Reviews are love and any constructive criticism greatly appreciated :D I always like hearing how I can improve.

Pairings: Magnus/Alec

Warnings: M/M love, don't like, don't read.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the amazing Cassandra Clare who gave us these amazing characters. I'm just playing with them ;D Title is from the beautiful song "Breathe Again" by Sara Bareilles.

Summary: Set in the end of City of Bones, after Magnus comes to save Alec.

Thanks so much to my lovely Beta Arya Cole for reviewing this for me!

NOTE: I realise, I may be going a little fast with this… I can't write suspense and drama between a relationship not existing and being established, so that's why most of my writings will probably be fast in progression… I blame my teenage hormones :D

The Date

Whether it was fear or excitement that was predominantly radiating through his body, Alec didn't know. He was definitely nervous, that much was for sure. Funny how he had next to no qualms about facing a murderous demon but became a wreck when faced with a date. He would take a demon over this any day. In fact, for the larger part of the day, Alec had been praying to the angel that some emergency would come up and he would have to cancel on Magnus.

But Jace hadn't come running about anything, which, in retrospect was a good thing. He would immediately realise that something about Alec's behaviour was off. He was nervous, fidgety and wearing, instead of a plain black shirt and a pair of plain jeans, a button-down shirt - albeit black still - and a pair of black trousers that he could not for the life of him remember buying in the first place. No, the embarrassment of explaining to Jace where he was going and especially for what was not one he was prepared to face if he could help it. Which was why he had holed himself up in his room all day, not even coming out for meals.

Granted, that was not something that alarmed anyone. With their parents still absent, Isabelle was still cooking. Or at least she called it that. But seeing as no one would have bothered to show up to eat whatever she prepared, the girl had pretty much given up on it herself. Speaking of the devil-

"Alec, open up. Jace and I haven't seen you all day, what are you doing in there?"

Alec reassured himself that the locking rune on the door was still in place, then attempted to compose an excuse in his mind.

"N-Nothing. Don't worry about me, I… am just feeling a bit ill, that's all. Don't want you guy to, uh, catch anything."

Excellent. That cleared the way to how he would get away with not being here. As long as no one came to look for him, he would be fine.

Apparently the answer was satisfying enough for Isabelle. Of course. She hated getting ill and for that matter, Jace and Alec hated her getting ill just as much. She became insufferable. Alec heard before her footsteps echoed through the hall and away from his room. Thank god.

Jace, he knew, would not bother him unless absolutely necessary. He had his hands full with that idiotic mundane girl that seemed to fascinate him for reasons Alec neither could nor wished to comprehend. With her frizzy and dull orange hair and the freckles she seemed more like one of those dolls Isabelle used to get (most of which ended up strewn around her room headless) from relatives who felt she must like girly things no matter whether she was a Nephilim or not. She really didn't.

Outside, the clouds that were covering the dark blue sky faded into the background as it got darker by the minute. It was a sign that it would be time to get going soon. Alec couldn't put it off any longer, despite his efforts. By the time he was creeping out of his room and down the halls of the Institute to the front door, he was fighting a mental battle over whether he could blow this off or not. From what he had observed, however, it was very likely Magnus would then either come here and drag him out, or would find another way to make Alec make good on his promise.

"Alec? Where are you going?"

Crap. "Nowhere." He answered a bit too quickly. Isabelle looked at him quizzically as he turned around to meet her stare, biting his lip slightly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. I'm going… for a walk. To, er, clear my mind, get fresh air, feel better, you know. Tell Jace I said bye."

With that, the lanky boy fled the large church-like building before his sister could make any more protests. Once outside, he leant again the cold stone wall and sucked in a deep breath of the cool air that was brushing against him harshly. It was only then that he realised that he hadn't brought a jacket. So much for remaining calm enough not to let the whole situation get to him. It wasn't like he could really go back now, escaping Isabelle without an explanation once was rare enough. Twice was a feat he wasn't prepared to attempt to accomplish.

Rubbing his arms to defeat the cold a little, Alec paced through the gardens and down to the gate, all the while concentrating on as little as possible so he wouldn't run back to safety. Walking from the Institute down to Brooklyn took him long enough for that plan to fall through terribly. By the time he was nearing the street Magnus lived in; his heart was pounding so hard he could hear it better than his footsteps resounding on the uneven pavement.

His index finger inches away from the doorbell, Alec hesitated. He knew he couldn't go back now… could he? Maybe if he just snuck away, call later and claim he was ill. Yes, that would work, he could just turn around and-

You know what the great thing about a window is? I see people approaching.

At the sudden voice speaking through the telecom device, Alec jumped slightly, his breath caught for a second as his eyes went wide. Too late now, he couldn't go back. Magnus had already seen him.

"uh…" he said, awkwardly running a hand through his unruly hair before he heard a robotic chuckle and the door buzzed open. Here goes…

The staircase was dark and looked like it hadn't been refurbished in quite some time, even though it could use some renovating. It creaked with every step the Nephilim took up the stairs, making him wince repeatedly. When he stepped on the first floor landing, a trail of light revealed the warlock's front door to be open and it only took another moment of hesitation on Alec's part before the tall man appeared in the doorway, leaning against it casually and watching the younger man with intent amusement.

At first glance from afar, he looked much like he had at the party, glitter covering his hair and clothes, which were far more colourful than everything in Alec's wardrobe combined. But Alec could tell a difference in the warlock. His hair was down, making it look softer and framing his slender face. He was wearing a bright purple button down shirt rolled up to his elbows to reveal the tanned, caramel coloured skin. His hands were without rings and his face coated only minimally in glitter. As for his lips, instead of sparkly and brightly coloured, they were a natural dark pink, making Alec blush when he realised he had been staring at them.

"Well, don't be shy. It's safer in here than it is in the hallway, as unbelievable as that might sound, trust me."

Alec smiled shyly and walked forward slowly, eyes trained on the wall beyond Magnus, as he entered the dimly lit apartment. He could make out a table, laid with plates and cutlery and a lamp that stood nearby provided all the light they needed to see well. The scent of spaghetti floated through the air and hit Alec's nostrils as he turned around to Magnus. "You cook?"

"Not usually, no." came the response "but I thought I would make an exception tonight. I would offer to take your coat, but that would leave you topless and I don't think we're quite at that stage yet."

"How do you do that?" Alec's tone was snappy, more so than he had thought it would be what with the feelings that came with the deep crimson shade his face went.

"Do what?" Magnus seemed genuinely confused, looking toward the kitchen as if to make out whether his cooking was what Alec was getting at.

"Those… comments." The petulance had succumbed to almost a whisper, directed at the floor rather than the warlock. "You always make… allusions. Why can't you just ask questions a normal person would ask?"

Magnus fought the urge to laugh as he all but stared at the frown on the shadowhunter's face. "Guess I'm not used to people who don't respond to playfulness…" he murmured before shaking his head slightly with a grin. "Tell you what, I'll try that. Tonight only, I'll attempt to make this the kind of date you'll enjoy." When the word 'date' brought on another small blush on Alec's face, Magnus's grin widened and he motioned for Alec to sit down at the table, which the younger boy did, reluctantly.

He was starting to bite his fingernails. It wasn't attractive, but Alec wasn't going for that effect; he was too nervous to go for any effect.

A few minutes later, Magnus resurfaced from the kitchen where he had fled after Alec had finally given into the temptation to sit down. In his hands was a large pan, smoke curling upwards from it as Magnus came over and lifted a small portion of spaghetti into Alec's plate (at the boy's request of "I'm really not that hungry") and a slightly larger portion into his own. Disappearing back into the kitchen, he popped his head out and asked "What would you like to drink? Coke? Sprite? Wine?" he winked as he added the last item.

"I'll, er, have some water, please."

"Of course you will." Magnus smirked and reappeared a second later with two glasses, one of which was filled with a dark crimson liquid Alec took to be wine from the smell wafting from it, the other filled with plain water. Alec took a long draught from it to nourish his parched throat while Magnus observed him from the other side of the table, making him begin to fidget nervously.

"What?" he asked, finally, looking up at the warlock sheepishly.

"Nothing." Magnus murmured, though his eyes were unmoving, remaining on the young Nephilim. "You fascinate me."

Alec hid his face in the shade of the lamp, waiting for another blush to subside. He didn't know what to say to that, it wasn't a comment he was accustomed to being affronted with. Instead, he focused on the soft song that was strumming through the silence from the stereo, a tune Alec was not familiar with but liked nevertheless.

Eventually, he realised that Magnus was waiting for him to start eating before he himself did. Alec complied, finding that the warlock was actually rather a good cook. The Nephilim had forgotten how hungry he was, the nervous flips in his stomach setting aside all feeling of hunger, which returned when he ate a spoonful of the spaghetti. It was delicious, really. Much better than the supermarket ready meals he and Jace had been condemned to having to survive without their mother's cooking. Maybe Magnus could teach Isabelle something when it came to preparing meals.

Magnus still finished before Alec, even though when Alec looked up he had the sense as if the warlock had been looking at him for quite a while without eating. "It, um, it was very good. Thanks." He muttered, eyes on the wooden surface of the table as if to trace the lines etched in it by nature. Only after he heard no response for another five minutes, did he look back up at the warlock.

There was a curious expression on Magnus' face. His catlike eyes still rested on Alec, but with a contemplative expression that hadn't been there before. It unsettled the younger man and he shifted in his seat, biting his lip again.

"Sorry" the warlock said quietly, his voice matching the expression that had now faded again. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Alec offered a smile to let him know it was okay. He was okay.

A sigh came from across the table as Magnus observed the still rigid posture of Alec's. He knew the boy was uncomfortable but it had never connected with him just to what extent. And it wasn't just today, even at the party. The boy looked pained almost always and Magnus couldn't figure out why. He got up, suddenly, snapped his fingers and the plates disappeared and landed in the sink with a loud clatter. Then, he turned to Alec and reached for his hand that lay on the table, almost clenched. He flinched away from the contact before it was even initiated. But Magnus was persistent. He smiled almost mockingly and grabbed Alec's hand faster than Alec could retract it again, pulling him up and out of the chair.

Alec jerked at the contact, looking at him with an almost terrified expression. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I'm not taking you to a nightclub or anything, god knows you would probably make a run for it at the first sight of a flashing neon sign and we can't have that now, can we?" With another pull, he got Alec settled on the couch and let himself fall on it next to him, causing the Nephilim to scoot to the far end of the sofa, looking as though he was about to jump up at any sudden movements.

A chuckle elicited from the warlock. "Alright, this is really too painful to bear." At Alec's furrowed brow, he went on. "Honey, I know you're uncomfortable. As much as you might hate this, I can read you like an issue of Vogue" The pop culture reference was lost on Alec. "Look, I can see you're uncomfortable with yourself. I mean, if you were any farther in the closet, you would never find your way out again. I know you're hung up on the blonde and even more tortured because he clearly doesn't reciprocate the feelings and yet… it seems more like infatuation than anything else. The adoring looks you throw at him-"

Alec jumped up before Magnus could get any further, much to the warlock's surprise. "Don't pretend you know anything, anything about me!" he was fuming, if looks could kill, Magnus would have been at the very core of hell right now. "You don't know me, you have no right to assume you do! And don't you dare talk about Jace in that tone again! You don't know how he is, you don't know him at all! He's not half as cocky as you are, not half as arrogant and insolent! I mean do you have to be so flashy? Do you have to try and make everyone feel as uncomfortable as possible by singling them out when you know how uncomfortable they will be with that?" He was seething, breath coming harshly and in short bursts as he glowered at Magnus, who had recovered from the initial surprise and was on his feet coming toward Alec, hands raised as if in surrender.

"Honey" Alec flinched at the term of endearment. "I'm not saying I know you. With everything about you I can clearly see you display, you still manage to remain a mystery to me. I told you, you fascinate me. All I want is for you to... well, to relax." Magnus dared to take a step forward toward the Shadowhunter, who looked to the ground for a second, as if to measure the remaining distance between them, but remained unmoving.

"You're right. I don't know you at all. But... I would like to. If you would just open up a little. There is nothing you need to hide from me, Alec. I won't tell a living soul... or a dead one, for that matter. All I am saying that I know is what I can see and assume from it." The initial smile on Magnus' face had disappeared by now, replaced by an honest, calm expression. The sheer patience of it made Alec want to slap him. He wasn't used to being paid any attention to and honestly, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. But in a way, it was nice. Someone wasn't just forcefully listening to him, they were actually asking him to talk. To complain about life and everything. And the Nephilim didn't know if he could resist such an offer.

Alec was breathing heavily as he drew a hand through his hair. He could have sat down again, but he really didn't want to be sitting right now. If he was going to tell Magnus anything, it would have to be in a way where he could occasionally access a wall.

"I... don't know where to start." Magnus frowned. "How about I ask, and you answer. And if I get too personal, feel free to let your anger out on me rather than the furnishing. I can take a punch, trust me. I've been in my fair share of bar fights. Alec nodded numbly, an uncertainly amused smile appearing for a flash of a second. "How long have you known?"

It was one of those questions Alec was the most terrified of answering. But Magnus was making an effort. One no one else had ever made before. "I honestly don't know" the young man whispered hoarsely. "I-I guess I've always... idolised Jace." The hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth as he said the name would have hurt Magnus, had it not been for the sour undertone as Alec said the blonde's name. "He's everything we're supposed to be. Like the golden boy of the family, except... all the trouble he gets into. I... he..." Alec looked pained talking about Jace. He clearly wasn't comfortable with the subject.

"You don't have to go on. I understand."

"Thanks" Alec murmured, looking to the floor. "I just... don't know how to deal with it. My parents, they... they have this perfect image of me and Isabelle. We're supposed to-to be like them. Marry other Shadowhunters, have... children," Alec flinched "I don't know how to tell them that I won't be able to give them most of that. I'm not even that amazing a Shadowhunter as that it could make up for it. I haven't even killed one single demon!" Anger flashed in his eyes as he spoke, his eyes kept to the floor. "And I'm scared" his tone was softer now, speaking was getting easier. His rigid posture remained the same, but the more he spoke, the easier it got to just... open up.

"I'm so scared of what people will think."

He barely saw the warlock take a careful step forward. A warm hand touched his chin and tilted his head upward so that Alec was staring right into Magnus' bright catlike eyes. He didn't flinch away. Didn't look down, just gazed into them carefully, his expression so vulnerable Magnus could feel his heart skip a beat in sympathy as he smiled ever so slightly and comfortingly. "Don't be" he whispered to the Nephilim. They stood closer than Alec had ever stood to anyone. His vision was blurred, the only thing in focus the warlock, his caramel coloured skin glowing softly in the dim light. And Alec couldn't but confess that he was absolutely beautiful.

"Don't be scared." Magnus voice was soothing. It rendered Alec relaxed and unable to move, his heartbeat increasing by the second.

Slowly, the warlock leant forward, his eyes not leaving Alec's in case the boy showed any sign of hesitation. He didn't.

And with the least pressure possible, soft lips found Alec's, brushing against them softly. It sent a pleasant chill down Alec's spine. The contact was only for a second, but it was all Magnus needed to know it was okay before he pressed their lips together more firmly, allowing a second to see Alec's eyes fluttering closed as he gave in, before he let his eyelids drop. Their lips moved together perfectly synchronised and Alec's hesitation subsided slightly.

When Magnus' hand played with Alec's hair, using the contact to draw the Nephilim closer, Alec shivered almost unnoticeable and his hand gripped the purple shirt tightly before he could stop himself, drawing them closer still while their lips remained sealed in a soft, tender kiss. Magnus was neither pressuring nor demanding. He was almost waiting for Alec to withdraw, giving him the freedom to do so, but Alec's mind had lost all common sense at that moment. He didn't want this to end. He could hear his own heart beating erratically against his chest, but it wasn't enough to bring him back to his self-conscious state like it usually would.

It must have been minutes before he finally leaned away from Magnus' lips, breathing heavily as he tried to make sense of the mess in his mind. For a moment, he stood looking at the floor, then he slowly looked up at the warlock. His eyes were even brighter, if that was possible, and yet softer than he had ever seen Magnus. There was a vulnerability there, something Alec could not quite figure out as he just stared straight into those green eyes unwaveringly for the first time. It hadn't quite caught up with him what just happened. He found himself responding to Magnus' smile with one of his own.

They stood there for what seemed like forever, impossibly close, just looking in each others eyes. "I... should go..." Alec said almost inaudibly. At Magnus' hurt expression he added "Isabelle will get worried, sh-she gets paranoid easily". The warlock almost grinned as he snapped his hand. Alec frowned slightly, wondering what had happened. Then he felt the warmth of a coat being drawn around him. "It's cold outside." Magnus reasoned and Alec flushed again, even more so when he felt the older man's fingertips brushing against his cheek ever so softly. "Call me?" His voice was almost uncertain and Alec paused, breath catching in his throat as he waited for the feeling to subside.

"I will"

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out the apartment, his legs shaking slightly. Thoughts finally caught up with him when a cold gust of wind knocked against him and he gave a shaky laugh. With a deep crimson blush, Alec drew the coat near and noticed the same smell he had come to associate with the warlock hanging on it. It brought a smile to him as he walked back to the Institute, not noticing either Isabelle or Jace asking him where he had been and what he had been doing out so late. He only smiled, cheeks still flushed and the fluttering sensation in his stomach never ceasing.