Greenhouse || Xavier Thorpe x Male Reader

working || chapter 21

 Once we're back in the dorm, I water my plants and then sit down to read. Xavier puts on a quiet record and begins to sketch something. The peacefulness of our room is unusual, but a welcome change. Whereas we usually talk in the evenings, it's nice to have the only sounds be the music, pages rustling as I leaf through my book, and Xavier's pencil against his paper.

The quiet presses down on us both, though. When in the presence of another person, it's hard to be silent. But neither of us are too compelled to talk, so we continue with our soundless communications.

~=~

The next morning, I continue with my plant photography. I manage to get all the way to Hedychium garnerianum, or Kahili Ginger, before the breakfast bell tolls. As I exit, I think about the day's opportunities. An entire day to just work in the greenhouse and breathe in the warm, humid air. Certainly better than staying out here in the dry cold.

"We're going to Jericho again," Wednesday says to me when I cross her path on my way to the quad. "Enid feels bad that we left without paying."

I fish around in my bag for a few dollars. "I'll give you some money for me, then, because I'm not going anywhere today."

"Xavier's going."

"Great. Tell him to come see me in the greenhouse when he's back," I tell her, slightly exasperated. She's great, but her constant desire to keep moving is a bit tiring.

"We're all going, [Y/N], even Ajax. You're coming with us as well," she argues. I shake my head.

"Wednesday, I still have to get through the majority of my plants. I can't just take a break from my work and go into town because Enid has a more stable moral compass than the rest of us."

"The way you put that made it sound like an insult," Enid complains, popping out of nowhere.

"Jesus, Enid, teleportation is normally Wednesday's job," I remark, laughing. "But I'm still not going to Jericho."

"Come on, [Y/N], you can't just work and read all day," Xavier says, also seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"I wasn't going to work and read all day. I was planning on eating, too," I deadpan. "No, seriously though, I was going to ask you to meet me in the greenhouse when you're back from Jericho. I want to get your opinion on some design choices for my cataloguing work."

"I'll stop by if you come to Jericho with us," He offers. I shake my head again. "You don't need to work every minute."

"I want to. It's fun," I tell him. He shrugs and we all sit down at a table. Even after I start walking back to the greenhouse, they still try to convince me to come with them. Whereas it does sound fun, I need to be finished with the cataloguing soon.

~=~

A few hours and several plants later, Xavier knocks on the greenhouse door. I let him in and hand him my cataloguing book.

"Thougt you would only show up if I went to Jericho," I remark. He shakes his head.

"I changed my mind. Wanted to see what was more important than your beloved boyfriend," he teases.

"It's not more important, I just need to finish it."

"Well, it's very well done. What did you need my opinion on?" he asks.

"You're the design person here. Is there anything I need to add to make it more... aesthetically pleasing?"

"Yellow the pages a bit around the edges. We can do that with a candle. And also, take a break. Your handwriting gets a bit messy toward the back, a sign of being overworked," he tells me.

"Fine. Give me the book back, and we'll go outside and do something there," I respond. He hands me the book and I put it in my bag. "Oh, and you'll never guess what Weems told me the other day."

"Monthly inspection? Mine's still waiting, it'll probably be soon though," he says.

"Said the table was getting worn down, and I should keep the weight on it under a hundred pounds. Thought I grew a tree on it."

He laughs and shakes his head. "Does she know you can barely lift trees, let alone move them from a table to the desired location in your greenhouse?"

"Probably not."

Xavier takes my hand, the warmth of his touch a welcome change from the cool air piercing my skin. We walk down the path away from the school and toward the thawing lake. A few brave kids have taken a canoe out and are attempting to navigate the ice. On the docks, a small crowd has gathered to see how far they make it. I crane my neck to watch, but Xavier pulls me away from the lake.

"Do you really want to watch some kids renact the titanic but without the deaths?" he asks.

"No. There needs to be death or it's a bad deal," I respond. He raises his eyebrows. "Kidding."

"Okay, Wednesday 2.0," he jokes. I smile, and we keep walking on the path. The sky begins to get more gray, signalling an oncoming storm, so we head back to the greenhouse at my request. If we're going to be in a snowstorm, I'd prefer to be somewhere I can work. Once we're indoors, the snow begins to fall.