Son of a Broken Crown

Mason Frost  || Son of a Broken Crown  || Moodboard (1/?)

When he put his jacket around her Ellen smiled gratefully at him. It was sweet how he always looked after her, making sure she was alright. She leaned against him, just wanting to feel him near her. She looked down at her notebook, it had some drops of water on it from the rain. Smiling she wrote, you’re really sweet. You know that? and handed him the notebook so he could read it. They could be standing here for a while, if there were a lot of people taking cabs today, but she didn’t mind. Not when she was in his company. 

Mason did not like people, still a few always found their way into his heart. Not only had Ellen done that she had also changed his life. A smile was rare from him, but she pulled it out of him along with a kind of kindness he once believed was lost. And maybe along the way he started to love her and now, he was hopelessly caught in that feeling. Mason watched for the cab, but his eyes fell to her notebook as she passed it to him. He smiled at her words, he leaned over to kiss her cheek before handing it back to her. “You have that effect on me. You make me want to be a better person.” He told her as he rested his hand on her back. 

The young Frenchman’s face lit up, “I will have to check that out, I am always on a hunt for better cake after all.” 

“That must be hard after being from France,” Mason commented, noticing the young man’s accent and knowing a little about the French he knew their food was far better than the Amercians’. “We can’t compete, not that I’d know how the food is, but anythings better than most of what you find here.”

“I am very glad you agree with me on that. If there is one thing that should never be wasted it is cake.” Henri stated. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mason.”

“You too, Henri.” He smiled at the boy, “It’d be a shame. You know, if you want the best cake you’ve ever had--there’s a place about a block from here that’s a hole in the wall bakery. It’ll change your whole view on cake.”

“Oh my God, thank you so much! I have been strutting my stuff in these shoes all day and I might have passed out from the pain if it wasn’t for you. Who are you?”

“I’m a real hero,”Mason instantly regretted that decision, being an asshole was far better than hearing her speak. No good deed goes unpunished. “Mason,” was all he said before looking back to his book, hoping it would work as a shield. 

“I can cook eggs….and toast. And if I rearrange them on the plate, it could look like a five-course meal.” She sticks her tongue out at him before going over to the kitchen. “Don’t be mean. Most guys love a girl who can do it all.”

“It was a joke, but that sounds nice, Bee. I’d like that. Thanks, I mean it.” He offered her a tired smile. “I might have some OJ or Milk in the fridge too, I don’t know.”

“Really? That’s rough.” She sits up, looking around for a minute before wrinkling her nose. “Hey, do you want me to make breakfast? It’s the least I could do.”

“Wanted to make sure you were okay, like you said, you were more drunk that usual.” He laid back into the couch, hiding under his yellow blanket. “Sure, just don’t burn down the apartment. I like this place. Everything you’d need it in the kitchen.”

“Nah, nothing out of the norm. Just thought I was going home with someone…too drunk to remember most of it.” She shoots him a look. Are you okay?”

He nodded, not sure he believed her, but who was he to say something. He was just there if she needed a ride most of the time, it seemed to be his job  now. Making sure the princess survived that night. “I got maybe three hours of sleep, not really.” 

Mason’s laughter was beautiful. In the beginning he hadn’t laughed much, but as they spent more time together it seemed to happen more often. She understood, she was more relaxed around him too now than she had been at the beginning. It was easier to communicate with Mason, even if she still didn’t use her voice. It felt natural to write him notes and text messages, something she usually only did if she had to with other people. She smiled up at him and scribbled in her notebook, as much as I’d love to walk with you you’ve made me really curios, so I’ll go with a cab this time.

Words weren’t necessary, if anything, they both seemed to say more without them. He learned her expression, subtle things she did that told him everything he needed to know with her saying anything. He liked this though he never minded the texts or being her voice. “Cab it is, I’ll call one, now way I could hail one on a night like this.” As they headed for the door, Mason made a quick call for a cab as they headed out into the night. He held the door open for her as they walked out into the night, the rain falling softly on the city. Mason ushered the girl under the covered store front of the store next door. “Guess the cab was a better idea than we thought.” He smiled, looking at her for maybe a little too long. He took off his jacket, placing it around her shoulders. “I don’t need you to catch something out here waiting on a cab.”  

“I mean, you’re right. I haven’t met you before,” she agreed. So maybe she didn’t have the right to argue with someone she didn’t know. “I’m not too nice. And trust me, I know. I’m a bartender. I see my fair share of not-too-pleasant people every day.” She met his gaze as he introduced himself, giving him a small smile. “Maisie. Nice to meet you.”

“You have now so anything could happen, but I don’t show strangers baby pictures.” He liked her, it couldn’t say that about most people or even that fast about most. But she had a good humor about her and those were the kind of people he liked. “Ah, that’s a job I wouldn’t mind. Bet you have a lot of stories to tell from that, hear a lot too. I think that’s the only reason I’d ever want to be one: the people. I hate people, but I can always appreciate a shitty life story.” He turned the smile, “You too. What’s a bar tender doing in a bar on her night off?”

“I was no-ow…” Bianca runs a hand through her hair, her head throbbing. “You’re too good to me..”

“I am, but I owe you. It’s the least I could do.” He went on, knowing there was no way he’s get any sleep now. “You seemed more rough than usual last night, something happen?”

“I have no idea whose couch this is……”

“You were trashed last night, weren’t you?” Mason sighed, laying on the couch adjacent to hers in his apartment. He had no plans on getting up yet. “Who else would pick you up willingly at in the morning?”

When Mason stepped away from the table and suggested they do something else Ellen nodded and smiled warmly at him. She didn’t mind so much what they did, but he sparked her curiosity when he said he knew a place more her style, she wanted to see what he had in mind. Still smiling she reached out and took his hand in her own. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He laughed, giving her hands a light squeeze. He set his stick against the pool table before walking away from the table, his smile bright as he looked back over at her. “I found this place on 5th, best kept secret in the city. I’ve got to warn you, you might not want to leave.”  He laughed, the rare happiness he felt seemed to radiate from him. The girl had that effect on him and it only seemed to get worse over time. She made him happy. “Real question is are we walking or taking a cab?”

Maisie realized she probably should have stopped talking earlier, but she’d already gotten this far. “Everyone was cute at some point,” she argued. “Whether it’s now or at some other time in life.” She instinctively turned away at his compliment, looking down at her drink while failing to keep the smile off her face. “Thanks.” She looked back up at him after regaining her composure. “But if you haven’t peaked before, wouldn’t that mean this is it? Or maybe it hasn’t come yet. Either way, you aren’t unattractive. So I doubt you weren’t a cute baby too.”

He sighed, giving a nonchalant shrug as he twisted his drink in his hand.  “You clearly never met me before. I’m not--cute, not now not then. Bird boy has a beak, he doesn’t peak. But thanks, at least you were nice.” He looked over at her, “Maybe too nice. This city is too bad for good people. Be careful around here, alright?” He sipped his drink before looking to her again. “I’m Mason.”

“I think I peaked when I was three.” Maisie hadn’t realized she was speaking out loud until she lifted her head. She quickly noticed that the person next to her was staring at her, and she cast her gaze downward as her face went red. “I mean — I was looking through my baby pictures and they were all super cute but, you know, I think that was me at my cutest. So it’s all downhill from here.”

Mason wasn’t much for conversations nowadays, especially with strangers. But sometimes he didn’t have the luxury of getting out of it. So when the woman next to him said something very odd, he couldn’t help the quizzical look. Even as she went on, she only deepened the hole. “I never peaked, I was never cute so props to you.” His voice gravelly as he spoke. He picked up his drink, trying to clear his throat. “You get used to it, at least you were at some point---” He looked her over once more, “Still are, but that’s my opinion.”