Work Text:
“And then- BAM!” Magnus moved about his arms in a flourish. “I hit him hard with my magic and he crashed right through seven floors!”
“Woooaahhh!!” The kids cheered, looking up at Magnus with awe from where they sat on the floor. Magnus grinned at them, putting a finishing touch to his story.
“And that is how Warlock defeated Shadowhunter and saved the city once again.”
Rafe and Max cheered, clapping for their father’s feats - their father, the former superhero Warlock who had been keeping the city safe for ages.
Technically, he was still a superhero. But for a long time, there were no threats, and there was no superhero without a supervillain.
Speaking of supervillains…
“Bapak?” His little Rafe, ever the curious little boy, asked. “What happened to Shadowhunter in the end? Is he dead?”
Magnus started. “Well-“
“I’m home!”
The moment was interrupted by Magnus’s husband, Alec, walking into the house with an armful of groceries. He had only just dropped his keys into the little tray beside the front door before he was accosted by two toddlers with a screaming chorus of “Daddy!”
Alec’s face lit up as he spotted his boys, dropping to his knees and abandoning the paper bag in favour of hugging them and planting kisses on their cheeks. Magnus watched them, a besotted smile involuntarily creeping over his face.
Where was he again?
Ah, yes. Rafe’s question. Whatever happened to Shadowhunter?
The formidable supervillain who could bring the city down to its knees with just one look. Who bested several superheroes and nearly bested Magnus himself. Who'd been turned into a nightmarish story told to children at bedtime to scare them into maintaining good manners
Why, he was right here, in Magnus's house, wearing the softest of sweaters and smiling down at his children.
The greetings completed, Rafe ran back to Magnus while Max clung to the leg of his not-so-secretly favourite parent, who was ambling towards the kitchen now.
“Bapak, you didn't answer my question,” he said solemnly.
“Go ask your daddy. He'll tell you,” Magnus said with a wink and a ruffle of Rafael’s hair. Rafe nodded, bolting towards the kitchen. Magnus sighed and stood up, going after his son.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
“Hmm?” Alec turned to look down at his elder son.
“What happened to the supervillain Shadowhunter?”
Alec’s face was blank for a moment.
And then he grew a menacing smile, and bowed down to pick up his son. “Well, he's still out there!” He attacked Rafe with kisses, each kiss punctuating a word, making the little boy giggle and squirm. “And he'll go after little boys who don't go to bed on time!”
“Daddy! Not fair!”
“Do me next! Do me next!” Max tugged at Alec's pants, his laughter echoing like pearls.
And Magnus's heart just melted and melted at the sight.
They didn't know Alec’s story. His past secret identity. That he was Shadowhunter.
Nobody knew. Nobody except Magnus.
And if Magnus wanted to keep this life - keep Alec’s brilliant smile, and the careful way he held his children, and the way he looked early in the morning, with the sun slanting through the windows and his hair rumpled and cheeks flushed red as he woke up - then nobody could know.
Magnus watched as his kids scampered off, and then looked at the love of his life, his gaze catching on to Alec's and holding it.
He crossed the distance between them, cupping Alec’s face in his hands and kissing him.
“Welcome home, sayang,” he whispered against Alec’s lips, and could feel his smile in return.
“Hi,” Alec said, still smiling, his hand reaching up to curl into Magnus's hair. “What the hell have you been telling their children?”
“Ah,” Magnus said delicately. “Well, they want to hear about the great feats of their father, the famous superhero who saved the city numerous times along with millions of lives. And I can't help but indulge them, you know?”
Alec rolled his eyes. “And what, you can’t leave supervillain Shadowhunter out of your wonderful stories?”
“Well, love-“ Magnus’s arms hitched around Alec’s waist, pulling him closer. “What’s a superhero without his supervillain, huh?”
Alec only answered with another kiss, this one soft and sober, and then slid his lips along Magnus’s cheekbone till they brushed his ear. “Thank you. For everything.”
Magnus could only smile in response.
There was nothing to be thanked for, really. All he’d done was hold a hand out to Alec on his darkest day, promised him love and acceptance, and here they were now.
(Of course, said darkest day only came about because Magnus was annihilating him, but that’s all semantics.)
“I’m the one who should be thankful, love,” Magnus whispered, turning his head to catch Alec’s lips in another kiss.
“Ewwwwwww! Daddy and Bapak are kissing again!”
The pair immediately separated, Alec bearing a mildly annoyed expression which quickly turned into menacing glee as he chased around Max and Rafe, claiming that the evil Shadowhunter would come for them now.
Magnus only leaned against the counter and laughed, his heart full of love.