Everyone has it. Everyone has the 'Tatoo'. Mundanes, Downworlders and Nephilims alike. It is not a Shadowhunter rune. It was just there. It was the digits in your wrist, counting down, changing everytime you blink. Counting down till you meet your soulmate, the one who is fated to have your heart. Every Timer starts at 24:60:60, it doesn't start counting down until the moment you will meet your soulmate is nearing. And the moment you meet him/her, the moment you lock eyes, the digits fades away, only to be replaced by your soulmate's name.

Alec got scared when he looked down at his wrist this morning. He didn't notice it until now. When he saw that he will be meeting his soulmate in 3 hours, to say that he panicked is an understatement. He was scared of being rejected. What if his soulmate is not a girl? He was scared that he'll be pushed out the closet. Just thinking of his parent's reaction makes him shiver in fear. Will they kick him out? Request to strip him of his Marks? Will they kill him?

"Alec! Alec! Open the door!" The door shook a little as Isabelle knocked. With a sigh, Alec stands up and swung the door open.
"Hey, are you okay? You look pale." Isabelle placed a hand on Alec's forehead, to which he immediately shook away, and instead of answering his sister verbally, he simply raised his wrist up to his sister's vision. Isabelle gave a gasp
"Three hours! Alec! Three hours!" Alec gave Isabelle a small smile.
"Finally huh?"
Isabelle's eyes lit up in excitement as she pushed his brother in. "You're lucky that I know a thing or two in fashion!"
Immediately, Isabelle opens the cabinet doors and starts digging.
"You're coming with us right?" Isabelle asks "Yes, I am." Alec tried to restrain the bitter tone. Today, he was going with his siblings, together with the redheaded girl and the mundane to try and solve the mystery of Clary's missing memories. He knows he had no right to be jealous, because really, Alec knows deep inside the Jace wasn't his. But it still hurts. nevertheless.
"Where are we going by the way? I haven't-" Isabelle threw a shirt on Alec's face "Details! Details! Try those on!"
Alec can't help but groan.

After 800 years, Magnus believed that his Timer was broken, that he was abnormal. He had grown to believe that his Timer won't ever change from 24:60:60, and that he won't ever have a soulmate. But here he was, gaping and staring at utter disbelief at his wrist, his Timer is ticking down.
"Three hours, 26 minutes and 17 seconds." he mutters, maybe he wasn't abnormal afterall. He had been numb in shock seconds ago, but now, he felt it blooming in his chest. He felt bliss warming his chest, his heart, slowly spreading to his whole body. He reaches out to pet Chairman Meow's head.
"Well, well, well. Look's like we are not only just celebrating your birthday today." He says grinning widely.

"You ready to go?" Isabelle smiles as she looks over her work.
"I think the pants are too tight." Alec says incredulously as he tries to stretch the pants "Also, you do know that we'll be in gear? I'll have to remove this later."
"I know that, dummy." Isabelle cracks a grin "Who said you'll be wearing those tonight? That's just a reference clothing for the future dates!"
Alec flushes lightly "Isabe-"
"If you guys are not by the gates after 5 minutes, we're leaving you!" They hear Jace shout. Isabelle gave Alec a look before running towards her room to change. Alec can't help but shake his head in amusement before changing into his gear.
By 5 minutes, Alec and Isabelle were already walking towards the gates where Clary, Jace and Simon have been waiting.
"Finally!" Jace straightens up "I thought we would have to leave you!"
"As if you would." Isabelle chuckles
"So, where are we going?" Alec asks while discreetly trying to peek at his wrist; 1:03:36
"To a flat in Brooklyn. We have a lead!"
"And that lead is…?"
"You'll find out soon enough! And why do you keep looking at your wrist?"
"Uh, nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Yeah right."
"Drop it."
"Fine, fine!" Jace waved a dismissal hand "Let's go then! To Brooklyn!"

The trip to Brooklyn was unexpectedly long. The sun has long set over the horizon by the time they had arrived to their destination. Alec expected to see the flat quiet and deserted, but no. It looks like a party was even going on. And judging from the vampire motorcycles parked outside, it's no ordinary mundane party.

Once again, Alec spared a glance at his wrist; 00:08:44. It was getting harder to breathe. He didn't know whether he was excited, scared, happy or horrified.

Alec was so occupied in his thought that he didn't notice the others already enter the apartment, not until Isabelle had called his name and motioned for him to come in.
The place was lot bigger in the inside; loud music blared in the room, foods and colorful drinks were everywhere, lights flashed brilliantly, downworlders danced with no care around them. All of them maneuvered around the crowd, trying to reach the wall on the other side, but the more they moved forward, the harder it was to maneuver. Soon, Alec had lost the others and then, he felt the panic rise within him. He quickly veered to the right, where there was a nearby space in the wall. He had to find the others or get out fast.
If the Downworlders realizes there is a nephilim alone, he is completely outnumbered. With a hand on the wall, he started to walk near to the door, where the crowd was less. It gave him space to breathe and also, he could secure a escape path if ever the others needs to run fast. But then, Alec can't help but look down at his wrist again; 00:00:10. And that's when the real panic sets in.

The party so far is a great success. The people were happy and entertained! Magnus was greatly pleased, but then, he spots a group of nephilim and a mundane in the crowd. Just what are they doing here? With all the downworlders here, do they have a death wish? He notices a Nephilim get separated from the group.
'Black hair and blue eyes' he notes 'my favorite.'
He watches as the blue-eyed boy panics before he quickly goes to the wall and slowly to the door. Magnus would have ignored him and followed the larger group, but there was something on that boy that he just can't look away.

0:00:10

Magnus' feet starts moving to the boy. Curious of who this beautiful trespasser is.

0:00:09

Maybe it's the boy's physique body that is luring him.

0:00:08

Maybe it's the way he was fidgeting around, like a scared cornered animal.

0:00:07

Maybe it's the black clothes that complimented his figure.

0:00:06

Magnus was only a few feet away from the boy. And he watched him, like how a hunter watches his prey.

0:00:05

Or maybe it's the air of innocence around him.

0:00:04

Magnus sees the patch of skin barely hidden by the shirt's collar. Magnus had the urge to mark that skin.

0:00:03

"Hey you."

0:00:02

The boy tenses and slowly turns around.

0:00:01

A pair of blue eyes locks in gaze with green and yellow ones.

0:00:00

And all the sudden the world vanishes around them.

All of the sudden, Alec can't breathe. A few minutes of staring at each other (or what had seems like hours). Alec dared to look down his wrist again. There in his wrist, written in elegant cursive was a name.
"Magnus Bane…?" He whispers.

Magnus forgot how to breathe.

And, just like the latter, he looked at his wrist; written in the same way was a name.

"Alexander Lightwood." Magnus says in a voice with a hint of seduction. When Alec's eyes widens, Magnus' lips formed a grin.
"Finally, after 800 years. You're finally here."