#to learn how to do that so adroitly and without any affect

[lunarriviera]

“Is retirement a bad thing?” Luo Wenzhou smiled at him. “My dreams are all about retiring. Waking up naturally every day, going wherever I want, collecting my pension every month, taking my old spouse around everywhere, having all the little brats give up their seats for me when I get on the subway.” Lu Youliang very much wanted to foster his development; although Luo Wenzhou was a little too young, luckily the old man wouldn’t be retiring immediately. There were still some years left; if he pushed him along, it was possible he would amount to something. Hearing this feckless discourse, Director Lu filled with anger; then he once again thought of some gossip concerning Young Lord Luo that couldn’t be mentioned in polite society and became even more vexed. Pointing at Luo Wenzhou, he said, “You don’t even have a young spouse. Shut up. If you won’t talk sense, get the hell out of my face.” Luo Wenzhou put a cigarette in his mouth, tucked the old case file under his arm, and duly prepared to get the hell out. [默读 | Silent Reading, Book 1, chapter 42, Humbert Humbert IX]

so many thoughts going through his mind in this moment, while wearing the turtleneck and matching coats with Pei su. He now has two cats to feed and that is the smile of a satisfied man

the way his eyes shift slightly before looking down?? It looks like he remembered something not-safe-for-censorship and got a little shy

right in front of du ju's salad

[tosikoarts]

SFW Alphabet | Tsurumi Tokushirou

Wow, this one seems to be the apogee of my writing.  You can check tosikowrites tag for more. Warning: there’s a lot under the cut.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Finally, a man who knows what he is doing. Tsurumi is a sly devil but he also got a taste of love, and those two points combined made him a danger to anyone he puts an eye on. The entire 7th division holds their breath watching how skillfully First Lieutenant pulls the unsuspecting victim into his snares.

Understandably, his main weapon would be the art of word. Tsurumi knows how to keep dialogue entertaining; moreover, he is well versed in complimenting his favorite person. He murmurs sweet nothings into their ear in public and in private, under the sergeant's condemning gaze and right under the nose of the jealous Second Lieutenant. Tsurumi does it wisely though, avoiding Usami’s uncontrollable obsession.

Gallantry is his middle name. As soon as they appear on the horizon with a bag or a stack of heavy books, Tsurumi miraculously finds himself next to them taking all of their stuff in his hands. Always accompanies them on the way home, from time to time pleases them with a small bouquet of lavender, moves the chair away from the table so that they sit down. At the same time, his gestures and moves, all looks natural like Tsurumi has been born with it.

Oh, also, he likes to spoil his loved one, pamper them without any limits. If they want to take a picture together, he will hire a western artist to paint a portrait of them. If they want a bar of chocolate, he will order to find the best dessert chef in Hokkaido. This is not his constant behavior, but Tsurumi quite often goes over the board with his affection.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Let’s be honest, to be best friends with Tsurumi you have to be at least no stupider than him and, better, even a little bit smarter. Otherwise, he will treat the person like another pawn in the game. Mind is a measure of strength, and those who are weaker than him do not deserve more than condescending attitude.

His best friend has to be patient and steadfast as a tin soldier: the hole in the head and lack of a brain piece deprived the First Lieutenant of poise so he is prone to outbursts of unwarranted violence. He may jokingly threaten to bite off their nose. Likewise, he may introduce them to the general madness of his division in the face of Usami or Nikaidou. They just have to deal with the crazy without going bonkers themself.  

In addition, they have to have a wide range of interests or be willing to learn new things. Tsurumi is the one to offer to go to horse race, win (or lose) some money, and, without delay, go to the nearest theater. His broad knowledge in various areas makes it possible to boast in every possible way on every possible topic and he expects his best friend to keep the conversation going. Of course, his favorite topic is war and weapons so they must be familiar with it.

The advantages of friendship with this remarkable individual are: respect in all circles he is in; initiation into his plans or most of them; life will seem a lot easier than before since obstacles become suspiciously fewer…

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He has a weird desire for them to look into his face while cuddling. To be mentioned, Tsurumi takes off his enamel head plate in private and it works like a magic: his expression transforms into one of person who has been gone for too long, who was yet to see the horrors of Russo-Japanese war. So, Tsurumi likes to keep them on his lap, hands placed on their thighs or waist, and talk, talk, talk. For some reason avoids spooning: if they try to spoon him, he will slip away from their hands, turn around, and plant a gentle kiss on their forehead.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

It’s complicated. Considering his past with Fina, the whole idea of settling down evokes the unconscious resistance in Tsurumi. Grand plans for hidden gold are the one thing that interests him at the moment, or this is what he convinced himself in. Even in the case of having the most suitable partner, Tsurumi will choose treasure hunt over binding relationship. Same goes for children. His henchmen are his kids, his hellhounds, his creations that he nurtured with distorted version of love and adoration. It is unlikely that he has even a little healthy parental affection left. Great at making desserts, mediocre at cooking overall, doesn’t care about cleaning and leaves it to the partner.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Break-up can go different ways.

In the best case scenario, Tsurumi acts like a gentleman until the very end. On the designated day, he invites a partner to a quiet place and makes sure nobody disturbs their conversation. Even if it happens in the barracks, all soldiers are strictly ordered to stay away from the First Lieutenant's office. There are two cups of a soothing herbal tea on his table as well as dessert associated with them. In calm steady voice Tsurumi explains why they have to break up and how it would be inevitable in the future if they choose to stay together for little longer. In the end of his speech, they feel almost like they initiated this break-up and Tsurumi just conducted their thoughts like his own. It is harmless and easy break-up with no hard feelings after all.

Other options aren’t that innocuous. He can easily make up a kidnapping scheme to remove them from the sight. It may or may not be violent, may or may not leave them traumatized. In the worst case, Tsurumi with heavy heart will give the order to eliminate them and hide all signs of their existence. It is a pity that one cannot erase the marks left on him and his life.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, formalizing a relationship is far from the first thing on the Tsurumi’s To-Do list. His partner can try to hint at marriage but he will either completely ignore it or adroitly dissuade them from such stupid undertaking. In a relationship, he remains faithful despite the absence of some fictitiously important pieces of signed paper.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Well, even if he is gentle in any variation, this gentleness carries a sadistic undertone. Tsurumi’s physical affection borders on pain and it is impossible to tell if his vulnerable moments are a theatrical performance or not. He can laugh endlessly, kiss their fingertips and bare knuckles, purposely tickle their neck with his long eyelashes or handlebar moustache but the very next second a predatory grin distorts his face, sending thing in darker direction. Only God knows what is going on in his head, really.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

A truly romantic hug so often shown in films and described in books: his hand rests on their waist, pulling them closer, and other hand catches theirs as if in a slow dance. Each time the distance between him and his partner becomes less and less, but what remains constant, it is a subtle smile and piercing gaze of dark eyes. When in a cheery, exclusively friendly mood, Tsurumi likes to give the partner a tight bear hug or a short greetings-like hug with resting his chin either on their shoulder or on the top of their head.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It takes years for Tsurumi to say “I love you” out loud. About 3-4 to be exact. Either because he cannot call his feelings real love, or because he does not want to let them ease off. Confession imposes the stamp of some kind of completeness on the relationship and it isn’t fun at all. In his speech, the magic three words are replaced by softer analogues like “I really like you” or “Aren’t you my sunshine” so his partner does not put much thought to why Tsurumi avoids confession. Oh, one hundred percent the day he finally chooses to confess will be an anniversary date. Expect a day dedicated solely to satisfaction of his partner’s desires.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Oh no no no, please, we don’t have that much space in the cemetery. Flirting with Tsurumi’s partner is like playing Russian roulette with five bullets in cylinder – highly lethal game of chance. After spotting unlucky admirer, Tsurumi tries to identify them and dig up as much information as possible. Their fate depends on it. If it's some kind of midge, a cockroach, First Lieutenant forgets about this situation pretty fast. He doesn’t want to deal with such squalor anyway. If this is a more serious figure, Tsurumi may want to teach them a lesson how rude it is to encroach on someone else's love. Probably pulls a couple of strings to get them into some kind of trouble. Get them fired, discharged, robbed, assaulted, whatever. At the same time, he doesn’t even mention them while talking to the loved one.  

Provoking Tsurumi to jealousy is just as dangerous. His actions are not as radical as in the first case but his partner will have to learn that this is not an acceptable behavior. It is hard to imagine how far he can go though, methods may vary from simple manipulation to straightforward psychological abuse. The latter is the last and the least appealing option, which Tsurumi won’t use unless he is forced to.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Sometimes you just wonder where he learned all these tricks with his tongue. Tsurumi is a playful skilled kisser with excellent flair to where and when to apply fine knowledge of French... technique. Bites are not uncommon either. He has a habit of marking his loved one so everybody around knows who they belong to, and at least one hickey has to flaunt on their neck to keep him satisfied. Tsurumi prefers to kiss his partner wherever they want to be kissed, especially if they ask nicely, and to where to be kissed… a straight line from razor-sharp cheekbones to the notch between the collarbones is a great start.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Stranger’s kids are terrified of Tsurumi. Little ones burst into tears as they notice his wide smile, and those who are a little older stare at him with confusion. Teens try to stay away from this man since he fits the stranger danger statement very well. Thus to say, Tsurumi isn’t fond of being near children and prefers to pass the buck to the subordinates. If we are talking about his own (highly hypothetical) kids that is another story: they get the best of the best, they are spoiled rotten just like his partner. Of course, as kids grow up, Tsurumi switches to the carrot and stick approach spoiling them only as a reward for good behavior. Not that bad around children, really. It's not his fault that he fits the description of Boogeyman.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

On rare days when Tsurumi decides to spend the day with a partner, he never rushes. Those mornings are complete opposite of his usual mornings: they are slow, lazy, maximally filled with intimacy. No one is in a hurry to get out from under the blanket and if his loved one tries to sneak out, Tsurumi deftly catches them by the waist and drags back. I think it is clear that he is immensely touchy in the morning hours. The rest of the time is spent in a kitchen over a cup of green tea, in lively conversation on a variety of topics. No, he is not going to leave the house until the late noon.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Get ready for experiments and new experiences. Have they ever tried horseback riding? No? Good, he will be their teacher. Calligraphy? He will help to put their hand on a brush correctly. Nyotaimori or nantaimori? He will ask either Koito or another twunk to serve as a model. Tsurumi presents every evening date as a surprise that will not leave one indifferent and still he somehow manages to not overstep the bounds of decency. When their mood doesn’t fit his own adventurous impulses, the choice falls on a more classic pastime like late night walk or dinner date but there is not much that can be said about it.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

His partner won’t hear a bit of personal information, a single bit, until Tsurumi is one hundred percent sure that they are here to stay. Until then, he will feed the partner common unremarkable phrases which cannot compromise him in any way. Even after this, a lot of uncertainties remain: Tsurumi seems to describe events only in positive or neutral light, avoiding situations that obviously carry a grim implications. For example, not a word will be said about Fina or Olga and even if partner witnesses him fiddling small bones in his fingers, Tsurumi will make some fable up. Revelations happen but it is not something they will have a chance to get used to.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Easily angered but pulls himself together in the blink of the eye. His malice usually spills out in a form of nervous thrill so it is rare to see Tsurumi screaming his lungs out or getting into a fight. In a relationship, he puts on a mask of an eternally patient partner so his loved one won’t even guess about his anger issues.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Liar is obligated to have a great memory, do you get where I’m coming from? Now only he remembers what his partner has to say but also somehow knows what they hide from him too. If the information seems to be of low priority, Tsurumi immediately forgets it. Like what is he supposed to do with the fact that theirs first dog was called Akira? Best of all he remembers theirs crucial ups and downs both to establish the emotional connection and have some control levers in the future.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Difficult question. Not any of “first experiences”, not anniversary. Probably, the first time he introduced them to the group of closer soldiers like Tsukishima and Co. For the first time Tsurumi decided to “show off” his partner in the headquarters just to establish a clear boundaries between himself and subordinates. Of course, he was well aware of the risks and consequences but chose to do it anyway. The reaction of some was quite expected: Koito's face expressed unpleasant surprise and qualm, he couldn’t switch back from Satsuma dialect and when it finally happened, there were more awkward pauses than comprehendible words; Usami screwed up his eyes as if he was evaluating a competitor simultaneously deciding on the best method to eliminate them. Nikaidou didn’t really cared. Kikuta did neither. Tsukishima’s reaction was the most adequate of all: he politely bowed, mumbled words of courtesy, and got back to his routine. However, on the way to the office he decided to warn them that lovely Tokushirou might differ from their expectations. At the end, Tsurumi was extremely pleased by the flaunting and gave them opportunity to choose how he will thank them for the shown patience.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Tell me, who in their right mind would want to provoke this man? Like, who? His very presence is enough to scare any foe away, not to mention how lethal his overprotectiveness can be. Tsurumi is great at managing resources to make sure his partner is okay: there is always an armed invisible observer in the city they are staying in, sometimes they are sent letters in which Tsurumi takes interest in how their days are going, etc. On the other hand, in moments of real danger, his subordinates are those who take care of his loved one: soldiers are obliged to protect them since Tsurumi usually holds a leading position rather than actively participates in the dirty work. Has no need to be protected, however, partner’s impulses to do it are always met with tender emotion and sincere drawling “aww”.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Tsurumi has an enviable ability of being seemingly the most caring and charming man in the world without even trying. He is natural in wooing, it feels like the whole world is on his side: if he forgets to buy a present for the anniversary (which never happens, may I assure you), a hurrying seller will be selling cute necklace at discount price. Whenever he decides to go to another city with his loved one, there will be a festival or celebration. To be fair, Tsurumi does put efforts in the relationship and keeping his partner happy. He just has it easier than most of your common men.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

His own motives and desires will always be prioritized over his partner’s. It is reality that they just have to deal with. If his partner feels confident in enough, they can try to fight Tsurumi with his own weapon - flattery, ruse, and equivalent exchange, - but success still entirely depends on his mood.

Military career implies long partings with the risk of never seeing the partner again. For the person who cannot live without their loved one’s physical presence, relationship like this will feel like living hell.  

To mention something more lighthearted, Tsurumi is constantly surrounded by subordinates that have questionable… adoration towards him. It asks for deep dive in military psychology, workplace psychology, and additional peek into sexual psychopathology but you get what I mean. Usami gets off talking about how First Lieutenant will be upset with him and, probably, will punish him, okay.

Tsurumi is shady man overall, damaged both physically and emotionally, he is missing a piece of the brain and it is already a long list of reason why one should think twice before getting in with him.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Tsurumi actually cares for his looks. He takes his time to shave the moustache and goatee just the way he wants it to be, thoroughly washes the hair twice a week, keeps the head plate clean by wiping it with wet cloth and disinfecting with alcohol. The main reason of his concerns is desire to look presentable and influential, not a banal narcissism. Does the face scar bother him? When there’s nothing to occupy his mind – yes. Tsurumi understands how drastically it changed his overall look and sometimes regrets what happened but what is the point of overthinking unalterable? Right, there is none.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Break-up is a huge deal in the sense that Tsurumi's reaction could be anything. Unpredictable. Up to monstrous consequences. The safest option would be drop everything and run away since he won’t chase them to the end of the world. Yes, he would feel betrayed and fueled with anger but whatever, it is not the most important thing on the agenda. Sooner or later their paths will cross again and it will be the chance for Tsurumi to show his disinterest. You know, this “I am a bad bitch, you can’t hurt me” style. Direct confrontation leads to a passionate interrogation on why they decided to leave. Is there anything he can do to prevent them from such imprudent step? Does their relationship lack anything? This conversation quickly escalates into preparation of feelings during which Tsurumi scrutinizes all their ins and outs. If they successfully survive this psychological torture mixed with all kinds of manipulation – congrats! – they are allowed to leave. Now he has left his mark on them, on their heart and soul, so they have to carry it wherever they choose to go.

In the case of their death, Tsurumi grieves. How does a man like him grieve? Through sublimation, of course. To stop thinking about the time spent together, he pays more attention to treasure hunt. Tsukishima unobtrusively plays the role of a First Lieutenant’s personal therapist, listening to his pensive monologues, but it doesn’t make any difference. Just like his Sergeant, Tsurumi has difficulties with experiencing repeated loss, and second time feels even worse than the first one.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Remember this clear liquid oozing from under his head plate? It is actually сerebrospinal fluid that provides mechanical and immunological protection to the brain. Constant leaking of CSF leads to a condition known as orthostatic headache: this type of headache intensifies while person is standing and eases when lying down. Tsurumi has extreme headaches after his excited leaks that are usually weakened by general thrill. Once agitation excitation wears off, he becomes incredibly irritable and searches for a quiet place to lie down. The one person who knows about such side effect is Tsukishima. He has saved a dozen of lives already by preventing fellow soldiers from talking to resting First Lieutenant.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He has specific requirements for his environment and a list of traits its members have to lack.

For example, curiosity did kill the cat. People by his side should not pry into his personal business unless they want to get bitten. It is dangerous for them, for Tsurumi, and for plans he has built, so his partner has to either be incurious or keep themself in check when it comes to bunch of stuff.

Freedom-loving and willfulness are the worst enemies of manipulator, no wonder that First Lieutenant looks for someone submissive. Guess, for those achieving high ranks, powerplay is an integral part of social interaction.

Ah, but at the same time, lack of personality makes Tsurumi yawn. Such people do not provide the kind of entertainment he is looking for and it is natural for him to overlook them in the crowd.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Sleeps suspiciously well for a person who bites people’s fingers off. Brain injury left him dreamless for the rest of the life so as soon as Tsurumi’s head touches the pillow he immediately goes into a deep sleep. His sleeping schedule is nothing special too. Obeying the laws of army life, First Lieutenant wakes up early at the same time very day and goes to bed no later than 10 pm. Lies on the belly with arms straight up along the body. Without the head plate, obviously.

With the advent of a permanent partner in his life, Tsurumi’s sleep became more restless. Now he feels way too energetic, tosses and turns in bed, and cannot find a comfortable position in the bed. Since most of the time they still sleep apart (he has a reputation to maintain, blah-blah-blah), Tsurumi has to take a walk to blow off steam and get rid of swarming thoughts. Sometimes it does not help at all so he rushes to their house hoping to find peace in their arms. And so it happens. Tsukishima has almost come to terms with the frequent absence of the First Lieutenant in the mornings. However, Koito is not that happy about it and keeps bothering sergeant with questions to which he has no answer. Poor young man.

[faejilly]

two are halves of one

aka Five Times Alec & Magnus Are Interrupted, and One Time They’re Not, from a variety of viewpoints because Ensemble Cast & Family Feels. Fluff & my goofy sense of humor, basically. Takes place sometime s3 e01 or 02 “ish”. (AO3)

Catarina knocked on the penthouse doors, a little surprised she had to bother. Usually whenever Magnus knew she was coming he swung the doors wide for her to enter as soon as she made it to the hallway.

Then she waited.

She tapped her foot.

She could just walk in. His wards liked her, and she had a key. Somewhere. But if Alec were here? She wasn't sure how he felt about unexpected visitors. Shadowhunters tended to jumpy.

She was going to have to portal to work if Magnus didn't answer soon. She didn't like doing that; relying too much on portals to help her get around risked either a mundane seeing her pop in from nowhere, or one of her co-workers realizing her schedule was categorically impossible via subway or bus. But she wanted moon salt for Madzie to practice with, and she'd mentioned it to Magnus, and after a sharp laugh that he hadn't bothered to explain, Magnus had said he had some and she could stop by and pick it up the next morning before her shift.

This wasn't so much stopping as lingering.

She knocked again, and the door jerked open and away from her knuckles. "What."

Catarina blinked. Magnus' voice was flat, he hadn't even bothered to magic on his make-up or do his hair, and his robe was barely tied. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen him without eyeliner.

There weren't a lot of things that could distract Magnus from eyeliner. She tilted her head to the side, glancing over Magnus' shoulder for any incriminating evidence. A black jacket slipping off a hook wasn't quite it, but it was enough to confirm her suspicions, and she couldn't quite hold in the smile. "Lose track of time?"

The journey his face made was a gift, almost embarrassment to dawning recognition to a sort of stuttering glee softening into adoration as he thought about why he'd lost track of time. He straightened up, smiled, and spun around, his hand waving above his head in a delicate spiral as he walked away.

Catarina stepped inside, the doors closing silently behind her. The boots in the middle of the living room slid sideways out of their path and up against the wall with only a bit more noise.

Magnus picked up a notebook and a small bundle of herbs from a shelf and then flung them behind him as she followed him into his workroom. She flicked her magic to aim them sideways onto the desk so she didn't step on them.

"Here we go!" Magnus turned around, handing her a small glass jar that was still half-full of the familiar silver and grey crystals, just a tiny bit larger than the regular salt they were named after. "Let me know what Madzie comes up with, will you?"

"Of course." Catarina tucked it into her bag as she turned around, glancing up barely in time to miss walking right into Alec where he'd silently materialized in the middle of the living room. "Oh, sorry."

"Morning, Cat." Alec smiled, warm and sweet, and she had to admit it was easy to see why Magnus was so taken with him. "Would you like some coffee?"

He stepped backwards as he gestured toward the kitchen, and there was something oddly surreal about it all, warm morning light against angelic runes and messy hair, a Shadowhunter moving comfortably through Magnus' home in bare feet and loose jeans and a faded green t-shirt.

An inside-out faded green t-shirt.

She grinned, and shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I'll let you get back to... what you were doing?"

Alec ducked his head, his smile widening, and he wasn't quite blushing but he wasn't quite not, and she had no idea how someone even taller than Magnus managed to look adorable, but he pulled it off quite nicely.

She heard the depth of Magnus' exceedingly dramatic sigh behind her, and turned to look as he sadly shook his head. "If only."

"I'm leaving, don't worry." She even started walking towards the main doors to make her point.

"Very thoughtful of you." Magnus' voice was a fascinating blend of dry amusement and regret, with just a shiver of warmth beneath it all. "But as you so adroitly pointed out, we have rather lost track of time and will have to leave soon ourselves."

"That is a shame." Catarina shook her head, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm sorry to hear it."

"No you're not, darling, but I forgive you." Magnus gestured quite grandly before them, and escorted her towards the door.

"I do hope your day improves, Magnus."

Magnus' face shifted again, this time into something warm and quiet, and he gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. "I've seen you today, how could it get better?"

"Orgasms." She laughed aloud at the startled snort of a laugh from Alec somewhere behind them, and slipped out to go to work.

Luke had known Magnus Bane for something more than twenty-five years, but he couldn't say he'd known him well, even after all that time. Maybe because it was barely any time at all for Magnus?

Magnus had always been... smooth. Unchangeable, even for a warlock. Luke would have bet, only a few months ago, that almost no one made it past the flicker of magic on his fingers and the controlled walls of his smiles and flirtations.

But they'd respected each other, worked together, toasted over drinks now and then. Shared the occasional weighted glance over their disagreement about Jocelyn's methods, even as they both did what she asked. Even at a distance, Luke had thought he'd known Magnus well enough.

He never would have believed this, if someone had told him. He never would have expected the soft tone of his voice, the clear affection on his face, Magnus holding hands with a Shadowhunter in front of the Institute.

Especially not a Lightwood.

Alec's hands turned in Magnus' grip, his thumb rubbing against Magnus' knuckles even as he leaned in a little closer, his mouth moving around words too soft to carry, words clearly just for Magnus.

Luke blinked at the memory of a young Maryse Trueblood perched on a wall, tugging at her brother Max's hand to tell him about her day, her whole face alight, Max's teenager voice cracking around his laugh before he tugged his hand free in order to lift it up and ruffle up her hair. She'd swatted back, laughing so hard she almost fell back off her perch.

Oh.

Maryse's son wasn't just a Lightwood.

None of them were who they used to be.

When Lucian Graymark became Luke Garroway... Luke wasn't one of Magnus' Downworld adoptees, but he wasn't entirely NOT one of them either. Once he was a wolf, he could never go back home. The wolves hadn't wanted a Shadowhunter, especially not one they could blame for the ones Valentine had used, the ones Valentine had killed, the ones that had made Luke. The vampires certainly weren't going to shelter a wolf. And Warlocks? Warlocks were generally too solitary, too scattered. They didn't have the structure Luke needed, not if he was going to learn control, not if he was going to do anything with this life, whatever it turned out to be. Not if he was going to stay by Jocelyn, by Clary after she was born.

Wolves needed their pack.

Magnus Bane though. Magnus wasn't someone anyone could ignore or dismiss, not even the local Alpha. Magnus made sure everyone he knew in the Downworld had a place, not just the warlocks. Magnus made sure Luke had a place, a job, a cause, even before he knew he needed them. And he did it with a drink in his hand and eyes rolled at Luke's every attempt to say thank you.

Luke bet Magnus didn't roll his eyes when Alec thanked him.

Not that that was any of his business. Not that the look they were sharing seemed like anyone else's business either, so tender and honest something ached in Luke's chest. He felt like he was intruding, more so than any "indecent" behavior he'd had to break up as a cop, more so than any time he'd stumbled across people having sex in any temporarily empty room they could find back when he'd been living in over-crowded barracks as a Shadowhunter or with the Circle, and no one had enough room for privacy anywhere.

Luke stepped closer, letting his boots hit concrete hard enough he felt the sting, could hear the impact. He saw Alec sigh, watched his eyes close as he rested his forehead against Magnus' for a moment. Alec let Magnus' hands slip out of his grip and rolled his eyes in Luke's direction once Luke stopped beside them.

"Sorry," Luke shrugged. He was, but it wasn't like any of them could just stop doing their assorted jobs.

The expression hiding behind Alec's half-a-smile reminded Luke of five-year-old Clary when she stuck her tongue out in annoyance after Jocelyn told her she had to wash the paint off her hands before dinner. Luke coughed away a laugh. He didn't think Alec would appreciate that comparison. Magnus might. Later.

Alec turned back to Magnus, and Magnus lifted a hand to rest gently against his cheek. Alec covered Magnus' hand with his own, and neither of them said anything. Not that they needed to; it was a very clear I love you. Alec stepped back and turned to enter the Institute, shaking his head a little as he went.

Luke waited until the door closed, giving Magnus a chance to watch Alec leave before being expected to think about something else. If Luke asked him to lead them through a portal too soon, they'd probably end up in Alec's office instead of the Jade Wolf.

"And what are you smiling about?" Magnus lifted an eyebrow at him, and Luke couldn't quite stop a grin.

"Not a thing. Shall we go?"

Magnus' expression was more eloquent and long-winded than most people could manage in a monologue, but he lifted his hands and called the portal without another word.

Maia was looking back at Simon, laughing at his latest terrible pun as the went through the door, so she didn't see them right away. Instead she saw Simon see them, a widening of eyes, a hint of a smile, a sudden awkward glance around. "Maybe we'll try somewhere else?"

She glanced in the direction he was looking before he'd finished talking, and saw Magnus and Alec. They were leaning close together over their food, half-eaten sandwiches and a single pile of fries, and holding hands over the top of the table. She'd never seen them like that, so quiet and relaxed, so close, not even on one of their semi-regular pool nights.

She'd never seen them somewhere where no one knew them, rather than everyone.

She started to turn back around with Simon, but it was too late, Magnus leaned back with a smile, saw her, saw them, and his eyebrows lifted. She saw his elbow move, as if he was going to pull his hand free. Alec's fingers tightened, holding him in place, even as he turned his head and saw them too. Alec's shoulders shifted, but he smiled at them, small and tilting up more on side than the other.

"Did you see they only had one milkshake and two straws?" Simon leaned over her shoulder, his voice low enough even she could barely hear it. He sounded happy and sad, both at once, and yeah. It was nice, that they got to be normal. Not so nice that Simon couldn't be that normal, no matter how much he tried.

She turned just enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll raise you that one. Did Alec Lightwood just smile at us even though we accidentally ruined his date?"

"The world is a strange and wondrous place?" Simon shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't know how to scowl when Magnus is holding his hand."

"Ha."

Simon just shrugged again, but his eyes were smiling at her, and she realized she wasn't entirely sure she could scowl at the moment either, no matter who might walk in the door next.

Maia waved over at Alec and Magnus, and stepped further into the deli. She and Simon had already broken the mood, she could tell by their posture, settled more firmly back in their chairs rather than still leaning forward. Alec had picked up his sandwich and taken a bite, while Magnus was waving a fry around as he started telling a story of some sort.

She really wanted some corned beef on rye. No reason not to eat, right?

She'd get it to go though.

No reason to be a dick about it.

"Hey." Jace swung around the door-frame and saw Alec and Magnus kissing in the middle of Alec's office. "Whoops, sorry."

They didn't stop. He'd sort of walked in on them a few times before, and they'd always broken apart almost before he even realized they'd been kissing. Jace cleared his throat.

They still didn't stop, and Jace was pretty sure he could see Alec's tongue in Magnus' mouth. Magnus lifted a hand from where he'd been holding Alec's arm and flipped up his middle finger.

"Hey!" Jace blinked and spread his hands. "Don't shoot the messenger."

Alec pulled away from the kiss, but he was still holding Magnus' face between his hands, looking into Magnus' eyes, and Jace could see the shift of his shoulders as if he was having a very hard time not laughing. "That is very rude, Magnus."

"Is it?" Magnus gasped as if horrified. Jace tried not to snort. Magnus pulled his arm back until his hand was right next to his face, right where Alec could see it, the middle finger still raised. "Are you jealous? You should know this is a standing offer for you. You don't have to wait until I've asked."

Jace sighed. "Standing right here."

"And whose fault is tha--" Magnus' voice cut off with a short, sharp, gasp, rough from the back of his throat, as Alec's head tilted and he put his mouth around the entirety of Magnus' finger, lips against Magnus' knuckles, still staring Magnus right in the eyes, and he sucked.

Jace turned around and took a step out into the hallway. Apparently this was going to take some time.

Alec had never let him take some time when he got interrupted. Alec threw jeans at his head instead.

Then again, they hadn't gotten to the not wearing pants stage.

He could still hear them, wet against skin and the edge of Magnus' breathing and what the hell, Alec had game? When did that happen?

Alec had game. Jace smiled, and shook his head a little.

"So impulsive." Magnus said, his voice low and rough. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"That's a terrible line." Alec was amused, Jace could hear it in the lift of his voice. Jace had to admit that it was a nice sound, and it had been much too rare before Magnus. "But you know very well who I'd rather have in me."

Jace couldn't stop the strangled grunt from escaping. He wasn't sure if it had almost been a laugh or a groan.

There was a low and rumbling thinking about sex note which he'd never heard in Alec's voice before and never thought he would and then he just said that and it was. It was weird. Not bad, of course. But weird. Not that it wasn't dramatically obvious they were having sex, because you could sometimes see them thinking it when they looked at each other across a room. But knowing was different than it being right there three steps behind him.

"I think you're going to make your brother's head explode." Magnus sounded delighted by that possibility.

Jace stared up at the ceiling and started picturing every rune he'd ever memorized. Maybe they'd stop before he got through the entire Gray Book?

"The number of girls he's been in, you'd think he'd be less prudish."

Jace forgot what an iratze looked like.

Magnus Bane, powerful and occasionally terrifying warlock, giggled. "Go, go, listen to your messenger."

No one would ever believe him if Jace tried to tell them about any of this. It was like he was in a parallel universe. How had he gotten to a different dimension by accident? Was there a way back?

"Save that invitation for later?" There was a hint of something wistful in Alec's voice, almost a whine of complaint. Alec hadn't whined ever, not even when Jace had first met him and they'd almost been young enough to get away with it.

"Of course. As well as your requested variation." Magnus' voice pitched just a little louder, as if making sure Jace could hear, and of course now he couldn't help thinking about who in who and he was going to die. Izzy was going to come try and find him later and there he'd be, dead in the hallway, dead because Alec's sex life seemed to be considering exhibitionism, Alec, who didn't used to let anyone besides family even see him smile, and that was too much information for one afternoon.

There was the soft sound of a kiss, blessedly short this time. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Finally, finally, Jace heard Alec's footsteps, and he dared a half to turn to look at Alec as he approached. Jace ignored Magnus wiggling his fingers in a mocking sort of wave in his peripheral vision; he turned back and walked away as quickly as he could instead, calling over his shoulder. "They need you in Ops."

Alec, of course, had no trouble catching up in only a couple strides. Jace side-eyed him as hard as he could.

"What?" Alec looked back, eyes wide and innocent, but he couldn't keep the edge of a smile off his face.

Jace rolled his eyes.

Alec just lifted his eyebrows, as if repeating that what.

"You sucked his finger right in front of me and he made a noise." Jace trailed off and waved his hands and tried not to think of any obscene gesture he'd ever used because now they all seemed to mean Alec & Magnus fucking. "I can never unhear that noise."

"Why would you want to?" They'd reached Ops by then, and Alec turned and started backwards down the stairs, still looking right at Jace. He was smiling, bright and evil. "It's one of my very favorite sounds."

"Yeah, fine for you, but I don't need to hear his sex noises." The sudden absence of background chatter made Jace realize he'd been raising his voice as Alec backed up, and he'd clearly raised it too much before he was done.

Jace dropped his face into his hands with a groan.

Alec laughed, loud enough it echoed up, filling the cathedral ceilings. It echoed down, warm and rumbling, until he could feel a whisper of it through their bond. Jace lifted his head, breathed in deep, out again, almost smiling as he watched Alec turn and continue walking across the room.

Jace had never felt anything like that from him before, and judging by the continued silence around him, no one in the Institute had ever heard Alec Lightwood laugh like that.

Maybe this was a decent alternate universe. Worth staying in, after all.

It was fun watching Magnus work, even if Isabelle only had the slightest idea what he was doing. She wondered if Alec had picked anything up yet. He tended to focus very much on one thing at a time, and clearly he liked focusing on Magnus. She smiled, and leaned back in her chair with a sigh. There were probably about five different sex jokes she could make in there if she tried, and it'd be fun to see if Alec frowned or squirmed or blushed at them, but it'd been a long day.

Maybe she'd give him a break.

Or not, she thought, as she noticed the reflection of a tall shadow approaching in the windows. Alec strode almost silently through the doorway. He still had his boots and his coat on, his stele in its sheath on his thigh, had clearly barely paused on his way through the doors to here, to Magnus. It was too adorable for words.

Magnus started to turn, clearly having felt some slight shift in the air, having heard some quiet step, brandishing his wooden spoon in one hand, a slightly glowing crystal in the other, and a widening smile on his face. "Alec."

Alec didn't speed up, didn't lunge, but somehow he was there, hands pulling Magnus close by his belt-loops so he could kiss him, and there was one startled moment of stillness before Magnus just flipped his spoon behind him with a soft clatter against the table, and the crystal fell to the ground with an odd fizzling sound as the light went out, and his hands were in Alec's hair and he was kissing him back.

Very kissing him back, and very pushed up against him. Alec was still moving forward, one step, two, and his hands were sliding down the backs of Magnus' thighs and they lifted and he stepped and Magnus was sitting on the table and Alec was leaning his whole body into him. It was so practiced, fast and smooth, and neither of them had had to check for the table at all.

"Wow." Isabelle whistled softly. "That table's way sturdier than it looks."

Alec pulled back as she started to speak, and she could hear their lips part with the sudden shift of his weight. By the time she finished her sentence he was very gently thumping his head against Magnus' shoulder.

"Long day?" Isabelle asked, trying to hold in her laughter.

Alec just groaned, though he did stop trying to beat Magnus up with his forehead.

"You could have warned him I was here, Magnus."

Magnus sighed, his fingers gently stroking against the nape of Alec's neck. "I forgot."

Isabelle did laugh at that, and it felt so nice, throwing her head back against her chair, relaxing completely. Alec lifted his head, his fingertips just brushing against Magnus' jaw, and he kissed Magnus just once more, so gently that Isabelle thought her heart might break.

Alec sighed, and tilted his head to the side to look at her directly, half a crooked smile on his face. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Oh." Magnus sat up straighter, and pushed gently at Alec's shoulders. "The potions!"

Alec obligingly stepped back, and back again as Magnus slid off the table and spun around with a delightful flare of his coat-tails. He swirled his arm around until the spoon and the crystal both started rising into the air, and reached forward to grab them both. And then he was working again, a bit of this and a bit of that and the crystal was glowing and Alec turned to look at Isabelle, his eyebrows lifted.

"The armory''s low on a couple of our more obscure anti-demon poisons, so I decided it would be faster to buy them from Magnus than try and get another order from Idris before the regular drop next month."

Alec frowned, and she could just see him wondering why he hadn't known about it, why he hadn't done anything about it, why she had to pick up after him, and she rolled her eyes.

"They're very obscure Alec, they only show up on one of the inventory lists, but." She stopped, waited until he was focused on her, his eyes clear of that temporary flare up of guilt. "Since we don't know what was corrupting the ley lines, I figured it couldn't hurt to be extra careful."

There was a pause where she could practically see the thoughts being lined up in his head, whether to still consider this his failure or not. But then he smiled, and she let out her breath. "I have such a brilliant sister."

Isabelle grinned. "Yes, you do."

"Thank you." He stepped over, and kissed her forehead. He glanced back over to Magnus, who was stirring about three different things at once, fingers twirling as he kept it all organized. "Want to order some take-out while we wait?"

"Som tum thai for me, please."

Magnus didn't even glance their way, which was a shame, as Alec's grin was bright and happy, and Isabelle was pretty sure Magnus would have liked it even more than she did. "Extra spicy?"

Magnus did shoot him a quick glance at that, a sideways smile lighting up his face. "Always."

Isabelle swallowed another giggle as Alec offered her a hand and then almost lifted her bodily up out of her chair. "I like Thai," she agreed, and she followed Alec over to the kitchen to look at menus.

Clary hadn't seen Alec since the morning meeting, when they'd gone over the night's patrols and then sent anyone who'd been on them off to get some sleep. She had a question about the shax demon nest Underhill had mentioned, since it was on her patrol route today, but she didn't want to wake Underhill up to ask, and the patrol reports hadn't updated in the computer yet.

Alec always knew where everyone had been, knew where everyone was going.

Alec wasn't in his office. He wasn't in Ops. He wasn't in the armory, and Izzy looked busy enough Clary didn't want to interrupt. He wasn't in the infirmary; they said he'd already done his daily check-in. She didn't want to ask Jace, because. Well. If he was sleeping he needed it even more than Underhill, and if he wasn't? Having her notice him not sleeping again was just going to make him jumpier. If that was possible.

Alec wasn't in the mess hall. To be fair, there was no real reason to be in the mess at this time of day, so she wasn't entirely sure why she'd even tried. Except to steal some cookies before they all got eaten.

She headed out again with a sigh. At least she'd gotten some good gossip going with almost everyone, circling her way around the Institute. She'd been asked to show off her angelic rune, and collected a bunch of congratulations and only a couple rolled eyes. It'd been a nice change. She could almost pretend they were all having a lovely day and there was nothing else to worry about.

Almost.

She did another quick loop, with no success, and at this point Underhill was probably awake. But it felt oddly like surrender not to keep looking for Alec, not to complete the goal. That was probably ridiculous. She was going with it anyway. One more try. She practically bumped into Izzy and Jace on their way towards food as she backtracked to Alec's office.

"Join us for an early lunch?" Izzy asked, nudging her elbow against Clary's arm.

"I had a quick question for Alec, actually." Clary smiled at both of them. Jace looked better than he had this morning, so she hoped he'd gotten some sleep. "Meet you after?"

"Alec works too hard." Izzy spun around and took Clary's hand as she started walking again. "Let's make him come to lunch, too."

Jace shrugged, and almost smiled, which was about as good as it got lately, and turned around as well. "You two can ask. If Magnus met him for lunch and I interrupt them again, Magnus might turn me into a toad or something."

"You too?" Izzy looked over her shoulder with a grin. "Whoops. They're not going to want to see me either."

Clary laughed, and swung the hand that was holding Isabelle's. "I guess I'll knock then. Which is fine, since I'm the one with an actual question."

Alec's office door was closed, which it usually wasn't. Clary reached up to knock, and her knuckles stopped a half-an-inch from the door without making a sound. She blinked. She tried again. It felt like the air just sort of didn't want her to keep going? She poked at the door, and her finger stopped in the same place.

"I can't knock."

"What do you mean, you can't." Isabelle stopped talking as all three of their cells made an uneven chime of varying alert tones at about the same time.

Jace got his out first, looked at it, and his face went entirely blank for half a second before he snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Don't think Alec's interested in anything the mess is serving today."

By then Isabelle was digging her phone out too, and Clary managed to get at hers at about the same time. It was a text from Alec. Out for lunch, send an alert if there's an emergency.

He'd sent the same one yesterday, actually. But yesterday his office had clearly been empty. Rather than whatever nifty magic trick this was, muffling and protecting the door from interference.

Isabelle giggled.

Clary almost did too. "Are we going to tease him mercilessly about this?"

"Hmm." Isabelle turned around again, her smile bright and wide. "Let's discuss over lunch. It might be more fun to hold onto this one for awhile."

"Let him think he's safe?" Jace grinned, and Clary felt her breath catch in her chest. It'd been awhile since he'd managed more than a half a smile, much less anything like this, so open and happy.

"Oh, Alec should know better than to ever think he's safe from family." Isabelle almost looked like she was going to break into song as they all traipsed back to the mess hall.

Clary couldn't stop smiling. She knew she was included in Isabelle's mention of family, and she didn't know how or when it had happened, but she felt the same way. There was something about these Lightwoods. Something about this Institute. Something more like home than she ever could have expected.

She was delighted for Alec and Magnus and how happy they were, but they were never going to get away with this one without some teasing. Probably a lot of teasing, because Alec was fun to tease. Sometimes he'd get flustered, and sometimes he'd get horrified, and sometimes he'd just lean right in and confirm whatever someone (usually Isabelle) was attempting to embarrass him about. Clary couldn't wait to find out which way he'd go when they asked him about lunch.