Chapter Text
POV M
“This is so frustrating!” Magnus grumbled with a frown.
He’s been racking his brain over his math homework for nearly two hours and he got nothing. Nothing! It can’t be helped that math is his nemesis and he had this profound hatred for it ever since he was little. He just don’t get math, like seriously. It’s just so … confusing, like which formulae to use and what not. Okay, maybe it is just him who sucks at math, though he will never admit it unless proven otherwise.
After few minutes of a one-sided glaring contest with the question, Magnus lost, sighing heavily as he threw his pen at it loathingly. He flopped back on the beanbag that he had been sitting (or laying) on and looked around the café which he had, admittedly, fell in love with when he stumbled upon it on his way back from university a few weeks prior.
It’s a newly open café called Java Jace, which situated near the central park and a prestigious school called The Institute… weird name. Anyway back to the topic, the café had a sort of a calming and peaceful ambience to it which Magnus liked best in a café. The interior was decorated in quite a chic manner, someone obviously had a great taste of decor. Here, he don't have to worry about unwanted interaction or attention by anybody, meaning getting stared at which was creepy, because of how the seats were positioned. The mismatched tables and seats were placed in the best way possible to provide a sense of privacy and subtle isolation despite the public setting, yet still able to carry out a comfortable group conversation. This gave people like Magnus a place where they can truly relax and enjoy their quiet time.
Magnus absently picked up his coffee as he gazed around, mind running on random thoughts, only to realised he was sipping air. He scrunched his nose distastefully at his empty cup and at his paper which was laying innocuously on the table. 'Gotta need more of this poison before I have to deal with the devil again.' he thought before getting up begrudgingly to order another one of his soul.
"Knew you would come crawling back to me. Black again?" Jace, an asshole of a barista, greeted as he flashed his megawatt smile that got both boys and girls swooning left and right. But not Magnus.
Though he got to say that Jace was quite a looker with his charismatic heterochromatic eyes, one blue while the other had a quarter of brown in the blue. His glossy blonde hair (I wonder what product he used) totally played the part alright. He looked like an angel if Magnus got to be honest. Even if he's handsome, Jace was not his cup of tea, that or coffee. Magnus' type was more of the tall, dark and handsome ones, girls too, tall but not taller than him, dark and pretty. Hey what can he say, he got the best of both worlds and he's proud of it.
“Yup, I need another to fuel myself up before my brain melts from the heat of hellfire.” Magnus mumbles with a scowl.
“Man, wish I could help but I’m kinda hopeless too.” Jace said while laughing and went to make his coffee. Whilst waiting, Magnus took out his phone to check if there’s any message for him. Of course, his dear friends, Catarina, Raphael and Ragnor had texted him and asked him where had he died off to for the past hours. He snorted, shaking his head at their messages. How caring of them. Just as he was about to text back, he felt someone’s burning stare on him. Within seconds, Magnus felt chills all over and he started to fidget with his sleeve, pulling at the loose threads. Even after shifting and tapping his feet, he couldn't get over the feeling of being watched. He tried to refocus on typing a message to his friends but couldn’t. Breathing out a shaky sigh, Magnus told himself that it’s just him being paranoid or so conscious, that he's letting his mind run wild about someone staring when he’s not attractive at all, he’s just a plain university guy, what was so special about him? Maybe it wasn't attraction, maybe the person was planning a homicide. That would explain the chills he got. 'Let's not go there.' Shaking off the shivers, he dismissed his thoughts with a wave of his hand and went back to texting.
"One cup of sweet soul essence to heal your tortured mind, handsome."Jace said it with a wink as he handed him his coffee. Magnus rolled his eyes, decisively ignored the blatant flirting (Jace flirts with anything that moves) and accepted the steaming dark liquid. He took a deep breath of the tantalising aroma, eyes flattering close as he bit back a moan from escaping his lips.
"Damn, you are a perfection. Even without a sip, I am in nirvana." Magnus said while letting out a long exhale, tension visibly flowing out of his body.
"I would say thank you but I already know I'm a perfection. I'm God's best creation after all." Jace smirked cockily, turning his nose up with an air of extraordinary conceit. How this man live his life and not get decked by people truly baffled Magnus, he should receive a shiny medal for it.
Magnus put on a faux apologetic face, "Sorry to burst your bubble, Jace. I was talking to the coffee. Right sweetie?" he cooed at the coffee in hand while stroking the cardboard sleeve dearly. Jace gasped at him with a incredulous look and scoffed haughtily. Magnus broke his act and a grin split across his face.
"Wow what a friend you are. I've made you coffee and this is the treatment I got? I need new friends." Jace folded his arms defensively with a huff. Magnus chest warmth at the thought that Jace had thought of him as a friend despite being strangers a few weeks ago. He knew Jace did not mean what he said by the look of that small curl at the corner of his lips.
“Whatever makes you sleep at night Jace!” and Magnus backed away from the counter while sticking his tongue out at him. Jace did the same back at him and the both of them chuckled at their childishness. Real mature of them.
When Magnus first came to Java Jace, he did not think that he would make any friends there. It kind of surprised him what fast friends he and Jace had become and was really grateful that they did. Despite Jace being a narcissist, he's a good friend in his own way. Lost in thoughts, Magnus did not realise there was someone in front of him and you could say it felt like he hit a wall.
'Shit! I’m gonna fa—' Magnus panicked and squeezed his eyes shut tightly in preparation for the pain and burns. Instead of a humiliating landing and scalding pain, a pair of hands held him. One firmly on the small of his back to break the fall while the other held his hand which had the coffee. Gosh such reflexes. Instinctively, Magnus reached out with his free hand and grasped on to whatever was in front of him tightly as he tried to get over the mini heart attack. Damn he almost died.
“Are you okay?” a gentle but deep raspy voice filled his ears. 'Jesus Christ. That voice.' Magnus shuddered slightly as he cracked open his eyes to see the brick-of-a-chest mystery man.
Holy shit. Maybe he did die after all. But there's no angels in hell.
Before him presented the most stunning pair of hazel eyes staring back at him. Specks of gold litter around the pupil while green and brown surrounded them. It's like he's peering into a kaleidoscope. Magnus felt the man breath hitched as he stared back.
'Wow okay, oh my god, this is heaven then cause he just encountered an angel and how the hell is angelman so tall?! He himself was already five foot eleven and this god was even taller...fuck...I want to climb him like a– NO Magnus! Wrong timing!' his brain snapped at him after such a long useless monologue. After what seemed like the longest and most intense staring competition, Magnus pushed himself out of his reverie. He lowered his gaze immediately and jerked his hand away from the lapel that he was holding on to just as the man released him from his arms. Despite all that, it felt so nice to be held so gently.
“I-I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to err...I er… b-bump into you...” Magnus hand scratched his nape timidly, letting out a breath that he did not know he had been holding in all those time. With his jittery nerves and pounding heart, he could feel his face burning red from the embarrassment. ‘Oh my god, well done Magnus, you have totally and utterly embarrassed yourself in front of such a HOT Greek god!’ he berated himself mentally.