Chapter 6
A Few Years Later*
Kit's POV*
I was 18 now. Yay! Me and Ty were still together, and only Julian knew about it. Ty is still 17, for a few more weeks. Ty's not excited about his birthday, and I know why. Three years ago, Livvy died. They were twins. He still tells me that he misses her so much. I miss her too, but they were like parabatai without the rune to prove it. Ty had been so upset because of it. But, I helped him.
Two months after his birthday is our anniversary. This will mark five years. I'm going to propose to him. I love him so much, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together.
Ty doesn't sleep without me, ever. It took him months to go back into his room after Livvy had died. When he finally went in there, I was with him the entire time. Holding his hand while he cried.
Today we are in the training room. Julian still wasn't the head of the Institute, their Uncle was. He wouldn't give it up. I have had zero chances to meet him. Ty was having one of his moments, he was in the corner listening to music. I was getting better at beheading the stupid dummy. I picked up a dagger, and kept threw it at him. I went to get the dagger out of the dummy's chest, when Arthur walked in. Ty immediately tensed, I felt it. "I told you that you're not allowed to have mundane technology, haven't I, boy?" Arthur yelled at Ty. He was trembling in the corner, he didn't look at me, he kept his eyes closed, knowing I would see what was hiding in them. "Excuse me, sir," I said. "Who the hell are you?" Arthur asked. "I'm Kit Herondale," I said proudly. "What are you doing in my Institute?" He asked. "I'm training," I told him. That was a good enough answer for him, so he went back to yell at Ty. Julian wasn't here. In fact, him and Emma went out on a stake out. Ty looked at me. I saw complete and utter fear. I had to help him. I lunged for Ty. I got into a position that would protect him. Thankfully he was in the corner, so it was easier to shield him with my body. He kissed my softly, so I'd be stronger. "Boy, get the hell out of the way!" Arthur was screaming now. Arthur started looking around the room, until he found what he was looking for, a whip. "Ty, text Julian, now. Hurry!" I whispered to Ty. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frantically texted Julian and Emma. Then he hid his phone back where it was. "Move, now. Or this is going to hurt, a lot," Arthur said to Kit. "No," I said.
The whip came down hard across my back. I didn't scream, I wouldn't give him the pleasure. The whip kept coming, after and faster. Hurting worse and worse as it had made gashes deeper, almost cutting into my spine. My vision started going in and out. Arthur was whipping me, because I was protecting his nephew. Ty kissed me hundreds of times, to keep me alive. He kept checking his phone. Julian and Emma hadn't answered. He kept texting them.
Omg, we are on our way. Emma's going to drive.
Julian finally responded. Ty, kissed me so many
more times. Then I finally passed out.
Ty's POV*
Kit was getting whipped. Because of me. Emma had to know what it felt like, she had been whipped protecting Julian. This was different, Kit was getting whipped by Arthur, not Faerie.
I kissed Kit so much, so he would keep going. To keep holding his position, to protect me. I knew I was being selfish, but I would've done it for Kit. Julian and Emma ran into the room, "Arthur, stop, please," Julian begged. "No, they have mundane technology, and we are Shadowhunters," Arthur replied. Emma snuck behind Arthur and grabbed the whip from his hand. Julian took a hold of Arthur's arms and led him out of the room.
Kit finally fell on top of me. His white shirt was soaked with blood, even my pants were. I didn't care about the clothes. I cared about Kit. "Kit? Kit? KIT?" I kept asking. I needed to know he was still alive. "Emma, stele!" Emma quickly gave hers to me, and I went to work putting runes on Kit. Some of his wounds were healing, the ones that weren't super deep were closing. The larger ones weren't. Emma ran out of the room the get bandages. I was crying, and hadn't even noticed it. I love Kit so much, I'd be broken without him. "Kit?" I asked. Nothing.
"Hey," Julian had said as he walked in. "Where's Emma?" I asked frantically. She's on her way, she's running down the hall right now, actually. "Here, I have stuff for Kit," she said. I jumped to my feet and grabbed the bag she held in her hand. "Thanks," I muttered. Julian kneeled down besides me and helped. We put peroxide on cotton swabs. Even Emma jumped in, so she could help.
We eventually got all the blood cleaned up, and bandages on Kit's back. Julian and Emma left the room, with the trash mess we made. I picked him up, careful not to touch his back. I walked us to my room. I went to his room to get him some different clothes, different pants, and a shirt if he wanted it.
When Kit was settled in the bed I pulled up a chair to sit in. I routinely put blood replacement, healing, sleep, and pain killing runes on him. He was laying on his stomach. I picked up a Sherlock Holmes book, and started to read it. Julian had come in with a plate of food for me. I quickly thanked him, and he left.
"Kit? I need you. I need you to help on my birthday. I need you to help me with myself. Kit, I need you, more than you know. I'm basically dependent on you. Kit, I love you so much. Please come back to me," I begged over and over.
It wasn't until I had accidentally fallen asleep, that Kit woke up. "Ty? Ow. Shit," Kit had said. I jolted awake, and grabbed Kit's hand. Forcing myself not to jump on him. "Kit," I whispered. "What happened? I remember Uncle Arthur had come into the practice room, and started whipping me, then I kinda blacked out after that," Kit told Ty. "Oh, Kit, it doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you're back, with me," I told him. "I wasn't planning on leaving you. I have plans too, you know," Kit said. I just kissed him. Careful not to let my hands go to his back. "Ty, thank you for saving me," Kit told Ty. "Do you remember what you told me, when I had my first attack around you?" I asked. "I said: 'I would do it a thousand more times, for you,'" Kit quoted his own words. "Yes, that's exactly what you said. And I would do it for you a thousand times, as well," I explained to Kit.
"Let's get some sleep," Kit said to Ty. Who gladly obliged. I jumped on to the other side of the bed, and kissed Kit's neck. Anywhere I knew it wouldn't hurt. Usually we would sleep in each other's arms, but tonight was different because of Kit's back. Instead we held hands throughout the night.
Kit's POV*
My back hurt so bad, but Ty kissing where he could made me feel better. It had been a few weeks since Arthur happened, and I could finally lay on my back. Ty refused to let me get up, unless it was to use the bathroom. The few times Ty made me shower, he had come into the shower with me, claiming he needed one too. Julian, Emma, Mark, Dru, and Tavvy, came in every so often to visit me. Tomorrow it was Ty's birthday. Julian already said that Ty and I could have a day off. Everyone knew how Ty got, and only I could calm him down.
"Ty?" I asked. "Yes, Kit?" He said looking up from his book. "Can we go to my room?" I asked. "Sure, I guess you need a change of scenery," Ty said. Ty got up, and very carefully helped me across the hall.
"Thanks," I said when we were safely in my room. "Kit, I love you," Ty told me. "I know, you've told me a million times. I love you too," I said as I took his hand and placed it on my cheek. "Can you take a picture of my back? Without the bandages," I asked him. "Why do you want to see it?" Ty asked. "Because I'm curious," I explained. Ty nodded and took off the bandages, realizing that he'd forgotten the replacements in his room. He rushed out to get them.
When he came back, I was laying down on the bed, looking at him. His stormy grey eyes full of love and care. He took out his phone, and snapped a picture, then handed the phone to me. "Damn, he got me good," I exclaimed. Ty looked at me with confusion. "It's a metaphor," I explained to him. "Oh, okay," he said.
He got on his knees and started to put new bandages on. The peroxide stung a bit, but I had gotten used to it. I winced when Ty ran his hand down them, to make sure they were on securely. "Sorry," Ty told me. "It's okay, as long as you kiss me," I countered. I rolled onto my back, and let Ty straddle my hips. He kissed his way up my stomach, to my chest, then my neck. He stopped to suck on the spot below my Adam's Apple. Then continued up my neck, along my jaw, across my cheek, and finally my lips. I grabbed at his shirt wanting him to lay on me completely. I took off his shirt, allowing me to touch his torso. His smooth, soft skin, and his tight muscles. I loved him so much it hurt.
Julian was in the room, when had he walked in here? I didn't hear the door open. He announced his presence by clearing his throat. Ty and I both jumped. Ty, rolled off of me, and I sat up. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see that. But, dinner is ready," Julian said. "Okay, thanks," I said to Julian in a steady voice. Julian rolled his eyes, and walked out the door.
"How long do you think he was there for?" Ty asked me. "I'd say, about the time I took your shirt off," I guessed for Ty. He started to laugh, as did I. But I soon stopped, as it had hurt my back so much. Ty moved to grab his shirt, he put it back on, then went to grab me a shirt from the closet. I carefully put it on, and Ty helped me when it was time to put it on over my back. I winced a few times, but Ty was there with kisses to make it feel better. We slowly walked down the hall, hand in hand, because we wanted to tell everyone that we were dating.
As soon as we walked in the kitchen, everyone stared at us, except for Julian, who had known for years. "Um, care to explain, brother?" Mark asked. "Ty and I have been dating for the past four years," I told all of them. They gasped and congratulated us in our relationship. Dru was upset though.
"Why'd you keep it a secret?" She asked.
"Because we didn't know if we were going to last," I explained. Ty and I went to sit down, next to each other. "Well it obviously did," Dru said. I hugged Ty, even though I knew he didn't like to be touched in front of his family by me. Ty wrapped his arms around me too, so I didn't feel bad. Julian served dinner, and they all kept asking us questions. Ty was nervous, for two reasons. One, tomorrow was his birthday, and two, everyone was paying attention to him. I kept my hand in his, the entire time. Knowing that he was nervous. When dinner ended, Julian had asked us to stay behind. We both figured he would want us too, so we helped him clean up the kitchen.
"How often do you guys, do that?" Julian asked. "When one of us needs it, I guess," Ty answered. "Okay, sorry for ruining your guys' moment," Julian said. "It's okay, we were almost done anyways," Ty told him. But we both knew the truth, that'd we would've gone for way longer. "Goodnight," Julian said to us, and we walked out.
When we were safely in my room, I sat on the bed, waiting for Ty. He was in the bathroom and wouldn't let me in there. "Ty?" I called again. "Just a minute," Ty called back.
A minute later Ty came out of the bathroom without a shirt on, and it was an amazing sight. I'd seen him shirtless a million times, but tonight was different. It was the first time I had been able to take him in, for a couple weeks. I loved this man, so very much.
Tomorrow was his birthday, and I already had planned to stay in bed with him, all day.
Ty had plans, for tonight. I was catching on to what he wanted, and it was a good idea. For his eighteenth birthday.