Chapter Eight: Blush

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

Author's Note: This takes place when Alec is left at Magnus's while the rest of the gang visits the Fair People.

Time: City of Ashes

Genre: Drama, Romance, and Angst

Rating: PG-13

Date Finished: June 26, 2012

Alec allowed himself to be lead out of the elevator, but he was not happy about it. Magnus thought they had trust issues, but Alec did not see the issues that Magnus was talking about. As far as he was concerned, everything was just fine. Magnus was just making a big deal out of nothing.

He still was not sure what Magnus had in mind. Whatever it was, Magnus felt that Alec had to trust him. Alec trusted Magnus, but was not sure it he wanted to trust Magnus with this thing, whatever it may be.

Magnus walked across the busy street without looking. Alec winced and wondered how the warlock did so without getting hit or killed. That was when Alec noticed that none of the cars were moving. It was as if time had stopped around them or someone had frozen them. Alec studied the cars closely. The people inside the cars were not moving. One woman was frozen in mid lip-gloss swap.

Yep, they were frozen.

Alec looked across the street at Magnus, who was beaming. It was obviously quite proud of himself. Alec, on the other hand, was not sure how he felt about this. Freezing people was just wrong. There was no other way around it. He was also impressed by it as well. He did not know too many people who had the power to freeze others.

"Are you coming?" Magnus called from across the street. "We do not have all day!"

Alec bit his lip and looked at the frozen people. He knew that Magnus would keep them frozen until he crossed. He really did not want to keep these innocent people frozen all day. For the good of others, he would cross. He would do his duty as a Shadowhunter and cross so that these mundanes could get on with their lives no matter how insufficient those lives may be.

Alec crossed and joined Magnus on the other side. He intended to give the warlock a lecture. He did not care that Magnus was the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Magnus had no right to freeze people.

"Magnus, you cannot freeze people!" Alec exclaimed once he reached the other side.

Magnus put an innocent look on his face. "I can too!" He gestured toward the frozen people. "I believe I just did."

Alec groaned. "That is not what I meant! It is wrong to freeze them!"

"Oh," Magnus said slowly. "Then, I will unfreeze them." He snapped his fingers and the cars started to move again. He placed his hands on his hips. "There happy?"

Alec was not happy. Magnus should not have frozen those people to began with. He wanted to tell Magnus that, but kept his mouth shut. It was for the best. He was still mad enough to feel the blood rushing to his face.

Magnus smiled and touched the side of Alec's face. "Aw, you are blushing, Alexander."
Alec did not tell Magnus that he was not blushing and was far from blushing.

Magnus dragged Alec around the corner. He knew that street vendors would be set up there. He preferred to shop on the streets. Department stores were so dark and gross; it made him sick. The street vendors had so much more to offer. Looking at Alec's attire, the boy could use all the help he could get. Alec had a beautiful body. He just needed help with dressing that body. Surely they would have something there.

Magnus pulled Alec to the street with the vendors. He could make out all of the bright, unique colours of the street. Voices and foreign languages drifted up from the street. He always thought of these streets as fairs rather than shopping centres. Street sells were one of the best kept secrets in his mind. There was nothing better than being outside and shopping.

Alec was frowning. Judging by that expression, Magnus believed that Alec had other views. He was not sure if the Shadowhunter was still mad about the freezing people or this. He was betting on the freezing of the peoples.

"What are we doing here?" Alec asked. His beautiful, blue eyes were wide as he looked around the street.

"Um, shopping," Magnus said. Sometimes it amazed him at how stupid the boy could be. Come on, what else would you do on a street filled with street vendors? Honestly, some people just never got out.

"Why?" Alec inquired.

"Some of us need a makeover," Magnus said as he studied Alec with his cat like eyes. "I will give you a hit." He leaned in close to the boy. "It is not me."

Alec put his hands on his hips. "What is wrong with the way I look?"

Magnus smiled. "There is nothing wrong with the way you look," he said slowly. "You are truly beautiful."

"Then, why do I need a makeover?"

Magnus gestured to Alec's outfit. The Shadowhunter was wearing blue jeans and a plain grey sweater. None of that did his body any justice and it certainly did not bring out his beautiful blue eyes. "That is the problem."

Alec looked down at his clothes. Magnus knew that he did not see anything wrong with his outfit. The poor boy probably thought what he was wearing was perfectly acceptable. Magnus was going to come to his recue and inform him otherwise.

"You need something to make your body pop." Magnus said as he walked through the aisles of vendors. He glanced at each one, but saw nothing to caught his eye. "You need something that causes people to look at you and think 'wow.' Then, whenever you stare them down, they need to blush as they look away."

Alec was not looking thrilled about any of this.

Magnus strolled down another row of vendors. That was when he saw it. It was hanging next to a vendor selling formal wear. It was a simple pinstriped suit with blue and grey stripes. It had a blue handkerchief stuck in a pocket on the jacket. A blue hat also came with the suit. It was perfect for his Alexander.

He looked at the suit, then at Alec. Yep, it would bring out his beautiful blue eyes.

"There is it," Magnus said as he pointed to the suit.

Alec looked at it, blushing.

That was when Magnus knew that he was buying the suit.