#alec's secret popstar era

[effervescentpigeon]

Coincidence... I think not.

[holdyourbreathuntilyouseelight]

The Bodyguard - Chapter 10

Summary: Magnus is a dancing popstar sensation whose popularity continues to climb. Alec, an ex-Secret Service agent, is hired on as a professional bodyguard in charge of Mr. Bane’s personal security by insistence of Magnus’ manager. Despite their initial differences, Magnus finds himself falling for Alec the more time they spend getting to know each other and relies on him for more than physical security as his safety gets threatened. Loosely based on the 1992 film The Bodyguard.

Rating: M

Genre: AU, Everyone is Human AU, Celebrity!Magnus, Bodyguard!Alec, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Romance, Eventual Smut, Mutual Pining

Author: holdyourbreathuntilyouseelight

A/N: As promised, the final chapter! Just a short epilogue left. Thank you to all who stuck through me the whole way through my snail-pace updates and for any new people who have indulged the story this far! You all are amazing!!

Click here to read on AO3.

Previous chapters on tumblr: Prologue // Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 4 // Chapter 5 // Chapter 6 // Chapter 7 // Chapter 8 // Chapter 9

* * * * *

"Magnus! Magnus, over here!"

Magnus merely waved at the eager paparazzi, camera flashes making it seem like there was a strobe light going off. There were people lining the red carpet behind the barriers, photographers desperate for the perfect shot of one of the most popular music stars of the current era.

Alec was glued to Magnus' side, eyes never staying on one area for too long, and his hand never left Magnus' lower back as they wove around interviews and lined up guests.

These events were thankfully heavy on security, but if there was anything Alec had learned lately, it was that he could never be too careful when it came to Magnus' safety.

"Magnus Bane!" the TV host cried when they reached her, and Magnus pulled her into a hug. "Tell me, Magnus, how excited are you for tonight? You are up for three Grammys this evening! That's incredible!"

"Well, I'm not Taylor Swift or Adele, so I hope I at least take home one. But truly, just being here is as much a reward as any. Getting a chance to celebrate so much talent in one evening." Magnus said smoothly, not batting an eye at the camera man stepping in for a closeup.

Alec stayed to the side, itching to get Magnus back in his orbit, and he kept his eyes trained on the crowd and impending guests.

"Well, I know you don't need it, but good luck tonight. Have fun!" the host said, waving at the next celebrity before pressing a quick kiss to Magnus' cheek.

Magnus smiled in return before leading the way down the carpet, Alec immediately gravitating to his side again.

"I know you can't help yourself, but since you are technically my date by default, relationship status notwithstanding, can you at least try to look like you aren't trying to murder everyone with a simple look?" Magnus said to him in an undertone, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Alec rolled his eyes. "I can't relax until I know you're safe, so this is just my face."

"Alexander. I feel perfectly safe with you by my side. Now can you please try to make me look like a half-decent boyfriend?"

Alec chuckled, and Magnus reached up to stroke his cheek affectionately.

"There's that gorgeous smile. I would like more of that, please."

Alec couldn't keep his smile at bay after that, especially with Magnus looking up at him like he was one of the seven wonders of the world.

"You look amazing tonight. You sure you want to imply I'm your date when you'll no doubt have half the audience on their knees begging for a chance with you?"

"Mm I'd much rather have you on your knees."

Alec knew he walked into that one. He continued on, ignoring Magnus' smugness. "I wish I was sitting with you, but it makes more sense to have me near the stage, especially for when you present and when you win."

"If I win."

"When." Alec argued. "Look, I see what you do each day on stage. I see the fans reactions firsthand to your very presence. Your talent is limitless. You are going to win."

"I'm not the only talented person here, Alec. Hence why it is a nomination, not an outright award. And it's an honour—"

"Don't say 'to be nominated'."

"Well it is!" Magnus laughed.

Raphael came down the carpet, Luke in tow, and raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"Do you guys ever stop bickering?" he drawled.

Magnus shrugged.

Raphael looked around, trying to peer over heads but his height not helping. "Great turnout as always. Gotten starstruck yet?"

"Not yet. Don't ask that like you didn't nearly pass out when you saw Tan France at the last award show we attended together."

Alec turned to Luke, tuning out Raphael's protests. "Andrew is already inside. These events have their own high level of security given the prestige of the event, so we don't need a big team. You and I will be backstage and he'll be down in the auditorium but on the sidelines."

Luke nodded.

"Good luck, Magnus. I have a good feeling about your wins tonight—I think you'll be taking home more than one."

"You guys are going to jinx me." Magnus groaned. "But thank you, Lucian. Be safe."

"You too." Alec added pointedly to him before leading Luke away to check in for their backstage access.

Magnus linked an arm with Raphael, who simply rolled his eyes at the star, before the two marched into the auditorium to find their seats.

* * * * *

Once set free backstage, Alec felt his nerves spike again. There were quite a few people milling about—people responsible for lights, sound, directing the MCs and presenters, and every type of service worker needed to pull off an extraordinary event like this.

It made it difficult to keep an eye on everyone, as everyone seemed to be rushing past others and slipping in and out of dressing rooms or manning the tech behind the scenes.

When he tried to look out at the audience to locate Magnus, the bright lights pointed at the stage made it impossible.

"Damn it." he said under his breath. "Underhill, how are we looking?"

"Good. People are still piling in but Magnus seems to know the people behind him and in his row since he's chatting with them like they're old friends."

"Keep me posted if you see absolutely anything suspicious, okay?"

"You got it, boss."

Alec wanted to be comforted by Underhill's words, but he knew that Magnus was like that with everyone, and, frankly, it could go either way—Iris was a prime example of how someone close to him couldn't be trusted—and that meant everyone who was friendly with him was still a suspect.

It was going to be a long night.

* * * * *

The show moved on, with epic performances and awards passed out to tearful or giddy artists.

Alec had been given an itinerary of the awards being given out and saw that Magnus' categories were in the latter half of the event while his presenting was in the first half.

He soon would be pulled from the audience and taken backstage to be touched up and given a rundown of the script, even with the prompter in place. It allowed the presentation to flow more naturally if he had a chance to review it.

Knowing Magnus, he'd probably tweak it to suit his needs, but that was to be expected. Raphael had been right all those months ago when he said Magnus danced to the beat of his own drum.

Alec's phone buzzed against his leg and he slipped it out of his pocket to see a surprising number calling.

Jace (work)

He wanted to hit ignore and go back to people watching, but it may be about Iris or the evidence they processed.

"I have to take this." Alec told Luke. "Keep your eyes peeled."

He held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

Jace sounded stressed. "Alec. Sorry to call – I know you have the Grammys tonight. But there's been some new information about Magnus' situation and figured it was best you knew immediately."

"What's going on?"

"I'm going to let someone else explain."

The phone was apparently passed over since there was a shuffle before he could hear someone release a breath into the receiver.

"Alec?"

"…Iris?" Alec asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

Luke glanced at him at the name but returned to scanning the room when Alec gestured at him.

"I know you're not my biggest fan right now but there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay… what is it?"

"I was too upset the other night to say anything. I just wanted Magnus to understand that I hadn't been doing what I was doing to hurt him – only scare him. Scare him into hiding or cancelling the tour but instead he accepted your hiring and then you two became inseparable in every way��"

"Iris. Make your point."

"They asked me here about the small bomb that was placed in his dressing room before you were hired, and I remembered you had asked me that too. But that wasn't me. I never wanted to hurt Magnus. I love him and want him to be with me."

Alec felt goosebumps rise along his arms. He normally wouldn't believe someone so unstable but she had a point. It seems counterproductive to murder the object of your affection when your endgame was to be with them. "Then who did?"

"That's just it. I don't know."

Alec inhaled through his nose, trying to rein in his temper. "So you're calling to tell me someone else means Magnus harm?"

"Well…"

"Iris."

She sighed. "I thought it was a dream, but now it makes sense. I forgot about the bomb. Nothing else physically harmful happened to Magnus so I swore it was just a vivid dream… but now… Look, before the tour started, I was desperate. I relapsed and got really high and drunk because, even though I had 'broken' into the house, left threatening letters and messages and photos, Magnus hadn't even seemed fazed. I didn't know then that Raphael had been hiding everything from him. And Raphael announced he was going to hire Magnus a personal bodyguard so the tour could go on without a hitch. So I was heavily intoxicated at this bar and bitching to some lovely voiced stranger and went on and on about how I wished someone would do what I threatened to do in those letters and then maybe Magnus would finally see sense… and the guy said he could do it. And I… I just handed over all the cash I had and told him to do whatever he had to."

"You hired a hit-man? An actual hit-man?" Alec said, feeling like the floor beneath him was shifting. How was this real? Could Iris even be trusted?

"I wanted to call it off as soon as I heard a bomb went off in his dressing room at one of the last concert venues before the tour took off. I couldn't believe it. I knew then it wasn't just some drunken fantasy and had actually happened. But I never got the man's name. I don't even know what he looked like. I have no way to track him down, Alec. I'm sorry."

Alec was glad he was in public or else he would've had to break something. "You're sorry? You hire someone to kill Magnus, you pay them to end his life, with the excuse of substance abuse, and you're sorry? You have no way of me tracking this person down, no idea when they might strike, and you want, what, my forgiveness?"

"No. I know I'll never deserve that. But I needed you to know so you can keep him safe. I don't know when he'll strike but if he's as good as he said he is, Magnus won't stand a chance."

"I'll make sure he does." Alec snarled into the phone, ending the call before he said something horrible to the very troubled woman on the other end of the line.

Luke made his way over, no doubt seeing the fire in his eyes from all the way across the room.

"Everything okay?"

Alec exhaled. "Far from it. We're not out of the woods yet."

* * * * *

Magnus was ushered backstage and he nearly tripped in his haste. He probably should've been looking at the floor more, what with all the cameras and wires around, but he was too eager to find Alec who he knew would be waiting for him.

Sure enough, once Magnus was nudged in the right direction, a strong arm pulled him aside and he found himself near-stumbling into his bodyguard.

"Well hello to you too." he teased, leaning up to kiss him now that they were behind a barrier. He hadn't been able to concentrate on the event like he had hoped, knowing that Alec was back there likely burning a hole in the floor with his pacing.

He was grateful that Alec took his job so seriously, but he also didn't like seeing the stress weigh down his boyfriend the way it did.

Instead of returning the kiss, Alec pulled back and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Magnus, we need to talk."

"Worst four words strung together in the English language." Magnus said, hoping for Alec to interject that it was nothing to worry about, but he got a good look at his eyes then and could see the pain there. "Alexander, what is it?"

Alec proceeded to explain the phone call he had received, who had been on the other end and what she had said, from the bomb to the anonymous hiring.

Magnus simply stood dumbfounded. "So we caught my stalker, the one sending all the threatening letters and photo collages… and that's not the same person as the one who nearly blew me up? There's still someone out there who is planning to kill me and we have absolutely no idea who they might be or how to track them down?"

Alec nodded, watching him carefully, rubbing a hand over his shoulder soothingly.

"I know it's a lot to take in. As unbelievably furious as I am, it is better we know so we can make sure you stay safe."

Magnus nodded numbly, swallowing and staring distantly at a spot on the wall.

Alec lowered himself slightly so he was at eye level with Magnus. "Listen. I am not going to let anything happen to you. I am good at what I do. We've gotten this far, right?"

"Magnus Bane? Has anyone seen Magnus Bane?!" a voice was shouting from the other side of the room.

"I need to go get touched up." Magnus said robotically, and he walked away like he was on autopilot to the makeup chair.

Alec watched him go, heart aching at the heaviness that had settled on his shoulders. Maybe he shouldn't have told him. Should've waited until after the awards show. But he wanted Magnus to be on the alert, to not think that because Iris was in custody, the risk to his safety was back to being minimal.

Touch-ups didn't take long and then Magnus was linking arms with his co-presenter, all smiles and laid-back energy.

Alec watched from the sidelines, directing Luke to the other side of the stage.

"There is so much talent showcased in this room tonight, and I'm not just talking about the make-up artists and fashion designers who manage to make us all look amazing." Magnus was saying with his usual flourish, the crowd tittering as expected. "Sometimes it is a single person that manages to light up the stage, and other times, it is a group of people who have come together to make something bigger."

"That's right." Magnus' presenting partner said, a beautiful brunette woman Alec couldn't name but had definitely seen before. "The following category features a wide range of talented and standout groups. The nominees for Best Pop Duo/Group are…"

She read them out to the crowd, applause following each group name.

"And the winner is…"

Before she could say it, Magnus suddenly froze before quietly rushing off the stage without a word.

The woman faltered slightly, eyes following him briefly before plastering on a smile and reading the card from the envelope.

The applause grew and then there was a group of young men taking turns thanking people on stage.

Alec moved to make his way to Magnus, slipping between bodies to get there as fast as he could.

"Why… why did you have to tell me all of this? Right before I go on? Now I see someone get up to go to the bathroom and I feel like I need to throw myself at the ground to avoid a bullet. I just humiliated myself in front of thousands of people all because you were too impatient to wait the extra hour when the show is over!" Magnus shouted at him.

Alec was slightly taken aback by the outburst, having been on the receiving end of Magnus' heated temper before but not usually to this extent.

He knew he had a point. Magnus wasn't anymore in danger now than he would be an hour from now – being oblivious to it would've been the kinder thing to do. After all, the hitman had been hired months before and had yet to strike – there was no guarantee he or she would strike tonight.

"Magnus, I'm sorry. It felt wrong keeping it from you. You're right—I should've respected how important tonight was and thought it through more. I'm just afraid."

"You're afraid?" Magnus asked incredulously, looking at him with such shock Alec nearly laughed.

"Yes, I am. I'm terrified of you getting hurt. Of this event being where he decides to strike. I… You have to know how much I care about you." Alec admitted quietly.

Magnus stepped into his space, looping his arms around his waist and smiling softly at him. "I care about you too. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'm really just angry at myself. For ignoring the signs for so long with Iris. For angering her enough to get us to this point."

"Well, it hasn't been all bad." Alec reminded him, stroking a hand along Magnus' waist.

"You have been a good consolation prize." Magnus noted, and he laughed when Alec's face screwed up in annoyance. "I'm kidding, darling. You're very much the top prize."

"Mm a Grammy would be nice too though." Alec reminded him after giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Speaking of, you should return to Raphael before he sends out a search party or sends me extremely well punctuated texts that show he means business."

"Raphael is harmless. But I would like to see how the night's awards go."

Alec smiled. "Go. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"Fine. But I expect some very celebratory sex later if I win. And if I lose, sex to make me feel better."

Alec rolled his eyes but nodded. Magnus gave him another swift kiss on the cheek this time and headed off to return to his seat.

* * * * *

With Magnus' presenting out of the way, Alec felt a little calmer. With the itinerary laid out well in advance for what order the awards were presented, it made more sense for someone to attack when he was scheduled on stage versus waiting for him to potential win one of the three categories he was nominated for.

Still, Alec wasn't one to get lax with his professionalism. He still kept a close eye on every moving body and checked in with the two on his team to ensure they were doing the same.

He let his eyes rove over the crowd, catching sight of Magnus speaking quietly to Raphael as they applauded the current receiver of the award.

Alec knew Magnus was scared, maybe even more scared than Alec, but he hoped he had nothing to worry about. It had been months since the hit-man was hired – for all they knew, he had given up after his failed bomb attempt. It's not as though it was a contractually sound hiring. He had already been paid.

"You can't have that back here. It's interfering with the mic." a man with a headset of his own said, interrupting his thoughts, and Alec had to work to keep his face from scowling at him.

"I've been using it all night and it hasn't been an issue. It's my contact with my security team. My client is at risk in an event as open as this—"

Before he could finish, the guy interrupted. "I'm sure that's true but I've been given explicit orders. It's either give up your communication device or leave the event. Your choice."

Alec grumbled under his breath while he passed over the electronic device and nodded when Luke sent him a questioning look to silently ask if he should do the same.

Not having the wire in his ear made him feel exposed and on edge, but he had a job to do and would do so with or without the help of technology.

He shot a text to Underhill to let him know that they had been cut off and that they'd have to stay that much more alert to their surroundings.

Someone nudged past him, nearly causing him to trip over a collection of wires across the floor, and Alec remembered why being backstage was the worst location to have to hover.

A hand on his arm steadied him and he turned to the person to thank them, but it got lost on the way out of his mouth.

"Sebastian?"

The blond man smiled broadly at the sight of him. "Alec! I never expected to see you here. I didn't realize you were in the Hollywood scene."

Alec grimaced. "It's not really by choice; I work personal security. I go where he goes. What are you doing here?"

"Ah. I'm a photo journalist. This many celebrities in one place? It's like Christmas for us." he explained, gesturing to the large camera kit in his hand. "I should get to it, but lovely to see you, Alec."

"You too." Alec said automatically, eyes drawn to the duffel-like bag in his hand. It seemed to be quite a bulky piece of equipment. He knew many cameras could be large or have a lot of different lens and such, but the new technological age tended to provide much more compact options.

He didn't know why he felt that familiar unease climbing his spine. Maybe it was his suspicious nature but he suddenly was seeing something sly in the smile Sebastian flashed him before slipping away to go down to the sidelines of the auditorium.

Alec watched Underhill across the room from him and moved to say something into his mouthpiece, only to remember that it wasn't there.

He crossed the room to speak to Luke.

"I need you to keep close to that British man. Something about him… I don't know. I don't like it. And he's been somewhere Magnus and I have been before. I'm hoping it's just coincidental but I'm not taking any chances."

Luke nodded and left backstage to move closer.

"And the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album is… Magnus Bane, for Shadow World!"

Alec couldn't help the proud beam that graced his face when the words sunk in. He couldn't wait to say 'I told you so' to Magnus.

Speaking of Magnus, he was absolutely glowing as the auditorium filled with cheers and applause and he hugged many people before jogging up to the stage.

Alec couldn't take his eyes off of him. He had never seen him so happy.

But then something caught his eye on Magnus' grey and white suit. A pinpoint red light dancing over his chest as he shook hands with both presenters and accepted the gramophone-shaped trophy.

Alec scanned the room desperately for where the light was originating from and his eyes landed on Sebastian.

It was him. He had his large camera hoisted up on his shoulder, but Alec could see now that it was simply a sniper rifle disguised in the shape of a bulky camera. It was how he would've gotten it in the door. Unless they took apart his camera, they'd never have known it to house a weapon.

Alec frantically looked for Luke and Andrew but they were simply clapping along with everyone else, eyes scanning the crowd but clearly missing the imminent threat.

Magnus raised the award above his head before he reached the podium, setting off another round of applause, and Alec watched in horror as the laser stayed still on his chest above his heart.

He'd never get to Sebastian in time. He was too far away. He'd be stupidly lucky if he could signal to either Luke or Andrew in all the excitement and communicate enough to have them apprehend Sebastian before he pulled the trigger.

Alec was running before he could think, his mind focused solely on blocking Magnus from the fatal blow, and he pulled his gun from his thigh holster as he raced onto the stage.

He heard the shot more than felt it, the subsequent quiet before terrified screams broke out made the whole experience that much more disorienting.

He had hit Magnus with the full force of his body, knocking him to the stage floor and causing the trophy to topple across the linoleum.

The pain hit him after the force of his fall jarred his alertness and he raised his gun with difficulty to point it at the assassin.

White-hot fire spread from his shoulder like a firework, and he knew there was a bullet lodged in his collarbone if his agony could be relied on.

The audience was racing for the exits, screams and cries exploding from every row as people scrambled in their gowns and best suits to leave the building.

Alec aimed at Sebastian and let his gun fire a couple shots, managing to hit Sebastian's hand and rifle to splinter it into pieces.

He went down and Alec was grateful to see Luke pushing through the crowd to get to the shooter, likely to tackle him into submission.

But Sebastian pulled out a handgun with his other hand from his suit pocket and aimed it towards Luke.

Alec didn't hold back from releasing a bullet that nestled between his eyebrows and knocked his lifeless body to the floor.

Knowing they were finally safe, Alec let his arm sag and he collapsed against the floor.

"Alec? Alec!" Magnus was suddenly beside him, having been knocked over and apart from him by a few feet.

"Magnus! Are you okay? You're bleeding! Where were you shot?!" Raphael was saying, having finally made his way up on the stage to crouch next to his long-time friend.

Magnus patted his hands against his chest, seeing the blotches of blood everywhere. His eyes widened as he saw the way Alec's eyelids were too heavy for him to keep open.

"It's not me! Alec? Alexander, please, look at me. What in the hell were you thinking? You threw yourself in front of a bullet for me?!"

Alec rolled onto his back with Magnus' help and Luke was next to them, Andrew in tow, and Luke bent down to put pressure on Alec's bleeding shoulder.

"Told you… I'd do anything… to keep you safe…"

Magnus had tears streaming down his face now as his hands flitted uselessly over him.

Alec felt himself growing weaker, knowing it was the blood loss, and it was hard to keep his eyes open let alone reassure Magnus he was fine. He knew he wasn't fine. He was starting to feel cold climbing up his extremities.

"Alec… Alec! Alexander, don't you fucking dare die on me, do you hear me?! Don't you dare!"

Alec chuckled weakly. "You know me, Magnus. Never been one to listen to you."

Magnus half-laughed, sobbing more than anything. "Please, Alec. Don't leave me like this. Stay with me."

Alec's eyelids grew too heavy and he let them win the battle, head lolling against the tiled floor.

"Alec, please. I love you! Do you hear me? I love you! Don't leave me! Stay with me!"

Alec wanted to promise him he'd never leave willingly, to return the sentiment, but the unconsciousness was pulling him under.

Before he could form the words, everything went black.

* * * * *

Continue to Epilogue