This is a fun chapter.

Year One: Favours Paid, Favours Made

Camp SHIELD - 17:57 PM

Xavier got used to waking up early, following a more structured routine, being away from home, and the extra workload to read and on his body. He even adjusted to sharing a room and having a new bestie who was a complete weirdo he couldn't get enough of. Socializing, as always, was difficult. With his friends, they all fell together naturally. New people were hard to navigate. Hell, he couldn't talk to Britney like a normal person for the longest time because she wasn't normal.

But now he's a wingman which isn't completely new territory for him because he's heard locker room stories about his former football teammates getting each other dates. It's land he doesn't want to cross since he doesn't know what he's doing or which direction to go in.

He feels something vibrate in his pocket. His phone? It couldn't be since there was no service but he had nothing else on him. He wasn't even sure why he carried his phone if he couldn't use it for its main purposes. But when Xavier takes it out, he couldn't believe his eyes.

There's one bar of service. Missed text messages and calls were coming through. He never felt so grateful for his social life.

And he sees a message from Emily. Matchmaker Emily. He takes the risk on calling her. Xavier holds the phone to his ear. He hears the dial tone going through but that doesn't guarantee it'll be a good call or that Emily will pick up.

Emily: Oh good, you're still alive.

Xavier smiles. Of course, his call with Emily is when he has perfect reception. As if Emily had it any different.

Emily: See this is why I didn't go to the Academy. They're making you suffer.

"I miss you too," Xavier says. "Where are you?"

Emily: Florence. Heading to Milan. What about you?

"Ohio."

He laughs when Emily does because it's true. She gets Florence and Milan with no schedule to follow while he's in the middle of nowhere.

Emily: What's in Ohio?

"Absolutely nothing." He sighs. "Look, I got myself into something and I need advice."

Emily: Must be bad if you're coming to me for help.

"I became a wingman."

The other line is quiet and, for a moment, Xavier thought he lost service. He looks at his phone and sees the call still going with that little service. When he puts the phone back to his ear, Emily's laughter almost makes him drop it.

Emily: Xavier, the only wingman I see you being is growing wings and flying.

"Same, so help me out."

Emily: Well, take a look at what you know. Within us, we dated within our friend group. Just get them to hang out in a group setting and if they hit it off, they'll hang out on their own.

Xavier nods the more he thinks about it. "Stark, you're a genius."

Emily: Rogers, come up with better compliments.

-o-

Sometime later, Xavier finds Orchid leaving the dining hall. He approaches her with a big smile and she's excited to see him because she has a hunch on his news.

"After today's session, I asked Brody if he wanted to hang out with us," Xavier says. "He said at 9, after everyone's last class."

"Really?!" Orchid exclaims. She's about to burst out of joy. "Xavier, oh my god, how did you do it?"

Xavier shrugs with a grin on his face. "It's a guy thing."

"So you'll be there?"

"Sort of. Look, I don't want to be a potential third wheel but I don't want to leave you alone."

"No, no, you have to join us." She lights up with an idea. "Invite someone else to keep you company."

"Or…" Xavier pauses. "I could have two more people go in my place while I lurk from the shadows."

"What? But you don't know that many people."

"Wow, rude. I'll prove you wrong."

-o-

He should give up and suffer from being a third wheel. If Emily was here, she would've joined him. But as he heads over to his next class, he sees Merida talking with Brody. Xavier stands there for a minute, wondering if his eyes are deceiving him. He realizes they're not once Merida's standing right in front of him.

"How do you know Brody?" Xavier asks.

"Everyone knows The Brodster," Merida responds. "But I barely do. We just hate the same professor. What about you?"

"Same weight class," Xavier responds. "I will see you later."

"Okay," Merida says as Xavier runs off.

He has an idea and two hours to execute it.

-o-

"Time to pay up," Xavier says, waking right into Ashton's cabin.

For the whole duration of Camp SHIELD, Ashton and Xavier weren't put in the same cabin. Actually, most of the roommates were split up. But that didn't matter much since they knew where the other was and would see each other again when they returned to campus.

"Wow," Ashton states dramatically, "I barely see you for a few weeks and now you come to see me when you need something."

Xavier smiles. "Exactly."

"I would've done the same if I needed something. Pay for what?"

"For that double date."

Ashton pauses. "I forgot that happened."

"And I almost forgot you owed me."

"Okay, I'll embody you and not even ask what it is before agreeing. You know, just so we're on the same playing field. What do you want me to do?"

"It's more of a hangout or maybe a not-double-date."

"Nice. Same value in our transaction. With whom?"

"Brody, Orchid, and I can't confirm the third party."

"It's not you? C'mon, it'll help you socialize."

Xavier rolls his eyes. Why is everyone like this to him? "I'll be there in spirit."

"Fine, just provide the not-date for me."

Xavier groans but doesn't argue. Ashton has better game than him so couldn't he pick someone? He also knows more people! But whatever. Xavier can handle this. He's handled much worse. Whether it was losing a football game in the final half or high school graduation, he won after powering through.

And he got some of the best advice from the very best. Everything happened within their friend group…

-o-

"I didn't even say what it was!" Xavier screams as Merida runs away from him.

"I've heard enough!" Merida screams back.

Xavier has an hour before the outing so he begins chasing her through camp. He has a greater speed advantage but she's Merida Barton. She knows how to outsmart him. Xavier runs onto the open field and sees many training sessions occurring at once. He scans every face as much as he can. The perk to Merida outsmarting him is that he can solve her. She would blend in with a class.

Xavier looks at the weights and knows she wouldn't be there because she won't throw a barbell at him. She won't be with the push-ups or pull-ups because those are stagnant. Merida would pick something in constant motion so that when he spots her red hair, like in the class running the track, she'll have a getaway since she's already running. When he finally spots her bouncing curls that she had no time to hide, he jogs over.

"Okay, look," Xavier says once he's beside Merida. "I called Emily and she said -"

"Emily put you up to this?" Merida questions. "Oh, I'm gonna kill her."

"She didn't." Xavier stops her on the track and the rest of the class groans when they have to run around them. "Look, hear me out."

"What? You're making me socialize for you while you lurk in the corner. That's not how people or socializing work."

"You just want to be the one lurking but I'm the wingman!"

"Same shit." She huffs, putting her hands on her hips. "Let's make a deal. If you manage to come up with five words that'll convince me to do this, I will."

Xavier groans. He doesn't have time for this. And only five words? Not fair. But he takes a moment to think because he can spare a minute before resorting to a plan B he doesn't have. Little does Merida know that when she's angry like this, she doesn't think straight. They've known each other for eighteen years so he knows just the right words to get her hanging out with Ashton, Brody, and Orchid.

"I'll be in your debt," Xavier says.

Merida's face twitches in disbelief before smiling. She couldn't believe he came up with five words that quick. But he's happy. Xavier doesn't like those words because, as mentioned, he's known Merida for eighteen years. God, she's going to make him hide a body. Hopefully, it's not Ashton's.

"You're going to regret that," Merida warns.

"But you won't regret this outing."

Merida scoffs in disgust. "You sound like my parents who want me to make new friends."

"Mine said the same."

-o-

It's a little after nine and Merida saunters over to the recreation centre where she sees Orchid, Brody, and Ashton. As she heads over, she thinks about Xavier now being in her debt. If Xavier didn't come up with five words, then she would've done it for free. It's not like she had any plans. And if she was lucky, she would hear stories of Brody wrestling kangaroos.

"Call this a date and Xavier will hide your body," Merida says to Ashton as she walks up beside him.

Ashton pauses. "I wasn't going to."

"Good." She takes a seat between Ashton and Orchid. Brody sits on Orchid's other side. It's quiet and Merida doesn't want to sit here in awkward silence. "So, what's up?"

After a group conversation about their dreaded Camp SHIELD experiences and life on campus, they started talking about their lives back home. Ashton and Merida realize that they had nothing to say when Orchid and Brody started talking about the animals back home. The two city/suburbia people had nothing to say about goats or wallabies; maybe subway rats or bears.

So Merida pulled out one of Daniel's notepads from her pocket. Don't tell him that she took one. She opens to a fresh page and takes out a pen. When she begins writing, Ashton looks over and she doesn't tell him to mind his business.

"What are you writing?" Ashton asks her.

"A list of ways Xavier can pay me back for being here," Merida says. She taps the pen on her chin. "It's harder than I thought to come up with."

Ashton isn't sure what to say for a moment. " … not the weirdest outing I've been on. What do you have so far?"

Merida clears her throat as she leans over to show him. "Convince Angela to go home for the weekend so I get the dorm to myself, have him pay for the gas in my car for a month, give me his meal plan -"

"I like the first option."

"Why?"

"Well, Angela will make Xavier drive her back if he's convincing her to go, so I'd get the dorm for the weekend."

Merida nods, drawing a star on the first line. "Noted."

-o-

From a distance not too far, Xavier is watching them. He can barely hear what they're saying but Orchid and Brody are laughing and getting close. He picked up something about animals and he's not surprised. Xavier's proud of his work. Orchid is no longer the awkward girl she was when she first saw Brody. Wow, she should've gone to him when he was getting Britney. And even Merida and Ashton weren't bored. Well, he knew Ashton wouldn't be bored. Merida looks like she's plotting something against him.

"You look like a creep."

Xavier looks to the side and sees Daniel taking a seat beside him.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asks.

"I'm a wingman," Xavier responds. "Didn't you hear?"

"I thought I dreamt that."

Xavier tries not to be offended. "See, I can be Matchmaker Emily."

"I'm proud of you."

"Emily said to put them in a group setting and they'll hit it off on their own. And look, they're smiling and laughing. It's a great time."

"I figured she said that."

"Why wouldn't you believe I said that?"

"Because I've known you for eighteen years." Daniel smiles when Xavier can't refute that. He looks over at Xavier's wingman success and tilts his head a little when he can't believe something. "Does Merida have my notepad?"

"Maybe you're dreaming it."

"Shh…" Daniel says, waving Xavier off. "I'm watching this."

Xavier looks back. He knows that Daniel couldn't care less about the masterpiece Xavier set up. It's his notepad that matters.

"So you've known Xavier for forever, right?" Ashton asks Merida.

"Yup," Merida responds without looking up from her paper.

"Got any embarrassing stories about him?"

Merida looks up and closes the notepad. Interest creeps on her face through wide eyes and a matching toothless smile. " … pick an age."

Daniel laughs as Xavier's face drops. A bitter pit in his stomach ties into knots as he watches Merida talk with such animation.

"Oh, Merida was right…" Xavier mutters. "I regret everything."

"Matchmaker Emily wouldn't have made that mistake," Daniel says. He's enjoying this.

"Shut up."

"At least you don't have that many embarrassing stories."

"That implies that I still have some."

"Because you do. You probably have the least out of all of us, which is still a lot. Should I join them and share one?"

"No!"

That not-date double date is the starting point for an amazing group chat to come.