For my Great Manifesto,

May your love fly to the stars.

"Where are we?"

Magnus parked the car on a narrow street, behind one of the apartment buildings in Brooklyn, but Alec could tell it wasn't anywhere near where Magnus lived. They were on a different side of the borough.

Magnus' door was already pushed open. "It's Catarina's place. That's why I stopped to the hospital. To take the keys. Now come. I want to show you something." He stepped out of the car letting a breeze of cold air cool the temperature inside it. Alec reached for the door handle but then he hesitated. It hadn't been a good idea to leave the dorm in his sweet pants and a loose blouse and ride in a convertible in the middle of the night. When they made it off the bridge, and Alec's singing moment was over, Magnus pulled the car on the side of the road, pushed some buttons,bringing the roof back over their heads, and started heating up the car, while mumbling something along the lines of "We're both going to catch a cold, especially after what I have in mind."

Alec didn't pay too much attention to those words back then, but now it all came to him. What did Magnus actually have in mind for this date? What were they doing over at Catarina's apartment? He wasn't really comfortable with having their first date in the apartment of a person he barely knew.

Song: Turn Our Eyes Away by Trent Dabbs and Ruby Amanfu

When he finally stepped out of the car he saw Magnus waiting for him next to the building door. It stopped raining right after they left his dorm, but the air was cold – too cold for the beginning of autumn – so Alec could see the mist forming around Magnus: little clouds circling his face. The street lights were casting shadows over his body and Alec could see the tiredness under the man's eyes, his furrowed eyebrows betraying his nervousness. Something was off. Something happened to him while he was away. It was that or Magnus was really nervous, because Alec had just spent minutes in the car doubting this whole thing.

He pushed the door shut without looking behind and heard the click click of the car being locked by the remote in Magnus' hands. Magnus didn't wait for Alec to reach the entrance, but stepped inside.

Alec strode over to the building and then to the elevator where Magnus was waiting, leaning against the wall. When they were finally side by side, Alec wanted to say something, he felt like he should. But before he had the courage to, he heard Magnus' low voice and sensed the amusement in it. "So...You're a fan of Muse, huh?"

Alec giggled. "Yeah. You might say I have a thing for them – freaking out when I hear them on the radio. More like an obsession, really."

"I get it. Queen is mine. Still so mad I didn't make it to one of their concerts," Magnus said while leaning over even more, to push the elevator's button. His black t-shirt rode up over his left hip, revealing to Alec's wandering eyes a glimpse of a curved line going from his stomach down the waist line. Everything else was covered by the fringes of his burgundy scarf.

And even when he realized where his eyes were resting, Alec couldn't look away. A sort of hunger he didn't know before took over him. It wasn't just lust. Lust he felt before, lust he understood. But this, this was need to have Magnus' skin under his fingers, to memorize every scar, every shape, every soft edge that undulated his so beautiful body. He let his eyes travel from there over Magnus' chest, the v-line of the t-shirt highlighting the collar bones, then his absorbing look rested a bit on his lips, curved by such a beautiful and warm smile…

Magnus' laughter stopped seconds ago, when he noticed Alec's way of looking at him, and he searched for his eyes, desperate and needy, taking a slight step toward the other man, and when their eyes meet each other there was such a riot of feelings, such longing and such wish, achening and fear, because it is indeed a strange thing to find yourself whole in someone else's eyes.

In the background, the sound of opened doors from the elevator.

Their eyes still locked to each other. They standing feet away.

The light on the hallway going off. Only the pour light bulb in the elevator illuminating them.

Silence and almost dark, on the hallway of a Brooklyn building. And Alec realized you can fall for beautiful eyes and bright smiles, for glitter in the hair and sparkles in your look...you can fall and still land. He wasn't sure he was falling, or he wasn't ready to admit it, but he had the feeling it was all going to be okay.

And as the doors drew closer and closer and then shut open, as their chests were rising fast, their breathing heavy and loud it took two steps. One step. Fingers touching, wet lips and touching, lips and tongue, forehead, nose and chest and all touching. They reached out for each other, none of them understanding, both fearing and then letting go, loosing their minds in their slow kisses. Slow, and oh, so soft. Moth on moth, fitting perfectly, somehow. Breath as breath. Tongue around tongue and body against body. Magnus turned around, his hands wrapped around Alec and pushed him against the wall. The boy moaned, the other one smiled. Their lips parted, their eyes searching. Then all collided again. Breath and moans and tongues.

"I can't see a damn thing!"Magnus whispered right next to Alec. They were sitting in front of what Alec guessed it was the door to Catarina's apartment.

When they stepped out of the elevator, the light on the hallway didn't turn on. It was complete darkness. They stopped in mid way and Magnus, only a slightly distinguished shadow to Alec's eyes, slowly turned around, probably facing him. And he could hear the sharp breath the man took and then Alec felt them. Long, lean and warm fingers searching for him in the dark. He heard Magnus' voice echoing the so innocent words.

"Can I?"

Alec didn't answer, but entangled his fingers with Magnus's. And Alec could now understand that all the love stories he read as a child, all the movies, they were all true. With the right person, they are all true. And hands could indeed express so, so much feeling. The way Magnus' thumb soothed over his hand, shy and slowly.

Then the shadow suddenly turned around. Without letting go of his hand, Magnus lead the way towards Catarina's door.

So now they were sitting in front of a closed door, with Magnus slowly cursing under his teeth while pushing a key all around the hole. Scratchy noises were covering his nervous cursing.

Alec took out his phone and turned on the flashlight whispering in his ear "Everything is fine, Magnus. Don't worry."

When they finally entered the apartment, Alec realized the blue hair was just a hint of Catarina's personality. Everything was a riot of color but it was beautiful nonetheless: some of the walls were painted in beautiful landscapes, beautiful paintings on the white ones, expensive furniture spread neatly around the house, shelves with pictures, books and CD's. It was extremely pleasing to watch. It looked like on of the living rooms you see in magazines, but the real I-could-actually-have-this kind of room.

Magnus probably saw the surprised look on Alec's face. "Only the living room is like that. We spent the summer in her apartment and we kind of went wild. She did the walls and I did the decorating. Catarina wanted a place to rest after work. She's a nurse and it's really consuming."

"It's beautiful." Alec hesitated, almost taking a few steps back. " Are you sure it's okay to stay here? I just feel like I'm intruding in her personal place."

"Oh. Don't worry. We're not staying here. I just came to pick up a few things."

Magnus made a sudden movement and he let go of Alec's hand. His eyes searched for Alec's, reassuring him.

Before Alec could say anything, Magnus disappeared in what he believed to be the kitchen. Normally, Alec wouldn't have done this. He would have went back to his boring dorm with white walls, blue sheets and the smell of cleaning products all over the place. And sleep or read or do something quiet and calming. But this was Magnus and this was their first date and no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that this wasn't a good idea, he couldn't head for the door.

He waited a few more minutes while Magnus walked from door to door, finally coming back to where Alec was awkwardly standing. He had two bottles of wine, two glasses and a key in his hands.

"Come on," he said excitedly.

They left Catarina's apartment and Magnus lead the way, steering Alec around a hidden corner toward a smaller door. This time Alec was ready, with the flashlight turned on, lightning the key hole. He couldn't not notice the weird shape of the key. It was old and made of iron, standing oddly between Magnus' long and lean fingers.

Magnus turned the key, the lock thunk, and the door cracked open. They stepped inside a very small and narrow room with a single light that, fortunately, turned on immediately. The room was crammed with all kind of things, mostly antiquities but also blankets, pillows and sleeping bags.

"Okay, I'm starting to think you're trying to kidnap me,"Alec said, but his voice shook with giggles. He then noticed the wooden ladder toward which Magnus was pointing.

"Just wait." As he spoke the words, the door shut closed behind them and the light went off. Magnus reached again for Alec's hand and the boy unknowingly smiled, and if in the room it hadn't been dark, you could have seen his red cheeks and sparkly eyes.

When they were near the roof, Magnus pushed open a trap and stepped outside, Alec being just behind him.

He stepped onto the rooftop balcony and he was without breath.

Because at his feet laid the never sleeping city, above him the never sleeping sky. The glowing stars that blended together with the lights of New York.

Alec was awed.

Magnus was awed of Alec's expression. The way the lights reflected over his face, the way he was taking in the cityscape.

"You can see everything from here."

"I know. It's a beautiful view." But if he turned around, Alec would have seen that Magnus wasn't talking about the city at all.

For a while Magnus disappeared down the ladder, but he came back in a few minutes, carrying as many pillows and blankets as he could. He placed them under an escarpment made of wood in case it started raining.

Alec was still watching the sky, then the city, then his eyes lifted back to the sky.

When he heard the movement behind him, he turned around, his eyes big and his smile wide. Magnus was already making himself comfortable in the fortress of blankets and Alec joined him, realizing just then how cold he actually was.

"This is so beautiful, Magnus. It's perfect."

Magnus smiled toward him then pulled out one bottle of wine and those two glasses. "Worth celebrating?"

One hour later, they were snuggled under the blankets, but not touching, just feeling each others warmth, talking, laughing, looking at each other with sparkly eyes and not just from the wine. The bottles were empty, the glasses were somewhere at their feet.

"Come on, you have to have a favorite color."

"I don't know. I just like black. Blue, maybe? But a darker shade of blue."

"Hmm...that's a hard one. I think Innuendo."

"Queen?"

Magnus confirmed with a giggled. "The forever lasting."

"Not possible."

"I'm telling you. Just one."

"I don't believe you. No one night stands?"

"Not my type."

"Can I ask you something?"

"That's not a fair question."

"Okay, you're right. Can I ask you a question that might be too personal?"

Alec nodded.

"Did he break your heart?"

Alec lowered his head back on the pillow. "It was more than that. But that's a story for another time. I am happy now. Very happy. That's what matters." After Alec spoke the words, he realized the truth in them. He didn't feel that burden in his chest that became familiar to him in all these years.

When he turned his head, Mganus was watching him with mixed emotions all over his face.

"Alec?"

"Hmm?"

"I am sorry he broke your heart, or whatever worse things he did, but..."

"I needed that in a way. Sometimes you have to fall to understand how it is to stand at all."

"Alec."

"Oh my God, that wine actually got to me," he said, giggling.

"Alec, you have this stupid habit of ignoring me when I'm calling you by your name."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. So I'm going to try a different approach."

There was quiet for a few seconds.

"Alec, you beautiful, beautiful blue-eyed boy..."

"That wine got to you too." the boy said – this time in a hoarse voice.

"Alec, can I kiss you?"

And then there was a smile. Such a beautiful smile. And a slightly nod of the head, followed by closed eyes and anticipation.

Magnus leaned on his elbows right above Alec, lowering his face, letting his lips touch Alec's. He moved them both very slowly, tilting his head sideways to have all their shape printed against his own, then slowly closed his lips around Alec's lower one, blending their tastes together.

When he drew away, Alec's head drew closer. More. His lips mouthed more.

They were standing so close, covered up in lots of blankets, keeping them warm, while the city life kept buzzing at their feet.

Alec's eyes traveled along Magnus' face, resting on the beautiful curve of his lips, following the little dent right between his mouth and nose, the fine line of his jaw, the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, hie eyes' beautiful color, strands of hair falling above them. Alec raised a hand from under the blankets, taking a strand between his fingers, pushing it back to its place.

They both smiled at each other, their noses touching and then their foreheads resting against each other.

Alec hid his arm back under the covers. "I'm cold," he said with a shiver.

Magnus shifted a little, putting his arms around Alec pressing his body against his own. "Come here," he said against Alec's hair, almost touching the boy's ear with his red, swollen lips.

Between The Bars by Elliot Smith

"Can I tell you a story? A story that maybe is for another time?"

"Yes. Tell me."

Magnus was laying on his back and Alec was resting his head on the man's chest. Every time he spoke, he felt the vibrations and the movement of his chest. It was extremely pleasing, to sit like that, entangled under the covers, watching the sky beginning to color pink.

"When we were back in our last year of highschool, Catarina and me used to spend some nights like this. We would stand by the beach and watch the sky. The stars are easier to see over there. And none of us would now the real names of the constellations so we would invent some to the point it got hilarious." His voice was filled with emotion. "We were really drunk almost every time we did this. We would meet on the beach every time the situations back...home got really bad, or we had other problems. The first time we did this she quoted Virginia Woolf. I still remember the way her voice trembled when she said: "When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don't seem to matter very much, do they?" He stopped talking, or breathing. He was back there, Alec thought. Back to a cold night, sitting on the beach. A lonely teenager with a more lonely heart.

"The said part is that I was on the beach more than she used to. I was there so many nights I lost the count. I think I needed the stars to matter. Even after they are long gone, we still see their light, right?"

Magnus stopped again for a minute, and Alec felt the boy's hands moving to his face. He drew in a sharp breath. "But tonight I wasn't here for the stars. For the first time, I wasn't here for the stars."

"I saw it when we first entered the room downstairs. I don't know if I can still play but…" Alec was talking about a guitar he was now holding in his hands. After Magnus' heartbreaking story, it took him a few seconds to go get it. "But I don't know what to say. I know you have a broken heart in a way that can never be fixed. I know it feels like scars inside you and you can't do anything about it. It sucks, it really sucks. And I don't know what else to say. I can't say anything. Words can't fix what's already broken...but someone once told me that songs are promises and promises mean hope and that's all we still have. So I'm gonna sing to you one of the most beautiful songs I ever heard."

And the boy sang. With a shaking voice and trembling fingers flowing through the cords of the guitar. And his voice took them both the stars. With their eyes closed, and the stars all around them, standing so close.

Drink up baby, look at the stars

I'll kiss you again between the bars

Where I'm seeing you there

With your hands in the air

Waiting to finally be caught

Drink up one more time

And I'll make you mine

Keep you apart

Deep in my heart

"I love the song"

"You know it?"

"No, but I think I loved it long before I knew it." Magnus was smiling and to Alec, he was more beautiful than the stars and then the song. He was just so more beautiful, standing there with his eyes closed, looking hopeful. Alec had never seen him looking hopeful, and he wanted to get used with this view, with this boy, with being so near Magnus. He wanted, truly wanted all of this.

So he kissed him. So beautifully and so romantically kissed him under the billions of stars.

"Kiss me", Magnus whispered without breath, before their lips met one more time.

"Kiss me under the stars"

A/N: I truly hope you're still reading this. I know it took me three months to post a new chapter. I am so sorry. But I am never going to give up on this story. I have so many things planned for these two. I can't wait to share them with you. But I do have one simple request. Review. I need to know what you guys think. So maybe let's get this story to 25 reviews? Tell me what you think about their first date! I love reading everything you comment. If you ever want to ask me anything related to this fanfic, you can find me on tumblr, where I post sneak peeks as well. :)) (url: bookmarkmysoul)

Special thanks to the last person who reviewed this story. You gave me hope. And I answerwd you through a DM.

This chapter was dedicated to My Great Manifesto, whom I'll always love. Thank you for everything I can't put into words!