AU, I guess. I wanted to write some Malec fluff, but I didn't want to add to the growing list of stories revolving around the wonderful page of CoG that is 423 (right? because I don't have my book with me xD) so I wrote this instead. I can't say I'm too fond of it, but it's Magnus and it's Alec so I'm posting it anyway :)
If I told you that I realized you're all I ever wanted "I told you so, oh I told you so
And it's killin' me to be so far away.
Would you tell me that you loved me too and would we cry together?
Or would you simply laugh at me and say:
I told you some day you'd come crawling back and asking me to take you in
I told you so, but you had to go
Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again".
- I Told You So, Carrie Underwood
Alec Lightwood was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor when his sister found him. Isabelle leaned against the doorframe, folded her arms across her chest, and stared at her brother.
"Alec? What are you doing?"
Alec looked at his sister, but Isabelle could tell he wasn't really seeing her.
"Thinking."
"Could you maybe think somewhere where you're not in everybody's way?"
He glared at her so fiercely that anyone else would have quavered. Isabelle simply took a few steps forward and sat beside him.
"Alright, I fold. What are you thinking about?"
He sighed, but Alec had always told his sister everything. When you had grown up a Shadowhunter, there wasn't all that many options as to whom you could share your secrets with. Isabelle knew everything- she even knew the things Jace didn't (or hadn't, anyway).
"Not what, who. Magnus."
Isabelle nodded sympathetically. Alec briefly wondered how sympathetic Isabelle could be, considering she had never exactly had problems with relationships, before he scolded himself and smiled slightly at her in thanks.
"Alec, I don't honestly know what to say."
He shot her a look as if saying, yeah right. She sighed.
"What I mean is I don't know what to say nicely."
"Isabelle, you never say anything nicely."
She nudged him with her shoulder, hard enough to remind him that she was quite capable of rearranging his face.
"Fine, but just remember, you asked for it." Having said that, she moved so she was kneeling in front of him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she told him firmly, "You are an idiot."
"How does that help my situation at all?"
"Alec! God! Magnus loves you, alright? And I know you're a little new to this love thing, but if somebody loves you and you love them back, most people don't mope around the house, most people go out and frolic with the person they love. Not to mention that frolicking with Magnus could mean a great deal of expensive, designer clothes for me."
"So the only reason you want this to happen is so you can get free clothes?"
"No, you great idiot. I want this to happen because you are my brother and I love you and I want you to be happy, and when you're with Magnus you're happier then I've ever seen you. So get off your ass and go tell him you love him because I'm sick of watching you mope."
Alec didn't move. Isabelle slumped so she was sitting cross legged on the floor.
"What now?"
"It's just... what if he doesn't want to be with me anymore?"
He mistook the look on her face as confusion and went on. "What if he just laughs? Or, what if he says, I told you so, or something? Or what if he's found someone else?"
The look Isabelle gave him was even more intense then the one he had shot her earlier; Alec winced away from the angry, accusing look in her eyes.
"Have I told you you're an idiot?"
"Frequently."
"Obviously not frequently enough! Alec, I don't know a clearer way to explain this- Magnus loves you. He is not going to laugh at you, he is not with someone else, and he is not going to say I told you so! Why would he even say that, anyway?"
He shrugged. "Like, 'I told you so, I told you you'd come crying back, but I'm with someone else now, and get out.'"
Isabelle hit him on the head. "Alec Lightwood, you big idiot, get off your ass and go tell Magnus you love him or, by the Angel, I... I don't know what I'll do, but it'll be very painful!"
Alec quickly scrambled to his feet. You didn't mess with Isabelle, especially not when she was swearing on the Angel.
---
He didn't know how long he stood outside Magnus's door, fingering the fringe on his brown (once black, but faded) sweater, trying to work up the nerve to knock. It wasn't until he remembered Isabelle's words that he raised a fist and banged on the door.
It opened almost immediately, and Alec saw Magnus, eying him with a slightly amused look, hair spiky and streaked with gold and blue. His eye shadow, Alec saw, occasionally flashed different colours.
"Did you know you were standing outside my door for 13 minutes and 27 seconds?" At Alec's blank look, he added, "I was counting."
Alec swallowed around the large lump in his throat. "Can I come in?"
"It would be rude of me not to let you, don't you think, after you've graced my step for so long?"
Alec took that as a yes and stepped inside. He noticed that Magnus moved aside so that there was no way they would touch. Alec's heart sank.
They stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Well, Alec stood awkwardly. Magnus appeared perfectly at ease. He even made a pot of tea, which Alec refused when offered. Magnus pursed his lips.
"You shouldn't refuse when someone offers you something, Alexander, especially if they won't to all the work making it. Well, okay, all the work summoning it from the shop down the street. But the gesture is the same."
Somewhere inside Alec, the little box where he stored all of his feelings burst. It did this sometimes- there was just too much bottled up.
"Magnus, stop it!"
Magnus stopped and stared at Alec in surprise. "What?"
"Just, stop! I get it, okay- you're over me, you don't care, whatever, but you could have been a little more gentle about it! But you're just acting like nothing even happened, and that's all fine and dandy for you but what about me?"
Magnus's cat-eyed narrowed. He stared at Alec. "I thought you were here to tell me you were over me."
Alec blinked in surprise. "Why would I do that?"
Magnus threw up his hands in exasperation. "I don't know, Alec, maybe because for the past while every time you see me you act like I'm a stick of dynamite that's going to blow up and broadcast the words 'Alec Lightwood is gay' across the sky! Or maybe because lately you've been acting like nothing ever happened and that you don't care!" Magnus took a deep breath through his nose, before suddenly turning around and taking a teacup down from a cupboard. He poured the tea dreadfully slowly, until he had calmed down enough to face the Shadowhunter in front of him.
"What you want, Alec? Just be truthful. No more games."
The word that escaped Alec's mouth surprised both of them. "You."
Magnus's eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up. "You have a funny way of showing it."
Alec crossed the room and took the teacup out of Magnus's hands. The older boy looked down at his hands as Alec grabbed them in his own.
"I'm sorry, alright! I'm sorry, I was stupid. I was an idiot. But can you blame me? You've had centuries to get used to this. I haven't had centuries."
Magnus pursed his lips. "I suppose I did have an advantage. Plus, I don't have the Clave breathing down my neck. Yet," he added. Alec's whole body sagged in relief.
"Does this mean you forgive me?"
"Forgive you? Alec, I was never mad at you."
Alec looked at him oddly. Magnus continued. "How could I be mad at you? You were confused. You were upset. You thought you were in love with Jace. This was all new to you. I was upset, sure, but I was upset because I loved you and I was causing you pain, and I was upset because I adore being with you, and you haven't been around so much lately. How could I be mad at you?" He asked again. "You're too damn cute, anyway," he added thoughtfully, touching Alec on the nose.
Alec shook his head. "You weren't causing me pain."
"I was too."
"You weren't."
Magnus smiled. "Don't argue with me, Alec. I always win."
Alec smiled. "Fine. But you seemed so... unaffected! You got tea and everything."
One of Magnus's arms slid around Alec's waist and pulled him closer. "I was acting, honey. You been around as long as I have, you learn to act pretty damn well. I could be in movies, if I wanted to."
"Do you?"
Magnus brought his forehead to Alec's. "No. I'm fine where I am. I could get you into movies, though. Or a recording contract. Anything you wanted, really-"
Alec pressed his lips against Magnus's, revelling in the much needed contact. When the need to breathe became prominent, they pulled away.
"I'm fine where I am, too."
---
Isabelle was waiting up when Alec got home, much later that night. He stopped when he saw his sister, blushing furiously, but she simply squeezed his hand and walked off, but not before telling him,
"I told you so."