Notes: Yes, the title is from that one song because it just fits so well for what I have planned for this fic. It's split in two mainly for the sake of the timeline and part two will likely be posted in about a week. That being said, I hope you enjoy this and feedback is always welcome!

Isabelle had started taking care of the preparations from the moment the date of the wedding had been announced and while Alec was grateful for it – that meant minus one additional stranger in the Institute to deal with – he was starting to regret not asking his mother to help instead. At this point, he was quite sure that she was less invested in the recently arranged alliance with the Herondales than his sister was.

"Have you got the ring?" she asked and Alec nodded, eyeing the box on his desk. The Lightwood flame stood out against the silver of the band itself and it had had to be modified a bit for them to be sure that it would fit his fiancé. It had belonged to Cecily Herondale; Alec's several times great-grandmother, and it had been gifted to her by her betrothed Gabriel Lightwood. Gabriel's ring was the one that Alec himself had inherited and he'd thought that Jace might appreciate the gesture for the reminder that it was of their families's combined ability to be a force of good.

Jace. It was just a nickname used mainly by the man's friends, apparently, and Alec wasn't sure whether he'd earned the right to use it since they'd only met once about fifteen years ago.

That was the only problem he had with the entire ordeal, really. All of Alec's memories of Jonathan Herondale were blurry at best and he wouldn't have minded seeing him at least once before they had to bind themselves to each other with runes and an oath of undying love. It was too late to think about that now, though; as far as he was aware, his soon-to-be husband was somewhere at the other end of the Institute and was getting equally fussed over by an overexcited loved one. The thought was comforting to a degree; at least he wasn't the only one suffering through the preparations.

"Can you keep still? I'm trying to work here." Isabelle was still fiddling with his hair until she got it to stay in the shape she'd wanted. "You have nothing to worry about."

"I know." Honestly, the only known heir to the Herondale name was as good a match as he'd ever imagined. Better than that, even. "I just want to know what he's like."

"I can't help you much with that," Izzy conceded. "A good fighter, I've heard." Alec could see his sister's smile in the mirror. "He can't wait to go out hunting in the city; he told me when I met him earlier." The smile turned sly. "He's gorgeous, you know."

"I don't, actually." Alec had seen the opportunity to complain about his situation again and he wasn't about to let it go. "Because no one's letting me see him."

"Come on, big brother," Isabelle admonished as she turned him around to straighten up his suit jacket. "You know that it's bad luck."

"You know what's also bad luck? Going into a marriage completely blind." It was the nerves finally getting to him, Alec could feel it, but he couldn't censor himself any longer. "The engagement was negotiated months ago."

"...And you were both too busy to arrange a meeting, yes. See, you've got something in common after all."

"I hope so," Alec muttered, taking one last look at himself in the mirror before he gripped the gift box like it was a lifeline. "You ready to go?"

She was. Come to think of it, Isabelle was in full battle gear – otherwise known as the dress she would wear at the wedding along with all the jewellery that went with it – and had probably been prepared for hours now, having foreseen the necessity of coming to help him get ready.

"Of course I am." She sounded almost offended by the question. "Are you?"

He wasn't going to get any more prepared than this; might as well go and face his future. "Sure," he said, squaring his shoulders and heading for the door. "Let's do this."

o.O.o

Jonathan was already there. He had to have come too early because Alec had made sure to come on time, but it wasn't much of a shock – the Herondales didn't know the Institute very well and it was only logical that they'd take the possibility of getting lost on their way to the main hall while trying to find it into account. Alec didn't really mind – that way, he had the chance to take a look at them before entering the hall and attracting attention to himself.

Isabelle had been right; he really was gorgeous even from afar, drowned in the golden hue of his hair and his suit, and he was smiling down at the woman in front of him. His mother, he presumed – Jonathan was said to resemble Céline a lot, especially in appearance. Alec had met Stephen before so it was easy to recognise him– and then his moment of observation was over as the man in question spotted him and headed his way, closely followed by Alec's own parents. That drew Céline's attention as well and she stopped fiddling with her son's tie, clearly intent on getting through the necessary introductions first.

Alec had just prepared himself for the approaching onslaught of questions when the Silent Brother came in.

He was glad, in a way. That meant that all conversations would have to be postponed – no one liked to keep the Silent Brothers waiting – but it also meant that the moment he'd been anticipating and dreading at the same time for months now had finally came and he hadn't expected to run out of time quite so quickly.

Still, he let himself be pushed closer to the dais as everyone took their place. Izzy had already assumed her position right behind him, holding the stele and the ring box out for him to take when the time came and there was a girl behind Jonathan – Clarissa Fairchild, as they'd been informed – who was doing the same, her eyes wandering curiously between them as if this was the first time she'd seen a Nephilim wedding.

They exchanged their gifts first. Jonathan's ring – the one he slid on Alec's ring finger with the faintest smile – looked much newer than the one Alec offered him and he would have regretted the decision he'd made if it hadn't been for the way his groom's eyes widened with interest. He wasn't allowed to focus on such details for too long and he was reminded of that by Izzy clearing her throat as she pushed the pillow she was holding in his direction. It was time for the most important part of the ceremony – they had to charge the brand new steles they'd been provided with for the occasion. Alec pulled his sleeve back before he could think about it for too long, the not-quite-unpleasant sensation of a permanent rune being burned into his skin big enough of a distraction to empty his mind almost entirely. It only returned with full force moments later as he had to do the same through Jonathan's half-unbuttoned shirt and it was the strangest possible feeling – they hadn't exchanged a single word and yet here he was, vowing to him for a love as strong as death while fully realising that this might never be the case. No one expected it to be, really; they were just meant to fulfil their duty and unite their families once and for all and, if they were lucky, this was as public as they would ever need to be.

As he finished the last stroke of his rune, Alec's thoughts raced through all the best case scenarios that he could imagine and for the first time, the thought was laced with hope.

o.O.o

"And this is–"

"Eleanor Nightshade," Alec supplied, waving at the woman in the flowing blue dress when he realised that he'd caught her attention. "She's not a field agent, but she's in charge of the technology here. If you ever have any trouble, you can find her."

Jace looked mildly horrified. It was Jace now, as per the man's insistence, even if Alec's parents still hadn't quite let go of Jonathan. It was only natural – after all, it had been just a few hours and during their still-ongoing wedding feast, Jace hadn't moved from Alec's side and hadn't talked to most of the Shadowhunters wandering about. It was how it was supposed to be and while they hadn't really had much of a choice in the matter, Alec had to admit that he was enjoying himself. "It's going to take me weeks to remember all these people."

"You don't need to remember them all at once," Alec said as he observed the hall. It did seem rather crowded, even if he knew that most of the guests would be gone by tomorrow morning. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, which had been one of his mother's biggest concerns. She'd wanted to be the perfect host and so far, she'd succeeded. The only complain Alec really had was their table's position – front and centre in the wedding tent – and the way everyone in the vicinity had their eyes fixed on the newlyweds whenever one of them moved. "Are there less Shadowhunters in London?"

"Not really," Jace said. "It's just that I've known most of them since I was a child. Take Clary, for example," he added, nodding at his friend on the other end of the table where she was talking to Isabelle. "Her mother sought shelter in our Institute after the Uprising and my parents gave it to her, of course, so we grew up together."

Alec shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It was the elephant in the room; the one their families had probably ignored for over two decades now. Stephen and his wife had been a part of the Circle just like Maryse and Robert and – just like Maryse and Robert – they'd given up in the last possible moment. The combined information they'd gathered had eventually led to Valentine's death and that had been enough to pacify the majority of the Council, so both families had been faring quite well ever since. The same went for Jocelyn Fairchild, although her situation wasn't really the same – she'd been Valentine's wife, after all, and she'd lost her son in the fire that had destroyed her family's home. She had lived on her own for a few years before returning to the Shadow world and that explained why Clary seemed just a bit different from the rest of them; despite the many years spent in the London Institute, there was still something distinctly human about her.

"Is she staying?" Alec asked and was surprised to see Jace laugh at the question.

"She was supposed to leave with my parents tonight, but now I'm not so sure." Alec followed his gaze and found her still with Izzy, both of them gesturing animatedly in what seemed to be a passionate discussion. "Your family is– difficult to say no to."

Despite all the lessons he'd gone through with this exact day in mind, Alec wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that. It sounded like both a joke and a compliment, but he didn't know Jace well enough to be able to assume which one it was. He willed himself to move on to a different topic instead. "Your parents are leaving tonight?"

"My mother isn't feeling well." He was trying to shrug it off, but the tension in Jace's posture was suddenly visible. "She said that she would feel better if she went home as soon as possible."

"That's–" It was none of his business, Alec reminded himself, but they were married now. He had to offer some kind of comfort even if he didn't know whether it would be received well. "If there's anything I can do to help–"

"It's nothing serious." I hope. Jace didn't need to say it for Alec to see that he was trying to convince himself in that more than anything else, but he didn't push; especially not when the man spoke again. "It's getting late. Maybe we should–"

"Yes," Alec agreed readily and pushed his chair away from the table, grateful to see Jace following his example. It only meant everyone focusing on them again, of course, but they got out of the tent and in the relative quiet of the summer night more quickly than he'd expected.

It should have been easier to proceed from here. It was, to a degree – the pressure that had always been present for their ancestors on their wedding nights was practically nonexistent for them, but Alec could still feel that something was expected from him now. Was he supposed to show Jace the way to his room? They'd had a personal one arranged for him already, but there was also the apartment meant for the two of them to share. If Alec had been in his place, he would have probably preferred a little peace and quiet after the day's events and the sudden shift in the environment, but offering the same to Jace might be considered rude. But the alternative would be too forward, which meant that–

"Listen," Jace spoke suddenly, pulling him away from his dilemma, "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Is there any food here that isn't in that tent?"

"Yes, but we'll have to go back into the Institute." The kitchen would be a mess right now and plus, he wasn't in the mood to go through even more congratulations. "I think I have a better idea."

It was his better idea that led them to the rooftop of the Institute an hour later and with a large serving of the Jade Wolf's finest. He and Izzy went there often enough and he'd told Jace all about it on the way there, both to dispel the silence between them and because he genuinely wanted him to get accustomed to the city as quickly as possible. It had worked – almost everything he'd said had only made Jace ask even more questions and in the end, they'd found themselves here. Alec had no doubt that plenty of people had tracked their movement through the security cameras, but no one had tried to stop them, so he was in no hurry to go back inside.

"It's beautiful from up here," Jace said as he finished the last of his food. He'd been awfully quiet for a while now and Alec had started feeling antsy to the point where he was almost grateful to hear his voice again.

"Emphasis on from up here," he said, smiling despite himself. "You'll like it less when you have to go on a hunt."

"Oh, I doubt it." Jace's answering smile was blinding. "I can't wait for that. Are we going to go together?"

"Maybe in a few days. There's a lot of paperwork around the wedding that needs to be sorted out." He dreaded to think of the documents he'd have to go through tomorrow, but it had to be done; otherwise the transfer of the Institute from his parents to him (and Jace, come to think of it) would never be complete. "In the meantime, you can find your way around here. You can even bring your furniture from London, if you'd like," he added. "There is a bed in your room, but that's about it for now. No one was sure what you'd bring with yourself."

"I only brought my personal belongings, actually," Jace admitted. If he was put out by the idea of having to sleep in an empty room, he didn't let it show. "But I suppose I could work something out."

"You can sleep in our bedroom if you want to." The suggestion was so quick that Alec could almost feel the words stumbling over one another. "It was arranged a few days ago, so it should look fine by now."

"You didn't check?"

"Didn't have the time," Alec shrugged. "But there's a king size bed in it, so you could–"

"Are you going to come too?" The question was tentative, but Jace's eyes were curious; assessing him carefully from his seat on the edge of the rooftop.

Was he? Alec still had his own bedroom and he wasn't about to give it up – there were more than enough empty rooms in the Institute – but suddenly the idea didn't sound all that appealing. And it would make for a good first impression; if they stumbled upon someone returning from the festivities in the yard, it would be better for them to be seen together than apart. "Yes. Why not?"

"Great," Jace said, jumping back to the floor in one swift move. It had clearly been the correct answer and Alec let out a sigh of relief. This first step – the one he'd been the most worried about – had passed as successfully as it could have. It was the thought of that that made him slightly more optimistic about this whole thing; optimistic enough to follow Jace almost enthusiastically as he descended down the stairs. "What are you waiting for?"

o.O.o

The apartment, when they finally found it, was a pleasant surprise for both of them. It was twice the size of most of the living quarters in the Institute and the bed dominated the room from where it was positioned under the windows, big enough for both of them and then some. It was framed by a nightstand on both sides and that only drew Alec's attention to how shared the space was meant to be – there were two desks as well from what he could see from the living room, along with a dinner table surrounded by far too many chairs.

"There's a library," Jace said, obviously charmed and Alec just had to follow him outside of the bedroom to see for himself now. "We don't have personal ones in London."

"We don't either." There was the main library, of course, but that was about it. Everyone in the Institute had access to it and most Shadowhunters managed to improvise one in their own rooms if they wanted to, but they were never given anything so purposeful.

The same could be said about most of the furniture, Alec soon noticed. While the majority of the rooms were a place to rest when you weren't working and not much more, this was a place meant to be lived in.

But then again, these were the privileges that a Head of an Institute usually got.

"We'll have to share a wardrobe."

"What?" The statement was surprisingly mundane given the direction his thoughts had been heading in.

"There's just one," Jace called out and Alec made his way back to the bedroom. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't have that much to put in there anyway," Alec shook his head. "I'll go get your luggage; you need something to sleep in."

He ignored Jace's protests as he closed the door behind his back, already trying to follow the directions he'd been given for Jace's room. He hadn't lied, he did want to help, but he also needed a minute – or ten – to assimilate everything that had happened.

He was married. The thought hadn't sunk in completely just yet and it was still an almost alien one. He and Jace had gone for takeaway and had made an impromptu sight-seeing walk around the city as if Jace was just another transfer into the New York Institute instead of the person he'd been preparing to marry for nearly a year (and for years on end, unofficially, because he knew that both their families had had that idea stuck in their heads for quite some time).

It didn't have to mean anything, he thought as he unlocked Jace's room. It really was almost completely bare and he knew that he didn't have it in him to even suggest it to Jace while it was in this state. And it wasn't just that; he knew that it would be unacceptable for him to treat him like this. He was his husband, after all.

Yes. It didn't have to mean anything beyond a political alliance. They seemed to get along fine so far and he was glad. Maybe they could at least be friends; if they were going to rule an Institute together, it would be preferable for them to be close. That was as close as arranged marriages usually got, and it would suit them both perfectly well.

He returned to their apartment only to find Jace in the middle of what looked like the very same internal conflict. He snapped out of it soon enough and hurried to get to his clothes.

"Thank you," he said, already rummaging through the bag Alec had brought for him. It was just a fraction of the luggage he'd found in Jace's bedroom, but it was enough, apparently, and Alec decided to leave him to it. He gathered his own clothes – what little from them he'd picked up from the reroute to his own room before coming here – and his toothbrush and headed for the bathroom so that both of them could have some privacy.

It was just as spacious as everything else and Alec sighed at the excess that reigned in front of him. There was even a bath for two in the corner – Izzy's idea, if he had to guess – and he dreaded to think of the expectations she'd had when she'd thought of it. He'd told her more than once that the chances of his marriage being an actually good match personality-wise weren't high, but she'd still gone overboard just in case, clearly hoping for something more.

Well, he would have to break it to her sooner or later. Maybe not just yet, though. She'd insisted that he report back to her as soon as he could, but there wasn't really much to say now. They were perfect strangers; even now, as he got ready to share a bed with Jace, Alec had no idea what he was supposed to do to make the entire experience as comfortable for both of them as he could.

He left his improvised hideout a moment later and was rather unsurprised to see Jace still in the position where he'd left him, the only difference being the fact that he was dressed only in a pair of sweatpants now. Although he was wearing the same, Alec was a bit startled at the comfort they'd already established without fully realising it. It wasn't something that he'd expected, but it was a welcome twist; that way, they would be much more convincing as leaders of the Institute. It would be good for them; the last thing Alec wanted was for his personal life to be scrutinised even more closely than it already was.

"You actually gave me an heirloom," Jace was saying as he stared down at the Lightwood family ring in his hand. "Isabelle mentioned something like that, but I didn't really think you'd go through the trouble."

"I thought it would be fitting," Alec said, laying his clothes from the wedding over the back of a nearby chair. "The alliance between our families–"

"Yours is brand new," Jace interrupted. "The only one we have that doesn't belong to my parents is the one I'm wearing, so my father had one made for you specifically."

And there it was again; the uncertainty in his own judgement as Alec struggled to find a proper response. On one hand, Jace was here all alone; had been alone his entire life when his family was concerned, because of course, he had his parents and his grandmother, but their positions in the Clave were far too engaging for them to have spent too much time around him. On the other, he'd agreed to this marriage and had just told him – as explicitly as he could force himself to be with someone he virtually didn't know – that he considered him a part of his family now.

"I appreciate that," Alec said at last. He really did – family rings were difficult to create and usually only made by the Iron Sisters – even if he didn't appreciate the necessity to wear it all the time quite as much. Wedding gifts were meant to be worn, especially when it came to arranged marriages if they wanted to show the supposed unity that had got them into this situation in the first place.

"It's nothing." Jace smiled in a clear attempt to break the suddenly solemn mood, but the anxiety in his eyes didn't abate completely. "Which side do you sleep on?" he asked, already scooting back on the bed and messing up the careful arrangement of their pillows over the blanket.

"Doesn't matter," Alec muttered. He was still caught up in their previous topic, but proceeded to climb up on the right side of the bed after Jace picked the left one. He was just about to bid him good night so that they could turn away from each other – no need to make the tension even harder to bear – when Jace shuffled around in his place until they were face to face again.

"Good night, Alec," he said and closed his eyes, settling down more comfortably under the covers, the conversation from before seemingly completely forgotten. He looked at home all of a sudden and Alec couldn't do much but offer a good night of his own, even though he suspected that Jace was already asleep.

Angel, what was he supposed to do with this man?