"I need a drink," was the first thing Magnus said as he entered his loft after the infamous Abramelin Banquet. This particular edition would be one for the history books.
"Yeah I think I could use one too," Alec concurred.
Magnus glanced over his shoulder, perking up at that. Alec hadn't wanted or accepted a drink from him before. He smiled to himself...any improvement was welcome.
"What's your drink of choice?"
"Uh-I don't have one...I haven't really had alcohol before."
"Really? Hmm..." Magnus paused for a moment, painted fingernails resting on his face.
Alec looked at the man as he really seemed to be giving thought to something as trivial as Alec's drink choice. As the warlock was right in front of him, the well-trained Shadowhunter couldn't help but notice a few things. Magnus subconsciously opened his mouth slightly, his index finger barely hanging out of it. Magnus' hands were rather nice...objectively thinking of course. His hand brushed against his well-defined jawline. That was just a fact: Magnus had a well-defined jawline...that was rather nice to look at.
"Well I'll whip you up something delicious." Alec snapped back into their drink conversation as Magnus smiled at him. Without anything else to do, Alec just nodded.
Magnus strolled to the drink cart as Alec took a seat on the couch. The warlock poured himself straight scotch. For Alec's drink he made sure it was fairly sweet with a small amount of vodka. He was originally going to go fancier, but then decided he didn't want to shock the boy.
Alec accepted the colorful liquid as Magnus joined him on the couch.
"To us," Magnus held out his glass. Alec smirked lightly at the random cheers and clinked their glasses.
The Shadowhunter took a sip and immediately flinched, making a face.
"Hm...interesting." Alec smacked his lips and glanced up at Magnus to see if his startled expression had been noticed.
"Too strong?" The warlock tried to keep his voice from teasing...after all he barely put any vodka in!
"No, no, it tastes good," Alec reassured. It did taste good, like pink lemonade...but the bitter taste of alcohol ruined it.
"Well you don't have to finish it…"
"No I-" Alec paused, looking at the glass. Magnus gawked at him in shock as the Shadowhunter tilted his head back and chugged the entire liquid. He smacked his lips once more at the taste and then declared, "There, all done."
"Oh," Magnus paused, momentarily at a loss for words. He almost voiced the fact that one usually took sips as they socialized, but instead went with, "That's one way to do it I suppose."
A few minutes past and the warlock realized he should've put even less vodka in the drink...the Shadowhunter's tolerance was apparently nonexistent.
Alec wasn't staggering drunk by any means, but he was definitely buzzing...barely able to sit still. Even after the exhausting day he was now full of energy and ideas. Right before Magnus was going to suggest they just go to bed, Alec stood up abruptly.
"I'm going to go demon hunting," he announced.
"Now?" Magnus asked, glancing at the large antique clock. It was an hour until midnight.
Alec walked away without responding. Mere moments later he reappeared in hunting gear, clutching his bow and arrows. Magnus just looked at him as the younger man made his way to the door. Suddenly Alec paused, glancing back. "You coming?"
"Oh-uh sure."
Magnus placed his drink on the table and stood from the couch. Alec looked as if he was going to say something more, but instead he just turned and lead the pair out of the loft. Maybe Magnus should've given him more to drink he mused to himself…a less guarded Alec was rather nice.
The warlock wasn't sure what he was expecting for Shadowhunter spontaneous demon hunting...but it wasn't going after any demon they could find. But there they were: Magnus following a concentrated Alec who was somehow tracking demon locations from his phone. Was there an app for that?
"Okay perfect, a scorpios. Right nearby." Alec turned to Magnus and the older man almost ran into him at the abrupt halt. Alec continued explaining, "Pretty easy to kill, it'll be a quick one. Just make sure you don't get impaled by it's huge and incredibly fast stinging tail."
"Wonderful," Magnus snarked. "You know we could've just relaxed at home...after tonight's escapades and everything."
"It's not even that late since the party was cut short. Plus I took a little nap at the institute. I'm wide awake now."
"Yes…" Magnus hadn't been referring to physically tired, "but everything that happened today...are you sure you're up for this?"
"Of course I am," Alec's voice was sharp.
"Alright, alright," Magnus accepted defeat. He gestured forward, "Lead the way."
"Stay alert and ready for anything." Alec sounded like an army general taking a green cadet into battle.
"Yes, yes, I will," Magnus waved the younger man's concerned tone off. "Let's see what spell would be most effective for this type of demon?" Magnus muttered to himself.
Alec stopped and turned back to the warlock.
"Oh...no you aren't going to be helping me. You've exerted yourself enough for one day."
Magnus stared at him dumbfounded.
"Then what exactly is the point of me being here?"
"I just thought you'd like to come along for the ride...but if not you can always go take a nap over there," Alec deadpanned as he gestured across the street to an alleyway overfilled with garbage. "I'll come wake you up when I'm done."
"I'm not sure I like you when you drink," Magnus glared at him. He received a slight smirk in response.
With that, Alec decided the matter was settled and continued to lead Magnus through the streets of New York. The Shadowhunter hadn't even let Magnus portal them anywhere!
"I really can help," Magnus insisted anyway, trying to ignore the way the moon was shining perfectly down on the Shadowhunter's well-toned form. "Making the Govern my bitch didn't take too much energy."
Alec let out a light, easy, laugh at that. He turned back to the pursuing warlock.
"I'm sure...but…" Alec hesitated, glancing at the ground before meeting Magnus' eyes. "Magic is your thing...I definitely saw that tonight. But this...this is what I do."
"I want you to see it," was on the tip of his tongue but it remained unspoken.
"Alright the stinger really did almost get you that time!" Magnus called to the Shadowhunter. He was ontop of an old building - Alec's request of course - watching the Shadowhunter battle a demon on the ground below. They were in a shady part of town but apparently the demon masqueraded as a well-known gangster, so no one messed with him.
That allowed Alec to have his fun.
"If you want me to get stung and die, go ahead and yell at me some more." This was ridiculous of course, as Alec had been easily handling the demon. He even decided not to use his bow and arrows. Instead he was going for one-on-one sparring.
"Just trying to help."
"I got this, trust me. I drew the speed rune for this exact reason, remember?"
Magnus did remember...well the drawing the rune part. But that was because it was placed on the side of Alec's upper chest. He was obviously distracted and shouldn't be expected to remember which rune it was!
"That was the speed rune? I thought it was really strong deodorant so you'd smell nice after this."
"Oh please, I'm barely breaking a sweat."
Alec didn't add that it wasn't the only rune he had put on right before jumping into this battle...he was also trying out one of Clary's new runes. Something simply called "fearless". Since it was an easy hunt - and his judgement was a bit more relaxed - he wanted to see what the rune's effect would really be. He thought it would be like the "courage in battle" rune, but so far he hadn't noticed anything.
The demon hissed and spewed some nonsense in it's demon language at the two. It was then back to charging Alec. The annoyed scorpios hadn't expected the Shadowhunter to be so alert as he was talking.
Alec easily dodged the stinger, then lept much closer to the demon. The creature tried to back up so his stinger would be in range, but knocked back into a large truck. So he lunged at the Shadowhunter with his razor sharp teeth instead. This was of course Alec's plan and he easily moved out of the snap of the demon's mouth. His seraph blade quickly slid across the scorpios' throat.
The creature gave out a strangled cry of pain and shock. The large-scorpion looking creature stumbled forward before it's body started sizzling. It's entire form quaked and ultimately completely disintegrated.
"Very nice," Magnus remarked as he walked towards the scene. "I've never had the pleasure of seeing such a talented Shadowhunter fight."
"I'm sure that's not true," Alec immediately retorted. "You're old, remember?"
As Magnus opened his mouth to object, he was distracted by Alec kneeling to the ground. The Shadowhunter rubbed his seraph blade off on the dead grass to the side of him. Then Alec simply laid on the filthy ground where the scorpios had disintegrated. He was all of a sudden very tired, even though he barely exerted himself in the fight. Magnus just looked down at him...confused at Alec's odd decision.
"You're so weird," Alec drawled. He was staring up at Magnus, his eyes unwavering.
"Am I?" I'm not the one who just laid down on the ground. He was going to tease the boy, but the look of Alec laying there made him a little slower at responding.
"You aren't supposed to be like this…" Alec said. "You aren't supposed to be so likeable."
"I know warlocks haven't treated your people right," Magnus offered. "I know it's weird for me not to be like them."
"No...Not just that. Catarina is a good warlock too. But you...there's something different. I dunno what it is."
"Well I am the mysterious and magnificent Magnus Bane," the warlock smirked. "One of a kind."
"I think that's your version of me saying I'm just a Shadowhunter and nothing else. It's a facade. It makes you seem like you aren't just a normal person with feelings."
"Drunk people shouldn't be able to say facade."
"I'm not drunk!" Alec declared, very offended. "I only had one drink…"
"Of course not, my mistake."
"I just feel like talking sheesh." Alec glared at him. "Forgive me for wanting to get to know you better, I mean it's not like we've known each other that long."
Magnus couldn't deny that, but he did say, "It seems longer."
"That horrible banquet was only a few hours ago. Before that you were busy being scared of the banquet. Before that we went to help Clary. Before that we had to get my gear. Before that the vampire interrupted us. Before that…"
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"We haven't had a moment to breath. To think."
Alec breathed deeply in and out. He averted his eyes from Magnus and instead was now gazing up at the dark night sky.
"Well this is an interesting time to stop and ponder the mysteries of the universe."
With that a few moments of silence stretched between them.
"Why aren't you down here?" Alec almost sounded offended that Magnus hadn't joined him yet.
"Laying on the ground isn't really-" without being able to finish his sentence, the warlock found his legs being taken out from under him.
Magnus fell to the ground, barely catching himself on his elbows so he didn't smack the back of his head on asphalt. He was partially laying on his back, only propped up by his - now sore - elbows. Alec bursted out laughing loudly.
"Sorry, forgot you don't have Shadowhunter reflexes!" Alec didn't really seem apologetic, he was smiling brightly at Magnus.
"It's alright I suppose…I mean you just assaulted me, but whatever."
"Hmm," Alec had a look in his eye Magnus hadn't seen before. The younger man didn't even hesitate before he put his left hand over Magnus' right one. "Maybe I can make it up to you."
Magnus' hundreds-of-years-old heart stopped. Was Alec...coming on to him? No, this had to be because of the alcohol...the tiny bit of alcohol. Maybe mixed with the high of a hunt? Did the speed rune also speed up relationship evolutions?
Before Magnus could react - before his heart could even start back up again - Alec moved closer to him. He was up in a kneeling position now, his hand still on Magnus', as he leaned forward. They were almost nose to nose.
"I like your eyes," Alec said simply. "They used to be off-putting...threatening. But now I like them."
"Well," Magnus could barely breath, he was much too close to Alec, "I'm glad you aren't threatened anymore." Magnus quickly moved back, his face away from Alec before the younger man could do anything else.
"We should-we should probably get back home." Magnus stood up quickly, taking a few steps away. Magnus was quite flustered by the man...he'd never known Alec to be this...touchy with him.
"I'm not even tired yet," Alec yawned.
"Well-"
"We can stay here a little longer." Alec moved quicker than Magnus was expecting. He was up off the ground and gazing intensely at the warlock once more. Barely a second passed before he moved his face even closer to Magnus, with obvious purpose in mind. His hands started to reach out...
"Alec, what are you doing?" The question sounded louder and more demanding than Magnus had intended.
Alec froze. He suddenly shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind. He looked up at Magnus as if startled the man was there. Alec stumbled back from the warlock.
"I don't-Uh...Anyway let's go."
Alec quickly walked away from Magnus, not even glancing behind him to find if the warlock was following him.
The fearless rune appears to complicate things!
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