A Malec Story

Chapter 2: First meet - Alec

Alec

Alec felt nervous when they left the subway station and entered Brooklyn, in search of the High Warlock, Magnus Bane. The warlock had organized a party and they were going to crash it. Alec didn't care for Downworlder parties and he cared even less for crashing them. It was asking for trouble. Of course, almost everything Jace did lately was asking for trouble. It was so unsettling, the way Jace had reacted to the little red headed girl. Alec knew perfectly well that Jace liked girls. But he only liked them for a short amount of time, and he was never this interested.

This thing with Clary, it was much more than interested. Alec knew, although he didn't want to admit it, that Jace had fallen head over heels in love. It was as if Jace had awoken from a dream, suddenly coming to life. His amber eyes blazing with excitement. Alec had never seen him like this, and he was jealous. So jealous that it made him sarcastic and mean. He didn't like that about himself. So on top of the jealousy he was angry, too, at himself. All in all, he was miserable. He almost wanted to bail on the party, but he took his parabatai oath serious. Wherever thou goest, I'll go. And more so, the Angel knew what would happen if he left Jace and Isabelle alone with a couple of mundanes at a downworlder party. He was the eldest, almost eighteen and therefore responsible.

As they were walking through the empty streets of a shady neighborhood, Jace, who always walked next to Alec, had actually slowed down and went to talk to Clary. This was one of those things that bothered Alec. Jace rather walking and talking with Clary than with him. He sighed, frustrated with the world and everything in it.

Isabelle, next to him, snapped him from his gloomy reverie, yelling in his ears. "This is the right street!"

Alec looked around and his eye fell on what looked like vampire bikes parked behind a black car. Normally, Jace would be the first to point them out. Now Alec had to call for him, "Jace!"

Jace turned away from Clary and replied, "Yes?"

"Think we're in the right place?" He pointed towards the bikes and Jace came walking up to him and looked.

The bikes were vampire bikes, which Alec kind of liked. He had heard some of them could fly and he always wondered if that was true. Jace was walking towards the bikes and Alec saw him pour holy water from a flask into the engines. Vampire bikes ran on demon energy, and holy water would wreck them.

"What are you doing?" Alec asked.

"Nothing," said Jace innocently.

Alec shook his head but let the matter drop. Jace could be so childish sometimes. They walked over to the red brick warehouse which turned out to be an apartment building. A row of buzzers hung next to the entrance and one of them had a name on it: BANE. Isabelle pressed the buzzer and they waited. Nothing happened and Isabelle buzzed again. She never had much patient, his sister, Alec thought. When she reached up for the third time he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't be rude," he said.

"Alec-" Isabelle begun, irritation tinged her voice. But before she could say anything else the door flew open and Alec turned.

And stared. And couldn't stop staring.

Because the man in the doorway was by far the most beautiful man Alec had ever seen. He was really tall. Taller than Alec by an inch or so. He was lanky, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. His hair was jet black and stood up in spikes. His eyelids lilted a bit, showing his Asian heritage. And his eyes, they were extraordinary. Gold-green with slitted pupils, like a cat's. He had high cheekbones, full lips, a strong jaw. Alec noticed all of these things in one look. And he couldn't help but think how extraordinary, how gorgeous this man was.