Magnus couldn't breathe for the memories that overwhelmed him. Alec, his Alec, his angel, was standing right in front of him, looking as beautiful and perfect as ever.

"Are you okay?"

Magnus snapped out of his trance. Alec – could it be Alec? – just asked if he was okay. Why would he do that? Why hadn't they had a joyful reunion yet? Magnus scanned the man again and his heart shattered all over again. This man had no runes, no Marks. This was not Alec at all.

"Hello?" The man waved his hand in front of Magnus' face. "Do you need help?"

He cleared his throat. "No, I'm sorry. You look like someone – someone I knew." Knew was the understatement of the century, but Magnus did not need to tell this person all of his secrets, even if he did look amazingly like Alec. Alec was the only one he could tell all of his secrets to.

The man must have noticed that Magnus was on the verge of tears again, because he sat down next to him on the park bench and patted his shoulder comfortingly. Magnus usually would not have liked to be touched by a stranger, but this man had something so protective in the way he looked and moved.

"What's your name?" Magnus asked.

The man looked taken aback, but only for a moment. "Archer Lux," he said gently. "And I'm guessing you're Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn."

Magnus scoffed. "I'm surprised myself that I'm still holding that position. I haven't helped many people these last few years." He then paused. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I know about the Shadow World, don't act so surprised. It's been a 'family secret'"- there he made air quotes with his fingers – "but I like to think I'm up to date on things."

There he hesitated, before saying softly, "Maybe they kept you as High Warlock because they knew they couldn't find anyone better."

Magnus stared. He was amazed to find out that this man – this mundane – knew who he was, and complimented him, at that.

Archer noticed his staring – and blushed. It was amazing and wonderful and so very Alec that Magnus had to remind himself that he was not transported back twenty years in time, and this man was a complete stranger. This man named Archer.

Archer. Archer. Oh, fate was cruel.

Magnus was snapped out of his reverie by Archer's rambling.

"-so sorry if that was too forward, I didn't mean to make you upset, I mess everything up –"

"No, stop, it's okay. I'm not offended, Archer. Quite the opposite," Magnus said gently. It was at this point that he remembered that they were both sitting on a park bench in the middle of the night. Well, morning, really. Magnus could just see the sun starting to rise above the treetops of Central Park, spreading its softly coloured rays throughout the night sky, turning everything bright.

"It's getting light. Do you want to go get breakfast?" Archer asked, almost absentmindedly. Then he caught himself, realizing that he had just technically asked Magnus out, and stared at him, awaiting his answer.

Magnus did not know what to reply, at first. It still almost felt like he was cheating on Alec, with a mundane that looked just like him. But, Magnus reminded himself painfully, Alec was dead, and Magnus felt a connection to this man that he hadn't felt since Alec. He hadn't felt this kind of connection with the dozens of people he'd slept with, or dated briefly and then slept with, in an urge from his friends to move on. This was so familiar and so different.

So Magnus Bane, for the first time in years, took a leap of faith, and said "Yes. Yes, I'd love to."

A/N: What do you think? Do you like Archer? Does Magnus seem OOC? Am I cruel for ending this chapter here? Yes, yes I am. New update soon! Please review!