EDITED 5/30/2020
Here it is, y'all. I know it's been like 500 years since I posted and I'm so sorry. I'm trying my best, my life is just up in flames at the moment. Please try to give me some grace, i love you all and there is more on the way.
"You've never let me down, Magnus." A perky blonde woman said gleefully as she walked past him and out of the loft.
"Break a leg." Magnus replied with a smile.
Alec passed the woman as she left, looking over his shoulder at her uncertainly. "Who was that?" He asked.
"Stella Woods." Magnus answered. "A long time client and the lead in Wicked. She lost her voice. A touch of ground Ox claw, some calcified lizard's feet, and she's back on the bill." He explained as Alec picked up some ingredients and smelled them.
Magnus rose to his feet from where he was sitting behind his desk and maneuvered himself around Alec to the desk behind the taller man.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you with a client." Alec said, trying to talk with his boyfriend normally for the first time since he'd last seen him at Clary's rune ceremony four days ago.
The pain of the rejection still felt like a knife to the chest, the knowledge that Magnus didn't want him forever still devastated him. However, he wanted to make the most of the time he had with the warlock and his daughter. He loved them far too much to leave, which he was ashamed to say he had considered albeit briefly.
"Yes, well, it's frowned upon when you're the high warlock. Potential conflicts of interest and such. But, Stella is an old friend."
"I see." Alec said as he followed Magnus to his liquor cart and watched as he poured himself a drink.
"So." Magnus said as he waltzed over to the couch and plopped down, martini glass in hand. "How was Alicante?"
Alec had very suddenly been needed in Alicante four days ago; Only hours after their disagreement. Alec had taken Clary with him and practically fled New York. He'd gotten back yesterday and hadn't had the guts to return home. He'd spent the night, lonely, in Jace's old room.
"It was fine." Alec said. "Yeah, I - um. I was offered a position on the council."
Magnus looked at him shocked.
"A delegate. Under the new Consul, Jia Penhallow."
Magnus spread his arm and smiled, it looked off but Alec couldn't pinpoint it. "Wow!" Magnus exclaimed. "Congratulations, Alexander. I'm sure your family's proud."
"Actually, I came here to tell my family. You and our daughter." Alec spoke quietly. "You are my family, Magnus. Clary is the only other one that knows and that's because she was there. My fiancé and my daughter are my first concerns. You take precedence."
"Right, of course." Magnus backed down quickly. "What did you tell them?"
"Well, it would mean moving to Idris." Alec said slowly.
"Isn't that what you've always dreamed of?" Magnus asked him.
"I've always dreamed of meeting someone like you."
"I'd only be a portal away." Magnus told him.
"What about Madzie? We're supposed to be getting married, Magnus. You really want us to live apart?" Alec asked. Despite his harsh words his voice had no heat behind it. "You wouldn't be allowed to visit. Warlocks aren't allowed in Idris, what will we do then?"
"Look," Magnus sighed. "Whether you're in Idris or in New York, I'm not going anywhere." He tapped Alec's engagement ring.
"No." Alec said sullenly. "Apparently I am." He turned and stalked out of the apartment, leaving Magnus behind.
—
"What is it?" Clary laughed as Izzy pulled her down the hallway towards the weapons room. "Izzy! What do you have to show me?"
"Well, now that you have your Angelic Rune, it is my honor as the new weapons master, to help you choose your signature weapon."
"You're the new weapons master?!" Clary asked, happy for her sister. "Izzy that is perfect for you!"
"This isn't about me. This is about you."
Izzy told her. "It's your turn." She tapped a few keys on the keyboard and a cabinet extended from the wall. The girls walked over to it and Clary saw just about every kind of weapon in there.
Her eyes drifted to a beautiful bow secured on the rack but she tore her eyes away from it, fingering a long bladed sword. "How do I choose?" She asked in awe.
"Follow your gut." Izzy told her.
Clary didn't see Alec enter the room and come to stand next to Izzy. His face was stony and his arms were crossed tightly across his chest but he wanted to be there for his sister.
Clary's eyes drifted back to the bow. It was just the right size for her, about the size that Alec had had her practicing with. It was a dark brown color and it was beautifully crafted. Next to it was a quiver full of arrows, the feathers on the end of them were a deep purple color. Her hand lifted as if to reach for them but she dropped it back to her side. Still gazing at the bow, a feeling of longing filling her chest, she spoke to Izzy without looking over her shoulder at her. "Do you think - do you think Alec would be mad if I?" She didn't finish, leaving the sentence hanging in the silence.
"Not at all." Alec spoke instead, making Clary spin around in shock. "In fact, he'd be honored."
Alec managed a smile in response to Clary's hopeful expression. "Why do you think I decided to teach you archery? You not only had the skill set for it, however untrained and untapped. You have the personality for it. I could see a little of myself in you, I think that's why I was so against you at first. I didn't want or need another me around at that time. But that's actually exactly what I needed. I didn't see the me that was repressed and angry, I saw the me I wanted to be. We like the discipline that comes with being an archer. So, I made sure that you would have a bow as an option when you were asked to choose. Because I was hoping you'd choose it." He inclined his head towards the bow, indicating for her to go and take it.
Before she did, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her big brother. He, in turn, wrapped her in his arms as well. Nestling his head into the crook of her shoulder.
She released him and walked back over to the cabinet, grabbing the bow and quiver.
Izzy smiled and pressed some buttons on her tablet as Clary inspected her new weapon.
"Can I ask you something?" She said quietly.
"Yeah, of course." Clary said, letting Alec take the quiver from her as he tugged at it, not sparing him another glance as he retreated back towards the wall and began pulling arrows out one by one and inspecting them.
"What was it like?" Izzy leaned back against the table. "Being in the presence of Angel Raziel?"
"Honestly?" Clary shook her head. "I was so scared, and devastated, that it didn't even cross my mind. I didn't think about it. I barely even remember him being there."
"Was there a part of you that wanted to make your own wish?" Izzy asked. "End war? End world hunger?"
"Bring Jace back." Clary said. "I wanted to make that wish."
"You did the right thing, Clary." Alec told her. "You would have been sentenced to death by the Clave had you made that wish."
"Hey, Alec - " Wesley came into the room, looking around at the gathered siblings. "Apologies. I didn't mean to interrupt. I was hoping I might be able to speak with you?" He asked the eldest Lightwood, his English accent more prominent than usual.
"Yeah, of course." Alec nodded, running a hand through his hair and nodded to his sisters. "Congrats again, Clary. We'll train more later, okay?"
He led Wesley out of the weapons room and through the institute, up to his office. Alec held the door open for Wesley who looked at him with a certain sheepishness about him that unnerved Alec. He couldn't imagine what his fiancé's old friend, his younger sister's soulmate, would want to speak to him about.
Wesley passed by Alec, seemingly trying to make himself smaller under the Shadowhunter's gaze, which made Alec even more nervous. Scenarios were running through his head. Perhaps Magnus had sent Wesley to tell him that he was done with Alec. Perhaps something had gone wrong and his daughter was hurt, maybe Magnus was hurt. Alec stepped into his office and shut the door behind him, heart beating painfully in his chest, his breathing was shallow and his vision was starting to blur slightly but he managed to keep calm front on. He knew what was happening, and how to control it. He'd had panic attacks before.
He circled his desk and sat in his chair, picking up his fountain pen that Magnus had presented him with a month prior. Alec remembered when Magnus had given it to him, he'd acted as if he were presenting him with the finest jewels he could find, making a big deal about it. The memory almost made him smile.
Wesley was sitting in one of the chairs positioned in front of the large desk, looking terrified.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Alec asked him.
"This probably isn't a good time to ask you this, but at this point I'm not sure if there is ever going to be a good time. Things just seem to keep piling up and maybe I should just go." Wesley went to stand up, positioning his hands on the chair beneath him to push himself up.
"Wesley." Alec called, leaning back slightly and crossing his ankle over his knee, bringing the pen up to the corner of his mouth but not chewing on it, just letting it rest there. "Dude, just spit it out."
"I don't know how much Clary or Magnus have told you about my past. but for a while, just before I met Magnus, there was this warlock woman, her name is Shaylee. She killed my mundane sister, her husband and their three young children. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me find her and put her to justice."
Alec sat up, putting both his feet back on the ground, placing the pen back on the desk, prodding it with his pointer finger until it laid parallel to his tablet.
"Why me? Why now? Why didn't you report her all those years ago?" Alec asked, leaning forwards, bracing his arms against the desk.
"Back when it happened, I had planned on letting the Clave know, but that night I met Magnus. I told him of my plans, and while he was sympathetic and kind and everything I needed then, he informed me that the Clave wouldn't do anything about it, they might've even arrested me for the murders of my family. But as for the 'why you' part of the question, I don't think you understand just how unusual you are for a Nephilim. You don't look down on the Downworld, you don't believe yourself to be superior to any of us. Hell, you're engaged to a warlock and adopted a warlock daughter. You started a Downworld cabinet. You befriended werewolves, a Seelie Knight has admitted that he respects and may even like you, and Raphael Santiago likes you."
"Raphael?" Alec asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Raphael doesn't like me."
"Ever since the two of you adopted Madzie, Raphael has called you Dad whenever he and Magnus hang out. You know that Magnus is like a father to him, Magnus loves you, he's creating a life with you and Raphael respects that and you. He considers you family."
Alec hummed, looking uncomfortable. "I'll look into it. I'll do my best to find her, Wesley. I promise you."
"Thank you." Wesley grinned. "Thank you so much, Alec."
Alec shook his head, hating how relieved Wesley looked. Wesley shouldn't have to look that relieved, he shouldn't have been afraid that Alec would turn him down. The fact that he had been made Alec feel ashamed; not of himself, but of his people.
Alec's phone dinged and he looked down at it to check the notification.
"Don't mention it, man. I'm not doing anything more than being decent. However, I do have to go. Cat needs me."
"Tim is a Saint." Catarina explained to Izzy and Alec. "Seriously. The man brings his guitar in every Tuesday to sing to the kids."
Catarina was standing behind the desk at the nurse's station in the hospital that she works at; Alec and Izzy were standing in front of it, hanging on to her every word.
"Did you notice any changes in his behavior yesterday?" Izzy asked her, leaning forward on the desk and making eye contact with the warlock woman.
Catarina shook her head, looking positively distressed.
"We're trying to make a timeline for when the possession may have occurred." Alec explained to his friend.
"No!" Catarina exclaimed. "He was perfectly fine."
She looked at Alec desperately, as if she wanted him to explain away the possession.
"Of all the people, why would a demon want to possess Tim?" Catarina asked, sighing as Izzy and Alec neglected to answer, instead just exchanging a glance with one another. "How's Magnus doing?" She asked, turning to Alec.
"Um . . . great, why?" He asked, slowly.
"I've been so worried about him." She admitted. "When we spoke this morning he was beside himself. You know, with you accepting the job in Idris."
Alec closed his eyes for a second and shook his head. "Really? I . . . I haven't accepted the job, and besides, he's the one that was pushing me to take it. I don't want to."
Catarina shook her head. "He doesn't want to feel like he's holding you back, but in trying to let you go free, he feels as though he's losing you."
"I should go." Alec mumbled, he turned and stalked down the corridor, pulling his phone from his pocket.
"Six ball, corner pocket." Alec murmured as Magnus took a drink from his martini glass.
"Mmm. Good luck with that." Magnus returned as Alec lined the shot up.
Alec hit the ball and it made it into the pocket.
"You're a man of many talents." Magnus complimented him.
"You mean that?" Alec asked as he rounded the table.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Magnus told him as they came to stand on opposite ends of the table.
"Well, because you encouraged me to move to Idris, live apart from my husband and my child, but then I heard through the grapevine that you were actually pretty devastated at the idea of it. So which is it?"
"Who told you that?" Magnus asked quietly.
Alec lined up his shot and took it before looking back up at his fiancé, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter."
"I'm sorry, Alexander." Magnus said, gesturing absentmindedly with his hand. "I guess I just didn't want to feel like I was holding you back from chasing your dreams."
"The only dream that is worth chasing for me right now, is the dream of having a husband, and having children. I always knew that eventually I'd rise through the ranks, that I'd excel in my career. But to have love? Have a family? I never thought that would be a dream that I would fulfill."
Magnus nodded, screwing his mouth to the side before lining up a shot. "Have you accepted the spot on the council?" He asked quietly.
"Not yet." Alec told him, watching him carefully. "I told Aline that I'd let her know tomorrow."
Magnus suddenly stood up and leaned against his pool stick. He seemed to be struggling to decide whether or not he should say something before he blurted it out. "I don't want you to move to Idris." He said. "I know that it's selfish, but it's the truth."
"It's not selfish to want your husband to live with you, Magnus. Especially when we have a child together." Alec told him. "But I don't get why you didn't tell me that before? Why lie to me? I've been nothing but honest with you. I risked the possibility of war on the Clave when I told you about the Soul Sword."
"I know, I know you did, but this is your life Alexander. I didn't want how I felt to get in the way of that."
Alec shook his head. "I know you've never been married before, and I realize that we aren't married yet, but when two people get married, two lives become one. This is our life, together. All I care about is how you feel. And honestly, I wish you had applied that little policy to when you decided that you didn't want to spend eternity based on how you feel about immortality. You completely disregarded how I felt about it, but you were just fine with shipping me off." Alec put his pool stick away and then turned back to Magnus with a menacing glare.
"Look," he sighed, the glare not lessening. "I don't want to go to Alicante without you or Madzie. When I brought it up, you acted like you wanted me to go. I'm not going anywhere."
Magnus smiled for a second before Alec started talking again.
"I'm going to stay at the Institute tonight, get some more work done. Tell Madzie that Daddy loves her, that he isn't mad at her."
"Alexander," Magnus pleaded as Alec started to walk away.
Alec turned around and gave Magnus a softer look, he looked sad.
"It isn't forever, baby." He said quietly. "Just for tonight, I need some space to sort my thoughts out. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."
Alec walked away, and with every step he took, Magnus felt his heart break a little more.
He's angry.
He's hurt.
He has every right to be.
He's going to break up with me.
He didn't kiss me goodbye.
Magnus knew he wasn't going to sleep a wink tonight. Ever since Alexander started spending the night, Magnus found he wasn't able to sleep without him. He desperately hoped that he hadn't just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him.