Small Town Days [Malec]

Life Tip #16- Seek 5 Minutes of Happiness in the Darkest of Times

Isabelle promised to deal with their mother as long as Alec dealt with the body.

Magnus made sure the siblings ate and the house didn't look like a mess.

So far, no one had stopped by, but it was town tradition to bring by a casserole or a dessert whenever someone died.

The dish would usually go uneaten and only cause more burden for the family; a thank you card would have to be filled out and the dish washed and returned to it's rightful owner.

When they came, bearing their Pampered Chef dishes, they'd have to be invited in and the house would have to be in a good state: too dirty and you'd be labeled grief-stricken, too clean and you were indifferent.

Play your cards right and you were just a good soul in an unfortunate situation.

Alec was up until midnight when Magnus finally pulled him away from the checklist of things to do.

"What are the sleeping arrangements?" Magnus asked as they brushed their teeth in the bathroom.

"I won't sleep without you by my side anymore," Alec said. He kissed Magnus' cheek. That wasn't quite enough though.

Magnus turned his head, catching Alec's minty-fresh lips in between his own.

"I love you," Magnus said, stroking Alec's jaw line.

"I love you too," Alec said. His blue eyes were tired.

"So twin-sized bed?" Magnus asked, as they stepped back out into the hallway.

"I upgraded in the 8th grade," Alec said, pushing open the door to the room. It seemed relatively untouched, with the exception of a carpeted floor.

He kept the lights off; he didn't want Magnus seeing anything just yet. He also didn't need any more nostalgia for the day.

So Alec just shut the door and guided Magnus over to his bed.

They both fell onto their backs and Alec moved into the crook of Magnus' arm, settling there.

The ceiling fan whirled above them, trying to cool the stifling heat.

Through the wall, they could hear sad, muffled indie music playing from Isabelle's room.

Moonlight poured in through the sheer curtains.

Magnus caught Alec's chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting his head up.

"You're absolutely beautiful," Magnus said. Alec gave a sleepy smile and Magnus desecrated it with a kiss.

The funeral.

The flowers.

The burial.

The tombstone.

The eulogy.

Alec forced the checklist out of his mind and focused on Magnus, who seemed so intent on distracting him.

He let himself be distracted, focusing on Magnus against him.

The kiss renewed itself several times as they broke apart for a gasp of air then inevitably came back together.

Magnus was the one to stop, feigning exhaustion.

Alec let out a little laugh.

"Wanna hear a story?" Alec asked. Magnus pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed on top of them. Alec took it as a yes. "So when I was getting The Talk from my dad, in this very room--"

"Alec!"

"Sorry," Alec laughed. "Okay, so my dad said, 'I don't ever want to find out that you have a girl in this room, Alexander. You do that mess somewhere else but you don't even do that in a bed I paid for.'"

"What would he say if he knew I was here?" Magnus said. He couldn't help but smile. It was awful to smile at such a memory, especially since the old man hadn't been dead 48 hours yet.

"Oh," Alec sighed. "I don't want to know."

Magnus sighed.

"Get some sleep, Alexander."

He kissed Alec's forehead and they both drifted away.