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Outreach day is hell. Well, not actual hell, but you would argue that it is. The only two things that make it even remotely doable are your best friend and being assigned to the Weathervane. You would be forever grateful to whatever gods are hiding up there, that out of all the options you could´ve gotten, you got assigned to the spot your boyfriend works at. The only downside, the seeming blood feud Xavier and Tyler had going on for the past year.
Nonetheless, as you packed away the letter which told you were to go, you vowed yourself to not let it ruin your day. The normies most probably would try to do that enough as it is already. Your peers in particular gave you a bad feeling as Xavier and you parted from the group to enter the coffeeshop. Getting together with Tyler had changed their behavior, even if both of you were still unsure if it was for better or for worse. It had put a strain on Xaviers and your friendship for a while too as both boys never told you what had happened, but Xavier and you had been friends since you arrived at Nevermore, which felt like an eternity now and even if he looked at Tyler with only death stares basically, he was happy for you.
The second you enter through the door and hear the little bell ring you stop to take a deep breath in. Ignoring Xaviers protest, to take in the smell of coffee. It has always been your favorite.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Tyler asks as you lean up on the counter.
“Reporting for duty.” You ignore Xaviers scoffing and walk around the counter to steal a small kiss from Tyler.
“Alright. Well, let´s go to the back to get you some aprons and then you start out taking orders and Xavier… You grab a cloth and start bussing tables, I guess.”
For the first half of the shift everything is just fine, but once the morning rush dies down, you come up from behind the counter to help Xavier instead. Clearing and wiping down tables made the time tick by only slower and so you decided to have some fun with it. The coffee shop was almost empty anyway. Sneaking up behind Xavier, you roll your towel up tightly and then you give him his only warning.
“Hey, Thorpe…”
Right as he turns his head towards you, the towel snaps against his rear with a loud smack. A little lower than you had intended, but still it fulfills its purpose.
The sound that forces its way out of his lungs, against any of his attempts to keep quiet, as to not disturb the customers, is the most high-pitched and unmanly that had ever been heard from anyone. Prompting you to start laughing boisterously.
“Just you wait.” Xavier chuckles. His towel hitting you on the upper arm. However, you are much better at repressing the sound of the pain that spreads through the reddening and slightly swelling limb. The second half of the day goes by much faster that way. You are able to ignore the stupid stares of the normies and forget time, but you also don´t see Tylers expression growing much darker, the longer he watched your antics. He tried to keep in mind that Xavier was your friend and that you had told him he is the only one for you, but all that couldn´t keep the doubt away from his heart. It soured his mood to a point, where he would barely even say goodbye to you as you left for the lunch and statue reveal.
It was weird, especially as he didn´t reciprocate your kiss. In the end, since you get dragged away so you wouldn´t be late to the remaining program, you don´t have much time to actively think about it.
That is until that evening. Instead of going to your dorm, you go to Tylers house, like you often did. Unlike so often, as you throw pebbles at his window, he doesn´t open up. You can see he is there, there is a light burning upstairs.
Tyler, it´s me. Open up. You send a quick message.
It takes a while for anything to happen after that. Slowly the window slides up and Tylers unamused face appears. “Shouldn´t you be with your other boyfriend?” He sneers.
“What?” Your face scrunches up and you shake your head in confusion. “I´m coming up, then we can talk about this properly.”
You use your claws to climb up the tree closest to his room and then swing yourself through the window. He takes a step back and waits for you with crossed arms, sitting on the chair by his desk. Not a single word passes his lips, that are pressed into a thin line. The way he raises his eyebrow at you expectedly, makes you want to snap, but you take a deep breath and calm yourself before starting to speak.
“If this is about today, about Xavier and me, I´m sorry if I did anything to cross you… I´m sorry. It probably was so unprofessional and disturbed the other customers. I should have thought before I just… You know.” You kneel in front of him, laying your hands on his thighs.
“It´s not about you having fun at work.” He sighs, taking your hands into his.
“Then what is it about? You know you can talk to me.”
“I know. I just… When I saw the two of you goofing off earlier I asked myself if I even am your first priority relationship wise. And I know what you told me, but if there is something more I want you to tell me.”
“You are always my first priority. What are you even talking about? Of course you are. My feelings for Xavier are completely platonic. With a capital p. I love you.” You put as much emphasis into your last sentence as possible in the hopes that it would soothe him.
Tyler sighs again, but he does seem a bit calmer now.
“I just feel stupid, for never realizing how close you were.” He shakes his head slightly.
“It´s okay. You´re not stupid.” You straighten out your crouched position at his feet and go to sit in his lap. Letting go of his hands in order to cup his cheeks in your hands, placing multiple little pecks onto his lips in quick succession. Straying from his mouth to lave attention all over his face.
“I love you.” You say again after a while.
“I love you too.” He replies quietly.
And even though you know you need to get back to your dorm before your absence is noted, you decide to stay with Tyler. Making up for the day by holding each other close until you have to leave in the morning so you wouldn´t be late to the first class of the day.