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Jonas is drunk.
Not too drunk. He just feels floaty, which was probably Deepika's goal when she took him out. Something about him "moping over his breakup with Trina even though she’s the idiot who ditched your birthday for Lollapalooza… twice."
He’s not stupid. He knows he’s better off without her. But he’s 28 and tired and eating instant ramen every day in a two-bedroom apartment split between five people. And now, single.
Hence the moping.
Clumsily, he rolls into the elevator and manages to slowly get to his apartment. With a clenched fist, he bangs against the door.
"Open up!"
Maybe he’ll eat a Hot Pocket before he sleeps. Or Cheetos.
The door opens. Jonas looks up and --
There’s an unfamiliar, young-ish Asian guy in the entry, wearing a bathrobe with his dark hair flattened to his head. He looks disgruntled as he stares at Jonas with -- golden eyes?
“Fuck,” Jonas blurts out as he checks the apartment number. “I’m drunk. I’m at the wrong door? Sorry.”
From inside, there’s the sound of shuffling, followed by a gruff, “Magnus, who is it?” An older man emerges from the shadows in a matching bathrobe, a scarred eyebrow raised, a wide frown accentuating the brackets around his mouth. His hand runs through his salt-and-pepper hair, and Jonas’ jaw drops.
“Alec?” he asks faintly. He recognizes this neighbor. He’s the retired party planner who smiles at Jonas when they meet in the elevator and once taught him tie a Windsor knot for his job interview last year. He lives on the top floor with his husband of thirty years, the psychic. Who is definitely not this young guy who looks like he’s Jonas’ age.
“Oh my god, are you cheating?” Jonas yelps. “Where’s the other Mr. Lightwood-Bane?”
The two men make equally confused expressions, turning to face each other. It would be funny if there weren’t an extramarital affair taking place literally in front of Jonas’ eyes .
“Cheating?” Alec says. “What...” He blinks, then glances at Jonas before looking back at the man he’s with. His eyes widen. “Magnus, your glamour --”
The young guy gasps, then snaps, inexplicably, and suddenly he isn’t there. Instead, in that very spot stands the man Jonas recognizes as the other Mr. Lightwood-Bane, with his near-white hair and average brown eyes, looking flustered and red-cheeked.
“What the fuck?” Jonas mumbles.
“Ah, so sorry, Jonas,” Alec says smoothly, stepping in front of the guy who’s apparently been his husband all along? “I think you drank a little too much and were seeing things. I’ll walk you back to your unit?”
“Where’d the other dude go?” Jonas says faintly.
Alec laughs, and pushes Jonas. “Alcohol is a very powerful, isn’t it? Back in our day Magnus and I used to get drunk and tango on the balcony. Fantastic times, those were.”
“I’m sorry I thought you were cheating,” Jonas says. “I’m going crazy.”
Alec winces, then smiles awkwardly as he guides Jonas home. “It’s okay. You aren’t.”