Work Text:
You felt familiar the moment I met you.
A lovely sort of déjà vu.
When we spoke or laughed or danced I became overwhelmed
by the powerful sensation that I had been here before
Beau Taplin // Déjà Vu.
-
High school is the best time of your life.
For Magnus this was true.
Magnus loved high school. Sure he wasn’t a fan of the workload, but outside of that, high school was a time for him to thrive. He made friends easily, though he accounted that to the fact that he always made sure to be kind to others. As long as people were kind to him, he was kind to them. People genuinely liked him, and he prided himself on not being an asshole.
It was also then that Magnus knew for certain that he was bisexual, and he wore it with pride. It was a well-known fact around school and he would shut down anyone that said anything bad about it. He grew into his image and let himself look however he pleased, not caring about what others thought. He was confident and he was happy.
However, high school for Alec was a lot different. In high school Alec was small for his age. Most of the boys had hit puberty and were easily over five foot nine, but for Alec, life in high school was seen from the height of five foot five. Alec didn’t mind being smaller as it made him invisible, but the lack of muscle in his body made it easier for him to be pushed around.
It wasn’t an everyday occurrence. But every now and then, someone would think it would be fun to pick on him just because he was small and uncertain. Which never did anything to help with his confidence.
It was also a time where Alec struggled with coming to terms with who he was. He kept trying to deny that he was gay, refused to believe that it was true, and it would tear him apart. So he never felt comfortable in his own skin. Because of this he always felt like it was easier to stay away from people. He figured if he distanced himself, then he would never have to confront the troubles that he had with himself.
Alec and Magnus never ran in the same circles. Despite being in the same year, they rarely spoke. Magnus had tried to befriend him after seeing how down he looked one day. He had approached him at lunch and sat down across from him. When Alec looked up from the book he was reading all he managed to get across was a smile.
“Is this seat taken?”
“No, I was just leaving.”
That was as far as conversations would go between them. Magnus would always try to befriend him but Alec would move away from him, never letting him close. Magnus didn’t mind, he didn’t take it personally as Alec was never rude about it. But Magnus still wished that he could get more than a few words out of him. He wanted to get to know him, but since Alec didn’t want that, Magnus respected his privacy.
When they left school, Magnus stayed in touch with those that he was closest to, even attending college alongside Catarina and Ragnor. Magnus didn’t miss high school because as long as he had his friends by his side, it felt like he was still there laughing with them in the hallways.
Alec couldn’t have been happier when he left high school. He was glad to get away from a place that he dreaded to attend every day. He never looked back when he left, he didn’t miss it at all, and since he never really made any friends, high school was left behind and long forgotten in his mind.
-
10 years later
Magnus had been excited for the ten year reunion ever since he received a letter from his high school with an invitation. He couldn’t wait to see everyone again, and hopefully get a party out of it in the end. Despite still talking to Catarina and Ragnor, there was still others that he lost touch with through the years that he hoped he would see.
Arriving at the school, Magnus felt the nostalgia hit him. He hadn’t been here since he graduated, hadn’t even been in the same area as the school building. As soon as he left for college, Magnus had been riding high in life. There had been a few bumps in the road, but Magnus looked back on them with a positive outlook, realising that they helped pave the way to where he was now and kept him level headed.
As he stepped out of his car, he straightened his jacket, pulling at the lapels. He had decided to dress in a black shirt with a black blazer with dark blue patterns sewn into it. The shirt was tucked into his jeans and his favourite boots with a golden heel. His makeup was kept subtle, sticking with just the black eyeliner and nail polish of his day to day outfits.
He felt good. And he knew he looked good. With a grin on his face he made his way towards the entrance. He shook hands with the principal, who was still the same as when he was a student there. He was given a nametag and shown the way to the hall. While walking through the corridors, Magnus reeled in how empty it was, used to the chatter and the crowds of people hanging by their lockers.
He let his fingers graze over the locker that used to be his, smiling to himself as he remembered all the times he would lean against it before classes began, chatting with whoever would join him in the morning. The closer he got to the gym hall, the louder he could hear the murmur of voices and he was grateful that his plan for a big entrance would go down well.
He pushed the doors open and stepped inside, feeling the rush of people turning to look at him. He stopped under the pretence of looking around for Catarina and Ragnor, but he knew exactly where they were, he just wanted everyone’s eyes on him as he showed off his outfit before walking towards his two friends.
As he made his way through the crowds, he made sure to smile at people and say hello. They would return the greeting and Magnus wasn’t blind enough to miss the way few people seemed to admire more than just his outfit. It didn’t shock him, considering at school he would get the same looks, but as people grew older they became more subtle in how they would check him out. But he wasn’t one to complain.
The smirk on his face grew into a grin as he laid eyes on his friends. Catarina was laughing as she opened up her arms to hug him.
“Oh Magnus, you really do love it when all eyes are on you.”
“You’re making me sound vain, darling. I just like when my outfits are admired.”
“Mm, that and your other assets.” Magnus turned towards Ragnor, giving him a pointed look and a receiving an eye roll in return. “Your charms won’t work on me, Bane.”
Magnus winked before accepting a glass of wine from Catarina and easily falling into a conversation about the night ahead of them. He told them that he was considering letting everyone have access to Pandemonium, the club that he owned, to all his previous classmates as a way to throw one last party with the people that he knew he would likely never see again.
The conversation moved to who they were all excited to see again. Magnus mentioned some of their old teachers, the others agreeing with him. Catarina said that she wanted to see the boys that were all on the football team, who made it their mission to be rude towards others, just so she could shove her success in their face. Ragnor just looked exasperatedly at the other two, claiming that he didn’t even want to come in the first place.
“You know, I’m not excited about seeing Camille, I hope she doesn’t even turn up.” Magnus sneered into his glass, still bitter about the way that Camille had treated him.
Towards the end of high school, they had started dating, the two elated that they would be attending the same college. However, college changes people, and it changed Camille for the worst.
She had no longer been the person that Magnus had grown to love, but someone who was manipulative and would put him down. She would always go out to party, get drunk and sleep with whoever she wanted, then crawl back to Magnus in the morning, telling him she loved him. He believed her for a long time, but after a stern talking to from his friends, he realised that he wasn’t happy with her anymore.
He hoped that she wouldn’t turn up to the reunion, not wanting to have to listen to any of the snide remarks that he knew would come from her mouth. But knowing Camille, she probably thought herself above everyone else that was here.
“Oh my God, who is that?”
Magnus’ thoughts were interrupted by Catarina, and his curiosity got the better of him as he turned towards the doors to see who had just entered. As soon as his eyes landed on the man, Magnus was sure that if he had taken a drink he would have spit it out from the sight of him.
The man that entered the hall was tall. Magnus was sure he was taller than him, which for him was a shock considering most people he knew were shorter. Not only was his height a noticeable feature but Magnus couldn’t help but stare at the muscles that were straining against the shirt he was wearing.
The shirt was a deep blue button up, with the sleeves rolled up, making Magnus almost drool at the sight of his arms. In addition, he was simply wearing a pair of black jeans and combat boots, but even though it looked like an outfit that he threw on with minimal effort, he still managed to look good. His hair was tousled, as though he ran his fingers through it before he left. And as he walked further into the hall, Magnus couldn’t help but think how beautiful he was.
He was truly the most beautiful man that Magnus had ever laid eyes on. The way he walked was oozing with confidence, like he knew everyone was staring at him but he both didn’t care and welcomed it. There was a small smirk on his lips, as though he was keeping a secret to himself. He finally got close enough for Magnus to see more details of his face, to see the scar on his eyebrow and the wideness of his eyes. And, oh, those eyes.
They were a beautiful shade of hazel. Magnus could only see them for a short moment, but it was enough for him to want to make this man his own. The stunning man made his way to the bar that was set up at the back of the room, ignoring everyone on his way, and leaving them staring at him. Magnus could tell from the crease in all their eyebrows that no one knew who he was, and Magnus wasn’t an exception.
He ran through everyone that he could think of from school, but he couldn’t remember anyone who resembled the man that was now leaning across the bar. Magnus was staring, and usually he would be a little bit more subtle about these things, but there was something about the man that made it impossible for him to take his eyes off.
“Earth to Magnus.”
Magnus shook his head to stop himself from staring at the man’s shoulders, and turned his attention back to his friends. “Do either of you know who that fine specimen is?”
Catarina and Ragnor both shook their heads, but Magnus could tell that they were both curious. He looked around the gym hall. Everyone was either looking towards the man at the bar or whispering amongst themselves, obviously trying to figure out who this man was.
Magnus drank the rest of his champagne and handed the glass to Catarina. “Well, there’s only one way to find out who he is.”
“Magnus, please don’t tell me you’re going to flirt with the poor man.”
“That is exactly what I’m going to do Ragnor. Have fun, you two.” Magnus winked before he turned towards the back of the hall and made his way through the room. He reached the bar and leaned against it, leaving only a small space between him and the man.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting to see someone handsome today, but I guess luck is on my side tonight.”
The man turned towards Magnus with a quirked eyebrow. And if Magnus thought he was beautiful from the glimpse that he got, he wasn’t prepared for the view that he had up close. He found himself lost in his eyes instantly, wanting to drown in them and forget about the world around him.
“Are you flirting with me?” The man asked, his eyebrows creased but with an amused and almost flirtatious tone to his voice.
Magnus changed his mind; he wanted to drown in the man’s voice. It was deep, but still soft to the ears, the obvious New York accent ringing through. But Magnus couldn’t show the effect that he had on him, he needed to win this man over, not become a blubbering mess.
“Why, don’t you like it?”
The man smirked, turning his body so he was fully facing Magnus, his hip propping against the bar. And Magnus didn’t miss the way that his eyes ran over his body. “Oh, I do. I just think that eighteen year old me would probably have a meltdown if he knew Magnus Bane was flirting with him.”
At least that comment covered that this man did go to school with him. But it didn’t help him figure out who he actually was. “So you know who I am, hm?”
“Mm, well the name tag is a dead giveaway.” Magnus looked down at the tag that was stuck to his jacket with his name written on it. “But other than that, you still look as breathtaking as you did in school.” Magnus’ eyes flickered back up to the man, reeling from the confidence that was oozing from him, feeling like he truly met his match.
“Well, you don’t look to bad yourself -“ Magnus froze because in the time that he got lost in flirting with this man, he still had yet to learn his name. His eyes flickered to his chest, trying to see if there was a name tag on him, but frowned when he couldn’t spot one. “This is going to sound terribly rude, especially after all this flirting we’ve had going on. And believe me, I am interested. But I can’t figure out who you are.”
Magnus was sure he had ruined any chance at all with the man, but instead of him reacting in the way Magnus would expect, he laughed. It was a full blown laugh, and he threw his head back as it racked through him. “It’s alright; I suppose I do look a little different from school. I’m Alec. Lightwood.”
It took Magnus a few moments for it to hit him who Alec Lightwood was, but when he did, he was sure that his reaction was comical. Magnus remembered Alec. Alec was small, and shy and always looked down both figuratively and literally. Magnus had tried plenty of times to befriend him, but Alec would never let him hold a conversation, always finding a way out.
“No, there’s no way. Alec Lightwood was small, skinny and shy. You, however, are tall, and buff, and might I just say it sexy and confident. Alec Lightwood never held a conversation with me, let alone anyone else, yet here you are openly flirting with me. I don’t believe you, you can’t be Alec.” Through his rambling, a grin was growing on Alec’s face. The more he spoke, the more he realised that there was a lot of features that were the same, he just hadn’t looked deep enough.
Alec turned to lean on the bar again, taking a sip of his beer before turning to face Magnus. “Yeah, at school that was me. School was not a good time for me, I didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. But during the summer before college, puberty finally kicked in and I had this growth spurt. I also started to work out a lot more and I finally felt more like how I should.
“During the same summer, I finally came to terms with the fact that I’m gay. I knew there was nothing wrong with that, it was just hard for me, especially when I didn’t know how my family would react to it, and they’re always telling me to be the best. I guess I didn’t want to let them down any more since I already refused to study law.
“Once I came out to them though, they accepted me. Well, my father didn’t but he’s no longer a part of the family so I don’t care what he thinks of me. But my siblings and my mother, they all accepted me, and made me feel loved. And that really helped my self esteem. Then in college when I finally was studying the thing that I love the most, and I also made amazing friends who I felt good to be around, it didn’t take long for me to gain that confidence back.”
Alec had looked away whilst he was speaking, and turned back to look at Magnus, a small smile playing at his lips. Magnus felt a burst of pride for Alec, feeling happy that he had managed to feel comfortable in himself. He could see it clear as day when he thought about how Alec would always hide at school, yet here in front of him, Alec was himself. Magnus could tell he was happier, and it made Magnus more attracted to him.
“Well, confidence looks good on you.”
Alec grinned in response and threw a wink towards Magnus. “I may have had a huge crush on you in school, but I also looked up to you. You were confident and happy as yourself, and you didn’t care what others thought of you. I wanted to be like that, and it was inspiring to see you just make life yours and be who you wanted.”
Shock waved through Magnus, his mouth falling open and he found himself lost for words. He never thought that Alec would look up to him. He guessed it made sense why Alec would refuse to speak with him, considering the crush, but he couldn’t get over the fact that he felt inspired by him. A smile started to grow over his features as he continued to look at Alec, his heart starting to beat out of control in his chest, a feeling growing inside him that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Tell me, what would eighteen-year-old Alec say if I were to ask twenty-eight-year-old him on a date?”
Alec’s smiled widened, his features lighting up. “Oh, he would straight up collapse, but twenty-eight year old me is more composed, so I’ll just say yes, and then write about it in my diary later.” Alec winked, causing Magnus to laugh. It felt easy with Alec, they may have only started talking ten minutes ago but he felt like he truly knew him. At school, he didn’t know Alec, and supposed that he would never see him again. But here he was with a smile on his face, and wanting to take on the world with Alec.
“You know, reunions are boring. I still talk to those that matter, and I’m not really interested in hearing about people complain about their bosses. So it’s not like I’m actually missing out on anything. How about we go on that date now? I know a great cafe that stays open late.”
“Someone’s eager.”
“Very.”
Alec put down his beer, and stood up straight, no longer leaning on the bar. “I don’t actually know anyone here; I’m not sure why I even came. Maybe to show off that I actually did become something. But whatever my reasons were, I’m glad I did. So, it’s not like I’m missing out on anything either. Fuck it, let’s go.”
Magnus grinned before standing up straight, the two of them making their way over to leave, eyes still on them both.
Sure, people may say that high school is the best time of your life, but to Alec and Magnus, the reunions were so much better.