Chapter Text
“I really am sorry, Alec. You know I didn't mean to hurt you, right?” Jace said as they neared the closest pair of open seats in the waiting room.
It was rather desolate for a Saturday afternoon, but Alec wasn't about to complain about it. He slid into his chair and clutched his arm tighter. “I know. You're just a dumbass who's going to pay for every single stitch I need.”
“I will, I promise. And I'll buy you a new hoodie, too.”
“I really liked this one,” Alec said wistfully as he stared at the sizable bloodstain beneath his hand.
Jace pulled out his phone, so Alec turned his attention to the rest of the waiting room. There was a TV on the wall silently playing a local news story about a robbery, and an 80s pop ballad drifted in and out over crackly speakers in the distance. The man across from them cradled a fussing baby, shushing and rocking the poor thing as best as he could in his seat, and a woman a row over was crying and leaning over a plastic bag. Alec hoped he didn't have to find out why the bag was necessary.
Then a conversation sparked just out of view and caught Alec’s ear, from somewhere beyond the reception desk. He leaned in a little to nonchalantly focus on the voices carrying over.
“This is your definition of clean, Magnus?” said a feminine voice, dripping with the most sarcasm Alec had ever heard in his life.
A warm and masculine voice, Magnus, answered, “Yes, Cat?”
“There's still blood on the damn tray!”
“I thought it was rust or something,” Magnus said, his indifference to the whole situation shining through his voice.
Alec bit back a giggle and glanced around to see if anyone else had been eavesdropping alongside him. No one else seemed to be paying any attention, which was tragic.
Cat huffed an incredulous-sounding laugh. “On a plastic tray?”
“Look, cleaning and tray materials are not my forte. Bodies are.”
“Bodies, huh? And when was the last time you saw another body outside of work?”
“Oh look!” Magnus rushed to say, brightly, “You were so right, Cat. It is blood!”
Alec had to stifle his snickering.
Jace almost dropped his phone, but he managed to save it before it tumbled to the floor. He turned towards Alec, wide eyed, and said, “Oh my God, you're shaking! Are you going into shock?”
“No, I'm not.” Alec nudged Jace’s hovering hand away with his elbow. “Calm down and go back to texting your latest flavor of the day.”
“I was actually texting Mom,” Jace said, waving the phone in his hand. “She's upset, and she said she's gonna stop by the apartment after we get home.”
“Great,” Alec said with a groan. There went his entire day off. He usually loved spending time with his mother, but when she was concerned for their well-being, she could be a little… much.
“Izzy called me a dumbass, and Max wants to see your stitches.” Jace reread the messages and added, “I think they’re all coming over, actually.”
Yep, no more peace and quiet for the rest of his day. But his family was worth it, he supposed.
The lady leaning over the bag belched and gagged, and Alec begged the universe for either of them to be called up next.
And the universe answered. The door next to the reception desk opened, and out stepped a man with a clipboard, held up and obscuring his face as he called out, “Alexander?”
Ugh, his full name. But it sounded kinda nice when the guy said it. Odd.
Alec pushed his elbow into the armrest and levered himself to his feet with a groan.
“Do you want me to come with?” Jace asked as he started getting up himself. His eyes were wide with concern, and Alec knew he felt so bad he'd even offer to carry him if it came down to it, bodily limits be damned.
“Nah, I'll be fine.” Alec pressed the wad of napkins harder against his arm and made his way towards the man at the door.
“Alexander?” called the guy with the clipboard again before he lowered it, revealing his face.
And oh. Oh wow.
What a beautiful man.
When they locked eyes, the guy's face lit up with a brilliant smile, and Alec felt a large, dopey grin stretch across his own lips. He also felt the toe of his shoe connect with the heel of his other foot, and time slowed around him as he lurched forward. The man gasped, the clipboard went flying, and strong arms wrapped around Alec before he could even hit the floor.
After Alec caught his bearings, he realized he was being cradled in the super hot guy's arms, in the middle of the waiting room, with every eye laser focused on the whole fiasco, all while Jace's distinct cackling rang clear in the background.
If one could die from sheer embarrassment, Alec wished it would take him swiftly.
“Falling for me already, darling?” said Magnus Bane, ENP, according to his name tag adorned with enamel pins and stickers. The guy Alec had just overheard. “Do I need to fetch you a wheelchair?”
He was even more gorgeous up close. Absolutely stunning.
What were words again?
Alec flapped his mouth uselessly for a while before he gave up and shook his head instead.
“Okay,” Magnus said as he helped Alec to his feet again, “then follow me.” He swooped down to snatch the clipboard like a well-practiced dance move and motioned for Alec to start walking. “I'm Magnus, and I'll be taking care of you today. We'll be in the first room on the right.”
They stepped into the room, and Magnus closed the door behind them before he slid gracefully onto the rolling stool and swiped his badge at the computer. Alec wasn't quite sure where to sit himself, so he just stood in the middle of the room until Magnus noticed with a chuckle.
“On the exam table, please.”
Alec nodded and tried his best not to blush as he sat down and clutched his arm tighter. He saw a flash of rainbow colors from the soles of Magnus' shoes as he swiveled the stool side to side.
“Can you give me your full name and date of birth?” Magnus asked as he concentrated on the monitor.
“Alec” was all that his mind could conjure in its current state of chaos. He instantly cringed the moment he realized that he'd failed.
Magnus huffed a little laugh. “I need a bit more than that, darling.”
“Alexander, um,” Alec tried again, but he wasn't sure just how full his name had to be. Did Magnus need his middle name, too? “Alexander Gideon Lightwood?”
“Such a strong and beautiful name,” Magnus marvelled with a small smile.
Alec never put that much thought into his own name, but hearing the compliment made his pulse quicken and heat rush to his ears. “Uh, thanks.”
“Birthday?”
“September twelfth?”
Magnus turned and looked at Alec expectantly, like he was waiting for him to continue. It took a second for Alec to figure out what Magnus wanted, but it was already too late.
“That's enough to go off of, I guess…” Magnus typed a bit and clicked a few things before he rose from the stool. “Okay, let me get your vitals.”
Alec lifted his hand off the bloody wad of napkins on his wound and almost laughed when it stayed in place. At least it wasn't gushing anymore.
“Hm, what size do we need?” Magnus thought out loud as he rummaged through his supplies. He picked out a blood pressure cuff and tried to fit it around Alec’s good arm, but it proved to be too small. “What secrets are you hiding underneath that baggy fabric, Alexander?”
Words still escaped his grasp, so Alec only shrugged as he took in Magnus up close. Without the sudden, jarring confusion of going from upright to being cradled like a swooning starlet, he noticed the blond streaks in Magnus' dark hair, the many piercings adorning his ears, the makeup and glitter framing his pretty eyes, the gloss shimmering on his plush lips, making them look just so enticing and kissable…
Maybe focusing on him was a mistake.
“Pity that sweatshirt was ruined. It brought out the lovely color of your eyes,” Magnus mused to himself with a sigh, almost too quiet for Alec to hear. He pointed at the hoodie and asked, “Can we remove this?”
“Yeah, but, uh...” Alec glanced at his injured arm.
“I can help,” Magnus said with a playful grin. He hooked his foot around a flip-top bin labeled “biohazardous waste” and dragged it over towards Alec, pressing down on the pedal with the toe of his shoe and motioning for Alec to drop the napkins inside. “Do you want to keep your sweatshirt?”
Alec shook his head, then he laughed when Magnus pulled out a pair of scissors and started cutting into the fabric from the bottom up to his collar. Magnus helped him shimmy out of one sleeve, and Alec had to stop himself from thinking about Magnus undressing him in other scenarios before he lost himself in those fantasies and made things even more awkward. Instead, he rerouted his brain to focus on the pain from his wound, the sensation of the bloody fabric being peeled from his skin, and the softest, most careful touch Alec had ever felt in his life. He tossed the hoodie into the biohazardous waste bin and pulled the hem of his gauzy black tank top back down to his waist, and he swore he heard Magnus murmur something in a language that he didn't understand.
And when Alec glanced at Magnus again, his eyes were flitting across Alec's body with a distant gaze.
No one had ever looked at Alec the way that Magnus was at that very moment.
Was he checking Alec out?
No, he couldn't be.
Could he?
“Magnus?” Alec asked, nearly choking on his name.
“Hm? What?” Magnus said absently, then he seemed to shake himself back into focus. He cleared his throat and said, “I'm fine.”
Huh.
Magnus sorted through his cuffs and pulled out another one, wrapping it around Alec’s arm as he said, “This is the largest one I have in here, and it looks like it just fits. Good.”
He maneuvered Alec into relaxing his arm, and even the simple skin-to-skin touch, and the warmth of his hands, had Alec's heart fluttering. Magnus was touching him, and it was too much.
Magnus squeezed the bulb, pressed his finger to Alec's wrist for a moment, then placed his stethoscope at the crook of his elbow, a furrow growing between his brows.
“Hm. Your blood pressure and pulse are rather elevated and erratic, and I can't get a good reading. Are you feeling alright, beside the pain?” Magnus asked, soft and concerned.
Alec nodded, too mesmerized by the silvery glitter framing Magnus' eyes to form any words.
“Did you hit your head as well?” Magnus asked as he reached for a pen light in his pocket. When Alec shook his head vigorously, Magnus reached for a thermometer instead, pointing it at Alec's forehead with a series of beeps. “Curious. You're so flushed, but you're not running a fever.”
Alec felt his blush burn hotter, his breath quicken, and all he wanted to do was curl up and die. At least he wouldn't have to live with the embarrassment of not only tripping over his own feet, but now being so flustered over a gorgeous guy just trying to do his damn job.
Magnus rested his hands on Alec's shoulders, looked into his eyes, and said, softly, “I need you to breathe, darling. Deep, even breaths.”
Alec tried, but that almost made it worse, because all he could smell were the sweet, woody, and spicy notes of Magnus' cologne. Something masculine and delicious, something he wished he could bury his face into and inhale like oxygen.
It was all too much. Too much.
“I'm sorry, is it me?” Magnus asked as he lifted his hands and backed away. A series of emotions flitted across his features then, a mixture of shame, confusion, pain, and resignation. It tore Alec's heart in two. “Am I the problem? I know I can be too much for some people.” He started moving towards the door, pointing at it as he said, “I can go get Catarina–”
“No!” Alec rushed to say.
Magnus paused his movement, going statue still. “No?”
Alec shook his head. “No. Don't– Please don't go.”
“Alright,” Magnus whispered, rocking back onto his heels, blinking.
“You're not too much. Well–” Alec cringed and groaned. “I mean…” He had the urge to run his hand through his hair, but he thankfully remembered the blood before he did.
When Alec glanced at him again, Magnus was studying him, his bottom lip between his teeth, like he was trying to figure out the solution to an intricate puzzle. Alec wished him the best of luck.
“How about we talk about why you're here first, and then I'll try to get your vitals again?” Magnus suggested as he settled back onto the stool, his gaze more curious now.
Yes, please. Alec needed time to gather his wits before any more attempts. Not that he had faith in his future self to stay calm and collected, though.
“Sure.”
Magnus turned towards the monitor and started typing. “Your chart says that you have a wound on your arm that probably needs stitches, and I see a lot of blood. How did that happen?”
Alec huffed a little laugh. “A sword.”
Magnus stopped typing and slowly spun to stare at Alec, blinking a few times before he said, “I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. Could you repeat that for me?”
Yeah, if Alec hadn't already experienced Jace's chaos growing up, he would have been shocked by his statement, too.
“I had just sat down to eat my burrito for lunch, and my dumbass brother ran up to me with a sword. He said it was a prop, whacked my arm with it, and I started gushing blood.” Alec sighed. “I didn't even get to eat my burrito, and I'm starving.”
“Poor darling,” Magnus said with a sincere smile. “So, it wasn't a prop sword. Did he forget to check to see if it was sharp first?”
Alec wished Jace possessed forethought like that, but his brother was mostly fueled by impulse and action.
“Like I said, he's a dumbass.”
Magnus tipped his thumb towards the door. “Is he the blond guy in the waiting room?”
“Yep, that's him.”
“A frequent flyer here,” Magnus said with a twist of his lips. “I know I've treated him before.”
“I'm not surprised.”
Magnus turned back and started typing again, filling in the silence with pleasant clicks and clacks as his glittery nails tapped at the keys. “How long has it been since you were injured?”
Alec tilted his head as he did the mental math. “A half hour, I think? Maybe a little under?”
“When was the last time you received a tetanus vaccine?”
“Two years ago. Because of him,” Alec said on an exhale, resisting the urge to rub the scar on his thigh.
“Any blood borne illnesses that you're aware of?”
“Nope.”
“Any allergies, specifically to medications?”
Alec shook his head.
“And how would you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?”
It hurt, quite a bit, but was it the worst pain Alec had ever felt?
“Uh, a three? I guess? It's just throbbing.”
Magnus hummed and eyed Alec with a discerning gaze. Alec felt like he'd given a wrong answer.
“Let's try those vitals again.”
While Alec’s heart was still thudding inside his chest, at least he hadn't been blindsided by Magnus' beauty like before, and Magnus managed to gather the information he needed. Even if it was still a bit erratic.
A few clicks of the mouse here, several dozen clacks of the keyboard there, and Magnus pushed himself off the stool and started opening cabinets and drawers. He filled an adjustable rolling tray with an assortment of supplies and moved it over towards the exam table.
“Let's look at that arm, shall we?” Magnus suggested as he tugged a mask over his face. Then he pulled on a pair of gloves, which shouldn’t have been as hot as it was, but Alec wasn’t going to think too hard about it.
Magnus cleansed the area in and around the wound with the gentlest touch, so soft that it nearly made Alec tear up. Why being handled delicately was making him emotional was beyond him.
“Oh,” Magnus said as he sucked in a breath through his teeth, “that is rather deep. I can see every layer.”
“Shit…”
Jace had his future of sucking up cut out for him.
“But I don't think you'll need any surgery. Just some internal and external sutures should do the trick.”
“How many, if you had to guess?” Alec asked out of curiosity.
“I'd say twenty, including the internal ones,” Magnus answered as he examined the wound a little more. “You'll also be given a course of antibiotics just in case, and something to help with the pain.”
“Oh, uh, I dunno if I’ll need painkillers…” Alec tried to reason, but when Magnus leveled him with an unimpressed stare, his words withered away.
“You have adrenaline and endorphins coursing through your system right now, and it’s going to feel a lot worse after they wear off. Do you have a history of substance abuse?” When Alec shook his head, Magnus continued, “Then you don’t have to be a tough guy and bear the pain, Alexander. Take the painkillers.”
Magnus read him like a book and called his ass out in an instant. Holy shit.
And why did that do it for him?
Alec slumped and released a long, reluctant exhale. “Okay.”
“Good boy,” Magnus said casually, tossing in a wink at the end.
Fuck.
Alec choked on his own spit and tried to cover it up with a cough.
Maybe the wound wouldn’t kill Alec, but Magnus definitely had a fair chance to end him.
“Well, you're in great hands, darling. Sutures are my specialty and my favorite procedure to perform,” Magnus said as he started opening packages, crinkling plastic wrappers and tearing sounds filling the space between them.
“Yeah, I heard that ‘bodies are your forte.’”
Magnus closed his eyes and stilled his hands. “You overheard that conversation. The whole thing?”
“I did,” Alec said, trying hard to fight off his smile.
Magnus dropped his head and laughed a little to himself. “Wonderful.”
He continued to prepare his supplies in silence, only tossing quick glances at Alec in between, before he took a deep breath and spoke again.
“Weird and long hours don't really lend to an active social or dating life, unfortunately.”
“I get that,” Alec said with a nod. “I work in IT, second shift, from home. I don't get out very much, unless my siblings drag me to things. Or injure me.”
Metal clinked against metal as Magnus organized his tools. Alec's eyes zeroed in on some needles, and a sudden jolt of anxiety tore open a pit in his stomach.
“I don't recall computers requiring big, strong biceps and washboard abs to operate,” Magnus said, keeping his focus on the tray in front of him.
Was that also flirting?
Or was Alec imagining things?
“I just want to look and feel good,” Alec said, tipping his shoulder up in a half shrug. When Magnus met his eyes again, brow raised, Alec folded. “And maybe impress people.”
“Who are you looking to impress?” Magnus asked, but his voice was gentle, and his gaze soft.
Alec hadn't talked openly about his sexuality much, with the exception of coming out to his family, but something about Magnus made him want to. The bisexual pride pin on his badge, the rainbow soles of his shoes. Safety.
“Guys,” Alec admitted on an exhale, resisting the urge to nervously run his bloody hand through his hair.
The glittery creases around Magnus' eyes glinted under the LED lighting, and even with the mask obscuring half of his face, Alec could tell that Magnus was grinning.
Huh.
“Get comfortable, Alexander. I need both you and your arm relaxed while I work.”
Alec wasn't quite sure what Magnus meant by that, if he was supposed to stay upright or lie down, but with the needles he noticed earlier, lying down felt like a better option. So he reclined onto the exam table, rested his head on his good arm, and brought his feet up so they wouldn't dangle awkwardly off the end. His tank top rode up a little, but he didn't feel like moving to fix it.
“Is this okay?”
Magnus made a strangled noise in his throat the moment he noticed Alec's new position, and he stared up at the ceiling as he whispered something unintelligible under his breath. It sounded like a different language again, if Alec had to guess.
“Perfect, darling,” Magnus said, voice strained around the edges like a taut rubber band. Then he picked up a syringe, and the pit in Alec's stomach tore even wider.
Alec licked his lips and forced himself to take a deep breath. “I'm, uh, not really a fan of needles. Or the whole stitching bit.”
“Understandable. Most of my patients aren't,” Magnus said gently. He set the syringe down and met Alec's eyes. “What would help distract you?”
His face was distraction enough, even with a mask, but…
“Talking. You have a really nice, soothing voice.”
“Aren't you a charmer?” Magnus said, another obscured smile framing his beautiful eyes. Alec tried to will away his blush. “I'll talk you through the first part, and after I get started, you can ask me anything you'd like. Within reason, of course.”
Alec exhaled, already feeling a bit relieved. “Okay.”
“So close your eyes, or find something nice to focus on while I talk. I'll try to make this part as quick as possible.”
How could Alec focus on anything beyond Magnus' lovely eyes? Nothing else in the world could tear his attention away from someone so pretty, not even needles.
“I'm going to apply a local anesthetic and numb the area so you don't feel any pain while I work. You should still be able to feel pressure. If at any time it wears off or you still feel pain, let me know immediately. Alright?”
When Alec nodded, Magnus picked up the syringe again and held it close to his arm. But Alec’s focus never wavered.
“Just a little pinch.”
A bee-like sting, a rush of burning beneath Alec’s skin. Then pleasant, radiating numbness, like a limb that had fallen asleep, just before the aggressive pins and needles stage. A cycle of sting, burn, numbness, repeated a handful of times, until the upper half of Alec’s arm was blissfully asleep and painless.
“Now, relax, hold still, and let me work my magic.”
Magnus waved his hands, as if he was about to cast a spell or perform a trick, and Alec tried his best not to let his mind wander down the dangerous path of where else he'd like Magnus' hands on his body.
“Hm. Would you like a lesson in human anatomy?”
Wait. What?
Alec nearly choked on his own spit again before he sputtered, “I'm sorry, what?”
There was no fighting off his blush this time.
“Why are you all flushed again?” Magnus asked with a musical little laugh. “Where did your mind go, darling?”
Alec could only shake his head in shame.
“I was going to ask you if you'd like to learn about the different layers of the dermis,” Magnus explained as he fought off a giggle, “since this is such a clean cut.”
“OH,” Alec said, his blush burning hotter. “Uh, I'm good.”
Magnus shrugged and threaded a needle. Then Alec felt the pressure of it entering his skin, and he scrambled to find something to ask about, landing on a nagging curiosity in the back of his mind.
“What did you say after you helped me take my hoodie off?”
Magnus’ eyes widened, and he made a move to touch his ear, but must have thought better of it before he did. “Oh, just something in Javanese, my native language.”
Javanese. Java. So Magnus was Indonesian. Cool.
“So you're bilingual?” Alec asked as he felt a tugging sensation and watched Magnus twirl the instruments between his hands in his peripheral.
“Polyglot, actually,” Magnus clarified as he snipped the thread. “I'm fluent in Javanese, Malay, English, Spanish, Latin, and French. And I'm always eager to learn another language. I've been thinking about taking up Japanese. Or maybe Arabic. I already know a little.”
Holy shit.
“That's amazing. Really puts my basic Spanish to shame. I've forgotten most of it, too, because I never really used it.”
“Maybe you need some one-on-one practice with a skilled tongue,” Magnus said, and Alec knew that if the mask wasn’t there, he’d see a devious little smirk instead.
Jesus fucking Christ.
So, not only was Magnus ridiculously smart on top of being ridiculously hot, but he was also somehow flirting with Alec, Alec, of all people. Even in all of his mastered obliviousness, Alec couldn't deny that he was being flirted with, and not just in a friendly manner.
But what could he do about it?
Was there anything he could do about it?
Another tug of his numbed flesh, another pang of anxiety rushing through him. Alec raced for the next topic, searching Magnus for anything to ask about. His eyes landed on the badge clipped to his collar, full of cat stickers and enamel pins.
“You really like cats, huh?”
“I do! What gave it away?” Magnus said with an excited giggle, the glitter beneath his eyes glinting as he smiled under his mask.
How was he just so pretty?
“Your badge is a little coated in cat stickers.”
“Ah, yes, they were a birthday gift from my dear friend Catarina. She took all the pictures I sent her of my sweet little Chairman Meow and turned them into stickers for me.”
“He's cute.”
“He's a little rascal who loves to attack my feet while I'm at my sewing machine,” Magnus said on an exhale.
“You like to sew?”
Magnus stilled his hands and tossed Alec a look that, despite being half obscured by a mask, still read as incredulous. “Obviously, darling. Skin itself is a fabric. It folds, it drapes, it wrinkles, and it tears. I take as much pride in my mending of people as I do when I sew my own clothes. Like these scrubs, for instance.”
“Whoa, you made those?” Alec asked as his eyes traveled across Magnus' arms and broad shoulders, across the purple fabric that curved around his muscles like a perfect glove. Muscles strong enough to catch Alec and hold him up with ease. Alec tried to stop himself from daydreaming about some other scenarios where Magnus could hold him, or how he'd love to trace the prominent vein trailing up his forearms with his tongue, before he got too carried away. Maybe it was already a bit too late for that.
Magnus nodded, focusing on twisting his tools to tie a knot. “I designed the pattern and made them just a bit more form fitting than standard scrubs.”
“I can–” Alec cleared his throat and licked his lips before he tried again. “Um, I can tell. They look great. Does nursing require strength training?”
“Sometimes!” Magnus chimed brightly. “Depends on the department. But it's very useful for catching patients when they trip over their own feet at the sight of me.”
Alec groaned as he rolled his head and tucked his flushed face into his elbow. Magnus' gleeful giggle warmed his soul.
“Tell me more about Chairman.”
“Gladly,” Magnus said, before he regaled Alec with tales of the mischievous little creature. Potted plants, feet, electric cables, and anything that swiftly moved were all targets for Chairman Meow’s chaotic energy, despite Magnus' best efforts to keep his apartment safe. But the vibrancy of Magnus' storytelling, and the obvious love he had for his companion, captured all of Alec's attention, anxiety be damned.
And before Alec realized it, he felt the loss of warmth from Magnus' hands and heard the clank of metal against metal as Magnus set down his tools. The stitches were done. Their time together was almost over.
Shit.
“See? Quick and easy.”
“Just how I like it,” Alec quipped, instant regret settling in the moment the words tumbled from his mouth. He closed his eyes and cringed.
But Magnus' beautiful laughter was worth it.
“Well, I personally like to take my time and savor in most areas of my life.” Magnus winked, yet again, and sent Alec's heart fluttering.
Alec sat up and inspected his arm. There was a row of perfectly spaced and symmetrical knots curving around his muscle, precision on the level of machine embroidery. The work of a master in his craft.
“Wow, these look perfect.”
“Thank you,” Magnus said with a little bow of his head.
“How many did it end up taking?”
“Twenty, just as I predicted.” Magnus picked up a roll of gauze and started wrapping it around Alec's arm. “Hopefully it heals nicely around this impressive bicep of yours.”
Wait.
Wait.
“You think it's impressive?” Alec asked softly, hope swelling in his chest.
Magnus secured the bandage in place and started tossing his used supplies into their respective bins as he said, “I find a sharp mind and a gentle heart to be much more important when it comes to a partner, but big muscles and a pretty face are wonderful bonuses.”
He removed his gloves, washed his hands, and pulled off his mask before he hunched over the keyboard and typed and clicked a few things. Then he turned to face Alec again with a warm, yet slightly guarded, smile.
“You can gently wash the blood off your hands while I go grab your discharge papers from the printer. Don't get the bandage wet, okay?” Magnus said, and Alec nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Magnus dashed out of the room, closing the door behind himself, and Alec eased himself off the exam table and stood there for a moment, taking a much needed deep breath. He had to think.
Okay.
He turned on the tap and soaped up his hands, watching as the pinkish foam bubbled up and washed away under the water.
So, Magnus was beyond gorgeous, smart as a whip, and somehow into Alec, despite all reasoning. What were the guidelines for asking out a nurse? Surely it was a bit sketchy, with the whole power imbalance and professionalism, right? When did their professional relationship end? The moment he left the department? Or the hospital entirely?
Magnus wasn't the first hot guy he'd encountered, not by a long shot, but Alec had a nagging feeling that there was something special between them, something with promise.
But what could he do?
Just as Alec finished drying off his hands and tossed the paper towels in the garbage, there was a quick double knock at the door before Magnus came back inside, a stack of papers in hand that he set down next to the keyboard.
“I also brought you a sling,” Magnus said as he unfolded and held up the dark blue fabric, “because something tells me that you're not the type to take it easy and relax, even when you're instructed to.”
God damnit.
How did he know that?
“Help me put it on,” Alec grumbled defeatedly.
Magnus laughed as he helped Alec into the sling with the gentlest touch, his tenderness evoking a wave of emotion that Alec had to swallow down, along with the urge to wrap him into a hug and thank him. That definitely would have crossed a line, even though Alec wasn’t even sure whether or not the line existed anymore.
“I've sent your prescriptions to our inhouse pharmacy already, so they should be filling them as we speak,” Magnus said as he adjusted the strap of the sling. “Is that comfortable?”
Alec nodded.
“Wonderful. Now, I'm going to go over how to tend to your wound. It's all written down in your discharge papers, but I still want to explain everything.”
As Magnus dove into his explanation, Alec tried his best to concentrate and absorb all the information, but all he could focus on was how gorgeous Magnus was and the heavy, sinking feeling that something wonderful was slipping through his grasp.
He had to at least try to make a move.
He had to.
“Magnus, can I–”
Before Alec could get the rest of his question out, Magnus held up a single finger, just a hair’s width away from his mouth, the heat of his skin radiating warmth across Alec’s lips. One slight movement would have had them brushing together, but both men stood stock still, only the sound of their breaths between them.
Magnus swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the effort. “Unless this is a question about your visit, your medications, or your aftercare, I can’t answer it. Not while you’re my patient.” He said it so calmly, yet there was an obvious waver to his voice. “Does your question fall under those categories?”
No, it didn’t.
Alec shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Alexander,” Magnus said, soft and sincere. “Do you have any questions about your aftercare?”
“No, I have plenty of experience tending to wounds. Because of Jace.”
Magnus laughed, but there was little humor in it. “Right. Well.” He reached up to adjust his ear cuff and exhaled. “I think that about covers your visit, then. Let me walk you out.”
He handed Alec his discharge papers and opened the door, and what followed was simultaneously the shortest and longest walk of Alec's life, side by side in tense silence.
When they reached the door to the waiting room, Magnus grabbed the handle, but he didn't turn it. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, with a sad smile, “Goodbye, Alexander. Take care of yourself.”
Fuck.
“You, too, Magnus,” Alec replied, his throat tight around the words, his heart sinking rapidly. He tried hard not to crush the papers in his grasp. “Thank you for your help.”
Magnus opened his mouth, like he was about to say something, but he snapped it shut and nodded. He turned the handle and swung the door open, and as Alec passed through, he swore he saw Magnus blinking rapidly.
After a few strides into the waiting room, Alec looked back, locking eyes with Magnus one last time.
A flicker of a smile, a reflection, and the door closed, concealing him from sight.
Fuck. Fuck.
“Are you okay, buddy?” Jace asked, rising from his seat as Alec approached, brows creased and voice soft.
“I'm fine,” Alec lied, the words sounding fake even to his own ears. He started walking towards the main corridor and searched for the signs leading towards the pharmacy.
Jace caught up quickly. “You don't look fine. What happened?”
“You cut my arm open with a sword and I had to get twenty stitches?”
“Well, yeah, but there's something else, isn't there?” Jace asked as they turned into the pharmacy and queued into the short line in front of the counter.
“Let's just get my prescriptions filled and get out of here.”
“Okay, but we have to stop by the cafeteria before we go! They have awesome chocolate cake. They bake it from scratch and smother it with gooey fudge frosting,” Jace explained animatedly, gesturing with his hands.
“Of course you'd know that,” Alec said, and Jace shrugged. Alec was starving, though. “Fine. And you're also buying me a fresh burrito for dinner, since you ruined my lunch.”
Jace waved Alec off. “Yeah, yeah.”
The man at the counter called them up next, and after a brief conversation, they both sat down in the chairs along the wall to wait.
“You liked that hot nurse, didn't you?” Jace asked the second their asses were seated.
God damnit.
“Jace…” Alec groaned.
“I've never seen you trip over your own feet like that,” Jace said with a laugh, and Alec groaned even louder. “How did the visit go? Was he nice?”
“He was amazing. I've never met anyone like him before.”
“But…?” Jace prodded.
“But it would have been unethical to ask him out. Or for him to do the same.”
“Well, you're not his patient anymore, are you? We could go back and see if he's still around.” Jace tipped his thumb towards the direction of the waiting room, and Alec was severely tempted to take him up on it.
He'd already made enough of a scene there today, though.
“I'm not going to go bother the poor receptionist and tear Magnus away from his job. I don't even know if he felt the same connection that I did.”
Jace grinned. “His name is Magnus, huh? I dunno, he looked really upset when you two were saying goodbye.”
“You saw that, too?” Alec asked as he stared off to the side to think.
So it wasn't just Alec, then. If even Jace noticed, with his own brand of obliviousness, then it had to be real.
“Hey!” Jace said with a snap of his fingers and a mischievous smile. “You know what? I also bought some shuriken!”
“No, you're not injuring either of us just so I can see him again.”
“It's an option,” Jace said with a shrug.
“It's…” Alec exhaled, running his hand through his hair. “It's fine, Jace. It probably wasn't meant to be.”
Jace looked like he still wanted to argue some more options, but instead he gave Alec a pat on the shoulder and said, “I'm sorry, buddy.”
Alec heard his name being called, so he rose from his seat and met the pharmacist at the counter. Questions were asked and answered, from both ends, but Alec paid little attention to the entire conversation, his focus constantly drifting away towards Magnus. Towards where his heart was aching to be.
Then Jace shoved his card through the reader before Alec could even take his wallet out and said, “Let's go get some cake and you can eat your feelings.”
It was a short trek to the cafeteria from there, with Jace leading the way like an experienced tour guide. They turned a corner and strolled into the wide open space, deserted save for one guy who was hunched over and cleaning the steam tables. He stood up and waved at them, his glasses fogged up and blue hair net flopped over to one side like a beret.
“Sorry, I can't really see you at the moment! But you just missed our lunch. I can make you some sandwiches if you want, though!”
“Hey, Simon,” Jace said in his super flirty tone, his entire demeanor shifting into his pick-up mode.
Simon pulled down his foggy glasses and blinked a few times before he grinned. “Jace!”
Simon. Alec had heard that name before. Loudly. From behind Jace's door.
“So chocolate wasn't the only kind of cake you wanted,” Alec muttered, and Jace smacked him right below his stitches. “Ow! I'm injured, remember?”
“Sorry!” Jace winced. “Sorry…”
Alec nudged Jace forward with his elbow and watched as he strutted towards the glass side of the steam table, slicking his hair back and smirking at Simon. Alec tried his best not to laugh, instead refocusing on anything other than his brother's peacocking. It was a relatively quiet space, except for the hum of appliances and the hushed flirting a few feet away, filled with nutritional posters and flyers for local events. The lingering scent of Italian food in the air ignited a pang of hunger in his gut, and the dessert case straight ahead called to him like a siren's song.
He stepped up to it and instantly salivated at the sight of everything, the wide array of cheesecakes and pies and parfaits, the infamous chocolate cake, the lemon bars, even, despite his dislike for lemony things. Then pounding footsteps in the distance caught his attention, growing closer and closer, until they came to a sudden stop not far from where he was standing.
“Hey!” Simon said cheerfully. “You're finally done with your shift– Wow, did you run down here?”
“Shhh!” Jace hushed him.
Footsteps approached Alec, softer this time, until a familiar, yet slightly breathless, voice said, “They have the best chocolate cake. I was just about to buy a slice to soothe my aching heart.”
Alec turned towards the source of the voice and felt his heart jolt in his chest, his lungs constrict, breathless himself. It was Magnus. “Oh?”
“Yeah,” Magnus said, his chest heaving a little, a nervous smile playing across his lips. “You see, I met the most gorgeous man I've ever seen in my life, had a wonderful time talking with him and treating his wound, but I never thought I'd see him again after he left my department.”
Oh.
Alec couldn't help his own smile breaking through. “That sounds awful.”
“It truly was. I was devastated,” Magnus said dramatically, holding a hand to his heart.
Alec waved at the dessert case and suggested, “Well, how about I buy you a slice, and you can tell me more about how much you liked that guy?”
That was the smoothest line Alec had ever delivered in his life, and probably ever would, given his penchant for disastrous flirting. He preened a little on the inside.
“Only if we share it. I know the perfect place on campus, if you have the time?” Magnus suggested, his beautiful smile more confident now, beaming bright as the sun.
“How long do I have?” Alec asked Jace, who was still smooth-talking Simon.
Jace reluctantly tore himself away and checked his phone. “Everyone's going to be showing up in a little over an hour. I can head back and clean things up and let you know when to leave.”
“Thanks, bro,” Alec said with a friendly clap to Jace's shoulder.
“You owe me one!” Jace said as he snatched Alec's bag of papers and prescriptions out of his hand.
Alec stared Jace down and pointed to his arm inside the sling. He heard Magnus stifle a snicker beside him.
“Right,” Jace sighed.
Simon handed Magnus a rather large slice of cake and raced down to meet them at the cash register. He glanced between them, smiling wide, and said, “This is, like, totally adorable.”
“Uh, thanks,” Alec managed as he fought off a blush trying to break through, struggling to pull his credit card from his wallet with his only free hand.
“My band plays weddings!” Simon blurted when Alec finally won his battle and handed over his card. Simon swiped it through the reader with a gigantic grin. “Just, um, putting that out there.”
“Thank you, Sherwin,” Magnus said tightly through a plastic smile.
Alec choked back a laugh at that, then he actually choked when Magnus slid his wallet back into his pocket for him with a wink.
Yeah, Magnus was definitely going to be the death of him. He was sure of it.
After Magnus bought a couple water bottles and gathered up some supplies, he tipped his head and told Alec to follow him. A handful of minutes later, through a series of doors, they stepped out onto the sidewalk and approached a little hidden nook along the side of the building. It was lined with evergreen trees, decorated with gorgeous spring flowers, and had a bench overlooking the retention pond across the sidewalk, a family of ducks paddling around the fountain at its center. It was a serene little oasis, something peaceful amid the chaos of the city.
“Ah, here we are,” Magnus said as they settled onto the bench. “This is my favorite place on our campus that few people know about. I like to come here and think sometimes, to decompress after a long, stressful day.” His voice softened as he added, “Or have a good cry.”
His small, vulnerable smile made Alec’s heart ache.
“Does that happen often?”
Magnus stared out over the water. “More than I’d like to admit. I knew what I was signing up for, working in the Emergency Department, but it can be overwhelming. Sometimes the losses are too great to bear, sometimes the victories are bittersweet. But I have a good cry and soldier on instead of giving up, because there are so many people in need.” He met Alec's eyes again with that same little smile and said, “Therapy helps, too.”
“Thank you for sharing this with me,” Alec said, gesturing vaguely at the scenery but keeping his gaze intent on Magnus. “It's beautiful.”
Alec hoped Magnus understood every meaning behind his words. By Magnus' little huff of laughter and his bashful grin, it seemed as though they had hit their mark.
But Magnus' smile faded after that, a crease between his brows taking its place as his focus shifted to his hands in his lap. “I want to apologize.”
Alec raised his own brow and asked, “For what?”
“I was…” Magnus exhaled and met Alec's eyes again, “extremely unprofessional during your visit.”
“Oh,” was all that Alec could conjure for a response.
“I, well,” Magnus adjusted his ear cuff and cleared his throat. “You blindsided me, Alexander, and my professional brain went flying out the window. But that's no excuse for how I acted.”
“I blindsided you?” Alec said, pointing to his own chest. “Me?”
Magnus' smile returned as he said, voice warm and amused, “Yes, darling. Your little stumble did quite the number on me.”
Alec groaned. “God, I'm never going to live that down, am I?”
“Afraid not. I've already put in a request with Luke for a copy of the security footage. All three angles of it,” Magnus said, holding up each finger and wiggling them with a wide grin. Alec groaned even louder.
Great.
“I mean, obviously I'm okay with everything. You don't have to apologize.”
“I do, though,” Magnus said sincerely, brows furrowed again. “You have every right to report me for my behavior.”
Alec shook his head. “I won't.”
“But–”
“I won't, Magnus,” Alec insisted firmly, and Magnus’ protest died before it could escape his lips. “If anyone did the blindsiding, it was definitely you. I couldn't function like a normal human being. You couldn't even take my vitals.”
A moment passed between them, silent but not uncomfortable. Magnus gazed at Alec, eyes soft, his smile creeping back into view, before he spoke again.
“I have to admit, I couldn't quite tell at first if you were acting weird because of some prejudice, or if you'd suffered a concussion or something. But your little demand for me to stay cleared away those suspicions and piqued my curiosity.” Magnus huffed a little laugh and added, “And maybe I upped my charms to see if I was on the right path.”
“So, you don't flirt outrageously with all your patients, then?”
“No, just one super cute guy who blushes a lot,” Magnus said as he brushed his thumb over the apple of Alec's flushing cheek, a barely there touch that lingered long after it ended, igniting sparks beneath his skin. “But he's, thankfully, no longer under my care.”
Alec missed the fleeting contact so much that he nearly forgot to breathe.
“How did you know that I'd be in the cafeteria?” Alec asked after he regained his composure.
Magnus shook his head with a bewildered little grin. “I didn't. You said you were starving, and I took a chance the moment I clocked out.”
“I'm…” Alec ducked his head as he tried to piece together his feelings into words, then met Magnus' eyes again. “I'm really glad you did.”
Magnus' smile was so full of warmth it made Alec’s heart flutter. “Me, too. On the topic of starving, you have to try this cake.”
In a matter of seconds, Magnus opened up the container, tore off a large forkful of cake, and held it in front of Alec’s mouth. It took zero prompting for Alec to lean forward and take the bite, and the moment the sweet, decadent chocolate met his tongue, he closed his eyes and let out a moan akin to the ones he only allowed himself when he was home alone.
God damn, it truly was amazing.
When Alec opened his eyes again, he found Magnus staring at him, distantly. As if his mind was somewhere else entirely.
“Magnus?” Alec prodded, holding up his hand to shield his chewing.
Magnus breathed in sharply and shook his head, like he was trying to force himself to focus. He smiled and said, “Okay, I’m back.” His expression veered devilish as he added, “Sorry, I was just saving that sound for later.”
Alec choked on the remnants of the cake left in his mouth.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Alec asked through a cough. “After just treating me?”
Magnus uncapped a water bottle and handed it to Alec. “Don’t worry, I can give you mouth to mouth resuscitation. Or something better to choke on. Take your pick.”
“Oh my god,” Alec coughed and groaned, taking an extended draw of water to calm himself down while Magnus laughed beside him.
But Magnus’ laughter faded quickly, and a more somber expression etched into his beautiful features.
“I'm being too much, aren't–?”
Before Magnus could finish his thought, Alec grabbed the fork and shoved a bit of cake into his mouth.
“No, I'm just not used to this kind of stuff. At least, not from the people I want. My siblings usually get all the attention.”
“Tragic,” Magnus said after he swallowed down the cake. “You're a vision, darling. And you deserve to hear it.”
Alec ducked his head bashfully. “Thank you.”
Magnus deserved to hear it as well, but trying to form the words and getting his mouth to cooperate was Alec's eternal struggle when it came to flirting. He had to at least try, though.
“I noticed that you were gazing at me almost the entire time I was treating you,” Magnus said softly.
There was Alec’s opening.
“Well, you said to focus on something nice,” Alec started, but the moment Magnus' grin widened and his eyes brightened, his confidence wavered. “And, you're, uh,” he cleared his throat and scrambled to save his attempt, “really pretty.”
Welp. He tried.
Magnus beamed at him, though, so he must have done something right. “And you're sweeter than this cake.”
“That was too much,” Alec said, shaking his head as he shoved another forkful of cake into Magnus' mouth, muffling his cackle.
Conversation flowed easily after that, in between bites of cake, laughter, and soft touches. Time slipped by so fast that Alec startled when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Had it really been that long already?
Alec pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and grimaced as he read the text from Jace.
“Oh God.”
“What's wrong?” Magnus prompted, settling a gentle hand on Alec's arm.
“Apparently, Jace ate the burrito. The one I was supposed to eat for lunch.”
Magnus cringed. “The one that's been sitting out for a long time?”
“Yeah, and spattered in blood.” Alec reread the message just to make sure he had understood it correctly the first time. Unfortunately, he had. “He said he washed it off and tossed it in the microwave, and he feels fine so far.”
Alec nearly laughed at the look of sheer horror on Magnus' face. Jace's antics rarely phased him anymore.
“How has he made it this far in life? It seems like a miracle,” Magnus mused.
“You don't even know the half of it. I'm pretty sure he'd be dead without me. Hopefully we won’t be back here later for GI issues.”
The phone vibrated again in Alec’s palm, and his heart sank when he read what Jace had to say.
Alec exhaled. “It's time for me to start heading back. And preparing for my family's shenanigans.”
“Are they all like Jace?”
“Not quite. They each have their own flavor of chaos, though.” Alec pulled up a picture of their last Christmas gathering and handed his phone to Magnus. “My little brother, Max, loves to play with fire. Literally. My sister, Izzy, is super headstrong and loves to meddle, and my mom… Well, she used to be crazy strict and callous about our feelings, but she's chilled out since the divorce. Now she's just overprotective and wants to know every single detail about our lives.”
“They sound amazing,” Magnus said with a genuine smile.
“I love them all to death.” Alec noticed the way Magnus was studying the photo and added, “Oh, uh, Jace is adopted, by the way. In case you couldn't tell.”
“I didn't want to assume,” Magnus said, laughing a little. Then he navigated to the contacts in Alec's phone and asked, “May I?”
Oh shit.
Alec nodded enthusiastically and watched Magnus type in his information. When he handed back the phone, Alec read it over with a smile.
❤️💋😘✨Magnus Bane, ENP✨😘💋❤️
“That's a lot of emojis,” Alec teased, and Magnus shrugged, a charming little grin playing on his lips. “Do you, I dunno, want to get a drink sometime?”
Magnus' grin widened, bright and beautiful. “I'd like that.”
The phone vibrated again, and Alec groaned as he read Jace's message.
Alec shoved the phone into his pocket as he said, “I really gotta go. I'll text you.”
“Alright, darling,” Magnus said with a little nod, his smile fading as he gathered up their trash.
Was Alec supposed to kiss him? Is that what people expected on the first date? Was this even a date in the first place? Sure, it wasn't conventional, but it felt like one. They got to know each other over shared food and flirting, which most people would classify as a date. Was he overthinking this?
Yeah, probably.
Alec really wanted to kiss him, but what if that was too much? Was a kiss on the cheek a safer route?
There was only one way to find out.
Alec drew in a deep, settling breath and leaned in to press his lips against Magnus' cheek, and Magnus gasped and hummed at the contact, his eyes glittering when Alec pulled away.
That seemed to be the right call, then. Good.
But when Alec tried to get up to leave, Magnus pressed his palm to Alec's chest and said, softly, “Wait.”
Alec eased back down onto the bench and felt the warmth of Magnus' hand permeate through his tank top, watched as a soft breeze swept through the hair dangling to the side of his face, noticed his focus flitting between Alec's eyes and his lips.
Oh.
The hand on Alec’s chest slid up over his collarbone, around the curve of his throat until it settled on his nape. Fingertips played with the short hair there, then Magnus gently beckoned him in, and Alec was helpless against the pull. The first brush was a featherlight touch, a tentative thing, but Alec leaned in closer and pressed their lips together with a sharp inhale, Magnus with a beautiful sigh.
Magnus took the lead after that, threading his fingers through Alec’s hair and tilting him just so for a better angle, finding their rhythm in between soft, fanning breaths. Alec eagerly followed, the beating of his heart a perfect complement, breathing Magnus in like he was oxygen. The languid slide of their lips, the hint of chocolate on Magnus' tongue as Alec allowed him in, the spice of his cologne and the perfume of spring flowers on the breeze, everything ignited and overwhelmed Alec’s senses as he wrapped his good arm around Magnus' waist to draw their bodies closer, to lose themselves in the moment and each other.
Then Alec's phone vibrated in his pocket, incessantly, and he wanted to whip it out into the pond.
Fuck.
“Tomorrow?” Alec asked against Magnus' lips, breathless.
Alec could feel Magnus' smile as he replied, “I’m free.”
He stole a sweet parting kiss, and then another, before he pushed himself off the bench and started backing away.
“Bye,” Alec said with a little wave.
“Goodbye, Alexander. See you tomorrow.”
Magnus’ face lit up with a brilliant smile, and Alec felt a large, dopey grin stretch across his own lips. At least, this time, it was Alec's heart tripping instead of his feet as he made his way back home with hope thrumming through his veins.