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Magnus sat slowly sipping a large glass of whisky, his eyes fixed in an unknown spot on the wall at the other side of the room while Clary sat quietly with him, not wanting to abandon her friend while his heart and mind were in such a spin until he down the last of the liquid and reached for the bottle again to refresh it.
“Magnus, do you want to go home?” She asked softly, getting to her feet and gently taking the bottle from his hand.
“I don't know what I want to do.” Magnus admitted. “I can feel my soul calling out to his, I know it is him but … how on earth do I explain this to him? And his sister, even though she was so little all the times I met her in the park she recognised me.”
“You could just talk to him, there is no reason to mention any of this yet?” Clary suggested. “It might be that there is no connection between you ...”
Magnus shock his head sadly. “It feels like the first time I met Alexander, I knew at that moment that we were mean to be. My soul connected to his, the wall around my heart began to dissolve and I was in love with him long before I admitted it to myself or him.”
“If you don't go and speak to him you will be forever wondering if you should have.” She told him. “But if you do find him as drawn to you as you are to him then you need to tell him everything, before it becomes a secret too hard to share.”
“I can't meet him with all his friends around and his sister.” Magnus replied. “That would be too overwhelming.”
“How about your go to the private area of the bar, I'll go and find him and ask tell him the owner would like to invite him for a birthday drink?” Clary suggested. “The worst he can so is no.”
Magnus thought about it for a few minutes, while Clary held onto the bottle before he spoke.
“This is madness, I have been hiding myself away since Alexander died and now there is a tiny chance that he could have come back to me.” Magnus stated. “And I am acting like a nervous teenager going on a first date, not like myself. I am Magnus Bane, powerful warlock and I need to take it back.”
“Yes.” Clary replied with a smile. “So, you sort your make-up out and put in your best outfit and I will go and talk to the birthday boy, okay?”
“Okay.” Magnus told her, feeling more like his old self by the second.
Clary gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room, closing the door behind her and make her way to the party.
Magnus conjured up a full length mirror and took in his appearance, his eyeliner had run down his face and he had bags under his eyes from way to many sleepless nights either from Insomnia or waking in the night after dreaming about Alec and after finding himself alone not able to get back to sleep.
A quick a wave of his hands and a click of his fingers and he face was perfectly made up, the bags hidden by magic and make up and then he turned to his outfit, there was nothing wrong with it but he felt he needed to feel more like his old self and with a flourish of his hands he ran the magic up himself, his clothes changing as he did and there he stood looking at his reflection wearing black trousers, and loose teal, shimmering shirt and three necklaces hung from his neck filling the low v neck of the shirt that exposed his smooth chest.
Adding some teal streaks to his hair, Magnus felt like he was reinvented. He reached for the bottle Clary had left on the desk and raised it to his lips, then paused for a second or two before placing it back down and left the room to go and talk to the young man Clary had hopefully convinced to meet him alone for a birthday drink.
****
Clary approached the man Magnus had fled from, took a deep breath and interrupted them.
“Hi, I'm Clary a good friend of Magnus'” She told them.
“The man who introduced himself then vanished?” Bethany asked.
“Yes, and he was hoping that Alexander would meet him for a birthday drink in the VIP area to apologise for being so rude.” Clary explained, turning to look at the birthday boy. “Would that be okay with you, to drag you away from your friends for a few minutes.”
“I … sure, why not.” Alec shrugged, told his friends he wouldn't be long and walked with Clary to the VIP area where Magnus was already sat with a cocktail in his hand.
“Magnus, Alexander.” Clary said, despite knowing they had already meet, however briefly and then left them to it.
“Please, take a seat.” Magnus told the young man, looking at him and taking in his features.
Of course he didn't look exactly like Alexander, his Alexander but the eyes were unmistakable and his hair was the same shade and fell over his forehead just like his namesake but his facial features were just as striking, if not the same.
“Please, call me Alec, everyone else does.” He stated, sitting down opposite the warlock.
“You look more like an Alexander to me.” Magnus said with a smile, taking a sip of his cocktail. “Would you like another drink?”
Alec lifted up his half empty glass. “I'm not much of a drinker, I'm fine thank you.”
The memory of their first date popped into his head and he had to try hard to keep the emotion that came with it out of his voice.
“Are you okay? Your eyes seem suddenly sad?” Alec questioned him gently.
“I'm fine, just a memory.” Magnus assured him. “I wanted to apologise to you about earlier, you remind me so much of someone else that I had to leave, flee.”
“In a good way I hope?” Alec smiled, his grin a little more lopsided that that of Magnus' lost love.
“Very much so.” Magnus admitted. “So, tell me about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?” Alec asked, raising his eyebrows that almost made Magnus melt.
“What do your do? What things to you like?” Magnus suggested.
“Okay. Well I have just started a new job doing what I love most in the world.” Alec told him smiling. “Ever since I was a small child I wanted to have a bow and arrows, my parents have no idea why either as I never saw anything to give me the urge and now my hobby is my job, training young archers for the Olympics.”
Magnus almost choked on the sip of his cocktail, coughing very un-elegantly into the crook of his arm.
“Are you okay? Can I get you some water?” Alec asked.
“No, no it just slipped down the wrong hole.” Magnus assured him, adding. “Sounds like the perfect job for you.”
“It couldn't be better.” Alec smiled and his eyes lit up in such a familiar way that Magnus knew in his soul that his Alexander's soul had been born into this young man. “What about you, how long have you owned this nightclub?”
“More years than I care to remember.” Magnus told him honestly. “I get to meet all sorts of interesting people.”
“Really, does that include me?” Alec asked.
“Are you always this forward?” Magnus asked, thinking of the contrast between him and his first meeting with his husband so many years ago.
“Life's too short to waste it on being shy or coy.” Alec shrugged. “So, are you going to answer my question?”
“Yes, it includes you.” Magnus told him.
“Well, thank you for saving me from the dance floor.” Alec told him with a smile. “Nightclubs aren't really my thing and I don't dance. I blame my sister for organising my party here, she thinks it's time I loosened up and took the time to meet someone that might last.”
“You've never been in a relationship?” Magnus asked. “Sorry, none of my business.”
“No, I've been on dates a few times, but none have ever lead to anything more.” Alec shrugged. “Something about them, all of them just didn't feel right. How about you?”
“There was someone, a long time ago but …” Magnus stopped, feeling sad again, took a long sip of his cocktail before continuing. “I … lost him, way too soon.”
“He died?” Alec asked gently.
Magnus nodded. “I've been keeping my heart hidden since, but maybe it's time I let it free again.”
“For me?” Alec blurted out.
“Maybe.” Magnus told him just as some of his friends appeared and beckoned him back to join them.
“I should get back to my friends.” Alec told him. “But maybe we could go out for a drink sometime? A coffee perhaps?”
“Sure, I'd like that.” Magnus agreed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card with his name and private mobile number on and held it out to him. “Call me.”
“I will.” Alec smiled, getting to his feet and sliding the card into the pocket of his jeans. “Soon.”
“Just one more thing before you go, do you ever see a strange butterfly?” Magnus asked curiously. “Strange question I know.”
“Yes I do, I saw it earlier today.” Alec replied with a questioning look. “You too?”
“Yes, go back to your friends, it will give us something to talk about next time. Goodbye for now Alexander.” Magnus smiled back.
Alec hesitated as if he was going to say something, then just nodded before turning to go. Magnus watching the young man until he vanished into his crowd of friends and then made his way back to his office where he found Clary waiting for him.
“How did it go?” She asked once the door was firmly closed.
“I think I just agreed to a date.” Magnus told her. “What the hell have I just got myself into Biscuit?”
“Just take it slowly Magnus, take the time to see how he thinks, if he will be able to deal with knowing the truth about you and the Downworld.” She replied.
“I will, I promise.” Magnus said. “But I already know so much about him that leaves me on no doubt that he is my Alexander reincarnated.”
“Well, get me a cocktail and spill all.” Clary told him.
The End.