Five Years Later.

Alec got out of class with fifteen minutes to spare. It was always great when class got out in time for him to catch the earlier bus. Though he found it quite ironic how often he took the bus these days, but he knew he'd done the right thing in getting his license as early as he did. Even if he didn't drive a lot these days it wasn't like having it did any harm. In fact, with every year of safe driving his insurance rates went down, even if technically he wasn't driving at all.

Alec got to the stop and checked the time. He had two whole minutes to spare. Today was a good day. The days when he arrived just in time to watch the bus drive away were all together much more frustrating.

While he waited, Alec checked his phone. He had one new message from his sister, and a couple from his mother. With a sigh Alec quickly read Maryse's texts first knowing full well they'd be something overly motherly and unnecessary, and sure enough.

'Just wanted to text and make sure you didn't need anything at the store since I'm heading there anyway,' Maryse text read. 'Can't have my starving student actually starve. Love mom.'

It was so funny how she always signed her name at the end of all her texts, like Alec's phone didn't have her contact information. Alec quickly replied that he was stocked and all was well, before checking his sister's text.

'OMG Alec!' Izzy's text read. 'They have pool here! And ping pong.'

Alec just chuckled. His now twenty year old sister - and no he couldn't believe it either - was currently attending her first year of college, having spent her first few years out of high school working and living at home for free to save up for school.

Alec was in his second year now, though still working for Charlotte on the weekends. Like his sister, Alec had worked for a couple years to save before attending school. It had actually been a nice break between school and more school, and had given Alec time in the workforce to really appreciate how important an education was.

Just then the bus drove up and Alec got on. This time though he put his headphones in, and listened to music on the slow bus ride home.

About twelve minutes later, Alec got off the bus and began the short walk home. He really didn't mind walking, especially in such beautiful weather as this. The sun was shining, the sky as blue as could be with just a slight breeze.

Alec walked up to the place he called home and fumbled for his key. It wasn't a huge house by any means, but it was more than enough for them. Abby's house had siding only on the front side, with stucco on the other three. The front door was actually a side door located under the covered parking. The front garden was nothing too fancy, though it was well maintained with both Abby and Alec being well versed in landscaping. The week Abby had bought the house her mother, Charlotte, had come over to plant, what had seemed at the time, to be everything under the sun as a housewarming gift.

The door opened and Alec was instantly greeted by Abby's cat. She was a large, slightly cranky cat with black and grey colouring who favoured Abby and Abby only.

"And how was your day?" Alec asked the cat.

"Meow," she replied.

"I see," Alec chuckled as he moved into the house and took off his school bag. Walking into a narrow hallway that led out quickly on the right into a wider living space, Alec looked around. There was a large window that came just inches from the floor, and the television was on playing some comedy show Alec didn't recognize, but there was no sign of his Abby.

"Abby," Alec called to see if his roommate was home. Her car was in the driveway, which meant there was a good chance she'd be here.

"Silly girl might be wearing those noise cancelling headphones again," Alec said as he scratched the needy cat behind the ears. "Or maybe a friend picked her up." Alec knew from experience Abby had a bad habit of leaving the tv on for the cat. She claimed her precious little fur ball didn't like when things were too quiet, and needed the company.

Despite her current lack of an appearance today, Alec loved living with Abby. She was fun and just the best landlord a student surviving on weekends and savings could ever ask for. When he'd first started school and his income got slashed by over half, she lowered his rent and started sharing her food. Between that, his boyfriend bringing over groceries, and his parents always inviting them over for dinner, Alec had never actually had the 'starving student' experience.

But of all the food favours Alec was receiving these days, he loved it best when Magnus brought over groceries, because it meant spending a whole evening in that beautiful man's company. More often than not it also meant Magnus sleeping over which Alec loved. There was nothing like being wrapped in someone's arms as you fell asleep.

Today however, Magnus was working, which always sucked. Though it did mean Alec had the motivation to catch up on his homework. Still, even facing an evening alone Alec was quite fond of Tuesdays because his classes ended much earlier, which during the school year was the closest to a day off he really got. Still he wouldn't give up working weekends, and not just for the money. It was a wonderful change of pass to do something physical and taxing on the weekends after all that brain work during the week.

As he fixed himself a snack, Alec checked his phone again.

'Simon is beating me at ping pong,' Izzy's next text read. 'I think this spells the end.'

Alec couldn't help but laugh at that one. His sister was so in love with her boyfriend nothing short of his becoming a vampire could have kept her away, and he suspected even that wouldn't have been a deal breaker for her.

His mother texts had changed her request to buy him groceries into an invitation to dinner which Alec, of course, accepted. He didn't turn down free food these days.

Next Alec texted Magnus to invite him to join them for dinner at his parents. He knew Magnus wouldn't be able to read the text till he got off work, but at least it would be there waiting for him.

With a sigh, Alec decided it was time to get down to some homework. He knew he would regret leaving it till later when homework on a different night cut into his boyfriend time.

He was sitting on the couch, just opening his text books when his roommate made an appearance. As he'd suspected she'd been hiding in her office.

"Oh you're home," Abby smiled at him, removing her noise cancelling headphones.

"For the last couple hours," Alec giggled at her. "Oh, and my parents invited us over for dinner again."

"I understand why they are so determined to feed you," Abby said. "Their poor starving student, but what I don't understand is why they keep inviting me?"

Alec shrugged. "It's a parent thing I guess."

"So where's Magnus?" Abby asked. "Isn't he usually here agreeing with me about this your parents feeding us thing?"

"Working," Alec sighed.

"Ah that explains the text books," Abby laughed.

Just then Alec heard a strange sound. It was like a bell or something. Then feeling like a fool he realized it was his phone.

"Who even calls you?" Abby laughed.

"I don't know," Alec said as he got up to get his phone off the dining room table. He smiled when he recognized the caller ID.

"Well, hello stranger," Alec spoke into the microphone. The only reply he got was a high pitched squeal noise.

"Am I speaking to a dolphin?" Alec laughed.

"I can hardly believe it!" her voice shrieked, still high pitched, but now at least recognizable as words.

"I can hardly believe you are calling me," Alec laughed. "You've never called me. Also weren't we just texting last night?"

"Somethings happened! Something that just can't be expressed over text messages!"

"Do tell."

"Jordan proposed!" Maia squealed. "I'm getting married!"

"That's wonderful, Maia," Alec exclaimed for her.

"And of course you will accept being my maid of honour," Maia's voice was suddenly all business again.

"Maid of honour?" Alec asked unsure.

"Man of honour, whatever," Maia continued. "Just be my person, okay?"

"What are best friends for if not to break gender norms," Alec replied.

"Good," Maia said, and just from her tone of voice, Alec could tell she was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh I am so excited! We are gonna have it back home over the summer, and everyone is gonna be there. Even a couple of the new people we've met here agreed to come, and I am just so happy!"

"That's amazing," Alec said with genuine affection. "I am so happy for you."

"Be happy for you too," Maia said. "Because guess who I am throwing the bouquet at?"

"Ha ha very funny," Alec chuckled. "Don't let Magnus hear you say that."

"Oh that man's so in love with you he'd just be happy you were entertaining the idea," Maia dismissed Alec's worries.

"She's not wrong there," Abby said, from the other couch. Alec motioned with his hands to shoo her so she'd stop listening in. With a roll of her eyes Abby sauntered off towards the smallest bedroom down the hall which she'd turned into her office. Alec had the second smallest bedroom for sleeping and Abby got the master. She'd offered him to put an office in the basement, but Alec had decided to routinely take over the living room instead. It was cold in the basement.

"Anyway I only called to tell you that," Maia said. "There is just so much to do, but telling you had to be a top priority!"

"Well I'm touched," Alec smiled and he really was.

"Don't forget that you're my man of honour," Maia said clearly thrilled with her phrase. Alec rolled his eyes, though he knew she wouldn't be able to tell.

"Love ya and all that," Maia bid him goodbye and hung up.

"I don't think I've ever heard that girl be so energized," Alec laughed to himself, but got a reply in the form of a long meow from the cat as she jumped up on his lap.

Alec was happy for her though he couldn't quite claim to be surprised. Since their going away for school, Alec had kept in regular contact with both Maia and Jordan, and knew their relationship had been getting more and more stable for years. The back and forth of their high school days was long behind them. He'd been expecting something like this to happen, although the man of honour detail had been quite the unexpected twist.

Alec hadn't been quite so good at keeping up with all his other high school friends as he had with Maia, though it seemed the more he asked around the more he realized that was pretty normal. He wasn't totally out of the loop though. He knew Jace was still going steady with the art teacher's daughter. Clary he thought her name was, or maybe Claire.

And Alec was making a very conscious effort to keep in touch with the Jem and Tessa. To Alec's great surprise, the day he'd moved out of their house had been hard on them. He'd always felt like a burden to them, and had assumed they'd be not glad but at least relieved to see him move on. Alec hadn't really noticed how much they loved having him around until he'd started packing. There had been a few tears and many hugs, and promising of getting together for meals in the future. He liked to call them his godparents, as it helped him have a name for them, people understood that more than 'adults friends who used to take care of me like parents' and still invite me over for dinner, dessert or at least tea almost once a week.

Living with Abby and seeing her family on weekends at work meant keeping in touch was effortless. His sister texted him regularly, though he didn't see her as often as he'd like with their ever busy and separate lives. He tried to tell himself that this was a good thing, as it meant they were both growing up, even if the reality meant seeing less of her.

The one person he wanted to see more than anyone else was, of course, Magnus. And the reality of the matter was he'd get more time with Magnus tonight if he finished his homework before his boyfriend came over.

Sighing Alec opened his textbooks back up again. The clock ticked on the wall taunting him as he tried to complete the assignment. Alec kept checking the time. He had to be at his parents for dinner, but he wouldn't go until Magnus got home from work. He'd told his mother so already, and she knew to expect them a little late.

By the time Alec got the text that Magnus was on his way over to pick him up, he had all but the very last question done. The assignment wasn't due till Friday. That was good enough for tonight, and so he packed up all his books and got changed out of his lazing around clothes and into some jeans without holes.

Just on time, he heard a car pull into the driveway. Leaping up like a kid on Christmas morning, Alec raced to the door and had it opened before Magnus's hand touched the handle.

"Expecting me I see," Magnus said, smiling.

"Missed you," Alec grinned, moving forward to give his boyfriend a fierce hug and bury his face in Magnus's chest.

"And I you," Magnus replied easily, wrapping his arms around Alec.

"When are we due at your parent's?"

"Not for another twenty minutes," Alec replied.

"Well in that case, I think I owe you a proper hello," Magnus whispered, leaning down to press his lips to Alec's.

"Hmmmm," Alec made a contented noise in the back of his throat. "Don't ever go to work again," he mumbled as they broke apart.

Magnus laughed. "I know my shifts are long, but they aren't that bad. You do see me at least three times a week, usually more."

"No enough," Alec shook his head against Magnus's chest.

"Even after all these years?" Magnus asked, softly reaching his hand down to gently lift Alec's chin.

"Forever," Alec replied.

Last Author's note

This has been my healing story and is thus both very important to me and peppered with the emotional roller coaster that was my life when I started writing it.

Like Alec, my life fell apart (though for very different reasons it did involve the loss of the house I lived in due to money spent outside my control) and that was when I started writing this story. I had so many emotions I wanted to express and thus wrote the most depressing first chapter of a story I have ever written. But as my life started to make sense to me again and I got my feet under me, I could write happier things. This entire story is loosely based on a short period of time in my life and writing it was almost therapeutic for me so I thank you for reading it and hope you enjoyed it.

Also as a side note the cat in this last chapter is based off my kitty. She is about nine years old, white and grey with a bent tail and always greets me at the door with many meows.