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bytheangell · 5 years

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Dreaming Wide Awake: Chapter 3

(Read on AO3) (Start from the beginning)

“So, tell me the truth,” Alec says to Izzy over lunch the next day. “What did mom and dad say about Magnus coming on vacation?”

Izzy raises an eyebrow. “What makes you think they said anything? Or that I’d know about it if they did?”

Alec rolls his eyes. “Because you like to know everything . Plus, I checked your recent calls while you went to the bathroom. After I texted you that he was officially going you called mom ten minutes later.”

“How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my phone?!” Izzy demands, snatching the cell off the table in front of her as if it matters now.

“And how many times do I have to tell you to change your password? It’s your own fault.” Izzy’s password, ever since her fascination with all things science began, has been ‘992619’, the numbers of the periodic table elements which spell out ‘F U C K’. He knows better than to search through her messages or photos, or anything horribly invasive like that. She knows it, too, which is the only reason she isn’t actually mad at him for looking up her call history.

“They’re not thrilled about it,” she admits. “I think they’re mostly upset that you blindsided them with him. They couldn’t exactly say no after extending the offer to Meliorn first… but you know how they get about new people in our lives. This guy comes out of nowhere and suddenly you want to take him on the family vacation? It looks a little shady.”

Alec doesn’t have the heart to tell her that’s because it is a little shady. A part of him wants to tell Izzy the truth. He thinks she’d understand… but he doesn’t know if she’d be able to keep it to herself for the entire month. And that Alec can’t risk.

“I’m sure they’ll get over it the moment Magnus charms them into submission,” Alec says, unable to keep the slightly dopey smile off of his face. At least it plays into the lie he’s selling, instead of just being his own inability to play it cool.

Izzy smiles back. “I’m glad you have someone who makes you this happy. I can’t believe you never told me you two were dating, though!”

Alec shrugs, going over the bare-bones lie he and Magnus agreed to. No details, that way they wouldn’t trip up over something. “We just wanted to see if it would stick before telling anyone. We didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

Izzy met Magnus a few times this past year when she came to visit him on campus. They didn’t go to the same school but she was only an hour away, so weekend trips were pretty common between the two of them.

“If you like him enough to decide he’s worth subjecting to a family vacation, I’d say that’s a pretty big deal, hermano .” Izzy points out, finishing her coffee before standing up to leave.

Alec gets up to follow, knowing how right she is even though he’d never admit it out loud.

---

The next week flies by with impressive speed. Alec calls on Magnus a little more than usual, but Magnus doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he returns the requests in kind, the pair of them leaning on one another as much needed distractions to make it through papers and exams and dealing with professors who make them want to walk away from college and never look back.

It isn’t until the night before Alec’s final presentation that he realizes just how close to slipping he is regarding his feelings for Magnus.

It all starts when Alec, in a moment of frustration, throws his pen across the room, followed shortly by the book he’s sourcing from, before picking up his phone and pulling Magnus’ contact info up without hesitation. Magnus answers on the second ring, clearly out of breath.

“Hey Alec, what’s up?” Magnus asks. Alec hears the sound of music in the background, the faint thump of footsteps repeating rhythmically in the background, and guesses that Magnus is at the gym.

“...did you answer your phone in the middle of a workout?” Alec asks, knowing that Magnus usually texts him that he’ll call later when Alec catches him mid-run.

“Don’t worry about it, I was done anyway,” Magnus reassures him, breath coming in rough ‘huffs’ throughout the short sentence. “What’s up?”

Alec considers calling back later anyway, but the pen mark on his white wall encourages him otherwise. “This final presentation for Starkweather. I’m just… I don’t even know anymore. I know the work is good, the research is flawless, but he hates me. What’s the point if he’s just going to pick apart every little thing until he can justify giving me the lowest grade possible out of spite?” Alec sighs. “Why bother?”

All his other classes are normal levels of stress: did I study hard enough, did I proofread this paper well enough, how many more times can I do the readings until I can’t absorb any more information? But this one, this one feels personal. And of course it’s required, and not offered under any other Professor. He doesn’t even know why Starkweather is so hard on him over everyone else, and after a full semester of it he’s reached his tipping point. If he has to retake this class again in the fall he might actually snap.

“Alec, we both know how hard you worked at that class. There's nothing he can do to take away from that now - just take a deep breath and use those words I know you're so skilled with.” There's a suggestive lilt to those last few words that has Alec smiling again already. “It's almost over and you gave him hell at every turn. I think he'll be as happy to get rid of you as you are off him. But you can't let him win by giving up now.”

Alec knows Magnus is right.

“One more. I can do this.” Alec repeats.”Thanks for the pep talk.”

“I can come over after l hit the showers.” Magnus says, the words an assumption at the nature of the call.

“I think I'm good. Just needed someone to talk me down.” He hardly realizes that just hearing from Magnus was all the reassurance he needed, or how strange it is for him to turn down the usual offer without a second thought. “Can I send this over later for you to proofread, though?”

There's a pause on the other end before Magnus replies. “Sure. Yeah, of course. Guess I'll see you tomorrow then.” there's some level of confusion behind the words, and it isn't until Alec hears it that he realizes what he did.

He didn't call Magnus for their usual distraction. He called him just to hear his voice.

Fuck.

“Magnus, wait -” He tries to cover but it's too late, the line is already dead. All he can do is hope Magnus doesn't have the able revelation that he did.

---

Alec doesn't get a chance to see Magnus agsin until after the presentations.

“You killed it. Told you you would.” Magnus said without missing a beat. If anything struck him as odd after last night's call he isn't showing it now.

“Thanks. I'm just glad it's over, either way. Nothing but wine and and shopping and bike rides for the next month.” Alec looks eagerly over at Magnus at that.

“It's going to be amazing,” Magnus agrees.”But you're going to have to personally apologize to Ragnor for it about a million times, because he's still mad at me for abandoning him for an entire month.”

Alec groans. “He already hates me and I can't figure out why, or do anything to make him like me more. I doubt a billion apologies is going to change anything.”

Alec can't remember doing anything to upset or offend Magnus’ roommate, but recently Alec's very existence seems to rub Ragnor the wrong way.

“He's like that with everyone, don't take it personally.” Magnus reassures Alec - not for the first time - and Alec makes a noncommittal noise in response. It sure feels personal, especially when they're in a group hanging out, but he doesn't push it.

“The plan is still to meet at the airport, right?”

Alec nods. The plane leaves in three days so Magnus is spending some time home with friends before the trip, and meeting Alec and his family before the flight. “Yep. 9 am sharp on Tuesday.”

They linger, a mere foot away from each other, and Alec hesitates with every intention of leaning in for a hug when Magnus takes a step away with his gaze set somewhere behind Alec. Alec turns to see Catarina waiting off to the side for Magnus who waves before turning his attention distractedly back to Alec. “Tuesday at 9. Got it. Text me if you think of something I might need between now and then!”

Magnus waves a goodbye that Alec half-heartedly returns, already counting down the minutes until Tuesday.

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #isabelle lightwood #shfanficnexus #shadowhunters #a little something to keep things moving along #elle writes a few deadbeat lines

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