Three weeks later:

Magnus sighed, wrapping a towel around his waist and running a hand through his hair, scattering drops all over the floor. He looked at himself in the mirror and snorted. There was a purple mark just at his collar bone, obviously Alec's work, and Magnus ran his fingers over it gently. It was odd, this feeling of being in a relationship where he didn't feel pressured about anything and where Alec was as much his friend as he was his boyfriend.

As though summoned by Magnus thinking the word 'friend', Isabelle burst through Magnus' door. She was wearing her pyjamas, an oversized band t-shirt that Magnus was sure he'd seen before - meaning it was Simon's - and a tiny pair of pink shorts that left little to the imagination.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Isabelle asked, looking at where Magnus stood. Magnus had come out of the bathroom to get dressed and stopped at his desk. The mirror he was looking into was one he'd borrowed from Isabelle, and it was propped up on the half a dozen fashion books he liked leafing through. He was using one hand to keep the towel around his waist and the other was at his collarbone.

"Just admiring your brother's handy work." Magnus sighed, turning so that Isabelle could see the dark mark that was blossoming near his neck.

"For the love of god. You two really need to keep it in your pants."

"Honey, I can promise you this was not made by anything your brother is keeping in his pants." Magnus smiled as Isabelle made a face, and wandered out of the bathroom. "What are you doing is the better question. I, for one, just took a shower, but you still look like a hot mess. You do know the wedding is today right?"

"Of course I do." Isabelle scowled. "I came to see if you'd do my eyeliner. Because you always look fierce and I can't keep a steady hand right now."

"Naturally." Magnus said, gesturing to his desk. "You sit down. I'm going to go get some fucking pants, because you are not the Lightwood I enjoy being half naked around."

"You're a monster." Isabelle groaned, making another face and throwing herself down in Magnus' chair. She picked up his phone - the old one, the New York one that wasn't much use unless he wanted to pay thousands in long distance charges. "This is cute."

Magnus looked over his shoulder, halfway through picking out a pair of boxers. His suit was already out on the bed, but Magnus had forgotten that underwear was a thing the night before. He was not going to a wedding commando, there had to be a law against that somewhere. "What's cute?"

"This." Isabelle held up his phone, where the background was a photo of Magnus and Alec. It was a photo that Magnus had been taking of himself, a selfie that he was going to send to Camille as a 'good morning' snapchat. The usual 'you're my best friend and I miss you' kind of vacation type things. But then Alec had leaned in a pressed a kiss to Magnus' cheek, making the photo a thousand kinds of adorable. Magnus didn't like the photo because his hair was a shit-show and he wasn't wearing makeup. He did like the photo because neither he nor Alec were wearing shirts and when he'd sent it to Camille, her first question was whether or not he was getting any. Magnus loved photos that sent people's minds to unthinkable places.

"I know, isn't it?"

"It kind of looks like you're - you know."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Doing the nasty? I know darling, that's why I love it so."

"You're really bizarre." Isabelle said, throwing the phone back on the desk. "But my brother seems to like you."

"I should hope he does." Magnus hummed, wandering out of Isabelle's eye-line to drop the towel and actually get dressed. Magnus grabbed his pants from the bed and tugged those on as well. Isabelle watched him stubble around the room, one foot in his pants and one out.

"I'm certain he does." Isabelle told him, acting as though Magnus himself didn't already know this.

Magnus smiled at her, grabbing his makeup bag and putting it on the table. It made a loud noise, but Isabelle didn't jump like Alec might've. She was more serene, more put together. Isabelle was the calm before the storm, a disturbing mixture of barely concealed delight and mind-blowing composure. Isabelle watched him carefully pull out his eyeliner, liquid. A person like Magnus didn't have time for a pencil, nor the patience. Isabelle closed her eyes, and Magnus carefully applied the liner. He hummed to himself while he did this, thinking of all the music that played while he and Camille did their makeup.

"What are you doing?" Isabelle asked, almost an echo of herself as she watched Magnus get up and walk across the room. Magnus didn't hesitate. He knew that Isabelle was a bit of a loner. A girl who had friends, but no best friends. She listened to loud music, but never the kind where you belted out the lyrics like you didn't give a damn, and never with Magnus. "You only did one eye."

"I know." Magnus said, rooting around in his suitcase with a grumble. He'd packed it just in case he needed it. Grinning as he found it, Magnus pulled out the tiny, palm sized blue speaker and slapped it on the table in front of Isabelle. He turned on the playlist he'd labeled 'Cam Jam', an ode to his favourite blonde bimbo and beamed at Isabelle. She laughed.

"What song is this?"

"This is Destiny's Child. How can you be female and not know the name of a Destiny's Child song? How can you be alive and not know the name of a Destiny's Child song?" Magnus carefully avoided the fact he couldn't remember the name of the song and mostly used it to drown out the rest of the world.

Isabelle rolled her eyes and Magnus snapped at her to close them. Magnus knew that he'd done the right thing turning on the music when Isabelle relaxed more, grinning at Magnus and humming along.

"Now you're getting into it." Magnus cheered, continuing to do her makeup with no prompting. "This is what we call girl time."

"You're not a girl." Isabelle pointed out, opening her eyes as he was now applying blush.

"No," Magnus nodded, "I'm not, but I love dick." Isabelle snorted, looking at Magnus in disbelief. He gave her a shit - or dick, he supposed - eating grin and laughed. "The ladies back home and I decided that that made me close enough and I was allowed in on their gossip sessions. That and I'm the only one out of all my friends who can do a proper smokey eye."

"Amen." Isabelle mumbled, looking at herself in the mirror. It wasn't quite a smokey eye, a little more toned down for the wedding, but Magnus was quite proud. "How the hell did you get that fast at that."

"Practice kitten, all practice."

Magnus grabbed the mirror to do his own makeup, going as basic as he could. He did want to look good and like he wasn't going to a party.

"I want to get out of here sometimes." Isabelle said softly. Magnus knew that no one outside of the room would hear her over the music. He stopped, looking over at her.

"You serious?"

"Yeah." Isabelle looked down at her feet. "I love it here. I love the people, I really do." Magnus knew she was talking about Simon, but didn't tease, just let her go on. "But it feels so small. I want the world, and I don't know if I can have it here. I don't know, sometimes I think I'd be happy settling down here, having a bunch of children and just being Mrs. Simon Lewis. But other times," Isabelle bit her lip, "I want to run away from here and never look back."

"I understand why you'd want to stay." Magnus admitted, rolling his eyeliner between his fingers. "I don't think I'm ever going to be ready to leave. It's like being in a movie, having a community like this. The rest of the world isn't like this, there are so many people out there that you're never going to know. You can enjoy being anonymous, but you will never have the kind of people you have here. You can't describe it."

Isabelle hummed quietly. "I don't want Alec to stay."

"What?"

"I know he likes it here." Isabelle said, picking at a stray string that was coming off her shorts. "But I also know that he could never be truly happy here. He could never really be himself. So I was resigned to thinking that he was going to be alone, with Jace and I dragging him to parties and getting him to hang out with people I knew he actually liked, but wasn't willing to admit. And then you came along."

Magnus paused. "I don't want to drag him away if he wants to stay. I can't be that boyfriend that asks for the world and never gives anything back."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow, she was wearing something that was almost akin to Jace's smirk. "So, basically you don't want to be a boyfriend? Magnus, you're allowed to ask things of Alec, and he's allowed to ask them of you. You can't have a relationship without a little give and take."

"When did you become Oprah?" Magnus asked, not bothering to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Giving advice and shit. But really love, I ask so much of your brother already, I don't know why he puts up with me."

"He loves you." Isabelle snorted. "It's the same reason I don't know how to leave this place. Everything changes when you're not the only person you have to consider anymore."

"I guess." Magnus' voice was soft, and he turned back the mirror to finish his makeup. "You could ask Simon you know, convince him to run away with you. No one says you can't come back. Maybe go to university far away and come back to be Mrs Simon Lewis."

"But what if I get there and I can't bring myself to come back?"

"Is Simon worth coming home to?"

Isabelle looked at Magnus, her eyes dark. She was one of those people that Magnus couldn't quite figure out, and he simply had to let her be and marvel in her presence. Alec was somewhat like that, with Magnus often in awe of his boyfriend, but he could understand what Alec was thinking, where he was coming from. But he could never understand Isabelle, so torn between two worlds.

"Aren't you going to do your hair?" Isabelle asked, looking at it surprised. Slightly thrown by the change of topic, Magnus blinked at her. He had considered this, but he knew that it would be a waste of time.

"Nope." Magnus said, running his fingers through his hair gently but letting it mostly drape around his face. "For a couple of reasons." He numbered them off on his fingers. "One, your brother loves my hair without product on it and likes to pull on it and do things to my nether regions that should be illegal-"

"Didn't need to know that."

"Two," Magnus continued, ignoring Isabelle. "your brother loves to leave the windows down when we're driving and that will kill any style I try to put in my hair. And three, it's a wedding, I'm trying to be classy."

"You look almost, normal." Isabelle smiled at him, tugging on a lock of his hair. "Normally you're some kind of alien, too bright and too crazy to be human. But like this you look so ordinary."

"I'm never ordinary." Magnus beamed at her.

"Certainly not." Isabelle beamed.

"Magnus?" It was Alec, probably wandering down the hall and wondering where the hell his boyfriend had gone. Magnus grinned and Isabelle sighed.

"I guess that's my cue to leave and actually put my dress on." She got up, walking past Alec on her way out.

"You ready for the big day?" Alec asked, grinning at Magnus from the doorway. There was a blue tie around his neck, untied and trailing down the stiff white shirt.

"I have no idea." Magnus frowned, standing up. "What do you think?"

Alec just nodded, taking a step closer to Magnus. Magnus seized him by the tie, pulling him close and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Alec smiled into the kiss. "You went traditional." He commented, his eyes crinkling. "I thought you were considerin' the neon tie?" He pointed at the black tie that was tied neatly around his neck.

"Can't steal the attention from the bride." Magnus shrugged, giving an overdramatic sigh. Magnus watched his boyfriend nod again, his shoulders tense. Things had been weird between Alec and his parents for the past couple weeks, little fights here and there turning into bigger ones all the time. Magnus didn't want to think that it was all his fault, but he knew that it was all because of him. Alec wasn't going to let Magnus go that easily, but the more he clung to Magnus, the more it tore the Lightwoods apart and it killed Magnus. Because he loved Alec and it was physically painful to see his boyfriend torn like this. It was the opposite of what was happening to Magnus, who called his parents almost everyday just to hear their voices and remind himself that there was a future there.

"What are you thinking about?" Alec asked, his tone playful but his gaze curious. "You look like there's something pretty important on your mind. Not re-thinkin' the tie are we?"

"God no." Magnus smirked, hoping it didn't look too false.

"Well then, I guess we should head out?" Alec said, watching Magnus carefully. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem like you're deep in thought and in addition, you look more than a little unhappy."

"Let's head out." Magnus said quickly. "I think I just need to clear my head, enjoy some time with friends and let everything run its course." Magnus wasn't actually sure if that's what he was going to do, but it felt good to say aloud and seemed to ease some of Alec's worries.

"Alright then. I just need to tie my tie."

"Allow me." Magnus said, reaching up and grabbing the two ends. Magnus hummed while he tied the tie, getting a smile out of Alec. Magnus gently finished tying Alec's tie and letting his hands rest on his boyfriend's chest for a moment. "I love you." He said, trying to pour conviction into his voice and ease the pain that was lying just under his fingertips.

"I love you too." Alec said, brushing a finger over Magnus' cheek. "And I wish you wouldn't worry."

Leaning in for a kiss, Magnus kept his hands on Alec's chest. Alec's hand was still cupping Magnus' cheek, his thumb brushing the top of Magnus' cheekbone. Magnus let the world slip away as they collided, one of Alec's hands moving to Magnus' waist, resting on his hip bone and pulling him closer. Magnus let a hand slide over Alec's shoulder as he parted his lips to let Alec slip his tongue into his mouth. Alec let out a soft groan and Magnus grinned, sucking on his boyfriend's bottom lip.

"You're going to kill me." Alec mumbled into the kiss, his words ghosting over Magnus' lips. "You're going to be the death of me." He didn't sound upset at all, almost pleased and Magnus felt his heart race as Alec's hand went up into his hair.

True to what Magnus had said to Isabelle, Alec almost groaned again, feeling his hands slide through Magnus' hair without the product. Magnus gasped when he felt Alec yank on his hair, before slamming their lips back together with fervour.

"Jesus." Magnus said, pulling back and practically gasping for air. His breath was shallow as he looked at his boyfriend. "I can't promise that you're not going to kill me first."

"We should stop I guess." Alec said, pulling away and grinning when Magnus huffed in annoyance. "C'mon you, we have a wedding to get to." Magnus couldn't help but smile back as Alec pressed one final kiss to Magnus' nose and dragged him out of his bedroom and down the stairs. Magnus laughed, leaving his camera on the bed knowing that there would be a photographer there. Alec stopped one last time on the stairs. "Don't worry, just enjoy the moment."

Magnus mumbled something about trying to let it roll of his shoulders and followed Alec out to the truck.

"Why are we always listening to country music?" Magnus laughed, talking over the radio. He was sitting as close to Alec as was humanly possible, almost in his lap but not quite. Their hands were clasped over Magnus' thigh and Alec was driving almost absentmindedly, only one hand on the wheel and most of his attention was on his boyfriend. The radio was blaring a song that Magnus didn't know, but it was distinctly country and Alec tapped a finger on the wheel along with the beat.

It was a perfectly sunny day, blue-blazes hot with barely a whisper of wind. Magnus and Alec had the windows rolled down, letting the hot air whip their hair around their faces. Magnus smiled smugly that he knew his boyfriend as well as he did, thinking of how he'd told Isabelle earlier that this would happen.

"I'm from the country." Alec grinned, turning the music up a touch. "I'm inclined to love country music. Plus it bothers you."

"Damn you." Magnus smiled, never willing to admit that the music was growing on him. That would be too much, he couldn't give Alec that ammo as well. "That's a lie though. Isabelle is from the country and she likes pop music."

"She's a traitor."

Magnus laughed. "You really think that everyone should love country music? I can't see that happening."

"C'mon," Alec sighed, "there must be a country song you like. One, somewhere."

"Carrie Underwood count?"

Alec hummed. "I suppose so. I mean, she's not my personal favorite, but Isabelle's dragged me to one of her concerts. Now, let me guess - Before He Cheats?"

"Hell yes." Magnus laughed, letting his hand rest on the back of Alec's neck and the sound of the twangy guitar and the singer's crooning voice surge around them. It was no Carrie Underwood, but Magnus could find the music starting to grow on him.

Alec pulled up to the curb in front of the church, jumping out of his truck and opening the door for Magnus who smiled. The other Lightwoods were already waiting outside, each one looking the picture of a perfect family. There was a tension in their shoulders, but it was unnoticeable if you weren't looking for it. Isabelle smiled the second she saw them. She was wearing a baby blue dress that was just a few shades lighter than Alec's tie and just brushed her knees. It made her skin look paler and her hair look the way Alec's always did, like a waterfall of black ink that ran down her shoulders. Today it was half-up, just pulled away from her face.

"Look at you two!" She said happily, her voice bubbling with excitement. Magnus had never quite pegged her as the romantic, she always seemed a little too reserved. A little too smart to be the head over heels type, but then again, Magnus thought with a smile, everyone loves a good old fashion wedding.

Maryse was looking positively regal in her long cream dress. Her jewelry was light and her make-up even more so. It was too sunny for any of them to not look out of place, squinting in the light of the lawn. Robert matched his wife, with a classic suit that made him look both daunting and elegant. Magnus didn't say anything to either of the parents - didn't have to, because Maryse spotted the Penhallows and almost dragged Robert over to say hello.

"So," Jace said, with an impatient sigh, "am I the only one who's hoping this whole thing is over in under an hour?"

Magnus snorted. Jace would have played the perfect part in a teenage movie at that moment. Hair mused and eyes mischievous but happy. There was a curve at the edges of his mouth that told Magnus he didn't really want it to end and he was just as taken with the wedding as everyone else.

"Hello all!" Clary came bounding down the steps. She looked like a fairy. Her bridesmaid dress was green and made her eyes shine - though they were nowhere as bright as her smile, which Magnus was certain could only be described as blinding. Her shoes weren't as high as Isabelle's but she still stumbled coming up down the church steps. Steading herself on Jace, she beamed up at him.

Jace's eyes took in her dress and her smile and every semblance of false annoyance disappeared. "You look lovely." He whispered, so hushed that Magnus felt it really wasn't for their ears. Clary flushed.

"As do you." She mumbled. "But your bowtie is crooked." She reached out to straighten it, letting her hands brush over his shoulders as she did. Magnus wanted to laugh, because only Jace could look good in a bowtie. He seemed to be wearing it out of genuine want and didn't see the funny side to it. Magnus wasn't sure how that was possible.

Isabelle looked around, her head darting up and down as she scanned the small crowd of people that were piling out of cars and milling in and out of the church. She didn't seem to see who she was looking for and her face visibly fell, turning back to them with pursed lips.

"Looking for Simon?" Magnus asked, grinning.

"No!" Isabelle said firmly, though she flushed. "That obvious?" She asked after a second of hesitation.

"Totally." Alec said, throwing her a grin that was almost as smug as Magnus'. Magnus scolded his boyfriend, slapping his chest gently and turning back to Isabelle.

"God," Isabelle groaned, "I'm not becoming sappy, am I?"

"Don't worry." Jace smirked. "You'll never be as bad as Malec."

"What's Malec?" Alec asked, his brow furrowed. He looked at Magnus, obviously hoping that Magnus had caught something that Alec hadn't. Magnus shrugged and Alec frowned, looking back at Jace.

Jace rolled his eyes. "You two, obviously. Magnus and Alec - Malec. Camille and I came up with it."

"And to think you're the straight one-" Magnus said, before suddenly pausing. "Hold the fuck up. You and Camille? Which Camille? What Camille? Who's Camille? How Camille? My Camille? Camille motherfucking Belcourt? Camille I'm-going-to-kill-her Belcourt?" Magnus sent the questions off one by one, practically yelling and getting more than a little attention from the people around them.

Laughing, Jace lowered his voice and nodded. "Your Camille. Pretty girl right? Cusses like a sailor and dresses like a stripper or a princess?"

Magnus considered this for a moment, thinking of the club Camille against the dinner out Camille and then nodded. "Definitely my Camille. How the fuck did you find her?"

"Calm down, she found me."

"She found you?"

"Yeah. She added me on Facebook, which I basically never use. Said that she was a friend of yours and you weren't givin' her enough juicy details. I've been updating her on your life."

"Of course you have." Magnus sighed. "And I don't know what she's on, I've been giving her plenty of details."

"This whole thing seems weird to me." Alec mumbled.

"Of course it does, I'm pretty sure all people seem weird to you." Jace snorted.

Alec, looking mildly more annoyed than usual snapped back. "Well, if you weren't all so fucking dumb-"

"Boys." Isabelle said firmly. "We are here to cheer and party and gossip about other people. We are not a weddin' in a movie, there is no need for tears or anything of the sort. If the two of you get into a really big argument, Mum is going to sit between you at the service. And no one wants that."

They backed down, though they both looked mildly put out by the fight. It wasn't large, but Magnus knew that Jace and Alec never took what the other said seriously and the fight between Alec, Maryse and Robert was slowly wearing down Jace's patience. Magnus wanted to butt in, to say that they needed to sort this out, something that would start to untangle this mess.

"Wow," Simon said, striding up. His hands were deep in his pockets and it looked like he'd actually made an attempt to brush his hair. Isabelle saw him and lit up like a Christmas tree. Her eyes brightened and she smiled with ease, far from the forced one that had been on her face too long. "You can feel the tension."

He put a hand on the small of Isabelle's back. For a split second, it was like they were in their own world. In that brief second of contact, the world slipped away and it was just the two of them. Simon whispered something in her ear and Isabelle, who was always the picture of grace and beauty, blushed. She looked almost taken aback, flattered. It was like something about Simon sent her off-kilter, disturbed her balance and made her more human. Simon made her softer around the edges. Magnus wondered if even half the people in the world ever got that lucky, to find the person that made them soft around the edges, that made them bleed happiness and colour like the faded edges of an old photo. He looked at Alec for a moment and knew he was that lucky. Because looking at Alec made him ooze. It was ridiculous, the way that his heart almost ached, because Alec was less than a metre away and it was still too far. The way that Magnus felt about Alec was almost tangible, something that he could breathe in and absorb, something that surrounded him completely. It rolled off of his skin and was sweet on his tongue. It was the feeling that he belonged, that of all the places in the world, Magnus had found the one where he fit and it was next to Alec. He was like that silly little children's book, wandering the world looking for something he thought he needed. He'd found his missing piece and it had changed his life forever.

Magnus only realized that he'd been openly starring at Alec when someone spoke up. "You know." Maia mused. "For people who are trying to pretend like they're not in a relationship, you're doing an awfully shit job."

"Who?"

"Everyone." Maia replied to Magnus, rolling her eyes. She was wearing a knee-length yellow dress that made her skin glow. She beamed at them as she walked over and Magnus raised his eyebrows when he saw the converse on her feet. Maia didn't blush, but shrugged and grinned bashfully. "Luke knows by now that there's no way I'm going to completely dress up, it's not in my nature."

"No it really isn't, is it?" Bat came up behind her, putting a hand on her waist. Maia and Alec shared a look and Maia nodded.

"Hush you." She said, though her voice was fond. "Isabelle, how do you look so wonderful? And Clary too." Maia scowled. "This really isn't fair, I'm always the ugly one."

Magnus scoffed. "Hardly, you look incredible. The shoes are growing on me."

"Ew, are we going to start complimenting each other on everything?"

"Jace doesn't like positivity." Alec explained, slinging an arm over Jace's shoulder, the fight from the moment before seeming like a distant memory. Magnus swallowed the slight twinge of jealousy and tried to smile. It was hard, being unable to act like anything other than friends with Alec and then watching him with other people. They went out of their way to make sure that no one suspected anything and in the process, a little part of Magnus died every time. It was when other people were obvious with their affections as well, when Magnus had to watch other people and know that he and Alec weren't allowed to be that open.

Clary laughed. "What time is it?"

"Close to two thirty?" Jace said, glancing at his phone. "Like quarter to three?"

"Oh god!" Clary said, grabbing Jace's hand and starting to drag him into the church. "We've got to move people. This thing can't start without anyone in the church!" Clary began to usher people inside, glancing back occasionally to make sure she hadn't forgotten anyone in her hurry.

Magnus could feel himself thrumming with excitement. There was something about a wedding that Magnus thought was indescribably wonderful. Magnus could hear everyone chatting excitedly as they filed into the church and took their seats. Magnus sat next to Alec, grinning and leaning into his boyfriend almost reflexively.

Everyone quieted down as the priest and Luke walked in from the side. Luke looked like the perfect cocktail of joy and nervous energy. The nerves seemed to grow when the bridesmaids walked in, only a few of them. Madeleine and Clary were both there, with Clary being the maid of honour. Clary glowed as she walked in, all the other bridesmaids looked happy, but Clary continued to outshine them all.

And then Jocelyn walked in.

Luke's nerves disappeared and his face moulded into one of wonder. It was as though he'd never seen her before and Magnus could feel all those years that Jocelyn and he had spent apart melt away. It was the look of a boy who was marrying his first love and it reminded Magnus why he really and truly considered weddings to be so magical.

There wasn't a proper place to have the reception, so they were using the largest room in the church. There was a dance floor and a whole slew of tables, enough to seat everyone. Each table was round, topped with champagne, candles, flowers and a white table cloth that just ghosted over the ground.

They were sitting at the kids table, though it wasn't really. It was the rag-tag collection of teenagers, most of which Magnus already knew. Bat, who Magnus didn't really know and hadn't really talked to, was surprisingly friendly when he wasn't drunk, but looked a lot larger and scarier when Magnus was sober. He hulked next to Maia, his arm on the back of her chair. She leaned into him slightly, but they never spoke, turning their attention to other people - namely Jace and Helen.

Isabelle and Simon were next to each other, though Simon looked far more nervous that Izzy, who looked relaxed and happy - Magnus wasn't entirely sure how much champagne she'd had. And she was chattering to Clary in a bouncy voice, while Simon just listened and shook his head.

Magnus was happy sitting next to Alec, finished food strewn in front of them and an array of half empty glasses catching the light. Magnus' boyfriend was telling Aline the plot of some movie, trying to convince her to see it, while she argued in favour of some TV show that Magnus hadn't heard of either. There were people on the dance floor, laughing and dancing - some seriously and others simply to get on their feet. Luke and Jocelyn were watching them all, smiling bigger and brighter than ever before and curled into each other. Maryse and Robert sat near them, talking to Madeleine and looking far more relaxed then earlier. Alec seemed to notice them at the same time that Magnus did and he frowned.

"Dance with me." Alec said suddenly, tearing his eyes away from his parents and looking at Magnus. Magnus raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend, looking from his bright eyes to his outstretched hand.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No." Alec insisted. "Take my hand and dance with me."

"Here?" Magnus stared around the room nervously. "Practically the whole town is here. This would be coming out, officially."

"Yes." Alec mused, "it would wouldn't it?"

Magnus wanted to claim Alec as his, he always had. He wanted to shout from the rooftops and have everyone know that they were together. But this made Magnus nervous. Because this was a moment fuelled by adrenaline. This was Alec being above all strung out, wanting to prove a point to his parents.

"Alec you're not thinking-"

"Dance with me."

And taking one look at those pleading blue eyes, Magnus nodded. Alec stood up and grabbed Magnus' hand, the two of them going over to the dance floor. Magnus glanced back and saw Isabelle gaping at them. She gave Magnus a look that asked what the hell he thought he was doing and Magnus just gave her a wide-eyed shrug. He could feel eyes on them, trying to figure out what they were playing at.

They got to the dance floor and Magnus gave Alec one last questioning look. Are you sure, he asked with a raised eyebrow. Alec got the message and nodded. He pulled Magnus close and they danced, like it was completely normal. Magnus could feel people watching them still, trying to figure out if this was some odd joke.

Alec seemed to notice this too and with a look on his face that was almost angry, Alexander Lightwood gave the metaphorical middle finger to his parents and kissed Magnus - in front of everyone. Terrified and ecstatic at the same time, Magnus deepened the kiss, tightening his hold on Alec's jacket. There was a heartbeat where it was silent, where Magnus could have sworn the world was going to end and it was all going to hell.

"'Bout damn time!" Isabelle screamed, she cheered and whooped and their friends joined in. Magnus pulled away from Alec to look at them and laugh when he saw Jace get up on the table to clap for them, Maia sticking two fingers in her mouth and whistling. And in the moment where the adults in the room gave them a look of stunned disbelief, the teenagers stormed the dance floor. They danced and laughed. Isabelle pressed a kiss to Simon's cheek like there wasn't a soul in the world that was watching and Aline pulled Helen in for a long kiss.

"What a wedding!" Jace snorted, leaning in so that Magnus could hear him over the music. Magnus laughed and nodded, leaning into Alec and swaying to the music. What a wedding indeed.

Long after their feet got tired from dancing, Magnus and the small gang of Lightwoods wandered over to collapse at a table. Isabelle ordered a drink right away - virgin, because she wasn't going to get trashed at a wedding - while Jace, Magnus and Alec all settled for the waters that were on trays around the room.

"You know what I've been thinking about?" Isabelle said suddenly, smirking and eating the cherry off the top of her drink.

"How bad those must be for you?" Alec smirked back and Isabelle scowled at him. "Seriously, you want to model? That sugar is not going to be good for you."

"Are you fat-shaming her?" Magnus said, whipping around to stare at his boyfriend. "No." He waggled a finger in Alec's face. "No. Teasing or not teasing. That is a big no-no."

"I like this one." Maia jerked her hand at Magnus, pulling a chair up to the table and grinning. "We're keeping him right?" She leaned her head in her hand and looked to Alec, who just nodded.

"Hell yes."

Magnus grinned, grabbing Alec by the front of his shirt and pulling him in for a kiss. Alec's arm coiled around his waist, dragging him closer. He could feel the people staring at them and Magnus felt like flipping them all the bird. Because God, let them stare. His boyfriend was kissing him in a public place and there was nothing better.

"Anyways," Isabelle drawled, rolling her eyes. "I was thinking about a certain thing that we were talking about before Magnus got here. The day we found out he was coming in fact."

"Huh?" Both Jace and Alec looked confused.

"There was a bet," Isabelle continued, her smile growing, "that I would make a boyfriend out of Magnus. And I bet you, Jace, that Alec would be more likely to get a boyfriend out of this than I would."

"Oh fuck." Jace groaned.

"Are you serious?" Magnus laughed. "You placed bets on who would date me? That's the weirdest, most wonderful thing anyone has ever told me."

"And I won." Isabelle finished. "So, I believe you owe me a hundred bucks."

Maia let out a low whistle. "That's rough," she told Jace, grinning broadly, "A pretty high bet for something like that."

"We shook on it." Isabelle shrugged, her smile said innocent but her eyes showed she was anything but.

"I think," Alec said, "that of all the people in this room involved in that bet, I won." He gave Magnus a smile that was painfully sappy, but Magnus gladly returned it, giving his boyfriend a soft kiss on the lips. Magnus went to pull away, but Alec kept him close, a hand on the back of his neck.

"Ugh," Jace said, making a face, "PDA much? The two of you being happy is seriously raining on my pity parade."

Clary laughed, coming up behind them. From the expression on her face, it almost looked like she'd been the one who got married. Her face was lit up like a Christmas tree, her eyes bright and brimming with tears. There was a soft pink flower petal caught in her bright hair. "What are you lot goin' on about?" She asked, standing behind Jace and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and Clary flushed.

"A bet that Jace and Izz made about whether she or Alec would end up getting it on with Magnus." Maia grinned. "And I think you can imagine how that turned out."

"I'm guessing Jace bet Isabelle and Isabelle bet Alec?" Clary giggled and Jace groaned. "How much was it for?"

"A hundred dollars." Jace mumbled, leaning forward to slam his face into the table. "Why am I such an idiot?"

"No idea." Alec responded, sending Jace a cheeky grin. His best friend just sighed.

"I mean, what were the chances?" Jace cried. "At that point I was about seventy-five percent sure that Alec was gay, but I'd never met Magnus. Statistics show it was most likely that he was straight."

"And yet here I am." Magnus tsked, giving Jace a look of mock pity. "Gloriously bisexual. Waving the pride flag and riding a unicorn off into the sunset."

"I think you're completely crazy." Alec said, wrapping an arm around Magnus' shoulders again. Magnus leaned into him and Alec whispered in his ear. "I love you to pieces."

"Love you more." Magnus whispered back, the words feeling like a promise more than a statement. Magnus thought they were being quiet and subtle, but going by the look on Maia's face, she'd heard them.

"Alexander?" Alec looked up, his face darkening when he saw his mother. The table fell silent, Jace attempting to pick up the conversation once before failing and deciding to give up. "Could I speak with you for a moment?" Maryse sounded almost nervous, but still maintained her easy grace. "Magnus can come as well, if you'd like."

Alec didn't say anything, but nodded. Maryse started to walk away, leading them out of the hall. Alec pushed his chair away from the table and grabbed Magnus' hand. Almost as an afterthought, Alec drained the last of his champagne. "Liquid courage." He muttered to Magnus, who stifled a laugh and trailed his boyfriend out of the room.

The hallway was quiet, it was like moving underwater. The whole world had been turned down a few notches, the noise of the party slightly muted and seemingly distant. There was nothing festive about Maryse's mood, it was almost grave. It made the silence unbearable.

"Let's get this over with." Alec sighed. The fight in his eyes was gone, faded after weeks of disagreements that meant nothing. There was a resignation in his voice. This was his surrender, anything to end the fighting.

"I'm not here to condemn you Alexander." Maryse said, her tone almost fond. Both boys looked up at this, surprised. This seemed to prompt Maryse to continue. "I'm here to ask your forgiveness. I want my son back." She looked at Magnus. "And with your permission, I'd like to get to know Magnus."

Alec gripped his hand tighter, like for a heartbeat he was afraid that Maryse was going to rip Magnus away from him.

Maryse continued, her hands smoothing out her dress. "You obviously love each other. I can't say that I love the idea of the two of you being out and all the hate that's going to come with it. But I can say that I love you, both of you." Maryse looked at Magnus pointedly and he wanted nothing more than to cry and hug her all at once. "And I'm going to stand by you. No matter what."

"You are?" Alec seemed stunned and Magnus could see his boyfriend blink the tears from his eyes. "I-"

"I'm sorry." Maryse said quickly, her voice borderline embarrassed. "I can't believe that I asked you to not come out. I think that I should have let you decide."

"Maybe." Alec mumbled. "But I think you were just looking out for me - for us. And I love you for that."

"So we can put this all behind us?" Maryse said hopefully. "Finally get back to being a proper family

"What does Dad think of all this?" The silence that followed spoke volumes. Alec sighed, "he's not sure?"

"He loves you."

"I know."

"He's trying to understand Alexander. He is. Give him time."

"It's a far cry from his big, 'I support you speech'." Alec said, his tone bitter. "I don't understand why he's suddenly changed his mind."

"There was a story in the news," Maryse murmured, "not that you would have noticed I suppose. It was nothing out of the ordinary, a bullying story gone horribly wrong, one among thousands. But the teenager was gay, shot by a gun and killed on the spot. Think about how that would have felt for your father, to see that and then get the call about Sebastian at that party."

"That had nothing to do with Magnus and I."

"I know, honey, I do. But it made everything very real for your father and I. It scared us more than anything. And you coming out is going to change your life, especially here."

Alec looked at Magnus, his eyes running over his boyfriend's face with a look that was both loving and determined. He looked like he was trying to commit Magnus' face to memory, to remember it forever and add it to some file deep in his mind. Magnus did the same, saving the curve of Alec's jaw and the wisps of hair that tickled his ears under a list of things that he was hoping to ask Clary to teach him to draw.

"I'm ready for it."

Maryse smiled. Magnus wasn't sure it counted as a smile. There was a bittersweet edge to it that told Magnus all he needed to know. It was the same look she'd given Alec all that time ago when they'd run off to see Magnus' father. She didn't quite know her son anymore and no matter how proud she was or how much she supported and loved him, she'd lost her baby. It was something that no amount of love could truly replace. It would hurt, but Maryse had raised children that were as strong as she was and Magnus knew that the Lightwoods would recover. But that smile, the one that almost wondered aloud where her shy baby boy had gone, it made Magnus want to cry. Because he liked to imagine he'd saved Alec from a life of pretending to be someone he wasn't. But moments like this, Magnus wondered if he'd condemned Alec to a life of leaving, a life that he wouldn't have wished on anyone.

"I will support you. One hundred percent." And though her tone was sad, though it was almost a wistful whisper, Maryse meant every word.

Alec turned away, looking at the ground. Maryse seemed to break from a trance, pressing a kiss to the top of her son's head and walking back into the hall. Alec frowned at the floor.

"I think I'm going to get some air." Magnus whispered. Alec looked at him and nodded slowly, letting go of Magnus reluctantly. Magnus didn't want to leave Alec alone, but needed a minute to clear his head. Magnus staggered out of the church, the night air cold enough and fresh enough to jolt him out of the dream.

He wondered if this is what life was really like. Magnus had often been glad that his life, while filled with cheating scandals and rampant rumours, was not a movie. He'd always thought that the pain in movies was too great, the cuts to deep and the wounds simply destructive. There was nothing about his past relationships, his past life of parties, that was real. It was all just the beginning. But now, being here in a tiny town with a wonderful boyfriend and a family that while loving was sometimes held together by sheer willpower, Magnus realized that it wasn't like the movies. The pain wasn't too great, it wasn't that the wounds were never going to heal. It was an ongoing kind of struggle. There was to be no grand montage of fun times, they would trek through mud and dirt, heads held high until they came out on the other end; beaten and broken, but victorious. The battle was long and hard fought, in fact Magnus almost believed that the worst of it was over. But he wasn't sure, in fact he supposed the the battle never truly ended for the survivors, because they would always live with the scars, no matter how long it had been since the wound healed.

"Did it get too real in there for you?" Jace asked, emerging from the church behind Magnus. He sat down on the steps and patted the spot next him. Magnus let out a sigh and trudged over next to him.

"Kind of the opposite. Whole thing feels like a dream."

Jace nodded. "I know the feeling. We get used to seeing life in books and TV and all that. I think we get too used to it. A mixture of seeing that and being told not to expect that leaves us thrown no matter what we get."

"Do you ever wish I hadn't come?" Magnus blurted, looking at Jace. He looked different, older somehow. The light from behind him cast a shadow over his face, and Magnus remembered the words that Sebastian had thrown at Jace. Jace wasn't as carefree as he wanted the world to imagine.

"No." Jace replied, almost immediately. "Not for a second. Yes, you've caused the most trouble our family has seen in years, but-" he paused, choosing his words carefully, "but you put this look on Alec's face. It's something I don't think I've ever seen before. It's this pure love, like he can't believe you even exist. You complete him, you're the noise to his silence." Magnus wanted to laugh, say something snarky. But there was a sincerity to Jace's tone, a raw kind of wonder. "I can't believe you exist sometimes. Because I was always worried about Alec. He doesn't really hang out with anyone else. He never wants anyone else, hell, I don't think he's ever really, truly fought for something. But then he met you.

"My brother is a lot of things, but most importantly, he's my best friend. I don't think I've ever had to share him like this with someone. I didn't want to at first, when I found out you guys were dating. I wanted it all to stop. I thought that him being gay meant that you could fill not only the role of his boyfriend but, well, my role as well. But then I realized that you were something completely different and my jealousy just went away. I felt kind of dumb, to assume that him being gay made him completely different. I'm finally coming to terms that him being gay isn't going to change us. It can't, because it's always been a factor in our relationship I just didn't know about. I'm not sure where I'm going with this."

"I'm not sure either." Magnus admitted. "But I think I understand. I really think I do. Isabelle said a similar thing this morning…"

Jace smiled. "Let my sum it up, I've never been happier to lose a bet in my life."

Magnus laughed. "I can't believe you lot bet on that. That's mortifying."

"It funny, that's what Alec said too."

"I can imagine."

There was a silence between them, one that was almost comfortable, almost friendly. What Jace had said meant a lot to Magnus, it was the kind of approval that he didn't think he'd get. It was the ultimate stamp, the ultimate okay for their relationship.

"There's another thing I wanted to say." Magnus said slowly, thinking about how he was going to say it. Jace, for once in his life, was patient and let Magnus choose his words. "I wasn't going to tell you this, I wasn't going to tell anyone. But I heard what Sebastian said to you, and I feel like I understand you in a way. You have a loving family now-"

"But it doesn't change the past." Jace said bitterly. "They were young, you know. I don't know anything about them really. I've seen the pictures and heard the stories. But I don't know their voices, the way they laugh or the way they like their coffee and sometimes it kills me. Sometimes I love Maryse and Robert, but I want to be told that I look like my father in a tone that isn't sad."

"I can understand that." Magnus mused. "I look just like my father, well my real one." Jace arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, you think you've got daddy issues? Join the club. The man who raised me isn't my father, but I never knew until very recently."

Jace let out a low whistle, but stopped. "So that's where you and Alec went? To find him?"

"Yes." Magnus paused. "We went to find my real dad."

"I think that's a lie." Jace hummed and Magnus looked at him confused. "Take it from someone who knows, your real father is the one that raised you. You can hope for you biological parents all you want, but that doesn't make them real. Blood isn't everything."

Magnus watched Jace. "You really believe that?"

"You don't?" Jace asked. "Who you become isn't all genetic. There are so many things that are going to define you as a person - blood isn't everything."

"I'm worried that it means more than you think."

"And I'm certain that it means less than you think."

Laughing, Magnus shook his head. "You're crazy."

"True, but I'm also dashingly handsome, so most people are able to overlook the crazy part in favour of my good looks." Jace grinned, showing that he wasn't quite serious. Magnus often wondered how it was that Alec and Jace were friends, two sides of a coin that didn't quite seem to be a matching pair. More of a disaster waiting to happen. But those moments of dry humour, Magnus could see why they balanced each other out. "I'm never going to agree that I said this, but I do genuinely like you. I can't quite believe it myself, but I do."

Magnus was going to say something else, but before he could, someone spoke from behind them.

"What are you two doing out here?" Isabelle stood, a dark silhouette in the doorway. "I'm getting a little concerned. Are you okay?"

"We're fine." Jace said, waving her off. "Can't Magnus and I have a little bit of bonding time?"

Isabelle looked at him suspiciously. "No. You can't. Now come, Simon is trying to get me to play some ridiculous game and there's no way I'm suffering through this humiliation alone. Not to mention that Alec won't play unless Magnus does." She huffed and walked back inside, hips swinging.

"Come along." Jace sighed. "Happiness awaits. I know, don't look so down. I'm sure we can cook up a little bit of misery for you." He swaggered back inside, his hands deep in his pockets and his walk relaxed and confident.

It was like a movie, time moving so fast he was nothing but happy and dazed. But Magnus told himself to stop thinking, scolded himself for overthinking things and making himself unhappy. So he laughed and followed Jace, letting the music swell as he got closer and the yellow light enfold him. He let the small town embrace him and overwhelm him, getting lost in the moment.