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1
They’re out on a date, somewhere in Italy, when a lady warlock shows up.
She’s stunning, her name is Isabella – even her name is fucking sexy!-, and she apparently has known Magnus for a long, long time.
She introduces herself with a flirty smile and a firm handshake, then proceeds to engage Magnus in a convoluted discussion about the party they both attended that time, back in the seven hundreds.
It’s their date –and fuck, it’s been absolutely ages since they’ve gone on one- and this… lady just shows up and sits down with them, managing to make him feel like a third wheel with his own boyfriend.
So he sits and glares, waiting for them to stop talking –or for Magnus to send her away.
But neither happens and, by the time the three of them step out of the restaurant, he’s supremely pissed.
So when Magnus invites her back at the loft- and, really?-, he tells them to go on without him, because he needs to sleep and the next day he’s got morning patrol.
Magnus sends him a concerned look, but Alec is annoyed, very much so, and just ignores his boyfriend, disappearing with a huff behind the doors of the Institute.
He doesn’t even kiss Magnus good night.
2
The day after their disastrous date, Magnus cancels on him.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. But you remember Isabelle, from yesterday night? ( oh, he remembers. He remembers very well. He’s spent most of his night alone in his bed, damning her to hell and back) She’s organized a get- together with all of our friends tonight. I mean- I haven’t seen any of them in absolute centuries. I can’t miss it. I promise I’ll make it up to you”
Alec spends the rest of the day throwing punches at the sack.
3
By the third time he hears the name Isabella escaping from Magnus’ lips, he’s done.
He hangs up the phone with a “sure, I’ll see you sometime next week” muttered through clenched teeth and decides to drink his woes away at The Inn, one of his favorite places for a fucking pity party.
He avoids both Jace and Isabelle on his way out, and sneaks very inconspicuously into the pub- he doesn’t want to be seen here of all places.
+1
He’s at the third glass of vodka –and now, that’s why he fucking loves this place. They just do what you ask without batting an eyelid, even if what you ask is a glass full of straight vodka- when someone who really, really looks like Magnus sits down on the stool next to him. He’s less sparkly, less majestic than Alec’s warlock, but he’s got black spiked hair and brown eyes.
“This one’s on me,” not-Magnus says to the barman, his voice strangely unpleasant to Alec’s ears.
Alec smiles feebly at him- he’s not drunk, not yet at least, but he’s way past the tipsy phase.
Not-Magnus smiles back, and for a moment, his eyes glow golden in the dim lights.
Had Alec not been sure his Magnus was at that very moment somewhere in Italy with someone else, he would’ve thought the warlock was right there with him.
“Trying to forget, uh?” Not-Magnus quips with a knowing smile, leaning closer.
Alec nods wordlessly, taking a large sip of vodka.
It burns, but he fucking loves it.
Not-Magnus sighs “Yeah, me too”
Alec looks up, suddenly intrigued “Love troubles?” he guesses.
Not-Magnus snorts “Yeah, you could say that”
Alec nods sympathetically and offers the other his glass. “Want some?”
Not-Magnus smiles and shakes his head “No, thanks. Mine’s on the way”
Alec smiles and shrugs, throwing back the rest of the drink.
They toast to their fucking disastrous love lives and spend the rest of the evening exchanging stories and sharing their pain.
It’s mid-way through the night that Alec realizes he’s having fun- and he’s not even that drunk.
But James, Not-Magnus’ real name, is actually a nice guy, and Alec is truly enjoying himself.
They move to a table sometime after two a.m., and Alec is recounting the sad tale of his Italian date with Magnus –and why hasn’t he realized before how funny it’s been? He’s been a fucking third wheel on his own date! How crazy is that? James is laughing so hard he’s almost crying- when a soft yet strong hand squeezes tightly his shoulder.
He looks up, and he’s blinded by his boyfriend’s stunning golden eyes.
Magnus looks almost annoyed –and why is he even here? Shouldn’t he be with Isabella?- but Alec smiles up at him nevertheless.
“Oh, aaaaaand here he is. James, this is my Magnus.”
James is still laughing when he offers a hand to the warlock.
Magnus looks at the hand, then back at Alec's new friend, and simply glares.
James laughs even harder, and even Alec giggles a bit.
“What are you-” he hiccups “-you doing here?” he finally asks, since Magnus has yet to say a word.
“I was looking for you, Alexander” he answers, glaring.
Alec tries to glare back “And why is that? Weren’t you with Isabella?”
“Yeah, but I missed my boyfriend and decided to come see you”
Alec shrugs “Well, you found me” he states.
James laughs again, his head resting on Alec’s shoulder.
“You’re drunk. Come on- I’ll get you home” Magnus says, looking honestly pissed.
Alec snickers “You want to get me home, uh?”
James howls into his shirt.
Magnus’ eyes soften a bit, and his smile turns fond.
“Come on, shadowhunter. You’ve got patrol tomorrow”.
Now- that’s something that catches his attention. Patrol. He’s got to fucking work in the morning.
Alec sighs “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go,” he tells James.
The other shrugs “Don’t worry mate, I think I’ll turn in, too”
Alec nods “I’ll meet you for that coffee, then,” he says, standing up on wobbly legs.
James giggles “Sure”
Alec has only the time to smile and wave, then Magnus is already dragging him out of the place.
“Ehi! Ehi! Slow down!” Alec yelps, tripping on his feet.
Magnus stops and glares at Alec.
“Now- that’ll teach you! I’ve been worried out of my fucking mind! Alec- I couldn’t find you, and nobody knew where the hell you were!”
Alec huffs at his anger “I’m a fully grown adult. If I want to get s-shitfaced because my boyfriend is being an asshole, I can do it. I don’t have to justify myself.”
Magnus’s eyes widen “I was being an asshole?! I found you all over someone else! You were practically kissing him right then and there!”
Alec snorts “Yeah. Right. You literally ignored me for the whole time, back in Italy. It was our first date in a long, long while, and I had to feel like a fucking third wheel! She was flirting with you, and you were flirting right back! You’ve had sex with her- and you spent the whole fucking evening reminiscing your time together! Not only that- you canceled on me multiple times, too! For her!”
Alec glares, panting “And now you go an call me an asshole, too! Well, you know what? Fuck you!”
Magnus stares for a moment, looking completely taken aback.
Then his eyes soften, and he takes a step closer.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I- well, I hadn’t thought about it like that. Isabella is just a friend- and she’s been just a friend for a long while, now.”
Their eyes lock for a moment, then Alec looks away.
Underneath the anger, the annoyance, and the jealousy, there’s a layer of insecurity, of hurt.
Magnus sighs, taking one of Alec’s hands into his and pulling gently.
“Come on- you’re still drunk. Let’s get you home”
-
Alec wakes up the next day with a killer headache and the bitter aftertaste of vodka in his mouth.
He’s at the loft, and he can smell the delicious fragrance of freshly baked pancakes coming from the kitchen.
With a wince, he slips out of the covers and pads bare-footed into the living room.
Magnus is already sitting there, his silk kimono covering his body and no makeup on his face.
His cat eyes light up when they see Alec.
“Good morning, Alexander” his voice is smooth and there’s no mistaking the amusement in his stare.
Alec glares at him and his relaxed face, muttering a half-mumbled “good morning” back.
He ignores the warlock’s snickering and plops down on the nearest chair, filling the empty cup with coffee.
It’s only when he’s done eating that Magnus finally asks the “want to talk about it?” Alec has been dreading.
He crosses his arms over his chest.
“What’s there to talk about?” he asks, challenging.
Magnus sighs “Maybe the fact that I hurt you, and you didn’t say anything? Or the fact that you all but disappeared without saying a word to anybody?”
Alec rolls his eyes “I really had to point out that seeing you flirt and reminisce with your ex annoyed me? Really? I shouldn’t need to tell you that, Magnus”
But Magnus shakes his head “You are missing my point. I would never hurt you purposefully, Alexander, but sometimes even I can be a little thoughtless. And when I am, you need to tell me I’m hurting you! For god’s sake, knowing you, you probably would’ve let it pass without saying a word!”
Alec shrugs “Probably”
Magnus raises pointedly one brow.
“Alright” Alec concedes “I’ll tell you if something you do is hurting me”
They look at each other for a while, and Magnus’ eyes soften slightly.
“I really am sorry, you know,” he says gently “I just-”
“No, no, I get it” Alec cuts in. “You hadn’t seen each other in a while. You wanted to catch up with her. I get it”
“We are just friends, Alec. I would never, ever do anything with her or with anybody else, I hope you know that” Magnus says gently.
Alec nods “Yeah- I know.”
Magnus studies him for a moment, unconvinced.
And how can Alec explain it to him without feeling like an ass?
The ease with which Magnus has set him aside, just like that, in a matter of seconds, has scared him.
And then there’s Magnus’ gentle hand cupping his cheek, and he looks up to meet the warlock’s stare.
“You know why I came looking for you?”
At Alec’s “no”, Magnus smiles “Because I missed you. I needed to see you, to make sure you were alright- so I left Isabella and her party and came back to New York.”
Something eases in Alec’s chest, and he suddenly feels lighter.
He smiles back at Magnus “I really love you, you know”
The warlock bends to leave a soft kiss on his lips “As I love you, my dear”