Chapter Text
“Blink, motherfucker… blink….” Wally whispered under his breath, staring directly at Xavier Baxter like a hawk as the teen continued to stare forward, seemingly spaced out. Or maybe… just maybe… he’s not.
He honestly didn’t know, but those blue orbs sure could stare.
Supposedly, the guy couldn’t see him because well, Wally is a spirit. But god damn, it’s like the dude just always knew where to look, even when he’s saying nothing.
Wally slowly walked toward Xavier before stopping in the chair front of him. He squinted, trying to figure out any sign of awareness, but nothing. It was like staring at a statue.
“Blink,” he whispered again, as if expecting him to do just that. This guy would definitely win staring contests, thats for damn sure.
After a moment of hesitation, Wally cautiously leaned his face closer to Xavier’s, studying him up close. The dude didn’t even flinch as Wally waved his hand in front of his face. Not even a slight twitch…
And those eyes were so intense… Wally couldn’t help but be intrigued.
Now that Wally had leaned in a little bit closer, it was much easier to see that those blue irises were, in fact, moving. Though just ever so slightly, he could see that guy’s pupils were now trained on him. It was hard to tell if he could see him or not, but those eyes were definitely no longer staring straight forward into space.
His expression remained as void and blank as ever though, so that didn’t exactly give him much insight into his thoughts either.
It didn't make sense. No one had ever seen him before, nor heard him. Why was this guy so different?
Wally instinctively leaned back, his gaze unwavering as he studied those eyes. He was searching for any sign of recognition… anything that could indicate that Xavier knew what - or rather who - he was staring at.
“Huh… maybe I could lead him with my.. cold presence..?” he mumbled, cocking his head like a curious dog. He waited a few seconds, but the other teen still didn’t react.
His stare didn't waver, and his face remained expressionless. It was almost as if he was waiting for Wally to do something.
Wally suddenly felt a surge of determination. He took a step forward and leaned in even closer, waving his hand in front of Xavier’s face again. He was so close that he could almost feel the warmth of the guy's skin.
But Xavier still didn't react, and those penetrating eyes continued to stare right through him.
As Wally leaned in closer, Xavier remained sitting still, those icy eyes still peering right at the young teen. Despite the ghostly hand being just inches from his face, he supposedly still felt nothing.
Wally was right about one thing though.
“Who the hell is all up in my face right now?” Xavier finally spoke in a hushed whisper. “I can… I can sense you.”
Wally's eyes widened in shock.
He can sense me… the realization hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving him momentarily breathless.
He instinctively took a step back, still dumbfounded by the fact that this guy could actually feel his presence. For a few seconds, he was struck speechless, unable to form any words.
And then, he finally found his voice.
"You... you can actually sense me..?" he asked, disbelief etched into his every word. But of course, he didn’t get an answer from the guy. It seemed like he’ll have to work with what he’s got, for now…
Wally took a deep breath as a mix of excitement and nervousness coursed through him like electricity. He quickly composed himself and took a few steps closer to Xavier, eyeing him intently as if trying to read his mind.
“How can you sense me?” he asked, his voice betraying a hint of curiosity. "No one else has... no one else ever could... Fuck, I wish you could hear me…”
It was hard to tell whether Xavier could actually hear Wally speaking, but even if he couldn’t, he was at least aware of his presence in some sense, or so it seemed anyway.
Slowly, Xavier lifted a hand and rubbed his chin, still sitting in the chair and looking completely unbothered by whatever was going on.
He exhaled, tilting his head to the side.
“I dunno who you are, but… I find it weird that you’ve taken some sort of… liking to me? Or maybe this is just a one time occurrence or whatever…”
Wally was taken aback by his observation. “Taken a liking to him?” He repeated, his tone defensive. But then, it occurred to him that Xavier might be right. To be fair, he was the one who approached him first, after all.
He felt a strange mixture of embarrassment and wonder at the idea.
“I... “ Wally tried to protest, but the words got caught in his throat. “I ain’t… It’s not like that...” And well, it’s not like he can argue with a guy who can’t even hear him.
Xavier furrowed his eyebrows and leaned back in the chair, his expression still void of any clear emotion. “So… i’m gonna go down the list of dead people from this school, and you just give me a signal if I say your name. Like, make me feel a chill or whatever.” He goes to clear his throat, crossing his arms comfortably to his chest.
“Maddie Nears?”
"Dude, I can't just give you a chill on command," Wally said aloud, despite knowing that he couldn't actually hear him. It was almost comical, talking to someone who can't hear him, yet, he can sense him…?
“Ah… so not Maddie, huh…” Xavier hummed, rubbing his chin as he attempted to think of the next name on the list. “Alright, how about… Rhonda Rosen? That one is pretty doubtful, though… now that I think about it..”
Once again, Wally shook his head. He found it amusing that Xavier was attempting to use this bizarre method to identify him.
It was a little strange, in a sense, to have someone guessing his identity, but in a school full of ghosts, this was the only guy who actually could interact with him in some way. It was a bizarre experience, no doubt about it.
Xavier exhaled, furrowing his eyebrows once more as he continued brainstorming. “Well… I suppose that means no Rhonda.”
He paused, letting out another sigh. His eyes darted from one edge of the room to another, seemingly still aware of Wally’s presence in the room.
“Alright… lemme guess, how about… uh… probably not very likely or anything, but… Wally? Wally Clark?”
Wally's eyes widened in surprise.
What the hell-?
He felt a sudden rush of disbelief mixed with a glimmer of excitement. Did this guy really just mention his name? It seemed insane...
“You said my name…” he mumbled to himself, dumbfounded. “Ah, shit. How- how do I…” his eyes darted around, trying to quickly find a way to signal Xavier to let him know that he’s correct.
The adrenaline rush of hearing his name mentioned out of nowhere was starting to get a little too much for Wally's ghostly form. He was already frustrated because the guy couldn’t understand him, yet he now had to somehow make him feel some kind of physical reaction…
Wally decided to take a risk. Stepping a little closer to Xavier, he reached out and gently placed his hand on the guy’s shoulder. It was the closest he could get to making him feel something cold.
The instant that feeling came across, an icy chill ran through Xavier’s body, causing him to involuntarily shiver from the sensation. It was sudden and unexpected, causing him to instinctively jerk slightly too.
He took a moment to process what just happened, and his eyes widened.
“No way…” he mumbled. “Is it really..? Oh, thank god. I was running out of names… To be frank with ya, I haven’t kept up with much ghostly research about this damn school. It’s usually just Simon who fills me in on this shit.”
Wally's dead heart was pounding, and he couldn't stop the widest grin spreading across his face.
Finally, someone could feel him! Or at least have an idea that he exists.
He quickly withdrew his hand, taking a step back to gain his composure, but it was difficult given the current circumstances.
"Yeah, it's me,” he confirmed, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and disbelieve. “Wally Clark. The friendly ghost at your service.” He gave a fake salute, even though Xavier couldn’t see it. “Huh… maybe I could just…” his words trailed off as he went reaching down to try and grasp at one of Xavier’s hands, it wasn’t all that easy to do though.
Xavier was definitely caught off guard now, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked down at his own hand. He tried to hold his composure, but that damn shiver betrayed his expression a bit. "Oh, you've… got my attention alright…" he muttered.
“Uh… are you… trying to hold my hand..?”
Hold your hand? Hell yes I am trying to-...
Wally’s thoughts went quiet as he finally realized what he was just doing. A tinge of pink dusted his cheeks – if he could blush, that is.
"I... um, yeah... I guess, I am," he admitted, his voice a tad more sheepish than before. "But not in the way you think! Ugh, hold on…” he goes to try a new approach, carefully tracing letters with one finger against Xavier’s palm.
‘S. O. R. R. Y.’
Xavier took a moment to process what the ghost was trying to write out, his expression shifting for a moment before he tried to respond. “You don’t have to-“ he began, but stopped himself.
“… Why are you sorry..?”
Wally let out a frustrated sigh. It was becoming increasingly challenging to communicate with Xavier, given the limitations of trying to explain things to someone who couldn't even hear him speak. Frustration began to set in, but he kept his cool for the time being.
"I... I don’t know. I just feel like I have to apologize for just randomly invading your personal space." He awkwardly answered, even though he's still doing exactly that at the moment.
"Ah, fuck. That’s gonna be a lot of letters to trace…"
And yeah, it took him a minute to translate that.
“I… mean, it’s fine??” Xavier responded, his own expression shifting to one of genuine confusion. He tilted his head, furrowing his eyebrows. “Why would you need to apologize for trying to get my attention? You’re a goddamn ghost, there’s not a whole lot more you can do other than touch me.”
He paused, taking another moment to process. “…You still touching me, by the way. Not that I care, but my hand feels like it’s been dunked in a bucket of ice water.”
Wally’s sheepish expression grew even more awkward, realizing that he was still indeed holding onto Xavier’s hand for dear life. He quickly released it and took a step back, trying to maintain a cool demeanor.
“Oh, right uhm… sorry about that. Forgot about the whole ‘icy temperature’ thing,” he muttered, trying and failing to act nonchalantly despite not really needing to.
He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck - it was a nervous tick he couldn’t seem to get rid of, even in his ghostly state.
As they stood there in uncomfortable silence, Wally's mind suddenly raced with thoughts. He had so many questions, but didn't know how to communicate them properly. After a few moments of internal struggle, curiosity got the better of him.
"So... since you can feel me, that makes you like what... ghost sensitive or some crap? Can you feel other spirits too?" he asked, not really sure if he was even hoping to get an answer. “Hold on, i’m gonna start experimenting with this.” He declared to himself, not thinking things through beforehand before he’s suddenly seating himself right on Xavier’s lap.
Xavier’s eyes widened in surprise, a mix of shock and… a little bit of something else? He let out a soft gasp as he felt the cold weight of a ghost suddenly take residence on his lap, causing him to involuntarily shiver for a brief moment.
He tried to maintain his composure, but the unexpectedness of the situation had definitely caught him off-guard. "U- Uh, what the hell? Are you-…" he stammered, his cheeks flaring up with a subtle shade of pinkish-red.
"Are you just sitting in my lap..?? Dude, you’re gonna freeze my dick off!”
Wally looked just as shocked despite the fact that no one could see his expression. He leaned back slightly, secretly relishing the rare feeling of actually being able to touch something again.
“C-Christ, okay… yeah… I can do this… huh….” He cringes as his voice cracks, thankful that no one could actually hear that.
He takes a moment to get comfortable, his legs spread out a bit more. He’s pretty much just straddling him at this point. His mind goes blank, then suddenly, his hand goes to gently grasp Xavier’s chin, making him face him.
“Ah… there we… go…” his voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes suddenly focusing on Xavier’s face.
He never realized how attractive the guy really was.
“W- what the hell are you doing..?” Xavier stuttered, his voice cracking just a little as he tilted away from the coldness on his chin out of instinct.
Wally’s mind wandered, the proximity between them seemed almost intimate. He’s suddenly feeling more bold than usual, and not the normal kind.
“Shut up… I’m just… getting some of your attention, that’s all.” He replied uselessly, a hint of defensiveness in his voice, but also a subtle note of curiosity. His grip on Xavier’s chin remained, and he leaned in just a little bit closer.
As Wally leaned in closer, he could sense the heat radiating off of Xavier’s body - something of which he almost completely forgot about. He was also now just realizing how close their faces were to each other, the heat felt almost like a sharp contrast to his ghostly presence.
He could sense Xavier’s heart beat through his chin, making his mind think in ways that they most certainly should not be thinking of. His other hand drifted down to trace letters against Xavier’s arm, wanting to communicate.
‘U. R. E. Y. E. S . A. R. E. P. R. E. T. T. Y.’
Xavier let out another sharp exhale, his breath hitching slightly as he attempts to try and meet the ghost’s invisible gaze.
“Pretty..?”
Wally’s heart nearly skipped a beat. His cheeks flushed, his mind blanked out for a moment, but then that single word snapped him back to reality.
“Uh… yeah, pretty.” He mumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed at what had just come out of his mouth. He suddenly felt vulnerable, which was ironic considering the fact that he’s a freaking ghost. His hand gripped Xavier’s chin a little tighter, his eyes flickering back to the guy’s face.
"Pretty..." Xavier repeated in a softer voice, unable to tear his gaze away from the ghost that was perched comfortably on his lap. “Well… i’ve seen your yearbook photo. And y’know… you weren’t so bad looking yourself.”
“You’ve- wait, you have?!” Wally blurted out, his face turning a brighter shade of red. His mind was racing again, a mix of shock and… what was the other feeling? Excitement? He shook his head, trying to regain some semblance of composure.
“You’ve seen my picture ?” he repeated, his tone a mixture of awe and disbelief. What the hell does this guy mean he “wasn’t so bad looking”?
It was then that his hand starts drifting down the guy’s arm again, spelling out words, this time without even trying.
‘T. H. A. N. K. S. B. R. O.’
"Yeah, you’re welcome.” Xavier murmured, his tone softer than before. “I saw it in the old yearbooks at the library, when me and Simon were researching things.”
“Oh, yeah… right..” Wally replied mindlessly, his attention still focused on the fact that Xavier had seen his picture. His hand continues to trace gentle patterns on Xavier’s arm, even as he tried to wrap his mind around it all. They weren’t letters, just… random symbols that meant nothing.
"What are you writing now..?" Xavier asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. “Did- Did you just draw a heart?”
Wally’s hand froze in place, and it took a second for his mind to register what he has just been caught ‘drawing’ out. His cheeks flushed again, an awkward laugh escaping his lips as he tried to come up with a reasonable excuse.
“Uhhh… that’s… a triangle-“ He muttered, the lie was probably the most obvious one he could have come up with. He started to frantically trace letters onto his arm, trying to explain himself.
‘N. O.’
‘I. T. T. R. I. A. N. G. L. E.’
‘P. R. O. M. I. S. E.’
‘S. H. A. P. E. S. S. U. C. K.’
Xavier raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying the ghost's poor excuse. He let out a soft chuckle, a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
"A triangle, huh?" he said, his voice tinged with skepticism. "I'm pretty sure I've seen a heart before, and that definitely looked like one. What kind of triangle has that curve on the side?"
He paused, his tone growing a little softer as he read the letters being spelled out.
"You're a bad liar, but at least it’s fucking adorable to witness.”
Wally's mind goes blank for the millionth time.
God what the FUCK he can’t just SAY THAT.
His grip on Xavier’s chin tightens a bit, his other hand trembling slightly as he attempts to trace out a weak comeback, but his mind is all over the place at the moment.
‘F. U. C. K. Y. O. U. A. N. D. Y. O. U. R. A. D. O. R. A. B. L. E. F. A. C. E.’
Xavier let out a soft laugh, his cheeks still tinged with a rosy hue. “Well, isn't that a sweet thing to say," he said teasingly, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "I gotta say, that ghost hand is a lot less scary now that I know it's owned by a guy who goes around drawing hearts and cursing like a twelve year old."
“Oh shut up!” Wally retorted, his words lacking any real sharpness. His mind was racing once again, unsure of how to respond to Xavier’s teasing.
His hand, still tracing letters mindlessly, ended up spelling out the words ‘SHUT IT.’ But his grip on Xavier’s chin tightened for a moment, and he suddenly found himself leaning in just a little bit closer to the guy's face.
Xavier, most likely feeling the sudden coldness, attempted to readjust himself in his seat, scooting the chair a bit while also accidentally leaning forward in the process.
He falters in place.
His nose scrunches and his eyes narrow into slits, as if he’s trying to see through a snowstorm.
To him, it probably felt like he just put his head inside a mini freezer.
But to Wally, his face was smooshed right up against the other. But it technically wasn’t kissing if Xavier couldn’t feel his lips.
Wally’s brain short-circuited momentarily. His heart was pounding in his chest, which… didn’t make sense. He’s dead. And yet there he was, suddenly face-to-face with the guy he had been secretly admiring from afar.
His grip on Xavier’s chin loosened a little, his hand trembling slightly as it hovered in the air. He couldn’t help but inhale the warm scent that radiated from the living person in front of him. It was so foreign and strange to him, but also...
...Kind of intoxicating.
It was at this moment that Wally’s thoughts spiraled into complete chaos, his mind a whirlwind of emotions and sensations. He’s never felt something like this before, but it was almost overwhelming.
His hand moved to trace words against the guy’s collarbone this time, his touch light and somewhat desperate.
‘W. A. R. M.’
He couldn’t help but notice the way the word felt on Xavier’s skin, the contrast between their temperatures so sharp that it was practically impossible to ignore.
"You’re- you're really cold..” Xavier murmured, his voice trembling just a bit. He shivered involuntarily, leaning his head back a bit to try and avoid it. “I’m gonna somehow catch hypothermia from this, I just know it…”
Wally winced a tiny bit, guilt and embarrassment coursing through him once again, but… he couldn’t bring himself to move. Xavier’s heat was like a magnet to him.
He let out a half-chuckle, half-sigh, his hand dropping down to spell out the words ‘S. O. R. R. Y.’ on Xavier’s chest. But he didn’t move an inch otherwise. He was still very content with being in the guy’s lap.
"It's- it's not your fault," Xavier managed to stutter out, his voice a little shaky. "But seriously, it's like sticking my head in-“
He cut himself off, unable to finish the thought as another shiver ran through his body. His eyes darted around the room, as if looking for an escape, before inevitably finding their way back to what he can only assume to be where Wally’s face is.
It was sort of funny that something as simple as his presence could make the guy shiver and twitch like that. But, there was also another feeling growing inside him… concern.
He could tell that Xavier was clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation, and… he should probably stop.
But his mind was clouded with the desire to prolong the moment as much as possible.
His hand continued to trace words on Xavier, this time spelling out. ‘D. O. N. T. G. O.’
"I… I can’t stay like this forever,” Xavier managed to stutter out, his voice cracking just slightly. The conflicted thoughts and feelings were causing him to stumble over his words. "It’s- it’s… I mean… c’mon, I’m shivering like crazy, and the bell is about to ring. I gotta get to sixth period somehow, man.”
Wally’s expression shifted a bit into something slightly more annoyed, not at Xavier, but at the situation. His mind was torn between wanting to let the guy go and wanting to continue sitting there in his lap.
He let out a frustrated huff, his hand continuing to trace words on Xavier as a pout formed on his face.
‘N.O. B. E. L. L. B. E. Q. U. I. E. T.’
"Seriously?" Xavier replied, raising an eyebrow. "You think I can just make the bell stop ringing? I mean, if I had that kinda power, do you think I'd still be stuck in this hellhole? Besides-“ he continued, his voice quieter now, “this won’t be the last time we interact with each other, right?"
Wally’s hand paused on Xavier’s chest, his frustration slowly being replaced by something else. He realized that the guy was right, they would definitely see each other again. But… that didn’t fix the situation they were in at the moment.
He thought for a moment, his hand still tracing out words in a slow and deliberate manner.
‘A. T. L. E. A. S. T. 1. 0. M. I. N. U. T. E.S?’
"A… At least 10 minutes...?" Xavier repeated, his voice soft and a bit shaky. He took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. "I, uh... I guess I could swing that. But no longer."
Wally’s eyes widened, his hand stilled for a moment, then a wide grin spread across his face. He wasted no time, leaning in even closer to Xavier, his head resting just above the guy’s shoulder. His hand continued to trace out words on Xavier’s chest, but the motions were much lighter and more feather-like than before.
‘T. H. A. N. K. Y. O. U.’
The minutes seemed to tick by slowly, and he couldn’t help but wonder if ten minutes would be enough for him to finally get his fill.
They sat there in silence, the only sound being the occasional shiver from Xavier and the faint hum of the lights above them. It was almost peaceful.
Wally closed his eyes, letting himself fully bask in the warmth he had been craving for so long. It was as though he was finally getting his fill after years of starvation.
He didn’t want to move, didn’t want this moment to end. But he knew that it was just borrowed time, and soon it would be over.
His hand continued to trace out an endless loop of ‘Thank you. Thank you.’