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“You love this car more than you love me,” Magnus complained, tilting his sunglasses down to stare at Alec over the rim of them, his hair flapping in the wind as Alec masterfully steered the car around another corner. He glanced at the speedometer and rolled his eyes. “And you have a lead foot.”
Alec grinned. “You’re the one who got me the Maserati for my birthday.”
Magnus sighed and leaned back in the seat, unable to keep from smiling, at least a little bit. “And I am regretting every minute of it.”
“Uh-huh,” Alec drawled, giving Magnus a look before he turned back to the road. “That’s why you suggested the road trip?”
“I figured it was the only way I’d get to see you over the next week and a half,” Magnus shot back.
Alec snorted and rolled his eyes. He let a comfortable silence fall between them for a few moments before he spoke up. “Do you know that there are people who street race cars like these?”
Magnus cracked one eye open, looking over at Alexander. “No.”
Alec pouted at Magnus. “You’re no fun.”
“You’ve been driving for less than six months, Alexander,” Magnus chastised. “No matter how good at it you are, driving like that is not safe.”
“Spoilsport,” Alec teased, rolling his eyes.
Magnus hummed and tapped his fingers along the window, glancing up at the road sign they started to pass. An idea struck him and he tapped Alec on the arm, pointing to the turn off. “Head that way.”
Alec obediently switched lanes and looked over at Magnus with a raised eyebrow. “Change of plans?”
Magnus grinned and leaned back in his chair. “Something like that. We’re going to take a stop in Monaco. I think there’s a surprise I can organize for you.”
Alec blinked and watched Magnus lean his chair back, lounging in the seat beside him. He turned his attention to the road and focused on getting them to, apparently, Monaco. A quick flick of his fingers had the car filling with music. He wondered what Magnus was planning, but smiled and shrugged. Benefit of a honeymoon. They could do whatever they wanted.
~!~
It took three phone calls, a good portion of his on-hand bank account, and a favor, but Magnus had his surprise ready for Alexander. He leaned in the doorway and watched the sun play over the skin of Alexander’s back, where he was twisted in silk sheets.
“Alexander,” he called.
Alec lifted his head up and looked over at Magnus, making a grumpy face. “You weren’t in bed this morning.”
Magnus smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to tangle his fingers in Alec’s hair, giving a small tug. “You’re right, I wasn’t. But that’s because your surprise took some organizing.”
Alec huffed. “Surprise can wait.” He reached out and tugged Magnus towards him.
“Actually,” Magnus said, smiling. “This one can’t wait. And I promise it’s going to be worth your while.”
Alec sighed and flopped onto his back. “All right, fine.”
Magnus watched Alec get up and head for the bathroom, not a stitch of clothing on him. It would almost be a pity to cover up his body in the outfit he’d need to wear today. He sighed and reminded himself that Alexander was going to love this surprise.
~!~
“So,” Alec drawled, glancing over at Magnus as he was tugged down another street. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope!” Magnus teased, heading towards the building that would lead them to the track. “But we are almost there.”
Alec rolled his eyes and followed Magnus into the building and his breath caught, his eyes going wide at the sight of the racecar in the main foyer. “Magnus?”
“Welcome Alexander,” Magnus said with a bow. “To The Circuit De Monaco. Which, during the off-season, is available for civilian racing.”
“Civilian…” Alec’s eyes flew towards the woman standing behind a desk, smiling at them indulgently. “Racing?!”
Magnus laughed at the excitement on Alexander’s face. “Yes. Since you enjoy pretending to be a speed demon, I thought you’d like a chance to do it for real.”
Alec reached out and tugged Magnus into his arms, hugging his husband tight. “Yes!”
“If you’d follow me this way, Mr. Lightwood-Bane,” the woman behind the desk called. “I’ll bring you both to the dressing room and show you the car you’ll be driving today.”
Magnus watched as Alec almost bounced after her, asking question after question about the track, the cars, the restrictions they had. It was only when they were alone again and Alec was holding the suit he needed to change into that his husband turned back to him. Magnus grinned at him. “Worth getting out of bed?”
Alec turned towards Magnus and carefully draped the racing suit over the chair before he stalked to his husband. He pinned Magnus back against the lockers and kissed him, pressing in as close to him as he could get, until they were both panting.
“Guessing that’s a yes,” Magnus teased, combing his fingers through Alec’s hair. He stole another kiss and pushed Alec towards the racing suit. “Get changed. I’m going to ogle you shamelessly and then I’ll come watch you put your lead foot to good use.”
“You got it,” Alec said, his grin blinding as he turned towards the racing suit. As he stripped his clothes off, he took his stele in hand and traced over a few runes, ignoring the chuckle from Magnus. Didn't hurt to have a little bit of extra precaution when driving a car like this.
By the time they were ready, the car was waiting for them, and Magnus watched as Alec studiously followed all of the instructions from his teacher, nodding and repeating things back when asked. The blinding grin that he could see, even behind the helmet was worth it when he saw Alec slip into the car, his hands going to the wheel.
Magnus snapped a picture and immediately sent it to Isabelle and Jace before he blew Alexander a kiss and stepped out of the way. Alec didn’t bother holding back, once he’d completed his first lap to show he had a handle on the car, he was given the greenlight to do his five test laps.
The roar of the car as it went by had Magnus cheering. He heard the surprise from the instructor as Alec pushed the car, hugging curves and following the line of the track like he had been born to do it.
“Is he a professional from the americas?”
Magnus turned to the instructor and shook his head, unable to keep from grinning in delight as he watched Alec on the screen above them. As Alec approached the stands, Magnus waved to him and grinned at the roar of the throttle.
The instructor hummed. “His times approach levels we would expect of a new professional. He lacks experience, but has a knack for knowing how to control the car.”
Magnus chuckled and didn’t say that was likely due to both Alexander the runes he knew were active on his Shadowhunter. “We’ve been road tripping around Europe in his new Masarati. But I thought he might enjoy this even more.”
“You should take him to Germany.”
Magnus thought of the Autobahn and chuckled. “I don’t know if his lead foot needs more encouraging.” Alexander blew past them again and Magnus glanced up at the times, noting that the latest lap was considerably faster than the last.
The instructor whistled. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone with such an intrinsic talent. Look at that.” She pointed to where Alec was at on the track. “That is the most difficult portion of the track, knowing when and where to make those turns and how to make them is an art form. Yet he drives as though he has been on this track his whole life.”
Magnus grinned at her, pleased. “Doesn’t he?” The next few laps blew by and all too soon, Alec was pulling into the pit and sliding out of the car, the grin on his face sunshine-bright.
“Magnus!” Alec laughed, putting his helmet down, reaching out to wrap Magnus in his arms and spin him around. “Did you see?”
“Of course I did!” Magnus said, tugging Alec into a kiss. “Now come on, there’s a few dozen pictures of you I need to buy from these lovely folks.”
The instructor watched them head back towards the building and her eyes strayed up towards the time listed on the last lap. One of the pit crew came jogging over to her, his eyes wide.
“Is that real?”
She smiled faintly and glanced at the two men who were bickering over who would hold the door for the other before slipping back into the Visitor’s Center. “Surprisingly, yes.”
“Who are they?”
She chuckled and shook her head. “I have no idea. But the lap record stands. Please let me know if there are any issues with the car.”
He nodded, staring at her with wide eyes.
~!~
It was more than a decade before they made it back to Monaco, but when Magnus realized that the Grand Prix coincided with their next weekend off, he didn’t hesitate to book tickets for them both.
However, what he did not expect, as they settled into their box seats, watching the pre-race festivities, was to see Alexander’s name listed on top of the fastest times ever recorded on the track. Magnus nearly spit out his drink as the announcer started talking.
“Civilian unknown Alec Lightwood-Bane currently holds the record for fastest time around the Monaco Grand Prix track. Despite having admitted to no racing experience, there are strong suspicions that the name is a cover for a racer from the Americas here on vacation…”
“Oh god,” Alec whispered, his eyes flying to Magnus as they started to play video of when he had been on the track last. “Magnus, that’s…”
Magnus took in the horrified (yet also a little proud) look on Alexander’s face and couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing, leaning back into his seat. “I told you your lead foot was going to get you into trouble!”