Work Text:
Shit.
I should have never fallen asleep at Magnus’s place last night. Izzy is going to notice that I am late, and I love her but she is always just a tiny bit too interested in teasing me for things that are out of the ordinary, at least out of my ordinary, and arriving late for work will definitely set off some alarms in her head.
But I suppose it couldn’t be helped. There is something about that man, something about my man. It is weird how something as simple as those few words can make me smile from ear to ear. The way he smiles at me and the way he makes me feel like the only man alive. I suppose it all goes to show how (as Jace would, so eloquently, put it) whipped I am for this man.
We started seeing each other behind closed doors two weeks ago, and still, every single time he looks at me I feel unstoppable, like just knowing that he is in my corner no matter what, makes me invincible. Knowing that this god of a man cares about me is one of the most intoxicating feelings I've ever known.
I shake my head and clear my thoughts as I walk through the doors to the Institute. I spot Izzy over by the computers and go to join her. Hopefully I will be able to just slip in unnoticed.
But of course life would never let it be that simple.
“And where were you all night? I mean you’re almost an hour late, and you know I am not exactly a stickler for the rules but I don’t believe that you have been late to work once in the years since we started here.” she says in place of a greeting. Closing whatever she was working on, on the computer, she turns to face me.
She then looks me up and down almost like she was searching for something. “Oh I was at Magnus’s” I say scratching my neck. While she continues to study me.
“Oh, really? Is that why you are so happy? I mean Alec you're practically glowing. And what about those marks on your neck?”
My smile slips from my face as I feel at my neck. “WHAT!? Oh well, I um, well, um, you see I um, well I fell. Yeah that’s what happened.” Damn it. That was a terrible excuse. What is wrong with me, I can fight demons but not come up with a somewhat believable lie?
“Mhmm. Big bro, you realize that I know what a hickey is, right? I mean you have caught me with enough of them to know that I at least partially understand the concept. Cause you seem to be acting like I am an oblivious child.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk, but just know that I am here if you ever need someone to listen to you without judging.” she says with a knowing look on her face that makes me feel sick to my stomach.
“I am talking to you, and for the record I talk to you all of the time.” My mask falls back into place as I try to end this line of questioning.
“About everything but your personal life. Which isn’t fair because I talk to you about mine all of the time.” a pained look crosses her face as she takes a deep breath, “like for example, I broke up with Meliorn”
“I’m so sorry, I know you cared for him. What happened?”
“I guess I need someone who is more-” she pauses searching for the right words.
I jump in “Shadowhunter-ish.” She nods with a solemn smile on her face. “I understand what you are doing. Trying to take some of the family heat, and I appreciate it.”
She smiles at me “I have no idea what you are talking about.” With that the conversation fades and we get to work.
----Time Skip Until later that night---
---at Magnus’s Loft---
“Ughhh.” I say as I shut the door and plop down on the sofa next to a tired looking Magnus.
“What happened to you today, Darling?” he says, beginning to rub my back. He was exuding calming energy that made me feel at home.
“Well I had an interesting time-” I look up and as he takes in my neck he winces slightly “-explaining these marks to my coworkers, especially considering the fact that I am supposed to be single.”
“Wow, I am sorry Alexander, I will try to be more careful about that in the future.” he pauses “have you considered the possibility that we could come out to your family and friends. Or at the very least your siblings.”
Suddenly my lap seems very interesting. “You and I both know why I can’t do that. I could be removed from my position as the head of the institute and that’s one of the more desirable outcomes.”
“All I’m hearing is I. I can’t, I could, What happened to being in this together. What happened to us?”
I turn to face him. Just as a single tear slides down his face. “Mags, you know that I am not upset with you. I am not trying to leave you out.” I reach up and wipe that tear off of his face.
“Yeah? Because it feels like you are. Leaving me out I mean”
“I never meant to. I am just upset with Izzy’s questioning, and I’ve had a long day. I will never leave you out of my life. I just struggle sometimes with showing how much I care for you.” I smile and caress his cheek.
He leans into my hand and looks up through his eyelashes at me. “Oh, Darling, you have no idea how perfect you are.”
My hand slips to his neck and I pull him in. My eyes slip shut as our lips brush and I feel him smiling into the kiss.
Both of us are far too content to care about anything going on in the world around us. All I care about in this moment is feeling him in my arms. Feeling how perfectly his lips fit next to mine as we slowly explore each other’s mouths like we have all of the time in the world.
Because at this moment, in this apartment, we do.