Work Text:
Blue moon you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
“Babe, you work too hard.”
Magnus tipped his head back, over the back of the sofa, in order to see Alec opening their apartment door – the only person who could tear him from his work right this moment.
“This coming from the ‘I must do as much as I can by myself otherwise I’ll die’ Head of the Institute?” he said, raising an eyebrow and grinning as Alec unceremoniously dropped the takeout he had been carrying on the counter and began to make his way over to Magnus’s book-strewn palace.
“This coming from your husband.” Alec pressed a kiss to his forehead, and Magnus closed his eyes, unwilling to allow the intense wave of emotion from showing too deeply. They’d been married six months, he and Alec, and yet he didn’t feel as though any amount of time would dull the sheer thrill of it every time Magnus was reminded that he had a husband.
This kind of happiness wasn’t meant for the likes of him. And yet, against all odds, here Alec was, beating down the last vestiges of his hearts’ cage every single day.
He was brought back to the present by Alec’s voice. “What’s all this-“ he gestured a hand vaguely at the mess of papers “-about? Did you pick up a new research project?” Magnus could see Alec was desperate to touch, to investigate, possibly even to sniff, but restrained himself out of respect for Magnus’s organised chaos.
“It’s all to do with my new ward designs, darling,” Magnus replied, waving his hand and sending the paperwork to the dining table, replacing it with a stack of mismatched plates, and utensils.
“I thought you had finished those? The Clave certainly seems to think so,” said Alec, collecting the food from the kitchen.
“Oh, physically they’re near perfect, but I like to collate my research on wards like this so that other warlocks can create their own versions, if they need to. It’s rather boring, and while I must admit I wasn’t expecting to see you for lunch, it is certainly welcome.”
Alec dug into the bag as he spoke, handing containers to Magnus as they plated the food up together. “Well, I knew you won’t have eaten today, since you didn’t eat much of your toast at breakfast. Plus, I need to talk business with you, but it can wait until after food. And maybe until after I’ve stolen a few kisses.” Alec smirked at him, looking out from beneath his unfairly long eyelashes.
“A few, hmmm? Bold of you, Alexander.”
“Mmhmmm. At least… three.” Alec nodded, tone and expression completely deadpan.
“Very bold,” Magnus said, leaning in to kiss him.
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I could really care for
They ate in relative peace, content to bask in the early May sunshine and in each other’s company, making small talk yet feeling no need to fill the space with empty words. They were like that, sometimes; they could talk for hours, conversation never ceasing, or they could simply just be, doing their own thing in silence, but together.
Alec usually preferred to clear plates by hand, but he conceded to Magnus’s point that he didn’t have much time before his presence was required back at the Institute. There were less earth-shattering events these days, yet Alec was just as busy and as vital – his work during last fall had drawn the attention of most of the remaining members of the Council, and he found himself drawn into meetings and conference calls at strange hours.
Magnus was unspeakably proud, even if sometimes those calls pulled Alec away for a day or two. He himself was taking time to dedicate to his own projects, with only a few cursory clients when they popped up – he had finally managed to perfect a ward design he had been working towards sporadically for decades. It was a detailed piece of magic, a ward that would stop full demons from passing but allow Downworlders through – but that would also detect ill intent and ward against that. The Clave had proven particularly interested in it, although Magnus couldn’t fathom why.
“So, my darling, you said you had to talk Shadowhunter at me?” Magnus leant back his seat, snapping a glass of wine into his hand, and a takeaway cup of cold brew for Alec, working as he was. Alec rolled his eyes fondly, and took the coffee.
“Well, I just had Jia Penhallow in my office. Evidently, Matthias Stonebay, the fill-in for Inquisitor? Was adamant he’d only remain out of retirement for six months, and resigned this morning. The Council had to call an emergency meeting over who would be best suited to offer the Inquisitor position to, and, well.” Alec’s voice was level, but his eyes shone with excitement.
Magnus felt as though his emotions had sparked up an instant and bloody war. “Alexander, tha-“
“I said maybe, on one condition.”
Magnus choked a little on his wine. “You said maybe? What condition would make you say yes?”
Alec snorted. “You, obviously. I want to be wherever you are, whether that means I portal in every day, or… we both move to Alicante?”
“We do what now? My love, tell me you’re not being serious.”
“Yeah, I’m serious. Jia offered that we, me and you, move to Alicante. The Downworlder population in Idris has been instrumental in helping us physically rebuild the city, and Jia isn’t about to let that be forgotten. The towers are meant to go up again next week, but the old wards…”
“Would lock them all out again. But, mine…” Magnus picked up Alec’s sentence with ease, comprehension relieving his mind. Alec nodded.
“Jia asked me to come to you, and ask if you would be willing to stay for a week or two, with anyone you need to help, to put them up across the city.”
Downworlders free to come and go from Idris, capital of the Nephilim homeland – Magnus never even entertained the fantasy of this day coming. How could he refuse, truly?
“And she had one more offer.”
“Oh? I’m not sure I can really take any more surprises, Alexander.”
Alec smiled, huffing out a quiet laugh, memories of a long ago conversation springing back to them both. “A more permanent Downworld population will need a spokesperson, a liaison, and – since Jia is personally invested in me moving in, and I won’t go anywhere without you, and since the majority of Alicante, Downworlder and Shadowhunter, consider you the hero that you are – she would like to invite you to become the first High Warlock of Alicante?”
Magnus was rarely speechless. But then again, the world he knew rarely turned itself on its head in the space of five minutes, so perhaps he could be forgiven for a moment’s pause to process.
“…Magnus? Babe?”
Perhaps more than a moment.
“Alexander? Kiss me,” he demanded, Alec only to happy to oblige, large hands coming up to frame his face.
“Is that a yes?” Alec said, when they broke apart. “Because, it’s a big move, and it’s still Alicante, and there’s not even a restaurant-“
Magnus waved his hand. “Europe is small, there are plenty of places in the bordering countries we can hop over to. I can bring us whatever we might want, and we could come back whenever we wanted, couldn’t we? I can’t refuse this chance, my love, this is transformative.”
Alec stood with a grin. “So… do I go back now and tell Jia yes?”
Magnus shook his head, and snapped his fingers. The stereo in the corner whirred into life, floating the notes of Frank Sinatra’s Blue Moon throughout the room. Magnus stood, and raised his arms into position. “Dance with me first?”
Alec laughed, stepping forward into Magnus’s embrace. “You must be happy, if you’re willing to get your feet stepped on a bunch.”
The furniture cleared itself out of the way, and Magnus hummed noncommittally, bringing Alec close and moving them gently.
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will hold
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold
“Magnus?” Alec spoke softly, as the song drew to a close.
“Yes, darling?”
“You were worried for a moment that I’d choose to go without you, weren’t you?”
Magnus closed his eyes, and sighed. “Yes, I was. Even though I know better, it’s still…”
Alec kissed his cheek. “I don’t blame you for worrying about that kind of thing, Magnus. I’ll just keep reminding you that you come before anything else for me, okay? You’re my husband, my family. I love you.”
Magnus opened his eyes again, reaching up to cup Alec’s face, thumb running over his cheekbone as Alec leaned into the touch. “I love you too, my angel.”
“Only half, I’m afraid,” Alec replied, voice a whisper as though speaking any louder would pop this fragile bubble of affection and anticipation prematurely, before they would need to head to the Institute and agree to a new future for them both.
“Could have fooled me.”
Blue moon!
Now I’m no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own