All I Want For Christmas Is You - a Magnus/Alec fanfiction

Chapter 21 - December 21st - Magnus

December 21st - Magnus

"Hey, what time did you get in last night?" I ask Alec over breakfast.

Toby's still asleep and Alec's just woken up. It's still pretty early and I yawn loudly. Alec goes over to the coffee machine and fixes himself a black coffee, bringing me a sleep-combating espresso. I thank him, take a sip, and wince. It's too early for that much caffeine. I dump in some milk, and sip. Better.

"But yeah, what time did you get in?" I ask again.

"'Bout ten. I went to pick up a few things, shopping and stuff." He replies. "I was surprised you were asleep."

"Well, Toby went to bed and I was bored. I did a couple jobs for some clients that I'd been putting off then figured I'd just go to sleep."

"Okay, well, I got something for Toby. Kind of." he says.

"What is it?" I ask curiously.

He glances towards Toby's room and, when there's no noise indicating he's awake, Alec slips from the room. He returns holding a familiar wooden case. When he clicks it open, I look on, awestruck. Jem Carstairs' cane.

"Oh, Alec." I gasp. "It's... he'll love it."

He closes the box carefully.

"You think? I hope so." He smiles.

"He will." I assure him. "He will."

Just then, Toby comes into the room, rubbing his eyes, his blonde hair stuck up around his head messily. Alec nudges the box behind him with a foot.

"Morning, Toby." I smile.

"Morning." Alec adds, whisking the box away into our room.

"Okay, we're going Christmas shopping today, so get ready quick, okay? Want some toast?"

Toby nods, sitting down at the island and putting his head down on his folded arms sleepily.

"Thanks, Magnus." He mumbles.

"You okay?" I ask, putting bread into the toaster and glancing at him over my shoulder.

He nods. "Tired." He mumbles, and I grin as he sits up, rubs his eyes and rests his chin on his hand, watching as I make his breakfast.

"Okay, you take Toby." Alec says briskly, and walks off down the crowded street, immediately disappearing amongst the crowds. I turn to Toby with a shrug.

"Guess it's you and me." I say and take his shoulder, guiding him through the ridiculous New York Christmas crowds. Poor Toby's knocked into more times than I can count. At one point, someone pushes past him so carelessly that he stumbles right back into me. A strange kind of protective indignance wells up within me as I catch Toby by the arm. I right him and turn angrily.

"Hey." I say sharply to the woman who pushed into him. "You almost just knocked him over. He's just a kid."

"Whatever." She says, in true surly New Yorker fashion.

"Say sorry." I demand, though I know I'm stood in the middle of the sidewalk and effectively forcing people to swerve around me and the scene I'm creating. She rolls her eyes and stalks off through the crowd, swinging her bags with no regard for the shoppers at her sides she's assaulting with her copious amounts of shopping. I glare after her and try to calm the anger inside me. Toby tugs on my sleeve.

"Magnus, stop. It's fine." He mumbles. I look at him, completely willing to let this woman get away with being rude, and spin. Screw calm. I want revenge.

I pull Toby into a doorway, peek around the wall, and flick a hand at the woman, who promptly drops her shopping. She turns to look at Toby and I in accusing disbelief and I push him back into the crowds, propelling him briskly in the opposite direction.