"Calypso."
She turned, silver hair whipping around and sending droplets flying. "What's up, Xavi?"
Her towel shifted dangerously with the movement. Xavier's eyes tracked another water droplet as it slid down her neck, disappearing between the swell of her breasts where the towel began.
"You're getting water all over the floor," he said, gesturing toward the growing puddle.
Calypso glanced down, pink eyes widening as she registered the mess. "Oops! My bad!" She bent slightly, adjusting her grip on the towel. "Here, I'll dry—"
"No need." Xavier cut her off, moving toward the bathroom. "Just sit down and let me get you all dry."
He grabbed a fresh towel from the rack and returned to find Calypso perched on the edge of the couch, legs crossed, towel riding dangerously high on her thighs. Water continued to drip from her hair, tracing glistening paths down her shoulders.
"Here," Xavier said, dropping to one knee before her. He laid the fresh towel across her lap, then lifted one of her feet, placing it on his thigh.
Calypso stiffened. "What are you—"
"Drying you off," Xavier replied, his voice dropping half an octave as he began to pat down her calf with the towel. "Can't have you catching cold on your first day among mortals."
His fingers worked methodically, applying just enough pressure through the soft fabric to make the contact feel like more than mere utility. He traced the curve of her calf, working his way up to her knee, noting how her skin flushed pink under his ministrations.
"Did you know," he said conversationally, though his voice had taken on a smoky quality, "there are certain customs on Earth between men and women who live together?"
Calypso swallowed visibly. "What... what customs?"
Xavier switched to her other leg, starting again at the ankle. The towel slid between his fingers and her skin, creating a whisper of friction that made her toes curl.
"Nothing restrictive," he assured her, his purple eyes tracking the effect his touch had on her breathing pattern. "I'm not the type to tell someone they have to be fully clothed or can't wear shorts around the apartment."
His hands moved higher, past her knee now, the towel gliding along her inner thigh. Calypso's breath hitched.
"But it's important to be mindful," Xavier continued. "Not everyone can handle beauty like yours with the proper... appreciation."
His thumbs pressed gently against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, massaging in small circles through the towel. Calypso's lips parted slightly, a soft sound escaping before she could trap it behind her teeth. Her pink eyes had darkened to the color of wine, pupils dilating as his hands worked higher.
"Not everyone understands what it means when a goddess allows herself to be seen this way," Xavier murmured, his face now close enough to her leg that she could feel his breath against her skin. "Not everyone deserves that privilege."
He shifted his position, moving between her knees now, the towel working its way higher up her thighs. Calypso's chest rose and fell rapidly, the towel around her torso straining with each breath.
"I, on the other hand," he continued, his purple eyes locking with hers, "know exactly how to handle divinity when it's offered."
His fingers brushed the very top of her inner thigh, just shy of where the towel covering her torso ended. Calypso's eyes fluttered closed, her head tilting back slightly.
"Do you understand what I'm saying, Calypso?" Xavier asked, his voice barely above a whisper now.
She nodded, eyes still closed.
Xavier's hand stilled. "Use your words," he commanded softly.
Calypso's throat worked as she swallowed. "Y-yes, Xavier."
"Good," he said, his voice returning to normal volume as he stood up. "We've got to get ready for orientation now, Calypso."
"Wait—what?" Calypso managed, blinking rapidly as if emerging from a trance.
Xavier tossed the damp towel over his shoulder. "Orientation. The ferry leaves in thirty-five minutes." He glanced pointedly at the clock. "Better get dressed."
Calypso stared at him for several heartbeats, mouth opening and closing without sound. Then, with a huff that carried more indignation than any mortal could muster, she stood and stalked toward the bedroom.
The second the bedroom door slammed shut, Xavier exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He dropped back onto the couch, staring at his hands for a long time.
"Shit," he whispered to the empty room. "Might have gone a little overboard."
He flexed his fingers, remembering the heat of her skin beneath the towel, the way her breathing had changed under his touch. In his previous life, this game was one he'd played countless times—the deliberate seduction, the calculated withdrawal, creating desire through denial.
It had always been just that: a game. A means to an end. A way to manipulate marks into giving him what he wanted.
But Calypso wasn't a mark. She was his roommate by cosmic decree, his ticket to this new world, and—if he was being honest with himself—the closest thing to a friend he'd had in either life.
"Fuck," he muttered, running his hands through his snow-white hair. "What am I doing?"
Xavier splashed cold water on his face, letting it run down his neck and dampen the collar of his shirt. The chill helped clear his mind, pushing back the heat that had built during his interaction with Calypso.
"Focus," he told his reflection.
He dried his face with a hand towel, then headed to his side of the bedroom. Calypso had already dressed and was applying makeup at the vanity, her back deliberately turned toward him as he entered.
Xavier selected a simple outfit from the bags—blue jeans and a fitted white sweater. Professional but not trying too hard. The kind of outfit that would let him blend in or stand out, depending on how he carried himself.
As he changed, he caught Calypso watching him in the mirror. Her eyes darted away when he noticed, focusing intently on applying mascara that a goddess probably didn't need.
"About before—" he began.
"We're going to be late," Calypso interrupted, snapping her makeup case shut with more force than necessary. She stood, smoothing down her dress—no longer the new silver-blue one, but a simpler outfit in soft pink that still managed to make her look ethereal. "I'll wait by the door."
She brushed past him, not quite making contact, the scent of vanilla and cherry blossoms lingering in her wake.
Xavier sighed, finishing with his outfit. He'd miscalculated. The teasing had been meant to level the playing field, to remind her that he wasn't just some puppet she could drag around. Instead, he'd created a new tension, one that would make their forced proximity even more complicated.
He checked his appearance one last time, adjusting the sweaters fit. The man in the mirror looked good— way too good for a freshman at a hunter academy, perhaps, but that couldn't be helped.
"Let's go!" Calypso called from the front door, impatience edging her voice.
"Coming!"