Disclaimer: I always forget these, so can you all just assume that every chapter in this fic is "disclaimed". I don't own them, but I love them dearly anyway.
a/n: I hope you all don't despise me for the short chapters. I do what works for me, and generally that's what works for me. Sorry! Also, thanks to my reviewers! You guys keep me going!
Alec found himself standing in the pharmacy, still staring blindly at a carton of Visine as the rest of that night unfolded in his memory. Magnus had found Jace, just as he had promised. The warlock had shown him an image of Jace and Clary flying through the night sky on a vampire motorcycle, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Alec was enraged, embarrassed, and could only stare at the scene silently as Magnus watched on. He couldn't help thinking that Isabelle was right after all, Jace had just wanted to spend the night wooing Clary while he had spent his night worrying about Jace's safety.
When Alec finally found the energy to wordlessly turn and leave, Magnus had stopped him, grabbing his wrist before he could get very far. And then Magnus had admitted to having known where Jace and Clary were going all along, he told Alec that they had actually come to him only hours before, demanding to know where the coven resided so as to rescue their missing rat friend.
At first, Alec had been furious at Magnus for withholding this information; in fact, he still felt hints of that fury now. But Magnus had some how managed to reason with him, claiming Alec had never asked Magnus if he knew where the pair were headed, but rather only wanted to know where they were at that exact moment, which Magnus claimed, he couldn't be sure of. And sure enough- by the time he had cast the spell, they were long-gone from the vampire hotel to which he had led them.
All of Alec's spluttering attempts to stay angry and shift some of his self-hatred and sadness onto Magnus were halted when the warlock had thrown his hands up, in a contradicting gesture that reflected equal parts surrender and self-defense, and declared at full-volume, "I just didn't want you to get yourself hurt over him!"
Before Alec could process or react to Magnus' words he had already been pushed towards the door, Magnus ordering him to leave so he could finally get his rest. Just as he was being ushered out of the door, Magnus called to him "See you tomorrow, around midnight, there's a nice little café, Jesse's, on Brookline Ave. that stays open all night. It'll be a great place for you to begin paying your outstanding bill." Alec wasn't entirely sure if the tone was that of seduction or frustration.
The door was slammed in his face before he could refuse or confirm anything.
He hadn't planned on coming to meet Magnus. Really. But while he was heading to the kitchen that night, unable to sleep after his nearly violent run-in with Clary that morning he had been thinking about her words. "If you were honest you'd admit this tantrum is just because you're in love with him." He distractedly turned the corner onto another long corridor when he noticed Jace leading Clary down the hall, towards the stairs to the garden. He stood stock-still, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks. He knew he couldn't deny Jace's feelings for Clary anymore. It was too exhausting to continually try and convince himself that Jace was just playing the part of demon-slaying superhero he loved so much, that she was just a phase, like all of the other girls.
And suddenly- he couldn't be there anymore, not in that dark corridor, right below where the couple was surely sharing an intimate moment, and not in that dark fucking pseudo-cathedral where he had spent his entire life silently pining by Jace's side.
Despite the fact that Magnus had essentially tricked him into this, he had found Jace for him, let him know he was safe. Alec owed him for that. And as much as Alec didn't want to admit it, right now, he had nowhere else to go. He had stormed out of the Institute like a horde of demons were chasing after him.
Which is why he was here, staring at a bottle of Visine, doing everything in his power to delay his meeting with the warlock. He pulled back the sleeve of his black sweater to look at his watch. 12:15. He doubted Magnus was one to wait on anybody. If he went to the café now, Magnus would probably already be gone, assuming of course that he had come at all. It seemed just as likely to Alec that Magnus would have simply forgotten about their…. appointment.
Honestly, the warlock was certainly a bit more eccentric than Alec was use to, but he had shown surprising kindness and consideration that night and if the price of that was a cup of coffee, then fine, Alec would gladly pay it. It was the least he could do.
He was determined as he finally turned away from the shelf and walked out of the automatic doors, heading towards Brookline.