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“Magnus you know that I can’t cook,” Alec said, rolling his eyes. “Hell, you mock me for it regularly, that I can’t cook anything other than breakfast."
Magnus snorted and rolled his eyes. "That’s why I’m going to teach you, Alexander."
Alec stared at his boyfriend and then at the ingredients in front of them and sighed. "Fine, but you don’t get to blame me when it ends up horrible."
"It’s not going to end up horrible,” Magnus corrected, stepping in close to Alec.
He leaned up and pressed a kiss to Alec’s jaw, watching his face soften and he smiled. “It’s going to be perfectly fine. I promise. I mean,” he grinned, his tone turning teasing. “If I can save your soup, I can do anything, right?"
Alec groaned and sagged, glaring at Magnus, despite the laughter that was echoing in the kitchen. "See, that’s not exactly inspiring confidence."
"Don’t worry,” Magnus repeated, waving his hand over the ingredients on the table. “This is pretty idiot proof. Hell, I might even teach Izzy how to make it."
"Not unless you want food poisoning,” Alec shot back.
Magnus snickered. “Your sister is impressively bad, I will agree there. But she tries, and that’s what’s important."
"Tell that to my stomach."
Magnus rolled his eyes at Alec’s dramatics and pointed to the bell peppers he’d already laid out on a chopping board. "Get started on cutting those for me. You’re not going to need them in tiny pieces, just cut across from the base up. About a quarter of an inch slices."
Alec sighed and moved over to the peppers, starting to chop them. It was easier than he expected, and at least he felt confident handling the knife. He glanced over at Magnus and his face flushed when he realized that Magnus was staring, watching him with a look in his face that always made him blush. "I’m just chopping peppers."
"And you’ve never looked more gorgeous,” Magnus said truthfully. It was true. For all that Alec was uncomfortable with what he was doing, the fact that he was doing it at all, that he was trying, meant the world to him. When Alec was finished he pointed to the oil in the pan he had on the stove. "Put them there.“
"You never did tell me what we’re making,” Alec said, following the instructions.
“Stirfry. Quick, simple, delicious, and rather hard to screw up,” Magnus explained, nodding in approval once Alec was done. “Go ahead and turn the stove up, put them on medium heat. Take the wooden spoon and let them start cooking in the oil."
Alec nodded, focusing on his task, making sure that he didn’t mess up. He didn’t want Magnus to have to summon them dinner after he’d gone to all of this effort to set up cooking lessons for dinner.
"All right, good, now you can put them on low heat and leave them. Next we’re going to focus on the chicken."
Alec let himself fall into the rhythm of Magnus’ instructions, unable to keep from flushing when Magnus pressed up close to him, long fingers closing around his wrist to help direct him when need be.
“Pay attention, Alexander,” Magnus teased, shifting to press a kiss to Alec’s deflect rune.
“You think kissing my rune is making that easy?”
Magnus chuckled and helped Alec toss the pan, humming as the scent of the cooking food started to fill the kitchen. “I never said I was going to make it easy.”
Alec growled and told himself to focus on the food, even when Magnus stepped up behind him and pressed fully against him, making his lashes flutter.
“Magnus,” Alec said, fighting down a shiver as Magnus nuzzled his neck.
“It’s not my fault you look all adorably domestic, Alexander,” Magnus whispered. His voice turned wistful and he reached out, turning the heat on the stove off. “You look at home here.”
Alec carefully put the pan down and turned around to face Magnus, raising his eyebrows. “Magnus.” He reached out and cupped Magnus’ face in his palms. “I am home.”
Magnus’ eyes were golden bright as the warlock stared at him, and Alec smiled, pulling him in for a kiss, their lips sliding together slowly, then with more heat.
“You know what my favorite part of cooking in the kitchen is?” Magnus asked, tilting his head back for Alec as biting kisses were trailed down his throat.
Alec shifted and pressed Magnus back against the cabinets before lifting him so he was sitting on the counter, moving in close so they could kiss again. “I think I can guess.”