Hi there! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long! The truth is that I've been buried under schoolwork, but -at last- vacations are coming and I will hopefully have more time to update.
This is just senseless fluff that came to my mind because these two dorks are just too cute. It is senseless but it is also happy so, pleas ebe my guest and enjoy it! ;)
As Long As it's With You
"I'm home" Alec muttered weakly as he closed the front door of the apartment he shared with Magnus.
It was almost one in the morning, and he didn't expect Magnus to be up and waiting for him to get back from his late-night mission, but it was still comforting to listen to his own voice after all that he'd that been able to hear for the last hours were agony screams.
As he got rid of his coat and hung it from the clothes rack carefully ―like Magnus had instructed him to do―, Alec was surprised to see a dim light that shone through the living room and into the entrance hall.
Hiding a discomforted groan and almost tripping once or twice with forgotten items scattered around the floor, Alec limped to the siting room.
When he finally reached the lit circle he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he realized Magnus was sitting on the dark-brown couch of the room, absently scratching Chairman Meow behind its ears, the yellowish eyes of the warlock focused on the entrance of the chamber.
Just as the shadowhunter stepped into the room, Magnus' pupils widened in surprise.
"Alec" he murmured, gesturing to stand up; the cat instantly jumped from Magnus' lap and disappeared into the shadows.
"Stay sitting" Alec whispered through his gritted teeth as he, too, reached for the couch.
Raising a worried eyebrow, Magnus patiently waited for Alec to sit next to him and then wrapped his arms around the shadowhunter's lean figure, bringing Alec to him just so he could rest his face on the warlock's board chest.
"Hard night?" Magnus asked as he ever so slightly brushed his lips against Alec's forehead.
"Hm" the boy nodded slowly. "A group of Moloch demons, a vampire and a crazy werewolf" he listed, feeling Magnus stiffen as he spoke.
Taking in a ragged breath, Alec finally allowed himself to relax, knowing he was sheltered with the warlock's arms securing him gently. He was safe, he was home. Magnus was there, and nothing bad could happen now, even if he could still feel a wound on the right side of his abdomen bleed, even as every single muscle in his body ―yes, the ones that he didn't know he had too― hurt and even when each time he tried to breathe he could feel a paralyzing pain cross his chest. He knew Magnus was there, by his side, and if Magnus was there, then it meant he was safe. It was that easy.
Alec reminded himself that no matter how tired he was or how comfortable Magnus' chest felt, the warlock wouldn't like to have his perfectly bright pink pajama stained with blood, so, grimacing, he applied pressure on his right arm to turn himself around and give Magnus his back.
Noticing the blood Alec was trying to cover with his left hand, Magnus directed his own hand to the tear-up t-shirt and raised it, pushing Alec aside and ignoring the boy's complaints in the process. When the shadowhunter finally realized there was no use in trying to hide his injury anymore or even in aiming to reach out for his stele, Alec sighed in surrender.
Slowly, Alec felt Magnus' fingertips trace over the abused skin, murmuring something too fast for him to understand. Just when the last word left the warlock's lips, Alec felt the blood dry turn on his wound and form a scab; mere seconds later, Alec stopped feeling the dried liquid on his skin, the pain suddenly nonexistent, replaced by a distant soreness.
"The werewolf" Alec explained, his features contracted into a pained expression, even when his breathing was less labored than before.
"Any bites that I should take note of?" Magnus asked and, given his serious appearance, Alec couldn't distinguish whether if he was literally speaking or if he was just joking. In the end, Alec opted for smiling, even if he caught his lower lip with his teeth in the end to refrain another groan.
"I'm fine" he muttered, fully turning his back to Magnus just so he could lay it on Magnus' chest, his head resting on the warlock's left shoulder as his arms circled, bringing him closer, their legs entwined. "Thank you".
They stayed in silence for a long time, so long that Alec had already started to drift away, taking in Magnus' warmth after having being in the outside cold for so long.
"I don't like it" Magnus finally let out, scattering Alec's dark bangs while he rested his chin on top of the shadowhunter's head.
"What?" Alec muttered, opening the eyes he hadn't noticed he'd closed as he turned slightly to face Magnus.
"That" Magnus answered, leaning his back into the armrest of the couch, sighing. "I don't like it".
"What don't you like?" Alec replied after it became obvious that Magnus thought there was nothing in need of clarifying from his previous statement.
"This" the warlock replied, gesturing for the boy's ripped clothing. "To have you outside late at night, not knowing where you are and then to have you back hurt".
Alec's eyes instantly softened. He knew if it were the other way around, he most certainly would have thrown a fuss over it and doors would have been slammed more times that he dared to think about.
Magnus, however, had been very patient, especially with the whole 'coming home hurt' thing, although it had meant they'd to change the entrance carpet at least four times before finally deciding that the only thing that the stupid item was good for was to become stained with demons' blood―or even worse, for making Alec trip over when he arrived late and injured.
He knew that asking Magnus not to be worried or to assure him that everything would be alright was to be a hypocrite, and he knew that Magnus was just right in what he was speaking; saying otherwise was simply unfair. On the other side, he was a shadowhunter, after all, and he couldn't say how dangerous his job was aloud. He especially couldn't say that he, too, was scared of not returning complete or alive to the apartment; so, instead of nodding, he only shuddered half-heartedly and sighed.
"It's my job" he muttered weakly, unable to stand Magnus' piercing gaze.
"I know it is, but I'm just saying that I don't like it" Magnus declared. "Especially not if patching you up will become my job".
His boyfriend's words sent a shiver down Alec's spine, his fists tightening. He knew Magnus had all the right to be tired of picking up the broken pieces and trying to put them back together, but even so, it simply hurt to have him admitting it aloud.
"I hate to see you like this" Magnus continued, oblivious to Alec's inner turmoil as he gently took the boys' left hand in his. "I hate to see you suffering".
"I know" Alec whispered in retort, his eyes focused on how perfectly his long fingers fitted into Magnus'. "But it is my job" he added, his own words sounding hollow to him.
"I know" Magnus repeated resignedly, getting closer to the shadowhunter in his arms just so he could rest his chin the crook of Alec's neck, his yellowish orbs looking at him just like Church did whenever he expected a treat.
They stayed like that for a moment, not uttering a word, simply enjoying each other's company, glad only by listening to the way in which their chests raised and dropped with each intake of breath, almost at the same time.
"What would you do?" Magnus inquired suddenly, his words reverberating through his chest and into Alec's back.
"Hm?" Alec replied softly, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at his boyfriend.
"If you were not a shadowhunter" the warlock explained. "No angel blood, no demons to fight. Just you. Just a mundane. What would you do?" he repeated.
"Magnus…" Alec started to say, brow furrowing.
"C'mon, Alexander! Just answer!" the warlock urged, his eyes shining mischievously. "It's just a question!" and so Alec knew that he had to yield to Magnus' wishes.
"I dunno" he mumbled, breaking eye contact.
"Don't tell me you have never given it a thought! Not even once?" Magnus inquired, blinking flirtatiously at him, even when Alec had looked away and couldn't see him.
"I've thought about it" Alec admitted as he turned to look at his boyfriend again.
"So?" Magnus pressured playfully.
"A cook, maybe" Alec let out after a few expectant second. "Have my own café, a bakery. I don't know" he answered, not evading the question but not being totally honest either―why think too much about impossibilities, after all.
"Cook?" Magnus said, interrupting his train of thought. "Why didn't I know that you liked cooking?"
Oh, sure, that was the reason as to why he didn't even bother to think about the matter in the first place.
"I don't do it frequently" he cut the warlock, turning his eyes to the front and way from Magnus' once more. "Men are not supposed to cook" me recited, rolling his eyes tiredly at the well-known taste of the words in his tongue.
He easily heard a discomforted sound from Magnus' throat at his back and, not willing to see the disappointment in the warlock's eyes, he couldn't help but close his own orbs.
"Says who, Alexander?" Magnus asked, his voice a little more husky, his tone hardened.
"I-I don't know" the boy stuttered, playing nervously with the fingers of his right hand, which was not being held by Magnus. "My parents, the Clave, I… Not Izzy and Jace when they're starving but either way…" he managed to say before trailing off.
"Alexander…" Magnus called, softening his voice once more as he played with the dark locks of his boyfriend's hair gently.
True was, men weren't supposed to cuddle or to share a romantic relationship or to hold hands either. And he, as a shadowhunter, was not supposed to accept the help of a Downworlder or to be living in a warlock's house. And oh, let the obvious be said, Magnus wasn't just anyone, he was both a guy and a Downworlder, and that made him…
"You know you can do whatever you want and throw stereotypes from the window, don't you, Alexander?" the warlock said, fully smiling, though it was more like a catlike grin.
Right, Magnus was Magnus, and that made him special, simply because there were no other fitting words to describe him.
At his boyfriend's words, Alec couldn't help but to feel his own features relax into a comfortable smile, one that he'd become more and more used to feel across his lips ever since he had met Magnus. He sighed fondly.
"As long as you don't consider being clothed as a stereotype, I think I can live up to your expectations" Alec finally said, rolling his eyes playfully.
"Hey, that'd be hot!" Magnus claimed. "That's a great idea!"
"Sure" Alec retorted, swallowing down his own laughter. "Whatever I do seems hot to you".
"That's just because you underestimate your own hotness" Magnus argued, his voice the one you'd use to answer that the sky is blue.
"That's not even a word".
"It is. And Alexander, dear" Magnus pointed out. "Two hundred years ago 'c'mon' wasn't a word either".
"It's still not a wor―"
"Nimieties" Magnus cut him.
And they laughed, because the two of them knew that they had just said what was probably the most stupid thing that'd be said in this century but they didn't care because they had enjoyed every second of it.
Magnus' laugh was deep and resonant and so, so beautiful. Oh, Alec thought, as he rested his head on top of the warlock's chest, feeling dizzy just with how happy Magnus sounded, with how easy it was for that exotic person to make him smile so widely. What couldn't he do just to hear Magnus laugh like that? What wouldn't he do just to see Magnus' catlike yes spark that brightly?
They stayed silent for some time, in that comfortable silence that somehow came so easily when it was just the two of them; at least until Alec broke it.
"What about you?" the Lightwood asked, and for once, it was Magnus' time to seem surprised.
"Me?" the warlock muttered, lowering his eyes to meet Alec's.
"That" Alec teased, repeating the warlock's previous words. "What would you do for a living if you were not a warlock? No… no demons' blood, no magic. Just you" he promised. "What would you do?"
As soon as the words left his lips, Alec almost regretted ever having asked, seeing the mischievous grin that Magnus sent him, his catlike eyes shining very similarly to the Cheshire Cat's, which was midway between attractive and scary.
"I'd dedicate my life to fashion" he answered solicitously, blinking flirtatiously. "Charge for make-overs and help people learn how to match colors. People like you, hon', for example" he concluded, beaming at Alec, who simply rolled his eyes.
"You're bothering enough as it is" he huffed. "And you already charge people for make-overs!"
"That's right, dear, but maybe if I were famous enough you'd actually listen to me when I correct your chose of clothing" he retorted, dramatically placing his left hand on top of his forehead.
"What, drama queen?" Alec inquired. "The High Warlock of Brooklyn isn't impressive enough anymore?"
"I'm not overreacting, hon', your capacity to ignore fashion advices ―let alone fashion trends― is almost unbelievable!"
"Don't tell me" Alec interrupted him before he could list his latest 'fashion crimes', as Magnus liked to call them by bursting in laughter, example that was soon followed by Magnus himself. "You were not complaining about my wardrobe last night" he managed through his intakes of breath.
"Alexander, dear, you're one thing with this on" Magnus said, tugging at the boy's black shirt―which they both knew had been left useless after the demon's attack but Alec would find a way to sew it up and continue wearing. "And another thing entirely without it".
But even as he said it, Magnus wrapped his arms a little more tightly around Alec, bringing him closer to him, close enough for him to lean down and brush his lips against the boy's left check, feeling him shiver with emotion under his strong arms. Alec let him do, pressing into the warm touch and smiling, smiling with a calmness that he'd only come to known when Magnus' even breathing was coupled up with his own.
Only sometime after that, when the only thing to be heard in the apartment was the never-ending traffic of the street and when Alec was almost certain that Magnus was already half-asleep did he dare to speak again.
"I wouldn't mind" he let out, almost in a whisper.
"Hm?" Magnus inquired, only slightly opening his beautiful orbs to show that he was listening.
"I wouldn't mind what to do for a living" Alec specified, his voice not very loud, but lough enough for it to carry his conviction. "As long as it were with you".
Softening his eyes, Magnus leaned down to gently press his lips against Alec's, smiling.
"As long as it's with" he promised, just before Alec finally allowed himself to drift off in Magnus' warm arms, his well-known heartbeat ―too slow for it to be human, but fast enough for it to result calming, like the ocean waves at night― the last thing he heard before closing his cerulean eyes.
So... how did that go? I really liked how this turned out. Don't even ask me about how this idea came. It just did, and I liked it. I hope you did so too. If you did, plesae don't hesitate to push the "comment" button and let me know your opinion!
Read you soon! (Hopefully).