AN: Hello and welcome to this story. a few things before we start. - The story is going to be 20 chapters long - a chapter pr. British city that they go to. It is going to be mostly fun and light but with some heaviness thrown in here and there. Nothing too violent or extreme, though. The core characters from the TMI series are included, though the focus will be on Alec and Magnus. Also, where nothing else is indicated it is Alec's point of View. Other than that I just wanted to say enjoy and feel free to let me know what you thought.
Glasgow (20.06. 2014 – 23.06.2014)
"There's one!" Max exclaimed excitedly, running to where a Lightwood suitcase had just appeared from a hole in the ground. I watched him, tiredly, as he made to grab for the case as soon as it landed on the conveyor belt, transporting luggage in endless circles. My brother got hold of the handle at the top of the heavy purple and pink flowered hard case, and lent backwards in his efforts to convince the bag of the conveyor belt. With a sudden jolt, the case gave, and both it and Max landed on the floor with a thump. With a look of utter confusion on his face Max turned towards us.
"That was mine!" Izzy screeched, rushing towards where Max was still sitting on the floor of Glasgow airport. My sister was a force to be reckoned with, her temper set to go of with a second notice. She was also tall, slender and very beautiful. I could hear Jace snicker next to me, and couldn't hold back a smile of my own, as my 18 year old sister continued to screech at my baby brother, whose only response was to grin apologetically and spring to his feet. - If anyone could mellow the wrath of Isabelle Lightwood it was her younger brother. None of us had it in us to stay mad at Max for long
"Alec, go help your brother, please," my mother said in a tired voice, barely looking up from the map she and my father were studying. Unlike us children, my parents looked prim and proper, not a wrinkle to be detected on the suit-like outfits, not a hair out of place and not a slouch in posture to be detected.
"How 'bout you spot them and I grab them?" I suggested when I reached my overly energetic little brother. Max was just on the verge of turning 13, and he was already displaying teenage temper tantrums and general signs of hormonal upheavals. Most of the time he was still 'little kid' Max with his manga fanaticism and excitable being, though, which I was very much in favour of. I was not ready for him to grow up just yet. Max looked at me with large grey eyes behind his skewed glasses, his hair sticking ever which way and his 'traveling outfit' twisted around his almost too thin body. Then he nodded, readily getting into position next to where a steady flow of luggage was appearing on a ramp from a hole in the floor.
"There's one, Alec, grab it!" he shouted, too loud for my liking. I tried to ignore the amused smile on the faces of another couple standing next to me when Max cheered over my successful retrieval of the simple black suitcase.
Max and I successfully got all the Lightwood luggage of the conveyor belt, and the family relocated to a spot a short way from the crowd.
"How is it possible to have so much energy after an 8 hour flight?" Jace grumbled, as Max sort of danced around us. Jace, my adopted brother, was 19 going on 20, light of build though deceptively muscular and quite handsome if my judgement on those issues was one to go by. Golden-blond tussled hair, golden-brown permanently smoldering eyes and light skin which turned a pleasant golden-brown in summer unsurprisingly gave him the favoured nick name of 'Goldenboy'. He ran a hand through his hair, as he followed Max with his eyes, a move iconic to him whenever he was tired or frustrated.
"We're in Scotland," Max replied as if that would explain everything.
"We haven't even left the airport yet!" Jace exclaimed, grabbing Max by the shoulders as the boy tried to pass him. The two continued to squabble, but something else had caught my attention. - Or rather, someone. A man, tall and lean, dressed in too tight bright blue pants, an equally tight black shirt with lace panels on the sides and sleeves revealing caramel skin, and a slim dark blue scarf wrapped in enticing, large loops around his neck. His hair was arranged in messy locks falling around his slim face, sort of glittering in the diffuse light of the airport. He was hunched over slightly, as he chatted to a red-haired girl, his face bright and open, his smile genuine. Golden-green eyes suddenly snapped up to meet mine, and I felt myself freeze into place.
For a moment our eyes stayed locked, then the stranger smirked and winked before turning back to his conversation. I felt blood rush to my cheeks as the reality of the situation hit me. Here I was, in an airport in Scotland, staring at a strange man - a particularly gorgeous strange man - with my family standing right next to me. I really needed to be more careful about these things. Quickly I returned my attention to Jace and Max, who were now debating whether Cola was superior to Fanta, and rubbed my cheeks in an attempt to hide my blush.
"Okay, kids," my mother exclaimed, folding the map back up with a crackle of paper, "We're catching the bus into town, and then we'll have lunch before going to the meetup point." she instructed in her concise mother voice we were all so used to. Knowing she meant business we all grabbed our own luggage and followed her towards the gates leading to the arrival gates and the front of the airport where the buses waited to transport people to the city and beyond.
The outskirts of Glasgow were drifting past my window, strangely familiar despite the grayness of the buildings and the fact that every round-about made my gut jump into my throat. I was curled up in the window seat, my long legs crammed against the seat in front of me. Max and Izzy were sitting in the seat in front of me, the former pointing out anything and everything foreign and exotic to him. Jace was asleep next to me, and my parents were talking in hushed tones in the seats on the other side of the aisle. Thoughts were whirling through my mind as the bus rumbled on.
I had finally managed to push the thoughts of the tall man in the airport, and my own reaction to him, out of my mind, and was instead back to worrying about this 'vacation' we were on. Normally, a family holiday for the Lightwoods consisted of a week or two at some beach or resort somewhere, each person minding their own business. Not this time, though.
This summer we were set to spend two full months 'hostel-hopping' about the United Kingdom with some group of random American tourists. It had been my mother's decision, and there had been no swaying her. Apparently, we had 'drifted apart' and needed the time to 're-find our selves and each other as a family'. I would much rather have spent the summer in my tiny dorm room, wandering about New York and try to regain my footing. - My third year at college had not exactly been a success, and I really needed the time to figure out how to regain control over my own life.
Izzy, who had just graduated high school, had been livid by the prospect of not spending her last summer with her high school clique, and Jace had raised hell over not having the summer to build up his reputation as king of the world - or at least NYU - where he was due to start come august. Max was the only one truly excited by the adventure. Despite her family's reluctance, my mother was determined, and so here we were, in Scotland, where we would be staying all summer.
I had arranged myself on a bench on st. George square in Glasgow, all the Lightwood luggage gathered about me. Guidebooks, opened on random pages, were spread on top of the many bags and on the bench beside me. The others had left me to it after a quick lunch, and where of to explore Glasgow. I had three whole hours before we were set to meet up with the group of strangers we were meant to spend the next eight weeks traveling the country with.
The alone time was greatly valued. For some time I managed to emerge myself in the guidebooks, finally trying to work up some excitement over being able to visit some of the places I had been studying for some time now. - if I survived the summer, I would be starting my fourth year at Pace come August. I had decided to major in History focusing on Early Modern History despite my fathers pointed remarks as to what he would prefer. Business was just not me. It was actually working, the whole finding excitement thing; at least, until something sparkly caught my eyes. He had put on a light blue coat, and redone his hair into impressive spikes, but it was undoubtedly him - the man from the airport. He was standing with a group of young people a few benches away, surrounded by a gathering of suitcases. And he was staring straight at me.
I quickly returned my eyes to the book in my lap, fighting the blood rising to my cheeks. Only a few moments later, a throat clearing prompted me to look up from the page I had been staring blindly at. Golden-green eyes, framed by dark eyeliner and a glimmering hint of blue, rested calmly on my face. He was even hotter up close.
"Why, hello there, blue eyes," his voice was smooth and hypnotic, and I barely managed to stutter out a shy 'hi' in reply. "Couldn't help but notice all the bags?"
"Oh, uh. They're here. My family, I mean. Well not here, here, obviously, but, they're in Glasgow. Somewhere. They'll be back. Soon," I was quite sure I couldn't get any redder, though I did manage not to face-palm despite the strong urge to do so. Perhaps it wouldn't even have made that much of a difference. A smirk spread across the strangers face, his eyes shining with amusement.
"I don't doubt it," he said, "However, what I meant to ask was whether you, by any chance, are going on the SunShine Britain tour?" His face was animated as he spoke, one raised eyebrow underscoring the question he had just asked.
"Oh, eh. Yeah. We are. My family and I." 'Alec, shut up', my mind told me in no uncertain terms as another smirk appeared on the strangers face.
"Okay, well, I happen to be one of your guides, as are the lovely people over there. I'm Magnus." He send me an inviting smile, and it took me embarrassingly long to catch his attempts at getting my name. "Alexander," I rattled, then cursed internally. "Alec, I go by Alec." The sculptured eyebrow raised once again, as his eyes swept over me. "Well, Alexander. Pleasure to meet you." He purred, causing a shiver to sweep through my body. I was not used to be looked at nor spoken to in that way, and was not sure exactly how to react.
"Feel free to join us if you... Get bored." He gestured towards the group as he took a couple of steps backwards. I managed a nod in reply. His eyes stayed on me as he took several steps backwards. (He wasn't even close to backing into anything, I noticed, with a hint of jealousy. Honestly, couldn't we share the embarrassment?). When he finally did turn around, it was almost as if a spell was broken. I melted back against the bench, both mortified by my own behavior, and flustered by the attention he had been giving me. And then I realized. He was a guide. I would be spending eight weeks with mr. Gorgeous and I suddenly had no idea how I was going to survive without someone finding out the secret I had been keeping practically all my life. This summer was not going to end well.
AN:So, that was the first chapter. Hope you liked it, but do let me know if there's anything unclear or off... The plan is to update every Thursday, so see you in a week if you're still up for it. Have a lovely weekend!