#bytheangell

[rapha-reads]

16 for the ask list you just posted!

Hello! :)

16 - thoughts on mint chocolate chip?

What's not to love about it? Mint on its own: delicious. Chocolate on its own: nothing short of divine. Together? It's a feast for the taste buds. The crispiness and freshness of mint with the sweetness and warmth of chocolate, the perfect alliance of flavours. I'm a fan.

weirdly specific and unrelated asks to know someone well

[my-archerboy]

Congrats on 2k!! <3 The obvious choice here is 🐶 yes please cute puppy pictures!

Thank you! 🥰

Yaaaas a cute doggie pic, coming up! 😍

@bytheangell thanks for celebrating with me! 🖤

[fistsandfangs]

ooooh okay 11 recovering from an illness/injury + T secret relationship + 34 “Is that blood?” pretty please ❤❤❤❤

i was immediately inspired by this and i hope it does your request justice! thank you lovely! x

READ ON AO3

If Alec were a different person, he wouldn’t be in this situation at all. It didn’t do any good to think such things, but he did.

If it weren’t for his secret relationship with Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, he wouldn’t have been on his way to a clandestine dinner date on the other side of town. If he hadn’t been on his way across town for dinner, he wouldn’t have come across the pack of rabid hellhounds. And if he hadn’t come across the pack of rabid hellhounds, he would never have ended up leaning against the locked doors of Nightingale Towers bleeding profusely from a particularly deep wound in his side.

Fumbling for the call button with a blood-slick hand, he managed to press the one emblazoned with “PH1” in delicate gold print. For a few seconds, there was silence.

“Fuck,” Alec exhaled, swaying on his feet from the horrible combination of exhaustion and dizziness washing over him.

He hadn’t actually thought about what he would do if Magnus couldn’t help him; now it seemed totally idiotic not to have come up with a plan B. After all, to Magnus it must have appeared that Alec had stood him up only a week after an argument in which Magnus had accused him of being unwilling to make time for their relationship. If he ended up having to drag himself to the subway, he would only have thirty minutes to come up with a believable explanation as to why he had snuck out late in the evening without telling a soul to go to some dive in Queens.

Suddenly, Magnus’ voice crackled through the speaker. “Who is it?”

“Magnus, it’s me.”

A terse sigh echoed in the vestibule. “Is there something you want, shadowhunter?”

Even just shifting his weight to make for the door made Alec feel as though he very well might pass out. “Look, I know you’re pissed at me and maybe in a way I deserve it, but I—” The low whoosh of a portal opening interrupted him, materializing next to him. With the little bit of strength he could muster, Alec half-stepped, half-fell through it. His legs buckled beneath him when he landed on the pristine carpet of the loft, and he errantly hoped he hadn’t stained it.

“You couldn’t be bothered to call, yet you—” Magnus trailed off abruptly, and Alec forced himself to look up at him even as his vision swam. He looked disappointed. And angry. But once their eyes met, both dissipated to be replaced by shock. “Is that blood?”

Alec tried to answer but all that came out was some kind of incoherent murmur, and he felt his body tipping forward as the floor rushed up to meet him.

When next he opened his eyes, Magnus was leaning over him with a look of consternation as pale blue pulses of magic emanated from his palms. His necklaces spilled over Alec’s chest, a cold brush along his now bare sternum. “Hey,” he managed to rasp.

“Shh.” Magnus spared him only a glance, his gaze soft with sympathy that Alec almost felt guilty to be the intended recipient of. “You need to lie still for me, Alexander.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately held his tongue until Magnus had secured gauze over the raw but healing skin. “I’m sorry I missed our date. It wasn’t intentional; I swear on the Angel, Magnus.”

Pursing his lips, Magnus finally sat back and looked at him. Alec couldn’t swallow down the lump that rose in his throat at the sadness that softened his eyes and turned down the corners of his mouth.

From the first time he laid eyes on Brooklyn’s esteemed high warlock, Alec was enchanted. At first, it didn’t occur to him to be concerned that the man in question was a downworlder, that he was a man at all. It didn’t occur to him that this was someone with a reputation that preceded him, and spanned lifetimes. It didn’t even occur to him that he was the furthest thing from qualified to speak about feelings. All he knew was that his heart was beating hard enough that it might break his rib cage apart and he couldn’t care less so long as he didn’t have to look away just yet.

He should have known better than to think he could endeavor to have anything so exquisite.

“I was on my way to meet you when I got ambushed by rabid hellhounds. I tried to call you but the battery was dead, so it was all I could do to get here, to you. I’m sorry, Magnus, I didn’t know what else to do. Maybe I should have just—”

“I’m not mad that you missed dinner tonight,” Magnus cut him off softly. “I’m very glad you made it here in one piece. It certainly made my job easier. With some rest and being responsible about your activity, you’ll be good as new in a few days.” Standing up, he made for the drinks cart and skimmed his hands, caked in dried blood, over a few glass decanters before choosing one.

Alec hesitated for a moment, sitting up against the arm of the couch gingerly. “But you’re upset.” Magnus made no move to reply, instead downing three fingers of whiskey in one swallow and leaving the ice to clink against the bottom of the glass. “We don’t have to do this to each other, Magnus. I know that I started it, so maybe it’s my job to be the hypocrite. You take a step forward and I take a step back; you move to follow and I walk away. It…it fucking sucks.”

“God help me, I care for you. Very deeply, Alexander,” Magnus exhaled shakily.

“But I’m—”

“For better or worse, I lo—I feel inexorably connected to you,” he continued as though Alec hadn’t spoken at all. The taught lines of Magnus’ back made appear as a man made of marble. And he felt just as unreachable to Alec. “And this is what you are. Being a shadowhunter will always be your priority, and I respect that you have made your decision to continue down that path, but it’s not one where I can follow alongside you. I can’t be happy only seeing you when a lie is convenient and buys you some time, or when you’re beaten half to death and I’m left with your blood on my hands. I very well might love you, angel, and in another life maybe it would be enough, but we don’t have the luxury of a simple solution.”

Feeling his throat start to close as he fought back tears, Alec forced himself to his feet and took a few steps towards Magnus. His hands, always so steady whether they wielded a blade or an arrow, or grew mottled with bruises blooming dark beneath his skin, were now trembling and there was nothing he could do to stop. It felt as though he were walking towards the precipice of a vast chasm that was ready to swallow him whole, and the longer Magnus’ words hung over them like a dark cloud, the closer he got to falling in head first.

“I was scared,” Alec blurted out. It wasn’t exactly where he had intended to start, but at this point, it hardly mattered. “I was scared that if I made room for someone in my life, in my…in my heart too, that then what I’ve been running from for so long would catch up to ruin everything. I’ve never been as close to happy as I am with you, and I know the minute I let this become anything more than some kind of stupidly perfect life I’ve built up in my head, it wouldn’t be safe anymore. That’s something I should have been honest with you about, though, and I see that now. I—I’m sorry.”

“Alec—”

Holding up a hand, he continued. “If I don’t say all of this now, I’m going to lose my nerve and I don’t know if I could live with the consequences. Look, Magnus, you were right to be frustrated with me, and I’m mad at myself too. But if it’s not too late, if you can still find it in your heart to give me a chance to make this right, I would do anything to deserve it.”

For a few agonizing moments, Magnus expression was unreadable. And then he spoke.

“I hear relationships take effort.”

Alec inclined his head slightly, a tentative smile starting to play at his lips. “I’m all for effort.”

>> PROMPT LIST

[sh-rare-pair-exchange]

All’s Fair in Love and War, Except for You

For @bytheangell 

Read it on ao3: HERE

The first thing Jace notices when he wakes up is the perfect stillness of the world, the early dawn shines in through the soft cotton fabrics of the tent, adding warmth to the calming air. A pair of strong tan arms surrounded his waist and he felt a slight stubble tickle the back of his ear. Morning’s were always better with Mel, they provided a safe reminder that the nightmares weren’t real, that he didn’t have to be a brave soldier for the kingdom, he could just be himself. `

It made Jace appreciate these small moments even more, his dark hair had gotten even more untamed during his sleep, his brows lost their usual squint, opening up his face and relaxing his eyes. His long lashes now rested softly on his face, pointing Jace to his slightly parted lips. Brushing a navy strand away, Jace leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his love’s face. He was pleasantly surprised to hear a soft sigh escape his Mel’s lips, as he slowly started to return the kiss.

“Someone’s up early, especially since they don’t have any duties until noon,” Meliorn drawled.

Jace gave a small shrug,”I thought I would enjoy the view,”

Meliorn gave him a small smile, “Well the view might have problems with being watched so early,” he replied.

‘Or he might be flattered?,’

He let out a small chuckle, “It’s a possibility.’

Jace smiled fondly back at him, it was nice to have this again. They only ever met when Meliorn’s queen came to visit every few months for meetings with King Robert, and even then they both had duties to attend to. Jace let out a small groan and buried his face into Meliorn’s neck, causing the other to laugh as he wrapped his arms around his middle. Meliorn placed small kisses on his head. Part of him just wanted to just stay in bed all day, even if it was impossible for several reasons. Jace slowly felt Meliorn’s body tense as he remembered the lives they had outside the tent. “You should get going soon,” he stated, “It will be more difficult to sneak back as more people are awake.”

Jace pouted, a small groan of annoyance leaving his mouth before begrudgingly letting go. Jace sat up first, walking over to a small chest that contained his clothes, a simple black tunic with an armored breastplate and pauldron. Meliron watched with a sad smile before putting on his own uniform. A black shirt with a crimson jacket and pants, a gold leaf on his shoulder helped depict his rank as captain of her queen’s guard. As the two dressed they started to build up their walls, their faces becoming less open and their posture shifted into a soldier's stance.

The two had agreed that it was best to remain as professional as possible, the Seelie Queen wasn’t known for her kindness and members of her court were forbidden from engaging with people from other kingdoms, especially high ranking members of Idris, a kingdom with rocky relations with her majesty. Still, Jace moved so that he was standing in front of Meliorn, softly connecting their lips in a soft kiss before breaking away. A small smile spread across Meliron’s face as he took in the sight of his lover, his perpetually messy hair glowed in the sunlight, making his face even brighter than before. He rejoined their lips in another sweet kiss, his arms falling around Jace's waist to bring him the slightest bit closer, deepening the kiss. Meliron soon broke this kiss, looking up at his love’s mismatched eyes and soft stubble from where he had neglected to shave.

“If you don’t stop now you’ll never leave this tent,”

He chuckled “If that’s your way of telling me to leave, you might want to try a different strategy.”

“You leaving is never my intention, your safety on the other hand is, ‘ His hand joined Jace’s as he continued, ‘You know my queen’s laws are absolute, and I do not wish for you to fall into harm's way because of my queen, or yours.”

Jace nods in understanding, he slowly lets his hands fall to his side and backs away. He slowly walks towards the back entrance of the tent, telling himself this isn’t goodbye he walks out without a glance back, starting the long trek to the castle of Alicante.  

It's a quiet walk back, the kind of dull quiet that created a calming but boring atmosphere that Jace never truly liked, as the absence of noise left him alone with his thoughts. He hated being alone ever since his father died, he had been his only world until he died while on a job, then he had no one to hold and nowhere to go. That was, until the royal family took him in a few months later, Robert felt guilty over his father’s death and offered him a place at the palace as an apology. Mayrse had given him his own room next to her children, who accepted him as a friend and brother, and allowed him to live and train with them for years. Now he worked everyday to repay them for that.  

Then why are you betraying them by loving someone you might go to war with

Jace froze, No, he thought, that won’t happen, they’re signing the peace treaty in a few days, sure their relationship with the other kingdoms had been stressed but that was going too far. It would never come to that.

Are you positive?

Shaking away his doubt he continued onward until he reached the barrier that surrounded the castle, he took a deep breath, and slowly stepped inside, back to home he grew up in. He was greeted by the glass tall towers  ascending into the heavens. The smooth pale stones flashing him a welcoming smile, the cedar trees giving him a small wave of their branches in the breeze.

Jace allowed himself to relax a bit as he made his way across the lawn, he was safe here, no one was going to hurt him and nothing bad was going to happen here, he was safe.

Well mostly, he smirked as a flash of red caught his eye, Clary always tried to catch him by surprise after his ‘morning walks’, as he called them. Clary seemed to be repeating an old favorite this time, jumping out of a tree and tackling him when he least expected it, only it had failed to work so far and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future. He slowly counted down in his head before a familiar battle cry broke out form above.

“AAAHHHHHH”

He merely stepped aside just before she made contact with him, causing her to crash harshly into the ground with a load oof. Cracking a smile, he extended an arm to help the small thing up, Clary was a sweet knight, new to the ranking but had quickly proven herself a quick thinker and a fierce fighter, earning her quite the respect from her fellow knights.

“You got lucky that time”

“Oh yes, because your battle cry didn’t give you away at all, or are you still scared of falling”

She rolled her eyes affectionaley, “One day I’ll push you off a building and see if your still high and mighty about heights, until then we need to get going,”

Clary’s respect came with the position of personal guard to Princesses Isabelle, similar to how Jace was incharge of watching over Alec at home and during battle. While Izzy respected her parents' wishes, she wasn’t completely on board with the idea of another teammate, this disappeared as soon as she was introduced to Clary, with the two bonding quite quickly. Soon Clary became a fixture at Izzy’s side, it wasn’t uncommon for the two to sit next to each other during meals or hold hands while walking in the garden. Jace was fairly certain they were much closer than others realized but decided to keep it to himself, they’ll tell him when they're ready.

Several minutes of banter and a few hundred stairs later, Jace stood outside Alec’s door. He put his ear next to the door, listening to Alec’s snoring. Jace knocks a rhythm on Alec’s door, he waits for a bit. Hearing nothing he decides it’s time to move on to phase two. He knows that he doesn’t have the energy for this, but Alec will know something’s wrong if he doesn’t, and talking about his problems has never been his style. Grin and bear it it is then. Taking a deep breath he grabs the door knob and bursts open the door with a bang.

“Rise and shine sleeping archer, your knight in shining armor is here!”

Alec let out a pained groan, throwing a pillow at Jace’s head, which he easily dodged.

“Now, where’s the enthusiasm your crankiness? Up late last night reading some dumb poem?”

Alec’s icey eyes give him a pointed glare.

“It’s too early for this, send breakfast up, I'll eat later,” he moans, burying himself under the dark comforter.

Jace rolls his eyes, if he can’t sleep in neither can Alec, phase three it is then.

Jace jumps on the bed with a battle cry, elbowing Alec in the side. Alec yelped in pain, trying to push Jace off of him to no avail. “Get off!”

“On you? Not a chance.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Alec accented with a slap.

Jace let out a small laugh, causing Alec to become even more annoyed,

With an exhausted sigh, he conceded, “All right, If you move I’ll get up!

“That’s all I ask,” Jace replies, untanageling himself from Alec and begins walking out the door, “I’ll be outside while you get dressed, we’re meeting Izzy for breakfast in the pavilion in ten.”

Twenty minutes later the two made their way across the grounds two the grand white pavilion, usually Robert, Mayrse, and Max would join them for lunch while Jace and Clary would eat with the other knights. However, Max was away at boarding school and Robert and Mayrse were busy with preparations for the ceremony coming up, at least that was the story. In reality Mayrse and Robert had a strained relationship for a while, rarely spending time together outside of meetings and events.

“Took you long enough, Alec giving you trouble this morning?” Izzy inquired.

She was dressed in a blue grey gown fell gracefully around her, with small gems adorning the tips of her long sleeves and the lining of her gown. A tiara rested peacefully on her head. Clary in contrast, Clary was covered, with her face and hair being the only things on display, the rest of her body was covered in an intricate suit of armor, runes carved into the wristbands and chest to help increase her strength, agility, and speed.

“When is he not”, Jace responded.

Alec gave him a roll of his eyes before sitting down on Izzy’s left, taking some scones from the centerpiece and digging in.

Jace took the seat to his left, with Clary now sitting on Jace’s left, completing the circle.

The group continued to eat, making small talk here and there while also debating who was coming from what Kingdom,

“Simon is representing the Night Kingdom this year, since he can walk out in daylight,” said Clary

“No way,” said Alec, “He’s too inexperienced to be making these kinds of decisions, plus we’ve managed just fine with Rapheal.”

“Well at least Lorenzo’s not showing up this year, although I think Underhill might be a bit disappointed about that”

“Are they still a thing? What do they even do together, talk about Opera?” asked Jace sarcastically.

“Leave them alone,” said Izzy, “It's cute that they’ve made their relationship work long distance, besides Underhill seems really happy.”

Jace and Alec exchanged a look, a silent understanding that Izzy was just being a sap. Jace reached for his drink and took a sip.

“I heard that the Queen will becoming to the meeting instead of Meliorn,”

Jace struggled to keep himself from choking.

“What?” He asked, glancing at Clary.

“The Sealie Queen, I checked the guest list and saw her name instead of Meliron, the ambassador.”

That can’t be right, Meliorn is at the Sealie campsite not far from the castle grounds. Why would he be here if he wasn’t  going to show up to the meeting, come to think of it, didn’t Meliron mention that other fae were here too. Why is everyone showing up? What’s going on?

Jace tuned out the rest of the conversation, turning his focus to his own thoughts.

“Hey, are you okay?” Alec asked, putting a hand on Jace’s shoulder.

Jace looked up to see that everyone was looking at him with varying degrees of concern.

Shit, I spaced out too long.

“Uh, yeah I’m just thinking about the peace ceremony coming up.”

“You sure?”

He nodded, “Positive, don’t worry about it okay.”

Alec raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything outside of that,there was an awkward silence for a few moments, no one quite knowing how to fill the conversation.

“How about we go on a quick walk in the garden or maybe we can train?” suggested Izzy

Alec  gave a small shrug, “I was actually thinking of taking the horses out for a bit, we could do that?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll get the kitchen staff to clean this up and I’ll meet you at the stables”  

“You sure you don’t want to go with us? We can just ask someone at the stables to tell the kitchen staff -”

“I’ll be fine,” Jace interjected,” Besides, I’d rather not leave the food out for too long you know?”

Before they could say anything else he pushed his chair back and all but ran towards the castle. As soon as he was out of sight he sent Meliorn a small message to meet him at the halfway point between the castle and the sealie camp. He knew he was overreacting but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

[hockles]

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. I love The Amazing Devils SO MUCH and they deserve all of the love and way more recognition than they get (at least that I've seen around). If you haven't listened to "Welly Boots" yet that one is my personal favorite. <3

Hell yeah!! *HIGH FIVE*. I love that song! And ‘Fair’. I didn’t even know they existed until like a day ago. So damn good. Both of their voices are amazing. I love the whole feel of their stuff. I haven’t listened to everything yet, but I’m getting there! 

[fistsandfangs]

lost and found

A fantasy au wherein alec is a guardian angel, magnus is a demon who makes deals, and maybe they’re not as different as they think.

written as a gift for @ladymatt for the malec secret santa 2020

As the flames at Magnus’ feet die out, he takes in his surroundings inquisitively. Beneath his boots are tentative chalk lines, thin and light in places, that connect into a pentagram drawn on a cracked cement floor. The room he is in is vast and all but empty, with high ceilings and exposed metal beams. A warehouse, most likely; the kind of place a human might deem a safe, neutral location for a demon summoning. As he turned to his left, a woman, young in years but with a heaviness weighing on her that belied her age, was staring at him from a few feet away with a tattered hardback journal clutched in one hand.

“You called me,” he stated, standing a few steps away from the barrier line. “I assume that because you did the summoning correctly and seem…prepared, that you know what it is that I do.”

She looked almost startled at being addressed, but the expression lasted only a moment before she held it back with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. “I know what I’m doing,” she asserted, though her voice wavered slightly.

After analyzing the detailing of the pentagram, Magnus touched the tip of his boot to a symbol that had been incorrectly drawn. “It’s an impressive work, but I would suggest you study a bit more next time. This right here…leaves an opening.”

Now the woman looked terrified, frozen in place with her arms encircling her middle protectively.

With a slightly sardonic chuckle, he shook his head. “If I was going to hurt you, I wouldn’t have pointed out your error.” He stepped closer to the edge line, closer to her. “After all, you wish to make a deal, yes? Which means you have something I would be happy to take. I don’t want to ruin that opportunity for myself just yet.”

read on ao3

For a moment, he just looked at her, observing. She had very short hair, so blonde it was practically white, and deep brown, almost black, eyes. Her pupils were almost swallowed up by the darkness of the iris. There was a small smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and dusting the tops of her cheeks, looking oddly childlike in the midst of her worn features. He was well-versed in reading humans after all these centuries, and he could see in her an authenticity that caught his attention. “What’s your name?”

“Alana. Alana Clarke. And I want to make a deal.”

“Well then,” Magnus began, steepling his fingers thoughtfully, “tell me, to what do I owe this summons?”

“I…have something I want to forget.” Her voice wavered slightly on the last word.

“Someone,” Magnus stated in realization. “A deal with me requires specificity, Ms. Clarke.”

It took a moment before she hesitantly elaborated further. “My husband. He was…cold. And unable to love, in the end. I never felt like I could leave him. One day, he snapped and I…I didn’t have a choice. I can’t let the memory of him control my life anymore. I can’t bear to let him change me the way I’m afraid he might.”

Rubbing his fingers together contemplatively, he replied, “That is a very serious choice to make. And one that cannot be undone. As luck would have it, it would be quite easy for me to give you what you’re asking for, but it has a steep price. And not just your soul. Are you certain this is what you want?”

Her silence was only too telling.

With a firm shake of his head, Magnus took a step back. “You must be sure. I am neither judge nor jury; I will only carry out what our deal entails. I urge you strongly to consider this. Memory cannot just be given and taken on a whim. Once I remove it, it will be permanent.”

Alana shook her head with a tired sigh. “I just… I can’t sleep, I can’t breathe, I can’t think… I don’t know how to go on without doing something. I—” Abruptly cutting herself off, she stood up a little straighter and schooled her expression into a carefully curated stoicism. “I have to take the responsibility, and I will.”

It had been a long while since someone with such conviction had come to Magnus like this. Often, those who summoned him didn’t understand the gravity of the situation they were making for themselves, but it was their mistake to make. This time, somehow, he couldn’t bear the thought of allowing her to follow them down that path of regret lurking in the future.

“For your benefit, I will not yet make the deal,” he began. “I require certainty, and I do not see that in you. I’m going to give you another opportunity to think very carefully about just what is worth the price of your soul before you sign it over to me.”

**

The next time Magnus found himself standing in the ash and last embers of unholy flame in the middle of the old warehouse, the person standing opposite him was not Alana Clarke.

Instead, it was a tall, dark haired man with a stern look on his face, standing stock-still with his hands behind his back. He was not entirely mortal, nor human, Magnus realized upon observing the presence of spiritual matter along the lines of his shoulders and down his spine. It also wasn’t lost on him that the man had a blade made of adamas tucked away inside the folds of his jacket. It was an ancient kind of weapon, not only priceless but rare.  

The pentagram Magnus was standing on was far more detailed than the one that Alana had used to summon him, rooted in much stronger magic. The kind of magic that could only be infused by a summoner of great power. “I’m impressed,” he mused, turning in place to observe the rest of the finer detail.

“You made a deal with Alana Clarke,” the man stated coolly, as if he hadn’t heard a thing. “For her soul. And you’re going to have to rescind.”

Magnus couldn’t help but be amused by the situation. “Demon-client confidentiality prevents me from discussing any of this with you, I’m afraid.” But his curiosity was piqued. Especially when he realized that the faint smell of angel blood had permeated the air around them.

Angel blood.

“Of course, I should have realized immediately.” He stepped up to the edge line of the pentagram to look closer. “Which one of Raziel’s guardians are you?”

A soft sigh of exasperation preceded one word: “Alexander.”

“‘Defender of man’, yes? Seems fitting.” If he didn’t know better, Magnus would have said that Alexander preened almost imperceptibly at his words. “And Alana is in your care. Interesting, given the fact that she sought me out.”

The shadows of tenderness that had lingered on Alexander’s face for mere seconds at the mention of her name disappeared altogether as his expression clouded over. “She never should have summoned you. Her grief has blinded her, so I have to be the one to protect her.”

“You almost believed that when you said it.” Magnus of all people knew what lying to oneself looked like. “The truth is, it kills you that you can’t save her from this grief. Your purpose is to protect her, but there are limits to what you can control, and now you have to face them.”

“You can’t undo the past,” Alexander countered, eyebrows drawn low over his eyes in consternation. “And that’s what she truly wants. Whatever you offer her, it won’t be enough.”

“You know what she went through. You know how greatly she mourns—both for what she lost and what was never hers to begin with. There’s no price too steep for peace that can heal that kind of devastation.”

The angel visibly gritted his teeth, the muscle in his jaw jumping as it flexed. “Rip up the deal and give her soul back.” The slow cadence he spoke with betrayed the anger that he was sealing away inside.

“It might interest you to know that no official contract exists yet. Ms. Clarke hasn’t made her choice, so if you have concerns, you should take them to your charge herself.”

The anger stoked by Magnus’ words became increasingly apparent in Alexander, and he rolled his neck to the side slightly as if trying to shake free of something. “I won’t ask again.” When Magnus offered no reply, he took a few steps back from the pentagram. “Well, you’re welcome to rot here until you change your mind, then.”

If he were a different person, if circumstances were trivial, he would enjoy an indulgent show of his own strength. As it were, Magnus only gloated a little as he stepped over the brusque chalk line meant to confine him. “I have no plans to do any such thing.”

Alexander was speechless, his mouth slightly agape as Magnus moved towards him. “That isn’t possible. No lesser demon can—”

Reaching out with a dark red tendril of magic, Magnus held him still. “Pleased to meet you, Alexander. My name is Magnus Bane, reigning Prince of Edom and son of one of the First Hierarchy—a Knight of Hell.” When their faces were mere inches apart, he offered the faintest of smiles. “Ms. Clarke has sought my protection now, so I suggest you don’t try to interfere again.”    

**

The air in the Hunter’s Moon was thick with the scent of stale alcohol and sweat-slicked bodies, and Magnus relished it. Perhaps it was the hedonistically human part of him, but there was something magnetic about the raw electricity of bodies pressed flush against one another beneath the hot lights.

His attention was diverted, however, when he noticed the man who had just walked in and was making his way to the bar. Alexander stood out in a crowd even when he was dressed down, wearing a grey Henley and jeans.

With a subtle gesture, Magnus caught the eye of a bartender gathering empty glasses abandoned on a nearby table. “The man who just walked in—make him a Vieux Carre.” A neatly folded hundred-dollar bill materialized between his thumb and middle finger, and he offered it to her.

The woman’s bracelets made a delicate jingling sound as she plucked it from his grasp. “He looks intense. Ex of yours?”

With a chuckle, he brushed his thumb tenderly against her chin for a fleeting moment. “Discretion, Maia.”

She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Courtesy of?”

“An associate.”

Despite looking thoroughly unconvinced, Maia pocketed the money and Magnus raised his drink to her in gratitude.

“An olive branch?” Alexander guessed a few minutes later, setting his glass down on Magnus’ table.

“Actually, it’s a black cherry garnish.” Magnus plucks the fruit from his glass and takes a bite of the tender flesh. “I figured a drink would be a good icebreaker.”

Alexander dropped down into the chair opposite him. “You don’t look surprised to see me here.”

“You’ve been following me on and off all day, angel. What am I meant to be surprised about?”

His expression darkens, his eyebrows drawn tightly together in consternation. “We haven’t struck an accord yet.”

Shaking his head faintly, Magnus downed the last of his Negroni. “There is nothing to negotiate. You have no claim on the contract between me and my client.”

“She is going to do this if I do not put a stop to it.” Rather than the burn of anger or the cold of hatred, Alexander looked pained to be saying those words. “I want to make a deal.”

Whatever he had been expecting Alexander to say, that certainly wasn’t it. Magnus sat in stunned silence for a beat. “Just to be clear… You want to give me your eternal soul to release Alana Clarke from a contract that she implored me to honor?”

“Yes.” He couldn’t know what he was agreeing to, and yet there was a fierce determination on his face that almost made Magnus wish that it were possible. “Let’s do it.”

“It is not possible, Alexander,” Magnus said somberly. His tone had gone soft despite himself. The desperation in the guardian’s eyes made something in his chest begin to ache. “Even if you did have a soul as the mortals do.”

It almost looked as though the faintest hint of vulnerable desperation was beginning to shine through the cracks of his façade. Instead, with a grunt of frustration, Alexander pushed back from the table and crossed his arms. “She is under my protection, Magnus.”

“In a manner of speaking, she’s under mine too.”

“If you control Edom, why even spend your time making deals for souls? Isn’t that beneath you?” he retorted heatedly.

“It’s not about the souls. It never has been,” Magnus found himself saying. It had never been in his nature to be transparent, and frankly he had never had a reason to try. The way that Alexander wore his feelings so genuinely compelled him to reciprocate. “The lesser demons who skulk around crossroads and manipulate the avaricious and covetous do so by nature. I choose the worthy summoners, the ones who want nothing more or less than resolution, and offer them peace.”

Staring down into his glass, Alexander heaved a sigh of frustration. “Indulging their emotions is not the same as protecting them.”

“That depends on who you are protecting them from, hmm?”

Something in those words seemed to reach Alexander in a way that nothing else between them had. His shoulders hunched wearily, as though a great burden had been dropped and left foregone. “I don’t know,” he surrendered.

**

Thunder rattled the window panes of the penthouse as the storm outside grew stronger, and Magnus could feel the glass shivering beneath his fingers where they were pressed on either side of Alexander’s body. They were both mostly clothed, but where their bare skin touched, it felt like fire. Occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the otherwise darkened living room, so Magnus used the cacophony of harsh exhales and soft moans to guide his movements.

It had to be the most profane act, because it felt like salvation.

“Nnnnh,” Alexander moaned, reaching up for Magnus’ hands blindly and intertwining their fingers.

More or less restrained, Magnus put more power into the movement of his hips. It was an inexplicable desperation that had led them to this, and now it was boiling in his blood and driving him forward.

The pleasure crested, and for one perfect moment, everything felt simple—they were just two people who found relief in wanting one another. That was how they had ended up here, after all; a categorically innocuous moment had somehow set Magnus’ skin on fire with how greatly he yearned to touch him, and everything between them had unraveled before he could do anything but follow in its wake.

For weeks the tenacious guardian had been nothing but a thorn in his side, but then all at once, something changed and Magnus could no longer remember how to simply dislike him. Perhaps he put too much stock in his heart—or whatever the son of a Greater Demon was capable of containing—to ever stay free of falling prey to the way of the mortal world. All he knew now, though, was that he felt dread like an ache in his chest at the unavoidable truth that Alexander would leave.  

“Don’t leave,” Magnus whispered breathlessly in Alexander’s ear. “You can stay the night. I want you to.”

In reply, Alexander nodded and pressed an almost reticent kiss to his lips. “I’ve already crossed the line, what’s another step?” Even pressed together in such an achingly intimate embrace, there was a hesitance in him. Perhaps he was telling himself this was a big mistake, and he would hate Magnus in the morning.

It wouldn’t be the first time, at least, so he would drink away the pain in the evening and be remade again in the morning.

Already in a sloppy state of undress, they both peeled off their remaining layers of clothing and let them fall in a heap on the bedroom floor before crawling beneath the sheets. Magnus had slept alone for so long that his heart twisted in his chest at the feeling of a warm body beside him.

Once Magnus had settled into the mattress and was lying still, Alexander slid his foot between Magnus’ calves and pressed their bodies closer. His hands were more diffident in their movements, slowly tracing a path down Magnus’ forearm and over the bone of his wrist before loosely intertwining their fingers.

He closed his eyes for a moment, just to savor this fragile piece of time, but when he opened them again, it was morning. The deep orange and red of the sunrise bathed the bedroom in a warm glow, and illuminated Alexander where he was perched on the edge of the bed. “Are you going somewhere?”

The muscles in Alexander’s upper back rippled beneath his alabaster skin as he tensed. “I didn’t want to wake you,” was all he said, but for just a moment, his eyes lingered on Magnus as if he were hoping for a rebuttal.

“We don’t have to keep doing this to each other, acting as though we’re so unalike.”

That made him look away, and he stood with his back to Magnus as he adjusted the cuff of his shirt sleeve absently. “Yes, we do. We have to be.”

“God himself created even the avenging angels in his image,” Magnus replied with the hint of a smirk on his lips.

With a wry, all but humorless laugh, Alexander shook his head. “That’s not the point, Magnus! What kind of guardian allows the ones he looks after to pawn their souls for resolutions?” He turned back to face him with hard resolve.

Magnus couldn’t help but be reminded of the volatile, at times impetuous, young man he was. He had been quick to anger, holding himself in contempt for all the things that were out of his control. “Alexander—this is her life. Do you truly prefer that she suffer through this mortal existence when that is all she gets?”

“I have failed spectacularly in the past to do the one thing I’m meant to do, and I won’t let that happen again.” Grabbing his jacket from the floor, he shrugged it on and stalked off.

**

“I’m ready,” Alana declared without preamble.

A smattering of Edom’s red dirt shook loose from the tread of Magnus’ boots as he strode over to her. “I told you that the next time you summoned me you would need to be certain. If this is your decision, then all that is left is your contract.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “Let’s do this.”

Magnus held up his hand and angled it above her chest. “All this requires is a mark left on your soul, like an earmark. It binds you to me.” With a languid flutter of his fingers, a deep blue energy emitted from them and seeped beneath her skin. The pulsing of her heartbeat was thrummed against his magic and he could feel it as if her heart itself were in the palm of his hand. With a final push, the energy ensnared her soul, wrapping around it like ivy on a vine and pressing in to leave behind an intricate lace of markings.

She shivered faintly and let out a short, sharp exhale. “It feels like ice.”

“It should not last long,” he assured her as he pulled his hand back. “Now, taking your memories will be painless; simply stand very still.”

As soon as he began to probe her memories, her eyes clouded over into a haze of milky white. In brief flashes, he could see through her eyes flashes of the past that she had hidden away. He could feel a tangled web of emotions, each vying for pride of place. He could hear a cacophony of her name echoing in millions of different tones and inflections. Each piece pulled at her, nearly tearing her apart from the tension about to snap. Extracting them was like sucking the poison from a wound, leaving a bitter residue behind. It had been left to fester for so long that in places the memories were like rot, but in time, they all came away. “You’re purely your own now,” Magnus whispered in Alana’s ear, and with that, he vanished from her side.

For a moment, he just stood in the alleyway behind the warehouse, breathing in the damp, cold air of the rain’s end. A few droplets dotted his face and neck, and he closed his eyes to savor it. In Edom, there was no such relief like a storm.

Suddenly, he felt a presence in the shadows, familiar and passive.

“Come to spy, angel?”

Emerging soundlessly, Alexander stood with his arms folded behind him like a soldier poised in wait.

Quirking an eyebrow, Magnus turned to face him directly. “Are you going to start a street brawl for what she willingly gave me?”

The guardian almost smiled at that, and it put Magnus more at ease. “What kind of idiot do you think I am? Actually, don’t answer that. I have a feeling I would not like the answer.” Shaking his head, Alexander continued. “I was here when Alana summoned you. But I… I decided you were right, Magnus.”

“Sorry?”

Despite himself, Alexander chuckled wryly. “I could be cast out for what I have done, but protecting the mortals entrusted to me is worth any price.”

Magnus looked at him skeptically. “Forgive me if I am hesitant to accept your truce, Alexander.”

“Who said anything about a truce?” Though his words were antagonistic, his tone was peaceable. “But I suppose I should thank you for what you taught me.”

Holding up a hand to stop him, Magnus shook his head. “Please, angel. We are not obliged to such extreme shows of good faith. Besides, Edom would freeze over, and then where would I be?”

Alexander awkwardly shifted closer. “Here’s hoping we remain acquaintances from afar.”

“As if,” Magnus waved off, pressing in closer until their chests were flush. “You like me too much.”

“I never said that,” Alexander managed breathlessly before leaning in to join their lips in a kiss that could grow a whole garden from Edom’s barren desert sand.

**

For all of its flaws, Magnus decided that he liked Brooklyn. Edom was his domain, but perhaps this could be his home.

Penthouse One had become more or less a safe haven, oddly enough. The balcony provided the perfect place for his morning meditations, the living room could host a great many guests, and the apothecary was quaint and studious. And perhaps he was indulging in feeling like a mortal at times, but what else was he to do when he was topside so frequently?

The soft click of the door opening made Magnus set down his martini and move towards the entryway curiously. In the hall, he saw a figure cloaked in a long black coat with a hood concealing their face. Boots stained with dirt and dried blood left a faint trail on the wood floor, and the bow over their shoulder was battered with scratches and dings.

“Alexander, you’re home early.”

Shaking his head free from the hood, Alexander revealed his bloodied face. “I gave myself the rest of the night off.”

With a disapproving tsk, Magnus guided his chin away from him to get a better look at the trails of crimson oozing down from his temple and cheekbone. “No rest for the wicked, hmm?”

Alexander rolled his eyes as he allowed Magnus to steer him to the couch. “I think I may have broken a rib,” grunted as he lowered himself onto a cushion.

“Take your jacket and shirt off so I can see.” Magnus gingerly sat beside him and helped to maneuver his arms from the sleeves. His knuckles faintly brushed Alexander’s upper back and his whole body tensed in reflex. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, carefully working around the cloth that covered two deep, distinct scars where Alexander’s wings had been ripped from his back some time ago. They looked much like his father’s. As soon as they worked together to peel Alexander’s t-shirt off, Magnus couldn’t help but lean over and brush his lips, faint as a whisper, against the point between his shoulder blades between the dark V-shaped scarring. “Now, let me take a look.”

“Here.” With some difficulty, Alexander rolled slightly to his left side, revealing a blossoming bruise against the side of his rib cage. After just a gentle probing of Magnus’ finger tips against the tender skin, he jerked away. “Fuck.”

“Was it worth the fight, Night Arrow?” Magnus asked with a faint smile, unearthing a package of alcohol swabs from the first aid kit they kept hidden beneath the couch for just such an occasion.

“Always. I have to do something, right?” The bitter edge in voice would likely always be there at the mention of his being cast down. The scars on his back were a reminder he would never need, because Magnus knew he could never forget.

Magnus himself would likely always be haunted by the events of the night Alexander fell from Heaven. The sight of him when he stumbled to Magnus’ door, drenched in sweat and pale as death as he bled through the scraps of fabric he had wrapped himself in still felt too unbearable to recall. Even as a mortal, he still found a way to dedicate himself to the protection of the innocent, and Magnus could never begrudge him that.

“There’s something else that might help,” he murmured, wincing as he scratched absently at the drying blood on his forehead.

Setting down the swabs, Magnus straightened up to look at him.

“A kiss.”

“A kiss,” Magnus echoed, a grin spreading across his lips. “What will you give me for it? Your everlasting soul?”

Alexander dropped his chin and his lips parted just enough to tenderly take Magnus’ finger into his mouth. His tongue was warm and soft, and Magnus felt that all too human feeling of butterflies in his stomach. Releasing him with a quiet pop, Alexander smiled. “That’s not mine to give anymore. It’s already yours.”

[thelightofthebane]

That sounds a lot like my work schedule last winter, it was Not Fun but I hope you're making the most of it and remember to take care of yourself! <3 <3 we'll all be here when you have the time again <3

Those moments when you think "Do I sleep or do I eat?" 😂😂 At least I'm drinking water 🤭

Thank you so much, Elle. You are always so sweet <3

[fistsandfangs]

listen i cannnot possibly pick a favorite fic okay I was just glancing through a few of them to try and I LOVE THEM ALL TOO MUCH. sorrynotsorry

baaaaaaaaaaaaabe you’re peach 🥰

tell me your favorite fic i’ve written!