Conditional Love

Chapter 27

Magnus feels bad about lying to Alec this morning. Ragnor asked if they both wanted to have lunch with him today, but this morning after their mind blowing sex, Magnus had an epiphany. As he was trailing kisses down Alexander's torso, he realized that he wants to wake up with Alexander by his side for the rest of their lives. The thought freaked him out momentairly, but the more he thinks about it, the more he wants it.

Magnus walks into the restaurant and immediately sees his Cabbage. They greet each other, and Magnus sits down. The server immediately comes to take their food and drink orders, and Magnus is glad that Ragnor has chosen a restaurant they frequent so much that he doesn't even need to look at the menu.

"Where's pretty boy today? Usually you two are attached at the hip." Ragnor says.

"I kind of lied to him and told him that you were having a crisis, and needed to get some advice from me." Magnus says, looking down at his hands in shame. He truly didn't want to lie to Alec, but he didn't know what else to do, and he needs his best friends advice right now.

Hearing Ragnor's sigh, Magnus looks back up at his friend. "Magnus, what on earth is going on? You two seem so happy, in fact, you two are sickeningly sweet with each other to the point where it's almost nauseating for everyone else."

"No, no! We're fine... great actually, but I realized something today and it scared the shit out of me." Magnus says, Ragnor nods his head, encouraging Magnus to continue, "I want to marry him!"

If the shocked look is anything to go by, Ragnor also thinks it's insane so Magnus clarifies, "I'm not stupid enough to ask him to marry me after only six months together, but I at least want to ask him to move in with me."

Opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, Ragnor finally finds his voice, "Okay. Yes, I do believe that you would scare Alec off if you were to propose, but asking him to move in is a reasonable request."

"But how do I ask him? I don't want to come off sounding too clingy, and I sure as hell don't want to push him into doing something that he may not be ready for." Magnus' voice seems to be getting higher and higher as he speaks. He takes a few deep breaths, calming himself down, "I just don't want to freak him out. What if me asking him to move in, pushes our relationship to a breaking point?"

"What do you mean, 'breaking point'?" Ragnor uses air quotes when asking. "Do you think that living together will be such a bad thing? You're pretty much living together now. And I should remind you, before Alec was injured, you two were spending every weekend together, as well as working together. I don't see the problem here."

"No." Magnus shakes his head, "I don't think that him moving in would be a problem. I'm saying that me asking might be. What if he isn't ready for that next step and it breaks us up?" Magnus tries to rephrase his concerns.

"Then let him know that it's okay if he's not ready yet. Reassure him that if he doesn't want to take that next step, nothing in your relationship has to change. You two can go back to how things were before the shooting." Ragnor says like it's the simplest solution.

"But when should I ask him? I don't want to ask him too soon, just in case he isn't ready yet. I don't want him to feel awkward around me for the next couple of weeks if he says no. And I don't want him to go back home yet either. I'm just stuck on when the best time would be." Magnus says. He's sure that he's overthinking the whole thing, but he can't help but worry.

Ragnor gives a contemplative look, then his face lights up, "Do it at your dad's launch party!"

"What?" Is the only thing Magnus can think of to ask.

"You said you didn't want to do it too soon, and your dad's launch party is in about two weeks. That's roughly at the same time Alec should be getting his medical clearance to go back to work. It's the perfect time to ask him!" Ragnor exclaims.