Chapter Text
“Well done.”
“More like medium rare,” was Magnus’ quick reply as he turned on his heel to greet his savior and found himself struck speechless by the sight of the handsome shadowhunter from earlier that evening. He felt the beginnings of a bond form between them and tether their souls, and he let out a soft, “Oh.”
For all the tenderness that Magnus found himself suddenly feeling, the taller man’s next words stopped him short. “No,” the shadowhunter said firmly. “No,” he repeated, as if he wasn’t already breaking Magnus’ heart at the quick dismissal of even the simple possibility of a bond existing between them. “We should—we should go—”
“We should join the others,” agreed Magnus with a nod then, offering the handsome alpha a small sad smile. Just before they left, Magnus called out a simple, “Alpha?”
The effect on the other man was instantaneous, and Magnus watched as he stiffened and turned to Magnus, seemingly helpless to the call of his soulmate. He said nothing, though the intensity behind his eyes betrayed the heaviness Magnus could feel begin to settle around them.
“May I have your name at least?”
Before the alpha could respond, Isabelle Lightwood’s voice called out to them. “Alec? You have to come!”
“Alexander…” said the alpha, looking in the direction of the other shadowhunters from earlier. “Lightwood.” He continued, as if the last name alone left a bitter taste on his tongue. “But everyone calls me Alec.”
Magnus nodded, tucking the information in the back of his mind before inclining his head and following Alec back to the others.
In the six years since meeting Alec, Magnus would be lying if he said he’d never considered the possibility of Alec one day looking at him and possibly changing his mind about their entire arrangement. Granted it isn’t some sordid affair like some seem to believe, Magnus dislikes it all the same. He looks out into the city, sans any glamour and hands glowing over his head as he settles into a Warrior I pose.
Ragnor and Catarina have expressed their concerns several times, though neither of them have been as vocal as Raphael (and later on Simon) when it comes to the situation. A smile lights up his features as his thoughts drift to the way his little family pack has grown from the pair that he and Ragnor had been over three centuries ago, to the five (and a half, including Madzie) they were now.
He recalls laughing the first time Simon brought it up. The five of them were having dinner just a few weeks into Raphael and Simon’s bonding when Simon had jokingly said, “New York's worst kept secret: the Head of the local Institute and the local High Warlock, an alpha and a beta, are mates and have been together for a while now, but only a select few know.”
The rumor has only grown since, and Magnus isn’t even sure he wants to know what it sounds like now. He licks his lips as he opens into Warrior II before clearing his mind of all thoughts and going through the motions of the rest of his yoga practice.
There was no reason for Magnus to be as weak as he was, a nagging voice that sounded vaguely like his father murmured in the back of his mind as he poured nearly every ounce of his magic to heal Luke. The nausea that had been building throughout the day was beginning to rear its ugly head once again as the effects of the suppressants he’d taken a few hours ago were burned away by his magic reaching out and trying to hold on to his mate.
He squared his shoulders and steeled himself, only to stumble a little and fall right into the arms of the one nephilim that he really should not have asked for. Why had he not called for Catarina instead?
“Take what you need,” Alec said, palm up and expression open.
Magnus’ magic sings. Without preamble, it reached out to Alec from the fragile thread that tied them together, fortifying it against Magnus’ better judgement. There was no time to waste though, and it was only once Luke and Clary had been relocated to his guest room that Magnus had realized just what had transpired.
“I have magic for that,” he had begun, seeing Alec attempting to clean the blood off his couch.
“I think you’ve used enough for tonight.”
Oh, how his Omega thrilled at his Alpha’s concern. And yet…he closed his eyes and turned away, intending to pull every bit of his magic from their bond.
“Why did you ask for me?”
“Didn’t your parabatai tell you?” he asked without opening his eyes. Before Alec could reply though, Magnus continued, “No matter, it was a lie anyways.” Swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat, Magnus proceeded with his plans, making sure to hide his glowing fingers as he carefully plucked at the strands of magic that coiled around every feeble fiber of their bond.
“Don’t,” Alec suddenly called out, as if in pain, effectively snapping Magnus out of his concentration.
He turned back around, looking at the shadowhunter knelt by his couch, clutching at his chest, no doubt where his Alpha Mark laid. Magnus’ own Omega Mark throbbed, but he had had centuries to master his poker face. His face was carefully blank as he asked, “Why did you come, Alexander?”
Bond Sickness, he recalled learning many centuries ago, was born out of mated pairs that are forcibly separated. It is often accompanied by symptoms of restlessness, nausea, and fatigue. The only cure is either a Reunion between the pair or a proper Break.
Only, that was the thing.
Alec and he weren’t a Mated Pair.
They might have been compatible as mates, but this was only the second time he had ever even seen the shadowhunter. He should not have been this affected — not after so long on suppressants.
“Can we…I—”
Magnus summoned a drink for them each. His hands shook at the intensity behind Alec’s gaze, and though he knew neither of them were giving much of anything away, their bond trembled like the last few leaves in fall. There was something there; something precious. Magnus only worried neither of them were truly ready to decide what to do with it.
They drank. and Magnus wondered not for the first time the intelligence of staying.
As he lies on his back and closes his eyes, morning sunshine finally begins to peek from the horizon.
His wards tell him someone has entered his home, and it doesn’t take long for Alec’s familiar scent to waft to him even without any aid. The perks of being soulmates, he supposes. Their scents will always call to the other, until and unless they bond with someone else or break theirs altogether. That is to say, they have a very fragile bond as it is.
Alec and Magnus are civil to each other and are nothing less than professional when it comes to their stations. Magnus prefers to call them friends than colleagues, but he’s learned long ago to bite his tongue where his relationship to the Alpha is concerned. He breathes in deeply, centering himself and mentally preparing himself for the rest of the day.
Their weekly dates — though Magnus knows Alec might have a conniption if he hears Magnus call it that — have become a part of their routine since Alec had left Lydia at the altar and stormed out of the Institute. Magnus, who had been in pre-heat at the time, had been surprised when the young man had turned up at his front door, smelling of sour sadness and desperation.
He had let Alec in and they’d talked about the implications of what he’d done and what they wanted to do moving forward.
Magnus had held on to every ounce of self-control and self-preservation he had not to ask Alec to spend his coming heat with him, and Alec had been a gentleman about the entire thing despite the way Magnus’ arousal must have flared with having his Fated Mate so close. They had parted with a promise to revisit their conversation and another promise from Magnus to be at the Institute as soon as he was able so that they could revive Jocelyn.
There had never been a revisiting of the conversation, but there had been a revival of Jocelyn, a war, a near-apocalypse, and a couple of near-deaths for both of them since.
“Am I early?” Alec asks as Magnus pushes himself to stand.
“Not at all,” replies Magnus with a nonchalant wave of his hand and a smile.
Nephilim, Magnus couldn’t help but think, will only reach out when they need something. It stood to reason then, that his mate, being one of them, would be the same. Of course, it didn’t stop him from being disappointed. He blamed his upcoming Heat for how sensitive he was being about the entire thing, but the sight of one Alec Lightwood in his loft was bittersweet and left him feeling horrible about himself.
Truth be told, he hadn’t wanted to let Alec in — not when Magnus’ loft faintly smelled of Omega-In-Heat, and Magnus had just taken a new dosage of suppressants as prescribed by Catarina. Magic was wonderful in helping solve the first one, but the second needed more time and distance than Magnus currently had. He listened to Alec explain the situation while trying to force his body to comply with where his mind was currently at.
It seemed that Isabelle Lightwood had found herself on the wrong side of Clave Law, and because no shadowhunter in their right mind would defend her from the Inquisitor (and previous generations of shadowhunters hadn’t thought to exclude the possibility of a downworlder representing one of their kind), Isabelle had thought to enlist his help.
He spared Alec another glance, knowing that Isabelle had other motives for her plans. Neither Alec nor Magnus had told anyone of their bond, Magnus recalled from their limited text conversations, but Magnus hadn’t been shy in showing interest in the eldest Lightwood sibling. He was known as a lothario for a reason, after all. He figured he might as well play that card. Besides, everyone else thought he was a beta. He was no threat to any potential mate for the male alpha shadowhunter.
Anything. Magnus wanted to roll his eyes at the superlative. Shadowhunters threw the word ‘anything’ around when they really meant ‘anything that I can get away with in the eyes of my people’ or ‘anything that I can hide’ or ‘anything that doesn’t mean as much for me as it does for you.’
“You,” Magnus said, just to be cheeky. “You know what? I’ll do you pro bono.”
The tension in Alec’s shoulders crept up to his face, visible in the way his jaw seemed to tighten. Despite the suppressants Alec’s sure to be using, Magnus can smell the faint scent of sour displeasure. His stance wavered a little, reacting to his Alpha’s unmasked feelings. Well, that was confirmation enough to know that the suppressants he took hadn’t gone into full effect yet.
“Or something of great importance to you,” he said, voice soft. “Your bow and quiver, perhaps?” As soon as the words had left his mouth, Magnus already knew he was going to return those to Alec even if the shadowhunter agreed to it. And when Alec did say yes, Magnus knew he would weave more protection into those weapons to continue keeping Alec safe. They may never bond, but that didn’t mean Magnus wouldn’t do his best to ensure Alec’s protection.
“Are you okay?” Alec asked as he looked back at Magnus. The concern evident in his voice made Magnus smile.
“Never better, all things considered,” Magnus lied, feeling the tell-tale beginnings of their bond breaking in the way he had to keep his magic close to him so they didn’t reach out and grab Alec.
Alec stuck around for one more minute, just staring at Magnus, as if committing the entire moment to memory.
Magnus supposed he was doing much the same. It was clear now that Alec had drawn a line between them, and for all that Magnus had always hoped for a Mate, he couldn't stomach the thought of having one that didn’t want him in return.
Alec moves around the loft with an ease and comfort that speaks of how often he's there. He sets his weapons down on the rack Magnus had set up the first week they’d done this. He also begins to shed the weight of the New York Institute’s Headship, shoulders loosening and breath deepening.
Magnus had asked him once what he scented whenever he came by. On an intellectual level, Magnus knew the base notes of his scent: oranges and sandalwood, but he had wondered what he smelled to his mate. Alec, huge tease that he was, had merely smiled and shook his head, saying, “Good. You smell…good.”
Despite still being curious, Magnus hadn’t probed further. He’d felt too flustered over Alec’s cheek and didn’t want to admit how the smallest hint of affection had nearly tipped him into his Heat. Six years into this relationship-of-sorts of theirs and Magnus is just as helpless to Alec as ever.
Magnus already has their food set up on the coffee table, and a movie has already been queued up on the TV. They didn’t always stay in the loft for their weekly dates, but Magnus knows Alec has been running on fumes trying to appease both the Clave and his family while also running the Institute in a way that satisfied his people and the New York Downworld. Just the week before, Alec was dead on his feet while they were on a beach in Southeast Asia. If Magnus hadn’t used his magic to make sure Alec always had a healthy amount of SPF on, he would have come back to New York fried and frustrated.
“You seem more casual tonight,” Alec says with a tilt of his head. Magnus looks down at his silk pajama pants and matching robe. The only jewelry on his person is the necklaces around his neck and a small strip of gold chain on his ankle. There’s a streak of aqua in his hair that matches his outfit as well as his nails. Alec’s cedar and ylang-ylang scent becomes more pronounced as he and Magnus exchange a quick hug, and it takes more of Magnus’ self-control than he cares to admit to pull away.
“It has been an…exhausting couple of days.” Magnus admits, thinking back to all the meetings the past few days. “Lots of conversations that needed to happen.”
Magnus turned to Alec expectantly. He called on every year he had under his belt for the control he’d cultivated, as well as the suppressants he was taking to keep his scent from giving away how anxious he was about the topic he was about to bring up. “But we never really finished our conversation after Izzy’s trial, about your wedding.”
“There's no conversation to be had.” Alec replied tersely. “I’m getting married. You and I understand marriage very differently.” He opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, “I’m a shadowhunter. This is about family and traditions, honor…”
“Honor?” Magnus scoffed, feeling the way his magic flared in indignation. To Magnus, it seemed a lot like Alec was trying to convince himself. He breathed in deeply, trying to gauge Alec’s feelings by his scent despite knowing the shadowhunter must have already amped up the dosage of his own suppressants. “Where is the honor in living a lie?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What about love? Even shadowhunters fall in love, Alec.” Very specific examples of shadowhunters falling in love with downworlders flashed through Magnus’ mind, but he held back from spilling secrets not his own. He clenched his fist as he continued, “Just tell me you’re in love with Lydia, and I’ll stop.”
“I don’t know. Why do you keep pushing?” Alec huffed, waving a hand. His eyes flashed red momentarily, a sign of Alpha’s instincts flaring. “Yo-you’re confusing me!”
“Confusion is part of it,” argued Magnus, though he did his best to keep his tone even. “That’s how you find out if there’s something there.” He began to walk around Alec, and if it had been any other time — if they had been any other people — he would have reached out with more than his magic and scent-marked his mate. “Emotions are never black and white. They are more like symptoms. You lose your breath every time they enter the room.” He sighed. “Your heart beats faster every time they walk by.” His was certainly pounding in his chest and ringing in his ears. “Your skin tingles when they stand close enough to feel their breath.” Magnus looked upon Alec, and he knew that his eyes shone the golden of his warlock mark and designation. This was it. He’d sworn to himself once upon a time that he would never let his mate go without a fight. “I know you feel what I feel, Alec.”
“I have no idea what I feel, so back off.” Alec said after a second, effectively breaking Magnus’ heart. “It’s all just a game to you, isn’t it?” He spat, and it took everything in Magnus not to back away as his instincts told him to run from or attempt to comfort his obviously frustrated Alpha. “You flirt, you laugh, you use magic, but at the end of the day, what do you risk? Even if I feel something for you, would I give up my life for you?” No, not his Alpha. Magnus watched as Alec squared his shoulders, looking even taller than he already was. “I have to do what’s right for me. I could lose my family, my career, everything. You just don’t get it.”
“You have a choice to make.” Magnus said softly, voice ringing with confidence he did not feel. “I will not ask again.” Magnus paused just before summoning a portal, hoping that Alec would stop him. When the shadowhunter made no move to do so, he murmured, “I wish you and Lydia a happy marriage, Alexander. May your bond be strong and true.”
Calling on all his magic to summon a silent portal, Magnus left his loft and stepped out onto the comfortable warmth of his true lair. He looked up when he heard rustling, tears already streaming down his face as Ragnor came into view.
“Oh dear,” Ragnor murmured as he stepped right into Magnus’ personal space. Recognizing the Alpha’s scent as part of his pack, Magnus shuffled closer until he was eventually in Ragnor’s arms, face buried in the older warlock’s chest. It had been a while, but Ragnor knew best how to pick up the pieces of a broken hearted Magnus Bane.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Alec says as they both settle into the comfortable cushions Magnus has laid out. Magnus knows Alec means it as well, privy to the tediousness of political meetings and making hard decisions, but he would rather speak of anything else. “Anything I can do to help?”
Magnus hums. The immediate answer is that Alec wouldn’t be much help, because the only real answer Magnus has is to break their bond — and even knowing that it would be for the best for them on an intellectual level, he couldn’t quite bring himself to say it. Besides, he also knows Alec would turn it down. He's offered it before, and neither of them had been happier for it. Neither of them really wanted to let go, but this stalemate of theirs is beginning to affect more than just them or their respective families.
Not for the first time, he wonders about this ridiculous dance of theirs and how inevitable heartbreak is. He meets Alec’s gaze briefly before looking back to the food and beginning to serve them both their portions. With a small shrug he offers Alec his meal and snaps his fingers to summon some drinks for them.
They both shift a little closer so they were leaning back against the sofa and facing the TV. The movie starts playing, and they settle into the routine of shedding their titles and positions and existing together as only Magnus-and-Alec. If Magnus were to be asked, these little moments of theirs are his favorite memories of the past half a decade.
Magnus returned to New York smelling more like himself than he had in the last few weeks — technically, he smelled more like his pack, but he digressed. His Pack are as much a part of him as his own magic and scent. The past few days had been spent tucked between Ragnor, Cat, and Raphael. Even Simon, if he were being honest, but that was more due to his scent transferring to Raphael than any actual contact with Magnus.
He smoothed his hand down his robe, nose wrinkling at how his loft lacked his pack's scent. The amount of people that had been there the past few weeks really wasn't helping. A small twist of his hand and a small pulse of magic got rid of all the scents, leaving a sterility in the air and the burnt smokiness of magic. His own sandalwood and orange mix was layered with it, and he made a mental note to invite his pack over so they could scent his home.
After sending out the fire messages, Magnus decided to go to the small cafe around the corner to buy some coffee that would definitely help with the aroma in his home. The moment he opened the front door though, he knew he wasn't going anywhere.
There, with a hand to the side of the door and hunched shoulders, was Alec Lightwood.
"I...I couldn't…"
Magnus blinked up at him. He was in what must have been most of his wedding tux: a white ensemble that looked immaculate if not for the fact that Alec had taken off his coat and was gripping it in the same hand pressed against the wall.
"I couldn't breathe," Alec murmured. "I just...I want things to change. I want to stand by honor and — but not like that."
Unsure but not uncaring, Magnus cleared his throat. "Would you like to come in?"
Instead of answering verbally, Alec simply followed the wave of Magnus' hand into the loft.
Nothing had prepared Magnus for the way Alec's scent filled the newly refreshed space. Cedar and ylang-ylang mixed beautifully with the charred smell of his residual magic. He bit his tongue as they both moved further in, with Magnus eventually perching himself on the couch as Alec continued to pace. Part of Magnus wanted to offer Alec a drink, like a good host would, but he knew better than to invite any sort of loss of inhibition for either of them.
What a fragile balance they must walk, Magnus couldn't help but think as he listened to his mate explain the details of the deal he's supposedly made with the Clave. He'd cancelled his wedding, refusing to marry a woman in exchange for bringing Valentine into custody within the month.
Magnus and Alec find themselves dozing off halfway through the film. They've drifted closer in that span of time, with Alec's arm resting on the couch behind them and Magnus coming to rest his head on Alec's shoulder. Their scents are so intertwined that others would be hard-pressed to figure out where one ended and the other began, the woody, floral, and citrus scents complementing each other.
"I can't remember the last time we actually sat through an entire movie," Alec says with a chuckle as they both slowly wake. He lifts the hand resting on the couch and lets it hover over the back of Magnus' head, close enough that the other man could surely feel the heat, but without any actual contact. "We should probably move to actually sit on the couch instead." His voice reverberates through Magnus, who leans right into him and grins. The Alpha within him growls his happiness, enjoying the weight of his Omega against them.
"Aren't you shadowhunters supposed to be strong and sturdy?" The warlock teases, breath ghosting against Alec's throat. His hands, one on Alec's knee and the other carelessly just between his own thighs, open and close to get the blood flowing. "Are you telling me you're getting tired of sitting on the floor now, Alpha?"
Alec rolls his eyes and turns to Magnus, a huffed reply on the tip of his tongue, only for it to die on his lips when his action brings his and Magnus' faces even closer together. His eyes drift to Magnus' lips briefly, and he's overwhelmed with the thought of leaning in and closing the distance.
Magnus' phone vibrates violently where it sits on the coffee table, effectively startling them and breaking the spell that seems to have settled upon them. "I should…look at that." He murmurs, golden cat eyes drifting down to Alec's lips and then back to his eyes before pulling away.
With a small burst of strength and magic, Magnus pulled away from the unwanted kiss Camille deigned to place on him. He frowned at her playful smirk, then turned his gaze to Alec, who looked far from pleased at the sight. Their respective scent suppressants made it more difficult to tell how the other felt, but Magnus could still detect the faint sour notes of displeasure.
Barbs were traded and it wasn't long before they arrived at Camille’s apartment. He huffed as they stepped out of the elevator, feeling ill at the very idea of Camille knowing who or what Alec was to him simply because his scent was still prevalent within the walls of Magnus' home.
While Magnus had agreed to check the perimeter with the intention of clearing the air with Alec, he found himself uncomfortable instead. His magic was acting up, behaving as if his wards had been tripped and something was wrong. It didn't take either of them long to find the Circle Members arriving to ambush them. Sometimes, he was grateful for the sensitivity to magic being an omega gave him.
Magnus had immediately lashed out, magic leaving his fingertips and immobilizing some men while Alec took down others. Camille, who'd been on her way out, had stopped to look at Magnus, eyes bright crimson and reeking of Alpha pheromones.
This, Magnus knew, was the one thing shadowhunters didn't quite understand. There was no differentiating within the Downworld. All that mattered was that there was an Omega in danger and they would react in their defense. The fact that he was a warlock meant more, though. And in the brief second that their eyes had met, Magnus knew Camille had processed all of that and more.
She spun around without a word, cleanly dislocating the shoulder of one Circle member and breaking the knee of the other. Alec took the opportunity for what it was and ran into the room, just in time to find Jace about to leave with Valentine. Camille took care of another Circle member while Alec attacked two others for long enough to free Isabelle. Magnus used magic to bind and knock Valentine out, and for the first time in over a century, something other than disdain and hurt bloomed in Magnus' chest for Camille Belcourt.
"For you," Magnus told Alec, who looked ready to take Camille out on the basis of how she had yet to take her eyes off of Magnus alone. Valentine's capture was the bargain Alec had struck with the Clave, and Magnus hoped it would be enough to distract Alec from Camille altogether. "I think we're done here. I'll see to the spell and be at the Institute bright and early tomorrow." He waved a hand, and gestured to the newly-summoned portal. "To the Institute."
He barely noticed Alec dole out orders, opting instead to head to Camille, whose eyes shone with the red of an Alpha and whose fangs had dropped in preparation for a more brutal fight. Once upon a time, he would have looked at her and seen the possibility of a future. Now, all he had was gratitude for a multitude of things that only they might ever understand.
"Are you…?" Magnus' scent wafted over to Camille in a controlled act of magic that Magnus had learned to master a long time ago.
"Don't offer yourself up if you aren't willing to follow through, Omega." Camille tutted, straightening up and reaching for one of Magnus' necklaces. A loud growl made both of them freeze though, and Magnus knew it was Alec even without looking. "Is he worth it?"
"Only time will tell."
"Oh Magnus, I think you're a little more credible than time."
Without another word, she was off, leaving Magnus with Alec, Simon, and Clary.
Magnus bobs his head as he replies to the messages from Raphael. Beside him, Alec begins to put away the remnants of their meal. It's all very domestic, and Magnus tries not to look too much into it.
"A client?" Alec asks, pulling himself to stand. "Seems early." The small antique clock above the fireplace tells them it's a little before noon.
"No, it's Raphael," Magnus replies. "Ever since he and Simon bonded, he's been reaching out a lot more. It's a surprising but not unwelcome turn of events."
"You're really close to him, huh?"
"Like I've said, he's practically a son to me."
"And now the annoying mundane is practically your son-in-law."
"Ah, but our dear Salmon hasn't been mundane in years." Magnus presses his lips together and makes a sound between a groan and a sigh. "Now if only I could get him to start calling me Papa too then I can be a happy father."
Alec huffs out a laugh that Magnus knows is followed by an eyeroll without even looking. "You're taking the whole fatherhood bit a little too far, don't you think?"
Something cold settles in Magnus' chest as he puts his phone down and softly replies, "The people I take in…they're all my children, I'd like to think. I've helped people settle into their new lives much like I'd done for Raphael, or have offered my other Lairs as havens of sorts for anyone that needs a safe space." He chuckles, though it feels and sounds empty. "I suppose it's a placeholder for if I ever have a biological child."
The silence that follows is yet another reminder of the multitude of things they've yet to talk about. His phone buzzes with another message, and he's grateful for the distraction. He licks his lips, willing his scent not to change with the anxiety he can feel creeping up on him.
By the time Alec returns to his side, they're both decidedly more somber. He can tell his Alpha — Alec — is displeased with the way his fingers fidget where they rest on his knee. With the way Alec is seated on the couch, Magnus has to crane his head to look up and meet his gaze from his position on the floor.
"Is that something you want?" Alec asks, voice soft as he keeps his gaze on his hands.
Magnus wonders what it would be like in a different world where Alec might have looked at him and seen the potential of what they could be…and seized it. He thinks of the past six years and all the moments that could have been their beginning. He thinks of these weekly dates, of Alec coming to his loft whenever he needs a break, and of Alec's own predilection for family and taking care of others. "Yes," replies Magnus honestly. "If the right person came along," he admits, looking away before he's swept away by the wave of memories.
"Magnus, do you think…do you think it would have been easier for us if we weren't who we are? If I hadn't been Head or a shadowhunter or you'd been—"
"A mundane?" Magnus places a hand on Alec's knee and squeezes. "I think we're exactly who we're supposed to be. Just look at my dear Raphael and his mate. They were compatible as a mundane and a vampire, but it wasn't until Sherman became a vampire that he felt confident and safe enough to act on it."
"Would they not have worked out otherwise?"
"I wouldn't presume to know fortunes or alternate realities like that, but you must have realized by now how differently the Downworld looks upon Bondings." He shrugs. "Had you been a mundane, we'd probably be leading very different lives right now, yes, but then you might not also be you — and therefore wouldn't be compatible with me."
Compatibility. It was such a weak word for what they were to each other. What they had wasn't just about chemistry or being a good biological match. What they had was the supposed stuff of legends. That immediate recognition of each other was universal in that every compatible couple had that moment, but not everyone can honestly claim they'd begun to suffer the effects of a bond breaking as if they'd been part of a Mated Pair so soon after meeting their supposed mate.
Alec places his hand over Magnus' and squeezes.
"Is he truly worth it, my son?" Asmodeus asked, head inclined just so, making Magnus feel more like a sixteen year-old warlock boy than his actual six hundred years.
"He's my mate," Magnus replied, as if the word alone would explain everything. Perhaps in a different life, it would. Perhaps in a different life, he and Alec would have pursued the romance that could have blossomed (arguably, that was still blossoming) in their relationship.
In a different life.
Not this one.
"Yes," his father said slowly. "A shadowhunter mate for a warlock…True Mates, at that."
It was thanks to Magnus' centuries dealing with his father that he barely flinched at the confirmation. Only the Divine can determine True Mates with a hundred percent certainty.
"And yet neither of you have laid claim to the other. No scent marks, no temporary claims…not even a collar of sorts." Asmodeus stood, leaving the comfort of his throne, stepping down the dias, and pausing before his son. "But your magic certainly recognizes him. I can feel it reach out across dimensions even now."
"Father," Magnus began, ready to argue his case.
Asmodeus raised a finger at Magnus in a sign to quiet down. "Why don't we go for a walk? It has been quite a while since you've visited — your times with Ragnor and Catarina aside." A portal appeared to their side, and Magnus knew his father wouldn't take no for an answer. "One walk around the nation you've built and we shall better discuss this dilemma of yours."
"I did not build this—"
The Greater Demon tutted, golden cat eyes glowing as he waved to the portal. They stepped through together and found themselves at the outskirts of the kingdom, on a cliff overlooking it.
"The Downworld built this."
"After you brought them here, yes."
Magnus spun on his heel, ready to begin the trek to the outskirts of the nearest town. Contrary to the darkness he'd left in New York, it was a bright sunny day in Edom. Had it been any other time, he wouldn't have a second thought about staying longer and getting reacquainted with the people he had come to see as his. No matter how much he argued against it when Asmodeus made mention of it, he did value these people. He did care about them. He just wasn't ready to leave his life on Earth.
"You were born to rule, Magnus." His father walked by his side, long strides even and scent as neutral as always. Such was the Blessing of being an Angel — one had neither designation nor sex, ever able to evolve as needed or wanted. Even those that had Fallen retained such a state.
"Is that the same tale you sold the other siblings I had?"
"There were only two others. You know this. Neither of them survived beyond a year in my court." Asmodeus spoke as if he were talking about something as trivial as the weather, and yet with context, Magnus knew exactly what he meant. There had been two others of Asmodeus' blood before him, and just like Asmodeus had done with him, they were saved from a cruel fate and taken to live in Edom. Only, they had ended up killing themselves within a year — whether it was a year in Edom or a year on Earth, he wasn't sure.
"Name your price, then." Magnus insisted, despite already having an idea of what it could be. His father has certainly hinted at it enough.
"How about your magic?"
Well, Magnus hadn't expected that. He'd been prepared for Asmodeus to demand he return to Edom for a specific amount of time in exchange for the power he was asking for.
"Seems like a fair enough price. You aren't keen to remain here for longer than a day or two, but it's your magic that the realm demands to keep this place flourishing for your people." Asmodeus reached out to one of the bushes they're passing by. A flower bloomed large enough to graze his hand, responding to the call of Edom's Ruler. Although inconspicuous, Magnus knew the flower was poisonous to anyone without Asmodeus' blood. It was Edom's own way of protecting itself from those who sought to overthrow its Chosen.
He took the flower from Asmodeus, watching as it crystalized before softening into a smaller yellow flower — neutralized and now rejuvenating for whomever Magnus might deign to give it to. "And if I offer my time here, instead?"
"Your presence here, then." Asmodeus agreed as they approached the village. "After you birth your firstborn, you will stay here, with me, for the same number of years this vessel of the Owl gets to live as your Mate's parabatai."
Something heavy settled in Magnus' gut as he tried to think of a counter offer. 'Tell me Jace isn't worth it,' he had asked his mate, seeing the anguish and confusion in Alec's eyes. He recalled, more vividly now, the silence that had followed.
Every price was worth paying in Alec's eyes to save his parabatai.
It didn't matter anyway, Magnus couldn't help but think. He had no plans of mating to have children any time soon, and chances are, when he did, Jace (and therefore Alec) would long since be gone and he might have already taken permanent residency in Edom. The problem would have become moot.
"Tick, tock, my son."
"I'll do it." Magnus spat, tucking the flower into his breast pocket and placing his hands behind his back. "The power needed to get rid of the Owl in exchange for time here after I first give birth."
"Perfect." Asmodeus' smile was anything but comforting. "I warn you now that you might feel faint or find difficulty getting your magic to respond to you after you rid yourself of Lilith's wonderful creation, but I'm sure that is nothing for a warlock of your pedigree."
"I'm very grateful to have you in my life." The sincerity in Alec's tone and gaze makes Magnus' eyes water. How utterly wonderful his sweet mate is. How he fervently wishes things are different.
"And I'm just as grateful, darling." He offers a reassuring smile, squeezing back. "There is something I must confess though." He pulls his hand away, moving so that he can sit on the couch as well. "This might be one of our last few get-togethers before I take a year off on sabbatical."
Alec raises a brow. "I didn't know Warlocks believed in that."
"Well, it isn't really a sabbatical, I suppose," says Magnus slowly, trying to find the right words to explain without betraying the trust given to him. "I'm not looking for purpose or meaning in my life, but I've offered myself up for a task that would be better planned and executed elsewhere."
"Well, can you be any more vague?" Alec huffs, shaking his head.
"It's part of my job description as High Warlock." He wraps the lie with a grain of truth: "And part of the payment for getting rid of the Owl a few years back."
As expected, Alec perks up. Magnus had never explained the price paid for saving Jace. Granted, no one had really thought to ask. "Oh, is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, it's quite alright. I've got everything under control." He smiles at Alec, all sweet and reassuring despite the way his heart pounded in his chest.
"Magnus, I know I've already thanked you for all that you've done, but that specifically — Jace meant everything to me. I don't know how I can live without him."
"I'm happy to help, Alexander," he replies.
"But you did more than that…" Alec adds, reaching out to hold one of Magnus' hands in both of his. "You always seem to do more than anyone asked you to. And the world's safer and a better place for it."
The Council, Magnus thought, would surely have realized a giant rift had opened in the realm. He knew he would be able to do it himself if he stepped back into Edom, but—
He looked back at Alec, whom he'd followed to Alicante as soon as he felt the first spark of magic return to him since ridding the world of the Owl. Nearly two weeks without magic made his skin crawl and made him restless. If it hadn't been for Asmodeus' prior warning, he would have thought it permanent and might have done something drastic to regain his magic.
With that behind him, there was something new to consider now. If he went back to Edom and overexerted his still healing magic, there might be dire consequences for himself. If he went back and asked the Council for help, they were sure to pester him about his supposed duties and obligations to them. If he went back and—
"I can go seal the rift." Magnus said, eyes on Alec.
He could go back to Edom and stay. There was nothing that truly tied him to Earth. For all that the beginnings of a connection with Alec continued to thrum with life and pull them into each other's lives, the shadowhunter had continued to turn down any of Magnus' advances and hadn't returned any of his flirtations despite how flattered he seemed to be by it. And what did it say about him, really, that the one alpha who was supposed to be unable to resist him, had consistently rebuffed him?
His Omega, the more instinctual part of himself, had been silent since his return from Edom after bargaining with his father, as if a part of him had recognized that there was no future for them with the man that should have been his Alpha.
At least in Edom, he would have his Pack; his people.
"Kill all the demons and get Catarina to look over your wounded to make sure Lilith doesn't try anything like she'd done with the Owl." He looked up at the giant glowing hole in the sky, then back to Alec.
"It's only Edom," Alec said. "You always come back."
"It was nice to have met you, Alexander."
Ave atque vale. Magnus thought but didn't say. He would return — he was still the High Warlock of Brooklyn, after all — but he would be in no rush to do so. There was only possibility here, with his Alpha, but there was reality in Edom and the rest of his people.
Without waiting for a reply, Magnus took flight.
Magnus returned three Earth-months later, to a shadowhunter Alpha sleeping on his couch. He stood across the man, a coffee table between them, and watched the steady rise and fall of Alec's chest. Had things been different, this could have been their norm. Magnus would split his time between Earth and Edom, safe in the knowledge that he would always have his Alpha to return home to (that his Alpha would be the home to return to).
His magic hummed, enjoying the proximity to his Mate, but did not immediately reach out to Alec for the first time since they'd met.
He wasn't entirely sure how long he stood there, watching Alec sleep like he was the Edward Cullen to Alec's Bella Swan, but it was certainly long enough that he felt his hunger settle in and that his stomach growled. It was apparently loud enough to wake Alec, who immediately sat up, alert.
Before Magnus could even say anything, Alec was on him and pulling him into his arms. Alec's nose dropped to Magnus' neck, straight for his scent glands, where he was surely already beginning to react to being in Alec's embrace. He shifted so that he could wrap one arm around Alec's shoulders, beringed fingers curling into the hair just above Alec's nape.
There would be time to get reacquainted, Magnus couldn't help but think, but this moment between him and his Alpha, this was just as necessary as any conversation that would be had later. The bond between them sang and settled, strengthening without tethering.
"Oh but enough of that." Magnus shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "I just wanted to warn you that I will probably be gone for a few months to a year—"
Alec leans forward suddenly, eyes wide. Panic tinges his scent, and it tickles Magnus' nose so much he almost sneezes. "Months? A year? That's…that's a pretty long time."
Magnus supposes that it does seem like a rather long time to a mortal. "Ah, but I'm sure you'll be busy changing the world, shadowhunter," teases Magnus as he angles his body so that he and Alec are facing each other. "Or maybe your time will be filled with those dates your mother's been setting you up on!"
"Those have been horrible," Alec mutters with a scowl. "The best person I've met is Andrew, and that's mostly because we ended up hanging out and drinking like friends." And wasn't that a surprise? Maryse Lightwood has recently begun to include men in the line up of omegas and betas she's been throwing in her son's direction. It was all under the guise of networking and building political relationships, but Magnus and Alec know better.
"See," Magnus says with a wave of his hand, stamping down the part of him that rejoiced at Alec's confirmation that there hasn't been anyone that's caught his attention. "This time can be about making new friends—"
"Won't I be able to contact you?" Alec squeezes Magnus' hand again. "You're making this seem a lot like a goodbye."
Their bond flares to life, though neither of them show any reaction. After six years, they've mastered the string of Fate that binds them. Rare are the days they fall prey to the inexplicable draw they have to one another, but Magnus has a feeling that's also due to the fact they've been regularly meeting since he returned after ridding the world of Lilith for a few centuries.
Then, three months had passed on Earth while a mere two days had passed in Edom, one of which had been spent closing the rift and taking Lilith down when she had made an attempt to broker a deal with his father to go against him and let her out. Asmodeus had simply raised a brow at her and left her to the mercy of Magnus and the warlocks at his side. None of them had felt particularly bad about ridding their realm of the woman who'd constantly been attempting to overthrow Magnus' supposed position over the land. His deal with Asmodeus came to light then, and it was to appease the Labyrinth's Council that he swore to take his seat in Council when he returned to fulfill his half of the deal.
"Oh, I'm sure you could fire message me." Magnus assures Alec.
"But not call?" Alec squeezes his hand harder, though Magnus thinks he probably doesn't realize it. "Is there no cell service there? What about visits? Are you sure that's okay? What about our—"
Magnus reaches up to cup Alec's face with his free hand. "We'll be okay, Alexander."
Alec leans into his touch, eyes closing. "Is there really no way I can help?"
"It's something I have to do alone, I'm afraid." Magnus replies, hoping his voice or scent doesn't betray his heartbreak. A phone rings once again — Alec's this time — and both already know their time together is about to be cut short. Calls to Alec on the nights they met up always meant an emergency, as their close circle usually knows better than to interrupt.
Magnus watches Alec answer and knows without even listening that he won't be able to say all that he has to tonight.