"This is going to be a disaster. I'm the one who will get grounded, because I'm the oldest and supposed to take care of you two air-heads!"

Alexander Lightwood felt like to make another complaint about the party his sister, Isabelle, and adoptive brother, Jace, were dragging him to. He was only one year older than them at nineteen, but much more mature for his age.

"Oh, live a little!" Isabelle flicked her long black hair over her shoulder, rolling her eyes.

"It's not that I don't live, but this...is insane!"

"Says the college guy who still lives at home?" Jace raised an eyebrow.

"I'm from here, I don't see why I should move on campus and waste more money that we don't have. What little I make at the bookstore I work part-time is going to be saved for when I finally move out," Alec explained. He looked around when they turned on a dark street, shivering at the chill enveloping his body. "I don't like this one bit."

"Dude, chill! It's just a little party. It's not like those college frat parties."

"This one has style. I've heard of Magnus Bane's parties for years!" Isabelle sigh dreamily.

Alec scowled, shuffling after them toward a door on the chilly back alley. All he could think was: who names their child Magnus Bane? It was sounded like a disease.

The front door was open a few inches, and from the moment they stepped into the building, they could heard the loud music from above. On the way up the stairs, Alec choked on his spit when his sister took off the trench coat, revealing a tiny dress showing too much skin for his comfort.

"Izzy!" He hurried to make her put the coat back.

While Alec was scolding his sister about her choice of dressing, Jace rang the doorbell. Alec dropped his hands holding the coat when the door opened.

His round, blue eyes met a pair of green-yellowish ones staring right back at him. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe.

"Hello, there!" The tall man, with the most beautiful eyes Alec had seen in his life, greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hi!" Izzy beamed."I sent you an e-mail about us coming to your party after seeing the announcement on Facebook. The Lightwoods."

The man produced a paper from his pocket, scanned it, then nodded. "I'm Magnus, and I hope you'll have a great time!" He waved them inside.

When Alec passed him, he was certain he'd faint. The heat of Magnus's body, the sandalwood scent, the way he looked at him. It was all too much.

Inside the loft, Alec already lost track of his siblings. There were too many people in such a small place. Some where dancing, some where lazing around on various pieces of furniture, drinking of smoking what looked like pot, others were making-out in dark nooks.

He tried locating the wet bar, needing something to drink.

A tall cocktail glass appeared in front of him.

Alec glanced to the good person offering him a drink, and gasped when he saw Magnus. "I promise it's not spiked with anything."

Alec looked between the glass and the man, before accepting the drink. "Thanks."

Magnus smiled softly, leaning against the wall next to Alec. "We're at disadvantage."

"Sorry?"

"You know my name. I don't know yours."

Blushing furiously, and gulping more than he should from the glass, Alec caught Magnus's eyes. "Alexander. I mean, Alec. I prefer Alec."

"Alexander," Magnus whispered, rolling the name off his tongue. "It suits you."

Alec smiled bashfully. The way Magnus said his full name made liquid fire run through his veins.

"So what does Alexander do for a living?" Magnus sipped from his own glass.

It was abundantly clear that Magnus was older and wealthier than Alec could dream, and he hated the questions. "I'm in college. Between my sophomore and freshman year."

"I see. Do you mind me asking what you're studying?"

"English Lit. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do once I finish college," he explained. He hadn't told anyone his fears. "My dream to be a writer is far-fetched. All I write looks like crap. I could be a proof-reader, if anyone needs such a thing, but as a free-lancer. Or more realistically, I'll probably keep working at the bookstore off campus."

Magnus made a startled noise. "I knew I wasn't crazy. I always remember a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, and yours are especially enthralling."

Alec frowned, feeling his blush spreading down his neck. No one else, especially a man, had ever complimented him so bluntly.

"I've seen you at the bookstore a few times. You were returning unwanted books to the shelves."

Alec nodded slowly. "You know, that's such blasphemy. Unwanted books. It's like unwanted babies. Who could change their mind about a book they were set to buy?" He relaxed more and more now that they were talking about a subject he adored.

"I'll never understand myself," Magnus commented. "Another?" He gestured to Alec's empty glass.

"I probably shouldn't, but I guess Izzy is right. I need to have fun."

"You do." Magnus wrapped his long fingers around Alec's wrist, leading him to the kitchen.

Somehow, Alec wasn't sure how, he ended up consuming all too many delicious alcoholic beverages from Magnus, while spilling his deepest, darkest secrets to the man. They had so much in common, Alec couldn't believe it, which helped him get closer to Magnus, closer than he'd ever been around any other person. So close that at some point, in the early morning, when he was determined to find his siblings and leave, all he managed to do was grab Magnus by his shirt and kiss him furiously.

That was how Isabelle and Jace found him, when they decided to search the kitchen in their quest for their big brother.

Alec turned all possible shades of red, glaring at his feet.

Jace put an arm around Isabelle's shoulders. "I'm not that plastered. I can take us home, you stay here and...enjoy..." He waved to Magnus awkwardly.

"No," Alec said sternly. "It's entirely my fault we stayed for so long. If we get in trouble, I'll take the blame."

"Did I mention selflessness is hot?" Magnus asked no one in particular.

Alec shot him an embarrassed, yet amused look. "I better go." He ushered his siblings to the door, before turning to Magnus and smiling.

"Call me sometime, Alexander."

Alec's smile widened. "See you."

Isabelle blocked his path out the loft. "Get his number, you idiot! I won't have you whine and be miserable when you realize you can't contact your loverboy."

"Izzy!" Alec's cheeks flamed.

Magnus approached them, extracting the phone from Alec's back pocket, making him whimper. He made sure to call himself too, to have his number. "There you go, Gorgeous." Magnus put the phone back in the pocket, stealing a small kiss from Alec.

It felt like Alec was floating as the three of them made their way back home.

"Just for the record, I don't want to hear about your bedroom activities," Jace quipped.

"But I do," Izzy interjected teasingly.