New fic, guys! Don't worry, I will finish Your Heart In My Hands soon, I just got this idea and had to write it.

"Law school?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Alec leaned back in his chair, glaring at his mother. He knew she wouldn't understand. After all, she wanted her eldest child to go into the family business when he finished college. It wasn't talked about, the business. Alec didn't know much about it because his parents deemed him too young to be involved. So it could wait. Once he was out of school, his father would introduce him to their way of living.

"Because look at you and Dad. Both of you are miserable. And you don't even trust me with any of the business you're so set on having me run one day. I want to do something meaningful. I want to help people. You don't do that."

"We do help people, Alec."

"What do you mean? How?"

Robert Lightwood sighed and looked to his wife. She shook her head.

"You're not ready. You're not old enough. Once you finish college, you will know."

"If you won't tell me, I'm not doing it."

"Well then good luck paying for your own law school tuition. And everything else you might need, for that matter."

Alec was suddenly furious. "Why do you never support me?" he yelled. "Why does what I want not matter?"

"It will matter when you start wanting the right things."

"This is my dream! Dad, I've been wanting this for so-"

"Dreams don't pay the bills. You have to learn that."

Alec slammed his fists on the table in front of him and stormed out of the room, not heeding his mother's calls for him to come back and yelling how dare he treat his parents like that.

He made his way to his room and slammed the door behind him before collapsing onto his bed. He couldn't cry. He wasn't gonna cry.

But he was exhausted, and he thought maybe a nap would make him feel better. He was nearly unconscious when there was a knock on the door.

He groaned, though he knew who it would be.

"Come in, Iz."

She entered the room with a smile on her face, immediately dropping it when she saw her brother's expression. Alec sat up in bed and patted the spot next to him, inviting her to it down.

"It didn't go well, did it?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Your entire being, at the moment," she laughed. Alec couldn't help but smile.

'Yeah, it sucked," he said.

"What happened?"

"They want me to inherit their business, whatever that is. You don't know anything about it, do you?"

"Haven't heard a peep."

Alec flopped back down on the bed with a sigh. "What are they hiding?" he wondered aloud. "What's so bad that we can't know about it? Dad said I'm too young. I'm gonna be twenty-one, Iz!"

"Then I'm sure you'll find out soon. But you have to tell me when you do. No keeping me in the dark."

"Of course. I couldn't keep a secret from you even if I tried."

"And that's why I love you so much."

Izzy laid down next to him, and her smile was back. "So what are we doing for your-"

"We're not doing anything for my birthday."

"Come on! This is a big one! You're turning twenty-one tomorrow, which means you can legally drink. We owe it to the world to at least get you drunk, if not laid."

"IZZY."

"Oh please, you know it's what you want!"

"It absolutely is not."

"I know you've never been with anyone before, Alec. Don't you think it's time?"

"No. It will happen when it happens. There's no need to go looking for it. The universe will bring it to me."

"You sound like a freaking Buddhist, big bro. When did you become so zen?"

"I don't know."

"Well it sounds to me just like an excuse to not go for anyone."

"I'm not interested in anyone. Why do you care so much anyway?"

"I just want you to be happy." Izzy played with her hair.

"What aren't you telling me?"

She pouted. "Well, Jace, Clary, and I made reservations at Valentine's-"

"The strip club?!"

"Yes, the strip club."

"Why the hell would you do that?!"

"You need to loosen up, Alec! It's gonna be fun!"

"No, it isn't, because I'm not going. But have fun with Jace and Clary."

Alec rose from the bed and went to the door, opening it, and motioning for his sister to leave. Izzy didn't budge.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, you are going to a strip club with me whether you want to or not!"

"Not happening. Why don't you go cancel your reservations?"

Isabelle gave him her best sad face, eyes shining up at him.

"It's not gonna work."

"I'll drag you there if I have to."

"You think you can take me?"

"Maybe not, but I know Jace, Clary and I could together. If you want to do this the hard way, I'm game."

Alec let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. It was clear he wasn't getting out of this. Honestly, though? How bad could it be? He wasn't exactly opposed to having a hot guy stripping for him, but he had just come out to Izzy not a month ago and he wasn't sure he was ready to be in such a situation with her around. Not to mention Jace, who he secretly had been crushing on for years….

But Izzy didn't need to know that.

He groaned. "Fine! I'll go with you to your little club for my birthday tomorrow."

Izzy squealed. "Great! Now what are you going to wear?"

Isabelle wouldn't stop playing with the collar of his shirt, which she had picked out for Alec. It was a size too small, but his sister insisted that it fit his body well and showed off his muscles. Perfect for seducing the boys, she said.

Jace and Clary were to meet them at the club. Alec wasn't dreading it as much as he had before. Maybe it would be fun. Izzy was set on getting him drunk and that didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. Maybe it would help him forget his problems with his parents.

The club was poorly lit except the stages illuminated in pink and blue lights. Alec had never been there before, but he was glad to see there were both male and female dancers. Good. Not that he thought Izzy would take him to an all-girls strip club, but he was relieved it wasn't all gay. Maybe Jace would like it, even. He had Clary, but by the looks of things, he was practically drooling over the dancing girls. Clary nudged his arm and gave him a look. Jace's happy face fell as he remembered he had a girlfriend. He poured for the rest of the night. Or at least until he had too much to drink.

But Alec wasn't a big drinker, no matter how many cocktails Izzy pushed at him and no matter how good getting drunk sounded. It might have been his birthday but he knew he would be the responsible one and drive everyone home safely.

He was enjoying himself enough, but none of the dancers really stood out to him. They were all hot and shirtless, wrapped around the poles in the center of the stages, winking at the girls in the crowds.

Then Alec saw him.

The man was covered in glitter, hair spiked up and highlighted with pinks and purples. He was Asian, and had black eyeliner circling his eyes. He had the strongest looking arms Alec had ever seen, and without his shirt on, his perfect abs were visible.

The way he danced was different from the others. He didn't strip as much as he moved to the music, swaying his hips and stepping fast on his feet.

Alec wanted him. Izzy must have noticed.

"How much do you think it will cost for him to give you a private dance?" she all but slurred.

"Don't even think about it."

Not that he would really mind getting a private dance, it was just that Alec wasn't quite ready to be so… intimate with a stranger.

"Come on, it's your birthday!"

Isabelle made her way over to the man the moment he was off the stage. Alec didn't hear what she said to him, but his sister pointed him out to the dancer and he looked over to Alec, their eyes meeting for the first time. The dancer winked at him and nodded to Izzy before pushing his way through the crowd towards Alec.

"Alexander, is it?" the man said to him. Alec couldn't think, couldn't breathe. God, this man was beautiful.

The man chuckled as Alec opened and closed his mouth, trying to speak. He linked his arm with Alec's. "Come with me," he said.

The two of them made their way towards a back door by the stage the man had just left. He pushed Alec through and followed behind him.

"So," the dancer said. "What do you like?"

"You," Alec said without thinking. He regretted it until the man let out a brilliant laugh.

"Stop it, Alexander. You're going to make me blush."

"Sorry."

The man placed his hands on Alec's waist and looked into his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Actually," Alec placed his hands on the man's and moved them away from his body. "I'd like to know your name."

The man's face contorted in confusion.

"Why?" he asked.

"Sorry," Alec said again. "You probably don't tell people your name. I understand, it's just, my sister is the reason I came here tonight. I'm not really looking for a private dance or anything but if I left here with your name, I'd say it was a good birthday."

"Ah, a birthday boy. Well, if you don't want a dance, why don't I buy you a drink?"

"You don't have to-"

"I insist. But I won't tell you my name."

"Then how am I supposed to find you next time?"

"You don't even know me and you're already looking to meet a second time?"

"Well, I… yeah."

"Why?"

"Um…" Alec had to think. Why was he so infatuated with this man? What was it about him? Alec couldn't quite place it. "You're a great dancer," he decided to say. "The way you move is beautiful, and I just… I don't know. You're just… I don't know."

"Fair enough. Let's go see about that drink."

They left the back room together, hand in hand. Alec was sweating a lot and he knew it wasn't because of the temperature in the club.

They came to the bar and the dancer talked to the bartender. When he turned around he was holding two drinks and offered one to Alec.

"It's my favorite," he said. "It will blow you away."

You already have, Alec thought. He took a sip and made the face he always made when he drank alcohol. The man laughed.

"I guess it just isn't for you?"

"No, it's great. It's very… strong."

"It is."

Alec could have spent all night with the man. They stayed together and talked for a long time. Alec would have drank more with him, but he needed to stay sober. Well, relatively sober. He had a few drinks over the time he was there but didn't let it go too far.

"I'd best be going," the man finally said, a fond smile on his face. "I have another dance soon. You can watch, if you like."

"I'd love to, but the truth is I should probably get my drunk sister home and get to bed myself. Classes tomorrow."

"I understand. Goodbye, Alexander. I look forward to our next meeting."

"It would make it easier if you told me your name."

The man winked. "Where would be the fun in that?"

He disappeared into the crowd.

Just then, Izzy came up behind him and tackled him in a hug.

"How was your private dance? He's a hottie."

"There wasn't a dance, we just had drinks. He even bought them when I told him it was my birthday."

Izzy didn't appear to have heard his words because she was smiling dopily and staring at a guy across the room.

"Izzy."

She looked back at him.

"Where are Jace and Clary?"

"I dunno."

"Help me find them."

"Kay."

Izzy stumbled around the room with Alec's arm around her. They found their friends in no time and Alec somehow got all three of them into his car. They were significantly more drunk than he was. He was glad he hadn't had more drinks with the glittery man.

Once home, he led Izzy to her room while Jace and Clary fended for themselves. The moment he got to his room, he took off the annoyingly tight shirt Izzy picked out for him and put on a comfortable t-shirt.

He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.