A/N: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I'm quite tired today. I did change the summary, if you hadn't noticed. Also, I say that Robert's middle name is Benedict, but I don't know if that's his middle name, so I took creative liberties since I couldn't find his actual middle name. If you know what it is canonically, or if he even has one, correct me!

Also guys, a number of you still said that you thought Camille is the "bad guy" in Alec's life, but it isn't her. I'm trying to make her a good character? Robert is definitely part of it, but I can tell you no more…. *walks into shadows dramatically, swishing cape*

Guest (the one who told me to change the summary) : thanks for your feedback… I think the main reason I put that in the summary was because I don't have much experience writing fanfics, but I'm glad you liked it! And I can assure you, I will finish this. It will take a while but I know how it will end. :) I can back this up with a random fact about me: I have written novels before, and edited them for others. I can accomplish stuff. :D!

CC owns characters, I own Magnus' songs, Swinburne owns the poem in the letter, and Taylor Swift owns You Need to Calm Down, kinda obvious but I don't wanna get sued! :D! Goddamn, this was a long A/N. Also, Robert uses some language later on that I wish nobody used. My intent was never to offend anyone.

Alec blinked at his siblings. "Dad? As in, Robert Benedict Lightwood?"

Izzy nodded depressedly. Jace, although his news was more drastic, looked like Izzy's news was worse.

"Alexander?" Magnus' smooth voice rose behind them. "Why is your father's being in town bad?"

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," he said hesitantly, hoping Magnus wouldn't press the issue. Thankfully, he didn't, just took Alec's hand comfortingly.

"Alright, dear, but as soon as you're willing to talk, I'll listen," he smiled. Izzy and Camille both went 'awwwww,' and Jace rolled his golden eyes. Alec blushed. Even after spending the better part of the morning making out with Magnus Bane, he still hadn't lost his social awkwardness. Go figure.

"He's here for work," Izzy sighed. "I don't know how long he'll be staying, but when he called me yesterday he said he wanted to see us. I didn't want to lie and tell him you'd moved to Illinois, so I said okay."

"Illinois, Izzy? Really? Why Illinois?" Alec asked irritably.

"First thing that came to my mind," his sister shrugged.

"Do you think he's the one who wrecked your apartment?" Jace asked suddenly.

"Why would he do that?" Magnus frowned.

"I'm not his favorite child," Alec admitted. "When he found out my protagonists were always LGBT, he kinda flipped out and threatened to disown me. Then he figured it wouldn't do me much harm since I'm better off than him and Mom, so he just shunned me." He was surprised at how easy the words came. "Said 'people like me' deserved to burn in Edom."

"Well, baby, lucky for you, I'm practically king of Edom," Magnus said lightly. "So there will be no burning for you." He kissed Alec's cheek.

"I didn't know Edom had a king," Jace said playfully.

"Yeah, it's my dad," Magnus joked. Alec wondered how he could be frivolous about this if his dad was dead, then remembered Magnus being relieved about the development.

"So your dad is Asmodeus," Jace said flatly.

"No, my dad's name was Noah," Magnus replied. "Obviously. If Asmodeus was my dad, I'd be a pretty damn powerful warlock, and look at me. The only magic I can do is with my songs. Unless Alexander has anything to say about that. Is there anything else magical about me, dear?" He asked innocently, but Alec knew everyone else caught the innuendo, and he only blushed in response. Jace raised his eyebrows for the hundredth time that morning.

"So, Izzy, anyway, when did Dad want to meet up?" He wondered.

"Today," she answered hesitantly. "For lunch. In three hours."

Alec groaned. "Okay… at least that gives me time to have and recover from a panic attack before I have to go. Is it all three of us, or just me?"

"All three of us," Izzy answered. "I would invite Clary and Simon and you guys, Cam and Maggie, but I don't think my father would be too partial to that. Maybe next time."

"Oh, I understand perfectly, sweetheart," Magnus replied easily. "I'll probably head to Alicante Park. There was something I wanted to do."

Some lyrics from Magnus' song Butterflies fluttered through his head.

Oh, we are butterflies

Oh, the stars in the daylight sky

Oh, your colors strike me down

Oh, flood over the moonwashed town

Oh, wings fracture on the wall

Oh, and I'm laughing as I fall

So broken are the most wonderful things

Butterfly wings, butterfly wings

So fragile are the most beautiful things

Butterfly wings, butterfly wings

Alec took a breath. His heart certainly felt like butterfly wings right about now. In fact, his entire body felt like butterflies, ready to explode out of his chest. He felt the urge to draw that, but he didn't have his sketchbook—it was at his apartment. Oh well. He would've had to go back there anyway, it wasn't like he could just live with Magnus.

"Alright," he said, rather shakily. "I need to drop by my apartment beforehand, though. I'd like to see the damage and I need my sketchbook."

"I'm coming," Magnus said immediately.

"Me too," Jace added. "But if you're going to start making out against all possible surfaces, I'm leaving you there."

"Oh, Goldilocks, we're not that undignified," Magnus scoffed, crossing his arms. His multitude of rings gleamed on his fingers.

"You're the one who wrote the song about how the only thing you need in the world is glitter," Jace retorted.

"What else was I supposed to write a song about? Do you know how publicity works?" Magnus frowned. "I can't write a song saying Oh, help me, I just need someone to love me, can I? I can't put emotion into that. That's not my style of music."

"You can put emotion into anything if you feel emotions about it," Jace said matter-of-factly. "Let's go, guys. Iz, don't burn Magnus Bane's apartment down."

"Hide the matches," Izzy not-so-subtly whisper-shouted to Camille, who made a point of slow-motion running into the kitchen. She opened the cabinet, took out a bag of chocolate chips, and ate a handful. Then she came back and said in the same tone: "Mission accomplished."

"Do I want to know?" Magnus asked with a ridiculous expression on his face.

"Nope!" The girls chorused, faces almost splitting under the pressure of their ear-to-ear grins. Magnus shook his head, took Alec's hand, and followed Jace outside.

The drive back to Alec's apartment was sort of awkward, due to the fact that Magnus and Alec couldn't have a conversation without Jace butting in with sexual innuendos whenever one of them opened their mouth. Eventually Jace made a comment causing Alec to shout "Jace!" In horror, to which Jace replied: "Really, Alec, don't you think the name-screaming should be reserved for Magnus?"

After that (between Magnus' chuckling, Jace's smirking, and Alec's spluttering and blushing), nobody spoke for the rest of the car ride. They arrived at Alec's building soon enough and made their way up to his apartment. He gaped in shock at the destruction. Yesterday morning, he'd woken up here and had been set on his course for a normal life.

"Well, that settles it, Alexander," Magnus said, rather quietly. "You're staying with me until we figure out who's hell-bent on your imminent destruction." He didn't leave it up for negotiation, just stepped over the wreckage and made his way into the kitchen. Jace watched him go.

"Damn," he said. "How does he do it? I'm not sure even Izzy could pull off those heels."

"He's Magnus Bane, Jace," Alec said irritably, following Magnus. He was cleaning up the broken glass on the floor.

"And that!" Jace exclaimed. "That, too! How do you manage to go from awkwardly single older brother to Magnus Bane's boyfriend in a week?"

Alec flushed at the word boyfriend, but Magnus just called back, "With very little effort!"

"Not helping, Bane!" Jace hollered, even though they were well within normal-volume distance.

"Good thing I wasn't trying to help!" Magnus yelled. "Alexander, tell your brother to be quiet. All his chattering is doing nothing good for my complexion."

Alec rolled his eyes heavenward and marched off to check his bedroom. Strangely enough, it wasn't demolished. Sure, the one picture he'd had of himself and Sebastian in high school was cracked on the floor, but everything else seemed to be in order. On his bed was a piece of paper with a note, written in a handwriting that had maybe, at one point, been familiar.

Alexander—

As one who writes, you should surely know your poetry.

"I am afraid of tears and laughter,

And men that laugh and weep

Of what may come hereafter

For the men that sow to reap:

I am weary of days and hours,

Blown buds of barren flowers,

Desires and dreams and powers

And everything but sleep."

It is up to you to deduce meaning from this poem. Some may say it is about immortality, yes? Things… magical beings, like vampires or warlocks or fairies… are immortal. Things like them may find deeper meaning in a poem. In 1878, a man told another man that he did not know what it feels to be immortal. And the other man did not ask whether he knew it himself. Only things like them are capable of blind trust.

I know what you have been shoving down into your fragile head, Alexander. I know it all. And I will prove it.

Ciao.

Alec folded the paper and creased it, white in the face. He sat down and noticed another letter on his pillow, written in less of a curling hand and more of your standard young man's handwriting. Confused, he lifted it.

The words I'm sorry were written all down the page, starting neat and spiraling down. The bottom of the page was damp with what looked like teardrops. He ran his finger over the words, feeling the pain they carried. Alec sighed heavily, almost drowning out the creaking noise from above. He only just managed to leap out of the way before his ceiling light crashed down right where his head would've been. He quickly exited the room, ignoring the way the door fell down behind him. He grabbed his sketchbooks and computer from the table in the hall; surprisingly, they hadn't been touched, and shoved them into his backpack along with his paintbrushes. When he returned to the main room, the mess had been mostly cleaned up and Jace and Magnus were sitting at the table in the kitchen. Magnus was once again writing lyrics on his arm with his blue ballpoint pen and humming under his breath, drumming the fingers of the hand he was scribbling on against the table in an unorganized drumbeat. Jace was simply staring at him. Alec didn't think he was even blinking.

"Bruh, does he always write songs like this?" Jace inquired when he sensed Alec behind him. "With the tapping and humming and writing on himself?"

"Sure," Alec shrugged. "He did it in Alicafé. I don't know if all of his songs are written that way."

"Most of my best are," Magnus grinned, looking up. "Blue Eyes was."

The mention of that song made Alec blush, his thoughts returning to the park, the warmth, the rain, Magnus, Magnus' hands, his lips, his body… fuck, he thought, pressing the heels of his hands to his temples. Magnus grinned wider.

"Blue Eyes?" Jace looked confused. "I might not know all of your songs by heart, but I've never heard of one called Blue Eyes."

"That's because it hasn't been released yet," Magnus said cheerfully.

"Then how does Alec know it?" Jace, for all the gold in his skin, eyes, and hair, was apparently not the brightest thing around. Both Magnus and Alec waited patiently. "Oh! Alec listened to it from you! I bet you wrote it about him, too!"

"Very perceptive, Jace," Alec chuckled.

"Indeed," Magnus agreed.

"Hey, I can be perspective sometimes," Jace drawled, and Alec had no idea if he knew he'd said the wrong word or if he just didn't care. "It's one of my many talents."

"Along with grammar and vocabulary," Magnus muttered under his breath. "Alexander, what are those?"

"They were on my bed," he shrugged, tossing the letters onto the table. Magnus picked up the I'm sorry one first, read it quickly, and dismissed it, picking up the second one. While he read it, Jace turned to Alec.

"Why do you let him call you Alexander?" He complained.

"I don't," he shrugged. "He just does. And it's not like it sounds horrible either when he says it," he admitted, looking down. Jace smirked. Magnus finished reading the letter, and his eyes had widened to the approximate size of Neptune.

"I know this handwriting," he said. "Someone used to write me letters all the time, asking odd things about my manager. I didn't know who it was, and I still don't. Neither does Aline, I don't think, but I'm sure we could ask her."

"Aline Penhallow?" Alec exclaimed.

"Yes, why?"

"She's one of my best friends," he laughed. "Me and my dad's problem with me was what got her together with her girlfriend, Helen Blackthorn. This entire situation just keeps getting better and better."

"Helen Blackthorn? Like, drummer for The Blackthorns?"

"Helen and her siblings do have a band," Jace pointed out, snatching the letters from Magnus. "Who signs letters with ciao? And this has to be a girl. No guy has handwriting like this." He shuffled the paper behind the other letter, and he paled. "I know who wrote this one, Alec, the one with the sorrys."

"What? Whose handwriting is it?"

Jace's voice was dreary as he replied: "Jonathan Morgenstern's."

(A/N: I was going to end it there, but I did promise I'd have Robert in this chapter, so skipping ahead to their lunch!)

"I'm nervous," Jace declared as they sat down.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Jace?" Alec asked jokingly.

"I'm a psychopath with practically the same name as Jace who was secretly pretending to be Sebastian Verlac all along, and I've now revealed my true identity as Jonathan Morgenstern," he explained dramatically.

"Woah," Izzy laughed, sitting down. "It's lunch with Dad. You need to calm down."

"You're being too loud," Alec grumped.

"You need to just stop," Clary called over from the counter.

"Like can you just not," Izzy sang back, and the two of them burst out laughing. Alec rolled his eyes: of course they'd turn everything into a Taylor Swift reference.

"Cause shade never made anybody less gay," they chorused together, glancing at Alec as they did so.

"Who's gay?" A gruff voice sounded, and an even gruffer-looking man stepped into the coffee shop, his demeanor darker than the rain outside. He was not unlike a drop of ink spilt in water: a stain in the clarity: Robert Lightwood in all his glory.

"Adam Lambert," Izzy said quickly. Robert rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Izzy dear, when a man dresses like that you draw the obvious conclusion. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise." He roughly pulled out a chair and laced his fingers together, not even bothering to fake a smile. "So, Alec. Tell me you've got an idea."

"Yes, sir," Alec replied. "Well, it was more Izzy's idea, but there's this—"

"Save it for the press," Robert sighed. "I hope you've come to your senses and moved on from your ridiculous standing up for Aline phase, where you made all of your protagonists… them. Things."

"Did you seriously just call LGBT people things?" Izzy asked, but it wasn't a question.

"I spoke a fact that needed to be spoken," Robert sighed disappointedly. "I can see you're still among a society that allows for these muddled thoughts. You really ought to move out of Alicante with me and your mother. There are actual people out there who will help set you straight." He smirked at his own pun. Alec was trying hard not to dig his fingernails into his palm. He was half tempted to go up to the counter and order Magnus' signature rainbow drink. Luckily, Izzy did it for him. When she got back, drinking it, Robert swiped it out of her hand and threw it into the trash.

"You're paying for that," Izzy said flatly. "It was five dollars. Go give Clary money."

"Even the food you consume is tainted," Robert hissed. "And Alec, you never answered my question."

"No," Alec said. "My main character is a demisexual and panromantic boy whose love interest is bisexual and agender. And no, it never had anything to do with Aline. The LGBT community is highly underrepresented in books."

"That doesn't mean you have to just… give in to their ways. I worry for you, Alec. I fear it may be too late for you three. You are probably corrupted already. I knew for years that Alexander was corrupted, but I never expected you to betray me too, Isabelle and Jace." He stood. "I've failed, it's plain to see." And with that, he exited the shop. The siblings stared after him and it was not only Izzy who laughed when Robert bumped into one certain glittery and makeup-wearing singer. But her laughter died when Robert caught Magnus' arm and spoke to him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting coffee," Magnus said coolly.

"No, I meant with that stuff," Robert spluttered, waving at Magnus' face. "The makeup. You wanna know what that's called? When a boy wears makeup?"

"I don't know what you call it, but I call it a man being comfortable in his identity," Magnus replied.

"You are a faggot," Robert spat.

"At least I have style," Magnus said, and hair-flipped at Robert as he escaped his grip. Glitter went flying everywhere, coating the floor, the glass door, and Robert. "Now if you'll excuse me, my boyfriend awaits."

Robert stared after him as he sashayed over to Alec and said, "That your dad? Can't say I'm too fond of him."

"Why did you let him say that to you?" Alec said, distressed, as he grabbed Magnus' arms. "Why doesn't it bother you how wrong he is?"

"Because he's the one who's wrong," Magnus answered simply. "He's the one who gets his mouth dirty saying stuff like that. It's a word, Alexander, and I'm the one who decides what it means to me. I could tell you you're a gingerbread man and that would mean something different, but the weight of the meaning is what I can control. Do you know what the actual definition of 'faggot' is, Alexander? It is archaic English for a bundle of sticks used for fueling fires. It is only because we let the new definition society has adopted get to us that we are offended."

"He didn't mean it in the archaic English way, though," Alec growled.

"Nobody ever does," Magnus said jovially with a wave of his bejeweled hand. "People have no respect for language nowadays. Now, if you are comfortable with it, I'd rather like to kiss you… you can imagine such an urge after today's events."

Alec looked and saw Robert still standing in the doorway of Alicafé. He felt a pang of anxiety grip him, and so he gripped Magnus' hands tighter.

"I can't kiss you in front of him," he whispered. "Not yet. I'm sorry."

"Do not be sorry, my dearest Alexander!" Magnus exclaimed, spinning away in a whirl of glitter and bright colors. "There will be plenty of time for that later. I must have myself a rainbow drink. Biscuit!" he called to Clary, "My usual!"

"Ten-four, Magnus!" She yelled back, and began to make another one of the rainbow drinks. Robert was striding back over before anyone could blink, and bodily shoved Magnus and Alec apart.

"Careful, Alec, you don't want to breathe the same air as this… thing."

"Magnus is not a thing!" Izzy cried out, arms spread wide.

"Be quiet!" Robert ordered. "It already contaminated my suit. I shall burn it when I return home. In the meantime, having touched it, you should—"

"Magnus is not an it," Alec growled, looking more dangerous than Magnus had ever seen him. "And neither am I."

"What are you talking about?" Robert actually looked bewildered. "Of course you're not an it. You're not like them. You're not an abomination."

"No, you're right, I'm not," Alec said. "All I am is gay."

Robert blinked at him. "No, you aren't, and until you tell me that, you are not my son either. Tell me you are not a thing, Alexander."

"I am not a thing," Alec said carefully. He seemed to be losing his determination, and now looked like he needed a hug.

"Tell me you are not an it. Not a monster. Not disgusting."

"I am not an it, or a monster, or disgusting," Alec recited.

"Tell me you are not gay."

Alec's silence was deafening.

"Tell me," Robert said, more fiercely. Izzy tried to say something, but he put a hand up to stop her. "No, Isabelle, Alexander has likely hit his head. Alexander, speak. Tell me you are not gay. Tell me the truth."

Alec still did not speak.

Robert slapped him. "TELL ME," he bellowed.

Tears slipped quietly from Alec's cerulean eyes, as though sneaking out of a castle. "You want truth?" He whispered. "Here it is."

And he pulled Magnus close for a desperate, hectic, tearstained kiss. He felt Magnus come alive beneath his hands, arms wrapping tighter around Alec as though to shield him from Robert. Alec needed this. He needed Magnus to always be here, to be his sassy self and jump in headfirst when the world needed to be shaken up. He realized that he never wanted to let go.

And then he was struck across the back of the head, torn roughly from Magnus, and thrown into a table. Magnus was shoved into two people: Alec wasn't sure if they were Jace and Izzy or Ragnor and Cat, who he'd come in with.

"Don't let it touch you," Robert spat. "You are not my son. You are horrible. You are unnatural. You don't belong here." And he turned on his heel and walked out. Alec didn't realize he was crying until Magnus—God, Magnus—was there again, wiping tears from his face with his thumb, murmuring to him in a language whose nomenclature was nothing more than pure, unstoppable love.

Gah. I HATE ROBERT and I HATE THE WORDS HE USES. If I offended anyone, I profusely apologize. That was not my intention. (Fun fact, the definition Magnus explains is actually true, now you know what people are actually saying when they mean something entirely different). And before you say Alec was OOC, remember that his stuttery and blushy side is actually more prominent in fanfics than it is in the actual series, so don't hate me for that. And that was basically my version of Alec kissing Magnus in front of everybody in CoG, just with an extra violent outburst from Robert…. sorry again.

On another note, who's excited to find out what Jonathan had to do with the note? Next chapter, Magnus comforting Alec, and then they go talk to Aline! (Helen will probably be there too).

Also, useless fun fact about me: When I came out (I'm pansexual) to my grandmother, she didn't hit me (thankfully) but she didn't even blink when she said "No you're not." And frankly, I didn't know what to do with that. Yep.

Have an epic day! Love y'all and thanks for reading this mess of a fanfiction! XD!