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"Catarina! I absolutely will not do that! Come on, you're supposed to help me."
"I am trying to," comes the reply from the other side of the line, and even though Magnus cannot not see her, he knows that Catarina is probably laughing, silently.
"You are not. You are just finding amusement in my despair. I should've gone to Ragnor." At that, she does laugh, out loud. Magnus grumbles and can't help but let out a chuckle too.
"Okay, how about a sexy little dance? You could perform it for him wearing–"
Magnus hangs up. Really, he doesn't know what he was thinking, calling Catarina for advice on what to gift Alec. He probably should've learned from years ago, when something similar happened.
He thinks about who to call next. Definitely not Ragnor. Not Elyaas either, that didn't go well the last time. Besides, he would probably suggest turning Alec's limbs into tentacles.
Tessa, maybe? She would be sympathetic, he thought. And she's definitely a romantic. She would help him. He decides to call her.
"Hey, Magnus! It's been a while. How are you?" Tessa says when she picks up, her voice out of breath.
"I'm good. Um, are you okay? You sound like you've been running a marathon."
Tessa chuckles. "No, just running in circles around the kids."
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I can relate to that."
"Yeah, you've come a long way. Anyway, did you need something or– wait, hold on a second. Christopher Herondale, stop trying to use your sister's stroller as a bloody shopping cart! Sorry, can I call you back some other time if it's not anything too urgent? I gotta go stop Kit now, or he’ll try to make Mina's stroller fly next."
It is urgent, to Magnus at least. He needs to find an amazing gift for his husband and he doesn't have a lot of time. However, he barely gets to say, "Yeah, sure. No issues," before Tessa hangs up.
Magnus sighs. That did not really turn out to be helpful either, which makes him a little frustrated.
He is thinking about who to call next when his phone rings and Clary's name flashes on his screen. He picks up. "Hey, biscuit."
"Magnus! Hey, how are you?"
Magnus smiles. Clary has an exceptional energy to herself, and Magnus knows that she genuinely wants to know how he is doing every time she asks him that.
"I'm doing quite alright. What about you? Jace blow up the Institute yet?"
Clary laughs. "No, not yet. But who knows what might happen tomorrow."
Magnus chuckles.
"So, big day tomorrow, huh. You guys got anything planned?"
"Oh my god, that's exactly what I've been struggling about. We don't have like, a party planned or anything, but I want to get him something special but I have no idea what! Help me," Magnus moaned.
"Aww. You have nothing particular in mind?”
"No. It's our first marriage anniversary. And he threw us the perfect wedding last year. So I really want to do something meaningful. Before the Mortal War, before he kissed me in front of everyone in Alicante, I enhanced Isabelle's whip as a gift for his birthday, because I knew that his priority was protecting his family."
"Wow, Magnus. That's really thoughtful and sweet. Alright, let me think," Clary says.
After a few seconds of silence, she asks, "What does he value most in his life now?"
"The kids," Magnus replies, without missing a beat.
"Yes! Why not do something for them like you did for Izzy?"
Magnus paused. "I know exactly what to do."
"So… What are you gonna do?"
Magnus smiled and said, "I'm gonna get bracelets for all of us and enchant protective spells into them. I might also spell them later on so they'll let us know if the kids were ever in danger. But that's something for the future."
"Magnus, that sounds beautiful. He's gonna love it," Clary says softly.
"Thank you, sweet plum. You are the only person who has actually helped me today."
"I'm always here, Magnus. You go do what you need to do now."
"I will," Magnus says before hanging up.
Just then, he feels arms wrap around him and almost jumps, before he registers the familiarity of the embrace and realises that it's his husband.
"Who were you talking to?" Alec murmurs into his neck.
"Just Clary," he says, and then adds, "How much of that did you hear?"
"Not much, just you saying she helped you. What did you need help with?"
Magnus relaxes. "Oh, nothing," he says and turns around in Alec's arms. He pecks Alec's lips and says, "Are you all done for today?"
"Yep. And the Consul has taken a day off tomorrow as well."
"Oh? And what does the Consul plan on doing on his day off?" Magus says and kisses Alec's cheek, then his jaw, and starts prepping kisses down his neck.
Alec tilts his head a little and tightens his arms around Magnus' waist. "You're going in the right direction. I'm sure you can guess what the Consul's plans are."
Magnus kisses the spot behind Alec's ear. "Mhmm, wouldn't mind you enlightening me still."
Alec lets out a slight gasp when Magnus sucks at the crevice where his neck meets his shoulder. "The Consul's plans are to not be the Consul tomorrow. My plans are to just be your husband tomorrow."
Magnus pulls back and looks into Alec's beautiful blue eyes. "I love you so much," he says before kissing Alec deeply and softly.
He likes their plans, Magnus thinks.