"Magnus?"

"Hmm?"

Alec leaned his head farther back into Magnus' shoulder, playing idly with the warlock's fingers that were splayed across his stomach. They were lying on the couch, the color of which Magnus had changed to an inky blue since Alec loathed pink.

Magnus was half-propped up against the armrest with Alec lying between his legs, the Shadowhunter's head and shoulders on Magnus' broad chest. His heartbeat, markedly slower than a human's, thudded gently beneath Alec's ear.

"Where is your accent from?"

Magnus paused for long enough that Alec craned his neck to look up at him. Magnus wore a bemused expression, his eyes twinkling.

"What accent?"

Alec felt his cheeks start to turn pink. "You know… your accent. It's not heavy, it's like… just barely there… but…it's there."

"Hmm." Magnus reached a lanky arm up to stroke his chin. "It's probably remnants of Dutch."

"Dutch? But you're… Asian…ish."

Magnus laughed out loud at this and brushed his thumb across Alec's smooth cheek.

"I know. My mother was part Indonesian and part Dutch. I was born in the Dutch East Indies…" Magnus chuckled lowly. "I never knew my mother's name. I was told that when I opened my eyes she realized-or came to some sort of a conclusion- of what I was, and hung herself in the barn of our farm…Well, you knew this already."

Alec looked up. "I did?"

"Yes. I told you at that party where I first met you."

Alec pondered this. "Hmm. Seems an odd topic for a first meeting, don't you think?"

Magnus smiled and pulled Alec more tightly against his chest. "Oh, darling, you know I never play by the rules."

Alec pressed his face into Magnus' shirt and breathed in deeply. "So how many languages do you know?"

"More than you even know of."

"Try me."

"Let's see... Dutch, obviously- Latin, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Chinese, French, Russian, Portuguese, Czech, Swahili, Japanese, German, Gaelic… to name a few. Oh, and a few Demon languages, of course."

"Of course," repeated Alec faintly.

"How many do you know?"

"Oh- um… a couple. French, Spanish, Romanian, Latin. A little Ancient Greek."

"Donc, je peux vous appeler ma poupée de porc petit chéri et vous comprendrez?"

"Oui ... mais pourquoi poupée de porc petit chéri?"

"Oh, just because, my little bacon bit. And by the way, you are so hot when you speak French."

Alec's cheeks flamed immediately. "Uh… thanks?"

Magnus nuzzled Alec's ear with his mouth, licking the earlobe lightly. Alec shuddered, and Magnus trailed his mouth down the Shadowhunter's jawline, brushing soft kisses as he went.

"Je t'aime, chérie," he murmured.

"Je t'aime également," Alec gasped. Magnus' expert ministrations had left him breathless and gasping, arching his body into the warlock's at every kiss.

Magnus continued down Alec's neck and up to his face, brushing kisses across his nose, his cheekbones, his eyelids.

Finally Alec couldn't stand it anymore and flipped himself over so that he was straddling Magnus, pinning his arms above his spiky head.

Alec bent his head and gasped as his lips met with Magnus', their mouths clashing hard. Alec took control, parting Magnus' lips and thrusting his tongue inside his mouth. They kissed long and hard until Alec broke away, panting.

Magnus' eyes were shining with an ethereal gleam, the gold-green irises emitting golden light. The cat pupils were dilated and Alec could just see himself reflected in them.

He could feel his cheeks glowing, knew that his eyes were glassy.

Magnus reached up and pressed Alec's lips against his once more. When they broke apart Alec placed his hands on either side of Magnus' face, gently thumbing his lips.

"You know," Alec murmured. "I like you best without makeup. I think you're- you're… gorgeous without it."

Magnus' eyes widened in shock, then he broke into a wide smile. "Did you just use the word 'gorgeous'? Oh, Alec darling, I'm getting through to you!"

Alec looked down at his lap and smiled softly, then looked back up. "Don't get too used to it," he warned. "I'm never going to call you 'darling, which, by the way, you call me far too often.'"

Magnus ran a hand through Alec's hair, brushing it away from his forehead. "That's alright, lieveling. I know I'm your darling on the inside."

Alec grinned and gently knocked Magnus' hand away, twining his arms around Magnus' neck.

"What's lieveling?"

Magnus smiled and kissed Alec on the forehead. "Dutch."

"What's it mean?"

"Darling."

Alec groaned and let his head fall onto his warlock's chest.

There was just no winning with Magnus.