Hi hi!
Here is the fourth part – I finished writing the story recently, and the final part should be up in the couple of days =) (or a bit longer, depending on my personal life and whether or not I will forget about this… If I do, feel free to message me, I'll be glad!)
Once again, thank you all for your support and comments – you always make my day, and lift my spirits. So, I'll continue on with the story… and you keep on giving me feedback ;)
Also, if you have any idea – DM me, or share in the comment bellow. I'd like to hear from you.
Always yours,
Moony
"Front and centre, Jace."
Alec finally let him go at the door leading to an office. Jace rubbed his wrists and turned his shoulders to relieve the soreness. Then, at the slight push from Alec, he walked to the intended position.
He already knew what to do on instinct.
Legs spread at the shoulders' width, arms behind his back. Head high and eyes up front, staring at the exact one spot on the wall he's been staring at for years. And, of course, mouth shut, except when asked a direct question.
Alec turned his back on him and searched for something on the upper shelves before sitting in a chair on the opposite side of desk.
"Alright." he sighed, opening a small notebook he took on a first blank page.
"Let's see what we're dealing with first, huh?"
Jace knew better than to let himself be caught staring at a notebook, averting his eyes just in time for Alec not to catch him.
"Tell me what happened, starting from the moment you got an oh-so-bright idea to take on those demons alone."
Jace just started opening his mouth to tell him how he, in fact, had backup and that was what brought him into this mess in the first place, when Alec cleared his throat.
Jace breathed out through his nose, face curling into a sneer. He recognized a warning when he heard one.
"It started when I heard you talking about the mission. Actually, no, wait, it started when I heard you were going on it without me…"
He talked and talked, not daring to leave out a smallest of the details, and Alec listened without interrupting. He occasionally nodded or frowned, asked a question or two, and Jace continued talking until his back started hurting from how stiff he was standing.
"...and then, well, you walked into the room… so you know what happened next."
"Hm." Alec hummed thoughtfully. "I see…"
He spent another minute writing something down in a notebook. Soon after, he finally cracked his neck and let go of the pen. Then he cracked his knuckles, one by one. Then all of them, at once. Then one wrist, and the other.
Jace shifted his weight. Alec cracked his back.
"Jace…"
Jace stilled.
"Now…" Alec finally looked at him.
"What are we gonna do with you?"
Unfortunately, Jace knew this wasn't a rhetorical question.
Deciding taking initiative might serve to get him some extra brownie points, he cleared his throat and hoped for the best.
"You… you mentioned something… back in the room?" he mumbled, not really going in detail. Alec hummed. He moved his hand from chin to his mouth, attempting to cover up a smirk.
Now he decides to become shy.
"I know what I said." he cut him off.
"I just don't know which course of action to take. On the one hand, you did defy me even after I started counting…" Jace swallowed, using all of the willpower he had left to stop himself from moving backwards. He already pushed his luck too far today.
"But then again, I never actually counted that 'three'..."
Jace took a moment before the words registered in his mind.
He blinked.
So much for concentration.
He just couldn't help himself as he turned to stare at the older.
That's Alec for you! Always with a plan to outplay the rules… even if they were his own.
"Wha…" Jace caught a glance of self-satisfied smirk plastered on Alec's face just on time for older to notice him staring.
"Jace!" Blonde flinched, quickly averting his stare back at the wall. Small smile of his own tugged at the corners of his lips.
"So here's what's gonna happen. I will spank you for fighting me and breaking your grounding… oh wipe that scowl off your face... but you can stand while in corner time. Then, I will whoop your ass again for both lying and disobeying my orders the other day, resulting in a dangerous, bone-headed mission you lead Simon and yourself on. You won't be allowed an iratze 'till you're completely healed on your own. This means that your position on upcoming missions is also changing. You will not leave my side. You won't improvise, or move further than a seven foot radius from where I'm standing. You won't move out of my sight, I want to have an eye on you at all times. Failure to follow these rules will result in severe consequences, including but not restricted to having someone follow you everywhere, grounding you on Institute grounds while we're on a hunt, having Magnus put a tracking spell on you, having Magnus put magic restrains on you, or putting you in literal, metal cuffs connected to my person. For obvious reasons, you also won't lead any operations on your own. Restrictions will last a minimum of a four weeks, aka a month."
"Al..Alec!" Jace spluttered, looking at him in sheer horror. His face was as white as a sheet.
Alec raised a finger to shush him. "Now it's five weeks, care to make it six?"
This time Jace closed his mouth instead of opening them, positioning himself in a perfect position again.
Defeat.
Alec smirked.
"Furthermore, during this time we will also be working on your discipline and attitude adjustment. You'll attend extra trainings, along with some lessons of more theoretical kind. Every week, I will give you a list of chores to do, both domestic and academic ones. You can start today. I think translating first twenty pages of Institute rules to one of demonic languages should do the trick."
"Al, wha'..."
"Silence!" Alec's voice was icy cold. Jace lowered his eyes in a show of acceptance, but otherwise hasn't moved an inch.
"You'll bring a complete list of chores at the end of each week, and I hope for your own good all of them are finished on time. Then we will talk about your behaviour that week. At the end of each week, you'll receive a spanking according to your behaviour in days prior. Intensity and instrument will vary depending on the situation, and my personal assessment of it."
Jace was almost reeking of misery at this point, guilt and anger clearly coming to an even area in his conscience. He swallowed, but kept his eyes cast down. Stood at attention, but managed to do so submissively. His face looked upset, but not hurt or angry. He knew he had this coming. He accepted it. Alec nodded, satisfied.
"Do you copy and understand terms of your punishment, and agree decision was fair and deserved?" Alec asked, semi-formally.
"Do I have a choice?" Jace mumbled. Alec cleared his throat. Jace rolled his eyes lightly.
"Okay, okay. I copy, understand and agree."
Alec nodded again, smiling a bit.
"Dismissed."
Jace finally broke the position completely. Alec started walking towards a low stool next to the bookshelves. Jace stretched, not really paying attention.
"Thanks." he mumbled. Alec beckoned him to come closer with one hand, and Jace went without a fuss.
It still somehow caught him by surprise when Alec grabbed his hand and threw him over his propped foot.
SMACK!
"Ooww…" Jace mumbled.
Jeez, what's this guy eating lately?
Except Magnus, I mean…
He really couldn't help himself today. Histeric laughter shook him to the bone, stopping Alec in his tracks.
"Unbel… do you find this funny?!"
"No-ho-hoooou." Unfortunately, his answer didn't seem as believable as it should have. It probably had something to do with the fact that he still couldn't stop laughing.
"Hahahah...I-hha-I dooohnt meeaahnahah…. OW!"
Something slammed onto his ass hard, freezing him all over again.
"Alec?" he called, sheepishly. This time elder was the one that laughed.
"Please do continue. I am quite enjoying myself right now." he tapped the object on Jace's posterior, making the young blond flinch and turn around. His eyes widened.
"Alec, no, no, no don't, I won't laugh again I promise...Ah!"
Alec simply tutted at him, tapping a wooden ruler again. "Oh, I intend to make sure of that. If you can't find me serious… I'll simply have to show you just how serious I can be."
With that, he started again, this time with a far more brutal pace. Jace grit his teeth.
"You do not disobey me, Jace Wayland!"
SMACK!
"Herondale!"
SMACK!
"Whatever!"
SMACK!
"Ow!"
"SMACK!
"You do not risk others' lives with hair-brained ideas!"
SMACK!
"Or your own, for that matter!"
SMACK!
"You do not have an attitude with anyone, especially those who try to help you!"
SMACK!
"You do not go somewhere unprepared, and without clearance!"
SMACK!
"You do NOT endanger yourself! Ever!"
SMACK!
"Do you understand that?"
SMACK!
"..."
SMACK!
"DO YOU?!"
SMACK!
Jace yelped.
"Jeez, Lightwood, give me a break! You're not going very light on me right now!"
There was a short pauze. And then a sight.
"I see this ain't working..."
In a second, Jace was up. Next one he was back down, with pants pooling around his knees.
SMACK!
"NO!"
This time smacks seemed to be much more effective. Jace yelped every time, trying to push himself upwards.
"Jace." Alec called, still smacking away. Younger male ignored him.
Again.
"Jace, settle down."
Nothing. Blonde only kicked his leg in return.
Alec rolled his eyes.
So much for acting like an adult.
With one swift motion he shifted his leg and pulled Jace further forward. Younger yelped, throwing his hands on the floor.
"Alec!"
"Don't Alec me, mister! Calm down or I'll make you regret it." he didn't even yell. That was maybe the worst part of it all.
Jace bit his tongue. Oh, he already regretted it.
It hurt. Every smack was like a bite, setting his skin and muscles ablaze. Then it stung, like the smack itself was going deeper and deeper, until it reached the very core of his pain system. Next half of the second it tingled, kinda the way your arm tingles after you just woke up from sleeping on it.
And just when it started going numb, Alec striked again.
"ALEC!" he yelled finally. "Stop, please stop!"
This time Alec ignored him. It sucked!
Realizing he had no other choice but to accept the onslaught, Jace finally started settling down. Despite harsh breathing and frustrated tears pooling at corners of his eyes, he was significantly calmer now then few minutes ago. Alec smirked behind his back.
Finally.
He already had more than enough experience in dealing with Jace to recognize signs of discipline setting in. Right now, younger of the two was entering the stage of acceptance. There was still some tension left in his posture, and Alec knew he was going to have to break that before giving Jace a pause.
Inhaling one deep breath, he raised his hand higher in the air.
"OW!"
Struggle returned immediately, Jace twisting and kicking and huffing, upset and afraid. Alec knew he would be. He simply tightened his hold and resumed smacking, ignoring the occasional kick he got for his trouble.
"Jace, last warning." he grabbed younger's hand and pinned it on his back after one kick got particularly out of control, almost catching his face. Jace screamed through his teeth, now finding himself even more stuck than he'd been before. Alec pulled him back by his arm to avoid younger falling on his face, and hit harder, faster. Jace tried to wiggle out again. And failed. Miserably.
"Alec…" frustrated sob escaped his closed lips. Alec hummed in acknowledgement.
Finally.
Jace was never one to go down quietly. He would fight, time and again, even after he accepted he had to be punished. Alec knew the routine. Sometimes it would be quick, sometimes it took more than an hour, sometimes Jace would scream or curse him out, and sometimes he would break down in the beginning. It all came down to same.
Control. Alec taking it and Jace giving it over. Alec breaking him down and giving him space to feel safe while vulnerable. Jace accepting he doesn't have to be strong and confident, and Alec proving him he was there.
It was all about control.
And Jace was losing it, and quickly.
After that first sob escaped, Alec aimed lower, flicking his wrist. Fast, ruthless, not giving him time to breathe, to back away. Shattering his defences.
"I'm very disappointed in your actions, Jace." he said.
And Jace broke.
It was with morbid fascination that Alec watched how Jace's body was drained of fight, last remains of it slowly dying down until his body was limp over Alec's leg. He wasn't full on sobbing, just quiet whimpers and cut-off screams, but it was more than enough.
Shushing him gently, Alec dropped ruler and delivered last ten smacks by hand, with horrifying precision. Slow, agonizing blows somehow stung harder then those done with wooden instrument.
"Okay, that's enough." Alec decided finally. He pulled shaking form upwards by its collar, watching as Jace immediately tried to school his face into neutral, calm expression. He wiped his face so fast Alec almost missed it, fixing his pants despite the pain.
"Are you going go listen to me from now on?" he asked, crossing arms over his chest. Jace nodded.
"Now you decide to shut up, huh? Verbal answer!" Alec barked. Jace couldn't help but flinch, cringing.
"Sorry, sir. No, sir. I won't."
His voice was hoarse. High cheekbones were blushed in embarrassment.
"Sir." he added, for good measure.
"Good." Alec sighted. " 'Cause you still have another round coming."
Jace nodded, although corners of his mouth moved like he was about to start crying again. Alec brushed hair from his face and nodded towards the corner.
"I'll come back in half an hour. I trust you will behave while I'm away?"
"Yes, sir." Jace was already walking to the spot older male showed.
"Good." Alec repeated. Then he was gone.
