Alec stared wide eyed at the scene before him. After all, he had never seen a naked woman before, and why would he? The small dating experience he had was with men. He'd known who he was for so long he hadn't bothered pretending.
However, Alec couldn't help but stare at Jace. The guy was annoyingly gorgeous even if he was a total jerk.
"Do you mind!" Jace yelled.
"It's a shared dorm!" Alec exclaimed.
"Hello! Sock On The door!" Jace said. Alec looked down at the sock. When he entered the room he had wondered why the sock had been there… now he wasn't wondering.
"You can do it too," Jace continued. "If you want to bring a guy back here. Just put a sock on the door and I won't open it. But you have to do the same for me. Understand." Jace glared at Alec as he said the last word.
Jace didn't seem to care that he was naked but Alec noticed the women relaxed when she heard Jace say Alec brought guys over.
Alec didn't answer but walked out of the room and closed the door. He put the sock back on the handle and made a mental note to never enter that room again if there was any garment of clothing anywhere near it.
Alec entered the dorm to reading for a few hours before bed but that wasn't an option anymore. Not only was his book in his dorm with the naked people but also he needed something more than the written word to get that image out of his head.
Alec was suddenly not looking forward to a year from now when his sister joined him here. Izzy was by no means innocent but that didn't mean he wanted her meeting men like Jace either. Though she had shot him down in high school more than once, so Alec liked to think she had the good sense to choose better company.
Alec somehow found himself back at the sort-of-a-party in the Quad he had escaped from just moments ago. The grey boombox in the corner was still blasting music and people were still dancing on the impromptu dance floor. All the couches and chairs had been moved to the edges of the room earlier. Despite the loud pop music and laughter Alec decided to sulk in the corner until he could be sure his dorm was safe. Just as he chose a likely spoke behind a pile of stacked chairs Alec noticed Aline hadn't left yet.
"Oh hey Alec," Aline said when Alec came over to sit next to her. "I thought you left?"
"Yeah," Alec said. "That didn't really work out."
"Well you didn't miss much," Aline said. "I wouldn't call his a party so much as a mellow before-class get together." Sure there was music and dancing but Alec could see her point. It was a very chill party and at least a dozen people had left while he'd been gone.
"Fair enough," Alec said. "Did you at least finally catch that girl's eye?"
"You mean the fairy-like beauty with the perfect blue-green eyes?" Aline said wistfully.
"I wasn't really playing that close attention," Alec said. "But sure, her."
"No," Aline said. "Someone told me her name though."
"And what is it?"
"Helen," she said sighing. "Isn't that just the sexiest name ever?" Alec was pretty sure she was swooning.
"I shall take your word for it," Alec said.
"See anyone you like?" Aline asked him.
"Haven't really looked," Alec confessed.
"Well look then!" Aline said. "Before everyone leaves."
Surrendering Alec turned his attention outward. There were a lot of hot guys here but they were all obviously straight. Either that or they really liked having their tongues down girls' throats for some other reason.
"Nah," Alec said.
"You're no fun," Aline said. She got up and held out her hand to him. "Come dance with me."
"How about no," Alec said. "You are my cousin after all."
"Yeah but you have too much penis for my liking and I have not enough for yours," she laughed. "Come distract me from my lack of a Helen." Alec couldn't help but laugh with her as he got up to dance.
Alec started to relax. The music had a good beat as once they were on the dance floor Alec decided to relax; he swayed his hips with the music and tried to clear his head. It seemed to work. Soon Alec was laughing and not thinking about Jace or his sock on the door.
When a slow song come up Alec attempted to sit back down again rather than dance romantically with his cousin but Aline had other ideas; feeling kind Alec obliged her. It's not like he could go back to his room or anything.
It felt rather strange to be dancing with her like this. Aline placed Alec's hand on her waist and his other hand on her shoulder. She was leading but he didn't mind. He was a horrible dancer anyway.
At least there was one person at this school he could spend time with comfortably. Alec missed the comfort of having his sister and little brother around.
"Thanks Aline," Alec said as the song ended. They sat down and Alec placed his hand on hers where it rested on the table. There was only one couple left on the dance floor and most everyone else was leaving. "I think I needed that."
"Anytime cuz," she said. "But if you ever see Helen you have to put in a good word for me, understood?"
"Understood," Alec said grinning. He was looking at Aline but for a second he thought he saw a figure standing off to the side of the dance floor. Alec was fairly sure it was a man and he had the strangest feeling that the man was watching him.
"Who is that?" Alec whispered getting in close to Aline so no one would over hear.
"No idea," Aline said, turning only briefly to look. "I also don't know anybody at this party, remember? Except Helen of course!"
"You didn't even talk to Helen," Alec said, rolling his eyes and totally forgetting about the man. It was probably all in his head. "I told you to but you didn't."
"I will," Aline said. "Eventually. I just need the right moment."
"How about you say hello and make your moment."
"Why did you come back anyway," Aline said obviously sick of the topic of her lack of a date with Helen. "You don't even like parties."
"My new roommate was having sex with some woman when I walked in," Alec said. "Kinda awkward."
"No kidding," Aline grinned at him.
"Arg," Alec said. "Do you think I can switch rooms? Maybe we could be roommates?"
"They don't let opposite genders room together," Aline said. "Which in our case is kinda hilarious."
"Yeah I hear ya," Alec said. "Who did you get stuck with anyway?"
"Oh just some girl," Aline said.
"Cute girl?" Alec asked.
"I guess," Alice said tentatively. "I mean she really isn't my type. Too busty."
"If you say so," Alec sighed. He was very tired now and wanted to go to bed. Even the one couple who had been dancing this whole time had left now. The Quad was now empty save for himself and Aline so he knew he had no choice. "I better go to bed. Classes start tomorrow."
"Yeah me too," Aline said. She got up and gave him a hug before she headed off to her dorm. Alec let out a long breath. Why of all people did he have to get Jace as a roommate? What had he done in another life to deserve such a thing?
Alec walked down the hall slowly, trying to make the walk take as long as possible, but eventually he arrived at this dorm room. To his great relief the sock on the door was gone. When Alec entered he found Jace asleep and snoring.
Oh great, Alec thought, he snores too.
Alec put his ear bud headphones in and tried to fall asleep to the sound of soft music while ignoring the loud raspy breathing on the other side of the room.
Tomorrow he was going to request a room change.
By some miracle Alec did eventually fall asleep but when he awoke he didn't feel very rested. He checked his phone and realized it was still too early to be worried about being late for class.
Alec rolled over and saw Jace still there but thankfully he wasn't snoring at the moment. Jace's blankets had moved around quite a lot while Jace slept and Alec became aware that Jace slept naked. It had always annoyed Alec how hot Jace was. Alec really didn't like Jace. In fact he almost hated the guy. Alec couldn't understand how anyone could be like Jace. How could you detach the physical from the emotional? And even if you could why would you want to?
Jace started snoring again and Alec decided he had time to request that room change today before class. He'd woken up early enough on account of the snoring so solving the problem during that time seemed fitting.
"But he snores," Alec complained to the women behind the front desk. "I have lived with him all of one day and already he has brought a girl back to the dorm."
"I'm sorry," the women said. "But there aren't any other dorms available."
"Please," Alec said. "What if I find someone willing to switch?"
"Maybe," the women allowed. "But it would have to be a guy you swapped with. That's the men's dorm." Alec sighed. Aline had been right but it was so stupid. Alec was more likely to have sex with Jace than Aline! Why couldn't he dorm with her?
Alec headed to class in a foul mood. He thankfully shared this class with Aline and was therefore able to rant with her about the stupid dorm system. She indulged him a while then switched the topic.
"I have been asking about Helen," Aline said. "She isn't a freshman like us but her brother Mark is. And I got the feeling she has a lot more siblings still too young for university. Maybe she is out of my league what with the being older and totally gorgeous and all. Seriously she is like magical fairy hot."
"Just go ask her out already," Alec sighed. It was great to see Aline so open about her sexuality. Though she had told Alec about her preference for girls when they were young it had only been his coming out to his parents that had given her the courage to come out to hers.
"Did you find anything out about the guy that was staring at you?" Aline countered. Alec stared at her, totally nonplussed. "The guy at the party yesterday? You asked me who he was, remember?"
"Nope," Alec said. "I totally forgot. It was probably just my imagination. You can't change the topic that easily."
"What if Helen's straight?" Aline whined.
"Do you have any reason to believe she is straight?" Alec asked.
"I saw her checking out a guy," Aline sighed. "That much feminine beauty will just be wasted on a man!"
"Are you sure she was checking him out?" Alec said. "Because that is kind of a give away."
"I'm not totally sure," Aline explained. "But it kinda looked like she was."
"If you like her this much you should just go talk to her," Alec said. "I bet you could find her in the Quad sometime. She's in your dorm building right?"
"Yeah," Aline said. "But if I don't say anything I can keep the fantasy alive."
Alec sighed but was saved from having to answer his smitten cousin when class started. Alec was, of course, sitting next to Aline since she was the only person he knew in the whole school. Although that wasn't technically true since he knew Jace. Alec looked around but couldn't see Jace's stupid blonde head anywhere. Alec knew he was a freshman and should therefore be in this class; the only explanation for his absence was that Jace was skipping. Class was rather boring and Alec almost couldn't blame Jace but still not a great way to start the year; skipping the first class of your mandatory freshman year intro class.
Alec turned his head to check the clock rather than pull his phone out. Still half the class to go. He sighed but as his gaze shifted from the clock he thought he saw a familiar shadow in the back of the class. Before Alec could give the man a good stare or try and see his face properly the teacher asked him a question and Alec quickly turned to face forward again.
"What?" Alec asked. "Sorry."
"Is there something very important going on behind you?" the teacher asked.
"No," Alec said. "Sorry."
Alec answered the question then continued to face forward rather than look behind him again. He had the strangest feeling that the stranger had been looking at him despite never seeing the man's face.
"I think it was the same guy," Alec said to Aline as they left class. "Though I still haven't seen his face."
"Still think you are imagining it?" Aline asked.
"Are you going to ask out Helen?" Alec countered.
"Shut up," Aline scolded him. Alec laughed.
Beta read by Holly0114
So I have no self-control and decided to upload another chapter! After all I have 5 reviews, and 26 follows now so... why not right? ^_^
Okay author's notes... hmm... what to say? Do you want to see more of Aline and Helen in this story? Oh and I am really curious how many of you readers are here because you liked my other Mortal Instruments stories and how many of you are here because you just found this story on its own. Please leave a review and tell me! I am super curious! And again I answer all reviews and if you answer my answer I will answer you back. :D
Sneak Peak:
"Why did I let you get another cat!" Tessa whined.
"Because I came up with a second mind-blowingly awesome history pun and just had to use it!" Magnus beamed down at his two kitties who were now both rubbing up against his legs.
"So I can blame your major for the furry thing that keeps kneading my head at night?" Tessa said.
"My little angels would never do such a thing!" Magnus exclaimed.
"Oh and nap on my freshly cleaned clothes until they are made of cat hair?" Tessa added. "And meow at all hours of the night for food when their dish it full!"
"He probably wanted water," Magnus defended his cat. "It isn't Chairman or Catsby's fault they don't speak English." Tessa laughed, finished the last bit of her lunch then stood up.
"I have class," she said. "See you later crazy cat lady."
"Crazy cat dude!" Magnus called after her.