10. Excitement

The mood in the car was tense. So tense that even Cole, who was in a really cheerful mood was silent in hopes of not making their parents mad.

Alexandra hated it.

"Who was that kid that pushed you?" She asked, trying to ease the tension.

"Yeah, who was it Cole?" Their mom asked.

Cole shrugged. "Probably someone from the visitors team. I don't know him."

Silence again. Trying not to roll her eyes, Alexandra took out her headphones. When she was halfway into the song, she noticed they weren't going home.

"Where are we going?" Cole asked when Alexandra was about to voice the same question.

George cast him a glance through the rearview mirror. "To get you something for your win today."

"Is it the new PS-"

"No more games." Sophia interrupted.

Cole gave them a stink eye. "Then what?"

"Didn't you say you wanted a phone?"

A brilliant grin overtook his face. "Yes!"

Alexandra gave him a smile, ruffling his hair. "Don't break it in a day."

"I won't."

Watching the passing buildings and cars through the window, Alexandra listened to the songs playing in her phone but her mind was completely elsewhere, thinking about the masked person or Adam Taurus, as she had begun to call him.

Firstly, she thought it was really cool how he used the mask inspired by the Adam Taurus, one of the best villains in the RWBY series.

Secondly, she wondered if it really was Xander. She'd been peeking glances at his arrow tattoo every chance she got today and the tip looked really similar to the one Adam Taurus wore. It could be a coincidence too but she didn't want to accept it.

She wanted them to be the same person.

She let out a sigh. She was really forming a huge crush on him. He never left her mind and she could never miss out a single thing about him. The way he looked completely unapproachable with his dominating aura and the way that was gone the moment she came in his view. And she was the only person he ever spoke to at school.

She couldn't help but notice how he blatantly ignored the dreamy looks the other girls cast him, only ever focussing on her. Perhaps she was being too arrogant. How could he not notice those girls who were ready to throw themselves at him at any chance he got?

But their conversation today pushed away those insecure thoughts. She remembered the look on his facez how he'd been biting his lip as if imagining what he wanted to do, and that smirk on his face just confirmed her guesses.

A slow smile crept on her lips. She texted him.

'Hi.'

She wasn't expecting a reply so soon though.

' You're so cruel.'

She frowned, completely confused.

'Why?' she asked.

She looked up from her phone to her mom calling her name. " Let's go get something for you too."

They had reached the shopping complex. Cole and their dad were already out, making their way to the store.

"For me?" She asked as she got out.

Sophia gave her an amused smile. "For your birthday?"

Oh right. It completely slipped her mind. Giving her mom a sheepish smile, Alexandra linked her arm through hers. "Okay."

But they went to a completely different store. "They wanted to buy the gift for you without you seeing it." Sophia said, pulling her along the isles of cloth racks displaying different dresses and tops.

As her mom was speaking with the lady there about what kind of dress she wanted for Alexandra, she checked her phone.

' How long do I have to wait for that chocolate of yours?'

A soft pink hue coloured her cheeks, her lips curling upwards in a beautiful smile. She felt her heart beat that fast rythm again, as if it was the background music of their song of emotions.

'How long can you wait?' she decided to tease him a little. This little game of theirs of throwing seemingly innocent yet flirtatious comments was started by him and she intended to play it well.

She turned her phone off, following her mom to the changing rooms when she handed her a few dresses to try on.

They were all good but didn't suit her tastes. She didn't really feel comfortable in those dresses that exposed her shoulders or those that were above her knees. Wearing them felt like she had gone back to that dreadful night and the fear clawed at her heart, that something...bad like that night would happen again.

"How about this one?" Sophia showed her a navy blue coloured dress that had lace covering the top part, including the sleeves that could reach upto her elbows. It was darker in colour, like the midnight sky. The lace flowed down, ending a few inches above the middle of the dress. The dress was a little longer than a normal knee-length dress with the same lace adorning the bottom.

"Let's take this." Alexandra said without even trying it on. She really liked it. And the blue of the soft cloth reminded her of sapphires.

Sophia nodded, also liking the dress. "It's good, isn't it? Try it on once. Just to make sure it fits."

Alexandra complied. As she was putting it on, her phone buzzed with a text.

'Until I can't anymore.'

She bit her lip, leaning her back on the mirror, a smile threatening to overtake her lips.

' Okay.' she texted back. He wins this one.

'So what's my prize?' his text came. Oh he knew it damn well what was going on. She chuckled softly. No wonder she was falling.

'What do you want?' she asked, anticipating his reply.

His text came a few seconds later. ' Don't say no.'

'And don't ask what for. You're gonna have to wait a little longer for that.' came his another text before she could ask exactly what he told her not to.

She didn't fail to notice how he quoted her words from this afternoon when he'd said he wanted a chocky.

Shaking her head, she replied with an okay. Excitement was foaming up in her ocean of a heart, waiting for the ship that was him.

When she came out of the dressing room, her mom's eyes softened at her, pure adoration shining in her eyes. "You look beautiful. It's as if this dress was made for you."

Alexandra wondered what Xander would say if he saw her like this. A thought crossed her mind.

Sophia handed her another dress. "Try this on."

"But I like this one." Alexandra frowned.

"We'll take both. " Sophia waved her off. "The blue one is definitely for your birthday. This other one is for tonight."

Alexandra furrowed her eyebrows. "Tonight?"

"We have guests coming for dinner." Sophia said, a twinkle in her eyes as if she knew something Alexandra didn't. "They're our old friends. Don't worry." She added when Alexandra gave her a tired look, slumping her shoulders.

She hated dinner parties with passion. Or any party for that matter.

"You definitely won't get bored in this one." Sophia promised, pushing her inside the dressing room. "In fact, I think you'll like it a lot."

_________

They did some more shopping after they met up with George and Cole, who was unable to wipe the content smile off his face.

"Dad got you that new video game, didn't he?" Alexandra deadpanned.

Cole hushed her, his eyes wide in panic. Their mom was busy picking up the perfect meat and their dad was cracking jokes about it, making her laugh. Alexandra held in a breath of relief. It looks like they sorted out whatever it was they'd been tensed about.

"Don't tell mom." Cole whispered pleadingly.

Alexandra rolled her eyes. "Just don't waste too much time on it or I will tell mom."

"Alexandra is really going to like her birthday present." George said as they made their way to the car. He was smiling at her softly, fondness showing in his eyes.

She stopped herself from saying something rude.

"Is it a telescope?" She raised her eyebrow.

"How many telescopes do you want?" Cole asked in bewilderment.

Alexandra shoved him away. "Shut up. I only have two. The other one broke." She glanced at George. "Olivia did it."

George just gave her a tired smile as if he didn't have it in him to argue with her on that topic. Ignoring him, she got in the car.

The ride home passed differently than the ride to the mall. Everyone was pretty cheerful, especially her dad. Alexandra wondered if these guests were really that close with her parents. Her thoughts turned to Xander's parents. Could it be them?

'Not monday.'

'... you're gonna have to wait a little longer.'

'In fact, I think you'll like it a lot.'

Xander's teasing statements and her mom's knowing looks were definitely related...Was Xander coming too?!

She really wanted to ask him. But his text from earlier stopped her.

She decided to wait. After all, she needed time to calm her heart didn't she? And sort out her thoughts. Not that there was mich left to sort anyway. She was definitely crushing hard on him.

___________________

Xander reached before his uncle.

And he was loving the reaction his uncle gave. "I really love you and all but wipe that smirk off your face! Seriously!" He yelled, storming in.

They were at one of their secret bunkers in Red Wolf, the location a secret from even Liam and Blake. It was on side where no one was allowed for their own safety as the situation of the buildings here was worse.

"So what was the other surprise?" Xander asked, plopping down on a bean bag.

His uncle fished out a paper airplane the size of Xander's pinky finger. Xander eagerly took it from his hands, unfolding it. His uncle's eyes softened at him as Xander read the contents of the paper carefully, afraid to miss even a single word.

"He's all right." Jeremy said, "I met him at the Beijing Airport. He wanted to come with me but I stopped him."

"It was for the best."

Silence followed. Xander folded back the paper like an airplane and stood up. He moved the duffel bag aside and crouched down to open the hidden hatch on the ground. The glinting lid of a glass jar stared back at him as if it was showing his excitement.

The glass jar was the size of a shoe box, filled with similar paper airplanes of different colours, mostly blue or black.

He put the paper airplane in the jar, a fond smile on his face. This jar was more important to him than his favourite gun and the person who sent those paper planes more important than anyone.

"So what was that bs about the peace treaty?" His uncle asked.

Xander pushed back the bean bag in its place. "Dad thinks I'm going to get myself killed in this 'thirst' for revenge. Not like I almost did die because of him and mom."

Jeremy scowled. He knew very well what Xander was talking about. Hell he had left everything in the UK and came straight back here the moment he'd heard Xander was unguarded. He knew something would go wrong and it did.

"The Callaghans did provoke you...right?" Jeremy asked after a short pause.

Xander scoffed. "Their mere name provokes me."

"Believe me I know the feeling." His uncle agreed with a grimace.

Xander took out his personal dagger - a family heirloom carried by the heir of the Empire along with the leather band that he had on his wrist. He didn't wear the band to school as he didn't want anyone getting suspicious of it. And he was sure Alexandra would recognise him if he wore it as he'd been wearing the same band the night he saved her.

"I saw him at school." Xander unsheathed the dagger, running his finger along it's bronze blade carved with the Knight family insignia by it's hilt. "He called me and...he was about to comment on Alexandra when Liam took my phone away."

They had spoken to their dad about it but he hadn't listened to them, saying they had to get the proof. Xander had thrown his phone at the wall then, unable to control his anger at his dad.

Jeremy watched his nephew with pained eyes as Xander glared at a distance as if that would ease his urge to break something. His jaw was clenched, and his whole form was tensed as if he was trying to hold himself back from storming off to the Callaghan estate and burning it to the ground.

His phone buzzed suddenly, momentarily snatching his attention. What happened next made Jeremy take a double look at his nephew.

The moment he opened the text, his glare softened and he visibly relaxed. Whatever he read must've been something good as it brought a smirk to his face.

He typed something back slowly and hovered his thumb over the send button for a few seconds before he touched it lightly as if he was afraid of the consequences.

Then he put his phone on the table, his eyes unmoving from it.

"Who are you texting?"

The question just made his lips quirk up in a smile. He looked almost shy as he cast his eyes away from his uncle, who was like a second dad to him. His best friend first, his dad second.

Jeremy got up and sat on the table beside Xander's bean bag, where his phone was. "Is my Xan Xan feeling shy?"

Xander's glare was back. His uncle just chuckled, ruffling Xander's hair. "My kid is finally smiling instead of locking his jaw. Who is this brilliant person that brought out this smile?"

Xander rolled his eyes at his uncle's over enthusiasm. But he was right about one thing though. She was brilliant, just like the Sun that shone through the clouds on the stormy days of his ocean. He was the ocean and she was that dazzling star which made him feel through her rays, which pulled his waves to the shore.

"You met her today."

Jeremy froze for a second before smiling contently. What he couldn't have, maybe his nephew could. And that girl just had to be Alexandra. He let out a euphoric laugh, as if he had just discovered something really pleasant.

"She...just has this different aura with her. It makes me feel comfortable." Xander tried to explain, not just to his uncle but to himself as well. "Like I'm with someone really familiar...almost as if I'm with another version of myself? I don't know if you understand it-"

"Do you?" His uncle asked with a grin that gave Xander a pleasant feeling.

He grinned back. "Yes."

"That's all that matters." Jeremy gave Xander his phone. "I think you got another message."

Chuckling, Xander took it.

'How long can you wait?'

So she had decided to play, after all. He was not going to back down now. She had continued the game he started, half dreading her reply. Seems like she was interested too and Xander would take every advantage of that and tease her mercilessly until she gave in.

He decided to be honest. 'Until I can't anymore.'

He didn't notice his uncle who was playing with the ring in his finger with a wistful look in his eyes. Not did he notice how he slipped it out of his finger and placed it beside Xander's wrist band on the table.

Xander had just gotten Alexandra's reply when he was about to put his phone back.

'Okay.'

So she admitted defeat this time. The emotions he felt were hard to describe. It was like her warm rays were reaching the deepest points of his ocean of a heart, melting away the chunks of ice that had been his insecurities. And the excitement he felt for tonight was foaming up at the shore, waiting for a ship that was her.

'So what's my prize?' he asked.

'What do you want?' she replied.

Smiling, Xander began typing.

She was the sun, the moon, the stars, the ship...she was slowly becoming everything. And he was starting to fear the power she could hold over him. But he wanted to loose this war, to admit defeat to her on his knees.

"When are you planning to tell her?" Jeremy asked suddenly, referring to his life. "You can't keep hiding it forever Xan. If she's the one you want, if you both want each other, there shouldn't be any secrets."

Xander glanced at his uncle unsurely. "I want to tell her, hell I even think she'll get more excited than scared. But would it be the right choice? It's only been like a week since we met and I'm...scared of making a mistake like last time. What if I failed again to recognise my enemy? She's Flynn fucking Villin's granddaughter and she doesn't even know it-"

"Are you sure?"

Xander nodded. "She doesn't even know that her dad's real name is George Villin."

"What do you really want to do? Do you want to tell her? To expose everything about yourself? I'm not just talking about your job as the Knight heir nor the Crimson heir."

Xander was silent, mulling it over. "I can't just drop it all on her head suddenly, can I?"

"But do you want to?"

Xander looked at his uncle solemnly, his heart beating like the warning drum. "Yes."

She could be the only one who can understand him. Not the only one but one of the two important people who did. She could be more. He just had to let time decide.