Work Text:
Running late. Sorry. Should be there at 9 xoxo
The short text had arrived from Magnus just about half an hour ago, and Alec had been chewing his lip nervously ever since. Of all the nights for Magnus to be late, of course it was tonight. Just to add to his nerves, no doubt. Alec swallowed another mouthful of prosecco, jumping a little as a familiar hand landed on his shoulder. Izzy smiled sympathetically, her dress shining like the stars in a clear night sky. She looked beautiful, as always.
“Still no sign of him?”
Alec shook his head, trying to hide his stress. But when it came to Izzy, he didn’t think he could hide anything. He could barely hide her Christmas presents from her, let alone his feelings in one of the most important moments of his short life.
“He’ll be here soon, you know Magnus would never abandon you like that. Until then just enjoy your hard work,” Izzy suggested. Alec nodded slowly. She was right, of course. Magnus had never abandoned him, and certainly not on something as important as this.
Ever since he was a kid, Alec had been regarded as the organised one. He was the one with a plan, and the one who would see it through with near military precision. Somehow he'd managed to make a career out of that, starting out as a campaign manager for a few student events before opening his own business straight out of college.
This was unquestionably the biggest event he'd ever handled. The charity Christmas Ball for the mayor's office was a big deal, with a big budget. Not only was this the grandest single event Alec had ever handled, if this all went well, then he could have a lot more new business in the new year. The mayor had some nice friends with deep pockets. It could be good for him. He'd finally be able to afford to actually pay his share of the rent. At least for awhile.
Ever since he'd moved in with Magnus, it was something he'd tried to let go. Of course, he'd known Magnus lived in a luxury penthouse apartment in Brooklyn. He'd lived there for as long as they'd known each other, and when Magnus had popped the question about them moving in together, Alec had never said yes so quickly. It had been one of the best decisions he’d made. Magnus was everything to him. He’d wanted nothing more than to move in with him.
But Magnus’ rent was also a lot higher than Alec's ever had been. Alec’s own apartment had been small enough that he could touch the opposite walls of his kitchen at once. It had also been all he’d been able to afford. They'd fought about it for a while, Alec insisting he should be paying half, whilst Magnus reminded him that he'd been paying for his penthouse alone for years. Eventually they'd decided Alec should just keep paying what he had been before, but it would be nice to afford a little more.
Or at least afford to take his boyfriend out to nice places a little more often.
Still, money didn't come for free, and neither did the success of his party. Although it looked like it was going well enough without his intervention. The suite that he'd hired out for the evening was at the top of the hotel, offering gorgeous views over Manhattan in the night. The balcony was a little cold, but the worst of the weather was kept out by large barriers and some heaters crackling away happily. The inside of the suite was much warmer, on so many levels.
The place had been decorated by a dozen Christmas trees, dressed in shades of silver and blue. Fake snow tastefully covered the tables holding the extra food and alcohol, whilst the exceptionally well-trained wait staff swept the room to make sure everyone kept their glasses full and stomachs happy. It seemed like every time someone ended up with an empty hand, someone else was there to take care of it.
The music was soothing - Christmas jazz was ringing through the room, played by a live band as people talked. There was to be an auction later, and a speech from the mayor. But it was all going to plan. It was fine. The only thing that wasn't going to plan was Magnus.
He'd promised he'd be there. Magnus had never broken a promise to him before, and he didn't know why the man would start now. But he was still nervous about it. If Magnus wasn't there…. Well, it didn't really matter. But Magnus had helped him pick the band. And the decorations. And the location.
Really, Magnus helped with a lot, which was impressive considering it wasn't even his job. Magnus was a human rights lawyer, not a stylist. Even if he dressed like one.
Magnus’ actual job was the reason they'd met, though. Another charity event he'd hosted, an auction for a children's charity. Magnus had been there, and rather than pay any attention to the actual lots, he'd asked Alec if a date with him was on the listing. It hadn't been, but that hadn't stopped Magnus writing his number on Alec's palm and promising to take him out when he had time. It hadn't been the most professional thing he'd ever done, especially when he had to shake the hand of the charity's CEO with Magnus number smudged into his skin. But he didn't have any regrets.
It had brought him to here and now, which was exactly where he wanted to be.
Well, maybe not exactly. There was one thing he was missing.
Before Alec could dwell on it for too long, he found himself inadvertently drawn away from his sister's side and into a dozen other conversations with everyone from the wait staff to the venue manager to the mayor himself. Despite his nerves, Alec was reminded he was actually working tonight. Most of the hard work was done, putting it all together. But the job wasn't really done until all the mayor's guests went home in a good mood with his card in their pocket.
All of that meant that by the time Alec looked at his phone again, it was already nearing half past nine. There were also two unread texts sitting on his phone from Magnus.
Just leaving now.
I hope you saved some prosecco for me.
He was on the way. That was good. More than good. Magnus only worked about twenty minutes away from the hotel, which meant he had to be arriving soon. Magnus would show up, because he knew how much this meant to Alec. It was nearly Christmas, and this was a big day for him. A good way to finish the year. Magnus would be there. Absolutely.
None of that fixed the slight sinking feeling in his stomach though. If it had mattered that much, wouldn't Magnus have been here already? Wouldn't he have cancelled his appointments and meetings, left the paperwork aside for just one night and made it on time? Maybe it was selfish. His incredible, amazing boyfriend was a very high profile lawyer, after all. He took on cases of the highest order, and had made his reputation prosecuting landmark cases in LGBT+ rights. He should be proud. He was proud. But all the pride in the world didn't make him feel better, somehow. Instead he just felt hollow. Magnus had promised to be here. And where was he?
The air on the balcony was still a little cold, but Alec felt himself being drawn to the glass railing and the views of the city regardless. It was beautiful - the sight of New York sprawling out below him was like nothing else. He had never felt so huge and so insignificant at the same time like he did standing in places like this. He should be grateful, really. There were hundreds of people out there who would kill to be where he was right now. And there he was, moping around like a lost puppy because his boyfriend wasn't there yet.
Alec was lucky to have that at all. Five years ago he would have happily predicted his future to be as the grumpy Uncle to Izzy and Jace's kids. They seemed to have their lives sorted. Relationships, a path forward. Izzy had wanted kids for as long as he could remember. She took her big sister duties very seriously. But then, so did he. He'd wanted kids for a long time too. A family, a home to call his own.
He'd just never thought it was possible until Magnus Bane strode into his life and turned his entire universe into something bright and beautiful and special. He was a miracle. Alec didn't need Christmas miracles. He had Magnus.
“I am so sorry,” the voice came from over his shoulder, and Alec glanced back, instantly breaking into a warm smile as his entire soul seemed to sing. There was only one person that could do that to him. Warm lips brushed cold cheeks, and the light of the fires caught against the ambers and golds of Magnus' eyeshadow for the evening. “Melissa would not let me off the phone, and then I had something I had to file at the courthouse and then -” Magnus stopped abruptly, before shaking his head slightly. “Well, I guess it doesn't matter.”
“Magnus, it's fine,” Alec promised, reaching out for his boyfriend's hand, pulling him into place at the balcony. He looked like a vision. But then, Magnus always did. He knew how to dress for a party, and he'd certainly dressed for this one. There was no way he'd worn a velvet jacket to work. Right?
“I know. I just... I wanted to be here sooner.” Alec smiled softly, leaning in to place a warm kiss against Magnus' lips. The other man instantly yielded, a smile spreading across his face as Alec pulled away slightly, foreheads bumping together in the cold.
“You're here now,” Alec whispered, and Magnus smiled, nodding. It was enough. More than enough. Magnus had never let him down, and Alec didn't think he ever would.
They stood there for a moment, fingers tangled together, breath mingling in the cold air as Alec took in the solid presence of his boyfriend. Sure, Magnus hadn’t been on time. The slight disappointment he felt hadn’t entirely gone away, but it was at least diminished by the actual presence of the man in question. A lesser man wouldn’t have even tried. Magnus always tried . He was always there when it mattered, when he could be. He had an important job. Alec would never want to take that away from him.
After a moment, Alec sighed slightly, pulling his hands away and moving to wrap his arms around Magnus’ waist, not really willing to let him go. He should get back to the party. He had work to do, but this moment of peace was everything he’d wanted and more. Just this one little corner of love for himself. The world could pause, just for a moment, right? Even if the buzz of voices and glasses and soft music drifting out onto the balcony said otherwise. But with Magnus, the whole world seemed to stop mattering. He was everything.
“I should go check on the party,” Alec breathed reluctantly, looking through the glass. The balcony itself was practically empty, but inside was buzzing. He knew this wasn’t a big job for him tonight, unless there was a catering disaster or something. But he wasn’t exactly getting his name out and about if he was hiding on the balcony with Magnus all night. As much as he might want to. They did that at home a lot, staring out towards the Brooklyn Bridge, sipping on whatever Magnus had whipped up for a cocktail for the evening. It was a life he could never have imagined, the stuff dreams were made of.
Alec leaned in, pressing a brief kiss to Magnus’ cheek before beginning to pull away, hands slowly leaving his boyfriend’s solid frame. But before he could take a step, Magnus reached out, catching his fingers softly. “Alec, wait.”
He paused, turning back to focus on Magnus. He looked uncharacteristically nervous, biting the corner of his lip a little, a slight fear in his eyes. Alec had only seen that look a handful of times. In fact, the last time was when Magnus had managed to dye one of Alec’s shirts pink in the wash. Something was wrong. Was that why Magnus had been so late? Had something happened? What could have happened? Was it his mother? One of his friends, Ragnor, Catarina, Raphael? An office break in, a house break in? Alec couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities. He immediately settled back into place beside Magnus, taking his hand properly, squeezing it gently.
“What is it? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Alec asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth so fast he was surprised Magnus heard them all at all.
“No, no,” Magnus quickly reassured him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just…. I have something I wanted to ask you.”
“O..kay?” Alec offered, frowning in confusion. “What is it?”
Magnus seemed to steel himself momentarily before turning to face Alec properly.
“Since I met you, my life has been…. truly incredible,” Magnus started softly, fingers tangling together with Alec’s as he spoke. “You’ve given me a lot of things I didn’t think I could have. I spent so much of my life convinced that I had to choose between my career and my relationships. Between building up my office and building a family. And then you… you showed me I didn’t have to choose. You broke down so many walls and showed me how to really live for myself again.”
“Magnus, what are you-”
Alec immediately paused as Magnus raised his free hand, pressing a gentle finger to Alec’s lips.
“Just… let me finish? Please?” Magnus requested, and Alec nodded after a moment, watching Magnus’ face as he removed his finger.
“I just… I know how much tonight means to you. And I don’t want you to think I didn’t want to be here two hours ago because I did . But the case I was working was this really… horrible, awful case, and there are all these children lost and alone without homes now. And just thinking about them having to find somewhere to stay, to call home, reminded me how that was something I wanted. Something we wanted. There are so many kids out there that need someone to love them. A family.”
He and Magnus had spoken about it a lot. Of course they had - Alec wasn’t an idiot, you didn’t walk into a relationship without talking about what the other person wanted at some point. Kids, family, futures. When it got serious, that kind of thing mattered. Alec had just considered himself lucky that he and Magnus agreed on so much. Alec had met a lot of men who weren’t so into the idea of marriage and two point five kids with a labrador. But that picket fence life had always sounded like some perfect dream to Alec, and luckily, Magnus seemed to agree. Although maybe there wouldn’t be any real picket fences in their lives. They were perfectly happily in Brooklyn, thank you very much.
“I’d almost forgotten what a real family looked like until you let me into yours. But you, your siblings… everything you have is so precious. I always hoped I could have something like that one day, of my own. And so, I guess… I hoped I could make tonight a little more special. And maybe take a step towards building that family. With you.”
“Magnus-” Alec started, but before he could finish, Magnus had pulled a tiny velvet bag out of his pocket, and was producing a ring. Alec felt his jaw drop a little as his eyes caught on the silver band.
“I was hoping you would maybe consider marrying me.”
Alec felt his brain pause for a long moment as his gaze stayed fixed on that tiny little ring, sparkling in the Christmas lights lining the balcony. Just a small thing, that meant so much. Symbolised so much. Alec swallowed for a moment, his eyes darting up to Magnus, who looked equal parts nervous and apprehensive.
“I- Are you sure you want to -?” Alec started, but Magnus smiled, shaking his head slightly.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
Unable to help himself, Alec leaned in, kissing his boyfriend with all the passion in his body. Lips moved fiercely as he poured every inch of love and affection in him into the gesture. It was everything he’d wanted to. That family, a place to call his own, something to build. He wanted kids, grandkids, a life, the whole nine yards. It had always confused him that people seemed to think those desires were exclusively reserved for so-called “traditional” heterosexual couples. But nothing about Magnus had ever confused him. In fact, he made everything clear. And he wanted this. God, he wanted this so much.
After a moment they broke apart, and Magnus laughed softly. That nervousness was gone, leaving behind pure joy and amusement.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes! Yes,” Alec choked out quickly, flushing red as he realised he’d never answered the question. “Yes. Of course I will.”
“Good, because it would be a real disappointment if that was a ‘no’ kiss.”
Alec laughed, unable to help himself and watched as Magnus reached out for his hand, gently sliding the ring into place. It was a little big, but then, Alec didn’t really wear many rings. He’d only ever idly tried on some of Magnus’, and even then it wasn’t that often. But Alec didn’t care - he’d never seen a piece of jewellery more perfect.
“How long have you been planning this?” Alec asked, eyes glancing up. Magnus cleared his throat, glancing away briefly before smiling sheepishly.
“About two hours?”
“Magnus!” Alec exclaimed, laughing a little.
“Do you know how many jewellers shops are open at this time the weekend before Christmas? Not many. The poor man thought I’d forgotten to buy you a Christmas present. And then I might have panicked and ordered few things for the apartment, because I was thinking of asking you after the party but I just… couldn’t wait.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Alec smiled.
“Alec, the hotel manager is - Is that a ring ?” Izzy declared, popping her head out onto the balcony. She immediately dashed over, grabbing Alec’s hand and staring at it, effectively bursting the intimate moment, not that she seemed to mind. Alec didn’t really either. Nothing would stop his joy, or remove the warm feeling in his chest at the feeling of Magnus’ hand in his.
It was a big night for Alec Lightwood, but in all the ways he didn’t expect. But then, all the best things were unexpected, weren’t they?