#even though he bit alec's head off for bringing up those very concerns

[marinaiguess]

a sonic rush rewrite, inspired by my paper crown au (in which blaze’s backstory is a little bit different as implied/stated in the fic below). been listening to “pretending” by alec benjamin for the past hour while writing this lol hope this is a good one. ANYWAY (there’s no way i’m editing this now, it’s past 1am)

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She’s laying on the cold hard ground, her ragged breaths serve as the only thing that fight off the otherwise utter silence. The only thing that can be heard. That, and the voice inside her head, reminding her of how she failed to fight, to keep people away from her. 

Her duty, her curse, her burden. How could she trust anyone else when she could barely trust herself with it? 

Next thing she hears are footsteps. Slow and careful but determined, clanking against the metallic surface. She tenses upon realizing what it means. The person is appraoching her. He is there, he is real. The battle was real. The battle between them actually happened. Her breath catches on her throat. It shouldn’t have happened, she shouldn’t be using her curse at the expense of others. 

Her view of the stars and the upper floor of the building that she paid no mind to until now are quickly blocked by a hedgehog, whose name she knew very well but would rather forget. He looks at her carefully, the small, reassuring and hopeful smile he was wearing until now quickly replaced by concern as he watches her abruptly sit up and shuffle backwards. She remains mindful of her environment, since she doesn’t want to possibly fall of the edge of the ledge. 

“Hey.” He walks closer despite that, raising his hands to indicate he doen’t have bad intentions. “Not bad. Can you stand up?” he smiles as he offers her his hand, while leaning forward, not invading her personal space. 

She can’t stand up. And it isn’t because of how badly she is beat up; she will overcome the injuries sooner or later. But it is the view in front of her that renders her helpless. She scrutnizes him, from head to toe, and a pained gasp escapes her. He seems pretty banged up too. The burn marks cover a good chunk of his fur and she knows a few of those will leave scars as well. Her throat tightens and she opens her mouth to say something but she doesn’t have the courage to. Just like back then, she hurt someone. This time, she did it while fully conscious. It was a decision she made. Why? Why did she have to resort to this? Why did she need to use her curse against him? What if she had hurt him in a much worse way?

Despite it all, he is smiling. As if he doesn’t mind the scars or the pain. As if nothing can bring him down. Even if she burned him to ashes, he would find a way to rise again, she is sure. The hope in his eyes is unmistakable, something she hasn’t noticed in years. Admirable even. 

She gulps and blinks rapidly, clearing her vision that had been blurred out without realizing. “I must-” she croaks out. “...I must get the Sol Emeralds.” She turns her head to the side, unable to look into his eyes anymore. “I must...” She must find them and retrieve them to leave this world. 

To protect this world from a catastrophic disaster that her own kingdom had to suffer through thanks to them. Thanks to her. 

No one had to get hurt. No one else. Sonic is already hurt and she hates it. She hates herself. She hates the idea of putting anyone else in danger beacuse of her flames, of her burden and curse. So, she has to leave as soon as possible. Find the Emeralds and stay away from them until she finds the way to leave this dimension.

“A bit overzealous, aren’t we?” Sonic snaps her back to reality. 

He’s still there, waiting for her to accept his offer, his helping hand. He should have kicked her out of the ledge by now, he should have taken his revenge for what she did to him and get everything over with, but he didn’t. He waited patiently. His smile softens a bit more, it saddens almost, as a single thought crosses his mind. She doesn’t have the time to question it though, as a newfound grin adorns his expression. 

“Listen, don’t bite off more than you can chew.” He steps forward and she doesn’t dare to flinch. “And be yourself.” 

She wants to laugh at him. Herself. She’s lost herself ages ago, a part of her burned into ashes along with her kingdom on that cursed day. But maybe...maybe a part of her was still there, the part of her that was fighting to keep both worlds safe. 

‘Carrying the entire world on your shoulders?’

The memory feels so distant even though it’s just from a few minutes ago. Sonic seemed more...agressive, as if he tried to get his point across by all means necessary. Even if they were in the middle of their fighting, he still attempted to reason with her. Whatever he did -- jumping into this battle, trying to talk her out of it, to convince her of the best course of action without hurting her -- he did it for her, to make her realize that a feat like that is impossible, that she can’t carry the world on her shoulders, much less two worlds, all on her own. 

She eyes his hand and reluctantly reaches for it. She doesn’t know what this action means but she hopes she doesn’t regret it later, like she already regrets their battle. They meet halfway and Sonic uses both his hands to hold hers, nodding at her, almost like he thanked her for accepting his help. And he does help her to get up. 

She manages to sit up straight, ignoring the throbbing pain that overtook her body. Sonic steps back, taking her with him, leading her slowly away from the edge she was sitting close to. Step by step, they reach a safe distance and he lets go of her hand, just to quickly outstretch his arms around her, to prevent her fall in case she hasn’t fully recovered yet.

“Perhaps...” she speaks and she startles him, but he nods to let her continue. “Perhaps you’re right.” She admits, an image of Cream momentarily flashing in her mind. Her eyes widen at that. She is afraid. Afraid to approach people, call them her friends. But....”I can rely on friends. If I let myself...”

It doesn’t mean much, she tries to convince herself. She said it to convince Sonic and get it over with as fast as possible so she can leave. She can’t afford to have any friends, not at their own expense. How could anyone be her friend when there always was the risk that she would burn them? How could someone want to be friends with her after injuring them?

“Great.” a tooth bearing grin appears on his muzzle as he steps even closer to her, relaxing his arms before offering his hand again. “I am Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s nice to meet you.” 

She squints at him, as if that would help her answer the questions that were multiplying by the second in her head. One thing she knows for sure is that this guy sure has a fun idea of a ‘nice meeting’. 

At that thought, she smiles, slightly, but she does as she grasps his hand, giving it a firm handshake. “I-I’m Blaze the Cat. It’s nice to meet you too.”

And if Sonic’s grin turns even bigger, Blaze doesn’t think too much of it, too caught up in looking inside his emerald eyes to analyze what it meant, if it meant anything at all.

[fxckingfxntastic]

J*ce fans blaming his shitty behavior towards Alec on his situation, but somehow he was able to be civil to Luke and Clary when talking about the same situation. He was only a dick to Alec, who did nothing but worry about him and care about him. J*ce is the shittiest parabatai and Alec deserves better. Free Alec.

[superhero--imagines]

Part 1 here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 here!

A/N: I already know some of y’all are going to be mad, it’s 2020 and twilight needs some diversity, don’t @ me.

* You’re not really sure how you got here

* “This ones done”

* Edward holds out the blood bag to you, carefully pulling out the needles from you beloved Deer, Hayden.

* “Ah, thank you.” You place it carefully along with the others, before lavishing Hayden with affection

* “You were so good today! You’re going to get extra carrots, yes you are!”

* You’re aware of Edwards gaze on you as he disinfects the injection point.

* “You know it’s illegal to have Deer as pets in Alaska don’t you?” The corner of his mouth is quirked in the smallest smirk you have ever seen, and you roll your eyes

* “Tanya got a permit, the official stance is they’re her deer, I just take care of them for some extra pocket money”

* Not that anyone would venture into the “siren house” to ask questions

* You knew people were probably wary of coming up to the estate, even the mail man looked dead scared when he left Irina’s Lululemon packages in the mailbox

* But you didn’t think the locals legit called the manse “The Siren House”

* Edward told you they used to call it “The Witch House” but then, upon seeing the Denali sisters, changed it to Siren

* Edward doesn’t say anything, just moves to take the filled blood bags up to the house

* Ever the gentleman

* You really thought Edward would show up once, figure out he couldn’t read your mind, and retreat into his own moody silence.

* You figured you would mostly be dealing with Carlisle, who would teach you how to draw blood from your heard of deers, and then you would be on your own.

* But instead it was Edward who volunteered to do it for you, Carlisle was busy with his day job after all.

* He shows up once a week, usually after school, and carefully extracts the blood

* Then he puts them inside the fridge and leaves

* You really don’t get what’s going on, if he hates you so much why even bother coming over in the first place

* You’re about to fall into your usual rhythm of handing him the blood bags, which he then puts in the fridge when he breaks your routine

* “Why-“ your head pops up from the small pile of blood bags and to him. He’s looking away, but then his gaze meets yours. “Why go through all this trouble for a few deer.”

* You grin and hand him a blood bag

* “Another vampire might say the same thing to you, why go through all the trouble for a few humans?”

* He flinches, and you laugh. He’s so unaware of himself it’s actually funny

* “For the record, I do it because they remind me of my (Dog/Cat/Pet).” He quirks an eyebrow at that.

* “Your pet?”

* You nod. You’re number one concern on arrival here had been whether your dog was okay, but sifting through your memories of this life, you realized your dog had passed away in the middle of high school.

* “When I look into their face, all I can think about is my dog” you shrug, it’s the same with bears and other animals too.

* “Also, it’s kinda disgusting to drink that blood straight out of the animal.”

* Draining the blood must have deducted something from the taste, you can’t imagine what that skunky revolting flavor would have been like if you were drinking straight from the animal.

* Edward laughs. It’s the first time he’s laughed around you, pearly white canines in full view, the skin at the corner of his eyes folds

* It’s cute, very boyish. You get what Bella was talking about now

* “You get used to it after a while” he shrugs

* You shake your head, no one should ever have to drink that crap

* “Here, try some of my blood” you say it like you’re offering him some cookies you made. You pick up one of the bags, still warm, and he quirks an eyebrow

* This isn’t the first time you’ve offered, usually he declines and rushes to leave

* One time it looked like he might say yes, but then he noticed Tanya and excused himself.

* He accepts the bag, holding it up with one hand

* “Do you pour it in a mug?”

* And so you and Edward sip your blood-Capri-suns in the kitchen that’s only now started to be used

* You sit in the counter cross legged, while he leans against the adjacent counter. Both of you silently sipping your meals.

* “This is really good” he finally says, his blood bag almost empty.

* “Who’d you have? I’ve been trying to add different veggies to their meal to see if it brings out a different flavour profile.”

* He had Henrietta, who you had been giving more citrus too. Partially for flavour, and partially because she’s your favourite

* “It kind of tastes like...fruit punch” Edward recalls after a prolonged minute.

* He seems so nostalgic, you wonder how long it’s been since he’s had human food

* “I think genetics have something to do with the flavour too, the breed from this region all seem to have a fruity aftertaste”

* “I’m partial to deer since they don’t have a strong game taste aftertaste.”

* “Yes! That part is the worst, it’s like eating a skunk” You scowl and he laughs again.

* You know he doesn’t belong to you, he’s Bella’s, in a few years she’ll be all he thinks or cares about.

* But maybe the two of you can be friends until then.

* All at once the moments broken, Edward stands a bit straighter, the smile on his face gone.

* You turn to look behind you to see Carmen.

* Her head is tilted to the side, a smile tugging on her lips

* “You both look like you’re having fun.”

* After that the conversation is pleasant, but it definitely stutters until Edward eventually leaves.

* “I think he likes you” You’re reading a book by the fire, the gentle heat is nice and it sets the mood.

* “What?”

* Carmen’s grinning

* “The Cullen boy is interested in you.”

* You just shake your head. You doubt it, Edwards only got a one track mind for one person. And it’s not you

* “It would be nice if we could be friends though, I don’t really know many other people my physical age.”

* Carmen stops mid-stitch on her embroidery hoop

* “Is that something you want? Because the Cullen’s have other’s your a-“

* “I don’t need you to set up play dates for me Carmen”

* “Understood”

* Edward comes by regularly, to help you with your animals. You’re both always under the (discrete) supervision of one of your guardians (excluding Tanya of course.)

* And with each visit you learn a little more about him

* You find out that right now he’s masquerading as a senior in high school, he’s considering going to college for veterinary sciences

* “Why veterinary sciences?” You wonder if he’s about to poach your best deer and start his own blood business when he shrugs

* “It’s one of the few degrees I don’t have”

* You’re drinking blood-Capri-suns out on the porch, he’s still in his school clothes, including a very puffy jacket

* “What were you going to do?” Your raise an eyebrow and he elaborates “before you turned, what were you plans for the future.”

* “I was on my graduation trip, I was going to college in the fall”

* You got accepted into your safety school with a generous scholarship.

* Edward doesn’t press any further. But you can tell that he wants too.

* Many nights go by, you experiment with you animals diets, have supervised hang-outs with Edward, you meet Carlisle every so often who basically gives you therapy and helps you control your emotions

* Life is good

* But your growing complacency with the situation is starting to bother you

* You haven’t forgotten about Alec and Jane who are still fighting so hard to survive, or the countless others who would prefer this way of life if they only knew

* You know the minute you start being content is the minute the world wins

* So every night -or really every so often, you’ve lost all perception of time, the nights in Alaska are totally fucked and these heathens don’t even have a damn clock. Your only really sign of time is the mail man dropping off amazon packages- you sit and dream

* You think about giving back to the community, about saving your friends, and about dethroning fucking Aro

* You’re only at the beginning now, there’s still so much work to do, but it’s a start

* You hear a noise and your eyes open

* If you had a beating heart it would stutter when it saw Edward standing beside your bed, your hand moves on it’s own through reflex, clutching your heart

* Under the circumstances you would expect someone else to laugh, but Edward just looks confused

* “Are you...sleeping?”

* “I like to pretend, it’s a nice way to end the day” he raises an eyebrow at that

* “It’s 4 in the afternoon”

* “Well damn Edward, we don’t have any clocks in this house, how am I supposed to know what time it is.”

* He does laugh at that

* “Is it...nice?”

* “Yeah, it’s pretty relaxing, kills some time too.” Noticing the curious look on his face, you ask:

* “Do you want to try?” You pat the space on the bed beside you.

* You’re fully expecting for Edward with his old fashioned virtues to deny your suggestion. So you’re surprised that after several long seconds of silence, and a rather pained look, he adheres to your request and lies next to you on your bed.

* It’s a king size bed, so he’s at least three Great Danes away from you, but the closeness still surprises you.

* “What do I do now?” He says, eyes closed.

* “Daydream, or fantasise I guess, about things that happened in your day, or things you wish happened, places you want to go and memories you wish you could relive”

* “What do you usually dream about?” He asks, eyes open now

* “I think about Jane,” the answer is automatic, and you regret it as soon as the words come out. But Edward’s expression doesn’t change so you continue. “I think about my deers and my family too.” Most of the time you’re just thinking about what animal you want to excitement with next tbh

* “And sometimes I think about you.”

* And how glad you are to have a friend

* Edward doesn’t say anything for a long time, and for a second you hope he hasn’t misunderstood your words, you know he’ll never feel that way about you. All of those romantic feelings are saved for Bella

* “Would you like to come to my house sometime?” The questions throws you off, and your expression illicit’s a laugh from him. “Emmett and Esme are dying to meet the newborn from the Denali coven”

* That’s probably true for Esme, you’re pretty sure Emmett just wants to have some physical match with the “Volturi-reject”

* “That sounds fun, sure.”

* Maybe they have a clock in their house you can steal

* Edward shows up the next day in his shiny white Volvo to pick you up.

* On either side of you on the front porch are Carmen and Kate with their most fierce expressions (and behind them is Eleazer who just looks like he’s along for the ride)

* “Where are you going?” Kate asks

* “Our home on the other side of the mountain, you’ve been there before” Edwards got a small smile curling in his lips, and an eyebrow raised.

* “What will you do?” Carmen asks

* “My family’s having a board game night, I think we’re playing monopoly”

* “What time will you bring them home?” Kate intervenes, man they’re not even pretending to be polite

* “Well it’s not a school night-“ Seeing his joke isn’t going to land, he rethinks his words midway

* “Whenever they tell me to.”

* You’re half expecting to get a curfew, even though this household seems to operate without the concept of time, when Eleazer interjects

* “Well be safe, and have a good time.” He slides a backpack up your shoulders. “I packed you some blood bags in case you get hungry, Henrietta’s since I know that’s your favourite.”

* He’s the only one waving as you get into Edward’s car

* The view as you drive is breath taking, the snow covered mountains, abs crisp green trees

* Edward laughs beside you, at your awestruck expression no doubt

* “You don’t get out much do you?”

* You have your nose practically pressed to the glass

* “Not at all.”

* The Cullen’s home is reminiscent of the one from the movies. All light, with glass everywhere. It’s like a aurora, all wavy with no true shape

* “Welcome to our home (Y/N)” Carlisle greats you first, and behind him is... Esme

* She’s not at all like the books or the movie

* She’s definitely not white, you can’t tell exactly what race, but she’s definitely a POC.

* Her caramel cheekbones seem even more prominent when she offers you a smile.

* “It’s so nice to finally meet you, I’m Esme.”

* For some reason her being a POC, makes you feel more comfortable around her.

* Maybe you will ask her to draw up those plans for a proper barn.

* Edward stifles a laugh behind you, and you raise an eyebrow.

* “Emmett is dying to meet you upstairs.”

* You follow Edward up the stairs, finally meeting the family that spawned four books and a movie franchise.

* None of them look like they’re actor counterparts

* For one Emmett is black. And also really handsome, he’s got this Chadwick Boseman look alike thing going on and you’re down for it (RIP)

* Rosalie looks basically the way she was described in the books, all blonde hair and angel faced, but she’s the only one

* Alice is definitely Asian, she kinda looks like Lana Condor

* Jasper.... is ambiguously brown, but it still makes you let out a sigh of relief when you remember he was a Major in the CONFEDERATE army.

* More to the story than someone who was blatantly racist and supported slavery.

* They’re all beautiful, and they terrify you. You’re not exactly sure why, but something primal in you tells you to run away as fast as you can.

* But Edward lightly brushed the small of your back, pushing you forward. Right into the lions den.

* “Hello, I’m Rosalie”

* Looks like they picked her to be their spokesperson, all glittering smiles and flawless cheekbones. She extends her hand, and you lightly grasp it.

* “It’s nice to meet you.”

* It’s surreal to think how you know almost everything about this girl, while you two are virtually strangers

* Jasper introduces himself next, all smiles and quiet gentlemanly behavior.

* You’re not really sure what to expect with Alice, from what you know this girl has seen every future you could possibly have.

* Who knows what she saw

* But when she stands she hugs you

* “It’s good to see you!”

* “Alice, you haven’t introduced yourself”

* “Oh, right. I’m Alice”

* Emmett claps you on the back like you’re an old friend.

* “So, I heard you used to hang out with the sadist twins in the Volturi”

* You can practically feel the tension in the air, even Edward winces

* “They’re not so bad” really, what did anyone expect when they were in that environment

* Emmett grins

* “That’s bad ass”

* The rest of the night passes in a blur. The cullen’s game of monopoly includes some monstrous version where they put 8 different themed boards together and play in teams (You’re obviously on Edward and Alice’s team)

* They also have some sort of structure where they put four hotels together and called it a mega-hotel

* The whole thing blows up when Emmett accused Alice and Edward of using their powers to cheat

* “What do you want me to do, I can’t turn it off when I want Emmett, trust me I would especially when you and-“

* “Oh shut up Emmett, like we haven’t noticed Rosalie has an awful lot of $500 bills” Jasper interjects

* “It’s because you always pay me rent in small change!” She screams

* “Now-“ Carlisle tried to interject but Alice stands up

* “That’s a lie! I saw you steal from the bank several times when Esme wasn’t looking” Alice screams

* It goes on like this until Carlisle Declares the game over, and shoos everyone away.

* “Sorry, I would say it’s usually not like this, but I would be lying” Edward grins and you shrug

* “It was pretty fun and... entertaining in its own way” Edward beams at you, and once again, you definitely feel the dazzling effect Bella described in the movies

* “Should I... take you home now?” You can tell he doesn’t want to take you back yet, and if you’re being honest you don’t want to go back either

* The Cullen’s house has so much light, and you can see the stars so clearly here

* And if you’re being honest things seem to be way more entertaining here

* Edward takes you to a nook which houses a grand piano

* You’re fingers instinctively roam over the keys.

* “Do you play?”

* “Just a bit”

* You’re not the one who knew how to play, not really. But now this body is yours. You’ve thought about asking Carmen for a Piano, you’re sure they would love something that adds to the gothic feel of the mansion, but always cast it aside.

* You’re busy enough with your research.

* “Play me something” Edward grins.

* Alec had said the same thing to you when you were first taken by the Volturi, at the time your mind had raced wondering which piece would impress him the most. Which would aide in your survival.

* But looking at Edward now, you know that it’s not the same situation.

* He really does want you to play whatever your heart desires

* So you play “Love like you”, accompanied by your quiet voice reciting the lyrics

* At some point Edward sits beside you, playing in a deeper key, adding another layer of depth to your performance

* Wordlessly, afterwards he plays a piece of his own, Claire de Lune. Which you know is a remarkably hard piece.

* Still halfway you chime in, your super human fingers keeping up with him with ease

* And so it goes on like this, you play a modern song, waiting for him to catch up and he does the same with a classic

* Like a never ending game of cat and mouse

* It stops abruptly when Edward is in the middle of “moonlight sonata” when Alice clears her throat from behind you.

* “I hate to disturb,” there’s a teasing grin arched on her face. “But if you don’t drop them off, Carmen and Tanya are going to come over personally to retrieve them-“

* You see Edward wince, no doubt reviving Alice’s vision through his ability

* “And I don’t think anyone wants that.”

* You nod, moving to grab your backpack when you overhear Alice say-

* “You never let me play like that with you”

* Edward let’s out some sort of noise akin to a scoff

* “Where did you learn those songs?” He asks when you’re on the road

* Well you can’t tell him they’re from artists who aren’t known yet

* “Personal compositions” you murmur, and Edward grins his dazzling grin

* You talk about nothing but music until you pull into the familiar circle driveway of the manse

* Right when you’re about to thank him for a fun time, he gently stops you with a fleeting touch to your shoulder.

* “I’m graduating next month,” he hands you an envelope which you assume has his graduation card. “I was wondering if you would like to come to the ceremony.”

* You hold the card with both hands stunned, he’s already graduating high school?

* That means only 4 more years until he moves to Forks, and another two until he meets Bella

* And you realize that while time is frozen for both of you until the end of the universe, you’re the only one who isn’t moving forward

* “Yeah, I’d love that!”

* You try your best to smile, but your sure it comes off looking strange

* You don’t talk to anyone, heading straight for your bedroom

* What’s next for you?

[khaleesiofalicante]

LIGHTWOOD BANES WEEK - ALEC & RAFE

“All good?” Alec knocked on the door.

He sounded calm - but only because he tried his best not to sound as excited as felt. He had been waiting for this day for quite a long time and he couldn’t believe it was all happening.

There was no response from the other side so Alec knocked again. No response. Maybe Rafe had overslept. Alec did notice that the light in the room hadn't gone out till early morning.

“Alright, I am coming in,” Alec said and gently pushed the door open.

He saw his son sitting on the bed, still in his purple pyjamas, hugging his knees to his chest. He kept his eyes to the floor and avoided Alec’s worried gaze. Alec didn't know what was wrong but he wished Magnus was here - he would know how to deal with this.

His way of dealing with it would of course to make an ill timed joke. Maybe Alec should try that.

“I know your bapa taught you that being fashionably late is cool,” Alec said with a grin. “But you can't be late to your own rune ceremony, buddy.”

Rafe looked up with an incredulous look on his face, he seemed a little exasperated. Alright maybe Alec wasn't the funny dad. So he tried to use his own tactics.

He knelt down in front his son and scanned Rafe’s face. “I know it is a little scary to get your first rune, but it doesn't hurt as much as you think, I promise. You are a shadowhunter. You will get used to it.”

Rafe looked away.

“What if I didn't want to be a shadowhunter?”

Something in Alec’s heart stopped or broke or burst into a million pieces. He wasn't sure and it didn't matter. He wasn't concerned by the heart inside his body. He was concerned about the little heart in front of him.

“Rafael,” Alec said softly. “What's wrong?”

The boy took a deep breath and looked up at him. “I am not just any shadowhunter, am I?”

Alec cocked his head in confusion.

“I am not just any shadowhunter,” Rafael repeated. “I am a Lightwood.”

Alec couldn’t help but smile a little at that and put his hand on Rafael’s shoulder. “Yes. Yes, you are. You’re a Lightwood.”

Rafael pushed it away. “But I am not, aren't I?”

“What do you mean?” Alec asked, genuinely confused.

“I am both a Lightwood and I am not,” Rafael explained frustratedly.

“Rafe, wha-”

“I am the son of the Consul, a hero of the Dark War and the founder of the Shadowhunter Downworlder Alliance,” Rafael said as if he was reciting a practiced speech.

Alec would have blushed in any other situation but right now he was only worried. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Rafe shook his head. “You did everything right and I...I am just worried that I won't.”

“Rafael,” Alec sighed. “You are not me. You don't have to do what I did or do.”

“But it isn't just about you,” Rafael bit his lip. “It’s all of you. Every single one. Aunt Izzy is one of the best fighters in the world. Abuelo was the freaking inquisitor and Uncle Jace...Well, he is Uncle Jace.”

Alec didn't know what to do. In this head, he heard Magnus’s voice when he spoke to Max when their blueberry got too stressed during their magic lessons.

“Smell the flowers and blow the candles,” Magnus would tell their son.

Alec took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

“Do you want me to tell you that you are going to be great just like all of us?” Alec asked, even though he knew the answer.

“No, I don't want you do that,” Rafael said stubbornly. “Because I know I won't be.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because I am not a Lightwood, dad,” Rafael almost shouted. “Not really. I am just..I am just some boy you found in the streets. So whatever genes that make you the rest of you amazing and awesome and cool and perfect - it’s not gonna work for me.”

Alec stared at his son then. Rafael's body was hunched as if he was protecting himself from everything the world was going through at him after today.

It wasn't easy being a shadowhunter - and it definitely wasn't easy being a Lightwood.

Rafael looked at him in the eye then, his lips wobbling a little. “I am scared I won't be good enough.”

He looked at those tiny little shoulders and realized the amount of pressure that sat on them. Alec had once been worried about not being able to fill the shoes of his ancestors - of not being able to bring his parents glory. He had been terrified of not being good enough to bear his family name. The Lightwood name.

Now his son was feeling the very same. Alec wondered whether all shadowhunters felt this way at one point or another.  

“Listen,” Alec said gently. “Izzy is the best at what she does because she trains every single day. Not because she is a Lightwood. Yes, my dad was the inquisitor but he wasn't perfect. Lightwoods make mistakes too. And regardless of whether he is a Lightwood or a Herondale or Wayland, Uncle Jace is Uncle Jace not because he was born to be that person but because he choose to be. And I...I might be the Consul but I was a scared little boy for a long time too.”

Rafael still looked unconvinced and frustrated and stubborn.

“I am not going to say your last name doesn't matter. It does and it always will. We are treated differently than others because of our last name. We have been given chances and opportunities because of our last name.”

“Your tutor,” Raphael said weakly. “He was punished worse...”

Magnus and Alec had decided long ago that it was imperative for their children to know their history - all of it and from all sides.

“He got the worst of it and my parents didn't - because they are Lightwoods,” Alec admitted.

Alec looked at his son and spoke in a tone that Magnus often called his ‘Consul voice’.

“It is an honour to be a Lightwood. Our name has power and privilege,” Alec told his son. “But it is also a responsibility.”

Rafael nodded meekly. “I am responsible to uphold our family name?” his son asked in a quiet tone.

“No,” Alec said. “You are responsible to use this power and privilege to help those who don't have it.”

Rafael looked up then.

“You are not wrong to be afraid, Rafe. You are a smart kid and you are right. People will see you differently and hold you accountable to higher standards. I know it's not fair. Sometimes it can be difficult. People will always expect you to be a certain way because of your last name or your gender or your race or so many other things...But you need to be true to yourself. That’s what it means to be a Lightwood.”

Rafael sat up straight, listening intently now.

“Your mandate as a shadowhunter is to defend what is good and protect what is innocent,” Alec said firmly. “But your mandate as a Lightwood is to fight for yourself.”

“Like you did?” Rafe asked, his lips curving, just a little.

“And like so many others before,” Alec smiled. “Some day soon, your bapa will tell you about other Lightwoods who fought for themselves - Christopher and Anna and Thomas and so many others.”

Rafael actually smiled then - he always liked listening to his bapa’s stories.

“If you don't want to be a shadowhunter, then we will not force you,” Alec said seriously now. “All we want is for you to be happy. To be yourself.”

“I do want to be a shadowhunter,” Rafael confessed in a whisper. “I am just...scared. I am scared that I won't be good enough. I am scared that people will think I am not good enough.”

“As was I, Rafe,” Alec said softly, rubbing his son’s cheek. “I sometimes still feel like I am not good enough. When you feel that way, just give your best shot and remember that it is more than enough. It doesn't matter what other people think or say. That’s one more Lightwood trait for you. We don't let other people tell us who we are. We decide it for ourselves.”

“But I do care about what you think," Rafael said in a small voice. "Do you think I'm gonna be a good shadowhunter?”

“100%," Alec said without hesitation.

“How do you know?” Rafe asked skeptically.

“Because you are not even a shadowhunter yet and you are already trying to figure out how to be a good one,” Alec laughed. “A good fighter is always prepared. You are going to be just fine.”

“Because my last name is Lightwood?” Rafael teased.

“Because your last name is Lightwood-Bane,” Alec corrected with a grin. “Now I know there aren't many Banes and I myself know only one. But he is the best man I know.”

“He is the best I man I know too,” Rafe grinned. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Alec grinned back.

“Okay then,” Rafael hopped off the bed and walked towards his closet - which was larger than Alec’s own. “Let’s get dressed for my big day.”

“I am afraid my amazing, awesome, cool and perfect Lightwood genes are not going to be very helpful here,” Alec ruffled his son’s hair. 

Rafael giggled as he excitedly picked a red shirt from his closet. Alec looked at his son and walked back and knelt down again.

“I just want you to remember one thing,” Alec stared into his son’s eyes. “You were never just some boy found in the streets. I knew you were mine the moment I saw you. I knew you were my baby even then.”

“I know, dad,” Rafael replied shyly.  

“No matter what anyone says, you are a Lightwood and you will always be my son.”

Rafael put his arms around his neck and hugged Alec tightly. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alec kissed the top of his head and walked back to the door. “Now hurry up and get dressed. Your Consul commands it.”

“Boludo,” he heard his son chuckle and Alec couldn't help but chuckle himself.

[plus-size-reader]

Angel Blood

Clary Fray x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 2113 words

Warnings: none

Summary: The reader has been protecting Clary all her life, and hiding a huge secret. 

—————————————————————————————————

Clary was almost positive that she was out of her mind. 

After everything she’d seen at the club tonight, she had to be going crazy. 

Of course she was because there was no other explanation for what was going on. Everything that she had seen, everything that was going on, it wasn’t real. 

There was no way any of this was real. 

People didn’t just vanish out of thin air ever, and that thing in the club had tentacles in its face, not to mention the fact that she was ninety-nine percent sure that she had killed a guy. It was hardly what she’d expected from her eighteenth birthday when she woke up this morning.

Still, she knew what she saw.

There was no way to explain it, and she was sure that she was going insane, but at least she knew what she had seen. 

If there was anything she had, it was that, and thankfully, it was more than enough for you to help her. When she told you what had happened, you believed her completely and totally, which did make her feel a little better. 

Though, to be fair, you knew a lot more about this than she did. 

This was in her blood.

Clary was a shadowhunter, she was born for this, and while it didn’t make sense now, you were sure that she would adjust. All she needed was time, and a little guidance, which you and the others would be able to give her. 

Not that you wanted Jace to be involved at all. 

After all, it was his idea to bring her back to the institute, which was a terrible idea from the start. Mundanes couldn’t be here, ever, and there wasn’t supposed to be any exceptions to that, even where Clary was concerned. 

She couldn’t just be here. 

You told Jace that as soon as he got back, holding her tight to his chest all full of demon venom, but were immediately ignored by the male. He had already made up his mind, and when he did that, there was nothing you could do to stop him. 

Logic didn’t have a place in Jace’s mind. 

In general, this wasn’t something that you tended to deal in because mundane business wasn’t for you to worry about but for some reason, he had this idea that he had to save her. 

He wanted to keep her safe. 

You understood that this mattered to him, for whatever reason, but this was a bit much.

Alec made the argument that bringing her here was dangerous for not only her but also everyone else in the building, and this was one of those rare instances where you found yourself inclined to agree with him.

Jace had gone too far and now, he’d managed to rope you all in with him. 

It was insane. 

You had been watching over her and Jocelyn all your life, but now, Jace had just swooped in to save the day. It was something that there was no going back from and you just had to hope that when Clary woke up, she’d be able to handle it. 

“How could you be so reckless?” you huffed, protecting Clary was your job. 

You had been her best friend forever and you were someone she was familiar with. If anyone was going to take care of her in Jocelyn’s absence, it should have been you. 

It was literally all you were here for, but in typically Jace Wayland fashion, he had found a way to take that out from under you as well. 

Now, you were going to have to get past him to do anything, like you always had to, as if the other shadowhunters needed another reason to doubt your abilities.  

“I saved her life, shouldn’t you be thanking me?” he grinned, that telling smirk on his face that remained there indefinitely. Normally, you would have just shrugged him off but today you could have knocked off if you felt so inclined. 

He could be so frustrating sometimes, so sure of himself that no one else mattered. 

It was nearly enough to drive you out of your mind. 

In all the years that you had known Clary, you had kept a close relationship with all of the shadowhunters as well. You were one of them, and though this life was a difficult one, hiding it from Clary and all, it was just what you had to do. 

You had to protect her, more than anything else, and as difficult as it was, that was all that mattered at the end of the day. 

Jocelyn loved you like a child of her own, she trusted you with her secrets and most importantly, she trusted you to protect Clary when she couldn’t. That was the whole reason you were here, the whole reason you had been by her side for so many years. 

At this point, you loved her more than anyone and you certainly didn’t want her getting involved with Jace Wayland.

Not because you were jealous, of course, but because you wanted what was best for her. 

That was all.  

“I’ll thank you when I’m sure she’s safe” you countered, gingerly brushing a lock of her hair from her face, where it had fallen in the entire tussle. She was in a lot of pain, with the venom taking its toll on her, but her body was taking the healing rune well. 

She was going to be fine. 

However, until she was awake and calmed down, you weren’t going to be able to relax. 

For whatever reason, this was the most stressful thing you’d ever gone through. You’d had years to go run through this in your mind, but now that it was happening, you were lost. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. 

Jocelyn had been careful, crazy even, so that Clary wouldn’t find out about who and what she was before you were ready to deal with it, but now, you were on your own. She wasn’t here to help you figure this out. 

For now, Jocelyn was gone and you just had to do your best to explain this whole thing to her. 

“She’s going to be fine, she’s one of us. She’s strong” Jace shrugged, looking down at her from where he was at your side, still doing his best to figure out what it was about her that was so special. 

Clearly, she had made an imprint on the both of you and he wasn’t even sure why yet. To be fair though, he didn’t know her like you did. 

He never could. 

“Yeah, that’s one thing we can agree on” you allowed, gingerly giving him a shrug. You weren’t sure what it was you were going to do when she woke up, or how blending your two worlds into one would work, but before you could worry about it, she shot up in bed. 

The action was quick and startled you slightly but you didn’t pay that any mind. Instead, you sat down beside her and did the only thing you knew to do, the thing you were best at. 

You tried to calm her down. 

Even now, that was all you could think about. 

“Good Morning sleepyhead” you tried, doing your best to stay calm, but it was a sad attempt at best. You were clearly shaken, startled over her abrupt awakening, but thankfully, Clary was still a little out of it.

To her, this whole thing must have felt like a dream, so she only smiled at you at first. What had happened today was the last thing on her mind as she looked at you, at least, for a few seconds. 

However, as soon as she reached up and grazed the portal shard hanging around her neck, she panicked. The object brought back everything she’d gone through in the past few hours and the recollection she had was distressing to her. 

No one in their right mind would handle it well, you knew that without a shadow of a doubt. 

While you weren’t surprised by the world you’d grown up in, you weren’t under any illusions as to how jarring it must have been to her. Waking up in this place was more than enough to freak her out, and Jace certainly wasn’t helping either. 

“What is going on? Where are we? Where is my mother?” she asked, immediately bringing all the current issues to the forefront. 

They were swirling around in her head, looming over her, and not one of them made sense. It was too much and you definitely couldn’t blame her for being overwhelmed. 

“We will explain everything Clary, trust me” you hummed, taking her hand in your own in one final attempt at comforting her. You had no idea how this would go, but if nothing else, at least she was at the institute now. 

As difficult as Jace could be to deal with, you knew that she would be safe as long as he was looking out for her. 

At the very least, you could give him that.

~

Jace wasn’t exactly thrilled when you asked her for a moment alone with Clary to explain but eventually, he decided that it would just be best to do as you asked. The two of you had an understanding, that it would be much better to just try to find common ground. 

Besides, Jace wasn’t exactly the best one to tell her everything, not when there was so much technical history to bring her up to speed on. 

She needed you. 

“What is going on?” she repeated, not speaking again until you returned to her bedside, having stepped away for a moment to ask Jace for some privacy. She had no idea what was going on yet, and unfortunately, you weren’t sure your explanation would help. 

There was just too much happening in your world to sum up in one conversation. 

Still, you knew that you had to try. 

“I’ll fill you in more as it comes up, but there are some things I need to tell you before then” you started, hoping that the more you filled her in, the easier this would get for her to digest, but that wasn’t going to happen. 

Mundanes couldn’t handle the world outside that they were used to, and while Clary wasn’t necessarily mundane, she had been raised that way. Until you figured out what Jocelyn wanted for her, you had to just fly by the seat of your pants through this whole thing. 

“We’re Shadowhunters, Clar” you hummed, giving her a soft smile as you often did while looking at her. Even now, as disoriented and lost as she was, she was the most beautiful girl you’d ever seen. 

Hopefully as this whole thing came into the light, you would actually see the benefits of bringing her fully into your world. 

At least she would understand you completely now. 

“We have angel blood, and that makes it our responsibility to protect the human world from demons and other downworlders” you tried, finding it much more difficult to sum up everything that being a shadowhunter intold than you would have thought. 

It was really complicated.

Still, Clary didn’t seem completely lost as you assumed she would. She was bewildered of course, but she was silent by the time you’d finished, startling you that much more. For whatever reason, it was more alarming than if she would have freaked out. 

It just made you worry that much more that she was losing it. 

“I know it’s a lot, but I’m going to be here the whole time to help you figure it out. You’re going to be okay” 

The words came out forced but you really meant them. It wasn’t going to be easy, but you knew that no matter what came your way, the two of you would be able to deal with it. 

You always had, and now that the rest of the shadowhunters were involved, it would be even easier. 

You could do this. 

“Please don’t leave, there’s no way I can manage all this without you” she hummed, after a few seconds of silence as she thought over what you were suggesting. She had lost way too much already and if she had to do this without you, she’d be completely lost. 

She couldn’t do this without you. 

“Clar, I’m not going anywhere” you promised, this time fully confident in the words leaving your lips. You loved Clary, and whether or not she knew it, there was nothing you wouldn’t do for her. 

No matter what happened, nothing was going to happen to her. 

[carmenlire]

The Dead Lay Waiting

read on ao3

It seems like a nightmare but Magnus can’t wake up no matter how hard he pinches himself.

It’s a sight he never wanted to see-- Alec in his arms, blood pouring from him until the stench is thick enough to suffocate them, until Magnus can taste copper and his stomach roils.

Holding it together takes more from him than it maybe should, he thinks. Alec’s isn’t the first body he’s held as it went limp and cold and his husband’s eyes are from the first to have lost their light right before him.

Still. Something swirls in his gut and it’s black and putrid and Magnus, in all his overwhelming grief, already knows that the effects of his storm will be both catastrophic and stark.

The battle rages around them but Magnus doesn’t care-- can’t-- not when Alec’s heart is so weak he can barely feel the pulse even with his magic.

Without a conscious thought, he’s gathering his love as gently as he can and the magic that envelopes them is a dull shade of purple, his anger clashing with the gentleness he’ll always shower Alec with, even or especially if it’s the last thing he can do.

Magnus hears Jace yell, picks up on Isabelle’s sharp cry as he takes Alexander with him through the portal, but he pays them no mind. Alec is dead weight in his arms.

Stepping into his apothecary, it’s the work of a moment to summon a hospital bed. Alec’s shirt is in ruins, his thigh is mangled, the right side of his face deeply bruised.

His chest isn’t moving.

“No, Alexander,” Magnus whispers, taking a crucial moment to lean over his husband, to swipe a feather-light touch over his unmarred cheek. “Stay with me, darling. I need you to stay. I love you. I love you so much, my darling.”

Alec doesn’t answer because he can’t and the silence in the instant after those words fall like lead from Magnus’s lips is the worst moment of Magnus’s life. Alec always offers the words back-- even when he’s mostly asleep, even when they’re fighting, even when he’s not fully present, like it’s autopilot for Alec to tell Magnus he loves him, a pavlovian response.

Now there’s nothing and Magnus wants to scream himself hoarse.

His breath shudders. Feeling like his very bones are cracking under the gaping chasm of grief threatening to swallow him whole, Magnus can’t focus on anything but Alec’s heart.

The loft is preternaturally still as he brings a hand swimming in blue to his husband’s chest and feels for a thready heartbeat.

There’s nothing.

He gasps and it’s a horrid, desperate sound. He prods his magic deeper and-- there’s still nothing.

Alec’s life force is gone. He’s empty, left for dead. There’s nothing there and there’s a split moment where Magnus’s shoulders slump and a sob catches in his throat. He feels his own ruin staring at him, mocking and absolute but before he quite knows what’s happened, he’s snapping around toward his shelves full of every kind of magic book.

He’s hardly aware of what he’s doing. Magnus is aware of every second passing, his own heart keeping time enough for the both of them.

It feels like an eternity as he tosses books aside as soon as they prove worthless. The apothecary holds some of his most treasured texts, the ones he most regularly uses for potions and spell work. But they aren’t worth a damn now, he thinks bitterly, throwing another one out of his way as soon as he realizes it’s nothing but a list of plants and their perfectly sanguine medicinal purposes.

No, he thinks, a little crazed. He needs something else.

It’s with that thought in mind, that Magnus leaves the apothecary. Trying to ignore the voice that whispers, and Alec too, he strides through their loft to his library.

Over the years, this library has become an amalgamation of both his and Alec’s interests. There are Alec’s romance novels taking up one section and his own true crime paperbacks taking up their own set of shelves. There’s one entire wall dedicated to his expansive magical collection, though-- volumes that are rarely used or that he only bought for their historical or monetary value.

Here is where he will find a way to save Alec.

That’s what Magnus tells himself because he quite simply refuses to entertain the idea that his love is dead. He can’t stop to dwell on that sentiment too long or he knows he’d go mad so Magnus does what he does best.

He puts his head down and works.

He’s a little more considerate with these books. Some have been magically preserved through the decades and still others are even too delicate for that preservation method. There’s one book in his collection that Magnus tries to ignore but he knows it’s futile.

There’s a part of him that knew as soon as Alec’s chest stopped moving but it felt like his own heart stopped beating, that this is where things would end for him.

Or begin, he thinks. This will just be a start of a new chapter.

No matter what, he's saving his Alec. What will return to him will be Alec. At the end of the day, that's all Magnus needs.

The binding is inconspicuous enough. No title, no author. Magnus himself doesn’t even know the creator of the spells and potions inside. Green leather bounds the book-- not so dark as to warn the prospective reader of its contents but an almost offensive jade.

It reminds Magnus of spring and in this moment, it’s almost enough to ruin him anew.

The library is silent. It’s just him and what he’s about to do.

If Magnus could slow down enough to use his head, he’d know that what he’s contemplating isn’t just ill-advised. It’s damn near illegal. Definitely morally reprehensible. Still, the consequences aren’t enough to deter him, not when he’s looking at the prospect of living an eternity without his husband. That is a hell Magnus simply refuses to experience.

Raising the dead is complicated. Sometimes what returns is different. Not totally changed, just different. A little more this, a little less that. Not enough to be unrecognizable but just enough so that if you know what to look for, you'll find it. Still. Magnus has promised to love Alec in sickness and in health, through everything, until the end of it all and that's just what he plans to do.

He knows what he wants and what he wants is Alec, whatever way he can have him. That's all that matters.

So, he opens the book. He scours the contents, running a finger along lines of text as he devours each critical step in an arduous process.

With this kind of spell work, time is of the essence. Magnus doesn’t sleep, doesn’t rest as he collects all of his ingredients for the potion. There are one or two that are so far reaching that he has to call a few contacts, some of his more unsavory consultants that don’t ask questions.

Which is best for all involved because Magnus would not be answering anything about what he’s up to tonight. If all goes according to plan, that will just be his and Alexander’s little secret. No one needs to know the lengths he's gone to. Magnus has always been able to deflect better than most and this will become just another mystery that surrounds him and Alec by proxy.

It takes an hour to bribe and threaten his way towards a complete ingredient list and another half an hour of running through the spell work. Going into the apothecary feels like his own brand of death sentence. He carefully avoids looking at Alec, doesn’t think he could continue if he saw blue lips and stiff muscles as rigor mortis works through his beloved’s body.

Just reciting the words in his head leaves him feeling restless, tongue heavy. The consonants are thick, vowels stretching too thin. He hasn’t used this language in a century or two-- since that time with Asmodeus, best left unexplored.

He perseveres.

It’s close to dawn when he feels ready.

Looking over at Alec, his heart aches. It’s grief, an insurmountable tide of it. It’s overwhelming in its gentleness because Magnus knows that he will save Alec. He knows it isn’t too late. He knows what must be done and he is willing to pay this price and much more besides to feel his Alexander’s heart beating under his ear.

The grief and rage are almost in the background now, an echo of what could be if Magnus was anyone else or if he loved Alec just one bit less than he does. He’s said for years that there are no limits where Alec is concerned and this is him crossing the line of what should be.

What should be is Magnus and Alec, happily ever after. That’s what will be, by the grace of every molecule of power that he possesses.

Before the hard part starts, Magnus walks over to Alec, his beautiful husband, and watches him for a long moment. He studies the shadows his lashes leave on his cheeks, the dark hair that’s just started to show dashing threads of silver, a body his husband keeps fit and toned even if he so rarely goes out into the field these days.

Unlike last night, he thinks bitterly and spares a brief but hopeless moment to think that maybe this will make Alec less likely to run out and try to save the world himself.

“I love you, Alexander,” Magnus whispers in the space between their lips, before laying a gentle kiss on his cool mouth. “Please forgive me.”

Clearing his throat as he straightens, it’s the work of a moment to skim the lines of the spell one last time. The potion sits where it needs to brew for a few more minutes at his side, a ghastly red.

The color of dried blood, of crushed petals. It looks toxic and smells just as putrid.

The words seem to fight Magnus on their way out. The words feel dredged in oil, coated in tar as they slide down his tongue into the quiet room. Shadows lengthen and the light makes way for whatever malignant power Magnus is harnessing.

Black lines creep from Alec’s heart and into his arms, up his neck, under the deflect rune.

Hands shaking with the effort-- for all that the book spelled out exactly what had to be done, only a warlock of the highest ability could manage to pull such a thing off. It’s considerable effort for otherworldly reward.

Finally, with the last syllable falling from his mouth, Magnus picks up the potion and carefully lift’s Alec’s head. His voice is low, cajoling as he forces his husband’s mouth open and pours the disgusting mixture down his throat.

There’s a moment of pure silence. It feels like all of the air in the loft has been vacuumed out and Magnus himself gasps in the vast emptiness.

And then all hell breaks loose.

Every light in the apothecary-- and if Magnus had to hazard a guess, their city block-- explodes and leaves him in the dark. He doesn’t know it but there’s a citywide blackout that will take most of the morning to fix, New York’s power grid almost collapsing completely.

But that doesn’t matter.

Magnus hears Alec’s first shaky inhale. It isn’t a desperate gasp, just a quiet intake of breath. Like he’s surprised, like he hasn’t been clinically dead for almost four hours.

His magic rejoices at once, the apothecary lighting up in brilliant blue. Magnus watches as his husband’s eyes open. They’re empty for just a moment before they turn stunned.

And then furious.

“Magnus,” Alec rasps. He reaches out and he’s not weak when he closes a hand around Magnus’s arm. There’s no tremor. He's every bit the shadowhunter, strong and unyielding. “What the fuck did you do?”

Magnus knows there will be hell to pay. He doesn’t give a damn, not when the alternative is so much worse. “I saved you, darling.”

Alec doesn’t say anything for a moment but Magnus isn’t fooled. He knew Alec wouldn’t be pleased but that isn’t what concerns him anyway. No, the real trouble will lurk outside of their home.

There will be questions. Rumors. Whispers.

His thoughts cut off when Alec leans up and kisses Magnus. There’s dried blood in the corner of his lips and his mouth tastes like that horrifying potion but Magnus can’t get enough. Some sound escapes him and it sounds wretched, equal parts desperation and relief.

Alec is it for him. He’s always known it but now, if possible, it’s even more true. He belongs to Alec just as Alec belongs to him and sure what Magnus did was dangerous and foolhardy but he’s always been both of those when it comes to his husband, for Alec.

When the kiss breaks apart, they’re both breathing hard and it makes Magnus’s heart sing, to hear Alec’s lungs working so beautifully.

His Alexander leans forward slowly until their foreheads touch. “You shouldn’t have done that, babe. You should have let me go.”

There’s only one answer to that, one that Magnus will defend to his own dying breath.

“I’ll never let you go, Alexander. But you already know that.”

Magnus feels more than sees Alec’s mouth tilt up, equal parts exasperated but knowing.

“Yeah,” he breathes. “I know.”

[volturicangetit]

A.V/J.V- Loved at last

Summary: After getting rejected by your imprints, Emmett and Rosalie, you needed a fresh start. So you go to Italy where you meet two interesting vampires. Maybe they can show you what’s it’s like to be loved.

Reqeust: YES/no @rexburn12​  : Where Male Reader Was Banished From La Push For Imprinting On Emmett, and Rosalie They Reject Him Which Almost Kills Him, and Makes Reader Extremely Sad and Reader Moves To Volterra, Italy To Work As A Mechanic. Alec and Jane Smell A Amazing Scent They Follow It To See Their Mate Reader At Home Who Looks Sad Which Makes Them Growl in Anger and It Catches Reader's Attention He Looks At Them, and Imprints On Them Making Him Shocked. Since Imprinting Is A One Time Thing For Shifters.

Warnings: swearing, self hate

Wordcount: 3226

A/N: I’m turning 17 tomorrow ( may 19 )! I can’t really celebrate my birthday but at least I can celebrate it with my parents and siblings. Also I’m born on the same day as Jojo Siwa so that....nice?

PART TWO

MASTERLIST

Saying that you ' hate yourself ' can't even express the amount of disgust you feel towards yourself. You know that it's something you can't control, something that isn't a choice. But still feel like it's your fault that you imprinted on not one, but two vampires. You didn't even know that it was possible to imprint on something that died decades ago. The fact that they both rejected you didn't help. You knew that they wouldn't love you but you were hoping to at least be friends.

" You fucking what? " Rosalie screams at the top of her dead lungs. You flinch as she takes a step towards you, lowering your head. " They can't control it, " Carlisle tries to reason, but Rosalie and Emmett ignore him. You feel Emmet wrap his hands around you and lift you off the ground. Within a second you're outside of the house where he roughly pushes you onto the ground, right into the mud. You sit there on your hands and knees trying to regain yourself which is very fucking difficult when your covered in mud and getting soaked slowly by the rain pouring down on you. It was like the universe wanted you to suffer even more.

" Did you seriously think that we would accept you? You're a fucking dog. " Rosalie says as she and Emmet are standing on their porch. It's only now that you see the contrast between you all. They're standing dry in their expensive house while you're laying in the mud, which comforts you for some odd reason. You stand up quickly, pushes some of the rain of off your face.

" Please, you know I wouldn't have come here if I could just go without you. ". Your voice cracks at every word. You came here vulnerable and onto the land of your enemies. If Sam knows that you're here, he will rip your head off. Emmett shakes his head but doesn't say anything. He can't bring himself to do so. Sure, he wants to scream at you. To yell some words at you he knows he's going to regret but it's like his mind has shut off. Rosalie, on the other hand, can't stop the words from flowing out. " Go away, you disgusting thing. "

You let yourself slide down the side onto the floor of your shower. The water streaming down onto your already burning skin is way too hot, yet you don't care. You don't deserve nice warm showers. No, you deserve scolding hot showers that makes your skin feel like it's going to fall off. A sob breaks out of your body, causing your shoulder to rumble along with it. You tried so hard to stop yourself from crying. But now you let it all out. Every emotion, every pent up bit of anger, every sad thought. It all comes it whether you want it to or not. Whines and groans come out of your mouth along with the sobs. You know the other pack members can hear you, not just crying, but also through your mental bond. Their voices and questions of concern are being blocked out by you. The only thing you can hear if your own sobbing and a dull ringing in your ears.

You don't know how long you've sat in the shower, but you do know that you're going to have a ridiculously high water bill this month. When you get out of the shower and have gotten dressed in a simple pair of sweat pants and a sweater you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. You stop in your track and stare at your own reflection. Your face seems foreign to you. Your normally gleeful eyes are now puffy and look so sickly that you might as well be dead. Your lips are broken from all the screaming and biting at them you've done. It looks weird to see yourself look so broken, but then again, it is said that rejection by your imprint is sometimes not even survived. " What's going on? ". You jump a little as you quickly turn around to see Paul standing behind you. He's leaning against the doorframe, glancing between you and the mirror. " Nothing, you lie. ".

" Oh, come one. We can hear your thoughts, remember? " he says as he taps his temple with his pointer finger. You nod, still looking down at the ground. When you remain quiet, Paul sighs and pulls you into a hug. You freeze at first. He never hugged you, or anyone for that matter. " Those bloodsuckers rejected you? ". You nod as you bury your face into his chest. You needed this. A hug, to help ground you and get you back to reality. " They don't deserve you, you know? ".

" I think I...I think I need to go away for a while, " you keep your voice soft while you speak to try and keep it from cracking. Paul nods before he lets his chin rest on top of your head. " How about Italy? The weather is a lot better there. I know some people there, " Paul suggests. You pull him closer to you. Italy. Nice, warm Italy. Away from Emmett and Rosalie, away from the pack. It will hurt like shit, but it's the best for you. A fresh start. A normal life. No vampires living right next door, no pack fights, no drama between Jacob, Bella and Edward. Just you and Italy. " Yeah, it sounds nice, "

---

Two months. Two months without cloudly Forks. It has done you good. Extremely good. You didn't realize how depressed that place made you until you left. The moment you felt the comforting Italian sun hit your skin was the moment you knew you made the right choice. You didn't talk to Paul's friends a lot. You got a place of your own after a couple of weeks, due to how small the town was everyone who was trying to sell their house was practically begging you to buy their house. You picked up your hobby of tinkering again, now using to be a mechanic though. The town needed one so you were happy to oblige. It was refreshing to have new faces around and a new environment. The sadness that once had its grip on your has disappeared, now only present in dark memories.

You pick up an apple that is laying on your kitchen table before making your way out of your house and towards your work. Not many costumers would come in, if at all. A festival is being celebrated in a nearby town. Naturally, almost everyone in the village has gone there to have a party. You didn't want to do that though, be around people and all. Plus this new free time would give you time to catch up with work and make some preparations for the next day. The walk to your work is short, yet you still enjoy it every day. Back in Forks, you hated the sound of the birds singing but here you enjoy it so much. The birds sing a different song here. One of joy instead of sadness.

" Buongiorno, " you say to your coworker as you walk into the store. Your Italian is far from perfect but it's getting better every day. " Come va? " your coworker, Piero, asks. " Bene. And you? ". He just nods at you with a smile before he resumes to fix what looks like a clock. You really couldn't tell though, most things that come to the store for fixing are broken beyond recognition. You sit down at your workspace and take in the mess that is laying before you. You need to clean that, definitely. You have enough time today to do so anyways

Going for a stroll through the city isn't something the twins would normally do but today was an exception. A sudden rainstorm has been hovering over the area, blocking out the sun and allowing them to go outside without fear. That and the fact that most inhabitants of San Cipriano were now in Volterra for the festival. They dressed down, replacing their usual robes with a dress in Jane's case and jeans and a sweater for Alec. They talked about normal things like the new store that just opened up down the block and books they've read. It feels nice to them to feel so normal. Anyone who saw them would think that they are just a brother and sister enjoying the cool afternoon weather and not two vampires who work for the three kings.

" They have this machine that can induce dreams, " Alec says as he tries to explain the plot of ' Inception ' to Jane. She nods as she only half listens to his story, more focussed on watching a group of children play hide and seek on the other side of the road. The two siblings are sitting on a bench right next to the cemetery, ironically enough. " Sounds fascinating, " Janes says.

Alec nods before resuming his explanation. Jane enjoys seeing her brother so happy. They were both way too serious for their age, not having enjoyed their childhood years as they should have. Seeing him so passionate and happy about something surely put a smile on her face. Alec stops his words however when a sudden gust of winds blows a particularly sweet smell towards them. Both siblings look at each other as they inhale the scent. " Apple, " Jane says

" And rust. Delicious, " Alec adds. Jane slowly points towards the direction of your store. Alec nods and stands up from the bench, getting what his sister means. Both twins slowly stroll to your shop, they want to see who this scent is coming from but at the same time are to content to feel any sort of rush.

The sound of a bell ringing notifies you that someone entered the shop. " Un momento! " you call out from the back of the shop. You quickly wipe the oil that has been building up of your hands with a cloth before making your way to the front of the store to help the new costumers out. The moment you lay your eyes on the twins is when the world stops. You'd be lying to say that they aren't beautiful. Every birthmark on their skins seems so perfect that it has had to be placed there by the angels themselves. A sudden rush of adrenaline fills your body. Every detail about them become highlighted. You know this feeling, you know what this means. You didn't think you could imprint again but here you are, imprinting on the twins. Apparently, your wolf seems to have a preference for imprinting on duos. " I...I...Can I.... ". Your mind can't seem to form words at the moment. It's too busy with taking the twins in, to memorise every single thing about them.

The moment your mind starts to get clearer, you can start to smell them. The dry, campfire-like smell that comes of them suddenly starts to make sense. Vampire. Of course, you had to imprint on vampires again. Jane and Alec also caught the hint of dog and forest in your scent, both realizing that they're in deep shit now. They know you're their mate, they didn't need to notify the other on it. The way they both feel this need to protect you and the way your scent has intoxicated them both said enough. " You're our mate, " Jane says softly. Her usually cold and stern voice now sounds honey sweet.

The realisation of the whole situation only seems to be catching up to you now. The whole two months you spent here, trying to rebuild your life and your mental health seems to be for nothing now. They will reject you. Those words seem to float around your head. You shake your head softly, feeling tears pricking up into your eyes. You take a couple of steps back and away from them. " I-I'm sorry. I can't. Not now, " you say before disappearing into the back of the shop and leaving the confused twins behind in the shop.

You can feel your wolf aching under your skin, begging to be let out. You rush out of the store through the backdoor. You chose your place of work strategically, right next to the forest, which you are very thankful for right now. You let your walls down and let the wolf in you come forth. The ache under your skin stops as your shift begins. Within seconds you're in your wolf form. Tall and frightening for most you stand there for a second, looking back at the store before making a run for it and into the forest. You sit there in your own mind, drowning in your own thoughts as the wolf takes control of your body. Normally, you would try to at least have a sliver of self-control, not now, however. Now you want nothing more than to get lost into the woods.

It doesn't feel like your in your own body, it feels like your floating above it. Memories is all your seeing. Rosalie and Emmett screaming at you. The disgusted looks in their eyes and the harsh words them threw at you without a second thought. They'll do the same. You're sure of it. How could a vampire ever love you? How could someone ever love you?

---

Wet grass brushes against your cheek. The prominent smell of dirt and daisies fills your nose. Slowly, you open your eyes. You're laying on your back, which you only realize now. You stare up at the dark sky above you. The sun is long gone. Now it's replaced by the moon and a thousand stars. It must be later than three a.m. Maybe even later. You should probably move and get inside before you catch a cold but you can't bring yourself to do so. You're to mentally and physically drained from your shift earlier this evening. After regaining yourself, you finally find the strength to get up from the grass. Every bone in your body aches as you stand up for the first time in hours. You stretch a little, getting used to your human form again. Slowly but surely you walk to your front door. The warmth that meets you the moment you open your door falls over you like a blanket. Sudden tiredness washes over you. You let out a jawn as you walk over to your living room, reading to crash on your couch.

Instead of an empty couch, you find two vampires sitting on it, the same there were in the shop earlier. " What are you doing on my house? " you ask. Your body fills with adrenaline again. A warm fuzz fills your brain now that you're around your imprints. " I'm Jane, ". You nod at her statement.

" Cool, and I'm very fucking confused about why you're in my house. ". Both twins laugh a little at your joke. " You got humour in you, alright. " Alec says. You nod, slowly walking a little more towards them. You hate that you're so drawn to them. They like us. You stop in your steps. Why could you hear Jane's thoughts? Is this another part of this weird vampire-imprint thing?

" I'm sure that you have some question, " Alec begins. You cut him off before he can finish his sentence thought. " Yeah like why two members of the Volturi are in my house. ". Both look at you with big eyes, confused as to how you know them. You throw your arms up in the air. " Oh come one, I lived in the same town as the Cullens! You guys came over like every other weekend for Bella and Edward! ".

You sit down on your couch. Letting your elbows rest on your knees so your hands can hold your head up. You let out a deep sigh. Why did this kind of shit always happen to you? " Look, I know you won't want me and that's fine. Just break the news to me, we don't have to tiptoe around it, " you say, just trying to get them to get to the point. Alec's hand is suddenly underneath your chin. He angles your head in a way so that you're looking up at him. " You think we don't want you? ". You nod.

" No, don't ever think that, " Jane says as she sits down beside you. " It's maybe a bit...unusual to have a wolf as a mate but we definitely want you. If you want us. ". You can't help the small smile from spreading onto your face. They want you. They didn't reject you or call you a dog. " Of course I want you, have you seen yourself? You're both hot. ". The twins send each other a smile. Jane gets up from the couch and stands in front of you next to Alec. She holds her hand out for you to grab. " Come home with us. ". You nod at her before grabbing her hand. Finally, you can go to a home where you're loved.

---

The ringing of the phone seems to go on so long that you're afraid you're calling won't be picked up. You wanted to call home, to tell them how well you're doing. You just hope that someone will pick up. Finally, the call gets picked up. " Hello? " Seth says on the other side of the line. " Seth! " you call out happily. The annoyance in his voice is gone in an instant and replaced by happiness. " Y/n! You called! How are you? ".

" Better than ever, " you say happily, glancing over at Jane and Alec who is standing on the other side of the room talking to Demitri and Felix. You know that they are probably listing along to your call but you don't care. " I'm really good. I um...I imprinted again. ". You wait anxiously for Seth's response. " Really? That's great! Who is it? ".

You and Seth continue to talk for another thirty minutes. Back home things are going great for him and the pack as well. Apparently, Emmett and Rosalie are really sorry but you couldn't care less about them. Not now that you have Jane and Alec. " It was nice to talk to you again. Give my greetings to the rest, yeah? Bye-bye. ". You hang up the call. Within a second, Jane and Alec are standing next to you, both giving you a questioning look.

" He's happy for me. Really happy, " you say with a bright smile on your face. Alec grabs your hand and gives you a kiss on top of your knuckles. " See, I know he would be. ". You nod at his comment. You stand there for a moment before pulling both the twins in for a hug. They wrap their arms around you. Sure, it's a little awkward to hug with three people, but it's comforting at the same time. You take in their scent. At first, you hated the smell of vampire but now it smells like home. You feel happy, truly and utterly happy. Maybe someone could love you after all.

TWILIGHT TAGLIST:

@scuzmunkie​ @thanossexual​ @prettyinblack231​

[bytheangell]

Hi!! I loved a lot your last Gabrily fic, and if you are still open to requests can I suggest one about them finding out they were having another kid so long after the other two? Baby Alexander barely gets mentioned eventhough he is the person Alec is named after, maybe at some point he did something great who know. I always find it curious how they reactions could have been to have another one so long after Christopher.. Ofc if this sits right with you and feel like it, thank uu

Breaking the News  (Read on AO3)

Cecily is thankful that Will and Tessa agreed to take Anna and Christopher to stay with them for the remainder of the day. Her thoughts bounce wildly from nervous to excited to total panic and everything in-between as she paces back and forth across the bedroom floor. Alone in the house until Gabriel arrives home in a few short hours, she wanted the time to come to terms with the news she got that morning and sort through her thoughts. Now that she has the time, she can’t sort through anything at all.

It doesn’t help that she’s been sick. That was the first hint that something was wrong, she suspected what may be the cause of her sudden recurring nausea and weakness, though she hardly dared to believe it. After spending the better part of the past week exhausted and obviously ill, Anna brought one of the Institute’s healers around to check on her, which was when they confirmed what she already partially guessed.

Except now that Cecily knows for certain that she’s pregnant with her third child, it’s quite the shock to process, with or without the distractions of two other children in the house.

She knows her initial doubts are mostly from the surprise of it all. Cecily likes being in control, and this is something she has no control over. This is happening, whether she wants it to or not, and even though she knows it’s a blessing the fact that she didn’t specifically choose to do this here and now throws her entire sense of being off-balance, enough for doubt to creep in. What if it isn’t just shock?

But that’s absurd. She loves her children, and she loved - and still loves - every moment of raising them. The chance to do all of that again is, while still a shock, a happy one. At least, it will be once she manages to get back in control of her racing thoughts and emotions.

Anna and Christopher are both teenagers now, sixteen and thirteen respectfully, and that fact isn’t lost on her. A new baby means 24/7 attention, days of constant needs and care that she thought were behind her. What if she thinks she can handle it but once the child is here she grows too overwhelmed tending to a newborn and two teenagers? Realizations like this are when the fear kicks in - she’s 37 years old, after all, and Gabriel 40.

Gabriel. What if he thinks them both too old to have a baby now? What if he hates the idea? It’s another reason she asked her brother to take the children - this is a conversation she wants them to have complete privacy for, just in case…

...just in case what?, she chides herself. This is Gabriel, after all. She remembers the years they spent together figuring out how to be parents to two wildly different children, remembers how good he was - and still is - with each of them, and how he’s never shown them anything other than unwavering love and devotion. This won’t be any different, she reminds herself, pushing the fear aside and allowing the nervous excitement to take over again.

She remembers the joy of raising Christopher and Anna, of watching them grow and learn and take their first steps and get their first runes… the joy of little moments and milestones she thought were long over for her. Anna is always so good with her brother, and Cecily can already imagine how wonderful Christopher will be as an older sibling, always so eager to teach others about his experiments. He could teach so much to a little brother or sister.

Cecily can only hope they’re as eager to have another sibling as she is to give them one.

Nervous. Excited. Fearful. Happy. Concerned. Eager. Her emotions shift and change more rapidly than she can keep up with until, finally, they settle along with her thoughts into one: contentment. This is happening, whether she’s ready for it to or not, and she’ll be damned if she isn’t going to make the absolute best of it.

When Gabriel finally arrives home he finds her in their bedroom, pacing as she’s been doing off-and-on for hours now as she tries to work out the best way to break the news.

“Cecily?” he greets her, voice uncertain. He’s been away in Idris but came back earlier than planned after hearing she hasn’t been feeling well. “Is everything alright? Shouldn’t you be resting?”

Gabriel takes a few steps into the room and reaches a hand out to still her anxious movements, resting it gently on her shoulder.

Cecily stops pacing and forces a small smile onto her face. “There will be plenty of time for resting soon,” she says cryptically. “And whether or not everything is alright depends largely on how you feel about…” she wonders briefly if there’s a good way to phrase this, or at least a better way than simply blurting it out.

It’s a pity that tact and gentle phrasing has never been one of Cecily’s strong suits.

“...about having another child,” she finishes, carefully watching his expression.

It’s difficult to decipher much beyond Gabriel’s absolute shock, which is fair. She’s still a bit shocked herself and she’s had hours to process the news. His hand remains on her shoulder and she feels the grip of it tighten ever so slightly.

“Just to be clear,” Gabriel says cautiously. “You’re saying this simply because you want to have another child, or because-”

“Because I’m pregnant,” she confirms.

A silence falls between them then. Cecily can see the wheels turning in Gabriel’s mind, the way his eyes shift constantly from her face to her stomach to the room around them as he processes this information, and it takes all of what little self-control Cecily possesses to allow him that time.

“You’re pregnant,” he finally repeats, and then, very slowly, his lips curl up into an eager smile. “That’s wonderful!”

“It is?” Cecily asks, the words slipping out in a rush of relief after she’d mentally prepared herself for the worst possible reaction.

“Isn’t it?” Gabriel counters, sounding suddenly unsure of his reaction.

“I mean, yes, of course, it is! But we’re not exactly in our prime, and it isn’t as if we planned this, or anticipated the possibility the way we had with Anna and Christopher. I just thought… I know it’s silly but I was afraid you might…” Cecily struggles to find the words for the fears that are suddenly rendered baseless in her mind.

“Cecily, my dear, sweet Cecily,” Gabriel says, wrapping his arms around her to pull her in close to him, mindful not to pull too tightly. “I love you, and I love our family, and any addition to it is nothing other than a blessing, no matter how unexpected.” He moves to hold her just far enough away to lean in and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Cecily feels a few errant tears make their way down her cheeks in both joy and relief.

“I feel the same,” she agrees. “And I knew you would, too. I just needed to hear you say it. Since I found out this morning all I could do was build it up in my head - we worked so hard to give Anna and Christopher stability and routine with their studies and training and this is going to upend all of that.”

“Do you think they’ll be upset?” Gabriel asks.

Cecily can only shrug. “I don’t know. I hope not, but… it is a big change. And it’ll be attention away from them, no matter how hard we try not to let it be. I just don’t want them to resent the baby, or us.”

“They won’t,” Gabriel says with a confidence Cecily wishes she felt. “Do you know how I know?”

The question should be rhetorical but he waits for an answer anyway, so Cecily asks, “How?”

The hand on her shoulder squeezes again, comforting as a knowing smile spreads across her husband’s face. “Because they’re our children, and we - you in particular - raised them to be the sort of people who have compassion and understanding, even as unruly teenagers. They’re going to adjust just fine - we all are.”

Cecily hadn’t anticipated the tears that now overwhelm her after such an emotional day, shed now for words of such simple kindness.

“Thank you,” Cecily says, shaking her head slowly. “For always knowing exactly what I need to hear.”

“Well, you make it easy when you’re always so effortlessly deserving of praise,” Gabriel counters, lifting his hand to wipe away a few stray happy tears. “I suppose I should wait until we tell the others before I go rearranging the whole house, shouldn’t I? We’ll have to make a few changes… clear out a room, set aside a bit more savings, arrange for me to be home with you for the foreseeable future, of course…”

As Gabriel begins to rattle off the things that come to mind for the immediate future, Cecily is struck by how incredibly lucky she truly is to have him by her side. He doesn’t miss a beat in figuring out how to rearrange his own life and habits to better tend to her and support their growing family. He doesn’t make so much as a passing mention of what an imposition such sudden changes will inevitably have on him.

“We’ll figure it out,” Cecily says, reaching out to take his hand in her’s. His own easy acceptance bleeds into her, calming her nerves and bringing a smile to her face. She thought those words over and over throughout the day, but this is the first time she thinks them without doubt and voices them with equal surety. They will figure it out. Together. “We have time, nothing has to be done or decided today.”

She glances at the clock. “In fact, perhaps we should enjoy the next hour or two to ourselves before Will and Tessa bring the children back. I’m sure once we tell them we won’t know a moment’s peace until months after the baby’s born,” she points out with a light laugh.

“I don’t know if you’re referring to your brother or the children,” Gabriel says. “Though I daresay it applies to the lot of them.”

Cecily rolls her eyes. “Oh, come now. You know I meant-” she begins, but stops abruptly. “No, you’re right. Will is going to be insufferable.”

Now it’s Gabriel’s turn to laugh. “We’ll face that inevitability when it comes. Right now, if I know you you’ve likely been stressed and wearing yourself out all day with worry. Let’s get you some proper rest before we break the news.”

It isn’t the sort of quiet, alone time she’d meant, but the moment he suggests it she knows it’s exactly what she needs. He always knows exactly what she needs. To her surprise, instead of tucking her in and going downstairs he gets into bed beside her, pulling her against his side, and she allows his warm, comforting presence to lull her into the best rest she’s had in days.

[sugarandspace]

An Unexpected Meeting

Summary: Alec is part of the forest folk, Magnus is the idiot he needs to save (though Magnus will insist that Ragnor is the one to blame).

AO3

Magnus couldn’t wait to say I told you so when he would finally be reunited with Ragnor. That was if he would ever find his way back from the thick forest he was walking in.

His friend had been so confident that they would be fine in the magical forest, but not even ten minutes after they had arrived to search for the ingredient Ragnor had needed for his potion, they had been separated. While Magnus couldn't talk for Ragnor, he was most definitely lost himself.

It didn’t help that the forest was old and powerful, and Magnus couldn't access his magic there.

So no portaling out of there, no guiding spells, nothing. He had to do it the mundane way - pick a direction and walk, hoping that he was getting closer to the edge of the forest than the center of it. The forest was huge, and if Magnus picked the wrong direction he would be wandering for days until he came out on the other side.

He walked on a path and hoped for the best.

“It is not safe here,” came a voice behind Magnus.

Magnus turned immediately, trying to summon magic to his palms before he remembered that he was incapable of accessing it in the forest. About ten feet in front of him in the path stood a man who Magnus immediately recognised as one of the forest folk. The long iridescent wings in his back were impossible to miss. They looked beautiful, the sunlight shining through them making them shine with different colors. The wings looked fragile, but Magnus knew they were anything but. Those wings could cut like glass but held none of the same fragility.

“Are you going to hurt me?” Magnus asked carefully. He knew very little of the forest folk since they liked to stay hidden among the trees and there weren’t many books that talked about them. Magnus had met their kind twice before, and neither of them had spoken a word to him.

He felt like he was on uneven ground.

“I won’t,” the man said, looking Magnus with a look Magnus couldn’t quite place. It was like he was searching Magnus' soul with his hazel eyes. “But the others might.”

That made Magnus tense, the words bringing him back from admiring the man’s eyes. He needed to get a grip of himself, he was in a dangerous situation and it didn’t matter that the man in front of him looked breathtaking in his forest green clothing that was loose on his body, but that did nothing to distract from the obviously strong body under them.

“Follow me,” the man said and turned, starting to walk off the path.

Magnus didn’t know if it was foolish on his part, but he did as the man asked and started following him.

There was no path among the trees, the soft moss seemingly untouched. Yet the man in front of Magnus moved with familiarity, more sure of their direction in the middle of the trees than Magnus had been on the narrow path.

It was possible that the man was leading Magnus to his death, or at least to be captured by the forest folk. But something in him made Magnus trust him.

They passed fallen trees, ones standing tall, and ones that were just starting their journey towards the sky. Magnus tried to refrain from looking around himself too much in fear of losing the man and being lost once again, but he almost couldn’t help it when he saw all the green that grew undisturbed in the peace of the forest.

The man leading him looked over his shoulder every now and then to check that Magnus was still following him, and the soft smile that grazed his features made Magnus’ own lips turn to a careful smile. The man was beautiful and even though Magnus had learnt that looks were often deceiving, the man seemed kind. He had given Magnus no reason to doubt him, so Magnus kept following him.

After a while, they started to see more and more light come through the trees in front of them, and soon they were standing on the edge of a grassy field. The man did not cross the treeline when Magnus stepped out of the forest.

“At least tell me your name,” Magnus said as he turned to look at the man on the edge of the forest, blending in with his green clothes, the wings almost invisible when the light hit them right.

The man looked at him for a moment, his dark eyes calculating. Magnus knew the power in names and he started to regret asking it and was just about to tell him to forget about it when he spoke.

“Alexander.”

Beautiful name to fit a beautiful face, Magnus thought

“Thank you, Alexander,” Magnus said. “I am fairly certain you just saved my life.”

Alexander nodded, accepting the gratitude.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Magnus asked, in part because he had learnt that it was best not to stay in debt, and in part because he didn't want the beautiful man to disappear in the woods just yet.

Alexander shook his head.

“I don’t need anything.”

Magnus thought for a moment, knowing that he wanted to give the man something in return for his help. He wouldn’t have use for riches in the forest, and Magnus knew too little of the life of the forest folk to know what would be useful for him.

So he went with what he did know, and summoned magic to his palm.

Being out of the woods, it worked perfectly, and blue fog clouded on his palm. He saw Alexander flinch but to Magnus’ relief, he didn’t run away. Magnus looked up and smiled lightly when he saw Alexander watching the magic with wonder in his eyes.

The forest folk were a secluded group of people, and the lack of information likely went both ways. Magnus realised that this was probably the first time Alexander had witnessed warlock-type of magic.

He knew that the forest folk had magic of their own, but the nature magic they had was more in kind of the seelie magic than warlock magic. They understood plants and animals in a way that went beyond Magnus’ understanding or expertise. Not even the strongest warlock could make a flower bloom as brightly as a young member of the forest folk could. Magnus didn’t know how old the man in front of him was. He looked to be in his twenties but Magnus knew not to trust it since the forest folk were immortal, just like warlocks.

He knew his skill wasn’t parallel to Alexander’s but he hoped the sentiment was enough. The fog on his palm went away and revealed a bellflower in its wake.

Magnus offered it towards Alec, and the other man reached forward to take it, holding the stem gently between his fingers. He looked at it for a moment before looking at Magnus, a question in his eyes.

“A small thank you for a big favor,” Magnus explained. He saw Alexander’s lips turn to another small smile and he hoped it meant that his gift was well received. He was just about to say something else when he heard someone yell his name.

Magnus turned to look at the field and saw the last bits of a portal disappear behind Ragnor. 

“I came here as soon as I was able to track you,” Ragnor explained. “Are you okay?”

“I am,” Magnus said and turned to look at Alexander again. Except when he looked at where the other man had been standing, he only saw trees and bushes. Alexander had fled back to the forest.

“Ragnor!” Magnus breathed out exasperatedly. When he looked at his friend again Ragnor looked affronted.

“Sorry for coming to your help?” He asked, not understanding Magnus' reaction. “What is going on?”

“Nothing,” Magnus said, turning his back to the forest. He knew Alexander wouldn’t appear there again.

He didn’t feel like telling his friend what had happened in the forest, preferring to keep it to himself. Weirdly, all the complaints about his friend dragging him to the forest had also died down.

Magnus couldn’t wait to be home so he could find his books and do some research.

-.-.-

“Where were you?”

He tried to ignore the accusing tone of his sister who had suddenly appeared in front of him from behind the large spruce tree. How she had managed to hide there with her wide wings, he didn’t know. Maybe he was more distracted than he had thought.

“It’s none of your business, Isabelle,” he replied while he kept walking to the direction he had been going on - deeper into the forest and further away from the handsome warlock.

“Fine,” Isabelle said as she walked by his side, her steps fast to keep up with his long strides. “Don’t tell me. But mother has been looking for you, we seem to have intruders in the forest. Warlocks, I heard.”

“Warlocks?” Alec asked, pretending to be surprised.

“Yes, so make sure you’re well-armed,” Isabelle said. In a blink of an eye, she was standing in front of him, stopping his movement, her eyes focused on the front pocket of his shirt. “What is that?”

“None of your concern, that’s what it is,” He said and walked past his sister, dodging her hand that tried to reach towards his pocket. He made sure to walk fast to get a small lead on Isabelle before he looked down.

The bellflower was still there and blooming as beautifully as it had when it first sprouted from the unfamiliar magic. Despite its unnatural origin, it spoke of gratitude in a language he knew as well as the ones he spoke.

He pressed at his chest where the stem was in the pocket, helping it grow little roots that weaved their way into the fabric of his shirt, making sure the flower wouldn’t fall.

He wasn’t quite ready to part with the flower like he'd had to part with its magical gardener.

-.-.-

(bellflowers symbolize gratitude)

[mollymauk-teafleak]

say it will always be like this

Seregil decides it's time for Alec to learn the subtle art of make up. And he has a few ways to make it more interesting.

-

Please consider reblogging and leaving a comment over on Ao3 if you liked this, it really helps motivate writers particularly in small fandoms like this one!

-

Seregil had taught Alec a wide variety of skills in the time they’d been together. From coercing locks to open to walking like a noble, from scaling walls ten times as tall as he was with no foothold in sight to navigating the baffling arsenal of cutlery that would be set before him as standard practise at the palace. Skills that would save his life, skills that would take the life of someone else and more than a few skills that were only to be used within the gauzy canopy of their own bed. Alec, always sharp and hungry to learn, had taken to every one with his usual endearing eagerness, tackling everything from swordplay to chardsharping and giving himself to it completely until he was as good as Seregil. Maybe even better, in some cases.

But this was the first time he’d ever seen his talímenios look truly, completely nervous.

Seregil had to laugh, seeing his face as he opened the box between them and began laying the multitude of products within out on the bed. It was rather daunting, he supposed, when you saw how much was contained within a standard well born lady’s cosmetics chest.

But there was just something so adorable about the way he immediately flushed and began to squirm, especially when Seregil’s laughter broke through the professional air he’d been trying so hard to maintain.

“Oh hush…” he begged, ducking his head into his collar, the tips of his ears as red as if he’d been walking around in the snow currently falling outside their bedroom window with no hat.

Seregil tried to marshal his trembling shoulders and the giggles bursting in his chest like champagne bubbles, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You’re just so adorable when you’re flustered like this…”

“You’re not helping!” he’d now yanked the fabric of his loose evening shirt as high as his nose and Seregil had to reach between them and coax it back down.

“Hey now, talí…” he left his fingers where they were even when Alec had resurfaced, caressing his friend’s cheek with soft fingertips, “It’s just another skill, another weapon in any nightrunner’s arsenal. You wouldn’t believe the doors that a dress and a bit of rouge can open. And with your lovely braid, it’s the perfect time for you to learn!”

Alec sighed, clearly sinking any lingering traces of his strict Danlan upbringing as best he could, “I know…”

“And besides,” Seregil’s grin turned crooked the way it only did when he was out to pay court to his lover, something he still made a point of doing even now they’d been married in all but name for months and months, “I know you’re going to look beautiful in it.”

That clearly snagged Alec’s attention and soon he was blushing for an entirely different reason, a softer and more playful kind of heat in his face, “Oh come on.”

“I mean it! Once I’ve taught you, you’ll be lucky if I ever actually Jelet you use this disguise. You’ll have every man with a working set of eyes from miles around nipping at your heels.”

It was Alec’s turn to laugh, shaking his head so a few strands of his blonde hair fell across his face, his braid starting to unravel as it always did in the evenings after a day of wear, “You’re such a fool, talí.”

“Fair. Doesn’t make me wrong though, does it?”

Now his love was smiling, he sat back and turned his attention to the products on the bed between them. He’d sorted them into groups based on what they did, what part of the face they were used for. First would come the instruction, then the application. Alec always learned best through touch.

“This is pretty much a standard set of makeup for a Skalan woman of fairly high society. Not high enough to attract attention, mind you, but certainly well to do.”

“Standard?” Alec looked at the spread with a mix of apprehension and awe, “There’s so much!”

“Precisely,” Seregil chuckled, “The pressures put on women these days are quite staggering. And unfortunately for us, if we’re to pass as women then we need to rise to meet those pressures.”

He held up a small pan between them, “This is a fairly common face powder, made for paling and smoothing the skin. Mind where you buy this when your stock runs low, some of the cheaper suppliers have started mixing the stuff with lead paint, of all things.”

“I suppose corpses are very pale?” Alec sniffed, taking the box from Seregil and turning it over in his hands, opening it up and rubbing a little of the chalky powder onto his finger, “How do I put it on?”

“With this,” Seregil held up a brush, “Finest horse hair. Here, I’ll do half of your face so you can get a feel for it, then you finish it off.”

Alec gave a last groan of protest, though he paid close attention to how Seregil tapped the fine dark brush into the powder and let his eyes close without complaint, leaning close.

Seregil had thought, with the weather in Rhiminee being so stubbornly awful, all sleet and snow and howling winds, this would be a good lesson to fill a cosy evening in. And he’d been right. While the flakes fell just outside the glass, their room was filled with gently glowing candles and the fire could be heard crackling in the sitting room just beyond the door. The smell of the mulled wine they’d been drinking still hung on the warm air, filling their bedroom with the scents of cherries, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It was on Alec’s breath too, as he exhaled softly, not wanting to move his face too much while Seregil carefully applied the powder. There was something so soft and relaxed about his face in that moment, cast in gently flitting shadows by the candlelight that, as soon as he was done, Seregil pressed his lips to his lover’s in a sweet kiss.

Alec was grinning when he pulled away, “What was that about?”

Seregil smirked, “I haven’t put your lip paint on yet, it’s allowed. Right, can you see what I’ve done?” He pulled the looking glass he’d taken off the wall into his lap so Alec could see his face, now half an eerie bone white, “Concentrate on getting it settled into the creases of your eye and nose.”

Alec pulled a face at his reflection but took up the brush, mimicking Seregil’s movements as best he could. It wasn’t a bad effort at all, he only had to redo a few parts that he missed, just behind his ear and under his jaw.

Seregil gave him a fondly annoyed smile. Was there nothing his talímenios wasn’t excellent at?

Next came the eyes, a more delicate affair. This required a completely different brush, a kohl pencil, the coloured dust made from dried and ground flowers. Again, Seregil did one eye so Alec could see what was required of him, then let him complete the set in the mirror.

Alec was soon frowning, “This is so fiddly, like sprininging a tumble lock that trembles. And my eyes keep watering!”

Seregil grinned, “Think of it like you’re pulling your bow. Your hands never shake then, do they?”

“Because I know what i’m doing with my bow,” Alec grumbled, a little petulantly, cursing and having to restart the kohl when his hand slipped, “Billiary’s balls!”

“Patience, talí,” Seregil smiled, “We have all evening. You’ll get the hang of it.”

Finally, after three attempts, Alec had two passably matching eyes, ringed in thick black kohl with lids shaded a deep, sultry red. And Seregil was starting to realise just how right he’d been at the start.

Alec had always been beautiful to him, of course. Whether he was tricked up as his noble alter ego, in the finest silks with his hair neatly queued, or whether he was rough from weeks on the road, dust in his hair and days away from his last bath in anything but a half frozen stream, his lover would always be the most gorgeous man in the world as far as Seregil was concerned. The cosmetics, combined with the candlelight, only emphasised what he’d always seen on his talímenios’ face, like everything he’d always admired was being edged in gold.

Now Seregil was left wondering why he’d waited so long to give Alec this particular lesson.

“Lips next,” he said, bringing himself back to the task at hand. He could do something with the feelings stirring inside him later. What kind of teacher would he be to only give half a lesson?

Now he’d mastered the eyes, Alec seemed to be getting more confident by the moment. He sniffed the lip paint with genuine interest, admiring it’s deep red colour.

“It’s pigmented with crushed berries and beetle’s wings,” Seregil smiled, he loved satisfying his lover’s curiosity, “Which makes it pretty expensive so, in a pinch, you can rub a cut lemon on your lips. That’ll make them look redder and a little fuller.”

Alec looked dumbfounded then laughed in disbelief, “This is like learning a code! All these secrets and tricks, I had no idea...”

Seregil snorted, “I knew you’d get to liking this. Now, keep your mouth relaxed, don’t tighten up or the paint will crack. There, that’s it…”

Once again, the barely there distance between them as Seregil leaned in and carefully painted his lower lip struck him, the closeness, the attentiveness as Seregil’s focus shrank down utterly to Alec’s body. And this time, he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“I suppose you can’t kiss me now…” Alec murmured, voice a little lower and a little rougher.

Seregil was so close, he could practically hear his heartbeat, smell the scent of wood air and musk that was so completely Alec.

Sergeil grinned, heat in his own cheeks now. If any of his friends on the Street of Lights learned that this sweet faced, shy smiling Northerner could actually get the infamous Seregil í Korit to blush with scent alone, his reputation was ruined. And in the moment, he didn’t think he cared.

“Not until after our lesson,” he smiled regretfully, sitting up and handing the brush to Alec, a drop of red stain falling on his fingers as he did so, “Then, my talí, that lip paint is getting places it absolutely was never intended for.”

Even the thick layer of white paint couldn’t hide how red Alec got at that promise. Clearly Seregil hadn’t lost sight of himself entirely.

Despite his new distraction, Alec completed his lips perfectly and, after a dusting of rouge and painting over some of his veins in blue ink, he was as perfectly made up as any woman in the Noble Quarter of Rhiminee. Of course Seregil would teach him what to accentuate to make his face look more femenine, working with his natural faie features to create the full effect so he’d pass even under a critical eye. But for now, he simply looked beautiful, ethereal and otherworldly.

Alec grinned, feeling the heat in Seregil’s gaze. Even after he’d finished his rouge, Seregil hadn’t moved back. A bare inch and they’d be kissing. Suddenly, the candles seemed to be burning lower and the air had gotten warmer, closer, like before the tension broke and the rain began to fall.

And then a glint of pure wickedness entered Alec’s innocent blue eyes, “So...am I prettier than Lady Gwethylyn?”

Sergeil’s jaw dropped for a moment before he gathered himself gave a low, throaty chuckle, casting the powders and brushes and tins to the floor so he could advance on Alec, pinning him back against the cushions.

“Oh, talí, you’re in trouble now.”

Afterwards, Seregil took a lot of pleasure in standing before the much larger mirror placed against the far wall, scanning his body for the smudges of red and charcoal black and white like the gentlest snowfall, a map of how Alec had hungrily explored him, giving as much as he’d gotten for that comment.

Alec sat up in bed behind him, admiring his work too. Seregil could see him in the mirror and returned his smug smile before turning to crawl back onto the bed.

“All your hard work…” he murmured with a sigh of mock regret, touching one very badly smudged cheek.

“Well, now I get to practise again,” Alec grinned, clearly hoping, the same as Seregil, that it would lead to another evening like this one.

Seregil reached over and snagged his own shirt from where it had been carelessly tossed to the floor hours before. He used it to gently wipe away the last lingering traces of the makeup, where it still clung on determinedly at his eyes and his high, thin cheekbones.

And then there was his Alec. No inks or powders or crushed flowers, just his own soft blue eyes and gentle, shy smile and messy, flyaway hair the colour of summer wheat.

For once, Seregil allowed himself to say exactly what was in his heart, without any hesitation.

“You don’t need any of that to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The way Alec’s eyes deepened and creased so perfectly in the corners, the way a smile of uncomplicated joy lighted on his face, the way that he believed Seregil so completely in that moment made him glad he’d chosen this lesson for today. Because if there was anything he wished he could teach his lover, it was to see himself the way Seregil saw him.

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste, ch. 9

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine, Lila Rossi/karma, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/aneurism, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Plagg & Tikki

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Lila Rossi, Jagged Stone, Plagg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine, Penny Rolling, Anarka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire, Chloé Bourgeois, Wayhem, Nadja Chamack, Nathalie Sancoeur, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Tikki, Fang, Principal Damocles, Caline Bustier, Ms. Mendeleiev, original minor character, Alec Cataldi, Lila Rossi’s Mother, Sabrina Raincomprix, Roger Raincomprix, Mylène Haprèle, Le Gorille | Adrien Agreste’s Bodyguard, Nino Lahiffe, Nooroo

Tags: Lila Rossi salt, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Teenage Rebellion, Swearing, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Crack Treated Seriously, Lila Rossi’s Lies Are Exposed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Luka Couffaine Needs a Hug, Paparazzi, Parentification, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Gabriel Agreste Needs an Aneurism, Uncle Jagged Stone, we’re all queer here, the spirit of punk is sometimes just being allowed to be yourself, Kagami Finds Her Groove, punk rock fashion, Savage Kagami, Marinette protection squad, Good Parent Sabine Cheng, Good Parent Tom Dupain, Protective Kagami Tsurugi, Protective Luka Couffaine, Bisexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pansexual Luka Couffaine, Sharing a Bed, Pet Names, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Instagram, Bullying, Social Media, Anxiety, Makeover, Hugs, will cure your acne, Face Punching, Bad Ass Juleka Couffaine, Rumors, Protective Juleka Couffaine, Protective Adrien Agreste, Lawyers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Holding Hands, accountability, mental health, Jagged Stone’s well-paid pet shark, How to Make the Evening News, Sexy eyeliner for days, one fish two fish Lila is a screwed fish, How to have fun and piss Gabriel off, Fuckery, sweet litigious karma, Alya sugar, lawyer shark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Schadenfreude, Bad Ass Alya Césaire, Gaslighting, abuse denormalization, Jagged likes his lawyers like he likes his pets: toothy af, Blood in the Water, Everything you didn’t know you wanted and some things you did, Gabriel Agreste is shark bait, Denial, Consequences, Principal Damocles salt, caline bustier salt, the impotence of Gabriel Agreste, snarky Nooroo, lies and the lying liars who tell them, Lila’s brain is a narcissistic hellscape, Lila’s mind is built like an Escher piece, Alec Cataldi salt, Adrien Sugar, wholesome salt, Fu Salt, Kwami Shenanigans, Nooroo is a little shit

Summary: Marinette Protection Squad: Assemble!

Notes: I know this is set after Ladybug. Beyond that I haven’t decided. It is likely before Miracle Queen. But meh beyond that it’s AU so who cares? Also, I might be coming out of my depression. Let’s hope so!

AO3 link

Chapters 1-2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

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Huddled around the computer, the three of them considered what to post alongside the pictures, ‘chaperoned’ once again by Penny. Jagged had wandered off, muttering to himself about stupid parents.

They eventually decided on posting a lovely cropped image of Adrien and Luka feeding each other bites of ice cream with the caption “Wish I’d been allowed to do this before. I’m not permitted to go out with friends much. :( But I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to share soulmate ice cream with.”

“You should send a link to that to Nadja Chamack, to get her on it if she isn’t already,” Penny noted.

Adrien took a moment to google his name and laughed. “Yeah, not all that necessary, though she could ‘leak’ some of the other images?”

Marinette’s fingers flew over her screen, and when she finished she immediately got a responding text.

“She wants to know what made you go public.”

Luka got an evil grin. “His father wanted to force him to date his teenage muse.”

Marinette glanced at Adrien, who considered for a moment before nodding. “Definitely. Said it would be ‘good for the brand.’ Put that in quotation marks.”

There was no immediate after the text was sent, so they went back to focusing on social media.

adrienagrestebrand: tbh I wish I wasn’t forced to model so much. I’d like to play with Kitty Section more. I’m the keyboardist but I don’t get to play much.

adrienagrestebrand: Also I hate missing school for photo shoots, and I wish I could hang out with my friends more.

Then Adrien got the idea to remotely check his text messages. The ones from his father were demands he return control of the social media accounts and return home. The last one had come around the time they’d gotten ice cream.

Meanwhile, Lila’s texts were very interesting, about half an hour apart.

Lila: How dare you call me a lying cow!

Lila: You can stop pretending you have a choice, Adrien.

Lila: If you come back now, I’ll try to remember you’re my ‘friend.’

Lila: You ditched me for some wharf-rat boy?!

Lila: Also those clothes are hideous.

Lila: I won’t honor our agreement.

Lila: wtf did you do to your hair! I won’t be seen with you!

Lila: Marinette is fair game. It won’t just be expulsion this time.

Lila: I warned you.

Both Luka and Adrien turned to Marinette, whose fists were clenched on her knees. Her face was pale, and she was shaking slightly. Wordlessly, the two of them pulled her close, until she was snuggled between them, her face flushed.

“What was she talking about, agreement?” Marinette finally asked.

Adrien launched into the story, how he had confronted her at the photo shoot and implied he’d make being a model difficult if she didn’t fix it.

Marinette’s eyes were wide and surprised when he finished. “I… I didn’t realize you were behind that.”

“I had to do something. It just wasn’t enough.” Adrien took her phone from where it sat on the desk, and snapped a picture of the texts from Lila. “Text it to Nadja.”

“And to Kagami,” Luka added.

Marinette did, clarifying in the text to Nadja Chamack that it was Lila Rossi, the Italian ambassador’s daughter and Gabriel Agreste’s new muse, then bit her lip. “Should I send it to Alya, too?”

The two boys nodded in unison. “And Nino,” Adrien added. “Maybe the entire class, even. Can you email it to M. Damocles and Mme. Bustier, too? Maybe Mme. Mendeleiev, too?”

They watched as Marinette’s fingers flew, texting the pic with the claim Adrien sent it to her, then accessing the school website and emailing the two teachers and the principal.

Penny got their attention, leaning around them to screencap the text messages. “I’m going to send this to Jagged’s legal counsel, too. Especially if she’s threatening Marinette… she’s his preferred designer, and thus a freelance employee. We’re obligated to protect her legally, and we intend to go after her for the claim about the kitten and song, anyway…”

Marinette stared, open-mouthed, at that, then her face turned bright red and she launched herself into Penny’s arms. The sound of Marinette’s phone alerting to text messages faded into the background as they focused on her.

Penny, for her part, looked frozen as Marinette almost sobbed against her, and Jagged happened to come in at the same time.

He rushed over, going to one knee beside her. “Hey, hey now. Marinette, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Penny gestured to the computer. “I explained we’re providing legal protection based on Lila Rossi’s threats against her. She was… overwhelmed, I guess?”

Luka shook his head. “No… I think she’s been more stressed about Lila than she’s been showing. I… I tend to do the same thing. She’s been putting on a front of being okay, but she hasn’t been.”

Adrien stood, pulling Luka with him as he went to Marinette. “Mari, I’m so sorry. I should’ve been better. I should’ve noticed.”

After a few seconds, she pulled away from Penny with a soft apology, her face red, her cheeks wet. “No. I was hiding it. You wouldn’t have known. Don’t blame yourself.”

Luka put a hand on her shoulder. “Marinette… I do the same thing, and I know I need to work on that.” He grimaced a bit at the admission. “But… your feelings matter. You don’t have to hide them, not from us, and not from anyone.”

Jagged’s face had turned stonier than Adrien had ever seen. “Tell the lawyers to draw up a restraining order. For me, and also for Marinette. We’ll see what the school decides to do—but Marinette doesn’t have to change classes. Tell the lawyer that’s the stand.”

Penny slid into the seat vacated by Adrien and got to work.

Jagged’s expression softened as he turned back to the three of them. “Let’s order some dinner and those manicures, eh? Marinette, call your parents and let them know you’re staying for dinner with me, at least.”

“And maybe… tell them about the text message?” Adrien said. “So they know. And tell them what Jagged’s doing. They’re so amazing; I know they’ll support you.”

Marinette frowned. “I just… don’t want them to worry.”

“I think they’ve probably been worried since you were expelled the once,” Luka pointed out.

That got a sigh. “Yeah, I guess.” She grabbed her phone and moved toward the kitchenette.

Jagged pointed out the menu to them. “Have Marinette let Penny know what she wants. Penny knows my usual.”

While they were looking over the menu, Luka’s phone rang. “Juleka’s calling…”

He answered, and his face went blank as he listened.

“I understand. My guitar’s there—didn’t bring it with, unfortunately. Take it to school tomorrow for Adrien to grab?” He was quiet for a moment longer. “I’ll find a place to spend the night. It’ll be fine. Thanks, Jules.”

Luka let out a tired sigh when he hung up the phone.

“You can’t go home?” Adrien asked, concerned. He suddenly realized he was in a similar position—how could he go home and get back out for school. “I guess I can’t tonight either, actually.”

“The news is staking out the boat. Guess they figured out who I am, too.” Luka shrugged. “It was bound to happen—we just need to get our stories straight before we meet the press.”

Jagged broke in. “Oi, you’re staying here. The suite has an extra room. Big bed. You can share. Your pops will have a meltdown, but that’s half the point.”

Adrien stayed out late regularly as Chat Noir, but his father barely paid attention to him usually. Right now, with a very loud and obvious rebellion, he was probably giving a lot of attention to the empty mansion.

“Serves him right,” Adrien muttered.

Marinette made her way back over. “I’ll have to find a way to sneak home. Maman said Nadja is staked out outside the bakery, waiting for me to come home. She thinks I have a scoop, since I texted her. And I guess I do, but not one I’m sharing yet.”

Jagged let out an explosive sigh. “Ugh, the paparazzi doing its thing, I guess. Penny and I’ll take you home after we eat. Say you’ve been helping me plan my next album.”

“But when we release the video you’re making, they’ll know I know more.”

“Eh, but then you’ll have your stories straight. It won’t happen for a couple hours yet, probably after you leave. Pick something to eat and call the other girl, network and plan. You lot are good at it. After dinner we’ll all get manicures and I’ll get you home.”

It sounded strangely reasonable for Jagged, but Marinette seemed to take it in stride, like she was used to his changing moods. After some conversation, they decided on a variety of items from the menu to share. Once Penny had called in the dinner order, they sent a video chat request to Kagami.

She answered promptly, smiling when she saw them. “I have been monitoring your Instagram and the news being released. You’re still at the hotel?”

Adrien nodded. “The press has Luka’s place covered, so he’s staying here, and I am too for obvious reasons. Since Marinette texted Nadja Chamack, the bakery is also being staked out. Jagged’s going to escort her home after we eat and get our nails done.”

“It’s too bad you had to go home,” Marinette broke in. “It’d be fun to have our nails done together.”

“I would very much like to do that in the future,” Kagami responded. “And I will impress upon my mother your situation with that Lila girl and her threats, so that I may have some free time to ensure you are properly protected.”

Marinette flushed. “I appreciate that. From the texts I’ve gotten since sending it to my classmates, most of them believe me now. We also sent that image to two of my teachers and the principal.”

Jagged broke in here. “And I’ve got my lawyers drawing up a restraining order, so the legal end is covered.”

Kagami nodded. “Very efficient. This girl, however, may decide to do worse, perhaps going after Marinette physically. I absolutely intend to defend you, as I hope Adrien will in my absence—though it will be difficult for him to do so if you use the school bathroom.”

“Good point,” Adrien said. “I’ll use Marinette’s phone to arrange a girl squad to escort her if that’s needed. Last time Lila got her alone, she claimed Marinette pushed her down the stairs.”

Anger passed over Kagami’s face. “Marinette is to be protected, at all times. We need to decide who will escort her to and from school, as well. Perhaps someone not bombarded by the media.”

“Yeah, so not me, or Adrien,” Luka said with a sigh. “Sorry, Marinette.”

“I guess I need to go harass the school anyway. Ugh, haven’t gotten up at an ungodly hour like that in ages, though,” Jagged groused. “But if Adrien’s going tomorrow, I guess it’ll be easy enough. Uncle Jagged can make some sacrifices.”

“We also need to plan for a united front to the media,” Luka said. “We can chat through dinner, and plan at least for tomorrow.”

“Acceptable. My mother has already retired as well, so I will not be interrupted.”

They settled in to plot.

[imdoingthismspaintadventure]

Worm 2.09 (part 2) - In which they seem like good people

Sorry, I had been gone for a while.

Let’s continue then!

I nodded, absorbing the information.  It sounded very underwhelming to me, but I was willing to admit I could be underestimating it.

We were discussing Alec’s power last time, and how it sounded silly but it could be really OP in the right hands

“Well,” I said, after a long pause, “I think I pretty much get what everyone can do, then.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but Bitch can turn those dogs into those freakish monsters I saw the other night?”

Sitting a few feet away, Bitch muttered, “They aren’t freakish.”

I think Bitch’s power is the most obvious of the group, so it’s normal it hadn’t been discussed yet.

Lisa answered my question, ignoring her. “Rachel can do it with any dog, actually,” she said, stressing the name, “And no codenames when we’re not in costume, ‘kay?  Get in the habit of using the right name at the right times, and it’s that much harder to slip.”

It was hard to think of Rachel by her real name.  Bitch seemed really fitting given the stunt she had pulled.  I apologized to Lisa, “Sorry.”

Yeah slip-ups concerning secret identities and the like could be baaad

Pfft, I love these little inside-comments Taylor makes, like the bitch thing.

Lisa gave a small nod in response, then told me, “She can use her power on any dog, but only Brutus, Judas and Angelica are trained well enough that they’ll listen to her when they’re pumped up.”

Oh so her power juices up the dogs, but doesn’t make them submit to her control like Taylor’s power does with her bugs. She has to actually train them

Makes sense, as Bitch seems to care for her dogs quite a bit (”They aren’t freakish...”) while Taylor really only uses her bugs as a means to an end, and even feeds some to others.

I really like when the nature of the superpower fits the kind of person that it belongs to, and can be used to explore their personality further.

Ah, so that was it.  “And Brian makes that oily darkness that screws up your hearing.  The Parahumans wiki said it was darkness generation.”

Brian smiled, “I put that into the wiki myself.  It’s not wrong, but it does catch people off guard when they think they know what you can do, and there’s something more to it.”

That is something people would do if superpowers were real, no doubt! Editing the wiki about their own powers, either to bring attention to themselves or to obfuscate the truth. Very nice detail to add.

Lisa added, “It’s not just hearing.  It also cuts off radio signals and dampens the effects of radiation.”

“That’s what her power tells her, anyways.  I haven’t had much chance to test that part of things.  I get by as is,” Brian said.  He turned his hand palm up and created a handful of the darkness.  It was like smoke, but so absolutely black that there was no texture to it.  It was like someone had taken a scalpel to reality and the blackness was what was there when everything else was gone.  I couldn’t even gauge the dimensions of it, unless I looked at it from a different perspective.   Even then, with the way the darkness shifted and billowed like smoke, it was hard to judge the shape.

Brian’s darkness nullifies or weakens wavelengths and senses! That’s amazing! I can see how it could be really really useful.

I love the description of the darkness. It’s absolutely pitch-black, like when you were staring at something bright and then turn all lights out. That darkness so all-consuming you can’t make out dimensions or distances inside of it. Only in this case contained within a single place on his hand.

It remains me of the nothing from The Neverending Story, in that they both feel inherently wrong.

The Nothing was way more unsettling and indescribable though. Especially in the book.

More of it just kept pouring from his hand, climbing upwards to cover the top of the room.  As the light from the windows near the upper edges of the room and the florescent bars on the ceiling was cut off, the room got a great deal darker.

He closed his hand into a fist, and the darkness thinned out and disintegrated into strands and tatters, and the room brightened again.  I looked at the light coming in from the windows and was surprised it wasn’t later.

It can expand and cover the whole room just like that?

Imagine going up against these guys and you suddently get surrounded by this type of dark abyss and completely lose your bearings. That sounds scary as fuck.

“What time is it?”  I asked.

“Nineteen minutes before five,” Lisa said.  She didn’t look at a watch or a clock as she said it, which was unsettling.  It was a reminder that her power was constantly available to her.

Lisa’s power is still by far the most dangerous, with the tactical advantage she represents in any battle. She’s also the most fundamental threat to Taylor’s little undercover plan, easily.

Brian asked me, “Do you have somewhere you need to be?

“Home, I guess,” I admitted, “My dad will wonder where I am.”

I bet Danny could never imagine in a million years the type of situation you are in.

“Call him,” Lisa suggested, “Now that the introductions are over with, you can just hang out for a bit, if you want.”

“We could order pizza,” Alec suggested.  Then when Lisa, Brian and Bitch all made faces, he added, “Or maybe everyone’s sick of pizza and we could order something else.”

“Stick around?” Brian made it a question.

Alec really is the most chill out of all of them.

This all feels so normal, hard to believe we were having a fight just moments ago.

I glanced at Bitch.  She was sitting on the table behind one of the couches and looking like a mess, with a bloody bandage over one ear, blood smeared below her nose and lip, and a bit of green around the gills that suggested she was feeling a little worse for wear.  With her in that state, I didn’t feel particularly threatened.  Staying meant I could work to get things more copacetic and maybe dig for a bit more information.  I’d also missed socializing with people – even if it was under false pretenses with a group that included an apparent sociopath. It had been a sucky day.  Just chilling out sounded good.

Damn Taylor really fucked her up! Maybe even Rachel respects her more now, with that warped view of things she seems to have. Or maybe she is more pissed off, hard to tell, don’t know her enough yet.

Taylor’s clearly looking to socialize with them, but I like her attempt to justify it to herself as part of her undercover mission. Oh boy you’re totally going to end up becoming a member for real

“Okay,” I decided, “Yeah, I think I’d like to.”

“Phone’s in the kitchen if you want to call your dad,” Lisa said.

I looked over my shoulder as I headed across the loft.  The others got settled on the couches, with Alec turning on the TV while Lisa and Brian took a second to clean up.

I found the phone and dialed my dad.

“Hey dad,” I said, when I heard the phone being picked up.

This has the potential to be awkward, painful, sad or any of the three

“Taylor.  Are you alright?”  He sounded worried.  It was unusual, I supposed, my not being home when he got back from work.

“I’m fine, dad.  Is it cool if I hang out with some people tonight?”

There was a pause.

Yeah that’s not normal for her

As an introvert, I imagine it would be jarring if my parents heard I’d be staying for dinner at a stranger’s house unnanounced.

“Taylor, if there’s anyone that’s making you make this call… the bullies or someone else, tell me everything is fine.  If you’re not in trouble, tell me your mother’s full name.”

Oh that is really smart and really great on Danny’s part. You’re a good dad, Danny.

I felt momentarily embarrassed.  Was it so unusual for me to hang out with people?  I knew my dad was just trying to keep me safe, but it was bordering on the ridiculous.

I feel like in a world with supervillains people would be more paranoid in general about these things.

“Annette Rose Hebert,” I told him, “Really dad, it’s cool.”

“You’re really okay?”

My gaze roved over the kitchen, taking in the details, as I gave him my assurances.

“Better than ever.  I kind of made some friends,” I said.

Well that’s kinda true I guess...

My eyes settled on their dining room table.  There was a stack of money, wrapped with a paper band just as the money in the lunchbox had been. Beside the money, plain as day, was the dark gray metal of a handgun.

....Fuck

Well that’s a really effective visual to drive home the reality of the situation she’s in and of the people she’s hanging out with...

My attention caught by the gun, I only barely caught my dad’s question.  “What are they like?”

“They seem like good people,” I lied.

....

That’s such a good ending line. It gave me chills.

What kind of hole are you digging for yourself here with this?

...

Well, I’m hooked.

[maiaisbia]

not alone

Alec comes home to find Magnus taking care Catarina. 

A look at how Alec finds himself fitting in Magnus' family.

Gen | Words: 2139 | ao3 

Alec was exhausted. It had been a long day of going through old, dusty paperwork. His eyes felt dry and he had probably breathed in more dust that was strictly healthy. Such were the joys and excitements of being Inquisitor at times. Some of the ancient handwriting made Alec very glad for the invention of typewriters and computers as he was spending the month expunging unjust downworlder criminal records. Alec felt good about the work, but right now what he really needed was a mug of tea and go to sleep.

He slipped into the loft, taking off his coat and toeing off his boots, listening for Magnus. He wasn't sure if there might still be a client meeting or a visiting dignitary, even though it was past dinner time. His husband kept all sorts of company in his role of making sure the downworld stayed connected and safe. If Alec was out late with his work, Magnus often wouldn’t stop his own.

Alec heard soft voices, and followed them to his and Magnus' bedroom. Feeling his eyebrows rise, Alec gently pushed the door open, peeking around it.

Magnus and Catarina were sitting against the headboard, both dressed in their pajamas, blankets around their shoulders, mugs cupped in hands. Alec smiled at the sight, then caught that Catarina had tears on her cheeks. Moving fully into the room, Alec whispered, "Hey."

Magnus and Catarina both looked up at him, Catarina hastily wiping her cheeks. Alec moved closer, and Magnus held up a hand. "You can only enter the sanctuary if you are wearing pajamas."

Alec tried not to look incredulous, considering it was his bed, but he didn't want Catarina to feel like she was intruding. It was clear she wasn’t in a place to be alone. He must have not been entirely successful because Catarina chuckled, "Sorry to impose."

"Never, you're always welcome," Alec responded, hoping she heard the truth in those words. "I'm going to shower." He went and gathered some sweatpants and a soft shirt that once had been Magnus'.

When he returned, Magnus and Catarina were where he left them, curled towards each other. Catarina was nodding to whatever Magnus was saying, but Alec didn't think she believed him. Her lips were pinched, eyes distant and glassy.

Alec moved and sat on her other side. In the over two years Alec had been married to Magnus, he'd become to view Catarina as something of a sister. And if Izzy was crying, Alec would do whatever he could to cheer her up. Leaning his shoulder against her own he asked, "What happened?"

Magnus looked over at him, eyes sad. Alec reached out to him, taking his hand and pressing a quick kiss to his knuckles. Holding Alec's hand tight, Magnus explained, "Cat lost one of her patients today."

Alec turned to looked at Catarina, who nodded. "He wasn't any older than Madzie."

Alec's heart ached, feeling heavy in his chest. He could only imagine what that was like. And Catarina, she had no doubt seen many of her patients not make. But she was so caring, always open and empathetic, much like Magnus. To have seen so much and still care so deeply...

"It's hitting a little harder because Ragnor would usually join Magnus in keeping me company," Catarina whispered, voice rough.

Alec nodded, resting a hand on Catarina's back. When she leaned into his touch, he began to rub soothing circles. He then remembered something he found while he was elbows deep in records. Standing, he crossed to where he'd left his phone, snagging a blanket off a chair so that he could wrap it around himself. He settled back by Catarina, pulling up his phone camera roll. Opening his newest, he held it for Catarina and Magnus to read.

"That's Ragnor's handwriting," Magnus said, leaning closer.

"He apparently insisted on adding a note to one of his Clave Violation records," Alec said, letting Catarina hold the phone so she could read it. "I can only guess as to the “fugitives” he was harboring..."

"To Whom it May Concern," Catarina read, a smile growing on her face. "I suggest you review an encyclopedia entry for 'fugitives.' On the day in question, I was hosting tea for a couple of close friends. One might be so bold to call them my family. When your Shadowhunters came to my door to consult me in the capacity as High Warlock, my friends decided to leave. This was not because they were running away because of any crime (except maybe ones of fashion, but who am I to judge), but rather because your Shadowhunters are arseholes and they didn’t want to talk to them. I would like to note this as an official complaint, and also note that I have not been paid for my latest ward repair. What is done can be easily undone, so I expect payment promptly. Sincerely, Ragnor Fell, High Warlock of London."

"They kept this?" Magnus asked, looking over at Alec.

"Apparently," Alec shrugged. "I expunged all his crimes listed, as well as what I could find of yours Catarina."

"I wish I’d left such letters," Catarina shook her head with a chuckle, passing the phone back.

"What about my records?" Magnus leaned forward. He passed a tea cup to Alec, fresh tea in it, warm and filled with honey.

"I'm not allowed to work with your records," Alec admitted with a huff. "Due to something about a conflict of interest... You wouldn't know anything about that?"

"I’ll have to think about it," Magnus tapped his chin, and Catarina gave him a shove.

"You’re both disgusting," she complained, though she finally had a smile.

"Where is Madzie?" Alec asked. It was too early for the little one to have been put to bed, so she probably wasn’t napping in the guest room.

"Raphael was watching her today," Catarina said, finishing her own tea. Alec reached to place the mug on a bedside table, but she merely vanished it back to the kitchen. "I asked him to take care of her a little longer."

"He's a good boy," Magnus smiled, and Alec rolled his eyes. Raphael didn't like Alec that much, and seemed to accept him only as long as he made Magnus happy. As Alec planned to do that forever, he assumed he would be able to win Raphael over at some point in the next centuries.

"How's Madzie's spell work?" Alec asked, sipping his tea. It was perfect, minty and sweet and soothing his throat after all the dust.

"She's getting better at summoning by leaps and bounds! She really takes to magic theory even though she’s so young." Catarina turned her back Magnus so she was facing Alec. Magnus began to massage her shoulders.

Alec listened as Catarina went into detail about the spells Madzie had learned, and then as Catarina and Magnus talked about what she should learn next for her potion work. She was getting old enough that she could do most of the potion work on her own, though she still needed a lot of supervision. Alec was starting to understand a little bit of the craft just from listening and watching Magnus, but the theories Catarina and Magnus went into now were far over his head. He loved to listen though, loved to getting to be apart of this.

They all slowly grew sleepier, and Alec was glad to see Catarina seemed to be feeling much better. She was smiling and her tears had dried. At some point Alec switched sides of the bed, but he needed to cuddle his husband for a certain amount of time each day. Legally. He should submit a law about it. Wrapping his arms around Magnus waist, he relaxed.

Alec drifted off to Catarina and Magnus talking about fashion choices made in the '70s. Alec assumed the 1970s, and tried to make a note to himself to ask Catarina for pictures if she had them. She was truly the best source of embarrassing Magnus stories.

...

Alec woke up a couple hours later, body tensed as he sat up. He was alert, having heard the sound of the front door opening and shoes in the entryway. Alec knew that no one but their family could make it through the wards. Looking down at Magnus, who was now sleeping in the center of the bed, Alec knew he would be awake if anything tampered with the wards. Catarina was curled on Magnus' usual side, hair scarf bright in the moonlight coming in through the window.

Still, Alec felt his body tense once more. But then he recognized the little feet running towards the door to the bedroom. It was still cracked and Madzie plowed right in. She paused to take stock of the bed, before grinning wider and taking a running leap to get on.

"Alec!" she called seeing him awake and crawling over Magnus to get to him.

Magnus groaned as a small elbow probably dug into his spleen. Alec scooped Madzie up and settled her on his lap.

"Sweet pea?" Magnus murmured, cat eyes opening and the pupils going wide to see in the dark. Alec had to stop a laugh. Apparently Magnus could recognize his niece just by her internal organ poking elbows.

"Hi Magnus!" Madzie said. She was very squirmy, which Alec knew meant she was overtired and also probably had too much sugar.

"What the he--- heck is going on here?" Raphael asked. Alec wondered when it had become rather normal to have a vampire just wander into his house. Then again, he wasn't questioning the three warlocks now piled into his bed. It was just how life went. He ducked his head so Raphael wouldn’t see his smile.

"Shhh!" Madzie said, much too loudly to be of much help. "Mommy is sleeping!"

"Not anymore," Catarina grumbled but moved to sit up. She reached over and Alec passed Madzie to her. Catarina changed her daughter into pajamas with a wave of her fingers, and when laid back down. Madzie cuddled close, maybe sensing a bit of the melancholy that lingered around Catarina.

"I was concerned when you didn't contact me as to where I should bring her," Raphael said to Catarina, and he genuinely sounded worried. Raphael cared more than he let on, Alec knew, and that was how Alec was going to get him. He and Raphael would be friends, no matter what the vampire thought.

"Sorry my dear," Catarina said, reaching a hand out. Raphael moved closer, and gently took it. "Thank you so much for taking care of her."

"Whenever you need," Raphael promised.

Alec watched all this, then glanced down to see Magnus was looking up at him. Alec felt himself blush and was glad for the darkness. Magnus was looking at Alec that way he did sometimes, like he couldn't believe Alec was there, was real. Alec decided there was only one thing to do when Magnus looked at him like this- softly and in love. And that was to hold him tight, so he couldn't deny that Alec was right there. That they were in all this together. Laying back down. Magnus’ arms went around his waist and Alec pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Catarina, they're being disgusting and domestic again," Raphael said, and it was as close his drawling voice would go to a whine.

"You're in our bedroom," Alec grumbled, tucking his face into Magnus shoulder. The familiar smell of sandalwood and the mint from the tea filled his senses. Magnus rested his chin on Alec's hair.

"He's got a point," Magnus said, a warm chuckle rippling through his body. Alec smiled against his neck.

"You're the one who seems to have invited Catarina for a sleepover," Raphael said. The bed dipped and Alec didn't look up to see why. He was warm and sleepy and wrapped in his husband's arms.

The bed shuttered a bit and Alec guessed someone had magicked a little bigger as their new companion joined. Alec found himself not particularly concerned. He knew this wasn’t the first time something like this happened. What was new was Madzie and himself. Alec knew that Magnus had lived closely with both Catarina and Raphael, and with Ragnor, and had probably fallen asleep in a puppy pile with them. They were family after all, and immortality would be very lonely without those to share it with.

Alec let himself relax as Magnus complained Raphael was going to hog the blanket and Catarina told Magnus to just make the comforter bigger. Madzie shushed them all again, which caused everyone to chuckled. Alec fell asleep soon after that, feeling safe, feeling his guard down. They were part of his family now, and he was honored to be a part of theirs.

[superhero--imagines]

Part 1 here! / Part 2 Here!

* The flight feels shorter than you remember, maybe it’s because you don’t need to sleep anymore.

* When you land, you expect to see Carmen there, but instead it’s the entire Coven.

* They look like a group of supermodels, and they’re all holding gifts, you see several people staring at them. Every teenage boy’s fantasy no doubt.

* They’re holding balloons, and a woman (the one you believe is Carmen) is holding one of those giant teddy bears. They even have a sign that says “Welcome Home (Y/N).”

* You didn't think vampires could feel embarrassed.

* But here you are, living proof that they’re wrong.

* Tanya brings you into a hug before you can even be worried about being an unwanted addition.

* “Welcome home, we are so glad to have you here”

* “We have an important question for you,” the woman beside her asks, her long straight hair sparkles under the dark sky.

* Kate, you presume.

* “Which do you like more, pink flowers or yellow flowers?”

* The question catches you completely off guard, and when you look down you see she’s holding out a bouquet of sunflowers and hydrangeas towards you.

* You’re not sure if this is all a test, and maybe you’re overthinking all this, but you remember sunflowers mean loyalty.

* “Um... the yellow ones I suppose.”

* “See Irina I told you they would love the yellow ones.”

* Irina rolls her eyes, but she’s grinning. She’s the one holding a bouquet of balloons

* “I bet they like the balloons I picked out better though, they’re a nice touch.”

* “Is everything alright?” Tanya turns to you. Her eyebrows are threaded in concern. “Are you thirsty?”

* You shake your head, you feel bloated if anything.

* You’re happy, you really are. It’s just...

* “I’m just a little overwhelmed,” you admit.

* Back at the castle you did have company, but it was sparse. After you were transformed, you only saw Alec or Jane once every few days, if at all.

* So this much attention, all at once, it’s a lot to handle right now.

* “Let’s give them some space, it’s been a long day.” Eleazer nudges them all away, and towards getting your luggage in the car.

* While they’re all busy taking your things, and arguing about where they parked the car, you’re left alone with Carmen

* Carmen who is holding a very large stuffed bear.

* You gulp. You’ve been so busy worried about Tanya you haven’t thought about Carmen. Her husband disappears after he received a call from his old coven, and then he comes back with some newborn.

* You wouldn’t be happy if you were in her place.

* She clears her throat beside you.

* “Do you like bears?”

* A long second of silence passes as your mind tries to comprehend what’s happening.

* “I-yes I like bears.”

* She thrusts the bear out towards you, and you take it gingerly, balancing the two bouquets the Denali sisters had given you earlier.

* “If there’s ever anything you don’t like,” you whip your head to look at her, her eyes are focused on the horizon, they’re narrowed like she’s picking her words carefully. “Or if you would rather have a lion, or something completely different all together, you can tell me.”

* She turns to look at you, and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.

* “Okay,” you smile back.

* It’s a long drive to their home, they live deep in the mountains.

* “We’re here,” Tanya sings from the driver's seat.

* The house is secured by an ivy ridden wall, so high you can barely see the tree branches hang over the ledge

* There’s a large iron gate at the front, and past it, what appears to be a gravel road.

* Tanya cracks her window down, pressing her finger to sensor.

* “We’ll have to add your fingerprints later, little one”

* “Tanya don’t call them that, it’s offensive,” Irina hisses from beside them.

* “Ah, sorry darling,” she meets your gaze from her rear view mirror.

* “No offense taken,” you mumble.

* The house is exactly the opposite of what the Cullens’ home looked like in the movies.

* It’s a four story home, well it’s a mansion, all dark brick, with a rugged face. You can count on one hand how many windows you currently see.

* It looks exactly like somewhere Dracula might live.

* The inside is equally intimidating, there’s actually a suit of armor near the entrance, like this is some Scooby Doo-esque castle.

* Kate leads the grand tour, walking you through their living room, fully equipped with a wall of swords, a 90 inch flat screen TV, and a family portrait hung over a roaring fire.

* She only waves at the kitchen.

* “It’s just for show.”

* She explains the living situation to you.

* “Irina, Tanya and I all have our rooms on the second floor,” she points to each room, all in completely different directions.

* “Carmen and Eleazer use the third floor,” She waves to the right end of the hall.

* “There’s also a movie theatre and another living area on this floor,” Irina adds from her other side.

* You expect to be staying near the happy couple, so they can keep an eye on you.

* You’re surprised when Kate keeps climbing the stairs,

* “On the right is the library, and on the left is a stairwell that leads to the roof”

* “And right here,” Irina grins, “is your room.”

* The second she opens the door you’re engulfed in light.

* It’s so bright.

* When the place comes into focus, you’re amazed.

* The entire room aside from the entrance wall, and the ceiling, are made from glass.

* There’s a roaring fireplace on one side, several cases full of books, a large plush armchair, and a bed.

* It’s like a queen’s bed, with mahogany spirals and creamy white bedding.

* “What’s with the bed?” It adds a nice touch to the room, but it’s not like you need it.

* “Oh well we thought maybe-“ Kate breaks off mid thought, looking to Irina for help who nods.

* “We thought maybe you might want it to pretend to sleep,” she finishes for her sister. Then noticing your confused expression she quickly adds “or as a comfy place to read, or for... other activities.”

* “Irina!” Kate shouts at the same time you cover your face in embarrassment. Sex is the farthest thing from your mind.

* “What? They need to know this is an open household.”

* “What did you mean about pretending to sleep?” You quickly interject.

* “Well you know,” Irina exchanges a look with her sister.

* “You just shut your eyes, and imagine things,” Kate finishes.

* “I did it a lot when I first transformed, helped me feel more human” Irina adds.

* “I still do it every so often, it’s a nice way to relax” Kate tells you.

* “I never thought to do that.” You mumble to yourself, sitting on the bed. The two exchange another look.

* They want to ask you questions, about the Volturi, and about your past.

* But thinking better of it, they decide to leave so you can get settled.

* As soon as they’re gone, you fall back into the bed.

* Pretending to sleep, what a strange thing, the books never talked about it.

* You turn your head to the side, looking out your window walls.

* “It really is a beautiful view.”

* The pine trees sway in the wind, the grey sky beyond it.

* You sigh, you’ll try and give that “pretending to sleep” thing a try.

* You close your eyes and imagine all sorts of things. You imagine being in your old body and doing crunches so that you could get abs. You imagine eating soup on a cold day while it rains outside, and you think about reading in the library with Alec and Jane. How you would sit in the nook, right below the window and bask in the sun.

* You’re abruptly broken out of the dream when you hear your door creak open.

* You sit upright with a start, eyes open, and your head turned to face the intruder.

* All you see is Eleazer shaking from laughter, as he hides his mouth in his hand.

* You turn to look at the clock, it’s 3 in the morning and it’s dark outside.

* “Thirsty yet?” He finally manages to say after a solid minute of laugh at you.

* You are growing a little parched.

* “We’re about to go hunt,.” Eleazer actually grins as he tells you.

* You move to stand and follow him outside.

* Tanya and Carmen are already waiting for you outside, they don’t need to explain much, it seems pretty obvious.

* Stalk the animal, and then kill, totally easy.

* Tanya and Carmen even corner a deer for you.

* You should be able to kill it, you should WANT to devour it, your throat is so dry, even a bit of relief seems nice right now.

* But when you look into it’s eyes, wide with fear, it looks just like a dog.

* You can’t do it.

* But everyone’s waiting for you to drink, how are you going to survive from here on out? There’s no Alec, bringing you a blood bag every few days, you can’t drink from humans and you can’t drink from animals what are you going-

* You’re broken out of your internal monologue by a pained scream, when you look around you, you see Carmen and Tanya kneeling on the ground.

* Crap your powers.

* The deer crumples to the floor, the fearful look in its eyes intensified.

* “I-I’m sorry I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

* And then you run, you climb up the tallest tree you can find and crumple into yourself like a collapsing star.

* What was your end game here? To raise hell on this world? Right.

* How are you going to do that when you can’t even control your emotions or even feed yourself.

* Geez, even Edward managed to eat rapists and murders.

* You feel the branch you’re crouched on shift a bit and look up to see Carmen.

* She instinctively reached for you only to flinch back, your power to reaching her.

* She must notice the look on your face because she smiles and says:

* “Don’t worry I’ve felt worse.”

* Well you don’t have time to unpack all of that.

* “I can’t kill an animal,” you finally admit.

* You’re waiting for her fury, but she just shrugs.

* “That’s alright, you know, I hate pretending to be a student, so I don’t do the school thing.”

* She continues on, “Kate hates going to the grocery store, Irina hates making small talk with the mail man, even Eleazer hates having to deal with their forgery, especially when it’s time to move

* “What about Tanya?”

* Carmen scoffs.

* “Tanya hates having to see Edward,” then realizing you might not know Edward she adds, “One of Carlisle’s coven.”

* You knew in the book Tanya felt scorned, but you didn’t think she hated him.

* “The point is, we all have things we don’t like to do.”

* Ah here it comes, the whole “but we do them for the better of the coven” spiel.

* “So we do them for each other.”

* Well this is unexpected.

* “Eleazer and I get supplies, Kate and Irina handle going to school and keeping our front, and Tanya handles the big picture stuff.”

* She puts her hand on top of your own, you hadn’t realized she had gotten so close, or that you were feeling calm enough to let her get close.

* “The point is, if there’s something you don’t want to do, it’s okay. You’re apart of our family now, and we help each other.”

* You nod.

* “Come, let’s go home.”

* When you get home, you see Tanya and Irina literally draining the blood out of a bear in the kitchen.

* “Ah you’re back! Look what we got you!”

* Tanya says it like she got you a new desk, not that she’s literally draining the blood out of an animal into a reusable starbucks cup.

* “Maybe we should do this for ourselves too, it’s much more convenient, and this way my blouses won’t get dirty” Irina comments, sealing another bottle and putting it in the fridge.

* “Tanya I’m sorry about before, I-“

* “There’s nothing to be sorry for little one,” she cradled your face in her blood stained hands. “I am sorry, I thought you seemed uncomfortable, but I thought it might be the thirst.”

* You nod slowly, they’re being so kind to you. You don’t know how to handle it tbh.

* “Tanya! We talked about this, you can’t call them little one, it’s condescending.” Irina hisses, and Tanya sucks her teeth.

* “Ah yes, sorry darling, you are just so young.” She pats your cheek, and then grins. “More importantly, you are so powerful!”

* Tanya’s beaming like a pageant mom who’s child just won first place.

* “You should have seen it Irina, she had me AND Carmen on the ground! It was incredible!”

* “I’ve never seen anything like it except with-“

* “Except with Jane,” you finish.

* The similarity had been noted by Aro, the type of power that only came once a century.

* Tanya’s expression darkens for a moment, Jane had been the one to carry out the order to kill her mother.

* Then it’s gone, her eyes fill with warmth once they settle onto you once more.

* “Eleazer, what is their power?”

* You hadn’t even realised he had come into the room

* “It’s an aura” he says it all matter of fact, like everyone in the room should know what that means. Upon noticing the confused looks he elaborates.

* “Basically whatever emotions they feel are felt by those around them, right now it seems to be a limited range of emotions.” He meets your gaze, he must mean the despair you feel.

* “But given time, it can extend to all emotions.”

* Well this is news to you, does that mean one day... you might be able to give happiness to others as well?

* You take a sip of the blood and have to hide your cringe.

* It’s disgusting, what the hell was that bear eating.

* “Delicious” you murmur, taking another disgusting sip.

* “Fantastic! This finally gives us an excuse to stock the fridge!”

* Irina opens the fridge to show several bottles full of blood.

* Great.

* The next few days pass in a haze, you “dream” every so often, drink the disgusting bear blood, and read.

* Oh and you also spend a lot of time with your new family. Getting together for a morning run is compulsory

* The only cringe worthy thing is drinking that gross blood.

* If you had to describe the taste, you would say it had a rich flavour at first, but it’s masked with a game-y aftertaste, it only gets worse over time, developing into a straight up skunky after taste.

* You sit on your bed, looking out your many windows/walls, to the frost covered estate.

* You wonder if humans taste that bad when you find them at random, it makes sense why the Volturi’s main racket were wellness retreats, three days of cleansing the blood with vitamin rich food.

* And then you’re struck with an idea.

* “Hey Carmen, you said I could ask if I need something right?”

* “Yes of course.”

* “I was wondering if I could have the far most corner of the estate?”

* She shrugs.

* “Sure.”

* You spend a few days making the fence, sanding down the wood.

* It’s actually pretty easy when you never get tired, or need a break, or when you’re not afraid you might get hurt.

* And, because Alaska is known for cruel weather, you make a barn with Kate’s help.

* “If I knew you were building something out here I would have asked Esme to draw something up for you.”

* “Nah, I wanted to do it myself.”

* Between the two of you, it’s pretty quick work, but it’s basically a rickety poorly built box.

* But it will do.

* It’s a good parcel of land, at least a quarter of an acre.

* Now comes the hard part.

* You’ve finally cornered a deer, probably the same deer from a few weeks ago.

* “Do you want to be friends?” you hold out an apple, and it watches you with a curious glance before running away.

* Well, it’s not a dog, it’s not going to follow you home because you just because you gave it food.

* You repeat the process with several other deer, but you don’t make much progress.

* You repeat the process for a few days, until you finally get the deer to eat the food you offer, and another several days until one will follow you back into the pen.

* You’re not really sure why it did, it’s trembling and afraid, but you guess it’s probably close to starving at this point.

* “Here,” you give it a healthy meal, before leading it to the barn you’ve sloppily built.

* You’re about to go inside, but noticing that it’s still trembling in fear, you decide to spend the night with it.

* “Dreaming” isn’t any different in your bed than it is in a creaky, poorly built barn.

* After that night, you and the deer are closer.

* “I think I’ll name you Henrietta, that’s a good name don’t you think.”

* You get a few more after that, but none of them like you as much as Henrietta.

* They’re mostly following you for food, well at least they won’t die as long as they’re with you.

* And so three days pass, you deer have healthy nutrient rich blood flowing through their veins.

* “Hey Eleazer?”

* He hums in acknowledgement, his hands are busy nailing in the nail on his birdhouse.

* “Do you think Carlisle might visit sometime?”

* Eleazer’s hands stop moving.

* “Do you want him to visit?”

* Well of course you do, he’s the only person you know with any kind of medical experience. He has to show you how to -hygienically- extract blood from your deer without killing them or contaminating the blood.

* “I think we were making a lot of progress with my powers before we stopped.”

* Eleazer nods.

* “I’ll give him a call soon.”

* Another few days pass, time seems to move differently now. You can’t tell how much time has passed, even the nights and days start to blur together, after all the nights are so much longer here in Alaska.

* And yet, it’s peaceful, you read books, and drink your disgusting bear blood. You watch Irina and Tanya play chess, and Kate sharpen her sword. Carmen likes to embroider when she can, and Eleazer enjoys wood work.

* It’s nice here

* You’re reading in your room when you hear them, Carlisle’ss soft gentle voice from down stairs.

* You haven’t seen him in so long, you convince yourself you’re rushing to greet him because you’ll always be grateful for what he did for you.

* But you know it’s actually because you miss him.

* He was the first person to show you true compassion.

* You get to the bottom of the stairs expecting to see Carlisle, and you do, but there’s someone else.

* He’s tall, at least he’s taller than you.

* His hair... it’s -what’s it called-, not quite red, not quite brown either.

* Auburn.

* Auburn hair as thick as a lions mane, hangs around his face, deep gold eyes, and a splatter of freckles across the bridge of his nose.

* This is actually the first boy vampire around your age you’ve seen. Alec was close, but he was younger than you by a handful of years.

* If your heart could beat, you’re sure it would be drumming.

* He’s beautiful. Chiseled cheekbones, and full lips.

* You’re suddenly starting to feel very conscious of the baggy sweatshirt and leggings you’re wearing

* His eyes meet yours, and they stay there, narrowing into a glare.

* Well that’s rude.

* Carlisle doesn’t seem to notice, pulling you into a hug.

* “You look well,” he says, his eyes are so warm as they gaze down at you that you can’t help but smile. “How are you handling the transition?”

* You know he really means to ask if you’re happy now, if you’re free.

* You nod, this is more than you could have ever hoped for.

* His smile widens.

* “I’m glad to hear that,” then noticing he hasn’t introduced you yet, he looks over his shoulder.

* “(Y/N), this is the son I told you about, Edward.”

* This is Edward?

* You turn to look at him again, this amber eyes narrowed.

* It’s not a glare, it’s concentration.

* He can’t read your mind.

* “Edward, this is (Y/N), my friend from Volterra.”

* Carlisle says it in such an easy way, like he didn’t meet you in the brink of despair, when you were pleading him to kill you.

* You gulp as Edward lifts his hand, and you gingerly take in yours.

* “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

[khaleesiofalicante]

I'm having a really rough day. Do you have anything nice?

oh my beautiful butterfly. I stopped my reading and wrote this one just for you. I hope it makes you feel at least a little better. Please take care. Stay unbroken for me.

Being a Lightwood Ain’t Easy

“You ready?” Alec knocked on the door.

He sounded calm - but only because he tried his best not to sound as excited as he felt. He had been waiting for this day for quite a long time and he couldn’t believe it was all happening.

There was no response from the other side so Alec knocked again. No response. Maybe he had overslept. Alec did notice that the light in the room hadn't gone out till early morning.

“Alright, I am coming in,” Alec said and gently pushed the door open.

He saw the boy sitting on the bed, still in his purple pyjamas, hugging his knees to his chest. He kept his eyes to the floor and avoided Alec’s worried gaze. Alec didn't know what was wrong but he wished Magnus was here - he would know how to deal with this.

His way of dealing with it would of course to make an ill timed joke. Maybe Alec should try that.

“I know your bapa taught you that being fashionably late is cool,” Alec said with a grin. “But you can't be late to your own rune ceremony, buddy.”

Rafe looked up with an incredulous look on his face, he seemed a little exasperated. Alright maybe Alec wasn't the funny dad. So he tried to use his own tactics.

He knelt down in front his son and scanned Rafe’s face. “I know it is a little scary to get your first rune, but it doesn't hurt as much as you think, I promise. You are a shadowhunter. You will get used to it.”

Rafe looked away.

“What if I didn't want to be a shadowhunter?”

Something in Alec’s heart stopped or broke or burst into a million pieces. He wasn't sure and it didn't matter. He wasn't concerned by the heart inside his body. He was concerned about the heart which was sitting right in front of him.

“Rafael,” Alec said softly. “What's wrong, mijo?”

The boy took a deep breath and looked up at him. “I am not just any shadowhunter, am I?”

Alec cocked his head in confusion.

“I am not just any shadowhunter,” Rafael repeated. “I am a Lightwood.”

Alec couldn’t help but smile a little at that and put his hand on Rafael’s shoulder. “Yes. Yes, you are.”

Rafael pushed it away. “But I am not, aren't I?”

“What do you mean?” Alec asked, genuinely confused.

“I am both a Lightwood and I am not,” Rafael explained frustratedly.

“Rafe, wha-”

“I am the son of the Consul, a hero of the Dark War and the founder of the Shadowhunter Downworlder Alliance,” Rafael said as if he was reciting a practiced speech.

Alec would have blushed in any other situation but right now he was only worried. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Rafe shook his head. “You did everything right and I...I am just worried that I won't.”

“Rafael,” Alec sighed. “You are not me. You don't have to do what I did or do.”

“But it isn't just about you,” Rafael bit his lip. “It’s all of you. Every single one. Aunt Izzy is one of the best fighters in the world. Abuelo was the freaking inquisitor and Uncle Jace...Well, he is Uncle Jace.”

Alec didn't know what to do. In this head, he heard Magnus’s voice when he spoke to Max when their blueberry got too stressed during their magic lessons.

“Smell the flowers and blow the candles,” Magnus would tell their son.

Alec took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

“Do you want me to tell you that you are going to be great just like all of us?” Alec asked, even though he knew the answer.

“No, I don't want you do that,” Rafael said stubbornly. “Because I know I won't be.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because I am not a Lightwood, dad,” Rafael almost shouted. “Not really. I am just..I am just a boy you found in the street. So whatever genes that make the rest of you amazing and awesome and cool and perfect - it’s not gonna work for me.”

Alec stared at his son then. Rafael's body was hunched as if he was protecting himself from everything the world was going through at him after today.

It wasn't easy being a shadowhunter - and it definitely wasn't easy being a Lightwood.

Rafael looked at him in the eye then, his lips wobbling a little. “I am scared I won't be good enough.”

He looked at those tiny little shoulders and realized the amount of pressure that sat on them. Alec had once been worried about not being able to fill the shoes of his ancestors - of not being able to bring his parents glory. He had been terrified of not being good enough to bear his family name.

Now his son was feeling the very same. Alec wondered whether all shadowhunters felt this way at one point or another.  

“Listen,” Alec said. “Izzy is the best at what she does because she trains every single day. Yes, my dad was the inquisitor but he wasn't perfect. Uncle Jace is Uncle Jace not because he was born to be that person but because he choose to be. And I...I might be the Consul but I was a scared little boy for a long time too.”

Rafael still looked unconvinced and frustrated and stubborn.

“I am not going to say your last name doesn't matter. It does and it always will. We are treated differently than others because of our last name. We have been given chances and opportunities because of our last name.”

“Your tutor,” Raphael said weakly. “He was punished worse...”

Magnus and Alec had decided long ago that it was imperative for their children to know their history - all of it and from all sides.

“He got the worst of it and my parents didn't - because they are Lightwoods,” Alec admitted.

Alec looked at his son and spoke in a tone that Magnus often called his ‘Consul voice’.

“It is an honour to be a Lightwood. Our name has power and privilege,” Alec told his son. “But it is also a responsibility.”

Rafael nodded meekly. “I am responsible to uphold our family name?” his son asked in a quiet tone.

“No,” Alec said. “You are responsible to use this power and privilege to help those who don't have it.”

Rafael looked up then.

“You are not wrong to be afraid, Rafe. You are a smart kid and you are right. People will see you differently and hold you accountable to higher standards. I know it's not fair. Sometimes it can be difficult. People will always expect you to be a certain way because of your last name or your gender or your race or so many other things...But you need to be true to yourself. That’s what it means to be a Lightwood.”

Rafael finally let go of his legs and sat up straight, listening intently now.

“To be a Lightwood is to follow what is right, defend what is good and protect what is innocent,” Alec said firmly. “But most importantly, to be a Lightwood is to fight for yourself.”

“Like you did?” Rafe asked, his lips curving, just a little.

“And like so many others before,” Alec smiled. “Some day soon, your bapa will tell you about other Lightwoods who fought for themselves - Christopher and Anna and Thomas and so many others.”

Rafael actually smiled then - he always liked listening to his bapa’s stories.

“If you don't want to be a shadowhunter, then we will not force you,” Alec said seriously now. “All we want is for you to be happy. To be yourself.”

“I do want to be a shadowhunter,” Rafael confessed in a whisper. “I am just...scared. I am scared that I won't be good enough. I am scared that people will think I am not good enough.”

“I was too, mijo,” Alec said softly, rubbing his son’s cheek. “I sometimes still feel like I am not good enough. When you feel that way, just give your best shot and remember that it is more than enough. It doesn't matter what other people think or say. That’s one more Lightwood trait for you. We don't let other people tell us who we are. We decide it for ourselves.”

“But I do care about what you think," Rafael said in a small voice. "Do you think I'm gonna be a good shadowhunter?”

“100%," Alec said without hesitation.

“How do you know?” Rafe asked skeptically.

“Because you are not even a shadowhunter yet and you are already trying to figure out how to be a good one,” Alec laughed. “A good fighter is always prepared. You are going to be just fine.”

“Because my last name is Lightwood?” Rafael teased.

“Because your last name is Lightwood-Bane,” Alec grinned. “Now I know there aren't many Banes and I myself know only one. But he is the best man I know.”

“He is the best I man I know too,” Rafe grinned. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Alec grinned back.

“Okay then,” Rafael hopped off the bed and walked towards his closet - which was larger than Alec’s own. “Let’s get dressed for my big day.”

“I am afraid my amazing, awesome, cool and perfect Lightwood genes are not going to be very helpful here,” Alec chuckled. “I'll send Magnus.”

Rafael giggled and nodded as he excitedly went through his closet. Alec looked at his son and walked back to the closet and knelt down again.

“I just want you to remember one thing,” Alec stared into his son’s eyes. “You were never just a boy found in the street. I knew you were mine the moment I saw you. I knew you were my baby even then.”

“I know, dad,” Rafael replied shyly.  

“No matter what anyone says, you are a Lightwood and you will always be my son.”

Rafael put his arms around his neck and hugged Alec tightly. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alec kissed the top of his head and walked back to the door. “Now hurry up and get dressed. Your Consul commands it.”

“Boludo,” he heard his son chuckle and Alec couldn't help but chuckle himself.

[hopesilverheart]

Title: I loved your colours (before I loved you) Artist: @calliartss​ Rating: Explicit (Chapter 10 only) Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Clary Fray, Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood Word Count: ~95k Summary: Magnus Bane is a journalist who's always dreamed of modelling for Lightwood Fashions. When the CEO Alec Lightwood starts looking for new models for their spring collection, he jumps on the occasion.

In the meantime, Alec Lightwood is struggling with the idea of finally announcing his role as co-designer. When Magnus Bane strolls into his life, Alec is torn between keeping his secret or throwing all caution to the wind.

This fic was created for the Malec Discord Mini Bang 2020.

Chapter 10: You’ll be flushed when you return

“So… Magnus.”

Alec wasn’t even sure who had spoken; it could have been Maia just as easily as it could have been Helen. However, he was sure that nothing good ever came out of a conversation that started with those two words.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like talking about Magnus, because he loved talking about his boyfriend and telling everyone about how lucky he was. He just didn’t necessarily enjoy discussing his private life in the middle of the work day when he was supposed to be focusing on the photo shoot happening in front of him.

“Do we have to do this right now?” He sighed, turning towards Helen – he could recognise that blond hair anywhere – immediately groaning when he caught sight of her mischievous smile. “I don’t know if you noticed, but we are a little bit busy with this Vogue shoot. You and I both know we need this to be as perfect as possible. And as much as I would love to talk to you about my boyfriend, I’m not sure now is the time.”

“Now is the perfect time!” Maia exclaimed from his other side, looping one of her arms around his shoulders and winking conspiratorially at Helen. “Don’t think it’s escaped our attention that you’ve been avoiding every single Fashion team bar night since you started dating Magnus. We thought you’d come more often now that you have someone to show off, but you’ve managed to disappoint us once again.”

“My dating status has never, not once, influenced my lack of interest in bar nights,” Alec pointed out. “I don’t like going out with large groups of people just to get drunk and having Magnus at my side won’t change that.”

Besides, he had definitely gone to a bar night less than a month ago, right before he and Magnus had started dating. He had hated every second of it and had only attended because Clary had dragged him there kicking and screaming, but he had still been present. That had to count for something. The unofficial rule was that every member of the team had to attend a bar night at least once a month, and Alec had filled his quota for February.

“The last time you came was in January,” Helen said wryly, raising her eyebrows at him and smirking smugly when he snapped his mouth shut, realising that she was probably right. Damn it. “So we expect you to come next week, alright? No pressure or anything, but we’re celebrating my three years with Aline, so…”

“I’ll be there!” Alec threw his hands in the air, hoping his word would be enough to placate his friends. “I can’t promise that I’ll bring Magnus, because heaven knows he can get very busy with all the work he has to do, but I’ll be there. I’ll clear my night, let Clary choose my outfit, and hang out with you for the four required hours. Does that sound nice?”

“That sounds perfect,” Maia grinned, high-fiving Helen behind Alec’s back. “Although that’s also not what we wanted to talk to you about. I mean, I’m glad we got that promise out of you, but we really did want to have a little conversation about Magnus. Lydia is worried that your relationship might have an impact on his efficiency on the job.”

“Has it caused any problems so far?” Alec frowned.

To be honest, he hadn’t really thought about what it meant for him to date his colleague – employee, technically – when he and Magnus had started going out. He had talked about intra-company relationships with his bosses and teams before, but he had never thought that it would apply to him, and he had… Well, he had been so caught up in Magnus that he had forgotten about that little detail.

However, he hadn’t had reason to believe that his relationship with Magnus would impact the way his boyfriend worked. Magnus was nothing if not a hard-worker – and a bit of a perfectionist – and Alec couldn’t imagine him slacking off just because he was dating the company’s CEO.

“Not so far, no,” Maia answered, waving over at Aline as the model sidled up to them and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. “But you know how Lydia is. She likes to think about all the possibilities so she’s prepared were the worst case scenario to arise. She’s probably thinking about your break-up or whatever other nonsense situations she likes to create in her mind.”

“Well, Magnus and I aren’t going to break up any time soon,” Alec brushed their concerns off, fighting back a blush as he realised how true that statement was. Magnus and he hadn’t really talked about the future of their relationship, but Alec knew without a doubt that they were on the same track. “You both know I don’t do casual hook-ups, and I don’t think Magnus does either. We’re committed to each other and I don’t see how this could go wrong.”

“No one ever sees how things could go wrong,” Helen pointed out smartly. “That’s often how break-ups happen. They hit you right when you think you’re safe. It’s dangerous Alec, and you shouldn’t let your romantic ideals get in the way of reality.”

“Alright, well that got depressing,” Aline clapped her hands together. “How about we focus on something a little more light-hearted, huh? Like how gorgeous the models look today. And yes, I’m including myself in that category.”

“Well of course you are,” Helen smiled softly at her girlfriend, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before curling a possessive hand around her waist. “Prettiest girl in the room. Although Emily and Diana are looking quite stunning today, too. Have you seen them? They finished their shoots ten minutes ago and said they were going to change, but those outfits were spectacular. You really outdid yourself, Alec.”

“Thank you,” he blushed, glancing around the room to try and catch a glimpse of the models. Magnus had just stepped up to the photographers and was handling his poses expertly, but the women were nowhere to be seen. He could have sworn Izzy had been talking to Emily less than five minutes earlier, but-

“Emily!” Aline called out, waving the brunette over with a reassuring smile. The young woman looked vaguely terrified, but Alec knew that was mostly his fault. He had been so busy with life and work and his family that he had forgotten to spend time with the new models. Magnus had told him that he intimidated them, and he should have fixed that as soon as he had heard about it. “Hey, Em.”

“Hey guys,” the brunette said softly, grinning at Maia and Helen before flushing darkly as her eyes landed on Alec. “Hello, Mister Lightwood.”

“Oh, lord,” Helen breathed out. “This is worse than I thought.”

“Please call me Alec,” the designer insisted, grimacing at Emily’s obvious deference. “I’m sorry I didn’t take the time to talk to you before this, but my schedule has been even more packed than usual and I completely forgot about my usual CEO-model talk.”

“That’s a thing?” Aline’s eyebrows flew up. “How did I not know that was a thing? I’m pretty sure I never got a talk like that when I started working for you. Was I not good enough for it?”

“Aline, you’re my cousin,” Alec sighed tiredly. “You didn’t need a talk because you already knew me and had stopped being afraid of me long before you joined Lightwood Fashions. I assure you, Magnus didn’t – and won’t – get the talk either.”

“You sound like you’re talking about sex.” Lydia’s voice came out of nowhere and, before Alec could blink, the blonde woman was standing in front of them, looking at them with judgement in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re talking about sex whilst we’re trying to get work done. It’s no wonder the models have been a little less concentrated lately.”

Emily made a small noise at the back of her throat, almost as though she was afraid Lydia was talking about her and was about to fire her or something equally as ridiculous, but Aline and Maia were quick to pat her on the back comfortingly.

“Sorry, Emily, I just mean that Isabelle, Meliorn, and Andrew have been harder to handle than usual today,” Lydia explained, pointing at the trio of models waiting to the side, looking down at the floor sheepishly. Clary was standing with them, arms crossed over her chest as she valiantly tried to act like she was scolding them, even though they all knew she was just staring at them menacingly whilst waiting for Lydia to come back.

“Well, we definitely weren’t talking about sex,” Maia shrugged. “Those three, however… We all know Izzy has finally caught her girl, so I wouldn’t be surprised if something was happening there. Meliorn is always distracted when we have evening shoots, and Andrew… You didn’t hear this from me, but I think he’s been sneaking around with a boy from another company. Very scandalous, if you ask me.”

The rest of the group blinked at Maia blankly. Alec had never understood how the woman managed to get so much information from people she barely knew, but it was a talent he reluctantly admired. Maia had all the gossip, all the time, and although the fashion team liked to act as though they didn’t care about scandals and other such nonsense, it wasn’t a secret that they all thrived on the drama.

“I’m still not completely convinced Izzy and Clary didn’t get up to something even before they were together,” Aline hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side as she let her gaze rake up and down the two women in question. “There’s always been so much tension between them, and they spent a lot of time in close quarters, so…”

“So nothing,” Alec shook his head, chuckling at his friend’s subsequent pout. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but those two were strictly platonic until they started dating.  Since they have only been official for a few weeks, I’m not even sure they’ve slept together yet.”

“Does Clary not tell you these things?” Helen frowned. “Isn’t that what best friends are for?”

“Clary is currently dating my little sister,” Alec pointed out, grimacing at the mere thought of having to listen to his best friend talk about Izzy like that. “I’m very happy for the both of them, and I’m sure their romantic and sexual chemistry is off the charts, but I really don’t want to hear about it. I’m sure Clary will use one of you as her confidant when she finds herself in desperate need of sex talk.”

“I hope it’s me,” Aline sighed dreamily, earning herself a sharp nudge in the ribs from her girlfriend. “What?! I mean, just like, as friends. Besides, you have to admit those two are absolutely gorgeous. God, if they could have children…”

“Ours would be prettier,” Helen pouted. “But enough about Clary and Izzy. Those two are old news, even if their relationship is pretty new. I want to hear about this mysterious lover Andrew is sneaking around with. Do you have any details, or did you just conveniently overhead a conversation?”

“Sorry,” Maia shrugged. “I’ve got nothing.”

“I do.”

At once every single pair of eyes turned towards Emily, who was looking both embarrassed at being the centre of attention and smug at having more information than any of them. Which made sense, since she and Andrew had grown quite close since they had been hired.

“But I don’t want to say anything if it’ll get Andrew in trouble,” she bit down on her bottom lip, glancing over at her friend worriedly. “It’s not against the rules to date someone from another company, right? Even if that person is technically a Lightwood rival?”

“Ooh, is Andrew pulling a Romeo and Juliet?” Aline cackled gleefully, only calming down when Alec and Lydia sent her matching disapproving looks.

“No, Emily, it isn’t against the rules,” Lydia assured the model, a gleam of excitement entering her eyes when Emily perked up. “So, do you have a story for us, or are we going to have to go digging?”

“It’s Lorenzo Rey!” Emily blurted out, clapping her hands over her mouth as soon as she spoke and sending a panicked glance in Andrew’s direction, as though the man could have heard her from all the way across the room. “Please tell me you do this with everyone and that I didn’t just reveal one of my closest friend’s secrets for nothing.”

“Relax, Emily,” Maia chuckled. “We do this every time someone new joins the company, just to know whether or not we should be trying to set up dates or not. Someone would have stumbled upon him and his secret lover eventually, so you just saved us a lot of time and trouble. But seriously… Lorenzo Rey?”

“I always thought the guy was a complete dick,” Alec furrowed his brows. He had only met Rey a few times, and none of their meetings had been particularly pleasant. So to think about a man as sweet as Andrew dating someone as arrogant and self-absorbed as Fade Media’s Head Editor… It was a little disconcerting. “How on earth did it happen?”

“I have no idea,” Emily shrugged. “But he seems to really like Rey, even though he calls him an egotistical idiot almost every single time I bring him up. I don’t claim to understand what the hell they have going on.”

Alec and the girls all took a moment to ponder over the model’s words, but it wasn’t like they didn’t have their own improbable romances going on within the office. Izzy and Clary, for one, had one of the strangest relationships. Just because Alec didn’t see how Andrew and Rey could possibly fit together didn’t mean they didn’t care about each other.

“Hey, um…” Emily interrupted their collective moment of silence, shuffling her feet nervously. “Does this mean you guys also know about my love life?”

“Are you asking if we know about your little writer girlfriend?” Helen grinned, winking at Emily as the younger woman blushed brightly. “Yes, Em, we know that you’re going out with a girl from the media department. Izzy was the first one to catch you in the act, and then it was easy enough to put the pieces together. Good on you, though, I’m sure she’s a great person.”

“Yeah, she is,” Emily smiled softly, her eyes widening as she looked over Alec’s shoulder. “Oh my god.”

Next to her, Aline and Maia whistled in tandem, snickering quietly as Alec remembered just what was going on behind him and spun around, coming face to face with a shirtless Magnus. Well, technically his boyfriend was still a few feet away, finishing up his shoot with Raphael and the Vogue people, but he was also shirtless, and Alec…

Alec was a weak man. He swallowed reflexively as Magnus flexed his muscles and smirked at the camera, winking straight at the lens.

“Is now the right time to talk about sex?” Lydia murmured, grinning wickedly at Alec. “Because you know, it’s not every day a man as handsome and well-sculpted as Magnus gets to do a shirtless photoshoot right in front of us. Please tell me you’ve already gotten a piece of him.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Lydia?” Helen gaped, staring at the other blonde as though she had never seen her before. “I thought we weren’t supposed to discuss sexual relationships when there’s serious business going on.”

“We aren’t,” Lydia shrugged unrepentantly. “But Alec is far too easy to tease, and since he refuses to show up to bar nights, this might be our only chance to get something out of him. So if you have any questions for him, feel free to go ahead. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear any of this.”

Alec groaned loudly as three pairs of eyes – Lydia was too busy staring at Magnus, and Emily still looked a little uncomfortable around him – turned towards him. He loved his friends, but he had never been a fan of oversharing, and discussing his and Magnus’ sex life definitely felt like oversharing to him.

“Just tell us if you’ve slept with him,” Maia pleaded. “That’s all we want to know. I don’t care about the details, I just want confirmation that you finally took it upon yourself to sleep with the damn man.”

“Fine!” Alec exclaimed, lowering his voice when half of the room turned to look at him curiously. “Fine. Yes, we’ve slept together. No, I’m not telling you how many times or where or how it was. You got your answer, and now you’re going to kindly act as though I didn’t say anything out of the ordinary, alright?”

“That’s fine by me,” Aline snickered. “But you go, cousin! Seriously, congrats on landing one of the hottest men in the world. If I weren’t so in love with Helen and so into women, I might have even asked if you were open to sharing. Although I have a feeling Magnus really isn’t into that.”

“Why do you think that?” Alec asked, his voice breaking slightly as he remembered the possessive way Magnus had marked him the other night, breathlessly calling him mine over and over again.

“One, you’re not as good at covering up hickeys as you think you are,” Helen smirked. “Two, every time the photographers give him a break, his eyes are drawn to you and he looks like he’s a second away from marching over here and claiming you or something. I’m honestly impressed at how well he’s keeping it together when the cameras are on. He’s handling this a lot better than those three deviants over there.”

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” Alec huffed, although he pointedly didn’t look in Magnus’ direction, not wanting to add more fuel to the fire. “Besides, he’s almost done, isn’t he? I’m sure the pictures will turn out just fine and then we’ll be free to leave.”

“That sounded an awful lot like you’re about to leave this building and immediately have sex with your boyfriend,” Maia snorted. “You should be a little more careful with your words, Alec, it’s far too easy to misinterpret them.”

“Maybe there was nothing there to misinterpret,” Emily piped up, earning herself a look of deep respect from Lydia and Aline, as well as a betrayed glance from Alec. “I’m just saying, those words seemed to speak for themselves. Not that there’s anything to be ashamed of, sir- Alec! You’re allowed to sleep with your boyfriend whenever you want to.”

“Well said, Emily, well said.”

Six heads snapped around as Magnus walked towards them, a smirk curling at his lips and sweat dripping down his chest. He looked like he had just stepped out of one of Alec’s fantasies, and it took all of Alec’s self-control for him not to jump his ridiculously handsome model boyfriend right there and then.

“Right, I think we should leave,” Emily winked at Magnus, looking far more comfortable and confident around him than she had around the rest of the group. “I should go find Andrew, and the rest of you probably have work to do, so we should leave these two lovebirds alone.”

To their credit, none of the girls protested as Emily led them away from Magnus and Alec, smirking at Magnus one last time before sauntering off towards Andrew.

“Since when are the two of you such good friends?” Alec raised his eyebrows, pecking Magnus’ lips obediently when his boyfriend leaned forward. “I knew you enjoyed her company, but I wasn’t aware the two of you were on good enough terms to discuss your love and sex lives.”

“What can I say,” Magnus shrugged, looping his arm through Alec’s and not even bothering to put on a shirt as he headed towards the elevator. “She’s quite bold once you get to know her, and she’s never afraid to ask for details when I talk about the things I want to do to you. In fact, she gives as good as she gets, and our conversations are always rather interesting.”

“I really don’t think I needed to know that,” Alec blushed, a relieved sigh escaping  when the elevator doors closed without anyone else stepping in. “Also, you do realise we can’t go out if you don’t have a shirt on, right? I’m all for sharing your wonderful body with the world, but I’m pretty sure it borders on illegal to go around looking like that.”

“You take all the fun out of life, Alexander,” Magnus pouted, although the mischievous glint in his eyes made Alec feel as though he were walking straight into a trap. “Why don’t we stop by Clary’s office? I know she keeps extra outfits in there from all her failed attempts at designing, and I seem to recall you telling me you had a few shirts hanging around there too.”

“Fine,” Alec sighed. “But if we’re going there, you’ll have to wait for me whilst I find the papers she was supposed to fill in two days ago and never gave in. You’re only delaying your own enjoyment by doing this.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Magnus grinned, letting one of his hands trail down Alec’s bicep teasingly and pressing a light kiss to the designer’s inner wrist when Alec’s breath caught in his chest. “You look delightful today, darling. Have I told you that already?”

“You-” Alec croaked, clearing his throat and trying again once he felt a little more collected. “You mentioned it, but I don’t mind hearing it again. Although I feel like you have me at a disadvantage, since you’re only wearing half of an outfit.”

“That’s easy enough to remedy,” Magnus grinned. Less than a second later, Alec’s shirt was being torn apart at the seams and he was being pushed out of the elevator and onto the fashion team’s main floor.

Luckily for them, the place was completely empty, everyone far too busy with the photoshoot to spend time in their offices. Still, Alec shivered at the thought of someone being able to walk onto the floor and be greeted by the sight of Alec and Magnus grinding against each other, their hands grappling for support in between them.

“Mag- Magnus,” Alec whined as his boyfriend tugged him towards Clary’s office, keeping one hand on the small of his back as the other drew meaningless patterns up and down his stomach. Heat pooled low in Alec’s gut, and he had to bite back a moan as Magnus finally pushed them into his best friend’s office – his best friend’s office, for god’s sake – and slammed the door shut behind them.

He was back in front of Alec less than a second later, smirking dangerously as he slipped the shirt off Alec’s shoulders and leaned in to bite at his collar bone hard enough that Alec knew that would leave a mark later. The mere thought of such a bruise had Alec keening and bucking his hips towards Magnus.

“What was that, Alexander?” The man purred, toying with Alec’s belt as he waited for the designer to give him instructions.

They had been over this the second time they had slept together; Magnus liked it when Alec told him what he wanted, and Alec got off on giving Magnus control over their interactions. Still, he bit down on his lip in an effort to keep in his desperate little noises for a while longer. There was no need for Magnus to know how eager he was to get taken apart in the middle of Clary’s workspace.

God, he should have been embarrassed. He should have been blushing and pushing Magnus away, telling him everything about this was completely inappropriate. Instead, he was shifting his hips so that his clothed dick brushed against Magnus’ every time one of them breathed, and he was seconds away from begging his boyfriend to do something.

“You’re going to have to speak if you want us to go any further than this, my lovely boy,” Magnus hummed lowly, shaking his head at Alec when the taller man let out a needy sound. “I know, I know you want this, but you need to use your words. I know you can do it, so come on. What do you want, Alexander? What do you want me to do to you? What do you want to do to me?”

“I want to blow you,” Alec blurted out, a tear rolling down his cheek as Magnus pressed up closer against him, sending his senses into overload. “Please, Magnus, I just want to taste you.”

“All you had to do was ask,” Magnus grinned wickedly, leaning away from Alec and unbuckling his belt in one smooth movement before pulling his pants down and revealing nothing but smooth skin. Because of course he hadn’t been wearing anything underneath his photoshoot outfit. Alec moaned loudly at the thought of Magnus posing for the photographers with nothing but those thin pants on. 

Alec whined at the praise, bending down to press a swift and hungry kiss to Magnus’ mouth before spinning them around, slamming Magnus against the wall hard enough to have the model wincing slightly at the sudden burst of pain. Alec would have asked after him, but Magnus had told him in no uncertain terms that he had nothing – absolutely nothing – about being manhandled and bruised a little bit.

“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you, Magnus,” Alec whispered against Magnus’ neck, slowly lowering himself to the ground and looking up at his boyfriend from underneath his lashes, wondering if he looked even half as alluring to Magnus as Magnus did to him. If the steady darkening of Magnus’ eyes was anything to go by, he probably did.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” Magnus breathed out.

Feeling more confident by the second – and more desperate, his dick aching to be let out of its confines – Alec licked his lips and breathed in Magnus’ heady scent for a moment before leaning in to lick a strip down the man’s cock.

“Alexander,” Magnus cried out, his hands coming up to grip Alec’s hair tightly, pulling on the strands harshly when Alec repeated the gesture, slowly but surely slicking Magnus up with his own spit. “Darling, I’m going to need you to go a little faster than that if you don’t want us to get caught.”

Half an hour earlier, Alec would have panicked at the thought of someone walking in on them and catching them in the act. Now, though, he could only gasp wantonly before fighting against Magnus’ grip and swallowing the head of his boyfriend’s dick, swirling his tongue around a few times before popping off, smacking his lips loudly as he bit softly at the inside of Magnus’ thigh.

The hands in his hair tightened even more, and Alec wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Magnus involuntarily snapped his hips forward, bucking towards Alec’s mouth as though he couldn’t resist him any longer.

“Either do something about this,” Magnus hissed, the sound turning into a moan as Alec hummed and nuzzled at the cock in front of him. “Or I’m going to take care of myself.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Alec breathed out, and then he was taking Magnus’ cock as far down his throat as he could manage.

His movements were precise and his right hand found the base of his boyfriend’s dick easily as his left fingers gripped Magnus’ hip tightly, stopping him from completely ravishing Alec’s face. He could tell Magnus wanted to, could tell he was trying to pick up the pace and make Alec lose control, but Alec wasn’t about to give in that easily.

He sucked Magnus off as slowly as he wanted to, relishing in his boyfriend’s taste and letting his rhythm pick up a few times only to slow it back down at the last second, turning Magnus into an unintelligible mess of words and desperate whines.

“Alexander, please,” Magnus begged. “Please let me fuck your mouth, please. You’ve made your point, I- I know you- You’re fantastic at this but- ah, Alec, fuck. Please.”

His words sounded so wrecked, so weak against the assault of Alec’s mouth, and Alec was only so strong. His boyfriend was pleading now, his thighs trembling as he tried to stay upright, and Alec had never seen anything quite as pretty as that.

His cock was throbbing in between his legs, still stuck in his pants and as eager for relief as Magnus clearly was. So instead of drawing it out for either of them any longer, Alec let go of Magnus’ hip, nodding at his boyfriend once with an encouraging smile before he went back down on the man, his now free hand unzipping his own fly as Magnus bucked into his mouth far more quickly than Alec had anticipated.

He choked on his own spit as Magnus somehow switched their positions around again. Alec was still on his knees, looking up at Magnus as he stroked his own dick with his left hand, but his back was now to the wall, pressed up so he had almost no way of getting away from his boyfriend’s grasp.

He should have been slightly terrified, should have felt trapped, but instead he whimpered enthusiastically and quickened his pace, bucking into his own hand as Magnus used his mouth for his own pleasure. They lost themselves in a sea of wrecked noises and pleas, Alec breathing heavily as Magnus praised him and tugged at his hair repeatedly, barely giving him enough time to catch his breath before he was fucking him again, and again, and again.

They reached their climax almost at the same time, Alec moaning loudly as he came and sending vibrations through Magnus’ body, making him spill into Alec’s mouth less than a second later. They both shook with the effort and the pleasure of finally having gotten what they wanted, and Alec milked every drop he could swallow before collapsing against the wall, taking deep breaths and looking up at his boyfriend dazedly.

“That was…” Alec started, cutting himself off as he realised he didn’t think a single word could encompass what had just happened. “Yeah, I- Thank you for that.”

“And thank you,” Magnus smiled, helping Alec up and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, his temple, his nose, before finally kissing him on the lips, the gesture warm and caring and making Alec fall a little bit more for the man. “You were incredible, Alexander.”

“You weren’t too bad yourself,” Alec blushed, kissing Magnus once more before pulling away and quickly straightening his clothes, chuckling as Magnus did the same only to smile wryly at his half-nude state. “There really are shirts in here, you know? She usually keeps them in the closet over there, so I’m sure you’ll find something to your tastes. In the meantime, I’m going to try and find those papers.”

Magnus hummed absent-mindedly, already skipping over to the closet Alec had pointed at and going through the many shirts Alec had left behind on the nights he and Clary had spent in the building, pouring over designs and falling asleep at sunrise.

Just as Alec reached Clary’s desk and started going through her drawers, hoping she hadn’t lost the papers – again – the door to the office flew open and Clary stormed in, looking harried and a little crazy.

“Where did I- Holy shit!” She yelped, bringing her hands up to her heart as she spotted Alec. “What the hell are you doing here? Everyone told me you had gone home with Magnus to do tons of terrible things to him, so what are you still doing around… here.”

Her eyes widened as they settled on Magnus, who was in the process of tugging a shirt on over his head. Alec grimaced as his best friend turned back towards him with betrayal written all over her face.

“I can explain, okay, this isn’t what it- I mean, we didn’t- It’s not-” he stumbled over his words, knowing he was only making things worse. “I’m sorry?”

“I can’t believe you! I can’t believe this! I thought we had rules, Alec! I thought we respected each other enough not to- Nope, I don’t even want to think about it. I don’t want to know what happened, I don’t- Oh god, please tell me you didn’t do anything near my desk. Alec, please tell me my favourite desk has not been compromised by… Whatever the hell it is you were doing,” Clary scrunched her nose up in disgust, staring at her desk with horrified eyes.

“Your desk is fine,” Alec winced, realising what his words implied as soon as they were out of his mouth. “Everything is fine, I swear. Maybe just… The wall near the door might need a little disinfecting. Maybe the door too, just to be safe.”

“The door?” Clary yelled, glaring at Alec and Magnus dangerously. “You two are the absolute worst. But now that I know our offices aren’t off the table, I’d double check before stepping into yours.”

“Clary!” Alec cried out as Magnus looked on, clearly amused by the turn of events. “That’s completely different! You’re talking about my sister. You cannot have sex with my sister in my office! That is completely out of the question. If you really want to get revenge, please stick to Magnus’ office.”

“Magnus’ office is mostly made of glass walls,” Clary crossed her arms over her chest, looking distinctly unimpressed. “And if you didn’t want to have to think about Isabelle and I sleeping together in your office, maybe you shouldn’t have slept with your boyfriend in mine first!”

That being said, she grabbed a file from her desk, narrowed her eyes at Alec one last time, and walked back out of the room, shimmying past the door without touching it.

“Is she really mad at us?” Magnus asked once she was gone, lacing his fingers with Alec’s and gently guiding them out of the room, shutting the door behind them carefully. “Because if so, I’m sorry for putting you in that situation. I wasn’t really thinking about the consequences when I led us here, and…”

“She’s cool with it,” Alec rolled his eyes. “She just wants me to sweat a little as I wonder whether or not she’ll go through with her plan to take Izzy to my office for unspeakable acts.”

“Unspeakable acts?”

“This is my sister we’re talking about,” Alec reminded Magnus. “I’m not going to call it anything other than that or else I may be scarred for life. Now, enough about Clary and Izzy. How about we go back to your apartment?”

“Already up for round two?” Magnus grinned cheekily. “Why Alexander, I had no idea you were so eager to get your hands back on me. I might even start thinking you’re only using me for my body if we keep on going like this.”

“I was thinking more of a movie date, maybe dinner? But you know, whatever pleases you,” Alec chuckled. “After all, I’m happy no matter what we do as long as I’m with you.”

Magnus beamed brightly at him, leading him back to the elevator and chattering on about his day and the movies they could watch and how much fun he had had during – and after, he added with a wink – the photoshoot. And all along, Alec just watched him and smiled softly, feeling happier than he had in a very long time.

Not even Izzy’s late night call filled with screaming, squealing and an unhealthy amount of threats was enough to dampen his mood.