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Alex’s POV
Now, believe me when I say that I trust Magnus. I started trusting him way faster than I usually trust people because of how trustworthy he is. He would never do anything to cheat on me or hurt me.
He’s too loyal to like anyone else anyways.
It’s Nicole I don’t trust.
Nicole is a recent Valhalla resident. She got here about a month after we battled my mother, Loki, on Naglfar. She died fighting a man who had attacked a little girl she saw on the street. Sure, sure, that’s pretty brave and selfless, but that’s not what’s important.
She’s French, and beautiful, so a bunch of the guys immediately commented on her looks. She has golden blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. She was about an inch shorter than Magnus, which made her an inch taller than me. When we watched the Valkyrie cam, she even looked breathtaking in the midst of battle. How is that possible?
Of course, she fell for Magnus the moment she met him. They had run into each other as she was trying to avoid flying spears. Maggie, being the sweetheart he is, helped her and agreed to help her adjust to life as an Enherji.
Now, she talks to him every opportunity she gets, and it doesn’t help that she lives on Floor 18.
Stupid Floor 18. No one good ever stays on Floor 18.
The shattering of glass in my hands brought me out of my thoughts. I realized I had squeezed my glass of refreshing orange juice out of anger, and ended up breaking it. I glanced toward Mallory, who was on the other side of me. She glared at me.
“Oi! What was that for? You got orange juice all over the table!” Her hands flew as she spoke.
I looked at Halfborn and TJ, who were laughing, orange juice on them too.
TJ stopped, but made the situation worse by deciding to make a comment. “It’s because she’s jea-lous,” he sang.
I scoffed. “I’m not jealous. Why should I be jealous?”
You can always thank Halfborn for being to the point. “’Cause Magnus is hanging out with a hot girl. C’mon Alex, keep up.”
Mallory smirked. “Ooh, Alex, you’ve never gotten jealous before. Too bad Magnus is too kind for his own good. He doesn’t even realize she’s flirting with him, the dense idiot he is.”
I groaned, slamming my head on the table, forgetting it’s wet. “I am not jealous! The next person who says that is getting decapitated!”
Grinning, those idiots that for some reason I call my friends, started a conversation about whatever theme we were having tonight at dinner.
I looked longingly at where Magnus and Nicole were standing. Magnus said something that made her giggle, and she playfully slapped his chest. My idiot of a boyfriend—Meinfretr, it’s still hard to believe that Magnus Chase is my boyfriend—waved his hand goodbye and walked back to our table.
It’s obvious why Nicole would want Magnus. He’s handsome, as much as I hate to admit it, with his messy golden locks of hair and strong facial features. His gray eyes were never-ending pools, the blandest of colors and yet of the most colorful stories. His smile is brighter than any star in the sky, and he is just in general so kind and giving. It was his idea to open up the Chase Space, after all. He won a flyting just by talking about our strengths and triumphs, for Frey’s sake!
Magnus sat on the other side of me and began to eat his breakfast. He noticed me staring and cocked an eyebrow. “You okay, Alex?”
Gods, just the way he says my name makes my heart skip a beat. What the Helheim did this boy do to me? “Yeah I’m fine, Beantown. Though I bet you wouldn’t know that with how much time you’ve spent around Nicole lately.” I murmured the last part under my breath.
“Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted to go to the Chase Space today.” Total lie, made up on the spot. Though it definitely wouldn’t hurt to go see the kids.
Magnus looked as if he didn’t completely believe me, but answered anyway. “Sure. But not right now, cause I told Nicole I would show her the different things enherji can do here.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hasn’t she been here for three months? How has she not figured it out on her own?”
Magnus gave me a look. “Do you hate her or something, Alex?”
“No,” I lied. “I’m just saying it’s really not that hard to understand.”
Magnus held my gaze for a full minute before I broke away. Gods, I hope he couldn’t tell I was close to decapitating her right then and there.
“Well, I’ll come to your room when I’m done. We can go then.” Magnus gave me a quick smile, wolfed down the rest of his food, then walked away towards the elevators.
I groaned. I. Hate. That. Girl.
Look, I swear I’m not the jealous type. I’m just more of an overprotective type.
So it is perfectly normal that I followed Magnus and Nicole to the bookstore.
And the art store (really Magnus? Without me?).
And the café.
Yes, this place really does have everything.
I wore one of Magnus’ grey hoodies, making sure that my green hair was hidden under the hood. I sipped on my coffee and casually glanced at them. Okay, more like glared at Nicole, but that’s not important.
“So, Magnus, what’s your favorite part of Valhalla?” Nicole twirled a strand of her honey-colored hair as she batted her eyelashes at Magnus. Gods, she was practically throwing herself at him.
Magnus smiled. He shouldn’t be wasting it on her. “For me, it’s the people I’ve met. My hallmates, Mallory, TJ, Halfborn, and Alex, my girlfriend. As well as Samirah, who saved me when she was a Valkyrie.”
“Alex is the one with the green hair, no?”
“Yeah.”
“She must be a great girlfriend to let you hang out with me.” Is it just me, or did Nicole look in my direction as she said that?
Magnus’ grin grew fondly. “Yeah. She’s cool like that.”
I looked away. I’m a terrible girlfriend. I’m supposed to trust him, to know that no girl would tempt him to leave me. Magnus wouldn’t be dating me if he didn’t actually, truly want to. I don’t deserve him.
I grabbed my coffee and threw it away. I got out of my seat and walked to the door. I glanced back, smiling at the back of Magnus’ head. How in the world did I get so lucky?
I didn’t notice that my hood had fallen until I had gotten to my room. I gulped nervously. Did it fall off at the café? Did he notice? If he did, would he be mad?
I opened the door to my room and ran to my pottery wheel. I needed to calm down.
About half an hour and six smashed vases and mugs later, I heard a knock at the door. I glanced down at the clothes I was wearing. Magnus would definitely be suspicious if he saw me wearing gray and black.
“Give me a second! I’m changing!”
“Uh, do you want me to come at a different time?” Wait. Magnus doesn’t have a French accent.
I stopped in my tracks. I couldn’t keep on acting like I hated the girl. She was actually a good person, and I probably exaggerated that she was flirting with Magnus. She’s French. Who knows how the French naturally act around people?
“No, it’s fine.”
After changing into green skinny jeans and a pink sweater, I opened the door to find Nicole with fidgeting hands. Was she…nervous?
“Hi Nicole. What’s up?”
Nicole looked up. Her green eyes locked with my heterochromatic eyes. “Can I come in? I’d like to talk to you about something.”
I opened the door wider and raised an arm to let her in. Whatever she wanted to talk about, it was obviously important. Why else would she want to talk to me of all people? I don’t exactly scream charming.
Nicole sat down on a couch in my living room. I leaned in front of the bookcase, crossing my arms. “Is everything okay?”
She gave me a simple nod. “I just wanted to say that you don’t have to be worried about me taking Magnus from you.”
I tried to interject, but she just held up a hand. “I know that was you at the café earlier. I didn’t tell Magnus. That is not my place. But I am not attracted to Magnus. I am…what is the word in English? I do not experience romantic or sexual attraction to people.”
I couldn’t believe it. I looked down at my feet. How the Hel am I so stupid? “So you’re aromantic and asexual? That’s cool. Though that sucks for all the dead Vikings who want you. And…thanks for not telling Magnus. I don’t want him to find out that way.”
She covered her mouth and began to giggle. “The way you say th-that,” she spat out inbetween laughs. “‘All the dead vikings that want you.’”
I smirked. “It’s true. French people are sexy.”
She snorted at that. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you saw half the guys my mother dated.”
She stood up, and pulled her skirt down. She looked uncomfortable in it. “Well, while talking to you is fun, I must go. You need to talk to Magnus.”
My smile fell at that. Usually the thought of hanging out with Magnus would give me a goofy grin I had to mentally slap off my face. Thoughts of abandoning my promise to confess that I was jealous of Nicole flooded my brain. I walked behind Nicole, following her out the door. She shook my hand then walked towards the elevators. I took a deep breath then shuffled my feet towards Magnus’ door.
He opened the door after I knocked, smiling brightly at me. “Hey Alex. Ready to go?”
I looked at my feet. How could I look him straight in the eyes and tell him? Would he finally realize that I don’t deserve someone like him? He’d never betray me like I had. I bit my lip.
He brought his fingers to my chin and lifted it up. His eyes searched mine, showing concern. “What’s wrong?”
I avoided his eyes. “I need to talk to you. Inside.”
Magnus let me in, and I sat down in the grass of his atrium. He sat down in front of me, taking my hands in his. They’re always so warm.
“Alex? Is everything okay?” His eyebrows were furrowed, and he seemed conflicted between taking me in his arms and staying the way we were.
“I don’t know how you’ll react to this. I just want you to know I care about you and do trust you-I just, I don’t know.” I couldn’t form the words. It’s strange for me, a child of Loki, to be at a loss of words. Maybe I was overreacting, but I’m not used to people loving me unconditionally. The little voice in the back of my head grew louder, whispering horrible things in my ear. He’s going to break up with you. He’ll want to have nothing to do with you. He probably thinks you’re clingy and crazy.
Magnus lifted a hand to cup my cheek. “Alex, you can tell me anything.”
“I followed you when you went around Valhalla with Nicole. I’m sorry. I was jealous of her, and I shouldn’t have been. I should’ve ignored any feelings against her. But the people I love always leave me because I’m not good enough. And when they do think I am, they end up leaving anyways. When I turned out to be genderfluid and didn’t want to follow in my dad’s footsteps, he and my step mother kicked me out. My grandfather, the one person who loved me unconditionally, died. I-I just don’t want to lose you, Magnus.” I bit my lip again. I was not about to cry.
Magnus smiled. “Alex, I’m just glad you told me. You could’ve hid the truth and never tell me, but you did. The last thing I want for you is to feel like you can’t be honest with me. Just know that you never have to be jealous of anyone. You are the most beautiful, handsome, badass person in the world to me.” I laughed at that. “Don’t think that anyone could replace you. I’m sorry you had to lose so much, Alex. I just want you to be happy. I swear, you never have to worry about me leaving you.”
I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. He smelled like laying in the grass under a tree in the forest, letting the leaves fall around you, even catching one in your hands. He brought his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. I’m not one for intimate embraces, but I needed this, desperately. I raised my head to stare at him. His eyes were easy to get lost in. They were beautiful gray orbs, sometimes stormy and sometimes clear as a summer day. Right now, they were sending Alex a fond look. His hair is golden, soft to the touch. I really needed to cut it sometime soon. It was starting to grow out. I tangled my fingers between his locks of hair.
My eyes dropped to his lips, perfectly pink and so close to mine. I closed the distance, pressing my lips to his softly. He responded eagerly, holding me impossibly closer. I pulled away slowly after more than just a few moments, my lips still not even an inch from his. I gave him a small smile. Only Magnus could unravel me like this, make me…giddy. As well as actually make me like it.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”
I felt his smile as he gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Of course, Alex. Anything for you. You do know Nicole is aro and ace, right?”
“Yeah… She came to talk to me just now and told me. She saw me at the café.”
Magnus began to rub circles on my back. “So, are we going to go the mansion or stay here?”
I punched his shoulder playfully, but he still winced. Wimp. My wimp.“Duh. Why would I turn down a chance to see those kids?”
“How in the world did we end up here Alex?” His eyes had a faraway look, as if he was thinking about everything that had happened up until this moment.
I picked myself up off the ground, and grabbed his hand. I yanked him up, pulling him with me to the door. “I don’t know, Chase. I don’t know.”