all the best ones drool
This is inspired by @aria-lerendeair and her awesome fic. I hope you like it!!!!
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It's cold when Magnus wakes up. The weak morning sun is just beginning to rise, and the Chairman is curled up next to him.
Magnus stretches his arms above his head, and cracks his back before checking his phone.
There's a message from Alec, sometime after midnight, which simply says: going to stay at the institute, don't wait up
It's a simple enough message, short and crisp, which is exactly what makes it so uncharacteristic.there are no i love yous, no emojis, infact, the message may as well be written by someone else.Its easy to imagine that Alec was preoccupied with a mission, or perhaps some excruciating paperwork, but a part of Magnus knows that that's not the case. And Alec still hasn't returned, which further deepen Magnus’s suspicions. Maybe he should call, or text, or should he wait for Alec to return, whenever he does and then ask him?
Magnus settles for making breakfast, and then some light reading to distract himself. The chairman struts out of the room, meowing for treats and pets and Magnus obliges as Percy, Annabeth and Grover lounge in Lotus Hotel and Casino, and the sun rises overhead.
By the time Alec comes home, Magnus's head is swimming with Greek lore and Luke's betrayal. Sometime around Sally's death, Magnus had slid off the couch and onto the soft, carpeted floor, which means that Alec hasn't seen him just yet, He's leaning against the door, facing away from Magnus, his forehead pressed against the door. Ichor and blood are splattered against his jacket, and Magnus has half a mind to wrinkle his nose and tell Alec to burn that jacket, so that some of the tightness in Alec's shoulders eases.
When he turns around, it takes him a grand total of five steps to notice that Magnus is sprawled on the carpet, book in lap, and the Chairman snoring on the couch above his head.
"Magnus," He exhales. Magnus doesn't wait much after that, he drops the book, page unmarked and stands up so quickly his head spins, because Alec looks like he's going to collapse.
If Magnus ends up half sprinting to him, then he's really not embarrassed. It looks like Alec is trying to smile, but he looks so tired that the smile looks more like a grimace.
As soon as Magnus is close enough, he throws his arms around Alec, rubs his hands up and down Alec's back, and shivers when Alec presses his cold palms against his back, and then there is the sticky wetness of tears against his shirt and Alec's trembling, Magnus can hear his rattling breath and sniffles and can only rub his back softly while murmuring nonsense in his hair.
It doesn't take long for Alec to stop crying, and Magnus sways him gently towards the couch, till they can fall onto it. The Chairman (bless him) crawls into Alec's lap. His eyes are red, and stray tears fall across his cheeks and Magnus wipes them away softly, while Alec pets the chairman and boops his nose.
Magnus pulls the table closer to the couch, and Alec slouches till his legs end up on the table and his head on Magnus's chest.
"Can we watch some T.V.?" Alec asks, he sounds cautious, like he's sure Magnus is going to say no, and badger him about whatever's making him upset. And Magnus is going to do that, just not now, later when Alec doesn't look like he's going to collapse if he says more than five words a sentence.
So Magnus switches on the T.V. and they watch Casablanca, as Alec slouches further into the couch, and then begins to snore. Soon there's drool on Magnus's shirt, and Alec's arm is thrown around his waist, holding him in place. The Chairman goes to sleep next, he'd been trying his best not to sleep but Magnus has pulled all the blinds down, and has put a thick, blue comforter on Alec's sleeping form and by extension on the Chairman, and when Magnus has made sure that the comforter is covering Alec's toes too, the Chairman stares at him, blinking slowly and when Magnus has blinked back slowly, he purrs and goes to sleep.
Magnus cards his fingers through Alec's hair, and wakes him when the end credits are rolling. chairman yowls when Alec wakes him up with a smile so warm that Magnus has to looks away. Alec yawns and presses his cold nose against Magnus's neck whilst petting the Chairman, his breath is warm and Magnus kisses his forehead.
Alec only lets him go when his stomach rumbles, and he smiles sweetly. Magnus gets up, and makes enough cheese pasta for the entire Institute while humming along to the Harry Potter soundtrack.
Alec pours the Chairman's lunch in his bowl by the couch, and then all of them dig in. On screen, Harry presses his palms against Quirrell's face, which burns and then disintegrates, along with his whole body.
When Magnus has left the plates to soak, Alec sighs deeply and lowers the volume of the T.V.
He runs his hands through his hair, and then looks at Magnus with tired eyes, and Magnus rubs his back. When he starts speaking his voice is soft, like he doesn't want Magnus to listen to all of it, "After the patrol was over, we recieved intel about this Raum nest close by, it was nothing big, so jace, andrew and i decided to check it out." he took Magnus's hand in his, twisting around his rings and when he smiles, it's rueful "Turns out, the intel was wrong. there were so many of them, Magnus, i was sure that...that none of us were gonna live. luckily, Andrew had called for backup."
Magnus nods.when Alec doesn't add anything, Magnus prompts gently with an "And?"
Alec murmurs something like "You always know," with a smile and then "After the backup came, it didn't take all that long for us to get rid of the demons, but Jace and Andrew..." Alec swallows, his voice quivers when he continues "They were both pretty critical-severe internal injuries, multiple fractures."
He stops, and Magnus dropped his head on Alec's shoulder, nosing along his cheek and Alec sighed “It's just I could, I could feel Jace's pain, and Andrew's chest was so scarred it looked like a battlesite by itself...And I couldn't help but think..."
"That it's your fault." Magnus guesses, Alec nods and rubs his hand over his face in frustration, and by extension over Magnus's nose.
His hand is cold, so Magnus takes it between his, and strokes his thumb against the back of Alec's hand.
Alec huffs suddenly, before saying "It's just...I know that I am not supposed to think this way, and that it's okay to ask for help and-and that I deserve to be the head and more, but..."
He looks at Magnus, biting his lip, and then looks away, again.
Magnus doesn't say anything right away, this is important and it's more important that Alec knows that-- "It's okay, Alexander. Its okay to think this way, and then to remember that you are much more than whatever your mind tells you. Its just... that you expect so much from yourself, and i'm not saying that you shouldn't, but like you said it's okay to ask for help and-and I'm so glad you told me." Magnus smiles, and pats Alec's hand, and Alec smiles back easily.
"But I want you to promise me something," Magnus continues, he sounds fierce, even to himself, and Alec nods "Next time, something like this happens, you call me, doesn't matter what time, or where you are, or the severity of the situation; you just call me. Promise?"
Alec grins, and Magnus can't help but smile too "Pinky promise."
Alec's smile widens, and Magnus has an idea.
"We can visit Jace, if you want to?" He asks cautiously, and Alec grins, abashed and shakes his head "Izzy said if I returned to the Institute before tomorrow evening, she'll force feed me her stew."
Magnus laughs "Does your sister know I love her?"
Alec's answering grin is warm, his cheeks red and so Magnus says "What about you?" Alec looks up, confused, "Do you know? Or did you forget"
Alec beams, and then leans in, pressing his forehead against Magnus's, then their noses, and Magnus sighs, feigning impatience(he has all the time in the world for Alec), Alec laughs and then presses his palm against Magnus's cheek(his hand is warm, and Magnus drops a kiss against his palm, and Alec breathes deeply) and he says "Magnus Bane, how could I ever?"
So Magnus kisses him.
