I am a prompt person.

flames of triump

Alec really doesn’t know why he has to wait here, for Magnus.

He could be anywhere else and yet he’s here.

Waiting in some obscure and well-warded fae valley for Magnus to finish his meeting.  His mate is currently dining with both the unseelie king and the seelie queen.  There’s a problem between the two factions that’s big enough it requires the presence of both a phoenix and his mate.

Even if Alec isn’t actually needed or wanted at the meeting itself. Which is a relief because Alec doesn’t think the meeting would have lasted nearly as long as it has if he’d attended.

Another distraction breaks him from his thoughts. Another faerie arrives, the eleventh to show up and try to join him since Magnus left. She starts by waiting a little while away as she calls out to him.  Her form is half-hidden in the trees as she tries to coax him with a basket of apples, her hand even daring to hold one out in offering.

Apples.

As if Alec is some common horse or mule.

He snorts angrily, tossing his head back and pawing at the ground, breaking it under his hooves in fury.  When he’s done, the fae is gone; her frightened scent vanishes with her and only a fallen basket with a trail of apples remains.

Alec approaches it with fierce, quick steps but only so that he can crush each individual fruit beneath his hoofs before making quick work of the basket with his horn.

The smell of the fruit is fresh and sweet,  tantalizing considering how long he’s been waiting here and food — fae or not — holds no power over Alec in this form. However that doesn’t mean he’s a simple beast or so easily coaxed.  If anything it infuriates him, stoking the murderous rage in his belly that never quite settles unless Magnus is there with him.

The others that approach him as the hours pass are like minded. 

Some offer him lumps of candied honey, fresh vegetation or rare fruits and some offer the choice bits of meat or organs for those who remember that a unicorn is not a beast of pasture.

Each is offered from a distance whether from respect or fear Alec isn’t sure.

Yet each gift is a trap.

They want to touch him.

Touching a unicorn is thought to give luck and strength and being blessed by one is a coveted boon. The hair of his mane and tail are worth as much as Magnus’ feathers and tears and just as rare and Alec knows exactly how much he’s worth and so does Magnus.

Everyone that passes the ward Magnus put up isn’t a danger, or in danger.  

Because Alec has enough self-control that he won’t kill someone out of irritation, no matter how much he wants to.

—-

Magnus’ feet hasten, his steps lengthening without thought as if his very legs are yearning to make up for his lack of wings in this form.

Alexander is waiting for him. 

Proud head tilted up towards the sun and the breeze playfully tugging his mane into a dance with the wind.  He’s ethereal and gorgeous, glowing like obsidian under the sky and pure power to look at. At the sight of him Alexander rears in greeting, hoofs striking air in silent applause and the silver tip of his horn gleaming gold as it catches the sun.

Magnus feels the weight of his mate’s gaze and sighs, letting himself finally calm down.  The gold and red feathers that twine with his dark hair flutter as the same wind playing with Alexander teases Magnus’ face, the scent of him carried in a kiss of air.

As beautiful as the sight of his Alexander is, the evidence of unwanted guests and gawkers is littered across the valley.  There’s ruined gems and food and even clothes scattered across the once pristine land, though thankfully for the fae, no blood.

A pity for Magnus, however. 

A single drop of blood sterilized by a phoenix tear and he could have used fyre flight to find and incinerate the interlopers rather than let them go free.

“If only we’d known the Trueblood line carried unicorn souls.” Arawn murmurs from where he’s deigned to act as Magnus’ escort.  The unseelkie king’s gaze is unsettling and greedy as he looks at Alexander. “He could have been ours, then.”

Magnus knows exactly what Arawn means, considering the young blonde woman who had been the scribe during the meeting.  She’d had pointed ears and fangs yet also dark, stark and nephil runes on her skin.

Fae folk mixing with nephilim isn’t unheard of and Magnus isn’t surprised that Arawn specifically keeps track of nephil bloodlines to see which one he wants his people to seduce.  However that doesn’t mean Magnus will allow another to covet his mate, even if there’s nothing lustful about Arawn’s covetous gaze.

“And yet, he’s mine.” 

Arawn’s unnaturally green eyes meet Magnus’ gold and Magnus lets a hint of power bleed into his voice when he speaks.

“Even if he had been yours in another life. Or another time, in the end he’d still be mine.”

Arawn tilts his head, the smile on his maw decidedly unfriendly but not yet dangerous.  There is respect in his gaze and amusement as well.

“I have many sons—” and Magnus bristles even though he knows Arawn wouldn’t actually dare offer them to him or Alexander. “And your mate has a sister, does he not?”

The verbal assurance that Arawn recognizes Magnus’ claim on Alexander calms him enough that he nods.  Isabelle Lightwood does carry the blood and she mingles with fae so it’s not truly far fetched.  He summons a card, not with Isabelle’s name but the name of her most recent paramour. That is the best he’ll give Arawn, the fae king will have to do his own work from here.

Arawn understands and smirks, shallowly nodding his head in the closest to a bow the unseelie will ever lower himself to.

“I’ll leave you to your mate,” Arawn pauses and the card disappears from betwixt his fingers, “and I’ll remember a favor owed.”

He stays quiet then and Magnus is glad of it.  

Alexander wouldn’t ever be receptive to Arawn’s plot.

Yet Magnus knows that if he were any less powerful than he is, Arawn would happily use one of his sons to try and steal Magnus’ mate

Magnus summons an apple, golden and glowing and perhaps to the rest of the world, it will look normal.  Golden apples exist in the shadowworld aplenty, both in myth and reality.

Alexander neighs angrily, hoof stamping down so hard he cracks a boulder but then he’s trotting over, mane and head shaking as he passes the unseelie king.  Fingers reach out, hovering over Alexander’s coat for a moment before it’s swiftly pulled back, the tips nearly bitten off from Alexander’s lunge.  

The white of Alexander’s eyes are wide and wild as he bugles, teeth clacking together with unfettered viciousness and he doesn’t need the canines of a predator to be dangerous.  His back legs kick out and Arawn retreat without a word.

Alexander could take off an arm at the elbow without even trying with his teeth, dull though they may seem.

Magnus tsks, clicking his tongue several times in a mocking noise that has Alexander’s attention back on him instantly. 

His sweet boy isn’t actually angry, but he’s going to act like he is as he lunges forward.  His muzzle knocks against Magnus’ shoulder with enough force to rock him, but not drop him and his deadly horn passes harmlessly past Magnus’ jaw.  Alexander’s forelock brushes against his cheek then Magnus steps back, offering the apple with a smirk.

There’s a moment where Magnus just knows that Alexander is considering whether or not goring Magnus’ hand will actually hurt him considering his instant regeneration.  Magnus can also see the moment where he decides — as always — that even the possibility of causing a whisper of pain to Magnus outweighs any vindictive pleasure gained.

Especially when they both know his boy will eat the apple either way.

With a knicker of defeat Alexander lowers his head, whuffling at Magnus palm and then the apple with a snort of disdain.

Alexander eats it despite the irritation he’s radiating.

Whiskers brush Magnus’ palm and Alexander’s eyes glitter with malice even as he chews and swallows every bite of the juicy fruit.  It doesn’t matter that Magnus is teasing him and his boy could just refuse. Alexander’s too territorial to even pretend not to take something Magnus offers, especially when it’s formed from Magnus’ magic rather than by nature’s touch. He's also too proud of their relationship and of Magnus himself to refuse anything Magnus offers him.

Alexander would consider it an insult to Magnus which in his lovely boy's mind, is somehow worse than an insult to Alexander himself.

The only reason he's dragging his hooves or fussing at all is simply the principle of the matter... and the fact that Magnus made it look like an apple.

-

AN:

Arawn is aromantic though he’s hyper-sexual. He’s genuinely just a collector of unique things/people/powers etc and also why he has so many kids though he really does love his kids and family, in a bit of an admittedly obsessive way. He never keeps a paramour and doesn’t have a position for one.. I know i have two fics where he’s alec’s tad  (father) but he is not interested in adopting or suddenly fond of alec in this fic. He just collects unique things and is regretting he didn’t seduce maryse lightwood to get unicorn fae babies or send someone else to seduce her to get unicorn fae subjects. He seriously won’t really think of Alec again other than in context to Magnus. His goal is trying to get one of sons to seduce izzy. Arawn fully believes at least one of his sons can figure out a longterm relationship with isabelle lightwood and give him the possibility of unicorn grandchildren. He’s normally even more extra and intense but he’s appropriately wary of magnus who is powerful and also a phoenix. This is him being tame.

Also Helen is implied/mentioned by appearance and while she isn’t one of Arawn’s kids, she is like... distantly related. In this, Helen’s seelie mother fled to the unseelie court using the blood ties her relative who is Arawn’s like... who knows removed cousin as a voucher because she knew the king liked unique beings (he’s arrogant enough he doesn’t need to use them if its objectionable. he just likes that they’re his subjects) so her kids would be safer under Arawn than under the seelie queen who would manipulate them far more).

Please remember this is my fanon verse building and even here Arawn is not a nice or good person, i write him favorably because there’s also a god named that and because i hate the seelie queen. Very much. Dislike. Dont like. Will rip apart 10/10 would write again.

Alec is instinctually very violent and so is Magnus. They sometimes in their own heads when annoyed/overly happy/excited/upset/mad/jealous/tired/just large emotions envision setting each other on fire or goring each other before going like ‘okay but that might actually hurt them and they’re not allowed to get hurt. ever. so i guess i’ll settle for making it very clear that i’m upset and i’m going to continue to be upset’. 

So they work really well together despite the fact that they’re brat tamer/brat.

Yes. magnus uses the noises people use to signal with horses to get their attention and soothe them. Because he likes riling alec up and he likes it when Alec brats back.

Also i’m going to be real. Alec should be grateful magnus didn’t make it look like a carrot. Because that would have made alec even more indignant and he would have considered it more insulting and magnus would have done it gleefully (kink dynamics. You dont need sex to have dynamics or scenes going on especially since i write magnus and alec pretty much in a 24/7 dom/sub dynamic. No it’s not explicitly talked out, this is primal instincts and fanfic and i’m already doing research binges for billiard innuendos and how to write mermaid sex. I’m not adding researching how to write a fantasy 24/7 kink contract when it’s all based on instinct. The thought makes me want to cry.

Also this isn’t humiliation because Alec’s not humiliated, he’s outraged but he’s also like territorial so like magnus isn’t forcing him to eat the apple. Despite how huffy he is, alec would snap at Magnus’ fingers if he tried to take the apple away. Just because he’s annoyed by the fact that Magnus likes to make horse jokes doesn’t mean a small part of him doesn’t see the humor. Alec is in fact annoyed by the fact that he finds it funny because he knows he only finds it funny because Magnus finds it funny.

it’s the principle of the matter.

Alec’s literally just angry on principle and that’s part of why magnus finds it so funny.

Alec wouldn’t normally be so sensitive about people giving him apples btw except Magnus keeps giving him magical apples and so it’s become a ‘them’ thing and so not only is it insulting but its encroaching because HOW DARE YOU. ONLY MY MATE IS ALLOWED TO GIVE ME APPLES. Because instead of thinking, ‘no one is allowed to give me apples’ alec’s brain makes allowances for Magnus on instinct alone.

...about the emotional aspect of the jokes, its characterized because saeth has jokes that i’m annoyed by (not ones that actually upset me, saeth is very careful to try and not make jokes that might upset me or repeat them if one is made by accident). And part of the reason i get so annoyed is because its something i find funny, but its always something i wouldn’t find funny if saeth didn’t find it so funny or present it in such an obnoxiously on point manner. and i can’t get actually mad because its not harmful and it doesn’t actually upset me but the fact that i see where the joke is and i get the joke is infuriating. 

Often times its sort of like the ‘i’m in this picture and i don’t like it’ kind of unwillingly amused feeling too.