You know what would be a great gift? Having Shadowhunters saved and earning a pleasing on the knees apology from Freeform. Oh, fuck Freeform. Happy Holidays to all and #SaveShadowhunters
Alec grew up in the Institute. He grew up a shadowhunter. He grew up training since he was young, learning the hundreds of runes that he would soon draw onto his skin, training with favorite bow and arrows, hunting demons through the streets of New York and working hard to try and earn the position of the Institute head. Alec grew up away from the mundane world. He didn't know anything about them nor did he want to learn. He was perfectly contempt with his life inside of the Institute and he knew that he would live and die inside of it. Because it was his legacy as a shadowhunter.
But all of that changed when he met Clary Fray a whole two years ago.
Clary hurled into his life almost like a wrecking ball. All clad with her bright hair, she came into the Institute begging him, Izzy and Jace for help. And then things went up. After that, he met Magnus Bane. The High Warlock of Brooklyn. And he fell deeply in love with him. Alec's life changed as he started to hold Magnus' hand, train with him, lay with him in bed with their legs wrapped together. Alec fell in love with Magnus and he started to slowly open up to the mundane world. Magnus showed him sweet little coffee shops, amazing restaurants and the greatest views in amazing hotels.
Alec started to open up to the world of mundanes, but he didn't fully commit. Because he was still a shadowhunter. He still worked hard to keep his Institute strong and protected, he worked hard to keep his family safe, he worked hard to keep New York safe from any kind of demon. Alec had always been apart of the shadow world. He was always in it, no matter what was happening. While shopping with Izzy, his thoughts were on if demons were around. While laying in bed with Magnus, his thoughts were on if he was safe. While training with Clary, his thoughts were on whether or not she messed something up and there was a demon on the loose. No matter if Alec was forced into the mundane culture, his thoughts would always be on whether or not the shadow world has something to do with this. Alec couldn't help himself no matter what. But especially now. In the middle of winter, something had happened with The Circle. A new leader had emerged after Valentine's and Jonathan's death and started to attack shadowhunters while on missions. Especially in New York City. And with Alec being the head of the New York Institute, he had wrapped his head into this. He had to stopped these attacks. Most of his best shadowhunters were injured terribly from these Circle members for their drugged up warlocks and demons.
Alec put these attacks on his back. He had to take care of it first. And for hours and hours on end, Alec worked and worked and worked. He was either behind a desk on his tablet, in front of a punching bag training or out in the field killing said drugged demons and rescuing the warlocks. Alec lost himself back into the shadow world again, forgetting that the mundane world even existed and some of the things in that world existed. He forgot that his boyfriend lived in a beautiful loft in the mundane Brooklyn and this his boyfriend was always planning dates there. He missed date nights with Magnus. Movie nights with Izzy, Jace and Max. Training sessions with Clary. Alec missed a lot. But he barely seemed to notice that. He was to busy working his ass of to try and stop the Circle attacks. Alec was back in the Institute, working hard to try and stop the attacks. He was ultimately forced to go home by Izzy, hearing her screaming and yelling that he needed sleep and rest and to see Magnus. Alec was walking home in the bitter cold, that he didn't even notice the bright green and white lights surrounding almost every store. He didn't notice the holly and the mistletoe hanging from each store. He didn't see the signs that had sales for the holiday season. Alec didn't notice that it was Christmas.
Now Alec knew what Christmas was. He had gone on missions inside clubs were there was a holiday party going on. He'd gone on missions at Christmas tree stores. Alec knew what Christmas was. But his mind was on the Circle attacks happening. How could he stop them? What could he do to capture these Circle members and force them to tell him what the hell is happening? Alec walked up the steps of Magnus' loft, rubbing his hands together to try and warm himself up. He made it to Magnus' floor and he walked over to the apartment door. He was confused to see a bunch of silver holographic wrapping paper covering the door with a huge red bow in the corner of the door. Alec raised his eyebrow at this. Had Magnus been redecorating again? Alec lightly knocked on the door and it magically open up. Alec slowly trickled inside of the room, seeing that the entire room was decorated the same way. There was silver and red holographic ornaments hanging from the ceiling and bouquets of white lilies and holly on each of Magnus' cabinets. Alec raised his eyebrow. Was it his birthday? No his birthday was in September. Izzy had thrown him a party at The Hunter's Moon. Alec walked around the loft, seeing that it was decorated the same way. There was a tree in the corner of the room, covering the silver tinsel and beautiful red ornaments. There was a star twirling around in the top of the tree. Alec pulled off his thick coat that Magnus had gotten him as a gift. "Magnus? Are you here?" Alec called out.
Magnus came out from behind the hall, a bunch of boxes covering the beautiful face that Alec had fallen in love with. Magnus walked over and placed the boxes down before smiling at his boyfriend. "Good evening Alexander." Magnus said, pressing a kiss against his lips. Alec smiled, he hadn't seen him in a bit after he had worked his ass off at the Institute.
"What's all of this?" Alec asked. "Am I missing some kind of anniversary?"
"Oh Alexander, you are amusing." Magnus said with a chuckle, using his magic to move some of the snowflakes onto the ceiling with wire. Alec raised his eyebrow confused.
"Okay. Now I know I missed an anniversary. Which one is it? Our first date? First kiss? First time having sex?"
"Oh Alec, you are serious." Magnus said, putting down one of the glass crystal snowflakes. "Alexander, don't you know what time it is? It's Christmas."
"Christmas?" Alec said, before his eyes widened. "Oh shit…"
"That's fine baby, I know that you aren't versed enough in the ways of the mundane. But I thought Izzy would have told you." Magnus said, taking his hand. "How was work?"
"It's was fine. Not over unfortunately." Alec said honestly. "I still have to do research on the drug that the Circle has been using on demons and warlocks. I think that it will take time so I'll be a bit busy tonight."
"Are you serious?" Magnus asked. "I thought that you being home would mean to you and I could could… you know." Magnus trailed his fingers against the crotch of Alec's jeans. Alec pushed him off.
"I'm sorry. This is a bit more important." Alec said, walking over and picking up his coat to hang it on the coat rack. Magnus exhaled through his nose and turned around, crossing his arms against his chest.
"Do you have any idea what day it is Alec?" he asked. Alec looked at him a bit annoyed, not knowing or caring if this was important right now. Magnus crossed his arms. "It's December 23rd."
"And?" Alec asked.
"That means that it's two days until Christmas Alec. And I haven't seen you in such a long time. And I thought that this Christmas would be special." he said. "I thought that Izzy told you that I would be hosting a dinner here. A Christmas dinner. With you and me and your family."
"I'm not telling you not to throw one, I know how much you love to throw a party. But there are important things than Christmas." Alec said, turning around and picking up one of the books he had on demons and the drugs that can affect them. "There are more important things then some mundane holiday."
Magnus stamped his foot at that. "More important things than me and your own family?! When was the last time that you saw me? Or even called to check in?"
"It's only been a few weeks." Alec retorted.
"It's been a month Alec! A whole month! And I thought that Christmas would be the perfect time for you and me to get back into the swing of things. Don't you see how much I missed you." Magnus said, walking over to Alec. "I wanted this Christmas to be about us. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. Christmas… has always been about being with your family and friends, and all the people that love you. That's what I wanted this year for us."
Magnus moved his hand to try and cup Alec's cheek, but he moved away. "Magnus, I have an Institute to run. I can't."
"You're the head. You can take days off whenever you want."
"I still have to follow the rules Magnus. Stop making this so difficult, I'm telling you that I can't."
"You can't or you won't?"
"I can not answer that the way you want me to. You know where my duty lies."
"So there it is." Magnus said with a fake wide smile. "You just answer your own question. You won't because your Institute is more important."
"It is." Alec yelled back. "I won't celebrate this stupid mundane holiday when there is other more important things to do. Like save the shadow world. Now if you'll excuse me… I have work to do."
Magnus nodded. Alec didn't notice the tears in his eyes or the anger and pain he felt in his heart. "Fine." he said. "If you are going to sleep here then you're welcome to the couch."
Magnus snapped a coat on his body and started to storm to the front door. "Where are you going?" Alec called back.
"To get more wrapping paper for the gifts I got." he yelled back, slamming the door with his magic. Alec rolled his eyes and leaned down onto the couch. Why was Magnus making this so difficult? It was some stupid mundane holiday. Why would he care do much about it? Alec opened the book and looked through it. Christmas wasn't important right now. Stopping these attacks was. Alec read through the pages, hoping to find the drug that was the similar color of the one used on warlocks.
Magnus wasn't sure what was going on with his boyfriend recently. Firstly, he spent a whole month away from him and his family. Working his dick off for literally no reason at all. And then he comes back once to only yell at him and work again. Magnus just wanted the Alec Lightwood that broke the rules every once in a while. Magnus just wanted his Alexander back. Magnus sighed loudly, walking out of the store with two reusable bags filled with Christmas goodies. He thought that this Christmas would be different. He thought that he and Alexander could actually have a real Christmas. They're first one had gone shitty when Simon and Alec had gotten kidnapped by vampires and a whole accord trial had taken place, taking the holiday away from them. Magnus just want to make everything perfect for his precious boyfriend.
Magnus turned the corner to make it towards the train that would lead him straight to his loft when he saw a poor old man on the street, shivering in the cold in a thin jean jacket. His lips were almost blue. Magnus sighed. Remembering his time on the streets before his father, lack of a better term, rescued him. Magnus snapped his fingers and made a thicker coat appear in his bag. The warlock pulled it out and threw it over the poor man's shoulders.
He looked up at Magnus with a sincere smile. His eyes were lit up and it made Magnus grin. "Thank you… thank you sir. Thank you, thank you. Thank you."
"You are very welcome." Magnus said, going into his bag and summoning a thermos filled with hot cocoa. He passed it to the man. "Here. This should warm you up."
"Thank you… you didn't have to do this for me." the man coughed.
"Consider it a Christmas gift. Everyone deserves on after all." Magnus replied with a grin. He stood up to leave, but the man caught his attention with a clap of his hands.
"I have a gift for you too…" he said, moving over and grabbing Magnus' ankle. Magnus thought that at first he was going to pull himself up to hug him, but a burning sensation filled his leg. And raised and all of a sudden, the pain felt like his entire leg was on fire. Magnus screamed and fell down to the ground. The man removed his hand from Magnus ankle and curled around. The man twisted into a demon and he screamed out. But not from anger at Magnus, but in pain. It must have been one of the drugged demons that Alec was talking about. Magnus noticed how his eyes were a glassy black instead of the golden red. The demon looked out at Magnus. "It's okay." Magnus whispered the to creature. "Go. Run back home before they kill you themselves."
The demon turned around and ran away, leaving Magnus gasping in pain. Tears filled his eyes. He couldn't move his left leg at all. Thank God for mundanes. Two of them who were walking out on a Christmas date saw Magnus on the floor.
"Oh god." one of them called, kneeling down beside him. "Are you alright mate?"
Magnus moved to sit up and assure that he was okay, but he groaned loudly from the pain. More mundanes noticed the cries and the commotion and moved over to see what happened. The man that noticed Magnus before moved forward and pulled up Magnus' pants. His left leg up to his knee was charred terribly. Burned almost to a crisp. Blood dripped from some of the reddened skin. The witnessing mundanes gasped at the sight and Magnus just let out another yell of pain.
"Call 911." the girl with the other mundane called, moving over and cupping Magnus' neck to try and calm him. "Relax."
"No. No, I'm fine." Magnus cried in pain, before pushing his head back.
"Just breathe sir." another mundane woman said, phone pressed against her ear. "Everything will be fine."
Magnus groaned out in pain. Merry fucking Christmas.
