This has been a long time coming oops. I'm really sorry. But hey I've written two other chapters after this already (which will be uploaded in the next two weeks - i'm going to stagger them) so there's that. There's really no excuse as to why this is over six months after the last installment... i thought I was done with fanfiction but alas here I am again. You can blame buffy and lord of shadows for that one. Anyway here you go, enjoy;


Alec's heart beat a little faster than usual, making his bowtie flutter like a bird's wings. The room was dark, the moon bright and glowing through one of the high windows, reflecting light onto glitter streamers hanging from the walls, and a disco ball overhead (which was very 80s if you asked him). A million people interweaved like cloth, as if their mingling and careful movement would form a pattern, a stitch in a much more complex piece of fabric. It was quite a sight, long dresses of every colour gracing the floor, the gentle swish of skirts running along the wooden floors, black suits with white shirts and in the middle of it all was Magnus, expertly moving from one person to the next like a rehearsed dance. A brilliant smile lit up his face, crinkling his eyes at the corner, his hair formed perfectly into a quiff. His suit jacket was metallic purple and caught the light from the disco ball, forming his own little spotlight, a little halo over his head. Centre-stage. He really was a sight, and not for the first time Alec understood the phrase, he lit up the room. The thought brought a small smile to his lips.

It was the first party he was attending as Magnus' date, as his love interest, as his boyfriend? To say it was nerve wracking would be an understatement. The whole room was filled with important people, people with power, people in suits that cost more than Alec's house, and not to mention people who were so unbelievably beautiful it was hard to comprehend. Alec couldn't ever fit into this world, the high-class lifestyle seemed so above him still, a bigger world he failed to even picture himself in, slipping on the last wrung of the ladder, the stars always out of reach. He hovered near the buffet (which seemed to have swapped the regular finger sandwiches for crudités and lobster pâté), a glass of prosecco in his hand, resisting the urge to push himself further into the shadows; to let his black suit meld into the shadowy walls. He was a small fish in a incomprehensibly big bowl.

"Alec?" It was Helen.

Helen had always seemed ethereal to Alec, there was something about her walk, about the way her blonde hair curled around her ears, about the way her eyes sparkled that made her seem slightly above the rest of them, as if she hovered on a slightly higher plane, a silver cloud. But that night she was breath-taking. She was dressed in a long white dress, its full skirt moving as if of its own accord, lapping like the waves of the sea. Tiny pearl earrings hid shyly in her ears, glittering in the light. She didn't seem to walk but rather float, as beautiful as a fairy.

"Wow. Helen." Alec said, kind of tongue-tied, "You look beautiful."

Helen blushed, the pink spreading across her angular cheeks, "Doesn't she just" came another voice, and Aline turned the corner, a perfectly wide grin across her face. Her hair was pinned up in what looked like a complicated way, Alec spied at least fifteen crystal clips, the silver pins seeming to glitter and shimmer in her hair like stardust. Her dress was shorter than Helen's, black and velvet with a skirt that flared from her waist to her knees, swishing as she walked. Her lips were bright red and her eyes were perfectly made-up, shining like the night sky. Perfect contrast. Night and day. Light and dark. Alec didn't think he'd ever seen such a perfectly balanced couple.

"You both," Alec said, already feeling slightly more at home, "look incredible, as always" he said, pulling them both into a hug, "I'm so glad you could come."

"Are you kidding?" Aline laughed, "As if we would miss a big fancy party, with free lobster," she smiled, "there has to be some perks to your flat mate dating Magnus Bane."

"Did I hear my name?" Magnus arched his eyebrows, "My ears are burning." He snaked his arm around Alec's hips, pulling him closer and kissing him on the cheek, "You girls look stunning."

"They have me to thank for that" Izzy interjected, pulling Simon with her on her arm like a glamourous accessory. Simon's glasses were slightly wonky to match his wonky bow tie. His hair was ruffled and Alec could tell that the ends of it were still wet, curling slightly. The sleeves of his suit were slightly too small and Alec wondered the last time he wore it (still he appreciated the effort).

"I was trying to take a look at that camera!" Simon complained.

"Hey you can put a nerd in a suit but underneath it's all the same." Izzy joked. She looked stunning, but then she always did. She was always the most impressive person in the room, and as she flipped her hair over her right shoulder Alec swore he saw an intern's jaw literally drop open. He stifled a giggle, poor soul.

"Nice to see you, Izzy" Magnus nodded, "Simon."

"Congrats on the launch" Simon said, pulling nervously on his sleeve. "I noticed that you seemed to shoot the video on a Canon cinema EOS…" Izzy seemed to grip his arm a little harder,

"Simon" she said softly, "he doesn't care about that kind of thing."

"Actually Izzy," Magnus said, letting go of Alec's waist, "It was my decision, I just don't think other cameras come close to having the same focus and aperture quality."

Simon's face lit up, his voice becoming a little stronger, clearer, and more confident. "Yes! I know right, I would absolutely kill to be able to shoot on one of those, I did use one once briefly on a shoot, it was only a temporary situation but it was amazing, the picture quality was out of this world –" he trailed off, but Magnus smiled, and looked interested.

"God is there anything you don't do, Magnus" Aline said, not letting go of Helen's arm and rolling her eyes.

"Not really, what can I say, years of experience." Magnus smirked, (more years than they could ever know.)

"Where's Clary anyway" Magnus said, scanning the crowd for her famous red hair, "And Jace?"

"I saw them a minute ago…" Izzy said.

"Present!" Clary shouted from behind Alec, her hair slightly more messed up than when Izzy had last seen her, and Jace's bowtie seemed to be noticeably missing. Alec raised his eyebrows, he didn't even want to know what they'd been up to, and where. The pair's hands were entwined, a unit, and Alec could only hope that five years into his relationship he could still be as hopelessly in love as the two of them. That he would still look at Magnus like the world hung on his shoulders.

"Much obliged" Magnus said, smirking. A guy behind Jace seemed to be staring rather intensely at Jace. And Alec didn't blame him, Jace really did look like an angel, which wasn't even an exaggeration, he didn't know anyone who hadn't been in love with him at some stage, though of course he'd never had eyes for anyone except for Clary. It wasn't often he saw Jace in a suit, but he really did look at home in it, and of course he looked twice as good as usual, if that was even possible. With a blush, Alec remembered his old crush on Jace. The first time he had seen him had been just after Clary had started doing his make-up a few years back, he'd come through the doorway, his blonde hair swept to one side, an over-sized grey jumper hung from his shoulder blades, exposing two sharp and angular collar bones. Hey I'm Jace he'd said, Is Clary around? And it had taken Alec an embarrassingly long time to reply, his face as red Clary's hair. Clary had noticed, Alec was sure of it, but she only rolled her eyes, she was used to it, the Jace factor. They came as a package deal. Still the past was the past, (who could blame you? Magnus had said when he'd drunkenly confessed his crush to him one night – the boy's a God).

Clary's dress was dust rose and perfect matched her rose skin, like a perfect flower, Jace had said, kissing her, will you two get a room, Izzy had quipped.

A large dysfunctional family.

"I have business to attend to" Magnus, said his eyes lighting up, "See you later?" he turned to Alec, kissing him a little too passionately considering he was surrounded by people (Alec was easily embarrassed by PDA).

"Later" Aline said, grinning and punching Alec in the arm.


"You seem enamoured" Raphael whispered.

"You could say" Magnus replied.

"You gonna tell him?"

"What?"

"You know what, the whole by the way you're going to get old and die and I'm going to be young and beautiful forever," He raised his eyebrows and whispered "the whole shebang" Magnus looked down at his feet, worry pinching at his upper lip. "You can't put it off forever," Raphael said, trying to catch his eye.

"I know that, it's just tough you know"

"You really like him, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want my help, I have a coming-out book for teens, or a power point?"

Magnus punched him on the arm, "This is serious Rafe"

"Just don't leave it too long, mundanes aren't too fond of being lied to."

"I know, I know I'll get to it I promise."

He caught sight of Alec across the room, laughing boldly, his shoulders shaking, leaning closer to Aline (whose hand had not left Helen's all night). He was so beautiful, and Magnus loved him. He knew it. He loved him and he'd have to break his heart.


Alec stared across the dancefloor, Helen and Aline dancing with Aline's head on Helen's shoulder, her arms hung around her waist, Alec didn't think he'd ever third-wheeled quite this hard before (and there had been a lot of third-wheeling in the last three years). Who was that guy Magnus was talking to. The man was wearing a dark grey suit, his dark hair cut short and framing his angular face. He seemed to lean closer towards Magnus, his dark eyes sparkling. Alec felt a small stab of jealousy, in a little dig in his stomach. You're jumping to conclusions. Magnus placed his hand on the man's shoulder and Alec could see the little crinkles by his eyes as he laughed. A genuine laugh. Or was he? Magnus was a big name, and he was drop dead gorgeous and he had an air of wisdom and experience. Why did he think he could settle with plain-old Alec, not even the most beautiful amid his own little group. (the boy is a God.) He felt the liquid of one-too-many (or four) slosh in his stomach and a sting come to his eye. He turned on his heel and fled into the shadows.


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