#sorry i just really love alec lightwood he means so much to me

[bisexualwintermoon]

ASSORTED ALEC LIGHTWOOD PROPAGANDA (in no particular order):

one time when they were in hell, jace & clary were having sex in a cave, isabelle and simon were making out in a tunnel, and alec was getting wine-drunk in a cave by himself and missing his (technically ex) boyfriend (and then refused to make a pie)

founded the downworlder-shadowhunter alliance with lily & maia

got put in charge of the government and one of his first decisions was to make shadowhunter-downworlder marriage legal and then married his boyfriend on a beach in la

managed to pick his boyfriend out of a crowd of illusions of his boyfriend made by a greater demon

fell down the stairs after his first date

kissed his boyfriend in front of all the shadowhunters and inspired other gay shadowhunters to come out

when magnus volunteered to take care of an abandoned warlock baby alec was immediately 100% on board to raise the child together

then alec brought them home another child and now they have two children 🥰

“When I found you, I didn't know what I was finding. Words about things that are beautiful and precious to me don't come easily. You know that. You know me better than anyone. And when one day people look back on me and what my life meant, I don't want them to say, 'Alec Lightwood fought in the Dark War' or even 'Alec Lightwood was Consul once.' I want them to think, 'Alec Lightwood loved one man so much he changed the world for him.'”

reads comic books unlike most of the other shadowhunters

one time he got a hickey and told jace that he got it by falling on his neck

on his first date with magnus, he judo-flipped a guy who tried to pickpocket magnus AND THEN a girl tried to get him to come work for a talent agency and so magnus told her that alec was wanted by interpol

“I mean, that’s what we’re here for, aren’t we? Shadowhunters, I mean. We have to help anyone who needs help. We have to protect people.”

“All I did was think about being worthy of coming home to you,” said Alec. “It was nothing much.”

“He was protected in a way many others were not. That meant he had to use whatever he had, for those who had no protection.”

fought a bunch of demons on top of the orient express without a shirt and also while he was soaking wet

he’s just a genuinely nice person who always does his best to help and protect others how can you not love him

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Andrew Minyard- All for the game by Nora Sakavic

Ben De Backer- I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver

Harold Hutchins- Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Alec Lightwood- The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

[im-out-of-it]

I just have some thoughts since I’ve watched the first three episodes now. some things I’m glad the show did and also the things that irritated the fuck out of me so let’s go 👏🏼

1. aging the characters up. I think this is smart to do and there’s more you can do with the rest of them if they’re in their early twenties instead of being teenagers. sorry not sorry but I’m not interested in seeing teenagers being chased by grown adults

2. Clary is still beyond annoying. I know she’s traumatized by losing her mom and not understanding this new world but literally coming in “I don’t care about the clave, about your rules, I just want to find my mom.” yeah ok we get that but there are still rules that need to be followed. you’re out here almost getting people killed and it’s all in the name of your mom. and I’m not saying the clave is trustworthy because they’re massive dicks but you can’t go around running and doing whatever you want lmao

3. please give Alec a raise or a year vacation. the amount of shit he deals with having to be jaces parabatai is too much. honestly, Alec deserves better. Jace takes advantage of Alec and I would have loved to see Alec have another parabatai, one that cares for him. I know you can only have one BUT CUT THE FUCKING CORD PLEASE

4. Magnus is fucking perfection

5. Izzy is perfection too 🔥 I do not blame Simon losing his tongue over her. my bisexual mind was like OOOOO ALEC NO MAGNUS NO IZZY NO RAPHAEL NO MAIA!!!!!!! NO ALL OF THEM

6. Clary and Jace are very cringe and I’m not sure if that’s on the acting or the writing but it makes it hard to believe they’re “in love.” I felt more connection with Alec and Magnus meeting for a second than I did with jace and clary in three episodes. even Alec and jace have a bit more chemistry than he does with clary. and that is something I DO NOT ship

Jace: I would die for you

Clary: but jace we just met

Jace: I don’t care if I throw all my friends and family away clary. we’re destined to be together

7. superb acting from Matthew Daddario. he’s absolutely wonderful and he really captured Alec’s angst in my opinion. you can see why he’s on guard not only because he likes jace (ew my man Alec WHY) and because he’s worried about the safety of his people. I feel like Matt captures the emotion without saying a thing so well. as does Harry. I think they’re both great at this

8. “This would be bad for clary.”- (talking about the cup and valentine) Simon “it would be bad for all of us”-Izzy. of course in Simon and clary world, everything is all about clary. I get simon is worried about his bff but this affects EVERYONE

9. if Simon was my bff and someone as jace talked to my friend that way, ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT. she doesn’t really say much, she’s all like “we’re a package deal.” honestly clary and jace belong together because they both take advantage of their friends. they’re both so self centered so let them run away as far as possible together

10. Alec is big sad now but you will have better, just you wait. also want to add, I enjoy season one for the build up Alec and Magnus but man do I hate Alec pinning after jace 🤢 but if there isn’t any incest, it’s not a proper CC story

11. Im just here for the Malec content. stuff that show did well: Alec and Izzy’s sibling relationship. I love these two so much. Clary actually being nice to izzy and being her friend, and not being mean to her cause she’s jealous. Magnus’s whole attire. I love this bi king so much. I love magnus, I love his sass, his makeup, his clothes. I LOVE HIM. I wish they would’ve changed his hair and makeup more in the last two seasons. kinda feel like they thought oh he has mascara on, that’s good enough. that pink hair is truly one of my favorite Magnus looks.

12. last thing to add that I like what the show did. I love that Alec actually knows how to fight. it never made sense in the books that he’s never killed a demon, especially since he’s a Lightwood. never made sense to me. I’m glad they allowed in the show for Alec to actually be able to fight 🏹

that is all for now until I watch actually one of the best episodes of season one. Magnus and Alec meeting 🥰

[onetimetwotimesthreetimess]

okay so this take place the hypothetical situation when malec doesn't get back together at the end of cohf and alec goes on some blind dates that just turn out sour and end up meeting magnus and they have a good time together. then they just dating without the pretense (bonus point if magnus been the one sabotaging alec blind date with the weirdest most extra gimmicks)

“Maybe, I’m not meant for this.”

“For what?”

“This whole dating thing,” Alec says in a hushed whisper.

They’ve been laughing and drinking for the past two hours so Magnus is a little surprised by this change in conversation.

“What do you mean, darling?” They’re not dating but Alec is used to the endearment and Magnus likes calling him darling.

They both pretend like it’s normal to do that.

“Well, I’ve gone on thirteen dates in the past three months and shit hasn’t worked out for me. Maybe I’m just not a date-able person,” Alec sighs.

“That’s not true,” Magnus says indignantly, “You are the most date-able person I have met.”

Alec lets out a dry laugh at that. “Funny you said that. It didn’t work out with you so shouldn’t you be first in line to agree to my hypothesis,” Alec avoids Magnus’s gaze while looking, and it sends a pant through Magnus’s heart because he can see the other man’s emotions fully on his face.

It’s a face filled with dejection and hurt.

And so much sadness.

Sadness that Magnus has caused.

By breaking up with him—not that Magnus regrets the breaking up part, well, not completely at least.

But the sabotaging all of Alec’s date part.

He’s an asshole.

“You were a great boyfriend,” Magnus puts a hand on Alec’s in a comforting gesture, “and as the only person who has ever dated you, my words should be written in gospels.”

“Forgot the part where I tried to take your immortality away and you left me in the tunnels?” Alec throws back, a little sharply this time but there’s instant regret in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I deserved what happened,” the shadowhunter apologised and then suddenly got up. “I should leave.”

“Alec, wait—“ Magnus takes Alec’s wrist in his hand, to stop him from leaving.

Alec continues to avoid his gaze and Magnus doesn’t get the change in atmosphere. They were having such a nice time. It seems normal.

Like they are dating again.

Which is weird because they’re not. They’re not even in the ballpark of dating.

Magnus just almost, always, coincidentally happens to be at the same place where Alec goes through one of his date.

And sweet and gentle and innocent Alec never even questions it. Never wonders why that is. Never doubts Magnus even in the slightest.

And that makes him feel like a horrible person because Alec has so much faith in him.

“I don’t think this guy is coming. He’s already two hours late. I don’t want to waste your time, I should leave.”

“We can go back to my place and watch something and gossip about this guy.” Magnus says with a grin, trying to lighten up the mood.

Alec gives him a small smile before shaking his head.

“I’m not really feeling it tonight. I think I’m done with this dating thing for a while.”

He hates that the words make him feel good.

Makes him feel relief.

Relief that Alec won’t be seeing or meeting or kissing or smiling at someone else.

But the pain on Alec’s face takes away all of that relief.

Tell him. Tell him. Tell him.

Tell him that’s he’s the most date-able person.

That’s he’s the most gentlest and softest person Magnus has ever met in all four hundred years.

That no one in the entire world, past or present or future timelines can love as well as Alec Lightwood.

“You shouldn’t give up on love, Alec.” Magnus says quietly.

Alec shifts closer and places the gentlest of kisses on his cheeks, and Magnus knows that very second that he’s going to feel the touch for days.

Maybe forever.

“Nephilim only love once. I’ve had my one, Magnus. I don’t think it gets better than that.” He says and leaves.

PART II

[livvyofthelake]

i am currently experiencing the craziest high a human being can achieve just sitting on her couch i've just been taking deep breaths trying to chill out for ten minutes it's terrible anyway i need to Post about my friend alec. first of all he was there for me in eighth grade do not ever underestimate our bond i know i don't talk about him much these days and you might believe i don't really care about him but you have got to understand that my history with this fictional man runs deeper than any of yours and even when i had nothing i had alec. the bond a gay middle schooler who reads fantasy has with alec lightwood is completely indescribable unless you also experienced it but like. liken it to whatever you guys have with the angel from supernatural maybe idk. anyway the thing that has always gotten me about alec and magnus is that alec is a shadowhunter yes, but more than that he hates the government always. (i have problems with the show for reasons related to this but i am not talking about freeforms shadowhunters rn she is not my friend ok she is like my occassional late night hookup who hates me but the pussy is insane. sorry for that metaphor) anyway the way that at every turn magnus expects alec to be a Shadowhunter with that shadowhunter sense of duty and loyalty to their government and their way of doing things and their penchant for hero complexes, and at every turn alec is something different. because alec is someone who has experienced so many of the injustices of shadowhunter government and tradition, his parents were in a hate cult that they were manipulated into joining because of the ineffectiveness of their government and their desire to make the world a more just place, and they got out and were punished for it, and by extentsion their whole family was punished for it. because their governemt wants to show that it's all powerful and no one can go against it without facing life altering consequences. alec's best friend was raised by a man who taught him that being a shadowhunter was about hatred for demons, when really it's about love for humanity. alec is surrounded by people who have suffered at the hands of tradition, and he consistently turns away from it and doesn't let it break him or the peeple he loves. being a shadowhunter means having a duty to their cause, but to alec being a shadowhunter is about having a duty to the people he loves. in city of heavenly fire magnus is talking to luke and he says "sometimes it comes down to a choice between saving one person and saving the whole world, and i'm selfish enough to want the person who loves me to choose me. but nephilim will always choose the world" and later in the book when magnus belives he needs to sacrifice himself to save everyone he tells alec not to stay with him, and to go back to the world, and alec says "i don't want the world, i want you" and it makes me crazy and i think about it like once a week every week my whole life. he doesn't want the world! because the world without love is meaningless!! alec is a shadowhunter and he will always be a shadowhunter and a hero but there's no point to being a hero if there's no love... he doesn't care about duty half as much as he cares about love. and that is always what sets alec apart as a shadowhunter and as a leader, in queen of air and darkness (helena this is maybe a spoiler but don't worry about it it's not going to ruin your experience with tda if you know this) he gets voted as the new consul to represent the half of the clave that isn't part of horace dearborn's new hate group (shadowhunters always have hate cults it's like their thing it's like how americans have white supremacists. actually horace and zara dearborn are literally an allegory for trump, remember tda is a book series born out of the trump era, qoaad came out in 2018)

and the crucial thing about alec agreeing to be the consul was that he was NOT going to be a traditional consul. he was never going to do the ceremony and tradition bullshit their society likes to demand from it's government officials, alec saw his father get caught up in shadowhunter government and he watched him die for it and he would never involve himself in those traditions. he hates the inhumanity of shadowhunter tradition, that is literally the entire point of tmi and clary, the entire plot of those 6 books is that a group of young peple who fucking hate the government are instrumental to saving the world because their ideology directly contradicts the emotionless traditions of their leaders. alec is a leader because he is a revolutionary, not because he is traditional. that's what's so cool about it, he didn't just become the consul. he became the consul of a divided society and he is on the side of everything that is good and right and equal, while the other side wants to hide in tradition and rot away. that is the whole point!!! love is the point!!! being a shadowhunter is about love! they were never meant to be perfect stoic warriors, they were created out of love for humanity, they exist to protect people, to bring some level of peace to the world, and through time they forgot that, and alec (and clary) are the people that lead them back to remembering why they do what they do, why they fight this endless war, why they have to keep doing it. god. just truly one of the characters of all time. i need to just hit post now this is getting crazy

[khaleesiofalicante]

Hello I have been mentally ill and stressed how are you?

I've been meaning to read the new FMF chapters...how did I fuck that routine up...yeah shit has been crazy

Anyway! Just dropping by really quick to let you know I sorta have a new hyper fixation except I haven't seen the show yet (read the very first line for why) but I spoiled the entire storyline of my favourite couple because I didn't have time to time for the whole show but I needed to feel something. I'm talking about 911 Lone Star btw. The ship is TK and Carlos. I came across a gif set of them on here and was HOOKED BECAUSE DANI THEY WERE COMMUNICATING AND TALKING RESPONSIBLY AND AFTER THE WAY MY FAVOURITE TWO GAY SHIPS FROM DYNASTY ENDED I NEEDED THAT STABILITY-

All this to say that I was listening to a tarlos playlist and was hit with "omg Alice and TK have similar vibes and Carlos and Olivia have a similar vibe". No wonder TK is my latest favourite white boy. He's cool I like him. Have you seen the show Dani?

Also people are shit, liking people sucks and if you can text on the group you can text me back okay sorry I'm just frustrated BYE-

hello i have been mentally ill and stressed too and also busy :)

AND I KNOW CARLOS AND TK. I don't watch the show but thanks to tumblr i literally know everything about them. they are getting married now right?

ALSO AH RELATIONSHIP DRAMA. bro do not settle bro. alec lightwood loved one man so much he changed the world for him. if they can't text u back they gotta go.

[ladyhindsight]

Hello. What is your opinion on Hodge? He is my favorite character. I love his story and the fact he is grey character. I hate how CC just completely forget he existed and also forget about his relationship with Alec, Isabelle, Max. CC wrote Maryse and Robert weren't best parents when their kids were young. When I read books I assumed Hodge was close with Lightwood kids. Partly raised them when their parents were sorting their own problems and care for them deeply and they for him too. It's long time I read TMI but didn't Hodge stated how Alec, Isabelle and Max were the only reasons he didn't go mad trapped in institute? Their relationship is only tell and no show.

After Hodge's death Alec nor Isabelle or Jace ever think about him or grieve him. At the end Sebastain get more sympathy than Hodge. Hodge was driven by his horrible situation, he didn't see (any peobably even hadn't any other option) other path than work with Valentine to escape Institute. He was outsider from poor family and Valentine took adventage of him, manipulated him and then throw him away.

Same with Aloysius Starkweather. He is fascinating character. I'm kinda mad he died at the end and haven't chance to sort things out with Tessa. CC wrote so much about Tessa being Herondale because she is married to Will (because being Herondale is so great EVERYBODY must be proud of it, even Kit..) but she never actually speak about being Starkweather and about her opinions. It would be great, if CC wrote her story arc as trying to live with being Starkweather and trying to improve family name, restore old pride and Will helping her and supporting her. I wish Aloysius live and try to create some relationship with Tessa. Give him chance for redemption. But Clare sadly don't do redemption.

On the other hand I hope CC won't write anything with Starkweathers as main characters because she would ruin them like all her other families. Good thing she is so in love with Herondales.

Thank you for your wonderful content and in depth analyses. I know I can't read TMI again, I'm not as strong to go thru the incest hell again. Respect to you for reading it. Sorry for my english, not my mother langauge.

Hello. Thank you for your kind words. 😊 And yeah, these books can be extremely testing.

When I think of Hodge, I think of him as a rather discarded character. In City of Bones, Hodge is clearly more an intellectual than a warrior, though still a Shadowhunter. His role is mostly that of an exposition machine and then that of a traitor. Before all this, he has taken care of the Lightwood children and tutored them for years. He has attended every day of their lives in the New York Institute as a guardian and a teacher, but this isn’t really reflected in the writing or in their personal relationships in any other than surface level.

When Alec is suffering from the demon poisoning, Hodge tends to him, sedates him, and calls the Silent Brothers for aid. He doesn’t want Alec to die. In City of Glass, he tells Alec and Jace that he loved them all, and despite never truly being certain of Jace’s parentage, he tried to do best by him. Hodge also tells how Robert and Maryse merely tolerated him because they had to, and they never really liked him. When Hodge’s plans for the Cup are revealed in City of Bones, he tells Clary that he doesn’t work for Valentine but is “Valentine’s man” when accused by her. Even when he gives up the Cup and Jace to Valentine in exchange for his freedom, Hodge doesn’t want Jace hurt. His betrayal isn’t done lightly:

Hodge’s face worked. “It is not easy to betray what you believe in-those who trust you.” “Do you mean the Lightwoods, or their children?” “Both,” said Hodge.

Clary moralizes Hodge, bases her accusations on faulty knowledge by believing she has all the pieces when in reality she is nowhere near to the truth. When Hodge explains Clary the unfairness of the punishment:

“The Clave laid this curse on me because I aided Valentine. But I was hardly the only member of the Circle to serve him-were the Lightwoods not as guilty as I was? Were not the Waylands? Yet I was the only one cursed to live out my life without being able to set so much as a foot outdoors, not so much as a hand through the window.” “That’s not my fault,” said Clary. “It’s not Jace’s fault. Why punish him for what the Clave did? I can understand giving Valentine the Cup, but Jace? He’ll kill Jace, just like he killed Jace’s father-” “Valentine,” said Hodge, “did not kill Jace’s father.” A sob broke free from Clary’s chest. “I don’t believe you! All you do is tell lies! Everything you’ve ever said was a lie!” “Ah,” he said, “the moral absolutism of the young, which allows for no concessions. Can’t you see, Clary, that in my own way I’m trying to be a good man?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way. The good things you do don’t cancel out the bad ones. But-” She bit her lip. “If you told me where Valentine was-”

A principle which seems to only apply to characters that aren’t Clare’s favorites. Also Clary seems even brattier than ever? That’s not my fault, like honey, no one was saying this was about you or Jace. What Hodge did was for himself. This was only about Hodge and his craving for freedom. Clary then goes after Hodge, and Hodge tries to scare Clary away with the chakram, aiming just off of Clary. He doesn’t use them on anyone before Luke attacks him in his werewolf form and then only to his own defense.

Some of Hodge’s lines in City of Bones were nonsensical and pseudo-intellectual, but out of all the characters in City of Glass, Hodge was the only one who didn’t spout utter bullshit.

Like you said, Hodge was driven by the circumstance. What he did was wrong but understandable. I get it. There were concrete reasons for his behavior, not this out-of-nowhere and vague sense of something that just drives people to do stuff, but actual palpable reasons. He was punished harder than any other Circle member. The Lightwoods got away pretty lightly just because of their relations to some higher-ups in the Clave. He wasn’t even allowed in the Institute yard. He could never go out while others were free to roam the city and travel to Idris. He rarely got any company other than the kids. Alec blames Hodge of thinking that the children weren’t enough for him, and Hodge says he did love them but also needed adult company, which is only reasonable and natural. Hodge’s love for the kids and his need for interaction with other adults do not cancel each other out.

By the time of City of Glass, Hodge has finally turned his back on Valentine because Valentine was the only one who could’ve given him a place in the world and a chance of a new life as a Shadowhunter, but even Valentine didn’t want him. Because of his curse, Hodge had no chance at life. He couldn’t get married and have children of his own, he couldn’t do anything to call living in the confines of the Institute. He was a prisoner, and seeing how Maryse and Robert got away easy for the same reasons he was denied a new life, I understand the bitterness and resentment Hodge had towards the Clave. But it had nothing to do with the Lightwood kids, though it’s understandable also they’d be upset about Hodge’s betrayal.

The narrative doesn’t really recognize that or the characters at least don’t. They don’t try understand him, and Jace just spouts out the much-loved “The law is hard, but it is the law.” There doesn't seem to be much lost when Hodge dies, because Hodge's supposed importance in their lives (or any emotional attachment) was forgotten the minute he had served his purpose. In City of Fallen Angels, Hodge is mentioned in the context of being the former tutor who’s now dead, the Institute needing a replacement for him, and that it was Sebastian who killed him and Max. In City of Lost Souls he’s mentioned because of the photograph he gave Clary and that he had his own system of organizing books in the library. In City of Heavenly Fire there isn’t any noteworthy mentions. Such a deep effect he had.

I’ve said many times that Hodge not knowing Jace’s true parentage just couldn’t be possible. And I came across this part in City of Bones.

Jace looked up at Hodge, surprised. Clary noted the contrast: the ravaged face of the older man and the boy’s unlined one, the pale locks of hair falling into Jace’s eyes making him look even younger. “I’m not sure what you mean,” Jace said. Hodge’s breath hissed out through his teeth. “You look so much like him.” “Like who?” said Jace in astonishment; he had clearly never heard Hodge talk this way before. “Like your father,” Hodge said, and raised his eyes to where Hugo, black wings stirring the humid air, hovered just overhead.

Because here Hodge means Valentine. And it is commented on how Jace doesn’t look like either Valentine or Jocelyn. Hodge couldn’t have meant Stephen because Hodge dIdN’T kNoW whose kid Jace really was before he saw Sebastian. Which is nonsense, because kids have faces and Jace looks like Stephen besides around the eyes that are Céline’s and blah, blah, blah. It’s full of holes, I tell ya.

When I first read TID, I was actually surprised that Clare went with Starkweathers as Tessa’s family. Then again, nothing really ties her to that later on. She piggybacks on the Herondale name so much that the fact that her mother was originally Starkweather seems not to really matter.

[erricdraven]

For the malec prompts, 7, t, 22 ? Feel free to change stuff if you prefer!

*so i used this to my advantage a bit so this can be read as a prequel-sequel to my previous fic the number of heartbeats between here and there. also it's a bit canon divergent because of the parameters of the request!* 7. deleted scene | t. secret relationship | 22. "i'm going to need you to put on some underwear before you say anything else."

To: Alexander – 1:23am

Did you still want me to come over tonight? I know it’s later than we had planned but…been thinking about you 🥰

To: Magnus – 1:26am

Sorry I was in the shower but yeah please come if you still can!

To: Alexander – 1:27am

Pretty boy.

To: Alexander – 1:27am

Handsome.

To: Alexander – 1:27am

Angel.

To: Magnus – 1:28am

…yeah?

To: Alexander – 1:28am

I always want to see you. Do you want to see me?

To: Magnus – 1:28am

Yes definitely

To Alexander – 1:29am

Then I’ll be over quicker than you can say my name

Magnus made his way around the sprawling architecture of the New York Institute, looking for the wing of living quarters. The buttresses that framed the familiar third-story window would have made fair footholds for scaling the building, but there were better methods available to him. Twisting his index and middle fingers, he summoned a dense amalgamation of magic beneath his feet that expanded upwards. Fortunately, Alec had left the window unlatched and slightly ajar, allowing Magnus to slip through and land soundlessly in a crouch.

Just as he straightened up, the bathroom door opened and damp steam from the shower billowed out. Alec emerged, naked save for a towel wrapped around his waist, but when he caught sight of Magnus, an almost smug smile pulled at his lips. “Hey,” he greeted, striding over to kiss him softly, one hand gently cradling Magnus’ cheek while the other held the towel in place at his hipbone.

“Is this for me?” Magnus teased, running the soft outer part of his forefinger along the damp skin of Alec’s bare chest. “How thoughtful.”

Alec laughed boisterously, his ears faintly pink with a warm blush. “Sorry to disappoint you but that was just a happy accident. Patrol ran late and I had to deal with— Well, that doesn’t really matter.”

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Magnus shook his head. “How can I be disappointed with this outcome, unintentional as it may be.” He skated his palms up to Alec’s upper back and reverently drew them down across the planes of muscle until he got down to the small of his back. His fingertips dug into the soft skin above his buttocks needfully, pressing just hard enough that his blunt nails would leave behind little crescents if one were to look hard enough. “I still come out victorious in this scenario, I think.”

>> READ ON AO3

The way that Alec smiled at him, tired and weary but endlessly soft, made Magnus feel like his heart were being squeezed just this side of painful. It was the most vulnerable he had ever seen him, and it was simply theirs to share.

“Hey, Magnus��� Why did you agree to this, us, like this?” Alec gestured vaguely. His eyebrows drew tightly together in consternation, and Magnus fought the urge to kiss the skin between into relaxing. “Why are you willing to hide with me?”

It had been a few weeks since their conversation about an arranged marriage for the sake of preserving the Lightwood legacy and foothold in the New York Institute. Maybe it was some kind of desperation that had driven Magnus to be so cavalier about his willingness to accept the “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality of shadowhunters. The thought of losing the first spark of hope in love that he had had in over a century was excruciating, and concealing it so meticulously was a high price, but he was paying it. In a way, though, keeping this fragile thing between them a secret, left to grow in discretion, felt a little like a relief. Whatever it may be with time, it was theirs alone.

At the silence, Alec licked his lips nervously and started to say something.

Instead, Magnus held up a finger to his mouth to quiet him anticipatorily. Through a roguish grin, he said, “I’m going to need you to put on some underwear before you say anything else. I want to give that question the answer it deserves, but that’s a tremendous ask when you’re up against me like this.”

Alec rolled his eyes as if it were nothing more than a line, but there was something in his eyes that betrayed his self-satisfaction. And that was exactly what Magnus had intended. “All right, well then, look away.”

Magnus turned his back with exaggerated movements and crossed his arms over his chest with a smile. It was nice to have someone to be this way with again; it felt like liberation to have someone with whom he was free to be himself without the burden of titles and expectations. He was exposed when he stripped away the personas and facades that were like secondary skins. They were facets of himself that people expected him to have, but Alec never seemed to want him to be anything but Magnus. Not Magnus Bane, not High Warlock Bane, not Prince Regent of Edom.

“Are you decent?” Magnus teased after the sounds of fabric on skin had subsided.

In response, Alec came up behind him and leaned in just enough that his chest brushed Magnus’ back. “All done.”

Magnus shifted his weight to lean back into Alec lightly and reached back to thread his fingers into Alec’s still-damp hair. Softly scratching his nails through the soft strands made Alec hum contentedly. “We should sit so we can discuss your question.”

“Can we lay down?”

“Of course.”

They climbed on the bed over the sheets and comforter, and Alec immediately rolled over so Magnus could curl up behind him. He even lifted his arm away from his chest so Magnus could slide an arm over his hip bone and anchor his hand on his abdomen. This was something they had done once before—bearing their heart to anyone was hard for both of them, but this way made it a little easier.

Magnus took a slow breath, gathering his thoughts appropriately. “You’re a possibility, Alexander. A beautiful, liberating possibility that I’ve never had the fortune to come across in all my life.”

Ever melancholy, Alec replied, “How can you feel that way when I’m basically shoving you back in the closet with me, and asking you to sneak around and be ashamed of something that should be so simple. It makes me feel like a child to ask you to…stoop this low.”

“It was my choice, Alec. I chose to put myself in the position I’m in. And for the record,” Magnus added, pressing his lips to the back of Alec’s ear, “I’m glad that I did.”

Alec pressed back perceptibly closer to him, ducking his head to press into the crook of Magnus’ neck in a self-soothing gesture. “You’re not just saying that so that I feel less guilty, right? Because it doesn’t work if you don’t mean it.”

Many times throughout Magnus’ life he had been in the position of feeling at the disadvantage with the people he loved. He worried himself sick over whether he was being too clingy, too transparent, too vulnerable, and then he overcorrected and worried about being too aloof, too distant, and too unavailable. The cyclical questioning and self-doubt had ruined a lot of encounters before they even had the chance to become something concrete. Even now, there was a seed of doubt about what he was doing with Alec—maybe he was giving him too much credit, and maybe putting his own heart on the line was naïve.

“I don’t have the luxury of knowing what will come of this, Alexander,” he said carefully, “but I am certain that never giving it the chance would be something I would always regret. Will I always be content to be the soul of discretion in regards to you and what we may feel? Likely not. But you didn’t ask me for forever, and I’m not asking you either. I think both of us just needed the chance to be worth the risk of seeing it through to whatever end it might reach.”

Warm calloused fingers made their way down Magnus’ arm to lace between his own and squeeze gently. “I can live with that.”

Magnus chuckled and pressed a kiss to Alec’s hair. “I hope you can do more than that.”

“Mmm.” Alec yawned and rolled slightly, taking Magnus with him. “For now, though, I’m just going to sleep with it.”

“‘It’ being me?”

“By the angel,” Alec groaned, exasperated yet fighting a smile. “You talk too much sometimes.” Before Magnus could reply, he had captured his lips in a languorous kiss. Each one they shared felt like a discovery that Alec relished, unrehearsed and uncertain but wholehearted in the best way. The anticipation and enthusiasm of each new moment they shared was somehow so much better than any shared with Magnus’ most experienced ex-lovers.

Magnus pulled away just enough that their lips parted but their noses still touched. “I thought you wanted to sleep.”

“This is even better than my white noise machine. Having you here is…peaceful.”

“Aren’t you a romantic,” Magnus said dryly. But when Alec pulled him close again, he was helpless to resist.

>> PROMPT LIST

[inabottlelikelightning]

10 fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags :)

got tagged in this a While ago (@grenadinepeach thank u <3 <3 <3) and i thought i’d give it a shot since i’ve been in Quite a few fandoms

rules: show us your ten favorite characters from ten fandoms and then tag ten people to do the same.

1. theo raeken — teen wolf

yeah this can’t be a surprise to anyone. this man somehow inspired me enough to actually Start Writing. absolutely wild. love him to death. bamf dumbass. also it doesn’t hurt that he looks Like That.

honorable mentions: allison, lydia, kira. (sorry liam)

2. steve rogers — marvel

some of you may not know this about me but i was into marvel for Quite Some Time. i have to say 💓💗💖💞💝💘💕steve rogers 💞💓💗💖💕 in both the mcu and 616. and, like. avengers assemble. there is just something so.. [chefs kiss] about someone who has suffered So Much and still strives to just be a really good fucking person. i could write a whole essay on this mf. i love him a lot

honorable mentions: peter parker (SUCH a close second, not mcu because Yikes but aaaa 616 peter my beloved), peggy carter, miles morales, natasha romanoff

3. arthur ?????

i have seen inception an unspeakable amount of times and the most interesting thing is the Crumbs of information we have about all of the characters. he’s resourceful, he’s competent, he’s a great dresser. 10/10 don’t know anyone else who could take down a hotel full of men in a three piece suit with spontaneous changes in gravity. like godDAMN that’s attractive.

honorable mentions: i mean. there are only 7 total characters so, like.. eames i guess??

4. minerva mcgonagall — harry potter

oh MAN she was the Original bamf. screamed every time she came onscreen/on the page because i knew shit was about to go down. the only unproblematic character, and the only one fandom hasn’t absolutely Ruined. an accidental gem in the series, there’s no way joanne knew what she was doing here

honorable mentions: luna lovegood, neville longbottom, remus lupin

5. magnus bane — shadowhunters (TV)

okay so i just watched this series and good GOD it was so much better than the books. i felt like in the books magnus was always sidelined but the show really let him shine in all his warlock glory. absurdly powerful + very nice blazers + kickass eyeliner + amazing jewelry + cat dad + disgustingly kind + adopts various individuals as children as he goes through life because 💖💕💓💗found family💕💓💗💘. bisexual poc king. fucking love him, 17,000 exes and all.

honorable mentions: alec lightwood, izzy lightwood, raphael santiago

6. jared dunn — silicon valley

if you haven’t watched this show i would actually recommend it. it’s impressive. but jared is, by far, one of the FUNNIEST characters i have ever experienced in my whole life. the only reason he isn’t #1 on this list is because i feel a duty to everyone ^^ up there, but jared is. GOD. physical depiction of “perfectly pleasant and put together until he goes APESHIT”

honorable mentions: gilfoyle, bighead

7. crowley — good omens

true chaotic neutral at its finest. a bastard of a man, who Tries To Be Good Anyways. sad and pining. mortals believe he’s mafia, which is fucking hysterical to me. SINCE I STARTED THIS I FOUND OUT WE ARE GETTING A GOOD OMENS S2???? RISE TF UP

honorable mentions: aziraphale, anathema device

8. mazikeen — lucifer

she’s just.. uhhhh. she’s SO…… G O D. no words except that she’s the only reason i got through the 2nd season. so happy that she finally got a gf ❤️ she absolutely deserves it

honorable mentions: ella, trixie

9. toph beifong — avatar

absolute fucking legend. blind and kicked ass 24/7. this is my daughter and i love her very much. also apparently i’m an earthbender???? not too sure abt that one tho

honorable mentions: sokka, katara

10. alaric saltzman — the vampire diaries

okay couldn’t put a gif for this one bc of the tumblr limit but vampire hunter sticks around and acquires a vampire bro and a vampire daughter and trains a vampire hunter son and then acquires a vampire coparent to his 2 biological witch daughters… fantastic trope. i feel bad for him because his wives keep dying but he was a GIFT in the vampire diaries, no one did it like him

honorable mentions: bonnie bennett

tags: @attempted--eloquence @frustrateddumbbar @thecenturiestrickle @rohesiawrites @ttp5000 @cordelia---rose @songbvrd @li0nh34rt @edge0fmydesiree @lucilucialu

[bytheangell]

Truth Be Told

( @shadowhunterbingo​ square: Two-Person Love Triangle) (Read on AO3)

Magnus can pinpoint nearly every moment he made a decision that went entirely against what he’s supposed to be doing right now. He was aware of each of them as they happened, but he did them anyway, bringing himself closer and closer to the point of no return he faces now.

What he’s supposed to be doing is getting close to Alec Lightwood. Close enough to get him to slip up and share any information about his father, Robert, that might help Magnus and his team build a case for a formal indictment against him. Magnus made some social media accounts under the alias ‘Bane’ with the tried-and-true plan of bonding with Alec over some shared interests, then gently prodding for more personal info once they were ‘friends’. He meant to stay detached, uninvested in Alec outside of his usefulness in potentially taking down Robert. It was meant to be easy because Magnus couldn’t imagine there were many redeeming qualities about a doubtlessly repellant brat raised by the Lightwoods.

What Magnus should have done was pull himself the moment he noticed he was starting to develop feelings. Or the moment he started casually reading up on archery because Alec mentioned it was a hobby of his. Or the moment he stopped pushing Alec to talk about his dad because Alec was uncomfortable with the topic. Or the moment he realized the only person he’d been messaging daily for the past few months, more than his own family, or his boss, or even his best friends, was Alec.

What Magnus actually did was allow himself to fall for Alexander entirely, growing fonder with every conversation they had, becoming more endeared with every new detail he learned about Alec, like his volunteer hours at a local youth club, or his basic knowledge of medicine from helping his sister study for med school and how he gets a constant stream of caffeine from his brother’s coffee truck.

And what Magnus does now is take the empty seat next to Alec where he sits at the bar while his friends dance to some mediocre DJ. He says hi, and makes small talk, and flirts like he has no idea who Alec is - because as far as Alec knows this is the first time they’ve ever spoken.

“Sorry,” Alec says, making a face at the sip of Magnus’ whiskey he tries. “I’m just not a big drinker.”

There goes his plan of getting Alec drunk enough to spill the beans on his dad’s private dealings. Magnus should be disappointed but isn’t surprised to find that he’s not, not really. He can be honest enough with himself to admit the ‘plan’ was just an excuse to risk meeting Alec face-to-face: to hear the voice he only imagined for so many months and appreciate the occasional nervous stutters and the flush that creeps high on Alec’s cheekbones when Magnus compliments him.

Magnus grins. “Well, lucky for you I am, which means I know there’s something out there for everyone. We just need to find yours.”

The two of them have an immediate spark. It’s undeniable, and the conversation flows so easily that Magnus loses track of time entirely until Alec’s friends come back to see if he wants to leave, and he tells them to go without him. The conversation is wonderful but it’s the moments that Alec smiles, the ones where he laughs freely and lets go almost in spite of himself, that Magnus loves the most.

Everything seems to be going well until Magnus starts to notice Alec talking less and less as the night goes on. Finally, Alec sighs, and Magnus allows his current story to trail off at the sight of the frown on Alec’s face.

“Is everything alright?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t… I shouldn’t be doing this. It isn’t fair to you,” Alec says suddenly.

Magnus raises an eyebrow at that. “What isn’t?”

Alec hesitates. “It’s going to sound stupid, but… there’s this guy I like. Someone I met online.”

Oh. Magnus shouldn’t feel the sinking, crushing disappointment he does at that moment. After all, this isn’t meant to be a real date. He shouldn’t even have the feelings he does for Alec. This should be good, it should mean he can just get whatever information he can on Robert and leave with no guilt. Because of course, Magnus isn’t the only person Alec’s friends with online. Of course, Alec’s meeting and flirting with other people.

“That doesn’t sound stupid. People meet online all the time,” Magnus says, trying to sound nonchalant. He doesn’t remember Alec ever mentioning anyone, but maybe they weren’t as close as Magnus let himself hope.

“Yeah, but you’re… well, I mean, look at you. You’re gorgeous, and you’re here, and I should want to give that a chance. I’ve never even met Bane in person, and he probably doesn’t even like me back - we aren’t actually dating or anything, but-”

Oh. Magnus can practically feel the swoop in his chest at the realization that Alec can’t bring himself to get invested in him because… well, because he’s already invested in Magnus. He just doesn’t know it.

Magnus’ disappointment shifts suddenly to elation, and then just as quickly to guilt. He barely hears any of Alec’s continued rambling explanation, the words drowned out by his thoughts which now swirl with a panicked rush of possible responses to this unexpected turn of events. He should leave. He should take the easy out and leave. He should walk away before he says or does anything he’ll regret later. Hell, he should go home and delete the accounts and pretend that none of this ever happened.

There are a million and one things he should do… but none of them are the one thing he wants to do.

And he hasn’t done anything he should’ve since this all started, so why start now?

“-anyway, I’m sorry. But I’m sure you don’t deserve to try and date someone who’ll spend half their time hung up on someone else,” Alec finishes.

There’s only one thing he can do that leaves him any chance of ever seeing Alec again - and he very much wants to see Alec again.

The decision Magnus makes next is impulsive. Magnus pulls out his phone, brings up his Bane account, and looks over at Alec with what he hopes is a look of genuine remorse. “No, I’m sorry. And I’d really, really like it if you gave me a chance to explain, but I understand if you don’t want to.”

Magnus watches the confusion on Alec’s face shift to recognition, then surprise, then a flash of anger as tense hands push his phone back across the bar top to him, teeth clenched as he speaks.

“Glad you understand,” Alec says, his voice suddenly cold - and god does it hurt Magnus to hear that shift in tone, however deserved it is. Magnus can only sit and watch as Alec pushes his stool back to leave, then pauses and turns back to Magnus, the anger back in place. “No, you know what? I do want to know. I want to know what explanation you could possibly have for not telling me who you are when you knew... “ Alec’s words trail off as he takes a deep breath to collect himself, but doesn’t continue talking as he sits back down to wait for an explanation.

“I want to start off by saying that everything I ever said to you, I meant. All our conversations, everything I told you - from how terrible I am at playing string instruments to my fear of drowning - none of that was an act. But... when I started talking to you, it was because I was hoping to get information on your father.”

“My father,” Alec huffs out a laugh. “Of course. I should’ve known someone like you would never actually want to talk to me-”

“But that’s just it - I did! I do. I realized ages ago I wasn’t going to get anything out of you about Robert, but I didn’t care. I just liked talking to you, and getting to know you, and… you. I like you, Alexander.”

“Forgive me if I’m finding it difficult to take anything you say at face value right now,” Alec mutters.

“That’s fair,” Magnus says, sighing. Maybe he should let things sit for a day or two, and try messaging Alec to explain once the anger settles a bit. That’s if Alec doesn’t block him the first chance he gets. Either way, it’s obvious nothing he says now is going to matter. “I should leave.”

Magnus doesn’t wait for a response before he’s already standing up to go, his back turned to Alec when Alec speaks again.

“What information did you want about my dad?”

Magnus shakes his head, still not turning back around. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Alec insists. “Because if you haven’t figured it out yet, he and I don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. Or anything at all.”

Magnus winces. “Yeah, I gathered as much.”

Alec frowns. “You did, didn’t you?” Alec’s entire face scrunches up in concentration as he thinks back on something. “I told you I didn’t like talking about him weeks ago and you dropped it, and never brought him up again. Why would you do that?” Some of the harshness is gone from Alec’s tone again.

“Because I realized talking about your dad upset you, and I didn’t want to do that,” Magnus explains. Against his own better judgment Magnus latches on to the small bit of hope he feels from the subtle shift in mood.

“Because you like me,” Alec repeats, not quite a question, but the disbelief behind his words prompts Magnus to answer all the same.

“Yes,” he says, the single word pleading, willing Alec to believe him.

There’s a long stretch of silence and it takes all of Magnus’ self-control to not break it. Instead, he hovers where he still stands next to his chair.

“What if I help you?” Alec finally says. “What if I tell you whatever you need to know about my dad?”

Magnus sits back down abruptly, mostly out of shock. “What?”

“Robert isn’t a good person. He doesn’t tell me a lot, but I hear things. I’ve seen some stuff snooping around places I shouldn’t have. I’ll help, as much as I can,” Alec continues.

Magnus should be thrilled. It’s everything he could’ve hoped for when he started, even if it isn’t how he imagined getting it. But the idea of the information coming at the cost of the friendship and connection he’s made with Alec over the past few months leaves an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“But I need something from you in return,” Alec adds, causing Magnus’ gaze to turn up from where he’d been looking down at his hands to avoid looking into Alec’s eyes.

“What’s that?” Magnus asks, his curiosity piqued.

“There’s nothing between us until after I tell you what you want to know. Once you have what you need on Robert… if you’re lying and this is all just a ploy to get information from me, then you have to promise to leave without a word: delete your online accounts, and I never want to hear from you again.”

“And if I’m not lying?”

Alec takes a deep breath. “Then you promise to take me on a proper first date and we start over, with all the cards on the table.”

Magnus smiles. “That,” he agrees easily. “Is a promise I can absolutely make, darling.”

[im-out-of-it]

YES TO ALL OF THAT 👏🏼 this ended up being hella long so sorry????????

also remember how CC writes abuse- clary who I absolutely loathe but she gets practically sexually abused by Sebastian and when jace finds out, CC makes it all about jace and then continues to never allow clary her own feelings. even when jace abuses her, it’s about HIS FEELINGS. I don’t even like clary but it’s like CC wants us to hate her and only like jace. her fetish for incest and trying to prove how evil characters can be as well as her inserts for Jace are so gross and disgusting. she can’t ever show us shit without someone saying it. when Alec becomes consul, someone says “oh he’s good” LIKE BITCH WE KNOW THAT!!!!!!!! I could also go on about book alec but I’ll spare ya

but Gideon being mean just doesn’t make any sense and never will for me because if you say “if you think his brother is a dick, just wait for Gideon because he’s ten times worse” and he comes in and is the sweetest thing ever- it doesn’t hold up. we don’t see Gideon being mean. could Gideon have been mean to Gabriel in the past? perhaps but we don’t know but I do buy that Benedict fucking abused them. I don’t think Gabriel actually knows the truth about his mother for a long time and in itself, that would be a lot to process

I love Gideon and Gabriel so much and felt they were undervalued under-appreciated and underrated. and CC tries to wrap Gabriel’s growth in a small bow but we never get to hear his thoughts about his childhood, how he felt about his father, losing his brother for a while and navigating alone. he gets hated on for no fucking reason and no I will never get over it

it’s always crazy to me how Tatiana is a sixteen year old girl that is married and pregnant. I know shit like that was normal back then but it’s still very wild. Benedict didn’t teach her how to fight. the way Tessa treats her is also disgusting. (and Tessa should know better because she lost her aunt, was tortured, and her brother betrayed her. how would she feel if someone told her right there and then to get over it?)

Tatiana just lost her father not knowing the truth about him and her husband she just married. Tatiana’s arc never made sense to me because it’s just out of nowhere because we don’t see her actually process anything. but I also can’t stand TLH Tatiana for killing Christopher and being the reason Jesse died. like it’s hard to feel bad for her but pre TLH, I can feel for her, absolutely. I feel all of the Lightwood kids (Gabriel Gideon Tatiana) had such a shitty childhood but it wasn’t developed at all. she doesn’t know how to fight, she’s just as old as Cecily but at least Cecily has some practice. she’s just been through trauma and CC is the worst fucking person to write about trauma. like it really pisses me off when she attempts it because it’s so half assed and insulting in a way. James trauma ring any bells?????? the way that was handled was so misguided. or Ari or MY MAN FUCKING ALASTAIR

now you got me off in a tangent and I only meant to do a summary lmao

and it’s shitty how Will can be a dick to everyone (oh and the way he treats Jem, and also Tessa fucking irritates me.) (the way she writes about disabilities in general irritate the fuck out of me. but I try not to take it personal from someone with disabilities because it’s CC and you can’t trust her with anything) and everyone just instantly forgives him?????? yes he was a child but he CHOSE to go.

speaking on the sister angle- how would Will feel of Gabriel did to Cecily what Will did to Tatiana? it’s ok for Will to be a dick but apparently Gabriel can’t fight back??????? or if Will had to kill his father, and Gabriel made jokes about it, how would that make him feel? he internalized that curse and no I’ll never feel bad for him. CC uses the herondales as these “holier than thou golden eyed angels” has them be abusive and then says well they went through this so it’s justified. no the fuck it’s not

what the actual fuck are we on????? I’m such a Lightwood fan so when I see him using Gabriel’s trauma as some joke, never feeling bad about his treatment of Tatiana, just using any excuse he can to start shit with the lightwoods- yeah, it makes me livid. what did they actually do to him? and this isn’t just Will but anytime CC writes about the lightwoods.

you don’t just kill off children and terrorize children and then kill off other adult members of their family for each generation for the fun of it. Max dying so we can “see” Sebastian’s evil, Alex almost dying from Tatiana and having that trauma forever, Tatiana dying but she killed Kit so bye bitch, Kit dying and having literally no fucking grieving moments is INSANE, Robert dying when he was finally getting some improvement, Barbara (Gabriel and gideons mother) dying but the truth being misled, and also Barbara (gideons daughter) dying so Thomas loses not only his sister but bestie/cousin/basically a parabatai all in one year, and then the general treatment of alec, Izzy, Gabriel, Gideon, Thomas, Christopher. and what also makes me mad is that most of the lightwoods sole purpose is to uplift and make a herondale feel better. this also includes Matthew because of course it can’t ever be about them, it has to be about a herondale and their fucking feelings because that’s all that matters????? (Kit dying and no one gives a fuck or how will and tessa are horny after Barbara dies) (also the treatment of grace and how that was handled. just don’t let cc ever write about trauma)

THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FUCKING FEELINGS BITCH!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know what her fucking problem is and why she has a vendetta against a whole ass family but it’s weird. so many love the lightwoods but I know myself, I’m bloody damn tired of seeing them get mistreated. I don’t care about the herondales and they can disappear for all I care. they’re not special and the pedestal that CC puts them is vastly uncomfortable for me. and it’s the same with every book she writes. “lightwoods are evil and mean and herondales are nice and special” and the fact they get all the gifts to- seeing ghosts. even has Magnus hating the whole family and thinking it’s cute to call Alec a something brat and years later fall for him?????? basically calls the whole family evil

but it’s also funny that the lightwoods usually tend to have more development done to them instead of herondales lmao I honestly think she just self inserted jace and then thought oh I can do multiple versions of him!!!!!!!! no why are you publishing this shit if you’re going to self insert and do fucked shit? but then again, look at that whole Harry Potter fan fic mess 👀☕️

and this turned into a anti cc rant but she’s not a good writer. she’s 50+ writing about teens having sex, the way she sexualized Cordelia, how she doesn’t know how to write about trauma, about lgbtq+ relationships and people, about poc(shut the fuck up about pastels), about orphans (leave jem, ari alone), how certain characters can’t have a voice and autonomy (alec, Thomas at times, Alastair can’t even process his fucking trauma and deadbeat daddy, and Matthew FUCK HE WAS DONE DIRTY) and so many more things. get her ass in therapy and a writing class cause the fuck is this. I’ll never understand what she has against the lightwoods that make her write about these characters suffering and not doing anything about it.

DO NOT WRITE ABOUT TRAUMA IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE IT DO NOT WRITE ABOUT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND COUPLES IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE IT DO NOT WRITE ABOUT PIC COUPLES CHARACTERS CULTURE IF YOU CAN NOT HANDLE IT AND ETC (because you bet your ass there’s more)

I’ll never forgive Will, he didn’t earn that redemption arc and will always love my fav lightwoods BUT THEY WERE DONE DIRTY

PSA: JUST AN ANTI WILL RANT SO IF YOU LIKE HIM YOU PROBABLY SHOULD EXIT AND ALSO COMMENTS ABOUT GABRIEL DESERVING BETTER

“why would Gabriel Lightwood hate you, Will?” Tessa asked as they went. “what did you do to him?”

excellent question Tessa. now would be a good idea to I don’t know, maybe make your own judgment on this little interaction?????

“It wasn’t anything I did to him,” Will said, stalking along at a rapid place. “It was something I did to his sister.”

now that we have this little piece of evidence, we see that Will instigated their beef first. Gabriel didn’t come after Will, Will hurt Gabriel’s sister and now you’ve got me defending Tatiana FUCKING HELL

and yes we learn later that Tatiana had a crush but what Will did was cruel and yet gabriel gets blamed when he has enough of Will’s actions

“Did you? Compromise her virtue, I mean”- Tessa

it’s funny that Will doesn’t answer this question, he does start to talking about Benedict

“and as for Gabriel’s father, let’s say that he has something of a reputation for liking demons and downworlders more than he should. I would be surprised if some of the elder lightwood’s nocturnal visits to certain houses in shadwell haven’t left him with a nasty case of demon pox.”

see, this is one of the main problems of Will. he’s literally telling Tessa basically that it’s a problem to like downworlders more than they should. Tessa, in case you aren’t aware but you are a downworlder. basically saying that they don’t deserve to be treated with respect- I may be grasping at straws but he could’ve left out downworlders and said demons and nothing much of it would have been thought badly on his part

also let’s just make shit up about some of the elder lightwoods or whatever. Will isn’t clarifying it’s only Benedict and maybe this is on the writing but some of the elder LIGHTWOOD’s meaning plural. will acts as if the whole Lightwood family murdered his own like for fucks sake I get Gabriel can be vexing in his dark moods but if you had someone hurting your sister and then constantly coming for ya, yeah I could see why that would make you more upset

but let’s analyze- Will won’t say what he did to Gabriel’s sister and now he’s outed himself as showing disgust for someone who prefers downworlders

so much for the accords when you have young shadowhunters thinking downworlders lives are nothing. and he may not say it the way I do but he could’ve let them out but he felt inclined to include them. I wouldn’t be surprised if none of the shadowhunters had romantic ties with the downworlders with the way they speak about them. Charlotte goes on and on how de Quincey has betrayed them but has she actually been kind and respectful and treated him as a person????

I’m sorry but I don’t think the downworlders are getting treated with any respect. “oh we stopped hunting you but y’all still won’t have any rights and we can still find a way to execute you”. there’s not any equality when it comes to downworlders lives and the rights they supposedly have

and oh “Gabriel is so awful” (Tessa- “so awful”) yet she hears Jem talk about compromising virtue and HE SAYS NOTHING ABOUT IT. wouldn’t that be concerning?

like this girl is getting so many red flags 🚩 thrown at her and she’s like what a fun parade we’re at!!!!!

I don’t get how anyone can like Will. I don’t care if he has a fake curse. I don’t care if he had to run from home. I’m so tired and fed up with people using trauma as an excuse to be a shitty person. and CC has made a pattern and habit of doing this whole showing zero improvement. he doesn’t treat mostly anyone with any respect. he’s lucky he has Jem because Jem is the only fucking thing likable about him

Gabriel doesn’t deserve this reputation of getting shit on when Will is the one that came after his family first. he could’ve let Tatiana down gently but he decided to be cruel. like no wonder Gabriel (and possibly Gideon) can’t stand Will’s ass

[eg515]

Character ask meme

Magnus bane

Simon Lewis

Alec lightwoods

okay, let me just say this in advance: this is gonna be a mess. I read the books (TMI and TID), but it's been a while. I watched the movie, but only a few times and it's been a while. I watched the show, twice, but again, it's been a while. and I read way more fanfics than I'd care to admit, but they were written for the books, not the show or movie. add all these together, mix in my terrible memory, and you get me not having the slightest fucking idea what is canon and what isn't. so if you have only watched the show, some of this might not make sense.

Character Ask Meme

What I love about them: his capacity for love. he's been alive for hunders of years, loved and lost too many people, and yet he still opens himself up to love. I just admire that so much. and also his fashion sense, though while the show did well enough, I prefer the disaster bi vibes from the book and the who-needs-pants-anyway dramatic-capes vibes from the movie.

What I hate about them: book!Magnus had some difficulties with communicating that thankfully didn't make it into the show

Favorite Moment/Quote: girl where do I start. literally everything he says is iconic. freewheeling bisexual. "We came to see Jace. Is he alright?/I don't know. Does he normally just lie on the floor like that without moving?" iconic. "You endure what is unbearable, and you bear it. That is all." walking in on not one but two Herondales making out with their girlfriends 150 years apart. "They say time heals all wounds, but that presumes the source of the grief is finite" "Black hair and blue eyes are my favorite combination." aka I am not okay. the entire scene between Alec and Magnus in Alicante in CoG about Magnus not calling Alec. HE CREATED THE PORTALS WITH HENRY!

What I would like to see more focus on: what I would have loved to see in the show was his cat eyes. idk if the contacts were a problem for Harry on the long run, or the creators never tried them, but I missed it. in this aspect, City of Bones movie my beloved ❤

What I would like to see less focus on: nothing really comes to mind.

Favorite pairing with: Alec, obviously 😌

Favorite friendship: Tessa. and in the show, Rafael.

NOTP: Camille. in every version.

Favorite headcanon: there is just so much canon material about him and so many fanfics I read, my mind is blank.

What I love about them: okay, here's the thing. I don't really like Simon. when I read the books, I pretty much hated him. when I started CoLS after a long waiting and the very first chapter was from his POV? I almost threw the book across the room. the movie version was okay bc of Robert Sheehan. the show version really grew on me though, but not enough that I could really choose anything I love about him. my feelings for him stop at "like".

What I hate about them: meh. just like my positive feelings stop at "like", the negative ones stop at "dislike" too. I don't really care about him enough to hate anything.

Favorite Moment/Quote: "Jesus!" Luke exclaimed. "Actually, it's just me," said Simon. "Although I've been told the resemblance is startling." this iconic exchange between legends: "I've got the Mark of Cain," said Simon. "That means nothing can kill me, right?" "You can kill yourself," Magnus said, somewhat unhelpfully. "As far as I know, inanimate objects can accidentally kill you. So if you were planning on teaching yourself the lambada on a greased platform over a pit full of knives, I wouldn't." "There goes my Saturday."

What I would like to see more focus on: I'm good with what we have.

What I would like to see less focus on: again, canon is okay.

Favorite pairing with: don't really have one. I've never been a fan of sizzy, though that's probably just jealousy and my dislike for book!Simon. I can't post this without mentioning the mangoes though 😌

Favorite friendship: Clary

NOTP: don't really have one.

Favorite headcanon: again, don't have one, sorry.

please know that he's been my favourite since I first read about him in... 2012? so I will not be able to be normal about this.

What I love about them: so many things. my closeted baby gay ass related to him a lot. I love his loyalty. his intelligence. the way he loves people. his protectiveness. I love his insecurities bc I relate to him. I love his sarcasm.

What I hate about them: not really hate, and I can understand where he was coming from, but certain things in CoFA and CoLS weren't his best moments.

Favorite Moment/Quote: the whole "I did not make a pie" scene from CoHF. the gay spider in CoLS. "It's not like a stab wound you can protect me from. It's a million little paper cuts every day." which may or may not still make me tear up to this day. the entirety of the first kiss short story. the scene in Alicante in CoG I mentioned before. "He'd burn the whole world down till he could dig you out of the ashes. I know" mostly extinct is not extinct enough. fearless rune my beloved. the "take my strength" scene in CoA. "There’s a Hot Silent Brothers Calendar? Do they sell it?"

What I would like to see more focus on: Alexander Gideon Lightwood, Tired Gay™, rolling his eyes at the straight people he has to tolerate

What I would like to see less focus on: nothing comes to mind right now.

Favorite pairing with: Magnus, obvi 😌

Favorite friendship: Jace. and also Clary. I like their shared "he's an idiot but he's our idiot" feeling towards Jace. and since I kinda steered off towards only the books, Lydia in the show.

NOTP: Clary. still a mystery to me how that one exists.

Favorite headcanon: this is based entirely on this fanfic and its sequel from author "Spun" on ffnet (who btw writes great fanfics and I highly recommend), but I love the idea that the events of CoB and Magnus' party the gang attended wasn't the first time Alec and Magnus met.

so this ended up long. and messy. but it was fun, so thank you so much 💕

[littlx-songbxrd]

Chain of Iron:Death theory

As the awaited release date for Chain of Iron approaches and the fandom decends into pure madness, I want to put in my last two cents of overthinking before I stop having coherent thoughts

So we all know this is a second book, and second books bring the absolute pain in the shadowhunter chronicles. There is likely going to be a death from the mains considering the theme of this book, and I am here to throw my theory and reasons as to who I think it might be. Im here to sadly theorize about why I think Christopher Lightwood might not make it past the last hours

1. Tatianas revenge

Right now, Tatiana wants revenge after all our main families: the carstairs, herondales, fairchilds and both branches of the lightwoods. For the lightwood-collins theres barbaras death. For the herondales her daughter has been manipulating their son for over 6 years. Theres a theory that the fairy poison Mathew bought that caused Charlottes misscarriage could be traced back to her. And there are other theories that Elias dissaperance between chog and choi could have something to do with Belial. As of right now the only family who is yet to recieve any permanent damage or tragedy are the lightwood-herondales. Which is really ironic considering its the only family that has two bloodlines Tatiana wants to harm. Not only that, but theyre also the children of who Tatiana blames directly for her fathers death, Gabriel. It seems fishy to me there hasn't been any permanent damage in their family, and I dont think that is gonna last for long

2. The family tree

The family tree states that Grace Cartwright (Aka Grace Blackthorn) marries Christopher Lightwood and theyre the ones who continue the line that leads to Alec and Isabelle. Now Cassandra has said varius times the family tree can be misleading, and I am a firm believer this is one of the misleading ends. Why this lie was created, I'm not sure, but lets analize some things. As of right now there are 5 lightwood children. At least 3 of them can pass down the lightwood name. Of those three, if we take into account that Thomas may not have kids due to being gay, that still leaves two branches of lightwood kids that may continue on. As of present time we only have word of one line, Alec and Isabelles. And Robert isnt said to have any cousins, theres no mention in the future of another lightwood line. So the idea that both Alexander and Christopher have kids is pretty unbelivable considering theres only one lightwood line in the future. Unless Alexander goes on to have only girls and Christopher has only one boy, it seems more likely the family tree is wrong. Isabelle and Alec are confirmed as of the bane chronicles to be decendants of Gabriel lightwood (Isabelle makes a reference to looking up her great great grandfather Gabriel Lightwood and telling magnus he was hot in the last story of the book)

So its already confirmed they're a) the last decendants of the lightwood line and b) that line stems from Gabriel. If we based ourselves solely on the family tree and Christopher being the one carrying the line, that would have been believable enough not to raise any red flags. Christopher IS the son of Grabriel Lightwood, able bodied and seems to have a general attraction to women (I mean, we all know hes aro/ace but lets stick with canon). There isnt anything pointing to him not being able to marry and have kids. Where the red flags raise for me is with Alexander

Alexander wasnt in the original plans for the family tree, he was added when Cassie started writting the last hours. If you take into account his role in chog, there really was no reason to add Alexander Lightwood. He doesnt seem to do anything, hes a 3 year old kid, you can very well delete him from the narrative and nothing would change. So why did Cassandra add him?? Why did she decide to make Cecily and Gabriel have another kid ?

To me, it seems a lot like the baby carstairs situation . The family tree says Alastair carries the carstairs line, Alastair is a gay man so he cant have biological kids, theres another unplaned baby to carry the line. It seems to me Christopher carrying the lightwood line is a lie, and Alexanders role is to carry it in his place. I even found a little info from an ask wayy before chain of gold came out where it said Alexander had green eyes, but in the book she changed it to blue eyes. The exact same shade the modern day lightwoods seem to have. A trait hes more likely to pass down than his lavender eyed brother who supposedly "marries" grey eyed grace

3. Character Arc

Characters in literature need goals, things to work for or work towards through the story in order for them to develop. We call those things character arcs, and it seems we have all ignored how christophers may have indirectly ended. If you read his short story, or just overall analize his character, his main goal is simple. He wants to create something that will help the nephlim through science. His personal character arc is that he wants to prove himself and his skill to the clave using his passion to be a hero.

An arc that could have been expanded all through the series, and ended with him using his skills in the end to defeat belial in some way, proving his passions worth. Through the story we could have had a glimpse at his struggles, how he was put down, the failed attempts, fustrations etc. This all could have rounded christopher as a character, and brought more satisfaction to the end goal of his arc which is proving the value of his science. But instead, his arc in book seemingly already ended? Because he did it, he figured out a way to combine science with his duty and saved the entire enclave from the demon poison. He is now acclaimed a hero for his skills. All the other characters have things to finish going into chain of iron, Christopher doesnt. Why would she end an arc that could have taken through the entire series in just one book? Christopher is the only secondary character with a defined personality and a lack of arc to look foward too in following books. This could all point that his arc was rushed because it was being cut short

4. Lightwood blood

There has been a lot of theories going around about Thomas being the one who gets killed in this book, which is resonable considering the unerving amount of forehsadowing we've had to him getting himself caught up in something. But I raise you this, why would CC be giving us so much assurance that Thomas was going to get hurt if she was going to kill him? Not only would she be reaveling one of her most devastating murders, she would basically be spoiling a very big part of her own book. Thomas death would affect everyone, if she WERE to kill him she wouldnt be indulging us in our Thomas death theory as much as she has. Itd be too expectable, I actually believe that by giving us all the info she has she has more or less confirmed he wont die.

I believe this is all a decoy. Shes giving us foreshadowing towards something bad happening to Thomas, to cover up the very big reality shes planning to kill someone else. Theres a very big chance that for the resurection, theyre gonna need Jesses families blood. Same way Malcom needed blackthorn blood to raise Annabel. As of rightnow there arent any blackthorns (by blood) left alive, the only blood relatives Jesse still had are the lightwoods. So we already know Thomas gets captured by the murderer (referenece to the art), but it is most likely he gets rescued. People speculate he most likely got captured for the resurection Tatianas trying to do, because of his lightwood blood. But if Thomas escapes, Tatiana still needs her families blood. And I'd like to point out this is also where the fact she hasnt taken permanent revenge on the lightwood-herondales would come in. Theres a good chance that if the murders are releated to her, and she cant have Thomas, she wont stop at just Thomas.

5. Story relevance

In all sense of story, Christopher is the perfect candidate to kill. As hard as that is to say: he's a secondary character, who has a well defined personality, loved enough by the fans that there would certainly be a shock factor following his death, important enough to the story that there would be a big impact to the narrative, and interwined enough with the main characters to cause emotional distress in the story. His arc is indirectly done, this author has a history of killing lightwoods, there isnt much to discourage the possibility he might be killed besides the faulty family tree. And as I said, that tree has been stated multiple times to be misleading

Bonus prove

6. Christophers cut-out

Same way were analizing the hell out of a broken spear, why are we not talking about the skull on christophers?

(Sorry couldnt get better quality pics)

The truth is, I hate this theory as much as everyone, Im genuinly hoping chain of iron proves me wrong. But there are 5 deaths comming, and not all of them can be side characters. Cordelia Lucie and James all have main character protection. I already explained why Thomas dying is unlikely. Anna, Ariadne and Alastair have gay protection (and I think some asks about Alastair dying were pretty much answered with a discreet no)

If there are mains dying, Christophers the most likely to go

[khaleesiofalicante]

Not exactly a quote but I think you would love it anyway: "A writer is just someone who forces what's living in their head to pay rent"

Do you think its ok to make me cry at 2 a.m with this??? 😭😭I told my family I had a headache and I wanted to go to sleep earlier, then I started reading this chapter and I didnt even think I would finish it bc I was actually sleepy...

And the last thing I knew was me crying at the end of this jdhdjdjdks

Dont worry, I didnt have classes today!! Yey!!

I kneel before one godness and that is Jia Penhallow 😌

"I’m here for you, Alec. Maybe not in all the ways you expect me. But I’m still here.” I mean it does feels great seeing him try..

And Alec is a fixer. He just needs to know what’s wrong so he can fix it. The parallel to this and Magnus saying he would hate if Alec thinks he needs to fix him... SCREAMING

The effortless love between them.💙💙💙

“Are you sure?” Magnus asks. “It worked on the senator’s son.” I mean... He is not wrong...

Jace is so in love kdhdkdjdodk

The florist be like: Something lgbt just happened to me...

I'm love my two in love dumbasses but the 'I’ll make it worth it. I promise' is just🥺🥺🥺

Because apparently, you can't just draw shapes and shit on their little faces. They want specific shit.  No shit Sherlock!!!

“You look like a butterfly.” She gasps at that. “Really?” “Really,” Alec grins. “You wanna fly?” NOT ME CRYING OVER THIS 😭😭 ITS SO ADORABLE BUT I ALSO FEEL SAD JDJDKDJK

“You are the opposite of manageable,” Shut up Alec, you love her!!!

Luca is so wise ngl. Also I love how, even tho it was really hard, Magnus did put his health first and knew that he wasn’t in the right headspace to get a baby. I will protect this man ok?!?

"The issue is not knowing where to draw the line. The issue is not understanding where they stop and where you begin.” THIS>>>

The reason of him wearing glasses😭😭

Clary 🤝 me.

Our love for wine :)

"We need to find a short lady! Like Aunt Clary." poor Clary putting up with all of their jokes jdhsjsj

“I like the name Brooke,” David smiles and then gasps dramatically. “What if she can’t pronounce the letter R and calls herself Book? We have a baby called Book!”

Max giggles at that. “You’re cute.”

David bops his nose. “You’re cuter.”

“You know,” Clary says. “If those two don’t get together when they are older, Jace might throw a fit.”

MY HEART CANT HANDLE THIS OK??? SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP😭

Clace rights only😎

I thought this was like when they were still kids but then the trip to South Africa was mentioned and I realized the were older and that the divorce is not so far away and I wanted to scream and-

"Do none of you know how genetics and reproduction work?” soryy Rafe, I skipped those classes... it wasn’t my fault!! they were boring!!

Mavid>>>>

“We tell them the truth,” Magnus replies. “And hope they understand. Otherwise, we have failed as parents.” EXACTLY THIS

I hate the damage control the have to do😭

They are not punishing them. They are mourning. Mourning someone who doesn’t exist. Mourning someone they never met. Am I crying? Yes. But I think we all did..

“Bapak is sorry." Holy shit this line was the one that hurted the most😭😭😭

All the videos he is watching are making me emo🥺🥺 the one with the water fight, THE ONE WITH MAX AND DAVID, THE TIKTOK CHALLENGE HOLY SHIT💙💙💙

We stan Elyaas. Just a friendly reminder

“Great,” Alec grins. “So, I thought I’d share some things with you that I find very sexy.”

“Magnus Bane!” someone yells.

“Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” Alec corrects with a wink. “And yes, my husband will always be on top of that list. But let’s talk about some other stuff.”

THIS MAN ISTG-

YES. WE NEED TO GIVE A FUCK!!!

Not him rewinding the video to Magnus Lightwood-Bane🥺🥺

Peter and Asmodeus are both pieces of shit!!!

It’s easier for him to love himself when he knows someone else is doing it too. I relate a little to much to this quote...

“Someone once told me the right man won’t care,” JEM AND TESSA, JEM AND TESSA, JEM-

The endless love they find within each other to give to their children. Why does this Timeline feels so nostalgic?? 🥺🥺

“There are parents who try to do better and there are parents who don’t. That’s it." Louder for everyone to hear!!!!

“Edom is my Alexander.” You really cant love more than this, huh??

“It wasn’t that bad,” she smiles. “I had a friend who came with me for moral support.”

“Ah,” Magnus says. “I hear he is dashing.”

“More like deranged,” she corrects.

Dont @ me but I love their dynamic ok?!?! Their friendship is kinda unique but it really is beautiful💙

Song rec: In The Stars by Benson Boone. Kinda tlnd Malec vibes but also lbaf malec vibes when Alec dies

Ilyy. Byeee💚

Lmao the song rec 😂😂😭😭😭😭😭 (literally)

Here is a tiktok for you. When Rafe finds out about mavid 🤭

[beclynn-herondale]

We know Jace considers the Lightwoods his family (and I love that sm) but we've seen that with Alec, Izzy, Max and Maryse. What do you think his relationship was with Robert.

Heya, dear panda

Sorry I didn't answer this yesterday

Me and Dani actually did talk about this before, and Dani said that she didn't think there was much of a relationship there. And I agree.

We know Robert was a distant father, so I don't think he was there much for any of his kids (at least not when they were younger. Which sadly is the time you should be involved in their lives so they can develop a connection with their parent.) I think Robert was a little indifferent with Jace, more so, probably, after finding out he wasn't Michael's son. I think he probably had a slight fondness of Jace, but I don't think he was really there.

And in City of Ashes, we see Maryse say that Jace should stay for them all, and that Robert would want to see him, in which Jace replies "I doubt that." Which tells me Jace wasn't close with Robert. And when Robert's children are mentioned, I can't actually think of a time he mentioned Jace, at least not explicitly :/

Something I always loved, was how Robert was the one who insisted on taking Jace in, when Maryse was persistent to not do so, but Maryse was the one who ended up loving Jace the most and saw him as her own. We also see that in Son of the Dawn, Robert comments on how Jace doesn't look anything like Michael (we know why 🤭) but he seemed a little unsure to me then

I do like to think that maybe after finding out Jace was Stephen and Céline's son, that he might have tried to look for resemblance of those two in Jace, and he probably did remind Robert a little of them. (I don't entirely believe in the "Jace has many of Valentine's traits" stuff) especially in Jace's silly/humourous nature, that is similar to Stephen and Céline (as we see them joking with and teasing Robert in The Wicked Ones) and perhaps, Robert didn't want to see them in Jace or saw too much and didn't like to think about, as that would mean he'd have to dig up the past, so that might play a part.

We also have Jocelyn say that like Céline, Jace had the quality about him that made him seem so vulnerable, that you wanted to protect him. So I think maybe Robert also felt that way, maybe. He probably had a kind of respect as well, since Jace is a great Shadowhunter (but he's so much more than that.) But we know Nephilim value being a great warrior over being am artist, musician, etc. So I think he probably had a respect for the great warrior Jace is.

I could probably keep going, but this is getting long. But to sum it up, I don't think there was much of a relationship there. I think Jace probably did care for Robert, himself. But I think it was just in that way Jace cares about people he knows, and maybe even moreso on behalf of Alec and Izzy. I do think Jace did try to make Robert proud in a sense, as we know Jace's greatest fears are to be a disappointment or fail or be seen as weak; so I think somewhere deep down he may have wanted Robert to be proud of him. But I don't think Robert was that parent who constantly told his kids he was proud of them, I think he did say it from time to time, but not a lot (especially not when they were younger)

God, this is long 🤣🤣

[brightasstars]

"Magnus did not get up, but he turned to see Alec looking down at him. The moonlight turned Alec’s skin silver and his eyes a darker, deeper blue, infinitely tender. “If you thought I was asking you to keep the baby,” Magnus said, “I wasn’t.” Alec’s eyes widened. He absorbed this in silence. “You’re . . . still really young,” Magnus said. “I’m sorry if sometimes it seems as if I do not remember that. It’s strange to me—being immortal means both being young and being old are strange to me. I know I must seem strange to you sometimes.” Alec nodded, thoughtful and not hurt. “You do,” he said, and leaned down with one hand gripping the side of the crib, touched Magnus’s hair, and gave him a moonlight-soft kiss. “And I never want anything but this. I never want a less strange love.” “But you don’t have to be scared I would ever leave you,” said Magnus. “You don’t have to be scared of what will happen to the baby or that I will be hurt because the baby—is a warlock, and was not wanted. You do not have to feel trapped. You do not have to be scared, and you do not have to do this.” Alec knelt down in the shadows and on the bare, dusty boards of the attic, next to the crib and facing Magnus. “What if I want to?” he asked. “I’m a Shadowhunter. We marry young, and we have children young, because we might die young, because we want to do our duty to the world and have all the love in the world we can. I used to . . . I used to think I could never do that, never have that. I used to feel trapped. I don’t feel trapped now. I could never ask you to live in an Institute, and I don’t want to. I want to stay in New York, with you, and with Lily and Maia. I want to keep doing what we’re doing. I want Jace to run the Institute after my mother, and I want to work with him. I want to be part of the connection between the Institute and Downworlders. For so long I thought I could never have any of the things I wanted, except that I could maybe keep Jace and Isabelle safe. I thought I could have their backs in a fight. Now I have more and more people I care about, and . . . I want everyone I care about—I want people I don’t even know, I want all of us—to know we have each other’s backs so we do not have to fight alone. I am not trapped. I’m happy. I am exactly where I want to be. I know what I want, and I have the life I want. I’m not scared of any of the things you said.” Magnus took a deep breath. It was better to ask Alec than to keep imagining the wrong thing. “What are you scared of, then?” “Do you remember Mom suggesting calling the baby Max?” Magnus nodded, carefully quiet. He had never even met Alec’s little brother, Max. Robert and Maryse Lightwood had always tried to keep their children away from Downworlders, and Max had been too young to disobey. Alec’s voice was soft, both for the baby and with memory. “I was never the cool brother. I remember when Mom used to leave Max with me, when he was really little, just learning how to walk, and I was always scared he would fall down and it would be my fault. I’d constantly try to get him to obey the rules and do what Mom said. Isabelle was so great with him, always making him laugh, and by the Angel, Max wanted to be just like Jace. He thought Jace was the coolest, the best Shadowhunter who ever lived, that the sun rose and set on him. Jace gave him a little toy soldier and Max used to take it to bed with him. I was jealous of how much Max loved that toy. I used to give him other things, toys that I thought were better, but he always loved that soldier best. He died holding that toy for comfort. I’m so glad he had it, that he had something he loved to comfort him. It was stupid and petty to be jealous.” Magnus shook his head. Alec gave him a rueful smile, and then bowed his black head, looking at the floor.

I always thought there would be more time,” said Alec. “I thought Max would get older, and he’d train with us more, and I’d help him train. I thought he would come on missions with us, and I’d have his back, the way I always try to have Jace’s and Isabelle’s backs. He’d know his boring big brother was good for something then. He’d know he could count on me, no matter what. He should have been able to count on me.” “He was able to count on you,” Magnus said. “I know that. He knew that. Nobody who has ever met you could doubt it.” “He never even knew that I’m gay,” said Alec. “Or that I love you. I wish he could have met you.” “I wish I could have met him,” said Magnus. “But he knew you. He loved you. You know that, don’t you?” “I do know that,” said Alec. “I just . . . I always wished I could be more for him.” “You always try to be more, for everyone you love,” Magnus said. “You don’t see how your whole family turns to you, how they rely on you. I rely on you. Even Lily relies on you, for God’s sake. You love the people you love so much that you want to be an impossible ideal for them. You don’t realize that you are more than enough.”

@cassandraclare "Born to an endless night"

Art from Cassandra Jean

Happy Birthday to the man I love most.

Happy Birthday Consul Alexander Lightwood, you have enlightened my life in ways you won't ever know.

[alecmagnuslwb]

Rent a Holidate

Read on AO3

Magnus is barely paying attention as his father blathers on about his annual Thanksgiving party. It’s the same as every year, food made by an overpaid chef, schmoosing clients and Magnus being expected to attend and behave.

They don’t even really celebrate Thanksgiving and it’s definitely not about family coming together to be thankful for the things they have and the love they share, it’s a way for his father to impress his clients with the size of his house and the happy little family picture that he, whoever his latest wife is and Magnus make. It’s a fake night, filled with fake rich people that Magnus loathes more and more every single year.

There’s a pause on his fathers end of the line and Magnus scrambles assuming he was asked some sort of question.

“Yes, of course,” he says hoping that’s the right answer. Evidently it’s neutral considering his father’s monotonous response.

“Fine then, I hope that he or she will be an acceptable date for the evening,” his father says. Oh shit, he thinks, did I just agree to bring a date to this thing?

For a moment he considers backtracking saying he won’t be bringing anyone, it’s not like he’s been on so much as a half decent date in over a year, but he knows his father, once you’ve said something you act on it, no turning back. So instead he grits his teeth and accepts he’ll be bullshitting his way through an emergency excuse to why his fake partner couldn’t attend the night of.

“He is very acceptable,” Magnus says faux cheery conjuring up a fake boyfriend in his head. Not that any partner of his could be deemed acceptable by his father, his father even finds his own career path teaching English at NYU to be an underperformance.

“It’s not Columbia,” he always says whenever Magnus talks about his work.

“Well, then I look forward to meeting him,” his father says not at all sounding like he’s looking forward to it. Which is good considering Magnus’ supposed boyfriend is a complete fabrication. “I’ll see you in a week.”

And just like that he hangs up, no goodbye, nothing.

Magnus sighs tossing his phone into the graded paper box on his desk and begins crafting a personality and profession for his fake boyfriend just in case he needs a more solid alibi.

***

Magnus laments his woes to Dot and Catarina later that night, it’s Thursday which means mimosas and movies.

“Part of me just wants to make up an excuse and be done with it, it’s not like he’ll even remember in a week’s time after the fact that I ever even had a supposed boyfriend,” Magnus says pausing to take a sip of his mimosa. “The other part of me just wants to bring the world’s worst date and embarrass him to no end.”

“You mean Camille wasn’t the world’s worst date?” Dot says curling up in the chair beside Cat with her own mimosa in hand.

“Camille was the world’s worst date, but she never was one to make a scene, she was quietly and privately terrible,” Magnus says moving quickly past the topic of his wicked ex. “I mean someone who’s not a bad person, just kind of a mess.”

“Why don’t you hire the guy Dot hired last year for her family reunion?” Cat says not even bothering to look up from her phone as she scrolls reading reviews for the movie they’re about to watch.

“Yeah he was great,” Dot says agreeing with Cat’s suggestion. “His names Alec. He can’t play straight to save his life which made it even better because my whole family was convinced I was not only dating a worthless degenerate, but a worthless degenerate gay man. Hilarious, honestly.”

She pulls up something on her phone and hands it to Magnus. It’s a Craigslist ad titled, Alone on Thanksgiving? Mad at your dad? Tired of your family’s absurd expectations?

He takes the phone reading the post entirely.

My name is Alec Lightwood, I’m a 28 year old almost felon who went to college for three weeks before dropping out. I have a Thunderbird that’s only a year younger than me painted like Eddie Van Halen’s red guitar. It’s hideous and embarrassing and I love it. I can play anywhere between the ages of 23 to 32 depending on if I shave. I’m a bartender and occasional bouncer when the need requires, I haven’t been seen not in a leather jacket with a tear in the back since high school, I’m gay and very bad at hiding it and I’ve even got an eyebrow scar that’s sure to raise a few eyebrows (get it, raise a few eyebrows).

If you’d like to have me as your strictly platonic date for a gathering of some sort, but have me pretend to be in a very serious relationship with you to torment your family, I’m game.

I can do these things at your request:

-        Openly hit on other guests while you act like you don’t notice (of any gender, I may be gay but I can embarrassingly hit on anyone even if it’s not convincing).

 -        Start instigative discussions about politics and/or religion (sports are off the table however unless your family are big into the Rangers or Islanders, then I can talk shit for days.)

 -        Propose to you in front of everyone and you tearily accept or you turn me down and I proceed to have a breakdown, but we resolve to work on our relationship much to your family’s chagrin.

 -        Pretend to be increasingly drunk as the evening goes on (sorry, I don’t actually drink anymore, but I used to. A lot. Too much in fact. I know the drill.)

 -        Start a screaming match with a family member, that could come to blows (but no one will be physically harmed, I promise) either inside or on the front lawn (if there is one) for all the neighbors to see.

I require no pay but the free food I will receive as a guest at any event!

We can meet prior to the event somewhere public and you can ask me any questions. And I mean any questions so that you feel safe.

-        Do NOT contact with unsolicited services or offers. Email me at: lightwoodarcher@gmail.com

“Um, he’s a felon?” Magnus says looking up from the phone when he’s done.

“Hey, don’t judge, you’re not exactly rap sheet free,” Dot says scolding him with a smile. Which okay, he does have a few arrests on his record, petty little things and pick-ups at a protest or two, but felonies are a bit above that. He says that aloud. “Also, as it says he’s technically an almost felon.”

“He’s not a murderer or anything, I had Raphael check out his history before I requested his services,” Dot continues on to explain, referring to their friend who’s a prosecutor. “He got picked up for aggravated assault after he caught the guy who got his sister hooked on drugs in her bed shooting her up, it was a bullshit charge from a snake of a man who deserved every hit he got. The charges were ultimately dropped and settled when the piece of shit he beat up got hit with about ten felonies himself. He’s a good guy, like a really good guy I promise.”

“Didn’t Raphael even stress that he never would have convicted Alec in a million years on the charges?” Cat says getting up from her seat and heading to the kitchen to refill her mimosa glass.

Dot nods taking a sip of her drink. “He did, he said any jury would have sided with him over the 30 year old drug pusher preying on an 18 year old girl. And even though we can’t tell him, because we don’t want him to smirk about it all the time and get a big head, we both know Raphael is the best judge of character and lawyer in America.”

It’s true, Raphael always knows what he’s talking about.

“Plus,” Dot continues on. “Alec’s very upfront about it, I didn’t even need to do the background check he told me exactly what went down when we met for coffee before the event, even brought his sister along to corroborate and make me feel comfortable.”

“Wow,” Magnus says genuinely surprised by the decency of a man on the internet.

“Also, he’s very cute,” Dot smirks over the rim of her glass waggling her eyebrows in Magnus’ direction.

Magnus rolls his eyes. “I don’t think it matters if my fake date is cute.”

“So you’re gonna do it?” Catarina says coming back in the room, a pitcher filled to the brim with mimosa mix in her hand.

Magnus bites his lip in thought as he looks down at the phone in his hand again. He does want to cause a ruckus, he’s tired of being the perfect little son when his father needs him to be. And Alec Lightwood might just be able to provide the exact ruckus he’s looking for.

“What the hell,” he mutters before tossing Dot’s phone to her. “Do I need to email him, or do you still have his number?”

Dot smiles in delight as she taps on her phone his own phone buzzing in his pocket a second later with Alec’s number.

***

Alec keeps his text exchanges simple, offering to meet Magnus the following afternoon after Magnus’ noon class for coffee. Alec lets Magnus choose everything, clearly dedicated to making the person contacting him as comfortable as possible. Luckily for Magnus Alec’s had no inquiries for this Thanksgiving, except for one that was definitely unsavory and he turned down immediately.

With such short notice Magnus thought for sure this might not work out.

He walks in scanning the shop looking for Alec and comes up empty based on Dot’s description of him. He gets in line and orders a drink finding a table off to the side where it’s not too crowded to sit and wait. He’s barely settled into his seat when the chime above the door rings and in walks a stunner with long legs and dark hair.

The man pauses scanning the room, then his eyes land on Magnus his lips tilt up just a bit and he walks over his way.

“Magnus Bane?” he says in question when he reaches the table. Magnus is speechless for a moment as the sun catches in the man’s hazel eyes and on the tiny silver hoops in his ears. He shakes himself from the trance he’s in, ignoring the way his eyes shine a little greener when he tilts his head and nods his own head in confirmation.

“Alec Lightwood?”

“That’s me,” the man says with a smile that crinkles at the edges just a bit, he reaches out a hand that Magnus takes shaking it instantly enjoying the contrast of Alec’s cold fingers to his warm ones. Magnus squeezes his hand once before letting go. “I’m just gonna go get a drink and then we can talk,” Alec says stepping back with a tentative, but dazzling smile.

Magnus watches him go enjoying the view of his long legs in motion. He spots the tear in the back of his leather jacket, just like mentioned in his ad, and smiles. Alec comes back moments later a mug of black coffee in hang.

“So you need a bad date for Thanksgiving,” he says tearing open an obscene amount of sugar packets and pouring them into his mug. “I’m guessing before we get into that though, you want to know about the almost felony?”

Magnus shakes his head and Alec looks at him quizzically for a moment, before the puzzle pieces in his mind clearly fall into place.

“Dot,” he says in understanding. “She must have told you everything.”

“She did,” Magnus confirms taking a sip of his drink. “And for the record it sounds like you were in the right.”

Alec smiles a small uncertain smile almost like he’s not sure that’s the truth, but takes the words as a compliment anyways.

“It wasn’t my finest moment, I guess I’m just overprotective when it comes to people I love,” he says running his fingers along the rim of his mug.

“Getting a drug predator away from your sister isn’t just being overprotective, it’s doing the right thing,” he says genuine. He remembers when they were in high school and Raphael had his run with a bad crowd, it never came to it, but he would have done the same thing Alec did if the situation had presented itself.

Alec just shrugs looking off to the side. Magnus sees the uncomfortable set in his shoulders and shifts the conversation.

“You come highly recommended, Dot says you put on one hell of a show at her family reunion,” he says with a bright smile.

Alec’s shoulders ease and he turns back to Magnus with a smile.

“Dot barely needed me, she put on a performance just as stunning, I’ve never seen a woman so small body tackle so many people during what’s supposed to be a friendly game of tag,” he says with a chuckle.

Magnus has heard all about Dot’s deadly game and seen the bruises she proudly displayed from her somewhat violent performance first hand.

“Believe me it’s not the first time she’s tackled down a full-grown man,” Magnus says with a laugh fondly remembering a frat party, an unsuspecting frat boy and a fateful game of beer pong from many years ago.

“Somehow that does not surprise me,” Alec says rubbing a hand across his dark beard. The conversation shifts from there, Magnus giving Alec the full rundown about his father, his current stepmother and the all too haughty evening they’ll be subjected to.

Conversation flows easy between them, Alec seeming to understand a lot of Magnus’ struggles with his family life and Magnus finds himself wondering if there’s more to why he does this bit of charity for people in need.

“So, why exactly is it you do this?” Magnus asks, clarifying quickly when Alec raises his eyebrow in question. They’ve covered the felony yes and it’s clear that Alec just simply cares, but that’s not a full reason why. “I mean I believe that you’re just a genuinely good person who wants to help people, but it’s deeper than that isn’t it?”

Alec pauses for a moment rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Magnus is about to tell him he doesn’t have to explain if it’s an uncomfortable topic just as Alec starts to talk.

“I’m gay,” he says and Magnus smirks, the obviously on the tip of his tongue. Alec picks up on it smiling back. “Obviously, but for a long time I couldn’t be, or at least not at home. My parents are kind of rich, they’d do these big to do holiday parties every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. When my siblings and I were little they were just big boring adult parties that we’d steal food from. Then we all got old enough to date and to have plans for the future.”

Magnus hums in understanding. That’s how his father’s parties had been, one day he was a kid just stealing cookies and hating the droll grown ups and the next he was a man expected to present himself in certain ways, ways that weren’t remotely who he was.

“By the time I was 21 I was still in the closet, and already on their shit list for dropping out of college, and I never dated and my parents were just determined to find me a wife. Every year it was so and so’s daughter is lovely and has such a strong education or so and so’s daughter is coming and I can’t wait for you to meet her,” he says twisting the coffee mug between his hands. “I’m pretty sure those holiday parties are how my drinking got so bad, forced heterosexuality and an open bar do not mix well together.”

He chuckles and Magnus takes that as an invitation to do the same. Again he gets it, he’s taken his fair advantage of the open bar at his father’s parties many times.

“And then one year my dad was going on about some girl who was at Thanksgiving dinner, I don’t even remember her name, but she was standing there and the whole time he’s talking about how she’s so pretty and so ready to start a family and I should make a move before someone else did. And I was losing my mind internally and evidently I’d had just enough to drink that I just screamed at the top of my lungs that I was gay.”

He pauses taking the last sip of his coffee.

“And then I just left after my mom was trying to talk to me about causing a scene. Then Christmas rolls around and to my extreme shock I get the invite. I thought for sure I was in for the lecture I’d been avoiding for a month, but instead they just acted like Thanksgiving hadn’t even happened,” he shakes his head. “They invited some other poor girl to try and marry me off to and just went on like I hadn’t had a big, gay outburst. My outburst was a lot bigger that time, after that I didn’t get any more party invites, they just cut me out entirely.”

Magnus reaches out resting his hand on Alec’s that’s drumming on the table. “I’m so sorry, Alexander,” he says trying out the full name for the first time guessing that’s what Alec is short for. He likes the way it rolls off his tongue and judging from the way Alec doesn’t correct him he ventures he got it right.

Alec just shrugs with a sad little smile on his lips. “It’s okay,” he says. “I mean it wasn’t back then, but I’m okay now. I don’t need my parents or their money, my siblings are still in my life and I’ve got a whole life outside of that. I can have my gay outbursts in peace now.”

Magnus laughs squeezing his hand once before pulling back, he’s been resting it there much too long now.

They talk logistics after that, establishing a plan for the holiday dinner. Alec immediately offers to bring his Thunderbird to drive to Magnus’ father’s place upstate.

“I don’t have the car not to be embarrassing about it,” he says and Magnus smiles insisting he pays for the gas then.

He spends almost three hours and four coffees with Alec and eventually finds they’re not even talking about the dinner in question, but they’re just talking instead.

It’s an unexpected development.

***

Coffee with Alec goes all too well and by the end of it they have a carefully cultivated story about how they met and how long they’ve supposedly been together all set in stone. Alec ensures him he’ll be the ultimate, best bad boyfriend for the night, and frankly Magnus is having a hard time believing it.

Alec is sweet, kind without even realizing it and looks like the living embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. If Magnus is being honest he’d love to take him out sometime as a real date more than a bad boyfriend for the night.

He calls Dot after they’ve said their goodbyes, walking to his apartment not far from the coffee shop.

“So how’d it go?” Dot asks immediately upon answering the phone.

“He’s incredibly charming without trying to be and cute is a fucking understatement, Dorothea,” he says looking both ways before crossing to the other side of the street.

Dot chuckles wildly on the other side.

“I’m serious, if I was given the opportunity to craft a man based on looks alone I’m pretty sure he’d be what I’d create, he’s gorgeous,” Magnus says as he reaches his building going inside and heading for the elevator.

“I may have undersold him slightly,” Dot says sounding all too innocent.

“And was there a reason for that, my dear?” he says. He’s starting to feel like he’s being set up.

“Perhaps,” she says and he can hear the gleeful smile in her voice. “You can thank me later, for now just enjoy your bad boyfriend.”

***

Five days later on the last Thursday of the month, Magnus waits outside of his apartment for Alec and at three o’clock on the dot Alec’s truly ridiculous car pulls up. It’s even better in person than he described.

The black, red and white lines are exactly like Eddie Van Halen’s infamous guitar and the ’93 Thunderbird is just on the right side of beat up. The left taillight is busted, covered in see through tape and there’s a sizeable dent in the passenger side door.

Alec steps out of the car, a vision in his signature leather jacket, black jeans with far too many tears and dark eyeliner around his eyes. It’s not neat like Magnus’ though, it’s messy. His whole look from his disheveled, but neat hair, to his trimmed beard to his scuffed boots is just on the right side of acceptable, but screams of a wild side as well.

Magnus isn’t as black tie as he knows his father would like him to be, wearing a deep red shirt and tight pants with a line down the side, his perfectly styled hair, curly and soft with matching red streaks running through it. They make a pretty attractive pair if Magnus does say so himself.

Magnus can’t wait to see how the evening plays out.

Alec smiles at him coming over to open the passenger side door, it takes a couple tugs to get it open.

“It’s a little finicky,” he says playfully bowing and gesturing for Magnus to get inside. “Your chariot awaits.”

Magnus smiles stepping into the car. Alec shuts the door tight rounding the car and falling into his seat.

“Ready to cause a scene?” Alec says with a devilish smile that Magnus finds hard to resist.

“Absolutely,” he says with his own answering smile as Alec turns the key and peels out onto the road.

***

The ride up takes about two hours all told with holiday traffic and every minute of it is delightful. Alec tells him more about himself, outside of the surface stuff they’d covered to make sure Magnus was comfortable with this whole night.

He learns Alec loves archery, has an affinity for trash shows like the Bachelor and has a vicious little cat he adores named Church. Magnus gives his own tidbits in return about his work at the university and his love of bad horror movies, laughing when Alec suggests their fiendish cats might just get along.

Magnus laughs just as they pull up outside of his father’s home, “Chairman doesn’t exactly play well with others.”

Alec shrugs. “Neither does Church, that’s why it’d be fun,” he says with a smile pulling his eyes away from Magnus looking up at the sprawling house before them. He slows the car to a stop pulling into a spot that makes the car perfectly visible from the wall of windows that line the living room where all the guests won’t be able to miss it.

“Damn,” Alec says as he steps out of the car, Magnus joins him where he’s leaning back against the front of his Thunderbird. His car looks amazingly out of place and perfectly hilarious parked between a silver Porsche and a sleek black Lamborghini. “Your father’s in real estate you said?”

“Amongst other things,” Magnus grumbles looking at the house that was always too big, that always felt hollow and empty to Magnus when they moved here after his mother skipped town.

“It’s way too big,” Alec says with a grimace looking it over one last time before offering his arm to Magnus. Magnus takes it guiding him to the front door. “And there’s way too many fucking windows.”

Magnus chuckles as they reach the door opening it automatically and walking in. The space is gaudier than the last time he was there, the walls where once his father and stepmother number four’s portraits used to hang now feature the latest wife and sadly the one of him that his father had commissioned years ago. It’s the last time he’d agreed to sit for one of his gaudy paintings, he’s young, barely 20 wearing a stiff suit and barely any makeup, he doesn’t look like him at all.

“Well that’s a painting,” Alec says looking at it. “I like this you better,” he says eyeing Magnus up and down. Whether he meant to or not there’s a lingering in the look, Magnus likes it. “That looks like somebody trying to be something they’re not.”

And just like that with one look at a painting, Alec nails him right on the head. Like he can read Magnus easily, a thing that just about no one can do.

“Come on,” Magnus says pulling Alec along down the garish hallway that leads to the large expanse of the living room. There’s a new chandelier hanging in the hall, riddled in way too many gems. He bets it’s a feature added by the new wife.

“Maggie!” a woman’s voice yells, speak of the devil, he rolls his eyes at the nickname no matter how many times he’s told her to drop it she just won’t. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

His stepmother comes bouncing over their way, her ridiculously high heels clacking against the hardwood floor. He can hear his father sigh from the other side of the room, more concerned with his precious oak floors than anything else in the world.

Magnus braces himself as she barrels into him hugging him tight, she releases him with a smile before turning to Alec and doing the same.

Alec’s eyes go wide in surprise, no matter how much Magnus described her to him there’s no preparing for hurricane Marissa. She pulls back adjusting her very not appropriate for the setting tight pink and black strapless dress with a smile, her fake tan looks a little lighter than usual and he’s weirdly proud of her for that.

“And who is this?” she asks reaching out to adjust Magnus’ shirt collar that she crumpled when hugging him.

“This is my boyfriend, Alec,” he says gesturing his way. “Alec this is my father’s wife, Marissa.”

Marissa playfully pats Magnus’ cheek, “Stepmother.” She says it pointedly holding out a hand to quickly shake Alec’s. He will never refer to her as his stepmother out loud, much like the past four wives Magnus bets Marissa will be gone in five years’ time tops, his own mother hadn’t even stuck around that long. Also, she’s 25, five years younger than him, and there’s no way he’s referring to her as anything remotely close to a mother.

“It’s lovely to have you in our home,” Marissa says to Alec gesturing to the room at large. Magnus looks around at the room full of people, most of whom he doesn’t remotely recognize. A few seem somewhat familiar in the most unmemorable sense. He’s sure they’re constant clients and rich cohorts of his father’s that have attended before.

“That it is,” his father’s voice says coming up behind his wife. He rests one hand on her shoulder and holds out another Alec’s way. “Asmodeus Bane.”

“Alec Lightwood,” he says a perfect gentleman returning his father’s handshake. They’d agreed to keep it civil for at the least the first introduction and then let the evening escalate from there. Magnus can tell just from looking at it his father’s grip is tight, commanding and borderline threatening, but Alec doesn’t even flinch.

“Lightwood, hm?” his father says eyeing Alec up and down frowning and Magnus can tell he already disapproves of what he sees. “Any relation to the Lightwood Consulting company?”

“Yes,” Alec says and Magnus smiles when he sees his father’s lips uptick in an impressed smile that immediately falls at Alec’s next words. “But they cut me out and off years ago, I’m the black sheep of the family if you will.”

Asmodeus just hums disappointed. “Well, that’s a shame,” he says. “So, how did you meet my son?” he asks not bothering with anymore small talk now that he’s already decided Alec’s no good, just jumping right in to the things he can criticize.

“Prison,” Alec jokes and Marissa titters delightfully. She quickly stops when Asmodeus looks at her disappointedly. “Just kidding,” he says. “I did my time there years ago, no we met at a bar.”

Asmodeus bristles at the prison mention, which is technically a lie, Alec only spent a few hours in a cell back when he was arrested, but his father clearly buys it as more. Magnus can tell he’s tuning out the rest of their crafted meet cute story, all about how three months ago Alec had a few too many drinks and almost got into a fight and Magnus had been his stalwart knight in shining armor.

“Love at first sight,” Marissa sighs clearly enjoying their made up tale. “Isn’t it sweet, Asmody?” she coos tugging on his father’s arm.

“Yes, quite sweet,” Asmodeus grimaces gripping his wife’s arm and pulling her away. “We’ll talk later.” He says looking directly at Magnus, essentially and completely dismissing Alec’s presence all together before stepping away. Marissa grins wide waving at them as she goes her long pink acrylic nails clicking together as she does so. Marissa may not be the brightest or subtlest bulb, but at least unlike many of Asmodeus’ past wives she’s nice enough.

“Well damn, do I even need to do anything else? He seems disappointed enough already,” Alec says shaking his head in disbelief.

“Now, where would the fun in that be,” Magnus says with a smirk, shrugging off his jacket. Alec follows suit and Magnus admires the view of his arms in a short sleeved well-fitting white button up shirt. His love of archery has made for some nicely toned muscle.

***

They mingle for a bit after Magnus deposits their coats in one of the coat closets, Magnus putting on his best son of the year smile while Alec downs glasses of water that everyone thinks is vodka at a fairly speedy rate.

It’d been his first task when they’d rejoined the party walking over to the bar with a smile.

“I need you to fill a bottle or two of vodka with water and keep serving me all night,” he said to the bored and disgruntled looking woman behind the counter. The rest of the hired help for the night must have been sequestered away in the kitchen until dinner judging by her being the first one that Magnus had spotted.

“You planning something weird tonight?” she questioned sliding Magnus a glass of red wine.

“Not weird, just disruptive,” Alec said so kind and so believable that the girl perked up.

“Well I love to see rich people who call me barkeep unironically disrupted, so you got it,” she said with a smile discreetly pouring out a bottle and refilling it with water before handing a glass to Alec as he dumped a sizeable wad of cash into her completely empty tip jar. God, rich people were cheap.

She’s been steadily serving him since.

Now they find themselves with a man who has to be bordering on 200 years old and it seems Alec decides it���s time to truly get to work.

“All that glitters,” the old man says talking about something that they’ve clearly both been tuning out.

“Glitters?” Alec says a little too loud, just enough so that everyone in their vicinity can hear. “You mean the place on 5th? My ex used to dance there, maybe you saw him, man knew how to work a pole if you know what I mean?” he winks at the old man and Magnus just barely stifles his laughter as the old man steps back in shock. He mumbles something unintelligible looking suddenly ill and paler than he had before and slips away.

Alec tosses back his drink and hands it to a passing woman in a truly hideous pantsuit that is definitely not a server, dragging Magnus along to the table of appetizers. He tosses shrimp into his mouth not bothering with a napkin, rubbing his hands on his ripped-up jeans making direct eye contact with a young woman, no doubt another trophy wife, as he does so. She scrunches up her nose and steps away.

Evidently despite his fairly small work so far he’s made just enough of a scene to garner Asmodeus’ attention once again.

“So, Alec, I assume that colorful vehicle outside is yours?” he says walking up beside the two of them. Their bartender and conspirator comes up just then handing Alec a fresh glass.

Alec smiles at her, before turning to Asmodeus. He’s not acting drunk yet, but he’s bordering on behaving tipsy.

He slings an arm over Magnus’ shoulder and brings him in close. Magnus settles a hand at Alec’s waste enjoying the proximity.

“Yes, that is my sweet Cherry,” he says naming the car on the spot. “Won her in a poker game when I was 18, crashed her three days later and have been patching her back together ever since.”

“A poker game?” Asmodeus questions, clearly becoming more disappointed by the minute.

“Yup,” he says cheerfully popping the p in the word. “Well, I wouldn’t say won directly, more cheated a guy and then fought him for it,” he pauses gesturing to the little sliced scar that runs through his left eyebrow. “That’s how I got this.”

“You wouldn’t believe how many tire irons a high school principal is carrying around,” Alec continues with a snort tossing back half of his drink.

Magnus just nods along in agreement to Alec’s concocted tale. He actually bought the car from his sister’s ex-boyfriend when he was nineteen for 200 bucks, but this story shocks far more.

“You mean to say you fought your principal for your car?” Asmodeus says judgement so very clear in his voice.

“High school, am I right?” Alec shrugs with a chuckle smiling down into his drink. Asmodeus looks appalled.

“Oh, come on don’t look like that father,” Magnus says placing his free hand on Alec’s chest and patting there lightly. Magnus can’t help but notice how solid the chest under his hand is. “I got up to some trouble in high school myself, surely you remember.”

Asmodeus just hums, clearly finding Magnus’ occasional wild parties without permission a dull comparison to the tale Alec just told.

“Never forget the time I streaked and jumped from the guest house roof to the trampoline and right into the pool, nearly broke my arm in the process,” Magnus says with a smile. Alec leans over burying his face in Magnus’ hair, careful not to mess it up, whether it’s to play up the PDA or stifle a laugh Magnus isn’t sure.

They’d had a whole conversation about PDA, Alec promising to respect his boundaries, no kissing and never a hand wandering beneath his waist.

“How could I forget,” Asmodeus says sharply embarrassed by his son’s antics. He turns towards the large windows and looks out to where the porch patio lights illuminate Alec’s car.

“It is so sexy that you did that,” Alec says ignoring Asmodeus and turning towards Magnus. He downs the rest of his drink and meet’s Magnus’ eyes, a question and idea brewing clear in them. Magnus smirks tugging at Alec’s shirt.

“You think so?” he says teasingly.

“Mm hmm,” Alec says biting his lip and Magnus knows this is all a part of the show, but god are those lips tempting.

Magnus catches Asmodeus turning his attention back to them looking outright furious. Magnus pulls away from Alec’s eyes and smiles a bright smile like they’re doing absolutely nothing wrong.

“I’m gonna give Alec the tour,” he says leadingly pulling Alec along by both hands and rushing away from the living room and down the hall before Asmodeus can say a word. He can see Alec’s smirk as he notices the stares of the other guests in the room.

Magnus doesn’t even pay attention to where they’re going as he pulls them into a room just off the right side of the hall.

“How’d you actually get that scar?” Magnus asks once they’re inside shutting the door behind him, no doubt convincing everyone they’re about to get down and dirty.

“Took a hockey stick to the face when I was 17,” he says pulling himself to sit up on a desk. A desk that Magnus now recognizes as his fathers. They’ve pulled themselves into his father’s office and if they get caught in here he’ll never hear the end of it, he loves it.

“You played hockey?” Magnus asks lifting himself up to sit beside Alec on the desk ignoring the papers he accidentally topples to the ground.

Alec nods in the affirmative. “I did, that’s why it’s the only sport I can start heckling fights about, everything else is boring.”

Magnus snorts at that, he’s never been partial to any sport himself.

“Did you really do what you said out there?” Alec asks picking up a notepad and flipping through it mindlessly.

“I did,” Magnus smiles and Alec’s eyebrows both go up. “Don’t look so surprised, you’re not the only one capable of mischief.”

“Oh, I see that,” he says with a smile tossing the notepad back to where he found it. “That is kinda sexy you achieved a jump like that and didn’t get hurt.” He says it with his voice low and all sorts of New York around the edges. He freezes his hand stopping over the spot where he’d been about to pick up the ugly green and bronze sphere shaped paper weight beside him.

Magnus freezes too, Alec saying something like that while they’re alone makes it real, not like the fake flirty way he’d said it out in the living room.

“Sorry, that’s not, I’m sorry, I never cross that line when I do these things, we’re alone and,” Alec runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

Magnus shakes his head reaching out and tentatively laying his hand atop Alec’s where it rests on the desk between them.

“It’s okay,” he says and Alec looks at him ready to argue the point. Magnus jumps in stopping him before he can say a word and taking his own leap into making this far more real than fake. “Really, it’s okay. You, uh, you’re not so bad yourself.”

Alec huffs a laugh opening and closing his mouth a few times like he’s looking for the right words to say. The space between them feels a little charged now that they’ve floated out the simple fact there’s a real attraction here. Alec closes his mouth and bites his lip looking determined like he knows what to say finally when the door busts open.

“Oh, my apologies boys,” Marissa says standing in the doorway her hands on her hips and a pleased little smile on her lips. “But dinner is served.”

Magnus and Alec pull away from one another quickly hopping off the desk and stepping towards the door.

“You two are just too cute,” Marissa says when they reach her. She loops each of her arms through one of theirs and tugs them down the hall happily. “Don’t listen to a word your father says.”

Magnus meets Alec’s eyes over her head only to find Alec already looking at him, a soft smile on his lips.

***

Magnus takes his proverbial spot on his father’s right at the head of the table, Marissa doing the same on his left. Despite Asmodeus’ clear attempt to keep Alec as far away from him and Magnus as possible by seating him at the far end of the long table he fails. Luckily one of Marissa’s friends, just as airy and tight dressed as her is seated next to Magnus and happily swaps spots with Alec.

Alec lifts his drink to Asmodeus in a faux toast that Asmodeus doesn’t even feign interest in as he takes his seat.

Dinner is served and it’s to be expected. The sweet potatoes are divine none of that weird marshmallow bullshit in them, the mac and cheese is literally to die for and the homemade bread hits in just the right way. The turkey is terrible, but that’s not at the fault of the overpriced chef that’s just simply because it’s an indisputable fact that turkey tastes like napkins.

Alec eats so much Magnus is concerned, he can tell from the tight fit of his shirt that Alec is in impeccable shape so he doesn’t really know where he puts it all as he goes for his fourth serving of mac and cheese.

But long before his fourth serving of cheesy goodness Alec starts up at least three debates that would be deemed far too impolite for their supposed polite company. Each fresh serving he corners someone new into a debate; first it’s an old lady in a pantsuit pulled into a debate about the existence of god, then a forty something who looks like he’s never seen a rainbow without feeling threatened into a talk on the merits of teaching queer history to children and finally a woman who can’t be much older than them who looks like her name is Tinsley or Ainsleigh or something equally as nauseating into a tense bordering on yelling match about the importance of safe abortion access.

He sounds a little more drunk with every conversation and he’s damn good at faking it. He sounds just the right amount of inebriated not slurring his words too much or fumbling around with his silverware, it’s practiced, a master class in being drunk without being drunk. Most people overplay it acting far more outlandish than a drunk person sitting at a table would, but Alec has it down pact.

Magnus watches him not a care in the world, acting like he doesn’t even notice the disruption Alec is causing. The only person aside from Magnus that doesn’t look increasingly more uncomfortable by the minute is Marissa who looks like she’s having the time of her life watching these stuffy rich people squirm.

Asmodeus of course does not look delighted, he barely eats, just scowls over the rim of his wine glass and attempts to deflect any conversation Alec purposely instigates another way unsuccessfully.

The only time he seems to look like he’s not about to have a coronary is when everyone’s plates are finally collected, Alec still shoveling the last bit of mashed potatoes on his plate into his mouth as one of the waiters lifts the plate away from him, and it’s announced that dinner and coffee will be served in the living room.

Alec stands stretching his arms up over his head and Magnus admires the ripple of his muscles as he does so before standing beside him. Alec reaches over the table picking up yet another glass of water and tossing it back with a loud unnecessary thirst quenched sound before holding out his hand to Magnus. Magnus takes it instantly with a smile following along as they head for the living room once again.  

***

A waiter takes their dessert requests, a choice of six different types of pie as they file out of the large dining room.

Magnus selects the pumpkin pie, while Alec chooses the chocolate pecan.

“Pecan, gross,” Magnus says as they work their way over to one side of the room a little bit away from everyone else to have just a moment of reprieve.

“How dare you, pecan pie is delicious,” Alec says sounding outright offended.

Magnus rolls his eyes and crosses his arms making a face that screams Alec is insane to have that opinion.

“It’s all sugar, no substance,” Magnus says. He really shouldn’t be surprised Alec’s favorite pie is one as ridiculously sugar based as pecan considering the amount of sugar he witnessed him dump into his coffee a few days prior. Alec doesn’t even deign him with a response, he just gives him another affronted look like Magnus has insulted his entire being, not a pie.

Moments later a waiter hands them each their requested pies. Alec takes a bite of his pointedly making eye contact with Magnus as he does so and making a pleased obnoxious yum sound. Magnus just rolls his eyes again, amused as he takes a bite of his own pie.

“So, are you enjoying yourself so far this evening?” Magnus asks after a few minutes of companionable silence.

Alec pauses grabbing a coffee from a passing tray and taking a sip, he grimaces a bit at the black coffee before answering Magnus’ question. Out of the corner of his eye Magnus sees his father watching them, almost looking excited to see Alec drinking a coffee, probably hoping it will sober him up.

“Well, your father is kind of terrible, and all these people are exhausting,” he says gesturing with his fork to the room at large after he sits his coffee on the floor next to him. “But despite the fact she may be a little air headed Marissa is lovely and I get a kick out of making rich people as uncomfortable as possible, so it’s been a pretty good night thus far.”

He pauses taking a bite of his pie and looking at Magnus from underneath his thick dark lashes. “Plus, you know, you’re pretty good company as well,” he says tapping his fork to his lips.

Magnus slow blinks at him and smiles.

“You’re pretty good company as well, especially when you’re just being you, like right now, not the overstated bad boy, even if he is a good time,” Magnus says. He reaches out his empty fork and boops Alec on the nose with it, just because. Alec scrunches up his face adorably at the action.

“Well I like you being you too, though it’s kind of fun you’re playing into my whole act, most people just play the none the wiser partner,” Alec says before leaning down and drinking another glug of his coffee. He makes the same cute displeased face again as he swallows.

“Really? No one’s made it seem like you’ve turned them into a crazy bad boy too?” Magnus says surprised. He’s been having a pretty good time being a little more instigative around his father than he usually would be.

Alec shakes his head. “Not really, Dot tackling her family members was a bit of an outlier, and honestly they’re almost never guys.”

“So I’m your first fake boyfriend then, huh?” Magnus says oddly flattered about the possibility.

“Second actually, but still most of the time I get hired by women, there’s a comfort in knowing that your fake date won’t try to make a move,” Alec says taking the last bite of his sickeningly sweet pecan pie.

“I guess I didn’t have a problem with that prospect,” Magnus says smiling around his fork looking right into Alec’s pretty hazel eyes, all dark rimmed and intent on him.

“I guess you didn’t,” he says with a smile putting his empty plate and mug on a passing tray and leaning back comfortably.

Magnus joins him leaning over by one of the sprawling windows casually finishing off his pie looking up to see one of his father’s political friends, a 30 something councilman of some sort, staring at them nearby. Alec, the little devil, winks at him slow and seductive. The councilman bristles and his wife beside him gives Alec an evil stare.

Magnus laughs a little, thinking that’s it for that interaction when suddenly the click of heels approaches them.

“Did you just wink at my husband?” the woman all but screams at Alec causing him to jump up from his slouch against the windows. Her head shakes as she speaks, her clip-on earrings wobbling.

“I,” Alec starts, but she doesn’t let him get in a word before she’s tossing her glass of white wine right at him.

“Oh, shit,” he says surprised and laughing a bit as he scrubs at his face his already messy eyeliner getting even messier in the process.

“Listen, lady I had no intention, your husband was the one staring,” he shouts back sounding a little more drunk than he did at the dinner table, they weren’t planning on Alec picking a fight tonight, but it seems he’s rolling with the one presented to him.

“Why you little, you little-“ she basically shrieks her husband pulling at her arm trying to stop her from taking this any further. Magnus steps in in front of Alec, a stern look of shutting shit down that he learned from his father on his face.

“You will want to watch your next words very carefully, wouldn’t want your husband’s constituents hearing any bigoted language coming from his already,” Magnus pauses surveying her bejeweled dress that looks like she’s going to a bad 80’s themed prom. “Tacky wife.”

She looks angrier at that, but Magnus’ stern look seems to usher her away, allowing her husband to pull her from the room.

The room is dead silent all eyes on them.

“Alright,” Asmodeus’ voice booms, everyone turning his way. “Show’s over, nightcaps will be served by the barkeep in the library shortly why don’t you all head in there,” he says gesturing to the way of the library. He steps over to Magnus and Alec as does Marissa who instantly hands Alec a towel.

“She’s always been a stick in the mud with bad taste,” Marissa says showing her own dislike for the councilman’s wife. “You didn’t do a thing wrong.” She smiles at them both apologetically before linking her arm in Alec’s and pulling him the way of everyone else. Magnus moves to follow, but is stopped by a hand on his chest from Asmodeus.

“We need to talk,” he says leaving no room for argument. Alec looks back at him from where Marissa is still chattering happily to him, a clear question of if he needs to cause a scene to stay with Magnus in his eyes. Magnus waves him on, watching as they go.

He barely waits until Alec and Marissa are out of ear shot to start in on Magnus.

“I know he’s faking it,” Asmodeus says and that is not what Magnus was expecting. He plays dumb though raising his eyebrows in question.

“Don’t act like you don’t what I’m talking about, I’d venture to say from the looks you two share you know all about it as well. You just brought him here and put on this whole show to embarrass me,” Asmodeus continues with a disappointed sigh. “That man hasn’t had a drop of liquor tonight, every action he’s taken hasn’t been some alcohol fueled mistake it’s been purposeful. He’s probably the most sober person here tonight. As far as I’d guess aside from truly being the black sheep of his family name and that truly atrocious car nothing that’s happened here tonight has been real.”

And alright, yeah Magnus definitely wasn’t expecting this. He expected his father to rail on his choice of partner, to knock Alec’s character and behavior and maybe Magnus’ to boot as well. He didn’t expect him to know exactly what’s been going on all night.

“And before you ask how I figured it out, you really should have made sure your date kept better track of his finished glasses, after dinner he left one behind and it didn’t smell of the vodka we’ve all been convinced he’s been downing all night,” Asmodeus explains. “From there a quick search told me the name was at least true. His family really did cut him out judging from his complete disappearance from all events, not that I can blame them, anyone who behaves this atrociously without influence of alcohol just to play a game probably deserves to be cut off.”

Magnus huffs out an unamused laugh at the underlying implications of his statement.

“Is that a threat?” Magnus says steely eyed.

“It could be, if you don’t get him out of here right this instant and promise to never try anything even close to similar to this charade again,” Asmodeus says just as steely eyed and Magnus hates that he learned the look from him.

For a moment he considers just leaving, hightailing it out of there with Alec and not saying a single other word to his father, but he’s tired. He’s 30 and he’s been putting up with his father’s vague threats if he doesn’t play the good little son role since before he could talk practically and he’s just done.

“No, we won’t be leaving,” Magnus says holding his ground. “And as for this charade well I guess I can promise you nothing like this will ever happen again, because I’m done. I’m done playing some perfectly crafted son that I’m not, I’m done acting like we’re a happy little family, like you won’t get bored of poor, sweet Marissa in no time and there’ll be a new wife on your arm who you’ll pay just as little attention to.”

“You’re right, I did do this to embarrass you, to show those fucking fakes in there that you are the fakest amongst them, even more so than all of them combined. Alec may have been playing a role tonight, but he’s ten times more real than you could ever dream to be. Don’t worry about having to cut me off and making a whole big show of it, I haven’t needed you or your money in years,” Magnus says. He straightens out his shirt and stands with his head held high turning on his heel to join Alec in the library.

***

Magnus is frankly riding high on truly stepping up to his father for the first and likely last time in his life when he saunters into the library scanning around to find Alec. He spots him in the corner chatting with Marissa.

“There you are,” Alec says sounding genuinely concerned. Magnus just smiles at him hoping it looks more assuring than it feels.

Marissa reaches out patting him on the cheek lightly. “Don’t listen to whatever he said, he’s just jealous he’s not as outstanding as you,” she says with a smile.

Magnus is struck in that moment with how much his father doesn’t deserve her, she might be a lot to take sometimes, but she is a genuinely kind woman.

“Nor as outstanding as you,” Magnus says with a smile and she blushes at the compliment. He’s ready to follow that up by telling her that she should leave his father’s ass immediately before he gets the chance to toss her to the side, but someone calls out her name and she’s pulled away smiling at them as she goes.

“Ready for the grand finale?” Alec says as soon as Marissa steps away. The grand finale, right, Magnus and Alec had discussed giving one last show before they left for the night if they managed to make it all the way through dessert. And they have, everyone’s nursing nightcaps ready to exit for the evening, but clearly all lingering around to see if Alec does anything else embarrassing or outlandish before they go.

Mere moments ago Magnus was ready to just storm out of here with Alec at his side and maybe ask Alec if he fancied going on a real date for a late-night drink somewhere.

But now with his father storming into the room after him, glaring and judging, looking quite possibly the most upset he’s ever been with Magnus he can’t seem to find a reason to go just yet.

“Let’s do it,” he says and Alec smiles tossing back his water and acting as if there’s a nice vodka burn to it. He grabs a discarded fork from a table nearby and taps it on his now empty glass so hard that it chips just a bit earning everyone’s attention.

“Could I have everyone’s attention please,” he says sounding a little bit like he’s sobered up after the near fight with the councilman’s wife. Most of the room looks their way eagerly like they can’t wait to see what happens next, while a few others apprehensively turn their attention.

“I met this stunning man not all that long ago,” he says laying his hands lightly on Magnus’ shoulders. “But in that short time, I have realized that undisputedly there will never be another for me. From the moment we hooked up in the back of Cherry the night we met,” he says not elaborating at all on that sentence, earning the shocked gasps and confused looks of many. Marissa giggles, Asmodeus seethes not loving this new addition to their fake meet cute story even if he knows it’s all a ruse now. “I knew you were the one, so, Magnus Bane,” he continues on getting down on one knee he pulls the plain silver ring he’s been wearing all night on his middle finger off and presents it to Magnus. “Will you marry me?”

Magnus pretends to be shocked covering his mouth with a gasp. His eyes flit up to where his father stands, looking like he’s about to make some move to physically stop Magnus from answering Alec’s question, like he won’t survive the embarrassment of this room full of people knowing his sons engaged to a degenerate in messed up jeans even if he knows it’s not real. Magnus doesn’t give him the chance immediately looking down at Alec with glassy eyes.

“Yes, Alexander, yes,” he says no longer hiding his amused grin as Alec slips the ring on his finger and lifts up from the ground pulling Magnus into a crushing hug. The room claps tentatively, enthusiastically in Marissa’s case who it seems does not care how insane something is she just loves love. How she ever ended up married to his father, who only truly loves himself, his hardwood floors and his hair is a continual mystery.

“Wanna get the fuck out of here?” Magnus mumbles into Alec’s ear. Alec pulls back from their hug and nods enthusiastically.

“Do I have your permission to bridal carry you out of here?” Alec says lowly ensuring no one can hear him.

“Oh, hell yes,” Magnus says delightedly as Alec lifts him up and makes for the door.

“We’re gonna go celebrate in the back of Cherry again,” Alec announces proudly to the room as he goes. Magnus pats him on the shoulder guiding him to the coat closet where he quickly grabs their jackets, Alec never losing his grip on him.

Asmodeus shouts after them as they head out the door, Alec pausing at his car and planting Magnus down on the ground gently. He tugs at the door three times before it opens gesturing for Magnus to get in as he ignores his father’s bellowing shouts. Alec playfully salutes Asmodeus and slides over the hood of his car bumping into the Porsche beside him setting off it’s car alarm as he lands and slips into the driver’s seat quickly.

He starts the engine peeling out of the space just as Asmodeus reaches the front of the car. Magnus just blatantly ignores him only catching sight of Marissa standing in the door waving their way as they drive off.

***

The ride back is quiet for the first twenty minutes or so, music playing softly as Alec drives drumming his fingers along the steering wheel to the beat.

“My dad figured out you were faking it,” Magnus says with no preamble looking out the window as they go. The roads are mostly empty now people celebrating the holiday into the late hours with their families before waking up at 5 a.m. to Black Friday shop.

“Shit, there goes my Oscar,” Alec says eyes flashing to Magnus quickly with a laugh before focusing back on the road. Magnus chuckles in response.

“Well, it’s an honor just to be nominated,” Magnus smiles tilting his head towards Alec.

Alec snorts a little laugh then turns his head quickly to Magnus once again.

“Did your dad give you a lot of trouble about it?”

“He did, I don’t think I’ll be getting a Christmas invite after I railed back at him,” Magnus says. “But it’s okay. I think it was just a long time coming, bound to happen. Better to get it over with now before I wasted more years trying to seem like I’m something I’m not just to please him.”

Alec comes to a stop at a red light and turns his attention fully to Magnus.

“Are you okay? I mean shitty or not, having a parent cut ties isn’t easy, trust me I know,” he says. Magnus watches him enjoying the way the red of the stoplight cuts through his dark hair.

Magnus takes a deep breath and gives Alec a small assuring smile.

“I will be,” he says, truly meaning it. The fallout with his father is a lot, but he will be okay. He’s lived without his father being truly present in any form since the day his mother walked out on them, this new world where he’s likely all cut off isn’t anything new really. He’ll manage, hell he might even thrive without the chains of his father’s expectations weighing on him now.

The light turns green and they lapse back into comfortable silence for the rest of the ride, Magnus completely endeared as he listens to Alec mumbling the lyrics to every other song that comes on the radio under his breath.

When they pull up to the curb outside of Magnus’ house Alec steps out first ever the gentleman helping Magnus with the finicky passenger side door.

He holds out a hand helping Magnus out and smiles when he drops it shutting the door tight.

“Well, thank you for the free meal and the fun night of mischief,” Alec says leaning back against his Thunderbird. His eyeliner is a mess and there’s a faint dried spot along his white shirt stained from the wine incident, he looks beautiful under this streetlight and Magnus wants more night like this. Well maybe not exactly like this one, it’s been a bit of rollercoaster for him emotionally, but nights with Alec all the same.

“Go out with me,” he says not even framing it as a question. He knows Alec is interested too has seen it in the moments where he was just being himself and the appreciative glances he’s given Magnus all night that clearly weren’t just a part of the show he was putting on. And that doesn’t even cover their coffee the other day, the easy way they’d talked and just clicked right off the bat.

“For real, not a fake date or a bad boyfriend show, a real date,” Magnus clarifies when he notices Alec’s surprise.

“I’d like that a lot,” Alec says pushing off the car. He steps a little closer to Magnus leaving just a bit of distance for Magnus to clear if he wants. Magnus does want so he steps up not quite touching Alec, but close enough all he’d have to do is raise a hand. It feels almost like when they were in his father’s office tonight, but even better because they’re alone for real now, there’s no show and no chance of interruptions.

“I need the record to show that I literally never do this, not once, I haven’t even been interested, let alone made any sort of action to make something real out of one of these fake dates,” Alec says low and sincere keeping his eyes on Magnus’ the entire time making sure the words are clear. “You are entirely the exception.”

“Entirely exceptional, actually,” he adds on with a smile. Magnus smiles reaching out his hands to rest on Alec’s chest.

“So are you,” he says patting his hands twice where they rest. “And I believe you aren’t just doing this to pick up hot guys, no worries.” He says with a chuckle and Alec rolls his eyes.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” Alec asks.

“Nothing, no classes until next Tuesday and most of my friends are out of town for family dinners and what not. I’m as free as a bird,” he says blinking his eyes just a bit flirtatiously at Alec.

“Good, we should get dinner, no family, no bullshit, just us,” Alec says tentatively resting his hands on Magnus’ waist.

“I like the sound of that,” Magnus says lifting up to kiss Alec on the cheek softly just once before pulling back.

“I’ll text you with a time and place in the morning,” he says slowly stepping backwards holding Alec’s steady gaze as he goes. He turns just for a moment putting his key’s in the door and pushing it open before turning back. “Goodnight, Alexander.” He says and watches as Alec smiles a dazzling smile before rounding the car and opening the driver’s side door.

“Goodnight, Magnus,” he says before slipping into his car. Magnus watches with a smile as he pulls away from the curb, his bright red ridiculous Thunderbird speeding away. The smile doesn’t leave his face as he makes his way all the way up to his apartment, so much so that he’s pretty sure his cat is judging him all the way to bed.

***

One Year Later

Magnus’ phone buzzes insistently his ringtone blaring on the nightstand.

“Stop that,” he says weakly reaching out an arm to silence it, his hand falling to the nightstand and coming up empty once, twice, three times while it continues to ring. It’s far too loud and far too early on a holiday with no responsibilities for this.

A chuckle comes from above him and warmth reaches over brushing his fingers before gripping the phone and pulling back.

“Magnus Bane’s phone,” Alec answers his voice a little lower and rougher than usual from sleep. It’s a very nice sound. Magnus can’t hear who’s on the other end of the line, but when he flips over he sees Alec smile and perk up a bit leaning back against the headboard.

“Yeah it is Alec, it’s good to know you remember me, Marissa,” he says and Magnus raises an eyebrow he’s only heard from his father’s wife once since last Thanksgiving, an apologetic text on his father’s behalf. His father on the other hand hasn’t so much as sent a sternly worded email in that time.

“Yeah, he’s here, hold on sec,” Alec says, he lowers the phone offering it to Magnus who grumbles a bit lifting himself up and leaning against the headboard next to Alec.

“Hi, Marissa,” he says clearing his throat a bit.

“Magnus!” she shouts into his ear and he jumps back a bit, from the both the volume and from shock hearing that she’s finally dropped her terrible nickname for him. “I was glad to hear Alec answer the phone, I knew you two were a good match, even if it was all a show that night.”

“Ah,” Magnus says. “So father told you.”

“He did, but it doesn’t change that you two are the cutest,” she says. “Which speaking of your father,” she starts and Magnus is ready to shoot down any attempt at reuniting she’s trying to pull here. Marissa is a nice woman, but his father’s silence in the past year has spoken volumes, he’s not playing into a reconciliation he can’t even make the call for.

“I left him,” she says finishing her sentence. Magnus huffs out a little surprised laugh that Alec raises an eyebrow at, well good for her. “About a month ago and I know it’s incredibly short notice and you might have other plans, but I’m having a little Thanksgiving dinner of my own with a few friends this year and I’d love to see you. And Alec too, of course!”

Magnus smiles, they’d had a Friendsgiving slash one year anniversary celebration over the weekend with Raphael, Cat, Dot, Ragnor and Alec’s siblings, tonight’s plans were likely going to consist of Chinese takeout on the couch and making out. And while Marissa can be a lot she was always kind, and he can’t help but recall how supportive she’d been that night a year ago. He can’t find it in himself to turn down her offer because of it.

“We’d love to,” he says and Alec looks at him again in question. Magnus just waves a hand signaling he wait a moment for explanation. On the other end of the line Marissa claps excitedly.

“Yay!” she says. “I’ll text you my address, I’m in the city now so Alec might have to leave Cherry at home.”

Magnus laughs. “Oh, he might bring her anyways.”

He chats idly with Marissa for a few more minutes before disconnecting and promising they’ll be on much better behavior this year for dinner.

“Marissa left my father,” Magnus says as soon as he’s hung up and tossed his phone back on the nightstand. Alec smiles looking just as oddly proud for her as Magnus feels. “And we’re having Thanksgiving with her and some friends tonight.”

“Good for her,” he says flipping back the covers and getting out of bed. “Should I get out the eyeliner and torn up jeans for tonight just for old times’ sake, or no?”

He smirks standing gloriously naked in front of the dresser rustling through one of his drawers. His drawers. Magnus isn’t quite used to the lovely novelty of the fact that Alec lives with him now. It’s been about two months since they made it official and just seeing one of Alec’s crappy romance novels on the coffee table or his shitty leather jacket hanging in its permanent space in their closest still makes him feel all sorts of tingly.

Magnus hums in thought rising up from bed and moving to lean against the dresser beside Alec. He’d pay good money to get Alec to wear eyeliner more often frankly.

“I think you should bring both of those things out as often as you’d like,” he says reaching out a hand and cupping Alec’s cheek turning it towards him. The feel of Alec’s soft, shaven skin is something he also isn’t quite used to. For the first time in their year together he’d shaved off his beard entirely, completely out of the blue and for no other reason than he’d had a day off and was bored. He’s as handsome as ever, but Magnus had quite literally had to do a double take when he came home and saw Alec sitting on the couch.

“Do try and leave the illustrious tales of our sexual escapades at home this time though, darling,” he says with a smile. He’s mostly joking, but now that their sexual escapades are real and not fictionalized he’d like to keep them just between them.  

“Damn, well there goes all my dinner conversation topics,” Alec says with a wicked little smile.

“Menace,” Magnus says as he slides his hand down from Alec’s face to his chest with a shake of his head.

Magnus runs his fingers lightly through the hair on Alec’s chest stopping to rest on the stark black tattoo on his lower abdomen. And boy hadn’t it been a blissful discovery to see that ink when he finally got Alec’s shirt off for the first time. He trails his fingers over the shape of it lightly, knowing exactly what he’s doing.

“If you keep doing that we’ll never leave this room,” Alec says his lips tilting up in a little pleased smirk.

“Doing what?” Magnus says innocently still moving his fingers over the shape of the tattoo lightly.

“And you say I’m the menace,” Alec says leaning in to kiss him on the lips once hard and bruising. “We need to shower.” He says stepping away from Magnus. Magnus’s hand falls and he pouts laying it on a bit thick. Alec pointedly attempts to ignore it.

“Together?” Magnus says with a hopeful smile.

Alec rolls his eyes. “I feel like despite having literal hours to get ready we’ll end up late somehow if we do,” he says eyeing Magnus’ bare form appreciatively. “But there’s no way I can say no to that.”

Magnus smirks pushing himself off the dresser and right up against Alec.

“Damn straight,” he says before leaning in to lay a teasing, promising kiss on his lips.

“There is absolutely nothing straight about this,” Alec says with a toothy smile once he’s pulled back already tugging Magnus into the bathroom for their shower. Magnus laughs loud and bright as he’s dragged along.

***

Impossibly despite literal hours, Alec’s right, showering together does prolong the entire process of getting out of the apartment when showering becomes shower sex, which becomes another round on the bathroom counter which results in needing to shower again, separately this time much to both their dismays.

Eventually though, they’re dressed and ready. Magnus finishes up the last touches on his hair, adjusting the bright almost golden streak at the front of it which compliments the golden chained pattern of his shirt. He picks up the ring Alec fake proposed to him with last year and twists it onto his right-hand ringer finger with a smile. They obviously aren’t actually engaged, but increasingly lately Magnus finds himself thinking about making it real.

He gives himself one last once over in the mirror before stepping out of the bathroom to find Alec sitting cross legged on their bed and Magnus is nearly sent back in time to a year ago.

He’s wearing the jeans and boots just like he had that night, his eyeliner is in place a little less messy but still unpracticed and his hair is its usual tussled self. The shirt is almost the same, this time it’s one Magnus gave him with subtle lines of shiny black at the collar and cuffs, the little black loops in his ears are a gift from Magnus as well.

It’s a perfect combination of that first night when they were a fake couple out to cause mayhem and the couple they are now, a royal we couple that are so deep in love Magnus has to just take a few breaths in sometimes to remember this is all real.

“Ready to go?” Alec asks looking up at Magnus with a smile. Magnus nods as Alec stands throwing on his leather jacket with the hole in it he refuses to fix. Magnus follows suit grabbing his own jacket and following Alec out as he grabs his keys and wallet scratching the heads of both cats curled up on the back of the couch as he goes.

“We could take the subway you know?” Magnus says once they’re in the elevator, Alec twirling the keys to his Thunderbird around his finger.

Alec scrunches up his face adorably. “No way,” he says gesturing for Magnus to step out first when they reach the lobby. “Cherry helping us fight through Thanksgiving traffic is gonna be a lifelong tradition for us.”

Lifelong Magnus likes the sound of that, but he is dubious that Alec’s precious car will last anywhere near that long.

Alec rushes to the car parked proudly and loudly right in front of their building unlocking it and pulling four times on the passenger door before getting it open.

He smiles at Magnus gesturing with an overstated bow for him to get in and Magnus rolls his eyes but can’t seem to hide his smile and Alec knows it. He shuts the door once Magnus is in and in a move reminiscent of their escape from his father’s last year slides over the hood before slipping into his own seat and starting the car driving off to a much better Thanksgiving than the year before.