The first time it had happened had been completely and utterly unexpected. Alec had woken up to an empty bed, the smell of Magnus surrounding him and urging him to go back to sleep; and he may have done just that if it hadn't been for the barely contained shouts that drifted from underneath the door into the Shadowhunter's ears. So with a soft sigh and a shiver he slipped out from the colorful sheets and their warmth, moving to one of the drawers of the dark purple dresser across the room and yanking on a pair of loose gray sweatpants. He briefly considered grabbing a weapon of sorts in case it was something dangerous but he pushed the thought away with a shrug. His bow and arrows were near the closet just down the hall near the main door, Alec could easily grab them in less than a moments time and between him and Magnus any fool idiotic enough to try to cause trouble would be more than out of their depth.
He twisted the handle gently, taking care to be quiet in case it was something Downworlder or client-related that he wasn't supposed to be privy to and slipped silently through the door, padding down the hall, eyes alert. As he got closer to the living room the yelling became clearer.
"What do you mean you can't help me, Bane?" The voice was gravelly, hints of growls and snarls peeking through. Werewolf.
"Exactly that," Magnus' voice was calm, controlled. Just the way a volcano was before it exploded.
Alec creped further down the hall, peeking his head out just enough to see the two men standing just a few distances away. Magnus was leaning against the arm of the hot pink couch, shirtless with arms crossed and his expression not impressed as he glared levelly at the burly Werewolf across from him. A Werewolf who was literally vibrating in anger.
"-Can't you just take a couple minutes to do it? I know you can Bane, don't give me that shit."
Magnus' eyes narrowed, pupils almost disappearing into the swirls of gold, green and hazel, his expression sending a series of shudders crawling down the exposed skin of Alec's back.
"Yes, I can do it. But I won't."
"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?" The werewolf snarled, large fists clenching as a few specks of spit went flying. Had Alec been paying attention he may have been concerned for Magnus, but he wasn't. Instead he was focused on the look of cold calculation on his Warlock's face, his face a set of stone save for the two pools of liquid that burned like fire.
"Why? Why?" Magnus repeated, voice rising. "Maybe because you came in here at six in the morning, spouting off about some 'poor wittle pup needing a cough syrup' and arguing about me not giving you said cough syrup until a later date for almost an hour! Oh, and maybe, just maybe," Magnus snarled, lip curling as he straightened. "It's because you interrupted a sleep that I was quite honestly enjoying when you refused to stop ringing the BLOODY BUZZER!"
The werewolf flinched back at the pure look of rage he received; eyeing the blue sparks that rained down from the Warlock's hands. A wave of fear, cold and clammy washed over him a complete opposite to what the Shadowhunter listening in on was experiencing.
God, Alec thought, his breath catching in his throat. He had never seen Magnus so angry and... Dominant before. The closest the Warlock had ever gotten to snapping like that was when Chairman Meow had accidently knocked his bottle of 'limited edition!' glitter into the bathroom sink -Alec had felt bad for the poor cat after that. No. This was completely different from anything Alec had ever seen and to be honest, it turned him on in a completely bewilderingly hot way.
"Now," Magnus spoke, his voice a controlled whisper as he took a step towards the werewolf. "If you don't get out of my bloody apartment within the next five seconds I will personally make sure that you wake up with roots growing out of your skin and bugs crawling in your intestines."
The werewolf darted out the open door at the same time Alec darted back towards the bedroom and into the bathroom, the two doors slamming almost instantaneously.
Alec leaned against the door, panting slightly as shivers of lust shot straight to his groin. It didn't make sense. Why did seeing Magnus so utterly in control and angry turn the Shadowhunter on? Just imaging the way the piercing golden orbs had narrowed in on their target, not focusing on anything else, and the way his jaw had clenched in restraint... Alec nearly moaned. He couldn't help thinking about what it would be like if it were him Magnus was giving that look. That look of complete and utter attention, as if you were a mouse and Magnus was the cat just waiting to make its move. Alec imagined him being the reason Magnus had to restrain himself, why he lost control, his silky smooth voice commanding him, telling him what to do... He leaned heavily against the door, his hips jerking upwards at the thought.
His head lolled to the side, eyes unfocused and confused. He didn't understand this reaction to Magnus, didn't get why all of a sudden images of the Warlock being dominant turned him on, -after all, to a degree Magnus was always the dominant one, what with him being the more experienced between the two- and if he was honest it both confused and excited him. A rather provocative image of Magnus clad in nothing but leather pants, that infuriatingly sexy smirk on his lips as he spoke his name, hands toying with something in his hands sprung to mind and his eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head.
"Alec."
Alec muttered a curse, whimpering as he brought his head back against the door with a dull thud in a hope to clear his head. It didn't work.
"Alec darling?"
He groaned. Fuck, he was so screwed.
The next few weeks were hell. Complete and utter hell. Everything Magnus did, from simply putting his make-up on to walking around the apartment in nothing but a silk robe, was a trigger. He began having dreams of the Warlock. Of tanned hands trailing down his chest, nails digging in just enough to leave red trails. He dreamed of a purring voice, of a sinful tongue lapping at his sweaty skin whilst he was bound to the bed. He dreamed of glowing green eyes and a smirk that could put even the Cheshire cat to shame as he writhed beneath that sinfully flexible and lithe body.
Every night he would wake up with a problem that just wouldn't go away; and every night he would retreat to the bathroom, stifling his soft moans among the spray as he found his release. He found himself avoiding the Warlock, and when all else failed, taking great pains not to look at him directly. He made sure he always had an excuse when Magnus tried to get sexual and he never spent the night. He had learned that lesson the hard way -not staying the night that is.
When he had first tried it everything had been going fine, perfect even, they had been watching some show that Alec really didn't understand, about some bitchy girl who threw tantrums every time something didn't go her way -something to do with a wedding- and laughing at that same bitchy girl when Alec had retreated to the kitchen with the idea to make popcorn. He had been leaning against the corner, eyes glazed in thought as he waited, when a pair of tanned arms had wrapped around his waist, a head resting on his shoulder as hot breaths grazed his ear.
"You're taking to loooong." Magnus whined, pressing a gentle kiss on Alec's neck, right on the spot that made his knees nearly give out every time. Today was no exception. He melted into the Warlock's body, tilting his head to the side to give his love more access.
It had all been going well until Magnus had placed a particularly rough bite just above his collar bone at the same time that Alec had opened his eyes, taking in the kitchen table a few distances away. Instantly he had stiffened, the images of being bent over that same table, of having long fingers tangled in his hair, yanking his head back as he was pounded into mercilessly, the same teeth sinking into his neck before a velvet smooth voice hissed that "He liked it rough didn't he? Liked it when Magnus fucked him like this-" Alec had fled with a flurry of excuses that had even him confused, going home to take a nice long shower.
Needless to say, alone time with the Warlock had been limited.
To say Magnus was frustrated would be an understatement. It had been nearly three weeks since he had last spent full one-on-one time with his Shadowhunter in and out of the sheets. Every time he tried to get Alec into something even remotely more than kissing the Shadowhunter freaked out, immediately coming up with some excuse. The Warlock hadn't been able to shower his Shadowhunter with affection as he used to, hadn't been able to kiss and lick and bite that delicious pale skin as he had always been allowed to, and almost as agonizing as all was the fact that he hadn't been able to sleep with his lover at his side - whether it be after a particularly exhausting romp between the sheets or just a simple cuddle session. He hadn't been able to reach over and feel Alec's heartbeat, hadn't been able to be lulled to sleep with the familiar thumpthumpthump of Alec's heart in his ears. And it killed him.
Alec was acting the way he used to when they had first met, shy and timid and wary of all physical contact. It made Magnus worry that he had done something wrong, that maybe he wasn't being a good enough boyfriend, a good enough lover; and most alarming of all, that maybe Alec was having second thoughts about them. All the second guessing was driving Magnus utterly mad; and god dammit! Magnus just wanted to understand! Understand why Alec wouldn't touch him anymore, why he was always sending him these alarmed looks every time he even got remotely close or said something close to an innuendo, understand why his love was so... Secluded all of a sudden.
It wasn't normal, Alec's behavior. Before he could barely keep Alec's hands off of him for more than a day and now his Shadowhunter cringed every time he even moved in his direction! It frustrated Magnus to no end and he was going to get to the bottom of it.