Love Lessons

8. Protecting You

Magnus woke up to movement. He didn't remember falling asleep. He stretched himself out, before he realized there was something wrong. He was still in the Lightwood house. And Alec was the one who had woken him up.

"Alexander?" His husky voice broke the silence he thought they were in. It wasn't until he spoke that he realized there wasn't silence. Someone was hyperventilating and that someone was-... "Alec?"

He felt his phone press against his skin uncomfortably. Magnus pulled it out and turned on the torch. He saw Alec was sitting on the floor. He covered his head with his arms as he breathed fast against his knees.

It seemed like Alec wasn't aware of his surroundings. Magnus went to him, but the young man didn't react. He was busy hyperventilating. The teacher put his phone a bit away from them, so that the light wouldn't bother Alec. He slowly sat down next to him, close enough to have Alec see he was there for him, but not too close that he would scare him more.

"Alexander, darling, can you hear me?" He whispered, wishing he could reach out to him in order to get his attention. It was hard for him to help Alec now, because he was a person who always wanted to physically reach out to everyone who needed his help. "You don't have to answer, okay? Just... We're gonna do what we did back at my apartment. We're gonna pay attention to our surroundings and count to five."

Alec heard Magnus. He felt like the teacher was on the other side of a tunnel, talking to him. His brain was foggy and confused. He had no idea just how fast he was breathing. He nodded to Magnus, unaware that it had been a whole minute since Magnus had spoken; Alec couldn't remember what he and Magnus had done, but he trusted Magnus knew what to do right now.

"All right, honey, you don't have to look at me and you can take your time, okay? Can you tell me five things you can see right now?" Magnus started. He seriously had to fight back the urge to run his hand up and down Alec's arm.

Alec didn't move. He couldn't move. He would see his father again if he looked up from his knees. He had woken up from a nightmare and he couldn't get Robert off his head. He saw him, coming to yell at him, beating him, pushing him against a wall.

"M-M-My-My f-father..." He sobbed, pressing his head against his knees harder.

"No, no, Alexander, Robert is not here." Magnus was more concerned now. "He's not here, anywhere close, do you remember? He's in the police station. He isn't here."

"I-I s-see-see h-h-him a-and h-..." Alec rocked himself back and forth, trying to comfort himself. It was of no use, but at least that was a small distraction from his brain. "H-Hurt-Hurts m-me." Robert was there, Alec knew it.

Magnus was starting to wonder whether Alec was fully awake or not.

"C-C-Can y-you h-he-he-help me?" Robert was there, yes, but if he could hear Magnus, that meant he was there too. Magnus had helped him once escape with his father. Perhaps he could help him again. "P-Pl-Please..."

Magnus nodded, sliding a bit closer to him.

"I, uhm, I can help you hide from him. He can't see me here, so if you come with me, he won't see you either." Magnus was improvising, he had no idea of what he was saying and whether or not it would help Alec.

"R-Re-Really?" Alec whispered in between tears.

"Yes, I promise. He won't hurt you if you come with me." Once he got a tiny nod from Alec, he gave him a small nod. "Let's stand up, now." He helped him up, considering Alec still was over breathing and trying not to worsen his panic attack.

Magnus took him back to the sofa. He helped him slowly sit there and made him lie down. He was rubbing Alec's arms soothingly, while sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. How he and Alec had slept together in the same sofa, he couldn't understand.