Cheers. First shot. One-shot.

Disclaimer: Do not own.

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"Why did you do that?" Alec could feel his lips tremble at the question, and hard as it might, he looked up through his lashes and locked the man sitting across him with a fixed stare. His fingers were drumming idly on the soft cushion of the couch - a sign of the war that raged within him.

Deep breaths, Alec. Deep and steady breaths.

"Do what?" An eyebrow was quirked up and his cat like eyes glinted, even with the lack of lightning, and from where he was seated, Alec could make out the glitter that hung to the warlock's skin.

"...Knocked me out." It was a struggle, an internal struggle, just saying those words.

"Alec," The voice was measured, levelled, but there was also restraint. But at the sound of his name, Alec could only flinch and look away from the tall and imposing warlock. His eyes dimmed in the slightest and the young Nephilim, instead of looking up at the man, Alec ran his fingers on his own arm. "That wasn't you talking...Wasn't you acting."

Silence followed that, as Alec refused to look up at his face.

It was not after the warlock had raised his hand, and a slow, measured smile came to his face that Alec looked up. "It could've been easier if you didn't do it, Magnus." There, he'd said it. The tightening in his guts released him, as was the effect of the deep breath he had let out – he didn't even know he'd been holding it in for too long.

For a moment, Magnus looked taken aback, but then a more generous smile graced his features and he shook his head, looking quite calm with himself – but still, he was being restrained.

"It was the Fearless Rune talking. Alec, I don't want to pressure you into doing, or saying anything to anybody if you don't want to. I...I can wait." This, of course, gave such a bang that Alec might as well had crawled under the covers of his bed. Fighting against everything, the young Shadowhunter raised his head and there, looking at him with intent cat-like eyes was Magnus Bane, nothing but pure patience, appreciation and then deep admiration in his deep set eyes.

"Magnus you're..." Too good for me. Too patient for me. Too selfless when it comes to me. Too real. Too...You. But the words did not come, as much as he'd wanted to say it, he couldn't – he didn't, instead, Alec only looked up into Magnus face and felt the ends of his lips twitch into what could only be a smile.

Alec slowly gathered to his feet and felt the floor beneath him rock before lurching forward. A fall was all he needed, but the hard ground did not come, instead, thin arms held his shoulders and steadied him, and Magnus, all in his divine and impossibly tall structure, looked down at him, his forehead creased with worry as strands of dark hair fell over his eyes.

"Thank you." Was all Alec Lightwood could say – there was a thousand more things he could've said to the warlock, but it took everything in him to just mutter those words and wrap his own arms around Magnus. One of Magnus's long fingers ran down Alec's cheek and smiled down at the young man.

"No need, Alec, my darling...No need."