Chapter Text
“Remember, the safe word is watermelon. If you see the word watermelon, we stop this whole thing.”
“Oh my God, you’re not going to need a safe word.”
“That’s bad BDSM etiquette, Miss Fray,” Magnus insisted, pacing back and forth in front of the restaurant.
Clary sighed, and Magnus could sense that she was rolling her eyes at Izzy, who he could hear giggling softly in the background. “A dinner date is not equal to tying someone to a St Andrew’s Cross, Magnus.”
“You’re right, it’s much more traumatic.”
“I’m hanging up now,” Clary groaned. “You have to swear to me that you’re not going to traumatise him. He’s Izzy’s brother, and he’s going to be her best man at our wedding. If you want to be my best man, you have to at least not totally hate each other.”
Magnus wrinkled his nose. “Why did you have to go and say that? Now my lizard brain is telling me to self-sabotage.”
“Oh my God!”
“I’ll be good! At least, I’ll try,” Magnus promised, fiddling with his necklaces. “I’ll call you later.”
Alec Lightwood was late. In his defense, Magnus had been early, and Alec was apparently a doctor, but still. It was seven minutes past seven, and Alec hadn’t even texted to apologise. If this was a normal blind date, Magnus absolutely would have left at two minutes past seven. He’d dated enough ego-maniac career men to know that being late to a first date does not set a good precedent for any relationship. There was only room for one ego-maniac in any relationship, and Magnus had that position resolutely filled. However, this particular ego-maniac was the brother of his secretary’s fiancee, and so Magnus would never hear the end of it if he stood up Alec Lightwood.
“Oh, fucking hell.”
Magnus turned around at the sound of the muttered curse to see a tall, ridiculously handsome man checking his reflection in the window of the restaurant. He had dark hair and lovely broad shoulders, and he was wearing beautifully fitted clothes, clearly tailored specially. Magnus narrowed his eyes. There was no way he wasn’t related to Isabelle.
“Alec Lightwood?” He asked tentatively, and the handsome man looked around at him. His eyes lit up as they fell on Magnus, and he grinned warmly.
“Magnus Bane?”
Oh, Magnus would have to kiss Clary square on the mouth on Monday morning.
“Yes, that’s me. You’re late,” he accused, tilting his head to the side.
Alec grimaced, “yes, I’m so sorry. I left the hospital an hour ago just in case, but… Well, there was an incident with a dog.”
“A dog?” Magnus repeated, narrowing his eyes.
“Yeah… First thing to know about me… I can’t pass a stray dog without feeding it.” Alec admitted sheepishly, walking around Magnus to open the door for him. “Honestly I’d have taken him back to my apartment if I wasn’t supposed to be meeting you. As it happens, the poor little guy’s on his way to the shelter right now.”
Magnus couldn’t believe his ears. “I have two dogs at home. Both strays.”
“No way!” Alec beamed. “What are their names?”
“Charlie and Lorenzo.” Magnus shrugged, unable to keep from smiling as Alec dug in his wallet for a photograph.
“I have the tiniest apartment in the city, so I can only really have one at a time, but here. Her name’s Bourbon. I found her about a year ago, now. Usually I just foster, but I couldn’t let her go. Izzy named her; apparently she’s the colour of bourbon. Not that I would know,” Alec shrugged, “haven’t found my person yet.”
“Table for two?” The maître d' asked, and Magnus nodded, taking the photograph from Alec to examine it as they were led to their table. Like Alec, Magnus couldn’t see the colour of her, but her big, beseeching eyes were irresistible, and he could see why Alec couldn’t give her up.
“She’s beautiful,” Magnus smiled, his eyebrow quirking when he looked up from the photograph to see Alec holding out his chair for him. “A dog-lover and a gentleman. Remind me not to touch you until after dessert.”
Alec chuckled, taking his own seat across from Magnus, the two of them barely noticing the maître d' handing them their menus and leaving. “Why? Were you going to jump me before you found out about my love of dogs?”
Magnus smirked. “Something like that. Though I doubt you really are my soulmate.”
“Oh?” Alec leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Why’s that?”
“Because you’re a doctor with a tiny apartment,” Magnus hummed, “you’re clearly hiding some kind of gambling addiction.”
Alec laughed, resting his chin on his hand, batting his eyelashes a few times. “And your soulmate doesn’t have a gambling addiction?”
“Nope, my soulmate has a low key alcohol dependency, like me.” Magnus answered flippantly, eyes searching Alec’s face for signs of judgement. It wasn’t judgement that he saw, but there was definitely something there.
“I’m afraid I’m not as interesting as that,” Alec shrugged, looking down at the menu. “I pay my little brother’s tuition. He’s in a boarding school in Washington. My parents aren’t… Well, they don’t approve of his choice in career, so they refused to pay for his education.”
Magnus frowned, his heart sinking. This was never going to work. Alec adopted stray dogs and looked after his family? And he didn’t even drink? There was no way he was ever going to settle for Magnus.
“Anyway, I hear you’re an architect. Must be a pretty high-stakes job.”
“Oh, yes,” Magnus nodded, putting a smile back on his face as he glanced at his own menu. “Though nowhere near as high stakes as holding people's’ lives in your hands, I’m sure.”
Alec shook his head. “Oh, my job is nothing as dramatic as that. I’m in the Gender Identity Clinic, so I mostly just prescribe hormones and discuss surgery options.”
“You work with trans people?” Magnus asked, sitting up a little straighter in his seat. God, was there anything about Alec Lightwood that wasn’t perfect?
“Yeah, it’s not the big of a deal. It’s very rewarding, of course, and I love my job, but it’s nothing glamorous.” He explained, fiddling with his menu. “I’m sorry, didn’t Izzy tell you… About me?”
Magnus looked at him for a moment, wracking his brain for what exactly Alec was referring to, and smiled as it clicked into place. “Oh yes, she did. Sorry, I forgot. Of course, it makes sense that you’d work to help people like yourself.”
Alec breathed out a sigh of relief, visibly destressing. Magnus smiled, endeared. “Thank God. She’s always like ‘it’s none of their business!’ but honestly, I prefer for people to know in advance. Makes it less weird if they’re not okay with it.”
“I get it. I imagine it makes dating even more difficult than it already is in this God-forsaken city.”
“Christ, you have no idea. And you know, I could honestly lean over and kiss you right now because I swear to God, you are the first person I’ve dated in years who hasn’t waxed lyrical about how brave I am or some bullshit. Like… God. It gets exhausting.” Alec grumbled, knotting his hands together between his knees.
Magnus chuckled, leaning back in his chair a little. “Not that I’m trying to downplay what you go through, but I could honestly count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been on a date and someone hasn’t asked me if I’ve ever had a threesome when I mention that I’m bisexual…”
“Right?! They know full well it’s a stereotype and it’s gonna annoy you, why do they have to do it?!” Alec laughed.
“It’s like they have this compulsion to try and piss you off to see if you break.”
“Ugh, exactly!” Alec exclaimed. “It’s so weird!”
Magnus shook his head. “Well, for the record, I have had a threesome. But it was with two girls, so my bisexuality had nothing to do with it.”
“And, for the record, I am the biggest coward in the Northern hemisphere,” Alec shrugged, “I am a lover, not a fighter.”
“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to fight you, Alexander, you’re way too charming.”
“Charming?!” Alec spluttered, shaking his head. “Listen, you know how many coffees I had today just so I’d be able to talk to you like a normal person? This is all a caffeine high, I’m telling you. I’m going to crash after dinner and you’ll be so bored you’re going to fall asleep.”
Magnus laughed, his hand shifting to reach for Alec’s, but thinking better of it at the last moment. Part of him was hoping that Alec really was his soulmate. He’d never clicked this instantly with anyone before, and his matched friends all said that was what happened when you met your soulmate. Clary said that she’d known Izzy was it for her the moment she saw her.
Could Magnus handle the disappointment if he touched Alec’s hand and everything stayed black and white?
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Magnus insisted on picking up the check at the end of their meal. “Unlike you, I don’t have any dependents,” he insisted, handing the waiter his credit card, “well, unless you count the dogs.”
“Thanks,” Alec bit his lip, “I can pay next time though, right?”
“Next time?” Magnus repeated, keeping his eyes on the chip and pin machine so Alec wouldn’t see the eagerness on his face, “yes… I imagine so.”
Alec sighed, nodding to himself. “Good. Good.”
Once the bill was paid, the waiter gave them a little bow, and bid them goodnight. Magnus and Alec looked at each other, neither making a move to go. For a long moment, as the two of them wracked their brains for a reason not to part, there was a comfortable silence between them. Alec couldn’t help but hope that he got to see the colour of Magnus’ eyes someday; they shone like there were diamonds hidden in them, sparkling with every smile the other man gifted him. Magnus had to be his soulmate, Alec told himself. There was no way that he’d feel this much this fast for just anybody. In the two hours that they’d managed to spend drawing out dinner, Alec felt like he’d fallen fully in love. He couldn’t believe that he ever thought he was content before he’d heard Magnus laugh.
“Did you say you took a taxi here?” Magnus asked.
“Huh?” Alec blinked out of his reverie. “Oh, yes, I did.”
“Well, personally I’m quite full from dinner. I think I could use a few blocks’ walk.” Magnus said coyly, toying with his ear cuff.
Alec smiled, getting to his feet. “Sounds perfect.” He watched Magnus put on his coat, and gestured for him to lead him from the restaurant, nerves rising in his stomach as they stepped out together into the cool night air. “Magnus?”
“Hmmm?”
“Do you want to, uh… Hold my hand?” Alec requested, moving so he and Magnus were stood facing each other in front of the restaurant, half a foot apart. Magnus’ breath hitched in his throat, his eyes dropping to Alec’s hand, held palm-up between them.
Magnus said a little prayer to a God he didn’t believe in, and met Alec’s eyes. “You sure you’re ready?”
Alec tilted his head to the side, eyes tentative. “I’ve always dreamed of meeting someone like you.”
It took everything Magnus had not to forget the hand-holding altogether and throw himself against Alec’s lips, but he just barely resisted, closing his eyes. Alec’s eyes slipped shut too, and when he closed his fingers, he felt the warmth of Magnus’ hand slip into his grip. The world around them melted away when they opened their eyes, and Alec grinned, almost faint with relief.
Magnus’ eyes were the most beautiful colour in the world.
It was the first colour he’d ever seen, but he knew it would be his favourite forever.
“Alexander,” Magnus breathed, reaching up to cup his face, his eyes greedily drinking in every technicolour detail of his face.
Alec’s hands slipped around the other man’s waist, and they hugged tightly, overjoyed tears welling in their eyes. They stood there hugging for a long time, occasionally feeling the brush of stranger’s bodies pass them, and it was only when someone yelled at them for hogging the sidewalk that they broke apart, giggling like children.
“So… Wanna come meet my dog?” Alec asked, forcing his tone to be light even though all he wanted to do was holler and fist-pump.
Magnus laughed, twining his fingers with Alec’s. “I’d love to.”