Work Text:
Shadowhunters || Jagnus || The Demon King Movie Stars || Jagnus || Shadowhunters
Title: The Demon King Movie Stars – Jalec Bingo & Writer's Month 2022
Fandom: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
Disclaimer: All rights to the Shadowhunters show reserved to Ed Decter, the books the show is based off and its characters belong to Cassandra Clare. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: m/m, mundie AU, actors, meet cute
Main Pairing: Magnus/Jace
Shadowhunters Characters: Jace Herondale, Magnus Bane
Summary: Jalec Bingo Prompt: Meet Cute. Writer's Month Prompts: gold + actor AU.
Jace has his first real staring role as an actor, playing opposite the very charming Magnus Bane.
The Demon King Movie Stars
Jalec Bingo & Writer's Month 2022
Far as first meetings went, Jace had to admit that their story was cute. Or so he had been told by the majority of people he knew. Personally, he had found the experience very embarrassing.
It had been the day of his audition for The Demon King. It was perhaps the most anticipated movie of the next year, because it was the follow-up to The Prince of Hell. The main character was Asmodeus, as played by the incredibly handsome and talented Magnus Bane, and followed his fall from heaven and claim of one of the thrones of hell. In the sequel, he was going to climb the ranks and become the king of all hell. It was an action/fantasy movie series.
In the first movie, the romantic lead had been Lilith, the queen of hell who had helped the fallen angels transition from angel to demon, becoming the creator of all demons and the lover of Asmodeus. She'd been played by Camille Belcourt, a model and part-time actress – and then girlfriend of Magnus Bane. Their real life romance had sold the on-screen chemistry.
And then Magnus Bane and Camille Belcourt had fallen out. Jace hadn't been privy to details back then, the rumor mill was going a hundred miles an hour, making up the most bizarre takes. One thing they could agree on was that she had cheated on Magnus with a model colleague.
Needless to say, the love between Magnus and Camille was gone. And though a very professional man, things had been very ugly in their separation and she had been removed from the sequel. Jace didn't know just how much the plot changed from whatever original sequel pitch there'd been, but considering the extend of the role he was auditioning for, the changes were big.
Jace was auditioning for the role of Raziel, an angel who led the fight against the demons' off-springs and the minor demons by gifting humans with super-strength and creating a race of demon-slayers. That was, until he faced off with the now Demon King... and his past love.
That, exactly, was how Jace met Magnus Bane for the first time. During his audition. Because for the new romantic interest and co-star to Magnus Bane, they needed to seize the chemistry between the actor and Magnus. So Jace came face to face with Magnus as he auditioned to play Magnus' new love interest. The other man hadn't been in full make up and costume, just his casual, slightly eccentric self. But the moment he turned toward Jace, he was in the role and something shifted. The good natured banter between Magnus and the casting director that Jace had overheard with one ear stopped and Magnus turned serious. There was something to his eyes, even though he wasn't wearing the contact lenses that gave him the iconic golden eyes of Asmodeus, when Jace looked into his eyes in that moment, he could feel the power of the Demon King.
At the cue from the casting director, Jace also shifted into the mindset of the role, his stance changing and his eyes hardening as he looked at Magnus. "I'm here to stop you, Asmodeus."
"And what do you think you can do to stop me, little angel?" asked Magnus, nearly mockingly.
Magnus reached out to grasp Jace's chin. His fingers were gentle and warm. Jace could smell the man's aftershave this up close. His pulse jumped, but he knew not to show it, he knew how to separate his own internal reactions from the role he was playing.
Jace's voice took on a warning edge. "Do not mock me, Asmodel."
Magnus' grip on his chin tightened before he abruptly let go and stepped back. "Do not call me that. Do not call me that, that is no longer who I am. I am Asmodeus, king of hell."
"Do you truly hate it that much?" Jace's voice wavered with hurt, anger on his face as stared Magnus down. "Do you truly hate who you have been that much? What we had? Do you hate me?"
The way Magnus' face softened at that took Jace's breath away. It felt so real. Like Magnus was looking at him that way. Perhaps that was the moment Jace started falling for Magnus.
"Not you," Magnus' voice softened. "Never you, my angel. I will always love you."
That was most definitely the moment Jace started falling for Magnus Bane. And how many people could say that? That they had met the love of their life when auditioning to play the part of his on-screen love interest in what would become one of the greatest pop culture franchises of all time?
/break\
They started off friendly, getting along rather well. The occasional drinks shared after work. The real Magnus, the one behind the media facade, slowly started to show and Jace found himself growing fond, for a lack of better word. There'd been an initial spark of attraction and that had not come as a surprise at all, considering how charismatic and gorgeous Magnus was. Things only changed after Jace got dumped by his then girlfriend Kaelie, a waitress and wannabe actress who couldn't stand the fact that Jace actually caught a big break.
"You... don't happen to have a spare room, do you?" Jace looked at Magnus with his head tilted down so he was looking up at Magnus from beneath his lashes. "I was kind of... crashing at her place and since she dumped me... I'm... out of a place to stay."
Magnus, wearing expensive robes and a curious expression, stepped aside. "Sure. As long as you clean up after yourself. Guess this will give us extra time to rehearse together, mh?"
That moment when Jace stepped over the threshold of the loft, he couldn't imagine that this would be the first step into a whole new kind of dynamic between the two amicable coworkers.
/break\
What Jace didn't know was the impact he had on Magnus' life. Not the full extend at least. His breakup with Camille had messed Magnus up, he'd isolated himself and drank a lot. Drowning himself in his work. After The Prince of Hell he had gotten swamped with offers and after Camille broke his heart, he was happy for the distractions. A string of meaningless flings, some with costars, others with random strangers. When the sequel to The Prince of Hell came around, his agent told him to get his act together, because this could be more than a one-off movie, this could become a major franchise and he could be the face of it. This sequel, it'd be make or break.
Magnus agreed, under the condition that Camille not return. She seemed angry on the gossip news, but then she had only gotten this job because she had been Magnus' girlfriend at the time. With no real acting experience, no casting director would have cast her as the leading lady.
They replaced her with two other actors. One to fill the leading lady part and one to fill the empty spot as Asmodeus' love-interest. He got along well enough with both of them. Being friendly with the co-stars always paid off on screen, because even the greatest actor couldn't fake chemistry. Not just the romantic or sexual kind. He made friends with them and others and Jace, he was just one among them. Until the day he moved in with Magnus. Temporarily, they both thought.
But to share his living quarters with someone, it really forced Magnus to clean up his act. He'd spent too much time home drunk. The thing was, it wasn't just because he wanted to save face, it also was because he was no longer alone. The loneliness was what had driven him to drink alone. Now, there was always chatter, banter, even laughter. Shared meals, shared movies, shared rehearsals at home. He slowly started to find joy in the small things again.
/break\
It was only after the movie was wrapped that Magnus made a move on Jace. A kiss, late at night on the balcony of Magnus' loft, wine-glasses still full standing on the table next to a cheese plate. When they parted, Jace looked surprised. The way the light of the setting sun caught on Jace's hair made it look golden. Magnus reached out to run his fingers through Jace's hair.
"You know the tabloids have been reporting that we're a thing for... months, at this point," Magnus' voice was a whisper as he played with the strands of golden hair. "And I don't think I'm the only one who can feel the chemistry between us, right?"
"I... honestly thought I was," Jace chuckled dryly. "Or that you thought it unprofessional to start something with a co-worker... But I guess, we're not co-workers right now, are we?"
"Third movie hasn't been officially green-lit," confirmed Magnus, slowly leaning in. "So...?"
Jace met him half-way, his lips warm and soft against Magnus'. Resting a hand in Jace's neck, he pulled the blonde closer and deepened the kiss. Jace rested a hand on Magnus' chest, the other on his waist. This, they both didn't know, was the start of the rest of their lives together.
/break\
"-And here comes the star of the movie, Jace Herondale, accompanied with the face of the franchise and his husband, Magnus Bane. As always, the golden couple looks absolutely impeccable."
Jace flushed as he heard the reporter. They were still freshly married and hearing someone refer to Magnus as his husband made his heart race. Today was the world premier of the Raziel standalone movie, focusing on Raziel and his creation of demon-hunters. After a highly successful trilogy of Asmodeus centric movies, the franchise was now expanding. Jace had never expected to get a solo movie out of this. He adored how supportive Magnus was of him though. His number one fan. It stood in such a contrast to his last relationship with Kaelie, that'd in the end broken apart because of professional jealousy. No, not Magnus. Magnus knew that Jace getting a big role didn't minimize Magnus' career; he was still the face of the franchise and in the end, the franchise expanding would pay off for the both of them. But even with Jace's roles unrelated to the Demon King franchise, Magnus was always so involved and supportive.
"Mister Bane, can we have a few words?"
Magnus smiled, not letting go of Jace's hand. "Only if it is related to how amazing my husband is. Today, I'm not here for my own career, I am here as a supportive husband."
The reporter deflated, indicating that yes, they had actually planned on grilling Magnus about his newest franchise – a take on Arthurian tales where Magnus was going to play Merlin. Jace knew how annoying these could be, reporters trying to dig about a whole different project. Jace smiled and leaned in to kiss Magnus' cheek softly before going ahead. Magnus gladly let himself be tugged along toward them, his thumb gently caressing the back of Jace's hand.
At this point, they both knew what they had in each other, with each other.
~*~ The End ~*~