Through The Portal(A Mortal Instruments Fanfiction)

Send Me A Map I Got Lost In Your Eyes (Part Two)

[PART TWO OF THREE]

(coffee shop/bookstore AU)

"Magnus Bane!" Magnus announced, grabbing a hold of Alec's hand. "But you can call me whatever you'd like."

"Magnus will do..." Alec mumbles, nervous energy thrumming through his veins.

"Magnus would do." He grinned, cat like, teeth sharp and shining and perfect. He was gorgeous.

They enter the shop and Magnus pushes Alec into a booth next to the window, the blue eyed boy not complaining. He folds his arms on the table and watches Magnus jump off to the counter to order drinks.

Alec had seen him on campus before. They'd exchanged glances and ran into each other between classes, polite words said and smiles given. But they hadn't actually talked. Jace had, of course, noticed Alec's lack of attention whenever he caught sight of the glittery boy prowling around, marching the campus like a lion would it's den. Jace would always laugh and wave a hand in front of Alec's face, ask him if he's come down from planet Magnus.

"Who?" Alec had asked, snapping out of his daze.

"Magnus Bane." After Alec had given him a confused look, Jace rolled his golden eyes. "He's the head of chemistry? Is in our art class?"

"He's in our art class?!"

"Well, when he bothers to show up. He doesn't seem to know why he takes it, but his art is really good. It's probably what's keeping him from being kicked out. Why do we even take it?"

Alec hadn't answered because Jace knew the answer. Clary. The girl with the red hair and paint smudges on her clothes, hands stained and shaded from hours of art each day. While she created beautiful sculptures and painted astonishing portraits, Jace would shape a lump of clay and call it a dog, paint a figure of Alec that was the next stage up from a figure stick. Alec took it because Jace forced him.

A cup is set down in front of the daydreaming teen and he looks up into Magnus' gold green eyes, sharp and calculating. "I do know you, you know," Alec started for no particular reason.

"I know you too. Well, I know your golden boy, and he's spoken of you very highly. It's like he was trying to set us up." He winked, raised an eyebrow, and Alec's face was set to flames yet again.

Damn you, Jace, Alec thinks. Damn you a million times. I told you not to metal!

"He's not my 'golden boy'."

"Whatever you want to call him," Magnus mutters into his cup, taking a sip.

Alec hesitates before responding, to make things clear, "He's not my boyfriend."

"But you wish he'd be." Magnus raises a dark eyebrow at him, suddenly more serious than Alec ever thought to see him be.

A blush spills over his cheeks, and he's got Bambi eyes when he says, "Used to! Not-not anymore. He's...he doesn't--"

"Yes, yes, I understand. Friend-zoned." He says the word with such distaste it makes Alec flinch. He takes another sip of his coffee.

"You don't know me, anyway."

"What?" Alec asks through a mouth full of coffee, it spilling out of his mouth. He grabs wildly for a napkin, trying to clean up his mess. He glances up to see Magnus' nose scrunched up, mouth twisted, trying not to laugh at him.

"You don't know me," Magnus continues, mopping up the coffee and grimacing. "You don't know where I'm from, or who I hang out with, or the things I do in my spare time, or anything about my past. You don't know any of it."

Alec thinks for a moment, watching Magnus as he drops the napkins into a near by trashcan, and then, with complete clarity and confidence and strength in his voice, says, "Then show me."