Disclaimer: I own nada. Zip. Zelch. It's still all Cassie's.

Nothing was ever slow with Magnus unless Alec requested it. There were nights in bed when Alec did, and he knew that Magnus was understanding enough to comply. So Magnus did, and Alec would often be the one to speed up the pace. He knew Magnus appreciated it.

And then there were the quick, hardly understandable speeches when Magnus was irked at a customer. He'd wave his hands frantically about his head, sparks of blue dancing around the lean digits, rings gleaming the magic's reflection. Alec would wrap his arms around Magnus's waist from behind, kiss his neck softly, and Magnus would sigh and relax into the embrace.

But the speed through which Alec had completely fallen into Magnus's grasp bewitched him. He looked up one day from a book on demonology, a thoughtful look on his face.

Speed, it seemed, was something he could both not control and control when it came to Magnus. He flipped a page of the book, barely looking down as he heard a snap from behind the door and the creak of it opening. Magnus stormed in, once again speaking in harsh tones and snapping his fingers repeatedly, threatening but not doing anything.

He stopped short upon seeing Alec reclined in his couch, feet propped up on the ottoman, head tilted back and eyes watching him. "Hello," Magnus said, carefully, slowly. Alec frowned at that, hands clutching around the book he'd rested against his chest. After realizing just how fast things could go between them, he was almost unwilling to let it go slower.

After all, the speed was exhilarating. Alec had grown so accustomed to that speed that the soft tones of Magnus's voice were unnerving. "Okay," he said. "Now try that again." Magnus quirked an eyebrow, a slow smirk spreading over his face.

"Was my first greeting inappropriate? I can't see how - it was a simple 'hello.'"

"It wasn't - fast."

"Fast?"

Alec kicked his feet off the ottoman, placing the book carefully in their place. With a soft groan he stood and made his way towards Magnus. He locked in his fingers in the sparkly, spiky hair, and pulled the Warlock's face close towards his. The smirk gained speed, widening into a full blown smile, teeth and all.

Without another word the Shadowhunter pulled Magnus in for the kiss, lips searing over lips in a kiss that was surprisingly open mouthed. It wasn't a kiss that lasted a second, but it was a kiss that nearly lasted forever. Magnus's hands went up to curl around Alec's wrists, sliding down his arms finally around his waist, dragging him closer. Alec complied, pushing Magnus's head back, letting his lips glide down Magnus's throat.

All too suddenly, Alec pulled back, hands untangling and resting on Magnus's hips. Both were panting, and another smirk, this one quicker than his last, greeted Magnus's swollen lips. "Ah," he managed. "Fast."

"Yeah," Alec answered, fingers tightening into Magnus's belt and drawing him close again. Before their mouths could once again meld together in a wonderful, heated moment, Magnus turned his head. "But," he said, "slow is nice, too."

A sudden bout of hurt and confusion over came Alec - it only took a moment to figure out why. Everything about Magnus was fast. His kisses usually were, his spouts of anger and his moments of calm, and his laughter was one sporadic movement of his chest not even a second after the other. And Alec's love hadn't been slow. No, that was just as fast as Magnus was in everything but bed.

Another barrage of thoughts hit him at once - Magnus had waited for Alec to be comfortable with any of this. Magnus had been there, painstakingly healing him when he was stupid enough to go off and hurt. Their wakings in the morning were soft occasions, enjoyable in the way that they weren't alone and probably, for the time being, wouldn't be for a while.

Slow, thought Alec. Slow.

This time Magnus kissed him, breathing through his nose as he took the time to enjoy it. Alec responded, lightly at first, building up to the searing kiss he'd given Magnus prior to this one. It was almost sensual in the way that Magnus teased his lips against Alec's, teeth nipping only occasionally, minimal but intoxicating.

They were even more breathless than before when they pulled away this time. "See?" Magnus said, and Alec could only nod his answer. There was silence for a few moments, a silence in which they remained tucked in the other's arms.

And , ever so slowly, Alec felt something bubble in his throat. He didn't pause it, didn't try restricting it, and he whispered into Magnus's throat, "I love you."

The arms around him tightened, another searing kiss met his lips, and the night was spent with both fast and slow speeds.

Because that was the way it was with Magnus. That was the way it would always be.

AN: Once upon a time there was a girl who loved Malec and shipped it with all her heart. When she remembered seeing something about "IF MAGNUS LIVES THROUGH CITY OF LOST SOULS" she nearly lost all her shit and wrote Malec fluff to cheer herself up.

I am TERRIFIED about Tuesday, guys. T E R R I F I E D. All I know is that if Magnus does kick the bucket, there's gonna be a lot of me sobbing incoherently in Cassie's askbox on Tumblr. My love for Magnus is how I love my closest friends. It would kill me.

Enjoy~