Work Text:
Magnus wakes to cold sheets and an empty bed. He blinks a few times before summoning his phone to check the time. It’s barely past four in the morning, and Alec hadn’t made it back to the loft until two. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be in bed right now.
Concern for his boyfriend overpowers the sleepiness in his bones and Magnus forces himself to his feet, sliding a robe over his shoulders as he goes.
The loft is dark and quiet, and Magnus wonders if Alec had been called away on yet another mission, until he reaches the balcony doors. He can just make out Alec’s silhouette, leaning against the balustrade, facing away from him.
Magnus steps outside, shivering at the cool breeze. Unsure what to say, his worry gives way to comedy, an old habit he can’t seem to break. “Oh no, you’re a morning person.”
Alec turns, but it’s too dark to see his expression. He doesn’t laugh.
Taking a moment to flick his hand and let magic lighten the balcony, Magnus considers how to proceed. In the soft glow, he can see the circles under Alec’s eyes, the tightness in the curve of his frown.
“Is everything alright, darling?” Magnus asks as he steps forward. He rests his hands on Alec’s upper arms, over the soft fabric of his sweatshirt, holding him close. Alec leans into the touch, almost automatically.
“I’m fine. I just can’t sleep.”
Magnus is no stranger to insomnia, but his heart aches to know Alec is dealing with that. He rolls onto his toes to brush a light kiss across Alec’s lips. Then he runs his hands down Alec’s arms until he can take his hands. “I have something that might help.”
He squeezes Alec’s hands before letting go of one and using magic to summon a small brown bag from his apothecary. He always has several on hand.
“What is that?”
“This, my darling Alexander, is a spell... Kind of. It's a spell bag. Put it under your pillow and it can help you sleep. Why don’t we give it a try?”
Alec doesn’t protest so Magnus leads him back to bed, snapping off the magic light as an afterthought.
He sticks the cloth bag under Alec’s pillow where they can both smell the lavender from the spell. Then he cuddles up against his Shadowhunter, soaking in his warmth. He’d felt ripped off when he’d woken to discover Alec missing and although he knows the reason now, he still feels he’s owed cuddles.
Alec hugs him close, and for a while they lay in silence, simply holding each other. It’s soothing and calm and Magnus is still so sleepy.
He’s barely drifted off when he feels the bed shifting under him, and is jolted back to reality. Just in time to see Alec getting to his feet.
“No luck?” Magnus asks, forcing himself to sit up. He really wants Alec to come back so he can use him as a human pillow, but more than that, he’s concerned. No one functions well on a couple of hours of sleep, and Alec has a very dangerous job.
“Sorry, you can go back to sleep.”
“No, no. I have more things to try.”
They make their way through Magnus’ list of cures, with no success. He puts Alec in a hot bath, he gives Alec a massage with lavender oil, they try meditating together, Magnus even gives Alec a bit of sleep potion—nothing works. It’s nearing seven now, as Magnus pushes a warm mug into Alec’s hands. “Drink this.”
“Magnus.” The exhaustion is evident in the lines of Alec’s face where he’s curled against the arm of the couch. His posture makes him look half-asleep, but his eyes are too clear.
“It’s chamomile, it works wonders, and it should help you digest the potion better—”
“Magnus.”
He sits on the other side of the couch, forcing himself to stop talking, though he’s a bit worried he’ll fall asleep the moment he does. Alec’s insomnia is evidently not very contagious.
“Thank you for this, all of this, but please stop.”
“...stop?”
Alec sighs, sipping his tea before setting it on the coffee table. “I know you’re trying to help, but all this is just making me feel worse that I can’t sleep, I don’t want to keep you up or make you go through all this effort for nothing.”
Magnus hadn’t even considered that his help might not be welcome. “Oh.”
“Can we just… sit here? Together? Or, you can go back to sleep, I really didn’t mean to keep you awake—”
“You didn’t. I chose to stay up because I don’t want you to suffer alone. I want to be with you, even if I can't solve your problems, so of course we can sit together quietly. May I?” He shifts closer, making his intentions clear, and is relieved when Alec uncurls, shifting so Magnus can sit against his chest, between his legs. Magnus settles into the embrace, eyes feeling a little heavier. He knows he won't last long, cuddled up to Alec like this.
Alec nuzzles his hair and for a moment all they do is sit there together, watching the apartment turn pink and gold as the sun begins to rise. Magnus still hates that Alec can’t sleep, but this moment is nice. Nicer than all of the rushing around desperately trying to find a solution.
He’s about to suggest they move to the bed where they’ll have more room to hold each other when he hears a suspicious snuffle. Magnus holds very still, until he hears it again. Alec’s delightful little snores.
Alec is, finally, asleep. Magnus doesn’t know if it’s the result of the potion finally kicking in or because he’d allowed Alec to sit quietly with him with no pressure, and he doesn’t really care. He’s just glad Alec can finally rest.
Magnus lets his own eyes flutter shut as he follows Alec into a restful sleep.