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"Bane, wasn't it? Magnus Bane?" Isabelle asked Alec as he flopped down the couch beside her.
"Yeah.. And he wasn't who I expected to be, honestly." Alec looked up to the boring white ceiling of his living room. It was definitely strange to finally meet a stranger whom you've been curious about for two months.
He still remembered the first week of moving into his new and much improved apartment, the feeling of first-hand freedom and independence filling his body with contented tingles.
He also remembered the first time he got his first mail. Letters from his parents who wanted to know how he's living in New York, and reminding him to eat healthier food other than just pizza. They're such health freaks, Alec had thought admirably. He also received postcards from his sister, who mainly travelled from place to place and just basically living the life she always dreamed of having. His best friend Jace, who would be following him in a year, got him pictures and updates from Max, his younger brother, and their hometown. Sighing, he flipped an envelope in his hands and blinked in confusion.
To: Magnus Bane
From: Camille Belcourt--
He turned another one over and it was another letter addressed to Magnus Bane and it was from-- Is that from Cosmopolitan? he was concerned if his mail had gotten mixed up with his neighbors, but then he remembered the apartments owned either side of him were two girls and an old couple. Who is Magnus Bane?
"What do you mean he isn't who you expected? Did you-" Isabelle sat up straighter and narrowed his eyes at her brother who was obviously not making eye contact. There was no way you could hide anything from her judgmental stare.
"I mean I thought this Magnus would be older, you know? Turns out he was just two years older than me-"
"Alexander Lightwood! Did you personally go to this person's current living quarters and gave him his mail?!" Isabelle yammered while pointing her manicured finger at Alec.
"It's not that big of a deal.. I was just curious who lived in my apartment before I moved in, that's all." Alec swatted her arm away and continued to look at the house plant behind her. What a nice plant, I should put more plants around here, he thought distractedly.
"Alec. Did you forget the content of those mails you received addressed to Magnus Bane?" Isabelle rolled her eyes and placed her head on her hands. It wasn't like he had opened the mail accidentally given to him, it was a breach of privacy and Alec did not stand for that. He just simply looked who was the sender and tried to form a personal insight to who Magnus was.
"Alec. There were letters of complaint from other countries and their governments. What if Magnus was a terrorist? You could've walked into a lion's den."
"A fashionable lion's den.." He muttered. How could he not forget the metallic silver-colored envelopes from different luxurious brand owners, whose names he only knew when he consulted Isabelle about it? Holy mother of-, Isabelle had exclaimed. Camille Belcourt is a famous fashion designer who travels all over the world and completely reinvented the style of Victorian dresses.
She eyed him warily. "He seems to me like one of those bratty son-of-millionares. What was his house like, anyway?"
"Uh well, he still lives in an apartment, for one." He almost laughed at the surprised expression on his sister's face and decided to continue.
"He reminds me of a cat, almost." Isabelle raised her eyebrows at this.
"A feline?" She smirks.
"Please don't."
"So what's he like, then?" She asked impatiently. Alec thought back to his first encounter with the strange man, how he felt as if intimidation and fascination to him combined to a new level and made him a little weak at the knees.
I shouldn't have done this, maybe it's not too late to go back, Alec nervously thought and desperately wished he could turn back time to when he could still stop himself from confidently knocking on the wooden door to his residence.
Oh well, too late now, he thought defeatedly and tried to compose himself when he heard patterned light footsteps from the other side of the door. He expected a man in his late thirties, maybe with a terrifying stare that made you want to take a step back voluntarily because of intimidation. Now that the door has creaked open, Alec took a step back because of a completely different reason.
"Oh, hello. Are you Camille's assistant?" Alec just stood there, slightly surprised to see a tall, sun-kissed and practically glowing guy in a stance in front of him. There was a way in which his eyes looked across his face and finally locked with his own blue ones, admittedly forming a lump in his throat. It was a strange color, gold mixed with flecks of a lighter shade. It was like staring directly at the sun.
"Are you Magnus Bane?" He asks. "And uh, I'm not Camille's assistant or anyone's assistant.." He fumbles for the neatly tied bundle of letters in his bag in distraction to hide his awkwardness. Alec sighs of relief when his hand grasps the papers, thanking his lucky stars to have a distraction from those auriferous eyes. He must be wearing contacts, there's no way someone could have orbs like those.
"Yes, I'm Magnus." He says in a strange formality. "Ah, yes I think I understand now. Would you like to come in?" Magnus regards as he eyes the stack of mail Alec had brought out and ushered him inside.
It seems like Alec won't be trusting his instinct of expectation now, thoroughly surprised that who he thought Magnus was, was entirely the opposite of who he is.
Magnus being a middle aged guy and a business-like physique? That thought could go to a mental trash bin right now. The man looked right about his age, if only a few years older. He had the posture of an athlete, all lanky with the hint of muscles showing through a dark blue polo. He had a gait of easy gracefulness, which Alec compared to those of a cat.
Magnus being an over all serious man and the type to never speak to anyone who he deemed below him? He was embarrassed to even think that for a second. Magnus was the chatty type, the person who tells things that aren't even supposed to be relevant to a conversation. He also smiles a lot, Alec had noted when he listened attentively to the constant babble of the person beside him. He also took note of the fact that he did not wear contacts- yes he asked.
His loft was also decorated in an old-fashioned way, dimming his earlier prediction of his house looking like it had touched the overly modern scale. Paintings and different kinds of framed art were hung throughout the hallway and the relatively large living room. The walls were a homely color of brown and red with mahogany chairs, tables, and drawers adorning the theme. Expensive looking antique vases and jars accompanied the small arrangement of flowers and plants being an accent to the over all look of the apartment.
"Um I'm Alexander and I'm the one inhabiting your old apartment, and also the one accidentally receiving your mails." He spoke as the two of them sat down on an L-shaped couch. He was almost proud of himself for not stuttering at that sentence.
"I see. So that's why the only mail I get are my monthly subscriptions to magazines and newspapers." He sighed.
"Well, here they are. You might want to tell these senders to change the address they're sending it to, though. They might be worried of you not responding." Alec spoke, mildly interested in the way Magnus rolled his eyes at the mail and skipped over the brightly colored ones.
"I'm sorry you had to store my parcel it must be quite annoying, although I am kind of glad you came here just to give me these." Magnus murmured the last part, making Alec wonder if he just heard correctly or deluding himself.
"No problem. Although I do have a question.." He asked hesitantly. Magnus raised his right eyebrow and urged him nonetheless to continue.
"What happened in Peru?" He asked in a timid voice. The most awkward silence happened after this question as Magnus slowly blinked at him. Alec didn't know what had gotten over him for asking such a personal question but he couldn't help it. It's not like he had read the letter, he was just heavily curious why a country would be writing to a person who surely didn't have any business aside from fashion and well, more fashion.
"Oh that." He waved his hand impatiently. "I think I'm banned from Peru."
"What?"
"Honestly, I don't know why. I mean, I have done some pretty illogical stuff during drunk there, and maybe some criminal records but it makes me wonder why now. They didn't explain but, oh well. Nothing I can do about that now." It scares Alec how nonchalant he was acting, as if being banned from a country was something that happened to your neighbor daily. He instinctively scooted an inch away from him. Magnus sees his reaction and lets out a breathless laughter. "Well aren't you something.." He says while Alec struggled to keep his composure. A small cat suddenly appeared and curled beneath Magnus' feet, he didn't seem to mind the small feline asking for affection.
"Well, you can't exactly blame me.. It's not everyday you see a model being a sideline criminal." He flustered. The model part was a guess, and considering Magnus' attractive physique, it wasn't an unreasonable deduction.
"Fair enough." Magnus barely says while trying hard not to laugh at him. "I'm flattered you think I'm a model, but really I'm just a fashion designer."
"Are you not going to defend being a sideline criminal?"
"I'm not a criminal, relax. Those records are more hilarious than dangerous. I travel a lot and maybe I've done more shenanigans than I can count, but I'm living my life so I don't have regrets." He says in a light tone. Magnus reminds him of his own sister, expressing their needs of adventure and wanderlustIn the exact same way. It kind of made him excited for his sister to visit him soon.
They talked for several more minutes, endless topics that Alec didn't mind talking about. He was reserved after all, he's not the type to converse with people he barely met, although the person in front of him was an exception. He also took the time to pet his cat, he had a cat back at his parents' house making him a little nostalgic as he buried his palm in the cat's fur. He asked Magnus for the name, and he delightedly said 'Chairman Meow', it made him smile fondly.
"Right, I should get going. I have a class soon." Alec reluctantly stood up. He was reminded of how time passed too quickly. He only imagined this encounter being fast, mainly just him telling Magnus about mail issues, giving him his respected mail and leaving. It wasn't exactly expected for him to stop by and have a chat.
"Oh, alright. Wait you're still in college?" Magnus inquired.
"Yeah, I'm actually graduating soon. That's why I got my own apartment, after all."
"Best of luck then. I hope I do see you around." He offered a brief charming smile and accompanied him through the front door.
"Thank you again, Alexander." He winked then shut the wooden door Alec was so hesitant to knock on just half an hour ago. He would've stayed there at his porch deciphering how his heartbeat had gotten faster just by that wink and how his name became much more appealing when Magnus had said it. He only snapped back to reality when he noticed his phone vibrate a text message from one of his classmates.
Crap, he was going to be late. And all because he got caught up by a bright-eyed stranger.
"So that was it?" Isabelle questioned after Alec was done retelling his tale of meeting the recipient of the lost mail.
"Yeah." He says. "You told me to retell how our first encounter was. Also, proof that he wasn't a terrorist." He threw a pointed look at her.
"Did you ever meet again? This Magnus guy isn't too bad. I'm a little interested."
"I met him again. Three times, actually."
"Wait, what?" He met the bewildered stare of his sister and meticulously sighed.
"For some reason, his mails are still mixed up with mine so I go there once every two weeks to give it to him. By the way, I'm not his personal mailman okay? I'm just doing it as a favor because he's nice to me." And not at all because I wanted to see him again, he added in his head.
"Even after you told him to tell everyone he knows that he changed his address?"
"It might've been a mistake y'know." He regards while reaching for the remote to turn on his television. He watches some reality show while a few seconds of silence passed between them.
"You know, for someone graduating college next month, you're incredibly dense." Isabelle states.
"Excuse me?"
"Can't you see that he purposely forgot to tell the people who know him he changed his apartment is because it's a reason for you to keep coming back? He doesn't have a reasonable excuse to say that he wants you to visit that's why he lets this misplaced mail problem to get to see you, I know he's confident and all but he's testing the waters so you don't see him as weird. After all, I can see see in your face that you like him. A lot." Isabelle finishes with a smirk. Alec finds it difficult to respond because /damn/ that was some argument she put out.
"I don't think he likes me that way, Izzy. I'm just some college guy and he's probably met people more attractive and appealing than me."
"You never know until you call him. He did give you his number, am I right?" Alec feebly nodded. He admits he's scared of this possibility but his sister was right. It's worth a shot anyway.
Alec picks up his phone and blankly stares at the device. He looks to his right to see Isabelle giving him a look that says What are you waiting for, dumbass?
He can mildly hear the phone ringing while his clammy hands tried to grasp his phone properly. After a few rings, it was accepted and he could feel his heart thumping loudly. He obviously didn't think this through as he struggled to think of what to say.
"Alexander! What a pleasant surprise for you to call me." Magnus' sudden voice alerted Alec and he was momentarily fixed on how Alexander rolled of his tongue so elegantly even though he heard it from the buzzes of a phone. Suddenly, he knew what to say. It was now or never.
"Magnus, hi. I discovered this up and coming museum near my university and I know how much you like history, and well we could go to a cup of coffee after? What do you say?" He breathed out. He saw in his peripheral vision that Isabelle was also trying hard not to listen to his conversation, her eyes being too focused on the current show the tv was offering.
He honestly thought that he would let the ground open up and hide him from the human race when four seconds of pure silence met him from the other line, leading him to think that he hung up on him. Of course he was wrong for expecting Magnus of something like that, when his next words made his whole being light up for the next few hours.
"It would be my honor, Alexander."