Happy Holidays. This is a new fic I have been working on for a couple of days to help me recover from writing a novel in a month. It's a AU so if you don't like those don't continue reading this. I'm excited to work with a new fandom and a fandom that has the couple I have chosen to write about cannon. That's a little different. But I love Alec and Magnus, they have a lot of depth. I hoped I tapped into some of that here in the first chapter of whatever the heck this is suppose to be...hmm.

So, if you do happen to enjoy this brief chapter please feel free to favorite, alert, and comment (comments that are nice make a writers' day XD) because there should be more. Well I know there is lol.

~Kai

Welcome to the Aftermath – Chapter One

The cold wind of a New York winter, whirled around Alec as he stared up at the night sky. He hadn't brought his jacket outside with him. Mostly because he hadn't seen the point. A light dusting of snow crunched underneath the soles of his shoes, as he stepped up on the ledge of the roof. Back and forth he scuffed his foot. Heal toe. Heal toe.

The sidewalk below was dimly lit with the flickering street lamps. It was easily a thirty-foot drop or more. If he just happened to fall, there would be little expectancy that he would survive. The idea of killing himself had crossed his mind, but he always hesitated, remembering that was a coward's way out. Yet, there was a part of him that wondered if maybe it would be easier on the people he loved if he did just happen to slip. It was horrible to think that, but his life was merely a mirror of the shattered, jagged pieces of what it used to be.

"I'm still here!" He shouted up into the black sky.

"Yeah, that's fine, but could you keep it down?" A voice startled him, and he lost his footing on the icy ledge. He started to fall backwards, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, twisting him around in the direction of the rooftop. His back landed in the snow as something heavy landed on him, knocking the air right out of his lungs.

His eyes were closed, when his back had collided with the rooftop. Now, as he blinked the open a couple of times, and waited for them to return to focus. His gazed locked with a pair of stunning amber eyes that gleamed in the dim light that illuminated the roof. Was that a natural color? Alec couldn't believe it. The unique eyes belonged to a handsome young man, clearly of Asian descent. His black hair was spiked up into a sharp bed of bristles that sparkled in the low florescent light from the on lamp perched beside the door.

"I'm sorry, generally when I have guys falling for me, it's not quite this literal," the guy said while trying to down play what might have happened if he hadn't caught Alec.

Alec just blinked at him, unsure what he was feeling. Slowly, the guy climbed off of him, and Alec tried to ignore the sudden quickness of his heart, and the tightness in his lower region. Once again, his body had betrayed him because no matter how much he wished to deny his sexuality but couldn't. And this guy was just a terrible reminder of that, but what was a little shocking was that this guy wasn't Jace. Before, it had only ever been Jace, to make his heart flutter in his chest like a caged bird.

"Magnus Bane," the guy said as he stuck out his hand for Alec to shake.

He just stared at it, until it dawned on him that it was his turn to reciprocate. "Sorry, Alec…Alexander Lightwood," he said as he gripped Magnus's hand tightly. He hadn't really meant to; it had just seemed to happen. He yanked his hand away, as his cheeks burned in embarrassment. It made him glad that he could turn away from the only source of light on the roof to hide his reddening cheeks.

"Okay, so now, you need to tell me, just what exactly were you planning on doing on the slippery ledge?"

Alec shrugged, but Magnus didn't seem to believe that this was an acceptable enough answer.

"I wasn't trying to kill myself if that was what you were thinking," Alec said, and Magnus nodded.

"Okay, so that wasn't what you were doing. Then please enlighten me as to what you were actually doing up on the roof with a slippery ledge?"

Alec didn't say anything because he didn't know what to say, to explain why he was on the roof in the first place. Sure, he had many reasons he for being up here, but none of them he wanted to share with the sparkly stranger.

"I needed some fresh air." It wasn't a lie, but it was far from the actual truth.

"Yeah, I don't buy that, but I get it. I won't pry. I was just wondering if I should be concerned."

Alec nodded. He could understand how Magnus would be able to jump to the conclusion he had. But Magnus had been kind enough not to force the truth out of him.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, feeling brave.

Magnus smiled at him, a stunning display of white teeth. It was almost a smile that Alec wished he could return. "Well, I just moved into the building, and I came up here to have a quick smoke. I mean, generally I don't smoke, but I've been stressed out recently with meeting deadlines and moving. And I also came up here so my cat wouldn't judge me on my poor life choices."

Right away, he could tell that Magnus was open. Magnus didn't have the layers of shame that Alec had. Then again, he was sure few people had the same kind of shame he did. For he felt shame with just about everything he did and everything he was. By the angel, what he wouldn't give to live with the freedom that Magnus seemed to have. Alec was chained, freedom always just out of his reach.

"How often do you come up here?" Magnus asked.

Alec shrugged again. "Sometimes a lot. Sometimes a little. It depends." Alec mumbled because again the reasons as to why were not something he wanted to discuss.

Mostly, he came up to the roof to get away from his life. He could barely stand to be in the same room as his parents. Not because he was angry with them, but he could only stand to be blatantly ignored for so long. There was too much guilt and pain that often he found himself suffocating. Coming up to the roof was like being able to break the surface after being forced underwater by an invisible hand.

"So, there is a good chance that if I came back up here I would find you?" Magnus inquired.

Alec's breath caught as he slowly nodded.

Magnus smiled again. "Good, because I feel like I might owe you something, since I did almost kill you."

Alec was about to say something, when the door to roof swung open and Jace stood there, with his hands resting on his hips. His blonde hair glowed like it was encircled with a golden halo, even in the dim lighting. His handsome features, set with worry. Alec couldn't figure out why. If he wasn't with Jace, he was on the roof. That was how it worked, anyways.

"Alec, it's getting late. Come back inside, and it's freezing, where is your jacket?" Jace demanded.

Alec had to fight not to roll his eyes because it usually was him to chide Jace, acting like a mother hen. Often enough his adopted brother didn't seem to mind. Plus, it was nice have someone actually display genuine concern for him.

"And who is this?" Magnus asked as he stepped away from Alec and held his hand out for Jace to shake.

Jace ignored it as he brushed past him to Alec's side.

"This is Jace, my brother." Alec supplied. It wasn't surprising that Magnus would show interest in Jace. Everyone with eyes showed interest in Jace. Alec tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling clawing it's way around his stomach.

Magnus huffed in annoyance, but didn't say anything.

"What were you thinking, coming up here without your coat?" Jace insisted.

"I guess; I just didn't think about it."

"You never seem to think about it. You're going to catch pneumonia if you continue to come out here without your jacket." Jace said, as he turned to head back to the door, nearly running into Magnus in the process, and it was then that he seemed to realize that Alec hadn't been alone on the roof when he had first arrived.

"Who's this guy?" Jace asked Alec, still completely disregarding Magnus though they were standing right next to each other.

"Hello Jace, I'm Magnus Bane and I am new to this building." He held out his hand once more. Alec had to give Magnus credit if he was anything, he was tenacious.

Jace looked Magnus up and down, but still didn't take his hand. Magnus frowned and let his hand drop down to his side.

"Well, as much as it's been a pleasure to meet you Jace, I need to go and feed my cat." He walked over to the exit to the roof and stopped, turning and locking eyes with Alec. "I'll see you around Lightwood." He quickly waved over his shoulder and then he was gone.

"That guy looked like the rainbow threw up on him." Jace said off handedly and Alec flinched. It was those type of comments that made Alec hesitate to tell his brother about his sexuality. The other reason was that he didn't want to tell Jace that he in fact had feelings for him, despite knowing good and well that his brother was straight.

"He seemed nice," Alec replied. "Is Izzy back from Judo practice?"

"She's staying the night at Clary's." Jace said.

Alec's eyebrows shot up and furrowed into the center of his forehead. Neither of them had appeared to get along the last time they had all been together. Sure, Izzy had probably been kinder to Clary than Alec had been, but his sister hadn't seen the addition of Clary as a threat that would take Jace away from her.

"I think Isabella's reason for staying over was to find out more information about Clary's friend Simon."

"Seriously, Clary's nerdy friend that likes Star Wars? Star Trek? I'm not sure which one actually."

"Yeah, the very one. Life's weird isn't it? Because, I mean seriously, Izzy and that Simon guy? No way." Jace said as he tilted his head up towards the sky.

Being around Jace was like being around a livewire. It was very exciting, but it had the opportunity to be deadly. It scared Alec how much he relied on Jace to make him feel almost anything at all. Jace wouldn't allow Alec to become numb, no matter how hard Alec tried to be. It was one of things he hated most about his brother and it was also one of the things that he loved the most about his brother.

"Love is a funny thing." Alec replied as he wrapped his arms around himself. The cold now finally getting the better of him.