Work Text:
Alec loved the way Magnus said people’s names.
It was always deliberate, the way his lips curled around every syllable with so much purpose and intention that it was impossible to miss how he felt about whoever he was referring to. There was something so elegant about the way words fell from his mouth, like each and every one was being put on display for the rest of the world to see and had to be absolutely perfect.
He loved the way that Magnus smiled, always so slow and wide, and how the skin around his eyes would crinkle with joy when he was especially cheerful or endeared. His eyes, whether brown or gold, were always so bright and beautiful, and they held centuries of emotions that Alec could barely even begin to unravel and interpret.
He loved that, too, even though it made his chest ache a little. All of those years that Magnus had existed before him, living and loving and experiencing so many things. It was present in every part of him, unspoken but so obvious in the way he moved and talked and even breathed, like he was constantly prepared to take on another adventure. It was an incomparable sight.
He loved everything about Magnus, every little mannerism and habit, which was why he had resolved to stop taking ten steps back when things got hard. He had gotten so good at that growing up- briskly stepping away from anything that hit too close to home. If something ever had the slightest chance of damaging him further than he already was, he ran. It was ingrained in him just as deeply as his training, as easy to follow through with as releasing an arrow, but just like in battle, he had control over his actions. He could pause, take a breath, and lower his guard the same way he could lower his arms and stop himself from shooting.
They should not have been fighting each other to begin with, and instead should have targeted all of the obstacles that were blocking their path. It took him a while to realize, but he didn’t need to keep taking every move Magnus made as an attack. He knew that now, and he was going to be better, because he had to be.
So he opened the loft door and stepped inside, determination rushing through his veins, and he greeted his boyfriend with a grin.
And god, he loved the way Magnus said his name every time he walked into a room. He loved the smile that was still reserved for him despite the turbulence that they had been enduring, and he loved the past that ultimately lead them to meet.
He loved Magnus with every single shred of his being, and he knew they would get past all of their issues, because somehow, against all odds, Magnus loved him too.