"Alec, I'm not sure… what if he's not ready?" Magnus looked over the breakfast table to watch their son chase Cheerios around the bowl.
"Magnus, it'll be fine. Look, Jace promised he'd have Will look after him. He's six years old, it's time he started school." Alec caught the boy's bowl as he nearly knocked it over in his hurry to get down from the table.
"Yeah, Dad! I wanna play with Will!" Max insisted, running around the table to wrap slightly sticky arms around Magnus. The doorbell rang and Max sprinted to the door to throw it open. "What d'you want?" he demanded, and then squealed with laughter as the person at the door swung him up over his shoulder.
"Jace, put him down!" Alec ordered good-naturedly, clearing the table efficiently and walking over to give his parabatai's wife a hug and clap a hand on his godson.
Magnus stood up and surveyed the scene. It was so sweet; he'd have never expected this was something he wanted, a child and the entire domestic scene, yet here he was, about to send his son off to school. And he was terrified. What if the other kids didn't like him? What if he got bullied? What if-
He was jerked from his thoughts when Isabelle came bursting in, a put-upon Simon trailing behind her. She was an… enthusiastic aunt, although she'd cried when they told her their son's name. They had a blast together, she would take Will and Max off on 'adventures' and disappear for hours. When they returned, the boys would be covered in dirt and bruises but be so excited Max wouldn't sleep for hours.
Clary and Isabelle were doing their thing, snapping photos and cooing over the kids while Jace and Simon exchanged loaded glances. Magnus stepped forward, straightening Max's shirt carefully. Max looked at him with big eyes, adorable and sweet. He tucked back Max's hair; it was getting so long, why hadn't they gotten it cut? Oh, that's right. It looked like Will's like this, and Max absolutely idolized his third grade cousin.
"You be good today, okay?" Magnus said, watching Max carefully.
"Okay," Max agreed, biting his lip in a habit he'd picked up from Alec. Magnus smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Alright, everybody who is currently under five four –that means you too, Clary- get in the van. Everybody else, my incredible driving self excluded, park it here. Be back in a bit!" Jace said, tugging the boys and his wife out the door. Alec and Magnus ignored his instructions, climbing into the large van Clary had purchased against Jace's will a few years prior. She'd insisted that they needed the van, with a) the amount of kids they had running around their house (simply because Will was always bringing friends home) and b) the amount of adults they periodically hauled around.
They dropped the boys off at school. Will immediately took his cousin by the hand and pulled him over to join a group of friends clustered outside the school. Alec saw Magnus's face and took his hand gently.
"It'll be fine," Alec said, giving the warlock's hand a squeeze. Magnus forced an anxious smile, and Alec smiled softly back.
"I know. It's just… hard to let go."