Author's Note: Hey guys! I hope you like the following chapter. The title isn't my favourite, but it will have to do. This is my first fanfic, but I always have loved to write. I admit my strength lies in poetry, soooooo I hope the following is better than tolerable. I welcome reviews, feel free to be harsh as long as it is actually constrictive. Also I suck at editing my own stuff, and I am Canadian so words spelt with U's are infact done on purpose...unless its not…

Disclaimer: Ownership? Well none of these characters are mine :D

One More Thing: I am writing via google doc's so sorry is the format is all screwy after uploading.

Enjoy \(^u^)/

He hyperventilates as the thoughts in his head compress his already tight chest. Reaching towards the stability of the wall his lungs now trying to grasp any air at all. As his left hand caress the chilled wall his body following as it weakens. Slumping to the ground he fumbles for his cure, the action repeated so frequently his muscles are reacting based off memory. He is not aware he is now on the ground, too delirious to take anything in. The air only returns to his lungs once he starts his medicating ritual.

The feeling of a familiar sting is a trace of where the cure glides through the skin. The running blood is a side effect, a reminder left to guilt you when all's said and done and there is nothing left other than cleaning up. It's okay though, I am too numb to let the guilt register. The cleaning is done robotically.

"Remember your midterm summatives are due in just two short weeks. That will be all."

The fragile student sitting in the very back corner would have loved nothing more than to sprint from the room right then, but he can't risk being struck in the crowd. He is at his limit of being around others. Each second the boy waits for the other students to pile out of the room the more difficult it becomes for him to not slip into his clawing anxieties. Three minutes pass, the boy's breath stops without his realisation.

"Um, hey." The skittish boy jumps slightly and his lungs resume their work, but at a slightly accelerated rate. "A bunch of us are planning to go out to eat and maybe get some drinks, did you want to come?" The girl that is inviting the boy has her hair twisted in a singular french braid, her face is freckled and she has braces despite being in her mid twenties. Most people find her to be sweet and on the gentle side, this very reasoning is why she out of the fairly large group of friends is the one to address the shy boy.

For a moment the boy can do nothing more than stare at her frozen. He wasn't expecting anyone from school to interrogate him about what he did or did not want. The girl shifts her weight feeling increasingly awkward as the moment elongates, but much to her credit she never divertes her attention from the boy that is stuck trying to compute the situation.

"N-n-no, ah b-but -th-thanks," the boy finally manages to push out, even with a weak attempt at a smile cracking into shape on his overall melancholy face. The girl genuinely seems disappointed, not that the boy can believe it that someone could be disappointed in the lack of promise of his presence.

"Well maybe next time," and the girl left with a twirl to direct her position to her friends without pushing the boy any on changing his mind.

Once the boy is able to escape the the classroom and the lively campus, he makes his way to his personal sanctuary. His sanctuary is a courtyard that has been long forgotten by the rest of the world. Its stone structure now mostly scattered amongst the ground of broken tile leaving very minimal standing wall left. The boy's favourite part however is a century old oak right in the middle of the courtyard. Unlike the fragility of the rest of the courtyard the oak remains strong with both old and young branches. The tree itself is far from perfect, knots can be found up its trunk and throughout the branches, a few of the branches broken, and about a third of the leaves are touched with dark spots as some trees get. These blemishes make the boy feel a deep connection with the tree, as he wishes that one day he will be able to stand tall and strong despite his flaws.

Placing the plain and rather tattered black bag the boy uses for school on one of the lower branches, the boy climbs his way up the maze of branches. Despite the boy's overwhelming mild manner he is very athletic and has no trouble making his way up to a nook in a large branch. Once positioned the boy does nothing, nothing but stare at the dancing leaves as they follow the winds lead. This is the only place the boy can let his mind be clear of negative and dramatized reasonings. He sighs with contentment.

"Hello?"

The boy's breath hitches and he freezes hoping nothing more than for the intruder to lose interest. Unfortunately the intruding is of a persistent nature when he desires.

"I can see your bag; there is no point in denying your presence."

The timid boy still refuses to present himself. As much as the stranger is persistent the boy is just about as equally stubborn. Just about.

"Fine." The boy feels a moment's relief until he hears the stranger making his way up the oak. By the time the stranger reaches the boy, the boy looks like a deer in headlights too scared to flee from the immediate danger. "Well, hello gorgeous," the man said with a slight chuckle.

If the boy wasn't in shock before he sure is now. He does not understand how anyone can see him as slightly attractive let alone gorgeous. The man can't help himself though, for the boy he found hiding in a tree is infact gorgeous with dark hair, fair skin, and oh my Angel those eyes. Even more than just how attractive this boy is it is clear he has not even the slightest idea of the fact.

"What's your name love?"

"A-Alec L-L-Lightw-wood." The boy manages to stammer out as his face flushes to a deep red from the use of such an affectionate term. He isn't even sure why he told the mysterious man his name. There is just something about him that makes the boy lend some trust to him.

"Alec, being short for...Alexander is it?"

"E-everyone calls me Alec."

"Hmm, well Alexander; I am Magnus Bane."

"Oh..kay.."

"Now Alexander tell why such a fine man as yourself is seeking haven in an old tree." Alec flinches at the word man; he isn't used to associating himself with any level of maturity feeling he has done nothing to earn it.

The boy looks at Magnus for the first time no longer just looking through him with fear. The man has carefully spiked hair and either walked through a cloud of glitter or simply loves it. The boy almost wants to reach out and touch the glitter infatuated with it. There is no way he can do such a thing though. The man also has green/gold eyes that somehow feels warm and comforting.

"It's away from others, gives me a chance to b-breath a little," Alec is surprised how straightforward and truthful he is being. Magnus is somehow affecting him despite not even yet knowing each other.

Magnus frowns a little, but still somehow manages to keep his features gentle. "Well it's a good thing I found you or it would have been such a waste to have you hiding from the world Alexander."

"Alec."

"That may be what people call you, but I can already tell you are someone worth taking the extra time to address to. There is more to you than something as short and curt as 'Alec' has to offer."

"How the hell can you say that? We just met?"

Surprised by the shift in the way Alec spoke Magnus' smile widens. "Will you give me the chance to prove to you that I'm right?"

With that Magnus makes his way down the oak, the meek boy hesitating at first now slowly follows pursuit.

Hope it was worth your time! If not, well that's unfortunate for the both of us.

R&R

PinkFyulongDragon peacing out until next update!