September 2029 (Alec, 40; Ellie, 13)

"Are you ready yet?" Magnus said, entering the bathroom of their apartment. Alec was standing at the sink, staring at his reflection. His brows were furrowed and the corners of his mouth were turned down. This was a decidedly unusual turn of events. Alec standing in front of a mirror at all was unusual. "What's wrong?"

Alec touched a finger to his temple. "Do you see this?"

Magnus squinted his eyes, searching for what could possibly be distressing Alec. He saw nothing. And he was quiet too long.

Alec turned to him in exasperation. "It's a gray hair!"

Magnus bit back a laugh. He'd never seen Alec worry about his appearance. Then again, Alec had never been forty years old. "It's hardly noticeable," Magnus reasoned.

"Oh yeah?" Alec retorted, turning back to the mirror. "What about these?" He pointed to a few fine lines that had developed at the edges of his eyes. "And these?" He indicated additional lines at the juncture of his lips.

"Alec," Magnus said patiently, "I see nothing. You are still the most beautiful man I've ever known."

Alec put his hand on his hip and scowled at Magnus. "Magnus, I have wrinkles!"

Magnus placed his hands on Alec's shoulders, turning him, forcing him to look Magnus in the eye. "Do you want to know what I see?" he said.

Alec worried his bottom lip for a moment before nodding. Magnus brushed a lock of hair back and tucked it behind Alec's ear. "Instead of a few gray hairs, I see a devastatingly handsome gentleman who has enough life experience to know what he wants and not be fooled by those with ill-intent."

Alec rolled his eyes, but did not protest. Magnus ran a finger from Alec's temple to the corner of his mouth, tracing his lips, and making Alec shiver. "And here, I see the tiniest lines that speak of happiness, of someone who smiles often, who laughs too much. Is that so terrible?"

Alec shook his head. "Not when you put it that way," he said sheepishly. "I just hate that I'm getting old enough to show signs of it."

Magnus pulled him close and Alec buried his head in Magnus's chest, nuzzling against him, breathing in the scent that was distinctly Magnus: sandalwood and burnt-sugar. He kissed Magnus's neck lightly, just barely brushing his lips against the soft, sensitive skin.

"I just don't want to leave you," Alec whispered.

Magnus's arms tightened around Alec. What could he say to that? There wasn't anything, really. So he held him, and kissed the temple his finger had traced moments before. When Alec's grip on him finally slackened, Magnus pulled back just far enough to look him in the eye.

"I love you," he said, kissing Alec gently. "Now finish getting ready, will you?" he said with a wink.

Magnus met Ellie in the living room. "Hey, Ellie Bell. Your Dad is having a little minor breakdown about turning forty."

"Yeah, I heard."

"Do you mind if I take him out tonight. Just the two of us?"

"Like a date?" Ellie said, grinning at him.

"Yes, like a date."

Ellie shook her head. "No problem. I'll just spend the night at the Institute. I'm feeling the need to beat up Will anyway," she said with a shrug.

Magnus chuckled. Ellie was excelling at combat training, and she frequently bested Will, much to his annoyance.

With a twist of his hand he produced some cash, holding it out to Ellie. "Here's some money for a cab."

"I can just walk," Ellie said, waving a dismissive hand, a gesture so like Magnus that he nearly laughed.

"No, you won't," he said sternly. "You are not walking to the Institute by yourself, especially not at night."

She put her hand on her hip. "I'm a Shadowhunter, Daddy."

"And when you fight demons, you are with other Shadowhunters. Safety in numbers."

"I'll be fine alone," she challenged.

"Yes, you will be fine. Because you are taking a cab." His tone was definitive.

Ellie sighed and took the money, knowing she was defeated. Then she kissed him on the cheek, yelled 'Happy birthday, Dad. I love you' over her shoulder and skipped out the door.

Alec came around the corner in time to see her long black curls swing out the door before she closed it behind her.

"Are you ready?" Magnus said, taking Alec's hand and bringing it to his mouth for quick peck.

"Are you?" Alec challenged.

"That depends. Do you want to do plan A, which involves being around other people, or plan B, which is just the two of us?"

Alec thought for a moment. He knew if he chose plan A, Magnus would glamour himself so that he looked older and they would get slightly fewer stares. Plan A likely involved dinner and dancing and who knows what else. But plan B? An entire evening alone with his husband. Something they haven't had for a very long time.

"Plan B," he said, without hesitation. He simply couldn't resist having Magnus to himself for the whole night.

"Excellent choice," Magnus said.

Alec and Magnus stood outside a heavy metal gate secured by a padlock. A wooden sign with large white painted lettering read 'Fountain of Youth City Park.'

Alec eyed Magnus skeptically. What did 'Fountain of Youth City Park' mean? Magnus winked and snapped his fingers, and they were instantly transported to the other side of the gate. "Are you sure we should be in here? That padlock suggests someone wants to keep us out."

"That's just a suggestion," Magnus replied, with a grin.

Magnus took Alec's hand and led him toward a playground. It was a playground unlike anything Alec had ever seen before. All the equipment was big enough for adults to play on, and appeared sturdy enough to hold their added weight.

Magnus sat on one end of a large red teeter-totter, gesturing for Alec to sit on the other end. Alec cocked an eyebrow at the contraption, but did as Magnus wished. A moment later, they were taking turns kicking off the ground, rising and falling in a fluid motion.

"What the hell is this thing?" Alec said, grinning.

"Have you never been to a playground?"

Alec shook his head. "I'm a Shadowhunter. My playground was the training room at the Institute."

"Such a sad existence you Nephilim have," Magnus said with a grin. Alec rolled his eyes.

"So why is it called 'Fountain of Youth'?"

"Because it's for adults. To remind you of your childhood," Magnus stated simply.

"It doesn't remind me of my childhood. Does it remind you of yours?"

It was Magnus's turn to roll his eyes. "Why yes, it does. Playgrounds were all the rage in the early 1600's."

Alec snorted at this own stupid question. "This thing is starting to hurt my butt," he said.

Magnus immediately stilled the teeter-totter. "We can't have that," he said in a silky voice. Alec would have playfully punched him if he was within reach. Instead, he just shook his head.

Magnus hauled him to a giant, three-story wooden structure designed for climbing. The playhouse had several enormous slides radiating, twisting, and turning in different directions, like the limbs of an octopus. They climbed to the top, and were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the city in lights. The park was on a gentle rise, and three stories up gave them the vantage point to see for miles.

"Ever been on a slide?" Magnus asked, eyeing the large green tubular structure beside him. Alec shook his head.

Magnus sat at the opening of the slide and pulled Alec onto his lap. Alec stretched his long legs beside Magnus's as Magnus wound his arms around Alec's waist, holding him close to his body. Alec leaned back against Magnus's chest and Magnus pushed off. The slide twisted and corkscrewed before curving and depositing them onto the soft ground.

Alec laughed as the wind rushed through his hair and he felt the exhilaration associated with swift motion. When they landed, Alec stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance.

Magnus laughed at the sight of his forty year old husband acting like a kid. He looked so young and carefree in that moment. He was absolutely beautiful.

They rode each slide over and over again. On the last trip down, Magnus pulled Alec to him and snapped his fingers. They were suddenly perched on a huge branch midway up the largest oak tree Alec had ever seen. His astonishment nearly unseated him. Generations of couples had left their marks on the ancient tree, professing their love for each other in the form of hearts and initials carved into the tree's bark, extending many feet up from the base.

Magnus held Alec's hand in his, and lit the index finger of his free hand with blue flames. He delicately carved a heart in the bark and inside the heart carved 'MB + AL.'

"Now our love will be known eternally," he said.

"Or until the tree dies," Alec said pragmatically.

"Stop ruining my romantic moments," Magnus huffed.

"Sorry," Alec said, leaning against Magnus's shoulder. They stayed that way for some time, swinging their dangling legs, holding hands, leaning against each other. Just being together.

Magnus tilted Alec's face up to his and kissed him gently on his parted lips. The gentle kiss quickly escalated, as Alec turned as much as he dared on the tree branch, wound his hand behind Magnus's neck and pulled the warlock to him, deepening their kiss in the process.

When at last they broke apart, Magnus's lips twitched into a poorly concealed smile. "Magnus and Alec sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G," he said in a singsong.

Alec, laughing, said, "What? Are we twelve?"

Magnus chuckled.

"Is that a mundane song?" Alec asked and Magnus nodded. "When were you around mundane children? And do I even want to know the answer to that?"

Magnus nudged him with his shoulder. "I dated a woman in the 1960's who had a little girl. She teased us with that song whenever she caught us kissing."

"Oh, good. I was hoping you weren't some creepy old man," Alec teased.

Magnus recaptured his lips, deciding that was the best way to end the mocking. He ran his tongue along Alec's lips, which parted readily. Magnus swung his leg over the tree branch, straddling it so that Alec could move closer to him, which he encouraged with a gentle tug of Alec's arm. Alec slid against him, pressing as much of his body as he could against Magnus's. Magnus could feel the warmth of Alec's skin against his, and the beat of Alec's pulse as his hand slid down Alec's neck.

Then finally Alec said, "Is there a comfortable place in this park to sit?"

Magnus chuckled and snapped his fingers again. He could not disagree with Alec. The tree branch was rough and uncomfortable, and did not lend itself for heavy make-out sessions.

Magnus led Alec to an enormous set of swings. The structure had a thick wood frame, like railroad timbers. Solid steel links created the chains that suspended the flat leather straps of the swing seats. They each chose a swing, side by side, and gently swayed to and fro, holding hands the whole time.

Their conversation was light and comfortable, full of many 'do you remember?'-s. They reminisced about their first dates, about sneaking around behind everyone's back, and about how the hadn't really fooled anyone. Magnus teased Alec about how awkward and insecure he had been in those early days, until he saw that flush of Alec's cheeks that always made his heart melt.

Eventually Magnus pulled Alec to his feet, walking away from the swings. He abruptly stopped, dropping Alec's hand. He grinned, tapped Alec's shoulder and said, "Tag. You're it," then ran up the slope toward a line of trees.

"I'm what, exactly?" Alec inquired, unfamiliar with whatever game Magnus was playing now.

Magnus peeked around the side of a tree. "You have to catch me before I reach home base."

"What's home base?"

Magnus snapped his fingers again and said, "The blanket."

Alec looked around, and sure enough, there was now a soft, checkered blanket laying on the ground some twenty yards away from where he stood. He sprinted up the hill after Magnus. Magnus was swift and lithe, with graceful, cat-like movements, and he darted between trees and playground equipment.

But Alec was a Shadowhunter, he was athletic and fast and had runes to assist him in such endeavors. As a result, he quickly had Magnus trapped behind a tree, knowing that if Magnus moved in any direction, he would be quick enough to catch him before he found cover again.

What Alec didn't know was that Magnus wanted to be caught. Magnus darted around the edge of the tree, and Alec reacted. He caught Magnus around the waist, their combined forces and momentum causing Magnus to lift off the ground as Alec swung Magnus's body back toward his own.

Alec lost his balance and they toppled to the ground, Magnus twisting in air, not unlike a cat, and landing on top of Alec, caging him with his body.

Finally having Alec right where he wanted him, Magnus leaned down and kissed his husband. Alec's body reacted immediately, arcing upward to press against Magnus's. Magnus hummed into the kiss, as Alec parted his lips, giving Magnus the access he craved.

As Magnus's tongue grazed along Alec's, sending a thrill through his body, Magnus's wandering hand trailed down Alec's ribs, across his stomach, rapidly and expertly slipping the button on Alec's pants through the hole. Alec was instantly transported many years ago to Central Park, after a day of training Simon, when he and Magnus had found a secluded clearing and made love. But he had been little more than a kid then. Surely Magnus wasn't expecting him to be so reckless now.

"Magnus?" Alec said, giving voice to the question in his mind.

"Don't talk," Magnus commanded. "Just relax."

Magnus increased the intensity of their kiss, and Alec momentarily forgot his protest. He forgot how to think, how to breathe. All he knew was Magnus's lips and tongue taunting his mouth, his hand sliding along his waist, dipping below the band, tracing the narrow strip of silky hair between his navel and his pelvis. He forgot everything but Magnus…until he heard the tale tell sound of his zipper being released.

"Magnus, wait," he said. "Should we be doing this in a public park? Again."

Magnus looked around. "I don't see anyone else here. We've been here for hours and haven't seen another soul. Why not? As you said, we've done it before."

"Well," he began, and faltered. He had grown comfortable with Magnus, with his sexuality, with everything about his life, but he wasn't sure he wanted to display it for all the world to see. Although the thought of someone stumbling upon two men making love in a park did make him chuckle inwardly, he knew he would be mortified if it actually happened. Still, Magnus was right, there had been no one anywhere near them for hours. "I don't know. That was twenty years ago," he finally said.

Magnus pushed himself off of Alec, sitting up and adjusting his shirt. "Well, if you are getting too old for this sort of thing…" Magnus goaded.

Magnus heard the growl just seconds before Alec tackled him. Alec's body hovered over him, pinning him to the ground. As if that was necessary. Magnus was precisely where he wanted to be, beneath his beautiful husband, who was now more than willing to take him.

Magnus grinned triumphantly as his hands completed the task of ridding Alec of his clothing. Something wild and primal overtook Alec's senses, and he attacked Magnus's neck, kissing, licking, biting, and sucking marks all over the sensitive skin.

And Magnus loved it. He was moaning and writhing in Alec's arms. Alec ceased his assault on Magnus's neck just long enough to hastily rid the warlock of his clothes, then he was back on top of him, pressing their bodies together, both consumed by an uncontrolled yearning for the other, a passion they had only been able to express in stolen moments for the last twelve years, since they had become parents.

With a slight crook of Magnus's finger, the checkered blanket flew across the short distance and spread itself over their naked bodies, affording a modicum of privacy as the two lovers lost themselves in each other.

Magnus lay across Alec, planting lazy kisses on his chest, working his way up to Alec's mouth. They were still wrapped in the blanket, warm and cozy, as a cool breeze filtered through the park.

"This was amazing," Magnus said. "I'm sorry we haven't had many romantic times lately."

Alec angled his body so that he could look into Magnus's eyes. "Don't be sorry. We had to make some sacrifices to become parents, and this is one of the casualties. But I wouldn't change a thing. The time we have with our daughter is so limited. She's growing up so fast, soon she will be an adult and making her own way in this world. I'm okay with stolen moments like this, for now."

"I love you, Alec. With everything I have, I love you."