AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi, this chapter was the hardest to write so far. I don't even know why...And a quick update because I love you all.

So somebody wondered how long I intended to keep this going...Weellll! I have something massive planned! And I see it in maybe chapters 20 up, so yeah. I don't think this thing will reach 50 chapters or something. That's just intense! But it'll stop when I have nothing else to write. Just like what that pep-talk from Nanowrimo said: "You edit your work and you revise blah blah blah and when you find that no matter how hard you try, you can't rewrite it into a better version of what it is then you've got your end. That's your finished product." So until I have nothing else to give, I won't have a definite end or number on mind.

Chapter 14: Hide and Seek

Alec's eyes slid shut and he stood rigid for a moment, and Mister Bane pulled away, looking down at him as if he'd done something very wrong. Cheeks flaming, Alec took a step back and looked at the man. There was a tingling in his lips, as if Mister Bane could cause so much electricity to travel through him in that second.

"Mister Ba-" The man raised a glittery hand and shook his head. So was he going to pretend that he didn't do anything again?

"Don't," He said. "Alec."

Getting what he meant, Alec tried to call for him again, to just say his first name. It was odd enough, well, maybe because it was odd that he felt compelled to do so. That maybe that was one of the many reasons why he hadn't flung his teacher away from him the moment he started to touch him.

"Magnus," Alec said, and Mister Bane – Magnus's – eyes lit up at hearing his name, and Alec saw him take a step forward, and another, before he stood directly in-front of him, his tall frame towering over him. His eyes were still odd, and with the light of the moon, it made him even look more imposing, more…Ethereal and magical.

"That's better," Those long fingers came up to his cheek again, but this time, Alec saw the question in his eyes – May I?

He was too shocked to even nod, but not taking the silence and the stillness as a denial of his request, Magnus did it, anyway, and then tilted his chin up.

"Can we do that again? It was like kissing a statue." When Alec flushed a totally deep red, Magnus laughed, a short laugh that got carried away with the wind. "And no, I haven't kissed a statute. More than twice, anyway,"

Magnus must have noticed how Alec went from red to a little bit pale, because he stopped his laughter and just looked at him, for a very long time. And even with those strange, cat-like contacts that he wore, Alec still felt like Magnus was really staring straight at him, and not through him.

"Why?" The question left him before he even could really think about it, and even with it Magnus didn't draw back.

But he decided that the answer could wait for a little while because Magnus's thumbs drew small circles on his cheeks and leaned down again, and as much as the kiss earlier was expected, he still froze, not completely ready. But it had been his first kiss, and he had been a total statute – As Magnus had said.

Instead of freezing again, Alec tentatively reached a hand out and his fingers locked around one of Magnus's wrists. Taking this as a sign that he should just get on with it, Magnus pressed his lips against Alec's, in a very soft and very light kiss. And as light as it was, even with just their lips pressing against each other, Alec preferred this as to the one earlier.

And it wasn't at all like how he thought kissing was. It was…Nice.

When Magnus pulled away he gave a smile, the softest smile Alec had ever seen on him.

"You taste like strawberries,"

He didn't think it would happen. Sure, maybe the first one, but then that didn't really count as a proper kiss because it was just one-sided, and a one-sided kiss, with the other person not even responding properly to it…Well, it wasn't a very nice kiss.

But the second time was better. He saw the hesitation in Alec's eyes, but he had allowed him to do it, had tilted his head up to meet the kiss, and had kissed him back. It wasn't as hot or as passionate as making out really went, but that kiss had started something. And Magnus liked how it started.

And the boy tasted like strawberries.

"I'm not a fan of strawberries," Magnus commented, and he still hadn't pulled away from Alec, just running small circles with his thumb on Alec's cheeks.

"But maybe if I get used to the taste…?" Alec shifted underneath him, and Magnus dropped his hands, though a smile played across his face. It was okay. Tonight was more than okay. And he wouldn't push the boy anymore or any further.

"Do we pretend that nothing happened?" Magnus looked at Alec, who leaned against a tree, but there was a tenseness in his shoulders, as if he was worried about what he had just done. Well, he did nothing but kiss someone and that wasn't very wrong.

"I'm not good at forgetting," Stepping underneath the shadow of the large tree, Magnus ran his eyes down Alexander Lightwood.

"Was kissing me that bad?"

"…No,"

"Do you want us to play forget again?"

"I can't. Not anymore," Alec shot Magnus a glare, a glare which he found very adorable.

"The glare's not really working, Alexander. And it should, because you're in leather and a demon hunter. But you're adorable."

"I can try," Oh dear god, was this boy even real? Magnus really had to limit himself for one night. It wasn't that he couldn't handle a third kiss. But this was Alec – A shy and literal young man who hadn't come out of his very own closet.

Magnus liked the idea that Alec just pulled him into the closet and didn't even bother coming out. He could do that.

"So hide and seek?" Magnus suggested with a glittery wink.

Alec's blue eyes sharpened at the wink and he would really wink a hundred more times just to get to stare at those perfect blues.

"You're a teacher,"

"You are a student."

"I'm aware of that, Magnus,"

Oooh, that didn't sound so bad. Okay, no, he was lying. It sounded better than Mister Bane, and coming from Alec, it actually sounded great. He liked how it sounded.

"That makes two of us. So come here and let me mess your hair up,"

"I should leave."

Magnus felt his smile drop, but he had caught himself and just put up a very light smile, not quite reaching his eyes anymore. His arms still hung in the air, a silent invitation of wanting a hug.

Alec didn't leave, though. He stood there for a moment, not quite looking at Magnus, but he didn't turn around and leave or shove him aside. Instead, he stepped into the hug and Magnus's arms encircled him.

"This is nice," Even if the boy didn't really hug him back, it was fine. It could work out like this. He would make it work.

"That was my first kiss…" Alec's fingers clutched at the pocket of his suit and Magnus rested his chin on his head.

When the words finally sunk in, he almost pulled away, just to look into those deep eyes. He held on, though. And the hug was comforting to him, as if something had finally gone right in this school. Not counting how Alec was the same boy he'd hit on that one night in the Pandemonium.

"Do you want a third one?" It was Alec who pushed him very gently. Magnus's grip around his back slackened, but he didn't really let go. Not yet.

"Alec, look at me. Please."

When he finally did, Magnus dropped his hold around him and took a few steps back.

"I'm gonna make the choice very easy," He reached a hand out, and Alec looked at it, unsure. "Take my hand and we'll make this work. Walk away and nothing happened. And I will try to believe that nothing really did happen."

Soorrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy! No third kiss for now! But you get a semi (somewhat awkward) hug anyway! Take that.

So do you think Alec refused Magnus? And this time...For good? - sad face :( - Or did he take Magnus's hand with the promise to make this thing work. So? What are your bets?

I (most of the time) write angst. But then I like fluffy romance, too. 50/50 chances, everyone. Let's see them answers!