Chapter Text
The doctors said Magnus’s leg would take a long time to heal. He figured it would be bad, considering the shiny wheelchair he suddenly grew out of his ass. The news at first just shocked him, and he didn’t really react for a while. It didn’t feel real, to say the least. As if next day, he’d be able to jump out of bed and go out dancing.
“The damages were intense. You’re lucky it’s not permanent. With hopefully a year of physical therapy, you’ll be able to get back on the dance floor… My condolences, Mr. Bane.” A doctor, not Catarina, told him. Catarina would’ve told him he would be able to be fixed in three months and sent him out with a push and a lollipop.
A year. Jesus Christ. That was the minimum, too.
“Magnus?”
There was Alec, still with him.
“Why are you still here?” He snarled, the full force of his new reality hitting him like a garbage truck.
“I want to help.”
“How can you possibly help? I need to be able to dance! I have to teach a class in a few weeks, and I’m still working on getting on Broadway, Alec! This is going to destroy my career and it was all thanks to someone else’s stupidity!”
Alec gulped. He rubbed small circles on his back.
“Hey… I know how horrible this is. A few years ago, I tore something in my arm,” Alec chuckled. “I don’t even remember what it was called, but it took over a year before I could shoot a bow again. It took half a year before I could even grab things right again. And archery is-” He turned a little red. “-My thing. I love it, and it’s thanks to my brother I can even shoot anymore.”
“Your… brother? Jace?” Magnus raised an eyebrow, listening intently. He learned a bit from Alec’s incessant, yet endearing, ramblings about his family.
“My brother’s a PT, he can help. He’s the best guy I’ve ever met, and I’m sure he could help more efficiently in less time,” Alec quickly assured him.
“Even so, I can’t dance… God, I really can’t dance for a year...” His life’s purpose was floating away.
“I’ll be there for you. I can help however you like, but don’t… Don’t push me away when things get tough.”
“We barely know each other…”
“We can start to.”
Alec grabbed his hand. Magnus gripped it lightly. Then sighed.
Was there really anything else left to lose?
One month later…
“Grab the bars again. You’re doing great, Magnus.”
Jace was ruthless as a coach, but when Magnus thought of doing his turns and spins and splits, and how unfair his life was, he was able to draw in enough anger to push himself forward.
Then, he fell.
A strong pair of arms helped him upright, reacting quicker than last time to his distress. Alec.
“I’m not doing any better!” Magnus yelled out.
“It’s a process,” Alec whispered. “Trust me, I know. Jace knows what he’s doing, and it probably feels like the whole world is out to make you mad at every second of every day. I know too well. But please don’t give up.”
“Who said anything about giving up?” He scowled. “This is just… I don’t even have the words!”
“You are doing great. Being able to face failure and grab it by the neck everyday is part of the process. Trust me?”
And with those hopeful blue eyes staring at him, full of friendliness and hope, how could he not lift himself up again?
Another month later.
Damnit, he was starting to fall in love with his number one fan. Why was he even helping?
“Why have you been helping me… All this time?”
Alec shrugged. “Is it weird to help a friend?”
Friend. Right.
“Thank you, Alexander.” Regardless, he meant it. He wouldn’t have come so far without him.
Another month later.
Magnus had stopped driving. Mostly because it was his right leg that was fucked, as Ragnor put it.
Alec was more than happy to help him out whenever he could.
Another month later.
Magnus hugged Alec tight when he was able to stand upright for just a few moments longer than usual. He returned it back full force.
“Alexander?” Magnus murmured, the laughter draining from his body. Not in a bad way. He stared deep into this beautiful blue eyes.
“Magnus…” He breathed out, staring right back.
They shared a small kiss. Then a more hungry one that only lasted a few moments when Jace came in and shooed them off each other (well, he made sure Magnus didn’t fall on his ass, too, but he still pulled them apart quickly).
Three months later.
Magnus was walking. Sort-of stumbling, still relying on Alec, but walking.
Three months later.
He could walk.
One month later.
In a record 11 months, Magnus could do his turns. Not to the exact same efficacy as before, but he could move and spin. He felt powerful again. Whole.
He looked at Alec staring at him from the couch, mesmerized.
Well, maybe the feeling of completion wasn’t new, but it felt… Satisfying to have his groove back. Magnus’s New Groove. He would have to trademark that.
“You look incredible,” Alec beamed. “I… I wanted to tell you that the whole time. I think that you’ve been incredible this entire time, and… I’m glad that I met you.” He froze. “Not that I wished this accident on you! Oh God-”
“Alexander-” Magnus already knew he needed to cut him off. “-I understand. I love you, too.”
Jace somehow pulled off a miracle job, shaving months off the recovery process. And as it turned out, the world didn’t end or stop with Magnus’s injury. It moved on, and in a way, so did he. He didn’t moan and groan the whole way through (Alec told him he would feel worse about himself if he kept outwardly complaining without pause) and he constantly kept being told that his dancing career wasn’t over.
At that point, though? Even if he couldn’t have danced professionally anymore, he wouldn’t have minded sticking to his new gig of fortune telling. For some reason… He was good at it. Not to boast, but he had a 97% success rate with his Tarot Cards and an even higher accuracy reading with Palm Reading.
“Another door gets jammed open when one is shut… Or something?” Alec recited. Magnus had to give him an ‘A’ for effort.
But seriously, Magnus would have been nowhere without Alec’s help. He didn’t have to stay and help an unlucky stranger. He didn’t have to get Jace’s help (who he did owe a huge debt, as well). He didn’t have to fall in love with him and see his absolute worst from the start.
Seriously.
How did Magnus become the most unlucky-lucky person alive?
But with Alec in his arms and the occasional random ache in his legs, he was pretty content with his life. If his soon-to-be fiancé would ever let the ring Magnus accidentally found in his laundry appear, then he’d only be happier.