#malec week 2018

[sixofsummoners]

 magnus bane & alec lightwood - malec week

“Time was something that moved in fits and starts for Magnus, dissipating like mist or like chains, but when Alec was there, Magnus’s time seemed to fall into an easy rhythm with Alec’s, like two heartbeats falling into sync.”

[endlesstalesofwonder]

Malec Week: Office AU

Hello! I’ve finally gotten this prompt done! Took me three/four times, but I got there eventually. Enjoy some Malec Office AU for Malec Week 2018!

*

Alec walked through the front doors of the New York office at promptly five in the morning where the sun had barely begun its ascension over the various skyscrapers and condos to alert those who dare wake up at the ungodly hour that it was time to start moving. Alec was one of those few.

It was necessary in his current business. Pandemonium was run by a fierce, yet passionate, man who deserved nothing but absolute perfection. Alec, of course, never saw it this way at first. He had just been the one who ran and got coffee for everyone and somehow made it to being the personal assistant of the number one himself; Magnus Bane. Intimidating, watchful, and keen would be the perfect words to describe him – along with asshole, The Warlock, and the workroom’s personal favorite, Satan himself. Alec would never report those back to Mr. Bane in fear of him making the majority of his business disappear, and his ego expanding to the size of Jupiter.

Alec prided himself on perfection and doing his absolute best to ensure the wellness of the entire team. His earliness meant an early start and, possibly, an early finish to a hard day’s work. He made the reports based on the previous day’s sales and marketing, as well as all interactions on their mobile site, and placed them on the desks of everyone in the social media management department. Then, he replaced the paper stock in the copy room; prepared all the strictly black making coffee machines in the break room; sent emails to the guys in IT – because something was always broken; and called people halfway across the world to tell them that Magnus Bane did not want to be caught dead in their clothing.

Mr. Bane – Alec always made the correction – was hardly ever on site. He found it more “productive”, as he once told a temp that dared to stare at him in awe, to be inspired on location, surrounded by culture and, again, “dozens of men and women for strictly professional arrangements.” Peru was one of his favorite destinations to travel to, and was currently residing for inspiration – “and a tan.”

There was an occasion that Mag – Mr. Bane – would stay at the office for a prolonged period of time, and it could be summed up into two little, frightening words: Fashion Week. The office was always turned upside down in the months prior to the event. People were running around, forgetting things, and possibly ruining their careers by acting so foolishly. Alec was the ones with the reigns, barking orders and demanding order amongst the chaos. There were another two weeks until that time of fire and brimstone, and Alec was prepared to handle it as he always did – with an iron fist.

Six eventually came around, after Alec drank a whole pot of coffee for himself, and his fellow coworkers started to flood in and go to their assigned desks and departments. John Underhill was always one of the first few to arrive. He, like Alec, would rather be half an hour early rather than half an hour late. He also managed to help Alec when he was in a particularly tight knot. He greeted him with a wave when he came in.

“Late night, Alec?” John commented, as he passed through to his desk closest to the main office.

There was a downside to working so much. Sleep, as much as it was a necessity, did not come easy the closer Pandemonium got to its “hot spots”, as Alec liked to call them. Fashion Week, commissions, holiday seasons were all hell, and it took a toll on all of them – especially Alec. “More like an early morning.”

A few others started straggling in: Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn from marketing; Mark Blackthorn from Human Resources; Maia Roberts from social media; a few others from the work room downstairs that Alec hardly had any affairs with, and last – and certainly the least – Raj.

Alec never made it a habit to learn the man’s last name. He believed that he would be fired within the first few weeks of him working the floor after the whole incident with the copy machine during the Christmas season. He didn’t see what Mr. Bane saw in him, but perhaps it was meant as a challenge to see if Alec could tame the untamable.

“Morning, Lightworm,” Raj greeted, then disappeared like he always did when he insulted him. Alec took it as a sign that he was afraid that he could do even worse than Mr. Bane ever could.

Pandemonium was finally bustling with chatter, the sound of cheap coffee, and the mix of typing keys and numbers into their computers. Alec settled himself behind his own desk, placed beside Mr. Bane’s for the sake of convenience, and started making his usual calls to clients and partners.

“Pandemonium, Mr. Bane’s office, please hold. Pandemonium, Mr. Bane’s office, please hold,” Alec repeated. When he clicked on the third line, the voice was familiar.

“Check your computer.”

Alec sighed. “John, you can’t call me on this line. I have a separate line especially for –”

“Check the damn chat, Alec.”

“Fine.” Alec hung up with a sharp click. He twisted his seat around towards his double monitored computer and spurred the thing to life. A little blue box popped up immediately on the screen along with a red dot displaying an array of messages left unread. He opened it, clicking on the chat room that some of the other employees had created and renamed accordingly.

The_Twenty-Fourth_Floor_of_HELL Chatroom [LIVE]

RAJJ: Morning losers

Emma_C: How did you get into this chat, Raj?

Emma_C: Sleep with IT again?

RAJJ: For your information Carstairs I don’t need to sleep with someone to have my way

Emma_C: Yeah, you just annoy the shit out of them

RAJJ has been removed from the chat.

Alec rolled his eyes. He scrolled down past the various attempts of kicking Raj out of the chat, and still he managed to find his way back in, until he got to the section that made his heart stop.

MarkB: Is something going on today?

JulesB1: No… Why?

Emma_C: What’s going on?

MarkB: There are people shuffling around every

MarkB: Shit

MarkB: CODE RED

R_ Maia: Heads up! Bane is here.

Underhill_J: He’s not supposed to be here for another week.

Emma_C: The Warlock is passing by

JulesB1: Why is he here?

thebestmanraj: Oh? Did pretty boy not tell you?

thebestmanraj: Bane dropped out of a business meeting after a scandal in Peru.

thebestmanraj: whoops

Thebestmanraj has been removed from the chat.

Alec lunged from his seat. He pushed past various interns and nobodies who were in his way, beelining it towards Underhill’s desk. He turned the corner and the man was already standing coffee and magazines in hand – both were Mr. Bane’s favorite’s and must-haves whenever he was in the office.

“You,” Alec said, grabbing them from the man, “are a lifesaver. I owe you one.”

“You owe me many. Now, move!”

Alec didn’t need to be told twice. He spun on his heel, sprinting back for his boss’ desk in hopes of beating him there. The room, thankfully, was empty. Alec fanned the most recent fashion magazines down on the corner of his desk, coffee in hand. He made sure, then double and triple checked to make sure the entire office was in perfect condition before moving to the front doors to greet Mr. Bane – Alec slams right into him. Crashing the coffee all over his seven hundred dollar shirt and jacket.

The workroom froze. Printers stopped working; fingers stopped moving; everyone stopped breathing in fear of their imminent death. Alec could only hear the hard thud of his heart beating away in his chest as if it could run away from this situation. Running, however, would make the situation much, much worse. And Raj was already looking far too smug from his corner of the room.

“Alexander.” It was never good when Mr. Bane used his full name. “Do watch where you’re going next time.”

Next time. Alec loosed a relieved breath. There was going to be a next time.

“Get me another coffee, Angela from downstairs – and everyone get back to work.”

A snap of his fingers, and the workroom resumed like a song put on pause. Everyone ignored the enormous elephant in the room – all except Raj who was clearly gossiping with a cute temp passing by – and Alec moved towards Underhill for the coffee, then in search of “Angela from downstairs.”

Alec escorted her all the way up two flights of stairs, claiming the elevator was “broken”. She smoothed out her skirt before entering, staying just beyond the field of reach outside of Mr. Bane’s desk. “You asked for me, sir.”

Magnus’ brilliantly sharp eyes found Alec’s. Alec ignored the fact that he was wearing a completely new outfit. “Close the door – and stay,” he added. “I’ll need a witness.”

A string of curses wafted through Alec’s head, and all of them threatened to leave his lips. He closed the door, staying in the corner of the room.

“Miss,” Magnus drawled.

It took a moment for the woman to reply with a light, “Woods.”

“Miss Woods. You’re fired.”

Alec’s heart jerked. Mr. Bane was nothing if not straightforward.

“But – But, why?” Ms. Woods blubbered, making her cheeks turn pink with unspilled tears.

Mr. Bane stood to his full, domineering height. His fingers, adorned carefully with different rings of shapes and sizes, danced over the front pages of the magazines splayed out for his choosing. Alec recognized one of them, the thin, twisted silver band on his pinkie, but was caught by an image hidden in the bottom of the magazine pile. Magnus picked the issue out, flipped it open to a precise page on the first try, and turned it around for Ms. Woods to see.

“Magnus Bane is seen managing his time in the comfort of others rather than in the solidarity of his own business. It would seem he cares more for his own success, an unnamed source claims,” Magnus continued, “If he spends this much time away, how will Pandemonium survive? Photos supplied by an anonymous source.”

Alec gulped. There could only be one thing –

“Your boyfriend is Axel Mortmain, correct?” Magnus kept pushing the subject, drawing it out and making the poor woman sweat in the very hole she had dug.

“Yes, but –”

“And he works with Trendy Magazine, correct?”

“Yes,” she ground out. “But –”

Mr. Bane held up a single finger, silencing her as he took the argument home. “Did you, or did you not, supply him with these claims and photos of my personal life?”

“You’re hardly around!” She exclaimed, and Alec knew she had nailed and sealed her own coffin shut. “I was venting to my boyfriend after a long day of sitting behind a desk – Why are you laughing? Are you laughing at me?”

Magnus was chuckling. It wasn’t the same one that made his eyes crinkle at the edges, or bend over to regain his breath. It was deep, dark and a sinister sound that Mr. Bane only used to prove a point.

He flipped to the next page, and amidst the various photos clearly taken from afar, he pointed a slim finger to the passage near the bottom. “Can you explain this to me?”

Alec had to bend forward to see what it was. The words were printed in a much larger font than the rest, bringing all attention to its phrase.

He’s just as bad as his father.

“Is this from sitting behind a desk? Did you bang your knee on one of the drawers and think, Magnus Bane is just as bad as his father?” Ms. Woods stayed perfectly still. Her hands poised tight against her sides. “That’s what I thought.”

Magnus slowly turned and took his seat behind his desk. Ms. Woods had been tossed out of his peripheral, as far as conversations went. He ignored her fuming in the middle of his office.

Alec moved to get the door. It was clear to anyone that they were done, ties cut and bridges burned, but Ms. Woods would not stand down.

“You can’t fire me,” she sputtered. Alec made a move towards her wrist, and she swung, missing his cheek by an inch.

Mr. Bane straightened once again. “And why can’t I?”

“I’ve been working her for years! I’ve put my heart and soul into this place and to throw it all away would be –”

“Alexander has been working here for twice – three times as long as you have or ever will. You are a speck of dust in comparison. Why would I keep dirt around?” With that, Ms. Woods was done. Magnus turned to his computer. “You have an hour to get out of the building, and if not, security will be happy to remove you.”

Alec opened the doors for good this time. He walked her as far as the elevator to ensure that she didn’t stir anything else up on the workroom floor. He hit the little button, a green arrow springing to life, and the doors split open.

Ms. Woods’ hand shot out just before they could close. “I wasn’t wrong.”

Alec sighed. “Ms. Woods, please leave.”

“You’ll see. He’s just like his father, and you know it.”

Asmodeus Bane was Magnus’ father, true. He used to own a large, entrepreneurial company in Indonesia, then Los Angeles and New York that had turned sour with reports of embezzlement, poor working conditions and pay, and unsportsmanlike conduct of business transactions, which were also true. He had almost roped in Magnus to work with him, but he declined, cut all ties with his father, and made his own life, career, name. Magnus Bane was most definitely not like his father – he was much better.

“All I know is that you have wasted five minutes of your hour to leave. You better get moving.”

Ms. Woods removed her hand, allowing the doors to almost close before saying, “He doesn’t deserve you.”

The doors clicked close, leaving Alec standing there with her last words rolling right off his shoulders. He had heard them many times in the time he had been working at Pandemonium. He accepted this job without so much as a single idea of what fashion really was, or how to dress properly around other people. He doesn’t deserve you, had been a motto, a fact that Alec was determined to break down and change into, He deserves you.

Alec made his way back to the main floor, which was busy but carefully listening for aftershocks of the afternoon. “Get back to work,” he barked, and all eyes turned away. Underhill approached, saddling up to him and handing him another coffee. Alec never knew how he could get it so fast. “Thanks.”

Alec went back to Magnus’ office with the new coffee in hand, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t the solution to their problem. Magnus was still seated at his desk, computer abandoned, a single hand running through his hair without end and turning his neat hair flip into wrecked strands. Alec said nothing and sat the coffee next to him.

Magnus muttered a weak, “Thank you,” in exchange. He didn’t reach for it.

Alec felt the need to say, “You are not your father,” but the words wouldn’t do the justice that Magnus deserved now. He needed a distraction. “What happened in Peru,” he asked instead.

Magnus scoffed. His hands stopped and rested on the edge of the desk. He uninterestedly played with the corner of one of the magazines.

Play with me, Alec’s eyes practically begged. Tease me. Do something. Magnus was notoriously messing with Alec’s head, sending him on bogus errands and calling random numbers. It was his way of breaking him into the job and showing Alec how he worked.

Finally, Magnus cracked, a small pull of his lip upwards into a smirk as he recalled his excursion. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I would,” Alec countered.

“Don’t you read the papers?”

“I’m more of a hearing-it-from-the-source kind of guy.”

A wider smirk, and a pause. “There was a lot of alcohol involved.”

“Naturally.” Alec silenced with a ringed finger pointed at him though it held no seriousness. Not as it had been with Ms. Woods.

“Let’s say I am no longer welcome in the country.”

“Magnus,” Alec breathlessly chuckled. Of all the people who would be able to be kicked out of a country, and banned, Magnus would be one of them.

A familiar spark returned to Magnus’ eyes, gratefully. His fingers played with a bead on his necklace, rolling them back and forth as he scanned Alec’s figure. “Shouldn’t it be Mr. Bane?”

“Shouldn’t I be Mr. Lightwood?” Alec countered.

Magnus fingers stilled, and a natural coy smile crept to his face. There it is, Alec thought. “Touché. Careful, I may fire you for being too cocky.”

“I’ve been told it’s one of my finer qualities.” By you.

The man leaned back, a hand creeping up the side of his neck and towards the golden ear cuff he was adamant on wearing at all times. “Indeed.”

Alec’s gaze flickered to the cuff which Magnus was playing with. He smiled, then nodded to the door. “Come on.”

“Why?”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Magnus rose an eyebrow. “Fine. Overflow. You need to get out of the office.”

Overflow was a whole floor dedicated to displaced outfits and unused cuts of past seasons’ clothing. It was the one place where prior year’s runway duds go to die. It also happened to be one of Magnus’ favorite places to drag Alec – it had been one of those ridiculous errands and favors – to try on horrendous outfits.

“You don’t need to do that, Alexander. I’m fine.”

“I know you are.” Alec meant it. “You are early, however. We expected you in two weeks and nothing is prepared.”

Magnus, posing in protest, stood and made his way around to his assistant. “Nothing?”

“Nothing?” Alec mocked. “I have not worked here this long to be unprepared. Everything’s ready, but I think having a little fun takes precedence.”

“Fun? Who are you?”

“The best assistant ever –” Magnus made a face. “Really? Because I was thinking of trying on that piece from Jeremy Scott. You know, the one with the leather –”

“Let’s go,” Magnus snapped, grabbing Alec’s wrist and pulling him out of the office and towards the elevator, Alec laughing the entire way. He made sure to tell Underhill that Mr. Bane was not taking any more calls, and to watch over his station until he returned. When Underhill asked for how long, and Magnus tugged impatiently on his arm, Alec managed a quick later before being dragged away.

 Underhill closed Mr. Bane’s office, then settled at the desk mirrored from Alec’s. He logged into his server, then the chatroom.

The_Twenty-Fourth_Floor_of_HELL Chatroom [LIVE]

therajster: Lightwood’s dead. He has to be.

Emma_C: About time.

Emma_C: You owe me 20, Jules.

JulesB1: Nope. You owe me.

JulesB1: You said Monday AFTERNOON. It’s clearly still the AM.

therajster: what’s going on?

MarkB: Nothing.

Emma_C: Really?

Underhill_J: He’s a goner.

R_Maia: I knew it

therajster: that’s what i said

therajster: He’s def getting fired.

therajster: Hello?

therajster: I can see you’re still here.

Emma_C: Are you blind or just stupid?

therajster: Excuse you?

Underhill_J I can’t.

Underhill_J has left the chat.

Emma_C has left the chat.

therajster: What’s going on?

32 others have left the chat.

therajster: What just happened?

therajster: Hello?

 “Are you serious?” Alec laughed at the screen on Magnus’ phone. The chatroom was exploding with comments from everyone, especially Raj, all of which had something to do with the pair of them disappearing.

He settled on the couch in the back of Overflow, pulling Magnus onto his lap. “How long have you been logged in?”

“Day one. Who do you think moderates this thing?” Magnus scoffed. “I can’t let people go off on their own and talk about me. Remember this: I have eyes and ears everywhere.” Magnus pushed a finger into the upper corner of Alec’s peck. He pushed it away.

“Everywhere-everywhere?”

A small noise of approval, similar to a thick purr, came from the back of his throat.

“You’re insatiable.”

“And don’t you know it,” Magnus quipped. One of his ringed hands ran through his locks. “I don’t know how Raj keeps getting back into the system though. He should be kept out until he’s invited back in by an existing user.”

“Mhmm,” Alec hummed, not really listening anymore. His face dipped into the notch of Magnus’ neck and shoulder, breathing in deeply the scent that was irrevocably Magnus. “Are we going to talk about Raj the whole day?”

“Do you have something else in mind?”

Alec pried himself from Magnus’ closeness, peering up and towards a pile of clothing. “I’d like to see you in that.”

“That?” Magnus pointed towards the same piece Alec was glaring at. “That’s a scrap of cloth.”

“I know.”

Here’s the link for the outfit Alec said he’d wear:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjY9MLU75_cAhUCVK0KHQ0TD3QQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosmopolitan.com%2Fstyle-beauty%2Ffashion%2Fadvice%2Fg1517%2Fworst-runway-looks-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2012%2F&psig=AOvVaw2r89vTpCjdgVxr9i7npbHv&ust=1531701707914592

[ariadnebridgestock]

for⠀m a l e c⠀week⠀2 0 1 8 ! ! ! ♡

a n y t h i n g ? ⠀ a n y t h i n g . ⠀

w h a t ⠀ d o ⠀ y o u ⠀ w a n t ? ⠀

e v e r y t h i n g . ⠀ y o u .⠀ ♡

[spoonkiller03]

Black, With One of Sugar

“And come back,” Magnus said.

“Of course I will,” the businessman answered [...] and looked back at Magnus with the blush on his cheeks again. “After all, this is my favorite coffee shop… With my favorite barista.”

Read it here on Ao3

Day 5 of the Malec Week: Coffee Shop!AU

[just-a-glittery-fan]

Malec Space AU for Malec week, Day 4.

"Er... This isn't what I imagined you'd look like"

He said, out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Magnus asked, with a cute confused frown on his face.

"Not green, with a normal sized head, incredibly pretty, able to understand english, with a normal height..." Alec grimaced "Sorry, I'm rambling"

Those beautiful cat eyes were glistening when Magnus answered

"So, you think I'm pretty, huh?"

Or

The one where Alec is an astronaut left behind by his crew on an unknown planet. It's just his luck that aliens are real and very very beautiful.

[alexcastro-me]

What are you thinking about Malec?

[merry-w]

Day 5 of the Malec Week: Coffee Shop 

hace algunos años dibuje esto en base aun fanfic que amo de mi querida  icedfenix y como este año no prepare algo  y el tema coincide aquí esta

10 meses, 10 años Tras vivir toda su vida rodeado de lujo e hipocresía, Magnus decide marcharse durante un año al pequeño pueblo de Idris. Allí descubrirá que, quizás, todo lo que siempre le ha faltado en su vida son unos maravillosos ojos azules.

[endlesstalesofwonder]

Malec Week - Sports AU

I absolutely love malec week and seeing what other writers, artists, and other creative people can do. 

*

Alec loved nothing more than to watch his son play baseball. The bat was too large for his body, even if it was designated as a child’s; the helmet - that all the other players had to wear - was snug and made his head appear twice as large; and he tried to the best of his ability. One game, Max had swung his bat so hard that it made his entire body turn in a full circle. It almost made the boy barf, but they talked about how they won that particular game the entire ride home.

Alec never really knew why Max had the sudden desire to play the sport. The burst came in the middle of one of their favorite dinners - macaroni and cheese - and every meal since then Alec never heard talk about anything else. He signed him up a week later.

Max has significantly improved since the first day of practice. Then, he could barely pick up the bat, and now, he could run to first base faster than most of the other boys on his team. Amazing, Alec prided himself, but it was hell when he used that speed to avoid doing his chores around the house.

Alec cheered from his high spot in the bleachers. It allowed him the best view of the field and baseball diamond without having to sit among a sea of single moms trying to squeeze his biceps. Max was in the field amongst his fellow players, practicing throwing and catching the ball with another boy, Jacob.

A cool breeze in the spring air pushed the shrill sound of the umpire’s whistle towards the sidelines. Alec pulled down further on his Alicante Angel’s cap to keep the wind from pushing his hair around frantically. It also proved to be an excellent barrier against every unwanted conversation.

“Is this spot taken?”

Almost every conversation, he corrected. Alec looked up at the figure who was speaking to him. The sun made the man appear to be one massive black blob with a strange height to his head. There were plenty of other spots scattered around the bleachers, and several sideline shots for those who brought their own chairs or blankets, and yet this man had to choose the spot directly beside him.

No, was the thing he wanted to say. “Sure,” was the word that left his lips.

The man uttered a soft thanks before taking his seat. The Angel’s coach barked out the first batter of the afternoon – Jacob. His fellow teammates, Max especially, cheered for him as he took his spot beside the home plate. Alec cheered as well alongside other parents.

“Is that your son?” the man beside him asked.

“What? No. Mine is fourth in the line. Blue socks,” Alec noted, because all the other boys have black socks. “He never takes them off.”

The man chuckled. “That’s cute.”

Jacob missed the first throw. The crowd groaned.

“Focus, Frazer. Focus. Eye on the ball,” Coach ordered. “Focus.”

Alec shook his head. “He doesn’t respond well when he does that,” he said, and Jacob missed the second throw.

“Think you can do better?”

Alec gestured to the boy. “He needs to choke up on the bat. He can’t swing the whole length of the bat and it’s affecting his game. He’s also too far back in the batter’s square. Any coach should know that.”

“Strike three – you’re out!”

Alec turned to the man beside him. The sun hit his eyes just right that set the gold flecks on fire. “I know I can do better.”

“I’m Magnus.”

“Alec. Baseball-Dad extraordinaire.”

Magnus chuckled. “I can believe that.”

The second batter was a taller boy, David. He was good at hitting consistently, but his field work needed improvement. He got the Angel’s onto the board at second base. The crowd went absolutely wild.

“Where’s your son?” Alec asked finally.

Magnus creased his brow. He arched to see over the wall of hair in front of him – his fault for getting there after the women did – and eased back into his seat, unsuccessful. “He’s somewhere on the field. Opposite team unfortunately.”

Of course, he thought. “Then I wish your team the best of luck.”

Magnus’ mouth dropped in feigned awe. “Confident, are we?”

“Always.”

The man hummed in what Alec could only call approval. A sudden heat shot through his spine and it had nothing to do with the sun. “We’ll see about that.”

Tavvy took the plate next, and got onto first. David stayed on the second base when running to third was not the best move. The next boy, number seven – Alec couldn’t remember all the boys’ names, pushed all three of them into having the bases loaded.

Max was next in the batting line.

Alec had full confidence that Max could bring in at least one of the boys for a run point. They had practiced plenty of times in their local park batting and aiming for weak points in the field.

“C’mon Max. C’mon,” he muttered behind his clasped hands. Full faith, he reminded himself. What he lacked in hitting, Max made up with speed. He could do this.

Max’s bat hit the ball with a sickening crack, flying high enough in the air that the boys went scattering just trying to see it without looking straight into the sun. It was too sharp of a hit, Alec immediately noticed, but Max was already sprinting. The ball came to the ground amidst the panic and the boy protecting first picked it up, tagged Max an inch before the bag, and swung it towards home before David could get there.

Double-play.

“Shit,” Alec couldn’t help swearing, in awe. “That was… amazing.”

Max stood beside first, stunned. He rubbed the back of his neck, a mirror image of his father no doubt in that moment, and took his seat among his fellow teammates as they switched positions on the field.

From his side, Magnus was smiling. He cheered with the other parents of the opposing team, shouting names and numbers of the team.

He turned, facing Alec with a face full of pride – merely bravado. “Still feeling confident?”

“Yes,” Alec found Max on the field, waving from his spot in the center. “Yes, I am.”

Alec unknowingly battled Magnus the whole game. When Magnus cheered for every run scored by their team – the Edom Hellhounds – Alec scoffed so only the man could hear. He shouted louder whenever his team caught the ball and earned an out.

It was clear for Alec to see that the star of the Hellhounds was number two, the same boy who made that amazing double play on his son. He has racked up a total of five runs and ten outs – practically unheard of in little league baseball. Unfortunately – fortunate for them – he was the first batter of the eighth inning.

Alec hated himself for grinning when the boy missed the first ball thrown at him. He missed the second one too. Magnus slumped further beside him, and it was worth the slouch. This was the worst the boy has performed by far. The third ball flew straight down the middle of the plate and cracked loud and hard against the metal of his bat. That thing went flying across the field, further than any of the boys had prepared – all except Max.

Max had read the field, just as Alec had told him to do, and drew further than his fellow teammates. The ball was sailing right down his path, and with extended hands, landed perfectly into the palm of the young boy’s glove.

“Yes!” Alec jumped up.

Max waved the ball in his hand before tossing it back towards the pitcher. The batter took his spot beside his team, stunned as Max had been with his out, and the game resumed.

The next few outs weren’t as exciting as the rest of the game. Every boy was quick with the snap of their wrists and push of their feet. Alec would definitely join Max in the discussion of this game on their way home.

A sharp shrill of Magnus’ phone interrupted the last few moments of the game. Ignoring the first few rings, the call tried again and Magnus was forced to answer it. “Sorry,” he mouthed, raising to take the call somewhere beyond the dozens of ears that surrounded him. “This better be good…”

Alec drew his attention back to the game. They were tied, and the Angels only needed a single run to win. A boy was on third, and the final boy, number eleven, took stance. His first swing was a foul, sending the ball straight into the arched cage above them and getting stuck. Alec put all his energy and hope into the second throw. The boy swung, and hit it towards second – where number two was waiting.

The boy was a step beside the ground ball. He dove, digging his knees into the gravel to scoop the ball into his glove and throw it towards first. The boy had made it, and so did the one on third – earning the Angels their victory.

Alec, and the others, went crazy, as did the boys on the bench. The teams finished their final play, and then met in the center for their meet and greet. Although Alec did find Max first, his attention as turned back towards Hellhound number two. The boy was at the very end, limping – and trying to hide the fact – through the entire act.

Instinct driving him, Alec rose and made his way through the sea of standing and moving parents and towards the field. Max, who was also at the end of his line, clasped the other boy’s hand and murmured something to him. Alec could hear the two boys exchange greetings, followed by a curt, “Good game.”

Alec approached the pair. He ruffled his son’s hair, then turned to the Hellhound. “Are you okay?”

The boy kept his face blank. “I’m fine.” His bottom lip tucked behind one of his teeth indicated he was definitely not fine.

“Sit down. Let me have a look.” Alec led the young player towards the empty bench of the bottom bleacher. He reluctantly took a seat.

“I’m fine,” the boy tried again. His face twisted into a tight wince when Alec prodded the fabric above his dirt-ridden knees.

“I’m going to roll up your pants, okay?” The boy nodded. Alec took his time to carefully roll back the fabric. He loosed a relief breath at the sight of perfectly skinned knees rather than full blown injuries. “Max, can you bring me your bag? Thank you.”

Alec always made sure his son’s bag had a simple first aid kits for things like this. Granted, Alec thought it would be used on Max rather than other children, but having it on hand proved useful. Alec pressed the crisp band-aid onto the slight cut at the base of his knee.

“Rafael, are you okay?”

Alec recognized the voice – the man that sat beside him on the bleacher. Magnus.

“I’m fine, papa,” Rafael huffed. “Promise.”

“I leave for two seconds…”

Alec knew where Magnus was already going. He remembered talking in circles about himself when Max first started playing too. “Rafael is going to be just fine. It should be healed in a day or two, and then a bruise for longer. Nothing a little care and whimsical storytelling can’t fix.”

Rafael looked up, intrigued. “Storytelling?”

“Sure. Tell your friends that you fought of ninjas or kicked a shark.”

The boy scoffed. Alec was only trying to be helpful, lighten the mood of the child and redirect the attention off of any pain – “Ninjas. As if. It’s gotta be pirates all the way.”

Alec smiled. “Sure thing.”

“I like pirates,” Max contributed, sparking an entirely new conversation with the other boy about who the best captain would be and what ship would sail fastest.

Alec turned at the warm touch on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Alec shook his head, looking back towards their two sons talking away at a hundred words a minute, “I’d want the same for my son.”

“I want to.” There was a sense of longing behind his voice, and Alec truly wanted to see the man again. “When can I see you again?”

Alec gulped. “Well… The next game is in three weeks, I think. Same place. Same time.”

Magnus chuckled. The glimmer in his eyes was back, sparkling brighter than before. “I was hoping before then.”

“Oh.” Alec’s cheeks flared with a sudden heat. His brain became a muddled mess of words, noises, and unattained desire – but all Alec could do was wrestle through Max’s bag for what he needed. When finished, he straightened, set his face, and gave Magnus a baseball.

With his number on it.

“Call me,” Alec choked out. “Or text. I don’t mind. Whatever. Use it?”

“I can do that.” Magnus’ smile, chuckle, everything were things Alec wanted to see and hear all the time. “Are you always so straightforward?”

“And confident.”

Another dazzling smile. “I never doubted you.”

Someone cleared their throat from behind them. “Can we go home now, papa?”

There were no other parents or teammates anywhere remotely near the baseball diamond. It was already flooded with the next pair of teams.

It was Magnus’ turn to blush. The pink color only darkened the tanned skin of his cheeks. The embarrassment, however, had reached his eyes. “Of course. Thank Alec for helping you.”

“Thanks, Alec.” The quip of his name shot straight through Alec’s chest and killed any fire burning there – if there had been one in the first place.

“We’ll see you soon,” Magnus winked, and Alec all about fell to the group in a puddle of mixed emotions.

The pair weren’t even out of earshot of the Lightwood boys when Rafael asked, “Is he gonna be your boyfriend?”

Alec couldn’t hear what he had said, but Rafael could be heard clearly over anything else. “But he’s on the other team!”

Magnus stopped, bent his entire body over and laughed. Alec couldn’t help it either. Rafael wasn’t far off from the truth.

Max poked his father. “Can we go now?”

Alec ruffled his son’s hair, pulling his under his arm before kissing the top of his head. “Sure, blueberry. We can go.”