“It’s true,” Rafael said quietly. “A long time ago, your father and mine were in love with each other.”

“Do you know what happened?” Max asked, his voice small.

Rafael shook his head. “My father refuses to talk about it.”

Rafael tries again. “Can I get you anything?”

Max just shakes his head. “I just want my Bapak.”

“Yeah,” Rafael whispers. “Me too.”

Max lifts a brow at that.

“I mean—not your bapak. I mean, he’s great! And desirable—I mean not desirable to me. I have a girlfriend. And I’m straight. And your dad dated my dad and—”

“You’re being weird,” Max says.

They say the voice is the first thing you forget after losing someone. He’d found that to be true—couldn’t recall the sound of his father’s voice anymore, or even his brother’s.

But Magnus...

Magnus, he remembered.

Because Magnus was the voice of all the good things.

It’s not just the tone or pitch. It was never about that.

It was the way Magnus’ voice made things feel real. Like Alec’s fears had names, but so did his hopes. Like maybe, just maybe, he was allowed to want things. To be things.

So, no, he hadn’t forgotten.

You don’t forget the voice that made you feel like you were worth loving.

Greetings,

Once again, I'm here with a mandatory post covering everything you need to know about my next fic, in this case, YBMF. I usually do this upfront to set expectations and answer some burning questions, so let’s dive in!

What's this fic about?

I’d say it’s kind of canon-divergent—it’s a different kind of shadow world with new geography and politics. Think of it like an alternate reality, like Thule, where the core of the characters and the shadow world stay the same, but their fates and storylines are totally different. The fic explores themes of separation—systematic, not just romantic (though maybe that too). I’m playing with similar ideas in my original book, so this feels like good practice!

Who are the main characters?

The story mainly revolves around Malec, but like TLND, it’s a story that has to be told through the four of them to really get the full picture. Everyone gets a POV, their own story arc, and their own journey in the fic. So, honestly, I’d say they’re all main characters.

What's the format?

We’re back to multiple POVs and timelines—yay! Each chapter has two POVs: one from a child and one from a parent. The first half of the story is split between past and present—Max and Rafael cover the present, while Alec and Magnus take us through the past. In the second half, all four of them come together in the present timeline.

Is it angsty?

I’d say so, yeah. It tackles some heavy topics, and as hinted, Malec aren’t together in this fic—so you can definitely expect some angst. I’d place it somewhere between TLND and LBAF in terms of angst levels. Of course, I’ll tag anything potentially triggering as we go, but as always, please prioritize your mental health and read at your own pace. PS - It's always a happy ending though :)

Is this book or show-based?

It’s book-based, especially since the world-building in this one is pretty heavy. I’m leaning on the books and their characters, but you’ll also see some Daniverse/LBAF OCs pop up. You don’t need to have read my other fics to follow this one—but it’s definitely more fun if you have, hehe.

Is it long?

Multiple POV stories tend to be long anyway, but honestly, I never know how long until I’m deep into the writing process. That said, this one is planned to have around 25 chapters (plus or minus 3), so it’s a little on the longer side.

What’s the writing schedule? When will you post?

The writing schedule for this fic is December - March. As usual, I plan to post twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays - at night).

“Sebastian.” Dad’s voice cuts through the argument, hoarse but no less commanding. “Let the boy go.”

“Oh, Alec, not again,” Sebastian sighs, dramatically pressing a hand to his heart. “Are you in love with this one too?”

Rafael doesn’t even have time to react—Dad shoves him aside and grabs Sebastian by the front of his shirt, hauling him forward with a strength born of pure, festering grief.

“Let. Him. Go,” Dad growls, his voice low and dangerous.