Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

When Magnus Bane Met Max Lightwood

When Magnus first met Alec's little brother Max, he'd been wandering the hallways looking for Alec's room. The boy caught him just outside one of the training rooms and lifted his wooden sword in defence.

"Hey! You shouldn't be wandering the halls like this. Especially if you're a Downworlder," the boy said, sword still raised.

Magnus stopped dead in his tracks. The boy certainly had the Lightwood charm to him; same brown coloured eyes, courage of a lion, but a soft heart on the inside. "Hello. Who might you be?"

The boy raised an eyebrow. Magnus saw so much of Alec in him. "Max. Max Lightwood. Who are you?"

"Magnus Bane. High Warlock of Brooklyn. I'm actually looking for your brother, so my wandering of the halls isn't entirely reckless. Where is he?"

Max lowered his sword slowly. "I don't know. He passed by me a few minutes ago mumbling something about his shirt not matching his shoes. Whatever that means."

Magnus grinned. "I see. Did he look like he was going anywhere important?"

"Not really. He wore what he usually wears. Alec's not one to dress up fancy, even on special occasions."

Oh dear. That means he's probably wearing one of those dreaded shirts that he loves so much. "Thank you, Max. You've been a great help. Now lead me to your brother's room. Maybe I can help him find a shirt that matches his shoes."

Max shrugged. "Alright. Follow me. It's easy to get lost in here sometimes. Even I get lost and I live here."

Magnus watched as Max skipped through the halls as he waved his sword around, making grunts and pretending he was slaying demons. "Alec mentioned you to me before. You said you got your stele taken away."

Max nodded. "Yeah. I nearly burnt down the Mumbai institute. But it was an accident. I thought the nourishment rune was the heat rune."

Magnus recalled what both runes looked like and snorted. "They look nothing alike."

"So I keep hearing," Max grumbled, reminding Magnus of a grumpy old man who keeps getting things repeated to him. "I know that now. I've been studying my runes really hard. I'm almost ready to take my test."

"I pity Shadowhunters. Their entire life is just test after test. Training after training. You don't sit down long enough to really think about whether or not you're happy or if this something you want to do for the rest of your life. I mean, is this what you want to do until you the moment you die?"

Max shrugged. "It's our duty. It's what we were born to do."

"Were you taught to say that? Or is that how you really feel?"

Max looked up at Magnus. "Listen, Mister Bane. I don't ask questions about your line of work. So don't question mine. Alec's room is down the hall, second last door on your right."

Magnus rolled his eyes and quickly but gently caught Max by the shoulder. "I'm sorry....if I insulted you or anything."

Max moved out of Magnus' grip. "Don't be sorry. I'm only 9. Not much can insult me anyway."

Magnus shrugged. "Fair enough. But I don't mean to make you feel bad about your people. But do know that you have a choice. We all do."

Max eyed him carefully while tapping his wooden toy sword on the floor. "How do you know my brother?"

"Excuse me?"

"I may be a kid but I'm not dumb. Even I know that people aren't scrambling to get in line to be friends with Alec. So how do you know him?"

Magnus looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Honestly? I don't. But I was hoping to get to know him better, if I could have your permission."

Max made a squinty face. "Twenty bucks."

"Twenty bucks? For what?"

The little Shadowhunter crossed his arms over his chest. Magnus hated how much he looked like Alec when he did this. "Twenty bucks and I'll spill some beans about Alec."

"Spill some beans. By the angel, I'm being robbed a nine year old....." Magnus fished out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to Max. "Okay. Spill."

Max took the bill with a smile. "If you're going on a date with Alec, don't try so hard. He'll notice and then feel bad that he can't return the favor. Keep it simple. He likes simple."

Magnus thought about how he booked an expensive restaurant in Japan for their date and began to feel panic setting in. "Simple. That's far from what I had planned...."

"Not my problem. That's between you and him. I'm just the kid you got advice from."

Magnus scowled. "You're a little brazen. How did you even know that we were dating?"

Max beamed proudly. "I got my stele back. He's not the only one who knows how to draw the Eavesdrop rune."

He skipped off before Magnus could say another word, laughing and hitting the walls with his sword as he ran.

"Max! Stop hitting the walls with your sword! You know mom hates when you do it!" Alec yelled from the doorway to his bedroom. Upon seeing Magnus standing in the hall, he flinched in surprise. "Oh. Magnus. You look lost."

"I was until your charming little brother Max led me here. He even stole twenty dollars from me. Little weasel...."

Alec smirked. "Careful. That's my baby brother you're calling a weasel there. How did he steal money from you?"

"Oh," Magnus snorted, waving a dismissive hand. "Let's not talk about that right now. We have a date to go to."

"Right! Right. I've been thinking of that all day. What did you have in mind?" Alec asked.

"Well.....it's nothing. Really. I was thinking.....Chinese from Jade Wolf?"

Alec cocked his head to one side. Before Magnus knew it, Alec was trembling with a fit of laughter that he would've found amusing if it wasn't for the situation at hand. "Seriously? That's it?"

"I fail to see what's so funny....and what the hell do you mean by 'that's it'? I find that rather insulting!"

Alec shook his head. "I half expected you to book some fancy and expensive restaurant in Japan and reserve a seaside table for us. Instead you choose a restaurant in New York that's inhabited by werewolves. That's what I find funny."

Magnus chuckled. "Oh! Of course not! Japan was the last place I had on my mind....." With a quick movement behind his back, he burned his reservation with an easy spell. "Shall we go? I'd hate to run into your thief of a little brother again. Otherwise I can't pay for our date."

Alec flashed a brilliant smile that could've lit up the entire institute. "I would've been okay with just going for a walk. It didn't have to be anything elaborate."

Magnus snorted. "Max wasn't kidding when he said you liked to keep things simple."

The smile instantly disappeared from Alec's face. "Wait what? Max said what?"

"Nothing! Now come along, Alexander. We have a date."

"Ma-Magnus!" Alec tripped over a potted plant, knocking it over on the floor before finding his balance again. "What else did Max say? Magnus? Magnus!"

Ugh this was my worst piece of work yet. I just wasn't feeling it with this one and it was supposed to be written for a friend. I feel like I let her down