Malec Moments

Announcement

"How do I look?" Alec said, turning to face Magnus. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, but couldn't help marveling at how his wardrobe had changed since he'd moved in with Magnus. His clothes were no longer ragged and worn, and he had a new pair of boots that were always kept clean, even if he had insisted on retaining a simple style.

"Like you are about to face a firing squad," Magnus stated.

Alec looked back at the mirror. He could not disagree with Magnus's assessment. Though his clothes looked decent, his expression was one of unease, his posture stiff, his hands shaky.

Magnus brushed his cheek with his left hand, and Alec's heart contracted. He was not used to seeing the Lightwood family ring, his ring, on Magnus's finger. Magnus's touch, soft and gentle, relaxed him momentarily, and Alec's eyes slid shut. He breathed in the scent of Magnus, sandalwood, and the burnt-sugar smell of magic that always lingered around the warlock, the scents that always seemed to calm him.

"Are you ready?" Magnus said quietly.

Alec's eyes flew open, the momentary reprieve gone. "Do we have to do this?" he said.

Magnus tilted his head meditatively. "No. If you don't want to marry me…" His voice trailed off.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You know I'm in love with you and there is nothing I want more than to marry you. I just…do't see why I have to tell my parents!"

"Technically, we are only telling your mother," Magnus said reasonably, "and she is okay with our relationship."

"She's okay with us dating and even living together. But marriage? I just don't know." Alec looked strained and Magnus couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"What exactly are you afraid of, Alec? You've already made it clear that your life is your own and you will live it how you wish to. What do you think your mother could do to you over this announcement?" Magnus asked curiously.

"Nothing. But she could make this night uncomfortable," Alec said with a groan.

"Well, I suppose we could elope, or just get married here in the apartment, alone," Magnus said.

"But?" Alec said, recognizing Magnus's tone.

"But what? I didn't say 'but.'"

"You didn't have to."

"Well, what do you think the 'but' would be?"

Alec thought for a moment and said, "But, you think I should deal with this." He looked resigned to his fate.

Magnus smiled and wrapped his arms loosely around Alec's waist. "I do, at that."

Alec sighed loudly, returning the embrace. "You know, if Magnus Bane is going to be the voice of my conscience, I may be in big trouble."

Magnus chuckled. "I would never steer you wrong, my love," he said, drawing Alec close and kissing him briefly. "Now let's go have dinner with your mother and break her heart," Magnus added cheerfully, while Alec rolled his eyes.

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They were seated in the formal dining room at the Institute. Maryse was at the head of the table, with Alec and Magnus, Jace and Clary, and Simon and Isabelle scattered to the sides. The conversation had been centered around Simon's impending Ascension. Excitement rippled through the group at the thought of Simon finally Ascending, and all their hard work and training finally to fruition.

The dinner had been casual and comfortable. Alec was reminded of the hundreds of family dinners that had occurred over the years in this very room. The company had changed slightly, Robert and Max were not part of their group anymore, and they had acquired several new faces, but still, Alec couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia that overtook him.

He remembered being a small boy, sitting in a booster chair and throwing food at Izzy when his parents weren't looking, or else passing food under the table so they didn't have to eat the things they didn't like. Izzy had never been fond of broccoli, and Alec hated carrots. When Max came along, they included him in their trading as well.

When Jace arrived at the Institute, he and Alec would secretly discuss weapons and training techniques at the dinner table. On one memorable occasion, Jace had brought a chakram to dinner and showed it to Alec. Jace was not supposed to have the disc-like throwing blade, and weapons were strickly forbidden by Alec's parents at the dinner table. As luck would have it, Jace demonstrated why, by slicing a deep gash into his palm and bleeding all over the dining room floor. Maryse and Robert had thrown quite a fit.

Alec remembered the line of suitors Izzy had brought home for dinner over the years. Each one seemed to be specifically selected to cause the most anguish with her parents. They hadn't been all that excited about her dating Simon when he was a vampire, but he at least was someone that tried to act human as much as possible.

Then there was Magnus. Once he and Magnus started dating, Maryse and Magnus had insisted on regular dinners at the Institute so they could all get to know each other. Fortunately, Alec thought, regularly turned out to be every three or four months. They had all been uncomfortable affairs for him in the beginning, but as Maryse warmed to the idea of her son dating a male warlock, things had improved.

Alec felt a hand squeeze his knee under the table, jolting him back to the present. He glanced at Magnus sidelong, who jerked his head toward Maryse. Anxiety took hold of Alec, his hands shaking, a few beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Magnus squeezed his knee again, encouragingly.

Alec cleared his throat. "I…I have an announcement," he said, timidly.

Maryse paused in the act of scooping dessert onto her plate. Jace's eyes narrowed as if he were trying to ascertain what Alec was about to say. He seemed annoyed that he couldn't read the news on Alec's face. The others simply stared at Alec in anticipation, waiting for him to speak.

Alec wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, scooped up Magnus's hand, and placed their hands on top of the table linen, where the Lightwood family ring was visible on Magnus's ring finger.

Isabelle was the first to notice. She let out a high-pitched squeal and her hand shot up to cover her mouth. Maryse noted the ring, her eyes darting between it and Alec's face, as comprehension dawned on her.

"Alexander?" she said, her mouth slightly agape.

Alec attempted a smile, but he was so nervous he feared it looked more of a grimace. "Magnus and I are getting married," he stated, with more confidence than he felt.

Maryse dropped the dessert spoon with a loud clatter. Clary quickly took the bowl from Maryse's hands before she accidentally dropped it and made a terrible, sticky mess. Maryse didn't seem to notice. All eyes swiveled between Maryse and Alec and Magnus.

"M-married?" Maryse stammered.

"Yes, married," said Alec, holding his mother's gaze. He was tense, ready for…for what he did not know. For his mother to start shouting, maybe? Or perhaps she would faint. He did not know what to expect.

Abruptly, Isabelle leaped from her seat, dashed around the table, and threw her arms around Alec, pulling him to his feet. Alec staggered slightly under the assault but hugged his sister back, gratefully. The sound of chair legs scraping the floor filled the room as more and more people rose to offer the couple their congratulations.

Maryse looked stunned. "Married? But…I don't understand…" she said.

Alec glared at his mother over Isabelle's shoulder, anger welling up in him. As he opened his mouth to say something, he heard Magnus said, "Maryse." Magnus's tone was stern, rigid as if he would not tolerate any negativity associated with their proclamation. Maryse's deep blue eyes darted to Magnus, surprised by his tone, and held his gaze for several moments. Something seemed to pass between them, and understanding perhaps, but Alec couldn't be sure what it was.

Maryse suddenly seemed to emerge from the depths of thought, shaking her head as if to clear it. A smile crept across her face, and she pulled Alec to her in an embrace.

"Married," she said, again. "Oh, Alexander."

The palpable tension drained from the room, and moments later, they retired to the library. Everyone wanted to know the details of their engagement and upcoming nuptials. Alec and Magnus were unable to give much information, as they had not yet set a date and didn't have any definite plans. Clary and Izzy swooned over the eventful proposal, something Alec never thought in a million years he would see his sister do. Tough Isabelle, excitedly chattering about her brother's engagement, was a sight to behold. Though, Alec reflected, Izzy had changed quite a bit, become more relaxed, and even occasionally giggled like a little girl, since her relationship with Simon had grown and become serious.

As the party split into groups of two and three, Alec tapped Clary on the shoulder. "Can talk to you for a minute?" he said. She nodded and he led her to a quiet area of the library.

"What's up?" Clary said. She seemed surprised that Alec wanted to talk to her alone. Alec couldn't say he blamed her for that. They had not spent much time alone in the years that they had known each other.

Alec smiled. "I wanted to offer you a long-overdue apology, and my gratitude," he said.

Whatever Clary had thought Alec wanted to talk about, it had not been that. She quickly schooled her expression from shock to an attempt at mild interest, but she wasn't completely successful. "Oh" was all she said.

"Oh, indeed," Alec said with a laugh. "Look, when you first came into our lives, I was awful to you." He held up a hand to stop her protest and glanced at Jace. "I was, we both know it. I was confused about it…Jace, and everything. And I felt threatened where he was concerned. But if it wasn't for you, I don't know if I would have figured out how I truly felt, and I don't know if I would have met Magnus. So, in a way, I owe you. I owe you my happiness."

Clary's eyes were bright, too bright, as she looked up at him. "Oh, Alec," she said, "I didn't do anything for you to feel like you owe me. I interrupted your life, inserted myself firmly into it, and turned it upside down!"

Alec laughed again. "Well, that's certainly true! But if you hadn't done that, I'd still be chasing Jace around like an i***t. All I'm saying is that I'm sorry I was such an ass to you. I'm thankful you are in our lives, and somehow are managing to keep Jace in line."

Clary smiled and, abruptly, hugged him. "I'm glad it's all worked out. And I'm so happy for you and Magnus!"

"Did I hear something about keeping Jace in line?" said Jace from behind them. Alec and Clary sprang apart, grinning at Jace, who had approached them at some point during their conversation.

Alec recovered first. "You did. And it's a good thing too, or else you might be dead by now," he said.

Jace scoffed. "Please. You would never let something happen to me."

Clary kissed Jace on the cheek and sidled off to join Izzy and Simon.

"So, what was that all about?" Jace said, his eyes following Clary across the room, as they always did.

"Just thanking your girlfriend for putting up with you. You can thank me later," Alec said.

Jace chuckled. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the others chatting merrily. Magnus was deep in conversation with Maryse, and Alec fleetingly wondered what that was about.

"You seem quiet," Alec said.

"Hmmm," Jace replied.

Alec glanced sideways at Jace. "I heard you had a visitor recently."

Jace looked up at that. "Yeah. And I heard that you already knew what that visitor had to tell me." His tone held a slight edge of accusation.

Alec nodded. "I did, but Tessa asked Magnus to let her be the one to tell you who she is. It wasn't my secret to tell. Please don't be angry with me."

Jace dismissed this. "I'm not angry. She was probably right to wait. I don't think I was ready to hear about my family, about the Herondales, before."

"Still, you have a living blood relative, Jace. You have someone you can ask questions about your family history. That's something you never thought you would have, right?"

"Yeah, I have a grandmother, with a whole bunch of 'greats' in front of it. A grandmother who looks like she's my age. It's all a bit disconcerting, but still, I have a grandmother, someone who knows all the Herondale secrets."

"You and I are also, about as distantly, related," Alec said with a grin.

"Maybe that's why you love me," Jace said, smirking.

"Ah, are we finally getting to what is bothering you? Are you upset about my engagement? It may not be too late for us, you know," he said, attempting a serious demeanor as he teased his parabatai.

Jace eyed him meditatively. "I think that ship has sailed, my friend."

Alec laughed. "That ship sank like the Titanic!" They both laughed wildly at that.

When they finally regained their composure, Alec said, "Seriously, what else is bothering you. Don't lie to me, I know you too well for that."

They were sitting on a sofa near the unlit fireplace. Jace looked down at his hands, which were clasped together in front of him. "I'm just wondering what this all means for me."

Alec shook his head incredulously. "Leave it to you to make my engagement about you!"

"What?" Jace looked at Alec, alarmed. "No, that's not what I meant. I was thinking about Clary and me. What your engagement means for us."

"Okay…I'm not sure I'm following your line of thinking." Alec turned in his seat to face Jace. "Are you worried that my engagement will make Clary want to get engaged? Because, I hate to break it to you, but that girl has been thinking about marrying you for a long time."

Jace stared at Alec. "Do you think so?"

Alec laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be the one who knows about girls?"

Jace rolled his eyes. "Don't you think we are a little young?"

"To get married? Sure. But there is such a thing as a long engagement," Alec said, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly at Jace. Jace shrugged. "Look, I'm not pressuring you to do something you are not ready to do. Hell, I wouldn't be engaged right now if Magnus hadn't proposed."

Jace choked on his drink. "Wait. You got Magnus Bane to ask you to marry him? The Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, four-hundred-year-old warlock? I assumed you had asked him."

Alec chuckled. "I know. I started to ask him so many times, but it's Magnus. I didn't think he would ever get married. I didn't know if he even wanted to."

"Has he ever been married before?" Jace asked curiously.

Alec smiled and shook his head. "No."

"Wow. He must love you."

"He does," said Magnus, walking up to them unnoticed and placing a hand on Alec's shoulder. "Very much so." Alec nuzzled the hand on his shoulder affectionately. Magnus knelt beside him and kissed him gently on the cheek.

Jace took his cue. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it then," he said with a grin and left to join Clary, Izzy, and Simon.

Magnus took Jace's seat on the couch as Alec said, "What were you and my mother talking about?"

Magnus shrugged noncommittally, and before Alec could press the issue, a shadow loomed over them. Maryse appeared, looking distinctly uncomfortable, but pleasant.

She wrung her hands together as she said, "I just wanted to say my congratulations to you both."

"Do you mean that, mom?" Alec said, looking expectantly at Maryse. She nodded. He rose to his feet and hugged her again. "Thanks, mom." He felt the sting of tears behind his eyes and blinked them away. He couldn't express how happy he was that his mother was supportive of his engagement with Magnus. It meant the world to him.

The rest of the group joined them with another chorus of 'congratulations.' Hugs were passed around. Alec found himself, somehow, briefly hugging Simon before he realized what was happening and quickly pushed his sister's boyfriend away with a laugh.

Moments later, Alec and Magnus were kissing in the elevator, leaving the Institute. "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Magnus said, grinning at Alec.

"The kissing?" Alec said playfully.

Magnus chuckled. "Dinner. I think it went rather well."

"Did you put a spell on my mother?" Alec said, remembering the look between Magnus and Maryse shortly after their announcement.

Magnus gasped in mock astonishment. "Certainly not," he said, sounding offended. Alec quirked an eyebrow at him. Magnus's dramatics were not going to clear him in this case. Magnus sighed. "Seriously, I didn't put a spell on her. She is genuinely happy for us. As she should be," he added with a wink.

As the elevator rattled to a standstill and the doors opened with a clang, Alec took Magnus's hand a walked, strutted, out of the Institute feeling like a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. At least, until he remembered that he still had to tell his father at some point.