Alec and Magnus hadn't been at the Academy long when Simon burst into their attic room to tell them a warlock baby had been abandoned on the front steps. Alec thanked the Angel Simon had chosen that time to interrupt them. If Simon had arrived even ten minutes earlier, neither Magnus or Alec would have been wearing clothes, and the last thing Alec wanted was a bad second first impression with Simon.
Magnus lept into action right away, Alec followed both him and Simon down the stairs, and into the entrance hall. When Alec saw the small blue baby in the arms of a woman who clearly worked at the school, he couldn't help but smile.
"Can I hold him?" Alec asked, and the women handed the child over. The baby's skin was navy blue but apart from that he was just a baby with curious eyes and tiny hands. The soft material of Alec's faded sweater seemed to sooth the him. The little blue baby had been making unhappy noises, but they suddenly stopped when Alec held him. Alec gazed down the baby in his arms, and the baby gazed back at him. Alec was stunned that the baby had settled into his arms so effortlessly. Alec couldn't take his eyes off the infant's face.
"Simon was right. He is a warlock and would not be able to pass for a mundane," Magnus said, standing over Alec's shoulder. "His mother clearly does not want him. He is in a nest of the Nephilim, and I cannot think among faeries, Shadowhunters, or werewolves where in the world a child like this could possibly belong."
Alec could think of somewhere this child belonged, but he could hear the strain in Magnus's voice. He could image only too well what this reminded Magnus of his own infancy. He'd passed for a mundane for years, but the moment he was discovered, he too had been abandoned. Alec shifted the baby's weight in his arms so he could put his hand on Magnus's shoulder. He wanted to take away the fraying edge in Magnus's voice, wanted to reassure him. Alec always hated thinking about Magnus as a scared lonely child.
"Should we contact the Clave and put this matter before them, or what?" It was a woman who had spoken. She was probably in charge of the school from the commanding way she spoke. Alec had a sudden desire to protect the child in his arms from her and the Clave, from everything. But before he could speak, Magnus took charge.
"I do not intend to leave a warlock child to the tender mercies of the Clave," Magnus declared, his voice extremely cold. Alec was suddenly filled with hope. Maybe it had been long enough, maybe Magnus was ready for this too?
"We can take care of him upstairs for now," Alec said. "Don't call the Clave." She seemed happy to have the problem taken off her hands, and Alec was relieved. He suspected the baby was less than a year old. His eyes were open and curious about the world. Alec walked with the child still in his arms, back to the attic. He could hear Magnus follow behind him. The hope in Alec's chest was adjacent to the crushing fear. Alec walked into the attic suite, his thoughts a jumbled mess.
When the baby started to cry, Alec's great plans of talking to Magnus about this were drown out. Alec tried everything, he picked the baby up and started walking back and forth, rocking him and murmuring softly. But the baby kept crying. Somewhere in Alec's mind - almost drowned out by the child's screams - was the horrible thought that he wasn't doing something right.
"Maybe he's hungry," Alec said. "Would you mind magiking up him something to eat?" Magnus did, but Alec was worried about what his boyfriend was thinking. There was no energy to worry though, as once the child finished eating, he was crying again. Alec never put the baby down. He just walked back and forth holding him, trying to comfort the poor soul who had been abandoned by the person he wanted more than anything. His mother. Alec couldn't be a mother. He was so overwhelmed, all he wanted was to sooth the child's cries.
The cries continued for hours and hours; Alec forgot about the rest of the world. The infant's cries drown everything out. The sun was setting by the time the cries finally stopped. The baby finally fell asleep, laying on their bed, and Alec lay down beside him half asleep before his head hit the pillow.
When Alec awoke, he was fairly sure he hadn't slept long. It was dark outside, but that hardly mattered before Magnus was gone. Instantly worried, Alec jumped up and looking for him in their attic suit. Magnus wasn't there, so Alec gathered up the sleeping child in his arms and left, headed down the stairs. Alec found Magnus quickly. He'd been walking back up the stairs, and Alec's intense relief almost made him drop the baby.
"Magnus!" Alec exclaimed.
"Don't wake the thing!" Magnus whispered, and Alec realized how loudly he'd spoke. Magnus's word for the baby wasn't reassuring. Alec didn't say a word though as he and Magnus went back to their room together.
"Where did you go?" Alec asked once they were alone again in their room. Alec placed the thankfully still sleeping child back on their bed.
"Walking," Magnus said, flatly.
"Walking where?" Alec asked.
"You want to adopt this child don't you?" Magnus said, and though it was phrase liked a question where was no doubt in Magnus's voice.
"Am I that obvious?" Alec mumbled.
"Yes and no," Magnus replied. "If you hadn't once passionately yelled at me about the future you wanted, I might not have clued in so easily."
"Oh right," Alec said sheepishly.
"Doesn't this scare you?" Magnus asked, and Alec thought about it. This did scare him a lot, but he suspected not for the same reasons as Magnus.
"Yes," Alec replied. "But what I'm scared of is letting him down. I'm scared I won't be enough. That I won't be a good parent."
"Ah," Magnus replied, and Alec was glad to see him smiling. "Well your fears are silly."
"Are what?" Alec asked taken aback.
"I have known you for only a matter of months," Magnus started. "At least from my perspective, but I am sure of one thing, you are enough. Everyone replies on you more than you realize, Alec. I've watched you always try and be more for those you love. Letting people down isn't something I believe you to be capable of."
"Thanks," Alec mumbled, unsure what else to say. That was everything he needed to hear. All his fears put to rest at once.
"And," Magnus said shyly. "I love you. Me. Not old me, or past me, but me as I am now." A smile spread across Alec's face as he leaned forward to kiss Magnus. This was why he'd been so worried. Magnus had come back and he hadn't expected much to start, but in the months since, Magnus had never said those words back to him.
"You know I love you too," Alec said just because.
"I know," Magnus replied, with a slight laugh as he pressed his forehead to Alec's. They stayed like that for a moment before Magnus whispered, "Oh god I never thought I'd be in this situation."
"What do you mean?" Alec asked, leaning away to look the warlock in the eyes.
"I have heard the stories but I don't remember how we got to where we are," Magnus said slowly. "What I remember is that in all the centuries of my life, I have never once thought of raising a child. Warlocks are infertile but that isn't the only reason. Immortality means watching the people around you die and I didn't want-"
"To see that in children you raised," Alec finished for him. "I understand, but Magnus this child's a warlock. He won't grow old."
"I will though," Magnus whispered.
"So will I," Alec added as he pulled Magnus close. "Where is it written that mortal parents can't raise an immortal child?"
"As you know, I have thought about having a family before," Alec said. "A family with you, but I want more than that. I want to marry you Magnus."
"I know," Magnus replied. "But it's impossible. We can't get married in gold."
"I don't care what colours are involved," Alec smiled. "A mundane wedding, a downworlder wedding, or a shadowhunter one. It doesn't matter."
"It does matter though. I don't want to have a ceremony other's will look down on," Magnus said. "I've seen Shadowhunters dismiss marriages like what ours would be as nothing, and I've seen some Shadowhunters bow under that pressure and break the vows they made."
"That won't happen to us," Alec said. "No matter how we are married, it would mean as much to me as a shadowhunter wedding. Any promises I made to you I'd keep."
"I do not want you to have any less than the ceremony you could have had, if you had chosen a shadowhunter to marry," Magnus said.
"You know," Alec said, unable to keep the smile off his face. "You have given me this choice before."
"I have?" Magnus asked, Alec nodded.
"When we got back together on that rooftop," Alec said. "I thought about how much easier it would be to love someone else."
"You could marry with runes then," Magnus agreed. "Like Aline and Helen."
"Yes," Alec said. "But what matters to me isn't the runes. It's you and me, together, forever."
"Forever isn't possible," Magnus replied.
"Technically yes," Alec said. "But the rest of our lives can be our forever, and this child our legacy."
"Don't you want the laws to change?" Magnus asked. "So we could marry in gold?"
"I do," Alec said. "But I'd rather marry you now and worry about fixing the laws later. We could renew our vows on our 50th anniversary in gold."
"Oh god! I hope the laws don't take fifty years to change!"
"Is that a yes then?" Alec asked, and Magnus looked at him with that same intense affection he remembered so well from before his memories were lost.
"Yes to it all," Magnus said, joyfully as he moved forward to sweep Alec into his arms. After a romantic kiss they settled down in the bed, both of them on either side of their baby, their son.
They were interrupted only a half hour later by the arrival of Alec's sister. She entered the room with great energy and started baby proofing the place, explaining that she knew exactly what was going to happen the moment Simon told her about the baby. Alec tried very hard to make sure this all didn't overwhelm Magnus, but failed miserable when his parents arrived. When Maryse and Robert suggested the child's name be Max, Alec wanted to cry. It was perfect.
His parents gave them endless advice, and were even happy to be in the same room together so long as baby Max was there. This hadn't happened since their divorce, and it warmed Alec's heard to see his parents play with their grandson.
"That was quite a gesture on your parents part," Magnus said once they were alone again.
"Max Lightwood-Bane," Alec smiled. "Yes it was. Do you like the name?"
"Yes," Magnus replied. "I don't remember your little brother, but I am honoured they'd share his name with us."
"You actually never met him," Alec explained.
The following day Simon arrived to see Alec while Magnus was out talking to Caterina. Alec was worried about Magnus, but at the same time, too tired from the sleepless night with Max to think straight. Alec sat with Max in his lap, and Simon sat across from him. Alec hadn't a clue what to say.
"So," Alec said when the silence became too much. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I'm sorry," Simon said, after another silence. "I'm sorry for whatever it is that went wrong between us. Whatever you're angry about. I honestly don't remember, but I do remember how you are when you're angry, and I don't want things to be like that between us. I remember you don't like Clary."
"I like Clary. Clary's one of my best friends," Alec said, too sleep deprived to understand what the hell Simon was talking about.
"Oh," Simon said. "I'm sorry. I thought I remembered . . . I must have gotten it wrong." Then the guilt hit him. Alec knew exactly what Simon had remembered. He didn't use to like Clary. It felt like a lifetime ago that Alec had been jealous of Jace's interest in her. The look on Simon's face was so confused. Alec took a deep breath, and then he told Simon he'd been scared Clary would tell people he was gay. This was not his favorite topic, but he did his best. Simon still looked mad however, so Alec tried to explain better.
"I know now that Clary would never have done that," Alec continued. "Heck she never even told Jace, and he'd have punched me for sure."
"So you like Clary," Simon said, clearly still confused. "I'm the only one you don't like." Alec's guilt compounded tenfold. Simon thought Alec didn't like him. It was a cruel sort of irony, and it was Alec's fault for not coming to visit Simon. Max's presence in his arms grounded him. Alec owed Simon better that this. He owed Simon everything, but he hated talking about it. Alec's free hand was absently playing with Max's hands when he finally spoke.
"What did you do?" Alec said. "You saved Magnus's life." He paused, trying to find the words to tell Simon what he should have told Simon ages ago. "You saved my sister's life. You did everything I set out to do Simon. You protected the people I love, the people I should have protected." He paused, steeling himself to continue. This was hard to admit. "I owe you everything, and yet I gave you nothing in return. When we first met I wasn't kind to you. And then once I owed you everything you were gone, only to be half returned to us. I just didn't know how to talk to you. I still don't, as I owe you more than I could ever repay."
"Oh," Simon said. "Wow." Then after a pause added. "So you don't hate me, and you don't hate Clary. You don't hate anyone."
"I hate people forcing me to talk about my feelings," Alec laughed with relief. He really did. He could feel the stress his confession had created in his body. But somehow it hadn't been as bad as he'd thought it would be. Having Max in his arms made it more bearable.
Simon grinned at Alec and Alec smiled back, relieved.
"I'm sorry that I made you think I was mad at you," Alec said. "Just because I didn't know what to say."
"It's okay," Simon said, waving his hand. "Call it even."
"Thanks," Alec said. "But I still owe you." He smiled. Simon just waved his hand dismissively again.
"I will let you get back to your baby," Simon said. "I am glad we talked."
"Me too," Alec said. Simon got up and made to leave, but when he opened the door Alec's parents were standing there. They entered the room and immediately fussing over Max. Alec beamed at them as his sleep deprived brain marveled for a moment at the fact that he had everything. He was engaged to the love of his life, and had a child who had managed to bewitch both his parents so completely. And he had finally talked to Simon.
Magnus returned to the attic suit a few hours later. Alec studied his face intently, but couldn't figure out what Caterina had said. Alec tried to put it from his mind as he enjoyed the afternoon with his family. Maryse and Robert fought over who got to hold the baby. Alec basically fell asleep in an armchair, and Magnus put a blanket over him.
Alec didn't completely fall asleep though. He heard the casual conversation between his fiance and his parents as they got ready to leave. It was so wonderful that his parents had let go of their problems with Magnus for leaving when his memories were gone. Alec suspected the reason was baby Max, but no matter the reason, he was just glad.
"Don't cry," Alec heard Magnus say softly to the baby. "And don't spit up on my shirt. If you do either of those things, I will forgive you, but I will be upset. I want us to get along."
Through his closed eyelids, Alec saw bright blue light. He smiled knowing this meant that Magnus was doing magic.
"I knew we were going to get along," Magnus cooed, and Alec finally drifted off to sleep. If Magnus was doing magic like that, he'd talked to Caterina and the news was good.
This is an adapted version of the canon story 'Born to an Endless Night' though I also used my Alec's pov version of 'Born to an Endless Night' from my Malec POV of TMI story chapter title 'Blue Bundle of Joy.' I say adapted because the only real differences are that Magnus doesn't have his memories and he's aging. If you've read Born to an Endless Night lots of this will be familiar to you and a few of the lines of dialogue are the same or similar. As I said adapted canon with just those two changes.
The next chapter is a ten years later epilogue. I have started uploading my new Malec Fantasy AU so don't be too sad this ones over. The new story is called 'Royal Dilemma' and chapter one went online yesterday. Chapter two will follow very soon. This story is rather different than my other ones and I'm very excited about it. Please go read it and tell me what you think! :D
Royal Dilemma Summary:
Alec is the heir to the throne and that comes with responsibilities, but what do you do when your duty and your moral compass clash? The throne needs an heir, but the only person Alec has eyes for is not only a man but also cursed with a demon's mark.
Sneak Peek Chapter 8-Epilogue
"What's for dinner love?" Magnus asked as he joined Alec in the kitchen.
"Nothing special," Alec said as he gestured to simple dish in front of him.
"It's always special when you make it," Magnus disagreed. Alec turned in Magnus's arms to kiss his husband. He then pulled away to stare at Magnus's face. The first hints of lines had appeared around his eyes. Alec's traced them with his fingers.
"You don't have to remind me," Magnus whined. "I know I'm getting ugly."
"Not at all," Alec replied as he gently kissed each of Magnus's wrinkles. When Magnus opened his eyes again he in turn traced the subtle lines on Alec's face. It had been almost ten years since they'd adopted Max so their faces weren't much altered. It was just enough however to notice a difference, a maturity about their features.
