A/N: Finally okay to post :) This was beta'd by the lovely @bookwhipped on tumblr so thank you to her for checking over and helping with the title for this!  

The tannoy announcement almost scares the angel out of all three Lightwoods siblings.

"That thing will be the death of us, I swear," Jace mutters.

The two of them both attempt to retract their wings, which had blown outwards in shock, and end up crashing into each other, stifling groans and trying to suppress the wince triggered by their disturbed feathers.

"The great Lightwoods defeated by a speaker? I don't think so." Alec folds his arms.

"Can't you take a little joke?" Izzy asks, rolling her eyes and zipping up her leather jacket. Somehow, she'd managed to rearrange her wings a lot quicker than the two of them, a skill that still drives both the brothers absolutely crazy but also one she refuses to teach them.

"Grow up, Iz." Alec's comment is coupled with a semi-serious glare to which Izzy responds with a huff and light punch.

Jace pushes Izzy forwards before Alec has the chance to even remotely retaliate and the three of them quickly make their way to the conference room, three pairs of boots echoing on the floorboards.

Sharing a look, the three of them slide into their seats and wait for Maryse to explain. A pregnant pause hangs over the room until someone they've never seen before walks in with a mysterious briefcase in one hand. Naturally, they all sit up a little and stiffen, unsure of who he is, but that's a mystery quickly solved when he turns to face them; only one species could look so pale in the yellow lighting.

"Glad to see you all here, Lightwoods." The vampire's voice is rough, hoarse as if he urgently needs some blood.

Maryse sends him a quick smile of acknowledgement before he starts talking, quickly explaining that his clan – and every other vampire clan in the vicinity – is under threat by the outlandish group of vampires who seem to be unnatural even for the undead.

"What makes them different?" Alec asks.

"They... Well, they don't feed like regular vampires."

"Then what do they feed on?" Jace asks, frowning in confusion.

"Pain, fear, and of course blood, but only if it's taken unwillingly."

"That doesn't sound good. I'm guessing we're here to solve that problem?"

The vampire nods sincerely but there's a stunned silence where they all consider how exactly such a mutation could have occurred. Eventually, they quit thinking about the causes and start planning on how to figure what the clan's motives, deciding that some surveillance is due. In the end, they have to split up, Izzy teaming up with Jace to go visit one of the alleged leaders, Simon, and Alec going solo to try and find out about any associates or enemies.

Alec leaves first because he doesn't particularly have a set destination or a deadline. Grabbing his arrows and slinging a quiver over his shoulder, he's out of the institute within ten minutes. Of course, only after both his siblings have drawn a dozen mandala-like symbols on his skin as a precaution.

"Alec, wait up!" Jace calls.

"What?" Alec asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're okay solo?"

"Do you have any actual questions?" Alec asks, his eyebrows travelling further behind his fringe.

Jace laughs but then nods, clapping Alec's shoulder with a confidence that only a brother could ever have.

"Don't you dare die!" Izzy yells from somewhere, causing Jace and Alec to share a fond laugh.

As soon as they two of them bid farewell to one another, Alec thinks over where he should start looking. The old vampire warehouse would be too obvious and it's unlikely they'd pick a new headquarters in another city so he figures they must be somewhere close.

He's just started walking towards the forest when he remembers what the three of them had read after the meeting: there'd been an initial attack near the seafront a few weeks ago. Alec's willing to bet the vampires hadn't moved far, only figured out how to avoid being spotted on their radars.

With a confident feeling in his bones, he heads towards the quarry, figuring that if you did have to hide your most definitely law-breaking activities, you wouldn't want to be in the sight of any old boats but you'd probably want to be close to the sea so a quick escape would always be possible. Especially if you know the area is relatively unknown, meaning that you'd automatically have the upper ground.

With that in mind, he picks up speed, feeling the uncertain ground shift and resettle under his feet each time he takes another step.

LINE-BREAK-SORRY

Alec winces, albeit only briefly, as he slips on the rocky mountain path and fails to catch his balance and instead tumbles for a small eternity until he's lost connection with direction and eventually rolls to a stop underneath a cherry blossom tree.

Whether it's his brain trying to focus and gather his bearings once again or one of the many runes tattooed on his skin, he manages to hear the small, delicate splash of water.

"Is anyone there?" Alec asks, he calls carefully, one hand already on his quicker.

"Is anyone where?" A soft, velvet voice asks back and Alec narrows his eyes, not knowing whether the sass is a weapon, a distraction, or just genuine.

"Show yourself!" He orders, knowing that his deep voice can be intimidating enough to get answers.

It's hardly a shock when nobody replies; it's not like the person even knows who Alec is. Sighing to nobody in particular, he inched his way around the pile of rocks, then starts getting ready to launch an arrow when his vision unexpectedly fills with glitter and he coughs, stumbling backwards and dropping his arrow.

"Please don't fire that thing," the same voice from earlier asks, this time a lot more careful and wary.

Alec just frowns to himself. He isn't sure whether he should be cautious of someone who just successfully attacked him with sparkles or if he should be impressed that they managed to surprise him despite his runes. In the end, he chooses to be trusting – something highly unusual – and throws his bow down in front of him, in what he hopes is the other person's line of sight.

"Why thank you, winged spy."

He immediately tenses again, his wings vibrating in alarm. "How do you know that?"

"It's my job to know things," the voice tells him, triggering a plan inside his mind. Before he can say anything, the voice continues, "I can help you, if you promise not to try and kill me. It is such a boring process to convince people they've killed me."

Alec smiles to himself; he likes this person, whoever they are.

"I promise," Alec says, "Now can I see who you are?"

"I'm not physically stopping you, am I?"

Alec shrugs as he walks around the granite boulder, then gasps as he sees the one who'd been talking to him. He immediately understands why there'd been a lack of trust between them and if their roles had been reversed, Alec would have been halfway home by now. Despite being one of the most active winged spies in their whole organisation, he's never laid eyes on merfolk before.

The merman in front of him is, to put it simply, the most beautiful collection of features Alec has ever seen.

He has the most alluring green and yellow eyes, his silky hair an odd iridescent colour that changes every time he shifts even a little. His skin is the very definition of sun-kissed and he looks as if he's glowing, especially with the glitter sparkling all over his body. Alec can't clearly see his tail but he can tell it's a similar colour to his eyes, one that completely transcends his comprehension but still looks gorgeous. The rather dark royal purple shirt he's wearing should, by all means, look out of place and plain weird but the merman makes it look like a fashion trend of the future and Alec just loves it.

"Is something wrong?" The merman asks, and Alec blushes, physically holding back the urge to hide behind his wings.

"Of course not," Alec replies, "I just... didn't think... mermen... wore clothes?"

He internally curses himself as soon as the words leave his mouth. Of all the things to try and redeem himself with... It's not a surprise in the end, as he'd never been good at last minute improvisation – that was Izzy or Jace's job.

"I would be offended but you're hardly the first to be transfixed by all the colours I wear."

"Sorry," Alec mumbles.

"That's alright, it's more of a compliment really. Even more so when coming from a dazzling creature such as yourself." The merman's small smirk is so sudden, Alec has no time to recover and can feel his cheeks flame up.

"Now, before you burst into flames, do tell me what you need to know."

"Um, I..."

"Can't tell me because it's confidential, I know. Forget all that and answer the question, if you will."

Alec stops worrying his lip, sighing. "I need to know about the new vampires."

The merman whistles through his teeth. "That's new. I haven't seen many who dare to try."

"We're more than prepared," Alec argues even though they're not really arguing.

Smiling, the merman shrugs nonchalantly. "You're better off heading north then."

"North?" Alec echoes.

The merman nods as if Alec had just asked if red and blue make purple, then points north. "They headed that way yesterday and I haven't seen them moving camp so it's likely you'll find them there."

"Thank you... Um..."

"Oh, you don't get to know my name in the first meeting, Lightwood," the dazzling merman declares with a flourish and a splash of his tail.

His eyes widen but Alec tries not to look alarmed at the thought of being helpless in a situation. If there's one thing he can't stand, it's being at the mercy of someone he doesn't know - this couldn't possibly be a worse note to end the encounter on but the question is, should he arrange another meeting or not?

"I like your name," he blurts, then blushes. "I mean, I'd like to know your name."

The merman laughs, his voice brighter than the shine in his hair. "I'll see you around then, spy."

With an extravagant wave and a charming goodbye smile, the merman folds in on himself and slides under the water, disappearing and seemingly taking the magical aura in the atmosphere with him; Alec misses him immediately.

He catches himself before he can do something he'll regret and picks up his bow, slinging the quiver across one shoulder and his bow across the other. For a while, the only sound he can hear is the occasional animal whine or branch breaking under his feet.

He's circled back to thinking about the merman when he sees them: the vampires.

He crouches behind the foliage nearby and sits sideways so he can listen out for any information. Half an hour of eavesdropping on the rather terrible 'lookouts' later, Alec swallows the conflict in his throat and head back to their base, muttering what he'd heard to himself so he doesn't forget anything. He ends up arriving just as Jace and Izzy do, the three of them nodding to each other and internally sighing with relief at the lack of injuries.

"We found Simon," Jace says immediately.

"I found out about them though," Alec replies, his intrinsic competitive side unable to stay hidden.

"Guys, can we at least get inside first?" Izzy asks, then rolls her shoulders and accidentally hits Jace with the tip of her wings. "Oops, my bad."

Alec laughs to himself but the three of them are ushered inside before they can create any kind of a mess.

LINE-BREAK-SORRY

It takes them an entire two days to decide what should happen next after Izzy saying they operate best at night and Alec knowing they're planning something. In the meantime, all three of them couldn't be any more restless, constantly forgetting to eat, go outside, and how to function as worry-free beings.

In the end, the verdict after two days is just to patrol and see what they can find; It's infuriatingly anticlimactic and Alec almost punches something in pure frustration but instead takes off, his wings unfurling in tune to his thoughts as he closes his eyes. He only opens them when he can't hear the gentle roar of machinery or vehicles, the beautiful sound of silence flowing over him.

"Is that...?" He asks himself.

It is.

Alec gently angles his wings so he can glide downwards and fly between a group of trees, his feet touching the ground moments later. As he jogs to a stop, he shakes out his wings before folding them back in, rolling his shoulders.

"Welcome back."

"Hey." Alec waves a touch awkwardly.

"I didn't think you'd come back," the merman admits, his rings glittering in the sunlight.

"I never leave a name unfound."

The merman raises an eyebrow in amusement. "That sounds like a challenge."

"It's really not!" Alec disputes before he can stop himself. "Wait, that's not what I-"

The merman grins at him but Alec can't see the gesture beyond how alike to pearls his teeth look. He finds himself once again staring at the entrancing combination of colours in the merman's eyes and he can't ignore the way his sun-kissed skin seems to be littered with glitter.

"How do you do that?"

"Magic," the merman answers without missing a beat.

"Wait, really?"

"You're a winged spy talking to a mermaid but you can't accept the existence of a little magic?"

Alec hums in defeat. "I'm-"

"Alexander."

Alec's voice forgets how to exist. He hates being referred to by his full name but, for this beauty of a being, he's willing to make an exception. There's something about his tone that just seems so right, so natural. He doesn't realise he's staring until Magnus clears his throat, smiling kindly.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to stare..." He can feel the colour exploding on his face but he's helpless to stop it.

"I'm flattered, darling, but what do you need this time?"

"Need?"

The merman nods. "Nobody comes to me for the fun of it."

A large part of Alec's sympathy forms a regretful knot in his heart; He can't imagine existing solely to reiterate information and trade secrets. He wouldn't wish such a lifestyle on anyone and there's no way he's going to let the merman continue living like that. Absolutely no way.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Alec smiles.

LINE-BREAK-SORRY  

A promise is a promise, even if it was only heavily implied rather than confirmed. Alec finds a way to visit the merman every single day, finding out his name is Magnus – a name that's equally as magical as him. Their conversations vary from strictly factual to utterly nonsensical to strangely meaningful and Alec has never loved talking so much in his life.

Going to meet Magnus each day, whether it's to get information or just because he wants to spend time with him, isn't a problem... until it is. Even then, it's not the meeting itself that's a problem but rather, who else seems to have noticed.

More or less a fortnight later, Alec finds their meeting spot devoid of Magnus. Not only is the merman missing, but also every ounce of bubbly magic, beautiful sass, and unbeatable sparkle that usually accompanies him. It feels as if someone has sucked the life out of the whole place.

"Oh no..."

There's a brief period of time where his mind refuses to accept the change, refuses to admit Magnus isn't there, refuses to admit he'd let down his guard enough to endanger someone else – someone he happens to care about.

He's off the ground within seconds, his wings spread behind him and his eyes blinking back tears that are definitely only because of the sudden air resistance and not because he's emotional or anything like that, no...

"Alec! What is it, what's wrong?" Izzy demands immediately upon seeing him.

"Magnus- They have Magnus, I'm sure of it, we have to do something... we have to get him back before-"

"Alec. Hey. Calm down," Jace says softly, putting a hand on Alec's shoulder.

"Don't tell me to- he's gone, Jace, I need to..." he takes a breath, trying not to panic.

"What's going on?" Maryse's voice rises above theirs and all three siblings turn to her immediately.

Alec has to try and school his expression into one of neutrality. "They took someone."

Maryse's eyes widen. "Already?" She asks, clearly not having anticipated something like that; she would have been right to, had Alec not gotten attached to Magnus.

"We need to get him back," Jace says, knowing that Alec probably won't be able to stay calm for whatever reason.

"We need to focus on stopping them, not just helping everyone they come across."

Dimming the rage inside of him, Alec shakes his head. "You don't understand."

"And what exactly is it that I don't understand, Alexander?" Maryse raises an eyebrow, her hands on her hips.

"He's our informant," Izzy guesses confidently.

Maryse sighs, exhaling in exasperation. The three of them, both hopeful and confused, wait in a strained silence as she makes her mind up. Eventually, she nods. "Alright. Emergency meeting it is."

Naturally, none of them can risk losing their main source of information so they're immediately told to start getting prepared to leave the next day. Despite wanting to scream at them and make sure Magnus is recognised as a person, Alec just nods and tries to ignore the gut feeling he has that something is wrong, that something bad is happening and he can't stop it.

LINE-BREAK-SORRY

It turns out both he and Magnus were right. They do have a base up north where Magnus had said to go but that isn't where said merman is being held. How does Alec know? The three of them had gone there to start with, all of them beyond frustrated when they find the place devoid of useful information.

"This isn't happening," Alec groans, not caring about acting melodramatic.

Izzy frowns at him. "Did you- did you get... attached... to your... informant?"

Alec shakes his head. "Of course not; I just don't want anyone innocent to die."

"I would believe you but I've grown up with you and I can tell this one is different." Jace narrows his eyes. "You've fallen for him, haven't you?"

"Look, can we just get him back already?" Alec asks, wanting to avoid the subject altogether.

Izzy and Jace share a look that Alec pointedly ignores before the three of them head in the opposite direction to where the quarry is, hoping to find Magnus before it's too late. Arriving at the quarry isn't hard but finding where they could be keeping Magnus is more difficult than they'd anticipated.

"How are we meant to find him?" Jace asks, voicing the question they're all thinking but not wanting to think about.

As if on cue, a strangely loud bang sounds from the left, echoing around them as they stare at one another in hopeful disbelief.

"Go!" Alec shouts as he breaks into a run, swiftly followed by his siblings.

The three of them half-fly, half-sprint towards the source of the sound and have to speedily retract their instinctively spread wings to avoid colliding with the door – the door that's soon wide open. Alec can swear there's glitter all over the floor but he can't figure out how Magnus would be here... don't merfolk need to stay in the water?

"We can do this all day, fish." The voice, rough and full of gleeful malice, is what really gets Alec's blood boiling.

Jace's hand on his arm is genuinely the only thing that stops him from ripping someone's larynx out, preferably the same someone who'd called Magnus a fish. At least, who he thinks called Magnus a fish – but really, how many more species can 'fish' be a nickname for?

"What?" Alec hisses to his siblings.

"We can't go in."

"What?"

"We can't go in," Izzy repeats, "not while they're still in there."

"But what if they kill him?" Alec asks, immediately regretting it when he sees the remorseful looks on their faces. "Alright, we'll gather our strength and come back tomorrow, yeah?"

"We'll stay nearby, yeah?" Jace offers, lightly nudging Alec. "That way we're close enough to stop them at short notice."

Carefully flying away from Magnus once again, Alec sighs to himself, praying for the merman to be alright. He's denied it to everyone else but his heart refuses to stay quiet, screaming his concern for the merman over and over again. The only other time he'd truly appreciated the merfolk was when the elusive 'Bane' had helped them during a storm.

He doesn't remember much because it was a long time ago and he wasn't old enough to store enough information during such a violent storm but he does remember something about the merman having some kind of extraordinary tail or something that gave him an advantage over most of his kind – he was one of the most powerful mermen of all time.

"We should have asked Magnus about Bane," Alec tells his siblings before they split to land, knowing that touching down in close proximity always results in someone's wings getting injured.

"Bane?" Izzy asks.

Jace chuckles. "You have the memory of a toddler. He's the merman whose crew helped us in that storm... the one where mother's wings were damaged."

"I don't really remember..." Izzy trails off, the three of them settling under an umbrella of trees where they know they can't be seen.

LINE-BREAK-SORRY

Jace is falling asleep, Izzy has made them all daisy chain necklaces, and Alec is getting increasingly more restless by the time their painstakingly beautiful sun decides to set. All three of them jump a whole inch when a pained cry rings out, followed by thuds and the sound of something falling. They're wide awake in an instant, on their feet with their knees bent and their wings unfurling.

"Please tell me that wasn't Magnus!"

Alec can't tell if he was the one that said it or if he only thought it and Izzy was the one that voiced it for him. Either way, he speeds up as best as he can until the quarry is within sight.

"We have to go slow!" Jace yells, his voice still sounding like a whisper due to the wind speeding past them.

Alec and Izzy share an irked look this time but both nod in agreement and, soon enough, there are three spies landing beside the target building once again. There's a growing worry in Alec's heart, a worry asking how on earth they'd heard the cry of pain from so far away and, if they weren't just imagining it, what could have caused such a sound?

"No!" Alec yells as he sees bloodshot eyes maniacally grinning at him from behind the gate, which then slides shut before they can slip through.

Jace swears but Izzy holds up a hand. "No, wait, there must be a roof entrance."

"Why would there be?" Alec questions, "They're vampires; the last thing they want is sunlight..."

"Shut up and follow me. I've learned about quarries," Izzy reminds them before gently rising upwards, stepping onto the roof with a gracefully smug curtsey.

Alec and Jace roll their eyes despite everything. Even so, they're soon right beside Izzy and the three of them are searching for any kind of entrance. Cringing as they hear a muffled cry of pain, they become more frantic, kicking things and breaking anything that doesn't seem irreplaceable.

There's a physical pain in Alec's chest as he hears an alarmingly loud cry but there's also a spark of hope: if he can hear it so well, he must be standing over the room where Magnus is being held.

"Guys!" Alec calls, waving a hand.

Sure enough, the roof seems weaker, thinner, more worn out where they're standing. The Lightwood siblings nod at each other – all the decision-making they need – and jump as high as they can, landing with a solid thud that rips right through whatever the roof is made of and triggers small cracks to appear.

Taking a deep breath, they share a look of agreement and jump again. This time, the cracking sound is over before it can begin and they fall straight through the roof.

Alec can imagine how they look: powerful.

The roof shatters inwards, immediately forming a door that shouldn't exist and allowing them to land safely on the ground in a kneeling position, their wings half open behind them. He can imagine the dust showering down around them and the pieces of rubble that must look akin to glitter.

"Now all we need is dramatic music," someone croaks, clearly amused and in pain.

Alec smiles to himself at that comment, knowing only one person could say such a peculiar and yet perfectly apt thing despite being in pain.

"How did you get in here?"

"Tobias?" Izzy asks, her voice laced with shock and a hint of understanding.

It takes Jace and Alec a moment of confusion to remember who the vampire is and why Izzy would know him. He's one of the vampires she'd encountered while Alec was meeting with Magnus. According to her reports, he was one of the lower ranked vampires, supposedly no danger. Turns out he was just good at lying...

'Tobias' winks. "You bet."

Izzy might have replied but Alec is too busy scanning the room for Magnus, missing him entirely the first time around because he looks for a tail, expecting to find a merman. Instead, he sees Magnus' beautiful eyes on the floor, along with the rest of his body and... legs?

Of course, Alec realises, merfolk who've had their tails magically morphed into legs don't need to stay in water...

"How...?" Jace wonders aloud.

The vampire who'd been hunched over Magnus springs up and pulls the unsteady ex-merman to his feet with speed not even the fastest known vampire could achieve. Without warning, a knife materialises against Magnus' neck, causing him to swallow and slump a little.

"Let him go. Right now," Alec snarls, his fingers itching to punch someone but his gaze attached to Magnus'.

Tobias laughs. "Let him go? Let the not so great Magnus Bane escape when he's powerless in my clutches? I don't think so."

Magnus... Bane?

Alec's eyes widen, his jaw threatening to drop, as he realises who Magnus really is. Of course there was something comforting about him, he'd been the one to prevent Alec from drowning all those years ago, which meant...

"That's how you knew who I was?"

It's obvious Magnus would nod if there wasn't a knife under his chin.

"Aw, isn't it sad? The great Magnus Bane reduced to a hybrid," Tobias gloats, "defeated by vampires who outsmarted spies."

Alec could stab him there and then, he really could. The only problem is the knife aimed at Magnus' artery – such an injury is a high risk even for the greatest of merfolk, especially when they've already been weakened.

"Shut your mouth, what did you do?" Alec demands.

He looks back to Magnus, inwardly cursing, his heart skipping multiple beats at the sight of blood smeared all over and soaked into his clothes, the bruises on his skin, his near-translucent skin, and the way his legs are shaking as if they don't how to hold his weight, not to mention the shadowed look in his eyes signifying repressed agony.

"We're going to kill you," Jace growls, knowing the look in his brother's eyes and sharing his emotions.

"You can try," Tobias' friend replies before zooming away.

As Magnus, released from the vampire's hold but now without any kind of balance, slumps to the floor, Alec's torn between chasing after and positively murdering the vampires or staying behind and helping Magnus.

His heart wins over his mind.

Izzy and Jace both understand his emotions before he does, leaving him without another word. Alec watches them for a split second before rushing to kneel beside Magnus, pulling the other to rest against his chest. To his horror, he sees two small, circular puncture marks on the more-or-less-merman's neck, a sure sign the vampires had clearly enjoyed stealing blood.

"Oh, Magnus, I'm so sorry I-"

Magnus makes a face, clearly telling Alec to shut up, and breathes heavily. "I can't... I don't know how to walk."

Alec sighs. "What... are you... your tail?" He can't even form a sentence, his heart crumbling a little more every time he catches sight of the damage to the perfect canvas that is Magnus' skin.

"Gone." Is all Magnus says, leaning on Alec, "It's gone."

Alec slams his eyes shut, exhaling as gently as he can without bursting into tears. He's not an emotional person per se, but he can't avoid the wave of remorse and melancholy washing over him as he cradles Magnus' battered body.

"Don't worry, Alexander..." Magnus coughs. "I didn't... tell them anything."

It's a privilege to have a merman even compromise with you but it's an absolute honour for the great Magnus Bane to permanently sacrifice his tail for you. Alec doesn't know how he's meant to react to such an act so he just wraps his wings around the two of them, shielding them in a bubble of warmth, compassion and safety.

"Magnus... I..." Alec bites his lip, thinking. "Do you still have magic?"

Magnus nods slowly but tenses so, without overthinking it, Alec plants a tiny kiss on his forehead. Neither of them had expected it but both smile at each other, their fingers interlocking and their hearts beating as one, two rhythms joining to make a tune more beautiful than any other.

"It comes at a price," Magnus answers eventually.

Hope grows inside Alec's heart. It's akin to someone fuelling a handful of fire with an entire library instead of one book. He attempts a smile, lacing his other hand into Magnus' and swallowing his doubt. "I'll pay it."

At Magnus' weak silence, he carries on rambling: "I can pay it. It's my fault you're in this mess and I feel bad. You deserved better and I haven't paid you back for everything you've helped with but forget everything else, you matter to me and I cannot sit here watching you... watching you slip away from me, again..."

"Alexander..."

"No, Magnus," Alec interrupts, "you've done more for me than I've even thought about doing for myself. I am more than happy to give you my strength in exchange for your life."

"Are- are y- you sure?" Magnus asks, coughing hard enough to make them both tremble.

Alec just tightens his grip on Magnus, placing another gentle kiss on his forehead and ignoring the metallic scent of drying blood. He can almost feel Magnus smile as he closes his eyes, waiting for whatever it is that needs to happen, to happen.

They explode.

Not literally of course.

But more or less.

There's a moment where the whole room goes silent and nothing exists outside their little bubble of injury and embraces, where the two of them are alone with each other, where nothing else matters. But that moment only lasts for a fragment of a second even though it feels like longer and is soon followed by an ineffable explosion of energy, hope, and care.

An iridescent light engulfs the air around them and there's a soft hush where they can literally hear their heartbeats, both instinctively closing their eyes as the glow surrounding them brightens beyond comfort. Alec can feel Magnus' pulse steadying and Magnus can hear Alec's relieved breaths, the two of them so caught up in each other that they miss the way their hearts glow as one for the briefest of seconds.

They don't, however, miss the way their souls connect.

Alec had never been a believer of true love or anything like that but there's no denying the pure emotion that runs between them like a bridge. In fact, he's more than happy to accept and embrace the bridge if it means he wasn't going mad and he hadn't been imagining his feelings ever since he'd met Magnus.

Magnus might be a hybrid and Alec might be in more than a spot of trouble with his high-ups, but the two of them are compatible and there's nothing in the universe that can convince them otherwise, not after the way Magnus is suddenly free of injuries, like magic.

Laughing gleefully as the glow dims enough for them to open their eyes once again, their gazes interlocking like their hands had, Magnus smiles widely. "I love you, Alexander Lightwood, I really do."

"Well, heaven help me, I love you too, Magnus Bane."

It's funny to Alexander that this had all started with him hearing a small splash and now here he was, falling in love despite his reluctance to build attachments with people. As much as he wants to maintain his belief that true love or whatever is a fairy tale, he doesn't want to sacrifice Magnus ever again; Sometimes, thoughts have to change.

They're both crying at this point, their arms around each other and their spirits soaring. There's nothing that can bring them down and they've proven that the vampires won't be able to last long but even if they do, Magnus and Alec are ready to fight them with the power of their connection.

And so, with their hearts beating as one to complete the harmony of their love, they kiss.

Hope you liked it! Happy new year to everyone by the way <3