Archive of Our Own

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Alec rolled out of bed feeling wholly reluctant; it was cosy in there, under the covers, and he had his warm, sleepy boyfriend to cuddle with. But, damn it, he really needed the loo, so he untangled himself and climbed out. Magnus moaned, annoyed, and Alec caught sight of his boyfriend pouting adorably before Magnus smushed his face into Alec's recently vacated pillow.

"You're mean," Magnus mumbled. "I was sleeping on you."

Alec pressed a kiss to Magnus' forehead in apology, and walked through to the ensuite. He flushed once he'd finished, and the toilet was so loud that it drowned out every other sound - from the traffic in the street to his neighbours' doors banging. He resolved to really get it fixed this time around. Alec quickly cleaned his teeth and was rinsing his brush when he heard the bedroom door opening. 

Feeling like he'd swallowed an iron rod, Alec tried to calm himself. Magnus wasn't leaving. Magnus wouldn't be leaving. Magnus was kind, and lovely, and he cared so much, and he wouldn't be leaving - at least not without a note. 

He took a couple of breaths. A moment of silence, and then Alec heard a familiar voice pipe up from the bedroom.

“Hey, Magnus,” Max said. “Are you and Daddy having a sleepover?”

Oh.

Oh God.

Alec rubbed a hand over his face, rolling his eyes at himself. He'd meant to text either Izzy or Clary yesterday and ask them to bring Max back later this afternoon, but as he was typing out the message Magnus had arrived with take-out and a bottle of wine and his beautiful face and -

And okay, after that maybe he’d gotten a bit caught up in Magnus’ hands and Magnus’ mouth and oh -

And okay, maybe everything was Alec's fault, but when he rushed into the bedroom and saw Max pulling himself up onto the bed, one hand grasping the covers and one holding Magnus’ arm, the usual, familiar wave of failure didn’t wash over Alec. Instead, his heart leapt a couple of feet in the air and did a somersault on the way down. 

Magnus offered Alec a small, slightly sheepish grin from the bed.

“Hey, Daddy,” Max said, settling himself under the covers. There wasn’t much room for Alec to get into bed now, but he slid in anyway, resting on his side with his head in his palm so he could look at Max. 

“Hey, buddy,” he said, kissing Max on the nose. “Where’s Aunt Izzy?”

“In the kitchen,” Max said. He wriggled about a bit on the bed, heel colliding with Alec’s stomach. Finally finding a comfortable position, Max breathed out and closed his eyes. Over his tiny body, Alec and Magnus shared a glance. Magnus was still looking a little unsure, fingers twisting together over the covers, and Alec reached out to hold Magnus’ hand in his. 

“Did you have fun?” Alec asked Max, though his eyes were still on Magnus. The morning wasn’t exactly going as planned, but right about now it seemed pretty damn perfect.

Max nodded, but whatever he was about to say next got lost in the knock on the bedroom door.

“Hermano?” Izzy asked from the other side of the door. “Did Max find you?”

Alec looked at Magnus, who was staring right back at him. Magnus raised an eyebrow. 

“I don’t mind if she knows,” he whispered, “but it’s up to you.”

“Alec?”

“Yeah, hang on -” Alec pushed himself out of bed and pulled on a T-shirt, before opening the door to Izzy. “Hey,” he smiled. He wasn’t trying to block the view from the doorway, but given how much smaller than him Izzy was, she ended up peering around him with a slight frown. 

“Something to hide?” she murmured. 

Alec licked his lips. “No,” he said, and then glanced back into the room. Magnus smiled at him. “I - Magnus stayed here yesterday. Last night, I mean.”

Izzy’s eyes widened a fraction, and then she winced. “And I sent Max in which -” she lowered her voice “- ruined everything?” 

“No, no!” Alec assured her. “It was a…surprise. But a good one.”

“Sorry,” she said anyway, and then: “Hi, Magnus!”

“Hello, my dear,” Magnus called from the bed, and when Alec turned to look at him he was grinning.

“Anyway, thanks for looking after him,” Alec said to Izzy.

Izzy rested her hand on his arm and smiled. “Oh, okay, you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“No, I -” he shook his head, blushing slightly. “We’ll have to get up now anyway. I’m gonna make breakfast, you should stay.”

“It’s fine, I’m meeting Clary for lunch.”

“Iz.” Alec put his hands on her shoulders. “Have you eaten today?”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “No, but I’m okay.”

“I’m your big brother. Let me look after you.”

“Can we have pancakes, Dad?” Max asked from the bed.

Izzy acquiesced. “Alright, if it’s Alec’s famous pancakes, I’ll stay.”

Alec felt a light pressure on his lower back, the mere brush of fingertips, but an echo of the intimacy of the night before. 

“How come I’ve never had these famous pancakes?” Magnus mock-complained. 

Alec glanced at Magnus and saw that he was wearing one of Alec’s own shirts, an old grey tee that had once been black. Alec’s heart skipped and he could only blink at Magnus, overcome with emotion.

He cleared his throat a couple of times. “Well, you’ve never stayed around before,” he said, and he didn’t mean it to come out in a suggestive way, but Magnus’ eyes twinkled anyway.

“I’ll be sure to come again,” Magnus said lightly, but it was somewhat ruined by the grin. 

Izzy snorted. “Still here, guys.”

Alec raised a hand to the back of his head. “Sorry,” he said, blushing, but he couldn’t help smiling. 

“Dad?” Max pushed himself through the non-existent gap between Magnus and Alec, tugging at the hem of Alec’s T-shirt. “Are you and Magnus gonna get married?"

Alec choked on his own tongue. When he tried to answer, all he could do was splutter for a bit, but thankfully Magnus was much better at functioning than Alec and stepped in. 

"Why do you ask?" he said.

"Well," said Max, putting on his serious voice, "when people are married, they have grown up sleepovers and do kissing and stuff, and that's what you two did yesterday. Not the kissing thing, but I saw you do that last time Magnus was here, when I -" Max stopped abruptly, hand slapping over his mouth.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "When what?" he asked, determinedly ignoring how hot his face was. 

"Um. When I was meant to be in bed?" Max said, smiling innocently at the end of the sentence. 

Izzy laughed loudly and ruffled Max's hair. "Come on, kiddo," she said, and tugged on Max's hand. "Why don't we let Daddy and Magnus have a talk about it?"

Once the pair had left to go to the kitchen, Alec put an arm around Magnus' shoulder and tugged him close. 

"Sorry," he mumbled, though he was sure Magnus found the whole thing amusing.

"Nothing to apologise for," Magnus said, kissing the corner of Alec's mouth. Alec made a sound of protest and kissed Magnus properly. "Though maybe we could slow things down? Marriage is a hell of a commitment when we've only just spent the night together," he teased.

Alec rolled his eyes fondly and buried his face in Magnus' shoulder. "Sorry about him," he said again, for lack of knowing what to say, and pressed gentle kisses to Magnus' collarbone and up his neck.

"Okay," said Magnus, hand against Alec's chest, "we're definitely going to have to slow things down. Your sister and your son are in the other room, and if you keep doing that -" he broke off on a moan as Alec bit lightly on the juncture of his neck and jawline. "Mm. You're such a bad influence. People think I'm the corrupted one."

Alec grinned. He fingered the collar of the t-shirt Magnus was wearing. "I like this on you," he whispered.

Magnus entwined their fingers and pulled him out of the bedroom. "You know what else I like on me?" he asked, and Alec nearly combusted at the wink it was paired with.

They found Izzy and Max in the kitchen tipping chocolate chips into the pancake batter, Max stirring while Izzy licked a blob off her finger. Alec smiled at the sight, and Magnus, pressed against Alec's body, squeezed his hand. 

Alec could get used to this.