Chapter One—Addictions

Addictions were bad for you; no matter what it was you craved. Drugs, alcohol, sex, food, pain, or anything else. Too much of one thing is bad for you. But why are people addicted if they knew it would only hurt them in the long run? That's what Magnus was thinking, as he awoke to find himself in a strange hotel room, sleeping next to a complete stranger. Addictions…they really screwed you over, but for Magnus it was literal. He was addicted to sex and had been for almost two years. He yawned and stretched silently, and then slid out of bed and began pulling on his clothes. He glanced at the sleeping stranger as he left, wondering who the hell he was.

The man was older than him by the looks of it, maybe in his early thirties, with dirty blond hair and light stubble. He was cute, so at least Magnus hadn't been so horny he'd jumped the first person he'd seen.

With a sigh Magnus left, paying for the hotel room out of habit more than anything, and then jumped in a cab and headed back to his flat in Brooklyn. As the cab swerved violently around midmorning traffic, Magnus checked his cell. Three text messages and seven missed calls all from the same person; his roommate. Magnus felt a stab of guilt as he hit the call button, listening to the ring.

"Magnus! Where were you last night?"

"Sorry, I had a night out." Magnus said, knowing that the meaning would catch on. His roommate was actually one of his best friends, and they'd been friends since middle school. It was pure chance they'd met up again after college, both of them looking for a place in Brooklyn, so they quickly decided to move in together.

Apparently the person picked up in the subtext because he sighed, sending a rush of static through the phone, "Are you on your way home now?"

"Yeah, I'm ten minutes away."

"Alright." The voice paused, and then asked quietly, "Are you ok?"

Magnus smiled despite himself, "I'm fine. It was just to get it out of my system."

"Ok…see you in a bit."

"Bye." Magnus hung up and sighed as he tucked his phone away. It was sweet of him to worry, but sometimes Magnus wondered why. He knew he had a problem, and one of these days it was going to sneak up and bite him in the ass. He sighed loudly again, earning a backwards glance from his cab driver. They pulled up at his building and Magnus tossed him some bills, getting out and walking up to their flat. He opened the door and found, as he expected, his roommate waiting for him.

Blue eyes were narrowed in concern as he immediately gave Magnus a once over, his expression becoming unreadable as he noticed the large hickey on his neck, "About time you got here, I have to go to work."

"Nobody told you to wait up." Magnus joked, shutting the door with his foot and walking into the kitchen, "Anything to eat?"

"Just leftovers."

"Alec, baby, you didn't cook for me? My heart is broken!" Magnus gasped, throwing himself against the wall dramatically.

"Shut up, you hate my cooking." Alec grumbled, looking away from his roommate's performance. He knew Magnus was goofing off to show he was alright. This entire thing was becoming a routine. His lively friend would go out to a party or some bar, pick up a stranger, go a hotel room to feed his addiction, and then come home and convince Alec through a variety of ways that he was completely alright. "Listen you, there's pasta on the top shelf, heat some up for about a minute, ok?"

"Yes mom." Magnus smiled, his eyes twinkling, "See you later!"

"Bye." Alec walked out and headed down to catch a cab, trying suppress the other part of the routine that Magnus didn't know about; the hurt. Alec had been in love with his friend since he'd first laid eyes on him in middle school, but it had been unrequited love. The black haired man had figured that those feelings would go away in time, and had dated other men, but when he'd seen his secret crush after college, all those years later, he felt as though a piece of his heart had come back to him. Magnus wasn't the only one with an addiction; and Alec's was slowly killing him. It was a knife through his chest every time his love came home from another 'night out', and he knew that one day everything would build up and he'd snap or break into a million pieces. Alec sighed and focused on catching a cab; he would just stuff those feelings down again and try to get on with his life.

Magnus hummed under his breath as he rummaged through the fridge, finding the pasta and sticking it in the microwave. He hit the proper time and then wandered into his bedroom, still humming, to find something to wear. After a brief debate, he decided to go with black skinny jeans and a bright green top which brought out his eyes beautifully. Smiling at himself in the full length mirror that occupied one part of his wall, Magnus sashayed his way out into the living room just as the microwave beeped. Magnus got the food and sat down, eating it with gusto due to last night's work out. Naturally, he didn't remember much, but he didn't let that bother him as he ate the pasta.

Alec sat at his desk, rolling a pen between his fingers. He needed to finish this deal so he could go out to lunch, but his client was being incredibly difficult. He groaned inwardly as his phone rang, no doubt his client, and he picked it up slowly, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this the morgue? Because darling, you sound like you should be working there."

"Magnus!" Alec glanced up to check if anyone was with-in ear shot. Finding nobody, he returned to his call, "Why are you calling? Is something wrong?"

"Must something be wrong every time I wish to call my beloved best friend?"

Alec felt his eye twitch. He could picture Magnus's face, his eye brows bunched up and his eyes looking at him like a child's, his lower lips sticking out just a bit, "So you called to irritate me."

"Noooo! I called to thank you for the pasta! I'm not stupid Alec; we didn't have pasta last night."

So he had noticed. Alec felt a smile tug on his lips, "Edible?"

"Completely!"

"I'm glad. Well your welcome and I have to get back to work."

"Wait wait! I'm actually in the neighborhood; I was doing some window shopping, so want to have lunch?"

Alec glanced at his watch. He had to close this deal, he knew that, but…it didn't have to be closed before lunchtime per say. The thought of having lunch with Magnus was itching under his skin, "Alright, where?"

"That little French place by the fountain!"

"…Magnus, you really need to give better directions."

"Ok wait a sec…"

Alec raised his eyebrows as he heard his roommate shout at some passerby, no doubt asking for directions.

"Three blocks east from where you are!"

"See you in ten minutes." Alec replied, and then hung up. He stood and grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it over his shoulders as he walked out of the building. It was a nice day, a little cool, and Alec set his pace to a brisk walk. Two different thoughts pestered at him as he walked; the happiness that he was seeing Magnus so soon, and the twisted pain that he was seeing Magnus so soon. It formed some sort of bitter sweet feeling that made Alec feel like throwing up and skipping all at once. Thankfully neither of these things happened by the time he arrived at the restaurant. He spotted Magnus instantly; more specifically Alec spotted his shirt, and made his way over to the small table by the window.

"Alec! I'm actually surprised you came." Magnus purred, grinning up at his best friend warmly.

"No you're not." Alec snorted, sitting down and tugging at his cuff's, "Already ordered I take it?"

"Yup, I got you a salmon crepe." Magnus wiggled his eyebrows, his eyes glowing. "So how's work?"

"Couldn't you tell by my morbid tone?" Alec joked, and then felt a pang shoot through his chest when Magnus laughed. He loved how Magnus laughed; he'd toss his head back a little, baring his throat, open his lips and laugh from his chest, his eyes sparkling. He averted his eyes and stared instead at his water glass, "Yeah work sucks, but it pays the bills."

The waiter arrived, bringing them their food, and then departed with a, "Enjoy your meal, sirs."

Magnus picked up his fork, still hungry, and began devouring his food, "So," he said between mouthfuls, "I was invited to party tonight, somewhere near Queens." Seeing Alec's look he quickly added, "I want you to come! It won't be like that, I promise."

Despite the promise, Alec would have bet his job that somehow Magnus was going to submit to his addiction the same way Alec has done on the phone, "Alright I'll come, but I'm not staying too late."

"Yes!" Magnus cheered, already done with his food and eyeing Alec's half eaten crepe, "Maybe you'll find a hot someone to be your date." He winked playfully.

"Be my date?" Alec asked, feeling cocky, and then snapped his mouth shut as his stomach dropped to the floor. What-the-hell-had-he-just-said? He looked up in surprise as Magnus laughed.

"Aw, I'll always be your date." Magnus cooed, reaching across the table and helping himself to some of Alec's food, "But while we're there, I'm taking you man hunting."

"Oh god." If anything, that made Alec feel worse. He'd asked Magnus out and his crush had taken it like a joke; but Alec didn't really expect anything less. But what was worse was now he'd have to listen to his love murmuring in his ear all evening about other men's asses.

Magnus, mistaking Alec's tortured facial expression, grinned, "Don't be so nervous! I'm sure you'll find someone!"

Addictions would kill you, and now Alec was staring at his plate, hoping desperately that he was allergic to salmon crepes so he wouldn't have to go to the party.