Work Text:
Xavier volunteered to draw a mural in the town square for this year’s Outreach Day. Not the perfect way to spend his free time away from school, but it beat working at Pilgrim World or the Weathervane. At least he was alone with his thoughts. He didn’t have to interact with anyone, fake a smile for the customers, or make fudge or lattes. Just him and his paints. And the piece was turning out better than he originally expected. His plan was to half-ass it and get it over with, but Xavier was an artist; he couldn’t help but put his whole heart into his work.
When his hands started freezing on his supplies he decided to finally take a break. Not far away from him, they were preparing the annual concert. Presence was mandatory for all other Nevermore students, except for him. He was allowed to keep working on his piece.
He arrived just in time to see a girl struggling to move a piano all by herself. He grabbed the other end of the instrument in a hurry to help her.
“Thanks,” the girl gave him a bright smile. “It really bothered me that it wasn’t centered correctly.”
“Yeah, take it easy next time. Maybe ask for help instead of doing it all alone.”
“I don’t know. I think I’m pretty strong.”
She flexed one of her arms as if to show off her muscles. Xavier laughed. The girl's eyes slid down his purple-striped uniform.
“You’re one of the Nevermore kids, I didn’t see you with the rest of the group. Are you staying for the concert?”
“Oh, I have kind of a special project going on,” he pointed at the mural with his chin. “That’s why I wasn’t with the group.”
The girl squinted toward the mural but it was too far away to make out what was painted on it.
“There’s time until the concert, I can check it out quickly,” she murmured.
Xavier didn’t expect a wave of self-consciousness to wash over him like a cold shower. She was gonna judge his piece and he really wanted her to like it. He wasn’t sure why. Probably because she was the prettiest girl he’s seen in a long time, with a beautiful smile and a laugh that sounded like the bells on your very first bicycle. Not that his little crush would lead anywhere, she was a normie after all. Most normies wouldn’t be caught dead with an outcast. Except she didn’t seem to grimace when she saw his uniform.
Maybe…? No.
“It’s not done yet,” he felt the need to excuse himself.
“It’s really beautiful,” she whispered as if charmed.
So are you.
The mural depicted a lonely swan swimming in an almost frozen lake. The background wasn’t finished, but the picture it painted was still breathtaking. Feeling a boost of confidence from the way the girl’s eyes were drinking in his work Xavier decided to show off. The swan in the mural caught life and started swimming on the wall, in the small pond he managed to draw.
“Incredible,” the girl whispered in awe. “Are you doing that?”
She turned towards him. He gave her a nod but overtaken by a sudden stream of self-consciousness Xavier hid his hands in his pockets and looked down bashfully.
“Thanks. I still have some refining to do. I’ll do it after the concert. Are you playing?”
“I’ll have a piano solo, the grand finale of the show. If you hurry, you can still secure a first-row seat. Maybe throw me a rose or something.”
She gave him a smile and started jogging towards the town square again, where her piano was lying, surrounded by a bunch of other instruments at this point as more and more normie kids (probably her classmates) got to their places.
“I’m Xavier, by the way. I didn’t catch your name,” he yelled behind her, hoping she wasn’t already too far to hear him.
“I didn’t throw it yet,” she winked.
He stayed in his place frozen. Was she flirting with him or just being friendly? Maybe she’s just playful like that with everyone and the flirty undertones were wishful thinking. But there was no sin in wishing, right?
Xavier wanted to stand back and keep working on his piece. He really tried. It was almost over and he wanted to see it finished. But something in him wouldn’t let him think about anything other than the girl he met. He wanted to hear her play. He wanted to see her again.
He had no clue when he’d be allowed in the city next time. And since he didn’t know anything about her, not even her name, it wasn't like he could find her again. This might be his last chance to see her. Get to know her. Then he’d go back to Nevermore and forget about her.
Sure.
When he got to the concert, she was already playing. Xavier didn’t know a piano could sound so moving. As the pretty girl he met today sat down in front of the big instrument, her fingers gliding along the keys with grace the piano was singing a symphony of sadness and heartbreak. Like feeling alone in a room full of people you know.
As the song drew to a close (too soon, if you ask him) the entire audience clapped. Some cheered. Some hollered. The girl smiled at everyone and bowed twice. Her eyes landed on Xavier for a couple of seconds before someone stepped between, obscuring his view.
He realized the guy who blocked his view was the barista from the Weathervane. Tyler – that was his name – hugged the girl tightly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She turned around and captured his lips in a sweet kiss that made Xavier’s heart drop in his stomach.
He felt like a fool. Of course she had a boyfriend already. Look at her.
Xavier didn’t remember when he walked back to the mural, legs feeling like led, and started painting again. He wasn’t really there, mostly reliving the moment Tyler kissed that girl. Her eyes had a special glimmer in them when they landed on him. Like he was the love of her life. Xavier never had anyone look at him like that and he never wanted that more than today. He didn’t even know someone could look at someone else with so much admiration and awe. As if she was caressing him with her eyes. His parents never looked at each other like that and he was convinced they loved each other.
How do you find someone and lose them before you even have them? Xavier thought he had no right to be so upset over this girl whose name he didn’t even know. it wasn’t rational. But rationality had no place in his heart when it came to her.
The piece was almost finished when Xavier heard a shout in the distance.
“That’s the freak that was eyeing your girlfriend at the concert, Tyler.”
He turned around to see the mayor’s son pointing at him. He, Tyler, and a few other guys were rapidly approaching him and there was no one around to do something. The festivities were over, and almost everyone went home. Xavier remained overtime to finish his project and think, not really caring how late he’d go to sleep that night.
“We should teach him a lesson.”
This time the guys were very close to him. The blood in Xavier’s body froze over – it was five against one.
“Hey, Nevermore trash!” Tyler was facing him now, only a few inches away.
He was shorter than him, but two of his friends snuck behind Xavier’s back and grabbed his arms. He felt a swift pain in the back of his leg as he was hit, falling on his knees shortly after.
“You think you can put a spell on my girlfriend and take her away, huh?
“This is a misunderstanding, I don’t even know her name–”
“Don’t bother. My friends saw you try to chat her up today. And I saw you myself eyefucking her at the concert. Like she’d ever look at a freak like you.”
Xavier felt another sharp pain as Tyler’s fist made contact with his nose. His eyes started to water and he couldn’t see anything as the entire group ganged on his and started kicking him. He didn’t know how long he laid there on the cold concrete but it felt like an eternity.
“Leave him alone!” The hitting stopped. “What is wrong with you?”
“Babe, it’s not what it looks like– ”
“No, Tyler! I don’t wanna hear it.”
Xavier couldn’t see his savior, his eyes still watery from crying, but he could recognize the voice. She sounded heartbroken and exhausted.
“I can’t even look at you right now. Leave or I swear I’ll call your dad myself and tell him everything!”
The sound of hurried footsteps pierced through Xavier’s ears as it was glued to the pavement. He cringed in pain. The girl who saved him hurried to his side, then put a hand on the side of his face checking it with concern. Her hand was cold but it made him feel all warm inside and fuzzy. All the pain left his body for a second, only to come back and knock the wind out of him.
“Oh dear, this is gonna hurt tomorrow.”
“It hurts right now,” Xavier found the energy to speak, but his voice didn’t sound like himself.
“Don’t strain yourself. We should take you to a doctor.” She helped him up and steadied him on his feet. “Think you can walk on your own or you need help?”
Xavier felt pathetic. He could barely muster a word, let alone walk by himself. He didn’t want her to see him like this. She was looking at him like some wounded bird she found on the road.
He turned around and to his horror he noticed his mural, hours and hours of work, destroyed. He felt like crying again but couldn’t. The tears burned behind his eyes but refuse to stream down his face.
“I’ll make you all better.”
The girl helped Xavier walk to a house and laid him on a couch in the living room. That place definitely didn’t look like any hospital he’s ever been to. There was a coffee table with a stack of books and an unfinished cup of tea right next to him, the walls had bookshelves and paintings decorating them. There was a trophy that looked like a piano on the TV.
“Stop squirming around so much, you’re hurt.”
“Where am I?”
“My place. Now take this, it’ll numb the pain while I disinfect your wounds.”
Xavier obeyed and took the pills he was handed, although he struggled to get up to drink the water. His sides hurt like crazy.
“I should’ve found you sooner,” the girl murmurs as she gently cleans Xavier’s injuries.
He let out an involuntary hiss but still tried to act brave. Not like it would help with something.
“I’m lucky you found me at all. Thank you, really.”
His hand reached for her shoulder and squeezed for a second. He regretted it after he saw that his hand left a bloody print on her clothes.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry-“
“Lay down and let me take care of you. If anyone is apologizing tonight it should be me. It was my boyfriend who did this to you.”
Xavier let her patch him up without any more fussing. He gritted his teeth and let her disinfect his wounds and clean the little pebbles and debris out of them. She blew gently over each spot she cleaned and it seemed to calm the pain.
“Did you hit your head when you fell?”
“I was pushed,” he defended himself. “Yeah… a little.”
She looked at him with concern and reached with a gentle hand towards his cheek giving it a comforting stroke. Xavier leaned into it without realizing slowly closing his eyes. She brushed some of his hair off his face and placed it behind his ear. Then her hand lingered on his cheek once again for just one extra second until it stopped to grab his chin.
“I’m gonna need you to not move for a few seconds, okay?”
He nodded. She cleaned the wound on his head and the blood that was drying in his hair. He’s gonna need a long shower after this day. But not right now, he was too tired for it now.
A whimper escaped Xavier’s lips as the girl took her hand away from his face; the comforting warm feeling evaporating.
“My mom’s working the night shift at the hospital so you can sleep over. I’ll drive you to Nevermore myself tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“I don’t wanna be a bother,” he barely managed to murmur.
“You’re not. You’re just hurt. It’s fine, we’ll leave before she comes back in the morning.
A weak nod was all the approval the girl needed.
“I’ll bring you something in case you can’t sleep because of the pain. If you need anything else, call for me.”
He gave her another weak nod as she leaned in closer and planted a kiss on his forehead. “It’s (Y/N),” she whispered gingerly in his ear.
Xavier felt surprisingly better in the morning. He fell asleep easily, without using the meds (Y/N) had given him and the next day the pain was gone. His insides didn’t feel like they were about to fall out of him, his head stopped throbbing and the bleeding was long gone.
He didn’t think it was possible to heal this fast. Maybe the painkillers from last night were still kicking. He saw his own reflection in the living room TV. He still had a wound on the side of his head. He sat up and checked under his shirt, where he found other scratches from the pavement and bruises from the fight. Fight wasn’t the right word, it was more like an ambush.
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
Xavier turned around slowly and saw (Y/N) coming down the stairs in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He pretended to keep inspecting his wounds to avoid gawking like a creep.
“I could heat up some frozen waffles and you could have them in the car if you want breakfast. You’re gonna need all your strength if you wanna get better.”
She reached for the freezer door. The kitchen was an open space, you could see inside it from the living room.
“I’m not a wounded puppy, you know. I’ll be fine.” Xavier sounded more irritated than he wanted to. “I know you feel guilty for what happened but you can drop the act. It’s not like you even know me”
“Sorry,” she whispered. She dropped the freezer’s handle like it burned her. “The bathroom’s that way if you wanna shower before we leave. Be quick. I’ll go change.”
But before she could make another step, the doorbell rang twice. She hurried to grab the door while Xavier tried to hide from sight in case the girl’s mother arrived early.
“Babe, I can’t stay long since my shift starts in half an hour, but I needed to see you first. To apologize.”
Tyler’s voice sent chills down Xavier’s spine. He sounded so different from the cruel boy who attacked him last night. He was so meek and apologetic like a student who forgot their homework.
“I don’t wanna talk right now, Ty. I need time to think. I’ll reach out to you when I’m ready.”
“Please don’t hate me,” he mewled.
Tyler got one foot through the door and Xavier’s heart almost stopped beating for a second.
If he comes in, I’m dead, he thought.
If Tyler was willing to send him to the hospital for merely looking at his girlfriend, what is he gonna do if he finds out he slept over at her place? Probably send him to the cemetery.
The boy was praying to any God who would hear him for Tyler to leave so he can go to the academy and forget all of this ever happened.
“Don’t make this any harder than it already is, babe.”
Xavier would be lying if he said hearing that nickname didn't hurt. He knew he has no right to be hurt. Tyler was her boyfriend. He was a hurt stray she took in for the night.
“All right. Don’t forget I love you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I can’t lose you too. Bye.”
He sounded so heartbroken Xavier almost wanted to forgive him too. Almost.
A breath of relief left Xavier’s lips as Tyler stepped back and left. But he still didn’t move a muscle until he could hear his car leaving the driveway.
“I think you’re safe. But we should hurry.”
Xavier decided he’ll take a shower once he’s at the academy. No need to stall. As soon as (Y/N) got dressed they jumped in her car and she started driving. Xavier offered to be the driver, but she still worried it might be too straining for him.
The silence that permeated the car was oppressive. Xavier tried his best not to stare at the girl next to him. Her eyes were set on the road, her hands tight on the steering wheel, her posture tense. She was clearly thinking hard about something, he could almost see the wheels turning inside her head.
“You patched me up good last night. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. My mom is a doctor, you’re lucky we have a lot of medicine in the house.”
She gave a fake smile but still didn’t turn from the road until they stopped at a red light.
“So you’re an animator,” she said matter-of-factly.
“A seer, actually. Animation is more like a quirk I have. My dad is also a seer, I got it from him. He’s kind of a big deal in the outcast world.”
“Oh, so you’re – like, famous.”
The car started again and (Y/N)’s eyes were once again fixated on the road. But she seemed a little more relaxed this time, like talking to him helped her sort out her own stuff.
“Not really. I’m not nearly as powerful as he is, my powers kicked in much later. For a while, he was worried I was a normie.”
“Would it be so bad?” the girl interrupted. “To be a normie?”
“To my father, yes. Doesn’t matter; even with my powers I’m still his greatest shame.”
She shot him a comforting smile.
“Can children of outcasts even be normies?”
“It’s rare, but it happens. Some of us just never unlock their powers.”
Silence filled the car once more but this time it was comforting, like two friends hanging out. Xavier didn’t feel the need to come up with a new subject, he let the girl focus on the road in front of her. She seemed to know the way to Nevermore without his help, maybe she drove there before.
“He’s not that bad, you know.”
Xavier had to think hard before he realized she was talking about Tyler.
Oh.
“No, he’s just violent and possessive but we all got our flaws,” Xavier laughed humorlessly.
He realized he should’ve felt guilty for how mean he sounded but he didn’t. Tyler was a grade-A asshole and everyone who defended him was just as bad. He didn’t care how much she loved him or how nice he was to her when it was just the two of them.
“He wasn’t always like this. I’ve known him ever since we were kids. He was the nicest, most sensitive soul I’ve ever met. But then his mother died and something in him just… broke. He hasn’t been the same ever since. I know the Tyler I love is still in there, I just need to be patient.”
Xavier swallowed hard what felt like an invisible ball of yarn. Why did it hurt to hear that so much?
“I’m not sure if you’re saying this to convince me or yourself,” another forced laugh. “At least wait for the injuries he caused me to heal before you jump and defend him.”
The car halted to a stop and Xavier winced in pain. They arrived at the academy.
“Do you need help getting up the stairs?”
“I’ll be fine, thanks.”
Xavier slammed the door a little harsher than anticipated and limped by himself to his room where he was greeted by Rowan, his roommate, Ajax and Bianca.
“Finally, we were worried sick. I covered for you when Weems asked where you were but I didn’t think I could do this a second time.”
As Rowan got closer he noticed the bruises and scratches on Xavier.
“You look like hell.”
“I feel even worse. Can you guys give me a few minutes with Bianca? I need some privacy.”
Ajax and Rowan exchanged looks but complied as they left the room. Bianca put her arms around Xavier and gave him a kiss on the cheek, on top of a bruise. He winced.
“What happened to you Xavi?”
“Doesn’t matter. I need you to do me a favor, please. Can you help me forget someone?”