There are some semi-direct quotes from the books and other canon mixed in this story. If you think you have spotted one review or PM me and I will tell you if you're right. ;) They're subtle and some are not very well known canon so I am curious how many you can find. You may recognized some plots from the books but this is an AU so it also does its own thing. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for giving it a try.
Everything white in the room was light up like a glow stick. Stage lights flashed bright colours while music blasted from every corner. In the dim of dancing bodies Alec stood, wondering what the hell he was doing here even though he knew exactly why the hell he was here.
"Can we go now?" Alec asked the blonde standing beside him, staring off into the group.
"Clary wants to stay longer," the blonde said. This blonde happened to be Alec's best friend in the world since he was about ten years old that and only that was the reason Alec had allowed himself to be dragged to this party. Jace wasn't usually one for parties but ever since he had met that redhead girl Jace had been acting crazy.
"Well I'm gonna go," Alec said.
"No," Jace said. "I will find a cute girl for you to dance with."
"Now I am definitely going to go," Alec said. Cute girls were not really his thing not that anyone really knew that.
"If only Clary had some girlfriends," Jace said, hitting Alec in the arm. "We could double date. But she just has that silly boy who follows her around. Sheldon? Sherwin?" Jace gave up. Apparently his new crushes friend's name wasn't worth any mental energy to him.
"I think you may have competition there, buddy," Alec said. Alec knew unrequited love when he saw it and this redhead's friend was definitely in love with her. Alec was also sure his name wasn't Sheldon or Sherwin. Though since he couldn't remember the boy's name either it really didn't matter.
"Nah," Jace said. "I am way too good-looking for that." He winked and Alec tried not to swoon.
"There's Clary," Jace said. "Gotta go but you" he gave Alec a serious look. "Stay." And he disappeared into the crowd. Alec sighed. He couldn't help but be jealous of the stupid redhead that suddenly had Jace whipped when they weren't even dating.
Alec resigned himself to sticking it out a little longer. What did one do at parties? Alec wasn't sure but sitting awkwardly and watching Jace dance with the silly redhead seemed to be about all he was good for right now.
"I haven't seen you at one of these parties before." Alec turned and there looking lazily at him, with a wine glass in his hand, stood the most beautiful man Alec had ever seen. The curve of the man's eyes made Alec think the man was of asian ancestry. The man's hair was short and black with blue highlights. It stood straight up in spikes on top of his head. He was wearing black leather pants with a bright yellow very tight shirt. The fabric was so thin in fact Alec wondered why the man had bothered to wear a shirt at all. The man was tall and lean but Alec could see well defined muscles through the stretched fabric of his shirt. As the man shifted his weight Alec noticed there was an elegance to the way the man moved, almost feline in nature. Like he was a dancer who knew exactly how his body worked and exactly how his body looked at every angle. It was almost like he purposely held himself exactly how he knew looked best.
Alec suddenly realized he had been drinking his man in with his eyes. He felt the blood rush to his face as he turned away very pointedly and stared at the wall.
"Well aren't you adorable," the man said. Alec didn't turn his head this time but started to count the cracks on the wall in front of him. Suddenly his view of the wall was blocked by a smirking face.
"I don't mind the staring," the man purred. "Do you think I dress like this to blend in?" Alec shook his head. He suddenly discovered he wasn't capable of speech.
As Alec watched the man he could see those light green eyes drink him in. Alec felt every look as if the man's hands were touching him. Those eyes roamed over his body as Alec felt himself blush scarlet. When Alec was sure the man had finished mentally undressing him their eyes locked.
"Blue," the man said. "Call me sometime, blue eyes." The man reached forward and pulled Alec's wrist up. Alec was too stunned to react let alone decide if he wanted this or not. Before his mind had finished processing the fact that his man was actually touching him, the man released his arm and walked away.
Alec stood frozen with shock for only a moment before he looked down at his arm. There was a phone number written there with the word Magnus beside it. Alec didn't understand what just happened. He stared in disbelief at the black ink on his arm. He heard as if from very far away his name being called but he was too transfixed by the marks on his arms to register them. It wasn't until a hand grabbed him by the upper arm that he looked up to see Jace.
"Congrats on the phone number buddy," Jace said. "But we gotta go."
"Oh so now you want to leave," Alec said. "What happened to Clary wants to stay?" Alec tried his best to mimic the sappy voice Jace used when he talked about the redhead girl.
"That stupid friend of her's showed up," Jace said, totally ignoring Alec's attempt to mock him.
"So you believe me now," Alec said. "About the competition?"
"Never," Jace said, running his hand through his hair in a seductive way. Or maybe Alec was just bias. "Anyway that Stanley or whatever his name is has gotten himself in trouble and she insists on helping him."
"And let me guess," Alec said. "You are going to help her?"
"Yeah," Jace said.
"What has his girl done to you?" Alec teased even while jealousy flared up inside him.
"Not sure," Jace said. "But come and help please." Alec sighed.
"What could that nerd have possibly done to need help from all three of us?"
"Just come," Jace said and dragged Alec out the door and into the back alley. There Alec saw the redhead who had Jace totally besotted and leaning on her for support was the unremarkable looking brown haired boy named Sherwin or something.
"Cla-ry," the brown haired boy said obviously very drunk. He was wobbling where he stood and would probably be a heap on the ground if not for the redhead supporting him. "Birds fly around your head." The boy made to snatch at the supposed birds and almost fell over.
"Simon!" the redhead said worry in every aspect of her voice. "I gotta get him home. Sorry guys. I don't know how he got so drunk."
"Someone spiked his drink." The voice had come from behind them and everyone turned to see Isabelle, Alec's little sister. She must of just left the party. "I overheard some people talking. Looked like they were intending to spike your drink Clary." Alec didn't need to turn around to feel the anger coming off Jace.
"Relax," Alec said putting a hand on Jace's arm. "She's fine. Let's just go." Alec felt Jace calm somewhat. It always pleased him when he managed to do this since no one else could. Jace had quite the temper.
The greatest irony of this whole situation was that the one who was totally drunk was the only one who had brought a car. It wasn't until they all stood around said car that everyone realized none of them could drive standard.
"Oh Simon," Clary complained. "Why do you insist on driving cars only you can drive." She sighed. "I'll call a cab. This whole night has been a disaster."
Not a total disaster, Alec thought as he watched the redhead dial. He had met a rather fabulous guy and even gotten the guys phone number. Alec just wasn't sure what he wanted to do with this information.
"So who's number's that written on your arm?" Jace said in a teasing tone.
Alec shrugged. Deciding less was more in this situation. His sister gave him a funny look. Alec had always suspected Izzy knew but he have never actually told her and she had never actually said anything to him about it.
"Oh come on," Jace said. "Mr. Forever-Dateless suddenly has a phone number inked on his arm and he isn't even going to tell us anything!"
Pronouns suck, Alec thought as he tried to think of a way to explain what had happened without giving away the gender of the individual in question.
"Just because you would boast about every score doesn't mean Alec will," Izzy said coming to his defence as usual. "He's a gentleman." Though Jace was Alec's best friend first he had somewhere down the line before more like a best friend of the family. It hadn't been long until Jace had started to tease Izzy like a little sister. Jace didn't have much of a home life outside of Alec's family actually. Jace just had his mom and she hadn't been the same since his dad died. She didn't really leave the house or do much other than collect disability checks. Alec sometimes worried what would have happened if ten year old Jace hadn't had Alec as a friend when his father died and his mother stopped caring. He couldn't image it would have been good.
"A gentleman," Jace said. "Doesn't let a lady put ink on his arms without giving her something to remember him by?" Jace winked very suggestively.
"Jace! Come on. If Alec doesn't want to say anything than leave him alone." Alec stared at the redhead with new eyes. Maybe she wasn't so bad.
"Cary hick," the brown haired boy gurgled from his place in Clary's arms. "Why you spin?"
"I can't let his mother see him like this!" Clary said desperately. "Can he crash somewhere else maybe." She looked pleadingly at Jace and to Alec's surprise Jace grinned.
"Sure," Jace said. "Sherwin can crash with me."
"His name is Simon," Clary said. "And thanks." Alec rolled his eyes. This redhead was different than any other girl Jace had ever dated. This one he seemed powerless to say no to.
The cab arrived and Jace, Clary and the drunk idiot got into it and drove off.
"So big brother," Izzy said, as the cab drove away. "Will you tell me now that Jace is gone."
"I-" Alec started. He turned to his sister not sure what to say.
"I bet he's cute," Izzy said. "If he has you speechless." She smiled at him and Alec was lost for words for a whole different reason. His sister hadn't even asked. She had just known.
"He was beautiful," Alec said softly.
"You better call him then," Izzy said. Alec nodded and gestured for her to go first which she did. As they walked to the bus stop Alec was surprised Izzy didn't interrogate him further.
"Do you think Simon drank that on purpose to protect his friend?" Izzy asked.
"No idea," Alec said.
"Cause if he did that would be kinda heroic don't ya think?"
"I guess," Alec said. "I thought you were dating what-his-face. That meliorn or marvin or whatever."
"It's Mitchell actually," Izzy said. "And that isn't going well."
"Big surprise," Alec said sarcastically. "When have I never seen you date the same guy for more than a month?"
"Never," Izzy said, giggling.
"So what isn't going well with…"
"Mitchell," Izzy supplied. "Well he is kinda aloof if you know what I mean. Blows me off for no good reason. I guess I am too high maintenance or something."
"Don't think that," Alec said. "It's his loss, Iz. Really. You are great. If he can't handle you then he doesn't deserve you."
"Thanks," Izzy said. "You better tell me what happens with…" Izzy reached over and grabbed Alec wrist to read the name there. "Magnus. Ooow. Sexy name." Alec snatched his hand away.
"Please don't tell mom and dad," Alec begged. Izzy pressed her thumb and pointer finger together over her lips then throw the key away.
"I haven't told them yet, have I?" she smiled at him as the bus drove up to the stop. They didn't speak on the short ride home. When they arrived neither Alec nor Izzy bothered to watch how much noise they were making since both their parents were out of town until tomorrow. That had after all been one of the arguments Jace had made in convincing Alec to go out. Without their parents home they couldn't get in trouble for being out all night. Though thanks to Sherwin the night had ended rather early.
Alec walked up to his room and lay on his bed staring at the slightly smudged ink on his arm. Suddenly scared it would rub off before he got the nerve to call, Alec got out his phone and added Magnus to his contacts. As Alec stared at the new addition to his phone he thought about Magnus and wondered why someone so beautiful had bothered to notice him at all.
Was it too early to text him? Would that seem desperate? Was Alec desperate? For years Alec had looked at Jace and thought he was in love but after tonight... The way Magnus had devoured Alec with his eyes made him wonder. Jace was straight. The straightest straight who ever straighten in a straight line. Alec could pine after him forever and it wouldn't do any good. Besides there was the redhead… or rather Clary now. Jace had never been serious about a girl before. That had made it easier somehow.
Alec decided he was not texting Magnus after meeting him less than an hour ago. He would wait until tomorrow.
Beta read by Rosycat
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