Noticing Magnus' expression, he immediately felt guilty for ruining the moment he'd been trying to create. That wasn't what he wanted. He'd wanted to show Magnus how much he cared about him, not turn their evening together into something darker.

Sitting down, he swallowed some of the tea, not really noticing if it was hot or cold. "I'm always pale," he said, trying to joke even as he tried to understand the pain in his side. "Not all of us can sparkle the way you do."

Grateful that Magnus was close, he finally let go of the rune to hold thread his fingers between his husband's, half-expecting to feel energy flow between them. Looking down at their joined hands, he imagined a symbol on them both, but Alec knew that Magnus didn't have any of those designs on his body. "And I love you, Karissima. The person I love most." No matter how strange the images in his head might be, Alec knew that was true.

Leaning in, he pressed a kiss beneath Magnus' ear, knowing that he had to tell Magnus what had happened or he'd continue to worry. Keeping his voice to only a hint of a whisper, he hoped no one would think anything strange was going on other than a case of stage fright. "I remembered something."