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thrillingdetectivetales) wrote2016-03-24 11:24 pm
thrillingdetectivetales) wrote2016-03-24 11:24 pm
Entry tags:
FIC: A Little Less of Me, A Little More of You
A Little Less of Me, A Little More of You
Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
This is a repost of a story originally uploaded to Archive of Our Own under the username "mutt" on March 24, 2016. It was written as a fill for the Trope Bingo prompt "secret twin/doppelgänger.” It was uploaded to DW on June 1, 2019 and backdated to its original post date.
Original author's note:
For a moment after he opened the door, Magnus simply stared.
"This," he said, eyes sweeping from one man to the next, "could very well be the best day of my
life."
Directly in front of him was Alec Lightwood - surly expression and unruly hair, wrapped in a
truly unfortunate hoodie and jeans with threadbare hems. Behind Alec was, well, Alec Lightwood.
An Alec Lightwood that Magnus had never seen before - stylish and radiating confidence as he
gave Magnus an interested up-and-down glance.
"Seriously, pinch me. I must be dreaming." Magnus held an arm out and the Alec in front rolled
his eyes, gently pushing it away. Definitely his Alec, then. Well, okay, perhaps the Alec of this
universe wasn't strictly his but Magnus could hardly be bothered to correct the qualifiers he chose
to use within the privacy of his own mind.
"There was an incident with a portal," his Alec said darkly, dragging the lookalike into Magnus's
apartment.
"You say that like mysterious inter-dimensional travel is so boring," the second Alec chided,
gazing curiously at Magnus's eclectic décor. He smirked, and shot Magnus a look from beneath
his dark fringe, eyes hooded. "I happen to think it's tremendously exciting."
Magnus felt his eyebrows jump toward his hairline.
His Alec huffed a sigh and shoved his twin toward one of Magnus's gilt-edged sofas with more
force than was probably necessary. The doppelgänger stumbled a bit but recovered nicely,
dropping fluidly onto the cushions and resting his right ankle over his left knee.
Regular Alec - Magnus wrinkled his nose and immediately discounted that one; there was nothing
about Alec in any dimension so banal as to be considered regular - scowled mutinously at his
sleek, suave double. Magnus tried not to swoon at the way the muscle in his jaw jumped with
irritation.
"Okay, first things first," Magnus said, clapping his hands together, myriad rings tinkling merrily
as they came into contact with one another, "we need to figure out the name situation."
"Oh absolutely," alternate Alec agreed, while his Alec hissed an incredulous, "Are you serious?"
He glared at Magnus, looking mildly betrayed. "How can names be the top priority here?"
Never one to pass on an opportunity to rile Alexander Lightwood, Magnus slunk over to where
Alec was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, fingers digging into his biceps so hard his
knuckles were white. Magnus ran a hand down Alec's shoulder, immeasurably gratified when he
felt Alec relax just the slightest bit at his touch.
"Now, darling, I can't very well call both of you Alec. That would be incredibly confusing."
Alec watched him, considering, the tension at the corners of his mouth easing as Magnus spoke.
"Besides," Magnus added, low and quiet, "you're the only Alec I care to entertain."
The other Alec was studying them with interest, seemingly intrigued by their interaction.
"You're very different from the Magnus I know," he said approvingly from his casual slouch,
drumming his fingers absently against the carved wooden arm of the sofa.
Alec cut a possessive glare at the grinning doppelgänger that made Magnus's stomach swoop.
"You don't say?" Magnus asked politely. He didn't want to pry too much - after all it wasn't as
though the alternate Magnus's life would have any bearing whatsoever on his own affairs - but he
couldn't deny a passing curiosity.
"He wears a lot of neutral cardigans," the alternate Alec said, perhaps aiming for scornful but
landing somewhere closer to exasperated adoration, "and I doubt he would know what to do with
eyeliner if he ever saw it."
Magnus frowned, still absently rubbing a hand up and down his Alec's shoulder. Alec hadn't
shrugged him off yet, and Magnus was not above taking advantage of Alec's distraction for his
own gain.
"That sounds, very not like me," he agreed blandly. He tried desperately not to let the elation
show on his face when his Alec snorted and murmured, "Not even a little like you."
Alternate Alec's gaze jumped curiously from Magnus's face, to his hand on Alec's shoulder, to
Alec's face.
"Hm," he said, and settled back into the couch, smug. "Izzy tried to call me Lex for awhile when
we were kids. Some domineering super villain in one of her little comics reminded her of me, I
guess. It never caught on but I think it should suit our purposes just fine."
"Lex?" Alec asked, a hint of disgust in his voice.
Alternate Alec - Lex, Magnus supposed - raised an eyebrow.
"Unless you're volunteering to change your name, of course," he said with a saccharine smile. He
straightened up suddenly, as if struck with a bolt of inspiration. "Or! Maybe you could be Lex," he
grinned coyly in Magnus's direction, "and I could be Alec."
Alec tensed up again underneath Magnus's arm and started to take a step toward Lex. Magnus
cupped the hand he'd been using to rub Alec's shoulder, gripping gently just above Alec's elbow.
He swung forward slightly, putting himself between Alec and Lex, and pressed his palm flat over
Alec's broad chest.
"Easy tiger," he said quietly. "He's only teasing."
Alec was glaring so hard at Lex that Magnus was worried the doppelgänger might spontaneously
combust. Lex, for his part, was smirking nonchalantly at Alec, close-mouthed and self-satisfied.
After a long moment, Alec sighed loudly through his nose, pressing his eyes shut and relaxing into
the points of contact where Magnus's hands were on him.
"Sorry," he grumbled. "It's been a weird day."
"I can see that," Magnus agreed, amused.
Alec looked at Magnus from underneath long lashes, eyes startlingly blue, mouth quirking up just
so at the corners. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then stopped,
glancing away and biting into the lush cushion of his lower lip. Magnus tracked the motion with
his eyes, swaying ever so slightly forward.
"Not that I don't love a good show," Lex interrupted, "but I have a dinner date I'd prefer to make
if it's all the same to you."
Alec startled, shifting a step away while Magnus fought the urge to dig his fingers in, hold him in
place. Alec turned, but not before Magnus caught the edge of a flare of color high on his cheeks.
"Well, we wouldn't want you to miss that, would we?" Alec muttered sourly under his breath.
Magnus rolled his eyes.
"I can definitely make that happen," he said pleasantly, turning toward Lex. He waved a hand at
his bar cart. "Help yourselves to a drink and please try not to kill one another while I dig up a few
things. It's frankly impossible to get blood out of silk, even with magic."
He took a few long strides toward his bedroom, stopping in surprise when Alec made a soft noise
of discontent.
"Actually I'll, uh -" he cleared his throat, circled around the coffee table and fell into step behind
Magnus. "I'll help you look."
Magnus shrugged.
"Be my guest," he said, stepping to the side and waving a hand toward the bedroom. He turned
back to Lex, who was busily exploring the wide selection of crystal decanters arrayed on
Magnus's bar cart. "We'll only be a moment."
Lex shot him a sly look, absently plucking a large square-shaped bottle full of gently glowing
lavender liquid from the sea of decanters and swirling its contents around.
"Please, don't rush on my account." He poured a little of the fae liqueur into a crystalline tumbler
like he knew exactly what he was doing and winked at Magnus.
Magnus tilted his head and gave a little wistful, internal sigh. Although Magnus felt himself rather
thoroughly ruined for anyone but the surly, guarded, exceedingly sweet, endlessly kind
Shadowhunter currently shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot somewhere behind him, there
was an appealing charisma to Lex that was impossible to miss.
It was a terrible pity, he thought, taking in the line of Lex's shoulders beneath his impeccably
tailored plum satin jacket, that they hadn't met before Magnus had become so hopelessly
embroiled in this mess with Alec Lightwood. They probably could have had some fun.
"Magnus?" Alec said, and, miraculously, reached out to nudge his knuckles against Magnus's
elbow.
Deeply mired in self-loathing and a healthy dose of denial, Alec was not normally one to initiate
contact, preferring to let Magnus cross that distance when the moment arose. It was important to
encourage good behavior so Magnus spun on his heel and rewarded Alec's bravery with his
sunniest smile - the one that Alec couldn't seem to help reflecting back at him.
"Of course, darling," Magnus said, chest constricting as a fresh wash of pink spread across Alec's
devastating cheekbones. "Off we go."
Alec was unusually sedate as he followed Magnus into his bedroom. It wan't as though he'd never
seen it before, although Magnus supposed that accosting a strange warlock at his own house party
with a horde of poorly behaved friends didn't leave much time to appreciate interior design.
Alec took the room in greedily, eyes glancing off of every surface the moment he crossed the
threshold. He didn't seem to be able to decide where to look first, gaze jumping from Magnus's
overflowing closet, to his antique vanity table, cluttered with makeup and hair product and
jewelry, to the spray of black tulips he'd conjured on a whim, resting elegantly in a gem encrusted
vase on his side table.
"Please, sit," Magnus invited. Something inside of him lurched with desperate delight when Alec
elected to gingerly settle himself on the corner of Magnus's mattress rather than stubbornly insist
upon standing as he once might have done. His dark hair was striking against the backdrop of
Magnus's red silk sheets, face adorably flushed in the fading sun that trickled in through the high
windows.
"This shouldn't take long," Magnus promised, crossing the room to the wall that boasted his
monstrously disarrayed closet, set beside two other intricately carved mahogany doors. The door
on the far right led to the en suite bathroom but the center door led to Magnus's private library.
He turned the golden handle and pulled the door open with a flourish, eager to gauge Alec's
opinion of his carefully curated collection of magical texts. Something small and furry came
streaking out with a pitiful yowl. Magnus leapt back, startled.
Alec was on his feet in an instant, lunging across the room so fast that Magnus almost didn't see
him do it, placing himself staunchly between Magnus and what his Shadowhunter reflexes had
identified as a potential threat. Magnus's knees may have gone a little gooey at the protective
implications.
Alec was so still he was barely breathing, entire body taut like a string, staring in bewilderment at
the tiny creature on the floor in front of them. Magnus leaned into Alec's back and, feeling daring
when Alec didn't appear to notice or care, hooked his chin over Alec's shoulder.
"Not to worry, love," he murmured in Alec's ear, pleased at the way his breath conjured
gooseflesh down the pale curve of Alec's throat. "It's only the Chairman."
"The Chairman?" Alec echoed absently, following the line of Magnus's gaze.
"Chairman Meow," Magnus specified. "My cat."
The cat in question looked up at them mournfully and let out a soft, squeaking mewl.
"I must have accidentally shut him in this morning," Magnus said, his cheek brushing against
Alec's when he spoke. "It happens sometimes, when I get distracted."
Alec let out a breathless little laugh and reached up to bury his face in his hands, but he didn't
shrug Magnus off. Emboldened, Magnus carefully wound one arm around Alec's waist, curling
his fingers over the hard edge of Alec's hip. Alec shivered a little at the touch, but stayed put.
"Are you all right?" Magnus asked quietly. "You seem a little on edge."
Alec laughed again and dropped his hands, one of them coming to rest atop Magnus's. He ducked
his head and sighed, settling almost imperceptibly back against Magnus's body.
"I'm fine," he assured quietly. "It's just been so strange to see..." He trailed off, swallowing
thickly.
Magnus waited for a moment, but when it seemed like Alec wasn't going to continue he gave a
little nudge.
"To see what?" He asked quietly.
Alec closed his eyes, something like pain flooding across his face.
"To see," he started, pausing to lick his dry lips. "To see what I could be, I guess. If things were
different. If I," he paused again. "If I were different."
Despite Alec's attempted nonchalance, Magnus could hear the depth of sentiment encapsulated in
those three little syllables. He knew the Shadowhunter had been struggling to rectify the
dissonance between his desires and his responsibilities, his heart and his duties. He thought of the
proposal Alec had shamefacedly admitted to when Magnus dropped by the Institute a few weeks
ago to investigate a particularly worrisome Forsaken; about how Lydia Branwell's rejection had
confused him, and her gentle advice - that he try his hand at love, first, before committing himself
to a platonic union - had thrown him precariously off-balance.
How difficult it must be, Magnus thought, to settle yourself beneath the heavy cowl of
expectation, to muster the strength to put your desires on hold in order to carry it, and make peace
with the hopeless reality of your future, only to come quite literally face to face with the person
you could be if you had never had to bend beneath that crushing weight in the first place.
Magnus sighed, wrapping his other arm around Alec's waist and pulling him in close, his front
pressed along Alec's back from knee to neck. He was thrilled and surprised when Alec let him do
it without struggling or flinching or wriggling away.
"Alexander," Magnus murmured gently, breath stirring the short hairs curling at the nape of Alec's
neck, "there are a hundred million what-ifs that we face every single day that could drastically
redefine who we are as people. A hundred million paths we could trip down at a moment's
notice." He squeezed a little tighter, and Alec responded by grasping desperately at Magnus's
hand.
"Right now, you're on your path. And it is exactly the right path for you to be on simply because it
is you who is on it." He let his lips brush the shell of Alec's ear. Alec shuddered. "Take it from
someone who's paid a lot of attention: you are exceedingly wonderful just as you are."
Alec was quiet for a long time, only the soft puffs of his breath breaking the still silence. Magnus
could feel his pulse, reverberating around his chest cavity, fast and light.
"How do you always do that?" Alec breathed after what felt like hours. His voice was harsh and
brittle and awed. "How do you always make me feel like the most important person in the room?"
He twisted in Magnus's grip but didn't move away, turning so that his hands were resting against
Magnus's chest. Magnus laced his fingers together, settling his hands against the dip of Alec's
lower back.
He desperately wanted to reply that, as far as he was concerned, Alec always was the most
important person in the room; maybe in the whole of New York City. There was, however, a
subtle art to getting past Alec's carefully crafted defenses, and Magnus was fairly certain that if he
pushed too hard in the wrong direction at this moment, Alec would shatter in ways that not even
he and his demonic power could ever repair.
"I'm just that good," Magnus said instead, with a philosophical shrug. Alec smiled shyly at him,
eyes brighter than normal in that way eyes sometimes got when someone was on the verge of
tears.
"You're an ass," Alec corrected, dragging his thumb over Magnus's collarbone. The points of his
fingers blazed hot through the thin cloth of Magnus's shirt.
"I'm your favorite," Magnus assured loftily. Alec laughed, and the sound shot light from Magnus's
crown straight down through his toes.
"Yeah, maybe," Alec admitted quietly. He grinned up at Magnus, sharp at the edges, a little
wicked, and tangled the fingers of his left hand in Magnus's belt loop. "Don't tell anyone."
"I would never!" Magnus scoffed. Alec's grin widened, and he leaned in, eyes glassy and dark -
There came a loud thump and a muffled swear from the living room. Alec veered at the last
second and pressed his face into the curve of Magnus's neck.
"Sorry! I knocked a thing over, everything's fine!" Lex called sheepishly from the living room.
Magnus sighed and rested his cheek against Alec's hair.
"How about," he said thoughtfully, gazing at the intricate tin ceiling tiles, "we revisit this
conversation after we send bizarro Alec back from whence he came?"
"That sounds like a good plan," Alec affirmed, voice muffled. His breath was hot on Magnus's
neck. Magnus couldn't resist dropping a kiss to Alec's forehead before he unwound his arms and
stepped away. For a split second as he drew back, Alec's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly
where they were tucked into Magnus's belt loop; as if maybe he wanted to hold on, too.
The moment broke and Alec straightened up with a sigh, coiling tightly within himself the way he
always did when confronted with situations that made him uncomfortable. Magnus tried not to
take it personally, instead beckoning him forward into the library.
It was larger than should have been possible when considering the floor plan of Magnus's
apartment, but the constraints of physical space were fairly malleable to a warlock with as much
experience as Magnus had under his belt.
"So," he asked, watching Alec as he gaped at the shelves upon shelves of texts, "what do you
think?"
"It's incredible," Alec breathed, running his fingers carefully along the spines of a long row of
tomes, bound in jewel-bright leather. "Are all of these yours?"
Magnus nodded.
"I like collecting things and I've always had a bit of a soft spot for books," he admitted, stalking
purposefully toward the long table in the center of the room. "There's nothing quite like the thrill
of hunting down a rare volume."
"You make it sound exciting," Alec said, coming to stand at Magnus's shoulder while Magnus
dug through a stack of scrolls.
"Everything I do is exciting," Magnus assured, winking flirtatiously up at Alec, who flushed and
ducked his head. Really, it ought to have gotten old by now. There was just something about
driving the Shadowhunter to distraction with a well-placed innuendo that Magnus didn't think he
would ever tire of.
Alec drew his lower lip into his mouth, biting it thoughtfully for a moment before he asked,
apprehensive, "You can send him back, right?"
Magnus considered this.
"It's a little more difficult than just tossing him through a portal, because he brought all of his
physical matter with him," he explained. "It'll require considerably more finesse than your average
teleportation spell." Magnus jabbed a finger at Alec's chest. "And I will be asking you precisely
how this happened, at a later date, so prepare yourself."
"But you can do it?" Alec insisted, brow furrowing with concern. Magnus inclined his head.
"Yes, Alexander. I can do it."
The smile Alec gave him was small but painfully sincere.
"I knew you could," Alec said softly, letting his shimmering blue gaze rest on Magnus's for a few
moments longer than appropriate in strictly platonic company. Magnus cleared his throat.
"Perks of being friends with the Magnificent Magnus Bane," he replied, trying to keep his voice
light.
Alec leaned over the table, close enough to Magnus that their arms brushed as he reached out,
peering at a grimoire bound in green velvet.
"What's this?" He asked curiously, running his fingers along the gold-pressed tigers and
flamingoes twining across the cover.
"That is my spellbook," Magnus replied absently, glancing at the surface of a scroll with rapt
attention for a moment before casting it aside. "I wrote it a few centuries ago. A collection of my
greatest hits, if you will."
Alec looked at him, startled.
"You wrote it?" he asked, blue eyes wide. Magnus nodded. Alec curled his fingers over the gilded
edge, hesitant. "Can I?"
Magnus considered him for a long moment.
"Normally," he said slowly, "if anyone tried to read my spellbook, I'd cast them into the middle of
the sea without a second thought."
Alec paled. Magnus let a slow, syrupy smile spread across his face.
"Lucky for you, you're not just anyone," he continued. Alec shifted on his feet, obviously pleased
but unsure of what to do with the emotion. Magnus canted his head and flicked a hand at the
grimoire. "Knock yourself out."
He went back to digging through the scrolls, certain that the information he needed to transport
physical matter to another dimension would be there somewhere, as Alec pulled the spellbook
over. Magnus watched surreptitiously from the corner of his eye as Alec cracked the front cover
open, his heart spasming tightly at the open look of reverence on Alec's face.
Alec ran his fingers down one of the thick, yellow pages, absently tracing the sinuous shapes and
sharp spikes of the scrawled Chthonian.
"Even your writing is glamorous," Alec murmured, so quietly that Magnus didn't think he was
supposed to have heard it. Magnus tore his gaze away, doing his best to keep his focus on the
issue at hand - no mean feat when Alec was looking at the condensed essence of his life's work as
if it were something precious.
He fumbled a scroll open, straightening up gleefully when he recognized the illustrated Banishing
circle.
"Aha!" Magnus grinned when Alec glanced over at him.
"You figured it out?" Alec guessed, closing the grimoire with careful, gentle hands.
Magnus wagged his eyebrows.
"Eureka," he confirmed dryly, rewarded for the terrible joke when Alec bit back a laugh.
Lex was standing at the window when they trundled back out into the living room, gazing out
over the twinkling sprawl of Brooklyn. He had an affected ease about him, from his loose, casual
posture to the drink in his hand. It was so different from the way that Alec measured every motion
for efficiency and purpose, holding himself so carefully at all times as if he were afraid of what
might come spilling out were he to cede control for even a second.
"Do you think New York City is the same in every dimension?" Lex asked, not looking at them.
"It looks so familiar."
"Except for the part where it's crawling with demons and other things that go bump in the night,"
Alec drawled, unimpressed.
"Right," Lex replied, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I'd forgotten about that." He glanced over at
Alec. "Though you don't seem to share your mother's recalcitrance for fraternizing with
Downsiders."
"Downwordlers," Alec corrected hotly. "And Magnus is an exception."
Lex dragged a smokey stare from Magnus's face, down his body, and back up again.
"I can see why," he agreed, voice low.
Alec went white and then blazingly red, so fast that Magnus was concerned for his blood pressure.
"So you met Maryse?" Magnus inquired benignly, attempting to break the sudden cloud of
awkward tension emanating out from where Alec was standing.
"From a distance," Lex nodded, sipping his drink and gesturing between himself and Alec. "This
would have been difficult to explain otherwise. She was," he thought for a moment, "interesting.
Much harder than my maman. Colder."
Alec bristled and Magnus fought the urge to slap his palm to his face. Why had he considered,
even for a second, that bringing Maryse Lightwood up anywhere Alec could hear would be a
good idea?
"My mother is incredible," Alec insisted, voice a low hiss. "She's one of the best Shadowhunters
alive."
Lex blinked, obviously startled by Alec's sudden vehemence.
"Being a great Shadow-whatever doesn't make her a good mother," he said, voice almost gentle as
he looked intently at Alec. "She may not be a scary monster fighter, but at least I can be honest
with my mother."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alec demanded coldly, falling back on his standard of willful
obtuseness. Lex snorted, goodwill vanishing beneath a wave of irritation.
"Oh please," he said, exasperated. "You're just as gay as I am, even if you don't dress the part."
Alec flinched as if he'd been slapped.
Magnus expected to feel vindication upon hearing somebody else finally espouse the same
opinions of Maryse Lightwood that he personally held, but he looked at Alec - at the hurt, the
anger, the fear on Alec's face - and couldn't muster anything but guilt.
"That's enough," he said, in the steely tones he normally employed only for Serious Warlock
Business. Lex held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, moving a few steps away from Alec,
who was standing rigidly in the corner of the room, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone
bone-white.
"Have a seat," Magnus instructed, brooking no room for argument. "I just need to lay this circle
out in the other room and then we'll get you home." He turned to Alec. "You, come with me."
With one last poisonous scowl in Lex's direction, Alec turned and trailed behind Magnus.
"Some of us have responsibilities! We can't all be party planners," Alec spat under his breath.
"I don't know," Magnus said thoughtfully, leading the way into the small room he kept for
Summoning - exposed brick walls and bare concrete floor, the only indication of Magnus's
characteristic flair the Gothic chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. "I think you could
probably pull off a swinging soirée if you put your mind to it."
"That's not what I meant," Alec grumbled, frustrated, and scrubbed a hand over his face. Magnus
hesitated, reaching out to rest his palm on Alec's shoulder.
"I know," he said quietly.
Alec looked up at him, blue eyes dark, and nodded once. Magnus let his hand fall away.
While Magnus maneuvered around the room, collection of fine chalks at hand and scroll spread on
the floor before him, Alec stood, a silent sentinel in the doorway. Magnus attempted every now
and again to engage him in conversation, but Alec was hopelessly distracted, offering nonsense
words or absent hums in response to Magnus's cajoling.
His blue gaze was fixed somewhere in the middle distance, brow furrowed deeply in thought, and
after awhile Magnus gave it up as a bad job. With his undivided focus trained solely on the task at
hand, it only took Magnus about twenty minutes, all told, to lay the Banishment circle out on the
concrete floor. He rose to his feet, taking a moment to lament the chalk dust on his otherwise
pristine blue leather pants, and clapped his hands together.
"There we are," he said brightly, turning to find that Alec was studying him from the doorway, an
emotion on his somber face that Magnus couldn't quite identify.
"Ready?" Alec asked. His voice was a low rumble; lower than Magnus had ever heard it before. It
sent something warm and dark spiraling down his spine.
"Ready," he responded softly, mouth dry.
Alec nodded, gaze unreadable, and stepped out into the living room. Magnus considered rushing
after, concerned that there may yet be bloodshed, but Alec returned before he could make a
decision, Lex following behind him, curious but unharmed.
Lex let out a low whistle at the churning, seething coils that twined together to make the
Banishment circle.
"Now this looks magical," he said, impressed, taking a few careful steps into the room.
Alec, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, cast a smug, almost proud look
at Magnus over Lex's shoulder. The cerulean glint of his eyes sent the sweet darkness that had
settled down Magnus's spine rushing in waves through his chest, pooling low in his belly.
"Trust me," Alec said, with a burning confidence Magnus had scarcely ever heard, "you haven't
seen anything yet."
Lex blinked at him curiously, offering a small, pleased smirk.
Magnus moved forward until the pointed toes of his boots were pressed against the edge of the
circle. He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself. When he opened them again, Lex took
a startled breath. The smug smile on Alec's face went sharp at the corners.
"You may want to stand back," Magnus said to Lex, slit-eyes reflecting the vibrant blue glow of
fire cupped in the palms of his hands. Lex stumbled backward, delighted and awed, to stand
beside Alec. Magnus cast his magic downward in bright jets of blue flame, the sibilant measures
of the Banishment spell dripping from his tongue like honey.
The chalk lines started glowing, faintly at first but brightening with each syllable Magnus spoke.
They roiled and shook as a gold glimmer rose through the air above them, distorting the room like
faraway heat casting a mirage in the desert. Eventually, the image in the mist had warped so much
that it didn't look like the room they were standing in at all, colors merging and twisting until they
clarified into a nondescript New York street.
Magnus recognized the neon sign of the Polish restaurant a few blocks from his apartment settled
a little way into the distance. An unimpressive young man in an oatmeal colored cardigan and
honest-to-God corduroys was standing out front, slumped pathetically in on himself.
"You really weren't lying," Magnus muttered, horrified, as he realized that the nondescript young
man was him. Or, well, Lex's version of him.
"He's a disaster," Lex agreed fondly. At the sound of his voice, the other Magnus straightened up,
visibly blanching when he caught sight of the portal in the distance.
"He's kind of rocking that whole 'innocent choirboy' thing," Magnus said, thoughtfully. Lex
grinned.
"It works for him," he assured.
Magnus waved at his doppelgänger, letting blue sparks flicker across his fingers as he did so. The
other Magnus rolled his eyes, and Magnus was startled and thrilled at the way they caught and
reflected the light. At least he was still a warlock in Lex's world, even if his stellar fashion sense
apparently hadn't translated.
Lex sauntered forward, half of his body in the gold mist, before turning to press a grateful kiss to
Magnus's cheek.
"Thank you," he said, voice sincere and soft.
"Anytime," Magnus replied, smirking. Behind them, Alec made a strangled noise. Lex turned to
look at him, gathering himself up as though preparing for a blow.
"There's nothing wrong with you, you know," he said, clear and certain. "I remember what it's
like to think that there is, but I promise that there isn't. You'll be happier if you start being honest."
His face softened a little. "And if your mother is anything like mine, I know she'll love you no
matter what."
Alec, who had started off looking hunted and pale, turned his face away at Lex's final words. He
cleared his throat, flickering a blue glance up at Lex as he murmured, "Thanks. I'll try to keep that
in mind."
Lex inclined his head, then turned back to Magnus, winking once before striding confidently into
the golden mist and out through the other side.
"Mags!" he called, voice alight with excitement. "You are never going to believe where I've just
been!"
The portal dimmed and faded as he jogged off toward the figure in the distance, winking out like a
candle in the dark. There was a moment of comfortable silence and then Alec pushed himself up
off the wall, stepping forward into Magnus's space.
"So," he said, an amused quirk to his mouth, "Mags, huh?"
Magnus groaned and slapped him haphazardly on the arm.
"Don't even think about it," he warned.
"I think it's kind of cute," Alec teased, drawing in close enough that their toes touched.
"I will remind you, Alexander Lightwood," Magnus murmured, jabbing a finger into Alec's chest,
"that I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn for a reason."
Alec grabbed the hand Magnus was poking into his chest, curling his own fingers gently between
Magnus's. Magnus felt his breath catch, and something dark flickered in Alec's gaze at the sound.
He stared at Magnus for a long moment, eyes tracing the angles and planes of Magnus's face,
before he leaned in with intent, pressing his mouth gently against Magnus's while his eyes
fluttered shut.
Magnus tensed up for a moment, shocked, before melting into the contact. Alec's mouth was soft,
and Magnus thrilled at the way he could feel the smile spread against his lips when Alec grinned.
He tucked the fingers of his free hand gently into the waistband of Alec's jeans. Alec groaned and
pressed closer, parting his lips and licking into Magnus's mouth.
Magnus stumbled backward until his back hit the wall, both of his hands on Alec's hips while
Alec had one arm thrown possessively around Magnus's waist. He cupped Magnus's face with his
other hand, thumb grazing Magnus's cheekbone as they kissed, deep and lazy.
Eventually, Alec gasped and pulled away, just far enough to breathe. Magnus couldn't tell if it had
been a few minutes or a few days. His heart was clamoring in his chest, thudding painfully against
his too-tight ribs.
Alec leaned forward and rested his forehead against Magnus's, warm breath spilling out across
Magnus's mouth when he murmured, "Will you go to dinner with me? Like a proper date?"
Magnus huffed a laugh.
"I would love to," he assured. He could feel Alec trembling against him, his fingers white hot
points of heat where they touched Magnus's face. "When?"
"Now," Alec said immediately, pressing a kiss to the edge of Magnus's jaw and sliding his hand
around to tangle his fingers in Magnus's hair. "Tomorrow," he trailed a delicate line of kisses
down Magnus's neck and Magnus threw his head back with a sigh. "Whenever, just please," Alec
murmured into the hollow of his throat, "please go out with me."
He tilted his head up and Magnus caught his mouth in a kiss, biting gently at Alec's lower lip. He
squeezed Alec's hips and Alec's whole body shuddered. He leaned into Magnus like Magnus was
the only thing keeping him upright.
"I know a great Polish place down the street," he said quietly, nose brushing Alec's. "Just let me
get my coat."
Alec's grin was luminous in the dark.
Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
This is a repost of a story originally uploaded to Archive of Our Own under the username "mutt" on March 24, 2016. It was written as a fill for the Trope Bingo prompt "secret twin/doppelgänger.” It was uploaded to DW on June 1, 2019 and backdated to its original post date.
Original author's note:
this is kind of a weird tv show/book series mash-up, written for the "secret twins/doppelgänger" square on my trope_bingo card because, come on, that 'through the looking glass' ep was practically screaming to be exploited for nefarious fan fiction purposes. if this alec seems more emotive than the alec on the show, it's because i've hybridized parts of his personality with book!alec.
this has not been edited by anyone other than myself and also i wrote it on an iphone so please forgive (and feel free to point out) any glaring errors.
this has not been edited by anyone other than myself and also i wrote it on an iphone so please forgive (and feel free to point out) any glaring errors.
i hope you like it!
For a moment after he opened the door, Magnus simply stared.
"This," he said, eyes sweeping from one man to the next, "could very well be the best day of my
life."
Directly in front of him was Alec Lightwood - surly expression and unruly hair, wrapped in a
truly unfortunate hoodie and jeans with threadbare hems. Behind Alec was, well, Alec Lightwood.
An Alec Lightwood that Magnus had never seen before - stylish and radiating confidence as he
gave Magnus an interested up-and-down glance.
"Seriously, pinch me. I must be dreaming." Magnus held an arm out and the Alec in front rolled
his eyes, gently pushing it away. Definitely his Alec, then. Well, okay, perhaps the Alec of this
universe wasn't strictly his but Magnus could hardly be bothered to correct the qualifiers he chose
to use within the privacy of his own mind.
"There was an incident with a portal," his Alec said darkly, dragging the lookalike into Magnus's
apartment.
"You say that like mysterious inter-dimensional travel is so boring," the second Alec chided,
gazing curiously at Magnus's eclectic décor. He smirked, and shot Magnus a look from beneath
his dark fringe, eyes hooded. "I happen to think it's tremendously exciting."
Magnus felt his eyebrows jump toward his hairline.
His Alec huffed a sigh and shoved his twin toward one of Magnus's gilt-edged sofas with more
force than was probably necessary. The doppelgänger stumbled a bit but recovered nicely,
dropping fluidly onto the cushions and resting his right ankle over his left knee.
Regular Alec - Magnus wrinkled his nose and immediately discounted that one; there was nothing
about Alec in any dimension so banal as to be considered regular - scowled mutinously at his
sleek, suave double. Magnus tried not to swoon at the way the muscle in his jaw jumped with
irritation.
"Okay, first things first," Magnus said, clapping his hands together, myriad rings tinkling merrily
as they came into contact with one another, "we need to figure out the name situation."
"Oh absolutely," alternate Alec agreed, while his Alec hissed an incredulous, "Are you serious?"
He glared at Magnus, looking mildly betrayed. "How can names be the top priority here?"
Never one to pass on an opportunity to rile Alexander Lightwood, Magnus slunk over to where
Alec was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, fingers digging into his biceps so hard his
knuckles were white. Magnus ran a hand down Alec's shoulder, immeasurably gratified when he
felt Alec relax just the slightest bit at his touch.
"Now, darling, I can't very well call both of you Alec. That would be incredibly confusing."
Alec watched him, considering, the tension at the corners of his mouth easing as Magnus spoke.
"Besides," Magnus added, low and quiet, "you're the only Alec I care to entertain."
The other Alec was studying them with interest, seemingly intrigued by their interaction.
"You're very different from the Magnus I know," he said approvingly from his casual slouch,
drumming his fingers absently against the carved wooden arm of the sofa.
Alec cut a possessive glare at the grinning doppelgänger that made Magnus's stomach swoop.
"You don't say?" Magnus asked politely. He didn't want to pry too much - after all it wasn't as
though the alternate Magnus's life would have any bearing whatsoever on his own affairs - but he
couldn't deny a passing curiosity.
"He wears a lot of neutral cardigans," the alternate Alec said, perhaps aiming for scornful but
landing somewhere closer to exasperated adoration, "and I doubt he would know what to do with
eyeliner if he ever saw it."
Magnus frowned, still absently rubbing a hand up and down his Alec's shoulder. Alec hadn't
shrugged him off yet, and Magnus was not above taking advantage of Alec's distraction for his
own gain.
"That sounds, very not like me," he agreed blandly. He tried desperately not to let the elation
show on his face when his Alec snorted and murmured, "Not even a little like you."
Alternate Alec's gaze jumped curiously from Magnus's face, to his hand on Alec's shoulder, to
Alec's face.
"Hm," he said, and settled back into the couch, smug. "Izzy tried to call me Lex for awhile when
we were kids. Some domineering super villain in one of her little comics reminded her of me, I
guess. It never caught on but I think it should suit our purposes just fine."
"Lex?" Alec asked, a hint of disgust in his voice.
Alternate Alec - Lex, Magnus supposed - raised an eyebrow.
"Unless you're volunteering to change your name, of course," he said with a saccharine smile. He
straightened up suddenly, as if struck with a bolt of inspiration. "Or! Maybe you could be Lex," he
grinned coyly in Magnus's direction, "and I could be Alec."
Alec tensed up again underneath Magnus's arm and started to take a step toward Lex. Magnus
cupped the hand he'd been using to rub Alec's shoulder, gripping gently just above Alec's elbow.
He swung forward slightly, putting himself between Alec and Lex, and pressed his palm flat over
Alec's broad chest.
"Easy tiger," he said quietly. "He's only teasing."
Alec was glaring so hard at Lex that Magnus was worried the doppelgänger might spontaneously
combust. Lex, for his part, was smirking nonchalantly at Alec, close-mouthed and self-satisfied.
After a long moment, Alec sighed loudly through his nose, pressing his eyes shut and relaxing into
the points of contact where Magnus's hands were on him.
"Sorry," he grumbled. "It's been a weird day."
"I can see that," Magnus agreed, amused.
Alec looked at Magnus from underneath long lashes, eyes startlingly blue, mouth quirking up just
so at the corners. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then stopped,
glancing away and biting into the lush cushion of his lower lip. Magnus tracked the motion with
his eyes, swaying ever so slightly forward.
"Not that I don't love a good show," Lex interrupted, "but I have a dinner date I'd prefer to make
if it's all the same to you."
Alec startled, shifting a step away while Magnus fought the urge to dig his fingers in, hold him in
place. Alec turned, but not before Magnus caught the edge of a flare of color high on his cheeks.
"Well, we wouldn't want you to miss that, would we?" Alec muttered sourly under his breath.
Magnus rolled his eyes.
"I can definitely make that happen," he said pleasantly, turning toward Lex. He waved a hand at
his bar cart. "Help yourselves to a drink and please try not to kill one another while I dig up a few
things. It's frankly impossible to get blood out of silk, even with magic."
He took a few long strides toward his bedroom, stopping in surprise when Alec made a soft noise
of discontent.
"Actually I'll, uh -" he cleared his throat, circled around the coffee table and fell into step behind
Magnus. "I'll help you look."
Magnus shrugged.
"Be my guest," he said, stepping to the side and waving a hand toward the bedroom. He turned
back to Lex, who was busily exploring the wide selection of crystal decanters arrayed on
Magnus's bar cart. "We'll only be a moment."
Lex shot him a sly look, absently plucking a large square-shaped bottle full of gently glowing
lavender liquid from the sea of decanters and swirling its contents around.
"Please, don't rush on my account." He poured a little of the fae liqueur into a crystalline tumbler
like he knew exactly what he was doing and winked at Magnus.
Magnus tilted his head and gave a little wistful, internal sigh. Although Magnus felt himself rather
thoroughly ruined for anyone but the surly, guarded, exceedingly sweet, endlessly kind
Shadowhunter currently shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot somewhere behind him, there
was an appealing charisma to Lex that was impossible to miss.
It was a terrible pity, he thought, taking in the line of Lex's shoulders beneath his impeccably
tailored plum satin jacket, that they hadn't met before Magnus had become so hopelessly
embroiled in this mess with Alec Lightwood. They probably could have had some fun.
"Magnus?" Alec said, and, miraculously, reached out to nudge his knuckles against Magnus's
elbow.
Deeply mired in self-loathing and a healthy dose of denial, Alec was not normally one to initiate
contact, preferring to let Magnus cross that distance when the moment arose. It was important to
encourage good behavior so Magnus spun on his heel and rewarded Alec's bravery with his
sunniest smile - the one that Alec couldn't seem to help reflecting back at him.
"Of course, darling," Magnus said, chest constricting as a fresh wash of pink spread across Alec's
devastating cheekbones. "Off we go."
Alec was unusually sedate as he followed Magnus into his bedroom. It wan't as though he'd never
seen it before, although Magnus supposed that accosting a strange warlock at his own house party
with a horde of poorly behaved friends didn't leave much time to appreciate interior design.
Alec took the room in greedily, eyes glancing off of every surface the moment he crossed the
threshold. He didn't seem to be able to decide where to look first, gaze jumping from Magnus's
overflowing closet, to his antique vanity table, cluttered with makeup and hair product and
jewelry, to the spray of black tulips he'd conjured on a whim, resting elegantly in a gem encrusted
vase on his side table.
"Please, sit," Magnus invited. Something inside of him lurched with desperate delight when Alec
elected to gingerly settle himself on the corner of Magnus's mattress rather than stubbornly insist
upon standing as he once might have done. His dark hair was striking against the backdrop of
Magnus's red silk sheets, face adorably flushed in the fading sun that trickled in through the high
windows.
"This shouldn't take long," Magnus promised, crossing the room to the wall that boasted his
monstrously disarrayed closet, set beside two other intricately carved mahogany doors. The door
on the far right led to the en suite bathroom but the center door led to Magnus's private library.
He turned the golden handle and pulled the door open with a flourish, eager to gauge Alec's
opinion of his carefully curated collection of magical texts. Something small and furry came
streaking out with a pitiful yowl. Magnus leapt back, startled.
Alec was on his feet in an instant, lunging across the room so fast that Magnus almost didn't see
him do it, placing himself staunchly between Magnus and what his Shadowhunter reflexes had
identified as a potential threat. Magnus's knees may have gone a little gooey at the protective
implications.
Alec was so still he was barely breathing, entire body taut like a string, staring in bewilderment at
the tiny creature on the floor in front of them. Magnus leaned into Alec's back and, feeling daring
when Alec didn't appear to notice or care, hooked his chin over Alec's shoulder.
"Not to worry, love," he murmured in Alec's ear, pleased at the way his breath conjured
gooseflesh down the pale curve of Alec's throat. "It's only the Chairman."
"The Chairman?" Alec echoed absently, following the line of Magnus's gaze.
"Chairman Meow," Magnus specified. "My cat."
The cat in question looked up at them mournfully and let out a soft, squeaking mewl.
"I must have accidentally shut him in this morning," Magnus said, his cheek brushing against
Alec's when he spoke. "It happens sometimes, when I get distracted."
Alec let out a breathless little laugh and reached up to bury his face in his hands, but he didn't
shrug Magnus off. Emboldened, Magnus carefully wound one arm around Alec's waist, curling
his fingers over the hard edge of Alec's hip. Alec shivered a little at the touch, but stayed put.
"Are you all right?" Magnus asked quietly. "You seem a little on edge."
Alec laughed again and dropped his hands, one of them coming to rest atop Magnus's. He ducked
his head and sighed, settling almost imperceptibly back against Magnus's body.
"I'm fine," he assured quietly. "It's just been so strange to see..." He trailed off, swallowing
thickly.
Magnus waited for a moment, but when it seemed like Alec wasn't going to continue he gave a
little nudge.
"To see what?" He asked quietly.
Alec closed his eyes, something like pain flooding across his face.
"To see," he started, pausing to lick his dry lips. "To see what I could be, I guess. If things were
different. If I," he paused again. "If I were different."
Despite Alec's attempted nonchalance, Magnus could hear the depth of sentiment encapsulated in
those three little syllables. He knew the Shadowhunter had been struggling to rectify the
dissonance between his desires and his responsibilities, his heart and his duties. He thought of the
proposal Alec had shamefacedly admitted to when Magnus dropped by the Institute a few weeks
ago to investigate a particularly worrisome Forsaken; about how Lydia Branwell's rejection had
confused him, and her gentle advice - that he try his hand at love, first, before committing himself
to a platonic union - had thrown him precariously off-balance.
How difficult it must be, Magnus thought, to settle yourself beneath the heavy cowl of
expectation, to muster the strength to put your desires on hold in order to carry it, and make peace
with the hopeless reality of your future, only to come quite literally face to face with the person
you could be if you had never had to bend beneath that crushing weight in the first place.
Magnus sighed, wrapping his other arm around Alec's waist and pulling him in close, his front
pressed along Alec's back from knee to neck. He was thrilled and surprised when Alec let him do
it without struggling or flinching or wriggling away.
"Alexander," Magnus murmured gently, breath stirring the short hairs curling at the nape of Alec's
neck, "there are a hundred million what-ifs that we face every single day that could drastically
redefine who we are as people. A hundred million paths we could trip down at a moment's
notice." He squeezed a little tighter, and Alec responded by grasping desperately at Magnus's
hand.
"Right now, you're on your path. And it is exactly the right path for you to be on simply because it
is you who is on it." He let his lips brush the shell of Alec's ear. Alec shuddered. "Take it from
someone who's paid a lot of attention: you are exceedingly wonderful just as you are."
Alec was quiet for a long time, only the soft puffs of his breath breaking the still silence. Magnus
could feel his pulse, reverberating around his chest cavity, fast and light.
"How do you always do that?" Alec breathed after what felt like hours. His voice was harsh and
brittle and awed. "How do you always make me feel like the most important person in the room?"
He twisted in Magnus's grip but didn't move away, turning so that his hands were resting against
Magnus's chest. Magnus laced his fingers together, settling his hands against the dip of Alec's
lower back.
He desperately wanted to reply that, as far as he was concerned, Alec always was the most
important person in the room; maybe in the whole of New York City. There was, however, a
subtle art to getting past Alec's carefully crafted defenses, and Magnus was fairly certain that if he
pushed too hard in the wrong direction at this moment, Alec would shatter in ways that not even
he and his demonic power could ever repair.
"I'm just that good," Magnus said instead, with a philosophical shrug. Alec smiled shyly at him,
eyes brighter than normal in that way eyes sometimes got when someone was on the verge of
tears.
"You're an ass," Alec corrected, dragging his thumb over Magnus's collarbone. The points of his
fingers blazed hot through the thin cloth of Magnus's shirt.
"I'm your favorite," Magnus assured loftily. Alec laughed, and the sound shot light from Magnus's
crown straight down through his toes.
"Yeah, maybe," Alec admitted quietly. He grinned up at Magnus, sharp at the edges, a little
wicked, and tangled the fingers of his left hand in Magnus's belt loop. "Don't tell anyone."
"I would never!" Magnus scoffed. Alec's grin widened, and he leaned in, eyes glassy and dark -
There came a loud thump and a muffled swear from the living room. Alec veered at the last
second and pressed his face into the curve of Magnus's neck.
"Sorry! I knocked a thing over, everything's fine!" Lex called sheepishly from the living room.
Magnus sighed and rested his cheek against Alec's hair.
"How about," he said thoughtfully, gazing at the intricate tin ceiling tiles, "we revisit this
conversation after we send bizarro Alec back from whence he came?"
"That sounds like a good plan," Alec affirmed, voice muffled. His breath was hot on Magnus's
neck. Magnus couldn't resist dropping a kiss to Alec's forehead before he unwound his arms and
stepped away. For a split second as he drew back, Alec's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly
where they were tucked into Magnus's belt loop; as if maybe he wanted to hold on, too.
The moment broke and Alec straightened up with a sigh, coiling tightly within himself the way he
always did when confronted with situations that made him uncomfortable. Magnus tried not to
take it personally, instead beckoning him forward into the library.
It was larger than should have been possible when considering the floor plan of Magnus's
apartment, but the constraints of physical space were fairly malleable to a warlock with as much
experience as Magnus had under his belt.
"So," he asked, watching Alec as he gaped at the shelves upon shelves of texts, "what do you
think?"
"It's incredible," Alec breathed, running his fingers carefully along the spines of a long row of
tomes, bound in jewel-bright leather. "Are all of these yours?"
Magnus nodded.
"I like collecting things and I've always had a bit of a soft spot for books," he admitted, stalking
purposefully toward the long table in the center of the room. "There's nothing quite like the thrill
of hunting down a rare volume."
"You make it sound exciting," Alec said, coming to stand at Magnus's shoulder while Magnus
dug through a stack of scrolls.
"Everything I do is exciting," Magnus assured, winking flirtatiously up at Alec, who flushed and
ducked his head. Really, it ought to have gotten old by now. There was just something about
driving the Shadowhunter to distraction with a well-placed innuendo that Magnus didn't think he
would ever tire of.
Alec drew his lower lip into his mouth, biting it thoughtfully for a moment before he asked,
apprehensive, "You can send him back, right?"
Magnus considered this.
"It's a little more difficult than just tossing him through a portal, because he brought all of his
physical matter with him," he explained. "It'll require considerably more finesse than your average
teleportation spell." Magnus jabbed a finger at Alec's chest. "And I will be asking you precisely
how this happened, at a later date, so prepare yourself."
"But you can do it?" Alec insisted, brow furrowing with concern. Magnus inclined his head.
"Yes, Alexander. I can do it."
The smile Alec gave him was small but painfully sincere.
"I knew you could," Alec said softly, letting his shimmering blue gaze rest on Magnus's for a few
moments longer than appropriate in strictly platonic company. Magnus cleared his throat.
"Perks of being friends with the Magnificent Magnus Bane," he replied, trying to keep his voice
light.
Alec leaned over the table, close enough to Magnus that their arms brushed as he reached out,
peering at a grimoire bound in green velvet.
"What's this?" He asked curiously, running his fingers along the gold-pressed tigers and
flamingoes twining across the cover.
"That is my spellbook," Magnus replied absently, glancing at the surface of a scroll with rapt
attention for a moment before casting it aside. "I wrote it a few centuries ago. A collection of my
greatest hits, if you will."
Alec looked at him, startled.
"You wrote it?" he asked, blue eyes wide. Magnus nodded. Alec curled his fingers over the gilded
edge, hesitant. "Can I?"
Magnus considered him for a long moment.
"Normally," he said slowly, "if anyone tried to read my spellbook, I'd cast them into the middle of
the sea without a second thought."
Alec paled. Magnus let a slow, syrupy smile spread across his face.
"Lucky for you, you're not just anyone," he continued. Alec shifted on his feet, obviously pleased
but unsure of what to do with the emotion. Magnus canted his head and flicked a hand at the
grimoire. "Knock yourself out."
He went back to digging through the scrolls, certain that the information he needed to transport
physical matter to another dimension would be there somewhere, as Alec pulled the spellbook
over. Magnus watched surreptitiously from the corner of his eye as Alec cracked the front cover
open, his heart spasming tightly at the open look of reverence on Alec's face.
Alec ran his fingers down one of the thick, yellow pages, absently tracing the sinuous shapes and
sharp spikes of the scrawled Chthonian.
"Even your writing is glamorous," Alec murmured, so quietly that Magnus didn't think he was
supposed to have heard it. Magnus tore his gaze away, doing his best to keep his focus on the
issue at hand - no mean feat when Alec was looking at the condensed essence of his life's work as
if it were something precious.
He fumbled a scroll open, straightening up gleefully when he recognized the illustrated Banishing
circle.
"Aha!" Magnus grinned when Alec glanced over at him.
"You figured it out?" Alec guessed, closing the grimoire with careful, gentle hands.
Magnus wagged his eyebrows.
"Eureka," he confirmed dryly, rewarded for the terrible joke when Alec bit back a laugh.
Lex was standing at the window when they trundled back out into the living room, gazing out
over the twinkling sprawl of Brooklyn. He had an affected ease about him, from his loose, casual
posture to the drink in his hand. It was so different from the way that Alec measured every motion
for efficiency and purpose, holding himself so carefully at all times as if he were afraid of what
might come spilling out were he to cede control for even a second.
"Do you think New York City is the same in every dimension?" Lex asked, not looking at them.
"It looks so familiar."
"Except for the part where it's crawling with demons and other things that go bump in the night,"
Alec drawled, unimpressed.
"Right," Lex replied, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I'd forgotten about that." He glanced over at
Alec. "Though you don't seem to share your mother's recalcitrance for fraternizing with
Downsiders."
"Downwordlers," Alec corrected hotly. "And Magnus is an exception."
Lex dragged a smokey stare from Magnus's face, down his body, and back up again.
"I can see why," he agreed, voice low.
Alec went white and then blazingly red, so fast that Magnus was concerned for his blood pressure.
"So you met Maryse?" Magnus inquired benignly, attempting to break the sudden cloud of
awkward tension emanating out from where Alec was standing.
"From a distance," Lex nodded, sipping his drink and gesturing between himself and Alec. "This
would have been difficult to explain otherwise. She was," he thought for a moment, "interesting.
Much harder than my maman. Colder."
Alec bristled and Magnus fought the urge to slap his palm to his face. Why had he considered,
even for a second, that bringing Maryse Lightwood up anywhere Alec could hear would be a
good idea?
"My mother is incredible," Alec insisted, voice a low hiss. "She's one of the best Shadowhunters
alive."
Lex blinked, obviously startled by Alec's sudden vehemence.
"Being a great Shadow-whatever doesn't make her a good mother," he said, voice almost gentle as
he looked intently at Alec. "She may not be a scary monster fighter, but at least I can be honest
with my mother."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alec demanded coldly, falling back on his standard of willful
obtuseness. Lex snorted, goodwill vanishing beneath a wave of irritation.
"Oh please," he said, exasperated. "You're just as gay as I am, even if you don't dress the part."
Alec flinched as if he'd been slapped.
Magnus expected to feel vindication upon hearing somebody else finally espouse the same
opinions of Maryse Lightwood that he personally held, but he looked at Alec - at the hurt, the
anger, the fear on Alec's face - and couldn't muster anything but guilt.
"That's enough," he said, in the steely tones he normally employed only for Serious Warlock
Business. Lex held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, moving a few steps away from Alec,
who was standing rigidly in the corner of the room, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone
bone-white.
"Have a seat," Magnus instructed, brooking no room for argument. "I just need to lay this circle
out in the other room and then we'll get you home." He turned to Alec. "You, come with me."
With one last poisonous scowl in Lex's direction, Alec turned and trailed behind Magnus.
"Some of us have responsibilities! We can't all be party planners," Alec spat under his breath.
"I don't know," Magnus said thoughtfully, leading the way into the small room he kept for
Summoning - exposed brick walls and bare concrete floor, the only indication of Magnus's
characteristic flair the Gothic chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. "I think you could
probably pull off a swinging soirée if you put your mind to it."
"That's not what I meant," Alec grumbled, frustrated, and scrubbed a hand over his face. Magnus
hesitated, reaching out to rest his palm on Alec's shoulder.
"I know," he said quietly.
Alec looked up at him, blue eyes dark, and nodded once. Magnus let his hand fall away.
While Magnus maneuvered around the room, collection of fine chalks at hand and scroll spread on
the floor before him, Alec stood, a silent sentinel in the doorway. Magnus attempted every now
and again to engage him in conversation, but Alec was hopelessly distracted, offering nonsense
words or absent hums in response to Magnus's cajoling.
His blue gaze was fixed somewhere in the middle distance, brow furrowed deeply in thought, and
after awhile Magnus gave it up as a bad job. With his undivided focus trained solely on the task at
hand, it only took Magnus about twenty minutes, all told, to lay the Banishment circle out on the
concrete floor. He rose to his feet, taking a moment to lament the chalk dust on his otherwise
pristine blue leather pants, and clapped his hands together.
"There we are," he said brightly, turning to find that Alec was studying him from the doorway, an
emotion on his somber face that Magnus couldn't quite identify.
"Ready?" Alec asked. His voice was a low rumble; lower than Magnus had ever heard it before. It
sent something warm and dark spiraling down his spine.
"Ready," he responded softly, mouth dry.
Alec nodded, gaze unreadable, and stepped out into the living room. Magnus considered rushing
after, concerned that there may yet be bloodshed, but Alec returned before he could make a
decision, Lex following behind him, curious but unharmed.
Lex let out a low whistle at the churning, seething coils that twined together to make the
Banishment circle.
"Now this looks magical," he said, impressed, taking a few careful steps into the room.
Alec, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, cast a smug, almost proud look
at Magnus over Lex's shoulder. The cerulean glint of his eyes sent the sweet darkness that had
settled down Magnus's spine rushing in waves through his chest, pooling low in his belly.
"Trust me," Alec said, with a burning confidence Magnus had scarcely ever heard, "you haven't
seen anything yet."
Lex blinked at him curiously, offering a small, pleased smirk.
Magnus moved forward until the pointed toes of his boots were pressed against the edge of the
circle. He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself. When he opened them again, Lex took
a startled breath. The smug smile on Alec's face went sharp at the corners.
"You may want to stand back," Magnus said to Lex, slit-eyes reflecting the vibrant blue glow of
fire cupped in the palms of his hands. Lex stumbled backward, delighted and awed, to stand
beside Alec. Magnus cast his magic downward in bright jets of blue flame, the sibilant measures
of the Banishment spell dripping from his tongue like honey.
The chalk lines started glowing, faintly at first but brightening with each syllable Magnus spoke.
They roiled and shook as a gold glimmer rose through the air above them, distorting the room like
faraway heat casting a mirage in the desert. Eventually, the image in the mist had warped so much
that it didn't look like the room they were standing in at all, colors merging and twisting until they
clarified into a nondescript New York street.
Magnus recognized the neon sign of the Polish restaurant a few blocks from his apartment settled
a little way into the distance. An unimpressive young man in an oatmeal colored cardigan and
honest-to-God corduroys was standing out front, slumped pathetically in on himself.
"You really weren't lying," Magnus muttered, horrified, as he realized that the nondescript young
man was him. Or, well, Lex's version of him.
"He's a disaster," Lex agreed fondly. At the sound of his voice, the other Magnus straightened up,
visibly blanching when he caught sight of the portal in the distance.
"He's kind of rocking that whole 'innocent choirboy' thing," Magnus said, thoughtfully. Lex
grinned.
"It works for him," he assured.
Magnus waved at his doppelgänger, letting blue sparks flicker across his fingers as he did so. The
other Magnus rolled his eyes, and Magnus was startled and thrilled at the way they caught and
reflected the light. At least he was still a warlock in Lex's world, even if his stellar fashion sense
apparently hadn't translated.
Lex sauntered forward, half of his body in the gold mist, before turning to press a grateful kiss to
Magnus's cheek.
"Thank you," he said, voice sincere and soft.
"Anytime," Magnus replied, smirking. Behind them, Alec made a strangled noise. Lex turned to
look at him, gathering himself up as though preparing for a blow.
"There's nothing wrong with you, you know," he said, clear and certain. "I remember what it's
like to think that there is, but I promise that there isn't. You'll be happier if you start being honest."
His face softened a little. "And if your mother is anything like mine, I know she'll love you no
matter what."
Alec, who had started off looking hunted and pale, turned his face away at Lex's final words. He
cleared his throat, flickering a blue glance up at Lex as he murmured, "Thanks. I'll try to keep that
in mind."
Lex inclined his head, then turned back to Magnus, winking once before striding confidently into
the golden mist and out through the other side.
"Mags!" he called, voice alight with excitement. "You are never going to believe where I've just
been!"
The portal dimmed and faded as he jogged off toward the figure in the distance, winking out like a
candle in the dark. There was a moment of comfortable silence and then Alec pushed himself up
off the wall, stepping forward into Magnus's space.
"So," he said, an amused quirk to his mouth, "Mags, huh?"
Magnus groaned and slapped him haphazardly on the arm.
"Don't even think about it," he warned.
"I think it's kind of cute," Alec teased, drawing in close enough that their toes touched.
"I will remind you, Alexander Lightwood," Magnus murmured, jabbing a finger into Alec's chest,
"that I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn for a reason."
Alec grabbed the hand Magnus was poking into his chest, curling his own fingers gently between
Magnus's. Magnus felt his breath catch, and something dark flickered in Alec's gaze at the sound.
He stared at Magnus for a long moment, eyes tracing the angles and planes of Magnus's face,
before he leaned in with intent, pressing his mouth gently against Magnus's while his eyes
fluttered shut.
Magnus tensed up for a moment, shocked, before melting into the contact. Alec's mouth was soft,
and Magnus thrilled at the way he could feel the smile spread against his lips when Alec grinned.
He tucked the fingers of his free hand gently into the waistband of Alec's jeans. Alec groaned and
pressed closer, parting his lips and licking into Magnus's mouth.
Magnus stumbled backward until his back hit the wall, both of his hands on Alec's hips while
Alec had one arm thrown possessively around Magnus's waist. He cupped Magnus's face with his
other hand, thumb grazing Magnus's cheekbone as they kissed, deep and lazy.
Eventually, Alec gasped and pulled away, just far enough to breathe. Magnus couldn't tell if it had
been a few minutes or a few days. His heart was clamoring in his chest, thudding painfully against
his too-tight ribs.
Alec leaned forward and rested his forehead against Magnus's, warm breath spilling out across
Magnus's mouth when he murmured, "Will you go to dinner with me? Like a proper date?"
Magnus huffed a laugh.
"I would love to," he assured. He could feel Alec trembling against him, his fingers white hot
points of heat where they touched Magnus's face. "When?"
"Now," Alec said immediately, pressing a kiss to the edge of Magnus's jaw and sliding his hand
around to tangle his fingers in Magnus's hair. "Tomorrow," he trailed a delicate line of kisses
down Magnus's neck and Magnus threw his head back with a sigh. "Whenever, just please," Alec
murmured into the hollow of his throat, "please go out with me."
He tilted his head up and Magnus caught his mouth in a kiss, biting gently at Alec's lower lip. He
squeezed Alec's hips and Alec's whole body shuddered. He leaned into Magnus like Magnus was
the only thing keeping him upright.
"I know a great Polish place down the street," he said quietly, nose brushing Alec's. "Just let me
get my coat."
Alec's grin was luminous in the dark.