Alec awoke shortly after Magnus left, feeling groggy and stiff, but altogether much better. He glanced around for the warlock, but did not see him. Finally, his vision was still a bit blurry from sleep, he saw a dark figure huddled in the chair beside his bed, book in hand.
"Magnus?" Alec asked his voice husky.
The book shut and someone who was definitely not Magnus smirked. Of course Magnus wasn't there; it had probably all been some sort of dream. But if Magnus wasn't there, who had healed him?
"No, but I have been told once or twice that just the sight of me is magical. So I can understand the confusion."
It was Jace of course. But if he was here then where in the hell was Magnus?
"Very funny," Alec replied, sitting up.
Jace smiled and leaned in closer to Alec, "You're right, it's been much more than once or twice, I was just trying the whole modesty thing."
Alec gave a halfhearted laugh, "And how's that going?"
Jace shrugged, moving smoothly from the chair to the end of bed.
"You know how I feel about lying."
Alec's eyes darkened at this, and Jace immediately noticed.
"Where's Izzy and Clary?" Alec asked, not wanting to start another fight with a sibling.
Jace chuckled, "They went to lunch with Simon and that Jenna lady. I think she knew Iz was contemplating the homicide of the mundane."
Alec joined Jace in laughter, sitting up further and only feeling the slight pain due to stiff muscles.
"I told her that I'd text her when you woke up, she wanted to wait in here with me, but she thought you were still upset."
Alec shrugged, "I'm not sure what I think right now."
"I was telling the truth when I said we were here to see you and we miss you. Do you think any of us would be here if you weren't?"
"Like I said, I don't know what I think right now."
Jace rolled his eyes, unhappy with his answer. Instead of a response though, Jace got up, and Alec noticed for the first time Jace was in full Shadowhunter gear. He grabbed something from the arm of the chair he had been sitting on and tossed it to Alec- it was his gear.
"Get geared up, we're going out. Don't argue because if I have to drag you out of hear myself I will."
"You are aware that you're speaking to me in an infirmary right? I was just injured; I'm probably still high on medications."
Jace rolled his eyes, "There were no medications. Magnus healed you, remember?"
So Magnus had been there, and had promised to explain everything. So where was he now?
"Vaguely, still Jace do you really think I'm in the shape or mood to go on a hunt."
"We're not actually going on a hunt, but if there is anything I have learned from these past few weeks, and last night especially is that we should always need to be prepared. I made Iz and Clary leave in their gear too; they weren't half as bitchy about it."
Alec glared at him but gave in, it was easier to do than argue.
"A little privacy," Alec asked, standing to get dressed.
Jace scowled and turned around, "We used to bathe together it's not a big deal."
Alec just flushed and got dressed, "So, where are we going?"
Jace held up a finger in silence, cracking open the door and peering both ways. He then motioned for Alec to come closer and opened the door all the way.
"I'm not really sure actually, thought you could just show me around, you know, talk and catch up a bit."
Alec blinked, "Okay… but what are you doing right now?"
Jace sighed and stepped out into the hall, "That Jasper guy has been pacing back and forth in front of this room for hours. He's a nice guy and all, but incredibly dull, and rather obsessed with mundane things that I don't understand at all."
The mention of Jasper made Alec flinch, in his thoughts of Magnus, Jasper had been put on the back burner, not really thinking much of him at all. He also thought of Jace's description of him, and how it described him so well, Jasper was possibly the nicest guy he had ever met, but the boy was almost too nice. Jasper who unlike Magnus or Jace, whose occasional (okay more than occasional) asshole behavior made them interesting and honest, Jasper always seemed as if he would rather please you than be honest with you. While Alec appreciated that, he didn't like it. Being blunt and honest was Alec's way of life. Jasper also had a strange obsession with mundane things such as skateboarding, he had made Alec try once, and while his natural Nephilim balance made it easy, he just didn't understand what made it interesting.
"For you sake I hope he's not as dull in the sack."
Alec snapped from his thought at that, almost at the door, eyes wide, "What? What? What?"
Jace chuckled, opening the door for both of them.
"Oh, please don't play dumb with me Alec. You know how amusing I find unrequited love to be, and this is a classic scenario."
Alec nibbled on his lower lip.
"How do you know that it's unrequited love?" He shot back, hating when Jace was right more than he hated almost anything else.
"Don't make me laugh again Alec. You could never love someone that nice. Exhibit A," Jace joked, motioning to himself.
Alec blushed, stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground, not knowing what to say, and not really wanting to say anything either.
"Besides, do you even understand half the references he makes? I was lost half the time he talked. Simon wasn't though, I think you and Iz may have to worry about those two, they talked for nearly an hour before Iz had to drag Simon away, and they have that whole unrequited love thing in common…Simon with Clary, Jasper with you."
"Now you're just being cruel." Alec replied, "It's not as if I don't feel bad enough about it."
"I'm only joking, besides if you feel so bad why not just end it, whatever it is."
Alec shrugged, "I've been honest with him, and I don't know why I don't end it. I know I should but I just . . . can't for some reason, I do care about him and maybe one day, it could be something more."
Instead of another joke or judgmental remark, Jace gives his parabatai a look of sympathy and understanding.
"Do you believe that?"
"I want to."
"If only wanting made it so," Jace replied, following as Alec seemed to unconsciously head to the park he had been to with Jasper earlier that week.
"If only," Alec repeated softly as they arrived at the park, the sun just setting over a hilltop creating the calm and serene setting that Alec loved so dearly.
There was a silence between the two, as if they both just were enjoying the beautiful scene in front of them.
"This is perfect, Clary would love this." Jace stated, breaking the silence.
"You should take her here sometime, I mean if you all stay here long enough." Alec replied, realizing now how he hoped they would be staying long enough to do that. No matter how mad he was with them, he wanted them here, he wanted what they used to have, that closeness.
"Oh, I intend to," Jace responded, and there was something in his voice that Alec couldn't describe, it was mischievous and earnest at the same time, "very soon actually."
Alec stared at him, wondering the implications of those words; Jace smirked at Alec when he caught him staring.
"When you left New York for here," Jace began, and Alec felt a tinge of guilt at the words, "Clary kept insisting we come for 'vacation' and she kept talking about how she'd love to draw the sunset and sunrise here and how simply finding a picture online wasn't the same."
Jace paused, smiling at the thought of his girlfriend.
"We knew that she was just wanting to come here because of you, because she knew how much we missed you, but I think she really did want to draw those pictures here, Jenna even offered to show her around to some places where it was particularly beautiful. This, though, is perfect for it."
"For what" Alec asked, brows furrowed.
"For this," Jace replied, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small box and opening it, revealing a diamond ring. Alec's breath hitched.
"Jace, that's amazing, when do you plan on proposing?" Alec asked, truly excited for his parabatai, for his brother.
Jace closed the box and placed it back in his pocket, "After all this is over of course, but. . ." Jace trailed off and Alec couldn't help but wonder what he was holding back.
"What is it Jace?"
Jace gnawed on his lower lip, a habit Alec was more accustomed to and he couldn't help but wonder what was making Jace so nervous. Even years apart couldn't break their bond, Alec still knew Jace like the back of his hand and he knew Jace was holding something back.
"Well, the wedding will be in New York of course, and I know this is asking a lot of you, but I figured you've already faced Magnus here, and I can't imagine a wedding without you as my best man Alec." Jace answered, his words coming out in a torrent.
Alec took a moment to stare at the golden haired warrior; five years ago he never would have understood that it would be hard for Alec to return to New York after such a devastating break up. Now, however, Jace had experienced a love like the one Alec and Magnus had, he understood that and he knew asking this would be asking a lot of his best friend.
Alec smiled, and now knowing quite what to say, pulled his brother into a hug. Surprised, Jace returned the hug slowly.
"So is that a yes?" Jace joked as they pulled away.
"Of course Jace, I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world." Alec replied earnestly.
Jace beamed, "Good, because I was just asking to be polite, if you refused I would have rendered you unconscious and dragged you to New York myself."
Alec chuckled, "Good thing I said yes then."
"Lucky you," Jace replied in agreement.
There was a silence again, a comfortable one this time.
A flicker of fire alerted them both to a message, which Jace grabbed quickly in the air, unbothered by the ashes falling onto his hand. Golden eyes flickered up from said message quickly, meeting concerned blue ones.
"We have to get to the institute fast, it's Izzy." Jace hurriedly explained his breathing fast.
The two took off quickly, running in sync, as if the time apart did nothing to deteriorate their years of training together.