Welcome to Seaside

[11]

Magnus was waiting on the dock, his car parked right next to the spot where the Lightwoods would eventually pull their white SUV into, wearing a striped bro tank and swim shorts.

He was texting casually with one hand, his phone balanced precariously over the water.

Alec was the first of the family to see him, as he was dragging a cooler on the wooden dock.

"You're here early," Alec said.

"I think you'll find that I'm never late; it's one of my more redeeming qualities," Magnus boasted, tucking his phone away in his pocket. Alec rolled his eyes, and gestured for Alec to get in the boat and take the cooler.

Max came running down the dock, jumping into the boat beside Magnus.

"Dad says this can go over 60 miles an hour!" he shouted at Magnus.

Magnus looked at Alec, unsure of how to respond to Max's overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Max, why don't you find a place for the cooler?" Alec asked, offering Magnus a hand back up onto the dock. Magnus gave him relieved look in exchange and took Alec's hand, holding on tighter than what was probably necessary and keeping his hand in Alec's for what was probably too long.

They walked back down the dock together, passing Jace and Clary who had arms full of pool toys and Isabelle who was accompanying her boyfriend, Simon, who had an arm full of towels.

It took a couple of trips to grab everything from the car and put it in the boat but eventually they were pushing off from the dock, Alec playing assistant to his father's commands.

Magnus sat awkwardly among the rest of the kids, waiting for Alec to be back at his side.

From listening to the other four's conversation, he learn a couple of things:

1) Clary and Simon were both full-time Seaside residents

2) The couples were facing the same dilemma Alec and Magnus had just resolved

3) Clary and Simon had most definitely made out at some point but weren't telling Isabelle and Jace and

4) Isabelle and Jace were very similar and exact opposites of Alec.

When Alec finally sat down, he pulled himself and Magnus into the conversation. They talked about school, sighed about the end of summer, and mumbled complaints about their parents.

The boat ride took about forty minutes as they headed west for the string of isolated islands along the Emerald Coast.

"These islands used to be used for training for air gunners," Simon explained, as they passed by one particularly long one.

"Used to?" Clary scoffed. "They still fire on the islands. My club at school is trying to clean the islands up because the military doesn't come and pick up the old shells up."

"What a noble cause," Magnus mused, trying not to sound sarcastic. Alec put his fist to his mouth to keep from laughing. Jace just wrapped his arm tighter around his proud girlfriend and glared at Alec.

They finally pulled up to the shore of an island, dropping anchor a few feet out to avoid running the boat aground. Max was the first one to jump into the water, wading to shore and covering himself in crystal white sand.

Everyone else was a bit more cautious, careful to leave their phones stored away in the compartment near the driver's seat and carrying the coolers, towels, and toys high above their heads as they climbed out.

"Oh dear goodness this is cold," Magnus said, as soon as his feet hit the shallow water.

"Are you kidding?" Alec asked. "This is lovely."

The sun was warming the water to a comfortable temperature, almost bathwater, but still enough to keep one cool in the heat of the approaching midday.

"I'm not getting back in there," Magnus said as he and Alec dropped the cooler in the sand.

"I'm going exploring!" Max announced.

"Take someone with you," Maryse scolded.

"Nose goes," Isabelle mumbled, her finger flying up. Alec was the next fastest, leaving Jace to "eagerly" volunteer.

Clary begrudgingly joined him and then they were down to four teenagers and two adults. Maryse and Isabelle were adamant about tanning and Robert was determined to finish the paperwork he had to do. Simon just wanted to read some manga and hide away in the shade.

That left Magnus and Alec and the island, since the water was far too cold for Magnus.

"We could go exploring," Magnus offered. The first exploring party had gone to left so they were going to go right.

Alec grabbed some water and towels and told his barely-listening parents they were going to go find some of the fabled gunshells Simon had told them about.

"How far do we actually have to walk?" Magnus asked softly as they left the main camp behind.

"Very far," Alec said. As soon as the camp was out of sight though, Magnus slipped his hand in Alec's unable to take the lack of contact.

"If we got caught--" Alec started.

"--would it be the worst thing in the world?" Magnus asked, finishing it in a completely different way.

"Not exactly," Alec said. "The worst thing in the world would be losing you at this point. And that's what I'm afraid would happen."

It was a way to say "I love you," in more than just three words.

Magnus stopped.

"I think we've walked far enough," Magnus said, decidedly.

They'd been gone only five minutes.

"Magnus--" Alec started a protest.

But he was pulling Alec into the little spot of trees, pushing him up against one, and kissing him senselessly.

Alec grasped for the back of the tree, trying to find his balance as Magnus' lips made their own way down his neck, towards the collar of his t-shirt.

The protest that would have been such a compelling argument if ever verbalized, got lost in Alec's throat, replaced by gasps as Alec tried to catch up with Magnus.

Alec raised Magnus' lips back up to his, taking control again.

He busied his hands with taking off the horribly bright tank top Magnus was wearing, tossing it into the sand, where Alec hoped it would stay for eternity.

Magnus reciprocated, pulling Alec's white t-shirt off.

"You're going to burn," Magnus mumbled.

Alec starting laughing, throwing his head back against the tree Magnus was still pressing him up against.

"It was just a statement of fact," Magnus said, throwing his hands up.

"Well, I didn't actually plan on taking my shirt off," Alec said, glaring at Magnus.

"I am a slave to my heart's desires," Magnus said. "Don't blame me."

Magnus stepped back and immediately winced, lifting his foot.

Shining in the Florida sun was a little golden cylinder.

The fabled gunshell.