Title: Roughing It
Fandom: Shadowhunters
Pairing: Alec/Magnus
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,035
Warnings: None
Summary: Magnus doesn’t like cold weather, and he wants Alec to make it all better.
Authors Note: This is set post series.
Although it was technically their vacation, Alec had spent most of the afternoon working out the details of a group of treaties, contracts, and agreements that he was considering implementing. He figured he might as well be productive while Magnus answered Cat’s emergency fire summons. It turned out to be an unexpected magical discharge that showed worrying signs of turning into a dimensional rift, something that really needed to be dealt with immediately.
Magnus had offered to take him somewhere a little more populated while he worked, but Alec declined. It was enjoyable being out here alone, knowing Magnus was the only one who knew exactly where he was for the next week. Alec didn’t want to ruin it by being close enough for whatever disaster that was going to inevitably befall Alicante or New York to have easy access to him. He knew himself well enough to know that it wouldn’t take much to have him sticking his nose in, and then all the effort of getting time off together would be wasted.
He was engrossed enough in his task that he missed Magnus portaling back in.
“Come and cuddle me, Alexander, I’m cold.”
Alec looked up from the treaty he was reading over. “Have you considered turning the heat up? The A/C is working, isn’t it?”
Magnus pouted. He’d changed into a dark blue silk robe and removed most of his make-up. He’d also dropped the glamour on his eyes, a clear sign of where he wanted things to be headed if his words hadn’t already clued Alec in. “I don’t want to. I want my husband to warm me with his body, not some machine that pumps out warm air. If I wanted a machine that pumped out warm air, I would have brought Lorenzo away with us.”
Alec did his best to hide his smile. “Are the two of you arguing again? I thought that you’d come to an agreement? Last week you said that everything had been sorted out.”
Magnus groaned, collapsing dramatically on the couch. “We found a colour for the text that neither of us hated, Alexander. It wasn’t exactly a joyous bonding experience that presaged unprecedented unity forever more.” He sniffed. “As it is, the invitations are only barely presentable.”
“Please tell me that you’ve already sorted out the catering,” Alec begged him.
“Not worth bothering about,” Magnus assured him. “Every warlock there will want to show off by supplying some outrageous delicacy. Catering would just be a purposeless headache.”
“Right. So what’s the problem then?”
Magnus gave an exaggerated sigh. “The problem is that the shade of umber that we’d agreed on for the curtains isn’t available, which means that once we decide on a replacement, we’ll have to revisit the carpet and the tablecloth again. If it hadn’t been for the anticipation of this trip away with you, I might have turned him into a lizard again. Permanently, this time.”
Alec put his treaty down and stretched. He knew his husband well enough to know that Magnus wasn’t really unhappy, and while his work was important, it wasn’t in any way urgent, and this was supposed to be their vacation time.
He took Magnus’ hand and pulled him gently to his feet. “I’m sure whatever you decide on will be stunning,” he murmured, before dipping in for a slow, deep, kiss.
Magnus sighed again, happily this time. “Mmm. The only reason I agreed to sojourn in such a remote spot was the promise of bundling up and sharing body heat. While nature and…roughing it…have their charms, I suppose, I believe I was promised some dedicated snuggling.”
Alec lifted his head and raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Roughing it? We’re hardly roughing it, Magnus. We have electricity and indoor plumbing. Not to mention air conditioning.”
Magnus shrugged. “You say, ‘Tomato,’ I say, ‘Is there a cafe within a mile of my front door?’ If the answer is no, then it’s as close to roughing it as I care to come.”
“Your island doesn’t have electricity,” Alec pointed out between kisses, allowing himself to be gently guided over to the bed.
“Winter nature and summer nature are very different. My island doesn’t have temperatures below sixty-five,” Magnus retorted. “And it has natural ventilation.”
“I’m not sure that ‘has no walls’ counts as ‘natural ventilation.’ I’m not sure it even really counts as a house. I’m pretty sure houses should have walls.”
Having got to the bed, Magnus turned and fell backwards, dragging Alec down with him. “The only true purpose for walls is to stop other people from looking in. There are no other people on my island, hence, no walls.”
Alec laughed and rolled Magnus over and on top of him. He loved the sight of his husband’s happy cat eyes peering down at him. “Well, the walls in this place seem to be doing a pretty good job,” he said, reaching for the belt of Magnus’ blue silk robe. “It’s not cold at all.”
Magnus shrugged out of his robe and snapped his fingers, removing Alec’s clothes in one go. With a gesture, the fire in the corner caught and began burning as if it had been going for hours, the lights extinguished, and the room grew decidedly chill.
“The good thing about being married to me,” Magnus murmured, eyes gleaming in the dim light, “is that I’m a warlock, and if I want it to be cold enough for snuggling then it’s going to be cold enough for snuggling.”
“The best thing about being married to you is that I’m married to you,” Alec responded.
Magnus rewarded him with a long, heated kiss. Eventually, he broke it and rolled to the side. “My toes are getting cold,” he complained. “Fix it, Alexander.”
“Of course,” Alec said, scooting away so he could draw the covers up and over them both. “Here we are, all alone, stuck in this primitive shelter with only a goose-down duvet to keep us warm. Whatever are we going to do to keep from freezing?”
Magnus buried his fingers in Alec’s hair. “I’m sure I’ll come up with something. You know, I think I’m starting to see the appeal of roughing it.”
Oh Gawd!!! His idea of roughing it and mine are exactly the same! LOL This was lovely. Thanks for this!