Chapter 13 CHAPTER: 013
Xavi smirks again as he reels his head to look at Asher, a glint in his eyes. “I've always been the one causing trouble; my ice is destructive and always wants to take life. You should see the look on their faces when they think they're going to die. It's priceless,” he chuckles.
Asher finds nothing funny. “It's not funny, and you're crazy.”
“I know,” Xavi retorts. He looks at Asher. “I’m sure you didn't mean to do it, just as you didn't mean to burn your classroom as well. Accidents happen all the time."
Asher’s fingers curl into his sleeves, holding his knees even tighter. While everyone keeps trying to make him feel better, Asher feels more and more miserable, but for some reason, it doesn't happen with Xavi. Instead, Asher wants to listen to the boy talk.
His deep voice is mesmerizing and soothing in a way that calms Asher's sniffy nerves.
Xavi watches him for a second, then he slightly shifts towards Asher, who immediately raises a questioning brow, almost ready to move away until Xavi chuckles and stops, keeping his distance.
“Do you want help?” he asks.
Asher looks at him, confused. “With what?”
“Breathing and controlling your emotions. I accidentally glanced at a book and saw a few breathing techniques that might help you.”
Asher hisses. “Professor Dalen offered to help me, too, and look what happened."
Xavi shrugs. “I’m not Professor Dalen, and I'm bored. Besides, I can't touch you as he did. We're both going to die if we touch.”
Asher huffs quietly. “Right,”
Xavi looks at him with a tilt of his head. “Do you want my help or not, Fire boy?”
Xavi might be asking, but his tone doesn't even give Asher the room to refuse, and for some reason, Asher doesn't want to refuse. Xavi might ask him to bark, and Asher would want to do it, and that's the most ridiculous thing ever.
“Okay,” he murmurs, and Xavi immediately stands to his feet, throwing his cigarette away, and Asher follows, standing far away from him.
“We don't need to touch. You only need to hear the sound of my voice.” Xavi starts, and Asher nods. Xavi lifts a finger as he starts. “First rule: stop thinking so much.”
“That’s not helpful,” Asher mutters. He can't stop overthinking when thinking is all that he's good at.
Xavi smirks. “Try anyway.” He steps back a little more, making sure there’s distance between them. “Breathe in slowly,” he says, motioning with both hands, and Asher follows his order, inhaling.
“Hold it.” Xavi continues while Asher ceases his breathing. “Now let it out… slowly. Don't think; keep your focus only on me; nothing else exists.”
Every single word that comes out of Xavi's mouth, Asher follows it like a good student, and at some point, Asher starts to feel a lot calmer. He feels his fire throbbing in his nerves, but it does not attempt to push through Asher’s fingertips; the cold air suddenly brushes against his skin, making him shiver slightly.
Xavi notices immediately. “You’re cold.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re shivering.”
“I said I’m fine.” Asher insists, even though a cold chill runs down his spine despite wearing a long-sleeved sweatshirt.
Xavi rolls his eyes and then shrugs off his jacket. “Here.” He walks closer and holds it out, but Asher makes no attempt to take it from him. “We're going to be here for a long time. Wearing my jacket isn't going to kill you, so save me the stress and put on the damn jacket.”
Asher suddenly puckers his lips and snatches the jacket from him, hesitantly putting it on his body, and immediately, he's engulfed in warmth and the smell of cigarettes and mint. That's what Xavi smells like. Asher likes it. But then he realizes they are standing too close.
“You’re standing too close,” he points out.
Xavi shrugs and then takes a step back, putting the same long distance between them. “Feeling better?”
Asher nods slowly. “Thank you,” he mutters softly, his heart suddenly beating a little too fast.
Xavi watches him for a small smile and a tilt of his head. Then, he blurts out without warning. “You’re pretty.”
Asher’s breath hitches, his eyes widening while his heart picks up. He blinks at the other boy. “What?”
Xavi smirks. “I said you're pretty. The prettiest fire elemental I've ever seen."
Asher’s fingers twitch as heat that's not his fire pools up in his stomach. He felt nothing when Rase called him pretty. Why the heck is he reacting so strongly to Xavi? Why does his heart keep racing whenever the boy is near?
“Is this how you flirt with everyone?” he asks, trying to sound normal, but anyone with ears can hear how flustered he is through his voice, while Xavi smirks in satisfaction.
“No,” comes his reply.
Asher raises a brow. “No?”
“Only the pretty ones, like you,”
Asher looks away quickly, his cheeks coloring brighter than tomatoes. “Shut up,” he mutters. He can't believe he's reacting to something as silly as this. Maybe it's because Asher isn't used to being flirted with, or maybe because someone as beautiful as this has never given him this much attention? Or maybe Asher is just that crazy.
Xavi chuckles softly. “Alright, I'll shut up. Let's get back to training.”
Asher follows Xavi's instructions as they stand apart, and the more he does Xavi's breathing exercises, the calmer he gets as he manages to push back his fire without even trying until all Asher can feel is inner peace.
“I did it!” Asher exclaims happily, opening his eyes with excitement buzzing through his being, but Xavi is no longer in sight. Asher realizes immediately he's the only one standing on the rooftop, but something else catches his attention.
Where Xavi once stood is a little flower made of pure ice.
Asher breaks into a smile before he can stop himself and basks in the warmth and scent of the jacket.
Asher has no idea about the feeling blooming in his stomach, and he doesn't know if he wants it to stop or not.