Summary: Five interrupted dates and the one that was just them.


Alec looked up as he office door was knocked on and smiled at Magnus.

"Is this a bad time?" The Warlock asked as he ended the office, something hidden behind him.

"Um...?" Alec said, confused.

"For our date?" Magnus clarified, holding up a basket.

Alec's eyes widened, "Oh! No, but I have a representative from the Clave arriving in an hour, Herondale wants her to observe how we do things around here and how we interact with the Downworld."

"Ah." Magnus smiled, and began to spread a green blanket on the office floor, "Care to join me, Mr. Lightwood?"

Alec blushed and stood up from his chair and let Magnus guide him down to sit on the ground on the blanket. The Warlock then began to pull dishes from the basket and Alec was amazed at all the things that fit inside.

Magnus chuckled at Alec's amazement, "Catarina charmed it to hold anything I put inside of it."

"Wow!" Alec said, "Is that hard Magic?"

"It's complicated and requires more patience than power." Magnus explained, "Catarina likes complicated Magics, it's why she chose to be a healer."

Alec smiled, "And what about you? Why did you chose what you do?"

Magnus looked startled, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you use your Magics to help people, yeah you demand payment but only what the person can afford." Alec said as he took the plate Magnus handed him.

"How do you know that?" Magnus asked curious.

Alec blushed, "I um... there was a little Warlock that I ran across, um... her godmother was Iris Rouse, I had to arrest Rouse because she... she was um..."

"Yes, I am aware of what she had been doing." Magnus stopped Alec.

"Madzie said she stayed with you for a while and you took pictures that she drew for payment." Alec said.

It was Magnus' turn to blush, "Well, you still see her?"

"Yes, Catarina let's me babysit when she doesn't have anyone else. Apparently Warlock Fell is not to be trusted with small Warlocks." Alec grinned when Magnus laughed.

"Good Lord no, she was purple when he returned her the one and only time he got to babysit." Magnus shared a secretive smile with Alec, "I think he did it on purpose, you can only get that color purple with that spell if you are trying."

Alec laughed.

"Am I interrupting?" A voice asked from the doorway.

Alec startled and looked at the Clave representative that was standing in his doorway.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Alec stood.

The woman smiled, "I can come back in a few minutes."

"I... um... this isn't what it looks like?" Alec asked, "What does it look like?"

The woman laughed, "It looks like your boyfriend surprised you with lunch."

"Oh... I guess it is what it looks like." Alec said, "I..."

"You're welcome to join us, I'm sure we have better food than the lunch room." Magnus offered.

"Thank you." The woman sat down on the blanket with Alec and Magnus, "I expect I'll be seeing you around often, Warlock Bane?"

Magnus looked at a nervous and flustered Alec, "You suppose correctly, Mrs. Montevarde."

Alec looked both awed and relieved when Magnus looked back at him.

They continued their lunch as a working one, walking Mrs. Lydia Montevarde through her schedules and what to expect from Alec's meetings with the Downworlders, in word only she was to be his assistant but was observing to see how the Clave could mimic what Alec was doing at other Institutes.

Magnus tried not to be too upset that they had been interrupted.


Magnus entered the Loft and stopped short at the man who was laying on his couch, sleeping, Madzie on his chest, breathing deep and even.

He frowned before remembering that Catarina had asked Magnus to watch her while she went to India to help with a medical outbreak there, but that did not explain Alec in his home.

Magnus crept by them, soundlessly and paused when he noticed the light on in his dining room. He wandered over and had to smile, laid out on the table were plates and dinner dishes, wine in wine glasses and a few unlit candles at the center with a bouquet of red roses in a vase.

"I meant to surprise you." Alec said as he stepped up behind Magnus, "But no one answered the door and Catarina showed up and said you must have forgotten that you volunteered to watch Madzie and she really had to go, so she let me in and asked me to stay until you got home."

Magnus nodded, "That sounds like her, but you have work, how did you get time to stay?"

"I had Lydia bring me my paperwork, Madzie and I did that for a while." Alec smiled, sheepishly, "Herondale might get mad at me, she managed to color on a page or two before I realized it and gave her the papers that had to be rewritten anyway."

Magnus chuckled, "Maybe the pictures will make her happy."

"Doubtful." Alec deadpanned.

"True." Magnus pulled Alec into him and the man leaned forward to kiss his lips, "Are you able to stay a little longer?"

Alec nodded, "But only a few minutes, Jace and Izzy have been texting me for the last half hour."

Magnus nodded with a sigh, "Then come eat with me."

Alec let Magnus lead him to the table and they sat, they had hardly begun before Madzie joined them and climbed into Alec's lap.

When they were finished Magnus helped Alec put Madzie in her bed and then Alec had to leave.


"What?" Alec asked Lydia as she stared at him.

"Are you and Warlock Bane going out tonight?" Lydia asked.

Alec frowned at her, over the last few weeks of her presence following him around he had gotten used to her and they had become friends. She was the only person he actually talked to about Magnus and while their time spent together was often short and chaperoned they had managed to spend many hours learning about one another as they worked on several treaties and plans to bring Downworlders into the patrols that were generally only Nephilim duties.

"Why would we go out?" Alec asked.

"It's Valentines day." Lydia told him, "You know, the day of Lovers?"

Alec's eyes widened, "Are we supposed to do something?"

Lydia sighed, "You know what, just go surprise the man, and stay there."

Alec shook his head, "But I have things to do, I have to see Warlock Loss and then..."

"All of which I can handle." Lydia assured him, "Go on."

Alec grinned at her, "Thank you."

She only nodded as he left.

Magnus had been pleasantly surprised to see Alec at the bar when he went to refill his drink, he had expected to spend the night at the club making sure that no one was hurt or taken advantage of and not expected Alec to realize the significance of the day.

"Come here often?" Magnus asked as he slipped his arms around Alec's waist.

He felt Alec's body stiffen briefly before relaxing.

"I'm married, you know." Alec teased quietly.

Magnus pulled back laughing loudly, drawing looks, Alec's fond and others confused.

"I have heard that, I'm sure your husband wouldn't mind harmless flirting." Magnus flirted.

"I don't know, he is quite possessive, he can frighten people with just a look." Alec mused, before he ducked his head forward to kiss Magnus, "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Magnus replied as he pulled Alec closer, "What brings you here? I know you don't like Pandemonium very much."

"It's Valentines day, apparently it's a couple thing?" Alec asked, still confused about it.

Magnus let out a breathy laugh, "You are cute." Magnus whispered against Alec's lips.

"Thank you?" Alec asked.

"It was a compliment." Magnus agreed, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Alec hesitated, "I... I can't dance."

"I'll teach you." Magnus offered, as he tugged Alec from his barstool and onto the dance floor.

Magnus then pulled Alec closer to him, his hands going to Alec's hips to guide him and Alec's breath hitched.

It was about an hour later that Magnus stopped and pulled them away from the dance floor.

"What is it?" Alec asked.

"Catarina." Magnus said.

Alec frowned, "Lydia should be with her."

Alec checked his own phone and found several panicked messages from Lydia.

Within the next five minutes they arrived at Catarina's.

"What is it?" Alec asked.

"I... I gave her some news and she just sort of..." Catarina said an pointed to the frightened woman.

"Lydia?" Alec asked as he sat next to her, "What's going on?"

She shook her head sobbing, throwing her arms around Alec, "I'm pregnant."

Alec wrapped her arms around her tightly, not sure if it was a good or bad thing.

"I wanted John to be here but he can't be and I don't want to be alone." Lydia sobbed into Alec's neck.

"Hey, you're not alone, Lydia." Alec said to her, "I know it's not the same but you've got us, not just me but Izzy, Jace and everybody."

"They all have their own lives." Lydia pulled back to wipe at her eyes.

"You should go see Anna." Alec said, "She had a baby five months ago, her husband died in a Demon attack, ask her who helped her with her pregnancy."

"Who?" Lydia asked.

Alec smiled, "Everybody. She was family the moment she married Danny, and when she lost him we took her in, like we should."

Lydia frowned, "Why does it matter that her husband died?"

"Because Anna is a Seelie." Alec told her, "The Queen said she wasn't allowed back until her baby was born and she couldn't bring it back with her so she didn't have anyplace else to go, so I invited her to stay with us like she had been when Danny was alive. We got this, Lydia, you're one of us, now."

Lydia stared at Alec and began to cry again, Alec merely pulled her into another hug and let her cry.


Magnus and Alec arrived at the restaurant and let the host lead them to a table, it was a very nice place and Alec had never been able to go inside, at least and actually have time to eat there, always in a rush.

"This is nice." Alec whispered as they sat down.

Magnus smiled at Alec, it was a little sad how easy it was to impress Alec but Magnus got to witness all of Alec's experience with the newness that he presented the man with.

Alec opened the menu and looked at it, lost.

"Magnus?" Alec said looking at Magnus.

"What?" Magnus asked smiling and then he took in Alec's body language, "You want me to order for you?"

Alec nodded, embarrassed.

"Great, I know just what we should get." Magnus smiled, "You're going to like this, I promise."

Alec smiled back, assured suddenly that Magnus was going to take care of him.

It was halfway through the meal that Alec froze, something felt wrong in his throat and he was finding it hard to breath.

"Magnus?" Alec whispered, panicking, as his throat seemed to close up further.

Magnus looked at him.

"Alexander!" He cried, worried as he grabbed the man and not worrying about the people around them conjured a portal to take them to Catarina.

"An allergy?" Magnus asked, surprised.

Catarina nodded, "Most Nephilim don't have any, but Alec seems to have a very rare one, and severe too, if you had been even a few moments later, Magnus." She shook her head.

"How long should he stay?" Magnus asked as he stood with Catarina outside Alec's hospital room where Catarina worked.

"At the very least the night, for observation, I already talked to Lydia." Catarina said, "She said he can take a few days to rest. They'll all be on their best behavior and said that Alec shouldn't worry."

Magnus nodded, "Can I... can I stay with him?"

Catarina smiled sympathetically, "Of course."

"Thank you." Magnus said as he entered the room where Alec was sleeping off the medication that had to be used to save his life, as powerful as Magic was there wasn't a way to stop, prevent, or cure an allergic reaction, it was one of the few ways Mundanes had advanced beyond the Shadow World, and for the first time in Magnus' life he was extremly glad for Mundane medicine.

Magnus sat next to Alec and took his hand in his and whispered stories to the young man while he waited for Alec to wait, unaware of Catarina's gaze lingering on him as he sat with Alec.


Magnus had once again surprised Alec with a date at his office and it was going surprisingly well so far, they had yet to be interrupted and there had been no allergic reactions and Magnus was delighted as he fed Alec chocolate covered strawberries, the man resting in his lap, with his eyes closed.

"This is nice." Alec murmured.

"It is." Magnus agreed and shifted himself to lay down on the floor, Alec moving so that his head was pillowed on Magnus' stomach.

There was silence for several long minutes, the silence broken by a soft knock on the door, which creaked open a little as Izzy peeked into the quiet office.

She felt a smile cross her face as she realized that the two were fast asleep and as much as she did not want to deal with Luke and the Seelie Queen she was not going to wake either man, they must be really exhausted to fall asleep in the middle of their date.


Alec walked next to Magnus and had to laugh.

"What is it?" Magnus asked as they passed a flower cart, Magnus stopping to get Alec a rose.

Alec took the flower and smelled it, "I think that this is the first dat ewe haven't had interrupted."

Magnus frowned, "Surely not."

Magnus thought about it, "Oh! You are right, how... sad."

"I don't know, this was nice, and given who we are, it's probably extremely lucky we even managed one whole date." Alec grinned.

"True." Magnus agreed, "Maybe we can hope fro the same next time."

"Yeah." Alec smiled, "Hey, Magnus?"

"Yes, Alexander?" Magnus answered.

"Can we hold hands?" Alec asked, blushing.

Magnus smiled, "Of course, anytime."

"Anytime?" Alec asked with a mischievous smiled.

Suspicious Magnus nodded anyway and Alec took Magnus' hand and they walked hand in hand to the New York Institute.

Magnus should have expected Alec to grab his hand at any moment after that and yet he was still startled when Alec interlaced their fingers halfway through a meeting with Herondale and the rest of the Nephilim's Clave members. As it was Alec seemed extremely pleased with the blush that Magnus sported and the embarrassed glances from their joined hands to one another from the Clave members.

But it was worth it to have Alec's hand in his, even if he was talking official business.


So... I have no excuse. So many failed dates happened, other than these five, Luke calling about jailed children and fights between vampires and Nephilim, so many kids got grounded for interrupting Alec and Magnus' dates, even Lydia, she interrupted their date when she went into labor and spent her first few days as a new mother grounded at the Institute, not that she complained.