Malec Moments

Decompressing

Alec couldn't sleep. It was the small hours of the morning, and his body was still high on the adrenaline rush that only comes from demon hunting and he knew it could be hours before sleep finally claimed him.

The multicolored curtain that hung loosely over the window was pulled back slightly, allowing a sliver of light into the bedroom he shared with Magnus. Alec laid on his back, staring at the ceiling, watching the light cast moving shadows across the ceiling tiles. He briefly wondered if Magnus had been watching for him out of the window before he went to bed.

The hunt had been exciting, but routine. Fortunately, there had only been minor injuries. After the hunt, Jace, Clary, and Izzy had gone to Taki's to meet Simon and relax. Simon was not allowed to go Shadowhunting yet. He had only been in training for about six months or so, and most of his training had been academic thus far. He was doing well, learning runes, the history of Shadowhunters and the Shadow World, and the various weapons Shadowhunters used. But he was still a long way from Ascending or receiving his first runes.

Simon and Clary had recently moved into the Institute, once they turned eighteen. Maryse had reservations about her children living under the same roof as their significant others, but there wasn't much she could do. They had all agreed to take on Simon and oversee his training, and they were responsible for him now. The foursome had been given a pardon, of sorts, from the Clave. They were all allowed to stay at the New York Institute, since Clary and Simon both still had significant training to do.

Jace had invited Alec to go to Taki's with them, of course. "Like old times," he'd said. And Alec had been tempted. Tempted. But his heart wasn't in it. His heart was in Brooklyn.

Alec had hoped that he would get home before Magnus went to bed, but he was disappointed. Magnus was sleeping soundly when he arrived, laying on his side, one hand pillowing his head while the other stretched out toward Alec's side of the bed. His mouth was hanging open slightly and his eyes were moving behind his lids. He looked so peaceful that Alec hated to wake him. Alec kissed Magnus on the cheek, deciding that if he stirred, he would wake him, otherwise he would just let the warlock sleep. Magnus didn't move.

That's how Alec found himself in his current state. His veins were still humming with energy, his eyes wide awake, and his body wanting Magnus. He had discovered over the past year or so that his favorite release after demon hunting was s*x with Magnus. It was perfect really. In his already wired state, his senses were sharper, he felt more alive, and his release was utterly amazing. He cast a forlorn glance at Magnus's sleeping form.

It was not meant to be tonight.

So he settled for his second favorite way to decompress, which was not a close second, not at all. He unfocused his mind, letting images and memories flood him. At random, he chose a memory and smiled.

He was in the Accords Hall with Izzy and Simon. They were discussing Jace's father, Stephen Herondale, not Valentine. He was only partially listening to their conversation as he was busy scanning the crowd for Magnus. He couldn't find the warlock anywhere.

Simon said he had seen Magnus by the dais at the front of the room with Clary only moments before, but he wasn't there now. He saw his parents, the Penhallows, the Consul, and many other faces he recognized. It was strange to see the room so full of Downworlders, especially when they were huddled in groups with Shadowhunters, pairing off and applying Clary's Alliance rune. Downworlders receiving runes? He'd seen it all now, he thought.

Then, finally, when his anxiety was starting to reach its peak, his eyes lighted on Magnus. It was no wonder he'd had trouble finding him. Magnus's hair was pulled back from his face, not spiky as was the norm for him. His clothes were dark, with no hint of the vibrancies that usually adorned him. Alec felt a little sad to see Magnus like this but wasn't sure if that was an appropriate response given the circumstances.

"There he is," he said automatically and, as if he'd forgotten he was with his sister and Simon, he left without another word. He crossed the room to Magnus in no time, stopping in front of him and staring, silently, at the floor.

He was suddenly overcome by a feeling of awkwardness. They hadn't seen each other or been able to speak much in the last few days. The last real conversation they had was when they were fighting the Iblis demons, and Magnus had declared his love for Alec. Alec knew that he, too, was in love with Magnus, but had not yet told him. He was uncomfortable, and fidgeting, and had no idea how to handle this situation.

He could feel his palms sweating, his heart racing. What was he supposed to say to Magnus? Now hardly seemed the time for a declaration of love, and he doubted Magnus would believe it was real and not just a side effect of the imminent war.

He looked up at Magnus, whose face was a mixture of surprise, worry, and amusement. Alec thought Magnus likely had not expected to encounter him like this, in front of so many people. Not when Alec had been so careful at hiding their relationship.

But things had changed. They were about to go to war, and Alec didn't have time to worry about what other people thought of him and Magnus.

He smiled crookedly at Magnus. "Hi."

Magnus smiled back, a soft, encouraging expression on his face. "Hi," he countered.

Alec grabbed Magnus's arm. "Follow me," he said and pulled Magnus to a slightly less crowded area. No one seemed to be paying attention to them. "Will you be my partner?" he stated boldly.

Magnus's expression changed to surprise and then softened to a smile, in a flash. "I thought you'd never ask."

Magnus pulled up his sleeve and held out his hand to Alec. He had a piece of paper in his other hand, indicating the rune Alec was to draw. Still, with a sense of how bizarre the whole situation was, Alec took Magnus's hand and laid his stele against it. Magnus showed no reaction to the Mark being placed on him; if it was painful, Alec couldn't tell. Alec concentrated, hard, on the simple yet intricate details of the rune as he drew. Somewhere in his mind, he was conscious of the fact that he was standing so close to Magnus and touching him, in a very public place.

Magnus then held Alec's hand steady as he drew the rune on himself. When he was finished, Alec turned his hand slightly and the edges of the two runes lined up perfectly. He looked up at Magnus and grinned. The symbolism was not lost on either of them. They were connected, and they belonged together.

Magnus smiled mischievously and said, "You've Marked me as your own."

Alec flushed, of course. He was just learning to read Magnus's expressions, as their relationship was still so new, but he was fairly sure he knew what he saw. Magnus was worried about the battle and whether they would survive it. He was glad Alec had approached him about being partners. But mostly, Alec saw love. Magnus loved him, and it was written all over his face. And he loved Magnus, there was no question about that for Alec, not anymore.

And suddenly, his arms, seemingly of their own volition, were wrapping around Magnus and pulling him close, and he was kissing him. The world seemed to melt away. They were no longer standing in the Accords Hall, surrounded by Nephilim and Downworlders. There was no impending war with Valentine. His parents weren't standing across the Hall, staring at him. There was only Magnus and him, and their love.

He felt Magnus's posture stiffen at first like he was shocked by Alec's display, but then he responded to Alec, his lips moving against Alec's own. Alec tasted Magnus and breathed in his scent, the smell of sandalwood, and the burnt-sugar smell of magic.

Way too soon, the kiss was over. Magnus backed away, only slightly. He looked at Alec with a mixture of amusement and respect, and love. Always love.

"I have to go make the Portal now," he said regretfully. "I'll see you soon."

He turned to go, but stopped and spun on his heel back to Alec. He quickly kissed Alec's cheek, whispered, "I love you," and then he was gone.

Alec stared after him for a few moments, then, realizing he did not need to stay in the Accords Hall, not when he had already been Marked and others were filing out onto the lawn, he followed Magnus. He arrived in time to see the blue-flamed Portal appear and the first of the Nephilim-Downworlder pairings disappear through it. He stood next to Magnus, and for the first time, felt like he belonged.

Magnus took his hand, a grim smile on his face, and they stepped through the Portal. Alec didn't know what to expect from the Alliance rune, and he mulled over the possibilities as he waited for the battle to begin. He didn't have to wait long.

The sky erupted with screeches, as dark, wispy shapes pummeled the figures on Brocelind Plains. Alec and Magnus shared a look before rushing headlong into the melee. Alec had his bow at the ready but quickly discarded that idea as they were surrounded by demons. There was too much risk of hitting someone on his side with an errant arrow, not that he every really missed his mark. He saw blue flames ignite on Magnus's fingertips as he pulled a seraph blade and a throwing dagger from his weapon's belt.

There were so many demons in the field, Alec had no time or inclination to name them. He ran his blade through the first demon he saw and was taken aback by the result. The stab was not clean, so the demon should not have died. But it did. It was engulfed in the blue flames of Magnus's magic and vanished immediately. Alec stared in disbelief at the blank space left by the demon, but only for a moment, as another demon quickly filled its place.

The new demon was monstrous, nearly double the size of Alec. As it towered over him, he could see the only weak spot, the only c***k in the armor covering the creature, was under its chin. He had never had Jace's skill with throwing knives, but he knew that was his only chance. He drew back and launched the knife at the demon.

As soon as the dagger left his hand, he could see that it would miss its mark. Suddenly, the dagger, glowing blue, flew straight and true into the demon's weakest point, killing it instantly.

Alec looked at Magnus, convinced now that Magnus was doing something to assist him. But Magnus's back was turned. He was fighting several demons at once, blue flames shooting from his fingers and knocking down demons left and right. As Alec watched, he saw a demon lash out at Magnus, and Magnus leap deftly out of its path. He had never seen Magnus move like that before. The movement reminded him of Jace, of the finesse and grace with which Jace always moved.

Then reality struck him. It wasn't Jace that Magnus was moving like, it was him, it was Alec. He'd never thought of himself as being as graceful as Jace, but he was a Shadowhunter, too, and a fairly skilled one at that. And he now shared those skills with Magnus, and Magnus shared his magic with him. They were a team. They were partners.

Alec caught movement from the corner of his eye, whirled around and slices the head of a demon, his seraph blade glowing with a faint blue tint. He turned, ready for the next attack, but it never came. Just like that, the fight was over. Just as he had started to enjoy himself and his borrowed powers.

Everyone glanced around in disbelief, wondering why the demons had disappeared so quickly. A moment later, Magnus had his hands on Alec, searching for injuries that weren't there. Satisfied that Alec was alright, he took Alec's hand in his and they started the journey back to Alicante.

The memory had done the trick. Alec's eyes were heavy, his heart rate had settled, his veins no longer humming. Alec glanced over at Magnus, still sleeping soundly on their bed. He laced his fingers in Magnus's, just wanting to feel his touch, curled up next to Magnus, and drifted off to sleep.