daydream. // jalec + malec

playing pretend.

The ferry turned out to be an expansive three-tiered ship, an ominous contraption that loomed over the horizon and seemed to grow even larger as it came closer. It wasn't full as Alec had expected; they had to wait a short ten minutes before the cars that had been idling expectantly in the narrow lower levels of the boat were able to escape onto dry land, only two rows of vehicles now taking their place. Alec, Jace, Magnus, Isabelle, and Clary fell into step behind a large group of tourists, cameras slung around their shoulders and travel packets gripped tightly in their hands. No one paid any attention to the leather-clad Shadowhunters, nor did they notice the range of weapons clipped to their belts--Magnus had cast a glamour on both himself and the others, knowing how brightly they would stand out against a group of mundane humans.

    Once aboard the vessel, Clary and Isabelle disappeared inside while Jace occupied one of the plastic benches underneath a covered awning, an uncharacteristic expression of misery etched onto his features. Alec found himself resting his elbows on the cold railing of the top deck, his jacket wrapped tightly around his shoulders like a shield. Magnus was standing closely beside of him, using one hand to adjust the red scarf he had meticulously placed around his neck, the other cradling a mug of steaming liquid that Alec could only assume was coffee.

    "This place is spectacular, isn't it?" Magnus was, unsurprisingly, the first to break the comfortable silence, and Alec effortlessly turned his attention to him. "It truly is." he agreed.

    And it was. The ferry had long since began moving, sending sprays of freezing cold water flying into the air like reverse raindrops, cutting through the calm Puget Sound as effortlessly and as smoothly as a knife through butter. Most of the mountains here were covered with snow, shards of gray blanketed with sheets of white rising up against the blue sky like jagged glass in a broken window. Occasionally, carried on the wind like a well kept secret whispering against Alec's skin, the call of a bald eagle would be paired with the gentle hum of the ship's engine, creating a choir equally balanced between that of the sounds of nature and those of man-made machinery.

    "This journey shouldn't take long," Magnus was continuing to say, lifting his hands in an exagerrated grand motion, encompassing the area to the left and right of the ferry. "To the left stands Orcas Island, which is where we will be traveling. To the right is a quaint little waterfront town known affectionately as Friday Harbor, a town that you and I will be eventually visiting. If not this trip, then the next, for I plan to take you on many grand vacations, Alexander."

    Alec couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips, Magnus staring up at him with a look of sheer affection that he had never been the receipient of before he had met the warlock. In fact, whether he had been aware of it or not, Magnus hadn't been able to look at anything but Alec since they had boarded the ferry, his eyes drawn to every single move the Shadowhunter made. Watching him came as easy to Magnus as breathing, and to him, with his wind-blown hair and flushed cheeks, his bright eyes that stood out like beacons at the end of a dark tunnel, Alec was as equally breathtaking as the landscape around him. "I don't understand," Magnus suddenly said aloud, and he wasn't aware that he had vocally voiced the thoughts running through his mind until his boyfriend turned to regard him with an expression of confusion. "You don't understand what?"

    Magnus shook his head. "I don't understand how you can admire the view, as wonderful as it may be," he paused, and Alec wasn't certain if it was to add a dramatic flair to the conversation, as he usually did, or if was caused by something deeper. "when you, Alexander Lightwood, are the view."

    Alec stared at him in what could only be described as disbelief. "You're biased," he eventually managed to say, coming to stand behind Magnus, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. He did so not only for the warmth that radiated off of his skin, but because when he was with Magnus, Alec felt a sense of purpose that radiated throughout his entire being, just by being close to him. "Oh, and Magnus?" he leaned over to press his lips softly against the crook of his neck. "I think you're the view."