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After five years of working with la Polizia di Stato, Alec honestly thought that he had seen it all. Tourists in Rome were not always easy to handle and most of the locals weren't too patient, especially when they had to wait in a line of the aforementioned tourists, so... Yes, Alec thought he was prepared to face almost anything.
Almost being the keyword here, for he would soon be challenged by the last person he expected to affect him: a flirty and handsy little shit from Brooklyn, with the deceiving face of a sexy angel.
Alec's shift that night had started in a quite usual way, nothing that made him think it would turn into a strange evening: around eleven o'clock, a German tourist had come in the station to report, through heavily accented English, the loss of her wallet. She'd started to cry on his shoulder when she realised that not only she had lost her ID, her driving licence and a few other important documents, but the picture of her wedding that she kept in it as well.
Patting her on the back while trying to comfort her was awkward to say the least, especially so when his superior walked in and raised a brow, before a sly smile curled up his lips, telltale sign that Alec would not hear the end of it anytime soon. Sometimes, he hated Lorenzo.
Thankfully, the woman seemed to realise that the policeman had an actual job to do and other people to care about when two of his colleagues stormed in the building, dragging behind them a tall guy in handcuffs who appeared to be screaming bloody murder in English. Great, another tourist.
"What do we have here?" he asked his friends as they threw their feisty burden in the cell in front of Alec's desk, just across the room.
"Bar brawl by the Trevi Fountain," Luigi explained in a few words, "Can you handle him? We got a call on our way here, some idiots are launching fireworks next to the Coliseum, we have to check it out."
Alec groaned his assent as he sent the German tourist on her way with a temporary identity card, privately thinking that he would have loved to go on this intervention himself: he could do with some action. With his colleagues gone though, he had no other choice but to take care of the guy they had left him with.
As he walked up to the cell, armed with a notebook and a pencil, Alec realised that the man inside was young, probably around the same age as he was, a bit shorter than him and also quite... gorgeous, despite the few bruises visible on his face, marring his jaw and left cheekbone, and even with his bloody nose and the nasty cut across his lips. Piercing brown (or were they golden?) eyes stared at him as he approached, barred with dark locks of hair that the young man brushed away when the policeman stopped in front of him.
"Hello," Alec started in English, hoping the guy was not going to be an ass and pretend that he didn't understand him, "I'm agent Lightwood and I'll be in charge of writing down your statement tonight. What's your name? Do you have any ID on yourself?"
When the man glowered at him in silence, Alec had to fight the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose but he couldn't help a sigh of clear annoyance.
"Do you even understand me?" he grunted, making sure to ask that question very slowly.
"I speak English, you know," the man answered in, well, perfect English as he rolled his eyes.
"Great," Alec grumbled, "another tourist who fucked up his stay in Rome."
"I'm not a tourist!" the young man protested, looking offended, "Besides, you're one to talk! Lightwood doesn't sound very Italian!"
"It's not," Alec agreed, although he didn't comment any further on that.
It wasn't like he was going to share his private life with this stranger, who really didn't need to hear his sob story turned life-changing. After a badly-received coming out to his parents, Alec had needed to get away, which had happened in the form of a summer vacation in Rome with his best friend, Steve. Alec had fallen in love with the city while Steve fell in love with Marco, who'd taken Alec's place in the plane back to the States... and the rest was history. Neither of them had ever regretted that journey.
"So, your name?" the officer asked again, staring at the man in the cell.
"Magnus Bane," the other hissed, making Alec wonder if the cut across his mouth was painful as he spoke, "My wallet's in my back pocket but as you see, my hands are a bit... unavailable."
Right. Luigi hadn't freed him before throwing him in the cell and surely those cold handcuffs couldn't be too comfortable around his wrists. Alec gestured at the young man to come closer and extend his arms so that he could remove the handcuffs, which earned him a small, thankful smile that soon turned into a frown as Bane handed him his wallet.
"There," he groaned, "but I want it back."
"Of course," Alec agreed easily, even as he opened the young man's wallet.
He quickly found his ID, as well as a student card issued by the Harvard University, Department of Anthropology, in the archaeology program. Ah, maybe he was one of those PhD students who came in Rome to study and prepare their thesis? Not very smart, then, to get involved in a bar brawl like Bane had. It was not his place to judge though, so Alec only focused on the man's ID to get all the relevant information, as well as a copy for his file. Magnus Bane, twenty-six years old - only one year younger than Alec, much like he'd thought.
After the policeman gave the wallet back to its rightful owner, he grabbed his notebook to jot down the young man's statement.
"So," Alec started, "bar brawl, uh? How comes you're alone in this cell? Surely you didn't fight on your own?"
"That's because your colleagues didn't catch the others," Magnus grumbled, "Bloody bastards took off as soon as the cops arrived."
"Okay... Why don't you tell me what happened? In details," Alec suggested with a friendly smile.
Magnus scowled but he answered anyway:
"There's not much to tell. I was in a bar, the Fontana di Trevi, drinking a cocktail after a long day. I just wanted to relax, okay?"
"Sure," Alec said, although that touristy spot would not be the one he'd personally choose to unwind. "Nothing wrong with that. So what happened to make you... not relax?"
"Tourists," Magnus answered with a chuckle that didn't sound too amused. "A group of five or six, I'm not sure, and one of them... He kept looking at me. I thought I had something on my face at first but I didn't, so then I thought... Well. He was cute, you know? Cute and interested, so I told myself what the hell, and I came up to him and offered to buy him a drink."
Oh. Okay. Now Alec had an idea of where this was going and he really didn't like it.
"I don't know if I misread the whole thing," Magnus added thoughtfully, unaware of the policeman's thoughts, "but next thing I knew, the whole group had started to laugh at me and call me names. I don't take too kindly to being called a fag so yes, I gave the first punch. It sort of... spiralled out of control after that."
"You... You got in a fight with five or six people?" Alec asked, eyes wide with surprise as he looked the man up and down - yes, there were some very defined muscles under these clothes but still, that was impressive. "And you only got a few scratches and bruises... You got lucky."
"Maybe," Magnus groaned, reaching up with one hand to cup his chin and massage his bruised jaw. "Hurts like a bitch, though."
Alec nodded in sympathy, even though the man knew what he was signing up for when he decided to start throwing punches around.
"Next time this happens," he said softly, "although I wish it doesn't, just report them to the police. Don't go giving justice yourself if you're going to end up in a cell all beaten up."
"Report them?" Magnus repeated with an incredulous snort. "I don't know in what world you live, Officer Lightwood, but the police wouldn't move its fucking ass for a few guys and their homophobic slurs."
"They would," Alec said with a calm assurance, in complete opposition with the anger that had slowly appeared on the young man's face.
"No, they would not," Magnus stressed with a glare.
"Well, I would," Alec grumbled, and he knew he shouldn't say that but he couldn't help adding, "And I know for a fact that my police buddies would move their fucking asses if I ever was in your situation!"
A long, heavy silence followed his sudden outburst until understanding dawned on Magnus, whose sullen face slowly softened.
"Oh," he said awkwardly, to Alec's secret delight. "Sorry, I didn't realise... didn't even think you might be gay or... whatever. Maybe you're right, then. Maybe I should have reported them."
"Yes, you should have," the policeman repeated, only for the satisfaction of having the final word in this discussion.
Which, why the fuck? Why was he even arguing with this guy? He had the statement he needed, now he only had to type it on his computer, print it and have Bane sign it in the morning, once he would be allowed to leave the police station. No reason to keep talking to the guy.
Decision finally made, Alec headed for his desk but Magnus surprised him as he called out:
"Officer Lightwood, wait!"
The policeman halted, turning his head slightly, only enough to catch a glimpse of his temporary prisoner... who was grinning stupidly at him, except that it made his face look nice (like, very much so) and Alec got a reminder of how handsome he looked, even with the dry blood under his nose and the rainbow of bruises across his cheekbones.
"I'd like to take you out for coffee. Would you be up for that?" Magnus asked with a smile that had to be illegal in most countries.
That was the last thing Alec expected from the young man and the sudden invitation made him squeak out an embarrassingly shrill what?
"You, me, coffee, maybe more," Magnus explained, still smiling, this time almost hopefully.
Good God. Alec felt himself blush fully, with the burning cheeks and flushed neck, and he hoped that his sun-kissed skin would help to hide his pink face - judging by Bane's delighted grin though, it did not.
The problem was, Magnus was totally his type. Hell, he could be everyone's type. Easy on the eyes, he also seemed to be a little shit and the kind of guy who knew exactly what - whom - he wanted. Currently, he wanted Alec, which was written all over his hungry face, but the policeman could not agree to that. Call him sentimental or old-fashioned but he needed to actually know his partners a little before he got in bed with them.
"N... No," Alec answered shakily, still a little surprised by the other man's invitation and flirting.
"Come on," Magnus scoffed. "It could be fun."
"You are currently being detained in a police station due to a bar brawl you caused," Alec explained, trying to sound professional and not at all affected, "Asking a policeman out should be the last thing on your mind right now, just like saying yes is on mine."
Not daring to stay in front of Magnus any longer, Alec bolted on those parting words, hurrying to the cafeteria in the adjacent room as fast as he could.
Of course Alec could not just stay holed up in the cafeteria for his whole shift, he had to go back to his desk, eventually. When he did, carefully glancing at Bane's cell, he was glad to see that the young man wasn't paying him any attention, focusing instead on his knuckles that, Alec realised it only then, were bruised and bloody.
A thought suddenly hit him and he scowled, certain that he would regret it, but... He had a big heart. Too big, his superior often said, to the point that it might get him in trouble some day. In this case, maybe he was right and trouble was actually spelled M-A-G-N-U-S.
With a sigh, Alec walked up to his desk and retrieved the first aid kit he kept in one of the drawers, then he headed for the cell. This time, Magnus watched him closely as he unlocked the door and slipped inside, then locked it again.
"Hello there," the younger man said with a seductive smile, "You come here often?"
"Very funny," Alec groaned, "I work here. Now give me your hand."
"Asking for my hand already?" Magnus teased him, "My, my, Officer, we haven't even had our first date yet!"
"Oh my God, shut up," the policeman grumbled, snatching the young man's hand himself. "Stay still."
Oddly, Magnus obeyed and completely froze as he finally understood the reason for Alec's presence in his cell. He didn't say anything when the other man used the antiseptic on his knuckles, didn't hiss at its stinging bite, and he diligently threw his head backward when Alec pushed under his chin with his index, tilting back so that he could wipe the blood under his nose.
"There," he said after a final once-over, assessing his job, "At least when you get out of here, you'll look okay."
"Thank you," Magnus said softly, all bravado now gone, "You didn't... You didn't have to do this."
"I know. But, you see, there seems to be decent police officers around here after all."
"Yes," the shorter man admitted with a nod, "So it seems."
He stared at Alec with something akin to wonder and a bit of admiration in his eyes, not at all seductive like he had been before but completely open and inviting, soft and eager, and it made Alec's heart beat so hard in his chest that the young man decided to leave right then, before he could set his eyes on Bane's mouth.
He was running away, for the second time that night. He didn't like the effect Magnus had on him one bit.
In the morning, Alec managed to avoid opening Magnus' cell himself: instead, he grumbled the order to free the young man to Maria, who agreed with a nod and without asking any question, which he appreciated. Technically, it was not his job to watch over Bane, so he had no problem handing the man's case over.
Just to be sure that they would not cross paths again, Alec even left the main room and headed for the cafeteria, where Giovanni had just brewed fresh coffee and a box of pastries bought by Maria - bless her! - awaited on the table. God, he loved his friends.
When he deemed it safe to come back, a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a half-eaten muffin in the other, Alec walked towards his desk and nearly dropped his drink when he realised that someone was already sitting on his chair.
"Y... You!" he choked, trying to swallow the suddenly dry bite of muffin, "What are you still doing here?!"
Magnus didn't seem remorseful at all when he lifted his head to look Alec in the eyes, a small smile dancing on his lips, nor did he seem to mind the giggles coming from the other police officers inside the building - Alec did mind, however. He hated his friends.
"Your colleague allowed me to stay when I told her that I wanted to thank Officer Lightwood for taking such good care of me last night," the young man explained, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Seriously?" Alec groaned, eager now to see the end of his shift and go back home to sleep the rest of the day away. "Don't you ever stop?"
Magnus shrugged and spoke again. His smile was infuriating.
"I was wondering..." he started, "Seeing that I'm a free man and all that now, are you up for that coffee? My treat."
This time, Alec kept his dignity intact and managed not to swallow his muffin the wrong way. Free man or not, his answer remained the same.
"No, thank you," he said with a grin as he showed Magnus his cup, "I have all the coffee that I need right here."
To his credit, Magnus didn't look disappointed nor hurt. Rising to his feet, he stepped aside in order to allow Alec to sit down and seated himself on top of the desk. Of course. Alec should have known better than to think that the young man would give up.
"Fine," Magnus said with a shrug. "In that case, may I at least get your first name?"
"I don't see how this information would be of any use to you," Alec answered with arched up brows.
"Policemen," the younger man sighed, rolling his eyes, "Always so suspicious. Come on, I just want to know. Mere curiosity."
"Yes, I'm sure," Alec drawled.
Pupils narrowing to slits, Magnus squinted at the nametag on display on the policeman's uniform shirt that proudly read Officer A. Lightwood.
"A..." he whispered to himself, thinking aloud, before he stared at Alec and asked, "Antonio? Alessandro? Arturo? Nah, you're not actually Italian, so... Arthur? Alvin? Alton?"
Just when Alec thought that this moment would turn out to be his victory against the young man, when he thought that Magnus would never guess his name, Lorenzo stormed out of his office, pushing the door open so violently that it hit the wall with a sudden bang that made Alec and everyone else around jump in the air.
"Alexander!" his superior barked, "I know your shift is almost over but Luigi and Antonio need reinforcements, now. Go with Maria, she'll explain everything on the way. Go, go, go!"
Scrambling to his feet, Alec quickly threw his jacket on his shoulders; as he made to bypass his desk and stride towards the entrance, where Maria was already waiting for him with the door open, a silhouette briefly got in his way. Brownish - golden-ish? - eyes locked with his, wide and shining with nothing but sincerity, so far from the mischief that had gleamed in these orbs before.
"Magnus," Alec started, "Not now, I..."
"Shhhh..." the young man interrupted him, going as far as placing a fingertip against his lips. "I know, duty calls. Good luck, Alexander."
Good God. The officer barely registered the moment Magnus let him go, hardly listened to Maria's words in the car. He couldn't even be mad at Bane for finding out his name, because... All he could focus on was the way his name had sounded on Magnus' tongue, how suave, holding secret promises in the syllables. Alec hated it as much as he loved it.
Two days. It had been two days since his meeting with Magnus and Alec didn't think that he would ever hear the end of it. Of course his colleagues had noticed Bane's quick attachment to the policeman so it was obvious that they would tease him about it - encouraged, as it appeared, by Lorenzo himself. Some of them even told him that he should have accepted Magnus' invitation to go out with him.
"But that was inappropriate!" he claimed to whoever cared to listen, which meant not many people.
Most of them had seen the young man that night and they all agreed to say that he was cute - Alec, begrudgingly, had to admit it as well. They all believed that he was a victim too, once the officer explained why exactly Magnus had spent the night in a cell, so now that they all sympathised with him, he had earned himself some extra points. Maria was delighted to remind him every minute or so that Magnus was a bit shorter than him, which meant he was perfect for Alec... Who slammed the door of the cafeteria and left his friends there when they all started to make annoying kissing noises.
(It was true though. Alec himself had thought about it.)
"Alec!" Luigi called out from his desk, "Gotta go, someone's having fun on the Forum."
"What?" the young man asked, glancing at the screen of his computer to read the time, "But it's half past two in the freaking morning! It's supposed to be closed!"
"Ever heard of trespassing? Come on."
Alec hated working the night shift. It could be as peaceful as it could be a disaster and this time, it was the latter, definitely. Earlier this evening, there had been a student party gone wrong, Giovanni had been hit by a drunkard who didn't want to follow them quietly, a heated argument in a family had resulted in the son pulling out a knife and frightening the whole neighbourhood and now... Now, an idiot had jumped over the gates of the Forum to... To do what, exactly?
"What do you mean, someone's having fun?" he asked Luigi once they were sitting in the car, on their way to the unlucky bastard who would get arrested that night.
"I'm not too sure," his friend admitted with a wince, "The girl on the phone sounded outraged though, something about a drunk guy and his highly inappropriate behaviour. Seemed to imply that he was having sex."
"Sex?" Alec repeated in disbelief. "On the Forum?"
"Apparently. We'll know soon enough: we're almost there."
They were: they drove in front of the statue of the Emperor Augustus and a few seconds later, they stopped in front of the gates and made a quick job of jumping over them, landing in soft grass. The Forum by night made a marvellous sight, as strategically-placed spotlights illuminated the ancient columns of several temples and other antique monuments. Without the daily bustle of the tourists, the place was quiet and Alec liked to think that at this late (or early, depending on how you looked at it) hour, they were as close to the experience of their ancestors as possible.
Still, there was one person busy defiling the Forum, whom Luigi and he were not going to let slip through their fingers. They didn't have to look for long: there, right in the middle of the light beam, as if he had wanted to be caught, stood a young man with his back on them, by the temple of Vesta. Well, perhaps stood was not the proper word: in fact, the man was literally grinding his crotch against one of the remaining white marble columns and he had wrapped his arms around it like one would a lover. Outrageous. Vesta was a virgin deity.
Luigi let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.
"Dumbass is drunk," he grumbled. "Be careful he doesn't get scared and fall off."
Alec nodded, praying that the night would end soon, and they walked toward the young man while making as much noise as possible to warn him that they were coming. Neither of them wanted to call an ambulance if the guy slipped and broke an arm.
"Hey!" Luigi called, "Sir! Stop right now!"
If the man was drunk, he was not so inhibited that he didn't hear the policeman, thank God: he stopped his indecent moves at once, slowly letting go of the column, and he turned around, taking one more step into the light and revealing a mischievous face crowned by unruly dark locks.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Alec half-exclaimed, half-groaned in despair.
"Alexaaaaaaander!!" Magnus, for it was him, standing on the remains of the temple, drawled with a dreamy smile.
"For fuck's sake!" Alec shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Get down!"
To his surprise, Magnus obeyed and staggered toward him with his arms wide open - Alec would forever be mad at Luigi for giggling at the sight instead of reacting, allowing the other to squeeze the policeman into a tight hug.
"I missed youuuuuuu," Magnus whined against his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, "I hoped you would be the one to come and arrest me..."
Oh for the love of... Really? Magnus was a PhD student in Roman archaeology, he was supposed to be smart! How could he have thought that trespassing on the Forum to be arrested again would be a great idea? And all of it because he missed Alec?
"Are you serious?" he groaned, "Let go of me."
"No," Magnus answered in a mumble, burying his face deeper into Alec's shirt uniform. "You're so firm. I don't want to move."
Luigi snickered, his hand going to the inside of his jacket, and Alec raised a finger in warning.
"If you take a picture, I swear..."
Luigi dropped his hand, looking guilty, although amusement was still making his lips twitch. Eventually, he tried to rescue Alec.
"Mister Bane," he said - Alec wasn't even surprised that the whole station knew of his suitor's name by now - and tapped Magnus' shoulder, "Please, let go of Officer Lightwood and follow us to the police station."
"If Officer Lightwood agrees to go out with me," Magnus immediately bargained, a grin illuminating his face at the prospect of snatching a date with Alec. "Pleeeeeeease?"
"No," Alec grumbled. "Come on, now."
Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed Magnus under the knees to carry him bridal style and forcefully remove him from the premises, sparing one last apologetic glance at the temple of Vesta who had been, no doubt, affronted.
"Ooooooh," Magnus giggled in his arms, his weight filling Alec with a strangely nice warmth and his muscles with the burn of the effort, "You are so set on marrying me, Alexander, aren't you?"
"Shut up, Magnus," Alec shot back, realising too late that his voice lacked the bite he'd wanted to infuse it with.
If he didn't know better, he'd even say he sounded fond.
"Are you that controlling in bed too?" Magnus enquired with a shit-eating grin. "Kinky."
Alec glared at him. He could tell that he was blushing and he didn't even know whether the red across his face was due to Magnus' words, his body close to him, or the way he suddenly pressed his nose into Alec's neck and inhaled deeply, before he stopped moving. Was he falling asleep?
"Magnus?" Alec whispered.
The younger man didn't answer, which was telling enough in itself, and Alec made sure not to hit his head when he awkwardly sat him on the backseat of the car, under Luigi's sparkling eyes. He bent down to click Magnus' seatbelt into place and froze when he felt something squeeze his ass. Twice.
"You're not asleep," Alec accused, turning his head to stare at the young man.
"I am now," Magnus shot back happily, making a show of closing his eyes and opening his mouth to let out a few loud snores.
After a second night spent in a cell as well as a second rejection, Alec honestly thought he wouldn't see Magnus again. He should have been pleased at the prospect of resuming normal shifts once more, as normal as they could get when you worked as a policeman in one of the most touristic capitals of Europe, and Alec was shocked to realise that... he wasn't pleased. At all. Magnus wasn't easy to forget, especially not with the stunt he'd previously pulled and Alec found himself thinking that at least, he'd made his shifts way more eventful.
It had nothing to do with the box of chocolates he'd found on his desk the next day, with a note stuck to it that read Sorry for touching your butt without permission last night. Alec had smiled at that. He had not been offended but it was nice to see this different side of Magnus, to understand that he could be something else than a little shit with tendencies to defile antique temples: a thoughtful man.
Alec scowled and immediately changed his mind when he realised that there was more to the text, on the back, as he detached the note to get started on the chocolates. It was a nice butt, though. Oh, the cheeky bastard.
If Alec thought that Magnus had given up, he was sorely mistaken. He realised just how much during the following days: on Tuesday, there was a lone Vespa blocking one of the main exits from the station parking. When he looked into it, Alec found out that it was a rental, and after a few phone calls, he was told that the man who'd paid to ride that Vespa for the day had given the name Bagnus Mane. Alec wasn't impressed by the weak pseudonym, although Maria thought it was hilarious he'd even tried.
So on Alec went, interrupting archaeological sessions around the Via Emanuele Filiberto to pull Magnus away from his group and to the station. The young man seemed quite satisfied with himself, although his smirk slipped when Alec gave him a fine and then proceeded on yelling at him in front of the station, shouting about emergencies and blocked cars and dangerous delays in helping the citizens.
"Well, Luigi said there were two other exits," Magnus pointed out once Alec shut up, his chest heaving, "and that it wouldn't actually be an hindrance."
Alec nearly hyperventilated when he gathered that his own colleague had helped Magnus set this up. The asshole.
"I can make it up to you!" Magnus exclaimed quickly enough, a wide smile splitting his face in two. "Let me take you out to a bar tonight, after your shift!"
"No," Alec refused, rolling his eyes. "My answer's not going to change only because you keep asking."
Magnus smiled at that, his beautiful eyes shining with mirth.
"We'll see about that, Officer."
On Friday, Alec and Maria were patrolling around Trajan's Markets when dispatch sent them a message from Lorenzo, who was asking them to spend their morning stopping vehicles in order to check driving licences and run the usual alcohol tests. Grunting at the task which, albeit necessary, was deadly boring most of the time, the two police officers parked not too far from there, next to l'Altare della Patria.
They soon found a rhythm: every four or five cars, Maria stopped one while Alec directed traffic and when she was done, he took her place, motioning the next driver to pull off the road while she ensured smooth traffic. They proceeded like that for a while, facing drivers in a hurry who nearly threw their licences at their head, tired ones who were running on caffeine and some who looked terrified at the mere sight of their uniform. It was, as predicted, uneventful: they warned a driver about a busted tail light and gave a fine to a businessman or two who were on the phone... Until Alec noticed something that finally broke the plain normality of the task.
A green Alpha Romeo.
In itself, the sight of such a car was not unusual and it would not have rung any alarm bell in Alec's head if it hadn't been the third time the same green car passed them by. Eyes narrowing, the young man stared at the Alpha Romeo as it took a right turn after the Piazza Venezia, disappearing into the narrow streets beyond Trajan's Forum. If the driver repeated his previous pattern, then he would come back in less than ten minutes, just the time that was needed to drive around the neighbourhood and be back on the Via dei Fori Imperiali - only this time around, Alec would be waiting.
Maybe the driver was a lost tourist who didn't know where to park, he tried to convince himself. That was, after all, a common occurrence in Rome. If he was honest though, Alec had an inkling that this specific driver was not lost, neither was he merely admiring the forums left and right. So of course, when the green Alpha Romeo came in sight again, Alec didn't waste time and motioned the driver to pull off, an order that was quickly - almost eagerly - obeyed. And really, he should have known.
As soon as the window rolled down to reveal a gorgeous face that had become incredibly familiar over the past few days, Alec's jaw went slack.
"Ma... Magnus?" he stuttered in disbelief.
"Alexander!" the younger man exclaimed, "What a coincidence! Fate must be on our side!"
"Right," Alec grunted, nonplussed and totally not buying this so-called fate intervention. "Did Luigi tell you I'd be here?"
"Not really, no," Magnus answered, awfully chirpy, as he gave Maria a side-glance.
Traitors, the whole bunch of them.
"Aren't you going to check my blood alcohol concentration?" Magnus asked in eagerness, "I suggest we skip the usual breath test, kiss me and you'll decide if I've been drinking or not. Don't forget to be thorough."
He waggled his eyebrows and puckered his lips, which put Alec's poker face to the test as he willed his face not to twitch and betray his (faint) amusement. Interest, too. Magnus' offered mouth looked terribly alluring.
"No," he gave a stern answer, "You don't seem drunk to me. Besides, it's only nine in the morning."
"Well it's happy hour somewhere," Magnus shot back with a wink, "but fine. You should at least check my driving licence, though."
Alec didn't even know why he was humouring this infuriating man who was trying to tell him how to do his job. Still, he asked to see the licence just like the other had suggested, with a mighty roll of his eyes.
"Oh noooo!" Magnus exclaimed, one hand on his heart and the other on his forehead in a tragic pose, pretending to be shocked, "I appear to have misplaced my wallet! With my driving licence! What a pity! Now you'll have to drag me to the station to give me temporary documents! Such a shame!"
Alec really didn't know why he agreed to that terrible idea and yet, he did. He wasn't even surprised when Magnus magically whipped out his wallet from his back pocket the second he was done printing the temporary licence.
Monday was his day-off, so Alec woke up later than he did whenever he worked the morning shift. Getting out of bed at seven instead of getting into work at the same hour was extremely satisfying and he took his time to drink his first coffee of the day, on the balcony, watching with a smile as Rome slowly woke up too, bells echoing from all sides, scaring birds in the process.
Seven o'clock was not an hour for tourists, he'd quickly realised over the past five years. Locals went into work, the Trevi Fountain was just a fountain and not a place overcrowded with travellers and you didn't have to worry about photobombing them - there had been an unlucky occurrence of Alec's team ending up in a picture while trying to arrest a couple of drunk friends... who had not taken kindly to being handcuffed. One of them had headbutted Luigi, whose nose had bled all over the place, and the photographer had captured this exact moment. They'd deemed it funny to send the picture at the station later on and Alec was pretty sure that Lorenzo had kept it somewhere in his office, just to laugh at his policeman's misery.
With a chuckle, Alec went back inside his apartment and rediscovered the pleasure of having breakfast without writing reports and being interrupted by phones. For once, his shower didn't feel rushed and he even found the time to use the coconut scrub Isabelle had gifted him for his last birthday, along with body lotions and face creams that accompanied the give yourself some love! <3 note she'd put in the package.
He missed her and their brothers so much... Rome might be his home now, still it was way too far from New York. Perhaps he should try to arrange for his siblings to come for the holidays and crash at his place... Izzy would take his bed, Jace and Max the couch together and Alec would satisfy himself with a sleeping bag on the ground for a few days. It would be fun and he already knew for sure that Max would love it, he'd been so sad to leave the last time...
Well, if he wanted to invite them over, Alec should definitively settle the Magnus matter beforehand. If he didn't, Izzy would jump on the opportunity to tease her big brother and point out each and every one of Magnus' qualities and why he should say yes to him which, no, thank you very much. The possibility of them meeting was deadly scary.
Alec shuddered as he finished getting ready and then, keys in his pocket and tote bag in hand, he headed for the Testaccio market. Day off also meant grocery day, a prospect less sigh-inducing that it could have been back in New York: the mostly tourist-forsaken Testaccio market was a colourful place selling fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers on the outskirts of Rome, with lively sellers and the delightful smell of food cooking all over the place.
Alec was more than ready for a peaceful morning spent there, except that the unexpected sight of Magnus buying tomatoes in Italian and while sporting a wide smile completely ruined his plan. Especially when the young man turned around and saw him. His face made a strange transformation then, going from surprise to realisation to happiness and, eventually, mischief, until he trotted toward Alec, who'd stayed frozen on the spot.
"Alexander, hi!" he exclaimed brightly.
Such obvious joy at his presence should have flattered Alec and he nearly smiled in return, except that he was an inane human being and ended up scowling.
"Are you following me?" he blurted out, which made Magnus frown.
"I... was under the impression I'd arrived here before you did," he answered and, looking a bit hurt, he added, "I'm not actually a stalker, you know."
Alec grunted, which could mean anything, really, but he knew Magnus was right. He'd just grown used to the young man being up to some kind of no-good, very bad plan to woo him and to be honest, he was kind of disappointed that Magnus' presence at the Testaccio was the result of mere luck. Not that he would ever say so aloud.
"Did you steal those?" he asked weakly, pointing at the bag of tomatoes in Magnus' hand.
The younger man snorted, before a hint of challenge darkened his eyes.
"What if I did?" he whispered slyly, "Are you going to handcuff me?"
"No," Alec answered with a chuckle, raising his hands in defeat, "It's my day off."
"Oh!" Magnus said, his eyes wide now. "Sorry, I didn't realise... Well, I guess I'll let you enjoy your time off, then. Take care, Alexander!"
Just like that, he sidestepped him and walked away, only turning around to wave a grand total of one second before he went on his merry way and left Alec standing in the middle of the market, gobsmacked. The policeman wasn't even disappointed anymore: he was just upset, feeling like his entire day was ruined now, and he didn't stop to consider what that might mean - he didn't really need nor want deep epiphanies right now.
Alec had been so troubled that he nearly welcomed Magnus and their next meeting with arms wide open. Nearly: he had a reputation to uphold. Not to mention that the younger man came into the station covered in white powder that Alec first feared was cocaine but eventually turned out to be flour, because Magnus had apparently gotten into quite the pickle when he'd started to complain in a bakery, whining that their pastries were too expensive. According to Maria though - who was still howling with laughter - the baker had looked deeply satisfied as he held onto a twenty euro note by the time she and Luigi had come in to take Magnus away from a flour battlefield.
"Want to bring me home and make sure I shower properly?" Magnus asked as soon as he saw Alec.
The policeman rolled his eyes and huffed but he quickly looked away: Magnus didn't need to see that he was blushing at the thought of him, naked under the shower spray.
A few days later, there was the situation with the pictures taken in museums where those were forbidden. Then, the sleeping on the stairs of l'Altare della Patria. The bathing into the Fountain of the Four Rivers, on Piazza Navona. Each arrest was followed by Magnus asking him out, with various degrees of innuendoes, and Alec said no every time, although it started to be harder and harder to do so. The sight of a wet Magnus, his hair falling into his eyes, had been incredibly difficult to resist since Alec had only wanted to wrap a blanket around his soaked-cat self.
"Why do you keep on saying no?" Maria asked him one day, after he'd closed the door cell behind Magnus. "You clearly like him."
"How would you know?" Alec asked back, deflecting the question - although the fact that he was in the cafeteria, pouring coffee in two cups to give one to the occupant of the cell, said a lot about the answer.
Maria stared at him pointedly, her eyebrows high, and Alec had the decency to sigh in defeat. Yes, he liked Magnus. Who wouldn't? The man was funny and easy on the eyes, probably smart since he was a PhD student, even though his recent actions kind of allowed Alec to doubt that, and he was stubborn. A quality, by Alec's book - and he prayed that Magnus never found out about that.
So why not give in? Because Magnus was all sexual innuendoes and flirty smiles and inviting words but Alec would not, could not, satisfy himself with that. A man like Magnus... He would want to hold onto him and make a future with him, which probably didn't match Magnus' vision of his time with Alec.
"I don't want a quick fuck," he eventually answered, making Maria's eyes go wide. "I... I'd want something else, a relationship, and I don't think he would be ready for more than just sex."
"Seriously?" Maria asked in disbelief.
Alec was about to retort that yes, he was serious, that it was a good reason enough and that not everyone felt alright with casual sex, but she was faster than him and her next words surprised him into silence.
"That man has gotten himself arrested more than half a dozen times already!" she exclaimed, "You might have a cute bum but I'm not sure anyone would go that far just to bone you. Besides, if he was just looking for a hook-up, he'd only have to ask around! I don't think anyone - other than you, I mean - would tell him no. Trust me, Alec, Bane wants more than a quick tango between your sheets."
Flustered, Alec didn't reply. It didn't help that Magnus came into the station only a few minutes later, escorted by Luigi and Giovanni, both sporting bright smiles. Alec wouldn't even be surprised to learn that his colleagues were betting on how many times Magnus would make his way into their cell before Alec said yes.
"What have you done, this time?" he asked with a sigh, searching for Magnus' eyes.
"Re-enacted a gladiators' fight inside the Coliseum," Luigi announced, "with zucchinis as glaives."
"Tourists took pictures, if you want one to put in your wallet," Magnus beamed at him.
"Oh my God."
The last straw came only a few days later, on one evening when Magnus was once more arrested. Alec had not be called on location, for which, in hindsight, he was grateful: if he had, he would probably have caused a scandal with how loudly he'd have yelled at Magnus... That close to the Vatican City and at night, it would have been a disaster.
Because Magnus, the idiot, had gotten caught climbing the walls of the Holy See. Hence Alec's anger and his striding into the cell to kiss some sense into Magnus. Knock. Knock sense, not... the other thing. Stupid brain, stupid Magnus, stupid Vatican City!!
"Officer," Magnus welcomed him with a sweet, sweet smile. "We have to stop meeting like this..."
"Yes we do!" Alec snapped, surprising Magnus with the vehemence of his outburst. "What the hell were you thinking?!"
"I was thinking of you, actually," the younger man answered with only part of his usual cheekiness, understanding that the policeman was actually, truly angry, although he could not figure out why.
"You're lucky you were outside the City walls and not inside!" Alec kept going, ignoring his mad heartbeat at Magnus' words, "If they'd called la Gendarmeria vaticana instead of us, you would have been in deep trouble, you idiot!"
"But..."
"This has to stop!" Alec soldiered on, "You are a respectable PhD student and you should act as such! Who is going to hire you to scour archaeological sites if you keep getting arrested, even for minor crimes?!"
"Crimes is putting it a bit... Wait, are you... Alexander, are you worried about my future?" Magnus asked, eyes wide.
"Yes!" Alec shouted, nearly hysterical, "I mean no! Maybe! Anyway, you have to stop! You should take this night to reflect on your behaviour! Goodnight, Magnus!"
The policeman turned around, set on spending his nightshift in the cafeteria unless he got called outside the station, just so Magnus wouldn't see him at all. His plan backfired when he reached out for the door cell and realised... that it was locked. Alec didn't even bring his hand to his belt, where he would usually find his keys: they were on obvious display on his desk, meters away from the cell.
"Fuck," he grunted under his breath, before he cleared his throat and resigned himself to shout for help. "Maria? Luigi?"
Only chortles answered him and then, he saw them. The felons, laughing at him and his misery, jiggling keys in their hands.
"Open the door," Alec commanded them sternly.
"No," Luigi told him with only a half-hearted smile of apology, "You've spent too long denying what you feel, it's time to face the truth. You and Magnus have one full night ahead of you to work it out. Oh, and don't worry about PDA, it's not like you could get arrested for it! Kiss all you want, you have our blessing."
Then the idiots ran away, cackling. Why did he call them his friends again? Alec certainly hated them right now.
"Soooooo..."
Oh, right. He wasn't completely alone in that cell... Was a normal, annoying shift really too much to ask for? He guessed so: after all, Magnus was far from the regular guy and ever since he'd entered Alec's life, no shift felt boring anymore.
"What?" he groaned, resigned to his fate and turning around to look at Magnus, all smiles and shining eyes.
"You are worried about me."
This grinning bastard wasn't even asking but telling and, all dignity be damned, Alec thought that such self-confidence was hot. A secret he would guard carefully.
"Yes," Alec chose to be honest, at least on that part. "If you keep this up, your police record will be so thick no one will ever dare trust you with responsibilities in your field. You don't want to be a PhD student forever, do you?"
Magnus shook his head, a smile on his lips. Alec didn't ask but he was pretty sure that the young man was still stuck on the fact that yes, he indeed felt concerned about him.
"You know," Magnus said, "I was just trying to catch your attention."
"Well, you certainly succeeded," Alec answered, snorting. "I noticed you."
"But you still didn't want to go on that date with me."
Was he dreaming or was there sincere hurt piercing through Magnus' light tone? Did... Did that date really mean so much to him? As much as it would do for Alec?
"Magnus..." he started, his tone regretful.
"No, listen," the young man interrupted him, "You said no that first time we met and... I love a challenge, all right? I thought that if I could show you that I really wanted to see you again, you'd... Anyway, I'm sorry I took it that far. I should have asked you, in all seriousness, if you really weren't interested and leave it at that. I didn't realise that you..."
"I'm interested," Alec blurted out before he could think this through.
Predictably, Magnus froze. Unpredictably, he didn't look overjoyed.
"What?" he whispered.
"Unless you're not anymore," Alec quickly backpedalled, not knowing how to interpret Magnus' dumbstruck expression, "I get it, I missed my chance, I should have seized it when I had it, it's... Look, I'll ask Luigi and Maria to let us go and then we may never talk about this again, we don't have..."
"Alexander?" Magnus called softly.
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
Alec would have obeyed, he really would have. Apparently though, Magnus didn't trust him to comply without fussing and he took matters in his own hands, quite literally, as he grabbed Alec's collar and smashed their lips together. And... Holy shit.
Magnus should have started like this instead of trying to get arrested more often than he could! If Alec had known how good it would feel to have that mouth on his, caressing his lips as if they were a treasure, a relic from the past to worship, perhaps he would have fallen into Magnus' open arms earlier. Much, much earlier.
It was phenomenal. A leap of faith, a dive into the unknown, only to be met with an ocean of passion and patience, teasing and deeply satisfying at the same time, welcoming and inviting to stay, to search for more, to unlock every inch of that fire that licked at his body but carefully remained out of reach.
Alec pulled away, gasping for breath, his eyes blown wide. In front of him, mere inches away from his face, Magnus licked his lips and kept his eyelids shut as he relished the taste of their kiss. Slowly, he opened his eyes again and Alec didn't think he was hallucinating when he saw the golden sparks in them.
"Wasn't so hard, was it?" Magnus asked, sounding a bit dazed himself.
Alec didn't answer. In a way, it wasn't... but it also made everything else more complicated. He didn't want this kiss to be the last and he certainly didn't want it to count as foreplay before a wild night of sex and a goodbye. Magnus must have read his turmoil on his face, because his voice came out a bit strained when he spoke again:
"Are you okay?" he asked in worry. "Was that... taking it too far, again?"
"No," Alec protested. "It's just that I..."
He trailed off. Swallowed. Opened his mouth again. Caught Magnus' cautious, disappointed face. Alright, time to be honest, apparently.
"I told you no before," he started, "because I don't want this, us, to be sex. I mean, not only that, I... Well. I like you. God only knows why, because you're an idiot, but I do. So I want something real between us, like a walk on the forum hand in hand and kisses under the moon by the Trevi Fountain and all these clichés. That's how I roll."
"It's amazing how you manage to be both sweet and insulting at the same time," Magnus said softly. "Alexander, I like you too. So when I asked for that date the first time, I really meant a coffee date and not a quick shag at the back of a police car. I like to think that I'm classier than that."
"B... But you said..." Alec stammered, "You said a coffee and maybe more! How was I supposed to interpret that?!"
"That was a joke, darling," Magnus said, gently taking Alec's hand in his, "Well, not really: I'm totally okay with more if you are but back then, I mostly meant a second date. Then a third. And a fourth. And a fi..."
"Yes, yes, alright, I get it now," Alec mumbled, embarrassed and feeling like a fool for jumping to conclusions when he shouldn't have. "Sorry."
Magnus chuckled.
"Nothing to be sorry for. At least I have you here, now, with me. A cell is not what I wanted for our first date though, believe it or not, but at least that's fitting."
"I'm not having my first date with you in a cell," Alec immediately protested. "I thought you were classier than that."
"Well..." Magnus drawled with a sultry blink, "Some people get excited with handcuffs so you know, an actual cell might set the mood. Officer Lightwood... I've been a really bad boy lately, are you going to punish me?"
"Oh, just shut up," Alec laughed, before he cupped Magnus' face and brought their lips together.
Magnus was right. It wasn't so hard, after all.
After nine years of working with la Polizia di Stato and four of dating Magnus Bane, Alec honestly thought that he had seen it all. Tourists in Rome were not always easy to handle and most of the locals weren't too patient, especially when they had to wait in a line of the aforementioned tourists, so... Yes, Alec thought he was prepared to face almost anything.
Almost being the keyword here, for Magnus still managed to surprise him that quiet morning of July, while they were drinking their first cup of coffee on the balcony of their apartment.
"Would you say stealing a ring would be going too far?" Magnus asked out of the blue, his hand on Alec's forearm.
"Uh?" the policeman groaned, still feeling a bit sleepy in spite of his coffee. "What would you need a ring for?"
"Oh, you know, just in case I wanted to tell the whole world I actually stole a man's heart."
Alec's brain short-circuited.
"What?"
Magnus rolled his eyes, before he set his cup on the small table behind him and dug into the pocket of his pyjama shorts, from which he produced a tiny box that he opened with a smile. Oh.
Oh!
"Alexander Lightwood..."
"Yes."
"W... What?" Magnus stammered at the interruption.
"I'm saying yes," Alec said with excitation, feeling his heart ready to burst with love for this man who'd illegally made his way into his life.
"Shut up, I had a whole speech!" Magnus protested, although he was grinning as he took the ring from its box and slipped it on Alec's bare finger. "Alexander Lightwood, would you do me the honour of officially becoming my partner in crime, the one to break me out of jail anytime, the one to remind me handcuffs can be sexy?"
"You really had to," Alec groaned between his laughter, before he took Magnus' hand and brought it to his lips. "Yes, my love, a thousand times yes."
Magnus' wide smile was one of the most beautiful sights he'd been blessed enough to witness in his life and he wrapped his fiancé into a tight hug, angling his head so that he could hide his ridiculously happy face into the crook of Magnus' neck. Still, a thought niggled at the back of his mind...
"Magnus?" he called softly, raising his head to whisper into his man's ear.
He felt Magnus shiver deliciously against him, then his nod, meaning he was listening.
"You... You didn't actually steal that ring, did you?"
The younger man glanced at him sheepishly.
"Magnus!"