Magnus was humming to himself as he walked through his kitchen, grabbing things to add to the potions he was working on for a client. He turned around and saw Alec slouched over the bench, playing with his phone, an empty cup next to him.

Magnus froze, his cat's eyes widening in alarm.

"Alexander, angel, did you just drink that?"

Alec looked distractedly up from his phone, oblivious to Magnus' distress.

"Yeah, why?"

The poor boy had no idea what he'd just done.

"Why would you do that?"

Alec looked up at his boyfriend and frowned, looking offended.

"You made it or me! You asked if I wanted some tea because you were having some and I said yes. I like tea."

Magnus groaned and put his head in his hands, leftover ingredients tumbling over the counter. Alec watched, confused, until he saw the mermaids tears and pixie dust.

"Magnus?"

The Warlock pointed to Alec's favorite blue mug beside the sink, still steaming from the tea inside.

Alec stood up, looking down at the empty potion bottle with horror.

"Oh by the Angel. What did I just drink?" He was very close to shouting, more than a little worried about what he had just drank. Potions were nothing to mess with and Alec could still remember Simon's first experience with them. He really didn't want to be turned into a rat.

"Alexander-"

"Magnus, what was in there?!" Magnus sighed and went to retrieve Alec's, yet to be drunken, tea.

"It's alright, darling, it wasn't anything harmful. Just a simple truth potion."

The Nephilim sagged, relieved, and allowed himself to be pushed into a chair.

"A truth potion?"

"You'll be compelled to say whatever is in your head, whatever your true feelings are. It shouldn't last more than a few hours but you will be talking pretty much the entire time. At least they do in most cases, it's not commonly used on Shadow Hunters but there shouldn't be any ill side effects."

Alec didn't really like the unsure tone in Magnus' voice, and to his embarrassment, he told him so. Magnus only laughed at Alecs' blush.

"It does work rather quickly."

"At least that explains why the tea was cold and tasted so weird."

Magnus pushed the tea into Alec's hands and sat down beside him.

"Why did you drink it if it tasted so bad?"

Alec sipped at the drink, curling his pleased fingers around the warmth of the mug, liking it far better than the tingly, bitter taste of the potion.

"Because you made it for me."

Magnus smiled at the simple answer and thought about how lucky he was to have such an adorable boyfriend. Then Alec's phone rang. He put down his mug and answered it before Magnus could warn him.

"Oh hey Izzy, I'm at Magnus' place….Yeah I slept over because I was too tired to go back to the institute after me and Magnus fucked. I've been pretty much living at his place for the past month but I haven't told anyone yet cause I don't want to make a big deal out of it. Magnus and I have sex a lot and he does this thing with his hands that I-"

Magnus finally snatched the phone from Alec, the red faced angel covering his mouth with his hands in horror.

"Hello Isabelle."

"You guys are living together? And what was that all about? My brother is not a big sharer and that was a lot of sharing all at once. Not that I don't like hearing about you two-"

Magnus interrupted, placing a hand on Alec's shoulder as the boy banged his forehead against the table.

"Alexander may have accidently drank a truth potion. I don't think he's fit to come into the Institute today, I'll keep him home and let you know when it's worn off. He's going to be saying a lot of inappropriate things for a few hours."

Izzy laughed through the phone and Magnus could hear Jace in the background, asking what was so funny and where the hell his Parabatai was.

"I'll tell you in a minute Jace. Thanks Magnus, look after my big brother."

"You know I will."

He hung up and placed the phone into his pocket, out of Alec's reach should anyone call again.

Alec was still banging his head against the table, the repetitive thumping making his mug rattle.

"Aw Love."

…..

Alec was talking almost non-stop and while Magnus did his best to keep the conversation on safe topics the potion ransacked Alec's mind and made him blurt absolutely everything out.

"What's your favorite-?"

"I can see your dick in those pants, that's why I like them so much. I said it was the color but really I just like to imagine all the ways I get to take them off you-oh god, Magnus, make this stop."

Magnus tried not to laugh as Alec continued to ramble through the pillow he had his face buried into. Alec was mortified. He had told Magnus how pretty he was about a hundred times already and then those inappropriate comments came blurting out and he didn't think he'd ever wanted to be a silent brother before but it looked pretty good right about now.

Jace had called a little after Izzy had, laughing and asking if he could talk to Alec. While Magnus declined Alec had shouted out that he'd always thought it was cute that Jace had to tiptoe to hug him and that he had the second most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. The first, of course, being Magnus. The Warlock had quickly hung up but Jace's laughter had been evidence that he had heard.

They ended up turning off the phone completely.

Alec was so embarrassed. He'd told Magnus almost every secret he had. The first time he'd looked at Jace and realized he wanted to kiss him. The time when Izzy had broken one of their mother's good plates and Alec had taken the blame because she would cry if she got punished and he hated seeing his baby sister cry. How he had loved Max the instant he held his little hand, tiny fingers wrapping around his, and how he'd been a little disappointed when he realized he was gay because that meant he couldn't have kids of his own.

Magnus smiled and watched his wonderful Shadow Hunter. Most people, under the influence of a truth potion, spoke about their darkest secrets or the awful thoughts they had but never spoke aloud. But Alec just kept telling Magnus how beautiful he was, and how much he loved his family.

"Seriously Mags, I could kiss you for hours and never get bored. Or just stare at you. Maybe we should start kissing just so you won't have to hear me talk anymore."

While the Warlock really liked that idea, there was something he wanted to ask first.

"Why do you love me?"

Alec took the pillow away from his face to look at him. Magnus had been curious for a while, not asking because he didn't want to sound needy. He'd had people tell them he loved him only to leave, or, like Camille, reject his love altogether and Alec was so young it was hard to know if their feelings had the same depth. Magnus loved Alec like a star loves the night. Shining as bright as it can for as long as the darkness allows. And he wasn't sure that Alec felt the same way.

The Nephilim came and sat beside him, taking his face in his hands and kissing him hard with soft lips, before sitting back and staring into his eyes. Magnus could see all of his sincerity as he spoke, each word making him smile wider.

"I love you, Magnus Bane, because you are the most amazing person I've ever met. You make me braver than I ever was fighting demons, you make me happier than I ever thought I could be and because you love me more fiercely than I thought possible. You've been alive for hundreds of years, you've known kings and poets and you've seen empires rise and fall and yet you still manage to find me interesting. You get this adorable crinkle on your forehead when you're working on a new spell, and I've never seen anything as beautiful as you in the mornings when you're laying half asleep on my shoulder."

Alec kissed him again, hard and deep as if he couldn't get enough. Magnus knew the feeling, hands quickly making their way under Alec's shirt. He splayed his hands against the Nephilim's back and felt the muscles move under his touch as Alec shifted to lean over Magnus. He lay down on the couch with the Shadow Hunter over him, and sighed as Alec trailed kisses along his neck, leaving love bites in his wake.

"I love you Magnus." Alec sighed against his skin, hands running up his waist, and Magnus smiled.

"I love you too Alexander."

Magnus could feel the smile on Alec's lips as they continued their path down his chest.

They found a way to keep Alec from spilling anymore truths, which was not at all a bad way to spend the day. Alec almost didn't want to speak at all once the potion wore off, insisting he'd done his share of talking for a while, but Magnus loved his Alexander all the more for all the things he had said.