A/N: I LOVE YOU ALL! Your reviews mean the world to me and are the only thing that keep me going! Here is chapter 10, the ending came out of no where so hopefully it wasn't too soon, and (chapter spoiler) I know I have been killing you all with the suspense of Magnus finding out about Alecs extracurricular activities... but I have plans for that so hold on for just a few more chapters! You all have been so great! And with that, I leave you to your reading and enjoying (and hopefully reviewing!) :D

Alec POV

That night I was discharged from the hospital. Jace would not leave my side and would not stop rambling about putting me on suicide watch again and even going as far as speaking of rehab and therapy.

I simply shot down his ideas, stating that I don't need it and that with him around I wont have the chance to attempt anything anyway. Eventually he shut up but I don't blame him for not really believing me. I know I will hear about it again.

We got on the subway train to head back to my place. We sat down in the back and looked out to the other people that are rushing around dressed in business attire and others asleep in their seat or staring aimlessly into space.

"Jace, you realize my place is the first place they are going to check." I stated with concern. Hodge and the others are going to be looking for him and may even call the police and have them open an investigation. If that's the case, their first stop is me.

"I doubt they are even going to bother, I'm doing them a favor by leaving." He said in monotone.

"What made you do it?" I realize this is a ridiculous question, who wouldn't runaway? But after all this time he chooses now? Something must've changed.

"Impatience." He stated. "Our last conversation got me thinking. I'm not doing anything good for myself by being there. I want to experience things. I want to make money and meet people and actually learn what freedom is."

I turned in my seat to face him. Jace is looking off into the unknown like the majority of this train is. It always felt eerie to me, the blank expressions on their faces like they're dead. Jaces is different though, his radiates life and something else I couldn't quite figure out.

"I'll tell you what freedom is Jace." I started a bit angrily and he looked at me, nothing about his expression changed except for the dilation in his eyes as he focused on me. "It is tiny apartments and not getting paid what you deserve. It is fighting to survive, literally. I know you Jace, you're picturing what is seen in the movies, happiness and money and women. That is not what you're getting. You're getting reality. The harsh and unfair reality where you are lucky to get enough money to stick food on your table and put clothes on your back."

Jace was about to respond but I cut him off. "Look at these people around you." I lowered my voice so no one could hear me. "Look at their blank and dead expressions. That is what real life is like. And soon enough, it will hit you like it hit them. Cold and bitter like the winters night."

Jace didn't say anything for a long while, he stared out at the people around us as if trying to process what I said. I was turning back in my seat when he finally spoke.

"You may be right, Alec. Life is not all about flowers and sunshine but that does not mean it is completely absent of it. It means you have to be willing to fight for what you want and believe in. You have to be willingly to see past the bad and know that one day, you will get what you deserve. Whatever it may be."

I blinked then looked at Jace again. He is staring out at the people as if he said nothing. The look on his face remained the same as it had before, but this time I could decipher his expression.

It's hope.

We were out of the subway and walking the short block to my apartment, neither of us said a word until we reached the front door of the complex where a man was sitting on the step underneath the individual buzzers that rang for each apartment. He had his elbows on his knees, and hands raked into his black hair and his right leg was shaking impatiently.
He didn't hear us approach and it was just when Jace spoke that I noticed the glitter in the mans hair. Shit.

"Dude are you alright?" Jace asked him and immediately Magnus looked up and stared at me with wide eyes, ignoring Jace completely.

"Oh my god." Magnus exclaimed and jumped up and into my arms. I felt myself tense up but immediately relaxed. This is Magnus, there is no need to be so tense.

I wrapped my arms around him and held him close, making myself relax in the process. He is hugging me. We are physically touching. Oh my gosh. Warmth and comfort are spreading through my cold and heartless body. I took in his sandalwood and cinnamon scent that burned so sweetly in my nose, and as he pulled away and held me at arms length I thought, I cannot believe I wanted to leave this.

"I was so worried. The guy next door to you said he saw an ambulance and that you were taken to the hospital, he didn't know what happened. I went to the hospital but no one would tell me anything or let me see you." Magnus' eyes glinted with worry and fear and relief. I hate that I made him look and feel like this. I never thought what I did would ever effect Magnus.

"I'm sorry." I said weakly to him and his face fell even more into worry.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" He pulled a strand of my hair from my eyes. "It is not like it was your fault."

"No. It wasn't." I said a little too quickly and then I glanced at Jace who was watching the two of us intently. "Jace, could you give us a minute?" I asked him and for the first time Magnus and Jace locked eyes and there was nothing kind about either stares. I swallowed hard and dug out the key in my pocket to give to Jace. He took it and then went inside but not forgetting to glare at me before leaving.

Magnus POV

I don't know what it is, but I already know that I hate Goldilocks. Maybe it is because he is around my Alec or because he was with Alec at the hospital and was the one there to support him. My stomach ached at the thought of blondie being Alecs boyfriend.

Aside from that, I still feel sick knowing my precious Alec was in the hospital, for something that I still don't know yet. It scared the hell out of me when I got here and his apartment door was locked and there was no answer each time that I knocked louder and louder and started calling his name desperate for his soft voice to respond or his blue eyes to glisten when he would open the door like they had before. Instead I was met with his neighbor who explained the whole thing. I rushed to the hospital only to be met with a big ass load of nothing. Just that, yes Alec was there and yes he will be alright and no he will not be accepting visitors. I stayed for a good five hours until I decided to come back here and wait.

The inside of the building felt like it kept closing in on me, like the walls kept shrinking a smaller and smaller size to completely suffocate me and eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I came outside and sat in the freezing night air for about an hour. Now I am met with Goldilocks and a saddened, but alive, Alec. My nerves and adrenaline are still going strong but relief was overriding everything. My Alexander is okay.

"Tell me what happened?" I said and took his hand to bring him down to sit on the step with me. The cold brick normally would have seeped through my pants and made me jump at the cold but my whole body was already numb from the cold. Alec sat with me and the cold took no effect on him.

I kept his hand in mine, finding it being the only source of warmth and comfort right now. Alecs whole body is tense and his facial features speak of worry and fear which is far from relieving.

"I-" He began and coughed to clear his throat. "I had lost a lot of blood when I cut my hand yesterday at work and working only made me bleed more. I should've gone to the hospital right away but I couldn't afford it. Then last night I finally passed out. Jace was the one who found me."

Alec still wouldn't meet my eyes. I don't know if I should be worried about this, it's not like he is lying, is he? That is a ridiculous thing to be lying about. But he did seem to be acting this same way yesterday when he said he cut himself at work that morning.

I guess saying that I'm skeptical is the best way to phrase it.

What am I suppose to do if Alec is lying? I can't force him to tell me what is really going on and I sure as hell don't want him to feel uncomfortable around me like he is now.

I looked down at our intertwined hands. His sleeves covered to his wrist and he is wearing gloves, same as me.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" I found myself gently saying before I could stop myself. Instant remorse flooded me as Alec stiffened even more. How could someone be that tense? He started to blink rapidly and kept his eyes focused on the ground where snowflakes were softly falling.

I felt myself rub circles on the top of his hand to soothe him. Don't cry. Please don't cry. I mentally told him. I'm not very good at this, I have never had to comfort anyone except for my cat, Chairman. The damn thing always needs attention and I always have to rub behind his ear in the way that I am rubbing Alecs hand. Strange that I picked up this method from my cat. It usually worked on him, I hope it will help Alec even if it's in a minor way.

The last thing I need is to pull Alec into another embrace and make him tense up so much that he is frozen like the snow or hold him close and suddenly have him burst into tears like he seems to be holding back right now.

I didn't expect Alec to respond to me at this point. But Alec always finds a way to surprise me, like right now.

"I know." He said with a sigh.

"Do you?" I said sternly. I didn't realize the anger boiling inside of me until just now. How could Alec do this? Why can't he just tell me what is actually going on? Why doesn't he mention who the hell Goldilocks is? Why the hell didn't he just listen to me yesterday morning when I asked to see his wound?

Alec stood up abruptly and faced me with piercing darts for eyes. I have gotten this look before, mostly from my annoyed employees when I ask them to do things seemingly impossible, but this time the glare hurt. I didn't flinch away, my experience kept me from doing just that but my heart did an uncomfortable jump in my chest. I never would have wanted Alec to look like this, so torn up and hurt and many other things that I can't pinpoint. I sure as hell never wanted to be the cause for it.

"No. I really don't." He stated with furrowed brows. "I don't even know you and yet you're doing all these things for me like-" Alec faltered with his words and shook his head.

"Like what?" I asked him and stood up to be eye level with him. We were out in the open now and I watched the snow fall onto Alecs black hair and stick to it. Each flake stood out like the stars in a clear night sky.

"Like you want to be with me." He whispered so quietly I thought I was hearing things. Alec is staring down to our feet, his hands sitting in his jacket pockets and he shifted nervously telling me all I need to know- he did say those words.

Alec is easy to read when he wants to be, or rather, doesn't want to be. Actually no, he is absolutely the most difficult person to read and the most infuriating man I have ever met. But that didn't stop me from reaching my hand out and placing it under his chin to guide his head up and face me.

I looked straight into those ocean pits and spoke my next words gently, sincerely and effortlessly. "There is nothing I want more."

Then I pulled his soft lips to mine and we were kissing.

I told myself it was impossible for someone to tense up to the point where they seem as frozen as ice, but I was wrong. As my lips met his, Alec froze over to that point.

But that didn't stop me, because I know that something frozen can easily be melted.

And as our lips stayed locked and Alec began to kiss back, I knew I had melted him.