The Course of Second Dates

[strongest_faith]

He's on time this time, at least. And he has Magnus's shirt, neatly folded, in his hand. He'd thought about keeping it, but that seemed silly somehow. He wasn't ever going to wear it. (And he wasn't sure he'd ever tell Magnus that he lent it to Cecil. He had it back now, and it was clean.)

He clears his throat quietly and tugs at his shirt, another blue one, a sweater this time, but one Izzy had given him, so it was mostly free of holes and not too faded. He thinks he probably shouldn't be so nervous. It had gone really well last time, once they'd gotten through dinner.

Still, his hand is trembling a little when he presses the buzzer.

Comments

[strongest_faith]

Alec blushes a deeper red as he settles into the seat. It's not that he doesn't want to make out. He just doesn't want Magnus to think that's the only reason he chose the back.

"What's...um...what's the last movie you saw?"

Alec won't know it, but small talk is good, right?

[highwarlock_bane]

Magnus tells Alec about a comedy that he went to go see, "I tried to talk Catarina into coming along but she was too busy saving lives."

He describes it best he can, suddenly finding the movie far more interesting telling it to Alec then when he was actually sitting in the theater alone.

The lights start to dim so Magnus breaks off mid-sentence, "They are about to start the previews."

[strongest_faith]

Alec relaxes as Magnus talks. Magnus has a way with words and stories that makes Alec smile, and by the time the lights start to dim and the room quiets, Alec is relaxed enough to settle against Magnus, shoulders pressed together.

[highwarlock_bane]

Magnus settles in happy to let Alec relax against him and watch the film. Glancing at Alec from time to time to see how he is doing.

[strongest_faith]

Alec is sort of entranced. Shadowhunters have nothing even resembling films. No plays, no poets, no storytellers. Creation isn't a thing the Nephilim have time for. He eats his way through the popcorn without even realizing it, and once it's gone, he--after a long internal debate with himself--reaches for Magnus's hand.

[highwarlock_bane]

Magnus happily and easily accepts Alec's hand and turns to watch the movie. Perhaps the best movie he has ever seen.

[strongest_faith]

It's...nice. To sit like this with Magnus, holding hands, doing something so perfectly mundane as seeing a movie. It's a lot like being in Milliways, the way he can relax and not worry about being a Shadowhunter or Robert and Maryse Lightwood's son.

When the lights start to come up at the end of the film, Alec sits up with a smile. "That was pretty good, wasn't it? I...liked it."

He's a little surprised.

[highwarlock_bane]

"It was good. Perhaps the best I've ever seen." the company might have something to do with that.

This whole experience was so strange, a date, a mundane date with a Shadowhunter. This is something he would never have thought possible.

[strongest_faith]

"Really?" Alec asks. He has nothing to compare it to, so it's definitely the best he's seen.

As they file out of the theatre, he says, "So...I didn't really have plans after the movie. We could get dinner or coffee? Or go back to your place...?"

[highwarlock_bane]

"This is your date, your turn to choose." he smiles. As much as he would love to take Alec back to his place he doesn't want to rush Alec.

[strongest_faith]

Alec hesitates. There's a lot going on at home just now, and they've been around mundanes for a while now. Also...things went really well last time they went back to Magnus's, so....

"Is it all right if we go back to yours?"

[highwarlock_bane]

"My place is perfect." a brief pause, "Though I may be a bit bias."

Magnus offers his hand to Alec for the walk back to his place.

[strongest_faith]

Alec takes his hand, but his cheeks flush a little as he does. "I like it. It sort of...suits you. I mean...it feels like you."

Granted, he hasn't spent much time there, and the time he has spent there, he's been...distracted.

[highwarlock_bane]

Magnus looks forward to Alec spending a great deal more time at his place but with everything going on he isn't certain how that may happen.

"I'm glad you like it."

[strongest_faith]

"How long have you lived there?" Alec asks. It's not far to Magnus's apartment, but Alec feels like they haven't really talked. Not about themselves, at least.

[highwarlock_bane]

"Since I arrived in New York." he waves his free hand, "18 something or other." he may or may not know exactly but he is used to keeping an heir of mystique.

[strongest_faith]

Alec blinks, his eyebrows raising. He knows, of course, that Magnus must be hundreds of years old, but it's still strange to think of.

"Wow," he says. "I...guess you must like it then. Rent controlled?"

It's a joke, but that's not always easy to tell with Alec.

[highwarlock_bane]

Magnus smiles, he made a joke, or I think he did

"Could you imagine a landlord trying to raise my rent?" Magnus of course owns the building but still he takes a moment to consider the possibilities.

[strongest_faith]

Alec laughs, and it's a short, sharp sound, like Alec wasn't expecting it. "I can imagine them trying once?"

[highwarlock_bane]

Magnus smiles and is warmed by Alexanders laugh. Trying to play off of Alec Magnus playfully sparks some blue magic across his finger (low key to keep from mundane eyes)

[strongest_faith]

"And that's why I can't imagine them doing it twice," Alec says with another laugh.

"What, um, what kinds of things do you use magic for? I mean, obviously big things, like healing me, but...there was the coffee and cleaning up the cocktail...."

[highwarlock_bane]

"The little things, things that don't matter like the coffee and then there is the work I sometimes do. Contracts with Shadowhunters and on occasion mundanes."

[strongest_faith]

"What kinds of things do you do for mundanes?" Alec asks. He's never thought about what mundanes might need magic for.

[highwarlock_bane]

"Depends, usually something to aide in their business endeavors. Unfortunately I am bound by confidentially clauses."

[strongest_faith]

"Right, yeah," Alec says, blushing a little. "Of course. I shouldn't ask."

As they head up the stairs to Magnus's apartment, Alec says, "Um...this is a little weird, but...do you know a place called Milliways?"

He's heard Magnus was there, but he doesn't know how their timelines match up.