A/N: The long awaited fourth chapter. Sorry it's taken me so long to get one up, I just started school again and I'm just starting to get the right rhythm. Hope you all enjoy :)

Four

Magnus blinked and sat up at the instant buzzing that was his doorbell and looked around his apartment. He winched bringing a hand to his head and carefully stood up. He picked his way over the papers scattered over the floor and swore a little when he banged his shin on the coffee table and buzzed whoever it was up.

"...Did I come at a bad time?" Alec asked as he walked into the apartment.

"Sorry about the mess...I fell asleep on the couch last night after a client had a fit when I wouldn't change her contract for the fifth time," he answered. He waved his hand dismissively.

"What can I do for you? Catarina gave me some extra of that tea she recommended for you," Magus added as he walked to the kitchen.

"Ah...I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping…" Alec answered awkwardly. "My sister sort of ditched me and...you're the only other person with fashion taste and um...that came out bad."

He blushed a little and rocked back and forth on his heels. Magnus smiled.

"I'd love to go shopping with you Alec. Just let me shower and change. Make yourself comfortable okay?" Magnus told him.

Alec nodded and picked his way over the disaster area that was Magnus's living room and started to sit on the couch when there was a small mew.

A small tabby poked it's head out from under a blanket and stared at Alec.

"Chairman Meow. I've been looking all over for you," Magnus scolded the cat as he picked him up. "This is Alec. Be nice okay?" He kissed the cat's head before setting him down and going to his room.

Alec shook his head with a small smile and walked around the living room. He picked up the papers scattered around and set them neatly on the coffee table and picked up a few odds and ends.

He raised a questioning eyebrow at a high heel he found lodged between one of the chair cushions and set it by the door with the other shoes.

Magnus returned twenty minutes later with his hair pulled back into a small bun with dark green chopsticks in a match dark green t-shirt with a black vest and grey skinny jeans. He had on calf high black riding boots and a grey jacket thrown over one arm.

"What?" He asked when Alec kept staring.

"...I was expecting more glitter and sequins…" Alec admitted.

"I can change if you want," Magnus chuckled.

"No, you look nice. I mean you always look nice. I um, I'm gonna stop talking now…." Alec ran a hand through his hair as he looked away.

Magnus walked over and steered him out of the apartment and closed the door.

"You're adorable," Magnus smiled.

"I am not adorable. Shadowhunters are not adorable," Alec replied.

"Whatever you tell yourself," Magnus chuckled. "So where to first?"

"I wanna start working on the nursery," Alec answered. "I've already got the colors picked out."

"Oh? What were you thinking?" Magnus asked.

"I like yellow," Alec answered. "Make the room feel happy."

"Yellow. Yellow's a good color. What shade?" Magnus said.

"...shade?" Alec asked.

Magnus nodded. "You know. Like sunny yellow, or a goldish yellow or sunflower yellow?"

Alec blinked. "Uh…"

"Sweetpea, it is a good thing you asked me to come with you," Magnus said. "We have got our work cut out for us."

Alec could only follow as Magnus grabbed his hand and hailed a taxi.

Alec hung back a little as he watched Magnus talk to one of the sale's associates in some high-end baby supply store. Alec had mentioned he had wanted a bassinet instead of a crib and one-hour taxi ride later they were in some French themed baby store where Alec stuck out like a sore thumb and Magnus spoke French so effortlessly Alec would've guessed English his first language.

"What do you think?"

Alec blinked as he was brought of his thoughts by Magnus's voice

"I'm sorry what?" Alec asked.

"About the bassinet," Magnus answered.

"Oh," Alec walked over to join the other man and looked over the simple enough looking cradle. He spotted the price tag and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's really great but I can't...that's a lot of money…" he stammered.

Magnus said something to the sales associate and they walked away leaving Magnus and Alec alone.

"Look Magnus, I can't ask you to do this," Alec said in a lower voice.

"I want to," Magnus replied. "Alec...I know you're strong and independent and I admire that about you, but right now you're going to need support, emotionally...and financially and before you say anything think about it."

Alec crossed his arms over his chest and wanted to deny it. He really did but he knew Magnus was right. He wouldn't be able to rely on Isabelle, Jace was out of the question and his parents, at least his mother wasn't jumping through hoops at the moment.

His shoulder's slumped a little.

"Let me help you," Magnus said gently. "Both of you. Please?"

"Magnus...I…," Alec sighed and gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

Magnus smiled. "Now, do you like the bassinet or do you want something else?"

"It's perfect honestly," Alec answered.

"See? Now was that so hard?" Magnus teased.

Alec rolled his eyes a little but smiled more. "I'm just worried about the damage to your credit card."

"Sweetpea, there are perks to being over four centuries years old, money is literally no object," Magnus told him as he took out his wallet.

"Sweetpea?" Alec asked.

"Ah," Magnus blushed embarrassed. "Sorry, it just rolls off the tongue, I can stop if you want?"

"You don't have to…" Alec admitted. "I don't mind it."

"Right, well, let me go and pay for this and how about some lunch?" Magnus still had a light blush and Alec was starting to find it endearing.

"Sounds great," Alec told him.

Magnus nodded and Alec covered a small laugh a cough as Magnus turned to and narrowly missed walking into a shelf as he went to go pay. Flustered Magnus was starting to be Alec's new favorite thing.

"Are you sure this is okay...I don't want to impose or anything," Alec said.

"Relax Alec," Magnus assured him as he set a cup of tea down in front of him. "It's nice having company. I mean I can talk to my cat, but it's no fun when he can't talk back."

Alec laughed a little and picked up the cup of tea. "Couldn't you just make him talk with magic?"

"I could, but it's not nice to use magic on animals," Magnus replied. "Besides, I'd much rather talk to you anyhow."

Alec blushed a little and drank some of his tea. "Thanks for shopping with me…"

"It was fun," Magnus smiled. "We should do this again."

"Maybe we could do more than just shopping…" Alec offered. "Like...dinner?"

"I know an excellent Thai place that shouldn't mess with your taste buds," Magnus said, without missing a bit. "The chef is a good friend of mine...well, maybe not good, but she wouldn't mind if I brought a shadowhunter along for a meal."

"Really?" Alec asked.

"Of course, I mean...we're friends right?" Magnus replied.

"Friends…" Alec nodded. "Right yes." He finished off his tea and started to stand. "I should head back, Izzy wants to see what we bought. Let me know when you're free for dinner and we can set up a time to meet or something."

He barely registered Magnus's confused goodbye as he hurried out of the apartment and didn't stop until he was safe behind the Institute's walls.

"Alec?" Isabelle frowned as she saw him. "I thought you were having tea with Magnus."

"We did... I left," he answered. "I was stupid."

"What did you say?" She asked. "I thought things were going well, your texts said as much."

"I misread the signs or the teasing I don't know….he said we should do this again and I said maybe we could do dinner and then he called me a friend…" he rubbed at his eyes. "Maybe I misread all the name calling."

"Oh Alec…" Isabelle wrapped an arm around him and rubbed his back in soothing circles.

"This is stupid, I'm stupid, of course, he wouldn't want to go on a date with me…" he shook his head. "I'm having some other guys kid, that they don't want and I'm a shadowhunter, it's like social suicide for him to want to be anything but friends."

"You're not stupid," she told him. "How about I talk him, I'm really good at getting information out of people."

"No offense, but I don't think he'd be interested in your technique," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "I have other methods of making men talk...Just leave it to me."

He nodded a little. "You wanna see what I got?"

"Do you even have to ask?" She said as they started walking down the hall.