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Everyone had a soulmate, that much was common knowledge. Everyone had this person that the universe had picked for them. Soulmates were supposed to be like two puzzle pieces and once you meet your soulmate you supposedly feel whole for the first time in your life. In stories, it is always about two people who fall in love instantly and live happily ever after.
Everyone had a soulmate, even warlocks. The problem with being a warlock, though, was the fact that immortality made it impossible to know when your soulmate would finally be born. Magnus thought the universe was being cruel on him for making him wait 400 years and counting.
He knew he had a soulmate though, because the moment he turned 16 he had to go through the same ritual as everyone else: making the promise.
As a warlock abandoned by his family, Magnus had never had anyone to teach him about the strange ways in which the universe operated. That is why , at midnight on his 16th birthday, he got woken up by a ringing in his head. It was like a voice speaking gibberish and yet the words still made sense somehow.
The time has come
To make your vow
To your fated one
Speak it out now
Magnus thought he was going insane at first because who just starts hearing voices? But the voice in his head wasn’t going away, just repeating the same rhyme over and over again. Magnus was well aware that soulmates existed and were real, he just never realized he needed to make a vow to his soulmate and he did not quite know the implications of it. So he hadn’t had time to think of a cool promise and simply went for one he knew for sure he could keep.
And maybe he picked something that he, as an orphan, wished someone else would have done for him. He didn’t know who his soulmate would be, but he knew that no one deserved to be in a situation like the one Magnus was in, broken and alone.
“I will protect you forever,” he spoke the words out loud and then he felt a little warmth building up in his chest before the voices just stopped. He checked his body to see if anything had changed, but he couldn’t tell any difference to how he looked before.
So the following day he went around the town he was staying in, trying to gather some information. The stories varied sometimes, but the gist of it was the same: Soulmates were forced to keep these vows, you will unconsciously find yourself keeping your promise to your soulmate whether you mean to or not. And the promise you made appeared on your soulmate's chest once they turned 16. So Magnus not having anything on his chest meant that his soulmate was not 16 yet and that they hadn’t made a promise.
Soon enough, Magnus realized that his soulmate wouldn’t even be born in that century. Or the one after that. Or the one after that.
Magnus didn’t even want to think of the alternative option. Some people never met their soulmate and never found out who their soulmate is because they died before the age of 16. But Magnus heard stories about that and he heard that the one still alive would feel an unbearable pain if that were to happen, so he knew that couldn’t possibly be the case. At least that is what he kept telling himself late at night when he couldn’t sleep.
It was hard to stay hopeful when every single one of their friends managed to find their soulmate before him. But then again, some were luckier than others. Ragnor’s soulmate was a fellow warlock who’d been living by his side for centuries now. But then there were people like Tessa, who were destined to be with a mortal and Magnus was there to witness Tessa’s distress after Will died. It hadn’t been pretty.
So overall, one could say the soulmate system had its flaws. That it was a messed up thing that if two souls were meant for each other, one of them would get to live forever while the other didn’t. There were people out there who refused to make a vow and instead lived their entire lives with those voices in their head but without being bound to anyone. Magnus had made his already but he could say that this whole thing made no sense and that he didn’t care about it.
But he cared. And oh, did he care. Because he promised, he promised to protect whoever destiny had picked for him. The bond was so much stronger than anyone told him in their legends.
He even considered the option that he might die before his soulmate would get born. Magnus has lived through several wars and in every single one there were moments when he’d thought it was over.
But he was still alive. Still waiting.
He clearly remembers the day when his wait was finally over. September 12, 2005.
Magnus was in his loft, brewing a persuasion potion for a lady living in Bronx who paid him a ridiculous amount of money. He didn’t even realize it was midnight already, didn’t realize it until he felt it.
It was like his heart was on fire. Though it wasn’t painful or uncomfortable, it felt more powerful than even his own magic. He took a step back from the bowl he was mixing all the ingredients in and sat down in a chair, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.
He just sat there for a solid 5 minutes, too afraid to look. He had been waiting for this moment for such a long time and now that it was finally happening, he was too nervous to see what his soulmate had chosen for him.
After he told himself he is being totally stupid for stalling, he stepped in front of his mirror and slowly opened the top of his silk robe, revealing his chest.
There were words written there now. They looked like a scar, but did not hurt.
I promise to never lie to you.
That’s the promise his soulmate had made to him. Honesty. Magnus appreciated that, he thought he and his soulmate would get along.
Now it was only a matter of finding him.
Magnus soon learned that his soulmate was great at keeping out of trouble. The way the soulmate bond worked is that once both soulmates were sixteen and had made their vows, they felt the urge to keep their vows no matter what. And no matter whether they were apart.
So, by that logic, if his soulmate was ever in danger, Magnus would feel the need to step in and protect them. But it’s been almost two years and that still hasn’t happened.
Or it hadn’t happened up until that summer evening.
He was having drinks with Catarina and she was telling him about her day at the hospital. Magnus was listening carefully, nodding when appropriate. He admired Catarina for using her powers to help mundanes when they were in situations when their simple inventions couldn’t.
Magnus would never admit it because he had a certain reputation, but sometimes he would help mundanes out for free depending on their situations, too. He was the High Warlock of Brooklyn and most people who came to him were after money or power or unrequited love. But some people wandered in because they were in an otherwise desperate situation and then Magnus couldn’t find it in him to say no.
“You should come visit sometimes,” Catarina suggested, drinking her wine. “And by come visit, I mean come help me out. The magic of a High Warlock is always welcome.”
Magnus was going to respond when he felt it. A pang in his chest, like a pull. He put a hand on his chest, not because it was painful, but because it was intense. He didn’t know where it was pulling him to but there was an urgency to it and he knew he couldn’t stay any longer.
“Magnus, are you alright?” Catarina said, worried.
“I need to go. I think...” he answered, looking up at her. “I think my soulmate needs me.”
So he went out into the night air and tried to follow that pull. He hoped his soulmate was nearby because walking was his only option here. Warlocks couldn’t Portal somewhere it they didn’t know where they were going to.
Magnus ran as fast as he could, his expensive suit getting all wrinkled because of his movements, but that was the least of his concerns now. The most urgent matter was finding his soulmate. He ran down several streets before he could feel the pull growing stronger, the connection more urgent until it finally stopped feeling like a pull and more like an anchor, guiding him to the place where he was supposed to be.
He was standing in front of a dark alley and at first, it seemed like there was no one else there. Then he saw them.
There was a person, dressed all in black and carrying a bow. Even from far away, Magnus could see the runes on their neck. Shadowhunter. Just his luck.
They were aiming their shot at what seemed like a big ball of darkness that was hanging on the railing of a fire exit. The big ball of darkness had eyes, though. It wasn’t moving at first but then, merely a second later, it jumped at the Shadowhunter. When it moved Magnus took a better look at it and identified it as a Raum demon, its tentacles being the things that were keeping it hanging on the fire escape.
Magnus’s magic was already surfacing, his hands glowing blue as he watched the event unfold. He was ready to unleash his powers on the Raum demon before he saw another dark think flying in just at that moment. It was a Dragonidae demon, which was rather weird since Magnus thought those things had gone extinct long ago. But there it was, approaching at full speed and the Shadowhunter couldn’t see it because they were busy fighting the other one.
The situation was hard to assess, but the archer seemed to be doing pretty well at dealing with the Raum demon. So Magnus switched aim, unleashing his magic at the demon that was flying in and watching as it fell to the ground in a pool of ichor and flesh.
He looked back at the Shadowhunter, who had managed to take down the other demon who was laying on the ground lifelessly before disappearing into thin air merely a moment later.
The Shadowhunter finally looked at Magnus and the warlock felt his heart stop for a minute. Because this, this was the person he had been expecting for centuries.
He took the Shadowhunter in. He was a young man, with jet black hair and blue eyes that were wide as if he had seen a ghost. He was pretty.
“Thank you,” the Nephilim finally spoke and that is when Magnus got the confidence to take a few steps forward. “I didn’t even see it brought a friend,” he admitted, scratching his neck as if embarrassed.
Magnus narrowed his eyes as he looked around. “Don’t you have any back-up?” he asked, because he knew that most Shadowhunters weren’t sent on missions by themselves.
The boy just shook his head. “I was honestly just out for a walk when I heard a weird noise. I thought I would check it out. Learned my lesson. Always call for back-up whenever there is weird noises from now on.”
Magnus stepped closer until they were just a couple feet away. That pull from earlier was back, but this time it felt different, not like an emergency, but like a wish. “I’m Magnus, it’s nice to meet you,” he said, offering a hand to shake.
The Shadowhunter seemed reluctant at first before taking hold of Magnus’s hand and Magnus thought he felt electricity flow through his body. He wondered whether his soulmate felt the same. “I’m Alec. I guess I owe you a big thank you for saving my life there, Magnus.”
This was not how Magnus had imagined meeting his soulmate would be. He figured Alec didn’t even realize they were soulmates yet, which probably made things a bit awkward. But his soulmate was a Shadowhunter and he wasn’t the type of guy who wouldn’t even shake a Downworlder’s hand, so that was a good start.
“Nothing to thank me for, I would gladly do it again, Alexander,” he said sincerely and then he saw a little blush creep on Alec’s face. “You seem nervous. Why are you nervous?”
“Because you are very handsome,” Alec said bluntly and then he froze, as if he’d surprised himself. Magnus though that he didn’t even realize they were still holding hands. “I...I don’t know why I just said that.”
Magnus smiled, because that was the only proof he still needed to get to know for sure that this man right here was his soulmate. Alec was compelled to be honest with him all the time because he had made that promise. The warlock opened his mouth to say something when he heard footsteps coming from further down the alley.
He let go of Alec’s hand and summoned his magic again, raising his hands and ready to face whoever wanted to get a piece of his soulmate.
Then, two Shadowhunters stepped out of the shadows, seraph blades raised. One was a young blonde boy, probably even younger than Alec, and the other one was a girl who looked a lot like Alec, with the same hair, just longer, and similar features. Neither of them looked very happy to see Magnus.
“Get away from him,” the blonde ordered, and Magnus rolled his eyes at that, but let his magic subside again, deciding the Shadowhunters were Alec’s friends and no threats.
Alec surprised Magnus by stepping in front of him and putting himself between Magnus and his friends, protecting him. When Magnus had promised to protect his soulmate forever, he didn’t expect to find someone who would so instinctively protect him in return too. It was a feeling that made his stomach feel all funny.
“Izzy, Jace, it’s fine. He saved my life,” Alec explained carefully.
The two Shadowhunters put their blades away as they rushed to Alec’s side. “Alec, are you okay? We were just patrolling and our radars were going off like crazy,” the girl, Izzy, asked, looking the Shadowhunter up and down for any wounds.
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Alec responded, looking down at his clothes and making a face when he saw they were drenched in ichor.
Magnus couldn’t help but grimace as well and he moved his hand gracefully, covering Alec’s jacket in blue sparks that instantly cleaned all the ichor off it.
Alec and his friends all stared at him, as if that was the last thing they thought they would see that day.
“Thanks, Magnus,” Alec said, checking out his jacket. “Oh, you even fixed the hole in the sleeve.”
Of course, Magnus took care of any imperfections, after all his magic was all or nothing. “You’d think the Clave would at least provide you with new clothes considering everything you do for them.”
Alec looked confused for a moment and then a bit self-conscious. “I mean, it is not like people notice how I am dressed anyway, they’re usually busy looking at Jace,” he said and then froze again, surprised by his honesty.
Now that is something that Magnus could have spent all night talking about because, in his opinion, Alec deserved to know that he was seen and that he was worthy of being seen. Magnus was not even biased because it is his soulmate, Alec Lightwood was just undeniably attractive.
“Alec, what? You never told me that,” Jace said, confused and offended.
Magnus could almost see the gears in Alec’s head turning and he didn’t blame him. It must be weird to feel like you can say nothing but the truth all of a sudden. And then he saw a bit of realization dawning on his face.
“Jace, ask me anything obvious,” Alec asked, turning to his friend.
The blonde looked taken aback by the request. He looked at Izzy for a moment, then at Magnus and then finally at Alec. “Alright, what color are your eyes?”
“Yellow,” Alec said bluntly and then his eyes widened. He turned to Magnus with lots of determination on his face. “Ask me the same question.”
Something clicked in Magnus’s head when he realized that Alec probably caught onto what was going on. So he simply obliged. “What color are your eyes?”
“Y-Blue,” Alec blurted out and then he looked at Magnus with something in his eyes the warlock couldn’t quite decipher. “I can’t lie to you,” he pointed out, as if saying that out loud helped him understand the situation better.
This is the moment Magnus had been awaiting for centuries, the moment he looked into his soulmate’s eyes and he would get to see that person looking back at him with some familiarity. Though Alec was surprised and distant initially, his gaze soon turned into something softer and gentler.
“Um, Izzy, Jace, can you two go ahead to the Institute? I will be right there,” Alec told his friends, even though he didn’t take his eyes off Magnus while talking.
The blonde looked like he was about to protest, but Izzy pulled him away before he could say anything, as if she knew whatever he was going to say was absolutely stupid. “See you there, big brother. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said and then smirked as the two of them made an exit.
Big brother. So that explained the resemblance between her and Alec.
Once the other Shadowhunters were out of earshot, Magnus turned his full attention back to Alec, who was looking at him with a hopeful gaze. “It’s you,” he muttered, taking a step closer to Magnus. “That’s why you were here just at the right moment. You... you were protecting me.”
“Just like I will for the rest of our days now. It’s in the soulmate contract,” the warlock said and he was pleased when he heard Alec laugh at that. If Alec’s voice was like music to his ears, his laugh was something he could not possibly get enough of and that night, he promised something else to himself: to try his best to make Alec happy as much as he possibly could.
They just looked at each other silently for a moment. It wasn’t an awkward silence, just the kind of silence that said more than any words could tell at that moment. And Magnus needed that silence to collect himself, to come to terms with the fact that after years and years of waiting, he finally found his person.
He’d spent several years wishing his soulmate wouldn’t be a Nephilim, knowing that relationships between Downworlders and Shadowhunters were often frowned upon. Even though soulmates existed, that didn’t stop some Shadowhunters from cutting off all ties with their fated ones when they found out they had demon blood. Magnus had witnessed that happening to several friends and had always lived with a small fear that he might meet the same destiny.
But Alec did not seem in any way repulsed or scared. He seemed genuinely happy. He was still smiling, just looking at Magnus as if he couldn’t believe his eyes that the two of them were there, in that alley.
“What are you so happy about?” Magnus asked, taking another step towards Alec until they were just as close as they had been earlier.
The boy shrugged. “I... I just always thought the soulmate system would make me end up with some woman that I wasn’t even attracted to, but who was a convenient match for me. You know how the Clave is with gay Shadowhunters... But now I found out that not only is my soulmate a guy, but he is like the hottest guy I’ve ever seen,” he said all in one go and then his face went red like a tomato. Magnus felt the urge to kiss every inch of it. “Wow, this whole being honest thing will lead to some embarrassment on my side,” Alec muttered, looking down.
But Magnus wouldn’t have any of it. He put a finger under Alec’s chin and tilted his head back up, looking into his eyes. “I wouldn’t call it embarrassing, I would call it cute,” he said sincerely. “Also, I am glad you think I am hot, you are quite the catch yourself, Alexander.”
Then Alec did something Magnus never expected this shy Shadowhunter boy to do. “Um...do you wanna keep in touch? I don’t know, go out for dinner or something?” he asked, the rosy color on his cheeks going a shade darker.
And the way he asked it make him even more endearing. Because it felt like he was mentally preparing himself for Magnus to refuse, which was utterly impossible. How could Magnus possibly say no to a face like that and to someone he had been waiting for all his life?
“I would love that.”
And seeing that smile spread on Alec’ face was worth all the waiting in the world.