“Hello,” the voice that picked up on the other end was not Jace’s voice. Maybe this was Jace’s mysterious date. A guy he doesn’t want the family to meet. Wait, does that mean Jace is also gay? Does it mean Alec’s been in the closet for years to avoid embarrassing the family for nothing? His brother is sleeping around with men while Alec is scared to download a hook-up app to avoid recognition?
He’s taken too long to reply because the voice insists “hello? I can hear you there.”
“Can you put Jace on the phone?” he slurs, pityingly.
“Wrong number,” the man says, hanging up.
Alec frowns. Who does that dude think he is? He re-dials without stopping to check the name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but I really need to speak to my brother right now, so will you put him on the phone?” he’s not sure how he managed to string that sentence together when his brain feels fuzzy at the edges.
“Well, I don’t have a brother, so you got the wrong number,” the man says, his voice has the slightest hint of annoyance. It makes him furious but he’s focusing all of his mental energy trying to keep the alcohol inside him. If he pukes, no taxi is going to drive him home.
“Just tell Jace I’m at the club he suggested and lost my wallet,” he pleads, putting all the misery he could muster in a sentence. He can hear muffled music in the background and he’s not sure if it’s coming from the club or the phone.
“So, you got drunk and need this Jace to rescue you?” the man teases.
“More like- More like I got stood up and had to chase the rejection away with vodka,” he leans against the wall behind him for a resemblance of balance. The streetlights sway in his vision, leaving a trail behind like a slow-motion video of shooting stars falling. “Will you just- God, why is the street spinning?” A hiccup interrupts his flow. “Can you tell Jace to get me an uber with his phone or something?”
“Why don’t you get an uber yourself?” The voice sounds curious, amused even.
“I deleted the app to have space for tinder. This is Izzy’s- Izzy’s fault. Look at where it landed me!”
He hears a defeated sigh on the other end.
“What club are you at?” the man asks.
“Pandemonium,” Alec slurs, the final syllable a sing-song note that matches the music coming from the club.
The man on the other side of the line bursts out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Alec can’t pinpoint if the butterflies in his stomach are because of the musical laugh coming from the phone or if it’s his stomach deciding it’s had enough.
“I’ll be there in 3,” he says hanging up.
I’ll be there in 3? Why is this man coming to get Alec? Why will he be there so soon? Was Jace in the club all along?
He looks at the screen and notices the last number dialed isn’t saved to his phone.
What the hell?
Alec shakes his head in a weak attempt to clear it but it only makes the nausea worse. He straightens up and walks to the curb, looking both ways for a car that doesn’t come. A couple walks past him smoking and the smell makes Alec gag. Faster than he can process it, he’s spilling the vodka he drank on the street, little drops of vomit splashing on his clothes. It happens again and then he’s dry-heaving, trying to catch his breath again.
He startles when someone puts a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t hear the man approach above the buzzing in his ears. All he can see are his fancy shoes standing less than a foot away from his puke.
“I take it you’re Jace’s brother?” the man asks. The same voice he heard on the phone, just deeper, smoother, richer in a way that makes his stomach clench tightly. He takes a mouthful of air to avoid throwing up again. Alec starts to stand up straight but he stumbles and the man places his hand on his back for support. “Easy, easy. We don’t want you to fall flat on that pretty face, do we?”
His eyes take a moment to focus on the face behind that voice. The man’s eyes are curiously eyeing him up and down, he’s got a tiny frown of disgust on his face but his mouth bears the hint of a smile. Even with the leather jacket and the t-shirt between the skin of his back and the man’s hand, Alec can feel his warm hand holding him steady. It makes him dizzy in a different way from alcohol.
“Who are you?” Alec finds himself asking. If his eyes dart between those deep brown eyes and his plump lips, he can blame the alcohol.
“I’m Magnus Bane. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” the man -Magnus- replies, smiling coyly.
“Alec,” he says, his face splitting in a smile out of its own volition.
When Alec doesn’t say anything for a while, Magnus says, “well, Alec, let’s get you in a cab home, shall we?”
“I don’t have any cash,” he protests.
“Don’t worry, darling. My treat,” Magnus says with a tone that implies he’d happily treat Alec to whatever he wanted.
“Are you flirting with me?” Alec asks in a bewildered tone. Jace sure knows how to pick them, his brain supplies. “I’m Jace’s brother!”
“And I told you I have no idea who Jace is,” the man starts walking him to the main street, an arm wrapped around Alec’s waist.
“Then why are you here?” his voice sounds small when he says it, a question, a prayer almost, to whatever God is out there listening to pathetic, drunk men in the middle of the night.
Magnus grunts as he takes on more of Alec’s weight. He’s not sure if his legs are giving out because of the alcohol or something else.
“Well, you happened to call me before I went home,” he pauses and looks to both sides of the street. “Thirty minutes later and you would’ve been left on the sidewalk until you managed to dial someone else to come to your rescue.”
“I don’t- I don’t need to be rescued,” he puts as much emphasis as he can in the last word, scrambling to stand up on his own. He stumbles back and Magnus steadies him grabbing him by the waist.
It feels intimate and much too close for the open street, but Alec can’t remember why he can’t be seen with another man. It’s the middle of the night, even if someone saw him, would it matter?
Magnus hails a cab and then helps him inside without saying a word.
“Where are you headed?” the taxi driver asks.
“Home,” replies Alec. “Obviously.”
The taxi driver turns to Magnus still holding the door ajar. “Where am I taking him?”
Alec hears a long-suffering sigh and two seconds later Magnus is getting in the car as well.
“Give me your phone, Alexander,” Magnus orders, extending his hand.
“No one has called me Alexander since mi- middle school roll call,” he hiccups once more before giving up his phone, already unlocked.
Magnus thumbs through his contacts, turning to face him, “Did you ever get in touch with Jace?”
“No,” he says, “he was on a- he was on a date.”
Magnus shakes his head and puts his phone to his ear.
“Are we going anywhere or what?” the taxi driver asks annoyed.
“Just run the meter,” Magnus retorts, waving with his free hand, chain bracelets ringing as he does so. “Jace, I’m trying to send Alec home but he doesn’t know his address. No. No, he’s just drunk out of his mind.” Alec starts protesting, but Magnus waves his hand away. “He’s fine, just tell me where to drop him. N-no. No, Jesus. Fine. Here,” Magnus extends the phone in Alec’s direction. “Please calm your brother down.”
When he puts the phone to his ear, Jace is frantically calling his name.
“How was your date?” Alec says. Slowly, deliberately.
“Alec, what the hell? You are in no state to bring a tinder date back to the apartment,” he hears another voice in the background, most definitely Jace’s date. She sounds irritating to his ear.
“’M not. Magnus came to the rescue,” he slurs.
“Goddamn it, Alec,” Jace’s voice is worried, exasperated. “Give this Magnus dude the phone.”
Alec passes Magnus the phone without a second thought.
“Yes. Yes,” a moment of silence, Magnus’ mouth is pressed in a thin line. “Understood. Are you always this good with words?” Alec thinks he hears Jace’s voice rise, Magnus clicks his tongue. “You can stop your colorful diatribe there, Jace. I’ll send you his location from his phone if you’re so worried. Goodbye.”
Magnus leans his head against the back of the seat, closing his eyes for a moment. Alec contemplates the way the streetlight bathes his skin in a golden glow. He looks so painfully beautiful, Alec wants to look at him forever.
The moment is broken when Magnus gives an address to the driver, who, in turn, starts driving while turning the music up.
“You don’t strike me as the type who takes tinder dates back to his apartment,” Magnus observes.
“’M not,” is all he offers.
“Jace seemed pretty convinced your date went well,” Magnus points out.
“He didn’t show up,” he repeats. Or he thinks he does, he’s not sure what he’s said so far.
Alec leans against the cold window, feeling the vibrations of the car as it makes its way down the streets of Brooklyn.
“Izzy’s your friend?” Magnus asks after a short silence.
“M’sister,” he fixes his eyes on the floor when the streetlights start making him dizzy. He takes a deep breath. He can do this, his apartment isn’t far.
“I see,” Alec risks a glance in his direction when Magnus doesn’t say anything. He’s looking straight ahead, his fingers playing with one of his bracelets.
“She’s really- well, she’s Izzy,” he adds for clarification. Magnus smiles and that smile makes Alec think this night hasn’t been so terrible. He barely manages his next sentence. “What were you doing at the club?”
“It’s my club,” Magnus replies.
“You own a club?”
“Yeah.”
“Should’ve asked you out for the free drinks, then,” Alec retorts, trying for a joke. His insides twist when Magnus laughs. The same musical laugh from the call but right here next to him. He can’t help but stare at the way his face brightens with it. Magnus looks beautiful when he laughs.
“You think I’m beautiful?” Magnus says, turning to look at him with a glint in his eye. Alec didn’t even notice he spoke out loud.
“Well, you are something,” he adds, taking a last moment to admire the way the corners of his eyes crinkle with amusement. Alec closes his eyes and presses his cheek against the glass.
He doesn’t fall asleep but he’s not exactly awake either. He’s in an in-between state at the edge of consciousness still aware of Magnus presence next to him, the streetlights illuminating the back of his eyelids, the movement of the car turning right, right, left, then a long stretch of moving straight ahead, until there’s another turn. His head feels like it’s been put through the longest cycle available in the washing machine; everything is too bright, too loud, too much.
The car comes to a stop and Magnus touches his arm, bringing him a little closer to the surface.
“Let’s go, Alexander.”
“I have to pay,” he says, watching as Magnus gets out of the car. He pats his jacket for his wallet but it’s not in his pocket.
“It’s settled. Come on,” Magnus extends a hand to him. Alec moves slowly to the open door, his nausea worsening with the movement. He grabs Magnus’ soft hand and holds on to it for balance as he exits the car. He stumbles but Magnus catches him without problem as if Alec wasn’t 6 ft of packed muscle. “Easy there, pretty boy.”
He looks at Magnus’ face, illuminated by the unevenly spaced lights on his street. He wishes he had met the man when he could not make a fool of himself. Still, here he is, clutching Magnus’ arm, not willing to let go yet.
“You look like you’re deep in thought, Alexander,” he observes.
“You are like a cat,” Alec says.
“A cat?”
“A pretty cat.”
“Is that so?” Magnus smirks.
Alec nods, but it turns out to be a terrible idea when a new wave of nausea washes over him. He doesn’t move fast enough and before he knows it, he’s retching all over Magnus’ black shirt.
To Magnus’ credit, he doesn’t let him fall to the ground when his knees buckle. Still, he can’t stop the grimace that crosses his face.
“Alec!” he hears, followed by two sets of steps rushing in his direction. Jace holds him up by the arm that’s not clutching Magnus’. “Man, you went all out tonight.”
“Magnus?” the girl that came with Jace said.
“’M fine,” he says as puke and spit drool down his chin. Then Magnus is using his sleeve to wipe his face. Alec wants to stop him, to protest that he’s not a baby, but he can barely articulate a coherent thought.
“Do you know him?” Jace asks.
“Yeah, he’s friends with Dot, my roommate,” the girl says.
After a short moment’s consideration, Alec hears Jace say “help me take him inside.”
Next thing he knows, he’s fighting to stay upright as Jace and Magnus help him up the stairs. He doesn’t know how he’s carried to the sofa or who gives him a glass of water, just that Jace is helping him out of his shirt and into a clean t-shirt. He lies down and closes his eyes.
“Hey, man. Thanks for helping Alec get home safe. I owe you one,” he hears. Alec thinks it’s Jace, but he could be dreaming.
“It’s fine. He sounded miserable on the phone.”
Alec wants to protest he’s not miserable, but before he does so, he loses the battle to sleep.
First, he hears his phone vibrating on a table nearby, then he becomes aware of the soft light entering through the window, the crick in his neck, and the pounding in his head. Alec’s whole body protests as he sits up and grabs his phone.
How’s the hangover, Alexander? Reads the message from the unknown number.
His vague recollections from the night before come crashing down on him like a bucket of cold water.
Magnus? He texts back, though he’s sure it must be him. His subconscious can’t make up someone like Magnus.
Do you wanna grab a coffee? My treat.
His cheeks heat up when Alec remembers throwing up on him. If he never sees Magnus again, it’ll be too soon. The thought gives him a feeling of dread.
Can’t. Gotta work.
Then he screws his eyes shut, dropping the phone on the sofa. He stays put until his stomach groans and the need for caffeine becomes too strong to ignore.
The next time he checks his phone, he’s got a new text from Magnus.
He deletes it without opening it.
Alec saw the man coming to the elevator and his heart did a double-take. Long legs wrapped in leather pants, a bright pink shirt, a (probably silken) scarf around his neck, and a long black coat that was probably worth more than his entire closet. When the man saw Alec, he raised his hand in greeting and a couple of bracelets rang loud enough for Alec to hear inside the elevator. He recognized Magnus Bane and his cheeks warmed in embarrassment.
He immediately turned to the panel and pressed the close button. He was still frantically pressing it when Magnus’ arm was in front of him, waving to trigger the elevator to open its doors again.
“Alexander,” the man greets with a smile, “thank you for holding the door.”
“Magnus,” Alec says under his breath. Hints of rose and sandalwood hit his nose when Magnus moves closer to him. Alec’s brain is running wild with the idea of burying his nose in Magnus’ neck.
He tries to school his features into a resemblance of normalcy and presses the button for the fourth floor.
“What floor are you going to?” he asks looking down.
“Fourth,” Magnus replies with a smooth voice, moving to stand behind him at the back of the elevator.
“Fourth?” he glances back and sees Magnus’ smirk widen. “Is this a joke?”
“I think we have a common acquaintance, Alexander.”
“Stop calling me that,” Alec complains, but it’s a weak protest if the way Magnus is looking at him is anything to go by. Truth be told, he does like the sound of his name coming from Magnus’s mouth.
The elevator loudly makes its way up the old building, one of the lights overhead blinks in and out of existence.
“Do you know Jace’s girlfriend?”
“Yeah, I’m a friend of the family,” he replies, vaguely enough.
It dawns on him all at once.
Oh.
Oh.
Jace, you idiot, Alec thinks.
“Jace and Clary are getting married,” he says, seeing the number in the elevator change from two to three.
“They are?” Magnus asks.
Alec doesn’t get to respond when the elevator comes to a stop before reaching the fourth floor. The lights dim and the number in the elevator changes to a letter E.
“Oh, come on!” says Alec, looking at the ceiling.
When nothing happens for a few seconds, Alec repeatedly punches his finger in the number four that marks their destination. The whole panel shakes with the force of his pounding.
“I don’t think that’s going to help,” says Magnus from behind him.
“Well, I don’t see you trying to do anything to get us out of this situation,” Alec bites back.
“The alarm button is right there, Alexander,” he says. Alec can’t see him but he can hear the eyeroll.
He presses the emergency alarm button and the shrill sound of a bell fills the small elevator. It goes on for about 15 seconds but nothing else happens.
“Goddamn it,” Alec mutters.
Magnus heaves a sigh and pulls out his phone.
“I’ve got no signal,” he says, shaking his head.
Alec takes out his phone and sees one bar flirting with his phone. He raises his arm to try to catch a better signal, but the bar disappears entirely. He swears out loud.
I’m trapped in the elevator of your gf’s building, he texts Jace.
After almost a minute of waiting for the text to send, he turns to Magnus as an idea pops up in his head.
“Is that silk?” he asks pointing at his neck.
“Do you have to ask?” Magnus replies, raising an eyebrow. “Are you saying-?”
“Can I borrow it?” he interrupts.
“Come again?”
Alec decides that getting out of here is more important than politeness and reaches out for the scarf, untying it deftly with his right hand. Magnus doesn’t move away, but his eyes open wide when Alec’s fingers brush against his skin.
“I could’ve done that myself,” Magnus says after clearing his throat.
“But you didn’t,” is all Alec says in return, taking his wallet from his jacket and retrieving a money clip. He twists the thing around until he gets it into a hook shape.
“That is a Dolce & Gabbana original,” Magnus observes cautiously.
“I’m not going to mess up your fancy scarf,” he doesn’t look up from where he’s wrapping the scarf around the hook while holding the clip to the point where he thinks the antenna of his phone might be. He moves the phone around, until one, then two bars appear on his screen, followed by the sent checkmark.
r u serious?
we heard the alarm go off
im telling Izzy
Jace texts back in quick succession.
Jace ffs can you call someone to get us out of here? He types quickly.
us?
Before Alec can respond, his phone rings.
“Who’s with you in the elevator?” Jace says by way of greeting. “Are you introducing your secret boyfriend to the family?”
“I don’t have a secret anything, Jace,” he replies tiredly. He hears Clary’s voice but he can’t make out the words. “What’s Clary saying?”
“Wait. Clary. No. No. He hasn’t said,” Jace’s voice is muffled for a few seconds and then, “Clary says that you are not allowed to make a move on Simon.”
“Who the hell is-? You know what? Nevermind. Will you please call someone to get us out of here?”
“Where do I even get someone who gets people out of elevators?” Jace asks.
“I don’t know. Figure it out,” he says hanging up.
Alec leans against the wall and sighs.
“I didn’t know you could do that with a phone,” Magnus observes while scrolling down his phone.
“It doesn’t always work anyway,” he replies. Another thought crosses his mind. “We’re suspended 40 feet above the ground level.”
Magnus looks up at him with a slight tilt to his head.
“Are you afraid of heights, Alexander?”
He’s not but he doesn’t think being trapped in an elevator is comparable to standing on the rooftop of the building. Instead of answering he asks, “how did you meet Clary?”
“We have friends in common, that’s all,” Magnus looks at him curiously. “I’m guessing you met Clary through Jace?”
“They wouldn’t invite you for their engagement announcement if you were just a casual friend.”
“You seem awfully convinced that they are getting married,” Magnus points out.
“Jace asked me if a dagger was an appropriate way to propose to someone a week ago.”
“Ah, I see,” Magnus says. And then, “you don’t think it’s a good idea?”
“I think Jace is infatuated. They met less than six months ago,” Alec replies, twisting the silk scarf around his fingers. Its soft material grounds him, helping him breathe easier at the prospect of being locked inside the metal box for who knows how long.
“There is no set timeframe for love,” says Magnus with the smallest hint of a smile.
“Well, I think he’s rushing things for no reason,” Alec retorts.
They stay silent for a moment, each absorbed in their thoughts.
Alec can’t stop wondering if Magnus has spared a thought for him. The man is hot, surely he pulls frequently on any dating app. Alec has been thinking about him at odd times since that night at the club. But Magnus has to be beyond pining for strangers who puked on him, right? He probably had fun telling his one-night stands about Alec’s misfortunes.
Suddenly, the lights go out completely and the elevator groans. Alec’s heartbeat jumps in his chest and he drops the scarf and his phone. He kneels to pick them up and the elevator shudders again. The air in the elevator feels hot and heavy, he can’t get enough of it inside his lungs. He hasn’t had a panic attack in years, it can’t happen now in front of Magnus Bane.
Alec doesn’t know how long he’s been with one knee on the floor without picking up his phone when he hears Magnus’ voice ask “are you okay?”
But he can’t find his voice, his hands are sweating, his eyes sting. It’s an unfortunately familiar feeling, leftover from childhood archery competitions and family events where his parents would fight the whole night. The tightness in his chest, the shallow breathing, the blurry vision: the whole package deal.
He scrambles to sit with his back to the wall and the elevator creaks one more time. Alec buries his head in between his knees and tries to level his breathing but it’s pointless. He hears more than he sees Magnus kneel in front of him carefully as if to avoid startling a small child.
“Alexander, are you okay?” he asks one more time. Alec shakes his head without looking up.
He hears a knocking sound coming from above as if someone’s banging on the elevator’s doors from the floor up. There’s a metallic sound and a couple of seconds later the loud clatter of a chain falling.
“I’m really going to die in a damn elevator,” he breathes out, shakily.
“Hey, Alexander,” when Alec doesn’t look up, one of Magnus’ hands grabs one of his and squeezes. “Alexander, look at me.”
Reluctantly, he lifts his head. He realizes the mistake he’s made when he notices how close to him Magnus is. He can see Magnus’ worried brown eyes, the black eyeliner smudged in the corner of his eyes, the way his cheeks shimmer slightly with a hint of glitter. Unconsciously, Alec swallows and turns his hand around, tracing his thumb over one of Magnus’ silver rings.
“It’s just a power outage. It’ll be back in a second when the emergency power kicks in,” Magnus says reasonably.
But his brain is not being logical at all.
“Izzy’s gonna speak at my funeral and tell a sad story about how I died a virgin,” he finds himself saying.
“That’s ridiculous, Alexander. She wouldn’t do that to you,” Magnus replies with a smile.
“She wouldn’t be wrong,” he says, fixing his eyes on Magnus’ slender hand. He figures if he’s going to die, he might as well get it out of his chest and make someone else laugh.
When Magnus doesn’t reply for the longest time, Alec risks a glance at the other man and finds him frowning.
“What?” he asks.
“You’re joking, right?” Magnus asks.
Alec raises an eyebrow at him. “Do I look like someone getting laid on the regular?”
“I thought you were just uptight. Catholic upbringing and the like,” he waves the hand Alec’s not holding in between them in a flourish, yet he’s serious as he says “I’m afraid this is an issue of the utmost importance that should be fixed as soon as possible.”
Magnus’ hand caresses his face softly and his heart skips a beat. He’s leaning in towards Alec with his lips parted. His tongue darts between his lips in anticipation as the smell of Magnus’ cologne surrounds him.
He closes his eyes, feeling Magnus’ breath on his cheek and then on his lips.
Alec startles with a loud pounding on the elevator door.
“Hey, Alec! We found a crowbar. I’m getting you out of there,” Jace’s voice says a moment before the door screeches as it’s forcefully opened.
Alec scrambles to stand up, leaving Magnus on the floor with a frown on his face. When Jace finally gets the doors to open completely, Alec can see up to his thighs. Clary kneels a moment later.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asks softly.
Magnus stands up then, offering Alec’s phone to him. He takes it without saying a word.
“Magnus! I didn’t think you’d come!” Clary says cheerfully.
“And miss the look on your mom’s face when you tell her? Not a chance, cupcake,” he says with a tight smile on his face.
“I’ll help you up,” says Jace, kneeling and extending his hand towards Alec. He takes it without a second thought and uses his other hand to push himself up. He’s out in a smooth movement.
Instead of standing up, he turns towards the opening of the elevator and offers Magnus his hand. Magnus takes it and scrambles to get out, holding on tightly to Alec. When he’s out, he doesn’t immediately let go as he lies down on the floor with his shirt partially ridden up, exposing his muscular midriff.
“Hey, come on,” Jace says nudging his leg with his foot, “Mom and Max are here already.”
He sighs and stands up slowly, Magnus follows suit. Just as Alec starts after Jace and Clary, Magnus grabs his arm, leaning to whisper in his ear.
“I meant what I said. You’re not dying a virgin. Not on my watch.”
Then he lets go of Alec and walks ahead.
It’s going to be a long night.
As it turns out, it was Clary who proposed to Jace. With a sword of all things. Jace was smiling the whole time as he told the story. Alec had to admit that Clary knew Jace better than Jace knew himself if she came up with that on her own. They were smiling disgustingly at each other every time they were apart for more than five minutes speaking to someone else. Alec is sulking at the edges of the party, observing Clary’s friend Simon stammer as Izzy shamelessly flirts with him.
“I take it parties are not your favorite thing,” Magnus says leaning against the wall beside him.
“What gave it away?”
“The detached look on your face as you stare at the party-goers,” he replies, swirling the cocktail in his hand.
When Alec doesn’t reply, Magnus places a hand on Alec’s arm. Alec doesn’t move away.
“Would you like to go for a drink sometime?” Magnus asks, he’s speaking casually but Alec can recognize the nervous anticipation in his voice.
Alec glances at the room, at Izzy’s face split in a wide smile, the glint in her eye that tells him she’s already mentally undressing this dude; at Max’s form slouched on the sofa, playing with his phone and ignoring the conversation between his mother and Clary’s parents; at Jace hugging Clary from behind as she puts appetizers on a tray. His family will be alright if he takes a moment to himself.
“Sure,” he answers, keeping his voice down. He’s smart enough to realize that Izzy would have a field day with this moment. “When are you free?”
“Now? I know a great place on Fourth Avenue that closes late,” Magnus says, examining what’s left of his drink.
Alec looks at Magnus, then back at his family. He finishes his beer with a big gulp and says, “meet you outside in 3? If I leave without telling anyone, Izzy’s gonna get to be the best man and we can’t have that.”
At Magnus’ radiant smile, his heart beats faster. He would do anything to see that smile again.
Once he makes it out of the party, Alec sees Magnus fixing his hair in front of a window. When Magnus notices him walking in his direction, he smiles at him full of mischief, the fading light of the sunset framing him like a creature out of a dream. He silently pleads to the same God that was listening on the fateful night at the club for a second chance.
Please. Just this one thing.
Magnus offers him his hand. Alec takes it without hesitation.