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#Tsc fanfic
i-have-not-slept · 1 year
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Malectober Day 31: Golden
“Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?” Alec asked.
Magnus looked up from the Portal currently forming in front of him, blinking through the sparks. “It’s a surprise.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t you trust me?”
Alec smiled back. “Of course I do.”
“Good.” Magnus said. He held out a hand to Alec. “Come on. I’ll explain everything later.”
Alec took his hand and followed him through the Portal, trusting Magnus to guide them both to their destination.
They emerged onto a cobbled street in bright sunlight. Alec looked around, blinking, at the whitewashed houses, red tiled roofs and rocky brown mountains rising in the distance. The air was warm and smelled like baking bread and spices.
Alec glanced over with Magnus, who was looking at him with a small smile. “Where are we?”
“Peru.” Magnus said cheerfully.
Alec put his hands on his hips, frowning at Magnus severely. “I thought you were banned from Peru. Catarina and Ragnor are always talking about it.” He gave Magnus a suspicious look. “Are we going to have to run from the police again?”
Magnus put on an injured expression. “I resent the implication that I’m constantly dragging you into law-breaking shenanigans. I obtained special permission from the High Council of Peruvian warlocks to enter the country for an afternoon.”
“And they just gave you permission?” Alec said dubiously. “Just like that?”
“Well,” Magnus said slowly. “I may have mentioned that my husband happens to be the Consul of the Shadowhunters and he might not be entirely happy to hear that my request was denied.”
Alec burst out laughing and stepped closer to Magnus, wrapping his arms around him. Magnus leaned into him, nuzzling Alec’s cheek.
“I love you.” Alec murmured against Magnus’s ear. “But you’ve really got to stop using me as a political weapon to get what you want.”
“I’ll stop one day.” Magnus said happily. He kissed Alec’s cheek. “Now, Jace and Clary are watching the boys for the afternoon, so we can stay here until sunset. Come on.” He grabbed Alec’s hand and set off down the street, pulling Alec with him.
“Hey, wait.” Alec said, laughing. “Aren’t you going to tell me why we’re here?”
Was it his imagination, or did Magnus look slightly uncertain? “I’ll tell you later.” he said, squeezing Alec’s hand. “Promise.”
Smiling, Alec shook his head and let Magnus lead him towards the town square. He could put up with a little strangeness if it made Magnus happy.
Hours later, the sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon, and Alec still wasn’t sure why Magnus had brought them here. He wasn’t complaining, though, because every minute together had been wonderful. The town was peaceful, with small, brightly coloured houses and an old cathedral built of white stone that shone in the sunlight. They’d spent hours wandering through the streets, eating food from the roadside vendors, poking into cafés, museums, bookshops.
It was the sort of thing they didn’t get to do very often, time spent outside of home with no sense of urgency or responsibility, no mission to complete and no kids to watch. In Alec’s opinion, there was nothing better than doing nothing with Magnus.
The whole time, Alec had been able to tell Magnus was waiting to tell him something. As they wandered through the markets, Magnus kept giving him little sideways glances, and looking as if he was about to speak before changing his mind. Once it would have worried Alec, but not now. He knew Magnus would tell him when he was ready.
Now, as afternoon flowed into evening, they were hiking up a rocky hill overlooking the town. The path wound upwards through rugged scrubland, glowing gold in the light of the setting sun. Magnus was a few metres ahead of Alec, and he kept looking back at him with a little smile. Alec could tell he was building up to something, but he didn’t say anything, content with the gentle silence between them.
Finally they reached the top of the hill. They were on a flat, rocky plain overlooking the valley and the town below. The light spilled down the hillsides and flowed across the buildings like molten gold.
Magnus turned and looked over at Alec. His face was washed in golden light, making him seem to glow from within. Alec’s heart stuttered briefly in his chest at the sight of him.
“Okay.” Alec said. “Why did you bring me here? I know there’s some kind of reason.”
For the second time that day, Magnus looked hesitant, even a little apprehensive. He stepped closer to Alec, taking his hand and clasping it within both of his. Alec put his other hand over Magnus’. He could tell his husband was working up to some kind of confession.
“Why I brought you here.” Magnus murmured. He had his eyes fixed on their joined hands, like he was half-scared to meet Alec’s eyes. He took a deep breath. “Do you know what this town is called?”
“No.” Alec murmured. He rubbed his thumb over Magnus’s knuckles, feeling the warmth of his skin.
“It’s called Moquega.” Magnus said softly.
“Oh.” Alec said. The name sounded familiar. He thought he might have read it in the notebook of stories Magnus had given him years ago, when they’d got back together after their breakup. “Have you been here before?”
“Once.” Magnus said. He looked up at Alec suddenly, and his expression was more open, more vulnerable than Alec had hardly ever seen it. “Moquegua means “quiet place” in Quechua.” he said haltingly. “When I first came here, I— I didn’t feel comfortable or safe, because I felt— I felt like there was no quiet place in the world for me, and there never would be.”
He dropped his gaze again, gripping Alec’s hand tighter “And I felt like that for a long time. Like I always had to keep moving, and never rest anywhere. But then when I met you— you made me feel anchored. Peaceful.”
He looked up again, and Alec saw that there were tears brimming in his eyes. “I wanted to bring you here to tell you. I’ve never told you before and I wanted to tell you. You’re my quiet place, Alec.”
Alec’s heart broke open, sending warm light flooding through his veins. He wrapped his arms around Magnus, holding him so close he could feel his heartbeat. Magnus put his head down on Alec’s shoulder, shaking in his arms.
“Thank you for telling me.” Alec. He blinked back tears of his own, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of emotions, gratitude and joy and love. “You’re so— you’re so wonderful. You’re everything. I love you, Magnus.”
Magnus gave a soft, teary laugh and pulled away from Alec to look at him. “I love you too.” he whispered, and then they were kissing. Alec cupped the back of Magnus’s neck, closing his eyes, feeling his entire body sing. They helped each other close on the mountaintop, in the wash of golden light.
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julescarstairs · 3 months
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That Which Is Precious and Lost: The Masterlist
For those of you who said you’d like to see Claire and I’s TSC Next-Gen Fanfic, That Which is Precious and Lost, be reformatted and brought over here onto Tumblr, you’re in luck, as we’re going to be doing just that! Much like Secrets of Blackthorn Hall did, we’ve decided we’re going to post one chapter per week for the next year — which works out well, since there’s exactly 52 chapters and exactly 52 weeks in the year!
All the odd chapters, which were written by yours truly, will be posted here on my account, @julescarstairs , whilst all of the even chapters, written by @tsc-reader , will be posted over on her account! For your convenience, however, as we post the chapters I will link them to this masterlist, so you don’t have to go searching. If you do get lost, however, every post should be findable under the #twipal tag! See below for the masterlist as it grows!
THAT WHICH IS PRECIOUS AND LOST:
Chapter One: Pure Distilled Horror
Chapter Two: Stuff of Nightmares
Chapter Three: Eye of the Storm
Chapter Four: A Dangerous Temptation
Chapter Five: An Unexpected Guest
Chapter Six: Cruel, Twisted Games
Chapter Seven: Deceptively Beautiful
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4uru · 1 month
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Julian Blackthorn/Kieran Characters: Julian Blackthorn, Kieran (Shadowhunter Chronicles) Additional Tags: Dubious Consent, Blood Drinking, Biting, Unhealthy Relationships, Power Dynamics, Power Imbalance, Attempted Murder Summary:
Swap au: The blackthorn children (except for Helen and mark) get kidnapped to faerie by Sebastian Morgenstern. Their lives take a turn for the worse. And they get separated.
Julian Blackthorn gets sent to the unseelie court. There he spends years scemeing to reunite his family.
After years of plan and schemes, it's only fitting that he grows weak. The last step is always the hardest.
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Nighttime
Gabrily family fic for all of you!! This was originally an ask, but there were so complications, so I'm posting it separately!
...
Though Gabriel was reading, he could see little Christopher out of the corner of his eye as his son tried to climb over his leg. He found that, as a father of two mischievous children, he could already foresee the disaster before it struck. In this case, Kit falling off of the bed. 
Gabriel smirked as he dragged his leg away from the edge, towards the middle of the bed, dragging Christopher along with it.
Christopher looked to where Gabriel’s leg was now and where it was before in confusion. The small boy began crawling towards his father’s leg again, only to be pushed back towards the middle. Christopher looked at the leg and then at his father. Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s the matter, Kit?” 
Christopher began crawling back to Gabriel’s leg, but this time, when Gabriel pushed him back, the small boy laughed in delight. He crawled back quickly to Gabriel’s leg and waited for his father to push him again and again. Gabriel smiled as his son giggled at the simple game until his leg began to feel fatigued; he’d gone on a busy patrol last night and his muscles were still still trying to recover. 
So when Christopher sat beside Gabriel’s leg to be pushed again, Gabriel instead used his feet to lift Kit. Cecily, who was knitting something for baby Lucie glanced at Gabriel. 
“Please refrain from dropping our son, Gabriel.”
“I used to do this with Anna all of the time, Cecy,” Gabriel said, though he reached up his hand to grab Christopher. “I’ve had plenty of practice.”
Cecily shook her head, though there was a faint smile on her lips.
Gabriel settled his son on his chest. Cecily, upon hearing the sudden silence, flickered her eyes towards them again and burst out laughing. 
“Why are you both staring at me like that?” She asked.
They were both peering at her with the same wide eyed expression.
“We feel ignored,” Gabriel said. She could see the faint hint of a smile on his lips.
Cecily chuckled. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty for knitting while you two were playing?”
Gabriel nodded which caused Christopher, who was prone to mimicking everything his father did, to nod as well.
“The two of you are unbelievable,” she said, sighing dramatically. 
Christopher laughed at her reaction and Cecily took the opportunity to sweep him into her arms. 
“How could you laugh at your own mother?” She said, tickling him. “How cruel you have become, my little Kitten. I feel betrayed.” 
Kit, who didn’t understand half of the words coming out of her mouth, only giggled back at her. 
“Papa?” 
Gabriel, who had been watching Kit and Cecily, startled, having at least enough self control to not holler. He turned his left to find two deep blue orbs peering up at him. 
Anna, like Cecily, had the tendency to slip into rooms, unnoticed. Gabriel should be used to it by now, after years of knowing Cecily and for the most part, he was. Yet, with Anna being so small, it was especially difficult to notice when she was right beside him. Gabriel had rather begun to suspect that she could disapparate and later materialize wherever she pleased. 
“Anna,” Gabriel said now, rather breathlessly, “You scared me.”
Anna pressed her lips together, already used to this reaction of her father’s. “Papa, could I borrow one of your hats?”
Gabriel shook his head. “Where is the one I let you borrow?”
Anna blinked up at him with wide eyes, her expression catlike. “I may have lost it. But,” she added, before Gabriel could reply, “it wasn’t very stylish, Papa.”
Gabriel blinked at her, before bursting out laughing. It’s true: the hat had been very old and had in fact belonged to his grandfather. Gabriel found it in the attic a short while ago and had thought to gift it to Anna, so that she would stop stealing his current hats. While it used to be endearing to find his hats missing, knowing that Anna was playing with them, it was now becoming quite a major inconvenience, especially when he was in a rush to get to a Clave meeting. 
But, of course, he should have foreseen that Anna had quite an eye for fashion and wouldn’t consider that old hat to be suitable. Come to think of it, that fact that she happened to lose it seemed like too much of a coincidence…
“It’s nice to see that you’re at least asking for permission though, Anna.” Cecily chimed in. “Usually you just steal your father’s hats.”
Anna stood on her tiptoes, placing her chin on her parent’s bed. Her dark hair spilled like ink over the white sheets. “It’s only because I can’t reach them. Someone moved the hat stand and now they’re too far to reach from the staircase.”
“So that’s how she managed to steal them,” Gabriel thought out loud. He looked back down at Anna, who was still blinking at him like pleading eyes. “Isn’t it too late to be playing dress up?”
Anna shook her head. “It can’t be too late, I’m not tired at all.”
Just then, however, Anna stifled a yawn, as if the mere thought of sleep was enough to make her tired.
Gabriel swooped her up in his arms and placed her in between himself and Cecily. “Well, it is quite late. How about I tell you a story in the meantime, to help you fall asleep?”
Anna nodded eagerly and cuddled up next to her father, hugging the blankets to her chest.
“Just as long as you don’t tell them about the battle against a certain demon worm.” Cecily said, tucking Kit under her chin and giving Gabriel a pointed look. “That one tends to get them more excited than sleepy.” 
Gabriel grinned at her, “Alright then. I guess I’ll tell them about the time we ‘caught’ Jack the Ripper.” Gabriel lightly pinched one of Anna’s rosy cheeks with his knuckles. “You are in it, ducks.”
Anna’s eyes lit up, excited at the idea of being a part of one of her parents' many brave endeavors. As Gabriel told the story, Anna felt her eyes begin to droop, though she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face; she fought against sleep, even as her father’s words became muddled and incoherent. One day, Anna thought to herself, just before slipping into a deep sleep, she would be as brave as her parents and fight just as many scary demons. She would make them very proud. 
...
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vashs-posts · 2 years
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ohk so let's all imagine this.
Thomas loves languages. So i assume he loves travelling too, because then, he gets to explore new languages. Alastair speaks Persian, and tbh Persian was spoken in many South Asian countries as that time (zorashtrians, etc)
Imagine Alastair and Thomas going around south asia and living it up. Thomas knows hindustani (modern day hindi) and urdu. He knows Nepali and Bengali. They travel across modern day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan etc while having the time of their lives. They portal in and out of institutes, and bring in souvenirs for their beautiful cirenworth house.
Alastair barters with the rich Persian merchants and gets rich. We all know that Alastair is going to be an amazing politician, so by virtue he's an amazing speaker. Everyone loves him. And they love Thomas too, because even tho he's a white man, he's keen to learn their culture.
They both drink tea in the Mysore, and Hyderabadi palaces with the kings/nawabs. The nawabs gift them beautiful weaponry and paintings.
They take long walks in the palace lawns while men and women admire them through the eyes of ancient Bengali poetry.
They go hunting through the huge jungles. They train with the army and teach the new soldiers how to use weapons.
They wear kurtas with beautiful gold embroidery on it.
At night they sit on the rooftop of the Mysore palace. They look at the city below them with its candle-lit pathways, and the sky above them. They count their blessings along with the stars.
Now this is such a comfort headcannon for me.
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tscclace · 10 months
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If I put it on here, please interact with the chapters so I have a reason to keep doing so
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astriefer · 1 year
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Dinner Night With the Herondales
Pairing: Gabriel Lightwood & Cecily Herondale
Summary: The title is pretty self-explanatory. Plus baby Anna is a little thunderstorm and her family loves her a lot.
Length: +2k
CW: none
It's a fic for my dearest friend and one of the coolest people I know. happy late birthday!! <3
The lightwood Townhouse, London 1886
Two-year-old Anna Lightwood marches from the nursery, eyes twinkling. She walks across the lounge as her father follows her, trying half-heartedly to retrieve his stolen hat. "Mam!"
Keep reading
Gabriel puts no real effort into it, more concerned Anna doesn't crush into a wall. He seems amused if anything, and by the mischievous smile plastered to Cecily's little girl's face, it's clear she's quite enjoying herself too.
She only stops pacing around the room when she's in front of her, Gabriel on her heels. Bright, eager blue eyes look at her, a replica of her own.
"Ma," Anna says, in that childish, high-pitched voice of hers. Cecily smiles and crouches down so Anna doesn't have to tilt her head so high. Cecily wouldn't be able to do it soon.
The hat was far too wide on her small head, falling forward and covering her eyes. The dark-haired woman fixed it for her daughter. "What a lovely hat you have there, cariad bach."
Anna touches it, pleased with the compliment, and giggles. Her chubby hands grasp the brims of Gabriel's hat – with effort, as it was huge on her – and tilting it as if she's in a show, bowing to her crowd. It only results in the hat falling on her face again. Cecily's heart fills with warmth as she laughs. So confident her daughter is, making mischief and standing for what she wants. Even if it was her husband's hat.
Cecily finds it hard to believe one can possibly love so hard. But she looks at her husband, his green eyes meeting hers. There's this undeniable emotion in his eyes as he looks at her and their daughter, pride and adoration and happiness she feels just as much.
While she gets back on her feet, Gabriel swoops Anna into his arms. The toddler squeals and squirms, her dark hair is revealed when he lifts the hat from her face and puts it neatly on his head. Anna, in an instant, retreats to kicking her arms and legs in protest. The maid enters the lounge just a moment after, quick to bring Anna a hat fitting her size. It matches her dress, a blue shade or two lighter than Cecily's own outing dress.
Gabriel thanks the maid while Anna, still not satisfied, attempts to steal his hat once again. The pout on her face makes it hard to do anything but laugh. "You're a little troublemaker, aren't you?" He says, arching an amused eyebrow at his oldest daughter. Anna, ever unapologetic and confident, puts her hands on her waist and makes a sound of pure dissatisfaction.
"You two, stop it," Cecily sighs. Inside, however, she finds it very entertaining. Being done herself, she takes Anna from Gabriel so he can finish the last touches on his appearance.
"Well," he says with a broad grin, finished fastening his cuffs. He gestures broadly to the door as he links his and his wife's arms together. The graze is gentle and warm. "Off to Wales, we go."
*
"I can't believe it," Gabriel grumbles. It's the fifth time he says this sentence accompanied by a grumpy face he wears ever since they entered the carriage.
"Oh, hush," Cecily says. "There are worse things than that."
"It’s the third time this week!" Gabriel proclaims, visibly annoyed. "And it is only Wednesday." The blue-eyed woman presses her lips at his words, adjusting the toddler on her lap as he continues. "I have never," Gabriel huffed, "ever imagined I'd be subscribed to the `steal-your-in-law's carriage` membership."
Much to their surprise, when they left their townhouse earlier they found the carriage raider – without the carriage and with a note. Soon Gabriel came to the realization his dear in-law, Will, had 'borrowed' his carriage to a visitor of the Institute that wished to go to town but had no carriage available. Had Gabriel's brother lived far from them, they would have gotten stuck.
"I don't believe you had much of an option," Cecily responds, biting down a snort. She seems hardly as irked by her brother's antics. It only agitates him more. "Not that you were asked, for the matter."
The carriage comes to a halt in front of the London Institute. After climbing the stone stairs leading to the door, the three Lightwoods are ushered inside by a maid. She offers to take Gabriel's hat. He refuses, instead letting Ana toy with it like she so loves to do.
The maid bows and quietly rushes to call her masters. No longer than a few minutes later, Tessa Herondale steps into the room.
"Cecily, Gabriel," she welcomes them warmly with open arms, a smile tugged on her lips. They rise from their seats to embrace her. Cecily presses a kiss to her cheek as well, and Tessa kisses Anna's forehead. "It's been some time, hasn't it?"
"Indeed," Cecily agrees, putting her hand on her sister-in-law's forearm. They met in enclave meetings and when they had to visit the institute from time to time, of course, but nothing other than work for the past month. "We've been so caught up with tending to Anna, we barely had time for anything else."
Tessa smiles kindly at them. "The joys of parenthood, I suppose."
Gabriel glances at Tessa's hand, resting on her swollen belly, pregnant with her and Will's first child. "Is it truly safe for you to travel through portals?" he asks. "Do pregnant women suffer any kind of side effects from it?"
Tessa waves her hand dismissively, clearly unbothered by his concern. "Frequent travels through portals are not recommended, but there's no real harm. Besides," she adds as if in an afterthought, "Charlotte is the consul and she visits Idris and London regularly. I doubt she – or Henry, frankly – would have put the fetus in danger if that was the case."
"Oh," Gabriel seems and sounds relieved. The tension set in his shoulders loosens by a fraction. "Right, of course."
Tessa eyes him suspiciously. Before she can query him about that, he changes the subject. "If we're yet at the topic of children," Gabriel grimaces. "You should know that dear husband of yours is one, too. And a thief."
Tessa raises her eyebrows in question, so the green-eyed man elaborates. "He stole our carriage."
"Again?"
"Exactly what I was saying," Gabriel nods. He looks at Cecily who just rolls her eyes. He sighs, and Tessa sighs, and if Church – who is asleep on the lounge's window - could sigh, he would have done that too.
Tessa shakes her head, but shrugs. "William," she says if it solves all Gabriel's problems. "I'll have a word with him."
"I hope your baby won't grow up to be a thief like their father," Gabriel murmurs. "I hold high hopes for it, considering it shares at least half your genes." He'll love the child nonetheless even if they would be an immaculate copy of Will, and all three of them know that. Still, he wishes his nephew would be a bit less impish. Wistful thinking, he knows.
Tessa pushes back brown curls behind her ear. "No matter, now. Shall we go to the portal?"
They agree, so Gabriel picks up little Anna, still fiddling with his hat, and together they go towards the portal of the London institute.
*
Heronadle estate, North Wales
"Oh my," Linette Herondale says when they appeared on her estate's doorstep. "My beautiful granddaughter, how much you've grown!"
"Hello to you too, Mother," Will jokes, then lets himself be swept into a tight hug. "We’ve come for the food."
"I'm sure you did, cariad, " Will and Cecily's mother says in a lighthearted tone as Edmund opens his arms to welcome his family as well. 
Cecily hugs them and watches as her parents hug her husband and daughter just as firmly. After they all get inside, they sit around the broad dinner table. Scents of Cecily's childhood food flare her nostrils. It's been too long since she had a meal of her homeland - the maids serve them cawl, and bara brith, and she feels so nostalgic she almost burst into tears. She concentrates on eating, meanwhile keeping a watch Anna doesn't devour anything she shouldn't. Gabriel, on his part, concentrates on bantering with Will and discussing the latest events of the London Enclave. He asks for a napkin and Will throws it at him.
"Anna, aren’t your father and uncle ridiculous?" Cecily smiles softly at her daughter. She points her finger up, then continues, "Please, never learn from them."
Anna burst out laughing. Gabriel shakes his head at the accusation. It's hardly his fault he has Will as his brother-in-law.
"Why are you so cruel, younger sister, despite we share the same blood?" Will chuckles, just as Gabriel says, "Well, you still married me."
"Not much I can do about the first thing, " Cecily drawls. The people around the table laugh, while Gabriel seems pleased with himself and Anna babbles happily for no reason.
At one point, once they finish dinner and drank some wine - except for Tessa, who's pregnant, and Cecily who said she doesn't feel like it - they settle in front of the fireplace. Cecily and Gabriel sit on the loveseat in front of Cecily's parents, Tessa in the armchair while her husband plays with Anna on the rug.
They brought various toys Anna enjoys with them to dinner, but she is entirely fascinated by a new game her grandparents brought her. It was a colored wooden train carriage, big enough to not be a hazard to Anna's safety.
"Ai'n," she says to Will, pointing at the train. He grins, nodding. The toddler then yawns, so Gabriel gets up to pull her into his arms. It was soon her bedtime, and his parents-in-law made sure to have a bassinet in cases like this. Before he turns to go, Anna protests. Pushing her palms on his chest to get his attention, she looks her father in the eye. "Ta'ain," she demands.
"The young lady got some attitude," Edmund points out, amused.
"Like mother, like daughter," Will muses as Anna says gibberish to Gabriel, to which he nods. She looks very grave and demanding, probably in an attempt to tell him what she wants.
Cecily's about to remark back to her older brother when Gabriel lands his eyes on Cecily, and there's only admiration in them. "I agree. And aren't they perfect?"
He flushes at the realization of his saying, catching the train toy before quickly disappearing out of the room. When he finally returns, Anna is not with him and his cheeks are just slightly less red.
"Rydw i'n dy garu di," Cecily whispers to him when he takes his seat next to her. Gabriel turns away, mostly so they wouldn't see how he fails to repress a wide grin.
"So, Tessa, how much longer it is until you're due?" Linette asks, sipping from her tea. Her legs are crossed and her other hand rests on Edmund's.
They were always affectionate like that, and Cecily has always viewed them as the perfect couple. She grew out of this, learning no marriage is perfect, but she still sees the way they look at each other with love, even after all those years.
"A few weeks," Tessa replies, leaning back against the armchair. Her voice softens, and Gabriel can't describe the emotion written on her face. "I cannot wrap it around my mind. It's something I feel I still ought to get used to."
"We weren't sure we could ever have this," Will comments. He reaches to caress the back of his fingers against Tessa's belly, no longer a bump like it was a few months ago. "It's still difficult to comprehend, you know? That we're creating life."
Cecily and Gabriel look at each other and smile quietly. They watch the other couple have this moment together. They discussed their lives and their loved ones before Linette lifts herself up from the coach.
"Cecily, annwyl," she says, "can you help me with something in the kitchen?"
Cecily obliges and follows her mother until they reach the small space of the kitchen. When they're inside and there's no one to hear, the older woman starts, 'Is there anything going on?"
Cecily frowns. "What do you mean?"
"You might be a grown woman now, and a mother," Linette crosses her arms, "but you're my daughter, and the fact remains intact. There's something you want to tell us, I've noticed it all evening. What is it?"
Cecily levels her eyes with her mother, the same dark blue both her and her brother share. "Nothing bad, I promise," she brushes dust off her blue skirt and straightens up. "Just wait."
She walks back to the parlor, her mother next to her. Gabriel gazes at her as she sits down next to him with a quizzical look. "I think it's time," she concedes, taking Gabriel's hand in hers.
"Time for what?" Tessa quirks an eyebrow at her, and Cecily takes a breath before nodding toward Gabriel.
"We didn't come just the three of us. Cecily, myself, and Anna, that is."
"Oh?" Edmund looks puzzled. "Who else? I've seen no other come through the portal?"
"Well…" Gabriel and Cecily both turn their gaze down.
To Cecily's flat stomach.
"Don't tell me…" Tessa's voice trails off. Cecily's gleaming eyes are her answer.
"Heavens!" Linette puts her hands over her mouth. "Are you pregnant?"
Cecily nods, letting Gabriel rest a protective hand on her stomach. She doesn't need it, and he knows she can handle it on her own just fine, but he also wants to be close to the baby, to her.
It follows a few reactions from all four of the other people in the toom:
"Pregnant!"
"How long have you known?"
"Oh, angels, another Herondale."
"I'm going to have another grandchild?"
They let themselves be surrounded by the love and questions of their family, smiling the whole time.
*
When they returned home with sleeping Anna, Cecily throws her hands around Gabriel. He wraps his hands around her immediately, holding her close. She says the same thing she has said earlier, and on their wedding night, and when he's done something stupid, and when their Anna was born. "Rydw i'n dy garu di."
*
Taglist (I know it's not tlh sorry if you didn't want to be tagged): @ary-es @all-for-the-fanfiction @justanormaldemon @life-through-the-eyes-of @rainingpouringetc @tessherongraystairs @cordelia-in-the-right-skin-tone @takethetrain
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lifeofbrybooks · 2 years
Text
no merit - Tavvy ficlet #8
Tavvy Blackthorn Word count: 1,075 Read on Ao3 I Intro I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7
In part 7, Tavvy writes a letter to Julian after making a scene on the beach. Here's that letter, which he initially throws away, but I like to think he goes back and tears it to pieces after Julian apologizes. (ICYMI: Julian's POV)
Dear Julian ...
Dear Julian,
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry for yelling at you, but I’m mostly sorry for not saying everything I wanted to. I was starting to feel sad instead of pissed off, and I didn’t want you to see me cry. I didn’t want you to pity me or think I was a baby. I wanted you to be mad at me too. That probably sounds so stupid. But it’s true. 
I’m sorry I’m like - that I’m like this. All closed off and angry at the life you fought to give me. It’s not fair to you. 
And I’m sorry that I don’t really care about being fair. Life isn’t fair. You kinda taught me that. You just have to play the hand life deals you and bluff the rest of the table out of their chips. I think I’m good at that. Probably because of you. You really didn’t think that one through, huh? Oh, how the turn tables.
I’m still sorry, though. I’m sorry that I want to hate you. 
I want to hate you for leaving me. For abandoning me. For handing me off to Helen, promising me you’d come home in a year and then breaking that promise to build a new home, a new family, without me.
You taught me to fight for family. To fight to stay together. Then you left. You left, Jules. And Em left with you. Then Ty and Dru. Livvy was already gone. And Mark was barely here to begin with.
Everyone left. 
It was just me and two strangers. Did you realize that, Julian? That, while you knew Helen and Aline were good and loving and kind, I didn’t? I trusted them because you trusted them, and because I had no other choice. You were right, as you usually are. I guess, I hate you for that too. 
I didn’t know all of that yet. It was just me and them in an empty Institute.
Have you ever thought about the Institute being so quiet you can hear the waves crash against the shore even with all the windows closed? It makes the Institute feel more haunted than Blackthorn Hall. 
Maybe I’m the ghost looking for something to help them move on?
I want to hate you for making me hear that — the silence that keeps me up at night. For making me think and not letting me ignore these stupid things in my head and heart.
More than anything, I hate myself for wanting to hate you. Because you really don’t deserve my hate. 
I watch Helen and Aline with Ellie and I think about how it was once you who was walking me across the tiled floor — my hands wrapped around your fingers. You were just a kid yourself, trying to teach me how to walk through life without stumbling.
How can I hate you after that?
Maybe that’s exactly why I want to hate you. You never let me fall.
You look at me and still see a 2 year old who needs to be protected or a 6 year old that needs saved. But I’m 15 now. I don’t need you to carry me around or to crush my face against your shoulder. I don’t need you to hold my hand through life. Not anymore.
I know the world is shit.
That didn’t change just because you tried to blind me to it.
You wrapped me in bubble wrap and set me on a shelf wherever you thought I’d be safest. It didn’t work. I’m not some self portrait of you to be hung on a wall and admired for its perfection. Believe it or not, I’m an actual person. A person who can think for themselves, and I’m doing just that. You don’t get to stop me or pop into my life when you think I’m being too stupid for my own good. I get to be as stupid as I want on my terms. I'm not sorry about that.
I still need you though. I hate that I do. That there’s a piece of me that wants to reach out to you and have you reach back. I hate that part of me. I hate that I can’t let it go. That I can’t bury it in the sand and forget about it.
So maybe this whole letter is just me telling you that I hate myself. I hate myself because I look in the mirror and see you. I hate that sometimes Helen calls me Jules when she’s in a rush. That I am a matching portrait to her. To all of you. A replica.
I hate it. 
Because I can’t escape you. I can’t escape the fact that I am a muddled reflection of you that can’t be changed just by growing out my hair. 
Can you feel this hate?
I fucking hope not.
Because no matter how much I want to hate you, I want to love you so much more.
It’s easy to love you. I’m sure Emma tells you that all the time. It’s easy to love someone who gives so much love without asking for any in return. You’ve always given me love like an over-poured glass. I wonder if I gave you enough back? Enough to make up for the childhood you burned to give me, to give us, something that resembled a happy life. You’re so good at that. At putting yourself aside for the people you love.
How did you do it, Jules? 
If anything happened to Helen and Aline, I’m not sure I could do the same for Ellie. I have the love, but not the courage. But, then again, I wouldn’t have to do the same for her. Because you’d swoop in to do it for me. Or Mark. Or Dru. Or Ty.
I’m always going to be last in any line, the last on any list. And it has nothing to do with age. 
So I hate that I love you. That I need you. That some part of me still wants to make you proud and feels I never will. I can’t recreate whatever dumb picture you have of me your head. I stopped even trying. At least I told myself that I did.
I hate you, Jules. But I hate myself more. 
I hate that I’ll never give this to you. 
Because you don’t deserve my hate. And because I’m a coward. A stupid coward. 
Love,
Tavs
.
Moody Tavvy song rec: I'm Just a Kid by Sum 41
It's been a busy week. If you've commented/reblogged/sent asks or DMs, I just want you to know how much I love to read them <3 I will be replying whenever I get time, promise. For now, whenever I'm not working, I'm in the stands cheering on my nieces and nephews for all their fall sports :) being the most embarrassing coolest aunt I can be for them. It drains my brain/social battery pretty quickly.
Next week: Ana teaches Tavvy a new skill ... and maybe talking about your feelings is infectious? (*Tavvy has left the chat*)
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Text
- Summary:
Izzy just scoffed and moved onto the shoe-section of her closet.
“Remember, Magnus invited us to an exclusive club. This will be a good moment for you to let go and have fun and, you know, spend quality time with your husband, your friends and me.”
Alec smiled at her.
She was right.
He had been quite busy with organizing the new homes for Idris’ former residents and on top of that full-filling his duty as Max‘s and Rafe‘s father.
It will be fine.
A fic about things that just keep haunting you.
Tagging some mutuals: @fantasticangelrebel @gayforcarstairsgirls @idk-i-just-really-like-tsc @sociallyineptbibliophile @noah-herondale-lightwood @one-fond-mortal @delightfullyterrible @onetimetwotimesthreetimess @carelessflower
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caterpillarinacave · 1 year
Link
Chapters: 2/? Fandom: The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy - Cassandra Clare Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Charlotte Branwell/Henry Branwell Characters: Charlotte Branwell, Henry Branwell, Granville Fairchild, Matilda Branwell, Charles Fairchild, Matthew Fairchild, Original Shadowhunter Character(s), just giving faces to characters who already exist Additional Tags: Character Death, Gambling, Family Issues, Angst, Fluff, depending on the chapter that it, Daddy Issues, actually just lots of issues, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Depression, shadowhunter fuckery, Clave Politics (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Politics, Mommy Issues, Implied/Referenced Character Death Series: Part 1 of Pre-TID Summary:
  Chapter two posted! I would love to hear your feedback or comments! This one is a little short, since I wrote this chapter after I wrote the next three chapters, hence the clunkiness. 
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potato-jem · 1 year
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CONGRATULATIONS ON 201 FOLLOWERS!!
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aaand for the celebration:
🐻(malec) and 💌
THANK YOU DELILAH!!! (sorry this took so long!)
i shall run over to your inbox in a moment, but please have domestic, older malec. i hope you like it! (also available on ao3)
i wished time moved slower
The left side of their bed was cold. 
The sheets were pushed back, exposing a sliver of Magnus’ back to December creeping through the ajar door of their bedroom. Magnus reached out and patted around in his half-conscious daze, as if Alec would magically materialise out of thin air. 
His magical abilities only could do so much.
With heavy eyelids and a deep sigh, Magnus winces as the cold of New York winter cuts through his warm body like a knife. Reaching down and picking up his crumpled robe on the floor, he gets himself out of bed, pulling the robe to his body close enough to become a second skin. He cringes at the dull ache only winter could give to him, while he gingerly walks out of the shared bedroom. 
The tiles send shocks up his legs and through his spine. He knows Alec is awake. The disregarded cups of tea on the kitchen bench have been washed and dried. The pillows on the sofa are straighter, with the blanket Magnus used last night folded and placed on top of the head cushions with care. Only Alec would take so much care of their home, only to leave the balcony door ajar. His socks are barely providing any protection to his already cold feet, as he walks towards the door and peeks his head out. 
And there he was. Comfortably sitting at their table for two arrangement for summer drinks and cheeseboards, Alec had his back to Magnus, his salt and peppery hair illuminated by snowflakes. A cup, of what Magnus assumed was tea, sat beside Alec, the steam escaping into the cold wind. The sun was trying its best to shine through the clouds, but could only do so much. 
“What are you doing out here?” Magnus whispered. 
Alec slowly turned his head to the sound of Magnus’ voice, the lines by his eyes and mouth crinkling into their usual places as they have done all these years. He gingerly angles his body towards Magnus, as if his body was gravitated to Magnus like an old magnet; not as strong as it used to be brand new, but it still had its other half. 
“Is it so criminal to watch the sunrise in the morning?” Alec responds with a slight gravel that only comes with age. (Magnus was absolutely thrilled he got to see it develop in real time.)
Magnus slides into the chair across from Alec, wincing as he sat down on what felt like ice, “Yes, especially when it is this cold out and you leave the door open.”
Alec’s eyes shifted to the door leading out to the balcony, “Did I leave the door open?” 
He shrugged and chuckled to himself, “I probably did. I’m sorry, love.”
Magnus pretended it didn’t hurt to smile. He knew he didn’t have much time left with Alec. He tried to enjoy it, and sometimes he did enjoy staying in bed a little bit longer, going to see their kids and grandkids for lunch but being back home before dinner. Fuck, he’s even taken up knitting, puzzling, listening to the same “Do you remember?” stories told two hours beforehand. Who was he? Surely, this wasn’t the same partying-every-weekend, Shadowhunter-tolerating High Warlock of Brooklyn from sixty years before, right? 
He knew this was going to hurt. He sometimes stayed up at night, squeezing Alec a bit tighter to his chest and muffling premature sobs. For the first time ever, Magnus wanted to grow old, grow old with who he was convinced was the love of his lifetimes. 
But until then, Magnus reached his hand across the icy table into the warm, calloused hands of his lover and enjoyed the serenity of the morning, watching the sunrise amongst the clouds like his Alec did many years before. 
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i-have-not-slept · 6 months
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Animalec Fest 2023
September 25: Mating
This is so late but whatever. I'm really happy with how it turned out!
Read the whole thing on Ao3:
@animalecfest @carelessflower @magnus-the-maqnificent
Magnus had thought it would be strange to have a wolf around the castle, but it soon seemed like the most natural thing in the world. His new friend quickly settled into life at the royal court. He followed Magnus everywhere, never more than a few metres from his side. When Magnus held court, the wolf lay at his feet, eyes flicking back and forth across the room like he was scanning for threats. He accompanied Magnus around the castle, when he went out riding, and when he sat to write letters or meet with his councillors.
Of course, some people were initially alarmed at the presence of an enormous wolf in the castle. But the beast was so gentle, and never made a single sign of attacking someone. Magnus had a feeling the only time the wolf would show aggression was if he, Magnus, was threatened. Otherwise, he was impossibly gentle with every single person he encountered.
Before long, even the smallest children weren’t afraid to play with him, scrambling over the wolf’s shaggy body when he was lying down, chasing him and climbing on his back for rides. The wolf was far more patient and tolerant than an ordinary animal would be, which furthered Magnus’s suspicions that there was something not quite normal about him.
In the meantime, the business of the kingdom continued. Magnus still visited Tan Koad every now and then, to check how the search for Alec was going. As always, his wolf accompanied him on these journeys. Oddly enough, he was even more affectionate than usual with the residents of the castle. He would curl up next to Isabelle or Jace as they talked to Magnus, butting his head against their sides and making a nose almost like purring.
Magnus had also noticed a change in the demeanor of Alec’s family. For the first few months after his disappearance, they had been quiet and grief-stricken, the burden of their loss weighing on them. Now, although they couldn’t exactly be called happy, there was a certain acceptance, even reconciliation, as if the grief no longer weighed on them so heavily. 
“It’s the strangest thing,” Isabelle said to Magnus on one of his visits, “but I don’t feel worried about Alec anymore. I miss him, of course, but I have this odd sensation that, wherever he is, he’s safe and happy.”
It was strange, but Magnus found himself feeling the same way too. He still thought about Alec a lot, but not with the same anxiety that had plagued him for months. Rather, he thought about him with a distant fondness, like a long-absent lover. And he found himself believing that, somehow, it would all be alright in the end.
It was on another of these visits that Lydia informed Magnus that she’d started seeing John Monteverde, one of the nights from the border region. Magnus could see how much happier she was, and he was happy for her. He didn’t know how the whole situation with Alec would resolve itself, but he was glad that Lydia had found contentment, at least.
“If Alexander ever reappears, I’m going to give him a good long talking-to.” he told his wolf absent-mindedly, as they sat in front of the fire that night. The wolf glanced up at him and thumped his tail, as if he understood, and Magnus laughed and patted him. “Anyone would think you understand me.” He stood up and stretched, yawning. “Time for bed, I think.”
He got into bed, and the wolf lay down in his usual place, stretched along the door. Magnus blinked sleepily at him, then sat up and patted the end of the bed. “Oh, come on. It’s much more comfortable, and you’ll still know if anyone comes in.” 
The wolf hesitated a minute, then shook himself decisively and sprang up onto the end of the bed. He curled up, glancing up at Magnus with a look of gratitude in his eyes. After that, he slept on Magnus’s bed every night, a warm and comforting presence that soothed Magnus and allowed him to rest easy.
_________________________________________________
Time passed, and winter became spring. As the days grew warmer, the time for the Spring Council arrived. This was held every year, when the snow had melted from the roads enough to allow for easy travel. It was the time when all the barons and baronesses of the kingdom visited the royal castle to give their reports of the year and discuss plans for the year ahead. Magnus, looking out of his bedroom window, watched as entourage after entourage rode in through the castle gates, turning the courtyard into a riot of colourful livery and flashing armour. He descended the stairs, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the occasion, dyed a deep royal purple. As always, his wolf accompanied him, his tail sweeping back and forth thoughtfully as he paced at Magnus’s side.
“You’d better not get hair all over my robes.” Magnus told him with mock severity, and the wolf glanced up at him with a sound that was almost a snort. 
The Great Hall was hung with purple banners, emblazoned with a golden wildcat, Magnus’s personal crest. The barons and baronesses arrived in a steady stream, and Magnus greeted them all as they entered. There were many he was very fond of, and some he was less fond of, but tolerated for political reasons. He smiled as he greeted Baroness Helen of Du Tach, rolled his eyes inwardly at the dour expression of Baron Raphael of Jagu, and laughed at a joke from Baroness Maia of Roparzh. Lydia arrived as well, elegant in a deep blue gown, and he greeted her with a special warmth. She’d brought a whole company with her— not just her new suitor John, but also Jace, Clary, Isabelle and Simon. The latter two left for a brief tour of the castle, while Jace, Clary and Lydia all stepped in to telk to Magnus. For a moment, they formed a little huddle around Magnus, so that he couldn’t clearly see what was happening in the rest of the room. Then, suddenly, a slightly uncomfortable silence fell, and Magnus pushed gently through the crowd to see what was happening.
At the far end of the room, Baronet Sebastian of Stered had just entered the room, causing the uncomfortable hush that had fallen. His black livery, marked with the silver stars of Stered, made his face and hair seem pale as a skull. toSebastian was Clary’s brother, although Magnus knew they had been raised separately and weren’t on good terms. In fact, he was fairly sure Sebastian hadn’t even attended her wedding to Jace.
Sebastian and Clary’s father was Baron Valentine. He had a reputation in the kingdom— a reputation for cold calculation and ruthless punishments that bordered on cruelty. There were rumours— never proven, but persistent— that he tortured prisoners, and even wilder ones that claimed both he and Sebastian practised sorcery. As nothing had even been proven against him, Magnus had been forced to let him retain his barony. But the rumours had created an atmosphere of suspicion against Sebastian, which led to the awkward silence in the room. 
There was a second’s pause, and then Sebastian, with a cold look at the silent people around him, stepped forwards to greet the king.
At that moment, the silence was broken by a low, rumbling growl. 
The wolf— Magnus’s wolf— was staring at Sebastian, hackles raised. His teeth were bared, and he was growling with a ferocity Magnus had never heard from him, save for that first day when the wolf had saved him from the bear. The growling continued, low and threatening. The wolf’s eyes never left Sebastian.
A look of anger crossed the baron’s pale face and he took another step forward. The wolf’s growl grew in intensity, and he crouched low as if about to spring at Sebastian. The room was silent, all the courtiers uncertain about what to do.
The wolf snapped at Sebastian threateningly, and he took an involuntary step back. “Call off your ridiculous pet.” he snapped angrily. He tried once again to approach Magnus, and the wolf lunged at him, barking furiously.
“My friend!” Magnus cried in shock. He’d never given the wolf a name— it had felt wrong, somehow— but now he wished he had. “Wolf!” He caught the animal by the scruff of the neck, holding him back. The wolf turned and gave him an injured look, before snarling at Sebastian instead. The baron was flushed with anger, eyes glittering furiously. “You need to work on controlling that cur, my lord.” he sneered, and Magnus felt a flash of anger, which he tried to tamp down. The wolf was behaving unreasonably, and Magnus had no idea why.
On his knees with his arms around the wolf’s neck, Magnus glanced around the room. Several of the nobles had their hands hovering uncertainly near the hilts of their swords. Clary, with a hand over her mouth, looked distressed as she watched the conflict between her brother and the wolf.
Sebastian took another step closer to Magnus, and the wolf gave a wild twist that broke him out of Magnus’s hold. He leapt at Sebastian, knocking him to the floor, and planted his paws on the baron’s chest, snarling down at him. There were gasps and screams, and half a dozen courtiers rushed to restrain the wolf. He struggled, not hurting anyone but snapping and snarling at Sebastian, who got to his feet, face crimson with anger. 
Magnus rushed to his wolf, laying a hand on his back. “My friend, what on earth’s the matter? Why are you acting like this?”
“The beast’s clearly out of control.” Sebastian spat. “It ought to be destroyed-”
Magnus opened his mouth to form a reply, but before he could speak he felt a light touch on his arm. He looked over and saw Tessa, another of his courtiers and friends. “Your majesty.” she said in her low voice. “All the time this wolf has been at court, he has never shown any sign of anger or violence to anyone. The fact that he has suddenly become so angry at Lord Sebastian is significant. Is it not possible that in the past Sebastian has hurt the wolf in some way, which is now making him react angrily?”
“That’s true.” Catarina murmured, on Magnus’s other side. “It’s equally possible that Sebastian means you some harm now, Magnus, and the wolf is trying to protect you.”
Magnus hesitated a moment. No one else had heard their conversation, and the room was tense, waiting for the king to act.
Magnus came to a decision and snapped his fingers at two of the castle guards. He pointed to Sebastian. “Search him.” he said briefly.
Sebastian struggled and protested loudly, but the guards patted him down, checking for weapons. There was a murmur of shock from the crowd as they pulled out a sharp, heavy dagger from a concealed sheath under his cloak. The murmur grew as the dagger was held up and it became clear there was a dark, sticky substance on the blade.
Catarina stepped forward, examining the substance with the professional eye of a healer. “Poison.” she confirmed briefly, and an angry muttering broke out. “He was definitely trying to kill you, Magnus.” She looked at Sebastian with contempt. “Poison is a coward’s weapon. You ought to be ashamed, you traitor.”
Magnus looked at Sebastian with anger, then turned to his wolf in remorse. “My friend, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were trying to protect me.”
The wolf wagged his tail, making it clear that Magnus was forgiven.
At that moment, a scream rang through the hall. Everyone swung round, staring, to see Isabelle Lightwood, white as chalk, pointing at Sebastian. He stared back at her, pale with rage and shock. 
“Isabelle— what is it?” Magnus said, feeling a bit stunned. She looked towards him, and he was stunned by the rage on her face.
“The night Alec disappeared.” she gasped. “I saw him— Sebastian— creeping away from the castle. I didn’t know it was Sebastian at the time. I’d never seen him before, so I didn’t recognise him. And in all the chaos, I never thought to tell you. But I saw him that night.”
“You’re sure?” Magnus asked. 
Isabelle nodded. “It was a full moon, and the light was shining right on his face. I saw him looking down from the battlements, but he ran as soon as he was spotted.” She looked over at Sebastian again, her face contorting in rage. Jace was beside her now, both of them staring down Sebastian. “You know something about why Alec disappeared, don’t you?” Isabelle hissed. She strode over to him, seizing his shoulders and shaking him roughly. “What do you know about my brother?”
It happened so quickly Magnus almost missed it. Sebastian’s eyes flickered, involuntarily, to the wolf at Magnus’s side. It was the briefest flicker of his eyes, but it was enough for Magnus. His mind was suddenly buzzing, slotting the pieces together. The wolf with human-like intelligence. His protectiveness. The way he’d attacked Sebastian. Isabelle had seen Sebastian the night Alec disappeared. And suddenly, he didn’t know why he hadn’t realised it sooner.
Magnus sank to his knees in front of his wolf, looking into his eyes. Hardly daring to believe it, he whispered, “Alexander?”
The wolf nodded.
“Oh.” Magnus gasped. He flung his arms around the wolf— around Alec— tears springing to his eyes. “Oh, Alexander. I had no idea.” 
Isabelle gasped in realistion, and then she and Jace were both flinging themselves down beside Alec and throwing their arms around him. Isabelle pressed her cheek against his neck, squeezing her eyes shut. “We’ll find a way to change you back.” she promised.
There were shocked gasps and whispers from the assembled nobles as people gradually grasped the idea that Sebastian had transformed Alec. “I told you he practises sorcery.” someone at the back of the room said. 
Magnus glanced around at the assembled guests, all of whom were watching with varying degrees of interest, horror and amazement. This was becoming too intense a drama for public consumption.
 He addressed the small ring of people gathered around the scene— Jace, Isabelle, Clary, Simon, Lydia, Catarina and Ragnor. “We should move this somewhere more discreet.” He nodded to the guards holding Sebastian, and they moved to follow him. 
Signalling to the castle steward to keep the guests entertained, Magnus headed for one of the private meeting rooms off the main hall. The rest of the group followed him, Alec pacing at Magnus’s side. 
Magnus shut the thick curtains that closed off the space and faced Sebastian again, held firmly between his two guards. Anger roiling in his stomach, not just on his own behalf but on Alec’s. “Why?” he asked. “Why transform Alec? Why try to kill me? We were in a room full of people— everyone would have seen you. You’d have been instantly arrested and thrown in prison. Why let yourself be discovered like that?” 
“It wasn’t about me.” Sebastian hissed. He was very pale, a look of mania in his face. “It was my father’s idea. Send me it to kill you. Then, in the political chaos after your death, he becomes king.”
“Your father sent you?” Magnus said in incredulity. He should have known— Valentine had always been vocal in his opinion that Magnus was a weak king. Magnus could easily believe he would have a rival murdered to further his own ambitions. Still, it seemed so callous to Magnus that Valentine would sacrifice his son so easily.
Clary had gone white. She pressed a shaking hand to her mouth. “Magnus, I— I am so sorry. I had no idea my father and brother were conspiring against you like this.”
“It’s alright, my dear.” Magnus said gently. “You weren’t to know. I didn’t know.” He turned back to Sebasian, narrowing his eyes. “So why did you transform Alec?” He touched the wolf’s ears protectively. “Why was he in your way?”
Sebastian sneered. “Lightwood was too fond of you. Everyone knew you had feelings for him.” He spat the word contemptuously. “It was disgusting. But he was so devoted to you. He would have been far too suspicious if you’d been murdered. He would have stopped my father from becoming king. So he had to go.”
“So you turned him into a wolf?” Catarina said incredulously. “Seems to me there are easier ways to get rid of someone.”
Sebastian laughed harshly. “I didn’t turn him into a wolf. I just stopped him from turning back.”
There were confused looks from most of the people in the room, but Lydia gasped as if she’d just realised something. The pieces were slowly coming together in Magnus’s head too. He stared at Sebastian, anger roiling in his chest. “Turn Alexander back now.” he ordered. 
Sebastian only glowered at him, furiously silent.
Magnus drew his dagger and crossed the room in two strides, pressing the blade against Sebastian’s throat. “Turn him back now.” he hissed, pressing the knife in hard enough to draw blood. 
Sebastian’s eyes darted around, and he realised he was defeated. With a muffled curse, he pulled something out of the collar of his tunic. It was a tiny glass wolf on a leather cord, and he flung it to the floor and ground it to dust with his boot heel.
There was a sound like a thunderclap, and Alec reared up with a howl of agony. He raced from the room, darting through the curtains and disappearing. 
“Alec!” Magnus cried, but the wolf was gone. Magnus turned to the guards. “Take him to the dungeons.” he ordered, jerking his chin contemptuously at Sebastian. Then he raced after Alec, Cat and Ragnor close on his heels. They ran into the Great Hall, full of people milling around in shock after having seen a huge wolf run through the room. Magnus ran through the castle, mind working furiously, desperate to find Alec. 
Suddenly he stood still. He knew where Alec was, knew where he would have gone to feel safe. Magnus spun on his heel and raced in the opposite direction. His heart was thudding by the time he reached the castle’s residential quarters, Catarina and Ragnor panting behind him. 
Magnus crept to the door of his chambers and pressed his ear to the wood. He heard nothing but his own pulse, roaring in his ears. He closed his eyes, opened them, whispered a prayer and opened the door.
The sight that met him was like a blow to the chest, sending a wave of pure love through his whole body. The room was quiet and peaceful, soft beams of light coming through the high window. Alec was fast asleep in the King’s bed. The sheets were pulled up around him, his head resting on his arm, his breathing deep and even. He was curled up, sleeping as peacefully and trustingly as anyone could imagine. Beams of light danced across his bare back and revealed the curve of his eyelashes, the shape of his soft mouth.
Magnus went to him instinctively. He stopped beside the bed, and Alec blinked, then rolled over and looked up at him. “Magnus.” he said, simply and trustingly. He said it like there was nothing more to be said, like it was the most natural and beautiful thing in the world for him to wake up and see Magnus. 
Magnus was dimly aware of Cat pulling Ragnor out of the room, and closing the door behind them. He was very grateful. Right now, there was nothing he wanted— needed— more than to be alone with Alec.
“Alexander.” he breathed, tears springing to his eyes. “You’re back.” His eyes roved hungrily over Alec, taking in every detail. He looked exactly the same as he had before the transformation, dark messy hair falling into his face, blue eyes staring up at Magnus. Magnus’s heart twisted, and a tear fell from his eye. 
Alec blinked up at him. “Don’t cry.” he murmured. His voice was husky from months of unuse, and something about it made Magnus’s stomach flood with heat. He braced himself, not daring to feel anything. Any moment now, Alec would push him away, like he had so many times before. Any moment now Alec would realise that he was naked in the King’s bed, and this interaction far overstepped the bounds of propriety. Any moment now the old look of fear and shame would come into his eyes and he would flinch away. 
The flinch didn’t come. Alec continued to look up at him with a look of total, utter, undisguised adoration. “Magnus.” he whispered again, and it hit Magnus with a jolt that Alec was no longer calling him my lord. He was using his name, as Magnus had asked him to the last time they had spoken. And he saw the look in Alec’s eyes, no longer afraid, but loving and devoted and— and wanting.
Magnus almost fell across Alec, throwing himself at him and kissing him with all the love and relief and passion he felt. Alec pulled Magnus down on top of him without a second’s hesitation, kissing him back with an enthusiasm that stunned Magnus.
He clasped Alec’s face in his hands and pressed kisses all over it, half laughing and half crying. He dropped kisses on Alec’s eyelids, his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his chin. He scattered a flurry of kisses of Alec’s hands, clasped within his own. Alec’s laughter turned to a low gasp as Magnus kissed wildly down his neck. He reached Alec’s chest, kissing back and forth along it in a zigzag. Alec’s breathing turned low and ragged as Magnus kissed down his chest, then his stomach. He began to pant, wild and desperate, as Magnus folded the sheet back and kissed down to Alec’s navel, then lower still. He felt Alec surge under him, the thin sheet no barrier and yet far too much of a barrier.
Magnus pulled away suddenly and scrambled off the bed. Ignoring Alec’s moan of protest, he stumbled to the door, opening it just enough that no one outside could see in.
Several wide-eyed servants blinked back at him, evidently alarmed by the noises coming from the room “My lord, is everything alright?” one asked.
“Everything’s fine.” Magnus assured him. He was painfully aware of how he must look, lips red and tender from kissing, clothes dishevelled and with a wild look in his eyes. “But no one— I mean no one, understand?— is to come into this room until I leave it. If anyone disturbs us, I’ll— I’ll— well, we had just better not be disturbed, alright?”
The servants all nodded, looking extremely alarmed. 
“Good.” Magnus said breathlessly. He slammed the door. Almost before it was fully closed, Alec— for he had evidently come up behind Magnus as he was speaking— seized Magnus around the waist and spun around, half lifting him onto the bed. Magnus laughed in sheer delight, pulling Alec down with him. The knight didn’t seem at all self-conscious about being naked in the presence of the king. He slumped against the bedstead, reaching for Mgnaus and pulling him into his lap. He undid Magnus’s velvet cloak, waiting for his nod of confirmation before tossing it aside. He kissed Magnus’s bared throat, dragging his teeth across Magnus’s pulse point and making him shiver with desire.
“Wait.” Magnus gasped out. It was an effort to say— he wanted Alec desperately, wanted him now— but he felt that he needed answers first. “How did you— what happened to turn you into a wolf?”
Alec hesitated a moment, then seemed to resolve himself. “I’m a werewolf.” he said simply, and Magnus stared. “I was cursed— apparently it’s something that affects the ruler of Tan Koad every ten generations or so. It only came into effect after I took over the castle five years ago. Every month, I’d turn into a wolf for three nights.”
“That’s why you were gone every month.” Magnus murmured, understanding. 
Alec nodded. “I used to go and hide in the forest— I didn’t want anyone to know. Then, after the last time we spoke, Sebastian put an enchantment on me that prevented me from turning back into a human. I was so scared— I hid in the forest for weeks, not knowing what to do. Then I saw you when you were out hunting, and I—” He flushed slightly. “I missed you so much. I just had to get close, see if you were okay. I didn’t mean for you to see me—”
“But I did.” Magnus finished.
Alec nodded. “I ran and hid. Then, when that bear attacked you…”
“You saved me.” Magnus breathed. “It was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Alec ducked his head, embarrassed but clearly pleased. “It wasn’t, really. I didn’t even think. I just saw that you were in danger, and it was like— like my instincts activated.” He flushed and glanced down.
“And the rest is history, I suppose.” Magnus murmured.
Alec glanced up at him, eyes hooded. “When you brought me back to the castle,” he said huskily, “that was when I realised that I— I’d loved you for years. And I couldn’t even tell you.”
“You can tell me now.” Magnus whispered. 
Alec gave a soft gasping laugh and put his hand to Magnus’s cheek. His thumb brushed under Magnus’s eye. “Magnus.” he said softly. “My lord, my king, my soul. I love you.”
His other hand came to cup Magnus’s face, stroking his cheeks gently. “Not as a knight loves the lord he serves. I love you as a lover. I love you as if you were my husband.” His face flushed, but he didn’t drop his gaze from Magnus's. 
“Oh.” Magnus said, feeling such a rush of emotions he could barely begin to understand them. He twined his arms around Alec’s shoulders, feeling the deep thrum of his heartbeat. “I missed you so much.” 
Alec pulled Magnus’s hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to his palm. “I was here all along, my heart. Sleeping beside you, night after night. Loving you.” His mouth traced the lines of Magnus’s hand, kissing along the life line, the love line. “Wanting to protect you.” He kissed the crease at the edge of his hand, and Magnus remembered, dimly, that that part of the hand was called the marriage line. His mouth opened on a silent breath, not quite a moan. His heart was thudding wildly, and the movement of Alec’s lips wasn’t helping. He kissed up Magnus’s inner wrist and arm, sliding up his sleeve to bare the skin. Magnus breathed out sharply and clutched at Alec’s back. “Alec— my Alexander—” 
“Yours forever.” Alec murmured. His fingers traced over the buttons of Magnus’s tunic, eyes looking into his intently. “Can I— may I take this off?”
“Yes.” Magnus breathed. “Take it off me.” 
Alec’s fingers trembled as he undid the buttons and slid the tunic from Magnus’s shoulders, tossing it aside. Magnus kissed him, deeply, and he felt Alec buck underneath him. He pulled back, and Magnus could see the gleam of wolfishness still lingering in Alec’s eyes, in the curve of his mouth. He was panting hotly, hands roving over Magnus everywhere he could touch.
“Take it all off.” Magnus gasped, and Alec gave a wolfish snarl as he ripped off his shirt like it was paper. He pulled Magnus against him, bare chest against bare chest, and Magnus could feel his tension, his devotion. Magnus was panting, and Alec was ripping at his remaining clothes until they were gone, leaving them bare as animals mating in the forest. 
Magnus swung himself off Alec for a moment, scrambling to the edge of the bed and fumbling in the small cabinet against the wall. His cheeks warmed slightly as his hand closed around the ornate oil bottle. Magnus hadn’t used it in many months— it had been a long time since he’d had a lover in his bed. He fully intended to make up for lost time now.
He crawled back to Alec, settling into his lap and giving him a passionate kiss. Alec gave a low groan against his mouth, pulling away to stare at the bottle in Magnus’s hand. “Is that— is that for—” He was red to the tips of his eyes, gesturing erratically to the bottle, then to Magnus.
“It is indeed.” Magnus purred. He pressed his palm to Alec’s cheek, turning his face to look at him. “Do you want this?”
Alec nodded wildly, tongue darting out to wet his lips in an action Magnus found mesmerising. “Yes.” he breathed. “Yes, Magnus, I want you so much.” His hands slid down Magnus’s back, holding him close. 
Magnus smiled and opened the bottle. “Hold out your hand.” he instructed.
Alec’s eyes widened, huge and dark as he offered his hand. Magnus poured some of the oil over his hand, watching in fascination as it dripped down his wrist. He knelt over Alec’s lap and guided his hand to slide between his legs, murmuring guidance to him until Alec found his entrance and slowly slid a finger inside. They both gasped softly at the sensation. Alec’s lips were parted, watching Magnus in utter fascination as he gently added a second finger. He buried his burning face in Magnus’s neck, starting to move in a tentative exploring motion. 
Magnus gasped, rolling his hips to the rhythm of Alec’s fingers. He’d never felt sensation like this before, love and adoration mixed  with pure arousal. Alec’s fingers were big, warm and calloused, stirring the most delicious sensations from Magnus’s belly. Alec added more oil, and Magnus threw his head back, moaning at the slick slide. He felt so ready, more than he ever had in his life.
Alec was stroking himself with his free hand, cheeks flushed. He pulled his fingers free, and Magnus knelt over his cock, heart thrumming. He pulled Alec in and kissed him passionately, lips sliding along his cheek.
 “My brave protector.” he breathed in his ear. They kissed again and again, wild and frenzied, until Magnus gasped out, “Now.” and Alec nodded.
Magnus lowered himself slowly, trembling, until he felt the first slide of Alec into him. They both gasped, and Magnus lowered his head, trembling, until his forehead rested against Alec’s shoulder. 
“Magnus—” Alec choked out, hands shaking against his back. 
“I’m here, my knight.” Magnus breathed. His legs trembled and he held onto Alec to steady himself. He gripped Alec’s back, bearing down steadily until Alec was fully inside of him, their bodies fitting together as perfectly as a sword fits into a sheath. Magnus cried out aloud, warmth spreading through his chest and stomach. He could feel every pulse and throb of Alec inside him, every tiny movement of his body under Magnus’s.
He began to move, unable to stay still. Alec’s head went back, lips parting on a silent moan at the slick, hot drag of their bodies. He gripped Magnus’s thighs, helping him move, finding a rhythm. Magnus pressed his forehead against Alec’s as he rolled his hips, breathing him in, looking into his eyes as they moved together. 
“Never going to leave you again.” Alec gasped. His hands tightened on Magnus’s hips, holding him still for a moment as Alec kissed along his neck.
“Never going to let you go again.” Magnus murmured in return. “Not now I’ve found you.” He rose and sank down again, legs trembling, and they both moaned. Alec was pressing against a spot deep inside him that made warm, liquid pleasure spill through Magnus’s body. He rocked himself faster, gasping and calling Alec’s name, clutching at him. Alec looked utterly wrecked, hair mussed, cheeks flushed and mouth wet and inviting. He dropped his head to lick around one of Magnus’s peaked nipples, and Magnus cried out in sheer arousal. He was close, his entire body shaking as he rose and fell over Alec. 
“Love you,” Magnus gasped. He was trembling uncontrollably all over, feeling Alec’s thrusts into him becoming erratic as he neared his climax. “Loved you since the day I met you— always— oh, Alec, Alec—“ He couldn’t speak, dropping his head back as his pleasure mounted, moving faster and faster. He felt Alec’s hands start to shake on his hips, felt the exact moment he tipped over the edge with a stuttering cry of Magnus’s name. 
Magnus couldn’t help but follow. The pleasure inside him broke, rolling over him in waves, and Magnus cried out as he fell into the arms of his knight, his wolf, his lover.
He pressed his forehead to Alec’s shoulder, both of them trembling as the aftershocks washed over them. Magnus kissed Alec’s neck, tasting the salt on his skin.
They stayed like that for a long time as their breathing settled. Then Magnus felt Alec laugh and run a hand through his hair. Magnus pulled back to look at him. Alec was hazy and flushed from his release, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Magnus was enough to make him feel weak all over again. 
“Magnus.” Alec murmured. He put a hand against Magnus’s cheek, storing his thumb under Magnus’s eye. He kissed the corner of his mouth, soft and tentative, and Magnus’s heart broke with love. He slumped against Alec’s chest again, breathing him in, mouthing at the warm skin.
He sat there in Alec’s lap, feeling sticky and sweaty and utterly content as Alec stroked his back. Eventually he spoke. “I think there’s a few things I need to do.”
“Oh?” Magnus asked, sitting back to look at him. “What are those?”
“I need to see my family.” Alec murmured.
Magnus hummed in agreement. “You do.”
“And Lydia and I need to officially get divorced.”
Magnus grinned. “I’ve never been so happy to hear about a divorce arrangement.” He leaned his cheek on Alec’s shoulder, toying with his hair. “And then…. are you going to move in here with me?” He glanced up at Alec, suddenly unsure of his answer, worried that a shadow of Alec’s old fear might return.
“If you’ll have me.” Alec whispered. “If you want to…” 
He looked down at Magnus, and Magnus could see his own uncertainty reflected suddenly in Alec’s eyes. “Oh, my darling boy.” he breathed. “My knight, my protector. Of course I want you. I want you beside me for all time, wherever I go.”
Alec’s eyes lit up. “I can do that.” He caught Magnus’s hand in both of his own, squeezing it and kissing his knuckles. Magnus pulled his head up and kissed Alec gently, tilting his chin up and sliding his hands into the knight’s thick hair.
In a little while, Magnus reflected, they’d have to leave this room and rejoin a castle rocked by scandal and betrayal. Magnus would have to sort out this whole tedious business with Valentine, and he was sure Alec would want to see his siblings, who were no doubt waiting anxiously to see that he was alright.
But all that could wait just a few minutes. Here, in the bed they now shared as lovers, he could afford to enjoy Alec’s company a little longer, before the world demanded their time again.
Alec kissed his forehead. “What are you thinking about, my love?”
“Just that I’m glad you’re back.” Magnus said
Alec’s face softened. “I was here all along.” he murmured. “And I meant what I said before. I’m never leaving you again, Magnus. Whatever happens, I’ll be right here with you.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Magnus breathed, and pulled Alec down into another kiss.
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julescarstairs · 1 month
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You guys haven’t met the TWIPAL love interests yet (I promise I’ll be introducing them soon) but if anyone is going to be subject to the one bed trope, it’s going to be Zepheanor. I can feel it in my bones. Just Eleanor Blackthorn-Carstairs and her silly little faerie Gatekeeper who can’t name or explain why she captivates him so much, but embraces the feeling wholeheartedly anyway.
(@tsc-reader you with me on this one? 🥹😭💗 I feel like they own this trope and it hasn’t even happened yet)
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livia-dovehallow · 2 years
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I finally posted it! The Good Part, sequel to Handmade Heaven!
You can read the Prologue and Chapter One now on AO3!
This is the story of Cecily's pregnancy with Christopher, two years after the events of Handmade Heaven. Lots has happened in those two years! The family has expanded to include Thomas, Matthew, and James alongside our previous kiddos, Barbara, Eugenia, and Anna. But, as it turns out, Cecily isn't the only one expecting...
Read, comment, drop a kudos, and let me know what you think!
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imherongraystairstrash · 11 months
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Hii would you ever consider writing a small piece of gabrily comforting Alex after one of the nightmares after what Tatiana did to him? Like them ushering him to bed with them and trying to make him feel better
Helloo! I wish I could write small pieces, but I always have too many ideas! I've been wanting to write this one for a while, but time is scarce these days lol
Anyway, I thankfully found a second in between study sessions to get this written! I don't have time to edit it well, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes:
Late nights
It was nights like these that hurt Cecily the most. The nights when she would suddenly open her eyes, wide awake. At first, the lively feeling that would course through her veins would invoke great confusion, because of how unused to it she was. Then, of course, she would be attacked by an overwhelming flood of memories. Memories that reminded her of why her daily disposition was a fusion between numbness and agony. Why her days were now painted gray; why her heart felt so heavy in her chest; why she was always on the brink of falling apart, as if her life was held up by a single string that was just waiting to become undone. 
Tonight was one of those nights. Though, if Cecily was being perfectly honest, most nights were like these. She turned to steal a glance at Gabriel. He was fast asleep, laying on his stomach, his forearms curled under his pillow. Despite everything, Cecily smiled softly at him, the way it was impossible to not smile at someone who cast a light upon your darkest shadows. Cecily turned on her side, hugging her blankets to her chest. 
“My Gabriel Lightwood,” she whispered quietly, “how long I had been waiting in the darkness for your light.”
That brought more tears to her eyes, because she didn’t know how to compensate for the darkness her darling Christopher’s absence had left. And neither did Gabriel. They were both so incredibly hollow, so filled with grief, it was difficult to imagine how they could possibly recover when there was nothing holding them together.
Cecily thought back to when her parents had died. The way she collapsed into Gabriel’s arms, the way he held her up and stroked her back gently, murmuring sweet words into her ear. Or when Jesse had died, and Gabriel looked to her for comfort. Only now, neither stood on solid enough ground to be able to hold the other up, and they suffered for it. 
Cecily turned her gaze away from Gabriel and instantly felt cold all over once more. She fought the urge to look at him again, knowing that the more she looked, the more she’d want to inch towards him and bury herself in the comfort of his arms. Gabriel would hold her without complaint, but Cecily could never live with herself for being so selfish, disturbing Gabriel from his rare, peaceful slumber, because her heart felt like it was being stabbed with each breath she took.
So she directed her gaze in the opposite direction, to avoid temptation. That’s when she caught sight of two round, dark blue eyes peering at her from the edge of her bed. She gasped, holding a hand to her chest.
“Alexander,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “Bach, I didn’t see you there.”
Alexander looked sheepishly at her. “I’m sorry, Mam. I didn’t mean to scare you.” 
Cecily shook her head, forcing her lips to curl up in what she hoped was a comforting smile as she sat up and reached for her baby.
She settled him on her lap. From here, she could see the pure terror in his eyes as they darted to and fro, his plaid parlor, the way he trembled in her arms.
“Alex bach,” she said softly, stroking his raven hair, “What is the matter? Did you have a bad dream?” 
Alex blinked rapidly, his eyes filling with unshed tears. Cecily felt her already wounded heart break even further. 
“Oh darling, don’t fret,” She said as she pulled him into a loving embrace, tucking his head under her chin. “I’ll always be here. I’ll always protect you.”
Alex only trembled in her arms. Cecily knew to hold him until the initial shock of his nightmare subsided and she did just that, rubbing his small back as he clung to her.
As she held her son, Cecily thought about how small he was in her arms, how delicate. Ever since Christopher, she couldn’t stop thinking about how fragile life is. How it can slip away from your grasp like water, before you have time to realize it. And here, she had a small, fragile and trembling life wrapped around her arms. So she held him tight, she kissed the top of his head and rocked him back and forth, because she will never know when it’ll be the last time. Because she never got to hold her other baby one last time before saying goodbye, and now she never will. 
Alex’s fear seemed to reseed; Cecily pulled away and looked into his dark blue eyes; the same eyes her mother had had. She brushed a lock of his raven hair away from his face. 
“All better?” She asked with a smile.
Alex nodded quickly, though he still seemed a bit skittish. 
“Mam?” He said in a quiet voice. 
“Yes, bach?” 
“Can you come with me to my room?” he asked, sheepishly. “Only for a tiny bit?”
Cecily smiled at him, “Of course, cariad.”
Gabriel’s intuition told him that Cecily wasn’t asleep beside him before he opened his eyes. This, naturally, sent an initial shock of fear coursing through his veins, before he was able to rationalize that it was most likely because she was with Alexander. 
Even so, Gabriel was quick to get out of the bed and make his way down the hall to his son’s room. Sure enough, he heard his wife’s soft voice lulling from their youngest son’s room. Just across from Alexander’s room was Christopher’s. Gabriel lingered by the shut door, pressing his palm against its wooden surface. He closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer for his oldest son before continuing to Alex’s room.
He saw Cecily and Alex laying beside each other, Alex pressed close to Cecy’s side. When they noticed Gabriel’s presence, they both startled and pressed closer to each other.
“Relax,” Gabriel said, holding his hands up in surrender, “It’s only me; I come in peace.”
Cecily snorted. “You can’t sneak up on us like that in the middle of the night. You scare us half to death.” 
“You’re shadowhunters,” Gabriel protested, climbing onto the bed. “You should be prepared for these sorts of things.” he said, winking at Alex, who grinned at his father.
“You should be thankful I wasn’t prepared, Gabriel Lightwood, or you would have a knife lodged in your chest.”
Gabriel frowned at her. They tease each other, but in reality, Gabriel hated to think that neither Alex nor Cecily were able to feel entirely safe in their own home. It sent an unsettling feeling through him. 
Alex interrupted Gabriel’s train of thought with a loud yawn. His blue-eyed gaze was lined with exhaustion from sleepless nights.
“I think it’s well past someone’s bedtime.” Cecily said, her voice falling into the lull of a pronounced Welsh accent, the same one that she’d had when Gabriel had first met her. After years of living in Idris and London, she’d lost most of it, but it did make its occasional reappearance when Cecy was especially tired or when she’d had one too many glasses of wine. “I’ll finish the story and we can…”
She trailed off as she caught sight of Alex who had fallen into a peaceful slumber at some point between that moment and his yawn. 
“It seems he’s one step ahead of you.” Gabriel said pointedly. 
Cecily nodded slowly.
They both watched Alex sleep before Gabriel broke the silence. “We should probably go back to bed.”
Cecily nodded, but made little effort to move, until Gabriel sat up. She slowly detangled Alex from her arm and arranged the blankets over him carefully. Gabriel watched as she went through the motions of a practiced mother tucking her child to sleep. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on the top of his head and paused to look at her son a little longer before moving to join Gabriel. 
He put his arm around her and hugged her tight to his chest as Cecily rested her head against his shoulder.
They both lingered by Alex’s doorway, not quite wanting to leave him alone. 
“He’ll be alright,” Cecily said, firmly. She stepped into the hall, took a sharp intake of breath. “Bother, I forgot my slippers beside Alex’s bed.” 
“I’ll get them.” Gabriel said. 
Cecily seemed like she was about to protest, but was too tired to do so. Gabriel smiled to himself as he bent down to pick up the slippers. When he straightened, he lightly stroked Alex’s raven curls and whispered a goodnight to his son before going back to Cecily. Except, she wasn’t by the doorway anymore. 
As Gabriel left the room, he saw her standing in her white nightgown with her dark, wavy hair tumbling down her back, curling at the tips in front of Christopher’s room.
She must have opened the door; it sent a pang through Gabriel’s chest to see everything exactly as Christopher had left it. As if the room defied time. 
“I keep thinking he’ll come back.” Cecily said as Gabriel came to stand beside her. “That he’s at Charlotte and Henry’s house and he’ll come back at any moment and we’ll say ‘Christopher, where were you? We were worried sick!’ and he’ll say that he was only doing science, and that he wasn’t gone that long, and it’ll be one of those memories that are terrible in the moment, but later become something you recall on a whim and laugh at over dinner.” 
Gabriel blinked, before suddenly feeling the urge to do something before he went crazy. He bent down in front of Cecy, lifting her foot gently to slip on her slipper. Cecily rested a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t look up at her until he’d slipped on the other slipper. 
When he did look up, he was faced with Cecily’s eyes, that always spoke louder than any words.
“Gabriel,” She said, gently. “You don’t have to be strong in front of me. Let yourself be vulnerable.” She put a delicate hand to his cheek. “You can let it all go. You’re safe with me.”
Gabriel took a deep breath and straightened. “I know, Cecy.” He pulled her close to him and kissed her temple. “I know.”
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dalbitpotion · 1 year
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i wish i knew what this wip was about because it doesn’t sound half bad. but this was the only thing in the untitled document and i don’t even remember what it’s supposed to be. was it a mark and emma “relationship/friendship” focus fic? emma thinking she had a crush on mark and thus jules thinking emma had a crush on mark so it’s complicated? who knows! 
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