Chapter Eight: It's not a date… Is it?
Thursday night, Alec sat in his room, staring at the message from Magnus on facebook. After thinking about it all day Wednesday and Thursday, Alec began to freak out. He had no idea if it was a date or not. It could just be Magnus wanting to thank him in a friendly way for helping out. But it could also be an invitation for a date with the smooth pretense of thanking him. Either way, Alec felt unprepared for tomorrow. He didn't know what to do in these situations. Sebastian never really took him on dates. They would just hang out at school or each other's houses. Never dates. And now Alec was properly worried because he didn't know what he was supposed to do or say or wear. If it was a date he should dress up, but if it's not a date, he wants a date with Magnus so he should dress up. But it's just coffee. He shouldn't dress up too much. Alec ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Mom!" he called, not knowing what else to do. Mother knows best, right?
"Yes, Alec?" Maryse asked, coming into his room with some of his laundry.
"I need your opinion on something," Alec said, getting out of his desk chair and taking his laptop to his mom. "Is this a date?"
Maryse put the laundry down on the dresser top and took the computer from her son, reading the messages from Magnus. As she read them, Alec bit his lip and shifted on his feet. He didn't know what to want. On one hand, he didn't want to hurt Jace's feelings and dating wasn't exactly something he did often, but on the other hand, Magnus was very hot and he was actually interested in Alec.
"Yes, I think so. Is this Jace's Magnus by any chance?" she asked, looking over the top of the computer at her son. Alec wasn't surprised she made the connection. Really, how many people were named Magnus Bane?
Alec scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor, "Yeah. Please don't tell him yet."
"I won't say anything unless you have a second date. I want to meet this boy, okay?" Maryse said, handing the laptop back to Alec. As she began putting away his clean laundry, she vocalized her concerns, "I don't want another Sebastian repeat. He was nothing but bad news. If you are going to start dating this Magnus boy, you bring him to meet me. You deserve someone who respects you enough to meet your mother on the second date. You need to let him know that you deserve someone good. I know Jace exaggerates a lot, but if I even catch a whiff of disrespect or manipulation, I will give that boy a piece of my mind."
"It's just one date, Mom," Alec said, "And I'm not even convinced it's a real date yet," he muttered.
"Of course it's a real date, Alec," Maryse said, hanging up his school shirts, "You are a very handsome and intelligent young man. Now you let this boy buy you coffee and have a good time, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," Alec said, a little nervous.
"And try not to wear any of your school shirts. That might be a little intimidating for someone who goes to public school. Plus you always stain them. Why don't you and Jace go to the mall tonight and get some new clothes?"
"I heard my name," Jace said, leaning on the doorframe of Alec's room. "What's up?"
"I was just telling Alec that you two should go to the mall and get him some new clothes," Maryse said.
"What for?" Jace asked, glancing at Alec with an odd expression on his face that Alec just couldn't place.
"Alec has a date tomorrow," Maryse said with a smile and an 'isn't he cute' look at Jace.
"Mom!" Alec said, his cheeks burning up.
"Oh, does he now?" Jace smiled and returned the look, "Who with?"
"No one," Alec said quickly, burying his face in his hands.
"If he doesn't want to tell, don't push him," Maryse said, "Now go help him pick out some casual clothes. They're getting coffee."
After an awkward car ride to the mall filled with silence and weird glances from Jace, Alec stood in some department store wishing he had never called his mother into his room.
"What about this?" Jace asked, handing Alec a shirt with a cat in space riding a piece of pizza.
"As artful as that is, no," Alec said, handing the shirt right back.
Jace laughed, clearly in a good mood, "What's he like?" Jace asked. "Is he nerdy? Or does he play sports?"
Alec shrugged, "I don't really know. He seems really…" Alec paused, trying to think of a good word to describe Magnus, "tall."
"Tall?" Jace looked at Alec incredulously, "He seems tall?"
"I don't know, Jace. I guess he likes clothes. He wears a lot of them," Alec said, suddenly aware of how little he knew about Magnus.
"Okay," Jace said, hiding his expression and moving to a different section of the store, "He's tall and wears clothes."
"Yeah," Alec said, crossing his arms and following Jace to the pants.
"Here, you can't go wrong with a good pair of jeans," Jace said handing Alec a pair of light wash straight leg jeans. "Go try them on, and let me see."
Alec did as he was told, emerging from the dressing room moments later in a pair of jeans that fit him very well.
"Good," Jace said, "Turn around, let me see the back." Alec wearily turned away from Jace who eyed him closely. "Those are nice. How do they feel?"
"Fine," Alec said.
"Okay, we'll get those. Now, let's find you a good shirt."
After twenty minutes and a few more vague adjectives to describe Magnus, Alec had a decent outfit to wear. Jace also bought him a few more pairs of jeans and a couple shirts, just because they had the credit card.
"Are you excited for your date?" Jace asked while on the drive home.
Alec shrugged, "I'm not even sure it's a date."
Jace rolled his eyes, "If Mom says it's a date, it's a date. Besides, you're a good looking guy. Of course it's a date."
"But what if it's not? And I let myself get excited for nothing."
"Then you can ask him out on a real date and get excited for that. Just relax. I'm sure everything will work out fine," Jace reassured him. "You might even get lucky, if you know what I mean," Jace waggled his eyebrows at Alec.
Alec blushed darkly and muttered under his breath. Jace laughed, happy that his brother was finally moving on from Sebastian.
(Line Break)
Magnus checked his makeup for the twelfth time in his compact mirror. Despite his confident personality, Magnus was very nervous about this. He didn't want to scare Alec away or ruin his chances with a second date. That would just make Jace hate him more. He was surprised Jace allowed Alec to even come on this date, surprised, but very thankful. Magnus checked his phone, seeing a good luck text from Camille. He sent a quick thanks and checked his hair in his mirror. Everything was still in place. He wanted to tone it down a little for Alec, so he just wore some of his not so tight skinny jeans and a royal blue long sleeved shirt to show his school spirit. After all, he was waterboy, he had to wear school colors to their first football game. Magnus checked his makeup again, just a simple eyeliner, glitter, and clear lip gloss. His hair was styled into spikes, but he left down a few hairs to frame his face. Magnus checked his watch, seeing that there was still ten minutes before Alec was supposed to meet him here.
Magnus looked to the door, but Alec still wasn't here. Unconsciously, Magnus' leg started bouncing up and down under the table. He glanced around the coffee shop, but he didn't see anyone he knew. He supposed it was because it was closer to the academy than it was to his school.
"Magnus?" a shy voice called out to him.
Magnus turned his neck so quickly, he was almost scared he gave himself whiplash. "Alec!" He stood up, looking at Alec standing nervously. "Hi," he said with a genuine smile.
"Hey," Alec said, his hands in the front pocket of his gold and green soccer hoodie. He was clearly nervous, so Magnus did his best to make him comfortable.
"Have a seat, I will order us some coffee. How do you take it?" He asked as Alec sat down in the corner table across from where Magnus was moments ago.
"Black, please," he said politely.
Magnus grinned at him and went to the counter to order a black coffee, a chai tea latte, and two blueberry scones. While waiting on their order to be ready, he went back to sit by Alec.
"Thanks for the coffee," Alec said.
"Thanks for fixing my car," Magnus quipped. "I know coffee doesn't even come close to being even, but it's a start."
Alec smiled, feeling more and more like this was not a date. "You really didn't have to do this," he said, "It was no big deal."
Magnus waved off the comment, "Because of your handy work, I didn't have to walk home. Which means I didn't get blisters on my feet. That's a big deal." Magnus watched Alec closely as he said his next words, "Plus, why would I ever skip out on a date with a cute guy?"
Alec's cheeks darkened and he looked down at the table with a small smile. "Are you meeting him after this?" Alec teased.
Magnus laughed again, "Hey, give yourself some credit. You're very handsome."
"You sound like my mom," Alec said looking up to Magnus' eyes for the first time.
Magnus was distracted at how clear and blue Alec's eyes were behind his contact lenses. "Well, your mom sounds very intelligent."
Another shy smile graced Alec's face, revealing two small dimples. Magnus internally awwed at how cute he was.
Alec looked down at his hands before glancing up to Magnus' face. "I think you're very handsome, too."
This time, Magnus couldn't have stopped his smile if he tried, "Thank you, Alec."
"Magnus!" the coffee waiter called.
Magnus casually waved his hand, signalling him to their table.
"Black coffee, chai tea latte, and two blueberry scones," he said, putting the order down on the table. "Hey, Alec."
"Hi, Simon," Alec said, "I didn't know you were working tonight."
"Yeah, I was going to play Shadowhunters vs. Dragons with Eric and Jordan, but Clary called in sick so she could go to Jace's game," Simon explained, pushing up his glasses. "Who's this?" he asked gesturing to Magnus.
"Oh," Alec blushed, "uh, this is Magnus. Magnus, this is my friend Simon," Alec introduced them, hoping that Simon wouldn't say anything embarrassing.
"Nice to meet you," Magnus said, extending a hand.
Simon shook it, looking closely at Magnus, "Likewise. Say, Alec, Magnus sure looks a lot like the new warlock character you made for the expansion," he said with a 'I caught you' smile.
Magnus eyebrows raised at the statement, making Alec blush again.
"Coincidence," Alec muttered, shoeing Simon away. Alec hid his face behind his hands, praying that Magnus wouldn't mention it.
"So tell me about this warlock," Magnus said.
Alec felt like dying of embarrassment, "It's just a coincidence, I promise," he said, taking a drink of his coffee.
"Well, I think it's cute," Magnus said, sipping at his latte. He passed Alec a scone and smiled. "I hope you like blueberry."
Alec took the scone cautiously, "I do, thanks." Alec didn't touch the pastry, not wanting to look like a pig in front of Magnus.
Magnus took a bite out of his own scone, making Alec wonder how he didn't even smear his lip gloss. "So, Alec," he said, "tell me a little bit about yourself."
Of course, this was the part Alec was most worried about. He and Jace had rehearsed a few different lines, but Alec's mind had gone blank. "Uhm," he said, looking at his hand and wishing he had wrote them down. "I play soccer."
"Interesting," Magnus said, like he didn't know that already, "I don't know much about soccer, but it looks fun."
Alec nodded, sipping at his coffee some more, "I enjoy it. It's something to keep me in shape."
Magnus thought briefly to his conversation with Jace. "And what a wonderful shape it keeps you in," he said, overtly checking Alec out.
Alec's cheeks flamed up again, "What about you?" he asked, changing the subject away from himself.
Magnus picked another piece off of his scone, popping it into his mouth, "What do you want to know?"
Alec shrugged, "Anything. When my brother asked what you were like, all I said was 'tall and wears a lot of clothes,'" he said with a blush and a small smile.
Magnus laughed, realizing that Jace didn't know it was him Alec was on a date with,. "At least you're accurate. I'm very tall and I do often wear clothes. I also watch a lot of Netflix and enjoy piña coladas."
Alec laughed, making Magnus' heart melt. "Do you also like getting caught in the rain?"
Magnus smiled. "Of course. I am into yoga, though, and I have half a brain. I especially like making love at midnight," he said with a wink. "Though not in the dunes on a cape."
Another wave of red ran over Alec's face, but he was laughing nonetheless. "How do you do that?" Alec asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.
"What?" Magnus asked, confused by the question.
"How do you talk so openly about… that stuff?"
Magnus shrugged, "I have no shame. I want people to like me for what I am, not just pieces they might catch a glimpse of," he said, eating the last of his scone and licking his fingers in a way that made Alec's eyes dilate slightly.
"That's very poetic," Alec said quietly, knowing that the image of Magnus' mouth around his finger would not leave his brain for a long long time.
"Do I remind you of Shakespeare?" Magnus said, pretending to hold a skull in his hand. "Are you my Anne Hathaway?"
Alec scoffed at Magnus' behavior, "'We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.'" Alec quoted.
"Oh," Magnus said with a smirk, "Handsome and well read. I'm impressed."
Alec bit his lip with a shrug, not knowing what to say. Magnus was so interesting and neat, and he was just so boring. He had no idea why Magnus hadn't made some excuse and left yet. Sure, Alec was having a wonderful time, but there was no way Magnus was enjoying himself, right? Afterall, Alec was just plain and unembellished.
"I take it you don't like blueberry," Magnus said, referring to Alec's untouched pastry.
Not wanting to offend Magnus, Alec shook his head, "No, I do, really. I just…" Alec didn't know what to say. He didn't want to be rude by making Magnus feel like he had wasted his money. "I don't like eating on dates," he said lamely, mentally berating himself.
Alec expected Magnus to prod and make fun of him, but instead, Magnus took the scone and began wrapping it up. "Here," he said, handing Alec the pastry wrapped up in the papery bag it came in. "Take it with you so you'll think of me later."
Alec was surprised at the gesture. It was simple, but it was also gave him a deep trust and thankfulness for Magnus. Magnus had somehow read Alec's feelings and played them off in a very supportive, but respectful way. Alec couldn't help but feel like Magnus was some sort of genie mind reader. He was monumentally more considerate than Sebastian had ever been. "Thank you, Magnus," Alec said, holding the bag carefully in his pale hands.
Magnus offered Alec a kind smile, "You're very welcome. Now, we had better head off to the game. I need to fill the bottles before Coach blows his top again," Magnus said, standing up with his latte in one hand and his keys in the other.
Alec stood as well, taking his coffee and bagged scone both in his right hand. He followed Magnus towards the door, walking directly behind him to avoid the early evening rush of the coffee shop.
"Oh no, my shoe's untied," Magnus said, bending down so suddenly that Alec's crotch ran smack into his ass. Alec immediately took two steps back, his entire face and neck a fiery color. Magnus concealed his smile as he stood and turned around to face Alec, "Sorry about that."
"It's okay," Alec said, not daring to look at Magnus' face.
They continued walking until they were outside. Magnus paused, leaning against the brick wall of the coffee shop. Alec, unsure if he was just supposed to leave or stay and say goodbye, stood a few feet away, glancing nervously at Magnus as he lit up a cigarette.
"I hope you don't mind that I smoke," Magnus said, replacing his pack in his back pocket and his lighter in his front.
"I don't mind," Alec said, secretly loving the smell of smoke, though he would never do it.
Magnus smiled, stepping closer to Alec. "I've really enjoyed this date," he said holding Alec's gaze.
Alec nodded, not wanting to agree out loud in case this was some sort of embarrassing joke where five camera men pop out and tell him it was all fake. Knowing that probably wasn't the case, he muttered a quiet, "Yeah," breaking the eye contact and looking at his feet.
Magnus looked discouraged for half a second before he looked confident again. "Would you like to go on another one sometime? Maybe I could buy you dinner."
Alec looked up surprised, "Really?"
"Of course," he said with a smile, taking another drag of his quickly burning cigarette. He blew the smoke to the side, not wanting Alec to be targeted.
"This isn't some sort of cruel joke?" Alec asked, despite not wanting to sound crazy, he needed the reassurance.
Magnus looked strangely at Alec, "No. It's not a joke. I really like you," he said honestly.
"Cool," Alec said, not able to restrain the smile on his lips.
"So, is that a yes to dinner?" Magnus asked, loving that beautiful smile.
Alec nodded eagerly, "Yes, definitely," then he remembered what his mother said. "My mom wants to meet you."
Magnus laughed, "You talked to your mom about me?" he said, leaning back against the wall and glancing sideways at him.
Alec blushed, leaning against the wall as well, shoving his scone and hands in his hoodie pocket. "You may have come up," he said casually, scared that Magnus would suddenly realize he was a total dork and back out.
"Does Jace know about us?" Magnus asked, gaging Alec's reaction.
"No," Alec said. "I wanted to see if the date went well before I told him I've betrayed him," he said with a small smile.
Magnus returned the smile, putting out his cigarette against the wall before tossing it into his latte cup. "How about I take you and your mom out to dinner Sunday night? Jace never has to know."
Alec suddenly felt like he was in a dream. There was no way Magnus was real. Someone that attractive couldn't be this nice. He's perfect. Without warning, Alec's mind flashed back to Magnus licking his fingers.
"Alec?" Magnus asked, waving his hand in front of Alec's face.
"Oh, uh, sorry," he said with another blush. He shook his head slightly, trying to wash the dirty images out of his brain. "I would love that. My mom likes dinner."
Magnus laughed, "You are too cute," he said. "Come on, I'll walk you to your car," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the parking lot. Alec followed him, not wanting to stand too close so as not to invade Magnus' personal space.
Magnus threw away his cup in the trash can on the sidewalk, wanting to reach out and hold Alec's hand, but scared he was being too forward. Before he had the chance, they were standing next to Alec's green car.
"Thanks for everything," Alec said, digging in his front pocket for his keys.
"Trust me, it's my pleasure," he said, enjoying Alec's slight embarrassment. "Maybe I'll see you around halftime tonight."
"Yeah," Alec said, unlocking his car and opening the door.
Magnus bounced once on his feet making a split decision. He leaned forward and kissed Alec on the cheek, feeling the warmth of his soft skin beneath his lips. "Bye, Alec," Magnus said, turning to walk towards his car.
Alec stood frozen for a moment, his cheek practically on fire where Magnus' lips were. His kiss was so much more tender than Sebastian's ever was. It was like a wisp of sweet heaven to Alec. He couldn't move or speak or think. All he could do was slowly sink down into his car, thinking that he would wake up from this dream at any moment. "Bye, Magnus," Alec said, even though his door was closed and Magnus was already driving away.
(Line Break)
"Jace, I just saw your brother on a date with the Sparkle King," Will said, when he burst into the football meeting house.
Jace rolled his eyes, "No shit. I've been trying to get them to go out for at least a week now. It's all part of my master plan. Though, I do have to admit he's a little ahead of schedule," Jace said, leaning casually against the wall and inspecting his nails.
"What master plan?" Will asked, his dark blue eyes shining in confusion. "Are you planning to take Magnus down by using your brother? That's a little cruel. Even for you."
Jace scoffed, "Don't worry about it. Let's just say someone is going down, but I can't guarantee it will be Magnus."
"Jace, I don't think you should be doing this to Alec," Will said. "Yeah he's a little odd, but you can't tell me that after all the years you've been living with him, you're going back to your old ways."
"Oh chill you panties off, Herondale. Come with me; I'll share my plan with you," Jace said, pulling Will off to a side room.
(Line Break)
Alec sat in the bleachers with Clary, watching the game drag on. He was so excited for halftime. Not only because of the nachos but because he might have a chance to see Magnus again.
"So which one is Magnus?" Clary asked, scanning the sideline. She and Simon had apparently been texting since Alec was on his date.
"The one in the blue shirt," Alec said, nodding in Magnus' general direction.
"Oh, how could I not spot an attractive man in a blue shirt at a football game where practically everyone is wearing a blue shirt," Clary said sarcastically.
Alec rolled his eyes and laughed, "He's the tall one standing behind number fifty four."
Clary searched for a minute more before she spotted him. "That's Magnus?" She glanced back at Alec to see his bright blush. "He's way hotter than you described him. When you said, 'tall and nice looking,' I thought you meant he would be a total nerd. He's man candy," Clary said.
Alec nodded, not a disagreement in his mind. "And he's really nice."
"Does he have a brother?" Clary asked, making Alec laugh.
"Aren't you here for Jace?"
Clary laughed, "Right. Who is he again?" she joked.
"Blonde, annoying, totally in love with you. Ring any bells?" Alec said.
"Oh right," Clary played along, "I think I'm starting to remember."
Suddenly, the buzzer for halftime rang, making Alec grab Clary's arm and pull her towards the concession stand. "Come on. We need to get in line."
"What's the rush?" Clary asked, her short legs barely keeping up with Alec's long strides.
"No rush. I just want to get some food," Alec said, internally cringing at how that made him sound. Maybe he should skip the food tonight…
"Alec," a voice called from his left. Alec and Clary turned to see Magnus half trotting towards them. "Hey," he said when he was standing less than two feet away.
"Hey, Magnus," Alec said, hoping that Clary wouldn't say anything embarrassing like Simon did.
Clary extended her hand, "Hi, I'm Clary. It's so nice to meet you, Magnus. I would say I've heard a lot about you, but all Alec has said was 'tall and nice looking.'"
"Clary," Alec warned, his eyes glaring a threat in her direction. He needed to get new friends that weren't so embarrassing.
Magnus laughed, "I do believe you need to work on your adjectives, Alec. Though you are very accurate, you are nondescript." Magnus shook Clary's hand with a quaint smile, "It's lovely making your acquaintance. Are you both getting something?" Magnus gestured towards the snack stand.
"No," Alec said at the same time Clary said, "Yes, we are."
Magnus smiled, "I'll join you in line," he said, leading the way to stand behind the other concession goers.
"So, Magnus," Clary said, "Do you enjoy being waterboy?"
"Oh yes," Magnus said, "At first I was doing it to annoy Jace, but now I really enjoy watching the game from the sideline."
"You're the glitter bomb Jace is always talking about," Clary said, realization dawning on her face.
"Guilty," Magnus said, stepping forward with the line. "We've been having a little battle since the eighth grade."
"What happened in the eighth grade?" Clary asked.
Magnus was about to say something, then he stopped, "You know, I don't remember," he said unconvincingly. "It was so long ago. I'm sure it was something stupid."
"That's what Jace said when I asked him," Alec said trying to shrug his suspicion away.
"Maybe you guys should just call it a truce," Clary suggested, all of them now at the front of the line.
"If he's willing, I would call a truce," Magnus said, moving to the counter. "Can I have a soda and whatever candy has the most sugar?" He quickly paid the attendant and moved to the side with his purchases. "Do you really think Jace would want to call it quits?" he asked Alec.
Alec shrugged while Clary was ordering, "He might."
Magnus nodded, seeming to be deep in thought as he popped a sugary piece of candy into his mouth.
"Speak of the devil," Alec muttered quietly as Clary handed him food.
Jace walked up to them, clearly having skipped out on their mid-game team meeting. "Hey, Clary," Jace said, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.
"You've really got to stop skipping your huddles," she reprimanded him, "Coach won't put up with your attitude forever."
"Ah, I can always charm my way back to his good side. Besides, I wanted to see my pretty girl who coincidently hangs out with my brother," Jace said, staring at Alec who was looking anywhere but at him. "A brother who apparently does not notice my existence," he joked. He glanced at Magnus giving him a look that said, 'compliment my brother, you dipshit.' Magnus turned back to Alec who was staring intently at the nachos Clary just bought him. It almost looked as if he were trying to send them into another dimension.
"Yes," Magnus added reluctantly. There was a war inside him on whether he wanted to explicitly compliment Alec in a way that might make him feel uncomfortable but also piss Jace off, or if he just wanted to let Jace win and give a subtle compliment. He decided to compromise... "A delectable brother with beautiful eyes and a hot ass that is somehow related to the spawn of satan."
Alec glanced up at Magnus with red cheeks and surprise in his eyes. He looked slightly worried that Jace would catch on to what's going on.
"Hey, Shimmer Slut, that's my brother you're talking to," Jace angrily said, secretly winking at Magnus. Clary grabbed his arm, whispering something unheard by the other two, but his look of anger did not subside.
"Oh relax, Farrah," Magnus said, finishing his sugary candy. "I'm just here for the food," he said drinking his soda. He dropped a wink to Alec before walking back towards the field.
"Asshole," Jace grumbled, reluctantly pulling away from Clary. "I better get back to the meeting." And with that, Jace angrily walked away.
"I guess he doesn't want a truce," Alec said in a small voice.
"You never know," Clary said, walking with him back to their seats, "He'd do just about anything for you."
Alec wasn't so sure he would, though. Maybe his hate for Magnus was greater than his love for Alec…
Thanks for reading! Review and tell me what you think!
