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“You have got to be kidding me,” Magnus snapped, little sparks of blue magic falling from his fingers in weak bursts as he slammed the door behind the client that had just left.
He had spent two days making a very complex potion for the man, only to be told that he had decided to hire another Warlock instead and would no longer be needing Magnus’ services. Not only did he waste Magnus’ time and wreck what little patience he had left, but he refused to pay him, and Magnus had ended up pouring so much of his magic into the potion and projects for other clients that he was too drained to do anything about it besides drown in the frustration he was feeling. The worst part was that it wasn’t even the first time that it had happened to him. In recent weeks, Lorenzo Rey had been spreading lies throughout the Shadow World- with the help of his newly loyal followers- in an attempt to tarnish Magnus’ reputation, as if it wasn’t already severely damaged to begin with.
Magnus knew it was going to take time to earn the trust of his people back, but he had forgotten how cruel people could be when they were afraid, and that’s what the Warlocks of New York were. They were afraid. They had been through too many hardships, suffered too much abuse and harsh words to believe that the threat on their lives ended with Valentine’s death. Magnus understood that, felt that same fear deep in his bones. It was the reason he had allied with the Seelie Queen in the first place. The Clave never put the Downworld first, no matter how much danger they were in or how much they plead their cases, and so Downworlders acted in their own interests. They couldn’t be blamed for that.
But Magnus was a part of them, a vital one, and he hated being ostracized from the one group of people he had found solace in after so many years of loneliness and hurt. He hated to say he needed them- or anybody, really- but as vital a part as he was of them, they were just as important in him as well. He had learned from those who came before him, listened to their wisdom and stood by them through trying times. He had worked his ass off to get the High Warlock position, and he was being condemned for making one bad decision. He didn’t deserve that treatment and he knew it, but fear was a tricky emotion, one that no words of his could ever overcome.
That didn’t mean he had to like it.
The door opened suddenly, and Magnus was ready to say screw it and just punch the client in the face if he had come back for some reason, but instead he was met with familiar hazel eyes widened in concern. Alec stopped abruptly in his tracks, narrowly avoiding walking straight into Magnus as he entered the loft, and immediately set his hands on Magnus’ forearms, his gaze falling down to where the blue sparks were sputtering out.
“You’re home early,” Magnus commented, trying to calm down the anger that was still rushing through his veins.
“What’s wrong?” Alec asked, his eyes flitting around the room as he used that forced calm voice that always appeared when he was on high alert. “Did something happen?”
With a sigh, Magnus reeled his magic in and stepped forward to wrap his arms around his boyfriend, burying his face into his neck and sagging against him. Alec didn’t hesitate to return the gesture, pulling him even closer and hugging him tightly, and Magnus could cry with how much affection boiled up inside of him all at once. It was always there in his chest, just waiting to surge up and spill out of his mouth, but it was times like this when he didn’t know how he kept all of it at bay. He had been with thousands of people before, but none of them had ever been able to reach so deeply inside of him as quickly as Alec had. Magnus was willing to bare his heart and soul to him within months of knowing him, and that was no small feat.
“Just a long day,” Magnus mumbled into his skin, and Alec sighed, probably already guessing what happened. They were both silent for a few moments, swaying slightly back and forth and just taking in each other’s company, and then Alec pulled back. He kept one hand on Magnus’ back, assuring him that he wasn’t going anywhere, and lifted the other to cup his cheek.
“Why don’t you go lie down for a while and I’ll make dinner,” he suggested, gently swiping his thumb across Magnus’ skin. Magnus hesitated for a moment, reluctant to give up valuable alone time that was so rare lately, but then Alec shot him a knowing smile and shook his head. “We have the rest of the night to do whatever we want. Go rest.”
Magnus scrunched his nose in feeble protest, then pressed a brief kiss to Alec’s lips before trudging his way into the bedroom. He left the door slightly cracked so he could listen to Alec hum under his breath as he worked and fell down onto the bed, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling for a while. He thought back on what his life was like before he met Alec. He used to walk through his days with a stubborn sort of contentment, convincing himself that he was fine with being alone. Camille had wrecked him, and he had been determined to never let something like that happen again. He thought that his heart was under so many locks and keys that no one would be able to access it even if they wanted to, yet all it took was one wide, lopsided smile, and he was open and vulnerable once more.
The Magnus that existed one year ago would have sounded every alarm if he knew what was going to happen, and knowing himself, he would probably still ignore them anyway. He was hopeless when it came to love. He threw every ounce of his being into it if he truly believed it would be worth it, and god, Alec was worth every effort.
He drifted off to the sound of Alec’s shuffling footsteps across the kitchen floor and the sudden warmth that came with the knowledge that no matter how many people cast him aside, there would always be one who never would.
He woke up hours later to silence, and although he was a little bit disoriented, he felt at peace. The bedroom door was no longer cracked, but there was still a small strip of light that shined through the small space between the bottom and the floor. The room was still dark, however, and he took a minute to let his eyes adjust before he pushed himself up and headed into the bathroom to remove the makeup that was now smeared under his eyes.
When he pulled the door open and popped his head out, he heard the sound of running water coming from the kitchen and padded over to the doorway. Alec stood at the sink, a hand towel thrown over his shoulder and a huge smile spread across his face as he pointed his phone camera at Chairman Meow, who was drinking water from the faucet. The sight was enough to bring happy tears to Magnus’ eyes, and he put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to hold back the absurd giggle that wanted to escape.
He was so in love with this man, it would surely drive him to insanity.
Alec finally noticed his appearance a few moments later, and his eyes shined as they met Magnus’ own. He held up his phone, and Magnus stepped closer to take a look at the pictures and videos before setting the device on the counter and wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist.
“Words cannot even begin to describe just how much I love you,” Magnus murmured.
Alec let out a quiet laugh and leaned forward so that their noses brushed together, and a chill ran down Magnus’ spine as he whispered, “I heard somewhere that actions speak louder than words.”
“Well, in that case,” Magnus replied, and closed the distance between them, catching Alec’s lips with his own. It only lasted a few seconds before they were both smiling too much to continue, but it was enough.
It would always be enough.