Loving Husband

A Big Family

As promised:
Alec: 30
Max:7
Rafael: 9
I have not read whatever book Rafael is introduced in and since, as far as I know, it has something to do with the conflict in The Dark Artifices, the version of events I present here is a combination of research and my imagination. That's why I don't consider this worth a spoiler warning.
Enjoy reading!

Today was a specially bright day in Idris. They had all come together to the Herondale mansion, which Jace owned but used as nothing more than a kind of vacation house. It was one of the kids' favorite places, the huge garden and house were perfect for them to play.

All the children got along well, apart from the usual conflicts kids just had from time to time. Their big, happy family had grown a lot in the last few years. Clary had gotten pregnant three years ago, the same year in which Magnus and Alec had adopted Rafael.

Alec had come home from investigating a Shadowhunter, who had supposedly killed an unarmed vampire, at the Buenos Aires institute, with the six-year-old Nephilim. At first, Magnus had been a little shocked, since it wasn't like Alec to just bring a child home with him, without involving his husband in the decision. Of course, he had asked what Magnus thought about adopting the little Shadowhunter once they were alone, but at that point, Rafael had been far to attached to Alec and Blueberry to reject him.

And the warlock was happy about it, he loved the two boys. Alec had told him that Rafael's parents had died on a mission, a few days before he had come to the institute. The little Shadowhunter had immediately liked the Inquisitor and at the time he was done with his work in Buenos Aires the boy wasn't leaving his side. Since he had no living relatives and the friends of the family were in no position to take care of a child Alec had taken him back to Alicante with him.

Isabelle and Simon had adopted a little werewolf girl a few months ago. Amabel was a bright child with chocolate-colored skin who talked even more than Simon, if that was even possible. The five-year-old was currently chasing Stephen around, the boy had inherited Clary's iconic hair.

While Rafael was sitting on a picnic blanket next to the grown-ups, reading a book, all the other kids were running around in the garden. Magnus wasn't sure what exactly they were playing, but it looked a lot like blind man's buff. He loved to watch them, laughing and just having fun.

Blueberry was still rather short for his age, but to Magnus delight, his horns, which were part of his warlock mark, were already peeking out of his black hair. In his opinion, it just looked absolutely adorable. Unfortunately, little Max didn't like being called adorable, or little.

A sideglance to Alec made him forget his happy thoughts. His husband was looking at his phone with a frown. Without thinking about it twice, he took the phone out of his hand and used his magic to put it on the table back at the terrace "I thought we agreed not to work on our weekends here," he scolded "And you can't tell me it's that important. You'd already be up on your feet if it were."

Alec looked at Magnus apologetic, he always had that look in situations like this and they happened a lot more often than the warlock would like. Sometimes his love was just too absorbed in his work. But he had to admit, his need to make sure things were right was one reason he loved him so much "I'm sure whoever that was can handle the situation."

Alec sighed frustrated "That was Consul Penhallow. My request to renew the clave's rules about mundanes and the shadow world was rejected by the council because they think getting unlimited access to the knowledge of the spiral labyrinth is a more pressing matter," he took a breath and shifted his gaze to the children, watching them had always calmed him down "It's not like the warlocks there are kind enough to give us the information we need without us having to make a law that says we are entitled to it."