Alec stood in the airport, just beyond the security checkpoint, holding a single red rose and waiting for Magnus. His heart was pounding and his hands were shaking. His eyes finally lighted on the shaggy black hair, the tall slender frame, the rich caramel skin. Then their eyes connected, and it was like everything else, the sights and sounds and people in the airport and possibly all the world itself, just melted away. There was only Alec and Magnus, and a mere twenty feet of space between them.

They hurriedly closed the distance between them, and Alec threw his arms around Magnus's neck while Magnus's arms whipped around his waist and squeezed him tightly. They each buried their faces in the other's neck, breathing each other in. They held each other like that for Angel-only-knew how long, neither one able to get enough of the other. They clung tightly, as if afraid to let the other go.

Eventually, Magnus pulled away just enough to bring his hands up to Alec's face. His splayed fingers cupped Alec's cheeks, then slid around to lock behind his neck, and finally, he kissed him. If Alec thought the world had evaporated before, it was nothing compared to this. All of the senses he had not been able to use for the last four months kicked into gear. He was aware of nothing but Magnus, Magnus's touch and smell, the feel of his lips and the way he tasted, even the soft kissing sounds. He was hardly aware that his hands were curled tightly around Magnus's wrists, clinging to him desperately.

When at last they broke apart, they were in each other's arms again, still not ready to let any space between them. They had been apart for too long, had missed each other too much. Even talking daily and seeing their faces weekly had not been enough. Magnus was here, no longer two dimensional on a computer screen, flesh and blood and warmth.

At long last, the world came crashing back around them. Alec looked around to see several people staring at them, but not many. This was New York City. People were used to seeing all sorts of things in New York City. Two gay men clinging to each other in an airport was hardly noteworthy when there was a guy in Times Square who played his guitar wearing nothing but his underwear, no matter what the weather was like. And the people who did care? Well, they didn't matter much to Alec or Magnus.

Magnus took Alec's hand and threaded their fingers together as they walked toward the baggage claim area. Alec held out the red rose he brought and Magnus gave him a heart-stopping smile.

"Don't get too excited. It's from your rose bush," Alec teased him, and Magnus laughed. It was the most beautiful sound Alec had ever heard.

A few minutes later, they were barreling down the interstate with Alec's convertible top down. Magnus threw his hands up in the air and let out a 'whoop' as the wind ripped through his hair.

"God it's good to be home," he shouted over the roar of the wind. "To be with you," he added as he lowered his arms and found Alec's hand again. He leaned closer to Alec than he normally sat when in Alec's car, and Alec was thankful for it. He wanted to be close to Magnus. Always.

"I missed you," Alec said just loud enough for Magnus to hear.

"I missed you, too. And I'm never leaving you again, so don't even try to make me!"

Alec laughed. Ah, he had missed Magnus's dramatic moments so much.

Alec's body was thrumming the entire ride home, and he could feel the coiled energy in Magnus as well. He wondered with interest if they would even make it in the house without attacking each other. Their video sex, though satisfying, was not the same as actually being together. And they both clearly wanted to be together.

When Alec parked the car, he hurriedly jumped out and Magnus chased him to the door. He barely got the door open and them inside before they were tearing their clothes off. Magnus's shirt, they would find later, landed on the coat hooks by the door, while Alec's ended up on the staircase banister. Their pants were scattered about the floor, and their undergarments may never fully be found. Alec stumbled, fell, and attempted to crawl up the stairs in his haste. But Magnus laughed wickedly and jerked his ankle, pulling him back down as he crawled up his body.

Magnus kissed a trail up his abdomen and chest and Alec's head lolled at the contact. "Magnus, it will be really uncomfortable to do it on the stairs," he panted. Angel, he was already so hot and bothered he felt he could burst with the slightest touch.

"Wrap your arms and legs around me," Magnus growled, and Alec didn't even hesitate to comply.

Magnus slid his arms around Alec's body and lifted. It was only then that Alec realized Magnus intended to carry him up the rest of the stairs.

"Magnus!" he said, alarmed. "You'll hurt yourself!"

Magnus may be taller, but Alec was at least twenty-five pounds heavier than him. In some superhuman feat, Magnus somehow managed to get Alec up the stairs, through their bedroom door and deposit him unceremoniously on the bed. A loud screech jolted them and a flash of brown and white fur shot past and out the door. Apparently Alec had landed on Chairman Meow, a fact that did not impress the little cat.

Magnus crossed the room to close the door, peering down the steps to see Chairman glaring up at him from the bottom stair. "Sorry little guy. This is a private moment," he called down to the cat. Chairman rose, swished his tail and stalked away. Magnus chuckled before closing the door and returning to Alec.

Alec was waiting impatiently, leaned back on his elbows, his dark tattoos contrasting with his pale skin, and his erection standing straight up in anticipation. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes. Magnus climbed on him again, and Alec flipped him over in one swift motion.

"You've had a long day. Let me take care of you," Alec said, his eyes seductive and glazed with lust. Magnus couldn't vocalize a response. He simply bit his lip and nodded his head.

Alec kissed a jagged trail down Magnus's body, paying attention to the areas he knew were Magnus's most sensitive: his nipples, the slight indention of his navel, the sun-shaped tattoo on his right hip. Magnus had once told him that the tattoo was to remind him that even in his darkest hours, the sun still rose each day and brought the promise of something new. He then kissed along the v-shape of Magnus's groin, and parted his legs to kiss his inner thighs. Magnus was putty in his hands, his to do with as he saw fit.

He then pressed his wet tongue to Magnus's shaft and licked from base to tip. Magnus let out a groan that sang to Alec, so he did it again. He finally took Magnus into his mouth, felt the velvety skin of his taut erection graze along his tongue as it swirled around him. Alec wasn't sure how much of this Magnus could take, how much he could take. They had been apart for so long…

He slid his mouth over Magnus several more times before releasing him and crawling back up his body. He straddled Magnus's hips, leaned up to kiss him heatedly, then lowered his body onto Magnus's straining arousal. He suddenly realized Magnus's ulterior motive with the dildo for the last couple of weeks. It wasn't just for their current fun and pleasure, it was also to ensure that they would be able to take each other after such a long hiatus.

Magnus's eyes widened as he sank deeper into Alec. Alec's hands flattened against Magnus's chest and he pressed their bodies together. He rolled his hips, moving his body around Magnus and eliciting the most sinful noises from his boyfriend. Magnus's hands were on Alec's hips, guiding him back down his erection as he rolled his hips up to meet Alec.

It was heavenly. Magnus inside him. Magnus's hands on him. He lowered his mouth to capture Magnus's and was rewarded with the feel of Magnus's tongue in his mouth. His senses were overloaded with Magnus and at the same time, he couldn't get enough. He wanted more of Magnus, all of Magnus, everything Magnus.

He pushed a little harder, moved a little faster. His own erection was brushing against Magnus's tight abdomen, the sensitive underside benefiting from the friction of their two bodies colliding. He couldn't take much more. His release was building in him, rapidly rising up, and suddenly crashed over him like a tidal wave. He rolled with it, barely keeping his head above water as his body jerked and twitched and sank even deeper into the ecstasy that was making love with Magnus. He was hardly aware of Magnus's release until he felt the wet, sticky fluid gushing out of him.

He collapsed onto Magnus, doing his best not to crush him, leaving their bodies connected in the most intimate way possible. He didn't care that his release was a sloppy mess between them, or that Magnus's was running down his body. He didn't care about anything but having Magnus in his arms, in their bed, at home where he belonged.

After some undetermined amount of time, they finally disconnected, and made their way to the bathroom. As they cleaned up, Alec said, "I hope you don't mind, but I agreed to take you to Will's for dinner tonight. If I hadn't agreed, I'm pretty sure he would be knocking down the door to get to you. I think he might, might, have missed you a little bit."

Magnus chuckled. "I don't mind at all. I missed him, too. Jem and Tessa as well. It will be great to see them."

Alec grinned. "Good. We have to be there at six."

"Okay, that gives us time to talk and take a nap and a shower," he said, eyeing the mess they had made of each other. Then his eyes darted up to Alec's, some emotion flaring in them. "There is something I need to talk to you about."

Alec furrowed his brows, trying to read Magnus. He didn't seem to be upset by whatever he wanted to say, so Alec relaxed a little. They went back into their room and climbed into bed, snuggling into each other's arms, turning to face each other so they could talk.

"I, umm, I have a job," Magnus began. "The designer, Jessamine, came in yesterday when we were finishing up the paperwork for the internship and saying our goodbyes. She wanted to talk to me specifically. Apparently she was impressed with my work and the ideas I submitted to her. She wants me to work for her."

Alec's eyes widened. "Are you fucking serious? Oh Angel, Magnus, that is so awesome!"

Magnus grinned. "I know. She said she had never hired an intern before, but she has a feeling about me. She doesn't think I will be there very long before I make enough of a name for myself and start my own label. She said she wants to help me do that! Can you believe it? She has enough faith in my work that she thinks I'll be on my own in a few years!"

The look on Magnus's face was pure delight. "I actually have no trouble whatsoever believing you will make a name for yourself. I've seen your work, Magnus. You're really good. I'm so proud of you."

Magnus beamed at the compliment, then he kissed Alec solidly on the mouth. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Alec replied happily. "So, when does the job start?" He was a little apprehensive about this. After their four month separation, there was no way he was letting Magnus leave again. If Magnus was moving to L.A., Alec was going with him. Period.

"They want me to finish my degree first," Magnus said. "She said it would look better on paper." He shrugged as if he didn't really care about the paperwork, but was willing to do whatever was expected for him to get this job. "I start next June."

"So I guess that means you've settle on fashion design as your major, then?" Alec teased.

"Oh, yeah. I don't know why I ever questioned it. Fashion is my passion," he said, and Alec rolled his eyes at the rhyme.

"I'm really happy for you," Alec said, then he kissed Magnus softly, slowly, lingering together for a very long time.

Magnus withdrew, his eyes dancing with excitement. "There's more," he said, and Alec cocked his head in question. "When I was talking to Jessamine, I mentioned that I have a very talented boyfriend who will have a degree in graphic design next year. She happened to like some of your sketches…"

"How did she see my sketches?" he asked, perplexed.

"I took some pictures of them before I left," Magnus said sheepishly, as if he were afraid Alec would be mad. "For some reason, I feel closer to you when I can see your art, like I'm inside your head and your heart. Does that make any sense?"

Alec nodded. "It does. I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way about your designs. They are an intimate part of you, your desires, your personality." He shrugged.

Magnus kissed him lightly, enjoying the fact that they were on the same page on this as well. "Anyway, as it turns out, the company has its own advertising department, and they were planning to hire a couple more graphic design artists in the next year or so. You have a job with the company too, if you want it."

Alec shot up in bed. He stared at Magnus, unable to believe the words he had just said. He was prepared to move to Los Angeles with Magnus, but assumed he would then have to hunt for a job. But Magnus had not only found himself his ideal job, but found one for Alec, too! What the fuck? Things like that just didn't happen in the real world. He was utterly shocked and amazed.

"Alec?"

Alec continued to stare, but sobered as Magnus's expression turned from excitement to worry. Finally, he found his tongue again. "Oh, Magnus…I just…I can't believe this!" He threw his arms around Magnus's neck and kissed every inch of his face, neck, and shoulders that he could reach. "I just can't believe it!"

Magnus ginned as he finally realized that Alec was over-the-moon excited about their futures. What college student wouldn't be ecstatic about already having a job waiting as soon as they graduated? Sure, they would be starting over in a new city, one that Alec was sure would be different than living in New York. But then, he hadn't lived in New York for more than three years. He lived in Alicante, on the outskirts of the city where he was born.

This was the perfect opportunity for them. He had no reason to stay. He didn't speak to his parents, and now that Izzy and Jace were out of the country at the Shadowhunter Academy, there was nothing holding him here, especially not if Magnus was gone, too. They would certainly miss seeing Will and Jem and Tessa on a regular basis, but honestly, those three had enough money to fly out to L.A. whenever they wanted. He had a feeling they would still see quite a bit of the trio.

Magnus would get to work for and learn from one of the best designers in the country, someone willing to teach him the ropes and then cut him free when he was ready to make it on his own. How often would an opportunity like that come along? Never again, if Alec had to bet on it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for both of them. Alec couldn't believe their luck.

His future had never looked more bright, and he had Magnus to thank for it.