Work Text:
Magnus had fallen asleep hours ago, despite his best attempts to stay awake. He had used almost all of his magic to seal the rift earlier, and no matter how powerful he was, he needed to rest. Alec, however, could not seem to get his brain to shut up. Magnus had his head pillowed on Alec's chest, his breath tickling his skin with every exhale, and Alec couldn't remember the last time he felt so content. The past few days without Magnus had been absolute hell to say the least, and now that Alec had a taste of what it would be like to live without him, he never wanted to experience it again.
Without warning his thoughts traveled back to before he had ever kissed Magnus, before he had even admitted to himself that he had feelings for him, and he remembered the words that Lydia said to him after telling him what happened to her husband.
"Word of advice," she had said, so sure of herself and her opinion. "In this line of work, the only thing worth falling in love with is the work itself."
At the time, the words had resonated with Alec, but they had also stirred up an uneasy feeling inside of him. When he wanted to ignore his emotions, he turned to his job and focused on his duty. He had grown up thinking that something was broken inside of him that couldn't be repaired, so he did everything else by the book, and he didn't let his feelings get in the way. But was that really a life, abiding by everyone else's rules but not taking a second to think about his own wants and needs?
The idea was laughable now, and Alec couldn't hold back a warm grin as he looked down at his sleeping boyfriend. He had no clue, back then, of all that he could become. He had always known that he wanted to be a leader, but he never actually believed he could be one until he stood up for more than the Clave's ideals, until he stood up for himself.
Flash forward to Valentine's massacre, when he and Magnus were already together, and Aldertree said, "A Shadowhunter could never be with a Downworlder, no matter how strong our feelings might be."
Once again it was said with such certainty, as if there was no doubt that it was the truth, and Alec couldn't help but feel sorry for him, because at that point he had known without a doubt that he was in love with Magnus Bane, and as sure as Aldertree was that he was right, Alec was sure that he was wrong.
Love could not be narrowed down to, "This person cannot be with this person." It could not be simplified in such a way. There was no guide or rule book, there were only glances that turned into moments that turned into weeks and months of time and effort, and if it was right, happiness. And Alec was happy with Magnus, happier than he had ever been in his entire life.
"What are you thinking about?" Magnus' sleepy voice pulled Alec out of his thoughts, and he looked down at his boyfriend with a soft smile. Magnus still had his eyes closed, but there was a small grin spreading across his face as he scooted up to nuzzle his head into the space between Alec's neck and shoulder, and Alec couldn't resist turning and pressing his lips to Magnus' forehead.
"I'm just really glad I chose love," Alec whispered against Magnus' skin, and he watched as Magnus' grin widened just a little bit before he drifted off once more. If there was one thing Alec was sure of, it was that this moment was worth a million times more than any job ever would be, and no fight or obstacle could ever change that.