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Magnus Bane loved parties. They were the perfect way to forget about problems in life that were impossible to ignore when things were quiet. He would throw parties for any excuse he could find, from his cat’s birthday to a groundhog not seeing its shadow.
Yet there was one day of the year that Magnus was reluctant to throw parties on: his own birthday.
The day in question carried more baggage than Magnus would admit. It was one thing to ask people to celebrate his cat when everyone saw that as little more than a joke. It was another thing entirely to ask people to celebrate him. For centuries, he’d never done it, and he had little intention of changing that. He’d kept his birthday as closely guarded as his real age. In a way, it helped him by making him seem like an eternal being who’d always existed.
Instead of a party, his “special” day was spent with Ragnor, Catarina, and Raphael. Or, at least, it had been for the past several decades once his friends realized he had never mentioned the day since they’d met him. This year was the first where Alec had joined in the “celebration” that was sitting in Magnus’ apartment, reminiscing about the past, and drinking cocktails.
“I think it’s time,” Ragnor announced late in the night.
Magnus’ stomach dropped. He’d drank enough that he’d forgotten about the most disagreeable part of his annual birthday celebration: the photo album.
“Ragnor, no,” Magnus groaned, eyeing Alec with just a bit of nervousness. “We don’t need to see that again.”
Ragnor ignored him, waving his hand as a photo album appeared in it. Magnus glared at it. He’d already burnt that damn album more times than he could count.
“You said you wouldn’t this year,” Magnus reminded Ragnor, though he’d known from the start that the promise was worthless.
“What is it?” Alec asked, staring bemusedly between Magnus and the album.
He had gone into a contently tipsy state that had him pressed against Magnus’ side as he mostly just listened to the others recount tales from their pasts. Magnus took his hand, running a finger along the back of it.
“Nothing,” he said before being cut off by Catarina.
“Ragnor keeps an album of all Magnus’ most questionable fashion decisions. There are even a few portraits in there from before photography was invented.”
“It’s a cherished collection,” Raphael added with a smirk.
He was the only one who wasn’t drunk, which was something that always left him feeling especially proud of himself during. He moved closer to Ragnor on the couch to get a better look at the album for himself.
Magnus let out a growl, and Alec chuckled and turned himself further into Magnus, wrapping his arms around his middle.
“I’m sure nothing in there can be that embarrassing,” he said. “You look good in everything.”
It was the kind of compliment that Alec wouldn’t typically give him in front of other people, and Magnus soaked it in like a dry sponge. His momentary fondness was quickly undercut by snorts from Raphael and Ragnor. They had begun thumbing through the album and stumbled on a photo that had them particularly amused.
“Remember this one?” Ragnor asked, holding up the monstrosity for everyone to see.
Magnus cringed. In the photo, he was in a full disco outfit that he swore had been fashionable at the time but which looked rather horrendous in hindsight. Even Alec was struggling to contain his laughter as he took in the multicolored disaster. Magnus sighed loudly and snapped his fingers, the album disappearing instantly from Ragnor’s grip.
The horned warlock shot Magnus a withering look.
“That entire book is an offense to my name, Ragnor,” Magnus said, crossing his arms against his chest. “I’m banning it from my house.”
Ragnor snapped his own fingers and a new, identical album was in his hands once more.
“I’ve had backups ever since you dunked the original in fondue and then tossed it in the Rhine. You’re not getting rid of it that easily.”
Magnus pouted as Ragnor and Raphael continued flipping through the album, but Alec’s arms were quick to tighten around him. Alec pressed a kiss to his cheek that made Magnus melt in spite of himself.
“I still think you look gorgeous in anything,” Alec muttered.
It was quiet and meant only for Magnus, but the others heard, with Ragnor and Raphael both scoffing as they began critiquing a monstrosity from only a few years previously that, in Magnus’ defense, had been a Halloween costume. Catarina offered him a small smile before nonetheless joining the other two in pouring over the album and laughing.
A more sober Magnus might have pressed harder, but in his slightly drunk state, with Alec warm against him, he burrowed his face into Alec’s neck and tried to tune out the mocking.