A/N: I have been working on this story for a week and just didn't have it right at any point in time. I literally re-wrote this about four times. I just wrote this today and it took me a good amount of time and I didn't even proof read it so I apologize for any mistakes or confusion! This story is also why I haven't updated my other stories! This one-shot has been on my mind for awhile and I needed it to be posted on Valentines Day (even though now it is technically not Valentines Day anymore). Oh well, I got this story out and I am just happy I wrote it even if it's not all that great!
If you are familiar with my writing then you know I love reviews! So pleaseeeeee review and do enjoy yourselves! (:
Alec POV
I woke up with a stiff neck and burning eyes. That's usually how it goes when I get very little sleep. The sleep I get ends up being restless and I find myself in awkward positions across my mattress. My eyes burn to be closed again but I know I have to drag myself up and downstairs for training like I do everyday.
I smacked my hand on top of the alarm clock to make it stop the annoying beeping and forced myself into an upright position.
I don't need to look at the clock to know it's 5 am. How much sleep did I get? 2 hours? Just about.
Demon hunting went late again last night and after that I was restless in my own bed. I'm use to being with Magnus during the nights but I didn't want to wake him up at 1 in the morning to ask him to heal me so I stayed at the Institute and waited patiently until the Iratze healed my wounds. I didn't attempt sleeping until 2 and an hour later found myself asleep, some what asleep that is.
With a yawn I got out of bed and dressed myself in gear to go and train. I have been so stressed lately with the recent outbreak of demons. There have been several sightings across Manhattan and Jace, Izzy and I have been the ones to take care of them but not without a great number of injuries and growing exhaustion.
I shut the door to my bedroom and headed downstairs where I smelled something awful coming from the kitchen. I walked in and found Isabelle at the stove cursing at the pan holding something brown and lumpy.
"What is that?" Jace asked, walking in from the other side of Isabelle where the kitchen meets the dining room.
"A pancake! A damn pancake!" She exclaimed angrily and carried the pan over to the trash and dumped the so called pancake into it.
Jace sat at the barstool and rubbed his hands across his face with a groan. "Will we ever get a nights rest?"
"Probably not." I said groggily. Both Jace and Isabelle looked at me and I realized they hadn't seen me standing there. Well, leaning there against the doorframe half awake and half asleep.
"Alec? Why aren't you with Magnus?" Isabelle asked with concern as she attempted to clean the burnt pan.
"He stayed here so I could heal him remember?" Jace answered for me in a mumble.
"Yeah but I at least thought he would want to wake up beside his boyfriend on today of all days." She said. "Are you guys fighting?"
I blinked at her. "What? No of course not. What's so important about today?" I asked with a frown and Isabelles eyes grew wide and she shot her head to Jace probably seeking help but he looked just as confused.
"Seriously?" She asked us both.
"Izzy, what is it?" I asked, starting to get frustrated now. Not even twenty minutes awake and the exhaustion is already taking a toll on my emotions, that has to be a new record.
"Valentines Day!" She exclaimed as if it is the most obvious answer.
Jace and I looked at each other with confusion mixed with horror and then back to Isabelle.
"No." Jace said, sounding in denial and slightly panicked.
"Yes." She said with raised eye brows. "Simon is taking me out tonight. I was only assuming you were taking Clary out and that Alec would be spending all of today with Magnus, considering they practically live together."
It's true, I pretty much live with Magnus. The only time I stay at the Institute is when out parents are home and in cases like last night. I usually show up here in the morning to train and then head back to Magnus' for the day until I'm called out on a demon hunt.
But. Valentines Day? I didn't even realize it was February! What? Why hasn't Magnus said anything? By the angel, what if he did say something and I forgot? I have been forgetting so much lately, like last night when I forgot how to get my Seraph blade to work.
"Ohh, you two have got some work to do." Isabelle said with unease in her tone that made me swallow hard.
Jace has his head in his hands, the position he usually takes when he is generally freaking out. When he looks back up, he looked more tired than he had before, if that is even possible; as opposed to I who is feeling more awake than I have in weeks.
What the hell am I suppose to do?
"Isabelle you need to help me figure something out for, Clary. I-I can't even believe I forgot. She is going to hate me." He trailed off and dropped his head to the counter. "How could she have not said something?" He grumbled.
"Girls expect you to remember." Isabelle shrugged. "I'll help you."
"Help me too." I added quickly. "I don't even know what Magnus would want. How do you shop for a Valentines Day gift?" I realized I said the last part aloud instead of in my head. I have never celebrated Valentines Day before. All that goes through my mind when I think of it is hearts and candy and lovey-dovey couples that I use to throw up at the sight of. Now, I realize, I am one of the lovey-dovey couples.
Isabelle sighed. "You boys are going to need all the time you can get." She thought a moment and Jace and I stared at Isabelle. "Here's what is going to happen," She said with a new found excitement. "We are cancelling Shadowhunter training. It's time for some Love training." Isabelle smirked and did a little dance at the name like she is proud. "First thing is first." She snapped with glee. "We watch the Valentines Day movie."
"They made a movie?" Jace groaned.
"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Come on! We need to get into the flower pedal and heart-shaped candy spirit!" She pulled Jace from the bar stool and walked towards me and took my wrist in her other hand, that is not holding Jaces, and led us into the living room behind where I was standing and pushed us onto the couch.
Isabelle put in the movie and plopped down onto the couch in between Jace and I. "No sleeping." She demanded of us and we both nodded in agreement. Though Jace probably isn't making any promises while I am quite the opposite. How could I possibly sleep after this panic attack I feel myself having? I forgot the one day that is most important to mine and Magnus' relationship. What kind of boyfriend am I?
The movie started and I thought to myself, this is going to be a long day.
The movie was much better than I had expected and I found myself actually enjoying it while I watched as well as feeling good afterwards. It's one of those movies that just make you feel good after you see it.
"If that doesn't get you into the spirit I don't know what does!" Isabelle beamed and took out the movie from the DVD player.
"And what exactly is our next step, Cupid?" Jace asked, sounding hesitant like he was worried for the answer.
"We get ready for the day! Shower up and dress nice and then we go shopping!" She said, placing the movie back into its slot in the drawer and then walked over to us. "Chop chop, now is not the time to be lazy. You want my help, you're getting it. Come on." She said and I followed her out of the room, dragging Jace along with me.
In my room, I immediately went to my phone knowing that I should text Magnus and let him know everything is alright when I saw I already have a message from him:
From: Magnus Bane (7:01am)
Morning, darling. :*
I smiled down at my phone and typed back a response quickly.
To: Magnus Bane (7:15am)
Morning, love. I'm sorry I didn't call, it was late when I finished with hunting and I didn't want to disturb you so I stayed at the Institute. Hope you don't mind, miss you already. :*
I pressed send and started getting ready to shower, I turned on the faucet and walked back into my room to find something to wear. Do I have anything left that is decent? I opened the closet. Nope. Mostly Shadowhunter gear and dark jeans and black t-shirts. I sighed in relief, I wont be needing to wear anything ridiculous and Isabelle can't get mad when I literally have nothing else to wear.
My phone vibrate on my bed and I grinned already knowing who it is from.
From: Magnus Bane (7:19am)
You could never disturb me, darling. I will be out most of the day, I have some things I need to take care of for my absurd clients. Ugh! Anyway, I will see you tonight? Miss and love you.
I was relieved to know that Magnus will be preoccupied for the day because there is no way I could've turned him down if he requested to see me right now. I wouldn't be able to say hey, I can't. Isabelle is trying to help me with last minute Valentines Day gifts and plans because I'm a terrible boyfriend that forgot about it. Nope. No way would I say that.
But Magnus already has plans for today? Maybe he forgot what day it is as well? One could only hope.
To: Magnus Bane (7:21am)
No problem. See you tonight. Love you :*
I sent it and was stripping my cloths off when I got another message.
From: Magnus Bane (7:22am)
:) :*
I giggled at this. Is there a time when Magnus is not adorable? Never. That thought alone only makes me even more angry that I forgot about today.
Ugh!
I was showered and dressed and standing at the Institute doors with Jace around eight o'clock. Jace and I both wore our simple clothes we would wear if we went to Takis. He mumbled something about not needing to wear fancy clothes when he wont be seeing Clary until later. Which he did text her and tell her to meet him at the Institute at six tonight, not that he had any clue as to what it is they will be doing.
Isabelle came down just then, wearing light-blue jeans and a pink frilly blouse with a white jacket on top and a frown on her face. "Tell me you are not wearing-"
"Don't." Jace cut her off and explained everything he just explained to me in great length and detail, making Isabelle sigh in frustration after a brief argument over fashion.
"Fine we will worry about outfits later and now we have a deadline of 5 pm."
"I said 6." Jace corrected.
"5 because of preparations." She stated. Although I doubt Jace is going to need an hour to change his clothes. "Lets go." She said and the three of us walked out onto the cold and busy New York streets.
As the day kept moving, I became more and more nervous with each ticking second. Half the day has passed and I am still clueless about what to buy Magnus and what to do for him tonight. Isabelle has been less of a help than I thought. All her suggestions just didn't feel right, not for Valentines Day at least. None of it seemed to be romantic or intimate enough. Although Jace found some use for them, it all seemed a bit cliché for me.
Isabelle wished she could give us an example to follow by telling us what Simon is doing for her but apparently it is a 'surprise'. But the one thing Isabelle is good at is knowing what a woman wants and on Valentines Day; they want and love chocolate, flowers and teddy bears as well as expensive dinners under the stars.
Nothing gets more cliché than that, not to be rude or anything- my exhaustion is showing again. Besides, that advice was being given to Jace, not me.
I sighed heavily. I want to do something different. Something that is more than the typical gifts and dinners. Magnus deserves something magnificent and thoughtful and all I am doing is drawing blanks. Shouldn't this be easy? Shouldn't I know Magnus well enough to know what he would like and dislike?
It was the moment we were passing a jewelry store that I was inspired. Jace and Isabelle were walking ahead of me and I stood back looking into the store window.
Yes that is what I will get him.
I left the store satisfied with my gift for Magnus but still found I was in the dilemma of figuring out what to do for dinner.
I could cook maybe? That's something different, but while my cooking is better than Isabelle's, it is still pretty bad.
I checked the time, 4:30. I pondered the options and time that I have. I thought back to the movie from this morning and to all the romance movies I have ever seen.
I felt myself grin. Yes, I know exactly what I am going to do.
Magnus POV
I cannot believe it took as long as it did to get that damn pixie blood and demon fang. Sometimes the things I do for my clients are not even worth the money. I could've spent this entire day with my Alec and enjoying myself on this wonderful Valentines Day with him.
But no. Alec is off doing whatever and I am working.
I held off wishing him a Happy Valentines Day until I saw him in person where I could give him his gift and kiss his soft lips.
Yet, I realized that Alec had too held off from saying anything. Maybe he felt the same as I? Or maybe he forgot what day it is entirely. For some reason, the latter seems more realistic. I chuckled to myself, my poor Shadowhunter has been so stressed lately that he would forget about what day it is. In a way it is frustrating but at the same time, adoringly cute and fairly concerning.
I sighed and climbed the last couple sets of stairs to my apartment carrying flowers and the large bags that held Alecs gifts. When it comes to Alec, I like to take things to the extreme just to see his reaction which is normally a shy blush on his cheeks. The most adorable thing ever.
What time is it now? Eight? I checked my phone. Yes it is eight. The exactly time I have texted Alec a few hours ago informing him when I would return.
I wonder if he will be mad at me for not spending the day with him. Oh no. I sure hope not. The last thing I ever want is to hurt my Alexander.
I unlocked my front door and stepped through the threshold, shutting the door behind me and locking it. When I turned to start for the dining table I stopped frozen in my tracks. It took everything in me not to drop all the items from my grip.
On the dining table sat a setting for two, the dishes white and napkins pink, two red candle sticks stood lit up igniting the area. The table top littered with red flower pedals that seemed to trail from the table, across the floor through the living room and leading into the bedroom. Small lit up candles lined the pathway on either side of the rose pedal path. The candles were the only thing lighting up the room and I then noticed the bouquets of flowers scattered about the open-floor room. Roses, tulips, sunflowers, carnations- even a few I have never seen before. All of them were shades of pink, red and white.
Then footsteps emerged and walked to the table with plates of food setting it up neatly on the table and examining his work. He focused hard and started fumbling around, rotating the plate or straightening the silverware. I smiled fondly at my Shadowhunter and cleared my throat to get his attention.
Alec jumped immediately and stood up straight with his hands behind his back, I could tell he was fighting a blush. He cheeks are not normally that pink.
His blue eyes stood out like stars in the night sky. His black hair fell slightly in his eyes and he is wearing a grey button down shirt and jeans that look so sexy on him, I had to bite my tongue to keep my jaw from dropping.
This is a beautiful sight in front of me. Whether Alec had forgotten about what day it is or not, he remembers now and that is all that matters.
"I-I made dinner." He stammered shyly and ducked his head down slightly. My Shadowhunter is nervous. I thought fondly.
I placed the bags down next to the door and laid the flowers on the small table next to the door. Soon enough, I was standing in front of Alec with one arm wrapped around him and my hand lifting his chin so his face is looking up at mine. His eyes glisten in the candle light.
Without a word, I lean down and kiss him softly, a warm and tender kiss that sends electric shocks throughout my body. I can't believe I had to go all day without this.
Alec kissed me back, just as soft and passionately. The kiss is slow, easy and erotic and expresses how much each of us love each other.
I pull away a bit reluctantly, already feeling the cold fall through me without his lips on mine, and look back down into those oceans he calls his eyes.
"I love you." I pronounced each word thoughtfully and spoke in a whisper. Alecs cheeks turned a shade of pink but he didn't look away.
"I love you too." He whispered back with the same amount of passion and seriousness I used on him.
"I got you something." I said to him and pulled from his embrace to get the bags and flowers. When I returned Alec was blushing even more than I have ever seen him before. It made my heart swim in delight. "Happy Valentines Day, darling." I said and handed him the flowers and bags.
Alec took them and walked to the couch so he can open the contents. In the first bag Alec opened is nothing but chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Alec laughed out loud with his beautiful voice.
"Magnus, you shouldn't have." He said with a smirk and playful eyes.
"I think the other bag is what you may enjoy more." I said, thinking of what it is and knowing Alec will love it because it is the most simple and thoughtful thing and that is exactly what Alec likes.
He pulled the second bag closer to him and ripped out the tissue paper and pulled out the large book inside. Alec examined it, the cover is an all red fabric with nothing on it. He looked at me skeptically and I gave him a grin that encouraged him to open it.
On the first page is a simple note; roses are red, your eyes are blue, there is nothing in this world I love more, than being in love with you. And I wrote the date in the bottom right corner. I noticed as Alecs expression changed when he read it. It went from playful to serious to something else that made his brows furrow upward as if he were about to cry.
Alec flipped the page and a smile spread across his face, he kept flipping and reading and giggled and smiled.
The notebook is a scrap book I made of all our times together when we traveled the world. Each page is of a different city with pictures of us and little notes about where we were, what we did and the thing I loved most about that trip with him.
It was when Alec flipped to the very last page that I noticed a tear fall from his eye. I thought of what I put there: the picture of us in my apartment, kissing, right around the time when we first met. The caption says: My apartment, the very beginning of us, the day I fell in love with you.
He shut the book and finally turned to me with loving and teary eyes. "Magnus-" He shook his head, clearly not sure what to say. "That is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever gotten me. You don't understand how much this means to me." He gripped the book against his lap and in his hands and smiled sweetly. "Thank you." He said and kissed me gently and for a good amount of time.
"Of course, darling." I whispered in between airy kisses.
"By the angel, I love you Magnus." Alec said and it made my stomach grow butterflies and my heart skip a beat and made the rest of my insides melt.
"I love you." I said back to him and then he pulled away suddenly with a excited glint in his eyes.
"Time for your gift now." He said and got up to go to the table.
"Is it the food?" I asked teasingly.
"Yes and no." He said and pulled something off the table and brought it back to the couch and sat down facing me.
I raised an eyebrow at him with excitement and curiosity but I held my composure.
"Don't freak out, its not what you think." He said and pulled out a small velvet black box.
Holy shit. Is that a-
"Hey! I told you not to freak out." Alec said suddenly with a small laugh without humor. I hadn't realized my eyes grew wide and that I stopped breathing. "You alright?" He asked me and after a moments hesitation I nodded. "Good." he said and opened the box, inside was a small silver ring.
What do you mean that is not what I think? That is exactly what I think it is!
I cleared my throat. "A-Alec-"
"It's not an engagement ring." He said quickly. "Not yet anyway. This is a promise ring."
"Promise ring?" I questioned, still staring at the silver sitting in the box. I noticed there was something scrawled across it, like an engraving.
"Yes." Alec said and pulled it out of the box with shaking hands that he was trying hard to cover up.
"Promise for what?" I asked.
"It's a promise that I will always be yours, no matter what and that I will always love you, support you and be here for you to lean on, despite any circumstance. But most of all it is my promise to be yours for as long as my forever."
Alec held out the ring to me and I already felt my eyes begin to well. I took it and was able to see what was scrawled on the top of the silver. Yours as long as my forever. Was engraved on the ring. A tear threatened to fall from my eye.
"Here." Alec whispered, reaching out for the ring. I handed it to him and he took my right hand and placed the ring on my right ring finger. It fit perfectly and I was surprised to find that it felt so fitting to have that ring on my hand.
"I don't know what to say." I whispered to him. And it is the truth. How do you respond to that? For the first time, I am at a loss for words. Alec just gave me his everything and his everything is all I need to survive. I love him more than I can express. "This is the best gift I have ever received in my 800 years of life." I said slowly. "You are truly, the greatest man on this planet and Alexander Lightwood, you are the love of my life and I need you to know that everything you promise, I promise you as well. You're my forever and I love you."
It was then that a tear fell from my eye, reflecting the tear that fell from Alecs as well. It was then that our lips collided together and we fell into a passionate and rough kiss that expressed our desire for each other.
We broke away from our kiss when a meow broke through the silence. I looked down to see Chairman Meow at our feet, a black bowtie around his neck.
I raised my eyebrow in amusement. "You dressed up Chairman?"
"Isabelles idea. She and Clary helped me with all of this before they went on their dates." He said and smiled down at Chairman who was rubbing up against Alecs leg and purring loudly. "Speaking that, I think I food is cold." He said and stood up, I followed him closely and we sat down at the table to eat. What I hadn't noticed before were the chocolate covered strawberries sitting on the opposite side of me. Yum.
We ate our food and talked about our eventful day. Mine with the scavenger hunt for my clients and his with the scavenger hunt for the best gift for me. He even admitted to forgetting what day it was and I mentally high-fived myself for knowing Alec so well.
After dinner, and dessert, Alec and I found ourselves back on the couch, talking and drinking red wine until finally one thing turned into another and we were making out again.
Soon enough we were making our way down the candle lit and flower pedal path to the bedroom and all I could think about was how much I love this man.
I love him. I love him. I love him.
And at the end of the night, Alec and I physically expressed our true love for one another.
I love him and he loves me.
