FLASHBACK
"Tell me what this one is from". Magnus ran his fingertips over the soft silver line on her collarbone.
They were lying on a decadently large chaise lounge in their hotel suite in Paris. Em was flat on her back while Magnus lay propped up on his side next to her, one hand supporting his head, the other tracing the many silver scars on her arms and shoulders. The windows next to the chaise had been thrown wide open and Em could smell bread from the boulangerie downstairs on the night air. It was a little cold out, but Magnus had laid a heavy silk coverlet over them to stave off the chill, and besides, Em was quite happy, lying there enjoying the sounds of the street outside and listening to Magnus talk.
She had only known the warlock for a few weeks but they had already been the most exciting weeks in Em's life. After stopping off in Brooklyn to tie up some loose ends, Magnus had portaled them to his favourite hotel, just around the corner from the Eiffel Tower. It was a charming little place with cosy rooms filled with ornate gilt furniture, baroque wallpaper and comfy beds. Magnus had unpacked their belongings with the snap of his finger before assuring her that it was perfectly safe to be visiting Paris with him as almost everyone he'd known last time he was here was now dead. Em wasn't sure if she thought that was as comforting as he'd meant it to be.
"A short-sword when I was ten," she smiled up at him, ruefully. "A little souvenir from one of my training sessions". Magnus winced. He knew Shadowhunters were warriors, but something about giving children sharp pointy weapons and making them fight still seemed a bit wrong. He moved his hand upwards, enjoying the sensation of sliding his fingertips across her cool, soft skin.
"How about this one?" he traced a small oval shaped mark on the base of her neck.
"Oh, that one", Em shifted uncomfortably, "I got it when my parents… you know". Magnus drew his hand back.
"I'm sorry", he said, "I thought it would be from a vampire raid gone awry or a near miss with an overzealous boyfriend". They hadn't really discussed how Em's parents had died, Magnus knew she'd been sent to live with Tessa when she was twelve years old, but he hadn't had the opportunity to go to London to visit his old friend during the time Em was with her. Not until a couple of weeks ago anyway.
Em shook her head "It's fine", she glanced away, out of the window, "I don't mind, it's not a subject I usually avoid". She looked back at him and touched her neck self-consciously. "One night we were driving to the movie theatre," she began softly "a truck swerved from the other side of the road. It hit our car and we went over the side of the barrier." Magnus watched her, yellow eyes curious. "My parents died on impact but I was in the back seat so I didn't." She shrugged, "They weren't really what you'd call active Shadowhunters so the local Institute didn't know we'd gone missing. The mundane paramedics sent me to the hospital as a Jane Doe and I woke up a couple of days later. As soon as I could talk I told them my name and who to contact." Em smiled a little. "When Tessa arrived she gave me so many Iratzes the damage healed up instantly, but I still had one of the drips in my neck at the time, so this one never really healed over" She trailed off.
Magnus looked at her for a moment and then reached over to remove her hand. He touched the edge of the scar gently. "Then this is my favourite one," he said, gazing down at it.
"Why?" Em questioned.
"Because", he smiled "over the last few hundred years I've developed a theory and this proves it. The scars that take the longest to heal are the ones that are the smallest." He leant and kissed her neck. "Or the ones that you can't see at all" he added, bending to kiss her again.
Em looked up at Magnus, hovering above her and saw centuries of sadness reflected back at her in his eyes. It was at that moment she realised how completely and irrevocably in love with him she was.
She pulled him down to meet her lips.
A/N - So, not technically a chapter but I thought it was a nice little moment between Em and Magnus. What do you think?
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