A/N:
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it.
This contains spoilers for 'Born to Endless Night', and some spoilers for Lady Midnight. Just thought I'd let you know.
Enjoy!

First Love

When Alec Lightwood came home after an exhausting day of training at the institute with his adoptive brother and parabatai, Jace, all he wanted was a long-awaited night of sleep. That is not, however, what happened.

Standing in front of his house, Alec Lightwood frantically looked for his keys, and realized that he had, once again, forgotten them inside. He ran a hand through his hair and pushed the buzzer of his own front door.

,,WHO DARES DISTURB THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN THIS LATE IN THE EVENING?", Magnus' voice was coming through the speaker. Magnus was indeed the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He was also, and this was a task that he considered far more important, Alec's husband and father of two children.

,,You'd think I'd get used to you yelling through this thing after all these years, but funnily enough I haven't." The minute Alec uttered a word, the door opened.

,,Alexander, darling. You forgot your keys again, I see. Maybe I should just attach them to your jacket. Or make them do the thing Percy Jackson's sword does. It magically appears back in his pocket when he loses it. I guess, I would be able to do that."

,,Am I supposed to know this Percy Jackson guy. Because I don't remember—"

,,He's not real." That explained a lot. Magnus was always up-to-date about everything, while Alec was just… not. ,,But I'd love to tell you all about him, if you would just come inside. Why are you still standing there in the cold?"

Alec stepped inside and was greeted with the usual warmth of his home. He took the stairs two at a time, like he always did, and opened the door to the loft he shared with his family.

Magnus was seated on the couch in front of Alec. Magnus' green cat-eyes lit up when Alec walked in. They'd been married for a couple years, now and had been together for many more, but Alec still made Magnus' eyes gleam and Magnus still made Alec's heart beat faster whenever he came closer. And that's exactly what happened when Magnus got up to kiss his husband hello; Alec's heart started beating faster, his breathing increased and he was filled with a sense of happiness. He still felt the same as he had when he

was eighteen and their relationship was just beginning.

He remembered. Alec had been so nervous on their first date, he had managed to embarrass himself more than once.

After a couple seconds of drowning in each other and the memories, they pulled away. Alec looked around. Magnus had the habit of changing the loft's style every few days.

Today it had an Italian touch to it.

,,Where are the boys?", Alec asked. The boys referring to Max and Raphaël; the sons Magnus and Alec adopted as they could not have children of their own, obviously. Max was a thirteen-year old boy, with a skin the colour of blueberries; his warlock mark. Raphaël was a boy Alec found living on the street when he was on a mission in Buenos Aires. The boy had been alone. He had the Sight and was therefore able to see all the creatures that other people couldn't. He thought he was going crazy, so Magnus and Alec decided to adopt him.

,,Rafe's in his room, doing God-knows-what! Probably playing videogames again. And Max isn't home yet, which, considering the time, makes him quite late."

,,What's he doing?"

,,He said he was going out for a bit. He didn't tell me what exactly he was going to do, though I did try to get it out of him." Magnus moved to the kitchen. ,,But you know how teenagers are, why would he tell his father anything?"

Alec heard the irritation in Magnus' voice, even though he tried his best to conceal it, and snickered.

,,Why are you laughing?", Magnus asked.

,,You're annoyed that he won't talk to you."

,,No, I am not. If he decides to hide things from, then that's his choice.", he snapped his fingers and blue, glittering light shot from his fingertips. All at once the dishes were done. ,,Well, maybe I am a little bit annoyed."

,,If it makes you feel better", Ale said, placing his hand on Magnus' arm. ,,I didn't tell my parents anything, either."

,,Yes, but Alec, dear, that is because you are gay and you were afraid your parents would kick you out of the clave. What does Max has to hide from us? Does he think we're going to judge him. Has he actually seen me?" Magnus pointed at himself and Alec had to admit that he was right. Magnus was wearing bright green pants, was wearing tons of makeup, had painted his nails black and was, as always, covered in glitter.

,,I wouldn't worry too much. If it's about something serious, I'm sure he'll talk to us and otherwise we'll notice.", said Alec in a reassuring tone. He pecked Magnus on the lips, and took his hands. He pulled him to the living room and sat down on the leather sofa.

,,Apart from Max, how was your day?", Alec asked. He tried to change the subject to make Magnus feel a little better.

,,Boring. This woman wanted me to raise Lucifer. I really don't know where she got that idea. As if I could raise Satan himself. I'm not even sure he's real.", Magnus snuggled closer to Alec and put his head on Alec's chest and sighed. A deep, dramatic sigh, which Magnus did quite often when talking about things job-related. ,,So I told her I couldn't do it and she offered me all this money and she just wouldn't believe me and in the end I told her I was Lucifer because she was annoying the Hell out of me, but she still didn't believe me and said: ,,Aren't you a little too hot to be Lucifer?", which is not a joke. She actually said that. So I answered: ,,How else am I going to convince people to drop God and join me?" and I turned my eyes red and kicked her out. I probably scared her for life. Anyway, how was your day?"

While Alec was telling about Jace worrying if Clary, his wife, still loved him (which she obviously did) Chairman Meow jumped onto the couch and made himself comfortable on Magnus' lap. Magnus laughed at some of the stories Alec was telling. Especially at the parts where Jace did something stupid. Magnus still pretended not to like Jace very much. At the beginning of his relationship with Alec, Alec had 'been in love', with Jace. Or at least he had thought so. Of course, Magnus had learned to tolerate, say even to like Jace.

But he would never admit that last part.

After they sat like that for about fifteen minutes, they heard the door front door open and a couple of seconds later Max entered the loft.

Without talking to his parents he dropped his keys on the table and headed for his room. Magnus tried calling him, but Max didn't answer. Magus was already getting up to see if

the warlock-child was okay, but Alec pushed him back down.

,,No, wait. Maybe I could talk to him. I mean, if you tried to get information out of him earlier, and didn't succeed, maybe I'll have more luck." Magnus considered this for a moment and sat back down. Usually he was the one that talked to the boys when they had a problem. It just happened like that. Alec didn't like to talk about his feelings that much and Magnus had a lot of experience with basically everything. Seen as he had been alive for over three-hundred years. But, what Magnus didn't know was that Alec used to listen to Izzy talk about her 'love life' quite a lot. And the look in Max' eyes had been one he recognized from his sister. It was the look of teenage heartbreak.
Alec got up and walked to the corridor. Max's room was at the far end, in front of Raphael's room. Alec and Magnus had one a little bit further away to create some privacy.

He knocked on his son's room. ,,Hey, it's me."

,,Come in." Max's voice sounded weak through the door. He had always been the more joyful one of the boys and hearing his voice like that, surprised Alec.
He opened the door and closed it behind him. He was greeted by the sight of Max lying on his bed. His blue eyes, that Magnus always said reminded him of Alec's, were pointed at the ceiling. He didn't look up, when Alec entered the room. He had identified him by his voice, already.

Alec went to sit next to Max on the bed and asked: ,,Are you euhm… okay?"

At this Max did turn his head to look at his father. He sighed a lot like Magnus did on the couch earlier. ,,Yes. I am okay. I'm not good, or fine. I'm just okay."
Alec thought Max probably picked up the art to be dramatic from Magnus, too.

,,Do you want to tell me what's wrong?", Alec asked. He kind of regretted that he didn't let Magnus come, already. Talking to people was never Alec's strong point, whereas Magnus talked with the same ease as he breathed the air into his lungs.

,,I don't know.", Max answered.

,,Do you want to talk to Magnus? I can get him if you want." He was already getting up, but Max took hold of his arm and stopped.

,,No, it's okay. I'll talk to you."

,,Okay, then", Alec made himself comfortable against the headboard. ,,Tell me. What's wrong."

Max sighed again. ,,Well, see there's this girl I met."

,,Ah."

,,And I really, really, really like her, you know. I mean, how can I not? She's so pretty and sweet and extremely smart. I just can't help it, you know? But the thing is, she doesn't even know what I really look like. She doesn't know I'm blue, and it would freak her out if she did, right?"

,,How did you meet a mundane girl?" The boys were friends with Jace and Izzy's children, and some other kids that came to the institute sometimes. They didn't go to school. But were educated at the Institute.

,,I was waiting for the bus and she was, too. And then she smiled at me and it made me so happy. So I went to talk to her and she was really nice and…".

Alec listened to Max talk about this girl. About the colour her eyes were, about how perfect she was, how she always made him laugh. (,,But the good kind of laughing, not like I was making fun of her or something.") He listened to him without getting bored. It was his son's first love, after all. You can't just ignore that. When Max was done and asked him what to do, Alec thought deep and hard.

,,Well, does she like you too?"

,,I think so. She always laughs at my jokes and she does this thing with her hair. She, like, twirls it around her fingers when I'm talking."

,,I'm not an expert when it comes to girls, as you well know, but I think I heard people say that that's a good sign. Another sign is if she keeps looking down at your lips"

Max thought for a second.

,,Yeah, she does that, too."

,,She wants you to kiss her." At this Max sat up straight and looked at Alec sternly, as if he was trying to make sure he wasn't lying to him.

,,You think? But I'm not prepared for that! I've never kissed anyone. What if I do it wrong?"

Alec laughed. He remembered his first kiss. It had been with Magnus. Alec had had no idea of what he was doing. He fell down the stairs, after.

,,You won't do it wrong. When it happens, you just know what to do. Believe me."

,,Really? Because I'd really like to kiss her."

,,I'd say: ,,Go for it!""

,,I think she asked me on a date, earlier. She texted me and asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with her."

,,Definitely a date.", Alec confirmed.

Max nodded and looked at Alec. ,,Thanks. For listening to me. You really helped."

,,You know you can always tell me anything. Even if it's bad. Whatever you tell me, I've probably done worse."

,,I like talking to you. I like talking to Dad, too. But it's different."

,,About that,", Alec remembered Magnus concerns about Max not trusting him. ,,Magnus was wondering why you wouldn't tell him what you were doing. He thinks you don't trust him because you didn't want to talk to him."

Max shook his head. ,,It's not that I don't trust him. Of course I do and he gives good advice. It's just that… I don't know… he's lived for so long and I didn't think he'd find my problems that important. And he always makes a big deal out of everything."

,,Hey. Of course you can talk to him. He wants you to talk to him. It's true, he's lived for a very long time, but he always tells me that you and Rafe are the single most important things that ever happened to him."

,,We. He always says that we are the single most important things in his life. You, too." Alec smiled. Max was right. That is what Magnus always said.

,,Yeah, and you're also the most important things in my life. Not that a lot of important things happened to me, but still…"

,,Except for, you know, saving the world from complete destruction."

,,It was really Clary who did all the work."

,,But you helped."

,,That's true."

,,'I did not make a pie for three reasons'", Max said, trying to imitate a, what he imagined was a younger Alec. They both started laughing. The pie story was a story Jace loved to tell to make fun of Alec. Alec couldn't imagine saying anything like that, now. But he hadn't been entirely himself. He had been afraid for Magnus's life so much, that he wasn't able to function properly. That's what he told Jace when he decided to tell that story once again. And every time he did, Magnus looked at him with such a loving look, he couldn't help but repeat it.

,,Saving the world is a pretty important thing to do. But I'd give up the world if it meant I could keep you guys safe."

Max smiled.

,,Can I tell Dad what you just told me? I'm sure he's dying to know what we're discussing."

,,Yes. But tell him not to make a big deal out of it."

,,I'll try, but I can't promise you anything. We're talking about your first love and potential first kiss, here. That's big, you know." And for the first time that night, Max blushed. Alec always thought it was the most adorable thing. His cheeks turned purple instead of red, because of his blue skin.

,,Dad!", Max exclaimed. Alec got up from the bed and opened the door.

,,Dad?", he heard behind him. He turned around and Max was looking at him. ,,I love you."

Alec thought he'd never get used to those words. It didn't matter how many times his sons told him they loved him, every time they did, it filled his heart with so much joy he thought he'd explode from happiness. It made him feel like he was doing a good job. Because that's what he was supposed to do, right? He was supposed to make his sons happy and, above all, he had to make them feel loved. To make sure they never felt alone and always had someone to come to.

,,I know. I love you, too. So, so much.", and he stepped outside the room, closing the door behind him.

Magnus was sitting on the couch watching reruns of his favourite TV-show, but when Alec entered the room he turned the TV off immediately.

Alec sat down on the back of the couch and was silent for a moment.

,,Does he hate me?", Magnus asked. The look in his eyes was one of real concern. He wasn't being sarcastic for once.

,,Of course he doesn't hate you, Magnus."

,,What's happened to him then?"

,,He's in love."

,,Ah, the confusion and pain of Childhood love is a beautiful thing.", he mused.

,,Who was your first love?", Alec asked. There had been a time when Magnus didn't like talking about his past, but that was a long time ago.

,,Rosemarie. She was such a pretty little girl. She had these rosy cheeks and bright red hair.", Magnus answered, sounding nostalgic.

,,Like Clary's hair?"

,,No, it was more Strawberry blonde, actually."

Alec was surprised Magnus remembered her so well. It was such a long time ago and Magnus must still have been a child. But maybe you were never really able to forget your first love, no matter how hard you tried.

,,Well, you know mine.", Alec said and moved to sit down next to Magnus on the couch.

,,I assume you're talking about Golden Boy?", Magnus asked.

,,I'm not talking about Jace. You were my first love!" Magnus's eyes started to twinkle at this and he leaned closer to kiss Alec. They kissed for some time, though Alec was never able to tell how many time passed when they were close like this. It just flew. After a moment, Magnus pulled back.

,,It still doesn't explain why he didn't want to talk to me.", Magnus said. He was frowning.

,,He thought you wouldn't think it was important because so many things happened to you already." Magnus was clearly bothered by this. He narrowed his cat eyes and his face fell. ,,But, don't worry. I told him you wanted him to talk to you and he believed me."

,,I'll go see him before bed. Tell him myself. I don't want him to think like that."

,,He also said that he was afraid you'd make a big deal out of it." That seemed to make Magnus somewhat happier.

,,So tell me about this girl."

,,He's planning on kissing her on their next date."

,,Oh, really?"

,,I advised him to do it."

,,I hope it goes right. Remember when you fell off the stairs after our first kiss?"

,,I won't ever live this down, am I?"

,,No."

And as they talked, Alec realised that he told Max the truth. If he had to decide between saving the world and saving his family, he'd always choose his family.

A/N:
So, what do you think? Was it any good?
I enjoyed writing it a great deal and I hope you enjoyed it just as much!

Love,
Vlindervin