"I must say I love your eye shadow," Izzy said admiringly, standing up to look more closely.
"Thanks," Magnus replied. "I was going for the winged tips, but I feel like I could have done a better job on the waterline."
"I don't know what your talking about," Izzy smiled. "It looks great! I've been working on a few new tricks myself-" She cut herself off to turn and look at Alec for a moment before quickly facing Magnus again. "Good we lost him," she continued in a whisper. "Listen Magnus I know we just met, but I need your help."
"Me?" Magnus asked. "What could I possibly do?"
"He's his own worst enemy," Izzy explained, gesturing in Alexander's direction. "He won't listen to me, but he might listen to you." She pulled something out of her purse, and seconds later Mangus realized what she was doing. "Text me. I'll be in touch," she added as she pressed a slip of paper into his hand. Magnus looked down and saw that a phone number was written on it, presumably hers.
Magnus just nodded in agreement. Izzy took this as enough, and turned to engage her brother in conversation again.
"Huh what?" Alec said, as if he'd spaced out. "Is the eyeshadow over?"
"Yes darling," Magnus laughed, reaching over to place a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "You are safe from the evil eyeshadow now."
"Thank goodness," Alec's huge sigh of relief made both Izzy and Magnus laugh, and Magnus had a feeling Alec's baby sister and him were going to get on swimmingly.
Just then, Magnus spotted his friend. "And on that note I will leave you with your lunch, besides if I'm any later my friend will think I've stood him up." He chuckled then added, "It was nice to meet you Izzy." Magnus briefly kissed Alec goodbye on the cheek before moving away. Magnus was sure somehow that Alec's eyes were still on him as he walked away and it made him grin. It was still a wonder to him sometimes how easily that man could make him smile.
Though he hadn't expected to see Alec here today, now that he thought about it, it made sense. This restaurant was located between his and Alec's residences. That plus it's reasonable prices and nice atmosphere, where else was Alec supposed to treat his sister to a nice lunch?
It took a moment to find his friend what with all the half walls and tables obscuring his view. Of course, Ragnor would sit all the way at the back of the restaurant. Magnus must have still been smiling when he reached the right table because the first words out of his mouth were to comment on his uncharacteristically good mood.
"What's that dopy look on your face for?" Ragnor roared with laughter as Magnus sat down.
"None of your business," Magnus replied.
"Oh, so Mr. Cynic has fallen again has he?" Ragnor inquired.
"Oh shut up," Magnus chuckled. "How are you?"
"Not as fine as you it seems," Ragnor replied. "Do I get details?"
"Maybe," Magnus replied. "If you've earned them."
"And what might earn me such a treasure?"
"Well for starters you could answer my question," Magnus said, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah yes how am I?" Ragnor continued. "Well I suppose I'm fine. Nothing really new to report. Never was any good at relationships. Works been good. What else... hmmm... oh I just got a new gecko! I named him Leafy."
"Let me guess," Magnus said dryly. "Your new gecko is bright green."
Ragnor laughed. "Ding ding, we have a winner," Ragnor said by way of reply.
"You have a problem, my friend," Magnus laughed. "A green problem."
"Meh," Ragnor shrugged. "I've gone this long without my love of green killing me. I think I'll be okay."
Ragnor Fell was a tall man, with prematurely white hair and a friendly smile. If one paid greater than average attention they might notice that Ragnor's fingers were very long and thin, but usually his choice of clothing prevented such observations from occurring. As if it were St. Patrick's day every day Ragnor never failed to wrap himself in green from head to toe.
"You're turn," Ragnor prompted. "I paid up, so details on Mike Chang's love life now please."
"It's so strange when you call me that," Magnus laughed. "It's been so long."
"Hey it's how I met you, and it's who you'll always be to me," Ragnor shrugged.
"That name doesn't suit me though," Magnus replied. "I really wish you'd give it up."
"Over my dead body," Ragnor answered.
Magnus just rolled his eyes. "That was what- like ten years ago?" Magnus added. "I mean talk about beating a dead horse."
"That day in Biology class I distinctly remember some kid who looked like you walk up to me and say 'Hi my name is Mike'," Ragnor stated stubbornly.
"And if I recall a mere two years later I got my real name back, and you've known me as Magnus Bane ever since," Magnus reminded him.
"I still can't believe that Magnus Bane is your real name," Ragnor laughed.
Magnus shrugged. "Hippy parents, what ya gonna do?"
"But even without the strangeness of your name," Ragnor continued. "I don't know how you could think of anything, but Mike as your real name since everyone called you Mike from diapers to sweet sixteen."
"Mom and dad always used my real name at home," Magnus explained. "It was only the world that couldn't know we were the Bane's."
"Seems awful confusing to me," Ragnor stated. "But never mind all that. Details! There's a new love in your life. Spill!"
"You presume so much just from a dopey smile, huh?" Magnus inquired.
"Absolutely!" Ragnor agreed. "A dopey smile on you is like a flashing bright pink neon sign to me." Just from the tone of his friend's voice, Magnus knew he couldn't smooth talk his way out of his conversation.
With a sigh, Magnus said, "His name is Alec and we've been going out for a while now. Though to ask him we only just established anything officially. Raphael used the word boyfriend before he did."
"Oh that can't be good," Ragnor observed. "How can you be sure he is as serious about the relationship as you, sooo obviously are?"
"That I am not worried about," Magnus smiled.
"Why?"
"It isn't in Alec's nature," Magnus answered. "I suspect he was thinking the same thing as me, but didn't have the experience to bring it up earlier. Or maybe he was simply too shy."
"Hmm sounds like he's nothing like your usual type then," Ragnor replied.
"He's better," Magnus grinned. "He's emotionally generous and honest."
"Oh wow," Ragnor said grinning. "That is new territory for you then, huh?"
"Wonderfully so yes," Magnus smiled.
"Well I'm happy for you," Ragnor returned his friends smile genuinely.
"Still refusing to dye your hair, I see," Magnus said after a few moments silence in which they both actually looked at the menus.
"That depends," Ragnor replied easily. "Are you still refusing to be seen with me in public if I dye it shamrock green?"
"My stance on that will never change," Magnus chuckled.
"Then white it shall stay," Ragnor counted.
"You are too young for white hair," Magnus disagreed, but they were then interrupted by the waitress who came to take their order.
Magnus wasn't really sure what he wanted due to all the talking so he just ordered the special hoping it would be good.
It was always a pleasure to see Ragnor, despite his calling Magnus, Mike all the time. There was always easy laughter and great inside jokes when Ragnor was around. And at least his other friends had adapted to his real name. Magnus figured Ragnor was just one of those dogs who couldn't learn new tricks.
It wasn't until they were finishing up lunch that Magnus remembered he was supposed to text Izzy.
"Who's that?" Ragnor asked, inquiring after Magnus's outburst of forgetting to text her.
"Alec's sister," Magnus said. "She was all cryptic earlier about wanting to talk to me, something to do with Alec."
Magnus rummaged around in his pocket for his phone while Ragnor replied. "Sister-in-law wanting things of you already, huh?"
"Oh, hush you," Magnus scoffed as he quickly sent Izzy a message saying who he was. To his great surprise she answered almost at once.
'Thanks for getting back to me,' Izzy's text read. 'I need your help defeating my brother's stubborn pride.'
'What do you mean?' Magnus replied.
'Instead of speaking to mom and dad,' Izzy's text read. 'He's holding all his resentment inside. They are really trying to do better, but Alec keeps pushing them away and I'm afraid of how it will affect his relationship with them.'
'I can understand why,' Magnus texted back.
'I've tried to get through to him,' Izzy continued. 'I've tried to convince him to give them a second chance, not just for their good but for his and he won't. I'm hoping if I can't get through to him then maybe you can.'
'I'll try,' Magnus promised.
'Thank you!' Izzy texted back.
"Is all well in boyfriend land?" Ragnor asked as Magnus looked up from his phone.
"Mostly," Magnus smiled. "His sister just wants me to help convince Alec to let go of his resentment towards his parents."
"Ah, well if I know you at all that seemed like just the thing you'd be good at," Ragnor smiled.
"Thanks," Magnus replied, not sure if this was a good thing or not.
After lunch they went and got lattes for dessert, and Magnus finally bid his friend goodbye about an hour later before driving home to relax and think. Parents were a topic he knew little about in a normal context, though he suspected Alec's context wasn't normal either. Still, his mind mulled over Izzy's words as the afternoon wore on.
***
The next day he had work, which took up most of his conscious thought, but when his shift ended Magnus had plans with Alec again.
"Maybe I should let you drive us?" Magnus smiled as Alec got into his car. "With your fancy new N License and all."
"Nah," Alec said. "Your car, your driver's seat. When I get one of my own though, just wait, I'll be driving you around everywhere!"
"Can't wait," Magnus laughed, as he put the car in reverse and backed out of Alec's driveway.
It was a lovely crisp winter day, but not too cold so they began it by going for a walk together holding hands. They stopped for hot chocolate on the way back to Magnus's place, as their hands were freezing.
Once home they curled up on the couch together wrapped in many blankets and watched a movie. Raphael was at work so no one teased them about making out through half of the film.
"Yesterday at lunch," Alec began as the movie ended. "Who was that guy you were with?"
Magnus couldn't help but smile as he caught a hint of jealousy in his boyfriend voice.
"Jealousy looks good on you," Magnus grinned, leaning closer to kiss Alec's neck. "Then again most things do."
"I'm not jealous," Alec spluttered, fooling no one.
"His names Ragnor," Magnus said, moving back to face Alec. "And he's one of my oldest friends." Magnus chuckled for a second then added, "Indeed the only one stubborn enough to keep calling me Mike even after ten years."
Alec blinked at him, his face blank. "Huh," he mumbled.
"Long story short," Magnus smiled. "I grew up in witness protection, and thus lived under a fake name for a good part of my life."
"I didn't know that," Alec said surprised. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Magnus shrugged. "It's an odd thing to bring up in conversation, like 'hey how was your day and did you know that for 15 years everyone who met me thought my name was Michael Chang?'"
"I don't really know a lot about how witness protection works," Alec confessed. "I've just heard the term on cop shows sometimes."
"You and the rest of the word," Magnus laughed. Then he proceeded to explain the concept in more detail, telling Alec how because his parents had witnessed something when he was a baby, the police had placed them all in witness protection.
"New identities, new town, new jobs," Magnus explained. "So that the people who wanted it all kept quiet couldn't find us to hurt us. Then when the cops had enough to go on, the plan was for my parents to testify in court and put the guy behind bars."
"I take it that didn't happen," Alec said, intuitively picking up on Magnus's change of tense.
Magnus nodded. "When I was sixteen something happened." It was hard to talk about, but Magnus knew now was the time. He'd always planned to tell Alec eventually, and with everything Izzy had said, Magnus knew Alec needed to know.
"I came home from school one day," Magnus continued slowly. "To see them both dead on the living room floor." He paused for a moment before continuing. "It was a long time before I stopped blaming myself for it. A long time before I stopped going over and over it in my head, wondering if they'd still be here if I'd done something different. Like if I'd made them come to the grocery store with me, or gotten less attention at school, or only kept to my new name even at home to reduce the risk of me messing up somewhere else and many more."
The look of concern on Alec's face was making it easier and easier for Magnus to speak on this topic. Alec's only response seemed to be a desire to comfort Magnus which only endeared the younger blue eyed man to him.
"I know now that none of those things would have mattered. It wasn't my fault, and nothing I did could have changed anything that happened." He paused for a deep breath. "I thank my lucky stars that when they were here I knew them and they me," Magnus smiled. "I can never speak to them again no matter how I wish to, but at least while they were here we had no hidden unspoken things that stood between us. Though they died too young and they will never be here to witness my life or who I love, during the time we had my relationship with them was the best part of my life and I am grateful for that."
Alec reached forward and put his arms around Magnus in a very warm, very comforting hug.
"Thank you for telling me," Alec whispered. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
Magnus smiled, his eyes glossy with unshed tears. It had been a long time since he'd talked about any of this.
"Did you used to go to my old high school?" Alec asked, after a moment's comfortable silence. "Maybe a student of Mrs. Grey?"
"That I did," Magnus smiled.
"Cause she kinda told me your story before, though not in the same detail, and she didn't tell me who's story it was," Alec said. "She just said a student of hers. At the time I thought maybe she might have made it up to teach me something but after hearing you..."
"It is the same story yes," Magnus replied. "And thank you Alec for being so wonderful."
"Oh pfft," Alec replied throwing away the praise. "I'm just me. Nothing extraordinary."
"I strongly disagree," Magnus whispered, leaning forward to place a gentle sweet kiss on his boyfriend's lips. When Magnus leaned back, Alec was blushing a deep red. "I am falling in love with you Alexander, and as someone who cares so deeply for you I don't want you to make the same mistakes as me."
"What do you mean?" Alec asked.
"Instead of going over and over the moment I found them white and cold on the carpet," Magnus said. "I should have been remembering the good times. The laughter and smiles of the everyday should have been my focus. Because of this I will never forget the one second of horror, while the moments of joy have been lost to time."
"I still don't understand-"
"Holding it all inside will hurt you, darling," Magnus said, softly stroking the side of Alec's face. "Hurt you in ways you may not even realize in, deep, never healing ways. It's time to let go of your stubborn resentment, for it hurts you more than it does them."
"I-" Alec began, but Magnus cut him off.
"Your parents sweetheart," Magnus smiled.
"You've been talking to Izzy," Alec stated, but he didn't sound mad. "What did she say?"
"Just that she's worried about you holding all that resentment in," Magnus replied. "I don't know exactly what they did, even so you don't have to forgive, you only have to let go."
"What's the difference?" Alec asked.
"Acknowledge the pain, your pain," Magnus said. "Give it a voice and let it be heard, then set it free."
"Life is so uncertain," Magnus continued when Alec didn't reply. "If you let it fester too long it might never heal, and one day -- like all children -- you will lose your parents and forever be robbed of the chance to repair what was broken, to include them in your life."
"Alright," Alec said softly. "If it means so much to you. I'll try."
"Thank you," Magnus smiled, leaning forward for a soft kiss again.
"And I love you too," Alec added in a whisper.
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No Sneak peek because I don't have enough of the next one written yet sorry. Just know it's gonna be Alec pov some time later.
Also what did everyone think of Magnus's backstory?