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As the tinny announcement chimed through the carriage, Alec stared down at the picture on his phone again. The guy in the photo had floppy blonde hair and a muscular physique, which he was clearly not shy about sharing considering that all three of his photos featured his baby-lotioned abs.
To be fair, it was the biggest reason Alec had swiped right. That, and the fact that his siblings had threatened to set him up with a number of their hideous friends from work, if he didn’t finally sort himself out with someone for Friday night drinks. The thought of having to fight off handsy Raj or terrifying Raphael was not pleasant, so he had quickly scanned through the app on the train ride home and had swiped on the first decent looking guy, whose profile didn’t indicate that he just wanted sex.
He gripped the bar tightly above his head as he pondered on his situation. Sex would be good, of course. But Alec wasn’t in the habit of getting it on with someone he didn’t click with - even for a one night stand. He just couldn’t stomach the idea of jumping into bed with someone he had zero chemistry with, otherwise how would he ever manage to get it up? It had happened to him once before, and while he knew it wasn’t intentional, he had hurt the guy he had been with. And Alec really wasn’t that kind of man, he liked to look after his lovers.
Hearing his stop announcement, Alec quickly checked the messages he had exchanged with ‘Brad’ again and noted the address, before he hopped off the subway and strode out into the balmy Brooklyn night.
He had followed Izzy’s advice and had offered to pick Brad up, hoping to make a good impression, although he was now regretting it a little as he strode through the streets. Isabelle had made him wear his tightest jeans and a thin grey sweater which were making him sweat slightly. He could only hope that it wasn’t obvious when he finally picked up his date.
Following the maps app on his phone, he finally located the right building. It was an attractive tower block in red brick, with a pink glittery sign, ‘Bane Towers’.
While he considered the outside to be a little ostentatious, he could see that the lobby was filled with all manner of squashy looking furniture, which immediately endeared it to him. A comfy place to sit was incredibly important in Alec’s opinion, especially since he endured the ‘desk of doom’ at work, 6 days a week.
Swiping a hand through his hair one last time, he opened the lobby doors and stepped inside. Staring at the elevators, he noted that they didn’t go to every floor, just alternate ones, so he brought up the message again to see if Brad had given him any details of where to go.
P2116 was the apartment number, so it was either floor 21 or floor 16, or maybe something else entirely, but it really wasn’t clear. Alec looked around the lobby, hoping there might be someone he could potentially ask, instead of having to look like an idiot by texting Brad again.
He couldn’t see anyone hanging around, so he snooped a little bit, stepping deeper into the lobby to check out the arrangements of chairs. There were long mirrors on the walls at the end of the lobby and in one he could see the curl of a pale forearm, so he headed towards it.
He hadn’t quite reached his destination when a voice called out, “Ah yes, I see you. You are exactly his type!”
Alec froze as a tall, sandy haired man rose from a chair nearby, weathered face curled into a smirk.
“Exactly his type..” he repeated as he stepped over to Alec, running his fingers in the air above his shoulder, but never touching him.
“Oh. Excuse me?” Alec asked, unsure of what the man was talking about.
“I’m Ragnor and you’re just his type!” The man insisted once again.
“Just whose type?” Alec asked, staring at the man in wonder. His English accent was crisp and his suit was even crisper, tweed with leather patches at the elbows. “Actually, just forget it. Do you live here? Can you help me find an apartment before I’m late?”
“He won’t mind if you’re late. He hates it when you come early though!” The man laughed, face twisted into a dirty smirk that made Alec shiver (though not with desire.)
Alec was just about to cut his losses and text Brad, when the man reached out for his phone, fingers grazing it as he read the apartment number.
“Oh yes, 2116! 21st floor, apartment number 1.” He said in a serious voice that had lost all of it’s humour.
Alec stared at him for a second as he acknowledged the switch in emotions, pocketing his phone again. “Thank you for the help.”
It wasn’t until he was in the elevator, flying towards the top floor, that he thought to question the final 6 on the address, but he supposed it must be one of those mysteries that he was never going to solve (a lot like the last case he had been handed by Sergeant Garroway.)
When the doors chimed his arrival, he was faced with two choices - PH1 and PH. He quickly headed for PH1 as it seemed the most probable choice, although in this building with elevators that only travelled to either odd or even floors, he guessed that anything could be a possibility.
Alec took an even breath, centering himself as he had been taught in police training (before entering any room with a dead body), then he spent 30 seconds questioning his own sanity that he was thinking about dead bodies right before his date with ‘Brad the abs!’ He shook himself, slapping his hands down his arms and across his belly a few times to try and calm himself down. Finally, he ran his fingers through his hair one last time, and knocked on the door.
While he waited, he ran through the data he had collected about his latest perp: name, age, dob, crime statistics, known aliases, length of previous convictions. It calmed him further and he was quite deep into his musings about the guy when the door opened to reveal a vision.
The man was smaller than Alec, slender but muscular (if his thick biceps in the black tank top he was wearing were indicative of the rest of him), legs draped in purple silk harem pants, a cluster of necklaces dangling on his chest, rings twinkling on every finger and hair that was perfectly spiked above his gorgeous kohl rimmed eyes.
Alec felt his jaw drop!
This man oozed sex! He was like something from one of the secret romance novels Alec kept tucked in his glove box for the quiet moments on late night stake outs. (The novels his brothers and sister nailed him for every time they found them!) He was like some exotic sheikh or talented belly dancer, or perhaps a captive prince who needed rescuing - Alec really wouldn’t mind going all MacGyver and getting his hands on him!
It must have been a whole minute before the man spoke. While Alec had been cataloguing him, he had failed to see the appreciative looks that were being thrown his way by the man in the doorway.
“Well, you’re not the Chinese food I ordered,” the man drawled, voice silky smooth and enchanting, “Not that I’m complaining. I would go so far as to say that you are a decidedly more delicious option than the spring rolls I was expecting!”
Alec couldn’t speak. His tongue felt like paste, his mouth wouldn’t open and all English words had flown out of his head, leaving him with, “Oarghdbdjh...” which, he was pretty certain, wasn’t coherent in any language.
“Ah,” Magnus said, eyes scanning him once more, “You’re lost. You’re not here to see little old me at all, are you? And I’ve scared you away with my impertinence! I’m so sorry, do let me apologise properly.”
Suddenly warm fingers were looped in his and Alec was being tugged into the apartment, door closing swiftly behind him.
“Umm…”he began, trying to regain at least a little of his pride, which had surely taken a nose dive off the man’s delightful balcony, which was covered in lit candles, twinkling brightly in the inky night.
“Yes darling? Whiskey, Scotch, Martini?”
To Alec, the man seemed like a wizard, quickly conjuring up two full glasses of liquor, one of which was thrust into his hand, liquid sloshing around as he tried to grasp it safely with uncooperative fingers.
He watched in awe as the gorgeous man slid back his neck and gulped the entire glass in one mouthful, prominent adam’s apple throbbing in his throat.
Alec felt his already tight jeans lose a little more of their elasticity. What the hell was he doing? He was a New York city detective. He had more solved cases under his belt than any other cop in the city, he could disarm a man from 40 paces with any weapon, and he was an accomplished public speaker who could hold a crowd in his palm as he detailed arrests and statistics.
He was not this slavering wreck of a man who couldn’t hold it together in front of an attractive stranger.
He took a deep breath, trying to centre himself again, and then turned so he was square with the man, who had chosen to drape himself over his plush red couch which looked soft and inviting.
The man’s arms looked soft and inviting too as he raised them to beckon Alec over to him.
He didn’t move, steeling himself to finally speak.
“I’m so sorry,” he began, voice a little shaky as he watched the man trail his fingers over his silky trousers. “I think we’ve had a mix up. I’m not supposed to be here at all.”
The man’s head shot up and Alec caught a flash of gold in his eyes. “What do you mean darling?”
“I’m not supposed to be here, at your apartment tonight.” Alec explained, unable to keep a little bit of disappointment from creeping into his tone. He averted his eyes, unwilling to see the man agree and prepare to kick him out, so he missed the moment the man’s face sank into a frown.
“Well, I don’t believe in coincidences, darling, and you did knock on my door after all, so surely you were meant to come and meet me, greet me and maybe have a little drinky with me?”
Alec’s eyes snapped up to meet the other man’s. His smile looked determined and he winked as they made eye contact.
Alec couldn’t believe this man. Yes, he was incredibly sexy, much sexier than the man he was planning to meet tonight. Yes, he wore beautiful clothes and had a gorgeous apartment with a balcony full of lights, just like in a romance novel. And yes, he had confidence and a magnetic smile. But no! Alec was not going to be drawn in by him. He had to go and meet his date. His actual date. He wasn’t the kind of man who stood someone up!
“I’m so sorry,” Alec said, placing his glass on a handy, nearby table, making sure to put it on the coaster so it wouldn’t damage the glossy wood. “I’m actually here to meet someone and I’m late and I’m really sorry, I got the wrong apartment and then you dragged me in here and I didn’t really get the chance to tell you. I am sorry, I didn’t mean to lead you on!”
“Oh but darling, are you sure? I mean, whoever you’re meeting surely wouldn’t mind if you were to stay for one teensy weensy little drink?”
As he spoke, the man scooped up Alec’s glass and came to hover right in front of him, so close that Alec could feel his warm breath ghosting his cheek.
He took a tiny step back. His lessons on body language were screaming that the man was interested and that if he chose to step in closer, he would be pleased with the results. But he just couldn’t do that to Brad.
No! Alec took a larger step away from Mr. Captivating, pulling his phone from his pocket to bring up the apartment number.
“Look, I’m really sorry. You seem really nice and all, but I’m going to be really late and I definitely mixed up the apartments, can you please just tell me how to get to 2116?”
The man’s face dropped into an expression that Alec couldn’t read, even with all his years on the force.
“Oh,” he said, voice devoid of all colour, “You’re here for Brad and his mighty fine abs, then?”
Alec stared at him in surprise. It appeared that Brad’s reputation preceded him , and Alec wasn’t really sure what to think.
“Are you another of his Tinder hook-ups, the ones he likes to brag about in the lobby?” the man continued, stepping away from Alec, draining the martini as he slumped down onto the couch once more.
The atmosphere in the room froze.
“Actually, we have a date,” Alec said coldly, unhappy that he was being judged by this stranger, no matter how attractive he was. “So, if you’d like to tell me where to go, that’s great. If not, then I’ll just be off. Perhaps when your Chinese food arrives, you can drag the delivery boy in and continue what you've started with me?”
Alec didn’t wait for a response, merely turned and marched over to the door. He pulled it open with an angry snarl and then stormed off down the corridor towards the elevator, not bothering to close it behind him.
“Wait!” Came a voice as he angrily stabbed the button repeatedly, praying for it to arrive quickly. “Wait, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to insinuate that you were headed to Brad’s for a quick shag, I’m sorry!”
Alec turned on his heel to find the man behind him, his face the picture of misery. Alec changed his body language immediately, pulling his arms from behind his back to hang loosely at his side, dropping his shoulders slightly from the ‘soldier’s stance’ his anger had prompted.
“Look, I guess I’m just a little jealous. Brad is...well you’ll see when you meet him. And you seem like a really nice guy, and you’re very easy on the eye and I just...well...anyway, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come across as the kind of guy who harasses men, I don’t. Honest. You were just there and so lovely that I couldn’t help myself. So, yes, I’m sorry, a thousand times, please, please accept my apology!”
By the end of his speech, the other man was on his knees, hands pressed into a tight praying pose, eyes full of hope as he gazed up at Alec.
And Alec couldn’t let him think that he’d truly pissed him off, so he told him. “It’s true, you were right - a bit anyway. I met Brad on Tinder. But we are truly going on a date. In fact, I’m about,” he checked his watch, “Ten minutes late to pick him up. So I’m glad we’ve cleared all that up, but I really have to go. Now can you help me with the apartment number or not? Cos I don’t believe in making men wait. It’s just rude!”
Then he reached down and slid a hand under the man’s arm to haul him to his feet. He must have pulled too hard, because the man swayed straight into his chest, fingers automatically gripping Alec’s hips. They both took a heavy breath as they stood still, staring into each other's eyes. Suddenly, they were interrupted by the ‘ding’ of the elevator arriving, both men taking a step back.
“Well, that’s my cue to leave, it was nice to meet you….”
“Magnus. And look, I am sorry, really. You need to take the next lift to the eleventh floor and find apartment six.”
“I appreciate your help, Magnus.” Alec said, as his finger hovered over the button for the lobby.
Just as he pressed it, Magnus’ hand shot out and warm fingers encircled his wrist. “What’s your name?” He asked, quietly, removing his hand.
“Umm, Alexander...Alec.” Alec replied just as the doors slid shut.
On his way down in the lift, Alec recounted his meeting with Magnus in fine detail, from the soft gold painted under the black kohl on his lower lash line, to the impressive paintings he had seen covering the walls of his apartment. He was an enigma to Alec and unlike any other man he had ever met, even in his many years on the beat. He wondered what he did for a living and whether he was in a relationship. He hoped not for his partner’s sake considering how accommodating he had been of Alec landing on his doorstep.
Eventually, Alec’s musings brought him to the right door. 2116 had a polished door knocker, which looked well used, which should have been Alec’s third clue (after Magnus’ less than glowing review and the baby-lotioned abs). But he lifted his hand anyway and knocked three times.
The door was thrown open by the man from the photo. But instead of rippling abs on display, he was wearing a tight t-shirt with a cartoon of a horse. Above the picture were the words: ‘Hung like a…’ Alec stared at him in surprise. He wasn’t quite the sensitive soul he had portrayed on his Tinder: the man who loved quiet walks in the park and enjoyed reading poetry in independent bookstores.
Then again, maybe he wasn’t only that man. Maybe he had many facets to his personality and Alec was unfairly judging him as he had almost unfairly judged Magnus earlier?
Well, he would give him the benefit of the doubt and see how things panned out.
“Hello, I’m…”
“Hot!” Brad interrupted, eyes travelling the length of Alec, pausing at his neck tattoo and lighting up at the sight of his long legs in his skinny jeans. “God, you are one seriously sexy piece of ass! I wasn’t sure from your profile picture, I mean your face was cute so that’s what swayed it for me, but seriously, you should consider updating to a full length body shot, you’ll have the guys drooling and you’ll be lining up dates like I am…Now tell me, what was it you liked about my profile...it was the abs right? Had to have been the abs…”
Alec couldn’t speak. He probably wouldn’t be able to get a word in anyway if he tried to interrupt the man’s lengthy monologue, but also, he didn’t really want to.
He let Brad continue to wax lyrical about his abs routine for a few minutes, zoning out as he thought back to the man he had met upstairs, the one with the sexy eyeliner and the beautiful smile. The one with the flashing eyes and the balcony full of lights.
He wished he hadn’t left. He wished he hadn’t bothered to come here instead. This guy was clearly not the right guy for him.
“I’m sorry.” He interrupted, cutting off Brad’s diatribe against men who didn’t bother going to the gym and who relied on things like yoga and pilates to stay fit. “But I don’t think this is going to work out.”
“What?” Brad said, jaw dropping open as he finally shut up.
“I just think we’re two very different people, and I don’t see that we’ll have much in common. So it’s probably best that we end this before we even begin.” Alec continued, firmly.
“You have got to be kidding me! I turned down BigDickBryan for you tonight! You cannot be serious! I waited around for you, I wore my best shirt, and this is how you’re gonna repay me? This is the worst hook up I’ve ever had.”
Alec didn’t even bother replying, simply turned on his heel and headed back towards the lift for the fourth time that night.
Once he was safely inside, Brad’s yells of ‘Cocktease’ following him down the corridor, he texted his sister, Izzy, these skinny jeans were a waste of your time. The guy was a dick. I’m coming to meet you in the bar. I’ll be there in twenty.
As he exited into the lobby, he saw the same man from before standing at the desk. Beside him was a delivery man wearing a red coat.
“No, you absolutely cannot go up to the apartment. The owner hates strangers interrupting him. You will not be going up there tonight!”
The driver was protesting that he needed to deliver the food or he wouldn’t get paid.
As Alec stepped past them to head for the door, a cold sensation wrapped around his wrist.
“You’re not a stranger. He won’t mind if you take it upstairs.”
Alec choked slightly as he tried to think of a reply.
“None of that,” the man continued. “He liked you. I know he did. So come on, do an old man a favour, young cabbage, deliver this to Magnus.”
Alec twisted around to face the man, but there was no one there. The man, the delivery driver, they had both vanished. All that was left was a red bag of Chinese take out, chopsticks poking out of the top.
As a man of the law, he felt that he should investigate this mysterious set of circumstances. But the thought was just a brief flutter in his mind, after all it was a Friday night and he was officially off the clock.
So that was how Alec found himself in the lift at Bane Towers for the fifth time that night, bag of delicious smelling Chinese food clutched tightly in his hand.
When he reached Magnus’ door, he paused, wondering at the series of events that had led him here. It wasn’t exactly how he had planned to spend his night, yet, in many ways, it was a much nicer idea than the original plan (especially after meeting Brad!)
He knocked lightly on the door, unsure of how he was about to be received. But the smile that lit up Magnus’ face made all the air rush out of his body, and when their fingers met on the handle of the bag, he knew he’d made the right decision.
“Alexander, you returned. And with Chinese food no less! Are you the delivery boy? Do you want me to drag you in and have my wicked way with you right now?” Magnus asked, eyes flickering between Alec’s own and his lips.
Alec let his eyes drop to Magnus’ soft, pink mouth, lingering for a moment. “Yes,” he whispered, and then Magnus swooped in and they were pressed close, bag of food forgotten on the floor.
Izzy, I can’t make it. Something has...come up! I’m going to be busy for quite some time. Have a grsbhjbrw …
“Hey!” Alec protested from his position below Magnus. Magnus, who was licking a stripe up the centre of his chest, fingers trailing first over one pebbled nipple and then his other. “You made me send some random message that made no sense. What if she thinks I’ve been kidnapped?”
“Is your lovely sister likely to think you’ve been kidnapped?” Magnus asked, ducking back down to take Alec’s nipple gently between his teeth.
He hissed out his desire as Magnus rolled his other nipple with his fingers, crotch grinding against his. “No-oo, well maybe...we are a family of cops after all..”
“Cops?!” Magnus said, head shooting up to stare at him. “Give me your phone right now! I know what cop families are like!”
“Wha-a…” Alec froze as his phone was snatched out of his hand and Magnus’ fingers flew over the keys.
“Isabelle? This is Magnus Bane. No I’m not Brad. No, we are not having a threesome. As if I’d share your brother…especially not with Brad the loser!” Magnus’ face softened as he stared at Alec, who was still frozen, gobsmacked as Magnus continue to talk to his sister, chattering away, “Yes, I’m handsome...I’m beautiful according to Alexander...oh, really? So no-one gets to call him that...how interesting! Yes, I’m nice. No I’m not a serial killer. Yes, we are busy! … yes, with sexy things! Now, I’m going so I can enjoy an evening of pleasure with Detective Alexander....Lightwood?! Oh! That’s hot! Yes, I’ll see you soon...okay, bye Isabelle, lovely to chat!”
“Well, I like her!” Magnus grinned as he leaned back over Alec, dropping the phone on his bedside table. “Now, where were we?”
“Wait a minute,” Alec said, lifting Magnus’ chin with soft fingers. “You just...to my sister...you just told her…oh god!”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay! She just wanted to know that you’re safe. That I’m not some psycho like you, who goes around stealing food from delivery men so they can bring it my apartment and entice me into sexy times!”
“No, that wasn’t me, that was the old man. He told me I should bring it up!”
“What old man?” Magnus asked, eyes boring into his.
“The old man who disappeared, Ragry or Ragor or something…”
“Ragnor?” Magnus asked, face twisted into an expression Alec couldn’t decipher.
“Yes! That was his name!”
“Oh...well...that’s...wow!”
“What, who is he?” Alec asked, pulling Magnus against him, cradling him in his arms, all thoughts of fun and sexy times forgotten.
“He was a tenant of mine. But he...he died...months ago...I don’t understand...No-one would pretend to be him. Describe him?”
So Alec did, dredging up every detail from his cop’s brain - hair colour, eye colour, stature, leather elbow patches.
“Yes. That was him.” Magnus laughed. “Definitely my Ragnor.”
“Wait a minute though, if he’s...if he...passed away...then how…”
“He always told me he’d find me the perfect man, and he nothing could ever stop him until he found the right one for me.” Magnus admitted, snuggling up in Alec’s arms.
“Well, now I remember, after the trauma of multiple trips in your elevators, he did say something about me being your type.” Alec said, pressing a kiss against Magnus’ hair.
“Well, he wasn’t wrong there,” Magnus laughed, pulling away to give Alec a searing smile. “You are exactly my type, Alexander! So, I guess he just...pointed you in the right direction!”
“Well then, a toast to Ragnor!” Alec said, sliding a glass into Magnus’ hand before picking up his own.
“To Ragnor,” They both said, drinking deeply.
“Now,” Magnus said, stealing both their glasses away, “Where were we Detective Lightwood? Were you about to cuff me? Was I a naughty boy?”