Greenhouse || Xavier Thorpe x Male Reader

nightshade || chapter 7

hey everyone! i've decided to release this story in a series of arcs. this investigation is going to close up soon, and that will end arc 1.
also!!! this part of the note wasn't in the AO3 version, but PLEASE let me know if there's any dumb spelling mistakes. I'm copying from my notes and not from the AO3 doc where everything is fixed, so there may be some idiotic mess-ups in here.

 After about 30 minutes of searching, I find a book entitled 'The Plague on Outcasts: Visions'. I stuff it in my bag and jog back to my room. When I get back, Xavier is awake. He must have faked being asleep, I realize.

"Where were you?" he asks. I'm stuck because I don't want to admit I know about the secret library but don't want him to think I was with someone.

"Library," I tell him, hoping it's a good enough excuse.

"Which library?" He asks, and I realize that he knows about my knowledge of the 'secret' one.

"Nightshades," I respond quietly.

"[Y/N], I really appreciate you going to the library to find a book on visions, but I think I'll be fine. It's not like the visions are coming alive and trying to kill me."

"Were you asleep when I left?" I ask him. He shakes his head. "Why?"

"Because every time I close my eyes, I see that goddamn figure," he says. "Okay. Maybe I will look at the book."

I hand him the heavy purple book, and he skims through the pages until he finds a chapter on preventing visions.

"'Visions are easily preventable with the right mindset and talisman.' What the hell is the right mindset? I'm getting visions because my brain isn't in the right space?" he asks.

"Maybe?"

"'Finding the mind in a state of peace and tranquility...' Oh, this is a load of BS."

"I'm sorry that the book sucks," I tell him.

"It's not your fault that the author thinks my mind needs to be peaceful and tranquil. You tried to solve an issue that you knew was affecting me, and I'm lucky to have you."

"I still feel bad, though. I wanted to help you, but I gave you false hope and ended up disappointing you," I say, more to myself than to him. He shakes his head and takes my face in his hands.

"You will never be a disappointment to me, [Y/N]."

He leans forward, and I meet him in the middle. Suddenly, it's just the two of us in the vast, empty space of closed eyes. The wind rattling the roof, the old floorboards squeaking, all of those noises are dulled as my senses focus only on Xavier and me.

"I didn't think someone would kiss me as a way to tell me I'm not a disappointment," I joke quietly. Xavier chuckles.

"They don't call me creative for nothing."

~=~

When the sun spills through the window the next morning, I realize I've begun to make a habit of falling asleep in Xavier's bed. Whether or not that is a bad thing I have yet to know. I look over at the alarm clock on his nightstand and see that it's still pretty early. Class isn't due to start for another hour and a half, but I get up to change into my uniform anyway. I want to check the progress on the roses we dyed last night.

After I exit the bathroom, Xavier is still sleeping. His alarm isn't set to go off yet, so I scratch a note on a piece of paper.

Going to the greenhouse to check on the roses. Would appreciate help with the next batch.