Notes: Written by a prompt on tumblr. It turned out short and sweet because that felt like exactly the kind of thing the prompt asked for. I hope you enjoy it and feedback is always welcome!
"Ravenscar told me he broke his stele last week," Alec was saying, voice slightly muffled as he tried to shift under him, "and we need three new ones for the armoury just in case."
"Got it," Jace nodded. 4 st. – A. Ravenscar; general use, he typed in while settling into Alec's arms more comfortably. This wasn't the best position to be taking notes in – sprawled on top of his parabatai and with his phone propped up against the headboard of the bed – but he wasn't willing to move to rectify that. "Anything else?"
"Two Seraph blades and an ear dagger."
Jace narrowed his eyes. "Is that going to go to Izzy?"
"Not necessarily," Alec shrugged, but he sounded far too nonchalant for Jace to actually believe him. "Anyone can have it if they somehow manage to get there first."
"Do we even need so many daggers?" Jace wondered aloud, but dutifully wrote the request down. "This Institute could probably use another axe or two."
He pulled back to make sure that Alec would take the hint but much to his chagrin, he didn't look at all affected by his meaningful glances. If anything, he was amused; eyes shining with a barely suppressed smile.
"Let me guess," he drawled. "Those would also be distributed on a first come, first serve basis?"
"It would only be fair," Jace said and leant down to steal quick kiss; chaste but expressive enough to get the point across. "Need I remind you that as the Head of this Institute, it wouldn't be all that unethical to prioritise your parabatai every once in a while?"
"Need I remind you that we have a budget to follow?" Despite the admonishment, Alec's hands strayed up Jace's hips to rest on his waist. His touch was warm against Jace's skin; a comfortable weight on his back that made it that much harder to actually be disappointed. Jace strongly suspected that no matter what news his parabatai brought him, he would manage to take it in stride if he happened to be looking at him the way he was now, his hazel eyes full of the warmth he seemed to save only for him. "We're putting enough pressure on the Iron Sisters as it is. Maybe next time."
"Okay." Unable to stop himself, Jace pulled him up for another kiss, this time much more thorough. It was ridiculous to have such a reaction to Alec talking about budget cuts of all things, especially since they did this on a monthly basis, but it had never happened under those exact circumstances. Alec was always adamant about keeping Institute business out of the bedroom in every sense of the word imaginable, but he'd remembered the commission they still needed to send to the Citadel just as they'd both been on the verge of falling asleep, so here it would have to be.
Alec responded easily, his hold around him tightening, and Jace practically purred under his touch. It was only in moments like this one, in the comfort of Alec's room and touch, that he felt at ease and he relished in it, even if it didn't last long – Alec pulled away as soon as Jace tossed his phone away in order to brace himself on his elbows for easier access and frowned up at him with an expression that was as disapproving as it was fond.
"Jace," he said, voice significantly hoarser than it had been just a minute ago. "We need to be serious about this."
"I am being serious about it," Jace said, affronted, as he waved his notes in his parabatai's face. "I just thought we didn't need anything else."
"We don't, I think." Alec's eyes ran quickly over the list and seemed to find it satisfying enough, because he nodded quickly. "It's good to go."
"If you say so." Jace did as he was asked and carefully climbed off of him so that he could crawl back under the covers before he'd even had the decency to ask, "I can still stay the night, right?"
"As long as you don't hog the blankets," Alec said, but one of his arms had already snuck behind Jace's back to keep him close in the chilly air of his bedroom. You don't even need to ask.