Just This Once (Magnus Chase x Alex Fierro)

Chapter 3: That Moment They Realized, They F*cked Up

Come Tuesday, Magnus didn't feel awake yet during his first period Biology class. He tried to look awake, but it didn't really work and the teacher was glaring at him. But who could blame him? He didn't get enough sleep last night, and TJ's lame civil war puns weren't helping any.

"Dude, have you heard about how the south used to treat soldiers with wounds?"

"How?" Bored as he was, Magnus still had to humor TJ, because he's a friend.

"They General- LEE, amputate them." TJ was struggling not to crack up at this point. "Get it? General Lee?"

"Haha" Magnus faked a laugh he definitely was not feeling, damn the puns man, damn the puns. "But wouldn't they howl in pain? Don't they have anesthesia?"

"Anesthesia? Oh painkillers right? Nah, they just chuck Bourbon and scream away." TJ deadpanned.

Ok, Magnus had to admit, he did actually laugh at that one, because it was funny. But still, he did have an attitude to uphold. "Very funny man, very funny." his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Maybe you should go try it on Alex sometime man."

"I just might, I just might."

Come English, and Magnus had a very, very male Alex Fierro staring at the back of his head.

"You know Magnus, I would like it if you weren't so tall, maybe then English wouldn't be so miserable." He teased. Magnus rolled his eyes.

"I'm soooo sorry, for being tall," Magnus deadpanned. "I was totally able to control my genetics."

Alex just snorted. And was silent the whole remainder of class. Leaving Magnus to wonder if he overplayed his sarcasm. In fact, by the time the bell rang, Alex was out of class so fast, he could've teleported.

"Alex, wait!" he stopped, Magnus, out of breath, managed to catch up with him. "Did I make you mad? I'm so sorry."

"You think it's funny huh? That I'm short?" Alex fumed. "You think that I'm a genetic mistake don't you? Being born small and short, just because of genetics."

"I don't, I was just playing with you, I'm so sorry Alex, I didn't meant to make you feel insecure." Magnus looked down at his feet. He didn't dared meet Alex's eyes, didn't dare stare into those chocolate brown and amber irises of his, for fear of what they say about what Alex thought of him. "I'm really sorry." Magnus repeated, his lips quivering, he just wanted to shrink away into oblivion, Alex's stare was really boring into him. Magnus could stand anyone being angry, anyone but Alex. He heard Alex sigh.

"Ok... I guess I forgive you, just don't ever joke about height with me again." Magnus glanced up, and discovered that Alex was gone, dashing to be the first at the cafeteria, as usual.

He was failing to burst the bubble, as usual. Well, Magnus decided, he was going to try something unusual. He made his way to the cafeteria, got his lunch, and went to Alex's table.

"Can I sit with you?"

"What makes you think I'd let you? Besides, don't you already have your friends for that?" Alex shot back.

"I- I- I was just trying to make up for what I did earlier, besides, you're my friend too Alex."

"No."

"Please?"

"Just no."

"Please, please. Look, are you still mad? I'm sorry ok? Can I please sit with you?"

"Why are you trying so hard?"

"I just feel guilty?"

"Hmph," Alex snorted. "Fine." He gestured at the seat across from him, and Magnus eagerly took it. Just happy that he could sit across from his crush. "Oh, and I'm female now." Magnus nodded, and Alex dug in, willfully ignoring Magnus. Until, Magnus couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the silence but also, he was curious.

"Alex?" He saw Alex lookup. "How was history class?"

"It was fun, more or less."

"TJ told me some funny civil war puns, do you want to hear them?"

"Well, it's not like you can bore me anymore than you already are, shoot."

"Dude, have you heard about how the south used to treat soldiers with wounds?" Magnus said in his most sarcastic voice.

"Look, Magnus, I'm female right now, so no dudes please, other than that, How?"

"They General- LEE, amputate them. Get it? General Lee?"

"Haha, TJ has a very weird sense of humor, Magnus."

"But you know what they'd give them to help them get through the pain?"

"What? Anesthesia?"

"Nah, Bourbon, and a stick for them to bite on." Alex actually laughed at that one. Magnus thought he was in heaven her laugh made he feel like jumping into a pond of caramel, sweet and all buttery and it also made his insides turn to jelly.

"Ok, that's at least funny, I'll give you that."

He smiled. And they went on talking again, just like they did that first week.

Magnus was beaming by the time the bell rang, beaming because they had Calculus next. Beaming because he gets to sit next to Alex.

"I thought you hated Calculus, Maggie." Alex teased.

"I'm just happy I get to sit and complain about it to someone who shares my opinion." Alex giggled. She needn't know the true reason behind the smile.

And he did complain to her and her to him, they, jibed about everything, from how hard the homework was to how unhelpful the lessons were. Magnus did it half heartedly, he was just looking for an excuse to talk to Alex. They drew a couple of glares from the teacher.

But they kept talking. So Alex was totally unprepared for when the teacher called on her.

"Fierro, what is the horizontal asymptote of this graph?"

"Ummm..... Uhhh....."

"Chase, do you know the answer?" the teacher said as she turned to Magnus.

"No, Ms. Judy." He replied, looking down at the table, fear in his eyes.

"Chase, Fierro, you two would've known the answer had you been paying attention instead of chatting. Be sure to pay attention next time."

"Yes, Ms. Judy" they chorused.

"And come see me after class, both of you." Alex and Magnus turned to each other, a confused look on both their faces. The class was filled with ooh's and aah's and "You're in trouble!"

After class, they were at Ms. Judy's desk after the bell rang, a fearful slash quizzical expression on their faces, staring at their feet as though their shoes are the most interesting things in the world (Magnus found Alex's mismatched pink and green sneakers very amusing).

"You two," Ms. Judy started. "For not paying attention today, I'm going to give you both a project, make a poster about the problem you did not answer today, and another one of your own choosing. You must graph them-" Magnus tuned her out, he was sweating rivers thinking of the trouble he's in, how could he finish an extra assignment amidst the shoulder deep homework he was already in? More to his concern, he's screwed up in front of Alex, granted Alex did screw up too, but it was still embarrassing nonetheless.

His mind caught on the word "together" however. They were going to have to do this project together? He was suddenly thinking that this might not be so bad afterall, getting to work on a project with Alex. Well, maybe he should start paying attention then, he looked up at the teacher as she continued.

"-And you must turn this in by this Friday, if you do a good job, I'll give you your participation points back, and maybe extra credit as well, if it's really good. Ok dismissed."

They walked out the door together, and Magnus turned to Alex the moment the door closed.
"Well," he began.

"I guessed we fucked up, big time." she finished.