@inkfated [[continued from here]]
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry that you were treated like that. No one deserves it.” And he hoped that whoever had hurt Magnus like that was paying for it now. He nodded in understanding. “It’s best to save yourself for someone who will truly care about you. They’ll come around.” And he would do well to take his own advice. “I like archery. Maybe I’ll get more into that.” It was something he did every now and then, though he was very good at it. If he went to the fields more, Alec knew that he’d get even better. When the pizza and water was brought out, Alec thanked him and paid him before he started to eat. The food warmed his belly and the water was soothing going down.
“Yes, that’s fine. Please take your time. There’s no need to rush.” And he certainly didn’t want the man to be rushing for him either. He looked down at his food, feeling embarrassed and he muttered, “I shouldn’t have said that. Go on and continue what you were doing. I’m fine here.” Alec ate quietly and this time when he drank he kept to the water. The slices that he’d gotten were easily gone in an hour and he had turned around to people watch while he waited on Magnus’s shift to be over. It wasn’t easy seeing all of the couples there together, but he had to at least think that maybe they were happy. Hopefully these people here would get the happy endings they deserved. At this point in his life, Alec didn’t know if he would get one. He also didn’t know how he would ever return home. Maybe it would be time to get his own place, because he knew that seeing Jace again was only going to upset him.
Magnus smiled in a charming way. “It took a while, but I’m better for it. I know the signs I need to walk away from.” He smiled at Alec’s words and nodded. “They may come around when you least expect it. Everything happens for a reason, though, right?” He really did want to know Alec better, maybe they could be friends once the other was sober. “Archery? That’s a dying art. It’s nice to see someone appreciate such a classic.” He tried to deny the money, but he knew better than to argue with anyone inebriated after years in his line of work. It felt nice to help someone rather than having to just keep making drinks or calling a cab.
“There’s never a need to rush in this bar.” He assured, smiling again. As Alec looked down, he reached over to lay a hand on Alec’s. “I’ve been told worse, I promise. Let me know if you need more good or water, okay?” He gave a reassuring smile and went about what he needed to do, straightening up and finishing washing glasses, never far from where Alec was. When his replacement showed up, he grabbed his jacket and keys and walked over to Alec. “Think you can make it to my car? It’s just around the corner.” He offered.
themusechronicles 