What was that mundane saying? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me? Well, thought Magnus, this was the third time this week that he had ended up waiting around expectantly for a certain Shadowhunter to arrive for a prearranged date, so what did that make him? He tried not to think too unkindly of Alec, after all the boy spent his waking hours fighting to save humanity from demons and unenlightened Downworlders. He also happened to be the most beautiful creature the Warlock had set eyes on for nearly a century.
A small secret smile tugged at Magnus' lips as he allowed his mind to cast back a few days to the last time he had seen Alec, remembering how the boy's eagerness to undress the Warlock had resulted in a cocktail spilling over a rather expensive silk throw and an antique lamp smashing across the loft's hardwood floor. The look of embarrassment and horror on Alec's face had been most endearing, the Shadowhunter had insisted on cleaning up the mess himself. Magnus sometimes wondered if his young lover forgot he was dating an all-powerful Warlock who could magic the mess away with a mere wave of a hand.
Thinking back over their months together Magnus could not remember a single time that Alec had asked the Warlock to perform any magic for him in a personal capacity. Alec saw him as a person, Magnus realised, rather than a tool to be used whenever magic was required, unlike the Nephilim community as a whole which looked down on him for his demon blood. It made Magnus' heart ache to think of just how rare Alec was, an unexpected gift which had brightened up his otherwise dull dredge through endless time.
Magnus turned up the collar of his ebony military jacket with elaborate brocade cuffs as a chill ran down his spine and the Downworlder glanced to the sky which had developed a foreboding shade of grey. It was going to rain. Just what he needed. Magnus lifted the cup of coffee he had conjured when he had arrived a park and took a sip of the now lukewarm liquid, he would give Alec a few more minutes and then he would head home.
With a disappointed sigh Magnus stood up from the bench he had been lounging on and tossed his empty coffee cup in the bin, he smoothed down his jacket before turning towards the park gate only to be suddenly confronted by the image of none other than Alexander Lightwood jogging towards him. Magnus raised an eyebrow, the Shadowhunter looked a ghastly state with his ebony hair even more ruffled than usual, a slight limp to his gait and a cut above his left eye which looked like it had started to heal but hadn't quite succeeded. It was rare to see a wounded Shadowhunter outside of the Institute, they usually had injuries healed straight away by way of the healing rune.
The concern Magnus felt must have shown on his face because when Alec made it across the park to stand in front of the Warlock the boy offered an embarrassed smile and murmured a quick "Sorry" before leaning to place a light kiss on the Warlock's cheek. "Alexander," Magnus took the boy's face in his hands to get a better look at the cut, "has there been a riot that I was not aware of?"
Alec gave his boyfriend one of those smiles that made Magnus weak at the knees. "There was a bit of a training mishap with the new recruits." The Warlock gave the Nephilim a dubious look and let his hands drop back to his side. "You didn't heal before coming out? What is the point of all of these runes if you don't bother to use them?" Alec raised a hand to trace Magnus' cheek tenderly, "I didn't want to miss our date."
Magnus placed a hand on Alec's lower back and drew the boy closer in a protective gesture. "You're only any good to me if you're in one piece, Alexander." A grimace flickered over the Shadowhunter's face briefly as Alec tried to hide that he was in pain, avoiding meeting Magnus' gaze. The suspicious Warlock frowned and ran his eyes along Alec's figure noting a dark patch slowly growing larger just above the hem of the Shadowhunter's t-shirt. Deft fingers lifted the material to reveal an ugly looking wound, it looked like an edge of a seraph blade had caught him along the bottom of his ribs.
"Alexander!" Magnus was clearly upset as he inspected the wound. "This really will not do, what if you had passed out on your way here and bled to death on the street?" The Warlock looked up at Alec who looked a little paler than usual. "But I didn't," Alec grinned at Magnus' trademark dramatic tendencies. "The twins got a bit over excited during sparing so I had to step in. I stepped in at the wrong time." The Shadowhunter offered by way of an explanation. "Animals..." Magnus muttered under his breath. "Magnus, it's only a scratch, really!" Alec protested, secretly rather pleased that the Warlock had shown concern for his wellbeing.
"I'm taking you home." The Downworlder clicked the fingers of his right hand, blue magic flowed as he waved a circle into the air, opening a portal. Magnus pictured his Brooklyn loft in his mind, grabbed a handful of the stubborn Shadowhunter's t-shirt and pulled Alec through the shimmering vortex alongside him as he stepped from grass directly onto the wooden floor of his living space.
"Now," Magnus deposited Alec onto one of the sofas and tugged off the younger boy's t-shirt to get a better look at the cut which had thankfully stopped bleeding, "stop being such a drama queen and let me fix this for you." Alec, who had been about to pluck his stele from its hiding place from his pocket in order to activate his iratze rune, sniggered a little as he watched the Warlock turn into a full-blown mother hen.
"You think I am the one being the drama queen?" said Alec. Magnus looked up to challenge this, giving the Shadowhunter a tender smile. "You don't have to be brave all the time, Alexander. Let me look after you." Magnus moved his hands to cover the wound and whispered a few words in a language Alec didn't understand before withdrawing with a flourish to reveal perfectly healed skin. "Not bad, if I do say so myself." Magnus ran his fingers lightly across the patch of unblemished skin, eliciting a shiver from his patient.
"I really didn't mean for you to fix me up," Alec said, pulling down his t-shirt much to Magnus' dismay, "I don't want you to think that I consider you my personal Warlock." Soul piercing cobalt eyes lifted to meet Magnus' own gaze which held a glimmer of surprise. "Alexander, I do not believe you have ever asked for a magical favour, not even today." The Downworlder stood up and walked towards the bar, stocked with all manner of colourful bottles and began to pour out two glasses of a vibrant cocktail which was probably illegal in most countries.
Before he had the chance to place one of the glasses in Alec's hand the Shadowhunter got up from the sofa and walked over to the double glass doors which led out onto the balcony. Obnoxious black clouds had filled the sky and it looked as if the city was in for a torrential downpour. As the heavy rain fell Alec pushed open the doors and stepped out, much to Magnus' horror. "Alexander! Are you planning to catch a cold next?" The Warlock placed the glasses back on the bar and walked over to the door to watch Alec as he stood in the rain, letting the rain gather and run along his pale skin, soaking into his dark Shadowhunter clothing.
"Have you never just stood in the rain?" Alec asked, turning to face Magnus who couldn't help but wish that Shadowhunters were more into white t-shirts than black as his eyes roamed Alec's figure in the damp, clinging fabric. "Do you not understand how long it takes for me to look this good?" Magnus quipped as he watched the boy run a hand through his hair, a few wet strands falling over one of his brilliant blue eyes. Alec looked so serene, so happy. Magnus could almost see an angelic glow surrounding him.
The Warlock took a deep breath and walked out into the rain over to stand directly in front of Alec who offered an adorable smile which made Magnus forget all about his designer clothes, glittery eyeliner and rebellious hair style which were all being ruined. With one hand Alec gripped the lapel of Magnus' jacket and pulled him closer, his other hand lifting to trace the glittery trail of eye liner down the Warlock's cheek as the sky wept above them.
With that simple gesture of affection, the Warlock felt serenity and peace settle upon him, feeling only the touch of the Shadowhunter's fingers and hearing only the beat of his own heart which had slowed to beat in time with Alec's. "How do you do this, Alexander?" Magnus whispered as he leant to press his forehead against Alec's gently.
"Do what?" The Shadowhunter asked innocently, lifting his head to look directly into the Warlock's eyes. Magnus offered tender smile before replying "Lift me out of time." Alec allowed the words to linger, a slightly confused expression on his face, before he grinned mischievously. "That would be my magic." He whispered as he pressed he leant to capture Magnus' lips with his own, eliciting a small purr of pleasure from the Warlock whose arms slid around the Shadowhunter's waist as a brilliant flash of lightning split the sky, neither one noticing.