Guys, my word count was actually higher than I thought when I finally remembered to look at it. I am LIVING. for now... And, uh, Bella, sorry it took a while!

Parties Can Be The Best Form Of Defiance

Chairman Meow, despite being a feline, is extremely good at persuasion.

Persuasion, in this situation, equating to gently digging his claws into Alec's shoulder as he waits for Magnus to finish with his current client.

"Would you cut it out?" Alec mutters, pulling the cat away from his skin, again.

Chairman Meow narrows his eyes but, luckily Magnus opens the door to his homemade apothecary station of sorts, saving Alec from being psychologically attacked by their cat. After the client walks out with a bright smile on their face and the door closes behind them, Magnus picks up Chairman Meow with a bemused look on his face. "Alexander, have you been defeated?"

Alec rolls his eyes. "He won't stop scratching me!"

"And your solution is to mope?" Magnus raises an eyebrow, then turns to Chairman Meow with a disapproving look. "What is it now, you grumpy old cat? Oh, come now, don't give me that look, you know we can't…"

"Can't what?" Alec asks, smiling at the parent-like look in Magnus' eyes as he talks to their cat.

Magnus lets Chairman Meow saunter into the next room before gently kissing Alec and pulling back with a small shrug. "His half-birthday party."

"His what now?" Alec blinks. He'd heard of the birthday parties, of course he had, but half-birthday parties?

With a small chuckle, Magnus explains, "You know… every six months? Why wait a whole year for a party when there's a perfectly good reason to do it in half the time?"

"Right. And why can't you do it this time?"

"Because, Alexander, you're not a fan of my parties."

"And?" Alec asks, knowing that Magnus would usually have some kind of alternative.

"Lorenzo… He seems to want my reputation to fade."

Alec can't stop his eyes from narrowing in concern. "Which mean he's not letting you throw parties?"

"He wasn't that specific, exactly…"

"So he doesn't want you to do anything that might attract attention…" Alec figures and mentally punches the other warlock before grinning at Magnus. "How about we have the party anyway?"

Party temporarily forgotten, Magnus stares at Alec with a look that can only be described as loving. But he's not bothered about describing his look because he's too busy staring at his Shadowhunter and admiring his playfulness.

"Magnus?"

"Who?" Magnus blinks. "Oh, right, me."

Alec giggles. "Is there something on my face?"

"Beauty."

If Chairman Meow had been a person, he would have either scoffed or cooed at them.

"Magnus!" Alec complains, hating the fact that one word can send all the blood rushing to his face within two seconds.

Nevertheless, a party is planned (and kisses are sneakily exchanged during said planning but neither of them is prone to kissing and telling, not that anyone would think to ask) so the finalised invitations are sent out by the end of the day, which is actually cutting it close since they'd planned the party for the very next day.

Alec knows Magnus has a reputation that can never be reckoned with no matter what Lorenzo tries but the sheer number of accepted invitations they get back before they've even gone to bed amazes him to no end. By the time they wake up, every single invitation has been accepted and, as usual, there's a large number of people who've found out about the party and let them know they're coming along as well. It's not an invitation-only party so he knows there'll be way more guests than planned eventually, but Magnus' loft is quite literally magical and can create space for practically any crowd.

"Are you stealing those drinks?" Alec asks as Magnus sets the tables with rows upon rows of assorted beverages.

Magnus shrugs. "I'm taking them from a rude bartender who insulted Downworlders and owes me a significant amount of alcohol anyway."

"Since when is alcohol a payment?" Alec wonders aloud. He's met a look from Magnus that clearly implies there's a story he hasn't yet heard and should probably ask about at some point.

They manage to savour breakfast – the best omelettes Alec has ever tasted in his life – before the first of the guests arrive and a sea of anyone who's bought some kind of gift for Chairman Meow, no matter how small, accumulates, spreading through the entire loft and beyond, much like that blue police box in that show Magnus and Alec and been watching together recently after Simon had recommended it to them.

Magnus tries his best to stay near Alec, on high alert ever since Lorenzo had indirectly threatened him, but their separation is inevitable. They have to part ways when Simon and Maia's blood supply runs low and there's a minor crisis with a certain breakable vase that Alec is particularly fond of.

"Honestly, Samuel, I can't trust you with anything!" Magnus shakes his head at them before simply clicking his fingers and refilling their blood supply.

"Sorry, Magnus, Maia was distracting me so you should blame her!"

"Uh, hey!" Maia protests, her hands on her hips, "I don't recall you complaining when we were arguing about which Doctor is best!"

"Nerd love…" Magnus makes a face, winks at them – which totally doesn't cause them both to blush almost as red as the blood behind them – and heads back into the crowd to find Alec.

Which he doesn't.

He frowns, scanning over the mass of guests to try and find the familiar hazel eyes and gorgeous runes. He doesn't think anything of it at first, assuming Alec had taken longer than usual to convince whoever it was that had broken the vase to pay for its replacement, but then he sees said vase lying on the floor, discarded.

"Out of my way, if you will," he mutters even though the presence of his golden eyes causes the crowd to part anyway.

His mind is tense, sparks crackling around his fingers as he walks, trying to figure out where Alec has gone in such a hurry that he'd abandoned the party. He hopes it's a mission alert but he already knows it isn't because the other Nephilim at the party hadn't disappeared.

"Magnus!" he hears Alec call from one of their empty spare rooms.

His magic is buzzing as quickly as his anger is upon hearing his name being cut off by a forced silence, a silence that usually only occurs when magic is involved. To deduce that Alec is currently fighting Lorenzo's lackeys takes him no longer than a millisecond, after which he's running. He pays no attention to the various guests that yelp or jump out of his way because Alexander takes priority over everything.

The poor door slams into the wall as he blasts it open, taking a second to take in the situation: Alec attempting to hold his ground while faced with four Nephilim and two Warlocks, one of which is currently blocking Alec's air supply.

"You're going to regret that," Magnus practically growls as he clenches his fist, causing the Warlock to let go of Alec and crumple to the floor with a broken yell. Alec gasps, coughing, his face red and his breathing heavy.

The other warlock turns without missing a beat, firing at Magnus, who grins and crushes the flame with his palm, then firing one back. He ducks just as one of the Nephilim throws their blade at him and holds up a hand to stop the dagger another had aimed at his heart. He sends the warlock, who'd just regained his strength, flying into the wall with his right hand as he yanks the fool trying to sneak up on Alec towards him with his left. Lifting the blond Nephilim with his right hand after he throws the Warlock into the opposite wall and snapping the fourth one out of unconsciousness just so he can glare at all of them simultaneously, he smirks. "Did Lorenzo think you'd even be half a challenge?"

"Not on their own, they won't be," someone says behind him just before a sharp pain in his left arm causes him to drop the Nephilim idiots.

Not that they last long once free anyway, Alec firing a rapid succession of non-lethally aimed arrows at them so they end up groaning in pain.

"And just who are you?" Alec asks as Magnus checks over him and sends the four Nephilim to one corner of the room, out of the way.

"If you were still the High Warlock, you'd probably know," the warlock standing in the doorway drawls and Magnus is firing at him immediately, the two cracking the wall with the force of their magic colliding. He almost stumbles as the other warlock is abruptly joined by another, the force against him doubling.

"Magnus!" Alec calls but this time it's a call of concern rather than a call for help.

He doesn't respond, more than aware of the initial warlocks recovering. Shutting his eyes for a second, he takes one hand away from the beam of magic aimed at the two standing in the doorway, using it to hold the stronger of the two injured warlocks up by his neck, cutting of his air supply. There's a fleeting moment in which his attack on the duo weakens but then he catches sight of Alec and grins, sending a wave of magic rushing at them. Their eyes widen with regret but it's too late because they're flying back, crashing through the walls and landing in the middle of the living room.

Without wasting a second, he pivots and picks up the Warlock that Alec had just punched and been thrown backwards by, glaring at both him and the warlock whose face has now turned purple.

"If I see you here again, I won't go so easy on you, do you understand?"

He doesn't actually give them a chance to respond, flinging them on top of the other two so they're a pile of regret and humiliation. The group of Nephilim in the corner are pale, clearly not having expected to face the wrath of Alec's boyfriend, so Magnus takes a little bit of pity on them and makes sure they don't injure themselves too badly when they in turn land next to the defeated warlocks with remorseful groans.

Magnus' eyes blaze as he walks through the silent sea of guests until he's standing over them with ire on his face and magic around his hands. "You can tell Lorenzo Rey that if he ever dares to disrupt my party or lay a finger on my boyfriend ever again, never mind both at the same time, he may as well transport himself to the middle of nowhere, sit in the centre of an infinite lake surrounded by rowan trees and take up beekeeping for the wrath he'll face from me."

A portal to Lorenzo's front garden is made and, with a nonchalant flick of his wrist, Magnus sends the eight of them flying through the portal and closes it by letting his hands drop.

Nobody says anything for a solid minute, staring at either Magnus' fiery eyes or the now-empty space where Lorenzo's lackeys had been. In the end, it's Simon and Maia who initiate the process of getting everyone out, quietly but quickly spreading the word that the party has been paused until further notice. Alec nods to Raphael, who starts ushering people out, before taking Magnus' hand and pulling him to their bedroom, which they'd conveniently locked so nobody but them could enter.

"Magnus? Take my strength, you need it to heal," Alec says urgently, kneeling so Magnus can lean on him rather than lying fully on the floor.

"From what?" Magnus asks, dazed.

"Showing off," Alec replies with a smile on his face. Magnus scoffs but he lets Alec's love pour into his soul nonetheless, sighing when the aches he hadn't even realised he'd had all vanish. Alec grins, picking a flake of paint out of his hair and taking Magnus' other hand as well.

"I love you," he murmurs, letting his forehead rest on Magnus' as their fingers interlock.

"Thank you," Magnus replies, not because he doesn't love Alec back but because he wants Alec to know he's always thankful for sharing his strength, his love, his whole self with him. It's not like Alec doesn't know Magnus loves him anyway.

"Thank you," Alec echoes, wanting Magnus to know he's utterly grateful for his protection.

They're still on the floor but it hardly matters because their love needs neither silk nor velvet to thrive.

"Do you think Lorenzo will learn his lesson?"

Before Magnus can scoff or release his sass as a reply, Chairman Meow saunters into their room with a smug look on his face and a miniature crown on his head. Alec and Magnus briefly wonder where it came from but get no time to verbalise their thoughts as their cat jumps, landing in Magnus' lap.

"What a disaster of a half-birthday party, huh?" Magnus strokes Chairman Meow, who purrs contently.

"I thought it was magical," Alec admits, "in every way possible."

A smile graces Magnus' face but he raises an eyebrow. "Someone broke the Budapest vase."

"Someone always breaks the Budapest vase, it's not a big deal."

Chairman Meow seems to agree. Oddly intelligent even for a cat (but then again, what can you expect from a cat who's in Magnus' care?) he purrs at them before solemnly tapping their clasped hands and sauntering out of the room again.

"I'd say that was a sympathetic pat of acceptance." Magnus smiles.

Alec beams back, warmth embracing his heart and love surrounding his entire being as he blushes. They accidentally end up staring at one another for way longer than should be legal but it's not like the law can actually stop them so their gazes don't break apart until Alec's leg goes numb and he grimaces.

Magnus snorts in amusement as the two of them untangle, shakily getting to their feet. Alec wobbles and throws his hands out so Magnus can steady him, guiding him to their bed with a cocky grin. "Falling for me, are we, Alexander?"

"Yeah, and it kind of hurts, actually," Alec grumbles, but not unkindly. He then seems to regret his words and shakes his head. "No, I mean my leg has pins and needles, it doesn't hurt to fall for you because- I mean, even if it does- if it did, it'd be worth it..."

"Stop talking, sweet pea," Magnus whispers, wrapping his arms around the sheepish Shadowhunter and pulling him close, "I know what you meant. I always know what you mean-" he makes a face- "aside from that one time but that doesn't count right now."

Alec grins in relief and shifts, rolling so he's leaning over Magnus. He plants a small kiss on the tip of Magnus' nose and his voice is the softest thing in all of existence when he says, "I might be above you right now but you'll always be my High Warlock."

The sheer amount of adoration that radiates from Magnus' smile is so immense, Chairman Meow rolls his eyes as he licks his paw on the roof.

"You absolute dork," Magnus breathes, unable to stop smiling.

"Oh, you love it," Alec quips, peppering Magnus' face with the tiniest of kisses.

"You're not wrong."

"I'm never wrong."

"Need I remind you of-?"

Alec stops his reminder by kissing Magnus' lips, chuckling when Magnus' words fizzle and he grins into the gesture. As the two of them pull the duvet up and Magnus snaps his fingers to change their party outfits into something more suitable for sleeping in before their limbs fold around one another and they become two connected parts of the same soul once again, Alec smiles to himself and makes a mental note to arrange more parties that'll annoy Lorenzo in the future.

Sometimes, he muses, parties really can be the best form of defiance.

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