Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Alec was nervous.

He was pacing the room, going up and down relentlessly while fidgeting with his sleeve. It had become a habit of his, annoying even himself, since it was a clear sign of how much on edge he felt. It was as if his fingers searched for the sleeve all on their own, all of the time, without him wanting to. He just couldn‘t help it.

Something was wrong.

Magnus!

There was this uneasy feeling, the waitinging was slowly driving him crazy. He had to do something but what could he possibly do? He clenched his hands into tight fists, forcing himself to stop the fidgeting for now, as he took a few deep breaths.

Get yourself together, he told himself. You’re not helping either Jace nor Magnus if you’ll lose it now.

Easier said than done.

Only seconds later, he was thinking about the both of them again and the same thoughts swirled through his head, over and over again.

Jace.

Magnus.

Valentine.

The Book of the White.

Magnus.

It was a hopeless cause, and he let out a sigh. He wouldn’t be able to shut it off just like that. It made him feel irritated, since nobody really understood what he was going through.

How could they?Two of his most important people were gone and all he could do was watch and wait. And patience was definitely not his strongest suit.

Jace!

Alec swallowed, driven by the thought of what his Parabatai was possibly going through at this very moment. He knew Jace was alive because he could feel him through their shared rune but the bond was weak. Only a hazy feeling remained of his other half. But it still gave him a small glimmer of hope, a chink of light in his ongoing darkness.

He was so scared for Jace. What was it Valentine was trying to use Jace for? How could Alec help and rescue Jace? Where was he?

Stopping his pacing, Alec punched his fist against the table in front of him and fell down on the chair next to it, burying his head in his hands. Closing his eyes, he blocked out everything else, and concentrated on calming his erratic thoughts.

What was going to happen when they found Jace?

The Clave surely wouldn’t let him go easily. No, Alec knew better than to assume that. Would they declare him a traitor? Would he be safe within the Institute?

Alec pushed the sickening thoughts aside, knowing that without waking Jocelyn first, they had no chance of finding Jace at all. Clary’s mum was their only hope in stopping Valentine and of finding out where his brother was. But she was still under the influence of the sleeping spell and to break it they needed the Book of the White.

Camille, the owner of said book had betrayed them all, giving them a duplicate while taking the real book with her. And she was long gone. Even Magnus hadn’t been able to locate her. Now Magnus was gone too, having travelled to the other dimension to find the book.

Magnus!

Why wasn’t he back already? What was taking him so long? Had the worst case scenario come true and he’d become lost over there? Was he in danger? What was happening?

First, Jace had disappeared with the most dangerous Shadowhunter, his father to be precise, and now Magnus had been gone for hours too. Alec wasn’t just frustrated about waiting and doing nothing.

He was angry.

There had to be something he could do! He got up quickly and started pacing the room again, stopping right where Magnus had kissed him more than six hours earlier, before he had disappeared through his portal. Six goddamn hours! Alec pressed his lips together as he glared at the portal, still open and glistening blue.

"You can't will him to return, no matter how hard you glare at it, Alec." Izzy had entered the room without him noticing and approached her brother slowly. “Be patient. He’ll manage it”, she said and reached up to lightly stroke Alec's cheek.

“But why is he taking so long?” Alec gritted his teeth together until it hurt. “I mean, Iz, how long can it take to search for a book in a loft? Definitely not six hours, that’s for sure! Something must have gone wrong!” Of course. There simply was no other reason why Magnus hadn’t come back.

“Alec, stop.” Izzy looked at him with understanding and stopped his hands from fidgeting with the sleeve again. “Magnus will come back and then we’re gonna do everything to rescue Jace and..”, she said but stopped as a loud crack distracted them and they both looked at the portal in shock.The noise was getting louder and the blue, shimmering gateway was becoming unstable What was happening? How could it get unstable with Magnus still inside? Alec didn’t know how long such portals were able to remain intact. Maybe it had reached it's limit and was in danger of closing.

“Iz, what’s happening?”, Alec asked, slight panic in his voice. Izzy held onto his arm.

“I don’t know.” He looked at her with wide eyes while the cracking noises got louder. The portal began flickering and the shimmering blue faded even more.

“Does this mean something happened to Magnus?”

“I really don’t know!”, Izzy said and Alec shook his head. “But it didn’t do this until now, why now?” Alec’s voice had gotten louder and a wave of fear overcame him.They both stared as the portal continued to fade.

Suddenly there was a new thought in Alec’s head. What if it was closing with Magnus still inside? Trapped in the other dimension?

No!!

Suddenly, he realized why the portal was closing and a cold shiver ran down his spine. There was nothing holding the portal open from inside of it. A rush of panic hit Alec as his pulse increased and his heart pumped in his chest, ready to bust out at any moment. Something must have been happened to Magnus! He had to do something. Alec took a deep breath as he made his decision, his pulse calming down just like it did before a fight against a demon. He was ready to face this.

“Iz, I’m going after Magnus!” Izzy spun around and she looked at him with panic in her eyes.

“What? NO! I can’t let you do this, Alec, stop! It’s too dangerous!”, she shouted but Alec shook his head, turning towards her. He hugged her tight and kissed her forehead gently.

“I love you but I have to do this. There’s no other way. I’ll bring back Magnus and the book, I promise!” Izzy was about to protest, but she knew he had made his decision, so she took a step back. Her shoulders straightened and she nodded stiffly, fighting back tears. And so she let her brother walk through the portal.

————————————————————————————————-

When Alec opened his eyes, the first thing he looked at was an elegant, dark wooden table in front of him. His hands were hovering over a keyboard and the website on the screen in front of him read three words.

LIGHTWOOD-PARTY-PLANNER

He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. Of course, this Alec had to be someone like this. A person in the spotlight. Before he could do anything further a sudden wave of nausea hit Alec, and he had to take a few deep breaths to prevent himself from vomiting into the silver waste bin next to the desk.

Portal traveling.. no, traveling through dimensions really wasn’t his thing.

Alec tried to get rid of the horrible taste in his mouth as he took another few breaths and closed his eyes for a moment, burying his head in his hands. As the anxiety and nausea faded, a feeling of worry hit him next. How could he have been so foolish, not only walking straight through a portal into another dimension but without focusing on an anchor not to lose himself first? Now he could lose himself by even the smallest thing.

Well done, Alec! Who’s gonna come and rescue you then? Alec sighed, then he tried to focus.

He had to be quick and not lose himself and… he looked around in confusion.

Where the hell was he?

He stood up and walked up to the big glass front in the office, looking over the skyline of New York. His mission was to find Magnus as quickly as possible and return home as soon as possible. As he scanned the buildings outside, he was surprised to see the Institute from his point of view. Great! So this meant he was only a few stations away from Magnus’s loft… Alec looked back at the furniture in the office and scrunched his nose at the hideous paintings on the walls, which likely cost a fortune.

He would take a taxi, the company paying for it. To avoid any distractions, of course!

________________________________________________

Alec leaned his head against the side window of the taxi, taking in this New York. The drive wasn’t long, but he used the time to come up with a plan.

First of all, how was he gonna make Magnus believe he was from another dimension, if he really had lost himself?

When he'd stepped through the portal, he'd been sure that he could manage this easily. Now he wasn’t so sure anymore and he was hoping Magnus would be willing to listen to the voice of reason. But what if he wouldn’t believe him? He thought about it again and again, the thought driving him mad. What could it have been that made Magnus lose his anchor?

At least it hadn’t been this dimension’s charming version of himself who had lured Magnus into the trap. Or else, Alec probably wouldn’t have found himself alone in an office but faced with the prospect of catching Magnus in a clinch with him. So what had it been? What happy thought or ineffable dread had made Magnus lose himself?

An unpleasant thought crossed his mind and Alec’s face darkened. What if he just wasn’t enough as an anchor? Maybe Magnus feelings weren’t enough? Maybe the kiss hadn’t been strong enough to work as an anchor?

It just couldn’t be.

Something must have happened, Alec thought, and it surely wasn’t the lack of feelings. At least that was what Alec kept telling himself. But if he was being honest… He had his doubts. The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed to him. Magnus’s feelings weren't deep enough and that was why he had lost himself.

Alec thought about what Magnus had done to win his heart, without pressuring Alec into any decision he didn’t want to make. It was real! But the truth was hard. Magnus was lost in this dimension, so his feelings and therefore the anchor hadn’t been strong enough. Right?

The poisonous thought kept infiltrating Alec’s mind and he pressed his lips together. Magnus had forgotten about him as soon as he had left. He had left Alec alone in his greatest moment of need. After everything he had done for Magnus! He clenched his angry hands in to fists. Hurt and anger flooded his mind. Maybe Camille had been right after all? Magnus did have a type he went after and Alec suited it quite well. There had been others before him and surely there would be others after him.

How could he have ever believed he was someone special to Magnus? The High Warlock of Brooklyn?

Alec snorted and grimaced. He meant nothing to Magnus! Maybe he was something to pass the time with for someone immortal like Magnus, nothing more. The journey to this dimension had proved it quite clearly. Their feelings had been tested and Magnus’ had been found wanting. Tears of desperation burned in his eyes as Alec tried to fight the feelings overwhelming him.

No!

Now was not the time for this. He was still on a mission. What he needed now was a plan to get Magnus and the book back to his own dimension. He would have time to think about everything else afterwards.

When he reached Magnus loft, Alec handed the driver some money and took a deep breath.

Let’s do this, he thought. This is what you came here for. Get Magnus and the book.

Alec swallowed past the lump in his throat and pressed the button for the bell.

“Yes, hello?”, a voice sounded through the intercom and Alec’s heart picked up the pace. It was Magnus! Just the sound of his voice was enough to calm Alec’s anger. How was it possible for this man to have such an impact on him?

“I’m… It’s Alec. Alexander. I mean… Alexander Lightwood”, he stuttered and cursed himself for his lack of composure. How long would he be a stuttering mess in Magnus presence? Damn this Warlock!

“Alec, Alexander Lightwood?”, Magnus asked and Alec could tell by the questioning sound Magnus was raising his eyebrows in confusion. This was unexpected. Magnus didn’t remember him? Somehow he had expected that they would knew each other in this dimension as well. That there was at least … something. Now his badly-thought-out plan to charm Magnus with his nonexistent ability to flirt crashed down on him. Waves of panic hit him and he desperately tried to gather a thought to save the messed up situation.

Suddenly the intercom made a cracking sound and Alec heard Magnus voice again.

“Oh my god, Alec Lightwood, as in Alec from the Mad-Hatter-Party at the Institute – Lightwood?” Alec let out a sigh in relief.

“Yes!”

“Dammit!”, Magnus said and it was silent again.

Wait. What?!?, Alec thought.

But before he had any time to think about what to do next, the door buzzed and he pushed inside quickly. His hands were shaking and his heart was racing as Alec climbed the stairs, his breath coming out shallow. Somehow he had imagined this mission playing out differently.

Smoother and more heroically.

The moment he had started doubting Magnus’s feelings for him had been the moment his old insecurities had come back to him as well. If he hadn’t been enough as an anchor, how was he supposed to make Magnus remember him? Wasn’t this absolutely impossible? His plan, which had seemed so easy before, suddenly seemed impossible.

And Alec had no idea what the Magnus of this world was like, and what story the both of them shared. Where should he start talking? He felt like slapping himself in the face for not asking Clary about it but who could have guessed his sudden need to leave to rescue Magnus?

Alec stopped before he reached the floor where Magnus loft was and tried to calm his breathing and grab a straight thought. He knew for sure, that he needed to be focused on what he had to do. It seemed simple: He had to convince Magnus to open a portal, grab the Book of the White and come with him, back to the other dimension.

So far so good.

Breathe in and let’s go, he thought and took the last steps of the stairs, stopping in front of Magnus’s door, raising his hand to knock.

Alec sucked in a breath as Magnus opened the door and Alec blinked.

He looks different, Alec noticed.

This Magnus looked like.. nothing like his Magnus Bane. His hair was straightened and combed back, no make-up on his face or glitter on his clothes. In fact, his clothes were… well, they were normal. A gray long-sleeve jumper and dark jeans. It didn’t look bad, quite the contrary. Magnus looked really good.

But Alec didn’t like it.

It was what he liked most about Magnus. His extravagant style which suited him so well and made him unique and special. He liked the thought of Magnus entering a room having everyone notice his striking self, because Magnus wasn’t just anyone, no, he was one of the most powerful Warlocks of all times and it radiated off him wherever he went.

Alec stopped his own thoughts at this point, rolling his eyes. Why was he distracting himself with such vanities, like the powerful movements of Magnus Bane?

You’ve got a mission, Alec, focus!, he scolded himself.

It seemed like eternity, the way they both stared at each other in silence, which was broken by a faint cough.

“Hello, Alec”, Magnus said carefully.

“Hey Magnus.” Hey Magnus, Alec thought. Way to go on the part of intelligence, Lightwood…. The embarrassed silence made the whole situation even more awkward than it already was.

“So, Alec, with what do I deserve your unexpected visit?” Magnus gave him a shy smile. That question wasn’t an easy one. If only Alec knew how to react to it.

Alec. Get inside, get the book, bring Magnus back and get back to your dimension! Do it! Flirt your way inside! NOW!

“I… uhm…. Well I’m…” Alec let out a sigh.

He wasn’t Izzy and this wasn’t working. His mind went back to the ridiculous scene where he had tried to seduce the police officer back then, and he hadn’t really showed his ability there either. And he was failing short once again now. Why would it be any different? He was so unsure and inexperienced when it came to love and the uncertainty and doubt about Magnus feelings wasn’t helping much.

“Why so shy?”, Magnus asked and tilted his head a bit to the side. “How unusual of you”, he added and a grin spread on his face.

Wait. Was Magnus FLIRTING with him?

Alec smirked back at Magnus, but it felt really wrong. But he noticed how Magnus looked at the floor because of it, his cheeks blushing.

Great! Let’s do this! What was it Clary had told him? The Alec of this dimension was out, a bit arrogant but nice and quite outgoing. Fantastic, everything he himself wasn’t. But he had to play the role now.

“Right, right..I. You…you just baffled me, that’s why.” And that wasn’t even a lie, but it had a way more bitter taste than Alec liked to admit. Magnus inhaled sharply and stared at Alec with wide eyes. Alec quickly continued, before he lost the courage again. “Don’t you want to let me in? That’s kind of rude.” Magnus nodded frantically to that.

“I… Yes of course! Come in!”

Bingo!

He’s got him. Without any second thought, Alec entered the loft, feeling smug about the way he had managed to take Magnus by surprise. But now he was inside and now he had to think about what the next step was.

Alec fidgeted with the buttons on his jacket. Why was this stupid jacket so annoying? And the color, a light brown leather. Way too soft and prone to stains of blood and ichor. This Alec seemed to like luxury and wearing jackets absolutely impractical for fights. He was able to chose his clothing according to his likings and not their functionality. Alec had never possessed any piece of clothing suited for anything other than a fight.

Suddenly his vision blurred before his eyes and new memories appeared. He saw Izzy, wearing unbelievably cute glasses and with braided hair, giving him the jacket as a gift. She was telling him about how she had talked with Simon about whether it suited him, her voice proud and full of love.

WAIT!!

This was not a real memory! Izzy and Simon together? Absolutely ludicrous, same like the thought that he, Alec Lightwood, would lose himself in this dimension over the thought of a stupid jacket.

No way.

Alec groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Focus! The book and Magnus!

Alec shrugged out of the jacket and threw it down on the floor in the hallway, then he followed Magnus into the open space of the loft.

“Alec, can I get you something to drink?”, Magnus asked, moving behind his serving cart, pouring himself a glass of red wine, looking up at Alec with raised eyebrows. “Red wine? A Martini?”

Not exactly exotic, Alec thought and remembered the first night with Magnus, keeping guard over Luke. Rainbow-colored drinks with fruit and little party umbrellas had been what Magnus had made them back then. It had been the evening Magnus had admitted to feeling something when it came to Alec. Back then, Alec hadn’t been aware of the consequences of that sentence and even now, he knew more but still so little.

“Magnus! You didn’t tell me we’ve got a visitor!”, a sudden voice sounded and a third person appeared in the room.

Alec turned his head to look at the person standing there and suddenly it all made sense. The reason Magnus had lost himself so easily.

Ragnor Fell!

There he stood, alive and well. Magnus oldest friend smiling at the both of them while holding up his wine glass.

Alec gaped at the Warlock in shock and swallowed. He felt his tension, hurt, anger and doubt evaporate into thin air and every piece of the puzzle fitted perfectly together. This was the reason.

Alec felt a giant weight lifting off his shoulders. Of course Ragnor Fell was the reason why Magnus had lost himself in this dimension, the open wound of losing his oldest friend still fresh when he had started the mission. Alec knew from experience how long it took to let go after the death of a beloved person and move on and it seemed like Magnus had only thought he was over the worst of it already it already, but the truth was he was still grieving. It had to be really painful for him after sharing centuries with the other warlock and Alec could only imagine the hurt Magnus must have been feeling over Ragnor’s death. Meeting Ragnor, alive and well in this dimension must have been a surprise for sure and Magnus lost himself before being ready to face Ragnor once again.

And Alec understood.

But now he felt bad. He had doubted Magnus and his feelings for Alec, knowing the source were his own insecurities. It just was so new for Alec that he was actually important to someone else other than his siblings, but he still felt guilty. He knew Magnus would have stuck to the mission if not for the appearance of his dead friend suddenly showing up. Alec thought about Jace and his chest ached. He would feel the same way Magnus did if Jace had turned up, which reminded Alec once again NOT to lose focus and lose himself. He was still here without an anchor and had to be careful at all times.

“Seems like I’ve got a strange effect on people today”, Ragnor noticed with an amused grin as he sat down on the comfortable couch. “First, Magnus hugs me like he’s seen a ghost and now you’re gaping at me with the same expression.” He let out a small laugh, raising his glass to his lip, taking a big swig. Then he placed the empty glass on the couch table and looked at Magnus. “Honestly, Magnus, tell your friend to stop staring. It’s getting kind of awkward.”

Alec looked to his feet, his cheeks burning red. He had been staring the whole time.

“Even Alec Lightwood can’t resist your charm, Ragnor”, Magnus snapped and Ragnor head spun around to look at the young hunter, looking him up and down with an interested smirk.

“Wait, it’s THE Alec Lightwood”, he asked. Alec looked up with narrowed eyes.

The Alec Lightwood?

So Magnus had been talking about him? No, the other Alec?

“Thanks a lot, Ragnor.. how embarrassing..”, Magnus mumbled as he walked over to where Alec stood and handed him the Martini. “Please ignore this annoying guy.” He gave Alec a shy smile, raising his glass to clink their glasses. “To us and to your unexpected but absolutely welcome visit!” Magnus gave Alec a look of such intensity, that he felt a shiver run down his back. Without answering Alec tapped their glasses together their glasses and drowned the whole liquid in one go.

The drink tasted absolutely awful and he screwed up his face in disgust. He noticed Magnus smirking even though he tried to hide it.

“Martini’s aren’t your thing, huh? Guess you rather like different things then?”, Ragnor asked innocently and wiggled his eyebrows.

“I.. uhm.. I like uhm..”, Alec stuttered, desperately trying to find a suitable answer but Magnus saved him once again.

“Ragnor Fell, would you behave in front of my guest! Not everyone appreciates your dirty jokes”, he scolded him, then he turned towards Alec. “So, what brings you here?” Alec’s eyes widened.

Quick, say something, what brings you here, he thought, his mind racing. What was he supposed to say? That he wanted to go on a date? That he just wanted to see him again? It was nice to hear that, right? But how would it help Alec to get Magnus to remember? He suddenly had an idea, though, a risky one and if it turned out bad, he had a big problem. But it was the only thing he could think of. The truth, it shall have to be!

“I’m here to take you back to my world.”

_________________________________________________________

Magnus has his legs crossed as he looked at the young man sitting opposite of him.

Alec Lightwood.

A party-planner, stinking-rich son of Maryse and Robert Lightwood. Handsome, confident and openly gay.

At least that was how Magnus had met him at the Mad-Hatter-Party at the Institute a few days ago. Today, though, the young guy seemed different. Still handsome, without a doubt, but he was closed off and unsure of his behavior and Magnus could see it in his eyes how uncomfortable he was feeling. As if he didn’t belong in this world.

Which reminded Magnus about the reason of Alec’s visit.

Alec believed that he and Magnus weren’t part of this world but from another dimension, which surely wasn’t anything unusual for a warlock. Traveling through dimensions via portals was nothing more than a memory to him, his last one about a hundred years ago, but still, nothing unusual. He had traveled a thousand times through the dimensions back then but never had he lost himself in one of those.

In fact, he had been proud to be the one creating the strongest anchors all the time.

Even Ragnor had lost himself once. The conceited idiot had thought nothing would have made him lose himself in another dimension, but a lovesick Raphael had taught him better. Magnus loved to make fun of the two whenever possible nowadays.

But Magnus losing himself? It wasn’t impossible of course, but he refused to believe it to be the truth.

Magnus studied Alec’s face, his perfect hair and his perfectly tailored shirt and his well-trained body, the perfectly fitted chinos.

He took a sip of his wine.

According to the other guy, he was from the same world as the girl, Clary, he had met a few days back. A world full of demons where Shadowhunters hadn’t been forgotten, but were in fact still actively fighting against said demons. A world where magic was a part of their lives and where Shadowhunters and Downworlders had formed an alliance to defeat a shared enemy.

Magnus let out a sigh at the thought of this.

He had re-activated his magic only recently, thanks to the part of the portal from Clary and it had been an intoxicating feeling, the magic running through his veins once again. And it had been the right time too, since a demon had made it through the portal. But Clary and her blonde friend had defeated it with such speed, eliminating Magnus’s doubts about anything the redhead had said to him.

After that, the pair had left to get back to their dimension, leaving Magnus and the demon behind. Using his newly activated powers, Magnus had tried to get rid of the demon, but it had proved to be quite difficult. His magic was still weak. He didn’t want to think about any nasty details, so he pushed them aside.

He tried to find a lead, even the smallest detail, an inconsistency, something that wasn’t right. But he couldn’t think of anything. Everything seemed perfectly normal. But it always did. Losing yourself in another dimension meant becoming a part of it, becoming the person of said dimension, forgetting any memory of your own world. That was what made it all so dangerous.

Alec suddenly jumped to his feet and started pacing the room. Magnus’s brooding look rested on him.

“Magnus, look, you went on a mission six hours ago and came here to find the Book of the White. I promised you not to worry but I lied. I always worry”, Alec said and fidgeted with his sleeve. “I’m the Leader of the New York Institute and that means worrying all the time about anything and everyone.” He let out a miserable laugh. “The Clave’s eyes are heavy on my back and the Mortal Cup is in the hands of our greatest enemy. Valentine is using it to create an army of Shadowhunters to start a war against all of us. Downworlders are in danger and Jocelyn is still trapped within the sleeping spell and Jace...” Alec didn’t finish but let out a sigh. “My siblings have a habit of putting me, themselves and sometimes, even the whole world, in danger.” He took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is after you’ve been gone for six hours, the portal you went through started to get unstable. I went through before it closed. The Book of the White is the only way to wake Jocelyn and we need her to fight Valentine and get my brother and Parabatai back!”

Magnus swallowed. He understood the weight lying on the young Shadowhunters’ shoulders and he could make out the pain and hurt in his words but he could only empathize with Alec. It was still not enough to convince him that he was from the same world as him.He knew his decision wouldn't please Alec, but maybe there was one thing that could help him.

“Look, I’ve got it here”, Magnus said as he walked to the other side of the room, towards a huge bookshelf, filled with hundreds of big old books. He grabbed one particularly old one with a white book cover and handed it to Alec carefully. Alec’s eyes widened.

“Thanks”, he said, and looked up at Magnus.“But I’m not leaving without you.”

A sheepishly grin spread on Magnus face. “I’m flattered about your efforts but this is my world and..”, he said, but Alec interrupted him.

“Magnus”, he said with a firm and calm voice, putting the book aside and stood up to stand in front of the warlock, eyeing him intently. “I’m not going without you. We need the book but we also need YOU.” He furrowed his brow. “I mean.. I need you and I won’t leave without you.” Magnus stared at Alec in silence.

What if Alec was telling the truth? What if he really didn’t belong here? Would he remember if he went back with Alec? Leaving behind this peaceful world for a world full of danger? Was this guy, who he didn’t even know, really worth the risk? He wasn’t sure about it at all. Really NOT sure! Magnus wanted to help Alec, but he didn’t know what to do. He sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing at his temples.

“Magnus? Alec?”, Ragnor suddenly asked. Both men looked at the other warlock. “I know you two lovebirds forgot about me and are lost in each other, which is really cute”, he deadpanned and waved his hand in the air. “But maybe I know how to help you”, he added and raised his eyebrows.

“How?”, Alec asked, his brow furrowed.

“Well, it’s really quite simple. Renew your anchor.” Ragnor looked at Magnus with a devilish glint in his eyes and grinned. “Frankly, nothing I should be reminding Magnus Bane of, huh? But it seems like you turned your brain off the moment Alec stepped through this door. You’ve been drooling ever since. That’s why I thought a little help as your best friend would be appropriate, don’t you think?”, he finished.

Magnus crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I’m not drooling”, he objected and narrowed his eyes. Ragnor gave him a look.

“Magnus Bane, I’ve known you for nearly your whole immortal life and when I tell you you’re drooling, you are.” Magnus pouted and made a mental note to remind Ragnor on another occasion, that he, thanks to Magnus, wasn’t trapped in another dimension along with a lovesick Raphael.

Ragnor looked at Alec. “You can still remember his anchor, Shadowhunter?” Magnus noticed how Alec swallowed at these words but nodded firmly. He felt curious now. What had the other Magnus used as his anchor? He saw Alec’s cheeks darken with a blush and tilted his head.

Interesting.

The anchor clearly had to do with Alec, and Magnus absolutely wanted to know. Alec looked tense, pressing his teeth together.

“The anchor..”, Alec started and looked at Magnus with a worried expression. “I don’t know how to tell you. It’s.. not that easy.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“I’m curious”, Ragnor said gleefully and rubbed his hands together, clearly enjoying the situation.

Magnus grunted. Seemed like Ragnor sensed this was his revenge for the thing with Raphael. As great as he was, he could be quite resentful at times.

“Well, the thing is.. you… we..”Alec scratched his neck and avoided Magnus gaze.

“Alec. I know an anchor can be something intimate, right?”, Magnus said and Alec’s silence proved him right.

A shiver ran down Magnus’s back as he said those words. Something intimate with Alec Lightwood? The thought sounded tempting.The young Shadowhunter’s eyes shot up and widened as he stared at Magnus in shock. His mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something but no words came out. Magnus’s gaze was glued on Alec’s lips and he swallowed as Alec licked his lips at that very moment.

Hell, he shouldn’t be allowed to do this, Magnus thought, his mouth going dry.

Alec swallowed and coughed slightly, making Magnus feel like he had been caught doing something forbidden. His cheeks were slightly red and he suddenly felt too hot in his grey long-sleeve.

“God dammit!”, Alec uttered as he suddenly closed the distance between them.

He grabbed Magnus’s wrist, pulling the warlock closer and pressed his lips to Magnus’s. Magnus felt taken by surprise for a moment, but melted into the kiss quickly. The kiss wasn’t wild or passionate but sweet and careful.

As if Alec was asking permission.

It felt perfect to Magnus. A small moan escaped him and he couldn’t help but deepen the kiss. Alec tasted sweet and Magnus felt the desperate need to take more. He cautiously nibbled Alec’s bottom lip. It was Alec who couldn’t hold back a groan this time and the sound of it shot a shiver through Magnus body, going straight down to his groin.

Alec opened his lips eagerly to Magnus.

The kiss was less careful now but more demanding. Both were feeling like they had caught fire. Everything was lips, teeth and tongue. The kisses burned and made Magnus want more, he couldn’t think straight anymore. His body felt weightless and it was only Alec's firm grip on his wrist that was anchoring him.

And suddenly it hit him, memories flooded his head and everything was back where it belonged.

Magnus pulled back in shock and parted their lips. Everything in his head was spinning, stray thoughts trying to find their right place and Magnus needed a few seconds to get a hold of himself. When the clouds cleared, he looked at Alec. Alec was watching him with wide eyes, his lips red and swollen from their kisses. He looked unbelievably enticing, making it hard for Magnus not to kiss him once again.

“Alexander, I-.. “, Magnus started, but he was interrupted by Alec leaning in and kissing him again. A small laugh played on both their lips and Magnus was more than willing to return the kiss. It was as if Alec was reassuring him that everything was okay by kissing him. He forgave Magnus for losing himself and that he had come there to fight for Magnus and bring him back. He hadn’t abandoned him but had taken the risk of traveling through an unstable portal to get to him.

Magnus couldn’t believe Alec had really done this for him. A solitary tear fell down his cheek as he smiled into the kiss. How did he deserve such a selfless man?, Magnus asked himself as he ran a hand through the unruly black hair of the hunter, which made Alec moan again. He used his other hand to pull Alec closer, to feel him pressed against him. Alec held onto Magnus’s hips firmly, both lost in each other.

The kiss deepened and they both felt the desire to be near each other, to touch each other and hold each other close. They finally broke apart and Magnus moved down to kiss Alec’s neck. Alec inhaled sharply and toughened the grip on Magnus’s waist and pressed him even closer, if that was possible.

PING!

The sudden noise startled both of them and their heads spun around to where Ragnor stood next to the microwave.

“I’m sorry”, he laughed and took a large puffing bag out of the microwave. “Don’t stop on my account, please”, he said and winked at them as he poured the content of the bag into a bowl.

Did he seriously just make himself popcorn? Magnus thought staring at his friend in disbelief.

“I can suffer through your miserable make out session better with popcorn”, he said and stuffed his mouth full. “Is the anchor back or do you need to get to the bedroom next?”, he asked while chewing, pointing towards a closed door, a smug grin spreading on his face.

Alec’s cheeks were burning bright red and he was fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt again, avoiding looking at anything but the floor. Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle and soon the three of them were all laughing. Magnus winked at Alec, who responded with a lopsided smile.

They had done it.