Jace can hardly believe it when he feels Alec in his arms, warm and solid and real; alive and looking like death. Alec had passed out almost the second they'd touched and Jace could hardly blame him. He held tightly onto Alec, running his fingers through his hair as Jace heard Shadowhunters swarming the area, the sounds of Shadowhunters clashing against The Circle went on around them but Jace couldn't focus on anything other than the boy in his arms.

Jace felt lightheaded, though he wasn't sure if it was because of all the torture he'd been through the relief that was hitting him, and he was able to stay awake long enough to be loaded onto a smaller boat before he too passed out, leaning against the side of the small rescue boat with Alec propped up against him.

When Jace awoke it was to an almost empty infirmary. Irizates littered his body and there was a faint warm sensation running through his being that Jace had come to learn was Magnus's magic, and a little deeper than that, below the surface, Jace could feel Alec's heartbeat, slow and steady.

Jace blinked into the light of the room, slowly sitting up and ignoring the throbbing in his head, he'd had worse.

"He's not awake yet." Magnus's voice gave Jace a start and he looked over to the corner where Magnus sat in an uncomfortable looking chair, sprawled out in a lazy position, though Jace could tell Magnus was stressed by the tension in his shoulders.

"He's fully healed physically, but emotionally he's exhausted. I put a sleeping spell on him, he seemed to need it." Magnus stood and made his way to Jace's bedside, sitting on the edge and looking over Jace's face for scratches and marks. Magus could already see several scars and his heart ached for the pain Jace had to have gone through.

"Thank you." Jace's voice was quiet, no hint of sass that he would usually use with his boyfriend. If Jace wasn't using sarcasm or making quips, that was always a sign that something wasn't right.

"No need for that. Actually, I thought you two might like some time alone tonight. I made plans with Isabelle so that you two can have the loft to yourselves. You're two halves of a soul that have been apart for too long. You need to reconnect and I think it will be far easier if I'm not there."

Jace opened his mouth to protest, after all the three of them were in a relationship together, and Jace had missed them both, but Magnus held up a finger.

"You know I'm right. I'm not afraid to admit that I am a little jealous that you two have a connection to each other that I do not, but I won't get in the way of that. You are bonded for life, and I won't watch that break."

"We love you just as much as we love each other." Jace reminded Magnus, his voice rough from so much screaming over the past few weeks and Magnus gave him a soft smile in response.

"I know you do. Which is why I have no trouble offering this. You know Alexander, he has hardly thought of anything since you left and if he's not able to be around you, somewhere the Clave can't find him, he will keep repressing everything, and that won't be healthy for either of you."

Jace nodded, knowing that a snap from Alec could out them both. "I'd like to ask a favor." Jace shifted, crossing his legs and sitting a little closer to Magnus, craving the affection his boyfriend always gave.

"When Alec and I were younger we used to have these little sleepovers. I had terrible nightmares and when I first came to stay with the Lightwoods I couldn't sleep through the night without Alec."

Magnus smiled a small smile at Jace, encouraging him to continue. "We would build forts and watch movies and try and quiz each other on runes. As we got older we started doing it less and less and eventually we stopped all together."

Jace looked down at his lap picking at a stray piece of lint, he wished he's noticed back then why Alec had been pulling away from him, what he was hiding. Jace was sure that Magnus could see every emotion playing on his face, too exhausted to hide it. It was so rare for Jace to be so vulnerable and Magnus knew that the separation had been far more damaging to the pair than anyone realized.

"I've never seen Alec so...relaxed. He's not been like that since. I want to plan a sleepover. If Alec's been beating himself up the way I think he has, he needs a way to unwind...and I need a way to keep away the nightmares."

Jace's voice became so quiet that Magnus almost missed it. Magnus's hand moved to cup Jace's cheek, gently caressing the skin there.

"Tell me what I need to do."

The sound of a portal opening caused Jace to turn and stare. Out of the portal stepped Alec, freshly woken from his sleep and looking-Jace wasn't sure there were words. Alec sported dark circles from the weeks of lost sleep, his hair was a mess and his clothes were wrinkled, but Jace had never thought anyone was more beautiful.

"Jace?" Alec's voice crackled a little as he froze in place, as if he weren't sure Jace was right there in front of him.

"Alec, hey. I hope you don't mind but I thought it might be nice to stay out here tonight, just like old times." Jace threw Alec one of his trademark smiles, meant to seem cocky and confident, the Jace Wayland trademark but even Jace knew that he was failing at the facade tonight.

"Jace..." Alec moved forward slowly, as if any move that was too fast might make Jace disappear again but when Jace didn't move Alec practically threw himself at Jace, wrapping his arms around him and breathing him in. The blonde could feel his parabatai shaking and he clung to the taller boy's form.

"Alec." Jace held onto Alec, his grip so tight he thought he might break him, but he didn't let go, he couldn't let go.

It was Alec who sobbed first, Jace could feel a wet warmth on his shoulder and then he was crying too. His body shook so hard that he wasn't sure if it was him that was shaking or the earth beneath them. All Jace could focus on was that Alec was here, in his arms, alive.

"Jace...I...by the Angel, I'm so glad you're..."

"Don't. I'd never leave you."

Jace curled into Alec's arms, dragging him down the mattress that Magnus had set up for them on the living room floor, not sure if his legs would be able to hold him up for much longer. The entire room had been magically redecorated to look like a giant blanket fort and while Jace couldn't be happier about that fact, right now was not the time to focus on the decor.

The boys curled around each other, holding on tightly and crying, just trying to get their brains to realize the other was there, that they didn't have to be without the other.

"Jace...I..."Alec's hands gripped into Jace's back, not able to find the words for what he needed to coney how he felt. The bond was screaming inside of Alec's head for something but he didn't know what it was or how to calm it. Jace seemed to be on the same page, Magnus's words from earlier rang through his mind and he nodded.

"I've got you, Alec." Jace leaned down to kiss Alec who immediately kissed back, passionately and roughly, pouring all his pain and desperation into the kiss, trying to us his lips for what words couldn't convey. Jace and Alec hadn't been apart for this long since they'd been bonded and the strain had been wearing on them.

Hands were instantly running over muscles, gripping at the other through the material of their clothes, desperate to be closer. Alec could feel an overwhelming tug in his chest, swelling bigger and bigger and Alec feared his heart might explode from the pain. It felt as if his whole body was about to break.

Jace tugged at Alec's shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside, effectively breaking their kiss, before reaching down for the hem of his own and pulling it off. Alec melded his lips to Jace's the moment their shirts were gone, using them to speak his emotions. Alec's hands slid down Jace's runed abs to his belt, quickly undoing the buckle and pulling the belt off, tossing it far to the side with a loud clatter.

Jace's hands ran over the muscles of Alec's chest, down his stomach to his waistband, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Jace wasted no time in getting Alec's pants off, pulling his boxers down with them, tonight was not the time for slow teasing. The blonde wiggled slightly to help Alec slide out of his jeans before shimmying out of his own, desperate to feel every inch of his parabatai pressed against him. Jace let his weight fall a bit, effectively pressing their bodies flush together and both boys let out a moan.

Alec had never felt a hunger like this before, his body was screaming with every fiber of it's being to get Jace closer, to bring their souls back together. Alec's hands moved to grip roughly into Jace's back as a whimper slid from his lips, "Jace..."

Jace nodded, reaching to the side to grab a bottle of lube from where it was stashed and quickly slicked up his fingers. Usually Jace would tease Alec until he was begging, or if Jace was bottoming until he was begging, but right now he couldn't wait that long. Jace pressed Alec's legs apart and settled between them, pressing his finger against Alec's entrance as he kissed Alec back, his finger slowly sliding into the heat.

Alec whined, clenching around the intrusion and Jace felt his throat tighten as a wave of emotion hit him. He made quick work of prepping Alec, going to two fingers only a moment later, but Alec didn't seem to mind, he was just as desperate as Jace was and Alec wasn't one to shy away from a little bit of discomfort. Jace was sure that any pain he felt from this point on could never be as bad as what he'd gone through when he'd been away from Alec.

When Jace felt that Alec was ready, he pulled back from Alec's lips to reach once more for the lube, he slicked himself up and quickly slid inside of Alec, a quiet sob escaping his lips as he was surrounded in warmth. Alec's fingers dug roughly into his back and Jace knew he'd have bruises in the morning but he just didn't care because this, this was worth it. Jace could feel the blood pounding through his veins and Alec's breathing was labored against his cheek, both in pain and in pleasure. Jace slowly started to move his hips, pulling a sob from Alec's throat as he looked up at his parabatai.

"I can't live without you." Jace breathed, not daring to close his eyes; he needed to see Alec, to know that he was actually here sharing this moment with his Parabatai, with one of the loves of his life-and not back on Valentine's ship.

"I love you, Jace." Alec replied, a fresh tear slipping down his face as Jace moved. Jace was so close to him that Alec felt he might break, there as so much relief and love swirling through his body that he could hardly think. It was as if his soul was stitching itself back together, the threads reaching out for Jace's and when they found them twisting into knots. He could hardly focus on anything but the feeling of Jace over him, in him, making him feel whole again.

"Alec..." Jace breathed and Alec knew that Jace was feeling what he was. His multicolored eyes were shining with so much love and dedication that Alec almost couldn't bear it. His fingers dug harder into Jace's back, trying to anchor himself as the bond twisted through him, reuniting them both.

"Oh, Alec!" Jace screamed and in that split second his orgasm took him by surprise, pulling Alec's from him as well.

"Jace!" Alec yelped, his whole body arching with the force of his orgasm.

Both boys collapsed into a heap, sweaty and exhausted, their ears ringing and their vision fuzzy. After a moment Alec finally managed to speak.

"I'm never letting you leave again. For whither thou goest, I will go."

A smile crept over Jace's face, "And where thou lodgest, I will lodge."

Alec smiled, wrapping his arms tighter around Jace, letting out a shaky breath. Jace did the same, nuzzling into Alec's chest as they tried to calm their heart rates. Alec could feel Jace's heart beating in time with his and he couldn't help but feel like everything was right again. His parabatai was safe and sound, by his side and alive, and that made everything click into place.

Jace gently rose, slipping out of Alec who whined at the loss and laid down beside Alec, taking his hand in his own.

"When I was on that ship...all I could think about was getting back to you and Magnus. I kept trying to find you through our bond and sometimes I could. I managed to block out the pain and focus on our heartbeat but other times...the bond was so silent that I was sure I was dead." Alec's grip on Jace's hand tightened, he remembered all too well the nights when Jace's heartbeat would suddenly vanish, leaving him wondering if his own heart had stopped beating as well.

"I couldn't feel anything and I thought that maybe I'd passed on and I was just stuck in hell. I wanted to stop fighting but then I'd feel something from you and I couldn't. I had to get back to you." Jace's voice was quiet and raw, not just from the injuries that Valentine had inflicted but from the emotion he was feeling.

"But now...I'm broken, Alec. I'm not the same and I understand if...if..."

Alec moved to slide between Jace's legs, kissing Jace softly before he pulled away. "I love you. Always. I'm not going anywhere."

Jace bit his lip as if he was about to protest and Alec could almost see the laundry list of reasons Jace was about to put out there for why he shouldn't stay; but Alec shushed him.

"Always."

Jace nodded slowly, a tear slipping down his cheek at Alec's acceptance. Alec kissed it away as his hands danced over Jace's overheated skin, tracing every bruise and every mark still left from Valentine.

"You're beautiful. No matter what." Jace's breath hitched and he looked up at Alec with pleading eyes and Alec knew exactly what Jace needed.

Alec reached for the lube but Jace grabbed his wrist to stop him, "I want to feel it. Just please."

Alec nodded, reaching up to brush Jace's hair from his face. Alec squirted just enough lube to slick himself up before he pressed inside of Jace, moaning as he did. A sharp breath could be heard from below him, Jace's nails digging roughly into his back but Alec didn't care. The sensation was proof that Jace as here, with him, alive and breathing.

"Alec." Jace stressed and that was all the go ahead Alec needed. He fucked Jace thoroughly, wasting no time is setting up a steady rhythm, whispering praises in his ear the entire time until they both reached their completion, moaning each other's names into their kiss. Over stimulated and spent, the boy's cuddled together, clinging to each other as the bond knitted itself back together and as they drifted off, they knew that everything would be okay.

"Well, well. Looks like the Parabatai bonding is complete."

Alec blinked into warm sunlight streaming through the loft windows. The room was still decorated from last night, pillows tossed over every surface and a pile of DVD's that had gone unwatched in favor other... activities, but there was a new feature to the room: Magnus.

"You two look absolutely ravishing." Magnus smirked, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress and running his fingers through Jace's hair who suddenly blinked awake at the touch. Alec blushed at the praise, snuggling into Jace's back and Magnus just chuckled.

"You could join us you know." Jace commented, grinning up at Magnus, the teasing tone he'd been missing for so my weeks was back.

"Well I guess that depends. How are you both feeling?" Magnus put aside his playfulness for a moment, clear and genuine concern painted his features as he reached out to brush his thumb over Alec's bruised lips. If his boyfriends needed time to relax or some more time to reconnect he wasn't about to deny them.

"Good." Alec said quietly, closing his eyes as Magnus touched him. Alec had been so repressed for so long that now that he was able to have tenderness, gentle touches like these, they were his favorite thing to enjoy.

"Great actually." Jace added, smirking a bit. "I can feel his heartbeat again, so that's a good sign."

Alec smiled, burying his face into Jace's back as he felt his heart soar. Magnus chuckled, enjoying how adorable and cuddly the two boys could be. They were warriors, tougher than any men Magnus had met in his life, each willing to do whatever it took to protect the people they loved, but each had a soft side, one that Magnus knew was reserved for the three of them and it was a side that Magnus cherished.

"And I can still feel his dick in my ass, so there's that."

Alec groaned and flushed at Jace's words, thankful that his face as mostly hidden from view.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'd say this calls for a lazy day in bed. What do you say? Pancakes and coconut cocktails for breakfast?"

Jace grinned, "On one condition." Alec furrowed his eyebrows at his parabatai as he peeked out from his hiding place.

"You remove your clothes too. Alec isn't the only one I missed."

Magnus smirked, snapping his fingers and effectively popping his clothes away to the closet, leaving him naked in all his glory.

"Well then, I guess we need to make up for lost time."