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1
Magnus learnt fairly early on in the relationship that Alec liked reading. He discovered this when the younger man would ransack his shelves and curl up on one end of the couch giving Magnus plenty of time to work; both of them simply enjoying each other’s company and presence. The warlock was used to coming home to the loft to find Alec, having let himself in, asleep with a book lying open on his chest.
He loved watching him read; the way he visibly relaxed and the way he’d gasp and once even cry at the misadventures of the characters he’d immersed himself in. The way in which, if Magnus asked, he would excitedly explain what was happening in his current book, how he felt about each character, his predictions and his favourite parts. It was a side of Alec that Magnus expected not many people got to experience once let alone regularly and he loved it.
However, he absolutely hated having to interrupt or stop him for any pressing matter. Which was exactly what was going to happen as soon as Magnus picked up Alec’s phone which was ringing unbeknownst to his gorgeous nephilim who was absorbed in his latest of Magnus’s books across the room on the sofa.
Magnus sighed and looked at the caller ID. He knew from experience that Alec didn’t care if Magnus answered his phone for him, in fact he’f been reassured many times that Alec was grateful, but if it was someone Alec could afford to ignore then Magnus was more than willing to ignore them for him.
Unfortunately it wasn’t.
“Hello, dearest Isabelle. What can I do for you?” Magnus snuck a glance at Alec before heading into the bedroom to answer the call.
“Magnus? You’re answering Alec’s phone now?” Isabelle’s surprised voice sounded slightly tinny through the phone.
“It would certainly appear so.” Magnus replied teasingly.
“Is Alec okay?” There was a hint of panic in her voice now and Magnus rolled his eyes.
“Yes, yes. He is perfectly healthy. Was there something you needed?”
“Right. Yeah. We need Alec for a mission, Lydia’s orders.”
Magnus sighed. “Okay, he’ll be there in ten. Thank you Isabelle.”
He hung up the call and grudgingly made his way back into the living room. Alec’s eyes flickered up at the movement and Magnus watched as he tensed right back up again and put the book down.
“Everything okay?” The shadowhunter asked as Magnus handed his phone to him with a smile.
“Izzy needs you back at the Institute.”
“Tell her I’m busy?” Alec said but it came out as more of a question.
“Would if I could, darling. Lydia’s orders.” Magnus laughed softly as Alec tipped his head back against the arm rest with a groan. “I’ll make up a portal so you don’t end up late. Will you stay there tonight?”
Alec shook his head and stood up, gathering his bow and quiver along with his jacket from the entry hall; Magnus trailing along behind him.
“No. I mean-if that’s okay with you?” Alec looked down at Magnus hesitantly and something warm tugged in him.
“Of course, I would not ask if it wasn’t Alexander. Call me when you’re done and I’ll send a portal.” Magnus was rewarded with a beaming Alec who leaned down to kiss him on the cheek causing the heat from before to flush all through Magnus. Alec was so rarely casual with his kisses, he was protective and almost possessive in his touches especially around his family or other shadowhunters but kisses were still so new to him.
“Thank you, Mags. I’ll see you later.”
2
“Just tell him I need to see him!” Isabelle said, frustrated but not mean or scathing as Magnus had come to expect from Nephilim over his centuries.
“No.” Magnus replied calmly, making sure he was still bodily blocking the ferocious girl trying to barge into his apartment.
“Why not?”
“Why do you need him?” Magnus countered smugly. Izzy just rolled her eyes.
“He’s meant to be looking after Max today. Mum and Dad are still in Idris, I’ve got a patrol with Jace. Max won’t cooperate for anyone but us. Alec has to come and watch him for today.”
“Why’s he here anyway?” Magnus asked, genuinely curious. The youngest Lightwood was wonderfully adorable in that small, mischievous way that only children could pull off without being annoying like Jace.
“Mum and Dad sent him here to get ‘experience’.” She grimaced at the word, clearly a direct quote from her family. Magnus knew for a fact that Alec adored all of his siblings and valued any time he could get with Max; there was no way Magnus could take this away from him.
“If Alexander agrees can Max come here?” Isabelle looked surprised as she thought for a minute before nodding vigorously.
“Sure. I don’t see why not as long as our parents don’t find out. Mum is still rather...touchy about you guys.”
“Trust me, I know. I’ll go ask him but you stay here.” MAgnus pointed at the spot she was standing in to emphasise his point.
“Why? What’s he doing?”
“Sleeping.” Magnus didn’t even feel guilty about lying.
“Oh, okay. Yeah. I’ll wait here, he’s always grumpy when he wakes up.”
Magnus chuckled. “I definitely know that too.”
He closed the door softly and went into the bedroom. Helpless to the soft smile that broke out on his lips at the sight he was met with. Alec was leaning against the headboard wrapped up in the blankets with a book in his hands, his raven hair mussed up and gorgeously ruffled, he was wearing one of his beloved ratty jumpers that Magnus always teased him about but not so secretly adored. The shadowhunter didn’t notice Magnus hovering in the doorway for a few seconds but the smile on his face when he did made it all the worse knowing he had to stop him from his relaxed reading.
“Who was it?” He asked quietly, he hadn’t been awake long, neither of them had even though it was almost 11am.
“Your darling sister.”
“She okay?”
“She wanted me to remind you that you are apparently meant to be looking after the youngest of you many Lightwoods.”
“Shit. Max. I completely forgot.” Alec started trying to untangle himself but stopped when Magnus held a placating hand out.
“I have a compromise. As long as it’s okay with you, Max can come here for the day if he wants. Then you don’t have to go back yet and you can rest more. And I get to spend more time with you.” Magnus grinned proudly as he explained his idea, his smile faltering slightly when Alec looked at him with something like confusion.
“Are you sure? He’s not exactly...quiet and I know you probably have work to do-” Alec started but Magnus walked over and cut him off with a kiss.
“I’m sure if you are, it’s only for a few hours and how much trouble can a kid be?” Magnus joked, pleased with as Alec acclimated to the idea.
“Okay. Thank you. I’ll uh get dressed then. Are you going to portal him here?”
“Nope. I’m gonna get Isabelle to walk him here. That way she gets a chance to make me seem less scary and monstrous.” Magnus was teasing again but he knew Alec could see the worry underneath.
“He doesn’t think you’re anything but magical, kind and sexy. That last one is thanks to Izzy by the way.”
“Ah. I do adore your sister. She’s great.” Magnus laughed again as he returned to tell the younger Lightwood the plan.
3
“Alec. Alec?”
Magnus stood up immediately as he heard the unmistakable call of Alec’s parabatai down the corridor. Alec was sitting on the stairs with a book behind Magnus as the warlock himself worked on the Institute's wards; the taller man’s presence was both voluntary and not. Lydia been forced by Maryse who was visiting for the week to keep at least on nephilim watching Magnus to make sure he wasn’t doing anything nefarious. Alec had volunteered instantly with only a slight stutter that made Magnus feel better despite the lack of trust the shadowhunter’s had in him.
It could have been worse. So there they were in silence just listening to each other’s breathing when Jace started yelling for Alec from afar. Magnus heard instantly and looked up to see the blond opening and closing every room spanning the corridor between them in search of Alec who was somehow oblivious. Tuning Jace’s voice out was clearly a needed talent when living with him.
“Alexander, darling. Blondie is looking for you.” Magnus said without turning to face his boyfriend.
“One more chapter.”
“Not this time. He’s headed this way.”
“Dammit.”
“Sorry. I’ll come find you after I’m done here.”
4
Magnus was sleeping. He was trying to anyway but somehow over the past few months sleeping without Alec’s warm body curled around him had turned impossible. The shadowhunter in question was in the living room reading again despite the fact that he needed to sleep far more than Magnus did, he’d been awake since the day before due to patrols and missions ordered by his mother who was, in Magnus’s opinion, overstaying her welcome at the Institute far too much.
The warlock gave up trying to sleep and pottered into the living room wearing one of Alec’s own shirts that was delightfully too big on him. The younger man was stretched out on the sofa, the book resting on his chest and his eyelids drooping. Magnus sighed and poked his boyfriend in the side when he wasn’t noticed. Alec visibly jumped and blinked furiously in a way that was rather comical to Magnus.
“You need to sleep, Alec. Come on.” Magnus said firmly. Alec pouted slightly
“One more chapter?”
“By the looks of it you weren’t reading the chapter you’re on so not this time. Sorry darling, now come on. I’m not sleeping alone just because you couldn’t be bothered to get up off the couch.”
+1
Magnus wanted to savour this moment for the rest of his life. Him and Alec lying on the couch, Alec across the warlock’s chest reading a book that Magnus had tried to follow for a while but found that running his fingers through Alec’s hair was far more interesting. They didn’t have anywhere to go or anything to do, their phones were turned off to stop anyone from the Institute calling, of course they could always send a fire message or just turn up at the loft door if it was an emergency.
Alec stirred slightly in Magnus’s arms. Then he sighed. Then he put the book down entirely nad turned his head to look up at Magnus who raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Everything okay Alexander?”
“Yeah...I just- if this is too...boring for you we can always do something else.” Alec said quietly, unsure in himself. Magnus pressed a light kiss to his forehead and kept twirling the messy strands of Alec’s hair through his fingers.
“I am perfectly content, darling. However, if you want we can go and get some food whenever you want.” Magnus reassured him, he was getting good at reassuring the younger man who was constantly doubting his decisions when they weren’t about fighting.
“That sounds good. One more chapter?”
“One more chapter.”