troubled waters (FierroChase AU)

ten

The sun was slowly and beautifully going down beyond the house fronts turning the blue sky into what was an actual explosion of colour, of feelings and expression. It was seldom that nature managed to display human characteristics so closely, so precisely, with such an amount of truth in it. The evening sky was something special, always had been for Alex. It was not about going to the seaside or climbing on skyscrapers to capture the best picture of it, like many people were handling it.

It was about just sitting wherever she was and thinking and letting the colours flood her mind. This could happen anywhere, as long as she had a window close to her, that could work as a sort of outlet, a window to the outside world that could establish a connection between divided souls. It had always been a rare moment of peace for Alex, alone time, quiet time, things so rarely experienced with her father in control of her life.

As Alex was standing next to her window watching, she thought of finally going to meet her new neighbour, that Magnus her landlady had spoken of. The slight nervousness she had experienced earlier on when thinking about that had gone away, she was actually anxious to meet him in a positive way, it was as if she could not wait anymore. A strange feeling, that is true. She decided to just get down and knock on the door without waiting for some sort of invitation or occasion for it. That was the best way to show who she was, straightforward and sometimes too self-assured. Magnus did not have to meet the other sides of her character unless he was worth it. This would be a more cautious strategy after all.

As she had just turned to close her apartment's door behind her, Alex heard steps behind her back. Someone was slowly coming up the stairs. That someone could only be Magnus. She smiled silently and turned around. She had not really seen that Magnus guy before. First thing she noticed: long blonde hair that framed his face in a rather aesthetic way. What a surprise. But what surprised her even more, were his eyes.

They were of a cold, almost bitter grey, as though the colours were permanently mixed and mixed again, in endless movement and agitation. She first thought of clouds, covering the sight of what was inside, preventing the outside to know, to understand, a cold but strong façade to guard his soul. But then again, there was more to it than clouds. There was rain in the constant agitation, falling down and turning around, a million trickles, a million tears. There was something beyond understanding in those eyes, something past, something deep down in his heart, he would not let anyone touch. And as Alex lost herself in the eyes, she thought that there was even more in it.

Not merely a storm of clouds and rain and sometimes rays of sunlight or lightning interrupting the flow of greyness, no, it all seemed, despite the sadness and desperation revealed, to still bear something more, something stronger. His eyes were hurricanes, swirling and spinning in his face, the ultimate protection and safeguard, and yet, Alex thought, if one could penetrate in the eye of the storm there might be an access in the end. She was captured by these eyes, impressed, standing in awe and observing having lost the conscience of what she was doing. More, was what she thought. More than she had expected to find, more than one person could bear, what was displayed by the eyes. And more, more of this Magnus was what she wanted right now, subconsciously, yet in total will and in clarity seldomly known before.

It took her a while to realize that she was staring. They were standing in front of each other, not saying anything. And Alex noticed, as she liberated herself from the force of his eyes, that he was staring as well. At least it appeared so. Perhaps he had only stared because she was so weird staring at him.

"Uh, hi", she said. "I'm Alex. I am...kinda living up here now. So, you must be Magnus?"

The words came out slowly, hesitantly, as she was still uncertain of how to act. That was an uncommon situation, a situation that made her somewhat anxious of her own appearance, of the way she was speaking. That Magnus made a mess out of her and they had barely even met. She could not explain herself why.

"Yeah, hey", Magnus answered, scratching his head, apparently not knowing where to keep his hands. Alex was relieved, for she was aware enough of the situation to notice that he was anxious, too. They could just be two messes talking to each other, that could make everything easier, or just turn everything into a double-mess. But at the same time, she also could not help but perceive and appreciate his voice. It was rather deep, just a little bit rough, but shaken as well, probably due to the situation he was in. And there was some kind of specialty to it, she could not understand or categorize properly, something unique yet indescribable. That was an easy way to escape description, she knew this with her interest in art, but still, it was true in this case. She could not say what made her realize it, it was strange.

"Uhm, we are standing on the stairs", Magnus said abruptly. He did not continue. It was a simple fact, nothing more.

"Well, my apartment is not really ready to receive visitors yet." Alex replied.

"We could sit in the garden. It is nice out there at this time of day", Magnus proposed, quickly adding: "I mean, if you don't mind, maybe you got something better to do."

"No", Alex almost interrupted him, "I'd love to. I was actually just going to knock on your door, if you had not already made your way up here. Neighbours got to meet each other, don't they?"

"Uhm yeah, I guess so." Magnus was visibly not comfortable in the situation, hesitating, and speaking softly, apparently fearing to say something wrong. Alex was surprised by his behaviour. Was he always like this? Had something happened to him earlier on? Was she acting wrongly? It did not come to her mind, that her appearance impressed Magnus so strongly, that he felt virtually intimidated by her. In a positive way, in an ... indescribable way.

They made their way down the stairs, saying a phrase or two at a time, sometimes casting fast glances at each other, then looking away again, uncertain and anxious. Once they got to the garden and sat down, a moment of awkward silence installed itself and both were thinking, for a short time, almost the same thing. There was sympathy for the other one, there was surprise, anxiousness and, on both sides, a little bit of intimidation. It was a perfect melange.