A/N: Phew! Putting this together took longer than I expected. BUT, here I am! Yay?

Thank you SO MUCH for your amazing feedback and all your support! It means the WORLD to me. (BEAMS, and HUGS)

SO… Are you ready? Because it's time to continue this highly emotional journey.

I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride!

From a Literal Storm to a Storm of Feelings

2016

It was on their fourth date Alec realized something. Even though he and Magnus had made it clear to themselves and each other that they were officially seeing each other… They hadn't even kissed properly. And while he was still infuriatingly skittish about a lot of relationship-related things, he decided firmly that it was time to take a tiny step forward.

The problem was that as always, he overthought things. He waited for the perfect moment. For some ridiculous, cosmic sign telling him to proceed. Magnus was very little help, because it was apparent that older man wanted to avoid pushing him. So it was all up to him.

Their date certainly hadn't been a disaster. But the weather was. Rain poured down and thunder roared every few minutes while they dashed through the city, trying and failing to get a taxi. Magnus did his best to hold an umbrella above them both but in the end Mother Nature won. Storm wind grabbed a hold of the item and whisked it away, leaving them exposed to the weather's full wrath. In just moments they were drenched.

They stared at each other for a while. Then burst into giggles. The carefree atmosphere and the sight of Magnus, happy and relaxed, made Alec's tongue loosen. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right how?" In roughly two and a half seconds he felt like an idiot.

Magnus looked at him funnily. Rightfully so, because the compliment came completely out of nowhere. "Well… Thank you. But… I'm not sure you're entirely objective." The older man chuckled breathily. "I'm wet, and my makeup must be all over my face…"

Screw waiting for the right moment, Alec decided, and interrupted Magnus with a kiss neither had quite seen coming.

It started out sloppily, Alec still having infuriatingly little idea of what he was doing. But nature, hormones and something even stronger were good instructors. Soon enough the kiss deepened to a point where breaking it seemed impossible. Mainly because Alec seriously didn't want it to ever end.

But of course physical limitations, such as lack of oxygen, became issues. They panted as they broke apart, dazed and their pupils blown wide. Alec licked his lips, suddenly self-conscious. He hadn't imagined that his heart could pull off the kind of movements it performed just then. "Was that… ah… good?" When the older man didn't seem able to produce an answer he frowned, worry growing. "Magnus? Are you… okay?"

Magnus blinked slowly. And melted to the kind of a smile Alec wanted to see a million more times. "You continue to surprise me, Alexander", the man breathed out softly. "As for the kiss… Nothing about you is anything short of wondrous."

Thunder, and perhaps a bystander or two as well, clapped when they kissed again.

2018

Magnus didn't see Alec or hear from his boyfriend for almost a week after their… unpleasant meeting at the hospital. With more than a hint of discomfort he realized that he didn't mind. Because he had a feeling that the next time they'd meet might be the last.

For once in his life, he would've wanted to be proven wrong when he feared the worst.

Magnus almost dropped the glass of gin he'd been devouring too quickly when the apartment's door opened. Unable to make himself turn around, he observed through a reflection on a window glass how Alec appeared. Everything was frozen while the younger man stood absolutely still, stared at his back. The reflection was so blurry that Magnus couldn't read the expression on his boyfriend's face. (Or perhaps something else was blurry. He'd had so many drinks that he couldn't tell.) But the tension on the tall frame and in the air between them spoke volumes.

Eventually Alec cleared his throat and shifted. "It's Friday night. I… wasn't expecting you to be home."

Magnus snorted. Out of all imaginable opening lines… "Sorry to disappoint you", he snarked with the bitterness of all the alcohol he'd consumed sharpening his tongue. He then took a deep breath. One of them had to try and stay calm… "I… suppose we need to talk."

"No, we don't." Alec's words made his blood run cold. The ten seconds of silence which followed, and the older man counted with care, felt endless. "Magnus… Today I was there when Izzy was taken to rehab. And I can't…" The younger man shook his head. "My family needs me. And I need to be there for them. So this, us… I can't handle it right now."

That Magnus had expected it all didn't make it any less painful. He shuddered like he'd been struck physically. All he could hear from Alec's words was that 'I can't handle being with you'. "We've had our rough patches. Like any other couple. But I wasn't aware that our relationship and I were such a burden to you."

"Magnus, I can't trust you! Or maybe I can't trust myself, I don't… I don't know!" Alec was quite literally pulling his hair. "I can't be in the same room with you without getting flashbacks of the day when I almost lost my little sister."

"You still blame me, don't you?" Magnus murmured. He didn't need an answer to draw a solid conclusion. His eyes narrowed while he glared at his own reflection. "You came to break up with me. So pack up your things and go."

For a long, stilled moment Alec hesitated. And Magnus's heart, one that was shattering to pieces, dared to hope. Maybe his boyfriend (ex-boyfriend, apparently) would fight for them, after all. Maybe it wasn't over.

But then Alec disappeared to the bedroom and Magnus's hold on the gin-glass became so tight that his knuckles lost color.

It took torturously long before Alec was finally done. The sound of a key being placed to a table was the loudest thing the club owner had ever heard. Once more Alec hesitated, looked towards him, but didn't stop entirely.

Magnus tried to hold on to the stone-hard silence. But his tongue was faster. "Our relationship… You don't regret it, do you?" Well, he'd always known that he was a masochist…

Alec stiffened, back towards him. "I'm… not sure." Several horribly heavy moments passed by. "Right now? I think I do."

Magnus gritted his teeth so hard that it hurt, almost enough to distract him from pain elsewhere.

"Magnus, I'm s…"

"Get out", Magnus hissed. "I think we can both agree that you've said more than enough. So get out."

Alec left. As soon as the door closed Magnus finally whirled around and threw the glass at the nearest wall. He wanted to scream, at the top of his lungs, but couldn't.

All he could think about was the ring he'd kept hidden for weeks in a drawer Alec never looked into. It'd been waiting for the right time. One that, apparently, would never come.

2019

The week which followed was pure hell on Alec. It took days before the he received a cautiously optimistic word that Magnus would most likely pull through. But even after that there was the issue of a head trauma. Before the club owner would wake up, there was no telling if the attack caused permanent damage.

Alec found it haunting to sit beside Magnus, knowing that although the man he loved was right there he might've lost him.

Just when Alec imagined that things couldn't possibly get much worse Raphael appeared. They glared at each other, months of pent-up animosity rising like a tsunami. "You've got some nerve to show up here", the older man hissed.

"I could say the same thing", Alec growled back.

Raphael's eyebrow bounced up. "Magnus is like a brother to me. I spent months in rehab and therapy to get clean and earn back his trust. Because I wanted to make things right." The man's glare sharpened. "What have you been doing to fix things? Other than wallowing in self-pity."

Alec gritted his teeth. "I know that I've taken too long." He was far too aware… "But I'm here now. And, if he'll still have me… I'm never going away again." He hoped dearly that wherever Magnus's mind drifted, the man heard his earnest words.

Raphael continued to glare at him. Then huffed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he'd an idiot enough to take you back. He loves you too much. He still cares about you more than you deserve. If he does take you back, and you hurt him again… I will do everything I can to ensure that you'll never get anywhere near him again. Do you understand?"

Alec glared back. And scoffed. "Do you seriously imagine that I'd ever repeat my worst mistake? I can barely look at myself in the mirror as it is."

Raphael's facial expression became unreadable. "I know the feeling." Nothing more was said for five full minutes, until he hotel owner began to leave. Only to pause by the doorway, back towards him. "Oh, and Alec? Not that it matters much anymore, but… Ask your sister which one got which addicted to drugs. This world isn't as black and white as you like to imagine." With those words the man was gone.

Alec stared at the closed door in a state of mild shock. His mind had hard time processing Raphael's words. Which was why it took him longer than it should've to notice the barely detectable movement. Until it repeated.

Alec's eyes widened and filled with desperate hope. They flew from the hand in his hold, which twitched again, to the still unconscious man's face. "Magnus?"

The following six hours were among the longest in Alec's life. Magnus tried to wake up several times but lacked the strength. Until in the darkest hours of the night a pair of achingly familiar dark eyes fluttered open.

Alec's heart was sent racing. He swallowed thickly, rubbing the back of the other's hand encouragingly with his thumb. "Hey." He didn't know what else to say. The words began to fall free of his active decision. "You… You have no idea how much I've missed you", he blurted out honestly.

Magnus's head turned with a visible amount of effort. The man studied him slowly. Eventually a frown appeared. Alec's blood ran cold at the look in the eyes meeting his.

Magnus's gaze was full of confusion, pain and fear.

TBC

A/N: Oh boy… So Magnus is awake, but I doubt that his reaction was what Alec wanted. (winces) We'll see just how this tale closes in the next chapter…

SOOOO… Thoughts? Comments? Rants…? (Malec breakups are always painful, aren't they?) PLEASE, do let me hear from you! It ALWAYS makes my day.

IN THE NEXT ONE: In the past timelines we see the couple's first 'I love you' and Alec's regret. Eventually we also find out whether Malec still has a future.

Until next time! I REALLY hope that I'll see you all there.

Take care!