Chapter Text
It was a regular morning. Alex and I were sitting in the library of the Chase Space, the only room we kept mainly for ourselves unless we were running low on bedroom space. The dark curtains were closed shut over the large windows, so the only light source was the lamp standing behind Alex. The dim lighting of the room put a muted sheen on the dark wood of the bookshelves, exadurated the texture of the old rugs laying on the mahogany floor. What was it with rich people and their mahogany woodwork?
A small coffee table separated me from Alex. He was wearing a pair of pastell green jeans and a bright pink tanktop with 'GRL PWR' written on it in large green letters, though the book he was reading covered the lower part of the text, so his shirt looked like it quoted Halfborn choking on his own blood after being impaled. Nevertheless, he was looking amazing as usual. His olive skin glistered in the light flowing straight down on him, like he was the most important person on the stage, the only one people should pay attention to, so all the spotlight was pointed at him.
Sometimes I was glad he couldn't hear my thoughts.
I started thinking about how much I liked this place. And then the fact that not even a year ago I despised it. We do change a lot, huh. The homelike atmosphere used to be rather repulsive and ominous, always urging me to leave as fast as I could. It took me to die to learn to appreciate the mansion. I looked at Alex again. It wasn't just my death that made me grow to like being here. I wouldn't be sitting here, content with the accomplishments we've made with this shelter if it wasn't for him.
"I get it, Magnus" Alex said, completely out of the blue. "I look fabulous, I am fabulous, but you can stop staring now. Give me some space, Chase." He didn't even look up from his book. His face remained calm and serious, though I noticed a tiny smirk creeping in the corner of his mouth.
I was startled, meaning I was staring at him even more. "I wasn't- I-" I tried to come up with something to save my life, but there was no point. My neck would meet his garrotte later during the day whatever I told him.
"You're a dork." He finally looked up, smiling at me, with those beautiful eyes of his... Gods damn Alex, why did you have to do this to me. Next time just leave me be my oblivious self.
I accepted my role as an idiot with a heartfelt sigh, then laid back on the couch. Alex went back to his book, now grinning. "I was just thinking about what we did with this house" I finally said after a long pause. This project of ours was truly the best thing I've ever put my time in. We both would've loved something like this when we were still living our homeless days, and helping the kids in a similar situation, not lucky enough to die a heroic death and get eternal accomodation in Hotel Valhalla for their brave deeds, felt awesome. This is what made the Chase mansion home.
"Yeah" Alex said, now getting lost in thoughts himself. "Being here is good."
After a few seconds of spaced out staring he stood up and with his book closed in his hand he stretched is legs. I looked at him, a silent question on my face, to which he just responded by walking up to the bookshelves and sliding his book back in the gap it belongs to.
"Gods, your uncle's taste in dead white men was truly horrid" he said, shaking like cold was running down his spine. "This was the most boring read of my life."
"Oh, please, tell me more about Randolph's taste in anything!" I pleaded sarcastically, pointing at the wolf head mounted on the wall behind me. "Remind me, why did we not take that thing down already?"
"In appreciation of my dear brother Fenris, of course." Alex said that like I just asked him something obvious, but somehow he still couldn't convince me of the wolf head's appeal. "Anyway, Beanstown." I winced at the nickname, but decided to let it slide. "I gotta head off for chaperoning duty. I swear to the gods, if those two touched hands, Ragnarok would start that instant." He acted like his task as a chaperon was a tiresome chore, but everyone knew he loved it. Sam and Amir were his personal romance TV show.
"Now? Isn't it like... Thursday morning?" I asked, surprised by the fact that Samirah wasn't sitting in calculus class or something.
"It's summer vacation, Magnus." Alex stated the obvious. I wasn't used to that kind of thing anymore. The days bleed together when you're homeless. Let alone when you are dead. "Don't worry though. I'll be back in time to kick your ass before the lindworms do." He winked at me, making my heart melt, and left the room before I could blink.
Did he really have to remind me that it was lindworm day on the battlefield?
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Oh, Alex did come back in time. Like, at least five minutes before the combat. I kind of hoped she - yes, definitely she now - would be late. I still really didn't want to be beheaded. Except Sam, being a retired valkyrie knew perfectly well when the obligatory daily war games started and she most certainly made sure Alex got back to Valhalla in time.
Well Alex... She was still grinning, under the effect of her weekly dose of ensuite romance show.
Looking at Alex's smile, my feelings were ambivalnet. On one hand, she was pretty and I wanted to kiss her. On the other hand, she was pretty and I wanted to kiss her. I gotta admit, I was kind of jealous of Sam and Amir. I mean, sure, the smallest physical contact was forbidden until they got married, but at least they knew where they were at. They were engaged, they were in love, and period.
But Alex was an ongoing question. We kissed sometimes, we held hands, and they were the most magical moments of my life, yeah. But each second of it was fragile. Nothing was sure, nothing was put into words. It made me frustrated, not gonna lie, but I tried not to show it. I didn't want to lose the little we had.
"Alex, finally!" TJ sighed with relief when he saw that Alex showed up. "I thought we would have to manage without you today."
"You would stand no chance against those things" Alex said. "Gunderson, what's that in your hand?"
True, Halfborn wasn't holding his battle axes this time, instead his hands rested on a halberd almost as tall as him. Definitely taller than the rest of us.
"Oh, that idiot of a berserker decided today is the best day to try something new" answered Mallory, with the usual amount of fury in her voice. "Not giving a crap that I had a perfect plan!" She was already shouting at our poor Halfborn, deeply invested in the argument.
"Shut up, Mack" barked Halfborn. "You always have a 'perfect' plan, yet we never seem to survive for longer than an hour. I don't see how this day would be any special, woman." The two of them started bickering like an old berserker couple should on the battlefield.
The horns were finally blown, indicating the start of the battle. All warriors went wild in less than a second, as the dragons flooded the field. Words were buried in the screams of weapons hopelessly hitting the rough skaly skin of the beasts. And the dragons. The dragons were ugly as usual.
My hallmates struck immediately when a lindworm popped up next to us. Mallory, with her two knives in her hands, tried to climb up on the animal's neck, more or less successful. I gotta admit, I had no idea what she was trying to accomplish, paying attention when she was presenting her plans for the day... Harder than actually surviving a thursday battle.
Halfborn and TJ started poking the lindworm's legs and belly, though not causing any harm, definitely distracting it from Miss Keen sitting on its head. And still, before I could think of anything to do, the dragon got annoyed enough to initiate an attack. With a loud roar it blew out air so smelly it even startled Gunderson, then lifted one leg and struck.
Now, why me, I had no idea, but the next thing I knew was a hole in my stomach. The pain muted all my other senses for a good few seconds before I could regain consciousness.
I noticed Alex walking up to me, almost smiling, garrotte in hand.
"No, no, no, please don't..." I muttered, but the string was already placed around my neck.
"Let me save you the suffering, Beanstown" was the last thing I heard.
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And her voice was the first thing I heard as well, after resurrecting.
I woke up to Alex opening my door. I was half glad she walked in, because only the gods know how long it would've taken me to get out of my nightmarish dreams. But I was still angry at her for decapitating me.
"The others told me to get you to dinner" she said, emphasizing that this wasn't her idea and having to wake me up is just a chore. "Took you long enough to resurrect, Maggie."
"You beheaded me!" I implied, with a morning voice, but as indignant as possible.
I sat up in my bed, so I could give her an irate look without looking too pathetic.
"Come on, I told you I would end you before the dragon does" she said, visibly satisfied with her excuse. "Besides, it would've taken you a lot longer to bleed out from that nasty wound the lindworm gave you."
She walked up to me and kissed my cheek. "Get over yourself, princess." Then she just left, leaving me sat there, both shocked and annoyed by her gesture. This rollercoaster of a relationship was definitely starting to get on my nerves, but I couldn't say anything. I liked her, and that made me a bit too frustrated sometimes.