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It were the little things that changed after their big confession.
There was no sudden shift, no world that was turned on its axis. The revelation did not arrive violently, did not change their relationship in an irrevocable way.
Still with abrupt realisation came a budding awareness of his feelings that Alec had not been granted before.
Love seeped into every word, every touch, every kiss that they shared. And though it has always been there, in a way that Alec has come to see, being able to put a word to the warmth that spread through his chest whenever he thought of the man he loved was a soft relief. Taking his hand and guiding his heart into the right direction, it had led him right where he belonged. It was funny, he thought, that it took him so long to understand when the feeling could not be any clearer to him now.
And even while leaning on the kitchen counter, watching Magnus cook, he could not keep that thought out of his mind.
“You sure I can’t help?”
“Alexander,” Magnus tutted. Alec could feel a smile grow on his face when he recognized the feeling creeping up his veins, making his fingers tingle. Fondness. “you’ve cooked the last three times we had the time to do this and to be perfectly honest, I feel the need to prove my skill. Now, let me feed you.”
“Only you could make cooking into a competition, Magnus.”
Magnus gave him a long look. Amusement dancing up his face, melting into the softness of his gaze. “Darling, cooking is always a competition.”
There was a laugh bubbling out of Alec’s body, and when Magnus moved closer to him, he caught him around the waist. Like clockwork, laughing turned into kissing. But even shared air could not prevent the giggles escaping their mouths.
Soon, kissing turned into a press of lips. And in turn, their bodies moved to correct that mistake. Swaying slightly, moving to the melody of their beating hearts, their eyes found each other, as they always did. The look that he found in Magnus’ eyes reminded Alec of a question he had been waiting to ask ever since understanding had gripped his heart. “You knew, didn’t you?”
Humming, Magnus pressed a kiss to the corner of Alec’s mouth. “Knew what?”
“That you loved me.”
Arms drew tighter around him, and Magnus tilted his head back, just far enough to look into Alec’s eyes. When their gazes met, it was as though time stood still. And all his senses refocused on the one thing that truly mattered. Faintly, Alec was reminded of falling. Not violently, not the kind that ended life, but the soft landing that began his. Magnus was shaking his head slightly, wonder taking over his features. With silent determination, Alec made a promise to work on that. My love is not worth your amazement, it is not a wonder, it’s a fact. However, when he noticed the hesitation on Magnus’ face, he frowned. Alec raised a hand to his face, thumb lightly stroking over his cheeks, his goatee, hoping to ground Magnus enough to share his thoughts.
“When you.. almost died,” a tremor moved through Magnus’ voice and Alec pressed closer softly, “I felt my heart break.”
Foreheads meeting, Alec felt a hand on his chest. There was no mistaking its purpose. A way to feel his heart beating in his chest, a reassurance. The words were simple, yet strong. Alec felt them in his bones, and he would have missed the soft breath pressed into his cheek, had his senses not been so attuned to Magnus. “I was terrified.”
The familiar phrase took a hold of his heart the same way Alec’s arms wrapped even tighter around Magnus’ body. Even now, their purpose was to shield, to protect. Unwilling to disturb the silence that had fallen between them, he could only whisper.
“That’s when you knew?”
Despite the slight shake of his head, Magnus’ murmurs turned the air into cotton. “When you were leaving, after I made you rest, and before I was summoned back into the Institute, do you remember what you said?”
“I told you to take care of yourself.”
“No”, playfulness crept into Magnus’ voice, “first you asked me whether I was okay. After almost dying.”
Blushing, Alec pressed his lips to Magnus’ cheek. “I was concerned.”
There were hands running through his hair. A gentle burn in the air made his every breath feel like magic was coating his tongue. Then, a soft smile sank into Magnus’ face. “Before you left, you kissed my forehead.”
The memory that hit him in that moment left him breathless. The soft press of lips. He had remembered the wedding, as he stood in Magnus’ doorway, witnessed the sun unhurriedly illuminate the vast space of the loft. With breathless abandon, Alec had watched the light bathe Magnus in golden hues, followed the glow on his cheekbones and his spiked up hair. It had been no surprise, really, that the urge to kiss him hit him like waves on a shore.
You saved me, again. He had kept the thought to himself, knowing that Magnus would not appreciate his own self-dismissal. Still, it was true in Alec’s eyes. And consequently, he had let his heart make the decisions for once.
“And that’s when you knew?”
“That’s when I knew.”
Once again, their gazes met. Lost and found. There was a new feeling building in his chest. Spilling over the edges, pouring out of his eyes. Pure joy gripped his heart softly, and led his lips to Magnus’ forehead. Then, he pulled him close again, resting his head in the crook of his neck. They stayed like this, swaying to the drumming coming from their hearts.
Until another realisation made Alec pull away and look back to the stove, eyes narrowing slightly.
“You know, using magic to keep the food from burning gives you an unfair advantage.”