A little something that popped into my head yesterday afternoon after I woke up.
A tissue warning is in effect.
Enjoy.
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Max sits at the kitchen table and taps on his laptop's keyboard as he watches Magnus make a martini, "Okay, Poppa, suggestions would be nice. I've seen you and Daddy meet for the first time officially and unofficially. I've seen Daddy's not wedding and your awesome wedding. I've seen your proposal to Daddy and a ton of times that Daddy was hurt. What's left?"
Magnus finishes at the bar and sits down. He takes a sip, "Camille kissed me in front of your Daddy."
Max wrinkles his nose, "Yeck, was that before or after his not wedding?"
"Just afterwards."
"And what did Daddy do?"
"Nothing, but your Aunt Izzy was close to putting a stake through her heart."
Max giggles, "I love Aunt Izzy."
Magnus smiles, "I thought Aunt Clary was your favorite aunt now?"
Max sniffs, "I love both my aunts. Anyway, not interested in that. Give me something else, please."
Magnus sips his martini, "Your Daddy and I had a fight..."
Max cuts him off, "No fights. I don't want drama, I want fluff."
"But we made up."
"Still not interested."
Magnus takes another sip and thinks, "There was another time that we met."
Max narrows his eyes, "Before the nightclub?"
Magnus nods.
Max taps on the keyboard, "And Daddy doesn't remember?"
Magnus finishes his martini and nods.
Max sighs, "Why did you take this from him?"
Magnus refills his glass with a flick of his hand, "Because he asked me to."
"Why would Daddy ask you to do that?"
Magnus shakes his head, "Better for you to see for yourself. He was twenty and it happened on Flatbush near the Library at Grand Army Plaza."
Max nods as he types. He waits for the program to find the right moment in time. It beeps when it's done, "Got it." Max syncs up his phone and powers down the laptop. He stands and walks over to the sofa. He kisses Magnus' cheek, "Be back soon."
Magnus nods, "I'll be here."
Max nods as he creates a portal, sets his invisibility glamour and leaves the loft.
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He steps out onto Flatbush Avenue. It's nighttime, way past ten o'clock. Max looks around. He smiles as he sees a familiar back walking away from him, towards the library. He runs to catch up to his father.
A portal opens up in front of Max. A man that he doesn't recognize steps out and walks towards Daddy. Max narrows his eyes as he runs faster.
Daddy walks to the corner but doesn't seem aware that he is being followed.
The man says, "Alexander Lightwood, it's time for you to meet your destiny."
Max's eyes narrow as he gets closer, oh hell no, back the fuck away from my Daddy.
Daddy turns around, seraph blade in hand, "And you are?"
The man laughs, "I'm your death."
"Right."
The man flicks his hand and Daddy's blade slowly moves to his throat. Daddy's eyes widen as he fights to stop his arm.
As the blade nears his father's throat, Max quickly creates a fireball. But before he can throw it, a fireball hits the man, and his head explodes. Daddy quickly opens his hand and the blade falls to the ground.
Max takes a deep breath and extinguishes his fireball as he watches Poppa walk over, his cat eyes glaring at the dead man for a second, shit that was close. Poppa snaps his fingers and the dead man disappears.
Daddy stares at Poppa, "My Guardian?"
Max smiles, in the flesh.
Poppa slowly smiles at him, "Hello, Alexander."
Daddy walks to him and stops, "You know my name?"
"Yes, I do."
Daddy smiles. He looks at Poppa shyly, then gently kisses his lips. Poppa pulls him closer.
Max smiles, fathers kissing, always good, so what is the problem?
Daddy whispers, "All this time, you have been protecting me and I finally get to meet you."
Poppa nods, "But it's not time for me to be in your life."
Max nods, the nightclub.
Daddy looks at him confused, "Why not?"
"I was only supposed to save you, and leave. But to be so close to you and not see you, I couldn't."
Daddy shakes his head, "I don't understand."
Poppa gently holds his face in his hands, "Alexander, we are destined to be together, but not now. I'm sorry."
Max blinks as tears form in his eyes.
"But I want you in my life now, I don't want to wait."
"I'm sorry Alexander. We cannot change what happens. It's bad enough that you saw me."
Daddy has tears running down his face, "Then what am I supposed to do until we meet again?"
"Live."
"I know you're a warlock and the first thing I'll do when I get back to the Institute is try to find out who you are."
Poppa gently kisses him, "You can't. You have to forget me until we meet again."
Daddy shakes his head and pushes him away, "I can't. I need you NOW."
Max puts his arms around himself, poor Daddy.
Poppa pulls Daddy into his arms and holds him. He kisses his forehead, "I should have stayed in the shadows. I never meant to hurt you, Alexander."
Daddy nods, "I know. I can't live knowing that you are out there and off limits to me." He looks at Poppa through teary eyes, "You can make me forget you."
Poppa closes his eyes and nods, "If that is what you want."
Daddy nods as the tears continue to roll down his face, "You leave me no other choice."
Poppa gently kisses him, "What do you want to remember?"
Daddy bites his lip, "None of it."
Poppa nods, "You sure?"
"Yes."
Poppa nods. He kisses Daddy gently and wipes away his tears, "Close your eyes, start at fifteen and count backwards."
Daddy nods, "Okay." He kisses Poppa, "Goodbye," and closes his eyes, "15, 14, 13.."
Max cries as Poppa gently strokes the side of Daddy's face, "Until we meet again."
"12, 11, 10..."
Poppa creates a portal and with tears running down his own face, he snaps his fingers.
"9, 8, 7.."
Poppa walks through the portal and is gone.
"6, 5." Daddy opens his eyes and looks around, confused. He touches his face, "Have I been crying? By the angel, what happened?" He sees his blade on the ground and walks over to pick it up. He puts it back in his pocket and looks around. With a shrug, he crosses Eastern Parkway and continues walking to the subway station.
Max wipes his face and takes a deep breath, that was not good, not one tiny bit of that, was good. He creates a portal and walks through.
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Max is back in the loft. Magnus is still sitting on the sofa. He puts his glass on the coffee table, when he sees his son. Max assumes it's been refilled a few times since he left. He sits next to his father and hugs him, "That was horrible, Poppa."
Magnus nods, "After I got home, I cried for an hour. All because I wanted to finally see him. He was so beautiful and I just stood there. Then he was kissing me and I knew I was in trouble."
"So your nightmare?"
Magnus reaches for his glass and finishes his martini in one gulp, "I nodded off on the sofa during the news and saw that bastard use Alec's own hand to cut his throat. I recognized the library right away and portaled there as soon as I woke up."
"Daddy wasn't supposed to see you."
Magnus nods, "His eyes were as beautiful as I always imagined them to be and I forgot about opening a portal before he saw me. Seeing him at eight was one thing, but this was a preview of the man that I would love and I didn't want to leave. The last thing on my mind was hurting him."
"He knew he had been crying, but he had no idea why."
Magnus nods, "At least that worked as planned." They both jump when the front door opens and Alec walks in.
They look at him with wide eyes. He looks around the loft, "What's going on?"
Magnus weakly smiles, "You're home early."
"Don't change the subject, what's going on?"
"Would you believe me, if I said nothing?"
"No, I wouldn't. Now tell me."
Max gets up and hugs him, "Nothing is going on, Daddy."
He kisses Max's forehead, "Bullshit."
Magnus swallows, "Max just got back from an adventure."
Alec nods, "Okay, then why do the two of you look like you just went to a funeral?"
Max holds him tight, "It was a sad adventure, Daddy."
"Okay. What happened?"
Magnus takes a deep breath, "You wouldn't remember."
Alec lets Max go and walks to the sofa, "You took away my memories again, Magnus?"
Magnus nods, "That is what you wanted me to do." Alec sits on the sofa. Max sits on the coffee table.
Alec looks at Magnus, "I wanted you to take them away?"
Magnus nods as he holds Alec's hand, "I'm sorry, Alexander."
"Well now I want them back."
Magnus whispers, "I only locked them away."
Alec nods, "Then it's time to unlock them."
Magnus nods, "Okay." He kisses Alec, "Close your eyes."
Alec closes them as Magnus touches his forehead.
.
.
.
Twenty year old Alec Lightwood walks down Flatbush Avenue. There was a report of a demon attack on Empire Boulevard, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Now all he wants to do is get on the subway and get back to the Institute. A quick shower then bed.
He's passing the Library when he hears somebody yell at him, "Alexander Lightwood, it's time for you to meet your destiny."
Alec rolls his eyes, reaches for his blade and turns around. He doesn't recognize the man and asks, "And you are?"
The man laughs, "I'm your death."
"Right." Alec doesn't have time for this shit. He wants to turn around and continue down Flatbush, but he can't move.
Alec sees the man flick his hand and Alec watches in horror as his hand slowly moves the blade to his throat. He fights to control his arm but is at the mercy of the warlock.
The blade is almost at his throat, when a fireball hits the man in the head. Once his attacker's head explodes, and his magic is no longer controlling Alec's hand, Alec lets the blade go and is relieved to see it fall to the ground. He feels a long forgotten presence nearby and watches as a tall man walks towards him.
The man has dark hair and yellow cat eyes. He's in black slacks and a teal shirt. Alec stares at him. After all these years, to finally meet his Guardian and see how beautiful he is. His Guardian coldly looks at the headless man on the ground and snaps his fingers. Alec's attacker is gone.
Alec whispers, "My Guardian?"
His Guardian smiles at him, "Hello, Alexander."
Alec walks up to his rescuer and continues to stare at him, "You know my name?"
His Guardian's cat eyes are warm, "Yes, I do."
Alec gives him a shy smile. He doesn't realize he is kissing the man until his Guardian grabs his shirt, pulls him closer and takes control of the kiss.
When they part, Alec whispers, "All this time, you have been protecting me and I finally get to meet you."
His Guardian nods, "But it's not time for me to be in your life."
Alec is confused, "Why not?"
"I was only supposed to save you, and leave. But to be so close to you and not see you, I couldn't."
Alec shakes his head, "I don't understand."
His Guardian gently takes his face in his hands, "Alexander, we are destined to be together, but not now. I'm sorry."
Alec doesn't understand how his Guardian can be right here and yet they can't be together. He pleads, "But I want you in my life NOW, I don't want to wait."
"I'm sorry Alexander. We cannot change what happens. It's bad enough that you saw me."
Alec can't stop the tears that run down his face, "Then what am I supposed to do until we meet again?"
"Live."
Alec shakes his head, as his training kicks in, "I know you're a warlock and the first thing I'll do when I get back to the Institute is try to find out who you are."
His Guardian gently kisses him, "You can't. You have to forget me until we meet again."
Alec shakes his head and pushes him away, "I can't. I need you NOW." He starts to sob.
His Guardian holds him and kisses his forehead, "I should have stayed in the shadows. I never meant to hurt you, Alexander."
Alec nods, "I know. I can't live knowing that you are out there and off limits to me." He looks at his Guardian through his tears, "You can make me forget you."
His Guardian closes his eyes and nods, "If that is what you want."
Alec nods as he continues to cry, "You leave me no other choice."
His Guardian gently kisses him, "What do you want to remember?"
Alec bites his lip, "None of it."
His Guardian nods, "You sure?"
"Yes."
His Guardian nods, he kisses Alec gently and wipes away his tears, "Close your eyes, start at fifteen and count backwards."
Alec nods, "Okay." He kisses his Guardian one last time, "Goodbye," and closes his eyes, "15, 14, 13.."
His Guardian gently strokes his face, "Until we meet again."
"12, 11, 10..."
Alec hears his Guardian snap his fingers.
"9, 8, 7.."
"6, 5."
Alec no longer has a need to count. He opens his eyes and looks around, confused. His Guardian is gone, but he can still remember him. Alec touches his face, "Have I been crying? By the angel, what happened?" But he knows what happened. He sees his blade on the ground and walks over to pick it up. He puts it back in his pocket and looks around. With a shrug, he crosses Eastern Parkway and continues walking to the subway station.
.
.
.
Alec slowly opens his eyes as tears run down his face. He looks at Magnus and Max as he shakes his head, "I need air." He stands and runs out the loft, the door slamming behind him.
Magnus stands, his thumb rubbing against his fingers as he tries not to panic.
Max stands and looks from the door to his father, "Poppa, should I go after him?"
Magnus, trying to get himself under control for their son's sake, can only shake his head.
Max takes Magnus' hand in both of his, "We give him an hour, then we go after him?"
Magnus looks at Max with terrified eyes, "I don't know."
-tbc-
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As I slowly post this, may I remind you, my lovely reader, that I ALWAYS end with fluffy goodness.
Yes, I know you hate me, but I love you. xoxo
