As always, Alec excels at deflecting, but it's nothing Reid isn't used to, not an obstacle will ever stop trying to overcome. If asked, he's not sure he would be able to explain exactly why he'd try so hard for someone he's only known for a matter of months, especially because it'd often taken him far longer than that to trust anyone outside of the BAU; but it's not just because Alec is important to Luke anymore, even though it very well may have started out that way. No, Alec is important to Reid, too, and so is his happiness.
Magnus' presence in Darrow seems to have improved things a little, mostly in small ways that might not be noticeable to those who aren't looking for it, like the way Alec's eyes crinkle just slightly when Magnus says something ridiculous or the slight upward curve of Alec's lips when Magnus pays him yet another compliment. The reason Reid sees it is because he does the very same thing when Luke murmurs something sweet in his ear or presses an unexpected kiss to his forehead, mostly private moments that they don't let others witness, but he knows what he must look like all the same.
For Alec, though, it isn't that easy. While every passing day might do something to ease the Clave's iron grip on Alec's view of the world, getting past being taught that he loves the wrong person wouldn't be a simple task. All Reid can really hope is that Magnus will continue to be patient; and if not, words will be had. Possibly even fists, if Reid is feeling particularly willing to spend an evening being stitched up by his boyfriend.
Beyond that, what Alec had seen in the other version of Darrow had been just a small portion of the Reid's vulnerabilities and while they haven't discussed his addiction since returning home, it's a bit strange to know that there's one more person in this room who knows the reason he doesn't have a glass of wine in his hand tonight isn't because he doesn't feel like drinking. There's so much of that other world that's put weight on Reid's shoulders, the kind he's spent so many years trying to shrug off, but the guilt is back. The anger, the resentment, the fear. It'd all come rushing back to him over the course of ten long days, and he knows it'll take time for the wounds to heal again but in the end, he's not sure they'll ever really close.
"Same as you," he says, searching Alec's eyes because they both know what the other means when they say they're alright. They're fine. They're good. They're not, but they will be. There's help for them. "The stuffing's good, by the way. And I may or may not already have gotten into the pie."
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Magnus' presence in Darrow seems to have improved things a little, mostly in small ways that might not be noticeable to those who aren't looking for it, like the way Alec's eyes crinkle just slightly when Magnus says something ridiculous or the slight upward curve of Alec's lips when Magnus pays him yet another compliment. The reason Reid sees it is because he does the very same thing when Luke murmurs something sweet in his ear or presses an unexpected kiss to his forehead, mostly private moments that they don't let others witness, but he knows what he must look like all the same.
For Alec, though, it isn't that easy. While every passing day might do something to ease the Clave's iron grip on Alec's view of the world, getting past being taught that he loves the wrong person wouldn't be a simple task. All Reid can really hope is that Magnus will continue to be patient; and if not, words will be had. Possibly even fists, if Reid is feeling particularly willing to spend an evening being stitched up by his boyfriend.
Beyond that, what Alec had seen in the other version of Darrow had been just a small portion of the Reid's vulnerabilities and while they haven't discussed his addiction since returning home, it's a bit strange to know that there's one more person in this room who knows the reason he doesn't have a glass of wine in his hand tonight isn't because he doesn't feel like drinking. There's so much of that other world that's put weight on Reid's shoulders, the kind he's spent so many years trying to shrug off, but the guilt is back. The anger, the resentment, the fear. It'd all come rushing back to him over the course of ten long days, and he knows it'll take time for the wounds to heal again but in the end, he's not sure they'll ever really close.
"Same as you," he says, searching Alec's eyes because they both know what the other means when they say they're alright. They're fine. They're good. They're not, but they will be. There's help for them. "The stuffing's good, by the way. And I may or may not already have gotten into the pie."