Hey y'all, the update is finally here...

"I've had three boyfriends before, but you're the worst one I've ever had!"

Alec rolled his eyes and gripped his glass of orange juice. "Get over it."

Caterina looked on at their conversation, utterly fed up with both of their behavior. "Boys, calm down."

Malcolm jumped once, a gesture Alec learned meant that he was stomping a foot. "He just ignores me all the time! He hates me!"

Alec's grip around his preferred cup tightened. "Just because I refuse to 'lick your rim,' as you put it, doesn't mean I hate you. And I'm not your boyfriend!"

Malcolm looked like he was either about to scream or cry. "You're cheating on me-with that cup!" He glared at the poor, faceless cup of orange juice Alec was holding.

"Or me," Magnus muttered, stabbing a faceless fork through his french toast.

"No, not you," Malcolm said.

Alec snorted.

"See?" Malcolm said. "I make you laugh! Date me!"

Alec used his fork to snatch some french toast from Magnus' plate. "I can't. I'm dating this oaf." He gestured at Magnus.

Magnus smirked and narrowed his golden eyes. "I'm not an oaf. I'm a beast."

The narrowed cat-eyes, red skin, and twisted horns above his head almost made him look menacing. Alec took his fork, with some french toast on it, and booped Magnus on the nose. Magnus' eyes crossed to look at his nose and he scowled at the syrup on it.

Alec smiled. "You're too cute to be a beast. Definitely oaf."

Malcolm hopped and slammed onto the table, which was probably less ferocious than he wanted it to be. "Flirting with someone else in front of my own eyes!"

"What eyes?" Magnus grumbled. "You're porcelain."

"They're painted on me! And I can still see your infidelious ass, by the way. Cups can see stuff too!"

"No they can not! You're just cursed."

Alec's eyes slid from Magnus to Malcolm, amused. He liked their little exchange, but he would have to break the bad news to them sooner of later. Might as well be now. "Magnus, I have something I need to tell you."

Magnus stopped glaring at the talking cup and his gaze softened when he looked at Alexander. "Yes, love?"
Alec figeted, fully aware that what he was about to say would put Magnus in a bad mood for the rest of the day. "Remember a few hours ago when you reminded me that I was no longer trapped here?"

"Yes…"

"Remember how you told me that I should go home and see my foster dad?"

"Alexander, are you leaving?" Magnus' face dropped into a mask of stoicism that made Alec inwardly cringe.

"Not forever," Alec amended. "I simply want to go see Hodge and apologize to Luke for missing so many days of work. I'll come back, honest."

Magnus' mouth pressed into a thin line and he glared at Alec hard. "Of course. I understand."

Alec's eyebrows raised. "Do you really? Because you actually sound really upset-"

"I understand."

"Um, okay, that's good. Great. So, I'll be going-"

"You're leaving now?!" Magnus jumped up, angry face shifting to a look of panic. "Wait, Alexander, just wait. I'll prepare a carriage for you; it's awfully cold outside. I don't really have a horse, but I'm pretty sure the carriage outside was one of my chief's named Martin, I can just kick him until he comes to life and maybe he'll know how to move without a horse, I'm not-"

"Mags, it's alright," Alec said, grabbing his hand and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You don't need to worry. I'm coming back, I swear it." He took a deep breath and met Magnus' eyes. "I really like you, Magnus. I've never felt this strongly towards another person before, which is shocking considering you were a complete ass to me. But that's not how I see you anymore. I know that you're kind-hearted. I know that you've been through some tough shit, which is why you can be frustratingly grumpy on occasion. I know that if I leave right now and never come back, I'll miss you terribly." Alec's lips curled into a teasing smile. "I might even cry, I'd miss you so much. So, no, I'm not going to put myself through that. It's easier to just come back and spent time with you, as annoying as you can be."

Magnus' cat eyes were shimmering with tears. "Nobody's ever really said something that nice to me before." He sniffed and scowled, but the fake anger never reached his eyes. "Besides the part about me being annoying, you're not always a peach yourself."

"Dammit!" Malcolm chirped. "What did I say about flirting with other people? I don't know how much longer I can take this."

Alec sighed. "Hopefully not too much longer." He leaned in a gave Magnus a kiss. "I can walk back home no problem. There's snow on the ground, sure, but it's barely a cold I can't handle."

Magnus grabbed Alec's hand in his own. "I'll walk you."

Alec grinned. "What a gentleman."

Alec stepped out of the wood, his palm warm where Magnus had once grabbed it. Now his beast was heading back to his own home and Alec missed him already. But leaving was necessary. Alec knew that his disappearance has probably scared many people, so he wanted to put minds at ease before he went back to his boyfriend.

Alec hiked up the hill that lead to his cottage, a feeling of happiness swelling up in his chest. He was going home. He never realized how much he missed home until this moment. His swift walk picked up to a run and Alec found himself barreling towards the door of his cottage. "Hodge!" he yelled. "Hodge, I'm home!"

Alec didn't bother to knock, he just walked right into the cottage and relaxed the moment he saw his copy of Robinson Crusoe on the counter. "Hodge?"

"Alexander? Is-is that you?" the voice was muffled, because it came from the basement, where Hodge hid most of his crazy inventions.

"Yes! I'm home, Hodge!"

Alec ran down the stairs and found Hodge next to a table that had a gun and a small container of oil next to it. Alec hardly had time to wonder what Hodge could possibly be shooting before he was wrapped up in Hodge's arms. "Alec, I'm so glad you're home... Oh Alec, you're safe from the beast..."

Alec embraced Hodge and smiled brightly, but Hodge's words still sent a chill down his spine.