#lqveify

pairing: xavier plympton x reader

warnings: swearing, angst

summary: in which a savior of heaven is sent down to camp redwood to put an end to the bloodbath and help the lost souls that reside there.

tag list: @vixi3303

part one: the awakening

THE GIRL DIDN’T DARE let any of her doubts bleed to the surface while she took one step after another, entering the premises of the unholy ground that was camp redwood. she had done her research of course, learning the truth and the lies and how every drop of blood was spilt in between in all. the place itself was an undoubtable tragedy, and if her facts were right, so were the souls stuck here.

satan had been behind some of the most cruelest acts placed upon humanity, but she was was sure this was one of the worst. he had cursed the area; so whoever died (gruesomely in almost all cases) here, were trapped. this was a purgatory for them, a hell without the infamous flames and bloodstained sky. unfortunately, that kind of thing results in these ghosts giving up any sort of humanity they had left.

so not only did the living leave its twisted mark, the dead did too. some were plainly lost, forgotten that they had even perished. some were aware, but have been here for so long they were merely zombies, their hope and motivation to do much of anything gone. and then finally, there were the ones who decided that they would make the most of this opportunity, abandoning all sense of right and wrong and spreading their curse.

those were the people heaven were most concerned about. they were turning this campground into even more of a bloodbath than it already was. held back with no morals of any kind, they proved to be devious and heartless, willing to end of the life of any tourist that happened to wander into the area.

so heaven, the land of light and peace, had sent her. having been human once, they had thought she’d be able to get through to a few of them. and with her flawless ability to follow the rules and show compassion, she had seemed like the perfect choice to her superiors. she only hoped to live up to their high expectations, especially elijah’s.

branches snapped beneath her sneaker-covered feet as she followed a trail through the surrounding woods. her eyes shifted around, looking for any sign of another’s presence, and ultimately coming up empty. her eyebrows knitted together, not knowing what to think of the quiet hum of the forest and the blue jays that had just fluttered by. she had expected utter chaos and to be overwhelmed with the unresolved problems the camp harbored immediately. and yet, she dared to think that this place was almost... calming.

the pain that erupted from her shoulder blade pulled her out of her enchantment, a small cry of surprise escaping her while she stumbled forward, almost falling onto the ground where the autumn leaves would have barely cushioned her fall. she instinctively turned around, finding the sight of a smirking blonde standing merely a foot away from her, the bloody knife in her hand gaining y/n’s attention for a moment.

“sorry to be rude and not introduce myself, but i’m not in an introductory mood. quite frankly, i’m sick of talking in general. it can ruin the moment, you know?” the blonde said to her, twisting her wrist and making sure the blade was pointed directly at her.

the newcomer took a step back, standing up on her own and removing the hand she had placed on a tree trunk for balance. the irritation from her stab wound had almost completely gone away; she knew her ability to heal fast would probably come in handy down here.

“you call killing an innocent person a moment, montana?” y/n questioned, recognizing the doe-eyed woman instantly. she watched as montana’s red-stained lips turned into a flat line, her playful demeanor dropping.

“how do you know my name?”

“because i’m supposed to. it’s my job to.”

“that isn’t clearing anything up.” montana growled, gripping her knife tighter. she debated on whether she should let her explain or just kill her like she had originally planned.

“put the knife down and we’ll talk.” y/n replied with raised hands, indicating she wanted to do the ghost no harm.

“yeah, no thanks.”

montana lunged at her, the blade of her knife slicing the air and not her skin as y/n easily dodged the attack, more prepared than before. the soon-to-be angel studied the way she only grew more frustrated, huffing in displeasure before she went after her target again.

this time y/n didn’t just avoid the blonde, she grabbed ahold of her wrist, stopping the knife from being thrusted into her chest. montana tried with all of her strength to push against her grasp and allow the blade to burrow deep within the stranger, but y/n’s grasp didn’t falter. in fact, she twisted montana’s wrist just enough so that she would drop the weapon, and then pushed her away from her.

montana stumbled back, shocked and embarrassed at how easily she was overpowered. especially since she had been a feared predator ever since she had died and been stuck in this place. she loved the power she possessed and every plea of mercy she had gotten from her victims. and now, the blonde felt how she felt when she was alive, helpless.

“what the hell are you?”

“technically,” she began, picking up the knife that still had her blood coated on the blade, “i’m an angel. well, almost one. point is — i’m from heaven.”

montana was about to laugh at the outrageousness before her eyes happen to catch sight of y/n’s back, seeing only dry blood instead of a leaking flesh wound. she had stabbed her, she was sure of it. she had saw the blade puncture her skin and cut through her.

“no fucking way.”

“way.” y/n said with humor in her voice, letting herself be amused despite the fact she had someone who wanted to kill her right in front of her.

“what’s going on here?” a voice gained both of the girls’ attention, belonging to the one and only xavier plympton, who was clad in a pair of white shorts and a purple muscle tank.

his blue eyes find montana first but then they drift to the new girl, examining her pretty face, framed by stray strands of hair that escaped her pony tail. they lower down to where her white tank top clings to her chest and eventually past her matching shorts where her long legs were offered up to his view. he decided she definitely wasn’t hard to look at.

“who are you and why hasn’t montana killed you yet?” he asks, automatically becoming curious and taking a few steps towards both of them.

“i’m y/n. and believe me, she’s tried.” y/n gestured to the knife in her raised hand, wagging it back and forth for clarification.

“if you keep talking about me like i’m not here then i will kill both of you!” montana kicked off the tree she was leaning against, sending them both a glare that certainly didn’t intimidate either of them in the slightest. she took her place beside xavier, grabbing ahold of his shirt and yanking him down so his lips crashed messily against hers. her eyes closed in the satisfaction that she was still in control when it comes to things like this, wordlessly claiming he was hers to have and play with as she pleased.

xavier’s eyes stayed open for once, staring directly at the stranger and how uncomfortable she looked with the spontaneous action. he noticed her parted lips, averted gaze, and the blush that began to rise to the surface of her cheeks. she was innocent — and that sparked something within him.

finally montana pulled away with a pleased sigh, returning her focus back to the girl who had many surprises to offer. her eyes narrowed when she spotted her knife still in her hand, knowing she would get it back even if she had to break each and every one of her fingers.

“guess what, xav? she’s a fucking angel.”

“almost angel.” y/n corrected immediately.

“seriously? like an angel with wings and halos and shit?” xavier asked, tilting his head and believing it easier than montana did.

“they don’t actually have those. but... yes, i’m from heaven.”

“fine. what are you doing here then? because it can’t just be to ruin my day.” montana scoffed, crossing her arms.

“i’m here to help you.” y/n spoke with sincerity, eyes unwavering as they locked on both xavier and montana.

xavier felt the impact of her words, hearing the promise in her soft-spoken voice, and was unexpectedly affected. that itself confused him. he hadn’t allowed himself to care about anything since he died and got stuck here. there was no point. no rewards or consequences to any action. he had accepted years ago that this was his afterlife for the rest of eternity, and now he what? was supposed to believe this girl and have the hope she so clearly had? he didn’t. but a little part of him wanted to, and that’s what left him speechless for the moment.

“bullshit. get me back my knife and maybe i won’t cut your eyeballs out of your sockets.” montana rolled her eyes and held out her hand, already over this whole situation.

“really? after all of this that’s what you’re most concerned about?”

montana nods her head, lips pulled into a frown, and y/n shrugs nonchalantly as an idea pops into her head. “alright. fine. if you want it, go get it.”

before the blonde can say another word, y/n flings the knife with quite a force in a random direction, and montana can only watch as the weapon flies through the air and disappears into the trees. that was it. it was personal now.

“you little bitch!” montana hissed, ready to pounce on her again and give her murder another go, but she’s stopped by xavier’s grip on her arm.

“babe, stop. it’s just a knife. there’s other weapons in the sea.” xavier jokes, smirking at her enraged form, and he pretends that he wasn’t stopping her just to mock her.

“i don’t care. i just want her dead. let go of me before i kick you in the balls. dead or not i know it still hurts!”

“you can’t kill me.” y/n interjects, seeing montana cease her struggle in xavier’s hold. “i already died. that’s how i got to heaven in the first place. you can try, but i’d just come back.”

“fine. i can’t kill you. but i can hurt you. so i would leave while you still can, because i will make it my mission to torture you the entire time you’re here.”

“i’m not going anywhere.”

“then, i would start looking over your shoulder. you’ve seen what happens when you don’t,” montana grins wickedly as she nods her head to the dry blood still sticking to her skin, and without another word, she turns around and starts in the direction where her knife was thrown.

“she truly is lovely. i get what you see in her. so dedicated.” y/n mutters sarcastically, placing her hands on her waist while she wonders to herself how she will ever turn someone like montana around.

“montana sure is something,” she hears xavier respond from beside her, hearing the leaves crunch with each step he aimlessly takes towards her. she doesn’t notice until his hot breath fans her ear that he had gotten that close to her. “but she’s no angel.”

her neck pivots when she turns her head to face him, their noses almost bumping from their proximity from each other. his oceanic eyes held mischief and playfulness, staring directly into her guarded pair. it was clear he didn’t give much thought into having boundaries.

“i’m surprised you’re not trying to kill me too.” y/n states, managing to keep her voice steady and her face neutral even though the lack of space between them was unnerving to say the least. it was the most intimate situation she had been in since she was alive.

“little ol’ me? now what would make you think that?” he smiles charmingly but the dark humor in his tone is evident, his breaths from his words tickling her lips.

“i’ve read your file, xavier.” she breaks their little staring contest, taking a step back away from him. “you’re just as murderous and manipulative as montana.”

“and yet you’re not running for the hills.”

“because whether any of you see it or not, you’re redeemable.”

xavier can’t help but laugh, finding her words nothing short of unbelievable. “listen, angel. it’s cute and all that you think you’re gonna flap your nonexistent wings and fix our poor little broken souls, but most of us don’t even want saving. like me. i’m perfectly happy here. i have never been more free.”

“and your life alive was so horrible?”

“compared to this, yeah. i tried to save people, to do the right thing, and i just ended up dying — painfully by the way. morals blind you. they hold you back. it’s much more freeing to just let go. you should try it.” he explained, watching her let his response sink in. her face morphed into a frown, and he could have been imagining it, but her eyes seem to glaze with sadness.

“you’re... so wrong and you don’t even know it.”

“i’m not, angel. that’s just how it is.”

“then, bertie protecting you, saving you, that meant nothing?” y/n asked, watching his face harden for the briefest of seconds before he returned to smirking and raising his eyebrows at her.

“that was just pointless. i died anyway.” he shrugged, burying his hands in his pockets.

“still,” she argued, gravitating back towards him, “it was worth something before that. you were grateful and relieved and... sad when you saw the condition she was in.”

“maybe. but none of that matters now.” xavier dismisses, feeling something build up inside of him with the point she was making. his throat was tight and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to contain whatever it was.

“things could matter again, xavier.” she whispered, letting her eyes properly roam his face and all of its flawless alignments. he was beautiful, there was no denying that.

he allows himself to gaze shamelessly right back at her, studying the upturn of her adorable nose, soft, pink lips, and finally returning to her eyes that possessed so much depth it just about consumed him. it was no wonder she was an angel, every part of her was angelic and undeniably mesmerizing. his heart swelled with admiration, catching him off guard more than anything that had happened during their encounter. her influence on him terrified him.

“i don’t think so,” he declares coldly, newfound anger at her rising to the surface, masking any other emotion he was feeling.

“xavier.” she murmurs, surprised at his sudden change of mood. it seemed as if they were getting somewhere, and he did a total 180 on her.

pairing: xavier plympton x reader

warnings: swearing, angst

summary: in which a savior of heaven is sent down to camp redwood to put an end to the bloodbath and help the lost souls that reside there.

tag list: @jetblackpayne @vixi3303 @hplotrfan

part three: the unraveling

SHE AWOKE WITH A GROAN, squinting and adjusting to the bright light shining above her. her head ached and her stomach was stinging, a frown altering her once motionless expression that took place during her unconsciousness. she glanced down, wanting to see what was irritating her abdomen so painfully, eyes settling upon a knife plunged through her flesh, one she instantly recognized.

“it was pretty hard to knock you out, i have to admit,” a voice broke the silent atmosphere, along with the click of boots hitting the hardwood floor of the vacant cabin.

immediately y/n tried to move, but she couldn’t, and when she glanced above her she saw her wrists chained to the bed posts. “it was also hard to find something to restrain you with. i didn’t know if ropes would do with your freakish strength.”

“is this really necessary, montana?” y/n grunted out, feeling her body trying to heal the bleeding wound gracing her stomach, but since the blade was still stuck within her, it couldn’t. the only pain going away was the throbbing of her headache.

“i’d say so.” montana nodded her head, plopping down at the end of the bed, her big eyes holding no remorse.

“listen, i’m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, that was partially my fault, but you can’t keep doing this. this is getting no one anywhere.”

“see, that’s really the problem. i just want to do whatever i want, and you are ruining that.”

“you can do whatever you want, just as long as you don’t hurt people,” y/n responds in a soft spoken voice, trying not to focus on the knife that had cut through her organs. if it wasn’t pulled out of her soon, she would lose consciousness again and the heartbeat she wasn’t supposed to have would stop.

“but hurting people is fun.” montana emphasizes the last word, crawling until she was hovering above the wounded angel-to-be.

“you just want other people to hurt because you’re hurt.”

“nah,” the blonde disagrees, gripping the handle of the weapon, and any hope that she was going to yank it out died when she twisted it. the blade punctured her insides ruthlessly in new angles, a loud whimper erupting out of the poor girl who was being tortured by someone who enjoyed every second of it. “i do it because it feels good.”

“and did it feel good when your brother died?” y/n choked out, montana’s head snapping up at the mention of her favorite person in the entire world.

an angry and displeased grimace contorted montana’s features before she tugged the knife roughly out of y/n’s stomach, bringing the blade to her neck and letting it dig into the skin there as a threat. heavy puffs of air came out of her flared nostrils and mingled with the stuffy air of the cabin, eyes darkened but in noticeable pain as she remembered the day she lost him, and when she lost herself as well.

“don’t. talk. about. him.”

“it wasn’t brooke’s fault, you know? she didn’t sleep with him that night.”

“you’re lying.”

“why would i be?” y/n said slowly; she was sure with one hard swallow the knife would slice through her skin.

“even if she didn’t, it’s still her fault. she shouldn’t have even been marrying that psycho. she shouldn’t have let my brother stay with her that night. she... should have stopped him. someone should have stopped him.” montana explained, tearing up at the last part, clearly still traumatized from seeing her brother get murdered right in front of her eyes.

“it’s not your fault either.” she murmured up to the blonde, who seemed to finally be in touch with her empathy for once.

the sensation of her abdomen starting to heal itself made y/n let out a sigh of relief, but she still paid attention to the extremely dysfunctional girl hovering above her, processing her words. the pain was there coating montana’s doll-like features, lipstick-stained lips quivering just the slightest. she was remembering everything she had forced herself to forget, and y/n thought that she had finally broken down her barriers.

she was proved wrong when montana sucked in a harsh breath, dark eyes returning their attention back to the supernatural creature she had tied up and planned on invoking so much pain upon. the coldness had returned to her gaze, the flicker of warmth, the flash of love, gone. and she even let out a humorless laugh, gripping her knife tighter.

“nice try, but there’s no going back for me. this is who i am. i belong here. and you don’t.” montana raised her knife into the air, holding it with both hands as she prepared to thrust the blade straight through her chest and into her heart. y/n prepared herself for the impact, closing her eyes and holding her breath.

a loud thump resonated through the cabin and hit y/n’s ears, forcing her eyelids to flutter back open just in time to see montana tumble off the bed and xavier standing above her, holding a canoe oar in one hand. after leaning over and making sure that the hit to the head had rendered the ghost unconscious for the time being, he returned his focus to y/n, dropping the item and stepping towards her restrained form.

“hey, angel. need some help?” his hands found the chains, working on unraveling them from the bed frame that constricted her wrists.

“that’d be nice,” she answered with a breath of relief, blinking in disbelief, surprised he was even here and more importantly stopped montana once more.

he definitely was though, blue eyes attentive as they analyzed her condition, a pang spreading throughout his chest as he saw the dried blood and healing cuts. he was disappointed with himself he hadn’t found her sooner, and the fact he didn’t try harder to get montana to let her little vendetta against the savior of heaven go. he didn’t know how much keeping her safe meant to him until now. he vowed then and there he would always protect her, no matter what.

“what are you even doing here?” she couldn’t help but ask, slowly sitting up on the bed after her hands were freed, but when she tried to stand up and stumbled, xavier was quick to be at her side. his arm wrapped around her back and she instinctively hooked one of hers around his neck, allowing him to support part of her weight while they headed for the door.

“i saw what was going on through the window. i figured i should probably get you out of there.”

“you didn’t have to intervene. in fact, after everything you’ve said to me, i’m surprised you even did.”

“yeah, well...” he drifted off, unsure how to respond, the cool afternoon air hitting both of their skin when they made it outside.

the sun was beginning to set, already masked partially by the white, puffy clouds in the sky, so it didn’t get in either of their eyes while they started down the path that led to xavier’s cabin he often hung out in when he wanted privacy. her body hummed and felt alight pressed against xavier, holding onto him securely and relishing in the closeness. truth be told, she didn’t want to let go any time soon.

he felt affected by her skin pressed against his as well, loving the warmth and smoothness of her delicate body next to his, seemingly right where it belonged. xavier was careful not to put any pressure on her sore wound, which was taking longer to heal due to the severeness of the attack. his eyebrows furrowed, concerned about her and how she was currently feeling.

“well what?” her question makes his stare avert to her flushed, porcelain face, deep breaths sucked in and exhaled through the space between her parted lips. even after being through a heavily stressful and traumatic event, she still looked unbelievably strong and beautiful.

“i... just. i didn’t want to see you hurt, okay?”

“you care.” she couldn’t help but smile slightly, his confession making all of the horrid events that had went down fade away.

“i do not.” he immediately denies, suddenly unable to look at her knowing face and turning his head forward, focusing on getting both of them up the steps of his cabin.

“yes, you do. you care. you care about meee.” y/n teases, using her free hand to poke at his cheek, an action that he tried to lean away from.

“you’ve lost more blood than i thought.” he shakes his head, trying his best to ignore the irresistible girl in his arms.

they enter the residence, xavier closing and locking the door behind them after they shuffle through. he heads for the queen-sized bed, found in head camp consoler cabins, which he of course he was quick to claim once he found out he wasn’t leaving this place anytime soon. y/n is guided to sit down on the edge of the bed, safe for the time being.

“thank you for helping me. even if you want to deny why you did it.” y/n says, watching him settle down beside her. she was feeling better with every passing second, and she didn’t know if it was because she was finally out of montana’s presence or because she was in xavier’s.

“if you don’t drop it, then i won’t help you ever again.” he comments half-heartedly, comprehending the content features of her alluring face, fighting the urge to cup her cheek with his hand.

“i don’t believe you.” she grins, seeing right through him, and for once, it doesn’t make him angry. he liked being seen, especially by her.

“whatever. forget about that. i’m ready for my reward now.”

“reward?”

“yup. you owe me. i’ve saved you, what, twice now? kind of ironic since you’re supposedly here to save me.”

“fine. what do you want?” she decided to give in, seeing a smirk return to his face and his eyebrows raise suggestively. “i’m not stripping for you.”

“oh, come on.”

“no.” she laughed, feeling free and... happy. genuinely happy. xavier made her happy.

“worth a shot.” he shrugged, chuckling a bit himself, mostly because her laugh was so contagious.

their laughter died down, eyes finding each other in the heartfelt aftermath. he never got tired of looking at her. she was the epitome of beauty and grace, wrapped up into this hypnotic form that never failed at demanding his attention. and then there was her persistence to see the good in everyone, something he found somewhat annoying in the beginning but had now grown to adore like just about everything else about her. she was so... good. and she wanted to save him. him. he felt unworthy of her devotion to him.

her breath gets caught in her thought while she finds herself completely in awe of him once again. it was almost too easy to do so, heart soaring and yearning for him. all for him. she had thought he was just like everyone else here, but he wasn’t. he was more — so much more and she couldn’t believe it took her so long to realize. he was everything. he was her everything.

“there is something else that i want.” he whispers, looking down at her carefully, eyes holding so much longing.

she didn’t wait any longer, feeling the same thing he was and leaning up into him. their foreheads touch, pressing against each other while they pierce one another with their gaze. they both felt breathless, the intensity of the moment consuming them, and they drowned in it. they basked in their closeness and the undeniable fact that no matter what was going on in the world, they were each other’s relief. they had found each other, and they weren’t letting go.

bliss shot through her when he moved and let his lips connect with hers, which she knew was coming, but it still made her gasp into the kiss, unprepared for the extraordinary sensation. her hands drift to find his bleached hair, tugging on the strands lightly, while he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. xavier even tilted his head to deepen the kiss, knowing he would never get tired of her soft lips enveloping his.

when they backed away from each other enough to breathe for a moment, he allowed his eyelids to crack open, seeing hers still closed as she let everything sink in. his heart thumped lovingly at the sight, one of his hands raising and allowing his thumb to skim across her bottom lip gently. he wanted to kiss her again and do so much more.

“i have to say, you’re not so bad for a pretentious angel,” xavier murmurs, welcoming every single emotion he was feeling, which finally made her eyes open up to see his wrecked face.

“you’re not so bad for a egotistical ghost,” y/n replies right back in the same soft, playful tone.

he smirks at her response, leaning towards her once more, and she meets him halfway, just as eager to get a taste of him again. she knew that when elijah told her to get personal with the souls here, this wasn’t what he meant, but the more time she spent with xavier, the less she cared about that little detail. especially when she allowed her mouth to go ajar, allowing his tongue to mingle with hers and causing the interaction to get impossibly more intoxicating.

xavier pushes her down flat onto the mattress, shifting until he was on top of her, not disconnecting their lips during the rearrangement. her heart rate was off the charts, matching his as they melted into each other, and she felt... alive. she felt human again, where love and touch and feeling consumed her life. she had been so caught up with priorities, rules, and the well being of others, that there hadn’t been any time to ask herself what she wanted. yes, she did want to help other people, but she also wanted xavier and every single thing he offered her. and right now, the latter was dominating her mind.

right as his hand began to creep under her shirt, she felt a distracting sensation wash over her, causing her to turn her head and look around the room. xavier took this as an opportunity to explore, lips dragging along her neck and sucking rather harshly to have color splotch the surface before almost instantly healing. she let out a quiet moan at the pleasure, ready to shut her eyes and get lost in xavier once more, but her hazy vision locked on the figure that had abruptly appeared before her.

“elijah!” y/n gasped, startled, pushing against xavier so he would back away, which he did, confused.

“actually my name’s xav— oh. hi there.” xavier finally glanced up, seeing a dark-skinned man in a white suit, patiently waiting for them to calm down.

“y/n. xavier.” elijah greeted them both politely, nodding his head in recognition.

“what are you doing here?” y/n questioned, sitting up, embarrassed they had been caught in quite an intimate position.

pairing: xavier plympton x reader

warnings: swearing, angst

summary: in which a savior of heaven is sent down to camp redwood to put an end to the bloodbath and help the lost souls that reside there.

tag list: @vixi3303 @jetblackpayne @hplotrfan

part two: the connection

IF ANYTHING, THIS TASK was certainly proving to be harder than she thought. it was a rollercoaster getting the ghosts out of their own illusions, whatever they may be. she did get through to a few, able to take them into her celestial hold and guide them out of this malevolent land and into the welcoming embrace that is heaven’s gates.

no one belonged here — that appeared to be the thing most were missing. the fact their souls were anchored to the premises was just an unfortunate accident. and they could be unlatched, set free, with her help, but like a complicated boy once told her, not everyone wanted saving.

when she wasn’t talking people down from killing an innocent that stumbled into the camp, she was busy trying to come up with a better plan that would overall help her connect more with the people here. after all, they’d be more likely to listen to her if she got them to open up. although, that was definitely easier said than done.

that’s what y/n was doing now as she sat at the end of the dock, bare legs swinging over the edge. the tips of her toes skimmed the surface of the lake that resembled the color and shine of an emerald jewel in the moonlight, creating tiny ripples in the water in her wake. a few stars dotted the sky, and she stared up at them, recalling a time where they had once brought her ease. maybe they still did, considering the tension in her muscles were gone and she leaned back on the palms of her hands, lost in her wonder.

“considering this place is literally known for countless of murders, do you really think it’s a good idea to be out here in the dark? alone?”

she let out a breath at the familiar voice, having the urge to smile while she heard footsteps approach. “i’m not worried about me.”

“right, right. you’re worried about everyone else. in true, selfless angel fashion. and people think i’m a cliche.” xavier comments, taking a spot next to her on the dock, blue eyes glued to her like they had been for the last few minutes as he debated whether or not to approach her.

“they also think you’re a dick.” she responds, letting the remark slip out and still staring foreword, but the humor etched onto her expression was evident. it had gotten even harder to contain herself when she saw the look on his face out of the corner of her eye, his mouth agape and eyebrows furrowed.

“that was rather rude. are you sure you’re from heaven? last time i checked swearing is a sin,” he spoke, pretending to be offended, head tilting to the side while he questioned her.

“i think they’ll forgive me.” y/n finally turns to look over at him, lips uncontrollably tugging up into an amused smile, one that made xavier’s heart patter in his chest a little faster. she was proving to be utterly addicting.

her hair was down now and fell in soft waves down her back, framing the soft features of her face that looked even more delicate now under the galactic light coming from the sky. there was also her brilliant eyes that once again urged the blonde to admire, adorned by long eyelashes that made them look more wide and innocent. she was worried about all the death and killing and here she was hypocritically and unknowingly killing him.

xavier cleared his throat, glancing down at the water for a moment to pause his obsessive staring that he could barely control. it was getting harder and harder to shake her off. he had purposely avoided her after their first encounter, confused and overwhelmed by it. he thought space would help clear his head, but there he was, thinking about her. her words, her actions, the irreversible way she made him curious. he didn’t know how to handle it all. but when he saw her sitting by herself tonight, xavier couldn’t help himself. he needed to talk to her again.

her grin slowly faded as the both of them let a few moments of silence pass, comfortable in each other’s presence despite the fact they barely knew each other. well, she knew about him, but he was definitely proving to be different than she expected. xavier wasn’t like montana or any of the other bloodlusting spirits. he was... more complex to say the least. and she was seeing that more and more.

“you didn’t go,” xavier pointed out to break the quietness, “i kind of knew you wouldn’t.”

“i meant what i said. i’m not leaving until i know that i’ve done all i can.”

“yeah. you’re very determined. i’ll give you that.”

“so are you.” y/n replied, gazing at him once more, something she found herself doing frequently.

“oh?”

“yes. you’re determined to... not care.”

“it’s a relief to not care.”

“no. it’s a temporary fix to your denial.”

“really? what am i in denial about? huh, angel?” he decided to play along, leaning in towards her.

“that you liked caring. but you hate that you cared about the wrong things. so you think caring itself is foolish and a means to an end.” she explained, expressed her thoughts about him, which she admittedly had a lot of.

“so you have it all figured out?”

“pretty much.” y/n states, expressing her confidence on the matter. she studies his raised eyebrows and the way his eyes gleamed with something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“well, if you’re so all-knowing,” xavier hums, shifting to move even closer to her until their knees brushed against one another, “why don’t you tell me what i’m thinking about right now?”

the daring tone and his sudden closeness quickly made her cocky demeanor drop, consumed by his provocative smirk and dazzling eyes, which were staring directly at her parted lips. no words, no witty remark, came out. she was left speechless, breathless, motionless. it was unbelievable how he made her feel and react — in ways she never had before.

y/n’s mouth opened and closed, trying to think of something to respond with, but suddenly that was the least of her concerns as she watched xavier’s playful expression contort into panic before he grabbed ahold of her. she didn’t even have time to process the beautiful feeling of his touch because it was gone an instant later, and soon she was splashing around in the lake, attempting to stay afloat. he had pushed her off the dock, rather abruptly, and while her head bobbed in the water and her vision focused, she understood why.

“what the hell, xavier?! she was right there, i had her!” montana’s frustrated voice filled y/n’s ears, and she saw her figure feet away on the dock, hand grasping an axe.

“yeah, well, now you don’t.” he stands up, shrugging, stepping in front of montana and blocking her view of the girl still swimming in place.

“why are you even protecting her?”

“because...” his voice trailed off, caught off guard by the question, but he quickly composed himself and let his infamous smirk return. “because i can. and it annoys you. and what annoys you, brings me joy.”

“oh, fuck you.”

“you already did when i was alive. and dead. both times were nothing special.”

“i’m this close from burying this axe into you.” montana growled, angry at his behavior towards her and more importantly towards y/n.

“go ahead.”

montana glares at him for so long it feels like hours instead of seconds, but eventually she scoffs, lowering the axe. “you deserve worse than having your limbs chopped off one by one.”

with one final glance at her over xavier’s shoulder, she flares her nostrils and reluctantly starts to back away, promising herself that next time, no one would be there to stop her, even xavier. he didn’t let himself turn around until he was sure she was off the dock and had disappeared into one of the cabins, but when he did, the boy with bleached hair saw y/n swimming slowly back to the end of the dock.

xavier bent down, offering up his hand, which she gratefully accepted, cold and wet skin meeting his. he pulled her out with ease, water dripping from her body and puddling at her feet when she was steady and standing on the dock. y/n’s arms wrapped around herself, freezing now, and her soaked clothes that stuck to her skin weren’t helping.

“sorry i got you all wet. it happens when girls are around me.” he jokes, attempting to lighten the mood.

“ha ha. very funny,” she says, ringing her soaked hair out on the dock, the water that had gotten in her ears making her slightly uncomfortable. “i better go change.”

“you mean you’re not going to strip for me? i’m hurt.” xavier brings a hand to his chest, lips twitching into a small smile when he saw her breathe out a laugh at his reaction.

“you would see me in hell before you would see me stripping for you.”

“see, now i’m just going to take it as a challenge.”

she rolls her eyes, beginning to walk away from the complicated mess that was xavier plympton, but halfway she stops herself. she turns her head around, finding xavier’s gaze still settled upon her departing form. she felt her chest tighten at the simple detail.

“thanks... for pushing me out of the way. even if it was into a lake. i wasn’t paying attention.” y/n expresses, able to catch the softening of his expression. she had no idea what he was thinking though, which that he wouldn’t hesitate to keep her out of harm’s way again.

he shrugged, emotion building up within him again, begging to not be pent up any longer, but he refused to give into it. “no big deal. just wanted to piss off montana.”