OH. My. GOD. I just want you to know I feel TERRIBLE. It was not my intention to have this come out so late. But I've been having such stupid little personal probs...-sigh- Thanks to every one who brought me back... I'd give you the heart thingy but ffn doesn't let me. Hopefully you'll forgive me with this long-ish chapter I warn you though i'm tired( so it's most likely really shitty) and its kinda a filler..sorry. But it's necessary!

All mistakes are mine! Everything else is CC's ...well...maybe not the fashions... ;)


Busy in his office, Alec was completely relaxed and silent. His sister had left him with a box of takeout and a bottle of pineapple soda, both of which still lay untouched on his office desk. Alec rested on the floor on top of a makeshift blanket of various cotton and velvet fabric scraps in the far corner of his office—stomach face down, legs propped up—with his iPad to his left and his laptop in front of him. The harsh glow of the laptop tired out his eyes and the dark, unlit room and made him drowsy, but he trudged through his exhaustion, careful not to let his drowsy haze effect his work. The lookbook Jordan had given him earlier that day had been duplicated, dismantled, and, while one now lay in the office of his personal fashion icon (who also happened to be the chief editor of Vogue), the other was a mess in front of him.

Each and every minute of Alec's free time was spent reviewing the finished pieces in his line or using them as a reference to create a harmonious collection.

Alec began flipping through his less recent designs on his Ipad, and with each passing one he was more and more depressed. Some of his concepts were the best he'd seen since his freshman and sophomore year in college, while some were…less than extraordinary. Though Isabelle and Jordan insisted on many of earlier his illustrations, Alec disagreed. He was starting to feel more like K-Mart material then high fashion. And the few that Alec had been extremely pleased with were a result of...last night, which in turn made them feel wrong and sometimes downright dirty if he thought about the matter carefully, considering some were so bold they were borderline raunchy. But the need for a full collection outweighed the moral guilt of his designs' inspiration so Alec had Clary deliver the best of them to Jem earlier that day to be tailored, and more would be emailed later in the coming week.

After a few more unsuccessful design concepts, Alec finally threw in the towel. Quickly, He shoved everything in his satchel and got up. He placed his fabric pieces in their designated place, stepped out of his office and shut the door with a quiet click. Alec slowly glided down the small staircase adjacent to his office door. It led to his large "workshop" area, as he liked to call it. The large room was filled with row upon row of exotic fabrics, a commercial sewing machine, mannequins, backdrops, lighting and just about anything else he would need for his store. Despite the clutter, the room was huge and housed a large window that overlooked the lively city. At this time, the city's lights flooded through the window and filled the room with colorful lights that seemed to waltz across every reachable surface. Alec turned, and headed toward the corner of the room that held an old cast iron spiral staircase. He dashed down the stairs to the main floor and darted to the boutique's double doors. He stepped out, only to realize that he had neither locked up nor activated his alarm. With a slouch of his shoulder and a disgruntled moan, Alec turned around, activated the alarm behind the counter and set the deadbolt to automatic lock. He then dimmed the lights, and proceeded out the door.

Alec stepped outside the safety of his stuffy, heated sanctuary into the wet, cool, city streets. The sidewalk just outside his boutique was littered with cracks and old bubble gum and even at this hour, many people walked about to a place known only to them. There was a sudden unexplained shiver that crawled up Alec's spin. He pulled the collar of his military style pea coat closer to his chin and fished his red scarf and keys out of his bag. He wrapped the scarf loosely around his neck and filed through his keys trying to find the right one. The wind continued to kiss his face and Alec found himself regretting his poor preparation for early winter weather. He could feel the sting of cold air passing through his nostrils and see the white condensation of his breath.

Finally finding the key, Alec locked up shop with chilling hands. His hesitated—only slightly—before continuing forward to his favorite place, allowing his feet to mindlessly take him there. The walk was long enough to give him some time to think but short enough that he didn't get lost if he wasn't paying attention. For a while he was counting them—his footsteps-wondering how many it took to get to get to Lewis's. His attention for step counting fell to other thoughts that danced around in his head, and Alec found his mind wandering once again to the man he had met the night before.

He tried so hard to remember the name. For christ sake, it was scribbled on his back. Mar—no, Mo— Mordecai? No, no...Mason? Hell no...Magnus. He thought, feeling his lip twitch upward ever so slightly. Magnus. Magnus Bane. The name almost gave him the chills, but in a good way.

He remembered waking up that morning to the other man, and it was almost as if the whole world stopped just for them. There was no pressure, no work, and no stress. Just bliss. Then there was the excitement. The excitement of having someone next to you—it didn't matter that he couldn't remember what he was doing there. He was just there, thriving in a euphoria that existed out of time and worry.

And then it all came crashing down like Icarus from the sky.

But other then that it wasn't so bad. Its something he wouldn't mind on a daily basis…and nightly too if he could remember that part.

Alec hummed a sigh and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled down his contacts until he hit the controversial name. Magnus Bane. Controversial to him, at least. He has secretly saved the name, despite what he had said to Isabelle. Should he text? Or call? Or just stick to his guns and drop it? He wondered what a relationship would do to his career. He had gotten so far without a relationship, did he really need one now? But then again he had gotten far, why not? He was already so close to where he wanted to be.

Alec was gently brought out if his thoughts by the smell of coffee and old books that slowly emerged from the city stench. He shoved his phone back in his pocked and almost ran to the old, worn, brass handle bars of the café's glass door. He carefully pushed on the handle bar and entered, chiming the little bell that hung on the top of the door.

Alec found himself drowning in the smell of pastries and coffee inside the little shop—it was almost magical. The shop had a very homely arrangement. Right in front of the brass accented doors were tall mahogany bookshelves, placed in no particular order other than to avoid various obstacles like tables and such, and were each filled with books both new and old. The carpet that sat under the bookshelves was made to mimic the patterns of an old Oriental rug but the stains that cover it left the once vibrant colors muddled and virtually indistinguishable.

To the right of Alec was complete scene change; Black and white checkered tiles separated the café from the book space, A large window brought in the city view, and a bar to the far corner of the room, along with it's bright red and chrome bar stools, gave the feel of an old 50s diner. The lounge – right in-between the bar space and the door—had a variety of seats and sofas not particular to any one time period, but was a hodge-podge of anything you might find at a thrift store. Right in the center of the lounge was simple, round coffee table with a hand carved cherry wood base and a cream colored travertine flat. It seemed to be the only thing tying the two separate spaces together.

Alec pulled his satchel off his shoulder, releasing some tension in his muscles, and set it right next to his favorite chair—a restored Victorian gentleman's chair that sat right next to the shop's only window. Alec peeled off his jacket and removed his scarf, placing both on the back of the plopped down onto the chair and sighed. Hopefully Simon or Becca would have heard him coming in by now. Alec puffed out his cheeks, He took off his shoes with his heels and crossed his legs on the smiled a bit. Sitting like this always reminded him of that silly old saying Max used to say: "Sit criss-cross applesauce, Allie."

Alec closed his eyes very slowly, feeling a slight pang in his chest. He folded his hands and placed them in the nook between his ankles, and for a moment he just stared at the tile in front of him, head bowed. Not really seeing anything, but not really thinking either. Suddenly he wondered what Isabelle was doing, she hadn't asked him for his keys before she left. Maybe she had plans...

"What are you doing?" Alec almost jumped out of his skin. He hadn't even hear anyone walk in.

Over to his left he saw a young woman, though she looked closer to sixteen in had a button nose and her bouncy brunette hair was half hidden by a black crochet beret. She was wearing old beat up combat boots, dark green sock-leggings, short shorts with frayed edges, and a white tank top, topped with old,ugly green and red flannel shirt that fell to her thighs. She was Simons older sister Becca, and though Alec didn't know very much about her, he knew she was the wizard behind the shop's wondrous smells.

Alec shook his head. "Oh, hey Becca. Nothing I was... just thinking."

She nodded, satisfied. "Thats cool, Simon stepped out so...Caramel Macchiato and Pumpkin pie, right?

Alec's smile broadened. "Yeah, only like, every other day."

Becca nodded again and pursed her lips a bit. If Alec hadn't known better he would have thought she was blushing behind her voluptuous hair. There was an awkward silence between them before she finally said, "I'll get Mom to make your coffee," And jogged over to the back end of the store, leaving Alec to his own devices.

Alec, knowing Becca was going to be a while, picked up his bag and made his way to the pastry counter. He passed through the swing door, gently placing his satchel out of the view of anyone who would come near the counter.

He pulled one of his favorite books off of the display stand right next to the pastry counter and sauntered back to his favorite chair, awaiting his pastry-caffeine heaven.

Time passed slowly around Alec-not that it mattered to him-as he remained in the confines of the small, safe little world held in the pages of the leather bound book in his hands. Alec had only a faint idea of what time it was as he read, thought idly, and then began reading again where his thoughts had taken him. Before receiving his pie and coffee, Alec decided it would be nice to chat with Becca a bit, but when she finally arrived he didn't have the nerve and he had hoped she would start something. But she only hesitated, before shuffling back to where ever she came, unintentionally provided Alec with enough space to rethink his standing on this Magnus person. After much internal conflict, Alec slowly came to the conclusion that there was no need for such frivolous "romance", be it that he was too close-minded or too old fashioned (or both), he simply would not press the matter any further, or at least thats what he stubbornly told himself.

He had thought of it too much in such a small window of time, and it was beginning to agitate him.

Alec chewed his lip and scowled,trying to force his wandering thoughts back to the book before him.

After a few moments of wandering eyes, Alec finally managed to focus again. And soon his focus began to give way,his breathing soothed, his eyes lidded, and he was asleep, dreaming of soft, tawny skin, a large luminous moon, and wild delicate grass.

Alec awoke to the eerie feeling of someone watching him. He blinked away the sleep that still lingered in his eyes and sat up. He was still curled in his little chair and now, though the little book store was completely empty, the basement below was pulsing with music. The streets outside were still bright, but only with the artificial lights of the city. It was very late into the night.

Alec felt a strange feeling on his cheek and raised his hand to touch it, only to be utterly embarrassed by its wetness. He had been drooling. He quickly looked around, face beet red, to see if anyone had noticed.

The shop appeared to be empty.

He quickly wiped off his drool with his sleeve, first from his cheek, then from the chair, making a mental note that he would have to comeback and disinfect it. Once he was done, he searched for his lost book, first under him, then under the cushion, on the floor, on the coffee table in front of him—aha! Alec bent over the armrest to the left of him, and retrieved the naughty book that had fallen under his chair.

Alec sat up and flipped through the book, looking for his last page. When he finally found it he snuggled back into the seat, his eyes had barely grazed the paper when-

"What are you reading?" Alec didn't know how long his heart would last if people kept sneaking up on him like this. What's worse is that he always reacted so terribly.

Alec jumped at the sound of the deep, masculine, sultry voice. And suddenly he felt himself tense. All confidence from earlier had withered completely away in that very moment. He recognised this voice, but it felt like eons before he could face it's owner. Alec tilted his head upward, feeling the strangest sense of deja vu looking up at the man, who was too busy trying to figure out the name of the book to notice him staring.

Alec's eyes trace up the tall tan neck, then admired the beautifully sculpted jaw and finally touch another pair of eyes,ones that weren't previously looking at him-Green and gold ones. They were so bright, and so vibrant, and so familiar that they brought Alec out of his trance.

"I...uh," Alec looked away, turning back to the book in his hands and tried to remember where he was, "A single green light, minute and faraway-"

"Ah. That's quite a romantic book." The man said thoughtfully. He was a tall man, long and lean and beautiful. Blushing, Alec hunched his back slightly,and bowed his head,trying to hide the fact that he was staring. The tawny man pulled one of the other lounge chairs up to Alec, and sat, legs crossed. His shoes caught Alec's eye. They were bright blue, glittery Toms that showed a small amount of tan skin. He was wearing tight black harem pants with half-moon pockets from which hung numerous chains,a white tank top that was super sheer, a white and blue prussian military jacket, and a bullet casing pendant necklace with a bright ultramarine gem in place of the hair was a cross between a tapered cut and a faux-hawk and was done up in bold, glittery blue and silver spikes. Alec looked up to the man's face once again, but this time he couldn't look away.

Green eyes peered warmly at him and deep carmine pink lips pulled up into a smile. "Hallo, Alexander."

Alec breathed, suppressing a never thought someone could say his name so beautifully. It was almost like it was too beautiful to be his.

Delicately, he replied "Hello, Magnus." Magnus's smile broadened. He was beaming now.

"How was your day?"

"What?"

"Your day. How was it?"

Alec furrowed his eyebrows. He was about to answer, before Magnus cut him off.

"I'm sorry," He paused and looked around the room, "Was..Did I-"

"No, no you're fine, it's just...I can't remember when was the last time I was asked that." Even Alec was shocked by the truth of his own was the last time someone had asked about his day? He could only remember those terrible day he would rant about to his siblings, but neither had ever asked.

" It was...Good." He said finally. He wanted to say more but the question seemed oddly personal. Remembering his manners he quickly added, "And, your's?"

Magnus chuckled, and leaned in closer to Alec. " It's perfect now that I've found who I've been looking for."

Magnus's eyes dropped contact and fell on Alec's lips, then swiftly flew back to his was a pause, and suddenly Alec could feel a puff of sweet hot air on his lips.

He panicked, shutting his eyes and hoping for the best he spoke,"Look, I'm really not into any of that booty call stuff and yesterday was really just a one time thing."

Alec couldn't feel Magnus close to him anymore. He opened his eyes, and much to his surprise, Mangus was still looking at him with gentle eyes. Alec must have looked shocked because Magnus laughed softly.

He did something else Alec didn't expect. He pulled Alec's sleeve-hidden hand from his lap and held it delicately- like it as a pressed flower,closed his eyes,then gingerly kissed his knuckles.

Slowly he opened his eyes again. "Walk with me."

Alec was so glad he used his other sleeve to clean the drool off his chair.


Rate and Review? PLEASE! It really does keep me at it! Oh, and tell me if there are any typos...i'm really bad at this you guys...its really just kinda sad. Also, I lost my whole plan to this, so..the main idea and structure is still there but its diverting from it's original..thing...but its not like you'll notice...so why did i say that...-yawn- so tired. Night night,you...people.