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Alec came back from the Seelie Queen, rattled. She was relentless and cruel, refusing to remove the glamour she cast on him, saying that any low-class warlock could remove it easily. Alec disrespected her; he laughed, and this was his punishment. But the issue was that they could not tell their parents, or anyone else, that they went to visit the Seelie Queen without them knowing. Alec knew it was dangerous; he should never agree to go there.
His hair was grey, his eyes had lost their shine, and his face was wrinkled. As much as he tried to avoid this, his only option was to visit Magnus. Alec hated this; he hated himself, and he was scared. What would Magnus say? Maybe if he saw what Alec would look like in a few years from now – a few years for a warlock, a whole life for a mortal – he would break up with Alec. Izzy insisted it was the only way, and so Alec was on his way to Magnus’ loft.
Alec opened the door with his own keys, and then, with adrenaline coursing through his veins, he looked for Magnus. This was it, the moment he would see the truth in Magnus’ heart. He always said that he did not mind that Alec was ageing, that he would love him anyway, but Alec was afraid to face it now. Magnus always calmed him, and Alec trusted him. The only thing that bothered Alec was when Magnus avoided talking about his past life, but Alec accepted the relationship with the condition that Magnus would not talk about it.
“Magnus?” Alec asked, hearing how his voice sounded older and was quivering.
Then he found him; he had his research spread out on the table with strange markings on all the papers. He still tried to decipher the ancient demonic language. Alec felt his body shaking; it got worse when he noticed that Magnus looked at him, his cat eyes wide in horror. It made him sick.
“Alec? What happened?” he said as he got up.
Alec lowered his head. He felt terrible, but what he saw in his eyes was not disgust, just pure shock. No wonder; he was an eighteen-year-old boy a few hours ago, and now he was about eighty instead.
“I… angered the Seelie Queen. She glamoured me and told me that a warlock can remove it,” Alec said softly. “This is what I’ll become, Magnus. Can you really… can you really accept it? Accept this?”
Then he felt Magnus’ arms around his body, shortly embracing him. One of Magnus’ hands moved to his cheek and cupped it; he suddenly kissed him. Slowly, with reverence and gentleness.
“Yes. There's no need to talk about hurtful things, but you being old does not hurt. The part that you disappear from my life is way worse. I will love you even if you grow old and wrinkly. You’re still you,” Magnus said, staring into his eyes.
And for the first time, Alec felt a little bit better. He could spend the rest of his life with Magnus, hoping that Magnus would never forget him once he died. Alec’s eyes welled with tears; he tried to hide them by resting his head against Magnus’ shoulder.
“Okay… I believe you,” Alec whispered. Magnus kissed him after all. Magnus kissed him even in this old form.
“Should I remove the glamour?” Magnus asked.
“Please…” Alec said, still clinging to his boyfriend. Then he watched as the skin on his hands got smooth once more, and the callouses and wrinkles were gone. The glamour was lifted.
“Let me decipher this and then find Jace, alright?” Magnus asked. His ability to quickly change a topic was astounding. If only there was a way for Magnus to grow old with him... Alec was sure he would want that life.