Magnus Bane had hair the color of black coffee. As strange as this may sound, it wasn't cold or bitter like coffee one would expect to drink after its cooled down. His hair was the color of coffee that you wanted to wake up and take a deep breath to in the morning. Warm. Welcoming.
Alec knew this because he'd been watching Magnus sleep for an hour. It was 5 am, which was the normal time he woke up to in the morning, and as he was getting ready to work out, he took a quick glance at Magnus on the couch. He was breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling with every breath and Alec suddenly felt a clench in his chest as he suddenly thought about each breath being Magnus' last.
Chill out, Alec. Relax. You're thinking crazy thoughts
He picked up two 25 pound weights and began his reps. His hip ached and throbbed but he ignored it which probably isn't the best idea in the long run, but he didn't care. He needed to blow some steam. Last night didn't exactly go as planned (especially with the unplanned kiss) and his nerves were haywire this morning.
"Why am I being such an idiot?" He grumbled to himself as he gripped his chin up bar and and pulled himself up. "This is stupid. This whole thing is stupid. Jace and I can solve this case without Magnus. We don't need him."
He pulled himself up again, holding the position as Magnus let out a snort from the couch. Alec thought he was laughing but he wasn't. He wasn't even awake; he was snoring peacefully. Alec let out a relieved breath at this and continued his chin ups. The last thing he needed was for Magnus to wake up and rake those eyes over his body again.
Once he finished his workout, it was breakfast time. Nothing tastes better than scrambled eggs, fruit and bacon after a good workout. Protein and carbs. Wash that down with a cup of coffee and his day was made. Naturally, he planned on making extra for Magnus. It was the least he could do for him. He did make that incredible meal for them last night. This was his way of saying thank you.
He cracked open four eggs and mixed them in a bowl. Magnus was still snoring away even when he was making a racket in the kitchen. Chairman Meow was perched on the counter, watching Alec pour the now mixed egg into the frying pan. He meowed softly and nudged at Alec's hand as his fur was gently stroked, purring like a chainsaw.
"Who's a good kitty? Chairman Meow is a good kitty. Yes he is. Little Chairman is so cute-" Alec froze when he turned to see Magnus sitting up on the couch, his hair a complete mess from what it usually was. "Oh. You're awake. I didn't hear you get up."
"Just woke up. Smelled eggs and coffee. Were you coddling my cat just then?"
Alec picked up Chairman off the counter and placed him on the floor. Chairman looked absolutely offended by this and meowed in protest. "No. He jumped on the counter. I was just disciplining him."
"By rubbing his head and talking in a baby voice?"
"Listen. Do you want breakfast or not? I can eat this whole thing. Bacon and all. I just finished a workout and I'm hungry as hell."
Magnus looked Alec over. Was the detective aware that he was shirtless? His sweatpants hung dangerously low on his waist, accentuating those delicious hips. The veins in his arms bulged as he shook the frying pan around to spread the egg evenly around. He was a sight to behold first thing in the morning. "You know it's only after 6, right? The sun isn't even up yet."
Alec popped a piece of bacon in his mouth. "I like to get a head start on my day. Makes me feel more productive. What time do you usually get up?"
Magnus poured them up cups of coffee. "I'm a heavy sleeper. Sometimes I'll sleep all day. Other days I'm up before the afternoon. All depends."
"Partying will do that to you...." Alec mumbled but he knew Magnus heard him. He heard a chuckle from behind. "We got a lot to do today. The security footage, the meeting with the mayor-"
"Yeah about that....do we have to go? I'm having second thoughts about meeting Camille again."
Alec looked over his shoulder. "Why? She could be a lead on Valentine. Our first solid lead."
Magnus sipped his coffee. "She has people, Alec. People who can make us disappear with a trace. She has that kind of power, you know. It's scary."
"I'm not scared of her."
"And I really admire that about you. But we're moving too fast here. It's like diving into a pool before it's completely filled with water. We're going to get hurt."
The sizzle of the bacon made them both jump in fright. Magnus found himself starting to drool as Alec set down two plates and began to divide up the strips of bacon on their plates. It was exactly the way he liked it. Crispy.
"So what are you suggesting? That we just drop the meeting? Forget about Camille?" Alec said as he turned off the eggs and used a spatula to pick it up and put it on their plates.
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. Until we have a decent excuse to go see her, then we'll go."
"I waited an hour on hold to book that meeting."
"Alec. Please. I just can't see her right now."
Alec gazed into Magnus' eyes and saw that he was scared. "Fine. You don't have to go but I am. Lives are at stake here and I'm not about to walk away from what could potentially be vital information on the case."
Magnus bit his lip. The idea of Alec going into the vampire's lair alone terrified him. Nothing good could come from this if it happened. "Can't Jace go with you? He is your partner. You're supposed to be attached at the hip."
Alec pointed at his wound. "He was always attached to this one but it's out of order right now. He's as free as a bird."
"Alec, I'm serious. Don't go alone. The bitch will eat you alive and use your bones to pick out the remains between her teeth."
"Wow. You had to use gross imagery to get your point across, didn't you? And you had to do it while we were eating. Thanks, Magnus."
Magnus sighed. "Did it work? Are you scared yet? Camille is a scary name around these parts."
Alec swallowed the piece of bacon he had in his mouth. "Fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself."
A small smile crept onto Magnus' lips after a few moments. "I knew it. You're a diehard Harry Potter fan."
Alec grinned back. "That makes you one too if you even knew where that quote came from."
Magnus shrugged, waving his fork around. "Touché, Alexander. Touché."
**********
"Jace. Jace, dad is watching you through his office window. He's not pleased," Alec whispered.
Jace whined. "Shut up. I'm hungover. I didn't even think those drinks would be that strong. I can drink a six pack without being drunk so why is this different?"
"Maybe it's because you're stupid and do stupid things. Maybe the alcohol is only super effective on stupid people. I'm surprised the liquor worked on you so fast. Am I the only one who finds unusual?"
"You find everything unusual, Alec."
Alec shrugged. "Suit yourself. But if you go down, I'm not going down with you."
Jace looked up at him and smirked. "That would be difficult. Two mouths on the one dick-"
Alec shot out of his chair when a gentle hand touched his shoulder. Magnus smiled up at him and shook his head. "Blondie here isn't even worth your time, Alec. Let him sober up a bit. Then knock his lights out."
Jace flipped him the finger. "Screw you."
"I wouldn't wish something like that upon anyone, Blondie. Not my fault you can't hold your liquor."
"Guys, please stop. I don't need the Commissioner coming out here and give us a lecture like kids. Let's focus on the task at hand here." Alec pulled out a notepad from his desk drawer. "Jace. I need you go over the surveillance footage at the club from last night while I'm gone. Magnus will help you."
Jace groaned in response.
"Magnus, you help Jace with the footage. Call me if anything suspicious comes up. Let me give you my number-"
"I already have it," Magnus beamed.
Alec stared at him, stunned. "How? When?"
"While you were sleeping yesterday. Your phone doesn't exactly have a lock screen so I went on it and got your number that way. Oh and I gave you my number too. In case you ever needed it for any reason. But you really should get a new phone. One with a passcode at least."
Alec blinked, still stunned. "Okay then. Thanks, I guess. Saved me the trouble anyway. I'll call if I find anything suspicious." He grabbed his jacket and paused to look back at Jace. "Look after him for me, would you? Make sure he doesn't get into trouble?"
Magnus thought about saying no but this was Alec asking. He couldn't say no to that face. "Of course. Stay safe out there. Don't do anything stupid."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Alec mumbled as he slipped on his jacket and left the precinct.
Luckily traffic wasn't too bad. The normal amount of time it took for him to drive through the city from his office to the mayor's usually took around 20 minutes. This time was cut by half today. He wasn't driving fast. There was just less traffic which was a miracle in New York.
He parked just outside the building. Two men dressed in black were standing in front of the main doors and they looked ready to stop him if need be.
"ID please," one of the rumbled.
"Alec Lightwood. Detective Alec Lightwood. I'm here to meet with the mayor. I have an appointment," Alec flashed his badge, which he loved doing. It made him feel accomplished and proud.
The other man looked at it. "Detective. Just check in with our front desk before heading up to the top floor."
Alec nodded and went inside. The building was enormous in comparison with the precinct. Why the mayor needed such a space was beyond his comprehension. The ceiling was at least 20 feet high with a linoleum flooring and white painted brick walls. It looked a lot like a hospital. Minus the death and the smell of bleach.
The lady at the front desk looked up and smiled. "Mr. Lightwood. Mayor Belcourt is expecting you. Please make your way to the top floor."
Alec thanked her and pressed the UP button on the elevator. The doors opened immediately and he stepped in.
When the doors reopened again, the walls went from a white to a dark red. The drastic change made him squint in confusion, unsure if whether or not he was still in the same building. The walls were a dark red and the floor went from linoleum to black carpeting (expensive looking carpeting) and Alec could see that on top of the carpet looked like plastic. Why would the mayor need plastic covering her carpet? Was it a new carpet?
The woman sitting at the large desk at the back of the room looked up. "Ah. Lightwood. I was wondering whether or not you were going to show up. Take a seat. I'm just finishing up some paperwork. Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Water? Maybe something a little bit....stronger?"
Alec shook his head as he took a seat. "No thank you. I'm good. Beautiful office you have, mayor. It looks new."
Mayor Belcourt looked up again. "You could say that. We went under some renovations recently. Out with the old, in with the new sort of thing." She set down her pen and leaned back in her chair. "What can I do for you, Detective? It's not everyday I get a visitor from our beloved local law enforcement. Am I in trouble?"
Alec almost lost his voice as she stared at him. "Uh, no. Just a few questions, if you will. There's been a complaint from Ma-I mean, a citizen that their home was broken into and wrecked. They accused you of this crime."
Camille smiled so wide that her teeth gleamed under the lights. "Accused me? Who'd be stupid enough to do that?"
Magnus apparently Alec thought. "I just need to ask you a few simple questions regarding the incident, if that's okay with you."
Camille rolled her eyes and waved a hand. "If you must. Although we might have to cut this little meeting a bit short. I'm heading out."
"Of course. This will be quick. First question is where were you on the days Sunday through Wednesday?"
"Here. Working. Because I'm the mayor. I have a city to upkeep."
Alec jotted this down. "And are there witnesses I can rely on to confirm your whereabouts?"
Camille pointed to the guards at the door. "All my guards can vouch for me. I've been here all week. Minus a few trips out into the city to do mayor things."
"Right...and does the name Magnus Bane sound familiar?"
Camille's eyes flashed dangerously with anger. "What's it to you? What's does Magnus Bane have to do with this? Unless....of course. He's the one who filed a complaint, isn't he? Clever bastard. Always was one step ahead of the game. Let me give you a little heads up about Mr. Bane....." She stood up and sauntered over to Alec, her long legs bare save for a skirt that ended mid-thigh and a pair of black heels that looked to be about five inches in height.
Alec stiffened as she swung a leg over him so that a knee was on either side of his hips in his chair. When she leaned in closely, he could smell a hint of whiskey on her breath.
"Don't trust Magnus. He will lie, deceive, con his way into getting what he wants. Even if that includes you," she whispered in his ear. "Think I broke into his home? Prove it, Detective. I dare you."
Alec flinched as he felt her lips press against the side of his neck. "Mayor, I don't-I should be going now. That's all the questions I have-"
"That's all the questions you have. Now it's my my turn. I have a few of my own," she hissed in his ear. "Such as this. What were you and Magnus doing at Pandemonium last night? Surely not out for a drink. You don't....seem like his type."
Alec flinched again but this time out of anger. "And what is his type?"
She chuckled in his ear. "Certainly not you."
The guards that were next to the door made their way over and stood on either side of Alec. Their shadows looked intimidating as they loomed over him, ready to make a move if they had to.
"Listen, Detective. I don't know why you're really here or what you plan on trying to achieve but I can guarantee you that you won't find anything. Not here anyway...." Camille stood up and placed her hands on her hips; a motion that wouldn't have been so frightening if Alec didn't get a bad first impression of her to begin with. "Handle him, would you? He's going to ruin the whole operation. Use force if necessary."
A switch flipped in Alec's mind as soon as he felt a broad hand grasp his shoulder. Using the moves he learned in training, he grabbed the guard's wrist and pulled him forward, causing the brutish man to stumble forward into Alec's raised knee.
Alec jumped to his feet and feigned left as the other man made a move to punch him. He then grabbed the guard's arm, pinning it behind his back and slamming the man's face against the wall, blood spurting everywhere. He yelled when the first guard he took down grabbed him from behind and wrapped a strong arm around his throat, cutting off his windpipe.
Alec choked and struggled for air as the grip around his neck became tighter. The edges of his sight were starting to turn black the longer he struggled and it was inevitable that he was going to pass out soon if he didn't get air into his lungs.
"Let him go. He can't do anything now that he's half unconscious," Camille's voice broke through the dull ringing in his head that followed after falling to the floor and gasping for air. "Oh, Detective. You shouldn't have come here. Valentine won't be pleased that someone is poking around looking for information."
Alec coughed violently. "Y-you're working with Valentine?"
Camille laughed. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Nobody wants that. You'd stain my new flooring. Which is why.....I was prepared," she stomped her foot down on top of Alec, right on his bullet wound.
Alec screamed in agony as the sharp point of her heel drove into his skin. The darkness threatened to overtake him again, unconsciousness only another throb of pain away. He could feel hot tears roll down his cheeks as he struggled to look up at Camille as she kneeled down to look at him.
"Whatever it is you're doing with Valentine....you won't get away with it," Alec said through gritted teeth.
Camille licked her lower lip and sighed. "I won't be so sure about that, Detective. You came here for answers. You got nothing to pin on me. And now....you won't be able to ask any more questions." She snapped her fingers and more guards came on. "Get rid of him. Dump his body somewhere. Doesn't matter where. The rats will get him soon enough."
Alec struggled to get to his feet but a boot struck him in the back and he fell forward in pain. Before he could move again, a fist made contact with his face and he welcomed the darkness with open arms.
**********
"He's not answering his phone, Magnus. I'm starting to get worried," Jace hung up for the fourth time and sighed. "You try calling. He might answer you."
Magnus looked up from the computer. "Why would he answer me? You're his brother. I'm just the man he arrested. Try again."
Jace slammed the phone down in front of Magnus. "Call him. Now. I'll keep looking through the footage. Leave a message if you have to."
Magnus sighed and dialled Alec's number on his own cell. It rang once. It rang twice. It rang three times. By the fourth time he was getting annoyed. Finally, the voicemail cut in.
"Hey you reached Alec. Leave a message and I'll get back to you."
Magnus took a deep breath. "Alec. Where are you? You should've been back by now and Jace is worried. I'm.....worried. Call me back as soon as you get this." He hung up and glared at Jace. "There. Happy?"
"Very. You've done well, young padawan. Now if we can only-" Jace froze, his face changing from neutral to shocked in less than a second. "Holy fucking shit."
Magnus looked at the screen. "What's wrong?"
Jace zoomed in on someone standing next to Camille. "Call me crazy, but who does that look like to you?"
Magnus squinted at the screen, his jaw dropping. "Well damn. Better call Alec again. He'll want to hear this." He dialled Alec's number again and like the first time, he got Alec's voicemail again. "Alec. You need to get out of there now. Camille is working with Valentine. She's dangerous."
Jace was watching him with a worried expression. "Still no answer?"
Magnus shook his head. "No. And I don't think it's because he's using a Nokia either."
"I can try tracking him."
"You can do that?"
"Hell yeah I can. All of our badges have an encrypted tracking device on the back of them so in case of emergency, like now, we can track the ID number and get an exact location on where that officer is."
Magnus clapped his hands. "Brilliant. Something useful. Unlike everything else you've done so far. Do it. Track him."
"Jesus, give me a minute...." Jace opened up another program and typed something in. After a moment or two, the screen began to flash green. "He's outside an abandoned church on Deighton. Not far from Pandemonium, actually. Why is he there?"
Magnus shook his head. "Stay here, mundane. I'll go check it out. Print out that screen while you're at it. We'll need it."
Magnus drove like a bat out of hell, silently thanking God that Jace just let him borrow his car without a second thought. All the while all he could think about was Alec. Was he okay? Did he find anything at Camille's office? Why was he outside an old abandoned church?
The church came into view as he neared it. It was old and rusty looking, the roof nearly falling off and vines grew around the outside of the walls. The windows looked broken; they must've been a sight to behold back in its glory days.
Magnus climbed out of the car. "Alec? Are you here?" When no one answered, he quietly made his way closer to the church. It was eerily quiet. The most he could hear was the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears.
"Alec? Jace tracked you here. Your badge got this tracking thingy. I don't know how it works. Jace bores me when he speaks....Alec! Answer me!"
A moment of silence. "Magnus?" A voice croaked.
Magnus whipped around in search of where the voice was coming from. Beside the church was an alleyway, so he made his way towards it. From where he entered he could see a dark form crumpled on the wet cement, and it was barely moving. As he approached and realized what it was, his heart dropped.
Alec. He was laying on his back, the front of his shirt covered in blood but that wasn't the worst part. His face was black and bruised and covered in so much blood to the point he was barely recognizable. He struggled for air and coughed as Magnus fell to his knees beside him.
"Magnus. I'm-I'm so sorry," he coughed violently and winced.
"Shh. It's okay. I'm here now. Oh, Alexander....." Magnus let his hand hover over Alec's face, not wanting to touch him for the sake of hurting him. "Who did this to you?"
Alec shuddered. "Camille. She's-I think she's working with-" Alec choked and coughed again. "It hurts, Magnus. It hurts so much."
Magnus stroked his hair which the only thing that wasn't covered in as much blood. "Come on. We need to get you to a hospital-"
"No! No hospitals! Take me-" Alec winced. "Take me home. Please. Just take me home."
He didn't completely agree, but Magnus nodded anyway. "Of course. I'll try my best to dress your wounds so don't shoot me if I accidentally hurt you."
Alec laughed and winced. "I'd rather you than Jace. He'd probably tell me to walk it off."
"That does sound like Jace. Um....can you move? I doubt I can carry you all the way to the car by myself."
Alec nodded. "I can try but it'll hurt."
"The pain won't last long, Alec. Just for a few seconds. Then it'll all go away."
Alec smiled. Regardless of the blood covering his face, Magnus still found him to be quite beautiful. "Okay. Hey Magnus? Can you stay? Like....stay with me when we get home?"
Magnus was baffled. "You say home like it's mine too."
"It could be if you want it to. You're not safe at your place. Trust me."
Alec's eyes look so pleading that Magnus couldn't say no once again. He was like a small puppy who was eyeing the cookie in your hand and wanted a piece. "Of course. I'll stay as long as you want me to. Right now, let's focus on getting you home and cleaned up. You're a disaster."
Alec giggled like a drunk. He was probably about to pass out from the pain he was in. "Magnus Bane. You care. Who knew?"
Magnus rolled his eyes. "I need you to stay awake, Alec. You could have a concussion. Stay awake, Alec. Focus."
Alec stumbled as Magnus carried most of his weight towards the car. Once he was inside, Magnus clicked on his seatbelt and made sure he was still awake. Much to his surprise, Alec was watching him the entire trip to the driver's seat. Even when he climbed in, the hazel gaze was still on him.
"Why are you staring at me?" Magnus asked.
"You said focus. So I focused on you."
"I said focus. Not try and burn a hole into my forehead with your gorgeous hazel heat vision."
Alec giggled. "You think my eyes are gorgeous?"
"Shh. You're hallucinating. I didn't say anything of the sort. Is your seatbelt on?"
"You think my eyes are gorgeous-" Alec winced and coughed again, reaching for the sides of the seat to grip but instead found Magnus' hand and squeezed.
Magnus looked down at their entwined hands, not giving a single fuck about anything other than the grip that was holding him for dear life and the fact he needed to get Alec home as quickly as possible. He squeezed Alec's hand back in return.
"Hang in there, Alexander. We're almost home."