Chapter Text
“Haha, what? Who? Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I laugh awkwardly, looking anywhere but at Xavier.
“I’m not a fool. I know who Sylus is. How do you and why was he here?” Xavier says, not giving up.
“I don’t know him, not really,” I tell him. It wasn’t quite the truth but it wasn’t not the truth. An inbetween.
He doesn’t say anything and I realise he’s waiting on me to expand. I don’t really know what I can say or how much. After all, Xavier is a fellow Hunter and we were meant to take Sylus in if we were able to.
“Fine!” I say after the silence got too much for me to handle, “Fine. I first saw him at a bar a few weeks ago. Nothing after that until this morning. He needed a favour from me and I agreed since I have a mission in N109 coming up soon.”
“You’re going to the N109 zone?” was the replying answer.
“Yeah. I accepted a mission yesterday at the Association.”
“Was that why you were in a rush to leave?”
“Yeah. I accepted it then had a panic because of where it was,” I reply honestly, “I don’t know why. The mission is simple enough, we had a report about some stolen protocores from an Association mission recently that have been located in N109.”
“Do you want back up? Since I’m your partner?” Xavier asks me and I look at him. There’s a tightness around his eyes that I can see is concern.
“No, I should be fine. Plus, I need to give Sylus some things while I’m there and I don’t think having Lu- you with me is a good idea,” I catch myself and say to him.
He makes a humming noise but doesn’t reply for a moment. I look away and focus on my phone laying on my coffee table.
“Will you promise me then to get in contact if you need me?” he finally says. I glance at him in surprise.
“Yeah. Sure.”
We exchange contact information and I save his number under a nickname, ‘ Princeling ’. I can’t help the small smile that graces my lips as I remember that I used that nickname in my old life where this was just a game. Seeing it in this, my reality, was funny in a way.
“I can leave now. I know I’ve taken up your time,” Xavier says softly.
“You’re fine. I actually… enjoy your company. When I’m not being interrogated or you’re acting suspicious about me,” I laugh slightly.
“I’m still suspicious but I don’t believe you intend to harm us. There’s just a lot we don’t know. Maybe one day you’ll feel comfortable to open up though,” he says, a small smile on his lips.
“Maybe one day,” I agree in a murmur. I wanted to. I wanted someone other than Father to know what had happened to me. Because Father didn’t know I wasn’t even from this world. Nobody did. And some days it crushed me that I had nobody to turn to when the weight of old memories still surfaced and threatened to crush me, days where I worked at the Association and had to pretend this was my first time meeting MC. When all I wanted was a shoulder to cry on.
As if sensing the melancholy thoughts in my head, Xavier placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, offering me silent support and comfort without even knowing what he was providing it for.
“I hope one day I can,” I say, “Because I want to trust you too.”
The rest of the morning was spent on my couch with him, talking about nothing. It was relaxing and easy. I wanted to get used to this.
“Want to grab food from nearby? Or will you head back to your apartment complex?” I asked him.
“I can do food. My roommates aren’t expecting me back, they’re used to me being gone at odd times,” Xavier smiles.
I blink at the information. Roommates? I thought he lived alone above MC? I pushed the thought out of my mind and simply smiled back, heading to get dressed into some casual clothes to go out. I make sure to pick my nicer ones than the usual ratty clothes I would wear around my apartment before heading back out. Xavier was texting on his phone, not noticing me at first and I took the moment to appreciate the man sitting on my couch.
He had a soft, adorable look about him but I knew he could be ruthless when needed. That didn’t scare me. What did was the way my heart pounded in my chest at the sight of him looking so comfortable here, at the way his hair fell into his eyes slightly. The way he was lithe, hidden muscles under the jumper he wore.
“Oh you’re ready?” His voice pulled me out of my (totally not drooling) thoughts and I flush slightly.
“Yeah, all good to go,” I reply.
We head out and start walking, the afternoon air doing wonders for me. It wasn’t a particularly nice day but it was dry and a little warm. Cosy, just the kind of weather I liked. The quiet between us wasn’t as uncomfortable as before and we easily make it to a cafe which was luckily not Destiny’s Cafe. This was seemed more intimate and quiet, with only one other person there. I heard Xavier sigh but didn’t think anything of it as I walked to the counter to place an order.
“Hi, could I please get a caramel latte and a slice of chocolate cake,” I smile at the cashier. Once I pay for my items, move to let Xavier order, deciding to grab us a table.
That’s when I noticed Rafayel sitting in a booth, sketchbook in hand. I laugh to myself at how my luck seems to be that I can’t seem to avoid them. Maybe I should stop trying too hard to. If nothing else, I could strike a friendship up with them, even if it would hurt down the line when they all choose MC.
“Mr Rafayel,” I say as I walk over to him.
“Ah my elusive hospital buddy,” he answers with a laugh, looking up from his sketchbook and seeing me, “I wondered when we would next meet again.”
“It seems destiny put you in my path again,” I smile slightly.
“I’m glad it did. Are you here alone?”
“No, I’m here with my… friend,” I say, hesitating on what to call Xavier, “I work with him actually.”
“Then you and your friend should join me, I insist,” Rafayel grins. I look to Xavier and decide he probably wouldn’t mind so I sit down opposite him.
“What are you sketching?” I question, since I didn’t get a chance to look properly before.
“Just some things that gave me inspiration lately. Normally I prefer to sit by the ocean but today I decided to switch it up,” he answers. He flips to a different page and turns the sketchbook around to show me some still life drawings of outside the cafe.
“They’re amazing,” I whisper, right as Xavier came over and sat down beside me.
“Rafayel,” he greets the other man.
“Xavier,” Rafeyel acknowledged him back while I just stared at the two, having no idea that they knew each other.
They both turned to look at me at the same time but I was saved by a waitress heading over with my drink and cake.
“I have a caramel latte and chocolate cake?” they said.
“That’s for me, thank you!” I say and take them, eyeing the large slice of cake happily.
“She’d get along with someone we know,” Rafayel remarks amusedly, his pencil resting on his lip.
“Oh absolutely,” Xavier returns just as warmly.
“Hmm?” I look up from the cake I was devouring with my eyes to look between them.
“Doesn’t matter cutie!” Rafayel laughs and goes back to sketching whatever he had hid from me before.
I shake off the weird remarks and grab the fork beside my plate and take a small bite of the cake, delighted at how rich it tasted and that it wasn’t too dry like I found some to be. I sipped my coffee in between bites, idle chatter between the three of us flowing naturally.