Iced Cocoa

December 15th

Magnus POV

"You get better every day." Alec let me know as the day came to an end. The sun started to set as it got dark earlier in winter and the air got cooler and cooler. It was a successful and exciting day. I smiled and replied, "I also feel a lot more trusted with skiing." "I can see that and I'm proud of you," he said with a charming smile. When I was with him I had a permanent grin because I couldn't help it. It was that little spark between us that caused this. "Shall we go? I am sure you are tired." he asked and I nodded because I was indeed tired. I was also freezing to death. Hi

Together we made our way to finally change. I couldn't wait to get back in the warm room. When we arrived I sat down on a wooden bench with a loud sigh. Alec watched me in amusement and said, "Now comes the best part of it all." He took off his ski boots and I laughed because that was for real the most pleasant moment. Getting rid of those heavy shoes after a long day is way nicer than anyone can imagine. This was what freedom felt like. "It would be, but I had snow in my shoes the whole time. My legs are damn cold," I explained to Alexander, who came up to me with a smile on his face. Only in his socks he crouched in front of me and helped me take off my shoes. "What the hell are you doing?" I wanted to know because he started rubbing my legs. "I warm them up, otherwise it would take forever on its own and I don't want you to freeze that long." he said while continuing to rub my legs with both of his hands. I frowned because this situation was a little strange. "You don't have to, I mean-" "Don't worry, I do this a lot." Alexander interrupted me, which made me laugh. It was cute of him, but the thought that he might have done the same to fifty-year-olds is a little weird.

After a while, my legs were actually a little warmer again and I slipped into my regular winter boots. After packing my little bag, I got up and together we went out into the cold again. Normally we would say goodbye now, because I always took the gondola down to get to my apartment while Alec stayed here. "What if I accompany you down today? I mean, I have to make sure that your legs don't get cold again." he suggested and I smiled, because I had the feeling that that wasn't the reason why he wanted to go. He probably just wanted to chat a bit more. With a pleased smile, I replied, "I would be delighted." He nodded and then we got into the gondola together to get down. I found it nice when I could spend more time with him outside of the ski lessons. The time I spent with him during training was nice too, but it wasn't the same feeling. He had to do it because it was his job. I paid him to spend time with me, but the time he spent with me afterward was unpaid. He did this voluntarily because he liked me. Except Simon secretly paid him for it, but I didn't think so.

"It must be boring going down alone every day, right?" Alexander asked after a while, but I just shrugged my shoulders. In all honesty, it was like driving home from work. You don't always have someone with you, but you don't always need someone. Sometimes loneliness is pleasant, but I was glad to be here with Alec because it was nicer. "It's okay, I'm mostly just looking forward to my bed, so the journey goes by pretty quickly," I explained, while watching the trees passing us by. "It's nice that you are here though." I mentioned again so that he doesn't think that his presence made no difference to me because it wasn't like that at all. He smiled and as soon as we arrived we got out. The mood was a little tense, because we didn't know exactly what was happening now. We stood in front of the hotel and looked each other in the eyes. The sun had already set and it was dark. The cold was stifling. I noticed that Alec was shaking a little. He was probably just as cold as I was. It wouldn't be fair of me to just let him stand outside now, would it? After all, he brought me down. So I asked, "Would you like to warm up a little in my apartment? I could make us warm cocoa if you don't mind." It was almost as if his eyes lit up as he nodded happily. He was probably very happy not to have to stay out in the cold now. "Great, off with us then." I said as I entered the hotel.

Our apartment radiated pure warmth when we entered it. At least it was heated when we weren't there because we didn't want to go back to a cold apartment after a long day. Alexander seemed to look around in amazement while we took off our jackets and shoes. Our apartment wasn't huge, but it wasn't a small hotel room either. I was satisfied  with it and Alec would apparently also feel at home here. At least I could tell by the look on his face. I went into the small kitchen, got the milk from the refrigerator and started heating it on a stove. "Sit down," I said, which he did afterwards. To stand here and prepare cocoa for him and me was new to me, but also very nice. I no longer had the feeling that I was his student, but a friend of his. I liked that. "Simon is probably coming soon too, but he always stops a little later than me." I explained to him, because actually he should be here too. Alec laughed: "My sister can be really strict at times. Sometimes she even says 'We're done when I say it!' as if she was a teacher." I giggled softly, because the thought of her chasing Simon down the mountain like that was amusing, but that's exactly how I thought Isabelle was. She seemed like a strong independent woman who had her own mind. "Have you and your sister always had such a good relationship? I mean, that's not exactly common." I wanted to know and he nodded with a smile. As soon as the milk was heated enough, I added the cocoa powder and shortly afterwards the warm cocoa was done. "Actually yes, she was always my little sister and I always felt like I had to protect her. She is the most important thing in my life," he explained with shining eyes. It was really sweet to hear him talk about her. I wish I had something like that. I pushed the cocoa over to him and he accepted it thankfully. "And now she protects me more than I protect her. Nobody could get her down, really nobody. I envy her for that, to be honest," he admitted and I frowned. I listened carefully to what he told me. "I've always been pretty shy. It got better, absolutely, but I think a little more self-confidence wouldn't be bad." he said and I sighed softly. "Well, I think you're wonderful, just like your sister. Don't compare yourself to her. You can never be like her and she could never be like you, but that's nothing negative. No, it's beautiful because you are you, and that should never change. " I tried to explain to him while looking deep into his eyes. A small smile formed on his lips. "Thank you, Magnus." he replied and I just nodded happily.

Hello beautiful people! It's truly amazing to see how everyone is rooting for Malec as much as we are! A special thanks goes out to hellllllllloooxoxo who actually contributed to this chapter by sharing her idea with magnuswayland and me- thank you so much!
We wish you a beautiful day,
XOXO Ally and Vivien