Loving Husband

Ave Atque Vale

Alec: 86
Max: 63
Rafael: 65
Jace: 86
Isabelle: 85
Clary: 84
Enjoy reading!

Magnus woke up, his arms still wrapped around Alec's body, the way they had fallen asleep last night. The morning sun was shining through the gap in the half-closed curtains. The wrinkled skin under his hands was cool, but that was normal, with age the body lost its ability to keep warm. There was something else that told him that today was different.

He slid his hand over Alec's bare chest until it reached the place where his heart was. It wasn't beating. His body lay still, unmoving and cold. The warlock closed his eyes and let his forehead sink against his husband's shoulder, his hand still resting at the same place.

He let the tears run free as he sat up slowly, turning Alec onto his back gently as if he was afraid to wake him. Alexanders eyes were closed, his lips curved up in a smile, as if he was having a nice dream. But his expression didn't move, it was still, it would never change again. His husband would never open his eyes again.

Magnus took his hand, his tears falling down on it, getting caught in the wrinkled skin before sliding down. "I love you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss Alexander's forehead. He looked so peaceful like this.

He couldn't say how long he sat there, looking at his beautiful husband while tears streamed down his face. He had known this day would come, that one day he was going to wake up and wouldn't hear Alec's deep morning voice, that one day his husband was going to leave him. But having known it didn't ease the pain.

He managed a sad smile, pushing a strand of gray hair out of Alec's face. He knew that his husband had wanted it to end this way. That he feared for his fate to be like his sisters'. Isabelle was suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer, the once bright and shining Shadowhunter was fading to a former shell of herself.

She wasn't completely gone, but Magnus knew from experience that this could drag on for years. She still recognized her loved ones and was able to have conversations but it was getting worse. Simon had stopped working to take care of her. Alec had told Magnus that he would rather die abruptly than whither away like she did.

Losing Alexander hurt more than Magnus could put in words, he already felt like there was a hole in his heart that someone had brutally ripped out. But at the same time, he knew that it was better this way. That it was better that Alec had spent his last days laughing, instead of blankly staring at a wall, no personality or mental capability left.

Magnus didn't notice the first ring of the doorbell, still sitting upright in Alec's and his bed, looking at the unmoving body of his love. The second ring brought him out of his thoughts, the third, following a few seconds later, made him stand up, to see who was intruding so rudely.

He didn't care that he had no makeup on, that his hair was a mess, that all he was wearing were pajama pants or that his face was stained with tears. He wanted to tell the person at the door to clear out, his anger only rising when the bell rang a fourth time.

He opened the door and was about to send a ball of magic into the rude person's face when he saw who it was. Jace stood there, tired, his mismatched eyes filled with tears and his expression one of pure sadness and loss. Magnus didn't know what was happening when suddenly the old Shadowhunter pulled him into a hug.

For a few seconds, he just stood there, confused, still slightly angry, while sadness was reveling to overpower all his other emotions. Then it dawned on him. Jace was Alec's parabatai. He knew, he had felt him dying, it was why the Shadowhunter was here, hugging him, something he had never seriously done before.

Magnus hugged Jace back, standing in silence with his brother in law. He closed his eyes, not sure what to do or say. It felt odd and at the same time like he wasn't alone with the pain.