Mirror Crown
The day was fading, the school buzzing with chatter as the final bell rang, signaling the end of another routine. But for Xavier, it wasn't a normal day. Not anymore.
He didn't walk straight to the car, didn't step into the usual stream of students. No.
Today, he turned back.
He saw her standing by the lockers, talking to a few friends, her laughter light and genuine. It was the kind of sound that felt like sunlight breaking through clouds. And for a moment, he felt a tug—something unfamiliar, something human, behind the armor he'd built.
Tasha.
He hadn't planned on it, but the pull of something deeper—something real—tugged at him.
He approached her slowly, eyes not just calculating, but… appreciating.
She looked up, caught his gaze, and instantly, her smile softened, the usual playful challenge replaced with something softer. "Hey," she said, voice warmer now.
"Hey," Xavier replied, but this time, his tone wasn't flat or indifferent. It had something in it—an edge of something more... genuine. He wasn't sure where it came from, but it was there.
For the first time in ages, he didn't feel the need to pretend to be someone else. Not as Christian, and certainly not as Xavier trying to outsmart the world.
He stepped closer. "Listen, about last night… I know I wasn't exactly the best company."
Her eyebrow arched, and a teasing smile danced on her lips. "You were definitely… distracted."
He chuckled, and it sounded more natural than any of his forced laughs in recent memory. "Yeah, well… I'm not really used to dates."
Her eyes softened, a playful but sincere look in them. "I can tell. But it's okay. Not everyone's a pro at being romantic."
Xavier's heart skipped. Not the kind of flippant, dismissive love his previous life might've promised. No, this was real. A connection. A glimpse of how it felt to be seen.
"I know. I… I'll try harder," he said, letting his guard down just a little bit more. "I want to make it up to you."
Her smile widened, that same warmth seeping into the space between them. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say that."
He grinned, a real one this time. It wasn't forced. It wasn't a mask. It was the kind of grin that came from being genuine, from knowing for once that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't playing the game alone.
"I meant it," he said softly. "I want to show you I can be more than just the guy who's too busy to care."
Her expression softened further, a flicker of something deeper crossing her face. For the first time, she seemed to truly see him—not Christian the heir, not the untouchable guy, but Xavier, the man beneath it all.
"I'll hold you to that," she said with a laugh, the sound light, but there was something unspoken there. Something real.
He nodded, feeling an unfamiliar but good sensation in his chest. He wasn't sure what it meant, but for once, he wasn't afraid of it.
He wasn't afraid of her.
"Dinner tomorrow. Just us. I'll take you someplace nice," Xavier said, the words flowing without the weight of pretense.
"I'm looking forward to it," she said softly, her eyes locked with his, the connection now undeniable.
And for the first time, Xavier didn't feel like he was just wearing the crown.
He felt like he was actually living in it.