Roommates & Soulmates

Ch134: Magnus's Curiosity

Despite his new paying job, Magnus was still volunteering at the museum. He'd found he enjoyed it too much not to and simply couldn't bring himself to leave, especially when everyone was so happy to have him there. Four days a week doing data entry in an office, and two or three days a week at the Museum, left very little time for anything else. His recent slacker-ness aside, this was more the type of lifestyle he was accustomed to. Alec on the other hand was having a very hard time adjusting to employed life.

"I don't know how you do it," Alec whined as he got home tired and cranky. "I've watched you get up and go to work like every day for two weeks. And here I am getting two or three days off in a week, and I'm so burnt out I don't even know how to think."

"The difference here is that this is your first time ever working, while I've been working since I was about fourteen," Magnus smiled. "Plus half my week is the museum, which doesn't feel like work."

"Urg," Alec whined. "I'm pathetic."

Magnus couldn't keep a smile off his face as he answered, "Maybe a little."

"Not helping," Alec sulked. "You're supposed to tell me I'm not pathetic."

"Don't be sad darling," Magnus cooed. "You have lots of other wonderful things going for you, promise."

"Oh yeah?" Alec whined. "Like what?"

"You're kind," Magnus began, leaning forward to kiss his husband. "Generous, passionate, and so loving."

"Oh, just kiss me," Alec cried throwing his arms up in the air and throwing himself at Magnus, who caught him chuckling.

A moment later they were tangled on the couch together, though rather ungracefully.

"Get off," Alec mumbled, his voice muffled. "You're on my leg."

"Why don't you ask me to leg go of you then," Magnus sniggered as he moved aside.

Alec groaned. "Not your finest work," he said, matter of factly.

"Hey, sometimes you have to work with what you've got," Magnus shrugged.

Magnus watched as Alec's eyes turned to the tv, which was now showing a screen saver of the time. It was getting late. If they wanted to eat before bed they'd better get a move on.

"How is it that time with you flys by, while work drags on like molasses uphill in January," Alec asked.

"Just the nature of the human perception, my love," Magnus smiled, putting an arm around his husband and kissing the top of Alec's head.

"I never saw the value in time before," Alec began softly. "I mean, it was just time. Ticked by, but otherwise not really important you know, but now it's like there's no time for anything."

"I promise there are the same number of hours in a day now as there were before," Magnus smiled.

Alec made a 'hmph' noise and relaxed his neck muscles so his head fell gently on Magnus's shoulder. "How do people do it? How do they work so hard for so little, without knowing there is an end in sight?"

"You'd be amazed what you can learn to live with," Magnus smiled, gently stroking Alec's hair. "You don't know what you are capable of until the moment life requires more of you."

"Stop being so wise," Alec grumbled. "It makes me feel dumb."

"You shouldn't feel that way," Magnus replied kindly. "You have a very unique perspective on money, and I'm sure many wise things to say on the topic."

"I never used to think about money," Alec shrugged. "It was always there, neither brilliant nor evil. It was only money, after all."

"And what do you think now?" Magnus asked.