"Are you limping?" asked Magnus.
His amber eyes skimming over Alec like a lie detector. The apartment was empty save for the two of them. The warlock had not been entertaining guests tonight. On the contrary, Magnus was actually getting ready to leave. He even dressed for the occasion. He wore midnight blue jeans with spikes on the sides, a studded black belt with an embossed M golden buckle, ankle high black leather boots, and a dark grey cotton-hooded leather jacket which opened to expose his white lace shirt. His newly painted nails shimmering with dark blue glitter. He had been fussing over his make-up when the doorbell rang.
The sight that greeted him was not something he expected. As promised, Alec stood there dressed in his red pull-over which covered his arms, a pair of right fitting jeans, and a newly washed pair of red sneakers. He was leaning on the guard rail, favouring one leg over the other to support his weight. There was a glint of metal near his ankle, Magnus quickly recognized it as the handle of a concealed seraph blade. When the boy walked to enter, he noticed that there was a slight limp on one side and an attempt to conceal that pained expression. He rushed over and hooked on of Alec's arms over his shoulder.
"You ARE limping" said Magnus, who brought the injured Shadowhunter to the nearest seating-which turned out to be a stuffed black ottoman. "Why are you limping?" His gaze rested on Alec's face as while he kneeled to just about the level of the boy's knees. Alec was biting his already chapped lips, from this distance Magnus could even make out the thin red lines where there skin of his lips had already broken.
"Blame Jace" said Alec, careful to say his parabatai's name. He clutched the fabric of his jeans on each side, which Magnus noted were also reddish. "Izzy and I went with Jace on a demon hunting trip in the deserted subway tunnels. We really did not expect to find anything but it turns out that there was a Dragonidae demon hiding in the tunnels and festering up the electrical wires."
Magnus was only half-listening and even humming himself a mellow tune all the while. He was kneeling with one leg propped up, blue jeans stretching gloriously over his lean muscular legs especially his calf. Tenderly he lifted Alec's injured and placed in on his waiting knee. He folded the pale jeans a few inches, unlaced Alec's red sneakers and removed it along with white sock. There was a haphazard bandage covering the limb. Alec must have placed the bandages himself.
"Mom's back" explained Alec, as Magnus began unwrapping his foot. "She'll be too suspicious if I stayed in the infirmary too long. All three of us might have gotten into deeper trouble than we already are. Ouch!" He flinched when the warlock moved his foot every so lightly to the other side where there was a badly drawn iratze half-faded. Magnus was already running his hands on the skin "No" protested Alec. "You just can't keep on healing me. You'll use up your magic. "
"Tsk. tsk. tsk" scolded Magnus. "Your foot is not sprained. It's broken. An iratze would not be enough to heal through bones. See?" He pressed a finger on a lump which caused Alec to hiss in pain. "This is going to hurt but" looking at Alec with a devilish smile "I dare not underestimate you Shawdowhunter" then he snapped the bone back into its proper place causing Alec to howl in pain, hands gripping the couch until knuckles turned white. He bit his lip so hard that it bled.
A cool hand on his cheek made him open his eyes. Magnus was running a thumb over his lips wiping away the blood. But he could still taste inside his mouth, the tangy coppering taste of blood. He gazed into Magnus' catlike eyes. It was washed over with concern-concern for him. He felt the guilt welling up in his stomach. He tried to look away, look at anything in particular that was boring. But the warlock's apartment has anything but boring. Everything was bright, festive and magical.
"I" choked Alec but the warlock shushed his lips. "You don't have to keep doing this." said Alec somewhat shy that every encounter they had thus far included the warlock somehow healing him.
"As do you" Magnus scoffed back, a bit of venom in his voice. Alec knew it was because the warlock was concerned. "You cannot keep putting yourself into stupid positions just because your parabatai is a reckless idiot with a death wish"
"But" Alec tried then simply kept quiet. There wasn't anything he could say-at least anything intelligent to fight back. Magnus exhaled loudly, shoulder drooping down dramatically as he raked a hand over his hair. Carefully, he lowered down Alec's foot from his knee but did not make any motion to move elsewhere.
"But you love him or you think you're in love with him. I know." said Magnus with a hurt tone. He reached out and covered Alec's pale hands with his own. Blue sparked from his fingers as he touched the reddish flesh. Then he leaned close to place a kiss on each knuckle. "But what about me? Do you even like me?"
The touch of the kiss was like warm fire, spreading warmth from his finger and racing to his face like a blush. Yes, he wanted to say but a lump on his throat prevented him from even speaking. Magnus held his hands not, enclosing it in his own soft tanned hands. They were red now because of embarrassment more than pain. Actually, Alec had forgotten about the pain. There was only a dull ache in his chest, along with his thundering heart beat. He was still surprised at Magnus' unabashed show of affection. He was not used to affection being showered on him and the effect that it created deep within him.
"Magnus, I..."
"Still the Lightwood, I see. All of you stubborn like trolls!"
"Trolls don't exist!"
"Yes they do" said Magnus with a playful pout. "They live under bridges."
"There aren't any trolls under the Brooklyn Bridge." said Alec firmly "Jace, Izzy and I went looking when were twelve. We didn't see any trolls."
"You are being rude." teased Magnus "Vincent will be insulted"
"You know a troll named Vincent?!" said Alec in disbelief. There was amazement in those deep blue eyes.
"Troll bridges. They live under troll bridges not just any old bridges." Magnus laughed. "He responds when I call him Vincent."
"So you are telling me that there are trolls. Under troll bridges?"
"Yes, some are in Timbuktu."
"In Timbuktu? I don't believe you."
"Warlocks do not lie!" huffed Magnus, folding his arms indignity.
"But you can"
"Not to you" said Magnus "I would never lie to you Alexander."
Alec blushed.
"Oh?" Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Where did that spirited Shadowhunter that I was talking to sudden go? Still completely a without guile, what a conundrum you are Alec Lightwood."
"Why do you have to say my name like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like it's a name that you do not like saying. Did something happen before?"
"No but you're a Lightwood."
"So you have never been with a Lightwood."
Magnus shook his head. "I have never been with a Shadowhunter."
"So I am the first Shadowhunter that you've ever liked?"
"You are the very first that I have dated."
"Dated" said Alec, the word sounded strange coming from his lips. "So you like me. Why do you like me?"
"You're cute"
"That's all?"
"You are straightforward. You are stubborn. You are brash."
"I am not those things." Alec shook his head. "You said you wouldn't lie." A cool palm touched his heated cheek-his blush had not abated. Long nails ticked his ear and a thumb brushed along his cheekbone. He was frozen, staring into Magnus' catlike eyes.
"You who are content with being the dark star to someone else's supernova. Completely comfortable to remain in someone else's shadow. What if I were to make you my supernova? Would you agree to that, Alec?"
"Me?" asked Alec with scepticism. "I'm boring" he concluded flatly.
"No you're not." cooed Magnus, keeping his cool hand on Alec's cheek as he leaned closer. "You are like a puzzle, Alexander Lightwood. I like puzzles." He placed a kiss on the bridge of Alec's nose.
"I like you" Alec blurted out suddenly.
"There. That is being you" Magnus swooped in before Alec could react, capturing the Shadowhunter's lips in a soft and gentle kiss. He took him by the elbows and pulled the boy close. Magnus used his long, lean, hard body as a counter weight in case Alec decided to move. He guided the timid boy's hands to wrap around his waist then he wrapped his long limbs over the boy's shoulders, careful not to touch the healing leg. As their mouths were pressed together he could feel Alec relax. They had been practicing this kissing for a week or so now. Bit by bit the shadowhunter was getting comfortable with them being together.
Although shy, Alec was determined to reciprocate the warlock's ministrations. He pushed his head forward, answering the other's movements with his own. Such an expert Magnus was, his lips firm but soft, demanding but gentle at the same time. He touched the leather of Magnu's jacket, brazenly moving his hands beneath them and feeling over the warlock's thin shirt. He could feel the muscles move beneath his finger tips and sparked life into him. He kissed back with fervour.
He felt fingers touch him beneath his pull-over-cool fingers roaming on his chest and stomach. Magnus reached to play with his nipples making him gasp aloud. The warlock stopped the kiss, mouth finding new horizons on his neck. He could hear uneven breathing in his ear as the Magnus traced kisses all over his neck.
"Magnus" he moaned then bit his lip. That voice was embarrassing. He was afraid it would ruin the mood or even worse, make the warlock laugh at him. He forced back the moans coming from his throat.
Magnus, who noticed this, suddenly swiped a long wet line under his ear making him shiver uncontrollably. Nails traced over his nipples making him convulse. He could no longer more. He could not even think. He had just enough brain activity to process what the man was doing to him. His hands stilled on Magnus' waist, now gripping the lose white shirt which he was sure will be crumpled. Magnus stumbled onto him, forcing them more solidly against the ottoman. Then, in a snap the warlock was gone, so was the air in his lungs as he was pulled downward.
Alec landed on a hard chest, Magnus lying flat on his back beneath him. "Alec, I was crushing you."
"No you weren't. Now I am crushing you."
"I don't mind." Magnus pulled him back into a kiss by lacing a hand into his hair. Using his hands, he supported his weight to keep himself from pushing harder against the warlock. Magnus nipped his lips making jolt.
Magnus took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. Alec's mouth was hot against his. His tongue could feel the perfect row of sparkly white teeth. The Shadowhunter tasted like a weird potion that did not wash down properly. But he didn't mind at all. Behind is there was something distinctly Alec that he could taste, he just could not pin point it at the moment. Alec's hips on his were distracting his normally functioning mind. With Alec, he was not himself-he was somebody better.
"You should move you know" he mumbled against the boy's lips making Alec abruptly stop. He spread his leg, enough to fit one of Alec's between them. "That's better. Now more kissing." They kept kissing until they were out of breath, until Alec's arms had grown weak and he slumped against Magnus with a sigh.
"Are we finished?" asked Alec.
"That's up to you."
Alec thought for a while then propped himself on both elbows, looking down at Magnus. "I'm hungry."
Magnus replied with a Cheshire smile. "Let's eat." he said, pushing himself upward to a seating position. This caused Alec to awkwardly all on his lap. "That's fine too. But isn't it too early for that? We just started dating!"
There was a fierce blush on Alec's face as he scrambled to sit down. "Oww" he bit out, twisting his healing foot in a weird angle.
"Not too fast, Shadowhunter. Healing takes time." Magnus pressed himself against Alec's back, head resting on the other's shoulder, and arms wrapping around a tight stomach. Beneath his finger he could feel the gurgling noises that it made. He chuckled to himself, nuzzling his face on Alec's nape. "Rest it for five more minutes." He felt Alec nod.
The five minutes felt longer than an hour as they sat there in comfortable silence. Magnus was idly playing with Alec's fingers. Alec for the most part was concentrating on how to breathe. Being a Shadowhunter, he was not used to the affection. It was dizzying to have someone this close, this intimate with him. He could feel the warlocks heart strong and steady on his back. He could smell the other's scent that was a mixture of spices which he did not know. He leaned back unconsciously, waiting for five minutes to pass.
"Let's go" a nudge on his shoulder woke him up. Alec snapped his eyes open in surprise, bolting upright.
"How long was I out?"
"About an hour." said Magnus from behind, steamy breath tickling his ear. "I promise to return you home before sunrise. We still have time if we leave now."
Alec absently nodded, allowing the warlock to pull him up. Sleep still clouded his mind. Magnus was gentle in pulling him up, sitting him on the ottoman and redoing his shoes. He felt another kiss on his temple and a warm hand taking his own.
"Where are we going?"
"To eat, stupid."