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Morning at the BoB starts the same everyday. Magnus rolls out of bed with the sun, gets a workout in, and eats a balanced breakfast. Sometimes one of his flatmates will appear before he’s done, but typically not until they smell coffee. Today Takko has wandered in blearily with his hair in a messy twist and a shirt long enough to make it impossible to tell if he’s wearing anything underneath it.
Back on the road when they were all just getting to know each other, Taako had been fastidious in the morning, drawing a sparkling reflective oval in the air and then carefully combing out and braiding his hair. He always took great care to make sure his clothes were clean and had all the wrinkles magicked out. Somewhere along the line he’d slipped into more comfortable habits. They all have. You don’t care how garbage you look when you’re in front of family.
This morning Taako flops down, tips his chair back onto two legs, and then proceeds to stare at Magnus from across the table like he’s never seen anyone eat a plate of eggs before. Magnus knows he’s going to regret this in about a minute and a half but--
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Taako’s glazed concentration sharpens. “So, like, let me just run this by you as a possibility.” He flaps his hand like he’s casting a spell or waving away a fly. “Have you ever considered losing the beard?”
“What?!” Magnus grabs for his chin.
“Chill, dude. I’m not gonna yank it out of by root or anything, just wanted to know your thoughts on the scenario.”
“Why would I want to get rid of my beard? Everyone loves beards. Merle loves beards.”
“Merle loves his beard. Which happens to smell like a compost pile on a hot day, so I wouldn’t take fashion advice from that quarter.”
“Right, okay.” Magnus pushes his coffee to a safe distance in case Taako goes for his beard with Mage Hand. “Avi smells just fine, and he likes my beard. He told me the other day.” The exact words had been ‘looking good, Burnsides!’ but he figures that applies to all of him, beard included.
“Avi wants to bone you. That renders his opinions in all matters of Magnus null and void. I, on the other hand, have a completely platonic--.” He breaks off for a second, considering. “Mostly platonic interest in your aesthetic.”
“Uhhh....” Magnus needs a minutes, because that was honestly a lot to process. “Avi wants--wait, he told you that?”
“Not in so many words, but he’s got that particular vibe when he talks to you, you know the one.”
Magnus shakes his head slowly.
Taako sighs and appropriates Magnus’s coffee. “The ‘I would ride you like a phantom steed’ vibe.” He takes a delicate sip. “The ‘not to be a dick or anything but i would love to suck yours’ vibe. The--.”
“Yeah okay I think I got it,” Magnus says, flushing. “Now I’m going to think about that every time I see Avi.” He scratches at his face. “And every time I look at my beard, so. Thanks for that.”
“Anytime,” Taako chirps, and gets up to add milk.