Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

Anger Management

Alec punched the wall and yelled in frustration. He didn't care if the wall had split where he hit it or if he had blood running down his fingers onto the floor. He didn't care one bit.

Everything in his room was usually intact and had a place. His bed was in the far corner, neatly made without a single crease in the bedding or pillows. His books were lined up and organized by author on his bookshelf. His desk was neatly arranged so that he had adequate space for his studies and work he brought home from Idris.

But nothing had a place at the moment. Everything was on the floor, either broken or still whole, but on the floor nonetheless. His bookshelf was tipped over to one side (as was his desk) and his bed now looked like it hadn't been made up in months. It didn't even look like his room. It was like a hurricane had blown through and destroyed everything he owned.

Now breathing heavily, Alec slid to the floor and gripped his head in his hands. His skin felt hot to the touch as nothing but anger flowed through him. He had every right to be angry. Jace was gone. He joined Valentine because he thought he was saving lives if he did when in fact it was the exact opposite. Alec's life was flipped upside down when his parabatai was taken from him. Their bond might have been weak, but he still loved Jace like a brother. Now that they've been away from each other for close to a month, the bond was even weaker. Alec could barely feel Jace's presence anymore.

A knock on the door broke his train of thought. "Knock knock. Can I come in?" Magnus poked his head into his bedroom and gave him a small smile. "Thought you might want a bit of company-wow. What on earth happened here?"

Alec shrugged as Magnus gazed at his wrecked room. "Got angry. Took it out on everything."

"Uh huh. You got that right. You even broke your stele. Do you have warranties on these?" Magnus picked up the broken stele and sighed. "Need any help cleaning up in here?"

Of course Magnus would offer his help. Typical Magnus. Always helping but never needing help himself. "No. Leave it. I'll get around to it later. Right now, I need to keep working on finding Jace. The more time I waste doing nothing, the further away he could be getting."

Magnus put a hand on Alec's shoulder before the young man could get up. "Before you do something you'll regret, allow me to clean your room first. No one likes a messy room. It's rude. Especially when you have guests." He snapped his fingers and everything began to float and move back to their original places. Alec watched in awe as his bed made itself, the books were neatly arranged back on the bookshelf and his desk became whole again. When everything was nearly put back together again, Magnus beamed. "Voila. I don't only just summon demons, you know. I also offer exceptional cleaning services. Although I'm not too sure on how to fix your stele...might need to get it checked out yourself."

Alec chuckled. "Thanks....Magnus. Look....I just want to say thank you. For everything. You didn't have to come to Camille's that night but you did anyway. You didn't even have to help track the book-"

"But I did anyway," Magnus picked up Alec's hand and held it. "I don't just do these things for fun and giggles, Alexander. I do them for you. Because I love you. I always try to help the people I love out as best as I can, even if it means risking my own neck. Tracking the book was nothing compared to the actual lengths I'd go through to protect you."

"I know. That's what I'm saying. You don't have to go through anything. I don't ask for anything, Magnus. I never do."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "And I don't suppose you asked me to heal your split knuckles but I did it anyway," he laughed as Alec looked at his hand in surprise. "See? I can be sneaky when I want to be. How else were you going to heal your wounds if your stele is broken, hmm? Figure that one out, genius."

Alec scoffed but grinned broadly. "There's hundreds of steles laying around, Magnus. That one just happened to be my favorite."

"Then maybe next time you should find another form of anger management. Like arts and crafts. Or music. Have you ever considered yoga? It works wonders for the mind and soul."

"I'm not doing yoga, Magnus. I'm not-I don't do yoga. I work out. Punch things. Train for battles. But not yoga. I'm sorry."

Magnus shrugged. "Well, you clearly don't know what you're missing. If you're ever interested in taking a class, I know a guy who might give you free classes."

"Let me guess. You teach a class?"

"I do. Twice on Tuesday's and once on Fridays."

"I figured."

Magnus smiled. "Just take care of yourself, Alec. Don't push yourself so hard. We're going to find Jace and bring him home. We will. Trust me."

Alec nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah. I do."

"Good. Now try not to break anything else while I'm gone. I might have to start charging you for my cleaning services. I'm not your maid," Magnus winked as he headed for the door.

Alec stopped him. "Wait. Magnus?"

"Yes, Alec?"

"Um....yoga is a form of anger management, right?"

Magnus smirked. "For some people it is, yes."

Alec scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Free classes?"

"Twice on Thursday and once on Friday."

"I'll....think about it. Is that okay?"

Magnus bowed his head and smiled. "Absolutely. You'll never hear me say no to that."