Disclaimer: I do not own TMI or any of its characters

P.S.: If anyone who's reading this and was reading Near To You, I am still working on it. I just hit a bit of a rough spot.

This wasn't how a standoff was supposed to be. They were mortal enemies, Magnus thought. He then mused to himself that it really wasn't a standoff (he'd been watching far too many old Western movies) and they really weren't mortal enemies.

The man or boy as Magnus thought the male in front of him had a much too innocent look in his eyes to be considered a man, was pointing a gun right at his heart with Magnus doing the same to him.

And while they weren't mortal enemies (you had to at least know the other's name to be that) they were rivals. That was obvious enough from the jackets each man was wearing (well that and the gun each had pointed at the other). Magnus' leather jacket was a bright purple with fishnet cutouts in the sleeves, and stitched on the back was four separate symbols- a flame, vampire teeth, the moon, and fairy wings- each representing a different factions of 'The Downworlders', the gang Magnus was a high ranking member of.

Either way, enemies or no, stand off or not, this was not the way it should have been, because for some strange reason, Magnus found himself not wanting to shoot the blue eyed boy across from him. This was unusual as Magnus had been doing this for a long time and had never so much as come close to hesitating. It's why he'd survived so many brushes with death, earning his nickname 'The Immortal One'. Though others that Magnus had known and sometimes loved or cared about, had not been so lucky, leaving Magnus with scars on his skin and heart, so many scars that feelings like sympathy or empathy should not be possible, and yet in this moment, Magnus feels so much.

The man across from him with the dark, swoon worthy blue eyes who Magnus would much rather put his dick in than a bullet, is dressed in all black. The boy's leather jacket is a dull black and worn looking, and stitched on the back are four large, interconnected Cs, each facing a separate direction, representative of the Nephilim gang, the ultimate rivals of The Downworlders hence the 'standoff' the two are now involved in.

"So, you gonna shoot me or not Blue Eyes?" Magnus teased, getting off on the adrenaline rush, taking note of the boy's trembling hands.

The boy in front of him did not respond, instead he steadied his grip, and narrowed his eyes, this movement only making Magnus the slightest bit nervous. He had been in situations like this numerous times, and had always made it out alive, after all.

"Not big on words eh? Guess it's true what they say about you Nephilim lot then? You're all brawn, no brain?"

Still no response, just the click of the gun, letting Magnus know the man was readying to shoot. Just a simple pull of the trigger and Magnus could be dead.

Yet, he still pressed, getting too much pleasure out of it not to. He liked to push the boundaries. It was what made Magnus, well, Magnus.

He's busy thinking of something clever when, to his surprise, the boy finally speaks.

"Are you going to do something that will make me have to?"

Magnus was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected a response, much less a response that wasn't some type of insult.

"I'm a Downworlder," Magnus said, tugging at his jacket proudly. "Is that not reason enough?"

The corner of the boy's mouth twitched. "Obviously not, or I would have shot you by now."

"Tried," Magnus corrected and the boy cocked an eyebrow.

"You would have tried. And more than likely failed, as I'm infamous for escaping these types of situations you see." Magnus proudly boasted, his hand still holding the gun steadily pointing it at the boy's heart. Though he hadn't lost his fervor, he'd still much rather not kill someone so damn good looking.

That's what it must be, Magnus decided, he was horny as he'd had a bit of a dry spell recently and didn't want to kill someone so cute.

It was not that he hadn't killed attractive people before. It was that he was pretty sure if he killed this boy then the most attractive shade of blue in the world would die right along with him. Magnus liked that particular shade far too much for that to happen.

"Infamous? Then how come I hadn't heard of you?"

Magnus snorted. "I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced, the whole pointing a gun at each other got in the way of that. How do you know you hadn't heard of me?"

The boy's confidence faltered at this, the corners of his mouth dipping into a frown. It was an expression he must have a lot, Magnus thought, because the boy had obvious frown lines surrounding those gorgeous blue orbs. It made him a bit sad, for reasons unknown to him. It was getting harder to convince himself he was feeling this just because the boy was attractive.

"Who-Who are you then?"

Magnus smirked.

"Magnus Bane," and at this answer the boy's confidence faltered even more so.

"So you know of me?"

"I-I've heard some things."

Magnus smile widened, showing off his gleaming white teeth.

"May I ask yours?"

"My what?" The boy asked quickly, his hands beginning to once again shake the slightest bit, making Magnus feel a bit anxious himself. A nervous Nephilim with a gun was a bad thing, even for the ever so cocky Magnus Bane.

"Your name gorgeous. After all I gave you mine, so it would only be fair."

He was trying to tease the boy again, to let him know he wasn't much of a threat. Magnus had no intention of killing or being killed.

Not tonight, at least.

"Alec," the boy whispered in a voice so low and shaky Magnus almost didn't hear it.

"Alec Lightwood." He repeated, his voice still low and shaky, but a bit more understandable.

He hadn't heard of this particular boy but he did know of the Lightwoods. What he knew wasn't good and he wondered if he'd chosen the wrong boy to tease. They were the plotting sort of family that had kept this decades long feud ongoing. How was he to know if this innocent blue eyed thing wasn't some ploy?

After all there had been that run in with Maryse all those years ago . . .

Would someone as prideful as Maryse Lightwood let that be known? That a scrawny, newbie Downworlder much younger and much less experienced than herself got the better of her? He was afraid of the answer because if she had let it be known then the boy would certainly be out for revenge. It was just how things worked in their world.

"Have you heard of me?" The boy, Alec, asked incredulously, noticing the hint of recognition on Magnus' face.

"I've heard of your family. The Lightwoods were one of the founders of your self-righteous little group, am I right?"

Alec looked slightly insulted at the wording.

"We are not self-righteous."

"It's all subjective. I'm sure you have a few colorful adjectives to describe us that I would disagree with."

"Nothing that wouldn't be true," Alec defended, a superior sound to his voice that the Nephilim were known for.

"Such as?" Magnus goaded, though he could think of numerous answers to the question himself.

"That you are a bunch of liars and thieves and are not to be trusted." Alec replied simply, using a voice like one would use to talk down to an idiotic younger sibling.

Magnus would be willing to be a lot of money that he had at least one younger brother or sister, or a really stupid older sibling at the least. While he would usually find the tone annoying, particularly coming from a Nephilim, this boy pulled it off well. There was still innocence in his tone, one that Magnus had never heard from any gang member. Still, Magnus had to defend himself and his people.

"Thieves? Might I remind you that the reason we are in this situation, Alexander, is because you were breaking into our storage unit?"

Alec bristled at this. "I'm not a thief!"

"Then what are you doing here?"

Alec looked as he is about to answer but someone stopped him before he got the chance.

"I think the better question is," a man behind Alec spoke, putting a gun to the boy's temple. "Is what are you doing here still alive?"

"Put the gun down," Ragnor added.

Alec stilled and he complied with the demand, blue eyes wide with a fear that chilled Magnus to the bone. Magnus couldn't help but feel guilty; he didn't want this boy hurt. He couldn't explain why but he just didn't.

And yet, with Ragnor right behind him, gun pressed to his head, this Alec didn't stand much of a chance. Magnus knew this, but he also knew that Ragnor was one of his greatest friends, and that if he were to say something, Ragnor would not shoot. Of course, he would deal with a multitude of questions later, ones he wouldn't want to answer. Ones he was not sure he even could answer.

But he was Magnus Bane, and he didn't get his nickname from overthinking things. After all thinking would lead to hesitating (like it did in not killing Alec).

"Ragnor, don't." Magnus demanded, his voice taking on a commanding tone.

Ragnor and Alec both looked up at him in surprise.

"Don't what?" Ragnor hissed, gun still pressed to the boy's temple. Magnus barely heard the question though, and he knew Ragnor was glaring at him with those dark hazel eyes but he could only focus on Alec's which were wide with fear. There were no tears though, Magnus knew even this boy who was so unlike any Nephilim he had ever met, would still be too prideful for that.

"Don't shoot him."

"And why not?" Ragnor growled, but he lowered the gun anyway.

Magnus took a step forward, Alec still frozen between them. He bent down to pick up Alec's gun and handed it to the boy.

"He was just leaving. I took care of it."

"You did not. You were making small talk, I saw it!"

"That's how I was taking care of it!"

"Killing him would be just as effective!"

"Well, I'm in charge and I decided that small talk was the better route. I don't want to entice any more war with the Nephilim; it's been quiet for a while."

"Yet here he was breaking into our storage unit."

"You heard him," Magnus replied taking a warning step forward. "He didn't take anything."

"You're just doing this because you want to fuck him," Ragnor accused with narrowed eyes, looking as if he had half a mind to shoot Alec just to prove a point.

"While that is true," Magnus conceded and heard Alec let out a sound of shock that he found utterly adorable. "It is not my only reason. I will not be the one to start another all-out war. If you want to be the one to do so, go ahead my friend but I will personally let the Nephilim leaders that it was you who shed blood first. You know how that would end."

Ragnor took a step back at that, and Magnus knew for sure that the boy was safe. However that was the least of his worries as he saw both Ragnor and Alec's eyes widen and he turned quickly only to come face to face (or face to barrel) with a loaded gun and an angry looking blonde dressed similarly to Alec.

It was another Nephilim and this one Magnus felt nothing but contempt for. He looked like the typical, cocky Nephilim that Magnus loathed and Magnus couldn't help but feel for a moment that he'd been had.

Damn his weakness for beautiful, fragile things. Though he doubted any Nephilim could truly be described as fragile, but the boy definitely was beautiful.

"I suspect it would end badly." The blonde replied, a cocky smirk on his golden face.

Magnus raised his arms, letting the boy (he looked a year or two younger than Alec at least) know he was not a threat.

"Which is why we were letting him go," Magnus explained, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"So you were saying, though this one," Jace pointed the gun in Ragnor's direction, "didn't seem to like that idea."

"That's right," Ragnor piped up, in a way Magnus knew was just to try and be helpful and get the attention on himself but Magnus just closed his eyes in annoyance. "I wanted to paint the walls with your boyfriend's blood."

"Ragnor," Magnus warned, not turning to face him for fear any movement would have that gun trained back on him. Something about this particular Nephilim, maybe it was the cocky glint in his eyes or the expert stance but Magnus knew better than to try anything funny.

"What did you just say about my brother?"

"What? Your ego make it hard to hear?"

"I've been told my supposedly inflated ego gets the way in a lot of things," Magnus heard Alec tsk at the word supposedly and he had to fight a smile. "But never my ability to hear and certainly never my ability to kill, so you'd better watch it Downworlder."

"Well let's not forget you are on Downworlder," Magnus interrupted in a mocking tone, "territory. Killing us, and killing us on our own turf on top of that would spell disaster. No way would you make it out of here alive, at least not the both of you."

"Maybe I want to test that out," Jace challenged and Magnus mentally cursed himself because now that damn gun was trained back on him and this boy's eyes held a dangerous glint that was not found in Alec's. Magnus knew this boy would shoot him without a second thought.

He took a shaky breath, preparing himself for some sort of inevitable showdown, where he for once doubted he would make it out alive, when a voice interrupted (and damn was he tired of these interruptions). Though, in retrospect this was the only one he was grateful for.

"Jace, he wasn't going to shoot me. Let's just get out of here." Alec whispered, and though Magnus couldn't see Alec behind him he just knew those blue eyes were wide and puppy like.

Jace spared his brother a glance, but kept the gun steadily on Magnus.

"How do you know that for sure Alec? Do you really trust the word of a Downworlder?"

It took a while for a response, but when it came Magnus had to hold back his noise of surprise.

"I trust him."

There was a flash of something in those golden eyes and Magnus knew that this Jace too was surprised by Alec's answer.

"Jace, we need to go. This is their territory; they could have back up at any moment."

Magnus wished his opinion mattered the least bit to this golden hair, golden eyed warrior because he was internally screaming 'Yes! Yes! Go now!' but of course, he kept that to himself. Golden boy would probably stay just to spite him if he did.

"Maybe you should stay," Ragnor interrupted and Magnus once again internally cursed his friend. "We could see if all the boasting we hear about you all is true. What is that motto? You have the strange of ten thousand men? Stick around and find out."

"Can I at least kill that one?" Jace asked, jerking the gun in Ragnor's direction.

"Jace," Alec warned and Magnus realized that Jace must be the reason for the 'elder sibling voice' from earlier, or at least one of them. It definitely made sense from the little he'd seen.

"Fine," Jace finally agreed, pointing the gun at Ragnor but his eyes were on Magnus. "Come on Alec, and if either of you try something funny I will kill you both, damn whatever truce we have at the moment."

"Didn't you damn that truce when you broke into our territory?" Ragnor challenged and part of Magnus agreed with the sentiment but really could his timing get any worse?

"We've done nothing to break the truce, as no blood had been spilled. So, no," Jace declared, raising his chin haughtily, his eyes still on the both of them as Alec made his way to his side, gun in hand but not pointed at either of them.

"Alright, we are going to leave now, but any funny business and my threat still stands."

Magnus nodded, he had a million comments on the tip of his tongue but he kept them to himself. No doubt these Nephilim, or at least this Jace, would stay just to have the last word and this had already lasted much longer than he'd had liked it to. Though, he would miss those beautiful baby blues.

Before he could make any sort of sordid remark, or maybe throw in a flirtatious wink or exchange numbers with the boy (would that be appropriate in this type of situation?) both men were already gone in a flash, living up to their superhuman reputations.

A hand was on Magnus' shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture but just made him annoyed. Ragnor antagonized the two and could have cost them both their lives. Part of Magnus' reason for still being alive after all he'd been through was knowing when to put up or shut up, something Ragnor, though of higher ranking and older than Magnus, could certainly work on.

"Look around, see what they took."

"You heard the boy, he didn't take anything."

Ragnor scoffed; turning Magnus around so they were eye to eye (well Magnus was much taller so it was more eyes to nose).

"And you really trust the word of a Nephilim?"

"Did you get it?" Jace asked, not at all breathless as they made their way back to the black SUV where both Isabelle and Clary were waiting for them.

Alec shook his head.

"I couldn't find anything." Alec replied, breathless but not because of the running. That man had a strange effect on him.

They both got in the car to be bombarded with questions (ones of concern from Clary, and ones out of resentment from Isabelle).

"WE'RE FINE," Jace said with some exasperation as Clary inspected him for wounds. He earned a glare for his outburst and made it up to her with a sweet kiss.

"Did you find it?" Isabelle asked, and Alec shook his head.

"I didn't find a thing."

"Hmm, I wouldn't say that," Jace said, leaning back in his seat and putting an arm around Clary.

Alec and Isabelle looked at him with confused eyes, and Jace smirked.

"You may have got a boyfriend. Sparkles back there wanted you."

Alec's face turned as red as a tomato, and for the rest of the ride he was bombarded with questions regarding this 'Sparkles', which he ignored until he got home and hid himself in his room.

He lay in bed that night, wishing what Jace had said was true, but doubting it all the while. Why would a man like that be interested in a guy like him?

It didn't matter anyways. Homosexuality was not accepted in his circle and even if it was, it would never be approved of to date a Downworlder.

With those depressing thoughts, Alec fell asleep.

Please read and review, if you so please. Feedback of any kind is welcome.