youfeelluckypunk | (no subject)

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alec lightwood

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Reid is nervous.

He's been trying not to be, Luke had even sent him off from home with a sweet kiss and reassurance that this meeting Reid has set up with Alec can only go well but even so, he's nervous. This isn't familiar territory to him, asking a question like this one he has in mind, Reid's never done this before so he has no comparison, no prior experience to draw from that might help relax him. He sits in a corner booth in the diner just a couple blocks from the store, one of the better ones he's eaten at in Darrow so far, his foot tapping on the ground as he fiddles with the Graymark family ring.

That, at least, manages to calm him a bit. Every few seconds, he looks down at it and thinks about how easy it's been to fall into planning the wedding. There's never been a moment of doubt in his mind that Luke is the one for him, even from that first time they'd kissed. It's why he'd wanted to make it so clear that he was looking for a lasting relationship, not a one-night stand or something at all casual. He's been in love with Luke for longer than they've been together, though he'd refused to admit it to himself then. Now, come this winter, he'll be pledging to love Luke for the rest of his life.

What he wants to see Alec for today is to ask him to share that moment. Reid wants Alec to be his best man, to stand at his side when he and Luke exchange their vows, and he hopes Alec will agree. So he's nervous, because he doesn't know how to go about doing this, but he wills himself to relax. Alec is family, there shouldn't be any reason to worry, and frankly, Reid's just happy that he finally gets to share in the joy of having gotten engaged in the first place.

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Reid's message had made Alec curious. As far as he knew, there was no crisis going on where people were disappearing or getting hurt or anything else that would require action so Alec could only guess that Reid just wanted to talk, catch up, see how things were after the events of last month.

He pushed his way into the diner and stopped, looking around for Reid. He's grown used to mundanes looking at him now though it still makes him uncomfortable. Eighteen years of being invisible made quite the impression.

Spotting Reid, he walked over, ignoring glances and slipped into the booth across from Reid. He nodded and said, "Hey. Everything all right?"

He straightens up in his seat when Alec appears in front of him, his eyes wide in what's probably too suspicious for how innocent this meeting really is. Reid fully comprehends that he's making far too big a deal about this whole thing but then again, he'd argue that he isn't. This is important to him, it's an invitation to Alec to be there with them as more than just a spectator for one of the most important days of their lives, and Reid knows Luke is going to consider it a special thing when he asks Magnus to do the same.

Maybe he won't be as irrationally nervous over it, but that's hardly relevant.

"Hey! Hi. No, I-- I mean, yes, everything's fine." Reid lets a laugh slip, his cheeks turning pink as he ducks his head to collect himself. "I'm really great." He holds up his right hand, putting the ring Luke had given him on quick display. "I heard Luke spilled the beans, I just wanted to talk to you about it myself." He pauses then, not wanting to go too far into it without making sure this is really the right time for it. "How's it all going with Magnus? I'm still willing to throw punches if you need me to, I swear."

Alec peered at Reid, watching his eyes widen, watching him blush and suddenly feeling suspicious of what was going on. Not in a bad way, just in a way that he got when there were unknowns afloat and he couldn't quite figure out what they were. He leaned his elbows on the table and tried not to look too on wary.

Eyes flicking down to the ring, Alec let a small smile spread across his face before nodding. "He did tell me. Congratulations. He seemed really happy when I last talked to him."

Alec tapped a few fingers against his arm and then rubbed over one of the runes on his forearm which was as close to fidgeting as he got. "We're all right. We're working on it. No one needs to punch anyone else. It's better than it was and I'm working on trusting him again."

Seeing Alec smile like that, subtle as it may be, warms Reid and fills him with a distinct swell of affection. He doesn't know what he's been so worried about, of course Alec is happy for them, and Reid knows Luke is right. Alec will say yes to Reid's request and in December, he'll be at their side, where he belongs. He's family, after all, and they may not express that to each other often but Reid thinks the important thing is they're all aware of it. As long as Alec feels cared for, feels loved, Reid is satisfied.

"Thanks, yeah, we're both really happy. Really, really happy." Even that's an understatement, in truth, there's no limit to the excitement Reid feels every time it occurs to him again that he's soon to be a married man. This is what he's always wanted, to find someone he loves so much that he's willing to vow to spend the rest of his life with them, and of all places, he'd found that here. So much about what he values is due strictly to Darrow, and he misses his teammates but he's also so grateful to have found a circle of friends as incredible as the one he has.

His life is so full, in a way it never has been. Reid can only hope everyone he cares about finds the same fulfillment.

"And that's good, about you and Magnus, there's no need to rush anything. That you were able to get over that first hurdle at all is impressive." Under typical circumstances, Reid doesn't think he'd find it a very good idea, getting back together with someone who'd cheated; but he does know Magnus, he knows it'd been a stupid mistake, that his friend deeply loves Alec to the point that it's probably sometimes painful. He knows because it's what he feels for Luke, a deep-rooted sense of love that he could never recover from losing. So if Alec can find it in himself to forgive Magnus, to try to move on and be happy, Reid applauds him.

Of course, if Magnus ever hurts Alec again, hellfire might actually rain down on him but that's beside the point.

"So um, I actually did ask you to meet me for a reason," Reid says, briefly meeting Alec's eyes before letting his gaze drop down to his fidgeting hands. "I mean, it's nothing bad, there isn't anything wrong. There's just something I was hoping you'd do for me."

Alec nodded, eyes dropping down to the table. It was funny how quickly he'd changed his tune when it came to Magnus after everything had happened. In the immediate aftermath, he'd been dead set on never seeing him again, never letting anyone else in that deeply because all it did was get you hurt. All it did was wreck your heart and shred your mind and make you second guess everything about yourself.

That sharp, vivid pain had eased after a few days and Alec had softened, had seen how it could be a mistake and not a deliberate act against Alec because Magnus hadn't loved him. Mistakes happened and Alec understood that. He just...they had to build the trust between them back up again. He was comfortable around Magnus again but there were certain things that would take time to return.

Reid's words pulled him out of his thoughts and he refocused, resting his elbows against the edge of the table and nodding.

"All right," he said, nodding at Reid. "I'm listening. What do you need?"

It means something to Reid, that Alec is immediately agreeable, that he doesn't first ask what it is Reid wants him before saying he'll do it. The word family comes to mind again, it reminds him of what he'd had with his teammates, this sense of being willing to do just about anything to make sure this people he'd cared most about were taken care of. He'd failed in that sense with his mom so he'd made it a point to do what he could for his friends, the people who'd treated him like a brother and a son.

He looks at Alec now, and Reid knows, as he has for some time now, that he'd do the same here. Big or small, whatever the favor, Reid would do it for him, no questions asked, and he ducks his head to hide the widening smile that are already threatening to make his cheeks hurt.

"Well," he starts, his hands fiddling on the table as he shifts in his seat, "we don't want to have anything too fancy. Nothing big or lavish, you know? We'd prefer quiet, intimate, a wedding that'll just consist of the people most important to us. The thing is, we both want someone standing up there with us when we exchange our vows, a witness. A-- A best man, I guess you could call it." Reid glances up, meeting Alec's gaze. "I thought maybe you could be mine."

Alec honestly had not expected that request. He'd expected to go to the wedding, of course, to watch Luke get married to Reid and to give his congratulations and good wishes before finding some place to hold up a wall while people danced and talked. There was no way he'd miss the wedding of two people who'd done so much for him despite his penchant for being uncomfortable in social situations.

"You -- really?" He couldn't help the surprise from coloring his voice. Despite people telling him that he was loved on a daily basis, despite having more friends than he'd had back in Manhattan and feeling closer to so many more people, he still felt himself unworthy of all that. A voice in the back of his head kept telling him that people would wake up eventually and see who he was and leave him behind.

"Are you sure?" Alec asked, letting some of that insecurity slip through. Surely there was someone better for the job. Surely Alec was a second choice, a person you asked when your original choice turned you down.

The corners of Reid's lips twitch, though he doesn't outright laugh. He wouldn't want to, in no way does he want Alec to think Reid is teasing him, but in truth, this isn't entirely unexpected. He'd asked Luke for reassurance that Alec would agree to this, and Reid still knows that's how this will pan out; but at the same time, it comes as no surprise at all that Alec would ask that, ask if Reid's sure this is what he wants.

"You're the first and only person who came to mind," Reid confesses. Alec had been first choice because of the important role he's secured both Reid and Luke's lives, but it's nothing to do with Luke that has led to Reid asking this. While Luke may be the reason they'd met in the first place, the person they can point to when looking for that initial connection, their relationship has grown independently. They see each other on their own time, talk about things that are independent of what they share with their connections, and Reid hadn't had to give it much thought before deciding if there's anyone he wants standing up there with him on his wedding day, it's Alec.

"You know that saying, 'you can't choose your friends but you can choose your family'? That's not true. When I got here, I felt like I had nothing. I felt so alone until I met Luke and then he introduced me to you, and-- and you're my part of my family, Alec. One of the most significant parts of it, in fact. So yeah, to answer you're question, I'm sure. There's nobody else I'd rather ask."

Alec wasn't an expressive person by nature. Reid was aware of that fact so Alec knew he didn't have to worry about his questions and his lack of huge grins and clapping weren't being misconstrued. Alec was happy, ecstatic for the both of them but he tended to show it in a different way.

"I -- " He was nearly speechless and he had to take a moment, swallow, work his jaw a bit to get the words out. "Yeah, I'd be honored to do whatever you need me to do including be your best man. I've -- "

He trailed off, laughed a bit ruefully. "I've never been to a wedding, Shadowhunter or otherwise. I might need to do some research to see what a best man even does."

Alec doesn't need to spring from his chair and go in for a hug for Reid to understand he's happy. Emotions may, as a general rule, be subdued in Alec, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel. Seeing him so upset over Magnus had been distressing not just because of the situation but because it'd spoken of the magnitude to which Alec had been hurt. Now, watching him try to find the right words, Reid knows it means something to him to be asked. That, beyond any kind of jumping or clapping or squealing, is what Reid had hoped for.

"I think a best man is supposed to wear the powder blue and pale pink suit we picked out for you because it matches our color scheme so well," Reid says, though it's too absurd a lie for him to keep a neutral expression for more than a couple seconds. He breaks into a grin, rolling his eyes at himself. "That was Luke's idea, by the way, he said I should throw something wild like saying you had to dress colorfully out there so you can blame him next time you see him."

He pauses to take a sip of his coffee, momentarily studying Alec from over the rim of his cup as his smile softens. "Thank you, though, really. It means a lot that you'd say yes. I have no doubt you'll be a fantastic best man."

Even though Alec knew Reid was messing with him, he couldn't help pulling a face at the thought of wearing something that bright and that over the top. It would be right in Magnus' wheelhouse, something he'd wear on a daily basis and though Alec might have worn it for the wedding should it be required, he would not have felt comfortable in it and he would have punched anyone that tried to take pictures.

So, it was a good thing it was just a joke. "Tell Luke that I wear colors. Red and blue do count. If he wants more colors, he can talk to Magnus."

Magnus wore colors that probably didn't even exist in the spectrum of known colors. "I'll do my best."

"To be fair, he did suggest red and silver. I took it to another level so I guess he and I can share the blame here."

There's another thing Reid has to bring up that he feels a little awkward about, mostly because he knows what's associated with the request. He and Luke have already discussed what they think they'd like their respective bachelor parties, something quiet and low-key that won't lead to them spending the eve of their wedding apart. There's little doubt that Alec would be able to put something together like that, but Reid still feels the need to ask, just to make sure it won't be an issue.

"Um, one think a best man is kind of supposed to do is... plan a bachelor party? If you're not interested in doing that, I get it, but there's no pressure to do anything excessive. Just, you know, a standard kind of thing. Luke and I have a lot of mutual friends, but we have our own separate circles, too, so we just thought it'd be nice to have a nice night out before the wedding. Which we're planning for December, by the way, so I hope you haven't made plans that far ahead."

"A bachelor party?"

Alec's first thought was that mundanes had a lot of parties. They found occasions to celebrate that Alec hadn't even heard of before. Of course, he'd stayed mostly separate from the mundane world until he'd come to Darrow so maybe he was the problem here and not others.

Considering that for a moment, Alec mentally shook his head. No, he wasn't the problem. Mundanes threw a lot of parties.

"I can guess what that means but I don't really know what one entails." There was also the small problem of Alec never having thrown a party before. He figured he could ask Magnus for advice on that one, though.

"Nothing big," Reid adds quickly, "really, it's not even a very big deal. All it should be is something every there can enjoy, that's all, something that's more or less universally fun for everyone who's going to be there."

In truth, he isn't worried at all Alec will take the party too far, that's more Magnus's style when it comes to parties, going all out for something simple. It's not a bad thing, not by any means, just not an interest likely shared by Alec. That's more of a relief than anything because he absolutely does not plan to be out at all hours of the night when he's due to marry Luke the next day. All he wants is something quiet, something that has no possibility of getting out of control. He's sure Alec can manage something like that.

"I've never actually been to one," Reid admits. He's never been close enough to a groom to be invited. He's sure Will would have invited him to one out of obligation to JJ had their wedding not been so sudden, but Reid has no idea how that particular bachelor party would have turned out. "If you didn't actually want to plan one, you could just reserve a table at a restaurant once I get the guest list together. I wouldn't mind that, it'd be perfectly fine. I understand it's not exactly the easiest request to fulfill."

"I've never been to one either," Alec told him. He'd known Shadowhunters that had gotten married but the Lightwoods were pariahs in Idris and most people didn't chance inviting them to any sort of social event. Ale didn't really care but it was kind of an annoyance to have missed out on so many things because of what his parents had done so many years in the past.

"I should be able to ask around or look it up on the internet," he assured Reid. He didn't know how good of a party he could plan but making a dinner reservation didn't sound too difficult. He wasn't sure if that was the type of party some of Reid's guests would want to have but that didn't matter. It was what Reid wanted. "I'll take care of it."

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