All the Light that Lingers

Fic summary: Alec and Magnus celebrate the "rooftop day" for one day every year by traveling somewhere, away from responsibility. This year, for some reason, Alec is concerned–Magnus Bane, it seems, is acting more bizarre than usual.

Please review! This is my first fanfiction, so any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. x

Chapter 1-Alec's POV

A dagger slammed into the wall near my ear as my eyes widened in shock. A longer stream of curses began to form in my head before I screeched, "Jace, unlike some other people, I actually aim for the demons when we're fighting them."

"Oh, goodness gracious me," Jace Herondale gasped in a high-pitched voice, as he slapped a hand to his chest in mock shock. Leaning against the alley's wall in casual apathy, he asked, "Was that your ear? I was just checking to make sure it worked along with the rest of you. Have you even been listening to a word I've said for the past half hour? Or, should I just give up hope and talk to these inviting walls?"

His laugh echoed, bouncing off the bricks as it traveled down the empty, deserted alleyway. I repressed my laughter, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, it must've been my brain's way of telling my ears to shut up. I can only take so much of 'Clary this, Clary that, look at the dent in my new sword, Clary again' before it stops functioning."

His nose scrunched up in offense, with a sarcastic retort. "What about you, Mr. My-patrol-is-always-interrupting-my-time-with-my-Sonic-the-hedgehog-Madonna-boyfriend-and-I-just-cannot-live-anymore-unless-I-see-him-500-times a day?"

Stunned mutual silence followed as we looked at each other with wide eyes. Then, I couldn't stop myself. A laugh burst out of me, and soon, we were both in hysterics.

"I cannot believe your only comeback was 'Clary'. How original. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I could retire to my dream land of redheads and low expectations."

A snort left my nose before I replied, "I know. I'm just off my game tonight, I guess."

"Nah, I expect those comebacks from you at least once a week, but seriously, Alec. We've barely made it three blocks into this patrol, and you've given me more 'uh-huhs' and polite nods than you normally do in an entire night. Is there something you want to talk about?"

My glance went down to the dagger beside me; I picked it up and began to pick my nails. I could hear the gravel and dirt crunch under Jace's boots as he slowly slid next to me. "Tonight," I began, "Is the night every year when Magnus and I celebrate what we consider the real beginning of our relationship. The night when we truly feel like we were entering a healthy, equal relationship free from all of the dramatic bullshit of the early months."

Jace clapped his hands together giddily, before saying, "Oh? What night was this? Hmmm….let me think back on the 'Epic, Transcendent Relationship of Magnus Bane—the illustrious, all-powerful warlock who many have tried to unsuccessfully bag—and Alexander Gideon Lightwood—the strong, yet shy Shadowhunter who realizes that he is nobody's bitch'." Jace had now stood up, using air quotes to showboat his new nickname for myself and Magnus. I groaned at that nickname, but before I could say anything, he jumped excitedly and continued, "Was it the night when you awkwardly kissed inappropriately in Edom in front of Simon, Isabelle, and Luke?" I kicked his knee hard, his knee awkwardly landing beneath him.

But, I knew that shouldn't have phased him. Jace stood up hastily before exclaiming, "Oh! No, no, no, no, no. Don't tell me. Don't tell me. Or, how about the night when you kissed inappropriately in front of Magnus' father? After, I might add, meeting him for the first time. Always love those 'meet the parents' stories."

"So close, you dimwit. So close, but…"

"Oh! I know, I know. I have it!" He interrupted.

"Yes?" I asked reluctantly.

Jace's eyes lit up before saying in a high-pitched, girlish voice, "The night you kissed him in front of the entire Cleve, therefore declaring your undying love for him? And then saving the world after that?"

"No!"

"But, Mr. Lightwood, that was so dreamy," Jace replied while batting his eyelashes dramatically.

"Listen, Herondale!"

"Oh, reverting to last names I see," Jace replied before finally sitting in front of me.

I let out an annoyed breath before continuing, "No, you idiot. It's the night on the rooftop."

A confused, perplexed look dominated Jace's face. An awkward silence followed this, before Jace asked,"The night on the rooftop?"

"Yes, the night on the rooftop. In Idris."

"In Idris?" Jace asked.

"After the Clave meeting where they sent Helen away."

"You were on a rooftop during this meeting? That's rather rude of you," Jace shockingly said.

"No, no, no. After the meeting. I went on the rooftop of the Lightwood house with Magnus."

Golden eyes still looked at me with no comprehension. I sighed, then added, "When Magnus gave me the notebook full of his past stories."

"Magnus gave you a notebook? He knows how to write?"

Angrily, I stormed off away from Jace down the alleyway. The faster this patrol is over, the sooner I am away from my inconsiderate, forgetful prat of a brother.

Suddenly, a scarred hand grabbed my elbow, and whipped me around before I could walk further into the darkness. I reluctantly looked up into the annoying face of my brother, but then I noticed his grin. "I'm sorry, Alec. Of course I know this story—The night of the epic renewal of your relationship. How could I forget? I was just trying to lighten the mood; you seemed to be really on edge."

Jace's gaze lingered on my face; no matter how much I did not want to share this secret, I had to tell somebody. "Do you know that we celebrate in the same way each year?"

Surprise registered on Jace's face briefly, before he replied, "You do? I had no idea. You've been celebrating the same way for four years? Isn't that boring? Especially for a certain capricious, party-loving warlock?"

"Magnus does like adventure, you're not wrong. Which is why we celebrate each day by picking a location that we both want to travel to; we trade off each year and surprise each other on the day of the anniversary. We go there for the day, and neither of us have any contract with anyone for an entire day—"

Snapping his fingers with an unnecessarily "ah-ha, Watson, elementary", he declared, "So that's why you always insist on no patrols on that day in December?"

"Wow. Observant. Yes, we just need a day for us."

"For you?" He asked in a confused voice.

I nodded before looking away; I was slightly embarrassed to continue, but I did. "Magnus and I have demanding jobs. He with persnickety, weird clients; me with demons and protecting the family. We always let those have a priority."

"But, you need a day or two just where you're responsible for each other?" Jace finished, before fake vomiting. "Ugh. You two. Poster children for Downworlder-Shadowhunter love stories. From sea to shining sea."

"Yes. That's us. Causing our friends and family members to vomit with cuteness overload, since 2010."

"I congratulate you on such a worthy achievement, Alec. But, I'm still lost."

"Lost?"

"Why would this make you upset? It's your anniversary; your self-declared anniversary, for crying out loud. You should be joyous, bursting at the seams."

Once again picking up the dagger to avoid looking at Jace, I began to pace while pretending to clean the dagger.

Jace patiently watched my pacing, before suddenly darting his hand out, and stealing the dagger from my pale hands. "Clean the dagger all you want, brother dear. I'm not going to stop bugging you."

"It's Magnus, ok!"

"What do you mean 'it's Magnus'?"

"It's his turn to pick the location."

"And you're worried you'll be required to wear glittery swim trunks?"

"No! I'm worried because he's been acting off."

"Off?"

"Yes, off. Strange, weird, odd, off-his-rocker, cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs."

Jace's chuckled before asking, "You realize you're talking about Magnus, right? Magnus Bane? The man who threw a birthday party for an apathetic feline? The man who wears no pants at parties? The man who has purple, glittery battle armor?"

"Yes, even odd for all that."

"Wow—what's he doing? Did he throw a half-birthday party for the cat?"

"No! He's just…" I paused for a long time, struggling to find the words.

"Just. Just what, Alec?"

"He's avoiding me. He hasn't been home at all. And he keeps sending me weird texts about someone mundane woman named Anne Boleyn."

"Anne Boleyn? Maybe it's a clothing designer," Jace suggested.

"No, he's been in an ongoing Alexander McQueen and Gucci ph—" I stopped myself before continuing, hoping Jace hadn't noticed, but the grin on his face told me otherwise.

"Alec, were those just designer names you rambled on about?'

I glanced away from him before saying unconvincingly, "No…They were names I just made up."

"By the Angel, what has this warlock done to my brother? Okay, maybe that's what he's changing his name to? It would be rather feminine to match his outfits."

"No, that can't be it." I began biting my ring finger, a habit I'd developed since childhood, when I first moved to the New York Institute.

Slowly grabbing my fingers from my mouth and forcing me to look at him, Jace, in an uncharacteristic soft tone, said, "Alec, Magnus loves you. He loves you. More than I think you realize. If you're worried that he's avoiding the date because he doesn't want to celebrate or he wants to somehow stupidly end things, you're wrong. I may not know many things aside from Clary and weapons—"

"That's not what I meant!"

"I know, I know," He smiled at me before continuing, "But I do know this—Magnus Bane is with you. You went to hell to save him, and he would do the same for you. If anything, he's avoiding you because he's worried the place he picked isn't good enough for you. You're his world."

Jace's steady, unrelenting gaze, locked on mine showed me a shocking truth: the sarcastic, egotistical Jace was serious and sincere. I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh I hadn't realized I'd been holding for several restless days. "Thank you, Jace."

"You're welcome, Alexander. Now, shall we finish this patrol so you can return to your weird boyfriend to ask who the hell Anne Boleyn is and why she's ruining your fun?"

I nodded, my thoughts internally thanking my parabatai for knowing me so well; he eerily had a way to see right through me. With blushing cheeks, I looked down the ground, scuffling my feet, before replying, "Sure. Wait—did you just call me Alexander? How dare—"

But, all I heard was the melodious laughter echoing into the darkness as Jace chased off ahead of me.