To the side
After that, the texts just keep coming, making Alec grin at the weirdest of moments throughout the coming days.
Which is quite the welcome relief, because things at the Institute only get more chaotic. His siblings are really starting to try Alec's patience.
Another harebrained plan - which involves visiting the Silent Brothers of all things - not only reveals that the girl his brother is crushing on is actually Valentine's daughter but also leads to the mundane his sister is fascinated with somehow managing to get himself kidnapped by vampires.
Really, before this week, Alec never would have thought that him being interested in a warlock could ever turn out to be anything but the very definition of stressful. However, compared to his siblings' love interests Alec's crush is an absolute cakewalk.
At this point Alec is even entirely on board with getting Clary's mother back. If only because he is hoping that Jocelyn Fray might have at least some common sense and also enough sway over her daughter to stop the girl from just running around doing whatever she pleases while actually knowing nothing at all about their world, but happy to lecture them all about what is right and what is wrong, regularly putting people at risk but seemingly feeling absolutely no responsibility for whatever the fallout might be.
Well, at this point Alec can only hope that the lack of common sense and rational thought doesn't run in the family.
Even worse, Jace has seemingly decided that there is nothing he wouldn't do for this girl, meaning Izzy and Alec get dragged along into their messes as well and then also have to look happy about it. Apparently, it's offensive if Alec voices differing opinions about what the best way to approach their various problems would be. He is starting to get rather tired of getting lectured by a girl he met less than a week ago.
Izzy is definitely doing her best to keep the balance between everyone, she really is. But has always seen more eye to eye on actual issues with Jace, while Alec is the one who cares about the rules, about the Clave's directives.
It's not even like this sort of thing hasn't been a topic of contention between Jace and Alec before - it has quite often, actually - but never to this degree. And they have also always at least tried to find some sort of middle ground between them, tried to come up with a feasible compromise, with Jace's screw-the-rules mentality usually perfectly balancing out Alec's the-law-is-the-law mindset.
But apparently, not anymore.
Because now, they apparently deal in ultimatums. At one point, Jace actually goes so far as to put a you-are-either-with-me-or-against-me choice in front of him. The fact that his parabatai even thinks that could be a choice for Alec at all… It was never about being on Jace's side for Alec, not once.
Alec is just somewhat blindsided by the fact that his opinion, his take on things suddenly doesn't seem to mean all that much to his parabatai anymore.
He is frustrated and disappointed and if he is entirely honest, also hurt by Jace's exclusive, unapologetic focus on this girl, to a point where he would question Alec's - his parabatai's - loyalty before he would question hers. Alec doesn't get it.
And none of this has anything to do with his maybe-or-maybe-not feelings for Jace. Because the last few days have very clearly shown Alec that whatever it is that he feels for Jace, it certainly isn't romantic.
Alec has been on a grand total of two kind-of-dates with Magnus and already he can barely drag his thoughts away from the warlock. Not to even mention Alec's rather vivid shower daydreams revolving around said warlock... And, yeah. That's something that certainly never happened with Jace.
Which, thank the angel, finally clears up the question whether Alec loves Jace or is in love with him.
But suddenly clarified feelings or not, Jace is still his parabatai, is still the person Alec always looks to first, the one he unquestionably relies on. Alec's entire life, every part of his existence is at least partially anchored in their bond. And while he doesn't actually doubt their bond itself, it is certainly a little disillusioning - disappointing, disheartening, painful - to see Jace so willingly push Alec aside in favor of a girl.
And despite his misgivings, Alec has still been going along with every single harebrained scheme his siblings come up with. Because they are just that, his siblings. So, of course he is right there with them - because where one of them goes, all of them go, three go in, three come out, and so on - whether he agrees with them or not. And despite what all of this will mean for him in the long run.
Because the thing that his siblings like to forget whenever it's convenient for them is that in the end Alec is the one who will mainly have to deal with the fallout. He is the oldest, the one who is held to a higher standard, the one with the highest rank among them, who should be reporting to the Clave, who will have to justify the unsanctioned missions and who will have to deal with the fallout for going against the Clave's directives. He is the one who will mainly have to deal with the consequences and punishments as doled out by the Clave. And he is also the one who will be blamed by their parents.
But he can deal with that. He's used to it.
It's just that sometimes he simply wishes his siblings would at least try keep in mind that - in contrast to them - Alec actually gives a damn about their parents' approval and the Clave's rules.
Alas, currently they apparently couldn't care less.
And after an entire day of once more running after his siblings and trying to fix the messes left behind by their let's-worry-about-the-details-when-we-get-there approach to everything, Alec is finally on his own, exhausted and irritated and still rather frustrated. He is sitting on the couch in his room after just having had a shower and now he finally has the time to actually read through the various texts he got from Magnus throughout the day.
All day, whenever his phone pinged with a new message, Alec had been unable to keep himself from reacting, anticipation and eagerness pulsing through him to read whatever Magnus had sent him this time.
The messages had made him smile more than once throughout today. They definitely made his rather frustrating day a little bit better.
Although, ever since this afternoon when his siblings finally came up with that ludicrous idea to go visit the Silent Brothers, Alec has barely managed a few brief replies and the last few messages he didn't manage to reply to at all.
So now, he sits in his room - entirely exhausted from the day - with his fingers hovering over his phone, staring at the last several texts from Magnus which Alec has yet to reply to, trying to think of something to text back after having seemingly ignored the warlock for a few hours. Alec's mind is blank.
See, the thing is, he doesn't actually want to text the warlock. No. What he would honestly like right now is to actually talk to Magnus.
And Alec knows it's ridiculous. They had their lunch date - it was a date, right? - not even two days ago, they have only seen each other twice in total, talked twice in person, talked a bit on the phone and exchanged a few texts. They've known each other for less than two full days.
So, yeah. Alec knows full well it's ridiculous for him to feel like he really just wants to talk to Magnus.
But that doesn't change the fact that he does, that he just wants that warm feeling he got the last few times they talked.
So, now the real question is, what to do about it. Will it appear too desperate or clingy or anything of the sort if he actually calls Magnus right now? Alec has listened to Izzy and Jace talk about their dates often enough to be fully aware of the usual playing-hard-to-get thing that is supposedly part of dating. But that always seemed like such a ridiculous game to Alec. He's far too straightforward for that. And Magnus clearly isn't playing that game either, seeing as he had just continued to text Alec throughout the day despite only getting rather infrequent replies from him. So, at least Alec isn't alone in his wish to talk some more, right?
And isn't it already a little late for making it a challenge now anyway, seeing as Alec has already gone on that lunch date with Magnus?
He stares at his phone for another few moments, second-guessing himself. But then he scoffs.
Man up, Lightwood. You know what you want, so go get it.
Alec breathes in and then simply presses 'call'. He only has to listen to the dial tone briefly, before someone already picks up at the other end.
"Alexander," is the delighted greeting he receives. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Hi, Magnus." Alec smiles. And, damn, it's certainly nice to have someone be so very clearly happy to hear from him. "No reason."
There is barely a pause.
"Well, that's even better," Magnus replies, somehow sounding even happier now. There is a brief pause - Alec can hear some rustling on the other end, so maybe Magnus is getting comfortable somewhere - before the warlock asks, "So, how has your day been?"
And Alec feels the rest of his nerves recede at hearing the honest interest in Magnus' voice. He leans back on his couch, happy to let himself fall into yet another conversation with the warlock who has been taking up most of Alec's waking - and sleeping - thoughts recently.
And after that it just becomes a thing. They text during the day and talk in the evening or at night if they don't manage before.
Alec keeps himself from actually thinking about it too much. From thinking about what it means that they spend at least an hour every day talking to each other on the phone, sometimes more. Yesterday they even talked twice when Alec had been forced to cut their first conversation short - this time because he had to go rescue Izzy's chatty, lost little mundane from a vampire hotel - and Magnus found a rather thin excuse to call him back again a few hours later.
Talking to Magnus is just so incredibly easy. Even despite the fact that they are both very purposely and very obviously avoiding certain topics. Because as much as Alec really truly - absurdly - enjoys talking to Magnus, they've effectively only known each other for a few days, so it's not like Alec can just throw all caution to the wind and discuss the details of his missions or anything else of the more controversial things that are currently going on. Like the fact that they have Valentine's daughter sauntering through the New York Institute. And Alec is also fully aware that there are a few topics that Magnus is purposely staying away from on his end. Hard to miss when Magnus has yet to mention anything pertaining to other warlocks in their conversations.
Surprisingly, it honestly doesn't really bother Alec all that much, well, at least not yet. But they've already started inching their way towards the more difficult, more contentious topics recently, so he is sure they'll get there. However, for now, keeping away from any of the more sensitive matters absolutely makes sense in Alec's eyes. Because having a crush on a warlock is already complicated enough without deliberately bringing Clave-Downworld politics into it right from the start.
Additionally, with Alec avoiding the topic of his Shadowhunter missions and Magnus avoiding the topic of what is currently going on in the warlock community, they tend to just talk about things that purely pertain to themselves instead. Their hobbies, places they want to see, things to try, stories from the past, hopes for the future, plans for right now. And Alec has never been quite this intrigued by another person.
An hour talking about anything and everything not directly work-related passes almost ridiculously quickly when he has Magnus on the phone. By now even the breaks in their conversation aren't awkward anymore, turning from pauses to be filled into comfortable silences.
Magnus also seems to have a knack for realizing just what Alec needs, happy to listen whenever Alec just needs to randomly vent for a few minutes but just as happy to tell some amusing anecdotes whenever Alec is simply too wired or too exhausted to hold up his end of the conversation.
And Alec does his best to avoid thinking about the fact that - even after just a few days of this - the thing that he now looks forward to the most, is that phone call at the end of the day and listening to that warm laughter at the other end of the line.
"Ah, but that's because you have never seen a djinn drunk before, Alexander. Let me assure you, there is nothing quite as hilarious as watching a drunk djinn trying to bully a group of seelies into getting a singsong going," Magnus assures - unbothered by just how ridiculous he must look right now, rifling through the ingredients on his desk while smiling at his phone like an idiot - as he listens to the sound of rustling papers at the other end of the line as Alexander continues sorting through some of his paperwork while they talk.
He can hear the answering smile in Alexander's voice as the Shadowhunter replies, "I'll have to take you on your word on that."
"Hm. You truly should," Magnus nods cheerfully, even as he finally finds the correct vial and adds some of the mandrake root to the potion he is currently preparing for a client.
He really does his best not ignore just how almost domestic their conversations have become at this point, how easily they work their phone calls into their daily routines. And he definitely tries not to think about that warm feeling in his chest every time they talk. That feeling that tells him that he is getting too close, too invested.
Because after about a hundred years of shutting his heart off to the outside world, this adorable Shadowhunter has somehow managed to simply bypass all of Magnus' carefully erected, supposedly impregnable defenses and is currently - rather unceremoniously - making himself a place right in Magnus' so very squishy center.
"I mean, I get that he has a crush on her. I do! But he is being entirely unreasonable. As in unable to reason," Alec huffs in frustration. He has been venting about Jace and Clary's latest moronic stunt for a few minutes now and if it weren't for Magnus' repeated assertion that he truly doesn't mind, Alec would actually start feeling a little embarrassed by his own rant.
"Ah, the loss of common sense once the heart gets involved. It's an age-old story, my dear," Magnus replies warmly, sympathetically.
Alec feels an immediate flush crawl up his neck at the endearment. The warlock has so very recently started using affectionate terms in their conversations and it makes Alec blush every single damn time.
Thankfully, there isn't actually anyone around to see him impersonating a tomato.
'Do you enjoy the opera?'
Alec raises an eyebrow at the rather random text.
'Don't know. Never been,' he types back, unbothered by the fact that he is currently exchanging private texts while in the middle of the Ops center.
It's not like anyone here would be suicidal enough to actually try and sneak a glance at his phone. Alec has a reputation, thank you very much. Even his siblings know better than to try something like that.
'Oh, you are missing out. Even for those who do not particularly enjoy that kind of music, the opera itself is still an experience to be had. There is an excellent production of Aida coming to town soon. I could easily get us tickets if you would like to go?' is the reply.
Alec tamps down on the smile that immediately threatens to spread over his face. Magnus has been continuously adding to the list of things he wants to do with Alec or show Alec or where to take Alec, which places they should visit or what kind of food Alec 'just has to try' and so on.
Alec is honestly looking forward to all of it. He might even be keeping his own mental version of said list.
Is it normal that despite only having known him for a few days, I have never once even considered saying no to anything?
"Why did you decide to start a nightclub?" Alexander asks.
And Magnus can't help but frown a little. Not at the question, but at how tired the Shadowhunter sounds even over the phone.
It's almost midnight and Alexander called him about ten minutes ago. Magnus knows that the only reason the Shadowhunter is still awake is the fact that something about the day - something about the missions that are keeping him so very busy - has him simply too wired to sleep.
Magnus had actually been at Pandemonium earlier for a night out. But one glance at his flashing screen and he had just unceremoniously portaled home to get comfortable on his couch instead. Because, apparently, talking to Alexander trumps having a fun night out these days.
Magnus isn't even going to pretend to be surprised at that particular revelation.
But point is, Alexander sounds tired. Or rather, utterly exhausted. And Magnus would love to help him solve whatever problems are currently keeping him so insanely busy. Alas, they are not quite close enough for that yet, haven't known each other for long enough that he could just offer to come over and help. Magnus is quite certain they will get there, that they'll get to the point where Magnus can offer his help freely for no other reason than to help Alexander out, maybe even to the point where it will be Magnus' place to openly worry about Alexander's health.
But for now, the only thing he can do is providing some sort of distraction for the Shadowhunter from time to time, a chance to relax a little as they talk.
Thus, Magnus keeps his worry over Alexander's lack of sleep out of his voice and instead just replies lightly, "Well, for one, I like trying new things from time to time. And it was originally just intended as a place for Downworlders to go, to let loose, without having to worry about the politics that usually come with seelies and vampires and warlocks and werewolves and whoever else gathering in one spot. Just a place for like-minded people who want to forget about their worries for a night, to have fun. The fact that it has become one of the most popular nightclubs in New York is just a bonus."
Alexander only hums in reply, so Magnus continues talking.
And when - about fifteen minutes later - the deep breathing at the other end of the line signifies that the Shadowhunter actually fell asleep to the sound of Magnus' voice, something so all-encompassingly warm and affectionate expands in Magnus' chest, that it almost feels a little hard to breathe for a moment.
Magnus falls silent, listens to the adorable little snuffles the Shadowhunter is making in his sleep for a few moments. Then he breathes in and finally admits to himself that any thoughts of pulling back - of keeping his distance, of keeping his heart safe - come far too late to actually make a difference any more.
He is already in too deep.
Alec can feel himself become more and more infatuated with Magnus with every lengthy, brief, texted, verbal, random conversation they have.
And he knows the very idea of falling for a Downworlder should make him balk, should make him step back and keep his distance. But the truth of the matter is that every time he sees a new text from Magnus or his phone starts ringing with the warlock's name on the screen, he just can't help that warm, anticipatory feeling that expands in his chest and sends a slight flush crawling up his neck.
And if he is entirely honest, he doesn't want to stop it either.
And then comes the day that leaves Alec staring somewhat speechlessly at pictures of Magnus on the Ops center's screens, barely listening to the others around him argue about what the best way for luring a certain centuries-old, insanely powerful warlock from hiding might be.
So. Turns out, the warlock who Alec might be developing quite the crush on is apparently also the High Warlock of Brooklyn.
Huh.
A/N: Erm... So, is it just me or did this somehow get even more fluffy? How is that even possible? XD Would love to know what you think :)br /
Also, from here on out the plot from canon and the other characters are going to start making more of an appearance despite the slight what-if twist :)
And thanks for your reviews! (*^^*)