f a m i l i a r i t y. - [fierrochase]

thirteen ☀️

MAGNUS ;

     Nervous was an understatement. Magnus was fucked up, and wrecked to the bones. He was fumbling with his sweater, an ugly sweater with reindeer patterns as he put his hair in a man bun—not wanting it to be much of a nuisance to him while they baked a cake, and also insisting on the man term. He had exactly no idea why he chose to wear a reindeer sweater, and this thought of disarray came to mind when Alex was standing on the ajar door of his apartment, a snickering mess was what she was reduced to when she saw Magnus in that get up.

     "Was this," she said and gestured all of Magnus, "necessary?" She asked and laughed again. Magnus wanted to admit he looked like a dork, and all the more easier when she was faced with Alex, who was looking gorgeous. She wore a plain olive green turtle neck sweater, her denim pants hugged her thighs just right and she had a pink jacket tied on her waist. Magnus wanted to sue her for being so goddamn gorgeous.

     "Shut up, let's just—uhh, bake the cake? I guess." He said as he inverted his sight to the kitchen where he had laid down most of the ingredients and some utensils. They walked right in there after Alex set down her bag, saying she brought a sketch pad because she might get bored—not that she had accused Magnus of being boring though. Magnus just shrugged at her, and continued their venture to the kitchen.

     "How do you even do this?" Magnus had asked, his face contorting as he skimmed through the contents of the flour. "I mean, yeah I'm independent." He shrugged and tossed the flour aside. "But this is the first time I'll be defending myself—cakewise."

     Alex snickered, her laugh was audible to Magnus as he got infected with the greenhead's amusement. "Maggie, it's pretty easy! Just watch me!" She said and took hold of the flour.

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     It was not easy.

     "Alex, why isn't it doing the thing?" Magnus asked as he eyed the electric mixer. Both of them were clad in flour, regretting the fact that they forgot to wear aprons. Alex had batter on her bangs as Magnus had on his cheeks and wrists, on how the cake batter ended up there—they wouldn't need to tell.

     "Magnus," she said, her voice filled with seriousness. "I'm an art major. I paint, I do pottery and any kind of art you could think of." The blond shrugged and asked, "What?"

     "I don't fucking know how to man this machine. What if it fucking attacks me?" She said and nudged the bowl of batter, a thick but proper mush of flour mixed with other various ingredients such as chocolate and milk—basically, that's the two most important ingredients, specifically stated by Alex.

     Magnus, despite being covered in flour and sticky batter, was incredibly delighted for what was happening right now. Alex was here, laughing and smiling and had batter on her hair like a crazy person. The air was cold, and yet it felt so warm—as if summer and winter had eloped and created one certain feeling, and for Magnus, it was tranquility mixed with euphoria. He just felt at peace being with Alex like this, messing around like two idiots not knowing how the fuck to bake a cake, not knowing how to handle an electric mixer. Really, this was one of the best things to happen to him.

     "It's a non-living thing, Fierro." Magnus said as he plugged the machine, electricity coursed through the wires and he started it. Instantly, the batter was mixed in more and become denser, yet more deliciously thick and oozing in the best way possible. "See! It worked!" Magnus said overjoyed and Alex just high fived him. "Yeah!" She cheered as the batter got more mixed up.

     Magnus had turned the machine off and asked Alex for the cake pan. "I'm gonna put icing on it." She claimed and snickered. "Let's make the icing pink!" She said as Magnus nodded his head, a sign of agreement brushed through him as he held the whisk and the strawberry syrup.

     "So, you know how to make icing?" Magnus asked once Alex actually dropped some syrup in a spoon and ate it. Alex nodded, "Maybe." Magnus shook his head. "Somehow, I don't trust that answer."

     "Why must you not?" Alex acted like she got hurt, her hand on her chest as she let out an offended gasp. "I know things!"

     And Magnus laughed. Something he did quite often when Alex was there, when Alex was around him. He never really thought of anything when she was there—just the occasional fuck you Magnus, what the fuck are you doing Magnus, don't fucking do that Magnus. But apart from those, the only thing in mind when Magnus is with Alex is the joy, the happiness, the enjoyment. Those were everything that Magnus felt, and thought of when Alex was with him. She was an undiscovered world, a cluster of deserted islands scattered in the deep blue serene of the ocean—she was the books Magnus have never read yet, a complete mystery that had Magnus knocked out from all his curiosity. She was like those words in the tip of your tongue—analyzing your mind and memory for what it is, and the euphoria you feel whenever anything rings a bell that puts you closer to the answer. Alex was like that, an undiscovered plain, suspicious but incredibly aesthetic, a mystery unsolved. And Magnus was a mess of curiosity, wanting to find out more, wanting to see more and discover more of Alex. Without prying, of course.

     Magnus wanted Alex to tell him. He wanted to know all those things Alex is hiding, in her own words, with her permission and without holding back. He wanted her to know that he was there, that she wasn't alone like she always seemed to be. Magnus never said, but she saw the loneliness in her eyes every time she would look away, or when she wasn't preoccupied with the thought of playing Magnus' game. Her eyes were of different colors, but they both echoed one meaning—loneliness, and a tinge of spite.

     "Yeah, now let's get on that whipped cream before you accidentally spill all those things you know." He laughed and started the method of making icing for the cake.

     "Whipped!" Alex said once she finished whipping the cream. Magnus smiled when she acted like that, like a child happy with what she had as an output. "On your nose!" Alex said as she smeared the icing on Magnus' nose, laughing uncontrollably as Magnus backed away, looking like Magdolf the pink-nose reindeer.

      "Haha! You look like a reindeer!" Alex laughed. "Ooh, wait—HAHA!" She pointed to the reindeer sweater Magnus was wearing. "Coincidence? I think not!" And she doubled over laughing as Magnus just rolled his eyes.

      Magnus loved all of this. He loved how Alex was there, by his side—smears of icing and batter in her hair and an adorable laugh smeared on her face. He loved being with Alex, and as cheesy as it may have seemed—he loved the way time stopped and Alex was beside him, he loved the way the world seemed to not matter whenever she was there. It seemed as if sparks flew up and over his head, and the sky around them was an overflowing spear of a kaleidoscope.

     Magnus loved this.

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