When the doorbell rang, it was the last thing Magnus had been expecting.
He had settled into his nightly routine, finding potion ingredients he needed for and running through his list of clients, glancing through books he might need to perform the rituals that were being asked of him the next day. He wasn't expecting any visitors. He was expecting a quiet night in the warm light of the loft, a glass of whiskey paired with a book as he wound himself down towards sleep. He was expecting to hear the door later that evening, possibly some giggling and behoove the post date high that had made him agree to allowing Jace to live in his guest room. Then he expected to fall asleep, laid out under his blankets, a soft night breeze brushing his bare skin and dreams pressing into in behind his eyes.
So the doorbell jostled him, the routine he was expecting suddenly rearranging as he stepped back and frowned. It wasn't unusual for people to call at many hours of the night. Sometimes Downworlders needed help, other times there would be some pressing problem the Shadowhunters needed assistance with. Other times it was something less life or death. A friend would show up calling in for a drink or someone in the building misplacing something or running out of something else.
Magnus stood there in his study for a moment frowning and then he stepped forward, the tassel at his side swinging as he walked to the door and pulled it open, wondering what exactly this could be. But that was quickly answered by the sight of Alec standing there in the doorway watching him with his chin tilted down just slightly. And with that, Magnus relaxed because Alec at his door was so much better than so many other options he had imagined and he felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Hey." he started with, his smile soft. But as Alec stepped closer, glancing around the loft in a way that seemed worried and distracted, Magnus's frown returned. Suddenly he was worrying that something was wrong or something had happened.
"Are you okay?" He asked, pulling his hand back as Alec stepped inside and then reaching back out to close the door.
"I— yeah," Alec started, nodding, a half smile on his lips. But Magnus's frown didn't disappear because that expression wasn't one he could place. Alec seemed nervous, agitated possibly, maybe excited and Magnus couldn't think why that would be. Before he could voice this though, Alec spoke again just as the sound of the door closing echoed through the loft.
"Is Jace here?" He asked, furtive, his eyes dancing towards the guest room and then back to Magnus again. He was standing close but not that close, this look on his eyes that reminded Magnus of the look that had been in his eyes when they were standing on the terrace in Paris, the skyline lighting them up and their fingers curled together. Behind all of the distracted nervousness, Magnus caught something burning in his eyes that looked like the way Magnus had felt after they broke that kiss and he was thinking about getting a room and forgetting about New York for a while.
"No, he left hours ago," Magnus said, still feeling puzzled by this. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if he knew exactly what was happening. And the minute those words fell from his lips it felt like the air got just a little bit thicker.
They were standing there in the entryway, the warm light brushing over them, close but not that close and Magnus watched as Alec's posture relaxed. Alec's gaze was half lidded and as he stared at Magnus, the atmosphere was changing. Magnus's skin felt funny and his gaze dipped to Alec's mouth as his tongue pushed out over his lower lip in a way that slow way that demanded Magnus's attention.
Alec pressed his lips together then, stepping forward and all of the air seemed to catch, too thick for Magnus to pull into his lungs as he watched Alec slowly raise a hand. Magnus's eyelids dipped as those fingers slid over his exposed forearm, a little smile pulling at his lips at the touch. He let his gaze slide down Alec's body then flit back up, tipping his chin up as they watched each other in the warm light.
