Alec was trying to pay attention, but even with the best of intentions, his mind was wondering. It was hard to keep focused on something he cared so little about. Purposely blinking, Alec tried again to listen, tried really hard to keep his mind focused on absorbing the words coming his way, but he failed. Instead, he focused on the speaker. If the words coming from his mouth were of no interest to Alec, the mouth itself was. Those lips he knew of so well, but it was the eyes that never failed to hold his attention. Whenever Alec's husband spoke of history he got this light in his eyes. Magnus was so passionate about the subject that he could talk for hours. The problem was that Alec didn't care much for the past. After all, it was over. Sure, it was important in a 'those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it' kinda way, but even century old wars and almost forgotten treasure didn't feel like they had any bearing on his life today. Alec did love to see his husband so animated though. It always made him happy to see his husband's face alite with excitement. Alec couldn't help but smile at Magnus's joy, just as he couldn't help but space out when the man went on and on about really old dust.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

"Huh?" Alec said, shaking his head a little.

"As I suspected," Magnus replied, his eyes narrowing.

"I love you?" Alec grinned.

"Yeah, you better," Magnus laughed. "Did you at least catch the part about the website?"

"Umm…"

With a sigh, Magnus repeated himself. "I'm listed on the museum's website now. Under most valued volunteer. There's a picture and everything."

"That's great!" Alec exclaimed, throwing his arms around Magnus in a hug.

"Thanks," Magnus smiled, accepting the hug. "Now if only they paid me, I'd be set."

"Pfft," Alec waved his concerns aside.

"Don't pfft a paycheck," Magnus counted.

"Pfft," Alec repeated. Then he gave up on the condescending tone and smiled warmly. "I'm so proud of you. Aren't you glad you decided to work at the museum?"

"Volunteer at the museum," Magnus corrected.

"Life isn't about a paycheck," Alec sighed.

"That's because you've never had to live on one before," Magnus argued. Then with a sigh he added, "What did I marry into?"

Alec laughed, leaning forward to kiss his husband before replying. "Money?"

"Troubles more like," Magnus said with a shake of his head. "You've turned me into a total slacker!"

"I think you needed the break," Alec argued.

"Do you realize that I basically haven't had a job since we got engaged, right?" Magnus replied. "That's over a year! This isn't a break. It's unemployment."

"You've been employed at the museum since we got engaged," Alec reminded him.

"Volunteering your time isn't employment," Magnus replied, in an exasperated voice, as if he was sick of reminding Alec of this. "See there's this huge difference between them. You wanna guess what it is? Oh yes, that's right, a paycheck."

"I'm hungry," Alec said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't change the subject," his husband replied, narrowing his eyes, but Alec just smiled innocently and kissed Magnus on the nose before walking towards the kitchen.

"You know sometimes you are real annoying," Magnus's voice called after him.

"Too late," Alec replied as he opened the fridge. "You married me. No take backs."

"That's what I get for not reading the fine print," Magnus replied with a sigh. His voice had that tone to it where you just know he's smiling.

Closing the fridge door with a groan of laziness, Alec turned to face his husband, who had followed him into the kitchen.

"Do you wanna order something?" Alec asked. "Sushi? Or maybe Chinese?"

"As much as I love takeout," Magnus replied. "This is getting silly. We can cook you know."

"Yeah, but I got so used to not cooking on our honeymoon," Alec whined.

"Time to change that," Magnus replied firmly. "We are cooking."

Alec whined and complained, but Magnus was having none of it. In the end, they pulled some chicken out of the freezer and cooked it up with rice and vegetables. It took more work then clicking some buttons and paying the guy who showed up at the door, but Alec had to admit it was a nice change of pace. After dinner Alec wanted to watch a movie, but his husband decided it was time to seriously look for a job.

"You've been saying that ever since we got back," Alec whined. "Just come sit with me."

No response.

"Isn't the whole point of getting married, so you don't have to watch tv alone?" Alec tried again.

Magnus continued to type away at his laptop, without saying a word.

"Oh, come on," Alec pleaded. "We'll watch whatever you wanna watch."

The typing stopped.

"Even the History Channel," Alec added.

He heard a chair scrape across the floor, then footsteps before Magnus stood in front of him, looking suspicious.

"You do realize we don't have the History Channel?" Magnus reminded him. "Because we don't have cable."

"Um, yeah right, I mean like a history show on Netflix," Alec amended. "You pick." He smiled, trying to look all angelic and innocence.

"Oh, alright," Magnus gave in. "But just one. Then I have to do some adulting, you bad influence."

They settled on the couch, wrapped in a blanket as Alec watched Magnus scroll through the boring section of Netflix, looking for something to watch. By the time they were an hour into a documentary on the destruction of Pompeii, Alec was regretting his decision.

"You know we could watch something else," Magnus hinted.

"What's the catch?" Alec asked.

"You job hunting with me," Magnus explained.

"I'm still in school," Alec shrugged. "I don't need a job."

"Well, aren't you going to work after you get your degree?" Magnus asked. "Only one year left till graduation." Alec just shrugged. He hadn't really thought much about it. There was a whole year before he had to worry about that. Why worry now?

"That's future Alec's problem," he said.

"In that case, current Alec should know that there's at least another hour in this documentary," Magnus explained.

"That's okay," Alec sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head on his husband's shoulder. After a moment, Magnus pressed play and Alec listened to the gentle sound of some british guy describing mass graves, while he focused on being in the presence of the man beside him.

"Darling." The voice was gently was highly amused.

"Huh?" Alec mumbled, sitting up.

"You fell asleep," Magnus explained, with a hint of laughter in his eyes. Alec rubbed his eyes as he turned to see the credits of the Pompeii show scrolling across the screen.

"This history stuff makes a great lullaby," Alec replied. Magnus rolled his eyes.

"What am I going to do with you?" Magnus asked, with a shake of his head.

"Love me, feed me," Alec grinned. "Never leave me."

"To some, marriage is a word," Magnus sighed. "To others, a sentence."

"Oh, oh!" Alec said, jumping up. "My turn. Umm…. Olive you."

"I've created a monster," Magnus said, faining sadness.

"I've taken a viking to you," Alec giggled.

"Why did the scarecrow keep getting promoted," Magnus asked, finally playing along.

"No idea," Alec grinned.

"Because he was outstanding in his field," Magnus replied. Alec laughed before continuing.

"What did the Diamond say to the Carbon?" Alec asked, eagerly. "I've been under alot of pressure lately."

"If you refine metal, you should also be the one who sells it," Magnus explained. "Because if you smelt it, you dealt it."

"I'm otterly in love," Alec told his husband, grinning.

The puns continued until they were both ready for bed.

Magnus wasn't there the next day at lunch to make Alec go home and cook. This meant that between his morning and afternoon classes, Alec headed to the cafeteria to refuel. Ordering his usual, Alec tapped to pay and was walking away when the cashier called him back.

"Sorry sir, but that card was declined.

"Huh, that's odd," Alec said as he turned around to read the word denied on the screen.

"Our machine has been acting up today," the women said reaching forward to take the debit machine back. "Might be that."

"Yeah, or maybe my taps broken," Alec suggested, thinking he needed to get his card replaced. The women reset the machine and he tried this time inserting the card and typing his pin number, but the machine made that awful beeping noise again to tell him it hadn't worked.

"Do you have another form of payment?" she asked.

"Ah yes," Alec said absently, still confused by his card. "Cash." He couldn't remember why he had the twenty in his wallet, but at this moment he was very grateful for it.

It was probably a mix up with the bank, or a limit of some kind Alec thought as he once again picked up his tray and walked over to a table. Alec would just have to call them.

He ate his lunch, still mulling over the card issues. Deciding he didn't have time to call the bank before his next class, Alec collected his things and went up to the third floor to Business 402, where he tried to pay attention. The problem was that here he cared not for the subject or the speaker. At least listening to Magnus had an emotional element to it, but these days none of his classes really held his attention. He supposed this is what he got for waiting to pick a major for so long his parents choose it for him. Alec wasn't doing badly in his classes, it was more that he was bored with them.

When it finally ended, Alec decided to go home before dealing with the bank's hold times. He liked having access to entertainment while stuck on the phone. This turned out to be a good idea, as it was a solid half hour before he got to talk to a human being, and in the hour following, Alec learned exactly one thing: bank customer service was useless. Everyone referred him to everyone else, and no one gave him a straight answer, but from what he could gather, this was more than just some glitch. The only thing most everyone he talked to seem to agree on is that there was money in his account, it was just money he couldn't use, move or manipulate in any way. Alec was being denied all and any access to it, and not a single person he spoke with could tell him why or how. It was as if his accounts were frozen, but no one had the power to do that… no one except…

Finally hanging up with the useless customer service, Alec dialed his phone again, trying very hard to think of another explanation as he did so.

"I've been expecting your call."

"So it was you?" Alec asked, shock and anger welling up inside him.

"Of course it was me."

"Why?" Alec demanded. "Why would you do this to me?"

"I think you know why."

"I most certainly do not!" Alec snapped.

"You can have your cards back when you don't need them."

"That makes no sense at all!" Alec complained.

"It makes perfect sense," his mother replied, calmly. "We didn't build an empire from the ground up, just to raise a bunch of 30-something trust fund junkies."

"But how do you expect me to live?" Alec demanded.

"Your tuition is paid up till graduation, and so is half your rent," Maryse explained, again all too calmly. "As for the rest, you are on your own."

"But where am I going to find the rest of the rent," Alec complained. "And food! I need food."

"Handouts won't teach you anything," Maryse continued.

"What does dad think of this?" Alec asked.

"Your father and I are of the same opinion on this, but if you don't believe me, call him and ask yourself."

"Are you cutting Izzy off too?" Alec asked, annoyed.

"Your sister isn't married," his mother said. "And she isn't so close to graduation."

"So what you're saying is that you will be doing this to her too?" Alec asked.

"What I'm saying is that it's time to grow up, Alexander."

"But I don't wanna," Alec whined.

"Listen to that husband of yours," Maryse said, with almost a chuckle in her voice. "And I'm sure you will do fine."

"Please don't do this," Alec begged. "I'll be more responsible, promise. I'll-"

"Good luck," she said sweetly before hanging up the phone. He knew that tone to his mother's voice. She wasn't changing her mind.

Alec was doomed.

His mother was being completely ridiculous. Focused on trying to find a way around this, Alec called his dad, but to no effect. It seems the two of them really were on the same page here.

"Can you believe her!" Alec ranted to his husband after explaining everything to Magnus. "I mean seriously! Why even bother giving them back if I don't need them anymore. It makes no sense. Unless she's punishing me for something, but I can't think what." Alec groaned, throwing his head back. "Oh man, this just totally sucks, and I don't wanna!"

To his surprise, Alec heard laughter. His husband's laughter. He turned and stared in shock, as Magnus tried and totally failed to contain giggles.

"What's so funny?" Alec whined.

"Oh, just admiring your mother's parenting skills," Magnus sniggered. "Just when I think I have her all figured out. She goes and does something like this."

"Not you too," Alec whined. "Don't agree with her."

"I'm sorry Alexander," Magnus chuckled. "But your mother is right."

"I hate you," Alec glared.

"No, you love me," Magnus

"I do," Alec whined.

Just then, they were interrupted by the front door opening. Alec turned to see Jace standing there, looking sulky, their key in his hand.

"Clary's happy," Jace proclaimed as if this was the end of the world.

"I have to get a job," Alec shot back.

"Meow," Chairmen announced his presence as he ran over to Jace and started rubbing his legs.

"And, I miss your stupid cats," Jace whined.

"Happiness, employment and cats," Magnus said with a sigh. "The real problems kids face today."

"Oh shh," Jace complained. "What's your biggest problem, old man? Too many kids running across your lawn."

"It's a good thing Clary's happy in Paris," Magnus told Jace, ignoring the insult. "And it makes senses. She's in a whole new environment, and therefore has far more distractions there than you have here."

Jace stood for a moment and seemed to process this, though without much enthusiasm. Then he sulked over to the couch and collapsed onto it. Alec, of a mind to join him, went and sat down beside Jace.

"Mom cut me off," Alec told his friend.

"Bitch," Jace replied with conviction.

"Thank you!" Alec exclaimed. "Can you believe my stupid husband is on her side?!"

"I heard that," Magnus's voice called from down the hall.

"So, what do ya say?" Jace asked, with a resigned tone. "You gonna let me distracted myself by helping you with a resume?"

"I suppose that's better than picking you up at a bar in the middle of the night," Alex sighed.

"Not my finest moment," Jace replied sheepishly. Alec's laugh was more like a bark, but he agreed to help Jace with his distractions. It took less than an hour for Alec to realize that he wasn't qualified for anything

"I thought the point of these things was to tell the truth?" Alec stated.

"You shouldn't outright lie," Jace explained. "But sometimes it helps to embellish."

"Embellish what?" Alec asked. "I have no job experience."

"But you're hard working, punctual and reliable," Jace explained.

"Am not," Alec argued.

"A little help here," Jace pleaded with Magnus.

Chuckling softly, Magnus joined them. Alec looked over his husband's shoulder at the elegantly structured resume on the computer.

"Damn," Alec said slowly. "You work a lot."

"Not lately," Magnus laughed. "And it's always easier to get a job if you have a job."

"I'm doomed," Alec finally voiced his realization out loud.

This chapter and the last have been done a while, but life got in the way of them being edited. Life has now gotten in the way of me writing the chapter after this so I don't know how long it will be before I update again. Probably not as fast as my usual pace, but I hope it won't be too long. It's just been a stressful week.
I was going for funny with this chapter so I hope I made you laugh at least once. :)

Sneak Peek Chapter 128

She'd denied reality until it had come crashing up to hit her in the face. Maia was lonely and she'd missed her chance, missed so many chances. When she'd learned of his parents interference Maia should have run into Jordan's arms.

Her thoughts were in no way helping her with her homework, but that wasn't the only the hindering her progress. Her stupid computer was acting up again again. The best way she could describe it was a twitch. The mouse would start shaking on the screen then suddenly vanish for a while before reappearing. Maybe it was time to take it to an actual tech guy even if it would probably cost her an arm and a leg, because it wasn't like she could go ask Jordan for help. She knew he'd be able to fix it, but the idea of going to ask him made her stomach all twisted. Maybe she could get away with not fixing it for a while longer. After all, the glitch didn't seem to be interfering with anything major.