[fierrochase]

the battle [magnus's pov again]

People were still arriving, so I made my way over to Alex quickly, trying to ignore my churning stomach.

"Hey."

She glanced at me coldly, but I could see her face flush as I stared at her. "Hey."

"So.... we should... talk at some point, right?"

"What is there to talk about?"

Is she serious? I felt myself getting angry.

"In case you forgot, we kissed. You can't just brush that off." She flinched.

She opened her mouth to say something, but just then the starting horn sounded. 

Alex smirked at me and ran into the fray, gripping her axe and clay cutter.

"Alex!" I yelled after her, but she didn't even look back.

"Great," I muttered. I sprinted after her, dodging flying weapons and screaming warriors.

I almost caught up to her, but there were multiple people sword fighting and swinging axes and various other tools of destruction that I had to unsheathe my sword and mow down a few.

"Hey man!" Jack exclaimed. "Nice going on the whole kiss thing! It took you guys long enough."

I rolled my eyes. Of course he had been listening. "Well, since you were obviously eavesdropping, you must have heard that she wants nothing to do with me. So it apparently didn't go very well."

"But why would she have done it if she didn't like you? That doesn't make much sense-"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out, okay? Just- I'm not in the mood to talk about it with you right now. Maybe you could just be quiet for a while."

Arrows were whizzing past my face so fast I couldn't even think straight, so if he replied, I didn't hear it. I made my way carefully and quickly to where Alex was very skillfully fending off attackers. 

"Why are you here, Magnus?" She growled as she saw me approaching. "Does it look like I want to talk right now?"

"So what, you'll be perfectly open to have a nice heart-to-heart about it after the battle?"

She didn't reply.

"Just- it meant nothing to you?" I didn't like how weak I sounded.

"I never said that! On your left."

I spun around and impaled someone coming up behind me. He grinned and gave me a thumbs-up as he fell to the ground.

"Okay, so it did mean something?"

Alex groaned. "I don't know, okay? Yes! No! I don't know! Arghhh!" 

She started swinging at people with even more force and rage. I made sure to stay out of the circumference of her swinging circle.

This is going to sound weird, but as I watched her slash and slice attackers, she looked even more beautiful than usual. She was so fierce, and strong, and brave... I almost couldn't be mad at her anymore. Almost.

As I gazed at Alex I kind of... forgot I was in the middle of an active battlefield.

I was so distracted that I didn't notice three einherji coming toward me, weapons at the ready- but Alex did. In one fell swoop, she took care of them.

"What are you doing, you idiot? Do I always have to be the one to save you?" She snapped.

"See, right there! You tease me constantly, call me names, never let your feelings show, except in the Ice Realm where we literally almost DIED, and then you kiss me again! And then you just continue as if nothing happened. What am I supposed to think?"

"I don't know, okay?" We were both almost screaming at this point. "It's hard for me to be vulnerable so shut the hell up, dumbass-" She stopped herself. "Sorry. I'm... I'm working on that."

I could have sworn I saw tears glistening in her eyes.

"You are?" I couldn't help but let a smile show. "I'm glad."

"Alright, don't freak out about it. It's not a big deal."

I continued smiling at her even as I jabbed a girl with my sword.

"I swear if you don't wipe that stupid grin off your face I will kill you right now." She was trying to sound angry, but I could see a glimmer of happiness in her eyes. 

We stood in silence for a moment, surveying the battlefield. I hadn't even realized how much time had passed and how many people we had defeated. 

Then Alex turned toward me, a soft look on her face. "Magnus, I-"

And then she gasped and fell to the ground. 

Some guy had come out of nowhere and stabbed her in the back. 

"Really, man?" I glared at him.

He started towards me, but I decapitated him in one swift flick of my sword.

"Your timing couldn't have been any worse." I told his dead body.