Shadowhunters || Jimonael || Gold(en Hair) and Ruby (Blood) || Jimonael || Shadowhunters
Title: Gold(en Hair) and Ruby (Blood) – Finding Hidden Treasures
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: canon divergent, polyamory (m/m/m), blood drinking, hurt/comfort, sick fic
Main Pairing: Raphael/Simon/Jace
Shadowhunters Characters: Jonathan 'Jace' Herondale, Simon Lewis, Raphael Santiago, Lily Chen
Summary: Instead of going to the Lightwoods when he was ten, Jace ran away, living on the streets in New York. Ten years later, he was desperate for money and finds himself turning toward the feeder program, where vampires paid good money to feed from consenting humans. He's skeptical at first, but the clan leaders, Simon and Raphael, are not what he had imagined.
Gold(en Hair) and Ruby (Blood)
Finding Hidden Treasures
Jace was desperate. He couldn't go back to living on the streets, not again.
He ran away when he was ten years old, when his father had been killed in front of him. He'd been too scared to go with strangers and live with even more strangers. So he had ran away the moment they reached the mundie world, leaving Idris behind. For a long time, he had lived on the streets in New York, stealing, getting by somehow, avoiding officials.
He got jobs, many small jobs that paid under the hand. Kitchens, waiting at diners and cafés. Anything he could get somehow, really. He had finally turned off-age and no longer had to run from people trying to place him in foster homes (he'd been there. After all, he had been ten years old and occasionally, the cops would catch up with him and he'd end up in the system but it had never ended well for him and he had always run away). Things had gone smoother from there, at least a little bit. There were more jobs he now had access to. He'd worked as a bartender for a while and he found a girlfriend. He got to move in with her, after a while. Well, he didn't really know if he should call what they had a relationship. They had sex, very good sex, but they didn't exactly have a romantic connection or anything. Still, it was good while it lasted.
Only that it had ended. And he was out on the streets again. A place he couldn't go back to. Not after actually living in an apartment, like a... like a normal person. He had felt so normal, had been nearly able to forget his past and make himself believe he was just a normal mundie.
Rent in New York wasn't cheap. He couldn't afford a place of his own with the money he made as a waiter – he'd recently lost his job as a bartender too. He needed money, and quickly, so he could find a place to live. Right now, he was living in a motel, a cheap rat-hole, really.
He took a deep, shaky breath as he stared up at the building in front of him. The Hotel Dumont.
An old hotel, not having been in business for certainly a century. Among the Shadow World, it was known as the Hotel Dumort. The place where New York's vampire clan lived.
Things were different in New York. Jace's father had taught him that vampires – well, all Downworlders, really – were nothing more than monsters that needed to be slayed. But this seemed to be a... humane arrangement. From what Jace had heard through the grapevine, the death-rate had rapidly gone down since then. Humans willingly gave their blood, they were compensated for it, vampires got to feed fresh. There was no reason to kill, they had plenty of willing resources to feed from without having to get into trouble with the Clave.
Still, Jace had looked down on that. Sneered at it the first time he had heard about it at Taki's Diner – a Downworlder establishment where he worked as a waiter, his by now longest job. Right now, the quick cash sounded very good. The quicker he could make money, the quicker he could get out of the rat-hole he was currently living in. Though 'living' might be a stretch. He was surviving, however he could. Living off cheap fast food for days to save as much as he could, sleeping with one eye open because of the neighborhood and the kind of business that went down in the motel at night. Jace just wanted out there. He'd even pay with his blood to do so.
Squaring up, he entered the hotel – and was immediately taken aback.
It was beautiful on the inside. Renovated, modern, nothing rotten or run down the way the outside may make one belief. The waiting area had fancy looking leather couches that some humans were sitting on, reading magazines, the bar was up and running with expensive looking bottles lined up behind the bartender in the nice suspenders and bowties. He felt like he had stepped into another world the moment he stepped through those doors.
"Hello there. I assume you are here for a reason."
When Jace turned toward the voice, he saw a very beautiful woman standing right next to him. "I... Yes. I was... I... The blood-giving. I was considering doing that. If the money's right."
"Right this way," the lady smiled politely at him, showing off her fangs. "I'm Lily Chen. I'll take your name, contact info, run your tests – yes, we need to know your blood's actually edible. We can't take anyone with cancer or HIV, it... just makes vampires violently sick. No point in that. And STDs taste nasty too. So, a few blood-tests and while they're in our lab, you may enjoy a drink at the bar – on the house, of course."
"And what then? If I pass the test?" wanted Jace to know, worried. "I mean, the money-"
"That depends on who takes you on," admitted Lily. "There is, of course, a minimum you can make. 150 dollars per... donation. You can make it a one-time thing, or make a contract for a regular arrangement, meaning you would receive weekly payment. And... some vampires are better off than others and are willing to offer you more if they want you."
"If they want me," echoed Jace, flushing a little.
"Well, yes. If your blood tests well, we will draw samples and serve them as shots to all vampires who are currently looking for a donor," explained Lily patiently. "You will definitely be paid fairly for that, regardless of whether or not, or who, will contract you after the... taste-testing."
"And it can... vary?" asked Jace confused. "I thought there was a fixed price."
"There is the fixed minimum, you will definitely not be paid under a hundred and fifty, but yes, it can vary upward. Some humans have... particularly delicious blood and occasionally, there is a bit of a bidding war, you could say. Vampires will pay good money to have a particularly tasty human under exclusive contract."
"So if I taste good, I could make more money?" asked Jace hopefully.
"Yes. And you have impeccable timing, because our esteemed clan-leaders have agreed to contract a human too. Not to get your hopes up, but naturally the best position to have is with the clan-leaders, they have the most... to offer," explained Lily with a smirk.
Well, consider Jace's hopes up. The more he could make, the quicker he could stop again. He needed enough to put a deposit down on a place, didn't need to be fancy, but just a real apartment. He'd keep waiting tables at the diner. Keep putting money aside. This was going to be a short-time deal, just to get the needed cash to get out of his current situation.
/break\
Simon's life has just been entirely upside-down since he died. Which, supposedly, was a blessing. For normal folks, life just ended when they died. Not Simon, no. After his best friend had dragged him into the supernatural world, she had turned him into a vampire – it was either that or losing him for good. For a while, he had been angry with her for that. She had taken this choice away from him, had made him a monster. Now, many months had passed. He had perspective. He had also learned control. Raphael had taught him. Taught him how to be a vampire, how to control his hunger, his strength too though. All the while, Simon had gotten to see Raphael rise. From the second in command to becoming clan leader, after Camille got her due punishment for turning Simon against his will. And like Simon hadn't been busy enough learning to become a real vampire, Clary had a whole war going on; it was hard to stay mad at his best friend when her father turned out to be supernatural Hitler, out for a genocide and an ethic cleansing.
They both had made friends, at least. At the New York Institute, other Shadowhunters – which was what Clary was. Demon hunters with angel-blood. Sounded unreal. If Simon hadn't seen all the things he had, he wouldn't believe it still. Izzy, Lydia and Alec. Magnus, the High Warlock. Luke, Clary's basically dad who turned out to be a werewolf. And, also, Raphael, Simon's mentor and friend. All of them, they had fought together, side by side, and taken Valentine down.
And Raphael became more than just a friend and mentor. They'd shared their first kiss – kisses, actually – during the ward already. But so much else was going on, too much to think of what they were. Only after, when they were allowed to breath again (the irony, seeing as neither of them needed to breath anymore. A thing Simon had not gotten used to yet). Raphael came out to Simon, as asexual and beyond that as sex-repulsed. He didn't want to have sex and he said he understood if that was a deal-breaker for Simon. Simon had looked him dead in the eyes, very seriously, and told him that Simon had done very well with his right hand throughout high school. He would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed in a way, because Raphael was absolutely hot and Simon would love to have sex with him, but knowing that Raphael didn't want that, didn't find that enjoyable? How could Simon still want it then? He wanted Raphael, all that Raphael was willing to give him.
The two of them had been in a happy relationship since then. They'd also revolutionized the vampire life together, pretty early on into Raphael being clan-leader. Inspired by that book series Simon and Clary had read as teens. In it, vampires just... paid humans money for their blood. It worked out well. Raphael had been doubtful at first, but there had been a cult around vampires for a long time now, humans admiring and desiring vampires. No more shady back-alleys, no more accidental kills or turnings because one was hiding and in a rush. No, instead, clear contracts, clean blood that was willingly given in a for the human safe environment.
And even though the system's been in place for months now, the clan-leader himself had stuck to his old ways. He'd lived off animal blood for so many decades, he had been doubtful about switching. For Simon, on the other hand, bagged blood was much safer in the beginning. Fledgling vampires didn't have enough self-control to feed from humans and considering this system had still been very new, it'd be too risky – if Simon accidentally killed someone, it'd actually end this whole program that he had thought up. First, he needed to learn how to control his hunger.
Once he had learned to control himself, he was already dating Raphael, who was comfortable with his bagged diet. However, seeing as the very man who had come up with this system was now... kind of... co-leader of the clan (Simon liked to think of himself more as some kind of royal consort and not an actual person of power), some voices grew louder about this system not being good if neither the clan-leader nor his mate who had come up with it participated in it (which, 'mate' was a title that Simon gladly claimed, it had such a reminiscence to soulmate and Simon was a hopeless romantic like that). So Simon nudged, gently. They would be okay if it were the two of them. He knew Raphael was doubtful, but if Simon was present when Raph was feeding, and the other way around, then they could keep each other in check too.
"Look, mi amor, we're just going to... window-shop, okay? No pressure," Simon's voice was gentle as he nuzzled Raphael's neck. "We taste-test and only if someone really speaks to us both, we offer them a contract. We'll take it easy, okay, Raph?"
Raphael nodded, though awkwardly. He still wasn't a fan of this, Simon knew that. But he was open to giving it a shot and that was all that mattered to Simon right now. They walked downstairs hand in hand, Simon leaning heavily against his lover. The downstairs was packed with humans, they had really prettied up the waiting area where guests would have waited for check-in and check-out. Now, mundies were waiting there to sign up as blood-givers. Simon's eyes wandered over the masses, though the person's looks weren't going to matter. This wasn't supposed to be anything. Just... food. If they got along, that would be nice too, since they were going to spend a lot of time with each other and Simon didn't want things to be too awkward (though he expected a certain level of awkwardness considering he was going to have his fangs in someone's skin).
"You can pick," offered Raphael with a small sigh. "You've never had human blood before. Not consciously. I do want you to enjoy the vampire experience, corazon."
Raphael leaned over to kiss Simon's temples gently. The two reached the bar, where the barkeeper offered them a smile and a whole line-up of shots. All of them blood. Simon closed his eyes and breathed deeply. It smelt way different than animal blood. He could feel his fangs popping from the scents alone. The shot-glasses were numbered, each number twice – one for Raphael and one for Simon. Both picked up number one and gently touched glasses before downing it.
"First pick for the clan-leaders. These seven have applied most recently. Here's a sheet, fill it out with which you liked most," offered Lily, pushing a paper and a pen over to them.
"I am biased because I'm a blood-virgin, but that was good," declared Simon.
"Let's try the others too and you can decide after," suggested Raphael, fondly amused.
Three was nearly too sweet. Five was good. But Simon's favorite was definitely six. It tasted rich, sweet but not too sweet, like... strawberries, in a strange way that Simon couldn't pinpoint.
"I want number six," declared Simon, genuinely licking the shot-glass clear. "What do you think?"
"I liked number four and yes, number six," agreed Raphael, kissing the top of Simon's head.
"Can we meet number six then?" Simon asked hopefully, turning from Raphael to Lily.
"Sure thing. He decided to... stick around," replied Lily with a sharp nod. "Go ahead to the back room, I'll get him and join you in just a moment, mh?"
They'd made a couple rooms up as donor-rooms, where the feeding could happen with some privacy, if the involved parties didn't want to go to one of the suits upstairs because that felt too private. Simon and Raphael got comfortable with each other on the couch. It didn't take Lily long to follow, leading a mundie with her. He was... wow. Simon had to admit, he just gaped for a moment, because this mundie was really pretty? With golden hair falling gently into his face, bright eyes locking with Simon's for a moment. He wasn't tall, but well-built. His shirt hugged his torso very well. Damn it. Okay, so Simon might run a little horny, because he was dating a ridiculously gorgeous, hot man and only had his right hand helping him out with that. That was not meant to sound like he blamed Raphael, he really did not have a problem with his boyfriend's asexuality. It just meant that he was very much allosexual and that having a hot boyfriend send his sex-drive into over-drive. That were just the facts. He shook his head to focus on the now.
"Jace Jones. Our clan-leaders, Raphael Santiago and Simon Lewis. Here are the needed papers if you do decide to enter a contract with each other," stated Lily, motioning between them.
Oof, those thighs. Simon blinked a couple of times as he watched the mundie sit down, the way the tight pants stretched out over those thick thighs when he went down. Bad mind. Stop it.
"I'm Raphael, this is my mate Simon," said Raphael in ways of introduction, reaching a hand out for the blonde to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Jones."
"Jace, please. And... I... uh. I don't know what to say here," admitted the blonde, after shaking both their hands. "So let's cut to the chase maybe? Miss Chen said that it all comes down to money. To the best offer. She also suggested that the clan-leaders would be the ones to make the best offer."
Well, that was to be expected. The mundies didn't do this to make new friends or anything. Either they did it because they idolized and romanticized vampires, or they did it for the money. Biting his lips, Simon leaned in very closely to whisper into Raphael's ear.
"I want him, Raph," declared Simon with just an edge of pleading.
Raphael hummed and grasped his hand to squeeze, silently telling him that he knew. And knowing Raphael, Simon was going to get what he wanted, whatever the price. That was just the kind of person Raphael was – he liked to spoil those he loved and Simon felt very blessed to be counted among those. Considering the taste, Raphael and Simon were not going to be the only ones to want Jace. He tasted... divine. Simon had never tasted anything like that before.
"As the clan leaders, we can make you the first offer. You are not obliged to take it. You can... wait and see what others will offer you," explained Raphael patiently. "However, let me assure you that whatever others offer you, we will outbid them."
"That, uh, is not to say that you have to say yes to us though," argued Simon, despite how much he wanted the blonde. "You can pick whoever makes you the most comfortable."
"Comfortable," Jace echoed, snorting a little under his breath.
Raphael raised one eyebrow at that, while Simon hummed curiously. So the blonde was definitely not doing this because he idolized vampires. Okay. That might make things a bit more complicated. Simon didn't want the person he fed from to feel uncomfortable with him. Still though, Simon couldn't put to words just how much he wanted this mundie.
/break\
It had been a long time since Raphael had last tasted human blood. Perhaps it was that, it had been so long that he didn't quite remember just how good it was. But then again, he had tasted six other blood-samples that day too and none compared to Jace's blood. The fact that Simon truly seemed to have latched onto the blonde too only cemented that need. So Raphael had made a ridiculously high offer to Jace, one no one else would be able to outbid. He wanted exclusivity. He didn't want to share this blood with anyone but Simon. The taste had awakened a strange possessiveness in Raphael. Some non-vampires liked to act like there was an 'addiction', but vampires could get addicted to blood the same way mundies could to... pizza. Blood was food, not some kind of drug. Still, there was something about Jace's blood that made Raphael want to have it, not share it.
Unsurprisingly, Jace was easily swayed by the sum and even he could see that he wasn't going to get a better offer, he could see just how much more it was than the baseline payment.
"Where are you comfortable with us feeding on you?" asked Raphael.
He kept his voice low and soothing, because he could hear the spike in Jace's heart-rate. The boy was nervous. Of course he was, he clearly didn't trust vampires – and, Raphael supposed, with the reputation they had among mundies that distrust made sense. Quite frankly, Raphael appreciated it much more than the vampire fans; the blind stupidity of glorifying an apex predator who could so easily kill them. No, he'd much rather take a mundane who had some common sense. Who was in this for the same reasons as Raphael and Simon, more or less; a business.
"Isn't it the neck?" asked Jace confused, looking around the room.
"The neck is relatively intimate, we understand if that is uncomfortable. Wrists will be quite fine."
"Thigh works too," offered Simon without thinking, his eyes on Jace's thighs.
Raphael heaved a sigh as the words caught up with Simon and the other quickly squeaked and looked flustered and apologetic, quickly blurting out an apology. The smirk on Jace's lips was downright lascivious and he seemed to relax some. As though flirting and being lusted after was something he understood, he could work with. That was partially disturbing to Raphael.
"Simon is right, the thigh works too in theory, but it is definitely too intimate. This is strictly about blood. Food. Nothing sexual," pointed Raphael out, just to make sure that was known.
"Ri—ight. Sure. Yeah. I'm not a prostitute, I'm not offering that either. I like sex. It's fun, but I don't do it in exchange for money," clarified Jace too, shrugging. "So, wrists then. How's it work? You just... take a bite, drink your fill and then we're on our merry separate ways?"
"Not entirely. For one, you have options where. These rooms here are for feeding, to give the parties some privacy, though they are... quite sterile. If you are more comfortable around us, we would prefer to take you upstairs to our penthouse. That is for your consideration. For now, here is fine. Though we will not immediately part to go on those merry ways. You'll be quite out of it, after losing a certain amount of blood-loss. We offer juices and snacks, if you like, we will stay with you until you feel better. These are all offers. It's your decision."
Jace nodded, back to being uncomfortable. Mh. Interesting. The blonde didn't seem to like having too many choices. Well, for now he had to make them. Both Raphael and Simon waited patiently for Jace to get comfortable on the couch. The blonde sat down in the middle of it.
"Okay then. Let's... do this," prompted Jace, holding out his wrists in invitation.
Raphael and Simon sat down on either side of Jace and gently took the offered wrists, each one. Raphael brought it up to his lips and sank his fangs in carefully. It was different than a shot-glass, feeding directly from the vein. It was fresher, warm, even more delicious. Sweet, yes, but more than just sweet, like something Raphael had never tasted before in his life. As though... If warmth itself had a taste, this would be it. His eyelids fluttered shut as he enjoyed the blood.
/break\
Over the following weeks, Jace... actually got to know the vampires. They started out in the neutral rooms, only feeding. But after two weeks, it became a bit awkward for Jace to just sit quietly while he drank juice, ate a sandwich and waited to feel less dizzy. So they started talking. Small-talk. They were... nice. Raphael was very polite, Simon was a rambling nerd. Jace started to kind of like them. He talked about movies with Simon and about books with Raphael. They were good company and nothing like how Jace had imagined vampires. He'd only taken this job for the quick cash, thinking – he didn't know what he had been thinking. The nightmarish, mindless monsters his father had told him about, solely focused on blood and feeding.
It... figured, that his father's words weren't true. He'd slowly come to realize that his father was not what he had thought the man was. He was abusive. Bad. Jace had met many kids on the streets who had run away from their parents for things similar to what his dad had done regularly to him. Of course had he lied too, he had told Jace so many lies over his life.
Vampires were just humans. They weren't mundanes, but they were humans, just like mundies and Shadowhunters. Simon was such a loud nerd, he was kind of adorable. Jace enjoyed debating superheroes with him, it was fun and a good way to pass time.
It was on week seven that Jace had eaten his sandwich and... was still as hungry. He was also kind of tired of the boring white walls and the couch too, if he was being honest. It was cute, how Simon made sure Jace got his favorite kind of sandwich, even though a bacon sandwich wasn't even on the bar's menu. Because Simon was thoughtful like that.
"Remember how you listed, the first week, that... we could do this... in your apartment? Does that offer still stand?" asked Jace carefully, head tilted back against the couch. "For... next time?"
"Sure, yes, of course! Absolutely!" exclaimed Simon.
He perked up excitedly, though Raphael looked curious too. "Why did you change your mind?"
"...I assume there is a fridge in your apartment that I could raid," offered Jace honestly. "My appetite's been... increasing lately. It's due to the steady drinking, I guess? Because my grocery expenses have also increased. Also, this room is incredibly boring. I assume there is like... a TV that can be turned on. Or, I don't know, a chess-board where you can put your skills where your mouth is, Santiago. Just, anything but laying here until the room stops spinning."
"Yes, the increase in appetite can happen," replied Raphael with a nod. "You've been steadily doing this for weeks now. Your body knows what to expect and compensates for it."
"And we do have a television! And a chess-board!" Simon looked very excited.
Cute nerd. Jace huffed a little and rolled his eyes. Honestly, this whole thing was going... far better than expected. Not just because the two were nice. He had expected to get 150 bucks on a weekly base. Now it were 500 bucks and while he was still far away from having enough for an apartment – especially with his currently higher grocery bill. Considering he didn't mind spending time with Simon and Raphael, he considered saving up more so he could maybe even afford a place that wasn't shabby. Save up more money. But if he was doing that, he definitely wanted more comfort than this boring, annoying room. Simon and Raphael were... nice to spend time with. Jace wouldn't mind a couple of months with them, making the money he needed to get a real life started.
/break\
Simon might have gone overboard. In his defense: Jace was very cute and had said he wanted to be fed and Simon just wanted to feed him well! It just had been a little bit since Simon had last eaten human food and he also didn't know what Jace liked best so he had gotten a bit of everything.
"Our fridge has never been this full before," noted Raphael amused.
"...Yeah. I fear a lot of things are going to go bad," Simon sighed embarrassed.
"We will invite Magnus or Clary over for dinner some time this week then. It'll give me an excuse to cook again," Raphael smiled soothingly and kissed Simon on the cheek.
"But I see I wasn't the only one who got overboard," noted Simon as he let his eyes wander.
Raphael had cleaned up. But not regular clean-up either. Everything was basically sparkling. Raphael had made the penthouse the most presentable. The last time he had been this extreme had been when Simon's mom and sister had visited for the first time.
And sure, Elaine hadn't taken it too well when she first learned the truth. However, neither had Simon. What she needed was time and also someone – Luke – to explain things calmly. She's slowly been coming around, over the past months. She even warmed up to Raphael.
"I simply want to make a good impression. We are the clan-leaders, how we are perceived reflects on the entire clan," offered Raphael, though it wasn't very convincing.
Or perhaps Simon was simply projecting here. He... was really attached to Jace by now. He was very attractive, adorable, he was also fun to talk to though. And his taste. Simon's mouth watered just thinking about that delicious taste. He groaned a little as he nuzzled Raphael.
"You are... very attracted to him," Raphael noted this as neutral as he could.
"...Ye—eah," Simon sighed, hiding his face in Raphael's neck. "He's... goodness, he's gorgeous."
"He is," agreed Raphael, earning a look from Simon. "Asexual, not blind. I can see just how handsome and attractive you are too, even if I'm not sexually attracted to you, amor."
Simon hummed, unsure what to do with this new information. Not the part about Raph finding him good looking, of course Simon knew that Raphael wasn't blind. More the way Raphael also found Jace good looking. Which was silly, because duh of course Jace was good looking. Still, there was something strangely validating about his mate not disagreeing on this.
Knocking on the door interrupted that train of thoughts. Simon perked up a little as Raphael went to open the door and let Jace in. Mh. Jace looked as pretty as ever, with the ridiculously tight clothes that may or may not have haunted Simon during his recent jerk-off sessions. Which was fine! Raphael had assured him that what went on in his head when he jerked off was most definitely Simon's thing and Raphael wasn't going to judge him for that.
"Damn, this place isn't too shabby," Jace whistled to himself. "When Lily said you can offer the most I didn't figure you really were rich-rich."
"We pay you five-hundred bucks a week to drink from you," argued Simon. "Each."
"Listen, having money and living rich is still kind of a difference," countered Jace.
His eyes were large as he looked around curiously. While he did so, Raphael went to the kitchen to check on dinner; he'd spent the past three hours cooking for Jace. A far more significant indicator than how much Raphael had cleaned or that he thought Jace was good looking. Raphael had spent hours cooking for Jace when they could have just provided enough to make... twice as many sandwiches, or whatever. Instead, Jace would have a three-course meal waiting for him.
"Sit wherever you think you'll be most comfortable," offered Raphael.
"Yeah you're not gonna want that because damn that bed looks good."
Jace whistled and craned his neck as he spotted their elevated bed. Simon loved that too. The open space of the penthouse, with their bed two steps up, kind of overseeing the penthouse. Simon made a small high-pitched noise at the thought of Jace in their bed. No. Damn it. His own fantasies while he jerked off were one thing, he couldn't let this cloud his thoughts while Jace was right there.
"Couch's fine," stated Jace after a beat of awkward silence. "Raphael?"
"Be right with you, putting this on low so it stays warm," called Raphael back.
Jace looked very confused at that. "What, am I interrupting date night? No, wait, I'm dinner."
Simon gave a sputtering laugh at that. "That's your dinner."
The look of confusion deepened as Jace sniffed the air. "...But that smells like a real meal. Like, not like sandwiches. That... actually smells really great. You didn't have to go through that trouble for me? Just throw together some bread and... stuff in between and I'd be fine."
"We invited you here to be more comfortable. That includes offering you a proper meal while you're here," stated Raphael pointedly. "Now, please. Get comfortable."
Without further prompting, Jace kicked off his shoes and shed his jacket before flopping down on the couch. He stretched out comfortably, looking like a pleased cat somehow. Simon blinked a couple of times before he joined Jace. It didn't take long until Raphael same to sit on Jace's other side. Simon really liked this, sitting together with Raphael and Jace like this.
"Well then, boys. Dinner's ready?" Jace grinned and held up his wrists. "...Dig in?"
Grinning himself, Simon took the offered wrist and opened his mouth. He liked the way Jace's wrist fit into his mouth. Slowly, he ran his tongue over the scars on it. His scars. Simon felt a rush at that thought, the thought that Jace bore his mark. A bad way of thinking, because this was feeding only. He didn't mark Jace as his, this wasn't a mate-mark or anything. It was just feeding.
But the moans. Jace would make these little moans when they sucked on his wrists. Very inspiring moans. They too haunted Simon when he jerked off. He understood why Jace was moaning, because the whole experience was pleasurable to mundies. It just didn't help much with the fact that Simon was most definitely attracted to Jace. Very, very attracted to Jace.
"Thanks for the meal," chimed Simon teasingly.
He licked over the wound gently, so it would close and start healing. Jace shuddered a little, so Simon licked it again just because he had. Damn it. He needed to stop pushing borders. He didn't want to make Jace uncomfortable being with them, not just because he was delicious.
"Would you like an appetizer right now, or do you just want your juice first?" asked Raphael.
"Appetizer's small? Yeah. I could eat something small," Jace hummed pleased.
He was slack in his seat, leaning against Simon. Lately, he's been getting very affectionate with Simon and Raphael after feeding, still a little out of it. Loopy. Still, it had taken a few weeks for Jace to grow comfortable enough to do this. Simon loved that, loved the way Jace felt against him like that, resting his head on Simon's shoulder and sighing contently.
"I hope you like it," offered Raphael, holding out a plate.
Jace perked up a little, sniffing the air and licking his lips. It made Simon smile fondly. Oh no. He was growing way too attached to Jace. Not just sexually attracted to the blonde. He wanted to make Jace happy and when Jace smiled or did something cute, it made Simon's heart flutter.
"O—Oh. This is good. If I had known you can cook, I would have agreed to go up here first week."
Raphael actually puffed up his chest a little bit at the compliment. Because Simon knew that Raphael also cared about Jace's opinion. It made Simon grin. Jace quickly cleared out the plate, handing it to Raphael with the big pleading puppy dog eyes. The blonde perked up when Raphael handed him a plate with the second, larger course.
"Someone's really hungry," noted Simon, gently running his fingers through Jace's hair.
"I told you," countered Jace with a mouthful. "Also, this is really good. I mean, seriously."
Watching Jace eat was strangely relaxing to Simon, because the blonde looked so content and it also felt so domestic to have Jace here in their penthouse, just eating dinner on their couch.
/break\
Jace had been coming to their penthouse for a few weeks now and Raphael had to admit, he had grown very used to that. To the sight of Jace and Simon snuggled up on the couch. He loved cooking for the blonde, who really cherished and enjoyed it. And after Jace had eaten, him and Raphael would play chess with Jace on the days he was more concentrated. On other days, when he was really out of it, Raphael would read to Jace, while the blonde had his head in Simon's lap. Raphael had even taken to buying things for Jace, just because they reminded him of the blonde, or he thought Jace would look good in them. An endeavor that Simon whole-heartedly supported and something that Jace hadn't started questioning yet. He just accepted the free stuff.
"We... are growing too attached to the mundie who is supposed to be our food-source."
Simon hummed at that and nuzzled into him. "I kno—ow. Can't we... keep him? For good?"
That made Raphael sigh a little, though he pressed a kiss against Simon's forehead. It had been months now since they had started feeding from Jace and with every passing week. They were both growing far more attached to Jace, to a dangerous degree. The blonde seemed to fit into their life so well, not just their penthouse. Which wasn't good, because this was a money-deal for Jace. He did this because he got good money for something that didn't cost him much time or work.
"He—ey, guys, I know I'm early, but I figured we could get the movie started early?"
The vampires turned in unison toward their blonde as he entered the penthouse, a grin on his lips. Raphael got up to get Jace a glass of wine and the snacks he had prepared for him earlier, while Simon turned on the TV. They had talked about some movie last week – admittedly, Raphael hadn't paid much attention, he had simply enjoyed watching the excitement on both Simon and Jace's faces. Perhaps he should have listened more closely, because Jace had suggested they should watch the movie together. And this felt a little too much like a date.
"You are right on time. Look, Raph made you snacks!" exclaimed Simon excitedly. "A—And I bought this Lord of the Rings chess-set. Because I thought you might like it. Uh. You and Raph could try it out, after the movie. First movie and dinner."
The three of them were snuggled together and watching a movie. Jace fit in with them quite well, snuggled up against Simon's side and enjoying the snacks Raphael had made for him. Spending time with him after feeding was one thing, but this, Raphael knew, was crossing a line.
"Okay, so this movie wasn't so bad," admitted Raphael with a sigh.
"Would you like to eat now?" offered Jace with a crooked grin, offering his wrists.
Raphael licked his lips as the wrist was right under his nose. He took it gently and kissed it before sinking his fangs in. The warm sweetness flooded his mouth and senses. The blonde went slack between them, small content sounds escaping Jace. Raphael was aware what those noises were doing for Simon. The vampires fed until they were satisfied, then closing the bite-marks.
"Would you like to rest some first?" asked Raphael, gently tracing Jace's face.
"No, I'm hungry. The snacks were nice, but they only wet my appetite?"
Again with those large puppy eyes. Raphael found them rather hard to deny them.
"Here you go, fresita," offered Raphael with a kind smile as he returned with a plate and juice.
"What's that mean?" asked Jace confused as he accepted the juice.
"Little strawberry, because you taste like strawberries," explained Simon brightly.
"...I... like that... Never had a nickname. I mean, aside from Jace, I guess."
"Wait, Jace isn't your name?" Simon grunted surprised.
"Nah. It comes from J.C. My initials," offered Jace dismissively, accepting the appetizer. "Mh!"
The blonde licked his lips as he tried the appetizer, while Simon grunted confused. "...But your name's Jace Jones? Shouldn't it be Jayjay then...?"
Now, Jace make a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. "Well. Not really. Jones is just the name I came up with when Lily wanted a full name. And I didn't mean to tell you that."
"Why did you lie about your last name?" asked Raphael with furrowed brows.
Jace all the while had polished the plate and emptied the glass. "Uh. Mh. Shouldn't have said that."
"Ja—ace," Simon frowned pointedly at the blonde. "Spill it or no second course."
"That's blackmail," stated Jace scandalized.
Though Raphael had already brought the next plate, holding it just out of Jace's reach. "Jace?"
Heaving a sigh, Jace let himself fall back onto the couch. "My name's Jonathan Christopher – that's where the J.C. comes from – and the Jones comes from the coffee place I got my coffee that day."
"And what would be your real name and why did you feel the need to hide it?" asked Raphael.
"Wayland. And because it's a-," Jace started, then biting his lip. "Because it's a Shadowhunter name and I didn't know if you guys were welcoming of those, but I need the money."
Raphael and Simon fell silent at that and exchanged a curious look. They hadn't seen a single rune on Jace yet and after working with the New York Institute for a year now, Raphael felt as though he should know the Shadowhunters in New York, if just from seeing them.
"Explain," requested Raphael as he sat down next to Jace. "How have we never seen you before, at the institute? We've been working closely with it for a while now."
"I'm not..." Jace frowned, as though he was trying to find the right words. "I'm not associated with the Clave or any Institute. I'm just... I'm a Nephil but not a Shadowhunter."
"How's that work?" asked Simon confused. "I thought all Shadowhunters were, well, either working with the Clave or with the Circle, which is not a thing anymore."
Jace shrugged and turned away from them both a little. "Ran away when I was ten. Kind of didn't want to be a child soldier and all, after I became an orphan. Been living on the streets and on my own since then. I don't... have any interest in working for the Clave."
"I can understand and respect that," noted Raphael.
Jace visibly relaxed at that, as though he had needed that reassurance. That made Raphael suspect that there was more to this story. Rarely did young children become orphans through natural causes. And though he wanted to know more, and could tell by the look on Simon's face that he too wanted to know every detail about Jace, Raphael instead went to fetch seconds for their mundie. Shadowhunter. Not mundie. The lack of runes on Jace's body – as far as they could see at least – stood out too. Raphael placed the plate in front of Jace and sat back down next to him, nearly on instinct reaching out to gently run his fingers through the golden-blonde hair. As always did Jace lean into the touch. He always sought out soft or gentle touches, it was one of the things that had first endeared both Raphael and Simon to him; Simon loved cuddling and was a very physical person overall and Raphael enjoyed intimate non-sexual touches.
/break\
Jace was developing serious feelings for Raphael and Simon, which was a horrendously bad idea on multiple levels, really. For one, Raphael and Simon were boyfriends – no, actually, mates, that was much more serious than simply dating. For another, they were vampires. Thirdly, they were far out of his league, really. They lived in a freaking penthouse overseeing the neighborhood, owning the damn hotel. Which did bring him to the point where what they had was a pure business arrangement. He was nothing more than a food source for them. That was it. He didn't mean anything personal to them. Sure, they were nice to him, they got along. They sometimes bought him clothes, or a watch or DVDs, but that was just... Simon being adorable and caring. But it meant nothing. Not to them, he was sure, because why would it. He groaned miserably at that thought.
Okay, so perhaps his thoughts felt much darker and heavier when he was having a fever, but still.
Being sick always made his thoughts much darker; being sick was a weakness. It made him a burden to his father, who hated that a lot. It left him vulnerable, in need of being taken care of. He had even hated it when he had lived with his girlfriend. Being so dependent, annoying his partner with his neediness. Now he was all alone. So at least he wasn't anyone's burden. Yay for that.
He groaned again as he rolled over. He was freezing. He hadn't bought thick winter bedding yet, because why. He was still living in the motel, after all. While he had been putting his money aside and probably had enough for a one bedroom apartment, he kind of was aiming higher now and just kept saving his money. Maybe it was because he was spending so much time in the penthouse, but his dreams were bigger now. Emotionally, he would like to move into the penthouse, but that was not something any money could afford because the penthouse was not a place he actually could live. It was where Raphael and Simon lived. Their home, specifically. Not just any penthouse that he'd like to live in one day, he very specifically wanted to live in that penthouse, with those two vampires. Which obviously was never going to happen so he might as well settle for a one room apartment somewhere, stop going to Simon and Raphael to have them feed on him so he might perhaps manage to stop having these feelings for them. Move on.
Damn it and now he was thinking about Raphael and Simon and the penthouse. He sighed softly as he rolled over once more, trying to wrap himself up in his blanket as good as possible. Raphael probably made a really delicious chicken soup and Simon would put a wet cloth on his forehead and whisper sweet nonsense to him or something like that. That sounded nice...
"Jace? Jace, are you uh there?" That sounded like Simon.
Great, now he was hallucinating. "We were told this room-number. Your co-worker from the diner said you have been out sick for the past two days. If you're in there, let us in."
Raph's voice too? Jace groaned and turned around, burying his head under the pillow. Great. Hallucinations about the men he loved coming by like some knights in shining armor.
"That was him, right? I think he's in pain. He just groaned," argued Simon worried.
"Yes, amor. I think.. we are going to owe the owner of this establishment some money."
The next moment, something cracked. Jace frowned to himself but he didn't feel like peeking. Then someone removed the pillow from his face. He blinked curiously, looking right into Simon's face. The vampire looked concerned as he leaned in closer, gently brushing Jace's hair out of his face.
"Hey there, fresita, how are yo—oh you are burning up! Raph, he's burning up!"
"Mh. Gather nuestra fresita, I gather his things," instructed Raphael.
Jace blinked a couple more times and then grunted as the room spun – this time, for real, he assumed. Because his position changed. He was no longer resting against a soft and warm mattress, instead against something firm and cold. Furrowing his brows, he buried himself in the hard something as arms held him close and he could hear Simon laugh softly.
"It's going to be okay, Jace, we'll take care of you," was the last thing Jace heard.
/break\
In theory, Simon had been aware of the fact that their blonde was living in a motel. Knowing and seeing were two vastly different things though. This looked like a place where a CSI episode would unfold. He was very glad to be gathering Jace up in his arms and carry him out of there. He saw Raphael gather everything up – and he did mean everything. It seemed his mate was of the same opinion as him; this was definitely not where their blonde should live.
Jace was sweat-soaked, so Simon stripped him down to his underwear, trying not to have any naughty thoughts despite that very well-defined and tempting chest. No, Jace was sick, that was what he was going to focus on. He used a lukewarm towel to clean off the sweat before dressing Jace in something comfy and warm. The blonde seemed more comfortable right away.
"I've gotten the warmer bedding out for him," informed Raphael. "How is he?"
"Feverish, but he looks less troubled now that I put him in a warm hoodie."
Raphael nodded pleased at that. He had redone the bed, with their warmest, fluffiest bedding. So Simon quickly gathered their blonde up and carried him over to the bed, where they tucked him in nice and tight. Jace looked so cute and cozy and cuddled up in their bed.
"So—o... now we keep him?" asked Simon hopefully, leaning against Raphael.
"I am still doubtful. He relies on us for his income, who's to say he won't agree to be with us to not lose that? But after seeing where he lives, I admit I would prefer him here with us, permanently."
Simon hummed pleased. He was going to accept that. It was more than Raphael had been willing to agree to so far. Simon? He was a big advocate of Jace being theirs. What had started out as sexual desires had developed into far more. Simon was head over heels in love with Jace and he knew that Raphael liked Jace a lot too, so the simple solution seemed to be to add Jace to their relationship. Raphael didn't seem to see Simon's logic, but he was determined to convince his mate.
/break\
Raphael smiled, closing his eyes for a moment. The sound of Simon's voice carried into the kitchen, the soft melody of a sweet Spanish lullaby. Simon had been doing that a lot for the past two days, sitting at Jace's bedside, singing soothingly to him. It seemed to help Jace. The blonde's fever had gone down significantly and he seemed far less restless in his sleep.
"We should try and make him eat," called Raphael out. "How is he?"
"Well, I think we could maybe coax him into eating something," replied Simon.
Pleased with that answer, Raphael filled a bowl with the soup he had been cooking and then made his way to the bed. When Simon saw him, he gently adjusted Jace to lean against the headboard. The Shadowhunter groaned displeased and tried to hide in Simon's side.
"No, no, no. You have to eat something, little one," stated Raphael sternly. "C'mere."
With Simon's help did Raphael manage to feed Jace half the bowl of soup at least, though under mild protests from the blonde, who seemed far more interested in sleeping and preferably using Simon as a pillow. Once he had eaten half the soup, Jace was rewarded by getting his wish.
"You're so cold," Jace sighed contently, voice a little slurred.
He smiled as he snuggled against Simon's chest, trying to get some skin-contact. That might just be the first time Raphael saw their cold-skin to be something positive. But in his feverish state, Jace relished in the cold. Raphael brought the dishes back to the kitchen before returning to the bed. There was enough room in the bed for the three of them, as Raphael had noticed over the past two days. It calmed Jace to be surrounded by the both of them and Raphael told himself he only did this for Jace's sake, to help with the fever. But if he was being honest, Raphael also enjoyed it. The bed was nicer with the three of them in it, Jace did fit right with them.
"Can we talk realistically, amor?" asked Raphael hopefully.
"Mh... No," replied Simon after a moment. "Don't look at me like that. Don't ask questions if you can't take the answer. I don't like when you're being 'realistic'. It's a downer."
"Simon," there was more force behind it this time. "Please, be an adult about it for a moment."
That got him an expected pout from his mate, so Raphael leaned over to kiss his temple softly. "Okay, fine. Be all grown-up and realistic about it. You wanna raise the money we pay him so he can afford a better place sooner and we should be supportive friends for him."
Raphael was actually proud of Simon for coming to that conclusion by himself and it assured him that the decision he came to was the right one. Peculiar that he needed to hear Simon offer a selfless solution not hinged on his own desires. Smiling slightly, Raphael kissed his mate again.
"I think we should propose that he moves in with us," stated Raphael more surely. "And become a part of our relationship. The decision isn't purely ours and while we have talked about it excessively, it's time we give him the chance to think about it too."
Simon perked up excitedly at that, staring at Raphael as though he had just gotten the best present possible, which seemed to fit the situation. Jace grumbled about it being too loud before burying his face in Raphael's side. Yes, for now they needed to help nurse their Shadowhunter back to health.
/break\
Jace had been in and out for days, but he... didn't quite remember anything about it. He was pretty sure most were fever hallucination. Simon singing lullabies to him, Raphael feeding him soup. The exact things he had fantasized about before his fever got really bad. So, obviously, that had been some very convincing hallucinations. Still, he felt better now, so it was time to face the music. Or rather the consequences of disappearing off the face of the Earth for days. Taki was a good dude, he was going to be understanding for Jace being sick for days. But the other new job he had finally locked down two weeks ago... yeah no, disappearing for days without notice wasn't really going to fly there. And then there were, of course, Raphael and Simon. However long he had been out of it, he definitely missed a Friday, which was their appointed feeding time.
Yawning, he stretched out and then snuggled more into the very soft, very warm sheets. That were... definitely not his. Sure, he had brought his own sheets to the motel and thoroughly cleaned when he had moved in there, but even his sheets didn't feel like that. That was so soft, he never wanted to get up again. So he turned over and snuggled in more. He'd already missed days, it wasn't going to matter much if he stayed in bed for just another hour or so?
A content sigh escaped him as he turned around and rested his face on a firm, comfortable chest.
Well, that was definitely wrong. He didn't have soft sheets, but he definitely also didn't have a firm, comfortable chest laying around in his bed. So despite instincts, he opened his eyes to check. After lifting his head a little, he was looking right into Simon's sleeping face.
"...I definitely don't have a Simon in my bed," Jace muttered to himself.
"I would be surprised if you had, because I usually keep my Simon in our bed."
Very slowly did Jace turned around and realized that Raphael was laying on his other side. Jace's gaze wandered curiously. This was... indeed Raphael and Simon's bed. This was the penthouse.
"Am I still having fever hallucinations? I thought I was better..."
Frowning, he rested a hand against his own forehead to feel his temperature. It didn't feel hot. Raphael next to him chuckled a bit amused and sat up more, watching him.
"You're better. This is the first time you're actually being coherent. That's an improvement. You're probably wondering what you're doing in our penthouse. We've... We got worried when you didn't show up on Friday and when you were three hours late, we called you."
"You didn't answer your phone, which only freaked us out more – I mean, Raph is great at acting all calm and collected, but he was freaked out too," Simon took over, voice frantic despite only just having woken up. "So next we called Taki's, asking if maybe they knew but your colleague told us that you had called in sick the day before and uh... not to sound super stalkery, but we went to Lily, who still has your contact info so we came to check on you but you didn't open the door, you just groaned and we got even more worried so we... might have... broken the door down... uh. We paid for it but the owner was not really a fan of that?"
"That's just great. Did you get me evicted from the place I live?" Jace groaned.
"We—ell, he didn't sound like he wanted to see any of us again after he saw the broken door and Raph did gather all of your stuff, just to make sure."
Jace heaved a deep sigh, closing his eyes and counting to ten. "I appreciate that you helped out. But where the fuck am I supposed to live now? I meant to take my time, find the right place, now I gotta rush it because I am definitely not going to seek out a new motel, that's not happening-"
"You can stay here with us, Jace," Raphael interrupted him gently.
"M—mh?" Jace made a very drawn-out noise of confusion.
"You can live with us," Raphael repeated. "We want you to stay with us."
"...I've been over often enough to know that there isn't exactly a guest-room and listen, I'm definitely too old to couch-surf, guys," pointed Jace out after a moment.
"No, you can stay like right here. Exactly here," offered Simon, pointing at the three of them. "In this bed. No guest-room. Just sleeping right here with the two of us. As your boyfriends."
Again, Jace made a noise of confusion before he simply turned around and pulled the blanket over his head. He might be feeling better, but he was most definitely not feeling up to whatever this was supposed to be. He could hear both Raphael and Simon saying other stuff, but it was getting fuzzy as he felt himself fall asleep once more.
/break\
Jace just hiding under the blanket after Raphael and Simon invited him into their relationship was not exactly the reaction Simon had expected to get. Raphael reasoned that it had been Jace's first coherent moment since the fever went down and it was a lot to digest. So Simon and Raphael continued taking care of Jace until the fever fully went down.
"He—ey, sunshine, look at you. You are looking better," stated Simon excitedly.
Jace was sitting upright in the bed, stretching widely. His shirt riled up and Simon tried not to leer. It was hard. Still, this was the first time Jace was actually upright. The blonde groaned and got up.
"I need a shower. I really very badly need a shower," declared Jace. "And food. Solid food."
"You go and take a shower and I will make you... what do you want?"
"Sandwich? Pasta? I don't know. Something savory," Jace sighed.
"Okay, don't worry about that, just take a shower, food will be ready."
"Where's Raph?" asked Jace as he made his way to the bathroom.
"Clan-leader duties. He's at the Institute for a cabinet meeting. I volunteered to stay behind and watch over you. We didn't really want to leave you alone yet."
Jace just grunted a little before he entered the bathroom. Walking upright. Talking coherently. Wanting solid food. Simon was feeling optimistic here. After four days of very close watch from Raphael and Simon, their Shadowhunter was finally better. Simon was so relieved.
"Tha—at smells good what is that?"
He startled when Jace was suddenly right behind him, dripping wet but clean. Dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Simon blinked slowly as he stared at the blonde.
"Uhm. That's... honestly I'm not sure, something with bell-peppers and meat? Raphael made it for our friends Izzy and Clary when they were over earlier this week. He froze it for you for last Friday but then you didn't come last Friday so—o. You get it now," Simon paused for a moment, still staring at Jace's bare chest. "Uhm. Clothes? I mean. You just were sick... you shouldn't..."
"I don't know where you guys put my clothes," pointed Jace out.
"Right. Right. That... makes sense. Follow me."
He turned the stove off to let it simmer and led the way to the bedroom where they came to a halt in front of the closet. They had put Jace's clothes away properly, into their closet. Because they wanted him to stay with them. Jace seemed a little startled to find all his clothes neatly put away beside theirs, but he was also quick to grab a shirt and pants.
"I'll... return to the food. So. You can get changed. In private."
Well, that had come out even more awkward than it had sounded in his head. Great.
/break\
"He—ey, you're back! Finally! We were wondering."
We. Raphael liked the way that sounded. He smiled as he closed the door behind himself and headed toward the couch, where Jace and Simon were snuggled up together watching a movie. Simon paused the movie, though his other hand was still busy playing with Jace's hair. Raphael went to them and leaned over to kiss Simon's forehead and then he moved on to also kiss Jace on the top of his head. The blonde stared at him in surprise, with flushed cheeks.
"Do you remember what we tried to talk about?" asked Raphael.
"It was kinda hazy and I thought it was another fever dream, but considering all of my clothes are in your closet and have a place in it and my hair-care products and toothbrush are also neatly put away in your bathroom, I am starting to think it wasn't a dream," offered Jace reluctantly.
"Good. Because we were quite serious about the offer. We want you to be a part of our lives, permanently, not just as a... food-source. We took care of you in these past couple of days and we want to... keep taking care of you, being with you. We want you as a part of our relationship."
"I... just... Really?" Jace looked doubtful.
"Ye—es. Really. You are so cute and sweet and I – I mean, we – really like you," argued Simon enthusiastically. "You... fit so well with us. I mean, the past months? You've been coming here and come on, you hanging out with us, eating with us and watching movies and you and Raph playing chess for hours like total nerds, I just... Hasn't it felt like a romantic relationship to you too? Like dates? Because they started to feel like dates to me a while ago."
"The gifts too," offered Raphael gently. "You... didn't think that those were a normal part of this arrangement, did you? The... fluffy blanket you were cocooning yourself into when we found you, you got that from us. You barely let go of it when we brought you here."
Jace flushed at that and turned to look at that very blanket. Ruby-red and fluffy, freshly washed and now used by Jace and Simon as they sat on the couch. They looked cute like this, all cuddled up together. Raphael appreciated the sight and he enjoyed participating as he sat next to Jace, an arm leisurely wrapped around Jace's shoulders, his fingers caressing Simon's shoulder.
"You're... sure about what you want?" asked Jace carefully. "Because... I do... I want that. I want you. I just... When I told you I'm a Shadowhunter, I thought that would chase you away. I kept... thinking of reasons why you wouldn't want that."
"Hey. Can't blame you for being a Shadowhunter. We all have a past," quipped Simon. "So, you want us. We want you. That... sounds very good. Does that mean I can kiss you now?"
Jace nodded tentatively and leaned in. Mh. Raphael had to admit, his boys also looked very good when they were kissing. A pleased smile spread over Raphael's lips.
~*~ The End ~*~
Author's note: I randomly remembered Vampire Academy and how they had a pretty solid blood getting program and figured it'd be funny if Simon, the nerd, had read the books and would suggest that. Also, I canned the entire "blood - aka a vampire's FOOD SOURCE - can make them addicted like junkies" because... blood's not... not drugs? The idea that blood from the vein would be like a drug to a vampire is just so fundamentally WEIRD. So out with that. ANYWAY then I grabbed the "what if Jace ran away and lived on the streets" and mashed 'em together! ;D
