Magnus clapped along with the rest of the patrons as Alec finished, slightly louder than everyone else though that was due to the possibility that he had been the only one to understand the Latin words. It had been beautifully recited, whether or not the listener could translate the meaning.

Recognizing Alec's strained smile, Magnus frowned in concern. He doubted that it had anything to do with the poetry, at least directly, and he was halfway to standing when Alec finally came back to sit at the table. The haunted expression on Alec's features passed, but Magnus still scooted his chair closer to Alec's so they could sit next to each other. "Darling, are you alright? You look pale, drink some tea."

He reached out for his hand, the one that seemed to be clutching at the skin beneath it, and laced their fingers together. "It was beautiful, Alexander. I loved the Latin and the imagery."