It isn't long until Jace is knocking on my door. I sigh and pull away from my entanglement with Magnus, smiling gently at him and reaching out to entwine my fingers with his.

"Come in!" I call, watching as the door opens silently and Jace walks in. Jace has a way about him, he walks with something akin to grace and confidence, yet with an air of indifference about him. It makes everyone around feel inferior, but one look at Jace, and suddenly, you don't mind. That boy is pure gold.

"Hey, what are you guys up to?" He asks, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops and sauntering over.

"Just hanging out, talking. What's up?" I look up at him from the bed, watching as he perches on it beside me.

"Maryse and Robert are downstairs- she's talking about you guys," he informs, leaning against the bed post. I sigh and use my free hand to push my hair back. Jace watches the movement, his brow shooting upward for a moment when he looks down.

"And with good reason, I see," he gestures to our locked hands with a smirk. I roll my eyes, fighting off the blush as Magnus grins.

"You're not mad?" I ask feebly, fear coursing through me. To my surprise, Jace just laughs.

"Mad? No, why would I be mad? That just means you can be my wingman without any consequences. You can't steal the girl, either." He grins and I roll my eyes, leaning into Magnus a bit now that I feel a little better.

"What are they speaking about?" Magnus inquires, smoothing his thumb along the back of my hand and glancing at me.

"Maryse is talking about how she's unsure if you two are a good fit as friends. She thinks, and her words, not mine, that you're a bad influence on Alec." Magnus' lips quirk up into his usual smirk, his amber eyes darting up to meet Jace's amused expression.

"Hmm, intriguing." Jace nods and makes to stand up, turning to look at us.

"Might be a good idea to make a choice about telling them down there. I'd give you advice, but I don't want the blame if it all blows up," I scoff and glare at Jace.

"Always covering your own ass," I mutter, earning a hearty chuckle as he exits the room. When the silence falls over us again, I turn to Magnus with a perplexed expression. He reads my eyes and brings a single, long finger up, tracing away my worry lines with the tip of it, his touch warm and welcome. Eventually, I just lean into his palm, nuzzling into it and relaxing slightly.

"Do you want to tell them?" He asks, clear and steady. I blink slowly and chew on my lip. His thumb reaches out and he tugs my bottom lip away from my teeth, smiling soothingly.

"I'm afraid," I confess meekly, letting him comfort me and ignoring my pride.

"We don't have to, but it's up to you. Will that fear ever subside, dear Alexander? Or are you just postponing what needs to be done to clear your busy mind?" His words reach deep down in my heart. My mind whirs with a million possibilities, me ending up out in the cold, disowned and hated by my own family, my mother's cold gaze laced with malice and disgust, my father's disappointed eyes.

"Lets go tell them," I whisper, standing up and taking a deep breath.

I'd always known I didn't like women the same way I liked men. I never got the warm tingly feeling that I should've when girls kissed me.

But I'd always learned to endure it. When my friend, Clary, used to kiss me on the cheek, our parents would fawn over us. Of course, she's now dating Jace, but our parents had always made a big deal over how 'adorable' we were.

I'd always wanted their affection and attention, so I'd kiss her cheek back, despite the feeling in me that said 'no, you don't like this the way you should.' But I had to. Because it was expected of me, it was normal.

I'd never had that moment of questioning if or if I wasn't gay, I'd just always known, but never in a million years did I expect to tell my parents. I figured I'd be content to just be a closeted gay boy until I could graduate and do something with myself, find someone to love when my parents no longer had a hold on me.

I figured I'd outgrow the hungry need to impress and please them. But still, it has its icy cold grip on me.

Magnus is right, I'm simply postponing the one thing that I need to do to make my heart lift, to make my mind clear.

Magnus stands, a flourish of movement- he never does anything halfway, simply gesturing is made grandeur by him- and reaches his hand out to me.

"I should do this properly, I feel, before you out yourself with me. Would you, my darling Alexander Gideon Lightwood, do me the honour of being my boyfriend?" He smiles at me, open mouth with gleaming teeth. I take his outstretched hand, not even hiding my own returning grin and let him lift me from the bed, into his arms.

Home has always been just a house to me, four walls, a dozen empty rooms, a bed and a place to hide.

But when I'm held in Magnus' strong arms, his hair smelling of peppermint and cedar, his chin fitting into my shoulder perfectly, it finally feels like home. In some strange way, I feel like no matter what my parents think or say about us, it'll be alright.

I have the support of Jace, Izzy, Max, but I also have Magnus now.

"Come along, lets get this over with, yeah?" He mumbles into my hair gently. I sigh and nod, pulling away from him and sliding my hand into his, my smooth fingers dusting across his soft hand until they align. I tug him gently out of the bedroom and down the hall.

I can hear my mothers voice from the landing, her sharp tongue sending the syllables back up to us loud and clear.

"He was wearing shoes with glitter on them, Robert. You don't think that's going to rub off on Alexander?" Magnus stifles a laugh in my shoulder and I grin, bumping my foot against his and kissing his temple briefly before I take the first step down the stairs.

Upon hearing our footsteps, their voices cut off into dead air, the living room becoming immersed in tense silence. Magnus and I enter, hand in hand, and the look in my mothers eyes flickers a million times in a second.

"Mom, Dad, I want you to know that Magnus is more than my friend, he's my-"

"Don't." She snaps, voice so cold it sends a chill through the air. I swallow hard and keep quiet for a moment while she glares at me.

I meet her eyes, gripping Magnus' hand so tightly I can feel my knuckles straining but I refuse to back down. Not this time. I won't continue to be ashamed for who I am.

"Magnus is my boyfriend." I state, my voice strong and steady. Inside, I'm a mess, my emotions wracking through me like a tidal wave, a hurricane intent on tearing my apart. But I won't break. I take the waves and let them make me strong. Magnus' hand tight on my own is my safe haven, my reminder that I'm going to live through this, no matter the damage.

My mother seethes. Her anger exudes off her in biting flames, attacking me at every angle but they just fizzle out against my waves. It's a strange concept, being my own person, turning off this switch inside of me that always made me bow down to them.

Not anymore.

Shocking me, my father steps forward and places his hand on my shoulder, a smile on his face that I couldn't have anticipated in a thousand years.

"Good for you, son," he squeezes my shoulder before standing to my side, assessing my mother with cautious eyes.

"Maryse," he cautions. She flicks her gaze to him, her jaw set and her fists clenched at her sides. "Maryse, come, we'll go speak about this in the lounge." He steps forward, placing a hand on her elbow and guiding her past us.

"Thank you for telling us, Alec. And thank you for coming for dinner, Magnus. We'll see you soon, I hope." Magnus smiles at my father and nods, loosening his grip on my hand now that the worst is over. My parents disappear into the lounge and I hear the door click shut, releasing me from the moment.

My heart pounds violently against my ribcage, but I let out a laugh that surprises both of us.

"How do you feel, my dear?" Magnus asks, stroking his thumb across my jaw. I press a kiss to the pad of it and grin.

"I feel amazing." Magnus smiles and pats my cheek before pulling his phone out and checking the time.

"It's getting late, I should be heading home." I frown and sigh, seeing it's well passed 9 o'clock.

"Alright, I'll drive you, lets go," I watch as he adjusts his blazer and I call up the stairs- though if my mother were in her right mind, she'd scold me terribly for that.

"Jace! I'm driving Mags home!" He calls something in response but I don't quite catch it, turning back to Magnus with a warm smile and guiding him to the garage again.

So much has changed since just a few hours ago when we first entered the house, unsure and unsteady, but now, we're solid as mountains, steadfast and prepared for anything together.

We slide into Jace's Jag and I turn the key, listening to the warm purr as the engine ignites.

Magnus runs his hand across the dash in awe.

"Will Jace he angry if we take this car? You said it's his favourite." Magnus worries. I shake my head and smile.

"It's his favourite- not his car. We all share these, so he can't very well be angry. Besides, I saw you admiring it." I reply as I back expertly out of the garage and head down the street.

"It's a beautiful car," he muses, playing with the radio while I focus on the road.

"I wouldn't know," I grin, earning a rewarding, musical chuckle in return as well as Magnus' hand on my knee. His touch alone sends my body into overdrive and I'm sure I'll never get used to the enigma that is Magnus Bane. All I know is I'm so damn lucky he's mine.