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The cold night air could not sink into Alec's bones even if it wanted to as he replayed the image of Magnus offering him one of his signature beaming smiles over and over again in his head. It had only happened a few moments ago, but he had already memorized every second, analyzed every word. He remembered the racing of his own heart, each step Magnus took, the slow, cautious shift forward that brought their lips together. It was arguably one of the best moments of his life, but then again, every moment with Magnus was Alec's best.
They were walking slowly, their fingers intertwined as they traveled down the empty street. Even then there was too much space between them, and despite the overwhelming surge of happiness that had been coursing through him, his chest ached. Touching Magnus was a gift, but holding him close, being able to feel the thrum of his heart and the warmth of his breath, that was something that could not be replaced. Alec yearned for it, he had been for days, and he was tired of keeping his distance.
So when they came upon a man playing a keyboard on the sidewalk, Alec jumped at the opportunity. He stopped, smiling softly when Magnus tilted his head in confusion, and pulled him close. An expression of surprise flashed across Magnus' face before it settled into one of understanding and fondness. One of the many things about Magnus that Alec loved was how open he was with the people he was close with. He saw the act that he put on for other people, the sarcastic tone and the dramatic gestures, but Alec got to see the unending well of care underneath. It was a great privilege, and he didn't plan on losing it ever again.
"You want to dance?" Magnus asked, raising an amused eyebrow as his fingers twirled the short strands of hair at the nape of Alec's neck. Alec grinned, tugging at his waist so that they were standing as close as possible, and rested his forehead against his boyfriend's.
"I want you," he replied sincerely, and he loved how he could feel the small pickup of Magnus' pulse. It was almost comical that they still managed to shock each other with their mutual affections after all of the time that had passed, but if there was one thing Alec never wanted to stop experiencing, it was the thrill that ran through his veins with every word Magnus spoke. "Plus, you love dancing, and I love you, so it's a win win situation."
The end of the sentence had left his mouth as a joke, but the sudden intensity of Magnus' gaze wiped any trace of laughter from his mind. "I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible," Magnus spoke softly, and Alec felt like he was melting, like he was wax and Magnus was a flame, warming him up and getting rid of his walls like they were nothing.
The man playing the keyboard seemed to be encouraged by their presence, and moved into another slow tune with more energy, his fingers moving elegantly across the keys. Alec didn't know how to reply to such a raw confession, so he lifted his head and pressed his lips to Magnus' forehead, letting him lead as his mind suddenly traveled elsewhere.
He had known that Magnus loved him, had heard the words countless times before and let them tattoo themselves on his heart, but this time was different. Somewhere among all of the pain and the fear and the unending stress, he had begun to doubt that everything would go back to normal. He not only doubted himself and his ability to be forgiven, but he had also doubted Magnus. It made his chest hurt just thinking about it, and he closed his eyes, banishing the insecurities away.
It wasn't the time to think about that. He had Magnus in his arms, a fire burning in his soul, and a future full of possibilities that he could only dream of waiting right around the corner. The negative thoughts could wait. They stayed for a while, dancing and laughing until their uneasiness had left for the night, and before they walked off once more with their fingers tangled together, Alec slipped the man with the keyboard some a smile and some money as a silent thank you for helping bridge the small chasm that had grown between them.
There would still be problems and fights and misunderstandings, that was inevitable. But the beautiful thing about the past was that it brought lessons, and Alec was all too eager to learn each one, because Magnus was worth every single obstacle. He was it for Alec, and if that meant that he had to spend every day for the rest of eternity proving it, he was all in.