Chapter Text
Once upon a time, Magnus vowed never to return to his hometown. It had brought him nothing but bad memories.
That’s a lie, a voice said from the back of his head. He shook his head. Idris was a town where his mum tried to drown him, a town where she killed herself, a town where people talked behind his back because he was Asmodeus Bane’s son—a town where his heart was broken. But it was also a town where he found friendship and love.
However, Magnus wasn’t sure if the good memories outweigh the bad.
After high school, Magnus received a scholarship to a top fashion university in New York. He accepted it and never turned back. His best friends, Catarina and Ragnor, was also attending university in New York, at Columbia Uni and NYU respectively. So, he had no reason to return to Idris.
Alec had already broken his heart then.
Now, fifteen years later, Catarina and Ragnor were getting married, and it would be held in Idris, even though both of them now lives in Brooklyn. While Catarina no longer has living relatives, Ragnor’s family was still alive and most of them lives in Idris still. They thought it would be easier to hold the wedding in Idris rather than asking Ragnor’s parents to make the trip to Brooklyn. It was hard for Ragnor’s dad to make long journeys after his surgery.
Magnus knew some of his childhood friends still lives in Idris. He wondered if Alec was still living there too.
The beep of his phone startled him out of his thought. He took out his phone and found that it was a series of text messages from Catarina.
Have you landed in NY? 13:15
We dropped Chairman Meow at ur apartment earlier bfr we left 13:15
Fed him. Left extra food and water too 13:16
Yup, arrived about an hour ago 13:18
Still in the cab, otw home 13:18
Thanks, fr taking him while I was in Paris, and fr dropping him off 13:19
That’s good. We arrived in Idris 30 mins ago 13:21
The Fells are lovely as usual, but wedding makes people crazy 13:22
I need support, so make sure u get ur butt up here in 2 days like u promised 13:22
Don’t make excuses, and change ur mind at the last minute 13:23
Suddenly Magnus’s throat felt dry as he swallowed. Catarina knew him all too well. Catarina and Ragnor made him promise that he would come up to Idris—a small coastal town near New London—two weeks before the wedding so that he could participate in all the wedding related events and stuff. And while he did promise, he knew he might try to make up some excuses—maybe emergencies at his studio—to arrive maybe a day or two before the wedding instead.
Fortunately, Magnus was saved from replying when the cab stopped. He has arrived home. The driver helped carry his luggage out from the trunk, so he gave the driver some extra tip. He exchanged greetings with his doorman before making his way up. Chairman Meow was stared at him from where he was sleeping—on the countertop—and resumed sleeping.
Magnus chuckled. His cat was such a diva. That was probably why both of them got along well. He took off his jacket, draping it on the back of a chair before dropping himself on the couch. He groaned. He wasn’t looking forward for the day after tomorrow. He fished out his phone from his pocket. He stared at Catarina’s last message for a while, sighing, before he replied:
I don’t know y I love u and Ragnor so much 13:55
Don’t make me regret coming up early 13:58
Annette promised to make ur favorite lemon meringue pie 14:02
1 WHOLE PIE just fr u 14:03
Magnus chuckled before dropping his phone on his chest. Annette Fell, Ragnor’s mom, bakes the best lemon meringue pie he had ever eaten. When he befriended Ragnor, Annette and the Fells, has welcomed him into the family. Annette and Jacob Fell had given him the love of a parent, and showed him what it was like to belong in a family. No matter how much he fussed about it, he knew that at the end of the day, he would return and spend time in Idris for two weeks because Catarina, Ragnor and the Fells asked him to.
Magnus wasn’t in a very good mood. He woke up late. He forgot that he hadn’t restocked his coffee beans, so had to walk to the coffee shop not far from his apartment for coffee and some breakfast bagels. On his way home, the rain decided to pour down heavily. And really, without even a warning drizzle. To top up his already bad day, he accidentally left the balcony door slightly open, and Chairman Meow decided to go out on an adventure. He checked his phone to see how late he was and realized there was a new text message from Catarina.
Don’t get cold feet. We’ll be expecting u for afternoon tea and dinner 10:20
Sorry, forgot my phone at home when I went to get breakfast 11:00
My day’s not going as planned. Chairman went out 11:03
Dunno what time I’ll be able to make a move to Idris 11:04
I told u to always close ur balcony door when u
sleep, idiot! 11:05
What if someone break in?! I’d resurrect u and kill u myself 11:05
If I have to go and identify ur dead body bcs u keep 11:06
On forgetting to close the damn door! 11:06
Magnus laughed at the reply he received, making his day a tad bit better. He knew it was Ragnor that replied. His friend was such a tsundere, a term that his manga and anime-love friend, Clary, explained to him once upon a time ago.
Awwe, my little cabbage! I love u too 11:06
Okay, I’m going to stop this before u and Ragnor start a text war 11:10
Hmm, Catarina was back, he thought.
Text us when ur on ur way. Don’t forget to check if everything’s locked bfr u leave 11:12
Yes, mom 11:14
I probably won’t make it to afternoon tea but I’ll see u at dinner 11:15
Probably won’t be long before Chairman returns 11:15
Boy, Magnus didn’t know how wrong he was. Chairman decided to stay out until half seven in the evening and by that time, all the pet hotels has already closed for the day. He had no choice but to take Chairman with him. Luckily, Will, Jem and Tessa’s B&B—the place he’d be staying at for the next two weeks—allowed pets. And fortunately, he had the forethought to send Tessa a text message, saying he’d be late. He had also shot Catarina an apology text before he left his apartment because there was no way he would make it to the Fells family dinner.
It was already almost eight in the evening, and it would take roughly two hours and thirty minutes to get to Idris, assuming there was no heavy traffic or he didn’t have to make any stops. In the end, it was half eleven when he arrived at the HeronGrayStairs B&B. He snorted, recalling the name of the B&B. At first, Tessa and Jem vehemently opposed to the name, but Will had already registered the name without their knowledge. Somehow, the two grew to love the name too.
Magnus parked his car where Tessa had instructed him to park. By the time he got to the front, he could see Tessa—who had probably heard him drive in—waiting at the top of the cobble stairs. She arched an eyebrow at him when she saw he had a large luggage bag, a knapsack, and Chairman Meow in his cat carrier.
“Don’t you start,” Magnus said, smiling despite his words. “Not everyone can afford to take a two-week vacation.”
Tessa laughed. “Good to see you again, Mags. It has been too long.”
“It has,” Magnus agreed. He put Chairman down, and gave Tessa a hug. After they separated, Tessa took Chairman’s carrier, and ushered Magnus inside.
“Come on in,” she said. “Chairman can roam around inside. All the door and windows are closed so he wouldn’t be able to run outside or go somewhere he shouldn’t go.”
“Thanks again for this, Tess,” said Magnus to his childhood friends. Tessa gave him the room key and told him where he could find it. Then, she told him to come straight down after before letting Chairman out of the carrier and keeping the carrier in the storeroom, where they kept Church’s things.
“Aye aye,” Magnus exclaimed, and Tessa laughed as he made his way to the first floor. His childhood friend, along with her sweethearts—Will and Jem—were some of the people he regretted leaving behind when she moved out of Idris.
Magnus decided to freshen up before going back downstairs. He went to the lounge room, where Tessa had told him to go, he saw Tessa and Jem cuddling on the couch while Will tended to the fireplace. He smiled at that, remembering the reason why Will, Tessa and Jem immediately fell in love with the property back then. Jem was the one who noticed him first, and greeted him.
“Mags,” Jem said, and Magnus had to roll his eyes at the infernal nickname. It was Ragnor’s retaliation for him calling Ragnor his little cabbage when they were younger. He was stuck with the nickname when Catarina and Tessa found out and kept on calling him by that name.
“Hey,” Magnus replied, giving Jem a hug without the latter having to get off the couch. Tessa looked at one of her partners, amused.
Jem gestured at the food on the coffee table. “Will made supper.”
“And I made it especially for you too, so you better appreciate me for thinking about you this late at night.”
Magnus snorted, knowing Will was being Will. “Thank you, oh wonderful Will Herondale, the best cook in town.” He was still a bit amused that in that trio, Will was the one who could cook. Tessa was decent in the kitchen but Jem burnt water, of all things. But he shouldn’t be surprised. Apparently the cooking gene runs in the Herondale family, Magnus thought as he think about a distant cousin of Will’s, and Alec’s adopted brother.
Will snorted, gave Magnus a bro hug, before joining Tessa and Jem’s cuddle fest. Magnus piled up his plate with mac and cheese sandwiches and grabbed a mug of hot cocoa Tessa had made for him before making himself comfortable on the armchair. He saw Chairman Meow at the corner, curiously pawing at Church while the old cat just looked at Chairman with a bored, fed up look. Although, as long as he remembered, Church did have a resting bitch face.
“Tomorrow, you can thank me by taking me out for brunch,” Tessa exclaimed. “I just prevented your death by strangulation curtesy of one Ragnor Fell. You forgot to text them that you’ve arrived. Your little cabbage was worrying up a storm, thinking you got lost or worst.”
Magnus winced. His phone died just as he reached the B&B. He had been meaning to charge his phone and shoot a quick text to his best friends before coming downstairs, but he forgot.
Will huffed. “Hopefully he’s still here tomorrow to take you,” the dark haired man said. “He might flee in the middle of the night.” He received a double smack from his partners for that comment.
“I wouldn’t,” Magnus almost pouted. He wasn’t that predictable, was he? He heard Will yelped and knew Jem elbowed him in the stomach.
“Be nice,” the brunette said. He looked at Magnus. “I’m sure your visit will be enjoyable. A lot has changed since you left. Not just the place, but the people too.”
Amen, Magnus thought, hoping it would be true. He had half a mind to ask his friends whether Alec Lightwood was still in town but decided not to lest they thought he wasn’t over the younger man.
tbc