Chapter Text
Magnus and Alec made quite the pair. Their piano dates evolved into drink dates, dinner dates and the occasion “Come on Alexander, get out of the house every once and awhile!” dates.
Magnus’ schedule was pretty regular, daily piano lessons with his students, a few times a week he would do in house lessons, and he was not so secretly practicing for a big performance. He was, in fact, a little nervous about asking Alec to come as his date. Could you imagine? Magnus Bane professional pianist, (quasi-famous in some circles) nervous to invite his amazing boyfriend to a performance.
Boyfriend. Boyfriend.
They hadn’t used the word, yet.
It had been a good few weeks? Had it been a month already? Time really did fly with Alexander. Magnus knew Alec was new to this whole dating thing and Magnus was trying his best to guide him through it. It wasn’t like there were rules set in stone for how all of this worked. Alec did try to do some research and started freaking out about ‘number of date’ rules during one of their casual piano sessions. Magnus assured him there was no rush, perhaps that’s why neither of them had used the word yet.
I mean they were dating. They saw each other practically every day after work. Alec’s schedule was not as reliable, but pretty steady. He was head of security at local museum, calls in the middle of the night were often false alarms. He did catch the occasional thief, but he was home- (well not home home) he was back at the apartment in time for dinner or at least drinks with Magnus. You’d think they’d be sick of each other, but they couldn’t get enough.
Alec was also worrying about the b-word. He was hesitant to say it, even in his thoughts. Talking with Magnus about the date rules quelled his need to label them, for a while. He wanted to bring it up again. They had been dating for a while. He wasn’t sure how long to count it. Should he start with when they first started playing piano together? Should it be from that first drink date? Gods, when was their anniversary? Did he need to celebrate monthly anniversaries? Or was that a yearly thing?
“Alexander?” Magnus’ voice cut through Alec’s spiraling thoughts.
“Hm?”
“You’re going to burn the eggs, darling.” Magnus smiled and turned off the burner, placing a quick kiss to Alec’s cheek as he walked by. The pet names were getting more and more frequent. Alec still couldn’t help the blush they brought to his cheeks, and he loved each and every one of them.
Alec had come over bright and early to cook breakfast with Magnus before their, as Magnus had dubbed it, “Magnus and Alexander’s Day of Lounging”. Alec though he was being ridiculous, but it was absolutely endearing.
Alec added the eggs to the food Magnus had already plated and brought them to Magnus’ kitchen table. Fresh coffee was already in mugs, pleasantly warm, black for Alec, freshly whipped cream for Magnus.
“So what were you fretting over?” Magnus mixed a rather large dollop of whipped cream into his coffee.
“What?”
“You almost burnt breakfast, dear, I saw the look. What’s bothering you?”
“I- um.” Alec sighed. His mind raced through all the thoughts again, the b-word, anniversaries, which date was the first. “When is our anniversary?” he blurted.
This was not was Magnus was expecting at all. “What do you mean?”
“Which date was the first? I mean I don’t know if you want to celebrate but I mean I think I’d like to, but I don’t know which date. We started the piano dates a few weeks before the date date. I don’t want to remember the wrong one, or forget one or-”
“Alec.” Magnus placed his hand over Alec’s. “Breathe.” Alec had been talking very fast and he had forgotten to take a deep breath between all of the words.
Magnus did some math in his head and it was a little perfect. If they counted the drinks date as their first date, the one month anniversary would match up with his performance.
“How about,” Magnus waited for Alec to meet his eyes. “We count the date date as our first?”
Alec smiled. “Okay. Yeah.”
“Because,” Magnus continued. “I would very much like to invite my,” the hesitation was very minimal but it was definitely there. “Boyfriend to a concert, that happens to be on our one month anniversary.” Magnus pulled a very lavish looking flyer out of nowhere.
Alec was blushing and a bit frozen from Magnus saying “boyfriend”.
“Boyfriend?” Alec’s smile lit up his face.
Magnus nodded and kissed his smiling face. One of Magnus’ favorite feelings in the world was feeling Alec smile as they kissed.
Alec focused on the flyer, catching Magnus’ name. “This is you.” He said matter of factly. “This is your performance! I knew you were practicing for something but this is huge!” Alec stood up and pulled Magnus into a hug.
“We’re just doing an opening number to warm up the audience.” Magnus shrugged, but was beaming at how proud Alec looked.
“We?” Alec paled.
Magnus laughed. “I would never make you perform if you didn’t want you, Alexander. My piece is a duet I’ll be performing with,” Magnus grabbed the flyer, he honestly had forgotten who is partner was. “Oh a surprise guest. Lovely. I suppose we’ll have to have surprise practice sessions too.” Magnus tossed the flyer to the table and turned back to Alec. “So you’ll be my date?”
Alec nodded, “I’ll be your date.” Alec also loved feeling Magnus smile into their kisses.
~*~
As promised, Magnus pulled Alec to lounge on the couch with Netflix playing some show or another in the background and they talked.
“You know” Alec played with Magnus’ hands, tracing his fingers. “I could practice with you. If you want?”
“Hm?” Magnus was, not that he’d admit it, very distracted by Alec’s fingers lightly tickling his own.
“The duet?” Alec shifted so they were facing each other on the couch. Magnus thoroughly enjoyed the determination on Alec’s face. “The surprise guest. You have to practice a duet with someone right?”
Magnus smiled, knowing exactly where this was heading.
“Well, can you teach me the other part? I mean if you have time. The concert isn’t for another week or so right? Is that enough time for me to learn it?”
Magnus clasped Alec hands. “Yes. I would love that. Magnus paused in thought.
“But?” Alec guessed.
“But it’s meant to be played on a baby grand piano at least. All I’ve got room for here is my electric keyboard.” And it was a rather nice, fairly expensive one at that, but it was no grand piano.
Alec suddenly realized that Magnus had never been in his apartment. How on earth had they been dating and neighbors without Magnus every coming down to his place? Alec just shrugged and pulled Magnus to his feet. “Come on.”
Magnus looked at him curious. “You..” He gasped.
Alec just smiled and pulled him out the door. He locked the door (Magnus had already given him a key and Alec blushed every time he used it) and they practically ran down the stairs to Alec’s apartment.
Now Alec was planning on giving the key to his place as an anniversary gift of sorts, but he already had it made and it was just sitting in his pocket waiting, so no time like the present. He held out the key, with a little arrow feather keychain, (a nod to their conversation on their first date) to Magnus. “Care to do the honors?”
Magnus just smiled and laughed. “You never cease to amaze me.” He took the key with warmth in his eyes, (SHH) and opened the door.
Alec’s apartment was very neat, not very furnished and, yes, had that damn baby grand piano in the center of the room. There was a file box by the piano bench with all of the music Magnus had given Alec over the course of their piano dates. (It was meticulously organized, with little notes Alec had scribbled on the pages)
Magnus just gasped and tried to hand the key back to Alec.
“No, Mags, that key is for you. I was gonna wait ‘til an anniversary, but you already gave me your key and I just realized that we’ve never spent a ni-date here.”
Magnus was still a little frozen. “You have a baby grand. In the middle of your apartment.”
Alec nodded. It was kind of refreshing to see Magnus speechless or a little out of it for once. Magnus finally glanced to the keys in his hand and back to Alec.
Alec smiled, the one that lit up his whole damn face. Magnus just pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For the key, you idiot. And for being you.”
Alec just laughed and kissed him. “Come on, let’s see how fantastic you sound on a baby grand.”
Magnus shook his head laughing, “When you said the previous tenant left a piano in your apartment, I thought you meant an electric piano. My god Alexander.”
Alec just shrugged. “You have a key now, you can use it to practice whenever you want. I mean I’m at your place like every day so it only seems fair.”
Magnus just kissed him. “You” Kiss. “Are” Kiss. “Too.” Kiss. “Much!” Kiss!
Alec giggled into the kissing. “Or um we could practice something else?”
Magnus groaned. “You are going to be the death of me. Piano first. Kissing later. We have a duet to learn remember?”
“Right. Yes. Duet. Where do you want me?” Alec blushed the minute the second meaning of his words reached his brain.
Magnus sat at the bench and gestured for Alec to join him. “This duet is played on one piano, together. I suppose it doesn’t have to be, but I like the dance, you get to do with a partner.”
Magnus stared at Alec with that damn warmth again. Alec blushed and sat right up against Magnus, the piano bench was rather small after all.
Magnus knew both parts by heart, he actually was the one to arrange the music. It was a mere accident that the director of this concert found the arrangements when Magnus when to visit, since this particular song, Magnus wanted to play with only Alec. Magnus was going to pour his heart into it regardless of his duet partner for the performance, chances were, Alec wouldn’t know the song or the words anyway, and he could give him a private performance later. (he may have giggled to himself at that thought)
Magnus started Alec with warm up, though Alec insisted he didn’t need them. “Alexander, you need something to keep those hands occupied, while I go grab the sheet music.” Magnus winked and disappeared out the door.
Alec played through scales as Magnus had suggested, but when he heard Magnus re-enter the apartment he missed a note, on purpose. Magnus paused to look at him. Alec gave a sheepish grin, “Was that not the right note?” Alec teased.
Magnus rolled his eyes and stood behind Alec at the piano. “Like this.” Magnus placed his hands over Alec’s and the placed the scales again. His fingers, feather-touches over Alec’s, guided him through the notes. Alec tried his hardest not to shiver, but his hands started to tingle.
“Much better.” Magnus kissed Alec’s temple and sat.
“Am I all warmed up?” Alec nudged Magnus. Gods, he was trying so hard to flirt casually but his perpetually reddening face would forever give him away.
Magnus teased back, “I should think so.” He settled the sheet music on the piano. “Let’s get started.”
Alec was already pretty good at sight-reading and the piano dates with Magnus had only made it easier. They had figured out that Alec could almost always replicate by ear what Magnus would play. Magnus cursed Alec’s mother for ever taking music away from him. It was so obvious Alec was talented, though he did have a tendency to play exactly what was written unless he was mimicking Magnus’s flourishes. Magnus was going to remedy that.
Magnus stilled Alec’s hands. “Alec. Stop for a sec.”
Alec looked at him. “Did I do it wrong?” He glanced back at the music confused.
“No, not exactly.” Magnus placed his hands over the piano keys. “Close your eyes and listen.”
Alec did.
Magnus played the first few bars exactly as written. “Hear that?”
Alec nodded.
“Now listen to the difference.”
Magnus played the bars again, with more feeling and emotion poured into it, notes not exactly as written, little liberties taken here and there with pauses and just how hard he pressed the keys. He paused as Alec opened his eyes.
“How did you do that?” Alec whispered. “I could never make it sound like that. The one time I did have lessons, my teacher said I was like a robot.”
“You are not a robot, Alexander. Music is about reading what’s on the page, yes, but it is also about feeling it and showing the audience how much you feel it or what you are feeling.” Magnus guided Alec’s hands back to the keys. “Play your part again, but this time think about me.”
It started out a little stilted but Magnus put his hand on the small of Alec’s back and simply whispered, “Breathe” and Alec played the rest of the page beautifully.
He turned to Magnus smiling. “Like that?”
“Like that.” Magnus kissed his smiling face.
~*~
They practiced more until lunch, which ended up being take out, because between piano, and making out, neither of them wanted to do any cooking. Alec kept Magnus to his word about lounging all day. (The piano practicing didn’t count as work, because it was 80% kisses)
Magnus had to physically make him stop practicing which may have been by way of kisses, dragging Alec to his couch. Alec would have literally practiced until he fell asleep, he was much too much of a perfectionist. They had a least a week for him to get better, besides it was Magnus who was performing, “Seriously Alexander take a break and kiss me.”
Who could say no to that?