"Into the Future" Day

Maxwell Joseph Lightwood II

Max had a problem with wandering.

Both physically and mentally. Usually both at once and tonight was no exception.

His mom liked to tell him that it started when he first started crawling. He'd get lost in the Institute and be found hours later, asleep under a table or something.

Then again, she liked to tell stories. He liked to listen to them, especially the ones where she was saving the world alongside his uncles and Aunt Clary. She had a tendency to over-tell the stories about his dad though, so they were less interesting and overly romantic.

When Max came back to reality after an immeasurable amount of time trapped in his brain, he was on a subway to Brooklyn. Which was odd, considering he was a born-and-raised Manhattan kid.

He was escaping his life in Manhattan though. That much he had decided.

Fleeing to Brooklyn was like going to another world with thicker accents and more hipster chic.

That was basically Uncle Magnus, Max thought.

When he asked where Uncle Magnus was from, he got a 800 year history. It was incredibly boring and he lost track. He had an international accent, a blend of European bulkiness, American twang, and Asian speed. He probably spoke a thousand languages, including the demonic ones. That fascinated Max.

He wanted that for himself. He wanted the suaveness and sophistication of the great Magnus Bane.

But at the moment, he couldn't even handle being a teenager.

Max's secret life had driven into a brick wall tonight, and he'd survived with his body but not with his heart.

So at the moment, he only had one place to crash for the night.

Going home would mean facing his mother's questions about how his orchestra practice went and why he wasn't spending the night at Levi's and "why didn't you call ahead, young man?!"

She didn't know that orchestra was only one night a week, Wednesdays, not two. Fridays were Max's weekly lie to his parents. He went to whatever party he could get himself invited to, then spent the night at Levi's.

It wasn't his parents' fault. They weren't neglecting him. But it was hard to keep up with three kids as it was and a mundane orchestra wasn't their. . . priority.

But they didn't know a Shadowhunter who could play cello so they had to do some outsourcing.

His nights out in the city made him feel normal.

The Nephilim lifestyle wasn't bad. It just didn't manage to cover all of his interests.

He wanted to know the mundane world. He wanted to be able to say, "Yeah, I've tried it and I like being a Shadowhunter better." His father got that chance. Aunt Clary got that chance.

He wanted it for himself. He wanted their knowledge. He wanted normalcy.

Only, tonight wasn't normal.

Tonight had been chaotic from start to finish.

The subway came screeching to a stop and Max exited. He'd have some walking to do, but he'd make it to his uncles' townhouse before midnight.

Rain was coming down outside but there was an umbrella in Max's messenger bag. It unfolded itself, stretching over Max's head, as they ascended the subway stairs.

Levi was the source of all of his problems.

Levi was the face on his mind as he kicked an empty soda can along the sidewalk.

Levi was the one who had kissed him in the closet under the stairs of the violin's first chair's house.

Max didn't know her name (And why should he? She probably didn't know his) but she had a beautiful house that he spent most of the night exploring. None of the rooms were locked so none of the rooms were technically off-limits. Explorers had to embrace technicalities and push limits.

Before ten forty-eight pm, Levi had been his best friend, his constant competition for first chair, and the one who invited him to the parties.

Levi thought Max was home-schooled and that he had super cool parents because they had tattoos up and down their arms and snaking around their necks.

Max hated lying to Levi but such was the cost of mundane friendships. Before ten forty-eight pm, Max was considering telling Levi all about his world one day. Now the future was blurry again.

The tin can went skittering into the dirty gutter and Max looked up. He had almost passed the front door of the townhouse. He jogged up the steps, knocking on the door.

The sound of rain pattering against his umbrella steadied him as Uncle Alec opened the door.

Sleep and then surprise wore Alec's face.

"Max? It's nearly midnight-- what are you doing here?"

"First of all, you can't tell my parents," Max said. "If you do, I'll run away."

"Okay," Alec said, slowly.

"I need a place to stay."

"Where do they think you are?"

"A friend's house."

"Levi?"

"Don't--" Max sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "If it's too much trouble, I can go."

"No, come on in," Alec said, stepping aside. He opened the door wide, giving Max and his umbrella space.

Max held up the umbrella in question.

"You can put that away now," Alec said, uneasily. Max smiled, remembering the secret Alec had confessed to him in exchange for Max's admittance that he was afraid of the dark.

"Is the attic okay?" Alec asked, taking Max's wet coat from him.

Max nodded.

"I just need a bed," Max said. "Or a couch."

"Alexander--"

Magnus had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his husband's name still on his lips.

"Max!"

Max gave a little wave.

"What are you doing here?" Magnus asked. Max searched for an answer.

"Sleepover," Alec said.

"Popcorn?" Magnus asked.

"It's close to midnight," Alec said. "Isabelle'll kill me if she knew he was here. We don't need to encourage this."

"One time thing, I promise," Max swore.

"See? He promised," Magnus said, running into the kitchen.

Alec looked down at his nephew, a disapproving look on his face.

"Max, you can't just run away from home," Alec said.

"I came here to avoid being lectured," Max said. "You can tell Uncle Mags I'm fine. I'm just going to go to sleep."

Alec nodded, guiding Max up the stairs.

They climbed up to the third floor, which was a finished attic space Magnus had transformed int a guest room. Every time Max stayed it was different.

Alec gave Max a large t-shirt to sleep in and a spare toothbrush, sending him down to the bathroom.

Max changed into the t-shirt but stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection.

He didn't know what Levi saw in him. But it, whatever it was, changed everything.

Friendship was no longer an option. Part of Max was okay with that. Levi was his best friend, a better half, and somehow, completely understanding of everything Max told him and oblivious of the fact that Max had a double life. But the other half was so terribly confused.

The kiss had been an atomic bomb, devastating, yet coming out of nowhere.

There was a knock at the door.

How long had he been thinking?

"Max."

It was Alec.

"Um, yeah, I'm coming."

But Alec opened the door.

"What's wrong?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

Max diverted his eyes from his uncle.

"Since when are you shy?" Alec asked, stepping towards him.

"If I tell you, you can't tell Mom or Dad," Max said. "Not til I'm ready."

"Okay," Alec said.

"So I've kinda been sneaking out of the house--"

Alec didn't say anything. But anyone could read his disapproving body language.

"I know," Max said, hopping onto the counter. "It's not as bad as it sounds. I've been going with Levi, though, and I've been safe."

"You do realize that you are a Shadowhunter, right? There are demons and Angel knows what else that would just love to kill you. Max, you do realize that, right?"

"I know, and I've been carrying a seraph blade--"

"You're fifteen--"

"Uncle Alec, I didn't come here for a lecture!"

Alec took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. Go on."

"So we were at this party, Levi and I, and he was like, 'We have to talk.' So I followed him into this closet and he kinda sorta kissed me."

Alec didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"And--?"

"And what? I don't know! I'm so confused," Max cried.

Magnus suddenly appeared in between the two.

"Excuse me, but I was already listening to the conversation outside the door, so I figured I might as well join," Magnus said. "What your Uncle Alec is trying to ask you is how you felt about it."

Max contemplated the question for a minute.

"It was fine, I guess."

"Do you like Levi?" Magnus asked.

"He's my best friend," Max said.

"Do you think Levi is cute?"

Tiffany blue eyes flashed in the back of his mind, paired with light blond hair. The plaid flannel shirt he had been wearing over a black t-shirt, and how it loosely hung off his thin frame.

"Oh," Max realized.

Magnus looked pointedly at Alec who was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, his hands tucked between his knees.

"But I'm not like completely gay," Max said, quickly. "Because I still think girls are cute. And I kissed Anna--"

"And that's okay," Magnus said. "But before you do anything rash, you should really think about this, kid."

"I just ran out on Levi," Max sighed. "I feel horrible now."

"Call him in the morning," Magnus said. "Leaving tired voicemails never ends well."

The three stared at each other.

"Time for bed," Alec ordered.

"I made popcorn!" Magnus protested.

"Yeah, it'd be a shame to let good popcorn go to waste," Max chimed in. "Otherwise we just killed some corn for nothing."

Magnus pointed at Max nodding fervently.

"I'm being bullied," Alec protested, standing up.

"No you're being persuaded," Magnus said, taking Alec's hand and pulling him out of the bathroom.

Max sat on the counter for a second, deciding in that very moment that what he wanted now was to be happy.

To eat popcorn at midnight with the one person you loved. To help other people with their problems and maybe save a few lives and kill a couple demons.

And whether that was with Levi, or a stranger he'd yet to meet, he just wanted pure happiness.