I've been super obsessed with the idea of Clary and Alec BROTP/slash lately, so here's one of my ideas for a short story about it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Shadowhunters, the Mortal Instruments, or any of the characters!
Alec didn't know why Jace had sent him with Clary when they'd split up. It wasn't that Clary was a bad shadowhunter. Quite the opposite in fact. After everything that had happened, and Jace's training, the girl had picked it up quick. Alec glanced over at her, her seraph blade illuminating her face in the dim warehouse. Her lips were turned down in a frown, eyebrows drawn together, and the blade looked comfortable in her hand. She looked like a true shadowhunter.
"Alec." She hissed, throwing her right arm out and halting his forward movement. "Look." She pointed ahead of them, through one of the empty metal racks. Alec followed her finger, seeing the demon at the end of it, it's face buried in the stomach of the latest victim. Alec grimaced and knocked an arrow, lifting his bow lightly. "Follow my lead. Don't rush in." He whispered, glancing over at Clary. She used to have a habit of doing that, not following their instructions, and instead just throwing herself into a fight. Instead, she nodded her head, looking over at him, waiting for his signal.
Alec took a deep breath, pulling his tense string back and letting an arrow loose. The runed projectile embedded itself into their target's back, causing it to let out a pained roar and turn around.
"Now!" Alec shouted, watching as Clary lunged forward, dagger glowing brightly. The blade plunged into the demon's heart, but the thing grabbed a hold of Clary's hair and tossed her easily to the side, her dagger still sticking out of it's chest.
"Clary!" Alec heard Jace shout. The sound of his parabatai's voice made Alec turn, distracting him from the demon making its way towards him. Jace came around a shelf to his right, and Alec noted as his eyes widened, and he started to lunge towards Alec. "Alec!" He shouted, the fear in his voice betraying him. Alec turned his head quickly, and time seemed to slow down. One of the demon's barbed spitters was whistling through the air past him.
"NO!" He heard Clary's shout, and suddenly there was a mess of fiery red hair in front of him. Green eyes met his own blue ones, wide and scared, before the spitter pierced her stomach. Alec had never in his life heard the noise that came out of Clary's mouth as she landed in front of him, head cracking loudly on the pavement. There was a cough, a gurgle, and he watched as blood bubbled from her mouth. Two swift arrows sailed through the air, one taking place in its face and the other right beside Clary's dagger, still in the creature's heart. It roared before falling to the ground and disintegrating in front of them.
"Clary! Hey, Clary look at me." Jace's frantic hands grasped Clary's face, her green eyes wide and searching. Usually it was Jace she was looking for, but this time, they found Alec's face instead.
"Are y-you," there was another cough and a loud gasp, "hurt?" She demanded. Jace looked up at Alec before turning his attention back to Clary.
"Clary, it's going to be okay. Alec isn't hurt." The quivering in his voice betrayed his steady hands. He was scared. Alec dropped to his knees, pressing his hands around the barb in her stomach. She screamed and jolted to a seated position, one hand grasping Jace's shoulder and the other coming to Alec's arm.
"I'm sorry. I have to stop this bleeding." Alec's heart cracked. I never wanted this. "We need to get her back to the institute." Alec spoke to Jace as Clary fell back to the pavement. "She's bleeding from the head too. We need to go now." Alec eyed the blood pooling under her head, wincing as the girl gasped again, more blood pouring from her mouth. Alec looked up at Jace, but the golden eyed man seemed lost, wide eyes staring at Clary's face. "JACE." Alec snapped, pulling the man from whatever trance he was in.
"Alec is right, she's going to die if we stay here much longer." Isabelle stated from where she was standing behind Alec, noting the way Clary's face paled by the second and that Alec's arms were covered in dark blood up to his elbows.
"Okay." Jace whispered, brushing sweaty hair out of Clary's eyes with shaking fingers. "We have to pick you up now, Clary." He warned her. The girl didn't seem to hear him, eyes staring up into nothing as she hyperventilated and sobbed. Alec and Jace looked at each other as Jace slid his hands under her back and lifted her into his arms. That seemed to jar her back, a scream tearing deep from her chest. She grasped Alec's arm, slick with blood, and sobbed.
"Why, Clary? Why did you jump in front of me?" Alec murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.
"I n-need y-," there was another gurgle.
"Clary stop, don't talk." Jace soothed her as they moved, doing his best not to jostle her too much.
"I need you to be th-there for Jace and I-I-Izzy when I can't." She gasped, wide eyes boring into his. "You're t-too impor-ortant to lose." She gasped again, grip falling slack from the two shadowhunters above her as her eyes rolled back and her head lolled listlessly into Jace's shoulder.
"Clary!" Jace shouted, voice gruff and scared. Alec was surprised to feel tears in the corners of his eyes.
"We need to call Simon, so he can drive us. We'll never make it in time if we walk." Izzy stated, looking down at the girl. "She's still breathing, for now." The girl pulled her phone out, quickly scrolling to Simon's contact and calling him. The vampire picked up on the second ring.
"Izzy?" He asked, voice crackling through the phone.
"Simon, we need you to come pick us up." She stated hurriedly. "It's Clary. She'll never make it if we walk." Simon didn't need any more explanation.
"I'm on my way."
"The venom is out, but she's lost a lot of blood. Only time will tell if she can make it." Hodge's diagnosis wasn't exactly what Alec and Jace wanted to hear. The two glanced at each other before looking down at the girl on the infirmary bed in front of them. She looked like she was just sleeping, soft breaths puffing out of her mouth quickly. Alec knew better. She was fighting for her life under the guise of unconsciousness.
Without a word, the man turned and strode from the infirmary, the door slamming shut behind him. Guilt clouded his mind as he strode towards the kitchen. That should have been him on that bed. He knew he was stronger than her, had more experience with demon venom. Even the most experienced shadowhunters struggled with taking a spitter, and she'd jumped in front of him with no regard for herself.
"Alec." His sister's voice broke him out of his thoughts and the Nephilim realized he was standing in the kitchen, staring at the floor. "What's the news?" She asked, gesturing to the seat across from her at the long table. The man slumped to the seat, leaning back with a deep sigh.
"Hodge managed to get the venom out, but said she's lost a lot of blood. He doesn't know if she's going to wake up." Alec replied, glancing up with a small nod of thanks as the chef placed a plate of chicken and mashed potatoes in front of him. The sight of food made his stomach turn, and he pushed the plate away with hands still dyed pink from the blood he'd tried so hard to scrub from his skin. Clary's blood. "She said I was too important to lose." He stated, not sure whether he was talking to his sister or to himself.
"I heard." Izzy nodded, taking a bit of her own mashed potatoes and waiting for Alec to continue.
"She's stupid." Alec stated. Izzy wanted to answer, but Alec kept talking. "She's important, too." He shook his head.
"Yes, I'm sure Jace thinks so." Izzy replied. Alec looked up sharply, eyes narrowed.
"I think so. And I know you do too." Izzy couldn't deny that. "She threw herself in front of me with reckless abandon." He looked like he wanted to say something more, but shook his head instead and took a small bite of mashed potatoes. Just as Isabelle was about to speak, the door opened and Jace stepped in. He glanced at Izzy, who just nodded.
"I'll be in my room if you need me, Alec." She spoke to her big brother before exiting the kitchen.
"Alec," before Jace could speak, his parabatai interrupted him.
"Why aren't you with Clary?" Alec demanded. "Did you just leave her alone?" The fire in his voice startled Jace.
"She's fine. There's nothing I can do for her right now." Jace replied, sitting down where Izzy had just been. "I can do something for you, though. What's going on?" Jace asked. "I've never seen you like this."
"I just don't understand." Alec replied. "After all that I've done to her, everything I've said to her. She just jumped in front of me. That should be me in there." Alec looked down at the food in front of him. "And the worst part is that I don't know if I would do the same for her." He murmured.
"Yes, you would." Jace replied quickly.
"How do you know?" Alec demanded, looking up at the golden eyed boy.
"Because you're my parabatai. And Clary means a lot to me. You wouldn't let me down like that. Just the same way that I would jump in front of Magnus to save him if I had to." Jace stared at Alec meaningfully. Alec still wasn't sure. "Speaking of. Magnus called me. I told him what happened. He wants you to stay the night with him." Alec looked up. Jace smiled and nodded softly. "If anyone asks, I'll make something up."
Being with Magnus always made Alec feel better. As he sat on the couch, curled up against the Warlock he called his own, he couldn't help but feel slightly at peace. His boyfriend didn't make him talk about it, didn't ask. He had merely offered Alec a light blue cocktail and a seat on the couch, putting some old black and white movie on the large TV in the living room.
It was around 2am when Alec's phone startled him awake. He and Magnus had fallen asleep on the couch to the movie, a rest that Alec needed more than he'd known. He jolted awake, seeing Jace's name on his phone.
"Hello?" He answered groggily, sitting up from where he was leaning on Magnus. The warlock stared at him, narrow eyes slitted in concern.
"You know I wouldn't wake you up if I didn't have to." Jace's voice sounded panicked, something that Alec had only heard a few times before.
"Jace what's going on?" Alec asked.
"Clary is awake." Jace stated, but he didn't sound happy about it. "I can't get through to her. Hodge says that the venom caused hallucinations. She won't stop asking for you." Jace's voice quivered. "Please, Alec. She needs you." Alec's heart pounded.
"Magnus and I will be there soon." As if those were the secret words, they were suddenly standing right next to Jace. Alec looked over at Magnus sharply, who just shrugged, the crackling magic fading from his fingertips.
"ALEC!" The boy dropped to his knees besides Clary's bed. The girl's eyes were open, but staring through everything. She writhed on the bed, and Alec faintly noticed that she'd been tied down. He eyed the cuffs around her ankles and wrists before looking sharply to Jace.
"We had to." The man explained softly.
"STOP!" She shrieked, fighting against the restraints, throwing her head side to side on her pillow. Alec's heart stuttered and he reached forward, clutching at Clary's fingers.
"I'm here, Clary." He whispered, crawling slightly towards her bed. Her fingers squeezed around his, her other arm fighting towards him. "Jace, take those off." He commanded sharply, glaring at the restraints. His parabatai nodded and hurriedly removed the restraints. The girl curled towards Alec, hands clutching at him, and threw her face into his shoulder. "I'm here. It's okay." He pulled her closer. Her screams softened to whimpers, her body quivering. Alec put his hand on the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair softly. Just like he used to when Izzy had nightmares about demons, which had happened for the first several years she'd trained.
"Alec." She whimpered, struggling to get closer.
"I'm here." He slowly moved, crawling onto the bed with her. He could see Jace standing beside the bed, lips turned into a frown. They'd have to talk later.
Clary pressed herself into his side, hands twisting into his black shirt. Alec wrapped himself around her, arms pressing her small frame into him.
"I'm here now. It's okay." He whispered softly into her hair, tucking her head under his chin. The girl's whimpers quieted before her breathing deepened and her grip slackened. "She's asleep." He glanced up at Jace.
"Do you mind staying?" Jace's lips were turned into a frown, and Alec could see the pain in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Jace." Alec whispered, frowning. The blond only smiled, reaching out and squeezing Alec's shoulder before leaving the room. Magnus took a seat on the arm chair next to the bed, fingers steepled on his lap, and stared at Alec. "What?" Alec asked softly, frowning. "You look mad."
"I'm not mad." Magnus replied. "Just thinking."
"What about?" Alec inquired.
"Jace is hurt because she's asking for you, and not him. I wonder why." Magnus stared at the young girl in Alec's arms. "Clary was an only child, right?" He asked his black-haired boyfriend. Alec nodded.
"She's known the vampire since they were young, though." He stated. Magnus shook his head.
"Her relationship with you is different." Magnus stated.
"What relationship? She thinks I hate her." Alec muttered. Magnus shook his head.
"No. I've seen her watch you with Isabelle. She associates you with an older brother. You just don't see her the same way, so she doesn't say or do anything about it." Magnus said. Alec looked down at the girl in his arms, his heart cracking. He'd done nothing but berate her since she'd gotten there, but she was still calling out for him, still seeing him in an older brother role.
"I don't know what to say." Alec whispered, running his fingers softly through her bright red locks.
"Don't say anything then." Magnus shrugged, leaning back in the chair. "Just show her that you're sorry." He glanced at the girl, an affectionate look on his face. "I've known her since she was very young. It feels like just yesterday that he mother was bring her to me as a baby. Such a beautiful young girl, so curious and full of wonder." Magnus smiled softly.
"Not much has changed, she just has more of an attitude now." Alec joked, smiling at his boyfriend.
"She's headstrong, like her mother. She thinks she knows what's right and best for everyone. The Fairchild women have a good intuition. They usually do what's best, even if it's a hard choice for them." Magnus said, looking at Alec softly. "Like sacrificing themselves for the ones they love." Alec winced, shaking his head.
"I don't like that word. Sacrifice." He replied. Magnus heard the underlying meaning. It means she's already gone, and I can't handle that.
"I'm sorry, Alexander. You know she will get better. She's a fighter." Magnus comforted, reaching out and touching Alec's fingers, still tangled in Clary's hair.
"I hope so. I'm not sure what would happen if she didn't."
When Jace entered the room that morning, he was startled to see Clary's bright green eyes, awake and alert, hands moving deftly along her sketchbook.
"Clary!" He exclaimed, rushing to her bedside. "Thank god you're awake." He threw his arms around the girl, pressing his face into her shoulder. She squeezed him back tightly, burying her head into his neck. "I was so worried about you." He whimpered.
"I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry. I love you." She whispered. Jace's heart fluttered.
"I love you too." He whispered back. "Where did Alec go?" He suddenly questioned, pulling away from her. She looked confused, cocking her head.
"What do you mean? I was alone when I woke up." Clary asked. Jace frowned softly, making a mental note to ask Alec about that later.
"I didn't think…" Jace trailed off, swallowing loudly. "I didn't know if you would wake up." He muttered. Clary smiled softly, grasping his arm.
"You think I'd leave you that easily?" She asked. Jace chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"There's no way to get rid of you that easily even if I wanted to." Jace agreed. There was a soft knock at the door and Alec entered carrying two glasses of tea. Magnus followed with two more.
"We heard you talking, figured we'd barge in and see how you were feeling." Magnus sighed, handing one of the teas to Clary as Alec gave Jace one. Clary smiled thankfully and sipped the warm liquid.
"How are you feeling?" Alec asked, staring meaningfully at Clary. She nodded her head with a smile.
"Much better." She replied. Alec nodded, glad that she seemed to be regaining some of her spark and passion. "Jace said something about you being here…did you stay with me last night?" She asked, glancing between Magnus and Alec. "Or was that just another hallucination?" She wondered.
"Oh biscuit, it was real. Alec here was so worried about you, I just couldn't make him leave." Magnus replied, smiling at Clary.
"You were calling out for him. No matter what I tried, I couldn't…" Jace shook his head, frowning. "I couldn't help you, but Alec could. And did." Clary felt her heart ache for Jace.
"Jace, I'm sorry…" She trailed off as he shook his head, turning away from her.
"Calm your pretty little face." Magnus rolled his eyes at Jace. "I saw your dreams, biscuit. It's not what any of you think. Clary associates Alec with an older brother. It's impossible to repress feelings when you've got demon venom pulsing through you." He shrugged. Clary frowned softly, looking down. That didn't seem to make Jace feel any better. "Fear not, my Nephilim friends." Magnus turned to Jace. "She knows you'll always be there for her. That's why she doesn't call out for you. She doesn't need to. Alec, on the other hand, is another story completely." He explained. Alec frowned.
In that moment, he promised to himself that Clary would never have to call out for him again.