I would have been angry at Alec for disturbing my slumber if it wasn't so damn nice to feel that he was in my arms. When he started to shift on the bed I planted a kiss at the nape of his neck and whispered a hoarse "Good Morning, love."

"I didn't mean to wake you..." He said apologetically. Softly, as if he didn't want to disturb me anymore. I felt him move as if to pull away and was having none of it. I squeezed his waist with the arm wrapped around it and traced runes up his forearm with my free hand. I didn't have to look; I was starting to learn these marks by heart. I wanted know Alexander Lightwood by heart.

"I was already up." I told him as I guided by finger over a fearless mark.

"Good one." Said Alec as his strong hands came to peel my arms away. He rolled to face me.

Alexander had the most beautiful eyes, though they were half hidden by his dark lashes at the time. He seemed at peace, rested. But still half asleep. I kissed him and felt his lips curl into a smile beneath mine. I smiled too as I pulled back, memories of the night before floated to the front of my mind.

"My throat is killing me."

He laughed a little. He had a great laugh; it was breathy, more smile than sound. He buried his head in my shoulder. Besides the fact it was comfortable I knew that Alec was trying to hide his face from me. I was getting used to random bouts of shyness as well as the random bursts of confidence. Someday I was going to figure out the pattern and they wouldn't be so random anymore. Until then I was taking things as they came.

"I'm not surprised. You can be pretty... Vocal." I could practically hear the eye-roll in his tone and bit his ear as punishment. I hadn't been that loud. He made a pleased noise of his own. Then he was pushing against my chest and pulling away again. "Nope. No. I don't have time to lie here all day. I'm late."

I let my eyes flicker to the clock and let my hand find an iratze on Alexander's hip bone. Glowing red letters told me that it was only 8:30. Shadowhunters were insane.

"Too early." I said. "Just a few more hours..."

He shook his head, making some of his un-styled hair fall into his face. I pushed it back but it only fell through my fingers. I repeated the gesture anyway. He'd taken to using my shampoo, I could tell from the texture. Lilith knew whatever products they used at the Institute did not make it feel that way.

He kissed me again. "Sorry."

Before I figured out what he was apologising for he was out of bed. Damn. I propped up on one arm to watch him. Can you blame me? It was easy for people to overlook with the way he dressed, but Alexander's body was a sight to behold. You just knew he'd grow up well; the way men ought to. All strength and calluses and battle scars. Not stuck as a teenage boy forever.

I'm not bitter. Promise.

"Hey, did you snap away my...?" Alec began. I blinked at him stood there completely bare. He was looking at the floor since he'd noticed me staring. Bewildered, I turned my hand as an indication for him to finish his sentence. "I only see my shirt and jeans."

Looking around my dark room I saw that clothes had been haphazardly shed and thrown all about, and while I kept in mind that maybe one time I should magically snap his undergarments into oblivion, it wasn't the case then.

"They probably got kicked under the bed." I told him and stretched out. It was still too early, but I was already awake. I closed my eyes when I felt my body click, relief I didn't know I needed flooding though me. I was still aching but in all the right places. In that state I probably could have dozed off again. I may well have done if Alec hadn't spoken again. When I opened my eyes again, my mouth dropped open too. He'd found and put on his boxers, but what he was holding was the shocker.

"Uh, Magnus, why would you need to cushion handcuffs?"

I closed my mouth, opened it to speak, closed it again. I didn't even remember getting those. Had he found them under the bed? I dreaded to think what kind of horrors I might have stored under there which had been put out of mind.

"Aren't they meant to hurt?" He asked.

'Sometimes', I thought immediately. Some people were sadists. Or masochists. I internally willed those kind of thoughts away. Clearly Alec wasn't talking about anything like that. I got the feeling, judging by the completely unabashed look on his face, that he hadn't even made a sexual link. He was a Shadowhunter after all; Nephilim had runes to create restraints of fire for punishing criminals. Lessening the discomfort must have been a completely alien concept to him. I almost wanted to laugh. It was difficult to keep a straight face.

"They aren't for criminals. Some people like to be restrained." I told him as collectedly as I possibly could. Stifling the grin was a task and a half. Then his eyes widened and realisation dawned and I didn't much feel like grinning anymore. Realisation had dawned on me, too. I was suddenly very panicked about what I'd divulged. I loved Alec. He was wonderful and I'd never want to say something offencive about him... But who knew what his neurotic mind was doing with that information?

'Here it comes.' I thought as his brows furrowed at the metal cuffs in his hands. 'The flurry of questions: Who likes that? Do you like that? Did Will like that?' My stomach tightened. We were going to end up fighting again. It would be horrible and he'd go to the Institute mad and I wouldn't hear from him for days - but would get plenty of angry texts from his sister.

Snap.

The chain was broken with what looked like no effort at all. Alec's eyes met mine.

"How did you restrain anybody with those?" He breathed laughter again. "I've broken doors down with less effort."

I burst out laughing too.