I should know better than to tell people when I'll update...well, anyway, here's chapter three. A bit longer, and hopefully fairly entertaining for you. It's got everything: romance, angst, humor! Enjoy, and review if you are so inclined!
The raid on the new buildings had clearly turned out to be worth it. The demons in there were enough to give the three of them a nice, rousing fight. However now, afterwards, they were bloody, tired, but first and foremost hungry.
They entered Taki's and sat at their favorite table, Jace swaggering in like he owned the place. Isabelle strode after him, stealing the thunder, and Alec slunk in behind, hoping that they could avoid one pretty, petite waitress who always seemed to find them. Alec knew that Jace and Kaelie weren't in a real relationship, they just slept together sometimes, but it still bothered him.
Thankfully, today Kaelie wasn't around. Alec breathed a sigh of relief, and tried to avoid Jace's eyes. What was that, when they had killed the demons? He had always enjoyed the heightened closeness between them, but he had never felt anything like that. Nothing that had seemed so real…
The anxiety and elation built up as he tried to act normal, the way they always did at lunchtime, joking and talking. But he couldn't keep it up when Jace and Izzy started discussing exes, and even worse, people they were currently fucking. Well, not currently, like now, because although the image of Jace naked, on the table, having sex, was undeniably hot, it made Alec a bit nauseous when he had to remind himself that it would be a girl underneath Jace. And Izzy…let's not even go there. The brief image of his sister doing…things…on in the booth made him feel really sick.
With an almost inaudible growl, Alec pulled out his knife, and started digging it into the wood of the table. The conversation between Isabelle and Jace was nearly obscured by the angry pounding of blood in his ears. With a vicious twist, he mutilated the already much-abused table, digging a chunk out of it with his blade. Abruptly he realized that thanks to his frustration, he would have to spend some time tonight honing his knife. The thought gave him a weird satisfaction, in a masochistic way. He could punish himself for caring so much about Jace. For loving him.
"Jeez, Alec, what's up with you?" Isabelle exclaimed, seeing the table where he had attacked it. "Issues much?"
Alec mumbled something unintelligible, even to him. He didn't know what to say. He knew about a million things he could say, but what he should say was always an entirely different story. For example, right now he could say, "Oh nothing is up really, I'm just in love with Jace over there, the guy who is supposed to be like a brother to me, as I've loved him since I was about ten. Surprised you haven't noticed yet."
What he should say was completely foreign to him, and he stuck with his inaudible excuses.
He missed the look that Jace gave him.
Thankfully, their food came, and for a few minutes they ate without saying much to each other. Alec kept his eyes downcast on his food, which wasn't unusual for him. He generally was the one who was being studied not the one who studied others. Therefore, he didn't notice the way Jace was intently gazing at him. The blonde boy's eyes flicked over every inch of Alec, taking in the way he avoided talking or even making eye contact with both Izzy and himself, and the way he seemed tense, his shoulders hunched slightly to protect him from some threat in his mind. Nevertheless, Jace thought, it was the same old Alec sitting across from him. It was just that that there was clearly something on his mind.
"Alec," Jace said suddenly, cutting off Isabelle, who had been explaining how one could, if so inclined, climb out of the second floor hall bathroom and down to the street, if, for example, one was grounded for a month.
Alec looked up so abruptly that he thought he might have gotten whiplash. Bringing his arm up quickly to rub his neck where it had twinged, he knocked over the tall pitcher of ice water that had been left at their table. "Shit." He grabbed all three of their napkins, and started trying to mop up the small ocean of water that was flooding in a waterfall over the side of the table.
"Here, let me get that for you," said someone. Alec looked behind him, and was temporarily blinded. Beside their table had appeared a boy, seemingly out of thin air, who looked about their age—maybe a bit older, 19 or so—with clothes that could only be described as sparkly, glamorous, eye-catching…
And…sexy?
Yes. Sexy.
His jeans were tighter than any Alec had ever seen, and he doubted he would see again. They molded perfectly to this boy's legs, ass, and other…parts. The tank top he was wearing was completely covered in glitter, and his hair was coated liberally as well, and stood up in spikes all over his head. He was beautiful.
Alec could feel a blush creeping up into his face, though it wasn't so much creeping as it was racing with the speed and impact of a freight train. He looked down—noting the black vinyl boots—and realized that the table was completely dry, and the floor was no longer becoming a swimming pool. He looked back up in shock. The boy winked at him.
"Don't worry Shadowhunter, I won't bite. Just thought you could use some help. In fact, if you ever need something else," was Alec imagining the emphasis on those words? "you can call me." He held out his hand and a card appeared, which he offered to Alec. Dazedly, he took it, and held it out in front of him, trying to read the shifting, shimmery letters that were printed on purple paper. "Ciao," the mysterious visitor said, and turned, heading for the door. Right before he walked out, he paused by the door, and gave a small wave over his shoulder.
Jace and Isabelle, who had been staring at Alec and the boy alternately throughout the conversation, seemed to come out of their daze. Isabelle made an impatient grab across the table at the card he was still holding. He relinquished it, and let her read it rapidly. She let out a little, controlled scream of excitement.
"Alec! That was the Magnus Bane!" Seeing Alec's complete lack of response, Isabelle leaned on the table, looking straight into his eyes very accusingly. "Tell me you know who Magnus Bane is," she said flatly.
Feeling a bit exasperated, Alec shook his head.
"WHAT?" Isabelle shrieked. Not even noticing the looks she was getting from pretty much everyone within a 500 foot radius from her, she speared him with a glare and said, "he's the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He throws the most ridiculous parties, and it's impossible to get an invite unless you're someone really important. To him, that is. Although," she added thoughtfully, "to be honest, he doesn't really care if the most random people show up, as long as they have fun. I should know."
Jace had been silent, but that didn't mean he wasn't expressing his opinion. His mouth had been stuck in a smirk since Magnus had waltzed out the door. Alec had not been oblivious to The Smirk, being all too familiar with it.
"It seems," Jace finally said, after Isabelle had finished explaining how absolutely amazing Magnus's parties were, "that Alec just got hit on."
Alec thought his heart might have stopped. His thoughts went racing in every direction, and met at one burning point at the forefront of his mind: fuck.
Fuck was right. Jace knows. Izzy knows. They're going to tell everyone. I could be condemned by the Clave. My parents will disown me. I've been found out—
Isabelle laughed, and Jace joined her with a slightly strained smile. "I can't believe he thought you were gay!" Isabelle exclaimed.
"Yeah. Really," Jace added in a monotone. His eyes were narrowed a bit as he gave Alec a look that the other boy completely missed.
Alec breathed a sigh of relief, and managed a fake smile, as if he was just as amused as the two of them. "I guess he was mistaken."
Back at the Institute, the three of them retreated into their own rooms. After aimlessly wandering around for a few minutes, not sure what to do, Alec picked up the knife that he had dulled at Taki's, and started to hone it's edge again, back to its former perfection. It was his personal obsession and distraction, making sure that every weapon he owned was in perfect shape, and that his training was enough to bring his body to the edge of what he could do. It satisfied him to push himself.
The quiet scraping of the blade lulled him into a kind of meditation, and his mind stopped wandering restlessly the way it had been since the strange encounter with Magnus. He still didn't know what to think about that, so he didn't think at all.
Despite his calm however, he still jerked, startled, when his door opened without warning. Jace slipped in without a word, and closed the door. He stood in front of it and met Alec's eyes. Not a single sound passed between them.
As if he thought Alec was a wild animal, prone to bolting at any sudden movies, Jace carefully padded like a lion across the room, trying not to startle him. His eyes stayed trained on Alec as he circled around to where Alec was sitting on the bed and sat beside him.
Alec couldn't escape the golden irises locked with his. He couldn't even process what was happening. His heart felt like it would be out of his chest.
But that was nothing compared to how he felt when Jace breached the small distance between them, and touched his lips to Alec's.
A flash of heat seemed to bloom on his skin. For a second he wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't sure if he should believe this was happening. It seemed like he dreamed about this happening every night, so why should it be real now?
Alec held his breath as Jace pulled back a few bare millimeters. For the first time since Jace had entered the room, he looked down, and Alec was not being held by the golden heat. Alec didn't know what Jace wanted—for him to make the next move? How could he when he was barely able to believe that this was real?
But the heat got stronger when Jace suddenly looked up. He narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he kissed Alec again, harder, and more insistently.
He regained control of his brain, and started desperately kissing Jace back. It was like every thought he had ever had about Jace that he had pushed away and hidden was rushing to the surface. He was responding to Jace in ways that he never thought he would. His hands grasped at Jace's black cotton shirt, using it to pull him closer, as if they could manage that.
Jace's hands found the hem of Alec's shirt, and pushed up under it, even as he kept his mouth on Alec's. His hands found their way onto Alec's skin, and started pulling his shirt off, so fiercely that Alec was pushed back, and fell onto the bed.
With Jace laying on top of him, still keeping up the making out, Alec couldn't manage a single coherent thought. Instead of trying, he struggled to remember to breathe as Jace somehow maneuvered his shirt off, and started kissing his neck, and travelling lower. It was like one of Alec's dreams suddenly come to life. He had no idea what was going to happen next, he didn't even know if he was ready for what might come next, but he didn't care. This was Jace—his unattainable love suddenly made attainable.
But although Alec wasn't going to try to control whatever happened, he didn't want it to move too fast; he wanted to enjoy this. He put a hand on Jace's arm, and sat up so that they were once again face to face. He kissed Jace again, trying to capture the feeling in his mind.
Jace didn't seem to mind the way Alec had brought him back away from the muscled expanse of his chest, and returned the kiss just as strongly, moaning slightly.
Suddenly though, Jace pulled away. Alec, thinking he was frustrated that he didn't have all the control, let him, praying that he would realize that Alec would do anything for him, as long as this could continue, and he could prove to Jace exactly how much he needed him.
Instead, Alec's worst nightmares were realized. At first Jace simply stared at a spot somewhere beside Alec's head, not saying anything, but then he met Alec's eyes, and an expression of disgust dawned on his face, twisting his beautiful features. He looked down, as if there was an answer in the tangled sheets of Alec's formerly flawless bed, and then looked back at Alec. "Fuck," he said, spitting out the word.
As fast as any Shadowhunter could move, he was off of the bed, and by the door. For a second Alec thought he hesitated, maybe just for a moment, but he didn't look back. He slammed the door shut as he left.
