It was near closing time when Tessa's blue-eyed friend walked into her shop. He had a satchel full of books slung over his shoulder. My guess was that he had just got out of College classes for the day. For some reason I found it odd that he would go somewhere so local for education; he just didn't seem the type. Then he opened his mouth and I realised that he probably wasn't local after all.

"Is Tess around?" He asked in his decidedly British voice. Then he took a book out of his bag – Jane Eyre – and waved it a little where I could see it. "I have something for her."

"She's in back." I informed him.

Tessa had gone to lock up anything particularly valuable, as she did every evening. Of course, most of the things in the shop were worth a fair amount, but beyond locking the front door there wasn't much we could do about securing things like wardrobes and dressing tables. Movable things like crystal, porcelain and jewellery went in the back, though. Just until Tessa could update the system with some high strength display cases.

Before I could offer to go get Tessa myself, she appeared on the shop floor.

"Will!" She gasped happily. Without knowing it she had settled the problem I had been having, trying to decide if I was speaking to 'James' or 'William'.

Tessa launched forward towards her friend. I think she meant to hug him but he handed her his book before her arms could reach him. She had a disappointed look on her face as she looked dutifully down at the hardback cover.

"But we've read this one already." She frowned. Tessa flipped through the pages of the book like she knew exactly what was written on each and every one. When she found a spot which suited her she began to read aloud. "'Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?—a machine without feelings?'"

"'I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!'" Will quoted without reading, and rolled his eyes playfully. "It's not up to me what books I get assigned, Tess."

As it turned out, Will was a Literature student. Tessa didn't go to College herself, but she read everything her friend did. The two of them liked to gush over the stories together. It sounded sweet in theory but in all honesty it was sort of uncomfortable to watch when they were reading books with tragic love stories. I wasn't sure if they'd noticed the irony.

I didn't point it out to them, while they discussed their literary exploits. Instead I turned my attention to the clock and willed Magnus to arrive and take me away. When he did turn up, he quickly made me regret my wish. I went to get my coat from the back room and when I returned I found everybody in conversation.

Except, not so much everybody.

"My my, there's something absolutely magnetic about a man who reads." Magnus commented, languidly sidling a little closer to Will. "I didn't go much on Jane myself, though."

"I'll bet you're more of a Rochester man." Will smirked. I sarcastically wondered what had given it away. The glittery nail varnish, maybe?

"The dark, handsome hero?" Said Magnus, watching Tessa's friend quite pointedly. When he pushed a few stray hairs out of Will's blue eyes I was about ready to take hold of his arm and drag it out of there. "Why f course, Darling."

"Rochester wasn't handsome." I commented, sounding a lot more snippy than I'd planned.

I remembered analysing that book at school. I thought I'd forgotten all about it but I guess some things come back to you when you need them. Will put one finger on the tip of his nose and pointed at me, like you do in charades when somebody makes a good guess.

"Quite right." Said Will. "'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'"

"Quite right indeed..." Magnus murmured. Will grinned, but didn't appear to notice he was being visually eaten alive. That or he was really good at ignoring that kind of thing. And why wouldn't you be, when you looked like him?

In any case I didn't feel like listening to Magnus flirt anymore. I said goodbye to Tessa and walked out. At that point I didn't really care if my boyfriend followed me or not. I went in the opposite direction of his car and started to look out for cabs.

"Alexander?" Magnus called after me. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Going home." I replied. It should have been pretty obvious. Magnus pulled my hand down from the air and used it to turn me so I was facing him.

"I'm pretty sure I drove over here to get you." He stated with his annoyance evident.

I hated the way he was looking at me. Like he was a parent dealing with an out-of-line teen. I pulled my arm out of his grip. Who cared if Magnus had some years on me? I was not down to have my boyfriend talk to me as if he was my Father.

"Oh is that why you came?" I asked in a voice dripping with rhetoric. "It looked more like you came to flirt with Tessa's boyfriend."

Magnus paused.

"I thought you said they weren't dating." He said.

I could have slapped him right there and then, but I restrained myself, if only because he had hold of my go-to hand. Where was Magnus' head at? I mean really. He could have defended himself and said it wasn't flirting, but no, he jumped right to 'Isn't Will single?'

"Really?" I was sure to say it how loud. "That's how you're replying to that?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. Before I could do anything about it his grip was on my forearm again and I was being pulled towards his car. It wasn't a violent gesture, he wasn't hurting me. It was more like he was in a hurry.

I still didn't like it.

"I spoke to him; I didn't throw him down on the table." Magnus muttered. I was pretty sure he was talking to himself and not me. I replied anyway.

"Would you?" I asked, shooting him a glare.

I didn't know why I was even asking. It was pretty clear what Magnus wanted to do. I knew Magnus' flirtatious voice; he used it when we first met and he used it in the bedroom. And, apparently, he also whipped it out for random College guys.

"Would I what?" Magnus made himself sound clueless. He let me go when we were stood beside the passenger door together.

"Would you throw him down on the table?" I clarified.

"Alec!" Magnus sounded outraged.

Now, okay, I was probably being a tad on the irrational side. But I need to remind you that I didn't want to argue over this. If I'd had my way I would have gone home, cooled down and gotten over it.

Alright, maybe I wouldn't have gotten over it, but I would have waited until I was calmer to go find Magnus and talk about it. Instead he had literally dragged me back into the situation and now we were having a fight.

"Just get in the car." Magnus growled. He flung the door open and pointed at the seat like he was commanding a hound.

"Are you alright there, kid?" A passer-by asked. He must have decided it looked shifty; a guy in his thirties pulling me around and trying to make me get into his vehicle. Who said people these days didn't care? The stranger was eyeing Magnus up like he was some kind of filth who planned to kidnap me.

"He's fine!" Magnus declared. He very obviously found the whole thing ridiculous. Personally I was quite touched.

There was a horrible pause while I considered how easy it would be to pretend I didn't know Magnus for a moment. That, however, would just be throwing a couple extra logs on a fire which didn't need any more kindling.

"Yeah. I'm okay; my boyfriend is just being a jerk." I told the stranger, who didn't really seem to believe me as he took a couple reluctant steps back. "It was really nice of you to step in, though."

"Not a problem..." He said, slowly. "I hope that you two work it out."

We argued all the way back to my apartment building. It started off with Magnus being pissed I called him a jerk when he was going out of his way to be my personal taxi. Fair enough, points to Magnus. But after that I made a few complaints of my own, because I wanted to know what he got up to in his free time if he thought it was okay to drool all over other guys right in front of me.

I told Magnus not to follow me upstairs and he did it anyway. I didn't want to be arguing with him, I just wanted him to shut up and let me breathe.

"You're being completely unreasonable, Alexander!" He yelled after me across the hall. I had taken on the stairs faster than him, being younger and more active than he was.

"Then go flirt with somebody rational!" I screamed back. I had dug my key out of my pocket before I was even close to my door.

"Fuck, Alec, how insecure are you, exactly?" Magnus half-groaned.

I stood stock still outside the door and closed my eyes for a second. Yes, it was pretty clear I had jealousy problems. My boyfriend had a colourful past and I had some issues with inferiority. I didn't need anybody to point it out for me.

At least I could see my flaws; Magnus was too egocentric to notice that his self-fulfilling actions had an effect on other people. Some days I was sure he considered himself to be the centre of the universe.

Well, the centre of the universe got a door slammed in his face that day.

Thanks for reading the chapter, I hope that you all liked it. A little trouble in paradise to keep everything moving along. I'll try to post the next chapter, "Not A Chance" soon.