Chapter Ten: Bashful

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

Author's Note: This takes place when Alec is left at Magnus's while the rest of the gang visits the Fair People.

Time: City of Ashes

Genre: Drama, Romance, and Angst

Rating: PG-13

Date Finished: July 10, 2012

A little shorter chapter compared to the rest...

Alec stepped toward Magnus. "Well, who is she?"

Magnus was still amazed at by how amazing Alec looked. "What?"

Alec was now smelling his suit again with a wrinkled nose. Magnus knew that Alec did not like the scent, but was just going to have to deal with it. ""Who the hell is Kim Kardashian?" Alec asked as he dropped the suit.

Magnus sucked in air. This was not the question he had been wanting to answer. He had hoped that Alec would ask something simple like the name of the designer of the suit. The truth of the matter was that the warlock had no idea who Kim Kardashian was. He was a warlock for crying out loud! He was not some teenage girl who sat around all day reading magazines.

"Well?" Alec pressed.

"She is the creator of the fine fragrance you are wearing." It was the best he could come up with.

Alec crossed his arms over his chest giving Magnus a fine view of his muscles. Magnus never realized how fully muscular Alec was.

Alec groaned. "I know that." He sniffed his suit again. "It smells like I am wearing something that my sister would wear."

Magnus shrugged. "At least it is strong enough to cover up the smell of battle."

Alec did not respond. Magnus knew that he had put one up on the Shadowhunter.

Magnus knew that his creation was going to end as it was clear that Alec was not happy about the current situation. "I am making you bashful wearing that suit?"

"I am not bashful, just hot," Alec snapped.

Magnus did have to agree that Alec was hot and wanted to point that out. However, the look that Alec was giving him told him otherwise. Magnus sighed. "Very well, you may change back into your horrid clothes."

Alec looked relieved and disappeared back into the bedroom.

Magnus strolled over to the window which overlooked the park with the tree. They had done such much in the hours that they had been together. He assumed that they both had been happy for most of it. He could not help but wonder how much longer the happiness was going to last. Alec had opened up, but it was only a matter of time before he closed back up and became bashful.

Magnus hated for that time to come, but he had to face the facts. Once Jace returned, things would go back to normal and Magnus would lose the boy with the beautiful blue eyes.

He rested one hand on the window and watched the other couples below him. He wondered how long those couples would be happy. He wondered how many would make it all the way.

Alec slid out of the suit. He knew that Magnus meant well, but thought that it would be best if the warlock did not try to make him beautiful. Alec was fine with who he was. He sighed as he put on his normal clothes. Why did relationships have to be so complicated?

He picked his watch up off the dresser and slid it over his wrist when something caught his eye. It was a small booklet with elegant writing on the cover. Judging by the yellowing pages and dusty cover, it must have been very old.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Magnus was not coming. He had a feeling that the warlock would like it if Alec was caught snooping through his personal belongings. Magnus was not in sight.

Alec picked the book up and opened it to the first page. The page was so yellow that he could not hardly make out the elegant script on the page. He narrowed his eyes and held the book closer to his face. It was just a name that had been written multiple times. Whoever had written it clearly had an obsession with this person.

"Lady Camille Belcourt," the Shadowhunter read.

His brow formed into a frown. Who in the world was Lady Camille Belcourt? He studied the page closer. Down in the far, right hand corner was a small, barely noticeable heart. Alec held the book closer to his face so that the edge of it was almost touching the bridge of his nose. Inside the heart he could make out small initials: CA and MB.

Alec felt his heart miss a beat. He knew that Magnus had had other lovers, but a woman lover was different. Whenever Magnus referred to his old loves, Alec always pictured that the lover was a male. Female was just something that Alec found difficult to grasp.

He gently closed the book and placed it back exactly where he found it. He did not know how he was going to ask Magnus about this. Magnus said that Alec had trust issues, but now the Shadowhunter believed that Magnus was the one with the problem. Alec fully believed that he had opened up and trusted Magnus. Now, why could Magnus not do the same for him?

Alec felt himself become bashful as he stepped out of the bedroom. Bashfulness was not a normal trait for him. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

Magnus looked up as Alec stepped out. "You are still lovely, you know that right?"

Alec nodded and sat down heavily on the couch. He stared at the warlock.

"What is wrong, Alexander?" Magnus inquired.

Alec looked up at Magnus. "Who is Lady Camille Belcourt?"

"Oh," Magnus said slowly. "You know about that?"

Alec nodded slowly relieved that Magnus had not asked how he found out about her. "Tell me who she is."

So, I decided to change it from the books and make Alec find out about Magnus's dating history during City of Ashes instead of City of Fallen Angels. Thanks for all the reviews I received last week. I am sorry that I did not send out review responds and I feel like a bad person for not doing so.