Chapter Text
Magnus let’s out an ungodly scream as the small elevator comes to a screeching halt,
“Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me”.
This was the honest to god final straw in a day full to the brim of honest to god final straws.
“It’s fine Magnus, we just need to call the super”,
Clary, one of Magnus’ roommates rolls her eyes as she attempts to reassure him. She she pulls out her phone, dialling the number for the buildings registered handy-man.
“How is this fine? What about this-“ he gestures around himself wildly “-is fine?”
Magnus begins to pace, becoming agitated by Clary’s indifference to the situation. She chooses to ignore him, instead redialling the number over and over again. It is entirely futile as she is only ever able to reach the voicemail.
Maia, who has resigned herself to the corner of the elevator, eyes him dubiously.
“Why don’t you just sit down Magnus?”
Magnus raises his voice,
“How the fuck are you two so relaxed about this?”
Maia holds her hands up, keeping her voice calm and steady,
“because what else can we do?”
Magnus groans, admitting defeat. He slides his back down against the wall of the elevator, wrapping his arms around his legs as he reaches the floor. He could quite honestly say that nothing good has come of this day. First the hot water went off and he had to force himself through a cold shower, then his asshole father just HAD to call to tell him he’d be in town next week, wanting to “reconnect” and finally, to really top it all off, here he is now trapped in a tiny hot box with his two overly positive roommates being held mid air by a rope that’s probably a good 100 years old and on the verge of snapping, leaving them all plummeting to the ground. He looks up to the ceiling,
“Why me, god?”
Maia snorts from her position in the opposite corner,
“Alright calm down, atheist”
Magnus reaches into his pocket, feigning theatricality, “oh, what’s this I’ve got here?”. He pulls his hand out, brandishing a middle finger in Maria’s direction, “ah that’s it, I think it might be for you”
Maia laughs loudly, “yeah I love you too, dick”
This time, Magnus can’t hide the small smile that spreads over his face. He turns towards Clary,
“Any luck?”
Clary shakes her head, “nope, I think I’ll have to call the fire department”
“We’ll that won’t be embarrassing at all”, Magnus sighs.
Clary dials the number, holding the phone up to her ear, eyes still trained on Magnus, “ I’m not sure we really have a choice”.
Magnus zones out while Clary is on the phone, absentmindedly deciding to start up a game of footsie with Maia. They only met a couple of months ago but already the two of them act like siblings, constantly trying to wind the other up but with no sense of malice behind it. Maia kicks back at Magnus’ feet with just as much force. It’s not footsie anymore, this is war.
They continue to kick at each other as their pointless fight grows in intensity. It only ends when Maia is able to land a solid blow to Magnus’ crotch, causing him to keel over in pain as he grips his balls through his skin tight jeans. Magnus curses as Maia just watches, tears streaming down her face as she laughs.
“Fuck you, Roberts”
“Ew no thank you”
Clary hangs up the phone, turning to her immature friends, “really guys? Footsie?”
Clary had moved into the apartment a couple of months before Maia. A budding artist, freshly moved to New York City. She had quite a bit more get up and go than Maia and Magnus, both of whom spent their time working at their local diner, just making enough to cover the rent for the three of them. For whatever reason however, the three of them worked. They had managed to create their own little family, always making the best out of their shitty apartment in their shitty neighbourhood which they pay for with their shitty jobs. They were all, except for on this particular day, very happy with their lives.
Magnus, now fully recovered from his ‘near death experience’, sits up, glaring at Maia with every move. He turns to look at Clary,
“What did they say?”
She pockets her phone, “they’re sending someone out, should be about an hour”
“An hour?” Maia asks incredulously. Magnus only hits his head back against the wall and let’s out an almighty groan.
Clary joins the other two on the floor, taking in their disheartened demeanours. She sighs.
“Look, let’s just sit tight and be mature about this, okay?”
—
“I went to the store and bought and apple, a bible, a cock ring (really Magnus?), a diamond, an elephant… and a-“
Clary pauses for a moment, deep in thought.
“C’mon Clary just pick anything. It literally doesn’t matter”
One hour turned into two hours which quickly turned into three. They had nearly exhausted every childhood game they could think of. Turns out Marco Polo doesn’t really work too well in a confined space. They were now all losing motivation, each of them having claimed a corner of the elevator.
Suddenly, a loud creaking noise sounded from outside the elevator doors, as if someone was prying the them apart.
Maia shot up from her seated position,
“Oh thank god”
“Alright, atheist”, Magnus mimicked Maia’s tone from earlier, earning himself a kick in the shins.
Claire shrieked suddenly, standing up and pointing at the doors. They were slowly opening, letting in a slither of light. What did become clear however was that the elevator was stuck between two floors, with light only travelling in through the top of the lift. Just my luck, Magnus thought.
Suddenly the doors sprung open fully, revealing the calves of one of NYFDs finest. The firefighter crouched down to take a look into the elevator, eyes immediately landing on Magnus.
As soon as Magnus laid eyes on the man in front of him he threw his hands up in exasperation, “Oh for fuck sake”. Surely, he finally thought, nothing could get any worse than this.
The man only grinned, “nice to see you too, Mags”
Magnus scoffed as Clary and Maia watched on in
confusion.
“Took you long enough”
“Ahh too busy fighting fires”
why did he have to be so blunt. he continued to look at Magnus with that shit eating grin on his face that Magnus loves to hate. Or hates to love. He’s never really been able to figure that one out. He pinches the bridge of his nose, taking a steadying breath, making sure to punctuate every last one of his words.
“Alec. We have been stuck in this lift for 3 hours. I would really appreciate it if you could save the self righteousness and help get us the fuck out of here”
Alec lowers himself further onto the ground, getting into a comfortable position.
“I’m working on it”.
Magnus notes the deep, matter of fact tone in Alec’s voice and hates the fact that it is able to turn his stomach into knots. It is only now that he is able to get a proper look at the man. He looks good. Very good. Still as attractive as he was the last time Magnus saw him, only he sports dark stubble and a thicker moustache now. Interesting, Magnus thinks, very interesting indeed. He watches Alec’s arms as he helps pull Clary and Maia out of the elevator, the way his muscles tense and retract. Magnus has to physically stop himself from licking his lips. He’s so far in his daze that he doesn’t realise that he’s the last one left, Alec staring at him with that all too familiar cocky look on his face.
Alec reaches his arms out, an open invitation for Magnus, “your turn”
Magnus simply swats Alec’s arms away, instead choosing to hoist himself up onto the above floor. He looks down at Alec who is already rolling his eyes, as if he’s already completely used to his antics. Magnus shoots him a cheeky grin and a wink before turning down the hallway to catch up with Maia and Clary. He can feel Alec’s eyes burning holes into his back back so what is he to do but put a bit of extra sway in his hips as a walks. Alec can take it as a thank you, after all he’s always had a thing for Magnus’ ass.
-
Magnus finds Clary and Maia sat on a wall on the opposite side of the road from the apartment building.
Maia notices him first as he crosses the street, immediately bombarding him with questions,
“What was that all about?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about”
“Come on Magnus”
Magnus looks towards the front door of the the apartment building in the distance, locking eyes with Alec as he exits the door. They keep their eyes trained on each other, and, for the first time that day, Magnus smiles. A genuine smile which is returned in full by the man opposite.
He watches as Alec salutes him, winking as he does so, before turning and heading towards the fire engine which is parked further down the street. Magnus notes the butterflies in his stomach, butterflies that he hasn’t felt since the last time he saw Alec. He has to begrudgingly admit to himself that he’s missed them.
Without taking his eyes off the man, Magnus finally responds to Maia’s question.
“He’s my ex”
-