A/N: This is the first non-Twilight fanfiction I've ever written.. well, not the first.. but the first I've posted. And it's my first TMI fanfic, so I'm super nervous and excited to see what readers think.

I first bought the books in August of 2008. By that time, City of Bones and City of Ashes was only out. However, there was drama when it came to the books. I bought them in the U.S. and my suitcase was too small to fit CoA so my friend said she'd post them to me.. she never did. So I ended up buying CoA again months and months later. I finally gave in to the ugly UK cover. =X And by July of 2009, I went back to the U.S. and got the books back. It was a longg journey. I love TMI and I hold them close to my heart.

Thank you to hidinginplainsight & ECalvert for editing and helping me through this. Pushing me to write and publish this.

Constructive criticism as always. And of course, I don't own the characters, Cassandra Clare does. ;]

"Alec, come back here!" Magnus whisper-shouted after Alec, pulling him back by his wrist.

"No! Look, I was wrong to think I could do this. I shouldn't have even suggested this. It's just going to be so awkward. And with Jace there.. I'm sure he's going to come up with his witty remarks all the way throughout the whole dinner."

Alec started counting off a list of things that could go wrong. His mind wasn't set in a good light right now; all his thoughts seemed to be pessimistic. Robert and Maryse Lightwood had already met Magnus Bane and Alec had introduced him formerly as his boyfriend. He thought the worse part was over, but he hadn't realized just how much more formal this dinner would be. Since when did Shadowhunters sit down to casually have dinner? Rarely. Not the Lightwood's, Jace and Clary.

"Alec, just calm down. Everything will be fine. Just trust me, trust us." Magnus soothed, rubbing his hands up and down Alec's arms.

Alec nodded and allowed Magnus to walk with his, arm in arm, to the Institute.

"Besides, if all else fails – just picture me naked," Magnus said casually, which caused Alec to laugh. That was so Magnus.

"Alec!" Isabelle said, running toward him and Magnus in a flowery dress. 'Must have been Mom's doing', Alec thought. "Mom's being waiting for you. Impatiently, might I add. She's already got Clary and Jace working hard. But Jace deserves it after going after that demon himself, scaring Mom half to death..."

"Izzy! Be nice. You know he was only try to -"

"Do good by trying to protect us all. Blah, blah. I get it. But that still doesn't give him the right to try and be a knight in shining armour. I swear he only does it to impress.. Hey Mom! Look who's here?" Isabelle cut off when they reached the kitchen, gesturing to the two guys following her.

"Alec! Finally, you made it. I thought something happened!" Maryse Lightwood ran over to Alec, kissing his cheek. Then, she turned to Magnus and took his hand in hers. "How are you, Magnus?" she asked politely.

"I'm doing very well, Maryse. And yourself?" Magnus asked, equally polite.

"I'm good. Oh, Clary, don't forget the chicken! It should be almost done," Maryse said, running over to Clary.

She took the pan from Clary, who had just taken it out of the oven. She shooshed Clary over to Jace and Isabelle, who were setting the table.

"Hey, guys," Alec greeted them, taking a seat.

"Oh, by all means.. take a seat, Alec! No need to help us out." Jace rolled his eyes, setting down silverwear at each spot.

"Now, now, Jace," Robert slapped Jace's shoulder humorously, "he's probably already really nervous. You need to cut him a break."

Jace only rolled his eyes and continued working on the table while muttering out words like 'should help' and 'I'm not a maid'. Clary, who was right beside him, heard all this and was smirking and shaking her head at him.

It took another ten minutes to get the table set and food put on the table before they were finally able to dig in.

Magnus was just about to dig into his meal, when Jace stopped him with a, "Wait!"

"What on Earth is it, Jace?" Maryse asked.

"We have to say grace!" he said, which caused everyone to raise an eyebrow. "Right, Clary?" He asked, turning to her.

She gave him a funny look, as if he were crazy. Then there was an awkward push on the table and Clary winced, as if she were in pain. "Right, yeah. Yeah! Grace. We have to say grace, it's only fair."

"Fine," Alec said, throwing his cutlery on his plate.

"Magnus, would you like to start?" Jace said too sweetly.

"Uh," he muttered, rubbing the back of his sweaty neck with his palm. "Why don't you start? After all, it was your idea." The whole table, except Clary, agreed with that.

"You know what, never mind. Good bread, good meat, good God, let's eat!" Jace said and immediately began eating to avoid his obvious embarrassment.

Magnus snorted, giving Alec a secret wink. If they diverted Jace's snarky comments like this throughout the whole night, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"So Magnus," Maryse began, drinking a glass of wine. "What have you been up to? Last time I saw you- other than the time you and Alec talked to Robert and I - it was a bloody mess in Idris." Maryse winced at the thought of battle and of Idris. It was still hard for her to think of everything that happened back then. Of Max.

"Oh, you know.. the usual tidbit. Alec and I just hosted a Downworlder party last week," Magnus said, lacing his fingers through Alec's. His sentence caused Jace to spit out his drink.

"What?" Jace said, seething. Everybody else at the table sat in a stunned silence.

"He's kidding!" Alec and Magnus laughed, causing the table to erupt into quiet giggles.

Awkward moment #1 over. Maybe this wasn't going to go that well, after all.

"Okay, screw this," Jace said twenty minutes later. "I'm just going to come out and ask it. Ask the question that everyone is really dying to know."

"And what's that?" Magnus asked nervously. He already knew Jace well enough to know that this question wasn't going to be any normal question.

"How far have you guys gone? Second base, third base, home ru- OW!" He shouted, grasping his foot in his hands. "Clary," he hissed.

"Jace," Clary equally hissed, full on glaring at him.

"Is that all you want to know?" Magnus laughed out loud.

"Magnus.." Alec warned Magnus. Alec wasn't afraid of Magnus embarrassing him by exploiting details of their private love life. He just didn't want Magnus to have to deal with this. It was his family that were teasing him endlessly.

"No, Alec. It's fine," he said, putting a reassuring hand on Alec's arm. "Let me ask you.. would you ask this of Isabelle were she in a relationship with someone else? Would you ask this if you were Alec, instead of yourself, on yours and Clary's own personal relationship? That's only what it is. All relationships are the same, Jace. Of course, a hot little thing such as yourself would see otherwise. Mine and Alec's relationship are just the same as yours and Clary's. Minus the incest situation and.. other things. We do things that are way too x-rated for your underage mind," Magnus finished, smirking and kissed Alec's hand in conclusion that they were just as ordinary as Jace and Clary.

"He didn't mean -" Clary started, but Magnus interrupted her, waving her off with a hand.

"It's nothing. It's almost new to him. Let bygones be bygones. Now, let's tuck into these dinner before it gets ice cold, shall we?"

They all agreed and began tucking into their food. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot either. It was still enjoyable, though. There were no other dramatics at the dinner table. It was fair to say that Magnus had set everyone straight and that they were in a real relationship for the long haul.

"Well, that was a lovely dinner. I thank you all for enduring my company this evening, but I'm afraid that I now must go. There's a warlock I need to be meeting with in exactly fifty four minutes and I should get prepared. So until next time.." Magnus bowed his head.

"I'll walk you to the door," Alec said, linking his arm with Magnus's and everyone said goodbye in unison.

"See, now that wasn't so bad.. was it?" Magnus asked, chuckling lowly.

"I guess not," Alec sighed. "I have to admit, I imagined it going worse. I don't know why I was so nervous or scared. Fear of the unknown, I guess."

"Eh. It happens to the best of us. Even unbearably hot men like yourself," Magnus said, flirtily bumping his hip with Alec which made Alec smirk.

"Are you always going to be shamelessly flirting in this relationship?"

"Always. Who can blame me? With a hot little Shadowhunter like yourself.. who could resist?" Magnus said, running his fingers through the loops on Alec's jeans.

"But now, I have to go. Unfortunately. But, I will call you tonight. Give your family my best regards." Magnus smiled.

"Of course." Alec smiled back and pulled Magnus in for a heated kiss, his plain lips furiously attacking Magnus's black ones. Magnus twined his fingers in Alec's hair as Alec grabbed his waist.

Magnus pulled back, staggering and breathing in shallow breaths. "Wow," he whispered. "How come I've never experienced that before?"

"Just one of the many things I have up my sleeve." Alec smirked and pulled Magnus in for one final, soft kiss. "I'll talk to you later," he said, and kissed him one last time.

One thing Alec would never tire of was kissing Magnus. Coming out to his parents and friends was the best thing that he had ever done and hadn't regretted it since. Alec and Magnus both knew it.

Alec watched as Magnus walked away back home, bending his head down and looking at his butt before he vanished. Oh yeah, best thing he'd ever done.