Chapter Text
Alec scowled at his phone upon seeing the newest message.
The asshole really gave some stupid excuse to not come to their date. Couldn’t he have done that when Alec was still at home? Now, he was stuck at this rundown nightclub for fifteen more minutes until it was okay to leave. Damn his past self and his inability to lie to his meddling siblings, promising to stay at that doomed date for at least half an hour. Did the rules still apply when you were stood up? Fuck it if he knew. He wasn't used to going on dates, especially after spending almost all his life trying to convince himself that he was straight.
Which clearly didn’t work.
His siblings, more precisely Izzy, should’ve known by now that kicking open the closet door didn’t mean that Alec immediately became a social butterfly. He still hated people. He still hated crowds. He definitely hated the trashy song that was playing and the tasteless drinks he was being served.
Edom Night Club looked more like a good place to get murdered than to have fun.
The only good thing about the place was that they didn’t have a restricted or non-smoking policy. There wasn’t a specific area for it, nor Alec had to leave just for that. His cigarette was his only comfort at the moment, and he was okay with that. He wasn’t looking for a quick blowjob in the bathroom or some one-night stand.
He unlocked his phone and looked for the message thread with his sister. He was about to threaten her with cleaning duties for a whole year if she dared to try and set him up again with another one of her clients, when a thumping sound — loud enough to be heard in between a change of tunes of the current song playing — against the counter drew his attention to the far side of it.
And wow.
Alec was stumped.
The most ridiculously gorgeous guy he had ever seen in his entire life sat there, nursing what looked like whiskey on the rocks. Or more scowling at it, as if the drink had personally offended him. Though Alec couldn’t see much due to the dim light, the beautiful stranger’s face seemed contorted in pain and anguish, and the glitter and dark eyeliner were not enough to mask his true feelings. Even his upper body, covered with a silver mesh shirt and all open on the front, revealing a sculpted abdomen under many layers of necklaces, was slightly hunched, his shoulders screaming tension. He didn’t look an ounce receptive, and maybe that was why nobody tried to approach him.
It felt so wrong.
Like seeing the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted inside a McDonalds.
Or seeing the Madonna della Pietà in the middle of a Taco Bell.
Simply inconceivable.
Cigarette dangling in the corner of his lips, Alec pondered his next move. Now, he wasn’t someone to meddle with one’s business, but something about that guy was bothering Alec too much.
As if it were illegal to have that man all sad like a kicked puppy.
Oh hell.
Lifting two fingers for the barman, Alec asked for new drinks - two dry martinis with gin. After putting out his cigarette on one of the many ashtrays scattered on the counter, Alec made his way to the beautiful stranger. And as soon as he put one of the glasses in front of said stranger, the man lifted his eyes in annoyance at first.
Until he looked at Alec.
Really looked.
And blinked slowly, looking like a confused cat.
“I appreciate the drink, but I’m not really in the mood for a quickie in the bathroom or the back alley. Although…” He dragged his eyes from Alec’s head to his long legs. “I might be convinced.”
Alec arched an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing about that. Instead, he simply sat on the stool beside the guy. “I’m not flirting.”
This time, it was the stranger’s turn to frown.
Alec sighed and pushed the glass closer to the man. “Not that I wouldn’t want anything with a guy like you, I mean, you are…” He waved a hand in the man’s direction, feeling his cheeks warming a little bit. “You are you. But you’re clearly in no state of mind for that. I bought you this because it’s better than the cheap whiskey of this place and will probably cause less damage to your liver.”
“Thank… you?” The guy blinked half sluggishly, half confused again.
Yeah, that was going to be hard, but Alec would be damned if he didn’t try to at least bring a smile to that unfairly pretty face.
Which proved to be a difficult task when the man narrowed his eyes at Alec, distrust painted on his eyes.
“If you don’t want to… to woo me—”
The corner of Alec’s lips twitched because… cute.
“—did you come to laugh at my face, too?”
Alec arched an eyebrow. “And why the hell would I do that?”
“Oh, haven’t you heard? I became the latest national joke. Twice!” the man cheered with such fake excitement, one could think he was truly thrilled. Except Alec was truly good at reading body language — an occupational hazard due to his job and having three siblings who mastered the art of chaos since they learned how to walk — and he could see how the other was slowly falling apart.
Alec tilted his head, thinking for a moment while looking at the beautiful man.
“Are you famous or something?” Wouldn’t be a surprise, though. The guy had an aura of a big celebrity, even dimmed as currently was.
“Oh…” He looked dumbstruck now. “I’m Magnus Bane.”
Alec took a long swing of his drink, emptying it halfway. “Sorry, it doesn’t ring a bell at all. I really have no idea what happened or why people might be making a laughing stock out of you.”
Magnus gasped, now adorably outraged. “How don’t you know? Everyone knows!”
Alec just shrugged. “I don’t watch much TV or read gossip on the internet. So, will you tell me what happened? It’s much better than reading whatever shit these gossip tabloids are saying. They aren’t very trustworthy.”
“That’s a first…” Magnus mumbled, but finally seemed to relax a little bit. “What’s your name? I don’t think I caught it.”
“Alec. Alec Lightwood.”
Magnus took a moment, swirling his drink with his pinky, then practically purred. “Short for Alexander?”
“Hm-hm. But you’re stalling. So, what’s your story?”
Magnus exhaled, long and tired.
“I’m a dancer, and I’m proud of myself and how far I’ve come. It didn’t take too long for big productions and famous singers to seek my work out. I got my golden era, became one of the best choreographers in the celebrity world, was adored, and could have anyone I wanted in my bed. Men, women, intersex, it didn’t matter. Until…”
He finished his glass and ordered another.
Which he drank in a single gulp before grimacing.
Alec just frowned, but didn’t interrupt him, although he did signal for the barman to go and not bring anything more.
“Until I met Camille Belcourt.” Magnus continued, his tone so bitter, Alec almost dreaded what he was about to hear. “Beautiful, charming, perfect Camille. Also, the very definition of a snake. My best friend Catarina said she preferred the term bitch, but I digress.
I was cast for Dancing With The Stars and paired with Camille, a rising star in Hollywood. I fell hard for her. I let myself burn for her, believing she was it for me. I even planned to propose to her after our 4th anniversary. By then, I had already become one of the judges of the show and had a solid reputation. I couldn’t be happier with my life.”
“And yet here you are in this shady club, listening to a band called Sugar-free Raisin, getting drunk out of your mind with cheap whisky instead of drinking champagne in some expensive suit at a 5-star hotel? What happened?”
“Well, Camille happened.” Magnus lifted his glass and looked inside it, like he would find all the Universe’s answers or just something very interesting at the empty bottom — maybe materialize a new drink by sheer will, like magic. “And her long, long line of lovers.”
“Oh…”
“Oh alright. ‘caught her on our bed with the director of her current movie. It seemed he wanted to give her some… points, if you know what I mean, personally. Super nice of him, very classy. Ten out of ten performance, cheers!”
“And you’re very drunk,” Alec pointed out unnecessarily, pushing a glass full of water into Magnus’ hands while taking away the empty one.
Magnus pouted, but took a tiny sip of it.
“You know…” Alec started, his fingers twitching to light up a new cigar just for the sake of doing something other than witnessing a raw heartbreak. No wonder his siblings would tell him he had the social skills of a locked door. He cleared his throat once. “If you became a joke because someone you loved cheated on you, it’s the people giving you hell who are to blame, not you.”
“That’s kind of you, but it wasn’t just that.”
Magnus pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a very ostentatious tattoo - two letters in very bold font and in a sick yellow that tried - and failed - to pass as gold.
CB.
What the actual fuck…
“This is atrocious,” Alec blurted out, because apparently his brain-to-mouth filter was even more useless than he thought.
“Duh,” Magnus rolled his eyes.
“No, you don’t understand. There are so many wrong things about that: from the technique to correct skin pigment to practically branding you like a damn cattle.”
Magnus snorted humorlessly.
“Story of my life, darling.”
“Okay, you’re not the first nor will you be the last person to tattoo their partner’s name. Is that the issue?”
“It is when I’m not the only one. It seems the director wasn’t Camille’s only paramour. She was actually collecting a whole lot like her personal jewel box, convincing each man to prove their undying love by tattooing her initials. She showed me the pictures herself. But according to her, I was her favorite — yay to me — so mine is the biggest and shiniest one.”
“That is not shiny at all.”
Magnus glared at him, but chose not to reply. Instead, he continued explaining. “I made the mistake of performing a particular routine shirtless. It was unavoidable, really. It was a contemporary dance of Believer by Imagine Dragons with real pyrotechnics on the stage. I worked on this performance for weeks. Of course there were a lot of pictures, and of course one of her lovers saw my tattoo.”
He closed his eyes in pain.
“Gradually, the pictures of the others surfaced, too. I don’t know if it was an intentional leak or not, but everyone noticed it. Especially mine, the number one loser.”
Yep, Alec really needed a cigarette now. Or he would punch something. This was a disaster.
It was monstrous.
He knew Magnus for all 20-something minutes and already wanted to worship the man. How the fuck then someone who had him before could treat him like some garbage?
This was why he hated people.
“Have you considered removing it?”
“It’s too expensive!” Magnus whined. “It would take my entire income and a good chunk of my savings. How am I going to spoil Chairman then?”
“Chairman?” Alec cocked an eyebrow.
Was Magnus some kind of sugar daddy?
“Chairman Meow. My cat. He is a spoiled brat, and I want to keep it that way. I love my baby too much.”
Honestly, Alec didn’t know if he was more confused or amused by the conversation. Drunk or not, Magnus was truly one of a kind.
“Besides, I heard removing a tattoo’s more painful than getting one. And if done wrongly, could leave me with a terrible scar.”
That was indeed true. Alec was about to offer a better alternative when two girls suddenly appeared, all giggles and sweet compliments, clearly recognizing who the dancer was.
And ignoring Alec like he wasn’t even there.
Which… rude.
“Hello, ladies,” Magnus smiled, but Alec could see it was tight around the edges.
“Hey, handsome. My friend and I were wondering if you’d like our company for tonight? We’re looking for some fun and you are the most appealing here in this place.”
“Hmm… I’m very dashing, indeed. What do you propose?” Magnus slurred, his eyes a bit glassy already.
“What about a game, uh?” While one of the girls pushed another glass to Magnus’ hand — some drink with a suspicious neon green color —, the other started caressing Magnus’ chest as if his boundaries were non-existent. And she was smirking in a way that irked Alec a lot.
“Oh dear, I’d love to mark you with my initials, too.” The girl dragged her nails through the tattoo, then slid down. “I could mark you all night, sweetie.”
Alec put the glass of whisky he was holding on the counter with more force than necessary, and got up, his stool scraping the floor.
“God, I’m going to throw up,” he muttered, knowing it wasn’t due to the alcohol he had just consumed. Before Magnus could sip the disgusting drink, Alec took the glass from him, and then pulled him up, away from the girls.
“What do you—” one of them tried to protest, but shut up at the glare Alec sent her.
“Go pick another guy. This one is mine.” And without wasting another second, he left, dragging Magnus with him. For a moment, he considered simply putting Magnus alone in some taxi, but if he was as famous as he claimed to be, it would be another hit against him if some paparazzi got a shot of his intoxicated state.
So, there was only one solution, really.
Sighing, he hailed a taxi for them both.
~*~
It wasn’t ideal, and if someone had told past Alec that he would not end the night with the latest gay man Izzy had found him — as if Alec had no taste and would accept anyone — but with a gorgeous man suffering from heartbreak… Well, Alec would have snorted and gone back to sleep. But that’s apparently his life now and he had a sort of celebrity with no self-preservation and also very drunk in his home.
“Alexander, right?” Magnus blinked slowly at him after three unsuccessful attempts to take off his shoes. “How do I know you’re not a serial killer about to murder me in the most grotesque way possible?” He narrowed his eyes while Alec rolled his.
“Do you have your phone there?”
“Yeah,” Magnus frowned, then gasped. “Are you going to ask for a ransom? Or are you going to destroy the evidence of your crime?”
“You’re lucky you’re hot…” Alec mumbled, then poked him on the side. “Just call someone you trust. Your family, a friend, anyone.”
A bit sluggishly, Magnus did as asked, and soon the call connected.
“Magnus Bane, I hope you have a good excuse for calling me at 2am.”
“Catarina!” He grinned brightly. “I got kidnapped by a sexy tattooed guy in all black. I think he hunts demons. Or dancers. Definitely not clothes since his fashion sense is abhorrent, but perhaps he’s better without them and—”
“That’s it. You’re drunk and I’m hanging up now,” Cat deadpanned, about to do just that, when Alec quickly took the phone from Magnus.
“Hey, Catarina? Hi, my name is Alec. Alec Lightwood. I met Magnus earlier, already halfway in putting himself into some alcoholic coma—” “I did no such thing—” “So I brought him to my home before one of the vultures in the club got to him. If you need any confirmation of who I am, you have my name, I’ll send you my number by text message in a minute, and you can also look for a parlor called Runed and Pierced, mostly known as RP. It’s in Manhattan, two blocks from Times Square. Just, so you know, I’m not a kidnapper.”
Cat snorted, and her voice sounded amused when she spoke again. “Very well, Alec Lightwood. Take care of this old fool—” “I’m not old!” “and I’ll check on him tomorrow.” She hung up then, and Alec returned the phone to Magnus.
“Oh, you might be the sweetest kidnapper in New York.”
“Stop calling me kidn-mmf—” Alec was successfully shut up by Magnus’ lips and oh.
That was nice.
Magnus’ lips were very nice. Softer than Alec had thought.
But before Magnus could deepen the kiss, Alec pushed him gently.
“What?” Magnus whined.
“You’re drunk, Magnus. As much as I want to have my way with you, you’re not in the right state to consent.”
This gave the dancer pause. “But Camille always wanted to do it, no matter how I was.”
Okay, Alec didn’t know much about this Camille, but he already hated her with a vengeance. “I’m pretty sure that is illegal. Consent is important, Magnus.”
“Consent is pretty sexy, too.” Magnus hummed. Then, he smirked. “You’re sexier though.”
Alec rolled his eyes in fondness.
“Cute, but I’m not changing my mind.”
“Why did you bring me to your home then?”
“Firstly, because you’re too hot to be real, and the chances of a true asshole not respecting you and trying to have sex with you in that state were pretty high. Secondly, I wanted to make sure you would be taken care of.”
Magnus’ eyes softened, but Alec didn’t give him time to process that.
“Lastly…” Alec smirked. “If you don’t get a hangover from hell tomorrow, we still can have morning sex,” he winked and Magnus gasped softly.
Alec didn’t know if Magnus would remember this the next morning — or anything at all — but it was okay. He only hoped the dancer wouldn’t freak out too much when he woke up, and that they could properly talk then.
“Okay.” Magnus smiled softly at last. Alec grabbed his hand and brought him to his bedroom. He didn’t have a spare one to give to Magnus, but he didn’t mind offering his bed for one night. Alec could take the couch. Luckily, he bought a brand new one recently after his siblings kept nagging him all the time about how uncomfortable the old one was. The new one was expensive and Alec will have to double up his work to pay for all its installments, but it was worth it. The couch was long enough for his tall frame and comfortable enough to not fuck up his back even more.
Small mercies.