- ( ) ' , ' . , !

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠- ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝐿𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑!

𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 21 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠- 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 20 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑦. ૮(˶╥︿╥)ა 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑜𝑛..

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑘-

Thinking about this Xavier 👀

Could this be where the Glitch/Dark Xavier bug come from?

Hello! I was wondering if you could do a scene with Xavier when MC gets out of the bath, smelling like him cause she used his shampoo?

also if its possible to have MC wear an t-shirt of Xavier's

Embrace and Care

xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ┆ : 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵-𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 ┆ : 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵, 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 & 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

─────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

The bathroom door swung open, releasing a billow of steam into the hallway as Y/n stepped out, a towel haphazardly draped over her damp hair. "You didn’t need to lend me your shirt, Xav. I could’ve just gone downstairs and grabbed one of mine," she said, tugging at the oversized shirt that hung loosely on her frame.

Xavier, seated comfortably in the bean bag, barely glanced her way, his focus riveted on the intense action unfolding on the TV screen. His fingers danced deftly over the controller. "You’re already here, I didn’t mind..." he replied, his voice casual but warm, the rhythmic clicking of the buttons punctuating his words.

Turning toward her, Xavier's expression betrayed a flicker of astonishment, quickly subdued by his practiced composure, the shirt traced the contours of her figure beneath the fabric, though his gaze remained firmly fixed on her. "I’m glad that I did," he murmured softly, the words carrying a gentle warmth as he acknowledged the unexpected delight of seeing her adorned in his attire.

“Huh?”

"Come here," Xavier said, placing the controller down and tapping the spot in front of him. Y/n followed his gesture and sat down with her back to him. Xavier gently removed the towel from her hair and began to dry it with tender, careful movements.

"I can do that myself—," Y/n protested, turning to face him. She reached for the towel, but Xavier quickly lifted it out of her reach, a playful glint in his eyes. Y/n pouted, her lips forming a small, endearing frown as she looked up at him in mock frustration.

"I insist," Xavier reiterated, playfully keeping the towel just out of Y/n's reach, her futile attempts met with nothing but air. With a soft sigh of defeat, Y/n relented, withdrawing her arms and turning her back to him once more. Xavier couldn't help but faintly smile at her response as he resumed drying her hair, his touch gentle and soothing.

As he worked, a familiar scent reached his nose, the same minty fragrance of shampoo that he used himself. Yet, somehow, it seemed even more alluring on her. Intrigued, he leaned in closer, his lips barely grazing the back of her head as he savored the delightful aroma enveloping her.

He then gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer against his chest, savoring the pleasant sensation of her scent filling his nostrils. Y/n flinched slightly at the unexpected intimacy, becoming acutely aware that her damp hair was soaking his shirt, creating small, dark spots.

"H-Hey! You're getting wet from my hair," she exclaimed, a hint of concern in her voice as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. "Pull away, Xav."

Xavier closed his eyes, fully immersing himself in the moment, savoring both the delightful fragrance enveloping him and the comforting sensation of having Y/n in his arms. In a soft, low voice, he murmured, "No," his hold around her subtly tightening.

Y/n persisted with a few more attempts to extricate herself, but she halted when she turned slightly and caught sight of Xavier beginning to drift off to sleep, his expression soft and serene. A fond smile tugged at her lips as she observed him.

This man truly had the uncanny ability to doze off just about anywhere and everywhere...

Y/n decided to let this slide, releasing a gentle sigh as she resigned herself to the moment. If Xavier ended up getting sick from this, she would just take care of him.

·❆　　　❆　❅　　　　•　　　　.　　　　　❆❆• 　·　.　　　❅

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟'𝑠 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝑀𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛! 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑓𝑖𝑐, 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑛~ 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝐼 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 600 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠, 𝐼 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ. 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑦, 𝑎 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼'𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡.

𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑑𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡!

Destiny's Quill

xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ┆: 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘟𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦.

ᯓ❅ ┆𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 ┆: 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵 & 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵

─────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

Spotting him in the Destiny Cafe, Y/n tilted her head and squinted, trying to discern if it was indeed Xavier sitting in the corner, engrossed in a book. She approached him quietly, careful not to startle him.

"I’ve been seeing you around here a lot lately, reading," Y/n remarked with a soft chuckle, finding it unusual. "This doesn’t seem like you at all."

Xavier looked up, his face maintaining that familiar, innocent, and relaxed expression. "Reading is also a great way to ease into sleep," he replied calmly.

Y/n felt momentarily taken aback, hoping his explanation would be different for once. "Of course, it is..." she trailed off, her voice tinged with a hint of amused resignation.

Xavier blinked at her, momentarily puzzled by her reaction, before his gaze returned to the book in his hands. His eyes moved from right to left as he read, lost in the words on the page. Curiously, Y/n leaned in slightly, attempting to catch a glimpse of the book's title.

"So many authors draw inspiration from their own lives," she mused aloud. "I wonder if I should write my own story."

"You could," Xavier replied, his gaze fixated at the text, his voice soft but affirmative.

Y/n pondered his response for a moment before asking, "Would you read it?" 

He looked at her, his gaze sincere, a reflection of his genuine interest. "I would. It would be my favorite one out of all the ones I've read."

"Really?” Y/n raised an eyebrow, half-teasing. “But once you finish reading my story, you might set it aside and move on."

"Not at all.” Xavier replied, his voice gentle yet earnest as his blue eyes stared steadily onto hers. “I would love to read it again and again, just to relive the moments with you."

·❆　　　❆　❅　　　　•　　　　.　　　　　❆❆• 　·　.　　　❅

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟'𝑠 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝑆𝑜𝑏𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑁 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒, 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑇 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟.

Welcome Back

ʟᴀᴅs ʙᴏʏs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ┆ : 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘓𝘈𝘋𝘚 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦?

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 ┆ : 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵, 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧 & 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘖𝘖𝘊

─────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

𝐗𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫

Despite being utterly exhausted from your mission, you took great care in opening the apartment door you shared with Xavier, not wanting to wake him if he was already asleep.

Given how he always seemed drowsy during the day, you assumed he’d be in bed by now. But you had forgotten that Xavier was always up late, hunting Wanderers and attending to his own errands.

Quietly closing the door behind you, you were taken by surprise when a pair of arms wrapped around your waist, his chest pressing gently against your back.

“I didn’t wake you, did I?” you asked softly, concerned that your footsteps and the creaking floor might have disturbed his sleep.

He nuzzled into your nape, inhaling your scent, his embrace firm yet tender, as if afraid you’d vanish if he let go.

“No,” he murmured, his warm breath tickling your neck. “I waited for you.”

A twinge of guilt washed over you. “Let’s rest then?” you suggested softly.

But there was no response. Turning your head, you saw that he had miraculously fallen asleep in that position.

Even though he was leaning on you, his weight wasn’t burdensome, but his even breathing and heaving shoulders told you he was sound asleep.

Raising a hand to wake him, you changed your mind and instead began to gently massage his scalp with one hand while caressing his hand on your waist with the other.

He let out a soft, satisfied mumble, melting into your touch.

𝐙𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Usually, Zayne would be the one who would come home late after his night surgeries, but tonight, it was you.

Opening the door, you noticed a light on in the living room. Zayne was sitting on the couch, a book in his hands, his eyes immediately locking onto you as you walked in.

“You’re late. It’s already past midnight,” he stated calmly, though you detected a hint of concern in his voice.

“Yeah, sorry. I had to finish some documents,” you replied, feeling a pang of guilt for worrying him.

Setting his book down, he stood up, his expression composed but his concern evident. "You should have called," he said, walking over to you with steady, pragmatic concern.

"I know, but I didn’t want to bother you,” you admitted.

He sighed softly, a rare show of emotion. "It's never a bother when it’s about you," he said, gently touching your arm. "Are you okay?"

“I’m fine, just tired,” you assured him with a small smile.

“Good,” he nodded, his stoicism softening as he looked at you. "But next time, just let me know."

Nodding, you felt warmth in your chest at his words. Despite his reserved nature, you knew he cared deeply. “I promise.”

He gave a slight, approving nod before stepping back. "Alright, let’s get you to bed. You need rest."

𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐥

"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," Rafayel quipped, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm as you walked in.

You sighed, closing the door behind you. "I had a job, Rafayel. It took longer than expected."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And here I thought you were out having fun without me."

Rolling your eyes, you knew he was just trying to get a rise out of you. "Seriously, Rafayel, it was work."

He stood up, sauntering over to you with that roguish charm that never failed to make your heart skip a beat.

"You could have at least called, you know. I was starting to think you found someone more interesting than me," he said, a mock pout on his lips.

"You know that’s not true," you replied, a small smile tugging at your lips despite your tiredness.

He stopped in front of you, his playful demeanor softening just a bit. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make a habit of it," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "I might start to get jealous."

Laughing softly, you felt the tension of the day melt away. "I’ll keep that in mind."

"Good," he said, leaning in closer. "Now, how about a proper welcome home kiss?"

You obliged, pressing a kiss to his cheek. His teasing nature might annoy and drive you crazy sometimes, but beneath it all, you knew he cared deeply for you.

As you pulled away, he smirked. "See? Was that so hard?"

Shaking your head, amused, you replied, "You're impossible."

"But you love me anyway," he retorted, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Yes, I do," you admitted, sighing softly in defeat at his annoyingly-childish charm.

𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐬

"Out late, aren’t we, sweetie?" Sylus remarked coolly, his tone controlled.

The lights were still on, and he was sitting in a sleek armchair, a glass of whiskey in hand, looking completely unbothered.

“Nice to see you too, Sylus,” you said, setting your bag down and rolling your eyes. "The job just took longer than expected."

Standing up, he walked over to you with that confident, almost intimidating grace he always had. "You could have called," he said.

"And miss out on your reaction? Where's the fun in that?" you replied, a playful glint in your eyes.

He chuckled, almost a scoff of amusement, clearly enjoying the banter. "Fair enough. But next time, try not to keep me waiting."

"Impatient and bossy?" you teased, crossing your arms.

He smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement and something more intense. "Assertive, more like." He said, tilting your chin up. "Did you at least have a productive night?"

"It was fine. Just a lot of work," you said, trying to ignore the way your heart raced under his gaze.

"Good," he replied, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "I expect nothing less from you."

Raising an eyebrow, you didn’t back down. "And I expect nothing less than a proper welcome home from my significant other."

He laughed, a deep raspy tone. "Demanding, aren’t we? But I suppose you’ve earned it."

Leaning in, he kissed you in the forehead, a mix of possessiveness and affection in the gesture. When he pulled back, his eyes still twinkled with that ever-present dominance.

"If you keep coming home this late, I might have to start tagging along on these jobs of yours," he said lightly, but with underlying seriousness.

"Like you’d ever leave Onychinus for a night," you retorted, grinning knowing he’d never leave it to the twins.

"True," he conceded. "But for you, I might make an exception."

·❆　　　❆　❅　　　　•　　　　.　　　　　❆❆• 　·　.　　　❅

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟'𝑠 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑦𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑟/ 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑔𝑢𝑦𝑠 (𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑) 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦, 𝑋𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑟.

Fragments

xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ┆ : 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 ┆ : 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵 & 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵

─────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

He wanted her, more than anyone, more than anything. Yet, in this timeline, she was forever out of reach. His eyes lit up when he first saw her, like a beacon of hope piercing through the shroud of his desolate world.

However, his joy was short-lived. His smile faltered as he saw her with someone else, entwined with another man, her laughter ringing out in the air—so unlike the solemn, quiet moments they had shared back in Philos. The sight was a cruel reminder of the unbridgeable chasm between their current realities and the bittersweet past he once knew.

He couldn’t explain the turmoil raging within him; it felt suffocating, more so than the transparent red collar fastened around his neck. His fists clenched involuntarily, knuckles whitening with the force of his suppressed emotion, but after a moment, he released it.

Despite the ache in his heart, he knew he had to protect her from the Wanderers who dared to approach. Resigning himself to the shadows, he accepted his role in the background rather than being the companion by her side he longed to be.

He settled atop the remnants of a once-sturdy structure, where the echoes of his recent confrontation with the Wanderers still lingered in the air. His gaze fell heavily upon the cracked ground below, and he leaned back, propping one leg up to rest his elbow upon his knee, seeking a moment's respite. With a weary sigh, he closed his eyes, hoping to steal a brief reprieve from the ceaseless turmoil of his thoughts.

Minutes passed in a blur until he felt a gentle hand shaking his shoulder, stirring him from his restless reverie. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the one he had yearned for—the very reason he had dared to journey back through time.

"Hey, are you alright?" Her voice, like a soft melody, stirred memories of their time together in the future timeline, evoking a bittersweet ache within him. "You shouldn't be here. Wanderers have been spotted nearby; it's not safe."

Even in this timeline, her heart remained pure, instinctively caring for strangers.

His face betrayed no hint of the tumult raging within, his expression stoic as ever. Yet beneath that veneer of calm, a torrent of emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

He wanted to say something—no, he wanted to tell her everything. Yet, despite the countless words swirling in his mind, none escaped his lips. His mouth opened slightly as if to speak, but then closed as he wrestled with his thoughts. Finally, he managed a faint, almost vulnerable smile. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath.

‘𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.’

‘𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴.’

·❆　　　❆　❅　　　　•　　　　.　　　　　❆❆• 　·　.　　　❅

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟'𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡, 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝐼 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙.