Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alec is frustrated at everything.

Especially at Magnus.

In the past two months that they have been together, Magnus has been so kind, so patient. He doesn’t force Alec to do anything that Alec doesn’t want to do, and he tells him how beautiful Alec is every chance he can get. Alec is pretty sure by now that he’s suffering from long term head trauma because of all the blood rushing to his head from how much he has been blushing.

And Magnus has just been so… perfect. Alec really doesn’t understand why Magnus is with him. He stutters too much and doesn’t know how to properly show affection. Magnus just gives and gives and gives, and all Alec can do is fucking stutter through his smile and wish he was a better boyfriend.

Alec is just endlessly frustrated. Because Magnus is too perfect and deserves everything good in the world, and Alec has given him almost nothing, besides the occasional compliment..

That’s going to change.

-
Alec is standing outside of Clary’s door, regretting everything that has lead up to this moment.

It was Magnus’s birthday in a couple of weeks, and while Magnus doesn’t really want to make a big deal of it (‘darling, I’ve had over three hundred birthdays. What’s the purpose of one more?’) but Alec wants to go all out.

He knows that Magnus loves the things he acquired over the years, and it’s why he’s kept journals that dates back at least two centuries ago. He keeps the trinkets from old friends and the ones that he just gets- necklaces and record players and just a little bit of everything. He wants to remember his history. Alec knows this because Magnus has it around his loft, some small things and some big things from every era decorate every inch of his apartment, and he knows that Magnus will like the present that Alec thinks of because it’s Magnus’s history. He remembers the talk they had last week about how he loves collecting things from his past, but there are some things he wished he could get that the institute had, well, ‘gathered’ other the years. The melancholy look that Magnus had over his lost tokens broke Alec, and he knew what his first present would be to give to Magnus.

Which is why he stands here in front of Clary’s door, wanting to never do this. He has to though, because Jace would just tease him relentlessly for being a sappy romantic and Izzy would make innuendos for what type of ‘presents’ he should get Magnus. Clary would actually help him with this without mocking him, much.

He waits another second before knocking, and he hears the click of her shoes and then her door opens.

“Um, hi Alec? Is everything okay?” She asks, surprised as to why he is in front of her door.

“Yes, everything is fine. I need to ask you… something. A favor.” He winces at how awkward his voice sounds, but he pushes through it.

“What do you need?”

“I wanted to… I wanted to do something for Magnus. For his birthday. I was wondering if you could, um, help me?”

She beams at him then, looking at Alec with excitement in her eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I wanted to give him all the things that the institute took. Do you think you could help me get anything that belonged to him down in the archives?” He asks, his apprehensiveness growing.

“I can do that, yeah, let me just grab my phone.” She goes to her bed to grab it, and then they set off to go the institute archives.

—
“Pft, you guys really need to clean this place once in awhile,” Clary says as she coughs at the dust that flew everywhere. They’ve gone through a third of it, and Alec is inclined to agree. This place is a dust bowl.

“Don’t blame me. I don’t think shadowhunters really care about all of their paper files when everything is computerized now.” Alec defends, trifling through some more boxes.

They had found little things, like messages and some notes from him on the demon hunts at the time, but other than that they haven’t found anything that Alec thinks Magnus would want. Alec realizes that this might takr longer than he thought.

“Hey Alec, come look at this,” Clary gestures him to come over, and when he looks at what she’s holding he freezes.

It must have been the 20’s, with the way he looks. His suit fits him so well. His face is makeup free, but that’s not really what catches his attention.

He’s smiling. A carefree, loving smile, the one that Alec has only seen a couple of times in the past two months. He’s dancing. The girl he’s twirling is not facing the camera, but the way he looks so free and happy has Alec’s heart clenching in his chest. Alec takes the delicate picture in his hands, and the edges of the picture are frayed— he's afraid that if he holds it too tight it might crumble. It’s an old sepia photo, and he doesn’t know who took or or where it was taken but he doesn’t care. It’s Magnus, happy and carefree. Magnus is glowing, having a sort of angelic aura around him, like nothing could affect him. Something that he hasn’t been in a while, probably not since this picture was taken, and suddenly Alec is furious.

Magnus, one who gives his love so freely and wants to be happy, has been crushed again and again by shadowhunters. They stole from him, degraded him, and treated him like he was nothing. The fact that they had the audacity to ask him to do favors, like put up wards and heal them and defend them, after they treated him like shit— Alec wonders why hasn’t told any of them to leave him alone.

“.... Alec? Are you okay?” Clary carefully speaks, interrupting Alec’s train of thought. He turns to her, seeing her concern span across her face.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s keep looking.” Alec replies, breathing in deep into his lungs.

They go back to looking, but Alec still has rage burning low under everything else. He is going to give Magnus the best damn birthday he can.

-

Alec walks into Magnus’s apartment, and he sees Magnus round the corner into the living room. He smiles at Alec, beginning to speak to him, but before he could Alec crashes his lips against Magnus's.

Magnus lets out a surprised noise, but immediately returns it with equal fervor. Alec tries, really tries to convey all the feelings he has for Magnus at this moment, telling him what all his words can’t. Their mouths slot together, and Magnus is breathing hard through his nose— Alec is the same. Alec pushes back until Magnus hits the wall, not hard enough to actually hurt him. His hands travel to Magnus’s cheeks, cradling them, and he loves the contrast of the tender gesture to the hard kiss.

Alec lets his tongue run over Magnus’s bottom lip, and Magnus opens to Alec, giving him control. Alec delves into his mouth, exploring what he already has before. His breathing is harsh, and he feels Magnus’s grip on his waist, wanting him closer. Alec wants to show what Magnus means to him, what Alec is better at saying through his actions. He needs Magnus to know.

He stops the kiss for a second, catching his breath. He moves to Magnus’s cheek and plants a kiss, then to his other one, and then to his nose and jaw and everywhere else on Magnus’s face.

Magnus kind of giggles, it’s a small one, but Alec is grinning because it’s adorable and Alec cherishes it. He kisses him again, slow and sweet, still smiling. He keeps doing that, until the kisses space out. They eventually just stop, breathing slowly with their foreheads pressed together— Alec still having the grin on his face.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what brought this on, darling?” Magnus asks after a beat, opening his eyes to look Alec.

Alec leans back, looking at Magnus. Really looking at him. At his eyes, how they shine with or without his glamour. At his lips, raw and red from the kiss. His nose, his cheeks, the little crinkle around Magnus’s eyes from smiling. Alec can’t get enough.

“I just… I wanted... I’m sorry,” Alec finally says, but Magnus looks at him, confused.

“I- I know that, well, that the shadowhunters have treated you terribly, even before Valentine. They treated you like you were nothing, and I’m so sorry for that. I know it doesn’t make up for what they did, and that it doesn’t even compare, but I’m sorry.”

Magnus face twists into something that Alec can’t place. It has sadness and fondness and something he can’t name, but it strikes somewhere deep that Alec goes back to cradle his cheeks again.

“Alexander,” is all Magnus says, and Alec swears he sees a tear or two but then Magnus brings him closer, hugging him tightly.

They stay like that, Alec holding Magnus as Magnus squeezes the life out of him. They could have been standing there for minutes or hours, but Alec didn’t care. Because Magnus needs to know.

“You’re better than all of them,” Alec whispers into his ear, and Magnus shivers, huddling closer. Alec is pretty sure that one of his ribs might break from how hard Magnus is squeezing him, but he would endure it all if it meant Magnus understands how important he is.

“Thank you,” Magnus mumbles, Alec’s shirt muffling most of it. Alec just kisses his forehead, conveying his emotions through the kiss.

Yeah, Alec is determined to give everything Magnus deserves. Happiness.

Chapter Text

Alec gazes at Magnus as he sleeps. Magnus looks so calm, so peaceful. The sunlight peeking through the curtains is giving him a dim glow around his soft face, making him appear angelic. Alec’s smile is faint as his eyes glaze over each detail of Magnus’s face.His round, plump lips, his high cheekbones, the small scar near his hairline that he covers up with makeup- every little detail Alec is in love with. Alec still doesn’t know how he can have this,that he can be with Magnus like this. It still surprises him, sometimes.

He’s been thinking about what his next present is for Magnus. He wants the present to be meaningful, and Alec is having a hard time trying to find what exactly that could be.

He’s thought about makeup, and a letter, and even a playlist ('No, Clary, I’m not giving him a playlist'), but nothing seems right. He wants to give him something that he knows Magnus will love, something that he’s never gotten before.

Alec sighs, running a finger over Magnus’s bicep with a gentle touch. Magnus doesn’t stir, but just moves closer and wraps an arm around Alec, snuggling closer. Alec chuckles, and through the covers he hears a muffled sound.

“Sleep,” Magnus slurs, his lips resting on Alec’s chest. “Go t’sleep,”

“It’s eleven in the morning,” Alec whispers, wrapping his arms around the warlock.

“Still sleep time.”

Alec just shakes his head, a fond expression across his face as he settles into the covers once more.

“Better,” Magnus says, a sleepy but victorious smile adorning his face. Alec rolls his eyes, and kisses Magnus’s forehead. Magnus relaxes into his embrace more, eventually drifting to sleep. Alec still has to think about what he can give to Magnus- and soon. His birthday is in a couple of days.

--
Alec can’t help but feel stupid.

He had a conversation with Izzy, the time he realized that Magnus’s present was so obvious. They were in the training room where Alec was practicing his arrows and Izzy came to stand next to him. He cursed in his head at how close he was at missing the target, only thinking of Magnus.

“You almost missed the target, Alec. What’s on your mind?” She asks, but he can hear the teasing tone in her voice.

“I didn’t, and no one.” He shot another arrow, and this time it did actually miss the target when Izzy responded.

“Oh I didn’t say who,” Izzy smirked at him, and Alec sighs after he put his arrows down. “Is it Magnus?”

He turned toward her and faced her, an eyebrow arched.

Her eyes lit up in understanding as a full blown grin stretched across her lips. “It is about Magnus!”

Her face went a complete one-eighty then as she pointed an accusing finger to him. “What did you do? Is something wrong?”

He shook his head in disbelief, denying it, “What? No. Nothing’s wrong, and I didn’t do anything. He didn’t do anything, either.”

Her expression softened then as she put her hand on her hip, “Then what is it?”

Alec sighed, closing his eyes for a second before he told her, “I don’t know what I should get for Magnus. For his birthday.”

Izzy’s expression changed into one of sympathy, bring her hand to rest on his arm that was crossed over his chest. “I’m sure that Magnus will love anything that you get him, hermano.”

“I know that but I just…” He looked down at his feet, feeling his frustration seep through, “I want to get him something meaningful. Something that he won’t forget.”

Izzy looked at him then, a sadness in her eyes that understood what Alec implied.

“Well… Magnus loves you, right?” Izzy asked.

“Yeah, he does.”

“Then why don’t you get him something that you love. Something that would remind him of you.”

Alec nodded at her, taking her advice as her hand slipped away from his arm. “Whatever you give him, I’m sure he will love it.”

“Thanks, Iz.” Alec smiled at her and watched her walk out of the training room.

He sighed again, feeling deflated. Even though Izzy helped him, he still didn’t have any idea of what to get Magnus. He picked up his bow again, walking over to pick the arrows from the target and putting them up where they go- and then it hit him.

His arrows.

Magnus knew how much his bow and arrows meant to him, the deal they had made when Izzy was on trial proved it. And technically, these were Magnus’s anyways. So he could probably…

Alec knew exactly what he would do to give Magnus the best present from him.

Now, Alec is walking inside the arsonry, looking for the best steel to make an arrow for Magnus. Alec feels a little bit giddy, making this for him. He’s excited to give it to Magnus, and can’t wait for the look on his face.

He finds the perfect steel, grabbing it and sitting down on the bench where the weapon makers usually do. He’s made arrows before when he went to the academy, (he even made his entire quiver) but this one is special. Usually, the shadowhunters who make the weapons would do the seraph blades, arrows — basically any weapon that the Institute had. But this, this is special. Alec isn’t going to let anyone do this, this has to come from him.

The process to actually make the arrow is a long one, and he can feel his neck and back grow stiff the longer he sits after each hour. Cut after cut, molding each and every line into the arrowhead and making the sharpest point possible, he’s finally finished with it. It’s unique, with the steel shining in the light on the bench. The indents to make it smoother, easier to fly.

Alec grabs his stele, going to carve in his rune. It’s the one that means the closest to his name- protection. He wants to know that Magnus will always be there to protect him, even when he’s not around.

Alec shakes the intrusive thought out of his head, and instead runs his stele over the finished rune to see it light up. It glows on the arrowhead, and Alec smiles. It’s the best arrowhead that Alec has ever made. He then attaches it to the spine, and then assembles the shaft and the bright red fletching together. The last piece he puts on is the nock, and the arrow is finished. Although, it’s missing one thing…

Alec stands up, stretching his sore muscles from sitting too long, and goes to call Magnus. He knows that Magnus is spending time with Catarina and Ragnor, since they always have a get together every month. It’s perfect timing.

The phone rings a couple of times before he picks up, “Hello darling,”

“Hey Magnus,” Alec says, staring at the arrowhead in his hand, “Is Ragnor and Catarina still with you?”

“Why yes, they are. Why do you ask?” Magnus asks, curiosity ringing through his voice.

“I was wondering if I could speak to Catarina,”

He can practically see Magnus’s expression- the raised eyebrow and slight frown. Alec has memorized that one well.

“Um, sure,” Magnus takes the phone away from his mouth, but Alec can still make out what they say, “Catarina? Alec wants to speak with you.”

“With me? Why?” Catarina says, although it’s faint to Alec’s ears.

“He didn’t say.”

Alec hears the shifting of the phone, and then Catarina’s voice rings through Alec’s ears. “I hear you want to speak with me?”

“Um, yes, I do. I was wondering if you could help me with something for Magnus’s birthday.”

Catarina makes a curious sound, replying with, “What did you have in mind?”

“Since Magnus is there I don’t want to say exactly, but If you can tell me where you would like to meet up, I’ll explain everything.”

Catarina pauses, digesting the information and considering it. Alec waits patiently, only a small amount of nervousness seeping in. He’s still hopeful, though.

“I have a penthouse on the upper east side in Manhattan. You can come by tomorrow at noon.”

“Really Catarina, you must move somewhere else, that place isn’t nearly as nice then the one in Sacramento,” Alec hears, it’s faint but he knows that Ragnor likes to talk with a loud voice.

Catarina replies with, “Do indeed shutup, Ragnor. It’s better than living in the middle of nowhere,”

Alec laughs at that, and Catarina is talking to him again. “Tomorrow afternoon.”

“Great. Thank you so much.” Alec’s heart feels like skipping.

“Don’t get too excited, nephilim. I still have to say yes to your proposition,” Catarina threatens, but there’s a hint of teasing to it, “I’m handing the phone back to Magnus now.”

Alec doesn’t get to change to respond because Magnus is already questioning him when he gets the phone back. “Alexander? Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Alec replies, smirking.

Magnus huffs, but then gives Alec a small laugh. Alec knows that he’s still curious about it but Alec isn’t going to slip up. He’s got almost everything planned- all he needs is to this one last thing for Catarina too agree. He’s so excited, he feels like jumping from sheer ridiculousness.

--

“So, Alec, what is your so called gift for Magnus?” Catarina asks, pouring him some tea as they sit in her living room. Her penthouse is nothing and everything like Magnus’s- the white walls with pictures and paintings of everything and from every era are hanging. The furniture isn’t like Magnus’s (which are just antiques he’s carried around with him), but hers have a style and finesse to it. She also has plants everywhere as well, some normal and some that are probably not of this planet. It all looks like Catarina, in a way.

“Well, I made this arrow for him, and I was wondering if you could add something.”

She holds her blue hand out, and Alec hands her the silver arrow. “I have this idea in my head of what it would look like— maybe you could do it?”

She gives the arrow an inquisitive look, and then gives the same one to him. “And exactly why should I do this?”

Alec stills his hands around the cup of tea he’s holding, squeezing it so he doesn’t fidget. “Well, you don’t- I just- I mean-,”

Alec lets out a breath, looking at the arrowhead. He thinks of Magnus, his smile and crinkly eyes, and he calms himself, starting again. “I want to give Magnus something special for his birthday. I know that, that—” he nods his head toward the arrow to show the emphasis of it, “-doesn’t look like much, but it’s something that is important to me. I made it for him to show how important he is- not just to me, but in general. He deserves someone who’s good enough for him, and while I’m not, I’m going to try to be by doing this for him.”

He looks at Catarina then, seeing her face for the first time since he started taking. Her expression is open, an honored smile growing. Alec tries to smile at her, too, although he’s pretty sure it looks more like a grimace.

“Think of the pattern you want on the arrow- and only this thought. I’m going to pull it out from your mind and copy it,” Catarina says, and Alec beams at her, grateful.

Alec closes his eyes and imagines what he wants the arrow look like- embedded, faint swirls wrapping around each corner, and the rune being surrounded by them. They shimmer everytime it moves, even if there isn’t any light on it, and it reminds Alec of Magnus, shining even when there is no light.

“You can open your eyes now,” Catarina says, and he opens them to see a green, shimmering light with the image of the arrow in it. Alec watches her as she crafts it onto the arrow with her magic, the green surrounding it inch by inch. Alec is fascinated at the arrow as it transforms into the one he imagined, and when Catarina is done she smiles at him.

“What do I need to pay you?” Alec asks, and Catarina shakes her head.

“No charge. Consider it… an attachment to the gift for Magnus,” She smirks, and Alec chuckles.

“Alright. Thank you, again. For doing this,” Alec says, grabbing the arrow as she hands it back to him.

“It is my pleasure. Anyone who would go through so much for Magnus has my respect,” she says, and Alec flushes, rubbing at his neck to try and will it down.

Alec looks down at the elegantly carved arrow in his hands. It has both of them in it- the rune and the shimmering swirls both on it. Both of their personalities twisted into one. It’s beautiful, just like them.

He breathes out a sigh of contentment, and he can’t wait for Magnus to see it tomorrow night.

Chapter Text

Magnus walks into his loft, sagging against the door. His legs ached from the hours of shopping with Clary and Izzy. They had almost bought out entire stores (not that Magnus hasn’t before), but it had been an… interesting day. The girls had insisted that he come with them for his birthday- and he wouldn't have minded if it were for Alexander, who he really wanted to stay with. When Alec had pushed him out of the loft, claiming something about a surprise for him and to leave until tonight, he decided to go along with them instead. Throughout the day though, they just kept giving him smirking glances, or they gave secrets to each other and giggled in a suspicious manner. It spiked his curiosity through the roof, but he held his cool throughout the day. Now, all he really wants is to pour himself a glass of wine and run a bubble bath to soothe his aching muscles.

“Alec, darling, I don’t know about you but-” Magnus takes a couple of steps closer and is hit with a blend of aromas that has him stop in his tracks. He smells the familiar scent of something… Magnus can’t quite place it. The hot, tingling spices mingling with, is that— a hint of garlic? It’s all too familiar, Magnus can’t help but walk further into his kitchen. He freezes when he realizes what it is.

Magnus can feel the sense of his childhood life start creep up on him, flashes of his memories running through his mind, his emotions starting to overwhelm him. It’s an old Indonesian dish, Bakme Goreng, the only one that he really loved when he was still living in Indonesia. His mother, before she found out who he really is, had made it for him anytime he needed comfort. He told Alec about it months back, along with his regrets that he lost the recipe over two hundred years back. He told Alec that so long ago, how did he ever remember it?

Shaking out of his thoughts, he walks with curiosity and a hint of hesitation, calling out, “Alexander?”

He hears the faint clinking of dishes, and he follows the sound to the balcony. What he sees makes his steps cut short.

The smell of lavender and rose along with the sharp, peppery scent of the chicken hit him first, and it’s surprising that the two contrasting aromas fit so well. His eyes flicker from the elegantly set table in the middle of his balcony- rose petals located around the edges, with two dimly lit candles set in the middle. The dishes are also there, but his eyes draw to the mass amount of candles littering everywhere. Some on the outlook of his balcony, some surrounding the table and in the odd corners. The rose petals also, over almost his entire balcony as well— the candles set the entire floor a dark red, the petals illuminating.

What he focuses on above it all, is the man turned away from him. Alexander’s muscles in his shoulders shift under the maroon satin as he lights another candle. Magnus just stares, not really knowing what to do, to think, to feel. Everything, every little detail, overwhelms Magnus in a way he hasn’t been in decades, maybe even a century. Magnus’s heart just beats faster with every breath, his feet frozen to the ground, staring at his wonderful, beautiful Alexander.

His mouth moves against his thoughts, a hoarse whisper seeping through his lips. “Alexander?”

Alec jumps a tiny bit, knocking over one of the candles on the balcony. He swears as he watches it fall, but then immediately turns toward Magnus with a beaming smile. “Magnus.”

He sets the lighter to the side and walks around to give Magnus a sweet kiss, his hands wrapping around Magnus’s waist. Magnus brings a hand to Alec’s chest, palms just resting, and he gives in to the kiss for a moment.

Alec breaks the kiss after a second, his lips still ghosting over Magnus’s as he speaks. “Happy birthday, love.”

Magnus gives him a shining smile, one that is full of devotion, of love for Alec, with a tear or two forming in his eyes, but they don’t fall. He doesn’t even know how to form words at the expense of his happiness. He doesn’t think there are any words.

“I know you said that you didn’t want to go all out, but I did,” Alec says, a playful tone in his voice, “I even made your favorite dish. It probably isn’t the exact one you had, but it’s the best I could find.”

Magnus is speechless. His mouth is open, most likely looking like a fool, but he can’t form the words he wants to say. Alexander has officially rendered him speechless. From the candles and the rose petals and the meal… He’s enchanted at how much Alec had gone through to set up all this.

Alec gives him a lopsided smirk as he says, “If I knew that surprising you like this made you speechless, I would have done it sooner.”

Magnus immediately replies, “You know that isn’t the only thing to make me speechless, dear.”

Alec chuckles at that, tightening his arms around Magnus’s waist. He can feel the rumble of Alec’s voice against his chest as he talks, and it feels like home.

“Why don’t we sit down and eat? You can tell me about your day with Iz and Clary,” Alec says as he gives Magnus a fond look, walking him toward the table. Magnus follows blindly, the invitation to go on about his day propelling him into starting.

They sit at the table talking about their day and eating at the same time- laughing at the more ridiculous parts and the way that Izzy and Clary almost caused a domino effect by knocking over a clothes rack. Magnus talking with animated hands, although one always stays on the table, running fingers along Alexander’s palm with a light touch. Alexander is so used to the delicate and loving touches that he doesn’t blush at the intimacy of it, and Magnus couldn’t be happier at that fact. He does blush when Magnus finally mentions the scenery around them- and Magnus also notices the roses that are woven into the vines running along the wall around the door. It’s all so much. So much effort. So much time. He hasn’t known many people that would do this for him.

When they finish eating, Alec stands up to take their plates, cutting Magnus off from even trying. “Nope, you’re not going anywhere. I still have to give you your presents.”

Magnus raises an eyebrow at that, a sense of giddiness slowly taking over. It’s the same feeling as when you’re a kid, and you were excited to open presents on your birthday, almost bouncing in your seat because you can't wait. Magnus hasn’t really felt that way in his whole life, but he does in this moment. It’s an odd but welcoming feeling.

Alec comes back with two presents stacked on top of each other, and Magnus raises both eyebrows at him again, his excitement growing. Alec sits down, and hands Magnus the first one with an enthusiastic grin.

The presents are wrapped in a neat, royal blue paper with a thin white ribbons coming to the top to make a bow, and Magnus takes his time to unwrap the first one on the stack.

He looks through his eyelashes at Alec, a playful yet curious look as he goes through the tissue paper around the objects inside. “Alexander, is all this tissue paper really nece-”

He comes across something in his handwriting, and pauses at it. He reads some of the papers, frail and thin from it being used decades ago. The letters from him to his dear, sweet Tessa, the portal drafts from Henry Branwell, and other papers that had been lost to him over the years. It’s all right here, in his hands. The papers he always wanted but never could have. It is all here. He can’t believe it, like some of his lost history has restored again, fitting into him like a puzzle.

He looks at Alec again- one who is patiently waiting. The shy but adoring look in his eyes, the slight curve of his lips at Magnus, for Magnus. It’s all too much and not enough. “How…?”

“I went down to the Institute’s archives and looked for it, with Clary’s help. I knew nobody was using it or needed it, and you told me how much you like keeping the things you get during your life, so I decided that they should be with the rightful owner.”

Magnus wants to say how much he loves Alec, to try and express how much it means to Magnus. He wants to say how he’s grateful that Alec went through so much to get him this, and he wants to kiss him maybe a thousand times to make it clear. He doesn’t though- he’s still somewhat speechless, all of his emotions washing over him.

“Thank you, Alexander. Thank you so much,” is all Magnus says, and Alec understands.

“There’s more, though. Look under that tissue you paper,” Alec says with a smirk, leaning his head to indicate the tissue paper he’s talking about. Magnus sets the papers on the table with a delicate touch, careful not to tear them or have them crumble.

He lifts the white tissue paper even more, and he freezes. He’s transported back to 1926 as he looks at the photos before him.

He picks up the first one, the one of him dancing, and remembers it as if it were yesterday. Him and Ragnor were going out to celebrate an event he doesn’t remember. He does remember the girl he was dancing with, how her eyes shined as he laughed. They danced the entire night at the speak-easy, twirling and drinking the night away. He remembers how Ragnor, once he had about a hundred drinks, loosening up and danced as well. The loud party sounds of laughter and swing music filled his ears- it was one of the more fond memories that he kept with him, even after all this time. This, and the other picture beside it, were the only ones taken that night.

“I also found those picture in the archives,” Alec mentions, and Magnus runs a finger over the intricate frame.

“I believe that you would, as it was taken by Tessa, and the rest of the Herondale family at the time. They kept it with them- pictures of friends and family where a popular thing back then. I guess when Will died and the rest of the children moved away, Tessa forgot about it and the Institute collected it,” Magnus explains.

He sets the first picture back in the box and picks up the other one, feeling tears well up again. It was a picture of him and Ragnor on the same night, bright and happy smiles on their faces, his face. They had taken it as a drunk thought, but he couldn’t have been happier to do it. It’s apart of only a handful of pictures where Ragnor is smiling. His friend had hated it at the time, but Magnus loved it. He still loves it. He wishes that Ragnor could see it.

A tear drips onto the frame, and Magnus wipes the wetness away. Alec stands up and crouches next to him, wiping away Magnus’s tears that are rolling down his face. Magnus leans into his hands, a small smile adorning his face as he closes his eyes to stop the tears. He sniffles, bringing a free hand to Alec’s wrist and squeezing.

Alec comes to give him a chaste kiss, one that is full of love and support and home. It melts Magnus to his core.

“I love you,” Magnus whispers.

“I love you, too.”

Alec grins at him, bringing his hands to rest on Magnus’s jaw- a comforting touch.

“Are they okay? The presents, I mean,” Alec asks, and Magnus opens his eyes to give Alec an incredulous look.

“Of course they are. They’re … I can’t even describe how much these mean to me, sweetheart.”

Alec breathes out a sigh of relief, tilting his head up to kiss Magnus again. It’s slow, but not going any further than just the kiss. These are one of his favorite kisses from Alec, (although, all his kisses are Magnus’s favorite) and lets the kiss anchor him and calm him down— if only a little bit. When Alec pulls back, he strokes his thumb against Magnus’s cheek before standing up.

“You still have another present,” Alec says.

Magnus chuckles at him, sniffling. He brings his hands to his eyes to try and fix the smudged makeup, and watches Alec as he sits down again.

Magnus unwraps his second present, and when he sees what is in it his breath is caught in his lungs. He picks up the intricate, beautifully made arrow into his hands, his eyes immediately going to the tip. He sees the rune in the middle, the shimmering pattern swirling around the entire arrow, and Magnus is transfixed on it. He watches the pattern shine as he moves it, the light of the candles giving it a soft light. It’s sharp, and it could probably cut through just about anything, but what draws him in is the rune, tracing it with his finger.

“The rune in the middle means protection. It’s the closest meaning to my name,” Alec says as he gives Magnus a shy smile, “so that you can always have me to protect you, even when you don’t need it. Catarina also helped me with the pattern around it— it reminds me of you.”

Magnus looks up from arrow to look at the man sitting in front of him. This beautiful, powerful, sweet, sexy man who is looking at him with all the love in the world. The candles on the table illuminate his face into a soft glow, giving him an angelic look, and Magnus is inclined to agree. Magnus can’t believe, that after hundreds of years, no one has gone the lengths that Alexander has to show his love. To show that Alec is worth Magnus’s love. Magnus sees it everywhere. The candles, the roses, the dinner, the presents, he is drowning in love that he didn’t know he could have, didn’t know he would ever have. It’s overpowering to Magnus, but it’s welcome because it’s his Alexander. It’s the love of his life. Nothing has ever, and will ever compare to him.

“Come here,” Magnus says, springing out of his seat to bring Alec into a bruising kiss. Their teeth clang and it’s an awkward start, but he doesn’t want it any other way. It’s them, moving as one.

They kiss with teeth and tongue a moment of absolute passion taking over. They kiss until they run out of breath, and then they kiss some more. It’s all Magnus can do, to show how much he cares for Alec, how much he loves him.

They slow down until it’s just a light touch of their lips, and then Magnus presses his face into Alec’s neck, breathing in his calming scent. Magnus feels a gentle kiss to his forehead, and he feels goosebumps going all over his skin.

“No one has ever done this for me before,” Magnus mumbles after a beat into Alec’s neck.

“Made you a nice dinner?” Alec asks.

“Celebrated my birthday.”

Magnus feels Alec freeze for a second, and then brings him in tighter, almost to the point of crushing his bones.

It falls silent after that, just them standing there holding one another. Alec starts to sway a little, moving just so, and then they are dancing in a little circle to the sounds of Brooklyn. It isn’t long until Magnus moves his hand to flick his wrist, conjuring an old record player. The soft music emitting from it has them move until they are really dancing, with Alec’s and Magnus’s hands out to the side, and Magnus’s hand on Alec’s shoulder as Alec’s grip his waist. The moment in itself is almost out of a fairy-tale, and Magnus wants to never let it go.

Magnus hums the tune into Alec’s neck after a while, and Alec shivers but brings him closer. They dance until the sun starts to rise, and after some of the candles burn out, and after their movement becomes heavy. They dance, holding each other close. Never letting go.