[ the happiness in magnus' words does not go unnoticed, and there is no mistaking it for what it is: genuine, whole, and transparent. not the illusion of transparency that magnus sometimes hones, either. he's not letting the worry of what comes later—when eudio is behind them all—dampen the excitement of now, and raphael's... glad of that. he has no doubts that complications will arise then, but he has no desire to speak of that anymore now. there's nothing to be done about those complications now beyond their incentives, and besides, this kind of happiness would not be trifled with anyway. raphael knows the stubbornness magnus is capable of.

he also knows that temporary things seem to mean much more in a long, seemingly endless life of temporary things. most things—most people—will find their end long before magnus or raphael, and so there is reason to cherish those fading things even more, to know them even after they've gone.

it's a bittersweet thought, and not one he'll share at the moment. ]

I'd be very offended if you weren't. [ which might suffice as an agreement to do this for magnus, but just so they're clear: ] Yes, I'll be there. [ a pause, so magnus can take that in. ] But I require fair warning if there will be any kissing involved.

[ what a coincidence! that particular memory comes to raphael's mind as well, and he might just smirk to himself where magnus cannot see it. oh, to be roommates again. what more disasters would they run into while trying helplessly to cohabitate as two people with very different ideas about how to conduct day to day life, from how to style one's hair to whether or not sprinting across consecrated ground as a child of the night is a good or bad idea?

short answer: many. ]

"Old friend" is not the only thing that calls attention to your advanced age. And I assume you have a list of fond memories you pour over constantly.