Isabelle, Jace, Clary, and Maia were sitting around the table, playing Uno and wishing that there was something better to do.
"So, Clary, have you and Jace made it to night five yet?" Isabelle joked, referring to the fact that they had been sharing a bed for nearly a week now.
"We haven't been doing anything," Jace retorting indignantly, fixing her with a reprimanding stare.
"Simon and I have made it to night seven already," Alec put in, having entered the room silently.
"What?" Maia blinked in confusion.
"It's been pretty hard. I mean, I thought it was over at five, and even then, I got shit pay. I still kind of suck at it. Simon's really good, though. He says that I have potential. It's terrifying, though." Alec shrugged.
"Are you kidding me? You're seriously doing this with Simon, who pays you to? What about Magnus?" Jace's eyes were bugging out now. Alec just looked puzzled at the expressions on everyone's faces.
"Oh, yeah, Magnus has tried it. He always runs out of power, it really freaks him out. He just lets me and Simon do it. He does watch sometimes, though. And Simon doesn't pay me, it's my "employers" that do."
"And he's okay with that?" Isabelle gasped. "Simon is going to have to explain himself, or I might kill him. And you—"
"Well, he didn't know that you wanted to do it. He told me that it didn't seem like your type of thing. You can try if you want to, though."
"How does this even work?" Clary spluttered.
"We take turns. If he wins a night, then we keep trying till I win the next. Well, I need to go meet Magnus, so see you guys later." With that, Alec left.
"Do you really think that Simon…" Isabelle turned to Clary, distressed. But comprehension was dawning on the redhead's face.
"Oh, yeah, I remember now. You don't have to worry, they're just playing. I've got to go, too, I have an art class." Clary followed Alec's departure.
"Just playing?" Isabelle choked. Turning to the remaining two, her eyes hardened. "I'm finding out what's going on tonight, join me if you want."
"Um… Bat's letting me try to be DJ in the Pandemonium, gotta go." Maia laughed nervously and bolted for the door. The room was silent for a moment, until Jace slapped a card down triumphantly.
"Uno."
That night, at around eleven o'clock, Jace and Isabelle crept over to Simon's room and listened through the door. Sure enough, the two boys' voices couldn't be heard.
"You have to go faster than that!" Simon hissed.
"Sorry. It's not like any of them are near yet… oh God, it's out." Alec swore under his breath.
"Hurry! It's coming!" Simon urged.
"Wait, I think—" They both went silent for a moment, "never mind. You want to try?"
"I've already done this before. You're supposed to now."
"You can do it," Magnus's voice encouraged. Isabelle and Jace exchanged a horrified glance. Magnus really was watching this. The boys were silent for another long moment, and then they all yelped.
"Okay, that just came out of nowhere. It was where it was supposed to be, like, five seconds ago."
"Just a little bit longer… YES!" Alec hooted, not whispering anymore.
"Okay, that's it, I'm going in!" Isabelle opened the door and stepped in, preparing for the worst, but then saw Alec and Simon sitting against the bedpost, a laptop in front of them. Magnus lounged on the bed, his chin resting on Alec's head, observing whatever they were doing with vague interest.
"What is going on?" Jace demanded.
"Oh, I was mentoring Alec in horror games, y'know, because we're all cool now and stuff. He's your brother, and we decided to be a good terms for your sake." He nodded at Isabelle. "We just finished Five Nights at Freddy's. We may just stop at that, because it'll take forever to do two and three. Actually, I think he's graduated to Outlast." Simon glanced at Alec thoughtfully.
"Don't make my boyfriend do that, Seymore!" Magnus flicked Simon on the back of the head.
"What's Outlast?" Alec raised an eyebrow.
"So you've been becoming bros without me? I want in!" Jace squeezed in next to Alec, who, with Simon and Magnus, started laughing, sounding almost wicked.
"You, Goldilocks, don't know what you just signed up for." Magnus smiled darkly.
"You're all idiots." Isabelle rolled her eyes.
"Love you too, Iz." Simon beamed at her before his attention went back to the screen.
"I can't believe this." She backed out of the room, deciding to go to bed and forget the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, in the Pandemonium, Bat and Maia sat at the bar, looking harried after getting so many requests. It was a Friday night, after all.
"Alec and Simon? And Magnus condoned it?" Bat repeated disbelievingly.
"That's what I'm saying."
"I think I understand why most Downworlders try not to associate Shadowhunters now."
"I think I'll stick with them, though. They've grown on me, even that asshole, Jace."
"But one can never understand some of the things they do."
"That's for sure." Maia agreed, smiling faintly.
A/N: Well that was short, but it was a random idea anyways, so it turned out pretty well, all things aside. I'd like to know some of your thoughts. Did you actually think that Alec and Simon were doing what Isabelle and Jace thought they were doing at any point? Or did you know from the beginning? Thanks for reading, and as always, stay awesome ;)