Alec watched Magnus walk away, those sad, betrayed eyes, breaking his heart. He'd screwed up, he knew that, but he didn't think it would end everything.

He could barely breathe, and he wanted to call out, to make the warlock stop. He wanted to tell him that he loved him, that he was sorry, but he'd said it before and it hadn't changed anything.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't lie."

So, Alec held his breath, and tried not to break apart as Magnus left him.

Magnus was furious, he couldn't believe Alec could keep something so important from him. The soul sword was missing, with Valentine. It would put the whole downworld at risk, and yet again Alec chose his job over someone he was supposed to love.

Magnus wiped his cheek angrily, mad that his tears would betray him. He needed to tell them others, the downworlders needed to know.

…..

"You'll work it out, he'll forgive you. Just give him time." Jace was trying to placate his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. But Alec was too upset, and he stood from where he'd been sitting at the edge of Jace's bed, to pace instead.

"No, this was…you should have seen his face. He trusted me more than anyone else, and I lied to him. I didn't want to, I was going to tell him, but I didn't want him to have to lie to his people. I…I don't think he's going to forgive me, Jace."

Alec sniffed and covered his face with a shaking hand. His first relationship, and it had been perfect, Magnus was perfect, and he'd screwed it up. His voice came out strained.

"I don't want to lose him."

Arms wrapped around him, and he hugged Jace back as he tried to stop from crying. Jace could feel the panic and hurt through the bond, and he would do anything to take it away.

"He loves you, Alec. He'll come around." Jace knew he would, because he'd talk to him himself. He and Magnus had made a promise to always protect Alec, and now that had been broken.

"I'm never going to let anyone hurt him."

"That makes two of us."

Jace's chest began bubbling with anger. He'd trusted Magnus with his brother's heart, and he'd broken it. He knew Alec had lied, but didn't he at least deserve the chance to explain? He couldn't stand to see his Parabatai so upset.

He was about to say something else when alarms started blaring. Alec pulled himself from Jace's hold, wiping his face and switching into his 'head of the institute' state.

"What's that? Is that a perimeter breach?"

The two men ran out to find the cause of the trouble, and oh did they find it.

Magnus paced his apartment, going over their argument in his head. His anger was calming, but he still couldn't get past the feeling of complete betrayal. Alec had hurt him, deeply, and he couldn't look at him without thinking about what else he could be hiding.

He'd been completely honest with Alec about his past and Alec couldn't..?

Magnus frowned, feeling guilty. Because, he hadn't been honest at first. He'd lied to Alec for almost a week about how he'd been feeling, he'd hidden it and pretended he was fine until Alec had to drag the truth out of him.

Alec had hidden something important but he had said he was going to tell him. It just hadn't been the right time?

"Dammit." Magnus was going back and forth now, seeing both his and Alec's side.

He would have to talk it out eventually but it still hurt too much for that right now.

The warlock was pulled from his thoughts when his phone started ringing.

He sighed, annoyed, and went to retrieve it.

It was Isabelle. He declined the call.

Two seconds later it rang again, and the warlock considered turning it off before something stopped him. A creeping feeling, like the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, made him stop and pick up the call instead.

"Isabelle, if you're calling plead your brothers case you can save it, I-"

The girl interrupted, voice frantic and full of tears.

"Magnus please, we need you. It's bad, it's really bad, Oh by the angel. Alec, hold on okay? Just breathe, you'll be okay. Jace hold him still."

Her voice broke as she spoke to her brother, choking on a sob that made it hard to hear what she was saying.

Magnus' heart lurched in his chest. He could hear coughs and splutters in the background, and Jace's voice mumbling reassurances over and over.

His own voice came out small and scared. "Alec?"

Izzy sobbed again, forcing her words out. "He's… Oh god, Magnus please help him."

Fingers clicked, a portal opened, and the warlock stepped into the institute. Shadowhunters were running all over the place, dragging downworlders to cells, handcuffed or limp. There was destruction all around him, and no sign of the Lightwood children.

"Alec!" He could no longer control his panic as he searched for any sign of his beloved angel. He almost forgot about the phone in his hand until Isabelle voice came through it.

"We're in the weapons room, hurry! Alec don't close your eyes!"

Magnus sprinted to where he could hear sobs coming from. He was almost there when a scream of agony ripped through the institute, echoing off the walls and making every Nephilim freeze to stare. It was Jace.

Magnus ran faster, finally arriving to see his Alexander. He was laying in his brother's arms, as Jace rocked him, sobbing over the limp, bleeding body of his Parabatai.

There was a stab wound on Alec's side, big and ugly, as if the blade that caused it had been thrust into him with pure hate and rage. His shirt was torn and hanging from him, as blood coated his entire torso and pooled on the floor.

He wasn't breathing.

Jace screamed his brother's name, agony overtaking everything else, because he could feel Alec slipping away. It felt as though he had one of Alec's hand in his, as he dangled over a cliff; their fingers slipping, with only an inch left, seconds away from death.

Izzy was sobbing next to them, one hand clutching her chest in pain, as she tried to breathe through her panic and grief, the other holding one of Alec's limp, bloodied hands.

Magnus ran over to them, dropping to his knees beside the trio. Alec's eyes were closed and his lips were splattered with blood.

Magnus couldn't breathe. He didn't even get to say goodbye, didn't get to tell him he loved him more than anything. He wouldn't get to see those beautiful eyes, or taste those soft lips ever again.

They were supposed to have more time.

Light filled the room as magic poured from Magnus' hands. He would not lose Alec.

His body filled with more power he'd ever felt before, using all his rage, and hurt, and love, and grief, as he poured life into Alexander.

His hands hovered over the wound, filling it with light and forcing his tired body to heal.

Jace gasped, feeling his Parabatai bond returning.

It took so much energy, Magnus could feel his own body growing weaker, but finally, thankfully, Alec sucked in a breath and those eyes flew open.

His chest heaved as the wound stopped bleeding, and although his eyes were unfocused, they were open. Jace and Isabelle began crying once more, this time with relief, and Magnus managed a smile and a whisper.

"My love." His magic spluttered out, his energy waning, and the black consumed him.

….

Alec woke up in time to see Magnus pass out, and so, the next day when both were better rested, they finally got the reunion they deserved.

Magnus woke in a soft bed, and instinctually rolled over to pull Alec to him, like he did most mornings. But as he tried to move he found his body weak, and the space beside him cold, and he remembered what happened. The warlock flung himself up, stumbling from the bed as he rushed out of the shadowhunters room he'd been staying in.

He didn't have time to recognise Jace's clothes through the room before he ran out, desperate to find out what happened to his beloved Nephilim.

Panting in the hallway, not knowing which way to go, he paused, and heard that beautiful voice that he'd know anywhere. It was coming from the next room, and Magnus ran for it, bursting into the room to see Alec sitting in his bed, his siblings around him.

They were talking, their voices hushed as Jace explained. "I don't know how it got out, but the downworlders found out about the soul sword being missing. One of the vampires involved was interrogated and she said they wanted to kill you as revenge against the Clave. I think it was the seelie queen that told everyone but I checked, and Magnus wasn't involved at all. It must have been one of the seelie queen's spies."

Alec's voice came, sad and small. "I knew he wouldn't do something like that, but this is the exact reason I couldn't tell him. And now more people are hurt and Magnus still hates me."

Alec's eyes snapped to Magnus' as he came in, and his mouth formed the shape of his name, unable to make anything come out.

Magnus' eyes filled with tears as he ran to the bed, launching himself at the shadowhunter and pulling him into his arms. He cried into Alec's shoulder as the Lightwood hugged him back.

"Alexander, you're okay. You're here, you're alive."

Alec was still sore, his wound not healed completely but stitched and bandaged instead. But he didn't even notice the pain as he held his boyfriend in his arms.

"Magnus, I'm so sorry."

The warlock pulled back, running a hand over Alec's cheek.

"For what?"

"For lying to you. I was going to tell you, but there's so much going on and I was worried and-"

Magnus shook his head, wiping at his eyes as he reassured then man.

"All is forgiven Alexander. I don't care about that right now, I'm just glad you're okay. Just promise me, you won't lie again."

Alec nodded, hands still holding Magnus' waist as if he never wanted to let go.

"I promise."

Magnus smiled and brushed his boyfriend's hair back, pulling him close for a kiss. "I love you, angel."

Alec pressed his own smiling mouth to those soft lips, and pressed his forehead to Magnus'.

"I love you too, Maggie."