Alec pulled back from Magnus they were standing outside and his parents had just left, he had woken up long enough to watch them go. The rest of their group was still standing there. The fearless rune was beginning to fade.

"Why? Why did you do that?" Alec turned to Magnus, the rest of the crowd just stared at them. "Why?"

"Because it wasn't right. You were under the influence of a fearless rune." Magnus spoke up louder than he meant to, Clary and Jace were looking at them.

Alec understood then, "Oh you think it was the rune."

"Wasn't it?"

"NO!" Alec yelled, "You can never let me do anything my way. It's always a fight with you."

"Fine, do what you want." Magnus stared at him, willing him to do something. He didn't want to be left standing here. "I would never stop you."

But Alec didn't do anything; he looked down where the rune had been, he was stupid. He knew he only spoke up to his parents because of the rune and the rune was gone now. Whatever magic Magnus had used on him made the rune disappear from him. Alec stepped up to Magnus then, far enough from the crowd as to not be heard. "Except a moment ago when you magically stopped me."

"That was because the rune was making you do something you wouldn't normally do and that wouldn't be fair to either of us." Magnus felt himself shake slightly; this was reaching a point of no return with an audience that he didn't think Alec would want to hear.

"You still think I'm in love with the Shadowhunter?" Alec felt better calling him the Shadowhunter for a moment as if it would mean more to Magnus "With Jace?"

The question hung between them, thickening the air.

Magnus preformed a slight nod; he didn't know if he could do anymore. Alec was acting oddly.

"Nothing I say will change that?" He didn't need him to confirm that answer he already knew. "Well we've already discovered I'm a man of action instead of words, correct?" Alec stepped back before he could answer, he took a few steps back getting out of the range of Magnus.

"Jace, I need to tell you something." Jace, Luke, and Clary looked up at him; Alec was staring at Magnus with a look of awed indifference.

"Yeah." He called to his parabatai.

Alec walked back up to Magnus. "I love you." He whispered then flung his arms around Magnus and kissed him. Kissed him right there in front of his parabatai, Clary, and Luke.

Magnus stood frozen in time, he was shocked and that didn't happen to him easily.

Alec pulled back for a breath then leaned in for another kiss which pulled Magnus from his shocked state. Magnus put his hands on Alec's waist to push him away but he couldn't. He didn't want to. He wanted to kiss his boyfriend in public. He wanted them to see. He wanted the world to see. He didn't want to be in fear that they couldn't always be themselves because of who was going to walk in the door and catch them, so he did what he wanted and kissed Alec back. He didn't just kiss him back he leaned forward forcing the kiss to become heated and Alec didn't pull back from him.

Jace smirked at the couple, "How long has this been going on?"

"Since Magnus saved Alec's life." Clary caught on then when Izzy told her about the look in Magnus' eyes while he was healing her brother. She guessed he was gay from the moment she met him and saw the way he was looking at Jace. She was glad when she saw him and Magnus together. They tried to hide and they did an excellent job for anyone not looking for it.

Alec pulled back, he needed to see Magnus' eyes but they were closed. "Hey," he whispered, "Hey."

Magnus opened his eyes, holding onto Alec's sides, "Hey."

"Sorry, it took so long." He continued to whisper; he didn't want Jace or Clary to hear their intimate words.

"Apology accepted." Magnus finally let his smile show, "You love me?"

"Stupid warlock," Alec smirked, "Of course I do."

"I hate to break this up, but we should get out of here." It was Luke who spoke up.

Jace came up to them, "Let go of my parabatai." He wasn't mad but he needed to talk to him. "We have to talk."

Magnus stepped back, using his finger to wipe his bottom lip. Alec mimicked the gesture. "Call me," Magnus announced then turned to leave. He half wanted Alec to come after him but he knew now wasn't the time. Alec needed to have the next conversation alone; he knew that. That still didn't stop the feeling that he wanted Alec to be with him. He felt a hand in his then, turning to seeing Alec's smiling face close to his.

"Can I come by instead?" Alec wanted to be hopeful, he knew Magnus said his door would always be open to him but he felt nervous like their relationship had taken a turn and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad. He felt it in the kiss, he felt the feelings Magnus had for him but he said he loved him, what would Magnus think of him for that. He meant them, the words he had spoken moments ago. He hoped Magnus would believe them. How had it been just months since this all started?

"My door is always open to you." He squeezed his hand.

Alec kissed him on the cheek then let go.

Magnus had to admit; Alec really was way better with action over words. He couldn't help but psychoanalyzes the situation that just played out and the smile Alec graced him with. He found that smile to be so inviting and tempting. He had seen it so many times but it was always when they were alone, it thrilled him to see it in the day with others around that knew them. Sure, their dates they had been seen but never by anyone other than Raphael which didn't count in his mind.

Alec went back to Jace who had sent Luke and Clary away. He saw them leaving while Jace just stood there.

"Let's walk." Jace held his hand out.

Alec nodded, licking his lips and pulling his bottom lip into his mouth, to say he was nervous was an understatement. He did something he was afraid of without a rune for help and now he didn't know what to say. "Sure."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jace felt like beating around the bush wouldn't help and he had a lot of questions. "We are parabatai; you can tell me anything."

"It wasn't that simple Jace." Alec found himself being turned as Jace stuck an arm out to get him to face each other. "The Clave has rul-"

"Fuck the Clave. I think I have made my thoughts on them pretty clear. Try again." Jace continued on walking then.

"Izzy's know for a long time. Clary guessed just days after meeting me." Alec felt like starting from the beginning and being honest was the only approach that would work.

"Clary?" Jace turned to him again, "Clary knew before me?"

"She guessed."

"To be honest, I could have guessed if I paid attention. I think a part of me did know but you never said anything." Jace walked on again.

Alec frowned at him; he was controlling the conversation and the speed at which they walked. "Jace, stop." Alec put his hand out. "Stop walking. When we are done with this conversation I am going to Magnus' and I don't want to walk to the Institute just to walk back so just listen to me here."

"Okay." Then something clicked, Magnus' apartment and the times Jace left Alec there to take his place. "You stayed with Magnus in my stead a lot."

Alec wanted to look away and did for a moment before looking back at him. "Yes, but also before that. I would spend nights there with him after patrols but I always made my way back to the Institute before anyone could notice.

"Have you-" Jace stopped, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

"Have I, what?" Alec knew where this was going now. "Made out, slept together, had sex? What do you want answers to?"

Jace heard the defensiveness in Alec's voice and knew he had to clarify. "Alec, you are my parabatai and whoever you want to date is fine by me. I'm going to love you anyway; we're family. But yeah, I'm curious, like I would be if you were dating a girl. You've never talked about anyone before. So, I have questions, is that wrong of me?"

Alec sighed, "I didn't tell you because I didn't think I could."

"What?" Jace spoke louder than intended but the shock was written across his face. "You didn't think you couldn't tell me something?"

"Because you tell me everything?" Alec threw back at him. "You don't tell me half of what you think you tell me."

"This is different, Alec! Not telling you about dangerous missions Clary and I go on is very different then you keeping an entire part of your life and soul from me. We are one!"

"I couldn't tell you; I didn't want you to act differently around me because like you said we are one," Alec yelled back to him. "I loved you first." He knew the second the words came out of his mouth, the look on Jace's face changed with the realization of what those words meant, they were a mistake. There was no going back now. "I loved you more than family. Like you loved Clary even though you were told she was your sister. You were my first crush; you are the person that made me realize I was gay."

Jace couldn't move, "What?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't tell you because I didn't want you to look at me differently, I don't think I could handle if you did." Alec looked at the ground, Jace was currently looking at him the way he didn't want him to but it was different now; it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He knew that was because he had Magnus who looked at him as he was someone worthy of love no matter who he loved. It didn't matter that the Clave would be against him because he had someone to share that with.

"That would never happen." Jace pulled on his arm. "I'm honored you would think of me that way but I would never be able to return those feelings beyond loving you as my parabatai."

"I know." Alec was still looking at the ground. "I knew then too. It took Magnus for me to see that. I think I liked him from the second he told me to call him."

"So that's when it started."

"Sort of. I went to thank him for saving my life and he talked then he kissed me. I think a part of him was trying to scare me away from our first date. He would never admit that but I think he thought I was just messing around so he let me have my first and second kiss before the first date was even in the books." Alec went over to the side of a building slid down to the ground, it was dirty and muddy but he didn't care, he couldn't walk anymore.

"First kiss, first date. Magnus' is a lot of firsts for you." Jace slid down the wall next to him; they were shoulder to shoulder not looking at one another. "He's not forcing you into anything, is here?"

"No, god no." Alec shook his head, some of the sweat from the night was dripping down his face. "He's been going slow with me. Sometimes too slow."

"Tell me about him; he always seemed so annoyed when I lived there."

"He was, but not because he didn't like you. It was about me." Alec really couldn't look at Jace, he didn't want Jace to look at Magnus differently but the truth was the only answer that made sense to him. "He knew about my feelings for you and he was bothered by them. He thought I was still in love with you."

"Were you-" he had to know. "Are you still in love with me?"

"Yeah, in the beginning, I think. But it faded fast. Our first date ended with a lengthy make-out session and when I returned to the Institute that night, you were sparring with Clary and Izzy. I was watching you guys and it just didn't feel the same. I didn't know then what it meant but after my birthday I knew it wasn't the same anymore. But Magnus didn't believe me. He kept not believing me, which caused a few fights."

"You're birthday? You spent your birthday with us, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary?"

"It was for me. I spent the entire day thinking about how I would rather be at Magnus' so as soon as I could I went to him and spent the rest of my night there. It felt right." Alec had the nerve to look at his parabatai then, he was looking back at him but he couldn't read his face, Jace seemed to be happy but he wasn't sure.

"The last time you were with Magnus alone because of me, you left in such a hurry. You didn't want to stick around."

"Magnus and I had a rough night, I wanted to go further and he didn't, he still thought my feelings for you were much stronger than they were and he wasn't listening to me. I thought we were good until you reached around and put my stele in my pocket, Magnus got this look of hurt in my eyes and I had to leave. I was ready to fight about you again and I knew that wouldn't do anyone any good. I'm sorry it took me so long to announce Magnus is my boyfriend. It would have saved him so much pain. The pain I caused by hiding from you and hiding him from everyone."

Jace knew this was taking a lot out of Alec; he wasn't much for words. "I have to know. You have to tell me. Have you gone beyond making out?"

Alec laughed then, threw his head back and laughed. He hit is against the brick way but it didn't hurt, it wasn't hard enough to hurt. "Really, Jace?"

"Come on; this is what best friends talk about." Jace laughed along with him, for the first time since this whole mess started he felt better with Alec, something changed when Clary came around and now he knew. Alec was angry and jealous of his time and love for Clary. He wished he knew sooner but he couldn't fault him for not telling him. It was a big secret to tell and part of him knew it was taking everything Alec had to say to him.

"Not really. Sort of." Alec frowned, "To be honest, I'm not sure. I don't really know what counts and doesn't count."

"Any touching beyond the lips." Jace really couldn't take his smile off his face then, Alec was opening up to him about a relationship and he was happy about it.

"Then yes." Alec felt the red start on his cheeks, thinking about the things he and Magnus have done and what he wanted them to do in the future.

Jace smirked, "No sex."

"Not yet."

"Then there's a plan for it." Jace had to point at him as Alec realized what he said and what that meant. He turned such a bright shade of red, Jace would make it out even in the dark alley. "Alec, don't be embarrassed. It's natural for a relationship to take that step."

"When do you know?"

"You just do. It's a moment you feel with the other person. I can't really tell you much there, the only sex I've had was meaningless. I've never really done the whole 'I love you' sex before." Jace was thinking now of Clary and how that would change, he didn't know when for himself either but he knew they needed more time and to be a little less craziness in their lives.

"I had to kiss him tonight; I was scared that if I fought with him again over you, it would mean our end. The same fight all the time was getting tireless. I can't lose him."

"You love him. I wish you would have told me sooner but you had to tell me when you felt right about it." Jace couldn't take his eyes off Alec; he felt the shift in them. He was happy for his parabatai and that had been a long time coming. "Thank you for finally telling me."

Alec nodded, "I need to see him tonight. I don't want him to think I didn't mean it or I did it on a whim. I need to check up on him."

"I understand. I wouldn't expect any less of you." Jace stood up, "Come on; I'll walk to his place."

"Walking me home?" Alec took Jace's hand to help himself up, dusting himself off.

Jace did the same motion, a little more dust then he wanted would have liked, "If you want it to be your home then yes."

Alec walked off and knew Jace would follow him, they walked in silence for a few blocks but they were edging closer and closer to Magnus' loft.

"Alec," Jace pulled on his arm when they were close enough to see his loft, "Promise me something?"

"Yeah?"

"No matter what happens, you have to promise that you will always tell me in the future. No matter what it is, I want to know about your life. I want to know everything."

Alec reached up and pulled Jace into a hug, "Only if you promise the same thing."

Jace hugged him, really hugged him. "I promise."

"I promise." Alec pulled him out of the hug, "We're close enough. I'll be home before sunrise." And he headed off, jogging towards Magnus' apartment.

Jace watching him go. He couldn't stop him, or he didn't want to. He was happy for his parabatai; he was just sad that it took Alec this long to tell him. He turned himself towards the Institute and went home to Clary, who he knew would be waiting for him.