Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I—we should—we should go back to the others."

Magnus watched, fascinated and amused, as the handsome shadowhunter stuttered his way through an excuse to leave. There was something about the young man that piqued Magnus' interest — aside from the fact that he was one of the youngest Institute Heads Magnus had ever had the pleasure of meeting (or that he had apparently practically overthrown the older Lightwoods to do so).

He'd heard the buzz around the man, of course. Institute Head at twenty-two, best archer in New York, and older brother to one of Pandemonium's regulars, the Lightwood boy was also said to be far more interested in justice than his prejudiced parents.

None had told him just how handsome Alexander Lightwood was though.

Tall, dark, and handsome didn't even begin to cover it.

Magnus took in the varying shades of black that accentuated his pale skin and dark runes. Large wings the color of a starless midnight sky protruded from his back, which only served to highlight just how bright his eyes were, or how easily his cheeks colored when—

Well, when.

He wouldn't lie and claim he was unaffected by Alec, but Magnus knew better than to let himself be lured in by a pretty smile and deadly grace. After all, it was the prettiest of packages that hid the deadliest of weapons.

Despite already knowing that he was going to help Clary with her memory problem, Magnus let her keep talking and advocate for herself as he studied the picturesque view of Alec Lightwood and Jace Wayland speaking in hushed tones. While the parabatai both had avian wings, it was clear to anyone that had known Jace for at least the last few months that he had finally met his match. Gone was the near-overbearing glistening gold that faded into a darker hue as it reached his lesser and median coverts, instead they'd all shifted darker, closer to the color of sunset than the actual sun, and had a hint of translucency that were more common in insect-adjacent wings.

Clary's large butterfly wings had been a vibrant reddish orange similar to her hair up until a few months ago, when it had begun to shift the bright gold that used to be Jace's. Wings, Magnus reminded himself, that she hadn't even known existed nor understood how to properly use it until Jocelyn had finally caved last year and told her about her heritage.

Not everyone had such obvious tells as nephilim, of course. Not only were wings uncommon in those without angelic blood, it was even rarer to have a soulmate at all.

With a small shake of his head, Magnus produced the necklace they'd thought to pay him with and headed over to Isabelle. He met her gaze with a wink and a smile, familiar enough with her after years of letting her party within Pandemonium's walls.

Getting Clary's memories back was far easier than Magnus would care to admit. Between the summoning circle and the sacrifice, the most exhausting part was really having to let go of Alec's hand.

But let go, he must.

The memories he'd seen every nephilim sacrifice had been interesting enough: Magnus had lost one of his memories with Ragnor and Catarina; Clary had lost one of her earliest memories with her mother; Isabelle had lost the memory of her with younger Jace and Alec; Jace had lost a memory of his arrival at the Lightwoods; and Alec had lost the recent memory of watching Jace fly with his newly-colored wings.

"She'll be disoriented, but give her a few good night's of rest as her memories settle in and she'll be able to piece together what you need — if she has memory of it at all," he told the group as he summoned a glass of wine for himself. He didn't bother to see them to the door, opening a portal behind himself and stepping into it just as the last syllables of gratitude leave Isabelle's lips.

How funny that through it all, bright eyes that pierce him like an arrow through his soul are what he remembers most clearly from that night.

It took a few days for the effects of their meeting to start to show, though Magnus had realized something had changed almost immediately, with the way his magic seemed to reach out whenever he went through his poses. There was a restlessness to his magic that translated into a constant buzzing under his skin, and whenever he meditated to attempt to calm them down, they all seemed to pull him in a certain direction. He worried what this meant — for everyone involved.

"You're a thousand miles away," Ragnor commented, as soon as he exited the portal that had appeared in the middle of Magnus' living room. A quick flick of his wrist banished the portal and summoned a glass of his favorite merlot to his hand.

"And yet we're in the same room right now," Magnus replied with a shake of his head before they shared a quick embrace. "I've missed you, old friend."

"As have I."

"I'm sorry to pull you out of hiding," Magnus began after a few seconds of silence. "It has been an eventful couple of days and I needed your perspective on…" He reached out to Ragnor only to pause before he could actually touch him when a sharp pain shot up his spine and brought him to his knees.

"Magnus!"

He used his hands to keep him from face planting, but the way his entire body shook didn't give him hope that he wouldn't just fall anyway. His mouth fell open as something between a wheeze and a scream escaped his lips. Magnus closed his eyes when he felt the soothing wave of Ragnor's magic wash over him, trying to find the problem.

"What is going on, Magnus?" From what he could hear, Ragnor must have shuffled closer to him despite his magic receding. "Who did this to you?" There was an anger in Ragnor's tone that Magnus was sure he hadn't heard in over a century. Rarely did anyone manage to earn the former High Warlock of London's scorn, but harming one of his oldest friends was definitely a sure fire way to do it.

"D-don't know," Magnus managed to stutter out as the pain dulled to a weak throb just below his nape.

"Don't lie to me, old friend. You called me here for a reason."

"I…I think I might be…" Deciding that showing was better than telling, Magnus drew on his magic to banish his top, shivering when he felt the cold air against his bare skin.

"Magnus, this is…" He opened one eye just in time to see Ragnor kneel beside him. "By the Angel, this isn't a curse, is it?"

Closing his eyes once again, Magnus let himself fall flat to the floor, Ragnor's summoned pillow arriving just in time to catch his head. And though he was in pain and he wasn't entirely sure of the reason for it yet, Magnus could tell there were big changes happening. His magic flowed around him, as if conflicted whether to stay or go.

"We'll need Catarina for this, Magnus," Ragnor said, already sending a fire message to their favorite Healer. "This doesn't feel malevolent, but we need confirmation that it isn't some new illness we should be worried about, either."

Magnus turned on his side, curling in on himself. "Can't hurt me if it tried," he murmured as he looked up at Ragnor. Bright gold cat eyes met Ragnor's dark gaze.

Magic was a wonderful if not unruly mistress in their realm. Everyone had it, though in varying levels. Mundanes in general barely had any, though some managed to grow their powers or were simply Blessed with more and managed to catch glimpses into things beyond the mundane world. Some mundanes are pulled out of their world and into the Shadow World with a bite, and their magic often reacts to such a change by granting them abilities beyond what they would normally be capable of as either a vampire or a werewolf. Rare are those that make the transition from mundane to something else and for their magic to wake the same way it does for those that had been born with it already active. Often, mundanes' or former mundanes' magic remained dormant — existing but unable to be called upon for an extended amount of time.

For warlocks and seelies, however, their magic was immediately awake and available to them. If one were lucky, they would grow up among their people and learn how to wield it. If not, they would have to learn the hard way.

Magnus had been lucky enough to have learned from a variety of people as a child. Granted, one of the first had been his Greater Demon father and had taught him a lot of questionable values that he was still unlearning centuries later, he had to admit that there was something to be said about the deep-rooted respect and understanding of magic that came from learning from someone that used to be an Angel. Because of Asmodeus, Magnus understood magic in a way most did not — save perhaps the Seelie.

Magic wasn't just in every person or in every being, it was everywhere. There was magic in the air no matter where you went, it only varied as to how it responded to you. There was magic in technology and magic in nature, albeit in different frequencies. There was magic inherent in people and there was magic that could be siphoned into people.

There was magic in every word spoken and every action made.

There was magic in the relationships you foster.

There was magic in the potential of one.

Distantly, Magnus heard Catarina's voice as she arrived. He let his eyes close as he was lifted and moved. In his mind, through the pain, he drifted.

More like he floated, really.

No.

He flew.

There was magic in every smile.

In every little ill-timed interaction.

In every flap of a shadowhunter's wings.

Too bad shadowhunters were so restricted in how they used magic, limited to channeling their power through Adamas because the Angels did not trust them not to abuse the power they were gifted.

Magnus came to hours later, just as Catarina had taken a seat by his bed and Ragnor had entered the room with a fresh pot of tea.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Catarina asked, reaching out to take one of Magnus' hands in both of hers before raising one hand to smooth his hair back.

"Much better now," admitted Magnus. "What happened?" He didn't even wait for either of them to reply as he continued, "What's happening to me?"

He watched as Catarina turned to Ragnor briefly before saying, "You're changing, Magnus."

"And not just metaphorically," Ragnor said before Magnus could make some quip about how all things change.

"We had to make sure you weren't in any life-threatening danger." Catarina waved her hand, and particles of light appeared above them to form what Magnus assumed was a visual representation of himself. "This isn't just some back pain because you pulled a muscle." She made the figure spin so that Magnus could see his back, and he barely had to squint as he could see the distinct lump that had certainly not been there before. "Your body is quite literally rearranging itself and growing new bones," she told him in a tone that he'd always called her unhappy healer voice. "I've only ever seen this once before."

And they all knew what she meant.

While shadowhunters were born with wings, there were other creatures that acquired them or only managed to activate them over the course of their lives. Seelie were the next most likely to have them too, though they went through their change within the safety of their realm and away from the prying eyes of those that may seek to harm them in such a vulnerable state. Werewolves simply did not gain the ability to grow wings, though Magnus supposed that was probably more due to the Werewolf gene preventing any other sort of transformation. There had only been a few vampires that Magnus knew of that had wings, and most of them had been shadowhunters prior to their transformation. There were a handful of warlocks that had wings as their warlock marks, though they were rarely avian, which was what shadowhunter wings commonly were. Warlocks, however, had the gift of inherently protective magic that ensured they felt no pain as their warlock marks adapted and grew with them.

In Catarina's long career as a healer, she had only ever managed to watch wings grow from nothing once: when Magnus had offered sanctuary to a pair of shadowhunters that had wanted to leave their world. It had been their luck that one of them had been pregnant and Catarina had had the pleasure of seeing through her pregnancy.

To have Magnus being growing a wing right now meant that he was gaining characteristics of his shadowhunter soulmate in the way that shadowhunters and their soulbonds manifested.

"Well, we've always known I was special," Magnus joked even as he reached out and let his magic wrap around the glowing figure Catarina had created. "Only one wing though."

"Shadowhunters' wings reflect the aspects of the coloring and capabilities of their soulmates' wings." Ragnor began to serve them all their respective cups of tea. "You, like the majority of the population, have none."

Magnus' eyes widened. "Then that means—"

The High Warlock of Brooklyn disappeared the night Clary recovered her memories.

Alec was sure it wasn't a coincidence considering that it fit the timeline of Valentine's rise well enough. What reason did the High Warlock have to stay, after all, when his people were in danger and were safer hidden away?

His heart pounded as he shook his wings and nocked another arrow into his bow. He had been restless since their return to the Institute that night. Chalking up the residual fatigue he was still feeling days after to his inexperience with summoning demons and handing over valuable memories, he went about his days as normal. If he took a second or two to steal his breath before flying back to his office…Well, that was his burden to bear.

The successive sounds of arrows sinking into the targets echoed throughout the training room as he attempted to lose himself in the monotony of using his favorite weapon. It wasn't until he heard the flap of wings nearby that he even looked up and around.

"You're…" Jace began as he walked up to Alec, wings folded behind him in an act of subordination. For all that they were parabatai, Jace had learned early on into Alec's Headship that it meant a lot for their people to see Jace so obviously and easily submit to his parabatai when in the Institute. It was one thing after all, for Alec to be known and respected when it came to strategy and politics behind closed doors, but an entirely different thing for him to play the performative part of being Head. Jace was more than happy to lean into it — if only to get people off of Alec's back.

Alec raised a brow at Jace, waiting for him to continue as he reached over with one wing and lightly swatted Jace's in a familiar gesture often shared between siblings or close friends.

"You're agitated," Jace said. "More like all over the place, really." He took one step back and stretched his neck from side to side. "I'd offer to listen, but I have a feeling that won't get us anywhere."

Without further warning, Alec found himself ducking down to avoid the sword Jace had summoned and attempted to strike him with. A quick beat of his wings had him by the weapons rack and grabbing his own sword, though he had to do it fast enough to make sure his back was never turned to Jace.

He grinned and threw himself into the fight, feeling some of his earlier frustration fade away.

There really was something to be said about the bond that existed between parabatai.

Hours later found Jace and Alec on either side of the room, breathing heavily while a curious Isabelle stood by the door with her arms crossed and eyebrow raised. She'd arrived some time in the last few minutes, and while she hadn't asked them to stop, Alec and Jace knew that the fact she was there meant that one of them was needed for something. Granted, it was probably not urgent, they knew it was about time they wound down anyways.

Alec surveyed the room when he saw that Isabelle had grabbed something from the floor and held it up. While all the equipment were intact and neither him nor Jace were injured, there was a concerning amount of feathers scattered around that spoke of a more brutal fight than what had actually unfolded. Isabelle had picked one of the familiar dark feathers up and examined it as she met Alec's gaze.

"It isn't molting season," she pointed out as she made her way to them. "You also aren't behind in your grooming."

The tension in the room was palpable. More were being left unsaid: he wasn't sick because Jace or the Infirmary would have known about it; he wasn't in a recent fight that would have literally ruffled his feathers to warrant Isabelle's concern because it would have been logged in their records; and he wasn't doing anything to his wings on purpose because that had never been his self-harming method.

"Is there something we should know about?" Isabelle met his gaze head on, and Alec had the unnerving realization of just how much his sister truly was their mother's daughter. If Isabelle ever lent her head the political route the way Maryse had, she would be unstoppable.

"I don't know," admitted Alec, speaking to them through the mental link that bound shadowhunters to their Heads. "I've been feeling tired recently but this…" He closed his eyes and focused on the pieces of himself he could feel in the room, envisioning them appearing in his hands where he'd opened them palm up. In a second, all of his fallen feathers were collected and in his arms. "I don't know what this is."

It didn't take long for them to figure it out. They'd always been fast to pick up on things, after all.

That night, as soon as Alec had returned to his quarters, Jace and Isabelle were at his door.

"Magnus Bane," Jace said as soon as Alec had let them in. "You've been odd since we went to that warlock for Clary's memories."

"That does line up with the break you've taken from going on missions yourself," agreed Isabelle with a decisive nod as she sat on his bed. "Are we taking this in a 'he might have done something to you,' way or…"

She didn't have to finish the sentence when they were all thinking the same thing. Soulmate. His wings were changing because he'd met his soulmate.

They all looked at each other, though it ended with Jace and Isabelle watching Alec intently because they already had a feeling it was the latter. Alec wished they were wrong.

His wings twitched involuntarily, as if in protest to his thoughts, but he digressed. There was too much happening for him to be meeting his mate now. Between Valentine, his somewhat new position as Institute Head, and needing to look after his siblings, he felt like he was spread too thin as it was.

"What do you want us to do?"

Alec's eyes widened at Jace's words. He had been so sure Jace would be the first to push for him to pursue this supposed bond with his maybe-soulmate. For all the trouble that Clary had caused (and was continuing to cause) in their world, Alec had been under the assumption that none of it mattered to Jace because he got his soulmate. Isabelle had always been the more pragmatic of the pair. She understood the line he had to walk as a warrior and politician better than most.

"We're with you no matter what you decide, Alec." And she knew best that Alec was unlikely to let someone — even if they were supposed to be his soulmate his heart — was unlikely to let that interfere with his own plans and ambitions.

"I can't," Alec managed to say. "I can't…"

He had no idea what he would say, really. What couldn't he do? Couldn't be with someone? Couldn't be with a man? Couldn't jeopardize his position as the Head?

His stomach rolled at the implications of Magnus being so intimately connected to him.

Magnus had no wings.

A shadowhunter's wings were a point of pride for them. It was the biggest (often literally) sign that they had angelic blood coursing through their veins. It grew with them as any other part of their body did, and they grew up learning and understanding how to move with and use their wings. While most shadowhunters had avian wings like Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, there were others that had softer or more delicate wings like Clary and Lydia, with their butterfly-like wings. Those with large bird-like wings were often sent into the field, their wings giving them an advantage as they could often use it for long-distance flights or even as an additional weapon. Those with more delicate limbs were often seen as more likely to be in politics or manage the more administrative tasks in an Institute or in Alicante.

No matter the wing type though, shadowhunters were still left to pursue which post they wish to take in society. There were people like Andrew and Aline that were great fighters despite their fragile-looking dragonfly wings, after all. Really, the one physical marker that truly defined a shadowhunter was whether or not they had found their soulmate.

In his life, he'd only had the (dubious) pleasure of watching as Jace met his soulmate and his wings changed to reflect that.

Now, here Alec was…

with a soulmate that may have doomed him to lose one of his favorite aspects about being a shadowhunter.

Magnus took in the sight of two shadowhunters carrying an out-of-it bulky former shadowhunter with a former amnesiac in front of them. Well, there went his plans for the night. With barely a thought, he sent off a fire message to Ragnor to let his friend know that they might have to reschedule because he had shadowhunters in his home.

He moved practically on autopilot: assuring Clary that he could heal Luke; telling Jace to procure an ingredient from the rooftop to keep him from hovering; directing Alec to keep Luke down and comfortable while Magnus worked. There was only so much he could do to distract himself from the fact that his soulmate was in his home — practically welcomed in by his wards — blanketed by his magic, and looking as if he would rather be anywhere else.

"Ah, I'm going to need some help," Magnus sighed with a wince when it became apparent that — between the glamour he kept up to hide his growing wing, the recently reinforced wards around his home to ensure that the spell he and Ragnor were recently working on, and the power and concentration needed to heal Luke, he could feel his magic wanting an alternative power source.

"Here," Alec said, coming to stay behind Magnus, "Take what you need." He held out a palm, and Magnus didn't let himself second guess it as he placed his hand in Alec's and drew from the magic that flowed freely between them.

Their bond sung as soon as they were in contact, and though Magnus focused on healing Luke, he couldn't deny that there was a part of him in the back of his mind that rejoiced in having this moment with Alec.

Barely an hour later, with Jace and Clary watching over Luke in one of Magnus' guest rooms, Magnus and Alec were left alone for the first time since they had met.

"You don't have to do that," Magnus called out to Alec as the shadowhunter wiped away the werewolf blood that had gotten on Magnus' couch. He couldn't help but observe Alec, hungry for any bit of information he could glean about his shadowhunter.

Magnus winced at what he saw. Alec's left wing was bandaged and bound in such a way that it remained upright but unable to be stretched out. His right wing remained much the same, dark feathers looking shiny and healthy, reminding Magnus of the smaller feathers that were now scattered in places that he frequented as his own wing molted and grew in such a speed in order to adapt to his body size.

As if hearing his thoughts, or perhaps sensing that Magnus was watching him, Alec looked up to meet his gaze.

"I think you've used enough magic for the night," Alec replied before looking back down and continuing to clean.

"Might I interest you in a drink, then?" Magnus offered, turning around to distract himself.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Perhaps Magnus was being too sensitive, but it sounded a lot like Alec was talking about a lot more than just the offer of a drink.

The silence continued for a few minutes, tense and heavy as it seemed to have become.

It wasn't until Alec stood and made a move to follow Jace and Clary to the guest room that Magnus spoke up once more:

"Are we going to talk about this?"

Alec made no move to reply to him, but Magnus was in no mood to be ignored.

"Alexander," he called out. "I understand this is an uncomfortable topic, but it will only get worse if we don't address this."

"Address this?" Alec repeated, rounding on him. "There is nothing to address, Magnus. As far as I'm concerned," Alec paused, steeled himself, and then went on, "As far as our supposed relationship is concerned, there is nothing to talk about at all."

"Your wings tell me otherwise."

"Well, your lack thereof tells me everything I need to know."

"Alec—"

"What do you want from me?"

"I just want to talk! I understand that this is a lot—"

"How could you possibly understand?" Alec stalked closer to Magnus, anger making the air between them practically spark. "I have spent all my life making sure I lived up to and exceed the expectations set before me. I worked — fought tooth and nail to earn my position. I can't jeopardize that just because the Angel thought that I needed to somehow manage my life as a shadowhunter with having you as a soulmate."

Anger and despair reared their heads, and Magnus fought to keep his magic controlled even as it wanted to reach out to Alec. It seemed that his wayward soulmate had made up his mind, and much as Magnus hated it, he was nothing if not a master of self preservation.

"I may be young but I'm not naive. This thing isn't infallible. There are plenty who've lived without having their lives turned on their heads. We're far too different — our worlds far too different — for us to work out." Alec sighed, and Magnus briefly thought it was over, but Alec continued on, "I've looked into you, Magnus Bane. You laugh and you flirt, and you may have caught me off guard when we first met, but I refuse to be just another notch on your bedpost."

Magnus' mouth shut into a thin line as he regarded Alec in a new light. "I see," he replied, voice steady and eerily calm. "Well, thank you then, Alec, for such an enlightening conversation." He nodded his head in the direction of the guest room. "You and yours are welcome to stay with Luke for as long as he needs. The wards will let you pass for as long as needed. Clary will know how to reach me should anything else be needed."

He watched with some semblance of satisfaction, as Alec seemed to immediately regret his words. The younger man's wing twitched, and beneath the glamour disguising his much smaller one, Magnus felt it do the same. There's an uneasiness settling in the bond that was now more prevalent between them. Sharing energy always left a temporary bond, after all. The fact that he and Alec were supposedly soulmates meant that not only would the temporary bond last longer than most, but that their magic now knew each other in such an intimate way that they would probably always be able to recognize the other — if Alec ever figured out how to wield what magic of Magnus' he would have access to.

Because that was it, really.

That was one of the main things Magnus wished to cover.

Where shadowhunters were left with taking on aspects of their soulmate's wings and some of their specialties, warlocks shared their ability to wield magic. The amount varied, but generally, a warlock's soulmate was able to pull on the warlock's reserves or use the bond to boost their own.

Magnus didn't bother to attempt to salvage whatever was left of his and Alec's nonexistent relationship as he left through a portal before Alec could so much as open his mouth.

There were other — arguably more important — things to occupy his time with.

One of which was the very man standing by his old friend.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the pair as he stepped out of the portal and into his and Ragnor's shared home in Brazil. He met golden cat eyes so identical and yet entirely different to his own.

"Good evening, Mr. Bane," the man greeted, barely concealing his amusement at the greeting.

"Evening, Mr. Bane," he replied, trying not to think of the shadowhunter he'd left in his loft. "What can we do for you?"

"Well, like I'd mentioned the last time I was here, we need your help to stabilize the realms."

Magnus inhaled, long and deep, before clapping his hands together. "Well, where do we begin?"

Chapter Text

Things did not get better for Alec.

If he were being honest, as soon as the harsh words had left his lips, Alec had wanted to take them back. Magnus hadn't deserved his anger. The warlock couldn't have controlled the initiation of the bond any more than Alec could have, after all, but there had been no opportunity to apologize once Magnus had left.

A different warlock had arrived and checked on Luke the following day to ensure that he would be fine, and Alec had been too embarrassed to ask about Magnus' whereabouts. What right did he have to that information after having sent him away?

He and the rest had left Magnus' loft and returned to the Institute by noon, with Clary and Luke reuniting with Jocelyn, while Jace awkwardly hovered around them. Alec had promptly excused himself and went about his day.

Life went on as normal, although everything also felt like it had changed since that night.

Officially, he had pulled himself from the roster of active field agents in order to focus on the administrative and political aspects of running an Institute. Unofficially, Alec was trying to figure out the timeline for the changes happening to him. His subordinates were already beginning to ask questions. Thankfully, Jace and Isabelle had dropped enough hints to imply that Alec had been attacked and that they couldn't seem to find an immediate cure for his supposed injury.

The molting had only been the beginning. While the changes occurring were relatively physically painless, it hurt to be unable to do things that he had been accustomed to all his life. It wasn't for a lack of trying, either. He'd spent the last few days attempting to pull himself up to fly with the same ease that he had grown up with.

Alec looked down at the bruises that littered his body, some even blending into his runes, evidence of his failed trial at flying with what was now essentially a useless wing. Jace and Isabelle have been doing their best to skirt around the topic because they knew how little he wanted to talk about it, but there was no mistaking the way his left wing was shrinking, now that he was standing bare before the mirror. Gone were the eerie but luminous feathers that Isabelle had often compared to a night sky. In their place was red, prickly, and irritated skin with just as much bruises as the rest of his body.

Just looking at the flesh and bones that used to be covered in his feathers made his stomach roll.

He was losing everything, it seemed, and he now had to fight even harder to keep what he could.

There had been flightless Institute Heads before. They were a warrior race, after all. It stood to reason that one could have been injured in combat and later on become a general (or an Academy Instructor or an Institute Head in their case).

Only, there hadn't been wingless ones.

At least not ones where the wingloss hadn't been due to battle.

Not ones where the wingloss was due to your —

Alec ended that train of thought with a huff.

It would do him no good to think of Magnus Bane.

He had certainly burnt that bridge well and good. Really, his former Circle Member parents would have been proud.

Last he heard, no one could reach Magnus Bane unless you were Clary Fray, Raphael Santiago, or a warlock. That said, practically any and all information he had on Magnus was third hand information from overhearing Jace and Isabelle talk about Clary and Magnus.

It was for the better, Alec reminded himself. Magnus clearly wasn't as affected by the supposed bond that existed between them as Alec was. He'd been right as rain then, when Alec could feel the physical manifestation of his life falling apart.

At the rate that the wing was shrinking, Alec knew it was only a matter of time before he lost it completely.

The day Alec dreaded most came just a few short days later.

It seemed that in his sleep, Alec had finally bid farewell to his left wing. The gradual decrease in size had made the new setup a little easier to adapt to, as his center of gravity changed and he figured out how to move with only one wing.

He could feel the numerous looks he was getting from people, but he refused to let it affect him. It helped greatly that Jace and Isabelle had spread the rumor of a curse to soften the gossip, and it also helped that Alec was running the Institute ragged with all that he was asking of his people. There were more important things to focus on than his wingloss — one of which being the capture of Valentine Morgenstern (and the other being his continued independent search for Magnus Bane).

Granted, no one else knew of the latter. He didn't need Jace or Isabelle worrying about him or meddling in his life any more than they already did. Alec had messed up on his own and he needed to figure it out himself. He owed both Magnus and himself that, at least.

His eyes opened as he exhaled and ended his meditation, knowing that he needed to don the hat of Institute Head and get on with his day. A few days have passed since his left shoulder blade had evened out after his wing's disappearance, and while he still mourned it daily, the last few weeks had taught him that daily meditation helped him recenter. Really, it was just convenient that everyone seemed to realize that he needed the time off and no one ever bothered him during those precious moments.

"You're up to something," Jace accused as he settled into Alec's side and brushed his wing against Alec's in a familial gesture.

"Wouldn't it be easier," Alec began as he leaned back to watch the sunrise, "if this bond just…disappeared?"

"You want that?"

"Well, it hasn't exactly been as smooth-sailing as yours, has it?" Alec asked wryly, though he supposed he couldn't exactly hold that against Jace. It wasn't as if Jace had been the one to lash out at his supposed partner and practically send him away.

No, Alec had done a marvelous job of doing that on his own.

"I just think life would be so much easier if this bond just didn't exist," Alec admitted, closing his eyes.

An incessant knocking on Magnus' wards alerted him to someone at his door. It had been a few weeks since Luke's rise to Alphahood, and while Magnus had interacted with Clary on and off when she had needed his perspective on some Shadow World related matters, Magnus had managed to slip in and out of the world in order to assist the Other Magnus with Ragnor.

Magnus barely opened the door before he was being bombarded with word vomit by a frantic Isabelle and Clary. He listened to them explain how Alec had gone against pretty much everyone's advice and pushed himself to track Jace through the parabatai bond despite the possibility that Jace might be in the Seelie Realm and therefore too far to reach and endangering Alec into being lost within their bond or worse. Granted, Magnus wasn't even sure what could be worse.

He opened a portal to the Institute before he'd even managed to agree to Isabelle and Clary's request to have him look Alec over — if only to see if there was anything he could do to help the man. His magic had been trying to get him to return to New York ever since he'd left. It was only the fact that he had been in a different realm for most of the time that had passed since Luke's ascension to Alpha that he was able to ignore New York's call.

Of course, not enough time and distance could have prepared Magnus to see Alec so clearly in pain, and so far from the raging nephilim he had left in his home all those weeks ago. The left wing that Magnus had seen bandaged last time was nowhere to be found. Well no, Magnus knew exactly where it was as it twitched behind him, an exact replica of Alec's right wing, which had remained the beautiful blue-black that Magnus had come to be intimately familiar with.

He bit his tongue from saying something like "Oh, Alexander," to delude himself into thinking that he didn't care as much for this shadowhunter as he truly did.

The thing about being soulmates though, Magnus supposed, is that he barely had to lift a finger for his magic to already be surrounding and seeping into Alec, making sure to heal any injury and soothe any hurt. He sat by Alec's hip, hesitating briefly, before taking one of Alec's hands in both of his own and following the pull of their bond to establish a connection that he could utilize to tether Alec to this realm.

Magnus found himself in a long hallway reminiscent of the Institute's. Ah, he supposed it made sense that Alec's mind would be arranged in such a way. His fingers drummed against his newest accessory: a charmed golden bracelet with intricate runes carved on the inside that ensured he would always be able to return to his realm, no matter where he ended up. He doubted he would need it here, in Alec's psyche, but it brought him comfort nonetheless.

"Jace!"

The telltale sound of hurried footsteps and Alec's voice echoed, but Magnus didn't have to use those to get to where Alec was. Their bond guided him without being asked, the magic pulling at his own like an old friend's arm around his shoulders. It would have been soothing if he hadn't been feeling it because of Alec's concerning attempt at getting his wayward parabatai to see reason.

"Jace, come back!"

Alec stomped through the area, much like a petulant child. His wings dragged behind him like dead weight, and Magnus' heart broke at the implication that even in his own mind, Alec thought his wings unusable.

"I don't want it anymore, Jace!" Alec continued to run down the hall, screaming for his parabatai.

Magnus' brows furrowed. He should probably say something to let Alec know he was there, but the dread building in his stomach stopped him in his tracks.

"I don't want to sever the bond!"

Oh.

He supposed that did explain why Jace would be in the Seelie Realm, of all places.

Alec wanted to sever the bond that tied his and Magnus' souls together, and Jace had been the one foolhardy and willing enough to actually look for and go after a way to make it happen.

Magnus swallowed the lump in his throat and took an involuntary step back. That was certainly unexpected. He must have made some sort of sound, because Alec had suddenly whipped around to face him just as he activated his bracelet.

Even without using his magic, Magnus could tell Alec was faring much better. His breathing had evened out and his wing was no longer as tense. Though his expression seemed just as pained, it didn't seem like he was getting bouts of sharper pangs like it had when Magnus had arrived. The temporary wards Magnus had erected around the room told him that Jace had arrived just before the door swung open to reveal said blond flanked by Clary and Isabelle.

"Alec," Jace said, hurrying to take Magnus' spot as the older man stepped away.

He wrapped an arm around Isabelle when she wrapped hers around his midsection. Magnus could just about make out the words of what he knew to be the parabatai oath, and it wasn't long before Alec had rejoined them in the land of the conscious.

As everyone else hurried to Alec, Magnus took the time to feel out his magic and call them back to him. He made sure the wards of the Institute remained intact — maybe even stronger, because he wasn't sure he would be back any time soon. The temporary wards he'd set up around the room wrapped itself around him like a protective barrier, effectively adding on to the glamour he had his wings under.

By the time every piece of his magic had fallen back into what Magnus deemed their rightful place, the little group had given Alec enough space that Magnus could manage to work in a quick offer to magically look Alec over to make sure there was nothing wrong with him.

Alec had agreed, and Magnus opened his palms out over Alec's torso and, instead of letting his magic flow down the way he would have for anyone else, he let his and Alec's bond reach up and out to him to inform him of any harm that may have lingered. He absorbed what aches and pains were there, and made sure that he kept what he could of their bond too. Alec had wanted to sever it, hadn't he? Then might as well help him out by thinning it out enough that he could barely register it. As Magnus did all this, he pretended not to notice the way Alec shooed everyone away, but couldn't deny that he wasn't a fan of being left alone with Alec right now.

"Thank you," Alec said, once the door closed behind the trio.

"Biscuit made a convincing case," Magnus joked as he pulled his hands away, ready to pronounce Alec with a clean bill of health. "Well, you're all better—"

Magnus started when he suddenly found one of his hands seized in Alec's. "Magnus."

"Yes?"

"I—thank you." Alec opened his mouth, closed it, licked his lips, and then shook his head, as if warring within. He pulled himself to sit up with little help from Magnus, and when Magnus thought he could pull his hand back, Alec only held on tighter. "You had no reason to come, and yet—"

"Alexander—Alec," Magnus began as he gently pried his hand away from Alec. "I think it's about time we talked about this properly." He offered a small smile and a wink. "With cooler heads now, right?"

"Magnus—"

"May I?" Magnus cut off. "I think you managed to say your piece last time, and I really think I have the solution we both need." He could sense how frustrated and defeated Alec felt through the strained bond, and though Alec's magic seemed to be reaching out, he refused to let his own react or interact.

Seating himself at the foot of the bed to introduce some space between them, Magnus kept his hands clasped on his lap.

"I understand that there are sacrifices that are needed from both our parts as leaders in our own communities. I think we also already know what that means for both of us." He made no mention of the journey Jace had been on nor the Alec he had briefly glimpsed at earlier. "Perhaps we should look into permanently severing what little is left of what ties us together." Magnus kept eye contact with Alec, grateful for the centuries of practice to perfect his political mask. "You were right," he said, making Alec flinch. "I was in no position to expect you to accept me as…" the word soulmate seemed too heavy to speak. "I had no idea what your post as Head entailed, especially in contrast to mine as High Warlock."

Alec looked ready to interrupt, but Magnus held a finger up to silence him.

"Like I said, you were right then, and it seemed I agree with you now too." Magnus let out a huff of humorless laughter. "Perhaps we don't risk other's lives or other existing bonds this time round, but I do think we should look into permanent ways of dissolving this bond." He looked up at Alec expectantly, unsure what to expect.

"No," Alec said, frowning. "No, I wasn't right. Not then and not…not earlier. I don't…I was wrong to blame you when you had just as much a choice in this as I do. I shouldn't have said what I did. I was scared and I felt cornered and overwhelmed and I took that out on you." Shaking hands reached out to hold both of Magnus'. "We both knew nothing of what the other's position entailed. I still barely know you and here you've already helped me and mine out so many times." The tentative boyish smile that bloomed on Alec's face would have had Magnus swooning if he hadn't felt so conflicted.

"While I appreciate the sentiment," Magnus began apologetically, "It seems impractical, don't you think? You've quite literally lost a part of yourself here, Alexander."

"Because it's yours," Alec countered. "I saw your wings. I…When I was looking for Jace—I—I don't know if I was just imagining it or if it was a dream, but I know what I saw and—"

The silence that ensued was deafening, and Magnus watched as light seemed to dawn on Alec's face when he realized what must have happened. He looked from Magnus' hands, to his shoulder, and then back, and Magnus decided to end his misery by lifting the glamour.

Alec's heart stopped at the sight of his wing on Magnus' body.

Then his mind registered that Magnus didn't just have his left wing, he had an entirely different right wing.

Great wings that were definitely far bigger than would have been normal for Magnus' size sprouted from behind him; one a dark blue that was almost black, and the other translucent with an electric blue sheen that seemed to darken into his lesser coverts.

Alec had never seen anything like it.

The only word he could come up with was, magical, and yet what came out of his mouth was:

"You've been hiding it."

Magnus snorted, his wings fluttering with the movement before replying, "Well, it would be far too obvious if you started losing one wing while I grew one, wouldn't it?" Alec couldn't even hide his wince as Magnus continued, "At least this way you have plausible deniability."

"How did you—how are you…?"

"Magic finds a way." Magnus' gentle voice soothed more than just Alec's curiosity. Some of the agitation he'd been feeling since they'd last seen each other dissolved in the face of having Magnus in front of him.

Truth be told, there was nothing more Alec wanted than to pull Magnus into his arms and just hold him and savor the proximity. The weeks since they had last met had been agony. He'd had to figure out how to navigate losing his wing while trying to keep his post as Institute Head. By now, everyone assumed he'd gotten cursed on an off the books mission sanctioned by the Clave. He was just grateful that his parents, despite their curiosity, weren't questioning it or rocking the boat — if only because what truly mattered to them was that a Lightwood remained the Head of one of the largest Institutes.

Alec looked down at his and Magnus' hands and at how they contrasted against each other in a myriad of ways. He took in the colors of their skin and the rings and other jewelry on Magnus' fingers compared to the emptiness of his own. He took in how Magnus' fingernails were painted a dark blue that looked so close to the color of his wings and the softness and smoothness of Magnus' skin. He took in how he had no real right to hold him in this way.

He'd hurt Magnus without even giving him a chance, and he wouldn't hold it against Magnus if he decided that he didn't want Alec in his life. So he savored this moment the best he could, unsure when (or if) he would next get the chance.

"I don't want plausible deniability," he murmured, turning Magnus' hand over so that his palms faced up. "I want you."

The ensuing silence felt both liberating and suffocating. He had prepared himself for the worst where Magnus was concerned. After how he'd last dealt with their bond, he knew any hope he could have for them (whatever them could exist following how he'd thoroughly trashed their bond) was a longshot at best.

His heart nearly beat out of his chest when Magnus turned his hand back around so that they were palm to palm.

"I think," said Magnus with a squeeze of his hands, "that emotions are still running rather high right now, especially after what you'd just been through." Alec had to stop himself from tightening his hold once more to keep them connected when Magnus continued to remove his hands. "Why don't we revisit this later?"

"Okay," Alec replied against his better judgment. That was as good a promise to see each other again as any, he supposed. He watched intently as Magnus stood and straightened his coat, wings fluttering behind him in a way that reminded Alec of younger nephilim still learning to wield their Angel-Blessed bodies.

"Rest well, Alexander." Magnus titled his head as he reached the door, offering him a small smile that already felt a lot friendlier compared to where they had been in the beginning of this conversation.

"Magnus," he called out before Magnus could open the door. "I see you're doing well with your wings, but it looks like you're bearing the weight on your shoulders. If you want, I could help you figure it out…? Nephilim learn from a young age how to grow with their wings and how to navigate it. It might help with…"

"I'll think about it," the warlock replied with a nod. Behind him, his wings disappeared with a shimmer, and Alec found that he already missed seeing them.

Alec watched him leave, relieved that they had at least agreed not to sever the bond yet (or ever, if Alec could have his way), but still unsure where things went next.

Chapter Text

A little over a month (which included the deaths of all of those immediately biologically-related to Clary) later, Alec found himself standing on the rooftop of Pandemonium. Magnus had gone into hiding when Valentine came back, but he had still been around and available to help them whenever they needed. Granted, only Clary could actually contact him.

It had been another point of contention between him and Clary, but one she'd clearly set boundaries for. She'd admitted to considering calling on Magnus just to give him and Alec the chance to talk before clarifying that she decided against it because she felt like she'd been interfering in everyone's lives enough to last a lifetime. That had been a moment of pride for Alec, who liked to think he had something to do with Clary's growth and maturity (Clary had confirmed as much when she'd seen his surprise).

He supposed it was fine though. Time apart from Magnus had taught him a lot — mostly about some aspects of being bonded to a warlock.

The biggest thing being: Alec had gained a bit of his magic.

Not only that, but that said magic reacted so easily to his wants. He'd never thought himself gifted when it came to wielding what power came with being a shadowhunter (certainly not the way Clary had proven to be without the years of training that Alec and his siblings had), but the way the now-familiar blue of Magnus' magic intuitively reacted to him was an unexpected confidence boost.

His daily meditation had expanded into an exercise of what he could do, which brought him to the next thing he'd realized came with being a warlock (Magnus') bonded: he had essentially grown another wing (if it were near identical to Magnus' ethereal blue, well no one would know).

What had been an idle thought (wish, really) had come to fruition after an entire day of standing in front of a mirror and imagining what having wings the mirror image of Magnus' would look like. He'd spent the better part of twenty-four hours just making them appear, and then the remaining time ensuring that they were as close to Magnus' as he could remember.

Before he could practice casting a glamour to hide them though, Isabelle had barged into his room and seen what he'd managed to accomplish.

She'd been stunned speechless, but it hadn't stopped her from launching herself into his arms with a watery laugh. Isabelle admitted to hoping he and Magnus would work things out, and even to regularly going to Pandemonium just to keep an eye out for the warlock ever since they'd find out who he was to Alec. She told him he'd only been there twice since the memory demon summoning, and both times he had been in the company of a silver-haired man in a suit and a curly-haired brunette.

Alec swallowed down the jealousy that bubbled up at her words. Magnus was entitled to live his life the way he wished. If he had only been to his club twice in the last three months, then he must have been busy — too busy to reach out to Alec and figure things out, even.

That didn't mean Alec couldn't…make things a little easier on Magnus, of course, which was exactly why he was on the roof of Pandemonium now.

"He's not here."

Alec turned to find Magnus there, a portal just closing behind him.

The warlock raised a hand in greeting, though his smile and the quirk of his brow looked more trepidation than anything.

He took a step towards him, already calling out, "Magnus, I—"

"He's not here," repeated Magnus, raising a finger at Alec. He shrugged, looking sheepish as he continued, "I'm not the Magnus of this realm, I'm afraid, and I wouldn't even be speaking to you right now if you hadn't shown up on the roof, and from what I'd been told, you were a wing down, and that's a cause for concern."

Alec frowned, suspicion beginning to creep into his stance. "Who are you and what have you done with Magnus?"

"Stand down, shadowhunter," Not-Magnus chided with a laugh. "I've done nothing unsavory to your Magnus. There's just been a bit of chaos in between realms because I accidentally destroyed the Edom of my world."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Alec's hand was itching to summon his sword, but he called on his magic to calm down. Behind him, his wings flickered in and out of view in a sign of his rudimentary control over what magic he could wield.

It was enough of a glimpse that Not-Magnus' eyes widened. "Well, I take it you've yet to show Magnus that!" As if realizing that Alec wasn't warming up to him, Not-Magnus added, "What proof do you require to show that I did Magnus no harm? Or that I'm not here to cause trouble?" He pursed his lips in thought before continuing, "From what I've been told, none of the shadowhunters in this realm are even remotely connected to him."

The words stung despite the truth behind them, and if Alec had been a little more emotional, he might have reacted more violently. Instead, he muttered, "Clary Fray. She'd be able to tell."

"Ah, I suppose Biscuit remains Magnus' sole tie to shadowhunters," Not-Magnus said with a shrug. "I would assume that you want to lessen the amount of people that know though."

He was right, though Alec was loath to admit it.

"How about we head to my loft?" Not-Magnus offered. "No portal so that you can't accuse me of altering the destination," he clarified. "A simple walk. It's only three blocks away."

Against his better judgment, Alec agreed.

He was walking closer to Not-Magnus when someone clearing their throat got both of their attention.

"Really," said another Magnus, arms crossed. "You're barely here for an hour and you're already causing trouble."

Not-Magnus mock scoffed. "I have been the epitome of innocence!" He looked to Alec, as if waiting for him to agree, but all Alec could really do was raise a brow and look between the two of them in confusion.

"I shall take this as my cue to leave," Not-Magnus said with a nod. "The two of you play nice now." He stepped into the same portal that the other Magnus had arrived through, and before long Alec was left on the roof with some other Magnus Bane.

Well, not some other Magnus Bane.

"I would apologize for whatever he's said," Magnus began with a small wave of his hand, "But I hope I don't actually have to."

"How do I know you're…?" My Magnus, Alec wanted to say, though he managed to stop himself. He had liked it when Not-Magnus had referred to the Magnus of this world as such, but he knew he didn't have a right to it (yet).

"Clever boy," Magnus cooed. In the blink of an eye, two large wings appeared behind him, enthralling Alec just as much as it had the first time he'd laid eyes on them.

He took note of the small differences between their wings, beyond pleased when he found that there were barely any. Save for the golden jewelry that Magnus had chosen to accessorize with, their wings were indeed mirror images of the other's.

"I hope this is proof enough," said Magnus slowly, and Alec took great joy in walking (his sister would call it strutting) towards Magnus as he shed the glamour he'd been using to conceal his left wing.

"You tell me," he replied as soon as they were about two feet apart. If he reached out with his wings, they'd just about graze Magnus' tucked pair. Oh, how he wanted to touch them (or for Magnus to touch his — him).

Magnus didn't know what to think. When did this happen? For all that he'd known, their bond had weakened from his constant realm travel and overexertion. Combined with Alec's own dislike for him, then the connection should have been far too diluted to…

What exactly had the bond done?

Looking at his magic in the form of a wing from a perspective he'd never had was rather unnerving. Was that what his right wing looked like? It seemed to glow despite the translucency and the fact that they were out at night. He reached forward, as if to touch it, only to pull back abruptly. Even he knew it was rude to touch a nephilim's wings without their permission — even if that was technically half your wing.

"Does it hurt?" Magnus asked, because he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to know.

"No. Never did." Alec paused, and Magnus thought he might be seeing some color in the shadowhunter's cheeks. "I think that was thanks to you. Your magic kept things relatively painless. The doctors…healers…they said I should have been in pain from the way my bones were moving and from the muscle mass I was losing."

"That's good to hear," replied Magnus, racking his mind for something — anything. "It's good to see you're doing well, Alec," he said finally. "Perhaps next time we could catch up properly."

"You're leaving?"

Was that disappointment he was hearing? Magnus considered Alec for a moment, suddenly unsure what to do. He'd thought he would arrive, tell Other-Magnus to return to Brazil, where his Alec was waiting with Ragnor, and then be on his merry way home. There had been no version of the night in his mind where he ran into Alec in Pandemonium and —

And what?

"Was there anything we urgently needed to discuss?" Magnus' eyes widened. "Oh, have you changed your mind about severing the—"

"No!"

Magnus leaned back slightly at how aggressively Alec reacted. The shadowhunter had leaned forward in his haste to cut Magnus off, wings spread and practically surrounding Magnus, and Magnus found his face far closer to Alec than he had expected he would be today.

"Sorry," Alec tacked on as he stepped back and pulled his wings into his sides. "I just…I thought we'd agreed not to sever it."

"And I thought we'd speak again when we both had cooler heads," Magnus replied, amused. "This doesn't seem like that time." He was tired from the travel and it wasn't helpful that Alec seemed worked up in general. His subconscious accused him of running away, but really, who could blame him?

"You've been gone an awful lot. The other Magnus said you were traveling between realms."

"Yes well, a friend and I are helping him fix the mess they'd made with the balance of the realms," Magnus admitted honestly. There wasn't much reason to lie to Alec. For all that he was a shadowhunter, Magnus had heard about how well Alec had been treating the downworlders that he ever came across. He'd also heard of the New York Shadow Cabinet he'd instituted — to which Magnus had grudgingly sent Lorenzo Rey to represent the warlocks.

"Will you…do you need help?"

Magnus landed somewhere between confused and offended. Why would he need Alec's help to realm travel?

And then it dawned on him.

Alec was probably looking for ways to spend time with him without outright asking him out. He snorted. Other-Alec had certainly predicted this accurately enough.

"Thank you for the offer," Magnus said with a more genuine smile, "but I do have it covered." He looked up, over Alec's shoulder, and at what he could see of New York. "I promise we'll talk properly about…" he gestured between them, the realization that neither of them had called the other their soulmate to their faces suddenly very prominent in his mind.

"Could we meet before then, anyways?" Alec asked before he could make more excuses to leave. "I was serious about teaching you how to handle your wings, though I see you've figured some stuff out well enough." He shoved his hands in his pockets and spread his wings, looking every bit the part angelic being that he was. "And I figured we could both learn about having the wings that we do."

Magnus nodded, feeling his heart flutter and letting his magic reach out to Alec this time round. "I'd like that. Maybe later in the week? Just have Clary send me a fire message."

"Or…I could have your number…?" Alec pulled his phone out from his pocket and offered it to Magnus, and the older man couldn't help but marvel at the shyness that suddenly overtook the shadowhunter. He took Alec's phone and plugged in his number, feeling their magic and their bond rejoice at the brief contact of their fingers.

"Until next time, Alexander."

Alec entered Magnus' loft cautiously as the double doors opened for him without anyone pulling them. They'd texted back and forth a few times since they saw each other three days ago, and had agreed to meet tonight just to get a gauge of where their skill levels were at when it came to their wings and magic.

As Alec reached the living room though, it became clear to him that his and Magnus' plans might have just changed.

The same Magnus from the other night was pacing the living room.

"Oh hello," Not-Magnus greeted. "Magnus should have been here by now, but I think my—he's being held up for something ridiculous, I'm sure."

Alec wasn't sure how much he believed that, but he supposed he had no other choice but to trust the man in Magnus' loft.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I worry you'd think I'd poisoned it," Not-Magnus joked as he stepped out onto the balcony.

He followed him outside, and the warlock arched a brow.

"Go ahead," Not-Magnus said, "I'm sure you have questions you want to ask."

"In your…" Alec paused, licked his lips and then cleared his throat as he followed Not-Magnus. "In your realm, are we…?"

"We're happy," Magnus said, smiling. He fiddled with one of his rings, and it was only then that Alec noticed that it looked very familiar.

"That's…" The Lightwood Family Ring.

"In the grand scheme of things, we took but a blink of an eye to get together in my world," Magnus mused, voice soft and fond. It made Alec's heart ache. What a beautiful love there is for his counterpart in Magnus' world. How jealously he wished it was his to keep. "There was heartache and uncertainty for sure, and while I envy your world for its ability to grant you such a physical confirmation of the bond that exists between people — soulmates — I'd like to think my Alexander and I are just as much meant to be together as you and yours."

"I'm sure you are," Alec replied with a decisive nod.

"Magnus, stop traumatizing the kid."

Alec started at the sound of a new voice.

"I resent that," Not-Magnus groused as Magnus and an Alec came to view. "I've been nothing but a perfect host!"

"Knowing myself," Magnus began, side-stepping Not-Alec to stand by Alec, just as Not-Magnus did the same. Alec looked away when he saw that Not-Magnus greeted Not-Alec with a kiss. "I doubt that."

Not-Magnus looked to Alec for support as he leaned into Not-Alec's side, and Alec tried not to be too affected by the mild display of affection. How his hand itched to reach out to Magnus.

"Now shoo," Magnus said, conjuring a portal behind the couple. "Go be a pain in Ragnor's butt instead."

"I'm telling him you said that," Not-Magnus sing-songed as he stepped into the portal, pulling an amused Not-Alec along.

"I'm sorry about that." Magnus turned to Alec, apologetic. His wings shimmered into view then. "We were just covering some last minute plans for next time when Alec saw this scarf that he wanted to buy for Magnus. Have you been here long?"

"Not too long, no," replied Alec. "But even if I had, I'd have waited however long it took for you to come back."

Alec grinned when Magnus' eyes widened, clearly surprised, and all Alec could think about was how beautiful Magnus looked in that moment. They both had their wings out, and while Alec was trying to be careful and keep from crowding Magnus, they seemed to just subconsciously huddle together anyways — as if they were pulled together by some irresistible force.

They continued to stare at each other, and Alec couldn't help but think they probably looked a little insane with how wide their matching dopey grins were.

There was still a lot they needed to figure out, Alec knew. He already had plans of apologizing once more and trying to make it up to Magnus for how things had started off between them. Magnus deserved more than just pretty words. He deserved solid and consistent action to go with those promises.

Magnus jumped when Alec's magical wing wrapped around his own, before he eventually leaned into the contact with a pleased shiver. This was a move often reserved for offering comfort or affection between close friends or family, and Alec rarely ever initiated it or wanted it from anyone. This though, with Magnus, spoke of the same comfort and warmth Alec often associated with family.

He clasped one of Magnus' hands in both his own even as he pulled his wings back for some semblance of propriety and control. Their magic sung between them though, savoring the proximity after months of distance.

Things wouldn't be fixed overnight. If anything, he could already foresee how things were going to get worse before they got better (if they ever did). But what mattered most was that they were both willing to work on things — that this was a relationship they were both willing to make an effort for.

There would be time to get to know each other.

There would be time to see what they can do.

There would be time to forge a deeper bond.

And Alec looked forward to it.

"I—we should—why don't we go inside?"

I'd follow you anywhere.