It was early morning when the door opened. Taemin came in looking like a hobo. His hair was a mess, his brown button up shirt was wrinkled, and he carried his shoes in his hand. And yet the first thing Alec said to him was…

"hey"

"hi"

"you look nice."

"I try my best."

That was the end of their conversation, until Alec left for Magnus's house.

"Alec wait"

"what"

"you forgot to give me my goodbye hug"

"why don't you give a hug to whoever you slept with"

And Alec left.

MAGNUS HOUSE

"Alexander darling what is it?"

"Hmm… oh nothing, I'm just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"Taemin"

Alec figured this time around when it came to his and Magnus's relationship he ought to be truthful about everything. So he wasn't surprised to feel Magnus stiffen.

"What about Taemin"

"He didn't come home last night."

"Oh sweetie pie he's a child god knows what these kids do nowadays he's just rebelling since his crush doesn't like him back. That's why it's never good to fall in love with your roommate. You know what I'm saying? You try to break up with that person and your all like "listen this just doesn't feel right I think we should just take a break… from listening to this god awful music. Are you hungry cuz I'm hungry?"

Alec chuckled. There was a truth to that.

"I suppose so"

"Look Alec I know we're all in this weird mixed up love triangle. But do you love Taemin now because you truly love him or are you just afraid of losing a good friend?"

Alec turned to look at him "I don't know, but I guess we'll find out."

Magnus's voice was steady when he spoke. "I guess we will."

There was a tense silence before it was broken by the ringer on alec's phone.

"hello?"

"yeah hi it's Derek. Meet me at Taki's in five"

"Well looks like I have to go."

As a reflex Alec leaned over and gave Magnus a soft peck on the lips, and immediately felt guilty. He had always given Taemin a good bye hug without fail except for today. Alec was a person who could come to terms with his emotions rather quickly but he was never one to express them outloud. So he got jealous when he smelled the cologne on Taemin's skin. Taemin was doing all sorts of things that he had never done before, and it killed him to know that it was his entire fault. His thoughts were so a mess that he didn't even realize he was outside of Taki's. Pulling himself together he entered, and saw Derek sitting in the last back booth to the right. The booth was red the fake leather material faded and ripping. The wooden table was fairly new though. Derek didn't say hello before he started talking well.

"Well I asked you here because it seems like we'll be running into each other often."

"What does that mean?"

"Taemin didn't tell you?" asked Derek in an innocent voice, "I'm the one he slept with last night."

Alec kept his poker face even though he felt like he had been hit by a bus. Taemin never really expressed his sex life which had led Alec to believe by his lack of knowledge and innocence that Taemin was a virgin and to think that he wasn't blew Alec's mind.

"well," said Alec, "thanks for telling me I guess. Anyway I gotta get going, but feel free to stop by."

"will do so. Oh and by the way I got a call yesterday it was Miranda she wants to see you."

Alec didn't even falter in step he just walked out the door and kept on walking. He lost track of time somewhere after that lost in his thoughts. It had been two years since he witnessed Camille's suicide. It was a mistake he never supposed to be in that room. Alec was on his way back to Jace after a demon hunting trip in an alley located on the east side of New York. There was a door open on the side wall and black blood pooled into the cracks of the concrete. Alec had seen a lot of messed up shit in his life but his bones still turned to ice when he opened the door. The death was simple; a knife to the heart. the death was reported to the clave of course and the new spread far and wide.; far enough to reach Camille's own daughter. And Taemin! He couldn't believe Taemin slept with someone! How the fuck dare he sleep in someone else's bed when he should have been sleeping with him!

Wait… what? Sleeping with him? No, that's not right. Alec belongs with Magnus. Taemin belongs to… Taemin belongs with… Derek.

And the truth in those words nearly killed him.