As usual, I own nothing! Eventually, a Malec story will appear and i'll stop with the one shots :P
It was freezing. The air outside hung with the chill of a freezer and the absence of any clouds meant it wasn't going to get any warmer. I debated putting my hands in my pockets to warm them, but the faint thought that it wouldn't matter occurred to me. The roof was glistening with almost-ice, sparkles of glitter coating every surface. I touched the rail in front of me and traced a small line on the surface. The cold metal burnt the tips of my fingers. I pushed my finger over and around the horizontal pole that was the rail and brought my fingers to join it. Right hand secured on the slippery rail, I swiveled myself onto the edge, my feet balancing on the edge of the roof as my right hand slowly slipped off the rail. My balance was perfect. There was no wind, no breeze, just a chill. I breathed in and out, feeling the icy particles freeze my throat and my lungs, watching as it expelled a small puff of white. I wasn't going to miss this.
A shiver wracked my body ever so slightly against my will, my back barely touching the rail. The city moveed beneath my feet, cars still driving to their destinations, even this early in the morning. Or late at night, depending on how you view two o'clock in the morning. People still walked the pavements, and the lights were always on. Closing my eyes, I leant forwards, my hands loosening on the rail. I heard the door to the roof open and I turned to see over my shoulder. The last thing I wanted to do was scare someone for life, or to scar them; God forbid it was Camille. But I had to check. My grip secured and I turned over my shoulder
A figure cautiously appeared, looking and heading to the right end of the roof. I was on the left, they hadn't seen me. But there was a camera strap that was obvious around his neck. I swiftly pulled myself back around the edge of the rail and abandoned my plan for now. I didn't want to go back to the party on the eighteenth floor, but I couldn't follow through with my plan if the person stayed on the roof. After a few minutes, he began shooting photos, the soft click of the shutter almost lost in the air. I wasn't sure if I could get to the door and pretend I was never there. But I didn't want to scare the guy by just waiting for him to turn around and see me – It'd be weird. I debated hiding, but if he found me, he'd probably jump a mile too. I made as much noise as possible as I moved from the left side of the roof, over to the front, which overlooked the main street. The shutter clicks stopped and I turned to see the guy; he'd noticed.
I'd noticed.
He was the walking image of a ghost. Everything was black except his porcelain skin and his electric blue eyes. Even from my position, I could see he was beautiful. My chest pulled. I could have died without seeing this. It filled my night's plans with doubt. I sighed softly and turned my attention to the main street below me, this time, over the rail and from a different perspective. He came over without a sound.
"It's a cold night" He tried, casually raising his camera to his eye and leaning over the edge; the shutter clicked.
"It's refreshing" I decided. He quirked a sad, awkward smile.
"I guess" I sort of liked the way his body arched as he leant over the rail a little more, the shutter clicking continuously.
"You came up here to photograph stuff?"
"Well…there's this party on the eighteenth floor that-…it's probably brilliant but…it's not my scene. I like it up here instead and our house isn't this high so…"
"Taking advantage?"
"Yeah" He sort of laughed, a whispy breath of a laugh. "You?"
"Came from the party on the eighteenth floor" I find myself smiling. "Didn't like it much either" He looked me over and smiled. His smile was just as gorgeous as the rest of him. I shivered.
"Are you cold?" He looked concerned suddenly.
"No…no, I'm fine. You?" He shrugged ambiguously.
"I'm Alec" He threw his spare hand out spontaneously, the one that wasn't holding his camera. I smiled faintly at his eagerness.
"…Magnus" I shook his hand, but his grip went loose as his brow dipped.
"As in Magnus Bane?"
"That would be my magnificent self"
"The party on the eighteenth floor" He started. "It's yours" My smile is the only confirmation. "Then why are you up here? You didn't like your own party?"
"They're all the same to me" I told him. "They're all boring"
"Are you kidding?" Alec frowned. "Don't you realize how much people want to be at your parties?"
"But not you" He suddenly went sheepish, curiosity filling his electric eyes.
"I'm not exactly…a social…person" He admitted.
"So why come? Change of scenery? Photographs?"
"Siblings, actually" He gave me a shrug and turned off his camera. "My brother and sister really like your parties"
"So they're regulars?"
"Yep" He popped his 'p' and I shivered as his lips moved. "At least once every fortnight – that's a bit embarrassing really, isn't it?"
"Do you always come with them?"
"No…I usually manage to get out of it" He smiled.
"Not this time?" He shook his head, no. "Won't they miss you?"
"Like I said. Not a social person" He gave me a shrug. I suppose being a beautiful person would bring so much attention that in the end, all you'd want is to be alone.
"A beautiful thing like you?" It slipped out in a breath, but he caught it and went a pale pink. The tips of his ears went red – but that could've been the cold. "I'm sorry, that came out…weirdly"
"It's err…" He smiles for a split second before coughing and turning away. "Fine" He muttered.
"Not used to compliments?" He shrugged his shoulder and turned back to me nervously. "Not used to compliments from guys" I concluded, smiling, trying to absorb every inch of colour in his eyes.
"Still getting used to sort of being…noticed" He admitted sheepishly, his hands fiddling absent mindedly with the shape of his camera.
"You don't like attention?"
"It's saved for my siblings and I really don't mind that," He started; it was obvious his nerves were getting the better of him.
"You'd just rather be left alone" I glanced towards the edge of the roof where I was stood less than ten minutes ago.
"Yeah" He agreed softly. "I think…I got used to being in the background. I like it that way, I always have"
"It certainly has its advantages" A list automatically began to form in my head, but all that came out was "like sitting on the roof with weird strangers" Alec smiled. "And for a non-social butterfly, you seem to like strangers" I told him.
"I'm making friends" He muttered.
"With strangers" I countered.
"Isn't that how making friends start?" I smiled at this. "You aren't a weirdo, right?"
"I called you beautiful" I reminded him. "So it's debatable". He paused.
"Yes. But it was complimentary. I think. Right?"
"Of course" I insisted.
"So no harm done. You aren't a weirdo, Magnus. Trust me." It was the first time he spoke my name, and it felt brilliant. I grinned, elated, but an unmistakable text tone broke my happiness in an instant. It wasn't mine, so the obvious assumption was that it was Alec's. Which would inevitably mean that he would possibly have to leave. I waited; he pulled out his phone, read the text and frowned at it before glancing at me carefully.
"Anything important?" I was willing myself not to be nosey, but I was curious.
"I have to go…siblings to take home" He shuffled himself up the wall and wobbled to a stand, his body bracing itself against the cold. "It was nice talking to you, Magnus" I shivered. Whether because he said my name, or I was cold, or he was leaving, I didn't know.
"Will you come to my next party?"
"Not a socialite, remember?" He smiled carefully, something on the tip of his tongue. He was holding it back with bit lips. I was wondering if I could get away with saying something along the lines of 'it can be a party just for me and you' but I doubted it. Instead, I whipped his phone from his unsuspecting hands and added my number to his phonebook. I gave it back.
"If you ever feel like being sociable, I'm in there" I nodded to his phone. "'Kay?"
"Thanks" He grinned, and he was beautiful all over again. "I should go" He took a few steps back, but was obviously unwilling to leave. "Have a good night" He told me, giving me a small, awkward wave before disappearing the way he came. My heart jumped as the door clicked shut and my eyes set themselves on the ledge I had planned to jump off. Suddenly, I didn't feel like jumping anywhere but straight into him.