Under

The whole arranged marriage thing is such a non-issue to Alec that he doesn't even realize he might somehow have entirely forgotten to mention it to Magnus at any point.

Well, he forgets until the day after his argument with his parents when Magnus and Alec are sitting outside on the balcony, entirely comfortable and relaxed. And then, Alec manages to bring up his parents' attempts to marry him off in possibly the worst way possible. Even days later he'll still want to kick himself for it.

Alec had come over to the loft earlier, having decided to just take a night off - wanting to get away from the Institute and his parents who have kept continuously hounding him ever since their argument and he simply just wants a break, a few hours without either his mother or his father cornering him somewhere - and Magnus had of course enthusiastically approved of them having an entire evening to themselves, promptly suggesting they use his night off to go out for dinner.

And, well, it's not like Alec has ever been able to say no to anything that his boyfriend suggests.

So, Magnus took him to a really nice Italian restaurant for dinner and afterwards they went for a rather extended walk – Alec being the one to suggest they walk home instead of using a portal, for no other reason than that he might have become a bit of a fan of getting to hold Magnus' hand as they walk anywhere – before coming back to the loft about half an hour ago.

Now, they are sitting outside and Magnus has an arm resting behind Alec, along the back of the seat they are on, and Alec is leaning mostly against his side, head on the warlock's shoulder. The fingers of their left hands are intertwined, resting on Magnus' thigh, after Alec had almost absently reached for one of Magnus' hands as soon as they sat down.

And, yes, Alec might have a bit of a thing for Magnus' hands. Their fluid, sinuous movements, never entirely still, rings glinting in the light and catching Alec's attention as Magnus talks. Even more so whenever Magnus is doing magic, blue light dancing along his fingertips, only highlighting his soft, olive skin, the warmth of it, the long, nimble, deceptively slender fingers wielding so so much power, making it simply impossible for Alec to look away.

So, yeah, Alec might have a bit of a thing, but no need to point it out. He is already fully aware, thank you very much.

And he knows they have been officially dating for less than two weeks, have known each other for only two months in total, but somehow in the span of that short amount of time, Alec has gone from nervously anxious about anything related to dating, to just finding everything he does with Magnus simply natural. Don't ask Alec how or when that happened.

Point is, everything about tonight is comfortable and wonderful and relaxed and it's exactly what Alec needed, just the two of them spending some time together, talking. Or rather, for once Alec has been doing most of the talking and it's almost cathartic to just get to rant about how irritating his parents have been ever since their discussion.

"They just won't leave me alone," he is grumbling, head resting comfortably on Magnus' shoulder. "Dad keeps seeking me out to talk about them hiding their history with Circle from us and about not admitting that they were the ones who tarnished the Lightwood reputation."

Magnus hums sympathetically, his free hand reaching up to card his fingers through Alexander's hair soothingly.

He can immediately feel Alexander relax even further, leaning a little heavier into his side. By magic, does he adore how comfortable his Shadowhunter is with him at this point.

Still, Alexander grumbles on, "They are the ones who screwed up. And not once have they had the decency to actually own up to it. Not to even mention, trying to push the responsibility for fixing it onto me."

Magnus feels a slight frown flit over his face at the somewhat odd phrasing of that, not quite sure what the Shadowhunter is talking about. Sure, Alexander has been mentioning his parents' trying to blame the loss of the Lightwoods' standing in Idris on him and his siblings, but the 'responsibility for fixing it' part certainly hadn't been mentioned before in this manner.

The way Alexander is sitting, he currently can't actually see Magnus' questioning expression and thus just continues on, "And Mom just won't stop nagging me about those 'suitable candidates' she has apparently picked out for me. As though her having gone through the effort of finding them somehow means that I'm obligated to actually choose one of them."

"Suitable candidates?" Magnus finally asks a little confusedly, feeling like he might be missing something. He really can't recall Alexander having told him about anything happening at the Institute that he'd require a specific partner for. And usually Magnus is an excellent listener. "Candidates for what?"

Alexander just shrugs dismissively - entirely comfortable where he is leaning into Magnus' side, his eyes only halfway open at this point as he relaxes into the movement of Magnus' fingers running through his hair - and grumbles, "Oh, you know, the candidates for my future wife. For my politically motivated, arranged marriage designed to strengthen the Lightwood name and fix what my parents broke. Those candidates."

Magnus has frozen. There is something almost like a ringing sound in his ears.

No forewarning, no chance for Magnus prepare himself, to even try to put up any of his shields, to keep at least parts of himself protected.

His fingers are entirely motionless in Alexander's hair, Magnus' very breath having halted for a second, before he manages to make himself breathe again, tries to make himself think.

Because he heard the sarcasm, the derision in Alexander's voice, he did.

But Magnus simply can't seem to think past Alexander saying the words 'my future wife' so casually, nonchalantly. Like there is nothing to it.

Like those words don't make Magnus feel like he can't breathe in fully, lest something inside of him tear apart at the strain. Like they don't immediately bring up too many memories of 'I didn't think you cared' and 'we both knew this relationship had no future' and 'it's been fun' and 'I want to have a real family' and most devastatingly 'it's not like either of us expected this to actually last forever'.

Memories his heart doesn't quite like to remember but simply can't seem to forget. Memories that remind him of the fact that he has yet to find someone who wants Magnus enough, loves him enough, to want to spend their forever with him, even if Magnus' very blood makes it impossible for him to offer them the same in return.

But Magnus must have misunderstood somehow. He must have.

Because Alexander is the least callous person he knows and even if he ever did intend to break up with Magnus he wouldn't do it so callously, wouldn't just nonchalantly announce his intention to marry someone else. Alexander wouldn't do that to Magnus. He wouldn't.

So, Magnus tries to wipe his expression clean, tries to make his mind work despite still being entirely blank, simply too blindsided by having been ripped from comfortably, happily relaxed and thrown into scrambling for something – anything – to say that sounds even generally casual, something that doesn't quite give away just how afraid he is of the possibility that he might not have misunderstood Alexander at all.

He doesn't get the chance to say anything anyway.

Another few seconds of silences and Alexander clearly notices something having changed - if only because Magnus has been entirely frozen in place for several seconds now – and tilts his head on Magnus' shoulder to look up at him questioningly.

And something of what Magnus is feeling, what he is thinking, must show on his face despite his best efforts, because there is about a second delay and then suddenly something like shock flits over Alexander's face, his eyes widening, as he abruptly sits up, clearly realizing exactly what he just said, what he just implied.

He quickly reaches for Magnus' hand - the hand that had been carding through his hair until a few seconds ago and now has fallen back into Magnus' lap - eyes fixed intently on him.

"Well, screw them. Screw all of it." Alexander's voice is urgent but steady. "I am not a pawn to be moved around as they please and I am not going to marry for their little game of political one-upmanship. I refuse to. I already told my parents just that and I will not be swayed on this. I refuse to just give up my happiness like that."

A pause.

And then Alexander moves closer, letting go of one of his hands to cup the side of Magnus' face instead, almost leaning their foreheads together and saying quietly but firmly, "I refuse to give you up like that."

Magnus breathes in, as the pressure in his chest once more releases.

And he tries not to think about what his reaction at Alexander's announcement - at the thought that Alexander might be taken away from him, that he might already be lost to Magnus - means. Tries not to think about the fact that if Alexander did decide to marry someone else, it would already be far too late for Magnus' heart to come out of this unbroken, possibly irreparably so.

Magnus tries to ignore all of that for now, instead tightening his fingers around Alexander's, leaning their foreheads fully together. And he tries to just breathe.

Even days later, the memory of the expression on Magnus' face at Alec's oblivious announcement continues to haunt him.

Sure, Alec might have succeeded in driving that shuttered but far-too-vulnerable look from Magnus' eyes within moments. And, of course, Magnus had just waved it off seconds later, called it a simple misunderstanding and didn't seem to hold Alec forgetting to even mention his parents' plans before against him at all.

And the rest of the night had even quickly gone back to being entirely comfortable, if a little careful, a little tentative and quite a bit more attentive on Alec's end. But after talking through everything and Alec telling Magnus about his conversation with his parents in detail, the warlock truly seemed to simply be back to his normal self again. As though nothing had even happened at all.

But Alec simply can't seem to forget that look in Magnus' eyes. The last thing he ever wants to do is hurt Magnus and what he had seen on his boyfriend's face right then had felt like someone had taken a dagger to Alec's own heart.

Heartbreak. He had seen heartbreak in Magnus' eyes.

It had just been for a second – just until Alec had reassured him that he has absolutely no intention at all to let himself be pushed into an arranged marriage – but definitely there.

And he knows that Magnus immediately jumping to conclusions, believing - even if only for a second - that Alec was leaving him, hadn't ever really been about Alec himself, about trusting him, at all.

Because Magnus trusts Alec in a way that would almost be a little frightening if it weren't also for the fact that Alec knows he feels the exact same way for Magnus. So, he knows that Magnus' reaction wasn't about him per se, wasn't about trusting Alec himself.

No, something about the way Magnus had reacted, something in his expression, the look in his eyes, had told Alec that the warlock's reaction had been one of resignation, like an old pain resurfacing, almost like he were used to it. Like his partner just casually announcing their plans to break it off - whether to marry someone else or not - might be nothing new to Magnus at all.

And Alec doesn't know what to do with this.

Even the mere thought has fury pulsing in his chest, has him wishing that he could get his hands on every single person who has ever been given Magnus' heart and then proceeded to rip it apart instead of keeping it safe, instead of treasuring it the way something as breathtakingly beautiful as Magnus' heart should be treasured.

Because Alec has recently been coming to realize that there isn't much he wouldn't do in order to keep Magnus and his ridiculously soft heart protected. That all Alec wants to do is to keep both safe from the world as best as he possibly can.

In the week after that, Alec tries to make as much time for Magnus as he can manage.

Well, 'trying' being very much the key word here.

After the security breach, things only continue to escalate, everything getting increasingly stressful. With the very real threat of one of those creatures getting through their wards again, the hall patrols within the Institute itself are increased, all guard shifts are doubled up. Add to that their seemingly ever-increasing number of missions – having Valentine running around their city certainly isn't making their lives in any way easier – and Alec can only be grateful that they currently don't have any prisoners to guard as well because he simply wouldn't know where to get the required manpower from.

In addition to his usual duties, Alec is still pretty much splitting the Head of the Institute responsibilities with Lydia, although she is admittedly doing more than her fair share - handling several of the more time-consuming duties - because Alec is also still doing the jobs he had already been doing while his parents had still been running the Institute, like mission assignments and training schedules, as well as also still doing his usual share of patrols.

Add to that the fact that the Clave keeps hinting at possibly removing Lydia from her position – for some reason expecting her to miraculously come up with a way to take down Valentine, never mind the fact that the entire last generation of Shadowhunters already failed at doing just that – and Alec feels he hasn't had a chance to actually get a decent night of sleep in days. It seems that whenever he finally manages to get to bed, his phone starts ringing with a mission or some sort of alarm or other as soon as his head touches the pillow.

Additionally, he is pretty much avoiding his parents, simply having neither the time nor the patience to spare for their sometimes-more-sometimes-less-sincere apologies right now. They all said what they wanted to say and Alec would be grateful if they'd give him at least a few days to settle his temper again before he is forced to rehash the entire argument once more.

And he refuses to even think about what Jace might currently be up to. His parabatai rune tells him that Jace is uninjured and that will just have to do for now. Once things at the Institute calm down again, Alec will be able to worry about whatever messes his parabatai and his crush manage to create in the meantime.

Point is, Alec barely even manages to grab something to eat during the day, much less actually spend any significant amount of time with his boyfriend.

And of course, Magnus is perfect as ever, always reassuring Alec that he entirely understands, that Alec being too busy to come by the loft is completely fine and not to worry and so on. Magnus points out that they still have their phone calls and even cheerfully invents various reasons to stop by the Institute at least once a day, so Alec does get to see him, even if only for a few minutes at a time and never without having to keep the countless cameras scattered throughout the Institute in mind.

But thing is, while he loves that Magnus doesn't put any additional pressure on him, that his boyfriend is so very understanding about Alec's job demanding pretty much all of his time right now, Alec himself simply isn't willing to entirely give up on spending time with his boyfriend, stressful job or not.

Alec likes spending time with just Magnus, likes it when it's just the two of them, freely relaxing, talking or even just being silent in each other's presence. And he definitely likes being able to kiss his boyfriend whenever he wants, being able to hold hands, likes cuddling on the couch and sleeping in the same bed. Alec likes it when they get to be just them.

So, with things at the Institute only picking up speed - his job taking up his entire day with barely enough time to eat in between meetings and missions and training and patrols - Alec gets into the habit of just making his way to Magnus' loft whenever he can weasel even the slightest amount of time away, even if it's just for an hour or so. Sometimes for lunch, sometimes for dinner, sometimes just for half an hour between patrols.

It's not perfect, but it's something at least. And the extra time making his way across New York is definitely worth the bright, happy smile Alec is greeted with every single time he walks into the loft.

He can only imagine what it would be like to actually get to come home to that smile every night.

Alec is on his way to the Ops center, having just left Lydia's office after the two of them spent almost twenty minutes trying to come up with a mission schedule that would conform with the Clave's latest order about implementing additional patrols but without also working everyone at the Institute into an early grave.

The two of them have finally gotten used to the workload, having fallen into a good, manageable rhythm of splitting tasks between them, but recently there have been more and more veiled – and not-so-veiled – hints coming from Idris that the Clave is thinking to replace Lydia as the interim Head of the Institute soon.

And, sure, her assignment was never intended as a permanent position but Alec knows that as soon as she is removed from the position she'll be ordered back to Idris. Alec honestly just wants her to stay here, not only because he really likes working with her – someone who just gets him – but also because they've become actual friends.

Which isn't even mentioning the fact that Alec absolutely hates the idea of someone else taking over in her stead. The chances of another Head of the Institute being like Lydia - especially in regards to letting Alec pretty much co-lead the Institute - are pretty much non-existent. And it's not like the Clave is just going to hand the Institute to Alec himself.

Which is kind of a moot point anyway because even if they did decide to give Alec the position, they'd promptly take it from him again as soon as they find out about Magnus. Something which – considering that Alec simply will not give up Magnus no matter what – is simply inevitable at this point.

But Lightwood or not, a Head of an Institute not only being in a gay relationship but also with a Downworlder - and a powerful one at that - is just not going to go over well with the Clave.

Maybe if the Lightwoods' standing in Idris was still what it once was, maybe if the Lightwood name hadn't so clearly lost quite a bit of its weight in the political games the more powerful Clave members so like to play, maybe if the Lightwood name was still as untarnished as the Branwells'. Maybe then the Clave wouldn't quite dare insult their entire family by taking the position away from him without at least pretending to have a reason beyond disapproving of his personal life choices.

And Alec suddenly stops in the middle of the corridor.

Now, there's a thought.

He stares at the far wall for a few seconds, mind whirling, before he turns abruptly, quickly making his way back towards Lydia's office. He knocks but doesn't really wait for her reply before he is already entering.

Lydia is still standing next to her desk, pretty much in the same place as she had been when he left her office just a minute or two earlier. She looks up from the reports in her hands, raising her eyebrows at him, "Alec, I thought you were-"

He waves her off. "This isn't about the schedule. This is about something else." He focuses on her. "You know what you said about our families having been allies for a long time?"

"Yes, but Alec, what-"

He holds up his hand, asking her to hear him out. He is actually rather excited about his idea. "And you said they are never going to give the position of Head of the Institute to you. Because you are an outsider and too young and an unmarried woman in childbearing age and without any real merit to your career yet."

She frowns at him but just nods this time, clearly realizing that he is going somewhere with this.

He continues, "And while they might consider giving the position to me because of the Lightwoods' history with the Institute, they probably won't because of my parents' history with the Circle and even if they did, they'd immediately find a reason to take it from me again, as soon as they find out about my relationship with a Downworlder."

Her frown has deepened as she watches him, clearly not seeing why he is listing all of their supposed failings but she just nods again, signaling for him to continue.

He takes another step closer to where she is standing. "So, what if we throw our hats into the ring together?"

She blinks. It takes her a second or two, but then raises her eyebrows in surprise, asking, "You mean, for Head of the Institute? An official bid for us to share the position."

"Yes," he nods. "A Branwell and a Lightwood together, the family heirs no less. That should count for something, right? I have the Lightwoods' history with the Institute behind me and you have the untarnished name. And like you said, our families have been allies for a long time. Maybe together, we'd get to keep the Institute."

There is a slight pause as something considering and even cautiously excited enters Lydia's expression. "And we'd get to run it," she says.

"Exactly," Alec says, pleased that she seems to at least generally agree. But then he sighs and points out the one big flaw in his plan. "Admittedly, I've never heard of the Clave handing control of an Institute to friends, only ever to distinguished members of the Clave and even then they prefer married couples."

Lydia nods slowly, but Alec is glad to see that she still looks rather excited about the idea. "I've never heard of that sort of thing either. But we could look through the archives? Check whether there is any sort of precedent for something like this."

Alec wanders over to lean against the table right next to where she is standing, frowning thoughtfully. "A precedent would definitely strengthen our case. And we do have the longstanding allegiance between our families, which we can cite and that should at least be worth something."

He really likes how they just click, how she just takes his idea and runs with it, how he doesn't have to explain every single thought process to her. Like the fact that he balances out all of her supposed failings in the eyes of the Clave, just as she does for his, doesn't need to tell her that if they actually got the position, the Clave would definitely hesitate to take it from them again – even once they find out about Magnus – because they wouldn't want to insult two political heavyweights like the Lightwoods and the Branwells - two of the oldest and most powerful Shadowhunter bloodlines in Idris - at the same time.

Lydia is frowning slightly, clearly considering something else. "Although, even if there is a precedent for this, we'd definitely need some sort of success, something that we actually achieved while working together and that would give the Clave enough reason to even consider us for the position. What we are doing right now won't count in their eyes."

Hm, she's right. They might have been effectively running the Institute together but so far Alec has only been unofficially involved, helping her without anyone the wiser. But if they had some sort of achievement, something to present to the Clave to distinguish themselves at least slightly in their eyes, that would definitely help their case.

And Alec's mind immediately jumps to that tarot card he locked away. The card that holds one of the three most sought after artifacts in Shadowhunter history. Handing the Mortal Cup to the Clave would certainly give Alec and Lydia the edge that they'd need over any other contenders for the position.

But.

Alec might have been just as involved in recovering the Cup as his siblings or Clary herself, but he still took it from her at his parabatai's request with the unspoken promise of keeping it safe, not in order to use it for his own personal gain.

And while he has been itching to finally get the Cup out of the Institute, get it back to Idris where it belongs and where it will be safe, he also can't just hand it over. Not without at least talking to Jace first. Same as Jace would never go behind his back and just take the Cup and do whatever he pleases with it either.

So, not wanting to promise Lydia a solution he might not actually be able to provide in the end, Alec just says, "I might have something. But I'll have to talk to Jace first."

Lydia watches him intently for a few seconds but then she just nods, as always willing to trust his judgment. Well, there is a reason he likes working with her so much.

And even now, the look in her eyes matches the excitement Alec himself feels. Excitement at the thought that if this works out, the two of them might actually be able to keep the Institute, might be able to fulfill the dream they both share. Their dreams of one day getting to run an Institute.

Alec is on his way to the loft, looking forward to telling Magnus about his and Lydia's plan of trying for the Head of the Institute position together. He pretty much just walked out of the Institute as soon as he got done with his work for the day, immediately starting to make his way to his boyfriend's apartment.

And maybe it should give him pause that Magnus is the one person, Alec wants to tell about this, everyone else coming very much second.

But then again, even with something as important as this, Alec isn't really surprised anymore to find that telling Magnus about it, is the first and kind of the only thing he wants to do right now.

It used to be Jace, Alec thinks. The person I would seek out to share this kind of thing with before anyone else, used to be Jace.

It used to be. But it's just not anymore, hasn't been for a while.

And Alec kind of missed the point in time where that changed.

Something which is probably not at all helped by the fact that these days he sees his parabatai in passing once a day at most – even today he hasn't seen Jace since this morning when he ran into him at breakfast already on his way out –, or the fact that the last several times they did speak at all it was either quickly on the phone or always with a certain red-haired girl hovering at Jace's side, or that it has been longer than Alec honestly likes to remember since he and Jace truly talked about something actually important.

And maybe the two of them drifting apart a little at one point is even natural, possibly even inevitable. But, by the angel, Alec doesn't even want to imagine what this would feel like - how devastated he would be at being left behind, brushed aside, entirely ignored by his parabatai - if he didn't have Magnus. To feel like he might be losing his parabatai, the most important connection in his life, while scrambling for the pieces of himself, being stretched thin by work, by his parents' demands, the Clave's directives, and having no one to lean on, seemingly no one truly on his side. Not to even mention that Alec very much doubts he would be anywhere near as comfortable with himself or his sexuality if it weren't for Magnus.

So, no, Alec doesn't want to imagine what that would be like at all.

And Jace and him will definitely have to talk at some point - and it's probably going to be a rather painful conversation as well - but Alec is sure that in the end, they'll be fine.

But for now, he just wants to see his boyfriend and tell him about possibly having found a way to make his dream of one day running the New York Institute a reality.

So, even as he starts climbing the stairs in Magnus' building towards the loft, Alec's mind is mostly focused on the various strategies and ideas he and Lydia came up with to potentially increase their chances in the race for the Head of the Institute position.

Although, all thoughts about legal precedents and Clave politics promptly vanish from his mind as soon as he walks through the doors to Magnus' loft and is greeted by the sight of his boyfriend training with his magic on the balcony.

And what a sight it is.

Magnus, shirtless and barefoot, his back to Alec, wearing nothing but some kind of stretchy, clingy sort of pants that hint at everything but also not nearly enough, moving fluidly, gracefully, strands of magic glowing brightly and coiling between his fingers.

For a few seconds, Alec just stares from the entranceway, hypnotized, before he finally manages to get his feet to move and bring him closer, absolutely fixated on the sight of his boyfriend.

The vision only gets better the closer he gets.

Magnus manipulating his magic, his hands in constant winding motion, the magic vibrating, flickering, flowing between his hands, easily, smoothly following his movements. Magnus' muscles rippling, his upper body glistening slightly with sweat, a sight only enhanced by the backlight of the countless lights of New York City at night.

Alec might be honestly speechless right now, mesmerized, not wanting to so much as blink lest he miss even the tiniest detail.

Sure, he might have gotten a glimpse of Magnus shirtless before, once when he slept over but fell asleep pretty much immediately and another time in the early morning when Magnus had still been wandering around the loft in an open silk robe – which is a sight all on its own, believe him – but this, seeing those muscles actually at work, is definitely something else entirely.

Magnus twists slightly, his magic following even the tiniest twitch of his fingers, cords of muscle coiling smoothly under his glistening skin.

Alec just about swallows his tongue.

He decides then and there that he urgently needs to find out Magnus' training schedule, needs to find out whether this is something that happens regularly. Because Alec would quite happily rearrange the entire Institute's mission schedule if it would free up the appropriate timeslots for Alec to stumble in on this sort of thing more often. He can always claim it to be a coincidence.

Finally, the glowing threads of magic flowing between Magnus' hands start to dissipate, quietly dispersing into the night air, before Magnus lowers his arms, breathes out calmly, centering himself. And then he finally turns to fully face Alec with a soft, welcoming smile curving his lips.

And Alec doesn't even pause before he is crossing the remaining distance between them in a few quick strides, one of his hands curling around Magnus' naked waist as he pulls his boyfriend into a kiss. Alec is quite simply incapable of not doing so.

Honestly, he would challenge anyone to try and resist the sight of Magnus with his skin still glistening slightly with sweat, a slight flush on his cheeks from exertion, and a warm, but definitely somewhat teasing smile on his lips…

Although, come to think of it, Alec actually wouldn't challenge anyone to do that. Instead, he'd very much recommend keeping your hands off this one.

Yeah, everyone else can go find their own breathtakingly beautiful, ridiculously hot warlock boyfriend.

This one is already taken.

A/N: So, hm. What a wonderfully random mix of scenes XD And I'm sorry for the somewhat depressing start but I really wanted Alec to catch on a little sooner that Magnus having loved before also means that he has lost before and all the heartbreak that would come with that. Hope the rest of the chapter managed to make up for it, though :D And I know I stole Magnus' training scene from s2 but I decided, in the interest of fairness, there should be equal ogling opportunities for both of them :3 Would absolutely love to know what you think :D

Also, the next few chapters will twist away from canon a bit because I'm getting rid of some things I really disliked in season1. I'll still keep the overall plot, but some things will change quite significantly. Just, fair warning and all that :)

Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews! You guys are just amazing (*^^*)