A/N:

I'm not an English native speaker, so if you see that something is wrong, tell me – I will fix it.

Warnings: swearing, prostitution, violence, anorexia, homophobia, possible lemons in the future.

! Alec and Magnus are nineteen.

I was supposed to post one-shot before this, but I got stuck in the middle of it, so decided to post this instead. I don't think it will be updated regularly, because even though I have holidays, I work, look after my little godson and try to have fun with my friends. But I will try.

Thanks and a big hug as usual to my lovely beta Madame OwlEyes :)

The break of dawn kills all the beauty
The dead of night is drifting away
Should I stay and welcome the day
Or should I follow the one and hide from the sun?

The ray of light cuts like a razor
The blazing fire burns in my eye
The day reveals the dreadful betrayer
And his wicked mind

Hide from the sun
Hide from the sun
Hide from the sun

Dead promises, paintings of the world so pure
Ancient prophecies, remains of the world so cruel
The time has come to hide from the sun

Dead promises, by The Rasmu

Alec bit his pen and gazed at the various pieces of art hung on the walls of the class. These were the works of the most talented students that graduated the Academy as Mr. Hodge liked to reminisce, but most of them were rather plain in Alec's opinion, not that he considered himself really talented. It was all his sister's Isabelle idea and only her constant nagging made him apply. He was genuinely shocked when he was accepted, but Izzy just gave him hug and told him that she was proud and he so deserved it.

He loved painting or drawing, he liked to watch as from the initially senseless, casual strokes of his pencil or brush a portrayal of the reality was created. He had never understood the Cubists and their messy paintings – he could understand why some people were bewitched by their pieces. But he found beauty in the real world, even in its ugly parts. He loved more classic approach and despised the classes on the modern art.

"As you all probably noticed, the end of the school year is slowly approaching and you have to submit your semester assignments . This year's topic is The Seven Deadly Sins, and please no landscapes, animals or other bizarre things. I want people's portraits. Are we clear?" The collective murmur of the twenty voices gave the positive answer, and Hodge grinned; he loved these kids. "Alright, class dismissed!"

Alec swiftly put his things into his black, old bag and rushed to the door. He wanted to be out of here as quickly as he could. However, everything was against him today, so his quick departing was interrupted by the Mr. Hodge's rumbustious baritone.

"Alexander! I want to speak with you for a second, can you come here?"

"Of course, sir." Alec sighed and sat in front of his teacher dreading what he would say. He was sure he had supplied all his works, unless the teacher wanted to scold him, because some of them were so horrible. "Yes, it must be it." The boy thought desperately, his fingers clenching nervously on his bag's strap and chewing on his lower lip. He knew that the last drawing he did, was rushed and all, but he really didn't suspect that it was that bad…

"Relax Alexander, you look like you're going to burst. I just want to talk about this new project." The older man smiled placidly, saw that the boy exhaled slowly, and didn't look so tense anymore. "I know that you don't really like doing portraits. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir." Alec confirmed; he really didn't like drawing people. He felt as if he didn't do them justice, and if he did paint someone, it was some family member or close friends, generally somebody he knew well and could portray them in a decent way.

"And if I remember correctly you only made the portraits of family and friends?" Alec nodded unsurely; he was curious what the teacher was getting to. He hoped that Mr. Hodge would say that he doesn't have to do portrait, but he knew it was unrealistic. The teacher had never favored anyone. " Alright what I want you to do is find some stranger to draw, I don't care who. Just not someone you know very well, toy with this person, show them in different light, okay? I want you to step out of your comfort zone."

"Alright..." Alec answered, dumbstruck.

"You can go now." Hodge gestured towards the door, and started to grade papers the students had written an hour ago.

Alec hurriedly passed the empty corridors of the Academy. He had no idea how to find the new subject for his drawings; he had never been popular and didn't have many friends. His sister Izzy and childhood friend Jace were always enough, but now he had to find someone to model for him. "It will be a disaster." He mused grumpily as he got into his black Toyota and let the calming music of Nightwish blare.

Alec tried to relax on his soft, black, leather sofa, but his younger sister Isabelle wouldn't let him be after he told her about the new assignments. It really was heart-warming, and he usually loved how much his sister was involved in his art, but right now she was annoying; or maybe that was his massive headache's fault, but he felt like he would explode any moment.

"Or you could draw Meliorn, you know that guy from my school. Do you want to? I can totally ask him, I'm sure he will agree, and he's so hot!" Isabelle was blabbing all the time, unaware of Alec's internal groans and prays for mercy. She got so excited for this new project, the topic was great and she felt that her brother will find himself in it perfectly. "Or that girl Clary, you know the one Jace is dating right now? She would be good too! And she draws too, did you know? Alec? Alexander Lightwood, are you ignoring me?"

"Huh? No, I don't like Meliorn either." He mumbled, and shrunk a little when he caught Isabelle's furious, black eyes. No one messed with her, not even her big brother. She marched to the coach, her hands on her hips and looked down at Alec, the accusation clearly noticeable on her features.

"You didn't listen to me at all! What the hell Alec?" She asked, her loud voice drilling through Alec's skull and magnifying his already splitting headache.

"I'm just tired, Izzy. " He murmured quietly. "And I don't want any of your friends to model for me, if it must be stranger, it will be a total one."

Her gaze softened significantly as she sat down next to Alec, and ran her slender fingers through his silky, black strands. She always wondered how they looked so good; her brother had never been one for fashion, he didn't care for such mundane things. She had always been jealous that he didn't work at his appearance at all, and still was so attractive. She had to spend hours to look good. Alec was just… simple. His flat portrayed his character too, no extravagant furniture or colours; everything was kept in blues and grays. The only thing that was out of ordinary was enormous bed and art supplies scattered everywhere – on the floor, on the tables, even on the grand-sized bed. Oh and books, by the walls stood shelves filled with variety of them.

She remembered that as a kid she had never understood Alec, who was always hunched over one, while she was trying to get him to play with her. Of course, her big brother could never resist and had always relented. She adored him for that and not only. The two-years-older boy always took care of her, when their parents weren't around. She remembered vividly the nights when she cried herself to sleep in her big brother's arms' because she missed mom and dad and they were away on their business trips. Or when boys from the neighborhood tripped her, and Alex got into the fight with them. So when she was older, she swore that she would care and protect him, as he did when she was little.

She gently rubbed his scalp, and saw that he relaxed a little bit at last. Recently he was exhausted all the time, he tried not to be dependent on their parents so much and started to work in the nearby pub as the waiter; and it showed on his face - glaucous bags slowly forming under his eyes, marring his beautiful features. The school was hard enough, additional work was only exhausting him, but he was stubborn and no amount of Izzy's nagging could convince him to give up the ridiculous job. On the other hand she understood his reasons a little, his relations with their parents were not so good since he came out last year. Their parents didn't' openly announce that they hated him for being gay or disowned him, but they didn't have to, the disappointment was clear on their faces. And it hurt Alec to the core.

She still had this scene vividly imprinted in her mind. Alec's hands tightly clenched, the white knuckles trembling slightly, his face deathly-pale – she shuddered at the memory, she had never seen her brother's face so colourless, his cheeks had always been covered by the faint blush. And their parents' reaction: cold, empty stares and silence, ear-deafening silence ringing through the huge house; At last Alec's teary eyes and his quick departure. She literally felt her heart breaking for her big brother's pain, she regarded their parents with contemptuous glare and ran out to comfort Alec. It had been a week of silence, then Robert finally talked to his son at the breakfast like nothing had happened. The whole coming-out was ignored by their parents, and few days after that Alec asked if he could move out to live on his own, which their parents accepted too eagerly. She guessed they wanted to get rid of the "sick" child. Still she was grateful that they were responsible and at least provided money for Alec's school and flat. If they couldn't give him their unconditional love, cash was the least they could do.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, by Alec's tranquil voice.

"What do you think I should do about the assignment?" He asked uncertainly, biting his lower lip and glancing up at her questionably.

"Maybe you should draw random people at the streets?"

"You know, I can't do it, I have to have the same subject to draw several pieces, and…" He trailed off and looked at her again with his big, blue eyes. "He looks so young and vulnerable right now." She thought. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"What if you gave announcement? You know to the newspaper or on the internet?" She proposed. "You could also meet someone attractive that way." She winked at him and smiled mischievously. "What do you say?"

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