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Alec stumbles upon the bottle during a mission. He finds it in the middle of a Ravener demons' nest, after he's killed the demon guarding it.
Izzy and Jace are still busy fighting their respective demons and Alec knows he should wait for them. He knows he should wait and report the finding to the Institute and the Clave but he feels an odd and irrational pull toward the bottle, one he can't seem to fight.
He's aware he's breaking at least three rules but he grabs it and when the floor doesn't swallow him, he figures it's safe enough and places it in the inside pocket of his tactical vest.
Deed done, he joins Jace’s fight-Izzy has the upper hand over her demon- and tries to ignore the weird sense of warmth that seems to blossom from the bottle.
They slay the remaining demons and head back to the Institute and Alec knows it’s not too late to turn the bottle in but everything in him recoils at the thought of giving it to the Clave. He ends up running to his room where he hides the bottle as far as it can go under his bed and does his best to ignore the weird pull he feels toward the thing.
***
The next three days bring a pack of rogue vampires, a dark warlock trying to kill a group of mundanes for a ritual, and a visit from an Envoy from the Clave and Alec’s too busy to even think about his bottle.
He manages to take it out on the fourth day. As he inspects it up close, he notices the symbols carved across its surface. As soon as he notices the confinement sigil upon the cork, he realizes what it is.
It’s a Genie bottle and an old one at that.
Alec knows what it means. He knows he could have three wishes. He also knows that the older the bottle, the more powerful the genie and he knows most people wouldn't mess with such an ancient one.
He knows he should get rid of this bottle and the demon trapped within. He’s heard enough stories to know you don't mess with this stuff and the last thing he needs is some ancient curse released upon his ass.
He ends up putting it back under his bed anyway.
***
The bottle pops in Alec’s thoughts randomly. He thinks about it in the shower. He thinks about it during dinner, while Jace drones on and on about his latest conquest. He briefly thinks about it as he’s on mission, his seraph blade deep into a demon’s chest.
He even dreams about it twice and both times, he wakes up with a racing heart.
The second time it happens, Alec takes it out from its hiding place and stares at it. He doesn’t intend to open it, not really, but just like it happened in the demon's nest, he's unable to resist its pull.
The cork it's hard to pry off but in the end, Alec's determination wins.
There's fine dust pouring out of the open neck, so fine it makes Alec sneeze but that's the only thing that's happening.
Alec doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
He blows on the cork to get some of the dust off but when he's about to put it back, he notices that the fine dust is not settling. It's thickening and dancing in the hair and if Alec is not mistaken, it's glowing a faint blue.
It soon reshapes itself into a human form and, even though Alec was expecting it, he is too taken aback to be properly and reasonably scared.
Before he knows it, the dust is disappearing and in its place stands a man.
Genie , his mind supplies.
"Well, I'll be damned," the genie says and his voice sounds rough from lack of use. He sweeps his ringed hands down the lapels of his jacket and only then he seems to notice Alec's presence.
He turns to Alec and his eyes glow yellow in the dim lightning of the room.
"What the fuck?" Alec says, scrambling back on the bed until his back hits the wall.
"Now, now," the man says, an amused smile on his lips. "Is this the way to greet someone, dear?"
"Who are you?" Alec asks, bewildered by the genie's eyes and by his apparently corporeal appearance.
The man smiles and it's a sharp smile, showing a perfect row of gleaming white teeth. "Magnus Bane," he says, mimicking the act of taking an imaginary hat off. "Djinn at your service."
"Djinn?" Alec asks, even though he knows perfectly what a Djinn, or genie, is. But Magnus Bane doesn't resemble any of the ones he's seen in the Institute's database.
"I really prefer Magnus," the genie says. "But that's what I said, isn't it? You've summoned me, darling. I am here to grant you three wishes."
For a moment, Alec too doubfunded to speak. A genie doesn't offer his services like this. A genie doesn’t offer his services to people who are not their master.
Alec has never been one to be scared of the supernatural but he's forced to acknowledge that this time he's done it. He’s been so taken by his shiny new bottle that he’s never considered opening it would bind the genie to him.
When he realizes the magnitude of what he’s done, the panic starts to set in and Alec's hands move on their own accord. He scrambles forward and grabs the cork he'd let fall on the comforter, closing the bottle on sheer instinct.
There's a look of surprise on the genie-admittedly handsome-face and for a heart-stopping moment Alec thinks it hasn't worked. Then the creature disappears in a puff of dust, leaving the room unsettlingly quiet.
"What the actual fuck?" Alec asks to the empty room.
***
Days go by and Alec still keeps the bottle. It's irrational and against every logic but he can't bear to let go of it while at the same time being terrified of it and what, who , it contains.
To be fair, the genie, Magnus , looked friendly enough. And attractive as hell , his traitorous mind supplies.
Alec also thinks about the three wishes he's supposed to get granted. He thinks about it often but he can't think about anything to ask.
Oh, he wishes and longs for so many things but somehow, he doesn't want to waste his wishes on silly whims and he knows he can’t have what really matters. There’s also some part of him that feels guilty about exploiting the genie and trapping him back into his bottle.
The pull is always as strong as ever, especially now that he’s in his room. He’s about to give in and reach under his bed to take the bottle out, when the ring of the phone makes him jump and brings him out of his trance.
Alec curses under his breath as he reads his sister's name on the screen and remembers he's supposed to meet her and Jace for lunch.
"Iz," he says as soon as he pushes the answering button. "I'm on my way."
***
Alec almost forgets the bottle for the following few weeks.
A menace answering to the name of Clary has found her way into their lives and they've been so busy cleaning things up after her that Alec hasn't had time to breathe.
The bottle and its occupant never truly leave the back of Alec's mind, though. He randomly thinks about it during the day and he's acutely aware of its presence at night.
Days pile on top of days and with Valentine's return and his Circle wreaking havoc in the city, Alec hardly has the time to worry about the bottle and the genie who's accidentally at his service.
He thinks more than once about cheating and winning the raging war with the help of his very own genie but he's promised himself he wouldn't use his three wishes so he soldiers on and keeps fighting.
***
With the end of the war, Alec has to deal with a new set of responsibilities. Victory has put the New York Institute under scrutiny and his recent promotion to Head means he’s taking the brunt of it.
The promotion also means he's now considered a suitable bachelor and his parents keep bringing to his attention how the right marriage could strengthen his position as Head of the Institute and bring a new shine to the Lightwood name.
Sitting in his room with the bottle on his lap and knowing it means he has a way out of it if he wishes to do so, gives him the strength to face them and say no day after day.
***
"Where is she?" Alec snaps, banging the infirmary doors open.
"Sir-"
"Where the hell is my sister?" Alec repeats, trying to swallow down the panic that's threatening to pull him apart at the seams.
He doesn't even wait for an answer and stalks toward the first room on his left.
Empty.
He eventually finds her. She’s unnaturally pale and still on her infirmary bed. Blood is trickling down her temple and matting her hair. There's a gash from her left shoulder to her right hip where the demon's claw has slashed through her.
There's a medic tracing iratze upon iratze on the inflamed skin of her forearm but nothing changes and it takes everything Alec has to stay put and let him work.
He vaguely hears the door of the room swing open but startles when a warm hand grips his own.
"Mom," he manages to get out past the lump in his throat.
Maryse’s breath hitches but her grip is steady, her scent comforting. It reminds him of when he was a little boy and her presence made him feel safe after a nightmare.
Silence stretches in the room and Alec's panic grows with every useless iratze traced on Izzy’s skin.
Please, not my little sister, he thinks. Not Izzy.
"I'm sorry," the medic says, low and pained. "I've done everything in my power to help her but her wounds aren't healing."
"What are you saying?" He hears his mom's voice past the ringing in his ears.
"There isn't anything else I can do," the medic replies, wiping sweat off his forehead. "You should stay with her."
The ringing in his ears gets so loud that Alec can't quite make out what his mom is saying but he can see the tears running on her cheeks and the way her posture crumbles as she sits next to Izzy.
This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This can't be happening , he thinks over and over.
"Alec," his mom says, her voice softer than it's been in years . "Come sit with us."
"No." He recoils back because there's no way he's gonna stay here and watch his little sister die.
He would give his soul to a greater demon to not have to watch her die.
Maybe she doesn't have to die , a little voice whispers in the back of his mind.
As he realizes he has the means to help Izzy tucked under his bed, he turns around and strides toward the door.
"I'm gonna be right back," he says as he leaves the room, breaking into a run as soon as he's out in the hall.
He meets Jace at the end of the hall.
"Infirmary," Alec says but there's no need because Jace is already running in that direction.
Alec resumes his run. He runs and runs and runs toward his room. He runs until his lungs burn and his breath punches out of his chest in short bursts.
He slams the door open and falls on his knees in front of his bed, his hands already scrambling underneath to find the bottle.
As soon as he pulls the cork free, there's a dramatic burst of fine dust and the genie starts to take shape.
"I must say," Magnus the genie says, dusting his button-down off. "It was very rude of you to c-"
"Listen," Alec says, trying to breathe through the hold of panic and grief pressing over his chest. "I don't have time for this."
Magnus opens his mouth to reply, obviously gearing himself up for an argument but snaps it shut as he catches sight of Alec's face.
His eyes soften. "What can I do for you?"
"My sister," Alec rasps out. "Please, she's-" Alec pauses, looking for the right word. Dying , his mind supplies and he has to briefly close his eyes as he pushes the thought away. "She's injured. Demon's claw."
"I take this is your first wish, then," Magnus says and his voice is surprisingly soft for a dark creature. At Alec's frantic nod, he goes on. "I can help but you'll have to state your wish explicitly."
It takes Alec more than he likes to admit to understand what Magnus is talking about but once he does, the words rush out of his mouth. "I wish for you to heal my sister. Please, don't let her die."
Magnus tilts his head to the side and raises his hands. Red sparks dance on his fingertips and dissolve. "Done."
"That's it?" Alec asks, not daring to believe to his own ears.
"That's indeed it, darling," Magnus says, tipping an imaginary hat at Alec. "Wish granted."
"Thank you. Oh God, thank you," Alec says, already standing and dashing from the room.
It's only much later, after he's checked up on Izzy and he's heading back to his own room with a lighter heart that it occurs to him that he has left Magnus out of his bottle. Unattended.
He sprints the rest of the way to his room and finds Magnus comfortably sprawled on his bed, apparently deeply engrossed in one of Alec's books.
"You're reading," Alec says.
"And you're stating the obvious, dear,'' Magnus answers without lifting his eyes from the book.
"You're still here."
"Again," he drawls. "Stating the obvious."
"I thought," Alec says but then he snaps his mouth shut because you don't accuse the one who just saved your sister of nefarious acts, no matter how demonic he may be.
But Magnus just throws his head back and laughs and Alec'll be damned but he quite likes the sound of it.
"You can say it," Magnus says, still chuckling quietly. "Your kindness is endearing but I've heard much worse than you could ever come up with."
Alec feels a weird and irrational surge of protectiveness but he pegs it up as gratitude for Izzy's life and squishes it down. "I was just gonna say I thought you'd be gone."
"Where would I go? I haven't read a good book in decades," Magnus says, his fingers caressing the spine of the book. "Besides, I'm bound to you, darling."
" What? "
Magnus hums. "I'm magically bound to you until I'll grant all three of your wishes."
"And what happens then?"
Magnus's fingers play with the silver ear cuff he's wearing. "I'm cursed to go back in the bottle, until the next time."
"Cursed?" Alec asks, frowning. "I've never heard of genie curses before."
"Oh, look at the time," Magnus says, quickly standing up. "You must surely sleep. How rude of me, overstaying my welcome." He sends a wistful glance at the book and vanishes in a puff of smoke.
The bottle rattles against the tiles as it shakes and settles.
Alec realizes he’s struck a nerve and he has the inkling there's more about Magnus than meets the eye. He doesn't know what it is about Magnus that draws Alec in so much but he's determined to find out more about this curse.
He sighs and picks up the book, smiling in approval as he notices the title but his smile dims as he remembers Magnus' words.
I haven't read a good book in decades.
Sadness for a demon he doesn't even know tugs just below his ribcage and Alec might just know the way he's gonna thank Magnus for saving Izzy's life.
***
"What can I do for you, my dear? Magnus asks, after one of his usual dusty, and dramatic if you ask Alec, appearances.
"Nothing."
Alec points at the opposite side of his room, where a plush armchair lies atop of a shag rug. There's a floor lamp lamp in the corner and a stack of books on the coffee table, the one Magnus was reading placed on top. "I just wanted to say thanks. For saving my sister."
"You do realize," Magnus says and his voice is soft and low. He can't seem to be able to take his eyes away from the small reading area Alec has put together. "That I am bound to fulfill your wishes?"
"Yeah," Alec says. "That doesn't mean it should be a thankless job."
Magnus is still as he's making a great effort to keep himself together and Alec feels a pang of sadness get a hold of him at the thought that Magnus isn't used to kindness. It's a familiar sadness by now, considering Alec has spent the last few days thinking about the troubled look on Magnus' face, the wistfulness as he looked at the book he wasn't gonna be able to finish.
Alec isn't one to make rash decisions lightly and he definitely isn't one to relish sharing his living space with a stranger, albeit temporarily. If you take into account the fact that Magnus is a downworlder, Alec must have lost his goddamn mind. But there's something about Magnus that puts Alec at ease and it's not just the fact that he owes him for Izzy's life, wish or not.
Magnus opens his mouth, closes it. Something flashes in his eyes and whatever it is, it makes him look softer, younger, more vulnerable. "I," he says, swallows when the word seems to catch in his throat. "I don't even know your name," he says, instead of voicing whatever is clearly haunting his eyes.
Alec could push but he's afraid Magnus would deflect and vanish again and it would defeat what Alec has put together for him. "Alec," he says. "Name's Alec.”
"Alec," Magnus repeats, almost as if testing it out. He walks to the reading area and reverently runs his fingers over the spines of the books. "It's been a while since someone has done something nice for me."
It's a whisper, probably not even meant for Alec's ears and Alec doesn't know how to reply to that. He can easily imagine countless people stumbling upon Magnus' bottle and taking, taking, taking. Demanding things without giving anything back.
Alec doesn't know why the hell he feels so strongly over the destiny of a genie in a bottle but he does. He does and the thought fills his chest with constricting sadness.
In the end, Alec settles for a not-commital hum as he plops down on his bed. "Have a good read," he says.
"Thank you, Alec."
***
Alec ends up summoning Magnus again the next evening. He's noticed Magnus is missing only the last few chapters and he's familiar with the trepidation to finish a book.
Besides, he must admit he quite enjoyed Magnus' quiet presence, the companionable silence, the occasional startled laugh when something amused him.
Magnus makes a scene of stretching and brushing specks of dust of his clothing. "Well, hello, my dear," he says, eyeing his reading alcove. "A demon might get used to this."
He looks different tonight. He's wearing a burgundy shirt that hugs his chest and shows off the muscles of his arms. His hair is up in a mohawk and his beautiful cat eyes are enhanced by dark makeup. His dramatic flair is still there but he looks less like he's trying to impress and more like he's at ease in his own skin and he's so beautiful he takes Alec's breath away.
For a moment, Alec wonders how the fuck Magnus manages to put together a different look every day, bound to his bottle as he is, and he's about to ask when he realizes it must be genie magic.
He shrugs and grabs a book of his own. "Make yourself at home."
***
What started as a mean to thank Magnus, soon turns from occasional summonings into a routine.
Most evenings, as soon as Alec retires in his room, he summons Magnus.
They usually read. Sometimes Alec fills reports as Magnus reads and the silence is companionable. Magnus' presence puts Alec at ease, it keeps Alec company without being intrusive.
Sometimes, they put the books aside and talk.
Magnus' curse is always in the back of Alec's mind. He tries to bring it up once in a while but every time he does, Magnus clams up and finds an excuse to go back to his bottle.
Alec never stops trying.
"What," he starts but hesitates for a beat and the moment Magnus turns around, the rest of the question dies on his lips.
Magnus is almost done with his book and he looks so absorbed in his reading that Alec doesn't have the heart to wrench him away from it.
"What are you gonna read next?" He asks, instead of his original what happened to you?
***
Alec is nothing but stubborn when he sets his mind on something and he's familiar with the Institute's database.
He feels a twinge of guilt as he types Magnus' name but it's soon replaced by surprise as he stares at the file he pulled up.
Magnus' face is peering at him from different pictures. He's in different time periods and in different attires but it's unmistakably Magnus.
And what Alec reads, takes his breath away.
***
"You are a warlock," Alec says, later that night, and it's a statement, not a question.
Magnus stills and the defensive set of his shoulders loosens something within Alec's chest.
Silence stretches in the room, the tension so thick it could be sliced with a knife.
"I was a warlock," Magnus says, at last, and his voice is calm. It's low and unnaturally calm with an undercurrent of steel, like a dagger dipped in honey.
"What happened to you?"
"You shouldn't have gone behind my back," Magnus says, still in the same deceptively quiet voice.
"You wouldn't tell me," Alec says but now there's some uncertainty in his voice.
Magnus laughs but it's humorless, hollow. "And you thought you would find out by yourself."
"Well, I-"
"Don't." Magnus stands as he speaks, drops the book he's been reading. "Now, if you'll excuse me-''
"Wait," Alec says, reaching out as Magnus starts to disappear.
The word echoes in the empty room.
***
Alec is tempted to summon Magnus the day after but he realizes he's overstepped and he wants to give Magnus a few days to cool off.
According to the Institute's database, the last sightings of Magnus Bane the warlock go back to almost two hundred years and Alec has been a fool to think enough water had passed under the bridge.
Magnus' avoidance and his reaction are a glaringly obvious proof that not only his wound is still open but that it's still bleeding too.
Alec wonders who the hell might have conjured up the kind of curse needed to trap one of the most powerful warlocks of his time. If he wanted, he could use his Shadowhunter's concern about such a creature roaming free to justify his careless curiosity. But the truth is, he is curious and he's curious in a way that goes beyond academic or professional concern.
His curiosity is personal. It's driven by his inexplicable need to know more about Magnus and his curse. It's driven by the ridiculous obsession Alec is developing toward him. He wants to know him, wants to know the warlock hidden beneath the genie. The man hidden beneath the warlock.
He gives one last glance at the bottle which now lays on his desk.
Who are you, Magnus Bane?
***
"Magnus Bane, Djinn at your service," Magnus says, voice carefully polite.
"Magnus, I-"
"How can I help you?"
"I don't have a fucking wish," Alec explodes, because it's been going like this for the last three days. He regrets his outburst as soon as he sees Magnus' face turn more guarded. "Sorry, I- wait!"
Magnus disappears in a puff of smoke.
***
"Listen, Magnus, I'm sorry," Alec says in a rush, before Magnus can say his usual spiel.
He doesn't know why he's trying so hard to get back in Magnus' good graces but he misses him and he misses the companionship and the laughter he brought to Alec's room.
"My father," Magnus abruptly says, before Alec can apologize again. "It was him."
"What?" Alec asks, taken aback. "Magnus what are you saying?"
Magnus turns away from Alec and walks to his reading area. He grabs a book from the table and flips his pages and Alec notices how the simple gesture loosens a little the tight line of his shoulders.
"He cursed me," Magnus murmurs, still facing away from Alec.
"Oh my God, Magnus, I'm sorry."
"It was a long time ago," Magnus says, trying to sound nonchalant, like he hasn't spent the last two weeks avoiding Alec.
Alec walks closer and hesitantly places his hand on the small of Magnus’ back. Magnus slightly stiffens under his touch but when Alec is about to take his hand away, Magnus relaxes.
“Still,” Alec murmurs, sorrow for a man he doesn’t even know swelling up in his chest and hushing his voice. “I’m sorry it happened to you.”
“It’s all in the past,” Magnus says, even though it clearly isn’t.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Do you happen to have a bottle of something strong?” Magnus asks, instead of answering.
Alec starts to shake his head but then he remembers the bottle of awful gin Jace brought over one evening. “Actually, I might,” he says, walking to his desk and opening the drawers. He finds the bottle and brings it back to the reading area, placing it on the coffee table. “No glasses, though.”
Magnus waves away his apologetic look with a wave of his hand and a wink. “No need for glasses, darling,” he says, proving his point by uncapping the bottle and taking a long sip.
Alec bites back a laugh at the grimace on Magnus’ face. “Sorry, it’s all I’ve got.”
Magnus takes a seat on his favorite reading armchair and points to the other one, rising up his bottle in a mock toast as soon as Alec sits down. “Dreadful gin for a dreadful story.”
So many questions spin around Alec’s head but he bites them all back, afraid Magnus is gonna change his mind and disappear again. He settles for an encouraging hum.
“We were in Edom,” Magnus starts to say, eyes unfocused as he stares ahead, like he’s far away from the room and Alec. “You know what Edom is?”
“Uh.” Alec scratches the back of his head, trying to remember if he’s come across mentions of Edom during his training. “Is that another dimension?”
“My father’s realm.” Magnus twirls the neck of the bottle between his fingers and takes another sip. “A demonic realm fit for a Prince of Hell.” He lets that piece of information settle before going on. “I’d managed to trap him there, after I’d seen what he would do to innocent mundanes if left unchecked. As you can imagine, he did not take it too well.”
“And he cursed you?” Alec can’t help but ask.
“No.” Magnus takes another sip, then places the bottle back on the table, so hard the glass rattles against wood. “He begged me to reconsider. He threatened me. He tried to bribe me.”
“Bribe you?”
“Yes. As the son of a Prince of Hell, I had great power at my fingertips.” Magnus reaches out toward the bottle but settles back without touching it. “Edom, somehow, amplifies them.There’s so much raw power in Edom and my father is privy to the way to channel it to his advantage. He offered me power and the possibility to rule by his side.”
“Woah,” Alec says, grabbing the bottle and taking a sip of his own. He almost chokes as the foul gin hits his throat and burns all the way down. “And you turned that down.”
“I turned that down. Pass that over,” Magnus, says taking the bottle from Alec’s hand. His fingers leave a wave of electricity in their wake. “That’s when the cursing happened.” He takes two long pulls and says, “Since I would not rule by his side, he cursed me to an eternity of servitude.”
“Magnus, I’m so sorry,” Alec says, reaching out to squeeze Magnus’ knee in a comforting gesture. He tries his best to not question the sudden and unexpected surge of protectiveness he feels. “I wish I could-”
“Stop right there,” Magus says, sitting up so quickly some of the gin sloshes out of the bottle he’s holding. “Never, ever be careless with your words in the presence of a Djinn.”
"Oh," Alec says. "I hadn't thought about that."
"I mean it, Alexander," Magnus says and even if he's smiling, his eyes are dead serious. "You never know how a Djinn could twist your wishes."
"You're the only one I know," Alec counters, shrugging. "And I trust you."
Magnus gasps quietly and Alec realizes what he's just said. He's not one to offer his trust easily but he's surprised to realize he does trust Magnus, insane as it may be.
Mistrusting downworlders is something the Clave has tried to instill into him all of his life but Alec knows better now. After the soul sword and Valentine, and the consequent alliances he's had to forge with downworlder leaders, he’s learned to push away his bias.
"I trust you won't twist my words," he repeats.
"You don't know me," Magnus murmurs. "You have no idea of the things I've done."
"Hey," Alec whispers back. "You were forced to do those things. You had to grant those wishes."
Magnus nods but his smile turns self-deprecating. Alec wishes to argue and let Magnus see himself as Alec sees him but he’s learned to know the familiar and stubborn set of Magnus’ shoulder and doesn't push it.
For now.
***
The day after, Alec goes into a mundane liquor store for the first time in his life.
He tells himself it's just to be hospitable but he ends up spending a small fortune on a selection of good bottles.
The way Magnus’ face lights up and his, “Now we’re talking.” are more than worth the money.
***
"What the hell are you saying?"
Alec hears the crackle of static on the phone and then Raj's voice comes up, disturbed and tinny.
"We lost Herondale, sir." There's a pause. "We can't find him. Do we have permission to leave the scene? "
"Permission denied." Alec takes some comfort on the fact that he hasn't felt their bond snap. "Search better."
"We looked everywhere," Raj says. "He's nowhere to be found. They've taken-"
"I said," Alec snaps, his fingers brushing against his parabatai rune. " Search better. "
There's a pause on the other end of the line. "Yes, sir."
Alec is about to tell Raj to keep him updated but the line goes dead.
"Damnit," he says, running his hand through his hair in frustration before slamming it down on the console. " Goddamnit. "
"Damaging the equipment won't bring your parabatai back," Underhill says, calm and low. He's the only one who dares to approach him.
"I should have gone with them," Alec says, almost to himself. "I should have watched his back."
"It was an easy mission," Underhill counters and his voice helps soothing Alec's nerves a little. "And Herondale can handle himself in battle."
Those are all good points but Alec can't help but feel the familiar feel of guilt gnawing at his belly. If only he'd be there, if only he hasn't scheduled Jace to supervise this mission, if only he could breathe .
"I-" he says. "I need- I can't be here. I'll be in my quarters. Call me if something changes."
"We're going to find him, sir."
Alec storms out of the room without answering.
Once in his room, he paces back and forth, wondering whether he should just gear up and go look for Jace but reason tells him he’s just gonna wear himself out. Reason also tells him he needs all of his energies for the actual rescue mission.
So he paces and curses and paces again. He thinks about summoning Izzy to his room to have someone who’ll keep him sane but he knows she’s probably trying to hold herself together by working on her computers in a vane quest to track Jace in the immense labyrinth that is New York.
Magnus , his mind supplies.
He rushes to his desk and grabs Magnus’ bottle, thinking that if someone can be the voice of reason and keep him together until Jace will be found, that must be Magnus.
Magnus appears with none of the usual display of dust-something Alec has learned Magnus does to add a bit of drama to his entrances-and beams at Alec, only to frown when he takes a good look at him.
“What is wrong, darling?”
“It’s my brother,” Alec says in a rush, his fingernails digging in the soft flesh between his thumb and forefinger. “He was on a mission but he’s- he’s missing, Magnus.”
“Easy,” Magnus says, reaching out to take Alec’s hand and gently prying his fingers open. He frowns at the half-moon marks Alec’s fingernails have left behind and leads Alec to their reading area. “Sit down and start from the beginning.”
Magnus’ presence and steady voice are already helping Alec calm his frayed nerves. He sits as he’s told and when Magnus doesn’t let go of his hand, Alec welcomes the comforting touch.
In the next five minutes he manages to get out the full story and Magnus looks pensieve for a second before asking, “Can I help?”
“How?” Alec asks, running his free hand through his hair in frustration.
Magnus just arches up an eyebrow and looks at him pointedly.
“ Oh.” It takes Alec all of a moment to realize how much of an idiot he is. “You’re a genie!”
“It thought that was the reason you’d called for me,” Magnus says, letting out an incredulous laugh.
“I- no.” Alec feels himself flush because how the fuck could have he forgotten Magnus would have the very power to help him out? “I just wanted to talk to someone,” he admits.
Magnus’ face does a funny thing before settling into a bittersweet smile. He opens his mouth to say something but then seems to think better about it and closes it. He hums and squeezes Alec’s hand. “How can I help?”
“Help me find Jace,” Alec blurts out before remembering he has to word his wish properly. “Please, Magnus, I wish to know where my brother is.”
Magnus sighs and shakes his head. "You know, you need to learn to think before making a wish," he says and Alec can read some fondness in his voice. "You only had to ask and I could have whisked your brother back home but, alas, all I can do now is give you a location."
Alec shrugs. "I can work with that."
***
It turns out, Jace has been kidnapped by three rogue Shadowhunters who have a bone to pick with him because of Valentine.
It doesn't take long to Alec and a selected team to bring him back to the Institute and take the perpetrators under custody.
Jace will require some medical assistance but he's back and he's gonna live and Alec and Izzy stay by his side until he falls into a restful and healing sleep.
It's almost midnight when Alec slips back into his room, exhausted and in need of a shower.
"You're back," Magnus says, getting off his armchair and joining Alec in two quick strides. He reaches out as if he's gonna touch Alec but stops before it happens.
"You're still up," Alec says because he wasn't expecting to find Magnus still in his room.
"I was concerned," Magnus counters and this time he does touch Alec. It's just a light squeeze of his shoulder but it sends warmth down Alec's spine. "You were gone for so long and, beyond changing my appearance, I can't use my powers for anything other than granting wishes and-"
Emboldened by the touch and the worry he can read in Magnus' voice, Alec closes the distance and stops Magnus' stream of words with the press of his lips.
They're soft and wonderful and everything Alec has been imagining and after a brief moment of surprise, Magnus is kissing him back and his fingers are digging into Alec's flesh.
When Alec is starting to get lost into the kiss, Magnus pulls abruptly apart and stumbles back. He’s staring at Alec with wide eyes and his lips are so endearingly red and Alec thinks he’s never looked more beautiful.
“Alexander,” Magnus says and regret weighs heavily on his voice. “We can’t do this.”
“I know,” Alec says because he does know this road is a road that can only lead to regret and heartache. “I’m sorry, it was-”
“Don’t say it,” Magnus says, pleads . “Whatever this was and however impossible it may be, it was not a mistake.”
Mistakes don’t taste so good , Alec thinks, later in his room, after they’ve said their farewells for the night. But what else is supposed to hurt this much?
***
They never talk about the kiss again.
Alec was expecting awkwardness between the two of them but after some initial embarrassment on his part, things go back to normal.
They read, they talk, they drink together. They laugh.
Slowly, they start to stay up together for longer. It’s subtle at first. Just the extra odd half an hour now and then. None of them bats an eye when half an hour turns into an extra hour, then two.
Soon, Alec never goes to be before midnight and if he’s tired on the job, it’s more than worth the enjoyment his evenings with Magnus bring him.
He never questions his feelings until it’s too late to deny them any longer.
What the fuck are you doing? Is a question he asks himself repeatedly but he’ll be damned if he can put an end to it.
***
“You have your last wish left,” Magnus abruptly says, one evening as they’re having a drink and discussing the latest book they’ve been reading.
The sentence takes Alec by surprise. It punches Alec’s breath away because he’s been trying to not think about the fact that sooner or later, he’s gonna have to make his last wish and condemn Magnus to the Angel knows how many years of solitude before someone else will find his bottle.
Alec tries to ignore the pang of grief at the thought someone else may take advantage of Magnus. And he definitely doesn’t want to think about the fact that making his last wish will mean he’ll never get to see Magnus again.
“Yeah,” he manages to get out.
“You’ve never asked for something for yourself and yourself only,” Magnus muses.
“My siblings-”
“Yes, of course,” Magnus says, soft and low. “I know. Still, you should consider making this last wish for yourself.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Can I ask you a favor?” Magnus asks. Even as he’s finishing the question, he downs the whole content of his glass and Alec knows he’s not gonna like what Magnus is about to ask.
Alec hums in assent, then manages a low, “Yeah.”
“Destroy the bottle,” Magnus says in a rush.
“ What? ” Alec asks, aghast.
“After your last wish,” Magnus goes on. “Just smash the cursed thing to pieces.”
“What about you?” Alec asks, surprised his voice is still cooperating.
“I honestly don't know what will happen to me. But after this,” Magnus says. “After you and your kindness, I can’t go back to how things were. I cannot bear the thought of granting the wish of other greedy, bloodthirsty men.”
“Magnus, I-” Alec swallows and makes eye contact with Magnus. “I can’t.”
“Please,” Magnus asks. “Please, Alexander, let me end my curse on a good deed, on a good memory.”
Alec shakes his head in denial and anger and something that goes way deeper. The Shadowhunter part in him understands Magnus’ request. The Alec part in him knows he could never bring himself to destroy Magnus’ bottle.
Magnus sags, apparently able to read Alec like an open book. “Will you at least hide it somewhere human eye will not be able to find it?”
“I can try,” Alec says and every word slashes at him on its way out because the thought of Magnus alone for eternity is almost as unbearable as the alternative.
“That’s all I ask.”
****
A few weeks go by and there isn’t a day Alec doesn’t think about Magnus’ request or the fact he’s gonna have to make his last wish soon.
He’s thought about saving it indefinitely and leaving things as they are but in his line of work, he knows there is gonna be another close call sooner or later. And he selfishly doesn’t want to have to choose between saving someone else’s life or condemning Magnus to solitude.
Alec stays up late at night, long after Magnus has gone, thinking about what he could possibly need for himself, what he could possibly want for himself, except for more of Magnus’ presence and companionship.
He always comes up empty.
***
Alec is laughing at something Magnus is saying, old stories from his past. He’s mostly laughing at the way Magnus is narrating them, with exaggerated gestures and expressions and the usual drama Alec has come to like so much.
“What?” Magnus asks, his eyes warm and amused. “He deserved it.”
“Let me get things straight,” Alec says between a fit of giggles. “He wanted to be rich and you legally changed his name into Rich?”
“Proper wording is everything, Alexander.”
Alec laughs again, unable to help himself. He laughs so hard he has to clutch his stomach.
“I like your laugh,” Magnus says, soft and fond.
It’s dangerous, this thing between the two of them. It’s dangerous and fragile and Alec knows he should put a stop to it if he wants a chance to protect his heart.
But Magnus smiles at him and resumes his tales and Alec just leans closer and listens.
***
“Hello, Alexand-” Magnus’ voice dies in his throat as he takes in the scenery. He looks at Alec, eyes impossibly wide. “By Lilith,” he whispers in awe.
Alec shrugs. “I thought you could use a change of scenery.”
It’s Alec’s day off and, after breakfast with Izzy, he found himself wishing to go back to his room, to spend his free time with Magnus.
Halfway through the hall leading to his room, he’d come up with the idea. He knew Magnus is bound to his bottle but, if Alec were to bring the bottle somewhere else and keep it on himself, Magnus would be free to take a walk, to actually go outside, in the sun.
Alec has chosen a secluded area of the park for the actual summoning and he’s spent the last five minutes fighting the nerves gnawing at his belly, worried about Magnus’ reaction.
“Do you like it?” he asks, even though it’s clear from the way Magnus is looking around himself, like he can’t believe his eyes.
“Do I-” Magnus’ voice breaks and he shakes his head. He turns around, his back to Alec and manages, “This is, this is perfect.”
Alec feels something pull and twist and tear at his chest but he swallows it all back and says, “Wanna go for a walk?”
“That would be lovely.”
They walk in silence, side by side, and every time Alec glances at Magnus, he’s always looking around himself, taking in everything and his smile warms Alec’s heart.
Time flies when you have fun, they say, and soon noon becomes late afternoon. They walk and talk and laugh. They stop when Alec’s stomach rumbles and Magnus assures him he really doesn’t mind stopping for a snack, even though he doesn’t need food, and they end up in a lovely ethiopian place.
They talk some more over dinner and Alec finds out more about Magnus’ former life. He even ends up opening up about his own. They talk more and they laugh more and after desserts, Alec is leaning so close he can almost count Magnus’ eyelashes. He’s leaning so close, it would take him just a few inches to kiss Magnus.
We can’t do this .
Magnus’ words echo in alec’s head when he’s about to say fuck it and close the distance and they’re enough to jerk him back to his senses. He looks up at Magnus’ face and he sees the same wistful resignation he feels.
Soon enough, sooner than Alec would like, it’s dark and it’s time for Magnus to get back in his bottle.
Alec walks back to the Institute on his own, Magnus’ bottle tucked inside of his jacked, right above his heart. It tud-tud-tuds faster at the thought that Magnus is so close and yet so unattainable.
Later that night, Alec is unable to fall asleep as their day plays in his mind over and over. He lies in bed, thinking about how close he’s been to kissing Magnus again, thinking how happy and alive Magnus looked. How utterly gorgeous he looked with the sun kissing his skin, with the wind ruffling his hair, with the smile lighting up his whole face.
Someone like Magnus isn't meant to spend eternity trapped in a bottle, at the mercy of people who'll exploit him and use him and then throw the bottle away.
Someone like Magnus deserves to feel the grass under his feet, to go on dates, to get to live his life to the fullest.
Alec gets up and gets dressed. Five minutes later he's in the Ops center, calling up on screen several databases.
He’s got work to do.
***
“Hello, my dear Alexander!” Magnus smiles and does the tiny bow that’s become his customary greeting along with his usual, “May I do something for you?”
“Actually, yeah.” Alec says, his heart racing up as Magnus’ smile dims just the tiniest bit. “I have my last wish.”
There’s a few beats of silence before Magnus speaks again. “Go ahead,” he says and his smile is painfully affected now, Alec can tell.
“I wish,” Alec starts but nerves close his throat up and he has to swallow before he can keep going. He thinks carefully about what he’s going to say because he doesn’t want to mess everything up for lack of proper phrasing. “I wish you to be free of this curse to go back to your old warlock life.”
A pin dropping on the floor could be heard in the silence that follows. Alec dares to look up and sees astonishment and surprise and maybe some pain on Magnus’ face. The research he’s done has revealed itself inconclusive and for a terrifyingly long moment he fears his gamble is not gonna work and he’s wasted away his last wish and forfeited more time with Magnus.
Then Magnus gasps and starts glowing. Faint blue lines run up and down his arms and scatter on his fingertips, over and over.
“Magnus?” Alec asks, taking a step forward.
Magnus lifts his hands up to stop him and as he does so, a few of the lines spark across his fingertips like blue fireworks. At the same time, the bottle on Alec’s desk explodes in a thousand pieces.
“Magnus, watch out!”
Even as he lifts his hands up to cover his face, Alec knows he’s not gonna get out of this unscathed. He squeezes his eyes shut and bends down, trying to make himself the smallest target possible and hoping Magnus will do the same. He’s braced for impact but none comes and when Alec takes his hands off his face, he sees a blue dome of magic protecting them both. The sharp pieces have obviously rebounded on it and now are scattered all over his floor.
Magnus lets the magic drop and vanishes the broken pieces with a wave of his hand and he looks surprised and overwhelmed at his ability to do so. He has not spoken a word ever since Alec has made his wish and the look on his face makes Alec’s heart throb.
“Did it work?” Alec asks because even though everything seems to point that way, he has to be sure.
“Alexander,” Magnus whispers and Alec has never heard him sound like this. “Oh my God, Alec, what have you done?”
“You told me I had to think about what I wanted,” Alec says, shrugging his shoulders. “Told me I had to wish for something for myself.” He pauses and looks at Magnus squarely in the eye. “I wanted you to be free.”
Alec can see the swell of tears in Magnus’ eyes, he can feel his own chest aching as Magnus’ chest rises and falls.
“I’m not,” Magnus rasps out. He swallows and quickly wipes the back of his hands across his eyes. “I do not know that I can give you what you want right now .”
Alec nods. He’d figured Magnus would need some time to sort his life out, to find himself again after centuries of imprisonment. “And I told you I wished for you to be free,” he says. Even if it means you’re not gonna be with me anymore. “I never said I demanded something from you, Magnus.”
“You and your selfless wishes,” Magnus says fondly and his low laugh sounds wet with tears. He shakes his head but sobers up immediately. “I do feel something for you, Alexander, but right now-”
“I know,” Alec interrupts him and reaches out to take his hand but stops before he can touch Magnus. “You’ve gotta heal.”
Magnus closes the distance and grips Alec’s hand. “I’m not sure if I ever will,” he says and his honesty is welcome but hurts nonetheless. “I cannot ask you to wait for me, darling.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Alexander-”
“No,” Alec says, squeezing Magnus’ hand back. “You take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you,” Magnus murmurs and this time he doesn’t wipe his tears away but lets them run down his cheeks.
Alec reaches out and wipes some of them away with his thumb. “Go get your life back.”
Magnus nods and lifts both of their hands up. He brings the back of Alec’s hand to his lips and kisses it softly. “I’m not good at goodbyes.”
“Then don’t,” Alec says and forces himself to smile. “This doesn’t have to be one.”
Magnus smiles and it’s beautiful and bittersweet and makes Alecs chest ache, just a bit. “You are quite correct, my dear.”
Alec can feel the prickle of tears behind his own eyelids and he knows he’s not gonna be able to hold it together much longer. “So, uh, should I lead you out?” he asks. “Wait, do you have somewhere to go?”
“I do. I can track down some old friends,” Magnus says, letting go of Alec’s hand and stepping back. “And if you don’t terribly mind, I would rather open a portal.”
“Can you do that?” Alec asks, taking a step of his own back and already missing the proximity. “In here?”
“I’ve helped set up the wards of this place,” Magnus says. “They’re going to let me through.”
Alec is sure he’s already violating at least two Clave rules only by knowing this piece of information but he nods. “Go ahead.”
Magic gathers on Magnus’ fingertips, the same light blue as before. It seems to come to Magnus effortlessly now, almost overflowing from him and spilling over, so much so that Alec feels its electricity all around himself.
Slowly, a portal starts to open up right in front of Magnus. It’s shimmery and glowy and Magnus looks at it in awe. “I do believe,” he murmurs. “That’s my ride out.”
“Good luck,” Alec manages to get past the lump in his throat.
Magnus looks at him and his gaze is loaded with a thousand emotions. “Thank you, Alexander.”
Then he jumps into the portal and vanishes from Alec’s room, from Alec’s life.
“You’re welcome,” Alec says to the empty room.
***
“Did you hear the rumors?” Izzy asks a few weeks later, while they’re on mission.
“Hm?” Alec absentmindedly answers as they round the corner of the alley they’re supposed to investigate. “What rumors?”
“Oh, come on, big brother, it’s all everyone is talking about.”
“You know I don’t care for rumors,” Alec says but there’s more to it.
He’s aware he’s been distracted. He’s been missing Magnus so much he’s been throwing himself into missions and reports in the hope to tire himself to the point of falling asleep as soon as he hits the bed. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t and he spends hours turning and tossing until he gets up and sits in what used to be Magnus’ reading area, reading books they used to read together.
Isabelle bumps her shoulder against his torso and laughs. “There’s a new warlock in town.”
“What?” Alec asks, suddenly alert and interested in what Izzy is saying. “Who?”
“Magnus Bane,” Izzy says and Alec’s heart skips a beat. “He’s been missing for centuries. I heard he was close to being appointed High Warlock when he suddenly disappeared.”
Magnus has never mentioned this to him but now that Alec knows, he doesn’t blame him. He can’t blame a man for not mentioning what Alec imagines it would have been another painful reminder of everything he’d lost.
“You with me, big brother?”
Izzy’s question takes him out of his own head. He jerks his head into a quick nod and manages to ask, “And how is he doing now?”
“Why should I know?” Izzy asks, then seems to register Alec’s question. “Wait, why are you asking?”
Alec desperately wants to tell her everything but he knows it’s not his place to share Magnus’ secret and he doesn’t want to expose himself too much, in case Magnus should realize he doesn’t need or want Alec in his life.
He shrugs. “I was just curious.”
Izzy pins him in place with a shrewd look and Alec is sure she hasn’t bought it and she’s not gonna let this go. He starts to think about a way to get out of his sister’s inquisitive questions but she doesn’t even have the time to start when a demon barrels toward them from a side alley.
Alec has never been happier to get into a fight.
***
The next time Alec hears about Magnus, he’s at the Hunter’s Moon with Jace. They’re sitting at the counter and waiting for their second round of beer when Alec catches Magnus’ name.
He does his best to tune out what Jace is saying, something about Clary and their last date, and tries to listen to the conversation between Maia and the Seelie she’s serving.
"He's been back for a while but he hasn't made a move against Lorenzo." Alec hears the Seelie say and he knows he's talking about the current High Warlock.
"It's just a matter of time," Maia replies and Alec hears the thud of a glass on the counter. "Lorenzo doesn't stand a chance."
"Bane seems more interested in his club than politics."
"Give him some time to get back in the groove," Maia says as she heads to the tap and starts to fill their beers. "Pandemonium won't keep him busy forever."
Pandemonium . Alec makes a mental note to look the club up.
He's happy Magnus has been finding his way back among society but his happiness is bittersweet because there's the possibility he won't find his way back to Alec.
Maia places Alec's beer in front of him and Alec startles.
"Easy," she says, laughing. "It's just me."
"You okay, man?" Jace asks, taking his own glass and drinking in one long gulp. "We lost you in there for a while.''
"Yeah." Alec takes a long sip of his own and grimaces. "I'm fine."
Isn't he?
***
The third time it happens, Alec is sitting in his office, going through reports for the day. There’s a knock at the door and Undehill steps in after Alec’s given the go ahead.
“Sir,” Underhills says and Alec can see he’s holding a file.
Alec nods at him in greetings. “What is it?”
“There is news from the Warlock community,” Underhill says and Alec can feel his heart beat a little faster. “There has been a shift of power.”
Alec is pretty sure about what Underhill is talking about but he leans back in his chair and feigns ignorance. “Go on.”
“We have a new High Warlock, sir. I thought you should know.”
Alec is aware of every thud as his heart hammers against his ribcage but he hopes he’s keeping a calm façade. “Who?” he asks to keep up pretenses.
“The name is Magnus Bane,” Underhills says as he opens the file. “He was-”
“There is no need to go through it,” Alec says because he isn’t sure he can keep his cool as Underhill reads him Magnus’ history. He points to his desk instead. “You can leave the file in there and I’ll give it a look as soon as I’ll be done with my reports.”
Underhill nods and does as he’s told. “Should I arrange official congratulations?”
Alec would like to give Magnus his very personal congratulations but he knows it’s good form to offer official ones. “Yeah,” he says. “Do that.”
As soon as Underhill turns on his heels and leaves the room, Alec sags back on his chair.
It’s been so long since he’s last seen Magnus. It’s been months since he last heard from him and he misses him so much. He’s genuinely happy for Magnus’ accomplishments but he can’t help but feel a little sorry for himself. Granted, a broken heart is more than worth Magnus’ freedom and happiness and Alec doesn’t have a single regret about setting him free.
For this reason, when Underhill brings him the official letter to have his approval, Alec pretends to be in the middle of some urgent business and asks him to leave the letter and come back later to retrieve and post it.
When he’s alone, he goes over the letter. It’s just formal congratulations, perfectly appropriate for the circumstances. But as he signs it using his full name, as protocol calls for, Alec can’t help to think it feels too impersonal, considering everything they’ve gone through.
He signs it anyway but on a whim, he turns the paper over and adds his own personal little note.
Hey , he scrawls at the top of the page.
I’m so happy to hear how far you’ve gotten. I’m breaking protocol but I wanted to offer you my sincere congratulations along with the formal spiel we have to send out.
Yours,
Alec.
Alec puts the pen down, sighs and takes it back up.
I miss you , he wants to add but he doesn’t want to sound too pushy so he ends up putting the pen back on the desk.
When Underhill swings by to take the letter, if he’s surprised to find it already sealed, he doesn’t show it.
****
A few days later, Alec finds an envelope on his desk. It’s personally addressed to him and he takes it with a frown. Excitement starts coursing through his body as he turns it around and sees the bright red seal. It’s old fashioned and bears two cursive initials.
M.B.
Alec opens the letter, making sure to not break the seal too much and takes out a single sheet of paper. It’s quality paper, Alec can tell. It feels smooth and thick under his fingers.
My dearest Alexander,
Alec has to take a break and take a deep breath as the words bring back memories of Magnus’ voice and they’re so vivid he yearns for it.
Forgive me if I don’t send your Institute a formal reply but I’d rather respond to your missive and two messages seemed rather redundant.
Alec bites back a smile at Magnus’ subtle fuck you to the Clave.
I’ve taken back my rightful place in society and none of this would have happened without you and your kindness.
Alec shakes his head. It was you , he thinks, because Alec may have set Magnus free but Magnus was the one who put his life back together.
I do miss our evening conversation tremendously and I have been tempted to reach out to you but I have been afraid to act too rashly.
What Alec reads between the lines is that Magnus isn’t sure about leaping into a relationship and he prefers to be cautious. It stings but it also suits Alec well because he would never want to pressure Magnus into something he’s not ready for.
My understanding is that we’re soon going to see each other in a professional capacity and I would like to wait until then before going forward.
Sincerely yours,
Magnus.
“Oh my god,” Alec murmurs, remembering he’s holding a cabinet meeting in two weeks and now that Magnus is High Warlock, he’s gonna replace Lorenzo.
He has no idea how he’s going to survive a few hours in Magnus’ presence, in a professional setting, after he’s been missing him for months.
Before he can properly freak out, there’s a knock at the door and Underhill gets in to show him the new security protocol he’s running.
***
Two weeks seem like an awfully long time when one yearns for something, Alec thinks. They also seem to fly by when one dreads this same thing with the same fervor.
One week in and Alec finds himself into an odd limbo, where time seems to slow down and run faster at the same time.
He’s abandoned office duty for one evening to accompany Izzy and Jace on a mission, and they’re currently following two shape-shifting demons which are presumably guilty of a series of mundane murders.
The demons take a turn to the right and keep walking toward the lights of clubs and bars and Alec knows they’ve gotta be extra careful or they’re gonna mingle with the crowd and disappear.
“They’re going in there,” Jace says, jerking his head toward the left.
Alec turns to follow his gaze and all the blood freezes in his veins.
The bright lights of the club on the left spell one word.
Pandemonium .
Magnus’ club.
Maybe, Alec thinks, he’s gonna meet Magnus sooner than he anticipated and he’s not sure he’s ready for it. Nonetheless, duty calls and Jace and Izzy are already heading toward the entrance, a few steps ahead of Alec who’s frozen in place.
Izzy turns around and scowls at him. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he says, put back into motion by her words. “Let’s go.”
Izzy gives him an odd look but doesn’t say anything as the three of them resume their pursuit.
As soon as they get inside the club, the beat of the music gets louder and Alec can see mundanes and downworlders mingling and dancing together, the former unaware of the latter.
“Keep your eyes on them,” he says, his own eyes, trained on the couple. “If they split, don’t lose him. I’ve got her.”
Jace and Izzy nod and keep walking. Alec is burning with the desire to look around himself and see if he can spot Magnus but they can’t afford to lose these demons, not this time. Not after they’ve eluded all the teams he sent after them, and definitely not if it means another mundane is getting killed by the end of the night.
The demons are heading toward the lounge area, purpose in their stride.
“I don’t think they spotted us,” Jace says, loud enough for Alec to hear.
The demons are apparently unaware of their pursuer but Alec knows they can’t afford to let their guard down. “Approach cautiously anyway,” he says, keeping a firm grip over his glamoured bow.
Izzy elbows him in the ribs and as he turns toward her to ask her what the fuck is wrong, she points to a third person who’s approaching the demons from the left. It looks like a man but Alec can’t tell whether he’s human or just another shapeshifter.
The man approaches the couple of demons and leans closer to talk to them and that’s when Alec knows they’re fucked. As if on cue, the woman turns toward them.
“We’re busted,” Jace says, taking out his glamoured Seraph blade.
The demons swerve toward the dancing area, pushing people aside and mingling with the crowd. It’s a smart move because it allows them to cover their tracks and forces Alec and the others to waste a few moments to put away their weapons before they can follow.
The music is louder here and the strobing lights make it harder to distinguish people, faces, colors. Before Alec knows it, they’ve come out of the other end of the crowd and the demons are nowhere in sight.
“We lost them,” Izzy says.
“Let’s keep looking,” Alec answers.
“They could be anyone now, man,” Jace says and Alec hates to admit he’s right.
“Let’s split up and do another round,” Alec insists.
“You’re the boss,” Jace says but he’s already taking off to the right section of the dancing area.
Izzy nods at him and takes off to the left.
That leaves Alec the middle so he sighs and braces himself to face the crowd once more. He starts walking through the mass of people, trying to use his height as an advantageous viewpoint. He scans the area twice but there’s no trace of the demons and he’s forced to admit defeat.
“ Goddamnit ,” he curses as soon as he’s out of the crowd of people.
He scans the area around himself, hoping against hope the demons are still lingering behind but he knows it’s a lost cause. They may be anyone by now and Alec doesn’t have the authority to hold and interrogate all of these people, especially considering most of them are mundanes.
He’s about to turn around and go look for Izzy and Jace when the lights catch on a glimpse of gold and Alec’s eye is drawn to it. He raises his head up toward the uplifted VIP area and all of the air is sucked from his lungs.
He has not seen Magnus in months and even though he looks so different from the way Alec remembers him, Alec would recognize him anywhere. He’s still so breathtakingly beautiful that Alec can’t breathe.
Gold chains, the same gold that caught Alec’s eye, adorn his bare chest. He’s wearing black leather pants, a studded harness drapes his shoulders and chest, and even from afar, Alec can see he’s wearing bold makeup. He’s the incarnation of every fantasy Alec has ever had, of every fantasy Alec will ever have. He holds himself confidently, almost holding court among the people surrounding him and Alec feels a pang of jealousy deep in his chest when he leans over to drink from a straw someone else is holding for him.
Then Magnus tips his head back and laughs at something someone else has said and Alec’s jealousy shifts within his chest and shapes itself into an odd feeling, sorrow and pride and contentedness all at once. Because Magnus looks better. Maybe not happy, not yet, but carefree in a way he’s never really been when he was forced to live his existence as a genie.
He’s about to lower his gaze and slowly back away when Magnus turns his head and sees him. Alec can see the recognition and the surprise on his face as their eyes met.
They look at each other for what feels like hours and Alec is pinned in place by Magnus’ intensity. He can’t move, he can’t look away, he can’t breathe .
Magnus swats the straw away from his face and starts to stand and Alec is helpless but taking a step forward, his feet moving on their own accord toward Magnus, toward the man that’s been commandeering most of Alec’s conscious thoughts.
Magnus is standing now and Alec is about to take another step forward when a hand on his shoulder takes him out of his trance-like state.
“Hey man,” Jace says and Alec is torn between crying and laughing at the timing of it. “We lost them.”
“Yeah,” Alec rasps out, making a conscious effort to take his eyes away from Magnus.
Izzy is there too and she’s giving him that odd look again so he forces himself to straighten his shoulder and turn away from the VIP lounge and from Magnus.
“What do we do?” She asks but he knows she’s smart enough to remember their previous conversation and put the pieces together. And he also knows she’s not gonna let it go.
“Let’s go back to the Institute,” he says.
Alec can feel Magnus’ eyes burning on his back all the way to the exit.
***
The morning after, they’re in the middle of an emergency briefing about the shapeshifters, when all of the Institute’s alarms blare, loud and sudden.
Izzy and Underhill get to work on the computers while Alec and all the other Shadowhunters gear up for a possible attack.
Alec is already heading to guard the entrance, bow in hand, when Underhill calls him back.
“What is it?” He asks, standing behind Underhill as he points toward the screen.
“Look,” Underhill says, pointing to the camera covering the perimeter around the Institute’s main entrance.
Alec leans closer and right on the middle of the stairs leading to the double doors, there are three demons. They’re slumped on the steps and even though they’re unconscious, Alec can recognize the long claws and the ash grey of the skin of shapeshifting demons in their true form.
“What the hell?” Izzy asks, voicing what Alec is thinking.
“It may be a trap,” Alec warns but he’s already running toward the doors.
He’s the first to reach the demons and as he leans closer, he notices the chain around their bodies. When he notices a cream envelope with a red sigil, his heart starts to beat faster.
Alec grabs the envelope before anyone else can and quickly places it in his pocket but Izzy and Underhill and a small group of Shadowhunters led by Jace are already on scene.
“What does that say?” Underhill asks and Alec has no choice but to take it out.
He opens it slowly, making sure to keep his distance from the others and the privacy it allows him.
My dear Alexander,
After you and your team left my club, some inquiry led me to believe you were looking for these demons.
You are welcome,
Magnus.
Alec has to suppress a laugh and schools his face into a neutral expression as he addresses Underhill and clears his throat. “It appears a concerned member of the downworld community has found our rogue demons.”
“Who?” One of the Shadowhunters asks.
“It doesn’t say,” Alec answers, trying his best to sound smooth.
Izzy coughs at his side and Alec realizes she’s been reading over his shoulder. He can feel heat prick at his cheeks but he forces himself to act unbothered.
“Should we worry about the wards?”
He’s still trying to come up with a reply, when Izzy speaks.
“I don’t think so,” she says and Alec knows her so well he can detect the hint of amusement in her voice. “But we can ask the High Warlock to take a look at them after next week’s meeting.”
That seems to settle the matter and soon six of the Shadowhunters are carrying the demons away and everyone else starts to go back inside.
Only Izzy stays behind. “Spill.”
Alec sighs, knowing when he’s been defeated. “Wanna grab some breakfast?”
They walk to the little cafè around the corner and Alec proceeds to tell her everything. He tells her about the bottle, about the genie and the three wishes and he has to reassure her that he was more than happy to use two of his wishes to save her and Jace. He tells her how the genie has slowly become Magnus and how Magnus has become dear to Alec. He tells her about his last wish and about their distance and his fear and all of his doubts.
“Oh, big brother,” she says, reaching out and covering his hand with her small one. “Want me to go beat him up for you?”
Alec laughs. “That won’t be necessary, Iz.”
“Give him time,” she says, soft and affectionate. “He seems to care for you and if he’s smart, he’ll come back to you.”
Alec nods and turns his palm up against Izzy’s, feeling so much better now that talking to someone else has out things in perspective.
Magnus has never led Alec on, he’s never given Alec reason to doubt, he’s been clear from the beginning about needing time and he’s never asked Alec to wait for him. He’s always been kind and thoughtful and the least Alec can do is giving him some space.
“Thank you,” he tells Izzy later, as they’re walking back to the Institute. For everything. “For having my back about the demons.”
“Of course,” she says, bumping his upper thigh with her hip. “But next time he wants to court you, tell him to go for flowers and chocolate.”
***
A week later sees Alec pacing back and forth in front of the Institute’s entrance, ready to welcome the members of the downworld council for the cabinet meeting.
Meliorn and Raphael are the first to arrive, followed shortly after by Luke.
"Where's Magnus?" Luke asks.
"The High warlock should be here any time," Alec says, the nerves gnawing at the pit of his stomach belying the confidence in his voice.
He hopes he's right. He hopes Magnus hasn't had a last minute change of heart and decided he doesn't want to face Alec, after all.
Before he can let his imagination have the best of him, the double doors open and Magnus steps in.
He's clearly dressed to impress and it reminds Alec of the very first times he'd seen him, when he used to shield himself behind smart clothes and shiny jewelry and bold makeup.
He walks toward Alec, confidence and grace in his step. "It's lovely to see you, Mr. Lightwood," he says and his voice is smooth and calm and as beautiful and soothing as Alec remembered.
Alec extends his hand. "And you, Mr. Bane. Thank you for taking the time."
"I wouldn't have missed it," Magnus says. He takes Alec's hand in a firm grip and Alec's knees almost buckle at the contact he's been craving for months. "I have tremendous respect for the head of the New York Institute."
Alec squeezes his hand back and shakes it for longer than socially acceptable but now that he's touching Magnus, he doesn't want to let go. He can't let go.
The harsh reminder that they're not alone comes when an unaware Luke steps close to greet Magnus with a pat on his back.
"Good to see you, man," Luke says.
It's enough to take Alec out of his reverie. He lets go of Magnus' hand and tries to ignore the pang of loss in his chest.
“Now that we are all here,” he says, pointing toward the room on his left. “We can get the meeting going.”
The meeting turns out to be torture for Alec. He has to call upon all of his self control to be able to properly focus on what’s being said and give appropriate responses. He has to bite the inside of his cheek so many times to prevent himself from glancing in Magnus’ direction, only allowing himself to look when Magnus is speaking.
The meeting also goes smoothly for the most part and the small lucid part of Alec’s brain appreciates the change Magnus brings to the table, compared to the former High Warlock. Where Lorenzo was short and acerbic and cared more about his ego than bringing real change to the downworld, Magnus is smart and witty and cares about the warlock community and the downworlders in general.
The biggest part of Alec, however, yearn for something that’s so close and yet impossibly away from his grasp. Magnus is sitting right here but for all intents and purposes he could be thousands of miles away.
“I think that’s all for today,” Meliorn says, bringing Alec out of his reverie. “Shall we reconvene next month?”
Alec shakes his head. “I’m gonna bring the Accords reform to the council on Thursday and I think we should meet up soon after that. I’ll need to update you about the meeting and we can discuss things further from there.”
“Alexander is right,” Magnus says, smiling in approval at Alec.
Alexander.
It’s just a slip of the tongue and nobody else seems to notice but hearing Magnus say his name again feels like a punch to the chest, like someone has taken hold of his lungs and he’s squeezing them tight.
“Sometimes next week?” He manages to croak out.
Everyone agrees and soon they’re saying their goodbyes and Alec doesn’t want to let go of Magnus yet. He’s aware it’s selfish of him, especially after promising he’d wait but it’s been almost a year since he’s spent time in Magnus’ company and he isn’t ready to let him go and slip out of his life again.
He stands and shakes everyone’s hand and his mind is racing to find any excuse to keep Magnus behind.
Magnus is the last to shake his hand. He takes it in a firm grip, squeezing it so hard it almost hurts and Alec’d be damned if it doesn’t sum up the ebb and flow of what he’s feeling inside.
He risks a glance at Magnus’ face and beneath Magnus’ carefully crafted mask he can recognize his Magnus, the Magnus he’s spent months with. There’s a softness in the set of his eyes that’s just for Alec, or at least so it feels to him. There’s also a question in the curve of his eyebrow but Alec still hasn’t come up with an excuse and he leaves it unanswered.
Magnus jerks his head in a tiny nod and lets go of Alec’s hand and Alec watches, helpless, as Magnus turns around and starts to leave.
Magnus is almost at the door when finally, finally , Alec’s brain kicks back into gears. “Mr. Bane,” he says.
Magnus stills and slowly turns back toward Alec. “May I do something for you?”
It’s an odd question to ask but the parallel doesn’t escape Alec. The words send him back to a time of secrets and genies in a bottle in his room. They send him back to a time of pining and sorrow but also to a time of companionship and friendship and slowly falling in love.
“The wards,” Alec blurts out. “Could you check them?”
Both of them know it’s a lame excuse. Both of them know the wards work perfectly. Both of them know Magnus could pretend to be busy and tell him to book an appointment.
But Magnus nods slowly. “Certainly.”
“Thank you,” Alec says, not sure about what he’s thanking him for. “Follow me.”
They walk in silence toward Alec’s office but halfway through there, Alec turns around and takes the hall leading to his room. It’s familiar territory and it feels personal in a way his pristine office doesn’t.
The first thing Alec does as soon as they step in his room is going to the window and yanking it open because Magnus is back in his room, Magnus is here and he needs to know if he’s here to stay and Alec can’t breathe.
“You’ve kept it,” Magnus murmurs.
Alec turns around and realizes Magnus is talking about their reading area. “Yeah.”
Magnus walks to his armchair and runs his fingers over the armrest. “This place has brought me so much delight during my darkest times.”
“It’s been good for me too.” Alec swallows past the emotions lodged deep in his throat. “That’s why I kept it.”
He doesn’t know if he can say he’s kept the reading area as proof that Magnus really existed, that he’d really touched Alec’s life and wasn’t just a figment of Alec’s imagination.
“Why am I here?” Magnus asks, abruptly turning to face Alec and his gaze is as intense as Alec remembered. It still has the power to strip Alec naked.
Alec could lie. He could say he wanted to know how Magnus is doing. He could cling to his lame excuse. “I miss you,” he says instead.
“Oh, Alexander,” Magnus says and his voice wavers on the last part of his name. He swallows and takes a step forward, taking Alec's hand.
This is it, Alec thinks. This is where he tells me he's moved on.
Because there's too much sorrow on Magnus' face to be anything else and Alec wants to take it back. He wants to tell Magnus it's okay and part ways with all of his dignity still intact.
Thing is, he can't. He can't keep pretending any longer. He has to know, even if it means facing hard truths.
Magnus squeezes his hand and clears his throat and Alec braces himself for the blow.
"I can't do anything without thinking of you," Magnus says instead.
"I understand if you-" Alec starts to say, only to sharply jerk his head up and make eye contact when Magnus' words sink in. "Wait, what?"
Magnus chuckles and it's soft and incredibly fond. "I've missed you too, Alexander."
"I meant to give you space, Magnus. I really did. I thought, maybe, with time I would stop missing you but this," Alec says, gesturing between the two of them. "This isn't going away."
"I know."
"I think I'm in love with you," Alec blurts out because now that he's talking, he can't seem to stop. "And I understand if you don't feel the same way but I had to-"
"You silly Nephilim," Magnus says and next thing Alec knows, Magnus' lips are on his and Alec stops thinking.
He can't help the small noise at the back of his throat as he kisses Magnus' back with everything he's got. There's no trace of hesitation this time. It's deep and hard and messy and perfect. It tastes like pain but it also tastes like hope and happiness and like coming home .
"I was afraid," Magnus murmurs against Alec's lips when they pull back. "I was afraid what it felt for you was gratitude for your kindness. Gratitude for freeing me. And after that, when I realized I truly had feelings for you, I was afraid I’d wasted so much time you’d moved over. I should have known better."
"I was afraid you'd feel obligated," Alec admits but leans over to briefly kiss Magnus again just because he wants to and he can . “You don’t, do you?”
Magnus smiles against his lips and Alec doesn’t think he’s ever gonna get used to the feeling of it. “Nonsense, darling. I am here of my own volition. I am kissing you-” Magnus pauses and kisses the corner of Alec’s lips. “Because I very much desire to do so.
Alec feels his face break up into a smile and he’s helpless to stop himself from reaching out and running the palm of his hand over Magnus’ cheek, a tactile reassurance that Magnus is here and not leaving. “What now?”
“I’m obviously ready to see where this will lead us,” Magnus answers, his thumb gently brushing over the nape of Alec’s head. “If that’s what you want?”
I want everything, Alec wants to say. “I’d love that,” he says instead and he’s rewarded by Magnus’ dazzling smile.
“You’re so beautiful,” Alec whispers before he can help himself and Magnus’ smile widens. Then, feeling a little bold and playful he glances toward the bed and adds, “I wish you could stay.”
Magnus laughs, soft and fond and leans over to kiss Alec until they’re both breathless.
“Wish granted.”