Fancy a drink before you smite me?

“If you had wanted to visit Andrew, darling, couldn't we have taken your truck? Not that I don't appreciate the ride and how good you look in denim on the back of a horse but it certainly would have been quicker,” Magnus pointed out as he dismounted Scamper and tied the gelding to the hitching post in the vet’s front yard. “Or, you know, if you’re so against the truck we could have taken my car.”

Alec gave him a pointed look. “You didn’t learn the first time what these roads will do to it or are you actively looking to spend another couple thousand of dollars to repair it?”

Magnus batted his eyes playfully. “Anything to stay here with you, Angel.”

Alec was used to his antics by now and rolled his eyes, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘incorrigible’ under his breath. “Come on, this isn’t a social call. I have something to show you.”

“It better not be a llama,” Magnus stated even though he followed Alec without complaint. “The horses I can handle. The piglets and the sheep and the peacock - I can handle all of those but when something spits at me, that’s where I draw the line.”

“It’s not a llama,” Alec replied, guiding Magnus to the old oak tree behind the barn and positioning him so he was in the shade. “Stay here for a moment. Let me grab something and I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting with baited breath,” Magnus called after him after the other man disappeared inside. Magnus waited patiently, taking the opportunity to shoot a quick text to Ragnor so his oldest friend knew that he was still in fact alive. Thankfully, most of Magnus’ job could be done in the field and as long as he turned in the occasional article, the magazine was content to let him continue to stay in Colorado for the time being. With Alec’s insistence, Magnus had slightly shifted his focus and mostly spent his nights planning out the world and the characters for the novel he was trying to write in his down time. Without Alec’s support, writing a book is never something he ever would have considered doing on his own. 

After a few moments, he heard the steady clip clip of hooves and he glanced up to find Alec leading Reina out of the barn. The little mare had only gotten feistier as she got older and even after the nurse mare had been returned to her owner, the little red horse remained firm in her belief that she was the center of the universe. Magnus couldn’t say he blamed her and he, personally, adored how spirited she’d become. “I’ve seen Reina before darling,” Magnus joked as Alec joined him and the yearling playfully nipped at the edge of Magnus’ cowboy hat.

“Hold this for a second, will you?” Alec asked, holding over the lead rope and then taking a few steps back when Magnus took it from his hand. 

“Hello gorgeous girl,” Magnus cooed, petting the mare’s neck as she nickered softly at him. “How’s my spicy little nugget today?” He scratched her neck for a few moments before he realized that she wasn’t wearing the turquoise halter he’d gotten from Tractor Supply for her after she’d outgrown her baby one. She was wearing a halter Magnus had never seen hanging in Andrew’s barn before - this one with crisp dark brown leather and bright brass hardware. “What’s this then? You moving up in the world, sweet girl?” Magnus asked before noticing the nameplate on the cheek piece.

He froze when he saw the engraving and his brain couldn’t process what his eyes were seeing. 

Slowly he turned around, the lead rope still clutched in his hand, to find Alec down on one knee with an open ring box in his hand. “Magnus Bane - these last few months have been some of the happiest I’ve had in a while. My life is now filled with a light I didn’t know that I was missing after spending so long in the darkness. I cannot imagine waking up in the morning without you by my side now. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

In one hundred thousand years, Magnus never would have imagined this. After all of these years, someone had finally chosen him.

Tears welled in his eyes and his hands shook. “Alexander…”

Words usually came so naturally to Magnus but at that moment he had none.

Well, he had one.

“Yes,” Magnus whispered, practically throwing himself in Alec’s arms but still moving slow enough that he didn't spook Reina. “Always and forever yes. I don't want to leave here, I don't want to leave you. Now that I have you, I can't let you go.”

Alec’s relief at Magnus’ confirmation was instant. He slid the ring on Magnus’ finger, kissed the back of his hand and then pulled them both to their feet. “About that…I have another surprise. I was hoping you'd want to stay and if you do, you're eventually going to need a horse of your own. This little filly is still a few years out from being started…but given that she's the reason I found you at all that day it seemed fitting. Plus, I think you appreciate her personality more than anyone else here and she’s absolutely claimed you as hers, that’s for sure.”

“You mean it?” Magnus asked, glancing around for Andrew but the Vet was nowhere to be seen despite the fact that they were standing in the middle of his property. “You save me from certain peril, you take me in, keep me safe from all the crazies with banjos chasing me in a canoe and then surprise me with a stunning ring and a beautiful horse. You, Angel, really were my knight in shining armor after all.”

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes but the grin across his face showed just how much he didn’t mind. “You’ll be the death of me Magnus Bane, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

--- SIX MONTHS LATER ---

They kept the wedding small - not because Magnus didn’t want to have a big fairytale affair like most brides would dream of but because it just felt right. For Alec, that meant his siblings, Lydia, and a good portion of the population of the town that had taken him in during his darkest days. For Magnus, of course that meant Ragnor, Catarina, her adopted daughter Madzie, and Raphael. And, of course, where else could it be but Alec’s (now their) place - where they’d both found not only love but a purpose to live again. 

So much had changed for them over the last year and a half. Magnus’ book was now in the hands of a publisher and slated to hit shelves later that year. Alec’s return to the stage, of course, hadn’t gone unnoticed. Immediately after the videos of him singing Fishin In the Dark hit the Internet, his fans went wild. They’d woken up the next morning to dozens of interview and performance request and for about an hour, Magnus assumed he’d have to convince Alec that it wasn’t the end of the world yet again.

Luckily, hell hath no fury like Alec’s agent Lily. Once she’d gotten Alec’s confirmation that he actually wanted this, she handled everything - turning away the people who obviously were up to no good and accepting the ones who would launch him into stardom once again. Of course, with fame came changes to the quiet life they’d come to love. Alec spent the next few months traveling off and on, returning home for a couple of days before taking off once more.

After two weeks, it became clear to Magnus that  not only was he not cut out for farm life alone, he missed Alec far too much to just settle for a few days with the love of his life every other week. It had taken a little bit of rushed planning and trading some favors but eventually, they found a way for Magnus to travel with Alec while Andrew, and a few other people in town, stopped by daily to feed and water the animals. Eventually, after a few months of travel, things began to settle down for them again. Alec started focusing on the songs that would make up his first solo album and Magnus dove head first into the novel that his fiance had convinced him to write.

Magnus was happy - they both were - and if you had told him ten years ago when he’d thought his life wasn’t worth living for the first time that he’d be living on a ranch in colorado, in love with an absolutely gorgeous cowboy who was one of the kindest people he’d ever met, and his engagement present had been a beautiful ring and a horse, he never would have believed it. That didn’t seem like it was happiness to the Magnus Bane of yesteryear but, as he’d quickly learned when he’d ended up out here in Purgatory, sometimes happiness came in the most unexpected places. 

The wedding itself was a lovely ceremony and he thanked God for the invention of waterproof makeup because he didn’t look like a drowned raccoon despite the very obvious tears that he had shed. Despite trying to keep everything small and lowkey, the people of Purgatory, it seemed, had other ideas. When Magnus and Alec had stepped foot outside that day where the Ceremony would be, nestled between the prairie and the snowcapped mountains in the distance, they hadn’t expected the absolute fairy like sight that their backyard had become. Flowers and stringlights filled what seemed like every available nook and cranny.

Madzie, of course, had to be their flower girl and when Magnus had asked her, she’d squealed in delight. They didn’t have a ring bearer - instead, they’d done things a little differently. Reina had been the reason that Magnus and Alec had first met and she’d been a surprise part of their proposal so it only seemed fitting that the little horse become part of their ceremony as well. She was wearing a special horse blanket that was made of the same color and material as Madzie’s dress and the little girl had been absolutely thrilled that she’d get to walk down the aisle next to a pony. The horse was being led by a quiet young man by the name of Rafael that was being fostered by one of the other family’s in town (though it seemed he was spending more and more time at Alec and Magnus’ place when they were around just enjoying spending time where it was quiet and the animals didn’t judge.)

They’d said their vows, there was not a dry eye anywhere (and Magnus was sure he’d even seen Ragnor and Raphael tear up a little bit), and Magnus kissed his husband, living life absolutely on cloud nine. They hadn’t planned on a reception after but a few of the women in town refused to hear of it and had come together to plan the entire thing for them. People took their seats at the tables, ready to dig into the home cooked meals that had been prepared when Jace had come up to Alec and handed him a guitar. Magnus raised an eyebrow but Alec had chuckled, kissed the look of confusion off his face and pulled him up onto a low makeshift stage with a single microphone that had been set up near the front. 

“I promise I won’t keep you guys from your dinners too long,” Alec said when people began to notice him. “We didn’t really want to do speeches, you all heard the two of us talk enough, and I don’t think any of us want Jace up here.” There was a sound of protest from Alec’s brother and the crowd laughed. “This may be our wedding and it is our story but so much has happened to get Magnus and I here today. We’ve both been through so much in our lives and though it often seemed like it was more downs than ups, if we hadn’t been through that pain and heartbreak it never would have gotten us to where we are today and I never would have met and married the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. So, Magnus, while we said we weren’t really going to do gifts, I had to do something to show you how much you mean to me and what better way to do that then the very reason you ended up searching for me in the first place. My love, this one is for you.”

I set out on a narrow way many years ago

Hoping I would find true love along the broken road

But I got lost a time or two

Wiped my brow and kept pushing through

I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

That every long-lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

Yes, He did

I think about the years I spent just passin' through

I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you

But you just smile and take my hand

You've been there, you understand

It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long-lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

Yeah

And now I'm just a-rollin' home

Into my lover's arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, mm, mm

So sometimes you find happiness, and love, in the place you least expect it - a tiny town in Colarado named for being halfway between Heaven and halfway between Hell. Sometimes your light out of the darkness isn’t a knight in shining armor but a cowboy in jeans and flannel and beat up hat that’s seen better days with a soul as broken as your own. Your chariot isn’t a gilded carriage being pulled by a team of white horses but a battered farm pick up truck that will run for the next twenty years.

Rock bottom doesn’t have to be the end but it can certainly be the place where you start living. 

They were sitting in Alec’s music room in the middle of the day, Magnus was reading a book he'd picked off one of the shelves while Alec strummed out a melody on the guitar when Magnus' phone pinged a couple of times in rapid succession. ‘You’re going to want to see this,’ Ragnor had texted him (using a rarely sent frowny face emoji), ‘and no, you're not going to like it so  prepare yourself and your boy before you open the link.’

Alec must have noticed how he tensed. “Everything okay?”

“Ragnor sent me something, well us something, I suppose. He said we’re not going to like it,” Magnus replied, pushing himself off his chair so he could sit on the arm of Alec's and they could both see his phone. He clicked the link and held his breath while the page took a few moments to load.

Instantly, his heart dropped because he noticed two immediate things without having to scroll. One - Based on the first few words of the title - ‘Former Country Singer' - the article must be about Alec. 2 - the author of the piece was none other than his own vicious ex Camille. Alec made a sound like a scared puppy and Magnus wrapped an arm around him and pulled him tight as he continued to read. The girls from the shopping trip had snapped a picture of them unknowingly - posting it online with a caption about how cute a couple they were and how Alec was just as tall, dark, and smoking hot in person. Some way, somehow that photo had made it’s way into the hands of Magnus’ truly demonic ex and she had, once again, tried to use every scrap of information that she had to ruin his - and in this case Alec’s as well - life. The cherry on this fucked up cake was that not only had she interviewed Sebastian who had said some truly vile l things, she’d also somehow found out about Gideon Trueblood. Alec’s last secret was now out there for the world to see.

“That harpy,” Magnus whispered, absolutely filling with rage in a way he never had when Camille had been involved before. Next to him, Alec made a pained sound and Magnus could see the panic in his boyfriend’s eyes. “Alexander,” he said softly, tilting Alec’s jaw so the man was looking up at him. “Please calm down, Angel. I know it doesn’t look good but I promise it’ll be alright. You’re not alone this time - you’ve got me to weather this with you and I’m well-versed in dealing with the she witch.”

Alec let out a shaken huff and Magnus couldn’t help but notice how the other man was trembling. He kissed his boyfriend on his forehead and gave his shoulder a squeeze before he stepped away so he could make a call. “How bad is it?” He asked as soon as Ragnor picked up without bothering to greet his boss. 

“Not as bad as you are probably thinking,” Ragnor replied gruffly. “Hello, by the way.”

“Hello, my darling cabbage. It delights me to hear your voice even though I do wish it were under better circumstances. Tell me what you have and what we can do about it,” Magnus replied with a roll of eyes before lowering his voice. “And please, the cliff notes version. Alexander looks like a terrified rabbit right now “

“Someone must have recognized you in that picture the girls took and sent it to her,” Ragnor started, thankfully cutting straight to the chase. “They didn't tag it in a way that it should have gotten much traction but I can only imagine it gained legs within their circle until it escaped into the general public. When people realized it was in fact Alec, they starting retweeting it with their own hashtags and it blew up.”

Magnus' dread grew and as much as he didn't want to ask the next question, he knew that he needed to ask it. “Do I want to know what they're saying about him?” Magnus asked quietly, hoping his voice was low enough that his boyfriend couldn't hear him.

“Honestly, it's been very strongly in his favor,” Ragnor answered and Magnus felt like his brain stopped processing the older man’s words. Based on the backlash he'd previously received when the whole fiasco with Sebastian had happened, that certainly wasn't what Magnus had expected to hear.  “Honestly, even his alter ego isn't taking a hit. The majority seem thrilled that there's new music out there that he's involved in one way or another. I don't agree with what Camille did, mind you, nor the way she contacted his former band mate. She's a snake and that will never change but it could be much, much worse than it is. I'd even go as far to say it's good press - and not just in ‘any press is good’ sort of way. 9 out of 10 people are thrilled he's returned to the fray so to speak.”

“And the other 10%?” He asked grimly.

“Well, you’ll never please everyone. There are always going to be unhappy people just living each day specifically to be miserable. I suggest you don't focus on them…try dwelling on the good that has come out of this instead.”

“I'd rather focus on how I plan to return the favor to Camille. Is there anything we can do to ensure she doesn't make that situation worse than it already is at this point?” Magnus muttered, rubbing at his temples.

“I've got Raphael already on that - Sebastian as well, might I add - but it's going to take some time to determine  if there's anything we can do. In the meantime, I suggest you do what you do best.”

“Have wild sex and forget about all my problems?”

Ragnor sputtered and Magnus took a small amount of joy from his response. “Cause a scene, Magnus, and not by a display of exhibitionism. If your boy is up for it, I'd suggest that he show them he's not afraid of being in the spotlight again. And as for you - that article you've been working on? I'd get it finished sooner rather than later. I'd show Camille and the naysayers that their voices don't matter.”

Magnus looked back at Alec who was still sitting on the swing, rubbing his hands together nervously. He looked a little less like he was ready to flee but his shoulders were still slumped and Magnus wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the other man and protect him from the world. “I don't know if Alec will go for it but I'll see what he thinks. I'm sure he still has an agent he works with. Maybe they'll be of the same mindset. I've got to go but let me know if the response to the article changes drastically, Camille tries anything else, or Raphael finds out more, please let me know.” He ended the call in much the same way he’d  started it - no goodbye.

Alec looked absolutely dejected as Magnus took a seat next to him. “ I suppose I could always move again. I hear Arizona is nice this time of year,” he said, trying to be funny but the tone falling flat.

Magnus put his arm around him and pulled him close. “You don't need to move. Ragnor said almost all of the comments online were in support of you - both as yourself and as Gideon. It's okay, Alec. This isn't like last time. You don't have to hide. And actually…Ragnor had an idea. Please hear me out before you immediately say no but we have talked about how much you liked to perform and how you miss the stage. Camille, against your wishes, went ahead and opened the door for you but why don't you take that back? I'm not saying it has to be a full show on a sold out stage but you could get back out there. You could prove to all those assholes who doubted you - especially Sebastian - that you have nothing to hide. Be proud of  who you are, Angel. The people who matter won't care. They'll love and support you either way.”

“Mags,” Alec whispered, cuddling in closer in a way that told Magnus just how afraid his boyfriend was. “I can’t. Fantasizing about it is one thing but actually doing it is entirely another. I was shunned from the music scene last time. I lost friends and fans and I just can’t go through that again.”

“Angel, you won't,” Magnus replied softly. “Think about it. You've already lost the people you were going to lose. The people left? They're behind you 100%. People who weren't fans of you before are behind you. And you know what? You have me now. You have your family. You don't have to hide anymore. You're comfortable in your own skin so I think you should show the world - and especially Camille and Sebastian - that they can't drag you down. You are who you're supposed to be and you’re damn proud of it.”

Alec made a pained sound but he appeared to consider Magnus' words. His shoulders slumped a little more but the look he gave after a moment had fire in his eyes. “Okay…I'll do it. I'll try. I still don't know how this is going to go but…I won't know for sure until I get up there and give it a shot.”

A grin spread across Magnus’ face and he gave Alec a quick peck on the cheek. “I think you'll be surprised, love. I think the world wasn't as against you as Sebastian made it seem. Now let's go inside. I think we've got some planning - and celebrating to do.”

----------

Three weeks of late night phone calls and cashing in favors from both of their contacts had led them to this moment. Alec’s manager was also Gideon’s manager so it hadn’t been much of a stretch for Alec to contact the man - a quirky, competent woman who went by the name Lily Chen - and ask him to arrange a single performance at the very bar Alec had been at the night his career had ended. They chose not to announce that he was performing - deciding it was better to keep it a surprise. Alec had however, reactivated his social media account and that certainly hadn’t gone unnoticed. He’d dropped a single simple tweet to announce his return. It was an image of his familiar black cowboy hat hanging over the end of one of Alec’s guitars. He’d given no further context or comments and had let the internet take it from there. People were stirred up making theories and trying to find clues and Magnus delighted in reading the latest updates as they went to bed each evening. 

So now here they were, standing in the green room of a well known and all too familiar country music bar in Nashville. Alec went on any minute now and Magnus could tell he was trying to do his best to not look full of the anxiety he knew his boyfriend currently felt. “Hey, it will be alright,” Magnus whispered softly, brushing his thumb over where he held tightly to Alec’s hand. “I promised you that, didn’t I? And of course we both know that I’m never wrong.”

Alec laughed and Magnus watched as some of that tension eased. “I don’t think Ragnor would agree with you there. He told me about the raccoon.”

Magnus gasped. “The betrayal. How dare my darling cabbage share my deepest, darkest secrets!”

His boyfriend rolled his eyes but Magnus’ joking had helped. He grinned and kissed the man on his cheek. “I have a surprise for you, Angel. Well, it’s not just from me. It took a few of us to pull this one off. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

This was a gamble, Magnus knew. Alec may have agreed to getting back on stage but he wasn’t sure how Alec would react to what he had planned. When his boyfriend had been deep into his song writing and essentially lost to the world, Magnus had pulled a number from his phone and had started scheming. Luckily, the person on the other end of the line, while in absolute shock at both who was calling and what he was calling for, had been more than willing to be a part of his plan. It had taken both of them, some sheer luck, and the assistance of Purgatory’s vet Andrew to make this a reality and Magnus could only hope and pray that it paid off. 

Andrew had been waiting for him in the hall, a simple black, rugged guitar case in his hand. He set it on the table and opened it - handing Magnus the precious cargo inside. “Good luck,” he said, as Magnus gently ran his fingers over the strings of the very instrument that had been hanging on the wall of Alec’s brother’s coffee shop - getting his first up close and personal look at the guitar that had been with the country singer since the beginning of his career. “I know he’ll knock it out of the park. We all do.”

“Thanks,” Magnus replied, taking a deep breath and forcing a smile to his face. “Now we just need to get him to believe that too.” He knocked back on the door of the green room so he didn’t surprise Alec before he let himself back inside. “Your family and I thought you might want this,” he explained before he held out the instrument and watched as Alec’s eyes widened in shock. “You’ve got this, Alec. I promise, you’ll get up there, you’ll absolutely kill it and you’ll see how much support you truly have. I love you, Alexander Lightwood, and no matter what happens, I’ll be here for you.”

The intercom in the room crackled to life and beckoned Alec to the stage. Magnus grinned and gave his boyfriend one final kiss for good luck before shepherding his boyfriend to the front. “Go get ‘em, cowboy.”

It was nearly jarring how quickly Alec’s persona changed the moment his foot hit the first stair - like he was finally back where he belonged. As the spotlights focused on him and the crowd realized who it was before them, the audience went absolutely wild. Magnus’ heart  was filled with glee. He’d known that people would be thrilled to see the former country star but Alec obviously hadn’t fully believed him…until now. 

“Good evening, Nashville! My name is Alec Lightwood and that’s one you probably haven’t heard in a while. I’m sure by this point most of you out there know the story so I won’t get into all the nitty gritty details but…let’s just say I wasn’t okay for a while. I figured it was best to take an early retirement but as it turns out, I love writing music too much that I couldn’t fully step back so I became someone else so that my words could still be heard by the world. Well, I suppose that cat is out of the bag now too but… it’s different this time because well, I have someone now. Even though we haven’t known each other long, he’s already become such a staple in my life, I can’t imagine a world without him. He’s supported me through my insecurities and I hope I’ve done the same for him. So, Mags, this song is for you - and the rest of you will have to bear with how out of practice I am.”

He played out a few strings on the guitar, testing the tune on the instrument he hadn’t played in years before he began to sing. He’d been secretive about this and had only practiced when he was certain that Magnus wasn’t anywhere he could overhear. He’d wanted it to be as much of a surprise for his boyfriend as it was for the audience. 

Lazy yellow moon comin' up tonight

Shinin' through the trees

Crickets are singin' and lightning bugs

Are floatin' on the breeze, baby get ready

Across the field where the creek turns back

By the old stump row

I'm gonna take you to a special place

That nobody knows baby get ready

You and me go fishin' in the dark

Lyin' on our backs and countin' the stars

Where the cool grass grows

Down by the river in the full moonlight

We'll be fallin' in love in the middle of the night

Just movin' slow

Stayin' the whole night through

It feels so good to be with you

Magnus bit back a sob - not one of sadness or anger - but pure joy and love. Alec had taken that night they’d gone camping and turned it into something amazing. The actual night had been full of chaos and bug bites, and a fair amount of complaining on Magnus’ part but his boyfriend, well, now boyfriend hadn’t seen it that way. Alec had seen it as something truly magical and now he, too, couldn’t help but see it in that same light as Alec shared the moment with hundreds (and likely thousands when the cell phone videos finally made their way on to the internet) of people.