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Normally, Magnus had better reflexes than to end up sprawled on the floor. But Alec had come barreling around the corner right at him, and Alec was strong and solid and taller than he was and had a tendency to topple over his expectations, so—
“Shit, Magnus, are you okay?”
Magnus was okay. The Institute floor was rather cold and hard, but Magnus was fairly sure he was in one piece. Magnus was okay, Alec wasn’t. That was what he was doing here.
He took Alec’s offered hand and let Alec, wincing at the strain it put on his arm, pull him to his feet.
Alec pulled him close to look him over, tilting him this way and that, like he thought his body could seriously injure Magnus. Like he could ever have done that.
“I’m perfectly fine, dear. It’s not the first time I’ve been swiftly acquainted with the floor.”
Alec didn’t even roll his eyes at the comment, just kept examining Magnus with that intense expression. It was strange, Magnus thought, after so long spent shying away from that focused concern, to find himself wanted to bask in it.
Alec’s grip was strong on his arms, almost too strong. Everything about him seemed tightly drawn in a way Magnus hadn’t seen in a while, ready for battle even though there was no battle.
“I was looking for you, as a matter of fact,” Magnus told him.
Alec’s gaze slid away from him at that. He let go of Magnus’s arms, rubbing subconsciously at his own. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I got caught up with work.”
Magnus hated to see him fold in on himself. He was careful to keep his voice gentle as he said, “It’s been three days.”
Alec flinched anyway. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t.” Magnus reached up to pry Alec’s hand off his arm and take it in his own. “Just let me take a look at your arm.”
At that, Alec’s gaze snapped back to him. He didn’t seem surprised that Magnus knew. “You want to give it a little Warlock TLC?” he teased, but there was little real humor in it. A plea for some levity, more than anything.
“Precisely.” Magnus threaded their fingers together. He liked the way they caught on each other, the weight of Alec’s hand in his own. “Come home with me. I don’t like having you here.”
“I work here.”
“I know.” Magnus didn’t much like being in the Institute himself, but he’d found from almost the moment they’d met that he liked Alec being there even less. There was too much history in the walls, too much negative influence, no matter how Alec was working to change it.
He was glad when Alec didn’t protest, but merely sighed as Magnus dragged him through a portal.
The loft was quiet and verging on cold—Magnus himself had been out all day tending to clients. He found himself craving the warmth of their bed, the warmth of his husband’s arms, which he’d been sorely lacking for days.
Magnus snapped his fingers to turn up the heat and turn on the lights. An immediate improvement.
“Need some ambience for the lecture?” Alec asked with the first hint of actual amusement in his voice.
“No such thing. Come along.” Magnus tugged Alec into the bedroom.
Sitting in bed was maybe not the most convenient place for wound care, but Magnus needed it, and he had a feeling Alec did, too.
“Sit down, darling,” Magnus said, and then, because he could never resist an opportunity to tease, added, “it’s been a while since I’ve had you in my bed.”
Alec just shook his head, too familiar with Magnus’s antics by now for Magnus to be able to get a rise out of him. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed to sit against the headboard.
“I’m not in a very good headspace right now,” he warned. “I don’t know if you really want me here.”
Magnus tried to push down the anger that rose in him at that statement. It wasn’t anger at Alec, anyway. “You live here.”
Alec shrugged. “Still.”
Magnus divested of his own shoes and climbed in after him, sitting by his shoulder. “I want you here,” he told him firmly. “I’ve missed you terribly, you know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hush. Take off your shirt.”
Alec smiled a little at that, but complied, wincing at the movement. “Getting right to it, huh?”
Magnus swatted his uninjured arm, but secretly thrilled at the tease, at the fact that Alec was smiling. “Show me where you’re hurt.”
Alec pouted at him. “You’re so bossy.”
“How else would I get anything done?”
Alec’s arm was bandaged, at least, but blood was soaking through the gauze, clear evidence that he wasn’t taking care of it properly. Magnus carefully unwrapped the bandages.
He was fairly certain this wound was a day or two old, but it still looked raw and bleeding, purple around the edges with bruising. Magnus frowned at it disapprovingly.
“You’ve been aggravating it,” he said to Alec. Not accusingly.
“Yeah, I—” Alec swallowed. “Yeah.”
“Look at me.”
When Alec stayed looking down at his hands, Magnus gently tilted his chin up and turned him to face him.
“I know things have been hard,” Magnus started, and Alec swallowed.
But actually—Magnus didn’t know. Things had been good recently. For once, there hadn’t been any crises, and everything had been running—
Oh.
“It’s too quiet,” Alec said as Magnus thought it. “I don’t— I want to stop paying so much attention, but I feel like if I do, it’ll all fall apart.”
Magnus laid a gentle hand over his wound and healed it with a subtle flare of magic.
“Things fall apart all the time,” he told him quietly. “That doesn’t make it your fault. It’s okay to enjoy the quiet.”
“I’m not used to it,” Alec admitted. “I don’t know how to— to— let any of it go.”
Magnus understood. Alec’s iron grip over the operations of the Institute was a big reason everything was so quiet.
“You let go of it incrementally, not all at once,” Magnus said. “How about this: call in sick tomorrow. Stay home with me. See how it goes.”
Alec was already shaking his head. “I’ll get behind. There’s too much to do, and then when I go back—”
Magnus squeezed his hands. “Darling, give your people some credit, hm? Haven’t you trained them well? I’m sure they’ll be able to manage for just a little while. And if not—” he put on a mock stern look “—I will take them to task for gross incompetence.”
Finally, Alec smiled. “If you’re sure.”
Magnus leaned up against him. “Oh, I’m very sure that I want you all to myself tomorrow.”
Alec turned to look at him, tilting his head, eyes sparkling in amusement. “So this is a self-serving scheme.”
“What can I say?” Magnus lamented. “I’m but a simple man who misses his husband.”
Alec pulled him into a hug, tucking his face into Magnus’s shoulder. “I missed you, too.”
Magnus held tight to him, cradling the back of his head. “Oh, my love. Promise not to run away from me? It’s okay if you’re struggling. Just stay here with me. Alright?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Alec protested, but he clutched tighter to Magnus.
Magnus hummed, not quite in agreement. “You better not.”