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Alec was never one for big romantic gestures or speeches. Magnus knows this, and it’s something that makes his fiancé all the more endearing to him. There was, of course, the time Alec had proposed, but neither Magnus nor Alec brought it up now, as neither wished to admit the fact that both had been sobbing by the end of it.
This didn’t mean though, that Alec wasn’t a giant romantic at heart. Oh no, Alexander Lightwood was a sickening romantic, through and through, and Magnus, or for that matter, anyone who knew him well could attest to that.
Alec really, really appreciated the physical side of their relationship. Magnus supposed it was one of the side effects of repressing yourself for more than 20 years, but he was more than happy to be on the receiving end of that. Alec loved like he fought, a hurricane of passion and strength, intermingled with Magnus in love and pleasure. He was full of beautiful contradictions, strong, yet gentle, loud, yet soft. He rarely spoke, leaving that to Magnus and his penchant for dirty talk, but everything he did communicated his love to Magnus, and he was left feeling a little overwhelmed after every time.
And by Lilith, the ring. Magnus had promptly burst into tears (again) after his first look at the ring. It was one of the most beautiful things Magnus, who was well acquainted with beautiful things, had ever seen in his life. The band was thin silver, set with twin sparkling hazel and green-yellow topaz stones, the exact colors of their eyes. Magnus’ breath caught in his throat, and after a great deal of vague and incommunicative shrieking, he finally managed to say yes (among other things), and suffice it to say that those two did not leave the loft for days following.
But there was another thing Magnus had learned that had astonished him the most about young Alexander.
Alec loved flowers. This was something Magnus had discovered very soon in their relationship. Before their very first date to Magnus’ favorite Ethiopian restaurant on 44th, he had come to the loft to pick up Magnus, clad in a green sweater his sister had definitely forced him into and holding a bouquet of lavender roses. Magnus placed them in a vase, a bemused expression on his face, before enthusiastically bouncing over to Alec and pulling him into a kiss.
The next date was white and red carnations. The next, bright pink tulips, and the next, vibrant orange lilies. This continued for months, Magnus accepting the flowers each time and remembering each type for later, but why, he didn’t know. The first date after both men had confessed their feelings of love for each other, Alec brought birds of paradise, the bright oranges and blues looking completely in place in Magnus’ loft.
It was really only after Alec moved into the loft, a year and a half after that first date, that Magnus finally thought to ask him what the deal was with the flowers. And Alec blushed bright red, as he explained, while Magnus looked placed kisses on each of his knuckles and fingertips. He explained that lavender roses were love at first sight and enchantment, that white and red carnations were pure love and admiration, bright pink tulips were perfect, unconditional love, orange lilies were passion (and both Alec and Magnus blushed at that, because it had definitely been that fourth date when they’d had sex for the first time).
Magnus looked on in awe, as Alec went on about how birds of paradise represented complete joy. He kept asking about every flower Alec had ever brought him, and fell in love just a bit more with this stunning, breath-taking man in front of him, wondering how everything in his life had fallen into place just right, so that he would end up right here, right now, with the love of his life talking about flower meanings.
So no, Alec was decidedly not the best with words, but every single action, every single touch, every single caress whispered to Magnus, “I love you,” and really, wasn’t that worth much more than whatever speeches could offer?