Work Text:
A loud crash breaks the peaceful quiet of the Christmas Eve night, followed by a curse.
“Oh crap!”
The noises come from the kitchen where Magnus is arranging the appetizers for dinner, and are followed by a laughter, in that baritone tone that can only belong to Jace.
“So kind of you, dear brother-in-law of mine,” Magnus’ voice continues, clearly upset, “would you mind being of help, instead of laughing at me like a crazy monkey?”
Jace must be on the verge of choking, since he doesn’t reply, but further noises tell Alec they’re trying to collect something that must have been dropped on the floor. Alec does hope it’s not the lobster, which cost them a limb.
It’s their first Christmas as husbands and the whole family is eager to celebrate, though Alec can’t – would prefer not to - choose whether he’s prone to celebrations, or not. Last Christmas he was feeling alone and stupid, unworthy and abandoned. Those days that should have been joyous had made him feel Magnus’ absence so acutely, so painfully that he had spent them locked in his room, face sunk in his pillow, crying his eyes out.
So different from what they have now.
Happiness.
It’s a happy time indeed. Living with Magnus as partners has shown to be the most incredible thing that ever happened to him: Magnus is kind, generous, dedicated and yes, hot… Alec still can’t believe Magnus loves him the way he does. Embarrassment for his condition sometimes bothers him, but Magnus simply doesn’t care, and every help he offers often becomes a chance to deepen their intimacy.
They make love a lot, now. Alec thinks of those first weeks when he was afraid to be seen even only partially undressed by that sparkling sex assistant, feeling such an ugly duckling in front of Magnus’ fascinating perfection. Now they share an immense love for each other and also mind-blowing sex, sometimes rougher, sometimes more delicate, always ending in comforting cuddles, just like they both enjoy.
Alec smiles at himself. They make love but don’t sleep intertwined, though. They’re both human heater and it would be unbearable. Silly thing.
Anyway, this first Christmas holds some bitter aftertaste… but no, he shouldn’t linger on the past. They have a wonderful present and are going to enjoy a greater future. Because… well, there’s a surprise they’re dying to share with everyone…
Right, the dinner.
Alec stops wrapping gifts and moves towards the kitchen. Since when they got married, they’ve been living in the villa, where Robert and Maryse offered some renovations so as they have now a small apartment secluded from the rest of the house: a large bedroom, a full equipped bathroom and a couple of smaller rooms, one each, where they can attend their jobs. Magnus has completed his studies and has opened an office in town for attending patients, but his room allows him to study and keep himself up-to-date in his field without bothering Alec’s routine. Alec has started to write music again and needs to practice and try his stuff, and of course he can’t break Magnus’ focus. All in all, it’s a good setting.
The kitchen, though, has remained a common ground to gather the family. Right now, the place where activity is in full swing, given that this dinner is going to include their friends too: Clary, Jace’s girlfriend/bride-to-be, Simon, now officially dating Isabelle, Bat and Maia, old band fellows, Luke, Magnus’ adoptive dad, Raphael, Ragnor and Catarina with her daughter. Fifteen people, most of them provided with a sizeable appetite.
Unfortunately, a tray full of appetizers, precariously balanced on the corner of the table, fell on the floor when Jace brushed it in a hurry of saving the fish from Chairman’s claws. Yes, because a new member came to be part of the family a few weeks ago. Magnus was coming home and, while walking through the garden, spotted a kitten that had been able to cross the fence: wet, dirty, clearly starved and pitifully meowing. Magnus’ heart is weak, he knows that, especially when it comes to animals. And they usually return his feelings! As soon as they met, Magnus quickly became Matt’s favorite human – save Alec, of course – and seeing that poor thing… it did something to him.
So he took it and brought it home, among the oohs and aahs of his in-laws and his husband’s questioning glances. He washed it – him, since it’s a boy, and he shows such a personality that earns him the right to be appropriately called – and dried him off, revealing a tabby, medium-haired cat, with shining hazel eyes. Same as Alec, Magnus pointed out. Another fateful meeting. They fed him, something he showed to appreciate a lot, so as he’s quickly become a small tiger, and named him Chairman Meow. At least, Magnus calls him Chairman, having claimed to himself the right to name him, while everyone else calls him Arrow, an easy nickname to summon him and also a token of how fast he can run, especially when they’re filling his bowl.
Chairman/Arrow and Matt get along very fine – the only concern the family had. They share their meals, the family’s beds, the couch, the rug next to the fireplace, and sleep together peacefully, Arrow curled up against the giant size of Matt, who doesn’t seem bothered at all: owing to his paternal instinct or fearing the small tiger’s mood, no one knows.
What the two pets share, too, is an equally steady appetite and a completely shameless attitude at stealing food. Hence, Chairman – he’s Chairman when he doesn’t behave, and Arrow when he earns some reward, in Magnus’ offended opinion – trying to seize the fish and the subsequent appetizers disaster. Speaking of which, Magnus and Jace are bickering, Magnus accusing Jace of being reckless and Jace accusing Magnus of being scatterbrained.
Alec laughs, not too loudly, otherwise he’s sure they’re going to take it out on him. Then, composing his face, he enters the kitchen trying to move the competitors apart.
“Hey, hey, couldn’t you keep your tone down? It’s Christmas Eve, shouldn’t we be nice and kind to each other?”
“Sure, if your brother hadn’t ruined my contribution to the dinner…”
“Sure, if your husband hadn’t let his stupid cat steal our main course…”
They’re both fuming, hands on their hips and a scowl on their faces.
Suddenly, the whole thing appears so hilarious that they all burst in a belly laugh.
“You’re ridiculous!” Alec mutters, hiccupping, eyes full of tears.
“Shit!”
“Fuck!”
Their laughters slowly subside, while they’re wiping their eyes. Still shaken by residual giggles, Jace crouches and starts collecting the poor appetizers. Magnus, sniffling, takes a paper napkin to clean his melting makeup and then blows his nose.
“What are you doing, Jace?” he asks.
“Trying to save the joint. Most appetizers are okay.”
“But… but they fell on the floor…” Magnus is dumbfounded.
“So what? They’re still edible.”
“I’m not going to offer my guests something you collected from the floor, are you nuts?”
Sensing the drift, Alec jumps in, before things get worse again.
“Jace, Magnus is right. Let it go. And anyway…” he nods behind Jace, where Matt and Arr…, well, Chairman, hastened to devour the unexpected delicacies literally fallen from the sky.
“Well,” Magnus sighs, “at least someone is happy and appreciates my culinary efforts.”
Then he turns to Jace scowling again, pointing his finger to Jace’s chest. “And it’s your fault!”
The pets look at them, licking their lips greedily.
Alec turns his chair, leaving the battlefield as quickly and silently as he can.
***
Izzy and Maryse are setting the large table in the main living room, the one reserved for big events. And what a bigger event than this cheerful Christmas, the first truly happy Christmas after Alec’s accident? Initially, the years before, those they spent trying to cope with its consequences, then the last one, at the end of which Alec was so devastated that they spent Christmas without decorations, lights, without even a Christmas tree, having meals in silence and in silence exchanging a few gifts, in order to respect Alec’s pain.
It's over now. In a few months everything has changed, and a wave of enthusiasm and joy has washed through the family.
Today Maryse has even pulled out from her armchair a couple of old embroidered, very precious tablecloths, which belonged to her grandmother and are usually carefully kept away, as well as the largest dishes set they own, to welcome all their guests. No extra service staff tonight, it’s a family celebration.
“Maaaax!” Izzy yells. But Max doesn’t answer, glued to his PlayStation, fighting some battle in a faraway planet, deaf to whatever call except when dinner is ready, and Izzy scoffs.
Maryse shakes her head. “It’s a losing game, Iz…”
“I know, but I need help! There are so many dishes here, I can’t bring them all on my own!”
“Coming at rescue!” Alec exclaims.
The women turn to him at the same time, a matching smile on their lips.
“Ah, my knight in shining armor!” Izzy welcomes him, then she nods him to follow her to the cupboard where the dishes are kept. She looks at him inquiringly.
“You fled from the kitchen?”
“Of course I did. Magnus and Jace are already too much one at the time to bear, together any less. I left them bickering about the appetizers.” He doesn’t tell her what happened, though, it’s their story to manage, he thinks devilishly.
She snickers. “Wise choice, big bro. Here, move!” she tells him, dropping a stack of dishes in his lap. Then, suddenly worried, “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
“Not at all. Freight train coming!” and he moves his chair quickly, back and forth between the cupboard and the table, where Maryse is busy in arranging the dishware.
She stops for a while, staring at her son: at his bright eyes, at his rosy cheeks, at his dimples, at the smile that usually lightens his face lately. He’s happy. Alec is happy. What else a mother can hope for her kids?
Meanwhile, Robert walks in, coming from the cellar, as usual, since he brags to be the wine expert here, so the choice is always his. It’s not totally untrue: but, even if it were, the family would gladly let him bask in this certainty. He’s carrying an entire basket full of bottles, white and red and bubbly, and Izzy hastens to help him before he drops everything and make a mess.
“Ugh, dad, do you want us all wasted? It’s a family dinner, not an orgy!” she laughs.
Robert looks indignant. “I only want what’s best for my guests, miss!”
She puts a few bottles on the table, then hugs her father, stroking his beard.
“Daaad, I get it. Just bring your basket in the kitchen but be careful, there’s a battle ongoing there.”
Robert smiles knowingly. “Sure, our chefs… okay…” and walks out, humming some Christmas melody.
Maryse feels her heart burst with joy. It’s incredible. Just one year ago everything was so different, the light couldn’t break through the gloom, Alec hid in the shadows of his soul and they were all unable to help him. She will never be grateful enough to Magnus, who gave Alec his life back.
After putting the dishes on the table, Alec reaches out to touch Maryse’s hand.
“Hey, mami…”
Maryse closes her eyes, a lonely tear running down her cheek. “Since when haven’t you called me that?” she whispers.
“Too much” he answers.
Maryse quickly wipes her eyes and sniffles.
“Well, it’s a celebration day today, there’s no room for tears, even happy ones! Go help your husband and your brother, at least look out they don’t kill each other, or better, they don’t ruin our dinner, I’ve been cooking the whole day.”
He squeezes her hand, then gives her a mocking salute. “Aye, Ma’am!”
She pretends to smack his nape and he pretends to deflect, then rolls away.
***
There’s an audible chatter outside the front door, voices that rise and lower, until one of them, sounding clearly upset, overcomes the others.
“Stop blabbering, for heaven’s sake! Ring that bell, Raphael, it’s a useless complaint, what you’re doing now!”
“Yeah, that’s useless now, but if you hadn’t hampered me, we wouldn’t be late and Ragnor, you know I don’t like to be late!”
“I’m sure they’re not starting dinner without us,” a deep voice adds.
“Luke is right! My fiancé can’t do that to me, and we’re all the guests they’re waiting for. Simon, lend me a hand!” a high-pitched voice complains.
“Of course, Clary, I’m with you on this. Anyway, flinging our disagreements aside, what about making the family aware we’re here? Honestly, I’m freezing…”
It started snowing, in the meantime.
Echoing Simon’s words, Raphael presses the doorbell and a vigorous, prolonged ring resounds inside the villa.
“Shouldn’t you use the knocker?” another, lower, feminine voice asks.
“Right, Cat, the knocker… shit, it weighs a ton!”
The lionhead might weigh an actual ton, but the guy who uses it must be strong, since the boom against the door can be heard everywhere.
“I got it, give me a break!” Jace mutters, going to open the door.
There’s a small crowd gathering outside, Magnus’ dad Luke, Clary and Simon holding hands, as they always do, virtually and physically – something Jace and Izzy are not that sure they agree on – and Magnus’ noisy friends. Well, they’re family friends now, and Jace is happy to see them.
“Welcome guys! Come on in!”
He briefly kisses Clary, then his gaze falls on Cat’s daughter.
“Hey Madzie, how’s it going baby?”
Madzie rises her arms to be picked up: “Uncle Jace!” she exclaims, and as soon as she reaches his face, she kisses him on the cheek. Jace kisses her in return: he can’t believe he became so affectionate with this delightful little girl. He never thought he could be a good father, despite the love he has received by the Lightwoods and Robert’s example, but who knows? He’s going to get married next year…
Raphael and Ragnor are still bickering about being late, but Jace puts a hand on their shoulders and pats lightly. “Guys… there’s plenty of food, plenty of drinks, and a nice company. And we’re so happy to see you and spend this Eve together.”
Luckily, before things become too emotional, Magnus walks in the hall.
“Hey guys, what are you doing? Give me your coats, come and have something warm to drink. There’s a special eggnog waiting for you.”
He hugs his dad, then his friends, kisses Cat and Clary, pats Simon’s back, making his glasses slide along his nose.
“Welcome, guys! Dad…” “Where’s Alec?” Catarina asks.
“You wound me, Cat! I thought I were your fave Lightwood!”
“Sorry, darling! You were my fave Bane, but now – she sighs – I’m sorry, the Lightwoods surpassed you, especially that hot husband of yours!”
“Seriously, Cat?” Alec’s voice quips, “I’m honored, but unfortunately I’m taken.”
Everyone hugs him affectionately. He picks Madzie from Jace’s arms and puts her in his lap. “Ready for a run?” he asks her. She nods enthusiastically. “Let’s go!” and he gives his chair a forceful push while Madzie, arms high in the air, screams with excitement.
***
There’s a bunch of opened gifts and discarded papers under the Christmas tree. Max is reading one of his new books while Madzie has fallen asleep on the couch, hugging her new plushie, a giant sloth reminding Sid of The Ice Age.
The table is covered with leftovers, half full glasses, and what remains of a sizable Christmas pudding. They all linger between wakefulness and a pleasant dizziness, after the remarkable meal and all the excitement they shared.
Alec’s head rests on Magnus’ shoulder, eyes closed.
“Are you okay, babe?” Magnus asks. “Do you need to rest in bed for a while? I can take you to our room, if you want to.”
“Mm… I’m sleepy…” Alec mutters, “but I think it’s time for us to share our surprise.”
Magnus smiles. “I wondered when you were going to remember…”
“What are you talking about?” Maryse asks.
“Maybe one of them is pregnant…” Jace grunts, on the verge of falling asleep on the rug.
Alec stares at his annoying brother, then at Magnus, and finally they both start to laugh. Then he claps his hands to claim for anyone’s attention.
“Hey, listen up y’all! We have great news we want to share with you… and actually Jace didn’t get wrong, so to speak. Yes, we’re going to be parents!”
The general drowsiness suddenly disappears, and everyone is gaping at them. Even Madzie woke up and, still hugging her sloth, slowly walks next to her mom.
“You…what?” Maryse whispers, clasping her hands tight.
Alec nods at Magnus so as he takes the floor.
“We’re going to be fathers in about a month. Right after our wedding we agreed that we wanted a family, so we applied for adoption. Of course the process is a lengthy one, and we weren’t even sure whether we could satisfy all the requirements, so we chose to not give you and ourselves any possibly false hopes and didn’t share our intent. Now, after meetings and interviews and examinations, and also an official check of this house by an appointee member of the board – remember when you all went shopping for Christmas gifts? We took advantage of that day to welcome the guy and keep our secret from you – now, we’ve been accepted for adoption. Just…”
Magnus looks suddenly vulnerable, while Alec stares at his parents.
“Just…?”
“Maryse and Robert, we just need your official consent too, since the kid is going to live here and get the family name, and also your consent at being checked as close relatives. We do hope you will endorse our plan…”
Maryse and Robert look at each other, then, without a single word, they stand and move towards Alec and Magnus, Maryse kissing them both affectionately, Robert cupping their faces, then squeezing their arms.
“You don’t have to ask, boys…” Robert says, his throat tight. “We’re having our first grandchild, isn’t it amazing?”
“And we’re going to be aunts and uncles…?” Izzy squeals.
“Yes, you are,” is Alec’s answer.
Jace, who’s on all four on the rug gaping, jumps up. “Holy fucking shit!” he exclaims.
“Jace, language!!!” a disapproving choir follows Jace’s careless words.
“Ooops…,” he says, “sorry, but…I’m just too happy for you.”
And the dam breaks. Everyone is applauding, celebrating, there are wide smiles on their faces. Ragnor approaches Magnus, a warm hand on his shoulder.
“You deserve this, my friend. Life gave you a reward, finally, a loving husband, a family and now a child. I couldn’t be happier for you, even if I’ve been missing you as a member of our company since your wedding. And somehow, I feel like I acted as a Cupid, when I sent you to Alec. You two are soulmates.”
Magnus is at a loss for words, emotion almost choking him.
When the excitement subsides a little – though Maryse is already chatting with Izzy, Clary and Cat about a first (of many) baby shopping session, while the others are bickering about sport and music lessons to give the kid, Max and Madzie, hand in hand, walk towards the soon-to-be fathers.
“So we’re going to have a cousin soon” Max says.
“Sure!” Alec answers, and picks Madzie up, making her sit on his lap.
“Uncle Alec… you didn’t tell us if it’s a boy or a girl! Did you already meet him or her? And the name! How old is he or she? Can we play together?”
Everyone falls silent, realizing that they missed a something very important.
In that suspended silence, Alec’s voice resounds, sharp and clear.
“It’s a boy, five years old, and his name is Rafael.”
Raphael moves a step ahead.
“Do you mean that…”, while the others look at him and Alec indignantly. Alec smiles. “Oh no, no, it’s not that way! Rafael with an “f” is the name his parents gave him when he was born. Do you know what Rafael means?”
Raphael smiles too. “I do…”
Alec searches for Magnus’ hand, raising it and kissing his knuckles. His lips linger on the platinum band, their names and the infinity symbol engraved on it, while his eyes focus on Magnus only, their love almost blinding.
***
It’s past midnight and everyone has retired in their rooms. The Lightwoods didn’t allow their guests to come home so late, and it’s snowing hard now, so a car ride would be dangerous, even without taking into account the amount of food and drinks they scarfed.
Outside, the darkness is complete, no moon tonight. However, the colored Christmas lights decorating the front of the villa reflect on the white covering the garden, making it shine like a rainbow. Everything is silent except for some nocturnal bird whose sporadic call sounds like a lament.
Alec and Magnus are sitting next to balcony of their bedroom, watching the thick snowflakes slowly falling, softly tapping on the window glass. They’re holding hands, hearts too full to convey their feelings properly.
“Are you happy?” Magnus whispers, glancing at Alec. His husband’s smile could put the sun to shame.
“Are you?” is Alec’s answer.
Magnus lets a disbelieving scoff. “I never thought I could be this happy. I’m so grateful. I believed I enjoyed life with my friends and my job, given that, when Camille left me, I thought I would never fall in love again… better, that no one could actually fall in love with me. Then you came along, and since then nothing has been the same anymore. And now I have you, and a loving family, and in a while… oh, Alexander, think about next Christmas with our son. The joy he’s going to bring, think of toys everywhere, of him playing with Matt and Chairman, of him cuddled by his gramps and a bunch of uncles and aunts!”
“Looks like a dream,” Alec answers, “and if it is, I don’t want to wake up.”
He stares at Magnus, so intensely that his gaze is almost unbearable.
“You were my Rafael, Magnus, you healed me, you made a man of a broken, sad boy. And now I’ll have another Rafael who will give me a further reason to be better. I love you.”
“I love you too, Alexander…”
They kiss, eyes closed, hands intertwined. Outside, it stopped snowing and the clouds are slowly opening, to let a single star appear in the deep dark, softly shimmering.