I thought I was going to get this chapter done a lot earlier. But as usual, I underestimate how long I can take writing these things, specially when I'm writing other fanfics on the side. Sorry for the delay!
EDIT: A warning... There is a long text exchange in this chapter. When I wrote it on my wordoc, there was extra space between the texts so they would be easier to read. Sadly, does not allow for that, so in order to add that extra space I had to put a small "." in the center, otherwise the texts would be hard to read. I couldn't figure out another way to do it (and I spent half an hour trying), so if anyone have any suggestions that could help, please let me know! If the "." really bothers you, than you can read this chapter in the format it was intended on AO3 as well.
Truth's Shadow
..::Part I: Accelerando::..
~Chapter 06~
"How about this?"
Alec looked at his kin. The light that seeped through the broken stain glass windows blended perfectly with the light pink aura she naturally emitted when in her true form. Her hair lay over her left shoulder, her eyes glowing softly, her lips morphed into an excited smile. She was holding an outfit that could only be described as tight; leather black pants that looked barely big enough to fit the legs of a dining room chair, a white shirt with a fabric so shiny and stiff Alec wondered if it was made out of marble, a small black vest, and a blue tie.
"Are you serious?" he searched Izzy's eyes, trying to find any sign that this was her sad attempt at a joke.
"Of course!" it was her turn to look confused. "Why wouldn't I be? I even picked something that was mostly black, since you seem allergic to any other color. And see, this blue tie would bring out your eyes! It reminds me of that outfit you wore to that ball back in – oh, when was it? 1678? 1732? It was in France..."
"Before or after the incident with the guillotine and the shoes?" Jace asked in what appeared to be genuine curiosity. He was sitting by the altar, his true form also exposed. It bathed the abandoned church's walls with a soft golden light, one that matched the glow of his eyes. In his hands was a silver dagger with its hilt encrusted in ambers. It, too, was surrounded by a golden aura.
Alec was the only one who had decided to keep his true form hidden. He sat in the old oak benches on the left side of the aisle, three rows from the front. He leaned forward as he used the seats in front of him to rest his folded arms, eyes on the two other Shadowhunters. Inside his pocket, his phone vibrated, gently demanding his attention.
"I think it was before that," Izzy said. She stood not too far in front of him, a pile of clothes littering the floor to her right. "Yes, definitely before."
Alec shifted in his seat as his phone vibrated yet again.
"Was it the one hosted by that guy with the weird moustache?" Jace grimaced, the dagger spinning around his right fingers while his left ones traced the skin under his nose. "You know, the party where your Charge had got drunk and almost fell asleep on a fountain?"
"No, no, that wasn't it. I think it was –Oh, it doesn't matter!" Izzy made a gesture with her hands, swatting the conversation. "Still, Alec would look amazing in this!"
Alec looked at the outfit once more. It perfectly illustrated why he stopped letting Isabelle choose his clothes for him centuries ago.
"No," he shook his head. "Absolutely not."
"But you'd look so good!" She said. "Magnus would agree! The combination of black and blue will totally bring out your eyes! And he loves your eyes!"
"My decision still stands. I'm not wearing that to his concert."
"You're impossible. Fine. Then I'll just find something else," Izzy walked towards a pile of clothes. She looked over each garment carefully, occasionally glancing at Alec before tossing them aside. "Then how about… This!" she lifted her new choice, looking satisfied. "This should do it!"
"Ah, yes, it's perfect," this time it was Jace who spoke. "Make him wear that and we can stop making fun of his Hello Kitty phone."
Alec tried not to smile. Said phone vibrated yet again.
"Shut up," Izzy laid the clothes down by the wooden benches. "You don't understand anything about fashion."
"I don't understand anything about fashion?" Jace asked. "I have a few pictures of you from the 70s that proves otherwise, Izzy."
"I'll have you know, those clothes were very much in style back then."
"Of course they were," Jace said. Alec wondered how hard Jace practiced his sarcasm every day in order to convey so much of it in four simple words.
"They were!"
"Yeah, sure," he nodded. "Let's pretend that's true. It still doesn't make them any less hideous."
"Well, what about you? Do you remember Italy, back in 15th century?" Izzy stalked towards Jace, her pink eyes glowing bright. "Remember when that Charge of yours was being targeted by a group of demons and you—"
"Now, that's not fair! That incident was—"
"It's completely fair! If you can bring up the 70s then I can bring that up! Besides…!"
Alec tuned them out. As they continued to bicker, he finally reached for his phone, seeing three unread messages from his Charge.
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
there's a chopped and cutthroat kitchen marathon my night is set
received 3 minutes ago
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
reindeer pate alec. someone is going on the naughty list for killing little Rudolf
received 3 minutes ago
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
how much money do you think those judges get paid? because you couldn't pay me to eat some of the ingredients they use on this show
received now
.
Alec smiled, shaking his head lightly.
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
And to think you were strongly against the existence of the Food Network four days ago.
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
I've seen the error of my ways. having the tv get stuck on it was destiny. I could have used this instead of rewatching cycle nine of antm for the seventh time last week
received now
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
ANTM?
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
I still have so much to teach you
received now
.
Alec chuckled. He quickly looked up, only to find that Jace and Izzy seemed to have forgotten his presence.
His phone vibrated again.
.
Today
From: Magnus the Magnificent
To: Alec
What is my young grasshopper doing?
received now
.
Grasshopper? He wasn't sure what that particular insect had to do with their conversation, but smiled all the same, shaking his head again before typing his reply.
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
Izzy is trying to pick clothes for your concert. It's not going well for her.
sent now
.
Alec didn't have to wait long for a reply, his smile only widening as he read the message.
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
pictures darling pictures. you cant just say something like that and not send pictures
received now
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
I obviously can. I'm not sending you any pictures. I'm not even going to wear anything she picks out.
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
you have crushed my dreams. all of them turned to dust and swiped away under a ratty old rug because of you.
received now
.
Alec bit his lower lip, holding back a laugh.
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
You'll live
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
hardly. the only reason why ill survive is because youre my guardian angel. but you must right this wrong. describe everything to me. in DETAILS
received now
.
He glanced at the clothes, then at the other two Shadowhunters. They were holding a pair of gray pants as they continued to argue.
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
Shirt and pants? I'm not good at describing these things, Magnus, you know that. They are tight, though. All of them. Really tight. Jace said something about super heroes? He said something a bat man and a robin? I don't think he's making sense, I don't see what a bat and a robin have to do with each other, they are completely different animals.
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
OMG
received now
.
Alec raised his eyebrows.
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
Alec tell your sister that if she gets you in some 1960s batman style tights i will love her forever and ever.
received now
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
Not sure what a batman is and why you felt the need to specify the decade, but I have a feeling I don't want to look like it, whatever it is.
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
excuse you. I take personal offense to that
received now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
I personally think would look amazing in those pants that leave nothing to the imagination even if you dont use your underwear over it
received now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
i promise
received now
.
Today
From: Alec
To: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
Nothing you said made any sense. I don't trust you
sent now
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
you have wounded me twice this day alexander and the north always remembers
received now
.
How utterly Magnus. Often Alec wondered if there would come a time when he'd be able to fully understand what his Charge was saying. It seemed unlikely; half the time his words words resembled a riddle or secret code, his jests lost to the Shadowhunter. It should have been annoying. It should be something that would make his teeth grind and his eyes roll. But in reality, all he felt was a combination of found exasperation and amusement. That absolute nonsense was just so Magnus that Alec could not help but find it endearing.
He began to type his reply – ready to ask how a cardinal direction could remember anything and what it had to do with pain – when he noticed the arguing that had been buzzing in the background had stopped. He looked up, only to find Izzy and Jace staring at him.
"Talking to Magnus again?" Jace asked.
Alec put the phone back in his pocket, his reply half typed.
"Yeah. He likes to narrate the shows he watches," as if to prove a point, his phone vibrated again. Alec could just imagine Magnus on the other end, whining as he waited for Alec's text, or maybe gasping dramatically at whatever was happening on his television screen.
Jace and Izzy looked at each other, their eyebrows knit.
"What?" Alec asked, looking at the two of them.
"Nothing," Jace said, a little too quickly.
Alec raised his eyebrows, still waiting for an answer.
"We're serious," Izzy said. "It's nothing, Alec. Don't worry about it."
"Well, that just makes me worry about it more, doesn't it?"
"That's because you are worrywart," Jace said. "Always have been."
"He's right," Izzy said, and then made a face. "Well, those words tasted horrible in my mouth."
"They sounded really good to my ears," Jace said.
"Well yeah, you probably don't hear them that often," Izzy said. "Or at all, really."
"I hear them about as much as you do."
"Oh, you think so?" Izzy crossed her arms. "I can think of at least sixty other Shadowhunters who would say otherwise."
"Sixty?! You're exaggerating!"
"Am not! Off the top of my head, I can name them all!"
"You cannot!"
"Can so!" Izzy said. "Let's see, starting from the Featherstone Branch, there's—"
"Hey, hey! Back to the point!" Alec snapped his fingers in front of the two, getting their attention back. It was something he always did to them when they were younger, something that never failed to stop them from arguing whenever they digressed. "What was with that look you were sharing earlier?"
Jace sighed, rolling his eyes. He moved to sit down by Alec's side, resting his feet on the bench in front of him, "We told you already: It's nothing. Stop worrying."
"Can't," Alec said.
"See? Worrywart," Jace said. "Point proven."
"Point not proven," Alec said. "Point irrelevant, in fact."
"You can't decide if the point is irrelevant," Jace said. "That's not how it works."
"Will you stop changing the subject?" Alec asked. "You two shared a weird look when you found out I was talking to Magnus just now. Why?"
The two looked at each other again. There were a few moments of silence, but neither seemed willing to break it.
"Does it…" Alec bit his lip. "Does it have to do with Hodge?"
Their eyes widened, but Alec couldn't be sure if it was because his guess was right or wrong.
"What makes you say that?" Izzy walked towards them and knelt on the bench in front the two male Shadowhunter. She pushed Jace's feet off of it, and looked at Alec, her brows knitted, her eyes searching his. "Why would you bring up Hodge?"
Alec took a deep breath. Why, indeed? There was no reason for him to assume Hodge would be connected to whatever that look Izzy and Jace shared was. His question was sudden, out of nowhere, the subject one they never brought up. It didn't make sense, but…
Inside his pocket, his phone vibrated again. Alec glanced at the pile of clothes – clothes that he had no idea how Izzy had acquired and, if history was to be trusted, he knew he did not want to – and then at his kin. Magnus' concert was but a short week away, the incident that delayed it a full two months behind them.
"Well… We never really talked about what happened. Not really," Alec said. He was playing with the hem of his coat, pulling at a loose thread and tying it around his finger. "What Hodge did… It just… It doesn't make any sense."
Izzy sighed, twirling a lock of hair around her fingers. "It didn't make sense to any of us. After you, Hodge was one of the most diligent Shadowhunter I've ever met."
"He taught us almost everything we know. All of us," Jace said. "May even had taught Maryse and Robert, too. I don't know. Never bothered asking. He seemed old enough to do it, though."
"Regardless, it really did came out of nowhere," Izzy shook her head, frowning. "It's just… Out of all the Shadowhunters, he was the last one I ever expect to turn on us."
"Yeah…" Jace nodded. "I mean, I know the Downworlder's cause is appealing, but –"
"It's more than that," Alec said, quietly. The tip of his finger looked red, and he could feel a light tingle beneath his skin.
Both Izzy and Jace stared at him, shocked.
"What?" they asked in union.
"It's more than just… Than just being appealing. Their cause is…"
Alec ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. His breathing was growing shallow. Outside, he could hear the noises of cars driving by, their sounds being the only indication that this church existed in the Mundane Realm. He tried to focus on that, tried to pay attention to every sound and smell his senses could pick up, naming them all in his head. His fingers continued to play with the thread as he tried to adjust his breathing.
Anchor… He needed an anchor.
"Appealing doesn't feel like a strong enough word," he said, though his mind was still paying attention to the sounds; on crickets and car honks and leaves and…. "There's a reason why… Why I was the only rescued from the mission. Out of my squad, I… I was the only one who…"
Alec didn't have to finish. Jace and Izzy knew perfectly well what he meant.
"Traitors," Izzy scoffed. "All of them, traitors."
"They are, but like it or not, their numbers are increasing," Jace spun his dagger around his fingers, then stabbed the wooden bench in front of him. "Like it or not, more and more Shadowhunters are deserting The Clave. They are joining the Downworlders, giving them manpower and all our secrets. Soon there will be more of them than there are of us."
"I never thought it would come to this," Izzy said. "If someone like Hodge can become a Downworlder, what's to stop everyone else? Other higher ups? It's a miracle we haven't lost this war yet."
"It has nothing to do with miracles, Isabelle," Alec continued to pull on the loose thread, trying hard to concentrate on the task. His index finger felt numb. The air felt stuffy. He counted in his head, inhaling and exhaling, trying to focus on Izzy and Jace as his hands started to shake. He could almost smell the blood, almost hear the hooks. There was a phantom feel of that silver revolver's barrel touching his forehead. When he spoke next, his voice came out strained. "We are still fighting because we have one big advantage over them. As long as we have that, they can't win, no matter how large their numbers are, or how powerful they become."
"It doesn't feel like it will ever be over, though." Jace said. When Alec turned towards him, he saw that his honorary kin was looking out the window, showing no indication of noticing Alec's distress. For that, the older Shadowhunter was only half thankful. "Even with that advantage, how long would it take for us to get ahead of them? For us to eliminate all of them? Unless something is done, we're either going to be stuck like this for centuries more to come, – maybe even a millennium or two – or… Or we'll end up losing because we won't have anyone else on our side."
"It's scary, isn't it?" Izzy asked. "All of our efforts are worthless, when you think about it."
"Then don't," Jace said.
Izzy reached over to slap him behind the head. "I'm serious!"
"So is he," Alec said. "Izzy, it's no use trying to figure these things out. It's not our job. We're just—"
"Just soldiers," Jace nodded, though his tone was bitter. He pulled the dagger out of the bench with more force than necessary. "I'm not even sure if that's the right word for it. We're like dogs, or worse. Do as you're told, ask no questions. That's all we do. That's all we'll ever do and all we'll ever be."
"Yes," Alec tried to drown out the voice in his mind. He tried to forget that female laugh and that cruel smile, tried not to slip away. Worry and confusion clouded Izzy eyes. She seemed to want to reach out for him, though for some reason, she decided against it. Alec was thankful; he feared that if she did he would flinch, or worse. "We have our own role to play in this, and it may not feel like it's a very big one, but it's important all the same. I know it's hard, but if thinking about all those what ifs and all those possible outcomes of the war scares you, then it's better to just… To just not think about it."
Izzy didn't seem satisfied with the answer, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"And what is that going to solve?" Izzy asked.
Alec shrugged. "Nothing. But will thinking about all of this help? It will only distract you. We can't do anything about it, Izzy. It's better to—"
"Just follow your orders," again, Jace's tone was bitter. Again, he stabbed the wooden bench, the knife digging in half-way through the solid oak surface.
Izzy sighed. "I am following my orders. I've always followed them! We all have! And that's not going to change. Not now, nor ever. I intend to keep my Vow, the one I took during my Ceremony. But you can't tell me not to think about all those things, Alec. It's impossible! How can I not wonder about these things after you disappeared? After your entire squad betrayed us? After Hodge's execution?!"
"It was pretty surreal," Jace said. "I never thought I would see a Shadowhunter die."
That caught Alec's attention. Suddenly all the noises of the past seemed to go away, together with the smell and the pain. He could hear the honks, the leaves and the wind, the birds and the crickets. He could smell the soft sour scent of the old granite altar, the lingering odor of wooden finishing, and could feel the dust that tickled his nose. He was anchored to the present once more, his concern for his two kin strong enough to momentarily ward off the ghosts of the past.
In his pocket, his phone vibrated without him noticing it.
"Y-You saw his execution?" Alec stared at the two. "You were there?"
Izzy nodded. "We had to give our testimonies. Then they passed judgement right there. They brought out the sword and… And it looked so normal. It was scary how normal it looked. I never thought… I always thought those weapons would feel different, you know? Have some sort of power radiating from them, an aura that is different from its wielder, that it's unique to itself, or maybe… I don't know, just something. But it didn't even look like a Shadowhunter weapon! It looked like a plain mundane one!"
"You'd never have thought that it was one of the few weapons in existence that can kill a Shadowhunter," Jace said. "Or Downworlder."
Alec continued to stare at them. "I didn't know you watched that. I didn't know you had to see that."
"Like Izzy said, they needed our testimonies," Jace's voice was oddly quiet, almost like a mumble. "We were there, too, you know? During the incident with Magnus. We're actually the reason why your Charge is still alive."
Alec nodded. "I know. Thank you for that," he paused. "But… Still… You shouldn't have had to see that. No one should."
Izzy shrugged, giving Alec a small smile. "We're all grown up now, Alec. We can handle it."
Her words did little to dissolve the lump stuck inside Alec's throat.
"Besides…" Jace said. "Serving in the Front Line and all that, you've probably seen worst, haven't you?"
Alec didn't answer. He looked down, noticing how his dark boots contrasted the gray stone floor of the church. The sound of the cars outside filled the air. None of the Shadowhunters dared to look at each other.
Alec was the one to finally speak up again, his voice hesitant.
"Was there any reason why he tried to kill Magnus? Did he hate him or something?"
"No. That's what made it so odd," Izzy answered. "Hodge showed Magnus the same amount of interest as he did any of the other Charges that was under his care at the time," she then tilted her head, looking mildly thoughtful. "I wonder what happened to those."
"They probably got reassigned," Jace said. "Still, even though Hodge didn't seem to care much for Magnus, he also never seemed to hate him. At least, not enough to kill. Not like Izzy and that woman, a hundred years ago in Argentina…"
"Oh, no, don't even talk about her," Izzy grunted, rolling her eyes. "Mundanes have such short lives, so it usually doesn't matter when they are annoying, but that woman—"
"Anyway, I don't think I ever saw him hating him or anything," Jace said. "Demons target Clary a lot, so I tend to spend more time around her than my other Charges. So I saw a lot of Magnus too. Sometimes Hodge and I would watch over the two together during their sleepovers when demons were around the area. He never seemed to have anything bad to say about Magnus. Or anything good. Like Izzy said, he never showed any particular interest on him. Not until recently, at least. I told them that on my testimony."
That shocked Alec more than anything.
"He wasn't interested in Magnus? At all?"
Alec remembered that Saturday he spent on the park, of Magnus' life story and all his struggled. He thought about the man's smile, the way his hands moved around as he told his story, and how his eyes held all of Alec's attention, so bright and jovial while simultaneously wise and longing. He thought of those texts, of all the things that made little sense to him. How could Hodge not, at the very least, sympathize with the boy? Especially if he had watched over him all his life?
"How can that be?" Alec asked.
It was Jace and Izzy's turn to be surprised. They looked at each other, that same expression from earlier reflecting on their features.
"Alec, Magnus is a nice guy, but… But he is just a human. A regular human, not unlike any of the others populating the Mundane Realm," Izzy said. "And soon his life will be over. Just like that," she snapped her fingers, the sound echoing loudly inside the church. It only lasted a few mere seconds, but it stretched far too long for Alec's liking. "Why would Hodge – or any of us – care about him?"
"Because—"
Before he could even begin to answer, Jace started talking. "No. There's no 'because'. Think about it, Alec. Before you were selected to go to the Front Lines, before you were assigned to your squad and given those secret missions, did you ever care for any of your Charges? Any of them? Did you pay them any more attention than what your duties required?"
"No," Alec admitted, shaking his head. "Of course not. I mean, they were my Charges, but that was it."
"Charges. Not friends. You taught me that," Izzy's eyes bore into him, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. "They are just humans, Alec. Mundanes. That's all they are. Our duty is to protect them, but…"
"It's not like they matter," Jace completed with a shrugged. "Even before this whole War started, that's how everyone felt."
Alec didn't say anything. He didn't say that it was because of this sentiment that the War began in the first place. They knew that already.
"You only think he's special because it's been so long since you've had a Charge, and since you are on Leave, The Clave only assigned you one for now," Izzy tried to give him a reassuring smile. "How long has it been since you disappeared? A few decades? Maybe a century? And what about since you were drafted to the Front Lines and stopped taking care of humans? That's two centuries, maybe three, at the very least. For you, it's like having your first Charge all over again. That's why you're getting so attached to Magnus. It'll wear off soon. You'll see."
Alec nodded, though the words didn't seem true to him. They should be right, but he knew that they weren't. No matter how hard he tried, Alec could not dismiss his care for his new Charge so carelessly. It was hard to explain. For some reason, Magnus seemed different from all the other Charges Alec had ever cared for. Even his very first Charge – a Greek boy with wild black hair, green eyes, and skinny limbs who died at the tender age of seventeen in an unfortunate sailing accident – hadn't ignited such intrigue in him. Magnus was Magnus, and that made him special somehow. It was as simple, and as complicated, as that.
"But you said Hodge never showed him any interest until recently?" Alec asked, shaking his head as he tried to ward away that train of thought. "What did you mean by that?"
Izzy frowned.
"It was strange. Not until about a year or so ago, Magnus barely registered in Hodge's radar. He would scold Jace and me every time we left our War duties to just… Well, you know," Izzy waved around to the three of them and to the church surrounding them. "Then, suddenly, he was doing the same."
"Only he wasn't training Max like usual, or hanging out with us. Not that we would let him. That would have been weird," Jace said. "Suddenly he would stalk Magnus everywhere. And I mean, serious stalking, even by concerned Shadowhunter standards."
"We started to spend more time with him because of that," Izzy continued. "We had to. At the same time this began to happen, more and more demons started targeting Magnus, and since Clary and Simon are always somewhere near Magnus, we had to stay close together."
"They started to target Magnus?" Alec asked, frowning. "I have noticed that demons target him with an unusual frequency. Downworlders too. I thought it was strange, but I didn't think it was something that started only recently."
"Don't get me wrong, Magnus always seemed to attract a lot of demons. Not as many Clary – not nearly as many as Clary, to be honest – but a large amount all the same. But in the past year or so, that amount almost tripled," Jace said. "What made it even weirder was that, at the same time, the targeting on Clary decreased."
"On Simon too," Izzy said. "Simon was never in immediate danger as much as Clary and Magnus, but since they were always together… Well, collateral damage always happens; it's inevitable if a Shadowhunter is not there to protect their Charge. Still, when the numbers on Magnus started to rise, the ones for Simon diminished until they were close to nonexistent. Now that was weird. Seriously bizarre."
"Of course, now it's clear why it was happening," Jace said. "Well, sort of. We know why it was happening, but not why. Hodge and other Downlworlders were probably manipulating the demons to go after Magnus. But the 'why they did that' is still a mystery."
"He wasn't interrogated?" Alec asked, looking at the two of them.
"If he were, we weren't there to see it. I don't think he said anything, anyway. Don't think they would be able to force it out of him either. He's too powerful for tricks like that. But it was because of the demons that were there during that rehearsal that Jace and I managed to see the attack. They were swarming outside, those demons, just waiting," Izzy stood up and posed as if she were holding a violin, ready to play it. "Then, suddenly, while Magnus began playing those first few notes—"
"Clash!" Jace interrupted. Alec nearly jumped out of his seat, then glared at his honorary kin when he started to laugh. "Sorry, sorry. Anyway, as you probably already know, the overhead light fell only a few feet away from the guy. Or at least that's how it looked like for the Mundanes. It was all a freaky accident, as far as they were concerned. None of them could see the truth."
"It was a good thing we noticed what Hodge was doing a second before he did it. Jace and I were just talking; sitting on the seats far in the back after we found out the bar had no alcohol whatsoever."
"False advertisement. A real bummer," Jace made a face. "Maybe they'll have it at the actual concert."
"I don't drink, Jace," Alec said.
"Your loss. Anyway," Jace said. "We knew Hodge was there with us, but he hardly ever stayed with us when we were all minding our Charges together. We didn't really care since it meant he wouldn't have to nag us all the time. We figured he found that as annoying as we did."
"Ends up that wasn't the case after all," Izzy sighed. "I don't like to listen to Magnus playing, just like I don't like music, but for some reason I always pay attention, even when I don't want to. I guess Magnus' playing just has that effect on people. It was a good thing this time around since that's when we saw Hodge, with his chakram."
"He didn't look like Hodge, though. Not the one we knew, at least," Jace said. "It was clear what he was going to do, so we jumped into action."
"The light was already falling, so there wasn't much we could do besides diverging it so it wouldn't squash Magnus."
"We did a lot more than that!" Jace looked at Izzy as if she had spoken some sort of blasphemy. "Not only did we save that little human, but we also managed to apprehend Hodge! As soon as he saw that we knew of his betrayal, he tried to run! We didn't let him, naturally, and we managed to hold him back until Robert and Maryse arrived to take him back to Idris. And he put up quite a fight, too! But, of course, he was no match for me."
"Or me. You weren't fighting alone, you idiot, don't take all the credit!"
"Weren't you the one who just said 'so there wasn't much we could do besides' blah, blah, blah?" Jace asked. "If I had let you end the story there, there would be no credit to take!"
Izzy simply slapped on the back of the head, then turned her focus back to Alec. "As Jace was saying, we fought Hodge. And we did very well, too! Oh, you would have been proud, Alec!"
Alec smiled, "I've always been proud of both of you."
"No, but this is different! We managed to win against Hodge! I know it may not sound that impressive since he is an old man, but it was still a pretty awesome deed! I mean, he was a pretty big deal back in the day! One of the strongest Shadowhunters of his generation!" Jace said. "Not that I doubted that we wouldn't be able to do it. I knew we would win. There was no way I would have lost that battle. I haven't lost one in centuries, after all. I'm just surprised they haven't given us any proper recognition or anything."
"There's a war going on," Alec reminded him. "You won't get official recognition for anything for the same reason why Max has two Charges even though he has yet to go through his Ceremony."
"A promotion would have been nice, though," Izzy said. "You should have seen it, Alec!"
"You should have been there," Jace corrected. "You are a way better partner than Izzy is."
"Hey!"
"What? It's true!" Jace raised his hands in a mock attempt to appease her, a smirk playing on his lips. "Alec and I fight in perfect harmony. Everyone says so. We have a partnership, a connection like none other!"
Alec shook his head fondly at Jace. Though his words were meant to provoke Izzy, there was a truth in them nonetheless, a truth that no one could deny. Their connection and bond was a special one, one found rarely among Shadowhunters these days, one that some considered stronger than those shared by kin of the same Branch. It was one of the things Alec treasured most in his life, one of the things that made the burden of their duties easier to bear. How many times during his imprisonment had he wondered if things would have gone better if Jace had been by his side, having his back in a way no one in his squad could? If they had fought the enemy together, like they did hundreds times in the past, what would have happened? Maybe if Jace had been there, the two of them would have managed to escape once they were ambushed, and then Alec wouldn't have been inside that cold dungeon for so long, haunted by the sound of hooks and that laughter.
But it was no use to think of all those "what ifs". No matter how much Alec dreamed, nothing could erase his failure.
"Well, I think I hold myself up pretty well with the two of you," Izzy said, crossing her arms, nursing a small childish pout when confronted with a point she could not argue against. "Besides, Alec and I are kin. We're both Lightwoods. That counts for something."
"Not as much as our bond."
"Maybe, or maybe not," Izzy shrugged. "But we Lightwoods are great in battle when working together. We're practically invincible. Everyone knows that."
"Not as invincible as Alec and I when we're together."
"You wanna bet?"
"I don't need to bet, but if you want to humiliate yourself…"
Once again, Alec tuned them out. His mind tried to process all the information they had given, the extent of Hodge's crime. Why did he become a Downworlder? Alec knew the Downworlders' goal was tempting to many Shadowhunters, that more than a few on their side did a little more than just sympathize with their cause; their sense of duty and loyalty to The Clave, to their Marks, the inherent need to honor their Vow, were the only shackles that kept them on their side. But he never thought that that sympathy, that temptation, would be enough to cause the head of the Starkweather branch to betray them, going back on all the teachings he passed down to countless of young Shadowhunters throughout the centuries.
But what confused Alec the most was what seemed to be the most important piece of the puzzle: What did all of these things have to do with Magnus?
His phone vibrated. Glancing at Izzy and Jace, he noticed the two were still arguing. He reached for his phone, uncovering only half of it from his pocket so he could read the newest message without alerting the others.
.
Today
From: The Magnificent Magnus Bane
To: Alec
clary and simon have agreed that we are going to try to cook a nice dinner together while using some of our favorite sabotages. that means using dental floss as a knife. wanna be our guinea pig?
received 1 minute ago
.
Alec simply stared at the message, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. Sooner or later he would get his answers; someday, somehow. But in the end, it didn't really matter. Alec would never break his Vow, and he would always protect Magnus against any enemies, regardless of the truth.
Magnus decided a long time ago that old clothes were a lot like old boyfriends; after a while you looked at them in horror and wonder how the hell you ever went out in public with that. It was a lesson he learned when, while trying to find space to hang a new jacket, he saw this hideous lime green button up shirt that would have killed the immortal fashion gods faster than Medusa's hair petrified any hairstylist worth their salt. Clary's ever helpful comment of how the shirt reminded her of a man Magnus had broken up with ten months prior – who must have appealed to him in some way that the violinist just could not remember – solidified the comparison in his mind. And thus, the two of them started a quarterly tradition of cleaning out Magnus' closet so that the lime shirt incident – as it was now dubbed – would never happen again.
Though at first the idea seemed like a tedious chore, after the first year Magnus found that there was something incredibly rewarding about the task. He could never put his finger on it, but for some reason, going through his clothes, separating what he was going to keep and what he was going to give away to charity, always put him – and Clary, no matter how much she denied it – in a good mood. It took them hours to do it, sometimes even an entire day, but by the end of it, the two friends felt a strong sense of accomplishment, coupled with that satisfaction that followed a nice bonding experience.
The seasonal event always began on a Saturday morning; together they would both leave at around 10AM to go to the local market to buy two dozen of those factory made sugar cookies that tasted like Styrofoam, six chocolate cupcakes with bright artificially colored icing, six of the strongest and, as per Clary's request, most ecofriendly garbage bags they could find, and thirty new hangers. Clean out day, they decided, was not a day to worry about health or the importance of fine cuisine, so their constant sugary snacking was accompanied by a lunch and dinner that consisted of cheap Chinese food that never left the take-out box, eaten with the help of plastic sporks.
Taking everything out of the closet and dressers was the first, easiest, and shortest part of the day. But even that could take a while, their record lasting over two hours to get through everything. Clary often liked to remind Magnus of how he owned more clothes and shoes than anyone should ever be allowed – a complete and totally uncalled for exaggeration, if you asked him – and clean out day seemed to all but prove her theory.
After piling everything on the bed came the boring part of the day; together, Clary and Magnus would check the condition of every hanger – hence the need to buy new ones – and made sure the dressers and closet were actually clean and functional. That last part had proven to be a very necessary step the day Clary found that two of his drawers needed replacing, as well as after they found some mysterious purple goo of unknown origins stuck to the wall of his closet.
Then came the fun part. All of Magnus' clothes, with the exception of his underwear, were divided into three different piles: the keeper pile, the maybe pile, and the ex pile. After everything had been properly categorized, Magnus would try on all the ones dubbed as a maybe, and with Clary's help, they decided if it should be moved to the keeper pile, or if it should be dumped together with all the other clothes in the ex pile. Though the idea was pretty straight forward, they could take anywhere from a minute to half an hour to reach their verdict. Then there were times Clary would find something that would catch her interest and she would join the dress up game, sometimes because she honestly wanted whatever she was trying on for herself, and other because she found it so outrageous and ridiculous she felt the need to put it on before they gave it away.
Finally, once the entire maybe pile had been divided, Clary would help him find a new organization system. And on the next day, Magnus would shop for new clothes to fill in any new empty space.
Less than a week before the concert, Magnus and Clary decided it was time to do the autumn clean out. The four o'clock sun illuminated the room with a nice orange color as they continued to sort through the maybe pile, Clary sitting crossed legged on his bed among hundreds of folded clothes with her opened sketchbook resting on top of her lap. On top of the dressers and nightstands were half empty take-out boxes and plastic containers with the cupcakes and cookies, as well two empty soda cans, and two mugs of now-cold-hot cocoa. Magnus stood in between his large mirror and his friend as he tried on a jacket that, while incredibly comfortable and well fitted, he could not remember ever owning it.
"Are you sure it's yours?" Clary asked. "Maybe someone forgot it here?"
Magnus put his hands inside the pockets, then turned to look himself in the mirror.
"Maybe," he pursed his lip and tilted his head. "It fits too well, though."
"Maybe they wore the same size as you?" Clary suggested.
"I don't think so. It fits way toowell," Magnus turned again, facing Clary. "Not even the clothes my stylist picks for me are this precise. And those are specially tailored for me."
"Yeah, but those also have some weird stuff added in. And I bet all the extra glitter you add on to it later doesn't help. It's probably what makes the fabric so stiff."
"Very funny," Magnus said. He then sighed and turned his head so he could see himself from the back. "It looks nice, though."
"It does," Clary agreed. "Maybe you just forgot where you bought it?"
"Impossible. I remember everything I buy, especially clothes."
"Everything?" she raised an eyebrow. "Now that's impossible."
"Maybe for a mere mortal such as yourself, but for Magnus the magnificent it is as easy as making toast."
Clary did not seem impressed.
"When we were living together you once tried to make toast without plugging the toaster in, Magnus. You complained about how long it was taking for twenty minutes before Simon pointed out the problem."
"Your point?"
"You're unbelievable," she rolled her eyes. "But now that I think about it, I don't think I ever saw you wearing that."
"See? That's because I never did! I have no idea how it got here," Magnus said. "But mystery jacket's origins are not something for us to investigate right now. We have more pressing matters," Magnus opened his arms. "Ex or keeper?"
Clary hummed, then tilted her head, her nose wrinkling a little. "Can we put it on the maybe again and come back to it later? There's always a chance that you might offend some minor fashion god by making the wrong decision."
"And thus my origin story would begins," Magnus took off the jacket and threw it on top of the bed. "What's next?"
"Next is…" Clary reached for a pair of skinny jeans then tossed it at him "This. Try it on."
Magnus examined the pants before nodding. "Be back in a second, then."
"I'll be here," Clary said, grabbing one sugar cookie, turning her attention back to the sketchbook.
It took Magnus less than thirty seconds put on the pants in the bathroom then return to the room.
"So? How does it look? Ex or keeper?" Magnus walked towards the mirror with long strides, giving a short spin before examining his reflection. "I'm on the fence myself; I mean, on one hand its age shows, but on the other, my ass looks fabulous in these. Maybe if I could pull off the whole 'old jeans' thing, but I don't think that goes with my look. I can't decide. What do you think?"
Magnus waited a second, then two. When Clary didn't answer him, he turned towards her, noticing her attention was not on her sketchbook as it had been before, but rather on Magnus' phone, which she currently held in her hands.
"You better not be reading my texts," Magnus crossed his arms, though he had a teasing smile on his lips. "I know we're close, darling, but there is such things as boundaries."
"I wasn't reading them," Clary said, though she didn't let go of the phone. "You got a text, so I just checked to see who it was. In case it was Luke, or something," then, as an afterthought, she added: "Sorry."
"Its fine," Magnus shrugged. "So, was it?"
"Was it what?"
"A text from Luke?" Magnus clarified with little interest.
He put his hands on the jeans' pockets, eyes back on his reflection. He tried to picture a colorful belt or some other accessory that would better compliment the pants, but it still didn't feel right. He just couldn't decide. They felt comfortable enough, but he kept coming back to their color: they looked far too washed out, far too bland, no matter how great they fit him. He could easily give it away, though he could also move it from being something he wore outside, to something he wore just in his apartment or when he visited Clary and Simon. At least if Clary's paints got all over it, he wouldn't be too upset. Color wise, it would actually be an improvement.
"No," Clary said. "It's from Alec."
Magnus blinked before turning to face Clary, jeans suddenly forgotten.
"Alec?" he tried to fight back a smile, his fingers itching for the phone.
"Yes, it's from Alec," Clary said. "The two of you have been talking a lot lately, haven't you?"
"Well, yes," Magnus climbed on top of the bed, careful not to undo the piles of clothes before taking the cellphone out of Clary's hands. "We're friends, after all."
Sitting back onto his heels, Magnus opened the text, already losing the fight against his smile.
.
Today
From: Alec
To: Magnus
I just tried out that drink you suggested. How can you call it coffee? It tastes nothing like it.
received two minutes ago
.
Magnus chuckled to himself before replying.
.
Today
From: Magnus
To: Alec
thats the beauty of it my dear alexander. all the perks of coffee and none of the disgusting bitter taste.
sent now
.
Magnus didn't take his eyes off the screen, waiting for Alec's response. In his head, he could perfectly picture Alec holding the caramel frappucino, his blue eyes staring at the phone screen with that mixture of confusion and mild annoyance that was so adorable.
"Friends?" Clary asked.
"Yes," Magnus nodded, still not looking at her. "Friends."
"And he is going to the concert, right?" Clary asked "You said you gave him a ticket. And a backstage pass as well, right?"
"Yes, he's going, but sadly, I had no backstage passes to give that day. I'll talk to security, though, make sure they let him in," Magnus answered. "I'm thinking about asking him to come over after I'm done with all that after-concert stuff. I think I have a few books he'd love to read. Did you know he loves history? Though he says he is a bit rusty on the 18th, 19th, and 20th century, he knows, a lot from before then. I think I have a book that he'd be interested in, that one about Victorian London. You know how much I love the Victorian era. I'm 90% sure he would enjoy it as well."
"You're planning on inviting him over?" Clary asked, frowning. "After the concert?"
"Just if he wants to. If we're not too tired, that is," Magnus said. "Like I said, I think I have a few books that he'd enjoy. Or maybe we'll just hang out. He says he doesn't like reading much, though he hates not knowing things, so he does it anyway. Weird, don't you think?"
Clary straightened her posture.
"You're planning on inviting him over?" she repeated.
"Well, yes. I think we established that already."
"Just you and him, and no one else?"
"Of course," Magnus said. "Alec hates crowds and being around strangers."
"I see…" Clary said, her tone thoughtful. "So is that when you're planning to sleep with him?"
Magnus nearly dropped his phone. He finally looked towards his friend, his eyes wide.
"What?"
"Because this one is taking a long time," Clary continued. "Usually when you want to sleep with someone, you manage to get them in your bed within two weeks or so."
Magnus opened and closed his mouth, then opened it and closed it again, and yet no sound came out. He stared at Clary as if she had just spit on some homeless orphan's food after kicking his stray three-legged puppy.
"Sleep with—No! No! T-That's not it at all! Where did you even get that idea?!" finally Magnus' vocal cords began to work properly again, and the words flew out of his mouth with little warning, giving him no control over them. "I'm not trying to get in his pants, Clary!"
"Really?" though she did not sound completely shocked – only slightly skeptical and maybe a tad bit curious – Clary's tone still managed to irritate Magnus. "Because that's not what you said at the party when we met him."
"That was before."
"Before what?"
"Before…." Magnus sighed, waving his hands in the air. "Everything, I guess."
"Everything?"
"Yes! Will you stop doing that? Stop… Stop repeating what I'm saying in the form of a question? It's really annoying, and it doesn't go well with your shoes."
"Not wearing shoes right now," she wiggled her socked toes then pointed at her old sneakers by the door. "I'm just trying to understand why you suddenly had a change of heart. At the party you were dying to get him naked and in your bed, and now you… You don't. You said it was before 'everything'… What does 'everything' even mean?"
"It means everything," Magnus sighed. He didn't know when exactly he stood up, but now he found himself pacing the room, running a hand through his hair. "It means it was before we ate pizza together at that stupid convention you and Simon forced me to attend. Before that Saturday we spent together, when I told him my life story in excruciating detail and instead of running away like any normal person would, he listened! He actually listened in the way most people don't. It was before… Before I taught him how to use his cellphone, and before we started texting every day!"
Magnus paused, realizing he was out of breath. His speech had picked up speed and volume with each word, the conviction in his tone surprising even himself. He looked down at his phone, noticing the message was still displayed on the screen.
He couldn't help but smile softly.
"That was before I got to know him, and before we became friends."
Magnus met at Clary's eyes. She looked stunned by the end of his speech, but that look was soon melting away into something else, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, her lips parted. Magnus knew that look. He knew that look very well and he absolutely hated it; Simon called it her "scientist stare". It was the look she got whenever she was observing something, examining with great detail, analyzing it over and over again as her mind dissected every bit of information into tiny little pieces. He had yet to meet one person who could stand comfortably still as those green eyes bore into their core.
"Alexander is a friend, not a one night stand," Magnus' voice was weaker, though his words were true. He took a deep breath, regaining some of his composure. "I wouldn't risk losing his trust for something like sex."
"You've slept with friends before," Clary raised her chin, as if daring Magnus to challenge her claim. "You had plenty of friends-with-benefits. I'm also pretty sure that there are some friends of ours now that you wouldn't mind taking to your bed."
Magnus chuckled. "Oh yeah, that's true. I can think of a few."
"So why not him?" Clary asked. "I've never seen you raise such a great wall between sex and friendship before."
"I don't know. I really can't put it into words," Magnus said. "Alec… Alec is different. If we were ever to do something like that, it would have to be meaningful."
Clary looked at him for a few more moments. Her gaze seemed to pierce into him, and it took all of Magnus' self-control not to fidget. He wasn't sure what Clary was looking for, and he was even less sure if he wanted her to find it.
She set her sketchbook aside, closing it before straightening her posture.
"Magnus," she started, slowly, uncertain. "Are you in love with Alec?"
Magnus laughed. He couldn't help it. Really, he couldn't. He wished he hadn't to be honest, but as soon as the question slipped Clary's lips, said in such a quiet and serious tone, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. It was just like a scene from a movie, and he could just hear the violins in the background, imagining the camera zooming into his face as he looked at her in stunned shocked while reaching some sort of glorious epiphany.
Oh, it was so cliché that Magnus couldn't help but love it. Things like that just didn't happen in real life. They couldn't. Thirty years from now he would look at this as one of the best moments in his life. It was just so perfect that even the sappiest of all romance writers would roll their eyes and grunt before pressing backspace and rewriting the whole scene over again.
Clary didn't seem to find it nearly as funny, though. She didn't hesitate to hit him with one of his feather pillows over and over until he stopped.
"It's not funny! I'm being serious, Magnus! Very serious!"
"I'm sorry!" Magnus was still laughing, though after a few more hits he managed to get it under control. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it!"
"Jerk," Clary hit him one more time.
"Fine, fine," Magnus took a deep breath and smiled. "I stopped. See? Happy?"
"No," she hugged the pillow, pouting the same way she used to when Jocelyn would tell them to close their coloring books and put their pencils away. "I don't understand why you had to laugh so hard."
"Because, did you even listened to your question, darling?" Magnus asked. "Am I in love with Alec? Seriously?"
"It's a legit question!" Clary protested. "One you haven't answered, by the way."
"Because I just can't believe you even felt the need to ask," Magnus said. "Of course I'm not in love with him. Really, Clary? We, Alec and I, have known each other for what? Two months? Maybe? And we only started really talking to each other a few weeks ago."
"So?" Clary frowned.
"So love is a very strong word, and one I cannot use so freely to describe the feelings I have for a guy I'm just starting to get to know."
"But you admit you have feelings for him!" Clary pointed out. "And you want to get to know him better! I know you do. You talk about him all the time, and you are always wondering about why he is so sad, and why he hates crowds so much. You never stop talking about all these things you've notice about him but can't understand."
"You have a point. Yes, I do want to get to know Alec. I want to know all those things about him badly. And I really do care for him," Magnus agreed. "But I don't love him. We're just friends, Clary."
Magnus turned towards the mirror, his eyes looking at the jeans once more. He hoped they could end this discussion soon and start talking about things that really mattered since he still couldn't reach decision about those pants. From Clary's reflection in the mirror he could see that the artist had pressed her lips together in a firm line, clearly not interested in getting back on task.
"You don't talk about him as if here just a friend," she said. "Definitely not one that, as you pointed out, you've only known for a short while. You don't even get like this about friends you've known for years."
"True. That is also true, I'll give you that one too," he looked at her through the mirror, giving her a teasing smile. "Ever thought about becoming a lawyer? Or a detective? You're far more perceptive than you appear, you know that?"
"It doesn't take a genius to notice those things, Magnus," she rolled her eyes. "And I've known you for almost our whole lives. You can't hide these things from me."
"I guess I can't," he agreed, his tone casual, his eyes back on his own reflection. "Fine, then maybe 'just friends' isn't the right term. But love is still too strong of a word."
"Then what is it? What do you feel towards him?"
Magnus was silent. What did he feel for Alec? It certainly wasn't love, he knew that. But could it be considered pure friendship? When they first met, at that party, he couldn't deny that he had every intention of bringing the boy to bed with him. Then during that convention, his feelings started to change. He found himself at ease when in his company; they were comfortable talking, joking, spending time together. It was similar to how he felt when together with Clary and Simon. He knew it that it meant that the two of them had the potential to be close, that they could share a friendship that he thought he could only have with his two childhood best friends. The way he saw it, his and Alec's relationship was like a seedling; it was still young, in its early developing stages, fragile and small. But with the right amount of care, with proper sunlight and water, it would become the strongest and most beautiful tree in the forest. Magnus wanted to nurture that bond, to care for the seedling and let it reach its full potential. He knew it would take time and effort, but he could see how that tree would grow, see how it would look if properly cared for. He knew that if he kept trying, Alec would be a great and indispensable person in his life. That wasn't something he was willing to give up on, at least not without being certain did his damn hardest to flourish their friendship.
Besides, spending time with Alec made him happy; being with him felt as natural and incredible as playing the violin.
And yet, there was also something more. That attraction he felt towards the shy young man during the party was still there. It hadn't gone away as his feelings of friendship grew. If anything, it had grown stronger, Alec becoming more and more endearing and beautiful as Magnus got to know him. God only knew how he loved to see those cheeks blush, and how, at times, he just wanted to run his fingers through those crooked bangs so he could stare at those unbelievably gorgeous blue eyes forever. And his smile… Alec's smile was as enticing as a siren's song, calling to him, pulling him like a magnet. There were times when all Magnus wanted to do was envelop him in a hug. He wanted to keep him in his arms, comforting him, listening to all of his mysterious problems, as he tried to brush away all his sadness, and vanquish all his fears. Magnus wanted to protect Alec from being hurt again, he wanted to keep him safe… He wanted to understand him, to know every secret he had locked away inside his heart.
But more than just wanting to see Alec happy, what Magnus really wanted was to be source of said happiness.
"It isn't love," Magnus repeated to himself, quietly. He turned to look Clary, then sat down by her side. "But I guess it's something close to it. It's a little earlier on the road. I think… I think you could say I'm infatuated by him. Drawn to him, even. I look at him and I feel a rush of affection, and I feel the need to protect him, and to make him happy. And I wouldn't mind being in an exclusive relationship with him, either. In fact, I think I'd really like that. I think we could be good together like that, even though I'm still on the fence about this whole serious monogamous relationship thing. I think we could make each other happy."
"And after saying all of that, you're still sticking to the whole 'I'm not in love with him' thing?" Clary asked. "What you just described sounds a lot like love to me, Magnus."
Magnus shook his head. "Love is stronger. At least I hope it is. It has to be; it can't come as easily as whatever is happening between us. This infatuation I feel for Alec is just not at that level. Not yet, at least," Magnus smiled. "Let's just call it a crush. How about that?"
"A crush? Really?" Clary raised her eyebrows, giving him the most unimpressed look she could manage.
"A very strong crush," Magnus nodded, his smile still in place.
Clary shook her head, still dissatisfied. "Magnus, there is nothing wrong with falling in love, you know."
"I know. But like I said, it's just not what this is," Magnus said. "You asked me about it, I'm just answering honestly."
Clary slumped back, crossing her arms. Magnus laughed, shaking his head. He stared at his best friend for a few moments.
"But… I guess when I think about it, Alec is someone I wouldn't mind falling in love with," his smile turned soft as he let out a small sigh. "I think loving him like that would be rather nice, actually. If I had to fall for someone, I would want that person to be Alec."
Clary beamed at him, the gentleness in his voice guaranteeing her of his honesty.
"That's something for the future, though! For now, we have other things to occupy ourselves with!" Magnus got up, and opened his arms. "These jeans: keeper or ex?
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I like it myself, but other than doing a complete rewrite, I wasn't sure how to fix it, and since I didn't completely hate it or cringed while doing the last edit, I decided to upload it. Actually, on the planning document this chapter was supposed to go together with the next one (Magnus' concert), but as I kept writing I found that they really didn't go well together, so I decided to split them up. It ended up working out well since this ended up with 10k words. What that also means, though, is that the next chapter is around ¾ of the way written! So yay! But don't get your hopes up too high; this chapter was done by the end of November, but it was so rough that it took a little over two months of editing to get it anywhere close to being decent. Still, hope you enjoy it! Some big things will happen next time!
Again, sorry about the text messages! Just pressing regular enter doesn't work in and I couldn't figure out another way to properly format it to look nice and make it easier to read. So sorry!
Ah, and the boyfriend and old clothes thing? The credit for that one goes to my mom. It's something she used to tell my sister, my cousin, and I when we were kids.