A/N: OK, whoa! You guys are amazing! First, no need to feel bad or apologize for not reviewing. I know you have lives. I'm thankful that you read and like the story! Truly. Second, omg 29 (TWENTY-FUCKING-NINE!) reviews for last chapter! Thanks for all the input about the length. I really didn't want to split it up, and I'm so glad no one seems to mind having a really long story. Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other! lol. I promised Monday updates, and that will continue, but it looks like I owe you a bonus chapter for the record number of reviews! I'll try to get enough written to do that in the next two weeks...

For the guest who asked: 'Four' as in the guy from Divergent. I would have his babies (even before I ever saw Theo James as Four, but even moreso after...)

The semester was in full swing by the time Alec's birthday arrived. He and Cammie had performed together at three football games already. The team was playing pretty well, and so far had only lost one game. In some miraculous twist of fate, the team had the weekend off, meaning Alec had no commitments for his birthday weekend. He was stoked about this as he sprawled out on the grass, soaking up the warm, autumn sun with the three people on campus who meant the most to him.

"I still can't believe you two have been together for a year," Alec said to Cammie and Austin, cracking open one eye to peer at them sideways.

Cammie threw her arms around Austin's neck and kissed his cheek. Then turned to Alec. "Us? Look at you. You've managed to tame Magnus Bane, of all people." She grinned, clearly proud of her comeback.

Alec saw Magnus look around, making sure no one was close enough to hear them, but he wasn't as enthusiastic about it as he was last Spring. The gesture seemed more a force of habit than any real anxiety, and Alec smiled to himself at that thought.

"The lady has a point," Austin said. "I didn't think anyone would ever get this guy to settle down. Of course, I also thought he was straight, so…"

Magnus, to Alec's further surprise, chuckled. "That's what I wanted everyone to think." Wanted. Did he just say wanted? Not want, wanted. Past tense. Alec was so surprised by that, he had to voice it.

"Did you just say wanted?"

Magnus's eyes slowly drifted to him. "Yeah. I did," he said in a way that told Alec not to push it. Alec pulled up short on his questions.

An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them, until Austin finally broke it. "So, you guys are going out with some of Magnus's friends tonight?"

"Yeah," Alec said, nodding, and silently thanking Austin for the change of topic. In truth, he was a little nervous about meeting Will tonight, and he didn't want any awkwardness between him and Magnus before they even got there.

"Yes," Magnus confirmed, "we're meeting my friend Will and his boyfriend. I'm not really sure what is planned. Will said he would take care of everything."

Austin and Cammie exchanged a look that Alec couldn't interpret, but the little grin they shared told him they liked this idea very much. He did, too, honestly. He was really looking forward to meeting Will, and hoped that whatever he had planned, it involved something that would make Magnus feel comfortable with him in public. Although, for the life of him he couldn't figure out what that would be. If anyone could, it was Will. Will had known Magnus his whole life, and probably knew him better than anyone, though Alec hoped not as intimately as he knew him. He chose not to think about that.

A short time later, Alec and Magnus were showered and dressed and ready to meet up with Will. Magnus wistfully mentioned how good Alec would have looked in that silver cashmere sweater he refused to buy over the summer. Alec lightly punched his arm and told him to shut up, which turned into a childish game of 'shut me up' until Magnus had Alec pinned against the wall with his tongue shoved very far down Alec's throat.

When he finally broke away, looking triumphant, he cast an appraising look at Alec and said, "You do look good. Even without that sexy sweater."

"Who said the sweater was sexy?"

"Do we really need to rehash this?"

"Fine," Alec huffed. He wasn't sure why he was huffing. Magnus had just told him he looked good in his blue cotton long-sleeve shirt and loose-fitting jeans. His features softened as he took in Magnus's appearance and the smoldering look in his eyes. Magnus was wearing a black button-up shirt, nothing too fancy, and a pair of tight black jeans that looked like they were painted on him. He also had a pair of small silver hoop earrings in, something Alec rarely saw him wearing, and a silver ring with a blue gemstone set in it. Alec had never seen that ring before. He reached for Magnus's hand, drawing it up to get a better look at the ring. "What's this?"

"My birthstone," he said softly. "My mother gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday." He looked away, and Alec could tell the subject was difficult for him. "I only wear it on special occasions," he added.

Alec tugged his hand to get him to look at him again, and gave him a small smile when he did. "My birthday is a special occasion?"

"Well…yeah," he said more confidently. "But it's not just your birthday. Today is the anniversary of the day that changed my life forever. The day you became my roommate."

"I know. I can't believe it's already been a year."

"I can't believe how lucky I was that day." He looked up at Alec through his lashes as he spoke, and Alec's heart did one of those crazy somersaults in his chest. Magnus thought he was lucky? Not nearly as lucky as Alec felt. No way.

"I thought you were trying to run me off. All that naked prancing around you were doing…" He grinned as he said it so Magnus would know he was only teasing him.

Magnus shrugged. "Maybe I was. Or at least maybe that's what I thought I wanted at the time. But honestly, Alec, I was intrigued by you the first time we met. I was drawn to you, and I couldn't explain why. I just…wanted…" He trailed off, searching and failing to find the right words.

"Just wanted to get to know me?" Alec supplied.

"Yeah. I guess. I don't know. I was terrified of you, though. I felt something that first day, when you nearly ran me over leaving the gym. I wanted to get to know you, but I was scared of where it might lead…that it might lead to this, actually." He gestured toward the hand that Alec was still holding. "You frightened me, Alec. Sometimes you still do."

What? Alec's eyebrows furrowed. "I frighten you?" He searched Magnus's face for answers.

"I'm still scared of how I feel about you, how intensely I love you. And I know being with you means one day I'll have to grow some balls and come out to the world, and that scares the shit out of me."

"Magnus, I'm not asking you to declare your love on national television. I just want…I'd like to hold your hand in public, even if it's under the table where no one else can see it. I'm not asking for all or none here. I'm okay with baby steps, gradually doing more as you feel comfortable with it. Not everyone is comfortable with public affection anyway, so you don't have to" -he shrugged, trying to find the words- "walk me to class and kiss me in front of everyone…or…something…"

"I don't?" Magnus looked incredulous. "But I thought that's what you wanted. You said you wanted to be like a real couple. I don't understand."

Alec led him by the hand over to the couch. "Look, the things we did in Miami were awesome. Perfect even. I loved every minute we were there. But, like you said, that wasn't real life." He paused to collect his thoughts, wanting to get this right. "We don't have to act like highschoolers in their first relationship. You don't have to be all over me all the time. You don't even have to be publicly affectionate all the time. Just…like today when we were sitting on the quad with Cammie and Austin, and they were sitting so close together and holding hands, I really wanted to touch you then. Just a little affectionate gesture. That's all I need right now."

Magnus still looked confused. "So, you just want to hold my hand when you feel like it?"

"For now, yes." Alec blew out a breath. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be able to hug you and kiss you any time I want, but mostly, I just don't want to have to think so damn much all the time. I'm constantly on edge, trying to make sure I don't look at you wrong or accidentally touch you in a way that could be interpreted wrong. Actually, I try not to touch you at all in public, and it's just so damn hard."

Magnus was nodding, like he understood. "I need to think about this, Alec. I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable walking around campus holding hands with you, but I agree that it's becoming really difficult to not let anyone know how I feel about you." His eyes drifted down to their entwined hands. "Sometimes, I think I'm already failing at that," he added softly.

Alec snorted. "Please. You're the best actor I've ever met. Trust me, no one knows how you feel about me."

Magnus said something so softly that Alec couldn't hear it and had to ask him to repeat it. He cleared his throat and their eyes met. "I said, sometimes I wish they did know."

Alec made an inaudible gasp, his breath catching in his throat. "Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, Alec, you know I want to be with you. You know I want to be out with you. If I were on virtually any other career path, I probably already would be out."

This was definitely news to Alec. "So, wait. You're saying you're no longer afraid of getting hurt by the big bad homophobes, just of it damaging your career?"

Magnus nodded. "Yeah. Look, when we were in Miami, I realized some things. I might have seemed casual about it all, but I was definitely watching what other people were doing and how they were reacting, and you know what I noticed?" Alec shook his head. "No one gave a shit. No one cared if I touched you or kissed you or whatever. Not just our friends, no one. Most people didn't even look twice at us, and some of the ones that did, actually smiled. That was a really eye-opening experience for me. And I realized that I really liked being with you that way."

Alec felt a little stunned. "So…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I need some more time, but that I'm no longer afraid that most people are going to react horribly bad to us." Alec's eyes widened, so Magnus quickly added, "But, I'm still afraid of how the NBA people will react. They're jocks, and jocks are not your classic gay-friendly group, you know?" Alec nodded bitterly. "But, I'm also saying that what you are saying sounds…reasonable…maybe even possible. I just need to think about it. I just need more time."

"Yeah. Okay. No problem."

Magnus offered him a smile, which he returned. "Let's get going or Will will think we've stood him up."

They caught a cab to a restaurant near the East River, a place Will had picked out. The place was quaint and had an outdoor seating area, where they found Will and his boyfriend waiting for them at a table in the corner. Alec had a vague memory of Will, having only met him once. He remembered that Will was several inches shorter than him, but had similar black hair that hung in his deep blue eyes, like Alec's. He had forgotten how devastatingly handsome he was.

But even that wasn't enough to draw Alec's attention away from the man sitting next to Will. The guy was the most unique man Alec had ever laid eyes on, including Magnus. His hair was a silvery brown color which framed a kind-looking face. He had an easy smile that lit up his whole face. But his eyes were what really drew Alec. His eyes were a pale silvery color that almost looked clear, like if he were to stare into this guy's eyes, they might actually be transparent. They were gorgeous, intimidating, and a little frightening. They didn't match the rest of his friendly face at all.

As Alec and Magnus approached the table, Will and his boyfriend stood to greet them. Will embraced Magnus like a brother, which seemed appropriate to Alec. When they separated, Magnus made the introductions, and Alec discovered the silvery man's name was Jem. Alec shook hands with both Will and Jem before they all took their seats.

They made small talk, and Alec felt the nervous energy that had been building in him all day begin to dissipate. Alec still felt a bit of an outsider, since Will and Magnus had known each other since birth, and Magnus had met Jem several times since he'd started dating Will. And the others seemed to realize this, doing their best to include him. They talked about Alec's family, and Will's mom. Alec discovered that Jem had spent much of his childhood in China, but moved to the states when he was fourteen.

"So, how did you two meet?" he asked, eyes darting between Will and Jem.

"Will decided he wanted to form a band," Jem stated. "He plays guitar, you know," he added in a low voice, conspiratorial-like.

"I play more than the guitar," Will reminded him.

"Yes, but the way you play the guitar…" Jem turned to Alec. "You should hear him. He's truly a god with six strings."

Will rolled his eyes. "I am NOT a god."

"You are to me," Jem said, and Alec felt a sudden pang of jealousy at the way he looked at Will. He wanted so badly to be able to look at Magnus that way in public. The look was very intimate, and Alec felt like he was intruding on a private moment when Will returned Jem's gaze.

Magnus cleared his throat and broke the spell. "Will really is very good with his guitar. You'll definitely have to hear him play sometime."

"I'd love to," replied Alec. "But that doesn't tell me how you two met…"

Jem and Will laughed. "Right," Jem continued. "Anyway, Will started this band, and he needed a singer…"

Alec watched Will reach for Jem's hand and squeeze it. "As soon as I saw him, and heard that beautiful voice, I knew he was the one." There was that look again.

Alec glanced at Magnus, saw the smile he wore for his friend's happiness and thought, That could be us, you know? Please let it be us. He had thought being around other gay people would make him feel…he wasn't sure, but he thought it would be better than this. Currently, all he was feeling was jealousy and longing, and wishing for something he couldn't have. Lost in his thoughts, he missed how the conversation shifted to school and basketball, and likely other topics he wasn't really paying full attention to.

The meal was good, though Alec didn't really pay much attention to what he ate. He mostly thought about Will and Jem, and how lucky they were to get to be in an open relationship, to not have to hide their obvious love for one another. Alec snapped out of his funk when he heard Magnus ask what the plan for the rest of the evening was, as he signed the credit card slip.

"Well," began Will. He seemed hesitant, unsure of himself. Alec hadn't been paying full attention tonight, but he'd paid enough to know that this was not Will. Will was confident, and according to the stories Magnus had told him, he was always very sure of himself.

"Well?" Magnus urged his friend.

"We…um…kind of have a gig tonight." Will looked at Magnus, who's face lit up when his friend's words sunk in.

"Really?" Magnus turned to Alec. "You want to go?"

Magnus looked so excited, how could Alec possibly say no? Besides, he really did want to see Will's band play. "Sounds like fun."

Will cleared his throat. "There's, um…there's a catch, Magnus…"

Alec watched Magnus's eyes sharpen as he looked at his friend. "What kind of catch?"

Will and Jem exchanged looks, Jem encouraging him with his eyes. Will turned back to Magnus. "It's…we're playing in a gay bar."

Alec could see the worry on Will's face. He'd offered to plan Alec's birthday celebration, and was essentially asking Magnus to come watch his band play in a gay bar. He felt a thrill of excitement, wondering how Magnus would handle this.

"Well, um…Alec's only twenty," Magnus muttered.

"Oh, I know," Will said hastily. "It's an eighteen and over show. He'll have no problem getting in."

"Oh," Magnus said hesitantly, "well…when do we leave?"

Did Alec just hear that right? "We're going?" he asked Magnus, placing his hand on Magnus's forearm without thinking. Magnus's eyes darted around, clearly checking to see if anyone was watching them, but he didn't shrug Alec's hand off his arm. Grateful for that, Alec let his hand fall, but still looked at Magnus expectantly.

"If you want to. It's your birthday," Magnus said softly.

"I want to," Alec replied in a rush. He didn't want to give Magnus the opportunity to back out. He very much wanted to go to this gay bar.

"We need to be going now," Will said, once Alec and Magnus had hashed out their plans.

"Now?" Magnus sounded surprised.

"Yeah," Jem said. "We did sound check before we met you guys here, and left the rest of the band at the bar. We need to get back soon. We're the opening act. We go on at nine."

"Oh," Magnus said. Alec watched him gather himself, push his seat back and rise to his feet. He looked resolute. Alec struggled to comprehend this. He knew the score, for sure, but it was such a change from their time in Miami. Magnus never once questioned or seemed uncomfortable with going to gay bars in Miami. He almost felt bad for making him go tonight. Almost. He probably would feel bad if he didn't want it so much himself. He hoped he was making the right decision, not pushing Magnus so far that he would eventually retreat again.

As it turned out, the bar was only a few blocks away from the restaurant. They walked leisurely along the sidewalk, Will and Jem holding hands and chattering amongst themselves, Alec and Magnus walking behind them, close together but not quite touching. Again, Alec felt that pang of jealousy at their openness.

Will and Jem led them through a back entrance that was reserved for staff and the band members. A large guy with a shaved head stood guard at the entrance to make sure only the people who were supposed to be using that door got in. He didn't check ID, though. Alec didn't question it, but he didn't take advantage of it either. Especially not during school when he had to be in shape and out of trouble for cheerleading. Magnus didn't drink anything either. He might splurge a little during the off-season, but Magnus was more selective about what he put in his body during basketball season.

Will led them down a long corridor that was lit with fluorescent lights and lined with black cases in the shapes of guitars and drums and amps. Cords ran every which way, many haphazardly tossed along the walls, some taped down with duct tape. People mingled in small groups, all seemed to be wearing black or dark clothing, most had tattoos, many had various piercings as well. Alec suddenly wondered what kind of music Will's band played.

In a small room at the end of the hall, they found the rest of the band. Will introduced them to the bass guitarist, Johnny, and the drummer, Ryan. Both guys seemed friendly enough. Both were tall, wearing black jeans and a shredded band t-shirt that showed off their muscular arms and several tattoos each.

"Hey, Will," said Johnny, "I know this is your band, but dude, we have a dress code."

Everyone turned to see the contrast in clothing. Half the band looked like they belonged in a rock or punk band, the other half looked like they were going to the symphony.

Will laughed. "We'll be right back," he said, taking Jem's hand and scooping up a gym bag, before leading him out the door. They returned a few minutes later looking completely different. Will was wearing dark blue jeans with several tattered rips, and an old Pink Floyd shirt, giving Alec some clue to the style of music they played. Jem was a little flashier. He wore tight black jeans that left nothing to the imagination, and a shimmering, silvery, paper-thin shirt that brought out the color of his eyes and hair. He had lined his eyes with black eyeliner. He looked even more stunning that he had before, but Alec was struggling to believe that this guy was the front man of a rock band. He couldn't wait to see the show.

"You wanna watch from backstage or front row?" Jem asked Magnus and Alec.

The couple exchanged a look, turned back to Jem and simultaneously said, "Front row!"

Will had the security guard bring them around to the front of the stage. There were tables lining the sides of the club, which was very dark at the moment. Alec could just make out colored disco balls handing from the ceiling and several tracks of lights aimed in the direction of the stage. He presumed that this club catered to all different types of people and music.

He scanned the crowd. It really didn't seem much different from the gay bars they'd gone to in Miami, except they had never seen a live band at any of those bars. There were guys with spiked Mohawks, in various colors. There were several women that looked so tough, even Alec was a little afraid of them. There were cute colleges guys being held in the arms of their bigger lovers. Alec recalled the conversation with Tony about twinks and bears, and smiled inwardly. If Tony could see us now.

The lights dimmed, and being up front, Alec could see movement on the stage. When the lights came back on, there was ruckus cheering, whooping and whistles. Jem stood almost directly in front of them, a spotlight illuminating him, his shirt billowing out around him resembling smoke. Alec thought the effect was pretty cool.

Jem grabbed the mic and said, "Hey! You guys ready to jam?" He received an crescendo of noise to that. "Hell yeah! We're Infernal Devices and we're gonna rock you!"

The noise from the crowd reached a deafening pitch, and Alec could only assume that Infernal Devices was a popular band, at least in this crowd. Then, he heard the scream of a steel guitar, and his eyes went instantly to Will. Will's fingers were moving rapidly up and down the neck of his guitar. He was really making that thing sing! Jem and Magnus were right. Will was very talented. A few moments later, Jem's voice topped the music and Alec swore it penetrated his soul. Jem had an amazing voice, sweet and harmonious when he wanted it to be, but he could be rough and scream when the song called for it.

The band played for a little over an hour, playing a mix of cover songs and originals. The cover songs were a wide range of rock, from Metallica to U2, and all points in between. Their original songs were what really got to Alec. Someone had written those songs, and whoever the songwriter was had some serious talent.

One of Alec's favorite moments was when they performed an Adam Lambert song that Alec knew but couldn't remember the name of. He knew it because it was the song they played when Adam kissed Tommy Joe Ratliff during their live performances. He'd seen the videos on YouTube, and he wondered if that was the reason Infernal Devices was doing this song. He was not disappointed. When they got to that particular part of the song, Jem sauntered over to Will, tugged his head back, and stuck his tongue down his throat. The kiss was hot and passionate and Alec felt a tingling in him, suddenly wondering what Magnus would do if he did something like that to him.

He was not the only one that enjoyed this part of the show. The audience screamed and cheered, wolf-whistled and cat-called. And then, he felt a hand tightly squeeze his ass. He jumped and looked around for the culprit, and found the only person even paying attention to him was Magnus. He had this look on his face, a mixture of excitement and disbelief, and a distinct undertone of lust. Alec took a chance and pressed his body to Magnus's, his cock suddenly hard and straining against his jeans. He knew Magnus could feel it, could tell by the widening of his eyes and the look of desire that flickered in the green-gold circles of his irises. That was all the warning Alec got before Magnus grabbed him and smashed their lips roughly, painfully, together. Alec tasted the coppery blood in his mouth as Magnus drew away, and he was never quite sure if that was a kiss, or if Magnus, in a blind moment of passion, had actually bitten him.

And he didn't care.

Magnus released him and looked away, shock evident on his face. Nothing more happened throughout the rest of Infernal Devices' show. They met the band backstage afterward, and watched the other two bands from there. They hung out with the band, laughing and joking and profusely praising their show. They declined the offer of alcohol, and again when Ryan, Johnny and some of the crew passed around a joint, although Alec wondered if he was getting a contact buzz from sitting in the same room with the smoke.

As the evening wound down, Will and Jem invited them to come to their next show, which happened to be next Friday night. This time it would not be at a gay bar, so they would be cutting out the Adam Lambert song. They were a small operation, an unsigned band with a decent local following, but no kind of security detail and they didn't want to get their asses kicked for kissing onstage. That part they saved for places they felt more comfortable, more protected. Alec said he'd love to, but he had to check the schedule to see if Saturday's game was home or away. He knew his and Magnus's lives were about to get much busier in the coming month or so, when basketball season started up again, so he wanted to do as much extracurricular stuff as they could before they no longer had the time to. Magnus said he would think about it.

After they said their goodbyes and tumbled into the back of a cab, Alec asked Magnus if he had ever seen Infernal Devices play before. He said that he had, once over Christmas break last year, when he was home with Will. They hadn't done the Adam Lambert song that night, and he was surprised at how much it affected him.

Alec gave him a calculated look. "Did you…bite me?"

Magnus's shoulders shook with silent laughter, and Alec lightly smacked his arm. Then, Magnus leaned in close to Alec, close enough to whisper into his ear. "Wait til you see what I do when we get home…" His hot breath on Alec's ear sent a shiver of desire through him. His teeth clamping down on his ear lobe did much more than that.

A/N: The Adam/Tommy Joe thing is real. There's a lot of videos on YouTube. If you haven't seen them, beware...they are H-O-T! lol