Disclaimer: I own nothing. Here it is!!
Chapter 5
It was like time had frozen. Magnus stared into those eyes at a loss for words. He was looking at him. He was looking at him! It was funny how such a little thing could make him so happy.
"What are you doing here?" Alec snarled through gritted teeth. Just like that, his happiness shattered.
"I...I came to see your brother." Magnus cursed himself for stuttering.
"I know." Alec snapped. "What I meant is what are you doing here?" His fists were clenched and shaking.
"Oh." Magnus finally caught on. "Oh! Um... the door was open. I was curious." Magnus knew it was a lame exuse but what could he say? I was desperately looking in every room to see if you just happened to be in one? He didn't want to come off as crazy.
"You were...curious?" Alec looked like he was about to burst. Magnus nodded his head nervously. "And you thought it was okay to go snooping around the institute? You? A warlock?! What gives you the right?"
The words him hit hard. His chest felt tight. When Alec was younger, something had stuck with Magnus. One of the things he had said. It had only been three words but they had meant so much to him. You're not inferior. Now he was here, saying the complete opposite.
"I was invited here." Magnus said as calmly as he could. His voice, though, was tight.
"That doesn't mean you are permitted to sneak around!"
"I wasn't sneaking." Magnus muttered.
Alec just stared at him, open mouthed. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" He finally whispered, voice shaking. Magnus didn't have any idea so said nothing. "What you have done to my life?" Alec carried on.
"You have ruined it. Everywhere I turn there are people whispering, pointing. Any respect I had has vanished. I work twice as hard as anyone I know and I'm still treated as inferior. I'm a Lightwood, for goodness sake! And people can't stand to be in the same room as me. Every time I enter a public place, parents usher away their children like I've got some sort of disease. I'm never going to go anywhere, I'm always going to be frowned upon and it's becasue of you!"
This had never even occurred to Magnus before. He had been so preocupied with his problems, how unfair it was for him, that he had never even thought about the impact it had had on Alec.
Alec didn't move his eyes away from the warlock and Magnus could slowly see them melt from ice to water.
"My father won't even look at me." The shadowhunter gasped. "He hasn't even talked to me since..." Alec closed his eyes and Magnus could clearly see his pain. But he didn't see the images dancing behind his eyelids.
His dad pulled him by the arm, practiclly dragging him across the corridor. Alec kept yelling, pleading him to stop but he didn't until they reached his office.
His father through him down on the chair and slammed the door behind him. "What was that?" He shouted. "What was it?!"
"I...I don't know." 12-year-old Alec stuttered. The Indico had just finished and his dad had immidiatly come storming towards him.
"You don't know?" Robert mocked. "Let me spell it out for you. You're soulmate is MAGNUS BANE?! Do you see what's wrong with that?"
Alec nodded numbly, at a loss for words.
"Everything!" Robert boomed. "Everything is wrong with it! You are my eldest son, my heir! And you are filth! Inhuman! Dirty! You are a discrase to you the Lightwood name and your mother and I are tempted to derune you!"
Alec's head shot up. "No. No. Please, no."
"Don't worry, I won't." Robert snapped. "I can't afford to ruin our name any further by having a Lightwood exiled."
It was that sentance that made Alec realise that his dad didn't care. He never would. All he cared about was his reputation.
"Thank you." Was what he said. Robert smirked at him with a look that was scare just about anyone.
"Get out. You filth." He hissed.
Alec opened his eyes to see Magnus staring at him with a look of pity. Magnus. He knew it wasn't really his fault and that he shouldn't take it out on the man. But it felt that way. And it was so much easier just to put all the blame on him than accept the truth. The horrible truth.
"Alec." Magnus said. His voice was like silk. No, Alec, stop. "Are you okay?"
Magnus knew it was a lame question but he couldn't think of anything else to say. It broke his heart seeing Alec like this.
"Yeah." Alec suddenly straightened up and the wall was back up. "I'm fine. Just... you know... worried about Jace."
Magnus had completely forgotton about him. He had totally blanked that there was a boy dying a couple of rooms away.
"Yes. Yes, of course." Magnus said quickly, sensing that this was Alec's way of telling him to leave. "I better go."
"Sure." Alec muttered, looking at the floor. He didn't see Magnus leave but heard the door swing shut behind him. This one person had changed his life so much but there was a part of Alec that didn't despise him for it. A part of him that couldn't.
Magnus was there for him and always would be, Alec knew that already. The man was kind, caring and funny. But nothing could ever happen, he also knew that. He couldn't afford to give in, no matter how much he wanted to. Not now, not ever. He couldn't let Magnus break down the wall.
There it is! Let me know what you think. Xx
