Work Text:
MAGNUS: taako can you come over please
TAAKO: oh shit of course
TAAKO: r u ok u rnt using punctuation or anythin
TAAKO: ill be just a couple min ok im bringin ice cream
MAGNUS: thank you taako
TAAKO: just gimme a minute ok ily
- - -
TAAKO: im here let me in
Magnus doesn’t say anything as he lets Taako in. He turns to his little living room and sits on his ratty old couch with his knees pulled up to his chest. Taako sits on the other cushion, mirroring Magnus. The ice cream and Taako’s fold out nail polish set sit between them.
Taako waits. He knows Magnus sometimes takes a while to organize his thoughts.
“I’m tired, Taako,” Magnus says.
“Like, sleep tired?” Taako says.
Magnus shrugs. “I mean. If I could go to sleep and never wake up, I don’t think there’d be a problem.”
Taako frowns deeply and reaches across the ice cream to rest his hand over Magnus’s. “Bullshit. I’d have a problem with that. You’re my best friend, M-Dog, and I don’t know if you understand just how important you are to me, but you are the most important person in my life. You mean more to me than Klarg or Kravitz or Sloane or Hurley or Carey or, don’t tell her I said this, Killian, or hell, even my aunt. You’re my best friend, my favorite person. And you are worth everything, my dude.”
Magnus blinks at him, then his lip starts trembling and he surges forward to pull Taako into his arms. Taako can feel him shaking, and tightens his own grip on Magnus.
They hold each other until the ice cream goes soft, almost liquid, and then Magnus is scrubbing at the tear tracks on his face and Taako goes to put the ice cream in the freezer.
“Your nails are so chipped,” Taako admonishes when he comes back.
Magnus whines and it sounds like a laugh, but Taako doesn’t say anything, just in case. “Can you do them for me?” Magnus says.
Taako grins and pops open his polish case. “Taako’s got ya, Magnus Khan. Blue?”
“What about pink?” Magnus says.
“Hm. Pink and blue?” Taako says.
Magnus considers for a moment. “Could you do, like, a gradient? Like that thing I sent you on Pinterest the other day.”
Taako brightens. “Oh! I can try! When I’m done, can you do me?”
“I’m not that great at it,” Magnus says.
Taako rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. You’re surprisingly amazing at detail work for someone who carves big chunks of wood all day. You’ve got steady hands and a good eye for color.”
“Flatterer,” Magnus says. He sticks his hands out to Taako, who gets to work quickly.
"Is it weird that we both turned out trans?" Taako says after a long silence, not even looking up from where he's meticulously painting Magnus's nails.
Magnus doesn't shrug because that would mess up Taako's work, but it's a near thing. "I don't think so. Birds of a feather, right? I think we both, I don't know, saw something different in each other."
Taako's brow creases. "What, you think we recognized each other as trans before we knew it ourselves?"
"Maybe. Does that sound dumb? All I know is that I've always found a kindred spirit in you," Magnus says.
"Aw, that's cute," Taako says. "I thought you were weird when we first met."
"Why did you think I was weird?" Magnus says, a little offended.
Taako purses his lips and doesn't respond for a moment as he concentrates on his work. "You always got into fights," Taako says eventually. "The first time I saw you, you punched a guy so hard he lost a tooth."
Magnus grimaces. "Lucas never did forgive me for that."
"Yeah, he still hates you a little bit," Taako says. "But he's got a thing for you."
"Lucas? Are we talking about the same guy? He won't even talk to me," Magnus says.
Taako shakes his head, dipping his brush back in the bottle. "He gets so blushy when you're around. Starts tripping over his words and acting like a total doofus. Don't tell him I told you this, but he made this little robot that has little metal sideburns and he keeps it at his workstation all the time."
Magnus has to take a moment to process that. Taako is finishing up the third finger on his second hand when Magnus finally says, "Weird. Does he know that I'm trans? That usually dissuades people."
Taako scowls. "C'mon, Magazine. Even Lucas isn't that big of an asshole."
"Wow, Taako is saying Lucas Miller isn't an asshole," Magnus says. "This is incredible. I wish I had been recording you when you said that."
"Shut up," Taako says. "He's still an asshole, just not a transphobic asshole."
"There is a very clear distinction," Magnus says, quiet.
A few minutes later, Taako finishes up carefully, sitting back and smiling at his handiwork. "You like?" he says.
Magnus puts his palms on his knees, fingers splayed out so he can view his nails. "It's amazing, Taako. You really outdid yourself."
Taako beams at him and unfolds his long limbs to get up from the couch. He disappears into the kitchen, reappearing a moment later with the carton of ice cream and two spoons. He plonks back down on his cushion and puts the ice cream between himself and Magnus again.
"Soon as those nails are dry, you and me are digging into this bad boy and watching a movie," he says. "I'll stay the night, if you want me to."
Magnus gives him a smile. "That's fine with me. You wanna call Merle up?"
Taako shrugs. "He's probably high, it's Friday night. Or he's out partying. Or both. You know how he is."
"Yeah, I guess. Want me to do your nails while he watch Pacific Rim for the fiftieth time and eat, what is this?" Magnus glances over the ice cream carton. "Sea salt caramel. My favorite!"
"You only talk about sea salt caramel all the time. Without me, I think everything in your apartment would be sea salt caramel flavored," Taako says.
Magnus shrugs. "You probably aren't incorrect."
Taako bumps Magnus with his shoulder companionably. "Sounds like a good plan to me."
He turns on Magnus's little TV he got from Steven at Christmas last year and changes it over to the DVD player. Pacific Rim is already in, of course, so once he turns it on the title screen starts rolling.
Magnus and Taako settle back against the couch, sharing ice cream while Magnus's nails dry. It's nice, and they both get the sense that there's nowhere else they'd rather be.