Prompt: "Don't look at them, Omega. Just look at me."


Alec had been in love with Jace since the day he met him, as a small child shaken from the loss of his father but unwilling to admit it, to admit that he had weakness inside of him, and that he missed the one person he ever had in his whole life up until that point. Jace was practically begging people to love him through his eyes alone, and Alec… It wasn't exactly love at first, just a crush, but over the next few months, it grew into something more.

When Alec had first presented as an alpha, he felt disappointment inside him. How could he possibly be allowed to end up with Jace if they were both alphas? Then Jace presented, and Alec felt happiness return to him full force. Jace was an omega. They were allowed to be together if they wanted.

Then Jace asked him if he wanted to be his parabatai, and Alec, despite knowing that it was against the Law for two parabatai to engage in a romantic or sexual relationship, agreed. If Jace didn't want him the way Alec wanted Jace, then all Alec could do was agree, be his parabatai. They could be together, but not the way Alec had hoped.

After pining for Jace for so long, Alec had learned to tune out the alphas who showed interest in him. All that would do was hurt him. Yet when Clary Fray first entered the Institute, Alec felt an immediate dislike toward her.

Because unlike all the other alphas in the past, Jace seemed to genuinely care about this one.


Alec pulled Jace aside, leaving a confused Simon behind, as the three of them waited for Isabelle and Clary to exit the Institute. The five were planning on going to Magnus Bane's place and asking about Clary's memories. Of course it was about Clary, it was always about Clary. And now, Jace was trying to drag Isabelle and Alec into this as well.

"Why do you pay so much attention to that mundane?" Alec hissed at Jace once they were out of Simon's earshot.

The omega used his free hand to pry Alec's fingers off his hand. "I'm not sure," he finally admitted. "I just… feel some sort of connection to her, I guess."

Alec felt a stone drop into his stomach. "What sort of connection?"

Jace sighed. "Like… I can relate to her. I lost my father at a young age, you know. And Clary… She just lost her mother. But unlike me, her mother might still be alive."

"Oh," Alec murmured.

"And there's something else too," Jace tacked on. "Though I don't really understand it…"

Are you in love with her? Alec thought, and felt a pain in his chest at the thought. He had spent years in love with Jace, with the omega never liking anyone else, but now, Jace liked a different alpha…

Jace rolled his eyes. "Come on, you overprotective alpha," he said teasingly. "The girls are going to come out soon." This time, Jace was the one who took Alec by the wrist, though his grip was gentle compared to Alec's. The two of them returned to Simon, whom once again gave them a look. Alec felt a wave of relief that Simon was a beta and wouldn't be able to smell the distressed scents he was giving off, and he quickly pushed those scents down so Jace wouldn't be able to smell them either.

Jace was right. Isabelle and Clary arrived soon. Clary was wearing a short dress that didn't seem like the type of outfit she usually wore, judging by the way she held herself. Alec didn't quite care about the dress, but the two boys next to him thought differently. Thankfully, it was Simon who reacted first.

"What is that?" Simon demanded, straightening up. "That you're wearing, I mean."

Clary looked down, then said dryly, "It's a dress, Simon. I know I don't wear them that much, but really."

"It's so short," Simon responded in confusion.

Alec blinked a few times. The two of them seemed really close… But they were just best friends, Alec reminded himself. Besides, Simon was a beta. He certainly couldn't get with an alpha like Clary.

Then Jace unattached himself from the wall and began speaking to Clary, and Alec felt dread inside him. Of course Jace was interested too. He looked away slightly, but still watched out of the corner of his eye as Jace handed a dagger to Clary. And then, finally, he closed them as Jace took out the pins in Clary's hair, letting it fall around her shoulders.

I don't want to see this. I don't want to see Jace in love with another alpha.

But there was something strange about their interaction…


The rest of the week had been stressful. Clary somehow knew about his feelings for Jace, and he had overreacted. He knew this, and he was ashamed of it, but it made him all the more determined to prove himself. Then, in the fight against Abbadon, Alec had been badly injured and had apparently been dying in the infirmary.

He woke up to see the warlock, Magnus Bane, sitting over him. A smile appeared on his face as he looked down at the awakened Shadowhunter. "Alec Lightwood, awake at last."

Alec swallowed, unsteadily heaving himself up. "Why…"

"Am I here?" Magnus finished. "I was sent a message from that older Shadowhunter. Hodge Starkweather, if I recall correctly. I was told about your condition and then summoned here to heal you."

Why not the Silent Brothers? Alec wondered, then decided not to ask the question out loud. "Oh. Thank you."

"No problem," Magnus shrugged. "I'd suggest not getting up from the bed; you're still pretty weak. I'll tell your sister and your parabatai that you're awake." The warlock swiftly exited the room.

Alec sat in silence a while longer until the infirmary door burst open, and Isabelle rushed inside. "Alec!" she cried out, throwing her arms around him.

"Ow, ow," Alec laughed, gently pushing her away. "I'm still recovering, you know."

"I know," Isabelle whispered, sitting down on the chair Magnus was on before he left. "It's just… I'm so happy to see that you're alright… Especially after everything else that happened."

Alec blinked. "What did happen?"

Isabelle bit her lip and looked away. His younger sister seemed uncertain on what to say, then finally, she settled with, "Valentine."

Alec swallowed. "Any… details?"

Isabelle sighed softly. "I think it's better if Jace tells you," she said. She still seemed worried, but now, Alec couldn't tell if it was him she was worried about. Isabelle seemed to almost be shrinking in on herself, which was unusual. Alec was used to her acting just like the alpha she was, especially on the field. She was one of the best Shadowhunters Alec knew. This vulnerability frightened him.

"Where… is Jace?" Alec whispered.

"I'll get him," Isabelle promised. She took Alec's hand in hers and squeezed it gently before getting up, walking towards the exit, her dress flowing around her. Right before she left, she turned around and said, "Just going to tell you though, Clary's not your competition anymore." And then she departed, the door closing behind her, leaving Alec staring at the door in confusion.

Isabelle held on to her promise, as Jace soon arrived in the room, looking awkward. "Hey."

"Hey, Jace," Alec greeted. Jace sat down in the seat where Isabelle and Magnus had sat earlier (seriously, were there no other chairs in the room?) and looked awkwardly down at his lap.

"Did… Izzy tell you?" Jace asked quietly.

Alec shook his head. "No. What is it?" He could smell scents indicating distress on Jace, and immediately he began to worry more than he had been before. "Is it something bad?" Or are you just too worried about my reaction if you told me that you are dating Clary? That was what Isabelle meant when she said that Clary wasn't his competition anymore, right? Didn't it mean that Alec was no longer part of said competition?

Jace paused. "My father…" He struggled for words. "He's alive."

Alec blinked. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

"He's not Michael Wayland," Jace said. "I'm not Jace Wayland."

"I don't get it."

Jace squeezed his eyes shut, the distress scent coming in huge waves. "I'm Jace Morgenstern. My father is Valentine."

And Alec froze, staring at the trembling omega before him, near panicking. Quickly, he reached over and wrapped his arms around Jace. "It's okay," he murmured, sending soothing scents towards him. Relax, the scents seemed to say, and slowly, Jace seemed to do so. "It's fine, Jace."

"Really?" Jace murmured, his head now buried in Alec's shoulder. He slowly returned the embrace.

"Yes," Alec responded. "Really."

They stayed like that for a while longer, and for once since she arrived at the Institute, Alec found that he wasn't plagued with thoughts of Clary.


It was only later that night when the redheaded girl and her potential relationship with Jace returned to Alec's mind. Jace had considerably calmed down by then, though the two were still in the infirmary. Isabelle had come in with an offer to cook, and Alec had accepted after brief hesitation. Even Isabelle's horrendous cooking would be better than nothing.

"I have news about Clary as well," Jace said once Isabelle had left.

Alec tensed. "Are you…?"

Jace nodded. "Yeah."

Alec felt despair and jealousy settle over him. "Oh," he murmured.

"It's just," Jace continued, "I never quite realized it, this past week. What we were. And I kept looking at her and thinking… Who is she? Why do I feel this deeper pull towards her than I probably should have felt? And it was almost painful, not knowing."

Alec looked up. "Then… Don't look at her, Jace." Dropping his voice so that Jace wouldn't hear it, he murmured, "Just look at me."

Jace froze, and Alec realized with dread that the omega had heard his words. But instead of horror, Jace said, "I am looking at you."

"But Clary-"

Jace finally let out a laugh. "Yeah, maybe I should have specified instead of assuming what you meant." He chuckled, looking down at his lap to hide his face. "Clary and I- we aren't dating. We're siblings. Valentine Morgenstern is our father, Jocelyn Fairchild is our mother."

"Oh," Alec said, suddenly feeling stupid. He had let his jealousy take over him, it seemed. Valentine and Jocelyn were married, of course they're both the parents of Jace and Clary. It makes sense.

And then, he realized. "Wait, you are looking at me?"

Jace suddenly flushed. The omega turned his head away sharply. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Alec laughed. "I think you do."

Jace turned back towards Alec, the blush still on his face. "Alright, fine, yes, maybe I know what you're talking about. But you said it first, okay?"

Alec nodded. "I did." He took his parabatai's hands in his. "But you know, parabatai being in a relationship…"

Jace turned away and murmured, "Then it'll just be our secret, if you want."

"Isabelle would find out sooner or later," Alec said. "She's my sister after all." And Clary is yours. Does that mean she'll find out too? I… suppose I may be able to accept it. Now that I know she and Jace aren't, well…

"Then we tell Isabelle," Jace declared. "And Clary. And I suppose Clary would tell her mundane boyfriend-"

Simon? Alec wondered.

"-but that's it. No one else."

"That works," Alec agreed. Then, feeling brave, he said, "I love you, Jace."

Jace's blush, which had just begun to fade, suddenly returned. "I love you too, Alec."


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