Chapter Text
Catrina Loss was rudely awoken by the squeal that tore through her apartment. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and she felt like she had just closed her eyes. As an attending at the hospital, her shifts were long, and Cat seriously valued her sleep.
Which she seriously thought her flat-mate would have known by now.
Grumbling, Cat sat up in bed. If Magnus was this excited, she doubted she would be allowed to go back to sleep. At that very moment, one very exuberant Indonesian man burst through her bedroom door.
“I GOT IT!” Magnus was screaming at her as he launched himself across the floor and landed next to Cat on the bed. He was clutching a letter in his hands as if it held next week's winning lottery numbers. Cat looked at it to her friend and back again.
“Wait, seriously?!” She snatched it from Magnus's trembling fingers and gave it a quick once-over. Her irritation at being woken immediately evaporated, intense pride took its place, “CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
°ºOº°
Magnus could barely contain himself as the mail was delivered. He was waiting for a letter you see, but not just any letter, a letter that contained the answer to a critical question.
Magnus hadn't always wanted to be a vet. Everyone thought it was a weird career path for the stylish and flamboyant man, and at the beginning, Magnus agreed. But after four years of design school and 6 months as a graphic designer, he realised he wanted to do more. He wanted to make a difference, fix things that were broken and change people's minds. The world of design was so… Superficial, at the end of the day, Magnus didn't give a shit if some company liked their logo and website layout. It was fun, but it wasn't enough.
One horrible night, Chairman Meow escaped and was hit by a car. Magnus had never felt so helpless in his life, and the vet who had saved his precious furbaby had been his knight in shining armour. She had been kind, understanding and extraordinarily patient with the mess of a man who had shown up on the doorstep of the clinic. Magnus realised at that moment that he wanted to be that person. The one to make it better, to save the day. It sounded ridiculous, but he wanted to have the power to help people who were that distressed. He wanted to change the lives of the people he met.
For a brief moment, Mangus considered studying human medicine, but one look at his dearest friend shot that horse in the face. He had no desire to work that closely with human excrement. Magnus had taken a deep breath applied for veterinary college the next day.
It took some coercing to get people to take a design major seriously, but Magnus was bloody smart and driven. He studied for months (with the aid of Cat) and aced all the admission tests and had his pick of schools.
College was not easy, and it took a toll on Magnus's health. But Cat understood. The pressures may have been slightly different (4 legged and dirtier mostly), but they were still in the same ballpark, and she carried him through, getting Magnus back on his feet. In return, Magnus made sure that Cat had a meal and a shower to come home to after work. The two of them had moved in together, realising that they both needed the company. Their respective careers put too much focus on independence and strength to be healthy, and neither of them coped too well on their own.
So they found a system that worked for them.
But this damn letter might be about to change all that.
The mail slid through the slot of the door right on 1 pm, and Magnus hurriedly riffled through the bills, spam and dentist reminders (who sends mail reminders these days? Text people. Text) to get to the envelope in question. It looked plain. Just a plain white office envelope with 'C.L.A.V.E.' stamped across the back. With shaking fingers, Magnus peeled it open and read the letter inside.
Shrieking with excitement, he ran to wake up Cat.
The Companion and Large Animal Veterinary Experts were leaders in veterinary medicine. Their ad had come across Magnus's email a few months back, and on a whim, he had applied. It was a fantastic opportunity. 18 months internship at their Southern branch, rotating through several different departments including zoo medicine, wildlife and small animal surgical. And the best bit? They covered the relocation costs and half the living expenses.
Which was good.
Because it was in Australia.
Magnus hadn't expected to be successful, but after his life ending break-up with She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, he couldn't think of a better way of proving to her that he was done, that when he said “I don’t want to see or hear from you again”, he really meant it. And it really was a career-making position. But as he sat on his best friend's bed, he saw the real enormity of what was about to happen.
“I'm going to Australia.”
Cat nodded, suddenly sombre. Magnus gazed intently at her shoulder.
“For a year and a half.”
Cat reached out and grabbed Magnus's hands, “It'll be over in no time”. She flashed him a confident smile before continuing, “But the weather is a lot different over there, I think you have some shopping to do!”
If anything could perk Magnus up, it was a legitimate excuse to buy new clothes. Magnus shot off the bed calling over his shoulder, “To the mall!!” as Cat read the acceptance letter more carefully.
“Hey.. uhh Magnus?”
A half made-up face poked around the doorway, 'Yeah?'
“Did you read which departments you will be in?”
Magnus looked mildly concerned, “Uhh, not too closely... Why?”
Cat giggled as she looked up at him, “They've got you in a rural branch for three months. Doing mainly cattle work.”
Magnus's face rearranged itself into a mask of horror as his traitorous friend fell backwards laughing. “You're going to work with farmers and put your hands in a cow ass!”
“What?! No! I'm a small animal vet!!! I was in the small animal stream at uni! I don't know anything about,” he looked at the letter again, “bovine reproduction and herd health!”
Magnus glared at Cat who was flat on her back, hands clutching her stomach as she rolled around laughing.
“I need to call them right now.'”
Cat sat up and glanced at her phone, “I don't think you can right now, it's like 3 am or something there.” She punched a few things into her phone, “You'll have to wait until at least 7 tonight.” There were still tears in her eyes, and Magnus was not amused.
“Fine. But you have to come shopping with me.” He fixed Cat with his version of a murderous glare, but even Magnus had to admit that with half a face of makeup on, it might not have the intended effect.
Cat smiled and got off the bed, “Fine. But seriously, you might learn something useful, you MIGHT even enjoy it.”
Magnus rolled his eyes and stalked out of the room, “I highly doubt that.”
He had never been more wrong.
°ºOº°
After a long and heated 'discussion' with a receptionist 10,000 miles away, it became apparent that there was no way to avoid the large animal rotation. The woman he spoke to was professional, but curt and made it quite clear that enthusiasm, real or otherwise, was crucial in all areas of the internship. Magnus got the point and ended the phone call, citing long distance charges. And so, it was with mixed emotions that Magnus packed his suitcase and prepared to travel halfway across the world.
°ºOº°
Alec Lightwood stared at the post-it note stuck to his computer screen by one of the nurses. It was a Monday, an important Monday. According to the post-it note, it was the Monday that they got their new intern.
Alec liked interns, but, as a general rule, any intern that required a post-it note with the phrase, “I've got goss on the new kid” stuck to his screen was going to be trouble. Sighing he stalked out to the front desk where Clary was practically vibrating with excitement. Clary was one of the longest standing nurses at Alec's branch of the CLAVE, and as much as he liked her, her enthusiasm often wore a little thin.
The second she saw him, Clary practically exploded out of her chair, “Ok, so the new guy. He's from America! And he HATES the fact that he has to do a large animal rotation. Also, Simon said that he is CRAZY hot. Like supermodel hot. He also said that he is a little eccentric and OMG I cannot WAIT to meet him!”
Alec took a mental step back as Clary's exuberance washed over him, smothering him slightly. He had not had enough coffee to deal with that level energy this early in the morning. Alec wondered if she would forget to breathe if the rumours were exciting enough.
Alec sighed, “So he doesn't want to be here. Should make the next few months a bundle of joy.”
Clary rolled her eyes, “Of COURSE that's what you got from all that. So what if largies aren't his thing. You don't have to like it all.”
Alec shrugged as Clary continued, “Is he staying with you? I know the interns usually do...”
Alec lived out of town on a small property. The CLAVE often paid him to let the interns stay in his house. It usually worked out pretty well, they got a cheap place to stay and a lift into the clinic, while Alec got some company around the house. After growing up with three siblings, living alone often got too quiet.
“Yeah, he is. Decided it would be easier to meet here than sending him the directions to mine.”
Clary nodded knowingly. Alec's place was easy to find, once you had been there before. One of the “charms” of their little corner of the world was the poorly signposted streets. Directions to newcomers usually went something like “travel for 6ks on the highway, then turn left at the tree that kinda looks like a giraffe. Go over the old train tracks and then chuck a u-ey at the old pub, not the new pub. God that place is terrible.”
Alec and Clary both snapped around to stare at the door as the bell tinkled. Neither of them was expecting the man who walked through. He was tall, not as tall as Alec, but tall. His hair was jet black and carefully styled to be the picture of professionalism, and his skin was a soft tawny brown. He wore brand new riding boots, well fitted tan moleskins and a striped button-down shirt in dark blue. He was dressed exactly as he was directed to dress, but somehow, he looked out of place in the dusty reception area.
Alec had never seen a more beautiful human being.
He was transfixed as the man stepped forward, dragging a large suitcase through the door (Clary swears it was designer) and offered a hand.
“Hi, I'm your intern for the next few months? I was told to speak to..” the man glanced at a slip of paper, “Alexander Lightwood?”
Alec was snapped out of his trance at the mention of his name. Shaking his head slightly, he took a step forward and grasped the hand of the newcomer, “That, uhh, would be me. Call me Alec.”
Alec smiled in what he hoped was a warm and welcoming way, but his people skills weren't great. He was often told that he looked 'psychotic' when he tried for 'pleasant.'
The intern smiled, totally unaware of Alec's inability to convey human emotions with his face. “Lovely to meet you, Alec, I'm Magnus Bane.”
°ºOº°
When Magnus got out of his cab at the Dourin branch of the CLAVE, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. He knew that it dealt with mostly large animal medicine, with the occasional smallies walk in. He knew that it was a small staff, just 3 vets and 4 nurses. He knew that he needed to bring 3 pairs of shoes (boots, clinic shoes and rainboots) and he knew that he had to be there at 8 am sharp.
He expected all that. He didn't expect a professional looking building, with neat gardens and a welcoming atmosphere, and he certainly did not expect the drop-dead gorgeous man who introduced himself as Alec Lightwood.
When the CLAVE said he would be boarding with one of the vets, Magnus didn't dream that it would be a man about his age and built like a Greek god. Alec Lightwood was all tanned skin and muscle, but the kind of muscle that said he did things with them, rather than just lifting weights at the gym.
Maybe Magnus wouldn't hate this posting as much as he had thought he would.
After a swift and somewhat awkward tour of the clinic (it seemed as though Alec was not as good at making small talk as some), Magnus sat down at his desk and set up his workspace. He might not be into production medicine, but he would make the most out of the situation, even if it killed him. At least the general gist of his role here would be the same as in the smallies clinic. Tail the vet for a few weeks, gradually take on more responsibilities, use your downtime to do assignments.
Pretty routine.
What Magnus wasn't used to was being dragged out of his seat not 5 mins after sitting down. Alec threw a stack of green fabric at him, on closer inspection, it was revealed to be overalls. “Hope you brought your gumboots!”
Magnus raised an eyebrow, “Gumboots...?”
Alec looked confused, “Didn't we tell you...? Clinic shoes, work boots and gumboots. Like tall boots, made of rubber?”
Magnus's face cleared with understanding, “Oh! rainboots. Yes. Yes, I brought some.” They were uncomfortable and sweaty and one in a growing list of items he never wanted to have to wear again, but he brought them.
Alec smiled, “Good, grab them. We've got a calving to get to. Hope you don't mind getting wet, looks like rain is coming.”
Magnus smiled with fake enthusiasm (dear god medicine should just not happen outside) and grabbed his gear.
He piled into Alec's work truck (which was fastidiously clean) and grabbed out his notebook, “So where are we headed?”
Alec swung the door shut and put on his seatbelt as he backed out of the parking space using his knees, “Not too far from here. About 55 ks away.”
Magnus looked at him blankly.
“Right. Uhh, what's that? About 30-ish miles?’”
Magnus nodded. Great, now he was stuck in a car with Mr Socially-Awkward-But-In-A-Hot-Way for the next half hour. That much sexy in a warm, small space for an extended period of time might actually kill him.
As they turned onto the highway, Alec cleared his throat, “So, what's your area of interest?”
Magnus smiled as Alec began to run through the standard “getting to know your new intern” questions as fat drops of rain hit the windscreen.
“Small animals and exotics medicine.”
Alec nodded, “Not a lot of that out this way.”
Magnus smiled, these, at least, were questions he was ready for, “You’d be surprised at how many exotics clients you get once word gets out.”
Huffing a gentle laugh, Alec continued his questioning, “So where are you from?”
“Indonesia, then New York.”
“Why take an internship in Australia?”
“Shitty breakup.”
Alec smiled in earnest and glanced towards Magnus briefly, “Must have been one helluva clusterfuck to get you to move this far away.”
Laughing gently, “Oh, you have no idea…”
Slowly, conversation puttered out as Alec exhausted his usual run of newbie questions and fell silent. He prayed that Magnus (now THERE was a name that was going to go over well with the rural clients) was a better conversationalist than he was. Casting a quick glance at the intern, he saw that he was sitting rigidly in his seat, knuckles tight on the handle on the roof.
“You ok over there?”
Magnus turned to meet his eyes, “Why do all vets drive like they have a death wish? I have yet to be in a car with one who didn't try to kill me. Also, watch the road!”
Alec laughed. He couldn't lie, it was fairly well known that the vets drove like absolute shit. He swore that the CLAVE put aside a portion of his pay to cover the fines. Good thing that in a small town giving the vet a ticket was a good way to ensure that no one would ever show up to see your place for a 2am calving. Alec turned his eyes back to the road, and Magnus visibly relaxed.
“So what do we know about the calving?”99
Good, questions about vet medicine, questions Alec could answer. “Not much to tell you the truth. She started last night apparently, and the farmer reckons that he could pull the calf if he had the right equipment.”
Magnus noted the no-so-subtle eye roll, but Alec pushed on, “Most of the dystocias we've been called to this season have just been a case of the calf being too big and the cow being too small. We had a good season this year and a shitty one last year.” Alec threw another quick glance at Magnus, “Any idea how to tell if the calf can be delivered without a caesar?”
Magnus thanked the Angel that he had spent the cab ride this morning reading textbooks, “Uhh... The size of the feet can give you some idea of the size of the calf, but it's all about how far you can pull them past the vulva. If you can pull them 6-ish inches, then the shoulders should be able to get through the pelvis.”
Alec smiled, quietly surprised, “Correct. So we will go in, assess the size of the calf and pull it if we can, but if not, move to a caesarean.”
Magnus was nodding, and Alec was pleasantly surprised that the new kid wasn't entirely useless. It was evident that he had no confidence when it came to large animal medicine, but at least Magnus wasn't a moron. Inexperience, Alec could work with, but sheer apathy? Not so much.
Eventually, Alec pulled up to a random driveway on the highway and headed up a slippery dirt track. In the distance, Magnus could see what he presumed to be a set of cattle yards. As they got closer, they saw the farmer waiting for them, cow already in the cattle crush and a pair of hooves just visible under her tail. Quickly Alec hopped out of the car, awkward Alec was gone, business vet Alec had come out to play. He introduced Magnus and then began to pull random looking pieces of equipment out of the ute.
Magnus took one look at the muddy ground and swiftly changed into his overalls and gumboots and helped Alec carry his stuff over to the crush. As Magnus brought the last of the gear over, Alec gloved up and began trying to pull the calf. After around 10 minutes, he announced that it was too big and that a caesar was needed. The farmer (Mark? Magnus thinks to himself) grumbled but agreed. It was the only real way to save the cow and calf after all.
Alec snapped out instructions to Magnus, fill this bucket with water, grab this, get that and so on, while he got to work shaving the left-hand side of the cow and injecting the local anaesthetic. Magnus was so used to small animal medicine that it shocked him for a second that he was about to assist in abdominal surgery, in an awake patient, who was standing, in a field, in the rain, with only a series of buckets to scrub in.
Alec made his incision as Magnus watched. He talked him through each step and why he was doing what he was doing. When directed to, Magnus scrubbed in the buckets and held his now sterile (-ish) arms out in front of himself, ready to help.
“Okay Magnus, I need you to hold this,” he gestured to a large organ, the rumen, in the cow's abdomen, “out of the way while I pull the uterus and the calf up.”
Magnus nodded and put his arms in the spots Alec told him to.
Magnus had never seen surgery on a cow before. Everything seemed huge. The skin was thicker, the organs were bigger, and there was so much more blood. Intellectually, it, of course, made sense that a larger animal would have more, could lose more, but Magnus had been unprepared for its volume. He stared as it ran down his arms in thick red rivers, dripping off the points of his elbows.
Magnus swallowed and tried very hard not to remember the last time he saw so much blood on himself... He was suddenly overwhelmed by the memory and the need. He could feel his arms itch, begging to be scratched.
Alec was talking to him again, Magnus dragged his attention back to the present. If there was a time to lose it to his self destructive thoughts, mid-major surgery was not it. Alec had cut through the uterus, and he and the farmer were pulling the calf out. The farmer dragged it off and was rubbing it down, stimulating the calf to breathe.
“Ok Magnus, I need you to hold the uterus while I stitch it up. Do you know what suture pattern I'm going to use?”
Magnus blinked a couple of times, clearing the last of the lingering memories and focussing on the task at hand, “Yes. The Utrecht, in... catgut suture?”
Alec smiled again, “Sounds like a plan to me. Now hold the edges like this while I suture...”
The surgery finished up without incident, with both mum and the calf standing happily under a tree, out of the worst of the rain. Alec and Magnus cleaned up the best they could and packed up. Magnus totally did not swipe a few spare scalpels from Alec's toolkit as he put away the surgical instruments.
Magnus turned to put the kit in the back of the ute when he came face to face (or face to chest) with Alec stripping off his filthy overalls. It was all he could do to not drop the toolkit.
Every inch of Alec was gorgeous. His arms were tanned and perfectly sculpted, and Magnus had never wanted to press a kiss to anything as much as he did at that moment. The vet had tattoos too. None you could see when he was fully clothed for work, but with overalls stripped down to the waist and his chest covered only by a Bonds singlet...
Magnus forced himself to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and returning the toolkit. Thankfully, Alec was too distracted by the cold and wet weather to notice Magnus standing there like a complete idiot. He dropped off the toolkit and practically ran around to the other side of the car to change. It was not appropriate to be checking out his supervisor.
Shaking himself slightly, Magnus stripped off his own, equally filthy, overalls and slipped back into his clinic gear.
This trip had involved far too many opposing emotions, and it was doing Magnus’s head in.
°ºOº°
Magnus was quiet on the ride back to the clinic, and Alec found himself sneaking glances at the intern as he drove. The new man was certainly a bit of an oddity around his part of the world. Most of the people Alec interacted with on a day to day basis were either farmers, weathered by years of drought and flooding rains or other vets, most of whom were surrounded by an air of practicality. It had been a long time since Alec had come face to face with someone so... Alec couldn't think of the word, flamboyant wasn't right, but he couldn't help but be reminded of the people who attended exclusive parties in the aftermath of the Sydney Mardi Gras.
Magnus may have been dressed relatively sedately, but there was something in the way he walked, his confidence and his perfectly plucked eyebrows that made Alec think that his work clothes were far from his norm. It felt like a long time since Alec had been dragged to gay bars on twink night by his uni friends, but he never forgot the way his cheeks heated as the men had turned to throw him appreciative looks. The way something in his stomach uncurled and warmed when a cute guy offered to buy him a drink.
It wasn't like Alec was in the closet, he didn't like to think of himself as someone who hid who he was, but it really didn't come up that often. His friends knew, of course, but Alec had been single since before he graduated vet and Alec didn't like to share his personal life with his co-workers and clients. It's not like he had to disclose his gayness to his place of work and it was pretty easy to dodge any personal questions from farmers.
Of course, it didn't help that Alec was terrified of how his sexual orientation would be perceived in the small rural town he lived and worked in...
None of this really even mattered. Or it didn't. Until Alec found himself curiously attracted to the new intern. Who was going to be staying in his house. For three months.
Fuck.
Pulling into the clinic car park, Alec had barely stopped moving before Magnus had thrown his door open and had legged it into the clinic. Well, that was odd, Alec thought. Creasing his brow, he followed the man into the building.
Clary was sitting at her desk, phone tucked between her ear and shoulder, while she typed into her computer. Waving a quiet “Hello”, Alec slipped past the nurse and into the “Staff only” office and treatment room.
Magnus was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing his confused look, Lydia, the other full-time vet at the clinic, nudged Alec, “Looking for the new kid? I think he ran to the bathroom.” She gestured towards the laundry and Alec nodded in understanding.
“So how'd the calving go? Any issues?”
“Nah, ended up doing a caesar, but nothing too stressful. Anything exciting in the clinic?”
Lydia filled Alec in on the morning's events while he typed up case notes.
°ºOº°
Magnus stared at himself in the mirror, fingers gripping tightly to the basin. His breath was coming in shallow gasps, and his head felt heavy. It wasn't as if Magnus had never seen blood before. He actually had quite a strong stomach. But between the stress of moving halfway around the world and the sheer terror of feeling totally unprepared for this rotation, seeing it on himself had thrown him.
Magnus closed the lid of the toilet and say down as the familiar waves of panic washed over him. He closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands. In Magnus's experience, there were only three things that could calm him down. Option 1: His prescription anxiety meds. Option 2: Cat talking him through it. Option 3: pain.
The meds always left him woozy, and Cat was 10000 miles away and probably at work or asleep.
Magnus opened his palm and looked the sterile blade he had swiped from the surgical kit, also known as "option three".
°ºOº°
The day rolled on uneventfully for Alec. Magnus proved to be skilled at handling companion animal cases, both with the medicine and the client communication. And although he didn't have the strong foundations when it came to large animal medicine, he was certainly not afraid to give it a go. To Alec's surprise, he didn't blink once when it was announced that Magnus would accompany Alec on his pregnancy testing run that afternoon. Alec really thought that city-kid Magnus would baulk at being covered in shit with your arm inside a cow anus and your head (and hair) directly in the “splash zone”, but again, he was happy to be proven wrong.
Eventually, the end of the day rolled around, and Alec walked to the desk designated as the intern's.
“So, it's home time, and unless an emergency calls in, we are done for the day. I'm sure they told you, but you will be staying with me on my farm. I'm looking at heading off soon so....” Alec trailed off. He tried to maintain the 'Vet Alec' exterior while talking to Magnus, but for some reason, it just wasn't do-able. As a result, he stared intently at Magnus's laptop and spoke without any real volume or conviction.
Magnus stood and began to swiftly pack his bags. Within a few short minutes, Magnus, his satchel and his suitcases were loaded into the back of Alec's ute, and they were driving off to Alec's home.
Magnus was tired. His panic earlier had drained him, his arms hurt from the assisting with the surgery (holding that damn uterus had been hard) and his thighs hurt from... Well, from the earlier episode. He was more than ready to collapse into a warm shower and then shortly afterwards, a warm bed.
Mangus was shaken from his own thoughts as the car pulled off the main road and began winding through the dense bush. The lush underbrush interrupted by the narrow “road”. As they crested a hill, a marvelous sight was unveiled, and Alec pulled over to allow Magnus to soak it in.
Magnus didn't care much for the Australian landscape. He had always found beauty in the city, marvelling at the art and the architecture, but as he drank in the valley before him, he was awestruck by the sheer perfection of the scene in front of him.
The paddocks were an emerald green, and the trees that surrounded them were a dark olive. Tucked against the tree line was a modern, but classic home. Horses picked their way along the fence line, and the sun bathed the entire valley in a vibrant golden light that only came when the air was fresh after a torrential downpour.
Magnus sat in the passenger seat, his jaw swinging freely in the breeze. He heard a chuckle and turned to see Alec gazing at the valley fondly. A sense of understanding crept over him. “This is your home?”
Alec turned to look at him, apparently more than a little proud, “Yeah, it is. Yours too for the next few months.”
Magnus looked from Alec to the valley and back again, “It's stunning.”
Alec turned back to the sunset lit valley and smiled without a hint of cockiness, ”I know.” He started the car and rolled down towards the house.
°ºOº°
Alec didn't quite know why, but seeing Magnus well and truly floored by the picturesque valley in the light of the dying day filled him with a sense of pride and joy. He knew his home was beautiful. Alec had set it up to be his little slice of heaven, his sanctuary at the end of a long and emotionally draining day and he was acutely aware of its breath-taking photogenicity. But damn if there wasn't something special about seeing THIS man seeing it for the first time.
And Alec really did not want to examine the motivation behind that feeling. He pushed it down and tried (unsuccessfully) to slam a lid on it as he manoeuvred the ute down the bumpy driveway. Pulling up in front of the house, Alec grabbed one of Magnus's suitcases and led his houseguest on a tour. The house was large, and the rooms were spacious, once upon a time, it had been the Lightwood family residence before business picked up and made a move to the city. Two bedrooms had an en-suite, making it the perfect place for the CLAVE to stash the season's intern. Alec showed Magnus to his room and put the large bag on the bed.
“So uhh... This is your room. It has an en-suite and a closet and a desk, but I guess you can see that...” Alec looked around the bedroom, he hated this bit. He always wished he could skip ahead a few weeks to when everyone was settled, and he could stop forcing small talk.
“Wifi password is “Anastasia Beaverhausen," no spaces and no caps, and yeah, I’ll write that one down for you.”
Magnus laughed, “No need, I’m pretty sure I’ve got that one.”
Alec raised an eyebrow, it wasn’t the most obscure reference, but the show was more than a little dated.
Magnus bit back another laugh at his host’s expression, “ I think I really need a shower, I have shit in all sorts of places.”
It was Alec’s turn to laugh, “Look, I didn’t want to say anything, but you’ve got some on your cheek, and there is a bit you missed on the underside of your forearm.” The taller vet itched to lift his hand and brush away the mark, but he held himself in check.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, I thought I got it all!” Magnus swore, before lifting a hand to his mouth, “Fuck, I probably shouldn’t swear in front of my supervisor.”
Smiling Alec shook his head, “Don’t worry about it, most of our clients swear like sailors and there is something about being covered head to toe in mud and shit that makes a few blue words seem less important.”
Magnus ducked his head and turned towards the shower, “So, uhh, I’m just gonna..” He motioned over his shoulder towards the en-suite.
Alec smiled and nodded, “No worries, I'm going to start defrosting food for dinner. I was going to make lamb as a "welcome to Dourin" thing, but if you don't like lamb you are more than welcome to organise your own from what's in the fridge...”
Magnus was smiling with unashamed happiness, “That sounds amazing. I wouldn't dream of turning down an offer of roast.”
Alec returned the smile and left the room, letting the American settle in and wash off the grime of the day.
°ºOº°
Dinner was a fairly sedate affair, but Magnus had to admit that the man could cook. The second he left the shower, the scent of perfectly roasted meat had wrapped around him, and Magnus drifted toward it much like a cartoon character, floating through the air, led by the nose.
It was a simple meal, meat, potatoes, broccoli and corn. But the meat was perfectly seasoned, the potatoes were coated in a delicious garlic butter, and the vegetables were flawlessly cooked. Alexander Lightwood was clearly a man who like things to be straightforward but impeccably executed.
The decor of the house followed that same theme. The lines were clean, and the materials weren't fancy, but Magnus could tell that the craftsmanship was first rate. Similarly, the furniture seemed basic, but the pieces were of excellent quality. Magnus knew he could be exceedingly happy spending his time in this valley, especially if he managed to crack its owner.
Alec was quiet and reserved all through dinner. Any attempts at making conversation fizzled quickly and left Magnus wondering if the man seated across from him was always this way, or if there was something about Magnus that brought it out. Magnus had been worried about spending time with the production vets. They just tended to be so much more country. Ok, so it may have been a bit of a stereotype that they were all country hicks, but Magnus was having a lot of trouble shaking the feeling that Alec had a problem with Magnus himself.
Suddenly, Alec stood, “It is getting late, and we need to leave here by 7.30 in the morning. I would suggest that it is very close to bedtime.”
Magnus grabbed his now empty plate and followed his supervisor to the kitchen, scraping off his scraps and stacking the dishwasher with quiet efficiency. They said quiet 'goodnights' and disappeared into their respective bedrooms.
Quickly recording the day's events in his case log, Magnus then crawled into bed and stared up at the ceiling. He had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but Alexander Lightwood was fast becoming a puzzle he itched to solve. Setting the alarm on his phone, Magnus rolled over and drifted into a fitful sleep.