Roommates & Soulmates

Ch175: Magnus's Monster

"You shouldn't go alone," Alec said. "Let me come."

"It's you he wants to trick, Alec," Magnus reminded him. "If I am going to get the truth out of him then I think it's best I go alone."

"I could just stay outside for moral support," Alec tried next, but Magnus shook his head.

"My father, my problem," he said firmly.

"Don't go off on that again," Alec sighed, pulling Magnus in for a hug.

Magnus accepted the hug, gladly, unaware of how badly he'd needed it.

"When we got married it wasn't just about being together for the rest of our lives," Alec spoke softly in his ear. "It was about my family being yours and your family being mine." Alec pulled out of the hug to grin at him. "Besides this all wouldn't have happened if I hadn't stuck my nose where it didn't belong in the first place."

Magnus laughed. "It's true," he said. "That DNA test was quite sneaky of you."

"It wasn't just that," Alec continued. "I was also encouraging dinners and trying to get you to hang out with him, plus the whole investing without talking with you first thing, so really this is entirely my fault."

"Don't even start that," Magnus objected. "He's a grown ass adult who chose to deceive you. All you're guilty of is being too trusting and too nice."

"Therefore I should come too and see for myself what you're so sure he's really like," Alec piped up. "To cure me of my trusting and niceness."

"Not a chance," Magnus chucked. "I like you just as you are thanks. We can't both be cynics."

"I mean technically we could," Alec disagreed, giving Magnus a playful glare.

"Two cynics would never last," Magnus laughed. "Trust me. This relationship only has room for one cynic and that seat is taken."

"What seat does that leave me?" Alec asked.

"The adorable worrier," Magnus chuckled. "Seriously though, don't worry about me." Magnus tried to smile to show it would all be fine. "Worst case scenario he won't give back the money and we just don't ever speak to him again."

"I guess," Alec sighed. "I still say we could just not talk to him about it and see how the investment turns out. It might be fine."

"Oh no," Magnus replied quickly. "That's so not happening."

Alec sighed. "Fine, have it your way," he said. Then he added in a more cheerful voice, "though I can't claim to be too fond of the reason, it is nice seeing you on a Monday morning. My little workaholic husband."

"I took a personal day," Magnus replied. "Using my vacation time."

"Yeah I know," Alec grinned, his tone turning quite flirty. "Do you think we could use those for other uses as well?"

"Naughty boy," Magnus teased back. "Get your head out of the gutter. Don't you have work today?"

Alec shrugged. "Switched my shift with Maia. She opened this morning. Since I couldn't talk you out of this, I wanted to be able to come with you if you needed me today."

Magnus was so touched by his husband's kind gesture he almost changed his mind and let him come.

"I love you," Magnus said instead, reaching forward to gently stroke Alec's cheek.

"With all my heart," Alec replied easily.

His eyes closed, Alec kissed Magnus's hand before it fell back to his side.