Chuckling lightly, he moved his hand over Alec's neck and shoulders. The touches were more tentative than they would have normally been, but this was far from a normal situation. On top of the obvious issue of them being from different versions of their world, they were also somewhere unfamiliar, a place where there was something strong enough to limit Magnus' magic. It may have been strange to worry so much about preventing anything that would make this Alec uncomfortable, given their predicament, but he was always a priority to Magnus. "Don't worry, I'm not insecure about my height," he teased lightly, tugging on a piece of Alec's hair. "Though the thought of being taller than you is a little thrilling."

Comparisons were going to come naturally now that they were aware of the differences. It was difficult not to look for them, too, the ways that he might move differently or his expressions. He noticed how Alec nearly touched him and then stopped, trying to stop himself from feeling rejected since he knew that it was probably not intended that way. Shaking his head, he looked at Alec and wondered if he asked because that had been his life. "No, not anymore. Once he'd kissed me in front of the entire Institute, he stopped hiding." It had been an incredibly brave step for Alec to take, even if he'd done it in something of a trance at the time.

It was likely that the differences they felt in each other's energy could partially be contributed to how they clashed, needing to learn how to flow together in ways that Magnus and his Alec hadn't explored. With his strength returning to him, he raised a hand and let harmless blue flames flow through his fingers. "When you first met?" he asked, curious as he watched the reflection of his magic in Alec's eyes. "How is his energy now that you've known him longer?"