“It’s a tournament. James won the grand prize. Q offered him an alternative prize.” Commissioned by @timetospy from the effervescent and ever magnificent @procoffeinating. I absolutely adore my Christmas present and am actually crying right now from joy. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
When Alec opened the door of his office, he never expected music to be blaring from the living room. Especially, Disney music. He had some urgent paperwork that needed to be finished before the end of the day – something that had to do with the increasing activity of rogue vampire dens and werewolf packs around the skirts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It was a simple job to get done, so he left his boys to the mercy of the television set that Magnus insisted that they have, even though they now had a television in almost every room of the flat.
Now I'm the King of the Swingers, oh
The jungle VIP
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what botherin' me
Alec followed the strange lyrics and its accompanying music to the living room, where both boys were actively engaging with the song on play. Rafael was standing by the television screen holding a large serving spoon from the kitchen, pretending to sing to Max, who was sitting on the edge of the couch swinging his legs in motion with the beat.
I wanna be a man, man-cub
And stroll right into town
And be just like those other men
I'm tired of monkeyin' around!
Alec stood there, leaning against the side of the wall without announcing his presence to the boys and just watched them have fun. He had seen them plenty of times having fun, but things like this – something so silly and free – it was making his chest tight with bursts of happiness. Rafael continued his performance, throwing in some notes and words that didn’t really make any sense but it worked with the song.
Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll see it's true an ape like me
Can learn to be human just like you
“Dad!” Max cried out and leapt from his dent in the couch to hug the sides of his legs. Alec immediately accommodated his youngest son by hauling him up into his arms. Alec noticed the older boy pause the continuous flow of music and hide the spoon behind his back.
“What’s going on here?”
“Nothing.”
“Rafe.” Alec paused to allow him to explain, but Max intervened by grabbing the sides of Alec’s face and smiling so wide and bright that Alec thought he might burst.
“We’re having a dance party!”
Alec’s eyebrows rose in feigned surprise. “A dance party?”
Max giggled and wiggled slightly to give Alec a hint that he wanted to be set down, and he did. Max ran back over to the DVD player and promptly pressed the play button to resume the scene of the animated film with talking monkeys and a small boy. Alec had no clue what movie it was, but it would seem that he’d need to educate himself soon.
“Can I join?” Alec asked and Max clapped with a string of yes responses.
“Really?” Rafael scrunched his face. “You’re…”
“I’m, what?”
“Old.”
Alec scoffed, his mouth left agape. “I’m not old.”
Rafe sighed with the same huff that Magnus had used plenty of times with him. Alec could even hear him in his head murmuring the same word: duh. “You’re older than me.”
“Well I sure hope so. I am your dad, afterall.”
Rafe nodded his head as though considering the new information. Meanwhile, the lyrics continued to stream in:
Now don't try to kid me, man-cub
I've made a deal with you
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true
“Man club?”
Max sighed this time and slapped a palm to his forehead. Rafe shook his head, but there was a smile on his face as he went to the machine to start the scene over from the beginning. When he finished, he whispered something to Max and the younger boy sprinted off and returned with two more spoons. “You have a lot to learn, dad.”
Meanwhile, Magnus had had a long day of work. He had portalled to Portugal for a meeting on some spirits that were haunting the cemeteries, and then to France for a faerie territory arrangement gone bad, and then finally stopped by the Institute to see if he could sneak a peek of Alexander doing “important Clave business” but Jace had told him he never even came in today. He had called in for a home-stay day. Magnus considered taking a day like that for himself.
He was exhausted by the time he got to the door of his apartment. He pushed the door open, his presence – and magic – the key to opening the door rather than an actual key like his Alexander had. It was much more convenient than an actual key.
The moment he opened the door, the soft flow of quick music came flooding into his senses and he recognized the tune immediately from The Jungle Book. It was one of his favorite films to play – and watch – with the boys. He dropped his things on the table beside the door and made sure it was closed before venturing into the musical depths of his home.
In the living room, Magnus watched his husband, in socks, slide across the floor during a guitar solo while pretending the broom was the guitar itself, playing like his life depended on it. Beside him, Rafe was standing on the couch rocking out and Max was trying to copy him in the best way that he could.
Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll see it's true an ape like me
Can learn to be human too
“If this is what all personal days look like, I’d love to take plenty of them.”
“Papa!” both boys cried out and rushed to the man’s side to give hugs and kisses as greetings, but Magnus was waiting for one greeting in particular. He waited until his Alexander slide – literally slid with his socks on – up into his side – nearly knocking both of them into the wall (not that he wouldn’t mind) – and grabbed his waist to pull him into a nice, slow kiss.
“Gross.”
“Ew.”
They kiss before they leave for work, when they come back, during breakfast, during dinner. It was nothing out of the ordinary. And yet, their kids act as though it was the first time ever seeing it.
Alec eventually pulled away, although Magnus wouldn’t mind being kissed to oblivion every time he walked through the door. It would certainly get rid of any tiredness in his bones.
“Welcome home.”
Magnus hummed, smiling to himself at the amount of happiness that he could feel in the air. “Care to explain?”
Both Alec, and the boys, all said something along the lines of “music”, “dance party” and “Disney”. Magnus was able to connect the dots and sounded his approval.
“Would you like to join us? I happen to be an expert air-guitarist.”
“Says you,” Rafe snorted then chuckled when Alec glared at him, but he meant to offense.
Magnus accepted, nodding and then lead his group of rowdy boys back to the living room – socks and guitars and all. Max showed him how to use the spoon as a microphone and then had Rafael set the song over again. The four of them played until their throats went hoarse and the night was long gone, with love and happiness wafting in the summer air.
New art!!!!! @procoffeinating, the genius I adore, has finished a new commission!!! This pairs with my story Be The One You Bleed, in which Q is a mage and a vampire, and James is the newly crowned king of England. I’ll be adding the art into the story soon. Story link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/7658326/chapters/17437978
LOOK AT THIS!!!!! I commissioned @procoffeinating to do a piece inspired by a scene from my fic Been Waiting My Whole Life (For Someone Like You). I’m still screaming about it.
