Piano Days and Other Malec One-Shots

It Began with a Coffee Mug

A/N I was informed that I have been posting too much angst. And for that, I do not apologize.

His mug went missing on only the second day of school.

It was the only one he kept at the school because he had always been able to trust his coworkers to NOT touch his pi pie mug. But apparently, he had been betrayed. There was a Judas among them. Alec carefully watched the coffee pot for the day following his discovery. He was there before school, during his off-hours, during lunch, and after school, hoping someone would return it.

Mostly, he wanted to find the culprit.

But no one returned it.

He put a sign up, but it got torn down, most likely by the thief, he concluded.

It was an incredibly cool mug, covered in pies covered in pi. He was actually a history teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. It was a decent enough school and he made just enough money to afford the cost of living in the city. It didn't afford much else. He didn't live lavishly, and had no desire to.

He'd been a double history/math major so he did have a sense of appreciation for the mug. A love for it even.

It was far too petty to bring to the attention of the principals who were busy with more important matters like delinquent students and budget cuts. So the robbery fell to the back burner until he was pouring his own cup of coffee a week later into a mug with banned books printed across it.

A hand reached into his point of view, taking the pitcher of coffee and pouring it into the lost pi pie mug.

Alec looked up with disbelief.

A particularly weary looking teacher stared back at him with impassive eyes.

"Um. . ." Alec wasn't quite sure how to put it. "That's mine."

"This?" He raised the coffee pot in his hand.

"Not that-- the mug," Alec said. The thief raised his other hand.

"This is yours?" he asked.

"Yes," Alec said, as if it were obvious.

"Oh. I-- I thought these were just everyone's; like you took one and just brought it back."

"It's been a week," Alec said.

"You've been counting?"

"Well, yeah," Alec said.

The man set the coffee on the counter, sliding it towards Alec.

"All yours," he said.

"No," Alec said. "Just take it for today." The stranger probably hadn't washed his poor mug. . .

The man shrugged, taking it back.

"For a history teacher, you aren't very eloquent," he said.

"I'm sorry-- who are you?" Alec asked.

"Magnus Bane. I'm a fellow World History teacher," he said. "I don't think I've had the pleasure, Mr. Lightwood."

"But you've heard of me?" Alec asked.

Mr. Bane nodded, taking a sip of the cheap coffee, black. He winced slightly. "Oh, yes."

.......

Magnus sat on the edge of Raphael Santiago's desk.

"What do you know about one Mr. Lightwood?" he asked the sophomore.

"Lightwood?" Raphael asked, finally looking up from his phone. He was playing a racing game in his lap. Magnus could usually care less but he needed answers today. "He's fair apparently. Really smart. The girls like him because he's hot."