Jagnus || Shadowhunters || Jagnus || And They Were Roommates || Jagnus || Shadowhunters || Jagnus
Title: And They Were Roommates – And They Were Alpha and Omega Too!
Fandom: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
Disclaimer: All rights to the Shadowhunters show reserved to Ed Decter, the books the show is based off and its characters belong to Cassandra Clare. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: m/m, wingfic, grooming, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, shapeshifters, nesting, heat, fluff, hurt/comfort, past abuse, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, knotting, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Magnus/Jace
Side Pairings: Alec/Andrew, Helen/Aline, Raphael/Isabelle, Simon/Clary, Luke/Catarina
Shadowhunters Characters: Jonathan 'Jace' Herondale, Magnus Bane, Isabelle Lightwood, Maxwell Lightwood, Alexander 'Alec' Lightwood, Clarissa 'Clary' Fray, Simon Lewis, Raphael Santiago, Luke Garroway, Catarina Loss, Madzie Loss, Andrew Underhill, Aline Penhallow, Helen Blackthorn, Imogen Herondale, Sebastian Verlac | Jonathan Morgenstern
Summary: When Magnus opened his home to Jace, he hadn't realized the Shadowhunter was an omega. An unmated omega, at that. Now, he had to adjust to having the omega in his space and slowly, over the course of living together, they grow closer.
And They Were Roommates
And They Were Alpha and Omega Too!
Chapter 2: And They Were Drinking-Buddies
Magnus Bane was an alpha. Not just any regular alpha, he was the Alpha of the New York warlock community – the High Warlock. A powerful alpha. An alpha with authority, who was used to using it and having people follow his command. Normally, that was the kind of thing that provoked Jace into arguing – well, and it had. The two of them had edged on before. Jace liked to challenge authority, that was in his blood. Or rather, his upbringing. His father had raised him, trying to train him into becoming an alpha despite being an omega. It hadn't worked, it had just left him permanently emotionally crippled.
Jace wasn't a proper omega anymore. Not what anyone would expect from an omega. Big deal. Like he needed alphas to fawn over him, try to court him. Make him some house-omega, popping out cubs. No, he much rather was the not proper omega who went out there and fought demons.
Still, right now, he wondered if perhaps being a proper omega would gain him some points with the new landlord. Working with Magnus Bane was one thing, but now he was living with the unmated alpha. Unmated, authoritative alpha. Unmated, authoritative, handsome alpha. No. Stop that.
Unlike proper omegas, Jace liked hooking up. Waiting until they were mated? What for? He doubted he'd ever be mated. So no reason to save himself for some non-existent future mate.
Still, for right now, he wasn't sure how well his one-night-stands were going to go over with his new roommate. His usual 'fuck it all' attitude wasn't going to cut it, because he was relying on Magnus. He needed the warlock's mercy, because he didn't know where else to go.
His one-night-stand from today – a Seelie beta – had already left. They usually did. Waking up together and cuddling or sharing breakfast wasn't really his thing. He didn't do attachments. Just sex, that was entirely enough. He didn't want a relationship, or a mate. He knew he couldn't handle that, he wasn't meant to find a mate. That wasn't the kind of omega he was. And that was fine. Totally fine. The fact that he had to repeat that, to himself, in his own mind, meant nothing.
"Jonathan."
Jace froze halfway into the living room, nearly stumbling. His roommate blinked, a little surprised. Right. Magnus liked using full names – Clarissa, Alexander, Isabelle. Swallowing hard, Jace caught himself and straightened up. He turned to look at the warlock, lounging comfortably on the couch.
"Don't... call me that," requested Jace, voice wavering a little before he cleared his throat. "If we're gonna live together, let's just... Don't call me that. No one aside from my father calls me that."
Magnus seemed to somber up at that, nodding slowly. "Fair enough, little Shadowhunter."
This time, Jace just made a disgruntled face and wiggled his nose. Magnus had been calling him that since the first time they met. First time around, it had sounded condescending, by the second time, it started to feel like a nickname. Though, the first time, Jace had also assumed it was an alpha being condescending toward an omega. Knowing Magnus hadn't even realized he was an omega at that time made it all the more curious. Yawning, Jace stretched slowly.
"Though, while we're on that topic... perhaps we do need some house-rules," suggested Magnus after a moment. "You live here, I'm not going to dictate who you see. I do have my own rotating door of lovers. However, I'd appreciate it if they wouldn't run around nearly naked. Your fling from last night stood in my kitchen in nothing but her panties and a shirt this morning and the only people I enjoy finding like that are people I took to bed the night before."
Nodding slowly, Jace ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah. Right. Sorry about that. I'll... watch out for that from now on. Uh. Anything... else?"
"No sex outside your bedroom. And I promise I'll stick to the same rules."
"You'll only have sex in my bedroom too?" asked Jace with a teasing grin.
That got him a chuckle out of Magnus, who simply shook his head. "I do want you to feel at home here while you live here, but I also do think that for both our sake, we need some boundaries."
"Yeah, no, you're right. I agree. Sex in the bedroom. Boring but doable."
Again, Magnus made an amused noise. Then he flicked his wrist and the next moment, delicious looking breakfast was spread out on the table in front of him. With a motion of his hand, Magnus invited Jace to join him. Okay, living with a warlock definitely came with perks. Jace quickly took a seat next to Magnus, his stomach growling in hunger.
"Worked up an appetite last night, I gather?" there was teasing in Magnus' voice.
An amused huff escaped Jace. He might actually get along with Magnus. Maybe they could make this roommate arrangement work. While stuffing his face with bacon, Jace couldn't help the way his mouth watered. Not for the bacon. For the cinnamon scent in the air. Magnus' scent. Well. That only seemed fair, after his own scent had thrown Magnus off yesterday. The two hadn't spent much time up close, so they'd have to get used to each other – not just their personalities but their scents too.
/break\
It had been the youngest Lightwood's rune ceremony, which meant Magnus expected a blissfully calm evening of having his own loft to himself. Alexander had invited him to come, but Magnus didn't know the child, he certainly wasn't on good terms with the Lightwood parents; they'd been hostile enough on the occasions that Magnus had met them on official business. Not to mention, the Institute was under new management and from all he had seen and heard – it was not an improvement. All the more reason for Magnus to stay away from the Institute. Jace had been living with him for a bit over a week at that point, which was a huge change to Magnus' life. On the one hand, Magnus enjoyed that there was someone in his home and it wasn't empty and lonely when he got home. On the other hand had he lived alone for so long that it was taxing to have social commitments even inside his own home. The two of them were not yet close enough for either of them to feel fully comfortable around the other; there was a constant barrier, an act put on.
Magnus got about an hour of peace and quiet, laying on the couch with his eyes closed, listening to a record of soothing Brahms. And then the door opened and when it closed, it was a loud bang, startling Magnus out of his content state of mind. Furrowing his brows, Magnus turned to watch a clearly angry and upset Jace stumble in. So far, the two had only shared idle small-talk, or business talk about missions and the war. Not exactly opening up about their inner most feelings. The scent of distressed omega had Magnus' gut in knots and kicked his instincts into overdrive though.
"What happened?" asked Magnus sharply, up and ready to fight something.
"Nothing," Jace's voice was a low growl, betraying what he said. "Where do you have the drinks? I'm sure you have a bar here somewhere."
Jace wasn't hurt, not physically. There wasn't a visible threat to fight. Magnus closed his eyes and breathed deeply to calm himself. His inner alpha was growling though, not liking that the omega living with him was currently distressed and upset, eager to sooth that away. So Magnus instead went to the liquor cabinet and opened it for Jace, motioning inside.
"What strikes your fancy?" asked Magnus.
"Something strong. With a burn," with those words, Jace collapsed on the couch.
Magnus went and got something that fit the request, as well as two glasses. "Mind company?"
"It's less pathetic with company," Jace muttered. "Sure. Just. Don't wanna talk about it."
"That's quite alright," assured Magnus, filling both glasses.
For a while, the two of them drank in silence. Then, they started to bitch about other things – not the things that had brought Jace here tonight. Aldertree, the Clave, general Valentine issues, Simon getting himself turned into a vampire, Alec nearly agreeing to marry a woman despite being gay. He hadn't, in the end, had come out with a shaky voice, not entirely owning it just yet but owning it more than ever before in his life. The disappointment on his parents' face. The pain but understanding in his fiance's eyes. Magnus was proud of the baby gay.
"And like, I get it. Kinda. He's a beta. People have other expectations of betas, you know?" Jace was pretty drunk at this point in their conversation. "I'm an omega. Long as I end up with an alpha, people will even overlook if that alpha were a guy. Now, if I were to try and be public with another male omega? That'd be a scandal, completely unacceptable. Alec's a beta, he should be with a nice, respectable beta woman and be done with it, that's what the Clave would want. Fuck the Clave."
Hearing Jace so passionately defend his parabatai did warm Magnus' heart, he knew how much Alexander had fretted about being gay and how people would take it. Though Magnus also didn't miss the implications that Jace made by how leisurely he talked about himself with men. Interesting and surely something to be investigated more closely. Not now though, now they kept ranting. Which Magnus also enjoyed, simply venting about all the grievances he had. They talked for another two hours or so before the alcohol intake became too much to handle for Jace and the omega fell asleep leaning against Magnus. It took Magnus a bit to realize Jace was asleep.
The blonde head was resting against Magnus' shoulder, hair sprawled out over him. When Magnus had first met Jace, the blonde had always slicked back his hair. At home, he tended not to. And after running his fingers through it a couple times tonight, it had come loose too. Personally, Magnus thought the loose hair suited Jace much better. Gave him a softer edge. Which was most likely why Jace slicked it back. No softness. No weakness. A pity, that.
"Magnus?" called someone out as the door opened.
Magnus knew not to perceive that as a threat; his wards were secure, they knew who to just let in like that. And the list was very short. Turning his head, he watched Alec enter and pressed a finger to his lips, motioning with the other at the sleeping omega. Alexander looked troubled at that, heaving a deep sigh. He approached and then reached out for Jace, gathering him up. Magnus frowned as he watched Alec carry the sleeping omega off toward Jace's room. Afterward, Alec returned and reached for Jace's glass to finish it before letting himself fall on the couch next to Magnus.
"Are you in a more sharing mood than your parabatai?" inquired Magnus curiously. "He was... disgruntled, to put it mildly, and very... ah, thirsty."
Magnus motioned at the empty bottles. Alec sighed and reached out for one that wasn't empty, refilling the glass, before leaning back more relaxed. His scent however gave away that he was no less disgruntled than Jace had been. Betas just didn't give it off as intensely as omegas.
"Max..." Alec started, his voice wavering, eyes fixated on the ceiling above him. "He... he said to Jace that Jace isn't his brother. And just... I..." Alec closed his eyes very tightly. "He said it to Jace's face. Right now, where Jace is so insecure about where he belongs anyway."
"Why would he say such a thing?" asked Magnus slightly mortified. "From everything you told me, the boy adores Jace? You sounded quite jealous there yourself."
Alec quirked his lips into a slight half-smile at that. "He did. Does. But... While we were looking for Jace, while Jace was held prisoner and tortured by Valentine, mother spoke to me. Told me to... cut my losses. That we should distance ourselves from Jace, that... that he's a tumor that needed to be cut out." For a moment, Alec paused, his scent thick with anger. "Apparently, she's been spewing that poison around Max too. Only that Max is an impressionable child."
A deep sigh left Magnus at that. Children were quick to parrot the things they heard. This surely explained Jace's mood today. Magnus felt himself swallow thickly and reach for a refill too. He had no blood family himself, only those he had gathered over the years. If they were to talk like this about him, it would break him. He emptied his glass and put it down on the table.
"I'm sorry. For unloading," Alec heaved a sigh. "I just... It's been a lot and Lydia is still recovering from the attack. I am... You're a good friend, Magnus."
Magnus quirked his lips. "Thank you, I do try my best."
/break\
Jace woke up with a massive hangover and... all his siblings gathered around his bed. What a way to wake up. Groaning, he buried himself beneath his pillow. Just for Alec to pull the blanket away from him. Well, they were lucky he hadn't gone to bed naked. Then again, he didn't remember going to bed at all. The bed dipped on either side of him and when he turned around, he saw Clary sitting on one side of him and Izzy on the other side. Next to Alec stood Max, looking guilty.
"I'm... sorry about what I said," Max whispered softly. "I didn't mean it, Jace. I swear."
The smile Jace could muster was half-hearted at best. Max had been right though. Jace wasn't his brother, Jace was just some random kid who had been taken in by the Institute under the leadership of the Lightwoods, who had felt compelled to take care of him, because of the parabatai bond Robert and Michael had once shared. The irony of it all. In the end, Jace wasn't even Michael's son so the Lightwoods never had any reason to even feel responsible for him.
"I love you," declared Max, wrapping his arms around Jace, hugging him tightly. "I just... Mom and dad were fighting so much about it. And they're adults, they have to know what they're talking about. But... they're wrong, right?"
Swallowing hard, Jace nodded and wrapped his own arms around Max, pulling him close. He brushed his chin against Max's head, scenting the cub. Max purred a little as he nuzzled into Jace, gladly accepting the scent-marking. Soon, Isabelle and Clary snuggled up to them too.
"Okay, Maxie. How about we go see if Magnus has breakfast for us?" suggested Alec.
The girls waited until they were out of the room, before Izzy spoke up. "How do you feel?"
"Hungover. Drained. Sad. Disappointed. Abandoned," listed Jace dryly. "...Really glad that I can stay here, because I don't think I could be at the Institute right now."
Clary clung a little tighter onto him, nuzzling him. She was an omega too, the first one Jace had gotten close to. It was relaxing, not being the only omega in their circle of friends. Jace sighed and leaned against Izzy, who ran her fingers through his hair soothingly.
"You... happy here?" asked Isabelle slowly. "You've been living with Magnus for... honestly longer than I expected. I thought two days and either you flee, or he kicks you out."
Jace huffed and elbowed her gently. "Yeah I kinda... did too. But... we're co-existing pretty well. Heh. Last night, we... drank a lot. He didn't make me talk about... he just let me talk about whatever I wanted, or didn't want. He was just... company."
"Well, I'm glad you two are getting along," offered Clary with a small smile.
"Let's talk about something else. Something distracting," Jace sighed and made a face. "I dread bringing this up, but... you and Simon, Clary? You were all cozy and giggly yesterday."
Clary's entire face flushed and she tried to hide it in Jace's neck. "Yeah, we... uh... figured things out? Maybe? But it's still all new. I didn't... know, at first. After he confessed. But... he's been my best and oldest friend, he's been at my side this whole time. He died for me, got dragged into this mess because he wouldn't leave me, wouldn't abandon me."
"Good for you," Isabelle commented, a small grin on her face. "It's cute. Like one of these cheesy movies Simon likes so much. Childhood sweethearts, destined to be together."
Laughing, Jace leaned back and got more comfortable on his bed, listening to them talk.
/break\
Magnus was drinking alone that night. One of the downsides of having a roommate was that his brooding alone time was cut down. Everything that had happened, he needed to bottle it up and then get a bottle and drown it all. He didn't feel like he knew Jace enough to share that darkness, while by now also feeling as though he shouldn't unburden his own problems onto Jace. Between all the torture and sudden family reveals, the blonde had enough troubles of his own.
"Drinking alone on a Friday, mh? That's kind of sad," commented Jace as he entered the living room, before he grabbed a glass for himself from the bar. "Fill that up, I'll make this less sad."
Magnus huffed bitterly as Jace sat down beside him. Despite his own mood, it eased up some now that Jace sat next to him. The omega smelt sweet and content and that made Magnus feel more content too. The effect an omega could have on an alpha. Well, no, that was a lie, Magnus knew that. Not any random omega had that effect on any random alpha. At this point, Magnus and Jace had grown closer. Jace lived in this loft, everything smelt like him by now, to the point that Jace's scent was slowly becoming a proper part of smelling like home.
"Drink or talk?" asked Jace when he accepted the drink back, getting a confused grunt from Magnus. "Do you wanna drink in silence, or do you want to talk about the issue?"
"Why are you here?" asked Magnus instead. "Shouldn't you be out clubbing? Finding a hook-up for the weekend? You don't go a weekend without a fling, blondie."
"What can I say, I'm not... really in the mood to go out," Jace heaved a sigh. "Figured I'd stay in."
"Twenty-eight," whispered Magnus when he nearly emptied his glass.
"Mh?" Jace grunted confused, reaching for the bottle, refilling both their glasses.
"Twenty-eight of my warlocks have died since this war started," clarified Magnus, eyes dark.
At that, Jace's face also darkened. "Right. Warlocks have been hit the hardest."
The blonde got up and Magnus sighed. Bit too dark. And Jace blamed himself for a lot too, didn't he? Being the son of Valentine. Magnus emptied his glass and breathed deeply. He blinked surprised when Jace returned, opening a new bottle and filling Magnus' glass.
"Needs something stronger than what you have going on. Also needs snacks to soak up the alcohol though," offered Jace before he headed to the kitchen, to get them something.
He returned with sandwiches. Though Magnus didn't feel like eating before, now that the scent was in the air and the finished sandwich stood right in front of him, he did feel a bit peckish. Putting his glass aside, Magnus reached for the sandwich plate and dug in. Tuna sandwich.
"This is good," commented Magnus around a mouthful.
"You need some food too, Magnus. Can't live off alcohol and sex alone," stated Jace, smirking.
Food did give a bit of a perspective on things. Sitting in a corner and wallowing in self-pity and alcohol wasn't going to actually help him any. Not that anything was going to bring them back. He couldn't change the past. He supposed, he could only change the future. For that, he needed his strength and to perhaps not be as drunk. That was easier said than done though.
"Thank you," whispered Magnus about an hour later.
"It was just a sandwich," replied Jace with a shrug.
It wasn't though. Jace had made him food when that was what Magnus needed and been company when Magnus had been ready to pull away and isolate himself. He hadn't pushed Magnus though, they had barely exchanged a word in the past hour. But simply not being alone had helped. His scent was just an additional bonus. Magnus' eyes slowly closed as he inhaled the sweet scent.
"C'mon. Let's get you to bed. No falling asleep on the couch, old man. You'll be cranky."
Magnus barked out a laugh at that as Jace tried to help him up. "You, don't be cheeky, you brat. You are definitely not too old to be put over a lap."
"Don't tease if you won't pull through," warned Jace, a wicked smirk on his lips.
Magnus raised his eyebrows high at that, before he started laughing. That somehow figured. Though, mh, that thought shouldn't feel quite as inspiring to Magnus. Then again, he hadn't had a good fuck since Jace had moved in – and Jace was, objectively, pretty. With a very nice, inviting ass. And the scent of an unmated, sweet omega. That surely was all it was. He needed to get laid again, get some fresh air – air that didn't smell like Jace – and that was it.
Author's note: Next chapter, we're going to tackle the addiction plotline because I alwasy disliked how there was just no focus on Raphael's side and on how Magnus would have taken care of him! How does Jace handle that the alpha he lives with (and is developing feelings for) is kind of a dad?