He would be proud of him, wouldn't he? Michael's not really used to dealing with things in a healthy way. He's too stubborn, too emotional, too fraught. He doesn't know how to take things like progress and move forward in a healthy way.

Still, for Alex, everything is different. He closes his eyes when his hand is over his heart, an achingly needy noise in his throat bringing him closer.

"I got this far for you," he clarifies. "Magnus just helped me along the way."