Okay, so new story. Can't exactly pinpoint the inspiration for this, but I wanted to write more Malec and this is what I ended up with. It's un-beta-ed so if there are grammatical errors point them out to me. I just wanted to post this before I left for work.

All characters belong to CC as usual.

Alec stared at the blank page on the screen of his laptop despondently. His fingers lay immobile on the keys, despite his urging for them to move. He'd be sitting in this near catatonic state for a good thirty minutes, his blue eyes glowing eerily in the unnatural light of his computer.

"Come on Alec, write!" he said to himself. His attempt at motivating himself however fell on deaf ears. Alec groaned and rested his head in his hands. He'd had writer's block for the past three days. This was his last ditched attempt at trying to come up with a semi decent idea. His creative writing professor had challenged him to write something with more emotion, and he was failing horribly at it.

"You have an amazing talent, Alec. You're writing is impeccable, but it lacks emotion. If you want people to read your novels, you have to make them care about the characters." Professor Herondale was one of the best literary professors in the country. He was lucky to have her as an instructor. At the moment, however, his resentment was overpowering his gratitude.

Alec had always loved to write. Ever since he was a child, he'd been writing short stories with crayons and construction paper. He'd been winning poetry and short story contests since he was twelve. His efforts had gained him a few scholarships, and some recognition, but not on a grand scale. Upon graduating high school, he knew without a doubt that he wanted to be an author. When he began college, however, his dreams of easy success came to a crashing halt. Herondale demanded above and beyond just okay writing. She pushed each and every one of her students to reach outside the box and push the boundaries. It was easier said than done.

If there was one thing that was nearly impossible for Alec, it was sharing his feelings. He kept to himself most of the time, and didn't complain about his problems to anyone. His sister, Isabelle, was his only confidant, and he rarely got to see her anymore. His classes kept him busier than he would like, and his part time job at the local coffee shop took up his extra hours. Though they were a year apart, they could have been twins. They both shared their mother's raven black hair and pale complexions. Aside from physical appearances, Isabelle was the only one who ever knew what he was thinking or feeling. He missed her overbearing attitude and fierce personality. There really was no one quite like Izzy. Yet, she was back home with his parents and little brother, Max.

The thought of home, struck a painful chord in Alec's chest. The past year had been difficult for him in more ways than just being away from home. He had come out to his parents his senior year. It took them a while to finally accept him, but they were still uncomfortable with his "lifestyle choice" as they liked to call it. No matter how many times he explained to them that it wasn't a choice at all, they still couldn't accept that he wasn't the model son they hoped he would be. Alec had hoped that once in college, he'd be more open with people. However, judgmental people were everywhere, and college was no exception. He lacked the self confidence to be out and proud, like some of the other students. He knew he was not alone, but he simply did not have the courage to be so forthright.

Alec snapped his laptop shut in frustration. He wasn't getting anywhere, and moping over his current situation wasn't doing anything to break his writing slump. He glanced around his small apartment, taking in his only worldly possessions. The bookshelves that lined the walls had long since overflowed their contents onto the floor, precarious towers of books now littering the floor. They were the result of years of book buying binges and garage sale excursions that he had accumulated over the years. Once he bought a book, he never got rid of it. Every novel held a memory, and as a whole they represented his entire life. Looking around, Alec couldn't help but feel disappointed by the fact that these books were all he had to show for nineteen years of his life.

Alec glanced at his watch. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his chair. He was supposed to be at work in ten minutes. His apartment was a good twenty minutes walk from the shop. Alec grabbed his jacket and keys, practically sprinting out the door.

(line break)

The shrill chime of the door bell rang as Alec came barreling through the door. Clary's head snapped up from behind the counter. Her eyes narrowing into slits as she glanced from the clock to Alec.

"I know," he said between panting breaths. He had run the entire way there, narrowly dodging traffic and pedestrians in his mad dash to be on time. "I'm sorry," he apologized, slipping behind the counter. He tied the black apron, which was his uniform, around his waist and clocked in. Clary was still staring at him reproachfully from her place at the register.

"I said I was sorry!" Alec exclaimed. "I'm only three minutes late, and I ran the entire way here. Cut me some slack, Clary." Clary's glare softened slightly, as her grim look twitched into a smile.

"You're hair looks like it's been through a tornado," she said, grinning. Alec self consciously patted down his hair, which like Clary had said, was sticking up in all matter of odd angles. "You're forgiven, just because you look so ridiculous right now," she continued, her green eyes crinkling as she smiled.

"Well gee, thanks," Alec replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Clary turned to him, and batted her eyelashes innocently.

"I kid because I care."

Alec snorted. He'd been working with Clary since the first week of school. She was a few years younger than him and attended the local high school, but she still enjoyed bossing him around. They'd become fast friends, and he couldn't really imagine his life without the fiery little redhead. She was entertaining to work with, if not a bit nosy. The third day they had worked together she turned to him and asked out of the blue, "Alec, are you gay?" After coming out to his parents, he couldn't really deny it so he told her the truth. He had been a bit taken aback by her directness, but then again, that was Clary for you. She was the one person in his new life that he could really talk to. Granted, she was no Izzy, but she was always there if he needed to unload his problems.

Work passed by in a haze. Cup of Joe was one of the most frequented coffee shops near campus. New York was home to hundreds of Starbucks, but Cup of Joe was family operated and catered to the college crowd. Plus it was a hell of a lot cheaper. Alec had always loved the atmosphere of coffee shops. He'd always go to the one near his house, laptop tucked under his arm, and work for hours on end, sipping his usual black coffee. When he heard that Cup of Joe was hiring, he applied immediately. By some small miracle, Josie, the owner had liked him and he gotten the job the very same day. It was now three months later, and Alec still loved the place.

When the after work rush finally settled down, Alec and Clary began cleaning up. There were just a few customers left, sitting at booths and tables, all absorbed with some task or another. Alec saw a few kids from school, but they were too engrossed in their cell phones to even notice him. He didn't really mind it. He hated being at the center of attention, and tended to blend in as much as possible with the crowd. Most of his fellow students saw him as standoffish and thought he was better than everyone else. In reality, Alec was just shy and terrified of awkward social situations.

As the group of students left, Alec noticed a couple in a corner booth making out. PDA wasn't really his cup of tea. He turned away quickly, and began to scrub at the already spotless counter. A wave of bitterness suddenly assaulted him. It was just so simple for some people. To flirt, to ask someone out, hold hands, and kiss. It had never been simple for Alec. The idea of actually admitting he liked someone, made him want to flee. The few crushes he'd had always ended up fruitless. He'd never had the courage to ask a guy out, and he worked so hard at being unnoticeable that he was literally invisible to any good looking guys. Sometimes it was just so frustrating. Alec knew it wasn't because he wasn't attractive. He considered himself pretty average in looks, but he wasn't mind blowingly hot by any means. He just froze when it came to talking to cute boys. He acted like a blubbering idiot and ruined any chance of a potential date.

Alec sighed, and stopped scrubbing. He was moping, again. I just need to stop being so uptight, he thought to himself. If he could lighten up, and not freak out when someone showed interest, he might actually stand a chance. Alec breathed in and out deeply. He resolved that when the next opportunity arrived, he wouldn't chicken out.

No matter how much he tried to convince himself that he was happy with his life, he knew that there was something missing. Someone, missing.

A/N: I'll be alternating POV's between Alec and Magnus each chapter, so the next one shall be Magnus. What do you think? I think writer Alec is rather adorable. Hehe. Review, review, review! I'll give you chocolate covered coffee beans. *grin*