly, sheepishly, you set your phone down and turned to Xavier.

Still clearly a little out of it, he was sitting up, staring blankly in your general direction. It seemed as if his mind was still asleep, slow blinks not particularly focusing on even you, or anything else. His hair was a mess, a few strands sticking out. His pajama top looked a little skewed—no doubt, if he could still be under the covers at this very moment, he certainly would have been.

But he also looked so freaking cute.

A moment of silence passed like that, a silly smile on your face as you tilted your head—because how could you look away from that? Few others would have the privilege of seeing the Association's most formidable Hunter doing adorable little eye rubs and trying to stay awake in his own bed. In fact, no one else probably did aside from you. And it was a sight to appreciate.

It didn't take too long for his gaze to focus back on you, and, whether out of another instinctual pull or out of a slight sense of embarrassment for realizing you'd been staring at him this whole time, he pulled you back against his chest. Automatically you curled your figure into him, ear resting against his heart as you listened to its ever-steady thrum.

"…It's almost one in the afternoon," you huffed. Yet there was no resistance in your voice; your arms wrapped around him in a reciprocal manner.

"Mhm. But… I want to stay like this a while longer."

"This is unfair, you're just too comfy…"

He shifted, coaxing your head up to look at him. Upon meeting his gaze, you could see that most of the sleep had since melted away to give way to a certain sense of fondness. "We don't have plans today," he murmured. "Can't we stay in a little longer?"

It was so difficult to say no.

A smile peeked at the corners of your lips.

"Well… how about, what do you want to eat later? We've missed breakfast, so this might as well be…"

"Brunch… right?"

"Mhm!" Your eyes fluttered as he reached over to trace your cheek, light, gentle touches that lulled you into a sense of comfort. "We could… order some takeout, maybe? It's been a while…"

"Sure. We can order from that place you like."

You watched, your own gaze softening, as he leaned in to press a kiss to your forehead.

"Xavier…"

"What do you want to do today?"

He tucked an awry strand of your hair away from your face this time, but the question made your eyes light up. Something in you knew what he wanted to hear—that he probably, likely wanted to just stay in and sleep.

Yet, you sat up, and you could have laughed at his expression. He blinked, taking another moment to process, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly. Unlike last time, he didn't sit up with you.

"I… I have an idea!" you nudged him. "Listen, you said so yourself. We don't have plans today… And, remember all those movies we said we'd watch together? Isn't this the perfect time for us to—"

He cut you off.

Another second had you practically yanked back down to him, and you let out a laugh.

"Five more minutes…"

—

You wondered if it was supposed to end up this way.

Messing around in the kitchen turned brunch into an odd combination of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, another reminder of just how easily things could flow into their own thing, when it was just the two of you. You could argue about how unhealthy your habits had been today, but one day was just one day, wasn't it? You had no real plans today—in the end, what it settled into was a mutual agreement to indulge in the day a little.

But what you hadn't expected was to walk into a living room that no longer… looked like the living room that you knew.

You didn't think you'd spent that much time fixing up the kitchen, but the stark change to the living room space proved otherwise.

Prepped for your little home theater date, the room had been dimmed, lights switched off—except, even with the lights on, you wouldn't have been able to pinpoint where exactly the television was, or where exactly the couch was, or where exactly Xavier was. Instead, what stood in front of you was a large amalgamation of blankets, and bedsheets, and pillows… Not quite organized in the least, nor matched in shade or size, but certainly very… big. You knew that these were all the extras that you had stored, and you couldn't quite describe what was in front of you.

A canopy?

A castle?

A… fort?

You stood there for a while, head tilted, noting a rummaging going around on the inside. It took a moment before you heard a little click, and the inside of the pillow fort glowed a warm, inviting orange.

Xavier poked his head out from under one of the blankets.

"Hi," he nodded at you.

The sparkle in his eyes told you that he was quite proud of yourself.

"…Hi," you laughed. "What's with the living room, Xav?"

"You… said you wanted to watch some movies. I figured I could turn it into something cozy."

"Except I'm always cozy with you."

"Then, extra cozy."

"Did you just want another place to fall asleep in?"

"…No…"

With a laugh, you waved your hand, and crawled under the fort with him.

The space was smaller inside than you'd expected it to be, all fluffy and warm and, true to his word—cozy. It certainly didn't look like much from the outside, but snuggling with him under a separate blanket of your own, leaning against the foot of the couch, the television settled in front of you… truly did make it feel like a personal little theater for the both of you.

Once again, perhaps instinctually, you curled sideways into him and lay your head on his chest. With one arm wrapped around you to keep you securely tucked into him, he used the other to point upwards.

Fairy lights.

Several strings of them, the very source of the little glow you'd been seeing from outside. The lights emitted from them weren't particularly strong, but all of it turned this whole thing into something that was—again—cozy.

A hand reached out, and you let out a soft laugh. "They look like stars."

He followed your motion, reaching out with you. His hand placed next to yours made yours incredibly small, but it made you smile. "Yeah," he agreed, "but they're also stars that don't feel too far away from us."

"Kinda like we're stargazing, huh? Without the cold…"

Your fingers intertwined with his, and he brought your hands down towards his mouth. A soft peck to your knuckles, before he nuzzled your hands against his cheek.

"Well… Anywhere with you feels like stargazing. Since the only star I really want to be looking at… is right here."

His words drew out the air from your lungs. Your eyes met—there was a certain shine in his, blue eyes glowing beneath the strings of light hanging above you. Even this alone, the way he looked at you, could have been enough to drown you. You felt the heat rush to your cheeks; such simple words had you floundering in an instant.

"You're so unfair," you murmured.

There was no bite to your words.

"Am I?"

He shifted to dim the fairy lights, and a flick of his hand had his evol playing around with the lighting. Barely a couple of tries were needed for him to secure a spot on the 'wall' of your little safety fort, where shadows danced along the lined sheets. Slowly, he brought his pinky over to draw your hand back to his, and the shadow of a rabbit formed on the wall.

A giggle fell from your lips. "Hey, that looks like Bunbun!"

"That you've gotten three of in a row just last week…"

You nudged him, pulling your hand to make another, smaller rabbit. "Weeelllll, it kind of looks like you, too~"

Sneaking a glance at him showed a little smile spreading on his own features, but you had little time to recognize the brief flash of mischief in his eyes before the rabbit he'd been projecting to the wall swiftly turned into the head of a wolf.

You gasped, drawing your own rabbit away. "Xavier!"

"I thought you were more sensitive to traps."

"But they're cute—!"

"Sometimes… you should expect the unexpected."

You let out a squeal as the 'wolf' began to advance towards your rabbit, and you immediately draw your hand away and buried your face into his chest. "Silly!" Laughing, you made light punches at his arm. "Take your wolfie away from me!"

And it was silly, but something about it made you feel all fuzzy inside. He laughed in return; it was the sound of it that made you stop, pausing to cherish the warmth that spread through you as a result of it.

Yet the more you look at him, the more you realize that the glow within your little blanket fort, pillow fort, castle whatever it was—wasn't quite coming from much of an external source, but from… him. Specks of those same little sprinkles of light scattered around him, and you could have sworn the very outline of his figure felt like it was glowing.

Smiling, you shifted closer to him, fingers moving to thread through his hair. "Xavier…" you chuckled. "What's going on?"

"What… do you mean?"

You reached out to poke his cheek. "Xavier glows when he's happy."

It took a moment.

You watched as his expression shifted ever so slightly, the flash of surprise making itself visible for a moment before settling into a fondness you knew was reserved only for you. You could marvel at it, really. There were many things about Xavier that you've come to know all this time that you've been spending with him, the past couple years of your relationship. Things like the subtle movement of his gaze when he's caught off-guard, or the twitch of his lips when he tries to keep himself from smiling. He was more expressive than people realized—moreso with the little things, and a little less, sometimes, with his words.

"Because I am happy." He leaned in, closer. The tips of your noses touched, and he nuzzled against you gently. "Are you?"

His hand raised, a familiar bunny light bouncing around the both of you as he smiled softly. That bunny, the very same one from that campfire, the very same one where—as far as you could recall—you'd made one of your very first promises with him.

Tell me when you're overwhelmed next time.

Something in you told you this was a similar moment.

It was quiet for a while, your eyes staying locked. Bated breath formed a certain tension in the air that wasn't unbearable, but easily had your heart skipping a beat. If you leaned back down, listened to his heartbeat… you wondered if you would feel the same thing. Yet somehow, in this moment… it felt as if your hearts had never been this close.

It was Xavier who broke the silence.

"I didn't forget, you know."

You didn't pull away, but you blinked. "…Huh?"

"Today. It's Valentine's day… Isn't it?"

"Oh…"

"I didn't forget."

He nodded his head, once. The smile on his face never quite left, even as he assessed the traces of panic on your own.

"I— I did, though… Sorry. I don't have anything, I didn't really—"

"It's okay."

You blinked. Again. You noticed that Xavier had been catching you by surprise a fair amount this day. "Huh?"

"It's okay," he repeated, patiently. "Because the only gift that I want… is already right next to me. And she's the same star as the only star I wish to be looking at."

Once again, it was Xavier who broke the tension.

Before you could react, before you could fluster yourself over his words—

He leaned down, lips touching against yours.

One kiss. "I love you."

Another kiss. "I love you."

A third kiss. "I love you, still."

You were left dizzy at the quick succession of kisses, feather-light, barely there, and you could practically feel the way his lips turned up into a satisfied smile.

"They say three times' the charm… right?"

Cheeky.

And yet, looking back into his eyes pushed the mischief in them aside, and instead what you found in them was— love.

So, so, much love.

More than the three times he's said it today, and more than… whatever Valentine's Day was supposed to be.

Something swelled in your chest.

"Sometimes, I think that, from the far reaches of the night sky… A star has arrived on this planet." You spoke slowly, formulating your words, and then you bumped your nose against his with a smile. "And I also think that star happens to be laying right next to me."

Arms wrapped around his neck, and it was your turn to shower his face in a little flurry of kisses, relishing the soft laughs that fall from his own lips.

"So if I'm the only star you want to look at," you murmured, "then you're the only star I want to spend the rest of my days with. I hope… tonight won't be the last night we get to spend with each other. I want more nights with you. More like this."

And he chuckled.

"No, it won't be the last."

Slowly, his arms trailed to rest on your waist, gently guiding you to settle on top of him. Happily, you pressed your forehead against his. In this moment, you realized that you loved, all too much, to look into his eyes like this.

"…Your eyes look like stars," you laughed quietly.

"Yours hold all of them."

"No, that's wrong, Xavier. It holds one star. That's you."

He smiled.

"…Mn. It won't be the last, not tonight." He said again, brushing your hair from your face. "We've followed the pull of fate to this moment, so I'll make sure to stay by your side. Now, and always. Maybe, this night… holds the hope there is for us to always be together."

taglist : @pixelcafe-network @hunters-association @darlingdummycassandra @daturasflower @thoupenguinman @valyvinny @rafayelsheart @jellyroom2 @chemiru @ywnzn @pepprrmint @angel-jupiter @cordidy @raiyuxa @xai-mery @oharasmommymilkers00 @pikachuzhc @fackeraccount @rafayelsgf @iloveboysinred @spotted-salamander @venussakura @love-and-deepstrays @evilgojo @keioxo @~Air_Heart~ @keymeadoww @strwbrychffoncke @nezuswritingdesk

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Rely On Me // Xavier x Reader

This was a request made by @sadfragilegirl for a comfort fic! Thank you for the request, this is for you <3 Concept: Xavier notices you struggling, all he wants is to be there for you. Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, a wee bit of angst, burnout, anxiety, gn! reader Wordcount: 1010 Masterlist

Xavier started to notice the signs a couple of weeks ago, at first brushing them off as a bad day. That bad day turned into two, then three, then a week. The sparkle in your eyes started to fade as the days went on, but every time he tried to bring it up, he only received a weak smile and an even weaker assurance that you were fine. 

Fine. He grew to dislike that word, because you were not fine. Cancelling plans, taking longer to reply, sleeping more, your smile that once lit up the room not quite reaching your eyes. He opted to support you on the side, after many failed attempts to get you to talk, waiting patiently for you to open up to him about the worries and thoughts that plagued you, being a silent pillar of support, ready to catch you when you fall. 

He racked his brain about what had happened to make you like this, but nothing came to mind. The frustration that built up in him was almost overpowering. He wasn’t frustrated at you, never, but at the fact that he couldn’t figure out how to make this better, how to stop whatever was hurting you. And so he invited himself over to your place often, bringing food and making sure you ate said food, to ensure that you slept well and knew that he wasn’t going anywhere.

It all came to a point on one of these visits, when you seemed to shut down further, not even having the energy to joke around like you usually would. He needed to do something, anything. He wanted so desperately to be there for you, it killed him to see you so down. So he made his move when the two of you sat on the couch, a movie playing in the background. Your eyes were glazed over when he glanced at you, not paying attention to the movie even slightly. With a sigh, he moved to turn the tv off, turning to face you fully. You snapped out of your daze, confusion painted on your features.

“Okay, wanna tell me what’s on your mind?” His voice was soft, the serious tone and furrow in his brow a striking contrast to the usually easygoing attitude he displayed. Your eyes widened slightly as your breath caught in your throat. His hand settled on yours, thumb stroking across your knuckles in a way he hoped was soothing.

“What do you mean?” You tried to laugh it off, awkwardly glancing to the side. You felt that if you met his gaze, he’d see right through you, and that was the last thing you wanted. You didn’t want to worry him, to burden him with your problems. 

“Please look at me darling,” He says, his other hand gently guiding your face back to him, “Something’s been bothering you for a while now. I tried to give you your space, but I can’t anymore. Talk to me, let me be here for you. Please.” The pleading look in his eyes made guilt stir up inside of you. Has it been that obvious? 

“Xavier, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” A weak argument, you know it was. The hand on your cheek pulled you forward slightly, until he rested his forehead against yours, eyes closed.

“Don’t shoulder your burden alone, I’m here aren’t I? Your trustworthy partner. Rely on me a little. Don’t shut me out.” With his words, your will began to crumble, as you inhaled shakily. Your hand turned to grip his, as the burn of tears welled behind your eyes. Resignation seeped into your voice as you gave in and told him everything that has been running through your mind these last couple of weeks, the anxiety, the stress, the burnout, the way nothing ever seemed to go to plan. You were drained. Physically, emotionally drained. And you didn’t know how to get out of the pit you found yourself in, not for the lack of trying. 

Tears soon streamed down your face as you got pulled in closer, right into his lap, arms coiling around you in a firm, yet comforting embrace. Your face smushed into his chest as you let go, the more you talked the more tears streamed down your cheeks. He stayed quiet, letting you take your time to unload everything, only letting you know that he was here. He was listening. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was right there with you. 

When you finished venting, he pulled you away slightly, just far enough to brush your tears away, soft kisses left on the corners of your eyes. 

“What can I do for you right now? Do you need comfort? A distraction?” He finally spoke up, his soft blue eyes scanning your face. He already travelled through time for you, he would move mountains, he would scorch the world for you, if you just asked. 

“I… I don’t know. Can… can you just hold me?” Your voice was weak, but the grip on his hand did not let up.

“Of course darling. Come here.” He guided you gently back into his arms and you quickly nuzzled in closer. He was warm, comforting, exactly what you needed. One of his hands traced across your back as he started humming softly, and you felt the adrenaline leave you. Your shoulders sagged, the tension that had built there so long escaping, exhaustion taking over. 

“I love you, my darling. Please, don’t let it build up again like that. I’ll always be there, so don’t try to go through it alone again, because you really don’t have to.” At his words, your arms around him tightened, pulling yourself even closer. 

“I love you too Xavier. I’m sorry for keeping this from you.”

“You don’t need to apologise to me. Just rest now, I’ve got you. We’ll work it out in the morning.” You felt a kiss press into the crown of your head as you finally let yourself fall into the enticing lull of sleep.

7-Days of Recovery With You 🍧🌸

SYNOPSIS: After getting injured and blacking out during a battle, you had not other choice but to take a week-long rest at home to recover. Unfortunately, the universe had a different vision for your dedicated rest & relaxation and decided to send in not just one but all five of your "emergency contacts". Oh the joy of being their favorite past time.

🍓A/N: Hello! I'm posting a little earlier since I got a sudden surge of writer energy for today lol. I'm so happy to know my previous fic got good feedback from you guys! I I'll try to make each part a stand-a-lone if I can so you could read it as it is or maybe I'll just dedicate some time to make oneshots and headcanons for each one, hope you'll like this one too .^◡^. I'll try to make more fluff/humor content for you guys to enjoy. My asks are also open for requests & suggestions if you have any~

˚₊·Zayne: Doctor-On-Call—̳͟͞͞♡

Part 1 (Xavier) | Next: Part 3

Ever since you and Zayne had been children, he had always been one of the boys a little closer to your age that you were comfortable being around with, especially during Winter.

You, Caleb, and Zayne had just come home from school and decided to play against each other in a snowball fight. Supposedly, it was a 1vs.1vs.1 kind of challenge but, Caleb couldn't leave you alone to defend for yourself as Caleb explained: "I'll always be here to protect you, I'd never leave you to fight for yourself".

But, in reality, that was only part of his actual reason. He actually just wanted to get back at Zayne for another one of his many petty reasons.

So, while you and Caleb were busy winning with a score leading of 5 against 4, Zayne decided to pull out his final blow. With no hesitation, Zayne formed a large snowball carefully placing it above his head and aiming it towards the small snow tower on the opposite side of the lawn.

You and Caleb were too busy building the fort to realize the huge snowball hurling towards you and could do nothing but stare at the size of the snowball and anticipate it's cold crash onto the both of you.

"Not fair, you used your evol!" Caleb yelled, digging himself out of the pile of snow and rolling a ball in his hands and tossing it over to Zayne. With Zaynezs evol in use, he freezes the ball before it could reach its impact towards him. "I could say the same to you, using your evol to control the weight of my snowballs was not a fair game at all".

The two began to bicker not realizing you were still very stuck in the snow pile. "Caleb! Zayne!", you called out, trying to dig yourself out of the pile of snow. Unlike Caleb and Zayne's taller and bigger physique compared to yours, it made it a lot harder for you to get yourself out of the pile. What a bunch of idiots, you'd think just 'cause they're older, they'd actually know any better than to bicker in a middle of a game.

It took you no longer than a good 10 minutes to wiggle yourself out of the snow and finally reach the surface. A mental note to yourself: never play with Caleb and Zayne at the same time during winter. As you were busy dusting off the snow from your jacket, you took a few peeks at the area around you to spot either or Zayne or Caleb nearby. "Where did they go, I could've sworn I heard their bickering nearby," you muttered to yourself, still scanning your surroundings to look for the two boys. It took a while, but you could see their silhouettes not too far from where you stood. While waving your arms you shouted: "Caleb! Zayne!"

It did not take long for the two to stop their mini snowball war to realize it was you who was calling them. Settling on a truce, the two boys walked towards you. "Hey, be careful climbing down!" Caleb yelled, walking a little faster than Zayne to get to you first.

"Don't worry too much, I got this!" You yelled back as you slowly made your descend down the pile of snow. But, as you climbed down it's sturdy surface, you did not expect to have your ankle twist against a bump of snow and fall onto your back and roll downwards, landing with a loud thud on the ground.

The pain was excruciating, not just from the sudden twist of your ankle but from the growing ache you felt landing on your back. You could feel tears start to sting your eyes from the pain of falling down and from embarrassment of having Zayne and Caleb see you fall from a short distance and still manage to hurt yourself in the process.

The aftermath of the fall did not register as all you could feel were a pair of warm hands gently soothing your back and another wiping out your tears as you sob uncontrollably. Not long after what felt like an eternity, a pair of hands scooped you up from the floor and carried you.

"It's alright," the voice said, hushing away your sobs. "I'm sorry, I won't leave you alone next time, I promise". Everything that happened in-between was a blur afterwards. It then became a habit that after every fall of Snow, instead of holding snowball fights, the boys would work with you to build snow angels, even snowmen. You couldn't remember a day during the season of winter where they left your side.

"I will always be here for you, no matter what".

But, you never brought it upon yourself to ask which one of them told you that. Leaving it as another distant memory in the void.

♡。·˚˚· ·˚˚·。♡

You were awoken by a loud ringtone to your right. Groaning and grumbling, you allow yourself to slowly come back to reality and turn to your right to see which one of your emergency contacts would grace you with their presence for today. With one eye open, you reach out for your phone and open it to read a message, rather, a line of messages from your favorite healthcare provider: Zayne. Even as a child, Zayne has never stopped looking after you even if distance separated you for quite some time.

After reading all the texts Zayne has left on your phone, your eyes widen in shock as you realize you've been sleeping for a whole day. The wounds from the recent battle with the Wanderers have not yet fully healed, still you are thankful the association gave you time to recuperate. More so, since you have your very own on-the-call doctor Zayne as your miracle healthcare provider. However, your peace had been cut-short with loud tapping on your windows. Quickly turning to your right and snatching your gun from the table near you, you turned your attention towards your tapping intruder only to discover it was none other than Mephisto.

Of course, the universe definitely has strange ways of granting you peace and quiet and for some reason, having all your five emergency contacts just fits the universe's standards on "rest and relaxation protocol".

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" You start off sarcastically, knowing with Mephisto on the clock-watch means Sylus' ever watchful gaze is on you too. Tucking away your gun under your pillow, you muster up all the strength to push yourself upwards until your back was fully lying on the board attached to the bed. "Just checking on my little miss. Doing any better, Kitten?" Sylus' voice greets you from outside the window.

"Still bound to the bed as you can see. Is there anything the might leader of Onichinus needs of me?"

"None as of the moment. But, I do have something for you. It should be on its way. Luke and Kieran should be there soon enough." With that, Mephisto caws and flaps its wings while perched on the small window sill, slowly preparing to fly off who-knows-where. But with Mephisto flying nearby could also mean Sylus is within the vicinity.

Still deep in thought about Sylus' words, a gentle knock breaks you out of your trance. Without a second thought, you knew who it was at your door: Zayne. Not sparing a second longer, the door could be heard opening with a light creak and sets of keys clanging against each other.

A tall shadow could be seen from beyond the door frame and you could confirm that it was definitely Zayne. With a gentle tap on your doorframe, Zayne greeted you with his oh-so-ever icy gaze. "I knew you haven't gotten out of bed. I'm assuming you haven't eating anything as well?"

"Well, you aren't wrong. What's the diagnosis doc?" You joked, trying to lighten the mood, knowing deep down that like Caleb, Zayne would also give you an earful amount of reprimanding about lack of self-care. "Without a doubt, it's definitely a rare condition, one I have not seen in a long time."

"What is it?"

"Laziness." As he walks towards you and flicks your forehead, making you wince at the sudden contact of his fingers against your forehead. "It's not my fault! My body hurts from head-to-toe." You argued, gripping the sheets tightly in your hands, feeling yourself huff and pout at his response.

"You know better than to go off a full day without eating a meal. What would your doctor have to say when he find out you haven't been taking care of yourself?" Zayne presses on, pulling out a nearby chair and dragging it closer to the bed, his icy gaze holding more than just one emotion directed towards you, emotions you fully couldn't figure out just yet. "The point of bedrest is to recuperate and regain what you have lost. Would it not make sense to take care of yourself too?" He asks, slowly lifting your chin, putting enough force onto you to have you meet him eye-to-eye.

Zayne had always had a presence that commands, that always calls onto you every time he is near. You've always thought that maybe Zayne just has this "magnetic personality" that pulls at you like a puppet and puppeteer, forever connected and attached to one another. Even as adults, Zayne still had this bit of control over you. A connection, you could not comprehend yet continue to allow and exist.

What felt like a long stand-off with nothing but silence between the both of you, you felt the pressure from your chin grow weak and slowly, Zayne pulled away. "I've brought you the basics for a good meal. I know the way around the kitchen. I want you to just rest". As Zayne begins to take a step back, the lights suddenly flicker for a brief moment before it makes a spark and goes out.

Zayne did not think twice, and began to work his way out of the room to check the apartment's breakers including the other lights and appliances within the other rooms. "It's a full blackout," Zayne states, opening your bedroom window to check the other apartments as well for any sign of light but, unfortunately you and other apartments are pretty much in the same situation.

"It might take a while before the power comes back on," you mutter underneath your breathe and releasing a deep sigh off your chest. "We might as well, open the windows to let some air inside the rooms."

"I'll work to it and then let's figure out how to kill the time". Grabbing his phone from the pocket and once again turning on the phone's torch mode to navigate through the dark path that would lead him towards the apartment's living room.

♡。·˚˚· ·˚˚·。♡

It did not take long for you and Zayne to find comfort in the darkness while sitting on your bed, as you both decided the best way to kill the time was to watch through videos to help lighten up the atmosphere. "You know, I really do miss this. When we were kids you'd always nag us about watching shows on the television in the dark. Come to think of it, you were such a mom at that point".

"Well, the nagging had you and Caleb glasses-free for quite a long time. Didn't it?" Zayne comments, playfully nudging your side with his elbow. You couldn't help but let out a small laugh and a smile, recalling all those moments when you, Caleb, Zayne didn't have to bear the burden and struggles the world has to off to the three of you. Back then, life was simple and easy.

You were both half-way through a video when you heard a creaking sound from outside of the bedroom. It might just be your senses acting up, but you could have sworn you've been hearing repetitive creaking sounds from different places in the apartment for the past minute as if there was someone else just outside the room.

Not wanting to freak out, you tuck the thought behind you and continue to leisurely watch with Zayne. While watching the video with your head slowly leaning onto his shoulder and your eyelids feeling heavier by the second, you couldn't help but think about all the times when you were kids with Zayne. Looking at him now and comparing him from who he was before, you've come to realize that nothing had ever change. Zayne was always constant, before and now.

"You know, I put you as my emergency contact for a reason." You stated, suddenly feeling the sleepiness roll away from your body as you talked with Zayne. "You've always been one of the things in my life that has always been constant".

"How do you define constant?" He asks, slightly lowering the phones volume to get a better hearing of you as you speak. "You've always been here. Never-changing, constant."

"Even as kids, you'd always be there. Just waiting and watching, not too far from me. When I get hurt, you'd also be there to take care of me too." You continued, a small smile gracing your lips as you recall all the times Zayne had come to the rescue, no matter how miniscule the problem may have been because out of the many things in this world, Zayne had always been constant with you.

You could feel Zayne's heavy gaze on you as you lift your head to meet him eye-to-eye, wanting him to feel the sincerity of your words because even if you have time to spare, no amount of time would be enough to compensate with the amount of gratitude you feel towards Zayne and all that he has done for you.

"I don't say it often enough but I-," You were cut off when you and Zayne heard the unmistakable loud thud of a heavy bag being dropped onto the floor. Both being on high alert, you both wasted no time and carefully crawled out of bed, making sure no creaking sound would escape from the mattress and board. Glancing over at Zayne, you put your fingers towards your lips and point towards the room outside of the bedroom.

"I assumed with the amount you pay, this place would be a guaranteed safe haven".

"Nothing's ever guaranteed as a safe haven, you and I both know that." You whispered back at Zayne, quickly grabbing the gun tucked underneath your pillow and moving slowly across the floor in careful and calculated movements. Zayne on the other hand begins to prepare to use his evol to launch it towards our very uninvited guests.

"Did you invite the glowing neighbor over?"

"No, he's out of town. Second, even if he glows, he doesn't do it on purpose. Xavier doesn't work as a part-time bulb."

"Maybe he should reconsider his life occupations." Zayne responds, shooting a glare over to you as you quietly open the drawer beside your bed and grab a few extra bullets.

"Why are we even having this conversation in the first place?" You hissed, trying to manage to lower your voice as you load your gun with extra bullets.

"Because you wouldn't have gotten hurt if he did his job a little better." Zayne pointed out, hinting to a more complex reason underneath his steady and firm tone. You couldn't help but scrunch your brows together in confusion, baffled with the sudden confession coming from Zayne.

"Well, it isn't his job to protect me. I'm not a child". You could feel your voice escalating from a whisper to a much more audible volume. "You of all people should know that this is how my job goes. Being hurt is part of the job description."

"Being reckless isn't part of the job description either yet you constantly put yourself in harm's way."

"You have little to no faith in me, I know what I get myself into every single day. Why would you even care about what I have to do? I'm fighting to stay alive, to protect people."

"Then fight to protect yourself too," Zayne responds back, bringing back his cool and calm demeanor as he stares at you with what seems like longing and fear mixed together. "Because, I care for you more than you could ever know".

You were out of words, staring at the man to your left, wondering what to respond with his confession. Because, I care for you more than you could ever know, the words constantly ringing through your head. Before you could even let out a response, a nearby thud could be heard, slowly coming in closer towards the bedroom. Pushing away your thoughts and getting into your stance, you quickly shot up from your position, ignoring the growing ache of your muscles being forced to work to support your position, and fired a warning shot at the intruders.

"Arms up! Move and I'll shoot." You threatened, slowly moving out of the bedroom and towards the living room, keeping your stance still despite the aches crawling up from your legs to your upper body.

"Wait, Miss! It's us!" Two voices said in unison, with familiarity finally registering in your head, you slowly lowered your gun. However, before you could call out for them, Zayne stepped out of the room and bound the two intruders by their arms and legs in ice.

"Wait, Zayne. It's okay. It's just Luke and Kieran," you said quickly, putting your hands on Zayne's chest to put some distance between him and the twins, who were now uncomfortably trapped to the floor, rolling back and forth in attempt to break free from their ice shackles.

"I don't even want to hear your excuse, but I do hope you're not the reason behind the entire building going into a blackout." You start as you stare at the twins, crossing your arms across your chest. "We promise not, miss! We just came to deliver a gift from Mr. Sylus!" Luke explained, trying to ease away your growing anger with the peace offering A.K.A, the gift Sylus mentioned a while back.

"Why didn't you bother to call? You both have my numbers on your phones. What's the point of exchanging numbers in the first place if you're just going to barge into my home?"

"We promise it won't happen again miss! We just wanted to surprise you!" Kieran added.

"Well pretending to be home intruders isn't a pleasant surprise at all, do you even know what time it is?"

"Dinner time?" Luke responded with hopeful eyes, pleading for you to release them from their bounded shackles.

"No," you responded, pinching the bridge of your nose in hopes it would give you a quick relief from this sudden headache. Zayne, on the other hand, did not have to be told twice and partially dissolved the ice shackles from the twins. "And even if it was, how do you think we'd even cook at a time like this?"

"I'll see what I can do with what we have," Zayne quickly responds, grabbing his phone from his pocket and heading towards the kitchen with the torch button left turned on to make navigation of the still-dark environment manageable for Zayne.

Pushing aside your most recent argument at the back of your head, you let out a heavy sigh and look over to the twins. "I'll thank Sylus later. For now, just sit still and don't do anything. No more barging in next time, I'm taking away your key privileges from now on".

"But," the twins started, initially hoping you'd let them go after their 25th time in a row of breaking and entering your apartment. "Absolutely no, now hand over the spare keys."

♡。·˚˚· ·˚˚·。♡

With Zayne's talent, he was able to make cold but delicious sandwiches for you and the twins' consumption. As Zayne began to throw out used wrappers and other contents into the bin, you slowly approached him and gave a light poke to his waist causing Zayne to flinch and turn his attention towards you with one brow raised in curiosity.

"Thanks for dinner," you say quickly, swinging on the balls of your feet in a gentle back and forth motion. "And for everything". You continue, your voice almost coming off as a whisper, shyly averting your gaze from Zayne and focusing it towards the twins.

Without a second thought for hesitation, Zayne reached out and cupped your cheek while the other brushed away strands of hair from your face. With the moon's light shining upon you, no words could describe the beauty you held, even now with just the light of the sky highlighting your features.

"You are the very thing I care for, don't put yourself in harm's way because not every risk is worth the loss".

Moving himself backwards, away from you, he grabs his phone from the table and gives you a small smile before heading towards the direction of the bedroom. You were left stunned and at awe with Zayne's confession, not knowing what else to do. One can only hope that regardless of these new changes, what you and Zayne have will forever remain as constant as the stars above you.