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“He had always thought blue was the loveliest color.”

— Cassandra Clare, Born To Endless Night

A piercing wail split the peace of the night. Alec groaned, rolling over in bed as he felt Magnus stir beside him. This was the third night in a row they'd been woken up by Max since bringing him home, and though Alec was so, so happy to have him, he was also very sleep-deprived.

Magnus went to sit up and Alec stopped him with a light kiss on his shoulder. “I’ll go, love.” Magnus gave a soft sigh of gratitude, settling back into the mattress. “You’re too sweet.”

Alec slipped out of bed and padded down the hallway to Max’s room. It was dark inside, but illuminated faintly by the tiny globes of light swirling slowly in the air above the crib. It was a sort of combination mobile and nightlight, which Magnus had conjured the first night Max had slept in this room. It cast soft, shifting light in sapphire, emerald and citrine, making the room feel like an underwater grotto.

Max was still crying loudly, his little fists doubled up. Alec lifted him out of the crib and held him against his shoulder, patting his back and murmuring soothingly. He couldn’t blame the baby for crying. His heart still wrenched when he thought of how Max had been abandoned on the steps of the Academy, because of his blue skin and hair, beautiful to Alec but enough to make someone abandon Max. He never wanted Max to feel unloved ever again.

Max was wearing a blue sleepsuit patterned with stars and moons that almost matched his skin. Gradually, his wails quieted to sobs, then sniffles, then silence. Alec hummed to him, the tune an old French lullaby he remembered his mother singing when he was little. He glanced at Max’s face. The baby had now completely stopped crying and was blinking sleepily at Alec.

“Hey.” Alec murmured to him. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, my baby.”

He heard a soft sound at the door and looked round. Magnus was leaning against the doorframe, looking at them sleepily. He was wearing one of Alec’s old sweaters over his pyjama shorts, his hair a mess. He looked very far from the imposing High Warlock that most of the world saw. This was the Magnus that only Alec really knew.

Alec shifted Max to the crook of his arm. “I thought you were staying in bed.”

Magnus smiled at him. “I wanted to see you. Both of you.”

Alec stepped over to Magnus and leaned in for a kiss. Magnus threaded his fingers through Alec’s hair, cupping the back of his head. His lips were warm. When they separated, Magnus ran his thumb under Alec’s eye, his gaze moving from Alec, to Max, to the room around them, and back to Alec.

“Have I ever told you blue’s my favourite colour?” Magnus asked, and Alec laughed and leaned against him, holding their baby, in this room lit with the deepest blue.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus had always found mundane wedding traditions to be quaint, charming, but a little ridiculous. Tossing a bouquet, tiered cakes, and anniversary gifts had seemed to him a tiny bit bizarre, as if mundanes thought that the love wasn’t real without a plethora of strange little gestures.All this had, of course, changed when he got married himself. Every detail of their meticulously-planned wedding— still possibly the sweetest thing Alec had ever done for him— had been an absolute, unexpected joy to Magnus.And then there were the anniversary gifts. About a month before their first wedding anniversary, Alec had come to Magnus beaming with excitement, and shown him a list of traditional mundane anniversary gifts. He’d asked Magnus if they could exchange gifts like mundanes did, because he thought it was sweet, and he wanted to share it with Magnus. And Magnus had seen the joy on his husband’s face, and known, yes , this was something he wanted too. The first anniversary gift was paper, and Magnus treasured the photo album Alec had made him that year, pictures lovingly glued in by hand. He’d given Alec two magical notebooks, one for each of them. They were enchanted so that anything written in one appeared in the other, creating a unique and deeply personal method of communication. Two years had passed since then, and it was their third anniversary. Night had fallen, and Magnus had just finished putting the boys to bed, and had retrieved Alec’s present from the temporary pocket dimension where he’d hidden it.They were sitting on the rug in the living room, in front of the fire. Alec was wearing only pyjama pants, and Magnus admired the way the firelight danced across the smooth planes of his chest. He was propped up on one elbow, smiling at Magnus like he was enjoying the attention. It was a boldness Magnus was unused to seeing from his husband, but he found that he quite liked it. “You first.” Alec told him, still smiling in that faintly smug way.Magnus reached for the parcel hidden behind him, wrapped in several layers of shimmering blue tissue paper. The traditional gift for a third wedding anniversary was leather, and he’d thought long and hard before deciding what to get Alec.He handed Alec the present. “Happy anniversary, love.” “Thanks.” Alec said softly. His expression shifted a little, becoming full of nothing but love as he looked at Magnus. He carefully teased open the wrapping paper. He gave a soft oh of surprise and delight when he saw the contents. “Do you like it?” Magnus asked, grinning, although he already knew the answer. Alec was still examining the set of archery bracers and gloves that the parcel contained. Magnus had commissioned them himself from a certain leatherworkers company in London he had patronised for over three hundred years. The bracers were elegantly shaped from hardened leather, with a red-dyed panel in the centre, surrounded by a border of darker leather. Both the inner panel and the rim were embossed with an intricate design of flowers, flames, arrows and runes, with the initials AGLB nestled in the centre. The gloves were made of the same dark leather as the outside of the bracers, but softer and more pliable, with a smaller design of vines and arrows on the wrists. “They’re beautiful.” Alec said softly, running his fingers over the embossed leather. Experimentally, he buckled one of the racers onto his left arm. It fitted perfectly. He looked up at Magnus, with that special look of love and gratitude and wonder that Magnus had only seen in Alec’s eyes when he was looking at Magnus. “Thank you. I don’t- I don’t even know what to say-” He slipped the bracer off his arm and returned it to the parcel, before placing it carefully to the side. “Only the best for you.” Magnus told him.Alec blushed, casting his eyes down. He took Magnus’s hand and kissed it, then let go and reached for the large flat box at his side. Magnus sat up a little straighter, excited. He wondered what leather-themed item Alec had found for him — maybe a jacket, judging by the size of the box? He glanced up at his husband as he took the box. Alec was smiling at him again, with that gleam in his eye, like he knew something Magnus didn’t. His gaze shifted from Magnus to the box in his lap. “Open it.”Magnus looked down at the box again. It was glossy black, with no identifying brand name. He undid the silver clasp, lifted the lid and pulled aside a few sheets of tissue paper.Then he stared. And stared. And stared some more. He thought he might go on staring for a long time.“Do you like it?” Alec asked, echoing Magnus’s earlier question. Magnus glanced up at him. Smirking. Alec was actually smirking at him.Anyone who knew Magnus knew that he didn’t blush easily. But now he could feel — yes, he could feel a definite heat rising in his face as he looked at the contents of the box. The black leather harness, with the crisscrossing straps — yes, that was, against all reason, making Magnus blush. The leather cuffs — Magnus could just imagine how they would feel against his wrists — those were making him blush. The leather collar, and the gag, and — oh god, there was what looked like the handle of a whip poking out from under the tissue paper.Magnus tried to answer, and found he couldn’t. His blood sounded suddenly loud in his ears. It wasn’t that he’d never experimented with things like this before…but he hadn’t expected something like this from Alec. Alec, who was still lounging on the rug, smirking at him. Oh, god, Magnus thought. I’ve created a monster.  Swallowing thickly, he said, “Is this— for me?” “If you want it.” Alec said. He looked, for the first time, suddenly uncertain, like he was worried that Magnus might be upset, like he might reject the gift and all that it implied. Nothing could be further from the truth. Magnus was still very surprised, but he was sure of one thing. He liked this gift very, very much.“I do.” he said, looking up at Alec. “I do want it.” Relief flashed across Alec’s face, followed instantly by a slow, wicked smile. “You do?”“Very much.” Magnus assured him. His blood felt hot, a fire growing in his chest, and he became aware that there was for too much distance between him and Alec. Like he’d had the same thought, Alec reached for him, hands sliding around the back of his neck as he pulled Magnus in for a searing kiss. He pulled Magnus to his feet without breaking the kiss. When they separated, Magnus was clutching the box to his chest, Alec’s hands on his shoulders. “Good,” said Alec. He swept Magnus up in his arms bridal style, and Magnus linked his hands behind Alec’s neck. “Because I can’t wait to see you all wrapped up in leather.” And so saying, he strode purposely towards the bedroom, Magnus clasped tightly in his arms.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alec stared at the colours — burnt red, saffron yellow, peacock blue, sunset purple. They glittered brightly like crushed gems, dancing in the light. He brushed his fingers across one and examined the shimmering smudge of purple. He could see Magnus, reflected in the vanity mirror, looking at him curiously. They were getting ready for a Council meeting, and Magnus looked utterly gorgeous in a glittery purple blazer and charcoal suit pants, his hair shimmering faintly with some kind of sparkly gel. Alec found his gaze sliding from Magnus, back to the purple eyeshadow on his own fingertips.“See something that interests you?” Magnus asked. His tone was light, but he was watching Alec closely.
Alec brushed his fingers together, rubbing off the eyeshadow. “No. It’s just — the colours. They’re nice.”
Magnus looked at him closely, almost like he was waiting for something. “They are nice.” he agreed. He stepped over to Alec, putting his hands on his shoulders, before sliding them down to do up Alec’s half-buttoned shirt. He gave Alec a quick kiss on the cheek before moving past him to sit down at the vanity table. Alec watched him, his long fingers hovering over the various eyeshadow palettes, then reaching for the same purple Alec had been looking at.“Wait.” Alec said suddenly. His voice sounded unnaturally loud to his ears, and Magnus glanced over at him in surprise.
“I mean—“ Alec took a deep breath, gesturing towards the vanity, the clutter of makeup. “Could I do that? For you?”
Magnus looked startled, then smiled slowly. “You want to do my makeup for me?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.” Alec said quickly. He knew Magnus was very particular about his makeup, that it was almost a form of protection for him, like armour. Maybe he didn’t want Alec to do it, didn’t want him to mess it up.
“I do,” Magnus said softly. “It’s— it’s really sweet of you.” He held out his hand, and Alec took it, letting Magnus brush a kiss to his knuckles. Then Magnus swiveled around on the vanity stool, turning his face up to Alec with an expectant air.
Alec shook his head and pulled Magnus to his feet, pointing towards the bed. Magnus raised his eyebrows but went with him willingly, tumbling back onto the mattress when Alec pushed him gently.
Alec turned back to the vanity, gathering up what he wanted. He walked back to the bed and climbed onto the mattress, crawling to Magnus and dropping the makeup beside him. He straddled his boyfriend, knees on either side of his hips, leaning over him and bringing their faces close together.
Alec reached for the first thing, the shimmery purple eyeshadow.“Close your eyes.” he said huskily, and Magnus obliged, shutting his eyes and turning his face up to Alec’s.
Their faces were very close together. Alec could see every detail of Magnus’s features, feel the warmth of his breath against his cheek.Alec dabbed some of the eyeshadow onto the brush and carefully, very carefully brushed it across Magnus’s left eyelid. The colour spread from the brush like paint, like sunset staining the sky. Alec had never put makeup on anyone, but he had steady hands and it was easy to copy what Magnus usually did. Alec smuged the glitter with his thumb, like he’d seen Magnus do, then reached for the sapphire-blue eyeshadow, adding a little at the corner of Magnus’s eye. He admired the contrast of the colours with Magnus’s skin, then shifted sideways and repeated the process on his right eye. Magnus breathed out slowly.Alec remembered the first time he’d ever seen Magnus, dark blue glitter around his eyes and mouth. He’d been fascinated, not just by Magnus, but by the makeup, how easily Magnus wore it, how good he made it look.Alec reached for the eyeliner pencil. “Keep your eyes shut.” he instructed Magnus. He set the tip of the pencil to Magnus’s eyelid and traced a steady line to the corner of his eye. It was, Alec thought, oddly similar to using a stele to draw runes on someone, the black line spreading out from the pencil.
Magnus cracked open his other eye and squinted at Alec. “What are you thinking about?”
“It’s like using a stele.” Alec replied honestly, and he felt Magnus shake with barely suppressed laughter.
Alec tapped his cheek with mock severity. “Stop laughing. I don’t want to poke you in the eye by accident.”
Magnus subsided, but the corners of his mouth were quirked up.Alec finished Magnus’s other eye, then picked up a tub of cosmetic glitter. He used his thumb to brush some on Magnus’s cheekbones, then his temples. Last of all, he reached for a tube of lipgloss, palest pink, almost transparent, and sparkling. He cupped Magnus’s chin in his hand, tilting his face up. “Open your mouth.” he murmured.
Magnus parted his lips slightly. His eyes were open now, gazing at Alec a little hazily.
Alec spread the shimmering gloss over Magnus’s lower lip, then watched as Magnus pressed his lips together to cover his top lip. Alec brushed away a smuge with his thumb, then sat back. “Done.”
Magnus pushed himself up on his elbows, looking slightly dazed. From this angle, they were reflected in the vanity mirror, and Magnus could see Alec’s handiwork.
“Well,” he murmured, “you didn’t do too badly.” He was trying to sound teasing, Alec could tell, but there was a note of tenderness in his voice that gave him away.
“Oh, come on.” Alec said. “For a first attempt? I think I did pretty well.”
“You did.” Magnus told him.Alec looked back at his boyfriend. He was still kneeling over Magnus, straddling his waist. Magnus’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright. Alec bent down at the same moment Magnus reached up, and they fell back to the mattress together as their lips met. Magnus gripped Alec’s shoulders, and Alec cupped his face, breathing him in. He pulled away from Magnus with a gasp. The gloss that Alec had so carefully applied was smeared. Alec could feel the stickiness of it on his own lips. “We’ll be late for the meeting.” Magnus murmured.
“I don’t care.” Alec said recklessly, and Magnus laughed, eyes and mouth glittering, and pulled Alec down again.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus knew something was wrong as soon as he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. He was sitting up waiting for Alec to come home from patrol, even though Alec had told him many times that he didn’t need to stay awake. Magnus never slept well when Alec was out hunting demons anyway. Despite knowing that his boyfriend was a skilled fighter, more skilled than the average Shadowhunter, despite knowing that Alec never patrolled alone, was always with Jace or Isabelle or someone— Magnus still worried. He worried every night when Alec left that tonight might be the time Alec came back injured— or worse, that he didn’t come back at all. And now Magnus could hear two sets of Shadowhunter boots, not one, on the stairs of his apartment. There was no reason why Alec would have come back with another Shadowhunter— unless something had happened to him. Magnus hurried to the door and flung it open. As he had suspected, Jace was beside Alec on the landing, looking startled as the door was open before he had a chance to knock. “What happened?” Magnus demanded, taking in the scene. He was relieved to see that Alec was conscious and able to stand, though he was leaning on Jace for support.  “It’s not serious.” Alec said quickly, and Magnus felt a rush of tenderness, knowing that Alec’s first thought was reassuring Magnus. He could tell, however, by the stiff way Alec was holding himself, and by Jace’s worried expression, that he was in a lot of pain.“A demon slammed him down against the pavement.” Jace explained. “It’s just some bruises.” Alec protested again. Magnus gave a small sigh of exasperation. Shadowhunters. He reached forward, and Alec slumped gratefully against him. Magnus could feel the tension in his boyfriend’s body, and guessed that Alec’s injuries were probably worse than he was making out.  He supported Alec over to the couch and instructed him to sit down. Jace crouched down in front of Alec and started drawing an iratze on his arm as Magnus went quickly to his potions cupboard and gathered up an armful of supplies. When he returned, Jace was on the couch beside Alec, saying something that made Alec smile. Alec looked a little better after the healing rune, but Magnus wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d tended to Alec himself. Jace stood to go as Magnus returned, apparently satisfied that Alec was in good hands. He squeezed Alec’s hand briefly before heading to the door. “Thanks.” Magnus said to him quietly. Jace gave him a crooked smile, then he was gone, heading back to the Institute. Magnus sat down beside Alec, setting down his armful of various herbs and bandages. “Let me get a proper look at you.” He unbuckled Alec’s gear jacket and guided it gently off his shoulders, nothing how Alec winced when he had to move his arms. Magnus peeled off the shirt underneath, tossing it aside. He set his hand against Alec’s chest, running his fingers over Alec’s ribcage to check for injuries. He shifted around so he could see Alec’s back, and grimaced. Dark purplish bruises bloomed over the Shadowhunter’s back and shoulders. Magnus could see the marks where the buckles of his jacket had cut into Alec’s skin.  Magnus did a quick magical scan to check for other injuries. Alec had been comparatively lucky— he had no broken bones or internal bleeding— but those bruises still looked painful, and Magnus wanted to fix them as soon as possible.He gently guided Alec to stand and led him into their bedroom. Alec went uncomplainingly. He looked utterly exhausted. Magnus sat him on the edge of the bed, then settled himself crosslegged behind his boyfriend. Magnus snapped his fingers and a mortar and pestle appeared on the quilt beside him. He selected a handful of herbs and crushed them in the pestle, resulting in a thick paste. The air filled with a sharp, bittersweet scent. Magnus took some of the salve on his fingertips and began to spread it over the bruises dotting Alec’s back, carefully massaging the damaged skin. Alec gave a low moan of relief as soon as the herbs touched his skin, tipping his head back. “Thanks. That feels a lot better.” Magnus kissed his shoulder in reply and continued rubbing the salve into Alec’s back. They were both quiet for a while. Magnus thumbed gently at the parabatai rune on the point of Alec’s shoulder. “I worry about you, you know.”Alec exhaled softly. “I know.”Neither of them said what they both knew: that Alec was a Shadowhunter, and that was a good thing, because he helped and protected people. But it also meant that he was often in great danger. It was a bittersweet thing, like the scent of the herbs Magnus was rubbing into his love’s skin. He couldn’t change who Alec was, but he could do this for him. Magnus massaged the last of the salve into Alec’s bruises. He added a spark of magic to speed the healing process, then helped Alec lie down, pulling the covers over him. Magnus climbed into bed beside him. He noticed that Alec was lying on his side, careful of his still-sore back. Magnus brushed a hand against his cheek. “Sleep well.” he whispered.Alec smiled drowsily at him. His eyes fluttered closed and he was asleep in a few breaths. Magnus followed not long after, his arm curled protectively around his Shadowhunter.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alec knew the smell of sandalwood like he knew his own body. It was the smell that lingered in his home, that clung to the pillows of their bed, that he associated with comfort, with love, with safety, with desire. It was the scent of Magnus.
 
Alec remembered the first time he’d had a name for the rich, sharp scent of Magnus’s hair and skin, in a hotel room in Rome.

Why do you always smell amazing?

he’d asked, and Magnus had replied,

It’s sandalwood.

When they were in bed together, with Magnus underneath him or on top of him or beside him, Alec would press his face into his husband’s neck and inhale deeply, breathing him in. At the end of a long day, when Alec came home stiff and sore and tired, Magnus would sometimes run him a hot bath and, kneeling by the tub, wash him all over. He would work sandalwood shampoo into Alec’s hair, rub sandalwood soap into his skin, until Magnus’s hands and Alec’s body and the entire room smelled nice.
 
Isabelle and Jace teased him for it, but Alec didn’t care. Privately he thought that it was nice to have almost a signature scent, something that he and Magnus shared. Sandalwood was
their
thing. And nothing ever felt better than waking up with Magnus in his arms and burying his face in his hair, the familiar smell reminding Alec that he was home, that he was safe, that he was loved.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The streets of Manhattan gleamed with orange and white streetlamps, the usual din of traffic muted by the late hour. It was nearly midnight. Alec slipped through the streets, heading for the Institute. He felt buzzed, almost lightheaded. It was the sort of feeling he felt after an intense training session, but sharper, hotter. 
 
He’d just gone on a

date.

With

Magnus

. And it had been weird and baffling and very nearly a disaster, but against all odds, it hadn't been. Alec couldn’t stop smiling, even as he crept around the side of the Institute. He’d strategically left a window open when he snuck out earlier that night, making sure no one had seen him leave. Now he put his hands on the window ledge and boosted himself up, swinging his legs over the sill to land noiselessly on the stone floor. 
 
There was a movement in the shadows across the room, and Alec froze. For a second, raw terror ran through his veins at the thought of being discovered, of his parents finding out where he’d been. Then a pair of yellow eyes glowed like lamps in the gloom, and Alec relaxed.

“Hey, Church,” he murmured. “You scared me.”
 
Church padded out of the shadows. The grey Persian regarded Alec with a look of vague disinterest, seeming not at all surprised to find Alec climbing in through a window.

Alec crouched down and spoke softly to the cat. “Is anyone else awake?”

Church twitched his whiskers in a bored fashion, then headed down the corridor that led to the Institute bedrooms. Alec took this as a good sign and followed him. 
 
Church led Alec to the door of his own bedroom and batted at the door with his paw.

“You want to be let in, huh?” Alec asked. “Okay.”

He opened the door quietly, slipping inside and allowing the cat to follow before shutting the door. His room looked slightly strange to his eyes after the date, and spending time in Magnus’s loft. For as long as he could remember, Alec’s room had been the only place in the world he felt truly safe. It was a sanctuary for him. Now it occurred to him that he’d also felt safe in Magnus’s apartment, even though he hadn’t been doing much thinking at the time. He put the strange thought aside, flopping down gratefully on his bed. The plain grey duvet cover looked a bit boring after spending the evening with Magnus, but it was homely and comforting. Church sprang up onto the bed beside Alec, his fur almost the same colour as the quilt, and stretched out luxuriously. Alec sank his fingers into the cat’s soft fur, staring up at the ceiling. 
 
He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to sleep tonight; memories of the date, of Magnus, flashed through his head like coloured flames. He needed to talk, work through his feelings and tell someone about everything that had happened. There was no one in his family, not even Isabelle, that Alec felt he could talk to about this. But talking to a cat, who couldn’t repeat anything….
 
“I went on a date tonight,” he told the cat. Church regarded him with disinterest. “I went on a date with

Magnus Bane

.” Alec continued. He kept his voice low, though he wasn’t really worried about anyone hearing him. The Institute walls were thick stone, deadening sound, and his family were probably all asleep. Church twitched his tail, the first vaguely interested gesture he’d made.

Go on

, he seemed to be saying. 
 
“He’s a warlock.” Alec told the cat. “And he
—
he actually has cat eyes, you know, so you’d probably like him. Or at least tolerate him. You don’t really like anyone.” Church purred in agreement. “And he has this smile, and these clothes, and his

hands

—
” Alec broke off, his face flushing. He remembered very clearly the last part of their date, in Magnus’s loft, and those hands pushing up his shirt, sinking into his hair. He’d kissed Magnus so hard he’d tasted blood. He couldn’t think about any of that right now. Even with only the cat in his room, it was too private, too intimate. He forced the memories away, for later. “I
—
I really like him, Church. And he actually wants to see me again.” The possibility of another date with Magnus sent excitement and nervousness running through Alec in equal measures. “I think he likes me too.”
 
Alec felt suddenly very tired. It had been a crazy night, wonderful and scary and embarrassing and exhilarating all together, and he was exhausted. He was still wearing the t-shirt Magnus had given him, with BLINK IF YOU WANT ME outlined on the front in sequins. His own shirt, which he’d managed to ruin within ten seconds of getting in Magnus’s door, was somewhere still at his loft. It was an oddly intimate thing, now that he thought about it, that they’d inadvertently exchanged shirts on their first date. He ran his fingers over the sequins, enjoying the rough-smooth-rough texture. The fabric smelled like Magnus, like the sharp, vaguely spicy scent that hung around him. Alec found himself liking it very much. But if anyone else in the Institute discovered the shirt, his secret would be out. He had to keep it hidden. 
 
Alec stood up and shrugged off the shirt reluctantly. He held it to his face, breathing in the scent of Magnus again, before folding it neatly and tucking it at the back of his closet. He replaced it with one of his favourite old sweaters -- Isabelle said they were terrible, but they really were comfortable -- and lay down again beside Church. 
 
“I hope you can meet Magnus sometime. He has a cat too.” Alec said, remembering the little grey tabby Magnus called Chairman Meow. “Maybe you two could be friends.”

Church gave him a look that clearly indicated he was done with this conversation. He nudged Alec’s hand with his head, and Alec stroked him again, feeling his eyes sliding shut. Church gave a little huff, then curled up on the blankets and promptly went to sleep.

“Thanks for listening, Church.” Alec whispered, and then he, too, was asleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The enormous stained-glass windows of the Council Hall cast beams of multicolored light across the Shadowhunters gathered there. Isabelle stretched out her legs under the bench and wiggled her toes in her boots, feeling slightly bored. The meeting was almost over and she was eager to get outside. Alec was on the dais, having just finished taking suggestions from various Institute heads on how to minimise the number of demon attacks in large cities. Isabelle felt a rush of pride and fondness for her brother. She knew that speaking in front of so many people didn’t come naturally to Alec, but he looked so calm and confident in his new role, leading their people.Isabelle let her gaze wander around the room, taking in the faces of the listening Shadowhunters. She was very proud of Alec, but she also wished he would call the meeting to an end so she could get off this uncomfortable bench.“So if we put some of these ideas into practice,” Alec was saying, “It will drastically reduce the number of mundanes attacked—”Isabelle saw it before anyone else did. A man dressed in dark grey had stepped out of the shadow between two windows, using the dazzling brightness to hide himself. Light glinted off the blade of a dagger in his hand, mere feet from Alec’s unprotected back.Isabelle screamed in warning, and Alec turned towards her in shock. The turn meant he took the knife not in his back, where it would have pierced his heart, but in his side. He slumped forward, gripping the lectern to hold himself up. His spine was a long curve of pain.Isabelle reacted instinctively, on her feet before she could think, her whip curling out from her hand towards Alec’s attacker. It wrapped around his feet at exactly the same moment that a dagger, thrown by Jace, hit him in the shoulder. He fell to the ground, two Clave guards already grabbing him. Isabelle leapt onto the bench in front of her, and from there to the dais. Jace was already there. Alec was still slumped forward, teeth gritted. Blood bloomed from the wound in his side, a darker red than his Consul robes. Jace wrapped his arm around Alec’s back, pressing his other hand against the wound. He guided Alec away from the lectern, lowering him carefully to the floor. Isabelle dropped to her knees beside them, squeezing Alec’s hand as Jace pulled out his stele. He pulled open Alec’s collar and drew an iratze on his shoulder, then a rune for blood replenishment.Isabelle looked round and saw the assassin’s dagger lying on the stage. He’d dropped it when Jace’s knife had struck him. She felt a chill run through her. The blade was covered in Alec’s blood, but there was something else there, some dark and sticky substance. “Jace, look.” Jace glanced at the knife and swore softly. “Poison.”“Magnus.” Alec ground out. His face was twisted with pain. “Izzy-”Isabelle was already pulling out her phone to call Magnus. Her heart was thudding painfully. She remembered how their father had been killed in the old Accords Hall, in a situation not very dissimilar to this.  It’ll be alright, she thought, phone pressed to her ear. Magnus will be here soon. But she couldn’t shake a sick feeling of worry.   Magnus was working on a potion for a client, carefully straining a mixture of hellebore and aconite, when the phone rang. He set down his tools and glanced at the screen. To his slight surprise, he saw that it was Isabelle calling.“Hello, my favourite sister-in-law.” he answered, scooping up the phone smoothly. “What’s up?” “Magnus.” Isabelle’s tone told Magnus instantly that something was very wrong. “You need to come to the Council Hall right now.”An icy chill went through Magnus’s heart. Almost without realising it, his hands were already moving to create a Portal. “What happened?” “He was stabbed. Some sort of crazy assassin guy. Poison on the dagger.”Magnus closed his eyes briefly, the world spinning around him. “I’m coming right now.”   It wasn’t possible to open a portal directly into the Council Hall. Magnus had to Portal onto the street outside. He took the steps into the building at a run and found Isabelle waiting anxiously inside. “Where is he?” Magnus demanded. “In his office.” Isabelle said instantly, and Magnus took off running. Isabelle followed behind him as he sprinted down the corridor, up another flight of steps, and reached the large oak door of Alec's office. Magnus flung it open instantly. Alec was lying on the long red sofa that sat in one corner of his office. Jace knelt beside him, his hand on Alec’s shoulder. Clary and Simon were huddled against the wall together, looking worried. One glance told Magnus that the situation was bad, though not as bad as it could have been. Alec was at least conscious, though very pale, his hair damp with sweat. He tried to sit up as soon as Magnus entered, but couldn’t quite manage it.“Everyone out!” Magnus ordered, striding over to Alec. Clary and Simon dutifully filed out, and Jace and Isabelle left slightly more reluctantly. Magnus felt no qualms about ordering Alec’s family out of the room. Healing him was going to require a lot of intense magic, and he didn’t need to worry about other people being in the way.“Magnus.” Alec said with obvious relief. Magnus took his hand and pressed it between both of his. “I’m here, my darling. Let’s get you fixed up.”He bent over Alec, assessing how bad the damage was. The wound itself wasn’t too deep, but as Isabelle had said, there had been poison on the knife. The skin around the wound was shot through with unnaturally dark veins, indicating that the poison was already working its way through Alec’s system. Magnus saw a silver dagger, decorated with rubies on the hilt, lying on a table near Alec. “Is this— the knife?”Alec nodded, his face tight. Magnus ran his hand over the dagger, sending out sparks of magic. He grimaced. The black substance on the blade was venom from an Altis demon, one of the rarest and most deadly types of demons. Whoever had stabbed Alec had meant business. He could heal Alec, but it would be difficult. “You’re going to have to help me.” Magnus told his husband, and Alec nodded, clearly steeling himself for a painful fight. Magnus passed his hand over the wound, blue fire sparking in his wake. He found the tendrils of poison running through Alec’s veins and resisted them, trying to draw the venom out. He could feel Alec’s body working with his magic, resisting the poison. Red and blue sparks swirled around them. Alec’s face was damp with sweat. He gripped Magnus’s hand tightly. Magnus gritted his teeth, sending his magic deeper. Alec’s veins lit with blue fire as magic coursed through him. For a desperate moment, Magnus grappled with the poison, using all the strength he had, and then with a colossal effort, cast it out. The fire died. Alec’s face cleared, no longer wracked with pain. He breathed out slowly. Magnus sank to his knees beside the couch, exhausted. He put his head down on Alec’s chest and felt Alec’s fingers thread through his hair. “How do you feel?” Magnus asked in a muffled voice, his face pressed against the front of Alec’s robes. “Better.” Alec murmured. “Thanks for healing me.”Magnus lifted his face with an effort, remembering why it had been necessary. “The man who stabbed you— any idea who he was?”Alec shook his head, his face clouding over. “Never seen him before. He could be any ally of the Cohort, or working alone. I just don’t know.”“I’ll find out later.” Magnus resolved. Now that his anxiety over Alec was fading, he felt deep anger towards whoever had done this to him. Whoever was behind this attack, Magnus would find out, and he would make them pay.“But not now.” Alec mumbled. He cupped his fingers under Magnus’s chin, looking sleepily at his face. “Stay here a minute.”“I will.” Magnus promised. He leaned against the sofa, feeling very tired. Soon, very soon, he’d let Jace and Isabelle back into the room, let them know Alec was safe. And he’d have to pick up their sons from school before long. But for a little while, he wanted to be alone with his husband. He put his hand on Alec’s shoulder, and Alec put his hand over Magnus’s. They leaned together in the quiet room, holding each other, as the world went by outside.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The room was warm and dark, heat radiating from the crackling fire in the grate. The only illumination was the reddish light it gave, casting soft shadows across the room.

There was sound, too, above the quiet crackle of the fire. Low, rhythmic breathing, soft gasps. A low moan. The firelight flickered and danced on bare skin and dark hair, the curve of an arm, a hip, a shoulder. 
 
Magnus lay sprawled on the thick fur rug in front of the fire, thighs splayed, head thrown back. Lying like this, he could feel the warmth of the fire, and the far more delicious warmth of Alec. He was between Magnus’s legs, moving in slow, deep strokes. His elbows were planted either side of Magnus’s head, bringing their faces close together, and his breath was hot on Magnus’s face. Magnus had his fingers buried in Alec’s thick black hair, sifting the silky strands through his fingers. He breathed out every time Alec sank home in him, the little puffs of air ruffling the hair by Alec’s ear.
 
“That’s it, baby.” Alec murmured to him. He slipped down lower over Magnus, plastering their sweat-damp bodies together from thigh to shoulder. “Just let me take care of you.” Magnus could only moan in response, letting his hands fall from Alec’s hair and sliding them through the thick fur underneath them. Heat was spreading through him, hotter even than the fire. Dimly, he noted how beautiful the shifting light of the flames was on Alec’s face, his strong arms, the naked planes of his back. They were like a fire, the two of them, the way they moved together like this. He hooked his legs over Alec’s back, drawing him closer, as close as they could be, until he couldn’t tell where his body ended and Alec’s began. His head was full of sparks and smoke as he clutched Alec’s shoulders, panting desperately. Alec was moving faster now, his face buried in Magnus’s neck. It was all so much
— too much—

“

Magnus.

” Alec groaned, and Magnus shut his eyes and let the fire take him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As a child, Alec had always liked reading. He loved Isabelle and Jace, but sometimes, their loud, outgoing personalities got to be too much for him and he needed some time alone to recover. The Institute didn’t have a huge selection of novels, but there were dozens of anthologies of fairy tales, which Shadowhuters were supposed to study as an example of how mundanes recognised magic and wrote about it. He got through hundreds of these stories, some with beautiful illustrations, sitting in the library or his room or some quiet spot in the Institute where he wouldn’t be discovered. 
 
As he got older, he read less, his time more taken up with weapons training or studying demons or worrying about his siblings. But after moving in with Magnus, Alec was surprised to discover something about the warlock that wasn’t immediately obvious.

Magnus

loved

reading. Despite all the partying, despite his outgoing personality, Magnus was also really happy just to stay in with a book. There were several large bookshelves scattered through his apartment, stacked with novels and spell books and histories and plays and thrillers and romances and scientific journals and anthologies of poetry. Many were in languages Alec couldn't read. Some, he suspected, were older than Magnus himself. Alec started to rediscover his childhood love of reading, working his way through the books in Magnus’s loft that interested him. 
 
Today his attention had been caught by a slim volume bound in blue leather. He’d opened it to find it was, of all things, a book of love poems. Alec traced his fingers over the thin, crisp pages, reading words written by men and women long dead, addressed to their beloveds.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments…..How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…..I have spread my dreams under your feet……

Alec could see himself in these pages. He could see his love for Magnus, expressed more eloquently than he could ever hope to say himself.

I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times…..

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy love is better than wine……

You have captivated me; let me stand tremblingly before you.

Alec turned a page and found a poem he recognised, one he had heard read at weddings. He ran his fingers over the words.

My true-love hath my heart and I have his/By just exchange one for the other given/I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss/There never was a bargain better driven.

These were the words he most wanted to give Magnus, if he ever found the courage to say them aloud. Maybe he could leave the book somewhere where Magnus would find it
— maybe with a little note saying,

This is how I feel about you.

Alec carefully replaced the book on the shelf, wondering if Magnus would let Alec read some of the poems to him. He wanted Magnus to know how much he meant to Alec, all the different ways Alec loved him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus had lived in many strange and wonderful places over the centuries. He’d occupied, however briefly, nearly every major city on Earth, spoken languages that didn’t exist anymore. He’d lived in houses, castles, apartments, palaces, houseboats, cellars, and even caves. There were very few places he could say he had no knowledge of.
 
Magnus had never been sure why Brooklyn, of all the suburbs in all the cities, had been the one to eventually catch his attention. Certainly he’d lived in far more beautiful and dazzling cities
—
Paris in the 1780s came to mind— but there was something comforting about Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Maybe the fact that it was such a melting pot of people and places, where Magnus didn’t stand out because there was nothing to stand out from. So he bought an apartment, and found himself spending more and more time there. By the 1920s, he’d been made High Warlock, mostly because he was the most powerful warlock in the area, and that was another reason to stay. By the 50s, it had more or less become his permanent residence.
 
Magnus had bought his current apartment in the 1970s. He’d had years of memories, but the last few years had been the happiest of all.
 
Now when Magnus thought of Brooklyn, and the wider city of New York, it felt like home for a different reason. It felt like strong arms around him and kind blue eyes. It felt like the laughter of his sons as they played in the living room or ran through the park. Walking the streets hand in hand with Alec, watching Max and Rafe grow up among red-brick terraces under the wide sweep of the Brooklyn Bridge, Magnus knew he had chosen a good place to call home.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

He lifted his head from the pillow he was clutching and then realized what he was doing: searching the air for a trace of the smell of coffee. It had happened a few times in the last several weeks, Magnus stumbling out into the kitchen toward the rich scent of coffee, pulling on a robe from his wide and varied selection, and finding Alec there…Alec seemed to feel a sense of comfort around the machine that he felt about nothing else, making coffee without asking if he could, bringing Magnus a cup when he was working.

Every time Alec had dropped by

—

or in the mornings after Alec had fallen asleep there

—

Magnus had woken to the sounds and smells of Alec's making him coffee, even though Alec knew that Magnus could magic coffee out of the air.

—
“What To Buy The Shadowhunter Who Has Everything”

Magnus had become used to Alec making him coffee in the very early days of their relationship. When they had only just started dating, Alec was very careful of everything in the loft, barely touching anything like he was afraid he might break it. But the coffeemaker was different. Maybe because it was something Alec could do for Magnus, because Magnus had noted, even in those early days, that Alec always put other people before himself. Whatever the reason, Alec had quickly fallen into the habit of making coffee for Magnus when he was over at the loft. Even before anyone else knew they were dating, Magnus had become used to it, this simple and domestic act. 
 
To this day, Alec took every opportunity he could to make coffee for Magnus. He tended to wake earlier than Magnus, as a result of Shadowhunter training, and therefore making coffee had become his designated job. On the mornings when Alec had to leave early for work, Magnus would wake up to a steaming cup of coffee on the nightstand. Often there would be a little note from Alec tucked under the cup, saying something like,

I love you,

or

Have a good day.

On the days when Alec didn’t have to leave so early, he would wake Magnus with a kiss on the forehead before pressing the hot mug into his hands. Alec made Magnus’s coffee just the way he liked it, with milk and honey, even though he complained that it was “disgustingly sweet.”

“Just like you.” Magnus would tell him, and then he’d have to kiss away the blush from Alec’s cheeks. 
 
Today, however, it was Magnus’s turn to be making coffee. Alec was on the couch in the living room, reading through a Clave report, his brow furrowed. He looked tired, even though it was only early afternoon. Magnus saw the exhaustion on his husband’s face and went to the kitchen.

He could see into the living room from there, and he caught the small upwards turn of Alec’s mouth when he heard the coffeemaker start up. Magnus hunted through the kitchen cabinets and found the personalised mug he’d given Alec, the one with WORLD’S BEST CONSUL on it. For himself, Magnus chose a shimmery purple mug, and filled both with the rich dark liquid. He added sugar to Alec’s, honey and milk to his own, and carried them back to the living room. Rafe and Max were playing on the carpet, industriously building a city of blocks for their toy trains. Alec was still reading, his dark hair falling in his eyes. Magnus leaned over to brush it away, before offering the mug of coffee to Alec. Alec took it with a grateful smile, shifting over on the couch so Magnus could sit beside him. He took a sip of coffee, and Magnus saw how his eyes instantly brightened and he sat up straighter.

“That’s supposed to be my job, you know.” Alec said, indicating the coffee mugs.

Magnus snuggled against Alec’s side. “You seemed to be busy.” He felt a rumble of laughter go through Alec’s chest as he turned back to the Clave reports. Magnus leaned against him, watching their children play. He clutched the mug, and felt the heat of it go through him, strengthening his body and warming his heart.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Concept art: The Red Scrolls of Magic | The Shadowhunters' Wiki | FandomMy design: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFOxIR57-g/bUL9-uBWfaGBWuJAfbTMDw/view?utm_content=DAFOxIR57-g&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelinkTop mask is Magnus's, bottom is Alec's.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The room was dark and very quiet. From outside, several streets away, came faint screams and sobs, the acrid smell of smoke. Inside, though, it was quiet. Alec felt Magnus shift slightly beside him.It was a month— at least, Alec thought it was a month— since Clary had been killed at the Battle of the Burren, and Sebastian Morgenster had risen up with his army of Endarkened. Alec hadn’t known that things could get so bad, so quickly. Jace —it was agony even to think of him —Jace was still in thrall to Sebastian. The streets of New York were overrun with demons. Idris had fallen some weeks ago. That had been the worst of all, Alec thought, seeing the home of his people crumble. Their last stronghold, gone. Isabelle was gone. It had been the worst moment of Alec’s entire life, seeing his sister struck down by Sebastian. She’d put everything she had into trying to kill him, and he’d killed her like he was swatting a fly. Jace had stood by and watched, and let it happen.Alec didn’t remember much else from that battle. People had told him he’d been screaming. Magnus had had to magically knock him out and drag him through a Portal to stop him from throwing himself at Sebastian in fury. “You would have died.” Magnus had pleaded with him later, tears in his eyes. “Please, Alec.”Alec knew he was right, but it didn’t stop the hurt.Magnus had taken him back to Manhattan after the battle. He and Catarina had set up a shelter for Shadowhunter and Downworlder children there, in what remained of Beth Israel Hospital, where Catarina had worked. They were there now, sleeping in a room that had once been an office. The rest of the hospital was filled with orphaned children and injured mundanes, who Magnus and Catarina did their best to heal. The sound of crying echoed through the entire building most nights. Outside, demons ravaged the streets and the Endarkened only grew stronger.But he and Magnus were still alive. Against all odds, they had survived this far, and they were together. Alec tightened his grip on Magnus, lying beside him on the thin mattress. As long as he had Magnus, he had hope.“Alec.” Magnus whispered in the dark. He sounded exhausted, and no surprise. He’d just spent ten hours going through the shelter, healing the injured.“Yes?” Alec murmured. Magnus was turned away from him, so Alec couldn’t see his face. When he spoke again, Alec knew that it wasn’t good news. “Have you -- have you heard about the blight that came out of Idris?”“Yes.” Alec said warily. He’d seen the patches of grey, dead earth during the last battle of Idris. They’d been doorways for demons, letting them into the country. “What about it?”Magnus was silent for a moment. He gave a long sigh, and pressed a little closer to Alec. “They’re part of the demonic energy Sebastian let into this world. And another part of it is-- warlocks have been getting sick.”Alec didn’t want to continue this conversation. He wanted to go to sleep with Magnus in his arms and pretend everything was alright. But he had to know. “Sick how?”Magnus was very quiet. When he next spoke, his voice was muffled, barely above a whisper. “They’ve been turning into demons.” For a second, Alec couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. Then the implications of what Magnus was saying rushed over him. “ No. ”“I’ve seen it happen,” Magnus whispered. “When I was scouting with Catarina yesterday. Another warlock went mad right in front of us. Her face changed….” He gave a sudden choked sob, and Alec clutched him tighter, wanting to protect him from the whole world. “It won’t happen to you. It can’t .”Magnus took a deep, shuddering breath. “It might. And Alec, if it does-”“ No. ” Alec whispered again, knowing already what Magnus was going to ask, wanting to stop him before he said the words. “If I turn into a demon-”“Magnus, please- ”“I want you to kill me.” Magnus finished, and the words hung heavy in the silence. The world swam in front of him. Alec closed his eyes, breathing in sharply to steady himself. “No. No. How could you even ask me-”“ Please , Alec.” Magnus’s voice was desperate. “I don’t want—I can’t become something like that. You told me you’d rather die than become Endarkened. It’s the same thing. Please— promise that if it happens—”“It won’t.”“You don’t know that. Promise me .”Alec buried his face in Magnus’s shoulder, blinking back tears. He tried to steady himself. For Magnus. “I-I promise.”Magnus exhaled. “Thank you.”Alec held on to him, feeling sick. He’d made his promise to Magnus, but he knew that if the worst happened, he wouldn’t be able to keep it. He couldn’t.

It happened two weeks later.  A swarm of Ravener demons had attacked the shelter, acting on Sebastian’s orders. Alec had rushed out to face them, bow in hand, grateful for something to fight. Magnus had been beside him, because of course he was. Of course he wouldn’t let Alec face a threat alone. His hands had burned with blue fire, but it had seemed somehow weaker than normal, guttering like a candle in the wind. Magnus had been growing weaker in general over the past two weeks, and Alec had been growing more worried. The battle had been harsh, Alec’s arrows sinking into the Raveners’ eyes, their scaly skin. When he ran out of arrows, he drew the sword he carried, slicing at their limbs. By his side, Magnus moved like a storm, blue flames striking down any Raveners Alec left. Suddenly, it was over. They stood surrounded by demon corpses -- since the blight had taken hold, demons didn’t seem to vanish when they were killed anymore. Alec lowered his sword, breathing hard. He glanced around to check for any more dangers, and then he heard it. An awful noise, not a scream or gasp or sob, but some combination of the three. He spun round, and realised it was Magnus. Alec had never heard such a sound of terror before. He was staring in horror down at his hands. “ Magnus. ” Alec said, terrified. For a second, he thought that Magnus had been bitten by one of the demons, and then he saw what Magnus had seen. The warlock’s hands ended in long, curving, claws.  All the breath was knocked from Alec’s lungs. Icy terror, colder than anything he’d ever felt before, shot through his veins. He lunged towards Magnus and caught him in his arms, grabbing his hands and examining them. The claws were black, the skin of Magnus’s hands unnaturally dark and leathery. “It’s the blight.” Magnus’s voice shook.“No.” Alec breathed. “No, it can’t be.”“It is.” Tears spilled from Magnus’s eyes. “I’m becoming a demon.”“ No .” Alec repeated. “No, no -”“I am.” Magnus whispered. “I-I can feel myself changing. Soon I won’t recognise you anymore- and then-” His gaze moved downwards, and Alec, hating himself, felt his own eyes follow.To the silver sword, lying glinting at Alec’s feet.Slowly, inexorably, Magnus bent and picked it up. His face, when he looked back at Alec, seemed thinner, unworldly. With creeping dread, Alec realised that he could see the marks of the change already on Magnus’s face.Magnus said, “You know what has to happen.” His voice was faint, but strengthened with resolve.“No.” Alec whispered again. He could say nothing else.Magnus turned his eyes, unnaturally bright, on him. “You have to kill me.” “No. No. Please no. I can’t. Magnus, I can’t .” Magnus’s hands were shaking, but his face showed no sign of hesitation. He set the point of the sword against his chest and pushed the hilt into Alec’s hands. Alec lept back, the sword clattering to the ground. Hot tears welled in his eyes. “I can’t do this. I won’t. Magnus…”“Alexander.” whispered Magnus, and he looked more heartbroken than Alec had ever seen him. “You promised. Alec, you promised….”He stumbled forward, and Alec caught him, supporting him. Magnus crumpled against his chest, shaking with sobs. “Please, Alexander. I don’t want to be a monster. I’d rather die, Alec, I would. Alexander, please ….”Alec broke. Magnus was begging him, and his voice was awful. He was begging and begging, and Alec couldn’t stand it, warring with himself, crying, wishing he was anywhere else. Wishing he had any choice but this.“Okay.” Alec whispered finally. A great calm stole over him. He was past any point of pain and grief. He knew only what he had to do.Magnus gave a sob of gratitude. He slumped against Alec, crying in relief. “I’m sorry Alec. I’m so sorry.”Alec waited until he had composed himself, then bent to pick up the sword. Everything was happening very slowly, every detail standing out starkly. The bright blade of the sword was stained with black demon blood. Alec carefully wiped it clean on a corner of his jacket. Even in the midst of his despair, even while his mind screamed at him to stop, some part of his brain remained in control, whispering instructions. Make it quick. Don’t let him suffer.  He wrapped his free arm around Magnus, drawing him close. Even with the glow of his eyes casting strange shadows over his face, even as his spine twisted itself into a new shape, Magnus looked beautiful. There was no fear in his eyes, only quiet acceptance. “It’s alright, Alec. It’s okay. You could never hurt me.”Alec made an inarticulate noise of grief. He pulled Magnus closer. Their lips met. It was the tenderest kiss Alec had ever known, and the saddest. Magnus’s face was wet. Alec could taste salt in his mouth, and he didn’t know if it was his tears or Magnus’s. They clung to each other. Magnus whispered, “I love you, I love you.” over and over again.They broke apart. Alec looked straight into Magnus’s eyes, wanting him to hear the words and understand. “I love you too. I love you, Magnus.”He leaned in until he was close enough to feel Magnus’s breath, until their foreheads touched, and then he brought the sword up and thrust it into Magnus’s chest. Magnus gasped. It was that noise that truly destroyed Alec, that even when he’d tried so hard not to hurt Magnus he still caused him pain. The sword went all the way through his chest, piercing his heart, and out through his back. It was a killing blow. Alec was still a Shadowhunter, even in the depths of pain and despair. Magnus sagged, and Alec went with him, holding him up as his legs collapsed. They slid to the ground. Blood bubbled from Magnus’s mouth. His clawed hands clutched Alec’s face, and Alec was grateful for the sting of pain as Magnus' hands convulsed, cutting his skin. Tears and blood ran down his face together.“Alexander.” Magnus whispered. He gazed up at Alec, his face showing only relief. “Thank you.”Then his eyes slid shut and his head went limp against Alec’s arm.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Alright, I’ve nearly- Will you stand still for a minute, Alexander?”Alec laughed, twisting away from Magnus as he took a swipe at the Shadowhunter’s hair. They were in their bedroom, getting ready for a formal Clave event -- a dance at the New York Institute. Magnus made another attempt at neatening out Alec’s preternaturally messy hair and managed to smooth it down a little.  He was wearing a suit in a dark maroon brocade, complimented by an indigo tie and a lot of silver jewelry. Magnus put his hands on his hips and stepped back to survey his husband critically. Alec looked unspeakably handsome, his suit all in black, with a black tie. Magnus was very pleased with the way it highlighted his pale skin, the dark line of his runes, and brought out the blue of his eyes. “You just need one thing.” Leaning over to the vanity table, Magnus grabbed a tie pin adorned with a single icy diamond, and pinned it to Alec’s tie, smoothing down the dark material. “Perfect.” Alec looked amused, but said nothing. He ran his fingers gently though Magnus’s hair, brushing his silver ear cuff. He turned away to tuck a couple of daggers into the sheaths hidden under his jackets. Alec was a Shadowhunter, Magnus thought, and even when going to a party where no one had a reason to hurt him, he would still take a weapon. It was one of the things Magnus had become used to.  Magnus glanced at his own reflection in the vanity mirror. He’d put a subtle streak of glitter in his hair, shining blue and purple. It matched his glittery eyeshadow and the polish on his nails. Satisfied, he grabbed Alec’s hand, grinning. “Let’s go.” Outside the double doors leading to the Institute ballroom, Magnus paused and looked at Alec. “Are you nervous? Everyone will be watching us.” “Not very.” Alec confessed. “Not as long as you’re here.” He offered Magnus his arm. It was a courtly, old-fashioned gesture, and Magnus was surprised and charmed by it. He took it, enjoying the feel of the solid muscle under his hands. “Ready?” Alec murmured.Magnus gave him a bright smile. “Always.” He flicked his fingers, and the heavy double doors swung open with a shimmer of magic. They walked in together. The wide, high-ceilinged room glittered with light, shining on the marble floor and the rococo curls on the walls. Magnus smiled.Once, he never would have been permitted to attend a formal Clave event like this, nor would he have wanted to. But now he was an honoured guest, the Consul’s husband. Magnus gripped Alec’s arm tighter, his grin widening.  Later on, there was dancing. Magnus remembered the first time he and Alec had ever danced together, in a marble ballroom amid Venetian canals. He remembered Alec’s nervousness, his hesitation, and then the sudden surety as he’d found his feet and moved with Magnus like it was the most natural thing in the world. They’d waltzed in a room of stars, Magnus sharing Alec’s wonder at the new experience. This was, if possible, even more enchanting. Alec’s strong arm was wrapped around Magnus’s back, the solid line of his body pressed against Magnus’. Magnus had one hand on Alec’s shoulder, the other clasped in his. Alec moved with confidence, far more sure of himself than he had been six years ago in Venice. It was wonderful to dance with him, Magnus thought, to know that Alec was his. A few metres away, Clary, wearing a sweeping green dress, was dancing with Jace. Both of them looked happy and relaxed. Near them were Isabelle and Simon. Magnus was amused to see that Simon’s lavender tie matched Isabelle’s dress. He suspected that it had been a deliberate choice on her part. The orchestra was playing a Strauss waltz, like the one that had been playing during that party in Venice. Magnus wondered if Alec had picked the music out himself for that very reason. It was just the kind of romantic gesture he would do. Smiling, Magnus leaned into his husband, and let the music carry both of them away.

Hours later, after dinner and a few speeches about various Clave matters and more dancing, Magnus could sense that Alec was getting tired of being around so many people. “Balcony?” he whispered, and Alec nodded gratefully.  Outside, on the wide stone balcony with its wrought-iron railing, Magnus took a deep breath of the cold night air. He felt Alec relax next to him. Since he’d become the Consul, Magnus had found that Alec was more comfortable with being the centre of attention than when he was younger, but it still made him feel a bit awkward. Magnus could tell he was happy to be away from the crowd for a minute.  Below them, the city twinkled, brighter than the stars above. The noise of traffic, even at this late hour, drifted up to them. Magnus could hear faint music from the party inside coming through the glass doors. It wasn’t the music of the orchestra this time, but a tune that Magnus recognised as a Leonard Cohen song. He guessed that Simon, a dedicated Leonard Cohen fan, had somehow found some speaker to hook up to his Spotify. The music was faint, but Magnus could still make out the words. Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin…..Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove….Dance me to the end of love.   “I don’t want to go inside just yet.” Alec murmured to him. Magnus smiled. “We don’t have to.” He took Alec’s hand again, and Alec’s other hand settled on his hip. They swayed together, quieter and less polished than the dancing in the ballroom. Magnus lifted the hand resting on Alec’s shoulder for a moment, moving it in a quick flicking gesture. Their next few steps were taken not on the stone floor, but a few inches above it. Alec laughed softly as he realised that they were literally dancing on air. He pulled Magnus closer, wrapping his arms around him. Magnus let his head drop against Alec’s shoulder. They danced together, to the sound of their city, under the sea of stars.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

He love Alec, and he wanted to lay his past and his truths in front of Alec, like bolts of shining silk at his feet. 
— “The Red Scrolls of Magic”  Magnus had always loved silk, both the look and the feel of it, and the status symbol it represented. Silk was, historically, the fabric of the wealthy, a luxury few could afford. It was one of the oldest luxuries in the world.  Magnus remembered the first time he’d visited China, some three and a half centuries ago. He’d seen a colony of silkworms, busily eating their mulberry leaves, utterly unaware that they produced the fabric that clothed kings and emperors. It had fascinated him, the idea that silk, the ultimate symbol of luxury, came from— well, worms. Seeing something so fine, rich and elegant grow out of such humble origins reminded Magnus, in a way, of himself. A weaver he’d met had explained to him that silk shone not because it was inherently reflective, but because of the way it was woven, the structure of the fibre refracting light at different angles. “The shape of the weave makes the shine.” she’d explained to him. Magnus had been fascinated by that as well. Silk was an illusion, something that shone not because of what it was, but the way it was used. He could feel a connection to that as well. Magnus reflected on that memory now, sitting up in bed at the end of a long day. That visit to China had been so long ago. He’d been— what, twenty-five? The same age Alec was now. Magnus glanced over at his husband, sleeping beside him. Alec was wrapped in silk too, the silk sheets that Magnus favoured pulled up to his chest. The sheets were a soft ivory right now, shimmering like a pearl. They’d been red the first time they’d ever shared this bed, gold the night after their wedding. Magnus changed the colour magically when he felt like it, or when he wanted to surprise Alec.  Magnus slid out of bed and wandered through the apartment, absently touching the furniture. The rococo armchair currently in the living room -- yes, the cushion on that was silk, in a pale blue patterned with rosebuds. The robes in his closet were silk. He walked back to the bedroom. Alec was still asleep, his black hair spread on the ivory pillow. Magnus had often thought that it had the texture of silk too. He ran his hand through Alec’s hair now, and Alec stirred but didn’t wake. Magnus let him sleep.  Magnus suddenly remembered something, and reached out with his magic, looking for a specific item. He’d remembered a magical vault filled with old clothes of his, garments that hadn’t been in fashion for centuries but that he kept for sentiment. In a shimmer of blue sparks, the thing he wanted was in his hands. It was a very old cravat, slightly worn, but with the colours still bright. It was in a pale cream, bordered with a pattern of blue cornflowers. It was one of the first items of clothing Magnus had ever bought for himself, when he’d first started putting a price on his magic. It was the first silken thing he'd ever owned. He rubbed it between his fingers now, enjoying the smooth, slippery texture. Then he folded it carefully in a square and put it on the nightstand. He got into bed, luxuriating in the feel of silk all around him. Maybe in the morning he’d tell Alec about the cravat, share a few more memories. Magnus cuddled up to him, and Alec shifted in his sleep, arms sliding instinctively around Magnus’s waist. Magnus felt his eyes close. He fell asleep wrapped in memories, and his husband’s arms, and silk.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was early morning when Alec woke. A crack in the curtains told him that it was still dark outside. Magnus was still asleep, and Alec clambered out of bed carefully so as not to wake him. He dressed quickly in the dark room, then padded quietly out of the bedroom and down the hall. He checked on the boys in their rooms, glancing inside Rafe’s room first, then Max’s. They were both still sleeping soundly.  In the kitchen, Alec brewed coffee for himself and Magnus. He left Magnus’s mug on the bedside table beside him before he left the apartment. Magnus could have made him a portal to the Institute, but Magnus was exhausted too and Alec didn’t want to ask him to make a Portal over such a short distance. It wasn’t far on the train. Besides, Alec quite enjoyed his early morning walks through the city. At the Institute, Alec pushed open the heavy double doors and stepped inside the echoing entrance hall. It was very quiet inside. No one else seemed to be away yet. Alec knew he should start working — there were reports coming in from Institutes all over the world following the exodus from Idris — but there was something he wanted to do first, and it would only take a few minutes. He turned into one of the corridors, following it until he reached a particular wooden door. This was the Institute’s music room, not often used these days but with a collection of instruments inside. For the past two weeks, it had also been housing something else. Alec opened the door and stepped inside, smiling involuntarily as he saw the room’s contents again. Neat stacks of blue silk banners, embossed with golden runes, lay on the shelves. A crate filled with warlock-made torches, that burned with a bright gold flame, was pushed against a wall. The room was filled with the scent of fresh-cut flowers, hundreds of them in tubs of water around the room. They were mostly in shades of yellow and blue, with splashes of white and purple and orange mixed in. Alec brushed his fingers over a yellow rose, then a blue cornflower. He hoped Magnus would like them.  Alec crossed the room, wanting to check one last thing. Most of the items in this room had been here for less than two weeks, accumulated gradually. But there was one thing that had been here for much longer than that. It was a small wooden box, dark teakwood carved with a pattern of Lightwood flames. Alec’s smile grew as he traced the pattern. Nearly a year ago now, Alec had approached Jace with a slightly unusual request. He’d asked Jace with him to buy wedding rings for when Alec and Magnus could eventually get married. To his credit, Jace had gone with him without teasing or asking questions. He’d simply understood that this was something important to Alec. He’d even tracked down an excellent faerie goldsmith to make the rings. Alec had borrowed one of Magnus’s own rings so the smith could get the size right, stealthily returning it to his jewelry box later. He’d asked Jace to keep the rings at the Institute for him, where Magnus wouldn’t find them by accident.  Alec thought back to that day now, as he opened the box and saw the two gold rings, nestled together on their bed of blue velvet. He’d thought for a long time about what they should look like, and what Magnus would like. Typically, Shadowhunters getting married exchanged family rings. But Magnus didn’t have a family ring, and so Alec had borrowed from the mundane tradition of wedding rings.Shadowhunter family rings were silver, generally, but he and Jace had both agreed that these should be gold, to differentiate them from the Lightwood ring that Alec already wore. He’d gone with the flame design though, both because it was the symbol of his family and because it reminded him of the blue flames of Magnus’s magic. “It’s like a double meaning.” Jace had said enthusiastically. “Very clever. Magnus will love it.”Alec hoped he was right. The inside of the rings was engraved with the words Aku cinta kamu, Indonesian for “I love you.” He was certain Magnus would like that.  Alec ran his thumb over the two gold circles. He would have liked to make the rings with his own hands -- he knew several Shadowhunters who could have taught him metalworking -- but it took years to achieve the skill needed to make something so delicate. Alec wanted the rings to be perfect. He wanted Magnus to be surprised and delighted by every tiny detail at their wedding. Their wedding. It was so close it didn’t seem possible. One of Alec’s first actions as Consul had been to amend the laws of Shadowhunter marriages, making it so that Shadowhunters and Downworlders could marry in a Shadowhunter ceremony if they wanted. He hadn't told Magnus. All of this was a surprise, kept secret by everyone that had helped Alec organize everything. If everything went to plan — if Magnus accepted his proposal -- they would be getting married tomorrow night. The thought of it made Alec both excited and nervous. He didn’t honestly think that Magnus would reject the proposal — they had wanted to get married for years — but it was in his nature to worry. He wanted everything to be perfect.  Alec took the rings from the box and held them in his palm for a minute, before replacing them in the box. Tomorrow they, along with everything else in this room, would be transported to Los Angeles via Portal, courtesy of Catarina and Ragnor. Magnus thought they were just going to a party to celebrate Helen and Aline being made Heads of the LA Institute. He had no idea about the surprise Alec had planned. Alec looked at the rings one last time, nestled in the deep blue velvet. He shut the box and replaced it carefully on the shelf. He couldn’t help thinking of the rings Magnus wore every day, collected over centuries, dazzling with rubies and emeralds and sapphires. He hoped that after tomorrow, Magnus would have a new ring to wear, one that he never took off.Alec remembered hearing somewhere that rings were originally used as a symbol of marriage because they were a circle, and a circle has no end. That was what he wanted for himself and Magnus — a love unbroken, with no end, eternal.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alec woke up with the bright golden light of morning seeping through the windows, and his cat sleeping on his head.“Ow,” he mumbled, reaching up to disentangle tiny, needle-sharp claws from his hair. “That hurts, Chairman. Go bother Magnus.” He shoved the cat in the direction of his still-sleeping husband. Chairman Meow gave a satisfied purr, nuzzling into the curve of Magnus’s arm. Alec huffed and flopped back on the mattress. The sudden movement woke Magnus. “What’s going on?” he mumbled, blinking sleepily at Alec.Alec raised his eyebrows. “Your cat woke me up.”Magnus slumped back, flinging his elbow over his eyes. “This time of the morning he’s your cat.” he grumped. Alec smiled, unable to pretend he was angry any longer. He cuddled up to Magnus, absently reaching over to stroke the Chairman's ears.“How many cats have you had?”Magnus sat up, looking more awake and blinking at Alec. “What?”“Ragnor mentioned a few days ago that you’d had a cat continuously since the 1950s. So I just wondered how many.”Magnus thought for a minute. “Seventeen.”“Huh.”“They weren’t all since the fifties.” Magnus added. “I’ve had a cat at various times before then, and other pets too. But yes, I’ve always had a cat since then. So…seventeen, in total.”“What were their names?” Alec asked. He was genuinely curious. He suspected that Magnus had thought up some pretty ridiculous pet names in his time.”“Well, now I have the Chairman, obviously.” Magnus began. And before him was Catterine the Great. And before her was The Great Catsby…Clary pulled his tail once, when she was a little girl.”Alec burst out laughing. He rolled onto his side, facing Magnus. “Go on”“Before him was The Notorious C.A.T. And before him were Pawsta and Purrito…they were brother and sister…”“Those names are terrible. ” “Possibly not my finest moment.” Magnus admitted. “Then there was Cat-22 — he was a real mean bastard. I’ve still got the scars where he clawed me. And then there was Charles Mittens…” Alec curled in on himself, one hand over his mouth, shaking with silent laughter.“And earlier,” Magnus continued, “there was Miette, and Gib, and Garis-Garis…”Alec’s brow furrowed. “Is that Indonesian for…”“Stripes.” Magnus confirmed. “Not the most imaginative of names, I confess.” He put Chairman Meow down for a second, grabbing a silk robe from the floor and wrapping it around himself. He swung himself out of bed, picked up the cat again, and headed for the door. Alec grabbed a discarded sweater from the floor and trailed after him. He shrugged it on over his pyjama pants as he followed Magnus to the kitchen.  “And there was Soctrates, and Teddy, and Birba…” Magnus continued.“What are you talking about?” Rafe asked, wandering out of his room. Max was already seated at the kitchen bench, with the expectant air that meant he wanted breakfast now.  “Cat names.” Magnus replied, putting Chairman Meow down on the floor. The small grey tabby instantly bolted for the safety of the living room, away from grabby children’s hands. “What would you call a cat, if we got another one?” Magnus asked the boys, turning on the stove. Max thought for a minute, then declared solemnly, “Spider-Cat.” Magnus laughed, and reached into the cupboard for pancake ingredients. Alec wandered into the living room, and coaxed Chairman Meow out from under the coffee table. The Chairman clambered up Alec’s arm and onto his shoulder, clinging to his sweater with his claws. Alec headed back to the kitchen, Chairman Meow riding on his shoulder. He sat at the bench beside his sons, transferring the Chairman to his lap. He felt a rush of fondness for the little cat. Chairman Meow had been Magnus’s before Alec had come into his life, had been the only thing keeping Magnus company at home before Alec had met him. He and Magnus had met at a birthday party Magnus had thrown for the cat. “Without you,” Alec murmured into the cat’s soft fur, “we might never have met. So I’m grateful.” Chairman Meow purred as if he understood. And when Magnus dished up the pancakes he’d made, Alec was amused to see they were in the shape of seated cats.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"I've heard some of the bikes can fly," said Alec eagerly. He sounded like Simon with a new video game. "Or go invisible at the flick of a switch. Or operate underwater."
— City of Bones

“Magnus, is this really necessary?”“Of course it’s necessary, darling.” Magnus replied. Alec couldn’t see him through the blindfold Magnus had made him wear, but he could hear that Magnus was on the other side of the room. “I want your birthday present to be a surprise.” “Magnus…”“Just trust me, Alexander.” Magnus said cheerfully. “I do.” Alec told him, and he just knew that Magnus was smiling, even if he couldn’t see him.He heard a faint crackle of magic that he guessed was Magnus opening a Portal. The room filled with the burnt-sugar scent of magic. He heard Magnus cross the room to stand beside him. “Alright.” Magnus murmured. “I’m just going to lead you through the Portal now.” He took Alec’s hand and Alec followed his husband blindly, trusting Magnus not to let him bump into anything.He felt the familiar rush of a Portal, then they stood on solid ground. The air was cold and slightly damp. Alec could hear from the sounds of traffic that they were on a city street — probably still in New York, judging by the accents of people he could hear in the distance. “You can take off the blindfold now.” Magnus said gleefully.Alec pulled the material off his eyes. They weren’t on a city street after all. They were fifty feet above one, on the roof of a large building. The dark city spread all round them, lit by a thousand lights. The sky overhead was inky black showing a few stars. Leaning against a rooftop doorway a few feet away was Alec’s friend and headache inducer, Lily Chen. “Lily!” Alec said, surprised but pleased to see her. He realised that they must be on the roof of the Hotel Dumort. He was still slightly confused. Magnus, standing next to him, looked delighted, but Alec saw Lily all the time. Why was Magnus so excited about them meeting up? “Hi, Alec!” Lily said. She was smiling at him, looking vaguely smug. “No more than two hours, not a scratch on it—““What?” Alec said, utterly confused.“-and if you crash the Dumort will not be responsible in any way.” Lily finished sweetly. She wiggled her fingers in a wave, then turned and slipped through the door and down the stairs. Alec could hear her laughter as she disappeared down the stairs.Now Alec was even more confused. “Magnus, what—““Turn around.” Magnus told him, grinning.Alec turned, and felt a sudden rush of adrenaline, like electricity running through his veins. For a single wild second, he felt like a kid again, with the rush of joy and wonder and excitement and terror that came with being young. Oh. Suddenly everything made sense. He stepped forwards and slowly, almost like he was afraid of startling it, reached out to touch the shiny chrome side of the vampire motorbike. “I remembered the night we met.” Magnus murmured in his ear. “You got so excited about those vampire bikes. I thought it was cute. And then a few weeks ago you mentioned how jealous you’d been when you’d heard that Jace got to fly one. So I had an idea.”Alec ran his hand over the bike’s sleek black chassis, the high silver handlebars. A design of scarlet flames was painted on the side -- Lily’s personal touch, he guessed. He felt like he was seventeen again, every day spent struggling with a tangle of conflicting emotions, wondering what it would be like to fly away from it all. “Do you like it?” Magnus asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Alec turned to him, his beautiful, caring Magnus, and swept him into a kiss. He tried to put into it everything he didn’t have words for, and he thought Magnus understood. His breath caught against Alec’s mouth, hands clutching the back of Alec’s leather jacket. Alec pulled away from him with a gasp. Magnus was smiling. “I’ll take that as a yes.” “Thank you.” he breathed. “It’s so— I don’t— I can’t—““It’s okay.” Magnus told him. “I understand.” His eyes gleamed. “Now, do you want to try this thing out, or not?”Alec grinned, feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline. He swung one leg over the seat of the bike and gripped the handlebars. Magnus slid on behind him and his arms wrapped around Alec’s waist. His chest was pressed against Alec’s back and Alec could feel his heartbeat pounding through his clothes. “This one can definitely fly, right?” Alec asked.Magnus huffed out a laugh. “Either that or Lily is a much worse person than I previously believed.” Alec laughed too. Magnus pressed something silver into his hand. “Keys.” Alec turned the ignition and felt the bike jolt into life, shuddering underneath them. It felt like a living creature, heart thrumming, something wild and a little dangerous. “You ready?”Magnus gripped him tighter. “Ready.” Alec gunned the engine, and the bike leapt forwards, shooting over the edge of the roof and into empty air. For a heartstopping second they plummeted, then Alec pulled the handlebars up and they were shooting up into the night sky. It was exhilarating. The cold night air on Alec’s skin, the wind in his hair, the rumble of the bike and the solid warmth of Magnus behind him. They were caught between city and sky, suspended in the black sphere of the night shot through with pinpricks of light. A laugh punched out of Alec’s throat. He remembered the first time he’d ever driven, in a red Maserati in Italy. He felt the same wild rush now. It was like the first time he’d ever kissed Magnus, and the world had exploded into dazzling colour, everything sharper, brighter.They swooped down, and Magnus gasped and clutched Alec tighter. The bike sped along the glittering surface of the river, nearly touching the water. Alec heard Magnus laugh in sheer delight, and he pulled the bike up again, soaring high above the city, rising until there were stars all around them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus blinked sweat from his eyes, breathing hard. He struck out with another bolt of blue flame at the Ravener demons surrounding him. The air all around him was filled with the shouts and screams of battle. Alec had been called out to a crisis situation
—
an unusually large number of demons appearing in a field not far from the Idris border. Magnus had gone with him, because he wasn’t about to let Alec face danger alone.

Magnus stunned another demon with a magical shockwave, then spun towards one on his left. There was no need. The demon was already down, Alec’s arrow sending it bursting into flames.

Magnus risked a glance up, over the battlefield. Close to fifty Shadowhunters were spread out, locked in battle with the demons. As well as the Raveners, Magnus spotted a handful of Drevaks and a few Crouchers. There were a lot of them, but the Shadowhunters were doing well.

Too late, Magnus realised his mistake. One of the Raveners grabbed his ankle, yanking him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground. Magnus lashed out at it, but another was already looming over him. Magnus looked up into a gaping maw of teeth dripping with venom. It blocked out everything. He couldn’t see the sky behind it. A strange sense of calm stole over him.

Then the Ravener was seized from behind and hurled violently away from Magnus. Alec had grabbed it, throwing it with a ferocity Magnus rarely saw from him. His face was white with rage. Before Magnus could blink, Alec was on the demon, striking at it with his seraph blade. The demon screamed in agony. The blade plunged into its body again and again, more times than was necessary, until it exploded into ash. Alec spun, blindingly fast, and hurled a dagger at another demon that had been creeping up behind Magnus, killing it instantly.

Magnus was still sprawled on the ground. The whole thing had taken barely twenty seconds.

Alec dropped to his knees beside Magnus. The change in him was almost frightening to see. One second he was a vengeful, bloody, demon hunter, the next a concerned and loving husband. “Are you hurt? Did it get you?” His hands ran frantically over Magnus’s face, his chest, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine.” Magnus breathed. He was trembling a bit as the adrenaline rush abated. “It didn’t hurt me.”

“Oh, god…” Alec pulled Magnus into his arms, pressing Magnus’s face into his shoulder. “God, Magnus, I was so worried…”

The noise of the battle continued around them, but for a moment, it was quiet. Magnus let his head rest on Alec’s shoulder, listening to his heartbeat, quickened by panic. He shut his eyes and let Alec hold him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sky was just beginning to lighten from black to grey when Magnus stirred faintly. Alec was at his side in an instant, leaning over him. He’d been watching over Magnus all night, in the room they were sleeping in at the Los Angeles Institute. The demon sickness that had been sapping Magnus’s strength for weeks now was worse than Alec had ever seen it. For days, Alec had sat in this room with him, only leaving for brief intervals, watching Magnus grow weaker and weaker. Jace had sat with Alec earlier, but he had left a few hours ago, after Alec had finally persuaded him to get some rest. 
 
Alec had lost his father not two weeks ago. He couldn't lose Magnus. For a while, he’d been convinced that Magnus wouldn’t survive the night. Alec had cried a bit, watching  his thin face on the pillow, and tried to prepare himself to say goodbye. But against all odds, Magnus had survived the long dark night. He was still breathing. And he was waking, for the first time in more than twenty-four hours. Alec bent over him as he stirred again. He took Magnus’s hand and cupped it between both his own like he was holding flakes of gold.

“Magnus.” he whispered.
 
The warlock’s eyelids fluttered. He looked up at Alec, still thin and pale, but with a look of such trust and love that Alec’s heart broke. “How long was I asleep?” His voice was thin and cracked, and Alec poured him a glass of water from the jug on the nightstand.

“Over a day.” Alec said gently. He held the glass with the straw to Magnus’s lips, regretting that it was only ordinary water and not the stuff of Lake Lyn, which would cure Magnus.

If it arrived in time. If the Wild Hunt got through.

He explained their plan to Magnus, who listened with his eyes closed, taking shallow breaths. Alec ached to do more to help him. If he could, he would rip out his own lungs and give them to Magnus so he could breathe, take Magnus’s sickness upon himself and make him well.

When Alec had finished speaking, Magnus didn’t say anything, just reached for Alec’s hand. Alec took it and gripped it tightly. They sat together for a long time without speaking.
 
“I want to go out on the balcony.” Magnus whispered eventually. 
 
He was no longer strong enough to stand, so Alec carried him outside, wrapped in a blanket. Dawn was just streaking the edge of the horizon. Alec carefully set Magnus down on a wicker sofa, and he shivered in the cold sea breeze. Alec wanted to take him back inside, where it was warm, but if Magnus wanted to be out here, Alec wouldn’t argue with him. He sat next to Magnus, propping him up and wrapped his arms around the warlock, trying to warm him. They leaned against each other, Magnus’s head on Alec’s shoulder. From this height, Alec could see across the sandy desert all the way to the ocean. In the other direction, a gold line gleaned on the eastern horizon. It was very quiet. Alec waited. 
 
“Alec…” Magnus whispered eventually. “If I die…”

“You’re not going to die.” Alec said instantly. “Don’t say that.

Don’t.”

“I might.” Magnus said. He sounded sad, but resigned. Alec clung to him tighter, as if he could stave off sickness and death if he held Magnus close enough. “The Wild Hunt are coming with the water of Lake Lyn. They’ll be here soon.”

“I hope so.” Magnus whispered. “But if they’re not, and I start turning into--”

“Don’t say it.” Alec pleaded.

“You have to keep going.” Magnus told him. He seemed to use all the strength he had left to grip Alec’s chin and turn his head. He stared deep into Alec’s eyes. “You have to look after our kids. They’ll need you. You have to

live.”

Unshed tears stung the back of Alec’s throat. “I will.”

“Promise me.”

Magnus insisted.

“I promise.”

Exhausted, Magnus dropped his hand and slumped against Alec. He could barely even hold his head up. “Tell them I love them.” he murmured. “Max and Rafe. Tell them.”

“I will.” Alec whispered again. “But it won’t come to that. You’ll be okay.”

Magnus was silent for a while, then he turned his face weakly towards Alec. “I love you, Alexander.”

Alec couldn’t speak. He kissed Magnus as gently as he could, then wrapped the blanket tighter around him. Magnus was gazing at the dawn, at the pink and gold staining the sky. His face, thin and gaunt, was transformed by the golden light falling on it, becoming a thing of otherworldly beauty. Alec held him. There was nothing else he could do. They sat together in the cold and brilliant dawn, watching the sunrise, and the cool ocean wind dried Alec’s tears.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was a nice day.All the days had been nice. There had been rather more than seven of them so far, and rain hadn't been invented yet. But clouds massing east of Eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was on its way, and it was going to be a big one.In the garden, something stirred. A large black cat, the size of a panther, padded out from behind a tree. There were many animals in the garden, but none with eyes that burned like the cat’s. Candles hadn’t been invented yet, but a fanciful writer might have said that the eyes looked like candles burning in Hell. The other animals were wisely remaining hidden. The cat stretched languidly, then padded to the high wall encircling the garden. The bright eyes zeroed in on the figure standing on top of the wall, staring out to the east. The muscles in the cat’s back legs bunched, and with a single spring, it was on top of the wall. It strode over to the figure. With a ripple of the fur along its back, the cat was gone. In its place stood a man, or at least a man-shaped creature. His jet-black hair matched the cat’s fur, and the cat’s burning gold eyes, with their slit pupils, were set into his face. The robe he wore was black as well. From his back arched a pair of glossy black wings, with shimmers of cobalt blue and purple nestling among the feathers. The other man, or man-shaped being, didn’t seem particularly surprised at the transformation. His wings were white, shot through with gold. His robe was white, and over his shoulder he carried a bow and quiver of arrows. The cat-man noted with interest the black symbols that wound around his arms and over his shoulders. They were the language of Heaven.The demon sighed dramatically. “Well, that was a shambles.” The angel blinked at him in confusion. “Um, sorry?”The demon waved a hand at the landscape around them, indicating the entire situation. “All of it. The apple, them getting kicked out of the garden. You showing up— not that you’re a shambles.” he added. “It was a bit of an overreaction, if you ask me. I mean, first offence and everything. I can’t see what’s so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway.”“It must be bad,” reasoned the angel in a slightly worried tone, “otherwise you wouldn’t have been involved.”The demon shrugged. “They just said, Get up there and make some trouble. What’s your name, anyway? I might as well know if we’re both going to be stuck on Earth for a while.” The angel looked at him warily. “Alexander.”“Magnus.” said the demon. “It’ll mean ‘great’ one day, in one of the human languages. For now it’s just a name. ‘Alexander’ is too cumbersome to say, anyhow. I’m going to call you Alec.” The angel blinked again. “Oh. Okay.” He tried out the name. “Alec. Yes, that sounds alright.”They stared out over the desert, to the storm clouds gathering east of Eden. The first roll of thunder rumbled in the distance.“Wait a minute.” Magnus said suddenly. “Didn’t you have a flaming sword before?”“Um,” said Alexander, looking guilty. “Well....” He ruffled his feathers nervously. “You did, didn’t you? It was flaming like anything.”“Er....”“Lost it already, have you?”“No! Not exactly lost…”“Well?”Alec bit his lip. He mumbled something Magnus couldn’t quite make out.“What’s that?”“I gave it away.” Alec said wretchedly. Magnus blinked at him. “You what? ” Alec looked desperately at Magnus and the demon noticed, for the first time, how blue the angel’s eyes were. “I had too! They looked so cold, and it’s going to be dark out there, and there’s probably vicious animals, and the storm…I just told them to take it and go, it’d be best for everyone in the long run."He gestured to the two distant figures trekking across the wasteland. For the first time, Magnus noticed the tiny spark of light one of them carried. “It was the right thing to do, wasn’t it?” Alec asked anxiously. "I feel like I shouldn't have given it away...but they seemed to need it more than I did, and the bow's really more my weapon anyway." He indicated the gleaming weapon slung over his shoulder. “You’re an angel.” Magnus said dryly. “I’m sure it can’t be wrong if you do it.” He nudged the angel with a grin. “Be funny if we both got it wrong, wouldn’t it? If I did the right thing and you did the wrong thing.” “Yes.” said Alec. “I mean, no! It wouldn’t be funny at all! It’d be a huge mess!”“Ah well.” said Magnus, sobering up. “I suppose it’ll all be alright in the end.”“I hope so.” They looked at the clouds. Another rumble of thunder sounded. The first raindrops began to fall. Absently, like he wasn’t even thinking about it, Alec raised one of his wings to shield Magnus from the rain.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was a cool September night, the sky inky black over Brooklyn. Alec leaned on the rail of the balcony, looking over the city. Inside, he could hear Magnus humming as he mixed drinks for them.

Alec leaned over the ledge a little, looking down. Far below were the lights and sounds of traffic, cars moving through the busy streets. He gripped the railing tighter. He remembered another night at the loft, when he’d stood in this same spot. Now he stood by the railing, but back then he’d been standing on it.  He remembered the voices in his head, drowning his senses, dragging him under.

Weak. Murderer.

He remembered looking down at the traffic below him, blood rushing in his ears, wanting desperately to be rid of every tiny bit of hurt. It had been easy to lean back into the awful drop. The feeling of weightlessness, the terrifying rush, had been freeing.
 
Sometimes, on bad days, he almost wanted to feel it again. 
 
Alec was so caught in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Magnus’s step on the balcony until he was right behind him. He could feel Magnus’s eyes on him, knew he should turn around and face him, but he couldn’t.

“Alec.” Magnus sighed. He sounded sad, but not angry. There was a faint

clink

as he put down the glasses he carried, then his arms were wrapping around Alec’s shoulders. For a long moment, Alec couldn’t move, couldn’t quite tear himself away from the edge. Then he shuddered and leaned back, not into empty air but Magnus’s arms.

“It’s alright, darling.” Magnus murmured into his ear. “Come away from the edge.”

Alec let Magnus lead him inside and shut the door. The cold night air dissipated, giving way to warmth and light. The voices still whispered at the edge of his mind, but he could ignore them now.

He was lucky that he always had Magnus to pull him back from the edge.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The kitchen was warm and smelled of cinnamon. Magnus sat at the counter, listening contentedly to Alec as he described the features of the new model of Shadowhunter gear he’d approved that morning. It was now early afternoon. Magnus had been baking, and Alec had made coffee, and they’d sat together and eaten and talked and laughed.Magnus leaned against the counter, tapping his fingernails against his mug, and Alec’s eyes followed the movement. He caught Magnus’s hand, turning it over. “Your nails are chipped.”“Mm-hm.” Magnus rolled his shoulders.Alec ran his thumb over the chipped black polish “Do you want me to paint them again?”Alec had painted his nails several times in the past. It had become a sort of ritual for them, a few moments of quiet time when they could just talk and be together. But this time… there was something Magnus had been meaning to ask Alec. He looked down at his hand in Alec’s, then up at his husband’s face. He reminded himself that Alec wasn’t the scared, repressed boy he’d been when they’d first met. But still… Magnus didn’t know how far he could push him.He took a deep breath and went for it. “Only if you’ll let me paint yours.”Alec’s face froze for the briefest fraction of a second. For a heartbreaking moment, Magnus saw the shadow of old fear in his eyes, a fear Magnus hadn’t seen in years. He remembered how when they’d first started dating, Alec wouldn’t even hold his hand in public. He was about to apologize and take it back when Alec’s face cleared. He glanced at the chipped polish on Magnus’s nails, then at his own hands, then back at Magnus’s. He was considering it, Magnus could see. Finally Alec swallowed and said, “Okay.” Magnus looked him straight in the eye. “You’re sure?”“Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure.”Magnus blinked at him in surprise, then smiled slowly. Alec gave him a small, nervous smile in return.Magnus waved his hand, clearing away their empty plates. In their place appeared a collection of nail varnish bottles in various shades, some rags and a bottle of polish remover. Alec took Magnus’s hand in his again. He went to work with the polish remover first, carefully wiping away the traces of chipped colour from Magnus’s nails. Magnus relaxed into Alec’s hold. Alec considered the row of nail polish bottles, before selecting one in a glittery magenta. He pulled Magnus’s hand a little closer and swiped the polish carefully over a nail. Alec was always so conscientious and careful, Magnus reflected, even when he was just painting Magnus’s nails. It was endearing. Alec finished one hand and blew gently on the polish to dry it. He reached for Magnus’s other hand and started on it. They fell into a comfortable silence together, Magnus enjoying the feel of the cool polish on his nails, Alec focused on his task. He had the adorable furrow between his eyebrows that he only got when he was concentrating hard. Alec finished the top coat on Magnus’s nails and sat back, admiring his handiwork. Magnus wiggled his fingers, magically drying the polish, and reached for Alec’s left hand. Alec was tense for a second, then his hand relaxed in Magnus’s. Magnus rubbed his thumb over Alec’s knuckles comfortingly and reached for a bottle of varnish. The shade he chose was a dark metallic blue, with just the faintest shimmer. Alec’s eyes were wide as he watched the first stroke of the brush against his nail. Magnus admired the way the dark blue looked against his pale skin, then moved to his second nail. Alec exhaled softly, and Magnus looked up to find him staring at the blue against his skin with an expression of wonder. By the time he’d finished one hand, Alec didn’t look apprehensive anymore, and reached to offer Magnus his other hand. Magnus finished his nails and screwed the lid back on the bottle. Alec was holding his hands out, staring at them like he’d never seen them before“Do you like it?” Magnus asked.Alec glanced up at him. His eyes were wet. “Yeah.” he said, sounding a little choked up. “Yeah, I— it’s really— thank you.” He scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. Magnus’s heart broke. He pulled Alec into his arms, holding him tight. Alec buried his face in Magnus’s shoulder and breathed in great, shuddering breaths as Magnus held him. Eventually he pulled away and gave Magnus a watery smile. Magnus caught Alec’s right hand, with its dark Voyance rune, and curled his fingers into a fist. He held Alec’s hand between both of his own and pressed it to his lips, closing his eyes for a long moment. “I love you.” he murmured. “And I’m so proud of you.”Alec’s other hand brushed his cheek. “I love you too.” Magnus had thought that Alec might want to take the polish off straight away, but to his surprise, Alec kept it on for several days, even wearing it to work. And if anyone noticed that the Consul had blue sparkly nails, well, no one said anything. Isabelle raised her eyebrows when she saw, and didn’t comment, but after a Clave meeting she came up and hugged Magnus without saying a word. After that, Alec let Magnus paint his nails several more times — not often, but often enough that Magnus knew he liked it. Magnus would look at their joined hands, painted in bright colours, and feel a glimmer of warmth in his chest. He looked at Alec, so confident and happy and proud, and he ached with love.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Fuck.” Alec muttered, staring down at the button in his hand. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Of all the times a button could come off his jacket, it had to be today. Today, when he had a meeting with the board of directors to present his new shares report. And of course today was the day he’d worn a jacket with only one button. The dress code at his workplace was ridiculously strict, and Alec knew that going in there like this would not be acceptable.Desperately, he scanned the busy city street, looking for any place that might help him. He had half an hour before the meeting… but if by some miracle… There. A small, fairly discreet shop with an overhead sign saying BANE’S TAILORING. Alec felt a small stab of hope. Maybe they’d be able to help him. He darted across the street, stopping outside the store. Smaller letters over the door proclaimed it to be a GENTLEMEN’S TAILOR AND ALTERATIONS SERVICE. Perfect. Alec ducked inside, jingling the bell over the door. The inside of the shop was cool and smelled faintly of jasmine. Under Alec’s feet was a red carpet that had once been plush, but was now slightly threadbare. Antique wood paneling covered the walls. The whole space had the feel of somewhere lavish but slightly rundown. Along the far wall stretched a large oak desk with a dark green marble surface, and now a man stepped out from a back room to stand behind it. He was tall, as tall as Alec, and handsome, with sharp cheekbones and a warm smile. His eyes were an unusual shade of golden brown, like sunlight through dark honey. He wore an expensive-looking purple suit, complete with a lemon yellow pocket square. He smiled brightly at Alec.“Hello.” His voice low and rich, with an accent Alec couldn’t quite place. “How can I help you today?” “Uh.” Alec said. Caught up in studying the man, he’d briefly forgotten why he’d entered the shop. He remembered the button and came forward to the desk. “Hi. I uh— I just lost a button off my jacket, and I have this really important meeting at work, and uh— I know I don’t have an appointment or anything, but um, I just wondered if you’d— if you’d be able to sew it back on. Or something. I’ll pay whatever you think is fair.” he added in a rush.The store owner raised an eyebrow, seeming amused by Alec’s word vomit. “Of course. It would be my pleasure. Bring it here.” Alec laid the button on the counter in front of him. The man smiled at him. “I’ll need your jacket as well, darling.” Alec felt himself blush. “Oh. Uh. Yeah. Of course.” Feeling like an idiot, he shrugged off his jacket and laid it down beside the button. The store owner ran his long brown fingers over the loose threads in the jacket where the button had been. “No problem at all, just a simple repair job.” He glanced up at Alec, with that intriguing smile again. “What’s your name, anyway? I’m Magnus.”“Alec.” Alec told him. He found himself smiling back.“Well, Alec, this should only take a few minutes,” Magnus told him, pulling a box of thread spools out from under the counter. “Feel free to look around while you wait.”  Alec did so, glancing around the room. It was full of fancy-looking suits displayed on mannequins, shelves of neatly folded shirts, and racks of ties. Absently, he wandered further into the shop, discovering that there was another room off the main one. Alec stepped inside, and his eyes widened. The room was a riot of colour and sparkles. Sequined evening dresses in a dozen different shades hung from the far wall. Fluffy tulle underskirts hung from the ceiling like brightly coloured clouds, in shades of pink, blue, yellow, peach, lavender. There was a large shelf of shoes, platform heels and pumps and stilettos. Everything shone or glittered or gleamed so that Alec was nearly overwhelmed. He stepped back into the main room. Magnus was carefully working a needle through the material of Alec’s jacket. He glanced up again and smiled at Alec. “See anything you like?”Alec gestured vaguely to the next room. “I thought… I mean, your sign says that you’re a gentleman's tailor.”Magnus raised his eyebrows. “We are a men’s tailoring service, darling.”Alec opened his mouth again, and then stopped. He looked into the other room again, seeing suddenly how the cut of the dresses was… different, how the high heels were rather larger than women’s sizes. His face felt suddenly hot. “Oh.” “Yes.” Magnus confirmed, his eyes sparking mischievously. “I’m not much into drag myself— well, nothing more than the odd pair of fishnets and heels— but a lot of my friends are, and they have the devil of a time trying to find clothes that fit. So I expanded my business to accommodate their needs.” Alec’s face was burning. He didn’t know what to say, and the words fishnets and heels were spinning around inside his brain. “That’s uh— that’s really— really nice of you.” He turned away and pretended to be examining a rack of shirts as a form of escape. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Magnus grin as he bent over his work again. Magnus was having an unexpectedly good time. When the handsome stranger had stumbled into his shop, helplessly clutching a button, Magnus had been briefly dazzled by how stunningly attractive he was. He knew it was inappropriate to be checking out his customers, but god, that dark hair, and those eyes. He waited as the man— Alec— pulled off his jacket and laid it on the counter. Magnus grabbed his sewing kit and sat on the tall stool he used for quick repair jobs. It was the work of a moment to find a reel of thread that matched the colour of the jacket, and he began stitching. Magnus watched Alec surreptitiously as he worked. The grey suit and pale blue shirt looked good on him— Magnus suspected that the dark-haired stranger would look good in anything — but he couldn’t help thinking that a pop of colour in his clothes would make his skin and hair stand out beautifully. With a twinge of regret, he reflected that Alec was probably straight, based on his reaction to the dresses and heels in Magnus’s other room. He spoke teasingly, almost testing the other man, and didn’t miss the way Alec’s eyes lingered on his face and hands. Nor did he miss the way Alec blushed hotly at Magnus’s comment about fishnets and heels. Hmmm. Perhaps he’d been too hasty to dismiss Alec as straight. Magnus finished stitching on the button and snipped off the excess thread. Alec was still studying the shelves, his attention turned away from him. Magnus considered for a second. He thought of the way Alec’s eyes had roamed over him, curious and surprised and maybe a tiny bit interested. Should he do it?Magnus took a deep breath and went for it. Grabbing a piece of paper, he quickly wrote his number, before scrawling, Call me any time you need another button sewn on. —Magnus. He slipped the scrap of paper into the pocket of Alec’s jacket and straightened up.“All done!” he announced. “Good as new.” Alec turned to face him, relief obvious in his face. “Oh, thank you so much. You’re an absolute lifesaver. How much do I owe you?”Magnus waved his hand breezily. “Nothing. It was my pleasure.” Alec began to protest, but Magnus waved him away. “Really, darling, it was nothing.”“Oh.” said Alec shyly. “Thanks. That’s— really kind of you."Magnus grinned. If Ragnor, his old business professor, was here, he’d scold Magnus for giving away his services for free. But Ragnor wasn’t here, and Magnus’s store was doing well enough that he could afford to give five minutes of his time to a handsome stranger. “You’re very welcome, darling.” He noted that the word darling caused Alec’s cheeks to flush again and felt a spark of delight in his chest.Alec shrugged his jacket on, and Magnus admired the way his shoulders moved under the material. “Thanks again.”Magnus beamed at him. “Hope to see you again sometime.”Alec smiled, a small and embarrassed smile, but genuine. The shop bell jingled faintly behind him as he left.Magnus leaned forward on his desk, toying absently with a reel of cotton. He wondered how long it would take Alec to find the bit of paper in his pocket. Something told Magnus he would call, and he smiled. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something wonderful.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alec zipped up his gear jacket and reached for his stele. It was night in Manhattan, and he, Jace and Isabelle were getting ready to go out on patrol. Technically, they shouldn't be patrolling until they were eighteen, but the Clave weren’t to know, and they only went to the areas Hodge directed them to. Alec added some more arrows to his quiver and buckled it on. He was looking forward to the hunt, if he was being honest. It was the only time he really felt alive, felt useful these days. Every day was spent worrying— worrying about Isabelle and Max, worrying that his parents didn’t think he was good enough, worrying about the different types of weapons and species of demons they had to memorise, and always, under it all, worrying about Jace. Trying not to look at him in that way, trying to hide his feelings. What Alec was really most worried about was being found out. But patrolling tonight, hunting down demons and destroying them, was a good way to distract himself.Isabelle banged on his door. “Are you almost done in there? All the demons will be gone!”Alec smiled to himself and swung the door open. Izzy was in her leather gear as well, her ruby pendant around her neck. She raised her eyebrows. “Finally ready?”Down the hall, Jace bounded out of his room, a fierce light of excitement in his eyes for the hunt ahead. Alec felt his eyes linger on him for a moment too long, and quickly smiled at Isabelle. “Ready.” An hour later, they’d arrived in Brooklyn and tracked a Shax demon down several streets, hoping it would lead them to the rest of its pack. Alec clutched his bow, his blood thrumming. He didn’t feel the same wild joy in fighting that Jace and Isabelle did, but every Shadowhunter felt a rush of adrenaline from hunting demons. The Shax scuttled down a narrow alley, the three Shadowhunters watching it from the rooftops above. Isabelle’s pendant, which had been pulsing gently, increased in intensity. She raised a hand to point to the other end of the alley, where it opened into a wider street. Three other Shax demons were clustered there. Alec glanced at Jace and Isabelle and saw that they were thinking the same as him. They had to stop the Shax demons before they attacked a mundane. Jace, as usual, moved first. He leapt from the rooftop, grabbing a street lamp and swinging himself around it to slow his fall. Isabelle cast her whip up and looped it around a chimney on the opposite roof, swinging herself down on it like a rope. Alec stayed on the rooftop, bow drawn, the better to cover Jace and Isabelle. He already had an arrow on the string, tracking the movements of the demons as they spun, hissing, to face them.Alec watched, waiting for his moment, as Jace lunged at one demon with his seraph blade and Izzy brought her whip down on another. Alec spotted one of the demons creeping up behind them and fired two arrows in quick succession, pinning the demon by its legs. Isabelle spun and finished it off with a blade in its neck.The last demon chittered and sprang onto the side of the building Alec was on, swarming up the fire escape. Alec leapt down to meet it, catching the edge of the fire escape and landing on it at the same time that the demon reached his level. Alec hit out at it with his bow, causing it to reel back. Now that he had a bit of space, he loosed an arrow, striking the demon in its foreleg and pinning it like he had done with the other one. Then Jace was there, having hauled himself up the fire escape, and he stabbed at the demon to kill it. It exploded into ash. Jace wiped the blade on his jacket and grinned at Alec. “Nice shot.” Then he was gone, springing over the side of the fire escape to the ground below.Alec exhaled, wiping sweat out of his eyes. For the first time, he took a moment to look at his surroundings. He was on the third level of the fire escape, on the side of a red brick building. The large window he was currently next to had the curtains drawn back, giving him a view into someone’s living room. It was a nice room, comfortable yet elegant, with a collection of sofas in jewel-toned velvet and a cat sleeping on the rug. Alec was about to turn around and descend the fire escape, but then someone walked into the room, and Alec turned instinctively at the movement. It was a tall man, even taller than Alec, which hardly ever happened. He had warm brown skin and a shock of black hair, and he was wearing some of the most colourful clothes Alec had ever seen— a peacock-blue waistcoat over a lemon shirt and hot pink jeans. Alec shrank back into the shadows so he wasn’t seen, watching in fascination. The man wore a collection of silver rings on his long fingers, and there was some sort of glitter around his eyes— he was actually wearing makeup. Something about it intrigued Alec.The man scooped up the cat, cradling it in the crook of his arm and tickling it. The cat relaxed into his hold, clearly purring, though Alec couldn’t hear anything through the glass. The man laughed, and his face turned a little more towards Alec. For a second, Alec thought it was a trick of the light, but no. The man had cat eyes, greenish-gold with narrow pupils, almost matching the cat in his arms. A warlock, then. For the briefest second, Alec wondered if he’d had anything to do with the presence of the Shax demons, but then dismissed the thought. The man— the warlock— looked far too kind to unleash demons on innocent mundanes. It was obvious in the gentle way he held the cat, in the warm curve of his smile.Alec suddenly felt like a creep, staring into some random person’s living room. He had a job to do, and he couldn’t be distracted just because the room looked so warm and cozy. With a final glance, he dropped reluctantly to the pavement. Jace was scouting around further up the street, but Isabelle looked at him quizzically. “What took you so long?”“Nothing.” Alec lied, but there was a knowing look on Isabelle’s face that told him she didn’t quite believe him. Before she could question him further, though, Jace called to them from down the street. “I’ve got a signal on the Sensor— let’s see if we can find the Shax nest and destroy it.” Alec turned towards him, grateful to escape any questions from Isabelle. She put a hand on his shoulder, though, and squeezed it comfortingly. As he nocked another arrow to his bow, Alec thought briefly of the mysterious warlock at the window, then pushed the thought away. Odds were he would never see him again anyway. With Jace and Isabelle at his side, he ran into the darkness, continuing the hunt.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus snuggled deeper into the couch cushions, trying to focus on his book. It was slipping towards evening, and he was waiting for Alec to come home. Now that their kids were grown up, none of them lived at home anymore, and the apartment felt very empty when Alec wasn’t there. Magnus heard the sound of his boots on the stairs and grinned. He dropped his book and ran to the door. It was a competition between the two of them— who could get the door open first when Alec came home. Today, Magnus swung it open seconds before Alec did. He grinned at his husband, framed in the dim light of the stairwell. “I win.” Magnus said breathlessly, and Alec smiled at the sight of him and leaned in for a kiss.  Alec’s skin was cold from the evening air. His mouth curved against Magnus’s in a smile. Magnus pulled away from Alec. “How was your day?’“Good.” Alec was smiling at him, but there was a slight undercurrent of tension in his expression. “I need to talk to you.”Magnus blinked, then nodded. “Is something wrong?”“No.” Alec brushed his lips against Magnus’s forehead, then guided him further into the living room. He took a deep breath. “The election for a new Consul is coming up.”Magnus nodded. Elections for the position of Consul were held in the Clave every ten years. Alec had been elected twenty years ago — Magnus could hardly believe he’d been Consul for twenty years — and he had been nominated and won again ten years ago. “Are you worried you won’t win again?” he asked, half-teasing. “That’s the thing.” Alec said. His blue eyes were firm with resolve. “I’m not running again. I’m stepping down.”Magnus blinked at him. He couldn’t say this came as a total surprise, but he hadn’t expected Alec to be quite so sure about it. “Are you sure?”Alec nodded. “Yes.”“Is it because you think you won’t be elected again?” Magnus asked. “Because they love you— you’d definitely win. Or if this is about you thinking you’re not good enough, I can tell you that is so not true, because-”“It’s not any of that.” Alec told him. “I don’t want to be the Consul anymore.” “Can I ask why?” Magnus asked tentatively. “There’s a few reasons.” Alec said. He squared his shoulders, and Magnus could tell he was gearing up for some sort of confession. He studied his husband’s face. There were a few lines around Alec’s eyes these days, and a touch of grey in his hair and beard. But he was still every bit as beautiful as the day Magnus had met him. More beautiful even, because the Alec that stood in front of him now was so much happier, confident and better-adjusted than the scared boy he’d once been. Magnus waited for Alec to speak.“It’s been twenty years.” Alec went on. “That’s a long time, and it’s been so good… but I’m tired, Magnus. And I feel…” He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Twenty years is a long time for one person to be in charge. It’s time for a change. I’ve done everything I wanted to, and more, and it’s time for someone else to take over.”Magnus waited. Alec clearly wasn’t done speaking, and he had the look on his face he got when he wanted to say something very romantic to Magnus but couldn’t quite find the words. Magnus loved that look. Alec reached out and cupped his cheek, and Magnus leaned into his touch.“And also,” Alec murmured, “I want to spend more time with you. You’ve stood beside me for so long— made so many sacrifices—”“I haven’t regretted a second of it.” Magnus said instantly.“I know.” Alec said. “But I also know it hasn’t been easy on you.” His other hand cupped Magnus’s face. “I want to just be with you. Give back to you. I love you, Magnus, and I’m so— I’m so grateful.”Magnus’s heart twisted with love. “What did you have in mind?” “I was thinking— traveling somewhere. An extended vacation. Now the kids don’t live at home— we could go off somewhere together. Just us.” Warmth spread through Magnus’s chest. “Where to?”Alec caught his waist, spinning them in a circle. “Anywhere and everywhere you want.”Magnus laughed and wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck. “ Yes. Yes, that sounds absolutely perfect. You’re perfect.” He kissed Alec again, reveling in the taste of him, the scratch of his beard against Magnus’s cheek, before pulling back to look at him. “It’ll be a big change, you know. Having a different Consul.” He could barely imagine it himself— Alec had held the position so long. There was an entire generation of young Shadowhunters who had never known any Consul but Alec. It would be a big change for the entire Shadow world.Alec nodded. “I know. But it’s the right thing to do.” Magnus smiled at him again. Alec was looking at him with such a mixture of gratitude and understanding and deep, deep love that it quite took Magnus’s breath away. All of a sudden, he saw the future stretching out before them, like a bolt of shimmering silk. He’d had twenty-five years with Alec already, with many more to come. Surely no one had ever been this lucky.  Magnus threaded his hands through Alec’s hair, pulling him closer. “If you really wanted to focus on me more… well, there’s no time like the present.”Alec’s eyes gleamed. He kissed Magnus again, his hands sliding under Magnus’s shirt, leaving tendrils of fire in his wake. Magnus melted into his arms, rejoicing in Alec, in the promise of the years to come, in all the time they had yet to spend together.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alec leaned back, savoring the warmth. Rain spattered the windows, but inside it was cozy. He and Magns were stretched out on the couch, watching a movie Magnus had insisted Alec needed to see. “

Romeo + Juliet

is a classic, Alexander.” he’d said. “One of Baz Luhrmann’s best films.” Alec had made hot chocolate, and they’d settled in together on the couch, covered in a blanket.

Now Alec was leaning against one arm of the couch, his legs thrown over Magnus’s lap. The weight of the blanket felt nice. The movie was good, but he would much rather look at Magnus. His face was illuminated by the pale light of the windows and the flickering screen, his gold eyes bright. He was dressed for home in a pink tank top and purple pyjama pants, and he looked so adorable Alec almost couldn’t bear it. He set his mug down and ran his fingers through Magnus’s hair. Magnus turned his face towards Alec, his lips curving into a smile. “See something you like?”
 
“More than like.” Alec murmured, and Magnus’s eyes sparkled. He ran his fingers over Alec’s calves, playfully squeezing one foot. Alec was wearing the rainbow-striped socks Magnus had bought for him, the pair that matched Magnus’s in pink, purple and blue. Alec closed his eyes, listening to the music now coming from the TV.

Young hearts, to yourself be true…

He leaned into Magnus and felt Magnus’s arm wrap around his shoulders. 
 
Alec rested his face against Magnus’s neck. The rain continued to drum at the windows, the sound soothing. Magnus ran his hand down Alec’s back, then up to sink into his hair. He kept his hand there, and Alec turned his head so it was resting on Magnus’s shoulder, opening his eyes. They stayed like that for the rest of the afternoon, in each other’s arms, enveloped in that blissful warmth.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Magnus had always, despite himself, been impressed by the New York Institute. Built inside an imposing Gothic church, Magnus had to admit it was an attractive building, even though he hadn’t always admired its inhabitants.  Now he walked slowly through the echoing stone corridors, past the high arched windows that cast strips of light on the bare floor. The quiet was punctuated by a faint noise, a repetitive thunk that echoed through the corridor every few seconds. Magnus reached the door of the training room and peeked around it, smiling at the sight that met his eyes. Alec stood in the centre of the room, methodically firing arrow after arrow at the targets that lined the walls. He wore a grey singlet that showed off his arms very well, in Magnus’s humble opinion, and Magnus admired the smooth precision with which Alec moved, pivoting neatly between targets. Every shot was a bullseye, Magnus noted. He leaned against the doorframe, simply enjoying watching Alec practice. The steady thud thud thud of the arrows in the targets was strangely reassuring, in a way that Magnus had never thought Nephilim or their weapons could be. It occurred to Magnus that what with Shadowhunter abilities, Alec was very possibly one of the best archers in the entire world. He was certainly the best Magnus had seen amongst the Nephilim, although admittedly he didn’t make a habit of watching other Shadowhunters train. Alec would probably be embarrassed if Magnus mentioned it… “How long are you going to stand there?” Magnus started slightly at Alec’s voice. “I didn’t think you knew I was here.” Alec shrugged, not taking his eyes off the targets. “I heard you come in.” His attention didn’t waver from the archery, continuing to fire off arrows with deadly precision. “I knew it was you.”  “Oh?” Magnus said, charmed. “Did you recognise my footsteps?”  Alec finally lowered the bow and turned to face him. His face was flushed with exertion. “No.” he said. “Well— yes, but it was more than that.” His eyes dropped to the floor and Magnus wondered suddenly if it might be more than the exercise that was making Alec’s face red.“When you came in,” Alec went on, “you stood at the door watching for so long. Anyone else I know— any Shadowhunter, anyway— would have joined in training, or offered some— advice or criticism or something. But you were just watching.” He was definitely blushing now. “That’s never— I don’t think that’s ever happened for me before.” He finally looked up through his lashes at Magnus, a shy, pleased look. “It was nice.”  “Oh.” Magnus said, surprised and gratified and feeling oddly tender. He stepped closer to Alec, bringing a hand up to his cheek. “Well. As much as I do like to look at you, darling…I like this even more.”He kissed Alec, feeling his strong body, tense from training, relax against him. Alec’s arms, one hand still clutching his bow, wrapped around Magnus’s back.  “Could I persuade you to cut your training session short?” Magnus murmured against Alec’s mouth. Alec smiled, his lips curving against Magnus’s. “I think that could be arranged.”  Much later that night, when Alec slid into bed beside him, Magnus noticed an unusual scent on the air, something rich and sweet and faintly spiced. He leaned over and pressed his face into Alec’s neck, inhaling him. “Why do you smell like honey?”  “Oh.” said Alec. He looked slightly embarrassed. “It’s um. Wax. Beeswax. I treat my bowstring with it to make it waterproof and durable.” He reached over to the nightstand and took out a small square of yellowish wax, handing it to Magnus. Magnus held it to his nose, inhaling the sweet-spicy smell. “Mm. It’s nice.”  He replaced the wax on the nightstand and hooked his arm around Alec’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss. Alec gave a small groan of pleasure, shifting closer to Magnus. His hands smoothed down Magnus’s back and gently squeezed his hips, and Magnus had to suppress a moan. Alec’s hands were so big and warm and calloused, years of practice with his bow causing little patches of roughness that felt so good on Magnus’s skin. Alec began to kiss down his neck, his fingers rubbing slow circles over Magnus’s hipbones. Magnus tipped his head back and reflected that yes, there were certain benefits to dating an archer. He intended to make the most of them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sky was a deep midnight blue, the stars shining like living diamonds. They were far brighter than in New York, and Alec was amazed by how many of them there seemed to be. He was sitting at the water’s edge, a sleeping Max in his lap, watching the last golden sparks from Ragnor’s fireworks drift down to the ocean. Jace had wandered off with Clary somewhere. The night air was cool, a light breeze coming off the water.  Despite the peace of the night, Alec felt like his head was buzzing, his skin tingling. He could still hear the sounds of the party in the distance—  music, laughter, conversations. The wedding party. His and Magnus’s wedding. They were married. Alec still found it hard to believe. Every time he looked over at Magnus it hit him again, a hot bright shock in his chest. They were married. Magnus was his husband. The thought made Alec smile and blink away tears, all at the same time.  The party had been wonderful, the outpouring of love and goodwill from their friends and family almost overwhelming Alec. It was the sort of celebration he’d never thought he’d get to have. He and Magnus had danced together on the beach, Magnus hiding his smile against Alec’s shoulder. They’d sat in the sand and fed each other dumplings, Magnus laughing when Alec had kissed his fingertips. The party had been wonderful— but the whole time, what Alec had really wanted was to be alone with Magnus.  Now he tensed as Magnus sat down beside him, holding Rafe in his lap. The warmth of his body next to Alec’s made his chest tighten.  Magnus smiled at him. “Hello, husband.”  Alec’s heart skipped a beat. “Say that again.” he whispered. Magnus’s eyes grew warm. He touched his hand to Alec’s face, caressing his cheek. “Hello.” His hand moved to his neck, tracing the hollow at the base of his throat. “Husband.”  Alec blinked back tears, feeling a little choked up. He realised that this was, of course, the first time Magnus had ever called Alec his husband. He hadn’t expected it to have such an effect on him.  “Husband.” he murmured, and watched Magnus’s narrow pupils expand at the word, swallowing up the gold of his eyes. It didn’t happen often, but Alec had occasionally seen Magnus’s eyes like this. It only occurred when he was at his absolute happiest, when he felt safe. It made him look younger, more vulnerable, and Alec felt a wave of protectiveness towards him. He shifted Max to the crook of his arm so he could pull Magnus closer to him. Magnus rested his head on Alec’s shoulder.  For a while they just leaned together, holding their kids and watching the ocean. Alec felt peace descend over him like the soft lapping of the waves on the sand. “I still can’t believe you planned all this.” Magnus murmured, breaking the silence. He lifted his head, gesturing to the beach, the blue-and-gold banners that still hung in the air. Alec smiled. “And you got everything perfect in just three weeks!” Magnus went on. “If you weren’t the Consul, darling, you could have a very successful career as a wedding planner.”Alec smiled. “I had help.”“I know.” Magnus murmured. “But you remembered everything I wanted. Even the things I only mentioned once.” He stared out to sea, patting Rafe’s back as he stirred in his arms. “It’s the most wonderful thing anyone’s ever done for me.” he said simply.  Warmth spread through Alec’s veins, emotion so intense he had to rest his face against Magnus’s shoulder for a minute. They sat together for a while longer, enjoying each other’s company, enjoying the moment.  “I can hear you thinking.” Magnus murmured after a while.” He ruffled Alec’s hair affectionately. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”  Alec stared out at the ocean. “I wish Dad could have been here.” he said quietly. “And Max.”  Magnus touched his cheek gently. “They’d both be so proud of you.” he said. “You know that, don’t you?” Alec breathed out slowly, cuddling Max tighter in his arms. “Yeah.” he said. “I think I do.” Magnus smiled and buried his face in Alec’s neck. “I’m proud of you too.” he murmured, the words almost lost against Alec’s skin. He kissed the skin below Alec’s ear, trailing a line of kisses down Alec’s neck. Each kiss seemed to burn where it landed, spreading heat through Alec’s body, making his stomach tighten. Magnus drew away from him with an amused look, but there was heat behind it, too. “Maybe,” he murmured, voice low and soft in Alec’s ear, “we should go inside.” At this moment Rafe woke up and expressed his displeasure at the idea of leaving the party, despite having been semi-conscious for the past twenty minutes.  “You definitely need to be in bed, mijo. ” Magnus told him affectionately. He stood up, ignoring Rafe’s grumbling, and smiled down at Alec. “You coming?” Alec stood slowly, careful not to wake Max, and smiled slowly at Magnus in return. The whole walk back to the Institute, Magnus kept stealing little glances at Alec from under hooded eyelids. He was deliberately riling him up, Alec was sure of it. He’d never known just how much Magnus could convey with his eyes alone, every expression making Alec shiver. He was hyper-aware of the new Wedded Union rune on his left arm, where he and Magnus had traced it together. New runes were always slightly sensitive, but this one felt like all his nerve endings had been concentrated into it. Every brush of fabric over the skin made him shudder, and it was worse with Magnus looking at him like that.  By the time they reached the double doors of the Institute, Alec was just about ready to lie down in the sand and die. His nerves thrummed with anticipation as they slipped inside the echoing stillness of the entrance hall. The building was silent, everyone else either asleep or still down at the beach. Alec led Magnus down several corridors into the Institute's residential wing, and opened the door to a small white-painted room. “Helen said the boys could sleep in here.” he murmured to Magnus.“You really did think of everything.” Magnus said admiringly. He carefully set Rafe on one of the white twin beds and Alec put Max down on the other, tucking him in. He kissed his forehead, then crossed to do the same to Rafe before joining Magnus at the door. They gazed at their kids for a moment, then Magnus turned to Alec, a slight questioning look on his face. Alec took his hand and led him further down the corridor to another room. He pulled Magnus inside and shut the door, and Alec was alone with his new husband.

Ever since the moment he’d understood Alec was proposing to him, Magnus’s entire chest had been one huge warm glow of happiness. He’d felt dazzled by the wedding, the party, swept off his feet by the love and care Alec had put into everything. Now he gave a soft “oh” of realisation as he saw where they were. It was the room they’d slept in the last time they’d been at the Los Angeles Institute. It was the room they had slept in while Magnus had been suffering from the demon sickness. It was the room where he’d recovered. He looked at Alec, feeling such a rush of emotions he couldn’t even begin to articulate. There was so much he wanted to say to Alec and he didn’t know where to start.  “Well.” Magnus said slowly, his mouth turning up at the corners.  “Well.” Alec said in the exact same tone. His eyes sparkled. And then they were both laughing, all the tension in the room gone. Magnus twined his arms around Alec’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss, but both of them were giggling too hard for it to be anything more than a brief brush of lips. Magnus rested his forehead against Alec’s and traced Alec’s smile with his fingers.  “Well.” Magnus said again when they finally separated. “That was…” He waved his hands aimlessly, trying to communicate everything he was feeling. Alec seemed to understand. He took Magnus’s hand and pressed it to his own chest. Magnus felt Alec’s heartbeat against his palm, felt how fast and wild it was. “The last time we slept in this room, I thought I was going to lose you.” Alec murmured. His eyes were deepest blue, filled with a heartbreaking vulnerability. “When you were sick, and I was sitting with you, I kept thinking about getting married, and wondering if— if we’d ever get to.” He blinked rapidly; his lashes were wet. Magnus cupped his cheek in his free hand. “I’m so happy we did.” Alec said. He turned his face into Magnus’s hand, kissing the tip of his thumb. “I love you, Magnus Lightwood-Bane.” Magnus felt tears in his own eyes. It was strange to hear “Lightwood” after his own name, strange and so wonderful. “I love you too, Alexander Lightwood-Bane.” They kissed again, properly this time, but soft and gentle. There was a peace in the room that Magnus was almost afraid to break, keeping his movements slow, his voice quiet. He pulled away from Alec’s lips and buried his face in his neck. For a while they just held each other, listening to the faint sound of the sea, still audible through the open window.   “There’s still one thing we have to do.” Alec murmured, and Magnus pulled away to look at him curiously. “What?” “The second wedding rune.” Alec told him. “I want you to put it on me.”  “Oh.” Magnus said softly. Every time he thought he couldn't be more in love, Alec proved him wrong.  He reached for the buckles of Alec’s jacket but Alec held up his hand to stop him. “Wait.” His fingers moved to Magnus’s chest, tangling in the laces that held his jacket closed. He untied them slowly, carefully, sliding the cobalt silk off Magnus’s shoulders. Alec crossed over to a chair and draped the jacket over the back. He turned back to Magnus and they undid Alec’s jacket together, fingers working at the buckles, sliding over the soft leather and gold-embossed runes. When it was off, Alec draped it over the same chair, so it was like his jacket was embracing Magnus’s. They faced each other again. Alec wore a long-sleeved white shirt and now Magnus grasped the hem in his hands and drew it off Alec’s body. He caught sight of a small hole in one sleeve and smiled. Getting married in a shirt with a hole in it was so utterly on-brand for Alec. Magnus tossed the shirt aside and turned back to his husband. He ran his palms over Alec’s chest, from his shoulders down to his hip bones. He traced one finger over the Wedded Union rune standing out starkly on Alec’s left bicep, and noted Alec’s involuntary shiver at the touch. And oh, wasn’t that just gorgeous, seeing him lose control over Magnus’s touch. Magnus never wanted to let him go. Alec drew his stele from his belt. Keeping his gaze locked on Magnus’s, he pressed the cool adamas into his hand, twining their fingers together. Magnus slid his other hand along Alec’s chest until he felt the strong beating of his heart against his palm. Keeping their hands clasped together, he brought the stele to Alec’s skin and slowly traced the lines of the rune. He didn’t need to look at the one already on Alec’s arm as a guide. Magnus had memorized the shape of the Mark through long hours spent staring at pictures of it in Alec’s rune manuals, imagining the day when he’d finally get to put it on his husband. The strokes of the stele glowed faintly gold before settling into strong black lines on Alec’s skin. At last it was done. Magnus lowered the stele and for a moment they both just stared at the rune. Then Magnus leaned forward and kissed it, tasting a faint spark of heavenly fire.“I love this.” he murmured. Alec gave a ragged exhale, sounding as if he was on the brink of collapse. He caught Magnus in his arms, swinging him up to hold him bridal style. His eyes never left Magnus’s face as he carried him to the bed.He laid Magnus down on the coverlet with impossible gentleness and crawled onto the mattress with him. Magnus had dropped the stele somewhere— he didn’t care— and now he cupped Alec’s face in his hands, simply staring at him. Alec undid Magnus’s shirt slowly, almost reverently, and Magnus sat up slightly to allow Alec to slide it off. Alec tossed the shirt to the floor and Magnus pulled him down into a kiss.Their mouths slid against each other, fitting perfectly. Magnus moaned aloud. He slid his hands down Alec’s back to grip his hips, pulling Alec hard against him. Alec made a noise like an animal in pain and pulled away from Magnus’s mouth, panting. He undid Magnus’s jeans very slowly and deliberately, before putting a hand under his hips and lifting him enough to pull them off his legs. Magnus could have undressed them both with magic, but he wanted to go slow, wanted to savour every moment. He unzipped Alec’s trousers, hands trembling slightly, and slid them down along with his boxer shorts. Alec tugged off Magnus’s underwear, and then they were skin to skin, every tiny brush of contact like the hottest fire and the coolest water. Burning and quenching together.They moved slower now, almost ritualistic. Alec kissed from the corner of Magnus’s mouth to down his neck, across his collarbone and chest. He kissed along Magnus’s arms, his fingertips, and Magnus shivered. This was about more than just sex. This was something sacred. Something holy.  “Aku cinta kamu,” he whispered, lips pressed to the sensitive hollow under Alec’s ear, and felt Alec tremble against him as he shivered in response. He continued kissing down Magnus’s stomach, across his hips, over his thighs. “Alexander.” Magnus breathed out desperately. “Husband— please—” Alec crawled back up his body, settling over him, bringing his mouth to Magnus’s again. “My husband.” he murmured, and then they were one. They seemed to blaze up together in golden flames. Magnus couldn’t look away from Alec’s face, couldn't take his hands off Alec for even a second. They moved slowly, in perfect harmony, perfect partnership. With every movement of Alec against him, Magnus felt like he was being made new. Surely his skin had never felt before, to be so sensitive now, and surely his eyes had never seen before, to be so overwhelmed with beauty in this moment. He murmured Alec's name like an incantation, and Alec whispered Magnus's name like a prayer.  For a hazy, dreamlike second, it was like Magnus’s consciousness broke away from his body and drifted over the bed. He could see the two of them from a distance, see how their bodies cupped each other perfectly, how their limbs tangled and bent and fused until they seemed to merge into a new being. Neither warlock or Nephilim, but a single soul occupying two places at once. They were one heart, one soul, one body, one mind. One love, to be forever shared. One life, stretching out into eternity. They were bound forever, with a love nothing on heaven or earth could ever separate.  After Magnus had come back to himself, he and Alec lay in each other’s arms, breathing deeply. The room was blue and full of soft shadows. Magnus could hear the sound of the waves outside, lulling him to sleep. He cuddled closer to Alec in the cool linen sheets and remembered the words of their marriage vows. Stronger than flame. Stronger than water. Stronger than death itself.  Magnus laid his cheek against the new rune on Alec’s chest. His eyes slid closed and he fell asleep in his husband’s arms for the first time, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?” Alec asked. Magnus looked up from the Portal currently forming in front of him, blinking through the sparks. “It’s a surprise.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t you trust me?” Alec smiled back. “Of course I do.” “Good.” Magnus said. He held out a hand to Alec. “Come on. I’ll explain everything later.”Alec took his hand and followed him through the Portal, trusting Magnus to guide them both to their destination. They emerged into a town square in bright sunlight. Alec looked around, blinking, taking in the stone streets, wrought-iron fountain and rocky brown mountains rising in the distance. The air was warm and smelled like baking bread and spices.Alec glanced over with Magnus, who was looking at him with a small smile. “Where are we?”“Peru.” Magnus said cheerfully.Alec put his hands on his hips, frowning at Magnus severely. “I thought you were banned from Peru. Catarina and Ragnor are always talking about it.” He gave Magnus a suspicious look. “Are we going to have to run from the police again?”Magnus put on an injured expression. “I resent the implication that I’m constantly dragging you into law-breaking shenanigans. I obtained special permission from the High Council of Peruvian warlocks to enter the country for an afternoon.”“And they just gave you permission?” Alec said dubiously. “Just like that?”“Well,” Magnus said slowly. “I may have mentioned that my husband happens to be the Consul of the Shadowhunters and he might not be entirely happy to hear that my request was denied.” Alec burst out laughing and stepped closer to Magnus, wrapping his arms around him. Magnus leaned into him, nuzzling Alec’s cheek.“I love you.” Alec murmured against Magnus’s ear. “But you’ve really got to stop using me as a political weapon to get what you want.”“I’ll stop one day.” Magnus said happily. He kissed Alec’s cheek. “Now, Jace and Clary are watching the boys for the afternoon, so we can stay here until sunset. Come on.” He grabbed Alec’s hand and set off down the street, pulling Alec with him.“Hey, wait.” Alec said, laughing. “Aren’t you going to tell me why we’re here?”Was it his imagination, or did Magnus look slightly uncertain? “I’ll tell you later.” he said, squeezing Alec’s hand. “Promise.”Smiling, Alec shook his head and let Magnus lead him towards the town square. He could put up with a little strangeness if it made Magnus happy.

Hours later, the sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon, and Alec still wasn’t sure why Magnus had brought them here. He wasn’t complaining, though, because every minute together had been wonderful. The town was peaceful, with small, brightly coloured houses and an old cathedral built of white stone that shone in the sunlight. They’d spent hours wandering through the streets, eating food from the roadside vendors, poking into cafés, museums, bookshops. It was the sort of thing they didn’t get to do very often, time spent outside of home with no sense of urgency or responsibility, no mission to complete and no kids to watch. In Alec’s opinion, there was nothing better than doing nothing with Magnus.The whole time, Alec had been able to tell Magnus was waiting to tell him something. As they wandered through the markets, Magnus kept giving him little sideways glances, and looking as if he was about to speak before changing his mind. Once it would have worried Alec, but not now. He knew Magnus would tell him when he was ready. Now, as afternoon flowed into evening, they were hiking up a rocky hill overlooking the town. The path wound upwards through rugged scrubland, glowing gold in the light of the setting sun. Magnus was a few metres ahead of Alec, and he kept looking back at him with a little smile. Alec could tell he was building up to something, but he didn’t say anything, content with the gentle silence between them.Finally they reached the top of the hill. They were on a flat, rocky plain overlooking the valley and the town below. The light spilled down the hillsides and flowed across the buildings like molten gold. Magnus turned and looked over at Alec. His face was washed in golden light, making him seem to glow from within. Alec’s heart stuttered briefly in his chest at the sight of him. “Okay.” Alec said. “Why did you bring me here? I know there’s some kind of reason.”For the second time that day, Magnus looked hesitant, even a little apprehensive. He stepped closer to Alec, taking his hand and clasping it within both of his. Alec put his other hand over Magnus’. He could tell his husband was working up to some kind of confession.“Why I brought you here.” Magnus murmured. He had his eyes fixed on their joined hands, like he was half-scared to meet Alec’s eyes. He took a deep breath. “Do you know what this town is called?” “No.” Alec murmured. He rubbed his thumb over Magnus’s knuckles, feeling the warmth of his skin. “It’s called Moquega.” Magnus said softly.“Oh.” Alec said. The name sounded familiar. He thought he might have read it in the notebook of stories Magnus had given him years ago, when they’d got back together after their breakup. “Have you been here before?” “Once.” Magnus said. He looked up at Alec suddenly, and his expression was more open, more vulnerable than Alec had hardly ever seen it. “Moquegua means “quiet place” in Quechua.” he said haltingly. “When I first came here, I— I didn’t feel comfortable or safe, because I felt— I felt like there was no quiet place in the world for me, and there never would be.”He dropped his gaze again, gripping Alec’s hand tighter “And I felt like that for a long time. Like I always had to keep moving, and never rest anywhere. But then when I met you— you made me feel anchored. Peaceful.”He looked up again, and Alec saw that there were tears brimming in his eyes. “I wanted to bring you here to tell you. I’ve never told you before and I wanted to tell you. You’re my quiet place, Alec.”Alec’s heart broke open, sending warm light flooding through his veins. He wrapped his arms around Magnus, holding him so close he could feel his heartbeat. Magnus put his head down on Alec’s shoulder, shaking in his arms. “Thank you for telling me.” Alec. He blinked back tears of his own, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of emotions, gratitude and joy and love. “You’re so— you’re so wonderful. You’re everything. I love you, Magnus.”Magnus gave a soft, teary laugh and pulled away from Alec to look at him. His eyes shone bright gold, all the emotions Alec felt reflected in them. “I love you too.” he whispered, and then they were kissing. Alec cupped the back of Magnus’s neck, closing his eyes, feeling his entire body sing. They held each other close on the mountaintop, in the wash of golden light.

From “What to Buy The Shadowhunter Who Has Everything”: 
Magnus remembered a town in Peru whose Quechua name meant “quiet place.” He recalled even more vividly being obscenely drunk and unhappy over his heartbreak of that time, and the maudlin thoughts that had occurred to him over the years, like an unwanted guest slipping in through his doors: that there was no peace for such as he, no quiet place, and there never would be.

Except he found himself remembering lying in bed with Alec—all of their clothes on, lounging on the bed on a lazy afternoon, Alec laughing, head thrown back, the marks Magnus had left on his throat very plain to see.

Time was something that moved in fits and starts for Magnus, dissipating like mist or dragging like chains, but when Alec was here, Magnus’s time seemed to fall into an easy rhythm with Alec’s, like two heartbeats falling into sync. He felt anchored by Alec, and his whole self felt restless and mutinous when Alec was not there, because he knew how different it would be when Alec was there, how the tumultuous world would quiet at the sound of Alec’s voice.