They were separated by the sound of Emilia's mobile vibrating on the counter. Magnus stepped back as she reached behind her, feeling for the handset. Glancing down at the screen, she flinched.
"Is he bloody psychic?" She whispered just before answering. "Hello, uncle," she said, hoping it sounded less annoyed than she felt.
"Emilia, how are you?" Came the voice through the line.
She rolled her eyes at Magnus who smiled, rubbing his thumb over his lips. "Spectacular," she intoned with an indication that she really wasn't.
"Well, um... I don't know that I've rung with the best news."
"Can't get much worse that earlier, can it?"
"It's, well, maybe I should talk to Magnus about it."
Emilia tossed her head back, then shook it as she pulled the phone away from her ear and set it on speaker. "He's here. So you can tell both of us."
"Kurt?" Magnus' voice was tentative.
"Yeah. Alright. Hi, Magnus. Umm... look, I don't know that there's any good way to put this, so... he called us."
Emilia's free hand sought Magnus's and he reached for it in a flash, holding it securely in his own.
"He called the station?" Emilia said. "Why?"
"He wanted to taunt us, I think. Gloat over the fact we still don't know who he is."
"Did you trace it?" Magnus jumped in.
"Not long enough to get a location," Kurt sighed.
"Do you think he has my number?" Emilia fought the tremors building in her voice as she felt Magnus gently squeeze her hand.
"I don't know."
For the first time in weeks Emilia heard Kurt's voice crack and knew he still blamed himself for everything she'd been through, everything he'd been unable to protect her from. She looked up at Magnus and saw it reflected in his eyes as well.
Yet Magnus straightened up and with one breath changed himself to the cop, the protector, the supportive friend. "What do we do now, Kurt?"
"You stay there, Magnus. We're changing the guards outside tonight. They've been at it for a week and we want fresh eyes on the house."
"Did he make any threats?"
"Not outright, no, but if you heard his tone..."
"He's not done with me, is he?" Emilia asked quietly.
The silence on the other end said more than words could have, and it was Magnus who once again guided the conversation. "What else can we do?"
Kurt took a deep breath and exhaled loudly over the receiver. "Some of the team want to bring you back in, Mia, to ask a few more questions. But I'm not going to allow that. I'll come speak to you tomorrow. I may have to bring someone else with me, but we won't stay long. Beyond that we're still working on a plan. We'll do everything we can to keep you safe, though. If I have to park myself outside your house day and night until we catch him."
"I'd much rather you out there after him than sitting in a car here," Emilia said.
Kurt released a small chuckle. "Too right. Well, that's what I'll do. We're not giving up, Emilia. Just... be extra careful the next few days. Magnus?"
"Yeah, Kurt?"
"Can I speak to you a moment, just... not on speaker?"
Emilia grit her teeth but nodded, and Magnus let go her hand, rubbing her shoulder before taking the phone from her and releasing it from being on speaker. She left the room, rubbing her hands on her legs as she walked upstairs to her room. She paced around, sometimes raising herself up on the balls of her feet for a few steps. By the time she heard Magnus' footsteps approaching, she was a bit dizzy. He stopped in the doorway, leaning on the frame, seeming unsure of whether to enter or not. Emilia ceased pacing and turned to look at him.
"Do you trust me?" Magnus asked.
Emilia nodded without hesitation and Magnus stepped into the room.
"Kurt just gave me more instructions - requests - for the continuation of your protection detail."
"Other things you can't tell me?"
"We'll see. I wanted him to stop nagging so I just let him go on about it. Though it might be better to talk about it tomorrow when we're all together."
Suddenly, Emilia found herself shaking with tremors as she had the first night Magnus stayed in her house and she woke up in the middle of the night, screaming. Magnus moved to her and enveloped her in his arms. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. We will find this arsehole, we will. And I will keep you safe, no matter what."
At this last, Emilia pushed him back.
"Magnus," she said quietly. "Don't be a hero."
His eyebrows creased as he looked down at her. "If I'm doing my job, and at the same time protecting someone I care for, is that heroism? Because if it is, I can't promise -"
Emilia began shaking her head. "I mean - I don't know what I mean." She turned away from him, moving to the window overlooking the yard. "I just mean that I can't lose you."
Magnus moved up alongside her and pressed a hand on the small of her back. "I'm not throwing myself on a sword, or any kind of overblown chivalric gesture. I just want you to be assured I will do whatever I can to keep you safe."
"And I just want you to know that much as I appreciate it, if it comes down to nailing that fucker or losing you, I will let him take me."
Magnus stiffened beside her, then relaxed and kissed the top of her head. "Then we won't let it come to that."
"Will you stay in here tonight? You don't have to say yes," she kept going before he could reply. "And nothing has to happen if you don't want, or don't feel it's appropriate. I only - maybe if, for even only one night, I could just be with you I might not be so antagonistic."
Magnus guided her away from the window, to the center of the room before her bed. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her head. "If I have to express to you how much I want you, then you haven't been paying attention to me since... ever."
She chuckled and he nuzzled her hair before continuing.
"But it wouldn't be appropriate. Not tonight. Not until this is all over. I'll stay with you, though. If you think it would help, I'd stay in here every night. Whatever it takes to bring you peace."
She turned in his arms and tilted her head up to look at him. "I honestly don't know what that will take. Let's just get through tonight, and tomorrow we can ease back into pretending our relationship is platonic at most."
"And tonight?" His voice cracked with the asking.
She moved a hand up his back, caressing his shoulders, then bringing it to the base of his skull and running her fingers through his curls. "Tonight is for us."
Magnus bent and curved his body to meet her lips with his. He pulled her close, then reached one arm under her butt and lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her higher. She kissed her way down his neck, to his clavicle, and back up, nibbling at his jawline just below his earlobe. He moaned in her ear and squeezed her body again.
"We can't," he murmured, his tone tinged with regret as he reached to untangle her legs from his midsection. "I want, so badly-"
Emilia placed a finger to his lips as she settled back on the floor. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to literally jump on you. I just - I want you, too. If you think the bed thing is a bad idea now, I understand."
"It's what you need, and I want to be close to you. Just - we have to be careful."
A devious smile crept onto Emilia's face and Magnus looked at her, puzzled. "What?"
"You didn't go to any private schools, did you?"
He shook his head, but raised a curious eyebrow.
"There was this rule for the dormitories at one school I attended that if you had someone of the opposite gender in your room, you had to keep the door open at least four inches and everyone's feet had to be touching the floor at all times."
Magnus chuckled. "You're joking."
Emilia shook her head. "Funny thing about rules like that, mostly they just teach you to be more creative."
"So what is our rule tonight?" Magnus began to smile.
"No removal of clothing by the other person, and no touching any area that isn't exposed. And-" She pointed a finger at him as he started to speak. "We both have to be clothed. Nothing less than what we might wear to the beach."
Magnus nodded, grinning. "And I assume you don't mean a nude beach."
Emilia playfully slapped his arm. "Come on, there's wine to be had."
"I thought you wanted tea…"
"Later maybe," she winked, then traipsed down the stairs, giggling, as Magnus followed behind her, unable to stop smiling.