Summary: It was strange how love would make them both less of a fighter.

Author's Note: This was supposed to be about something completely different, not anything like this. I do not know what happened. Ugh.

It just made a turn and I ended up with this.

Status: One-Shot. Supposed drabble...Not anymore.


Fuel to the Fire

Magnus loved Alec, truly, he did. But when Alec – the person where all his devotion and all things love and such went to – did something Magnus didn't really like, he just shrugged it off. They both had things about the other that annoyed them. Like how Alec would lock himself in his – their room, really – after a fight and refuse to talk to Magnus, and Magnus was feeling a bit too guilty – and maybe not so guilty – to knock on the door and ease the boy out.

It wasn't that Magnus liked it when they fought. He hated it. And they fought over the tiniest things, too.

"I told you to just leave the belt there."

"And I said not to touch my stele."

Oh, and:

"Why would you feed Chairman Meow while we're canoodling!"

"Why would you ignore him?"

Most of them either started or ended with:

"Alexander Lightwood-"

"Magnus Bane."

But the major fights would end up with Alec being too mad – like that one time when Magnus joked about concocting a potion that would stop Alec's aging. Alec had just shut down. His face just went into its total blank mode, those blue eyes that seemed so deep turned flat and hard. And then Alec just stood up from the table.

That was his defence mechanism, Magnus thought. He shut down all anger and emotion within him and just walked away. But the truth was: Alec just couldn't bear to get angry with Magnus. And so he walked away. He walked away so many times from a fight that in the morning, when he woke up without Magnus beside him, he'd seek the warlock out and apologize.

Apologize for a fight that didn't come. But he still apologized, and Magnus still forgave him – although both were very unnecessary.

They should learn to settle these arguments and not just walk out. And Magnus really should know better. When his centuries-younger-than-him half walked out in the middle of an argument, then he should follow. They should talk it out.

But there was also something quite delicate about Alec, so fragile. So…Just so pure. It was strange, Magnus thought. He killed demons. And he was in a relationship with a Downworlder.

There wasn't a time when Magnus didn't trust Alec, but there were times when all he wanted for the boy was everything good. And maybe that was why he couldn't really come after Alec, unless there was a lot of shouting involved.

"Alec, open the door!"

No reply.

"I can simply blast it open."

Still no reply.

"Alexander!"

The door did not budge. Instead, when Magnus made a move to really blast it off its hinges, the door emitted electrical shocks that ran through his arm. It still didn't budge.

"Don't be a child, Alec. Open the door. We'll talk this through."

"You silly Nephilim –"

"Alec!"

"…Alec?"

And after a while, Magnus just leaned against the doorway, just waiting. Waiting for Alec to cool off. This wasn't fair.

And maybe Magnus didn't play fair sometimes…He was a warlock. But like his magic, Alec had his runes. Damn those runes.

"I need to sleep. Do you dislike me so much that you'll make me sleep on the couch?"

Then the door just opened and Alec pulled Magnus into the room.

But at least, Magnus thought, they didn't really have shouting matches. It was just Magnus who would shout first. And then his voice would drop because Alec just refused to raise his own, and because Alec's own was shaking, not really knowing if he should shout himself or just retreat.

It was strange, really, how love would make them less of a fighter. How Alec could run to a group of demons but not know what to do whenever he and Magnus had their own quarrels.

But did it really matter? Did solving their arguments really matter when both of them did not want to argue? Did not want to fight? Did it matter that Alec would just walk away and leave Magnus for a little while – because they both needed to cool off? – Did it?

Or did the end result just matter?

Because after each argument, it was like a new fire started inside both of them. As if the prospect of ever hurting the other – because of their own misunderstandings, or just in a fight, really – was just too much.

Magnus Bane loved Alec Lightwood. And it's not only all the good things that make them a strong couple. It is also the fights, the arguments.

Just because they choose not to really get into the fight – they would never hit each other, really… - didn't mean they were both cowards, not willing to really get into the argument for the fear of never reconciling again.

Because they would always forgive each other. Even without a fight, they would apologize. Alec would start, and Magnus would gather him into his arms.

And so Magnus Bane loves his Alec Lightwood, even if they got into the craziest arguments sometimes, even if Magnus's tongue got him into a lot of trouble.

Because each fight was like a spark.

And every time they forgave each other, a fire ignited.

With every fight, they learn just how much the other really means to them. That they could just not leave each other hurt like that.