Your Heartbeat on the Highline

by Sophie1973

When his friend Maia asks him to help her with a fake engagement for a few weeks, Alec sees no reason to refuse. His love life is non-existent as he's too busy with his restaurant. Granted, there was that one night stand a year ago he could never quite forget, but no need to dwell on that since he'll never see the guy again. And then, he meets his Wedding Planner.

"I need you to marry me"

"Okay," Alec muttered distractedly, focused on transferring olive oil into a smaller jar. That's when Maia's words hit him, and his hand faltered, the oil spilling over the jar and on his hand.

"Dammit," he said, before turning to Maia. "Wait...what?"

"It wouldn't be a real wedding. Well, it would, but in the end it wouldn't be us getting married. There would be someone else in your stead."

Forgetting his oily hand for a moment, Alec stared blankly at his friend. "What?"he repeated.

Maia sighed and nibbled on her lower lip. "Ok, maybe I should start at the beginning."

"That would be my preference, yes," the young man replied a bit snarkily.

They were both in the kitchen of his restaurant - Alicante - on Gansevoort. The Meatpacking district had been the first place Alec had thought of upon getting the opportunity to open his own place. He loved that part of Manhattan, actually venturing rarely higher since he lived in Brooklyn. He had spent his childhood on the upper east side and it didn't evoke pleasant memories.

Maia had called him a bit earlier, saying she had a favour to ask him, so he had told her to meet her at the restaurant just before the evening shift.

Alec walked to the sink and washed his hand thoroughly. "Is this about Jordan?" He asked, wiping his hand before discarding the paper in the bin.

Maia nodded. Jordan had been her boyfriend for almost 2 years now. They were both extremely serious about their relationship. The problem? He was Australian and had a popular surfing school on Bondi Beach. Which, to the eyes of Maia's parents, made him a completely unsuitable suitor. Maia was coming from a rich family, and nothing less than a doctor or a lawyer would do. Or at least someone coming from an equally wealthy background...like Alec.

"We want to get married, so we followed all the procedures and he just got his K1 visa. Meaning…"

"You guys have to get married within the next 90 days. I know, I watch the reality show. Sometimes," he added as Maia gave him a teasing smirk. "That still does not tell me why we have to get engaged."

"I need to get my parents off my back for the following weeks. If they know I'm engaged to Alexander Lightwood, Chef Extraordinaire, they will focus on that. During that time Jordan will look for a job here and hopefully find something. So at the wedding I will reveal everything to my parents. Tell them I'll marry Jordan and not you."

"What if they don't react well? It's a big deception ," he said with a dubious look on his face.

"Just another disappointment to add to their list I guess," she said with a shrug, but her casual demeanour did not fool Alec. As someone who had experienced long time parental issues, he knew that just dismissing the problems was not helpful, quite the contrary. Henry and Barbara Roberts were not bad parents, they just had high expectations for their daughter and expressed it loudly..

"There are a few flaws in your plan."

She raised her arms in the air. "I know, but I never came up with a better one. I love my parents, despite everything. I want them at my wedding."

"Wait, do your parents know about me being gay? Because that could raise questions."

Maia tapped lightly on his shoulder, eyebrows raised. "Nobody knows, Alec."

"That's a fair point."

The thing was, he wasn't technically in the closet anymore. He just didn't have a steady love life for the past five years while he worked with chef Luke Garroway and opened his own restaurant two years ago. Except maybe that night one year ago...which he didn't like dwelling on for various reasons.

He envied Maia . Her relationship with her parents was difficult, and she had to come up with a baffling, elaborate plan to marry the love of her life, but she had found it.

It's not that he wasn't happy. He now had a good relationship with his mom and siblings, whom had always been supportive of him, and opening his own restaurant had been his lifelong dream. But he sometimes wondered what it would be like to find the other part of your soul likeMaia did. "Oh my God, these are delicious."

He noted she had stolen one of the mini muffins residing on the above counter.

He rolled his eyes. "Simon made them. And they are for the customers, not you."

"Maybe I should marry him then."

"For fake or for real ? Because Izzy might have something to say about that."

Maia didn't reply, stealing a second muffin and ignoring his glare. His eyes went to the clock on the wall, realising there was only one hour left before the first customers.

"Ok, I'll do it," he told Maia.

For a minute she seemed confused, before understanding."Really? Oh Alec, thank you so much. I know it's a crazy plan, but it is really important to me. I know we'll find a way to make it work," she finished, engulfing him in a big hug and Alec smiled, fondness invading his heart. Maia and he grew up together, and they were supportive of each other whenever necessary. She had been the first one he told when he realised he was into boys. And he had covered for her a lot since the beginning of her story with Jordan.

It was only natural to see it play out until its happy ending.

Simon, Alec's Pastry chef at Alicante, and one of his close friends, barged into the kitchen. "Hey guys! There's hugging? What did I miss?"

"Maia and I got engaged," Alec told him in a casual tone, exchanging a knowing look with Maia.

Simon's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. "Ok, not what I was expecting." He looked between his two friends pensively. "So you just quit being gay? You can actually do that?"

Maia smiled. "It's a fake engagement, Simon." She explained the agreement she had just made with Alec.

"Cool plan. Maybe a few holes here and there, but…"

Alec snorted as Simon continued, "I call dibs on being the best man. With Jace, I guess.'

Alec rolled his eyes. "There is no wedding, Simon, at least not with me. I don't need a best man. But maybe Jordan does."

Simon went to the back room to put his jacket away and put on his apron. "Are you sure no one who knows Alec risks putting your little plan in jeopardy?"

"Good question," Maia said, raising an eyebrow at Alec. "Any risk of a former boyfriend of yours coming out of the woods?"

Alec put his hands on his hips, looking at her, a quizzical look on his face."How many boyfriends did I have over the past five years?"

Maia bit her lip. "None?'

"There's your answer."

Simon frowned. "Wait, there was that guy from last year, the one you met at that bar...the night your dad died."

Alec stilled, his stomach clenching."We never exchanged phone numbers or even last names. He won't be a problem."

Simon seemed doubtful."Are you sure? Because I remember you being pretty hung up after-"

"Drop it, Simon." The tone might have been a bit harsher than he intended to.

The young man raised his hand in a placating gesture. "Dropping it right now. Grumpy chef."

Maia whistled softly. "Wow, you like to live dangerously."

"Dangerous is my middle name," Simon winked, ignoring Alec's glare. "But I also know when to make a strategic retreat. I have work to do. Oh, can I at least make your wedding cake?"

Maia's eyes lit up at the idea. "You bet you can! You have two months to create a fantastic masterpiece."

"It's a deal," Simon said before disappearing in the back room once again.

"So, what's next?" Alec asked.

"Dinner with my parents to tell them the news. Appointment with a wedding planner, because my mom will hire one for sure."

"A wedding planner? Ok." His voice must have betrayed his concern because she ran a comforting hand down his arm.

"Listen, Alec, if anything at any moment feels uncomfortable for you, let me know, ok? Anything too anxiety inducing, I need to know. You're doing me a huge favour, I don't want this to affect your life in any negative way whatsoever."

"I'll be fine, Maia. Thank you, though."

But he couldn't help wondering how things would go. Faking it in front of Maia's parents was one thing, but a wedding planner, used to dealing with real engaged couples, might be a bit more difficult to deceive.

Although in the end, that wedding planner's opinion, whoever they were, was not of any importance.

---

The following days were rather busy.

Maia had planned a dinner with her parents, but first, Alec wanted to warn his mom and sister, especially since they ran in the same circles as the Roberts.

So that's how he was sitting with his mom in the back of her bookstore during lunch hour the next Wednesday.

It hadn't always been like this. For most of his childhood, adolescence and young adult life, Alec had had a strained relationship with his parents, especially his father. Robert Lightwood had been a big shot lawyer, caring mostly about money and appearances. His children were never his priority, and he was rarely home, constantly navigating between work, business dinners and weekends at his club.

Whatever Alec did was perpetually earning him a look of disappointment.. While it had only made him work harder and try to achieve perfection, allowing him to open his own restaurant at only 24 years old, he could have done without the anxiety and insecurities that came with that feeling of never being good enough.

Needless to say Alec had never come out to his father. God knew how that would have gone down.

His mom had not exactly been the epitome of maternal example either. While she had been a bit more present, she had still been mostly supporting their father, and never interfered when he was being too harsh.

After his dad died unexpectedly last year though, she had seemed to experience some sort of wake up call, realising she had missed a lot of years of her children, and tried to make amends. It had taken a bit longer for Alec than his siblings to come around, but he had finally caved. They got only one mom after all, and Maryse Lightwood, while not perfect, was far from a bad person. And she had been extra supportive when Alec had finally come out to her.

She hadn't wanted to sit idly and be a conventional widow in her cosy apartment in the upper east side, so she had moved to Brooklyn, where her kids all live and opened a quaint little bookstore. That's how her kids had discovered she loved to read and was passionate about books.

She was now leading a nice, quiet life, in contrast with the life she had led with her husband, and was much closer to her children now then she had ever been when raising them. She was grateful for that second chance.

Their father had always been disappointed that none of his children chose a legal career to follow in his footsteps, but it was not like they were able to please him in any way either. Alec and Maia had bonded over that numerous times.

His sister Isabelle arrived a few minutes later. "Sorry I'm late," she said, dropping her designer bag on one of the chairs. "They dropped a body on me 15 minutes before I had to leave and I had to explain some stuff to the new intern."

"How rude of that person to die just before your lunch time," Alec deadpanned.

Izzy shrugged. "He fell down the stairs. Really stupid death, and not his fault, I guess. So, what's the big news?"

"Maia and I are engaged."

To be fair, he could have worded it differently, but the look on their faces was worth it.

"I don't understand, "Maryse finally said, looking confused.

Her daughter looked at Alec with a frown. "Is this some sort of prank? Because last time I checked, Maia was your best friend, not your girlfriend, but most importantly, she lacked a penis."

"Isabelle," her mom chided softly, but there was a light smile on her lips. "She has a point," she added towards her son.

"It is a fake engagement," Alec explained. "I'm doing this as a favour, so she has time to plan her real wedding with her boyfriend. Her parents are not exactly on board since he's Australian and a surf instructor."

"Yes, I can see how that would not go well with Barbara," Maryse chuckled. There was a time not so long ago when she herself might have frowned upon any relationship she deemed beneath her children. Thankfully she had overcome that mentality, wishing just for her kids to be happy. Izzy was dating Simon, Alec's pastry chef, and her other son Jace was currently in Europe following his girlfriend Clary who was pursuing art studies at la Cambre in Brussels.

Alec was just grateful she hadn't come as far as trying to play matchmaker and find him a boyfriend.

"So there won't be a wedding?" Izzy asked.

Alec shook his head. "Not with me as the groom. Jordan will take my place after Maia talks to her parents."

"Who will be thrilled to know they were lied to for all those weeks. Did Maia really think this through?" Maryse asked

Alec exhaled softly, gesturing noncommittally with his hands"I'm not really sure. I'm just along for the ride. It's only for a couple of months, and she would do the same for me."

Maryse squeezed his arm softly. "I think it's really sweet of you to help her like that. Just be careful."

"Don't worry Mom. I don't plan on being more involved than I have to."

"So, what's next? Aside from me having to buy a new dress for the wedding." Izzy chimed him, already delighted at the prospect. Even if Alec wasn't really getting married, Maia still was and since they were friends Isabelle would be on the guest list for sure.

"Dinner with her parents tomorrow. Then some preparation for the wedding. I don't really know how those things work."

A client came into the bookstore, and Maryse stood up. "Knowing Barbara, she will hire a wedding planner. My take is on Bane's weddings and Events. He's the most sought out wedding planner in New York."

She left to attend to the customer.

"If he's that popular I'm not sure he'll have the time to organise a wedding in 2 months," Alec said, frowning.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Nobody has the time to organise a wedding in 2 months. Why didn't Maia just elope with Jordan?"

"It's more complicated than that. You know how it is with her parents."

"Ah yes, we've all been there," Izzy muttered.

"Hopefully they'll come around like mom did. They're not terrible people, just a bit...rigid."

"Exactly like the guy waiting for me at the morgue," Izzy quipped, standing up. "You have time to grab a bite with me before I go back?"

Alec nodded. "Let's go."

They stopped to greet their mom, who asked Alec to keep her up to date, before leaving the bookstore.

---

Dinner with Maia's parents was the next evening. If they were surprised by this announcement, they did not show it too much. They did not look ecstatic either, just accepting their daughter's choice since Alec fit the standard they were expecting from their daughter.

Alec actually preferred it that way, it made him feel a bit less guilty about lying to them. It would have been more complicated if they had been overjoyed.

To be honest, Alec didn't understand the need for Maia to plan such an elaborate scheme. As he had told Izzi, they were not horrible people, far from it. They loved Maia and only wanted what was best for her. Only what was best for har had to be best for them too, often provoking a clash of generations.

As Maia thought and Maryse predicted, Barbare Roberts called Bane weddings and Events and got them an appointment for the next morning.

Alec's stomach knotted slightly. The Wedding planner was the last hindrance, after that, things would go much more smoothly.

Hopefully.

The decor was cosy and classy. Indirect lights, classical music, bouquets of fresh flowers, plush chairs. Mr Bane was certainly eager to make his customers comfortable and relaxed while waiting for their appointment.

Alec supposed as a real future newlywed he would be nervous too, even though he doubted he would find himself in this situation someday. And sure enough, if he was lucky enough to meet the right guy, chances are he wouldn't need a wedding planner.

He browsed through a brochure left on the table, detailing all the services available. The man sure knew how to diversify himself. No wonder he was busy.

"Mom told me this Bane guy was really popular," he told Maia in a hushed tone. Speaking normally in that kind of place felt wrong somehow.

She nodded. "He's the best. We're very lucky to get an appointment so fast. He's generally booked long in advance, but my Mom recommended him to a lot of her friends so he's doing this as a favour. People call him the Wizard of Wedding planning...or is it the Warlock? Not sure."

Alec snorted. "Seriously?"

"And by the way, we need to be super convincing. If he smells something fishy I don't want him running to my mom."

Alec narrowed his eyes."You think he would do that?"

Maia shrugged. "I don't really know the guy, but better safe than sorry."

Like yesterday, Alec felt a little knot forming at the base of his stomach. Maia had assured him he could tell if this was anxiety inducing for him, but this was not exactly the moment, so he quelled it the best he could.

A young woman - she had said her name was Catarina when she welcomed them earlier - appeared, a smile on her face.

"Mr Bane will see you now."

She led them through a corridor to a room with a double door. The wedding planner's office was as elegant as the rest of the place, with a big mahogany desk, and shelves along the walls with various books and trinkets.

Not that Alex really noticed any of it. Because when the man turned to them with a welcoming smile, he froze.

"Magnus?"

His field of vision tunnelled to the gorgeous man standing there, and his mind was assaulted by a wave of memories.

A chance encounter in a bar in Manhattan. The sweet taste of a cocktail Magnus had made him try. Soft, meaningful conversation between strangers. That Ed Sheeran song in the cab on the way to his place. The rustling of clothes falling on the floor before giving way to intimate words and sighs.

"Alec."

As he met those gold brown eyes for the first time in a year, Alec also noticed that they did not seem to reflect any surprise. Obviously Magnus had seen his name on his agenda, but he wasn't supposed to know his last name…or did he?

There was a pregnant pause, tinted with some awkwardness.

"Do you know each other?" Maia asked, curiosity tainting her voice.

Taken aback, Alec counted down from 5.

Get it together, Lightwood.

He cleared his throat. "We met once, about a year ago," he said, his gaze still fixated on Magnus. He should definitely look elsewhere - at his supposed fiancee for instance - but for the life of him he couldn't avert his eyes, but neither could Magnus, apparently.

He might not have seemed surprised, but he definitely wasn't unaffected.

Still, Magnus seemed to regain his composure quickly and turned to Maia with a smile, all professional. "So nice to meet you, Maia. I'm Magnus Bane."

They started chatting, Magnus giving a bit more detail about his encounter with Alec but staying rather vague at the same time. It gave a few minutes to Alec to compose himself, and he was grateful for that, whether Magnus had done it on purpose or not.

Well, he definitely hadn't seen that one coming.

Magnus introduced them to his assistant, Catarina, who would be involved in the planning as well.

"Have you chosen a venue already?"

"That one is easy. It will be done in my parent's backyard. I realise that two months is a really short delay to organise everything, so I want you to know it won't be a huge affair, around 60 people maximum."

"That is indeed on the small side, but intimate weddings are always lovely. Do you have any idea of the type of decoration you wish ?"

"Absolutely. There is this beautiful gazebo in the garden that will be perfect for the ceremony. I have a binder with some ideas, I'll bring it to you next time."

"Marvelous. And will the fiancé be involved as well?" Magnus asked, turning to Alec who felt the full force of those brown eyes again. His mind went blank once more.

Dammit.

"I, uh...Whatever Maia wishes is fine by me," he uttered and was rewarded by two aaaww's - one more genuine than the other - and a kiss on his cheek by Maia.

"I see," Magnus said with an indefinable smile. "Why don't you go see Catarina ? She will need some information and you can already make a new appointment."

Maia thanked him profusely once again, and Alec shook his hand while muttering some thanks as well.

He felt like a complete idiot, and he didn't really want to think about the impression he had made on Magnus. He had barely uttered two words, and as far as playing the role of the enamoured fiance, it was an epic fail. He hoped Maia wouldn't be too mad.

Once back on Madison avenue - Magnus had his offices right in front of Madison Square Park - Alec braced himself for Maia's comments.

"That went well," she declared, sliding her arm under Alec's as they strolled back to the metro station.

Alec gave her an incredulous look. "Really? Because I wasn't exactly...at the top of my game."

She smiled. "I noticed. Don't know what happened between you and Magnus, but there was definitely a weird vibe going on."

"What ? Nothing happened. We just met at that bar and talked for a while. And no weird vibe. I hadn't even seen him since then." He had some trouble hiding the wistfulness from his voice because seeing Magnus again so unexpectedly had just reminded him of the year they had lost. And that Alec had not moved on from that night one bit.

"Relax. As long as he doesn't suspect anything, we're fine. And who knows, once this whole thing is over you can ask him out. I don't think he would mind. You would make a cute couple."

Alec let out a brief, dry laugh. The thought of telling Maia the truth was burning the tip of his tongue, but he decided against it. The situation being what it was, there was no need to freak her out more.

He would try and reduce his visit to the wedding planner to a minimum.

But the thought was more depressing than reassuring.

---

Magnus stood still for a few more minutes, facing the now closed door of his office.

Alexander Lightwood, as I live and breathe.

It had been a while since Magnus had felt so many emotions at the same time.

Joy. Elation. Sadness. Disappointment.

One thing was still the same, it was the impact of those hazel eyes on his cardiac rhythm.

He pirouetted on his feet and walked briskly to one of his cabinets, opened it and took a bottle before pouring himself a drink. He was well aware it wasn't even lunchtime but hey, it was probably 5 pm somewhere and he really needed something to quiet the racing of his heart and the tremor of his hands.

Catarina came back at that moment.

"Well, they're an odd couple."

Magnus chuckled, finishing his drink. "You can say that again, dear."

"I went to his restaurant once. It was very good, and affordable. Not one of those super fancy places you would expect considering his family name."

"I never had the pleasure," Magnus said softly.

""He came during the evening to talk to his customers. A really charming guy. I heard he wasn't always like that but got a bad review once, saying that the food was great, but the Chef not so much. Got him the 'Grumpy Chef' nickname."

There was certainly nothing grumpy about him that night.

Magnus shook his head, not wanting to spiral down memories of passionate kisses, experts hands and deep sighs of pleasure.

Catarina crossed her arms and levelled her gaze at Magnus.

"Ok, it's barely 11 am and you're drinking. Also don't think I didn't notice the looks you exchanged. What's the deal with you and this guy?"

Magnus sighed. Not that he intended to, but 15 years of friendship and 5 years working together made it impossible for him to hide anything from Cat.

"Remember that one night stand a year ago? Just after the Branwell wedding?"

Cat scoffed. "You bet I do. I had to hear about it for...Oh no. That's him?"

"In the gorgeous flesh."

"Woah. Awkward."

"Very much so," Magnus agreed, pouring himself another bit of the brandy and gulping it in one go. Hu put the glass down. "I never pegged him as bisexual though. I was sure he was gay all the way."

"You gaydar misled you this time."

Magnus pouted. "It rarely does, but...Maybe. It was just one night after all."

And yet his fingers were still tingling with the memory of firm abs and soft skin.

"What are the odds, uh?"

"Definitely not in my favour," he sighed wistfully.

---

"Alec."

"Alec!"

The rush hour came and went, and there were now only a handful of customers left in the restaurant.

Alec was busy putting the finishing touch to one of the last dishes of the night when he felt Simon put a hand on his arm and restraining him from pouring the coarse salt.

"What…?" He threw Simon a glare, meeting his friend's surprised look behind his glasses.

"I don't think cinnamon is supposed to go on this salmon."

"Shit!" He put the container back quickly. "I thought it was coarse salt. Who put the cinnamon there?'

Simon laughed. "You did, dude. For the previous dish."

"Right. Thanks." Alec grabbed the salt and poured a bit of it before putting the plate on the shelf, pressing the little bell so the waiter knew it was ready.

"Table 12," He told Aline who had just arrived.

He exhaled a sigh before realising Simon was still standing there, a quizzical look on his face.

"What?"

"What's going on? You've been distracted and all...jittery, all evening."

Alec brought his hand to his eyebrow, pressing his fingers against it in a tired gesture.

"Remember the other day with Maia when you mentioned that one night stand, and I told you he wouldn't be a problem ?" At Simon's nod, he continued, "He's our wedding planner."

Simon's horrified look would have been comical in any other circumstances.

"Oh frak. Ouch. Awkward much?"

"Understatement of the year, "Alec muttered, taking some of the dirty dishes left by the waiter and starting to put them in the dishwasher.

"Did you tell Maia?"

"God no. She was super insistent that the wedding planner didn't know anything about our plan, so she would freak out if she did."

"How did it go?"

"What do you think? I was a complete disaster, and he was perfect. I mean, I didn't say much and he was completely professional."

"You still have feelings for this guy."

"What? No! It was just one night, there were no...feelings involved."

"Mmmh. Funny, because I remember you asking me a few days after that night if I believed in love at first sight. Which was an odd question coming from you, and the reason why I remember it to this day."

"I don't remember that," Alec lied, when in fact he remembered pretty well. He remembered perfectly the difficult circumstances back then and how terrible he had felt because all he could think about was Magnus.

He crossed Simon's eyes, knowing he wasn't fooling his friend. There was only friendship and understanding in his eyes.

"I remember a lot of the things you said, and that it was a really bad time. Why don't you see this as life offering you a second chance?"

Alec scoffed. "Well, right now he thinks I'm marrying a woman, and since I'm not allowed to undeceive him, a second chance is not exactly in the books."

"Maybe if you explained it to Maia…"

"No. It's already complicated enough as it is. Once she marries Jordan, then...we'll see. There's a chance that Magnus is so pissed at being lied to he won't want to talk to any of us."

That had been on his mind all day. He already didn't feel comfortable lying to the Roberts, but he did it for Maia. But he hated lying to Magnus, and even if he waited 2 months and hoped for that second chance, the wedding planner might not appreciate the whole charade. Also, and that was the most important part, who could say that night meant as much to Magnus as it had meant to Alec?

"For all I know it was just a brief hook up for him anyway," he voiced his thoughts to Simon, hoping not to sound too dejected at the idea.

Hashtag Epic Fail.

"Then the only way for you to know is wait and talk to him once this is all done. I'll cross all my fingers and toes for you," Simon said cheerfully with a tap on his shoulder, and Alec smiled.

He checked the computer and saw there were no more orders for the night.

Good. He was so ready to go home.

---

One year ago

It was Friday evening, and they were celebrating the one-year anniversary of the restaurant's opening. Alec had taken his staff to McKenna's, a bar conveniently situated on Washington street, a few minutes walk from Alicante. It was not the first time they went there, it was actually the staff's usual haunt after the long and sometimes arduous shifts.

Alec had joined them a few times as well, but it was a rarity, as bars were not exactly his scene.

It was full that evening, as it usually was on weekends. Despite going rather late, the small group had managed to find a table and Alec was taking their second order for the night.

He gestured to Alaric, the bartender, who acknowledged him. "I'm finishing this gentleman's order and I'm right with you, Alec."

Alec turned to the man standing next to him. "Of course. I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that you were waiting."

"No worries," the stranger turned to Alec, who was already charmed by his deep voice just before seeing his face.

And what a face it was. The man was gorgeous. Smooth skin, golden brown eyes, facial hair neatly trimmed. He was wearing what was obviously a very expensive 3 piece suit, and his eyes were highlighted with some discreet eyeliner. A few rings adorned his fingers.

Alec cleared his throat and forced his gaze away, as he had been ogling the man.

Which didn't seem to be a problem for the stranger since he was actually staring back and appraising Alec from head to toe, his eyes definitely reflecting his appreciation.

"Celebrating something?" he asked Alec and the young man briefly wondered if he had noticed their group...noticed him.

"Professional anniversary," Alec replied with all the casualness he could muster. "You?"

"Just a nice evening with friends."

His voice was incredibly pleasant….mellifluous with a touch of huskiness.

Alaric arrived with his order.

"There you go. What can I get you, Alec?"

"Enjoy your evening," the man said with a wink, grabbing the drinks and leaving to join his party and Alec watched him go, speechless.

Jesus.

"You too!" he finally said, a bit too late as the guy was almost back at his table and definitely didn't hear him.

Smooth, Lightwood. Very smooth.

He heard Alaric clear his throat behind him and turned around, meeting the bartender's amused look.

"Right. Sorry."

He placed his order before going back to his group with a plate, trying very hard not to look at the other side of the room.

And failing. Multiple times.

Not that the other man was being discreet, either. The smiles he addressed Alec a few times definitely made his stomach do some triple salchow worthy of the best Olympic skater.

Even if Alec didn't frequent bars often, it wasn't the first time he caught another man's attention. He had even been propositioned once or twice.

But someone as gorgeous as this one...never.

He tried to hide his smile, not wanting his coworkers and friends to notice, or he would never hear the end of it.

As the evening came to an end, he stayed behind to settle the tab. The group had left, except for Simon, who leaned on the bar next to him with a knowing smirk.

"Any plans for the rest of the night?"

Alec frowned. "What?"

"The cute guy on the other side of the room who made moon eyes at you all evening."

Alec rolled his eyes. "We just exchanged a few glances. It's nothing."

"Well, whatever happens, I want all the details tomorrow," Simon cheerfully said, while leaving before turning around. "Ok, not all the details, but...you know."

Alec snorted. "Go home, Simon. See you tomorrow."

The younger man left, and Alec raised his hand to notify Alaric, while surreptitiously sneaking a glance to the table occupied by the handsome stranger. Disappointment filled him as he found it empty.

He shrugged. Not that he intended for anything to happen, anyway.

"One last for the road?"

The voice already felt familiar and provoked renewed flutters in Alec'stomach. He turned around towards its owner. He hadn't yet left after all.

Alec's heartbeat accelerated. "Sure," he said with what he hoped was his best casual tone. Like being offered a drink by some handsome stranger was an everyday occurrence.

The man's smile broadened and he sat beside Alec, extending a perfectly manicured hand. The purple nail polish actually matched the tip of his hair.

"Magnus," he introduced himself.

"Alec." The handshake was brief but firm.

"So, Alec...Come here often?" Magnus asked with a cheeky grin, and they both started laughing at the cheesy line. The awkwardness sometimes generated by this kind of meeting dissipated and Alec relaxed as Magnus placed an order for both of them.

The conversation flew easily after that. Topics like sports, music, movies...they had a few things in common. It never went too personal though, Magnus mentioning he worked in events, and Alec in a restaurant, but not getting into details. As much as Alec was enjoying this moment, he still remembered that this guy was still a complete stranger after all.

That being said, that reasonable thought flew out of the window when Magnus suggested they went back to his place.

Even if Alec's heart readily agreed, his brain took a few seconds to catch up and that hesitancy must appear on his face as Magnus backtracked hastily.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed...forget it."

Alec, who had made up his mind, put his hand on Magnus' forearm.

"Let's go," he simply said, and Magnus' face was a mix of relief and happiness.

"I'll be honest, and I know it sounds cliché, but I extremely rarely do that kind of thing. So I was afraid I misread the situation."

"That makes two of us," Alec replied with a smile.

In his case, that was the truth, and if he couldn't know if Magnus' claim was genuine, he didn't really care right now. He had worked his ass off over the past few months and he deserved to treat himself. If that meant a pleasant tryst with a gorgeous stranger, then so be it.

Magnus hailed a cab and got in first, giving his address to the driver.

They looked at each other once the cab started again, and couldn't help grinning. 'Thinking out loud' was playing on the radio and Magnus started to softly sing along.

"I love that song," He said with a sheepish grin and Alec chuckled

The ride didn't last very long, and Alec, who hadn't heard the address, distractedly noticed they were in Brooklyn. At least it wouldn't take long to go home later on.

But as Magnus took his hand once they were out of the cab he didn't really pay attention to anything else but the electricity crackling through his veins and the promise of the night to come.

When Alex woke up, it was still night out and a look at the alarm clock told him they fell asleep an hour ago.

He moved slightly, pondering for a moment what to do. He didn't want to leave like a thief, but he didn't want to overstay his welcome either. He felt Magnus's body heat and peaceful breathing,, and it made him want to get more comfortable and snuggled against him under the cover.

Of course, that's assuming Magnus would be amenable to that.

"I can hear you thinking," the other man muttered and Alec chuckled.

"Sorry. Just wondering if I should leave or not," he replied honestly, and Magnus

turned around, resting on his forearm and looking at Alec with a smile.

"Do you want to leave ? "

Alex doesn't even hesitate. "No."

"Then stay," Magnus said and leaned into Alec, his lips covering his and his fingertips grazing his hip, making Alec shivered. He had met Magnus only a few hours ago, but he already knew this would not be just a one-night stand.

The shrill end of his phone abruptly put an end to their activities.

"Shit," he whispered. "It can't be good at this hour." He saw his sister's name on the screen and his worry intensified.

"Izzy? What's going on?"

Izzy started talking a mile a minute, and Alec got out of the bed. Even if he didn't know yet what had happened, he knew his lovely interlude with Magnus was over.

"Just…slow down," he urged his sister.

"Alec, it's dad. He's had an accident."

The rest was a blur. He just managed to catch the name of the hospital his family was waiting at.

"I'll be right here," he said, hanging up. He stopped in the middle of the room for a few more seconds, tetanised, not knowing what to do next.

"Alec? Something wrong?"

Magnus' voice brought him out of his stupor.

"It's my dad. He's in the ICU. I have to go."

"Of course, darling. Let me call you a cab."

Alec dressed up quickly before Magnus let him know the taxi was waiting downstairs. He pressed a kiss on Magnus's lips with a whispered "Thank you" before leaving.

It was only much later he realised they didn't exchange last names or phone numbers.

---

It was still very early when Alec woke up, but he could already hear the white noise of the city and a timid ray of sunshine was peeking through the blinds.

He sighed softly, enjoying the warmth of his comforter as he still navigated the last remnants of sleep.

He had to see Magnus today.

There was definitely some trepidation at the prospect, because the circumstances were far, far from ideal. He had thought about the man numerous times, fantasising about them meeting again, and maybe even starting again where they had left things off. Of course, in his mind, Magnus would still be single and willing to try.

Obviously, he never imagined this would be the worst case scenario.

A part of him still hoped that things would get resolved soon, that Magnus would not be upset at being lied to, and they would have a chance to reconnect. Alec was aware they really didn't know each other that well, but there was a certainty in his heart that not giving them a chance would be the biggest regret of his life.

If he took 10 more minutes that morning to choose an outfit, no one would ever know.

---

Magnus loved to come early to work - at least one hour before opening- before his first customers arrived and the day became a ballet of event planning, flower arrangements, cakes testing, calming cold feet (both the brides and grooms) and dealing with overbearing mothers-in-law.

During that time, he could take a cup of coffee, bite into one of the delicious croissants he bought on his way in at the French bakery around the block, and have a look at his planning for the day.

This morning, however, was not going according to plan. Because someone was already at the door, ringing the bell, and on the security camera, Magnus could see the handsome face of Alec Lightwood.

Oh.

Magnus stood frozen for a while. If Alec was here that early, without even an appointment, that meant he wanted to talk to Magnus. About the wedding? Or something else ?

And why did it set Magnus' s heart into a staccato rhythm worthy of the best classical pieces?

Putting his coffee cup he didn't even have time to start on the desk, he left his office and went to open the door.

Alec had a sheepish smile on his face. "Magnus…Hi. I'm sorry to come this early. Do you have a few minutes ? If not, that's ok, I'll come back when it is more convenient for you."

The nervousness on his face definitely matched Magnus's inner turmoil. He opened the door with a smile.

"Don't worry, Alexander. Do come in. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?"

"Uh, no, thank you. I won't bother you for long."

"That is no problem, I assure you," Magnus tells him as they walk towards his office. "Please have a seat, and tell me what's on your mind."

Alec preferred to remain standing and Magnus didn't insist, leaning against the front of his desk. He crossed his arms, realising that might come across a closed off, but he didn't know what to do with his hands.

His brain was trying very hard to go back into professional wedding planning mode.

It definitely wasn't working.

First, Alec looked positively edible in a blue and green chequered shirt that brought out his hazel eyes. Those same eyes that had attracted Magnus through a crowded room in the first place. They were an open book about how Alec was feeling, and Magnus remembered vividly the passion and intensity they had reflected that night.

Right. Not the time nor the place.

But right now, those eyes were full of hesitation, matching the nervous stance of his body, the way his hands were buried in the pockets of his jeans.

'I didn't tell Maia about what happened…between us."

"Yes, I figured as much. Don't worry, she won't hear it from me."

Alex nodded, and Magnus sensed that he was not worrying about that particular thing. He opened his mouth before closing it, scratching at his eyebrow, and Magnus did his very best to not find him adorable.

"I'm sorry about the way things ended. It's not how I pictured that night to end."

Magnus swallowed, but plastered a smile on his face. They were doing this now, then.

"Oh, Alexander, you have nothing to apologise for. And I'm sorry about your loss."

"Yes, my dad and I weren't exactly close, but…it was still brutal." He took a deep breath. "The thing is, I would have loved to see you again, but…Well, with the funeral, and family stuff, and not knowing about your last name or your address, a few weeks had passed and I wasn't even sure you would even remember me if I managed to find you again."

Magnus nodded, not sure how to deal with this information. He had often pondered about what would have happened if Alec hadn't left abruptly that night. It seemed that he wasn't the only one for whom that night had had a special meaning.

But it was a bittersweet feeling, considering the present circumstances.

"To be honest, I found out who you were a few weeks after. I saw a notice in an old newspaper about your father's passing, and there was a picture of you with your family. But considering the circumstances, I thought it would be inappropriate to reach out to you at that time."

Something in Alec's eyes glinted. Regret ?

"I wish you had," he whispered, and Magnus' stomach lurched at the implication behind the words.

He's getting married, Magnus. No implication whatsoever. It's too late.

There was something nagging his mind, though."Just tell me one thing. Were you and Maia involved last year when…"

The horrified look on Alec's face was a reply in itself. "Oh God no ! I could never…cheating is…ugh, I could never do that. Maia and I are…a recent development."

"I'm rather relieved to hear that."

"Maia and I have known each other since childhood. We are…This is a solid partnership," Alec finished, and Magnus couldn't help but wonder who he was trying to convince with those odd words.

"And they say romance is dead," he quipped, mitigating his tone with a smile.

Alec smiled back before taking a step back towards the door.

"I won't bother you any longer. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do. Again, sorry for barging unannounced like this."

Magnus didn't contradict him, nor did he acknowledge his last sentence. As much as he loved being in Alexander's presence, this discussion had left him more confused than anything else. And yes, he actually had a lot of work today, and couldn't afford to be distracted.

He let Alec go, went back to his office and sat on his chair, put his head between his arms on his desk, and exhaled slowly. The day had barely started, but he felt exhausted already. He had not expected the emotional chaos that seeing Alexander again would provoke in his heart and in his mind.

He was starting to think that accepting to plan this wedding had been a huge mistake. He had honestly thought seeing Alec again, after an entire year, would not affect him more than he could handle. That in the end it had just been a very good one-night stand and the pull he had felt towards Alec and the butterfly in his stomach had been a great exaggeration out of his imagination. That the deep attraction and connection between them had been a product of his overactive mind.

Except it wasn't.

And he was getting really scared of not coming out unscathed of this.

Cat found him in that exact position when she arrived a few minutes later and raised her eyebrows.

"You look like you need a drink."

"It's 9.30 am, Cat."

"What happened to 'It's 5 o'clock somewhere'?"

He raised his head, sighed. "Not today."

"I see. Let me guess. This wouldn't have anything to do with the scrumptious chef Lightwood I saw leaving the premises?"

Magnus gave her a knowing look. "He stopped by for a chat."

"About the wedding?"

"No. To reminisce about some good old times."

Cat put her bag on her desk, went to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Well well. What did he have to say ?

Magnus related the conversation they had.

"I know it's none of my business, but there is something off about them," Cat said when he was finished.

Magnus winced. "Well, he did use the words 'recent development' and solid partnership' in reference to their relationship."

Cat gasped. "Be still my heart. Seriously? Something is not quite right there, I'm telling you."

Magnus shrugged. "They hired us to organise their wedding, not meddle in their relationship."

"It's not like you didn't interfere with some couples in the past."

"This is different. Most of the time it was to bring them back together, or diplomatically ask the MIL's to gently back off…the situation here is…more delicate."

"Because you banged the groom?"

"Yes, Cat. So elegantly put. Thank you."

He went to refresh his own cup of coffee, and Cat eyed him with a fond look.

"If this is becoming too complicated, I can take over. Now that the Fox-Claremont-Diaz wedding is over, I have some more time."

Magnus smiled at her, coming over to her desk to give her a brief hug. "I'll manage. There's only a bit over two weeks left."

"And then?"

"I'll book myself a nice vacation on a tropical beach somewhere. Nothing like white sand, sun and a cocktail to nurse a broken heart."

---

Alec read Maia's message with definite trepidation. She had sent it 30 minutes ago, but his phone was in his pocket and he hadn't heard it.

So sorry Alec, something came up and I can't be there. We can reschedule but I also trust you 100% and there's not much time left. The perks of having his bff being a chef :) Let me know what you decide. Whatever you are comfortable with.

He bit his lower lip. They indeed didn't have much time, and that meant he was going to spend a few hours alone with Magnus sampling food. Was that really such a chore ? No. Was it reasonable ? Debatable.

Magnus arrives at that moment, putting an end to his mental tribulations.

"Hello, Alexander."

"Hey Magnus. Maia's not coming, something came up."

Something like disappointment crossed Magnus's face. "Oh. You want to reschedule?"

"No. We are too close to the date now. She trusts me to make the right choices."

That seemed to satisfy the planner. "Who better to trust than a chef, indeed? After you, my dear."

Alec tried not to blush at the pet name, even if he liked it. A lot.

They walked into what looked like a restaurant, with a dozen tables but only a few occupied. Magnus told Alec this was called a 'test kitchen'.

"This is the best catering company I've been working with so far. They never disappointed."

Alec looked around, surprised by the cosy atmosphere of the place. Red walls and hardwood floor, cream-coloured tablecloth and napkins and comfortable chairs. "So how does this work ?" he asked Magnus.

"Pretty much like in a regular restaurant, except we will be offered small samples instead of full dishes, and we'll have to choose which ones will compose the final menu."

A receptionist came to greet them.

"The Lightwood-Roberts, wedding, for Bane events."

They got seated at a table for two, and Alex tried to ignore that it felt a little bit like a date.

A member of the catering team came with a list of drinks first, with a selection of champagnes, cocktails, and soft drinks to choose from. Magnus made the selection, checking with Alec who agreed with everything he picked. They were waiting to choose the menu to select the wines.

They were then both served a flute of champagne and a selection of appetisers. Again, Magnus gave him good advice and the choices were quickly made.

"Now, we are about to sample the entree. So I need to put your chef's hat away and do as if you've never cooked once in your life."

Alec chuckled. "I can do that…I think."

The glass of champagne had helped him loosen a bit, and he decided to enjoy this time with Magnus.

The first dishes were presented to them.

"Imperial Lobster with Espelette Pepper, an aromatic herbs salad and basil oil. Second option is Parmentière salad with scallop shell and black truffle. Enjoy!"

Both dishes looked scrumptious and didn't last long on their plates.

Magnus smiled as he observed Alec's meditative look.

"You can't help it, can't you?"

Alec felt his cheeks warm traitorously and smiled. "Sorry, it's just…these are absolutely delicious, but yes…I can't help but think about how I would do it differently. Not better, these are perfect…just wondering how it would be to play with the ingredients."

"Don't apologise Alexander. Your passion for your craft is one of your most endearing traits."

That didn't help Alec's blush, quite the contrary. Magnus's praise made his stomach and heart flutter.

As they made a decision for the entree and waited for the main course, conversation flowed easily, exactly like their first encounter. This time however it was getting a bit more personal, with Alec talking about his love of cooking and his pride at opening his restaurant, and Mgnus sharing how he came into the wedding planning business,as well as a few anecdotes of previous weddings.

"The groom insisted the ceremony took place on the old wood dock, the bride wasn't so enthusiast, but she caved in. Of course the worst happened and they all ended in the lake. Nobody was hurt, just…very wet."

Alec let out a chuckle. "That's awful. Did the wedding take place in the end?"

"Of course. They even have two kids now. It's a great story to share with them and the grand-kids later on. Hopefully you and Maia will have some fun stories to share too."

Alec was brutally brought back to the harsh reality of the moment. This was not Magnus and him enjoying a nice lunch, this was Magnus, his wedding planner, helping him choose a menu for his upcoming wedding to a woman.

Or so Magnus still believed.

His dismay must have been apparent on his face as Magnus looked at him with some concern. "Alexander? Everything alright?"

He forced a smile. "Absolutely."

He was dispensed from further questions by the waiter who came with the choices for the main dish, and he welcomed the distraction. This time they had to make their pick between a fillet of Pecking duck with oriental flavours, or a lobster with wild mushrooms, capers and tarragon.

After that they finished with some mignardises which would accompany the coffee and tea, since the wedding cake was made by Simon.

They checked their final selection one last time, and Alec asked for a copy so he could show Maia.

It was time to leave, especially since Magnus had another appointment that afternoon, and Alec's chest tightened when he realised that this was it, this had been the last big appointment before the wedding. There were probably a few last minute details left, but those could be handled by Maia.

It was her wedding after all.

The thought of not having to see Magnus again until the wedding should have relieved him, but instead he felt a hollow pit in his stomach. On one hand, that's when he could finally tell him the truth, but he had no clue how that would go. Either very good, or catastrophically bad.

Right now his anxious brain didn't consider an in-between.

On the other hand, the idea of not seeing Magnus, and his beautiful eyes and that impish smile directed at him for those last two weeks was truly depressing.

He didn't know what he wanted. His brain and his heart were engaged in a fierce battle which was starting to get exhausting.

"Would you like to come to the restaurant tomorrow evening?" he finally asked, cringing a bit at the hope he couldn't hide in his voice.

Guess the heart won, then.

He was definitely not regretting it when he saw Magnus's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"That would be my pleasure. What will you be cooking?"

Alex relaxed a bit. "Well you can choose from the menu, or you can let me surprise you."

Magnus's eye darkened, and the smile adorning his lips should definitely not have been addressed to one of his supposedly engaged customers.

"Surprise me, Alexander."

---

"Alec, Mr Bane has arrived."

"Right. Thank you, Aline."

Alec took a deep breath, smoothing his chef's blouse and quickly checking the state of his hair on his phone's camera.

He also did his best to quell the butterflies' invasion in his stomach. He didn't even know why he was so nervous. If there's one thing he was very good at, it's cooking. But he wanted Magnus to enjoy the meal he was going to prepare for him. He wanted Magnus to be impressed.

He walked into the dining room, spotting Magnus seated with Catarina and went to greet them.

Magnus was wearing a black, shimmery blazer with a dark green silk shirt underneath, along with his usual necklaces, and the smile he gave Alec almost made the young man trip on his feet and worse, forget all about the menu he had carefully prepared for them.

"Good evening, Chef Lightwood," Magnus said cheekily, and Cat gave him a look but didn't say anything. She turned to Alec.

"Good evening Alec. It's nice to see you again. Thank you for having us tonight."

"Let's see if you still feel that way after dinner," Alec joked before presenting the menu. "So for the menu, it will be a duck breast salad with avocado, aromatic herbs and a balsamic dressing. After that, a Boeuf Wagyu with candied tomato, girolle mushrooms, grilled potatoes and a truffle vinaigrette. For the dessert, if you're still hungry, you'll be able to choose from the usual menu."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful," Cat said, before Alec told them that Raj, his sommelier, would be there soon with a selection of wines.

"Aline will be your waitress tonight, just let me know if there's anything else you need," he finished.

He went back to the kitchen, feeling the burn of Magnus' gaze following him. A smile was still playing on his lips when he went to work.

"This was positively fantastic."

Magnus deposited his cutlery on his plate with a very satisfied smile.

"I told you he was good," Cat said with a knowing smirk. "I'm really surprised you never came here before."

Magnus cleared his throat. "The thing is…After that night, when I discovered who Alexander was, I didn't think it would be appropriate to come here. It would make things too awkward, you know?"

"On the other hand, if you had, he might not be two weeks away from marrying Maia Roberts."

"Don't remind me," Magnus muttered wistfully.

Aline came to take their plate, and they both gushed at the dishes.

"I'll tell Chef Lightwood. He'll be with you soon."

Cat looked at her watch. "I'm going to head home soon. Should I give you a lift?"

"I might stay a while longer if you don't mind."

Cat gave him a look. "You're sure?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

"Well, I do worry, Magnus, but I know you're a big boy and I assume you know what you're doing." There was no judgement in her voice, just concern and he appreciated it.

"I absolutely do," He lied, even though he knew he didn't fool her. She rolled her eyes with a smile and grabbed her clutch, leaning in and pecked him on the cheek.

"Don't forget it's a school night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, dear. Thank you for the marvellous company."

She stopped by the kitchen to exchange a few words with Alec and say her goodbyes.

Left alone, Magnus distracted himself by admiring the interior of Alec's restaurant. It was warm and cosy, the walls made of red bricks and the wooden floor smooth and well-worn. There were pictures retelling the story of the Meatpacking district and the Highline, and indirect lightning gave the whole ensemble an intimate atmosphere. This was a place where you enjoyed staying for a few hours, sharing a good meal with family or friends.

But in this case Magnus wasn't with family, his friend had left and he had finished his (very) good meal. So he didn't know what he was doing by staying, except maybe a gigantic mistake. The thing was…For some reason, there was something going on, something that kept a teeny tiny flicker of hope alive in his gut. Whether it was Alec's demeanour - even though he had never once stepped out of line- or the oddity of his pairing with Maia - then again, he had had really mismatched couple before as well - but until he actually witnessed Alec say I do, a part of him would not completely give up on the young, handsome chef.

The young chef in question came by his table, a smile on his face. "You didn't leave with Cat?"

"I thought I would stay a bit longer. Tell the Chef how much I appreciated the dinner."

Alec's smile widened, and Magnus wasn't sure if it was because of the compliment or his decision to linger. He hoped it was both.

"Give me five minutes and I'll join you."

"Take all the time you need, darling," Magnus replied, taking a sip of his glass of water.

Alec flushed a bit at the pet name and went back to the kitchen with a silly little wave, and Magnus rolled his eyes fondly and sighed.

Ugh. He was so adorable.

Alec was back exactly 3 minutes later -not that Magnus counted-and put two glasses on the table, filled with what looked like ice cream, and a bottle of Calvados.

"Apple sorbet and Calva. A very nice way to end a meal," Alec told him, his eyes sparkling as he sat down in front of Magnus.

"You're spoiling me."

Alec shrugged and opened the bottle, pouring the liquid on the sorbet in each glass. His hair was mussed, and he had unbuttoned the collar of his blouse and rolled back his sleeves. He seemed happy and at ease, completely in his element, and Magnus fell a little bit deeper.

"Kitchen is closed?" He asked and Alec shook his head.

"Technically not for another 30 minutes, but.." He gestured to the rest of the dining room where there were only two tables still occupied. "They're choosing dessert, so Simon's in charge for the rest of the evening."

"Well, your reputation is certainly not usurped. Everything was absolutely delicious."

Alec looked down at his glass, a shy smile playing on his face. . "Thank you, Magnus. It means a lot."

"But there's something I've been dying to know," Magnus added, and Alec raised an eyebrow, finishing his sorbet and licking the spoon in a way that did absolutely nothing to Magnus'insides.

"Dying, really?"

"That Grumpy Chef nickname I heard….What was that all about?"

Alec chuckled. "Back when I started, socialising was not exactly my best skill. So I tended to stay in the kitchen, safe and far away from people. When I had to meet customers, I wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine. Receiving compliments made my introvert ass feel really uncomfortable. Then that critic came and even though he enjoyed the food, he completely thrashed me and my joyful personality, or lack thereof. Thankfully, it didn't impact the restaurant too much, as people came for the food, not me. But I still got some intervention from family and friends, and I tried to improve. I'm better at it now."

"Socialising?"

"No, I still don't like it. I'm better at pretending I do."

Magnus laughed out loud. "Oh, Alexander, you truly are a delight." And because the relaxed and intimate atmosphere, as well as Alex's coy smile, made him a little bit bolder (and definitely bordering on unprofessional) he couldn't help but add, "Not coming after you is quickly becoming my biggest regret."

Hazel eyes widened a bit at that, flashing a mix of surprise and….excitement, maybe?

"Not everything is always as it seems, Magnus."

He was about to ask what those cryptic words meant when they were interrupted by the last customers who were leaving and wanted to compliment and greet Alec. He rose and exchanged a few amicable words with them, accepting the praise gracefully, proving he had indeed improved a lot when it came to his social skills.

The interruption made Magnus realise it was much later than he thought. He stood up just as Alec was turning back to him.

"I hadn't noticed it was getting so late. I should let you close and rest."

Alec's earlier words resonated in his head, but he chose to ignore it. They were treading on dangerous territory anyway and it was time to take a step back.

Disappointment briefly crossed Alec's face, but he didn't protest. He walked Magnus to the front door.

"This was a lovely evening, Alexander. I'm not sure I'll see you before the wedding, so…"

Alec opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked down, then back at Magnus, and exhaled softly.

"Magnus, can I call you tomorrow? There's something I would like to discuss with you. I just have to do something first."

"How mysterious," Magnus said with a curious smile. His heart was galloping at high speed again, especially at the urgency in Alec's tone, contrasting with his carefree attitude of a few minutes ago. "But yes, of course. We'll talk tomorrow then. Good night, Alexander."

"Good night."

Alec closed the door behind Magnus and watched him disappear into the darkness of the street before walking back to their table and taking a swig of Calva directly from the bottle.

He would have to buy a new one for the clientele.

So…Tomorrow. Tomorrow he was talking to Magnus. Telling him everything and praying that this would mark a beginning, not an end.

The Calva did nothing to quiet his racing heart, so he took his phone and left a message to Maia.

"Hey, can we meet tomorrow morning? I really need to talk to you. Let me know, ok ?"

He locked everything and took the bottle of Calva with him. It would be useful, either to celebrate or to nurse his broken heart.

---

When Cat walked into the office the next morning, she stopped and sighed.

"Oh God. What happened last night?"

Magnus raised his head, puzzled. "Nothing. Why ?"

She dropped her bag on her desk. "You're clutching your phone and looking at it as if it held the answer to the meaning of life."

Magnus sighed and let go of the device. "Alec told me he would call me today. Said he wanted to talk about something."

"Huh."

"Yes, my feelings exactly."

Cat went to pour two cups of coffee and brought him one. Magnus gave her a look of gratitude before she said, "You think he's going to break up with Maia and cancel the wedding because he's still into you? And he knows it's mutual because you're not exactly subtle about it?"

The look of gratitude turned into a scornful one. "This is the absolute worst scenario that could happen."

"But you thought about it."

"Yes. And hating myself for it, because it makes me a terrible person and wedding planner to even entertain the idea, not to mention the impact on our business would be catastrophic."

Cat winced. "Yes, nobody would hire a wedding planner if there's a risk they steal your other half."

Magnus groaned, wanting to ask Cat to shut up, because he knew this. He had turned it into his head last night over and over, and he could not imagine one single outcome that would mean a happy ending for him and Alexander, and not hurt his business in the process.

Not a single one.

"Or…" Cat continued, because this was apparently 'ruthlessly torture Magnus' day, "Maia and him have some kind of arrangement - which would explain a lot - and decided on an open marriage. And he'll ask you to be his little floozy on the side."

Magnus glared at her. "Thank you for finding the most terrible scenario of all. Thankfully, Alec would never do that."

"You barely know him, Magnus," she said softly as she sat on the corner of his desk.

"Maybe, but I got to know him better over the last few weeks, and he's a good person. Honest. I remember his reaction when I mentioned cheating. He's not that kind of man. Which is a pity because then it would be much easier to move on."

The bell rang, signalling the arrival of their first customers of the day. Cat rose from his desk, pressed a hand on his shoulder and went to open the door.

---

Maia walked into the cafe they had agreed to meet and pressed a kiss to Alec's cheek before sitting down. He had already ordered her a coffee.

"Thank you. You look tired," She noticed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Yes, I didn't sleep much last night. Sorry for the last minute call."

"That's ok. I wanted to talk to you as well, actually."

Something in her tone alerted him. "Oh?"

"I told my parents last night about the wedding and Jordan."

"What?" His heart jumped in his throat at Maia's words.

"I got tired of lying to them. You were right. This was a stupid plan. And I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"No, that's fine, I just…What did they say?"

"There was a lot of yelling at first, which was to be expected. But once things calmed down and I was able to explain everything to them, it got better. Obviously I should have had that talk with them a long time ago."

"So, the wedding is still on ? With Jordan?"

Maia gave him a bright smile. "Oh yes. And you are relieved of your fake fiance duties. And don't worry, I'll talk to Magnus."

Alec let out a little hysterical laugh and Maia stared at him. "What?"

"Well, that's the thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"Remember when we met Magnus the first time and I told you we had met a year ago? There is a little bit more to the story than that."

He told her exactly what had happened between him and Magnus and by the end Maia was looking at him with a mix of horror and sympathy.

"Oh my God, Alec, this must have been terrible for you ! Why didn't you tell me immediately ? We could have figured something out."

He shrugged. "You had enough on your plate already, and I thought that maybe I could talk to Magnus once it was over. Hoping he wouldn't be incredibly mad at being lied to, and I'm kind of done doing that. So yes, this meeting was to tell you everything and ask you to let me please be honest with Magnus. Please?"

Maia rolled her eyes. "As if I was going to say no to that ! Go get your man and your happy ending. You deserved it."

---

Alec looked at his phone screen, his thumb hovering over the call button. He had told Magnus he would be calling, so why was he hesitating now? Magnus was expecting his call. Maybe even looking forward to it?

Before it all went to Hell when he told Magnus the truth.

With a groan, Alec stopped procrastinating and pressed the dial button.

"Hello, Alexander."

Magnus. Hi. I'm calling you…like I said."

He closed his eyes. Could he be any more awkward?

"You said so indeed," Magnus replied and there was mirth in his voice. Alec cleared his throat.

"I…yes. So would you happen to be free tonight? I was thinking we could meet at McKenna's. Is seven ok ?"

"Absolutely. See you tonight, Alec."

"Bye Magnus."

Alec lay down on his bed, taking deep breaths to calm his erratic pulse.

Here goes nothing.

---

The bar was crowded tonight. Alec had arrived 15 minutes early to make sure he could secure a table for him and Magnus. Which turned out to be a mistake because then he had had plenty of time to work himself up before Magnus arrived, rocketing his anxiety to an unreasonable level.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts he didn't even see Magnus arrive, and got startled when the other man sat down.

"Hello, Alexander. Are you alright?" he asked upon eyeing Alec's clearly agitated state.

"Yes. Yes, I'm…I'm fine?"

Magnus chuckled. "Are you asking me if you are ?"

"No, sorry. That was stupid."

Alec tried to regulate his breathing and form a coherent thought, but the heat and the incessant chatter around him made his head buzz in a deeply unpleasant way. His vision tunnelled and he couldn't see clearly anymore.

He closed his eyes, not seeing Magnus' fond look turned into a worried one.

"Alec, what is going on?"

"I need to get out of here," he choked and Magnus rose immediately.

"Of course. Let's go."

He took Alec's hand and led him through the crowd to the exit, and Alec followed blindly, overwhelmed.

They walked for a few minutes before taking a flight of stairs and Alec took a deep breath, aware of his surroundings again.

They were on the Highline.

The sounds were muffled here, and the air seemed clearer. Alec gripped the balustrade, watching as the setting sun was casting a warm, orange glow on the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson on the other side. He closed his eyes again, focusing on calming his racing heart. He concentrated on the white noise coming from the city, the smell of wisteria hanging nearby, and he felt like he could breathe again.

"Are you alright?" Magnus asked for the second time, in a quiet voice and Alec used it as its final anchor to ground himself back into the moment. He nodded and looked back at his companion, smiling.

"Do these panic attacks occur often ?" Magnus asked, worry lacing his voice.

Alec shook his head. "It used to, but I hadn't had one in a very long time. The last few weeks have been…stressful."

Magnus put a comforting hand on his arm and Alec's whole body ached at the touch, as every bone and every nerve ending remembered what it was like to be held by Magnus.

"What you wanted to talk to me about…Is that what triggered it?"

"I'm not marrying Maia," Alec simply replied, cutting to the chase not that his mind was focusing again.

Magnus let out a deep sigh. "Oh dear. I was afraid of that. What happened?"

"Well, she's marrying someone else."

A horrified look appeared on Magnu's face. "What? Oh, God, Alexander, that is terrible ! How could she do this to you? No wonder you are so upset!"

"Oh no, no, I'm explaining this all wrong. Sorry. Maia and I were never engaged for real. I just helped her pretend we were so she could prepare her wedding to the man she loved. His name is Jordan. She didn't want her parents to know, at first, but she told them the truth last night, allowing me to be able to talk to you today."

There was a pause, then Magnus said, "Of all the scenarios, I hadn't seen that one coming."

Alec bit his lower lip, his heart galloping in his chest."So, you're not mad we lied to you?"

Moment of truth.

"Is the wedding still on ? With Maia and her new beau?"

"Absolutely"

"Then no, I'm not mad," Magnus said with a smirk. "I'm actually rather happy by this turn of events, but I need to clear up something. Does this mean you're single then?"

"Absolutely, completely single."

Magnus' eyes darkened. "So let's say I wanted to kiss you right now…"

Alec stopped attacking his lip and let it turn into a wide smile. "I would not stop you."

When their lips met, Alec's brain went blissfully quiet. All he focused on was the feeling of Magnus' hands on his cheek and the nape of his neck. The familiar scent of sandalwood invaded his senses as a feeling of relief and elation filled his heart.

Alec smiled into the kiss and Magnus felt it, stopping and grinning against his lips. "What?"

"Nothing.I'm just happy. To be here with you."

"I know the feeling," Magnus replied hoarsely.

Their mouths, who had barely separated, met again and Alec pressed his body to Magnus, pushing him against the balustrade. There was no more space between their bodies and Alec could feel his heart thudding against Magnus'.

They were both breathless when they found the strength to pull away. Alec held his hands against Magnus'cheeks, stroking his skin with his thumb, a little bit in awe at the fact he was now allowed to do that.

"My car is parked near your restaurant. What do you say we take this back to my place?"Magnus asked.

"Brilliant idea."

As soon as the door is closed they attacked each other's mouth again, and Alex has a fleeting thought of deja vu that makes him laugh into the kiss.

"This is the second time I've been here, and I still haven't seen your apartment besides your bedroom. I don't even know where we are in Brooklyn"

With a chuckle, Magnus gives him his address. "You're not going to run into the middle of the night again, are you?" He joked, but there was an underlying uncertainty in his tone.

"Not if I can help it," Alec reassured him with a soft kiss, before starting to unbutton his shirt.

"Then I promise to give you a tour of the place tomorrow morning. But in the meantime, I think we have better things to do."

Later in the night, after the passion and urgency made way to more quiet, intimate moments, they took the time to exchange sweet nothings and promises as they sat facing each other, legs entangled and hands hovering caressingly over the other's body.

"I want to take you on a date," Magnus whispered, his lips wandering against Alec's collarbone. His knuckles came to caress the beads of Alec' spine and the young man shivered.

"I would love that. Magnus…"Alec caught his hand, intertwining their fingers. "I need you to know that this…us…is serious to me. Very much so."

Magnus smiled and leaned in, stealing a kiss.

"For me too, Alexander."

Alec let out a soft exhale, happiness filling his heart to the point of bursting. He pushed Magnus back on the bed and crawled on top of him.

"Good. Cause I'm not done with you," he said, his fingertips grazing Magnus'stomach, getting progressively lower.

"Mmmh. Sounds like a threat."

Mischief lighted up hazel eyes. "Oh no…It's a promise."

---

Magnus was extremely proud of himself.

To be honest, he was always proud when it came to his events. He was a pretty damn good wedding planner and he knew it.

The Robert's backyard was absolutely lovely, with all the flowers and the gazebo, beautifully decorated, and waiting for the ceremony to start. Guests had started to arrive and were starting to mingle in the garden, enjoying the warm temperature.

The best part ? Tonight, Magnus was the one going home with the groom. Well, the ex-groom. Or rather the groom that never was. Whatever. Alec was his, which was the important thing to remember.

"Good morning, Mr Bane."

Magnus smiled before turning around and facing Alec, who was a vision in a tuxedo, his hair perfectly coiffed except for a few short rebellious curls on his forehead, and a smile that matched the sparkle in his hazel eyes.

"Mr Lightwood. So good to see you."

Alec gestured to the garden. This is amazing. I'm actually thinking of hiring you for my own wedding someday."

Magnus smirked. "Oh, I already have some ideas."

Their eyes met, and Magnus was flooded with vivid images of last night's activities. His brain kind of short-circuited, especially when Alex leaned towards him and added in a husky voice, "I really want to kiss you right now."

He swallowed, keeping his composure with great efforts. "Normally I would be completely on board with it, but I think there are still people here who think you are the groom, so this might make things a bit awkward."

"Imagine the look on their face, though." They exchange a knowing smile.

"On second thought…" Magnus grabbed his hand and pulled him as discreetly as possible in the house, greeting a few people on the way as if everything was normal and he wasn't about to have his way with the gorgeous man behind him, preferably against the nearest horizontal surface.

He opened a door, which turned out to be a study.

It didn't really matter. What mattered is that it was empty.

Magnus dragged Alec inside before closing the door and shoving Alec against it.

Alec's eyebrows rose as a wicked smile played on his lips. "So you're choosing violence today, Mr Bane?"

"Stop calling me Mr Bane."

"Isn't that your name?

"Yes, but it does inappropriate things to me, and I'm technically at work."

"Sorry. I won't do it again…Mr Bane."

Magnus groaned,"Remember you asked for this."

"Watch me not complain-mmpf"

He was interrupted as Magnus's mouth covered his hungrily. Alec's lips were warm and inviting, opening willingly to let Magnus in and explore at his own leisure. He felt one of Alec's hands slide under his jacket and pull at his shirt, untucking it from his pants before fingers met skin, and Magnus let out a moan.

Alec had used his shampoo in the shower this morning, and the sandalwood scent on him was intoxicating. Their hips met as one of Alec's thighs slipped between his, and the friction made Mgnus gasped, as Alec's ragged breath grazed his cheek, just as voices were heard in the corridor.

They separated abruptly, the reality of their location and the situation crashing down on them like an icy rain pour.

Alec looked like sin incarnated with his hair dishevelled, his cheeks flushed, his cravat all crooked. Magnus was sure he didn't look much better. Or rather, they both looked amazing, but certainly not for the public eye.

"Raincheck," Magnus croaked.

"Definitely," Alex agreed, still panting.

They helped fix each other's suits and hair.

"Do I look presentable?"

Alec pouted. "Sadly yes. I liked it better five minutes ago."

A sparkle of mischief shone in the young man's eyes. Magnus laughed and slapped his shoulder.

"Shut up, you."

He loved that playful, flirty side of Alec which the young man was letting out more and more as their relationship progressed.

They couldn't help but exchange another, more tamed kiss before exiting the study. Magnus went to find Catarina and Alec joined his mother and sister.

Izzy smirked. "Your cravat is all messed up. You really should leave the Wedding Planner alone."

"Well, actually, he's the one who…Never mind. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Maryse put a hand on his cheek and gave him a soft look. "I'm happy to see you happy."

"I am, mom."

He met Magnus' eyes from the other side of the garden. If happy meant having his heart full and a stupid grin on his face each time he saw him, then yes, he was tremendously happy.

He felt like his world had been off its axis, and when Magnus came around he put it back on effortlessly, making things right.

As if driven by the same magnetic pull, Magnus excused himself and joined them. His hand automatically came to rest on Alec's back before he took it away with a sheepish look.

He had met Maryse and Isabelle a couple of times, and got along with them greatly.

"How did they explain the change of grooms?"Izzy asked him after some small talk.

"They said it was a printing error ... as Alec was Maia's best man,the confusion came from there. That a few of the invitations had Alec's name on it and the rest had Jordan, and they didn't check before sending them. Those with Jordan's name never existed of course. People seemed to buy it."

"Or they pretend they did and politely kept their mouth shut," Maryse said with a knowing smile.

They all gathered near the gazebo as it was time for the ceremony, and the rest of the day was filled with lovely moments and laughter.

After a few dances with her husband and a few family members, Maia led Alex on the dancefloor to the notes of a Michale Buble song.

"You look beautiful," he told her with a kiss on her cheek. "You and Jordan are perfect together."

"Thank you. You know, I wanted to apologise again for involving you in that charade, but I have a feeling that instead I just have to say 'You're welcome'."

Alec laughed. "I can't disagree with you on that. So thank you, Maia."

His eyes were drawn to Magnus again, who was talking to his mom. He must have felt Alec's gaze though as he looked back and winked.

Maia followed his gaze and shook her head."You two are so lovey-dovey, I don't know if it's cute or gross."

Alec rolled his eyes. "We're not lovey-dovey. And who says that anymore?"

"Alec, you're Oxford's dictionary definition of lovey-dovey. I don't make the rules," she sing-songed and he made her twirl to shut her up.

It was nearing midnight and Magnus made his way to Alec, grabbing two champagne flutes and joining the young man who was sitting on a stool, watching the people on the dance floor.

Magnus gave him one of the flutes before clinking their glasses. "I'm officially off the clock. And another job well done, I might add."

Alec chuckled, taking a sip of the champagne. "Does it mean you're allowed to go home?"

The intensity in Magnus's eyes made Alec's stomach flip. "It means I'm allowed to do this," he replied as his hand came to cup Alec's cheek and he leaned to press his mouth to Alec's and gave him a lingering, soft kiss. Alec closed his eyes, savouring the warmth of his lips and his familiar scent, making him a bit dizzy.

"My question still stands though," he asked after a while. "Are you going home?"

"Indeed I am. Want to give me a ride?"

"Oh gladly. In more ways than one," Alec said with a good dose of mirth in his hazel eyes.

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Such a dirty mouth on you. But ok, I walked right into that one. My bad." He held his hand to Alec. "Shall we?"

Alec rose and took his hand. "We shall, Mr Bane."

Magnus gave him a look and Alec grinned, knowing he would pay for that later on.

He could live with that.

---

One year later

Alec was almost done in the kitchen when he heard a light knock on the front door. The closed sign had been put on, and it was almost 11 pm, so who could - He smiled upon eying the culprit.

He jogged to the front door and unlocked it, letting Magnus walk inside.

"Hey. That's a nice surprise."

"Well, it was a nice evening, so I thought I would take a walk and come and get my boyfriend instead of waiting at home."

Flutters in Alec's stomach at the word boyfriend. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on Magnus' lips.

"You walked all the way here ?" he asked, bewilderment tainting his voice.

"Well, there was a metro ride involved at some point but there was still a lot of walking, yes."

Alec laughed at his coyness. "I just need another five minutes and I'm all yours."

"Take your time, darling. We have all night," Magnus winked at him, and Alec felt the familiar quickening of his pulse and jolt of his heart he experienced everytime Magnus was in his proximity.

He kissed Magnus again, lingering for a few seconds before going back to the kitchen and turning off the lights. The rest would wait for tomorrow, as he obviously had better things to do tonight.

Namely, his boyfriend.

Alec locked the door behind them and they walked hand in hand to his car which was parked a bit further down the street. As soon as Alec started the engine, the sound system lit up and "Thinking out loud" filled the cabin.

"Well, what are the odds,"Magnus chuckled.

Alec gave him a sheepish smile. "Pretty high since it's a playlist," he admitted and Magnus laughed, looking fondly at him while his hand came to caress Alec's cheek.

"You're such a romantic, my love."

Alec grinned, leaning in and pressing another kiss to his mouth. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Once home, Alec went to take a quick shower and change into comfortable clothes before joining Magnus. They had this ritual during summer evenings to get together on the terrasse and talk about their day. Alec loved it there, it was secluded and protected from the city noises, and the smell of the wisteria growing against the wall reminded Alec of that night on the Highline.

Magnus handed him a glass of Calvados - their preferred choice of drink most times for the memory it evoked. Alec thanked him with a kiss before they both leaned on the balcony wall, their shoulders brushing.

"Day off tomorrow?" Magnus asked and Alec nodded. A few months ago he had hired a sous-chef, Raphael. He was doing so well that Alec had been able to take a night off once a week at first, and then the Sundays, which was Magnus' day off as well. The both of them had busy lives but had found their routine and ways to make it work. Lately Alec had been entertaining the idea of opening a new, different kind of restaurant, this time in Brooklyn, and Magnus was fully supportive.

But the Sundays were now their day, and they intended to keep it that way.

Alec took a sip of his drink, appreciating the spicy taste of apple, pear and chocolate. "What do you want to do?"

"Stay in bed all day?" Magnus suggested with an impish smile as he bumped his hip into Alec's.

Alec turned to him, his hand raising to brush his knuckles against Magnus cheek, and was about to say that tomorrow was going to be a beautiful day, they could go to the Farmer's market, or have a pic-nic in one of the nearby parks, or take a stroll hand in hand on the Brooklyn bridge. But then he thought of Magnus'gigantic bed, his soft sheets, his firm body and magical hands, and made up his mind.

"I approve of that plan," he whispered as he grabbed Magnus'hand and led him inside, the look in his eyes leaving no doubt about his intentions.

They could go out another day.

They had many, many Sundays ahead of them anyway.