Chapter Text
With Simon’s suggestion that the Demon might be related to everything that happened at Idris Corp weighing heavily on his mind, Magnus throws himself back into training his powers. He heads down to the warehouse Alec showed him most nights after work, slowly feeling more and more confident in his abilities as he tests out the different things he can will his powers to do.
He has been testing how he can use electricity defensively, as well as offensively. If he turns his powers inwards, he’s been able to create a short-lived forcefield that forms a protective shield around his body - at the moment, he can only hold it for a couple of seconds before it dissipates into a burst of sparks, but it’s a work in progress.
Having stopped at his local Polish place he’s on his way back home when his phone starts ringing, the name Jace Lightwood flashing up on the screen. Seeing the name brings with it a twinge of annoyance, an unwelcome reminder of the way Alec had treated him - but Magnus remembers the way Jace had tried to tell Alec he was being an ass. He sighs as he picks up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Magnus,” Jace says in his ear. “Are you free right now?”
Magnus checks the time on his watch. “I’m just heading back to my apartment. Why?”
After a moment’s pause, Jace says, “I, uh - I have something for you. Can I come over?”
Magnus frowns. Jace is as good with subtlety as Alec is and he’s never known him to be this secretive before. “Sure. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Jace confirms and then says goodbye, leaving Magnus to wonder what the hell is going on as he heads the rest of the way home. He hopes to God it’s not some awful intervention to make him and Alec talk to each other again, but he can’t quite see Jace pulling a stunt like that. He’s over enthusiastic at times, but well-meaning, not cruel.
Magnus changes out of his training gear and heats up the takeout while he waits for Jace to arrive. With mindless TV on in the background to distract him, he sits and eats his pierogies while he ponders what could have brought Alec’s brother over.
It’s not long before the door buzzer goes. Magnus clears the table and then goes to answer the door, noting the leather portfolio Jace is carrying in one hand.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Jace says with a smile.
“No problem,” Magnus says, honestly a little bemused. He eyes the portfolio. “You need help with an art project?”
Jace’s smile widens. “Something like that. Can I come in?”
Magnus steps back wordlessly to let Jace into the apartment. He settles on the couch and then unzips the portfolio, but doesn’t share what’s inside.
“I thought a lot about what happened with you and Alec,” Jace starts, a little haltingly. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s wrong. You’re your own person and you can make your own decisions. He should respect that, even if he doesn’t agree with what you choose to do.”
“Thank you,” Magnus says, inclining his head and coming to sit on the armchair near Jace.
“So, you should know that I support you, and uh, that’s one motivation behind all this.” Jace rubs his jaw, looking a little guilty. Things aren’t any clearer to Magnus. “I’ll be honest, though, that I’m also really relieved he’ll have someone out there watching his back.”
“Jace,” Magnus says, “what are you talking about?”
Jace exhales, then starts pulling papers from the portfolio and gently laying them on the table. “They’re for you. If you decide to use your powers to fight, like Alec does.”
Magnus stands up and steps forward, inspecting the papers Jace has just laid out. They’re clothing designs - supersuit designs , he realises, looking closer. The drawings are stylised, but it’s clearly Magnus in them, wearing a range of different supersuits. Some of them are proper bodysuits, skin tight; others are bulkier, with heavy duty protection around the torso and joints. And the colours - rich indigo, wine red, deep violet. The masks designs are different, with some that cover his head completely and others that leave his mouth or eyes exposed.
There’s a lump in Magnus’ throat as he looks at them, a mix of emotions fluttering inside him - excitement, delight, a hint of nervousness. Somehow this makes it real, more real than it’s felt so far, but he can’t wait to try it out.
He’s lost for words, feeling rather touched that Jace went to all this effort for him. Then, he notices a signature in the bottom right hand corner of the drawings and traces the pencil delicately with his fingers.
“Clary drew these?” he asks. Jace nods. “Wait - did you tell her about my powers?”
Jace holds up his hands. “No, dude - that’s your secret to tell. I said you’d volunteered to model costume designs for the characters in Simon’s graphic novel.”
The mix of tender emotions Magnus was feeling vanish in a blink and he stares at Jace, aghast. “And she believed that?”
Jace grins easily. “Mhm.”
“That I volunteered ?”
Jace shrugs. “She knows you’d do anything for a friend, I guess,” he says.
Magnus sends him a look, then returns to looking at the designs. “They’re beautiful.” He glances back at Jace. “And you’d - you’d make a suit for me?”
“Yeah, of course,” Jace says, frowning. “I want you to be safe when you’re out there. You know, maybe we’re not - friends , or whatever, but...I wanna help you.”
Magnus swallows, feeling unexpectedly emotional. He’s not entirely sure how he’d categorise his relationship with Jace either, but he’s moved by what Jace said.
“Thanks,” he says. “I really appreciate it. Let me know what I owe you.”
“No problem,” Jace says. He eyes Magnus shrewdly, then shifts on his seat and gestures in an overly casual manner. “Have you spoken to Alec since the, uh, the other day?”
Magnus rolls his eyes. “No. I wouldn’t want to cause him any more problems .”
Jace winces. Magnus crosses the room back to his armchair and sits down.
“Why?” he asks. “Have you come to convince me I should?”
“I came to show you the suits,” Jace says, shaking his head, “but he’s my brother. I couldn’t not mention it.”
Magnus watches him for a moment, then looks away on a sigh. “I don’t want to talk to him. I’m still pissed off about how he acted.”
“I get it,” Jace says, “he was being an asshole. But...his heart is in the right place. Did he mess up? Sure. But he’s just trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need him to protect me,” Magnus says frustratedly. “I need him to support me.”
“You might not need him to, but he’s going to do it anyway. That’s just what Alec does when he cares about someone.”
Magnus doesn’t let himself analyse that too deeply. Instead, he shakes his head and says, “It still doesn’t make the way he’s acting right.”
“I know,” Jace says quietly. “Honestly, he knows that too.”
Magnus glances away, looking down at the rings on his fingers. Absently he twists the one on the fourth finger of his left hand.
“He’s taken your fights pretty hard,” Jace says. “I don’t remember seeing him like this before.” He sighs, sitting forward on the couch. “You’re both too stubborn to make the first move, but come on , Magnus. He knows he fucked up. He’s gonna apologise to you if you give him a chance and hear him out.”
Magnus rolls his eyes, half wanting to ask Jace why he has to be the bigger person. But he knows that would make him sound like a petulant child - and, as Alec’s senior, he probably shouldn’t be feeling this way.
It’s not like he doesn’t want to salvage what he has with Alec. Their relationship is the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time. And couples fight. Not that they’re actually a couple , his brain helpfully reminds him - though leading up to Halloween, he felt like they’d been getting pretty close.
And, at the heart of it, isn’t that why they’ve got in this mess in the first place? Because they care so much about each other that they don’t want the other to get hurt? Yes, Alec has been a condescending ass, but he wants to keep Magnus safe. How many people does Magnus know who would face hell and high water to do that?
“I’ll think about it,” Magnus says eventually, trying not to pout. His petty side doesn’t want to give Jace the satisfaction of being right.
Jace sends him a fondly exasperated look, then shakes himself and taps the drawings in front of him.
“Let me get your measurements, then.”
-----
It takes him a few days to properly come around to the idea, but eventually Magnus wills himself to take the first step and text Alec to find a time when they can talk. They agree to meet up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and so on the Sunday, Magnus treks through the pouring rain to Alec and Jace’s apartment.
His hands are dancing with restless energy so he folds down his wet umbrella for something to do, then lifts his hand to knock on the door. Magnus drops it straight away, drawing in a ragged breath. Deciding he’s being ridiculous, he raises his hand again and, before he can second guess anything, knocks loudly three times.
Alec answers the door immediately. He’s dressed casually in an oversized sweater and dark jeans, and his eyes dart over Magnus’ face when he sees him.
“Hey,” he says gently.
Magnus offers the barest hint of a smile. Maybe their week apart has done them good; the first thing he feels on seeing Alec is no longer a flare of anger, but longing for how soft he looks when he’s dressed down and hanging out at home.
“Hi,” Magnus says. “Can I come in?”
Alec nods and steps aside. He shuts the door while Magnus takes off his shoes, raincoat and scarf, then offers him a hot drink. Magnus follows him through to the kitchen, noting the empty apartment as he does so.
“Jace not here?” he asks.
Alec adds coffee to a French press with practised ease, then he pulls two mugs from a cupboard. “He’s staying with Simon.” He sends Magnus a vaguely guilty look. “I told him you were coming over.”
“I guess subjecting him to a third argument might have been impolite,” Magnus says idly, and he’s pleased when Alec snorts in amusement. It’s a temporary reprieve, but it’s nice to know that things aren’t totally hostile between them.
An awkward silence fills the air. Magnus stares at a spot on the wooden floor; he can hear Alec swallow.
“How was your Thanksgiving?” Alec asks, clearly trying to sound casual.
Magnus feels like he could cut the uncomfortable tension in the air with a knife, but he replies anyway.
“Good. I went back to my mama’s house for the night. Guadalupe and Rosa - Raphael’s mom and sister - came too. It was nice. Quiet.”
Alec nods. Magnus notices a small scar on his collarbone where his sweater hangs a little low.
“How are you healing?” he asks.
Alec rubs a finger over the cut on instinct and shrugs, meeting Magnus’ eyes. “Other than some mild bruising, I’ll be fine.”
Silence falls over them again as they wait for the coffee to brew. Once or twice Alec looks like he’s about to say something but stops himself, and eventually he gusts a heavy sigh.
“Magnus,” he says abruptly, almost like he can’t contain it anymore, “I’m sorry.”
The full weight of his gaze bears into Magnus, his large hazel eyes doleful as they regard him. His thumb rubs repeatedly against his finger where his hand rests on the tabletop.
“I’m sorry,” he says again, quieter this time, finally looking away. “I shouldn’t have tried to stop you from using your powers. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do, I just - it’s - I wasn’t. But I know it came across like that, no matter how I intended it, and I don’t have any right to do that.”
Magnus blinks at him, feeling like the ground beneath them has shifted. He’d not expected Alec to come straight out and apologise...but then, why hadn’t he expected it? He knows Alec is honest to a fault, and he’s not the type to make excuses or shy away when he’s done something wrong. He stands up for what he knows is right and he does whatever he can to make amends when something is wrong, whether it’s his own fault or not.
He’s cut right to the heart of the matter and accepted his faults - bared them, plainly, for Magnus to see, in case Magnus hadn’t already been aware of them. God, Alec doesn’t do anything by halves, does he?
Magnus is spared from needing to respond straight away as Alec busies himself with pouring their coffees, which is a minor relief because Magnus is uncharacteristically unsure what to say. He prides himself on always being able to find the right words, but Alec has an uncanny ability to knock Magnus’ world off its axis and set it spinning in an entirely new direction.
Alec hands him a mug, meeting his gaze again. Magnus takes it wordlessly.
“I made a mistake,” Alec says, voice gravelly, “and I’m sorry.”
Magnus has to look away from the solemnity of Alec’s gaze, glancing down at his coffee. He could hold onto the indignation, the upset, but he realises he doesn’t want to. Alec has accepted his wrongdoing and apologised - and Magnus wants for them to move on. He wants Alec in his life, and he’s not going to let this get in the way of the two of them.
Magnus swallows hard. “You’re forgiven,” he says first, because it seems the most important thing to say. Alec’s relief is visible: his frown disappears and his lips lift into a small smile. “I won’t pretend that I wasn’t hurt, or angry, but I also said things I regret. For my part, I’m sorry too.”
Alec shakes his head. “Magnus -”
“ Alec .”
They look at each other for a long moment, then Alec nods once in acceptance. It seems like the hardest part might be over; the weight on Magnus’ chest has eased considerably, and he can tell from the looser set of Alec’s shoulders that he’s not the only one feeling more relaxed.
Alec takes a hesitant sip of his coffee, then says, “Is it awful if I say it was more about me than you?”
Magnus raises an eyebrow. “Depends what you follow that up with.”
Alec huffs a short laugh, one side of his mouth quirking up. “I mean, it was about you. I know I don’t need to protect you, but I want to, because I didn’t want to lose you. Apparently I’m just shit at expressing that and my protectiveness bit me in the ass.”
“Hey,” Magnus says, letting his voice go soft, “you’re not going to lose me.”
The way Alec looks at him then is so full of sadness and longing that Magnus can almost hear exactly what Alec is thinking: that he already did.
“I promised you that once before, remember?” Magnus adds. He nudges Alec’s hand with his own. “You and me, we’re always going to find our way back to each other.”
Alec watches him for a moment longer, a smile slowly dawning on his face, then he slips his hand into Magnus’ own.
“You know it’s the same for me, right?” Magnus continues. “I don’t want to lose you either. Knowing you were going up against Valentine again and again - the worry nearly killed me.”
It’s still pouring with rain outside, fat drops of water hitting the windows, punctuating the stillness between them.
Alec’s voice is quiet when he says, “I know. I’m sorry.”
Magnus squeezes his hand. “Anyway. Two against one sounds like better odds to me.”
Alec’s lips tip back up into a smile. “Yeah. We’ll stand a better chance against the Demon if we work together. And you were pretty awesome in training.”
Magnus lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Someone’s changed their tune.”
Alec rolls his eyes, looking faintly embarrassed. “I can’t stop you from doing it,” he says, as if it’s obvious. “It just took me a while to get my head out my ass and realise that.”
Magnus smiles at him. “I’m glad you did.” His smile dims a little, but he forces his tone to stay light. “I can’t say I’m a fan of arguing with you.”
“Me either.” Alec shakes his head. “These last weeks, I’ve not - I couldn’t think straight.”
The admission shakes Magnus and he grips Alec’s hand tighter, a point of reassurance for them both that neither of them is going anywhere. The way Alec bared his heart makes Magnus feel just about brave enough to do the same.
“I couldn’t do anything without thinking of you,” Magnus admits, feeling painfully vulnerable. The shift in Alec’s expression makes it worth it.
Alec’s fingers twitch in his, and then he pulls his chair closer. His eyes sweep over Magnus’ face.
“Can I give you a hug?”
Whatever Magnus was expecting him to say, it wasn’t that, but he’s not going to refuse. He huffs a little laugh and nods, at which Alec scoots all the way forward and wraps his arms around Magnus, holding onto him tightly.
Magnus hugs him back, reassured by Alec’s warmth under his palms. Alec smells just the same as he remembers and the way Alec’s breath flutters against his neck, tickling his skin, is sweetly familiar.
They part reluctantly several long moments later. Magnus smiles at Alec and sees the warmth in his own gaze reflected there. While there’s still a residual ache of hurt, things now feel more settled between them than they have since Halloween.
Magnus traces his thumb idly over Alec’s palm. “Did you know Jace and Clary made me a suit?” he asks, eyes flickering to Alec’s. He’s not sure how Alec will react, given their previous discussions on the subject, but Alec really does seem to have taken his mistakes to heart.
“Really?” he asks, face lighting up. “But we live together. How did he manage to keep that a secret?”
“You managed to keep the fact that you’re Spidey from him,” Magnus points out, and Alec tips his head in a way that Magnus takes to mean fair enough .
“Is the suit ready now?” he asks.
Magnus nods. “Jace said they finished it yesterday.”
“Did you try it on yet?”
Magnus shakes his head. “I’m…” he laughs a little, mostly at himself. “I’m nervous. I don’t know why.”
“No, I get it,” Alec says. “It’s - it’s weirdly powerful. It means more than just some fabric stitched together.” He turns his head, looking in the direction of Jace’s room. “I can get it for you,” he adds, watching Magnus carefully, “if you want.”
Magnus is a little apprehensive, but if there’s anyone else he’d want to share this moment with, it’d be Alec. Plus, he knows Alec would give him the privacy to try the suit on if he needs it, wouldn’t push to see it if Magnus wasn’t ready.
No matter what’s happened between them recently, Magnus realises an indisputable truth: he trusts Alec implicitly.
“I’d like that,” he says quietly, and Alec sends him a soft smile.
While Alec ventures off into Jace’s room to find the suit, Magnus wanders through into the hallway, pausing just outside Alec’s bedroom. He feels like he’s intruding by walking in, even though he’s fairly sure Alec wouldn’t mind.
Sure enough, Alec smiles and nods towards the door when he returns and sees Magnus waiting there.
“You can go in.”
There are a few new photographs in Alec’s collection on his corkboard and law files pile precariously on the desk, replacing the school notes that had been there previously, but other than that it’s just the same as Magnus remembers.
“Here,” Alec says, following him into the room and holding the suit out.
Magnus takes it reverently, relishing the feel of the material over his fingers and Clary’s beautiful design that Jace has brought to life.
“I told you I always wanted to be a superhero when I was a kid, didn’t I?” Magnus says, making it a question even though he knows he told Alec in exactly this spot. Alec just hums instead of replying, his hand brushing Magnus’ shoulder as he passes to switch his bedside light on.
“I’ll leave you to get changed,” Alec says, eyes dipping down Magnus’ body, however briefly. Magnus’ pulse spikes thinking about where Alec’s mind has gone, and he sends Alec a coy smile.
“You can stay if you want to, Alexander.”
Magnus lets the offer hang there as the temperature in the room kicks up a notch and turns away to drape the suit over the bed, but not before he sees the dip of Alec’s throat as he visibly swallows.
“Okay.” Alec’s voice is unusually breathy when he says it and Magnus can’t deny that he’s pleased at Alec’s reaction.
Alec perches on the end of his bed with his back to Magnus, which Magnus takes as his cue to get changed. He starts unbuttoning his vest - rich plum, one of his favourites - and lays it on the bed beside the suit. After that he takes off his shirt and pants, the sound of the zipper and every rustle of fabric magnified in the otherwise silent room, just the rain pelting down outside.
He can’t help glancing over at Alec, who’s still staring at the wall in front of him. The tips of his ears have gone pink and Magnus feels a rush of pleasure at the reaction.
He quickly pulls his socks off, then glances down. Should he...? He doesn’t exactly know what superhero protocol is regarding wearing underwear and the thought of asking Alec is oddly mortifying.
Magnus clears his throat and decides to keep them on; it’s not like it matters, really, because he’s just trying the suit on. He steps forward and lifts the suit off the bed, turning it over with gentle fingers to find the opening at the back.
It’s surprisingly easy to get on and fits comfortably. The suit has a pitch black outer shell that protects his chest, hips and forearms, and underneath that there’s a lightweight layer of something like kevlar in a deep, rich purple. A stylised lightning bolt starts at each shoulder and their points meet just in the middle of his abs.
Magnus can’t take his eyes off his reflection, smiling disbelievingly. The suit is incredible - he looks amazing - and he trusts that it will keep him safe when he actually gets out in the world to do something good with his powers. It’s like nothing he’s ever felt before.
“Can I look?” Alec asks.
Magnus swallows, throat still thick with emotion, then manages a short verbal affirmation. Alec waits a moment longer then turns around, eyes going wide as he drinks Magnus in.
“Wow,” he says, more a breath than anything, and then he bites his lip as if he hadn’t meant to let that escape. Magnus grins at him and spins slowly, mostly still looking in the mirror but also for Alec’s benefit.
“What do you think?” he asks, allowing his tone to veer towards flirtatious to hide the nervousness he’s really feeling.
Alec’s smile turns soft. “You look incredible. You’re - yeah.”
“I’m what?” Magnus asks, as Alec changes direction mid sentence. Alec groans and huffs a laugh.
“Nothing. I was gonna make a bad joke.”
Magnus moves closer to him, smiling widely. “Now you have to tell me.”
Alec smothers his face with his hands. “Fine.” The words come out muffled. “I was gonna say you don’t need powers to knock people out because you’re drop dead gorgeous.”
Magnus tips his head back and laughs loudly, truly delighted by Alec.
“Alexander,” Magnus says fondly. He steps even closer, between Alec’s legs, and gently pries Alec’s hands away from his face, holding them in his own.
Alec’s pupils are blown wide as he looks at Magnus and his tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip. It’s still pouring outside and Magnus is thrown back to another rainy night where one of them was wearing a supersuit and the other was hopelessly enchanted.
Magnus cups Alec’s jaw with one hand, gazing into his eyes.
“D’you remember our first kiss?” he asks.
Alec’s lips curve upwards.
“On your balcony?” he asks. When Magnus shakes his head, he says, “or when you kissed Spidey?”
“Someone had to,” Magnus says loftily, “for the good of the city. Just doing my civic duty.”
“Magnus,” Alec laughs. “You don’t need an excuse. I wasn’t complaining.”
Magnus hums and strokes his thumb over Alec’s lip, the little shiver it elicits from Alec sending a rush of heat down Magnus’ spine.
“I don’t think I can hang upside down,” Magnus says.
Alec’s voice is so deliciously low when he murmurs, “I think you could do anything you put your mind to.”
Magnus shouldn’t be surprised by Alec saying these things by now, but he can’t help the way his heart skips a beat at the admission. Alec has barely even done anything and Magnus knows he’s too far gone for him already, but he doesn’t care.
He slowly leans in, bringing his other hand up to cup Alec’s face too. Alec’s eyes flutter shut and he tilts his head to meet Magnus halfway; when he finally kisses Magnus, everything goes quiet and then roars back into life with an explosion of colour.
It feels like, finally . It’s been so long that Magnus had almost forgotten how it feels to be kissed by Alexander Lightwood, and held like he’s a precious thing. The last time they’d done this - God, it was months ago, and that means that they have lost time to make up for.
Magnus lets himself be taken under by the warmth of Alec’s hands on his hips, the indulgent slide of Alec’s lips over his own, the tickling touch of Alec’s breath on his face.
Alec tugs Magnus towards him, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him onto the bed too. Knees on either side of Alec’s hips, Magnus steadies himself with a hand on Alec’s shoulder, and then tilts Alec’s chin with his other hand so he can kiss him again.
Magnus loses himself in it, giving in to everything he’s feeling for Alec, and that’s when it happens. A sharp jolt of electricity zings through him, making the room go dark, and he jerks his hands away from Alec as if he’d been burnt.
“What -?” Alec asks, blinking heavily as Magnus scrambles away from him. He looks most put out that he’s no longer being kissed.
“Did I hurt you?” Magnus asks shakily, staring down at his palms. His powers feel like they’ve gone haywire, energy skating across his skin and dissipating in a burst of sparks. The lightning bolts on his chest are glowing in the darkness.
“I - what?” Alec asks again. “No. What do you mean?”
“The light, I -”
Alec turns owlishly in the gloom of the room to look at his bedside light.
“Bulb must have blown,” he says, reaching across Magnus to turn the switch on and off.
“I think it was me,” Magnus says quietly.
Alec raises his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Magnus shakes his head, crossing his arms across his chest to hide the sparks. “I lost control of my powers.”
Alec doesn’t say anything for a terrible moment, and when Magnus looks at him, expecting the worst, Alec is looking at him in fond disbelief.
“Because we were making out?” he asks. There’s something in his tone Magnus can’t quite identify.
Magnus glances away, shame prickling at the back of his neck. “You said it yourself. It’s not about thinking. It’s about feeling.”
“Magnus, hey,” Alec says, cradling Magnus’ head in one of his hands and turning his face towards him, “what’s wrong?”
Magnus draws in a breath and glances down. He’d thought he’d got his powers under control, but the amount that Alec makes him feel can be overwhelming at times. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to keep Alec safe, especially if the danger was posed by Magnus’ own powers. Just thinking about him makes him shudder.
“Maybe we should...slow down,” he says hesitantly.
Alec looks briefly surprised before his expression shifts into one of resolution. “Okay, whatever you need.” He shifts slightly, brow furrowing. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” Magnus says immediately. “No, far from it. I’m just…” He sighs and shakes his head again. Alec waits for him to speak, fingers idly playing with Magnus’ hair. “I’m scared I might hurt you.”
Alec blinks at him. “You won’t,” he says resolutely. “I trust you.” Then, softer, he adds, “Nothing you could do would make me scared of you.”
Magnus looks at him, sees the sincerity reflected in his gaze, and it makes him relax enough to shuffle closer to Alec so they’re sitting together side by side.
He leans his head on Alec’s shoulder with a smile and Alec takes Magnus’ hands in his own.
“Also, uh, it didn’t scare me,” Alec adds, and Magnus hears, rather than sees, the smile in his voice.
Magnus frowns lightly. He can’t quite see the point Alec is making.
When Magnus doesn’t say anything, Alec continues, “The power you have, it’s…”
Oh. Magnus gets the same rush he did when he told Alec about taking out the power for his block all those weeks ago; it’s a heady thing, knowing Alec is in awe of him.
“...it’s so hot.”
Magnus blinks.
“Wait, it turned you on ?” he asks, scandalised in the best way possible.
Alec squirms momentarily. “Well, yeah.” Said like it’s obvious.
Magnus can’t help laughing, finding it cathartic after his earlier display of vulnerability. When he lifts his head, Alec is watching him with a tender smile.
“You okay?” he murmurs. Magnus nods, squeezing his hand. “Good.”
“Are you? Magnus asks.
Alec smiles and kisses his temple.
“Yeah.” He slips an arm around Magnus’ shoulder and rests his head against Magnus’ own. There’s a pause, and then he asks, “So, d’you wanna order takeout?”
The sudden change of direction throws Magnus and turns to frown at Alec. “For later, you mean?” he asks.
“No, for now,” Alec says, brow crinkling. “You said we should slow down.”
“Right.” Magnus nods. “I did say that.”
He’s not sure what changed, exactly, because he still isn’t sure he can keep control of his powers when he’s pressed up against Alec and being kissed breathless, but it’s a relief to know that it didn’t hurt Alec or scare him away. If anything, it did the opposite. Knowing that now, Magnus is more than happy to return to their earlier activities.
He meets Alec’s eye and a spark of heat flies between them; Alec gets on board remarkably quickly.
“Or you could kiss me again,” he says, tilting his chin ever so slightly, and Magnus grins at him.
“How could I say no to that?”
Magnus leans in and kisses Alec slowly, like they have all the time in the world. He can feel it all the way down to his toes and, when Alec lets out a quiet moan, he wonders how he went so long without doing this.
Alec slides his hands over Magnus’ chest, kissing him more insistently, nipping at his lip. Magnus reclines back on the bed and takes Alec with him, running his hands over Alec’s back under his sweater and mapping out the firm muscles there. It’s ridiculous, really, that Alec is still wearing his sweater, so together they pull it over his head and it gets tossed somewhere on the floor.
Magnus takes the opportunity to shamelessly check Alec out. Alec’s chest is peppered with different scars from his heroic Spiderman acts - some bruises are still healing around his ribs, most likely from the recent fight with the Demon, and as Magnus leans in to place a gentle kiss on a smaller bruise on Alec’s shoulder, he can’t help but think how lucky he is that Alec survived that fight.
Alec is alive and here in his arms and Magnus is so grateful he gets to be with this gorgeous man.
He leans up and catches Alec’s lips again, kissing him slow and deep. When he pulls away, he cups Alec’s face between his hands.
“You are so beautiful, Alexander,” Magnus says, and the way Alec blushes makes Magnus’ tummy flip in happiness.
As they get comfortable again their noses bump and they both giggle, pulling back only to smile at each other. Then Alec is kissing him again and it feels so good that Magnus might burst.
“Magnus,” Alec whispers against his jaw.
Magnus opens his eyes, feeling a little dazed. Alec is beaming down at him.
“Your sparks.”
He’s right - a small shower of sparks is dancing around his hands, landing on Alec’s skin. Alec stops Magnus before he can yank his hands away.
“Doesn’t hurt. Feels good.” He punctuates each word with a kiss trailed down Magnus’ neck.
Emboldened by Alec’s words, Magnus sweeps his hands over the planes of Alec’s back, letting sparks fall gently from his fingertips. Alec shivers at the touch and presses closer to him, clever hands slipping beneath his back to help Magnus get out of his super suit.
Once the top half of Magnus’ suit is off, Magnus pulls Alec back down into a deep and loving kiss, losing himself in Alec’s warmth and care.
-----
The next morning, Magnus has his arms around Alec’s waist, distracting him from the rather mundane task of locking the apartment door by pressing sweet kisses to Alec’s cheek, the corner of his mouth, the underside of his jaw, when they’re joined by another.
The red-headed newcomer steps out of Magnus’ old apartment, and for a moment it’s like Magnus has been kicked in the stomach, because why was someone in his apartment?
But then he remembers that he hasn’t lived there in months, and that it’s maybe changed hands several times since he left - this is New York, after all.
“Oh,” the man says, pulling up short. He eyes Magnus for a moment too long. With a slightly erratic laugh: “Sorry to interrupt. Morning, Alec.”
“Hi Sebastian,” Alec says, turning around and sending Magnus an apologetic look as he does so.
Sebastian doesn’t look like he’s making any moves to leave; instead, he launches into a story about his week. Magnus notices his movements seem a little hindered when he gesticulates, but he doesn’t know Sebastian well enough to know if he’s usually like this.
“Anyway, enough about me,” Sebastian says. “How are you?”
Alec shares a glance with Magnus. “Uh, good thanks,” he says, polite if a little gruff. When Sebastian smiles eagerly at him and nods to Magnus, Alec startles. He gestures to Magnus. “Right, this is my...we were - uh, it’s -”
“I’m his boyfriend,” Magnus cuts in fondly, holding up a hand to ease Alec’s adorable floundering. He’s immensely pleased when Alec smiles broadly at Magnus’ words and takes his hand.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Alec says softly, eyes on Magnus.
“Oh, it’s Magnus, isn’t it?” Sebastian asks, his tone friendly. Alec’s eyes swivel to Sebastian and his brow furrows. At Alec’s look, Sebastian adds, “Sorry, I just assumed from all the times you’ve mentioned Magnus before that...” he trails off. “Did I say something wrong?”
Magnus watches Alec carefully for a moment then shakes his head. “No, not at all. My name is Magnus. Nice to meet you, Sebastian.”
“You too,” he says. With a look to the side, he suddenly switches gear. “Well, I should get to work. Have a good day!”
He heads off down the corridor, hand raised in a wave. Alec is watching him go, eyes narrowed, something clearly on his mind.
“He’s...interesting,” Magnus says, giving Alec the opening if he wants to talk about whatever’s brewing.
“One word for it,” Alec says with a snort. He sighs, still frowning. “I’ve never mentioned you to him by name.”
“Does he know we were together when I lived here? Maybe he got some of my mail or something.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Alec says, chewing his lip. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m overthinking. I just think it’s strange he knew your name, that’s all.”
They set off down the corridor towards the stairs, but before they’ve got halfway Alec is tugging him urgently to a stop.
His eyes are wide when he looks at Magnus.
“I don’t mean it’s strange because I’m ashamed of you or anything. It’s not like that, not at all.” He shakes his head. “Just - I don’t even know him, not really. He’s just my weird ass neighbour.”
Magnus smiles, his heart feeling like it’s tripping. The admission is sweet and reassuring - unnecessarily, and he tells Alec so.
“It’s alright, Alexander,” he says, reaching a hand up to smooth it over Alec’s chest. “I know what you meant, and I know you’re a private person.”
“Okay, good,” Alec says, his expression serious as he regards Magnus. He seems determined as he continues, “Because I could never be ashamed of you. The opposite . You know that, right? I know we literally just got back together but I wanna swing up to the tallest building in the city and shout out to everyone that you’re my boyfriend.”
His cheeks glow rosy pink in the watery morning sunlight as he finishes his sentence. Magnus adores him.
“Alexander...” he starts, then finds there’s a lump in his throat and he can’t finish whatever he was about to say.
He gives up and kisses Alec instead, pressing him back against the wall and crowding hungrily into his space, relishing the feel of Alec’s hands as they splay across his lower back, keeping him grounded.
Alec kisses him back, insistent, wanting. He’s breathing heavier than normal when they pull back, hazel eyes bright. Magnus smooths his thumb along Alec’s cheek, a small action that hides the enormity of everything he feels for Alexander.
“You’ll be late,” Alec says reluctantly, dropping another kiss to Magnus’ lips, then another, as if he just can’t help himself.
Magnus sighs. “Do I really need to go to work?”
Alec laughs. “Come on. I’ll walk you. It’s romantic.”
At that, Magnus laughs too; Alec’s bluntness will be the end of him, one day. Until then, he’s quite content to lace his fingers with Alec’s and stroll to work with him, soaking up the pleasure of the little things.
“Did Sebastian move in recently?” Magnus asks, as they cross the street outside the apartment block. “He seemed a bit awkward around you.”
Alec shakes his head. “He moved in straight after you, uh - after you left.”
Magnus accepts this with a nod, but he doesn’t miss the way Alec’s tone shifts as he stumbles over his words: the barely hidden flash of pain, well-hidden under a layer of feigned nonchalance.
“We never really talked about...that,” Magnus says gently.
“What’s there to say?” Alec asks immediately. “I get why you had to leave.”
“I probably could have dealt with it better,” Magnus admits after a pause, the words excruciating to force out.
“You were grieving,” Alec points out.
Magnus pulls him to a stop, ignoring the squawks of put out New Yorkers around them.
“I should have said goodbye. It must have hurt you - I know it would have hurt me, if the situation was reversed.”
Alec gives a little shrug and starts to disagree, but Magnus holds up a hand.
“I wanted to say something to you then. I tried to leave a note, but every time I tried to write it down I’d just stare at the blank page and get so frustrated with myself that I felt even worse.”
“It’s fine,” Alec says firmly, taking the hand Magnus is holding up in his own. He presses a kiss to Magnus’ knuckles, expression turning apologetic at the edges. “It - it did hurt, you’re right. But I get it. I’m not gonna hold it against you.”
Magnus smiles at him, though it’s tinged with sadness. His good mood has deflated somewhat and he feels like there’s more to say, but he can’t voice the words.
“Besides,” Alec adds, smiling properly, “you’re here now.”
Magnus tilts his head to kiss Alec softly, just a whisper. “And that’s just where I want to stay,” he murmurs, when they part.
Alec is biting back a grin when Magnus opens his eyes. “What, on this sidewalk?”
Magnus nudges him with his elbow and rolls his eyes. “No, with you, Alexander,” he says, playing up his exasperation.
Alec ducks his head, a pleased look blooming on his face that has Magnus’ earlier happiness returning, and he kisses Magnus again chastely.
“All these romantic declarations really will make you late for work, y’know,” Alec says.
Magnus huffs a laugh and tugs Alec along. “Come on then.”
They walk to Magnus’ work together, conversation drifting easily from topic to topic. Magnus hadn’t realised quite how much he’d missed this: before he and Alec were together, they were friends - good friends - and now the hole he carved in his life by leaving Alec behind is starting to heal.
At Alec’s insistence they stop for coffee and pastries on the way. Alec heads into the shop to order and Magnus is about to follow him when he spots an old lady at the side of the road, struggling to carry all her shopping bags and keep hold of her walking stick. Magnus helps her across the street and sees her into a cab, then jogs back to the shop to meet Alec, who’s watching him with a fond smile.
“See?” Alec says, raising a brow. “You don’t need powers to be a hero.”
Magnus shoves him playfully and then takes the coffee Alec bought him. “Sweet talker.”
They’re nearly at Magnus’ office when Alec clears his throat, opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again. Magnus smiles at the sight and takes a patient sip of his coffee, knowing Alec will plow on until he finds the words, regardless.
“Have you, uh - heard anything from your father?” Alec asks eventually, with a glance to the side.
“No,” Magnus says with a sigh. “I want to keep my distance, but there’s something in the back of my mind telling me that he might know something about the Demon. He was involved in Idris Corp, after all.”
Alec nods slowly. “In my experience, the truth has always come out. Jace said something to me once - ‘secrets have a cost’. That was true for Valentine, it was true for my parents.”
“And my uncle. You think it will be true for my father?” Magnus asks, chewing on his lip.
“I don’t know,” Alec says, with a shrug. “Maybe. He’s avoided getting hurt so far, but I don’t wanna see you pay his price. You need to do what’s best for you.”
They keep walking. Magnus doesn’t pay much attention to the journey, deep in thought, until Alec puts a hand on his elbow and tugs softly. As he glances around, Magnus realises they’re outside his new office.
“I lost you for a second there,” Alec says, but there’s a gentle smile on his face. Magnus can’t help but want to kiss him.
You can do that now , a little voice in his head tells him, and he leans forward slowly, watching Alec’s eyes shut in anticipation for the kiss. It makes a different kind of electricity run through Magnus’ veins as he closes the gap between them, kissing Alec honey-sweet.
When Magnus pulls away, Alec’s eyes flutter open, the smile still on his face.
“What was that for?” he asks, and Magnus shrugs.
“Do I really need an excuse to kiss my boyfriend?” Magnus replies, and the way Alec’s smile widens at the casual use of the word ‘boyfriend’ makes Magnus’ heart do a little flip.
“You never need an excuse to kiss me,” Alec says, leaning in again. He presses his lips to Magnus’, sliding his hand around Magnus’ waist, and Magnus almost forgets they’re on the sidewalk outside his office until someone clears their throat rather pointedly beside them.
He breaks away from Alec regretfully and turns to face whoever interrupted them. Standing there with one eyebrow arched, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail, is Lorenzo Rey.
“Ah, Lorenzo,” Magnus says pleasantly, biting back a smile, “good morning. This is my boyfriend, Alec. Alec - this is Lorenzo, my boss.”
Alec’s eyes go wide as he looks at Magnus, and then he’s grinning while he shakes Lorenzo’s hand.
“Good to meet you, Mr Rey,” he says. His lips twitch as he says it and Magnus can just tell Alec’s remembering all the dumb stories Magnus has told him about Lorenzo and their rivalry at Idris Corp.
Lorenzo surveys Alec, then turns to Magnus. “We start at 9.30, Mr Bane,” he says, disapproval clear in his expression. “It’s 9.37.”
Alec holds up the bag of croissants, ready to explain, but Magnus just smiles at Lorenzo.
“Of course. My apologies for being late, Lorenzo. What kept you this morning?”
Lorenzo clenches his jaw and heads into the building with a shake of his head while Alec stifles a laugh beside Magnus.
“You know you’re gonna get fired,” Alec teases, even as he pulls Magnus close once more.
Magnus curls his lip. “No, I’m not,” he says, with a dismissive air, “because how else would he be able to pass off my work as his own?”
Alec rolls his eyes good-naturedly, leaning down to kiss Magnus’ cheek. His lips brush Magnus’ ear, sending tingles down his spine, when he says, “You know, I kinda like the fact that my boyfriend is always the smartest person in the room.”
“I know you do,” Magnus says smugly. Alec’s hands link across his lower back, keeping them pressed close together.
They stand there for a moment longer, each gravitating towards the other, when Magnus finally finds the strength to pull away from Alec.
“Go, go! Or I really will be late.” He shoos Alec away and then turns to head into his office, but not without a backwards glance. Alec blows him a kiss, and the way he smiles at Magnus just then has Magnus walking on air for the rest of the day.
-----
Azazel releases a barely audible sigh of relief when he steps into the courtroom from the side door and sees Asmodeus sitting amongst the sparse crowd in the gallery. He’s a row back from the bar with no one in front of him, giving him a clear view over the judge’s bench. He’s surveying it passively, but turns ever so slightly to incline his head at Azazel when he spots him.
More dignified than wrestling with the guard as he unlocks Azazel’s handcuffs, Azazel greets his lawyer and then unbuttons his suit jacket before sitting down at the defendant’s table. He doesn’t look back at Asmodeus - such a show of weakness, neediness, wouldn’t do - but he can feel the weight of his brother’s gaze on him and it gives him strength. Azazel isn’t worried, exactly. He’s already been acquitted once on the gross negligence charge that he took the fall for on behalf of EDOM, but spending all this time in court is more than a minor inconvenience.
The judge begins the session, inviting opening statements from Azazel’s counsel and the district attorney. The charges are against him, Azazel, this time - some bullshit about a protection racket he’s been running, as if he’d resort to such clichéd methods to get what he wants. Extortion is barely a crime, anyway. He clearly needs to have a chat with some of his acquaintances: they probably heard of his first arrest and thought getting out from under him would be easy with him distracted. No such luck.
The judge presiding over this case oversaw the last, too, and Azazel can’t help the smirk he doesn’t bother hiding as he watches the court session play out. The Nerakas’ connections in the upper echelons of New York society are unbridled. Azazel and Asmodeus both had known the judge through his roommate in college, and Asmodeus had made a point of catching up with the judge over a private dinner in an exclusive club the night before Azazel’s first trial.
As the trial continues, Azazel surveys each member of the jury. People are so easy to manipulate. Even when that manipulation falls through, it’s not hard to bend the system to your will if you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty. Asmodeus is careful, but he’d done that for Azazel. Neither man has a clear conscience, but there is little Azazel wouldn’t do to protect his brother.
He knows Asmodeus would do the same for him.
He makes eye contact with one of the jury members who’s staring right at him. An Asian man who looks to be in his thirties; looking at him, Azazel is reminded of his nephew. With no other heirs in the Neraka family, he knows it pained Asmodeus to lose his son to the boy’s mother. Together, they could have accomplished great things, taught Magnus everything they know - but Alissa had laughed in their face and told them that would happen over her dead body.
Azazel had raised a contemplative eyebrow at that, but there was something thunderous in Asmodeus’ answering expression, and he knew that Alissa and Magnus would be forever out of his reach for as long as Asmodeus lived. His brother was a fool, letting his love for them weaken him like that, but Azazel respected the order anyway.
Court adjourns for the jury deliberations and then returns to session; Azazel is bored of going through the motions by now. He catches a shared glance between the judge and Asmodeus as the judge takes his seat ready to hear the verdict, and smiles, secure in the knowledge of what’s to come.
The presiding juror stands to announce the jury’s verdict. Azazel pays them little attention, lightly tapping out a rhythm on the underside of the defendant’s table.
“We, the jury, find the defendant to be guilty.”
The word rings in Azazel’s ears as he sits up straight, on edge for the first time since his trial began. It’s not over yet - it could go to retrial, or he could be acquitted again - but this is a deviation from the script that he wasn’t expecting.
He glances at the judge and sees a barely imperceptible nod of his head at someone in the gallery. An insistent, repeated sound breaks through Azazel’s alarm and confusion: the continuous tap of a cane on a wooden floor. Azazel shifts round in his seat, mouth open.
Asmodeus’ composed figure walks out of the courtroom, entirely unaffected.
-----
A week or so later, Magnus gets a text from Luke asking to meet up - he has a new development in his research that he’d like to share. Always happy to see his old friend, Magnus agrees to meet him at the Jade Wolf, a divey Chinese restaurant that Luke loves.
The air has an icy bite to it as Magnus walks up the pathway to the restaurant and he shivers, burrowing further inside his scarf and rubbing his gloved hands together. It’s just tipped into December and with the chill things have started to get festive; he can’t deny that he’s looking forward to being able to spend the holiday season with Alec as a couple and sharing the joy with all their friends and family.
Reminders of Raphael will be there at every turn, from walking the holiday markets to volunteering at the soup kitchen with him, but it’s also a time for Magnus to make new traditions.
Magnus has just reached the door of the Jade Wolf when he hears his name being called. Alec is jogging up to the restaurant, a woolen beanie perched adorably over his hair, and Magnus’ heart melts at the sight despite the chilly weather.
“Hey,” Alec says, smiling as he reaches him. He gives Magnus a quick kiss in greeting, a gesture so casual and domestic that Magnus can’t help grinning, and then holds the door open for Magnus.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Magnus says as they step through into the restaurant. Luke lifts a hand in greeting when he spots them and they start winding their way over to him.
“Yeah, Luke called,” Alec says. “It’s - uh. I don’t know. I guess I can help him explain it.”
Magnus pauses. “You know what he’s going to tell me?”
Alec nods, but doesn’t have time to answer before they reach Luke. After a round of friendly hellos and some small talk whilst they check out the menus and order, Luke clears his throat.
“Thanks for coming out, both of you,” he says.
“No problem,” Magnus says. With a short glance around them at the other diners, he adds, “You said you wanted to talk about your research?”
Luke turns to Magnus with a serious gaze. “Yeah. I know you weren’t a fan of Simon’s suggestion that the Demon might be linked to Valentine in some way, but it gave me something new to explore. I think I know how they’re connected.”
Magnus raises his eyebrows and nods for Luke to continue.
“At the start I focussed on Idris Corp and Valentine’s professional life,” Luke says. “I knew him personally, and I thought that was enough. Like you said, Magnus, he didn’t have any family.”
A chill runs down Magnus’ spine that has nothing to do with the cold weather. The thought of there being another Valentine enrages and terrifies him in equal measure.
“What did you find?” Magnus asks, dread squeezing tightly in his tummy. Alec takes his hand under the table, a move that would reassure him if he didn’t know Alec already knew what Luke was about to say.
“A birth certificate,” Luke says. “Valentine had a son that none of us knew about.”
“Holy shit,” Magnus breathes. He’d thought one of Valentine was monstrous enough for one lifetime, and now there’s someone else they might have to face. He glances down, gripping the table with his free hand. “Has he been in New York this whole time?”
Luke sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “It’s hard to say - so much of what I can find is redacted - but I don’t think so. As far as I can tell, the son was raised in England and went to some kind of military boarding school.”
“Sounds like just the kind of loving childhood I’d expect someone like Valentine to provide,” Magnus says, and Alec snorts beside him. “Is that all we know about him? How old is he? What’s his name?”
Alec and Luke share an uncomfortable glance that sets Magnus even more on edge.
“His name is Jonathan Christopher,” Alec starts, “same as Jace.”
“What?” Magnus asks, shocked.
“Yeah,” Alec says, more a huff of breath than anything. “He’s a couple of years younger than Jace, but it’s - it was too much of a coincidence not to mean something. Not when Valentine was involved.”
Magnus nods slowly, a thought having occurred to him. “You told me Valentine thought you only had one brother. I thought that meant he didn’t know Jace exists.”
“I did too, at first.” Alec glances at Luke. “But now we think there’s more to it. You see, the thing is, Mom and Dad never talked about why Jace came to live with us - just that his mom had died and his dad couldn’t look after him anymore. I always assumed that, I dunno, he suffered with depression after her death or something.”
There’s a momentary pause while their drinks arrive and then Luke picks up the story.
“Alec and I couldn’t work out how it all fitted together until I realised Jace was seven when the Lightwoods adopted him,” he says. “Years back there was a medical negligence case Valentine and Alec’s mom were involved in - Celine and Stephen Herondale. Celine got sick and agreed to participate in human trials at Idris Corp.”
With a sickening feeling, Magnus can tell where this story is going before Luke tells him the rest.
“She died during the trials, and Stephen sued Idris Corp. But the company’s lawyers overturned the case and accused him of using the trials to arrange the murder of his wife.” Luke glances furtively at Alec, then carries on. “It seems like they framed him. He ended up with a life sentence.”
“I didn’t realise when I was reading through all the documents,” Alec says bitterly. “I didn’t know what Jace’s parents were called, and the case filed never mentioned the Herondales’ son by name to protect him because he was a minor. All it said was that Celine was survived by her husband and seven year old son.”
“So...Valentine did know about Jace?” Magnus asks.
“He knew him as Celine and Stephen’s son,” Alec says, nodding. “But when my parents left Idris Corp and adopted Jace, it was all very sudden. I think they must have kept a secret - looking back now, it seems like we were almost living in hiding. That’s why Valentine didn’t know I had two brothers when he invited us all to dinner.” His expression grows hard. “I don’t know what he thought happened to the seven year old who just lost both his parents. He probably didn’t give a shit.”
“Does Jace know about this?” Magnus asks, his chest growing tight at the thought of Jace discovering the tragedy of his family history.
“Luke came round a couple of days ago to tell us,” Alec says heavily. “He’s pretty shaken up, but he’s doing okay.”
“Is Stephen still alive?” Magnus asks. “Can Jace get in touch with him?”
Luke grimaces. “Years ago he was scheduled to have a parole hearing. He was stabbed the day before during a prison fight and died from his injuries.” He scrubs a hand over his face. “That was the only incident of violence he was ever involved in.”
Magnus hears the unspoken and the sick feeling returns. “Valentine ordered a hit on him.”
Luke nods gravely. An unsettled silence falls over the three until their food arrives, but Magnus has mostly lost his appetite.
“I thought I knew Valentine Morgenstern was a piece of shit but…” Alec trails off, jaw clenched. “He keeps finding ways to fuck with our lives, even now he’s dead.”
They fall quiet again as they slowly start eating. The food is good but Magnus doesn’t pay too much attention, distracted by the concern and confusion gnawing at him.
“So, what about Valentine’s son, Jonathan? How does he fit in with our Jace? They’re not...related, or anything, are they?”
Luke shakes his head. “Not by blood, anyway,” he says. He sets his knife and fork down. “Even after Celine, Valentine wasn’t done with human trials - I mean, you know what happened to Dot. Alec noticed another case he was involved in where a young mom predeceased her son, and it seems he adopted the kid. The paper trail was buried but I’m pretty sure the child was Jonathan.”
“And his name?” Magnus asks, almost dreading the answer.
Alec’s jaw clenches. “Valentine changed the boy’s name to Jonathan Christopher weeks after the adoption went through.”
“Holy shit.” Magnus digests this in stunned silence.
“We don’t know much about Jonathan,” Luke says eventually. “I mean, it’s an informed guess that Valentine even adopted him, and we don’t know for sure that he’s the Demon.”
“I think the second part is a reasonable assumption based on the evidence,” Magnus says flatly. “Spiderman was there the night Valentine died. This new Demon has a vendetta against Spiderman, right?”
Luke nods. “I checked out all the police reports for any incidents where the damage reported matched the damage we know the Demon caused on the freeway. All the victims had some kind of connection to Spiderman, so I think the Demon must have been after information - though whether he got it, I don’t know. Alec, have you noticed anything strange going on recently?” At Alec’s raised eyebrow, he corrects, with a small smile, “anything stranger than you would have expected?”
“Not aside from Magnus and his powers,” Alec says, shaking his head.
“Okay, good. You should keep your guard up, anyway - it might be dangerous to operate under the assumption that Jonathan doesn’t know you’re Spiderman.”
Alec nods. “I’ll be careful.”
Magnus shoots him a look that Alec misses, but Luke doesn’t, judging by the way he snorts a laugh into his noodles.
“Our definitions of careful are probably quite different,” Luke says to Alec a moment later, a stern edge to his voice, and Magnus stifles a grin as Alec rolls his eyes.
They go back to their food, a contemplative, companionable silence falling over them as they eat. Magnus tries to relax into the moment and enjoy spending time with two of his friends, pushing the looming threat of the Demon to the back of his mind just for one night.
-----
Magnus watches as Izzy studies the lane, swaying from foot to foot before bowling an easy strike. Maia cheers for her loudly from her seat, shouting “That’s my baby!”, making Magnus laugh. He lets go of Alec’s hand so he can go and take his turn.
They needed this, Magnus reminds himself, watching Alec walk up to the lane. After hearing the unsettling truth about Jace and Valentine, Magnus and Alec had decided to do something more mundane - like going on a double date with Isabelle and Maia. Magnus realizes now more than ever that when leading a double life as a superhero, holding on to any semblance of normality is what will keep them sane.
Going to do something as casual as bowling also gives Magnus the chance to spend some time with Alec outside of the house where they can just be themselves. The silly flirting all night and gentle touches and sweet cheek kisses make Magnus feel like a young teenager who’s smitten with their first crush, but that’s just what Alec brings out in him.
When Alec bowls a spare, Magnus whoops, giving him a kiss as he comes back to sit at their table. They’re winning, but barely.
Izzy picks up a few pieces of popcorn as Maia goes to take her turn.
“You two complement each other well,” Alec says with a smile and Izzy grins back, looking grateful.
“Thank you,” she says. “I’m glad you guys got your shit together.”
Magnus flushes, but smiles, and Alec gives Izzy a look. She laughs softly and tosses a piece of popcorn at Alec’s face, which he catches with his mouth easily.
“All I need is one strike, just to prove to my younger self that I can bowl,” Maia said, sighing as she sits down.
Leaning over, Izzy kisses her cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you on the next turn.”
Magnus can’t see under that side of the table, but he’s pretty sure they’re holding hands. They’re sweet, the two of them, and Magnus can’t help but be happy for Izzy - be happy for himself too, for finding his way back to Alexander.
Magnus looks to Alec with a small grin. “Kiss for good luck?”
“As if you need it, Mister I’m-Good-At-Everything-I-Do,” Alec says, rolling his eyes with a playful smile on his face, but he kisses Magnus anyway.
Magnus walks away to grab a bowling ball from the ball machine. He chooses a dark navy one and takes a deep breath as he looks down the lane. With one quick step, he bowls the ball and earns himself a strike. Magnus smiles, pleased with himself as he heads back to the table.
“That was awesome,” Maia says with a chuckle, and Magnus send her a smile in gratitude, interlacing his fingers with Alexander’s.
“I’m so glad we’re getting to do this,” Izzy says, gazing across the table at Magnus and Alec. “I know it’s been - well, our schedules have been crazy, but I’m glad we could find some time to just hang out.”
“Agreed,” Alec says and Magnus nods. They chit chat for a little while about their respective jobs and exchange stories of one another. Magnus laughs particularly hard as Izzy tells them about baby Alec’s fear of the Easter bunny.
An hour or so later, they make their way to the train, lingering as they walk.
“We should do this again sometime,” Izzy says after hugging both Magnus and Alec.
“Yes, absolutely,” Magnus replies. “Maybe you can all come over my apartment and we can cook dinner.”
“That sounds awesome,” Maia says. “Get home safe, okay?!”
They all wave goodbye as Maia and Isabelle disappear into the subway station. Magnus takes Alec’s hand, intertwining their fingers.
They start slowly walking towards the bus they’re supposed to take when Magnus speaks up.
“How would you feel about grabbing some dessert before coming over? There’s this divine ice cream place I found with Dot a couple blocks down and -”
Magnus’ words are cut off as Alec kisses him, pushing him up against a random car on the street.
“Alec -” Magnus says, unable to keep the smile off his face as Alec cups his cheeks, kissing him deeper. Magnus pulls away a little, brushing his nose against Alec’s. “This is some stranger’s car.”
“Don’t care,” Alec says breathlessly, kissing Magnus again, slower this time and so intimate Magnus swears his heart starts beating faster.
They pull apart after a moment but remain close, their breaths mingling together.
“Do you have any idea how happy you make me?” Alec asks. His bluntness makes Magnus let out a shaky breath and he smiles.
“Alexander,” he says softly, putting his hands on Alec’s wrists and looking up to meet his eyes. There’s something brewing in his chest, a feeling of awe and adoration. A feeling Magnus hasn’t felt in so long, and yet - “You mean the world to me.”
Alec beams at him, dropping another kiss to Magnus’ lips.
“C’mon,” Alec says, grabbing Magnus’ hands and tugging him off the curb and down the path they were walking before. “You mentioned something about ice cream.”
“I did,” Magnus allows, hooking his arm through Alec’s, “but I think you’re sweet enough already.”
Alec’s bright laughter warms Magnus all the way home.