Chapter Text
“I’m coming for your sake.” Taako says, for what’s probably the dozenth time in their short walk from their dorm to the Fantasy Costco.
Magnus doesn’t bother calling him out. Even weeks after he spilled his guts about his past, he was still acting rather clingy and vulnerable. He hadn’t fully slipped once, but there were a handful of close calls. At the very least, he was almost always around someone. And since Merle had left the Bureau for personal matters he wouldn’t elaborate on, that meant Magnus had a little company for his shopping trip.
“Hello, there, boys!” Garfield greets over the Fantasy Costco jingle. He materializes the second they enter and floats over to Magnus. “I believe you have my payment, yes?”
Magnus nods and takes the jar from its leather pouch. With the way he’s been carrying it, it couldn’t be more obvious that he’s hiding something, but he’d rather look suspicious than outright insane.
He holds out the jar, wrinkling his nose at the now overwhelming smell of urine. Taako tries to smother a gag in his hand, but doesn’t do a very good job. Magnus doesn’t have the courage to look at him right now.
“You know how weird this is, right?” Magnus asks. “Like even with the blood and the hair, this is weird.”
“Mm, weird for you, perhaps! But you have no idea what a warlock’s rituals need!”
“Why would you need someone’s piss? Why would you need someone’s three-week-old piss?”
“Don’t worry about it!” Garfield hands over an item wrapped in a plastic bag. “Here you are! A pleasure doing business with you!”
“The feeling isn’t mutual!” Magnus calls on his way out. The doors slide shut behind them, muffling the jingle before it can come back full force. “Why can’t that guy just take gold? That special-order policy is so weird!”
Taako checks his nails, waffling between trying to put on a front of disinterest and asking a million questions. “What’s even worth a jar of your piss anyway?”
“Well, I’m so glad you asked!” Magnus thrusts out his hands, holding the bag out to Taako. “Because it’s for you!”
Taako frowns, immediately suspicious. “For me?” He looks down at the bag with renewed interest, but he takes it carefully, like it might be a prank.
Magnus nods. “Open it!” he urges.
Taako peels back the plastic bag, freezing at the sight of a Barbie doll smiling up at him. The bag falls to his feet with a loud rustle.
“Turns out these are kind of rare nowadays.” Magnus explains. “Apparently Necromancer Barbie was discontinued after that necromancer cult did all those sacrificial killings a few years back. I was almost worried that Garfield wouldn’t be able to find her, but I think he took it as a challenge.” Magnus chuckles, if only to fill the silence.
Taako hasn’t taken his eyes off the package since he unwrapped it. He just keeps staring, eyes wide like the doll tried to kill him. And…is he starting to shake?
All Magnus’s resolve comes crumbling down. Maybe this wasn’t the great idea he thought it was five minutes ago. “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t like it. I’m sorry, this was a stupid idea. Let me just—”
“No!” Taako yanks the doll out of Magnus’s reach, holding it tight against his chest. “No, please! I…” He glances up, accidently catching Magnus’s eye. His face heats up, like he’s remembering where he is, that it’s Maggie he’s talking to and not Sazed.
He doesn’t say anything, but he also doesn’t finish his thought. A notch of tension eases out of his shoulders.
Magnus decides to push his luck. He’s working off the logic that Taako is defensive of the doll because he wants to keep it, so if that isn’t the case, he’s going to look like an idiot, but he’s well used to that. “Here. Let me help get her out of the packaging, yeah?”
Magnus slowly extends his hand, so as not to startle Taako. It’s a massive testament to Taako’s trust that he doesn’t protest, letting Magnus gently take the packaging from his hands and cut away the tape with his pocketknife.
“There.”
Taako turns the packaging over in his hands. His fingers tremble as he fumbles with the plastic packaging, but eventually he takes the doll in his hands. She still has the ties holding her accessories in place.
“She even has a Book of the Damned.” Taako murmurs. His eyes are locked on the doll, like it might start moving on its own. Like he’s seeing a ghost.
“I know it’s not the one you had, but at least it could kind of be a replacement? I don’t know. It seemed like you were really attached to those dolls, and I guess I just wanted to say…thank you? For trusting me. With all of that. I know it was hard.” Well aware that he’s babbling at this point, Magnus snaps his mouth shut.
Taako finally looks up. There are tears running down his face, dripping off his chin in messy globs, and his hands haven’t stopped shaking since he unwrapped the toy. His cheeks are painted dusty pink.
“Maggie, can we go play now?” He’s barely whispering, his voice is so quiet.
The tension drains out of Magnus as he finds his smile again. “Absolutely. Any time you want.”
Taako offers a wet giggle. “You’re going to regret that.”
“I don’t think I will.” Magnus offers his hand, which Taako gladly takes.