Walking Glitter Bomb

Alec woke up with the light beaming in his face, they forgot to close the curtains the night before. He twisted to reach his hand out for his boyfriend but came up empty. Alec frowned, finally opening his eyes. Magnus wasn't in bed with him. He was almost a hundred percent sure that's where he left him last night.

"Daddy?"

Alec tilted his head up to see Max standing in the doorway with a stuffed cat which oddly liked just the Chairman all the way down to the small black spot he had on his front left paw and a sippy cup in the other. He figured Magnus was responsible for the cat and the magical way no cup Max ever held would become spill proof.

"Come here." Alec patted the side of the bed where his future husband should have been. They finally put Max in his big boy bed without any guardrails but many more stuffed animals. This meant Max could get up and go where he pleased. They tried putting a baby gate in his doorway to at least keep him in his room before he or Magnus work up for the day but Max either magically got it down or climbed over because the gate didn't work once, not even once did they get Max to manage to stay in his room. The potty training had not gone as smooth as Alec would have liked, but Max was getting the hang of it. He was still scared of the big toilet and would only go in his baby potty which became a problem if they were at the Institute. Or in public anywhere. Max was getting there, and he and Magnus were proud of their tiny little warlock.

Max came to Alec's side of the bed so he could be lifted up. He climbed over him and snuggled into the center of the bed.

"Did you sleep well?" Alec twisted on his side to mess with Max's hair, it was tangled in his little horns, as it usually was in the mornings.

Max nodded, "Yeah."

"You hungry?" He shook his head, "No?" Alec questioned again.

"Papa gave me tart."

Alec frowned, they were so unhealthy and he told Magnus to stop buying them. They could make Max breakfast which was so much healthier, but Magnus kept it up and Max told on him every time. "Was it good?"

"Yep, chocolate."

"Papa, still in the kitchen?"

"Nope," Magnus smiled from the doorway, "he told on me again?"

Alec looked at him, "You shocked?"

Magnus didn't respond just came over to the bed, sitting on the edge behind Alec's back; he twisted to rest a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Max with a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Keep it up kid and the pop tarts get it." Max giggled at him.

Alec was sure Max didn't understand Magnus completely, but he smirked at his giggle. This was his family and he couldn't ask for more; except he could. He wanted to be married.

"Max, go pick out your clothes for the day. You are going to see grandma today." Magnus eyed him.

Max stopped giggling but smiled, "Gramma?"

"Yep, she's waiting on you. Go hurry." Magnus watched him bounce out of their room.

Alec looked at Magnus but it was an odd angle and he couldn't see his face completely, Magnus finally smiled down to him, "I called your mother this morning. I was thinking," Magnus drew out his words, "-we could go on a day date." He leaned over for a kiss to his cheek, "You get yourself ready while I portal Max over to the Institute."

Max came running into the room dragging a t-shirt and jeans in his arms, one pant leg hanging over his arm onto the floor. Chairman Meow was following closely behind the pant leg, batting at it as he went. Magnus got out of bed and scooped him up in his arms, "Kiss daddy goodbye." He held him over Alec for a kiss then lifted him up in the air above his head, "Let's see what clothes you have here."

Alec heard their voices fade as Magnus tried to talk Max out of the outfit he had picked out, but he knew Magnus was going to give in. He always did. He claimed Max got his fashion sense from his dad, not papa who was not a good thing and left it at that. Alec had frowned with Max who didn't understand what he meant. Izzy had just laughed at them and told Magnus not to worry, she would buy him his clothes from now on. That didn't ease Magnus' mind, but he didn't say anything further. He didn't have to, Alec could read it in his eyes.

It was almost an hour before Magnus came back without Max. Alec was in the living room playing on his phone, completely dressed and ready to go. His trademark dark jeans with a black top. He smiled at his boyfriend.

"We might have a problem with Max. I don't know how prepared we are for a warlock baby." Magnus flopped down on the couch next to him.

"Oh yeah," Alec set his phone down, "Why?"

"I was talking to Maryse and Max was walking around the Ops Center with his stuffed Chairman and his tiny blue blanket when one of the Shadowhunters made some comment about children in the Ops Center. Your mother and I turned to him, but he was looking at Max with a sneer on his face. Max whined for a moment then looked back at me. I went to pick him up when he snapped his fingers and the Shadowhunter was suddenly covered in blue glitter. Max giggled and snapped his fingers again the glitter changed to pink." Magnus sighed, "I reversed the spell instantly. But the Shadowhunter was pissed and we got some weird looks from the others in the room. Maryse snapped them all to attention but still..." Magnus put his hand on Alec's leg and let his sentence hang for a moment, "I didn't like the looks Max was getting from some of the other Shadowhunters. I didn't say anything to Maryse, but the looks weren't kind. Max can't be there without a family member, ever. Also, I'm not sure how to teach Max to control his magic. I've only ever helped older warlocks never a warlock toddler. I might need to call in for help. It's been a long time since I had to control my own magic in such a way, I'm not sure I remember."

Alec frowned, he would be dealing with the Shadowhunters, for sure, when he returned to work tomorrow. Not only for his son and boyfriend but for the downworlders of the city. He worked with many of them every day and he refused to let any Shadowhunter treat them poorly. Magnus made it seem like Max would be unsafe in the Institute without a family present and he was not okay with that. "I will deal with the Shadowhunters." Alec's voice was held set on leadership. "And maybe we set rules like only magic in the loft until we know he can control it."

"That isn't very fair to a warlock."

"Magnus, he's two. We talk to him all over the city and the globe with us. He could turn a total stranger into a walking glitter bomb. What if it happens when you're not around?" Alec sighed, "I feel terrible, but I can't help with any magical mishaps like you can."

"Walking glitter bomb?"

"That's what you took from that." Alec frowned.

Magnus nodded, "It was the most interesting part." He laughed at Alec's frown, "We'll figure it out. We always do." He sighed, "It was pretty interesting to see Max do it. I almost left the Shadowhunter, but Maryse was staring at me. It took everything for Maryse and me not to laugh. Max got this stern little look on his face, his eyebrows arched up, a grumpy little thing and I wanted to cuddle him. You would have loved it."

"Was he okay when you left?" Alec rested his head on Magnus' shoulder.

"Giggling as if nothing happened. Mary's said she would call if we were needed."

Alec twisted around and laid his head on Magnus' lap, who instinctively began running his long, bejeweled fingers through his messy curls. Alec's hair was almost dry from his shower and with a single twist Magnus used magic to dry his hair completely. Alec sighed at the slight tingle that lasted for a second then vanished.

"How's that?"

"Mmmm nice," Alec twisted to look up at him, his everything or so he thought until Max can along. Then his everything got a little bigger, "Are we staying in all day?"

"No," Magnus cupped Alec's cheek, "come here."

Alec sat up, straddling Magnus' lap, who never took his hands from Alec's face, "I'm here." Alec whispered when they were face to face with a smirk.

"You've been working so hard lately," Magnus flashed a quick smirk then gave Alec a kiss, an easy press of the lips, "We live most of life for Max or work and I figured today would be nice to just spend time out of the loft and about the city."

Alec nodded, leaning his forehead against Magnus', "What would you like to do?"

"I was thinking of just some lunch and shopping. Light and mind-numbing nothing downworld-related at all." Magnus gave Alec his trademark smirk, his cat eyes gleamed, "Nothing fancy." He ran his hands down Alec's sides to rest on the top of his jeans, he slides a single digit up the back of his shirt to run along the edge of jeans, stroking his smooth skin, "We should head out before we no longer feel the need to leave."

"There is something to be said about afternoons in," Alec smirked as he stood up, resting his hands on Magnus' shoulders. He leaned in for a kiss before stepping back and allowing Magnus to follow him off their couch. Alec swiped his phone from the coffee table, checks it one more time to see no new notifications before shoving it in his back pocket.

Magnus waited for Alec to finish with his phone before wrapping his arms around him, one at the waist and one at his shoulders. He pulled him in close and kissed the back of his neck, "I always knew I could never have children and that saddened me. Then you came along and Max. It took all of five seconds for you to want to keep him. Don't think for a moment there isn't something I can do greater for him just because I'm a warlock. You held him in your arms and it was never another thought that he would be anywhere else. He's ours and it doesn't matter the trouble he gets himself in we will both be there to get him out." He kissed Alec's neck once more before releasing him, "I know it seems hard now, but it will work out."

"Being a parent is scary." Alec sighed, "What do I do if he glitter bombs someone in public?"

"He won't. We will talk to him."

Alec sighed, "When was the last time you were around a toddler? They don't just do everything or nothing on command."

Alec fell back on the couch with a sleeping Max in his arms. He and Magnus spent the entire afternoon out and about the city of New York getting lunch and shopping; some window, some actual. They returned to the loft with the thought of some adult alone time when Magnus got called away on High Warlock duties, so Alec made his way to get Max. He tried to get a name out of his mother, but she wasn't giving up any names. Izzy thought it was funny along with Jace. Clary seemed to be on his side. Izzy and Jace would understand when they had children of their own.

Max wanted to be like him but he wasn't, he was a warlock. Max was his little warlock. But how did he get Max to understand the difference without holding him back?

One single thought kept filtering through his mind; maybe he wasn't cut out for this. Maybe being a father and a husband wasn't his calling.

At this rate, he would never be able to call Magnus his husband. It had been two years and he was no closer to getting the laws changed. The vision of him wearing gold and Magnus wearing blue seemed further and further away.

The more he talked to Max about being a warlock and not being a Shadowhunter the more his mind told him he sounded like his father. How do you make a two-year-old warlock understand the difference without being mean or cruel or cutting off their dreams? Being like his father was a nightmare and he would do anything to keep that from happening. But how? Who could he ask for help on how to be a better father?

His stomach was rolling with acid. He was making himself sick. He didn't know what he was doing, but he knew that he loved Max and giving him up wasn't an option. He had to figure it out. His family depended on him. He tugged Max closer to his chest when his son twisted in his sleep. Alec sighed, trying to get his stomach to calm down. He needed to breathe.

"Stop." Magnus' voice rang out in the quiet room.

Alec glanced towards the front door, he never heard his boyfriend enter their home, "Huh?"

"I can hear you thinking from here," Magnus kicked off from the door and made his way to the couch, magically removing his shoes and jacket along the way.

Magnus sat on the floor in front of the couch, leaning his head close to Alec's, speaking softly, "The hardest part of being a warlock to me when I was a teenager was when I learned I would never be a father. When I was old enough I started helping stray downworlders, I called them my children as I knew that was the best I could ever hope for." Magnus sighed with a smile, "I fell so far in love with you, but a deep thought rooted that you would never be the father you wanted to be either because if you accepted your true self, then you would never have your own blood. Then came Max." Magnus ran a ringed finger softly through Max's messy hair, "You fell instantly in love with him, and you knew he was ours before I knew he was ours. He is ours, Alec."

"I know," Alec whispered.

"You are truly an amazing father, warlock baby or not. We will figure this whole parenting thing out one day at a time." Magnus smiled.

"I feel so bad for Max. He wants to be a Shadowhunter so bad, but he can't." Alec shook his head as best he couldn't against the couch, "I don't want to be the parent to tell my child what he can and cannot do in life, but this is different, Magnus."

"I know, but we will figure it out. Max is a toddler and right now he sees one thing. He sees that he wants to be just like daddy. He's always had an instant deeper connection to you, so it's not a surprise he wants to be everything you are."

Alec sighed and snuggled Max closer to him, "I hope you don't ever feel like we are cutting you out."

"I don't." Magnus moved his over hand to play with Alec's messy hair, "I love both my boys and I understand. Max loves me. You love me."

"I can't wait to make you my husband," Alec finally grinned at him, "Let's put Max to bed and I can show you."

"Now, we are truly talking, my love."

...

Alec sat Max down in the ops center and kissed his mother's cheek while keeping an eye on Max who went straight for his favorite glass table and hid under with his blanket and chairman stuffed cat, "Morning, mom."

"Darling," Maryse smiled, "Max hanging out with us today?"

"Magnus had an issue last night that bleed into today and Izzy wasn't picking up." Alec kept glancing back to Max even though he knew his baby boy wasn't going anywhere, "I know I have portal later, but Magnus will be by before then."

Maryse nodded, "It's okay Alec, Max is around here anytime."

He pointed his mother with a look, "Really?"

The question was left unanswered as Max let out a mixed squeal shriek, that had Alec twisting back to his son. There was no one around the table Max was playing under, "Max?" He went over to the table and knelt by him, "What are you doing?"

"Daddy," Max crawled out from under the table with his butt high in the air, "daddy."

"Yes," Alec stood up with Max as soon as he twisted in his arms, "What's wrong?"

"Him." Max pointed at a small group of Shadowhunters working on an ops screen, there was only one male Shadowhunter with two females, "Don't like." Max lifted both his chubby hands in the air, but Alec got to him first.

Alec grabbed both of Max's little hands in one of his, "Max, no glittering anyone." He tried to look stern, however finding out the Shadowhunter who was mean to his son was making that a near impossible task, "Where did you even learn that?" He whispered the last question, but not low enough since Maryse spoke up.

"You know, in the 80s and 90s, Magnus had a glitter stage. At least every time I saw him during that time he was covered in glitter, but to be honest, it appeared to be apart of his skin." She shook her head, "It was vastly different than dumping a jar of glitter on someone."

"Funny, papa forgot to mention that." Alec smirked at Max and poked his side to get his son laughing again, "We are going to have to question papa again. How are your integrating skills, Max?" Max shook his head but laughed. Alec smirked, Magnus wasn't going to know what hit him.

…

Alec smiled at the laughter he heard when he came through the door, he was covered in dirt and muck from the fight him and Jace just got out of, but he didn't care. He wanted to investigate the laughter before hitting the shower since it was after Max's bedtime and it should be quiet. The clock chimed the one am an hour as Alec went towards the kitchen. Magnus was standing there in a red silk shirt, matching pants, a black robe with flicks of gold, and bare feet. He was leaning against the counter on one hip with Max sitting with his feet hanging off. He was his favorite black cat onies, it had a hood with ears.

"Daddy!"

"It's a little late to be up isn't it?" Alec went into the room, heading straight for his family. He put a hand on the counter next to Max while the other went to rest on the center of Magnus' back. Without waiting for answer Alec leaned in and kissed Magnus' cheek, "Certain little warlocks should be sleeping."

"Daddy!" Max squealed and wiggled a little closer to Alec's arm, hugging his little body to him, "I want milk."

"He was sleeping," Magnus cut in, "then ten minutes ago, he woke up, wide awake."

Alec bent down slightly to get closer to Max's face, "Bedtime." He whispered then kissed his cheek before glancing back at Magnus, "Then I have questions for you."

"Oh yeah?" Magnus narrowed his cat eyes between the two as Max's eyes began to close like he was suddenly so tired.

Alec reached over and kissed Magnus just below the ear, then whispered, "Max outed the Shadowhunter that he doesn't like. I said something about glitter and my mother informed me of a certain warlock with cat eyes that had a thing for glitter." Alec kissed Magnus' neck again, "Something about how the glitter seemed to be a part of his skin." Alec pulled back completely, "I wanna see it." He made a show of looking Magnus from head to toe, "I've been thinking about it all day and I want to see it."

This was not the interrogation technique he was planning on using, but Magnus looked so good standing there with his hair all messed up and silky that Alec couldn't stop himself.

Magnus looked at Max who was slumped against Alec's arm, not sleeping, but so close, "Later, my love, if you can get him to bed without waking him up." Magnus untied himself from Alec and Max and left the kitchen, "I'll be waiting."

Alec laughed and scooped a sleeping Max in his arms.

It was game on.