Work Text:
I
Magnus wakes up with the first light of dawn. He stretches with feline delicacy as the trembling spots of sunlight begin invading the walls of the ornamented bedroom. He has loved this moment of the day the most every single one of his well lived four hundred years, but none has been quite as especial as the last months’. A feeling of buzzing joy fills his chest as he, slowly, carefully, turns towards the man lying by his side. Profoundly asleep, Alec’s eyelids move swiftly, lost in dream. His chest is exposed, broad and athletic, covered by the faint shadows of runes. His legs are interwoven with the silky sheets, and both arms stretch towards Magnus, quick hands, adored fingers. Even exposed like that, in apparent vulnerability, Alec looks like the fighter he is; strong, capable, alert. Yet, he is there, and his sole presence is to the warlock a stronger hold to reality than anything else.
Magnus lifts his right hand, nails shiny with gold and purple nail polish, matching a few locks of his hair. He moves his index and his thumb until a soft indigo light forms on his palm. With playful tenderness, he directs the sparkling indigo to Alec’s side, awakening his skin with goose bumps. Delighted, Magnus makes the magic turn upwards, towards the soft skin of his neck, up to the bony jaw. Alec frowns in dreams, and emits a soft groan. Magnus continues exploring, now his nape, now his long back, now the muscles of his belly. Engrossed in his favourite morning mischief, he misses the instant in which the first confused, then attentive, eyes of the half-angel open and gaze at him. Alec lets him caress his skin without a sound or a movement, taking as much pleasure from the indigo magic as from Magnus’s fascinated look. He knows that the warlock will eventually snap out of his trance, look at him with a half-smile and say his name, and he waits, making the moment last. Because with him, every second counts.
“Oh, Alexander, I know you are awake.” Confesses Magnus, with a scornful smile. “It is even more fun when you are awake and pretend not to.”
Alec frowns. When he talks, his voice is rough: “I don’t understand. Where is the fun in that?”
The warlock laughs, and with a snap makes the indigo light disappear. “Oh, well, let’s see.” He places one finger in the shadowhunter’s side, drawing little circles around the runes without touching them. Alec’s sudden gasp delights him. “You don’t gasp like that when you are asleep.”
“I am not gasping. I am just cold. It was a… cold gasp.” Deepening his frown, Alec gathers the sheets and covers himself up to the neck.
Magnus blinks twice, amused. “Alright, then. As you wish.” With one swift movement, he stands up and covers himself with a silky floral gown. “Will you have your coffee in bed, or shall I wait for you in the living room?”
“I am getting up. I need to shower first.”
Magnus stops, turns and tilts his head slightly to one side, with a grin. “Well that is just cruel, Alexander.”
Alec blushes, and draws a shy smile he tries to hide, unsuccessfully, by sitting down and covering his face to stifle a pretence yawn. “I’ll be right there.”
II
Magnus sits in his favourite couch, with the cat in his lap, checking his e-mail on the phone. The coffee is being made on the other side of the kitchen. He can hear both the run-run of the machine and the sound of the shower. When the water stops, he gets up and fills two cups. Chairman Meow trails behind him, rubbing his head against the half-demon’s ankles as he adds two sugars in one and a sip of soy milk in the other one. When he goes back to the living room, Alec is standing uneasily, his hands in his back pockets, looking out of the big windows to the wide expanse of urban decay that is Brooklyn.
“I… thank you for…” begins, but Magnus shuts him up by placing a smoky cup in his hands.
“… the coffee?” inquires the warlock. “It would be very rude of me not to invite you to breakfast.”
“No, I… I mean, for…” mutters, awkwardly, the shadowhunter. “Well…”
“Alexander, my dear, there is really no need for you to thank me after every night you spend here. That is just normal. After all, we are…”
Alec’s heart skips a beat. Intentionally, Magnus lets the words hang in the hair.
“What are we?” pursues he.
Magnus sips his coffee. “Does it really matter, what to call it? Isn’t that terribly conventional?”
“Do you mean we are not… conventional?”
“Do you want to? A shadowhunter and a downworlder, is this what you call a typical relationship?” scoffs the warlock.
Alec frowns, and sits down in the opposite couch. Chairman Meow is displeased by that, and eyes him with scorn.
“You confuse me.” He sighs, bringing the cup to his lips.
Magnus approaches and kneels down in the floor beside him. He takes the cup from his hands, leaves it on the table. “Alexander.” He takes his strong hand between his and kisses the palm softly. “I know you feel what I feel.”
Swallowing with difficulty, Alec mutters: “And what is that?”
The warlock looks up, almost pleading. He lets go of his palm to cup his face with his hands and kisses him in the lips, long and soft. Alec sighs in the kiss and grabs him by the collar of the gown. Magnus’s hands get lost in his black locks as he deepens the kiss, bending over him, his knee between his thighs on the couch. When they separate, both gasp for air. Alec laughs, a musical, delicious sound that makes the strings of Magnus’s soul tremble with bliss. They meet again in a longer kiss, palms against backs, lips against lips, neck, collarbone, chest, down, down, down.
“Okay, okay.” Laughs the half –angel again. “I think I… got it.”
Magnus pouches and smiles. “Glad to be of help.”
Alec eyes him with significance, the words in his mouth. However, whatever he is considering saying or not saying dies in his lips when the door of the apartment crashes down. Startled, Alec stands up immediately, his hands on his bow and arrow, in a matter of seconds. For his part, Magnus remains seated, rolls his eyes and sighs: “It is the third time this month, Lewis.”
“I am so sorry guys! So sorry! It’s hard trying to control this strength, you know? Well, how would you know? None of you are a vampire. I am not complaining though, I am learning to, put it takes practice, and…”
“It literally never stops talking.” Groans Alec, relaxing his posture.
“What can I do for you… and your friend, Simon?”
Raphael is looking at them from the other side of the door, cautious.
“Oh, Raphael? Oh no, he is just helping me, he is like my vampiring coach, you know? He…”
“Why are you here?!!” bursts out Alec.
“It is Isabelle.” Says Raphael, in a monotone, showing no emotion. “I have been made to convey a message. He has made me.”
“You agreed, Raphael!” protests Simon.
“I help my kind.” Refutes the vampire.
“A message, what message? Is she okay? What has happened?” demands Alec, losing his temper.
“We need you at the institute! Immediately!” Before Simon manages to finish his sentence, Alec is already descending the stairs. Magnus laughs at Simon and Raphael’s face.
“Really, what were you expecting?” says the warlock, getting into his boudoir to get ready.
III
When Alec arrives at the Institute, all the lights are turned off, and all is silent. He tenses his bow, frowning, his heart rate increasing by the second. Soon, both Magnus and Simon arrive and stand behind him.
“I don’t know what is going on, but I don’t like it one bit.” Whispers Alec. “Izzy?” he calls.
He walks down the platform, looking for any clue of what is happening.
“Don’t move, wait for me here.” Says looking at the warlock and the vampire.
When he enters the gym, he can feel something is out of place. He can feel the presences, their hearts beating, the stifled… laughs? What?
“Surprise!” yells Izzy, coming up from behind the table, as the lights turn on, holding a red balloon.
Alec shoots the balloon in an instinctive movement, then stands in bewilderment looking at Clary smiling half apologetically, at Jace holding a cake and at Lydia looking at him in awe. Izzy looks at the dead balloon, shrugs and jumps to his brother to give him a hug. “Happy birthday, brother!”
A little figure runs towards the pair and hugs Alec’s legs. “Happy birthday!”
“Max!” Alec smiles and takes him up in his arms.
“Hi! Is Magnus here? Can he play with me? Can he do that thing with the yellow magic?”
“I am here, little one.” Says the warlock, pleased, walking to the siblings. Max claps and runs to him as soon as Alec lets him go.
Jace embraces him next. “Happy birthday, my brother.”
“You know, I don’t…”
“… approve of this?” finish at unison Izzy, Jace and Clary. Lydia silently nods in agreement.
Alec’s frown deepens. “I was worried.”
“Oh, brother, and when are you not?” laughs Izzy, putting a paper hat on his head.
“Izzy, no.” he tries to fight it, but she kisses his nose and secures the hat.
“Izzy yes.”
“There are important things to do. We have work. There is no time for birthday celebrations.”
“Well, yours are numbered, so I would really appreciate them. My birthday doesn’t make a lot of sense any more, since I am, you know, immortal.” Complains Simon, while taking a piece of cake for himself.
Alec swallows, feeling Magnus’s gaze on his nape.
“Alright. One hour. One piece of cake. Then, training.”
“Yay!” Izzy yells, hugging him again.
Magnus makes it rain glitter, to Max’s delight and Alec’s annoyance.
Two hours later, they all sit calmly in little groups, amiably, like the group of friends that they are. Clary is next to Simon, both with a plate of cake by their side, chatting with Lydia, who plays with Izzy’s fingers in her hands while the younger shadowhunter rests her jaw on her shoulder. Jace and Max play backgammon, both wearing little colourful hats. Alec and Magnus look at them, in silence, together.
“It wasn’t that bad.”
Alec looks at him and smiles. “I am glad you are here.”
Magnus seems puzzled. “Where else would I be?”
“No, I mean… here. In my life.” He leans to kiss him.
Magnus smiles and caresses his cheek. “For as long as you will have me, Alexander.”
Alec nods, in silent understanding. For as long as he lives.