#confidentalec

“Come in,” she answers, a subtle sort of excitement blooming through her chest. She hasn’t had the chance to see him properly lately, as they’ve both been busy with respective work; it would be a lie to say she doesn’t miss him.

The door creaks open and Alec pokes his head into the office, cell phone trapped against his ear, his other hand busy with a tray holding two coffee cups to go. He hums to let the person on the other side of the call know he’s listening, eyebrows drawn together in focus.

“Are you busy?” he mouths to Izzy and she shakes her head ‘no’ vigorously, causing a couple of rebel curls to slip out, messily framing her face. There’s an almost imperceptible quirk of his mouth, a smile anyone not aware of Alec’s habits would miss entirely.

He shoulders the door closed and wraps up the conversation after everything seems to be confirmed, perching on the edge of her desk as he does so. Izzy rounds the piece of furniture, also choosing to lean against the sharp edge, since it feels less professional and just more like the two of them talking.

It’s when she notices the outfit in its full glory - dress pants patterned with dark green plaid, cropped above his ankles and tapered at the bottom - a definite statement piece if Izzy knows anything about fashion (and she does). The rest of the outfit is black - polished wingtip oxfords, a dress shirt buttoned to the top and a long coat thrown over his shoulders.

While it’s still elegant in a way that fits Alec’s personal style of comfort and practicality, it makes her brother seem like he stepped off the runway no more than two minutes ago. There’s a presence to him, the confidence of a leader, quiet control alongside his usual sternness and the watchful way he holds himself; all of it is softened by his ruffled hair and the subtle silver glitter of jewelry.

“Look at you! You’re giving me a run for my money as the best-dressed Shadowhunter in NY, big bro,” she greets him with a quip, oxblood-colored lips stretching into a cheeky grin. “Note that I graciously said ‘Shadowhunter’.”

A full smile blooms on Alec’s face as he casts down his eyes in almost unconscious modesty, but she can feel him settle comfortably against the words. Just a while ago, at any personal comment she would make, he’d curl in on himself and bristle the spikes stuck in his armor; he’d snap and huff and roll his eyes, anxiety moving through him in jagged ways. The ever-famous eye roll is still a popular classic, but now it’s usually directed at Jace or Clary after some sort of reckless shenanigans, at Izzy when she gets into trouble, and often at all the Shadowhunters he’s got to keep in check.

He’s different these days, yet somehow the same.

“Oh, I know, nobody’s taking Magnus’ crown on that front,” Alec answers with a quiet chuckle, then stretches the arm holding the coffee towards her. “Got you your favorite one.”

Izzy takes the cup with her name messily scribbled on it in black marker, recognizing the logo from a small hole-in-the-wall café that makes the best lattes. Just one sip warms her from the inside, all of the rich flavors making her eyes dip closed for just a moment.

Alec’s watching her already when she opens them again - there’s a pleasant expression on his face that she can’t fully interpret, the edges of all the emotions blurring together. She raises her eyebrows in a silent question, but Alec just takes a gulp of his own coffee, eyes drifting towards the work table across from him.

“So, how is my favorite sibling doing?” Alec asks nonchalantly as he crosses his ankles with a sly smile, clearly in no rush to leave; Izzy doesn’t want him to anyway.

She laughs into the lip of her cup and leans over to lightly smack him on the shoulder.

“Better not tell that to Jace, huh?” she teases, taking another sip of her coffee.

Alec pulls his shoulders into a shrug, one corner of his mouth curved up. “What the ears don’t hear, the heart doesn’t grieve over.”

“Mister Lightwood, that’s mean!” Izzy feigns offense in the name of her other brother, hand poised over her lips in mock-shock.

Alec laughs at that, throwing his head back, eyes crinkling into adorable crow’s feet at the corners.

“‘Mean’ is my middle name, according to some people around here.”

“No, that’s Gideon.”

The joke earns Isabelle a slow look of disapproval, then Alec sighs theatrically and reaches for her drink as if he has no other choice. “I got you coffee because I love you, but now I need to rethink that decision.”

“No!” Izzy slips out under Alec’s arm in fits of laughter and he gives another half-hearted attempt at pulling her back, fingers snagging in the collar of her shirt. She lets herself be drawn closer until she’s able to wrap her arms around Alec beneath his coat, careful of her drink she’s still holding onto.

She tucks herself up against her brother’s side, just the perfect size to rest her head on his shoulder. Alec’s arms come up around Isabelle and she feels the safest she could ever be, in the embrace of the person that was always stood by her, even in her darkest moments when all she could think about was yin fen and the pain it caused. He never judged her for anything, instead took care of her and loved her all the same. Truthfully, she probably wouldn’t even be here without him.

It’s nothing she didn’t know already, but the realization makes her chest hurt with all that she feels - love, gratitude, faith, so much more than that. She’s always looked up to him; from the very first day she remembers, Alec was right by her side, holding her little chubby toddler hand, training with her when they were big enough to do so, always listening to her even when he was worn down himself. She knows he would do anything for her - give up all that he has to keep her smiling.

She’d do the same for him without hesitation.

Alec’s been miserable until Magnus came into his life - frustrated, terrified, stuck inside the cage this society built around him. And perhaps she wasn’t able to be the one to pull him out of that, to help him realize he’s so much more than a soldier and a son - someone who deserves his own happiness and the space to spread his wings; she’s still glad to be there for him, watch him flourish and grow into the person he was always meant to be.

He may seem different, but he’s the same Alec she’s known forever, just happy.

Of course, they’ve had good moments where they laughed together and sassed each other, and had days where everything seemed alright, but there was always an underlying current of something missing. Alec would never mention it, but she could see it in the slouched angle of his shoulders, in the way he stood rigidly with his eyes trained on the floor each time their parents spoke to him, in the way he’d come from training with bruised skin and reddened eyes.

Now, he talks to Izzy more - about his life, about himself and the way he feels, even if some details stay forever a secret, huddled close to his heart. She’s completely okay with that - she’s just glad he knows he can confide in her whenever he needs to. 

He tells her about his dates and life with Magnus, promises to take her sightseeing in Rome with them the next time they go, gossips about Clave executives and all the dumb laws he has to try and fix with the Council’s help; he mentions his better contact with mom and laughs about somehow lucking out again to find himself friends with people like Luke, Cat, Maia, and Simon.

Izzy talks too - she mentions the mundane meetings and how sometimes it gets hard, but she pulls through, for herself and for others. She talks about hanging out with Maia and Simon as well, about training Max to be the best he can. Once she confesses how strange it is to be back in the swing of things, yet how ecstatic that makes her.

She tightens her grip around Alec’s chest, swallowing around the cluster of emotions stuck in her throat, just as he drops a kiss on top of her head.

“What are you thinking, Iz?” he asks, affection and genuine curiosity easy to spot in his tone, low and rumbling beneath her ear.

She glances up at him, smiles wide and honest, considering all the words wanting to be said, all the ‘thank you’s and ‘I’m sorry’s and all the secrets he doesn’t know yet, but someday will.

“I’m glad to have you by my side, big brother.”

His expression softens, becomes vulnerable in the way he allows himself to be only around those who mean the world to him. Setting his cup on the edge of her desk, Alec kisses her forehead, his hands warm against the sides of her face.

“It’s always been us against the world, hasn’t it?” he hums after a moment of quiet.

Magnus’s sharp intake of breath made Alec look up from thehandmade snake-adorned ring he’d been contemplating.

“Alexander, what do you say to a little… friendlycompetition?”

Alec snorted. “I’d say I’d thought we were well pastfriendly, Magnus. Competition?”

Magnus pointed to a row of stalls they hadn’t explored yet.Lights shone from every one, electronic sounds mixing in the atmosphere. Alecsmirked, looking at Magnus’s barely restrained glee out of the corner of hiseye.

“You’re on, honey.”

The restraints broke, and Alec swore he’d collect the lightof a thousand suns just to keep that look on Magnus’s face.

“Rule 1: no magic.”

“That’s fair,” Magnus grinned. “Rule 2: no runes.”

“Just straight­-“Alec made some kind of gesture with his hand, searching for the words “-play, no tricks, orcheating.”

“Alexander, please never say the words ‘straight play’ to meever again.”

Alec snorted, unable to contain the smile on his face and helooked up towards the sky. “Gay play then? Fair play. Whatever. What’re thestakes?”

“If I win, you can’t wear a shirt in the house for a week,”Magnus said.

Alec cocked an eyebrow. “You thought of that quick,” hesaid. Magnus smirked.

“It’s something I’ve been after for… since I met you. If youwin?”

Alec grinned. “If I win, I’m gonna cook a huge meal for us,and I want to see you wash the dishes. By hand.”

Magnus gasped, placing his free hand over his chest. “You’rea cruel man, Alexander. Menial labour? Tsk. All I wanted was some light ogling.”They both broke into gentle laughter, sparkling eyes not betraying the ragingfire of competitiveness sparked within them.

It was a close fight, spanning two and a half hours andtwelve different games, but as much as Alec didn’t want to say out loud, Magnuswas the clear winner. How he’d won at a strength test, Alec would never understand,given that Shadowhunters literally had superhuman strength, but it’d been kindaworth it to see Magnus’s biceps ripple under his Henley.

Alec was grateful the loft was always warm. And that hereally, truly didn’t mind – he knew how attracted Magnus was to his chest inparticular, and he loved how wanted he felt every time Magnus paid anyattention to it. They strolled away from the fair, a giant teddy under one ofMagnus’s arms and the other wrapped around Alec’s waist. Alec’s arm rested inan L-shape on Magnus’s back, fingers idly toying with the hair at the nape ofhis neck.

“Just admit it, Alexander.”

“Never.”

“Admit it.” Magnus smiled. Alec sighed.

“You, Magnus Bane, are the best at carnival games,” hedeadpanned. Fighting back a smile at Magnus’s expectant look, he sighed again. “Andyou’re super handsome and smart and your taste in interior ornamentation is eclectic, not chaotic. Happy?”

Magnus smiled, proudly. “That wasn’t so hard was it,Alexander?”

Alec smiled back, feeling giddy with happiness and childlikejoy. “Very mature. Asshole.”

“Yeah, you love it.”

“Now, sit and wait for me to finish” he turned around and left a speechless Alec standing in the middle of the room. He got out of his stupor, blushing furiously and went to sit on the bed.

After a few minutes, Magnus turned around, with bronzer defining his sharp cheekbones, kohl highlighting his already warm bright eyes. “I'm just gonna apply some chapstick and then we are ready to go”

At that sight, Alec stopped thinking. And apparently his brain to mouth filter stopped working too, because the next thing he knew he was blurting out, “Can I try it? I wanna have a taste” to Magnus, who looked delighted to show him the benefits of chapstick.

“Sure!” Magnus started, coming to sit next to him on the bed, “this one it’s cherry flavor,I’m sure your dry lips are gonna thank you for you to stop biting th--mphm!” he was promptly interrupted by Alec smashing their mouths together.

Alec didn’t know what prompted him to do it. One moment, he was watching Magnus applying chapstick to his already soft looking, velvety lips, and the next one he lurking forward and taking Magnus mouth in his.

It was the best taste in the world.

Magnus gasped and went very still, clearly surprised at the sudden attack. Alec panicked for a little, thinking maybe he had made a mistake, reading wrong all the signs behind their banter and playful flirting, but then Magnus responded eagerly, tangling his hands in his hair.

Things escalated from there.

Their lips were moving together like the perfect symphony. Magnus mouth was warm against his and he was making this little hums, clearly enjoying himself. Alec took his plump and very delectable bottom lip between his, a low moan escaping at the taste of the combination of the chapstick and Magnus.

He could kiss Magnus forever but, eventually, the need for air became hard to ignore, and when they parted, they were both panting hard, staring at each other with wide eyes, their foreheads touching. Alec ran his tongue through his lips, and Magnus eyes flickered down at the movement. “So” he started, voice breathless, “does this means you like the taste or…” Magnus trailed.

“Oh, I-I like it very much” Alec stammered, “but I should try it again, just to be safe”

“Yeah” Magnus breathed, “you can never be too sure. Come here” he pulled Alec by the neck and crashed their mouths together again.

Somehow, it tasted better than the first time.