Wow, omigosh! I am more than halfway done with this fic! I MIIGHT COMPLETE IT! Digital plush toys for everyone! So, this is slowly dwindling to the grand finale. I have something planned. Something evil (insert creepy grin and maniacal laugh). But for now, you know the drill. Read! Review! Enjoy!
Magnus heard the buzzer sound, and groaned quietly to himself. Leaving Bastet sprawled on his couch, sleeping quietly, he went and pressed the button.
"Who the FUCK is calling as 11 PM at night?" He hissed, too tired to bother with theatrics.
"Magnus, it's us!" A voice cried hysterically. Magnus feigned ignorance.
"Oh, it's 'Us'," he said sarcastically. "I like it when you come over 'Us'. You are so much better company than 'Them'."
"Cut the sarcasm warlock," Jace snapped. Magnus rolled his eyes.
"I thought I told Alec I don't like being your pet warlock," he said, feeling only a slight twinge in his chest.
"Speaking of Alec," Jace said. "He's bleeding all over my shirt, and my shirt stains easily, so…"
"Run that through me again?" Magnus said, his voice getting a little squeaky. There was a sound of scuffling through the intercom.
"MAGNUS!" Magnus flinched away from the intercom. He had forgotten how loud and shrieky Isabelle could be. "Help us!" Bastet stirred, and Magnus swore under his breath. Again.
"Could you be more specific?" He said nastily. "And quieter? I have a guest." He heard Jace's crackling voice over the intercom, faint, obviously not meant for his ears.
"You've got to be kidding me," he heard the blond mutter. Then louder. "If you don't open up, we'll kick the door down." Magnus sighed, and pressed the buzzer to open the door.
"Who was that?" Bastet asked.
"Shadowhunters, sweetie," Magnus responded, wondering what the heck was going on. Alec bleeding… No way that was true. It was Jace's ploy for something stupid about Heavenly Fire or God knows what. Bastet blinked, and sat up, stretching.
"Damn, I'll have to go," she said. Magnus nodded. Bastet did not have a good history with Shadowhunters, particularly Circle members. Then, the door burst open. Jace stumbled in, supporting a heavily bleeding and unconscious Alec as Clary and Isabelle raced in behind him. Magnus immediately raced over to them, slinging Alec up in his arms and depositing him on the coffee table. He saw the bright red stain, way too big for comfort, on his shirt, and said a word he wouldn't have generally used in front of the younger female populace.
"My virgin ears," Jace said tonelessly, attempting a joke.
"I'm guessing no part of you is a virgin, Golden Wonder," Magnus said, ripping open Alec's shirt, and then forcing down a scream. He could see bone. He could see BONE! The wound went from the top of his ribcage to the middle of his stomach.
"We were tracking Ceker demon," Clary said in a small voice. "Alec just jumped right on it. He almost would have killed it, but it got him with its spike." Magnus groaned slightly. On the hands of each Ceker demon were poisonous spikes, the most deadly part of the entire monster.
"This is going to take some heavy duty magic," he muttered to himself.
"You'll help him?" Isabelle asked in a squeaky voice. Magnus turned to look at her.
"No, I'm just going to let him crumble to blood and ash on my table," he snapped.
"But you guys broke up…"
"Shut up," Magnus said calmly. The last thing he wanted was to discuss his love life with his ex-boyfriend's sister, who would probably punch him in the mouth. So, he would leave the details for later. He placed his hands on Alec's shoulders, and concentrated. Instantly, as if he had uncorked a champagne bottle, magic flowed through him, going through his hands into Alec's body. He saw the cut start to heal, saw the flesh knit itself back together. And then, someone put a stopper on the flow. Magnus felt dizzy. The cut was only slightly healed, and he was already feeling exhausted. This was serious, and his magic would be depleted before he could finish. Dam it! Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! If Alec died, Magnus swore that he would never forgive himself. Never. Jace was pacing nervously, while Isabelle sat on the couch, biting her nails as Clary rubbed her shoulders soothingly. Alec's breathing was rough and uneven. Magnus felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Bastet holding out a swirling purple vial at him.
"I took the liberty of taking my magic for you to consume," she told him, placing the vial in his hand. "Take it. Save him. You can do it Bane." Magnus laughed softly.
"Thanks," he said, uncorking the vial and drinking in the energy. Power surged through him, and he restarted the healing process with renewed vigor. He watched the flesh completely reheal itself, before quickly casting a spell to replenish the Shadowhunter boy's blood. He collapsed, exhausted onto his couch. He needed sleep until Alec awoke, because who knew what the hell was going to happen after that.
TMI
"So, how long have you been sleeping with my parabati's ex?" Jace's voice jolted Magnus out of his half sleep. Alec had been moved to the couch, and Magnus, therefore, to the loveseat. Bastet stared at the golden boy in confusion.
"What?" She asked cautiously.
"Or haven't you yet?" Jace asked. "If so, when are you planning to?"
"What makes you think I want to?" Bastet asked, clearly affronted.
"Well, do you?" Jace's tone was reasonable, the question, however, was not. Magnus, of course, was very desirable, but not by Bastet.
"I don't know," Bastet said coldly. "Do you want to sleep with Isabelle? Is it generally a thing, people wanting to sleep with their siblings?" Jace chokes, and turns purple. Magnus can't help but chuckle a little. His little sister always knew how to put people in their place.
"I asked the wrong question, didn't I?" Golden Wonder finally said. Bastet nodded.
"OK, we all need to go," she told anyone. "I don't care whose brother he is, when he wakes up, it isn't you he'll want to see." Magnus flinches almost imperceptibly. Would Alec want to see him? He didn't hate the Shadowhunter. He never had, and he never would. But the lie had been far too grievous. Hadn't it? Magnus's thoughts were all in a jumble as his sister ushered the remnants of "Team Good" as Simon had dubbed them, out the door. She waved, and the claws that replaced fingernails flashed in the lamplight. He let out a breath as Alec stirred, and the brilliant blue eyes he had missed so much fluttered open.
TMI
There was a time when waking up on Magnus's couch wouldn't have been unusual. There were times when it was ever usual. It wouldn't have been unusual to be covered in blankets, with Magnus leaning over him, cat eyes glimmering as he touched his cheek gently.
"We have to stop meeting like this, darling," Magnus said. "Really, the amount of times I have saved your life is ridiculous." Alec nodded.
"It is at that," he commented. He glanced down at himself. "What happened?"
"Do the words Ceker demon, blood, bone, blood loss, almost died, nearly gave me a heart attack, make me worry like that again and I'll kill ring a bell?"
"Up to almost died yeah," Alec said, bluntly honest as always. "But the other two imply that you care." Magnus sucked in a breath as if Alec had punched him. Alec couldn't help but feeling guilty. Part of his brain knew that he was in the wrong. He had made the mistake. But the part that registered all the hurt and pain from the last couple weeks wanted Magnus to ache as much as he did. Magnus dropped on the edge of the couch; fingers twisted together so tightly it looked painful. He sighed.
"I should have heard you out," he said. "I didn't give you a chance to explain."
"There wasn't anything to explain," Alec said harshly. "I made the mistake, not you." Alec didn't know why he was doing this. He should accept Magnus's apology. But for some reason, his natural instinct was to reassure the warlock. And Alec knew why. Alec had known loss. Thinking of Max was like twisting a knife into a wound. And how would that feel to Magnus, who had suffered eight hundred years of loss. Magnus was staring at him with those gorgeous green gold eyes.
"We both made mistakes, Alexander," the warlock said. "I didn't tell you enough, and you listened to things you shouldn't have." Alec pulled his blankets up to his chin as Magnus's hand ghosted over his fingertips.
"I just…" Alec swallowed. Damn, he needed to be better at expressing his feelings. "I just… I hate feeling alone. I've always felt alone. Being gay, and in the closet. And then, being too stupid to tell people about us. I thought, when everything was over, I wouldn't be alone again. I wanted you to care about me as much as I did about you. I didn't want to be alone." His voice cracked on the final word, and he felt himself beginning to break down. Great. The last thing he wanted was to cry in front of Magnus. Strong hands gripped his fingers.
"I do care," Magnus said in a low voice. "And I know how you felt. But, after centuries of closing everything off, it's hard to open up again. I know I should have opened up more. You don't know how many times I've berated myself. We both played a part in what happened Alec." Alec knew he was clinging to Magnus's hand now, but the warlock didn't pull away.
"I'm sorry," Alec whispered. "Please, you have to know how sorry I am." Magnus placed a finger on Alec's lips, which was always an effective way at getting him to shut up.
"I know," he said. "But do you know how sorry I am?" Alec shook his head. "This sorry." And Magnus leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Alec's lips. He pulled back, before Alec threw his arms around Magnus's neck and pulled him in for another kiss. He had missed the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Finally, they broke apart, although Alec refused to let go.
"That was a nice way to get back together," Magnus said thoughtfully, hands fiddling with a strand of Alec's hair. The Shadowhunter snorted and smiled.
"I know, right?"
