Chapter two now edited, as well :) Once more thanks to the lovely faithful muse for betaing me :) And for sending me all four chaps at once after such a short time ;) Love to you :)

Part two – The Hunt

"Mag, really, I don't think this is a good idea."

"You agreed to the deal. No backing out now, Alexander."

Alec just looked at his boyfriend and sighed. Today was the day Magnus would accompany him on a demon hunt. Remembering Jace's hardly suppressed laughter when Alec had told him that, for the day, Magnus would be his parabatai, he let out another sigh. He just knew today would end in a disaster, no matter what Magnus said.

But the warlock was right. There was no way he could back out now. He had informed Maryse about their deal – well, he had sort of left out the part where he would have to dress like Magnus in order to play his apprentice – and they had spent the night at the institute, more or less behaving themselves. Though Magnus's soundproof spells did come in handy for a bit.

Magnus didn't think he had been dealt much of a better hand, even though it had been his idea in the first place. He just wasn't the kind of person to get up with the first rays of sunlight. And the prospect of wearing nothing but black the whole day was even less appealing. Fighting the urge to make a run for the kitchen to down his beloved first cup of coffee (and preferably have a bit more fun with Alec at that), the High Warlock of Brooklyn trotted along behind his boyfriend.

It turned out that they were heading right for the armory.

"Wait. We're not going to have breakfast?"

"Of course not. Full stomachs make you lazy. You had a good deal in the evening, didn't you?"

"What normal person doesn't have breakfast? Especially when they go demon hunting? I mean, how do you pull up the energy to kill those things with a rumbling stomach?"

"Mags, I'm used to this. It's normal Shadowhunter procedure. You just don't breakfast when you plan on leaving for the hunt in the early morning. Period."

"Well, at least now I know why you can stay in bed for so long before you have to get up to eat something."

Alec just flashed him a grin and shoved him into the armory.

"So, now, in the eight hundred years you've been living, have you ever used a weapon?"

"I don't need weapons. My magic is much more effective."

"And much more draining. Do you see anything in here you think you could handle?"

Magnus snorted, but he paid close attention to the matter nonetheless. Obviously, being part demon, he wouldn't be able to use a seraph blade. Upon seeing the runes carved into them, some of the other things in this room were out of the question as well. Magnus settled for a sword he vaguely remembered having used once or twice somewhere in the fifteenth century. Knowing how to use a sword had been in some kind of fashion back then.

Determined, he grabbed for the deadly piece of steel and swirled it through the air to test how it weighed in his hand. Even though it had been quite some time since he had used anything like it, the heft felt familiar somehow.

Alec just stood there and watched his boyfriend, his mouth agape.

"You lied."

"No, I didn't."

"You said you don't know how to use a weapon."

"I said that I don't need weapons. Not that I had never used one before."

"And why would you, if you don't need to?"

"It was sort of required during the fifteenth century."

Alec swallowed his reply and decided to bring the matter up another time. A demon hunt wasn't really the ideal occasion to discuss immortality. Or the lack thereof.

"Okay, well, since you have your weapon now, we should move on to the gear."

Alec strode over to a high wardrobe in the corner of the room.

"You have reserve gear?"

"Of course we do. After all, the institute is the place where any Shadowhunter entering the city for more than a day will end up. And even though the material is rather tough, the gear's usually ripped into shreds after one hunt or two. Depends on the demons you'll have to face and the areas you'll have to pass through. Why, where did you think you would get your gear from?"

Magnus just wiggled his fingers in response.

"Oh no, you don't." Alec shot him a death glare. "You most certainly will not steal any Shadowhunter possessions from now on, is that clear?"

Magnus sighed exasperatedly, but nodded nonetheless.

"Now that that's sorted out, let's return to the matter at hand. I think we have something in there for you, even though you're fairly tall."

With that, the young Nephilim dove into the wardrobe, almost disappearing into its depths. When he returned, pressing the usual black Shadowhunter gear to his chest, he handed it over to Magnus as he stepped out of the piece of furniture. Magnus unfolded the clothing and sighed heavily.

"And I really have to wear this? You never wear anything else for your hunts?"

"Never. Nothing is as tough as the material we use for our gear, and even that is ripped to pieces after a few hunts. So yes, you'll have to wear it, all day long."

Alec grinned deviously at the barely masked horror on Magnus's face.

"Really, Mags, you can hardly think that it's appropriate to wear rainbow colored leather pants to a demon hunt. Firstly, it'd limit your flexibility, secondly it'd draw unnecessary attention to your whereabouts. And you don't want a Raum demon to find you in your hiding place, believe me."

Magnus just rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe he was being lectured by someone who was more than five centuries his junior. Reluctantly, he put on the black gear, smirking at the way Alec's eyes widened when he realized Magnus was going to strip down in front of him. He more than enjoyed the boy's appreciating gaze and the little hint of disappointment in his eyes as the warlock proceeded putting on the Shadowhunter clothing.

When Magnus was finally done, Alec cleared his throat and continued with his introductions.

"Usually, the procedure requires putting Marks on you now, but as that is hardly possible, you'll have to live with what you've got. I'll give you credit for being almost unnaturally graceful, so I expect that you don't need a balance rune, anyway. If we're lucky, we won't have to hunt all day long and you won't need a night sight rune. And even if we're out until late in the night, I suppose you wouldn't need one."

Alec shot his boyfriend a questioning glance. Magnus just grinned at him, his catlike eyes glowing eerily. The Shadowhunter returned the smile and went on.

"The only thing we'll have to worry about is your stamina."

Magnus shot him an insulted glare that was answered with an evil grin.

"Well, that's your own interpretation. What I actually mean is that you're not in training, at least not in the way that Shadowhunters are trained, which could end up being a problem if we stay out there all day."

The warlock just snorted, thinking that statement unworthy of a response.

"You'll see."

Alec smiled again, grabbing for three seraph blades that he stuffed into his belt, along with a dagger (with runes carved in it, of course, probably just to tease Magnus) and the halberd he had inherited from his father. Magnus was impressed that it all seemed to fit into his belt, the additional weight not even pulling his jeans down the slightest bit.

XxxxxxxxxX

Five minutes later, they stood in front of the institute, Magnus still pouting. He had tried to get a little make-out-session before they headed off to kill the children of hell, but Alec had refused to even do so much as kiss him in the armory. There was no time for things like that if you were a Shadowhunter.

"Mags, come on now. We haven't got all the time in the world. If we want to get home tonight, you really should hurry up."

Magnus obeyed grudgingly, following Alec to the cab they had hired. Once the car had started and the driver was directing all his attention on the busy New York traffic, Magnus turned to his boyfriend.

"I can't believe you use cabs to go find a cluster of demons."

"Well, how else are we supposed to get there? We might be in training, but you can't expect us to walk all the way through New York. We'd need hours to get there. The cab is faster."

"What about portals?"

"Mag, think about it. If it weren't for us being a couple, how much would you charge the Clave for creating a portal every time we need to go hunt a demon at the other side of the city?"

The warlock smiled wickedly.

"Supposedly more than the Clave will ever call its own. Still, a Nephilim using the cab does sound disgraceful somehow, doesn't it?"

"Oh, just shut up, Mag."

It took half an hour before they finally arrived at their destination, leaving behind at least three traffic jams. Alec somehow had the impression that Magnus had something to do with their relatively early arrival.

"So now, where are the cute little demons?"

"The institute was informed that they're inhabiting the area. Some mundanes seemed to have seen weird things and someone out of the neighborhood has disappeared."

Magnus turned to face him.

"Where do you get this kind of information, anyway?"

"We're supposed to protect the mundanes in this city, Magnus. We all search the mundane newspapers for signs of demonic activity, and we have posts throughout the city."

"You read mundane news papers? And you've still managed to not know who Rihanna is? Or Lady Gaga, at that?"

"I don't read that section of the newspaper, Magnus. I actually concentrate on what can be called news."

"Fashion trends are news, too. But none of you Shadowhunters have read that part, obviously."

Alec just rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, pulling the sensor from his pocket to check for any sign of demons in the area. The device howled at them almost immediately, growing so hot that Alec hardly maintained his grip on it.

"Well, I assume that means work for us," Magnus commented dryly, not at all enthusiastic at the fact that he would have to fight a bunch of demons with weapons.

"That it does. You stay right behind me, alright?"

Alec's tone was anxious and Magnus thought it best to just do as he was asked. After all, that was what he had promised his boyfriend he would be doing.

It didn't take long for them to find the first demon. It was busy in one of the trash bins, throwing litter everywhere, obviously in search of something. Probably a human body part or something like that.

The young Shadowhunter sneaked up behind the ugly creature, stabbing it with one of the seraph blades before it even had a chance to turn around. Magnus had to admit that he was impressed. The movement had been so smooth, soundless, and fast that he had hardly noticed it himself. Alec turned around to grin at him. Even covered in demon ichor he was an appealing sight.

Though his pretty face was quickly drained off all color when he stared at something behind Magnus's back. His eyes were wide in shock and his mouth was forming words to warn his lover. But before he could even react, Magnus had already turned around in a fluid motion, sword in hand as if he had never released his hold on it, decapitating the demon that had sneaked up behind him.

Alec just stood there, mouth agape, words still hanging unspoken on his lips. Instead of turning around at once, Magnus carefully looked down at himself. His mouth formed a disgusted line at the sight of the ichor covering him from head to toe.

"You're so lucky those aren't my own clothes. They would be ruined beyond repair. That's why you always wear this awful clothing. It gets turned to shreds anyway."

Somehow, Alec managed to find his voice again.

"Yeah, well, it would be sort of a waste of good clothing to wear something from Dolce&Gabbana and get yourself drenched in ichor and blood."

Magnus gave him an appreciative look before turning around to head down the road, Alec on his heels.

"Where are you going?"

"The way that little instrument of yours reacted, I assume there are more demons around here than just the two we've just met."

And he turned out to be right: A few hundred meters down the road, they practically ran into a big family of demons devouring something that could have been a cat or a dog once upon a time. The moment they interrupted their little festivity, Alec and Magnus had at least a dozen demons on them.

Throughout the whole fight, Alec kept an eye on Magnus, making sure his partner didn't get into any situation too dangerous for him to handle – though that would be rather unlikely – and at the same time, secretly analyzing his fighting skills. Alec knew it was unjustifiable behavior for a Shadowhunter, but he still couldn't help it.

To Alec's surprise, Magnus was quite a good fighter. He moved gracefully and effortlessly, slaying his enemies with ease and precision. He wasn't as practiced as a Shadowhunter, thus making a bit more of a mess than necessary, but still.

What Alec didn't know was that Magnus was doing the same with him. He only averted his gaze from his boyfriend to make sure he wasn't eaten by demons. Never before had Magnus been able to admire Alec in a fight from this close without being too distracted to watch. The young Nephilim's grace was undeniable and he got an impossibly small amount of ichor and black demon blood on his gear. He didn't even receive a scratch, despite the fact that he had at least seven demons on him at once.

But what caught Magnus's attention the most was the fact that his otherwise so shy and reserved Shadowhunter fought boldly and passionately, making the warlock want to take him right there. Alec danced around his enemy with ease, every step precise and calculated. It got Magnus impossibly worked up and he almost got his leg bitten off by a Ravener demon for staring too long. Alec shot him a worried gaze, at the same time somehow managing to stab two demons simultaneously with one seraph blade.

Once all their enemies had been sent back to their own dimension, Magnus leaned against the wall closest to him, taking a deep breath. He was covered in sweat, blood, and ichor, but apart from that, he was much less exhausted than he had expected to feel. Maybe it was because of his own demon blood. Anyway, he was used to magic draining him in a very different way and his muscles had already started aching.

Magnus closed his eyes and felt Alec approaching, sliding down the wall next to him. The warlock had hardly noticed he was sitting.

"When did I slide down the wall?"

"About the same time you started leaning against it."

"I must be more exhausted than I thought. Actually, I figured I was taking it pretty well."

"That you did."

Magnus looked at his boyfriend.

"For someone who hasn't done this before, at least not that way, you fought pretty well. If you weren't a Downworlder, I would suggest to the Clave to train you to become a Shadowhunter."

Magnus raised his eyebrow.

"I guess that's supposed to be a compliment."

"Yes, it is."

"You know, I think you owe me one for all this demon killing. I feel the dire need to go shopping. I could die for some classy clothes right now."

"Magnus, we've barely even started. The day's not done yet. There are many more demons to kill. Buying you a suit right now wouldn't do. At least, not if you don't want to spice it up with ichor and blood."

Magnus just sighed in resignation and got up again.

"So, where are we going now?"

XxxxxxxxxX

It was ten o'clock in the evening before they returned to their flat. Originally, they had been done at nine, but since they had to get home from the other end of the city and Alec had to deliver his report to Maryse (at least he had been allowed to do it via phone), it had taken them another hour to finally arrive in Brooklyn.

The moment they stumbled into the loft, Magnus snapped his fingers and their gear disappeared.

"Magnus!"

Alec turned around to his boyfriend, indignation evident in his features, only slightly covered by the beginnings of a blush. After all, Magnus had seen him naked so many times by now that even someone as shy as Alec could hardly insist on thinking it embarrassing.

"Don't worry, they're in your room at the institute. I wouldn't just throw away your precious gear, even though it's hardly more than shreds by now."

Magnus rolled his eyes and started to trace the few wounds he had received throughout the day. Blue sparks erupted from his long fingers and within a few minutes, his skin was as smooth and tanned as before. Alec looked down at himself self-consciously. There were many scars all over his body, and not only from runes. Some things even an iratze couldn't heal.

Immediately, Magnus looked up from his own skin, as if sensing the unhealthy thoughts in Alec's head. He shot Alec a knowing smirk.

"You know, just because I don't like to have scars on my own skin doesn't mean that I can't appreciate them on you."

Alec blushed a little more and made a step towards the couch. He looked back at Magnus questioningly. The warlock just shook his head.

"Such a waste", he murmured, but he snapped his fingers nonetheless, causing a pair of shorts to appear out of thin air. Alec put them on gladly and sank down onto the hot pink piece of furniture with a relieved sigh. Magnus decided that there probably wouldn't be any action right now, anyway, and made another pair of shorts appear for himself. After all, the couch wasn't comfortable enough to spend a whole night on it naked.

Lazily, Magnus turned on the TV with another snap of his fingers, luckily ending up with Project Runway. A happy grin spread over his face and he made himself comfortable, pulling Alec along with him until the boy's head rested on his chest. Alec smiled and pressed a chaste kiss on Magnus chest before turning to watch the show. It took him about five minutes to become utterly bored.

"Magnus, do we have to watch this?"

"Yes, we do. I happen to like that show and if you don't, well, then I assume there's still this book of yours around to read."

"You know I can't concentrate on demonology with you half-naked on the couch and a noisy TV-show in the background."

"Tough luck then, I suppose."

Alec pinched him playfully in the chest, only causing Magnus to pull him even closer and place a loving kiss on his shock of black hair. The Nephilim sighed in resignation and tried to concentrate on the television once more. As was to be expected, he only lasted another few minutes.

"You know, you weren't that bad."

"Hmm?"

Magnus seemed to have a hard time coming back from the imaginary place his mind had been in, presumably something very related to fashion and clothes and a lot of other stuff Alec couldn't bring himself to care about, no matter how much it meant to his boyfriend.

"As a Shadowhunter. You did fairly well. I have to admit that I'm surprised."

"Well, you tend to learn a lot of things when you're around for eight centuries."

"Though I still wouldn't want you for a parabatai."

"And why not? You can't tell me that you prefer Jace!"

"Actually, I do. He at least tries not to complain every time he gets demon ichor on his favorite jacket, for whatever reason he even wears it while hunting."

Magnus just snorted into Alec's silky hair and returned his attention to the TV program. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Alec's mind. A very scary thought.

"You knew that, right?"

"What do you mean, Alec, love," Magnus asked, eyes still fixed on the screen, only half his mind on the conversation.

"You knew that you would easily manage a day as a Shadowhunter, even without your magic. And you knew that I don't really have much of an idea what you actually do. That was a trap! You're going to go out of this as the winner and I'm going to look like the world's biggest fool, just the way you wanted it. I can't believe you'd do this to me, Magnus!"

The Nephilim positively glared at his boyfriend. Magnus raised his hands in defense.

"I didn't do this to make you look like a fool. I just thought it would make us understand each other a bit better."

"I guess you knew exactly what I was doing, anyway. It's just me who has no plan. Thank you very much. I know that I don't really know anything about magic or being a warlock, but that's no reason to humiliate me! You could have just told me!"

"Alexander Lightwood, for the last time, I didn't try to humiliate you! And I certainly didn't know every aspect of being a Shadowhunter. I had the general picture in mind, but really, accompanying you today has helped me a lot. Not just to understand your whole kind, but also you specifically. I saw many new facets of you today."

Alec raised his eyebrows sarcastically.

"Oh, really? And which ones would those be?"

"For example, that you're definitely not shy and reserved when you've got a weapon in your hand and a demon in front of me. It did distract me a lot."

Alec just rolled his eyes at Magnus's stupid comment.

"No, really! Believe me, seeing you going at least a little bit wild got me pretty worked up!"

"As if you've never seen me 'go wild'."

"Not that way. Fighting demons is who you are and what you've been trained to do all your life. It's nice to watch you when you're in your element. I mean, don't misunderstand me, at times you do get pretty wild in the bedroom or wherever we happen to end up having hot sex" – Alec inevitably blushed at this point - "and you're definitely much less reserved and embarrassed than when we first met, but you still have quite a ways to go. I guess it will come naturally to you with time. But seeing you all confident was a really nice change."

Alec blushed a bit more, but still smiled at the warlock.

"Well, I think we could hurry things 'coming naturally to me' up a bit. How about a little more practice?"

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"Really? And what did you have in mind?"

"Whatever you feel up to, love."

Magnus's heart fluttered. Alec rarely used endearments, and when he did, the warlock's heart always felt about to burst with love for him.

"Meaning?" he asked, not wanting to admit that his body was sore all over and he hadn't really felt capable of moving from the moment he had sunk down on the couch.

This time it was Alec's turn to grin knowingly.

"If you've taken a day as a Shadowhunter so easily, it certainly won't be a problem for you to top, then?"

Magnus mumbled inaudibly something very much resembling a curse and then returned his eyes to Alec's.

"Okay, I can hardly move an inch and being a Shadowhunter is horrible torture and I admire you for being able to do anything at all at the end of such a day. Now, would you have the mercy to make love to me? Or do we just fall asleep on the couch?"

Alec just laughed and flung himself into the warlock's waiting arms.