Shadowhunters || Jimonael || Mutually Beneficial Arrangement || Jimonael || Shadowhunters
Title: Mutually Beneficial Arrangement – Sex, Submission and Blood
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: polyamory (m/m/m), voyeurism, masturbating, sex toys, explicit intercourse, anal, BDSM, hurt/comfort
Main Pairing: Raphael/(Simon/)Jace (this first part is exclusively Raphael/Jace; Simon is added in part 2)
Shadowhunters Characters: Jonathan 'Jace' Herondale, Raphael Santiago, Simon Lewis, Alexander 'Alec' Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood, Clarissa 'Clary' Fray, Magnus Bane, Rosa Santiago
Summary: Jace and Raphael met during a mission, months before the war. This isn't just Jace's first romantic relationship, it's also his first time being with an asexual partner. Raphael is sex-repulsed but Jace enjoys sex a lot, so they find a way that works for them both. They invite a sexual partner for Jace into their bed, Raphael enjoys watching, he loves the way Jace comes apart. When the war starts, Simon stumbles into their lives, their bed and in the end, their relationship.
Mutually Beneficial Arrangement
Sex, Submission and Blood
Part 1: Raphael and Jace
Jace Wayland and Raphael Santiago first met on official business. A rogue vampire was loose, so the clan showed interest in the mission. Mainly because at first, they had gotten blamed. The clan-leader, Camille Belcourt, could not be bothered to take care of this herself. Instead, she sent Raphael to tag along with the Shadowhunters, 'make sure they do their job'.
Raphael was snarky, dry-witted. Jace appreciated that. The two had hung back a little, talking while things were slow. The mission dragged on for days at a time without a clue and Jace wasn't exactly the patient kind who liked sitting around and waiting. He liked fighting and kicking ass.
Alec, he had the patience of a saint (which was, in Jace's personal opinion, most likely why he had stuck with being Jace's parabatai for so long now). Usually, he would simply stick with his parabatai. This time, there was another snarky, dry-witted person who was as annoyed by waiting. The two of them talked, because what else was there to do. It was stilted and awkward at first, but then they found common ground. Books. Jace brought up what he was currently reading and with that, they finally got things going. They had similar tastes in books, plural. After they discussed the one Jace was currently reading, he asked Raphael what he was reading and suddenly, the two were in their whole own world. It wasn't just that they knew the same literature, they had finally found someone they could have an intellectual conversation with about the books.
Izzy was brilliant, but more a scientist than a literature-nerd. Alec indulged Jace occasionally, but he was usually too busy for great literary discussions. And Max was, well, far too young to care about these things. Raphael had interesting takes, he also didn't just insist on his own interpretation of things, he allowed a conversation, an exchange of theories and thoughts. Jace enjoyed the conversations a lot. More with every single day that they spent together.
And then the mission ended. It had only been a bit under ten days. Not enough to make Jace desperate to ask for more. Their ways parted. It'd be fine. Everything would go back to normal. Only that Jace found himself wanting to speak to Raphael again.
When a mission made their paths cross again, they talked more. This one was smaller, Jace had only been sent to get the statement of a vampire who'd been witness to a crime. Just as he was about to leave the hotel, he happened to run into Raphael. He couldn't tell if it was truly a coincident, or if Raphael had sought him out when he had heard Jace was at the hotel. They went to the hotel's bar, shared a drink and talked about a book Raphael had recommended Jace last time that Jace since then had read. It was so... easy to talk to Raphael, despite the other being a vampire.
All his life, Jace had been taught that Downworlders were fundamentally different from Shadowhunters. Beneath them. By his father, then by the Clave. He hadn't fully bought into that for years now, not after moving to New York, after protecting Downworlders. They were human, the same as mundies or Shadowhunters, just different. On occasion, Jace would hook up with Downworlders, he'd never discriminated in the bedroom. But it had never been more than sex. He didn't bond, didn't go on dates. This was different. He was bonding, talking. Enjoying the time he was spending with Raphael, to the point of wanting to spend more time with him.
"It's getting early. I should be going," commented Jace with a look at the clock.
"Mh. Right, you don't get to sleep during the day," Raphael smirked a little. "Have fun at work."
"Thanks," Jace offered him a deadpan, though he lingered, not leaving yet.
"What are you doing Friday evening?" asked Raphael after another moment.
"The same as every Friday, probably. Train, polish my weapons..." Jace frowned confused.
"Very good, so you're free then. I'd like to continue this conversation. Over dinner?"
Pausing, Jace looked at the vampire. "What, like... a date?"
"It can be two... acquaintances meeting to talk over good books, if you'd prefer that."
With his heart in his throat did Jace stare at Raphael. He'd never been on a date. Not a proper one. The prospect of it made his heart race though, so that seemed like a pretty good indicator as to what he really wanted. If he didn't want this, he'd feel annoyed or indifferent. Instead, the thought made him giddy. When Jace waited too long to answer, Raphael offered him a bemused look.
"We can start it as a date and if we don't click, we can take the pressure off, make it casual."
"That... sounds good. Okay. Yeah. Where? When?" Jace frowned at the vampire.
Raphael held out his hand. "Give me your phone, I'll give you my number. Then I'll text you."
Nodding slowly, Jace handed Raphael his phone. He felt oddly eager when he accepted his phone back. He'd hear from Raphael and then they'd go... on a real date.
/break\
Raphael had never expected to find a Shadowhunter tempting, until he was put on a mission with the Lightwoods. Isabelle had something intriguing about herself and Raphael had thought he'd strike up a conversation with her, but then he got distracted by the blonde. Jace. Potentially the one Lightwood Raphael had expected not to get along – the cocky brute, as Raphael had heard from others in the past. Suppose the cocky brute front served well in a fight and to intimidate someone. When bored out of his mind, he got impatient, twitching, pouting. Talking. They had nothing else to do. Turned out he had interesting things to say and actually good taste in books. For days of following leads and searching for the rogue – who proved to be an expert at hiding – and Raphael spent his time talking to Jace. He enjoyed their conversations, Jace's insight into story telling and character developments was unexpected. The mission ended and Raphael returned to his usual routine, though he had to admit, when he next walked through the hotel's library, he found himself picking a book based on Jace's recommendation.
It was when Jace came to the hotel again, a few weeks later, to interrogate a vampire that Raphael knew he couldn't shake the blonde. One glimpse of golden hair and a whiff of Jace's scent and Raphael's entire attention was taken. He lingered about until Jace was done with his work and then he approached the Shadowhunter. There was a strange sense of relief that filled Raphael when Jace didn't brush him off but instead seemed rather eager to talk to Raphael again. The two went to the bar together and talked for hours, time flying by. Raphael couldn't remember the last time he had felt this engaged with a single person. So much so that by the end of the night, he knew he had to dare. He asked Jace out for a date, which seemed to make Jace nervous. That could have led to rejection, but it might also mean he was as eager as Raphael and as unsure too.
Friday evening came and Raphael changed clothes three times. Which was silly, he was aware. But he hadn't been interested in someone in years. He wanted to leave a good impression on Jace. Only that Raphael hadn't considered Jace's wardrobe situation. Jace was wearing his usual right pants and black shirt. They looked good on him, of course, but Raphael wondered if the other even had clothes for the sole purpose of looking good and not being practical for a fight.
"You're looking good," offered Raphael as he got up to greet Jace.
"You... clean up nice. I feel underdressed," Jace chuckled a little.
"Well, I chose a restaurant that wouldn't turn you away for a t-shirt, so you're fine."
Raphael smiled teasingly at Jace, getting a small laugh out of the blonde before they both sat down. The atmosphere was a bit awkward as both stared at the menus, trying to decide what to take. Raphael had picked a Downworlder-run restaurant, where he could order additional blood for his.
"Would you like to share a bottle of red?" asked Raphael. "Wine."
"Yeah, I figured you weren't suggesting blood to me," Jace quirked his lips bemused. "Sure."
Wine helped loosen the tongue. This was different than the way they met and talked so far. There was a certain pressure this time around. A glass of wine in, with the salads in front of them, they started talking. Catching up, first. Raphael asked about Isabelle and Alec, knowing Jace cared deeply about his siblings. He inquired about the case that had brought Jace to the hotel earlier this week. Then, he dropped that he had started reading the book Jace had recommended him. Conversation about it flowed so easily that the main course passed and Jace ate a dessert.
"This was... nice," noted Jace as they headed out.
"Would you... like to accompany me to the hotel so we can continue this conversation? I'd love to hear more about your theory on the main characters' relationship," inquired Raphael.
At that, the blonde perked up some. Good. So Jace didn't want the night to end either. The two walked back to Hotel Dumort while talking. As soon as they entered Raphael's suite, he found himself backed against the door by the Shadowhunter. Jace was cupping his neck, pulling him closer. For a moment, Raphael considered pushing him away. He wasn't much of a fan of kissing. Right now, though, he wouldn't mind. He wanted to kiss Jace. So he laid his arms around the blonde's waist and pulled him closer until their lips touched. Jace tasted like the wine they had shared and a lingering of the strawberry tart he'd had for dessert. And then Jace's hands started wandering, over Raphael's chest and to the buttons of his shirt. It made the vampire chuckle amused as he caught Jace's hands by the wrists. The blonde made a confused noise against Raphael's lips.
"I took you back here to continue our conversation. Not to have sex with you."
"...Huh?" Jace brought a bit of distance between them, blinking at him. "I thought you were the kind of guy who just wants a meal before sex. But... you don't... want sex? Third date?"
Again, Raphael had to chuckle. The genuine confusion on Jace's face was somewhat endearing. Though he supposed, this was as good a time as any to come out to Jace. He didn't want Jace to get his hopes up about something he was never going to get from Raphael. Jace had quite the reputation, Raphael had heard from multiple clan-members; he was a very sexual creature so this might be a deal-breaker for Jace. And both of them deserved to know that before it was too late.
"I'm not interested in sex, period," Raphael adjusted Jace's hands in his to pull the blonde along toward the couch so they could sit down together. "That's not about you. It's about me."
"I... don't understand," admitted Jace confused. "You're... a virgin? And you're unsure?"
"No. To both," Raphael chuckled softly, finding Jace's confused look very cute. "I don't enjoy sex. I am asexual, meaning I don't feel sexually attracted to people. And I... don't enjoy sex."
"I still don't understand," Jace paused, pressing his lips together closely. "I'm sorry. I just... I've never heard of that before. You don't like sex at all? It's not that you don't find me attractive? Because... it's okay if you don't, no offense taken. We could just be friends."
"You're very gorgeous," offered Raphael, smiling at Jace. "You're good-looking and I certainly appreciate the view here. The view just doesn't make me want to have sex with you. Because I don't... feel that. I've never experienced that, not even when I was still alive."
"I have many questions and I don't know how many of them are offensive."
"I appreciate that you're aware some of them might be," Raphael raised an eyebrow and got up. "How about I get us another bottle of wine, you think about what questions you want to ask me and I'll answer them. I'll explain it to you. And then you have a choice."
"I have a what?" Jace stared after Raphael in even more confusion.
"A choice," repeated Raphael while he got the glasses. "Because I will never have sex with you. I'll explain to you why and then you have to decide how important sex is for you in a relationship and if you're willing to give us a chance, knowing we'll never have sex with each other."
To his credit, Jace was simply sitting there, nodding slowly. Processing, Raphael assumed. There was going to be a lot to process for Jace from hereon out, if he didn't understand asexuality yet.
/break\
Jace groaned as he collapsed on Alec's bed, spreading his arms wide, glaring up at the ceiling. Alec raised a curious eyebrow as he exited his bathroom to check what had his parabatai so upset. He'd been feeling it, through the bond, over the past few weeks now. Frustration. Which was strange, because Alec knew that kind of frustration – sexual frustration. And that, that was the one thing Alec had thought would be solved by Jace's newest acquisition. A boyfriend. Usually, when this kind of pent-up frustration was building up enough to pass through the bond, Jace would go to Pandemonium, or Hunter's Moon, find a hook-up for the day. Now, he had a boyfriend. That should lead to enough sex in between to not have it build up this much. Instead, if anything, Alec felt like Jace was even more frustrated than ever before. It was time to ask questions he didn't want to ask.
"Why are you sexually frustrated? Please, give me the answer with the least amount of details."
"Because masturbation only gets you off this far," Jace grunted annoyed. "Sure, it gets you off. But it's not really... satisfying like having a partner to do it with."
"You have a partner. Why... aren't you having sex with him?" Alec closed his eyes exhausted.
For a moment, Jace frowned at him, before he sighed. "It's not my thing to share, but it is my relationship and you are my parabatai and I should be able to talk to my parabatai about my relationship, right? So you... You gotta keep it to yourself, okay?"
"Whatever it is, it stays between us," promised Alec curiously.
He approached Jace and sat down next to him, waiting patiently. Now, he was genuinely intrigued.
"Raph's asexual, which... took me a while to understand what that means, but basically, he doesn't like having sex. So... we're not... having sex," explained Jace, waving his hands around a little. "But I am very much sexually attracted to him! He's hot. Have you seen him? Especially without his shirt. No, wait, you haven't seen that. But he's hot in his well-tailored suits too. Anyway, dating him makes me increasingly more horny than just my regular single life. So I jerk off. More than... ever since I like turned sixteen and discovered sex. It's... frustrating."
"Then why are you dating him?" asked Alec a little lost. "If it's so frustrating?"
"Not getting laid is the frustrating part, the sexually frustrating part. But dating Raph is... is the opposite of frustrating?" Jace looked at him, as though he didn't know what to say or how to say it. "He... I love talking to him, listening to him. Spending time with him. Walks in the park, reading together – don't look at me like that, sometimes we just... sit together and he reads to me, or I read to him. We have a book that we are specifically reading together. I... feel heard with him? He values my opinions, listens to me. He sings, you know. I play the piano and he sings. I like falling asleep with him, just... holding me. We went shopping last week and he made me try on all these clothes, we were joking and laughing and he... bought a fancy suit for me, so he could take me to some fancy restaurant two days ago. And... I just... I'm happy, Alec. I really am."
That made Alec pause, because part of what made the frustration feel so out of place was that... yes. Jace was happy, truly genuinely happy. Happier than Alec had ever felt or seen him. Especially when he was at the Hotel Dumort, there would be this warm buzzing feeling coming through the bond. Alec had been skeptical of this relationship at first. Raphael was a vampire, after all. Alec was sure there was an ulterior motive here. But Jace was happy, genuinely happy, so he dropped it.
"Okay. Can I... make a suggestion?" Alec searched Jace's face, until the blonde nodded. "Talk to him. You like being with him, you seem to be trusting him. Then talk to him about this, since this is your relationship – both of yours. He must have experience with relationships, with people who do want to have sex, maybe he has a suggestion on how you can deal with this."
Jace blinked surprised and then he nodded. "I... I guess you're right. I just, I might have been a bit... afraid, to bring it up. I don't want him to think his asexuality bothers me."
"Then make sure he knows that when you talk to him," suggested Alec.
/break\
Jace was pacing nervously in Raphael's suite. Lily had let him in, she was one of the few vampires Jace actually got along with, now that he was dating Raphael. Right now, Raph was still at a meeting with Camille and some others. In general, Jace tried to avoid the clan-leader. She was a real piece of work. So Jace hid out in Raph's suite, waiting. He'd filled that time by baking at first, but baking came with that stage where the thing was in the oven and there was more waiting.
"Mh. It smells delicious. Are you baking brownies, angelito?"
The nickname made Jace melt a little. He loved those, especially the Spanish ones, because he loved the way it would roll off Raphael's tongue. Jace paused in his pacing, allowing Raphael to approach him and pull him in to kiss Jace's cheek. Gently, Jace rubbed his nose against Raphael's cheek, though he didn't get a kiss from it. It was a system they had put in place, because part of Raphael's sex-repulsion included kissing. En large, Raphael found kissing gross. Only sometimes was he in the mood for a proper kiss on the mouth. But asking verbally every time he wanted a kiss had proven to be a bit awkward, so they did this instead. Jace would gently brush his face and nose against Raphael's cheek to ask for a kiss. If Raphael was in the mood for it, Jace would get a kiss. Instead, Raphael simply kissed Jace's cheek softly.
"Yeah. Brownies. I put nuts in, I know you like that," whispered Jace with a small smile.
"What did I do to deserve freshly baked brownies?" Raphael looked very pleased.
"I... I came because I think we need to talk but you weren't there so I... baked."
"Mh. We need to talk, rarely bodes well," Raphael took off his suit-jacket. "What is going on?"
The vampire walked over to sit on his couch, patting the spot next to himself to make Jace follow him. The blonde did so, though he also nervously tapped his fingers against his knees while simultaneously biting his lips. Unsure how to say what he wanted to say.
"I am... sexually frustrated, to the point of Alec getting annoyed with me because he can feel it through the bond," admitted Jace after a moment. "I've been... masturbating a lot. A lot-a lot."
A frown took over Raphael's face and he sighed softly. "So... while it wasn't a problem initially, my asexuality is a deal-breaker after all then? Now that we've tried this for a few weeks?"
"No!" Jace spoke quickly, maybe a bit louder than intended. "Your asexuality isn't a deal-breaker. I... I actually..." Jace blushed and turned to look away from Raphael. "I like it."
"Mh. Interesting. Well, consider me confused now," Raphael furrowed his brows. "What... does that mean? That you 'like' it? And how... does that relate to you being sexually frustrated then?"
Groaning softly, Jace ran his fingers through his hair and tilted his head back. "I like your asexuality because... you're not sexually attracted to me."
Raphael sat quietly, waiting for Jace to find the right words to continue. "All my life, I've... always just been my body. For my father and the Clave, I had to be strong, the strongest possible. A good fighter. So I became the best Shadowhunter of my generation. And many of my... past conquests only wanted that too, wanted to be with the best Shadowhunter of our generation. And beyond that, I was a good lay. I've never had a romantic relationship before. I had people lust after me, I hooked up with them but it was never more than sex. They never wanted more than sex from me."
For a moment, Jace paused and looked at Raphael with a crooked grin. "If you did... want me, sexually, I think that... would actually stand between us. I've spent too much time being reduced to my body and I would probably think you'd just put up with the dates and cuddling just so you can get to the sex. I love that... my body is the one thing you don't want from me. You don't need my status to brag about having slept with the best Shadowhunter of our generation, because you're a vampire, if anything me being a Shadowhunter is probably a status problem for you. You don't need my strength in the sense that you'd need me to protect you, because, again, vampire. You're strong enough to protect yourself. And... you don't want me for sex."
Again, Jace paused, this time to wet his lips. "Aside from Alec, you are the first person who makes me feel like you like me for me, my... personality. Like you genuinely like me."
"I do," offered Raphael at that point, knowing he didn't have to. "And... thank you, for... telling me that. I know you don't like to talk about your feelings, angelito. Though I am... still confused."
"I'm sexually frustrated... I don't know... what to do about it. I thought we should... Well, Alec thought we should talk about this," replied Jace, biting his lip again. "You're old. You must have had relationships with other allosexuals before. How... I just, I don't even know what I'm asking."
"I've dated allos before," confirmed Raphael. "Some... cheated on me. Others were fine with the masturbation. With one, there was a... kick to it, if I watched. She found it frustrating to do it all by herself, so she suggested to involve me, without involving me. I watched her, it turned her on, sometimes I'd tell her what to do. Perhaps we could try that?"
"Okay. That... That sounds interesting. Honestly better than, uh, jerking off quietly in your bathroom while you're still asleep," Jace cleared his throat, trying to cover for his blush.
"...I'm sorry, are you implying you're trying to be quiet in there?" Raphael raised his eyebrows.
Jace's eyes widened in mortification. "W... What? I was quiet! I kept quiet."
Raphael tilted his head curiously. "I am... now intrigued. Let's try this then. For now, I do want my brownies though. And then... there was this movie I've heard about that I thought you might like."
"Movie night. Okay. I do like those. I'll get the brownies. You get... a shower."
"Oh, are you implying I stink?" Raphael huffed offended.
"You spent too much time with Belcourt. You smell like her perfume, it's nauseating."
"You nearly sound jealous. How endearing. I like that," Raphael chuckled and leaned in, gently pecking Jace's lips. "Very well, I will shower and you get the brownies, corazón."
/break\
That night, Jace fell asleep against Raphael during the movie. He must have been overworking himself again. Raphael gently carded his fingers through Jace's hair until the movie ended and afterward, carried Jace over to the bed, undressing him until he was only wearing his underwear. The blonde was overly cuddly, something that Raphael enjoyed thoroughly. He loved touch and intimacy, as long as it was non-sexual. And Jace, he was touch-starved, an after-effect of his childhood abuse at his father's hands. Something Jace had shared with Raphael two weeks into dating. He'd started opening up, sharing his old wounds with Raphael. That made Raphael feel honored, and also like Jace was truly trusting him, truly committed to this relationship.
"Good morning, angelito," whispered Raphael into Jace's ear before kissing his cheek.
His hand danced over Jace's ribs, relishing in the warmth of his lover's skin. The perks of being alive. Raphael loved feeling Jace's skin against his own. His fingers traced over Jace's hard abs, enjoying the smoothness of his skin. Jace moaned softly, arching into the touch.
Raphael's eyes found the tent in Jace's boxers. "Would you like to try last night's suggestion?"
Suddenly, the blonde was wide-awake and sitting up eagerly. Cute, with the messy hair pointing everywhere. Slowly, Jace licked his lips. He looked nervous. Raphael smiled and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on Jace's cheek. That relaxed the Shadowhunter a bit.
"Okay... so... how do we... do that?" Jace furrowed his brows.
"Have you ever been involved in a BDSM relationship?" wanted Raphael to know.
"Uh... I guess. I had a few, yeah," Jace looked both intrigued and confused now.
"So, you know about safewords? The stoplight method?"
"Yeah. And yeah. Red means stop, yellow slow down, green it's fine," Jace shrugged vaguely.
"Good," Raphael hummed and cupped Jace's cheek. "If this doesn't work for either of us, we can call it off at any given moment. Aside from that, you follow my orders, my lead. Okay?"
"Okay. I'm used to following orders," Jace chuckled weakly.
"Good. Let's start with an easy one: Undress yourself."
Jace stood and then slowly took off his boxers, standing before Raphael in all of his naked glory. On a rational level, Raphael understood why Jace was so popular when it came to sex. He was gorgeous and, judging by what was pointing his way, rather well-endowed too. Amusingly enough, Jace didn't seem nervous anymore. He seemed comfortable. This was something he knew.
"You're beautiful," commented Raphael, knowing that Jace relished in compliments and praise. "Come back here. I want you to lay on the bed, on your back."
Jace was quick to obey the order, crawling onto the bed and getting comfortable. All the while, Raphael got up and walked over to the arm-chair he had in his bedroom for reading. He adjusted it to face the bed so he had the perfect view on Jace. He sat down, taking his time.
"Spread your legs, I want to see you, angel," prompted Raphael. "Good boy. Now... Mh. I want you to do it the way you always do, I want to see how you pleasure yourself. I'll direct you next time, but now I want to see what you like, what gets you off."
Jace's left hand was wandering over his chest, squeezing his pecks and then circling his nipple until it was hard. His other hand wandered down to his cock and he started palming himself slowly while playing with his nipples, switching between them. Jace's eyelids fluttered shut and he threw his head back, moaning softly as he arched into his hand with his hard cock.
"Don't hold back," ordered Raphael. "If you were 'keeping quiet' in the bathroom, I don't want you to hold back, I want to hear all your sounds at full volume."
The soft moans turned louder, more wanting. Whimpers followed, small, pleading noises. What a beautiful symphony. Raphael tilted his head and drank in the sight and sound of it all as Jace's other hand wandered down his body and behind his thigh. He put his leg up for better access, one hand on his cock and the other hand finding its way between his cheeks. Interesting. Raphael watched how Jace slowly rubbed circles around his hole before easing a finger in. The blonde moaned darkly as he pumped the finger in and out of himself while fucking into his fist.
"Beautiful," whispered Raphael in awe. "Be good for me, can you come for me?"
"Ye—es," Jace gasped breathlessly as he came into his hand.
"Good boy, very good," praised Raphael with a smile.
While Jace was catching his breath, Raphael got up to fetch a towel, soaking it with lukewarm water and then returning to Jace. He gently brushed over Jace's face and chest before handing the towel over to Jace so the Shadowhunter could clean himself up fully.
"How was that?" asked Raphael gently as he sat down next to Jace.
"...Interesting," admitted Jace after a moment. "I did like when you... well..."
"Praised you?" offered Raphael amused. "I know you do. I figured you would like it in bed too."
Jace flushed and glared, though it was half-hearted. "I guess we could... try this more..."
Smiling at him, Raphael leaned down to kiss his forehead. "For now, breakfast?"
/break\
"Mijo. I nearly forgot what you look like, it's been so long since you came to visit me."
Raphael rolled his eyes as he entered the loft of the High Warlock. Of course he got the guilt-trip. Admittedly, he had not been over in a while. But then, Raphael and Magnus had never really sat on each other like that. Sometimes, months would pass with them busy with their own lives. Though, during those times, they were usually also not living in the same city.
"I... have met someone," stated Raphael as he hugged Magnus.
"Oh. You meet someone and you just immediately drop me," Magnus gasped with a pout.
Rolling his eyes, Raphael walked past Magnus toward the balcony. The stars were beautiful tonight. If he got his will, Raphael would be in the park, having a picnic with Jace where the two would lay together and gaze at the stars afterward. Jace knew all the stories, the myths behind star-signs and Raphael loved listening to Jace tell them to him while they looked at the stars. Alas, Jace was out on a mission with Alec and Izzy. So Raphael thought he'd spend his free night with Magnus instead.
"No. But I know you, Magnus," Raphael glared at Magnus. "I... didn't want you to stalk him and grill him before I am sure where I stand with him."
Magnus raised his eyebrows interested at that as he went to fetch them two glasses of wine. "Which means you are... sure in what you have with this person? Sure enough to let me know?"
Accepting the wine-glass, Raphael first took a deep drink from it before answering. "Yes, I am. He... makes me feel in a way I haven't felt in a long time, Magnus."
"Tell me more about him," prompted Magnus as the two got comfortable.
"He's a Shadowhunter," Raphael figured he should get this out of the way. "We met during a shared mission. He has... great taste in books. We talked for hours, days long. I just... I love talking to him. We've been going out for a few weeks now. He bakes for me. We cook together, watch movies."
"You do look happy," Magnus grinned a little. "The way you smile while talking about him. So... did you come out to him? How is he handling that?"
"In a way I've never seen before," admitted Raphael, huffing out a small laugh. "He's... He has some baggage. Didn't have the best childhood, lived with many expectations. He has never been with someone for more than sex. So... I think, or rather he thinks, that he has an easier time believing me that I have romantic feelings for him because I don't want him carnally."
"Well, you should maybe get your boy some therapy," Magnus furrowed his brows.
Raphael hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know if he would be accepting of that. One thing at a time. For now I'm pleased to make him trust me and believe that what we have is real. But yes, it might be a good idea to suggest therapy to him. He's shared some of the... things he has been through."
"Is it very bad?" Magnus looked concerned.
"His father was an abusive, manipulative bastard," Raphael glared viciously at nothing in particular. "And if the man wasn't already dead, I would be very happy to help him out with that."
Magnus raised his eyebrows stunned at that but didn't comment on it. "I demand to meet him, you know. Dinner, here. Also, what is his name? You haven't even mentioned that yet."
"Jace. His name is Jace Wayland. And... I'll bring him over some time. But not anytime soon. You would just chase him away by being overbearing, Magnus."
"Such rude accusations," Magnus huffed, though he also grinned.
/break\
Magnus smiled bemused as he got a bouquet of flowers thrust at him. Not roses, none that looked romantic, but still a beautiful array of purple flowers. Holding the flowers was a blonde Shadowhunter, easily identified as such by the rune on his neck. Though at least he was cleaning up nicely, wearing a dark-red dress-shirt and black pants. Judging by the style and how well-tailored they were to him, Magnus guessed that Raphael had gotten those for the blonde.
"You must be Jace. I've heard a lot about you," Magnus smiled. "Thank you for the flowers."
"Iz – my sister – said it's polite to bring something but I didn't really know what," admitted Jace, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "I don't know enough about wine to pick one, so I figured... flowers. Uhm. Thank you for having me over. I... haven't really met anyone important to Raph, aside from Lily and the other clan-members."
"You're nervous. It's quite adorable," Magnus chuckled. "That means he's not just a conquest to you. There would be nothing to be nervous about if there were no stakes. That implies you care what I will think about you, because what I think is important to him. So he is important to you."
"H... He is," Jace averted his eyes, flushing brightly. "I've never met someone like him."
"Would you like a drink while we wait for Raphael to get here?" offered Magnus.
"Yeah," Jace heaved a relieved sigh at that. "I could use it. Thanks."
The two took their seats at the set table outside on the balcony, Magnus watching Jace's every move. He was very nice to look at, Raphael had good taste in pretty boys, that much was for sure.
"I'm... Raph said that you're like a father to him," Jace paused, pressing his lips together. "I don't really know what to do with that. For one, because you look the same age. That's... kind of..."
"You're dating an immortal. You must be aware of that, little Shadowhunter."
"No. Yes. I'm..." Jace had the decency to pause. "Okay, maybe I'm not that... It's never really come up so far. He's a vampire, I know that. But... I've never gotten... attached like that."
"Neither has he. Not to a mortal," Magnus looked at the blonde seriously.
"Ah. So you invited me over to give me an intervention?" Jace offered a snarky half-smile. "That I'm just going to hurt him on the long run? I won't. We've been dating for like three months now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and think about what will be in thirty years."
"Of course you're not thinking about your relationship lasting that long," Magnus tilted his head. "And it might seem unreal right now, but as an immortal, you have to think about the future."
"I'm a Shadowhunter. It's not that likely that I'll be alive in thirty years," countered Jace. "I think it's important to enjoy the now, because there might not be a future."
Magnus stared at him in surprise. Oh, he was definitely going to ask Catarina for a Downworlder therapist for that Shadowhunter, because Raphael was very attached to him and Magnus would like that boy to thus be around for a while. Though on the long run, Magnus was concerned. He had never seen Raphael this happy or attached before.
"I'm sorry I'm late. Clan-business to take care of," Raphael sighed as he walked out onto the balcony, heading straight for Jace. "Hello, angelito, please tell me Magnus was nice to you."
He actually kissed Jace on the mouth. That was something Magnus knew Raphael did rarely. The way the blonde smiled when they parted told Magnus that Jace knew how much those kisses meant and he valued it. Raphael sat down next to Jace, pulling the blonde closer until Jace was practically sitting on his lap, leaning against the vampire for comfort.
"My, aren't you two adorable?" Magnus smiled teasingly, though he meant it.
/break\
"I have bought you a present, amor," whispered Raphael darkly.
There was a sweet, pleased way of Raphael saying that, that usually entailed either food or clothes. But this dark note, that has come to mean sex-toys. The first time Jace had heard it, his boyfriend had presented Jace with a dark-red dildo and commented on how he thought they could use this the next time Jace jerked off, since he seemed to enjoy anal penetration. Jace had been embarrassed at first. He'd never used a sex-toy before. Not exactly something Shadowhunters came across easily.
He'd enjoyed it, surprisingly much. It apparently also pleased Raphael, because he heaped praise onto Jace and showered him with attention and love afterward. And he bought Jace another toy the week after, a vibrating one this time, which holy shit, Jace now regretted never getting one before.
"Wha—at did you get me this time?" Jace grinned eagerly, accepting the gift.
He opened the slender box and then made a confused noise. The thing inside was golden, bulb-shaped but with a strange, flat ending on which a red, sparkling jewel sat. Jewelry...?
"...No, seriously, what did you get me?" Jace held the object up and turned it over.
"It's called a butt-plug. You can picture where it goes now," Raphael smirked amused. "You put it in and... the jewel sticks out between your cheeks. I think it would suit you well."
"That's... and then?" asked Jace curiously.
"You just wear it. I'd imagine you, in just the apron and the plug, making brownies for me."
Raphael's smirk turned sharper as he kissed Jace's shoulder. Jace hummed intrigued and turned the plug around in his hand again. A grin spread over Jace's lips as he turned around to kiss Raphael's cheek. This could be fun. At the very least, Jace was interested in trying it.
"Okay, let's give this a try," nodded Jace pleased.
"Good," Raphael's voice dropped. "Then be good for me and take off your clothes. Put the plug in."
"Yes, sir," Jace's grin turned more delighted, a shudder wrecking his body.
He loved what they did. He'd never been with a steady dom before. Yes, he had some hook-ups who were into BDSM. Some orders, getting tied up, tying his partner up. But a real BDSM relationship actually required, well, a relationship – a bond of trust. Something he hadn't shared with anyone before. He'd also never gotten to try things out to this extend. One-night-stands tended to just be the flavor of the day. With Raphael, he could repeatedly do things they enjoyed, then try new things. Slowly figuring out what worked best for them both. It was so good, Jace had never gotten to share this with anyone. It wasn't entirely perfect, because Jace longed to be touched, but Jace was okay with not being touched if it meant he got to experience this with Raphael.
"Jace," Raphael's voice dropped to a displeased growl.
Jace winced a little when he was naked. Right. There was that large bruise on his ribs that still needed to fully heal. Damn it. He hadn't meant to be naked in front of Raphael until it was healed.
"I didn't... It was just a minor incident. I'm fine," promised Jace quickly.
"You know you're supposed to tell me when you get seriously injured," Raphael's voice and touch were gentle as he traced the huge bruise. "I know your job is dangerous. I'm not trying to make you quit that, but I do want to know when you got hurt, amor."
Raphael cupped Jace's face, kissing him softly on the mouth, filled with warmth and love. Jace melted a little against his boyfriend, his heart fluttering with the care and concern in Raphael's voice and words. Raphael smiled as he laid his arms around Jace's waist.
"How badly does it hurt? And don't say 'not at all'. You don't have to push yourself, not when you're with me. You can just curl together on the bed, I will make you a soup."
Jace bit his lips to suppress the happy grin he felt coming on. "It really doesn't hurt much. Just a bit sore. It's already healing. Give it an hour or two and it'll be all gone. I'll take you up on that offer when it's something actually serious, okay? Right now, I like your previous suggestion more..."
"Mh... Good. I was hoping for some fresh brownies today," Raphael smirked.
Jace picked the plug up and went to the bedroom to find the lube. His nightstand – he had his own nightstand – was filled with the sex-toys Raphael had gotten him and lube. He slicked the plug up and carefully eased it in. It was weird, different than a dildo or vibrator. Craning his neck, he checked himself in the mirror. Huh. This did look interesting, with the red jewel poking out.
"See, you look gorgeous, as I knew you would," Raphael commented pleased.
"Thank you," Jace smiled as he got off the bed, just to squeak a little.
"What was that sound?" Raphael raised one eyebrow.
"Uh. It... shifted. When I moved. That's... interesting. I've never had something up my ass while... walking," Jace adjusted his stance a little, humming to himself. "Mh."
"Let's see how interesting it is while you bake," commented Raphael amused.
"And you're just going to, what, sit there and watch me?" asked Jace, chuckling.
"Maybe..." Raphael's voice was a thoughtful drawl. "I'll do some paperwork and occasionally reward myself by looking at my gorgeous boyfriend. One should not look away from the beautiful art they keep in their home, after all."
Jace huffed fondly though he went ahead to make the brownies. The routine of baking was calming for him, especially after a dangerous mission where something hadn't gone according to plan. Sure, the injury was mostly healed at this point, but when it had actually happened? It had been scary, he had thrown himself between Izzy and harm's way. She would have been off much worse than he was currently if he hadn't done that. Jace had lost his mother before ever meeting her, he had lost his father in front of his eyes, he wasn't going to lose anyone else.
/break\
Meeting Magnus had made him nervous the first time, but it got better the second time. What truly terrified Jace was meeting Raphael's only living blood-relative though. Not because blood was more important than the chosen family, Jace knew that not to be true, but because Magnus Bane was a powerful warlock who could protect himself, who just met Jace. Rosa Santiago was an elderly mundane. She was a weakness. Anyone knowing about her existence could use her against Raphael, could use her to threaten him or hurt him. Magnus was a relationship Raphael showed in public, Rosa was someone so precious and vulnerable that Raphael hid her from the public.
The thing about Rosa was that meeting her always went differently. The very first meeting had not been the best, because Rosa had a bad day. She mostly just stared out the window and when she talked, she didn't exactly engage with them. Jace had felt awful afterward, because he could see the pain in Raphael's eyes and he couldn't imagine that himself. His own sister not recognizing him.
Not all days were bad though. Some days, Rosa lived in the past. Those were tricky. The ones when she went back far enough in her mind to a time that Raphael was still alive, she would recognize him and for a short time, Raphael could pretend to still be a mundie, happy with his sister. Those days hurt to watch too, but they hit differently. That was when Jace truly realized just how much his boyfriend had lost. His mortality, the sun, his family. Still, those were good days, on their own, even if the staff at the home didn't categorize them as such. For Jace's immortal boyfriend, they were.
The best days were the ones when she was truly in the here and now, like today. Today was a good day, her mind was clear and present. She turned to smile at Jace and Raphael as they approached her, Jace carrying a large bouquet with flowers that he offered her as soon as he was within reach.
"Hello, Rosa. You are looking lovely as always," Jace smiled and kissed her hand.
Rosa laughed, giggled really. "Oh, oh, you are such a charmer, Jace!"
While it pleased Jace that she recognized him, it brightened Raphael up so much. The vampire stepped past his Shadowhunter, to pull Rosa into a tight hug that she readily accepted.
"Oh, mijo, you are so cold. You should go to the doctor. Jace, make your boyfriend go see a doctor."
When visiting Rosa, Raphael pretended to be his own grandson, named after himself. It wasn't rare for people to name their sons after their fathers. And what a good boy he was, taking care of his grandfather's sister. That was the legal identity under which he had signed Rosa up at the home and under which he paid the bills. Rosa would always comment just how much Raphael looked like her brother. And though Jace knew that lying to her hurt Raphael too, he was also happy to have her remember him. He smiled as he brushed her hair back.
"I will go see a doctor, I promise," offered Raphael gently.
"Good boy," Rosa smiled, patting Raphael's cheek. "And have you proposed yet?"
Jace's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed and, much to his relief, Raphael looked just as surprised and embarrassed. Their reaction just made Rosa laugh loudly as she adjusted the flowers.
"He is a good boy, Raphael, you should not let the good ones get away," warned Rosa. "You don't want to be... old and lonely, like me. Don't let him get away. Don't have any regrets."
"Old? You? Not a day over thirty, are you?" Jace deflected with flirty charm and humor.
"Seriously, Rapha, you marry this one, or I will," threatened Rosa with a smile.
"You should listen to her, babe, or I might just leave you for her," Jace grinned teasingly. "She has the Santiago charms too, you know. And she clearly appreciates me."
"You know I appreciate you too, angelito," Raphael huffed beneath his breath.
"But not enough to put a ring on it!" Rosa gestured. "You have to put a ring on it, like this nice girl on the radio was singing. I know you can now, marry, that is."
Raphael took a deep breath and covered half his face with his hand, trying to hide his embarrassment. Jace shouldn't find that as adorable as he did, but oh it was cute to see his put-together boyfriend so flustered. It was one of the reasons Jace loved visiting Rosa; she changed Raphael. He was so soft and vulnerable around her. Open. Yes, he was open around Jace too, but this was different. Jace understood that. What they had was good, but still new and it couldn't compare to a life-long family-bond. Seeing this side of Raphael made Jace feel warm.
"Let's go and sit outside. We also brought you cake, that Jace made."
"Mh, another reason he is husband-material, mijo," pointed Rosa out mischievously.
Jace laughed pleased as he helped her outside onto the balcony of her room.
/break\
Though Raphael had no desires to have sex himself, he had to admit that he found the act fascinating to watch. Yes, in modern times, he'd watch porn, curious and perhaps even an edge hopeful that if he found something he liked, he would learn to enjoy sex too. That had been before he came to terms with the fact that what he felt was real. Was something others experienced too. He wasn't broken, he didn't need to be fixed, to find a solution. Sex wasn't an inherent part of being human. Learning there was a term for it had helped the most, if he was being honest. Things that had names were less scary. If something was only a vague concept he thought he was alone in experiencing, he thought the fault must lay with him. But asexuality was was something other people experienced, experienced with pride at that.
Jace was beautiful. Lean, muscular, with toned abs and smooth skin, full lips and a charming smile. More beautiful than Michelangelo could have ever carved out of marble. Seeing him in the throws of pleasure was a sight to behold. Naked, sweaty, his mouth open in a little o as all those delightful sounds spilled from those pink lips. Raphael loved the way Jace would follow his orders, obey his commands, beg and plead. The way Jace would work himself open, fucking himself until he came.
Messy and gross thing that Raphael truly didn't want to be personally involved with. Bodily fluids, not his thing. Watching Jace get to that point thought, that was gorgeous to observe. And Jace had never pushed for Raphael to participate, he had always respected that Raphael didn't want to be involved in it personally. Sadly, Raphael knew that wasn't necessarily a given. Many of his past partners had respected that, but others thought they were the one, the one with the magic genitalia that was going to make Raphael realize that he actually did want to have sex.
"Ra—aph," Jace's voice was a soft, desperate whine.
Right. Raphael smiled and lifted his wine-glass up to his lips, drinking slowly. The subject of his musings was writhing on the bed, working the large, black dildo into himself. Had been doing that for the past half hour. Sometimes, Raphael liked dragging it out. Jace got more desperate and needy when he had to wait for his release. Raphael loved that, loved how compliant he could be.
"Yes, angelito?" Raphael raised an eyebrow. "What is it you want?"
"Co—ome," Jace moaned, arching his back.
"Full sentences, darling," ordered Raphael sternly.
"I want to come. Ple—ease, Raph, please," Jace whimpered softly.
He did beg oh so prettily. Raphael put his glass aside and tilted his head.
"Very well. You have been good. You're allowed to come, amor."
The moan escaping Jace was both relieved and filled with pleasure. A beautiful sound as Jace came hard, shooting his cum in an arc all over his chest. Panting breathlessly, Jace collapsed back onto the bed, going lax. Gorgeous. Gently, Raphael brushed Jace's hair out of his face.
"Tell me what you need, angel," requested Raphael gently.
"...Bath...?" Jace looked up at him hopefully.
"I'll draw you a bath," Raphael smiled and kissed Jace's forehead.
With that, he left to draw the bath for Jace. He added the scented bubble bath that he knew Jace loved and some rose-petals for good measure. His Shadowhunter had earned it. Once the bathtub was filled, he went to get Jace, finding the blonde half-asleep and curled together.
"How are you feeling, love?" asked Raphael as he gently woke him.
"Mh... bath...?" Jace looked up. "...Carry me?"
A few times, Raphael simply blinked at his lover, before laughing delighted. Jace was a strong fighter. Raphael had seen the blonde push through broken ribs. So this? Raphael was aware that Jace could quite easily walk to the bathroom. That he chose to ask for help, comfort, that was huge. Jace didn't ask for help, even if he truly needed it. Yet over the past months of their relationship, Jace had come to trust Raphael and rely on him. Trusting Raphael to carry him like that, asking for a silly thing that wasn't necessary. Those were the things Jace struggled with the most.
"Very well, but only because you are being endearing," Raphael leaned down. "Hold on."
He lifted Jace up bridal-style and the blonde readily clung onto Raphael's neck. "Thanks, babe."
Once in the bathroom, Raphael carefully put Jace down into the bathtub. The Shadowhunter groaned pleased as he sunk into the water. Raphael sat down next to the tub, just to be sure. His lover seemed very out of it today, might be better to watch over him. Alec Lightwood would stake Raphael if his parabatai died by drowning in a tub.
"I wanted to... check in with you, Jace," Raphael spoke slowly, carefully. "We've been doing this for a few weeks now and I wanted to know if this... works for you. We started doing things this way because you were open and honest about what frustrated you. Please be honest with me now too."
Jace rolled onto his side, folding his arms. "I... I enjoy it. I really do. It's definitely better than jerking off alone in the shower. But... full disclosure is that I do miss being touched, sexually. I miss it, but not enough to give up what we have, Raph. I lo... I'm happy with what we have, I can live without sex, if it means being with you, okay? I don't need sex. I need you."
He reached out to take Raphael's hand, linking their fingers. While Raphael loved that Jace felt that way, he also thought that there should be a better solution for them both.
Author's note: So this was only supposed to be part two, I just wanted to write Jimonael with Japhael as a starting point and though he adding a sexual partner for Jace angle would be a great fit. And then I started writing and was like "but how did they get together? did they immediately land on 'ah yes invite a stranger to have sex' or was there a process building up to that? How exactly did they get there?" sooo here we are, with an entire bonus chapter for a oneshot, so to speak! ;D
The second part of this will be posted on December 8th! Because... I first need to also write it, so bear with me and give me some time xD"