Work Text:
Luigi’s was at the corner of Market and Second Street. One would notice it immediately with it’s startling bright green, white and red trim that wrapped around the building - a horrible feature really. But the food was good enough to overcome that.
That’s why Alec chose the place.
If his blind date couldn’t get over the outside to get what was beautiful inside, then the man wasn’t really worth it. Or hungry - and not worth it.
Izzy had been the one that talked him into the online dating scene, however. He would have waited until the earth imploded or the sun expanded and wiped out everything in its path before trying blind dating. Strangers lying online was definitely not his style. And besides, he simply wasn’t looking for a relationship anytime soon.
Which Isabelle saw right through.
“One time. That’s all I ask,” she had bargained with him. “One date. And then that’s it. But no calling ahead to cancel or any sabotage or S.O.S. maneuvers to get out early. That’s all I ask.”
“What’s wrong with not being interesting in dating?” Alec retorted, trying to get back to the business that awaited him on his computer screen. If she had been there in person, instead of visiting Paris for a meeting, she would be rolling her eyes and pulling him away from the desk. Nonetheless, he could hear her discord from the speaker phone. “I’m fine being single, Iz. I’m happy.”
“That’s exactly what single people who are not actually happy say,” is what she had said.
And she was right.
That’s how he got into this situation in the first place; one date, he promised. One date, good or bad, and then he can go back to his normally scheduled life doing work and minding his own business. Unlike some people. Izzy had the best of intentions in mind, as always, but things like this were always a step outside of his comfort zone. But he’d do it for her.
He had been in the office, however, losing track of time. There was a case involving a breaking and entering that needed to at least be organized and sorted through before the night was through so his client would be happy. The next thing he knew, an hour had passed and he was late for his date.
[6:38 PM] Lightwood69: I’m here. Sorry for being late.
Alec sent it before crossing the street and entering the restaurant. The atmosphere of the place was just as he remembered it. The smell of garlic wafted through the air and the front few waitresses greeted him with a smile and slight wave. As a child he was brought here often as a reward or as a distraction - mostly the latter. That’s another reason why he had chosen Luigi’s : there were no good memories to ruin here.
From across the room, Magnus sat alone and working his digits over the surface of his phone while sipping at the water beneath his chin and sneaking a bite of garlic bread a server had placed in front of him without asking. But hey, he’d take free food if offered. He alternated between water and bread while trying to focus on the email he had been sent from his assistant about his schedule, something he really didn’t need to worry about but after one email after another it was starting to make his blood boil.
Alec’s eyes scanned the room for his mystery man - or who could be his mystery man. He had no photo to base his search on, since they never changed their profile pictures from the blank default ones and never bothered to exchange them to one another. Perhaps that should have tipped him off that he really wasn’t interested.
One of the regular waitresses, a bubbly blonde that took her time sashaying over and devouring his body, came up to him. “Can I… help you?” the girl asked while brushing a laminated menu over his bicep.
The mere act of her trying to gain his attention made him want to lose his appetite and get lost. Alec inhaled sharply, taking one last sweep over the booths and tables he could see before stopping on a lone man sitting in the back - waiting. That had to be him, Alec thought.
Alec side stepped the girl. “Sorry. I’m meeting someone,” he said then made his way to the man.
The man was certainly attractive, Alec had to give him that. Asian, or of asian descent. His hair was short on the sides of his head then lusciously long on the top that fell into his eyes. Alec could tell there was something like makeup smudged on the rims of his eyes, then confirmed it as he grew closer.
“Hey, I hope you got my text. Work held me up and it was crazy,” a voice huffed and slid into the opposite side of the booth. “You’re FreeRoamer0001, right?”
Magnus’s attention looked up at the movement of someone in his booth as well as the tall, dark and handsome stranger who now occupied the space in front of him. He was glorious and almost angelic. First it was free food. And now, free company. His day was getting better by the second.
The man before him shifted slightly at his hazy gaze. Magnus jerked slightly, coming back to focus. “What?”
“You’re FreeRoamer0001, right? From Tinder ?”
“Yeah,” Magnus found himself saying without actually thinking. “Of course that’s me.”
He visibly relaxed, then took his time shedding off his tight leather jacket to reveal the treasure beneath - a rock, hard body encased in a tight, delicious shirt. He snapped himself out of it again.
“Alec,” the man offered, his hand stretched across the table. “I haven’t learned how to change my name on the profile just yet and Alexander is sort of reserved for my family and the off chance I do something wrong so… Yeah. It’s nice to meet you, Ray.”
Ray. “It’s nice to meet you too, Alexander.” Magnus met his reach and firmly grasped his oddly cold hands. Not a startling ice cold, but a comfortable one. To him, at least. He smiled at the odd thought.
“It’s just Alec,” he said while withdrawing his hand and staring back down onto the table, focusing on everything else around them in their small world of a booth - but not the stranger in front of him. There was a soft buzz that emulated from the man, presumably his phone, which he ignored. Finally, he spoke again. “Sorry… I’ve never done this before.”
Magnus bit at his straw. “Gone out to eat?”
“Dated,” Alec spit out. “Online-wise.”
“Well if it lets me see you more, then you should try it more often.”
Alec audibly gulped and Magnus couldn’t help watch his Adam’s apple bob at the sinister act. He could spent the rest of the night admiring it. Magnus was pulled from his thoughts as the server from before came to the table and poured Alec a water and took his order. I’ll have whatever he’s having. Thank you, he said and it sent Magnus’s heart racing for no reason.
“I hope you weren’t waiting too long,” Alec said while playing with the stem of his straw mindlessly. He probably didn’t even know he was doing it.
“It’s no big deal. Luckily, the kitchen is behind a bit so at least we can wait together.”
“That’s good.”
“The best,” Magnus replied, and then they fell into silence.
Alec didn’t seem to be dealing too well with the calm lull of the restaurant, Magnus could tell. He was all too wound up and stiff - from the way he sat down to the way he was playing with his straw. Everything was calculated and controlled. Perhaps it was a good idea he went out for a change.
“To be honest,” Alec declared, “You don’t look like a Ray.”
“Should I take offense to that?”
“No. No. I didn’t mean it like… the name just doesn’t fit someone like… that. ”
“What exactly is that? ”
“You know,” Alec drawled. His hands gestured to the man in a wide circular motion.
Magnus scoffed. “You just gestured to all of me.”
“Well… you’re not what I expected is all.”
“And what did you expect, Just Alec.”
Alec scoffed, shaking his head before looking up at the man with a pointed finger. “Not as much glitter, I’ll admit that.”
Magnus laughed heartily. “Now I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Since we’re waiting… tell me about yourself.”
Magnus froze. His own stirring halted then resumed when he composed himself. “Doesn’t my profile lay everything out for you?” he said carefully.
“It does.” Alec took one of the bread sticks from the basket and tore into it like a turkey leg. “But entrepreneur doesn’t really fit your style.”
“I’m actually… a fashion designer. So that kind of counts.”
“Not really,” Alec scrunched up his face with his cheeks puffed up with the pastry.
“No?” Magnus chuckled.
He shook his head and they both started laughing. “Well I guess we both fibbed a little on our profiles didn’t we,” Alec laughed and hid himself in sipping at his drink.
“Both? What exactly isn’t true about you? Let me guess, your hair is not naturally that color.”
Alec shuffled his straw through his drink, sending the ice chunks clinking into one another. “I’m not a businessman, per se.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” Alec took a swig of his water. “I’m a lawyer.”
“A lying lawyer? Who would have thought? Maybe politicians lie too. And nuns sing.”
Alec threw the last butt of his bread at his chest and Magnus laughed harder than he had ever laughed in his entire laugh. Perhaps the evening would prove to be the best for the both of them.
“What is your favorite color?” Magnus asked.
Alec scrunched up his face. “Why does that matter?”
“Humor me. Besides, they don’t put that kind of information on profiles and I would like to know it.”
“Green.”
“An Earth tone. Strange for someone who’s wearing so much black.”
Alec jumped into his own defense. “What’s wrong with black?!”
“Black isn’t a color!”
“You sound like my sister,” Alec huffed while throwing his head into his hands.
Magnus took the chance to hide his smirk in his drink. “Sounds like I’d like her.”
“Ugh,” he exhaled then perked up at the sound of rattling dishes.
Both men perked up and turned to the sound and smell of their food. The server placed down their equally delicious bowls of spaghetti and meatballs in front of each man then asked for anything else and left. Alec and Magnus - Ray - were left to eat in happy silence.
“Spaghetti?”
“You can’t come to an Italian cuisine restaurant and not order a classic,” Magnus retorted with a pout.
Magnus took his time spinning the pasta onto his fork with the help of the wide spoon they plated with the meal while Alec jumped on the food like a ravenous dog. The man cut into the meatballs then dug at it like gold. Magnus has never seen anyone act like they haven’t eaten in days.
Alec caught him staring, embarrassingly chewing his food until he had enough space to speak behind his hand. “Sorry. Several late nights at the office.”
“Mm,” Magnus hummed and took his chance to eat, glancing every so often at the dark haired man before actually eating.
Alec maintained full eye contact as he picked up one of his meatballs. “And I really like meat.”
Magnus choked on the forkful of spaghetti.
This sinful man.
Alec jerked, dropping his utensils and hesitantly leaning across the table. “Oh my god. Are you okay?”
Magnus tried to recover, swallowing painfully then wiping away any evidence of his mess-up. The look of worry in Alec’s eye was heartwarming, but nonetheless hilarious that he actually tried to make a pun. While eating.
“I really didn’t mean for you to choke.”
Magnus glared, sending the poor man into several shades of red.
“Oh my… No. Not like - You know what I mean.”
Mangus coughed into his napkin, regaining his breath - as well as his dignity - slowly but surely. “Oh I know all too well what you mean.”
It was all too easy to make the man flustered, Magnus realized. And it would be an honor if it he could do so on other nights like this again and again. It was then that he could see it; them together as a possible future. But Alec thought that he was someone that he wasn’t - and the mere thought of that crushed any hope left in his heart.
“I really am sorry,” Alec continued apologizing, although he really didn’t need to. But it helped boost his ego a little bit.
“Alexander, it’s fine…” Magnus waved the man off as though the matter was already far behind him, which it was. He watched the man pause slightly before he realized he had used his full name. “Sorry - Alec.”
“It’s fine,” the man slowly said. “I… actually like when you say it.”
Magnus hummed and the two of them settled with a smile back on their meals. Alec buried himself into his meat and noodles while Magnus timidly ate, prodding ever so slightly while glancing up occasionally.
“Do you like when I say it as you eat your meat, Alexander?”
It was Alec’s turn to choke on his own meat - which was as entertaining and invigorating as he thought it would be. He turned a deeper shade of red as he tried to control himself then looked up frantically at Magnus, who acted as cool as a cucumber.
“You’re horrible.”
Magnus took a bite. “I may be horrible, but not as bad as your handling of meat. Sloppy. You’ve made a mess, you know.”
“Why me?” Alec groaned into his napkin. “I promise it won’t be like this next time.”
Magnus poised an eyebrow. “Confident, are we? Already anticipating a second meeting.”
“Well.. if you don’t want to… I mean…”
“We’ll see, Alexander. Maybe you’ll get lucky.” Magnus stole a chunk of meat off of his plate and ate it. Alec stared, boring holes into the meat and the man eating it with his eyes focusing on something else entirely. Dirty thoughts, Magnus hoped.
The two of them spent the entire rest of the evening until their early closing at ten for the night. And they both turned to their waitress with a longful stare as though they didn’t want the night to end. Magnus was the one to pay, much to Alec’s disapproval, and then dragged the man outside to the cool, brisk air of New York.
Alec stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Magnus asked as he wrapped his multicolored scarf around his neck and secured the lapels of his jacket.
“Dinner. Everything.”
“You are very welcome. It’s not everyday I can meat a man like you.”
Alec groaned. “You’re never going to let me down for that, are you?”
“Never,” he laughed.
They stood their for a few moments longer until the exterior lights of the building dimmed and they were left in the shadows of the night. There was only the puff of their breaths that allowed them any sight of their nearness.
Magnus stepped up to Alec and laid his hand on his chest with a soft pat. “Thank you, Alexander. You’ve surprised me tonight.”
Alec tensed as Magnus grew as close as he possibly could, the space between them non-existent and all too mixed of their breath. Magnus’ lips were the only source of warmth between them both and when he pulled away, he could see Alec’s wide eyes sparkling and his hand reach up to his cheek.
“I’ll see you around.”
And then he parted with a smile down the street towards the bus where he couldn’t wait to get back home to his apartment and tell his roommate every. Last. Detail.
Alec didn’t know what happened until it was too late. Ray was gone, walking away and there was nothing he could do about it. Technically the date was over and there was nothing else keeping him here. Running was too desperate after a first date, and it could come off as clingy.
He groaned and ran his hands over his face, lingering ever so slightly over his cheek where he could still feel him.
“Ugh,” he shouted more so for himself then stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. His body jerked at the sudden cold object in his pocket.
He pulled it out and realized what it was: his phone. He had ignored it the whole evening knowing Izzy would be the one who would keep tabs on how he was doing and if it was really worth it.
And it was.
He turned the device back on and the screen lit up with the carrier screen and the dancing images. The wallpaper of him and his siblings popped up alongside a flurry of notifications from emails and reminders. A cold chill ran up his body at one notification.
Tinder App: Messages (1).
[7:00 PM] FreeRoamer0001: Can’t make it tonight. Rain check?
Alec turned violently towards the man that was currently walking away from him into the night. A million questions ran through his mind, all of them wondering the same thing: who was that man.
“Hey!” Alec called out into the night. He could see his form turn while still walking slowly. “Who are you!?”
Ray - or whoever he was - laughed, and it was contagious. “Next Friday! Six o’clock! I’ll be waiting!”
I’ll be waiting.
And he couldn’t wait either.
Friday couldn’t come fast enough.