Disclaimer: The following characters are property of the one and only Cassandra Clare. Not me.

Simple Worries

Magnus let out an excited squeal as he held up the glittery blue collar. "Look, Alexander! It's almost the same blue as your eyes, and it GLITTERS!" He gasped, raising the collar in the air as if he was praising it. Alec let out a small huff as he realized that the collar Chairman Meow would be wearing would most likely be covered in glitter, sequins, or sparkles. Hopefully not all of them.

"I don't know.. Couldn't we find something a bit more.. normal?" Alec suggested, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as he let his eyes fall on a thin black collar. He grabbed it eagerly, then noticed the large pink flower that rested in the middle of it. He sighed.

Meanwhile, Magnus's face expressed his shock at Alec's suggestion. "Normal? Why would Chairman Meow the fantastical diva wear something normal? How boring." Alec bit his lip, almost sympathetic for the small cat, then came to his senses. How much could Chairman Meow care? He was just a feline, after all. A collar was a collar, and if it made Magnus happy to buy a colorful piece of fabric covered in glitter, then he may as well make it happen.

"Fine," Alec agreed reluctantly, "I like that one." Magnus's eyes widened even more in pleasant surprise and awe, and he jumped up and hugged his blue-eyed partner, holding the collar close to his heart. "I knew you'd see it my way!" Magnus grinned. Alec blushed, still becoming accustomed to the whole public relationship thing that Magnus was so fond of. He shyly looked up from under his hair and took Magnus's manicured hand, yanking him along to the cashier, anxious to finally escape the pet store and get back to their apartment.

Just a few minutes later, the pair returned home, satisfied with their purchases. Well, Magnus was a bit more than satisfied. He rushed over to the Chairman, the plastic bag holding many treats bouncing in his grip. "Chairman!" Magnus cried excitedly, "You have to see what we got for you today!" The cat glanced up at Magnus, yawning curiously and crawling forward on the sofa, trying to get a peek at what was in the bag. It was times like these when Alec wondered how in the world Magnus and Chairman Meow communicated. Alec had tried, and failed, many times to understand the small creature, but all that he could get out of its small mouth was "merow". At least that was a start.

Alec snapped out of his thoughts just in time to see Magnus fasten the flashy collar on the Chairman's neck, and the warlock clapped his hands in glee. "He looks stunning!" Magnus announced proudly, taking his spot on the sofa as Chairman Meow sprang into his lap. He smiled widely, stroking the cat's soft fur. Alec couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable prickling in his chest at the sight. He coughed quietly, trying to take away the feeling, but it stayed put, heavy as a rock.

Chairman Meow had always made Magnus happy, yet seeing the Chairman with glitter and a taste in fashion made Magnus perk up like a flower in the spring. Alec remembered his earlier words. Normal? ..How boring. Alec felt the back of his eyes sting. Wasn't he normal? He shook his head. No. Alec was quite a bit worse than normal. With his dark clothes, holey grey sweaters, loose jeans, and worn-out sneakers, Alec definitely lacked a sense of fashion. Weren't gays supposed to be flamboyant and brave, like Magnus?

Alec himself didn't even come close to other guys. He never paid much attention to what he was wearing, or how he looked. Sometimes he just let his hair limply fall into his eyes and over his ears, didn't care how the amount of sleep he got might affect his appearance, or how his interests differed from Magnus's. While Alec could find happiness in a simple book, Magnus always loved fashion shows and loud music.

The boy frowned. "Alexander?" he heard. Alec popped back into the moment, shaking his head slightly. "Uh, yeah?" he spoke hoarsely, his voice thick with emotion. Magnus's grin vanished, his forehead creasing with worry. "Babe, is something wrong?" Magnus asked.

Alec never used pet names. Or any nicknames for that matter. He wasn't as brave as Jace, or as courageous as Izzy. He was different. Different than everyone, different than anyone. What did they all see in him? What did he see in himself?

"No, I mean, uhm-" Alec's voice cut off as he felt the tears build up in his eyes. Magnus shot up, abandoning Chairman Meow on the couch as he quickly wrapped his arms around Alec's shivering body. "Darling, did I say something? We don't have to use the collar, if you don't want. I'm sure the Chairman would be fine with just a plain one, he's already enough of a diva, you know?" Alec let out a small laugh, which turned into a sob as he lowered himself to the floor.

"Why do you love me?"

Magnus gazed into the boy's eyes with shock, and saw not the serious Alec that he knew, but the eighteen year old boy that hadn't made an appearance since the day that he woke up in the Institute, questioning why Magnus was there, and stared at the ground in shame as Magnus explained that he had been wounded by a Greater Demon, needing healing.

"Why do I love you? How could you ever doubt that I love you?" Magnus asked with concern. Alec's lips quivered as he attempted to speak through the tears. "I'm not special, I'm not even normal. I'm a boring Shadowhunter who hadn't even killed a demon before I met you. You're beautiful and strong and everything good in the world. What am I?" he whispered vulnerably, glancing down at the floor. Magnus cupped his cheek and lifted his chin up with a finger, staring into his eyes.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, you are innocently gorgeous, and you don't even try. You wouldn't hurt a fly if you didn't have to, but if anybody messed with your family, you'd slay them in a heartbeat. You're nothing like the ruthless Shadowhunters I've met in my time, you're you, and you're not afraid to be you. And all of this?" He waved his hand at his face and clothes. "This doesn't mean a thing to me. You don't need anything or anybody to make you perfect. You already are." With that, he swooped in for a gentle kiss, rubbing Alec's back comfortingly as the sobs ceased. The kiss was loving and caring and wet with tears.

"I love you," Alec murmured, his hands making their way through Magnus's hair.

The warlock grinned.

"I know."