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Magnus wakes from his first good night of sleep in days to the familiar sound of soft snores that immediately bring a smile to his face as he opens his eyes. He sighs in content at the sight before him.
Alec is lying on his side, nuzzled against Magnus with his arms wrapped around his waist. His breath tickles Magnus’ skin where his head rests under Magnus’ arm, and he looks so at peace, the golden light streaming in hitting him in a way that reminds Magnus of that first morning they spent together in this very bed. He finds himself staring, which is not unusual whenever he wakes up before his boyfriend, but this time feels different. Surreal.
Sure, after they had fought, he had missed his Alexander’s touches, his kisses, his soothing words and loud laughs, and that adorable smile he had where the skin around his eyes would crinkle. He had received his fair share of all of those things when they got back home last night. But this, waking up beside him, had always been something Magnus couldn’t help looking forward to at the end of every day. Especially today, it means that everything last night happened. Alec's honest words under the lantern lights, them walking back hand in hand, their declarations of love as they celebrated through the night. They really are okay.
Absently, he starts sifting his hand through Alec’s hair, needing the touch to keep him grounded. He doesn’t realise that the snoring has stopped, too lost in thought, until he feels the arms around his waist tighten, and he looks down to see Alec’s hazel eyes staring up at him.
“Morning,” he says, a grin breaking out on his face.
"Good morning, Alexander."
Alec huffs out a laugh of disbelief, hugging Magnus ever closer. “I missed this so much,” he barely murmurs, but in the soft silence of the room, Magnus hears it and he feels his heart ache in agreement.
“Me too. You’re much better than an empty bed.” Magnus says it in a lighthearted way when in reality he can’t even begin to communicate how much he longed for this. Before Alec, Magnus had gone years with no one but one night stands to accompany him in bed. He never felt the safety he feels with Alec, and he definitely never felt attached to any of them. When he got back to the loft that night after walking away from Alec, he lay awake for hours, trying to will himself not to miss his boyfriend, even though he ended up grabbing one of the shirts Alec left behind to help him sleep anyway. Now here he is.
Magnus is suddenly hit by that smell now and he can’t subdue the happiness he feels. He slides down in Alec’s embrace so that they’re lying face to face towards each other, and he’s a whole new level of overwhelmed when he sees the love in the Shadowhunter’s eyes.
“What did I tell you about hiding those?” Alec whispers, his hand coming up to softly trace the skin around Magnus’ eyes. Magnus says nothing, just let’s the glamour fall, somewhat expecting Alec to flinch even after how many times he’s reassured Magnus how beautiful he is. Of course, he doesn’t, he just smiles and cups Magnus’ face, bringing their lips together in a chaste, loving kiss. God, Magnus had tried to stop loving this man for too long, being able to dwell in it makes him breathless.
When they part, foreheads resting together, Magnus brings his hands to Alec’s chest, fingers ghosting over the runes peppering his pale skin. “I’m so happy we’re okay.”
Alec closes his eyes with a smile. “I was so afraid we wouldn’t be. The very thought of peace seemed impossible to me yesterday. In the Shadow World and between you and me. I thought I’d never hold you like this again,” he sighs and opens his eyes again, serious gaze focused on Magnus. “When I thought Jace had died and Valentine could kill you at any moment, I thought I was going to lose the most important person in my life, that our last kiss would be the one in my office all those days ago,” he scoffs, then leans in the brush his nose against Magnus’. “Let’s never fight again. Especially during a war.”
Magnus laughs, pressing his lips to Alec’s forehead. “Sure, Shadowhunter.”
He grins at the way Alec’s face morphs into one of pure disgust. “Don’t ever call me that again.”
“Hey,” Magnus says, holding up his hands in surrender. “What happened to no fighting?”
Alec gives his chest a one-fingered poke. “This is completely justified, warlock .”
Magnus gasps dramatically before laughing and settling back into Alec. They lie in comfortable silence, Magnus watching his fingers float down Alec’s body until they hit the parabatai rune and he stops, looking back up to Alec. “By the way, you scared me yesterday with this damn rune. How do you think that happened?”
Alec sighs. “I don’t know. But Jace is fine, Jonathan and Valentine are dead, and you’re here. For now, that’s all I’m concerned with.”
For now. Because their victory over the bigotry and hatred that threatened their world doesn’t mean they aren’t still the Head of the Institute and the High Warlock of Brooklyn. They both have responsibilities waiting for them outside this room, responsibilities they can’t just hide from under the silk sheets and in each others’ arms. So 'for now' has to do, even if all they want is each other.
Magnus smiles and rolls so that he’s seated on top of Alec, staring down at him with the wish that he could freeze this moment and stay in it forever. Instead, he settles for words he thinks may speak his feelings perfectly.
“I love you, Alexander.”
He barely waits for Alec to respond before diving in and capturing his lips, hoping that they’re given a few more hours to celebrate before they have to go off to attend to their duties.