[Mojave]

He sighed as his head fell back against the soft cushions of the couch; he had to admit it was more comfortable than leaning against the wall. He was vaguely relieved that his body didn't betray him as Magnus helped him locate the stele. Once rune was burned into his shoulder, extending partially onto his neck, he relaxed as the swelling and pain in his head subsided.

At Magnus's question he gave an exasperated chuckle. "Well, we went on patrol and Jace unearthed a swarm of Mantid demons. But that wasn't enough for Jace. No, after killing the Mantids a couple Onis showed up. He's currently out cold at the Institure infirmary. Izzy's taking care of him." He said quickly so Magnus wouldn't think he needed to go help Jace.

"I decided if I stayed home, I'd probably smother Jace. He's been insane since he found out Clary's his sister, taking stupid risks. And while I get that it sucks, I wish he wouldn't keep trying to get himself killed." He  sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I tried to call," he said again, the iratz rune fading and his frustration dissipating. "Did you know there's a, uh what did he say, a Unicorn Emporium somewhere around here? I've never heard of it."

[Night]

"I'm not sure why I'm unsurprised." Magnus collapsed backwards onto the unoccupied seat of the couch, looking upwards as though asking to be granted peace. "You shadowhunters never know when to leave well enough alone, always rushing off into danger." The lifestyle, as he understood it, was brutal. They almost always died young, and it appeared as though Jace were chasing a stereotype. He caught a flash of blue eyes in his peripheral vision, and thought for the first time that he couldn't really blame Jace for being upset. The heart wants what the heart wants, or some other cliché to the same nature.

A laugh, loud and sudden, escaped him. Alec was far, far too serious for his age. "There's no such thing as unicorns." He grinned. "And there's definitely not a "Unicorn Emporium." I can't believe you actually fell for that." Magnus rolled his eyes, but retained his good-natured smile. "It was me. I just didn't know it was you." The word 'you' seemed to hold some kind of special connotation, a certain fondness to it that he wasn't sure he was comfortable revealing after the fact.

He changed the subject by placing his hand on Alec's knee and sliding it up his thigh. "If you want, I can, uh... Check you for any more damage." His grin turned lecherous, voice dripping with suggestion.

[Mojave]

Alec gave him a raised brow look, not really sure what to say for a moment. "Well, we are sworn to protect humanity from the demon threat." He said slowly, thinking along the same lines as Magnus.

When Magnus laughed and revealed that he had called the right number, he leaned away from Magnus, an incredulous look on his face. "That was you? Who DOES that?" he held his hands up helplessly, but laughed. "Well it's nice to know I can still dial a number with a minor head injury." He said in a deadpan.

As Magnus's hand slid up his thigh, he gasped and bit his lower lip, gently taking Magnus's hand in his own. He lifted their appendages away from his crotch where it was evident how much he would have liked to take Magnus up on that offer. "Um." He sighed as he turned to face Magnus on the couch, though he let his eyes rest on the cushion between them. "I... uh.." he paused, trying to find the words he needed to say, words that had been on his mind all day.

"I don't want to. To use you that is. Last night... it raised some questions that I need to answer. About myself, my feelings overall but especially for you and.. Jace." He said his parabatai's name with difficulty. He'd never admitted how he felt about Jace to anyone else. Hell, he hadn't ever really admitted it to himself or even examined his feelings from an objective angle. Of course, it didn't help that everyone else could tell that he was gay, but it had taken a (granted magical and mind blowing) night with Magnus for him to accept it himself.

"I like you, but I dont' want to use you as a distraction or worse. If we're going to... continue then I want it to be because we actually like each other. And I don't know much about you. I'd like to rectify that."

[Night]

Magnus hummed in response. He wondered if it ever got tiring, throwing yourself into fights that weren't even yours to deal with. He imagined it must be like pitching yourself against a brick wall, over and over again until you knocked yourself out. No matter how much headway they made, what they did to combat it, there would always be demons in the world. There would always be a brick wall. He was saved from voicing his pessimism by Alec's disbelief. He snorted.

"Well I didn't think you would take it seriously!" He had been known to answer his phone (and the door) in a variety of ways, and he'd yet to meet anyone that took his odd greetings at face value. "You of all people should know that unicorns aren't real. What do they even teach you at that Institute of yours?" His cat-like eyes held a spark of joy behind them, comfortable in the back and forth. It shuttered, just slightly, when Alec pushed his hand away. He withdrew his hand slowly.

It was a bit of a blow to his self-esteem. Alec had seemed as though his issues with Jace - and yes, Magnus had known, he wasn't an idiot like their golden boy - he had seemed like those feelings had been worked through. Magnus hadn't considered the possibility that perhaps he had been intended as a distraction.

"What would you like to know?" He asked finally, folding his hands in his lap. It wasn't that he didn't want to touch. Quite the opposite, even. He just couldn't guarantee his own ability to keep things rated to a younger audience, with Alec sitting there in his stupid oversized sweater and dashing good looks that begged to be ravished. It was an unfortunate turn of events. Particularly when he was more than sure of his own feelings for one Alexander Lightwood.

[Mojave]

Alec grumbled something about all the stories being true, but the mood and the conversation had shifted. Not for the first time, he wished things could be simpler and the two of them could have let the night go where it would. Despite his honesty, he worried Magnus didn't believe him.

"Um." he laughed, realizing he didn't even know where to start. "I guess the simple questions." After saying it, he realized he wasn't aware of what qualified as simple questions. Shadowhunters weren't exactly interested in Mundane traditions or interests so Alec wasn't familiar with literature or music past the classics.

"Favorite... book?" He asked, wondering if it was as lame as it sounded. "I'm sorry, usually I'd ask what someone's favorite weapon is when killing demons. But.." He shrugged as if to express how out of place that question was. But he was trying, and he hoped Magnus wouldn't mind dealing with his awkwardness until they found a rhythm between them. If they did.

[Night]

The evening had certainly taken an unexpected turn. Magnus leaned back against the armrest, making himself comfortable for what he was sure was about to be a long and somewhat uncomfortable chat. "My favorite book?" His eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into his hairline. The odd part of it, he thought ruefully, is that he wasn't even entirely sure what his favorite book was. Despite whatever image he may have, there wasn't exactly a lot of free time involved in presiding over the entirety of a city that famously never slept. There was quite a bit more involved in it than one might expect. "I'm tempted to answer something witty and ridiculous, for the sake of the question, but I suppose that would only set me back." He chuckled. He was shocking even himself by giving the question serious thought.

"I suppose, if I had to choose something that wasn't obvious, such as the Grey Book, it would be A Picture of Dorian Gray." He felt an odd sort of companionship with the character, though he wouldn't ever admit to as much. A gift of ever lasting beauty, of timelessness, was more a curse than anything. He had seen the way that immortality made those to which it was given hard and ugly, how they hid away behind a thin veneer of paint where they could never be reached. How they did ugly things because nothing really mattered when only a scant hundred years separated you and a clean slate, when you lived a century a second and saw the rise and fall of empires. He let out a breath, then cracked a small smile.

"Yourself?" This was a two way street, after all, and he was eager to learn more about the man that had so captured his affections.

"And, for the record, my favorite weapon for demon slaying is my bare hands." He smirked, waving his fingers in a fiery pantomime of jazz hands, blue fire sparking from the tips of his fingers.

[Mojave]

He was starting to regret asking the question. Judging by the expression Magnus was giving him, this was not something the warlock appreciated. "You don't have-" he began to respond, intending to say that Magnus didn't have to answer.  But Magnus answered the question before throwing the same question at Alec, so he supposed it wasn't the worst idea he'd ever had.

He took a moment to consider; he'd never been an avid reader, but he'd checked a few novels out and found the hobby pleasant enough. "Anna Karenina." He answered, thinking back to the story of the Russian aristocrat who had everything and yet threw it away for passion told alongside the story of a slow and steady love. The story had made him question what kind of relationship he would want and made him think of adult responsibilities he'd one day have to shoulder. Of course, he hadn't given thoughts of love and romance much consideration over the years, being too busy with demon slaying and protecting his siblings. But the arrival of Clary, watching her and Jace, and now Magnus were making him think about his own personal life again. Obviously, things couldn't go anywhere with Jace. But could they with Magnus?

He realized he'd been quiet for a few moments, lost in thought. He looked up at Magnus. "Your turn to ask me something." He said, leaning against the opposite armrest. "Though I'm pretty sure killing things with magic doesn't count as killing things with your bare hands." He pointed out lightly.

[Night]

"Of course it counts! You don't see a weapon in my hands, do you?" Magnus opened his hands wide, further illustrating his point. "Nothing up my sleeves. Oh, but wait, what is this?" He twisted his hand, doing well to look shocked as a sword appeared from within Alec's ear. "Wow, it's like it's magic!" He winked, grinning broadly before allowing the sword to disappear in a puff of smoke. It was childish, perhaps, but equally amusing.

He produced a glass of wine instead, offering a second to the younger man. It was surprisingly difficult to decide on a good question - some things just seemed far too personal to ask, and the vast majority trivial at best. The moment that the gauntlet was thrown into his court, his mind went blank. He glanced around the room, hoping for a sudden inspiration.

"Okay... What's something that most people don't know about you?" He asked finally. It seemed ambiguous enough that Alec could answer with almost anything, so it wasn't necessarily going to make him uncomfortable, but would still provide a bit of valuable insight. It also prevented him from having to think of anything too particular. Of course, that also meant that he had to answer the same question...

[Mojave]

Alec shook his head in response to the sword out of his ear, but he was still smiling. It was amusing, though he felt it proved his point- still not bare hands. He accepted a glass of wine, swirling it as he thought about how to answer Magnus's question. It was significantly more suave than his question had been, but also a lot deeper. What was something that most people didn't know about him?

"Well obviously I can't say 'I'm gay'." he said, smiling as he took a sip of his drink. No, pretty much everyone (except his parents and Jace) had known already, even though he had tried to hide it. It made him wonder how much of an open book he really was and if whatever he said in answer would get a 'I already knew that' response.

After several moments of silence (in which he drank more of the wine than he realized) he finally answered. "I wish Max looked up to me the way he does to Jace." He said it casually, though it was obvious there was a lot of feeling behind it. "What's something not many people know about you?"

[Night]

Magnus did well to hide his frown at Alec's admission. It was a bit sad, really - he could see that Alec loved his family, and craved their approval. That much alone was evident in the way he hid his orientation for fear of backlash. It was a bit heartbreaking. It also meant that he couldn't just spill some random bit of information; it had to matter. That made things a bit more complicated for the warlock. He was a man of the present, and he didn't enjoy dwelling on the past. Yet the vast majority of his real 'secrets' lied somewhere far back.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way. I'm sure Max looks up to you just as much as he does Jace." He was stalling, but that wasn't to say it wasn't heartfelt. He twisted his fingers along the rim of the wine glass, a soft trilling noise following in their wake. Crystal glasses - not what he'd necessarily been trying to summon, but fancy enough for his tastes.

"I don't particularly like to talk about the past." Magnus began finally. "I find that it doesn't do well to hang yourself up in it when you've got an infinite amount of time stretching in front of you. It's sort of lonely, staring down an eternity. I feel like immortality has been romanticized a bit more than it deserves. There's always a downside." He gave a lopsided smile. "That is to say, sometimes I wish I wouldn't live forever."

[Mojave]

He wasn't sure what to say in response to Magnus's reassurance. It wasn't like his younger brother and the High Warlock of Brooklyn had ever met, and if his parents had their way, they never would. But he appreciated the sentiment and nodded, plastering an awkward smile to his face. He let Magnus think of his answer, watching as his bejeweled fingers summoned a tune.

When Magnus answered, Alec was at a loss. He had never thought of what it meant to be immortal, in part because he wasn't and also because he didn't want to be. It would mean he'd have to become a vampire and that was just not in Alec Lightwood's cards if he had anything to say about it. "I wish I could say something that would reassure you like you did for me just now." He replied honestly. "But I've never thought about it- never thought of what it means or even thought living forever as appealing. But..." he blushed and looked at his hands holding his glass, "I'm glad it means we could meet each other." And it was true, regardless of how things would play out between them, he knew he'd never regret meeting Magnus.

And then a silence fell, oceans of emotions crashing between them. Well this is awkward. Way to go, Lightwood. Alec thought to himself. He lifted his glass to take a drink and found it empty. Looking around for the bottle to refill his glass, he tried for a lighthearted tone. "It is still your turn, unless you want to do something else?"

[Night]

Magnus gave an awkward sort of half shrug, sipping his wine. He was careful not to meet Alec's gaze. "You're fine. You asked, and it was my choice to tell. Thereby, it's not really your responsibility to comfort me for something that I've said." He laughed. "Besides, it's not really something that I think of often. I suppose there's probably perks to it, as well. It's just been a bit since I've really dwelled on it."

He settled the glass on the coffee table, working his way to his feet. He appeared to be in a better humor already, tapping Alec on the end of his nose as he walked by towards the stairs. "Nope! I asked the last question, so it is definitely your turn. You won't be pulling a fast one on me, Mr. Lightwood!" He excused himself for a moment, darting up the stairs and towards the restroom. He rinsed his hands after, contemplating his reflection in the mirror.

He looked... tired, he thought. It was an odd observation to make about oneself. He hadn't thought he was particularly world-weary, and yet here he was, lamenting his existence to a handsome near-stranger, wearing pajamas and sipping wine. He was starting to turn into a cliché. It was a depressing thought. He dried his hands on one of the monogrammed towels hanging from the rack, padding back towards the living room and more introspective searching.

[Mojave]

He noticed Magnus avoiding his gaze and an irrational desire to reach out and touch him rose up. But he didn't know if the contact would be welcome, so he ended up raising his hand halfway and then letting it fall back onto his leg. "You tried to reassure me about Max." He stated again.

As Magnus rose to his feet, was relieved at the attempt to move the conversation back to a more lighthearted tone. Though he was slightly thrown off by both the tap to the nose and being called Mr. Lightwood. Seriously, what was that abo- his thought process was thrown off track as he watched Magnus ascend the stairs until he was out of view.

He had leaned his head back on the armrest of the couch, one hand over his eyes, to try and collect himself and think of his next question. He wanted to be better company, and all he'd succeeded in doing was turning an effort to get to know each other into the most depressing conversation they could possibly have.

When Magnus returned, even though it had only been a few moments, Alec was asleep. The hand he'd put over his eyes was hanging limply beside him, knuckles brushing the floor. His other hand was half holding the empty wine glass, the object half trapped between his limp hand and his abdomen but in danger of rolling down between him and the couch itself.

[Night]

Magnus wasted another minute or two glaring himself down in the mirror, working himself up to go back out to the conversation. A small part of him wondered what he was doing here; it wasn't as though this would ever work out in his favor. There was never any good love story written where one partner lived forever and the other was lost. It did give him points for the tragedy factor, though. It was less in his favor that Alec still had feelings for someone else. He knew he was setting himself up for failure. Still, he couldn't talk himself out of going back downstairs.

He needn't have gotten worked up. Alec had fallen asleep on the couch, much to his surprise. He wondered briefly just how long he had been upstairs. It hadn't seemed like it was that long. He supposed that Alec must have been pretty worn out from his long day slaying the forces of evil. His face softened as he gathered the man - boy, really - into his arms and transported them upstairs. The warlock was careful as he settled the shadowhunter between the unmade covers, pulling his shoes off and setting them beside the bedside table.

Alec looked different in his sleep. Magnus noted the little differences as he slid between the sheets on the other side, tracing over the other's sleep slackened face. He looked... younger. Less as though the world were about to crash down around him and he was the only one holding it up. Magnus sighed, snapping his fingers to turn off the lights and settling in for a long night of debating with himself. He fell asleep faster than he might have thought.

[Mojave]

Alec woke up at some point in the early hours, at first thinking he was in his own bed. He lay there with his eyes closed trying to remember how he'd gotten home- he didn't remember leaving Magnus's loft. He moved to bury himself deeper in the bed and realized there was an arm draped over him. He moved to reach under his pillow for a dagger, and rolled over prepared to demand just who the hell was in his bed, and stopped as his eyes opened.

He realized several things at once: there wasn't a dagger under the pillow, he didn't have his weapons belt on though he was mostly still dressed in the same clothes he'd gone to see Magnus in, and he was not at the Institute. He saw Magnus laying beside him at the same time he recognized the canary yellow comforter and the stained glass window above them.

Instead of a commanding tone in all his nephillim fury, a sound that could only be described as a surprised squeak escaped his lips. When had he passed out?

He went perfectly still for a moment, even controlling his breathing, worried he'd disturbed Magnus's sleep. As he watched to see if the other man would wake up at his sudden movement, Alec took a moment to study him. As he watched the warlock sleeping peacefully beside him, his entire body relaxed, his facial expression changing to a tender smile. He stayed upright long enough to remove his shirt and settled back down on his side facing Magnus. Alec gently brushed Magnus's hair away from his face and behind his ear, trailing his fingers down Magnus's jaw before withdrawing back to his side of the bed.