Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Twenty Seven: A Question of Authority

Simon hadn't spoken a word to Alec in two weeks.

Though Alec didn't really care, because he understood the reason why and respected Simon's decision, but it still bugged him that he was being blamed for Isabelle's death even when it was his sister's choice.

"Ignore him. If he's going to be a dick about it, you're better off just dropping him like deadweight," Magnus told him during lunch one afternoon. "Besides. We have bigger fish to fry."

He wasn't wrong. Over the last two weeks they'd been gathering every bit of intel they could about warehouse 9 and 10....which wasn't much. Whenever they asked anyone about it they'd reply one of two ways: either they genuinely didn't know what Alec or Magnus were talking about or they quickly changed the subject to something else.

"I have a shift at the greenhouse after lunch. I'm almost certain I can get Arthur to spill some more info about the warehouses today. He likes to talk but there's no filter on what he talks about sometimes." Magnus shovelled a spoonful of potato into his mouth. "Why aren't you eating? Everything okay with you?"

Alec pushed his peas around his plate before answering. "I'm fine. It's just that scavenging with the group has been awkward ever since they left me behind two weeks ago."

Magnus burped into his hand. "Awkward how?"

"I don't know. It's just awkward. They won't have casual conversations with me. It's mostly always business."

Magnus waved his fork around while rolling his eyes. "Fuck them. They're probably riddled with regret. That or the blue haired man told them how scary I was when I confronted him about you and now they're scared of messing with you. In case I hear about it, I guess."

Alec nearly dropped his spoon in surprise. "You confronted Meliorn? When?"

"Before I grabbed supplies and went out to save you. Pinned him to wall-I think I punched him too. Can't quite remember."

"Well," Alec said through a mouthful of potato, "if you did make them scared, you also made things painfully awkward during our outside trips. So thank you for that."

Magnus smiled but said nothing.

Lunch was over, so Magnus and Alec kissed goodbye before heading their separate ways. Warehouse two was already open and filled with workers getting ready for their shift. Ethel passed Magnus, offering him a small smile before heading up to the third level of the warehouse to water some vegetables.

Arthur was on the ground floor handing out seed packets and barking orders. "Remember to leave at least an inch between seeds! We don't need the vegetables piled on top of each other when they're growing-Magnus! Come here and help me hand out the seeds!"

The packets Magnus was handed were eggplants and turnips. As every worker passed by he handed them a pack of seeds for both vegetables. They were planted on the ground floor where they required the least amount of water and grew faster than the other vegetables in the building.

This provided Magnus with a prime opportunity to speak to Arthur in private. "So. Arthur. We're friends right?"

Arthur grunted in response.

"I'll take that as a yes. So as friends, can you tell me if there's any possibility of job progression here? Room for promotion?" He put on his best Sunday smile in hopes it would work on the older man.

"Promotion? Sure. If you work really hard you'll get to use the big watering can," Arthur snidely remarked.

Magnus wasn't pleased but he made no show of it on his face or in his voice. "Sounds exciting. But what I meant was....is there a way to climb the ladder? And if you do, where can you go?"