"That doesn't sound like any fun," Alec whined.
"Life isn't always about fun," Magnus replied calmly.
"But this is our only day off together for the whole week!" Alec continued.
"Which is why now is the only time available," Magnus countered. "Especially since I believe Clary said she was coming over later."
Alec groaned, and Magnus knew he'd finally won. Magnus had been trying to get his husband to sit down and talk about their finances for what felt like eons.
"I still don't see why I need to know this stuff," Alec grumbled as he sat down at the dining room table.
"I love you, but sometimes you are such a spoiled brat," Magnus sighed.
"Hey," Alec grumbled. "I have a job now. I've cleaned out super gross chicken rotisserie ovens. Doesn't that make me less spoiled?"
"In theory, yes," Magnus replied. "Though reality would seem to disagree."
"How does me being fine with just sending you half my paycheck every two weeks make me spoiled?" Alec asked.
"What if something happened to me?" Magnus replied. "What would you do? How would you make sure the rent got paid and the electricity wasn't cut off?"
"Nothing can happen to you," Alec stated firmly, as if his statement could shape reality.
"As sweet at it is to hear that you don't believe the world would still exist without me, the reality is that if I wasn't here you would be lost," Magnus explained.
"Well duh, I knew that," Alec replied easily. "Still don't understand why your answer to this is bills."
"I didn't mean lost emotionally," Magnus sighed with a smile. "I meant financially." Despite what he was trying to achieve, Mangus always glowed a little when Alec would say things like this.
"Oh," Alec said sheepishly.
"I promise it won't take that long," Magnus offered. "And it would make me feel better."
"Well, when you put it like that," Alec smiled, before reaching forward to pull Magnus closer, kissing him on the lips.
"Anything to make you feel better," Alec grinned, planting one more kiss on his husband's cheek before turning to face the paperwork on the table.
Magnus was still grinning as he began explaining everything that Alec needed to know. "The rent is due the first of every month. That is either cash or e-transfer. This is the email information. Usually I text the landlord the security question answer, changing it every time. Both our phone bills come automatically off my credit card which should be paid off in full every couple months or so with at least minimum payments made every two weeks. The internet bill we pay directly as a payee on the online banking. Passwords and accounts are listed here. The utility bill for this apartment is included in our rent so you don't have to worry about it, but if we ever rent somewhere else that might be separate. We have renters insurance, but it's paid by the year so that's been taken care of until next January."
Magnus stopped talking for a moment and turned to look at Alec's face. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open as he gazed at all the accounts, passwords and bills in front of him. He looked confused, or perhaps surprised.
"What's with the face?" Magnus asked. "Am I going too fast? I could make a cheat sheet for you if you like so you have something to refer to."
"I can't believe you've been doing all this and I didn't know," Alec said in awe. "It's all so complicated and time sensitive."
"When you lived with Jace didn't you have to deal with all this stuff?" Magnus asked confused.
But Alec shook his head. "Mom paid the rent and stuff. Jace paid the internet and maybe something else. I used my credit card for my cell phone and food. Mom paid off the card for me. Oh, and I used the credit card to pay the maid service too."
Magnus blinked a few times before speaking. "One of these days I am going to have to thank Maryse for cutting you off when she did," Magnus said with a shake of his head.
"Is it really that bad?" Alec asked sheepishly.
Magnus sat down and looked his husband in the eyes. "Alexander since the age of twelve I've thought in terms of bills, money and employment. It's how the world works. Without being able to understand these things you are vulnerable to those who do. If you'd married someone else, someone who might have taken advantage of you, just think for a moment what that would have meant?"
Alec didn't speak and Magnus hoped he was processing what Magnus had said. The idea of Alec being so helpless kinda scared Magnus. Someone unable to navigate the daily tasks of independent life was vulnerable to many things.
"Those few months I was unemployed after graduation, but before the wedding were the longest I can ever remember being unemployed while not in school in my whole life," Magnus continued after a moment. "And that felt strange enough, but to grow up as you did actually scares me. To have so little control over one's own life." He paused for a moment, reaching up a hand to cup his husband's cheek. "Sometimes I forget that we come from such different worlds."
"Differences make good sparks," Alec grinned as he leaned forward and caught Magnus up in a passionate kiss. Magnus groaned as Alec kissed his neck and pulled him closer.
"This spoiled brat loves you more than anything or anyone else in the whole world," Alec reminded him in a whisper. Then he pulled away to look Magnus in the eye before adding, "I can't imagine the world you grew up in, but I admire you all the more for it."
Magnus reached up to stroke Alec's cheek with the back of his hand, a small but emotional smile on his face.
Just then they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Magnus knew Paige had a key, which meant this could only be Clary. With one last kiss for his husband, Magnus got up to answer the door.
And there stood biscuit, with her bright red - now short - hair and a grin on her face.
"Magnus!" she exclaimed, rushing over to hug him.
"Well, this is a nice change of pace," Magnus teased her. "Worn Jace out already have you?" He chuckled.
"Oh hush you," Clary replied, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. "If you hadn't seen Alec for ten months you would have ignored me too."
"I have a feeling Alec would never have allowed such a thing to happen," Magnus laughed. "That crazy man would probably ditch all his responsibilities and fly to Paris on his mother's credit card." They both laughed as they moved away from the door and into the rest of the apartment.
"I heard my name," Alec said with narrowed eyes as they approached.
"We were just saying how fond we both are of you," Magnus replied innocently.
"As if!" Alec scoffed, but Magnus just smiled knowingly and turned back to face Clary.
"So now do you know the answer to my skill testing question?" Magnus inquired of Clary.
"Umm," Clary said, clearly unsure. Magnus knew she'd forgotten, but never missed an opportunity to tease her.
"Too busy ogging your boy toy to remember what your best friend asked you," Magnus sighed, pretending to be hurt.
"Okay I'm all for teasing Clary, but that's just so inaccurate," Alec chuckled. "Jace is less a boy toy and more a sulky puppy."
Magnus paused, giving up on his original joke to turn to Alec and nod in agreement. "It is true," Magnus sighed. "Such a sulky puppy."
"Don't ever leave him again," Alec pleaded with Clary. "I don't fancy cleaning up that whiny mess."
"I didn't leave him," Clary answered. "We weren't technically broken up since he turned down my ten month break up offer."
"Wait," Alec began, standing up and walking over to them. "You offered to break up with him temporarily? Like a get out of jail free card while you were gone?"
"Yes!" Clary sighed. "And he said no. I didn't want him to be miserable the whole time I was gone."
"Such a sucker for punishment," Alec sighed.
"I wish he had taken my deal," Clary continued. "It would be less weird somehow… I think."
"What do you mean?" Magnus asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Clary replied, sinking onto the sofa with a sigh. "It's like everything's fine, but we haven't talked about if everything is fine, so is it really fine?"
"Sounds like you might be overthinking it there Biscuit," Magnus answered as he and Alec joined her on the couch.
"Maybe," Clary said. "I don't know. It's just- like there's something hanging in the air, and I can't quite put my finger on it."
"Best way is just to find a way to talk about it," Magnus told her easily. "The best path is often the hardest one."
"I know," Clary replied. Then she suddenly perked up. "But I'm not here to talk about Jace. I'm here to catch up with my friend who I haven't seen in ages!"
Magnus chuckled. "Isn't talking about stuff that's bothering you what friends are for?"
"Okay fair," Clary said. "But we've done me. So what's bothering you?"
"Apart from my husband's total lack of interest in his own finances," Magnus began. "Not much."
"Liar," Alec stated. Magnus turned on him ready to deny everything. "You are still not sure about John." Magnus slumped slightly, his shoulders falling by half an inch or so. Alec had him there. "He just wants to spend more time with you, but you always find a reason not to."
"I work five days a week," Magnus replied. "And I'm still volunteering at the museum. Plus I want to spend at least one day off a week with you. That doesn't leave a lot of time."
"Bullshit," Alec replied. "Busy or not busy you'd make the time if you wanted to see him. Like after work, or skip the museum once in a while, or take a day off work. With me done with school I'm working full time, so you could do that without a problem… I think."
Magnus couldn't help, but laugh at Alec's uncertainty about if they could afford his taking a day off work. The man really needed some financial knowledge. Just then Chairman Meow jumped up on the couch to purr and settle down in Alec's lap.
"Hello fluffy," Alec greeted the cat as he purred and rubbed his head against Alec's face. "See Chairmen thinks you should give him a chance."
"Chairmen thinks his food dish isn't quite as full as he'd like," Magnus translated the cat's wishes more accurately before replying. "I still don't understand why you are so determined. He isn't your dad."
"Dad-in-law is pretty close," Alec smiled, stroking the cat as if automatically.
"Not really," Magnus replied, wondering if the Great Catsby would join them. Last time Magnus has seen the old cranky feline he'd been asleep in the sun by the window.
Alec didn't speak for a moment, then finally he added in a small voice. "I just want this for you. I want you to know what it's like to have a real dad."
"And I love you all the more for it," Magnus smiled. "But we don't have a time machine. I can't go back and have a childhood in which my parents are there for me."
"I know that," Alec said sadly. "I guess I'm hoping for a better late than never kinda situation."
"I don't know," Magnus replied. "There's just something off about the whole thing. I can't put my finger on it."
"Annoying feeling isn't it," Clary offered. "Probably the best approach is to find a way to talk about it. The best path is often the hardest one."
Magnus gave her a highly unamused look. "Don't spount my own advice back at me, Biscuit," Magnus remarked cooly.
"Oh, but isn't that what friends are for," she grinned. "Speaking of friends, is Paige around?"
"She's at work I believe," Alec offered. "Though I think she's due home again soon. Unlike most everyone else I know, she has a car so her comings and goings are much more spontaneous."
"That makes sense," Clary replied. "Still I hope she comes home soon. It was strange coming home to her not living there."
"Yeah a lots happened while you've been gone," Magnus smiled.
"Jace seems like he's changed too, though I'm not totally sure," Clary continued. "Maybe my memory is just wrong."
"Oh no, he's changed all right," Alec confirmed. "Losing you changed him. Everything that went down with his mother changed him. Jace's had a hard year."
"Yeah Jon texted me about that," Clary said. "I don't really know most of the details though."
"Jace and Celine haven't spoken since the day Jace left home after the holidays," Alec explained.
"That's harsh," Clary replied. "He was always so close with his mom."
"Jace can't forgive her for taking in Sebastian," Alec said. "Which I assume is because of what Sebastian nearly did to you."
Clary didn't flinch, but just nodded slightly as if she understood. And in that moment Magnus thought that maybe Jace was holding the grudge against his former best friends actions more so than her. In Magnus's opinion, it was a mark of how much he cared for her that a slight against her was worth more to him than it was to her.
"Meow," came a loud cranky old sound from the other side of the room. They all turned to see The Great Catsby walk into the room as if he owned the place.
"His meow sounds different," Clary commented as the cat moved closer.
"He's nearly deaf," Magnus explained.
"Poor old thing," Clary cooed. Catsby seemed to like this as he jumped up onto the sofa to stand on Clary's lap. She petted the cat, before adding, "He's so skinny."
"The thyroid meds have helped him to stop losing weight," Magnus answered. "But he hadn't been able to gain any either. Poor thing is like a toothpick."
Clary turned to give a little extra attention to the senior kitty in her lap, as Magnus added, "The vet isn't sure how much longer he'll live. Even on the thyroid meds."
"But we are going to make all his time left as awesome as we can," Alec pitched in.
Chairmen took that moment to display his displeasure at being ignored in favour of Catsby as he demanded Alec's attention. "And yes we still love you too Chairmen," Alec soothed the cat.
"Meow," Chairmen replied, purring.
Sorry this is so late guys! The chapter has actually been written for about 12 days now, but my beta has a new job and is SO busy. After 12 days with no idea how much longer it would take I decided to try something else and take the burden off my very busy friend. So I edited again myself and got a different friend to give it a once over though it still feels very wrong to upload a chapter without CoffeeandLiterature editing it for me first. Almost feels like the chapter is naked.
UPDATE: I have re-uploaded this with my beta's edits. :D She is still super busy through and this will probably slow down update times. Sorry.
Sneak Peek Chapter 155
He kissed her one last time on the forehead, before darting out the door. He thought he heard something thud against the door as he closed it and surmised that Izzy had thrown a pillow at him.
Laughing to himself Simon started walking. It was a beautiful June day. The sun was shining, but even if the weather had been dreary, Simon would have been smiling. Clary's return was the icing on top of his already glorious happy cake. He was done with school and taking a little me time before looking for a better job. He had a beautiful girlfriend who he always looked forward to seeing and his best friend was finally back in town. Life was good. In fact, life had never been better.
Walking down to the bus stop Simon could feel the sun's warmth on the back of his neck while a light breeze cooled his skin. You really couldn't ask for better weather.
When he saw that shock of red hair running down the sidewalk towards him, Simon waved both hands in the air as if trying to land an airplane. When she finally crashed into him, Simon almost fell over.