Warning: Along the same lines of all my other warnings. Mature material will undoubtedly follow.

But I should probably also add that the way I write Magnus is typically crude, blunt, and honest. Unless you are Magnus Bane, you might fail to see the humor, or the necessity, and you might be blushing and moaning just like Alec. Feel free to do so. Please don't take offense to any of the material; don't take it personally. Alas, Magnus is a fictional character and this is just a FF, not an expression of my personal views. I also realize a majority of the readers are female. I mean no disrespect to the female sex.

Additionally, I am writing this fic for those who are interested in the what if behind Alec and Magnus being intimate, possibly even going all the way. So yes, it's a fic heavily inundated with sexual references, sexual innuendos, and dare I say, mayhap even sex? I don't want to overstep my bounds or throw the taste level out the window, but if you're looking for anything deeper than the aforementioned plot, please feel free to switch to reading another fic.

As for the rest of you that are still with me and enjoying yourselves (because I still so am), please read on and Happy Holidays to all!

Magic Moment
Chapter 25: Men

"How?" Alec asked reluctantly, sitting back on his heels and trying not to pan down again to stare at Magnus's lightly tanned, faintly glimmering buttocks.

"What do you feel like doing?" Magnus asked, still watching Alec with his cheek turned to one side, resting against the pillow. He shifted to fold his arms beneath his face, regarding the shadowhunter calmly, though smiling faintly.

"I don't know," Alec replied, closing his eyes for a moment. Was he meditating? He seemed to be harnessing his calm, at any rate, breathing in deeply and exhaling through his nose before his eyes opened again. Magnus did believe he saw a difference in Alec's eyes. Determination? Resolve?

Courage. Alec slid to seat himself beside Magnus's hip, turned away from the warlock - affording Magnus the perfect view of Alec's lower back and his perfect ass. But that wasn't the intention, obviously. It was more so Alec could focus on the object at hand, Magnus's buttocks. And he was staring now, eyes lifting minutely to study the tattoo above it. And that is where Alec's fingertips traveled first, tracing the design. Magnus tried not to move. As always, he was of the mind that letting Alec act on his own was preferable when he took the initiative like this, and it was better to lay back and enjoy it. He didn't squirm or comment on what Alec was doing, though it felt rather nice, Alec's warm fingers playing over the small of his back.

"You're not ugly," Alec randomly announced, breaking the silence.

"Thank you."

"I don't think there's any part of you that's ugly," Alec clarified, lifting his eyes briefly and smiling a little at Magnus.

"That is generous. You're well-sculpted, yourself."

"I'm flawed," Alec shrugged, as if it didn't really concern him. Alec's fingers smoothed down, teasing one of the dimples above Magnus's ass. Magnus closed his eyes, trying not to arch and moan, or even speak words of encouragement that might throw Alec off.

"Not the scars."

"I have so many."

"And they don't detract from your beauty in any way. I think they're hot."

"Why?" Alec asked. Magnus felt sure he'd addressed this subject before, and so he sighed.

"I don't know. It works for me. Like your messy hair and your careless clothes. Now there's a man who doesn't even try to look hot, and he's gorgeous. It just oozes from your pores."

"Like sweat?"

"Like sex. You put off all the right pheromones for me, baby," Magnus chuckled, twitching before he could prevent it when Alec's palm skirted over his cheek. Alec stopped. Magnus bit his lip.

"Don't stop," Magnus urged, glancing back at Alec, whose eyes were trained on his own fingers.

"Magnus?"

"What is it?" Magnus asked, assuming whatever was on Alec's mind was the reason behind his stopping. But before Alec spoke, his hand came back to life, thumb gently exploring the texture of Magnus's bare buttocks, pressing in lightly, only to release and watch it return to its full shape.

"You said you've...been with other people before. And I would have assumed that anyway, considering..."

"That I'm ancient?"

"That you've been around. For a while," Alec tactfully replied.

"Yes, it's true. I have been with many people. Compared to your average person, my number would probably make me look like the slut of the century, but considering my age, it's not so unreasonable. That's how I justify it."

After it came out of his mouth, however, Magnus worried that Alec would inevitably ask about his number, and he wasn't sure if he really wanted Alec to know that information. If asked, Magnus would probably have to lie. Even though it should be divided by eight hundred years, it would sound worse than it was. And Alec hadn't been with anyone in his eighteen years, at least not yet - so not the best point of reference.

Fortunately, that wasn't the question on Alec's mind. "Have you been with any women?"

"Of course," Magnus replied automatically, sounding relieved. "But it's been a while."

"Because you don't make it sound like it's something you enjoy," Alec was quick to add, explaining himself.

"Well, I'm teasing primarily. But I'm not of the camp that thinks a hole is a hole. I'm into the whole picture, and at the moment there's precious little about a woman that works for me."

"So you don't find them attractive?" Alec asked, fingers tentatively smoothing along the underside of one of Magnus's cheeks, stroking the top of the warlock's thigh.

"Abstractly. I'm still a fair judge of a pretty face and I know if a woman has a nice body because A) I'm not blind and B) I have good taste, but no, I don't look at a woman and think, 'damn, I'd love to hit that.' "

Alec appeared to wince, his hand pausing again.

"Do you find the idea repulsive, then?"

"Are you thinking about what I said earlier? When we were talking about the pussy?"

Alec made that embarrassed sound again, but he nodded.

"I meant what I said, even though I said it jokingly. I'm not a big fan of the pussy, and truth be told, I never was. Even though I have slept with a number of women - and I won't deny now that I enjoyed it - I'm not going to suck up to the female sex and write V poetry."

"V poetry?"

"Odes to the snatch."

"The snatch?"

"The pussy. The vagina. The clee. You know. I am a man, and I love men, and while I appreciate that without that particular organ, I wouldn't exist, and you wouldn't be here, and we certainly can't have that - but on the other hand, I can't say I find anything attractive about the pussy. I honestly don't. And I'm sure there are plenty of people on the other side of the fence who would say the same about the penis, and I wouldn't be the least offended for hearing it."

"I don't...think it's unattractive. Yours, that is."

Magnus glanced back at Alec in surprise and pleasure, then he extended his arm to brush Alec's side. He saw the edge of Alec's curved mouth, and the sweep of Alec's dark lashes.

"I'm glad you don't. Because I think you've got an excellent piece of equipment too."

Alec blushed and turned his cheek away, letting his hand fall as well.

"All right. Let's stop talking about the pussy, and get back to admiring my fine ass," Magnus teased, wiggling a bit against the sheets to make his point.

Alec glanced up, looking at Magnus's face instead. "Nothing is taboo with you, is it? There's nothing you're afraid to talk about?"

"Now, I wouldn't go that far," Magnus crooned, lip twitching.

"Name one thing."

Magnus considered, folding his arms beneath his chin again. The seconds ticked on. Magnus nudged his forearm with his lower lip, still thinking.

"I guess that proves my point," Alec smugly replied.

"Don't be so hasty. I know there's something. But maybe I don't want to reveal my weaknesses to a shadowhunter."

"No? You can tell me anything," Alec said, with such sweet conviction, Magnus sat up and faced Alec, unable to not look at him properly, to not be able to touch him when he wanted to.

"What if I'm not in the mood to talk anymore?" Magnus challenged, reaching out and brushing the ends of Alec's soft hair.

"That would be a first," Alec teased, smiling vaguely.

Magnus chuckled, leaning in and kissing him.

Lacie Crocker: Thank you!

Taiyoukai89: Thank you! I promise there will be more action in the next chapter. It's late, and I was just running with this idea.

ireadtoomanybooks: Thank you! I'm very glad to hear it.

xocanoodle: congrats on your new account!

Awesomesauce123: I love how I'm worried I'm being too dirty, and people tell me it's sweet. Haha.

bookworm0492: No, I absolutely LOVE that! And you're right, most of the fics are too wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am (er, mister). someone already warned me I can't do that. So 25 chapters later, I still haven't gotten there.

Katara-alchemist: Thank you! And right back at you.

rachelalexandra: Haha. Yes. Don't read with parents in the room, please. I don't want to get in trouble. Or get you in trouble.

AkumaAikou: I'm very flattered! Thank you for coming round for me! And I don't really have anyone specific in mind. But if you name your faves, I'll be sure to tell you if they're hot or cold to what I see in my mind's eye.