Work Text:
To most, the sounds coming from practice room C were enchanting. Anyone walking by would hear the notes and pause, unable to keep from letting the music in like an old friend.
They might peek into the room, just for a glimpse of the musician inside through the small window at the top of the door.
To X’anvis, however, the sounds were...off. Unbalanced. Frustrating. To him, they didn’t feel right – as if reading a context-less translation from Moogle Translate. Certainly, the general meaning was there, but the intricacies were lost.
Maybe because he didn’t really know what the feeling he was trying to capture was .
His fingers paused again, a groan of tired annoyance slipping past his gritted teeth. He leaned over to his desk to make another note before he leaned forward on the guitar.
“Just two weeks left to come up with something ,” he said to himself, allowing his eyes to slip shut as the anxiety swept through him. He’d committed to playing at a popular cafe on campus and promised himself to debut a new tune, but his muse...
His well of inspiration had run suddenly dry. Figures.
Realistically, he knew that his friends wouldn’t mind so much if he didn’t come up with something totally new for the gig. He’d still get paid, still have a good time playing for the local crowd, and still have a good time.
But... his pride .
X’anvis shook himself and straightened in his seat, humming along as his fingers moved again.
He was determined –
He stopped as he heard a knock at the door, frowning slightly in confusion. It wasn’t terribly late, but he knew his friends were all either working or attending to other responsibilities – so who would be knocking now?
He placed the guitar down onto a stand nearby and slipped his mask back up over his nose before opening the door.
Before looking up into bright, sapphire eyes and a brilliant smile – and absolutely losing nearly every sense as the world focused in on the beautiful woman looking bashful in the doorway.
He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Clearing his throat, cheeks burning, he said, “May I help you?”
“Was that you playing just now?” she asked, her voice just as captivating as her smile.
He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. That this perfect stranger had witnessed the fruits of his artist block stung.
“ Ah, yeah – trying to come up with a new song for a gig. It’s a bit-,” he winced, not meaning to spill his insecurities to her. “slow-going at the moment.”
“What do you mean?” she said, cocking her head to the side. “It sounded absolutely wonderful, really-,”
“Nat, are you harassing the undergrads again,” came a familiar voice, and X’anvis saw one of the TAs, Hythlodaeus, peek his head around her. “Oh, hey X’anvis.”
X’anvis nodded and gave a small wave in greeting as the woman – Nat – squawked in clear offense.
“You were taking an age, so I wandered a bit. I wasn’t expecting to get so distracted but,” and she directed the last of her words back to X’anvis. “I simply had to meet the musician.”
X’anvis didn’t know how to respond to that and her bright smile other than wishing the ground would open up to take him away.
“I really appreciate it, er, Nat,” he said awkwardly. “Are you by here often? There are plenty of talented musicians that take up these rooms throughout the day.”
“Oh, not so much,” she said, waving a hand carelessly as she crushed his dreams. “Hyth usually comes to the life sciences building to wait for me before we head home but this time, he was keeping me waiting.” She shot an accusatory glare at the tall man beside her.
X’anvis was glad for the mask he was accustomed to wearing, for it likely hid his disappointment well. Are they...together? He didn’t know the man very well, though he knew that Hythlodaeus had several close friends from many other departments. He’d had suspicions about the white-haired, grumpy man who was often with him, but now he wasn’t so sure.
“And I remember telling you to not wait up for me,” Hythlodaeus teased, knocking into her shoulder. “C’mon, let’s not keep the old man waiting.”
Nat rolled her eyes. “He’s your partner, not mine. Besides,” she turned back to X’anvis. “I’m not leaving until I find out what gig X’anvis is playing at.”
He very much felt like a bystander even though she was prompting his response. “Erm - I’ll be playing at the Seventh Dawn on the 4th. Sort of like a goodbye to the semester.” And to this school, given graduation is two weeks later, he thought, though he tried to shake the feeling of impending doom.
“Oh, I love that place! I go there just about every morning,” she said, clapping her hands together excitedly. “I’ll have to clear my schedule that afternoon to come see you!”
Now X’anvis was very glad for his mask to hide his blush. “Y-yeah, sure, that’d be…cool.” He cringed internally.
“Okay, Nat, let’s leave the poor kid alone,” Hythlodaeus said, tugging on her arm. “Sorry for her, y’know, everything. She’s very excitable.”
That’s not so terrible, X’anvis mused, smiling softly at the way she rounded on her friend. He waved them goodbye, ignoring the swoop of his heart as she promised again to come see him.
He felt...lighter as he returned to his seat and took his guitar back in hand. The notes his fingers struck felt better than the listless plucking from before – as if somewhere in the last ten minutes, his world view had shifted entirely.
Shifted to focus on a certain set of aqua eyes and brilliant smile, a bright and loud laugh. Just from those few minutes, that small interaction, the way she enthused about the music he was cobbling together–
Perhaps he should have seen it coming.
.
.
A tap on his shoulder broke him out of his scrolling on his tomestone, earbuds in to drown out the noise of the coffee shop he’d stopped in after class. He looked up in surprise to find her , Nat, and was once again happy that his mask covered the no-doubt goofy smile he couldn’t help.
“X’anvis, right?” she asked, a small smile on her lips. “I saw you in line when I walked by and wanted to say hi. Did you just get out of class?”
He nodded, turning the volume down on his music and locking his tomestone. “Yeah, I wanted to grab a quick bite and touch base with Rowena – er, the owner, before heading back to a practice room.”
“Oh!” she said, nodding excitedly. “Right, you’ll be playing music here in just another week, right?
He opened his mouth to respond but the barista calling his name with his food order distracted him. He thanked them and scooped up his purchase, tucking the bag into his backpack.
“Anyway - yes, I’ll be playing soon. I’ve made some good progress now, so...,” he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed. The very reason the notes had come easier to him was standing right in front of him.
With that same bright smile.
“That’s so awesome, X’anvis, I’m glad to hear that. Aaand , speaking of hearing...,” she said, shuffling her feet. “Do you think I... could come and listen to you practice? Only if you’re comfortable!” She rushed to add at his no-doubt shocked expression. “I don’t want to intrude or – impede the process, as it were. I’m a STEM major so I’m not so attuned to these types of things.”
X’anvis couldn’t help it – he laughed at how anxious she looked after making her request, as if there was any universe in which he’d say no.
If it were anyone else, he’d retreat. But... because it was her, who’d already somehow beaten down his every wall with just one encounter–
“Sure you can,” he said. “Considering the praise you heaped on me last week, I’d be honored to show you what I’ve come up with.”
His heart skipped at her excited grin and they left the shop together, walking in stride towards their destination. He ignored his elevated heartbeat and asked after her day, listening with a smile as she regaled him with moments from her classes.
He was glad he’d never had an interest in pursuing a degree in science, as he definitely would have been distracted by the cute TA.
X’anvis thanked his lucky stars that one of the practice rooms was still open and he dropped his things inside, unzipping and carefully pulling his guitar from the case.
He noted, from the corner of his eye as he prepared, that Nat – could he call her that? – had pulled out a tablet herself.
“Quizzes,” she explained, and he blushed at getting caught staring. “Just need to put some grades from labs today into the portal otherwise Llymlaen – well, Doctor Loetstym – will be sending me a rude email later.”
X’anvis chuckled. “Do you work closely with them?”
“Yes,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “She’s wonderful, just strict with certain things. That’s not a bad thing, really, it just...doesn’t always suit me.”
Even with the little he knew about her, he wasn’t surprised by this fact.
After a bite of his food and swig of his [drink], he started playing, again feeling more motivated than ever before.
If he hadn’t already confirmed that her presence in his life fueled his music, the results of this session were unequivocal.
After a while, he lost himself in it, in the flow – occasionally, he’d make a note in his sheet music to tweak something and replay the section. He wasn’t as aware of the woman in the room, who’d long since put her tablet down in favor of watching him.
“That’s incredible,” she said, though what shocked X’anvis was the way she wiped at her eyes afterwards. “It sounds... a little different than what I’d heard that first day. Not in a bad way!” she added in a rush, waving her arms in front of her. “It feels more... evolved.”
X’anvis smiled, resting slightly on his guitar. “I’ve been in a bit of a rut this past semester, to be honest. Stress of graduating and such. But lately, even with my graduation coming soon, I haven’t felt the same block. I think...,” he paused, just barely stopping himself from completely exposing the why .
Would she think it was weird? Creepy? Would she never grace him with her presence again if he told her that being around her inspired him like nothing else?
With the way she looked at him, he almost fooled himself into believing that she wouldn’t. Maybe she even reciprocated the budding feelings in his heart.
She opened her mouth to speak, eyes alight with something, before a knock at the door interrupted her thought.
"Yo! That sounded awesome!” A familiar, booming voice called. X’anvis looked up to see Tatsu stroll in with Isshin and Elia close behind, though he didn’t like the mischievous glint that settled in his friend's eyes when he spotted Nat.
“Tatsu, this is Nat,” X’anvis said, interrupting whatever embarrassing comment his close friend had been about to make – he may have waxed a bit of poetic about the woman to his friends after meeting her the first time.
“Hi there,” Nat said, putting her tablet down to stand and shake their hands. “It’s great to meet you! I’m usually in the life sciences building but X’anvis’ music has me a bit obsessed.”
“I see ,” Tatsu said, and X’anvis ignored the look the other man gave him.
“Actually, that’s probably my cue to get going. Hythlodaeus is probably wrapping up too. Um,” she paused, turning back to X’anvis as she tucked her tablet away into her bag. “I’ll see you around?”
Once again, the way she looked at him made him falter – was she...expecting something?
“Yeah, er, definitely. It was really fun to play for you,” he said, shuffling his feet as she beamed at him.
“Can I get your number, then? I’d love to listen to more of your music,” she said, already reaching into her bag for her tomestone. He stared at her for a solid few seconds, dumbfounded, before Tatsu clapped him on the shoulder.
“Ignore him, he’s hopeless,” he said, rattling off his number. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around, Nat.”
Nat smiled. “I’d love that. Have a good night!” She said, touching X’anvis’ arm as she passed and waving to the rest.
As soon as the door closed behind her, he felt as if all the air had left his body. His friends all clamoring and teasing him didn’t help as he sat down heavily in his chair.
His tomestone buzzed in his pocket and he unlocked it to find a message from her , a simple ‘hello’ with a cute emoticon. Imagining her typing that with that bright grin on her face made his heart swoop – how would he respond? Should he also send one back? He’d never been the type to send them, but–
“My god, we’ve really lost him,” Tatsu groaned, swiping the tomestone out of his hands. “A ‘thank you’ is the least you could do here, dude.”
“Hey!” X’anvis said, sitting up to grab at his tomestone. Tatsu dodged him and stepped back.
“I hope you’re going to actually ask her out , you know,” Elia said, plopping down into a nearby chair. “You’re graduating soon and all.”
X’anvis winced, giving up on his tomestone and sitting back in his chair. “I know... but what if it’s just me?”
“Xan, I love you, but don’t be ridiculous,” Elia said, rolling her eyes. “That woman was making insane heart eyes at you.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she makes the first move,” Tatsu said, rolling his eyes. “She seems like a real go-getter.”
So why would she be so interested in me? X’anvis didn’t say, though from the worried look Isshin threw his way, he knew he didn’t have to.
“Come on, let’s get some dinner. I bet you’ve been cooped up in here too long, haven’t you?” Isshin said, nudging him.
“I had lunch!” X’anvis defended himself, gesturing to the empty coffee cup and paper bag.
“Sure, let’s get you some real food. Tatsu, give him his tomestone back, otherwise he’ll be moping the whole way.”
Tatsu scoffed but handed it over. Elia piped up with some happening of the day while X’anvis reopened the messages app, thumbs hovering over the screen as he thought about how to respond.
“Just be yourself, Xan” Isshin said, nudging his shoulder gently as he passed.
He was right. It'd gotten him this far, after all, though he was still stunned it had at all.
.
.
For better or worse, being true to himself meant waiting until the last minute.
The gig went perfectly and, with the way Rowena was talking afterwards, might even become a more regular thing. Given that X’anvis didn’t exactly have a steady job lined up yet beyond his admittedly well-paying music tutoring, he was eternally grateful.
And before he knew it, graduation was just one sleep away.
Nat had come to the show and cheered him on, and even accompanied him to the small after party his friends threw at a bar off campus. Since then, they’d texted nearly every day, though X’anvis hadn’t seen her due to her own end-of-semester activities. In the meantime, he learned about the project she was working on for her masters degree and the cast of characters that made up her peer group. He'd wake up to texts from her and tease her for staying up late, imagining the pout on her lips whenever she'd read the message.
And if one asked Tatsu, X'anvis was moping, sitting alone in the practice room for some of the final hours of his undergrad. Wild Rose University had treated him well, and he’d miss it – but he was ready to move on, to find where his path would take him next.
Leaving her behind, though...
As if by magic, a knock at the door paused his idle strumming and he sat still for a moment, daring to wonder, to hope–
“X’anvis? Are you in here?” Nat asked, peeking her head in. “Oh, thank goodness I caught you!”
He smiled weakly as she stepped in. “Hey, I’m glad too. Everything all wrapped up with you?”
“Yeah, thank gods,” she sighed, sitting in a chair close to him. “How about you, Mr. Graduating Tomorrow?”
He chuckled. “Good enough, all things considered. It feels weird to think I’ll be moving on to the great big world after this.”
“Well, you’re not crazy like me or Hythlodaeus – we came back for round two,” she laughed. Her good cheer warmed him and eased his worries.
“Yeah, not going to lie, that’s pretty low on my list of next steps.”
“What is on your list?” she asked, suddenly seeming more serious.
“Rowena’s hiring me for more regular gigs so that on top of the music lessons I give should be good for a while – plus whatever random gigs Tatsu finds for us,” he said.
“That sounds great, I’m really happy for you,” she said, smiling. “Though, I hope you’ll still find time for little old me, though,” she said, leaning forward in her seat.
“O-oh, I mean, of course. We might not be able to see each other as much but you have my number, after all,” he said, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks and wishing his mask was on to cover it up.
Nat hummed, squinting at him slightly. “What if i want to keep seeing you?”
He blinked at her. “P-pardon?”
“I like you, Xan. More than a friend,” she said, wringing her hands in her lap. “And if you don’t reciprocate, that’s fine, but I still just wanted to tell you before things change too much. If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, I still want to be in your life a-and listen to your music.”
X’anvis sat there, stunned by her words, mouth slightly open in shock. Try as he might, he couldn’t get any words out, and he watched her expression fall.
“Listen, I get it. I’ll leave you to it then and... I hope we can chat soon,” she said, moving to stand. He finally moved, then, grabbing her hand and pulling her back down into him, not caring for the way his guitar slipped down to the ground from his lap. He stared, still not convinced this was real, and he watched a flush light up her cheeks while his other hand moved up to cup her face gently.
She dipped her head down after a moment, eyes asking for permission as she touched a finger to the top of his mask. He nodded and shook slightly as she pushed it down, shifting forward to press her lips to his.
Finally.
The feeling of shock wore off as his hand wound in her hair as the kiss deepened. He was unable to keep the short moan from passing his lips as her arms wrapped around his neck, as she pushed herself closer to him. She’d ended up kneeling between his legs, somehow, when he’d dragged her down, but he didn’t think anything of it – not with the way she kissed, just as enthusiastically as she did everything else.
He pulled away from her, dazed, and she giggled at whatever she saw in his eyes.
“Me? Really?” he breathed.
“Of course, you. Who else?” she answered, surging up to kiss him again and again and again.