˙✧˖° ⚜️ ༘Vanity ˚꩜‧₊˚

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ You were only thirteen. While everyone else was running from the attack inside the mall, you had the chance to flee too. You could have followed the crowd and made it outside. Instead, you ran the other way

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ A group of younger children had been trapped behind the chaos, frozen in fear and unable to escape. You drew attention to yourself shouting and throwing things. Doing anything you could to make the attackers focus on you instead of them

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The children ran you made sure of it, and by the time they reached safety outside, your fate had already been sealed.

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️The memory ended with you staring at your death with wide eyes and a closed mouth, fear obvious on your face despite how hard you tried to hide it. You knew what was coming. You were terrified, but you stayed anyway. That was why a daughter of Freyja stood among the einherjar of Valhalla

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The memory left everyone unusually quiet. Especially your floormates. Even Halfborn, who normally had something loud to say about heroic deaths, remained silent for several moments

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Magnus couldn't stop thinking about how scared you looked in those final seconds. Not because you died, afraid that was normal. Almost everyone was afraid when they died. What bothered him was that you'd known exactly what would happen and stayed anyway

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Magnus found himself checking on you more than he meant to afterward. At first he told himself it was because you were new to Valhalla. Then because you were younger than everyone else. Then because someone had to make sure you weren't getting dragged into Halfborn's latest terrible idea. Eventually even he realized he was running out of excuses

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Your cats certainly weren't helping either. You were used to them due to the fact cats seemed to always stick around you for some reason

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The enormous fluffy feline, along with its other companions, seemed determined to appear wherever Magnus happened to be. One moment he'd be reading quietly in his room, and the next there would be a cat sitting on his chest, staring into his soul like it paid rent there

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ "[Name] your cat..? Cats actually broke in again" Your eyes flicked between him and chewed slowly on your food "Not my fault" "She ate my food- ugh" he groaned, holding the feline in his arms "I'm not blaming you" "WOWWW I FEEL SO BLAMED AND ATTACKED GIVE ME MISS VELVET" "No! She's MINE now," Magnus huffed, holding the fluff feline while your eyes blew wide "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" You rushed after him as he held her away, Alex leaving her room, "Uhm, what the fuck?" "ALEX!! MAGNUS WONT GIVE BACK MISS VELVET" "Not my issue", Alex said, waving her hand as you tried to get your cat back

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Unlike most magical pets, your familiar seemed descended from the giant cats that pulled Freyja's chariot. She could step between realms as casually as walking through a doorway. More than once residents of Valhalla nearly had heart attacks when your cat vanished from one floor and reappeared somewhere impossible seconds later

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The first time she accidentally dragged you along with her powers, you disappeared from the dining hall and reappeared in Magnus's atrium garden halfway through him waking up with Alex leaning on the counter nearby

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ "Good morning?" you offered awkwardly "I have so many questions." Magnus grumbled rubbing his eyes, "Me too." Alex was considerably less surprised "A realm-hopping cat. Sure. Why not? That's not even in the top twenty weirdest things I've seen this week."

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Despite claiming not to like kids, Alex somehow ended up becoming one of your favorite people on Floor Nineteen. Mostly because she treated you normally. No babying. No pity. No awkward sympathy whenever people remembered how young you were when you died If anything, Alex expected more from you

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ She stared at you with furrowed brows once when it was time to train for Ragnarok. "You're a daughter of Freyja." "And? Magnus is the son of Frey" you grumbled, "And stop acting like you're helpless like Magnus." "HEY!" It sounded harsh, but strangely it helped. Alex never looked at you like someone fragile. She looked at you like someone capable of handling themselves, which you made obvious

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The first gift Alex ever made you was a tiny clay cat painted with gold markings. She acted annoyed the entire time she handed it over. "Take it." Your eyes shone as you held it. "You made this for me?" "No. I made it for the wall. It hated being a wall ornament. Stop asking questions." She shoved her hand against your hair, messing it. You still kept it on your nightstand, and somewhere along the way, people started noticing a pattern

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ If you got hurt during training, Magnus was already walking over with healing magic before anyone called him. If someone upset you, Alex somehow found out before you told anyone and made their life significantly more uncomfortable. If you disappeared, both of them immediately started looking

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Whenever your cat dragged you across the realms unexpectedly, Magnus was always the first one asking if you were alright. The first few times it made sense. The tenth time, not so much. "You know she can handle herself, right?" Mallory pointed out once. Magnus frowned. "I know." He paused. "I'm just checking." Nobody believed him

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Alex was even worse around you if you skipped training, she noticed. If you skipped meals, she noticed. If you were quieter than usual, she noticed. The strange part was that she'd pretend she didn't. "You seem grumpy." Magnus commented one day. "I'm not grumpy." Alex snapped. "Then why are you glaring at everyone?" "Because she hasn't left her room all day." Magnus blinked. "Alex…" "Don't start."

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ One afternoon Samirah casually asked where you were. Magnus answered immediately. "The western training arena." Sam raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?" Magnus opened his mouth, then stopped. Because he actually didn't know how he knew. He just did

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ They still never talked about it. Mostly because neither of them wanted to acknowledge what was becoming painfully obvious. Magnus started carrying extra snacks because "someone" kept forgetting to eat after training. Alex started keeping supplies around because "someone" had a habit of breaking things. Every excuse became less convincing than the last

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The moment Floor Nineteen realized came before Magnus and Alex did. Halfborn walked into the common room one day and loudly announced, "Where's your kid?" Magnus immediately looked up. Alex immediately answered not looking up, "She asked to go hang out with some friends" "Yeah, she said she was hanging with some kids from the 24th floor?" Neither of them noticed what they'd said or even done until the entire room burst out laughing

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ "Wait.." Magnus blinked coming to his senses, "Our what?" Magnus asked. Halfborn looked confused. "Your kid, the tiny Freyja one." Magnus and Alex both froze. Across the room, Mallory started cackling

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ The worst part was neither of them corrected him. Magnus just rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly while Alex stared very intensely at the wall. Everyone noticed. Nobody said a word. Mostly because the answer had already become obvious

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ Nobody ever officially discussed it. Floor Nineteen simply woke up one day and collectively accepted that Magnus Chase and Alex Fierro had somehow acquired a daughter. The only people who seemed unaware of this fact were Magnus and Alex themselves

━━━ ．゛⟢⋆ 🗡️ By the time they finally realised it, there wasn't really anything left to realise. A daughter of Freyja had quietly become theirs, and neither of them could imagine not caring for you as something like a daughter

───🥐 ₊ ◝ George followed beside him, balancing a paper bag full of stolen sugar quills from Honeydukes. “Nah, look at him. That’s not confusion. That’s admiration.” Lee ignored both of them entirely because standing just outside a small bakery tucked between two narrow London shops was you

───🥐 ₊ ◝ The golden sign above the windows read Brown Sugar Bakery, warm light spilling through the glass despite the cloudy winter afternoon. The display window was crowded with pastries dusted in powdered sugar and little fruit tarts lined up with impossible neatness and there you were beside the door, crouched near a stack of boxes filled with sweets

───🥐 ₊ ◝ You looked up after hearing footsteps approaching for a second, Lee completely forgot how conversations worked you offered him a small smile just polite way of a greeting a quiet little nod of acknowledgment before going back to sorting the boxes

───🥐 ₊ ◝ Lee stared. Fred stared at Lee staring. George made the mistake of grinning “Oh, he’s gone,” George whispered dramatically. “Our boy’s fallen.” Lee finally blinked. “Shut up.” “You didn’t even blink!” Fred hissed. “That was terrifying!” “I blink all the time.” “You absolutely do not.” Lee tore his eyes away from you with visible effort, adjusting the hood over his head as the three boys hurried farther down the street

───🥐 ₊ ◝ But before they turned the corner Lee looked back and somehow, impossibly, you glanced up at the same moment

───🥐 ₊ ◝ That should’ve been the end of it but it wasn’t because over Christmas break, Lee somehow found himself wandering back to that exact bakery alone this time

───🥐 ₊ ◝ The bell above the door chimed softly when he entered, warmth immediately wrapping around him. The air smelled like cinnamon, sugar, and fresh bread. It was almost painfully cozy compared to Hogwarts during winter

───🥐 ₊ ◝ You stood behind the counter arranging pastries “Oh,” you said softly upon recognizing him. “Lamp-post boy.” Lee froze before grumbling “I can’t believe that’s how you remember me.” A laugh escaped you before you could stop it and Merlin Lee thought he might actually die on the spot

───🥐 ₊ ◝ “You came back,” you said “Uh- yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Your bakery smells good.” Absolutely brilliant, Jordan! Poetry! as if that's not the purpose of a bakery you smiled again anyway “Well, that’s probably because it’s a bakery.” “Oh, good. Cheers. Glad we established that.” another laugh came from you

───🥐 ₊ ◝ Lee immediately decided he’d spend the rest of his life trying to hear it again after that, visiting became… routine

───🥐 ₊ ◝ Every holiday he made time for you, and well Fred and George noticed immediately “Oh no,” Fred sighed one evening back in the Gryffindor common room. “He’s smiling at absolutely nothing.” George looked horrified. “He’s become one of those people.” “I hate to say it,” Fred whispered, “but I think Lee has feelingsss.”

───🥐 ₊ ◝ Lee chucked a pillow directly at his face “Shove off.” the twins only laughed harder but neither of them missed the way Lee always disappeared during the holiday breaks when they were supposed to go out or how he returned smelling faintly of sugar and coffee beans or how his pockets somehow always carried extra pastries afterward

───🥐 ₊ ◝ You learned things about him slowly that he talked constantly once comfortable, that he laughed loudly enough for half the street to hear, that he loved making people smile, that he had a habit of leaning against the counter while talking to you for far too long whenever the bakery was empty

───🥐 ₊ ◝ And well Lee learned things too. Like how you always hummed while packaging pastries, How you worked too hard and forgot breaks, How your eyes brightened whenever he brought up ridiculous stories about school heavily edited ones, of course! no magic muggles are never supposed to know but it was just enough truth to make you laugh

───🥐 ₊ ◝ “You and your friends sound chaotic,” you told him one snowy evening Lee grinned proudly. “That’s because we are.” “Should I be concerned?” you teased “Probably.” “Wonderful.” Lee froze staring at your figure eyes shining

───🥐 ₊ ◝ By spring, Fred and George had become unbearable "You’re taking flowers to a bakery?” George asked in mock disbelief Lee glared at him while fixing the sleeves of his jacket “They’re not flowers.” Fred peered down at the small paper-wrapped bundle in Lee’s hands “…Mate, those are flowers.” Lee looked offended. “They’re decorative.” “You fancy them so bad,” George cackled “I do not.” “You once spent twenty minutes choosing ribbon.” “That was consideration! They said they liked F/C! and they want on a whole tangent about it plus its for aesthetics” Fred clutched his chest dramatically. “He used the word aesthetic. We’ve lost him.” Lee kicked both of them out of the room

───🥐 ₊ ◝ It happened on a rainy afternoon near the end of fifth year the bakery was nearly empty. Outside, rain tapped gently against the windows while soft music played from an old radio behind the counter. You were wiping flour from your hands when Lee spoke suddenly “I think about you all the time.” the words slipped out before he could stop them

───🥐 ₊ ◝ For once in his life, Lee Jordan looked genuinely nervous you blinked slowly back turned to him “What?” “I mean not in a creepy way,” he said quickly. “Merlin, that sounded awful-” “Lee.” “And Fred keeps saying I’m pathetic about it and honestly he’s probably right because I literally came all the way here yesterday just because I missed talking to you for one day-” “Lee.”

───🥐 ₊ ◝ He stopped rambling as you were now infront of him you stepped closer carefully “You missed me?” Lee stared at you like the answer should’ve been obvious “Course I did.”

───🥐 ₊ ◝ Something warm twisted in your chest and before you could overthink it you leaned forward and kissed him hands on his shoulders while Lee made the most shocked sound imaginable

───🥐 ₊ ◝ When you pulled away, his face was completely red “You kissed me,” he said dumbly “You’re very observant.” you teased “I think my brain stopped working.” “That explains a lot, actually.” Lee laughed breathlessly before kissing you back this time warm and smiling and slightly clumsy from excitement

───🥐 ₊ ◝ Outside, rain continued tapping softly against the bakery windows and somewhere in Diagon Alley, Fred and George Weasley were probably about to become even more insufferable once they found out there friend decided to get a little partner

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ He starts piecing things together, slowly finding convention badges in your bag, hearing you mention cosplay repairs, or noticing how many wigs and accessories you somehow own

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ You were genuinely nervous about telling him, expecting him to think you were embarrassing, but Idia actually ends up admiring how passionate you are about your hobbies

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ Idia loves listening to you talk about conventions afterward, even if he acts uninterested at first. He always asks quiet little questions about your costumes, the people you met, and what merch you bought

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ He’s especially fascinated by how much effort you put into your cosplays. Sewing, makeup, props, styling wigs, he thinks the amount of dedication is genuinely impressive

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ At some point he starts helping you with cosplay projects, mostly by making small tech upgrades or fixing props for you late at night while the two of you talk

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ Idia gets flustered whenever he sees people complimenting your cosplays online, especially when they call you pretty or recognize you from previous conventions but also gets jealous

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ You eventually convince him to attend a convention with you once. He spends most of the day nervous and hiding behind you, but secretly enjoys seeing you so happy

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ The first time you ask him to help choose a cosplay for you, he takes the decision way too seriously and starts researching characters that would suit you best

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ Even though he’d never admit it out loud, Idia absolutely saves photos of your cosplays because he genuinely thinks you look amazing in them

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ Idia secretly keeps track of all your upcoming conventions and cosplay plans. He pretends he “just remembers,” but Ortho eventually exposes the fact that he has your event schedule bookmarked on multiple devices

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ Whenever you’re stressed trying to finish a cosplay before a convention, Idia ends up staying awake with you the entire night. He’ll work on props beside you in comfortable silence while occasionally reminding you to eat or take breaks

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ Over time, Idia becomes surprisingly protective over your hobby. The second someone online leaves a rude comment about your cosplay, he’s already typing out a long response before you have to stop him from starting an actual internet argument

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ One of Idia’s favorite things is helping you get ready before conventions. Even if he complains the entire time, he’s always the one fixing the straps on your costume, adjusting your wig, or making sure you remembered everything before leaving.

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ He finds it comforting that the two of you are both huge nerds in different ways. You’re just a lot braver about expressing it openly than he is

━━━ ．°˖✧ 💀 ˚₊ ⊹ After a long convention weekend, the two of you usually end up spending the next day together in his room still half in cosplay, surrounded by merch bags and snacks, while you both rant about your favourite characters for hours

They were absolutely horrendous which was exactly why the two of you adored them especially knowing you’d made the sweaters for each other by hand “You know,” T.J. murmured thoughtfully, glancing down at your sweater, “I believe yours might qualify as a war crime.” You gasped dramatically. “Coming from the man who has a gun on his sweater", T.J. laughed softly under his breath, the sound warm enough to melt straight into your chest.

The TV continued playing some random Midgard sitcom neither of you were actually paying attention to anymore. You were too comfortable curled against him, head resting near his shoulder while his thumb lazily rubbed circles against your arm.

Eventually, T.J. shifted slightly. “I’m gonna make some tea.” Instantly your grip tightened around him “Nooo,” you whined, dragging the word out as you buried your face into his sweater. “Stay here.” “I’ll be back in two minutes.” “That is far too long.” T.J. chuckled quietly. “I accept this challenge.” Before you could protest again, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss against your forehead. Then another against your cheek just because he knew it would make you smile.

You groaned dramatically anyway as he stood up, though the grin pulling at your lips completely ruined the act. From the couch, you watched him move around the kitchenette in his old blue military coat, thrown over the ridiculous sweater, carefully preparing the tea with practised ease. There was something unfairly endearing about it. T.J. always carried himself with this natural confidence, this steady warmth that made every room feel safer the second he stepped into it.

Then he caught you staring “What?” he asked with a small smile. You only pulled your knees closer to your chest, smiling right back at him. “Nothin’. I just like lookin’ at you.” T.J. paused for half a second, clearly trying not to look too pleased with himself. “Well,” he cleared his throat, “that is mighty kind of you to say.” “You’re adorable.” “I fought in the Civil War.” “And you’re still adorable.” He shook his head, laughing softly as he carried the mugs over.

The moment he handed you yours, you happily took a sip, humming at the warmth before immediately leaning back into his side again. Neither of you touched the tea much after that.

The mugs eventually sat forgotten on the coffee table while the two of you ended up tangled together beneath a blanket, exchanging lazy kisses between quiet laughter and half-finished conversations. Every now and then T.J. would smile against your lips like he couldn’t help himself.

Loud running echoed down the hallway outside followed by what sounded suspiciously like Halfborn yelling something incomprehensible. You immediately snorted, already recognising the chaos brewing somewhere on the floor T.J. sighed deeply. “Peace was nice while it lasted.” “Just ignore it, love you”, you mumbled sleepily, curling closer into him.

A fond expression softened across his face instantly. One of his hands gently rested against yours while he pressed one last kiss to your temple. “Mm,” he whispered quietly, voice warm as the fire beside you, “love you too.”