Disclaimer: None of the Benedicts/the Savant World belong to me – all rights to Joss Stirling.

Chapter Eight

„So when are you gonna pop the question, Xav?"

Sometimes my brother Steel needs to be high-fived. With a hammer. In the face. By Hulk. The whole clan has come over for Easter, so the apartment was completely packed with Xav's brothers and their soulfinders and my siblings with their partners plus my mother and Karla and Saul. Steel's soulfinder Kazue has already taken the kids back to the hotel with Silver, Topaz and Opal so it is just Peter and Steel left with the Benedicts at the apartment.

Xav laughs at Steel's question but I can tell that the smile is forced. It's getting on my nerves, too. The constant hints and teasing. Everybody in my family apart from Topaz and Peter have found their soulfinders, but for some reason I'm the one they're all picking on. Personally, I don't see the point of rushing it. Xav and I are both 20, we have the rest of our lives in front of us, why should we hurry up? I mean, we're not Trace and Diamond who, within two minutes of meeting, discussed plans to move in together. However, I still avoid Xav's glance and get up to clean up the dishes.

"Seriously, Xav, when are you two gonna get hitched?" Peter asks and earns himself a slap on the arm from Diamond, who can sense a conflict coming up.

I don't quite hear Xav's response because I'm in the kitchen where the dishwasher is running at full volume but a second later, his voice echoes in my mind.

Help me! They're interrogating me!

Deal with it, Androcles! You tamed a lion so I doubt you can't deal with my brother. Just don't let him use his gift on you.

Shit! What's that?

Xav sounds so panicked by now, I'm actually laughing out loud.

Memory manipulation, like Professor X in X-Men.

What does that do?

He can make you remember that you've already proposed to me or that he can make you forget where you put the ring and stuff.

That's not too bad.

Huh?

'Cause I haven't even thought about a ring until now.

Ouch. I know we're both on the same page when it comes to marriage but hearing him telling me that he's not once even thought about marrying me hurts.

That's what you think.

After my sad attempt at a witty retort I close the conversation and continue to busy myself with the dishes. In the living room I can hear Xav's attempt at changing the subject and can't help but feel slightly upset that he is obviously so unwilling to talk about the subject. Jeez, look at me. Listen to yourself, Crystal. I'm turning into some kind of … bitch. Should we even be talking about marriage? We've been together for about six months, it isn't normal for couples to be talking about weddings yet, is it? Unless of course you're a C-class celebrity or your surname starts with K and ends with 'ardashian'. Then again, Xav and I aren't a normal couple. Finding your soulmate, the perfect partner, at 19 is definitely not normal.

"You okay?" Diamond has entered the kitchen and without me having to ask, picked up the dishes and turned the tap on.

"Hhmm" I mumble nonchalantly and avoid her stare.

"Steel and Peter are idiots" I look up at Diamond's sudden change of vocabulary. She's never used such language and I can't help but smirk at her for doing so.

"I know."

"And so is Xav" Diamond puts her arm around her shoulders.

"He's not" I say but even to my own ears it sounds really … not convincing.

"I know that you two both want to wait with marriage and stuff. But the way he makes that clear is very definitely idiot behaviour."

I smile weakly and put away the dishes.

"I think I'm gonna go for a walk."

Diamond just nods, gives me a hug and walks back to the living room to curl up in Trace's arms.

Central Park on a late November evening is beautiful. Illuminated by street lamps, one can just about make out the lit-up skyscrapers above the trees and it isn't too cold yet so one can still enjoy the slight chill in the air. Would Xav and my relationship change if we got married? Would we become a … housewife and doctor household? Would we have kids? Would we move to the country? I hate this feeling of being so… confusing and confused at the same time. I know I say that I want to wait a bit for marriage but at the same time I don't like it when Xav makes it so blatantly obvious that he thinks the same… Doesn't that make me some kind of really crap girlfriend?

"Crystal!"

Turning around, I see Xav jogging towards me. Diamond must have told him about my walk. Damn him for looking so not out of breath.

"What's up?" I ask, desperately trying to sound like nothing is wrong.

"Diamond told me what's up" Gee thanks, Diamond.

"Oh" is all I say before turning back around to head home.

"I'm sorry I've been a total … twit"

I chuckle involuntarily and turn to face him.

"Don't be. I'm overreacting."

"Can I have that in writing?" He lowers his voice as he come close to stroke my cheek. I'm too close to poke him in the ribs so I just lean my head against his shoulder in defeat.

"I'm a total drama-queen."

"Well, you are Miss Piggy and she's a right diva."

"I just … I know I say that I want to wait to get married but then again, I … it just hurts slightly when you're so nonchalant about it. Like you haven't even thought about it."

"Oh"

This must be the first time I've ever heard Xav speechless.

"It's okay" I say and take his hand to lead him back to the apartment.

"It's not okay. I've been a right idiot, I know. It was just … we've never actively talked about so I just thought you weren't at all comfortable with it so-"
"Xav" I interrupt and force him to look at me. "Seriously, it's okay. We'll wait. It's fine."

Xav nods slowly and swings an arm around my shoulders, walking us back to the apartment. After a while of walking in compatible silence, a smile creeps on my face and I nudge his shoulder with my forehead. "You're turning into a right softie, you know that?"

"Don't you dare tell my brothers" Xav replies, giving me small kiss. "Besides, you like it."

"Yeah… I might even put a ring on it." Xav groans at my terrible pun and swings me up into his arms like he did in Venice.

"Then I'll just have to carry you over every threshold in bridal style."

Over the last two months Steel has obviously forgotten the pain I inflicted on him that evening and interrupts Xav and my passionate argument about who's the better cook with another tactless question.

"So, when are you going down on one knee for Crystal?"

Steel totally ignores the glare I direct at him but that is quickly interrupted by Xav squeezing my hand underneath the table and winking at me.

One…Two…Three!

Turns out, Steel's shins are very fragile.

Just to clarify: Xav and Crystal are both twenty now and it's late April/early May, so about four or five months after Diamond and Trace's wedding. Should I do something from their perspective, how they deal with Will's soulfinder problem (for those of you who've read Convincing Kira)?

I made up Steel's soulfinder's name because it only says in the books that she's Japanese – so I went for the Japanese name Kazue that translates roughly into 'beautiful harmony' – correct me if I'm wrong :)

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