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Alec was loathe to admit it but he was jealous.
Magnus hadn’t called him all day or the day before except to leave a voicemail explaining he was in the Mumbai institute working with one of his “friends” to placate a werewolf issue. Over the course of the day, what looked like an address, 2 phone numbers and the name of what looked like a club had appeared on Alec's arm in Magnus's handwriting.
Which, of course, led the insecure Shadowhunter to come up with a thousand theories, the most prominent being that Magnus was at this ‘Silver Serpent’ club picking up other people.
Alec knew this was almost definitely just his mind overworking itself but he couldn't help it, he missed his boyfriend. Jace and Clary were still sickly in love, declaring it every second they were near each other whilst Simon and Izzy were off in Paris on a romantic holiday.
So he did the only thing he thought would help. 20 minutes later and he was in the bar him and Magnus often frequented, a drink in front of him and a cute (but not Magnus cute) mundane next to him giving him a long stare.
“Something wrong?” Alec snapped, looking at the stranger who just smirked annoyingly.
“Oh no. Everything's just fine.” The man practically purred, Alec cringed and downed his drink in one.
But if Magnus could flirt and get people's numbers then so could Alec, even with his limited experience.
“Really.” Alec replied, slowly looking him over. Making sure he noticed.
“The names Mick. What about, sweetcheeks?”
Alec was aware that the space between them was becoming smaller as Mick slid closer on his stool.
“Alec.” He replied simply.
“Haven't seen you around much before. You come here often?” Mick placed his hand over Alec's causing the Shadowhunter to flinch at the unwelcome of touch from someone other than Magnus or his immediate family.
“Not often I'm afraid.” Alec swallowed his awkwardness with another shot and shot him a smile, batting his eyelashes slightly.
“Look, I'll just say it. You're cute and I'd buy you a drink but I've got to work the morning shift tomorrow. Sooo...here's my number. Call me.”
Mick got a pen out and scribbled his number onto the palm of Alec's hand then winked and left.
Alec felt a burst of triumph and pride, and a little bit of guilt underneath it all but the alcohol induced confidence fuelled him on.
Not long after Mick left, a younger girl, similar looking to Clary appeared and started flirting with him. Alec smiled.
The rest of the night continued in much the same fashion, boys and girls and the occasional vampire throwing themselves at his feet with the idea they'd get somewhere with him. They all left once he told them he was waiting for his sister, always before it went too far.
It was around 11pm when Alec looked at this arms. Chains of numbers were scattered over his arms and he felt as if Magnus had gotten the point by now, wherever he was.
Alec got up, staggering slightly and walked out the door. He was halfway down the street when he tripped over a loose piece of pavement and ended up leaning against a shop wall looking at his feet. That's when he saw them. On his ankles were messages from Magnus.
‘What's going on?’
‘Are you okay?’
‘By the Angel, Alexander look at your ankles.’
‘I'm coming home.’
‘Where are you?’
The guilt the Shadowhunter had been repressing all night rose to the surface all at once and he sobered up immediately, he ran back to their apartment. Hoping he'd get there before Magnus.
He got there just before his boyfriend, Alec sat on their sofa fussing the Chairman with a hot mug of coffee on the table in front of him. His knee was jumping up and down with nerves, his eyes locked on the front door waiting for the, no doubt angry, warlock to walk in.
It took less than 5 minutes after he sat down. The door was pushed open forcefully, not quite a slam but close and the Chairman scurried into their bedroom.
“Alec?”
The familiar voice called and all of the shadowhunters fears swallowed any of his planned speech.
He stood up and watched as his boyfriend stalked in and waved a hand, simultaneously closing the door and summoning his luggage to stand by the sofa.
“Magnus I'm so sor-” Alec began, walking from around the couch towards him.
“Not now, Alec. First things first, are you okay?”
The Shadowhunter froze in shock, Magnus was rarely so...cold. The warlock's eyes swept over every inch of him just like they did when checking for injuries after he returned from a hunt but without their usual warmth.
“I'm...I'm fine.”
Alec looked at his shoes too embarrassed and guilt ridden to meet his boyfriend's gaze.
“Thank god. What the hell happened? One moment I'm in a meeting in the Mumbai institute surrounded by a bunch of idiot shadowhunters telling me times to meet and where the werewolves were and then suddenly there's numbers appearing everywhere!?”
Magnus didn't say it unkindly, rather there was a tone of worry underneath the intended anger. Alec felt him step closer and took a step backwards, maintaining their distance without answering his questions.
“Alexander... What happened?”
And there it was. The quiet crack in Magnus’s voice, it stabbed Alec in the gut to know he'd caused it; he hadn't shied away from Magnus’s touch since the start of their relationship years ago.
“I went to a bar. I...I saw the address and the um number appear that you wrote and I got...jealous. So I went to the bar to get a drink and-and this guy started...flirting with me. I didn't do anything back but he just wrote his number on my hand and I was kinda drunk and then this girl came along and did the same and I was so tired and bitter and kinda drunk, Magnus, and it never meant anything I swear on the Angel! I didn't even mean to I just got jealous of whoever the number belonged to that you wrote and by the Angel please shut me up.”
There was silence. Magnus stepped towards him again and this time took Alec's hand in his, not letting him step away again. Alec slowly brought his eyes up to meet Magnus’s. There was a small tear threatening to spill from the shadowhunters eye and the warlock brought his hand to cup his face, swiping away the tear with his thumb before dropping his hand to his side again.
“Alexander.” Was all he said.
“I'm so sorry Mags. So, so sorry, I'll stay at the institute tonight or however long, if you want. I can go.” Alec said quietly but without making any effort to leave; the heat from Magnus’s hand in his was the only anchor keeping him from spurting out every word and fear running through his head.
Their eyes were locked and Alec couldn't tell what the man in front of him was thinking.
“No.” Alec's heart sank and he let go of Magnus’s hand as soon as he said it, dropping his gaze to stare blankly over the taller mans shoulder. “You can stay.”
Magnus's voice was very controlled, everything he said considered deeply before being voiced.
“You're not mad?”
Alec's, however, was not. The apprehension in his voice was clear as day.
“I'm mad alright, darling. But I can't sleep without you anymore so you'll have to stay.”
The small attempt at humour gave Alec the answer he needed.
“I'm sorry.”
“I know. I am too.”
Magnus took a step forwards towards Alec, hooking his fingers through the shadowhunters belt loops as Alec wound his hands behind the other man's neck for balance and to pull them closer together.
“Why are you sorry?” He asked looking into the cat eyes that had regained their mischievous sparkle.
“Because I'm never leaving you alone again if you're going to go out and flirt with random guys when I'm away. You are mine Alexander Lightwood, and mine alone.”
“And you are mine.”
Alec leaned up slightly but waited for Magnus to initiate the kiss, knowing he was still on slightly unstable ground. Magnus smiled before finally giving in and kissing his boyfriend breathless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a long while later before Alec asked who the number had actually belonged to.
“Alexander, it was yours darling.” Magnus replied with a laugh
“Oh. Wait why were you writing my number on your arm? Where was your phone?”
“The shadowhunters took it and smashed it in protest to me messaging you during the meeting.”
“So instead of writing the message you were going to send on your arm, you wrote my number?” Alec teased.
“I wanted to see if I could remember it!”
"Well you clearly couldn't as you wrote it twice and got it wrong both times."
"Did I?" Magnus sat up immediately and reached for his new phone. "I'm sure I didn't..."
Alec just laughed at the confused look on the face he loved until Magnus kissed him to shut him up.