a/n: That was fast, right? I was going to make this the beginning of a much longer chapter, but I thought it might be nice to give this to you guys early. Think of it as a tasty appetizer, a peace offering of sorts, since I've been gone for so long.
Magnus had opted for a magical exit mostly because he was too exhausted to go searching the streets for a cab.
As soon as he appeared in his dark bedroom he laid down on his mattress with a sigh, clasped his hands behind his head and stared up at his ceiling. He hoped against hope that there wouldn't be any house calls for another several hours, even though twilight tended to be the most lucrative time of day for his work.
The warlock shifted his wiry frame so he lay on his side and toed his shoes off. He heard them fall to the floor as he curled into his comforter. This was exactly why he made it a rule to never make his bed. There was nothing more relaxing than wrapping yourself in layers of lumpy cushioned sheets after a stressful day. As he finally settled into a comfortable position he allowed himself to recollect the night's events.
He'd walked into that café looking to find out if what he felt for Alec was as real as it seemed, he'd left it wondering how he could have ever doubted something so potent.
Alec had been so willing to share with him, so open, so responsive. It was kind of petrifying, actually. Magnus already felt tied to the boy and it had only been a couple of days. If things went on this way Alec would have him wrapped around his finger within a few weeks. Magnus grinned into his pillow at the thought. That might not be so bad.
If Alec would let him, Magnus would be more than happy to guide the shadowhunter through the ups and downs of being a card-carrying openly gay member of the Shadow World. He remembered the way the boy's dark unruly hair kept falling low on his brow, covering his eyes, bright with intensity. The way he carelessly swiped the strands out of his view as he talked, lost in his own words. How his adam's apple bobbed along his slender neck as he sipped at his tea. The visible downward curve of his collarbone, which caused Magnus to follow the slope and mentally trace the outline of the physique hidden beneath the nephilim's excruciatingly loose clothing. Oh yes, Magnus would definitely be an eager teacher if Alec ever wanted to do a more hands-on exploration of his sexuality.
Magnus took a deep breath. He had to reign himself in before he let his imagination get the best of him. Alec may have known he was gay since he was a kid but he'd spent all that time in love with his best friend—his straight best friend. It was very likely that Alec had little to no experience and wasn't quite ready for a physical relationship of any sort… yet. Which was a pity, because the attraction was there and it was undeniably mutual. Magnus had lived long enough to be able to tell when someone was checking him out and there were several moments when he could feel Alec's gaze raking over him when the boy thought he wasn't looking.
Their future, whether they ended up friends, or took steps towards something more serious, or even went back to being strangers, was completely up to Alec now. Because Alec was the one who was undecided. Magnus still felt a pang of guilt when he remembered how panicked and torn the shadowhunter had looked when Magnus told him that it was up to him if they would see each other again. Whatever Alec decided, Magnus already knew what he wanted. He wanted Alexander Lightwood. In every way.
After tonight he felt like a newfound guardian of Alec's deepest secrets and insecurities. If it had been anyone else he would have refused to shoulder such a burden, he would have run at the first sign of sentimentality, fearful of the commitment that such bonds always entailed. But it wasn't anyone else. It was Alec. And now Magnus found himself desperately grasping at anything he could to bind the nephilim closer to him.
Two days and he could feel all the hollow hedonistic ideals he'd built his oh-so-modern life on crumbling away, bit by bit. He'd happily take a sledgehammer to the whole damn foundation if it meant he could get the boy to admit that Magnus was more than just some downworlder confidant to him.
But Magnus knew he had to be patient. Alec was different so Magnus would have to approach their relationship differently. But first, Alec would have to come to him.
Magnus gradually drifted into sleep, hoping his patience would eventually pay off.
a/n: Interesting fact: Every chapter title (and the title of the fic) are either titles of songs or lines from songs. I even thought of making a songfic at some point, but they always come off too maudlin unless done exactly right, and I don't have that kind of faith in myself yet. I hope you like the titles though- weird as some of them are. Review please!