Hello again! I'm back with a new chapter! This one is quite long, 7K words, so I really hope you like it. It's just Malec having an unusual date, so please enjoy and don't forget to share your thoughts or leave kudos, that way I know you're enjoying my nonsense ;)

Anyway, I'll see you all next week with a new chapter!

Chapter 6

"Are you going to stand there all night?" Magnus asked with a smile when he saw the FBI agent standing like an ice sculpture in front of the elevator door. Alec was staring at him intently, surely not quite believing that they really were standing mere feet away from each other after all these years. "Please come join me, do you want something to drink? How about a glass of white wine? I even got your favorite…a moscato."

"How?" Alec asked frowning.

"How what? How do I know you prefer white wine instead of red? Or, how do I know that moscato is your favorite?" Magnus arched an eyebrow in amusement. "The same way you know everything about me, Alexander, I did my research on you. Confession time? I know more about you than you can imagine. Also, you look like the kind of guy who enjoys the sweet taste of a good white wine. It's nothing strange, you know what my favorite wine is, don't you?"

"Red wine, cabernet sauvignon. You have expensive taste, so probably a bottle of Le Grand Vin from Château Latour."

"Correct...see?" Magnus smiled, pouring Alec a glass of wine. "Knowing details about each other is part of our jobs. I'm a threat to you, you're a threat to me...we both are clever guys. Like Sun Tzu said in The Art of War: 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If-"

"'-If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.'" Alec completed the sentence.

"Very good, Alexander. I knew you didn't just look smart, you are smart. See? Nothing weird here. Now, please take this…" Magnus said, handing the agent his glass of wine, "I know you're used to, let's say, cheaper bottles, but I hope you still enjoy this 2011 Bouchard Pere et Fils Chevalier Montrachet la Cabotte Grand Cru, I've been saving it for a special occasion."

Alec didn't reply, but accepted the glass. For Magnus, that was considered a great progress given that the agent had moved exactly two steps since he had first arrived.

"Someone gave it to me as a birthday present," Magnus continued, "clearly they didn't know me as well as you do, but I decided to keep it anyway. I've heard that the 2011 white wine from Le Cabotte is a very intensely flavored wine with impressive notes of fruit and fennel leave. I guess we'll see. Here, let's make a toast...to us."

Alec frowned and made no attempt to clink his glass against Magnus's, so Magnus did it for him, making them collide softly in the air and taking a quick sip of the wine. It was really good, it truly had a unique wave of flavors.

"It's not poisoned, you know?" He added, when he saw Alec eyeing the golden liquid suspiciously. "It's actually a very expensive bottle, so you better not waste it."

Alec frowned again, but took a sip of the wine. He was still hesitant, fearful, but Magnus saw his face changing completely the moment the sweet notes of the wine touched his lips.

"It's good, isn't it?" Magnus said, trying to start a conversation. He wanted to break the ice, but Alec wasn't helping much. "The seductive dense flavor of the wine is probably a result of the handpicked grapes. Did you know that they tend to let these kinds of wines have a very slow fermentation in barrels that allow the wine to age gracefully and produce a rich and strong taste?"

Alec just looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What?" Magnus questioned. "I know lot about wine."

"Another one of your passions?" Alec finally said.

"Guilty as charged." Magnus said with a smile.

"So, art, money and wine." Alec concluded.

"Don't forget pretty people...I'm passionate about pretty people too."

"Of course." Alec said, and Magnus saw the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

"But come, our dinner's getting cold."

Magnus walked to the table and pulled a chair for the agent to sit down, but the man was still awkwardly standing a few feet away from him. "I don't bite, darling, you can come closer."

Alec rolled his eyes, but finally walked to the table and sat down. He was looking at everything with suspicion, there was a funny frown plastered on his face, and Magnus couldn't help smiling. It was clear that the agent was lost in thought, probably trying to put all the pieces together, trying to find the crack in Magnus's plan. Magnus wished he could read minds just to be able to know what the man was really thinking, he looked very, very distracted.

"I hope you like Italian." Magnus said in an attempt to regain his attention.

"What?"

"I said, I hope you like Italian. I didn't have much time to properly plan this date, but I hope the food selection is good. You liked the wine, so I only hope you like the food too."

"I'm not hungry."

"You can't leave me eating alone, darling, that would be very rude. Besides, knowing you and considering that you found the message today, I bet you haven't eaten anything all day."

"I had a salad for lunch."

"A salad is not enough food, Alexander, so please, eat." Magnus said, removing the cloches covering both their plates and revealing the Grilled Fish with Artichoke Caponata he had ordered for them. Sometimes it was good to have so many friends who owned restaurants in the city. "Bon Appetit, Alexander." Magnus said, digging into his own food and waiting until the agent did the same to continue the conversation. "Now, tell me, how did you find out the message on the postcards? It took you a few weeks."

"My brother." Alec said, between mouthfuls.

"The little one or your partner?" Magnus asked, and Alec's eyes widened with surprise. "Yeah, I know about your family too."

"Hmmm, Jace, my partner."

"He solved it?"

"No, he made me see that your postcards were pieces of a puzzle."

"It's always the small pieces that make the big picture."

"Did you really wait two years for this?"

Magnus smiled and nodded. "I know it's surprising, but there are things worth waiting for. Though, you could have solved it much earlier, you know? Around the ninth or tenth postcard. The first part wouldn't have made much sense, but the address was almost complete, so..."

"Had the note been there for two years?"

"Yes, I put it there after leaving the first postcard."

"So, is the building yours?"

"Alexander…" Magnus smiled knowingly, "don't tell me you didn't run the address through some of your databases? That's not how the FBI proceeds under such circumstances, agent. Didn't your teachers at Quantico teach you that the first thing you do with an address is to check it and find out as much as you can about it?"

"Of course they did."

"Then, why didn't you do it? Aren't you like the top agent there is?" Magnus asked, smiling playfully at him.

Magnus didn't need an answer to know that the agent had lied and already knew everything there was to know about that place and its owner. It was plain obvious that he had done his homework, he was just trying to see what he could get. They were playing by Magnus's rules, so this silly attempt of lying was the agent's way to try to break them. From the moment he had arrived, Magnus had noticed that Alec had been trying to find a way to incapacitate him in any sort of way, but it was going to be practically impossible—Magnus was always one step ahead.

"I didn't have time." Alec said.

"Yeah, of course, a busy man like yourself very rarely has any time. You know what? You're a terrible, terrible liar, Alexander." Magnus said, still smiling. A federal agent trying to trick a trickster was to some extent almost endearing. "In fact, I can say with all certainty that you're the worst liar I've ever met."

"Okay, fine. I lied, I did run the address." Alec admitted with a soft smile. "Who's Axel Von Whatever? Your friend? An alias?"

Magnus laughed, this man was truly something else. "It's Von Fersen, dear, and no, it's not an alias, he's hmmm...an old friend."

"What happened to him?" Alec asked curiously.

"Didn't you read it yourself? He disappeared." Magnus said simply. He really didn't want to talk about any of that.

"Did you have anything to do with his disappearance?"

"No." Magnus hesitated, partially lying. What had happened with and to Axel was something he didn't like to talk about much. "But enough about that, let's eat before our food gets cold."

Alec frowned, but thankfully stopped with the police interrogation. "Where did you buy this?" He asked instead.

"I cooked it." Magnus lied.

"Yeah, right. You aren't a very good liar either."

Magnus laughed. "Okay, fine. I didn't cook it, but I'm not going to tell you where I bought it, Alexander, that's too easy. I know why you want to know, but I'm not going to help you find me. If you want to know where I got this and if I was the one who went to the restaurant to order it personally, then you'll have to go to every Italian restaurant in the city and see if they serve Grilled Fish with Artichoke Caponata as good as this one."

"There are over five hundred Italian restaurants in the city."

"Then, good luck in your quest."

Alec sighed and just continued eating. Magnus smiled and allowed himself a few seconds of indulgence to just look at him. Alec was completely different from the man Magnus had created in his mind all these years. Yeah, he knew a lot about him and tonight he was confirming all those things, but now that they were face to face and having some sort of real conversation, he realized he really didn't know him. Magnus knew Alec was handsome, smart, noble, but up until know he hadn't seen how intriguing this man could also be. Magnus was completely mesmerized by him. Alec was one of those people you had to discover layer by layer, slowly, gradually, digging into the depths of his core to reveal the great mystery that lay behind the charming and charismatic man presented before you. And for some reason beyond him, Magnus wanted to do just that. He wanted to meet that man. He wanted to know him, if only for one night. That hadn't been the original plan, but sometimes things just...changed.

"So tell me, Alexander...what do you like to do when you're not out there chasing me?"

"Don't you already know?"

"No," Magnus admitted, "I know your routine, stuff about your family, your job, but I want to know the real you, not the agent. What do you do for fun? As far as I know, you aren't a very social man, so I'm curious, what are your hobbies? Do you, I don't know, play an instrument? Do you collect something? It's clear that you're in...hmmm, very good shape, so, are you a gym's guy? Or, do you practice any sport?"

"I don't." Alec said, all flushed. "I mean, I don't practice any sport, I just go to the gym every now and then. And I don't collect anything or play any instrument, I'm talent-less."

"I sincerely doubt that, darling. A man like you surely has one or two talents hidden up his sleeve. You're by far the smartest guy I've ever met, you're the only one who's been close enough to actually catch me, and that's saying something."

Alec chuckled. "And am I supposed to feel flattered by that?"

"Very." Magnus joked. "It's like the biggest compliment there is, Alexander. We wouldn't be having this lovely dinner tonight if I didn't consider you a worthy adversary. When I first heard there was a new agent going after me, I was intrigued. I knew I'd been under the FBI's radar for years, but nobody had ever been able to connect my cases to my name—you were the first. You burned down all my aliases and discovered my real name. That was surprising. The day I saw my name on the front page of the New York Times, I knew that you weren't just a rookie, you knew what you were doing, so yes, if it makes you feel any good, the fact that you've been close enough to catch me is a high compliment."

"It wasn't easy." Alec said. "Discovering your name, I mean."

"Can I ask how you did it?" Magnus questioned. Very slowly, Alec was opening himself up to him, and even though Magnus knew he shouldn't be doing this, he couldn't help but feel drawn to the agent by some force he couldn't explain. The man was like a giant magnet, drawing Magnus closer, pulling him into his orbit. "I've always been curious to know what gave me away."

Alec meditated for a few seconds, taking his time to chew his food and sip some more wine. "I found a storage unit with stuff." He confessed.

"At the Hester's Storages?" Magnus asked, and Alec nodded.

Of course! That made more sense.

A few years ago, three to be precise, Magnus and Ragnor had acquired a small storage unit under a false name to secure some of their personal belongings when things had started to get a little rough. Later, when they had moved them away, Magnus had left there a few things there that he hadn't been interested in seeing ever again. He had made sure not to leave any traces that could connect the content to him, but apparently, he hadn't been that careful.

"People had already ransacked it, so I didn't find much."

"But you found enough to get my name out of it...what was it?"

Alec remained silent. He was staring at Magnus, his face was motionless.

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

Alec shook his head.

"Alright, no problem. I understand...a magician never reveals the trick, but at least tell me it wasn't easy. I'm trying to remember what I left there, but I cannot figure out what could have given me away. Before you told the world who I really was, I had never used my real name for anything related to my work."

"It wasn't easy, nobody believed me when I told them that place was yours. My boss said it was just a dumpster, but I found...well, I found something and connected it to one of your cases and the rest is history, I tracked you down with the leads of that investigation and figured out your real name."

"What was my nickname?"

"What?"

"Alexander, it's not a secret. I know every case gets a nickname before you can identify them, what was mine?"

Alec took a deep breath before replying. "Tinkerbell."

"What!?" Magnus exclaimed not knowing if he was surprised, amused, offended or all of the above. "Are you serious?"

Alec nodded. "The glitter was our only reference to you, what did you want us to think? You were as much as a myth as fairies are, so..."

"Well, good point. But I still can't believe you gave me that nickname! It's so...lame. Someone as magnificent as myself should have had a more impressive nickname."

"Like which one?"

"I don't know, that's your job." Magnus shrugged. "Tinkerbell...I'm starting to think you aren't as clever as I thought you were."

"It wasn't that bad."

"If you say so…"

They fell into a deep silence until Alec started to laugh out loud, surprising Magnus with how beautiful his smile really was.

"What's so funny?"

"This." Alec said, pointing between them. "I, a federal agent, am really having dinner with one of the most wanted criminals of all time." He said, not leaving the irony out of his voice.

"Yeah, and you think that's funny?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Because...despite our shared history together, well, I'm...I'm actually enjoying myself."

Magnus refrained himself from responding that he, too, was having a great time and just raised his glass. "I propose a toast to that, then."

Alec grabbed his glass, and they clinked them in the air. Magnus took a sip of his wine and as the sweet liquid traveled all the way down his throat and into his stomach, he couldn't stop his mind from thinking that if Alec weren't the man trying to imprison him, he would certainly have a great, great interest in him.

Oh, crap.

o-o-o-o-o

Alec hadn't lied earlier when he had admitted out loud that, despite their shared history together, he was actually enjoying himself. This meeting, date or whatever they were having, had been like nothing he had originally expected. Magnus Bane had managed to, in less than two hours, show him that he was more than the criminal Alec had known for years. He was an intriguing, mysterious man, with a great charisma and quite impressive conversation skills.

From the moment Alec had stepped off the elevator, he had been caught in Magnus's spell. He had tried to stop himself from letting his walls down, but Magnus had found a way in and now they were actually having a great conversation, talking about their lives, their jobs, their love for the city. Something that Alec hadn't done in a very long time.

"Speaking of New York…" Alec said, looking around the rooftop, "I know this city like the back of my hand, you know I'm going to find this place, don't you?"

"I'm sure you will." Magnus said calmly.

"But you won't be here when that happens." Alec concluded.

"That's correct."

Alec sighed. He already knew that. Magnus had always been very careful with what he did, and this impromptu dinner was just another proof of that. It hadn't escaped Alec's eyes that everything around him was strategically arranged so that at any moment Magnus could make a run for it. The table, the chairs, the other decoration, everything was disposed to help Magnus at some point during the night. Magnus always had contingency plans, and Alec was sure he had a way to escape if he dared to try something against him.

Not that he could, though. Alec had nothing with him to even consider trying to do something, his only 'weapon' so far was the silver plastic knife he had used to eat, and it wasn't even strong enough to act as a weapon, Alec was certain it could break very easily.

"What are you thinking about?" Magnus asked.

"What?"

"Your mind went somewhere else for a second, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"How smart you are."

"My goodness, Alexander, you're making me blush." Magnus said, smiling coyly.

"I didn't mean it like that." Alec immediately said. He hadn't considered that his words could be taken out of context. "I mean, you're a very smart criminal. I noticed that everything in here is arranged so that you can escape if you want to."

"You noticed?"

"Yeah...for example, that garland over there is hiding something, and since it's 'tied' to a wire, I assume it's some sort of zip-line? Am I right? I don't know, I could be wrong."

Magnus looked at him intently and smiled. "You are not wrong, it is a zip-line. I know I made sure you couldn't do anything against me tonight, but quoting Sun Tzu's The Art of War again: 'He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.' It's important to never underestimate your opponents, especially if they are as clever as you are."

"Are you a big fan of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, or can you just quote books at random in every conversation?" Alec couldn't help asking. He had noticed how schooled Magnus sounded when he spoke.

"I can quote many books. I read a lot, I like to know things, Alexander."

"I've noticed." Alec said because that much was evident, and it kind of made sense. After all, Magnus was an art forger, and of all criminal acts, it was one of the most difficult ones. It required absolutely incredible artistic talent, technical skills, attention to detail and a lot of knowledge about artistic movements, painters, and history. Not everyone could do what Magnus did.

"Do you like reading?" Magnus asked.

"What?" Alec said a bit distracted. "Oh, yes, I do. I love reading."

"What's your favorite book?"

"I don't have a favorite book, but I love the classics—Shakespeare."

"Really?"

Alec nodded. He didn't know why he had shared that detail about him, but he had done it and now there was no way to take back his words.

"I once read that you either loved Shakespeare or you hated him." Magnus said. "For someone who has been around for four centuries, he has certainly sparked a lot of debate and controversy, but there's no doubt that he changed the English language like no other. He is, in my humble opinion, the most inspiring writer in history. The depth of every play and the complexity behind each poem reveal a profound truth to each reader. His stories portray the ends to which humans are willing to go for love and that's amazing. The climatic sounds of battle, the clash of swords, and the greedy violence all are a constant in his writing. Ambition, fight for justice, corruption, no theme is left untouched by the Bard. He was actually one of a kind."

Alec nodded because, what else could he say, really? Magnus had already said it all. And much to his surprise, Alec discovered that he could actually listen to this man talk for hours without even bothering to blink. Being around Magnus Bane was really like being under some kind of spell. The man was like a hypnotist when he talked, and that explained why he had managed to get away with so many crimes for years. He was extremely charming, cultured and easy on the eyes, a simple smile and the world was at his feet. It wasn't really fair. He talked and behaved like a good man, he even seemed innocent sometimes, as if he had never done anything wrong in his life, but was that really true, or was it just an act?

"Did you do it?" Alec asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"What?"

"The bank." Alec said. All night he had been wanting to ask him that, and after his new revelation about the man, he needed to know. He thought he already knew the answer, but he wanted to be sure. "Was it really you?"

Magnus looked at him for a long minute without even blinking. "Do you think it was me?"

Alec held his gaze and for the first time in almost two hours, he really looked at him. He had been observing him all night, of course, from his flashy clothes and glittery makeup, to the way he moved and acted, but it was until now that he was really having the chance to look beyond all that, to look at just the man behind the glamour and not the criminal.

"No." Alec said confidently. "You're not a killer."

"I'm not." Magnus smiled satisfied with Alec's answer. "I don't know who's behind the attack on the bank, but it was not me, I can assure you that. This person's just trying to ruin me."

"Some enemy?" Alec asked intrigued. He couldn't share what the FBI thought was happening, but he wanted to know what Magnus knew.

"Perhaps…" Magnus said absentmindedly, "but don't worry, I'm working on finding out who this person is. It's just a matter of time before I know it."

"And...what are you going to do when that happens?"

"I still don't know."

Alec felt silent and just looked at Magnus again. They had finished eating a while ago, but they hadn't moved from their chairs. Magnus had been talking very animatedly since then, but now he seemed lost, distracted, worried. As if the mention of this false accusation against him really troubled him, which Alec supposed it did, after all, now thanks to this person Magnus Bane besides being a known thief and forger was also a murderer.

"Sorry." Magnus said, shaking his head as if to clear his mind. "I zoomed out a bit."

"You're worried about this person, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and you should be too, after all, he's making your job a lot harder."

"I guess...but not really. Believe it or not, I can tell between you two."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Hmmm," Alec hesitated, "the glitter?"

Magnus frowned, but there was a smile back on his face. "Really?"

"Yes...glitter is part of you." Alec pointed to Magnus's hair, makeup and clothes. "I can't tell you exactly why, but it's not part of this other criminal."

Magnus laughed, and inexplicably Alec felt more relaxed. He hadn't noticed it, but the atmosphere had severely strained in the past few minutes.

"You're truly something else, Alexander." Magnus said out of nowhere. "Did you know that?"

"Well, you are truly something else too, but despite that, I should be arresting you."

"You should, but you aren't because you can't. You're powerless...I made sure of that."

Alec smiled. "Yeah, you made sure of that." He said, recalling that the criminal had taken everything from him, his phone, his badge, his wallet. "But you know that I will someday."

Magnus burst out laughing. "Are we going over that again, Alexander? I told you when we first met...when I want you to catch me, you will, otherwise you won't. Sorry, darling, but that's how this works. You're pretty smart and I admire that from you, but I'm always one step ahead of you, so don't even think about it."

Alec rolled his eyes. This man could be as arrogant as he was charming. "Why did you ask me out?" He asked before he could stop the words from his mouth.

"Because I like you?"

"No, that's not true, you hate me...I want the truth. Why did you ask me out?"

Magnus sighed. "I don't hate you...I actually like you. Yes, you are annoying like all feds are, and sometimes I really want to kill you, figuratively of course, for sticking your nose into my business, but despite all that, I actually like you. You're...hmmm, different."

"Different how?"

"I don't know, just different."

Alec frowned. "You were testing me, weren't you?"

"No."

"Trying to prove me something?"

Magnus laughed. "I like an inquiring mind. Okay, yes, Alexander, I was trying to prove you something, happy?"

"What?"

"Nothing important, I changed my mind the moment you arrived here."

"Why?"

"I don't know...I just did."

"What were you trying to prove? That you're smarter than me?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Nothing important, okay? Don't try to over-analyze this. I invited you because I like you. As I told you when you arrived, I consider you a worthy adversary, I wanted to meet you, okay? I know we're on opposite sides of the line, but tonight I'd like to think we're just two men enjoying a meal together, can you live with that?"

Alec sighed. He couldn't, but it was clear that Magnus wasn't going to reveal his true intentions no matter how much he asked. "Fine." He said, looking away to avoid keep asking questions.

"You aren't happy with that answer, are you?"

"No."

"Well, I'm not lying, Alexander, I really like you, and I don't know about you, but I'm actually quite surprised with how things turned out tonight."

Alec looked at him. He was surprised too, nothing had been as he thought it would be. The place, the food, the company, everything had been...unexpected. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"If I hadn't been the one behind your case, would you have left the postcards anyway?"

"No." Magnus said. "I started to leave the postcards because I promised you I would, remember? When we first met? I think something happened between us on that rooftop that day, don't you agree? We both acknowledged each other's abilities and I think that created a bond. The postcards were always just for you."

"In your last postcard you mentioned my clothing." Alec said, recalling how paranoid that little detail had made him feel. "Have you been spying on me?"

"Maybe…"

"Why?"

"Well, to drive you insane, of course."

"It didn't work." Alec lied.

"It didn't?"

"Well, maybe a little…"

Magnus laughed. "You see, Alexander? What we have, this cat and mouse game, is quite entertaining, but every now and then, it's really good for a change to reverse the roles."

"I never know what I'm supposed to be when it comes to you. I like to think I'm chasing you, but sometimes it feels like it's the other way around."

"Well, that's because sometimes it is." Magnus admitted. "But don't worry, believe it or not, you're most of the time in control."

Alec chuckled. He didn't believe that for a second, and the fact that the one saying it was none other than Magnus just reinforced his belief. In this game, Magnus was the cat—he had always been.

"It's getting late." Magnus said.

"I couldn't know, you have my watch...but I guess."

"I don't have your watch," Magnus smiled, "my people have it."

"Isn't that the same?"

"It is...what do you say if we have one last glass of wine before we call it a night?"

Alec nodded again because he didn't really have a say in the matter. He didn't know Magnus's plans at all. He didn't even know what would happen after this dinner ended. He had left his car at the abandoned building on Third avenue, and had arrived here in a different car. How was he going to get home? He had no idea.

"Here's to the pleasure of having spent a wonderful time with you, Alexander." Magnus said, raising his glass and handing his to Alec. He had just filled them with what was left of the wine. "I know we are but natural enemies, but as your favorite author said in one of his best works, 'and do as adversaries do in law, strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.'"

Alec laughed at the reference to 'The Taming of the Shrew,' but clinked his glass against Magnus's, drinking its content in a single gulp.

"You were thirsty." Magnus pointed out.

"I was."

The criminal smiled and handed Alec a new blindfold.

"Seriously?" Alec inquired, eyeing the piece of cloth with hesitation.

"It's part of the mystery, darling. I know you'll find this place probably tomorrow, but I need to make sure you won't come back here tonight once you're fully equipped. I really don't want to go to jail, I've heard it's not the greatest place on earth."

Alec rolled his eyes and grabbed the cloth. "It is not, but you'll find out soon enough."

"Is that a challenge? I already told you, you won't catch me unless I want you to."

"No." Alec said, covering his eyes with the cloth. "It's a promise."

"Bring it on, agent." Magnus laughed.

Alec laughed too, but not for the same reason. He knew that probably his words had sounded empty, but he was dead serious about them. He was going to catch him. When? He wasn't sure yet, but one day he would.

"I like your confidence." Magnus whispered, standing behind him. "It's...hot."

Alec couldn't see him anymore, but he could feel him, and for some reason he stopped breathing, feeling suddenly very, very nervous. He had played the game surprisingly well all night, but now he felt at a disadvantage. He was completely at the criminal's mercy. The date had officially ended, so...what was Magnus going to do to him? Was he going to do what Alec thought he wanted to do? And if so, how was Alec supposed to react? Should he allow it? Should he push him away? His mind kept asking questions Alec didn't know how to answer.

"Alexander, relax…" Magnus said, placing both hands on Alec's shoulders, "everything is fine, I'm just going to walk you back to the elevator, okay?"

Alec just nodded. He didn't trust his voice at the moment. What was wrong with him?

Magnus guided him until they reached the elevator and helped him in. Alec could smell the strong notes of the criminal's cologne rapidly filling the air of the small cabin. Alec didn't know what it was, but it smelled very much like sandalwood.

"I will find a new way to send you a message again," the criminal whispered into his ear, sending shivers all over Alec's body, "that is, if you are interested in a second date. Have a good night, Alexander." He said, placing a soft kiss on Alec's right cheek.

The doors of the elevator closed, and despite how cliche and unrealistic that might sound, Alec released the breath he didn't know he had been holding until now.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus watched the doors of the elevator shut, and put his hands on his face to try to hide the smile that refused to leave his lips. When he had first planned this date, he had never thought he would have such a great time. He had imagined it would be a night full of bickering and stupid remarks, but it had turned out to be quite the opposite. Alec had let him see a side of him that Magnus didn't know existed, and with that, the agent had completely bewitched him.

The date had gone better than he had ever imagined. In fact, it had been the best date he'd had in years, and for some reason, the fact that it had been with his natural enemy, the man who not long ago had promised to put him behind bars, didn't manage to ruin his good mood. On the contrary, it was precisely the fact that his date had been with none other than Alexander Lightwood, FBI agent extraordinaire, that had him in such good spirits. The man had managed to rock his world completely in only two hours and that was a new record.

"You're smiling, so I take it was a good date?" A voice said, coming out of the elevator. It was Ragnor. Magnus had asked for his help the minute he had hung up with Alec a few hours ago, and as per usual, his friend hadn't even hesitated to help him get everything ready, even when he wasn't so thrilled with the idea.

"It was." Magnus admitted.

"I still can't believe he actually came." Ragnor said, quickly helping Magnus to clean the place, putting everything in boxes. "I was hoping he decided to stand you up in the end."

"Why?"

"You know why, but anyway...how was it? What did he tell you? Did you manage to get something out of him? Or did you just waste the precious opportunity?"

"I didn't waste it, but I didn't get much either. He asked me about the bank, though."

"Really? Does he think you did it?"

"No, he doesn't." Magnus smiled, remembering how sure Alec had sounded when he had admitted that.

"And?"

"Well, I told him it hadn't been me."

"You didn't tell him what happened today, did you?"

"No, of course not, my friend, I'm not an idiot. I just told him I was going to take care of it." Magnus said. "Speaking of which? Have you heard from Raphael?"

"He texted me...apparently, your sketch did raise some red flags in the underworld."

"Really?"

"Yes, he went to see some of his friends, don't ask me about them because even I don't know who they are, but apparently they are going to tell him what they know about your impostor."

"That's good." Magnus said, exhaling in relief. This issue with his impostor had been causing him a terrible headache and although the date with Alec had helped him forget about it for a few hours, he was still worried.

They started to work in silence, cleaning the place and packing everything until Ragnor broke the silence. "So, aren't you going to share what else happened in these few hours you spent with the fed?"

"There's not much to share, we just talked."

"About what?"

"Life, work...stuff like that."

Ragnor stopped what he was doing and looked intently at him. Magnus couldn't see him since he had his back to his friend, but he could feel his piercing eyes leaving marks on his back.

"I know what you're going to say, Ragnor." Magnus said. "So please, save us both the trouble."

In that moment the doors of the elevator opened again and Elias walked in.

Elias was one of Magnus's trusted men. He had started to work for him a long time ago and, although Magnus didn't trust him as he trusted Ragnor or Raphael, he considered him a useful asset. That was why tonight he had asked him to be Alec's driver.

"If you're here, I assume he's safely back home?" Magnus asked.

Elias nodded. "I left him near his place, as you ordered."

"Did you give him his stuff back?"

"Yes, after dropping him here, I went back to the other building and took his car back to his house; I left all his belongings in there. Well, everything except this." Elias said, pulling from his pocket the disposable phone Magnus had left in the building for Alec. "I thought you might want it back."

"It's useless, I burned it after hanging up with him, so it's okay." Magnus said, grabbing the phone and throwing it into the garbage bag they had there. "But good job, Elias, did you make sure he arrived in one piece to his building?"

"I did, boss. I followed him until he closed the door of his apartment, there's nothing to report. He arrived, took his things from his car and entered the building immediately. I stayed there a few minutes just in case, but there was no movement."

"Good, good." Magnus said, closing one of the boxes and putting it on the elevator along with the rest. "Can you take all this stuff back to my place, please?"

"Sure, anything else?" Elias asked.

"No, we'll take care of the rest. I'll see you at my home in a while to give you your money."

Elias nodded and disappeared as quickly as he had first appeared.

"Did you really ask Elias to take the fed back to his home? I thought he was taking him back to the park or the building." Ragnor said.

"I couldn't leave him alone at night in that place, this city can be dangerous sometimes."

"He's a fed, Magnus, not some fairy-tale princess you have to protect."

"Believe me, I'm well aware of that, but he wasn't armed, and he had been drinking; it was the responsible thing to do."

Ragnor rolled his eyes, but laughed. "And to think people say that chivalry is dead."

Magnus laughed too, and just gathered the rest of the stuff. Now the rooftop looked like nothing but what had been in the first place—an empty canvas.

"Are you going to tell me what else happened? Did you...kiss?"

"No." Magnus said, shaking his head. "Although this was a date, it wasn't really a common date, my friend. We both were here for very different reasons, but I have to confess that in the end, I did want to kiss him, but I resisted the temptation. I know it's a bad idea."

"Of course it's a bad idea, kissing or fucking feds is always a bad idea."

"Language, Ragnor, language." Magnus smiled. "And I know, okay? So don't worry. Now, did you bring what I asked you?"

Ragnor nodded, pulling out a single red rose from his bag. "Here."

Magnus smiled, grabbed the flower, tied a note around it, and placed it on the floor, right where the table had been a few minutes ago.

"That's it?" Ragnor questioned.

"Not yet." Magnus said, grabbing a pair of his gloves—the ones he used to commit crimes—and putting them on to leave his distinctive signature. His gloves weren't just simple gloves, they were special. They were black with glitter nets sewn into them. He had designed them by accident in an attempt to make his criminal outfit more fashionable, and now, he had a pair for each color of glitter he found. They were very flashy, but he loved them.

"Red?" Ragnor questioned.

"What? It matches with the flower." Magnus said, rubbing his hands rapidly above the flower and making red glitter rain on top of it.

"You're ridiculous, did you know that?"

"I know." Magnus smiled, winking at his friend. "I've never claimed not to be."