Chapter 5: Chapter 4
Kram and Love sneezed simultaneously as they walked through the doors of their unit.
"Bless you," called Xavier from the other side of the desk divider before his head popped up over the wall.
"Someone must be talking about you," Xavier said.
"What?" asked Love, confused.
"In America, we believe that if you suddenly sneeze, it's because someone is talking about you," Xavier shrugged.
"Were you able to get a sample of the Goldstone?" He asked changing the subject.
Love pulled the evidence bag from the inner pocket of his suit jacket.
"Do we ever fail?" he said with a cocky smirk he tossed it to Xavier.
Shaking his head, Xavier took the sample and headed for the lab. They would be able to tell if this Goldstone powder and the sample they took from the body was the same. Pushing the elevator down button, Xavier stood fiddling with his tie lost in thought. He had studied Linguistics and psychology, but he never expected to end up working as an investigator. He had moved to Thailand after his parents were killed in a car wreck, just after he graduated university. He hadn't been here since he was little, and he wanted to get to know his mom's family. That was five years ago. He'd only been with the DSI for a year. He tried teaching English for a while, but he needed something more. Maybe it was because he couldn't stand sitting with his thoughts for too long.
"Xavier? Xavier?" Someone touched his arm. Xavier started and looked around. Tan was looking up at him with a charming lopsided smile.
"Are you getting in the elevator?" he asked, his smile widening.
"Ye-yes," Xavier said, clearing his throat as he stepped into the elevator next to Tan.
"The lab?" Tan asked.
"What?" Xavier replied.
"Are you going to the lab?" asked Tan again pointing toward the evidence bag Xavier was holding.
"Oh, er, yes, sorry.' Replied Xavier awkwardly.
Pushing the button for the Lab Tan took a step back; he couldn't tell if Xavier was watching him or staring through him.
"You don't like me, do you?" asked Tan, his big eyes searching Xavier's.
"When had he gotten so close?" Xavier thought.
"What?...No. I like you fine. I don't even really know you…. why would you say that?" Xavier's words came out in a jumble.
'Why was it so hot in this elevator?! and why did it seem like they had been in here for ages!' Xavier thought, adjusting the collar on his suit.
"Hmm, you talk with everyone else on the team but never with me. I know I might seem a little odd but no one else seems to have a problem with me. I mean you aren't required to like me just because we work together but it helps right?" Tan flashed the most dazzling smile Xavier had ever seen.
Xavier stood for a moment slack-jawed in complete awe of him, Tan always made him feel like he had suddenly missed a step going downstairs. His heart raced and the world seemed to fall away. Was this part of Tan's magic? Xavier thought. It can't be that no one else seemed affected.
"This is your floor." Said Tan, still smiling.
Stirred from his thoughts, Xavier stepped forward toward the elevator doors ready to bolt.
"Wait! If you don't hate me, maybe we could talk sometime?" Tan said looking up at Xavier, his big eyes were hopeful. Xavier nodded stiffly before awkwardly exiting the elevator.
Tan stepped back to let the door slide shut just before it closed, a hand slid in the gap, causing the doors to slide back open. Tan was surprised to see Xavier there panting.
"Would you like to go for coffee later?" Xavier asked. It was his turn to smile at the look of shock on Tan's face.
"Yes!" Tan answered quickly, his smile growing wider.
Xavier nodded. Letting go of the elevator door he watched it close before turning back toward the lab. Halfway down the hallway, he stopped dead in his tracks. Asking Tan for coffee seemed like a good idea in the moment but in practicality it meant them sitting alone and talking. He wasn't sure what scared him more, the idea of being alone with Tan or having to talk to him about things other than work, for some reason even though talking was easy with others his mind left him with only the blur of static when Tan was around.
Xavier shrugged off the thoughts and continued to the lab, he needed to focus. The team was counting on him; the case was more important than a coffee date. He shook his head again; NO it was not a date…it definitely was not a date!
The door to the lab slid quietly open, the bright glare of the fluorescent lights bouncing off all the polished metal surfaces always made Xavier wince. He could never work in a lab. Mali slid into view on her rolling stool. She was short but beautiful and full of life. She narrowed her eyes scrutinizing Xavier.
"Sweat around the collar, tie askew, red ears, rumpled shirt hmm either you've just had an exciting and salacious encounter, or you have a medical problem" She stepped in close and sniffed him.
"You don't smell like sex you're too young to have a heart attack, do you want me to examine you? Mali asked, clicking on her penlight.
"Absolutely not! Xavier took a step back in feigned horror. "If you lay one finger on me, I will report you to Thanya! Said Xavier pointing at Mali like he was keeping a dog at bay.
"You wouldn't dare!" Mali said with wide eyes. Holding her penlight out like a knife as though she was warding off an attacker.
"Wouldn't I?" asked Xavier.
"No," She clicked off her penlight and put it back in the pocket of her lab coat.
"You're every bit as scared of your sister as I am. Are you still coming to dinner tomorrow?" she asked.
"Mm, it depends, who's cooking?" Xavier asked.
Mali scoffed. "Thanya is cooking. You know my wifey never lets me cook!" She rolled her eyes.
"Does she let you call her wifey?" Xavier laughed.
"What, you think I'm supposed to call her Lawyer Thanya at home? Don't be ridiculous, that's only for the bedroom!" she quipped.
"You are a terrible person, you know that?" Xavier said, shaking his head with a laugh.
"Anyway, I'm not sure about tomorrow, I might have a date, no! Not a date. We are just getting coffee. I'm not even sure when yet." Xavier said blushing.
"Ah ha! Finally, the truth comes out! You have a boyfriend! So, it was an illicit encounter that left you in this state." She smirked, gesturing to his messy appearance.
Xavier scoffed. "Not even. He just makes me nervous uh I was scared…well not scared but you know, flustered to ask him out." He finished weakly.
"So let me get this straight, you were nervous to ask him out on your 'not date' to get coffee?" Mali collapsed in a fit of giggles.
"You can't get anything straight, you're a lesbian." Xavier quipped.
"You little shit! Wait till I tell Thanya about how her brother is afraid to ask a guy for coffee, maybe she did get all the balls in the family." She spoke.
"It's not that! I've dated plenty of guys, there is just something about him. Xavier blushed, his ears turning deep red.
"Uh-huh and I thought you were supposed to be the shrink." She shook her head. "Ok that's enough family bonding for one day, what did you bring me?"
Xavier pulled the evidence bag out of his jacket pocket and signed the chain of custody logbook.
"Oooh more sparkly dust for me yay! I'll call you as soon as I know if it's a match. I have to warn you there was a double homicide this morning. I'm running trace on, so don't expect anything till tomorrow" Mali stood up from her stool and strode across the lab, her heels clicking on the polished floor. Mali had a quick wit and biting sense of humor, but she took her job seriously and was one of the best in her field, Thanya always said she was like a human bloodhound. Figuratively and literally once she was on to something she wouldn't let go, her magic gave her heightened abilities to smell and see, even down to the molecular level when needed.
Xavier said goodbye but received only a vague wave in his general direction from Mali whose eye was now trained intently on the eyepiece of a microscope she didn't really need but you couldn't put "cause my magic told me so" on a lab report. Checking his watch Xavier sighed. 10 pm. It was a long day and none of them slept much last night. With the lab probably running tests all night. Hopefully, they could all go home.
Most of the building was empty and quiet; only the teams on night duty were still there, he could hear the whirr of the elevator echo through the building as he rode it up to their office, the glow of lights told him the rest of the team was still there.
"Ah, just in time. What did the lab say?" Asked Noh.
"Mali said it will be some time tomorrow before we see any results. They're pretty backed up," said Xavier.
Noh clapped his hands.
"All right people! Xavier said the lab is running behind, so we'll have no results tonight! We have all worked hard, go home, get rest and pray that none of us see each other before sunrise! See you in the morning bright and early! Don't call me unless someone dies, and even then, only if I liked them!" Said Noh with a chuckle.
Everyone seemed to stand up at once, Kram and Love looked dead on their feet having worked most of last night and driving much of today. Waving to Noh they shuffled out, Kram would get a nap and then work late into the night. Love headed immediately for his car wanting nothing more than a shower and sleep. Noh waited for everyone to gather their things before killing the lights and locking the office door. It would all be here in the morning he stretched waiting for the elevator he felt like he could sleep for a week.
'Yuck was that smell coming from him?' He couldn't believe they had the bad luck of two major cases back-to-back without so much as 12 hours in between. He needed a shower.
Xavier lingered in the parking garage waiting for the others to leave. Feeling fidgety and nervous like a schoolboy on his first date, he took off his jacket, tossed it in his back seat then pulled his tie loose, and finally, rolled up his sleeves exposing his athletic forearms. Leaning against his car he waited. In no time, he heard the echoing sound of footsteps in the garage. Tan came into view a few moments later. As soon as he saw Xavier, he smiled and reflexively bit his lower lip. Xavier looked so good, relaxed with his sleeves rolled up.
'Hello, Daddy!' thought Tan.
"Hey, you waited for me," Tan said cheerfully.
"Want to get that coffee tonight or are you too tired?" Asked Xavier, his voice wavered a bit.
Tan shook his head. "I'm not too tired but I can't tonight. Noh has asked me to work on a few things so I will be up most of the night in my workshop, but let's do it soon." He smiled up at Xavier who seemed to be both letdown and relieved.
"Oh, I see, no worries then, See you tomorrow." Awkwardly Xavier wished Tan good night and slid into the driver's seat of his car before heaving a sigh and throwing his small hatchback into reverse.
Tan watched Xavier back out of his parking space and waved smiling as he passed him and headed for the exit. His question in the elevator might have seemed abrupt but the truth was he noticed Xavier watching him soon after he joined the team. At first, he thought it was curiosity, he was the last person to be recruited and it wasn't unusual for people to watch his work with mild interest, eventually they become bored then Tan and his projects seemed to fade into the fabric of everyday life. Xavier, however, never seemed to get bored, his eyes seemed to drift to Tan whenever he looked up from his desk or when they were in the field. Most of the time Xavier didn't seem to realize he was watching Tan which is perhaps what made him so interesting in return.
Tan had a series of lovers never settling with one person for long. He didn't like being alone, but he also didn't like people to linger, trying to worm their way deeper into his life and his space. His space was sacred and so far, he hadn't found anyone he felt comfortable sharing it with long-term. As he put on his helmet and started his bike he wondered if Xavier would turn into another on his long list of temporary lovers.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone