Work Text:
Magnus is still asleep when Alec wakes up. This isn't unusual; Alec's an early riser (by necessity, not choice) and is normally awake before his boyfriend. He debates going to the kitchen to put some coffee on, but decides he really doesn't want to leave the comfort of the bed.
They hadn't closed the shutters the night before, so morning sunlight fills the room, casting every surface it lands on aglow. It lights the planes of Magnus' face, dusting his cheeks and sharpening his jawline. His eyelashes are dark against soft skin and his hair is sleep-mussed and floppy against the pillow.
His chest rises and falls in quiet breaths and Alec can't quite believe he's allowed to be here, allowed to be watching someone so beautiful. He's heavenly.
Alec presses a kiss to Magnus' forehead and intwines their fingers, hoping not to wake him. Magnus has been taking on more and more work recently; on top of his usual clients, he's been meeting regularly with the other heads of the Downworld, visiting the Spiral Labyrinth, doing overtime for the Institute, popping all across the world to provide support to his fellow warlocks.
By the time Alec gets back to the loft in the evening, just about ready to drop, Magnus is usually still working. Alec cajoles him into taking a break for an hour or so, but Magnus almost always comes to bed after Alec and Alec is out early before Magnus wakes up in the morning.
Alec only realises now how much he misses his boyfriend, even though he sees him almost every day and they practically live together. This day off - Magnus managed to clear his schedule with some creative rearranging of clients - is well deserved for his overworked boyfriend, and will give them a chance to just be around each other.
Eventually Alec's tummy starts rumbling so loudly he's worried it's gonna wake Magnus up, so he slips from the bed, tucking the covers back around his boyfriend as he goes. He pads downstairs to the kitchen and sets the coffee maker running before searching through the cupboards for some food.
Alec is usually in charge of grocery shopping but he's been swamped the past few days, all the missions they've been on blurring into one another. Asking Magnus to snap his fingers and make breakfast appear would rather defeat the point of leaving him to sleep, so Alec decides to pop out. Activating his soundless rune, he heads back to the bedroom and quickly gets dressed, picks up his wallet and then leaves the loft, shutting the door as quietly as he can.
The patisserie at the end of Magnus' block is run by a French family Magnus has known for literally generations, and the two of them have been there enough that the owner recognises Alec when he steps through the door. He buys a selection of pastries and two almond croissants, the ones he knows Magnus likes, then returns to the loft.
Alec opens the door to the sight of his half-naked boyfriend, standing facing away from him. His hair is ruffled on one side where he's been sleeping on it and the way his silk pyjama pants ride lowly on his hips makes Alec flush warm all over.
Magnus spins gracefully at the sound of the door closing, a smile already spreading across his face.
"I wondered where you'd got to," he says. Alec crosses the room and drops a kiss to Magnus' temple.
"Getting breakfast," he says, holding up the bag of food.
Magnus traces patterns along Alec's arm. "I could have done that," he says.
Alec rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "You're exhausted, Magnus," he tells his boyfriend. "You needed some rest."
Instead of the protests he's expecting, Magnus just nods.
"Thank you, darling," he says, taking the bag from Alec.
He moves to the kitchen and pulls three plates from the cupboard, then arranges the pastries on one of them. Alec pours them both coffee, adds cream, and sets them down on the table. They make comfortable conversation while they eat, both - perhaps subconsciously - avoiding the heavy topics of work and the war and Valentine. It creates a kind of bubble, one Alec would like to stay in for a very long time.
Eventually they finish their food and Magnus waves a hand to clear their plates to the counter beside the sink. Alec sends his boyfriend a fond eye roll and moves over to the sink, beginning to run some hot water.
Magnus refills his cup of coffee and reclines into his chair. He has his eyes closed and a blissed smile on his face when Alec glances back at him, which makes Alec smile himself. At some point, when Alec’s hands have gone wrinkly from the washing up water, Magnus comes up behind him and peppers little kisses along the back of his neck.
“What did you have planned for today?” he asks.
His arms wrap around Alec’s waist and Alec relaxes back into him.
“Whatever you want to do,” Alec answers honestly. “I don’t mind, I just want to - do stuff with you. I - we’ve not seen each other much.”
He feels Magnus nod against his back.
“I have a couple of things to do,” he says, “but after that, I’m all yours.”
Alec turns his head and kisses Magnus quickly. “That sounds good.”
Magnus hums and meanders through to their - their - bedroom, emerging again around twenty minutes later in some casual pants and a loose shirt with an open neck. Alec’s finished the washing up by this point and is curled up on the couch with one of Magnus’ old books.
Magnus’ hand briefly brushes Alec’s shoulder as he passes to get to his study, where he disappears for an hour or so to work on a potion he’s been brewing for a couple of days.
Alec gets so immersed in the book that he almost doesn’t notice when Magnus drops down on the couch beside him, holding a bottle of sparkling bronze nail polish. Magnus smiles at him when Alec looks up.
“For when you’ve finished,” Magnus says, gesturing to the book.
Alec picks up his bookmark and slides it in place, then shuffles on the couch so Magnus can comfortably rest his hands on Alec’s thigh.
It's peaceful, sitting in the afternoon quiet of the loft, painting Magnus’ nails. Alec is maybe concentrating a little more on making sure the polish goes on right than on the story Magnus is telling him about having dinner with Julius Caesar, but he does lift a sardonic eyebrow when Magnus comes to a natural pause.
"Did you know Caesar died in 44BCE, angel?" says Alec. "When were you born again?"
Magnus doesn't say anything, so Alec looks up from where he's sliding excess polish off the brush against the rim of the bottle. Magnus is watching him, a smile playing around his lips.
Alec runs over what he just said and realises the term of endearment had slipped out without him realising it - Magnus is always the one to use pet names, and usually they feel awkward tripping off Alec's tongue. But when he's really comfortable, when they're just watching TV on the couch or eating breakfast or talking sleepily, they roll out more easily.
Alec ducks his head to hide the blush on his cheeks. He's eternally grateful when Magnus seemingly ignores the name and moves on.
"Which of us has a thing for older men?" Magnus teases.
Alec finishes up on Magnus' last nail. Magnus waves one hand over the over to magically dry his nails while Alec screws the top back on the polish.
"Should I do yours?" asks Magnus. Alec nods. Mostly he just does Magnus' nails as a way for them both to wind down in the evenings where they're both free, but sometimes Magnus returns the favour. If Alec's not needed at the Institute for a while, he'll let Magnus paint them.
He doesn't particularly have an opinion on nail paint either way - it looks pretty, which he likes, and Magnus looks amazing wearing it, so he likes it even more, but even though Izzy has maintaining her perfect unchipped nails down to a fine art, Alec can't quite manage it. But Magnus enjoys painting Alec’s nails, and anything that makes Magnus smile is worth doing, in Alec's opinion.
Alec smiles and spreads his fingers over Magnus’ knee. The tunic Magnus is wearing is a dark blue that makes him look absolutely gorgeous, and Alec points, circling his finger in the air.
"I like the colour of your shirt."
Magnus smiles and conjures a bottle of midnight blue polish. Halfway through Alec's right hand, Magnus starts a story about meeting Princess Margherita and inventing a pizza, which Alec is only half sure he believes. It's entertaining, anyway, and he'd listen to Magnus reading a washing machine manual if it meant he got to spend time with him. Halfway through Alec's left hand, Magnus abandons painting in favour of kissing.
Alec lets out a muffled noise against Magnus' lips before catching on and responding eagerly, tilting his head and pressing closer. He's mindful of his wet nails and keeps them as still as possible, but Magnus doesn't have the same issue and cups Alec's jaw with one hand, the other gripping his forearm.
When Magnus bites on Alec's lower lip Alec jerks his arm, the movement knocking the little bottle of polish over from its careful resting spot on Magnus’ thigh. It breaks the spell and Magnus pulls back, sucking in a breath as he clears up the spelled paint with a wave of his hand.
"Sorry," Alec says automatically. Magnus shakes his head.
"No harm done." He sits back down, a little breathless. When he smiles at Alec, his expression is so full of love it makes Alec's heart burst. "Sorry. The 'angel' thing did something to me." He cocks his head, gaze darkening. "In future, please warn me when you're about to be completely adorable."
Alec catches Magnus' hand in his, mindful of his nails.
"I'll try," he throws back, smiling. "And you don't need to apologise for kissing me," he says. He can feel himself blushing but says, "I like it when you kiss me. I really like it."
Magnus moves the nail polish and then tugs Alec closer to him so Alec's half sitting in his lap.
"It's lucky that I really like kissing you then, isn't it?"
Alec grins and shuffles forward more so he's properly in Magnus' lap.
"Show me?" he asks, running a thumb across Magnus' bottom lip. His attention is drawn to the new colour of his nails and he pauses. "Oh, please could you -?"
He wiggles his hands in an imitation of Magnus' magic, which has Magnus looking at him entirely unimpressed.
"I do not look like that," he gripes, pouting, but he snaps his fingers to dry the paint anyway, so Alec figures he can't be too annoyed.
"Of course not, it's way more attractive when you do it," Alec says, which makes Magnus smile delightedly, and it’s almost worth not kissing him just so he can stare at that smile.