Work Text:
Alec's parabatai rune buzzes and he feels a "Finally." coming through, accompanied by a sigh.
Shortly after: a piercing pain that makes Alec wince and the rune fades. He can't feel Jace.
Magnus looks worried, having just *accidentally* soulbonded with a shadowhunter who honestly winces right after.
"Are you okay?"
He's answered with a frown and a raised finger.
"I am but, if I think what happened did happen, then there's one unhappy blonde shadowhunter soon."
He takes out his phone to text Jace but it doesn't go through. He's blocked.
What does Andrew have to do with their soulbond or the lock? Magnus is definitively neither jealous nor insecure about the two being friends. For some people Just Friends does not turn into Just Married.
"Alec, you're scaring me a little what's wrong?"
Magnus isn't sure if he should just portal away, into a club or home or simply portal the alcohol directly into his blood right here.
"My little ex-parabatai could feel this new soulbond and broke off our connection, now that I have a new person to bother. He also blocked my phone number. So-" Alec pauses. He has the audacity to pause in this moment. "Have fun, I'm now hyperfixating on your wellbeing instead."
"Alec, I'm so sorry. It-"
Alec lifts his hand again.
"You stop that 'I'm too much for people!!!' nonsense right now. Because as you can see, same."
Alec lifts his shirt and angrily gestures. Yep, empty space where his parabatai rune blocked half of his lower belly - which to be honest infuriated him often enough in battle. He could never put a fighting rune there. There should be a law "Permanent runes only on the back of a person.".
"But don't you miss Jace? You were bonded for more than half your life, Alexander." This man is incredible! He just lost his soulmate! That's not a thing he should wipe off!
Alec blinks at him.
"Yeah and not a second too long. No more weird thoughts about naked women, no more phantom pain because he again had to show off and it didn't work out. Oh, this means, that I might know when you drink, Magnus. Just so you're aware. But also know when you feel bad, so I'll do my best to prevent the self-medication, as you call it." Alec starts to really like the idea of knowing Magnus inner thoughts to help him be happy.
Oh. Oh no. That's a lot. But-
"Does that mean I know whenever you feel bad, too?"
Because in a healthy relationship this would go both ways, mister.
Now Alec's eyes almost plop out. How dare Magnus. No, no, no, no!
"Okay that's indeed a good situation to go 'Oh no'. Alright how do I get this lock off?"
Alec starts interspecting the lock but it fused together. Maybe Magnus might be able to break it off with all the Edom energy seething inside of him. But he'd prefer not to. He doesn't even know what kind of magic this is and he doesn't want to offend anyone powerful enough to manufacture this.
It looks adorable but Alec is absolutely incapable of breaking seelie magic. Or rather the Queen might find out and torture them to death with a wave of her hand. So Magnus snorts. "Mh, so you can baby me but I don't get to fuss over you?"
Alec just pouts.
"My dearest husband, we made several pledges about this being mutual. Do we have to recite them?"
Tears start falling from Alec's eyes.
"I'm so sorry I just thought the lock was gorgeous. I didn't think it would lock you into my brain. You already have enough going on - you don't need my baggage on top. You don't deserve this."
Magnus steps close, feeling the sorrow already.
"Alexander, my love. I am a centuries old warlock. You can't really think that I am pulling the short straw in this."
It's been years of work and Alec is still carrying the world on his shoulders.
"Stop mocking me, you asshole, as if you don't try to adopt every rogue magical that you come across. And, yes, I guess mind reading is a thing now. You'll learn it soon, not very complicated when you know what to look for." Magnus has been acting like a little shit but now he's looking scared so Alec moves to hug him. "Hey, no, this isn't bad. It's a bit scary but this will only strengthen our bond. Okay?" He shows Magnus a wet but cheeky grin.
Magnus shouts That was a bad pun! in his mind and Alec laughs. Still, it's creepy that someone will know all his thoughts now. Alec has already answered a few times to things that Magnus thought were private, in just his own brain. Not anymore.
Alec closes the rest of the distance between them and gives him one of those Everything Will Be Fine hugs. "I'll help you. I love you," he mumbles into Magnus's hair.
"I love you, too."
They hug and for the first time in a long while Magnus feels truly at peace.
"Alec?"
"Hm?" he just hums dazed. Alec must also feel this. This calmness.
"Are you aware that you risked your life for some shax demons?"
"Whadyou mean?"
"The market was full of warlocks, seelies and the occasional vampire and werewolf. There was no need to kill five shax demons with your bare hands plus a broken bottle of nice wine."
Alec pushes out of the hug and they feel the bond croaking like an old door. He stares at Magnus darkly but it's mostly funny that this kid thought he needed to take care of a hoard of demons.
"Okay first of all that's legit my job. Second, you could have joined after that first one. But no. No one didn't. Because it's my job." He looks smug. Magnus wants the smug to vanish. Alec adds in a small voice "Apart from keeping other shadowshunters from setting up another torturing jail. The one we burned down is enough."
"Alec."
"I was there first. Get a quicker reaction and next time you can play."
"Alec."
"Naw. We're both protective bastards and you'll just have to live with that."
By Lilith.
"Yeah. I still love you even though you watched me fight and didn't really help."
"I. I don't." Love you. There's no love here. There. Now what. Gotcha.
Alec snickers. "That's okay I have enough love for both of us."
Magnus pokes out his tongue. Kiddo.
Alec rolls his eyes. Shut up grandpa.