"Magnus?"
"Hm?"
"You know…it hasn't even been a week."
He turned to look back at Magnus, whose right brow was raised in question, clearly not following.
"Since we met. Since we started…talking."
The warlock's lips twitched, his smile fleeting. "Too fast for you, darling?"
"See, that's what I'm talking about," Alec stressed. "You call me…that a lot, and you barely know me. If you think about it."
Magnus's mild amusement quickly faded. He sat back on his heels, leaning away from Alec on the couch. "Is that what you think?"
Alec sucked in a nervous breath, but was cut off when Magnus continued. "That we're less than seven day strangers? Because I was under the distinct impression that we'd already run over first base."
Alec's eyes had taken on that blank look, even though he shrank away from the warlock's tone.
"Come on now, that's a baseball reference. I feel tacky just using it."
Still no recognition in Alec's eyes, though he hung his head.
"Then how about this one," Magnus continued, his voice deeper now, not teasing. "I've seen you without a single article of clothing." Alec blanched, mouth slack. "I've covered your entire body, from your beautiful head to your less attractive toes, and penetrated you with all the magic I have. Believe me, that's a highly invasive, very intimate experience. But I kept it very professional. I'm just trying to make a point." His mouth had drawn tight, his chin lifted. He looked arrogant and peeved.
Alec felt like crap, the stabbing guilt overwhelming his embarrassment.
"I pulled you back, Alec," Magnus said, whispering now. His voice was different, pinched. "I saw you lying on that Spartan bed, and you looked like a…like a corpse warmed up, splattered in blood, and reeking of demon poison. I almost tossed my cookies – because I panicked. I told everyone to get their ass out and I threw every ounce of everything I had into trying to heal you. I almost...didn't succeed."
Magnus swallowed, then turned his lofty chin away, crossing his arms over his chest, the skin-tight shirt riding up at the bottom. Despite himself, Alec glanced down at the tanned expanse where a navel should be.
"I didn't even charge. And believe me, it would have drained your Shadowhunter savings account.
"Now you tell me, since I don't know you at all, why would I do that? Out of the goodness of my heart? Because I'm inherently altruistic?" He snorted. It was an ugly, bitter sound. "Even my human half wouldn't be that generous."
"I'm sorry," Alec replied after a few tense seconds, looking up pathetically at the angry warlock, not realizing how much his eyes begged for forgiveness. His eyelids were moist.
"I don't remember any of it," he added, wondering if that somehow made him seem less grateful, because he hadn't experienced the entire thing. He didn't know the full extent of what Magnus had done for him. Even Isabelle didn't know the real details, aside from the light show beneath the door and the end result.
"Consider that a blessing," Magnus retorted. "It would have been unbearable," he added, though the look in his eyes clearly said that it had been nearly unbearable for him.
"I came here to thank you," Alec pointed out, in the way of a peace offering.
"Did you?" He wasn't making this easy. Alec took a fortifying breath.
"Yes. Since I didn't get the chance to do it properly...I wanted you to know that I'm grateful for everything you did." He shook his head; that wasn't enough. "I didn't really expect to wake up," he confessed. "I remember how much it hurt, to a point, and I remember the way Clary, and Isabelle, and Jace" Swallow, "how they looked at me. They knew it was bad, and they were scared, but I wasn't scared, because I knew it didn't matter."
Magnus's looked like he was getting angry all over again, but Alec tried to scoot forward and stop him, palm resting flat against his knee.
"I didn't want to die. It was more simple than that. I figured once I passed out, whether I died or not, I wouldn't know. I wouldn't feel anything. And I didn't feel anything until I woke up...and you were there. And it ached alot, and I was really hot, really gross." He attempted to smile. "But I was alive, and you're right. You pulled me back. And I don't know the right words to say thank you for something like that."
"You don't need to thank me."
"Yes, I do!" he insisted. "And I don't want you to be mad at me. I was just trying to be honest with you."
"I'm not mad at you."
"Are you sure?"
Magnus seemed to consider, then placed his slender hand over Alec's, lightly rubbing. "I'm such a queen. I'm sorry too. I overreacted. I'm sorry...Alec."
The boy smiled, more easily this time. "You can call me whatever you want."
"Oh, I plan to," Magnus replied, grinning suddenly. "But I'll try to change it up a little. 'Darling' does get a little old. And maybe there's a better affectation for you. I'll work on it."
"K," Alec replied, leaning in and kissing Magnus's cheek.
"Ohhh. You're welcome," the warlock purred, nuzzling his cheek in turn.