#hoti

Alec first knew his soulmate was going to be wildly different when he was eight.  Most nails didn't change color until later in life, however the morning of his sixth birthday Alec woke up, delighted and in awe of his nails which were now a bright pink.  

His parents were away in Idris for meetings and Izzy was with them, still too young to be left at the Institute with only Hodge as a guardian.  As soon as he’d seen his nails Alec had rushed to Hodge, overcome with delight as he practically tackled the older Shadowhunter.  

"Look!! Hodge look!"  He waved his hands up as high as he could reach, "Hodge my nails are pink!"  

Hodge had looked, eyes gone a little wide and then they'd crinkled softly in the corners.  

"It's your soulmate kiddo," Hodge had said with a soft grin, "your nails change to match the color of their hair, or a portion of it at least.” 

"My soulmate has pink hair?"  Alec had asked with a childlike wonder that was quickly becoming rare.

"Well, for now they do.  Either way, looks like you've got an interesting one."

Hodge had ruffled his hair, a rare carefree grin on his face and Alec had smiled back.  One of the last carefree memories he had of his childhood.  By the time his parents had returned, his nails had changed colors at least five times and each time he had spent a few minutes just smiling at the shade.  

Now though, with his parents return and his mothers stern demeanor overshadowing his joy, Alec's own bright nails seemed something sacred.  Not shameful, but after seeing his parents cold smiles and their dark nails, he hid his hands in his pockets, wore sweaters just a bit too long and crossed his arms when he stood.  

His parents were harsh.  They upheld the law after all and while the law was hard, it was the law.  His soulmate though, they were special and he could take his parents stern words and cold demeanors, could handle disappointing them, as long as he didn’t disappoint his soulmate.  Their dissatisfaction still hurt, sometimes it made him angry and sometimes it made him sad but he knew, even then that his soulmate was special and that he needed to protect them.  

-

For centuries Magnus' nails had never changed color.  They'd been ordinary, the type of nails typical of mundanes and he’d despised them.  After a time, he began to paint them.  To cover up the evidence that he was both without a soulmate and a soul.  

It was long after Camille, after Imasu and Etta and so many others. He was doing things the mundane way, methodically cleaning his nails and letting the sharp scent of acetone overpower the lingering scent of a potion gone wrong.  It was soothing and a mindless task, until he realized that the dark red of his nails, while going away, was instead replaced with another even darker color.  Not quite black, more along the palette of a dark, bitter chocolate and Magnus' breath hitched in his breast.

For the first time in the long years of his life, his nails were naturally another color.  

For the first time in his life he had irrefutable proof that he had both a soul and a soulmate.

-

Alec was fourteen when he realized that his soulmate was unlikely to be a Shadowhunter.  Fourteen when he felt a deep, gut-wrenching terror and desperate, sickening hope. 

He knew he wasn't attracted to females, could never be attracted to females and each time his nails changed colors, his heart leapt with traitorous despair and a sliver of hope. 

Alec was twenty-two when he met Magnus Bane.  Twenty-two when his world would change.

-

Magnus noticed first.  Alexander was an attractive man and he'd be hard pressed not to admire his features.

It was pure whimsy on his part, to glance down and admire the strong, long fingers and the color of their nails barely registered.  It had been later, attempting to charm a reluctant but delightful Alec that he'd realized the Shadowhunters nails were the exact shade of his own gold streaks.  Luke, Clary and the cup had distracted him but that was a problem for later and he had a mystery to solve.

He had discreetly snapped his fingers, the streaks of his hair changing to his favorite shade of blue and he watched as Alec's nails immediately turned a matching color.  He tried again with purple, then green and then a shade of pink he'd only seen once, a rare shade that belonged to a flower deep in an uninhabited jungle.  With one last snap, he turned his hair back to that deep gold and just stared.

It felt like his breath had been stripped from his chest.  He wondered how on earth he could have waited so long, lived so many years and still not have the words to describe this moment.

"Magnus?  Is something wrong?  Is it your magic, do you need more energy?"

He shook his head then nodded, reaching out his hand and laying out his palm.

"Alexander, your hand please."

Alec immediately offered it, confusion and worry causing his brow to furrow.  Magnus raised Alec’s hand to press high against his cheek, gold bangs dipping down over his brow and he could hear Alec's breath catch, see the stutter of his chest and the way he swayed forward.  He caught himself, his free hand steadying himself on Magnus' shoulder.

"Can you," Alec licked his lips and brought his other hand up so that he could cup Magnus' face.  His thumbs tenderly caressing Magnus’ temples, "can you show me?"

Magnus responded with a snap of his fingers, going through half a dozen colors and only waiting enough time between to watch the growing awe and delight in Alec's eyes.

"I, you... we're?"  Alec’s voice stuttered off and he licked his lips, lost for words and Magnus smiled.

"Well unless some other Warlock has the same exact taste and mood as I do, than yes."

"I kinda want to kiss you.  Right now.  Would that be okay?”  Alec asked and Magnus reached out, cupped the back of Alec’s head and met his eyes with deliberation as he dropped his glamour.  His reward was Alec swaying forward, eyes wide and a flush on his cheeks, enraptured by Magnus’ true eyes.  “They’re beautiful,” Alec said and he opened his mouth, no doubt to say some other sweet and truthful utterance but Magnus was done with words.  The world exploded, shattered and disappeared as their lips met and their souls sang.  A new creation born into existence and reality reforming around them, the universe realigning until all that existed in this new world was each other.  

Spacious quarters close to local amenities (HOTI office, training room with impressive armoury, canteen and Operations Centre).

Ensuite bathroom facilities, built-in closets with full-height mirror.

Features good natural light thanks to a large lead-lighted window.

Half-panelled walls, large bed with luxury soft furnishings

And Bonus: Happy Memories!