Chapter Text
“Alexander, I need to talk to you.”
Alec looks up from where he’s lacing up his boots in the loft’s entryway. “Can it wait? Underhill just called, there’s some issue with the transfer requests, and I have that Council meeting later.”
“It will only take a minute,” Magnus says, and he looks uncomfortable enough that Alec immediately stands.
Magnus is dressed for the day in an immaculate outfit that Alec has never seen in this combination before. Tight, black pants with one of his silky golden scarves as a belt, an embroidered, burgundy shirt that has a deep enough slit at the collar to reveal several necklaces, and impeccable eyeliner, all making him look every bit the powerful warlock that he is. And yet, he seems—nervous. Except that Magnus doesn’t really get nervous.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Magnus fiddles with his silver ear cuff, meaning that there is something wrong, but it’s not life-threatening.
“Okay,” Alec says and waits.
Magnus sighs. “I have promised a friend to brew her a potion to help with a complex spell. You remember Chandra? We met her in Mumbai last year.”
“I remember. What’s the problem?”
Magnus makes a face. “The potion requires an extensive cleansing ritual. And then it requires that you stay, well, cleansed for the duration of the brewing process.”
“Okay,” Alec says again, slower this time, trying to figure out what Magnus is talking about.
“Cleansed as in the sense of purity,” Magnus explains with a little exasperated flourish of his hand.
Alec raises his eyebrows. Surely it doesn’t mean what he thinks it means.
“It means exactly what you think it means,” Magnus says, being able to read Alec’s eyebrows as if he’s speaking out loud.
“Purity as in sexual purity,” he still needs to clarify.
“Unfortunately.”
“No offense, Magnus, but you’re not exactly pure.”
“Yes, well, the cleansing ritual will take care of that,” Magnus says primly. “And then it’s just a matter of staying pure for six days. Which means no sexual activity of any kind.” Magnus looks truly distraught by the thought.
Which is flattering, but Alec is hardwired to do something when Magnus looks distraught, so he takes the two steps separating them and grips Magnus’s hand. “Hey. That’s okay. We can do that.”
Magnus gives him a look that clearly says he doesn’t believe they can. “I think you might have to move back to the Institute for that time.”
Alec snorts. “Oh, come on, I think we can restrain ourselves for six days.”
“Famous last words,” Magnus mutters belligerently. “In any case, this potion is unfortunately the only way to break a dangerous curse and it’s a little time-sensitive. I’ll start tomorrow, so be sure to come home at a reasonable hour tonight.” Magnus’s dark eyes burn into Alec. “We have to get it out of our system as much as we can.”
Alec swallows. “Home early. Got it.”
Magnus gives him a blinding smile that tells Alec that he’s stammering like an idiot, which is somehow still happening after getting married. Magnus just has that effect on him.
“I love you. Now go do your job, Shadowhunter, so you can do me later.”
Magnus is clearly very pleased with his pun, and Alec can’t help but laugh. “Love you too.”
He picks up his jacket and his bow and quiver, and with a short but firm kiss to Magnus’s mouth, he leaves. The sooner he’s at the Institute, the sooner he can be back home.
Miraculously, Alec does make it home in time for dinner. His strategy session with Underhill and Jace runs a little longer because they got more transfer requests than they have open spots, but eventually, they decide to take on two more people than they have space for technically. But since Clary and Jace are sharing rooms and Alec lives at the loft and doesn’t need his own room here, it’ll be fine. He’ll make the budget work somehow.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had this many transfer requests to fill open positions,” Alec says when they’re done.
Jace’s eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously? How is this a surprise?”
Alec groans. “Yes, of course, everybody wants to work with the legendary Jace Herondale.”
Jace gives him an annoyed look. “What? That’s not what I mean, you and your—”
The door bangs open, and one of their new trainees barges into the room. He’s got a wild shock of red hair and freckles all over his face. Forester is his name. He visibly pales when he takes in the room.
“Forester,” Jace says. “Where’s the fire?”
“Um, no fire.” Forester stares at Alec for a moment, then blushes, obviously embarrassed to barge in on a meeting with the Head. “You just wanted to know when we were done setting up the training parcour, so…” Forester looks back at Alec again.
“Go,” Alec says to Jace. “I can write a few acceptance letters by myself.”
“Oh yeah, time to go.” Jace gets out of the chair almost comically fast. He really hates paperwork. “Seriously though, Alec, this is all you,” he says before the door closes behind him and a still blushing trainee.
Alec just rolls his eyes.
“He’s right, boss,” Underhill says quietly. “It means a lot.”
Alec isn’t sure how to take that. He knows that the changed Clave policies mean a lot to some people at least, but he was only one of many who made sure the legislation would pass. Kissing Magnus at his wedding and inadvertently coming out to the Clave had certainly been more personal desperation and an undeniable need for Magnus than planned activism. There’s a mountain of paperwork left to do, and Alec has a very motivating deadline tonight, so instead of saying any of that, he just nods at Underhill and goes back to his emails. He has every intention of making it home for dinner in time, and then some.
When Alec gets home, Magnus is so appreciative of his punctuality, he blows Alec right in the entrance hall, Alec having to lean back against the door to stay upright. Magnus is so keyed up by the time Alec comes that it doesn’t take more than pulling him up to his feet and jerking him off with quick, firm strokes while he licks his own taste out of Magnus’s mouth.
“Excellent appetizer,” Magnus says against Alec’s neck, where he just undid the top buttons of his shirt. “We have Thai for an entree if that’s okay.”
“Sure, yeah,” Alec says, more occupied with how nice Magnus’s warm breath feels against his skin than food.
The sensible part of his brain reminds him that he does need sustenance if he wants to get through the rest of their evening plans.
They clean up and get their clothes in order, though Magnus ditches his jacket, leaving him in the same shirt from this morning, the deep V-neck revealing several necklaces glinting over the bare skin of his throat and chest. Alec appreciates the view while they have dinner on the couch, and even drinks after, until Alec very purposefully puts his half-empty glass down and says, “So.”
He doesn’t get further before Magnus gracefully climbs into his lap. “So.”
“Yeah, that works.” Alec pulls Magnus down into a kiss.
They stay on the couch and have sex right there. Magnus convinces Alec to activate his stamina rune, and when they’re done and head to the shower, Alec traces his strength rune too. They fuck again in the shower, Magnus writhing in Alec’s arms, and he thinks it’s probably blasphemy to use the sacred nephilim runes to fuck his warlock husband against the wall, but every time their bodies come together, it feels like a sacrament.
Alec is pretty sure magic is involved when Magnus fucks him when they go to bed, because four times in six hours is a lot, even for them, but he truly doesn’t mind. He falls asleep with his head on Magnus’s shoulder and completely forgets why they did this, just cottoned in the warm, lingering glow of Magnus’s love and its physical manifestation kissed and bitten into Alec’s body.