#* brice ft. xavier

[springbreezc]

they were distinct opposites, juxtaposing men and not only in just their age. where xavier lived without regret, regret was a constant bitterness that stuck on the roof of brice's mouth, having to swallow it back every time that he dares to raise his voice and speak from his heart. a rarity, really. he's so accustomed to churning out the spiels that he has mesmerized by now as it relates to both his personal and professional life. his mouth clamped shut, accepting the vitriol thrown at him and swallowing it like poison. xavier had every right to act like he was doing, yet he was stunned into a silence. he tried to find spots where he could interject and wasn't able to do anything until xavier had spoke his piece. it was the least that he owed the younger man after all. "you...aren't wrong." that was a big admission in itself, his arms uncrossing but his fists clenching. as if he had to hold himself back from embracing xavier and assuring him of his affections. "i have...been taking advantage of you." that much could not be denied. "because i was fond of you, and what we could have when the doors are closed." but it wasn't fair to ask xavier to accept scraps. while xavier's voice dropped, his raised. "you mean...something to me. that much i cannot deny." though it still felt like he was a thief. "i have to take responsibility for all that has transpired. that is my job as your boss. i have for too long...acted too much like your lover, i fear. and that is not fair to you." no matter how he felt. "i don't know if it's appropriate or not to tell you i'm sorry...because what we've done, what we have....i don't regret a moment of it."

xavier didn't do regret. he didn't do guilt either, though he had to admit, watching brice stumble over his own words, flustered and torn, was nothing short of satisfying. the older man’s shame was palpable, and he would have been lying if he said he didn’t revel in it. "you really think i give a shit about any of that?" he asked, tone dripping with disbelief. "i can't imagine a couple of stolen moments in your office would be enough to bring down the whole goddamn empire," he scoffed, unimpressed. "or is it just getting too hard for you to keep up the act?" this song and dance weren't new; brice playing the role of the responsible one, the respectable one, the man who had something to lose. but xavier saw through it. he knew damn well that if brice had any real conviction, if he actually wanted to put an end to this, he would have done it long ago. instead, here he was, pretending this moral crisis was anything more than his own inability to resist. it continued to wear on his razor-thin patience. "so, is ending this what you want?" xavier threw back as he stood, head held high, challenging the authority. "'cause it kinda sounds like you're hoping i'll make that decision for you." he crossed his arms, moving closer. "like you're looking for an excuse." he shook his head. he wasn't about to make this easy, not for brice. "you don’t get to put this on me," he continued, his voice softer now, "you’re the one who started this, remember? you’re the one who let me in."

[damnknoxandothernonsense]

songs that we (atlas and I) think fit the characters

Vincent: Immortals by Fall Out Boy

Yandere Ivan: The Red Means I Love You by Madds Buckley

Sad Boi/Fly Boi Ivan: Still Into You by Paramore

Ollie: Never Be by 5 Seconds of Summer

David: Love to Last by Hajaj

Marcus: Scotty Doesn’t Know by Lustra

Caelum: The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

Brachium: Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran

Elliot: Counting Stars by OneRepublic

Gavin: As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese

Asher: Little League by Conan Gray

Lasko: Family Line by Conan Gray

Huxley: The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives

Damien: Matilda by Harry Styles

Kody: i hope ur miserable until ur dead by Nessa Barrett

Milo: I Don’t Dance by Lee Brice

Avior: Jigsaw by Conan Gray

Echo: Blood // Water by grandson

Regulus: Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez

Camelopardis: Still by Noah Kahan

Aaron: The View Between Villages by Noah Kahan

Blake: All I Wanted by Paramore

Sam: Memories by Conan Gray

Vega: Fake It by Seether

Geordi (pre-breakup): Daydreaming by Harry Styles

Geordi (post-breakup): 12:45 (stripped) by Etham

Guy: Lover- Niall Horan ft. FLETCHER

Morgan: Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars

William: Sweet Hibiscus Tea by Penelope Scott

Xavier: Oh No!!! by grandson

if you want to read more of what I’ve written, you can find my masterlist here!

if you want to ask for something to be written, you can find my guidelines here!

[springbreezc]

"and we both know that i wouldn't ask her to." it's the only commendation that he was willing to offer, because brice would not do anything with rachel that he had done with xavier. though he then did falter, sputtering, "rachel, i mean. my wife does not need to come into this conversation." the fact that he was in a failing marriage was a low blow, but he could not blame the younger man for throwing that dart all the same. he was the one that was doing wrong, after all. he bit his tongue, drawing blood, mulling on what he should saw next as he looked at his shoes in shame. "that's not what i want," the protest cut through the air, "i don't want to act like this, like you, are nothing. but we have to maintain some semblance of decency." he could not give xavier everything, as much as he wished to. "we can't let what we are doing cause the business to sink. if that were to happen...we would have to end it..." he chewed on his bleeding tongue. "or is that what you want?"

xavier's eyes narrowed at brice's words, a familiar heat rising to his cheeks. the mere suggestion that brice would speak to his secretary—or anyone else—the way he spoke to xavier made his blood boil. "please. we both know rachel couldn't handle you the way i do." he let his gaze drift to the wedding ring on brice's finger, then back up to meet his eyes. "neither can your wife, apparently." the dig was cruel, and he knew it, but part of him relished it. that ring had never bothered him before. in fact, it had made their encounters more exciting. the forbidden nature of it all. "lemme guess—you wanna act like this don’t mean anything? like i’m just some thorn in your side? fine." he exhaled sharply, shaking his head like he almost pitied him. "but you and i both know that’s bullshit."

[springbreezc]

if the fact that brice was xavier's boss wasn't enough of a determent, the ring on the older man's finger should be enough of a boundary to draw a line in the sand. yet brice had crossed that long ago, and it was only now that he was attempting to backtrack. he couldn't expect the younger man to be so willing to follow orders now, no matter how obedient he might be behind closed doors. the mere intonation of his voice sent sparks down his spine, heat toward all the right places. "now is not the time for sweet nothings to be whispered in your ear. unless you want me to do the same with my secretary and everyone else around." but xavier was special, and what they had was something he didn't engage in with anyone else. that was made all of this all the messier, arguably. "i don't think i'm asking for a lot here."

xavier's jaw clenched as brice's words hit their mark. for a moment, he considered walking out, imagined the satisfaction of slamming the door behind him and calling his father to announce he was done with this "character-building exercise" in humility. however, despite his wounded pride, knowing his father had frozen most of his assets pending "satisfactory performance" at this very firm was considerably less empowering, and he was left with limited options. he leaned back in his chair with practiced nonchalance, providing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "yes, sir." the words felt foreign on his tongue, almost dirty in its submission. "though i'd prefer if you saved that tone for after hours," he added, unable to resist pushing the boundary even as it was being drawn. "when the lines are a little… blurrier."