Magnus was already chatting it up with everyone at the precinct once Alec and Jace let him go. He was quite the storyteller, judging from how interested the other officers seemed so enthralled with his words. They never took their eyes off him once.
Neither could Alec.
"Alright, so his apartment is on 47th street so I guess we just bring him home? Trust him enough to come into work tomorrow?" Jace flipped through Magnus' file. "I wouldn't trust that just about as far as I can throw him."
Alec shook his head. "He can't go home."
Jace looked up through his glasses. "What?"
"He can't go home. He told me this earlier. Said something about his cat being pissed off at him. But then he said it was more complicated than that."
Jace shrugged, an "okay whatever" gesture. "Just remember that he's our responsibility. He runs, we hunt him back down and his ass goes to jail for real. No deals. No nothing."
"I know," Alec nodded. He continued to watch Magnus from his desk. There was something oddly fascinating about the way Magnus spoke with his hands. They were very expressive as he waved them around for more emphasis to his story. Alec couldn't look away.
"Hey. Earth to Alec," Jace snapped his fingers in front of his brother's face.
Alec snapped out of his daydream. "Yeah. I agree. That's a good idea."
Jace grinned. "I didn't even say anything. You've been staring at Magnus for the past ten minutes."
That's how much time had passed? "Oh. Sorry. Just keeping a close eye on him, I guess."
Jace smirked. "He's in a building crawling with cops. Even if he tried to run, he isn't getting very far. Plus I think he's smart enough not to try." He glanced over his shoulder then back to Alec. "Wait....you don't think he's hot, do you?"
Alec squeezed his fingers nervously, a habit he's had since he was a child. "What? No. That's ridiculous. He's a guy. I like girls." He quickly flicked his gaze to a female officer walking by. "Damn. That.....booty."
Jace completely lost it. He keeled over and laughed so hard that his glasses fell off his face and onto the floor. "Oh my god! Oh fuck, that was the greatest thing ever. Alec....bro. I know you like dudes."
Alec swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. "What?"
"You like guys. So what? I was never one to judge anyone for their sexuality. Love is love. Hell, even I think he's good looking. There's no denying it."
Alec scowled. "Don't patronize me, Jace. You're just saying that to make me feel better." He leaned back in his chair. "How long have you known?"
Jace picked his glasses up off the floor. "How long have I known? You tried to kiss me when we were kids, Alec-"
"Yeah but we were kids. We were stupid."
"So? Some kids know from a young age who they're most attracted to. Maybe you knew?"
Alec groaned. "Look, can we drop the conversation before someone hears us? This isn't exactly a welcoming precinct. There's practically a zero tolerance for homosexuality."
Jace raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. But if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here for you. Or if you need a snuggle buddy-"
Alec threw a pencil at him. "Shut up."
Jace began to laugh just when Magnus came over to their desks, a huge smile on his face. "What's all the excitement over here? We're throwing pencils at each other."
"Nothing. Jace is being a dick," Alec mumbled.
"Again," Jace smirked. "Speaking of dicks-" He yelled when Alec's stapler made contact with his forehead. "Jesus fuck, Alec! Knock it off!"
Magnus' eyes were wide with surprise. "Are you both like this all the time? Because I thought I was working with real cops. Not two children pretending to be cops."
For a moment, Alec thought he saw Magnus looking him up and down. It was probably just a trick of the mind. "We're brothers. We fight all the time."
"Brothers? You look nothing alike," Magnus looked Jace over. "Let me guess. Mom got blonde hair?"
Jace shrugged. "Wouldn't know. She died when I was a baby. Father died when I was ten. The Lightwoods adopted me. They're more family to me than my real father ever was."
Magnus nodded. "Nice. Family doesn't end with blood, as the saying goes." He took a seat next to Alec and flipped through a case file. "So this is the Morgenstern case?"
Alec noticed how unreasonably close Magnus was sitting next to him. He could feel the heat coming off his body and smell the musky scent of cologne off his clothes. He took a shaky breath to steady himself. "Yeah. All 18 years worth of information that didn't get anybody anywhere."
Magnus poured over the files like a student studying for a test. "Interesting. So he's a drug lord? Crime lord? Mob leader?"
"Try all the above," Jace said. "According to the files back in the 90's, he started off as an entrepreneur. His empire grew by selling drugs and weapons and made deals on the Black Market."
"Sounds like we have a real winner here. Guess selling vacuum cleaners is too mainstream...." Magnus flipped the page. "Who was in charge of the case before you morons?"
Alec cleared his throat. "Officers Carstairs and Blackthorn. They're retired now."
"Huh. Too bad. I wanted to congratulate them on a terrible job on compiling evidence."
"Uh, why?" Jace asked. "They were pretty thorough with their reports. Everything was reported and documented as they were brought in."
Magnus pointed to a photo of a button. "Really? Because this button belongs to one of my favorite jackets that I bought five years ago."
Alec leaned in to get a better look. "There's an M on it."
"Precisely. That M doesn't stand for Morgenstern, as the case file assumes."
Jace closed his eyes and sighed. "It's M for Magnus, isn't it?"
Magnus nodded. "Exactly. And I'd like that button back. I've been dying to wear that jacket for ages."
**********
With complete disregard to the rules of the precinct, Alec let Magnus use the public washroom.
"I'm not going to stab anyone, in case that's what you're worried about," Magnus whispered as the entered the bathroom.
"Trust me. That's the least of my worries right now," Alec whispered back. "Now hurry up and do what have to do. We have a case to crack."
Magnus smirked. "Aye aye, Captain."
Alec looked away as he heard the distinct sound of a zipper being pulled down. "So how long have you been a con man?"
Magnus chuckled. "How long have you known you were gay?"
"Wh-" Alec sputtered. "I'm not!"
"Oh, handsome. My gaydar goes nuts when I'm around you. Plus I've seen the way you look at the other male officers. You've got good taste. Like Elias at the front desk? Very good looking young man."
"Screw you," Alec grumbled.
"Oh, I wish! Believe me, I wish you would but I have this policy where I don't make a move unless the other person does so first. It's proper etiquette if you ask me," Magnus peered over his shoulder at Alec. "Sorry. I don't mean to pry or anything."
"Oh, I think you do."
"I actually don't. I respect people's privacy and boundaries. I'm a con man. Not an asshole," Magnus zipped his pants and flushed the toilet. "Think what you want of me, but don't make false accusations unless you have your facts straight. Any questions you have, ask away. I'm an open book. Are we clear on that?"
Alec stared into Magnus' eyes for a moment. He wasn't that much taller than Magnus, just by a few inches or so. "Crystal. Are you done now? Jace is waiting for us in the meeting room. He probably thinks-"
Magnus raised a finger. "It doesn't matter what he thinks. Or what anyone thinks. If it makes you feel any better, you can cuff me. Make it look professional."
Alec glanced down at the finger that hovered near his lips. "No. No, it's fine. You're not a threat. I get that. Let's just go."
He led Magnus out, a hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards the meeting room where officers gathered to compile evidence. Jace was already seated and flipping through papers, cup of coffee in hand. He looked up when Alec and Magnus entered the room.
"Excellent. You're here. Close the door behind you. We don't need any busybodies poking their nose where it doesn't belong," he set his mug down and handed them a folder. "I ordered takeout. Should be here in a bit. Hope you like Taki's."
"Who in their right mind wouldn't like Taki's?" Magnus put his feet up on the table. "So where do we even start? There's a million folders in here."
Alec furrowed a brow. "Obviously, we start with the earliest incident, which is from 1998. Fraud."
Magnus grinned. "My favorite."
Alec ignored this. "March 23, 1998, Valentine Morgenstern, novice entrepreneur at the time, was convicted of fraud and swindling business owners of their goods."
"Damn. He's good. If he made an empire of it then he has to have some insane persuasiveness skills. I envy him," Magnus looked up from his file and saw Alec and Jace giving him a look. "But he's a terrible man. Absolutely terrible. Those poor business men....."
Jace scowled. "Anyway. Once his empire grew, he eventually saw a profit in drugs. Then weapons."
"What kind?" Magnus asked.
Jace glanced up from his papers. "Drugs or weapons?"
Magnus shrugged. "Both, I guess. I'm just curious."
Jace, once again, scowled. "Drugs include cocaine, marijuana, meth-oh that's a good one. Boys here are always bringing in meth. As for guns....." Jace squinted at the papers in front of him.
"Where's your glasses, Jace?" Alec asked.
"No clue. Lost them again. I'm out of contact lenses too...." Jace continued to squint. "Uh.....weapons include assault rifles, handguns, a bazooka-"
"Where the fuck did he get a bazooka?" Magnus grabbed the file right out of Jace's hands. "Wow. That's impressive. I'm impressed."
"We can tell. Now can I have my files back? You start with the years 2005-2010. Alec will work with anything past that. Are we clear?" Jace handed Alec the files. "Alec? We good?"
Alec nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Magnus clapped his hands together. "Alright! I love teamwork! Let's get some teamwork happening!"
Ten minutes into their so called teamwork, someone came in with Jace's takeout order. When the delivery boy was paid, the three men dove into their food like a pack of hungry wolves.
"God. It's been ages since I've had Taki's. I usually cook my own meals," Magnus said as he shoved a mouthful of ramen into his mouth.
"Oh, you poor soul. That sounds tragic. A home cooked meal.....god forbid you have a home cooked meal," Jace rolled his eyes. "Anyway. I'm clearing out when I'm done eating. My shift is over in ten minutes anyway."
Alec glanced at his watch. 7:19. "My shift is nearly over too. You busy tonight?"
"Nope," Jace wiped his mouth. "Why?"
Alec shrugged. "I thought we could watch the Mets game together. Like old times."
Jace nodded. "Sure. I'll bring the beer."
Magnus snorted. "Baseball? You've got a day off tomorrow and you're spending the night watching baseball?"
"How did you know we have tomorrow off?" Alec asked.
Magnus smiled as he looked Alec in the eye. "I might've taken a quick peek at your schedules. They were on your desk. Anyone could've passed by and took a look."
Jace threw his hands up in the air. "Great. What's next, you want to join us at Alec's apartment tonight for the game?"
"Jace! I thought you'd never ask! Thank you! Seeing how I can't go home and all.....I'd love to join you guys and watch the game. Go Mets!"
Jace sputtered, struggling to find the right words to say. "I wasn't offering! That wasn't an offer!"
"Ah, but I tricked you into saying it. One of my many skills, Wayland. Be careful how you word things," Magnus winked.
"He just winked at me," Jace said.
Alec nodded. "I noticed."
"I kinda liked it," Jace whispered.
Alec was about to say something when someone knocked on the meeting room door. "It's open!"
A head of dark hair poked inside. It was Simon, one of the boys downstairs who worked in archives. "Hey. Hey guys. Hi. Boss wanted to know if you were finishing up soon? He needs the room."
Alec nodded. "We were just finishing up. We'll have the space cleared in ten."
Simon smiled a thousand watt smile. "I kinda want your advice too. It's my six month anniversary with Raphael today and I don't know what to get him as a gift."
Alec glanced over his shoulder to see Simon looking at him carefully. "You're asking me? Why?"
"I-I just assumed you'd know more about getting gifts for guys. You know.....because you're......" He leaned in closer. "You're gay," he said in a low voice.
Alec was stunned. "How did you-who told you-where did you hear-"
"Whoa, dude. Relax. It's one of those things where you just know, you know?" Simon smiled.
"Gaydar," Magnus pointed out.
Simon snapped his fingers, pointing at Magnus. "Yes! That's exactly what it is!"
Alec rolled his eyes. "I don't know. Get him cologne. Flowers. Buy him a nice watch? I've never been in a relationship before so I have no clue."
He half expected Magnus to make a joke about his inexperience, but the con man was silent. Looking over at him, he saw that Magnus had a sad expression on his face. Pity? He wasn't sure. He quickly looked away before Simon or Jace noticed him staring at Magnus.
"I'll take him out to dinner tonight. No point in trying to cook him dinner. Last time I tried, the stove caught fire and he kept screaming 'ay dios mio!' over and over. It was a disaster," he laughed. "Thanks Alec. Your secret is safe with me, by the way."
Alec forced a smile. "Thanks. Good luck with tonight."
Simon thanked him and closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Jace, Alec and Magnus to their cleaning.
"He seems like a nice kid," Magnus said. "If you like the stuttery, virgin, hardcore Star Wars fan type of guy."
Jace snorted. "Let me guess. You got a virgin radar too?"
Magnus, as quick as he was, responded with "Of course. It's called Virgin Mobile."
Alec barked out a laugh, surprising himself and the other two men. "Sorry. I thought that was pretty funny." He caught Magnus smiling at him and couldn't help but look away.
"Well, I'm signing out for the night. I'll see you two suckers in a bit. Gonna go home and shower, kiss my girlfriend, buy some beer and I'll be over. 8 sound good?"
"Perfect. I'll be there," Alec fist bumped his brother as he left. Turning to Magnus, he tossed the rest of his files into their respective boxes. "As for you....are you sure you can't go home?"
"You want me gone that bad, do you?" Magnus chuckled.
"That's not what I meant-"
"I know what you meant. And I'm pretty sure I can't go home. There's no point anymore....."
Noticing how quiet Magnus got, Alec took a step closer. "You okay? You went quiet there for a second. Wanna talk about it?"
Magnus scoffed. "Nothing to talk about. There's no point in going home anymore."
Alec crossed his arms over his chest. "That must be one hell of an asshole cat you got."
Magnus looked up at Alec from under his dark lashes, a smile creeping up onto his lips. "I love him. Don't get me wrong. But he's not the reason I can't go home."
"Then tell me the reason. Be honest with me. Don't lie."
Magnus sighed. "I'd never lie to you, Alec. Never."
Both men were quiet for a moment, Alec's hazel gaze staring into Magnus' chocolate one. There was something happening between them; a rope that was tethered between them and seemed to be pulling them in closer and closer with each breath they took. The room seemed to close in on them; the walls becoming smaller and smaller and caving in around them.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Magnus suddenly whispered.
Alec was dumbfounded. "What?!"
Magnus blinked. "My home, dumbass. I'll show you my home if you promise to show me yours afterwards."
Alec cleared his throat, and at the same time, cleared his mind. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Deal."
Magnus smirked. "What did you think I meant, Alexander?"
"N-nothing. Let's just go, okay? My dad needs the room for his next meeting."
Magnus chuckled wryly. "Uh huh. One of these days, you're not going to have an excuse and you'll have no other choice but to tell me what's on your mind."
Alec said nothing as he picked up the last of the boxes into his arms and carried them out to his car, Magnus following close behind.