Please note that although some of the places mentioned in this story do exist, I have obviously taken some artistic liberties. Hence, do not expect my descriptions of said locations to match how they look in real life.

Chapter 10

The two took the train into the city.

This was of course a deliberate move on Alec's part. Sure, he could have rented the most expensive car available. Hell, he could have even arranged for a private jet to take them to Paris or something. However, unfortunately at the moment, he was supposed to be but a lowly fellow on vacation. Therefore, public transportation it was, which surprisingly thus far hadn't been too bad. He'd rather enjoyed taking the train the day before. Hence, he thought that it would be a bit more fun to take the train again instead of a boring old taxi.

As for where they were going to have lunch, considering that Alec didn't really know much about the resturants in Amsterdam, a simple internet search had been his only reference. And so, the two of them ended up at the Bistro Berlage.

The restaurant was very nice, not at all the kind of grandeur that Alec was used to, but classy non the less; with it's warm and welcoming decor, offering both indoor as well as outdoor dining.

Seeing that the weather was so nice, the two of them decided to get a table outside.

"So..." Magnus drawled, smiling somewhat shyly as Alec pulled out his chair for him. "People watching huh? I would have never pegged you as the type."

Alec chuckled, circling the table to his own seat. The table was a simple one; small, squared shape, wooden, with two chairs; very intimate. To the side stood a large, sleek parasol, offering just the right amount of shade while still allowing them to enjoy the warm rays of the sun. The overall setting was very comfy casual.

Alec relaxed into his seat, "What type do you peg me as exactly?"

"I don't know," Magnus shrugged. "You just don't seem like the type to spend hours on end watching other people. You just seem so, for a lack of a better word, serious. Strict."

"Really?" Alec was a bit taken aback to hear that Magnus thought that about him. So far all of their encounters have been fairly casual ones, so for Magnus to draw such conclusions about him was very...telling. Magnus was either extremely good at reading people, or he was just too easy to read. Had he been giving off that sort of vibe all along? Alec wondered. Throughout his life, people have always accused him of being a bit of a...stickler. Perhaps they had a point after all.

"Well..." Alec chuckled lightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Magnus' assessment of him. "I can assure you that I do have a fun side."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I know that," said Magnus. "Pretty sure I got to experience a bit of it lastnight," he chuckled. "Perhaps I didn't word that right. It's just that there's something about you that seems so...prim and proper, you know. Take the way you're sitting right now..." He gestured towards Alec's pefect, almost rigid posture. "Even the way you walk... But don't worry," He quickly added at Alec's frown. "I like it."

Alec smiled at that, trying to relax more in his seat, "Good to know." He supposed that no matter how 'normal' he tried to act, somethings were just ingrained in his bones. There would always be that air of royalty surrounding him.

The two had spent majority of the train ride and walk to the resturant, when they weren't ogling each other that is, 'people watching', as Alec had called it. They would take turns guessing random facts about each person the other selected, creating a whole imaginary life for said individual. It was actually rather fun Magnus had to admit. He'd never done anything like that before. Sure, he did like to observe people, but that was only mostly for their fashion, or in some people's case, lack there of. He also had to pay more attention to the people around him back in Edom, especially in places that were deemed 'illegal' by the government. For example: the club where he worked. They always had to take notice of anyone who wasn't a regular as one could never tell who might be a spy for the government.

Magnus was thankful he didn't have to look over his shoulder like that anymore.

They both gave a quick browse of the drink menu, giving the waitress who came to their table their drink orders. They weren't ready to order their food just yet.

"So, how did you get into people watching?" Magnus asked. "I thought it was supposed to be bird watching."

Alec chuckled, thanking the waitress before focusing back on Magnus. "Actually, it's just something Izzy, Jace and I did as kids whenever we got bored. My parents were always meeting with strange people so sometimes we would hide and snoop in on their meetings. That was kind of how it started. Since then it's just something that I've always done."

Magnus couldn't help but imagine a cute little Alec peeping through cracked doors, or perhaps hiding under a desk, the image making him smile. "What else do you do for fun?"

"Reading. And mostly just clubbing, I guess. Whenever I have the time."

"I love going clubbing," said Magnus. "I'm actually trying to get a job as a dancer."

"Oh wow, really?" Alec couldn't help but remember his dance with Magnus the night before. The way the other man moved...the sensuality. Magnus was beyond hypnotic. Simply, mesmerizing.

"I just love dancing. The feeling...it's so freeing." Magnus had a dreamy look in his eyes. "Plus, I've always loved a good party so..."

"I can definately see that for you," said Alec. "You're very talented. Have you had any formal training? Ballet?" He found that Magnus was very light on his feet. His movements were smooth and delicate; a graceful butterfly.

Magnus couldn't help but snort at that. He then covered his face feeling a little bit embarrassed at his display. "Ballet? I wish," Magnus chuckled lightly. Somehow he felt that only Alec would compare his crazy dance moves to ballet. "I've just picked up a few things here and there. It's all self taught."

"Well, you're a natural," Alec assured him. "I would love a private show sometime."

A devilish smile curved up the corners of Magnus' lips, some very naughty images playing in his mind. "That can definitely be arranged," he said with a rather heady voice. He then winked, causing Alec to blush furiously. The prince had obviously not realized the underlying implications of such a request.

"Oh my god, that's not what I meant. Magnus..." Alec stuttered.

"So you don't want me to dance for you?" Magnus raised an eye brow in question.

"Of course I do," Alec stressed. Then as if he was realizing something, "Wait. Are we still talking about dancing, or...?"

"Well, I was talking about dancing. What were you talking about?" Said Magnus. He tried his best to maintain a serious expression, however, his facade quickly crumbled. Magnus exploded in a fit of laughter.

"You..." Alec scolded, realizing that Magnus was only teasing him.

"You have the most beautiful blush," said Magnus. He now had one elbow on the table with his chin resting in his palm. His eyes were glued to Alec's face.

"I swear, I've never blushed this much in my life until I met you," Alec groaned. What the hell was wrong with him? "What are you doing to me Magnus Bane?"

"Anything you want," said Magnus in all seriousness, his gaze smoldering. At Alec's shocked expression, he once again burst into laughter.

It was a truly beautiful sight, Alec thought. He couldn't help but groan again as if he was in pain. His thoughts were shifting into dangerous territory. He couldn't help but think how happy he would be if he got to experience that laugh every day for the rest of his life. It was so carefree. Simply infectious. Alec had no choice but to join in.

The conversation naturally shifted from clubbing to music. Both Alec and Magnus listed off a few of their favorites; from the classical, to the straight up guilty pleasures.

"I'm sorry but the Backstreet boys will never not be great," Magnus defended.

"But it's so cheesy though." Alec could feel himself cringing just remembering some of the songs Izzy had forced him to listen to.

"That's the point," said Magnus. "It's the cheese that made them so great."

By the time the waitress returned with their drinks, both Magnus and Alec were shocked to realize that they hadn't even bothered to look at their lunch menus; so wrapt up each other. Neither of them could believe just how easy it was for them to talk to each other. Their conversations just seemed to flow.

The night before had been great, but it hadn't exactly been the right setting for them to have a proper conversation, get to know each other better; see if they really clicked and it wasn't all just fleeting attraction. Things could be great when you're in a group setting, only to then become awkward when you're one on one.

Magnus and Alec were not having that problem though. If anything, it was the opposite.

After asking the waitress to give them a bit more time to decide, they went over the menus together.

"So how are you liking the Dutch cuisine so far?" Alec asked, remembering that Magnus and his friends had said something the day before about only recently moving to the country.

"It's alright," Magnus muttered from behind his menu. "I'm not really much of a picky eater so..." He shrugged, looking up at Alec. "What about you?"

"I'm the opposite actually. Very picky. I am enjoying trying some new foods though." Even as Alec said this, he wasn't really sure if it was true or not. Was he a picky eater, or was it because he used to having his meals planned out for him? Either way, it was really fun to try things he had never even considered eating before. Especially certain junk foods.

"See anything you like?" He asked when Magnus placed his menu down.

"Hmmm. This looks good." Magnus shifted his chair a bit closer to Alec so that he could point out a few items on the menu.

Alec hummed in agreement, pointing out a few items to Magnus as well. "How about we try a few dishes together? Whatd'ya think?"

"Sounds great," Magnus agreed.

In no time the waitress came back and took their orders. And soon, they were being served up a delicious looking spread.

"Oh wow," Magnus eyes widen. "I think you might have gone a little bit over board. I don't think we can eat all of this." He gestured to the various dishes. There was a pasta dish, various sandwiches, some satay chicken with peanut sauce, grilled fish, seasoned potato wedges, various croquettes... It really was a bit much.

"Crap, I think you're right. I didn't expect such big servings." Alec chuckled, feeling a little bit silly. "I'm sure they can put any leftovers in a takeaway bag for us."

"You're right," said Magnus, already feeling his mouth salivating as the various scents hit his nostrils. "Let's dig in."

...and that they did.

The two continued their light hearted conversations as they ate, both of them seemingly trying to avoid certain topics. However, it was impossible. As much as neither of them wanted to get a head of themselves, certain thoughts would always be in the back of their minds. They had to face the elephant in room. The fact of the matter was that Alec was indeed on vacation. So, as much as both of them were enjoying the other's company with sparks flying everywhere, enough to set the whole of Amsterdam on fire, it would probably be best if neither of them forget that fact.

Magnus decided to be the first one to brave that reality. "Did you guys just got here yesterday or...?" He trailed off.

"We've been here for a few days now," Alec replied.

Magnus nodded his head. "And how long are you guys planning on staying?"

"A month, maybe longer." Alec paused, popping one of the potato wedges in his mouth. After a moment, "It all depends..." he explained, causing Magnus' ears to perk up. "We were planning on traveling to a few other places as well. Now, I'm not so sure what my plans are really."

Magnus did not want to think about what Alec meant by that. They'd only just met for Heaven's sake. Why would Alec change his travel plans for him? It was way too soon to be thinking about anything beyond this one date. Quickly shaking away those thoughts, Magnus continued, "And you guys are from...Idris, right?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded, tensing up a little bit. He pretened to be cutting the food on his plate as he looked up at Magnus from beneath his lashes, trying to guage the other man's reaction. Damn it. How could they have been so careless? Why hadn't he and the others plan a fake background story or something. What if Magnus decided to search Idris up on the internet? He had no doubt that images of the royal family would come up. Luckily Magnus didn't seem to notice his reaction.

Magnus remembered Izzy had said something about them being from Idris the day before, but, he honestly didn't remember much. He'd been so busy ogling Alec at the time, that he'd barely register any of it.

At Alec's confirmation, he could only reply with an, "I think I've heard of it before. It's in Europe right?" And when Alec nodded, he continued, asking Alec what it was like there. He didn't really know anything about Idris, or most other countries for that matter.

He really need to study some geography, Magnus thought, especially now that he could actually visit those places if he wanted to. Who knows, maybe he could visit Idris some day. Calm down crazy, Magnus scolded himself. He was definitely getting ahead of himself.

Alec told Magnus a few basic facts about his country, doing his best to avoid anything that could lead to Magnus figuring out who he was, or asking him questions that he couldn't give honest answers to. He managed to quickly shift the conversation back to Magnus, asking the other man about his own home land.

Needless to say that Alec was beyond shocked to hear that Magnus was from Edom.

"Now I know why I had trouble placing your accent," said Alec. He'd thought that Magnus' accent sounded familiar, but he just couldn't figure out where he'd heard it before. Now he remembered. He'd once met a dignitary from Edom who had come to Idris hoping to negotiate a trade treaty with his father. However, his father had flat out denied the man. Alec didn't really know all of the details surrounding the case, or why his father had even agreed to meet with the man in first place, but somehow that accent had always stuck with him.

Now accents aside, if Alec said that he didn't know anything about Edom, then he would be lying. Pretty much everyone knew about Edom; the atrocities commited by their king, the suffering of it's people. Which then begs the question: how was magnus even in the Netherlands right now? And why was he being honest about where he was from?

He didn't really like assuming things, but he was pretty sure that Magnus was either a refugee or... Alec stopped himself. Magnus was obviously not some corrupt government official. Which meant...

"Are you alright talking about this?" Alec ask, his features painted with obvious concern. He did not know why Magnus was telling him this, but he didn't want him to feel like he had to.

"It's ok," said Magnus, waving him off. "I don't know why, but I trust you." And he wasn't lying. For some reason he felt like he could trust Alec.

Alec inhaled sharply at that. "Trust is a very dangerous thing," he said, sounding way more serious than he'd meant to.

"It is, isn't it?" Magnus agreed, chuckling lightly. "Don't worry, I'm alright," he assured, causing Alec's worried expression to soften.

"And for the record, I trust you too," Alec smiled. The two men locked eyes across the table for what felt hours, but was in fact only but some few seconds. It felt like an agreement of sort had silently passed between them. It was Alec who looked away first. "So, what was it like growing up in Edom?" He asked.

And before Magnus even knew what he was doing, he was singing Alec his life story, leaving out certain details of course.

How could someone feel so connected to another person, a complete stranger only a few hours ago, so quickly?

He told Alec about his work and his friends. And surprisingly he found himself smiling through it all. As bad as the government was, Edom was actually a pretty great place to live. It was rich in culture and the people were some of the kindest and strongest people in world. Well, in Magnus' world anyways.

Neither of them was ready for the date to end. And so, they decided to go for a walk through the shopping districts. A few suvinairs later, and they were exploring the Madame Tussauds museum. Several hundred photos were taken with wax celebrities.

By the time they got back to the apartment, it was already dusk. The sun was painting a beautiful masterpiece of colors across the evening sky. And call him crazy, but Alec liked to imagine that it was made especially just for them.

"I had a really great time with you today," said Alec as they stood in the small arched doorway, both of them having trouble ignoring the sudden change in the atmosphere. That carefree feeling from earlier was now long gone, replaced with awkward nervousness.

Magnus smiled, "Me too. And thanks again for dinner by the way." He held up the bags in his hand. When they'd realized how quickly the time had gone by and that it was already time for dinner, Alec had offered to buy them takeaway to go along with the left overs they had from lunch. The prince wasn't going to take no for an answer, and so Magnus had no choice but to accept. But, not before making Alec promise that their next date would be his treat. Thus, slyly already securing a second date as well.

Looking down at the bags in his own hand, "No problem," said Alec. "Maybe we should make our next date dinner? Perhaps a movie? Whatd'ya think?"

"Sounds like a good idea. Better yet, why don't I cook for us?" Magnus suggested.

Alec raised his eyebrows at that, "You can cook?"

"I dabble."

Alec didn't know why, but he was pleasantly surprised. Magnus just didn't strike him as the type who would enjoy slaving away in a hot kitchen. But then again... "I would love that," said Alec, smiling from ear to ear.

"Great. Then it's a date. How does tomorrow night sound?" Magnus said a little bit too loudly. "If you're free that is," he quickly added, not wanting to sound any more eager than he already did.

"Sounds good."

"Good. I'll text you the details then."

"Alright. We should probably get inside..." Alec trailed off, jutting his chin towards his apartment door. He then awkwardly leaned in to give Magnus a soft kiss on his cheek. After tonight he could definitely no longer call himself the charming prince of Idris, not that he ever did. But, he had never acted this much like a shy awkward teenager in his life. Not even when he was an actual teenager.

As Alec pulled back, Magnus' intense gaze held his feet firmly in place.

"Goodnight, Magnus." But a whisper.

"Goodnight, Alexander."

It took everything the prince had in him to turn away, ultimately breaking the spell.

Alec then took the two steps necessary towards his apartment door. However, he did not make any effort to open the door, suddenly pausing in place. Magnus, who was also now in front of his own apartment door, was also starring blankly at said door, making no attempt at entering.

Finally, after God only knows how long, both men simultaneously turned around to see that the other was still standing there. It happened quickly. Alec didn't know who took that first step, all he knew was that in the next instance, Magnus' lips were on his own.

Both men dropped their bags, neither of them caring about the contents in that moment. Alec grabbed the nape of Magnus' neck as Magnus automatically wrapped his arms around him, pulling Alec's body into his own. There was no gradual build up, no testing of the waters, just a raw explosion of need and passion.

Alec had never wanted to kiss anyone as much as he wanted to kiss Magnus. He was foolish to think that he could have actually ended their date with this his gentleman's act. The prince kissed Magnus senseless. His tongue swept every corner of Magnus' mouth, completely devouring him. He couldn't get enough of Magnus' sweet lips.

Magnus melted into the kiss, giving just as good as he got. He didn't know what it was about Alec, why he felt such a strong connection to the blue eyed hunk, but quite frankly he didn't really care. He'd never been afraid of taking risks in his life and he definitely wasn't going to start holding back now.

The kiss went on for ages. Neither man wanted to pull away, both moaning in pleasure as their tongues dueled, battling for dominance before finally settling into a slow and erotic dance, the sensations sending jolts of electricity running throughout their bodies. It was only when the need to breathe became too much, did either of them think to pull away.

"Fuck," Alec breathed against Magnus' wet, kiss swollen lips when they finally came up for some much needed air. "I've been dying to do this all day."

"Me too," Magnus whispered, equally as breathless, their lips never fully leaving each other. He drew the prince's bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it briefly, eliciting the most scintillating moan from Alec, the sound going straight to his already hardening length. "I've wanted to kiss you since yesterday." And with that confession, he was kissing Alec once again.

Their lips moved languidly against each other, more sensual, falling into a perfect synchronized motion. It was as if they had all the time in world, nothing like their frenzied desperation only moments ago. They took their time, savoring the other's taste as they sank deeper and deeper into each other, the world around them completely fading away.

"We should stop..." Alec groaned, barely trying to pull himself away from Magnus when his senses eventually began to return, the sounds of the evening slowly piercing through their little bubble.

"I know," Magnus whispered throatily, making no effort to stop kissing Alec. Alec had some how managed to push him against the wall during the whole melee, and was now pressed fully against him. He had one of his legs hooked around Alec's, while his fingers were buried in Alec's hair. A part of him really wished that he didn't have any roommates, else what was to stop him from dragging Alec inside and have his way with him.

Finally managing to tear himself away, Alec picked up their bags, handing Magnus, who was still leant against the wall, his own. Thankfully the contents were still intact.

"I'll call you," said Alec, leaning in to give Magnus one last kiss.

"You better," said Magnus, pushing himself off of the wall, the kiss turning into several little pecks. The feeling was beyond thrilling.

Magnus worried his bottom lip between his teeth as they both slowly and reluctantly backed away from each other. "Goodnight, Alexander."

"Goodnight, Magnus." The prince could only groan as he looked back at Magnus one last time, both of them entering their apartments at the same time.

Magnus barely managed to close his apartment door behind him before he was being surrounding and dragged into the living room.

Equally, Alec was also facing a similar situation in his own apartment.

"Tell me everything," said Izzy, grabbing the takeaway bag out of Alec's hand. She placed the bag on the coffee table and pushed her brother to sit down on the couch.

"What happened?" Asked Ragnor as both he and Caterina also pushed Magnus to sit down on their own couch, Raphael standing by to take Magnus' takeaway bag.

Both men had the exact same far away look in their eyes. They looked dazed, stupefied, or one could even say that they were as high as a kite. Completely unware of what the other was doing in that moment, they both echoed the exact same words...

"It was the best date ever!"

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Thank you.

AN: Hey guys. No, I haven't forgotten about this story. Hopefully I can organize my time better this year so that I can give all of my stories equal attention.

This chapter might still need a bit of editing, but the whole story sort of does, which I'm planning to do bit by bit when I have the time. Please bear with me guys.