"Get him inside." Cat sighed, holding the door open wider to admit them. Magnus bore Alec's weight and they finally dropped onto her couch with identical exhales of relief. "What happened?"
"He tripped," Magnus said dryly, while Alec rolled his eyes.
"I got the shit beat out of me."
"No kidding. Come with me." She beckoned to him, and Magnus moved to follow. She shot him a warning glance, and he awkwardly stepped back, grabbing her remote and acting as though he'd only ever intended to watch T.V.
"Why can't he—?" Alec began curiously, and she laughed lightly.
"I think you know why."
"Yeah, I do." He met her eyes, and their deep blue unsettlingly mirrored his own. Suddenly, she was watching his carefully, almost as if he'd become a stranger.
"He's loved a lot of people. I understand that you know this." Catarina turned the shut the bathroom door. "Take off your shirt. I need to make sure that your ribs aren't cracked."
"But they—"
"Who's the medical professional here?"
Alec decided not to argue.
"Ever since he met you, all he ever talks about is Alexander, Alexander, Alexander." She imitated his voice mockingly, a teasing smirk curling her lips. "Alec is so gorgeous, Alec is so kind, Alec is the one, Alec cheated on me, Alec didn't actually cheat on me, Alec is such a great boyfriend—"
"Um, I—" He stammered as she gently checked his ribs for any swelling.
"Does it hurt when you breathe?"
"No." Alec finally accepted the double-sided conversation that was occurring and went along with it. "Does he really?"
"He has this thing where he overthinks shit and freaks out. He's always asking me and… Ragnor for advice." Her voice faltered, then steeled. She moved onto examining his ankle, using her hair as a curtain to hide her expression. "Try to m-move it."
"Catarina, I'm so sorry. Should I get Magnus?"
"No. It's best to keep it off his mind, or he'll start tearing himself up inside."
"I know, but your feelings are important too. If you guys are going to cope, do it together." Alec murmured.
"Shame you're already taken. Seems like Magnus was right when he gushed ceaselessly about how sweet you are." She flashed him a weak smile. "I'll talk to him about it soon. For now, I just need you to move that ankle of yours if you can."
He complied, wordlessly rotating it as well as he could and wincing when he reached his limitations.
"Minor sprain. I've got some crutches you can borrow somewhere around here. Stay off of it for a week, maybe less depending on if you're a fast healer. Any other areas of concern?"
"Nope. Will I live, Nurse?" Alec joked lamely, but Cat seemed to appreciate his miserable attempt at lightening the mood.
"I'm sorry, but you won't make it." She whispered gravely, wetting a clean cloth to wipe the blood off of his face.
"Aw shit."
When they reemerged, both snickering like they were in on a joke no one else knew, Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Blue?"
"Just dandy." He stumbled after misstepping onto his bad ankle and practically landed in his lap. Magnus lowered his head and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
"Dude." Cat deadpanned. Alec pulled away, blushing and properly chastened. Magnus, however, was having none of it. He persistently connected their lips and Alec was once again slave to the magnetic pull known as Magnus Bane. "Seriously! Lightwood, here's the crutches."
Alec gently put a hand on Magnus's chest, separating them effectively. "Sorry. Thank you so much."
"You guys are so gross." Although the words might've been misconstrued as rude (to be fair, it would've been called for, considering that they were nearly making out in her presence), her eyes twinkled with humor.
"At least we didn't—" Magnus began, but Alec cut him off, sorry to have to circle back around to a more serious topic.
"Actually, there was one thing I needed to ask the two of you. Where could I find Raphael? In theory?"
"What do you need with the Night Children?" Okay, maybe he should've explained more when they were in the car, but he hadn't wanted to drop too much on his boyfriend all at once.
"We need to know what Raphael plans to do once he's told about the Princes."
"The Princes of Hell? What do they have to do with anything?" Catarina asked, while Magnus toyed with the hem of Alec's shirt anxiously.
"They're the ones behind the murders. They're planning something bigger than what anyone could've guessed. We need to stop them, but alerting law enforcement could put the Night Children at risk."
"He's not going to disband them, not after Ragnor." Cat predicted forebodingly.
"But we could try to reason with him, at the very least."
"I can take you to see him tomorrow morning," Magnus suggested. Alec checked the time on his phone.
"It's already one in the morning. What—?"
"If you need to, you can share the couch for tonight. I've got some spare blankets you could use." Cat suggested.
"Are you sure that's okay? I don't want to impose—" Alec began, but she shook her head to silence him.
"I'm the one who offered, alright? No need to make it a bigger deal than it is. I'll go get the blankets."
The moment she'd departed, Magnus chuckled. "You can't even deny now that she absolutely adores you. What was that giggling about earlier, anyways?"
"We were planning a trip to Yugoslavia."
"Aw, honey, but weren't we going to the Czech Republic for Spring Break?"
"Technically, Czechia is now officially the conventional short-form name for the country." Alec corrected instinctively, while Magnus made a face at him.
"Shut up."
"Wow, Maggie, you've got your own encyclopedia." Cat smirked as she reentered and dumped an assortment of afghans and fleeces onto the coffee table.
"You're just jealous that he's even nerdier than you."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not."
Alec clamped a hand over Magnus's mouth. "He concedes the point."
He made an indignant sound but didn't force Alec off of him.
"Alright. Don't wake me up. Sweet dreams." She swept a strand of silvery hair out of her face and left the room.
They shared a glance. "Absolutely not." Alec abruptly shifted away to grab the blankets.
"I didn't say—"
"You wanted to. I need my sleep or I'll be a complete asshole tomorrow."
"Now you've got me curious." Magnus tugged off his boots and left them near his jacket.
"Goodnight," He singsonged pointedly, flicking off the light. They nestled up beside each other on the couch, draped in several layers to combat the chill that still lingered even indoors. There wasn't much room and they were both tall enough that their feet hung off the end, but it wasn't uncomfortable. After several seconds, Alec felt him boyfriend wrap his arms around him and pull him closer to his chest. "Magnus?"
"Why so tense, hmm?" Hands slipped under his sweatshirt and began to rub his shoulders, sending shivers down his spine. "You're trembling."
"It's cold," He defended, perhaps a bit too vehemently.
"Then I'll keep you warm." Magnus replied softly, exhaling a little huff of laughter as Alec finally accepted the embrace and curled into his side.
Another minute or two of quiet breathing, the silence was broken again. "When we talked about space…"
"We don't need space anymore. I think we really needed to see how we really felt before hitting the play button on our relationship. Today gave us that opportunity. I love you." Magnus whispered.
Alec didn't even hesitate. "I love you too."
They fell asleep like that, pressed against each other in a bundle of comforters and coverlets.
He was standing on a beach, the wind buffeting at his body so harshly that it was almost impossible to stand. He'd never seen this place before, and yet it was strangely familiar. The waves crashed violently over his bare feet, chilling him to the bone, and he noticed that the sand was black. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be made of tiny shards of glass. The moment the realization hit him, he stumbled away as though it wasn't already too late to keep his soles unscathed.
But unscathed they were. He stared around in incredulity. The sky was an odd shade of gray, and the red water contrasted sharply with the monochrome landscape. There was a terrifying beauty to it, and for a moment Alec wished he could paint it. Stupid. He was always thinking about silly things in the wrong time and place.
Something tugged him towards the ocean, something monstrous. He could feel it in his legs, his arms, his chest. But opposite of it, parallel to the shore, was an endless abyss. There was nowhere to turn.
"Alexander!" Magnus had appeared on the other side. A gaping crack in the very earth itself separated them.
He wanted to call out, but his voice was gone.
"You've got to jump."
I'll fall. The words turned to dust in his mouth.
"I won't let you. You just need to trust me." Although he was several dozen yards away, he could hear his voice clear as day.
Alec let out a shuddering breath, and began to run. Glass crunched beneath his feet but he felt no pain. Closer, closer, and he leapt, fully expecting to plummet to his death. But he simply hovered in the air, like a lingering spirit.
Still breathing. Still alive.
He blinked, and he was on solid ground beside Magnus, who was gazing at the ocean warily. His stillness was unsettling. "It wants to swallow you whole. But it won't touch you when I'm here."
The waves roared in response. I'm afraid, Alec wanted to say. But maybe he didn't. Maybe he was glad that he couldn't speak. Because he knew he wouldn't have admitted it if anyone could hear him.
"So am I. It wants me too. But you keep it at bay. Everyone needs a candle to light the dark. You're mine, I'm yours."
It occurred to him in that moment. You aren't real. None of this is.
"Just because it's a dream doesn't mean it's not real."
Hasn't Dumbledore said something like that before?
Fake Magnus smiled, suddenly becoming more human and less like an untouchable statue. "So? Why change what's already good?"
To make it better.
"Exactly." Satisfied, the part of his conscience that wore the face of his boyfriend turned his attention back to the monster.
What now?
"Stay with me until you're ready to wake up. Time is fluid here. You have as much as you'll ever need."
I just want to sleep.
"Oh, Alexander, you already are."
I know. But I'm not at rest.
"Then I'll help." Magnus rested the heel of his hand on Alec's forehead. Everything began to dim. The sound of the ocean became muffled, and he started to feel as though he were drifting apart from his body. Somewhere outside his consciousness, he heard the other speak one last time. "Don't let it devour you." Then, he tumbled head over heels into oblivion.
"Wake up, Blue." A voice crooned into his left ear.
"Ughhhhhhh." Alec cracked one eye open, then the other, blinking the sleep from his gaze. He and Magnus were a tangle of limbs and blankets, and his head had been lolling at a slightly awkward angle, causing him to wince as he rolled the kinks out of his neck.
"Are you capable of coherent speech yet?"
"Shut the fuck up. It's seven in the morning, are you kidding me?"
"Guess that's a no." Magnus chortled, sitting up and allowing the sheets to pool around his waist. "A few hours ago you were talking in your sleep a bit. It was pretty adorable."
"I don't even remember what I was dreaming about. What did I say?" He lied, a convenient yawn masking his sudden nervousness with a facade of nonchalance.
"You said something about someone not being real, and that none of it was. That's basically it."
"Oh. That's weird." He quickly concealed his relief and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Magnus asked, pleasantly surprised by a gesture of affection so early in the day.
"What do you think it was for? I was expressing my absolute hatred towards you."
"Oh my days, you're just so hilarious. Without you, my life would be a void of humorlessness."
"Damn straight."
"Damn gay, actually."
"Wow. Now I've gotta relinquish my crown as the funniest guy to walk the Earth. You've got me beat by a mile. Really pulled out all the stops for that one."
"Oh, Darling, you're making me blush." Magnus chucked. Alec wordlessly laid down shut his eyes as if attempting to fall back asleep. "I'll hit the CVS and buy us some shit."
"What?"
"Like, cheap ass toothbrushes and the like. Unless you want us to drive all the way back to Institute before meeting up with Raphael, that is."
"Okay."
"Cat's still in bed, so you can continue to be a lazybones."
"I'm not even tired anymore because of you!" Alec complained dramatically, pushing himself into a sitting position before attempting to stand. He'd forgotten that his ankle was sprained, and the moment he placed weight on it he fell back onto the couch with a yelp. "Ow! fuck me, I'm so stupid…"
"Are you okay? What happened?" Magnus leaned over him, eyes flashing in concern.
"Raziel, it hurts…" Alec buried his face in his hands.
"Here, let me see!" He tried to modulate his voice to soothe him, but his own panic bleed through.
"My pride will be scarred for all eternity! The embarrassment is too much!"
Comprehension dawned on his face. "You scared me, you douchebag!"
"I told you I needed sleep," Alec said smugly, and Magnus struggled to contain a smile.
"Fine. Do whatever. I'll be back in about fifteen minutes."
"Okay." With this riveting piece of exposition, Alec pulled out his phone and checked Twitter, expression going blank as he focused on the screen.
Shaking his head, Magnus walked out of the apartment, jingling his keys and whistling off-tune as he went.
A/N: WHAT? I didn't take twenty years to update?! Inconceivable! In all honesty, it took forever just to put the dream in italics. For the most part, I had to change it word by word. I use the Pages app when I type, and then copy and paste it to move it to my docs on this profile. Anything bold or in italics is lost in the process, so I have to fix it on site, which is an enormous pain in the arse. So yeah. Who's hyped for season 2 of Shadowhunters? It doesn't feel like it's been nearly a year since the first season aired, but I guess that's life… time goes slow and fast all at once. Definitely fucks with my head, that's for sure. When not writing, I'm either swamped in homework or playing Overwatch/Battlefield 1 in my free time. Do things always feel so monotonous? Jeez. I should really do something useful with myself. At least the American presidential election is almost over. I think everyone, even those who aren't from the US, can agree that it was quite the shitshow, to say the least. Before I begin to ramble on for hours on end, I'll cut this short here. Thank you guys so much for reading, don't hesitate to tell me what you think, and as always… stay awesome ;)