Higher
As unenthusiastic as Alec may be about leaving the loft that morning, he does have duties and responsibilities to attend to, the number of things he urgently needs to get done already going well beyond what he'll be able to fit into a single day and seemingly ever-increasing, so he doesn't really have much of a choice about returning to the Institute today.
Although, after their shower – which has a slight flush shivering across his skin every time he so much as thinks about it – Alec decides that, duties or not, he still does have time at least for a quick breakfast with his boyfriend before he has to make himself leave.
Well, at least for a while. Because if there is one thing he's sure of, it's that even if the apocalypse decides to go down today, Alec is definitely coming back to the loft tonight.
Yeah, there is simply no way he doesn't want to continue where they left off earlier.
He glances across the breakfast table at Magnus who meets his eyes, an immediate smile curving his lips, looking a little different today in a black, high-collared shirt, a green, somewhat military-style jacket on top, dark makeup around his eyes and fingerless leather gloves on his hands. But no highlights in his hair and not a single piece of jewelry in sight.
It seems pretty different from his usual style.
Or in other words, Magnus looks stunning as ever.
Well, his hair isn't nearly as perfectly styled as usual, but that might admittedly be Alec's fault, seeing as he has been entirely unable to keep his hands to himself this morning. And why should he?
There is just something about knowing he is allowed to touch.
Sure, he knew that he could touch Magnus before, of course he did. But ever since they took the next step, some sort of barrier that Alec hadn't even really been aware of before - but which still had him hesitate just slightly whenever he reached out to touch Magnus - seems to be just gone now.
Magnus is his to touch.
And similarly, there is a sort of natural ease about Magnus touching him now that just hadn't been there just a few days ago. Before, whenever Magnus reached out he had always started out with a soft, testing touch, making sure that Alec was entirely comfortable before he would move closer, would let his touch settle fully. It's something that Alec admittedly hadn't even been aware of, only really noticing the difference now.
And just as before Alec is still very explicitly aware of Magnus' every touch – if anything, ever since they had sex he's become even more aware of it – but the familiarity, the openness, the casual ease of it is definitely new.
Like when his boyfriend walked past him on his way out of the bedroom earlier, his hand briefly resting against the small of Alec's back as he passed, and he only realizes afterwards that he had automatically leaned into it. Or the hand on his waist as Magnus leaned past him to reach for one of the dishes on the kitchen counter, the touch feeling natural, almost normal.
And Alec kind of adores it.
So, even now, he doesn't hesitate to reach out and pull Magnus into yet another kiss, having to lean a little across the table to do so, hand curling around the back of his head, fingertips tangling in Magnus' hair, messing it up even further.
Like he said, he just can't help it.
There is just something about seeing his usually so perfectly styled boyfriend slightly disheveled from their kisses. And quite honestly, Alec thinks he can't really be blamed for being unable to keep his hands off Magnus.
First of all, how is he even supposed to do that? And second of all, why would he?
As much as Alec might have hoped things would calm down a little, they simply don't.
To the contrary, the next few days turn out to be almost ridiculously stressful as things start happening at an almost ludicrously fast pace.
The first thing he hears once he finally returns to the Institute – after having made himself leave the warm, bright, easy, comfortable, almost surreally happy bubble that is the loft and Magnus' presence – is that waking Jocelyn Fray is going to be much more complicated than they had hoped.
Turns out, their medics are entirely baffled by whatever enchantment she is under and unable to do anything at all to wake her.
Which means they need outside help, and thus they do as they recently always seem to do whenever they run into a problem.
They call Magnus.
Who of course appears within minutes after their call.
Although, Alec isn't actually expecting much to come of this, seeing as Magnus had done a quick scan of Jocelyn immediately after the raid and rather plainly told Alec and Lydia that she is under some sort of truly powerful and truly complex spell that won't be easily broken. Otherwise, Magnus would have just woken her then and there.
So, Alec isn't really surprised when Magnus - after some more detailed scans of the magic surrounding Jocelyn – turns towards Clary, who is watching him expectantly, and reiterates his previous assessment.
"I'm sorry but I cannot wake her without knowing what spell she is under," he tells her gently.
She blinks, looking honestly surprised, clearly having expected Magnus to just solve all her problems with a snap of his fingers as he usually does.
And then her face falls, the look in her eyes devastated at the news, and Alec can admit he honestly feels for her, having to find out that she is still no closer to truly having her mother back. Although admittedly, he'd feel even worse for her if he weren't already dreading the inevitable messes she is going to create now that she once more has an agenda to work towards.
"Can't you do anything?" Clary asks Magnus, desperation in her eyes and something almost accusing in her voice.
Her tone makes Alec frown, really not liking what she is implying.
But Magnus just ignores it, spreading his hands in a fluid gesture and stating rather plainly, "Not if I don't want to risk putting Jocelyn in danger. The magic she is under is too complex and powerful. If I were to try and overpower it without knowing what exactly it is I'm going up against, the backlash of the spell might harm her. The safest way to wake her is to determine exactly what spell she is under so we can figure out how best to counter it."
There is a look of absolute – in Alec's opinion, rather ominous - determination in Clary's eyes as she watches Magnus, already opening her mouth, likely to grill him for some more information.
But she doesn't get the chance.
Suddenly there is a familiar flash of fire and then Magnus is holding a Fire Message in his hand, his focus immediately, entirely diverting to it.
From where Alec is standing just a step to Magnus' left, he can clearly make out the missive being addressed to 'High Warlock Bane', meaning that there is something that requires Magnus' attention in his capacity as the High Warlock.
And only moments later, Magnus lets the message once more dissolve into fire as he looks up at their group again, wearing a charming smile on his face that does absolutely nothing to hide his sudden distraction from Alec.
"Well, it seems my flock needs me elsewhere, so I will have to leave you here," he says, voice cheerful but something urgent in his eyes. Before he adds on sardonically, "Although, I'm sure you will let me know as soon as you need something from me."
Alec almost wants to smirk at that last part – especially as it was so clearly directed at Clary – but as he watches his boyfriend then hurry out of the Institute without a backwards glance, a portal springing to life in front of him as soon as he steps outside the wards, Alec feels a frown form on his face instead.
This is certainly a rather jarring reminder that Magnus does in fact have other responsibilities that do not revolve around Shadowhunter problems.
With how readily and reliably Magnus is available whenever Alec needs him, even if he just wants to see his boyfriend - with how naturally, easily, unquestionably Magnus seems to always put Alec first - sometimes it's a little too easy to forget that Magnus actually has a full-time job, a job that is just as stressful and carries at least as much responsibility as Alec's own.
Even as he leaves his siblings and Clary behind in the Ops center to figure out how best to find the information they need while he goes to join Lydia for some paperwork in her office, Alec feels his frown deepen, truly not liking that he apparently needed a reminder of this fact at all.
And sometimes he can't help but wish there were someone in Magnus' life – on Magnus' side – who Alec could rely on to remind him of things like this if he ever actually manages to lose sight of it.
But it really doesn't seem like there is anyone, Alec thinks. Which really just means one thing.
If there is no one else around to make sure that no one - including Alec - tries to take advantage of Magnus' kindness and compassion and endless empathy, then Alec himself will just have to be the one to do just that.
He lets his frown darken into a scowl.
Yeah. He'd really like to see someone try to take advantage of his boyfriend while Alec is around.
Magnus does his best not to let his utter amusement show as he eyes the images on the screens in front of him, images of warlocks supposedly more powerful than him. He is back at the Institute, as expected having received a message as soon as this lot managed to make any sort of progress, barely hours after having been called away.
The Fire Message had called for his help with a demon-summoning-gone-wrong that two of his younger warlocks decided to perform without supervision.
Well, there had been no actual demon summoned, seeing as the warlocks performing the ritual hadn't had nearly enough power to force the demon to appear in this realm. But as is the problem with performing magic beyond you, it promptly turned around on them, proceeding to mercilessly suck the young warlocks' magic dry.
So, Magnus had to forcefully break the established link between realms, something which always leads to extreme magical backlash and tends to be more dangerous than any spell you could perform.
Well, Magnus isn't the High Warlock for nothing and all in all it had actually been a rather easy fix but, oh, will he be having words with Corinne later about making sure to teach her students properly and impress on them just how bad of an idea it is to perform shoddily prepared rituals of any kind, much less ones attempting to summon powerful demons within the bounds of Magnus' city.
Something he hadn't had the time to do right away, seeing as he had received a message from Clarissa claiming that they had already found the solution for how to wake Jocelyn.
And Magnus had been almost impressed at how quickly they managed to find the information they need. However, upon returning to the Institute he had promptly realized that the Shadowhunters didn't in fact find a solution at all and apparently decided to just look for warlocks more powerful than Magnus instead.
Somehow Clarissa and Jace must have misunderstood him when Magnus told them that brute magical force isn't an option for waking Jocelyn. Or maybe they just assumed that Magnus simply isn't powerful enough to break the spell and too proud to admit as much and thus decided to look for someone more powerful to help them.
Which brings him to the part that has him so utterly amused.
Because the three, supposedly-more-powerful-than-Magnus warlocks they came up with in their search are apparently Catarina, Ragnor and Tessa.
Which, really? Don't these Shadowhunters know anything about warlocks and their powers at all?
His parentage alone gives him a power advantage over most everyone else in the warlock community, and there are maybe a handful of warlocks on earth who might have a chance to beat Magnus based on pure, raw power. And his three friends currently featuring on the screens? They certainly aren't amongst those.
Sure, Tessa might be special due to her blood but she is quite simply too young to have fully grown into her powers yet. How is she even up there with the other two? And, yes, Catarina's skills in healing far outstrip Magnus' own, but that's mostly because she has niche magic, her powers specifically honed towards healing, almost exclusively so. And, Ragnor? Even putting aside the fact that the Clave records apparently claim Ragnor to be much older than Magnus - and just where did they get that particular piece of misinformation? -, is the Clave truly so misinformed to think that age is the only thing that matters for magical strength?
Honestly. Sometimes the ignorance of the Clave truly astounds him.
Although, Magnus is far too amused to actually point any of this out to the four Shadowhunters in front of him currently showcasing their ignorance by attempting to explain to him how the magic of his own people supposedly works.
Really, the only thing missing is a drink in his hand and he'd be happy to cheerfully listen to this group making utter fools of themselves for the rest of the afternoon.
Alec is a little surprised - and a whole lot relieved - when he receives a message from Jace only a few hours after Alec left the others behind in the Ops center.
For once his siblings seem to not only be willing to come up with an actual plan but also seem to actively be trying to keep Alec in the loop.
Which is such a relief, he can't even tell you.
And by the time Alec and Lydia get to the Ops center to join the others, not only is Magnus already there – clearly already having dealt with whatever warlock-related emergency called him away earlier, which Alec will have to ask him about later – but there really seems to be a sort of plan in place.
Well, at least that's what his siblings, Clary and Hodge seem to think. Though, the clear amusement in Magnus' eyes really rather seems to point to the contrary.
Magnus tilts his head, listening with half an ear to Alexander and Lydia being briefed as to the 'plan', if you can call it that. He is still far too amused by everyone's bumbling to want to interrupt.
Although, when Alexander looks over at him with a questioningly raised eyebrow - clearly able to read some of his current amusement on his face - Magnus lets his lips quirk into a small smile and resolves to maybe explain some things about warlocks and their magic and power levels to Alexander later. Once it's just the two of them.
No reason to actually clue the Clave as a whole in on some of the finer points of warlock powers.
For now, Magnus just turns back towards the screens and then decides to finally move the discussion along a little. By proceeding to act mortally offended at the list of warlocks supposedly-more-powerful-than-Magnus that Starkweather procured.
He might admittedly be having a little too much fun at the Shadowhunters' expense.
In the end, it turns out that the most likely candidate for being able to help them is actually an old friend of Magnus', simply because it seems rather likely that this is actually the warlock who provided the spell in the first place.
Although, they'll apparently have to seek Ragnor Fell out personally seeing as he isn't responding to Fire Messages.
And Alec knows that he should let the others take care of this, that he should stay at the Institute, still has to go over the guard schedule and the mission plan for the next week, should help Lydia plan that fake ceremony which has been taking up most of her time and thus leaving Alec with most of her normal share of tasks for running the Institute in addition to his own already barely manageable, never-ending list of things to get done.
He knows he should stay.
But the thought of getting to meet someone from Magnus' life, someone whose mere mention makes his boyfriend smile slightly in delight and remembered joy and anticipation. Well, honestly, it's not really a contest.
Thing is, Magnus knows pretty much everyone who Alec cares about in his life, his family, the few friends he has, even his colleagues. But Alec definitely cannot say the same thing in reverse.
The only person from Magnus' life he has met at all is Raphael but back then Alec hadn't yet known about Magnus having practically adopted the vampire as his at some point, so he isn't sure that really counts as 'meeting' him.
Alec just really wants to go with Magnus to visit this Ragnor, wants to maybe learn something new about his boyfriend, to get to know a different part of his life, to meet someone who is truly important to the man Alec is in love with.
He glances over at Lydia and is promptly met with an amused but understanding grin as she makes a vague gesture, waving him off.
He lets his mouth quirk in an answering grin, even as he turns towards the others to announce he'll join Jace, Clary and Magnus on this mission. He loves working with Lydia.
Magnus watches Jace interact with Alexander as their group of four makes its way across the field towards where he vaguely remembers Ragnor's house to be located.
He makes sure to keep his observation casual, not wanting to be too obvious about his focus on the two parabatai, all too aware of the fact that Jace doesn't actually know about Alexander being in a relationship - much less who with - and not wanting to give anything away before Alexander is ready for his parabatai to know about them.
It's just, Magnus has been honestly worried that Jace might just ignore yesterday's talk, disregard the things he was told, carry on as before, and inevitably continue to hurt his parabatai with his actions.
Magnus is really rather tired of seeing Alexander being hurt by the people he cares about most.
But to his relief, it looks like the conversation between the two parabatai truly made an impact.
There is something tentative but also definitely rather intent in the way Jace has been watching everyone today, mainly focused on Alexander but watchful of everyone who interacts with his parabatai, including Clarissa, Isabelle and even Magnus himself. Assessing.
Jace is clearly trying to work out how much of what was pointed out to him yesterday is actually true, how justified Alexander was in his claims, clearly rattled by the mere idea that he has been deemed unreliable by his parabatai if things ever truly get sticky.
Magnus is just honestly relieved to the two parabatai talking, interacting honestly, and – for the first time since he met him – to see something attentive towards Alexander in Jace's eyes.
And accordingly, Magnus makes sure to keep Clarissa engaged in a conversation as the parabatai continue to talk as they follow a few steps behind them, makes sure she doesn't stick as closely to Jace as she clearly wishes to after having made him her anchor in this world that not only has her entirely, helplessly adrift but is also threatening the life of the one person she cares about most in this world.
Clarissa is so very exclusively focused on herself and her struggles, that she cannot even see the damage she is doing in the world she found herself thrown into or to the people who are trying so very hard to help her.
And it is so very easy to forget that - in a world where children are trained to be soldiers from a young age - she wasn't actually raised as Clarissa Fairchild, Shadowhunter and heir to two strong nephilim bloodlines, but as Clary Fray, a mundane without any awareness or knowledge of the very real dangers of this world.
Jocelyn truly dropped the ball on this one and once she is awake Magnus will make sure that she finally teaches her entirely - dangerously - unprepared daughter some of the very real truths about the life of a Shadowhunter and all that comes with it, privileges, responsibilities and duties included.
Getting into Ragnor's house is one of the odder experiences in Alec's life.
First there is the fire ward ring - which they manage to get past - but then there is the whole thing with being turned invisible to each other's eyes while Ragnor demands that they bargain individually for his help.
Alec is rather bemused at it all.
And, sure, he'll help if he can, but his main reason for being here is not to get involved in yet another one of Clary's little crusades but simply to meet Ragnor himself. And so far the experience has been rather... odd.
Although, Alec doesn't actually feel like he or the others are in any real danger - tied to a chair or not, he trusts Magnus' assertion about this being a true friend of his - and thus he just frowns at the question. Then, he shrugs at the warlock, and doesn't say a word.
There is a slight pause, Ragnor blinking in surprise at Alec's nonchalant dismissal of the entire situation, before a rather amused smile quirks the warlock's lips, something almost intrigued in his eyes.
And afterwards, once Clary has declared dramatically that she'd do anything to get her mother back – while admirable in sentiment, also definitely confirming Alec's stance on not ever letting this girl have any sort of leverage over him – they are all freed from their binds and he finally gets to watch Magnus interact with someone he so very clearly considers a friend, and a close one at that.
There is just a sort of easy, automatic, unquestioning understanding between the two warlocks that Alec doesn't think he has ever seen between two people before. Not between friends, not between married couples, not even between parabatai.
Jokes being exchanged just based on a barely there twitch of expression, the enunciation of their words making the other quirk a grin, seeming to almost finish each other's sentences despite not having seen each other for years.
And it's also that ease of understanding that clearly has Ragnor realize within moments just what Alec is to Magnus, can see the exact moment he figures it out, the look in the warlock's eyes going from intrigued to sharply assessing within an instant, stare unrelenting.
Ragnor confirms he was the one to provide Jocelyn with the sleep spell, tells them about having gotten it from some sort of mystical warlock book, informs them that he doesn't actually have the book in his possession any longer. And all throughout, his eyes remain fixed on Alec, his gaze sharp and evaluating.
Alec just meets Ragnor's eyes, calmly. It's not like actually has anything to hide from this man.
And from the corner of his eye, he can see Jace bristle on his behalf, his parabatai clearly aware of the warlock's focus on him but without a clue just why that is.
Which serves as a rather jarring, uncomfortable reminder that his parabatai doesn't actually know about Alec having a boyfriend, much less who it is he is dating.
It's something Alec resolves to fix as soon as possible – never having intended to keep his relationship a secret from his parabatai for so long – but right now definitely isn't the right time to have that discussion with Jace, much preferring to do so without an audience around.
Magnus almost wants to roll his eyes at his old friend's antics.
He can see Ragnor watching Alexander, can see the mixture of mischief and assessment and challenge in his eyes.
Admittedly, his old friend figuring out they are together was to be expected from the moment Alexander decided to come along.
They have simply known each other for too long to be able to truly hide anything from the other, have seen each other at their best and at their absolute worst, seen each other happily in love and desolately heartbroken.
Ragnor is the person who knows more about him than anyone else alive does or anyone ever did, the person who sometimes seems to know Magnus better than he knows himself, possibly the only person on earth who truly knows him, Magnus, without the name, without the masks. Knows the good parts of him as well as all the truly abhorrent, ugly parts, his weak spots, his vices, his strengths.
Ragnor is one of the very few people Magnus has met in his several hundred years of life who he would call a true friend, someone he knows he can always unequivocally rely on, trust to never betray him, to always be on his side, to drop anything and everything if Magnus ever truly calls for him, the one person he knows he can always come back to no matter what happens or how long they might have gone without so much as exchanging a single word. Just as Magnus would do the same for him.
To put it simply, Ragnor might as well be Magnus' family.
So, of course he doesn't need Magnus to actually tell him just what Alexander is to him.
"I might have something to help you find the book," Ragnor is currently saying and then continues with a bright, utterly unconvincingly guileless smile, "Although, I could do with some help looking for it."
Magnus just wants to roll his eyes in exasperation at that unsubtle leading statement and a quick glance to the side shows him that Alexander has just raised an eyebrow, face impassive, looking at most a little resigned, clearly already knowing where Ragnor is going with this.
And Magnus suddenly can't help but feel a little amused, barely manages to suppress the grin that is trying to spread over his face.
Because Ragnor likes to present a rather stoic persona in front of everyone he meets, only to then throw them off balance with seemingly erratic changes between stoic and bubbly and threatening and inquisitive and guileless and challenging. Magnus can't help but kind of look forward to seeing Ragnor trying to poke holes into the immovable brick wall that is Alexander's temperament, to see his old friend trying to deal with someone who doesn't wear reticence as a mask but who really is just as stoic as he outwardly appears.
Magnus is certain that Ragnor will be throwing up his hands in defeated exasperation before his friend comes even close to needling Alexander into any sort of reaction his boyfriend doesn't want to give.
That's definitely something to look forward to, he thinks amused.
Alec just keeps his face entirely impassive when Ragnor turns towards him to specifically ask for his help in searchign for whatever it is they need to find the book. Not like Alec is surprised by the request in the least.
He just calmly follows the warlock up the stairs, knowing he is in for at least a few questions or comments.
And Ragnor doesn't waste any time either, barely waiting until they make it halfway up the stairs before he is asking, "So, 'Alec' was it?" A sweeping glance top to bottom, then, "A Lightwood, I assume?"
Alec keeps his face neutral, giving a nod just as they step into what appears to be a library or study of some sort at the top of the stairs.
Ragnor seems unbothered by his lack of verbal reply, changing tracks rather abruptly once they are out of hearing range of the others, a bright grin on his face. "So, you and Magnus, hm? Well, well, well. A Lightwood and a High Warlock. Never thought I'd see the day," he remarks cheerfully, gaze intently fixed on him.
Maybe the comment is intended to throw him, but Alec has always preferred straightforwardness and just gives another nod, still not bothering to verbally reply, seeing as no actual question was asked.
Although, this is not quite what he had expected from today. He had imagined meeting one of Magnus' friends, not being asked about their relationship in his boyfriend's absence. And usually, he wouldn't even consider letting anyone inquire about his private life like this - much less a complete stranger - but he can't very well tell one of his boyfriend's closest friends to piss off with his questions, now can he?
Going by the definite amusement in his eyes, Ragnor is clearly well-aware of Alec's current dilemma. He just proceeds to prod cheerfully, "Something serious then?"
But with that question there is suddenly something intent and assessing and almost challenging in his eyes.
Yeah, Alec can't afford to make a bad impression right now.
So, he makes sure to fully meet the warlock's eyes, holds them for a second before he replies honestly, surely, firmly, "Very serious."
It's not like his relationship with Magnus being something real is even a question.
Ragnor tilts his head slightly, watches him for a few seconds longer, the look in his eyes unchanging, unblinking, and, alright, Alec very much gets the unspoken words contained in that gaze.
It's not even so much a threat, more of a fact.
A fact that says 'You hurt him and you're done.', and Alec absolutely believes it as well. Not that it matters.
He calmly, surely, seriously meets the other man's eyes, holds his gaze, not wavering under the penetrating stare. Because there is no reason not to. Hurting Magnus is the absolutely last thing he ever wants to do.
And maybe Ragnor can see something of Alec's conviction in his eyes, because after another few seconds he finally blinks.
A slight tilt of his head and then his smile is turning a lot less bright and a lot more honest before he finally claps his hands.
"Now. With that taken care of, on to our search," he says cheerfully, finally turning away from Alec to walk further into the room, now – after having been at least somewhat reassured as to the sincerity of Alec's feelings for Magnus – apparently willing to actually focus on the task at hand.
Alec certainly approves of his priorities.
Although, with Ragnor's focus finally off him, Alec breathes in – feeling weirdly like he just passed some sort of test – and gives himself a few seconds to gather his composure before following after the warlock.
The brief delay has him just a couple of steps behind Ragnor, who is currently disappearing around a bookshelf that serves as a sort of room divider a couple of steps to the left.
Alec loses sight of him for just a few seconds, but can still hear him mumbling to himself, "Now where did I put that bookma-"
A sharp breath, Alec's instincts flare.
Adrenaline pulsing through him, he is catapulting himself the two remaining steps forward, seraph blade already glowing bright in his hand, flipping around the bookshelf after the warlock mere seconds later.
Just in time to see Ragnor fry two demons with his magic.
Another lunge forward and Alec has the third demon – which is dropping from the ceiling right above Ragnor - skewered on his sword before the thing even makes it halfway down.
He puts his back to Ragnor, eyes scan their surroundings for any more threats, the warlock clearly doing the same behind him, hands raised, magic at-the-ready.
But it seems like these three were it.
Steps are thundering up the stairs behind them and barely a second later Magnus is there, eyes wide, magic already dancing along his fingertips, prepared for a fight.
"What happened?" he asks, urgency in his voice, worried eyes scanning over Ragnor and Alec.
The desperate fear in his eyes - giving way to relief at seeing that they are both entirely fine - is so stark that Alec wants nothing more than to reach out and touch him, reassure him.
But his battle instincts are still humming in his blood, still not entirely assured that these three demons were really it, so regrettably cuddling is out until he has his fight-or-flight reflexes back under control.
Ragnor huffs at his side and replies, "My wards have been compromised. A couple of demons must have slipped through when you guys passed the protections." The warlock affects a sigh but Alec can see the anger in his eyes.
Well, Alec would be pissed as well if someone came asking for his help and managed to compromise his entire security system along the way.
Then, Jace appears behind Magnus, blade also in hand, just as ready to throw himself into a fight if necessary - even though he clearly has no idea what is going on, most likely just having sprinted up the stairs when Magnus took off - his eyes sharp, quickly focusing on the very telling ichor of recently killed demons spattered over the floor.
His eyes narrow, glancing up to immediately focus on Alec who just gives a slight nod to show that he is entirely fine.
His focus is drawn away from his parabatai when Ragnor turns towards him. "Thank you, Mr. Lightwood," he says, tilting his head at Alec. "For your assistance."
And when Magnus looks at Alec, there is something so warm and all-encompassingly grateful in his eyes that he honestly doesn't quite know what to do with himself.
So, he just gives a slight shrug even as he nods at Ragnor's thanks.
It's not like Alec actually did that much. He is actually pretty sure that the warlock would have been just fine without him.
There had been barely seconds between Ragnor stepping around the shelf and Alec flipping around it after him. And in that time, Ragnor had already taken out the first two demons with absolute ease. Goes to reason that the third wouldn't have stood a chance to do him any harm either.
It might have been dropping from the ceiling right above him, right in his blind spot, but Alec is sure, the warlock would have still seen it in time. So, Ragnor would have been just fine even without his help.
Right?
"Ragnor, stop being so stubborn," Magnus says with the sort of exasperation only his oldest friend ever manages to bring out of him. "Your wards have been compromised. You can't stay here."
Despite his irritation, Magnus makes sure to keep his voice entirely even, doing his best to hide that anxious, fearful jittering still in his blood, stuck in his very bones.
The remainders of the absolute terror that had ripped through him when he had felt Ragnor's battle magic spike aggressively, countering some sort of attack right above where Magnus had been standing, an attack right where two of the absolutely most important people in Magnus' life had been right that moment. Ragnor, his little cabbage, his longtime companion, brother, closest, dearest friend, and Alexander, the man Magnus knows he is in love with, no matter how much he is still trying to avoid thinking about that very fact.
Both of them in the same place, both under attack.
Magnus' breath frozen in fear, heart-stopping, ice-cold terror dragging through his veins, even as desperation had him catapult himself up the stairs.
But they are both entirely fine, nothing having happened to either of them it's already been about half an hour since the attack.
Magnus still can't entirely breathe right but he is getting there.
Now if only his oldest friend would stop being such a stubborn, prideful fool.
"I bloody well shall stay, Magnus," he is huffing in reply. "A couple of demons aren't going to drive me from my home
"One of your homes," Magnus asserts, caught somewhere between pleading and irritation at his friend's stubbornness as he follows Ragnor into the next room. "You could just as well move into one of your other places for a bit. Or move in with me for all I care, as long as you don't just stay here."
"Because the two of us living in the same place worked out just wonderfully last time, you mean?" Ragnor asks archly. "Remember what happened last time? Because I definitely still remember."
"Oh, would you stop bringing up that incident every time you are losing an argument with me!" Magnus exclaims, pure exasperation on his face.
Alec watches nonplussed as the two warlocks fight, standing in the living room, watching Ragnor stride irritatedly from one room to the next, Magnus following after him, his expression the very picture of exasperation.
Alec honestly doesn't know whether to be amused at seeing two incredibly powerful, ancient beings bicker like children, or to feel exasperated for that very same reasons.
It's just the three of them right now, Clary and Jace already left more than twenty minutes ago, almost immediately after Ragnor had used a bookmark to track the Book of the White and identified the person who apparently has it in their possession right now.
"Well, that's easy for you to say," Ragnor replies archly just as he turns the corner into one of the other rooms. "You weren't the one traumatized by it."
Alec hears Magnus huff exasperatedly in reply but remains where he is, knowing the two warlocks will reappear within a minute or so as they finish their circuit through the rooms on the ground floor.
He is also admittedly a little distracted by his thoughts, circling around one Camille Belcourt.
All Alec knows about her based on the Clave records is that she is a rather old vampire, although based on Clary's exclamation at the name, this is also apparently the vampire who turned Simon.
But there was definitely something odd in both Magnus and Ragnor's expression when the vampire's name the current owner of the Book of the White came up.
Alec hadn't wanted to ask while Jace and Clary were still around, but something about Magnus' reaction at her name had given him the definite impression that there might be something about this vampire that has specifically to do with either Magnus, Ragnor or both.
The two warlocks who just then reappear from a door to the right, still in the middle of their argument, although the mood between them seems to have shifted slightly.
"Ragnor, please," Magnus is currently saying, his voice having gone soft and imploring. "Just move in with me until you can redo your ward structure to make sure no weaknesses were left behind by the critters. I'll even lend you my magic to put the wards back up."
Ragnor finally comes to a stop only two or three steps away from where Alec is standing and turns to fully face Magnus, frowning as he holds Magnus' worried eyes for a couple of seconds.
Finally, he sighs. "Fine, Magnus, you old worrywart. I'll redo my wards and in the meantime I'll move out."
Magnus blinks, looking almost surprised at the sudden agreement, but then he smiles, his expression bright and full of relief, "Thank you, Ragnor." A pause. "You stubborn old fool."
"But I am not moving in with you," Ragnor promptly asserts emphatically.
"Oh, thank magic," Magnus breathes out immediately in such absolute, honest relief, it's almost a little comical. "I was worried you might actually take me up on that offer."
Ragnor grins mockingly. "Like I have any interest in dealing with you on the regular, much less while you are still in the honeymoon phase with all of that," he says the last while suddenly turning towards Alec, gesturing at him top to bottom and back again.
Magnus turns towards him as well, lips immediately quirking into a grin as he blatantly lets his eyes drag over Alec in the wake of Ragnor's gesture.
Alec just blinks at them, surprised at unexpectedly finding himself dragged into the discussion, already feeling the heat of a blush creep up his neck at the rather smug smile now curling Magnus' lips.
They help Ragnor move.
Well, the two warlocks use some magic to pack up most of Ragnor's belongings and a single portal trip later, Ragnor is fully moved into another one of his houses, this one apparently in Chicago.
Alec kind of just tags along.
And once that is done, Ragnor promptly suggests they all have dinner together and Magnus looks absolutely delighted at the idea as he glances at Alec for his opinion. Which means that Alec is absolutely incapable of saying no.
And going by that little quirk to Ragnor's lips, the other warlock knows it too.
Although, in the end they don't actually get the chance. Because barely after agreeing on which country to visit for dinner – and, yes, there are certain perks to dating a warlock – Magnus promptly receives a rather stressed call from Clary about the newest mess she has somehow managed to create.
Turns out, in a not-so-genius move Clary and Simon apparently decided to break into Hotel Dumort, risked a conflict with New York's vampires, all to free Camille. To free the vampire who clearly has no respect whatsoever for the Accords, mundanes or even common decency as it turns out, seeing as she definitely doesn't know to keep her hands to herself and off other people's boyfriends.
A/N: So. This monster of a chapter somehow turned out to be almost entirely about character dynamics... And about saving Ragnor, of course! Because I still think his death was the most devastatingly sad thing to happen in the entire series (I absolutely adored those few brief moments we got of him and Magnus interacting in canon) and I've been wanting to fix it ever since I started this fic. Would love to know what you think :D
Also, RL is currently keeping me rather stupidly busy, making writing rather difficult right now, but your lovely reviews keep bringing me back to this (*^^*) So, thank you so much!