The long black coat felt comforting and familiar as Alec pulled it tight around himself, shielding his scantily clad body from the prying eyes of passing strangers who roamed the cold, rainy streets of Brooklyn. The rain had finally seized, but now the city was coated in a thick layer of fog and mist, and he had to squint to see through the heavy layer of disorienting gray.
The city spread out before him in a map of towering buildings and hidden alleyways, painted in drab shades of black and gray from the earlier storms. Hunching civilians burrowed deep in the folds of their fur-lined coats, braving the ruthless cold that seeped in from the black clouds painted high above Brooklyn.
It only took five minutes for Alec to reach Magnus's towering apartment, but he was shivering with cold by the time he finally fell into step behind a pair of two brightly costumed fae scurrying up behind a line of people trailing out the door.
Alec blinked.
There was an unnaturally long trail of people falling out the open doorway of Magnus's fancy apartment, all dazzling in sequins and glitter and eyeliner. At the front of the line stood Magnus, partially hidden behind a giant Were who held up his invitation with a flourish that screamed gay. So there were others like Alec here.
He grimaced at the sudden thought. Gays weren't meant to be categorized into groups seperate from normal heterosexuals. They were people too - er, with unnatural skills and powers, that is.
Magnus studied his curly cursive scrawl with a sharp eye, before nodding and stepping aside, allowing the broad-shouldered Were to slide easily into the dark entrance behind him. He studied Magnus's backside shamelessly, though, before finally disappearing inside.
Alec felt jealousy boil up inside him. His fingers itched to grab Magnus and shove him somewhere private, but his feet scuffed across the crumbling sidewalk, wishing to stalk after the lycanthrope and pound him into a nearby wall for eyeing his warlock a little too intimately.
But the Shadowhunter stayed planted where he was, moving slowly forward every minute or so as Magnus talked and laughed with various guests stepping up to show him their invitations.
Alec took the slow-moving time to study the guests.
Most were dressed in flashy blues and pinks, their coats draped over their arms, mouths turned up in eager grins and eyes bright despite the racoon makeup lining them. The two female fae ahead of Alec were chatting and giggling openly now, eyeing a buff vampire standing in front of them with shameless eyes. One wore a Tinkerbell outfit, much to Alec's amusement. His mother had told him of the little fairy when he was child and she had reinacted Peter Pan as a bedtime story.
The felt green dress and messy blond hair paled in comparison to her partner's ensemble, which was a long, burning bright white, sweeping across the ground slightly. The neckline swept low, connected to a heavy gold band that wrapped around the entire neckline, then twisted up her throat to create a connecting necklace studded with ruby jewels. A tiara was balanced on the crown of her short black hair. She caught his gaze and smiled wickedly, revealing pointed white teeth.
He smiled weakly and stammered "hi" before raising his eyes nervously away from hers. The fae turned back to studying the vampire's broad back and quarter-back shoulders.
Alec sighed and tilted his head to look back up at the stone steps leading into Magnus's apartment. He flushed when he realized that the warlock's predatory gaze was on him.
The Downworlder was watching him intently, long arms folded over his chest, a sincere smile curving his supple lips. Even from twenty feet away, Alec could see the heavy glitter coating Magnus's bare torso and throat, lighting the golden skin with sparkles that perfectly matched the ones straying throughout his spiked black hair. He was blatantly ignoring a female Were dressed as a 'naughty nurse', waving an invitation impatiently in his face. Even when the lycanthrope pulled her hand back and began spouting insults at him, Magnus's expression remained unruffled. His cat-like eyes stayed locked on the Shadowhunter's face.
It took Alec a moment to finally realize the meaning of the lustful glint in Magnus's hooded eyes - his coat had fallen open.
The scarce material of the toga brushed across his pale thighs and slim hipbones, the white sash slicing across his chest standing out brilliantly against the red that flooded down Alec's throat and across most of his torso. He internally cursed being the only member of the Lightwood family to be easily embarrassed as he ripped the traitorous coat back around himself, eyes cast to the crumbling pavement, lower lip pulled between his teeth in embarrassment.
Alec didn't bring his pale irises back up until he reached the head of the line, ten minutes later.
- - - - -
The scene inside was just as Magnus had predicted - eerie strobe lights that threw dancing shadows and wicked shapes across the walls and floor, bright orange crinkled paper hooked to the high ceiling, nearly brushing the floor, combined with unfamiliar black streamers that did the same, and every guest looking stunning in elegant or flashy costumes that just looked... right in Magnus's apartment.
The crowd of fae, warlock, witches, and most lycanthropes had swarmed to the middle of the floor, their bodies swaying, their hips grindings, their laughter echoing throughout the large apartment, mixing in with the loud bubble-gum pop music lingering through the rooms from hidden speakers installed somewhere in the building. Alec's eyebrows piqued when he noticed that most of the vampires stayed close to the walls, huddled in small groups, laughing and talking, but not daring to converse with any other beings besides themselves.
Magnus stuck his dark head back out the open doorway once they had been ushered inside, head swiveling as he checked the sidewalk for any more straggling guests, before shutting and latching it behind him. He turned back to Alec with a sudden, seductive grin once that was finished. His cat-like eyes seemed to glint with the pulsing beat of the strobe lights.
Abruptly, he reached out and tried to unhook the coat from around the Shadowhunter's broad shoulders, his movements hinting that he was trying not to startle Alec out of backing away, like a hunter trying to coax a deer gently into a hidden trap. Despite the gentle feel of the warlock's nimble fingers hooking into the neckline, though, brushing across his bare skin, Alec stepped away, hands fumbling to pull the coat back closed. His pale eyes were wide with embarrassment.
At the sight of his shocked expression, Magnus dropped his hands. His face was promptly crest-fallen. "Alec?" he asked. "Why won't you let me see? You know you're gorgeous." Magnus smiled toward the end of his assuring comment, showing Alec that he was being completely honest.
"I...." The Nephilim paused, suddenly feeling stupid. Why was he so scared? If Magnus wasn't nervous about his preference in gender, then why should Alec be? So he stuck his arms silently out behind him and allowed the coat to slide effortlessly across his arms, elicting a small shiver when the warm cotton fabric scraped pleasantly across the defined muscles of his biceps.
Magnus smiled in unabashed excitement. Lifting his hands, he hooked his fingers once more into the neck of the coat, sliding it the rest of the way down Alec's arms, over his relaxed hands, and finally into his own arms.
Alec turned back to face the warlock once he heard the snap, and found that his black coat was gone, replaced with two cups of bright red liquid. "Thank you," Magnus said simply, and sat one of the plastic cups into the palm of Alec's open hand.
Now that were both devoid of any burdens, Magnus took the oppurtunity to lower his gold-green irises and rake them shamelessly across Alec's scantily clad body. "Sexy costume," he purred. "Too bad I'll have to rip it from your body later."
Alec blushed hotly. Magnus never failed to embarrass him. So, in return, he allowed his own eyes to drop and mirror the warlock's actions.
As he had noticed outside, Magnus's naked torso was dusted with golden glitter. The tiny particles were also splashed through his spiked black hair, and on the darkly-ringed skin around his hooded eyes. Tight red pants hung low on his slim hips, revealing the hint of a 'V' between the golden skin stretched across his hipbones. The flamboyant pants ended at Magnus's shins, just below the tops of shiny black boots, not unlike the ones Alec wore with his Shadowhunter gear, expect these were decorated with a line of silver buckles connected to leather straps across the tops of the shoes. And, despite all of the makeup and fancy clothing, nothing about Magnus looked out of place. He still wore his venom blue lipstick, and nine different rings wrapped around the shells of both ears, and dark liner around his cat-like eyes.
Alec smirked. "Who are you supposed to be?" he questioned innocently, "You look the same." When he caught Magnus's amused lift of glitter-splattered brows, he quickly reiterated. "I mean, you still have all the makeup and leather and... glitter." He paused, and then raised his eyes to gaze into Magnus's own confidently. "You still look like my sexy warlock."
Something in the Downworlder's bright irises shifted, darkening wickedly until he was watching Alec through nearly-emerald hooded eyes. "I'm surprised you don't know, darling." His voice was a low, rich purr, and the sound of it sent shivers down Alec's bare spine. Quickly, the warlock snapped his fingers and the empty cup disappeared from his palm. With that out of the way, he lifted a hand and wrapped his slim fingers around one slender hip, the other tangling through his own spiked locks. He popped his free hip out, toward the wall. Watching his lover through lazy green eyes, Magnus smirked and announced shamelessly, "I am the Magnificent Magnus Bane."
Alec chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed breathily. "I guess I should have known with an outfit like that."
There was a momentary silence, and then Magnus murmured in a low voice, "I'm going to take that as a compliment." The comment was followed by a chuckle from both men, and a quick snap as another cup appeared in Magnus's lithe hand.
Alec, feeling considerably less embarrassed after the 'conversation', lifted one arm to twine his fingers with the ones of his lover's free hand.
Magnus smiled, and when Alec saw the way his eyes darkened even further, and felt the pleasurable scratch of manicured fingertips across his skin, he felt something pull himself to the warlock.
Alec slid forward, pressing himself close to Magnus, plucking the full plastic cup from between his fingers with quick movements. He set it down on a nearby table with a soft plunk.
Smiling, Alec leaned forward and fitted himself into the warlock, inhaling the familiar citrusy scent that was Magnus. He smelled like oranges and rain and... and Magnus. It was unexplainable, but inexplicably delicious. He pressed his lips into the junction between the warlock's shoulder and neck, the easiest place he could reach without heaving himself onto his toes.
Magnus hissed at the feel of familiar lips on his skin. Alec smiled against the golden flesh and pressed a continuous path of kisses across Magnus's neck, finally pulling up onto his tiptoes, leaving a burning trail of kisses and licks up the slender golden column of the warlock's bare throat.
Magnus moaned and arched his neck backward, allowing his lover further access to his sparkled skin. His fingers slid through the the dark curls scaling up his neck, fisting the unkempt hair in his fist with a groan. His free hand grabbed Alec's shoulder for support. The sudden eager confidence in the boy was seriously disorienting him.
Just as Alec's lips met the soft line of the warlock's jaw, a familiar voice roared through his ears and magically detached his mouth from Magnus's abused skin with an audible pop.
Alec pulled away from the Downworlder in jumbled confusion. His mind was hazy with desire, and the overwhelming scent of Magnus that continued to linger in his senses was intoxicating him.
A familiar blond head popped up beside Alec's shoulder, wearing a perfected expression of annoyance and excitement. A short figure skidded up behind him, fiery hair glowing beneath the dark strobe lights, her hand clasped in the boy's.
"Jace?" Alec gasped. "Clary?" His voice was quiet, confused. He was too doubtful of his own tone to raise his voice further than a low mumble.
Jace smirked and nodded. "In the flesh. Miss me?" he asked, flashing a smile at Alec, then another duller one at Magnus, who was now standing close to the wall, eyes narrowed even further than usual, arms folded across his chest. From the expression on his face, Alec could see that the effect of his kisses had already worn off.
"What do you want?" The warlock's voice was dull, flat, a tone totally unfamiliar to Alec. He frowned and tryed not to focus on it for too long.
Jace pulled Clary up beside him and, for the first time since they had interrupted, Alec got a good look at them. Cotton, sequins, spandex, flowing skirts.
"You guys were invited?" Alec gasped, since they seemed to have no intention of answering Magnus's earlier question.
"No," the Downworlder hissed, stepping up to Alec's side, fingernails clenched in his palms to surpress the heated blue sparks.
Jace shrugged, his eyes never leaving Magnus's annoyed expression, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "We just came to have some fun," he replied innocently, twirling Clary until she was in front of him, her eyes wide. "Now let's get this party started!"
Magnus remained silent.