Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Magnus Bane… was quite magical.

And hot. In every conceivable way.

He worked in a little café known for brewing the finest coffee in the neighborhood. The café’s inviting atmosphere was complemented by the rich aroma of freshly ground beans, but it was Magnus who truly brought the space to life. He stood at six feet tall, all lean muscle and effortless grace, with honey-kissed skin that shimmered in the morning light like warm gold. Magnus looked like a god.

And we haven’t even talked about the Magnus Effect . Yes, it was a thing . Capital-E thing. There was no other way to describe the way guests - regulars and newcomers alike - suddenly smiled, lingered longer, or "accidentally" spilled their coffee just to keep the conversation going. Magnus was charming. Fresh. He had his unique sparkle. Even the grumpy old ladies loved him. Even Alec Lightwood made regular appearances, who was basically a hermit with the social skills of a raccoon in daylight. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves in the story.

That late September morning, Magnus arrived at the café feeling like a dropped cigarette butt. He was late. Late. Magnus Bane was never late—not to brunch, not to birthdays, and certainly not to work.

 In this case, however, it would have been perfectly understandable. No one would have blamed him. When his colleague, Dot, saw him carrying two large suitcases, she knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Mags, hon, what happened?"

Magnus put the suitcases down with a big huff and dropped himself into one of the booths.

"Don't say anything... You were right, sunshine. That woman was just using me. Why am I cursed when it comes to love, huh? I thought she was the one," Magnus sighed.

Dot sat next to him, took his hand in hers, and looked him in the eye.

"Did she cheat on you?"

Magnus's eyes filled with tears. He bit the edge of his lip to stop it from trembling and nodded.

"I loved her so much, Dot. I thought we were going to spend our lives together. How could I have been so blind? Last night when I went home, I found my stuff packed up. She said she was in love... Not with me, though.  She said that I wasn't rich enough for her. I’m not enough. I spent the night in a motel. And you know what is the worst? She was right; I'm not rich. I can't afford a motel room or an apartment, at least not that quickly. I cannot afford a deposit. I have no idea where I will sleep tonight," Magnus was nothing but a whisper.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Listen, you're welcome to stay at my place for a while. It's small, but you're welcome there. I have some money saved up. If it helps, I can lend you some."

"Oh, sugar, I don't know what to say. You saved my life. Thank you. But I can't accept your money. I’ll pick up a second job if I have to, save up for my own place. I promise to stay with you only as long as I don't bother you. I promise.” Dot squeezed her coworker's hand encouragingly. She was glad she could help.

"Come on, honey, we open in half an hour. Go splash some water on your face and get yourself together for your customers."

☕☕☕☕☕

Dot threw the spoon onto the empty plate and sighed.

"Mags, if you keep cooking for me, I swear I'll gain so much weight, I'll have to change my wardrobe. This dish was heavenly."

"Well, since you won't accept rent from me, I owe you at least the chance to feed you. Besides, you're not fat. These are unprocessed ingredients and fresh vegetables. None of that junk food you've been eating, honey."

"Fair point," Dot said, picking up the dishes to wash them. Meanwhile, Magnus poured two glasses of wine. "I met Simon yesterday, and he told me that he made a lot of money donating sperm in college. Maybe you could try it. He said you only have to pass a few basic tests."

Magnus almost choked on his wine.

"What? No way, hon!" he coughed, dabbing at his chin with a napkin.

"What? Are you a prude now?" Dot threw the dishrag at him. "There's no shame in making money that way. Think about it. You could deliver a few portions a week and earn money with practically no effort.” 

"A prude? Me?  Don't you know me, sunshine? Obviously, it's not that part I have a problem with. I have no doubt my stuff would be of the highest quality. You're my witness."

Because yes—they were friends. Very good friends. Occasionally, friends with benefits; after all, they were young and single. They agreed that as long as they kept it casual, neither of them minded having a bit of fun. And well, there was only one bed in Dot's small apartment.

"I do not object. So what's wrong with getting money quickly?" Dot laughed as she plopped down on the couch next to her friend to start their Friday night movie marathon.

"You know, selling my stuff is one thing. But I can't imagine that I might come across a little kid on the street who looks like me, and I can't get the thought out of my head that it might be my kid. You know I'd like to have a child later. If the circumstances are ideal and I have a partner I love. No offense, sugar. I love you, but I'm not in love with you. And you're not in love with me either. And it's good just the way it is."

☕☕☕☕☕

A few weeks later, Magnus's problem seemed to be solved. 

Not that he noticed it right away.

It started with a woman,  one of the regulars who always ordered a vanilla oat milk latte with a cinnamon twist and left overly generous tips.

That afternoon, she handed Magnus a business card when she paid the bill. Magnus turned the card over, unsure what to make of it. He looked questioningly at the woman.

"Don't get me wrong, but you have a magical voice. I manage voice actors, and if you're interested, give me a call. I'm sure we can find something that works for you.

“Oh! Uh—thank you,  I'll think about it," Magnus replied as he slipped the card into the pocket of his apron. He forgot all about it until Dot found it while doing the laundry over the weekend.

"What's this?" she asked, waving the card.

"Oh, geez, I completely forgot. One of the customers gave it to me. She works with voice actors."

"That's fantastic! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly, I didn't even think about it. I forgot. Besides, I don't think I'd be good at it."

Dot finally nagged him until Magnus called the number. After all, what was the worst that could happen? A polite rejection? An awkward meeting? So it happened that two days later, at 5:30 p.m., Magnus found himself at the door of the CESD Talent agency and, after taking a deep breath, walked in. What happened next was completely unexpected. He read a few lines into a microphone. Tried out different tones. Did a dramatic reading of a cereal box. They asked if he could purr like a seductive warlock. He did. They asked if he could sound like a doctor in a critical situation. Done. Actually, he found it quite fun, and the job paid well. Plus, it wasn't that hard work.

☕☕☕☕☕

"So, where can I hear your voice? In an audiobook, a cartoon, or a commercial  for ridiculously sexy cologne?" Dot asked a few days later. 

"Nope, none of those. I’m going to be one of the voices in a car navigation system. Clara said that I'll even earn a commission if sales are good. She's already offered me another job. So I might be able to rent an apartment after Christmas," Magnus said proudly. 

"Hon, that's fantastic! It's not that I'm not happy you're here. You know I love you to the moon and back. And I always will... but... the thing is, maybe... there's someone who's become important to me recently. 

Dot and Erik's relationship became more serious. 

The second job paid better than expected. Clara kept sending him voice-over work—narration for lifestyle ads, a hilariously steamy smoothie commercial, and, of course, the now-infamous GPS work. By January, Magnus had signed a lease on a small but charming apartment. Winter melted into spring, and Magnus was getting used to living alone. Of course, his friends-with-benefits relationship with Dot had ended when Erik came into the picture. Magnus enjoyed his freedom. A flirt here, a hookup there was enough. No relationship, no headaches, right? And he had no plans to change that anytime soon. However, he did adopt a cat from the shelter to have company in everyday life. 

🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

It was a beautiful spring day. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the air was filled with that pleasant spring scent that you could almost bite into. Everything was perfect, except that Alec Lightwood's life was falling apart. A week ago, he had broken up with his jerk boyfriend—yes, Izzy had been telling him for almost a year that that asshole was a jerk. Still, he was completely blinded by the purple haze. 

As if heartbreak weren’t enough, Alec had topped it off with the worst revenge-one-night stand of his life, and he had managed to crash his car into a stop sign the night before. No one was hurt, but his beloved, overworked Honda was out of the picture, and he needed his car for work, so he desperately searched for solutions. 

In the end, he did what he always did in an emergency. He called his sister.

"Izzy, hi. Uh... small thing… I crashed my car…"

"ALEC! Are you okay? Oh my god, where are you? What happened? Do I need to bail you out?” screamed Izzy on the other end of the line. 

"My ears! Izzy, please calm down. Don't panic! I'm fine. I just crashed my car. I'm on my way to you."

When Izzy saw her brother at the door, she immediately started hitting him repeatedly. Alec Lightwood just curled up and let his tiny sister beat him up. 

"Are you okay? Have you calmed down?" he asked when his hotheaded sister finally stopped beating him.

"You scared the hell out of me, big bro," she said, hugging him.

"Okay, okay. I'm fine. Really. But I need a car. Can I borrow yours while you guys are on vacation?"

"Sure, no problem. On one condition. If you're transporting animals with it, I want it back cleaned and clear," his sister said, tossing him the keys.

Alec runs a small, private veterinary clinic. He had recently opened the clinic and invested all his money into the business. He also made nighttime drop-offs, so a car was essential in cases where owners couldn't bring their pets to him. The mechanic said it would take at least two weeks to repair his car. Fortunately, his sister was going home to their parents for two weeks over Easter. Alec excused himself because he couldn't leave his newly opened practice for that long.

"You are my savior. I love you, Iz. It would have cost me my last cents if I had to rent a car now. Please tell Mom and Dad that I'm sorry I couldn't make it this year. Next year, I promise…" said Alec and kissed his sister as they said goodbye. 

All he wanted now was to go home, sink into bed with a tub of ice cream, feel sorry for himself, and watch some rom-com. And maybe cry a little.

When he got into his sister's car, he started the engine and set the navigation system. Not because he didn’t know the way, but because NYC traffic was a hydra-headed monster. The screen lit up:
“Female or male driver?”
Alec clicked “male.”
“Female or male navigator?”
He paused, then clicked “male.”

And then it spoke.

"Hey, gorgeous!  Have a good ride."

Alec blinked. 

"What the hell, Izzy?" he giggled.

The voice was smooth. Deep. Ridiculously seductive. Like silk over skin,—the kind that went all the way up his spine.

"Hey, gorgeous, in point two miles, you're gonna take a right down Madison Avenue," it purred. 

Alec gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles going pale.

The traffic was, as usual, crazy. Alec stuck in. While he was waiting, he thought he would definitely have a few words with Izzy when he got home. Or maybe he'd just ask her where she got this so he could buy one for himself.   

"Traffic has cleared. Don't you dare stop! Stay in the right lane. You are so responsive. You are so good for me."

He audibly gasped; his throat was dry as a desert. Why had it suddenly become so hot in the car? He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.

"Hey, gorgeous. I'm gonna need you to take  a left at the next set of lights."

Alec wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Hey, gorgeous, this speed limit has just been reduced to 60, so be a good boy and slow down for me."

At this point, Alec Lightwood lost all self-control and was thankful to the gods that he was alone in the car, as he was moaning loudly. Jesus, does Izzy have a praise kink?  Holy shit, does he? Probably, because he was painfully, humiliatingly turned on. There wasn't much room left in his pants. 

"Hey, gorgeous, you have reached your destination. Thank you for riding with me."

Alec Lightwood whimpered. Whimpered.

He couldn't control himself anymore. He was rock hard and could only hope not to meet anyone on the way up to his apartment.

He wasn't that lucky. While waiting for the elevator, he heard a familiar voice.

"Good afternoon, darling. How are the animals? I would ask you to come over and take a look at Princess sometime because she's been eating less lately."

Alec's blood froze in his veins. It was Mrs. Klondike. She was 83 years old, and her cat was about the same age in cat years. He adored the old lady, who was usually a delightful companion. But now, he wondered how to hide his groin, which was visibly bulging at this very moment. He quickly took off his jacket and held it in front of him.

"Ethel, dear, I'll freshen up, get something to eat, and go over to check on Princess," said Alec, his voice a few octaves higher than usual.

Mrs. Klondike smiled at him and patted his back. To Alec's great relief, the elevator reached their floor.

"Ethel dear, if you don't mind, I won't wait for you now." And without even bothering to wait for a reply, he sprinted off to his door. The words of the man in the GPS were still ringing in his ears.

Alec doesn't remember how he got back to his apartment, but here he is, locked the door, and leaned back against it. He gasps, tugs open his belt, pulls down the zipper, grabs himself, and squeezes.

Fuck.

Not knowing how he got to the couch, he desperately needed more... touches... He let out a low groan. With eyes shut, he bites into his left hand just as he makes another pitiful sound. While in his head, the deep, arousing voice keeps repeating: "Good boy". Alec slides into his fist, pumps his hips up into thin air. He curses… just a few more thrusts… and a final shuddering moan escapes his lips. He came hard, with a choked cry and the GPS voice still playing on a loop in his head.

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

The next morning, on the way to work, he did not turn on the navigation. The consequences would have been fatal, and he was facing a difficult day. He had a couple of surgeries scheduled, and in addition to the usual tasks, he promised Ethel he would check on Princess again in the evening, because she was really out of shape. But Ethel couldn't take her to the clinic, so Alec decided to bring home a strengthening infusion cure for her and treat Princess after work.

The day passed quickly, and all the pets who had undergone surgery were recovering nicely. Gus, the night nurse, stayed with them. Alec never left the animals alone at night after surgery. If anything happened, Gus was there or would call Alec in an emergency.

So he'd had a tough day, and he was grumpier than usual because the coffee machine had broken. On his way home, he stopped at the little café that Gus had recommended for weeks. 

“They’ve got the best coffee,” Gus swore. “And the barista looks like sex on legs. Just sayin’.” 

Alec didn’t care about looks. He needed caffeine. Like right now. 

The small café was packed. Alec started cursing first the office coffee machine, then the people, so generally. Yes, he missed his regular coffee dose. Sue him. But he desperately needed coffee, so he stood at the end of the queue waiting for his turn.

"Your order?" the barista asked. Alec wasn't listening; his mind was far away, wondering what he was going to say to Ethel when the time came for Princess and the vitalizing cure was no longer enough…

"Hello, sir? Your order?" the barista asked again.

"Oh, sorry. I'll have a red eye. To go, please." He said, holding out his credit card.

The barista turned to the coffee machine, and Alec couldn't help but notice his slutty waist loosely hugged by the apron. The white tank top didn't leave much to the imagination either, the muscles on the barista's shoulders moving as he worked in an unholy way. The coffee was ready in a few minutes. The barista handed it to Alec, flashing him a smile. 

"Cheers, sugar, have a nice day," he said, turning to the next customer.

And here he remembered what Gus had said...yeah...sex on legs. He wasn't wrong tho...This café is excellent. Alec thought, even though he hadn't even taken a sip of his coffee yet.

He didn't turn on the navigation on the way home. Princess needed him—the vet, not a horny mess.

🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

"Ethel dear, we're ready. I've brought Princess some fortifying food, high-calorie and vitamin-packed." 

When Ethel pulled out her purse, Alec stopped her.

"Don't even think about it. I'm not accepting payment for Princess' care, Ethel."

Ethel was eternally grateful to the young vet. 

"Wait," she said, going to the kitchen. By the time Alec had packed everything up, she returned with a box of food. Alec looked at her questioningly.

"I know that since you broke up with that Mateo boy, you haven’t eaten a proper home-cooked meal,” she said, pushing the box into his hands. “You’ve been living on takeout. Don’t deny it. I see the delivery boys trotting up and down this hallway like they live here.”

Alec opened his mouth, possibly to lie.

She didn’t let him.

“It's unhealthy. You need some real food. You're all skin and bones. Also, you should find a new boyfriend. You're always working."

Alec blinked. He adored Ethel, and of course, she saw him with Mateo in the elevator and in the hallway. But she had just named Mateo, something he had never told her.

"Thank you, Ethel, darling. I can't remember the last time I had a proper meal. But may I ask how you know my ex's name?"

"Sweetheart, you know the walls are thin. And you, well... you’ve got lungs , my dear. You screamed his name often enough, I felt like I was dating him.”

Alec’s soul left his body. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He kept his mouth open, feeling the blush rise to his cheeks.

"Ethel, I... I really... I'm..."

Then, the old lady burst out laughing.

"Don't be embarrassed, young man. You should have heard me when I was young. Rest in peace, my dear husband, – he barely got a full night's sleep. By the way, your free shows at least brought my apartment to life. However, I got tired of the yelling at the end. Mateo never deserved you. He did make me want to kick his ass. He doesn't know what kind of gem he lost. Whatever. I'm sure you will find the love of your life. You deserve to be happy."

Alec smiled—shy, genuine. “Thanks, Ethel. Really.”

☕🐕☕🐕☕🐕

The next morning, Alec stopped at the café again. The espresso was excellent, although the pretty barista wasn't there. So he had to stop by on his way home.

"The red eye guy! The same again?" asked the barista to an amazed Alec, who suddenly could only nod. How does he remember that?

Probably the shock on his face was obvious, even if no sound came out of his throat, because he got an answer without a question.

"You know, it's not every day that a tall, dark, handsome guy asks for a red eye," he winked, and without waiting for an answer, turned and started making the coffee.

Alec cursed himself for liking short coffee without any extras, because he liked what he saw. And for a bit longer, he would have wanted to enjoy the sight. So, on a sudden impulse, he decided he deserved a little treat. 

"I'd rather drink it here this time."

"Okay, just sit at the table, I'll bring it out."

The honey-skinned barista brought the coffee to the table and placed a cheesecake next to it.

“On the house today,” the man said with a wink. “For all the tall, handsome ones,” then he turned back to the counter, as there was still a long queue.

Alec sat there for a while,  pretending to check emails on his phone while actually watching the man at work. His gaze lingered on the barista's broad shoulders, slim waist, and soft gaze, which occasionally caught his own.

No one got a cheesecake while he was there.

He took the last sips of the coffee, the flavors dancing on his tongue. He told himself it was the caffeine giving him that buzz, not the occasional glances the barista kept throwing his way.

On the way home, he had to turn on the navigation because of the heavy traffic. He wondered what would happen if he chose the female voice for the female driver combination, in case it wouldn't affect him.  But the idea made his stomach turn. Ew.

“Hey, gorgeous. Looks like traffic is a nightmare today. But don’t worry—I’ll get you home.”

Alec swallowed hard. No doubt, he had a heated drive all the way home. In fact, he was eager to get to the privacy of his apartment. When he finally arrived home, to Snorey's surprise, Alec rushed straight to the shower. The French bulldog blinked, puzzled. What the hell is wrong with him lately? Where's the hi, buddy? Where's the ear scratching, the treat snack, and getting ready for the evening walk? Poor thing was confused, as this wasn't the first time in the last few days that his human had behaved oddly. 

Meanwhile, Alec was already in the shower, hot water streaming down his back, breath catching in his throat as his hand wrapped around himself, as the GPS voice echoed in his head, but this time, it had a face. That barista. That smile. That wink. That sinful little waist. It didn't take much time, and a groan erupted from the back of his throat. He came faster and harder than ever. He breathed hard, water still pouring over him as if trying to wash away the evidence of his obsession.

Meanwhile, Snorey sneezed dramatically and turned away. No treat, no walk, and now weird moaning noises in the shower. His human was clearly broken.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

After an exhausting day full of pet surgeries, Alec arrived at the café like a man on a mission—or at least a man in desperate need of caffeine. When it was his turn, he had a phone in his hand. He had just got a call. The barista started making his usual order without question.

“Gus?” 

Winston—the chihuahua who’d had surgery earlier that day—wasn’t doing well. Gus’s voice was tight.

“I’ll be there in fifteen,” Alec said quickly, reaching for his card and paying without thinking, one hand on the phone, the other grabbing the coffee. He was halfway out the door when a voice stopped him.

"Hey, gorgeous, be so good for me and stop, please. You left your credit card on the counter." 

Alec turned slowly, jaw dropped. The barista handed him the card. He blinked twice like he had no idea what he had just heard, and the next moment, he could only see the barista's back as he ran back to his customers.

Alec just gaped without any sound coming out of his mouth, while he tried to connect the dots.

"Wait, what?" said Alec to the barista's empty shadow.

But he didn't have time to wonder if his navigation system had come to life and possessed his barista because Winston the chihuahua was waiting for him.

A few hours later, after treating Winston, he turned on the navigation system while driving home, solely for the sake of science. When he got home, he had barely closed the door when he was unzipping his jeans and grabbed himself... of course, solely for the sake of science again.

Then he vowed that as long as he had his sister's car, he would never turn on the navigation again, because he was starting to act like a horny teenager. He decided to try to be a responsible adult and ask out the mindblowingly beautiful barista, whose voice sounds like his GPS. If he didn't know he worked at the café, he might have thought he'd get horny from his voice every day. But whatever. And here he got nervous. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been on a date. He and Mateo had been together for four years, and when they got together, he wasn't the one who took the first step. Okay, Mateo wasn't his first boyfriend, but he wasn't his twentieth either. Let's just say that Alec Lightwood wasn't the kind of guy who hooked up with someone new every week. He didn't even know how to start this dating thing again.

He panicked. 

What should he say? Get in the queue in the café and ask him out? There's no way he'll say yes. He'll just think he's stupid, and the queue will be waiting behind him so that everyone will hear his foolish pick-up line. And here he groaned and buried his face in his hands. Damn, he doesn't even have a pick-up line. He could say "Hi," he can't mess that up. What does Izzy always say? "Just go with the flow." Yeah, right, except his flow is usually like a raging river rushing down a mountain, and he's floating on it without a life jacket. He groaned again, then decided that this would be tomorrow's Alec Lightwood problem because Snorey was so impatient for his evening walk that he pulled his leash off the hook and threw it at his human's feet.

"Okay, Snorey," Alec leaned down to him, scratching the corner of his ear. "I got you, let's go, maybe fresh air will cure my dignity.” He quickly slipped on his shoes and led the little black French bulldog down to the park.

After his strong morning coffee, Alec Lightwood was brave. He made a plan.

He took his business card to write on it, but what should he write? 

Call me? Will you go out with me? Marry me? Call me if you're looking for a vet? He only got so far that he scribbled on some business cards. Damn. He had to admit that he was not good at this at all.

He stuffed the business cards back in his pocket. He doesn't have time for this. He has to go to work.

In the afternoon, when he was queuing for his usual coffee, he was determined to be brave. Although he didn't see his barista behind the counter, he decided to ask if he was there. Maybe it was better that he wasn't serving at the moment. At least he'd have a few quiet minutes to talk to him. But the gods didn't want Alec Lightwood's love life to be considered existing on that day, because as it turned out, the man had taken the day off.

It was quite an awkward situation when the girl behind the counter asked why he was looking for him, and if he wanted to leave a message. He mumbled something under his breath while he tried to fish out his wallet from his pocket, but in the process, he dropped everything.   Coins. Receipts. Crumpled napkins. A rogue stick of gum. And two rolls of Snorey's poop bags. The girl behind him quickly helped him gather everything up, and then he practically ran out of the café. Luckily, his barista wasn't there to witness what a mess he was.

☕☕☕☕☕☕

"Hey, sweetie. Is Chairman Meow feeling better?" Dot asked when she called Magnus after her shift.

"Uh, no, and if he doesn't improve tonight, I have to take him to the vet tomorrow. This poor thing has been throwing up everywhere. I've been cleaning up cat vomit all day. Do you know of a good vet in the area who isn't too expensive?"

"Wait a minute, I picked up some crumpled business cards off the floor after my shift. One of them might have 'vet' written on it. Hold on," Dot said. Magnus could hear her rummaging through something on the other end of the phone.

"Here they are."

“Please tell me you didn’t fish those out of the trash.”

"Very... Never mind, they're… well, let's say… interesting... personalized. One says Call me , one says Marry me, and… yes… here it is, it says If you need a vet, well, I'm not saying the guy isn't a lunatic, but it says on the card that he'll make house calls day and night if needed. Can you write? 

Alexander G. Lightwood, vet, 555-3627"

"Thanks, sunshine. Just in case of an emergency. Now go, rest. I hope to be able to go to work in two days."

"Night, sug. Wait! Hold on, Mags! Someone was asking about you today," - Dot sounded oddly cheerful - "the red eye guy. You know, the tall, dark, and handsome one. Don't say anything, I can hear you blushing through the phone. I love you, sweetheart. Bye."

🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Alec was getting ready for bed when his phone rang.

"Sorry for the late call. I'm looking for Alexander G. Lightwood."

"That's me."

"Oh, thank god, Chairman Meow, he’s been vomiting all day and has stopped drinking, and now he's collapsed, and I don't know what to do. Can you please help him?" 

Alec could hear the desperation in the caller's voice, which somehow sank into his soul—more than usual. Of course, these late-night calls are always desperate; the owners are worried about their beloved pets, and they call in need. They only call this late when something is really wrong. The kind that can't wait until morning.

He was already grabbing a pen. “What’s the address?”

The moment he hung up, he grabbed his medical bag, which was always packed and ready for just such emergencies.

Fortunately, he was familiar with the area where the man lived. Turning on Izzy's navigation system would have been disastrous. The repairman said that his car would be ready in a few days. Although he'd had his eye on getting this gem, let's face it, there was a place for everything, and there was no denying that the voice of that GPS mesmerized him completely.

When he rang the doorbell of the 101B apartment, he didn't know yet that his life was about to change.

When the door opened and he found himself face to face with his barista, he knew something was about to happen.

For a long, electric beat, they just stared.

“Hi,” Magnus said, voice soft, eyes wide.

“Hi,” Alec breathed. “You called about… the cat?”

“Yes,” Magnus said quickly, stepping aside. “Chairman Meow. He’s in the bedroom.”

Alec treated Chairman Meow. He gave him an IV and anti-infection medication.

“I think he’ll be okay,” Alec said gently. “You caught it in time.”

They sat on the couch. Just for a minute. And then they spent the night on Magnus Bane's couch, talking and sipping red wine, not realizing that time had passed and night had turned to dawn. Alec felt something magical happen to him. When the first rays of sunshine filtered in through the window, but they didn't notice because they were busy practicing how to press their lips to each other's without taking a breath, tasting each other's tongues and soft lips, Alexander Gideon Lightwood knew for sure that his life had changed forever.

Then, when they had to fill their lungs with air, Alec would have preferred to stay. Contrary to his throbbing cock's opinion, though, he had to say goodbye and go home because Snorey had been alone all night. By now, he was pretty sure he would marry this man one day. 

On the way home, just to punish himself, he turned on the GPS.  Snorey can wait five more minutes. Maybe ten. 

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. 

Alec returned Izzy’s car, but never bought a navigation system for his own. Why would he? Every morning, he woke up to find Magnus’ mesmerizing chocolate eyes looking at him and gentle fingers stroking the curls falling onto his forehead. And at night, Magnus whispered, "Good boy," in his ear.

He no longer needed turn-by-turn directions.

He’d arrived.

☕🐕☕🐕☕🐕

"Hey, gorgeous, hurry up, we're going to be late!" 

Magnus, – perfectly dressed – was already waiting outside the door for Alec, who was desperately trying to tame his unruly curls after his boyfriend had banned him from wearing a baseball cap to the theater. Just then, an old lady stepped out of the very next door, leaning on her cane, and greeted the man in the hallway with a broad smile as she walked over to him.

"Ah, Magnus. Nice to finally meet you! This young man is a good friend of mine. He is a gem, you know?  So you better treat him nicely or I'll kick your ass. You can take that as a warning,"  – the old lady shook her cane to emphasise her words, then continued with a bright smile – "By the way, your makeup is beautiful, darling. Where are you two going?"

"We're going to the theater to see Romeo and Juliet," Magnus replied, surprised.

"That's a beautiful play. Have fun, son." The old lady said, then turned with her cane and went to the elevator.

A few minutes later, Alec appeared at the door. His hair was as messy as before. He pulled his lips into a half-smile, shrugged, and pressed a soft kiss to his love's lips.

"Babe, you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you all right?" he asked. 

"Well, considering a tiny old lady called me by name, then threatened me with kicking my ass, told me never to hurt you because, quote, 'you're a gem', then complimented my makeup and walked away... I'm seriously not sure I know what just happened."

"Oh, that's Ethel. Lovely old lady, isn't she?

"How the hell did she know my name?"

Alec scratched the back of his neck. 

“Well... you know, she lives next door. She likes a free show. And, um… the walls are kinda thin.”

Magnus stared.

Then laughed.

And with that, the two of them walked off down the hallway, hand in hand, toward love, bad traffic, and all the messy, wonderful chaos of life together.

THE END

I hope this little story brought a bit of fun and cheer to your day! Love y'all ☕🐕