Alec Lightwood strode purposefully along the abandoned streets of Idris, his black Shadowhunter gear blending him effectively into the shadows. Runes faded in and out of sight on his exposed neck and hands, shimmering ever so slightly. Shifting his eyes to the right, he could see a glance of gold in the dark, shining off Jace's hair as he dashed through the bushes.
"You should've worn a hat, Jace," muttered Alec. "Your hair is like a beacon, I shouldn't be surprised if The Clave come rushing out and capture us any second now."
Jace chuckled lowly.
"And you walking out there in the open is so inconspicuous!"
"I have an invisibility rune! You however, don't, so stay in the bushes."
"Can't you come and put one on me?"
Alec sighed, and walking over to a clump of bushes, he stabbed his hand through the leaves.
"By the Angel, steady on there!" protested Jace as Alec pulled his arm roughly out of the bushes and shoved the sleeve up. His mouth a thin line, he pulled out his stele and began to trace a rune onto Jace's upper arm. When he was done, the rune shimmered and shone just like his own. After fixing Jace's sleeve a lot more gently than he had pushed it up, he gave him a long look. Jace seemed to realise that he was being stared at and pulled his arm away, a sad smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"Come on, we can't keep the girls waiting," said Jace, ducking out of the bushes. And quickening their pace, the two boys sped towards the edge of the city.
Isabelle flicked her whip around her ankles restlessly, waiting for Alec and Jace to arrive.
"Stop it Izzy, you're going to trip yourself over if you keep doing that. I'm sure that they'll be here soon..." said Clary, dangling her legs off the side of the tree branch she was seated on.
They were right at the edge of the city, at a place near the gates where trees and grass grew wild for at least a mile, and creatures stirred in the undergrowth. Sure enough, as soon as she said this, Alec and Jace ran around a corner and came to a stop in front of Isabelle.
"Thank goodness you're both alright!" she whispered, pulling them in for a hug. Clary jumped out of her tree, landing expertly even in her high-heeled boots. Isabelle had given them to her; they apparently weren't good enough for a female Lightwood as the heels on them were only four inches tall. After he had been released from Isabelle's crushing grip, Jace turned towards Clary with a broad grin plastered over his face.
"Hello there," he said, embracing her warmly. Alec narrowed his eyes as Clary blushed furiously, her face almost matching her hair. Clearing his throat, he spoke pointedly to her.
"Well, time to do what you do best, Clary."
Laughing uneasily and shooting a nervous look at Alec's stony expression, Clary disentangled herself from Jace and took out her stele. Alec smirked inwardly. She was intimidated by him; perfect.
Walking over to the wall of a nearby brick house, Clary closed her eyes and let the usual blankness flood her mind. Her hand flew over the weathered bricks, a thick black line from the tip of the stele creating a large rune. The stele twisted and turned, as if of its own accord, covering the wall in ink. Adding one last sweeping line, she opened her eyes and stepped back. The rune glowed for a second, before turning into a portal. Grinning with satisfaction, she turned and motioned for the others to follow her. One step forward, her mind fixed on The Institute, and she was whirling through the darkness as light as a feather.
Stumbling out of the portal, Alec collapsed on the polished timber floor at The Institute. Raising his head, he could see Clary standing in front of him, brushing her clothes off. The air crackled quietly, and Jace materialised from the air, landing on top of Alec with a clatter.
"Uh..." staring upwards with wide blue eyes, Alec met Jace's light-filled golden ones, his mind reeling with wonder. Jace blinked, looking away as he rolled to the floor and stood up in one fluent motion. Looking at his watch, he raised his eyebrows. It was two in the morning, and the rectangle of sky that could be seen through the window was at its darkest.
"I'm going to bed," he announced matter-of-factly, and strolled off to his room. Shrugging, Alec got to his feet to follow suit, but didn't get far as Isabelle materialised just then, landing directly on top of him.
"Izzy!"
"Well sorry, it's not as if I could see where I was going to land. Jeez, brother..."
Alec woke to the sound of everyone else tromping around the next morning, sunlight streaming through the open window and burning his eyes. Groaning in annoyance, he dragged his hand over one of the knives lying on the bedside table and hurled it blindly. Hitting the curtain-tie, it slashed the flimsy material in half before sinking into the wall, and the curtain fell across the window. Ah. That was better. Lying in the semi-darkness, Alec moved his sleep-heavy eyes to the clock on the wall. Ten thirty... ten thirty? Shit! Throwing the covers off, he tumbled out of bed and raced into the bathroom. He hastily took a shower, the cold water bracing enough to wake him properly. Throwing on a pair of black jeans and a white dress shirt, he cursed to himself. It was sure to be chilly outside; that cold shower sure won't have helped. Pulling on a very suave crimson trench-coat that Magnus had given him, he grabbed his stele and rushed out into the corridor and down the stairs.
"Morning, sleepyhead!" said Isabelle cheerfully, as she bustled about the kitchen making everyone breakfast. Alec barely acknowledged her as he wrenched his boots on and slipped his hand into the fat jar of money that sat on the counter, pulling out a couple of crisp ten dollar notes.
"And where exactly do you think you're going, Alexander Lightwood?" said Isabelle thunderously. She looked a sight, to be sure; adorned in an attractive green dress with a frilly apron over the top and her masses of black hair piled up in a bun on top of her head, she might have looked nice. But Alec was practically falling over from the deathglare she was aiming at him.
"Er, I said that I would meet Magnus for breakfast. I was supposed to be there at ten, and now it's almost eleven!" he said earnestly.
"BREAKFAST! You're going out for breakfast with your warlock boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend! And what's wrong with me having breakfast with him?"
"You're just using him as an excuse to get out of tasting my cooking, that's what!"
Alec sprinted to the elevator, ducking to avoid a china plate that smashed on the wall over his head. Once he'd made it safely all the way out into the street, he shook his head. If that's how she says good morning to everyone, no-one will want to hang around for food...
Rapping smartly on Magnus's front door, Alec panted slightly, catching his breath. He'd had to run all the way across town to get there; none of the taxis would stop for him. Running his hands through his hair, he caught sight of his reflection in a cracked window. Tousled and messy. Just how Magnus likes me, he thought dully. He really wasn't too happy to be here, but he had made a promise. The door was suddenly flung open, and a delighted Magnus stood in the doorway.
"Alec, my darling! Come in, come in."
And he ushered the black-haired Nephilim into the dark interior of his home. Alec huffed. Magnus seemed to be excusing the fact that he was almost an hour late because... well, he was him. As usual everything was faintly glittery, including Magnus, who was really far glitterier than anything in the room. Alec looked him up and down, appraising his attire. The High Warlock of Brooklyn was wearing various rings and even more ear-piercings, an oversized purple vest that hung open to expose his toned chest, and a pair of stripy...
"Are those harem pants?" asked Alec nervously.
"Yes, cool aren't they?" said Magnus, grinning cheesily. He ruffled up his spiked, colourful hair, causing a mist of glitter to fall around him like a shining cloud. Alec watched, entranced, as bits of glitter floating towards him, while most of them settled on Magnus's face and shoulders. Their eyes bore into one another's, one pair big and blue and full of a clear winter sky, the other catlike and exotic, slanting around bottle green irises. These green eyes were suddenly closer than before, and Magnus reached a hand out to stroke Alec's hair lovingly off his face.
"You know, we could skip breakfast if you like," he murmured, curling his free arm around Alec's waist. When he was met with a blank stare, he moved bitterly away.
"It's Jace, isn't it?"
Alec was silent, still staring blankly at the wall behind Magnus.
"Yes, of course it bloody is. It's always Jace, and I suppose it always will be. Don't mind me, I'm only hanging around for the laughs!" shouted Magnus, throwing his hands up in the air angrily.
Alec looked at him sharply.
"Don't say that."
"Well that's how it seems to be, Alec. And I don't suppose you've ever really thought about what you're doing."
"I can't help it."
"What? You can't help leading me on, and then swooning for that prat in front of me? Oh, that's so nice of you."
Alec didn't want to hear it. His expression neutral, he opened the door and ran out into the street; he didn't care where he was going, but wherever it was would be a lot better than the house of Magnus Bane. Sprinting away from the busy clamour of the everyday traffic, he veered off into a side alley. Crap, it was a dead end. That was never a safe place to be, but he sank down heedlessly against the brick wall. Chest heaving, he put his head in his hands and let the guilt creep over him.
He really couldn't help feeling the way he did; it was like being torn between two different flavours of ice-cream; after getting the tiniest bit of one he felt as though that was all he wanted for the rest of his life, but then after tasting the other he'd forget the first one completely. He knew he was hurting people in the process, but it was impossible to choose! A low growl alerted him to the fact that he was not alone in the alleyway. A vampire crouched at the only escape, the sunlight glistening off its sharpened incisors. Wait, what? It couldn't be a vampire, unless... Standing up and making his way cautiously towards the creature, Alec tried to peer at its face.
"Hello, misery-guts. Clary's looking for you, you know."
Relief flooded the Shadowhunter's mind; it was only Simon.
"Oh yeah, and what does she want?"
Simon shrugged. "She says it's something about her and Jace. Alec noticed how Simon's eyes glinted angrily when he said this, and smiled grimly.
"You too, huh? Makes you wish they really were brother and sister... Ok, I'm gonna go see what she wants. See you later."
Isabelle sat sourly at the kitchen table, stabbing a fork into one of her blueberry pancakes. Everyone had sat down to try her cooking, and left after only a couple of bites. Goes to show how supportive ya family is... she thought. Alec stormed through the door then, throwing his coat over a nearby chair. Without a word, he grabbed a stack of pancakes and began tearing into them ravenously. Isabelle beamed at him.
"Come home for breakfast after all, have you?" she said, gliding over to stand behind him.
Alec smiled for the first time that day, letting himself be cuddled, coddled and generally fussed over affectionately by his sister.
"I have to go see Clary," he said, swallowing his last mouthful and marching off.
"You called for me with your er, vampire-phone?" said Alec casually, leaning in the doorway to Clary's room. She looked up, startled, and moved away from the blonde who lounged indifferently on the bed. Alec's gaze hardened.
"Aren't you supposed to be spending the day with Max, Jace?" he asked frostily.
"No, Maryse took him to the markets."
"So I suppose-"
"I'm in love with Clary, and I intend to stay that way."
Clary blushed, and wouldn't meet Alec's eyes. Alec just gaped at the pair of them. He couldn't believe that Jace would be so inconsiderate of his feelings.
"Yes, I know just how you feel about me," said Jace, reading his mind. He got up suddenly and stood right in front of Alec.
"I know just how you feel, and it's got to stop. All of this..." he gestured vaguely, "is hurting a lot of people. One in particular, and I think you know who I'm talking about. That's why I have to tell you that if you don't straighten your life up, you'll be dead to me. If I ever saw you again after this, I'd kill you."
"What?"
"I don't wanna hear your excuses, Alec. Just get away from here, and don't come back. I'd feel a lot better if you did," said Jace shrewdly, yawning and pulling Clary towards him.
Get away... I have to get away... and Alec ran all the way back to the alley, screaming inside. As the door creaked closed behind him, Clary turned to Jace, frowning.
"That was harsh," she whispered.
"I know," replied Jace. "But it had to be said."
Alec was reeling. How could I have been so stupid? Stupid, blind, and foolish. This is just how Magnus must feel every time I look at Jace like I do. Like I used to. Maybe I should go so far away that I can never come back? Maybe death is the answer. Would everything stop if I died? Would this feeling go away? Probably not. I'd just be damned and have to put up with it until the universe fades away... a multitude of confusing thoughts spiralling through his head, Alec curled up against the cold brick wall and fell into a dark and disturbed sleep.
It was dark when he awoke, gasping in surprise when he found himself out of bed. He managed a chuckle. At least he'd been able to forget the day's incidences for a few seconds. But for the second time that day, he found that he had company. This time it was not sunlight, but moonlight that glinted off the razor-sharp teeth of the vampire standing over him. Studying the creature's face, he smiled, for she was beautiful. Not only that, but this girl could've been his ticket to an eternity of resting in peace. Brushing back a wild mane of tawny hair, she crooned at him.
"Poor, poor little Nephilim. You must be feeling pretty low, to have reduced yourself to this. How about I end your torment, huh? Put you to sleep..." and she leaned in, brushing her lips against his throat. A second later, her teeth clamped down and Alec exhaled. The pain of... what was this? Was it death? The pain of it pulsed through his mind, every single nerve exploding in light and colour, shards turning white as they faded. In any case, it was bad. But all the same... so good...
Heaven was a very comfortable place, to be sure. Alec's lips curved up in a triumphant smile as he stretched, running his hands across his velvety, soft surroundings. It was warm, and pitch black. Feeling around, he discovered that he seemed to be wearing nothing but underpants and a thin cotton singlet. That only made things better, he thought, and rolling to his left he promptly... fell out of heaven? It seemed that it wasn't heaven at all, it was a bed. Flinging back the numerous layers of sheets and doonas that he'd been covered in, Alec gasped in a breath of cold air. Disappointment made him furrow his brow, and curiosity forced him to wonder where he was, if not dead. Someone suddenly leaped on him, a pair of lips was pressed against his own and his shoulders were gripped roughly by a pair of hands. They broke apart after a few seconds of tension, and Alec squinted at the person on top of him, trying to see their face in the dark.
"I couldn't let you die," said a familiar voice. Magnus pressed his face into the side of Alec's neck, which was now undamaged. His long fingers swept possessively over Alec's chest, tracing random patterns into the smooth skin there. Alec was suddenly over come by a wave of affection for this warlock, who had stuck by him all the way, even though he'd been way beyond inconsiderate to him.
"Goddamnit, I can't see," he muttered, grasping around in the dark for a light switch. The telltale snap of Magnus's fingers broke through the cold air, and a small blue flame flickered into existence between his outstretched fingers. Alec sat up abruptly, pushing Magnus off him and getting back on the bed.
"Oh, ignoring me again are we?" said Magnus sarcastically.
"No, silly!" Alec pulled Magnus up onto the bed with him, rolling him onto his back and lying down on top. He slowly pushed his fingers into Magnus's flame-wielding hand, which was being held aloft, and the bluish light died.
"In fact from now on, I intend to do the very opposite," he whispered, placing a small kiss onto Magnus's warm, moist lips. In the peaceful blackness, they both smiled as night faded into a pre-dawn lull.