Alec POV
Two weeks, four days, six hours and eight minutes left until Magnus comes home.
I've cleaned the apartment at least five times and reorganized the bookshelves at least twice to release the nervous energy built deep inside me stomach. Magnus was about to come home and the thought of him wrapping his arms around me has gone through my head millions of time every hour. Him being able to sleep next to me, feeling the heat radiate from him while he cooks and listening to him sing in the shower are all things that have been keeping me in a tight knot of anticipation all month, keeping my arms tense and my legs stiff. It is very exhausting.
Another book is slid into its place with a sigh. I alphabetized the books an hour ago and am now putting them in rainbow order when I hear the bell of the door that I could've sworn I locked.
From where I sit I cannot see who has just walked in and fear slides its way into my already tense body.
A thump and the door shutting are the only sounds I can able to hear. I dare not move as more foot steps sound through my silent shop.
Step. Thump
Robber?
Step. Thump.
Murderer?
Step. Thump.
Homophobic sociopath?
The foot steps stop and I can hear the person take a long breath through the nose. As if smelling freshly baked cookies or smelling a book fresh off the shelf.
The person whispers something almost inaudible. Almost.
"I'm home." He whispered.
Home? This is most certainly not your home. This is my home. Mine and one other person.
"Magnus?" I breathe and I can hear a sharp intake of breath.
"Alec? Alec is that you?" I rise to my feet, walk around the bookshelf and find him.
Magnus is standing there with surprise on his face and a fairly large suitcase next to him. His hair is messy and covered in glitter along with his 'My Weekend is All Booked' sweater I got him. His leather pants are tight on his thighs and his feet are in black boots that are fur coated on the inside. And he is tanner than I remembered but, Magnus is standing in front of me.
"Oh my-" I cover my mouth with my hands to stop a sob and try desperately to calm myself.
"Alec." He raises both arms. "Come here darling."
My feet fly past the many bookshelves on either side of me as I sprint towards Magnus and in a blink of a eye, I'm in his arms.
"Alec, Alec, Alec, Alexander." He says my name against my neck and I grip him harder.
We stand there for a long time. Clutching each other, whispering each other's names over and over. Until finally, I pull away just enough to see his face, so familiar and not at the same time. His eyes seem older and his hair is longer. There are more piercings on his ears and a more vibrant color on his eye lids. But I still would've know it was him in an instant.
"You're early." I say, brushing away tears with my index finger and smiling slightly. "I had the whole thing planned. I even had note cards of things I was going to say to you."
He pushes away my hand and cups my cheek.
"You can do that later but, for now," I feel his other hand untie the back of my apron and slide along the small of my back. I shudder and pull my apron over my head.
"Magnus?"
"Yes?"
BEEP BEEP BEEP
BEEP BEEP BEEP
BEEP BEEP BEEP
I throw my alarm across the room and it hits the wall with a crack. Wiping my eyes, I look next to me only to find an empty pillow and cold sheets.
Magnus was to come home yesterday but he never showed up at the door and my note cards lay unused on the kitchen table along side a cake that took me four hours to make.
"Alec?" The voice is familiar, but not Magnus's.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT JACE?!" I scream at the stairs, knowing that I had to scream or he would not hear me.
"So you are here." I hear footsteps and Jace appears at the top of the stairs from that lead to the bookstore downstairs.
"Where else would I be?"
"I don't know but not crying in your room and throwing clocks against walls." He sits on the edge of my bed and hands me a letter. "From Magnus." He says.
"What?! Why?!"
"It was taped to your front door."
I rip open the letter and stare at the page with only one word on it.
"Coffee?" I ask aloud. I look at Jace and he is practically beaming.
"Well, go on then." I jump out of bed and down the stairs to the coffee maker on the first floor.
There is another letter attached to a hot cup of black coffee, my favorite kind.
"Bathroom." I almost break down the bathroom door and find another letter taped to the mirror.
But this envelope doesn't have a note inside it. There is something else inside it.
______________
THE CLIFF HANGERS ARE REAL!!!!!!
What do you think is in the envelope??
-May
