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Magnus was a Prince of Hell.  

He had things to be doing.  Souls to be torturing.  Demons to be ordering to do...things.  He should not be standing in a summoning circle drawn by some...some hot mundane lawyer.  

And yet, here he was.  How the hell had this happened?  

"You going to tell me why you summoned me?" Magnus asked with a yawn, snapping up a chair for himself to sink into.  By the wide eyed look from the lawyer he wasn't expecting that and Magnus grinned, winking at him before he snapped a martini into his hand.  

"I uh, I..." 

Magnus raised his eyebrows when the mundane immediately snapped his mouth shut and grabbed a book that was sitting on the desk beside him, perusing it with a frown before turning back to him.  He hummed.  That book should never have fallen into the hands of a mundane lawyer.  Fascinating.   

"Let me guess, you want to win the case of your career and ensure your fame, fortune, and legacy for all time?" Magnus said with a wave of his free hand.  Lawyers were always so boring.  

"Uh, no," the lawyer said, frowning.  "I can accomplish that on my own, thanks."  

Magnus hummed and took a sip of his martini, crossing his legs.  "Then it must be... some lady love stolen away by your rival."  When the lawyer shook his head again, he narrowed his eyes and forced himself to meet eye contact with the man staring at him.  "Money?"  Another shake of the head.  "Family, then?"  A hesitation, but another shake.  

"I can't stay here and guess all night," Magnus snapped, narrowing his eyes, flashing them gold at the lawyer.  Surprisingly, the man didn't flinch, only met them calmly.  

"If you would, perhaps, allow me to get a word in edgewise, I would tell you."  

Magnus blinked and sipped his drink again, staring at the man in front of him.  "You aren't afraid of me, are you?"  

The lawyer shook his head.  "No."  

"Why not?" Magnus snapped, his eyes narrowed.  "You should be terrified, you have a Prince of Hell sitting, trapped in your..." he looked around and frowned.  "Your study?"  

"My name is Alexander Gideon Lightwood," the lawyer said instead.  "I want to make a deal with you."  

The formality of the words had power cackling around the summoning circle and Magnus watched the man glance back at the book on the table.  "I make no deal until you answer why you aren't afraid of me."  

Alec sighed and turned back to the demon.  He'd hardly expected one to be so beautiful, power flickering over him in quick snaps, golden eyes glowing.  He swallowed and took a deep breath.  

"You operate based on a series of consistent rules," he explained, gesturing to the book.  "Deals, summonings, all of that, is based on a careful structure of rules.  As long as they are, at their basest, adhered to, they can be broken apart and put back together suiting those using them."  

Magnus snapped the drink away from his fingertips and leaned forward, studying the lawyer in front of him.  "You are the smartest lawyer I've met in centuries."  

Alec nodded at him.  "Thank you for the compliment.  I wish to offer my soul in exchange for what I ask."  

Magnus' nose flared.  He could taste the almost-innocence that clung to Alexander Lightwood, and it would be the sweetest thing to devour once they consummated their deal.  "You offer the highest currency possible." 

Alec rolled his eyes briefly.  "It's also the only currency you accept.  Will you...accept?"  

His hesitancy was strange, as though he thought his soul would not be enough, that it was not enticing on its own.  Magnus waved away the thought and refocused on the man in front of him.  "It depends on what you ask, little human."  

"I need a boyfriend, then a husband," Alec said, straightening his shoulders.  "I need someone to be in a relationship with me for the rest of my life.  I will need them to attend events with me, and to be seen as polite, courteous, and in..." he paused and took a deep breath.  "In love with me."  

Magnus tilted his head and stared at the human in front of him.  

"They don't," Alec swallowed and met the demon's eyes again.  "They don't need to stay with me outside of those required events.  I would demand no draw on their time except for what I have outlined.  But I need that.  Immediately."  

Magnus tapped a finger against his lips and continued to stare at the human, even as he forced himself to settle and stay still.  "You ask a great deal, Alexander Lightwood."  

"I know," Alec swallowed.  "I know that I do.  I also know that a deal such as this is...unprecedented from what I have been able to find."  

Magnus hummed.  It wasn't entirely true, but it had certainly been centuries since such a thing had happened.  

"But I also know," Alec continued, meeting Magnus' eyes, squaring his shoulders.  "I am offering you a soul that's..." he wrinkled his nose and frowned.  "A purer soul, than I imagine you are offered often."  

"You are correct about that," Magnus agreed, continuing to study the boy in front of him.  "Why do you ask this?"  

Alec flushed and cleared his throat, looking away from the demon.  "I have been backed into a corner I cannot escape from.  I have two options ahead of me, if I wish to continue."  

Magnus snorted.  "Impressively vague, darling, but if I'm signing this deal, I will know why."  Even as he spoke, with a flourish of his fingers, the contract was in his hands and he began to write.  

"Option one is to be forced into a marriage for political gain.  It is something both she and I do not want.  I'm," Alec paused and cleared his throat.  "I'm gay, for one.  And she is to be a homemaker, a fact that could not infuriate her more."  

"Makes sense.  But why must you take it?"  Magnus asked.  "You are an of-age adult.  You make your own choices."  

Alec flinched and looked down at the floor.  "To keep my siblings safe."  

It was easy to see the truth tinged with sorrow in the statement and Magnus bemusedly watched the boy fight down showing his concern.  "And the second option?"  

"I have," Alec cleared his throat.  "I have a great deal of money saved, and I can provide for my siblings if it was needed.  But in order to stop the marriage, and the only way that I could possibly guarantee that considering the political power my family wields is-" 

"To have a marriage of your own," Magnus finished for him.  He tapped his jaw and finished off the contract with a flourish.  "It does make sense, even if it is far from my usual deal."  

Alec nodded, watching Magnus stand and move to the edge of the circle.  "I'm going to read it before I sign."  

Magnus laughed.  "You are a lawyer.  I would expect nothing else."  He pushed the paper through the flames surrounding the summoning circle and waited until it was taken from his fingers.  

Magnus watched in fascination as the lawyer picked up a pen on a nearby desk and started making corrections to the contract that he had written up.  He had never seen anything so brazen in his centuries and couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.  "You are fascinating."  

Alec shrugged and looked back to the contract, crossing out another line with a frown.  "Hardly.  I'm...stubborn, perhaps."  

Magnus hummed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels as he watched the human continue to write, his brows furrowed.  "May I ask a question?"  

"You certainly haven't hesitated yet," Alec quipped, reading through another line, changing two of the words used.  

"What about your own love and happiness?  Obviously you need this to get you out of the situation now, but do you not have dreams of-" 

"No," Alec said, cutting off the demon before he could continue.  "I don't.  If I did, do you think I'd be making a deal like this?"  

That was a fair point, but nonetheless, Magnus couldn't help studying the man in front of him.  "Are you so unpleasant to be with, no one can stand the very sight of you?"  

Alec lifted his eyes to look at the demon and took a deep breath, shaking his head.  "Love and happiness were not something I ever expected to be available in my life.  Losing them is like losing something I already gave up a long time ago." 

The matter of fact statements were heartbreaking in a way Magnus couldn't quite bring himself to admit.  The ease with which Alec admitted it, that he would give up a lifetime of happiness without hesitation.  What kind of human this man?  

It took another ten to fifteen minutes for Alec to finish his revisions on the contract and Magnus took it back through the wall of magical fire, skimming through the edits.  He quirked his lips as he realized that the lawyer had caught some of his usual tricks and had added a few of his own, all within the boundaries that he would be willing to approve. 

"It's almost a pity," Magnus said with a hum, summoning a knife, slicing open his thumb before pressing it to the base of the contract.  Power thrummed through it, the promise that he would keep, giving the young Lightwood everything that he'd asked for.  

Alec took the contract and the knife, slicing his finger open with the clean side of the blade before pressing it to he base of the contract with a small gasp.  He felt something tug at the inside of his chest and pressed his hand there, breathing until the pain started to subside.  

Magnus watched him and smiled faintly, seeing him file the contract away into his desk.  "So, when do we begin?"  

Alec hesitated in turning back to the spell book and turned to look at the demon he'd summoned.  "Excuse me?"  

'I'm supposed to start acting as your boyfriend, aren't I?  Well, if I'm going to do that, then we at least need to have dinner."  He glanced down and raised his eyebrows.  "There is the matter of the circle you have me trapped in, though."  

"I..." Alec stared at the demon with wide eyes, his heart pounding uncomfortably.  "It's, it's going to be you?"  

Magnus tilted his head.  "Is that a problem?"  

"No!" Alec snapped, shaking his head and looking back to the spell book.  He flipped a few pages and took a deep breath, dashing his foot through the chalk on the circle, breaking the magical flames that had been surrounding it.  "I, I wasn't expecting..."  

"Weren't expecting me to be the one to actually fulfill the deal?" Magnus drawled, stretching happily once he was no longer tethered in that circle.  

"Something like that," Alec mumbled.  He took a deep breath.  "You're not going to hurt anyone, right?"  

"Well," Magnus drawled, looking around the room more now that he could move freely.  "Since you live alone and are the one who just made the deal with me, I'd say killing you wouldn't make much sense for me, would it?"  

Alec flushed and watched Magnus walk around his study.  "When you put it like that, no, of course not.  But I told you that you didn't have to, have to-"  

"Stay?" Magnus said with a chuckle.  "Don't worry, I won't infringe upon your company more than necessary - but if you wish for me to fulfill the contract, I will need to know you."  

"Oh," Alec managed, reaching out to close the spellbook when Magnus got closer, placing it into the drawer of his desk that he knew was protected and would keep anyone other than him from opening it.  

Magnus raised his eyebrows and smirked.  "Suspicious.  Smart.  I do like you, Alexander."  

Alec swallowed and fought down the shiver that went up his spine at the use of his name.  "Shall we get started on whatever it is that you need?" 

"Straight to business I suppose," Magnus said with a sigh, snapping himself into a chair on the opposite side of Alec's desk.  He smiled up at the lawyer and raised both his eyebrows.  "Time to get to know each other darling.  Outside of our obvious differences."  

Alec snorted and settled into the chair behind his desk and took another deep breath.  "Like what?"  

"Well, let's go through the dating basics," Magnus said with a wave, summoning a glass of wine into his hand again, looking up at Alexander, who still appeared to be stiff as a board.  "Relax, I'm not about to drag your soul to Edom this second.  You've got many years yet."  

Alec chewed on his lip and opened his mouth to explain, but stopped and took a deep breath.  "You're going to have to ask me questions.  I don't know what to tell you?"  

Magnus snorted and raised his eyebrows.  "You were so secretive with your exes?"  

"If I had any exes, perhaps," Alec allowed, hiding his fingers beneath the desk to keep his fingers from flexing.  

Magnus blinked and tilted his head.  "You...haven't?"  

Alec sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair.  "No, I haven't.  I told you.  Gay.  Not out.  I've never been-" he paused and frowned, shaking himself, reminding himself exactly who he was talking to.  "You can see how innocent my soul is."  

"There are different kinds of innocence, Alexander," Magnus said with a faint smile.  "And despite what most religions would tell you, carnal acts, or lackthereof, do nothing to darken a soul.  Unless they are violent ones, of course."  

Alec blinked and stared at the Prince of Hell in front of him.  "Oh."  

Magnus hummed and took another long sip of his wine.  "So you've never been in a relationship before?"  

"No?" Alec said, staring back into the golden eyes that hadn't looked away from him yet.  He shrugged and looked down at his desk.  "I've never been the type to attract that sort of attention."  

"Now that," Magnus said with a laugh.  "I find nearly impossible to believe.  Smart, and a body like that?  On those virtues alone, your bed would never need be empty."  

Alec glanced at him and smiled faintly.  "If that was what I wanted, I suppose you would be right."  

Magnus tilted his head and found himself studying the wistful look.  It reminded him what he was here to do.  If he was to pretend himself in love with the boy, he needed to know more.  "What made you want to be a lawyer?"  

Alec took a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head.  "I didn't want to be a lawyer.  It was expected, and when the time came, I didn't say no."  

Magnus frowned and sipped more of his wine.  "What would you be doing if you could do anything?"  

"I don't..." Alec closed his eyes and thought about it, leaning back in his chair.  "You know?  I don't know.  I think I could have been a doctor.  Or even a cop," he wrinkled his nose a little.  "But what I wanted to do...?"  he shrugged.  "I've taken orders my whole life.  I know how to do that, and how to work within the boundaries of established rules to bend and break them."  

Magnus hummed.  

"In fact," Alec continued, his eyes turning sly.  "I think I'd actually be rather good at your job."  

Magnus proceeded to choke on the next sip of wine that he'd taken.  He stared at Alexander with wide eyes.  "Wh-what?"  

Alec gestured to the spellbook in his desk.  "Did I or did I not summon a high level Prince of Hell without any prior experience or assistance?  Did I not re-write your contract following your rules on the first attempt and yet got myself everything I wanted at a level you’d be willing to agree to?"  

Narrowing his eyes, Magnus nodded, acknowledging the point for what it was.  "I would argue that you merely followed a list of directions, but I know there is more involved than that."  

"A lot more," Alec muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.  He hummed.  "I could, perhaps, enjoy being a fight instructor."  He looked back to the demon.  "I enjoy going to the gym.  And taking the different fighting style classes."  

Magnus sat up with a more interested hum.  "You do get more interesting by the hour, Alexander.  All right, on to more practical matters.  Tell me of your likes and dislikes.  Your siblings.  What else you do for fun."  

Alec took a deep breath, steeling himself, and nodded.  

~!~ 

Magnus could sense the nervousness that was hovering below the skin of Alexander, and reached out to take his hand, feeling him jolt.  "If you jump like that, every time I touch you, they're going to suspect."  

"I, uh, your hands are warm," Alec said, looking down at the de-, no, Magnus.  He had to remember to call him Magnus.  That was his name, after all.  

Magnus raised his eyebrows.  "Did you expect them to be cold?"  

Alec flushed and shook his head.  "No, they just feel very...human?  Is that weird?" he wrinkled his nose.  

Magnus laughed and gave Alec a small tug in closer until the lawyer was looking at him.  "Believe it or not, most of us do have a human form that we inhabit when we come topside.  This is me, no one else."  

Alec took that in and nodded, taking another deep breath.  "You ready?"  

Magnus reached up and pulled the tall human down and into a quick kiss, feeling him jolt again, before melting in closer.  With another quick nip to his lips, Magnus smirked at him, meeting wide hazel eyes.  "For luck," he breathed, turning to face the opening door.  

"Mister and Mrs. Lightwood, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Magnus said with a wide grin, holding out the bottle of wine now present in his hand.  "Alexander has told me so much about you, and I'm so thrilled you invited us for dinner."  

"Well," Robert blustered, frowning and staring at his wife.  "We, it's a, it's traditionally a family-"  

"Jace and Izzy have always been welcome to bring whoever they are dating," Alec cut in, standing tall under the withering looks from his parents.  He was glad when Magnus' hand tightened around his, holding on tight.  "And I did tell you I'd be bringing a date tonight.  Mom, Dad, this is Magnus Bane.  He's my boyfriend."  

Maryse's eyes flared and she glared at her son.  "Alec, explain this right now.  You, you don't date men. You're soon to be engaged to Lydia and-"  

"See," Alec said, holding onto Magnus' hand as tight as he dared.  "There is a slight problem with that.  I'm gay, Mom, and that's not going to change.  Magnus is my boyfriend, and if you don't want us here, we'll leave."  

"No son of mine is going to be-" 

"I might suggest," Magnus cut in smoothly, his expression darkening.  "We take this inside before anyone might overhear.  You wouldn't want someone to catch you doing something that would ruin your political career after all, Mr. Lightwood."  

Robert scowled and swung the door open, stalking back inside.  

Alec wanted to pull Magnus in and kiss him until they both needed to come up for air, because that had been magnificent.  But Magnus wasn't actually his boyfriend, just a demon who was contractually obligated to pretend to be in love with him.  

"Well," Maryse said with a huff, looking down at the wine she had been handed.  "We'll see about this, Alec."  

Magnus watched her stalk into the house after her husband and glanced up at Alec, who looked stony faced and sad.  As though this was what he had expected, and what he was used to.  "Are your parents always this charming?"  

Alec managed to smile faintly at Magnus.  "Yes, though you must have brought expensive wine.  I have no doubt she would have made a comment about it otherwise."  

"Only the best for you, darling," Magnus teased, bowing and letting him lead the way into the house.  

Alec straightened his shoulders and steeled himself for what was about to come.  

"I'll be holding your hand the entire time," Magnus reassured, giving him another squeeze.  

"You aren't contractually obligated to hold my hand," Alec grumbled under his breath, even though Magnus' touch was comforting and gentle and he wanted to keep it with him as long as he could.  

Magnus huffed.  "No, but I am contractually obligated to pretend to be in love with you, Alexander, and part of that is playing the very supportive boyfriend in the face of bigoted parents."  

Alec smiled and nodded, turning the corner.  "Think you'll like my sister at least.  And my brother, if he isn't a dick."  

Magnus chuckled and followed Alec deeper into the house.  "Such a lovely family." 

"You have no idea," Alec said with a huff, rolling his eyes.  

"I imagine, over the next decades, I'll find out," Magnus said, meeting Alec's eyes.  

"Oh," Alec whispered.  "Yeah, you're right.  I suppose you will."  

Magnus gave him another nod and they stepped into the dining room.  That was that.  

~!~ 

The problem was... 

Magnus watched Alec throw the frisbee with unerring accuracy towards his sister as both of them shouted and dove around the waves on the beach to catch it.  

The problem was, that Alec had been right.  Magnus did like his sister.  And his family, once Robert had decided to vacate their presence, and Maryse decided that she loved her son more than she did the hate in her heart.  

Magnus took another sip of his sangria and settled back against the beach chair into the sun.  

The bigger problem, of course, was that he was starting to like Alec.   

They didn't spend as much time together as normal couples did, but with all of the work dinners, family get-togethers and general appearances they were expected to make as a couple, Magnus found himself in Alec's presence more often than not.  And where, with someone else, he would have long since gotten bored and attempted to expedite the claiming of his part of the deal, he didn't find himself doing that here.  

Instead, here he was, a Prince of Hell, spending a weekend at a beachside home with the lawyer who had trapped him into a deal, and his family.  Magnus hummed again, the sangria bursting with flavor as it hit his tongue.  

"Thinking heavy thoughts?" Maryse asked, tilting her hat back to look at Magnus.  

Magnus hummed and thought about that before he shook his head.  "No, not at all.  Only about Alec."  

Maryse chuckled and went back to her book.  "You know he loves you?"  

Magnus' eyes slid over to her and he smiled, keeping it faint and secretive.  "I do," he whispered.  The lie tasted bitter on his tongue, no matter that he had told millions of lies in exact the same whisper.  

"And you love him back?" Maryse pressed, studying the man stretched out beside her.  

And therein was the rub.  Because he was fond of Alec, and enjoyed spending time with him, more than he had ever expected.  But there could never be anything more than the deal between them, and they both knew that.  But there was only one answer to give.  

"I don't think I've ever loved anyone as much as I love your son," Magnus said, smiling as Alec tipped Izzy back and into the waves, ignoring her shout of indignation as he dunked her.  

Maryse nodded, firmly and took a sip of her drink.  "Good."  

Magnus watched Alec stride out of the water, the shorts he was wearing that passed for swim trunks riding low on his hips.  Magnus' eyes traced one of the water droplets trailing down a pectoral muscle and into his stomach.  

"Enjoying yourselves?" Alec teased, grabbing a towel, drying off his hair.  

"Of course," Magnus said.  He smiled at Alexander and pretended to blow him a kiss.  

Alec reached out and held out his hand to Magnus, glad when he took it, allowing himself to be pulled upright.  "We're gonna head back to the house."  

Isabelle laughed, throwing her head back.  "Is that code for us to take our time coming back, big bro?"  

"Maybe," Alec said, giving her a wink.  

Magnus felt desire that was normally kept banked around Alec flare into an inferno.  They stumbled as they made their way back to the house and into their room.  With a snap of Magnus' fingers, they were both free of sand by the time Alec pushed him into the door with a low groan and a slow grind of his hips.

The problem was, Magnus thought, as Alec kissed him with a passionate gasp of his name, his whole body trembling with how new this still was between them, is that he was getting used to having this.  

~!~ 

Their wedding was a quiet affair, at both of their insistences (though Magnus, in true fashion, had insisted on throwing the reception, and the true party was planned there).  But he and Alec, standing across from each other, repeating vows that they had taken the time to research and structure to ensure they were not the usual and were not binding.  

Alec's words were soft and certain, and there was a level of emotion behind them that Magnus didn't dare name as a ring was slid onto his finger.  Even though he would only need to wear it whenever he was with Alec, he found himself vowing to not remove it as a part of his deal.  It was only right.  

When Alec smiled at him, bright, wide, and happy, tugging him into a kiss while his family cheered, Magnus realized that he didn't want to reap Alec's soul at the end of all of this.  The kiss tasted of defeat and loss of hope.  Even still, he threw himself into it, clinging to Alec with a grin, listening to the shouts telling him to save it for the wedding night.  

"And what a wedding night it will be," Magnus promised Alec, looking up at him, watching his hazel eyes darken in desire.  He would make it everything it was supposed to be.  Everything that he could never have, but he could try to give to Alec.  Alec, whose precious soul still did not darken, even in his presence, a strong, steady light that he wanted to bask in for the rest of his existence.  

"I now pronounce you, Mr. and Mr. Lightwood-Bane," the judge declared with a smile.  "Come sign the marriage certificate over here, gentlemen."  

The marriage certificate was unbinding, even with his true name on it, but Magnus found himself saving a copy of it, keeping it with Alec’s contract, even as they danced and made merry with their friends and family.  The art of pretending and what was reality was becoming steadily more blurred the more time that he spent with Alexander.  

On a whim, Magnus made arrangements to whisk Alec away to Paris for two weeks, organizing everything with a flick of his fingers and a not-inconsiderable amount of magic.  After all, this is what someone pretending to be in love with a human would do, and he was contractually bound to do so.  

Magnus didn’t tell Alec where they were going until they had already started to leave.  The surprised grin (and deep kiss he was immediately yanked into) was worth everything, and so was the thanks Alexander breathed out against his lips as they found themselves thoroughly distracted on the way home.  

The distraction continued among truly decadent sheets in Paris, where Magnus gorged himself on the taste of champagne sipped from Alexander’s skin.  And when the human, the husband he had gained for himself, was sated and finished with a happy smile, Magnus realized that the weeks he had planned for them both in Paris, did include them both.

Without thought or intent, he had planned to stay and spend the time with Alexander.  He stretched out on the bed and took in the face of his sleeping husband beside him, smiling faintly.  Perhaps he was not contractually obligated to spoil Alexander for two weeks in a city known for its romance and ambiance, but he could use a vacation.  

Magnus was well aware there were worse things than a vacation with a beautiful man who smiled at the sight of him and who kissed him like he meant something.  Like he was important.

He couldn’t be faulted for that, could he?  

~!~ 

“Magnus?” Alec asked.  

Magnus looked up from his phone, tucking it back into his pocket with a noise, turning his attention to Alexander as they walked through the door of their home.  “Hmm?”  

Alec swallowed and took a deep breath.  “Can you stay for a few minutes?”  

“Always, for you,” Magnus said with a smile.  It was not a lie.  It hadn’t been for years now, even as silver slowly started to thread through the hair at Alec’s temples.  In his forties, Alec was distinguished in a way that few men hoped to achieve.  It had been almost two decades since he had signed the deal, and yet the time felt negligible, even to him. 

Alec gave him a grateful smile and led the way to the study.  He poured the both of them glasses of whiskey and settled into one of the two comfy chairs they kept there and gestured Magnus into the other.  

Magnus raised both his eyebrows and picked up the glass with a hum, settling into the chair.  “So serious, darling.  Is everything all right?”  He watched Alec flush with a smile.  Even after years, the smallest of compliments always made his cheeks darken.  

“Yeah,” Alec managed, clearing his throat.  “I wanted, I mean.  I need to ask you for a favor?”  

A strange energy flickered through the room and Magnus leaned back in the chair, studying Alec intently.  “What is the favor?”  

“I,” Alec swallowed.  “It’s about my deal.”  When he saw Magnus eyes widen, he held up his hand.  “I’m not asking for any changes, or anything like that.”  

Magnus relaxed, and the energy in the room settled to somewhere closer to normal.  He studied his husband, his eyes dropping to the ring on Alexander’s finger.  The simple band he never removed.  “Now you do have me quite curious, Alexander.  What favor do you ask?”  

“When,” Alec took another deep breath and lifted his eyes to meet Magnus.  “When the time comes, when I have to, to go.”  He watched Magnus’ eyes widen, and smiled faintly at the surprise.  “Will you be the one to collect me?”  

Magnus tilted his head, confused at the request, but he nodded readily enough, watching Alec sag in relief. “I am happy to agree to that. It likely would have been me, regardless, as I hold your deal. May I ask why?” 

Alec swallowed and smiled faintly. “I want to see you one last time. I don’t…” he frowned. “I know what I signed up for, making the deal I did.” He took another deep sip of his whiskey and sighed. “And I thought that maybe seeing you one last time would remind me why I did it.” 

Staring at Alec, Magnus felt his heart (yes, he did have a heart, though he’d learned to keep it closely guarded a very long time ago) tighten painfully in his chest. “I’m not the reason you made the deal, Alexander.” 

“No, of course not,” Alec said, looking down at his ring again, rubbing a thumb over it. “But, you’ve more than fulfilled your side of things. And I won’t ever be able to repay that. And…” he cleared his throat. 

Magnus sipped his whiskey, staring at Alexander, unable to look away as he fought for the words he wanted. 

“And I just wanted to say thank you,” Alec finished weakly. 

Magnus got the distinct impression that that was not what Alec had wanted to say. He hummed. “Thanking the Prince of Hell that’s going to bring your soul to hell, Alexander?” 

“Yeah,” Alec said with a laugh. “Not something I thought I’d find myself doing back when we first met.” 

Magnus snorted and gave Alec a wry grin. 

“But you never just…” Alec exhaled hard. “Magnus, you always went above and beyond fulfilling your end of the deal. Helping me come out to my parents, protecting my siblings, the family trips-“ 

“Those were contracted,” Magnus pointed out, watching Alec. 

“It wasn’t just doing them, it was the way you did them,” Alec corrected, looking at Magnus again, his fingers tight around the whiskey glass. “I told you that I thought love and happiness were not something I was ever going to get a chance to experience in my life when we first made this deal.” 

Magnus’ heart thumped painfully, remembering the resigned words from two decades ago. How certain he’d been, then, that he didn’t deserve or want happiness like that. “You did,” Magnus agreed quietly. 

“I…” Alec knocked back the rest of the whiskey with a slow gulp, putting the glass down pointedly. “Wanted to tell you that I did. Get to experience those things. Thanks, thanks to you.” 

His breath caught in his chest, frozen in the room, in the weight of what Alexander had just put on the table between them. His fingers twitched impatiently and his magic roiled inside him. Magnus caught sight of the sad smile now gracing Alexander’s face and it made his heart ache.

“I just...I just thought I should tell you,” Alec admitted. “If I have one regret about my deal? It’s that once I’m taken, I’ll never see you again.” He lifted his eyes to Magnus’ and smiled again. “I am going to miss you, Magnus, when the time comes. Fucked up as that may be.” 

Magnus’ heart was filled with aching pain, his magic hurting just as badly, his eyes blinking quickly at the sad smile and resignation on Alec’s face. “I, I have to go.” 

“I know,” Alec said, his voice soft. “Travel safe, and I’ll see you soon, Magnus.” 

With a twist of magic, Magnus stepped into the shadows and in a heartbeat, he was inhaling the heavy dust-filled air of Edom. Screams echoed in the distance and Magnus paused, breathing it in. How many years now had Alec been wishing him safe travels? How many years had Alec spent loving him in that quiet, steady way he did, never asking for more, happy to take whatever small morsels he was given? How long had he spent denying what he felt in return? 

Magnus took a deep, calming breath, his magic licking like fire over his skin. 

“Back already? Thought you would have spent another night with your...human distraction,” A low voice drawled. 

Magnus turned to look at Belial, his second in command and narrowed his eyes. “That sounds suspiciously like questioning me, Belial. And I know you’re far too smart to do that.” 

Belial scoffed. “The entire realm is talking of it. Your...infatuation with that human. No soul, no deal, could be worth the time investment you have made.” 

Magnus tilted his head, the magic glowing around his hands turning a dark, deep red. “That is my decision to make and not yours to question, Belial.”  

“So it’s true,” Belial said with a laugh, baring his teeth in a snarl. “You’ve fallen in love with the human.” His eyes brightened and he smirked. “I can’t wait to taste his screams when he is reaped and brought here.” 

Fury cascaded through him, white hot and searing. In a quick and complicated hand gesture, Magnus sent a column of divine flame through Belial, burning him from the inside out until nothing but ash remained. The demons nearby went scattering, afraid to also be victims of his wrath. He cracked his neck and turned to enter the castle. He would need to start making plans immediately. 

~!~ 

Magnus felt the pull to Alec before the magic of the deal called to him.  Something deeper than the deal, rooted in the very magic that suffused his every limb, told him it was time.  Magnus flew, faster than was necessary, and was by Alexander’s side in a matter of heartbeats.  There was nothing wrong, no threat, only quiet as he approached where Alec was sitting in a chair, flipping through a photo album.  

When Alec straightened and turned to look at him, his hazel eyes as clear as ever, Magnus couldn’t help smiling at him.  “Hello, my darling,” he whispered, walking closer.

“So it is time,” Alec said with a slow breath.  “I had a feeling.”  

Magnus stopped by the chair and looked over his shoulder, smiling at the photograph of the two of them at the reception of their wedding.  The happiness in both their faces would have scared him, years ago, but not now.  Not when he was prepared and ready.  “It is,” he agreed, his voice soft.  

Alec reached up and took Magnus’ hand, squeezing it.  “How many times have you heard a dealmaker beg for more time at the end?”  

“More than I can count,” Magnus whispered, moving to kneel in front of Alec.  A prince, kneeling for a human.  Laughable.  Yet here he was.

Alec nodded and swallowed hard.  “I don’t regret it, Magnus.  Not even now.”  He smiled faintly, meeting the golden eyes of the Prince of Hell he’d made his deal with, that he’d married.  That he’d fallen in love with.  “Not after getting to spend a lifetime loving you.”  

Magnus couldn’t keep the sharp, surprised inhale down.  Even though he’d known, he’d known, for years now, hearing the words so plainly spoken rocked him to the very core of his magic.  He swallowed and nodded, tightening his hold on Alec’s hand.  

“Here,” Alec said, reaching for the book on the desk beside him.  “I wasn’t about to give this to anyone else.  I have a feeling you can either dispose of it properly, or keep it safe.”  

Magnus looked down at the tome of magic that contained the ritual to summon him and banished it to one of his libraries in a second, focusing on Alec again.  “Anything else?” he asked, his voice soft.  Even if Alec had asked him to dissolve the deal at this moment, Magnus wasn’t entirely sure he could have denied the request.  

“I’m going…” Alec breathed out slowly, holding up his phone.  “Going to call an ambulance right before you take me.  Don’t want someone to find a decomposing body weeks down the line.”  

Magnus bit down a laugh and shook his head, leaning in to kiss Alec on the forehead.  “Always thinking of others.”  

Alec laughed and closed his eyes, leaning into the faint touch.  “I wish we could have had more time,” he breathed.  “Sixty years is barely enough to spend loving you, Magnus.  I could have spent an eternity falling more in love with you every day.” 

The certainty of the decision he had made settled deeper into his chest and Magnus grinned, stealing another kiss from him, soft and gentle.  “I know, my darling Alexander.  I know.”  

Alec smiled and let Magnus hold him, breathing out slowly.  “Will it hurt?” he whispered.  “Not, not being down there.  I know that’s what awaits me.”  

Magnus’ heart ached.  As though he would let his Alexander face an eternity of torture and blood at the hands of a realm that was to be partially his.  “Dying?” he asked, waiting for the nod of confirmation.  His eyes drifted upward and caught on the sight of the figure in the shadows.  He looked back down to Alec and shifted to cup his cheeks in his hands, leaning down to kiss him again.  

Magnus felt Alec hit the call button on the phone and then his husband was melting into the kiss, the same way he had a hundred, thousand times over the decades.  He pulled back and smiled.  “I won’t let it,” he promised, feeling Alec smile into the next kiss.  All it took was the gentlest of tugs and Alec’s soul, the bright, vibrant light of it, was cradled in his hands. 

“You play a dangerous game, Magnus Bane,” Death said, stepping forward.  

Magnus raised his eyes, tucking Alec’s soul carefully against his chest.  The light nestled closer and he smiled, protecting it.  He spread his wings, his eyes flaring gold and met Death’s eyes with an irreverent grin.  “Love always is.”  

~!~

The pull of Alec’s deal was singing under his skin as Magnus brought them to Edom, stepping onto the dirt, power gathering around him.  The pull would continue to tug at him until Alec was settled into his rightful place.  Magnus headed towards the castle, his wings out and power swirling around him in hostility, protecting Alexander from the weight of a realm of hell.  

Once he was safely in the throne room and had warded it against intrusions, Magnus carefully released the tight hold that he had on the soul in his hands, and let it hover in front of him.  It gave a bright, curious flicker and Magnus smiled, stepping closer, reaching out to run his fingers over it.  “Hello my darling,” he whispered.  He stroked his fingers along the edge and watched it grow brighter under the touch, staring in surprise.  

He leaned in close and exhaled slowly, curving his wings around the both of them, shielding them further.  “I need to push magic into you to give you a physical form here, Alexander.  I will try to make sure it doesn’t hurt,” Magnus breathed, pressing a kiss to the light.  Pulling power and twisting it to his will was something he was intimately familiar with, but doing it on behalf of another was harder.  

“Think of the form you want to take, Alexander, the magic obeys your will,” Magnus whispered and let the magic he had cascade into the bright ball of light.  It flickered worryingly for a precious few seconds, but then it exploded into light, and Magnus took a step back, still keeping them both shielded with his wings.  He watched the light slowly gain a body, built of the blue frame of his magic and smiled, waiting to see what form Alexander had chosen.  

Magnus hummed, watching his magic twist and turn to the commands of the soul, and when it was all done, he was meeting the surprised hazel eyes of an Alec Lightwood, a bit older than when they had first met.  The one he’d married, in fact.  A pleased hum escaped him and he stepped closer, reaching out to trail his fingers along Alec’s forearm.  “I did miss this,” he admitted.  

Alec blinked, looking around, confusion riding high.  The very air felt different, and they were clearly in some sort of throne room based on the, uh, throne, behind Magnus.  “Magnus?”  

“So, darling,” Magnus said with a grin.  “I know the contract officially says an eternity in hell, but it doesn’t specify what you have to be doing there.”  

Alec tilted his head, narrowing his eyes.  “I wasn't aware there were options.”  

“There aren’t,” Magnus said with a shrug.  “I’m making an exception for you.  I need another second in command, as my previous one did not agree with my decisions regarding you.” 

“And what...does the position as your second in command entail, Magnus?” Alec asked, raising both his eyebrows.   “I’m certainly not a demon.”  

Magnus hummed, his eyes flicking down to Alec’s hands.  “No, but you have my power, now.  In this realm, with the amount of power I imbued into you?  You are second only to myself, here in my realm.”  When Alec didn’t say anything, Magnus continued.  “You told me once you thought that you could do my job.  That you even believed you could be good at it.”  

Alec raised his eyebrows and nodded.  “I suppose I did say that.”  

Magnus spread his hands, dropping the glamour on his eyes, watching Alec’s go dark and wanting.  “Well, now is your chance.”  He stepped closer, and power sparked from his fingertips.  “Rule with me, Alexander.  Edom will tremble before us.”  

Alec’s breath caught and he stared at Magnus, unable to look away from his eyes, the way they glowed in the dark of the room.  “Why?” he whispered.  

Magnus reached out and cupped Alec’s cheek in his hand, pulling him in closer until their lips were about to touch.  “Because, my darling Alexander, there is no world, this one, or yours, that I was willing to live in without you.”  

“Magnus…” Alec swayed in closer.  Desire pounded through him, spurred on by the power that surrounded Magnus like a cloak here that he could feel, now.  “I, is this real?  We can, I can have this?”  

Magnus laughed and pulled Alec in for a kiss, hard, desperate and claiming.  He kissed Alec until they were moving, until he could press his angel up against the nearest stone wall, unable to let their lips part for even a second.  The way Alec reacted to him, the way he always had, was just as intoxicating as it had always been.  By the time he pulled back, Alec’s lips were red and swollen, and neither of them wanted to move apart more than a few inches.  “Still think this isn’t real?”  

Alec grinned, dropping his hands from Magnus’ waist, down to his ass, giving a slow squeeze, tugging him in closer with a groan.  “I wouldn’t object to you continuing to convince me.”  

Magnus growled and dropped his mouth to Alec’s neck, sucking a mark into it, scraping his teeth over it to hear Alec gasp.  “You are mine, Alexander.  In this realm, or any other, you belong to me.”  

“And you’re mine,” Alec breathed back, holding onto Magnus.  “You are mine, Magnus, right?” 

“There is only one ring I never remove,” Magnus admitted, looking down at his left hand, the ring put there by Alexander shimmering in the candlelight.  “In this realm or yours, it is the one ring I never remove.”  

Alec reached out and lifted Magnus’ hand, pressing his lips to the ring.  He smirked, turning to meet Magnus’ eyes as he kissed the pad of Magnus’ thumb.  “So, my Prince,” he drawled, watching Magnus shudder and his slitted pupils dilate.  “How might I serve you?”  

Magnus groaned and shoved Alec back against the wall all the harder, swallowing Alexander’s laugh with a kiss.  

~!~ 

The thing was… it was fascinating to watch Alexander flourish, ruling by his side, and made him love the human all the more.  

Every trait that had made him an excellent lawyer was only more obvious in the way he carried himself in Edom as the second in command to the Prince of Hell.  Those who doubted a human was fit for his place were dealt with swiftly, a single chance granted before they were handled.  Magnus approved of the ruthlessness and had, on more than one occasion, banished the demons waiting to hold court with them to show Alexander just how much he enjoyed it.  

And, as loathe as he was to admit it, Alexander had been right.  His knowledge and ability to circumvent rules, one that he had always admired in him as a lawyer, was put to perfect use in ruling Edom, in making and changing contracts.  Alexander had been born to write deals for the devil, as Magnus often teased him.  

“Your thoughts are far away,” Alec said, leaning against the throne, glancing down at Magnus.  “Everything all right?”  

“Thinking of you,” Magnus teased, glancing up at him with a smile.  “Only the best thoughts, my darling.”  

Alec hummed, sitting down on the arm of his chair.  “I know a deflection when I hear it.  What’s wrong?”  

“There is nothing wrong,” Magnus started, because there wasn’t.  But how long would Alexander be content to rule at his side, and what would happen when he no longer was?  Would he be abandoned again?  

Alec turned to face Magnus and frowned, because his husband didn’t meet his eyes.  “Magnus.  Look at me.”  

Magnus lifted his eyes, watching as Alec knelt down in front of him, making his breath catch.  “Alexander, there’s no need-” 

“What’s wrong?” Alec asked, his eyes sharp and narrowed on Magnus’ face.  “Tell me.”  

“This is Edom,” Magnus started, frowning as he met Alec’s eyes.  “There is a permeance here that does not exist in your old world, Alexander.  Your soul has no age, here.  Your body that houses your soul is created and sustained by my magic.  You will never age, and you will never die as long as my magic exists.”  

Alec raised both of his eyebrows and smiled at Magnus.  “I fail to see how any of that is a concern, or a problem.”  

Magnus narrowed his eyes in annoyance.  “What happens when you are no longer satisfied with what you have here, at my side?”  

Alec blinked and reached out to put his hands on Magnus’ knees, giving them a slow squeeze.  He waited for more words, but none seemed to be escaping from his husband.  “I do not understand how you believe I can become dissatisfied when everything I have ever wanted and could ever want is in front of me.”  

“Alexander-” 

“Magnus,” Alec interrupted, standing up, shifting so he could straddle Magnus’ legs and settle easily into his lap, smiling at him.  “I love you.”  

Magnus shuddered under the weight of the words and inhaled shakily, nodding his head.  “I know that you do.”  

“You know,” Alec continued, reaching out to cup Magnus’ chin in his hand, shifting so their eyes could meet.  “For the longest time, in the beginning, I thought you were incapable of love, in your nature as a demon.”  

Magnus flinched, wrenching his eyes away from Alexander.  His heart beat painfully in his chest, and he was reminded, all at once, just how wrong a statement that was. 

“But I realized,” Alec continued, his voice soft, even as he watched Magnus blink and struggle to control the glamour on his eyes, until he decided to simply let it fall.  “That not only do you love, you love so hard, and so deeply, it has the potential to tear you apart.  A dangerous kind of love to have to give.”  

Magnus opened his mouth to protest, only to slam his lips back together stubbornly, staring down Alexander.  

“Especially,” Alec continued.  “When you fear opening yourself up to that level and having it used against you.”  

“I take back every pleasant thing I have ever said about your perceptiveness,” Magnus growled, glaring at the human straddling his lap, easy as you please, his eyes and body glowing with Magnus’ own magic.  

Alec smiled faintly, leaning in to kiss Magnus’ forehead.  “I never needed you to return the words.  I never dared allow myself to hope for anything near that.  You were fond of me, fond enough to be kind, to treat me well, to be gentle with my heart.”  

Magnus swallowed and reached up, tangling his fingers into Alec’s hair, pulling him in for another desperate kiss.  By the time they parted, panting softly against his lips, the admission slipped from him, unbidden.  “I am terrified of love,” he whispered.  He felt Alec start with surprise and forced himself to continue.  “Not because I do not feel it, or do not want it.”

Alec waited, his eyes on Magnus, for him to finish.  

“I’m a fallen angel, Alexander,” Magnus whispered.  “As a former angel, we are made to love, it was our purpose, the reason for our existence.”  He chuckled briefly before shifting one hand to cup Alec’s jaw.  “You were right when you said it has the potential to tear me apart. Because to love someone means that they own every part of me that there is.”  

Alec hummed and tilted his head, studying Magnus.  “And you fear that I would hurt you?”  

Magnus’ eyes snapped open and went wide, staring at Alexander.  “What?  Never!”  

Alec relaxed a fraction and nodded.  “Then what do you fear, in loving me?” 

“I fear,” Magnus managed, forcing himself to take a deep breath.  “That, were you to feel the true depth and breadth of what I feel for you, it would tear you apart and break you.  I could… not bear that.  To lose you because of what I...”  

“Come here,” Alec whispered, pulling Magnus in for another kiss, until they were both breathing heavy into each other’s lips.  “Magnus, my husband, my love, I’m not scared.  I’m not going to leave.  There is no where else I would rather be, no one I would rather be with.”  

Magnus swallowed and choked down a laugh.  

“Who could ever hold a candle to you, Magnus?” Alec added, running his thumbs along Magnus’ cheekbones, willing him to believe.  “Who could ever draw my eye away from the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life, who has always let me be enough, and who has sheltered me from the worst storms my life had to offer?”  

“Alec, please,” Magnus whispered.  

“No,” Alec growled, pressing their foreheads together.  His magic sang under his skin, reaching out to touch Magnus, to pull him closer, to keep him.  “I spent sixty years of my life promising myself that if there were ever a chance that you returned any of what I felt - that I would seize it and never let go.  Because I knew, even then, how precious your heart was.”  

“I do return what you feel,” Magnus breathed the words against Alec’s skin, and his magic was bursting under his skin at the revelation, the admission.  His whole body sang with it as he took a leap, trusting this truly remarkable human, who had defied all odds to rule at his side, to catch him.  

Alec smiled and pulled Magnus in for a kiss.  “There is no world, Edom or Earth, that I am willing to exist in without you, Magnus.  Not one.  We may have not been real at our start, but you saved me, just as I save you now.”  He wrinkled his nose.  The formality of Edom, of what regular meetings with Magnus required was rubbing off on him.  He pressed a hand to Magnus’ heart, and met golden glowing eyes.  “I will keep your heart safe, Magnus.  For as long as you choose to grant me it.”  

“Forever, then, Alexander,” Magnus breathed into another kiss.  “Forever with me, here.  By my side.”  

“Forever might just be long enough,” Alec whispered, sealing the promise with a kiss, their magic bursting out around them at the promise.