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English
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Part 2 of Let Me Count the Ways
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Malec
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Published:
2021-05-18
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2,913
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1/1
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April, Come She Will

Summary:

I am of the firm belief that Alec Lightwood loves in a very unique manner.

“Alexander, you don’t need to-”

“Relax,” Alec breathed, pouring the makeup remover onto one of the little swabs. “Close your eyes, sweetheart.” Magnus let out a frustrated sigh, but that only seemed to make Alec smile. His eyes, still teary and soft from having just woken up, were so open in their adoration that Magnus had to close his eyes anyway, if only to keep breathing.

What a way to be looked at.

Notes:

empty head. no thoughts. just fluff.

UPDATE: My beautiful, perfect friend gifted me with an art piece encapsulating one of my favorite scenes that I wrote in this story. Thank you so much, Abby. This means everything to me <3 I continued to be absolutely enamored by everything you create.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

 

It was late. Late even for Magnus.

He’d been hung up with the same client since two that afternoon, trying to unravel a painstakingly complex spell from its hold on a young mundane boy. The spellwork had been left sitting too long, allowing for the painful curse to work its way into the boy’s bloodstream. Magnus never bothered to ask the motive, but he’d picked up enough context clues throughout the day to discover familial ties. He’d also learned, through the chatty, hysterical mother, that there was a brutal custody battle going on.

Magnus swallowed down his disgust for both parents and healed the child.

By the end of it Magnus felt terribly weak. He’d hailed a cab, too tired to portal home, and practically dragged his feet up the staircase (the elevator broke, of all days) to his loft. Once there, he didn’t even pause to hang his coat, making a beeline for the drink cart and downing the first thing he could get his hands on. He thought about pouring another glass but opted to just grab the whole bottle and march towards the bathroom, intending to drown himself in lavender essential oils and (he checked the bottle label) tequila.

The master bathroom was attached to Magnus’ bedroom, meaning he had to go through one to get to the other. This hadn’t been a problem the past seven-hundred-and-ninety-nine years of his life. Tonight, however, Magnus happened upon a very pretty, very asleep, shadowhunter in said bedroom.

Magnus slumped against his doorframe, watching with a soft smile as Alec’s breaths, deep and even, rose against the backdrop of his silk sheets. The blanket had strayed to the young man’s hips, his chest on prominent display for Magnus. He laid on his back, one arm thrown over his stomach, the other held out to Magnus’ side, fingers curled into the sheets like they’d been instinctually reaching for something (or someone) that wasn’t there. His face was so soft, hard lines of leadership smoothed out from, what Magnus hoped to be, dreams more pleasant than shadowhunter business.

It was a lovely picture, something Magnus feared he could grow a bit too used to.

He’d never found the shadowhunter like this; they’d only been dating a few weeks. He’d given Alec a key to the apartment with the pretense that Alec would just be using it to forgo knocking.

Instead, Magnus got to come home to this. It seemed he wasn’t the only one slowly associating “home” with a brand new pair of arms.

Magnus tried tip-toeing to the bathroom but Alec’s shadowhunter instincts kicked in, sleepy hazel eyes blinking awake to Magnus’ movements.

“Hi,” Alec whispered, his voice rough from sleep. Magnus smiled, watching the young nephilim prop himself up on his elbows and give Magnus a dopey, sleep-soft smile. His hair stuck out in little tufts and his skin was flush. Magnus hoped it was from the heat of the bedroom, not embarrassment. He was more than happy to come home to this.

“Watchu got there?” Alec slurred, side-eyeing the bottle with a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Company,” Magnus spoke with a laugh, waving the bottle around with a dramatic flair before it disappeared entirely. “Seems I’ve found better.”

Alec brought his gaze back up to Magnus, frowning at the half-joke.

“You’re exhausted,” Alec spoke bluntly, reaching out with both arms to beckon Magnus over. Magnus had no clue how Alec had caught on. His clothes and make-up were styled per usual, his hair teased up into its signature coif. Nothing about his physical appearance screamed “bone-deep tired”. When he didn’t move, Alec just sighed, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and stretching out. This caused the sheet to slip from his waist and slide down to unveil his legs. Magnus’ eyes trailed hungrily down the young man’s body, devoid of anything except a simple pair of black boxers. If he’d felt less weak, maybe he’d have done something about it.

Alec strode over, grabbing Magnus by his hand and dragging him towards the vanity. He sat Magnus down, then bent over the cluttered desk in search for-

“There,” Alec huffed out, grabbing a few cotton swabs and some make-up remover before kneeling down in front of Magnus. Magnus balked.

“Alexander, you don’t need to-”

“Relax,” Alec breathed, pouring the makeup remover onto one of the little swabs. “Close your eyes, sweetheart.” Magnus let out a frustrated sigh, but that only seemed to make Alec smile. His eyes, still teary and soft from having just woken up, were so open in their adoration that Magnus had to close his eyes anyway, if only to keep breathing.

What a way to be looked at.

He felt the first few drags of Alec’s fingers, swiping over his lids in the same fashion Magnus assumed the young nephilim had been watching him use on himself over the past few weeks. Alec’s touch was much more gentle though, tender. He touched Magnus with a delicacy that made hope bloom up in his chest over and over again.

Alec didn’t say anything once he finished, which meant Magnus’ eyes were still closed when he felt those same deft fingers trail down his neck and stop at the necklaces. When he opened his eyes, he got to watch Alec lean in closer, his eyes crossing as the young man pressed their foreheads together. This was followed by Alec’s hands reaching around Magnus’ neck, fingers playing with the hair at his nape before they reached for the first clasp of one of Magnus’ many necklaces. He undid it quickly, setting the necklace on the desk, followed by the next one, and the one after that. He got to the last two, which were strung around Magnus’ neck by cords.

Alec tilted his head back, just enough to give himself room to slip the necklaces over Magnus’ head and lay them next to their counterparts.

“You know I have magic for this, right?” Magnus whispered, praying to all the Gods that Alec would ignore him.

Alec chuckled, leaning back in to plant a small kiss to Magnus’ cheek. At the same time, he’d reached for Magnus’ hand, pulling at the first ring on his index finger and dropping it into a ceramic dish atop Magnus’ desk.

“I like taking care of you,” Alec replied, like his words weren’t driving an arrow straight through the cracks of the walls Magnus had so carefully built around his heart.

“Oh,” was all he managed to say. He turned, digging his nose into the soft spot behind Alec’s ear and closing his eyes. He felt Alec cradle his hand in one of his own, using the other to remove each of Magnus’ rings with such delicacy that Magnus’ breath caught more than once. If Alec noticed, he didn’t let on, removing the jewelry and massaging Magnus’ knuckles with the pads of his thumbs.

He then repeated the process for Magnus’ other hand.

Without warning, Alec sat back and dropped from his knees, sitting with his legs crossed over one another. He pulled at Magnus’ shin, placing the older man’s shoe in his lap and working to untie the elaborate laces.

“Alec…” Magnus choked out, unaware until then how emotional this whole ordeal had truly made him. He wanted to blame it on fatigue, but something told him it may be the unfamiliarity he felt watching Alec take care of him. In all his years, nobody had thought to relieve him of such trivial duties. It felt less like he was being taken care of and more like he was being stripped. Layers of armor peeled back with each swipe of the make-up remover, each ring drawn from his fingers. He realized, for the first time in a long while, that perhaps he’d like to be seen. To be taken apart by such a lovely man. He was curious, as he knew that both he and Alec would be meeting somebody new, unfamiliar.

Alec finished with the first shoe, pulling it off and laying it on the carpet next to him. He followed by peeling off Magnus’ sock, cradling his boyfriend’s foot between his palms just as he’d done with his hands earlier. He kneaded Magnus’ heel with his thumbs, then traced the arch of his foot with his fingertips. He paused, looking up at Magnus with a soft glint in his eye before pulling the foot up to his mouth. He kissed each of Magnus’ painted toenails, lingering at the pinky toe. He gave one last kiss to Magnus’ arch, then gently placed his foot back down on the rug. He made to grab Magnus’ other foot, but Magnus shifted it out of the way.

“You don’t have to… I’m not asking you to-”

“Relax,” Alec repeated, grabbing the stubborn foot and pulling it into his lap, When he looked up at Magnus with another soft smile, Magnus feared the young nephilim may be his undoing. “I want to.”

Alec repeated his previous gestures with this foot; but, this time, he let his kisses trail to Magnus’ ankles, pausing at the cusp of Magnus’ pants. He rolled the hem up, just enough to kiss a small trail over Magnus’ ankle before setting his foot back down in his lap.

“Bath?” Alec asked, quirking his brow as he hoisted himself back onto his feet. He offered a hand out to Magnus, who took it graciously. He let Alec pull him to the bathroom and eyed his boyfriend curiously as he began filling the tub. He watched Alec sift through the small bottles on the tub’s edge, landing on the lavender oil and popping off the lid. He poured a small amount into the tub, churning it with his free hand to distribute it evenly, before replacing it to its rightful spot.

He turned, reaching up to the first button of Magnus’ shirt but paused before undoing it. He looked up at Magnus, reminding the warlock of how new Alec still was to all of this when he saw the question in Alec’s eyes.

Magnus nodded, keeping eye contact as Alec began unbuttoning his shirt.

Alec went slowly, careful with each button. He used one hand to do the work while the other trailed after it, running hot, calloused fingers down Magnus’ breastbone, and then his stomach. Once the shirt was completely undone, Alec ran the palms of his hands back up Magnus’ torso and over his shoulders, sliding the shirt off in the process.

He reached for Magnus’ pants next, shooting his boyfriend another questioning look. This time, Magnus was prepared. He brought his own hand up, wrapping his fingers around Alec’s and dragging them to the button of his jeans. Alec’s breathing faltered, but he took the hint. He undid the button, followed by the zipper. He then moved both hands to the waistband of Magnus’ jeans and pulled them down over his hips. He got them to Magnus’ knees before Magnus took over, stepping out of each pants leg and kicking the jeans off to the side.

By this time, the tub was full. Alec turned off the water supply, then held out a hand for Magnus, helping his boyfriend step into the tub. Magnus sat down, shifting so that his back lay flush against the edge of the tub and resting his head on the porcelain lip. Alec dragged a stool over from the nearby counter and sat behind Magnus, bringing his arms around to lay across Magnus’ chest. He brought his head down, resting his cheek against Magnus’ as he drew mindless doodles on Magnus’ sternum.

“You’re being very… gentle with me this evening,” Magnus whispered, hoping that if he said it out loud it might make more sense. That Alec might have some way of justifying it.

Alec, ever his intuitive shadowhunter, wasn’t taking the bait.

“What if I just want to be nice to you?” Alec replied, leaning back so he could bring his hands to Magnus’ shoulders. He started kneading the muscles there; strong, archer fingers digging into his shoulders and forcing a low moan from Magnus’ lips. Alec leaned in to kiss the nape of Magnus’ neck, not faltering in his massage.

“You’re just being-” Magnus paused, humming as Alec dug into a particularly tight knot in his upper back. Alec noticed, lingering on the spot with both hands and kneading the flesh until it smoothed out with the rest of Magnus’ skin. “You’re being exorbitantly nice this evening.”

Alec chuckled, stopping his ministrations to tap Magnus’ shoulder.

“Can you dunk for me?”

Magnus complied, scooting forward so he could tilt his head back and wet his hair. He felt Alec’s fingers creep in, running through the silky stands of Magnus’ hair until he felt all the gel dissipate. When Magnus sat back up, he let Alec smooth his hair back, careful to keep the water out of the warlock’s eyes.

“I don’t really know how to respond to that, Magnus,” Alec spoke softly, continuing their conversation while he reached for Magnus’ shampoo. “I don’t have a gauge for these sorts of things.” He poured a dollop of shampoo into the palm of his hand, then rubbed it between both palms. He brought his hands up to Magnus’ hair and began to gently massage the shampoo into his boyfriend’s scalp.

“I’m just doing what feels right,” Alec finished, dragging his nails across the crown of Magnus’ head which elicited another breathy moan from Magnus’ lips.

“You don’t have to coddle me, my love,” Magnus tried to make it sound like he was joking, but they both heard the raw emotion in Magnus’ voice. Something deep and ancient in Magnus’ chest prayed Alec never stopped.

Alec paused, scooting around the edge of the tub so he could finally make eye contact with Magnus. He stared at Magnus with an inquisitive, slightly exasperated expression.

“I’m not coddling you.” His voice was firm. He reached in to grab one of Magnus’ hands with one arm, the other he used to cushion his cheek on the edge of the tub. He lay there, staring at Magnus from his pillowed spot on the ceramic lip while he rubbed soothing little circles into the palm of Magnus’ hand.

“I’m not coddling you,” he repeated, “I just love you.” Alec retracted his hand from the tub, wiping stray shampoo bubbles from Magnus’ forehead before they reached his eyes.

“Just let me love you, Magnus.”

Magnus dunked again, using the water to wash away his sandalwood shampoo, as well as the tears he knew had slipped from the corners of his eyes. When he came back up, Alec offered him his hand once more and helped Magnus out of the tub. He patted Magnus down with a towel, starting at his feet and working his way up. When he got to Magnus’ hair, he ruffled it in a childish gesture, earning a laugh from the both of them.

Once he’d successfully managed to get Magnus’ hair to stand up in every possible direction, he wrapped the towel around his boyfriend’s neck and pulled him in for a warm, pliant kiss.

Alec led Magnus back into the bedroom, pulling back the sheets of the bed as he motioned for Magnus to crawl in. Once he had, Alec followed, pulling Magnus’ back flush against his chest and tucking his face into the crook of his boyfriend’s shoulder. One arm was tucked beneath Magnus’ head while the other drew idle doodles against his hip.

As much as Magnus wanted to drift off into sleep, he couldn’t ignore the other, less soft, parts of Alec digging into his back.

“Alexander, I can-” he moved to turn around, but Alec tightened his grip on Magnus’ hip, halting him from escaping their little cocoon.

“It’s okay, Magnus. Just get some sleep.”

Magnus wanted to. He felt soft and sluggish, like Alec had taken each ache from earlier and melted them beneath his fingertips. But Magnus couldn’t help the sharp sting of guilt forming in his chest when he thought about falling asleep on Alec after all this.

“Alec, really, it’s okay I can-”

“I know,” Alec whispered, kissing Magnus’ neck and brushing his hair back from his forehead with his pillowed hand. “I know you can. It’s okay. It’s just your proximity.” Alec smiled into his neck. “My body just has certain… reactions to seeing you naked.”

“That’s fine,” Magnus huffed, not understanding Alec’s motive at all. “That’s okay, darling. You’ve been very sweet, now just let me-”

“Go to sleep, Magnus,” Alec repeated, planting another kiss on his shoulder, “Please go to sleep.”

“Alexander…” Magnus couldn’t finish the sentence. It’d suddenly become blatantly obvious to him how much better Alec already was at this than him.

When had he started treating relationships like a bartering system and less like a romantic partnership?

Alec hummed, scooting impossibly closer to Magnus’ backside and burying his nose in Magnus’ hair.

“I love you,” Magnus choked out, reaching up to hold Alec’s hand to his chest. “I love you, Alexander Lightwood.”

Alec took a deep breath, tightening his hold on Magnus in a brief, reassuring hug and kissing the side of his head.

“I love you too, Magnus,” he released his tight grip, shifting to get them into a slightly more comfortable position. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, tickling Magnus’ earlobe.

“Now please, go to sleep.”

Notes:

twitter: @solid_quirks

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