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Alec lays in his bed on the night of his sixteenth birthday and waits. The rune should come at the stroke of midnight. He feels nerves twisting in his stomach. Usually people were excited for their soulmates rune, but Alec wasn’t. He knew it’d be a boy’s name, and a boy’s name would seal his fate forever. He’d never be able to be with his soulmate openly, it would always be a secret, something no one else would be able to know, and Alec...didn’t want to keep secrets. Wanted to keep his soulmate a secret even less. But he knows his parents would never accept it, that they would do everything in their power to stop him from being public with a boy, the Claves rules about bonds be damned.

Alec watches the clock on his bedside table turn from 11:59 to 12:00 and feels a burning sensation on his hip. The pain is similar to having regular runes carved into his skin, but this one is more intense, more all-consuming than any rune Alec has ever had, it takes of his entire body in its intensity. He twists his hands in the sheets, arches his neck and grits his teeth. It feels like he is overflowing as the rune is burned into him.

The feeling of burning consumes him and he feels as though he is going to burst, even though his eyes are squeezed shut all he sees is white.

When it’s over, Alec refuses to look, he can feel the connection at the back of the mind, but he refuses to acknowledge any of it. He knows it’s a boy, can feel it in the half-formed bond, but the longer he doesn’t look, the longer he can stay ignorant. He closes his eyes, he knows that if he concentrates really hard, he’ll be able to feel his soulmate at the back of his mind.

When the soul-rune is forged into the skin once both people have reached sixteen, a half bond is formed, it won’t develop into a full bond until the two meet, spend time together and kiss for the first time, but even with a half bond a person can feel their soulmates more prominent emotions, like joy, anger and sadness if they try. Alec can feel the fluttering of his soulmates happiness in the back of his mind, knows that if he concentrates just a little bit more the feeling would intensify. It only makes it worse, the guilt twisting in his chest like a knife, because his soulmate probably doesn’t understand the inevitable tragedy. He tries to block it out.

Alec lays awake for another hour before he falls asleep. He can feel the boy in the back of his mind, and, despite the turmoil tugging at both their minds, it’s a calming presence, he tries his best to ignore it. He doesn’t look at his mark once before he falls asleep.

~~~

When Magnus turned sixteen, and no soul-rune carved itself into his skin he was...only minorly disappointed, he thought in another few years he would get one, it wasn’t that uncommon to have to wait a bit. But he never dreamed it would take four hundred years. By the time he does get it he isn’t expecting it, he had long ago prepared himself for the fact that he might never get his soulmate.

He’s sitting on the couch with Chairman Meow, nursing a glass of wine as he watches “Project Runway” reruns when the burning starts. He drops his glass of wine on the Chairman, who gives a yowl of protest and jumps off the couch.

He writhes in pain, and feels the rune begin to form. His magic leaps out around him, reacting to his pain, but there isn’t anything to be done. Magnus lies panting when it’s over, a feeling of anticipation in his stomach. Four hundred years of waiting, and worrying, and it had finally come. When he gathers enough strength to sit back up on the couch, he fingers the soft material of his shirt. Carefully he lifts the hem.

Alexander Lightwood.

Magnus snorts a little, in surprise, before it really begins to dawn on him. Oh, the irony. Suddenly, he can’t help himself, and he descends into giggles, a Shadowhunter, a Lightwood at that, and Maryse Lightwood’s son. The one he vaguely remembers calling a ‘brat’ all those years ago. God, he knows this is not going to turn out well. Maryse is going to throw a fit...suddenly Magnus stops laughing feeling as though a bucket of ice was thrown on him. Alexander Lightwood is a male, Shadowhunter.  Magnus closes his eyes; he feels, suddenly, like he’s in one of Shakespeare's tragedies. It’s not so funny as the reality of the situation becomes clear.

While he’s heard rumors of the Shadowhunters being more accepting of soul-runes for reasons unkown to the Downworlders, Magnus still isn’t a big enough fool to believe they would accept a gay Shadowhunter bonding to a Downworlder, and Magnus Bane, at that. That’s not even to mention Maryse Lightwood, who despised him, and would probably pay good money for his head on a stick. But, Magnus thought, this was his soulmate, if anyone was worth the struggle, it would be Alexander Lightwood.

~~~

Alec doesn’t look at his soul-rune until the next morning in the shower. He closes his eyes, and braces himself.

Opening his eyes, he looks down at the rune on his hip. It’s beautiful, swirling, inky lines. Looking closer Alec reads the name.

Magnus Bane.

Oh, God. His breath starts to come in gasps. A boy would’ve been bad enough. But the High Warlock of Brooklyn? Alec closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, feeling tears prickle at his eyes. It could never happen now, he was doomed to a life of loneliness, and an arranged marriage. Utter helplessness sunk like a stone in his gut. He felt himself shaking, his breaths still coming in short gasps as his mind fully wrapped itself around the reality. He only allows a few tears to slip out before he gets himself under control, tears burn at the back of his eyes. He stands in the shower for a minute, trying to pull himself together.

Alec gets out when he feels himself start to gain back some composure. No one could know, he decides, he’d just ignore it if someone asked, they’d assume he didn’t have a soulmate, or that his soulmate was already dead, which wasn’t exactly uncommon, especially with Shadowhunters. He wouldn’t have to lie outright, all really had to say was he didn’t want to talk about it, and that could be taken a multitude of ways, no one would immediately assume his soul-rune was a male warlock.

Decision made, Alec tried to go about his morning routine. He went on a run, ate breakfast, and started to train, with his shirt on. He would never be able to take it off in front of anybody, not until he had figured out how to glamor it properly.

Jace joined him a few minutes later.

“Hey Alec, what’s up?” he said, tentatively.

“Nothing, just training,” Alec responded, not losing focus on the punching bag he was currently beating up.

“What...happened last night?” Jace asked cautiously.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Alec said, sharply.

“Is...is everything okay? Did you not get one?”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it Jace,” Alec snapped, not stopping his assault on the punching bag, “Would you like to train, or not?”

“Okay, okay,” Jace said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Let’s just train,” Jace said, grabbing two staffs, “But remember, I’m your parabatai, and you can tell me anything,” Jace reassured.

Alec stopped punching the bag, and grabbed the staff Jace was holding out to him, and nodded gratefully at Jace, “I know, but I really don’t want to talk about it, it’s not a big deal.”

Jace gave him a skeptical look, but didn’t say anything else, as they started to spar.

That was the end of it.

No one asked Alec about his soul-rune after that day, everyone skated over the topic. Even when Jace got his, someone name Clary Fairchild, or when Isabelle got hers, Simon Lewis. It wasn’t mentioned, and Alec was grateful.

It takes two more years for Alec to meet Magnus, two years of carefully hiding his soul-rune, making sure his shirt was always on, or his glamour rune was always carefully applied. Two years of never changing in front of anyone, two years of carefully controlled movements, and two years of hiding in the library when anyone tried to talk about his soul-rune. And it’s all because of Clarissa Fray and her memories. If she hadn’t been Jace’s soulmate than Alec would’ve kicked her to the curb ages ago. She was impulsive, and had a single-track mind when it came to what she wanted, anyone who got in her way be damned.

When the only option left was to visit the warlock, who had put a block on her mind, Alec prayed it wouldn’t be the High Warlock of Brooklyn. But when they looked at the sketch Clary had drawn Alec felt his stomach swoop.

“That’s Magnus Bane,” Jace said, “No doubt about it…”

“We need an in,” Isabelle muttered, turning to her purse.

“He’s a well know partier,” Jace said, “Could we get into one of his parties?”

“No, absolutely not,” Alec said finally, his brain catching up with him, “We can’t go anywhere near him, he’s the High Warlock, he won’t react kindly to a bunch of Shadowhunters barging into his party.”

“Alec, this is our only choice,” Jace said.

“No. We’ll find another way. I’ll put in a request for a meeting—”

“That will take too long, Alec. We don’t have time, Valentine is after the cup, and we need to find it. Clary’s memories could be the key to everything,” Jace argued, “It’s better to act now.”

“No, I won’t approve this mission, nor will I come with you,” Alec stated firmly, staring Jace down.

“Alec…” Jace pleaded, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from Isabelle and Clary, “What’s going on with you? Come on, this is a perfectly reasonable mission, there’s no reason not to approve it, you know that.”

“I have responsibilities, Jace. If we barge into a party thrown by the High Warlock of Brooklyn, uninvited, we may hurt our alliance with the warlocks. Then what happens when Valentine comes? We need a united front, and warlocks are powerful allies.”

“Who says we’re uninvited? Come on Alec, you’re my parabatai, we fight together. Are you saying you won’t have my back?” Jace said.

Alec huffed, even though he knew he was being manipulated he could still feel himself breaking, maybe...maybe he could just stay back and keep watch. He sighed heavily, and looked at the ceiling for a minute, before shaking his head, “Fine, but we leave immediately if he doesn’t want us there, no questions asked.”

“Okay, thank you, Alec,” Jace said, clapping Alec on the shoulder and looking at him for a moment, before moving past him to reconvene with Isabelle and Clary. Alec stayed behind, and tried to get his head on straight. There was no way he could tell Magnus his name, Magnus wouldn’t let it go.  Alec didn’t need to meet him to know that once Magnus locked onto him there would be no letting go. Not that Alec wanted to let go...he wanted more than anything to be with his soulmate for forever, but he had responsibilities. His families position with the Clave had only been worsened by the arrival of Clary, neither one of his parents would accept this. There was no future with Magnus that didn’t jeopardize his family, or the career he had building since he was old enough to talk.

When he got back to the table where the planning was happening he heard Isabelle say something about an invitation.

“I could go ask Meliorn, see if he knows anything?” Isabelle offered.

Jace nodded, “Good idea Izzy, will he be willing to provide you with an invitation?”

Isabelle laughed, her eyes alight with mischief, “He can be persuaded.”

“Ugh, did not need that information,” Jace groaned, “But that would be great.”

Alec sighed again, and nodded when she looked at him, “Yeah, it would make it easier.”

“Alright! I’ll be back in an hour or two,” Isabelle said, cheerfully, prancing out of the room.

Alec rolled his eyes, and wandered away from the meeting area to rune some arrows, and to mentally prepare for what was sure to be a stressful night.

When Isabelle returned, she was grinning, and walking with an extra swagger that could only mean she had gotten what she wanted, still Alec had to ask, “Did you get an invitation?”

“Yes, I did, and it says to ‘bring your friends’ so, that’s that sorted,” Isabelle said, still smiling smugly.

“Do I want to know how you acquired it?” Alec asks suspiciously.

“Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p’ as her smirk widened even further.

“Alright, well get ready, we leave in ten minutes,” Alec said, turning to start grabbing his weapons, it didn’t matter that this was just supposed to be a ‘diplomatic’ mission, he could never be over prepared.

As they near Magnus’ home, Alec can feel the bond thrumming beneath his skin, and is makes him jittery, his hand keeps dropping to the soul-rune. Anxiety is bubbling in his stomach, with how the soul-rune is reacting to the proximity of his soulmate is not a good sign. Alec may not be able to get away with just not telling Magnus his name. He looks behind them for the fifth or sixth time in five minutes before Jace grips his elbow.

“What is up with you? I know you didn’t want to come on this mission, but why are you being so paranoid? This isn’t even a hunt, just a diplomatic mission at most,” he said, pulling Alec behind the rest of the group.

“I’m fine, just...don’t like the idea…” Alec said, and it sounded like a weak excuse even to his own ears.

“Alec...is this about your soul-rune?”

“My soul-rune? No, of course not, why would you ask something like that?” Alec snapped, jerking his arm away from Jace and crossing them over his chest.

“Alec...come on, we’re parabatai, I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that anytime soul-runes are brought up, you get twice as fidgety and paranoid as normal. Plus, your hand keeps dropping to your left hip. Look, I’m not gonna make you talk about it, but you have to know I’m here for you, you can’t help who you fall in love with, or who the universe decides is right for you…”

Alec snorted a little, but nodded, “I promise I’m fine, alright, just...not happy about this mission.”

Jace’s shoulders dropped, and his face reflected resignation, as though he had been hoping Alec would talk to him, but at the same time hadn’t really expected it. Alec felt guilt claw at his chest, and he gripped Jace’s arm.

“Hey, I know you would listen, and I would listen the same way, I’m just...not ready for it yet, okay? And anyway, this has nothing to do with the soul-rune.”

“Okay, but whenever you are ready, Izzy and I are both here for you, and will listen without judgement, alright?”

Alec nodded, and tried to act normal.

“We’re here!” Isabelle called excitedly, and they all piled in front of the door, Alec moved towards the back, hoping that if he was towards the back, he’d be less noticeable.

The door swung open and Alec ducked his head, knowing if he saw him he wouldn’t be able to resist, and six years of hard work and dedication, would go down the drain.

“Shadowhunters… to what do I owe the pleasure,” a smooth smoky voice asked, and Alec felt a jolt, the bond was responding, oh God. Alec could feel the tendrils of his bond reach forward, trying to connect with Mag—the warlocks. He gripped them tightly, trying to control them, while his siblings and Clary explained the situation, and followed them into the loft.

“Now, what is this business you speak of, I would very much like to get to the...pleasure of the evening,” Alec could feel Magnus’ eyes on him, scorching him, and it took all his will power to keep his eyes away from Magnus’. Resist, he told himself, resist, you can do it.

Jace and Clary got right down to business, and Alec tuned out, turning to watch for threats, Shadowhunters were rarely accepted here, and while they were with the host, and it was unlikely they’d face much trouble, it was still prudent to keep a close watch, just in case.

“Well, now that that’s settled I assume you’ll all be going?” Magnus said, clapping his hands together and Alec snapped back to the conversation at hand, he looked and saw Jace loop an arm around Clary’s waist as she stumbled.

Isabelle pouted, but nodded, “Thank you for your help.”

Magnus nodded, and proceeded to walk them out. Just before they reached the door however Magnus gently grabbed Alec’s elbow. Alec felt a jolt, and he whips his head around to look at Magnus before he can stop himself. He feels all the breath in his lungs leave him. He stares at Magnus, and can hardly comprehend how gorgeous the man is, raven black hair, green-gold eyes, pink...pink lips...

But Magnus doesn’t do anything, just smiled softly, and said “Call me,” before trailing his fingers down and Alec’s arm, and moving away.

A blush blooming high on Alec’s cheeks he glanced down at his arm to see a string of numbers, he quickly pulled his sleeve down to hide them, and followed Jace out of the apartment.

Alec tries to wash the numbers from his skin, he scrubs at them with all his might, turning the skin around it an irritated red, but they won’t come off. He tries to wait it out, hoping that maybe time will make the numbers fade. It doesn’t, if anything the number gets darker the longer he waits. They stay resolutely on his skin, and Alec has no choice but to ignore it.

~~~

Magnus doesn’t hear from Alec after their meeting at the party, but he can’t say that he’s surprised. He’s disappointed, of course, but not surprised, he knew this would not be easy from the beginning.

He was on the couch a few days later, curled up with Chairman Meow, translating a book for a client when he started to notice a dullness come over the bond. Pulling up his shirt he looked at his soul-rune, it was pulsing, and starting to fade into grey instead of solid black.

Magnus felt the cold dregs of fear settle in his stomach. That could only mean one thing, Alexander was seriously injured, he was dying. Magnus starts to move, dislodging the book and Chairman from his lap as he hurried to his office, starting to gather supplies, and books. He decides against calling a portal, preferring to save his strength. Instead he calls a cab and gives him the New York Institutes address.

Halfway there his cell phone starts to ring. Right on time, he thinks grimly, as he accepts the call.

“Magnus Bane? This is Hodge Starkweather, we have an emergency at the Institute, a Shadowhunter is injured, and we need you to come, please, it’s urgent,” Hodge begs.

“I will arrive shortly,” is all Magnus says before he hangs up. The cabbie drops him off not five minutes later and he hurries in. Isabelle Lightwood, who he remembers from the party is waiting for him, looking harried.

“This way,” she says, beckoning with her hand as she leads him through the winding corridors of the Institute. Reaching the infirmary, they burst in.

Magnus’ eyes are drawn to Alec immediately, he’s lying on the bed, Clary is beside him, keeping pressure on the gaping wound in Alexander’s side. Jason, or whatever his name is, is applying as many blood replenishing runes as possible.

“What demon did this?” Magnus asks, as he moves to take over for Clary. His hands glow blue as he starts to search for demon poison.

“Abaddon,” Isabelle says shortly.

Magnus glances up in surprise, a Greater Demon? What had Alexander gotten himself into? “I need everyone out now, this is not going to be easy, and I need to concentrate,” he commands.

“But—” Jace starts to protest, Isabelle must pull him from the room though, because a minute later the infirmary door slams shut, and Magnus is alone.

“Don’t worry, Alexander, it’ll be okay,” he murmurs, giving himself a second to smooth Alec’s hair back, and look at his face. Then he gets to work.

It’s tricky business, extracting demon venom, and a venom that is as powerful as a Greater Demon is even more so. The demon venom clings to Alec’s blood, intertwining itself and making it hard to differentiate Alec’s blood from demon venom. Magnus puts all of his magic into Alexander, and so, when Alec is finally healed, all Magnus can manage is to collapse into the chair beside the bed and fall asleep.

Magnus jerks awake sometime later. It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, but he feels refreshed in a way he never has before. It takes him a second to realize that he’s holding Alexander’s hand, and the bond is thrumming happily, Magnus can feel it getting stronger, it feels like little tethers are connecting to Alec’s and he loaths to pull away from it. It’s a blissful, grounding feeling.

He glances up at Alec, his face is peaceful, and there’s a small smile touching the corners of his mouth. Magnus glances back down at their linked fingers, he notices a tinge of red skin on the bottom of Alec’s forearm. Confused, he twists Alec’s arm so his palm is facing forward and looks at his forearm.

Magnus’ number is still there, and the skin under it, and surrounding it is red, and blistered, like someone had been rubbing vigorously, trying to get the numbers off. Magnus feels a mix of emotions welling inside him, sadness, regret, guilt and hopelessness. He waves his free hand over Alec’s arm, healing the irritated skin, and removing his number. He stands, there isn’t anything he can do for Alexander now. Magnus squeezes Alec’s hand before he steps away, and leaves.  

It’s not a week later that Magnus opens his door to Alec Lightwood.

“You took it off,” Alec blurts out, his eyes wide.

“I took what off?” Magnus asks, stepping aside, and gesturing Alec in, Alec comes in, although he seems wary. Magnus makes his way over to his bar, and starts to prepare some drinks.

“Your number…” he mutters, “After you healed me, and I woke up, your number was gone.”

Magnus shrugs, trying to act indifferent, “Well, it didn’t seem like you were going to use it, and you almost scrubbed your arm off. I thought the best course of action would be to let you forget about it, about me.” Magnus winces at the last part, that had come out sounding more desperate than he’d meant.

“Magnus…” Alec breathes, and Magnus takes a second to revel in the sound of his name falling from Alexander’s lips.

“Yes?” he asks, turning to hand Alec his drink, and sitting beside him.

“I know we’re supposed to be...supposed to be soulmates,” he says, blinking at Magnus and then looking at the drink in his hands.

Magnus looks at him in surprise, his hand suspended in the air, about to take a sip of his drink, he hadn’t expected such a blunt acknowledgement of the elephant in the room, and so all he manages to say is, “Oh.”

“Yeah, and I just wanted to say I was sorry, for...being your soulmate…” Magnus can feel a small pulse of guilt through the bond and if those words hadn’t been enough to break his hear that would have definitely done it.

“Alexander, I know this isn’t going to be easy, but…” Magnus takes a breath, and moves closer, setting his glass on the table, “You’re my soulmate, and I wouldn’t change you for the world. I might change our circumstances...but never you. I want you, and I will always want you.”

Alec closed his eyes briefly before looking at the ceiling. “I...I want this, but I don’t see a way, with the way things are right now...my parents and everything...” he trailed off, ducking his head. Magnus felt a wave of deep sadness roll over the bond, to match his own feeling of despair.  

“Hey, it’s okay,” Magnus says, trying to keep a calm exterior, reaching out with his hand, and gently cupping Alec’s chin, pulling his head up to look at him. Alec’s eyes were glassy, and Magnus would do anything to erase that look from his eyes forever. “I know about everything, I know that your parents are going to kick up a fuss, to put it lightly. I know that an open relationship isn’t going to happen, at least not right now. It’s okay, Alexander, because I know. But...you are my soulmate. I have waited four hundred years for you, and I don’t want to let you go…”

Tears are starting to fall down Alec’s face, and Magnus, a little startled, moves both his hands up to try and wipe them, and Alec leans into him, “I don’t want to let you go either...the way I feel right now...I have never felt like this, and I want more of it. You make me feel...better. Just thinking of you makes me happy, and...and I want that...I want you. The law is on our side but…my parents won’t care. They still…still believe arranged marriages are the way to go, and the Clave won’t stop them.”

Magnus felt his calm exterior crack, and tears of his own start to slip down his face to match Alec’s. “Come here, my darling, come here,” he says, gripping the back of Alec’s neck and pulling him into a hug, one that Alec returns with full force, “It’s going to be okay, I promise, all will be well.”

He continues to murmur reassuring lies to Alec, that it’ll be okay, they’ll work out, nothing bad will happen. Eventually Magnus lets Alec curl up against him, his head nestled in Magnus’ neck. He doesn’t know how long they stay like that before Alec sits up.

“I should probably…” he mutters, looking at the floor.

“Go? If you need to, Alexander, but you’re welcome to stay.”

“They might need me at the Institute….and they...they will wonder where I’ve gone...” Alec admits, shame clear in his voice, and Magnus doesn’t know if it’s because he’s ashamed of him, or ashamed that he didn’t have the courage to tell them where he was going.

“Alright, darling...if you insist,” is all he says.

Magnus delights in the blush that sprinkles Alec’s cheekbones at the term of endearment, “I...I would like to do this...again. I mean, not this exactly, but...but something like this, with maybe less, um, bad stuff...um,” Alec stutters out, biting his lip and looking at Magnus with something akin to determination in his eyes.

Magnus smiled, his insides twisting with fondness, “Would you like to go on a date with me, Alec?”

“I...Yes,” he said, lifting his head to look Magnus squarely in the eye.

“Well, then, I will contact you soon…Let me make you a portal?” Magnus said, already summoning his magic.

“Uh, no, that’s okay, I can walk,” Alec protested, but Magnus ignored him.

“Nonsense, I’ve already summoned one. I’ll call you soon, I promise,” Magnus said, and Alec reluctantly slips through the portal.

~~~

It takes a day for Magnus to call Alec, and Alec is just thankful that he is alone in the training room when it happens.

“Hello?” he greets, hesitantly.

“Alexander, hi, I’m calling about that date, I was wondering when you were free?”

“Oh, um, my schedule is pretty unpredictable, you know, with the...the demon things,” Alec winces at his own words, ‘the demon things,’ honestly, he’s glad Jace isn’t in there with him, his parabatai would be laughing his ass off right now.

He hears Magnus chuckle, and then say, “Well, are you free right now?”

Alec looked around, technically he was supposed to be training for the rest of the day, since there weren’t any reports that needed to be taken care of, yet, “Surprisingly, yes.”

“Well then, why don’t you come over to my place, and we can have dinner, and some drinks?”

“Um, okay, I’ll be there in an hour” he mumbles, anticipation starts to course through him at the thought of seeing Magnus again so soon.

“Bye, Alexander,” Magnus said, before hanging up. Alec smiles a dumb little smile until a voice pops up from behind him.

“Where are you going in an hour?” Isabelle’s voice asked.

Spinning around Alec floundered for an excuse, “Uh, um, shopping, yeah, yup we are right out of milk it seems, so I…”

Isabelle raised a delicate eyebrow, “And you’re meeting someone to pick up milk...?”

“Umm, I don’t…”

“Are you doing on a date, big brother?” his sister asked, smirking just a little.

“No! No, I’m just meeting...with some people, to talk about the...the Institute, and it’s supposed to be discreet, you know, what with Valentine…” that excuse sounded better, but still flimsy, luckily Isabelle must have decided to let it go.

“Alright, Alec, I’ll see you later then,” she said, sashaying out of the training room.

Alec groans, but tries not to dwell on it, he has a date after all. He feels the swell of anticipation grow in his gut as he heads off to take a shower, and get ready, he has a date.

~~~

Magnus is flitting around his loft, trying to get it ready for his and Alexander’s date. He sets up a small round table next to the large bay window overlooking the city, with a white tablecloth, and a bowl with some rocks, a few candles and three white orchids in it for a center piece. Simple, and sweet, Magnus didn’t want to overwhelm Alec.

When a knock sounded at the door, Magnus quickly put the finishing touches on his arrangement and goes to answer the door.

Alec was standing nervously fiddling with a bouquet of gardenias, and Magnus smiles, “Hello Alexander, flowers, how thoughtful.”

“Yeah, um, they’re gardenias, they’re supposed to mean like, secret love, and...and joy, so I thought they applied to our, um, situation,” Alec explains shyly, holding out the bouquet to Magnus.

Smiling, Magnus takes the flowers, oddly pleased at the thought Alec must have put into this, “Thank you, Alexander, they’re lovely, why don’t you come in, and get comfortable while I put these in a vase.”

Alec trails after Magnus, coming more fully into the loft, and Magnus directs him to the living room, while he heads to the kitchen. He places the flowers in a vase, and looks at them for a moment, biting his lip. It’s silly to get such a reaction to some flowers, but Magnus stomach is fluttering, and in all his years he can’t remember feeling quite this way about somebody. He heads back out into the living room, when Alec is standing next to the table, looking out the window.

“So, are you interested in flowers?” Magnus asks, as he goes to stand next to Alec.

“Um, yeah, I mean, I’m sort of allergic to them...but I’ve always be interested in them…” Alec mumbles.

“You’re allergic? Why did you get me flowers, if you’re allergic to them?” Magnus says, already raising a hand to banish any and all flowers from his loft, but Alec’s hand on his wrist stops him.

“Please don’t, Isabelle is worse than me, it just flares up around large amounts of pollen, and is worse in the spring,” Alec explains.

“Is it just the pollen?” Magnus asks curiously, lowering his hand and flipping through his mental spell book, maybe he can do something about it for Alec’s birthday…

“Yeah, mostly, it just irritates my nose and eyes.”

“I see…” Magnus says, distracted by thoughts of spells that might work. It takes him a second to refocus, “Anyway, how was your day?” he asks.

“It was good, I trained with Jace for a bit, before he got distracted by Clary, his soulmate,” Alec shrugged, “It wasn’t very eventful, I’m not really...very interesting I guess.”

“Don’t be silly, I find you fascinating. Now, tell me about your family, your parabatia?” Magnus asked, as he led Alec to the table, waving a hand and conjuring the food up, “I hope you like Greek.”

“Oh, yeah. Isabelle is my sister, I think you met her,” Magnus nodded, and Alec continued, “She’s amazing, bold, and brazen in every way. Jace is reckless and just as bold as Izzy, they often joke that I’m his impulse control in any situation. It’s mostly true, he makes terrible decisions without me,” Magnus laughs gently, as Alec continues to talk.

They talk for hours, and Magnus has never found himself more enraptured by what someone had to say. Alec is...thoughtful, and smart, and so many other amazing things that Magnus is stunned a little by all of it.

Magnus doesn’t want it to end, but as the time edges closer to one in the morning he knows that time has run out. Alec stands, and pulls on his jacket.

“Magnus...tonight was...wonderful,” he murmurs, his hand gripping Magnus’ firmly.

“I know...do you want to do this again?” Magnus asks, it comes out more nervous than he intends it to.

“I know it’s not a good idea, and it’s reckless, but I said it before Magnus, you’re my soulmate, and I’m not saying we bond right now, but I want you, and I want to try. I thought I could just ignore it...but you’re amazing...and I can’t just...ignore it. So, yes, I want to do this again.”

Magnus reaches up and pushes a hand through Alec’s hair, “Alright then, but this time you call me okay?”

Alec huffs a little, “Okay.”

Magnus leans up and presses a soft kiss to Alec’s cheek, and lingers for an extra second. When he pulls away he smiles at Alec, and walks him to the door.

~~~

Three months’ pass, and Alec has never been happier. Magnus and him have continued to see each other, and it was going perfectly. Magnus complemented Alec in the best, most unpredictable ways, and it seemed that Alec complemented Magnus as well.

Although Alec was happy with Magnus, and their relationship, he could tell that his relationship with Jace was suffering. Alec was almost always sneaking off somewhere, and he could tell the secrecy and the lies were hurting his and Jace’s parabatai bond. But he didn’t see what he could do about it, he loved Jace, but he didn’t want to risk it by telling him about Magnus.

It all came to a head one day when Alec is curled in the library, researching, and Jace comes in and sits down next to him on the sofa.

He glances up when Jace stays quiet, and Jace’s face is somber, and contemplative. “What’s up?” he asks, gently shutting the book and sitting up, a little worried.

Jace bites his lip, “You’re different,” he states, and he doesn’t sound angry, or accusatory, he just says it like he’s stating a fact.

“I’m different...how?” Alec asks, wary of where this conversation is heading.

“You seem...lighter, like some of the weight that has always been on your shoulders has been lessened somehow.”

Alec wants to tell Jace that he’s right, that he has someone to share the weight with, and how wonderful it feels, but he can’t. He reminds himself of the position that that would put Jace in, so all he says is, “Oh, well nothing's changed.”

“That’s bullshit Alec, you know it, and I know it. You remember that we are parabatai, right?”

“Of course, I remember!” Alec snaps, his body tensing.

“Then you’ll remember that I can tell when a soulmate bond has been established.”

Alec feels the blood in his face drain, and he remains rigid.

“I know you’ve established yours, that you guys have met and that you’re...you’re ‘nurturing’ the bond or whatever. I know it’s why you’ve been happier lately. I just...why haven’t you told me about your soulmate? All these years that I thought your soulmate had died because of how you refused to talk about it, why, Alec?”

Alec doesn’t say anything, he’s too shocked to formulate words, how could he forget? How could he not remember that piece of information? A parabatai bond was akin to a soulmate bond, it wasn’t the same, there was a different type of depth with a soulmate bond, it was why soulmates couldn’t become parabatai, the parabatai rune would be rejected if the pair was meant to be soulmates. But parabatai could still feel the other through the bond, and it was well known that when a parabatai met and started a relationship with their soulmate that the other half of their parabatai bond could feel it. For God sakes, he’s been feeling Jace and Clary’s bond for weeks, but he’d been too distracted by Magnus to really think about it.

“Can you at least talk to me about it now?” Jace asked resignedly, and Alec’s guilt skyrocketed.

“I...I don’t...It’d put you in an impossible position, Jace. You have to believe me when I tell you it was to protect all of us, me, my soulmate, you and Izzy, Max, everyone.”

“But I didn’t ask you to, Alec. We’re parabatai, I want to help protect you, and if that means shouldering part of the risk, I am more than willing to do that.”

Alec sighed, he wanted to, oh, how he wanted to talk about Magnus, share that part of himself with his parabatai.

“Alec, come on, please.”

Whatever was holding him back before, shattered, and he blurted out, “It’s Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn.”

Jace stood shocked for a moment, “But he’s...a he, and a Downworlder…”

Alec hung his head, ashamed, not for Magnus, never for Magnus, but of himself.  God, he had been such an idiot, why did he tell Jace? It would only end in disaster. He stood, quickly, and started towards the door.

“Alec, wait! I didn’t mean that as a bad thing, I just wasn’t expecting it…” Jace grabbed his wrist and pull him straight into a hug. Alec felt the fear, and rejection fade as Jace grabbed Alec’s shoulders and pulled him in.

“We’re never going to be able to be together, for real, Jace,” Alec choked out, sudden, intense emotion coming over him, as he sinks into his parabatai embrace, “Mom…mom would never…”

“But you could be, Alec…the law—” Jace tries, but Alec shakes his head, and pulls away.

“That’s what Magnus keeps saying, but Jace, they’re empty words. Our parents will never allow it, they don’t give a shit about the soulmate bond, and the law may be on our side but…Magnus is a Downworlder, and a man, they aren’t going to be as firm as they would with any other family. The only reason the is there is to encourage strong Shadowhunters and have a better chance at having children. It’s never going to be okay for Magnus and I to be together in this world…”

Jace looks at him with sad eyes, and reaches up to clasp Alec’s shoulder, “You have to have faith, brother, there may be more than one outcome, and you just haven’t seen it yet, just hope, it’s all you can do.”

Alec nodded, but he wasn’t as hopeful as Jace seemed to be, he couldn’t afford to be. But he let Jace distract him by asking about Magnus. He knows that Magnus is going to call him tonight, and ask about the rollercoaster of emotions Alec had gone through, but for now he was content to laugh about his and Magnus’ first date with his parabatai, like a normal person talks to their best friend about the love of their life.

It’s on their sixth date that they talk about completing the bond. Once again, they were situated in Magnus’ loft, sitting on the couch.  Alec had his feet propped up on the coffee table, and Magnus was leaning on the opposite end, with his feet in Alec’s lap. They had been watching a romantic comedy, but their attention had long since drifted away from the TV.

“I know with our circumstances completing the bond might not...be a viable option, and you have to know, Alexander, I would never pressure you into something like that.” Magnus says, as he sits up, and moves closer, “But is it something you’ve thought about?”  

Alec takes a deep breath before he responds, “I have...thought about it, and I don’t see any other outcome. Magnus, I...you’re my soulmate, and I can’t walk away from you. Not willingly, anyway, and I think we have to take into consideration that we might not have that long. I mean, with parents and everything that is happening...they’re going to start cracking down on me if I don’t start to look for a…a wife, they think my soulmates dead, after all. All I’m saying is we might not have that long before it gets...really hard, or really impossible, and I’d rather spend that time with you, fully bonded, and kissing and experiencing the bond than...never having the chance.”

“Alexander,” Magnus’ breathes, his eyes were endlessly tender, “There is nothing I want more than to complete the bond with you.”

“Really?” Alec asked.

“Really.” Magnus said, placing a hand on Alec’s knee.

“Uh, when do you...want to?” Alec asks, uncertainly, but leaning closer to Magnus.

“Whenever you want, Alexander, but I do want to wine and dine you, at least a little bit, you deserve it,” Magnus said, gently.

Alec could feel his blush intensify, “I’m ready, I’ve been ready for awhile…”

“Well then, I’ll start planning the date!” Magnus said, and he winks, “I must admit Alexander, I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while.”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you too….and you deserve something special, too, not just me. So…Make it special for you as well.”

Magnus’ smile softens, and he leans forward to cup Alec’s face, three months of being touched so tenderly, and Alec still blinks a little in surprise, “Thank you, Alexander,” Magnus murmurs, and he presses a kiss Alec’s cheek, just shy of Alec’s mouth, and Alec’s heart jumps in surprise and anticipation.

~~~

When Magnus opens the door two nights later, it’s to Alec, dressed in nice black slacks and a grey shirt button up that clings perfectly to his body. In all his years Magnus can’t remember having his breath taken so completely, and yet here is Alexander Lightwood stealing his breath, and giving it back in spades. His eyes finally rest on the bouquet in Alec’s hands. It’s made with simple white flowers, with ivy and…Magnus fails to hold in a slight chuckle, mistletoe twined around the stems, holding them together.

“Alexander, I thought I told you to not bring me flowers, I know they give you the sniffles,” Magnus reprimands gently, pulling Alec into the apartment and kissing his cheek.

Alec shrugs, looking down, the loveliest blush staining his cheeks, “I like getting you flowers, and I’ve also told you, they only give me sniffles in large amounts, and this doesn’t classify as a large amount.” He holds them out to Magnus, and when Magnus takes them, swoops down to kiss his cheek. Magnus’ smile widens and he looks closely at the blossoms. There are two different types of white blossoms. One is an iris, but the other Magnus can’t place.

As if sensing his curiosity, Alec reaches out and fingers the one Magnus couldn’t place, “This one is an orange blossom, it means eternal love,” his hand move to the other flower, “And this one, as I’m sure you know is an iris, it represents a lot, but mostly...faith, and hope. Mistletoe…well that one is pretty well known. Ivy…means fidelity, and bonded love”

Magnus has to take a minute before he can respond, he reaches a hand up to Alec’s cheek, looking into his eyes, and losing his breath again. “Thank you, Alexander they’re lovely.”

Alec nodded, the blush on his cheeks intensifying, “What are we doing?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject and Magnus indulged him, moving to put the flowers in a vase.

“Well, if you don’t mind traveling, I know this lovely place in Indonesia that I think you’ll love…It’s on the island that I was born,” Magnus explained gently. He had already sent most of the supplies they would need there, but he had a backup plan just in case Alec didn’t want to go so far away.

“That sounds great…” Alec agreed, and as if sensing Magnus’ hesitance around the spot, added, “I want to know everything about you Magnus, there isn’t anything you could say that would put me off, or change the feelings that I have for you.”

Magnus inhaled, a little taken aback by Alec candor (a common occurance, Magnus has found), “Thank you, Alexander, that means…more than you know. Let me just set these flowers somewhere, and we’ll be off,” Magnus said, whirling to find a spot to put the flowers, a little shaken by his moment of vulnerability. His library seemed the best place, so Magnus wandered in there and placed them against the window. Murmuring an enchantment to freeze the flowers in time, he smiled, no, he wasn’t going to let these go for a long time, perhaps not ever…

He headed back out into the living room where Alec was standing, looking out the window, and the scene reminds him of their first date, Alec nervously giving him the flowers, and standing by the window. Magnus goes to him, and wraps his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder.

“We really must be going my dear,” he hummed quietly.

“Okay,” Alec said, turning in his arms and resting his forehead against Magnus’.

With a wave of his hand Magnus created the portal and gripped Alec tightly as he pulled him through. They arrived on an overhang of the side of a cliff, plenty spacious for two people, but nearly impossible to get to without magic. It had a lovely view of, not only the Indian Ocean, but of the sunset as well.

Alexander took a minute, swiveling on his feet to take in the whole view.

“This is…” he started, but trailed off.

Magnus smiled, “I know, it’s impossible to describe. Here, come sit, I made us a picnic,” he said, gesturing to the blanket and basket, candles surrounding it.

Alec sat next to him, still staring in awe at his surroundings. Magnus looked at him fondly, never in his life had he met someone like Alexander, and he doubted he would again.

“I made us some Malabar prawn curry with some rice, and a Riesling,” Magnus tells him as he begins to unpack the basket.

“Did you actually make it or did you just…you know,” Alec snapped his fingers.

“Alexander, I am offended by that implication, I’ll have you know that I made this, completely by hand,” Magnus said, clapping a dramatic hand to his chest, causing Alec to laugh. Magnus dropped his offended act and smiled.

His handed Alec a plate and a glass and they both dug in. The meal was delicious, and the sweet wine paired wonderfully with the spicy curry. They chatted about their days, nothing important, but soothing. Once they had finished their dinner, they ate dessert, a raspberry sorbet cheesecake, which Magnus had paired with a light champagne, and when they finished Alec was just loose enough to indicate he had had a drink or two. The stars were out and the moon hung over the ocean, casting a lovely glow over the water.

Before Magnus had met Alec, he would’ve said that the view from this cliff was one of the most beautiful views in the world. But, as he compared the two, Alec with his long legs, and broad shoulders, dark hair, and stars reflecting in his hazel eyes, Magnus couldn’t help but think he had been mistaken, Alec was the most beautiful sight in the world.

Magnus flicked his fingers and a soft melody began to play, Alec looked at him curiously as he stood. Magnus extended a hand, “May I have this dance?” he asked.

Alec smiled, and reached out to grasp Magnus hand, “I guess.”

“Wonderful,” Magnus beamed, pulling Alec up, and wrapping his arm around Alec’s shoulder, Alec wrapped an arm around his waist, and they began to move in a slow circle with the music. After a while Magnus rested his chin on Alec’s shoulder, and Alec leaned his head against Magnus’ head.

“I love you, you know?” Magnus breathed. He saw Alec swallow, and held on tighter, Alec’s gripped tightened as well.

“I love you, too, Magnus, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” Alec murmured, his voice thick.

Magnus looked up at him, “Are you ready, then, my love?” he asked, his hand moving to run through Alec’s hair.

Alec bit his lip, and nodded, “More than anything. Are you?”

Magnus took a breath, was he ready? Ready to complete the bond he had been looking forward to his entire life?

“Yes, Alexander, I am.”

They stopped dancing, though the music played on, and Alec reached out to take Magnus’ other hand in his. They stood facing each other, their hands clutching at the others, like this half of Alec’s face was lit by the moon, and Magnus took another second to admire his soulmate, before he tipped his head and met Alec’s lips with his own.

The moment their lips met the connection they had been nurturing since the beginning flared white hot. It was similar to when Magnus had first gotten the rune, but this pain was more concentrated, more focused. Magnus could feel the bond being completed, there were a million invisible strings that suddenly connected his rune to Alec’s and he could feel all the ones that hadn’t been connected attach to Alec’s. He gasped against Alec’s mouth as Alec’s emotions rushed over him, he could feel everything, every nuance of his emotions. The connection was no longer muffled, and it was like coming up from underwater.

The pain lasted for less than half a second, but when it was over the ground he was standing on was suddenly firmer, more real. Pulling back from Alec he opened his eyes. It was like he had always needed glasses, but never knew and suddenly he was wearing a pair and everything was more focused, more clear. The sounds of the waves were intensified, he could hear Alec’s uneven breaths and the sound of him shuffling his feet.

Magnus reached through the bond, it was as easy as breathing to feel what Alec was feeling, the wonder and happiness was radiating off of him, the desire.

“Alexander…” he whispered, but words failed him and he stared at Alec in awe.

“Kiss me, again,” Alec breathed, his head already moving towards Magnus, perhaps feeling the eagerness wash over the bond.

This time when their lips met Magnus could feel the softness of Alec’s lips, could taste the leftover champagne and raspberry on his tongue, could hear his gasp, then sigh of pleasure.

It was everything he had ever wanted, Alec let go of his hands to cradle his face between two large palms. Though rough with callouses, the hands that held his face were exceedingly gentle, almost reverent, and Magnus wanted to cry at the thought. No one had ever touched him the way that Alec was touching him. Oh, he had had gentle lovers in the past, but nothing compared to this. Magnus grasped at Alec’s waist, clutching him closer, and he opened his mouth wider. Alec opened his mouth in response and Magnus teased Alec’s tongue out.

The rest of the night passed with them trading lazy kisses, eventually they sprawled out on the blanket, leaning against the smooth rock face, Magnus straddling Alec, a hand on his jaw, and the other on his chest, while Alec’s hands roamed his back.

The night couldn’t have gone better.

~~~

For the next month, everything goes perfectly. Jace is ecstatic for Alec when he comes back, and he interrogates him on what being bonded means (he and Clary were still dancing around their bond) and Alec told him, biting his lip at the memory.

Isabelle had confronted him about two days after he completed the bond, and refused to let Alec go until he told her what was going on. He had, and Isabelle had been more than happy for him. He was now out and in the open with the people he cared most about, barring Max, it was one step closer to being open with everyone, but as much as Alec enjoyed being in the open with Isabelle and Jace, he still wasn’t ready for the Clave to know. Yes, they would be forced to accept it, after all they had outlawed stripping the soulmate rune a century ago, but that didn’t mean they would be happy about it. Not to mention his parents, Alec could only imagince what their reaction would be, and none of the scenarios he’d come up with were good. Alec just wanted to stay in the happy bubble he and Magnus were in.

Alec had started spending more and more nights at Magnus’. With his parents impending arrival from Idris he knew that the nights he could stay with Magnus were numbered, and he wanted to make the most of it.

On Wednesday night, just two days before his parent’s arrival Jace, Alec and Isabelle head out on a mission, supposedly a Ravoner demon was wreaking havoc in Central Park, and they had to take care of it. What was supposed to be one Ravoner was actually twelve, and it took the better part of the night to finally get rid of them.

When Alec put an arrow through the last one he sighed, and stretched. Pulling out his stele he activated his iratze, healing the minor scrapes and bruises he had acquired. Checking over Isabelle and Jace he grabbed his phone and checked his messages.

Magnus had said he was going to be with a slightly…unsavory client for most of the night, and would text Alec when he was gone, if he wanted to come over after the hunt. No such message was in his inbox, so Alec sighed, and started heading back to the Institute. He had hoped that he and Magnus would be able to spend some time together before his parents came back, but apparently, he wasn’t going to get lucky.

Back at the Institute he fills out the mission report, takes a shower and goes to bed. He reaches out for Magnus before falling asleep, but Magnus is understandably distracted, so he pulls back and falls asleep.

Alec is changing his shirt after sparing with Jace the next day, when his door bangs open, and he whirls around to see who it is. He realizes a second too late that he doesn’t have a shirt on, and the glamour rune that he puts on himself still needs to be reapplied after the hunt last night, he’s gotten so used to not having to worry about anyone seeing it that he’s gotten complacent.

He sees his mother standing in the doorway, her eyes are staring at his left hip. He sees the levels of realization she goes through that his soul-rune is activated, that the name translates to Magnus Bane, who is a man, and worse—at least in her eyes—a downworlder.

“Mom…I thought you weren’t getting back until tomorrow…” he stutters.

“What….what is that?” She asks, ignoring his question, with obvious disgust coloring her voice, and Alec flinches.

“It’s my soul-rune,” he says, pushing his shoulders out in a defensive posture.

“It’s a boy, and a downworlder,” she responds, her eyes glued to the rune, and Alec grabs a shirt, and pulls a shirt over his head, effectively blocking the rune.

“Yes, he is, and he is also my soulmate.”

“But you completed the bond, with a warlock,” her lip is curled, “You...broke Clave law….”

“Technically there is anything in Clave law about being gay, and completing to bond is encouraged,” he says, he doesn’t know what is about to happen, but he reaches out over the bond, trying to rouse Magnus, who had said he was going to take a nap. He felt the tendrils of consciousness, but he felt Magnus start to drift back to sleep. He sent a sharper jolt, he needed Magnus awake, just in case. He felt Magnus wake up, and felt the confusion, quickly he sent the preliminary panic down, a warning, trying to tell Magnus that something was wrong and he needed to protect himself.

“Come with me, Alec, I know someone, someone who can help, we need to fix this, fix you,” his mother said, moving swiftly towards him. Hurt radiated over Alec, fix him, like there was something wrong with loving Magnus. There wasn’t, he was sure of it, maybe he was disgusting, but Magnus was perfect, and amazing and Alec’s soulmate, there was nothing wrong with him.

“There isn’t anything to fix, I am the same person I’ve always been. You didn’t feel the need to fix me yesterday, and I was still with Magnus,” he says, trying to move away from her, but it’s no use, he’s backed into the corner soon enough.

Maryse snatched his upper arm and started to drag him out of his room, “Mom, stop! What are you doing?” He asks, starting to panic a little more, she wasn’t actually going to turn him over to some shady person who would forcibly remove his soul-rune. Not her own son? He starts to struggle for real, sending wave after wave of panic to Magnus.

 “The Lightwood family can’t afford another disgrace, I’ll take care of this, and no one will be any the wiser that you’ve bonded with a warlock, and a man,” she says continuing to try and pull Alec away. Alec does everything he can, he digs his feet in, sends SOS signals through both his parabatai bond and his soulmate bond.

But his mother isn’t having it, and she grabs the back of his neck and presses down sharply on the pressure point on his neck. Crippling pain grips him, and his knees buckle. Maryse keeps pressure on it, and his eyes roll back, and Alec goes unconscious, the last thing he remembers is sending a sharp feeling of absolute fear and panic across the soulmate bond.

When Alec wakes up he’s cold. As he starts to remember what happened before he passed out he reached out desperately through the bond. But he can’t get anywhere, his connection to Magnus has been blocked. He tries to move his arms to lift his shirt and see his soul-rune—because only a rune directly on the soul-rune can block it so effectively—but he finds his arms strapped tightly to the side of the bed. Panic starts to build in him, he knows he reached out to Magnus the last few minutes, knows that Magnus must have felt his panic but he doesn’t know if Magnus thought that was part of a hunt or what.

He looks around trying to gauge where he is, so he at least has some information when the connection reawakens, a soul-connection is a powerful thing, and unless the blocking rune that he’s guessing is over his soul-rune is reapplied, then it’s effects will wear off.

Alec figures he’s still in the Institute, the architecture is similar, as is the type of stone, since it’s so cold it must be in the basement. His relief is short lived as a man wearing a hooded cap walks into the room, followed by his mother.

“Mom, you can’t do this, this is against the law,” Alec starts, his voice cracking, his mother shows no sign of cracking, and Alec can feel tears of desperation start to build, “Mom, please, you know what this will do to me, you can’t…”

“This is a disgrace to the Lightwood name, a disgrace which we cannot afford, no one will find out about this. As far as other people are concerned, you sustain a horrible brain injury during a hunt.” Is all she says as she moves forward and cuts off his shirt.

The man in the hood steps forward and Alec starts to struggle against the bonds, however useless it may be.

His mother looks at the man in the hood, “Are you ready? We don’t have all day.”

“I’m ready, are you sure you don’t have anything else to hold him down with? Those bonds might not hold,” another voice sounds.

“I’m sure, just get with it, Warlock,” Maryse snaps, even as Alec jerks against the bonds.

 “Stop, please, don’t do this!”

~~~

Magnus is woken from a nap by waves of absolute panic and terror. He jolts upright, and it takes a second for him to get his bearings. His in is loft, it’s late afternoon, he’d had a client that was exhausting, so he’d taken a nap, and told Alec….Alec! Quickly refocusing he tried to gain as much information as possible from the surge of emotions flowing through. But Alec was in high panic mode, and Magnus couldn’t tell what was happening, and then, suddenly, there was a flash of pain, and the emotions…stopped.

Magnus reached for his phone, and franticly dialed Alec’s number. The phone rang, before it went to voicemail. Magnus tried again, but it too went to voicemail. He tried reaching through the bond again, but he was…blocked. He couldn’t feel Alec anymore.

Magnus stood and magicked on some clothes before he called Jace.

“Magnus, do you know what happened?” Jace asked before Magnus could get a word out.

“No, I was calling to see if you had any idea.”

“We had just finished sparing, Alec had gone to change his shirt, he was supposed to meet us for dinner. The next thing I know he’s panicking.”

“Have you checked his room?” Magnus asked, drawing up a portal to Alec’s room.

“I’m on my way now,” Jace said.

“I’ll meet you there, grab Isabelle if you can, I have a bad feeling about this,” Magnus told him, before he hung up and stepped through the portal.

Alec’s room was neat, with a few nick knacks scattered around, a photo of Jace, Isabelle and Max on his bedside table, along with a book and a plant, a hamper with laundry in it, and rumpled bedsheets. Magnus smiled fondly, before he started to look critically around the room, it didn’t seem like anything was out of place…

It was only a second before Jace and Isabelle came through the door.

“Have you tried tracking him?” Jace asked.

Magnus shook his head, “I can try, but I doubt it will work, someone was smart enough to put a blocking rune on the soulmate connection, they will have probably drawn an anti-tracking rune as well.” Nevertheless, he grabbed a shirt out of Alec’s hamper casting the spell he focused in. As he suspected it was a dead end.

“Well, we know that it was a Shadowhunter, like you said. If they were able to draw a blocking rune and an anti-tracking rune….” Jace said.

“Could it be Valentine?” Clary asked.

Isabelle shook her head, “I doubt it, the wards would’ve alerted us if Valentine was here.”

“I put in special tripwires in the wards when I drew them up, Valentine, and anyone with a Circle rune not registered with the Clave can’t come within twenty feet of the Institute without an alarm,” Magnus pointed out.

“Why can’t we do that with the whole city?” Clary mumbled.

“Because casting that kind of specific ward over a whole city would be impossible, that’s too large of a radius for it to do any good, the magic would be stretched too thin.” Magnus explained.

“So, we know it was a Shadowhunter not affiliated with the Circle. Who would take Alec?” Isabelle wondered, before turning to Magnus, “Can you see what happened in this room before? Is there some kind of spell that would let you do that?”

Magnus nods, “Yes, there is. I haven’t done it in quite some time, but I should be able to make it work.”

Magnus shut his eyes and started to speak, the incantation didn’t flow as naturally as it normally did for Magnus, but that didn’t matter. Opening his eyes, he saw the room was incased in sparkling blue energy, and Magnus twisted his fingers and, from a bird’s eye view, watched as everything moved backwards, until suddenly Alec was in the room with Maryse Lightwood, Magnus let it rewind until Alec was walking in. Magnus watched as Alec pulled his shirt off, the soul-rune prominent on his hip, and was reaching for another shirt when Maryse walked in her eyes honing in to the rune on his hip.

His stomach queasy he watched Maryse attack him, and draw a quick glamour over them, along with two other runes, before dragging Alec out of the room.

Magnus broke the spell, and looked at Isabelle and Jace, “It was Maryse,” he said, before he was moving towards the door, “She came in and saw the soul-rune on Alec’s hip, I can only assume she was angry and she attacked him. She must be planning to remove it…” he explained, before he started mumbling a spell under his breath, when he finished the floor started to glow, and after a moment footsteps began to take shape, Maryse’s were bright red, and Magnus began to follow.

“But that’s illegal, ever since…ever since we figured out what it does to Shadowhunters…not to mention the population,” Isabelle said, as she, Jace and Clary began to follow Magnus.

 “Why?” Clary asked, “From everything I know of Shadowhunters they pride themselves on having complete control over their emotions, doesn’t having a soul-bound contradict that?”

“It was legal for a time, to prevent marrying Downworlders, bit is was still discouraged because of the effects. We don’t know why, but if you strip a Shadowhunter of their soul-rune, they go mad. It’s been completely illegal since the Uprising, with so few Shadowhunters left, the Clave couldn’t have a bunch go crazy. So, they outlawed it,” Jace told her, as they followed the glowing red footsteps down the hall.

“But, I still don’t understand, mundanes have their runes removed, and they mourn the loss, but—”

Isabelle cut her off, “Look, we aren’t sure exactly, its been theorized that it has something to do with our angel blood, that we have a stronger connection to our soulmate, and therefor the effects of destroying the bond are worse for us, but we aren’t sure. What we do know, is that when Shadowhunters cut the bond, they go insane. They’re completely useless, almost ninety percent of soul-rune severance end in suicide for Shadowhunters.”

“It doesn’t matter right not,” Magnus snapped as the reached a door. Grasping the door Magnus wrenched it open, revealing steps leading down, “Where does this lead?” he asks Jace, as the hurried down the stairs.

“They lead to the dungeon, where we keep prisoners and stuff before transport,” he explained, “No one should be down here.”

“That probably explains why Maryse took him down here, if she knew that it was secluded, and private. If removing the soul-rune is illegal than she wouldn’t want anyone to find out.”

It takes only a few minutes for them to find the room. Magnus presses an ear to the door, trying to discern what they’re dealing with. Magnus can just make out two voices.

“Are you ready? We don’t have all day.” That definitely sounded like Maryse.

“I’m ready, are you sure you don’t have anything else to hold him down with? Those bonds might not hold,” another voice sounds.

“I’m sure, just get with it, Warlock,” Maryse snaps.

 “Stop, please, don’t do this!” Magnus jolted, that was Alec, no doubt about it. Without wasting any more time Magnus motioned for Izzy and Jace to step back, as he blasted the door open and pushed magic into the room freezing both of them in their tracks. Once the dust settles, Magnus moves aside and lets Jace, Isabelle and Clary handle the warlock and Maryse, he focuses on Alexander.

Alec is strapped to the bed; he’s looking wide-eyed at the door, and Magnus can see a blocking rune directly over their soul-rune.  Moving forward Magnus banishes the bounds and grabs Alec’s hand.

“Are you alright?” he asked urgently, reaching out with his magic.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just the blocking rune, I think,” he rasps, starting to sit up.

Magnus helps him sit up as he turns towards Jace, “Jace, I need you to come sever the blocking rune, it’s not good for either of us to have the bond blocked,” Magnus explained still clutching Alec’s hand, moving aside Jace severed the blocking rune, and Magnus almost doubled over from the sudden rush of feeling that came through the bond.

“Are you alright, Magnus?” Isabelle asked, securing the handcuffs on Maryse. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. What are we going to do with these two?” He asked, conjuring up a glass of water and handing it to Alec.

“I say arrest them both, both know that stripping the soul-rune is against the law, let them rot in the City of Bones,” Jace snapped, glaring at Maryse.

“You can’t do that!” she hissed, jerking against the handcuffs, “You wouldn’t.”

“Why not? You knew full well what you were doing, give me one good reason—” Jace started, advancing on Maryse.

“She’s right, Jace,” Alec spoke, “We aren’t going to turn her in, as for the warlock…well, that’s your jurisdiction, Magnus,” Alec said, looking at Magnus.

“Right you are, darling, and I promise he will be dealt with,” Magnus reassured Alec, touching his cheek, “Would you like to come to the loft, Alexander?”

Alec nodded, and leaned his head against Magnus’ hand, Magnus could feel the relief rolling through the bond, and he did his best to sooth Alec, dropping his head down to press a kiss to his hair.

“What do you mean, Alec? You want to just let her go? After everything she’s done?” Isabelle asks, shock in her voice.

Alec starts to stand, and Magnus is there in an instant, arm around his waist, supporting his weight, “She’s our mother, Isabelle, and she made a mistake,” he pauses, and turns to level his mother with a truly impressive glare, “One she will not make again for fear of being reported to the Clave and stripped of her runes, because if she tries it again, she won’t just be thrown into the City of Bones, she will be stripped of her runes and banished.”

Maryse’ face pales as Isabelle yanks her out of the room, followed by Clary, Magnus draws up a portal.

“I’ll be by tomorrow morning,” Jace says, “After everything is cleared up.”

Magnus nods his ascent, and helps Alec towards the portal.

“What about me?” the warlock asks, he’s been quiet the entire time they’d been talking.

Magnus turned to him and waved a hand, creating a second portal, and then started chanting, the other warlock’s eyes grew wide in recognition, with a final word Magnus pushed a hand forward and the warlock tripped backward and through the portal. 

“What did you do to him?” Alec asked as they move towards the original portal.

“I bound his magic for a month, and sent him to the Sinharaja Forest. It’s one of the largest forests in the world. He’ll wander for a month, but then once his magic returns he’ll be fine, and be able to portal out.”

“Oh. Okay,” was all Alec said, and Magnus tightens his arm around Alec’s waist and they walked through the portal into Magnus’ loft. Once they hit the hardwood floors of Magnus’ living room, Alec collapsed onto the couch.

“I’m going to check you over, darling, okay?” Magnus told him, he had done a quick scan earlier, but he wanted to do a more in depth screening.

“Magnus…I’m fine, just a little tired, nothing really happened before you got there,” Alec reassured him, tipping his head back against the couch and closing his eyes.

“Just…indulge me, Alexander,” Magnus said, settling down next to Alec on the couch and gathering his magic once again.

“Okay, fine,” Alec sighed, and rolled his head around so he could look at Magnus. He reached out a hand, Magnus dropped one of his hands to grasp it again, “I love you.”

Magnus felt some of the tightness in his chest ease at those three words, “I love you, too, darling.” He hovered a hand over Alec’s head and slowly let his magic ripple over Alec’s body, searching for anything wrong. When nothing besides some bruising from the restraints, showed up, Magnus breathed a sigh of relief.

Alec wrapped an arm around Magnus’ shoulders and pulled him more firmly into his chest, “See? I told you, nothing wrong that a healing rune or two can’t fix. Speaking of, did you happen to see my stele lying around? It’s not in my pocket.”

Magnus shook his head, “No, I didn’t.”

“Okay, I’ll text Jace and ask him to bring me a new one then. But, other than that, I think I’m ready for bed, todays been exhausting, and Jace is a morning person, he’ll be here way too early.”

Magnus chuckles, “Yeah, you could say that, come on, let’s get you to bed.” Magnus and Alec head into the bedroom, and start getting ready, once both had changed and brushed their teeth they laid down on the bed facing each other. Magnus reached out a hand and touched Alec’s cheek. “Can I ask you something?”

Alec nodded, his hand coming up to grip Magnus’ wrist.

“Why did you let your mother off?”

Alec froze for a millisecond before he replied, “Because…I…it’s selfish, really, but I didn’t want to—to create this whole thing. If I had brought it to the Clave, then not only would I have had to testify and go through all of that, so would you, and then everyone would…would know about us, and I don’t want them to know because of a trial, I want them to know because I chose to let them know.”

“Are you saying you want to come out, Alexander?” Magnus asked, his heart beginning to race.

Alec shrugged, “I mean, the only reason I wanted to hide was because of my parents and how they would react, but the cats out of the bag on that one.”

“So, what do you want to do, Alexander? Portal to Idris and make out in the courtyard?” Magnus teased.

Alec laughed softly, “I mean we could, but I just thought…it shouldn’t be a big deal, everyone just assumes, and I don’t feel the need to blatantly correct them, you know?”

“I do, so do you just want to stop actively hiding it?” Magnus suggested.

“Yeah, I think…that’d be great,” Alec agreed, and he leaned forward to kiss Magnus, their bond humming happily, when Alec pulled back he rested his head on the pillow and smiled at Magnus.

It was a start.