"I'd like nothing better," Magnus breathes, standing and looping his arms around Alec's waist, uncaring about dinner for the moment. He doesn't have the time before he needs to add the next ingredient anyway, he'd rather spend the time tucked into Alec's arms. "It's been a long time since I felt this way about anyone. I'm not giving you up without a fight. Maybe not even with a fight."
Another lingering kiss before he reluctantly slides out of Alec's arms, back to the potion. To his credit, he's instantly focused as he adds the next ingredient, thirty seconds pouring a white, glittery powder, and seven stirs with the glass rod. Then he's free for another twelve minutes.
"Fortunately there's no fight tonight." Alec won't even fight to hold onto Magnus when he pulls away, just lets him go to tend his potion. In the meantime he fills a kettle with water, putting it on a far burner to heat. Even if Magnus doesn't want tea, sometimes just holding a warm cup helps soothe tiredness in the hands.
When the next part of the potion is accomplished and Magnus has reset the watch, Alec slides arms around him again, leaning in for a kiss while gently kneading at his shoulders. "I do love watching you work."
Gratefully, Magnus relaxes into those magic hands, letting his head fall against Alec's shoulder. "Good," he says wryly. "You'll get your fill of it if you stay."
If, he says, as though he doesn't know Alec already plans on staying until the potion is completely finished. In all his years, Magnus had never imagined a Shadowhunter would care so much about his magic. About him.
"How did you know I'd want tea right about now?" he adds with a smile. "I'm going to need to take you somewhere especially nice after this. Where would you like to go? Florence? Rio? Mm, you at Carnival..."
He does plan on staying until the potion is completely done, both to help Magnus and to keep him company. His boyfriend overextends himself from time to time and Alec has learned to see the signs. Taking care of him at times like this is no chore at all.
"I guess it comes with knowing you." Which tickles Alec as much as anything else, the idea that he's gotten to know Magnus well enough to pick up on these little preferences of his. It's a herbal tea, one that will blend well with Chinese food, and he leans in for another kiss. "If the potion works, you can take me anywhere you please."
It's easier, having Alec in his life. The weight, the burden of his years is easier to lie aside when he sees Alec's smile, feels his arms slipping around his waist, when he wakes in the middle of the night and has Alec there, breathing slowly, fast asleep and at peace.
"What if I want to take you somewhere you please?" he counters, but lightly. There are a dozen places he'd like to go with Alexander: Florence, Rio, Nice, Cairo, Oahu, a little cabin all to themselves in the Alps. But they're all places he's been before. He wants to give Alec the gift of going somewhere he's always wanted to see. Experiences are what matter in life.
"Then I guess I should start researching vacation destinations?" Dating a warlock does of course make it easier, what with portals and all, and Magnus certainly knows enough languages to assure that they're able to get around easily wherever they go. But the prospect is still a little exciting; Alec's world has opened up so much since the warlock came into his life, and in so many different ways. He marvels at it every day.
Glancing at the watch, he gently nudges Magnus back to the stool and presses a cup of tea into his hands. Snagging a fried wonton out of the container he drags it through the sweet dipping sauce before offering it on his fingertips. "Tonight you can take me to your bed, where I'm going to rub those shoulders until all the knots disappear."
"I guess you should," Magnus says lightly. Just about anywhere Alec might pick, Magnus is sure he can conjure a portal nearby. If he has a little advance notice, especially. And in truth, he's curious. He can take Alec on as many shopping trips to Tokyo and Rome as he wants, but he'd like to know where Alec would choose to go, if he could go anywhere in the world.
The tea is hot, fragrant, one of his favorite blends, and he takes a delicate bite of the wonton and smiles as he washes it down with tea. "Is it terrible if that sounds even better than other things we could do in bed?"
"Mmm. Tomorrow maybe." Tonight he's got more pressing concerns, namely the hours of potion brewing Magnus has left and his self-appointed task of making it as easy as possible for the warlock. He's got an interest in it working, they both do, and he wants to help in any way that he can.
Alec's laughter is soft and fond, holding the wonton until Magnus takes the second half, then licking the remainder of the sauce off his own fingers. It's a little bit of a tease but his next words are sincere. "It's not terrible at all. You work so hard, you should let me spoil you."
"Tomorrow is soon enough." He isn't in any particular rush to go anywhere, but the idea of getting away with Alec, just the two of them, is enough to perk him up. He'll make it through the last few hours of this potion, leaning happily on Alec.
The tease gets his attention, but he loves the way Alec is so casual with his flirtation these days. He's made such progress since the first time Magnus had expressed obvious interest and he'd responded with a nervous smile and a shrug. "I'll let you spoil me, I'd be delighted to let you spoil me," he murmurs. "Get these knots out of my shoulders first, then I'll show you how grateful I am."
“Then I’ll make sure I think really hard tomorrow.” Not that they’ll rush right off into a vacation right away but maybe over the weekend they can consider it. Or even during the week if Alec doesn’t have any responsibilities tying him down. They’ll have to see. “Tonight I’m just thinking about you.”
Teasing and even more overt flirting is definitely something he’s more comfortable with in private and Magnus still says things that make him blush. But he leans right in for another kiss before pushing himself out of the way for the next ingredient additions. “I’ll get those knots out of your shoulders and we’ll see how you’re feeling.”
Magnus catches him just in time to drop a kiss to the back of his hand before returning to the line of ingredients, feeling much lighter and more cheerful about the hours remaining. He's meticulous as always, precise measurements and precise timing at precise intervals, and in between each one, Alec feeds him tidbits from dinner and makes sure he sits and relaxes.
It helps immensely. By the end of the night, as Magnus drips magic from his fingertips into the potion and it flares white and settles into a steady glow, he's exhausted, but he isn't as bone-tired as he would have been if he hadn't had Alec looking after him. "There," he breathes, dropping his arms and rolling his shoulders. "Finished."
It's no chore to stay by Magnus' side, making sure he eats, making sure he rests as he can. Alec knows how much his boyfriend will put into his work for others, how he'll push himself past the point of exhaustion, using up all of his magic to help others. He wouldn't change it, the generosity is a beautiful part of Magnus' soul, but he will do his best to ease the burden Magnus takes on his shoulders.
When the potion is done Alec moves close again, hugging Magnus from behind, chin hooked over his shoulder as he looks at the glowing liquid. Hopefully it works as Magnus had predicted; hopefully it's worth the strain he'd given himself. "Does this mean I get to take you to bed?" he murmurs, and there's nothing of innuendo in it, just concern for energy expelled.
With a sigh, Magnus leans back into that supportive embrace, but he's not quite finished. "Almost," Magnus says, turning his head to press a kiss against Alec's cheek, and he doesn't need to pull away for this. With a few gestures, he draws a protective ward around the little cauldron and nods. "There. It can simmer overnight. I'll test it in the morning. Potency will only increase the longer I let it sit, so that's best."
That, and he has no real desire to test it right now. He can feel his magic levels sitting lower than he'd like them, and really, he'd like nothing more than for Alec to take him to bed. "All right, Alexander, take me to bed and have your way with me," he says, smiling and tipping his head back against Alec's shoulder. "I surrender, Shadowhunter."
He accepts that kiss gracefully, hands tracing softly along Magnus' sides as he wards off the cauldron. Part of the reason he'd come so close had been to offer his strength if Magnus needed it, but the warlock is clearly more than equal to the task.
He smiles more when the spell is finished and when Magnus relaxes a little more into his arms. "Having my wicked way with you," he teases, "starts with carrying you to bed and getting all those knots out of your shoulders." And he'll do just that, scooping Magnus into his arms with no small amount of laughter.
"Alexander," Magnus yelps, laughing, flailing a little until he gets a grip on Alec's shoulders, and then he settles in to enjoy the ride, smiling. "I could have walked," he points out, waving a hand at the candles to snuff them from a distance. He could have walked, but this is far more fun.
It's a relief to have that potion finished. Even if it isn't a substitute for yin fen, the way it's glowing shows that it's still a success, and it will be good for something. He'll find out in the morning what properties it has. For now, he wants to focus on this, on them. Alec is so good to him. Magnus does wonder sometimes what he'd done to deserve this. And a Shadowhunter. His first, in centuries of mundanes, Seelies, vampires, fellow warlocks.
"I know you could have." But this is more fun for both of them, Magnus in his arms, Magnus' arms around his shoulders. Alec spins around once, wildly, just because he knows it will make Magnus laugh, and kisses him soundly.
The trip to the bedroom doesn't take too long though. If Alec had been thinking ahead he would have set up candles or something suitable, but the lamps on either side of the bed are light enough. He sets Magnus down on that bed, laid out on satin sheets and bends so that he can pull off his boyfriend's shoes. "If you have enough magic left to warm some lotion, I'll rub it into your shoulders and back."
"I have plenty of magic left, Alexander, I've hardly drained myself working on a single potion," Magnus protests, sitting up on his elbows to watch with a fond smile as Alec takes off his shoes. So unnecessary, but he doesn't stop him. Alec wants to take care of him. It hasn't happened often, in recent years.
"This is nowhere near as drained as I felt the night I saved Luke after his alpha bite," he continues as he slips out of his jacket and tosses it toward the closet. "When you came and helped me, and stayed the night." On his couch, and nothing had happened between them, but Magnus had still enjoyed it.
Privately, Alec thinks that Magnus could use some more taking care of. He's been through the ringer lately, just as much as Alec has been. He's not sure if it's their ties to each other that make Magnus the convenient warlock every time the Institute or the Clave has a problem but he can see the toll it puts on Magnus.
But they don't have to think about that tonight, he thinks as he teases off socks, then gets to work on Magnus' pants. It's not a sexy undressing, or at least he doesn't mean for it to be. He's pretty sure Magnus is too tired for much of that sort of play, and Alec would actually enjoy a night just spent holding each other close. "I know you haven't. But I also know you barely ate until I came up, and probably didn't sit much either."
It's a fond memory for Alec too — now it is, anyway. At the time it had been confusing more than anything else and Alec hadn't quite sorted out anything about himself or about the two of them together. He still struggles with it sometimes but Magnus is still his compass needle, his true north. "I remember you almost collapsing. I couldn't not help you." He'd barely known Luke and Clary had certainly brought more trouble than anything else to the Shadowhunters, but he still hadn't hesitated at all in offering Magnus what he needed.
He smiles though, because it'd be too easy to get caught in more somber memories, and they don't need that tonight. "And I'm going to help you now by turning you into a puddle of happy warlock. Deal?"
If someone had suggested to him at the beginning of all this that he'd be lying in bed, allowing Alec Lightwood to gently undress him with the intent of putting him to bed to rest, he would have started laughing. How much they've both changed, he thinks as he shifts to help Alec rid him of pants and socks, pulls the silk shirt over his head and tosses that aside too.
"Deal," he says, pointing at one of the jars on the dressing table. It glows briefly, filling with a warmed lotion. "There, as requested. Do your worst, Shadowhunter." He's said that in the past. He much prefers saying it like this, with an affectionate smile, before rolling over to put his back willingly to his boyfriend.
Alec spares the time to rid himself of his shoes and socks as well, following them a moment later with his shirt. He also teases the blankets down, just to make them easier to pull over Magnus when they're done. If he can get his boyfriend to sigh happily, he'll consider it a job well done.
Reaching for the lotion, he holds the jar between his hands for a few breaths, feeling its heat, before using his fingers to scoop a generous amount into his palm. Magnus' magic is of course on point, the lotion warm without being uncomfortably hot and Alec generously coats both hands before bringing them to Magnus' shoulders. "You must have muscles made of steel," he murmurs as he starts out by carefully stroking over his boyfriend's shoulders before starting to rub gently. He'll work his way up to really digging into the tissue as Magnus relaxes under him, steadily making his way from shoulders down Magnus' back. "New warlock mark maybe? Steel muscles?"
Edited (redundant word choices) 2019-01-24 05:51 (UTC)
The groan he earns when he starts to dig in is heartfelt, and done into the pillows. He's already like putty in Alec's hands, not whatsoever a surprise, but the commentary makes him laugh, muffled.
"It would be novel," he admits. "Somewhat easier to hide, no glamour required." Speaking of...his eyes are closed and buried in the pillows regardless, but Magnus still drops the glamour over his own warlock mark. They're alone, and there's no one he trusts more, and he knows Alec likes seeing his eyes. It means a lot to Magnus, seeing that look of surprise and delight each time Alec catches sight of them.
The groan is a victory. Magnus isn't a particularly closed off person in general but there are parts of him that he hides. Alec isn't so foolish as to think he has everything of his boyfriend even now, but he has the willingness to have everything of his boyfriend and that makes the difference.
He smiles, even though Magnus won't see it, and leans in to drop a kiss at the base of his neck. "Oh, so you do have steel muscles, and you're just hiding them because it's easy. I see how it is." There's nothing but fondness underlying the tease though and he slowly works his way down from Magnus' shoulders to the middle of his back. "I'm going to remember that the next time I decide to carry you."
There's a little happy sigh at the kiss, but this feels far too good for Magnus to turn over and chase it. He'll let Alec have his wicked way with the knots in Magnus's muscles for the next two days if he wants it.
"Strength rune," he points out, still muffled, lifting a finger to underline his point before letting his hand drop into the pillows again. "Don't tell me you couldn't manage it, I've seen what you can do when you put your mind to it, Alexander."
Alec smiles fondly at that little sigh, at the trust it represents. He's glad that they're in a place where they can have this, where they can be this for each other. And he's glad of his own training regimen, how it's given him enough knowledge of muscles to know where and how to rub to release tension. He doesn't care how long it takes, pausing only to get more lotion from the little jar and leaning into each touch and press and stroke.
"Your faith in me is inspiring," he teases, leaning in to drop another kiss to warm skin. He could try to turn this into something sexy but it's honestly perfect as it is, Magnus trusting in him, Alec happy to have that trust. "So much that you might find yourself randomly picked up and spun around whenever I feel like it."
He's had massages from professionals that didn't feel this relaxing. Magnus isn't sure if it's just that Alec is far more expert at this than he'd let on—in which case, Magnus will dutifully tease him about holding out on him—or if it's how relaxed he always feels with Alec, transformed into this new shape. But there are knots in his back that feel as though they've been there for years, and Alec seems to be finding each one and methodically unravelling them. He's going to need to treat his love to something especially special after this.
"I don't think you'll find me objecting," Magnus says, his smile audible in his warm voice. "I might even seek it out. That sounds like a delightful way to spend an afternoon."
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Another lingering kiss before he reluctantly slides out of Alec's arms, back to the potion. To his credit, he's instantly focused as he adds the next ingredient, thirty seconds pouring a white, glittery powder, and seven stirs with the glass rod. Then he's free for another twelve minutes.
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When the next part of the potion is accomplished and Magnus has reset the watch, Alec slides arms around him again, leaning in for a kiss while gently kneading at his shoulders. "I do love watching you work."
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If, he says, as though he doesn't know Alec already plans on staying until the potion is completely finished. In all his years, Magnus had never imagined a Shadowhunter would care so much about his magic. About him.
"How did you know I'd want tea right about now?" he adds with a smile. "I'm going to need to take you somewhere especially nice after this. Where would you like to go? Florence? Rio? Mm, you at Carnival..."
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"I guess it comes with knowing you." Which tickles Alec as much as anything else, the idea that he's gotten to know Magnus well enough to pick up on these little preferences of his. It's a herbal tea, one that will blend well with Chinese food, and he leans in for another kiss. "If the potion works, you can take me anywhere you please."
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"What if I want to take you somewhere you please?" he counters, but lightly. There are a dozen places he'd like to go with Alexander: Florence, Rio, Nice, Cairo, Oahu, a little cabin all to themselves in the Alps. But they're all places he's been before. He wants to give Alec the gift of going somewhere he's always wanted to see. Experiences are what matter in life.
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Glancing at the watch, he gently nudges Magnus back to the stool and presses a cup of tea into his hands. Snagging a fried wonton out of the container he drags it through the sweet dipping sauce before offering it on his fingertips. "Tonight you can take me to your bed, where I'm going to rub those shoulders until all the knots disappear."
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The tea is hot, fragrant, one of his favorite blends, and he takes a delicate bite of the wonton and smiles as he washes it down with tea. "Is it terrible if that sounds even better than other things we could do in bed?"
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Alec's laughter is soft and fond, holding the wonton until Magnus takes the second half, then licking the remainder of the sauce off his own fingers. It's a little bit of a tease but his next words are sincere. "It's not terrible at all. You work so hard, you should let me spoil you."
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The tease gets his attention, but he loves the way Alec is so casual with his flirtation these days. He's made such progress since the first time Magnus had expressed obvious interest and he'd responded with a nervous smile and a shrug. "I'll let you spoil me, I'd be delighted to let you spoil me," he murmurs. "Get these knots out of my shoulders first, then I'll show you how grateful I am."
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Teasing and even more overt flirting is definitely something he’s more comfortable with in private and Magnus still says things that make him blush. But he leans right in for another kiss before pushing himself out of the way for the next ingredient additions. “I’ll get those knots out of your shoulders and we’ll see how you’re feeling.”
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It helps immensely. By the end of the night, as Magnus drips magic from his fingertips into the potion and it flares white and settles into a steady glow, he's exhausted, but he isn't as bone-tired as he would have been if he hadn't had Alec looking after him. "There," he breathes, dropping his arms and rolling his shoulders. "Finished."
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When the potion is done Alec moves close again, hugging Magnus from behind, chin hooked over his shoulder as he looks at the glowing liquid. Hopefully it works as Magnus had predicted; hopefully it's worth the strain he'd given himself. "Does this mean I get to take you to bed?" he murmurs, and there's nothing of innuendo in it, just concern for energy expelled.
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That, and he has no real desire to test it right now. He can feel his magic levels sitting lower than he'd like them, and really, he'd like nothing more than for Alec to take him to bed. "All right, Alexander, take me to bed and have your way with me," he says, smiling and tipping his head back against Alec's shoulder. "I surrender, Shadowhunter."
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He smiles more when the spell is finished and when Magnus relaxes a little more into his arms. "Having my wicked way with you," he teases, "starts with carrying you to bed and getting all those knots out of your shoulders." And he'll do just that, scooping Magnus into his arms with no small amount of laughter.
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It's a relief to have that potion finished. Even if it isn't a substitute for yin fen, the way it's glowing shows that it's still a success, and it will be good for something. He'll find out in the morning what properties it has. For now, he wants to focus on this, on them. Alec is so good to him. Magnus does wonder sometimes what he'd done to deserve this. And a Shadowhunter. His first, in centuries of mundanes, Seelies, vampires, fellow warlocks.
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The trip to the bedroom doesn't take too long though. If Alec had been thinking ahead he would have set up candles or something suitable, but the lamps on either side of the bed are light enough. He sets Magnus down on that bed, laid out on satin sheets and bends so that he can pull off his boyfriend's shoes. "If you have enough magic left to warm some lotion, I'll rub it into your shoulders and back."
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"This is nowhere near as drained as I felt the night I saved Luke after his alpha bite," he continues as he slips out of his jacket and tosses it toward the closet. "When you came and helped me, and stayed the night." On his couch, and nothing had happened between them, but Magnus had still enjoyed it.
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But they don't have to think about that tonight, he thinks as he teases off socks, then gets to work on Magnus' pants. It's not a sexy undressing, or at least he doesn't mean for it to be. He's pretty sure Magnus is too tired for much of that sort of play, and Alec would actually enjoy a night just spent holding each other close. "I know you haven't. But I also know you barely ate until I came up, and probably didn't sit much either."
It's a fond memory for Alec too — now it is, anyway. At the time it had been confusing more than anything else and Alec hadn't quite sorted out anything about himself or about the two of them together. He still struggles with it sometimes but Magnus is still his compass needle, his true north. "I remember you almost collapsing. I couldn't not help you." He'd barely known Luke and Clary had certainly brought more trouble than anything else to the Shadowhunters, but he still hadn't hesitated at all in offering Magnus what he needed.
He smiles though, because it'd be too easy to get caught in more somber memories, and they don't need that tonight. "And I'm going to help you now by turning you into a puddle of happy warlock. Deal?"
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"Deal," he says, pointing at one of the jars on the dressing table. It glows briefly, filling with a warmed lotion. "There, as requested. Do your worst, Shadowhunter." He's said that in the past. He much prefers saying it like this, with an affectionate smile, before rolling over to put his back willingly to his boyfriend.
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Reaching for the lotion, he holds the jar between his hands for a few breaths, feeling its heat, before using his fingers to scoop a generous amount into his palm. Magnus' magic is of course on point, the lotion warm without being uncomfortably hot and Alec generously coats both hands before bringing them to Magnus' shoulders. "You must have muscles made of steel," he murmurs as he starts out by carefully stroking over his boyfriend's shoulders before starting to rub gently. He'll work his way up to really digging into the tissue as Magnus relaxes under him, steadily making his way from shoulders down Magnus' back. "New warlock mark maybe? Steel muscles?"
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"It would be novel," he admits. "Somewhat easier to hide, no glamour required." Speaking of...his eyes are closed and buried in the pillows regardless, but Magnus still drops the glamour over his own warlock mark. They're alone, and there's no one he trusts more, and he knows Alec likes seeing his eyes. It means a lot to Magnus, seeing that look of surprise and delight each time Alec catches sight of them.
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He smiles, even though Magnus won't see it, and leans in to drop a kiss at the base of his neck. "Oh, so you do have steel muscles, and you're just hiding them because it's easy. I see how it is." There's nothing but fondness underlying the tease though and he slowly works his way down from Magnus' shoulders to the middle of his back. "I'm going to remember that the next time I decide to carry you."
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"Strength rune," he points out, still muffled, lifting a finger to underline his point before letting his hand drop into the pillows again. "Don't tell me you couldn't manage it, I've seen what you can do when you put your mind to it, Alexander."
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"Your faith in me is inspiring," he teases, leaning in to drop another kiss to warm skin. He could try to turn this into something sexy but it's honestly perfect as it is, Magnus trusting in him, Alec happy to have that trust. "So much that you might find yourself randomly picked up and spun around whenever I feel like it."
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"I don't think you'll find me objecting," Magnus says, his smile audible in his warm voice. "I might even seek it out. That sounds like a delightful way to spend an afternoon."
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