Two Outcasts in Love || Tylorpe

Ch 2: Meet Tyler

Xavier arrives at Jerico's local coffee shop, the Weathervane. It's full of normies wearing normie clothes, and Xavier strides in with his full Nevermore uniform on. He gets some looks, but Xavier has gotten better at ignoring them.

Xavier walks up to the counter where Tyler is behind a steaming broken espresso machine. He was going to order something and then loiter around to see if something mysterious or monstrous happens, but he can't do that if the machine is broken.

So he pushes himself to ask, "Something wrong?" He's looking warily at the machine with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Tyler purses his lips, "Yeah, it's broken." he says without making eye contact, "Drip coffee only."

Xavier frowns. He needs a way to stay longer so he can investigate. He bites his lower lip, "What's wrong with the machine? Maybe I can help." he offers, going out on a very far limb for this clue.

Tyler blinks at the unexpected offer, "Um, I don't know, the manual is in Italian," he sighs.

Xavier grins a half smile, "No problem," he says, and he strolls around to the machine, getting right up in Tyler's personal space.

"Hey-" Tyler protests, but Xavier takes the manual and pulls out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asks on the edge of exasperation.

"I'm looking up the company." he says, still focused on his screen, "Here, found it," Xavier says with just enough smugness, "The English manual is online."

"Oh," Tyler says awkwardly, "I...I didn't think of that."

Xavier smirks, but then he changes his stance to look over the machine, "Ok, even I can see there is a wonky-looking part in there." he says, and he points into the steam.

Tyler leans in and nods with a frown, "Yeah, that is definitely messed up," he agrees dryly.

Reaching his hand in, Xavier twists in discomfort before returning with the broken part and a grin on his face, "Got it."

Then he notices how close he is to Tyler and takes a step back.

He clears his throat and puts the broken piece down on the counter. Then he grabs his phone back from Tyler. In doing so, his fingers brush over Tylers, and he feels a shock when their skin meets. They jump away from each other.

"Sorry," Tyler says awkwardly, and it looks like he is blushing a bit, but not from the steam.

Xavier reviews the instruction manual again and finds a picture of the part. He looks up at Tyler and grins, "You're going to want to watch this," he says with a mixture of smugness and glee.

Tyler steps closer, and Xavier can feel himself getting warmer. The steam must be getting to him. He shakes it off, then holds his hand over the machine diagram on his phone. His hand shakes with effort, and he closes his eyes. Tyler's eyes flick up to Xavier's face and then to his lips. Then he looks back to the phone, where the part is lifting off the screen.

Tyler's eyes go wide in surprise and awe, and the glow of the phone screen lights up his eyes. He leans even closer to Xavier and his phone.

Xavier is having trouble concentrating with Tyler right there, but eventually, the part is fully materialized. Tyler reaches out, still entranced, and catches the part as it falls out of the air as the magic dissipates.

"Good catch," Xavier commends.

"That was amazing," Tyler says, making Xavier smile for a minute before he remembers he's not supposed to be smiling at Tyler. He destroyed his art last outreach day, and Xavier hasn't forgotten it. Although, Tyler is a bit different than he exacted.