Chapter Text
“I’m going to get Clary,” Alec hears Jace growl out before the rush of his footsteps eb away as he races towards the building to save the love of his life.
Meanwhile, the love of Alec’s life hovers above him on his knees like an angel of saving grace, except this time he couldn’t save Alec, not by himself. Alec‘s eyes flutter closed again as he releases another pained cough. He lies on the ground in the dark alleyway, holding back pained groans.
“Hey,” Magnus murmurs above him, one hand cradles the back of his neck and the other holds his hand with Jace’s stele. “Stay with me,” he says again, voice shaking slightly as he tries to keep the panic at bay.
Alec opens his eyes slightly for him, only for him, and releases another wheezing breath, nodding his head slightly that yes , he will try everything in his power to stay with this man.
He feels Magnus place his hand that holds the stele back on his chest before he reaches around to his back pocket to pull out his phone. His thumb rubs soothingly against the back of Alec’s neck, trying to comfort him while desperately looking through his contacts. He lets out a quick shout of victory as he finds the right number and dials, waiting for someone to answer. But Alec has no clue who he’s talking to let alone even the time or day. His mind begins fading but his eyes stubbornly stay half lidded as they watch Magnus.
“Catarina!” he shouts as soon as she answers. “I need your help. Alec’s hurt and I need you to heal him as quickly as possible.”
The rest of his words become mumbled to Alec’s ears as his bruised and broken body lays aching on the harsh concrete. The remainder of his energy is spent on keeping his eyes open, no matter how much they burned and begged to be closed, just for a little while.
The next thing he knows, a gust of wind envelopes them and he’s surrounded by the familiar lighting of Magnus’ loft. The hard concrete no longer pierced his back but rather the comfort of Magnus’ couch surrounds him. A couch they made many memories on. One’s that would give cavities from the sweetness of late night movie cuddles and opening their hearts to one another to memories that bring blush to Alec’s cheeks in a split second. He would blush, were it not for the blood loss turning his face now pale and clammy.
Magnus’ face is one of sheer panic as he looms above Alec whose every breath is more of a struggle than the previous one. Catarina enters his vision next to Magnus.
“What happened to him?” she asks in shock as she stares wide eyed at the arrow protruding out of his chest.
“I’ll explain later, just please help him,” he urges his friend with a desperate look. That’s all it takes for Cat to nod and gently push Magnus aside as she takes his place above Alec.
Alec’s eyes never leave his boyfriend’s, hoping that it was in some way a comfort, communicating that he’s trying his best for him. He sucks in a sharp breath, barely, as the pain from his arrow, delivered by his parabatai, lays deep in his chest. He doesn’t know if it was his wound or the actual ache in his heart that hurt more.
The last thing he sees is the blue magic that begins to swirl around Cat’s elegant and delicate fingers as she waves them around his chest, and Magnus breathing heavily with wide panicked eyes just behind her as Alec’s eyes finally flutter close.
-
“Magnus?”
Magnus spins in shock to the tiny voice emanating from the hallway. Madzie.
“Sweet pea,” he whispers in disbelief and walks towards her to block her view from the living room. “I forgot you still haven’t found a sitter, Cat, but she shouldn’t be here.” He picks her up and Madzie willingly goes into his arms.
Catarina is too focused to respond as she carefully begins to pull out the arrow. Alec doesn’t even move and Magnus struggles to suppress a shudder as the possibility of losing his love beats him to his core. But nothing was certain, Alec could still be saved. He couldn’t be too far gone already, right?
Magnus begins to walk Madzie into his room but she catches a glance over his shoulder and releases a small gasp.
“What happened to Alec?” she asks, her tiny fists tightening into Magnus’ maroon jacket.
Magnus sighs in the threshold of his room and turns to the living room. “He got hurt, but Auntie Cat is going to heal him. He’ll be better in no time,” he tries to say convincingly, for the both of them.
Madzie begins to move, wanting to be put down, but Magnus tightens his hold on her. She doesn’t need to see this nor would Alec want her to see him like this, again. “Come on, sweet pea. We can wait in here,” he goes to turn into his room before Madzie lets out a small cry, her frustration growing as she demands to be set down.
“No! I can help,” she says, staring straight into Magnus’ eyes. “We can help him, like last time.”
Magnus’ heart aches, breaks, and is somewhat put back together by her determination. “Okay,” he sighs gently. “I’m not exactly myself at the moment, but I can help you help him,” he murmurs and adjusts her on his hip as he begins to walk back to Cat. He checks that the arrow is out of Alec before proceeding with letting Madzie near him.
The arrow lay on his coffee table, bloody at the stilt, and Magnus swallows roughly.
Before even fully setting her down, Madzie is already running to an unconscious Alec. He’s pale, mouth slightly open as soft struggled breaths whisper out into the air that now smells like his blood. Blood that soaked his shirt and neck, his soft brown and black hair is soaked with his sweat and sticks to his forehead.
Cat’s magic seeps back into her fingertips as she steps away and Madzie takes her place. “I was able to stop the bleeding, but I think with the bond you three created when she healed him before, she can probably heal him better than I can right now,” she says as she looks to Magnus, then back to small Madzie standing next to the couch Alec lay on.
Magnus’ mind flashes back to the night Alec almost died by Valentine’s hand when he activated the Soul Sword. Now here they were again in the same position.
Taking a deep breath, Magnus moves to kneel next to Madzie. One hand he places on her back and the other over her hand that now rests on Alec’s chest. “Okay sweetie, close your eyes and take a deep breath.”
Madzie follows his instructions, breathing softly as Magnus’ eyes flicker between her and Alec. “Now,” he says gently, “calm your thoughts, and feel the energy of your body flow through your arms and fingers.”
After a minute, Magnus watches in awe as the soft pink of Madzie’s magic finds its way to Alec’s chest and begins to heal his wound. The pink glow illuminates the room as her magic grows bigger, stronger as it encapsulates Alec’s chest and weaves up to his head.
A soft, easy sigh escapes Alec’s lips and Magnus feels the rush of tears coming on instantly. He knows Alec will be okay with the help of his girls, but without them, he isn’t sure Alec would have made it through the night.
Madzie looks up to Magnus with a proud smile. “Now he just needs rest. Can we read him a bedtime story?”
Magnus and Cat chuckle together through their light tears. “How about tomorrow night? I’m sure he’ll want to spend all the time he can with you when he’s feeling better,” Magnus reassures her.
Madzie pouts her lips but nods her head. She leans over to rest her head on Alec’s chest and wrap her arms as best as she can around him. A warm smile lifts Magnus’ lips, feeling the love between these two that filled his living room, bringing peace to his loft as the tension dissipated into the air.
“Come on, sweetie,” Cat says before gently prying Madzie away, lifting her into her arms. Madzie’s eyes grow heavy, strained from the energy she spent healing Alec, and Magnus’ chest aches. He stands and gathers both her and Cat in his arms.
“Thank you,” he whispers, meaning it with every bone in his body as he holds his girls tight. They squeeze him back with just as much love.
“Anytime,” Cat whispers in reply and leans back, tucking Madzie more securely to her hip. “We’ll be back to check on you two tomorrow,” she says with a soft smile. Magnus returns the smile and gently runs a hand down Madzie’s braids as she rests her head on Catarina’s shoulder.
The front door shuts with a quiet click as they leave, the loft falling into silence, only the distant sounds of a rumbling city below break the barriers of his walls.
Magnus turns back to the man on his couch and makes his way over to crouch down, placing a hand on Alec’s chest to check his heart rate. Strong and steady, as it should be. Magnus releases a shuddering breath as relief fully pours itself through him. Grabbing a lukewarm towel, he begins the process of wiping off the blood from Alec’s chest and neck, gently gliding over the bruises and scrapes on his face. With a flick of his wrist and snap of his fingers, this all could have been avoided, but he fears what would have happened if he had shown up a minute too late.
Now somewhat clean, he places one hand behind Alec’s neck and the other under his knees before lifting him gently off the couch. He tucks Alec’s head into his neck, making his way towards his bedroom, their bedroom. Alec barely stirs as Magnus places him on their golden sheets on Alec’s side of the bed. He has his own side, for the love of god.
Magnus’ spine straightens at the realization and he gulps as his heart is sent into overdrive. He doesn’t have his magic anymore, he doesn’t have all the time in the world anymore. So much had been taken away, Alec had almost been taken away. He wouldn’t let the fear of losing Alec hold him back anymore. Life, now, was short. But if there was one thing he knew with certainty, it was that he wanted to spend every one of his last days with the man sharing his bed. The man who loved him unequivocally and wholly and who Magnus loved just as much back. He wouldn’t let the time between them slip through his fingers. They needed to make every moment count.
With that, he sits on the bed and brushes aside the soft curls gathered on his boyfriend’s head, running his fingers gently through and making his way to cup his soft cheek. He leans in and places soft kisses on his forehead, his nose, cheeks, eyes, and finally on his lips.
“Mmh,” Alec breaths into the kiss and Magnus startles back, eyes wide. He’s met with Alec’s hazel eyes gently opening and taking in his surroundings. Magnus can’t help himself as a small laugh of relief travels through his chest and the next thing he knows, Alec is in his arms. This was the kind of hug that crushed their noses into the other’s necks as they felt the breaths of relief puffing onto each other’s skin, their wandering hands warming their bodies with gentle rubs and squeezes of affection and assurance.
Alec groans into Magnus’ neck. “What happened? Did Jace get Clary and Simon?” he croaks. Because of course Alec would be the one to on the brink of death asking if his friends and family were okay.
Magnus leans back just enough to place his forehead on Alec’s temple. His eyes closed, he answers. “I don’t know, I’ll check in with Luke in a minute. Catarina and Madzie healed you,” he breathes out. He leans back and fully cups his shadowhunter’s face, taking in every detail of it. “Without them, I don’t know what would have happened, what I would have done-”
Alec silences him the best way he knows how, with a soft kiss. It ends just as quickly as it began but Magnus holds himself back from wanting more. Alec doesn’t move, only presses their foreheads together. “Thank you,” he says tenderly.
Magnus slightly shakes his head but keeps them pressed close. “I couldn’t save you, I-”
“Magnus,” Alec breathes out. “You sacrificed everything to save Jace and I. We...we owe you everything.” Magnus was already shaking his head at his beautiful man, running a hand through his hair until he cups the back of his neck.
“I’d do it again if I had to,” he murmurs before bringing Alec in for a bruising kiss. One that demanded the need to be reassured that everything was okay and that neither of them were going anywhere. Alec returned his kiss with as much energy as he could give.
Magnus wrenches his mouth away for a quick moment. “I know I said we were moving fast,” he kisses him again. “But after everything that’s happened-” another kiss, “I can’t stand the thought of being without you.”
Alec leans back, eyes glistening with the reassurance of his love as his long calloused fingers caress Magnus’ cheeks. “Magnus,” he breathes out. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m not either. So move in, with me, here,” he says as if he’s never been more sure of anything else in his life, his hold on Alec’s shirt tightens in his fist, the other holding on to the back of his neck to keep them close.
Alec pauses, his mouth open to say yes, but being Alec, he says, “A-are you sure?”
“I honestly don’t think i’ve ever been more sure of anything,” he confesses in a warm tone of love that only Alec brings out in him.
There’s so much Alec wanted to say, concerns flare in his mind that Magnus might just be doing this because he lost his magic, but it was more than that. Seeing the desperation in the eyes of the man he love’s reflect that of a man who just almost lost everything makes Alec want to forget all of their current problems. His need to protect this man from the world is almost overwhelming. But they have time, and they will have it together to figure everything out. Relationships take a lot of fucking effort. But with Magnus, Alec never questions his abilities to be there for him, and he will be for there for him through it all.
The side of his mouth turns into a smile only reserved for Magnus, the lights of the bedroom, their bedroom, shimmer in his hazel eyes as he murmurs, “Okay,” and kisses the man he loves.
Tomorrow, he will begin a plan to somehow get Magnus his magic back. But for now, in this moment, they allow this victory to settle into their hearts as they move forward in their futures, healing together. Little did they know though, this was nothing compared to the heartache that awaited them.