#lightway

(Read on AO3) (Flufftober Day 30: Pumpkin)

Luke is at the bookshop with Maryse, spending some of his day off there while he helps put together a few new sets of shelves she got for her ever-expanding collection. The store is taking off in a big way, and because the majority of the books are used she welcomes donations of any kind. This past week some generous person gave her several boxes full of horror novels just in time for the Halloween rush of October, and she’s eager to give them a proper display area to draw attention. 

Luke’s about halfway done, kneeling on the floor to hammer the backing on, when Magnus and Alec swing by for just a few minutes to drop off something for Maryse. They’re dressed for more time outside than a quick trip from the loft to the bookstore, both wearing hats and scarves and even gloves, though Alec’s are fingerless as usual. 

“Going somewhere?” Maryse asks. 

“We’re going to pick pumpkins,” Magnus informs her proudly. “And then we’re going to carve them, because apparently you deprived your son of the joys of pumpkin carving as a child.” 

Maryse rolls her eyes good-naturedly at that statement. “Well I can’t be entirely to blame, it isn’t as if I”ve ever carved a pumpkin either,” she points out. 

Luke stops mid-hammer to stare up at her with an expression of shock that mirrors Magnus’. 

“What?” Luke asks, putting the tool on the ground before pushing himself up off the floor. 

“Oh come now, Lucian. You were raised a Shadowhunter, too. Don’t act so surprised,” Maryse defends. 

“Can you believe the both of them?” Magnus says, speaking to Luke this time. “That settles it. Alexander and I will each pick out an extra pumpkin and the two of you can come over for dinner and some pumpkin carving later.” 

Maryse looks like she’s about to argue, or give some reason why they can’t, but Luke speaks before she can. 

“We’ll be there,” Luke agrees. “It’s definitely time to right this very tragic Lightwood family wrong.” 

--- 

Alec can’t imagine his mother wrist-deep in pumpkin goo and seeds, but then again he couldn’t imagine himself doing that, either. Yet here they both are, standing next to one another and sharing occasional looks of mutual confusion over exactly why they’re doing this. 

“Keep that!” Magnus says quickly, before Alec can get rid of the pile of seeds he just dug out of his own pumpkin. “We can clean the seeds and roast them later.” 

“...we can what?” Alec repeats, eyebrow raised. 

“That actually sounds delicious,” Maryse admits, eyeing her own pile of seeds. “Can I borrow a container for mine, Magnus?” 

Magnus beams. “That’s the spirit! Of course you may.” He gives a quick wave of his hand and summons a spare Tupperware container onto the table. 

“Why can’t we just clean the pumpkins out with magic?” Alec asks. 

“Because that’d be cheating,” Magnus points out. “Cleaning them out is half the fun!” 

“If you say so,” Alec says, but between the banter that follows with his mother and Luke and the easy laughter that bursts out of him when he looks up to see his mother with pumpkin seeds in her hair, it looks like Alec is having plenty of fun. 

They all are, in fact. Luke chases Maryse around the room with hands full of goo, Maryse counters trying to upend her entire cut-open pumpkin over him, and Magnus takes to flinging individual pumpkin seeds with his magic at the lot of them whenever they aren’t looking. 

Maryse turns out to be a natural at the actual carving of the pumpkin, deciding to outline a ghost silhouette rather than make a traditional face. Luke opts for something a bit more intricate - the shape of a cliff, with a wolf on it, and a moon carved out a little higher.

Magnus goes the route of a more typical jack-o-lantern face with slanted eyes and jagged teeth that remind them more of a demon than a pumpkin face. And finally, having kept his own pumpkin turned towards himself as he worked diligently, Alec is the final one to finish. 

“Well?” Magnus says, moving to walk behind Alec. “Let’s see it!”

“It isn’t much,” Alec says quietly, but he smiles softly at Magnus as he turns it around for them to see. “But you definitely inspired me.” 

The design is simple, but there’s one detail in particular that makes Magnus’ lips turn up in an immediate grin because on Alec’s pumpkin is a face, but that face has a very distinct set of cat eyes which Magnus knows, once the candle is lit inside the pumpkin, will have an endearing golden glow to them not unlike his own. 

“Inspired, eh?” Magnus says with a half-smile and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Do you like it?” Alec asks. 

Magnus walks over and wraps his arms around Alec’s waist, pulling him close with his unglamoured eyes shining bright before giving Alec a quick kiss. “I love it. It’s perfect.” 

Hidden Remote: Switching gears here, I think the entire fandom is on board with Luke and Maryse developing a relationship together.

Isaiah: Really? Oh, good. I’m glad because there’s going to be a lot more of that.

Hidden Remote: So we are going to see more moments between Luke and Maryse this season?

Isaiah: I think you’ll definitely see more interaction. Where it goes? You’ll have to watch and see, but you’ll definitely see more interaction. I think that because of their connected pasts, they’ll be able to help each other in different ways. Luke’s already expressed that by saying, ‘Hey, I’ve been where you are, and I’m here, and by the way, you look nice without those runes.’ So, a little flirtation goes a long way.

Because before, the last time he saw her in the Institute it was all the Downworld business, and he just didn’t think anyone else would try to kill Valentine [laughs]. He just didn’t have time to stop and chat with Maryse that last time. So now it’s in a much more festive setting at The Hunter’s Moon and he’s able to kind of sit down and be like ‘Ok, look. All that stuff we had? It’s water under the bridge. If you need somebody to talk to, I’m here for you.'”

Hidden Remote: I also wanted to see if you had a preferred ship name because I’ve seen about a dozen different names. I think I’ve seen Maruke, Marcian, Laryse, Luciaryse, Lightway, LukeMaryse as one word…

Isaiah: Lightway?!

Hidden Remote: Yeah! And the list goes on. So I wanted to see if you had a favorite, or if a decision has been made?

Isaiah: Umm, I think one of our showrunners, Todd, threw one out there. I think he said Laryse. I think that’s the one he was going with… I’ll keep it in the family and say Laryse [laughs].

Hidden Remote: And if Luke and Maryse did eventually get together, would Luke become almost everyone’s dad?

Isaiah: I think he would be everyone’s dad, yeah. Literally everyone’s dad on the show. Let me think. Whose dad would he not be? Nope. Everyone. Well maybe except for Raphael. He’s the only person he wouldn’t be the de facto father to. Let’s see. Maia? Check. Simon? Check. Clary? Check. Lightwoods? Yeah. Everybody.

Preparing for the inevitable angst this episode would bring

Watching the entire downworld meeting

Magnus looking at the pictures of him and Alec

Seeing Catarina

When Clary and Jace tracked Johnathan

Seeing the forsaken

Watching Jace and Johnathan fight

When Luke said ‘Give Maryse my best’

The seelie queen kidnapping Maia and siding with Valentine

That’s the gospel truth, darling. They had exactly one scene together and I am all for it. I need Maryse to apologize to Luke again and for him to not be wanting to murder someone this time, and then I need them to go out for a drink because they are Tired™ and talk about the good old times and I need Luke to learn about Robert cheating and be rightfully pissed off and then...

When then it’s on ;)