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Like many things in Magnus Bane’s life, it all started with a dare.
Truthfully, he couldn’t remember how the conversation had started in the first place. It was more than likely Ragnor’s fault (because when Magnus got it in his mind to do something stupid, it always somehow ended up being Ragnor’s fault.)
He could only guess at this point how he ended up agreeing to try his hand at writing a bodice ripper by the end of the year but there was a very nice bottle of wine on the line if he was successful in his endeavor and Magnus refused to fail. He took bets and challenges very seriously — something his friends should know at this point. He would have thought that they’d give up betting against him a very long time ago.
He dove headfirst into the task at hand, devouring each and every trashy romance novel that he could find in preparation for writing his own. His kitchen table had long since disappeared under a stack of books that he picked up at gas stations, thrift stores, and wherever else he spotted one of the novels in the wild. His friends found his new obsession hilarious and didn’t hesitate to ‘donate’ some books to the cause.
He’d learned early on that if he didn’t force himself out of his loft on occasion, he began drowning in a sea of sexual escapades that had housewives swooning. An hour would quickly turn into six and before he knew it, the entire day would have passed and he’d have forgotten to eat, and on one memorable occasion, had even forgotten that he was supposed to be meeting his friends at the theater and had missed both the show and all of their calls trying to find out where he was. Thus, a change of scenery was occasionally needed to help ground him to the real world while his nose was buried in a book.
Magnus Bane didn’t lose. That bottle of wine, and all the bragging rights that came with it, would be his.
That’s how he ended up at this nondescript coffee shop this morning, away from the masses who swarmed the local Starbucks for their social media clout or their ever-popular Pumpkin Spice Lattes. This place was quiet and it was easy enough to tuck himself into a table in the corner by the window and lose himself in the tale of a lonely widow and her far too enthusiastic stableboy.
He was vaguely aware of the bell dinging from the front door, signaling the entrance of another customer. The sound was enough to have Magnus thoughtlessly reaching for his own coffee, only to find that he’d long since finished it. He frowned at the empty cup, willing it to fill itself as if by magic, only to find himself mildly disappointed when he realized it hadn’t. He glanced towards the counter and realized that he was at a decent stopping point. He could afford to take five minutes and order himself a new coffee.
The man who walked in appeared to be having trouble deciding what to order. Magnus didn’t want to spend the next hour standing here when he could be reading while the man, more than likely a tourist, struggled to decide on a simple coffee order. He politely coughed to get the man’s attention. “I’ve started coming here every day. Might I offer my extensive coffee knowledge?”
The man turned around and Magnus had to fight to keep his jaw off of the floor. Mr. Indecisive was, in reality, Mr. Tall, Dark, and the man of Magnus’ dreams. He had pale skin with just a tantalizing peek of the lines of a tattoo on his next sticking out from the collar of his faded black sweater. His hair was dark and tousled, messy in that way that said there was a chance that it had been intentional. And his eyes...his eyes were bright and kind, and Magnus found himself unable to look away from the symphony of various shades of brown and amber that reminded him of the tiger’s eye ring that he currently wore on his right hand.
He was gorgeous and Magnus knew that if his friends were here to see his reaction, they would never let him live it down.
The man offered him a shy smile and Magnus felt himself slowly becoming even more enamored. “Actually, that would be great. I’m never really in this part of town and I tend to just drink the coffee that I make at home...which my sister tells me is strong enough to wake the dead. I’m celebrating today, however, so I figured I’d treat myself to something sweet as a reward.”
Magnus bit back his instinctive response of ‘Well, you’re in luck. There’s something sweet for you right here.’ His friends knew that flirting was part of his nature, but this incredibly beautiful man in front of him looked shy and kind and oh Magnus really didn’t want to scare him off before he had a chance to even try. He blinked, using the motion to pull himself out of dreamland and back into reality, and quickly chose a different response instead. “Well, if you want something sweet, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Eli is an absolute god when it comes to flavors. How do you feel about maple? Or pumpkin?”
The man’s face twisted into an adorable little grimace. “I could pass on the pumpkin. My sister went through a phase a few years ago where that dumb pumpkin drink from Starbucks was all she drank and now I think the very smell of it gives me nightmares.” He paused as he tilted his head to the side with a small smile. “Maple though, I could get behind something maple.”
Oh, this man was absolutely testing him, Magnus thought, having to stop himself before he replied with ‘ You could certainly get behind me.’
“You’ve got a few options then. Do you want something cold or hot on this fantastic Friday afternoon?” Magnus asked after a moment. He could practically hear his friends running commentary in his head about how he was being the complete opposite of smooth right now despite the fact that they were nowhere in the vicinity.
“Hot, I think. I could never really get into the whole iced coffee thing. Coffee is supposed to be hot — that’s the way it’s always been and I’m sticking to my guns.”
Why stick to your guns when you can stick it in me instead?
Magnus had to stop himself from making a completely inappropriate sound at that thought. He was barely holding it together. What deity decided he needed to be tested this way today? “Then might I recommend the Maple Vanilla Latte? It’s to die for, Scout's Honor.”
The man raised his eyebrow. “ Something tells me that you weren’t a boy scout so I’m not sure that I can believe you but I’m willing to take a chance. I don’t think any combination of maple or vanilla could be terrible.”
Magnus’ hand came to his chest in insult. “ Rude,” he protested, pouring on his shock and disbelief at the stranger’s accusation. “If you’re going to insult the man trying to assist you, at least buy him a drink first...and learn his name.”
The man laughed — a deep, rich sound that Magnus found himself wanting to hear again. “Alright.”
“Alright?” Magnus asked, blinking rapidly as he tried to figure out where exactly the conversation had gone off the rails.
“Alright.” The man turned back to Eli and gave the man a grin. “I’ll have a large Maple Vanilla Latte and you can put whatever he orders on my tab as well. He did help me in my hour of need and I always pay my debts.” As Eli rang up Magnus’ usual order and began to make their drinks, the handsome stranger shot Magnus a cheeky grin. “I’m Alec, by the way. I figured I should properly introduce myself first before I ask for your name. It’s polite.”
Magnus’ head spun as he soaked in every single word of Alec’s statement. He’d only been joking when he suggested that the man — Alec — buy him a drink. He’d been able to hold back some of his more inappropriate comments but the flirting was just such a part of his very nature that he’d been unable to hold it all back.
Apparently, Alec hadn’t cared, and Alec was perfectly fine with playing along.
Magnus was instantly startled back into reality as his cappuccino was pushed into his hands. His fingers closed tightly around the steaming cup and he licked his lips before finally responding. “Alec...short for Alexander, I presume?”
Alec laughed and Magnus once again found himself lost in the sound of the man’s voice. “Only to my mother and sister when I’m in trouble. I try not to make a habit of it.”
Magnus couldn’t stop himself before his response left his lips. “Are you sure you aren’t in trouble now? I’m told I’m quite the handful.”
Alec smiled back. “Somehow, I find that completely believable…but I like it when you say it.”
Magnus was in so, so, so much trouble.
“Well, you said you were celebrating. Would you like some company?” He waved his hand toward the table in the corner that he’d set himself up in.
“You looked pretty hard at work when I came in. I don’t want to pull you away from something important.”
Magnus shook his head and led them over to the table and began to shuffle his various belongings back into his backpack. The book he had been reading was thankfully face down, and he quickly tossed it inside before Alec could see the cover. He didn’t want his current taste in literature to be one of the man's very first opinions of him.
“A little bet between friends,” he explained at Alec’s raised eyebrow as they both took a seat. “I’m stubborn and when I’m told that I can’t do something, I set out to prove them wrong. It’s a dumb bet, but I’m determined to win it.”
Alec laughed again and Magnus couldn’t help but stare as the afternoon sun filtering through the coffee shop window illuminated Alec in a bright and gentle way. Something about the scene was so familiar…
He furrowed his brow as he desperately tried to place it in his mind. “Have we met before? Something about you seems so familiar…”
Alec quickly shook his head, a brief look of panic crossing his face before it was gone and replaced with a small smile instead. “No, we haven’t met before. I think I’d remember if we had...you certainly leave an impression. I don’t think I could forget about you if I tried.”
It was Magnus’ turn to laugh. “As do you, Alexander. As do you.”
They talked for hours, learning about each other’s lives. When the sun began to set and Eli began to close up shop, they finally said their goodbyes but not before phone numbers were exchanged and they’d already agreed to a second, this time expected, date.
--- 2 ---
The location of their second date had been Alec’s choice, and had truly surprised Magnus when he had pulled up outside the Renaissance Faire (though he’d gotten caught up in another romance novel binge and had almost been embarrassingly late.) He’d thrown together an outfit with fabric that he had laying around in his shop — a mix of colorful silk and soft brocades — and had taken a deep dive into his jewelry box to find a few pieces that were truly fit for a king. All in all, he’d been pleased with his outfit until he saw what Alec was wearing as the man waited for him at the entrance.
Compared to Magnus, Alec had dressed down, though the outfit was still wildly different from what he had been wearing when they had first met. The worn jeans and old sweater had been replaced by tight breeches that left nothing to the imagination, and a leather vest that showed off the muscles in his arms. He was holding an unstrung bow in one hand while the other rested on the stone wall beside him. It was still early in the morning and the sun was shining on Alec and threw the castle-shaped front entrance into silhouette behind him.
He took one look at Magnus as he approached and a cheeky grin spread across his face as he bent in an exaggerated bow. “My lord, thank you so much for joining me for an afternoon of drink and entertainment.” Standing from his bow, Alec’s smile faltered and a blush rose to his cheeks. “I hope you’re not terribly upset about the location. My siblings and I go every year but this year they decided to ditch me to go with their significant others. I understand, of course, but it’s still a yearly event that I don’t want to miss.”
“I’m thrilled that you consider me special enough to join in on one of your traditions,” Magnus replied, waving his hand at Alec to encourage the man to pose so that he could snap a quick picture on his phone.
Something about the way Alec was standing, bow raised like he was going into battle and the castle behind him struck Magnus to his very core. It was familiar…it was something right out of a fairy tale. Maybe the other man truly was his knight in shining armor —- well, his archer in tight leather that he wanted nothing more than to remove piece by piece. There would be time enough for that later.
Alec had pre-purchased their tickets, so they were able to enter quickly and Magnus couldn’t help but freeze in his path once inside. It had been years since he’d last been to a festival like this, though he was surprised to see that the experience, apparently, hadn’t changed much since then. The performers mingled along with the guests. There were men on stilts walking through the crowd and shop workers peddling their wares. He glanced around slowly trying to take it all in when Alec grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward the back of the Faire grounds. “Come on, before we spend the day drinking bottomless mead and gorging ourselves on giant turkey legs, there’s something that I want to show you.”
He let Alec lead them toward a stall in the very back where a bunch of targets had been set up. A sign hanging from the roof invited attendees to try their hand at hitting the center of the target for a chance to win the king’s favor and a ‘golden’ coin. Alec turned toward Magnus with a cheeky grin on his face. “Want to give it a shot?” he asked as he handed over a few dollars to the man behind the counter and accepted the bow he was offered and three arrows. He held them out to Magnus who took them despite knowing that he was about to embarrass the hell out of himself. The one and only time he had ever used a bow had been one disaster of an elementary school Field Day before Magnus had faked an injury to get out of the heat and forced exercise.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” he admitted, glancing at the children standing next to them to figure out how he was supposed to stand and hold the bow. “I’m not exactly what someone would call outdoorsy. I am a man of many talents, but archery and wilderness survival skills are certainly not on that list.”
Alec laughed and stepped up behind him, close enough that the muscles of his chest pressed against Magnus’ back. The touch sent a shock of heat through his body, and it took every available ounce of his willpower to keep his attention focused on the task at hand and not turn around, lock lips with the man, and give the other Faire attendees an R-rated show. “Like this. You need to hold this arm here and the other like this,” he replied, gently positioning Magnus’ arms until they were in the correct place. “Two fingers here, hold your arm steady. Spot your target, visualize where you want the arrow to go, and…release.”
Alec had taken a step back so Magnus did as he was ordered, watching as the arrow flew about twenty feet and embedded itself in the outer ring of the target in front of him. His face twisted into a frown as he turned his attention back to Alec. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to take archery off my list of potential talents. That didn’t even come close to the bullseye.” He handed the bow and remaining two arrows over. “I have a feeling you're about to show me how it’s done.”
The corner of Alec’s mouth quirked up in a smile as he nocked an arrow and released it without taking half a second to line up his shot. The arrow landed in the exact center of the target, and Magnus turned toward the man slowly with a look of shock on his face. “Well then, you’ve been holding out on me, Alexander. That was more than a lucky shot. Dare I ask what led to you being so skilled with a bow and arrow?”
“Oh, maybe I’m a man of many talents. There are plenty of secrets about me you’ve yet to uncover, but this is one I don’t mind sharing. High School Archery National Champion. Now, I volunteer at the rec center when I have the time and help teach the kids. You hit the target on your first shot. I think with a little bit more practice we could whip you into shape. Want to try again?”
Magnus bit back every inappropriate comment that he wanted to make about being whipped into shape and instead took the bow back and the last arrow back. “Well, I suppose with such a perfect teacher, how could I say no?”
--- 3 ---
It was Magnus’ suggestion to take a weekend getaway and go to the beach. By this point, they’d been dating for a few months, and Magnus was trying his damndest to not rush into things. He actually liked Alec and was slightly terrified of ruining this thing between them before it had a chance to really take off.
Magnus had to resort to a truly horrible amount of begging, pleading, and bargaining before Raphael turned over the keys to his family’s guest house so that Magnus could whisk Alec away for a weekend on a private beach.
They’d driven in last night, well after the sun had set so they’d spent the evening lounging on the couch over cocktails before calling it for the night. Magnus just hoped the good weather held out this weekend so they could spend as much time as possible enjoying the sand and sun.
He’d woken up early that morning, hoping to have breakfast ready to go so they didn’t waste much time getting ready. He wasn’t the best cook in the world (Ragnor liked to remind him that he was a passable chef at best every time he tried) but even the world’s worst chef could manage to make pancakes, he figured. By the time Alec finally stumbled out of bed, his hair sleep-tousled and adorably messy, Magnus had managed to make a stack of pancakes that, while not perfectly round or symmetrical, were at least edible.
“Eat up, Angel,” he ordered as he sat an empty plate in front of Alec and motioned for the plate of pancakes. “The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day — I intend to spend as much time as possible enjoying the view over a nice glass of wine.”
“Somehow I don’t think you mean the ocean,” Alec replied with a snort as he shoveled a few bites of pancakes into his mouth.
The corners of Magnus’ mouth ticked up. “Why, Alexander, are you suggesting that my intention here might be something scandalous or that I’m having impure thoughts?”
Alec snorted and rolled his eyes. “There are days I don’t think a pure thought has ever drifted through that mind. I know how your brain works.”
Magnus gasped. “Well, that’s a bit rude and hurtful. I’m truly upset about your judgment of my character. I think we need to turn around right now and head back to New York."
They finished eating and Magnus excused himself to get ready. Alec had already gotten dressed before he’d stumbled into the kitchen that morning, so Magnus loaded him up with all the beach chairs, towels, and coolers that he could carry and sent him down to the sand to stake out prime territory with the promises that he’d be following shortly.
In the end, it had taken Magnus far longer than he’d like to admit to get ready for a day of lounging in a beach chair under an umbrella with a pina colada in his hand. A truly atrocious amount of time had been spent staring at his stack of romance novels and deciding which one he was going to take to read at the beach. Just because he was on vacation didn’t mean he couldn’t do a little bit of work when there were such high stakes on the line.
It was nearly an hour and a half later and getting too close to lunch when he finally made his way down to the beach. He’d found where Alec had set up their stuff easily (they were, after all, the only ones on the private stretch of beach at the moment) though his boyfriend seemed to be nowhere immediately within sight.
Magnus dropped his bag by the chairs and raised a hand to shield his eyes from the bright sun while he looked around. He was starting to get a little worried about Alec’s safety when a head popped out over the waves and a figure stood and started walking his way. Alec had apparently decided to cool off while he waited for Magnus to arrive. As he emerged from the ocean, Magnus couldn’t miss the way his shorts clung to his skin and how the saltwater glistened off very toned muscles. The man shook his head to rid his hair of the excess water before running one hand through it to try to straighten it back out as much as he could.
He felt his mouth go dry as he watched his boyfriend stalk toward him like an actual Greek god emerging from the sea. The entire scene felt like it could have been cut straight from Baywatch, which is why it must feel so…familiar.
When Alec reached him, he pulled Magnus into a kiss. The ocean water had started to seep through Magnus’ designer shirt but he couldn’t find it in him to care. “There you are. I was starting to think that this was all a ruse to get half-dressed and then leave me to fend for myself in the middle of nowhere.”
“While I admit the half-dressed part of the plan is correct, I would never abandon you. Besides, I don’t think it would do me much good. I’ve seen your skill with a bow. I think you would be fine surviving in the wilderness. Though I’m not exactly sure I’d call the Hamptons the Wilderness.”
Alec wrinkled his nose as he glanced over Magnus’ shoulder and eyed the pristine row of cottages behind them. “I don’t know. This sort of thing isn’t exactly my cup of tea. I think I’d rather take my chances with a bear in the middle of the woods.”
Magnus rolled his eyes. “The people here aren’t that bad, you big baby. Now come on and dry off. It took me so long to put myself together after breakfast that now it’s lunch. Come have a snack and a glass of wine and stop giving all the bored housewives no doubt peering from behind their curtains the best view on the beach. I want you all to myself.”
--- 4 ---
When Magnus was given tickets to see the Philharmonic by a client who had been over the moon with his designs, there was no doubt in his mind of who he would invite to be his plus one. Alec had quickly become a staple in his life, which was mildly surprising given the nature of their very first meeting. His boyfriend had practically moved in at this point (though they’d yet to make anything truly official) — regardless, Alec spent more nights than not falling asleep in Magnus’ bed.
His boyfriend had been out of town for a few days on some business trip that Magnus had asked about and gotten a vague answer in response, so he’d immediately pushed it from his mind to continue working on the upcoming deadlines he needed to meet for next season’s collection. This new line was giving him every frustration and headache in the book, and as each day passed, the more he wanted to throw it all out and start over again and hope for the best. There was something missing and he just couldn’t figure out what it was.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. Alec would be here any moment now, but that didn’t mean that he had to wait around doing nothing. He was going to take advantage of the couple of extra minutes and see if he could somehow — miraculously — manage to work out the flaws in his designs. He hung the jacket of his suit over the chair so that it didn’t get wrinkled before their night out, grabbed his sketchbook and a pencil, and went to work.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he felt someone invade his space and warm breath on the side of his neck. Alec, somehow, had managed to slip into the loft without Magnus noticing. Apparently, he’d gone farther down the redesign rabbit hole than he’d previously intended to go. Anyone could have snuck in and robbed the place and Magnus wouldn’t have had a clue. “I assume you completely missed the hour,” he heard Alec state as the man gently pried the sketchbook from his hands and set it to the side. “You were supposed to meet me by the street so that we could grab a taxi to the theater. You left me waiting.”
Magnus sighed and pushed himself off the couch, turning to face his no doubt disappointed boyfriend, an apology lingering on his lips. He was not prepared for what he found.
Alec had donned a black three-piece suit with a faint damask pattern. His shirt was a deep blue that carried over into his tie and pocket square: a rich silk fabric mixed with swirls of blue and gold and the same shade of purple that Magnus had streaking through his hair. There was a hint of eyeliner around his eyes, and as he watched the way the fabric stretched tightly over the muscles in Alec’s arms and chest, Magnus knew that he was done for. Alec looked like a vision straight out of a spy movie designed to make all men wish they were the main character.
Magnus was very much considering skipping the Philharmonic, thank you very much. He could think of a thousand and twelve other things that he’d rather be doing when his boyfriend was dressed like that.
He licked his lips, well aware that Alec was eyeing him with a raised eyebrow. “You alright there, Magnus?”
“Are you wearing make-up?” he asked, spitting out the first (and very, very stupid) thing that came to mind. “And is that Armani? I wasn’t aware that you even knew what a name brand was. You usually dress so…” His voice trailed off as he tried to find a way to phrase what he wanted to say without sounding like a complete asshole.
“Plain?” Alec offered as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in jest. “I like my clothes simple and practical, but it doesn’t mean I’m completely clueless.”
“Please tell me there is plenty more where this came from? And please tell me who I have to thank for adding this absolutely delectable outfit to your wardrobe.” Magnus replied as he ran his fingers down the fabric of Alec’s jacket before slowly walking around him to take in the full picture.
“ I picked it out,” Alec answered as Magnus eyed him with a very shocked and slightly confused expression on his face. “I might not keep up to date on all the latest trends but my sister has dragged me to enough fashion weeks that I picked up a thing or two…at least enough to make myself presentable should the need arise. I paid attention when she was talking to me, even if she didn’t think I did.”
“I thought your sister was a chemist — I didn’t realize she had an interest in fashion as well.” They’d been dating for a while now, but Magnus had yet to meet any of Alec’s family. His boyfriend insisted it was because everyone in his family was always busy and not that they were trying their best to avoid him entirely.
“She is — well, she’s both I mean. Izzy is a lot like me and she’s involved in a little bit of everything. Staying busy is a Lightwood family trait, I guess.”
Magnus hummed. “Well, maybe next time Fashion Week rolls around, I can take both of you as my guests…or my assistants. Getting ready for a show of that caliber is a nightmare.”
“You know what else is going to be a nightmare?” Alec asked and Magnus shook his head.
“Not getting you out of that suit and into bed right here and right now?”
“ Missing the Philharmonic because you got distracted,” he replied as he grabbed Magnus’ jacket and handed it over.
“Can you blame me? Look at the absolute vision that I have before me?” Magnus stated as Alec rolled his eyes.
“Well, you can appreciate the view in the taxi on the way over. If we actually end up making the show, I promise you can have your wicked way with me when we return.”
With that promise, Magnus was practically dragging him out the door, barely remembering to grab his jacket and the ever-present bag of sketches and romance novels (because hey, if the show was going to be terrible, at least he could stay entertained) before they stepped out into the New York night.
--- 5 ---
As someone who loved dressing up and putting on a bit of a show, Halloween was one of Magnus’ favorite times of the year. The day that his favorite nightclub announced their annual Halloween party and the theme for the year, Magnus dove headfirst into designing costumes for both himself and Alec. The theme that the club had announced this year was ‘High Seas’ and that gave him so much to work with.
With that theme, Magnus knew, of course, that the only appropriate option for him would be some sort of mermaid. There was so much that he could do with scaled fabric, fishnets, and some over the top makeup that his mind was already reeling at all the possibilities. Alec, however, was a different story. He’d racked his brain trying to come up with the best idea for Alec. He could make him a sexy sailor — and for a moment that was rather tempting before his mind strayed to other options. Poseidon was another possibility, and Alec certainly had the physique to be a Greek God. Finally, after much back and forth, he settled on what he considered to be a perfect plan. He’d make Alec a pirate and Magnus would dress up as the siren that tempted him out to sea.
“You don’t have to make me something,” Alec had argued with him one night as they lay in bed recovering after they had both had frustratingly busy days. Alec had been glaring at his phone for the past hour, sighing dramatically every so often, while Magnus tried his damndest to finish a novel about a peasant girl and her handsome prince that he’d started earlier in the day. “I am perfectly capable of dressing myself and if you don’t trust me to put together an appropriate costume, you can at least trust Izzy. She’d love to take me shopping, especially when she wouldn’t be the one paying.”
“And miss the one opportunity I might have of dressing you up? You refuse to wear my designs because they’re too sparkly for you. At least let me have this, Alexander.”
“Why do I feel like this is going to open the flood gates?” Alec had joked. “I let you dress me up once and the next thing I know, all of my favorite shirts will be gone and replaced with something designer and frighteningly expensive. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed that one of my favorite sweaters has already disappeared and there’s something new and dark blue hanging in its place.”
“I assure you, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Now, do you have any ideas about your costume or do I have complete creative control over it?” Magnus wasn’t going to lie, the prospect of being able to do whatever he wanted to Alec’s costume was an absolutely delicious thought but if his boyfriend wanted to give his input, Magnus certainly wasn’t going to turn him away.
Alec chuckled and placed a gentle kiss on Magnus’ nose. “You’re the expert. I trust you’ll come up with something fantastic. Surprise me.”
And so ‘surprise’ is exactly what Magnus had done. He’d offered Alec a few sneak peeks or tried to get his opinion over this fabric or that and each and every time the other man had turned him down. “I’m sure whatever you make will be perfect, Magnus. You don’t do anything subpar,” Alec had explained before changing the topic and distracting Magnus so thoroughly he’d completely forgotten what the question had been in the first place.
Now, the day of reckoning had finally come and the club’s annual Halloween extravaganza was later that evening. He’d put the finishing touches on both of their costumes at his studio earlier that day and now it was time for them to get ready. They were meeting Alec’s siblings and Magnus’ friends at the club so it wouldn’t behoove either of them to be late.
“Honey, I’m home,” he joked as he stepped inside their apartment that evening with two garment bags thrown over his shoulder. “And I hope you are ready to get dressed up because I didn’t exactly go easy on you.”
“I didn’t think you would,” Alec replied as he rounded the corner. “Though I hope you practiced some restraint. Iz said something about sequins and spandex and I’ve got to be honest, I can’t think of one pirate off the top of my head that has worn either.”
“Well, you’ll just have to find out, won’t you? You promised me free reign and no complaints. Now, take this and go get changed while I start my make-up. I want to make sure there are no last-minute adjustments that need to be made while we still have time. Now go!” he ordered as he pushed Alec into the bathroom and closed the door. A moment later the shower turned on and he breathed a sigh of relief. Step one, complete.
He crossed the room and took a seat in front of his vanity to start getting ready himself. He’d practiced this look a handful of times over the last few weeks so he knew it wouldn’t take long for him to get ready. By the time the water cut off and the bathroom door had opened, Magnus only had a few finishing touches left before he moved on to styling his hair.
Alec emerged from the bathroom as a cloud of steam rolled out from behind him. The leather of his jacket clung to his body like a second skin while the shirt he wore underneath it consisted of the deepest V that Magnus had thought his boyfriend would be comfortable with while in public. Like the upper half of his outfit, his pants were tight, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. He looked like he had walked straight off the set of a Hollywood pirate film…but somehow better. Alec was what those films and their expensive wardrobe and make-up budgets wished they could be.
“Is it alright?” Alec asked and Magnus was instantly aware that he’d been too preoccupied drooling over the look that he hadn’t bothered to say anything.
“You look absolutely delicious, Alexander. I’m going to have to fight for you. There’s not a person in that club who will be able to keep their hands off you tonight. I might not even be able to behave myself — not when you are dressed like that,” he responded when his brain was finally able to form words again.
“Well, you’ll have to try. I have no intention of giving my siblings, your best friends, and the rest of the people in the club a show,” Alec replied with a roll of his eyes. “Seriously though, do I look alright?” Alec asked as he made a slow turn so that Magnus could examine him from every direction. “Truthfully, this is…tamer than I would have expected from you.”
Magnus kept it to himself that this was the fourth version of Alec’s costume that he’d designed and that the previous three iterations had definitely shown more skin. What Alec didn’t know certainly wouldn’t hurt him. “A little jewelry couldn’t hurt. Maybe some light makeup to add to the effect, but you, my dear, are already an absolute vision of perfection.”
--- +1 ---
All in all, Magnus had to admit that it had taken him entirely too long to finally put the puzzle pieces together. He was waiting for Alec outside of the coffee shop where they had first originally met all those months ago. He was flipping through another trashy romance novel and enjoying the warm summer sun while he waited for his boyfriend to arrive. He’d read so many over these past couple of months that he was starting to run low on more content to consume. He’d have to start writing soon. Ragnor was already starting to give him a hard time for not having started yet.
It was the familiar sound of Alec’s motorcycle that finally announced his arrival. Magnus quickly finished the page he was reading and set the book to the side. Alec pulled the bike along the curb and pulled his helmet off, giving Magnus a grin as he did. “I’m sorry I’m late. Traffic was hell.”
The sun high in the sky behind him, sitting casually on his bike and dressed head to toe in leather, complete and total recognition dawned on him. He glanced down at the book that was now sitting on the table next to him and then back to Alec.
No way. There was no fucking way.
He picked the book up and held it in the air so he could compare the cover and his boyfriend side by side. After a moment, Magnus had absolutely no doubt that Alec was the same man that was on the cover. “ How…?” He had been reading these books for months now — often around Alec — how had he not noticed that his boyfriend was the model on the cover sooner?
The instant Magnus held the book up, Alec instantly paled. He held up his hands in surrender as the designer glanced back and forth between him in the book. “Look, Magnus, I can explain…”
“It’s been you. This entire time that we’ve known each other, I thought you looked familiar and the answer was right in front of my face the entire time!” He set the book back down as Alec joined him at the table. “Did you know? You had to have known. I told you all about the bet that I’d made. I’ve had these books laying all over the loft.”
“Did I know that I was on the books? Yes, I do happen to recall those terrible photoshoot days even though I’d like nothing more than to forget them,” Alec muttered as he sheepishly slid into the seat across from Magnus. “Did I know you were reading the books that my sister wrote and had me model for? Not specifically. You usually put them away by the time we met up for a date in the beginning and when I moved in, I didn’t pay too much attention to the ones you were reading at the time. I did figure there was a pretty good chance that you’d read at least one of them given my sister’s popularity and the project that you’ve been working on, but you never brought it up so I thought that you already knew and just didn’t want to say anything to me. I wasn’t trying to keep it from you.”
He took in the tight jeans and the fitted leather jacket and low-cut t-shirt that Alec was currently wearing and realized, not for the first time, that the other man had a statute that would make others swoon. It was even more embarrassing now to admit that it had taken Magnus this long to figure it out — that his boyfriend did have the looks to grace the cover of every romance novel ever written. And the best part? He belonged to Magnus.
“I’ve suddenly decided that I no longer want to be at the coffee shop,” Magnus said quickly, shoving everything that he’d brought with him into his bag and grabbing Alec’s hand to lead him back toward his bike. “I think that you should drive us to my studio because I have a sudden urge to ignore your protests, dress you head to toe in my designs, and then tear them off you piece by piece.”
“That sounds like it would ruin the clothes that you worked so hard to make,” Alec argued, handing Magnus a spare helmet when they reached the bike and climbed on.
“I can always make it again, and trust me, I think this will be very, very worth my time. I’ve just found out my boyfriend is a model and he hasn’t even posed for me yet. I’m slightly offended but you can make it up to me by taking me to my studio right now and letting me dress you up.”
Alec studied him for a moment before he sighed. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
“Absolutely not, now that I know the truth and I finally find myself far more excited for this bet than I had been previously. All this time, the inspiration that I needed was right in front of me,” he wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist and nudged him to get going. “Now go. My fantasies await, sweet prince.”