Surprise (again)! The next chapter is here and, as short as it may be, it's out extra early :)

I'm afraid this is the last surprise chapter you guys will get. Like I said on previous chapters, I might get to write this weekend, but if not, I won't be back for another two weeks. I'm sorry you guys will have to wait that long, but at least I got another chapter out before then, right?

In other news, whose excited for The Bane Chronicles? And the Malec moments we get in it! I can't wait till I get my hands on it :)

Okay, anyways, I hope you enjoy :)

Oh, one last thing, there was one line of Taylor Swift's song "Blank Space" that kept coming back in my head while I was writing this. I forgot what it was though... I'm sure I'll remember soon enough.

Magnus POV

"Because, Alexander… I think I'm in love with you."

The phrase hung over them in the air, and the word 'love' seemed to echo off the walls, over and over. Nothing else seemed to make a sound, and the next few seconds felt like they were going on forever as Magnus waited more Alec to say something, anything, in response; a shout, a whisper, an end. He needed him to do something, even if that something was to walk away. He would have settled for just a simple move or gesture, a nod of the head, or a headshake, a hug…

A kiss.

He immediately shut that idea down. It was too much to hope for.

Their gazes were locked, hopeful, yet sad, yellow-green eyes searching blue ones filled with surprise. Magnus watched Alec as he seemed to be at a constant battle with himself, emotions across his face by with every shift in expression. Magnus had no idea what he was thinking, and it was killing him. A bit of Alec's ebony hair fell in his face, and Magnus longed to brush it away, but he didn't. He knew it wasn't the right time for that. He was worried that any movement, or thereby lack of, would push Alec away. So he remained still, waiting desperately for the next words Alec would say.

"Please, Alec, please say something," Magnus pleaded. He knew he looked so hopeless, so unlike himself, but he didn't care about that. Nothing else but Alec mattered at the moment. "Don't leave me hanging," he added with a small, forced chuckle. "Please…"

He trailed off and watched as Alec suddenly dropped his head, his hair falling in his face, shielding his eyes from Magnus. Alec let out a sigh and said something so quietly that Magnus couldn't hear him.

"What?" Magnus said as cautiously and softly as he could. He watched the boy in front of him, anxious and scared about what he would say next.

Alec just shook his head. "I… God I'm going to regret this… I…" He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it more ruffled than before, and in no way helping with the tingling in Magnus's fingers that came with the need to run his own fingers through it. Alec took a deep breath before continuing, "I… I think I… might… I might be in love with you too…"

Magnus could barely comprehend what he was hearing; it was too good to believe. He thought Alec hated him after that night, and rightly so, too. If Alec had just left him right then and there, true he would have been heartbroken, but he would have understood, seeing as he wasn't the first of the two to get their heart shattered in this relationship. He would have had to deal with the fact that he would have to move on from him, as difficult as it would be.

But he didn't walk away; he didn't end everything. He had done the exact opposite. He stayed right where he was and repeated the same message Magnus had given him. His heart swelled with relief and joy the moment the words left Alec's lips.

When Alec lifted his head to look at Magnus in the eyes, Magnus prepared himself for the worst as he searched his eyes for something he knew wouldn't be there: a sign that he was lying. But nothing Alec ever said was a lie, and Magnus knew that. So when all he was met with were eyes that held the truth, Magnus was so overwhelmed that he didn't notice the flicker of something else swimming in that mind. Instead, in the space of a second, he placed his hands on the sides of Alec's face and leaned in, eyes slipping shut, closing what little space there was between them…

"But…"

The word cut through Magnus's daze like a knife, and he felt Alec slip from his grasp, stepping away from him, leaving a few feet in between them. The space was small, but it felt like he was a world away. Magnus could practically see the walls forming up around Alec again.

Magnus felt his heart fall, felt it shatter all over again as he crashed back to reality. He tried not to let it show, but he knew it was only too obvious. He let out a soft sigh, the smile that had formed only seconds ago slipped away, and his shoulders slumped.

"But… what?" he couldn't keep himself from asking, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"But… I-I can't, Magnus." Alec turned his head away from Magnus.

"You can't what?"

"I can't do…" he gestured between the two of them. "… this." He sighed again, audibly. "I-I can't… I…Magnus, you don't know how much I want to. I want to jump back into what we had. I want to run into your embrace, I want to feel your arms around me, your lips pressed against mine. I want to feel safe and happy with you again. I want to leave the past days in the past."

"Then why don't you?" Magnus asked confused, even though he had a hunch as to what he should expect.

"Because I can't!" He put his head in his hands, briefly, before looking back up, shaking his head softly. "You hurt me, Magnus. You kissed someone else, and I felt used, betrayed. I felt worthless, wondering what I did wrong. How did I mess up something so good in my life? I couldn't figure out why I had been so stupid as to think you ever liked me. You put me through hell." He locked his eyes with Magnus and kept them there, unwavering. "And as much as I want to believe you won't do it again, how can I be sure? How can I be sure that I won't have to relive this experience? The answer, I'm afraid, is that I can't."

Every word he said tore Magnus's heart out of his chest bit by bit. Magnus wanted, no, he needed to assure Alec that he wouldn't do it again. He knew he wouldn't and it was torture to watch Alec like this, so convinced that he might make the same mistake again. But no, Alec wasn't done. He couldn't afford to further distance Alec from him, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not ready to fall headfirst into this again, Magnus. I can't do that to myself. Everything is still so fresh in my mind, and… I don't trust you the way I once did. I'm. Not. Ready. No matter how much I wish I was, I'm not. I'm so sorry, Magnus."

Alec turned to walk away, picking his book up in the process, but Magnus had other ideas. He quickly closed the distance between them, and he lightly grabbed Alec's hand and turned him around. This was NOT happening. He had finally found him, he poured his heart out to him, and Alec even told Magnus that he loved him too. He couldn't leave at that moment; he couldn't just end it, could he?

The blue he met was filled with sadness as it focused on Magnus. Magnus knew his own eyes looked the same; he just hoped that Alec would be able to see it.

"Alec, I would never intentionally do anything to harm or hurt you in any way, I can promise you that," Magnus said, keeping his gaze determinedly still. "Alec, you are perfect in every way. You are beautiful, funny, adorable, kind, smart, and everything to me. That's why I fell for you, not because I was bored or that it would be a fun experiment, a little game, or a charity event. You truly are amazing, and I love every part of you; your smile and how it lights up your face, your laugh and its angelic sound that comes out whenever I get you to laugh. Your adorable blush that creeps up on your delicate pale, your passion and protectiveness for the people you love. Your beautiful blue eyes that I could get lost in for the rest of my life, your silky smooth black hair, even if it falls in your face to hide your eyes from me." Magnus watched as Alec dropped his head again. "…like right now." He smiled to himself for a brief moment at Alec's usual adorableness, despite how frustrating it was at the moment. "All of that and more add up to the wonderful person in front of me right now."

"I'm not any of that," Alec interjected, looking up at him, his voice small. "You make it sound like I'm some angel from heaven."

"That's because you are, at least to me," Magnus countered. "And I find it so unbelievable that you don't see it and it makes me so frustrated at whoever put the idea in your head that you are anything but amazing. But, I guess if you did know how great you were, there's a small chance that you would have ended up like Goldilocks, and we can't have another one of him running around here, can we?" Magnus grinned a little when he saw Alec smile softly and shake with a silent laughter. "But you didn't turn out that way, and instead you turned out better. And I was stupid enough to make the mistake that would push you away from me." He breathed in. "I promise I would never do anything to harm you knowingly. I have never felt this way for anyone else. In truth, I don't know what to do about it. It's a scary feeling, being in love, but it feels so right and I wouldn't change it for anything."

Alec had remained silent after Magnus's last few words, staring at Magnus with wide eyes.

"I know I don't deserve you; I know I shouldn't ask this of you… But, please, Alec, could you give me a second chance? Please?" Magnus begged him.

"I can't. Magnus, I'm so, so sorry," he responded, sadly shaking his head side to side.

"Please, could you please try? Let me try to fix this?"

Alec just continued to shake his head sadly, looking down at his feet.

"Didn't you just say that you loved me too?" Magnus asked, a little impatiently.

"I know I did, and I wasn't lying when I said it," Alec replied. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm just not ready for this. I can't… I just can't."

"Is there any chance for the future?" Magnus asked him hopefully.

Alec looked up at him one last time. "I-Maybe… in the future… I just need time first."

He turned his head down again and slowly moved closer to Magnus, his eyes slipping shut. Magnus slowly wrapped his arms around Alec, relishing in the feeling of having him in his arms again. True, he wished they were officially back together, but at least they weren't really over. He still had a chance. And for Alec, he was willing to wait as long as he needed if it meant he would be with him again.

"I'll wait for you," Magnus whispered softly, feeling Alec shudder slightly. He placed a small kiss on Alec's forehead with his eyes closed, and he was sure he dragged it out for too long, but he didn't care. It might be the only he could give in a while, maybe even the last, period. Don't think that way, he scolded himself. "I'll be here waiting for you when you're ready."

Alec let out a sigh of relief, but he didn't say anything. He kept his eyes closed for a brief moment before opening them as he stepped out of Magnus's embrace, peeling Magnus's arms off of him. He backed away, turned around and started walking away from Magnus, his book in hand.

He looked back for a moment, guilt and sadness and hurt written all over his face. "I'm sorry," he said one last time.

"It's okay, darling," Magnus replied, testing his luck with a small grin.

He saw Alec give a small smile before he turned away and walked toward the exit, leaving Magnus alone with his thoughts, reliving what had just occurred. He listened to the sound of Alec's footsteps becoming fainter and fainter until he couldn't hear anything but the wind. He sighed to himself and started to make his way out of the stands.

It seemed his heart would stay broken. It was like there was tape over it now, holding the pieces together before someone came with the glue. But it could fall apart as easily as it could be mended.

But, for now, it would have to remain shattered.

"I can make all the tables turn."

Ah that's what the line was.

Yep, that describes me right now :) *insert evil laugh here*

Anyways, I'll have another update for you within the next two and a half weeks.

Sorry to leave you at this...