Greenhouse || Xavier Thorpe x Male Reader

white roses || chapter 4

 Xavier and I wait in our dorm for Enid to text me with the results of her and Wednesday's talk. After I set my phone to max volume, I pocket it and sit down on his bed next to him.

"Enid and Wednesday aren't the only ones that need to talk about their feelings, you know," he says. I nod and he shifts so we're looking at each other. For what seems like forever, no one says anything.

"[Y/N], you know I have feelings for you, and I know you reciprocate those feelings toward me. But I'm not comfortable coming out to a lot of people yet. I still need some time to heal from my past experiences. If you're okay with not being completely out, would you want to go out with me?" Xavier asks, the speech that breaks the silence.

"Of course I would. It doesn't matter to me whether or not we're a fully out couple. I'm game for whatever makes you the most comfortable," I tell him. He pulls me into a hug and we just lie on his bed like that until my phone buzzes.

Success! Meet us in the quad in twenty minutes.

"It looks like we weren't the only successful ones today," I remark. Xavier nods, and we pull on our jackets to go celebrate the fact that Wednesday Addams may smile at something that isn't violent for one.

~=~

When they finally arrive in the quad, Enid resembles a blonde tomato more than herself, but Wednesday looks just as cool and calculated as normal.

"What happened?" I ask when they reach our table.

"Enid explained that she felt as though I did not notice her in the way she desired to be noticed by me. I told her that I did not like noticing her, as she made my brain process emotions other than hatred and tolerance. I said that I was just not used to those feelings because of the way my brain works compared to hers," Wednesday explains. Coming from someone who usually speaks in short sentences, if she speaks at all, this was a lot of information. I lean against the table, letting everything process through my head.

"Good, that's good. I'm glad you got to talk through your emotions," I say, making note of their joined hands. Enid smiles even more, I think someday she will tear her muscles because of how much she smiles. I'm sure Xavier had some similar, non-verbal reaction behind me, but I can't see him with the way my head is turned. The two girls sit down across from us and we begin a casual conversation when Xavier inhales deeply and begins to talk as well.

"Actually, given the fact that you told us that... I think I should tell you something," he begins. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone. No gossip vlog, no friends, not until I say you can. Is that okay?"

Enid nods frantically, she always has a hunger for new information. Not making a vlog about it will be hard for her, though.

"I'm gay. And the reason I waited so long to tell you, and why you can't tell anyone else, is because I... have had some bad experiences with people I trusted after I told them," he tells them.

"Good. That means I'm not going completely insane, because that would explain the sudden shift in dynamic between you two, again. Your friendship has changed twice in the same day," Wednesday responds in a matter-of-fact tone. Leave it to her to find the smallest details and inference something as hard to pin down as someone's sexuality from those details.

"Wait, [Y/N], did you know before us? Is that why you were avoiding contact earlier today?" Enid asks. I don't know if she means avoiding contact because of homophobia or avoiding contact because of her 'theory'.

"No. Well, yes, I did know before you, but that's not why Xavier and I were avoiding contact. It's another reason," I explain. She nods, satisfied with that response. I see Wednesday's eyes flick down to the ground and back at us.

"The grass is greener again. Enid had a theory, and I am beginning to see the facts in the theory," she states.

"Scientifically, Wednesday, a theory is something with heaps of evidence pointing toward it. Enid's evidence consists of grass and flowers," I tell her.

"[Y/N], I think we just need to let Enid have this one," Xavier whispers.

"Are you sure? I mean, we just established today that it wasn't necessary to be out to a ton of people," I ask.

"I know, but they're our friends and they deserve to know," he says before turning back to the others.

"Okay, fine, you win. The grass is greener on our side of the table because he," I point at Xavier, "and I are going out. Or whatever you want to call it."

~=~

After the four of us finish chatting and it gets too cold to stay outside, I wander down to my greenhouse and water the plants. I look around at the plants that withered last night. They are past repair, unfortunately, so I take them out of their pots and throw the remains in a large compost pile outside of the greenhouse. The rosebushes have been growing well, and I clip some of the dead leaves off in order to keep the nutrients going to the living branches.

A knock on the door startles me out of the rhythm of clipping, and I nearly cut myself on the scissors. I walk to the door and slide it open, revealing Weems.

"Good evening, [Y/N]. I'm here to do my monthly check-in on your greenhouse," she tells me. I nod and let her in. Every month, Weems does an inspection of the private spaces that students use to ensure they aren't doing anything dangerous.

"Propagating roses? What for?" she asks, running her hand over the bushes.

"They won't stop growing, so I plan to sell them or give them away around Valentine's day, maybe mix in some of the other flowers for bouquets. I'm seeing if I can grow white roses to dye and sell as corsages for the Rave'N," I explain. Weems nods.

"A worthy endeavor, I'm glad that you are using your talents to begin a business of sorts. That brings me to the next item on the list. Given the fact that you are a part of the Beekeeping club, you know about our exports to Jericho," she begins. I do know all about the exports to Jericho. As much as they pretend to hate us, the Normies buy our honey and various other exports created by the students of Nevermore

"Well, as part of this year's Outreach Day, I'm asking all students with the ability in creating something to come up with a booth display of goods to sell," Weems continues. "I would like you to craft bouquets and grow plants. You will earn 70% of the income your plants bring. I'd just need a couple of samples to show the quality of our exports."

I show her to a stool near my work table and take my scissors to cut the finest specimens of every plant in the greenhouse, except the orchids. I give Weems a potted orchid and a sheet of instructions for care for each plant to ensure they keep their current properties.

"These are all I have right now, but I can run up some white roses once I am successful in growing those," I tell her. She puts the flowers in a bag and carries the pot of orchids in her other hand as she leaves the greenhouse. The opportunity to sell our exports and earn 70% of our income will massively help the beekeeping club if we get to sell honey. We could get another couple of hive boxes and some new supplies. But 70% of my income would also help me greatly, as my plant scissors are rusting and they aren't the cheapest. Dyed flowers are a sensation on social media right now, so if I could grow white roses it would definitely help.
I walk over to my empty pots and fill one with soil after pulling on some gloves. The soil seems to call to me, and the urge to allow my emotions to overtake the growing process gnaws at my concentration. I've never tried to grow something entirely from visualization before, so I try to allow a small amount of emotion through to grow a rose, but keep my mind blank so maybe the color won't come through. The rose sprouts quickly, a light pink color.

~=~

The process of growing plants whilst regulating emotion is tiring, and I feel extremely exhausted by the time I get a single white rose. Even though it's nearly curfew, I try again and again to get more roses. I've exhausted both my energy and ability, though, so I fall asleep on my work table with three white roses in pots.