We Are All Drawn to What's Broken & Beautiful

Autumn Thoughts

His mind was a swirling maelstorm of thoughts and emotions as he stared out at the stormy sky. Autumn had fallen too quickly, the trees turning fiery red and orange as they shed their leaves in preparation for winter once more.

Alec found himself missing home, despite all of Magnus' efforts to make the castle feel like his. He missed all their autumnal traditions, where Maryse would lead them all into the kitchen, throwing spices and apples into a gigantic pot to make mulled cider. Max would jump into the piles of leaves the gardeners raked up, scattering red and orange leaves into the air.

His mother would break out her autumn perfume of cinnamon and clove and they would gather by the fire to tell stories of their father along with warm milk stirred wtih a stick of cinnamon and snickerdoodles.

Magnus had tried to replicate the fireplace with his magic, when he realised how much Alec missed home. He had lined the mantelpiece with garlands of cloves and huge maple leaves, baked cinnamon cookies and filled the air with potpurri that smelled of fall and home.

Alec appreciated the effort, but all that did was to make him miss home even more.

"Alexander," Magnus was watching him from their bed, as Alec stood by the balcony, watching the wind toss the brightly coloured trees about. The room was warm and smelt of the cookies that Magnus had whipped up, topped with cinnamon sugar and white icing.

Alec hummed in response, not moving from his perch. Magnus had been lying naked in their bed for the past hour, trying to entice him into bed with both his body and the cookies he was nibbling on.

"Alexander, come to bed please," Magnus murmured, putting the plate of cookies aside and Alec felt slightly guilty for ignoring him. He turned to the other man, his lips pressed together in a tight line. Magnus was looking up at him with a look of resignation etched onto his face and Alec wanted to climb into bed with him and pretend the world did not exist.

But if he did, he would forget about his family. Who was probably missing him, aching at the gaping hole that had been torn in the fabric of their world. Magnus was wonderful, truly, but he made Alec forget, that outside of the castle, where the Lightwoods ruled, there were responsibilities and the world did not stop turning.

"Alexander." Warm arms wrapped around his waist and a chin rested against his shoulder, soft lips pressing a kiss against his skin. Alec sighed and made to untangle Magnus from him, but the prince held firm, turning the mirror he held in his hands so that the silver reflected Alec's sorrowful eyes.

"What's this?" He asked, taking the mirror. The bumps and ridges in the mirror's filigree handle dug into his palm as he turned it in his hands.

"A looking glass," Magnus mumbled into his shoulder, wrapping his hand around Alec's. "Talk to it, tell it to show you something."

Alec shot him a look but did as he was told.

"Show me Izzy and Jace." The surface of the mirror rippled and he could see an image of a young woman lying in bed, her dark hair splayed out on the white pillow before it flickered and showed a man with blonde hair on a white horse riding through the forest.

Alec brushed his fingers over the mirrored surface, sorrow etched into his features.

"He's looking for me," he mumbled sadly and Magnus' heart clenched.

-

He ought to let him go, go back to his family. But he was too selfish, too desperate for his curse to be broken that he could not bear the thought of losing Alec.

So he kept silent, allowing Alec to watch his siblings for as long as he pleased, warming him with his body as the storm raged on outside.

"Do you ever miss your parents?" Magnus had almost fallen asleep when Alec spoke again, caressing the mirror gently. The images in it had turned to silver and all he could see in it was his own reflection.