Chapter 3
Max paced in his room, see-sawing between seeing his reflection and pretending not to care. Finally an alarm dinged on his phone. Time to make his way to Central Park to meet Lila for their date.
He took a deep breath, he refused to say he was giddy. He was 16 he did not get giddy. He made his way out of his room and down the stairs. Rafael looked up from the kids book he was reading to Jordan' —Maia and Bat's son. Rafael smiled as Max went and ruffled Jordan's hair.
Rafael winked as Max moved away,
"Enjoy the date!"
Max only stuck his tongue at him, not able to say what he wanted to say with them both having Jordan's wrapt attention.
He turned to leave, waving to Maia who waved back. Alec was at asleep and Magnus came from the kitchen. He leaned against the kitchen doorframe,
"When will we get to meet this lovely lady?"
Max rolled his eyes,
"Papa, I've known her for a few weeks, don't worry I won't wait an eternity like you and Dad did."
Magnus snorted,
"It was two years."
"Still an eternity."
The door opened and Lily barreled inside. She beamed at Max and they snapped their teeth in greeting.
"You're looking handsome, going somewhere?"
"He has a date."
Magnus positively gushed. Max rolled his eyes and quickly left the apartment, he didn't think torture from his family would be a good thing to happen before meeting Lila. He shoved his hands in his black pea coat. His hand fiddling with the Lila's gift. He could just create a portal to get there but he had time, besides he needed it, he wanted to think.
He had decided to take her to the same restaurant Papa had taken Dad on their first date, it was intimate but never too crowded. He wanted to ease her into the Mundane world anyway. He wished the Fae had technology so they could have talked more, but Kieran had assured him she was still enthralled with him.
Max snorted, only Fae used words like enthralled.
He had hoped that Kieran at least passed the message to her that it wasn't a fancy place, to not dress up too much, but to not dress to casually. He shook his head, he needed to stop overthinking.
He stepped out of the portal, Lila was waiting for him her face turned away from him to stare at the stars. Which was good because Max didn't he could breath. She was wearing a silver dress with silver sheer lace over a slightly darker shade of silver of chiffon. Around her waist was bejeweled silver belt. She clutched a soft blue clutch, wearing black wedges. In short she looked like the princess she was.
He walked toward her and asked as confident as he could,
"Missing your family?
She tilted her head, her eyes turning to him,
"Are you implying I am a fallen star?"
"Yes?"
She giggled,
"I am sorry but I must decline your advances. I am hear to meet someone."
Panic shot through for moment only for him to remember he was wearing a glamour. He mentally let it slip off him.
She turned fully and gasped.
"Max. Must you hide?"
He shrugged,
"The Mundanes are not as accepting as you are."
"There is nothing to accept, it is the way you are. Acceptance implies you did something wrong."
He beamed, his heart fluttering.
He offered his arm to her.
"Thank you. Shall we?"
She slipped her arm through his and they turned to walk a little in the shadows. Their reservation wasn't for another hour, they had decided to meet early to talk before then.
"You look beautiful Lila."
Lila smiled flicking her hair behind her shoulder. It looked like the sky in the moments before a dark storm.
"And you are looking surprisingly dapper in Mundane clothes."
He smirked,
"Did you have doubts of my appearance?"
She shook her head,
"Never. Kieran made it sound Mundane clothes were the worst thing to have existed."
Max snorted,
"Kieran is prone to exaggeration."
"He is."
"Tell me how are your brothers taking the fact I am courting you?"
She rose an eyebrow at his language but ultimately gave him a small smile.
"They do not mind. Mother wishes it was a Fae but when I told her who you were she was pleased."
"Glad to know I have some clout."
"Your parents did a lot for my kin and my people Max. The Fae don't forget debts."
"They weren't debts Lila, they were a sign of friendship, we do not want anything."
She stopped and turned to him,
"Friendship? You do not ask for anything? A friendship is only mutual if you get something."
Max would have laughed if he hadn't heard Kieran say the same exact thing to Magnus on his 10th birthday. Magnus had been slowly able to change Kieran's thinking over the years, though he was better some days than others....
"Lila, do you like me?"
She shot him a confused look, though she nodded.
"Why? Does liking me give you anything? And I mean you specifically not the Queen or your people."
Her eyes clouded in thoughtfulness for a second and finally she shook her head.
"No."
"So why did you come to me today?"
"I wanted to see you. I missed you."
Her words sent a thrill down his spine, but he forced himself to stay on task.
"But it is a selfless act, you do not come to me for my talent, for my connections. You came to me for my company it was a selfless act. Like what my parents did for you and your people. It was the right thing to do, it was a selfless act."
Lila stared at him for a few moments finally giving him a blinding smile.
"You are right. It seems I have something to tell my brothers besides the fact Warlocks are good kissers."
The comment through him, he swallowed.
"I am?"
She shrugged and winked,
"Well I intend to find out tonight."
She slipped away from him, alerting him to just how close their proximity had been a moment ago.
She looked over her shoulder at him,
"Do we not have a date to get to?"
He rolled his eyes shoulders and grabbed her hand. Two could play that game, he had grown up around Magnus Bane and Jace Herondale after all, flirting came as natural to him as magic, even if he had never done it... Yet.
"Lila?"
"Hmm?"
"I promised Rafael I'd tell him exactly how good faerie skin would taste,"
He leaned closer his lips an inch from her ear. The portal shimmering before them.
"I do not think one simple kiss would be able to capture such complex taste. Perhaps I will need to taste more than your lips to know."
She didn't look at him but he could see he had won this round as she shivered at the implication. Satisfied he pulled away and walked toward the portal. He turned and smirked back at her.
"Are you not coming? We mustn't let our reservation go to waste."
She hurried through the portal ignoring Max's quiet laughter.