Prompt: A dinner where Alec officialy introduces Magnus as his boyfriend to his family
Major Spoilers: none really
Author’s Note: Ahahaha, I’m really sorry about my lack of presence. /hides
It wasn't a feeling he often experienced but since he met Alec, it was something he feared he would get used to again. The Shadowhunter's present had made him nervous for several reasons, the nervousness you get when your freshly in love and don't quite know how to handle it yet, the nervousness when he ran off to shady subways and streets to kill off some demons, the nervousness that was carried in the first words after a fight.
Though, what he had to deal with now, was a whole new dimension, a new gate opened in the labyrinth of emotions.
He was about to meet Maryse Lightwood, which wasn't a premiere in itself, but he would face her properly for the first time after what happened in Alicante, after the fights and the councils and all the things that had had a harsh superiority over private matters for a way too long time. The world had calmed down by now, not that you could really talk of peace, but calm enough to care and enjoy life again.
In order to fulfill the care part, Alec had suggested to have dinner with his mother and his boyfriend. He hoped that this would form a bond within his family, to help his mother accept and respect her oldest son being in love with a male warlock.
For good vibes and to kill off the uneven number, Magnus had invited Isabelle too. And now, while preparing dinner, they were waiting for them, and with every second they were late, Magnus felt more nervous. However, a look at his boyfriend told him, that he was just as nervous. His hands chopped the vegetables hastily, his teeth occassionally gnawed at his bottom lip and he didn't say much.
"It's going to be fine." Magnus assured him and himself.
"I hope." Alec said, took a zucchini and chopped off the ends with frighting precise movements of the knife. "I know that it's a good idea, you know, to do this." he continued "But it could end in a complete catastrophe."
"It won't." Magnus told him "Your mother loves you. That's why she agreed to come. Try not to worry too much."
"Are you telling me that or yourself?"
Magnus sat in front of Maryse Lightwood, in his kitchen, eating what he and Alec had cooked together. Family bonds were an important aspect in Alec's life and now that his father would stay in Alicante, he didn't want to lose his mother in a similiar manner. So Magnus did his best to make a good impression, engaged himself in the small talk over the table, and holding Alec's nervous hand under the table. Mostly, they talked about trivial things, trying to avoid the topic of Alicante as best as they could. Unfortunately, it was what they could all talk about, what they all had experienced in one way or the other but it was too heavy that no one wanted to hold it up. It was for the better, probably, because it would have simply crushed their social gathering.
At some point, though, did the conversation break, the thread lost after cats and if the Institute should get a new one. Usually, Magnus was quite skilled with people and conversation, sensed which words to use to keep the conversation going but currently, he was at a loss. He couldn't read the Lightwoods very well, not their body language nor the pitch of their voice, which made it hard to decide how to proceed further. The only exception of the rule was Alec, who was tense and quite, slowly taking bite after bite. Magnus knew what he could do to lift his mood again, knew what he needed to relax, distance from the situation, silence, a shoulder to think on. However, he doubted that his mother and sister would approve of being send away in the middle of their dinner, if anything, it would just doom their situation entirely. The whole mission would fail.
"So, Alec." Maryse suddenly said. "I saw the apartment is rather big. I guess you got your own room?"
Alec's hand stayed calm in Magnus's hand, a good sign.
"Yeah." he answered. "We changed one of the guest rooms to a study I can use. I can show you later if you want."
"That would be nice." Maryse said, her face unreadable. It was driving Magnus almost insane that he couldn't identify if Maryse was happy with the answer or disapproving.
"It's uhm..." Alec continued, his fingers started to knead Magnus's "really nice. My books are arranged in there and Magnus found this, eh, really comfy wingchair and..." desperately, he was trying to hold the conversation, a blush slowly crawling from his neck up to his face, his discomfort visible in his whole being. This was a discipline Alec was helpless in so Magnus needed to act quickly.
"We had a paint war." he recalled "Probably half the paint didn't land on the wall."
"Right." Alec smiled. "You kept bringing new colors to try out and started to paint on me when the walls didn't have space left."
"I needed to show you how well that red went with your skin color."
"I don't see it when you paint on my cheek."
"But it fitted your eyes so well, too." Magnus retorted. "Also, it's not like you didn't get your revenge."
Alec laughed, pulling his hand from Magnus's to cover his mouth.
"So the room ended up without color at all?" Isabelle raised an eyebrow at them.
"No, we actually did paint it in the end." Alec smiled, his eyes going from his sister to his mother, who smiled softly as well. "It just took us a while."
Over the course of the dinner, the mood had been on a nice level, the conversation flowing without many interruptions after their ice-breaker.
However, while Alec and Isabelle were doing the dishes, Magnus was with Maryse in the living room, sitting on his white leather couch. The air around them felt thick, hard to move in, hard to find a way through. Over and over, Magnus was puzzling words together in his mind, rolling them around with care. When he finally decided on a good starter, it was Maryse mouth that spoke.
"Magnus, do you love my son?"
Tensing, Magnus words died on his tongue. The question caught him highly off guard, never having experienced such a blunt side on the leader of the institute. She was a very guarded woman, especially towards Magnus, who'd always been a warlock to be mistrusted in her presence, their only interactions on a professional but distanced level. The ground has changed now.
"I do." Magnus answered, strenghtening his voice with honesty and love to not leave any doubt. "With everything I am." He watched her reaction intensly, trying not to miss any change of her posture or slip in facial expression. But she stayed a secret to him.
It got later than Magnus had anticipated. The clock was almost striking midnight when the Lightwood women got dressed to leave for home. Magnus was very glad that he had invited Isabelle over as well, her interludes having saved more than one situation and in the end, he was content with the way the evening had turned out. There had been uncomfortable moments, probably for every one of them but nothing so bad to be highly embarassed about. He could just hope that it had the effect Alec had hoped for as he arranged the night.
When they said their good-byes, Maryse hugged her son, pulling him close. She was smaller than him so she had to crane her neck a little to whisper something into Alec's ear. Magnus couldn't make out the words but when she finished, Alec lovingly tightening his grip around her, laying his head on her shoulder for a long moment. They parted, Alec smiling shyly. Then his mother turned to Magnus, patting his shoulder and giving him a warm smile.
When they couldn't hear the clicks of the women's shoes anymore, Alec leaned against Magnus, his eyes closing. His face looked exhausted, relaxed and happy.
Kissing the top of his boyfriend's head, Magnus asked. "What did she say to you?"
With the following words, Magnus was at last able to relax as well, not having been aware how tight his muscles have actually been the whole time.
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