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thelightofthebane · 8 months

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through the good and bad and all in between

Summary: Magnus was born a warlock. Magnus became a mundane for love and by self-sacrificing tendencies. Magnus turned into a vampire after an act of spite and revenge.

A story about survival, new identities, love through adversities, and accepting changes.

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s03e17 Heavenly Fire, Vampire Magnus Bane, Turned without consent, Major Character Undeath, Immortal to Mortal to Immortal, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Boyfriend Alec Lightwood, Soft Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Cat & Alec friendship, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending

Rating: E

Chapters: 10

Words: Around 23k~

This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Mini Bang 2023: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver

You can read it on AO3 or the eighth chapter below ~

Chapter 8 - You taught me to live each day like it's my last

“Are you really a vampire now?”

“I am.”

“And you only drink blood now?”

“I do.”

“And no magic? No more extra chocolate sprinkles?”

“No magic. But I can still give you extra chocolate sprinkles. In secret, or else Uncle Alec will punish us with a lot of tickles.”

Madzie giggled.

Children were so simple. In the best of ways. Although it hurt admitting some harsh truths out loud - like not being able to use magic anymore -, it was nice doing it only to fulfill an honest curiosity, full of wonder and awe.

Magnus wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t nervous at finally meeting Madzie again, but he missed his goddaughter too much to keep pushing back a visit. Since the successful mission against Camille three weeks before, Magnus was making more visits to the New York Institute - and New York overall. He was slowly trying to get used to the city again with his new senses and also going to the Hotel DuMort to talk to the clan.

If he was also using the opportunity to keep an eye on his very, very stubborn fiancé who was still healing from the mission, well, nobody but him needed to know that.

“Are you okay with this new me, Sweet Pea?”

“I am.”

See? Simple.

“I like your fangs. They are cool. Much cooler than Uncle Simon’s.” Then, as if telling him a secret, she lowered her voice and came closer to him. “But don’t tell him that. Or he will have puppy ears.”

“Puppy ears?”

“It’s puppy eyes, kiddo.” Cat corrected her after snickering.

Madzie shrugged, then went back to play with her dolls in what seemed to be an imaginary tea party.

Magnus, who was drinking a special blend of blood tea, turned to Cat then.

“I know that I shouldn’t be surprised, but she took this change better than I anticipated.”

Catarina took a sip of her own actual tea, not bothering to hide a grin afterward.

"Your little brood of Shadowhunters plus Simon took it upon themselves to play with Madzie and distract her while her Uncle Magnus was away. But she spent more time with Simon. Alec’s idea. This way she could get more used to vampires and not feel uncomfortable when visiting your future clan."

Alexander…

“Anyway, vampire or not, that boy was a perfect babysitter. He talked so much, that even Madzie got tired. She never napped so quickly in all the time she has been with me.”

Usually, Magnus would make a teasing comment about that, but his mind was still processing what Cat told him about Alec’s idea.

"Cat, how the hell did someone like him choose me? If we weren’t already engaged, I’d barge into the Institute right now and ask him to marry me."

"Magnus Bane finally settling, huh? In all the centuries that I know you, you never mentioned wedding bells, not even with the demon."

Magnus chuckles. Everyone around him stopped saying her name - not out of fear, but because they believed it could erase her from their memories sooner than later.

"Alec makes me dream about things that I've given up a long time ago, Cat."

Marriage. Family. Children.

"I want everything with him."

“I’d say you’re already halfway there.” His friend wiggled her eyebrows, jutting her chin towards the ring he was wearing.

His real engagement ring. A couple of days after Alec was discharged from the infirmary, he received a message from the warlock jeweler to let him know that the enchanted pair of rings were finished. Even without his powers, Magnus could feel the magic pouring from them - it was very powerful.

He knew Alec had ordered them specifically for Magnus, to keep him safe, but Magnus was glad and relieved to know it went both ways - Alec would also have an extra layer of protection and he would know if the Shadowhunter was in true danger.

“Have you chosen a place to hold the wedding?”

“Not yet. Alexander and I are still discussing all the details. He said he wanted to get involved in the planning this time.” Magnus smiled, then chuckled. “But I called dibs on the decor. I love Alec, but his concept of color is black and different shades of gray.”

The warlock frowned. “I thought you would go with the traditional gold of a Nephilim wedding.”

“No. In another time, we would’ve gone with a mix of Nephilim gold and Warlock blue, but now…” Magnus sighed before putting his teacup away.

Suddenly, Madzie piped in.

“Are you and Uncle Alec marrying like those princes and princesses of fairy tales? Uncle Alec looks like a prince.”

Magnus laughed. “And you’re absolutely right, my love.” He picked her up, and she immediately snuggled with him.

“Auntie Izzy told me I could be a flower girl. Does this mean I’ll wear a dress full of flowers?”

“If you want to wear one, we can arrange that. But being a flower girl means you’ll create a path full of flowers for me and Alec. This way, our marriage will start more colorful, fragrant, and beautiful.”

“I like that.” Magnus could hear the smile on Madzie’s voice, and his heart couldn’t help but melt at that.

“Me too, Sweet Pea. Me too.”

~*~

“Alex reminds me of you,” Magnus commented, earning a deadpan look from Alec.

They were sprawled on the couch, Magnus bracketed by Alec’s legs, his head resting on the Shadowhunter’s chest - the sound of Alec’s beating heart still being Magnus’ biggest source of comfort.

Lately, this was how their date nights went by. A movie or a show, a nice meal, cuddling - or a delicious session of make out - until they fell asleep. It was a good way to keep the nightmares at bay, and gradually Magnus has been feeling more relaxed and settled again.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t share popcorn anymore - Magnus had his own snack soaked in blood.

“Because we both are called Alexander?” Alec drawled.

“That too, but you two are very good with politics, always trying to help others, born leaders, adorably oblivious when it comes to crushes, and have a dangerous public sex kink.”

“I don’t have a public sex kink!”

“Darling, Underhill has to deactivate the training room’s cameras every time we’re there.”

Alec grumbled under his breath, and Magnus snickered.

“Well, I’m sorry if it’s too hard to keep my hands off you, Your Royal Highness.”

This time, Magnus gasped.

Then, they both broke into a fit of giggles.

Alec let go of his popcorn in favor to hold Magnus closer and took the opportunity to nuzzle against the side of the vampire’s head. Magnus closed his eyes for a moment, sinking into that warm feeling so uniquely Alec, and only after a couple of minutes he went back to pay attention to the movie.

It was only when they were in the middle of the second movie, some underrated rom-com, that Magnus noticed how Alec was distracted.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Lydia.”

“Ah, I see. You’re thinking about your ex-fiancée while I’m right here with you.” Magnus teased.

Alec rolled his eyes. “It’s not that. It’s just…” He waved a bit upset to the TV. “I can understand that guy being afraid of coming out, but does he need to treat the guy he loves like that? Like a dirty secret?”

“Sometimes you don’t have a choice if you want to be with the one you love the most,” Magnus whispers, and there is an underlining of a past experience there.

Alec sighed. “As much as I hate how I treated you in the past when we first met, I think it was better than treating you as someone who should be hidden. No one should, but especially not you, Magnus. You are too big to conceal. If someone did that, they were a major asshole and didn’t deserve you. People should be proud to show you off, not hide you.”

Magnus looked surprised at Alec who was still fuming and cursing the main character of the movie.

“Even when I lost everything and was a mere mundane, you never minded, did you?”

“Of course not. I love you. All of you. And I accept any version you choose to be.”

“And if I became like one of those villains from superhero movies?”

Alec shrugged. “Some villains are hot.”

Magnus fully grinned by then.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe I am. But that’s okay. I got you.”

I will always get you.

They stayed in silence for some more time, until Magnus broke it.

“Alexander?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m ready to move back to New York.”

#shmb2023 #shadowhunters #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #my writing #colorfulwarlock

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lazinesswrites · 1 year

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Hi! Happy Friday!

As I said last Friday, I'm planning to post a link to one of my existing works, from oldest to newest, every Friday from now on. This is both an attempt at reaching more/new people, and reminding people that you can interact with old works on Ao3! It's not cringe or stalker-y or whatever else people claim; it's just gonna make us writers happy.

Anyway. This is Hiding From Your Home! A total of 13.6k words, in seven chapters; the fic is complete, but it's part of an ongoing series. It can easily be read on it's own, though.

Tags: Shadowhunters, Malec, Canon Divergent, wing-fic, Alec Lightwood Needs A Hug, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Dragons, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: Magnus needs a Dragonstone for a potion, but as both the stone and needing it is rare enough that Magnus doesn’t keep it on hand, he needs to buy it – unfortunately, this specific Dragonstone comes with an actual, tiny dragon attached.

Dragons themselves are even rarer than the stones, thought by most to be extinct, so Magnus won’t harm the little creature, but he can’t very well use the stone with the dragon still clinging to it. Enter Alec, who talks the dragon into a trade, and Magnus into keeping the dragon.

What Magnus doesn’t know is that dragons are actually angelic beings, not demonic or ‘neutral’ as most believe, and that, well. Alec is part dragon.

And a little teaser from chapter 1:

Magnus is pulled out of his thoughts by a tug on his wards which alerts him someone has entered the hallway outside the loft, and sure enough: A moment later Alexander walks through the door. He still knocks, even if he no longer waits for Magnus to open the door for him. Magnus would tell him not to bother, but he’s the only one who does that, so it means Magnus always knows it’s him rather than any of the other people who has access through his wards.

“Magnus?”

Magnus had, it seems, gotten a little lost in his thoughts again, about both the dragon and his boyfriend’s manners.

“There you are,” Alec says as he pokes his head through the door to the apothecary. “Hey.”

“Hello, darling.” Magnus waves Alec in, walks around his worktable, and tries not to melt too much when Alec greets him with what has become a customary kiss hello – barely more than a peck, but so domestic.

“What’s got you so distracted? Complicated po—”

Between his upbringing as a soldier of the Clave and his current position as a powerful politician in the Shadow World, not much can shock Alec enough to make him freeze up the way he does now. It’s subtle, but with his hand still on Alec’s chest Magnus can feel the exact moment Alec sees the answer to his own question.

“Is that a dragon?”

#Shadowhunters #Malec #Magnus Bane #Alec Lightwood #wing-fic #Dragon!Alec #Old Works Friday #or maybe #Old Works Weekend #? maybe #I'll come up with a cool name at some point #Hiding From Your Home #HFYH fic

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the-great-lightwood-bane · 2 years

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let your voice be heard

Malec | Rated general | no warnings | Alec Lightwood-centric, 5 + 1 things, Canon Compliant, Singing, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Insecure Alec Lightwood, Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood Had A Bad Childhood, Alec Lightwood Needs A Hug, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending

Summary: Shadowhunters don't sing.

aka five times Alec remembered that he wasn’t supposed to sing, and five times he knew he could (because this 5+1 idea is totally unbalanced and the characters deserve better).

A/N: so... honestly idk what this is. It's vaguely inspired by me driving my family slightly insane by humming constantly, and I basically exaggerated and extrapolated that onto Alec. I really don't know.

(also ik a bunch of this is unrealistic or whatever, don't @ me)

Read it on AO3 or below the cut.

prelude — Robert

Robert sighed. Alexander was singing something to himself — again — and while it had been cute at first, he couldn’t exactly work while his one-year-old son was babbling so loudly. It wouldn’t be so bad if it’d been quieter, but Alec was apparently determined to drive him insane, and he was vocalising loudly enough that Robert couldn’t tune him out.

It wasn’t particularly untuneful, but it was annoying, and it was constant. Robert’s headache throbbed.

He shouldn’t be so ungrateful. It was thanks to Alec, after all, that he and Maryse had gotten off relatively scott-free from their involvement in the Circle; thanks to Alec that they were now in charge of the third-largest Institute in the world, even if that charge came with exile from Idris. The problem was that the Downworld in New York was rebellious — the Whitelaws had been absurdly easy on them. Though Robert felt a twinge of guilt at the reminder of the family who’d been casualties of their fight against the werewolves, he knew that the Whitelaws had been bad for discipline in the Shadow World. Their deaths were really a good thing—

A louder babble from Alec cut off Robert’s train of thought.

He sighed again, wishing that Maryse were here. She’d take Alec away, or help him deal with these reports, or quiet Alec down with a few well-placed sharp words — that always seemed to make him stop singing, sometimes for entire hours at a time. Unfortunately, she was on patrol right now, and Robert was stuck watching over the increasingly irritating child.

Back to the reports. Robert signed off on one of them, but he had to stop halfway down the next report and start again — he’d been unable to focus on the meaning of the words, thanks to Alec’s singing.

The second time it happened, he snapped. “Alexander! Be quiet this instant. Shadowhunters don’t sing.” He infused authority into his tone, like he would when addressing a roomful of Shadowhunters.

Alec’s sounds abruptly cut off, and Robert felt his shoulders relax as his headache eased.

He made it five minutes before Alec was babbling again.

one

It was only a fragment of a tune, a snatch of something that somebody had been humming when they came back into the Institute from patrol.

Alec was seven, now, and he was old enough to hang around Ops and watch the Shadowhunters coming in. Well, technically he wasn’t old enough yet — the Ops floor was banned to anyone under nine — but he was old enough to sneak in and hide behind a pillar, watching the grown-up Shadowhunters.

His sister Izzy wasn’t old enough yet either, but she was always following him around, and so he helped her hide with him behind the pillar. After all, if she got caught, he’d almost certainly get caught as well. Plus, he was going to be the best big brother, and helping his little sister was a good start.

So, Alec had been in Ops when the patrol had come in. A woman, younger than Mom but still old enough to be a full Shadowhunter, had been humming the tune as she walked past the pillar, and Alec had listened with wide eyes.

He’d only heard a little bit of the song, which was probably a mundane one, but the little bit of sound got stuck in his head. He found himself unconsciously attempting to reconstruct what the whole song might’ve been like, and though he knew he was probably way off, he couldn’t help trying.

Right now, Alec was supposed to be practising his runes, alone in the library. He was only using a pencil, because he was too young for a real stele, but he knew that he needed to master the shapes of the runes before he became a full-fledged Shadowhunter. And he was going to be the best Shadowhunter ever (except maybe Izzy, who was already as good as him with a staff and was getting better all the time with her whip), which meant that he needed to get really good at his runes.

So he wasn’t slacking off in practice. Hodge had told him to do five hundred repetitions of the Deflect rune, and he’d already gotten to four hundred. He was just humming the song at the same time.

A footstep in the corridor, and Alec suddenly remembered with a shock like ice water on his head that he wasn’t supposed to make noise. He was always forgetting, always giving in to the music that seemed to run like a stream across his mind; he was sure that he was getting the tune wrong, but he couldn’t help it. Sometimes he wouldn’t even notice that he was humming — until, that is, Mom heard him.

He could hear her voice echo sharply across his mind — Alexander! Sometimes that was all she needed to say; sometimes she’d go on. Stop humming, it’s distracting. Or: Real Shadowhunters are quiet. Or: We don’t make unnecessary noises, not even in training. Or: How will anyone respect you if you can’t keep your mouth shut? And most often repeated of all: Shadowhunters don’t sing.

(Maybe, if his singing had actually been good, things would’ve been different. Maybe it wouldn’t be such an irritant. But that wasn’t the case, and there was no point wishing he’d been gifted with a better voice, not when all of Mom’s reasons were good ones.)

Alec felt a surge of guilt — he’d forgotten about her warning, again. He’d only thought about himself, about his own runes training, and he hadn’t thought about how annoying it would be for anyone around him. He needed to do better.

He’d do an extra hundred runes to make up for it.

two

Jace could play the piano.

Alec stood hesitantly in the doorway, watching the golden-haired boy pick out a tune on the instrument that’d stood there, silent and unused, for as long as Alec could remember. The boy was apparently going to be his new brother — that was what Mom had explained, at least — and so Alec wanted to make friends with him. The problem was that Jace didn’t seem to like talking much, and didn’t seem to want to make friends in general.

So Alec was trying to wear him down by just hanging around quietly. Eventually, Jace would have to give in and make friends; Alec knew that he was stubborn, and Jace wouldn’t be able to hold out as long as he could. That was why Alec had followed Jace to this room, where the piano was.

He didn’t want to interrupt the playing, though. Jace’s fingers were nimble, dancing easily over the keys, and Alec thought that it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. He wanted to float away on the music, wanted to hold it in his heart so that it would never leave.

But Jace suddenly looked up from the piano, fingers stilling as he registered Alec’s presence, and the music stopped. Alec wanted to ask him to keep playing, but Jace was already standing up, looking embarrassed, and Alec knew that if he pushed too hard, Jace would never ever want to be his friend. So he stayed quiet, and followed Jace out of the room. Eventually he’d gain Jace’s trust, and then maybe he could ask him to play again.

That night, though, Alec couldn’t help sneaking back down to look at the piano again. Just to look; he knew he couldn’t touch, knew that he’d only make horrible sounds that would erase the beautiful music that Jace had been making. He was tempted to try to pick out the tune anyway, but he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t hum Jace’s song, either, because he was getting so much better at staying quiet even when the music was playing in his head — if he was always careful, he could stop himself from slipping up, and he was getting better at the sustained concentration that he needed. (Shadowhunters don’t sing, he’d tell himself, the words a constant refrain and reminder.) He wanted to be a good Shadowhunter, and that was much more important than the temptation of the music.

(He held on to the hope of hearing Jace play again, though he didn’t say anything for fear of scaring him away. Eventually he learned that Jace had a complicated relationship with the piano, thanks to his father — Alec had never wanted to punch anyone as much as he wanted to punch Michael Wayland — and so he never did ask Jace to play. Whenever Jace sat down at the piano, though, he always listened, and he watched the dance of his fingers over the keys until he had the movements memorised.)

three

Max was crying.

Alec heard him from his own room, down the hall. He hadn’t heard Mom or Dad stirring yet, which meant that if he hurried he might be able to get them a few hours of sleep. Baby Max was adorable, and he liked holding Alec’s finger; he pulled on Izzy’s hair sometimes, but he always let go when she cried out. But Mom and Dad had trouble sleeping because Max wasn’t very good at sleeping through the night, so Alec wanted to help them. He was only eleven, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t help.

He crept quietly out of bed, using his brand-new runes to muffle his footsteps, and went into Max’s room. Fortunately, Max quieted a little when Alec picked him up, though Alec was sure that he’d wake up Mom and Dad soon enough.

Alec rocked him, shushing him gently, and he quieted a little more. It wasn’t enough, though; Alec wanted him to go back to sleep, not just quiet down. He knew he wasn’t supposed to, but Alec was tempted to hum a few bars of a song — he knew it would put Max right back to sleep, and Mom and Dad really needed the break.

Shadowhunters don’t sing.

He needed to help his parents.

Alec’s family would always — always — take priority.

Softly, so softly that he wasn’t sure that Max could actually hear him, Alec began to hum, still rocking him from side to side. He didn’t know the words of the song, only the tune, drifting across the street from some mundane bar or other; in fact, he wasn’t entirely certain if he’d really heard the tune before or if he’d made it up himself. He kept his voice quiet, not daring to sing louder, but Max calmed down at once.

He fell asleep in Alec’s arms, an adorable little bundle, and Alec laid him gently back down on the bed. He stopped humming, though the song was still running through his mind as it always seemed to be.

Alec knew that he shouldn’t feel sad that Max was asleep — that was his goal, after all, to help his parents get some rest — and yet he couldn’t help mourning the fact that he had no excuse to sing anymore.

four

“Be quiet, Alexander. I thought you knew better.” Maryse’s voice cracked like a whip across Alec’s thoughts.

It was the day after Alec’s first patrol as a fully-fledged Shadowhunter, and he’d heard the tune spilling out from a mundane restaurant. He hadn’t even noticed that he was humming it — that was even worse, though, because it meant he had a bad awareness of his surroundings.

He knew why he’d made such a mistake. First patrols were important, a landmark moment in Shadowhunters’ lives, and when he’d gotten back, Maryse had congratulated him on it. She’d been proud of how well he’d done — he hadn’t killed a demon, but he’d shot one and distracted it long enough for one of the older Shadowhunters to kill it, and the patrol leader had told Maryse that he’d done a good job. Alec had liked the patrol leader’s praise, but Maryse’s smile and congratulations had been worth so much more. The joy of that had loosened his inhibitions, made him forget — just for a moment — that he wasn’t supposed to sing, in the sunshine light of his mother’s pride.

That was all gone now, though. Shadowhunters don’t sing. She was glaring at him again, that familiar disappointment in her eyes, her lips pursed in disapproval. Alec was silent, his humming vanished along with the happiness that’d glowed in his heart, but she looked irritated now. “Don’t you have something you should be doing?”

Alec did not, in fact, have anything to do — he’d already finished the history and politics homework Hodge had assigned him, and he’d gotten the day off training as a reward for completing his first patrol. That was why he was in Maryse’s office — he was going to be the Head of the Institute someday, and the best way to learn how to do that was to watch his mother at work. She usually allowed it, but he’d clearly lost that opportunity with his humming. He got up and saluted at the door; Maryse didn’t bother to acknowledge it, and Alec left for the training rooms. He could always ignore the tunes in his head when he was training; it was like he was humming with his body rather than his mind. And maybe, if he trained hard enough, he could get Maryse to look at him proudly again.

(Maybe.)

five

Magnus had a record player.

It looked vintage, but in pristine condition — Magnus had probably bought it new and kept it working with magic. The collection of records in a cupboard next to it varied widely in genre and age, and Alec wanted nothing more than to go digging through the pile and listen to any and all of them.

A few things were stopping him from doing so, though. Firstly, it was after all Magnus’s collection, and Alec didn’t want to touch it without his permission — and asking permission was awkward enough that he’d rather not. And then, he was always more relaxed in the loft than he was anywhere else, and he knew he’d end up humming along if not outright singing aloud. That would be disastrous — his mother’s voice was always burned into his mind: Shadowhunters don’t sing. (And another reason, if that wasn’t enough — he knew his singing was bad, that he was always out of tune even when he thought it sounded right, and he didn’t want to subject Magnus to that.)

Magnus, however, had no such inhibitions.

“Dance with me, Alexander,” he said with a smile, and Alec was helpless to do anything but let Magnus pull him to his feet as a flick of the finger set a record playing. It was Whitney Houston, Alec knew; his awareness of mundane pop culture was limited at best, but he’d gathered up and hoarded away all the scraps of music that he’d heard in fragments from mundane buildings. He liked her music, the warm sway of it, and it was easy enough to sink into the beat.

“You’re getting better at this,” Magnus told him, lifting his arm to spin Alec out in a twirl.

Alec shrugged, spinning back into Magnus’s arms. He’d never really danced before meeting Magnus — unlike his siblings, clubs weren’t his scene, and he’d ducked out of the (nominally, but not practically, mandatory) classes in ballroom dancing in favour of more politics electives. Magnus loved dancing, though, and Alec loved listening to music, so he’d begun to learn. “I’m nothing to you.”

Magnus grinned at him. “I’ve had centuries to perfect the art.”

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, Houston’s crooning voice accompanied only by the soft taps of their feet on the floor. Magnus was humming along softly; his voice wasn’t perfectly in tune, but it was beautiful and it was Magnus. Alec felt relaxed, at peace; the lyrics of the song were climbing up his throat, ready to be sung—

But no, he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t forget even for a moment that he was a Shadowhunter, and Shadowhunters don’t sing.

He dipped Magnus to distract him from whatever expression was painted on Alec’s face, and let the old mantra replace the song running through his mind. It messed up his rhythm, but that was okay — that was fine, that was worth it.

This — Magnus in his arms, the music outside of him but not allowed to sing in his head — was enough.

interlude — Magnus

It had taken Magnus an unforgivably long time to notice it, but when he did, it became undeniable.

Alec never sang. Magnus himself was often humming a snatch of tune or other, when doing something that didn’t attract his full attention; he’d learned from his experiences with the charango that he really couldn’t play any instrument, but he loved humming along to a song as he danced to it.

Alec, on the other hand — never. Not in the shower, not when Magnus had music playing in the loft, not when they were dancing; not even the few times when Magnus had caught him listening to music with an intense, unnameable expression on his face. If it hadn’t been for that expression, perhaps Magnus could have passed it off as a simple dislike for music; but Alec clearly loved music, and his silence stood out all the more for it.

So, he brought it up. “Alexander?”

“Hm?” Alec looked up at him from the reports scattered over Magnus’s living room table.

Magnus sat down beside him, turning so that his legs lay across Alec’s lap and tangling his fingers with Alec’s. “Why don’t you sing?”

Alec stilled, barely breathing. “Shadowhunters don’t sing.”

It sounded like a mantra, like Alec had heard those words so many times that he’d learned to believe them despite himself. Magnus would need to tread carefully. “Why not?”

“It’s a distraction, to myself and to others,” Alec replied, the words still apparently automatic. “It’s loud, it could give me away. It’s unnecessary. It’s inefficient. I’d lose the respect of my subordinates.”

Disregarding the other faults in that statement — he didn’t need to argue with Alec over whether his subordinates would care — Magnus pointed out the main one. “None of that applies here, darling.”

Alec shrugged, still tense and uncomfortable. Magnus wanted to let the topic drop, allow Alec to relax again, but this was another example of the Clave’s indoctrination that he wanted to stop. Alec should feel he could sing if he wanted to.

“I don’t think I could stop if I started,” Alec said softly, like a confession. “I don’t — I have to remind myself not to hum something all the time, and if I let my guard down, I don’t know if I could bring it back up.”

Magnus tightened his fingers on Alec’s hands. “You should always have somewhere you can relax, darling.”

“I’ve never had somewhere I can relax,” Alec replied, “except for here.”

Heart breaking and healing again at Alec’s words, Magnus leaned forward to pull him into a gentle kiss. “Then you should be able to relax about this, too, when you’re here.” Alec didn’t say anything, and Magnus didn’t wait for him to. “I know you’re not going to change everything right away, love, but — just remember that you’re allowed to sing here. You don’t need to be a Shadowhunter all the time; in the loft, you can just be yourself, and I will never judge you for that.”

“Say that again when you’re driven insane by my constant humming,” Alec huffed, but there was a small smile on his face and Magnus let himself hope.

+ one

“Your voice is beautiful.”

Alec spun around, only his Shadowhunter reflexes saving him from falling over and face-planting onto the kitchen floor. “Oh. Uh. Magnus. I… didn’t know you were here?”

Magnus chuckled, walking up to him and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “That was intentional. You were singing beautifully — I didn’t want to interrupt.”

The blush on Alec’s cheeks was embarrassingly bright. He’d been cooking dinner for Magnus with the radio on; it’d been playing a song and he hadn’t even realised that he’d been humming along. That was testimony to the relaxing effect that the loft had on him — he hadn’t hummed along to anything since he was fifteen years old. The conversation with Magnus had definitely helped; Alec still didn’t want to hum consciously, but clearly he’d subconsciously let down a bit more of his guard in response.

Then, he caught on to what Magnus was saying, and the blush deepened. “I’m not good at singing, Magnus.”

“You absolutely are,” Magnus replied immediately. “Not that I’d care if that wasn’t the case, but you really do have a lovely voice — especially for somebody with no training and less practice.”

“You’re biased,” Alec retorted, and changed the subject before Magnus could say anything more. “Now, are you going to help me finish making dinner, or are you planning on just standing there unhelpfully?”

Magnus laughed and joined him at the counter, and if Alec began to let himself hum softly to the radio sometimes, that was nobody’s business but his own.

+ two

The piano was just sitting there, in the middle of a park in Italy, and Alec couldn’t quite resist.

Magnus had gone to get them gelato from a place across the way; he’d left Alec sitting on a bench in the sunlight, only a little ways from the piano. It was a public one, meant to be used by anyone who came across it; the wood looked slightly worn by time, the keys off-white, but when Alec touched a finger to one, the note sounded true.

He knew that Magnus would be back soon enough, but the only people around were mundanes — even though Alec was unglamoured, they wouldn’t think anything of it if he played something. And Magnus had told him, hadn’t he, that he wanted him to sing? Would playing the piano be the same thing?

It was in public, not in Magnus’s loft, and the loft was still the only place where Alec was comfortable enough to hum. But it wasn’t at the Institute, either, and the keys looked so tempting—

Almost before he knew what he was doing, Alec sat down on the bench, which creaked under his weight but settled. He reached out for the keyboard, still hesitant, and pressed a few notes; the sound was surprisingly rich, and he let his fingers find out the notes that made up a song he’d heard recently on the radio. He couldn’t figure out the harmony, but the melody itself was simple enough. Soon, though, he found his mind and fingers drifting off into something else — loosely inspired by the song, but not quite the same, little variations that Alec liked the sound of building up until it was nearly unrecognisable. He didn’t know the words of the original song, and he doubted they’d go with his altered version, but he found himself humming along to the tune as he played.

He didn’t notice when Magnus returned, gelato in hand, but when the music finally trailed off and left a smile on his face, he knew Magnus had been listening for a while. “Hi.”

Magnus strolled forward and offered him the lemon sorbet that he knew Alec loved, his own mango flavour half-eaten already. “That was beautiful.”

Alec, promptly and predictably, blushed. “It’s nothing. Just a tune I made up.”

“You came up with that?” Magnus looked even more impressed now, and Alec wasn’t sure how to tell him that it really wasn’t much.

He shrugged and started on the lemon sorbet, which Magnus had clearly kept from melting for him. “Thank you.”

Magnus hummed, sitting down beside him on the bench and leaning in for a sticky kiss that tasted of mango and lemon. “I have a few pianos in storage somewhere — I should set one up in the loft.”

“You don’t need to—” Alec began, but Magnus cut him off.

“I want to. I liked listening to you, and it makes you happy.”

Alec shrugged, but he couldn’t hide the smile that pulled up the corners of his lips.

+ three

Soft sobs woke Alec up.

Max. Almost before conscious thought had returned to his sleep-addled mind, Alec was standing up and pulling on one of Magnus’s t-shirts over his boxers to stumble into Max’s room — if he was quick enough, hopefully he wouldn’t need to wake Magnus, who’d been dealing with a particularly difficult potion for a client and really needed to rest.

Adopting Max was unquestionably the best decision Alec had ever made (tied, perhaps, with a rather public kiss with Magnus that had changed his standing with the Clave, and therefore his life, irrevocably), but it was vaguely nightmarish dealing with an eight-month-old baby warlock whose horns were growing in and making him even more unlikely to sleep through the night than usual. Magnus had come up with a balm to help soothe the pain, but it couldn’t do everything and the discomfort would still wake Max up. A bit of soothing would send him back to sleep, but it was a pain to be woken up at all hours of the night.

Stumbling into the room, Alec picked his blue son up and hushed him gently, rocking from side to side as he did so. The movement was abruptly reminiscent of another time, another child, another Max — Alec’s brother, not his son, but the soothing motions were the same.

Like that other time, Alec began to hum softly, but this time, he wasn’t quiet because he felt that he shouldn’t let his voice be heard, only so that the sound was calming. The tune that rose to his lips barely qualified as such, a soothing string of notes that wasn’t really any particular song; it slowly coalesced into the tune Alec had played on that Italian piano, something that he’d made up himself from snatches of other music. Softer, this time, and with a crooning note to soothe Max to sleep.

Almost immediately, Max quieted; he hadn’t slept well for the last several nights due to his horns, so it didn’t take much. He’d probably be up again in a few more hours with increased pain, but for now, he drifted off — a precious little bundle in Alec’s arms, all blue skin and bumps that would become horns and the softest blankets Magnus had managed to magic up.

Alec glanced up at a sound in the doorway, and smiled ruefully at the sight of Magnus, sleep-ruffled and exhausted-looking and beautiful, who he’d apparently failed not to wake up. Magnus, however, didn’t seem to mind; he was looking at the two of them with such impossible fondness in his eyes that Alec couldn’t help wondering how on earth he’d ever gotten so lucky.

Max was sleeping again, and Alec set him gently down before stepping lightly over to Magnus, the song still on his lips and a glow of joy in his heart.

+ four

Magnus was injured, and Alec could do nothing.

It wasn’t his fault, Magnus insisted, but that was difficult to believe when Magnus had only been there because of Alec — it’d been a just regular patrol, and Magnus had come to keep him company; none of them had expected the group of Raveners that poured out of an alley and managed to bite Magnus before Alec, Jace, and Izzy had despatched them. Magnus had summoned a portal home with his flagging strength and directed Alec in making the antidote to the Ravener venom, but even with the antidote applied, it would take a while for the injury to heal.

And Alec could do nothing.

He puttered around the loft, trying to make Magnus comfortable — another pillow; a blanket; a cup of tea — until Magnus, huffing, insisted that he come over and cuddle with him. “I’ll be much more comfortable with you here.”

Alec agreed, careful not to jostle Magnus as he shifted him to lie with his head in Alec’s lap where Alec could run his fingers through his hair. Magnus relaxed into the touch. At least I can do this, Alec thought. He wished he could do more.

He thought at first that Magnus had fallen asleep like that, but apparently not. “Sing to me,” he asked quietly.

There was no way that Alec could do anything but agree. Softly — so softly that he wasn’t quite sure if Magnus could hear him — Alec began to hum. It didn’t matter what the lyrics were; the tune was soft and soothing, and Magnus relaxed even further. Even when he seemed to be asleep, Alec didn’t stop singing, or running his fingers through Magnus’s hair; every time he hesitated, unsure if he should go on or if that would be unwelcome, Magnus began to stir again.

So Alec sang, letting the music wash away the pain, the guilt, the fear, the worry. He woke up with his fingers still in Magnus’s hair and the tune on his lips.

+ five

When Alec’s posse of demented Shadowhunters (and one vampire) stormed into the loft, he’d been expecting disaster desperately requiring his and Magnus’s help, not an invitation to a triple date at the Hunter’s Moon for something Clary called “karaoke night”. Jace and Izzy both shrugged at him when he sent them enquiring glances as to the nature of a karaoke night, but Magnus seemed excited to go, so Alec went with them.

He soon discovered what karaoke night at the Hunter’s Moon was about: singing. Groups went up onto a makeshift stage, requested music, and then sang along to it — often out of tune, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Clary had apparently planned it so that their group arrived when there weren’t too many other people vying for a chance on the stage, and while the crowd was still larger than Alec might have liked, it wasn’t so tightly packed that he began to feel claustrophobic. And Magnus’s hand covering his helped.

“Clary and I are going first,” Simon declared immediately, and dragged her up to the stage. Their song was something sweet and silly, from a Disney movie and apparently a favourite when they’d been younger; Simon’s voice was good — he was, after all, a musician — and Clary’s was more than passable thanks to her exuberance.

Izzy was pushed up next, and though still a little bemused by the pastime, she sang energetically along with Clary to a song by Taylor Swift — a familiar tune, though Alec didn’t know the lyrics well. Something about a mad woman? In any case, Izzy was grinning and laughing and Alec had never been so glad that she’d never had to hear their mother’s sharp Shadowhunters don’t sing.

Clary soloed a song called Girl on Fire, which Alec found fitting; a group of werewolves were up next, and then Clary and Jace, and Izzy and Jace, and Simon alone. Magnus, laughing, sang I Put A Spell On You, and Alec watched him, entranced; an increasingly drunk Jace sang a duet with Simon, and then Clary and Izzy teamed up to drag everyone onto the stage so they could sing We Go Together from Grease.

Alec sang — not loudly enough that anybody in the audience could hear him over the chorus that was Jace, Izzy, Clary, Simon, and Magnus, but he sang. This was different from the loft, or from a secluded piano in Italy; this was New York, where any Downworlders in the audience could hear him, recognise him, react badly to him—

But he knew, logically speaking, that nobody was going to judge him for singing. Maryse’s words were burned into his brain, but no Downworlder would lose respect for him because he participated in karaoke night at the Hunter’s Moon. That didn’t mean he was comfortable singing in front of a group of people this large, but it meant that the sensible side of his brain was capable of recognizing that his discomfort was illogical. And, thanks to Magnus and the relaxed atmosphere of the Hunter’s Moon (not to mention a few mildly alcoholic drinks), he was able to overcome his inhibitions.

They returned to their seats laughing, while a pair of mundanes went up on the stage. A few more songs passed, and then a more-than-tipsy Clary insisted that Alec go up again — and refused to go with him, which meant that Simon and Izzy did as well, and Jace was passed out on the table thanks to a drinking contest with Izzy at which she’d definitely cheated, so it was only Alec and Magnus who went up to the stage. Alec knew that if he’d insisted, Clary would likely have let it drop, but, strange to say, he wanted to. And Magnus was looking at him with hope in his eyes, which Alec couldn’t bear to disappoint.

So they went up to the stage. Alec did his best to ignore the people looking at him; it was far fewer than there’d been earlier, but it still left him slightly uncomfortable. The opening notes of Bohemian Rhapsody began to sound — a song Alec knew well and liked, and one of Magnus’s favourites, though Magnus always complained that the high notes were near-impossible to hit.

“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” Alec sang softly, Magnus’s voice slightly louder, but he felt his muscles relax as the music played. “Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.”

The song unrolled easily, and Alec let his voice grow a little louder, facilitated partly by the alcohol in his system but more by the grin on Magnus’s face. His husband looked at him like he’d hung the stars in the sky, and Alec didn’t know what he’d done to deserve him, because it was Magnus, if anyone, who’d hung the stars in the sky. The music poured around him like a river, and for once, he felt at peace.

He felt his lips split into a grin that echoed Magnus’s, and Magnus tripped over his words in response, nearly blushing. Alec knew Magnus wasn’t singing anymore, that his voice was all alone, but he still went on: “Oh mamma mia mamma mia mamma mia let me go, Beelzebub has a devil set aside for me, for me, for me.”

The high notes rang out clearly, but Alec didn’t let his insecurities rise to the surface and stop him from going on. Magnus was still silent, blinking at Alec with something dazed and almost awed in his eyes, but Alec couldn’t bring himself to care; this last section was higher than anything else in the song, but the notes seemed to spill out of their own accord.

Magnus joined in on the last line, and the room erupted in surprisingly loud cheers. All the embarrassment held at bay by the song came rushing back, and Alec blushed brightly as he tugged Magnus back to their table.

“You’ve been holding out on us, hermano,” Izzy said, grinning. “I didn’t know you could sing like that!”

Alec shrugged and sat down, fingers wrapped around Magnus’s. “It’s nothing.”

“It is not,” Simon said immediately, gaping at Alec. “You’re great at this! Seriously, man, do Shadowhunters have secret voice training lessons or something?”

Without bothering to respond beyond a raised eyebrow which, in Alec’s opinion, adequately conveyed the utter ridiculousness of that idea, Alec turned back to Magnus, who was still grinning delightedly at him. Unfortunately, Magnus seemed to side with the others. “As much as I hate to say this, Samuel’s right. You’ve got a beautiful voice, darling.”

The blush that had been fading from Alec’s cheeks returned with a vengeance, and he huffed, burying his face in Magnus’s shoulder. He was honestly glad he’d come, despite the embarrassment and the teasing. His smile didn’t fade for the rest of the evening.

postlude — Maryse

Maryse listened to the tune Alec hummed as he made coffee.

She didn’t recognise it — not particularly surprising, since she scarcely knew any mundane music and Shadowhunters didn’t really have music — but it was pretty, and she wondered at how she’d never noticed how beautiful Alec’s voice was.

He’d sung a lot as a child — his babbling had incensed Robert — and she’d always been quick to silence him. Practicality over emotions. She’d thought she was being a good mother, teaching her children the lessons that they would, eventually, need to learn; she’d only realised in the last year or so how badly she’d hurt Alec with those lessons (hurt all her children, really, but especially Alec). This, the singing, was just another example of that.

She was glad that Alec was singing again. It was mostly thanks to Magnus, she was sure, one of the many things that she was grateful to him for — and oh, the irony in the fact that a warlock had brought happiness and life to the son of an ex-Circle member. But ironies aside, Magnus had made Alec smile again, made him sing, made him laugh, given him a far better life than he would have had otherwise, and Maryse would never be able to thank him enough for that.

Alec turned away from the coffee machine and started slightly as he caught sight of her — a sign of how relaxed he was in the loft, that he hadn’t noticed her approaching footsteps. The song stuttered in his throat, paused, and he fell automatically into a silent parade rest as though braced for her reaction.

The change was like a knife through her heart, and she knew — she knew — that it was all her fault that he’d reacted that way, that he’d been taught to hide himself behind masks and silence. Raziel above, what had she done to her children?

“Don’t stop,” she said, the words spilling uncharacteristically quietly from her lips. “You shouldn’t — you don’t need to—”

“Shadowhunters don’t sing.” Alec’s voice was equally quiet, but he sounded far colder than she had. Masks fully in place. And then he faltered, as though finding the meaning of her words, his eyes glancing past the hand she’d stretched out toward him. “It’s — never mind, Mom. It’s fine.” A smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“No,” Maryse said suddenly, emotion bursting to life in her chest. “It’s not fine. I’ve hurt you, Alec, I’ve hurt you so much — I always thought I was protecting you, or preparing you; I don’t know how I could’ve been so wrong—”

Alec was looking at her with widened eyes. “Mom—”

She shook her head and barged on. “I wasn’t protecting you, Alec. I’ve been a terrible mother to you, to all four of you, but I want to change that. Singing isn’t something you shouldn’t do, Alec — it’s not bad, it’s not wrong—”

“I know that,” Alec said gently, reaching forward to take hold of one of her hands. “I know it’s not wrong. It’s just… bad habits. I’m getting better. Magnus is helping.”

“I’m glad,” Maryse replied quietly, the desperation pooling away. “But your first instinct, when you saw me, was to stop. I’m so sorry for doing this to you.”

“Mom—” Alec paused, the denial on his lips dying away. Instead of pointless protests, he wrapped her in a hug.

The soft tune that he hummed into her hair felt like an absolution.

22 notes · View notes

khaleesiofalicante · 2 years

Note

Hola Dani 👋🏼 ¿cómo estás? How are you? How are you dealing with the power outages? I know how draining the situation in your country can be I hope you're taking care of your mental health!!

Here! Have some loving from my twin!! 💚

Goodbyes are Fucking Hard, Okay?

Specially to this story 😭😭 what do you mean 39/40 😭😭😭

THE BEGINNING

😯 they're moving out of the Lightwood mansion!

Magnus thinks he looks very cute like this.

He always looks cute that's why he is mi bebé precioso 🥰

It usually means his phone is below 50%.

Ok but I'm also like this... if my phone reaches 30% is dead!!

He supposes they will have to do that with the executive mansion too.

This is making me very nostalgic 😔

Today, they officially move into the executive mansion.

They are going to live there now.

Indefinitely.

😭😭😭😭

“We don’t have time for showers,” Alec points out and sniffs Max. “He’s fine.”

🤣🤣🤣 my chaotic twin!! I am love him!!

“People are such hoes,” Max rolls his eyes.

Yes we are!! We ALL are Maxwell!!

The boy walks over to Alec with a scowl. Alec whispers something in his ear.

Rafael’s eyes widen in horror. “Oh my god! Ugh! Max, you can keep it!”

He told him they had sex there right?? Is what I would have done 🤣🤣

“Just that his parents had sex in that room,” Alec grins.

THAT'S MY TWIN!!

“Hey, you decide if you want a weekend away from us or not,” Max points out. “I thought we could give you guys some space. For, ya know.”

That's actually really nice and thoughtful!! Look at my Maxwell 😍

Magnus doesn’t say anything to that.

Ok but all 3 of them are just not saying shit!! And I get it, they don't want to say anything for my twin's sake but not expressing your discomfort always accumulates...

Why am I stating the obvious?? We've been knew since chapter 1 🙃

“You should stop talking about the children,” Magnus says. “I’m about to give you your gift.”

Bring out the sexy times!!!! 🥵🥵🥵

That was 🔥

THE MIDDLE

Alexander.

A name that he loved hearing.

Brooklyn.

A name he loathed now.

I'm going to start crying now 😭😭

Every single line in this part felt like a stab through the heart... I haven't stopped crying and that letter is the saddest and most beautiful thing in this story 😭😭 you are a master storyteller and I can't thank you enough for sharing that talent with us!! I AM LOVE YOU 💚

THE END

Oh no 😔 Max is leaving!

I mean I want Mavid to be together but... my Maxie 🥺🥺

Alec, who is sitting next to Magnus, clears his throat. “Unless it’s important.”

“Yeah, but I hate it when hot people don’t like me,” Max pouts. “It’s a pet peeve.”

Ugh!! Me too... my anxiety (that bitch) is always telling me that no one likes me because I'm too annoying!!

“Um,” Magnus says – and then he puts his hand in his back pocket. “I’m nervous about Max moving to London tomorrow.”

He did the thing!!! ALSLALSLQ!!!

Was this fucker really going on dates with his wedding ring and holding it while he was nervous?

Yes Alec!!! He was!!! ALSLQQL!!!

"Jem is so hot, by the way," Max notes, eyes on his phone.

Truer words have never been spoken!!

“Oh, yeah,” Magnus says and puts his hand in his pocket again. “That too.”

Listen here you little bitch... you better tell him about the raisins and you better make sweet love to my twin RIGHT NOW or else...

Or else I'll start crying again 🥺🥺

He knows Magnus loves him and wants him and is obsessed with him as he was two or twenty years ago.

As he should!!!! Is what you deserve!!!

It’s only fair.

Because Magnus walked away.

So, Magnus should come back.

“It’s a raisin muffin,” Magnus smiles sweetly.

I see what you're doing!!

I am loving this entire scene OMG!!! Alexander my beloved twin you are so whipped!!!

Alec takes a deep breath. “Jia’s term ends in two years. She is hoping to recommend me as one of the democratic candidates.”

Holy shit!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL!!!

Rafael blinks. “What? No! I just…It’s…It’s not even possible, dad. A Latino president? Why would I want that? That sounds dumb.”

Rafe would be the greatest president ever!! Not only the first Latino president in US history but also the first president who is also a royal consort as he will be married to Queen Anjali!!

“You just want to move into the White House so you can have sex there,” Rafael snickers.

But David would love it!! 😌🥰

Rafael smiles softly. “Anjali said I look better with one earring anyway.”

OMG that is so cute!!!!! 😍😍😍😍

“I think I’ll be okay,” he replies.

I'm so proud of my twin!!!

“Why can’t you come with me?” Max sniffles, clutching at Elyaas.

🥺🥺🥺🥺

She walks away and Alec rolls his eyes. “No wonder they like each other. Maybe they were roommates in hell.”

🤣🤣🤣🤣

My twin and Shinyun remind me of Holt and Wunch

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shinyun sniffs. “We’re flying in our own jet.”

Please marry me! 💍

Shinyun clears her throat. “I would like to speak with you for a moment.”

“Oh, I would love to,” Alec replies. “But I don’t speak snake.”

“Very funny.”

“Really? You didn’t laugh.”

She does have a beautiful smile.

Alec may be kind of likes her.

Of course you do we're the same!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love their banter

Ok but what is Rafe's decision???

I want to be in a group chat with them!!

Let me in!!

I can't wait for the next chapter but I also don't want the story to end!! The struggle is real!! 😭😭😭😭

Thank you Dani!! You're the best!! 💚💚💚

THE FIRST GIF.

I'M SO SOFT. THANK YOU.

Also love you for calling out these hoes.

I'm adding us both to the group chats ;)

#tlnd

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solarisrasa · 1 year

Text

All I Could Bring Myself to Want is You pt 12

A Malec fic canon divergent from the moment Alec hands the Family Ring back to Maryse Lightwood.

Read it here on Ao3

part eleven

Three days after Catarina had pulled the Mark from his chest, Alec finally felt like his body had caught up on sleep. He stretched in the cloud of gold that was Magnus’ bed and sighed out contentedly, curling his toes.

Jace was (mostly) sleeping in the guest room now, though waking up alone was still...

Alec frowned at the empty bedroom. Magnus, especially after all their time apart, liked to be there when he woke up, if not in the bed then in the room. His absence tugged at Alec, reminding him of the mornings after Magnus’d been forced to endure the agony rune.

He slid one of Magnus’ robes on, letting it hang open over his newly blank chest. The dark swirls of his many runes weren’t as stark against the navy silk. If he hadn’t been distracted by his worry, the length would’ve made him blush.

“Magnus?”

His boyfriend didn’t answer. Alec peeked into the empty kitchen and workroom before Jace stumbled, bleary-eyed, into the living room.

“M’rning.”

He looked at Alec for a long moment, visibly trying to clear the sleep from his thoughts, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just looking for Magnus.”

Jace bobbed his head and tapped his parabatai rune, “Okay?”

“Just worried about him. I’m not even sure… It’s just odd to wake up without him.”

“I’ll make coffee and food. You tried the roof?”

Alec shook his head and Jace grumbled while shoo-ing him, “Go see if he’s up there and do your thing. I’ll have breakfast ready when you’re done.”

“What if he’s not up there?”

Jace groaned, “I dunno Alec, but go look and then worry.”

Deciding that was a fair enough point, he headed for the stairs, ignoring Jace as he called, “And nice robe!” at his back.

Magnus carefully pulled a browning stalk from among his ague and gently nudged it back from the feverfew. Working with the plants that he’d had to revive upon his return gave him something to focus on in an attempt to regain his equilibrium.

His focus on helping Alexander and rebuilding their connection had effectively kept his own, separate, struggles from rearing their heads. Last night that reprieve had ended. He ghosted his fingers over the living stone that served as a barrier between healing plants and his small collection of poisonous ones. The pulse of life under his magic helped to ground him here, in New York, on this plane.

The faint sound of footsteps on stairs and a ripple of his magic told him he was going to have company in a moment. He stood from where he was kneeling in front of his plants, taking a deep breath and flicked his fingers to ensure his hair and makeup was immaculate but still convincingly relaxed.

“Magnus?”

He twisted his fingers, called a half-full coffee into his hands, and turned with a little smile. He knew he looked perfectly serene, but he also knew that Alec would see through that and as hard as it could be, he preferred that. He wanted to hide and it was hard to stop himself from taking steps to do so but he knew, inevitably, that Alexander deserved to be let in.

“Good Morning.”

Some of the tension in Alec’s shoulder’s eased and Magnus cursed himself for not leaving a note. He sometimes forgot that not everyone had an innate link to the wards that let them know where people within were.

“Morning.” Alec brushed a kiss over his cheek, large hands coming to rest against his bicep and shoulder, “Sleep alright?”

Magnus gently patted Alexander’s cheek, smiling just slightly, “No.” He took a moment to look Alec over and his smile grew a little, “Though this certainly helps me feel a little better, give us a twirl?”

Alec’s brows drew together and then his cheeks colored under dark runes, “I...wanted to find you. The silk is nice.” He stepped back and turned for Magnus but the worry didn’t leave his eyes. The navy robe pulled the blue in his eyes out and under the sun with sleep-mussed hair and a gentle smile Magnus thought Alec was the greatest gift he’d ever had the privilege to receive. He’d never get enough, could never spend enough time with Alexander.

The thought curled tight around his ribs and was smothered by the reminder that no he would literally not get enough time. Alec had left him, for good reasons yes, but that had been only a taste of the inevitable. The comfort of sun-warmth suddenly felt too hot, like the red air of Edom and he closed his eyes.

“Hey, love, what’s wrong?”

Alexander’s hands were back, hot on his shoulders, steadying. He opened his eyes, glamour down and pressed the back of his fingers to Alec’s cheek.

“I hoped that maybe I had ignored my problem into submission by now,” He sighed, “but I had a dream last night and I’m...struggling to let it go.”

Magnus punctuated his words with a step away from Alec, the coffee cup still in his left hand sloshing around as he waved it, trying-and failing- to find the right words for his mood. Alec let him put distance between them but his gaze stayed heavy.

“ My time in Edom was relatively uneventful,” he turned back toward his plants, aiming to sound less affected, “so I didn’t think I would have much trouble adjusting afterward, and for the most part I haven’t but…” He set the mug on the low stone table and reminded himself that it was only Alexander, “I was completely alone for a year, Alec. The only thing I had for company were my thoughts and demons that were little more than malice given form and the last thing that had happened between us-” He faced Alec again, drawing himself up, “I let your leaving me consume me. I hate admitting it, but if there is one thing we’ve learned since I came back it’s that we have to talk to each other. I went to hell physically but by obsessing over losing you I made it a place of real torment.”

Alec’s mouth pulled tight and Magnus watched him flex his fingers but he respected the space between them, even as Magnus wished he wouldn’t.

“What can I do?”

The question made Magnus soften and he held out a hand, waiting for Alexander to take it softly in his own, “Just...be with me. Remind me of your reasons sometimes maybe and understand that I might be distant at times.”

Alexander drew him close, kissed his knuckles and squeezed his hand, “I can do that. But this is making me think...I should’ve told you…”

Magnus couldn’t help the way he tensed, tried to remind himself that Alec was here and he loved him.

“I meant some of what I said when I left.” Magnus swallowed but Alec continued firmly, “I didn’t know what I was supposed to do and I was afraid of what life would be for you if I couldn’t find a way to get your powers back and I was overwhelmed because I knew, I knew that I was never going to be enough to fill the void.”

Magnus wanted to argue that but Alec squeezed his hands again, a little curl of his lips let Magnus know that he understood but wasn’t done.

“The spark I see in you was never gone. Even when you were struggling, when I’d held you half the night and you were spiraling you still had it. You went to my mom and you brought light into her shop just a day later.” Alec pulled him into a hug, chest warm and hold tight, “Even if you hadn’t, if that spark was banked, you would still be worth loving. I didn’t know how else to get you to stop trying to keep me because I wouldn’t have been able to let you go so I said what I thought would hurt.”

Magnus pressed his face into Alec’s shoulder. The silk was pleasant against his face and he waved a hand, taking his makeup back off. He didn’t need the stripes right now and he felt silly for still thinking he did. Alec rubbed up his spine and the crushing pressure of his hug finally gave Magnus the relief he’d needed when he woke up from dreams of his father’s empty throne.

“I love you. Always.”

That brought tears to Magnus’ eyes and he knew that Alec could feel the wet seeping into the robe.

“I’ll love you forever.” Magnus whispered, swallowed past.

Alec went still under him for a moment and then let out a harsh breath, cradling the back of Magnus’ head in one large hand but not breaking their hug.

“I’m not going to leave you again, Magnus.”

He knew that but Alec couldn’t stop time and the sands were running against them. Magnus could breathe around that, usually. He knew that if he stopped himself from loving burn-bright, fleeting mortals he wouldn’t be himself. It was harder this morning to know that Alec... Alexander…

“I’ve got you.” Alec’s voice was low and Magnus shuddered against him, not protesting when Alec readjusted and led him to the wicker couch. They curled close until Magnus felt himself steady.

“Thank you.”

Alexander smiled down at him where his head rested on the Shadowhunters chest and Magnus leaned up to brush a soft kiss over his runed cheek.

“Jace is, allegedly, making breakfast.”

“Oh?”

Alec nodded seriously, “I think he’s angling to move in permanently.”

Magnus blinked, “What?”

“Oh just,” Alec grinned as they straightened up, “Jace is a great cook but he usually won’t do it without being begged.”

“They’ve arrested Irina Kadiroff.” Izzy said, sprawled on the floor in Magnus’ living room.

“Oh, you’ve started a conversation without the rest of us again, nice.”

She threw a coaster at Jace, “Shush. It was quiet and I figured I’d get it out of the way.”

“As opposed to bringing it up two hours ago when you and Simon got here?”

Alec rolled his eyes at them, smiling as Magnus leaned forward beside him to peer down at Izzy, “Arrested whom?”

“Irina Kadiroff.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow and Simon jumped in as he fiddled with the cords for the television set up Magnus had conjured into the room.

“Kadiroff is one of the admins for the Bleakfallow family. The Consul ordered her brought in this morning and they expect to find out who else might have been working with them to stop you from becoming Inquisitor.” He stuck his head behind the screen, “Yes!"

Alec chose to ignore the exclamation, “So it should be dealt with by the time I take the post, officially?”

“Pretty much.” Izzy waved her hand lazily, “Though that is just dealing with the people who out-and-out didn’t want this. I’m sure there are plenty of others waiting to roadblock you in other ways. We know enough of the council wants to keep a stranglehold on the shadow world that it’s not going to be an easy thing to make the kinds of changes you want.”

“Fuckers.” Jace added and Simon poked his head up, “Big Fuckers.”

Alec hummed, it was a relief to know that he might not have to deal with trying to root out Bleakfallow’s collaborators. The rest he already knew and so long as there were no more threats against his loved ones, he could handle it.

Magnus huffed and stood, heading for the kitchen, “Thank you, Isabelle, for letting us know. That’s one more thing off Alexander’s plate but I am declaring a moratorium on business for the rest of this movie night. Does anyone want to help with snacks?”

Jace bounced upright, dancing away from Izzy swiping at his legs, “I got it. Clary should be here in a few, I told her to just come in.”

“Of course you did.” Alec scoffed. By the way that Jace winked at him, he knew his affection for Clary was obvious.

Izzy rolled to her side and smirked at Alec, “So...how’re things?”

He groaned and watched her grin widen before giving into his nosy little sister.

“There’s popcorn in the-” Magnus started but Jace was already pulling the cupboard open.

“I live here, remember?” Jace flashed him a grin and Magnus made a face. He meant it to be playfully disgruntled but suddenly Jace looked a lot more serious.

“Magnus, you know that I will go if-”

Magnus lifted a hand, “I said it before, you are welcome where Alexander is. I only...wonder what will happen when we move to Idris in two weeks.”

Jace bit his lip. “I don’t know yet? I want to stay in New York but Alec is still a part of me.” Jace nudged Magnus, “And I don’t want to get in your way too much more.”

Magnus laughed, resuming his snack gathering easily, “I’m sure we can sort out a schedule.”

Jace sputtered and Magnus had to stop himself from laughing again, “Not for Alec and I’s...private time. For you to split between New York and home.”

“Home.” Jace repeated and Magnus reached blindly behind him to pat Jace’s arm, “You’re a much more tolerable housemate when you aren’t parading half of the eligible women in New York through the place.”

“Magnus, that’s...you don’t…” Jace took an audible breath behind him and Magnus decided to just snap the various candies to the living room. He faced the blonde calmly, watching Jace try to find the words he wanted.

“I told Alexander, and I thought you knew, you are always welcome here. All of you are but you are a part of his soul and,” Magnus let a spark of his magic touch where he’d Marked Jace, “you are my family too.”

“Crashing here sometimes or showing up an being obnoxious,” Magnus raised a brow at that and Jace rolled his eyes, “sometimes aren’t the same as living with you.”

“No. It’s not, but if it’s what you want and what you both need, I can add the space we might need and we can work it out.” Magnus patted his arm, “You Shadowhunters are a communal bunch and I fully expected to have to share Alec with the institute if we lived together here. As it is, we'll probably take over a floor of a building in Alicante that’s shared housing.”

Jace finally grabbed the popcorn, “Thank you.”

“Of course. Now let’s get back to the party, especially since I think-yes- Clary is coming up.”

Magnus found himself spending more time with his plants over the next few days. His dreams were still circling the drain of his time in Edom but with the new addition of time. He kept dreaming that he didn’t return to New York until Alec was much older, just in time to watch their family die.

He didn’t want to bring up the immortality issue again, not with how they’d finally managed to gain a modicum of peace. Spending time with everyone though had really made it sink in the other night.

One day it would be him and Simon left to think about the others and Magnus...Magnus was tired of always having to lose. He needed to talk to Alec and maybe it would clear the last big talk between them before they could properly start again.

It struck him, as he finished with the plants, that maybe he was moving too fast. They had come together again less than a full month before and yet…

Alexander was his soulmate.

He swallowed against the thought, though it settled with a rightness in his bones. He tugged his yellow sleeves down, blue sparks chasing any residual dirt away, and went to find Alec.

His lover was in the apothecary, quietly perusing the shelves and Magnus smiled at the sight. Alec had taken a singular interest in potion making lately and Magnus had agreed he was welcome everywhere in the loft so long as he didn’t start mixing anything without Magnus around.

“Alexander."

“Hey.” He came straight to Magnus and kissed him quickly, “You alright?”

Magnus made a wavering motion with his hands and pushed off the doorframe he’d paused against, “Still having some unpleasant dreams.”

Alec knew that, he’d quietly held Magnus that morning.

“I-I don’t want to make an issue between us but there’s something on my mind, darling.”

Immediately Alec was focused and Magnus shifted under the weight of his gaze.

“It’s just, I can’t shake the thought that I might’ve come back from Edom years and years from now.” Magnus paused, unsure how to explain his fear, his shame at what he wanted, but Alec was faster.

“When I’d would’ve been dead.”

Magnus flinched and moved to his work table, letting his ringed fingers roam, straightening and just shifting things as he tried not to let Alec see how much this conversation could hurt him.

“Yes. I told you already, I’ll love you forever but-”

Alec stepped in close behind him, catching his hands and pinning him, loosely, in place.

“And I told you I wasn’t going to leave you again. I meant that Magnus. I don’t know what the options are yet, but at the very least Simon is willing to talk about changing me and if he doesn’t think he can we have time to sort out another vampire as a last resort. I want to be Inquisitor for a while first though, there are things that need done.”

Magnus stared at the table in front of him in shock. Here he’d been trying to work up to this, afraid to admit to himself that it was even what he wanted, and Alec already had plans. He leaned heavily back, letting Alec take his weight and trusting that he would.

“You’ve already thought about this.”

Alec hummed, “I’ve had the time. You’re not the only one who tormented himself with what if’s and memories of how things ended. I knew that if I’d had the choice to do things over again, I’d never have let you go, ever.”

“But, Alexander, a vampire is-”

Alec squeezed him, “I know.”

Magnus twisted to look up at him, the shock wearing off and leaving wild joy and he grinned, “I was going to say a perfect fit. You’ve already got the perfect brooding face darling and Anne Rice would adore your passion and your self-sacrifice.”

Magnus expected Alec to frown at the name but was delighted to find him blushing instead, “I am not Rice vampire material.”

Delighted, Magnus pressed a kiss to the side of Alec’s jaw, ignoring the way the table dug into his hip at the move, “You’d have staked Lestat early on, at the least.”

Alec shook his head, “This isn’t the point. Is...are vampires the only real option?”

“Oh darling,” Magnus let his magic flare to life, not bothering to curb it, the apothecary filling with the burnt sugar smell and electric feeling of the blue flames rolling over them both, “Haven’t you heard? There’s a very powerful man ready to give you the world.”

Alec grinned, “Only after I make it a little kinder to him first.”

Part thirteen

#Malec #Malec Fanfiction #Shadowhunters #magnus Bane #Alec Lightwood #Jace wayland #All I want 12 #All I want

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theasexuwhalestuff · 5 years

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I NEED this to be canon in TEC

Does anyone remember the lil girl kidnapped by the Riders of Mannan in LoS? I felt terrible for the poor toddler kidnapped outta nowhere with Ethna holding a sword to her throat. Where did she even go after they let her go, she was like 2 years old at most?? I'm pretty sure she's a mundane with the Sight. With Julian being a monster during this part, I REALLY hoped Magnus would take her in and bring her home to Alec for a change and then they'd adopt her. Because honestly malec needs to have a daughter. I just can't forget the toddler with her tiny pink Converse-clad feet and I REALLY wish malec would adopt her in book #2 of The Eldest Curses.

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yuncifang · 5 years

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sooo, all of the comforting and making up Magnus got for being, you know, tortured and being made to prove his innocence over the killings, was a half-assed apology and an I love you? sooo, Magnus spends half an episode dancing with Dot, and then just what, magically fixes himself? don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that Magnus has friends and that they have history, but that ain't how it's fixed in relationships, talking about it with a friend ain't the same as talking it over with your SO, it doesn't really fix anything and leads to heartbreak, believe me, been there, done that. and, realistically, I can totally see that happening in real life, but it's a TV show! and Malec is supposed to stay together forever (fight me), and to stay together forever you have to talk it over. I don't wanna say I'm needy in this department, but I am, there's better be at least a talk, or I might throw a tantrum

#s2e13 #Shadowhunters #I'm not in the mood #Dot was very pretty tho #malec #magnus bane deserves nice things #so alexander lightwood's better get those to him #these two are wrecking my heart

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mortalbri · 6 years

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you know feeling when you really want alec trying to horribly flirt with magnus in season three, it would be so cute. and magnus would smile adorably at him because alec just makes him so happy and melts his heart. and alec would become all flustered and magnus would find it so cute. just me,, ok?

#malec #shadowhunters #shadowhunters season three #tmi #the mortal instruments #alec lightwood #magnus bane #alec lightwood deserves nice things #alexander lightwood #alec gideon lightwood #alexander gideon lightwood #malec malec malec

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lawsofchaos1 · 6 months

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Malec Promptlet: Alec learns magical theory

Or the one where you can't actually live with the High Warlock of Brooklyn and not learn at least a little bit of magic.

Alec adores sitting in his spot in Magnus’s apothecary and watching him make potions or transcribe texts while Magnus absently commentates on everything he does. Magnus has never before allowed anyone such unfettered access to this space before and is constantly surprised at how much interest Alec takes in his work and the intelligent questions he asks once he’s sure he’s not bothering Magnus by asking.

Catarina comes by one day and is shocked that Alec automatically follows her and Magnus into his apothecary and even more shocked when Alec not only clearly has his space there, but Magnus isn’t fluttering about uncomfortably with someone intrudingin the magical heart of his lair - he’s moving around as though Alec belongs there.

Magnus begins teaching Alec basic potions when he realizes how much Alec loves helping him in the apothecary, usually fetching and carrying ingredients. (The first time Alec pops up his side with a vial of angel’s fern in hand, Magnus blinks at him in confusion wondering how in Lilith’s name Alec had known he needed it. Alec grins. The potion is a healing one and Magnus had just put in three drams of fire lizard blood, a toxicant he knows from last week’s batch of burn serum can only be neutralized with angel’s fern. Magnus is both a little bemused and vaguely proud.)

Jace and Izzy come over one day and need a basic healing potion. They say they’ll wait for Magnus, but Alec just walks into the apothecary (asking his siblings to wait at the door since Magnus isn’t there) and begins gathering ingredients and preparing the workspace. They’re very confused. Magnus comes home in the middle and wraps his arms around Alec from behind, burying his face in the back of Alec’s neck and muttering something sotto voce that makes the Shadowhunter blush. Jace and Izzy cackle in delight.

In the middle of the Institute cafeteria one day when Magnus is visiting, Catarina and Magnus get into a spirited debate on the use of mundane ingredients in healing potions. When Alec comes to joining them at their table, dropping a kiss on Magnus’s cheek as he sits, the listening Shadowhunters are nonplussed when their Head has very definite opinions on this topic.

#lawsofchaos rambles #malec #shadowhunters #promptlet #alexander lightwood deserves nice things #magnus bane deserves nice things

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dani-dabbles · 6 years

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sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me

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malec-ao3feed · 18 days

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Too much is just enough

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/JLxaM4D by Foodsies It begins with a throwaway comment Magnus wasn’t meant to hear. A short off-hand remark that had been far kinder than any of the similar remarks he’d heard throughout the centuries. So kind it was nothing to worry over except… except for the way the words kept echoing in his mind over the days that followed, singing in harmony with the laugh that had been audible in Alexander's voice. Magnus is a lot. It’s nothing Magnus hasn’t heard before, but it still hurts to hear Alexander say it. Words: 2513, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane, Jace Wayland Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Additional Tags: Insecure Magnus Bane, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Alec Lightwood Is a Nice Thing, Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, This was just an excuse to write Magnus in a skirt/kilt and heels at the end, that was IT - Freeform read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/JLxaM4D

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #shadowhunters #tmi #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #magnus x alec #malec fanfic #the mortal instruments

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thelightofthebane · 8 months

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through the good and bad and all in between

Summary: Magnus was born a warlock. Magnus became a mundane for love and by self-sacrificing tendencies. Magnus turned into a vampire after an act of spite and revenge.

A story about survival, new identities, love through adversities, and accepting changes.

Rating: E

Chapters: 10

Words: Around 23k~

This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Mini Bang 2023: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver

You can read it on AO3 or the sixth chapter below ~

Chapter 6 - And this is how it's supposed to be

It looked like normal blood.

But it hidden a power greater than they could’ve imagined.

“I thought Simon became a Daylighter as some side effect of the Soul Sword’s light.” Magnus frowned, still trying to comprehend what Alexander has just told him.

That was the official version after all. Something about how being in contact with Clary’s pure blood plus the Soul Sword’s energy affected Simon and he became a rare kind of vampire – something, thus, impossible to recreate.

“I thought too, until earlier today when Jace finally told me the truth. It’s actually something pretty simple, but that could turn both my parabatai and his girlfriend into a beacon for vampires.”

Magnus nodded in understanding. Not all vampires would be polite enough to say ‘please, could you give me a bit of your blood so I won’t be burned alive under the sun?’ They would actually suck Jace and Clary dry.

“Not even Clary knows about this. It’s a secret that Jace and Simon have been keeping only between themselves. At least for serious matters those two can actually shut up and keep a secret.” Alec murmured almost grumpily, then cleared his throat. “Anyway, now we both know, too.”

“Why? If Jace is doing this out of guilt just because I lost my magic in exchange of helping him, it’s unnecessary. I made my own choice.”

“It’s not about guilt, Magnus. I think it’s his own version of thank you for, you know, saving him from Lilith. If you haven’t done that, I’d have been forced to kill him. It would have destroyed me. Not only because he is my parabatai, but it would also be my brother’s blood on my hands. He knows that. And he’s grateful for you preventing that.”

Magnus shrugged helplessly as if to say it was nothing, but Alec weren’t having none of that. Taking Magnus’ hand and kissing his knuckles, he spoke softly, almost as if it were a secret.

“Jace might not show it, but he also cares about you a lot, Magnus. You’re family, and we do everything we can for family.”

Magnus’ Adam’s apple bobbed, and he turned his gaze again to the uncapped bottle of concentrated Angel blood.

What if it didn’t work? Though his heritage was of fire and shadow, Magnus was never one to hide in darkness. He liked the light too much, and thrived on it. Being a Child of the Night damped his joy, and he could live with that.

It was just that…

He really didn’t want to.

“Well, if nothing else, I’ll already have my fill for lunch,” he joked, though there was no lightness in his eyes.

His Alexander, never to ignore his distress, kissed his forehead. “Be brave, my love.”

And what else Magnus could do? Still a little hesitant, but more resolute than before, Magnus picked the bottle and took a small sip.

He didn’t know if it was going to work or not, but oh… It was delicious.

Almost addictive.

He drank everything almost in one go, feeling the most sated since waking up to this new life. And fortunately, it was enough to fill his stomach and quench his thirst, or else he might’ve not resisted taking a taste from Alec - whose blood always smelled delicious for him.

And Magnus definitely didn’t want to go there. Yet. Or maybe never.

A thought for another day, however.

“Do you feel any different?”

Magnus shook his head, but was already heading towards the door.

“Only one way to find out.”

Before he could launch himself into the sun, though, Alec grabbed his wrist. His eyes were wide in fear and panic.

“Can’t you just…” He waved his hand. “Put only an arm outside. Just in case it didn’t work.”

“Oh my darling…” Magnus lifted his hands and held Alec’s face in between them. “You have been so afraid all this time, haven’t you? Don’t you worry, okay? I won’t do that to myself. To us.”

Alec searched all over Magnus’ face for reassurance, and seemingly finding it, released a shaking breath. Nodding, he let Magnus’ go and stepped back, giving space to his boyfriend.

Smiling in gratitude, Magnus took only one deep breath - which he didn’t need anymore but the simple action helped to center himself - and then turned, marching forward to the afternoon sun without hesitation.

The world became brighter, lighter, warmer.

~*~

They were lazily making out on a sunbed at the back yard, Magnus refusing to go inside for hours already after finding out that he really became a Daylighter. Not that Alec minded. Seeing Magnus smiling and happier was enough for the Shadowhunter.

Only after they were beyond sated and just cuddling, the day giving way for a chilly night, that Alec dared to bring out the topic that was weighing heavily in his mind.

“Have you thought about Raphael’s request?”

For a moment Magnus tensed, but soon enough he relaxed again in Alec’s arms.

“I don’t know if I’m the best as Raphael’s replacement. I may know how their politics work, but I’m fairly new as a vampire myself. How can I expect to have their trust in leading them?”

“They know you. Maybe not as a vampire, but as a Downworlder like them. An immortal, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were older than most of the clan.”

“It’s still uncharted territory.” Magnus insisted.

“Magnus, you may have changed what you are, but not who you are. Your heart is still the same, and I’m pretty sure your brain is, too. You can still give advice. You have centuries of knowledge in magic and life overall. You created the portal and so many other things. You can still create new things, if not for the Warlock community, but for the vamps. I’m certain they would appreciate that and…”

Alec started to wave his hand aimlessly in the air like he sometimes did when immersing himself at some topic and laying out all the facts to prove his point. It was endearing, actually. It was somehow soothing to have such a small thing unchangeable even when their worlds kept colliding and in the brink of destruction and spinning all the time.

“... And, and we all know how you always liked to eat, from simple things to more ostentatious ones, so don’t tell me you won’t try to indulge yourself with something that may work with blood. Like, hiring some chefs and trying together thousands of recipes while combining different types of blood. You would become their favorite leader in no time! Maybe Maia would love new ideas for Taki’s, too.”

Magnus hummed, humoring his Shadowhunter. “Yeah, that sounds like me, alright.”

“Exactly! The New York clan wouldn’t know what-” Alec’s voice trailed off when a fire message came flying suddenly. He took it from the air and read the urgent message on it.

His expression closed off almost immediately, his eyes thunderous.

“What is it?” Magnus immediately sat up, worried.

“They found Camille. In a crime scene.”

None talked for a full minute. Alec started typing furiously on his phone while Magnus’ thoughts scrambled like dandelion seeds in the wind.

Only when they suddenly crashed and Magnus blinked out of his reverie, looking up and seeing Alec already looking back at him with worry in his eyes, that he felt coherent enough to form words.

“How…” He cleared his sudden dry throat. “How bad is it?”

“A carnifice. Over a dozen of dead mundanes. Three were children. There was a toddler.”

Silence.

The kind that could suffocate.

Then, Alec sighed. “Magnus, I don’t think imprisonment is enough for her now. She committed too many crimes. She has been killing mundanes left and right. She killed you and Simon. She will certainly get the death sentence, be it from the Clave or the Warlock Council, and I don’t want to–”

“I trust you.” Magnus interrupted him. “I- I don’t want to know anything about her anymore. If I could, I’d have my memories of her completely erased. So, I trust you to make the right call.”

Alec nodded slowly, though he was still very worried about Magnus.

“I have to go back to the Institute to assemble a team. Do you want me to call Cat or Raphael to keep you company?”

Magnus shook his head. “I want to be alone.” Crossing his arms over his chest, the vampire got up from the sunbed. “Go do your job, Shadowhunter. I’ll be here when you come back.”

Without waiting for a reply, Magnus practically fled back to Ragnor’s house, the back door closing with a bitter finality.

~*~

“Wow, I haven’t seen you this murderous since Valentine and Magnus swapped bodies,” Jace commented, very unnecessarily, causing Alec’s scowl to get more pronounced. “No, really. If you glare at the screen any harder, you’ll open a hole in it.”

“Jace, shut up!” Isabelle hissed, elbowing him hard.

As for Alec, he was trying really hard to keep his head cool, or else he would forgo every protocol he knew, laws be damned. Because his only wish currently was to make Camille Belcourt pay with blood, giving her a very slow death.

He wanted to kill her. He really wanted to kill her, deliberately and painfully.

“Alec.”

Alec blinked slowly, back to reality, then turned towards the voice that called him.

“Catarina.”

She wasn’t wearing scrubs like the usual. She wasn’t even with her glamor up. Her blue skin and bright white hair were exposed to all to see at the Ops Center, and for the first time it wasn’t a healer in front of them.

It was a warlock ready to confront the one who hurt her family beyond reality.

Jace gasped, perplexed.

“You called her? We can’t-” He cut himself, then shook his head. “Alec, since when do you put a civilian at risk during a mission? You know it’s against the rules!”

In any other situation, it would’ve been amusing having Jace mentioning laws and rules as if they were something he actually cared for.

But in that moment, Alec didn’t give a single shit.

“I really don’t care, Jace. Cat wanted to come with us, and I would never stop her.” He took his bow from the table and walked past them to give the final orders to all teams assembled and ready to go where Camille was hiding.

“Try to stop me, Shadowhunter.” Cat drawled, staring pointedly at Jace, and soon following Alec.

Jace and Izzy exchanged looks.

They were terrified for their brother.

Usually, Alec was the level-headed, always keeping an eye on them, but for the first time the opposite would be necessary.

They didn’t have at all a good feeling about that mission.

Camille was ready for them.

It was a trap full of demons.

A rift for a hell realm was open.

Alec fell on it.

#shmb2023 #shadowhunters #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #my writing #colorfulwarlock

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