Malec Moments

Fearless Rune

Magnus tossed his keys on the glass top table in the corner of the room. He ran a hand distractedly through his hair, making it stick up at odd angles. He rifled through some papers on the table, not really noticing what he was doing.

Chairman Meow leaped onto the table and rubbed his head on Magnus's hand, demanding attention. Magnus couldn't help but smile at the little cat as he scratched behind his ears and stroked his chin, eliciting a loud rumble from the cat's throat.

He heard a soft snap behind him as the door to the apartment closed and stiffened. He knew who would be there. There was only one other person who had a key to his apartment.

"Magnus," Alec said, tentatively.

Magnus sighed. "What are you doing here, Alec?" he said, still petting the cat.

Alec didn't respond at first. Then, finally, he said, "Did you mean what you said?"

Magnus finally turned to face him, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back against the table. "You'll have to be more specific, Alexander. I've said many things."

Alec swallowed visibly. His posture was straight, tense, and Magnus almost felt sorry for him…almost.

"Did you mean what you said at Luke's? About not wanting to see any of us again? Where are you including me in that statement?" His eyes were bright, shining, and possibly even pleading.

Magnus hung his head and sighed again. Then, he slowly shook his head as he raised it to face Alec. "No. I didn't mean it. I wish I could mean it. It would make my life so much simpler."

The tension visibly drained out of Alec and he crossed the room to where Magnus stood. "By the Angel, I was so worried…"

Magnus held his gaze steadily. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be worried. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Alec's eyes searched Magnus's. "I don't understand. How much more what can't you take?"

Magnus pushed past Alec, needed some space between them. "Rejection, Alec. I don't know how much more rejection I can take from you!" he said, his voice rising angrily.

"What-" Alec started but was cut off by Magnus.

"You just don't get it, do you! You make me feel like a fool, chasing you around like a lovesick puppy! You avoiding me like the plague if I so much as look at you in public! And believe me, I understand the meaning of that statement. I remember the time quite well."

"But- Magnus- But," Alec stammered incoherently. He took a moment to compose himself before saying, "But you said you would give me more time."

"I know what I said! But things have changed. You didn't want to say anything because of Jace. Well, guess what? Jace outed you! Jace told everyone about us! He knows, Alec! He already knows! And what did you do? Deny it, right there in front of me, like I don't even matter to you!" Magnus turned away from Alec, not wanting to see the look on Alec's face. He was hurt and angry, but he didn't know what he would do if he saw the hurt on Alec's face. If he were honest with himself, he was just as scared to not see hurt on Alec's face, afraid that would be the boy really didn't care about him, and then where would he be.

"Jace surprised me, Magnus. I didn't know how to handle it. I know I handled it badly. But you know the truth, so why does it matter what everyone else thinks?" Alec replied, his voice rising slightly toward the end.

Magnus whipped around to face Alec. "It matters because-" he broke off. It matters because I'm falling in love with you, and I really don't want to get hurt again, he thought, but what he said was, "It matters because you're hiding. You are a completely different person around your friends, someone I don't even know."

"What do you mean?"

Magnus crossed the room in a few long strides and gripped Alec by the arms. "When we are together, alone, you are this happy, laughing, bright, inquisitive man, and you make me happier than I've been in a really long time. But when you are with them, you never smile, never joke. You always seem so uncomfortable and unhappy. And I hate it!"

"So what, you're just going to tell me what to do? Tell me how to live my life? Screw you, Magnus! If I tell them, I'm the one taking the risk. It's my life that may get ruined, not yours!" Alec said, heatedly, his temper flaring up now as well.

"Maybe you didn't notice, but your precious Jace is perfectly fine with us," Magnus spat.

Alec flinched and Magnus took a small bit of satisfaction from it.

"Why are you doing this, Magnus? What do you want to accomplish, exactly?" Alec said, clearly trying to control his anger.

"Honestly, I want to be able to stand near you in public without you flinching away from me as you did at the graveyard. I'd like to be able to touch you without you reacting like demon poison is burning you. And I would really like it if you didn't vehemently deny our relationship when someone confronts you about it."

"Then why did you stop me from telling my parents? Don't deny it, I know you did something. If you want this out in the open so badly, why did you stop me?"

"It was hardly the time," Magnus said dismissively, with a wave of his hand.

"No. It was more than that. I had already told them I was in a relationship, and I was about to tell them I was in it with you, but you stopped me. Why?"

Magnus glared at Alec. "Fine. I stopped you because I didn't want you to do something you would regret. I want you to want to tell them, not because you're under the influence of some stupid Fearless rune Clary created, but because you want them to know about us, about our relationship. Because you're not ashamed of me."

"A-ashamed of you?" Alec stared in disbelief. "Is that what you think?" Alec shook his head, pacing around the room, gesticulating wildly. "This isn't about you, Magnus! I'm not ashamed of you, I'm a little pissed at you right now, but I'm not ashamed. I will tell them, you know. It's just not as easy as it sounds. You do understand that, right?"

Magnus's anger was starting to ebb now, and he nodded.

Seeing that Magnus was no longer raging bolstered Alec's confidence. He reached out a hand to Magnus, which Magnus took and pulled Alec close, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Did we just have our first fight?" Alec said.

"Mmm-hmm," said Magnus, grinning like he was up to something. "And now we get to have our first make-up." He twitched his eyebrows at the Shadowhunter

Alec looked alarmed. When Magnus said "make-up," he was sure the warlock planned to cover him in glitter as some sort of bizarre punishment.

"Make-up?" he said tentatively.

"Yep. Just wait until we progress to make-up s*x. It's my favorite," Magnus said with a smirk.

Alec looked at Magnus with wide, terrified eyes. Rapid images of what the words "make-up s*x" could possibly mean flashed through his mind, leaving him borderline panicked. His mouth was dry as he stammered, "B-but, I d-don't really l-like make-up."

Magnus chuckled, finally realizing what had Alec so distressed. "You silly Nephilim, I don't mean cosmetics. Haven't you heard the expression 'make-up s*x'? We fight, then we get to make-up, as in reconcile. Understand?" Magnus said patiently.

"Oh. Oh," Alec said, visibly relieved. "No, I hadn't heard the expression before. Must be mundane."

Magnus smiled. "It is. Anyway, making up goes something like this," he said, and pressed his lips to Alec's, kissing him softly at first, then with more force, parting Alec's lips and sliding his tongue along Alec's. Alec shivered, and ran his hands through Magnus's hair, pulling him closer.

Breathlessly, Alec pulled away from Magnus. "I-I don't really have much time," he panted.

Magnus sized him up and said, "How did you get away from your parents and the Inquisitor?"

Alec laughed. "I offered to get food."

"So, now I'm food," Magnus said indignantly. Alec laughed harder in response. "Where are you supposed to be getting this food?" Magnus inquired.

"Taki's, I guess," said Alec, as if he hadn't really thought about where else to get food.

"Pity," said Magnus, pulling Alec close again.

"Why is that a pity?"

"Well, the owners of Taki's are a little more knowledgeable of warlock magic. They have protection against us, shall we say 'sampling' their cuisine. If you were going to a mundane restaurant, I could pick you up a to-go order, and we can continue making up a little longer," Magnus said, his eyes twinkling.

Alec was conflicted. His conscious and guilt about stealing the food battled with his desire to spend a few extra minutes with Magnus, and it lost. "Mundane restaurant it is."

"Excellent choice," said Magnus, brightly. He ran his hand up Alec's spine, and tangled it in his hair, kissing his boyfriend deeply. Alec responded to Magnus's touch by wrapping his arms around him and holding him tightly.

"I can't stay long though. The Inquisitor has Jace and the Angel only knows what she's going to do to him," replied Alec, feeling a little guilty about kissing Magnus while his parabatai was in trouble. Of course, there wasn't likely to be anything he could do for Jace at the moment.

"Five more minutes?" Magnus said, pouting playfully.

A grin spread across Alec's face. "Make it ten."