Imagine a pre-canon Alec (miserable and alone and knowing that all his future holds is duty and a wife he can never love) being transported to a post-canon-ish world where Magnus and Alec are happily married. Alec is HOTI-NY, Magnus is High Warlock of Brooklyn/Consular Warlock of the Americas, and everything is basically sunshine and rainbows.
Pre-canon Alec (in post-canon Alec's body) sees the love and joy that the other Alec has in his life and hurts, wondering if it's even possible for this to be his future. It takes a few days for Magnus to figure out how to get the Alec's switched back again and in that time, Alec, touch-starved and lonely Alec, quietly approaches Magnus, who he knows he'll never see again after the switch and asks one thing.
Alec is blushing and stammering, but he manages to get out that if Magnus would be okay with it, if other-Alec wouldn't be mad, would- would Magnus hug him? Just the once?
Alec just wants to know what it feels like to be held like that by someone who loves him even if they don't really love him.
I love when people theorize which genre of music the suitors would like in modern aus. People usually say Arthur would like jazz, and I think “ooo yesssss I can see him loving jazz and dancing with you to it on occasion 😍🥰😮💨”
But then I can just as clearly imagine Arthur sniffling in a corner listening to Secondhand Serenade on repeat, and I think he’s so real for that, too 😭