To my left
Alec looks around himself.
He followed Magnus out of the ritual room - his siblings of course tagging along - and is now standing in what appears to be the living area of Magnus' place.
It's a large, open space, seemingly combining several rooms - with wide doorways and red-brick columns serving as the only room dividers - and a large floor-to-ceiling window front taking up an entire wall, leading out to a balcony with a beautiful view of the New York City skyline.
The entire room is also a perfect blend of contrasts. The open space with its high ceilings and numerous light sources, offset by dark wood furniture, ancient rugs, exposed red brick walls. Glass tables right next to old leather armchairs, abstract art next to a roman bust, large bookcases filled with ancient leather-bound tomes intermixed with colorfully laminated paperbacks, a random array of knick-knacks spread over various surfaces.
Despite the room being so large and open, it still appears quite warm, cozy, almost intimate, and no matter where you look, there is something different, something new to see.
The entire space just feels like Magnus to Alec. He honestly quite likes it. Although, he'd like it even more if said warlock were here right now as well.
Because Magnus is currently nowhere to be seen - apparently having disappeared through one of the doors leading off from this room - which leaves Alec alone with his siblings. Both of whom have been side-eyeing him ever since Magnus' not so subtle comment and Alec's even less subtle reaction to it.
Finally, Izzy is apparently unable to stay silent any longer. "Alec," she says.
He turns towards her, raising an eyebrow.
Going by her rather speculative expression, Izzy has definitely realized that there is something going on that she doesn't know about. Well, not like Alec has been putting all that much effort - or any effort, really - into hiding that there might be something going on with him and Magnus. Does she remember Magnus from Pandemonium now?
But either way, she is clearly ready to start demanding some answers now. Thankfully, that's also the exact moment Magnus finally reappears from a room to the right, interrupting anything Izzy might have been about to say.
And Alec just can't help but immediately focus on him, fixate on the warlock, entirely helpless to let his eyes follow as Magnus saunters closer from the other side of the room.
Earlier, Alec didn't really have time to take in the warlock's appearance but now that there is no potential crisis looming over their heads, Alec suddenly can't seem to notice anything but just how incredible Magnus looks, the way his black silk shirt perfectly molds to his arms and chest in some places, the fabric shifting with his every movement, giving just enough of a hint of the body underneath that Alec finds it a little hard to focus for a few moments.
Thankfully, no one seems to notice his distraction as Magnus finally stops in the middle of the room, only a few steps away from Alec.
"So, what now, my dear Lightwoods?" he asks with a slight uptick of his mouth as his eyes flick over to Alec. So, maybe the warlock did notice Alec's distraction after all. But then again, this definitely isn't the first time Magnus has caught him staring and honestly, there really are worse things.
Of course, Jace promptly disrupts Alec's nice little just-me-and-Magnus bubble, speaking up before anyone else has a chance to say anything.
"We need a portal to get Clary back to the Institute," Jace says. "She can't stay here to sleep off whatever the demon did to her." His parabatai looks up at Magnus, frowning - whether out of worry for Clary or whether it's about Magnus himself or whether Jace is pissed off about today's events in general, Alec couldn't say.
But Alec feels a frown of his own forming on his face. Because that definitely wasn't a question just now, much less a request. It was just a demand for a portal. Like Magnus jumping at Jace's say-so is just a given.
However, Magnus just sighs - clearly unsurprised at having someone throw demands his way - already flicking his hand to open a portal off to one side.
And Jace barely reacts beyond readjusting his grip on Clary so he can carry her more easily and even Izzy just gives another interested look around the room they are in before she is already stepping towards the portal. Neither makes any move to thank Magnus - not even so much as an acknowledging nod - clearly happy to just take off without another word.
Alec feels his frown deepen and it suddenly occurs to him that he is actually quite disinterested in leaving with his siblings right now. For several reasons.
The main reason being, that it actually looks like Alec might get an entire, catastrophe-free evening to himself tonight, what with Clary currently passed out and Jace busy fussing over her and thus the two of them being less likely to get themselves into any additional trouble for another few hours at least. An evening without constantly having to check his phone for any messages from his siblings about potentially cataclysmic events unraveling somewhere in NYC, which his parabatai of course somehow got himself involved in.
Which means that if Magnus is free tonight as well, then maybe Alec could finally ask him out for drinks or maybe even dinner and they could spend a bit of time together again, something Alec has been hoping for ever since they saw each other last.
So no, he has absolutely no intention of making use of that portal.
Instead he turns towards Magnus and remarks casually, "We have yet to discuss your fee."
Magnus raises an eyebrow at him, a minimal pause, before a slight smile curves his lips. "You are entirely right, of course. How forgetful of me. If you still have time, we can do that right now."
Of course, Jace is as oblivious as always. "Alec, we don't have time for this," his parabatai says. "We need to get Clary back to the Institute."
From beside him, Izzy gives an audible, rather exasperated sigh - at Alec's not-so-subtle excuse for staying behind or at Jace's obliviousness to everything aside from the girl in his arms or possibly at both - before she just unceremoniously starts herding Jace towards the still open portal.
"You take care of the 'fee', Alec," she says, sarcasm rather heavy in her voice. "And I'll make sure these two actually make it back to the Institute. We wouldn't want them to get lost on the Institute's lawn or to somehow start the apocalypse on their way home. I mean, it's Jace. You never know with him."
Alec feels his lips quirk in a grin. "Good call," he says, just as Jace protests, "Hey!" His parabatai sends both of them a scowl, although his gaze quickly returns to the girl in his arms when she stirs a bit in her sleep.
Izzy doesn't even deign to react to Jace's half-assed protest, just returns Alec's slight grin with a smirk of her own and continues herding their brother towards the portal. Within moments Jace has disappeared and Izzy follows barely a step behind, only taking the time to give a little wave in Alec's direction, the look in her eyes telling him that she'll be demanding answers as soon as he gets back to the Institute. Whenever that might be.
And then it's just Magnus and Alec.
Finally.
This is the first time they have seen each other in person since their spontaneous lunch date a few days back. And while being in the same room as Magnus still makes Alec feel a little flushed, a little nervous, it also somehow doesn't because it's Magnus and they spend several hours each day talking on the phone and sending text messages back and forth and the warlock has never once made Alec feel uncomfortable beyond his own nerves.
And if he is entirely honest, Alec might have spent a somewhat embarrassing amount of time over the past few days thinking – possibly daydreaming – about getting to see the warlock again, about going out again, about spending some more time together.
So. The sooner they get the payment for today's ritual settled, the sooner Alec can ask whether Magnus is free tonight and whether he would maybe like to have dinner with Alec.
He very actively doesn't think about the fact that he has never asked anyone on a date before and that he doesn't have the first clue how one is supposed to go about doing that, not to even mention that he couldn't name a single restaurant in New York City to go to. But then again, he has always been rather excellent at winging it. He'll manage.
But payment for services rendered first. So, Alec reaches into his pocket for the necklace he grabbed from Hodge on his way out of the Institute and then holds it out to Magnus.
Magnus blinks at the necklace that is suddenly dangling in the space between them, its chain wound between Alexander's fingers, the pendant swinging slightly, alternating between showing off the stone glinting beautifully dark red in the light and the oh-so-familiar inscription on its back.
Oh.
That's Camille's necklace, the one Magnus gave to her almost two centuries ago. Camille, who Magnus had loved so very desperately despite always somehow knowing that she would break his heart - the same way everyone else Magnus has ever given all of himself to inevitably does - but still somehow foolishly believing that this time would be different, that he could win her affections, could earn her love, could have her devotion. That with her being a fellow immortal, his heart would finally be safe from the recurring heartbreak of people leaving him behind by choice or circumstance.
He'd been wrong.
If he had known then what he knows now - if he had known just how cruelly and uncompromisingly she would make sure to leave a lasting mark on his heart, if he had known how long it would take him to pick up the scattered pieces of himself after she finally left him, if he had known that giving himself to her would leave him so much less open to others, more closed-off to the entire world... Well, if he had known, he might have put more of an effort into keeping at least parts of his heart protected, might not have quite so willingly offered her all of himself, might not have let down all of his defenses for her.
But Magnus had been blind in his love for her - foolishly convinced that he had found true love, had found someone he could love indefinitely - despite Ragnor's warnings to the contrary. Really, Magnus should have just listened to his old friend. He should know better by now than to just ignore him.
Still, despite the heartache of the years - decades - after Camille had finally disappeared from his life, this necklace doesn't remind really remind him of any of that.
No, to him this necklace represents what he felt when he gave it to her, barely even yet knowing her at that point. The feelings of blossoming love, of hopeful affection, of love unburdened, not yet weighed down by the heartbreak to come.
This necklace reminds him of a time in his life before he had shut his heart off from the world, a time where he had not yet erected impenetrable defenses around himself after finally gathering all the pieces of his tattered heart back together in the wake of Camille's mind games and cruel manipulations, a time where he had still been able to love freely.
And now that necklace - after having shut his heart off to the world for more than a century now still a reminder that he can love like that at all - is dangling right in front of him, dangling from Alexander's hand. From the hand of the man who so recently dragged Magnus' heart out of stasis, easily bypassing all of Magnus' carefully and painstakingly erected defenses as though there were nothing standing in his way at all.
Thank you, powers-that-be, for this particularly unsubtle hint.
It takes Magnus a few moments but finally he manages to gather enough of his composure, to reach out slowly, running a finger along the stone's ornate silver setting, its feeling oh-so-familiar to his hand.
"I thought, that was just an excuse," he says absently, for no other reason than to have something to say at all, to buy himself some time and Alexander raises an eyebrow in clear question. "Wanting to discuss my fee," Magnus elaborates, finally glancing up at the Shadowhunter with a slight shrug.
And Magnus honestly hadn't even considered requesting payment for today, much less something as precious as the necklace. Alexander had asked for his help, so Magnus had simply shown up at the Institute, the thought of payment never even entering his mind. The thought of Alexander being willing to ask for his help at all worth so much more to him than any sort of monetary compensation.
But for once, they clearly aren't on the same page, because Alexander is now frowning slightly. "Well, it kind of was an excuse? I mean, I didn't want to leave yet and I thought... I mean, I don't have any plans tonight and I thought, maybe, if you are free, maybe we could… go out for dinner? Tonight?"
Magic, this boy is adorable when he is flustered. And Magnus is so so on board with spending some more time with this lovely Shadowhunter, will happily clear his entire schedule for tonight. So, he nods cheerfully, about to suggest that they go to that little Moroccan place only a few minutes from his loft where they have that truly divine tangia dish that he is sure Alexander would enjoy.
But before he can say anything, Alexander is already continuing, bringing them back on topic. "But I also thought we might as well handle your payment right now. Or do you generally prefer to send a bill to the Institute first?"
Magnus just shakes his head with a slight smile. "No, what I meant is that I don't require payment for this at all, Alexander. I was happy to help," he says, wanting to reassure the Shadowhunter that he really doesn't need the payment. Well, Magnus does want that necklace – quite desperately so - but it also feels somewhat strange to accept actual payment from Alexander for anything, much less for something that to him seems like little more than a simple favor.
The look in the Shadowhunter's eyes only grows more intent as he says, "But I asked you for your help."
Hm. Seems like Alexander either isn't convinced by Magnus saying he doesn't need payment or his problem lies somewhere else entirely. So, Magnus decides to try another route, not sure that the Shadowhunter actually knows just what he is currently offering as payment.
"Alexander, that necklace is truly valuable. Exceedingly so. The stone alone is worth a literal fortune. I doubt the Institute will approve of you using it as payment for something that could be considered a private matter."
Alec watches Magnus, not sure whether to feel bothered or flattered at Magnus' hesitation to take the necklace as payment from him.
Flattered, because Alec really likes the idea that Magnus would just come to the Institute to help him out for no other reason than that he is the one asking. Yeah, Alec definitely likes that.
But also bothered, because giving out favors like this should be just between just them, it's not supposed to include others, much less the personal issues of a girl Alec has known for all of two weeks and who has already used up all of his - admittedly rather limited - goodwill a few hours after they met.
Alec feels his frown deepen, not liking the thought that anyone other than himself could just show up at Magnus' doorstep and demand favors from the warlock just by claiming some sort of connection to Alec. He really doesn't like that thought at all.
What if Clary or his siblings show up here on her own tomorrow to demand more help from Magnus? What about the rest of the Institute? Would Magnus just lend his aid to them no questions asked and no payment required? Going by the impression Alec is getting right now, there is a pretty good chance that Magnus might just do exactly that.
So, all the better if this necklace is actually worth something. Because if Magnus is just going to be handing out favors indiscriminately, then Alec can at least be somewhat assured in the knowledge that Magnus got a sort of advance payment for some of it at least.
And yes, Hodge did mention something about this necklace being worth quite a lot and even more so to Magnus for some sort of personal reason. Hodge had clearly known about its worth and still offered it, so the necklace is what Magnus is going to get as payment. And that's that.
Accordingly, Alec just says, "Magnus, this wasn't just a private matter on Clary's behalf. Getting Clary's memories back is part of finding the Mortal Cup, thus it is Institute business as well as Clave business and thus you get paid." He pauses, unsure whether to continue but in the end he just shrugs, "And if you start handing out free rituals to Shadowhunters, soon the entire Institute will be knocking down your door to demand more. My siblings being first in line."
Magnus blinks at the Shadowhunter, honestly surprised. He hadn't expected that last part.
Suddenly it dawns on him that this isn't about Alexander not wanting to owe him, but rather that the Shadowhunter is honestly trying to protect Magnus' interests of all things.
Which is just... It's normally - or rather always - the other way around, people accusing Magnus of taking advantage, of not doing enough for the payment he is given, of demanding too much in exchange for his services.
But Alexander is apparently scowling at the thought of Magnus potentially not being compensated for his services.
He swallows, warmth and wonder and so so much affection for this Shadowhunter spreading in his chest.
By magic, Magnus can't even remember the last time someone was worried about his interests, about him being taken advantage of. Honestly, there is a very good chance that this might be an absolute first in his several centuries of life.
Alec continues to watch Magnus, who still doesn't make any move to take the necklace from him. So after another few moments, Alec just reaches out for one of Magnus' hands, turns it palm up in his own and then just unceremoniously settles the necklace into it.
And when he looks up, he finds Magnus watching him, his eyes intent, focused on Alec, clearly searching his face for something. Alec has no idea what the warlock might be looking for, but he seems to find it after a few moments and finally Magnus moves to close his fingers over the necklace in his palm.
"Thank you, Alexander," he says and there is something in his voice that tells Alec that the warlock is thanking him for much more than just the necklace itself.
And when Magnus smiles at him - his expression so open, his eyes so soft, the small smile curving his lips so warm, and all of it focused on Alec - Alec quite literally feels his breath catch at the sight.
By the angel, Magnus is beautiful.
xxx
They are currently walking to a Moroccan restaurant that Magnus suggested for dinner.
Alec honestly doesn't care where they go for dinner, mostly busy with pushing down his nerves at the thought that this is kind of their first real date. So far, they've had drinks at Pandemonium and lunch at that bistro, but going by what he has gathered from Izzy and Jace's stories over the years, neither of those apparently really counts as a date.
Alec doesn't quite get where the distinction is but admittedly there is something different about tonight. He can't even really put his finger on it, but something about tonight just feels different, less casual, like this is simply about the two of them, nothing else. Maybe it's the promise of an uninterrupted evening, maybe it's the adrenaline from working together and coming face-to-face with a powerful demon earlier, maybe it's just Magnus' presence in general or having his undivided attention.
Whatever it is, it makes Alec feel eager and also a little nervous, so very aware of Magnus' presence at his side, but still also weirdly relaxed, comfortable because it's Magnus.
Feelings are annoyingly confusing sometimes.
But the walk to the restaurant is brief and once they get there Magnus cheerfully greets the staff by name, clearly coming here rather often going by the happy greetings he gets in return. There is a line outside but they are immediately led to a table a little bit out of the way from the rather crowded main room, the voices of the other guests fading into little more than a nice background hum by the time they reach their little corner table.
It's cozy, intimate. Warm lighting, oriental rugs and fancily embroidered pillows everywhere. Magnus assures him that the decorations and the restaurant's setup are mostly in the traditional Moroccan style, not that Alec would be able to tell even if they weren't.
The food really is excellent and entirely different from what Alec is used to. He has to ask Magnus more than once about the to him entirely unrecognizable dishes that are brought to their table, but the warlock seems entirely happy to answer Alec's frequent 'so what am I eating now' questions, giving him any and all information on every dish Alec could possibly wish for, more often than not with some sort of anecdote about its origins.
Their table is small and their legs are touching and it distracts Alec from their conversation more than once. He has no idea why a simple touch like this seems to take up so much of his focus every time he feels Magnus shift even slightly. Maybe it's the warmth that seems to radiate from that point of contact, maybe it's just the casual intimacy of it, or maybe it's just the atmosphere of the entire evening, feeling like it's just the two of them in their own little bubble.
And they talk all through dinner about anything and everything, losing track of time more than once, only reminded of the passage of time whenever a waiter appears with yet another fancily arranged dish.
They also get into a few more serious topics. Somehow the revelations of today - about Magnus being the High Warlock and Alec being a Lightwood - has pushed them past that hurdle of constantly trying to avoid the harder, potentially contentious topics in their conversations.
They spend quite some time talking about Magnus' role as the High Warlock - Alec is honestly interested in hearing just what that actually entails - and they also talk about some of Alec's missions, about his goal to become Head of the New York Institute and even about Clave politics at one point. Magnus might not be a Shadowhunter but he definitely knows just as much about the Clave as Alec does and easily outstrips him on knowledge about the intricacies of Clave-Downworld diplomacy. And while they obviously see things from completely different perspectives, they still share surprisingly many opinions regarding the Clave and the Downworld in general.
And it's refreshing to talk to someone about Clave politics or the things that bother Alec about his mission orders sometimes, without either getting a dismissive 'the law is the law' thrown his way or without his siblings' particular brand of 'screw the Clave' reaction to anything they don't like without never even bothering to think about the complexities behind it.
Although, thinking about his siblings reminds him of their stunt earlier and another question he had wanted to ask.
"What were you so worried about earlier, when we were still at the Institute? You seemed to be in a hurry," Alec asks as he inspects the slice of some sort of yellow vegetable on his fork that doesn't really look like any vegetable he knows.
It's a bit of a non-sequitur, because they were just talking about one of Alec's missions last week, so it's understandable that it takes Magnus a second to catch on to the rather sudden change of topic.
"Ah," Magnus says, tilting his head slightly. "I just wanted to get a move on so I could send some fire-messages. There was supposed to be a get-together of the city's warlocks at my place today and I needed to let everyone know about it being cancelled due to the summoning."
"Oh," Alec nods, even as he finally takes a bite of the unidentifiable vegetable on his fork and chews slowly. Oh, it's not a vegetable at all. It's mango. And it's also quite good. He scans his plate for another piece, even as he continues, "But why cancel it? Couldn't it still have taken place? We could have just stayed in the ritual room."
Magnus knows he is fighting a losing battle against the smile that is trying to take over his face, helplessly endeared as he watches Alexander eat. Whenever the Shadowhunter finds something on his plate that he doesn't recognize or whenever he tries any of the dishes for the first time, he spears some of it on his fork, inspecting it from all sides, then carefully taking a bite, chewing cautiously, before his expression either lightens in approval as he munches on or he pulls that adorable little, almost slightly offended grimace whenever it doesn't quite meet his approval.
Honestly, how can a grown man be this adorable?
"Well, the gathering takes place at my apartment, even though magically shifted to a different location," he replies. "And my wards can easily hold off someone like Valentine, so everyone is safe to gather there, to mingle. But if my magic is occupied with something else, like keeping a powerful demon contained, the wards will be weakened which is inacceptable. So, I just needed to let everyone know about today's get-together being cancelled."
"That sounds like the gathering is a fairly regular thing?" Alexander asks, looking up at him.
"Oh yes," Magnus says. "And this is also not the first time I had to cancel for one reason or another either. My warlocks are pretty used to something coming up unexpectedly by now. Unavoidable really, with so few warlocks still offering their services in the open but the demand not having dropped off in the least. We are being kept rather busy." He smiles sardonically.
Alec nods. That definitely makes sense. Everyone knows that the warlocks have gone to ground ever since Valentine started hunting them, but now that Magnus brought it up it absolutely makes sense that they would still be meeting amongst themselves.
Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of yet another new dish but they easily pick up where they left off once the waiter has disappeared again. And they just continue talking and Alec only realizes that they've already been here for more than two hours when the waiter finally comes to their table to ask them whether they would like some mint tea and dessert to finish off their meal.
Dessert turns out to be some traditionally spiced orange slices, which are probably quite good but Alec isn't really paying all that much attention to the taste.
Because Magnus is definitely enjoying them. The warlock keeps making these delighted little hums as he eats which are far too distracting and Alec can't really seem to focus on anything else.
Of course, Magnus catches on fairly quickly but for once he doesn't simply take mercy on Alec's nerves. So far, Magnus has always dispelled the sometimes charged atmosphere between them pretty much immediately, mostly by just telling an amusing anecdote from his life.
But this time, Magnus doesn't really say anything at all, just proceeds to stare right back at Alec through slightly lowered lashes.
Their legs have been touching under the table for most of the meal but suddenly the warmth spreading through Alec from that single point of contact seems much more intense, distracting him but at the same time only seeming to sharpen his focus on the warlock across from him, everything else just fading into the background.
For all he knows there could be demons attacking the restaurant right now and Alec wouldn't even notice unless one of them got into his line of sight, blocking his view of Magnus.
He watches, mesmerized, as Magnus licks his lips free of fruit juice, and he feels the heat of a blush slowly starting to crawl up his neck. He simply can't rip his eyes away.
By the time they leave, Alec's blush is pretty much permanent, perfectly matching the smile on Magnus' face.
xxx
Magnus thinks that tonight has been going almost ridiculously well. Even if this hadn't been entirely spontaneous, even if he had time to come up with an actual plan for a date beforehand, there is no way he could have made tonight any better.
Everything with Alexander just always seems to fall into place so naturally, absolutely no planning required.
Alexander's unabashed delight during dinner at the various food - not even attempting to pretend to know the first thing about Moroccan cuisine and-or culture, happy to just ask Magnus - was absolutely delightful and incredibly refreshing. With Alexander there are none of the subtle and sometimes-not-so-subtle games of trying to show off - of trying to appear suave, to impress each other with real or pretend cleverness - that Magnus is so used to from other people.
Being with Alexander is open and honest and straightforward.
It's real.
And now they are walking through this adorable little park right by the water - the night air is still summer warm, only a light breeze coming in from the river - on their way back to Magnus' loft.
The park is only a little bit out of the way, but it will stretch their way home from five minutes into at least twenty, maybe thirty. And Magnus just isn't quite ready for the night to end yet, would honestly love to stretch it even further. He just has no way of knowing what will happen once they actually get back to his place, whether Alexander will want to return to the Institute right away or whether he will agree to come up to his loft for drinks. Even if Magnus really only mean drinks.
But there is a chance that Alexander will decide to take off instead and if that's the case, then Magnus just wants to hold on to this pretty perfect night for just a little bit longer.
Alec glances over at Magnus, thinking that he realy quite likes walking with Magnus like this, leisurely, close to each other, their shoulders brushing from time to time, listening to Magnus talk and watching the expressive, expansive movements of his hands as he emphasizes this point or that during his story.
Alec really likes this. Even if there is one thing that would make it even better.
I really want to hold his hand.
The thought is as much a surprise as it just isn't. Alec has wanted to reach out to touch Magnus in some way or other all night - has wanted to do ever since Magnus walked into the Ops center a few hours ago, if he is entirely honest - and that is doubly true for his hands. Those hands have been distracting him all night, their fluid, sinuous movements capturing his attention more than once.
And Alec might be many things, but he has never been one to really hesitate once he actually knows what he wants. So, the next time Magnus' hand falls back to his side after he finishes making his point, Alec just reaches for it, threading his fingers through Magnus'.
There is barely a moment of hesitation before Magnus' fingers are already curling around his, the warlock not even faltering in his story of his time in Tokyo before the city was even called that.
Alec happily continues to listen, mentally congratulating himself for a job well done, only winding their fingers a little tighter together.
And if he maybe gets a little distracted at one point as he marvels at how nice and warm Magnus' hand feels in his and how perfectly their hands just seem to fit together, well, that's really no one's business but his own. And maybe Magnus'.
A/N: Okay, so I know I promised you some Malec, but I still have no idea how the supposed-to-be-just-a-single-scene date mutated into a huh-I'll-have-to-split-this-into-two-chapters, veritable fluff fest XD And yes, there is a second part to this which is also even sappier ('cause some more fluff is clearly what this fic has been missing XD)
I'm also a little worried about how Alec turned out in this chapter because I want him sure of himself but the whole dating thing is also still entirely new to him, so there have to be at least some nerves on his end... I would absolutely love to know what you think :D
Thank you so so much for all your reviews and kudos! You guys are just lovely (*^^*)