[MalecAU] The Future President

The Informant

„How could that happen?" Maryse exclaimed out of the sudden, so everyone at the breakfast table winced and stared at her. Only Robert didn't so much as bat an eye and asked in his controlled, authoritative voice, "Please, enlighten us, darling. How could what happen?"

It was one of the rare occasions that all five of them, Alec, his parents, Izzy and Jace, were gathered for a family breakfast. Nevertheless, no one talked overly much. Maryse was studying current newspapers, Robert was proofreading a speech that Alec would give to the union of healthcare workers, Jace texted with Clary and Izzy was still half asleep. As for Alec, he was busy diverting his thoughts from Magnus. The longer they were apart the more frequent these thoughts kept haunting him, keeping him awake at night and distracting him from his duties during the day. Every time he saw a badly cut suit he thought 'Magnus would have despised this'. Each cat he saw reminded him of Magnus's feline grace. During the visit of a car factory, he nearly started crying, because the sparks that appeared during welding made him think of Magnus's glitter covered skin. Maryse's outcry at least distracted him from a moist daydream, in which Magnus was sitting next to him at the Lightwood breakfast table, animatedly chatting with Maryse, while simultaneously slipping his hand between Alec's thighs under the table secretly.

His parents had never bothered to ask about if he had dealt with Magnus. They just assumed that Alec had followed their request as he always did.

When Alec lifted his gaze, he saw a fuming Maryse holding up the current issue of The Circle, a gossip magazine, which loved to expatiate on scandals and tended to bend the truth to attach more drama to their stories. Though drop-dead shady, Alec knew that the magazine influenced the public opinion a great deal so whatever they claimed had to be taken seriously and therefore must be reacted on immediately. His mother becoming furious on reading could only mean that they wrote something about him. Something that could impede his election campaign. Something scandalous.

By the Angel, he thought, and his palms turned damp, all arousal from his daydream gone instantly. Could they have somehow found out...?

His fears were confirmed when Maryse cited from the article she had been reading: "'A member of the Lightwood household reveals that presidential candidate Alexander Lightwood has entered a romantic relationship with the infamous Magnus Bane, who has been engaged as his personal stylist lately. Lightwood's involvement with Lydia Branwell seems to be nothing but a political arrangement. We ask, which relationship is the fake one? Readers are invited to discuss this question on The Circle's social media channels. Find out more on page 13.'" When Maryse looked up pure anger was raging her face. Alec wouldn't be astonished if she would breathe hellfire out of her nostrils.

Alec was actually not astonished that his fake relationship with Lydia was questioned by the media. It came out of the sudden (also for himself) and though they have had several public appearances together, for an attentive observant their unfamiliarity must have been obvious.

Lydia had been engaged with a broker like herself. But after an investment which turned out to be the quick road to ruin, he had killed himself and along the way had destroyed Lydia's interest in love sustainably. A strategic arrangement like their parents initiated fit her perfectly. After she had confided Alec with very personal details on her fiancé's death, Alec had decided to also confide in her and confessed that their arrangement should mainly serve to cover his homosexuality. Much to Alec's relief, Lydia accepted this information without being repelled (like his parents) or scolding (like Izzy). She had only offered, "If you ever change your mind and want to come out of the closet, do not hesitate, that's totally fine for me. You deserve to be happy."

"#aleclightwoodgay is a hashtag on twitter already," Isabelle threw in while scrolling on her phone now fully awake. She shot Alec a pitiful glance: "As well as #nofagforpresident. I'm so sorry, Alec."