A light drizzle ran down Alec's jacket as he and Jace moved towards the entryway of the Bane residence. The warehouse still seemed as baren and lonely as ever; not even the music could be heard from outside. Alec's head gained a heartbeat as he recalled the montonous, pounding bass that had consumed the loft the last time they had been there.
Alec and Jace exchanged a dull glance as they halted on front of the door. There was something oddly unsettling about the fact that none of the buzzers were labelled except for one.
Jace reached forward and pressed the buzzer that said 'BANE'. It had taken on a considerable amount of dirt since they'd last seen it.
"Think he'll be very happy seeing two Shadowhunters at his doorstep again?" Alec asked, tracing rings around his elbow with the other hand.
"I hope not," Jace said with a devious smirk.
After a few moments, the door swung open and Magnus' head peered from behind it. His eyes glided over the boy's faces, finally settling on Jace. His top lip turned up in disgust. "Nephilim...what are you doing here?"
Jace smiled. "Well, we want to get wasted on questionable beverages, why else?"
"I don't make a habit of inviting your...Shadowhunters," he said.
"Evidently, you do," Jace replied, pulling out the white piece of paper from his pocket. He handed it to Magnus.
Magnus looked over it and sighed. "Of course," he said. He eyed Alec. "I can believe that for this once only. Do remind me to stop blacking out in your presence, I doubt that can be safe for me in general. Come on in." He disappeared into the warehouse, pushing the door open wider.
Magnus led them up the old staircase, which never failed to twist Alec's stomach. "So, what is it you seek from me this time, Nephilim?" he asked in a hushed tone once they had reached the top step
"Well, I do have a few song requests if you're taking them," Jace said with a grin.
Magnus sighed, turning to his apartment door. "Whatever you're up to, don't disturb my guests. Some of them might evaporate you." He pushed down on the handle and strided through.
The sound of music burst into the hallway like an all-consuming tidal wave. As they went forward into its clutches, Alec couldn't be sure if he was having a miniature heart attack or if it was just the beat forcing his chest to thump.
Like before, the room was filled with bizarre cross-breeds. Alec recognised the four armed woman working at the bar, who seemed to have a permanent position. There was a severe lack of vampires in the room, and Alec didn't need three guesses as to why.
Magnus vanished into the crowd. They made their way over to a fushia coloured couch at the far end of the room.
"He's figured us out," Alec said bluntly, moments after they'd sat down.
Jace grinned. "No shit," he said. "What's he going to do about it? We'll just ask one of the Fair Folk."
"Don't you think that if there were...illegal relations going on here, Magnus would have set up some kind of block?" Alec asked. "Like he did with Clary?"
Jace was overcome with laughter. "Bane?" he asked once he'd regained the ability to talk. "Setting up a block for each and everybody that comes in, purely for the benefit of some friends that want to mess with demons?" He clapped, as if he was applauding Alec's humour. "Oh, Alec. One thing that we can count on is that Bane is far too lazy to do anything that doesn't concern him."
Alec scratched the side of his head, his gaze drifting over the partygoers. It sought out Magnus, having a drink the colour of radioactive goo with a couple of (literally) four-eyed women. "I wouldn't be too quick to judge..." Alec mused absent-mindedly. "We don't know enough about the man to know everything he's got up his sleeve."
"If you like," Jace said dismissively. He slowly stood up. "You ponder over that. I'm getting a drink."
"Jace!" Alec whispered harshly, pulling on the sleeve of Jace's black dress jacket.
"What?" Jace asked, meeting Alec's eyes.
"Are you mad? God knows what they put in the drinks here, you saw what happened to Simon last time!"
Jace shook his head. "I'm sure there's normal drinks, too," he said. "Plus, Kendall would hardly let me away with anything harmful."
"Kendall?" Alec squinted.
"Bar lady. Lovely girl. Gotta go."
Jace pulled away and Alec let go of his sleeve. Let him, he thought. See if I care.
He folded his arms and slumped against the back of the sofa.
But you do care, a voice boomed from the very back of his head. You just know that he doesn't need you to.
Alec sighed as his eyes followed Jace to the bar. The sway of his hips, the way that he tore through groups of Downworlders as if he had a right of passage...
Alec shook his head, realising he'd fallen into a thought pattern that he was trying his best to get rid of. Jace was his best friend, his straight best friend, and his parabatai to boot. Everything was coming together to block his path, to outline the absurdity of his affections. It was almost scary to think about how impossible it was. Alec let out a quiet, frustrated cry and let his head fall into his hands.
"...You like him, don't you?"
Magnus stood at the arm of the couch. His cat eyes were surveying Alec, like a lion observing its prey.
"Who?" he asked, sitting upright.
Magnus sighed in mild disgust. "Oh, don't give me that," he said quickly, taking a seat beside Alec. "Your Nephilim buddy."
Alec let a long, deep breath out and looked forward, scratchig the side of his neck. "How did you know?"
"I've been around long anough to know that look when I see it," Magnus explained. "...Do they know?"
"Does who know what?" Alec asked reluctantly.
"The others," Magnus said. "The children of the Nephilim. Do they know that you're...persuaded in such a way?"
Alex shook his head, resting his chin of the palm of his hand. "No," he said. "I've not quite...worked up the courage yet." He sat bolt upright, and looked over to Magnus with a slight glare. A moment of clarity came over him. "And you won't be the one to tell them."
"I wouldn't," Magnus said sincerely, locking eyes with Alec. It jolted him a little; he was expecting a snarky comment. "I might not understand your culture, but if you'd rather keep it hidden right now, I will seal my lips. Not literally, though. That might hurt."
"What do you mean, my people?" Alec asked, trying to force distaste into his tone but coming off wobbly and taken aback.
"Oh, you know," Magnus said, his gaze drifting to the side of Alec. "I know for a fact that the Nephilim aren't as...appreciate of the notion, shall we say?"
Alec pursed his lips, searching Magnus' face with his eyes. He nodded. "No, not really- especially the older generation," he condeded. "Nobody really likes to talk about it."
"It's really all quite bizarre to me," Magnus told him, not breaking eye contact of a moment. It slowly occurred to Alec that Magnus' eyes were fascinating. "I mean, what does it matter? It's all the same feeling, the same idea, the same sparks in your chest..." Magnus smiled. Even his smile was cat-like. "I'm sorry that you feel like you have to hide. That sounds like a dreadful way to live."
Alec let out a short, nervous giggle. He was suddenly very aware of the gap between their bodies, and how it had decreased but still felt far too wide. Alec shook his head, as if he could somehow dispel those ideas from his mind.
"It's...I suppose I'm just used to it," he said, consiously aware of his breath hitching ever so slightly. "Hiding, I mean. If you want to call it that. ...I'm sure they wouldn't mind, it's just...well, I don't want to feel like I'm making a show of it. Sometimes I think it's not important enough to warrant a 'coming out'."
"But it's you, my dear." Magnus' grin was euphoric. "And you are important enough."
Alec felt his heart skip a beat. It was stereotypical as hell, and he always thought it sounded gravely unhealthy, but it happened. His eyes detered from Magnus for just a moment and found Jace, still at the back, laughing with a woman who had a tail and red eyes.
He looked back at Magnus. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"I wouldn't linger on him too much," Magnus advised. "It'll only cause you more heartache."
"I wish it was as easy as that," Alec sighed, overwhelmed by the vulnerability of his own words.
Magnus grinned mischieviously. "Let me help you with that."
And with that, Magnus' lips were on Alec's. It wasn't anything like Alec had expected; it was tender and gentle, and he felt the sudden feeling of gliding, the slight uneasiness you feel when you know that you are safe, but your whole body is flushed with adrenaline. He wrapped an arm around Magnus, as if counting on his body to keep him airbourne, and kissed back with the same soft sensuality- he hoped. He undoubtedly hadn't had as much practice as Magnus.
Magnus pulled back rather abruptly, and to his utter embarassment, Alec's lips followed. His head eventually fell onto Magnus's chest. Magnus chucked deeply, the vibrations tickling Alec's ear.
"Don't look now, but it would seem that your friend is coming back to tell you that- obviously- there isn't anything going on and you two should probably leave before that fey woman that he just made an offensive joke to gets anywhere near his midsection," Magnus told him in a string of letters. He stood up and walked to the arm of the couch. There he halted and turned back.
"Out of curiosity, what were you here to investigate?" he asked.
"Innapropriate relations with demons." The words fell out of Alec's mouth before he could stop them.
Magnus grinned. "Of course," he said. "Well, I'm off. But before I go..."
He reached into his seemingly never-ending pockets and pulled out a white card, much like the card that the invitations were printed on. "Just a little get together- something to do when you're free." His voice was airy and light. He handed Alec the card and Alec hastily tucked it into the pocket. He looked around the room, searching for Jace. When he looked back, Magnus had disappeared into the shadows.
"Have you been sitting here the whole time I was away?"
Alec turned to Jace standing before him, swaying slightly. "Yeah," he said. "What have you been doing?"
"Oh, nothing," he said, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. "Anyways- false alarm. I don't even think there's a single demon at this party."
"False information, then."
Jace shrugged. "It happens- some people just really don't like Downworlders. Let's go before I grow another pair of eyes."

Jace stared absent-mindedly out the window into darkness. When they first got into the subway, they had argued about who would get the window seat. As always, Jace won, and for a while, Alec was crossed about it. But there was an advantage to Jace being away in a world of his own.
Alec pulled out the white card he'd been given. Like the invitation, the card had an address on it that he didn't recognise, but there was no hyperbole and nothing that indicated what the night would entail. It didn't even have Magnus' name on it; just a place, a date, and a time.
The time was midnight the next day.