Famous: A Malec AU Fanfiction

Chapter 37

"Father wants to talk to you," Magnus said with a light, genuine smile, holding the phone down to him. At the mention of his other parent, Max's face instantly lit up, and he held out his free hand (the one that wasn't holding Magnus's eagerly.

"Father!" the little boy giggled happily, his smile splitting the bottom half of his face, "how's work!"

There was muffled noise from the phone, and Max's eyes brightened.

"Of course! I promise then! I'll promise that I'll be really good!"

After another moment, he burst with a quick, "I love you so much!"

Every time he said that, whether it was to Magnus or Alec, it always made his heart melt a little. It wasn't such a bad feeling, though. Max nodded into the phone, forgetting that his parent couldn't see him. He held the phone out back to Magnus, who took it. Alec had already hung up. No doubt it was Raphael yelling his always-irritated head off for Alec to get back to practicing lines.

"Father says goodbye, Dad," Max told him brightly.

"Hm," Magnus said with another smile, "did he tell you anything else?"

"He said that if I was good at school, you would buy me ice-cream on the way home!" Max's grin just seemed to get brighter and brighter. The sun was nothing compared to it.

"Of course he told you that," Magnus muttered.

Max frowned for a moment, sensing the change in Magnus's voice, "We...are going to get ice-cream after school, right? Don't worry! If we can't, I still love you!"

Damn, he was really getting too soft or old for this. Possibly both.

"Of course we can get ice-cream," Magnus told him, "your favorite. Chocolate with gummy bears and extra pink sprinkles."

He grinned, "pink sprinkles are the best. They're better-tasting than any other color of sprinkles."

"But," Magnus warned teasingly, "it's only if you're good at school today, alright? Listen to the teacher, and play nice with the other kids. Unless the other kids are mean to you."

"Then I'll kick them," Max said with a determined set in his face.

"Yep, that's right. Just like Uncle Jace and Auntie Izzy taught you." Magnus swooped down and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. He gripped Max's hand just a little tighter.

"Come on then, preschool awaits."

Then, the two of them walked into the building together. Max had a light, easy skip in his step as they headed inside. Magnus hoped that the world would be kind enough to be good to the boy. He never wanted anything to crush his spirit.

Magnus recalled when he himself had made the phone call to the preschool. The minute he introduced himself, it suddenly seemed as if the secretary was having a very hard time breathing.

Now, he got to see live.

It felt like only moments when Magnus was standing at the edge of the classroom. He could see bits of colorful paint splattered against the door. The door itself was worn down with age, some of the once-white paint peeling away along with the marks of blue and red. Past that, in the bright light filtering through the windows, there were pictures hung up in little frames.

So many small faces were grinning into the camera. It took a moment for Magnus to realized that they were old classes. All the kids must've grown up already. Magnus couldn't help but wonder where they were now? Were they doing okay in school?

He looked down at his own child, sudden worry squeezing his heart. What would happen to Max in the future? Magnus wanted to be able to protect him, but he wasn't sure if he could really do so. Max didn't notice the worried look on Magnus's face. He was too busy staring out at the classroom in front of him.

He would've expected the little boy to look afraid. That maybe he would look a little terrified and overwhelmed at what he was staring out at in front of him.

There was none of that visible on Max's face though.

Instead, he almost looked excited. Maybe a little awe-stricken, as if anything. But one thing the little boy did not look like, would be afraid.

"Max," Magnus suddenly realized that he should be probably saying something encouraging. It was his first day of school, this was supposed to be a precious memory. Magnus didn't know what he could say though, instead, he felt as if anything he would try to say would just get stuck in his throat.

It turned out, Max didn't really need to be told any words of encouragement. He looked up at Magnus, tugging his sleeve urgently. He bent down, leaning carefully on his knees to look his son right in the eyes. Whatever he needed to tell Magnus, he would be there to listen.

"I know you might be lonely without me at the house now," Max's voice was so serious, "but know that I'm going to come home soon and play with you again, okay Dad?! And besides, if you get too lonely you can always call Father to talk to you?! I'm sure he doesn't mind talking to you!"

Magnus chuckled a little, suppressing more of his smile, "Oh? But I really will get too lonely without you around!"

Max shook his head, almost in a knowing way. It made him seem older than he really was.

"I know it's going to be hard for you without me around as much, but you have to promise me that you will still try to be happy, alright?"

Magnus grinned at him, which made his son grin right back. Max may have looked a lot like Alec, but his smile was Magnus's. They had the same sort of sideways smile, which lifted up just slightly more on one corner of their face. It was the sort of smile that was instantly bright, that was contagious to everyone around them.

"Of course I'll try," Magnus said with a serious nod, "I'll try for you and for Dad. Just make sure you behave today, alright? It is your first day of school after all."

When Max rolled his eyes, Magnus was reminded so much of Alec that he almost jumped back. He didn't understand why he had such a weakness for warm blue eyes. Eyes that were the color of the sea, darker and more passionate than the light shades of the sky. As if they were light blue mixed in with ink the color of the night sky.

"I already promised Dad that I would behave, and I'm not going to let him get mad at me," he shivered a little, "Dad is scary when he's mad. He looks like he's going to barf and his hair gets all funny."

Magnus laughed, giving his head a quick rub.

"Come on then, before you go in the room, give me one last hug."

Max did give him one hug, clinging onto him tightly. Magnus didn't mind it at all.

"I love you," he told Max.

"I love you too," the reply was instant, without missing a single beat.

Then, without another look back at him, Max trotted inside of the classroom, where the light awaited him. Magnus watched him disappear into the room. That was his Max. His fearless little boy who was going to take on the world without any trouble.