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The room was hushed when Alec Lightwood entered, tall, composed, his black gear replaced by the elegant tailored black suit of the newly appointed Head of the New York Institute. The Downworld Council meeting, their first official gathering, was being held in a neutral space in the heart of Brooklyn, one Magnus Bane had generously offered for the occasion.
Magnus lounged in a velvet armchair, legs crossed, adorned in shimmering gold and obsidian robes, a goblet of something sparkling hovering beside him without aid. He looked up, golden eyes catching Alec’s the moment he stepped in.
The impact was immediate. Alec’s breath caught. Magnus, for all his reputation, had a gravity that drew Alec like a moth to flame.
And Magnus, well Magnus hadn’t expected the straight-laced Lightwood boy to grow up into this: tall, broad-shouldered, with cheekbones to rival carved marble and a quiet confidence that made Magnus’s heart betray him instantly.
Alec was polite, focused, earnest as he welcomed everyone, laying out plans to create actual representation and cooperation between the Clave and the Downworld. Magnus watched him speak, almost fascinated by how sincere Alec was. He wasn’t just paying lip service, he believed in it. He wanted to build something better.
By the time the meeting ended, Magnus stood and walked over with a sly smile.
“So, Alexander,” Magnus said, voice velvet, “I must admit, I wasn’t expecting to be impressed.”
Alec raised a brow. “Is that a compliment?”
“It is,” Magnus purred. “In fact, I find myself inspired. Perhaps you’d join me for dinner one night to talk over your plans for these Council initiatives in more detail?”
Alec hesitated, only slightly. “Sure,” he said. “That sounds… good.”
**—
Dinner was at Magnus’s loft, candles flickering in every corner, jazz playing softly, and the air faintly scented with cloves and something warmer, like cinnamon and smoke.
Magnus was in another extravagant ensemble, with flowing silks and bare skin in equal measure. Alec had dressed up too, clearly out of his comfort zone in a navy suit, but looking unfairly good in it.
The conversation flowed easily. Alec was surprisingly funny, his dry humor catching Magnus off guard more than once. And Magnus, well, Magnus charmed without even trying. They shared stories over wine, laughed over council politics, talked about warlock history and Shadowhunter changes, about hope and trust and the weight of responsibility.
And beneath it all, the air was charged. Every brush of fingers when one reached for a bottle of wine, every glance that lingered too long. Magnus watched Alec with hunger wrapped in silk and shadows, and Alec looked back with open desire but also a hesitancy Magnus hadn’t expected.
Later, when Magnus walked him to the door, standing close enough that Alec could feel the warmth of him, Magnus let his voice drop, low and inviting.
“You could stay?” he said, cocking his head. “We could… keep talking.”
Alec’s mouth parted, and his eyes darkened with something vulnerable. “I want to. Believe me, I want to.” He stepped back slightly, forcing distance. “But I don’t do casual. I don’t know how. I’d want to see where this could go, if there’s something real here. If that’s not what you want, I get it. I’ll walk away, and we can be friends. We can work on the Council together and keep making things better. But I can’t pretend I’m someone who can just… walk away in the morning and not care.”
Magnus blinked. His heart stuttered in his chest. No one had ever turned him down like this. No one had offered him something more.
He smiled, slowly, painfully, and it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I don’t do serious, Alexander. I’ve had too many hearts break in my hands, too many years convincing myself I could survive love.” He reached out, briefly touching Alec’s arm. “But I respect you too much to lie.”
Alec nodded, even though it clearly hurt. “Then I’ll say goodnight.”
Magnus watched him walk away, heart heavy.
**—
The next year was a whirlwind.
Alec came out to the Clave, to his family, and never looked back. He built something solid out of the Institute, an inclusive space that brought in talented Shadowhunters regardless of sexuality or background. Downworlders began to trust him. Mortality rates dropped. Cooperation rose. Alec Lightwood became something of a legend.
Magnus watched it all from a distance. Sometimes closer. They worked together often and his feelings never wavering, though he masked them expertly. Alec was always kind, always attentive, always polite. Sometimes he laughed at Magnus’s jokes in that way that made Magnus feel dizzy with want.
Then Underhill entered the picture.
Magnus saw it before Alec did, that slight shift of Alec’s attention . The way Underhill lingered, the way Alec smiled back. A month into their dating, Magnus started avoiding meetings. When he couldn’t avoid them, he buried his jealousy under layers of sarcasm and indifference.
It didn’t work.
He drank too much one night. The pain got too loud. And he portaled straight into Alec’s office.
Alec looked up from paperwork, startled. “Magnus?”
“I can’t do it,” Magnus said, staggering a little. “I can’t sit back and smile and pretend I don’t…God, Alec, I love you. I love you, and I know I said I didn’t do serious, and maybe I don’t deserve it, but I can’t keep watching you with someone else.”
Alec stood, eyes wide. “Magnus…”
“I’m going to take a sabbatical,” Magnus said, slurring slightly, eyes glassy. “Step down for a while. I need space. I can’t be here, watching you be happy with someone else while my heart is breaking. I won’t ruin your life, I won’t be the one who gets in the way.”
“Magnus, stop.” Alec crossed the room in three long strides, grabbing him by the wrist. “I broke up with Underhill three days ago. We weren’t right. No chemistry. I was going to tell you. I’ve been trying to tell you.”
Magnus blinked, stunned.
“And you are in the way,” Alec said, voice fierce now, eyes burning. “Because I’ve been in love with you since that damn dinner and I thought you didn’t want me.”
There was silence. Stillness. Then Magnus surged forward, grabbing Alec by the collar and kissing him like he was air and flame and life.
Alec kissed back with everything he had.