Press Release

18: Partial Release

"Ugh," Xavier snarls, entering his dressing room to spy Meg and Olivia waiting patiently for him following the skit.

When Xavier says nothing more, but looks pointedly at Meg, Olivia takes the hint, exiting the space to leave the two alone. It's rather a nice breath of fresh air to see that she's not the one Xavier needs right now. Heading off to visit some friends at other CBS sound stages, Olivia crosses her fingers that Meg can help out their boy from whatever agony he's currently facing.

"What is it?" Meg asks as the door closes behind the publicist. "Are you okay?"

He closes his eyes, resting his forehead against the dressing room door, punching the wood with a loud growl.

Striding forward quickly, Meg wraps both of her hands around Xavier's, rubbing her fingers over his knuckles, hoping he didn't bruise them.

"Harry! Damn. It would be so easy to hate him if only he were an asshole. But no. He's the nicest guy on the planet. And everyone bends over backwards for him!" Xavier rants.

"Shhh..." Meg admonishes, "He'll hear you. His dressing room is just across the hall."

"If he were anyone else, I wouldn't care if he heard me, but he's a genuinely nice guy. Like a seriously NICE guy. And everyone knows it. So they see me in contrast as an asshole," he continues to whine.

"Stop it!" She pulls his hand away from the door, stroking his hand ever so gently. "You are not an asshole. And no one thinks that."

"Meg," he breathes, sinking his other hand in her hair, pulling her forehead to his, "Everyone thinks that."

"Xavier...." she sighs, her air mixing with his, "I don't think that."

Tightening his grip on her hair, he pulls her lips closer to his. "No. You don't. Why don't you see me as an a-hole? I've not been nice to you all the time. Sometimes I've said things that were very mean," he closes his eyes, "And at the time, I meant them to hurt you."

Meg brings the hand she's been caressing up to her lips, pressing kisses along his knuckles, "I know you did. Why?"

Pulling his forehead away from hers, Xavier stands up straight, attempting to extricate his hand from hers, but she is holding on tightly. Still he turns away from her, his face hidden in the shadows of the room.

"I, uh," He's clearly uncomfortable, releasing her hair as he twists his head away, unwilling to say what his reasons were, but Meg is patient. She's learned this from Titus who, when he's done something he shouldn't, always confesses at some point. As long as she waits long enough. "I was trying to push you away, okay?" Xavier finally blurts out, embarrassed at having spoken the words.

When Meg doesn't respond, he sneaks a look back at her, "You don't get it, Meg! You're amazing and perfect and wonderful, and I'm no good for you!"

"Hush," she steps around him until he's once more facing her as she raises his knuckles to her mouth, pressing a light kiss there as she maintains eye contact with him. "You're exactly what I want," she whispers.

Looking up at the ceiling, Xavier blows out the air he's been holding in his lungs, unwilling and unable to believe the words she's just revealed.

"X," she starts, "Look at me."

Ever so slowly, he tilts his head downwards until his head is in her sphere, but his eyes are still fixed elsewhere. She continues to wait tenaciously until his eyes make contact with hers. What he sees there brings tears to his eyes.

As though she's afraid to frighten him, Meg moves at an intentionally measured pace to stand on her tiptoes, shifting her hands so they rest on his shoulders. As she approaches her tallest, she still can't quite reach his lips with her own. He's going to have to cover the final inches.