Well, first of all, I want to start by saying that this was one of the first ideas I got when I starte dwriting this story, and I had been putting off to write this idea, but it's very dear to me.

Also, I haven't had much contact with cats and much less with babies, so I hope I'm not making things too strange over here. I hope you like this!

New Member of the Family

"Do you remember what you told me when we first met?" Ales asked, carefully rearranging Max in his left arm as he stepped out of the portal, pulling a wheeled backpack with him.

"Sweet pea, I say a lot of things" Magnus replied nonchalantly, as he placed two more bags on the floor, struggling to get his hand in the pocket of his coat to find the key to their apartment as he balanced a third bag on his shoulder. Seriously, if Alexander didn't make them do things the mundane way…

"Don't call me that" Alec rolled his eyes in automatic as he handed Magnus his own key once it became obvious that the warlock had forgotten his. "You said that you didn't date anyone your cat didn't like, remember?"

"I did?" Magnus raised an eyebrow. Quite honestly, all he remembered from the first time he had seen Alexander were his cerulean eyes and shy blushing. Though, to be fair, those words did sound like something he'd say.

"So, I was just thinking" the Lightwood continued. "Did that just apply to your love life of do you not adopt anyone that your cat doesn't like either?"

"What?" he questioned, turning to take a look at Alexander for the first time in their conversation.

"Well, I was wondering" Alec said. "In case, you know, that the Chairman doesn't like Max " he shrugged, causing the young warlock ―who already recognized his name― to giggle.

"What are you talking about?"

"I just want to know if I count with you or if I have to brace myself for the possibility of becoming a single father" Alec trailed off, trying to croak a laugh to disguise his nervousness with a joke.

"That's not happening" Magnus brushed off, walking over to the shadowhunter. "Surely he'll like our blueberry, won't he? I mean, how could he not? Right, cupcake?" he said, picking at Max's right cheek, much for the toddler's delight. "It'll be alright" he said, this time to Alexander before turning around and entering the apartment to start looking for the Chairman.

During the two months that they'd been away at the Academy, Lily and Maia had been kind enough to drop by and feed the Chairman so, now that they had opened the door as nosily as they had, either the cat thought it was one of the girls and thus didn't deem them important enough to go and greet them or, more likely, he knew it was them but was too upset of having been left behind and simply didn't want to see them.

"Chairman, kitty, kitty" Magnus said, feeling foolish as he entered the main bedroom. Nope, he wasn't there sleeping on top of Alexander's pillow. "Chairman, c'mon" he continued as he kneeled down to take a look under the bed. He couldn't help but remember Alexander's words.

Stupid, he thought, it had been so stupid of him not to think of the Chairman. He hadn't considered for a minute that, while Max had already been welcomed with open arms by Alexander's family, his cat, whom Max would now be sharing a house with, his cat, that had been his only real family for years… had yet to give his approval.

In a perfect world, the Chairman would be a sweet little kitty and welcome the new member of the family, accepting his new role as Max's protector and companion―sadly, that sounded rather utopic.

Truth to be told, the Chairman had grown a tad grumpy in his old age and most of times spent his days half rubbing himself against their legs to be petted and half avoiding them.

As if that wasn't enough, the Chairman didn't like sharing. Some years in the past Magnus had taken in a kitten that he'd rescued from the streets. He'd kept it for over a month, only while he found a fitting adopter for the white furry ball. Two weeks after he'd given the kitten away the Chairman was still hissing at him in disagreement.

Besides, his small cat had never liked children. Well, that was probably an exaggeration, because he'd never been around children, with the sole exception, maybe, of Clary's yearly visit, though, to be fair, Biscuit wasn't a good reference, with her small hands that wanted to get on everything, even the dangerous potions on the kitchen's table.

But, on the other side, the Chairman didn't like noise, that much was true, and despite the fact that Max wasn't a scandal, he wasn't quiet either, so―

"Found him!" Alec called from the living room, interrupting his train of thought.

Screw it, Magnus decided, it was better to go and find out what the Chairman thought about Max instead of continuing senselessly worrying over it.

When he returned to the living room, he found Alec looking at the couch on top of which Chairman Meow was lazily sprawled. On his left arm, the shadowhunter held Max, who was making grabbing motions towards the small mammal.

"Chairman, come here" Magnus ordered, pointing to the floor at Alexander's feet, but he merely eyed him skeptically and licked its paw.

"It doesn't seem like an obedient kitty, does it, Max?" Alec laughed next to the warlock.

Rolling his eyes at being made fun of, Magnus walked over to the blue piece of furniture and minding not his cat's hiss, he picked the Chairman up and then walked right back to Alec, carefully setting the infamous cat on the floor.

"This wouldn't happen if you didn't leave me hanging like that" Magnus shrugged at the cat's annoyed glare.

"Ba-ba-ba" Max babbled happily, as he both clapped his hands and tried to free himself from his father's grip.

"Aha, that's what he is, a mean, old ba-ba-ba" Alec nodded with a smile before, upon receiving a nod from Magnus when they locked gazes, kneeling down to put Max on the floor.

"Ba-ba-ba" Max shrieked excitedly once Alec's arms weren't around him anymore, promptly trying to crawl in the cat's direction. The Chairman, seeing that his tranquility had been disturbed once more, jumped back in alarm, though he kept his eyes on the new creature.

A second went by, then three, then five, during which none of them did anything, until finally, slowly, the Chairman took a tiny step forward, receiving Max's excited laugh as reward. Sure enough, it sounded boisterous, but it did not seem dangerous, and his human looked quite content, so the Chairman decided to two take two more steps, until he was at hand's reach from the young warlock.

And, neither slow nor lazy, Max was reaching up, his small, chubby hands in the cat's direction within seconds. Seeing the tiny fingers nearing him, the Chairman stretched his lips, showing his small, sharp fangs in warning.

"Be nice" Magnus reprimanded, receiving a low growl as answer, though it wasn't long before the Chairman covered its teeth once more and took another step forward, allowing Max's fingers to brush over his face as he sniffled them. He smelled sweet, like milk and sandalwood, though Chairman Meow was sure, the latter was his human's doing.

Deciding the little human wasn't that bad, the Chairman took two more steps forward and let the warlock pat his head, purring somewhat against his will, as he had yet to decide whether if he liked the boy or not.

"Ba-ba-ba" Max declared once more as he promptly wrapped his arms around the cat's neck and pulled it to his lap. The Chairman squirmed for a moment, but after a few seconds, he gave up and, with a small huff, he stopped fighting and allowed the toddler to pet him.

Feeling like a weight had been lifted off his back now that his cat and his son had meet each other and there had been no more problem than some tense minutes, Magnus almost slipped to the ground, letting out a sigh he didn't even notice he'd been holding.

"So I guess that means it'll be alright?" he whispered as he felt Alec's strong arms embrace him from behind.

"Of course it will be" Alec said in a passing. "I never doubted it would, I know my family."

There was something in Alec's words, an assurance so gentle, the feeling of a domesticity so un-thought that Magnus felt his breath getting caught in his throat.

Of course he knew they were a family―more so then than ever before, since they had taken Max in. On the other hand, Chairman Meow had been his only family for years, the only one that would notice if one night he didn't return home, and that was why it had been so important that he got along with his love interest of course he knew that the whole Lightwood clan had pretty much taken him in and yet―Alec's tone had been so unconcerned, so familiar, so fitting.

It was a simple statement that somehow came as the living proof that everything that he'd once thought he'd never have had actually been acquired by him―a family, love, real love, someone that cared for him.

It made him feel so warm inside that Magnus actually had to blink away a couple of tears.

"I love you" he choked, leaning his head on Alec's left shoulder.

"And I love you too" Alec whispered, brushing a kiss to the warlock's temple was he thought to himself that, really, was there anything they were missing from their lives?

And well...? How did it go? Good, bad? Please comment, it feeds my soul and makes me think all the work is worth it!

Read you next week!