Chapter Text
He’d walked into Magnus Bane’s life right when he needed him.
Magnus had been bent over a sketchpad, designing a beautiful, if somewhat gothic, pair of pants for his new collection. He’d been in a foul mood having run into his horrible ex Camille and her latest boy toy.
It had taken every ounce of Magnus’ preservations skills to face her with a nonchalance he didn’t at all feel. They’d both left the meeting worse for wear and Magnus had gone to his favourite cafe to lick his wounds and pour the negative energy into a more positive outlet.
He hadn’t been there long before the man breezed in like a breath of fresh air. The man wasn’t Magnus’ usual type but the blond hair, the pearly white smile and the sparkling bright eyes were the very antithesis of everything Camille and just what he needed that day.
And so it had begun, Jace – Magnus had learned his name after taking a peak at his coffee cup one morning – would waltz into the cafe every morning between 8 and 9 am to get his daily cup of coffee and Magnus would watch him put smiles on all the baristas faces before he headed on his way.
Magnus would find himself smiling too because while Jace was an unconscionable flirt, he brought with him an energy that was hard to deny. There was something easy about him – uncomplicated – and Magnus could use a little uncomplicated in his life.
Camille had put him through the wringer more times than he could count. Their relationship had been passionate, dramatic and at times thrilling but it had also been soul sucking, demoralizing and exhausting.
It was no wonder that he gravitated towards Jace who was her complete opposite.
Three months had passed and Magnus had yet to make a move. Although they’d shared a smile or two over the course of that time, they’d never spoken. Magnus kind of preferred it that way.
It wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to jump into relationships or into bed quickly with people he didn’t know very well. And considering how quickly those relationships seemed to fizzle out that method wasn’t leading to much success in the romance department.
It wasn’t until the holidays had rolled in like an unwanted houseguest that Magnus had decided to finally make a move.
Christmas had always been his most hated holiday. When your parents were gone and you had no relatives to turn to, the holidays were just a reminder of what you didn’t have. But Magnus had never truly been alone since he’d moved to New York. He’d always had his friends, Ragnor, Catarina or Raphael to turn to during the holiday. This year, however, would be different.
Ragnor was in Europe on a press tour for his newest book and Catarina, as his publicist, was alongside with him. Raphael had just gotten engaged to his boyfriend of two years, Simon, and although he’d invited Magnus over for Christmas day, Magnus didn’t want to be a third wheel during their first holiday as an engaged couple.
So it was on a chilly Christmas Eve morning that Magnus found himself trudging through the snow to his favourite cafe, hoping to see the brilliant smile of a certain handsome blond.
He’d just taken a seat, sipping on his large peppermint cappuccino, when Jace rushed in talking frantically to someone on his phone.
“Well, I know I shouldn’t have waited last minute, Iz, but you know how impossible it is to buy stuff for Alec. He only wears black. Are we sure he’s even a Lightwood? He has no style.”
Maia, the barista working that morning, mouthed “the usual?” as he walked up to the counter. He grinned at her, nodded then turned back to his conversation, a frown settling on his face. “Will you stop lecturing me and tell me what I should get him!” he hissed at the phone.
Magnus raised a brow, his mouth curling up into a smile. This was a new facet to Jace’s personality he hadn’t seen before. It was refreshing to see another side of the lighthearted man he had been crushing on over the last few months.
“You’re punishing me aren’t you? That’s why you keep giving me these terrible ideas,” Jace was saying to the person on the other line as he picked up his order. He nodded goodbye to Maia and turned to leave.
A bolt of panic shot through Magnus as he watched Jace’s back move away. He’d decided that today would be the day. He would finally introduce himself to Jace. Invite him to his table for a chat and see what could happen from there. But Jace was already walking away and Magnus knew that he’d have to do it now before he completely lost his nerve.
He jumped out of his seat, leaving his drink behind and pushed outside into the blistering cold.
He paused for a second, head swiveling to see where Jace had gone and glimpsed streaks of golden hair only a few feet away. Jace had stopped at an intersection and was typing on his phone.
Pulse racing, Magnus turned towards him, pace quickening as Jace stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street.
A horn blasted and he looked over to see a car swerving out of the way of a truck that had run a red light. The driver hit a patch of ice and barely managed to avoid hitting another car as his car spun out of control.
Even as Magnus’ his eyes widened with horror as the car veered towards Jace, his feet, through some uncontrollable force, flew beneath him towards the man.
You are insane, said a voice, sounding remarkably like Raphael, inside his head, as he hurtled towards the blond and pushed him out of the way mere seconds before the car barreled past where Jace had just been.
Heart thundering in his ears, Magnus barely heard the crowd surrounding him as he looked down at the man beneath him. He gasped. Jace was perfectly still and his eyes were closed.
Magnus shuffled backwards onto the cold ground. “Help,” he said frantically to the crowd. “Help him.”
The ambulance came minutes later.