Thanks for the reviews They truly mean a lot to me.
Disclaimer: I do not own the TMI series or any of its characters.
Three weeks later
Alec lay awake. It was already 9 a.m. and he hadn't gotten a bit of sleep all the while Jasper was passed out and snoring soundly next to him. However Alec could not do the same, even though he was absolutely exhausted. It had been this way when he first moved here and on certain anniversaries, his siblings birthdays, or holidays he got like this, but lately it had been nearly every single night he would stay up, even if he was tired, and just think and stare at things. It was just this odd sense of foreboding or something that kept him up, like it couldn't have been three years that he'd been away, he couldn't have finally been with another man besides Magnus Bane, and he couldn't shake the guilt.
A rapping noise on his bedroom door broke him from his reverie. It also awoke paranoid Jasper, who was a bit frightened by the noise and accidentally elbowed Alec in the nose.
Alec scowled at him and Jasper just gave him an apologetic look, not wanting to speak in case the person outside the door heard his voice. Though in Alec's mind it was the morning and therefore a perfectly legitimate time for a friend to be in another friend's room, but whatever Jasper wanted to do. Alec truly didn't care. Jasper hid, ironically, inside Alec's closet and Alec chuckled at the thought.
"Alec? May I come in?" A female voice asked that Alec recognized as Jenna, one half of the couple that was in charge of the institute.
She was a short blonde woman with kind brown eyes and she was always smiling. If she were a mundane she would be one of those stay at home moms who baked desserts and read her children bedtime stories every night, stories not involving brave Shadowhunters that killed terrifying demons. Seriously, there were times he wondered what his parents were thinking, Shadowhunters or not, they had still just been children.
Alec rubbed the sleep from his eyes and walked to open the door for her, she looked a bit surprised as she opened up the door. Did he have sex hair or something?
"Did I wake you?" She asked, concern coloring her voice.
Jenna was most definitely the mother figure of the Institute, caring so much about everyone that it almost was annoying, but Alec understood, he knew what it felt like to be that concerned about others, so he usually let it slide.
"I'm fine, long hunt last night."
Jenna nodded understandingly. "That must why Jasper didn't respond when I knocked on his door. How long were you two out?"
Alec thought a bit, unconsciously worrying his lip as he did, as if he said the wrong time she'd somehow know they were doing more than hunting last night. He finally shrugged.
"Late enough to be exhausted."
Jenna just smiled warmly. "I won't tell Maria you two went off without her, she's been worried about Jasper lately. Have you noticed him acting strange as of late?"
Noticed? I'm the damn reason for it.
Alec just simply shook his head, not a good enough liar to come up with anything better than: "Not really, why?"
"I'm not sure. You know Maria. She has always been a bit overprotective of him, it's probably all in her head. Just thought I'd ask."
Alec nodded; it was true, Maria, Jasper's parabatai, always had been quite protective of the guy, the way Isabelle had always looked out for Alec though she was younger. Maria was Alec's age, and was a fiery, dark haired, dark skinned, tall girl. She also happened to be dating a mundane with the sight who Alec despised (though the guy had no idea).
"Well, we're having a meeting in the library in a few minutes, just get dressed and be there as soon as you're ready. Apparently it's urgent business."
Alec gave her a confused look and she shrugged.
"Mark got an urgent fire message this morning, and you know how he gets when he's stressed."
Mark was Jenna's husband, and he reminded Alec quite a bit of his father except this one exception: when Mark was stressed, everybody knew because he took it out on absolutely everyone he encountered. They all knew to try and avoid him on these days and Alec was less than pleased to know he couldn't escape him today.
Usually urgent fire messages went to Jenna, because local Shadowhunters knew this tidbit of information, so whoever sent it clearly was not from around here, or was a Downworlder. Downworlder relations were much tenser in California than in New York. In fact, more people were surprised Alec kissed a Downworlder than anything. They all thought it was a great thing for Alec to no longer be dating a warlock, and Alec let them believe he felt the same way.
Far from it actually.
Jenna offered Alec a small smile before closing the door behind her to allow Alec to get ready. Jasper rushed out of the closet, looking slightly panicked, the guy was almost as bad as Mark when he was upset or nervous.
"Do you think she knows?" Jasper asked hurriedly.
Alec shot him a strange look. "Knows that you were hiding in my closet? Doubtful."
Alec understood Jasper's situation and truly wanted to be sympathetic. However apathy had become his coping mechanism over the past three years, and besides that he was exhausted.
Jasper flushed and looked at his feet for a moment. "I meant Maria."
Alec shrugged, Maria was actually quite perceptive, but they had done a pretty good job of sneaking around in his opinion. "Does she even think you're gay?"
Alec winced internally, the way he so casually asked that, so unlike the way Magnus had asked him if anyone knew.
"That came out harsher than I intended, but does she?" Alec amended, noticing how Jasper seemed frozen by the question.
Jasper shook his head. "Only you."
That struck Alec again, how Jasper was putting so much trust in him and Alec was just using him as a distraction.
"Alec, I'm sorry if you think I'm hiding you or something-"
"I don't think that." Alec interrupted, not wanting or caring to hear what Jasper had to say, his nose still hurt and he had to get ready.
He walked towards the closet form which Jasper had just exited and pulled a plain white t-shirt out (California weather didn't agree with his sweaters too much) and a pair of jeans. Jasper was watching him intently, and Alec felt annoyed under his gaze.
"You should probably be getting ready too, but give yourself a while; you're supposed to still be sleeping."
Jasper nodded, pursing his lips. "You seem angry with me."
Alec sighed. Jasper was a great, sweet guy, but damn he could get annoying.
"You did elbow me in the nose."
Jasper flushed. "Sorry about that, but I meant about this," he explained, motioning between the two of them, "us."
Alec sighed as he slipped into his jeans. "No, I'm not."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to think badly of you, I'm just not ready for people to know. I love you, Alec."
Alec froze for only a millisecond at the words, while he hadn't expected to hear them so soon; he knew Jasper was seeing this as much more than was. He pitied the boy, but couldn't lie to him; no amount of time could make him a good liar.
"I actually think this is best kept secret actually. If you do want people to know about your sexuality, tell them when you're ready, but this should stay the way it is, it's good that way. I'm happy, you're happy and we don't have to deal with the whole institute wanting to know every detail about this."
This, because it was the only word for it- Jasper thought it was to intimate to be a hook up, they did things other than that, they actually talked, well he did, Alec listened, he was good at that. It certainly wasn't a relationship though; it was less than that and more than a hook up.
"It is because of him?" Jasper asked, against his better judgment.
Alec went rigid at the words, his eyes narrowed into an icy glare. "You need to go to your room, now, wait a few minutes and when you get there just tell them I woke you."
"Alec, please."
Alec stalked past him, opening the door and glancing both ways nonchalantly. "No one's around. Go."
It wasn't debatable. Jasper hung his head and did as Alec asked him, glancing up only to see Alec shut the door behind the both of them and walk past him, not returning the look.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, barely audible but he knew Alec heard, and knew that as Alec turned down the hallway to the library he didn't care.
Alec approached the library calmly, prepared for a meeting about something boring that Mark overreacted about, again. He was still quite angry with Jasper- more so the fact that Magnus had been brought up – when he heard yelling at the Institute's front door. Instinct kicked in and he headed that way, not a second thought.
"If you don't let her draw the damn rune Mundie, bad things will happen."
No way, Alec thought as he approached the entry way and heard the familiar voice, no way. Nick, the mundane who was dating Maria was there, his usual arrogant stance was shrunken and he seemed genuinely frightened.
"What's happening?" Alec asked, quickly at the boy's side. Nick gave him a wide eyed look, and gestured to the doorway.
"These hunters want to allow a Downworlder in the institute. Tell them no."
Alec rolled his eyes at the prejudice and turned to the hunters Nick was referring to, only to visibly brighten at the sight. Isabelle, Clary, Jace and Simon were there and regardless of the fact they were there scowling and angry he was so damn excited to see them.
"Yes, Alec, tell us no." Izzy challenged, her expression teasing.
Nick looked back and forth between the other Shadowhunters and Alec, he may have had the sight, but he certainly had terrible vision, Alec and Isabelle were easily identifiable as siblings. And how could the guy have seen the thousands of articles on the group and not been able to place them immediately. They were all famous in their own right.
"Oh, I see." Nick finally said after a while.
"Exactly, we're important people, so let the real Shadowhunters do their business and allow my friend here to draw her rune, allowing my downworlder boyfriend inside this place. Or else, he's just going to walk in, and with the Mark of Cain on his forehead, it could mean very bad things for us all." Isabelle snarled.
Alec smirked, and Nick just stood there frozen before finally speaking. "I can't just do that, there are strict rules, right Alec?"
Alec shrugged. "I say go ahead."
He'd say or do anything to have his family here. Nick only looked flabbergasted, when a booming voice intervened. "It's alright Nick, they have permission."
Nick turned to see Mark, a burly dark haired man walking their way, before unhappily complying. Clary stepped forward, the whole lot of them smirking, and drew a careful pattern of lines and pattern in the doorway, Simon and the rest stepping through a moment later.
"Impressive, huh?" Jace said, smiling at his girlfriend.
"Very," Nick grumbled, not actually finding it so.
He then stalked off, leaving Alec alone with his family and Mark, who then turned and left, the stress in his face obvious to Alec.
Isabelle was glowing in triumph. "Ugh, thought he'd never let us in."
"I doubt never is word you even know Iz," Alec replied, positively beaming.
Isabelle returned the smile and pulled him into a hug. "I have missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, Izzy."Alec replied, enjoying the familiarity of the hug, before he hugged both Jace and Clary, and shook Simon's hand (he doubted they would ever be the type to hug each other).
"So, what are you all doing here?" Alec asked, after they were done.
Jace smirked. "Isn't it obvious?"
Alec just sat there, hoping they'd fill him in on what was so obvious.
Jace's smirked grew and he shook his head with joking exasperation.
"Still so oblivious, we're here to see you my idiot parabatai. We miss you."
Alec felt his heart warm and he knew he was probably blushing. "Alright, well I'll need to show you all around, but I have a meeting first."
"Oh, we know," Clary interjected. "How do you think Simon and I got these two up before noon? We got a fire message this morning, kindly informing us if we were to come we should be here for the meeting."
That made sense, Izzy and Jace weren't much for early rising- they both liked the light night demon fights and then slept the day away.
"So why didn't you call?"
"We did, last night, your phone was off."
Alec tried to fight a blush, and he so turned, as if he were just leading them away and not hiding his face. "Oh, well then follow me this way, the meeting is about to start, they're probably just waiting on us."