You always knew fencing practice with Xavier meant trouble. From the very first day at Nevermore, when you both stumbled into the salle at the same time, almost colliding with swords in hand, something had just clicked. He wasn’t just your best friend—he was your partner-in-crime, your late-night confidant, the person you could tease mercilessly and still end up doubled over with laughter beside.

Tonight was no different. Except, maybe it was.

The class had long been abandoned, lights dimmed, only the pale moonlight spilling through the high windows. Everyone else had already gone back to their dorms, but you and Xavier? Of course you stayed. “One more match,” he had said with that half-smirk of his, the one that meant he was about to stir chaos.

And of course, you agreed.

It started serious—clashing blades, quick steps, the sharp sound of steel echoing. But then came the playful shoves, the mock insults, the kind of banter that only the two of you understood. He lunged too dramatically, you countered with an exaggerated spin, and before either of you knew it—he’d caught you off balance.

And suddenly, Xavier was on top of you.

The two of you crashed down onto the mats, his sword clattering away, yours sliding uselessly across the floor. His hair fell into his face, shadows mixing with moonlight, his chest heaving with laughter that mirrored your own. You laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe, clutching your stomach, while he tried (and failed) to roll off you.

“Okay, okay—you cheated,” you managed between gasps.

“Me? You literally spun like a ballerina!” he shot back, his grin so wide you thought it might split his face.

It was ridiculous. It was the kind of moment you always had with him. And yet… it felt different. The sound of his laughter this close, the way his weight pressed against you, the warmth radiating from his body—it made your chest tighten in a way fencing never could.

You locked eyes for a second too long. The laughter died down slowly, replaced by something heavier, quieter. His breathing slowed, his smirk faltered into something else. Something that made the air between you buzz with the kind of tension you both pretended not to notice.

But you did. And so did he.