Chapter Text
By the time Alec had fought his way to where Magnus had last been sighted, panic was clawing at his chest. Magnus had been surrounded, a mix of vampires and demons had been closing around him, and Alec was going to kill him for straying so far from the group! Nevermind that he was one of the most powerful warlocks in the country, he could still get killed by making stupid decisions!
Another demon went down from an arrow to the throat and Alec’s breath caught at the sight of Magnus. He was still standing, launching balls of fire and shadow at the demons around him, but there was blood dripping down his neck and he was pale, indicating his exhaustion.
Trading his bow for a seraph blade, Alec worked towards Magnus, slicing down demons before they could sneak up behind the warlock and then they were working back to back, beating them back.
“We need a plan!”
“I’m all ears!” Magnus shot back. “Where are the others?”
“Too far!” Alec panted, beheading another demon with a grunt, ducking away from a swipe of claws a moment later. “Can you get rid of them?”
Magnus turned to look over his shoulder, even as he sent another ball of energy into the demon. “Don’t you think if I had enough energy for that I would have already?”
Okay, yes, in hindsight that had been a stupid question and Alec was cursing himself for it, but they were also low on options as cut off as they were! “What if you used me?”
“What?”
Alec pressed himself up against Magnus’ back, feeling him jolt in surprise. “Can you get rid of all of them if you drew power from me?”
When Magnus took a few precious seconds to think about it, to really think about it, Alec worked on clearing the area around them until they had some room.
“Magnus!”
Magnus growled and thought about it, really thought about it. He could, but the amount of power he’d have to draw, and how quickly he’d have to do it…
“I can, but it’s going to hurt, I’ll have to pull a lot of strength, quickly!” Magnus shouted. He could still feel the slow trickle of blood down his neck and it made his skin crawl, but he had to focus so he could get them out of this mess.
“Tell me when!” Alec called, leaping out of the way of a large claw coming for his chest before he sank the seraph blade between the armor the demon was wearing. He yanked the blade out right as Magnus shouted his name.
Alec spun around, dashing for Magnus, grabbing his hand as he slid to a stop on the ichor coating the ground. He’d shared his strength with Magnus before, but this was different, this time it felt like Magnus reached inside him and pulled, hard. He stumbled, but didn’t let go, grunting under the effort.
“Hold on!” Magnus ordered, gathering magic in his other palm as the demons and vampires crept closer. Like this, he could see the blank, glossy eyes of the vampires that meant they were being controlled by their sire and felt fury roll through him. Disgusting abuse of power.
“Magnus!” Alec snapped.
Magnus clenched his fist down on the ball of power and pulled Alexander in close to him as the power exploded out of him, racing towards those attacking them and engulfing them in flames. Within seconds, it was over, and he sagged against Alexander with a harsh exhale.
Alec wrapped an arm around Magnus and kept him supported as they stumbled back towards the other shadowhunters. “Where the hell is our established perimeter!” he snapped, moving into the protective circle, getting Magnus sitting on a car a moment later.
“Gotta call Raphael,” Magnus muttered, his body sluggish. Now that he was safe, that Alexander was safe, he had to, he had to maybe pass out.
“Magnus,” Alec called, cupping Magnus’ chin his hand. “Look at me, you okay?”
Magnus gave a tired hum. He was definitely not in the nearest or remotest realms of okay. The puncture wounds on his neck had him wanting to claw his skin off. He reached up to rub at it, but he didn’t even have enough energy to heal himself, and he wasn’t going to take more from Alexander.
Alec caught sight of the wound on Magnus’ neck, properly this time, not just at the faint trail of blood and everything in him went still. He reached out and pulled Magnus’ hand away, but didn’t let go, his free hand tilting Magnus’ head to the side so he could get a better look at it. He carefully brushed the crusted blood away and didn’t miss the twist of disgust on Magnus’ face.
“Take enough to heal them,” Alec ordered. “No arguing, Magnus.”
That was Alec’s serious voice. Magnus blinked and shook his head. “Taken enough from you already today.”
Alec resisted the urge to growl and force his boyfriend to take his strength so he could be healed. He could see how much it was bothering Magnus, and the faint shine of the venom in the wound. He took a deep breath and tilted Magnus’ face back towards him, waiting for their eyes to meet.
“Tell me who,” Alec demanded.
Magnus swallowed, staring at Alexander. He’d seen Alec angry here and there, but this was different. This was the kind of anger that promised retribution, that made him remember that Alexander was a Nephilim and that he would mete out divine punishment to any he determined worthy of it. His breath caught at the sight.
“Alexander, it’s not-”
“Tell me,” Alec interrupted, his voice soft and deadly. “Who did this to you.”
“One of the fledglings. Snuck up on me. Got a few mouthfuls before I threw him off and he bolted,” Magnus muttered, reaching up to rub his neck before he thought the better of it. “Giving me some unpleasant flashbacks.”
Alec resisted the urge to growl. Of course. Camille. She’d probably taken advantage of Magnus loving her to feed off of him regularly. His fingers itched to have the chance to take out some of his anger on her, but there were others who deserved it more.
“Alec,” Magnus grunted. “I’ll be fine. I just need to rest for a while.”
Alec took a deep breath and stared down at Magnus. “All right. Call Raphael.” He turned.
“And where are you going?”
Alec looked back to Magnus, his bow jumping his hand in a shower of blue light, his face once again tense and restrained. “I have hunting to do.”
Magnus blinked in surprise and stared after Alec. “Shit,” he swore, fumbling for his phone. He needed Raphael to get here and to get here now. Before Alexander violated the Accords.
~!~
Alec waded back into the fighting, providing support to the shadowhunters still struggling with the onslaught. He was looking for something, even though he didn’t know what. He had a feeling the one who had bit Magnus wouldn’t be able to keep it to himself. Which meant he’d have a chance to make him pay for what he’d done.
The fighting was starting to die down - most of the demons were dead, and the vampires were staring at them warily. Alec stepped forward and walked in front of them, eyeing each of the vampires, sure that he would be able to tell which one had bitten Magnus.
Halfway down the line, Alec caught sight of a vampire smirking at him. He paused and narrowed his eyes. He turned to face him, tightening his hand on his bow.
“How’s your precious warlock boyfriend doing?”
Alec tilted his head and studied the vampire in front of him. Young. Inexperienced. Powerful, but not knowing how to control that power. Foolish.
The vampire laughed. “Should have seen the look on his face when I sank my teeth into him. He likes it, you know. Sometimes you can just taste it.”
The other vampires were backing away from the one talking, and Alec didn’t know it if was out of self-preservation, or because they’d recognized a mistake when they saw one.
“Wish I’d gotten more than a few mouthfuls, though,” he drawled, licking his lips.
There was an arrow nocked on his bow before he made the conscious decision to summon it to him. He dropped his aim, found his target and fired. The arrow sliced forward, through the vampire’s foot, and deep into the asphalt below him. The other vampires scattered with a shout, and his…target…let out a scream of pain.
Alec stepped forward, lowering his bow. Take away their advantage. Without super speed, the vampire was at his mercy. The vampire was gasping in pain, his fangs dropped, his entire body shaking. It was the work of an instant to pull another arrow, aim, and fire, this time into the meat of his thigh, straight through the femoral artery.
The vampire screamed again, his body bucking on the ground.
Alec crouched down beside the vampire and wrapped a hand around the shaft of his arrow. “Waste not, want not.” He yanked the arrow out, watching blood seep from the wound, the vampire staring at him in horror.
“You-you-”
“Do you know that the femoral artery is one of the most important arteries in your body?” Alec asked conversationally, standing, taking a few steps back from the vampire. “And that yours has just been sliced in half?” He took a moment to clean off the arrow, before turning back to the vampire on the ground.
“A mundane will bleed out in about four minutes from a wound like that,” Alec continued, his voice light. “Now, you are not a mundane, so I imagine the process will be much slower, and more painful.” His eyes glittered dangerously. “Because as much as I would like to kill you, here and now, and make you pay for what you did, this? This is much more fitting.”
“I don’t seem to recall it being your job to punish vampires for their crimes, Alec Lightwood,” a disdainful voice drawled.
Alec turned and stared down Raphael Santiago. He lifted his chin. “Find Magnus.”
Raphael’s eyes flared in anger. “You presume to order me-”
“Magnus was hurt,” Alec interrupted. He gestured over his shoulder. “by him.”
“Is that so?” Raphael narrowed his eyes.
Alec didn’t bother answering, he turned back to the vampire on the ground, watching his chest heave in anger and pain.
Raphael snarled and moved, slipping through the crowd with the ease of decades of practice. When he found Magnus off to himself, nearly curled up, drained of power, and a hand over neck, pained expression on his face, well. Perhaps the Lightwood boy had acted appropriately.
He would see to Magnus afterward. He returned to where the Lightwood boy was still watching the vampire in front of him. Raphael moved forward, standing beside him.
“I know your rules,” Alec said, not looking away from the vampire on the ground. “I leave him in your capable hands, Raphael.”
Raphael watched the Lightwood boy head immediately for Magnus and turned his attention to the fledgling in front of him. His fangs dropped and he smirked at the fear he saw.
“When I am done with you? You will wish he had killed you.”
~!~
The exhaustion was creeping up on him, now. His bones were starting to ache, and the smell of ichor was turning his stomach. Alec made his way over to Magnus and sank to the ground next to him. “Raphael has him.”
Magnus huffed out a laugh. “Raphael is going to be furious at you.”
“Nah,” Alec said, glancing over at him. He bumped his shoulder against Magnus. “We have an understanding when it comes to you.”
Magnus blinked and would have turned his head if he didn’t know it would remind him of the still-stinging wound on his neck. “Oh?”
“Mmmhmm,” Alec hummed, reaching out to take Magnus’ hand, giving it a slow squeeze as he pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Go ahead.”
Magnus sighed. “No, I’ve taken enough from-”
“Magnus,” Alec interrupted. “If you don’t heal it, I will call Catarina and ask her to come do it.”
Magnus gave Alexander a grumpy look before acquiescing. This time the pulse of power was small, but it was enough to close the wounds and heal the pain. He relaxed, leaning against Alexander when Raphael was suddenly standing in front of him, his arms crossed.
“You’ve gotten lazy,” Raphael said, glaring at Magnus.
Magnus looked up at Raphael and snorted. “Thanks.”
“Do better or I won’t come to save you next time,” Raphael added, turning to look at the Lightwood boy. “Can’t rely on a shadowhunter, after all.”
Magnus couldn’t help the small grin. “I’ll make sure to not get bit next time.”
Raphael sniffed and nodded. “See that you don’t.” He waved a hand and disappeared a moment later.
Alec watched him go and looked back at Magnus. “I think he likes me. That was only a vague insult.”
Magnus grinned and pressed his face into Alexander’s shoulder, glad when one strong arm was wrapped around his own shoulders. “That’s pretty much approval from Raphael. Whatever you did must have impressed him.”
Alec hummed and couldn’t help grinning in return pressing a kiss to the top of Magnus’ head. “Want me to stay tonight?”
Magnus nodded, relaxing against Alec. “That would be wonderful, Alexander.”
~!~
By the time Alec managed to get them both home, showered and dressed for bed, they were dragging their feet. In the past hour, though, he’d caught Magnus rubbing his neck at least three or four times, always with a pained expression.
“Magnus?”
Magnus yanked his hand away guiltily. When Alec only raised an eyebrow at him, he huffed. “I can still feel it.”
Alec hummed and tugged Magnus towards him, sitting on the edge of the bed. “What would help?” Magnus smiled and straddled his lap, pressing in close so they could kiss slowly, lazily.
“Not sure,” Magnus admitted, rolling his head to the side. Even though there was no pain, he could still feel the phantom touch and it made him shudder.
Alec tilted his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Magnus’ collar, watching carefully for any tenseness from Magnus as he kissed his way up to where the mark had been. Magnus was still, but not tense in his arms as he pressed another kiss there, hoping his touch would erase some of the bad for him.
A thought occurred and Alec smiled, his voice gentle and teasing. “I could also cover this side of your neck in marks, make sure you remember what it feels like to feel good here.”
Magnus blinked and opened his mouth to say no, the last thing he needed was more teeth against his skin, but, you didn’t have to use teeth…
Alec had been shooting for making Magnus smile, maybe even chuckle, but he hadn’t responded at all, still as stone in his lap. “Magnus?”
Magnus hummed and tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck to Alexander. “No teeth?”
Alec blinked and took a second to process that before pressing another kiss to Magnus’ neck, sucking a small mark right over the spot where the bite had been. Magnus trembled in his arms, pressing closer to him and Alec held him tight, exhaling against his skin.
Magnus closed his eyes, shuddering as Alec waited for, for something. “Alexander, please.”
Alec groaned and lowered his lips to Magnus’ neck again, chasing the sweet taste of his skin.
~
The next morning, when neither of them had to be up in the morning, and they had enough time to relax and take their time in bed, Alec made it a point to continue what he’d started last night. Magnus knew he was going look like he had been mauled, quite happily, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it when the only touch he could remember, or feel, was Alexander’s.
That was, of course, until he got a look at his neck in his vanity mirror. His eyes widened and he stared, tilting his head to the side, admiring the sheer amount of marks there was on his neck.
He turned to find Alexander standing in the doorway to the bathroom, grinning sheepishly.
“Alexander!”
“You liked it!” Alec protested. “A lot!”
Magnus chuckled, because while that was true (it was only fair considering how much he enjoyed marking up Alexander’s deflect rune), it looked like Alexander had tried to give him as many marks as physically possible. He tapped his jaw and turned to look thoughtfully at his closet.
“That look worries me,” Alec said. It had that hint of deviousness that usually meant Magnus was planning something.
“Oh don’t worry darling,” Magnus said, sauntering towards the closet. “It’s nothing at all.”
Magnus knew that Alec didn’t believe that for a second, but the shadowhunter went to make them both coffee and he reached out to grab the perfect shirt. Two could play at that game, of course.
Magnus had disappeared into the depths of his closet for longer than normal and Alec was half worried and half excited about what he apparently had planned. Then he heard Magnus striding from his bedroom and towards the living room.
He turned, about to offer Magnus coffee when his brain registered what he was seeing, sputtered, and proceeded to go completely blank.
Magnus grinned, sauntering closer to Alexander, savoring the absolutely thunderstruck expression on his face. “I take it you like what you see?” Magnus drawled, reaching out to take his coffee cup from where Alexander had left it on the table, taking a slow sip to savor it.
“Did you…” Alec fought to inhale, but now that he’d actually acknowledged the existence of what was in front of him, it still felt like his brain was leaking out of his ears.
“Did I…” Magnus prompted, raising an eyebrow.
Alec swallowed. “Did you color coordinate your entire outfit to the…” he choked, his eyes lifting to the marks on Magnus’ neck again, then back to the eyeshadow that somehow matched the exact shade of most of them.
“To the oh-so lovely marks you left?” Magnus supplied, a teasing grin escaping him. “Why, yes, I did. Is that approval I sense?”
Alec took a long, slow, deep breath. He leaned back and took in Magnus’ outfit again, cataloguing each and every piece. The leather pants and boots were, at least, familiar, and some of his favorites with the way they clung to Magnus.
Then, there was the shirt, a very similar shade of purple, which was unbuttoned more than halfway down Magnus’ chest. And normally, normally whenever Magnus wore a shirt like that, his jewelry choices were ornate and detailed. But right now? Now Magnus was wearing nothing more than a simple silver chain. Which meant, which meant that the marks he had on his neck were on full, glorious display.
Couple that with the purple-tinged smokey eye, and the dark purple highlights in his hair, Alec was amazed he was still breathing.
“You look beautiful,” he managed after what had been several minutes of overly blatant staring. Alec cleared his throat and fought down a blush. “I don’t really want to let you leave the, uh, loft.” His cheeks went a dark red.
Magnus blinked and watched Alexander turn a darker shade of red before admitting he didn’t want to let him leave. He laughed, stepping closer to Alexander, reaching out to tangle his fingers in Alec’s hair. “Is that so?” he leaned up, purring the words into Alec’s ear.
Alexander gasped, shuddering, wrapping his arms around Magnus, pulling him closer. “Y-yeah.”
“Well how about this,” Magnus purred, teasing his lips along the shell of Alexander’s ear. “If you, deign to let me leave the house, I’ll make it very, very worth your while tonight.”
Alec hummed, about to agree, when a different thought occurred. He pulled back and grinned at Magnus. “I have a different idea.”
Magnus raised both of his eyebrows. “Oh?”
Alec tilted his neck to the side, fighting down a blush, and failing as he properly exposed his deflect rune to Magnus. He heard the sharp inhale and grinned. “How about some matching marks?”
“I like that idea,” Magnus purred, pressing Alexander back against the kitchen counter, his cup of coffee long forgotten.