#magnu hs a bit of anxiety

[depressedacadamia]

Do you want to keep your opinion or your knee caps?

Prompt + pairing: College au, ‘Photo’ + fierrochase

A/N: So tHiS wAs A rEqUeSt- thank you to the anon who requested this! You'll notice that the duolingo owl meme has inspired the title of this and towards the end, I have Alex quote Lemony Snicket. I dont have much else to say except the list of prompts that I had pinned on my tumblr dashboard is now a link on my masterlist. Currently pinned is Will solace's birthday week prompts- I hope you guys enjoy this and please comment! <3 from persephone!!

Read on a03           Masterlist          WritersMonth 2021

“T- Jeff, Give that back right now!” Magnus yelled as the 6 pack of red bull- which he had slammed on his desk 10 minutes to midnight- was snatched away from his very eyes.

“Hell no!” his best friend shouted back. “ I’m not watching you throw away your health! Hey Sam- Back me up here!”

Samirah, who had only entered the dorm to steal another one of Magnus’s good pens which he had probably stolen from Alex or T-jeff, simply shrugged. “ I’m pretty chill if he wants to shorten his lifespan by a couple of decades.”

“Seee! That's what a good friend does- ignores all your terrible mistakes and lets you live your own life.”

Samirah, had taken a red bull from T-Jeff, because god help him if he had tried to stop her. “I’m not your friend.”

Now , you, the reader may be wondering- what on earth am I witnessing right now before my very eyes?

Allow me to kindly explain. What you are viewing is what is called the ‘ College phenomenon’. Currently, on the 19th floor of their dormitory building, Magnus Chase was about to drink 6 red bulls in an attempt to keep himself awake for the entire night; why would anybody do this to themselves, you may ask?

Because, college.

And in reality, Magnus had a very long project that- of course- was due tomorrow. Sure, his cousin Annbaeth was smart but even Annabeth left work to the very last minute. He could feel his head pounding from the previous caffeine consumed when he decided it would be a good idea to chug several espresso shots.

He could feel his boyfriends smirk as he entered the room. He felt slender arms wrap themselves around his neck as a tinge of green hair fell down to tickle his cheek. A warm cheek pressed against his, in a somewhat comforting manner.

“You look like shit,” Alex pointed out.

“Thanks, that’s exactly what I want to hear from my boyfriend,''Magnus grumbled. He frowned and suddenly, he felt a light peck on his lips.

“You’re cute when you’re grouchy.”

Despite his awfully foul mood, Magnus couldn't help but feel a small blush paint his cheeks and burn to the tip of his ears from hearing such a compliment- after all, he looked like shit (and felt like it) and yet here was his prim and gorgeous as ever boyfriend telling him that he looked cute.

“I came here to steal your stationary Magnus, not witness an awkward first date,” Samirah took another sip of the red bull.

Magnus pouted. “ How come you let her drink the red bull, but you don't let me?”

“Uh- Because she’s terrifying,” T-Jeff retorted.

“Thank you,” Samirah smiled, flicking her headscarf over her shoulder.

“And there’s no way I’m letting you drink all of those,'' Alex reminded Magnus.

T- Jeff continued, “ And he is also terrifying.”

Annoyed and frustrated, Magnus slammed his head directly onto his desk. He ignored the blearing pain that struck through his head like lighting due to the stupid hit. He ignored the annoying words that began to blur into one another as he drifted off to sleep- and perhaps he ignored -or, or maybe he didn’t notice- his boyfriend moving him to his bed and snuggling up next to him as they fell asleep.

The next morning, Magnus was semi surprised to find that he was A- in his bed, B- not suffering from a headache and C- lying down next to Alex. When did he even get into bed, let alone with Alex?

“Your staring is interrupting the quality of my sleep,” he groaned as he shifted himself slightly, resting his head on the blond’s chest.

“When did you get here?”

“And that's a question I never want to hear from you in the morning,” Alex mumbled, “ I put you to bed idiot- you’re sincerely welcome.”

Magnus felt a flush rising to his cheeks as he sat up. “ O-oh.”

Alex yawned as he grabbed Magnus by the arm and yanked him back down to the -let's be frank here- uncomfortable mattress of his dorm.

Soon they were both fast asleep, in each other’s arms; not aware of any of their surroundings or of Mallory snapping a photo of them.

“Delete it now!” Magnus cried as he tried to grab the phone from T-jeff who was currently showing off the photo that Mallory had sent the group chat.

While Alex seemed quite unfazed by it, it seemed to have caught the unwanted attention of all of their friends- therefore pushing Magnus into a very uncomfortable spotlight.

Magnus couldn’t help but feel like he was 15 again- out on the cold streets, people staring at him as he cowered away from the harsh glares, sympathetic whispers but no true hands being held out to help him. He couldn't stand the idea that every one was watching him, staring at him, talking about him. But this was infinitely worse because not only could they all be talking about him but they could also be talking about Alex.

He could feel his face burn as his friends laughed with innocent delight at the cute photo of the couple sleeping in each other's arms. His eyes were stinging, blurring together reality and his confused nightmare and maybe it was real or maybe it was his confused version of reality but he could have sworn to have seen a sliver of concern flash across Alex’s face.

“Delete the photo.” Her firm voice rang out. Magnus watched, half stricken with awe and the other half still shaken with fear, panic and misery.

“What?” T-jeff and the rest were confused. “ C’mon Alex, it’s just a cute picture of the happy couple.”

“The couple is no longer happy because of the photo- delete it.”

“You seem pretty happy to me.”

“Do you want to keep your opinion or your kneecaps?” Alex hissed, her eyes narrowed into slits, anger portrayed like the eye of a hurricane nearing the ocean- like a tornado near a lit splint. Nodding eagerly, they all agreed to delete the photo. Subtly calling for Magnus for some couple related reason, she managed to get them alone.

Bonus:

His hands came to cup Magnus’s face, the tears finally falling. None streamed down his face as he kept his head bowed slightly- hiding it from Alex.

What was he meant to say? How do you comfort a crying person?

“Was it really that bad?” Alex asked, trying to keep his tone soft. “ Did you really not like them taking photos of us?”

Magnus shook his head.

“I need you to talk to me, Magnus.”

“I… I didn’t like it.” His voice was meek, soft, and purely vulnerable; and as he slowly raised his head, Alex was all too stricken with the sight before him. Magnus’s eyes somehow still seemed gorgeous, red rimmed and shiny from the tears that befell from them. His cheeks were flushed,his ears tipped in red and his blond hair sheltering his face like a small child.

“Why?”

Magnus paused. He was hesitant to answer the question, after all- who wouldn't be nervous to tell their partner about all the previous trauma they’ve endured?

“It reminds me… of a bad time,” Magnus’s voice only seemed to get quieter. “ I..”

“You…”

“Iusedtobehomeless.”

Despite his innocent attempts to prevent Alex from understanding him, he felt two hands hold his face very gently and bring it closer to his boyfriend who stood before him. He felt uncomfortable as Alex burned his eyes at him. Their pupils locked onto one another and Magnus wasn’t sure whether he should look away or not.

“...What…?”

“I was just wondering if you had fallen down and broken your head in the process,” Alex thought aloud.

“What?” Magnus’s confused voice and expression was something Alex told himself he’d have to save in his head to view later.

“I’m not going to judge you because of the misfortune you’ve lived through. I’ll love you as misfortune loves orphans, as fire loves the innocent and as justice loves to sit down and watch everything go wrong,” Alex murmured as he placed a small kiss on Magnus’s nose.