It was Saturday morning that Alec woke up to an unfamiliar sunlight in his face.
He wasn't sure if it was the light that woke him or the fact that it was nearly ten in the morning.
The bed wasn't his; it was Magnus'.
And he was gone.
Alec was alone in the big bed that felt too lonely to be real.
Where was Magnus?
Alec didn't specifically remember falling asleep in Magnus' room. The rest of the night was a blur of tears and quiet, soothing words.
Alec rolled away from the light.
The door to the bathroom attached to the bathroom opened and Magnus came out, dressed in his typical weekend attire.
"Morning," Alec said, carefully.
"Good morning," Magnus said. He sounded like a only-slightly-less cheerful version of himself. He put on a good smile.
"Are you going in today?" Alec asked.
"No," Magnus said. "I called the guy beneath me. He understood."
"And how are you?"
"I'm dealing," Magnus said. "I just can't go into—"
"I know," Alec said, nodding his head against the pillow. "Was there something you wanted to do today?"
"I want to get my mind off of it," Magnus said.
"Well, I forgot to tell you," Alec said, "but it's my sister's birthday tonight. You and I were invited to my parent's house for dinner."
"Sounds like pressure," Magnus said.
"No pressure," Alec said.
"Okay," Magnus said. "I'll go. But I've got some errands to run."
"Do you want company?" Alec asked.
Magnus smiled kindly but shook his head.
"Are you going to get out of my bed?" Magnus asked, teasingly.
"Probably not," Alec said. "It's nicer than mine."
"You're welcome anytime," Magnus said. He turned his back on Alexander and started heading towards the door but turned back. "Did you get your sister a gift?"
"No," Alec said.
"I've got it," Magnus said.
He left the door wide open.
.......
Magnus pushed open the door to the bar.
He wasn't accustomed to the smell of cigarette smoke and rancid alcohol.
But he still knew the place well.
He hopped up onto the barstool next to his father.
Cornelius Bane didn't look away from the television screen.
The bartender came over, gave Magnus a funny look, before accepting Magnus' order of a scotch.
When the news report finally went to commercial break, Cornelius glanced over at Magnus, turning on his barstool.
He was surprisingly thin for someone who sat on a barstool all day.
"Magnus," Cornelius said, with only minor disgust.
"Hello, Father," Magnus said. His drink was slid down the length of the bar. Magnus caught it with ease and tossed most of it back in one swallow that burned fiery-sweet.
"What are you doing here?" Cornelius asked.
"I needed a drink. I thought I might see you," Magnus said. "Two birds. One stone."
"Why the hell would you want to do that?"
"Well, now that I'm here, I'm asking myself the same question." Magnus took the last gulp. "You certainly haven't changed."
"Neither have you."
"I got richer."
"I got poorer."
"Did they cut your Social Security?"
"I'm 53."
"Oh, sorry. You look half-dead," Magnus said.
"I should hit you, boy."
Magnus rolled his eyes.
Cornelius wouldn't dare.
Magnus was faster now.
"What are you doing here?" he asked again.
"I honestly have no idea," Magnus said. "I've got a dinner tonight and I'm not looking forward to it."
"So you decided to drink?"
"A little impaired judgement never hurt anyone," Magnus said, looking down at his empty glass.
Suddenly his cheek with stinging with sharp pain.
"What the—"
"Man up," Cornelius said. "Don't become me, you idiot. Don't get drunk to survive a dinner."
Magnus grabbed his cheek.
"You hit me," Magnus cried.
"Isn't that what you came here for?"
"No— Yes," Magnus admitted. "But now I'm leaving."
"Always a whiner," Cornelius muttered.
Magnus got up, walking away.
"Hey!" the bartender shouted. "You gotta pay for that."
"Put it on his tab," Magnus said, as he pushed out of the bar.
He could hear Cornelius' cackling laughter follow him.
.......
Magnus switched his phone to his other ear.
"Okay, so going with the cover story you so geniously thought up a month ago," Alec said, "aren't you my boss?"
"Alexander, do your parents not know you are most extraordinarily gay?" Magnus asked. He pulled a shirt off the rack, inspecting it.
"I've implied it—"
"Well, your sister's birthday party is not the time nor place to come out to them," Magnus said. He put it back. Too bright.
"I know that."
"So just say that you felt bad because I'm a lonely person with no life," Magnus said.
"That's not true," Alec protested.
"It's not true because of you," Magnus said.
"Magnus," Alec mumbled quietly.
"I'm not in the mood to debate my affection for you," Magnus said. "So just agree, okay?"
"Okay," Alec said. "When are you getting back?"
"As soon as I find something decent for your sister," Magnus said. "Pink or green?"
"For Izzy?"
"You call her Izzy? That's adorable," Magnus said.
"Green," Alec said.
"Alright. I'll be back in 20," Magnus said.
..........
"You're late," a female version of Alec said as soon as the door to the townhouse opened.
"Hi to you too," Alec said.
"Who's this?" Isabelle Lightwood asked.
"You didn't tell her I was coming?" Magnus asked, cooly.
"Magnus Bane," Alec said at the same time.
"You're the rich guy right?"
"Isabelle!" Alec snapped.
"Mom and Dad said you were living with some billionaire," Isabelle said.
"Actually I'm not a billionaire," Magnus said. Alec looked at him with bewildered eyes. "I'm not. I'm close but not quite."
"That sucks," Isabelle said.
"I like her," Magnus said. "She reminds me of Jace."
"You met Jace before me?" Isabelle asked. "Alec!"
"Isabelle!" someone shouted from inside.
She turned around and headed back in.
"This is where you grew up?" Magnus asked as Alec led him inside.
There was one long hallway, ending in a staircase.
"My own special hell," Alec commented quietly.
Some emerged from one of the many doorways lining the hall.
"Hey, Max," Alec said.
He looked like a younger version of Alec.
They all looked the same, Magnus realized.
Max smiled and ran towards Alec.
He had to be at least a couple inches taller than Alec.
Alec almost fell over beneath the weight of Max.
"This is Magnus," Alec said. Magnus smiled and Max waved.
"We've heard all about you," Max said. "Come on."
The doorbell rang.
Isabelle ran past them and opened the door, jumping into the arms of someone on the porch.
"Who's that?" Alec asked, turning to watch the scene.
"Simon," Max sighed. "Her new boyfriend. He's some geeky computer coder. I'm pretty sure he's a vampire."
"I'm gone for a month," Alec sighed.
"Alexander!" Maryse's voice shouted from another room.
Alec pulled Magnus away from Max, into the kitchen.