One day in the nearest future...
"So, tell me, Alexander, have you taken a good care of my bow?"
Magnus played with his rings turning them around his fingers and missed Alec's stunned expression that quickly turned into blush:
"Oh, Magnus, you and your innuendos! Can you be serious for a moment, I'm trying to get ready for a mission and you're NOT helping! What was it that you're came for anyways?"
With that Alec came back to reapplying some of his "battle runes" – Magnus always felt perplexed seeing it as these markings obviously hurt Alexander. Trying to keep his tone light Magnus responded:
"But I did mean it literally! Or have you forgotten that your bow and quiver technically belong to me... along with some other possessions I hold dear in this old ruin you so proudly call The Institute?"
Alec looked around trying to figure out what else Magnus would have left in his room that was so "dear" to him to put it in one line with his bow and quiver. Seeing how Magnus's eyes were fixated on Alec himself, the latter sighted with understanding:
"No, Magnus, you wouldn't let anyone forget about your "possessions" even though I'd prefer you to stop including me in the list of inanimate objects along with my bow and arrows!"
Magnus's voice suddenly gained depth and conviction that surged through his playfulness:
"I assure you, Alexander, I'll do WHATEVER it takes to keep you in the list of animate objects! Which brings me back to my earlier question - that mission you're going to... how dangerous is it exactly?"
Alec shrugged dismissively – they've discussed this subject SO MANY times before!
"Well, we ARE in the middle of the war so you can never know what exactly may jump out at you during the most regular sweeps... but I'll bare your worries in mind while out there..."
Magnus stood up from the sofa and came closer to Alec. His hand moved to touch Alec's forearm and squeezed it a little – but Alec wasn't sure whom Magnus was reassuring with this gesture. Magnus's soft whisper came out somewhat broken:
"Yes, sure do... It's just... that weapon of yours seems so... flimsy... I can't help but worry that it won't be enough..."
His voice trailed off but Alec's answer was loud and clear, accompanied with confident laughter:
"Magnus, seriously? Apart from being an archer I'm also a trained Shadowhunter - I can take care of myself and my own in the close combat situation!"
The warlock touched his chin assuming his signature "I-don't-even-notice-your-admiration-because-I'm-deep-in-my-thoughts" posture and waved off Alec's bravado:
"Oh, well, if you say so..."
Young Shadowhunter kept insisting:
"I DO SAY so... And, by the way, you would not have been so dismissive of my bow if you'd actually taken time to learn how to use it properly! It is YOUR bow, after all!"
Magnus's head turned, interest beamed in his eyes – Alec hated admitting not owing his own bow even those they both knew Magnus would never call in his "rights". But this take on "learning" was something new – and Magnus was always open for something new… except for… why would he need a learn how to use bow?
"Um... warlocks normally don't need weapons either way..."
Alec arched his brow in suggestive matter challenging the High Warlock of Brooklyn:
"But we're not talking about "warlock", we're talking about ME teaching YOU how to shoot an arrow... You mind?"
…
Shadowhunters' speed and reflexes be damned, but suddenly Magnus found himself wrapped in a circle of Alec's strong arms clad in his battle gear - it smelled of leather, oil and... well, Alexander. Magnus's eyes rolled a bit as Alec's heat enveloped him and the warlock turned his face towards taller man hoping to steal a kiss...
But Alec was in a different mood - his eyes squinted, muscles tensed, his jaw moving slightly as his head was turning away from Magnus. Having found what he was looking for, Alec exclaimed:
"Here! This will do as a target! Not that the decor of my room holds any value at all but let's try to keep the damage to the walls to the minimum, shall we?"
Magnus followed Alec's gaze and had found a wooden log - most likely used for some kind of punching exercise, Magnus thought. The moment he'd found "the target" it dawned on Magnus as to why Alexander was semi-embracing him all this time - in one hand the taller man held THEE bow; the other hand was already stringing the arrow. Magnus's eyes popped out in astonishment:
"Alexander, are you REALLY going to teach me how to shoot an arrow?"
Alec's head turned a bit, enough to catch Magnus's eyes, his lips forming that little sensual smile Magnus loved so much on him. Alec's lips parted and with a quick movement of his tongue they became dangerously tasty for Magnus to bare... too close...
"Alexander..."
"It'll be a quick lesson, I promise. Here, look..."
Alexander didn't even touch him. It felt as if Alec navigated Magnus's body into the correct stand just by emanating heat... like a dance move... step in, step out...
Once in position Alec resumed his intense gaze on the target and nodded to Magnus to do the same. Magnus reluctantly complied not sure as to why would he even need such a lesson - if only to please his man.
But on the upside of this useless exercise - Alexander has finally touched him! It did things to Magnus - when Alec touched him so tenderly, carefully, as if he could break his warlock...
His long fingers caught Magnus's and brought the arrow's tail to the bowstring. They both pulled and Alec's body realigned behind Magnus so he could get a better grip on the bow.
Alec was bigger and his body naturally encased Magnus inside of his wide stance. Magnus exhaled loudly on the touch and leaned backwards to press deeper into the hard rock body behind him. Alec hissed through clenched teeth:
"You are distracting me..."
Magnus turned his head and grated his cheekbone against Alec's and murmured in response:
"I thought you want this lesson to be equally interesting for both of us?"
Alec sighted again but this time it was more of a whimper, like he was keeping up the calm façade with all he's got left:
"Magnus, focus, please!"
"Oh, sure, right!", - Magnus resumed his pretense of watching "the target" even though his real target was in the exact opposite direction, behind him.
Magnus didn't really know why was it so important for Alec to teach him arching. But this answer was irrelevant anyways - if Alec was dead-set on teaching him, Magnus would learn.
"Oh, archer, what do I do now?"
Alec exhaled feeling how tension loosened up a bit:
"It's pretty simple, just listen to me and do as you're told... First, spread your legs wider, take a firmer stance so you'd keep your balance better."
Alec let go of the bow for a second to connect his hand to Magnus's hip and turn it to the right angle, his left leg nudged the inside of Magnus's shoe so he'd stepped out a bit.
That second was enough for Magnus to suddenly realize that bow was actually much heavier than it seemed from the distance...
It also was enough for both of them to get jolted by the deep spark of electricity that flew through their bodies when Alec's hand pressed onto Magnus's hip... Alec knew the feeling of this curve... how soft was the hair that travelled down the V-line... how responsive was warlock's body to this particular touch...
Alec huffed trying to get himself out of this lustful stupor...
"Ok, so, the bow... Ummm... Here, let me..."
Alec's fingers reconnected with a shaft covering Magnus's. His catman wore lots of rings, as usual, which didn't help with a grip here. Alec let his fingers slip between Magnus's - not the best of grips but it'll do for this lesson - and spoke again:
"The main idea here would be - don't try to hit the target with your eyes... The arrow won't go where your gaze points to - it will go where your body points to… Connect yourself to the bow, let it become part of you, the continuation of your body - and it will follow your command… Don't try to adjust the bow or the arrow - adjust yourself to hit the target… And most importantly - breathe. Breathe as if the bow breathes with you - rising on the inhale, falling on the exhale... Just... breathe."
It's was a bad idea. This whole lesson was a bad idea. Dropping by the Institute on his way from the client was a bad idea. Letting Alexander catch him in his strong yet so gentle arms was a bad idea too. But the worst idea of them all was to let Alec speak to him. Like that. In his low raspy hushed voice that resonated through Magnus's body like a tremor, sending numbing sensations down his spine, twirling his nerves into knots that wouldn't be so easy to unbundle...
Magnus briefly wondered if he was subconsciously using some magic on himself to keep him upright because he was sure that his knees would buckle by now. Because Alec... breathed.
Alec's chest rose and his bent arm pressed the bowstring into their bodies... Alec's chest fell and the bow shaft he was holding dug deeper into Magnus. His breathing was slow, methodical, weighted... for few first seconds. But with each breath, with each involuntary - yet inevitable due to their stance - shafting of their bodies his breaths grew more erratic, shorter and more desperate.
Or maybe Magnus was just imagining things - or his cat eyes betrayed him too - because Alec evened himself up and said another command in much too calm voice:
"And then you let it go. The arrow. Just relax your fingers and let it fly. Like this."
Alec's fingers let go of the string and it straightened with a soft "zinnnnng" sound. The arrow swirled in the air for a split second and lodged itself into the wooden log they were aiming all along (were they? that's what they were doing? Magnus was utterly confused...)
Alec smiled victoriously - hitting the target wasn't new to him but it was Magnus's first lesson and it was successful.
- See, it's easy!
Magnus focused on the arrow tail and it's trembling red feathers - Alexander's favorite coat. Indeed, they'd hit the target! And even though he wasn't planning for it, Magnus was surprisingly exited that his first training came to such great results!
"Oh my, who knew I have SO MANY talents apart from being the almighty warlock! Nice to know I still have it in to - to surprise myself!"
That self praise fell flat as Alec reacted to none of it in any way. With the bow being drawn down Magnus could step away and turn around to see what got Alec so busy that he was not paying attention to Magnus's success party.
Or the opposite - Alec was paying the utmost amount of attention to Magnus! His eyes had that predatory glint Magnus would imagine Alexander had on the hunt... his head was bowed as if for a prance... and then he launched himself forward. Colliding Magnus into the wall behind him... yanking warlock's jacket to the side... pressing his lips to the hollow of Magnus's neck... burning into him.
…
It probably hurt him. Alec was usually right to control himself around Magnus because Strength rune permanently latched into his skin made him almost dangerous in a fit of passion. But somehow Alec never could... control himself all that well... and Magnus never minded. It was worth it. Always!
"I thought we were trying to say the wall's decor?", - the remark on Magnus's side was breathless... and pointless... and he didn't know why would he even speak at this moment?
"I thought you wanted this lesson to be equally interesting for both of us?", - Alec's response was muffled because his lips were preoccupied with connecting to every inch of Magnus's body he could uncover by throwing away that damn jacket, tugging down that ridiculous shirt and...
…
Magnus rolled up his hips and his spine arched convulsively when he'd touched Alec's throbbing budge. Alexander moaned and stilled for a second, his left hand pressed against the wall for balance, his right hand yanking Magnus's shirt so it went loose and slipped down warlock's hands to the floor. That skin... it smelled of something... he never could tell. It was magic, probably. It was Magnus, most definitely. It was... them.
…
Magnus's hand, once free of his fancy clothes, found their way to the clasps of Alec's gear and undid them very quickly. Black lather jacket fell down with an audible thud, Alec's grey T-shirt disappeared in the ripple of blue sparkles. Magnus's hand dug into the bare chest leaving his own claw marks alongside the runes - both old ones and the ones he applied for upcoming mission. His hands followed Alec's body sculpture all the way down to the waist and dove behind the belt… tugging him closer… connecting them in the mess of a heated friction and exasperated panting.
Alec's hand went to grab Magnus's shoulder - this time he needed all the balance he could get!
"What is it that you think you're doing, warlock?"
Magnus pushed himself from the wall and his whole body pressed into Alexander effectively cutting down any other questions the taller man might have had. His teeth and wet lips trailed Alec's shoulder leaving bite marks... his hands were in a tag-of-war with Alec's belt and his general dizziness didn't help with that at all... but Alec wouldn't appreciate if he'd just magic away all their clothes...
"I'm adjusting my body to the bow. Am I doing it right, archer? Or is there anything else you might want to teach me?"
Alexander roared and buckled up again, smashing Magnus's body against the wall, lifting him up and circling Magnus's legs around his hips. The warlock let a small happy laugh escape him before he'd lost to the frenzy of his man's kisses and touches and the feeling of him going undone around him... and not because of Magnus's magic... but because this thing between them... it was THE MAGIC!