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Blue had always been Max’ favorite color. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise when Izzy, balancing three cones of ice-cream in hand, screamed horrified, “Max, no! Stay here.”
Simon was lucky to just have paid, so with a quick glance at Rafael - “Stay with your aunt!” - who stood next to him at the truck, he started to run after the blond, little bugger.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa - where are we heading little man?” he exclaimed, grabbing Max and swinging him in the air, before he could get lost in the masses of the busy street on a Saturday afternoon. His fingertips immediately started to tingle, the glamour covering the little warlock itching his hands a bit.
Max started to squirm saying ‘Duh, duh’ several times and pointing at the blue circles the shop had painted all over their windows with his right hand. With the other he clutched his stuffed panda to his chest.
Simon gently shifted the little boy and allowed him to touch the glass. “Really? That got you all riled up, buddy? Well you are easy to entertain I guess.”
“Wait until he sees the ice cream, Uncle Simon,” Rafe said excited coming over holding Isabelle’s hand. He contently licked at his ice cream smearing and dripping it all over his chin and shirt. “That will make him go crazy. Last week Magnus had to clean up the whole kitchen afterwards. But don’t tell Alec. He doesn’t like too much magic.”
“I will keep that in mind, buddy,” Simon sighed trying not to think too hard of the death-stares they would certainly receive when delivering two kids covered in chocolate ice cream from top to bottom to their two fathers.
They eventually went over to a small square where it wasn’t so overcrowded and the kids could lick their ice cream in peace. Izzy sat down with Max on a bench, Rafael and Simon following her.
“So,” Izzy said while holding out her cone in front of Max for him to lick. It ended up being rather a full face contact with creamy strawberry sludge, but well. They had a warlock as a father. He should be able to take care of a few ruined clothes. “Your Uncle Jace told me about the rather awesome new room Magnus and Alec set up for you. Do you like it, Rafe?”
“Uncle Jace is awesome,” the boy said instead of an answer.
Izzy saw Simon rolling his eyes heavenwards only barely containing a groan. She laughed and good-naturedly patted her boyfriend’s leg. “Well, he is, Monkey. So you had fun with him?”
“Yes, we climbed and built a Lego tower that was soooooo high.” He stood up indicating his tower must have been at least two times as high as himself.
“Yeah. Sure.” Simon said sarcastically. “Jace has always been one for letting things go out of hand.”
“Magnus let me choose the colors for the walls and the bedsheets and we put all the toys in boxes and I like all of them but the Lego and the climbing wall I like best and Alec helped me write labels on all the boxes and we read them out loud every evening, because he says I am very smart with words and I can’t wait when I can read a book. A whole book! That would be so cool!” he stated as if all of it was a huge luxury.
“It sure would.” Izzy tousled his hair affectionately, marveling at how this boy had changed over the last weeks. “I reckon you like the room make-over then.”
Rafe nodded enthusiastically. “It’s nice and clean and there is no trash and no one is shouting all the time and making me do things that make my tummy hurt and make me have nightmares and I have it all to myself. A whole room. Sometimes it gets lonely, but Max can come play with me and it’s okay when I ask for him to leave, because he likes to destroy brick houses. Very much. And that makes me sad and angry. But Magnus says it’s okay to be sad and angry, when something is taken from you. Max destroyed my favorite mug last week , the one with the monkey on it and I was really angry, but he didn’t mean it, so it’s okay. Alec says I have a wish for my birthday next month and I wish I would get a new monkey mug. I liked it very much,” he informed them scrunching a part of his cone oblivious to the bewildered looks Izzy and Simon exchanged.
Simon cleared his throat. “Hey, I’ve just had an idea!” he exclaimed eager to overplay his and Izzy’s gloomy mood when permitted a glimpse at what this boy’s life must have been like before a bunch of Shadowhunters stumbled across him on a mission by accident.
“I have a surprise for you to see. It’s just around the corner. Are you in?” Rafael was not able to speak momentarily due to half of an ice-cream cone being stuffed square into his mouth, but he nodded eagerly. Isabelle handed Max to his boyfriend and took Rafe’s hand, ready to follow Simon with a curious look.
“By the way remind me to not dismiss the stroller so eagerly the next time…” Simon groaned shifting Max to his other arm.
They went down the street crossing two junctions when Simon finally led them into a four-story shop.
Rafael stood there with his mouth wide open, awe and bliss in his eyes when taking in his surroundings. Simon smirked satisfied. “Welcome to New York’s biggest bookstore, Rafe.”
Isabelle glanced at him, a loving expression on her face. She shuffled up to him, whispering, “But you do know it’s not a popularity contest, right?”
“Depends. Am I winning?”
“You sure got your points up.”
“Are you talking about Rafe or yourself?”
Izzy kissed his cheek. “Both.”
Simon smiled one of his radiant smiles, that overtook all his features especially his eyes and that Izzy had come to love with all her heart. “Earth to Rafael, earth to Rafael.” he sat Max down and crouched next to Rafe tipping his shoulder. “Wanna know something cool? There’s a whole floor with only books for children.”
“No way!” Rafael exclaimed.
“Come on, I show you and Max.”
Rafael immediately took his hand ready to storm the escalator. Simon turned to Izzy. “We three will have fun with the good stuff. Go and have fun with your books about human entrails. Yikes. I know you are chomping at the bit”.
Isabelle clapped her hands excitedly. “Aww, best boyfriend ever! And it’s called anatomy.”
“Whatever. It’s gross.” Rafael started to tug at his hand impatiently. “Besides have I just gotten more points?”
Isabelle winked, waving at them when retreating. “Maybe.”
“Ha!” he grabbed Max and followed Rafael to the stairs, a smug smile on his face. “Okay, let’s check the kid’s floor. Besides I just had a really awesome idea for our next playdate, guys: How about feeding ducks? Maybe in Central Park? What do you think? Would you like that?”