Chapter Text
“Alright man. Before you say no, give me one minute. Just sixty seconds, one minute to make my pitch.”
Alec didn’t even bother looking up from his laptop. “No.”
“Come on man, just hear me out.” Jace insisted and Alec sighed, glancing at his brother.
“Nope to whatever it is you’re suggesting because I’m assuming I’m going to hate it because I know you, so I’m going to save us both some time and just, no.” Alec went back to typing but Jace pressed on anyways.
“Alpha Zeta Nu is-“
“Absolutely not.” Alec cut him off the moment he started. He didn’t need to hear anything more than the name of a fraternity.
“Come on man, hear me out.” Jace sat down on the edge of Alec’s bed and pushed the lid of his laptop halfway down, forcing Alec to look at him. “It’s one party, they’re scouting potential pledges. You don’t have to join, just come with me.”
“It’s really not my scene.” He couldn’t even begin to imagine how out of place he’d feel at a frat party. He wasn’t big on drinking, huge crowds, or just frat guys in general.
“I know but just give it a shot.” Jace urged him. “I know it’s not your scene but you’ve never really tried it so you can’t know for sure.”
“A bunch of drunk straight dudes? I think I’ve tried that and I’m trying to avoid getting hate crimed during my first semester of college.”
“Well, actually, the vice president of Azu,” Alec rolled his eyes at Jace’s abbreviation of the name. He wasn’t even in the frat yet. “He’s uh,” Jace paused, trying to remember the right word. “Bisexual. So they’re cool with it, man. They wouldn’t have elected him if they weren’t.”
Alec opened his laptop again, saved his work, then closed it to set it aside, finally giving Jace his full attention.
“Did you intentionally find a queer friendly frat just so I would go with you?” Despite the fact that Alec had no interest in joining or even being anywhere near a fraternity, he couldn’t help but feel a little touched at the gesture.
“Yes and no.” Jace said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yes, I intentionally found a, uh,” He paused again.
“You can say it Jace, it’s fine.”
“Queer friendly frat.” He repeated the wording Alec had used. “But it wasn’t just so you’d come with me.”
“Why else?”
“Well if I join a frat, I’m gonna be spending a lot of time with them and I don’t want to join a group of people who you wouldn’t feel comfortable around.” The words were said quickly, Jace rushing them to get it over with as soon as possible. “So, will you come or no?”
Fuck.
The bar was low, especially considering how his father had reacted to him coming out, but Alec appreciated Jace going out of his way to do that. He doubted that there were a lot of queer friendly frats to choose from and Jace had been talking about joining a frat during their entire gap year so he knew that picking one was a big deal for him.
He hadn’t thought that this was something that would factor into Jace’s decision. But it had and now Alec knew he had to say yes to this party.
“Alright. I’ll come, but I’m not pledging with you. I’m there as moral support and that’s it.”
“I mean you can have fun too. Free booze and hey you never know, there will probably be other gay dudes at this thing so you can-“
“Dude. Don’t.”
---
Alec had been nursing the same cup of beer for the last half hour.
He didn’t know why Jace had wanted him to come so badly. Alec had barely said ten words since he’d been here and Jace was off talking to people, clearly trying to get in the good graces of the current fraternity members.
Alec leaned against the wall and sighed, taking another sip of the beer just for something to do.
The music was loud, the house reeked of weed, and Alec really, really didn’t like beer. Why had he let Jace talk him into this? Jace could get in without his help. Hell, he wasn’t even helping. He was just standing there, keeping an eye on Jace to make sure he didn’t get too drunk.
“Who are you?” The voice caught him off guard and Alec snapped out of his thoughts to turn to the source.
And then proceeded to have every single thought evaporate.
Holy shit.
“Alexander.” He blurted out and he wasn’t sure why he’d used that name instead of Alec but, come on. Was he really expected to keep his composure when this man had approached him?
“Alexander.” The man repeated and the name sounded like heaven coming out of his mouth.
“Alexander.” Alec said again.
Fuck. He needed to get his brain working again.
He hadn’t even had that much to drink.
“I’m Magnus.” The man introduced himself and Alec nodded, still at a loss for words.
Magnus was without a doubt the most attractive man he’d ever seen.
He was a few inches shorter than Alec but there was no doubt in his mind that Magnus could have picked him up with ease.
The lack of a shirt on him confirmed that theory and Alec couldn’t decide whether to focus on his biceps, chest, abs, or face.
“You lost your shirt.” Alec said lamely and Magnus shrugged.
“Yeah we were playing strip beer pong and my partner was terrible so. Here I am.” Magnus shrugged, and Alec swallowed hard, watching the way his shoulders moved with the gesture.
“Hey! Are you good?” Magnus asked and for a moment Alec was concerned he’d been staring at him so much that Magnus was checking in on his current state of drunkenness, though he was barely buzzed.
“What?”
“Beer pong. Are you good at it?”
“I’ve never played.” Alec admitted and Magnus put a hand on his shoulder.
“Come on, I’ll teach you.”
It hurt to say no to the man but. “Whoa I’m not looking to play strip anything, sorry.”
“Just regular beer pong.” Magnus quickly assured him. “Though I wouldn’t complain if you wanted to take your shirt off at any point.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Was Magnus flirting with him?
“Okay.” Alec agreed and finally downed the rest of his drink before following Magnus over to the table.
---
“I don’t know how much longer I can play, Magnus.” Alec said, making a show of cracking his back and then rubbing his own shoulders. “My back hurts from carrying this team.”
They were winning thanks to Alec but the other two had sunk several shots and Alec was feeling a bit drunk.
“You lied to me!” Magnus said, shoving him softly.
“What? How?”
“You said you’ve never played!”
“I haven’t!” Alec insisted before groaning as another one of their opponent’s balls landed in one of their cups. It was his turn to drink.
Alec fished the ball out and handed it to Magnus before downing the drink.
Any concerns he’d had about the not exactly sanitary terms of the game had gone out the window about half an hour ago.
“Liar.” Magnus insisted as he closed one eye, lining up his shot.
Alec waited till after Magnus had successfully thrown before speaking.
“I’ve really never played. I’m just good with accuracy stuff.” He said before landing a ball in the last cup of the other team.
“I like you. Come talk to me where it’s less loud.” Magnus said once they’d enjoyed their victory enough.
“Where?” Alec didn’t know why he was bothering to ask. He would have followed Magnus to the ends of the earth.
“Come on.” Magnus didn’t answer his question, but that last drink had kicked in and Alec didn’t push.
There were people in the backyard, some smoking, some just talking, but they were spread out and Magnus lead him away from them. Instead sitting on a bench and patting the spot next to him.
“So, are you thinking about pledging?” Magnus asked once Alec sat down and Alec laughed.
“God no. I’m only here because my brother wants to pledge, and he wanted me to come with him to this thing. I normally never go to stuff like this and would never willingly interact with frat guys.” He answered before thinking why Magnus might be asking and Magnus paused a moment.
“Well. I’m the vice president of Alpha Zeta Nu so if you ever consider wanting to be around us frat guys, let me know.”
Well. Fuck.
Magnus didn’t seem offended, but Alec didn’t trust his own judgment at the moment.
He’d already had more to drink than he had planned.
“Shit. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any offense.” He had no idea how to salvage this. Finally, a guy- an incredibly hot guy- was hitting on him and he had just insulted something he was a big part of.
“No offense taken. I know how the whole scene looks.”
“You seem great!” Alec said in a rush. “It’s just all the parties and the drinking and I’m more of a quiet night at home kinda guy.”
“We have quiet nights here. Not every night is a party, Alexander.” Magnus said before standing up and Alec felt like he needed to do everything to keep Magnus here with him.
“I’m sorry-“
“Don’t worry about it. We have more pledges than we know what to do with. Just let me know if you change your mind.”
And Magnus was gone.
Fuck.
The first successful flirtation he’d had, and he’d fucked it up.
---
Alec couldn’t get out of the room fast enough.
The group he was with had sat down and decided to play ‘I’ve never’ and he didn’t want any part of that.
He knew enough to know that that game got real sexual really quick and he wasn’t about to embarrass himself.
He opened the first door he found and while he realized it was someone’s bedroom, he still stepped in, shutting the door behind him. He just needed a minute for his last drink to settle in and then he’d leave.
He sat down on the bed, then laid back. Why the fuck had he let Jace talk him into this?
“Hello.” The combination of the door opening, and the sound of a recently familiar voice made Alec sit up.
Magnus.
“Hi.”
“Waiting in my room for me?” Magnus was teasing as he pushed the door closed behind him.
“I didn’t know this was your room.” Alec admitted as he sat up. “I just don’t like that game.”
“We can play one of our own.” Magnus suggested, offering a cup of amber liquid to Alec as he sat across from him.
Magnus was keeping his distance, but Alec’s brain wouldn’t stop reminding him that technically he was in bed with a guy.
“What do you have in mind?” Alec asked, accepting the drink and trying to discreetly smell it.
Fuck. That was whiskey and it was strong.
“How about ‘I have’?”
“What’s that?”
“You say something you have done and if the other person hasn’t done it, they drink.” Magnus explained.
“So, if I said I have an adopted brother and you don’t have one, you drink?” This sounded a lot better than the game the large group was playing out there.
Magnus took a drink.
“Yup. My turn.”
“Oh, I see we’ve started already.” Alec joked though his heart was racing.
“Since you went with a specific one; I have become the vice president of a fraternity.” Magnus said as he made himself comfortable and Alec took a drink.
And nearly spit it out.
He barely managed to swallow it before looking to Magnus.
“What is this?” He asked before coughing into his elbow.
“Whiskey.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Okay, can I replace ‘I have’ with ‘I am’ and say I am a lightweight?” He already knew this was going to be his last drink of the night. He still had to get Jace home and drinking straight hard liquor wasn’t in either of their best interests.
Magnus drank.
“I have had a threesome.”
Alec drank.
“I have won first place in an archery competition.”
“You’ve what?” Magnus pulled himself into more of a sitting position.
“You heard me. Now drink because I know you haven’t done that.” Alec said and honestly it felt a little nice to brag.
Magnus drank.
“So, you need accuracy in archery, right? And that’s why you are incredible at beer pong?”
“Yes. And it’s your turn.”
Magnus paused for a moment, thinking.
“I have kissed a boy.”
Fuck he hadn’t been expecting that one.
He took a quick sip from his drink, trying not to look at Magnus.
“I have kissed a girl.” Despite the fact that it wasn’t his turn, Magnus kept talking.
Again, Alec drank.
“I’ve wanted to kiss a girl.”
Alec drank again and he really wasn’t sure when he and Magnus had gotten this close to each other.
“I’ve wanted to kiss a boy.” Magnus had set his drink down on the nightstand and Alec mirrored his actions.
This was going to happen.
“You didn’t drink for that one.” Magnus pointed out and Alec shrugged though he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest.
“I’ve wanted to.” He mumbled and god Magnus’s lips were so close to his.
The bedroom door was slammed open and Alec quickly jerked away.
“Alex!”
“What?” It wasn’t his name, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone had gotten it wrong.
“Lightwood? Are you Alex Lightwood?”
“It’s Alec but yes. Why?”
“Dude your brother is fucked up.” The man informed him before walking away, leaving the door wide open behind him.
“Shit. I’m sorry, I’m really here to help Jace so I have to-“
“Run along pretty boy. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”