The Mortal Instruments #144 As the wind kindles the fire, #61 Smouldering heart
Title: Letters from nowhere (chapter 8)
Author: morena238
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: The Mortal Instruments
Pairing/s: Alec/Magnus
Theme: #144 As the wind kindles the fire
Words: 2821
Genre/: Romance
Warnings: Slash
Worksafe: Yes
Summary: A mysterious letter at the front door, with no indication who might have sent it. And if Alec wants to find that person, he has to solve the puzzle laid-out for him...
Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare. I own nothing.
#144 As the wind kindles the fire
.
When Alec returned from his trip to Roosevelt Island it was already late. He'd stayed at the ruins a little longer, rereading the letter several times and mostly staring at the theatre ticket in awe. He had always wanted to go to a Shakespeare in the Park performance but had never succeeded in getting any tickets. The plays were extremely popular, especially since the entry was free, and that meant that one usually had to line up early in the morning to get hold of a ticket, which was something he didn't have the time to do. And now he'd get to see Measure for Measure.
Even now, nearly two hours later, Alec couldn't help but grin every time he thought about it. Jace and Isabelle would probably ask weird questions, but then again, they always did that. And they wouldn't be half as weirded out if he told them he'd go to see a play as they would be if he told them he planned to stay out all Saturday to explore some parts of New York he had never really been to before.
It was easy to guess what the sender was talking about. Walking down Brooklyn Bridge was something every tourist coming to New York was advised to do. Personally, Alec had never seen the appeal of it, but maybe that was just because he had lived in New York all his life and wasn't excited about watching the skyline anymore. Also, it was easily accessible from Lower East Side, so he was absolutely positive that this was what he was supposed to do. He didn't really know what this stroll would tell him about his secret admirer, but he didn't give much thought to it now. At the end of the road, another letter would wait for him, and that would be enough.
Alec made a mental note to remember googling what he could have meant with that chocolate hint as he opened the front door and slipped inside, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. He didn't want his siblings to notice he had been gone for so long. In fact, he'd rather he didn't encounter them at all on his way to his room, especially not his brother. He had basically avoided Jace ever since their sort-of talk at the weekend, trying to not end up being alone with him. It wasn't because he felt uncomfortable in Jace's presence now that he knew that his brother had been aware of his preferences for a long time, but because he knew this wasn't over yet; they needed to have a real talk about this and not go on pretending this hadn't happened or it didn't matter at all. The thing was, Alec wasn't sure whether he was ready for that kind of talk yet. He was pretty sure Jace was as reluctant to talk about it as he was, but then again, his brother would probably prefer they'd get it over with.
Unfortunately, it turned out that he didn't have a choice in that matter either, thanks to his nonexistent stealth skills. He hadn't even taken two steps towards the stairs when Jace poked out his head from the kitchen.
"Look who has returned," he said, grinning. "And here I thought I wouldn't get to see you today with the way you are loitering around lately. Hungry?"
Alec wanted to decline and make a run for it, but his stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of food. "Yeah."
"Hurry up, then. Hodge made some spaghetti and I feel inclined to eat them all before Isabelle comes down and sees that I dumped her dinner in the trash bin when she wasn't looking and am now feasting on something else."
Alec chuckled at his conspiratorial tone. This was something they had done often when they were younger, secretly deposing of Izzy's food and sneaking down in the middle of the night to raid the fridge because they were too hungry to get through the night without eating. It had always been fun and they had laughed a lot, apart from the times their sister had heard and caught them red-handed. Facing Isabelle's wrath wasn't exactly on their favourite list of things to do.
He followed his brother and gladly accepted the glass of water and plate filled with pasta that was shoved into his hands mere seconds later while contemplating how the hell he should begin this conversation. Before an awkward silence could creep up between them, though, Jace saved him.
"So," he said casually," how was the science project?"
"Huh?" was Alec's not so intelligent response, before he broke out in cold sweat as he realised that this had been his excuse for staying out all afternoon. "Oh, that science project," he said hastily. "Yeah, it was...good."
Yeah, nice save, dumbass. Smooth. Real smooth.
Jace looked highly amused. "Must be one hell of a science project, then, considering that you look almost elated and usually hate everything even remotely science-related," he stated, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, and shoved another fork full of noodles into his mouth.
Alec suppressed the urge to kick himself.
"So, is he nice?"
"Who?"
"Your science project partner."
Alec groaned, wishing that a hole in the ground would just open up and swallow him. "There is no science project," he admitted.
Jace's grin widened. "I know."
"There is no guy, either."
His brother's face fell, his eyes darkening. "You know, Alec, I really don't get you. Why do you still feel the need to lie to me?"
"I don't, I mean, I'm not - I", Alec stammered. Then he took a deep breath. "How did you know?" he asked quietly. It was a question that had bothered him for several days now, and he longed to get an answer.
"What? That you are gay?"
Alec winced, both at Jace's harsh tone and at the word being uttered loudly. While he had more or less come to terms with being homosexual, openly speaking about it was a different matter altogether. He surreptitiously snuck a glance around to check that no one else had heard. He really didn't want to broadcast his sexuality to the entire staff (which only consisted of Hodge and the charlady that came to clean twice a week, but one could never be too careful).
"I'm not an idiot, Alec," Jace continued, frowning when he saw Alec's discomfort. "And I can put two and two together. You never date girls. You don't even look at them -"
"Of course I look at girls," Alec protested, confused.
"Well, you do, but you don't look look, if you get what I mean. As in, you don't check them out. You never seem to be comfortable with yourself, and you absolutely hate going into locker rooms. To everyone else, you're probably hiding it pretty well, but you're my brother. I know you."
"If you've know for so long, why were you always pestering me and trying to make me hook up with girls?" Alec asked.
Jace rolled his eyes. "Because I wanted you to admit it, Goddammit!" he exclaimed. "I thought that one day you'd be too annoyed and just spill it to get me to shut up. I thought that maybe one day you'd be honest with me. But, as it turns out, you're not even honest with me now, although I've already told you I'm completely okay with it," he finished bitterly.
Alec swallowed. "But I am honest with you now."
"Right." Jace's voice oozed with sarcasm and, strangely enough, hurt. It made Alec's heart clench painfully in his chest. He had never thought that keeping secrets from his brother might hurt him, but apparently, this was what he had done. He had assumed that his sexuality would put a strain on their relationship, when in reality it was just his secrecy that had done it.
"Really, Jace. There is no one. Well," Alec amended grudgingly, fighting the colour that was threatening to rise up to his cheeks, "maybe there is someone. But we're not dating. Or anything." Technically, there were even two, but he wouldn't tell Jace that yet. Or were there even two? God, he was confused.
"But you're basically seeing someone?"
Alec thoughts went to Magnus, and then to the person writing the letters. He liked Magnus, but although they had met twice now and had agreed to see each other again, he wasn't 'seeing him' on that sense. As for his secret admirer-slash-stalker, he didn't see him either. "Not technically, no."
"O...kay," Jace blinked slowly. "But there is someone you like."
It sounded more like a question than a statement, so Alec felt compelled to nod. He was beginning to feel like sitting on a Hot Seat, being peppered with questions. Judging by the heat rising to his cheeks, he was blushing like hell right now, too. Great.
There was a small silence, and Alec was already hoping that Jace wouldn't bother him any further, but, alas, these hopes were in vain. All of a sudden, his brother blurted out, "Do you like Magnus?"
Alec was startled. For an excruciatingly long moment, he didn't say anything. Did he like Magnus? "Yes," he admitted quietly. "I like him."
Jace smiled. "Thought so," he said, and dedicated himself to his pasta again. Then, as if it was an afterthought, he added, "You should go for it, you know."
Alec sighed. "I already told you: he has a girlfriend."
Jace snorted. "Yeah, and I am the emperor of China."
"Very funny."
"Come on, bro, really. If he has a girlfriend, I'll eat my hat."
"I saw them, okay?" Alec bit out, annoyed. "So would you please shut up?"
Jace looked as if his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. "Are you sure?"
Alec opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again. Was he sure? Yeah, pretty much. He hadn't seen them kiss or anything, but the endearments and the way he had held her, so intimately and closely...yes, it was pretty obvious, he thought, so he nodded again.
"That sucks, man," his brother said sympathetically.
Alec rolled his eyes. "Geez, thanks. Now I'm feeling better."
"Really?"
"No, but I would if you finally shut up."
Jace shook his head, grinning. "I'll have to get used to you actually being sarcastic. Where did you learn that?"
Alec just gave him a pointed look. It seemed that Jace got the message, because he didn't say anything else while they finished their meal and cleaned up. Only when they trudged up the stairs and Alec stepped aside to enter his room did he speak up again.
"That was kind of fun, talking about your love life," said Jace.
"Yeah." Alec shuddered. "Let's never do it again."
Jace looked extremely relieved. "Agreed."
.
Hello.
First of all, I have to thank you for the 'Shakespeare in the Park' ticket. In fact, I can't even thank you enough. I've always wanted to go there, and I'm convinced that I will enjoy it immensely. Coincidentally, the Central Park is also one of my other favourite spots, apart from the library. It's not nearly as remote and quiet as Renwick's, but it serves its purpose. I once found a pretty reclusive spot near a small pond where hardly anyone walks by, so whenever I want to be alone I go there. The library isn't exactly a private place, after all, and I can never trust my siblings to not disturb me in my room (maybe I should really lock my door more often - it seemed to work wonders the last time I did it. My brother actually knocked, which is a small miracle considering that he has no sense of privacy and politeness at all).
This feels really weird, writing an entire letter solely about what I am like. I detest having to talk about myself, really. My sister says that this is caused by my low self-esteem (which is probably at least partly true), but maybe there just wasn't enough narcissism left for me - Izzy and Jace seem to have enough of it. I don't mind not being the centre of attention; actually, I prefer it. Speaking in front of a lot of people or talking to strangers has always made me feel uncomfortable, and I always gladly let my siblings handle these issues (unless, of course, they are about to mess things up royally, which happens more often than I'd like it to). I don't think my parents will ever understand this, seeing as they are businessmen and used to situations like these, but then again, they don't show much understanding for anything beyond their theoretical horizon.
Since I am so bad at talking about myself, I actually had to ask my siblings about my character traits. Some of them I could have told you, too, others...not really. Basically, this will just be a list of what they said, with my comments added to it whenever I feel the need to clarify something. I don't know how much it will tell you about the real me, but I suppose it's a start. Also, I'm excited about finding out more about you, so I'll just go with it.
According to my siblings, I am quiet and reclusive (I can agree with that), loyal, protective, caring and somewhat awkward (yes, I guess you could already make that out from my letters). I hate parties and large crowds, so I try to avoid them as much as possible.
I am also (and I'm just going to quote Jace now, that makes it easier), "a very calm and steady person, but dude, you also have the most spectacular mood swings I've ever seen. Seriously, you throw hissy fits worse than Clary and Izzy put together!" (I think he is exaggerating, but maybe that's just me - Izzy agreed with him, so perhaps there is a grain of truth to it. I should probably add, though, that this only happens when I'm annoyed, and that it's very hard to keep patient when you're constantly around people like my siblings). Izzy also added that this was typical for a Pisces, but I couldn't tell, since I don't believe in that Astrology crap.
Although I am pretty shy and often try to avoid arguments, I am also very "straightforward and annoyingly literal" and a bit of a perfectionist and (as you already know) somewhat nerdy. I think Jace has no room to talk there, though, since he is almost borderline OCD. Unfortunately, this need to tidy up never stretches beyond the boundaries of his own room, and I am left to clean up after them in the kitchen every time.
There. That's all I can tell you about myself, I think. I might have forgotten something, but if I did it probably wasn't that important anyway. I'm not a particularly interesting person, I guess. I'm curious about you now, though, and I can hardly wait for Saturday.
Bye,
Alec.
.
Later that night, Alec lay on his bed, playing with his cell phone and pondering whether or not he should text Magnus. In a way, he wanted to, but then again, he also knew it was useless, and he really didn't want to bother him. But Magnus had told him to call or text, hadn't he?
Sighing, Alec flipped the cell phone open and typed in a message.
I finished the first book.
He didn't have to wait long for the reply. Only half a minute later, his phone buzzed.
You're fast. Which one did you read?
Alec could almost picture the grin on Magnus's face. The Book Thief. I decided to work through the list top down.
Nice choice. Did you like it?
Alec stared at the text message a few seconds, biting his lip. Then he inhaled deeply and decided o gather up his courage. It wasn't half as hard, being straightforward, when you were only texting and not facing Magnus. I thought you said we should do that face to face?
Again, the answer was immediate. Good point. Monday afternoon? At six?
Alec couldn't help but grin. Sounds good. Where? The library?
This time, the reply took a little longer. He was already becoming nervous, thinking that maybe Magnus would rethink his decision, when his phone finally beeped again.
No. Come to my place. 19 Cranberry Street, Brooklyn Heights.
Alec blinked, unsure whether he was hallucinating or not. He checked his phone again, but the text was still there, the black letters standing out against the white background. It seemed that this was real.
"Oh, shut up, Alec," he muttered to himself. "No need to get your hopes up. He's just inviting you over as a friend. He's got Camille, remember?"
His phone buzzed again.
Alec?
He bit his lips again, and typed: I'll be there.
Title: Letters from nowhere (chapter 9)
Author: morena238
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: The Mortal Instruments
Pairing/s: Alec/Magnus
Theme: #61 Smouldering heart
Words: 3123
Genre/: Romance
Warnings: Slash
Worksafe: Yes
Summary: A mysterious letter at the front door, with no indication who might have sent it. And if Alec wants to find that person, he has to solve the puzzle laid-out for him...
Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare. I own nothing.
#61 Smouldering heart
.
Thursday went by slowly, the hours dragging out as chewing gum, just like it always is when you are desperately waiting for something. Friday morning was equally boring and tiring, but at least Alec managed to distract himself a little and not constantly think about both Magnus and his secret admirer.
It was downright ridiculous, he thought, considering that he had known both for only about a week, but he found it increasingly hard to not think about at least one of them. His mind was constantly filled with either recalling Magnus's face and smile and inwardly freaking out about meeting him on Monday, or wondering who could have possibly sent the letters and being excited about finally receiving the next one and finding out more about this person.
It was confusing, really, because it wasn't like him at all. He just didn't fantasize about being with other guys. He hadn't done that since he had gotten over his crush on Jace, and he had never done it before that. And yet here he was, pining for a boy he had only just met and who was not only totally out of his league but also straight and very much taken and at the same time romanticising a person he had never really met at all and feeling rather like a teenage girl developing a crush on a fictional character or something.
Was it even possible to have a more-or-less crush on two people at the same time?
At some point, just when he felt as if his head was going to explode from thinking too much, he groaned and decided to chalk it all up to hormonal overload and that it would be the best course of action to just wait and see how things simmered. Maybe Jace had been right and this was all caused by him being a hormonal and sexually deprived eighteen-year-old boy and none of this would have happened if he'd gotten laid recently.
Finally, it was Friday evening, and after convincing his siblings that no, he was not going on a date and yes, he could look after himself, he went to Central Park. He was there relatively early, and yet the place already swarmed with people. Still, he managed to push past some of them and get hold of a good seat in one of the front rows from where he could hear and see everything perfectly. The play itself was gigantic, and one of the best productions he had ever seen. There was really nothing else that could be said about it, except that he was thoroughly thrilled and flashed and was determined to queue up to get a ticket for All's Well That Ends Well, too.
And then, all of a sudden, it was Saturday. Alec got up early, had a quick shower and then went downstairs as quietly as possible, making sure he didn't wake up his siblings - not only would they be incredibly pissed if he disrupted their beauty sleep at seven in the morning, but it was also part of his plan of saving himself the nagging questions that were bound to arise and the mortification that came with them.
It had been bad enough to ask them how they would describe him two days prior: both Jace and Isabelle had looked at him as if he'd just sprouted another pair of arms. Naturally, they had been absolutely determined to find out what he needed that information for, and had been pestering him for almost half an hour before his nerves had been so utterly on the edge that he had snapped at them to either shut the fuck up or answer his goddamn question. Only then had they finally come out with some useful information, but of course this little episode had only succeeded in making them more curious and suspicious.
Downstairs, he took a post-it note and stuck it to the fridge where they couldn't help but notice it. His message was short and vague, just stating "Will be out today. Don't know when I'll be back. Leftover from yesterday is in the fridge. Call me if something urgent comes up". He knew what they would assume now, and only hoped that Jace and Izzy would not be home upon his returning. He thought he'd heard his sister muttering something about going to see Simon the day before, and there was always a big chance of Jace hanging out at Clary's, so if he got lucky he would be able to avoid their questions for one more day and in the meantime manage to come up with a reasonable excuse for staying out of the house the entire day.
He doubted it, though.
Alec tiptoed down the corridor, slid out of the front door and took the shortest route to Lower East Side. He had decided to not walk all the way, which might have taken him several hours, but he would take a stroll through the quarter in the southeast of Manhattan, and take his time doing so. It was a nice and sunny day, too; all in all, the conditions for a perfect day couldn't have been better.
Upon making his way through the relatively narrow streets of Lower East Side and exploring hidden corners, Alec couldn't help but understand the appeal of this place. There were a lot of people in the streets, but although it was a bit crowded, there seemed to be hardly any hectic rush as it was common in the centre of New York. The atmosphere was relaxed and cosy, somehow, if a bit chaotic and unorganised at times, as it seemed. There were a lot of artists showing off their work, and laughter resounded through the streets. The splashes of colour everywhere seemed a bit weird to his eyes at first, but later he had to admit that he kind of liked it. And it was fitting for this somewhat alternative, left-of-centre type of quarter.
For a moment, Alec thought that Magnus would probably have liked Lower East Side as well, particularly the brightness and the amounts of colours and little shops and cafés. This entire site reminded him of the older boy. It would be nice, he guessed, if Magnus was here with him right now.
Alec stopped for long enough to wonder where that thought had come from and then shook his head resolutely. He wasn't here to think about Magnus, he was here to find out more about the person sending these letters.
A little later, he reached Brooklyn Bridge. There were more tourists around here, mostly coming towards him. That was understandable - he didn't really know why walking down Brooklyn Bridge was such a must-do for tourists, but it didn't surprise him that most people were walking towards Manhattan to take a good look at the skyline and, well, get away from Brooklyn. He'd never liked Brooklyn.
Well. Maybe he'd have to revise his opinion now.
As he strolled down the bridge, taking in the sun and examining the panorama, Alec began to wonder what this walk had to do with his secret admirer. Yes, he could understand what the tour through Lower East Side had told him about the person - or at least, he could now assume that if he liked this quarter that much, he probably enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and the colour gamut. Maybe he was even an artistic, creative person - after all, it was said that this district was a meeting point for artists. Or maybe he was just reading too much into it.
However, this walk to Brooklyn - what was that supposed to tell him? Was the sole purpose of this walk for him to end up at that popular chocolate store that, as he had found out thanks to Google, was located near the bridge? What was the name again... Jacques Torres Chocolate? And that brought him to the next question; what the hell was he supposed to do there? How would he find a letter in a chocolate store? Or would he have to search outside again?
Alec was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly didn't notice he had reached the end of the bridge. He pulled out the pieces of paper on which he had scribbled down the directions and tried to decipher them, cursing himself for his messy handwriting and wishing he hadn't written everything down in such a hurry. Finally, he managed to decipher the first few sentences, and, as it turned out, there was no need for the others anyway. As soon as he neared the store, the air smelled faintly of chocolate, a rich, dark flavour that made his mouth water, and he heard his stomach grumble in anticipation. He hadn't really had any breakfast this morning, and after this hour long walk Alec felt rather hungry.
He quickly checked the area in front of the store for any obvious signs of the letter, and, when finding none (which wasn't all that surprising), decided that he should first treat himself to some chocolate or he'd go mental. He first took a glimpse at the parts of the factory that could be seen through the windows from the street and then entered and took a good look around. It seemed he had gotten lucky - there were only few people inside, examining the products in the shelves lines up on the wall or sitting on the small tables and chatting away. Just like in Lower East Side, everything seemed to be cosy and unhurried.
Yeah, the sender was definitely not a business person rushing from one place to another.
Alec slid into one of the chairs in a relatively hidden corner from where he could observe both the entire store and the street outside, and was catered to almost immediately. The waiter was a young man, not much older than him, and greeted him with a bright, somewhat oafish smile. Alec gave him a scrutinizing look, but upon further inspection decided that he had definitely never seen him before. Immediately, he felt kind of stupid and paranoid again - had he really thought the sender would tell him to come here to clandestinely speak to him when Alec didn't know who he was talking to? - but then again, one could never be too careful, right?
"Good morning," the boy greeted him cheerily, speaking in a broad Australian accent, "what can I bring you?"
"Um," Alec hesitated. He didn't even really know what they served here.
"A cup of our special hot chocolate, maybe?"
Alec managed a smile. "Yeah, that would be nice. And some cookies, if you have some."
The boy grinned again. "Right away."
Not even two minutes later, he sat down a steaming cup of dark hot chocolate and a plate with some chocolate chip cookies down in front of Alec. Alec thanked him, but the waiter didn't turn away.
"Excuse me, but are you Alec?" he asked.
Alec stared. This couldn't be happening.
"Um...yes," he said weakly. There was no point denying it, after all. He'd know he was lying.
"Oh, good." The boy didn't seem to sense his discomfort. "I was told you'd probably come here some time today."
Alec frowned. Now what was that supposed to mean?
"Here," the boy held out an envelope to him. Alec took it numbly. "I was asked to give you this."
Alec felt his jaw drop. "By whom?"
"Sorry, mate," the waiter said apologetically, "I promised not to tell you. Don't know why this is so important, but who am I to ask questions?" He shrugged and left to take care of the other customers.
Alec shook his head in disbelief and took a gulp of his hot beverage. It helped a little to recover from the shock (and it was actually really delicious), but not much. He had expected a lot of things, but not to be presented with the letter in the first place. At least he was now absolutely sure the waiter was not the one who had sent the letters - or maybe he was just a very good actor, but Alec doubted that. If he was, he would probably be sneaking glances at him occasionally, but as soon as he had gone back to work he pretty much ignored Alec.
Sighing, Alec decided that this place was as good as any other to read the letter, and so he opened the envelope and was greeted with the familiar sight of parchment-like paper and a neat, elegant script.
.
Hello, dear.
I know you might be surprised to receive the letter this way, but not only am I feeling generous today, but I also figured that after a long walk and a day of exploring New York, you deserved to be spared the struggles of searching for it in remote corners. Don't mind Jamie - he's a nice guy, mostly, and if you're holding this letter in your hands it means he did what I asked him to do. So sit back, enjoy the delicious chocolate and find out something about me. I'm not half as averse to talking about myself as you are, nor am I uncomfortable speaking to strangers, so this will probably turn out to be quite long - I hope you brought a lot of time with you ;)
As you could have guessed from the places I led you to until now, I also like the quiet - but at the same time I am also a fan of parties. I like meeting new people there and socialising with my friends there. Of course, a lot of parties are boring, but really, you just have to know where to go and what to do, and then you'll have fun.
A thing we do have in common, though, are the mood swings, I suppose. My friends often call me a little diva and they are probably right. I will say this, though: my cat is a bigger diva than I am (but that's my fault for spoiling him so much, I guess). I don't blame you for losing your temper at times, with these siblings of yours. From what you told me I can tell that they must be a lot to handle and I think it's only normal that one would lose his patience at times.
I like that you are straightforward. I myself can be pretty blunt if I have to, but since I have to be around people a lot I learned to be a little more subtle when making requests. Usually, I'd prefer to just speak my mind, though. I'm a perfectionist as well, so that is another character trait we have in common. On the other hand, I can also be pretty lazy and am a terrible procrastinator at times. If I do set my mind to something, though, I will pull it through. I'm normally very passionate and dedicated to whatever I do.
I am also, according to my friends, pretty eccentric (I am inclined to believe them) and very strong-minded and stubborn. I don't particularly like being told what to do, so I suppose it's a good thing I am my own boss (aside, of course, from my cat, who is really wearing the pants in my apartment, so to speak).
It's a good thing neither you nor I believe in 'that Astrology crap', I daresay. While some parts of it are surprisingly accurate (I am, as it seems, a very typical Leo) most of it is just stupid. And I'm not just saying this because according to astrologers Leos and Pisces don't fit together at all. I also hope it doesn't scare you off that we are, for the most parts, pretty much complete opposites. I know people say that birds of a feather will flock together, but really, I have always been more of a 'opposites attract' supporter. It makes things more interesting, in my humble opinion.
I could go on talking about myself, but in the end, one can never really get to know a person just from what they tell you. The best way is always just to meet the person personally. But no, we aren't quite at that stage yet, in case you were wondering.
But I must fly now - in your next letter, I want you to tell me your most wonderful childhood memories, as well as the worst. You will find the directions where to find my next letter in the library as well, at the usual spot, as I don't have the time to write it all down now.
Yours truly.
.
Of course he did not manage to avoid Jace and Isabelle when he came home - that was just his rotten luck. But Simon and Clary were there, and for once they seemed to have enough common sense to not blurt out anything embarrassing in front of their respective partners. They just exchanged a long look and grinned knowingly. It made Alec dread the moment he was left alone with them. Maybe he should hide inside his room during the evening and all of Sunday.
"How was your day?" Izzy asked casually, but the leer on her face was saying everything. Oh dear.
"It was nice so far," Alec said curtly, sending her a warning glare that said 'and if you don't leave me alone I will strange you'. "Oh, Jace, before I forget it, can you pick up Max from training Monday night?"
Jace blinked. "Sure," he agreed. Then he frowned. "Why can't you do it?"
Knowing that just saying that he would be out would definitely end in a disaster, he decided to tell them the truth. "I'm meeting Magnus at six."
Jace whistled appraisingly.
"Shut up," Alec said.
"I didn't even say anything!" Jace protested.
"No, but you wanted to. Don't."
Isabelle giggled. "Fine, then. Just promise you'll introduce him to us before he has to meet the parents."
"Or warn us before you elope," Jace quipped.
"I'm going to throw a knife at you next time," Alec threatened. "That might only poke one hole into you instead of the three of the fork last week, but I'm sure it'll hurt more."
Jace grinned. "My lips are sealed."
"You were right, Jace," Isabelle snickered. "He must really be sexually frustrated if he reacts so aggressively."
"The threat applied to you, too, Iz."
"Oops."
Alec rolled his eyes. "I'll be upstairs, then."
He was halfway out the room when Izzy called after him: "Hey, if you text Magnus, ask him where he got those designer boots he was wearing at the party!"
Alec slammed the door shut behind him, but her and Jace's laughter could be heard anyway.
Author: morena238
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: The Mortal Instruments
Pairing/s: Alec/Magnus
Theme: #144 As the wind kindles the fire
Words: 2821
Genre/: Romance
Warnings: Slash
Worksafe: Yes
Summary: A mysterious letter at the front door, with no indication who might have sent it. And if Alec wants to find that person, he has to solve the puzzle laid-out for him...
Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare. I own nothing.
#144 As the wind kindles the fire
.
When Alec returned from his trip to Roosevelt Island it was already late. He'd stayed at the ruins a little longer, rereading the letter several times and mostly staring at the theatre ticket in awe. He had always wanted to go to a Shakespeare in the Park performance but had never succeeded in getting any tickets. The plays were extremely popular, especially since the entry was free, and that meant that one usually had to line up early in the morning to get hold of a ticket, which was something he didn't have the time to do. And now he'd get to see Measure for Measure.
Even now, nearly two hours later, Alec couldn't help but grin every time he thought about it. Jace and Isabelle would probably ask weird questions, but then again, they always did that. And they wouldn't be half as weirded out if he told them he'd go to see a play as they would be if he told them he planned to stay out all Saturday to explore some parts of New York he had never really been to before.
It was easy to guess what the sender was talking about. Walking down Brooklyn Bridge was something every tourist coming to New York was advised to do. Personally, Alec had never seen the appeal of it, but maybe that was just because he had lived in New York all his life and wasn't excited about watching the skyline anymore. Also, it was easily accessible from Lower East Side, so he was absolutely positive that this was what he was supposed to do. He didn't really know what this stroll would tell him about his secret admirer, but he didn't give much thought to it now. At the end of the road, another letter would wait for him, and that would be enough.
Alec made a mental note to remember googling what he could have meant with that chocolate hint as he opened the front door and slipped inside, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. He didn't want his siblings to notice he had been gone for so long. In fact, he'd rather he didn't encounter them at all on his way to his room, especially not his brother. He had basically avoided Jace ever since their sort-of talk at the weekend, trying to not end up being alone with him. It wasn't because he felt uncomfortable in Jace's presence now that he knew that his brother had been aware of his preferences for a long time, but because he knew this wasn't over yet; they needed to have a real talk about this and not go on pretending this hadn't happened or it didn't matter at all. The thing was, Alec wasn't sure whether he was ready for that kind of talk yet. He was pretty sure Jace was as reluctant to talk about it as he was, but then again, his brother would probably prefer they'd get it over with.
Unfortunately, it turned out that he didn't have a choice in that matter either, thanks to his nonexistent stealth skills. He hadn't even taken two steps towards the stairs when Jace poked out his head from the kitchen.
"Look who has returned," he said, grinning. "And here I thought I wouldn't get to see you today with the way you are loitering around lately. Hungry?"
Alec wanted to decline and make a run for it, but his stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of food. "Yeah."
"Hurry up, then. Hodge made some spaghetti and I feel inclined to eat them all before Isabelle comes down and sees that I dumped her dinner in the trash bin when she wasn't looking and am now feasting on something else."
Alec chuckled at his conspiratorial tone. This was something they had done often when they were younger, secretly deposing of Izzy's food and sneaking down in the middle of the night to raid the fridge because they were too hungry to get through the night without eating. It had always been fun and they had laughed a lot, apart from the times their sister had heard and caught them red-handed. Facing Isabelle's wrath wasn't exactly on their favourite list of things to do.
He followed his brother and gladly accepted the glass of water and plate filled with pasta that was shoved into his hands mere seconds later while contemplating how the hell he should begin this conversation. Before an awkward silence could creep up between them, though, Jace saved him.
"So," he said casually," how was the science project?"
"Huh?" was Alec's not so intelligent response, before he broke out in cold sweat as he realised that this had been his excuse for staying out all afternoon. "Oh, that science project," he said hastily. "Yeah, it was...good."
Yeah, nice save, dumbass. Smooth. Real smooth.
Jace looked highly amused. "Must be one hell of a science project, then, considering that you look almost elated and usually hate everything even remotely science-related," he stated, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, and shoved another fork full of noodles into his mouth.
Alec suppressed the urge to kick himself.
"So, is he nice?"
"Who?"
"Your science project partner."
Alec groaned, wishing that a hole in the ground would just open up and swallow him. "There is no science project," he admitted.
Jace's grin widened. "I know."
"There is no guy, either."
His brother's face fell, his eyes darkening. "You know, Alec, I really don't get you. Why do you still feel the need to lie to me?"
"I don't, I mean, I'm not - I", Alec stammered. Then he took a deep breath. "How did you know?" he asked quietly. It was a question that had bothered him for several days now, and he longed to get an answer.
"What? That you are gay?"
Alec winced, both at Jace's harsh tone and at the word being uttered loudly. While he had more or less come to terms with being homosexual, openly speaking about it was a different matter altogether. He surreptitiously snuck a glance around to check that no one else had heard. He really didn't want to broadcast his sexuality to the entire staff (which only consisted of Hodge and the charlady that came to clean twice a week, but one could never be too careful).
"I'm not an idiot, Alec," Jace continued, frowning when he saw Alec's discomfort. "And I can put two and two together. You never date girls. You don't even look at them -"
"Of course I look at girls," Alec protested, confused.
"Well, you do, but you don't look look, if you get what I mean. As in, you don't check them out. You never seem to be comfortable with yourself, and you absolutely hate going into locker rooms. To everyone else, you're probably hiding it pretty well, but you're my brother. I know you."
"If you've know for so long, why were you always pestering me and trying to make me hook up with girls?" Alec asked.
Jace rolled his eyes. "Because I wanted you to admit it, Goddammit!" he exclaimed. "I thought that one day you'd be too annoyed and just spill it to get me to shut up. I thought that maybe one day you'd be honest with me. But, as it turns out, you're not even honest with me now, although I've already told you I'm completely okay with it," he finished bitterly.
Alec swallowed. "But I am honest with you now."
"Right." Jace's voice oozed with sarcasm and, strangely enough, hurt. It made Alec's heart clench painfully in his chest. He had never thought that keeping secrets from his brother might hurt him, but apparently, this was what he had done. He had assumed that his sexuality would put a strain on their relationship, when in reality it was just his secrecy that had done it.
"Really, Jace. There is no one. Well," Alec amended grudgingly, fighting the colour that was threatening to rise up to his cheeks, "maybe there is someone. But we're not dating. Or anything." Technically, there were even two, but he wouldn't tell Jace that yet. Or were there even two? God, he was confused.
"But you're basically seeing someone?"
Alec thoughts went to Magnus, and then to the person writing the letters. He liked Magnus, but although they had met twice now and had agreed to see each other again, he wasn't 'seeing him' on that sense. As for his secret admirer-slash-stalker, he didn't see him either. "Not technically, no."
"O...kay," Jace blinked slowly. "But there is someone you like."
It sounded more like a question than a statement, so Alec felt compelled to nod. He was beginning to feel like sitting on a Hot Seat, being peppered with questions. Judging by the heat rising to his cheeks, he was blushing like hell right now, too. Great.
There was a small silence, and Alec was already hoping that Jace wouldn't bother him any further, but, alas, these hopes were in vain. All of a sudden, his brother blurted out, "Do you like Magnus?"
Alec was startled. For an excruciatingly long moment, he didn't say anything. Did he like Magnus? "Yes," he admitted quietly. "I like him."
Jace smiled. "Thought so," he said, and dedicated himself to his pasta again. Then, as if it was an afterthought, he added, "You should go for it, you know."
Alec sighed. "I already told you: he has a girlfriend."
Jace snorted. "Yeah, and I am the emperor of China."
"Very funny."
"Come on, bro, really. If he has a girlfriend, I'll eat my hat."
"I saw them, okay?" Alec bit out, annoyed. "So would you please shut up?"
Jace looked as if his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. "Are you sure?"
Alec opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again. Was he sure? Yeah, pretty much. He hadn't seen them kiss or anything, but the endearments and the way he had held her, so intimately and closely...yes, it was pretty obvious, he thought, so he nodded again.
"That sucks, man," his brother said sympathetically.
Alec rolled his eyes. "Geez, thanks. Now I'm feeling better."
"Really?"
"No, but I would if you finally shut up."
Jace shook his head, grinning. "I'll have to get used to you actually being sarcastic. Where did you learn that?"
Alec just gave him a pointed look. It seemed that Jace got the message, because he didn't say anything else while they finished their meal and cleaned up. Only when they trudged up the stairs and Alec stepped aside to enter his room did he speak up again.
"That was kind of fun, talking about your love life," said Jace.
"Yeah." Alec shuddered. "Let's never do it again."
Jace looked extremely relieved. "Agreed."
.
Hello.
First of all, I have to thank you for the 'Shakespeare in the Park' ticket. In fact, I can't even thank you enough. I've always wanted to go there, and I'm convinced that I will enjoy it immensely. Coincidentally, the Central Park is also one of my other favourite spots, apart from the library. It's not nearly as remote and quiet as Renwick's, but it serves its purpose. I once found a pretty reclusive spot near a small pond where hardly anyone walks by, so whenever I want to be alone I go there. The library isn't exactly a private place, after all, and I can never trust my siblings to not disturb me in my room (maybe I should really lock my door more often - it seemed to work wonders the last time I did it. My brother actually knocked, which is a small miracle considering that he has no sense of privacy and politeness at all).
This feels really weird, writing an entire letter solely about what I am like. I detest having to talk about myself, really. My sister says that this is caused by my low self-esteem (which is probably at least partly true), but maybe there just wasn't enough narcissism left for me - Izzy and Jace seem to have enough of it. I don't mind not being the centre of attention; actually, I prefer it. Speaking in front of a lot of people or talking to strangers has always made me feel uncomfortable, and I always gladly let my siblings handle these issues (unless, of course, they are about to mess things up royally, which happens more often than I'd like it to). I don't think my parents will ever understand this, seeing as they are businessmen and used to situations like these, but then again, they don't show much understanding for anything beyond their theoretical horizon.
Since I am so bad at talking about myself, I actually had to ask my siblings about my character traits. Some of them I could have told you, too, others...not really. Basically, this will just be a list of what they said, with my comments added to it whenever I feel the need to clarify something. I don't know how much it will tell you about the real me, but I suppose it's a start. Also, I'm excited about finding out more about you, so I'll just go with it.
According to my siblings, I am quiet and reclusive (I can agree with that), loyal, protective, caring and somewhat awkward (yes, I guess you could already make that out from my letters). I hate parties and large crowds, so I try to avoid them as much as possible.
I am also (and I'm just going to quote Jace now, that makes it easier), "a very calm and steady person, but dude, you also have the most spectacular mood swings I've ever seen. Seriously, you throw hissy fits worse than Clary and Izzy put together!" (I think he is exaggerating, but maybe that's just me - Izzy agreed with him, so perhaps there is a grain of truth to it. I should probably add, though, that this only happens when I'm annoyed, and that it's very hard to keep patient when you're constantly around people like my siblings). Izzy also added that this was typical for a Pisces, but I couldn't tell, since I don't believe in that Astrology crap.
Although I am pretty shy and often try to avoid arguments, I am also very "straightforward and annoyingly literal" and a bit of a perfectionist and (as you already know) somewhat nerdy. I think Jace has no room to talk there, though, since he is almost borderline OCD. Unfortunately, this need to tidy up never stretches beyond the boundaries of his own room, and I am left to clean up after them in the kitchen every time.
There. That's all I can tell you about myself, I think. I might have forgotten something, but if I did it probably wasn't that important anyway. I'm not a particularly interesting person, I guess. I'm curious about you now, though, and I can hardly wait for Saturday.
Bye,
Alec.
.
Later that night, Alec lay on his bed, playing with his cell phone and pondering whether or not he should text Magnus. In a way, he wanted to, but then again, he also knew it was useless, and he really didn't want to bother him. But Magnus had told him to call or text, hadn't he?
Sighing, Alec flipped the cell phone open and typed in a message.
I finished the first book.
He didn't have to wait long for the reply. Only half a minute later, his phone buzzed.
You're fast. Which one did you read?
Alec could almost picture the grin on Magnus's face. The Book Thief. I decided to work through the list top down.
Nice choice. Did you like it?
Alec stared at the text message a few seconds, biting his lip. Then he inhaled deeply and decided o gather up his courage. It wasn't half as hard, being straightforward, when you were only texting and not facing Magnus. I thought you said we should do that face to face?
Again, the answer was immediate. Good point. Monday afternoon? At six?
Alec couldn't help but grin. Sounds good. Where? The library?
This time, the reply took a little longer. He was already becoming nervous, thinking that maybe Magnus would rethink his decision, when his phone finally beeped again.
No. Come to my place. 19 Cranberry Street, Brooklyn Heights.
Alec blinked, unsure whether he was hallucinating or not. He checked his phone again, but the text was still there, the black letters standing out against the white background. It seemed that this was real.
"Oh, shut up, Alec," he muttered to himself. "No need to get your hopes up. He's just inviting you over as a friend. He's got Camille, remember?"
His phone buzzed again.
Alec?
He bit his lips again, and typed: I'll be there.
Title: Letters from nowhere (chapter 9)
Author: morena238
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: The Mortal Instruments
Pairing/s: Alec/Magnus
Theme: #61 Smouldering heart
Words: 3123
Genre/: Romance
Warnings: Slash
Worksafe: Yes
Summary: A mysterious letter at the front door, with no indication who might have sent it. And if Alec wants to find that person, he has to solve the puzzle laid-out for him...
Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare. I own nothing.
#61 Smouldering heart
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Thursday went by slowly, the hours dragging out as chewing gum, just like it always is when you are desperately waiting for something. Friday morning was equally boring and tiring, but at least Alec managed to distract himself a little and not constantly think about both Magnus and his secret admirer.
It was downright ridiculous, he thought, considering that he had known both for only about a week, but he found it increasingly hard to not think about at least one of them. His mind was constantly filled with either recalling Magnus's face and smile and inwardly freaking out about meeting him on Monday, or wondering who could have possibly sent the letters and being excited about finally receiving the next one and finding out more about this person.
It was confusing, really, because it wasn't like him at all. He just didn't fantasize about being with other guys. He hadn't done that since he had gotten over his crush on Jace, and he had never done it before that. And yet here he was, pining for a boy he had only just met and who was not only totally out of his league but also straight and very much taken and at the same time romanticising a person he had never really met at all and feeling rather like a teenage girl developing a crush on a fictional character or something.
Was it even possible to have a more-or-less crush on two people at the same time?
At some point, just when he felt as if his head was going to explode from thinking too much, he groaned and decided to chalk it all up to hormonal overload and that it would be the best course of action to just wait and see how things simmered. Maybe Jace had been right and this was all caused by him being a hormonal and sexually deprived eighteen-year-old boy and none of this would have happened if he'd gotten laid recently.
Finally, it was Friday evening, and after convincing his siblings that no, he was not going on a date and yes, he could look after himself, he went to Central Park. He was there relatively early, and yet the place already swarmed with people. Still, he managed to push past some of them and get hold of a good seat in one of the front rows from where he could hear and see everything perfectly. The play itself was gigantic, and one of the best productions he had ever seen. There was really nothing else that could be said about it, except that he was thoroughly thrilled and flashed and was determined to queue up to get a ticket for All's Well That Ends Well, too.
And then, all of a sudden, it was Saturday. Alec got up early, had a quick shower and then went downstairs as quietly as possible, making sure he didn't wake up his siblings - not only would they be incredibly pissed if he disrupted their beauty sleep at seven in the morning, but it was also part of his plan of saving himself the nagging questions that were bound to arise and the mortification that came with them.
It had been bad enough to ask them how they would describe him two days prior: both Jace and Isabelle had looked at him as if he'd just sprouted another pair of arms. Naturally, they had been absolutely determined to find out what he needed that information for, and had been pestering him for almost half an hour before his nerves had been so utterly on the edge that he had snapped at them to either shut the fuck up or answer his goddamn question. Only then had they finally come out with some useful information, but of course this little episode had only succeeded in making them more curious and suspicious.
Downstairs, he took a post-it note and stuck it to the fridge where they couldn't help but notice it. His message was short and vague, just stating "Will be out today. Don't know when I'll be back. Leftover from yesterday is in the fridge. Call me if something urgent comes up". He knew what they would assume now, and only hoped that Jace and Izzy would not be home upon his returning. He thought he'd heard his sister muttering something about going to see Simon the day before, and there was always a big chance of Jace hanging out at Clary's, so if he got lucky he would be able to avoid their questions for one more day and in the meantime manage to come up with a reasonable excuse for staying out of the house the entire day.
He doubted it, though.
Alec tiptoed down the corridor, slid out of the front door and took the shortest route to Lower East Side. He had decided to not walk all the way, which might have taken him several hours, but he would take a stroll through the quarter in the southeast of Manhattan, and take his time doing so. It was a nice and sunny day, too; all in all, the conditions for a perfect day couldn't have been better.
Upon making his way through the relatively narrow streets of Lower East Side and exploring hidden corners, Alec couldn't help but understand the appeal of this place. There were a lot of people in the streets, but although it was a bit crowded, there seemed to be hardly any hectic rush as it was common in the centre of New York. The atmosphere was relaxed and cosy, somehow, if a bit chaotic and unorganised at times, as it seemed. There were a lot of artists showing off their work, and laughter resounded through the streets. The splashes of colour everywhere seemed a bit weird to his eyes at first, but later he had to admit that he kind of liked it. And it was fitting for this somewhat alternative, left-of-centre type of quarter.
For a moment, Alec thought that Magnus would probably have liked Lower East Side as well, particularly the brightness and the amounts of colours and little shops and cafés. This entire site reminded him of the older boy. It would be nice, he guessed, if Magnus was here with him right now.
Alec stopped for long enough to wonder where that thought had come from and then shook his head resolutely. He wasn't here to think about Magnus, he was here to find out more about the person sending these letters.
A little later, he reached Brooklyn Bridge. There were more tourists around here, mostly coming towards him. That was understandable - he didn't really know why walking down Brooklyn Bridge was such a must-do for tourists, but it didn't surprise him that most people were walking towards Manhattan to take a good look at the skyline and, well, get away from Brooklyn. He'd never liked Brooklyn.
Well. Maybe he'd have to revise his opinion now.
As he strolled down the bridge, taking in the sun and examining the panorama, Alec began to wonder what this walk had to do with his secret admirer. Yes, he could understand what the tour through Lower East Side had told him about the person - or at least, he could now assume that if he liked this quarter that much, he probably enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and the colour gamut. Maybe he was even an artistic, creative person - after all, it was said that this district was a meeting point for artists. Or maybe he was just reading too much into it.
However, this walk to Brooklyn - what was that supposed to tell him? Was the sole purpose of this walk for him to end up at that popular chocolate store that, as he had found out thanks to Google, was located near the bridge? What was the name again... Jacques Torres Chocolate? And that brought him to the next question; what the hell was he supposed to do there? How would he find a letter in a chocolate store? Or would he have to search outside again?
Alec was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly didn't notice he had reached the end of the bridge. He pulled out the pieces of paper on which he had scribbled down the directions and tried to decipher them, cursing himself for his messy handwriting and wishing he hadn't written everything down in such a hurry. Finally, he managed to decipher the first few sentences, and, as it turned out, there was no need for the others anyway. As soon as he neared the store, the air smelled faintly of chocolate, a rich, dark flavour that made his mouth water, and he heard his stomach grumble in anticipation. He hadn't really had any breakfast this morning, and after this hour long walk Alec felt rather hungry.
He quickly checked the area in front of the store for any obvious signs of the letter, and, when finding none (which wasn't all that surprising), decided that he should first treat himself to some chocolate or he'd go mental. He first took a glimpse at the parts of the factory that could be seen through the windows from the street and then entered and took a good look around. It seemed he had gotten lucky - there were only few people inside, examining the products in the shelves lines up on the wall or sitting on the small tables and chatting away. Just like in Lower East Side, everything seemed to be cosy and unhurried.
Yeah, the sender was definitely not a business person rushing from one place to another.
Alec slid into one of the chairs in a relatively hidden corner from where he could observe both the entire store and the street outside, and was catered to almost immediately. The waiter was a young man, not much older than him, and greeted him with a bright, somewhat oafish smile. Alec gave him a scrutinizing look, but upon further inspection decided that he had definitely never seen him before. Immediately, he felt kind of stupid and paranoid again - had he really thought the sender would tell him to come here to clandestinely speak to him when Alec didn't know who he was talking to? - but then again, one could never be too careful, right?
"Good morning," the boy greeted him cheerily, speaking in a broad Australian accent, "what can I bring you?"
"Um," Alec hesitated. He didn't even really know what they served here.
"A cup of our special hot chocolate, maybe?"
Alec managed a smile. "Yeah, that would be nice. And some cookies, if you have some."
The boy grinned again. "Right away."
Not even two minutes later, he sat down a steaming cup of dark hot chocolate and a plate with some chocolate chip cookies down in front of Alec. Alec thanked him, but the waiter didn't turn away.
"Excuse me, but are you Alec?" he asked.
Alec stared. This couldn't be happening.
"Um...yes," he said weakly. There was no point denying it, after all. He'd know he was lying.
"Oh, good." The boy didn't seem to sense his discomfort. "I was told you'd probably come here some time today."
Alec frowned. Now what was that supposed to mean?
"Here," the boy held out an envelope to him. Alec took it numbly. "I was asked to give you this."
Alec felt his jaw drop. "By whom?"
"Sorry, mate," the waiter said apologetically, "I promised not to tell you. Don't know why this is so important, but who am I to ask questions?" He shrugged and left to take care of the other customers.
Alec shook his head in disbelief and took a gulp of his hot beverage. It helped a little to recover from the shock (and it was actually really delicious), but not much. He had expected a lot of things, but not to be presented with the letter in the first place. At least he was now absolutely sure the waiter was not the one who had sent the letters - or maybe he was just a very good actor, but Alec doubted that. If he was, he would probably be sneaking glances at him occasionally, but as soon as he had gone back to work he pretty much ignored Alec.
Sighing, Alec decided that this place was as good as any other to read the letter, and so he opened the envelope and was greeted with the familiar sight of parchment-like paper and a neat, elegant script.
.
Hello, dear.
I know you might be surprised to receive the letter this way, but not only am I feeling generous today, but I also figured that after a long walk and a day of exploring New York, you deserved to be spared the struggles of searching for it in remote corners. Don't mind Jamie - he's a nice guy, mostly, and if you're holding this letter in your hands it means he did what I asked him to do. So sit back, enjoy the delicious chocolate and find out something about me. I'm not half as averse to talking about myself as you are, nor am I uncomfortable speaking to strangers, so this will probably turn out to be quite long - I hope you brought a lot of time with you ;)
As you could have guessed from the places I led you to until now, I also like the quiet - but at the same time I am also a fan of parties. I like meeting new people there and socialising with my friends there. Of course, a lot of parties are boring, but really, you just have to know where to go and what to do, and then you'll have fun.
A thing we do have in common, though, are the mood swings, I suppose. My friends often call me a little diva and they are probably right. I will say this, though: my cat is a bigger diva than I am (but that's my fault for spoiling him so much, I guess). I don't blame you for losing your temper at times, with these siblings of yours. From what you told me I can tell that they must be a lot to handle and I think it's only normal that one would lose his patience at times.
I like that you are straightforward. I myself can be pretty blunt if I have to, but since I have to be around people a lot I learned to be a little more subtle when making requests. Usually, I'd prefer to just speak my mind, though. I'm a perfectionist as well, so that is another character trait we have in common. On the other hand, I can also be pretty lazy and am a terrible procrastinator at times. If I do set my mind to something, though, I will pull it through. I'm normally very passionate and dedicated to whatever I do.
I am also, according to my friends, pretty eccentric (I am inclined to believe them) and very strong-minded and stubborn. I don't particularly like being told what to do, so I suppose it's a good thing I am my own boss (aside, of course, from my cat, who is really wearing the pants in my apartment, so to speak).
It's a good thing neither you nor I believe in 'that Astrology crap', I daresay. While some parts of it are surprisingly accurate (I am, as it seems, a very typical Leo) most of it is just stupid. And I'm not just saying this because according to astrologers Leos and Pisces don't fit together at all. I also hope it doesn't scare you off that we are, for the most parts, pretty much complete opposites. I know people say that birds of a feather will flock together, but really, I have always been more of a 'opposites attract' supporter. It makes things more interesting, in my humble opinion.
I could go on talking about myself, but in the end, one can never really get to know a person just from what they tell you. The best way is always just to meet the person personally. But no, we aren't quite at that stage yet, in case you were wondering.
But I must fly now - in your next letter, I want you to tell me your most wonderful childhood memories, as well as the worst. You will find the directions where to find my next letter in the library as well, at the usual spot, as I don't have the time to write it all down now.
Yours truly.
.
Of course he did not manage to avoid Jace and Isabelle when he came home - that was just his rotten luck. But Simon and Clary were there, and for once they seemed to have enough common sense to not blurt out anything embarrassing in front of their respective partners. They just exchanged a long look and grinned knowingly. It made Alec dread the moment he was left alone with them. Maybe he should hide inside his room during the evening and all of Sunday.
"How was your day?" Izzy asked casually, but the leer on her face was saying everything. Oh dear.
"It was nice so far," Alec said curtly, sending her a warning glare that said 'and if you don't leave me alone I will strange you'. "Oh, Jace, before I forget it, can you pick up Max from training Monday night?"
Jace blinked. "Sure," he agreed. Then he frowned. "Why can't you do it?"
Knowing that just saying that he would be out would definitely end in a disaster, he decided to tell them the truth. "I'm meeting Magnus at six."
Jace whistled appraisingly.
"Shut up," Alec said.
"I didn't even say anything!" Jace protested.
"No, but you wanted to. Don't."
Isabelle giggled. "Fine, then. Just promise you'll introduce him to us before he has to meet the parents."
"Or warn us before you elope," Jace quipped.
"I'm going to throw a knife at you next time," Alec threatened. "That might only poke one hole into you instead of the three of the fork last week, but I'm sure it'll hurt more."
Jace grinned. "My lips are sealed."
"You were right, Jace," Isabelle snickered. "He must really be sexually frustrated if he reacts so aggressively."
"The threat applied to you, too, Iz."
"Oops."
Alec rolled his eyes. "I'll be upstairs, then."
He was halfway out the room when Izzy called after him: "Hey, if you text Magnus, ask him where he got those designer boots he was wearing at the party!"
Alec slammed the door shut behind him, but her and Jace's laughter could be heard anyway.