Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Magnus stands in the kitchen, stirring sugar in his tea. He woke up early and rested, in a good mood. He sort of wishes he didn't wake early because now he has to wait for his guest to join him and sometimes Magnus just isn't a patient man. Especially not when he wants to see someone again. Someone like beautiful, sweet men who spent the night in his home.

He's buoyed by how well the previous evening went. It's a bit of a shame they're at the beginning of this thing between them and Magnus couldn't get any boost from the subtle kind of love magic but he did get a kiss and that was worth everything.

When he hears movement, Magnus takes one more sip of his tea and leaves the cup on the counter to be finished later and conjures two coffees instead.

"Milk and sugar?" he asks, turning to look at Alexander shuffling into the living space of Magnus's home.

He's dressed but his hair is fluffed up and he looks sleep-rumpled in general. Magnus can't help but smile.

"Sugar," Alec answers. "You can keep the milk."

Magnus adjusts the coffee in his right hand accordingly with a little bit of magic and wonders where they should have them. At the same time, Alec hesitates and stops.

"Uh. I'm trying to remember what's where," he says, rubbing the back of his neck in a self-conscious gesture.

"The sofa's maybe five steps in front of you but there's nothing to the right. If I come over will you take it as me helping you out or will you see right through me, because I just want to hold your hand?"

At that, Alec smiles but says: "I'm fine," deciding to make his own way towards Magnus, not the coffee table. "Leave hand-holding for the second date."

Magnus chuckles. "You've crushed my dreams."

He walks around the dining table to pull the chair out for Alec and direct him to sit.

"What are you in a mood for today? Belgian waffles? Continental breakfast? I could manage pancakes. Or cereal?"

Alec hesitates.

"Waffles? It's been a while since I had any."

"Perfect," Magnus says. At the same time, he pushes the cup of coffee towards Alec. "They say we're not supposed to have coffee before actual food but you look like you need it."

"Oh. I slept quite well if you're worried about that?"

Turning away to go to his fridge, Magnus waves his hand dismissively. "I know you're not a fan of early mornings. Now I see that in person. You're not any less cute for it, though."

Looking into the fridge, Magnus has another question: "Chocolate sauce or maple syrup for your waffle?"

"Do you have canned whipped cream?" Alec dares to hope.

"I might still have some," Magnus lies.

He takes the chocolate sauce out and puts it on the counter to free his hands to conjure up fresh waffles. The one for Alec has fresh, thick cream on top of it. At this point, Magnus realizes it might be too much and prove troublesome for eating but he doesn't redo it. He has a feeling, or a hope, that his guest will enjoy it, overdone or not. He adds the chocolate on top and thinks about fruit but decides to separately conjure a bowl of strawberries. He puts it on the table and then gets plates for both of them.

"There you go. A sugar rush for breakfast," Magnus chuckles.

"That… was fast." Alec's brows draw together.

"It was because waffles were already waiting for you."

"Why did you ask what I wanted, then?"

"I made a guess, darling. And you'll notice I listed them as the first option because I had a feeling you'd take the first suggestion."

Alec snorts.

"And if you hated them," Magnus adds, "I would have made something else for you and ate them myself."

Alec shakes his head. "I'm still sleeping, aren't I?"

Magnus frowns.

"Why?"

"No one is that perfect."

"Keep up the compliments and I'll impress you more with the dinner," Magnus says, happy with his simple success.

"We're eating dinner together?"

"I was thinking that we could," Magnus says carefully. "You aren't working today. If you want to go home, you can whenever you want, of course… but I'm not ready to part with you yet, if I may say that. We only had the afternoon and evening and we didn't stay up that late."

Alec's nibbling on the edge of his waffle and then takes a bigger bite so he can't answer right away. Magnus waits.

"Okay," finally comes the reply.

"Okay? You'll spend more time with me?"

"Yes. But maybe we shouldn't stay cooped up all day."

"Of course," Magnus replies, already letting his thoughts run ahead enthusiastically to the rest of the day.

They're eating in silence for a while, and reading Alexander's face, Magnus guesses the sweet creation he'd conjured is just perfect.

In the end, Magnus reaches across the table to tap Alexander's nose.

"Cream."

"I knew it. Still worth it," Alec replies, smiling.

"Good. I need to see myself in the mirror, too. I bet I got chocolate somewhere."

"All right, so how about this – finish your coffee, we'll get dressed and go for a walk, grab a bagel or something on the way. It's going to be frosty later so it's better to go out now."

"Let's do that."

While he's putting his shoes on, Alec pauses.

"You didn't tell me about the cat yesterday. I guess it sleeps all day?"

Magnus freezes. The silence lasts too long and Alec tilts his head.

"Oh, right," Magnus manages to speak. "I'm sorry. Did you meet it? It was supposed to be locked away to not trip you up. You know how cats are."

"I guess. I met some cats in the past." Alec shrugs and finishes putting his shoes on and then straightens to fix his loosely tied scarf. "Yours must have gotten out and came to sleep on me."

"I apologize for that. You're free to shoo it away but I hope you didn't mind it."

"I didn't mind. And I would have hated to disappoint it on the first day. Nothing worse than a vengeful pet to chase away the new boyfriend, right?"

Magnus laughs and hopes Alec can't hear the nervous edge to it.

"We'll figure out how to make you two friends later."

Alec is done tying his scarf and is waiting for Magnus to get ready.

"Like I said, I didn't mind it visiting me, it was warm. But maybe a bell would be a good idea."

"Tell you what, if we pass by a pet store, we'll ask about it."

The day goes slowly, peacefully. They grab those bagels to fill up after the waffles and they walk without a clear goal.

Magnus isn't even a fan of walks, it's just that he loves hearing Alexander talk and he already knows he is more relaxed when they walk. Probably because he has distractions all around and he doesn't overthink being alone with Magnus. Besides, his cheeks are red in the cold and Magnus likes the sight.

They return home without any collar bells so Magnus promises to find one online for the next date.

When they're about to settle down to decide what to do next, Alec's phone alerts him about a call so Magnus encourages him to take it because he'll get started on the dinner in the meantime.

Magnus isn't listening to the conversation. He only knows it probably is work-related, not Alexander's family calling so he makes sure not to make noise the phone would pick up.

Wondering what he should conjure them for dinner, Magnus uses the time while Alexander's occupied to go check on potions he'd bottled up two days ago. They're supposed to mature so he checks on their changing colors. They seem fine and he leaves them as they are but he notices a dried-up spill that he'd missed cleaning up. It takes a second to get rid of magic.

Being gone from the living room, Magnus doesn't see the way his armchair and then the footrest silently move out of Alec's way before he walks into them.

He doesn't know yet that Alec will sometimes pace when talking on the phone. It's a bad habit to have in his situation but Alec never grew out of it and his nervous energy sometimes drives him to move too much. At best, he only gestures a lot but if he wasn't sitting while taking the call, he often ends up walking. And it's fine in his home or the office, but it isn't fine in an apartment he isn't familiar with yet.

At Magnus's, Alec remembers the sofa, the kitchen table, and where the guest room and bathroom entrances are but other details are yet to be memorized. (It's particularly difficult when Alec's constantly distracted by Magnus's sole presence.)

The padded footrest moves out of his way two more times before it disappears altogether and reappears on the balcony.

When Alec finally realizes what he's doing and decides to sit down on the sofa, trying to feel for it with his left hand, the piece of furniture soundlessly slides half a meter to meet him like a dog closing the distance to be petted. Even the coffee table slides away even though he wouldn't have bumped into it if it stayed where it was.

Sitting down, Alec listens to his colleague talk and then offers his advice. He's glad he picked up the call so he can help out because he doesn't like issues being left to sort themselves out. Not that the other man couldn't eventually figure a way out on his own, he's smart, but Alec doesn't mind talking cases over if it gets them off the list faster, even when they're not his own.

Of course, at first, he thought that he shouldn't pick up when it wasn't his family calling while he's a guest but Magnus was right that he should. After all, they're not supposed to stay attached at the hip all the remaining time Alec spends with Magnus today. They've done everything together except sleep so far.

He can hear Magnus moving through the apartment and when he comes back to the kitchen, there are some utensils or other items clinking.

Before Alec ends the call, something hops up into his lap, startling him. Thankfully, he doesn't drop the phone and only makes a little noise. Putting his free hand on the cat, Alec pets it automatically.

"Your cat got out again," Magnus hears Alexander address him and turns to him before the words truly register in his head.

"What's their name?" Alec asks when Magnus doesn't comment.

Magnus leaves the plates he was preparing for them and comes closer to see Alec better. Sure enough, there is a creature in his lap.

It's not a cat. Magnus doesn't have cats.

What Magnus has is a Familiar.

It's not like in the books and movies. Familiars aren't black cats and they're not animals at all, magical or otherwise. They are Energy, sentient, concentrated, capable of making choices for themselves, such as allowing a witch to draw from the well of their magical being. They're just visible Energy.

That poses a problem for Magnus when the incorporeal being sits in Magnus's human boyfriend's lap, putting up pretenses of being a cat.

Alexander's fingers run through wispy black smoke which doesn't really have a shape. It's vaguely ball-like most of the times, unless the Familiar is moving fast and it becomes a long streak of smoke.

At the center of it, there sometimes is a light. Sometimes, it's barely visible at all, no smoke and no light.

Magnus hesitates more but finally speaks.

"Oh, I call him many names. I shouldn't tell you he's sometimes Infuriating Ball - um, Infuriating Furball. As a matter of fact, you can call him whatever you want. Furball is fine."

"That's not the worst pet name I've heard."

The Familiar is lighting up red inside, then yellow, then white and back to red. Magnus frowns at it.

While he studies it, the silence gets too long.

"Is this okay?" Alec asks, meaning the petting. His hand hovers over the cat - Familiar.

Magnus shakes himself.

"Yes, of course, it's fine. It's only that I'm unused to him liking anyone," he says and that at least doesn't sound like a lie to his own ears. "Not even me."

Alec smirks. "He doesn't like you?"

"Well. He tolerates me better than anyone else, I suppose, or he would have packed his bags and left long ago."

At that, Magnus gets a chuckle and he feels lighter.

He'd love to stay and watch because he wants to figure his Familiar out but if he did that, Alec would eventually feel his stare.

He begins preparing everything for the dinner while his mind's in overdrive. It's not bad that his Familiar is becoming familiar with Alexander but… those creatures aren't pets. They can't be ordered by witches; they can only be asked. Magnus can't read its mind and understand why it's choosing to let a mundane touch it.

What he can do, however, is use his magic. He can send out his magic to connect to the Energy without taking anything from it because magic is a witch's sixth sense, an extra limb to be used.

What Magnus knows is this: the Familiar is, somehow, content.

Not like a cat, no. It is Energy, so it is pleased by different things and right now it's basking in the non-magical life energy of a human.

Magnus isn't concerned about that. Actual leeching of life energy is a difficult, demanding magic and Alexander would have noticed.

What drew the Familiar out now when it had stayed hidden every time Magnus had a lover home? The easiest guess is that it was the fact Magnus did magic with Alexander in the apartment and the Familiar knew that and drew its own conclusions.

Magnus can only hope that's a good sign for both of them for the future and not a mistake that will only leave them lonely again.

Alexander talks to him, distracting him from overthinking all the time until Magnus calls dinnertime.

Inevitably, that means their time together will be over soon because Alexander will be going home after they're done eating. It's a little pathetic but Magnus feels as though the summer is ending and he has to say goodbye to a summer friend.

It's ridiculous. They're in the same city and Alexander will be within reach. Hell, Magnus is free to call him later today. Most importantly, they aren't parting ways. They're dating.

And that makes Magnus giddy with anticipation of what is yet to come.

At dinner, his Familiar resumes its more natural behavior, which is floating. Just that, floating. Magnus doesn't appreciate it doing directly over the dinner table and he tries to shoo it away like he would a real cat but it persists in being annoying. It's still glowing inside the wispy silhouette.

Half an hour later, Magnus goes outside with Alec when the taxi arrives to take him back home. He gets a goodbye kiss and then returns inside alone, to his magical, floating, silent company.

⁂

Everything goes on as normal, their calls and text, and their personal lives as well. The thing that changes is that both of them, separately, are already thinking ahead to when they can meet again.

Magnus doesn't suggest lunches together because he knows that Alec's sister or brother, or his friends usually use that time.

They do meet in the club again with everyone there to relax at the end of the following week after Valentine's Day. It's a fun evening. Magnus leaves the lounge to dance for a while with Isabelle and then with some strangers. He does ask if Alec is okay with that, which was sweet in Alec's opinion.

"I will get you to dance with me one day, darling," he says to Alec before he gets up from the sofa. "For a slow dance you don't need to see where you're going, you only need a good partner."

Even though Alec never had any interest in dancing, even with Magnus, those words said only for his ears make his face heat up.

⁂

Alec's sitting in Isabelle's little kitchen, poking his food with a fork. It's not that there's anything wrong with it, it's take-out after all, but he's just distracted from eating.

Isabelle is sitting opposite of him at her kitchen isle, watching him. It's a waiting game and it's not the first time they're playing it.

There's only barely enough room for Alec's legs to fit when he props his feet up on the footrest of her chairs and his right knee keeps bumping hers.

"He's too good to be true," Alec says finally, losing the game.

His sister is silent for a while.

"You're worried he's putting in the effort only to woo you and dump you?"

"Maybe."

He hates this a little. He'd avoided all this relationship drama for so long and now he was smack in the middle of his own, except only in his head because there was absolutely nothing wrong with Magnus…

"I guess he probably is trying extra hard because that's what you deserve," Isabelle says. "I don't think he's someone who changes when he gets what he wants."

"You think so?"

"I mean, I am only making assumptions. Using the female intuition, if you will. You can believe it but you should also trust your own intuition."

She reaches over to tap his forehead and he leans away.

"Not your overthinking. Intuition," she says.

"I understand."

"Good. Look, he's a catch, okay? You're fine, he's fine, you'll look great on pictures together. I want you to keep him."

"Geez, thanks, objectify us more."

"I'm not objectifying you. I'm forcing you to think about the other things, which you should be thinking of on your own. He's not my boyfriend. You know how he makes you feel."

"I guess I do."

"You're wasting time worrying that you're, uh, I don't know…" she pauses. "Infatuation is part of the fun. So you're swept off your feet, so that's great! Enjoy it. Don't try to look for serious adult feelings right away. I mean, how old are you? Forty-five?"

I don't want to be hurt, he thinks. But she is right. It's not like he has bad luck in love. He's just always been too careful. And she's right that he still has the time for all this, even though he doesn't feel like that sometimes.

Most importantly, he's never met anyone like Magnus before.

They're in their thirties. That's a good age to have one's shit together, right? Alec has to trust Magnus. And if he's wrong? Well, if Magnus gets him into bed and leaves him, then Alec will probably never trust anyone again.

⁂

Magnus has been brewing all day. His Familiar, who is slowly becoming Furball in his mind all because of Alexander, is spending the day in the apothecary, lending its power to the witch's work.

Magnus is far too observant to miss the way it's been smoke more often than it's been translucent lately. It has to be said that a witch like Magnus could never have a weak Familiar but it's been changing recently for the better.

All on its own.

It seems they have both been taking advantage of Alexander in their own way.

Magnus worries about karma sometimes. No, he isn't coldly inviting the other man to hang out with him just to have his life energy in his apartment. No, he isn't ignoring his own preferences just to seduce a blind man because he can't see Magnus doing magic and he can't see what the cat in his lap truly is. To Magnus, Alexander is perfect. He's smart, he's sweet, he can be endearingly shy but then he turns into an assertive, capable man who knows his own worth… and that turns Magnus on. On top of all that, he's beautiful.

Even though Magnus does his best to treat Alexander right, he still worries about the lie.

The truth is, he did go for Alexander because he was beautiful and because he was blind. Magnus saw his chance there, a chance to get a man to fall in love with him, come stay in the apartment, hang out with Magnus without being freaked out by the shortcuts Magnus is taking every day thanks to magic. Even doing things as simple as conjured dinners.

Before, Magnus had to make his choices; date other witches or lie to mundanes until they catch him doing magic. Both those options are tiring. Very, very tiring.

All Magnus wants is Alexander.

If they continue to be together, one day he will have to tell the truth because he won't be able to live with the lie indefinitely and he doesn't want to hide what is an integral part of himself. It's so rare that people don't even know it exists, but Magnus was born with this ability and it's as natural to him as lack of sight is natural to Alexander. There's no way for him to know if that comparison will make things harder or easier for him when he tries to tell the truth.

⁂

They keep meeting. Magnus gets an invitation to come over several times for change and he meets Alec's own non-magical, non-living company.

The place is tiny compared to Magnus's home but he's well aware his own apartment is outside the norm, not the rule. He's used to certain things in life and most important of them are freedom and space.

The little apartment is just fine for living. There is Isabelle's touch all over it, as far as decorations are concerned. There aren't many of those but Magnus can tell - or guess - that Alec's sister put certain items in certain places to make the place look nice. There are several portraits of the Lightwood family and Magnus knows by looking at them that they came from Clary's hand. He thinks it's sweet and touching, both because of the gift and because of the sole presence of the portraits. That, he knows, is very Alec because he's such a family-oriented man. It doesn't matter that he can't appreciate the portraits. His guests are supposed to see them, just like Magnus is doing every time he comes over.

Today, while Magnus is looking around the place, wondering if Isabelle has been by recently, Alec goes in and comes out of his room, changed in different clothes. Magnus has actually picked him up straight from his office so Alec was still dressed in clothes much too serious for a home date. When he emerges from his room in a soft and warm-looking grey shirt with sleeves ending at the elbows, Magnus wonders if he chose that one on purpose, knowing Magnus's admiration of those toned arms.

Alec is smiling lightly, looking relaxed.

"Magnus?" he asks because Magnus has been quite quiet and Alec can't guess where he's standing.

"Why do you have your brother's trophy here?" Magnus asks, standing in front of the shelf holding the mentioned trophy. It's a school award for achievements. It looks like fancy private school stuff but Magnus has read the text on it and it's actually impressive for a kid, not just a gadget.

"Ah, that. He has more of those at home and this one's here because unlike a diploma, I can enjoy it." Alec smiles more and Magnus is loving his good mood today, unable to look away. "And I may have helped him out with the project he got it for."

Magnus chuckles.

"Of course. Does each one of you have a trophy you 'helped' with?" he asks, knowing very well that each of the older Lightwood siblings had something to offer.

"Yeah. Mine is the coolest, though. And don't get me wrong, we only helped a little where it was necessary. Most of the work was Max's."

Magnus does believe that. Lightwoods are so big on working hard for their own, that even if they are soft on their baby brother, the kid still deserves credit.

They order take-out because Alec's continued good mood calls for junk food when he isn't worried about the consequences.

Magnus sits there, in love, thinking that this is what he always looked for: his cute date and him, eating trash food because that's what they're in a mood for. He's dated people before who were all about appearances, about prestige and health and although Magnus is admittedly a little of a snob sometimes, he doesn't live his life like that.

He's buoyed by the feeling, the adoration, the happiness. And he thinks… maybe this is the time. Maybe he should take the next step today. In their case, the next step is something Alexander doesn't even know is ahead of them.

It's best to do it in Alexander's home, where he can tell Magnus to get lost instead of having to leave himself.

But Magnus is afraid and he wants to have a little more of them before he risks losing it.

So he waits until their date is long enough, until he's had his fill of Alexander's voice and his smiles, and then he decides it's really the time. They're sitting on Alec's little fold-out sofa, which only sees use when he has guests. They've been talking about the news, something they've both heard about today. Then Magnus tells Alec about a few recent interesting scandals to entertain him. After that…

"Alexander… what if I had a secret? A major one. I- it's not bad. I don't have a secret wife and I didn't rob a bank."

A moment of confused silence.

"Are you sick?" Alexander asks, slowly like he's not sure of his words. "No, that would be bad."

"Yes, that would be bad indeed. I'm not sick. My secret… it doesn't have to change anything between us but it will change how you think of me."

Magnus takes Alexander's hand in his because it's a substitute for eye-contact and because he wants to – needs to keep him right there.

"And that's why I didn't tell you before. Because it's private and it's my secret."

"I… think I get the idea? You don't have to tell me anything, Magnus."

"No, I want to. It's part of me and it'll always be here and I want you to be here always as well… so I owe you honesty."

Alec is calm and clearly confused but also concentrating. Magnus looking at him, staring intently, silently begging him to hear him out and understand.

"All right? Then tell me. Magnus, you have to know I wouldn't leave you over something that isn't… I don't know, evil. I probably would have a problem with it if you hurt someone but if it's something personal, I would hope you know me better than that."

Magnus smiles even though he feels just a little bit like crying.

"Okay. Okay, just out with it, right?" He takes a breath, opens his mouth to speak and closes it. Then he tries again. Alec has to know how nervous he is because he can feel Magnus's flexing fingers on his hand.

"I have magic, Alexander. I'm a witch. Or a warlock or a mage, though that last one is more of a games thing."

There is a pause. A long pause. Magnus can barely believe he even did this. He's not sure if he really said the truth or if he's still hesitating, only imagining that he did it.

Alec isn't taking his hand away so Magnus keeps holding on.

"If you can do magic," Alec begins carefully, "then you can prove it to me."

"Yes, yes, I can," Magnus rushes to assure him because Alec is giving him an opportunity, an opening, and Magnus has to use it.

Alec nods.

"I will be upset if you're lying to me about something so strange," he adds.

"Of course," Magnus replies quickly, "I would have been as well if someone said something like that to me. But it's the truth. I was born with this gift and I had learned to use it. I swear to you, I have been using magic since I was a teenager. And I can prove it, of course."

There are many ways for him to do so and he has thought about already. It'd be disastrous for him to do something that could be explained away as a trick.

"Tell me, what was your favorite toy as a child?"

"Uh? When I was really young? I guess… for my fifth birthday, my dad's friend gifted me a plush toy which was so huge I couldn't have possibly lost it as a distracted blind kid. Actually, it's still at my parents' house."

Magnus is very, very relieved Alexander is even humoring him with an answer to the strange question. Maybe he can do this after all.

"All right," he encourages, "what is it? What kind of animal?"

"It was- is a panda. To me, it was just a 'bear'." Alec smiles at the memory. "Later, I knew the difference from geography and biology classes."

Magnus smiles as well, even though his heart is pounding in his chest. He's imagining a five-year-old boy hugging an oversized plush toy and it helps his nerves a little.

"Give me your hand," he says, even though he's still holding it. He wants to make his intention loud and clear to avoid startling his boyfriend.

Alec turns his hand in Magnus's, palm up, understanding.

Holding onto it with his left hand, Magnus rises his right, gathering magic at his fingertips. A few seconds later, there is a small plush bear in Alec's palm.

Magnus can see the way his hand twitches at first and then he closes is over the object. At that point, Magnus lets go of him.

Alec takes his time investigating the toy. Magnus waits.

For a while, Alec isn't saying anything even though it takes seconds to know what he's holding.

"Can you change it into something else?" he asks eventually.

"I can switch it, not exactly change it." Magnus isn't about to start talking theory of magic but he can throw in basics as they try to move on.

"Okay…" Alec is thinking. "Give me… give me a pillow. Your pillow from the sofa."

Magnus complies with the request. It's a reasonable request, too, because Alec knows very well how those pillows feel under his fingertips.

Magnus calls the red, ribbed one which lies on what he calls Alexander's side of the sofa in his head. Even though he asked for this, Alec is surprised when an object significantly larger than the toy appears and he almost drops it before holding it in both hands firmly.

"That's the one," he says thoughtfully, his fingertips stroking the soft fabric.

"The dinners we had in my home," Magnus says, "they were only partially made by me. Usually, when I asked you what you felt like having, I conjured it."

"That… makes sense in hindsight."

"Does that make you angry with me?"

"What? No. That's not a reason to be angry with someone."

"I don't mean magical cooking, I mean the secret," Magnus says to make sure because Alexander can be too literal sometimes.

Alec shakes his head.

"As you said, that's your secret to keep. And as I said, I would have been disappointed if you'd hurt anyone or lied to me for no reason. Obviously, that's not the issue. I'm not sure there is an issue."

Alec puts the pillow aside and reaches for Magnus, to take his hands in his and gives him a squeeze.

"I always knew you were different," Alec tells him. "When I was with you, I felt… more alive. I never met anyone else who affected me as much as you have."

Unsure what to say, Magnus doesn't say anything.

"When I was with you, the air felt – I don't know – electric. And I thought that was infatuation. Or attraction, sexual or otherwise, like Izzy said. I thought that's what people falling in love feel. But I guess that's not quite it."

"Not quite," Magnus manages to say.

"It's especially prominent in your home," Alexander goes on and he sounds more confident now as if he's accepting the truth and incorporating it into the 'new' view of the world. "The air feels alive, you know? I thought that was all in my head but it's actually you."

"My home is my sanctuary," Magnus confirms. "It's filled with my spells, big and small. If you ask me, I will tell you everything you need to know."

Alec shakes his head. "I don't need anythi-" and there he cuts himself off before continuing in a different tone. "I only need to know you're safe. That is, you're so unusual. Are you safe?"

"I am, Alexander, thank you. I'm careful and I have a few friends who are just as unusual, in case I needed help."

Alec nods.

"Good, that's good. I wish I could- well, I wish I could be more useful to you as well-"

Magnus interrupts him.

"Alexander, you already are my shining knight. Still sitting with me after what I've told you… thank you. As for protecting me, let me be the one to do that for you."

"But-"

Magnus slips his right hand out of his hold and silences him by touching his lips with his fingertip.

"Let me. Listen. I'm not in danger. Yes, I can't reveal myself but in daily life, I'm at the advantage. I can protect myself well. And back when you didn't know the truth, I enjoyed looking after you. I don't need you to do anything beyond what partners do for each other."

Magnus watches Alexander as he speaks and he knows his boyfriend isn't convinced. That will be something to deal with going forward, that drive to be protective of everyone.

But this is not the time to talk about Alexander. Magnus feels he should talk more about himself.

"I like looking after you whenever I can thanks to my magic. It makes me happy to give you things you like - all those desserts we've had - I hope you won't see that as me tricking you. I- it makes me happy knowing I can do things like that for the man I care for."

A soft smile graces Alec's lips.

"They were nice."

And then, he says: "The cat isn't real, is it?"

Magnus winces.

"Well... it is real. It very much exists… but not as a cat as you know them. It's not my pet. It's my magical creature. And while we're mentioning it, it liked you from the start, more than any other boyfriend or girlfriend I've had."

"It did?"

"I'll be honest, both of us – myself and my Familiar – were drawn to you because you were safe for us. You wouldn't have run away upon seeing strange things."

Alec snorts. "I guess not."

Silence falls between them but it isn't a bad kind of silence. Alexander is thinking, Magnus is waiting and internally coming to terms with having revealed the truth.

Alexander hasn't run for the hills yet. He's still talking to Magnus. He's right there, the beautiful, kind, hard-working Alexander.

And Magnus wants to keep him. He wants to do everything in his power to make him stay. Just as he's said, he wants to look after him.

"May I feel it?" Alexander asks after a while.

"My magic?"

"Yeah. If I can feel the- the space around you, I should be able to feel a spell? When you called the pillow and the bear, I think I felt something but I wasn't sure…"

Magnus just nods at first, then speaks.

"Yes, you should. It could be called a transfer of energy and it affects the space it happens in. I can feel it and other people can as well. I could… hmm, warm your hands for a start."

Magnus can't hold back the smile at how eagerly Alexander holds out his left hand for Magnus to hold again. It's a very easy spell, something he'd teach a magical child. It isn't a "sudden" spell, it's so easy to build it up gently, for as long as needed.

"Oh," Alexander says, soft and full of wonder when Magnus feeds magic into his skin.

They talk more, after that. Magnus can tell his boyfriend is holding back from asking too many questions – or what he deems intrusive questions. Magnus can't read minds but he can read body language and he knows Alexander quite well by now.

Magnus might not be ready for a barrage of personal questions but he's never minded talking magic. If Alexander asked, he would give him a whole lecture on magic theory.

If he stays (if, if), they will have a lot of time to cover all kinds of topics that will undoubtedly pop up as time goes.

⁂

Somehow, their relationship sees another day unchanged.

Alec wakes up alone the next day thinking he's dreamt it up, but… other than that, he deals with it. His boyfriend's secret is, well, very unusual but just as Alec said to him, it was not a bad one. He could live with strange things.

Besides, he's known Magnus was special from the beginning.

And yes, it still feels like a dream for a week after he learns the truth. Magnus keeps answering his questions, he always asks if Alec wants more proof and he always asks if it's all right if he uses magic for something.

Alec doesn't like that last part. Magnus shouldn't have to ask permission to make use of what's his natural talent. When Alec says that, Magnus points out he'd hate to startle Alec with it, so they compromise. Magnus tells him whenever he when he plans to cast a spell close enough to affect him and doesn't ask when he's a little farther. He rarely does it near Alec, anyway.

As for the cat, Alec wonders if it knows that Alec knows. He's very glad it keeps coming to him to perch on his lap so he can pet it when he sits on the sofa. Even with his new knowledge, the fur feels just the same and the purring is just the same. The matter of the collar bell was left forgotten when there's no need for him to ever worry about tripping over or trampling an unsuspecting animal.

The next time Alec stays the night at Magnus's, the cat comes to sleep on his chest again.

⁂

Alec takes his consultancy calls while Magnus works on potions in his apartment. They're comfortable like that, neither disturbing the other.

It works out.

They do their respective jobs, they come together for lunch, for dinner. More and more often, Alec stays the night in the guest room.

By now, Alec knows Magnus's apartment works around him. He knows he won't ever trip over a stool, he won't ever walk into a sofa while he's distracted on the phone.

Cat is his companion whenever Magnus is occupied with something and Alec wonders sometimes if it does something around him, too.

"I don't know how I feel," Alec tells Magnus one evening while they're standing on the sidewalk, waiting for their taxi, "knowing you might be doing things for me that I can do myself and I don't even know it."

He waits for Magnus to reply.

It is an issue that has been on his mind for a while and Alec knew he'd need to voice it eventually, so he does.

"I probably did that more than once," Magnus says. "Not because I'm overprotective… but because I love you and I want to make everything easy for you."

Alec sighs.

"If everything's easy, I will grow lazy and fat."

Magnus steps closer and pokes Alec in the belly through his jacket.

"I'm sure you'd find something to keep you smart and sexy." Then, more seriously, he adds: "You already know I enjoy looking after you… but I don't want you to feel like you've just told me. If I promise not to be a helicopter boyfriend, will that be enough? I may slip up but I will do my best to use common sense."

"Of course. I trust you."

"Good. Then I promise. If there's anything else bothering you… about my magic or something I'm doing-"

Alec raises his hand to stop him. He rests his fingers on Magnus's arm.

"It's fine. It's perfect. You're perfect. I'm only saying that because it bothers me to think you might be putting my life on easy mode when I don't want that."

"Did you get that phrase from Max?"

"Maybe."

Magnus chuckles.

"I get it, darling. I do. I wouldn't have wanted that, either. So I promise to watch what I do but I can't speak for my home. It... has a mind of its own most of the time."

"Hmmm." Alec steps closer and finds Magnus's hand to hold it. "Then I'll speak with it, too, when I come over next time."

⁂

Eventually, Alec begins spending more time at Magnus's rather than at his small apartment. He's hesitant to think about moving out for many reasons. He's made it his own space, where he knows every nook and cranny, and he likes it. It was his retreat from his protective family and from the world in general, and he doesn't like thinking of letting it go.

When they talk about it, Magnus encourages him to keep it if it makes him happy. They make time for each other anyway, and Magnus doesn't mind staying separate like this. He'd love to have Alec home more often but he also absolutely understands wanting to be on one's own, even if Alec's reasons are different than his.

⁂

Whenever they meet with Alec's friends and family, Alec makes it a game to call his partner magical whenever he can fit it into a conversation. The others think it's sweet ("It's sickening, actually." "Shut up, Jace, you're exactly the same with Clary.").

⁂

Since Magnus doesn't have to conceal his potion-making anymore, Alec slowly learns to recognize his mixtures by how they smell because Magnus is always willing to explain anything Alec asks him about. Alec may complain sometimes about less than pleasant aromas ("Seriously, Magnus, this is one's like moldy clothes!" "It's a very popular potion, darling." "Well, you should charge less for the smell.") and he's certainly not volunteering to try anything, but listening to Magnus talk is one of his favorite things.

⁂

Sometimes, when Alec's curled up with his feet up on the sofa in Magnus's living room, headphones on as he's catching up with the news or learning something while Magnus is working, instead of touching him, Magnus will use magic to get his attention.

Alec will get prodded by tendrils of magic, never startling him, always considerate. And he will pretend not to notice, making Magnus extend more power until he realizes Alec is teasing.

It's the new normal for both of them. Even though he will never understand what it is like to have a supernatural talent, Alec has some idea of how relieved it makes his partner to be accepted like that, to be wholly himself without worrying about what Alec might think or do about it.

Admittedly, Alec has spent a lot of time so far thinking about it and there's nothing strange about it because how many people can say "my boyfriend is a witch"?. He thinks over what Magnus is telling him and he's thinking his own thoughts about everything. He worries, too, and he has to evade Isabelle's questions because, of course, she's picked up on it. He only tells her that Magnus is having private troubles and that actually works well to calm her down, when she thought it might be relationship trouble between Alec and Magnus.

Telling the truth to his sister is something Alec is planning to do one day and it means more 'within a year' than 'one day ten years from now'. He'll share with all of his siblings, probably.

They aren't at the parent meeting stage yet but that will also probably come up eventually, regardless of magic.

⁂

Alec comes over as they'd planned two days before and finds himself surprised by lack of a welcoming voice at the lift's intercom. Still, he has the card for it so he lets himself in the lift and then inside the apartment.

It's quiet. Magnus hasn't sent him a text or anything else to let Alec know the plans have changed or that he's simply running late. It is possible his phone died, that can happen to anyone, so Alec decides to wait a while, try calling and then leave if Magnus doesn't show.

He doesn't want to leave right away. It's raining and he wants to at least let his clothes dry a little before he goes out again.

The moment he's done taking his shoes off, there is someone brushing against his legs.

"Hello," Alec says. "I don't suppose you can tell me where Magnus is?"

The Familiar makes a figure eight around his ankles.

"You know, spending time with you will end badly for me the next time I'm around a real cat," Alec is talking while making his way to the kitchen. "I'm getting used to not worrying about stepping on you."

After lifting up the electric kettle to see if there's water in it, he begins making himself something warm to drink. Unfortunately, his hand only meets air and then the coffee can when he searches the overhead cupboard.

Alec sighs.

"Did he run out of tea or is it somewhere on the counter?"

Even though he was only thinking out loud, there's some noise and then a thud of a box hitting the counter to his left.

He takes it and knows right away it's a new box, still in the foil.

"Thank you," he says to the Familiar.

It smells like Earl Grey. Alec was hoping for the tea he'd drank here a couple of times but he'll have to ask Magnus about it later. Earl Grey is just fine for now.

He settles on the sofa, sets the tea on the table and turns the news channel on. After it's over, he turns the tv off and takes out his earphones instead.

He doesn't mean to fall asleep. He isn't even tired, it's just the weather, the fact that he's alone and the warmth of the Familiar on his legs that make him doze off.

He wakes up when Magnus is there, touching his shoulder.

"Hello, darling."

"Magnus." Alec pushes himself up on his elbow and rubs his face with the other hand. "What time is it?"

"Not very late but I'm tired." Magnus perches at the edge of the sofa and his hand brushes Alec's hair. "I'm sorry. I forgot about us. I didn't remember until I saw your jacket on the hanger."

"Did something happen?"

"Well, yes. But it's not an excuse."

"'s okay. You always remember everything else."

"Hmm."

Alec doesn't like how tired Magnus sounds but he also keeps petting Alec's hair and it's distracting when he's just been woken up.

"Can you stay?" Magnus asks.

"Yeah."

"Then come to bed with me."

In the morning, in much better humor, Magnus explains himself in more detail. He'd been asked to help with healing two days ago and what was supposed to be just helping out with potions, turned out to be a real emergency requiring more than one witch.

"I'm not great at that," Magnus says. "And don't look at me so disbelieving. Real healing is demanding work. Just because I help you with bruised knuckles doesn't make me a healer."

"Did you succeed yesterday or not?"

"We did."

"Well, there you have it."

Magnus shakes his head.

"Eat your pancakes. I'm not arguing about this with you."

"We're not arguing," Alec replies, not eating his pancakes. He's holding his coffee mug in both hands and is enjoying the aroma.

"We're not discussing it, either."

"You were the one who said relationships take effort."

Magnus groans.

"You aren't in a relationship with my healing magic, darling. Eat your pancakes."

⁂

"Did it really work?" Alec asks. He's sitting in the middle of the bed, naked only with the blanket covering him.

Magnus, lying comfortably on his side, is watching him with pleasure. They're both still warm from the sex and Magnus is committing the moment to memory.

He's hoping for many more times to remember. He's never had a lover who learned him more with touch than by looking at him. The first time he had Alexander's gentle, questing fingers on his skin, he felt like a teenager, his body too easily excited. Having his body explored with such care and wonder was refreshing. It definitely prolonged the foreplay and Magnus liked that a lot.

He'd planned to be the one slow and careful with his lover and ended up being the one touched with almost reverence. It made him a little uncomfortable at first because he didn't know what to do with himself but then... he allowed himself to enjoy it. He didn't tell himself that he didn't deserve it.

Before the third time, Magnus mentioned love magic, and that was tonight.

"Yes, it worked as I've said."

Alec rests his chin on his knee.

"I don't understand it."

"There's no shame in that. Ask, if you want to."

"I just, well, I don't understand how you can turn this into power."

"First of all, you're thinking of biology, aren't you? That is, you're thinking about the act."

Magnus imagines that if he wasn't already flushed, Alec would be red in the face now. His hair is still fluffed up from Magnus's hands running through it and he's a very appealing sight.

"It's about the emotion. A witch turns their emotion into magic. The stronger the love, the stronger the magic coming from it. But it needs to be said that passion without love also works. Cheating by jerking off alone in the shower won't work. "

A moment later, Alec smirks. "What if someone loves themselves very much?"

It makes Magnus laugh.

"Oh, darling, it's as if you guessed I know people like that. But no, it requires more than one person."

After that, Alec fiddles with the bedsheets, thinking.

"Another question: why did you even tell me about it if I can't feel it? I wouldn't have noticed."

"Well, it's true it's very subtle and if I didn't tell you, you'd never have known. It's a matter of personal morals. As a mundane, there are many things you could do that aren't a crime and don't take away anything from another person but you still ask them first, yes? Love magic doesn't steal anything but it… I don't want to say 'uses' the partner. There is a certain violation of trust, I think."

Alec is listening intently so Magnus continues.

"Witches with mundane partners either don't use that magic at all or don't tell them and do it anyway and although I wouldn't have done it, I have no right to criticize them for it."

"Okay. So could I give you a blanket, um, green light to do whatever you need to do as a witch?"

"I don't need you to do that, Alexander. I'll simply ask you."

"Yes, but I don't want you to have to ask. What if- what if you feel like you have to ask and you can't for whatever reason and you're going to be all chivalrous and-" Alec makes a vague gesture in the air, "maybe get hurt for it."

Magnus reaches out to touch him. "I have a hard time imagining why I'd be in such a bad position I'd need to draw any power from you without having my own. You are overthinking this too much and if I didn't know any better, I'd have said you've watched too many movies."

He squeezes Alec's ankle. "With that said, I will accept a blanket agreement for love spells."

"All right. Let's do that for a start."

 Shaking his head, Magnus pushes himself up so he can move closer to his lover and kiss him.

"Let's say it's for a start," he agrees.