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The loft was quiet. The street outside was too, which told Alec that it was very late, bordering on very early. If he reached out to push aside the curtains, he suspected he’d see the sky slowly turning a steely gray in the east as dawn drew closer. He didn’t do that, partly due to his own tiredness and partly due to the worry that the movement would jostle Max awake. Max, neatly swaddled in a soft yellow blanket, had fallen asleep almost immediately after Alec had fed him. Alec knew he should get back to bed and use this precious quiet time to rest, but he couldn’t bring himself to get out of the overstuffed chair and set Max back into the crib. In fact, he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from Max’s face. He couldn’t stop looking at his baby; the round cheeks, the little button nose, the dark eyelashes, the tufts of soft hair that grew denser every day. In the soft lamplight, his skin looked almost twilight blue. He’d watch this baby grow up. Not only that, he’d raise him. Love him just as much as he’d love a baby that was his own flesh and blood.
”It’s hard to grasp sometimes,” he whispered into the space between his face and Max’s, ”that you’ll get bigger than this. And that it’ll happen right in front of my eyes.”
As gently as he could, he bent his head over Max. The view aside from Max’s tiny face poking out of the blanket was blocked by the dark curtain of Alec’s hair — he should probably get it cut soon. His lips curled into a gentle smile before he pressed a soft kiss to the baby’s even softer forehead. The silence in the apartment was broken by the creaking of floorboards outside of Max’s room. Alec would have thought it was the Chairman if it weren’t for the light from the living room being blocked by a tall shadow being cast from the doorway. Chairman Meow may have a big personality, but only one person in the apartment could cast that shadow.
”I thought you’d fallen asleep in here,” Magnus murmured. Alec turned his head to look at his sleep-rumpled lover. His eyes looked heavy with sleep and he was wrapped up in a silk robe Alec had last seen lying in a heap on the bedroom floor.
”No, not yet,” he said. ”Why aren’t you asleep though?”
Magnus ran a hand through his hair. It stood nearly straight up in the back, where he’d fallen asleep on it while it was still wet from the shower. ”It got chilly without you.”
A soft huff of laughter passed Alec’s lips. ”Sorry, I just—” he glanced back down at the blissfully dreaming child in his arms, ”I got a little sentimental.” He’d wanted to say I couldn’t leave him, but there was something so intensely emotional behind those words that they got caught before he could utter them. Magnus took a few steps into the room and sat down on the arm of the chair, leaning in over Alec’s shoulder to look at the little bundle that was their son.
”I could see why,” Magnus mumbled, and Alec could hear him smiling.
The comforting warmth of Magnus’s body against his side in combination with the comforting weight of Max in his arms, on top of his perpetual lack of sleep as of late made a lump form in Alec’s throat. This was his family. He held the baby closer to his chest and turned his face up at Magnus. He tried his best to swallow the lump before he spoke,
”What time is it?” Despite his best efforts, his voice sounded a little thick.
”Like 3:45, I think,” Magnus said. He let his fingers slide into Alec’s hair and scratch gently at his scalp. ”Come to bed, Alexander.”
Magnus’s soft touch sent a tingle down Alec’s spine and he felt himself relaxing further into the chair. He wanted to come to bed, he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t, but he was still reluctant to let go of Max. He looked back down at him.
”I…” he managed before trailing off. Magnus’s hand raked through his hair again with such loving gentleness.
”He’s safe,” Magnus whispered.
”I know,” Alec whispered back, ”I just want to look at him.”
”So do I. But we need sleep too. Please come back to bed.” Magnus held his arms out toward Max. ”Here. I can take him.”
As much as Alec didn’t want him to, Magnus spoke sense. He let Magnus lift Max out of his arms before he made the effort to get out of the chair. He stretched his arms up over his head and let out a huge yawn before he could even think about stifling it. He walked over to where Magnus was standing by Max’s crib. Magnus was mumbling quietly to the baby; quietly enough that Alec couldn’t even tell if he was speaking english or not.
”—sleep tight, blueberry,” Magnus finished, running a knuckle lightly across one of Max’s soft cheeks. Then he, ever so gently, put the baby back in his crib.
With a sigh, Alec slid his hand across the soft silk of Magnus’s robe and leaned into his boyfriend. He knew it was silly, but he already missed having his baby held against his chest. Magnus’s presence was a comfort.
”Let’s go to bed before I get stuck here again,” Alec mumbled against Magnus’s neck. He felt Magnus’s quiet laugh reverberate through his own body.
”Yeah, let’s.”