Title: Calls and Closets

Summary: "You hadn't seemed quite out of the closet yet, you know?" Magnus said. Alec choked on a laugh. "I'm not, really. Literally and figuratively." Malec, CoB

Notes: Just a cute little Malec fic that popped into my head. I love them, they are adorable! Anyhow, this is what I perceive as the beginning of their relationship. After all, something had to have happened between the party and the "walk in the park" where Alec "fell on his neck". Hehe. Enjoy! Feedback would be really appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments. Or Alec and Magnus. I wish I did...

Alec lay down on his bed after the party, trying to rid his mind of the warlock. It was hard, of course. The colors seemed to be implanted on the backs of his eyelids.

The door creaked open and Isabelle slipped in. She still smelled like alcohol and her makeup was smudged all over her face, mixed in with tears.

"Isabelle, wash up and go to bed," he ordered distractedly. He had winked at him – what did that mean anyhow? And how had Bane known? Unless he was really that obvious, of course. But wouldn't Jace have figured it out?

He was so damn confused.

Isabelle sniffled and Alec sighed. Sending her to bed would just not work. With one final shove, Magnus left his mind completely. He had work to do – he had a hunch that Isabelle needed some big brother comforting. Oh joy.

"Come here," he said and sat up. Isabelle sat down on the edge of the bed, refusing to come any closer. "Izzy, come on, sit down." He patted the space next to him and Isabelle shook her head vigorously.

"I don't want to talk," she mumbled. "I just wanted to say sorry." She wiped at her face and the back of her hand came away glittery. Alec idly wondered if she and Magnus got makeup from the same store.

No! No, no, no, those thoughts were to be avoided!

Alec redirected his thoughts again. "About what?" he asked softly. "The mundie? It wasn't your fault that he's dumb."

Isabelle sniffed again. "No," she said. "But I am sorry about that, too."

"Then what is it?"

She bit her lower lip, which was quivering. "I don't want you to be mad at me about Magnus. I really did think you'd get along."

Alec gritted his teeth. There was that damn image again. Did he have to wear such bright colors? It was hurting his eyes, even if the image was only in his head. "He was… nice," Alec conceded. "But you know I can't –"

"Try and get over Jace?" Isabelle sounded less teary now, more like herself.

Alec turned red and was thankful that neither one had thought to turn on the lights when she slipped in. "I'm going to forget you said that."

"No, you're not because I'll say it again. You need to get over Jace. He's in love, okay?" Isabelle turned to face him. "With Clary."

Alec shook his head. "No way. It's happened before, he's liked other girls like this."

"Point in question – girls. Alec, please! If you won't say it for me, say it for yourself. Jace won't fall for you." She still hadn't come any closer to him, but was wiping her eyes again.

Alec's stomach clenched. How dare she say those things? It was none of her business what he said or thought or did, was it? It wasn't her job to set him up with people, especially when he didn't want to be set up!

"People change," Alec murmured. "I liked girls before."

Isabelle laughed. "You thought you liked girls. You've had one 'girlfriend' and it was a puppy crush with your penpal from Idris."

Alec's mouth dropped. "Hey, keep Aline out of this!"

"You two were going out for a while, weren't you?" Isabelle asked. "Did you ever tell her the real reason you broke up with her via letter?"

Alec glared, even though she couldn't see it. "Do you think I'm dumb? What would the Penhallows have said if they knew I dumped their daughter because I like guys?"

"I don't know, probably something along 'Oh, that's a shame, but it doesn't matter to us.'"

Alec laughed bitterly. "Of course it would matter. It matters to everyone, even you. Even me."

"It doesn't matter to me," Isabelle insisted.

"Yes it does, or you won't be so adamant about finding me a date. You know you can't support me so you're just trying to find someone who can do it right!" Alec didn't know where that was coming from. He clamped his hand over his mouth. He hadn't meant to yell at Izzy. He hadn't wanted to, it just came out.

Isabelle stood slowly and turned around to face Alec. Her voice cracked. "That's not how it is. I just want you to be happy. But if you're content to be miserable and alone, even when there are perfectly nice people out there who will understand and love you back – well, I suppose I should let you."

Alec stood but she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

"Isabelle!" he shouted after her. "Isabelle, I'm sorry, I didn't mean –"

A door slammed and Alec sunk onto the bed again. He ran his hands through his hair, feeling the slight tremors in his fingers. God, that had been out of line. He knew she only wanted to help, but it was just so frustrating sometimes. She didn't get it, she just didn't. She wasn't in goddamn love with goddamn Jace. And even if she was, it wouldn't be so difficult and awkward for her.

Like she said, Jace liked girls. And even Alec had noticed that his sister was most definitely a girl.

"Alec, why is Isabelle crying?"

Alec's head snapped up. Hodge was standing outside the door peering in at him.

"Uh," he said unintelligently.

"Did you two have a fight or something?"

Alec shrugged. "I guess."

Hodge sighed. "May I come in?"

Alec hesitated, then nodded his head. Hodge sat down beside him grimly. "What's wrong?"

Alec paused again. He had never stopped from telling Hodge his problems. The man usually had some very sound advice. But this was something he had never confided in anyone but Izzy with. How to word it correctly…?

"Isabelle is trying to set me up with… someone. But I like somebody else. Only h- I mean, this person would never like me back." Hodge opened his mouth to argue, but Alec put up a hand. "No, I know for a fact that they would never like me back. Trust me. We don't have the same… sexual orientations."

Hodge patted his hand sympathetically. "Ah, I understand. I was once head over heels for a girl. Found out later on that she had a girlfriend."

Alec looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. She was a Shadowhunter. Her girlfriend was a vampire. I don't really know how they worked out, when her parents found out, she left Alicante. Never saw her again."

The hopeful rising of his stomach dropped again, twisting into knots. "Oh."

"It's okay, that's not usually the case, your parents aren't like that," he assured him. Alec wanted to shout. Who else knew? He was shocked that Jace hadn't said anything yet. Then again, he was probably too self absorbed to notice. "Go on," Hodge urged. "There's more, isn't there?"

Alec shrugged. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Hodge shook his head. "That won't help. Does it have anything to do with this warlock party you went to? Which, by the way, I am very disappointed that you agreed to." Alec and Isabelle had already been through their humungous lecture. Neither had been able to quite meet Hodge's eyes after he was finished chewing them out for it.

"Sorry." Alec muttered. "It was necessary. We wanted information, not partying." Magnus appeared in his mind again and Alec almost screamed in aggravation. Why did he keep popping into his head? And why did the knot in his stomach tighten every time?

"Does it?"

Alec nodded and leaned into Hodge's shoulder. "It had everything to do with the party," he admitted. "Clary's in love with Jace – it's so obvious – and the mundie got turned into a rat and nobody knows where the hell he is and Isabelle tried to get me set up with a warlock and –" He clapped a hand over his mouth for the second time that night. He hadn't meant to go on that much. "Shit."

Hodge didn't seem to hear. "It'll all work out in the end. It always does. Okay, Alec? Why don't you distract yourself with something?"

Alec furrowed his forehead. "With what? I can't go to sleep right now, I'm nowhere near tired."

Hodge glanced around the darkened room. "Why don't you do your laundry? This place is a mess." He nudged Alec's pants from that night with his foot precariously, as if something would crawl out and eat him.

Alec laughed. "We'll see."

Hodge ruffled Alec's hair. "I'm going to go check on Isabelle. You're going to be okay?"

Alec sighed. "I guess. Thanks."

"It's my job," Hodge murmured. "To watch after you kids. Who knows what would happen if I didn't?"

"We'd have died years ago from reckless decisions and Isabelle's cooking."

Hodge laughed as he walked out, his gravelly chuckles sounding off the Institute walls.

Alec reached over to his lamp and switched on the light. Hodge was right – his room was a disaster. He was no Jace when it came to cleaning, but maybe if he picked up a little, he'd have something else to focus on. Something besides the warlock.

Alec bent over to pick up his clothes from the day and a piece of neatly folded paper fell out of his back pocket. Frowning, he picked it up and read it.

His face burned as he read the numbers. What the hell? He hadn't thought that when Magnus said "Call me," he meant it! And furthermore, when had that paper gotten into his pocket? Apparently, the phouka wasn't the only person at the party that seemed particular to his highly personal areas…

Alec dropped to the bed, reading the note again and again, soaking in the words.

If you ever want to chat or meet up, just call. Anytime, anywhere. Just don't tell Blondie, he seems like an asshole.

But really, I'm up for chatting about anything. Conversation is certainly welcome.

- Magnus Bane

Maybe Isabelle was right. Maybe he was just going to drive himself insane over Jace. And who said that he and Magnus had to be anything more than friends?

In what felt like an act of foolish bravery, with adrenaline pumping through his veins, Alec got up and crossed the room to shut the door. He grabbed his cell phone off his dresser and dialed as he kicked the door closed. Just to be sure, he retreated into his closet as well and shut the door. Only the glow from under the door gave him light.

He settled onto the floor uncomfortably while he waited for someone to pick up.

The phone rang several times before Magnus answered, groggily. "No, I am obviously awake. Yes, I will take a job. And yes, definitely, it will be expensive for waking me up. What do you want?"

Alec bit his lip, worried that he might be angry that he woke him up. "Um. Magnus… Bane?"

"That would be me."

Alec took a deep breath. "It's, uh, the Shadowhunter from the party."

Magnus groaned and a sense of embarrassment and dread fell over Alec. He hadn't meant it, he had probably been drunk when he gave him the number, holy shit, this was the worst night of his life…

"You again?" Magnus asked. "First you wake me to find out things about the vampires, then you call me…"

Alec hadn't said anything about the vampires to him. He laughed almost unwillingly, he was so relieved. "What? You must be talking about Jace. I'm… I'm Alec."

Magnus seemed to perk up. "The one with the blue eyes?"

Alec nodded, but then remembered that he was on the phone. "Erm, yes. Yeah, that's me."

"Oh, hi!" Magnus said. "Sorry about that, I wasn't quite awake yet. Still, I'm surprised you called."

"Oh. Um, you are?"

Magnus laughed. "You hadn't seemed quite out of the closet yet, you know?"

Alec choked on a laugh as well. "I'm not, really. Literally and figuratively."

"You're sitting in a closet," Magnus said in monotone. "Do I want to know?"

"Um, yes. I mean, no. Do you?" This back and forth, though no real conversation had occurred, felt natural and easy for Alec. It was a surprise, but a welcome one regardless.

"Sure."

"I don't want anyone to walk in and see me on the phone with you," he admitted. "Only my sister knows, and I just sort of flipped out at her because of all this, so… it would be awkward."

"Ah," Magnus said. "So you're not out yet?"

"No," Alec said.

Magnus made a sound that seemed like a huff. "That ought to change soon."

"Erm…"

"I'm not hitting on you," Magnus assured him. "God, I seem to have to say that a lot… Almost every damn person I meet. Even women."

Alec shrugged, though Magnus couldn't see him. "You seem that way a lot."

"I guess I do…" Magnus was reproachful. "Anyhow, it'll be better for you once you come out. Just in general. Then you won't have to hide in closets anymore."

"Right," Alec sighed. "So… I'll be honest. I don't really know why I called. It was just sort of blind impulse and I'm sorry I woke up you, I'll just –"

"No, no, it's fine," Magnus interrupted. A door opened and shut. "I'm up for a chat. What's your favorite color?"

"Where are you?" Alec asked, instantly suspicious.

"A closet."

"By the Angel… Why?"

"Because I wanted to try and find the appeal that you seem to have for it. You never answered my question, by the way."

"Black," Alec answered. "It's the only color I own. How about you?"

Magnus snorted. "Black? That's pathetic. I like a variation of colors, I don't pick favorites."

"I could tell," Alec said. "Favorite place to hang out?"

"The closet," Magnus teased.

"Shut up, I told you, it's for safety measures. I don't want Jace coming in and taunting me for the rest of my life."

"It seems like he already does that," Magnus pointed out. "But –"

A door in Alec's room opened. "Sh, someone's coming," he whispered.

"Alec?" It was Isabelle and her voice was unsteady again. "Alec?"

Shit. He wanted to apologize to her but how could he do it when he was currently sitting in a closet? Furthermore, he didn't want to hang up on Magnus just yet.

"Alec, I know you're in here somewhere!"

"Is that your sister?" Magnus asked.

"Sh!" Alec hissed, but Izzy must have heard him. She gasped and flung open the door.

"Alec?" she said uncertainly.

His cheeks were burning and he was glaring at the phone. "Nice going, I'm busted."

"At least you're out of the closet, darling," Magnus joked. A door opened and closed again. Then a bed creaked. "So am I now. Sorry, I don't see the allure. Are you going to hang up now?"

"I may," Alec muttered.

Isabelle's eyes grew wide. "Is that Magnus Bane?"

Magnus heard her. "Why yes, it is. Is that drunk Shadowhunter who got a mundie turned into a rat?"

Isabelle's mouth dropped open and Alec rushed to defend her. "I mean it, I'll hang up. Leave her alone, you supplied the drinks."

"That I did."

Isabelle squealed. She obviously hadn't been shocked at the blatant insult, but at the speaker. "Oh my gosh, forget everything I was going to say, you two keep talking!" She clapped happily and turned to leave the room, but Alec grabbed her elbow.

"Uh uh, I don't think so. Sit, Izzy."

"No, no, don't hang up," she pleaded and disobeyed. "Please, please? You're smiling, Alec! Don't hang up!"

"I'll call you tomorrow?" Magnus asked.

Alec nodded, his throat dry. "Tomorrow is good."

"How about not in a closet next time?"

Alec considered, knowing that he wasn't just referring to the actual location of his closet. "I don't think so."

"Oh well. Well, I guess - Chairman Meow, off the bed! I guess this is goodbye?"

"Yeah. Bye."

Isabelle was beaming when Magnus answered. "Talk another time."

"Yeah. Sure. Sounds… nice."

They hung up in a rather anitclimatic moment. As soon as the phone was off, though, Isabelle let out an earsplitting shriek.

"Oh my gosh, that was so cute! You two are perfect, oh my god! Are you going to go out? Are you going to date?"

"Isabelle," Alec said in a low voice, attempting to calm her down. "We're going to talk tomorrow. That is it."

Suddenly, he was being crushed in an unexpected hug. "I'm proud of you." Isabelle murmured in his ear.

Alec hugged her back, but his mind was only half there. The other half was picturing the warlock again, sitting in a closet just to make him laugh. Once you got past the shocking colors, Alec considered, he was pretty good looking, too. More than just pretty good looking, even.

"Thank you for doing this," she added. "For yourself."

"No," Alec said. "Thanks for slapping the sense into me."

Maybe, he thought, just maybe the next time he spoke to Magnus he'd be out of the closet. Physically, at least.

Notes: Well, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feedback is greatly appreciated. If you do review (anonymous reviews welcome), there are just a few things I'd like to know - did you enjoy it? How do you think I characterized them (was it off or on or almost there)? And finally, would anyone be interested in a follow-up/sequel with their "walk in the park" and maybe, just maybe, the end of CoB when Magnus comes to heal Alec?