“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."
"Any time you want. Promise." It's an easy promise to make; Alec enjoys that it's so easy to be around Magnus. Sure the warlock flusters him more than not and certainly it hasn't been easy for them to get here but being here like this, together, just feels so right.
He shifts onto a hip as his hands work down to Magnus' waist, still rubbing and soothing but also trying to just be present. It's something Magnus does for him too, just touches him from time to time for no reason other than to say I'm here. "I love you, Magnus Bane," he murmurs before leaning in to kiss his lover's shoulder. "I love you."
Well, that certainly isn't fair, not even a little. Magnus shifts, twists just enough to see Alec's beautiful face, and reaches back to catch it in one hand. "And I love you, Alexander Lightwood," he says softly, and tugs him close enough for a kiss before letting him go again and lying back down. "I can't tell you how much I needed this. I didn't know how much I needed this."
It's easy for Magnus to tug Alec into a kiss; it's easy to fit himself right next to his boyfriend, pressed close and so very warm. He smiles as he catches sight of Magnus' real eyes, smiles as Magnus all but melts back into the sheets. This is something he helped build, this quiet space that's full of warmth and trust. It still makes something in his stomach flip-flop pleasantly.
"Maybe we should make this more of a regular thing." His hands still roam gently over the small of Magnus' back, more petting than kneading now, though he wouldn't mind going back to the massage. It all depends on what Magnus wants. "Should I keep going?"
"Mm, please do," Magnus fairly purrs, bonelessly happy beneath Alec's hands. "I'll return the favor, of course. Possibly you won't know how much you needed it until you get it."
Doing this more regularly sounds like an excellent plan. Doing anything more regularly with Alexander is a good idea. They don't see each other often enough. They're both busy, of course, Magnus knows all the reasons they don't see each other as often as either might like, but that doesn't mean he has to be satisfied with it. As he relaxes back into Alec's hands, he starts idly thinking of other things they might be able to do, more moments to steal, or to demand.
"Just let me know if you want more of any particular thing." Alec shifts to sit by Magnus' legs, so that he can start rubbing the muscles there. It's as thorough as he'd been on his lover's back, though the muscles here don't feel as tense to his hands. Or maybe it's just that all of Magnus is relaxing the more they're together like this. Either way it's perfect and he can't hide how happy he is to bring something so simple to this amazing man.
It's around the time that his hands find Magnus' calves that Alec feels a little impulsive, leaning in to nip at the back of his knee before pressing a smile to that very same spot. It's not meant to escalate things too much, just to make Magnus smile.
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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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He shifts onto a hip as his hands work down to Magnus' waist, still rubbing and soothing but also trying to just be present. It's something Magnus does for him too, just touches him from time to time for no reason other than to say I'm here. "I love you, Magnus Bane," he murmurs before leaning in to kiss his lover's shoulder. "I love you."
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"Maybe we should make this more of a regular thing." His hands still roam gently over the small of Magnus' back, more petting than kneading now, though he wouldn't mind going back to the massage. It all depends on what Magnus wants. "Should I keep going?"
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Doing this more regularly sounds like an excellent plan. Doing anything more regularly with Alexander is a good idea. They don't see each other often enough. They're both busy, of course, Magnus knows all the reasons they don't see each other as often as either might like, but that doesn't mean he has to be satisfied with it. As he relaxes back into Alec's hands, he starts idly thinking of other things they might be able to do, more moments to steal, or to demand.
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It's around the time that his hands find Magnus' calves that Alec feels a little impulsive, leaning in to nip at the back of his knee before pressing a smile to that very same spot. It's not meant to escalate things too much, just to make Magnus smile.