Work Text:
“Cheers, Alexander, to the end of a long, tiring but mostly successful, day.”
Alec snorted. “I’ll drink to that.” And he did, taking a long gulp of the Chardonnay wine that drew Magnus’ eyes to his woefully unblemished throat. Magnus inched towards it, read to rectify the horrible travesty when-
Screech
When the noise of crying did not ensue, Magnus’ forehead ended up falling onto Alec’s shoulder. He felt a hand creep into his hair, stroking lightly, and he resisted the urge to let out a purr worthy of the Chairman.
“Do you think we can pretend we didn’t hear anything?” Magnus asked into the soft fabric.
A second screech sounded before Alec could reply, the noise continuing on.
“I think that answers that,” he replied wryly, setting down his glass on the table. Magnus whined pitifully, wanting to hold onto the moment for as long as possible, but he couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer when Alec shifted beneath him, carefully dislodging Magnus’ head to he could stand. His mournful eyes did nothing to sway Alec, his boyfriend simply offered out a hand which Magnus took begrudgingly.
“Don’t you want to know what’s going on?” He asked with a raised eyebrow and Magnus sighed.
“I suppose.”
Magnus loved Rafael, adored Max, but at that moment he was convinced they hated him. Nice, considerate children would let the adults ‘relax’ after catering to their every whim for the entire day. They would realise that Magnus hadn’t actually wanted his $300 shirt to be covered with peanut butter, that Alec accidently falling to the ground hadn’t been an invitation to climb on his back for a game of ‘horsey’.
Most of the time Magnus was glad Rafael and Max got along so well.
Most of the time.
“Considering you are the guest, I would assume it falls on me to go check on them,” Magnus started.
“But?”
“I promise to reward you if you do it instead?” When Alec playfully rolled his eyes, Magnus gave him a sultry grin, reaching forward for a cheeky pinch to Alec’s ass.
“Magnus,” Alec hissed, his cheeks a splendid shade of rose. Magnus couldn’t find it within himself to feel remorseful, he just glanced meaningfully towards the door. Alec shook his head, trying (and failing) to hold back a grin.
“Fine. But I’m holding you to that.”
“Anything you want Alexander.”
Magnus stood to the side, hidden from view as Alec opened the door. He flicked on the light and then…just paused. The sound of high pitch giggling travelled out and Magnus had to take a look himself. When he did, he too, paused.
“I don’t know whether I should be impressed or have a heart attack,” Alec murmured a moment later. Magnus had to silently agree.
Due to the layout of the room, Magnus had thought it best to put up a second crib on the opposite side of the room to Rafael, for when Alec wanted to stay the night with Max. This was the first time they’d trialled it and at first, it had gone well. Both children had settled relatively well for their respective parent. Magnus had left on a nightlight in Max’s corner and music had finished soothing the children to sleep.
To think that would have been it was a severe underestimation on both his and Alec’s part.
“I want to feel the former but the latter is swiftly approaching,” Magnus replied faintly.
“Shh, shh, hide,” whispered Max to Raphael. He then drew his blanket on his shoulders, waiting until Rafael did the same before he covered his head with it. With a giggle and a quick look to the stunned parents, Rafael did the same.
“I suppose this is karma for getting the lighter crib,” Magnus offered in weak explanation. In his defence, it had been a top model and he’d thought it would be far easier to put up.
“To be fair, this would have never crossed my mind,” Alec replied, a stricken expression still on his face because that was the only logical reaction when it was clear that two toddlers had banded together to pull one crib over to the other. It was terribly clever of the boys and if this were some humorous Facebook video then Magnus would have been tempted to chuckle along.
As it was, thoughts of how Rafael and Max could have hurt themselves in this endeavour made his heart clench painfully and his breathe quicken.
“At least I know now it’s time to get a toddler bed.” If he kept talking, kept his eyes focused on the whispering, happy children then he could remind himself it was all fine. He could pretend he hadn’t delayed when his child could have been in the process of injuring himself.
“Magnus, are you-”
“On the verge of a mental breakdown? Quite possibly. If it’s quite alright with you, would you mind talking to the boys about this?”
His expression softening in understanding (quite different from the tenseness that lingered in the rest of his body), Alec nodded. “You go sit back down. I’ll deal with this. I guess I’ll…I’ll leave the cribs where they are?”
“I think that would be wise.”
First though, before he let Alec attempt to get through to the boys what a horrendously awful idea it was that they’d had, despite their miraculous results, Magnus headed over to the two hidden toddler. Rather than ruin their ‘game’ and risk them seeing how precarious his emotions were right then, he just put the best teasing voice he could and said, “I do wonder where the boys have got to. There’s just two very odd lumps.” He put a hand on each of the sheet covered heads and stroked them softly, taking comforted from the vibrations below as the children giggled.
Feeling at least somewhat more reassured, Magnus pressed a kiss to Alec’s cheek on the way back to the living room, using the last of the Chardonnay to soothe what the children couldn’t. By the time Alec returned, his eyes ever so slightly red, he felt much more composed which was good because in each arm sat a reproached, tired toddler. When Rafael spied Magnus he reached out his arms.
“I think I managed to get through to them what could have gone wrong,” said Alec. “And the both of them have something they want to say to you.”
Alec exchanged Rafael into Magnus arms before coming to sit beside him. His son wore a very serious, very sad expression as he said to Magnus, “I sorry Dada.”
Tears burned the corners of Magnus eyes though he refused to let them fall. Instead, he dropped a kiss onto Rafael’s dark locks.
“Thank you sweetheart.”
“And you Max,” Alec heard Alec coach quietly.
“Sorry Mags,” Max said obediently, too tired to be completely sincere.
“Thank you Max,” Magnus replied, stroking a thumb down the wilting child’s cheek. “Do you two want to go back to bed now?”
After two sleepy nods, Magnus and Alec brought the children back into Rafael’s room. Magnus gently placed Rafael back into his crib before rescuing the poor stuffed rabbit that had got trapped between the two beds. Thankfully, they barely had to wait any time before soft snores were coming from both boys and Magnus felt certain that they would not be interrupted again. Although, whether Magnus was up for any more after all that, he wasn’t so sure.
However, before he was about to give Alec his apologies, his boyfriend entwined his fingers in Magnus’ own and beat him too it. “How about we do the same? I’m sorry, I’m exhausted.”
Magnus let out a sigh of relief. “As am I. I would like nothing more.”
As so, he and Alec ended up clearing up in the living room and then retiring to bed, the two men worn out both physically and emotionally. With leaden muscles, they wrapped around each other, their faces only inches apart.
“Thank you for speaking to them,” Magnus said quietly, tracing one of Alec’s intricate tattoos. “I hope it wasn’t too impolite of me to ask you to do that alone.”
Alec lightly shook his head, his blue eyes earnest as he replied, “You weren’t. I want- I’m in this for the long haul Magnus. I already trust you with Max.”
A smile grew on Magnus’ face, his heart warmed. “And I trust you with Rafael. Completely.”
Some might say it was a bit soon for 3 months, to be having these sorts of discussions, these declarations and yes, for some it might be but for Magnus and Alec it just felt natural, as everything between them had so far. Magnus knew what going to fast felt like, he had first-hand experience of that, but this wasn’t that. This was two people who just understood each other completely, who, if Magnus were to be cliché, were meant for each other. Magnus may have been left a jaded romantic after Camille but with Alec, he could forget all his cynicism.
With plans already coming to mind about the beds he would buy both Rafael and Max, Magnus let his head rest against Alec’s and soon followed his boyfriend and children into slumber.