Malec Moments

The Book

Alec dumped his bow and quiver of arrows in the corner of the living room. He was covered in demon ichor and blood, though fortunately, no serious injuries had been sustained in the hunt. He knew he smelled, terribly, and was desperately looking forward to a shower.

Magnus was lounging on the couch, already in his pajamas, with a book propped on his knees. His normally spiky hair was flat and hanging gracefully in his eyes, a small lock tucked behind his ear. Alec liked this look just as much as when Magnus went through all the trouble to look nice. This was Magnus, the real Magnus that no one else was privy to, natural, raw, and still just as beautiful. Alec felt a stirring in his abdomen as Magnus looked up at him with those beautiful green-gold cat eyes.

"What are you reading?" Alec asked, shedding the outer layer of his protective gear.

Magnus sat up and closed the book, not bothering to mark his page. He slid it under a throw pillow, out of sight, as he answered Alec. "It's called How to Seduce a Shadowhunter," Magnus said in his silky voice he loved to use on Alec.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need that?"

Magnus shrugged. "Ideas," he said with a sexy smirk.

Alec chuckled. "Well, what does it say?" he said as he slunk toward Magnus, playing along with his little game.

Magnus looked up at him with a critical eye. "First, it says when your Shadowhunter comes home from a demon hunt covered in blood and ichor, let him take a shower," Magnus said, wrinkling up his nose in distaste.

Alec laughed at that. He leaned down and kissed Magnus briefly before promising to be back as quickly as possible.

Alec let the hot, steamy water flow over his skin, washing away the dirt and grime he had accumulated. He thought of the book Magnus was reading and couldn't think of a reason for Magnus to be reading it. They were more than two years into their marriage, and their s*x life was still amazing. Magnus was a skilled and very capable lover, and oftentimes very inventive, and Alec had certainly never given him a reason to doubt that. Why would he need to consult a book for ideas about s*x? Alec thought.

As he toweled himself dry, then padded across the hall to their bedroom, these thoughts kept circulating in his mind. He sincerely hoped he had not made Magnus feel like their lovemaking was lacking in any way. But when he opened the door to the bedroom, all thoughts of insecurities and books flew out the window.

Every surface of their bedroom was covered in candles, short tea lights, long tapers, scented candles in a jar. The glow of the tiny flames cast dancing shadows on the walls, creating a romantic atmosphere. The heady scent of sandalwood mixed with a floral aroma added to the ambiance.

Alec's eyes fell on Magnus. He was sprawled on the bed, completely naked, his tan skin contrasting nicely against the deep purple color of the silk sheets, the color made deeper by the dim, flickering light. Alec's eyes traveled the full length of Magnus's body, taking in the gentle ridges of his chest muscles, the smoothness of his abdomen unmarred by a navel, the slight tapering of his waist, all the while marveling at its perfection and his luck that the warlock was his, and his alone.

"Is this what that book claimed was step two in seducing a Shadowhunter?" Alec asked, his lips twitching at the corners.

Magnus hummed. "I skipped a few steps," he said with a grin. His whole face lit as he stared at Alec, his desire evident.

Alec was suddenly aware that the only thing separating his body from Magnus was about ten feet of open-air and the towel around his waist, neither of which were substantial. He crossed the room hastily, and Magnus immediately grabbed the corners of the towel, freeing them, and using the towel to gently tug Alec toward him.

Alec overbalanced and fell, gracefully, on top of Magnus. Magnus discarded the towel, it has serviced its purpose after all and went to work on Alec's body. Magnus's fingers tenderly traced the runes on Alec's chest, finding his sensitive spots, and sending thrills up and down his spine. Alec moaned as Magnus's hands traveled along his ribs and over the gentle swell of his backside.

"I think it's working," Magnus said, with a grin as his mouth inched closer to Alec's.

Alec closed the distance between their lips in a passionate kiss. He ran his tongue along Magnus's lips, making the warlock shudder and tighten his grip on Alec. Alec parted his lips, as Magnus did the same, and their tongues grazed each other in a slow, sensual dance.

Magnus let out a wanton moan as Alec trailed searing kisses along the sharp edge of his jaw to the hollow below his ear. Alec whispered, "I think you better keep that book," into Magnus's ear, and Magnus came undone. He pressed their bodies together, firmly, leaving no doubt of his need for his husband.

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Alec awoke several hours later with a parched mouth. The candlelight had long since faded to dim. Magnus was sleeping soundly as Alec slipped out from under his arm, threw on a pair of boxers, and padded toward the kitchen for a glass of water.

He was lost in thought, thinking about the amazing night they had just spent together, and wondering how he had gotten lucky enough to win the love of Magnus. He could still feel Magnus's hands on his body, could smell the heady scent of the warlock. He downed the glass of water, unable to restrain the grin on his face, and placed the glass in the dishwasher.

He passed by the couch on his way back to the bedroom and scratched Chairman Meow behind his tufted ears. From the corner of his eye, he caught a reflection of light off the shiny surface of something lying on the couch. The object turned out to be the book Magnus had been reading and had stowed under a pillow when Alec had entered the apartment, the book he claimed was about seducing Shadowhunters.

Alec had not believed this story when Magnus had said it but had not seen reason to call him out on it either. He didn't care what Magnus was reading, but the fact that he suspected Magnus had lied about it did intrigue him a little. He scooped up the book and stared at the title, speechless.

A moment later, he found himself shaking Magnus awake. "Magnus! Wake up!"

Magnus startled awake. "What's wrong?" he said, anxiety and sleepiness battling within him.

"Magnus, what is this?" Alec said, jutting the book in Magnus's face. "Why are you reading a book called A Nephilim's Guide to Adoptions?"

Magnus's mouth formed a perfect O. The look of surprise was almost comical if Alec hadn't been so concerned about what all of this meant.

"What's going on, Magnus?"

Magnus sat up, drawing the sheets with him, and looked at Alec, regaining his composure. "Nothing is going on, Alec. I was just reading the book. That's all."

Alec studied him. He knew Magnus too well and knew he wasn't telling him the truth. "Are you thinking about adoption? Do you want a baby?"

Magnus shrugged. "I've thought about it," he said offhandedly, though Alec could see the pulse quicken in his neck. Alec looked at him, hard, and Magnus added, "Yes, I want a baby…with you. I want to have a baby with you. But that's not possible, even if we weren't both men, because warlocks are infertile, so I've been thinking about adoption. I've been thinking about it for some time now."

"Were you ever going to mention it to me? Or were you just going to bring home a baby one day and say 'here you go, Dad'?" Alec said, incredulity coloring his voice.

"Oh, of course, I was going to talk to you about it first," Magnus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I just wanted to find out the protocol, see it was even possible before I mentioned it."

"Oh," Alec said, sheepishly.

"Yeah, oh," said Magnus, sounding a little annoyed.

Alec traced a finger up Magnus's arm in a subtle attempt at an apology for getting snippy with him. Magnus softened under Alec's touch, as he so often did.

"So, what did you find out?" said Alec.

"Not much so far," Magnus replied, running his hand through his messy hair. "You Nephilim are very concerned about protecting your secrets from Downworlders, so it is much more difficult to adopt a Nephilim child in a mixed-race home. And, of course, there is the fact that we are in a same-s*x marriage…"

"Ah, the old prejudices rear their ugly heads again. The same s**t, different battle," Alec said bitterly, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back against the headboard grumpily.

Magnus leaned into Alec and placed a hand on his cheek. "Hey, don't do that. It's far from hopeless."

Alec laughed derisively. "Right. We just have to rely on the collective conscience of the Clave…again."

The corners of Magnus's mouth turned up slightly. "It worked out fine last time," he said. Alec nodded dejectedly, afraid of getting his hopes up. "Do you want a baby, Alec?"

Alec nodded again. "You know I've always wanted a child. I just never thought it would be possible. I mean, gay men don't have a lot of opportunities to have children of their own. And then, I fell in love with you, and to be honest, I'm still surprised sometimes that you married me. I didn't think you wanted all of that, marriage and a family. I had put my dreams of being a father away a long time ago. But now, now that I know you want the same thing, and we're going to have to do deal with the Clave again…" Alec sighed heavily.

Magnus gently brushed Alec's cheek with his fingertips. "You know if this is what you want, I'll find a way to make it happen," he said.

Alec couldn't resist the smile. He knew Magnus would do anything to make him happy, he just wasn't sure Magnus would be able to do this. But he loved the warlock even more for trying. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to do some research," he said, grinning into Magnus's lips as he kissed him.