Hi! I hope you like it! This is just part of the idea I had, soooo if you’re VERY patient this might turn into a longer fic, but I do have a lot of other stuff I’m writing so it might be a while. I hope you like it!! <3
Foiled Plans
Alec steps into the ballroom and does a perfunctory perimeter sweep. Pressing his fingers to his ear he talks quietly into his hand, “I’m in, all clear for now,” before he straightens and and moves further into the room.
“Good, try and get eyes on the target, in and out,” Hodges voice sounds in his ear.
Alec puts his hand back on his ear, and talks into his wrist, “Affirmative,” he scans the room, before he spots the target, the target is talking to another man with his back to him across the room, towards the bar, Alec starts to make his way towards him, “Eyes on the target, preparing to make contact.”
“Alright, be careful, remember, subtly is key,” Hodge reminds him.
“And turn on you button camera, I want to see if it works,” Simon’s excited voice sounds through the piece. Alec moves his hand to the button on his suit jacket. “Awesome, wow, that’s a fancy dress,” Simon says, which Alec takes as confirmation the button works.
As Alec winds his way through guests, never taking his eyes off the target, the man talking to him turns just at the right time for Alec to catch sight of his face.
Alec’s first thought is shit for two reasons, one, the man is insanely attractive, and two because that man is Magnus Bane.
Magnus Bane would be on the Top Ten Spies in the world if such a list existed. (Which it might, but that information is confidential.)
“Shit,” he said out loud, and a few old ladies turned to look at him disapprovingly. Alec moved quickly into an alcove to the side. “Did you guys see that?” he asked into his earpiece.
“What? What happened?” Hodge asks.
“Magnus Bane is here, talking to the target.”
“Damnit,” Hodge muttered, “Get him out of there, Alec, I don’t care how you do it, just get him away from the target. We can approach the target a separate time, Jace can do it if you have to blow your cover.”
“Why?” Alec asked, peeking out, Magnus was still talking to the target.
“Because his agency can’t get this information, if they get it we can’t, and we’ll be a step behind the Circle!” Hodge snapped.
“Okay, okay, I’m going in,” Alec said, and he stepped away from alcove and approached the two men.
Alec pasted a fake, and vapid smile on his face, and his most Jace-like walk as he approached the two men. When he reached them he reached out and Magnus’ arm, looping his through.
“Mon amour, il faut que tu goûtes le vin qu'ils servent ici. C'est le parfait assemblage, tu vas l'adorer.” he said, and without waiting, or even acknowledging the other man, Alec began to pull Magnus away.
“Excuse me a moment, darling,” Magnus said in English to the target, before turning to Alec and speaking in rapid French, “Que faites-vous? Et qui êtes-vous?”
“I’m sorry, I was saving you from a dreadfully boring conversation, Mr. Malachi, as attractive as he might be, he is dull as doorknob,” Alec said, smiling flirtatiously, and, taking a leaf out of Jace’s book, threw caution to the wind and drew his eyes up Magnus’ body and drawled, “I’m much better company.”
Magnus smiled slowly, “Oh, well in that case, I guess I’ll let you rescue me. Would you care for a drink, pretty boy?”
Alec’s cheeks flushed, shit, he hadn’t actually been prepared to entertain Magnus. What had he gotten himself into?
“Keep him occupied, Alec,” Hodge said in his ear. Easy for him to say.
“Uh, sure.”
“What’s your name?” Magnus asked as he led the way towards the bar.
“Alec…and yours?”
“Magnus, now what would you like to drink? That wine that you recommended perhaps?” Magnus suggested, a smirk taking over his mouth.
“Oh, um…I didn’t actually have a wine….you just looked like someone who liked wine…so,” Alec mumbled, his blush deepening as he sat on the barstool next to Magnus.
Magnus chuckled, “I thought so, that’s alright, as it happens I do drink wine, so I know a thing or two.”
Alec leaned on the table and let Magnus talk to the bartender. Two wine glasses are placed in front of them and Alec reaches for one, taking a long sip.
“So, Alec, is that short for Alexander?” Magnus asks, taking a much smaller sip of wine.
“Uh, yes, it is, but nobody really calls me that,” he says.
“Well, you’ll find I’m not just anybody. Now, what brings a handsome man like yourself here on a night like tonight?”
“I could ask the same thing of you,” Alec says, trying to sidestep the question.
“Oh, but I asked first, didn’t I?” Magnus replies, a smirk twisting his lips.
“I suppose you did, and I’m sure my answer is very similar to yours,” Alec said. Jesus, this conversation was exhausting.
“Well, you should tell me your answer, and we’ll see,” Magnus said. Goddamnit he was good at this.
Alec sighed, and gave in, “I’m here for work related reasons, or I was.”
“Your were? What happened?” Magnus asked.
Alec shrugged, “Nothing important, why are you here?”
“Mm, like you said similar reasons, although my work was also foiled. But that doesn’t matter now. Tell me about yourself, Alexander.”
“Well, only if you agree to tell me about you,” Alec said. He isn’t sure he’s ever been this smooth in his life, but maybe all that time waiting and watching Jace has paid off.
“A deals a deal, now, what is your favorite color?” Magnus said, smiling brightly.
Alec is taken aback for a moment, for a spy Magnus seems to be very open with his expressions, but Alec can just see a little bit past what his eyes are saying, to the guarded look that’s behind his smile.
Blinking back to the present, Alec answers, “Black.”
“But black isn’t a real color,” Magnus protests.
“While technically speaking black isn’t a color, by definition black absorbs all other colors, so I consider it a color,” Alec states. He has heard that argument one to many times from Isabelle to let it go so easily.
Magnus lets out a startled laugh, and Alec foolishly thinks that he wants that sound on repeat. He has to remind himself that this is temporary, whatever it is, Magnus is an assignment, Alec is following orders right now, he has to remember that.
“Well, that’s certainly a well phrased argument,” Magnus says.
“What’s your favorite color, as long as we’re on the subject?”
“Mm, I don’t know, I’m partial to them all, it depends on my mood, for instance, right now I’m partial to this beautiful shade of hazel…” Magnus said.
Alec felt the color flood to his cheeks, and he looked away, across the room. Magnus is an assignment, he reminds himself again.
They talk until they finish their drinks, Alec scans the room for Mr. Malachi and when he sees that he has disappeared he feels disappointment curl in his gut when he should’ve felt relief, the target being gone means that Alec has successfully distracted Magnus. It also means, however, that Alec is expected to leave, and will probably never see Magnus again.
“Well, it seems I must be off,” Magnus says, as he checks his watch, “Walk me out, will you?”
“Sure,” Alec said, and got up, startling a little as Magnus looped an arm through his.
The walk was silent, until they were waiting for the valet to bring Magnus’ car around.
“I hope to see you again, Alexander,” Magnus said, candidly.
“I…” Alec considered for a moment doing the smart thing, but as looked into Magnus’ captivating eyes he found himself throwing caution to the wind, “I would like that very much.”
“Perhaps, another time, when we are not both working…” Magnus suggested, as he slipped a card into Alec’s front pocket, “Alexander Lightwood.”
Alec couldn’t even be surprised that Magnus knew who he was, this was Magnus Bane they were talking about, still, he wasn’t about to let Magnus one up him.
“That would be ideal, Magnus Bane.”
Without waiting for a response, Alec turned and walked away.
We had 100 signups which is amazing for a new(ish) fandom!
We hope everyone had as much fun participating as we had with organising it!
A special thank you to the amazing Angels that helped us out when we required backup gifts, we really appreciate you guys helping out, it meant that no one was left without a gift :)
The AO3 Collection has also been made public, you can still add your works to it if you’d like!
Hope to see everyone again next year!
Bern & Leonie
*`*`*`*`*`*
Click on the read more to find out who was your anonymous giftsmaker and go shower them in lots of love!!
The list is in alphabetical order. The easiest way to find who your giftsmaker was, is by hitting Crl+F and then search for your own Tumblr name :)
a-weird-rusted-android was @liljalock's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
actuallyredorchid was @paradise145's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
ale-bane was @izzy-litewood's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
aleclwb was @madroxed's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
alineblackthorne was @wesawbears' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
anoverwhelmingquestion was @sherbertdab's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
autisticraphael was @simeonlewis' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
binlar-lover was @magnusbanedfromperu's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
canislytherinthings was @karmashcroft's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
capstevierogers was @bellslarkes' giftsmaker - gift(s) here & here
capstevierogers was @chillesthoe's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
capstevierogers was @epicfuzzy17's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
certain-of-my-uncertainty was @actuallyredorchid's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
certain-of-my-uncertainty was @princessofmalec's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
chillesthoe was @nephilimalecs giftsmaker - gift(s) here
chrisevansk was @oliviadxnhams giftsmaker - gift(s) here
clarkskents was @wolfsbaene's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
daddxoreo was @savettti's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
dark-alice-lilith was @aleclwb's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
dark-alice-lilith was @sfjessii's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
darquebane was @marieruby's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
downwrlder was @nbjace's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
earthandalec was @downwrlder's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
epicfuzzy17 was @everydayshadowhunters' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
everydayshadowhunters was @alecswoodlight's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
gayclaryfray was @autisticraphael's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
glitternsass was @themagnusbaneffect's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
highspeedsamurai was @ lifexasxwexenjoyxit's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
highwarlockkareena was @ my-darling-alexander's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
highwarlockkareena was @25supergirl's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
hushtaire was @jacesaphael's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
imthehereticchild was @gayclaryfray's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
ithilien22 was @alineblackthorne's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
izzytrashwoods was @lecrit's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
izzytrashwoods was @maleczangel's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
jemsdrug was @imthehereticchild's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
kaatsmcnamara was @viscerial's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
keladri was @mia-zeklos' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
lecrit was @vipzourry's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
leetje was @thisissirius' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
lifexasxwexenjoyxit was @theonetruenorth's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
lightbaene was @sweetautumnleaves' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
lightbaene was @witchlightsands's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
liljalock was @ohlafraise's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
lolguess was @izzytrashwoods’s giftmaker - gift(s) here
lolguess was @sssssssim's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
louise-belcher was @malecwings' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
lvkegarroways was @canislytherinthings' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
madroxed was @lolguess' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
magnusbane-daily was @mazelightwood's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
magnusbanedfromperu was @capstevierogers' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
magnusdarkwood was @dark-alice-lilith's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
malecwings was @that-bookish-nephilim's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
maleczangel was @magnuslightbae's giftsmaker - gift(s) here & here
marieruby was @clarizabels' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
mia-zeklos was @withbrokenbones' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
mundanc was @whoops-we-are-screwed's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
my-darling-alexander was @parabatrio's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
nbjace was @clizzied's giftsmaker - gift(s) here & here & here & here
nephilimalecs was @ale-bane's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
nephilimalecs was @darquebane's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
ohlafraise was @sweetlittlepeapod's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
parabatrio was @keladri's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
paradise145 was @punkbeen's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
princessofmalec was @daddxoreo's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
punkbeen was @stopdropandfeels' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
radioactivecookiemonster was @jemsdrug's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
raphaelownsme was @tyrionlannisler's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
raphaels-santiagos was @glitternsass' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
raphaels-santiagos was @radioactivecookiemonster's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
recklesssketches was @woodsbane's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
savettti was @tekopupu's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sfjessii was @you-can-do-zat's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sherbertdab was @chrisevansk's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sherbertdab was @clarkskents' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
simeonlewis was @mundanc's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
simeonlewis was @recklesssketches' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sparklesthewarlock was @highspeedsamurai's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sssssssim was @hushtaire's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
stopdropandfeels was @magnusdarkwood's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sweetautumnleaves was @lecrit's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
sweetlittlepeapod was @threecheersforengland's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
tekopupu was @earthandalec's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
tekopupu was @raphaelownsme's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
that-bookish-nephilim was @ithilien22's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
that-bookish-nephilim was @magnusbane-daily's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
themagnusbaneffect was @leetje's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
theonetruenorth was @anoverwhelmingquestion's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
thisissirius was @happylukes' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
threecheersforengland was @louise-belcher's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
tyrionlannisler was @binlar-lover's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
viscerial was @gothlolilover's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
wesawbears was sparklesthewarlock's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
whoops-we-are-screwed was @raphaels-santiagos' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
witchlightsands was @a-weird-rusted-android's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
withbrokenbones was @lvkegarroways' giftsmaker - gift(s) here
wolfsbaene was @kaatsmcnamara's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
wolfsbaene was @lightbaene's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
woodsbane was @highwarlockkareena's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
you-can-do-zat was @certain-of-my-uncertainty's giftsmaker - gift(s) here
Lecrit, here is the gift set I've made for you. With all the Malec love included. It maybe turned out a bit too angsty but I really, really wanted to use your fave quote by Oscar Wilde for it. It seemed important to you. So yes, hopefully you'll gonna like it.
For Malin, who’s not even participating, but helpfully volunteered to be a backup.
Saphael College-AU!
Raphael is pouring over his study guide for the History of the Middle Ages exam when he is interrupted by a knock at the door.
The knock actually resembles something more like a person trying to play the drums on his door, so Raphael instantly knows who it is. “What do you want, Simon?” he yells, without bothering to get up from the desk.
“Hey,” he smiles with an awkward little wave as he comes into the room. “Um, would you mind if I crash here for a little while? Roommate’s having someone over again and I feel weird just wandering around the quad at this time of night…”
Raphael just hums his agreement and turns back to his papers. Simon often came over when he was kicked out of his own room, to the point that it had almost become a routine.
Simon hopped onto Raphael’s bed, sprawling out comfortably. “Thanks Raph, you’re the best! Hey are you hungry? I was thinking of ordering Chinese food. Clary and I just tried this new place down on Green Street the other day, Jade Wolf, and their dumplings are to die for, I’m tellin ya-”
“No, I’m not hungry.”
“Mmm. You’re missing out. Oh, that reminds me! Did you see the new Star Wars movie yet? I know you’re not really into that stuff but this one is great and you can enjoy it without seeing the old series.”
“No, I haven’t- and would you please stop your silly chattering? I need to study.” Despite the annoyance in his tone, Simon could tell Raphael wasn’t angry so he didn’t take it to heart.
“Right, right, sorry.” Without conversation to occupy himself, Simon twiddled his thumbs and fidgeted for a while before looking around for something to do. He picked up a rounded paperweight off the night table and started tossing it above his head.
“Knock that off before you break it,” Raphael said without turning around.
The paperweight fell with a thump onto Simon’s stomach when he jolted with surprise. “Oof! I wasn’t going to break – wait, how did you even know-?”
Raphael was spared from answering when Magnus strode through the door, dressed to the nines as usual and with glitter in his hair.
“What are you doing back already?” Raphael asked. “I figured you’d be out until 2am at least.”
“Yeah, well, Camille was at the party with her tongue down the throat of whoever-the-fuck, and Ragnor wouldn’t let me drink my problems to oblivion. He disapproves of coming to class fabulously hungover.”
“At least the people around you have sense, even if you are sorely lacking.” Simon laughed at Raphael’s jibe, but he quickly stifled it when Magnus glared at the both of them.
“I’m going to shower. Good night,” he huffed with great affront, and left the room again, carrying a towel and an alarming number of bath products.
Raphael attempted to return to studying, again, but mercifully Simon was quiet this time. He had picked up Raphael’s book on religious iconagraphy to amuse himself. Finally able to focus, Raphael got very absorbed in the Germanic wars and didn’t notice how much time had passed until Magnus returned from his shower.
“Oh, I thought you would have been asleep,” he remarked as he came in the room, and drew Raphael out of his thoughts.
“No, got a lot of studying to do for tomorrow.” As he turned to address his roommate, he noticed that Simon did not have the same problem. At some point, the boy had fallen asleep on his bed, with the book still propped against his chest, teetering precariously with every breath.
With a fondly exasperated sigh, Raphael got up and removed the book before it could fall and smack Simon in the face. He removed his glasses as well and placed them folded on the night table, marveling at how different Simon looked when he was sleeping. He was so animated when awake, always expressive, that seeing his face smoothed out and calm almost seemed strange.
“Does he know you’re in love with him?” Magnus’ voice murmured coolly from behind him.
Raphael whipped around. “WHAT?” it came out a bit more like a screech than he intended. “What are you talking about? I don’t- HIM? No. I mean, it’s just pathetic. He’s a mess! I just help him because he’d probably end up in a ditch if I don’t. It’s not like I care about him.” He found himself breathing hard at the end of this little rant, but Magnus just stared at him with eyebrows raised as if completely unimpressed.
Then Magnus’ eyes shifted to the side slightly to the side and his expression changed to something more like, ‘oops.’ In that split second, Raphael felt dread sink into his gut before Magnus said, “Good morning, Samuel.”
Raphael closed his eyes and did not turn around, cursing his very existence.
“It’s Simon. But I’m gonna go now.” His voice sounded duller than Raphael had ever heard it, and he turned to say something, to explain somehow, but came up blank as Simon simply walked out the door.
Raphael stood fixed there for several long moments wondering what terrible things he had done in a past life to deserve this situation, and just stared at the door.
“What are you doing?” came Magnus’ intrusive voice, again. Raphael sent him a look – he wanted it to be a glare but it was probably a little too despairing – to express his annoyance at Magnus for this whole evening. “Go after him!” Magnus insisted, “Go on, go! You need to fix this. Tell him the truth, you idiot!”
Right, he would fix this! Without further ado, Raphael bolted out the door and down the hallway. He took the stairs at a run, hoping he was right in assuming that Simon would have left the building.
Just as he got outside the front door, he saw the familiar form a short distance in front of him. “Simon, wait!”
“I’m just going for a walk Raphael. Don’t worry, I won’t hang around and burden you anymore,” he called into the night air without turning around.
Raphael jogged towards him, undeterred, “Just let me explain-“
“What’s there to explain? It sounded pretty clear to me. You don’t need to bother yourself with me. Believe it or not, I can take care of myself. I won’t wind up dead in a ditch, okay? So just leave me alone.”
“I didn’t mean any of it!” Raphael yells, finally grabbing a hold of his arm. Simon spins around, jerking away, and the intensity in his eyes makes Raphael’s heart pound from more than the running.
“Magnus was just pissing me off, okay? I – “ His mouth trips over the words, the usual panic rising up to swallow his confession. Raphael sighs and tries again, “You know I just don’t invite you in because I pity you. I’m not that nice of a person.”
“No, you’re really not.” It wasn’t quite forgiveness, but Simon had a wry smile, and Raphael felt relieved.
“Please come back? I- ahem, Iwantyoutocomeback,” Raphael held out his hand after the garbled rush of words, glaring at the ground as if it was to blame for him constantly feeling wrong-footed around this boy.
“So you do care?” Simon took Raphael’s hand tentatively in his own, and allowed himself to be pulled back into the dorm with mutterings of “It’s freezing out here and you’re not even wearing a jacket…”
———————————————-
When they walked back into Raphael’s room, they were still holding hands – a fact that did not go unnoticed by Magnus.
His eyes widened. “You actually told him that yo-“
“Shut up!” Raphael cut him off abruptly. He did not need any more meddling right now.
“You could say thank you, you know,” Magnus pouted as he went back to painting his nails.
Simon chuckled at the look on his face, “Raph, you’re gonna give yourself a migraine at this rate.”
“You’re right,” Raphael admitted with a sigh, “Dios, what a day… I’m going to bed now.”
Simon looked around a bit awkwardly at this announcement. “Hey Magnus, do you mind if I borrow your comforter to sleep on tonight?”
“I most certainly do mind! Hand-woven damask coverlets do not belong on the floor!”
There’s a tug on Simon’s arm, turning him back towards Raphael. “Use my bed.”
“But you need to sleep well! You’re exam is tomorrow!”
Raphael rolled his eyes, “I’m not planning to sleep on the floor – it’s big enough to share. Now lay down and shut up so I can maybe get 6 hours.”
He manhandled Simon into bed without any further objections, and settled in facing away from him. Raphael felt the tension bleed out of him slowly in the dark room, with each warm breath that brushed the back of his neck. His last thought before the abyss of sleep was, I’ll tell him someday.
