It was early morning by the time Jace and Izzy returned, and Alec could just see the sun starting to rise through the bay windows in the living room. Sebastian had eventually gone to bed a few hours earlier, his body becoming exhausted quicker than he would have liked due to its current state. Alec was still not sure why he was in such bad shape, but Sebastian had made it clear that he did not want to discuss anything between when Jonathan found him, and his arrival at the New York Institute. Alec had respected his privacy, and the two had discussed lighter topics, but Alec's mind couldn't be distracted forever, and as he sat alone on the couch he remembered the night in the subway again. He was becoming very skilled at imagining a million different scenarios, where Magnus either never found out about his discussions with Camille, or understood his actions. He had the feeling that deep down Magnus did know why Alec had done it, but it was something the warlock could never forgive the shadow hunter for. After so many years of Magnus having to struggle desperately on his own to stay alive, the thought of a loved one trying to shorten his life was low blow that he would never forget.

"Where's Sebastian?" Jace asked as he started to clean off his weapons, which were dripping with demon ichor.

"He went to bed, the same place you two should be," Alec replied as he scanned Jace and Izzy for any serious wounds.

They had a few cuts and scrapes, as usual, but nothing to worry about.

"I could've killed those demons in my sleep, honestly, they put up a terrible fight, and then a couple of them ran away," Izzy said with distaste.

"Maybe my golden aura sent them running, as they've probably never seen anything as beautiful," Jace said, referring to the heavenly fire that still burned within him.

It had started to dull down, with frequent visits from the Silent Brothers, and he could now be touched without burning anyone, however whenever he felt an emotion too strongly, or was fighting, it would flare up again.

"Oh please, if they were running away from anyone's beauty," Izzy said.

Alec tuned out at that point, not wanting to listen to yet another debate between the two, and not feeling motivated enough to stop either of them from continuing the argument.

"I'm going to bed," Alec eventually said, disrupting the two, and he then stood and left.

He needed more sleep, Alec knew that, but he was finding it harder and harder to actually get to sleep. When he was alone in his room Alec had the perfect opportunity to think about everything, and once he started dwelling on his regrets, it became a challenge to make his brain calm down enough for him to actually fall asleep. Then of course there were the dreams, where Alec's subconscious also tried to attack him for what he had done, and fill him with more guilt over what he had done to Magnus. Alec just hoped he was tired enough to go straight to sleep without thinking.

He had no such luck. After an hour of tossing and turning Alec groaned in frustration, and buried his head into the pillows. When that provided no comfort Alec gave up, and got out of bed. If sleep wasn't going to come to him, Alec figured he may as well do something, and training was something that would tire him out. As Alec walked down the Institute corridor in the clothes he had quickly tugged on before leaving his room, he heard noise coming from the room that Sebastian was staying in. Alec briefly contemplated whether or not he should investigate, weighing up Sebastian's privacy with his wellbeing. As the ruckus inside the room increased in volume, Alec decided that a quick checkup couldn't hurt. Alec pressed his ear to the wooden door, and heard thought he heard Sebastian gasping for breath. Alec then slowly opened the door, and looked in to see Sebastian's face distorted into a look of discomfort, his eyes scrunched shut, and his body fighting whatever his mind had conjured in the dream he was lost in. Alec walked over to the bed, and gently shook Sebastian, to no avail. Alec then shook him harder, and when that still did nothing, Alec picked up the glass of water sitting on Sebastian's bedside table, and poured it over his head. This finally woke the shadow hunter, and he gasped out as the world of consciousness came rushing back. He had a startled and terrified look, and he glanced around the room, obviously trying to get his bearings.

"Sorry, you were having a nightmare, and I thought it would be better if I woke you up," Alec whispered, and Sebastian focused his attention on the other Nephilim.

"I…thank you," Sebastian said just as softly.

"I'll, uh, let you get back to sleep," Alec said, but before he could leave he felt Sebastian grab his arm, with a surprising amount of force.

"Please…stay with me?"

Being the older brother meant that Alec had always sat at the bedside of his siblings when they couldn't sleep, and he had even comforted Jace when he used to have nightmares about his life with Valentine. Of course Jace had never admitted to the nightmares, and always came up with a different other reasons for Alec to stick around, but the older shadow hunter never called him up on it.

"Sure," Alec said, and he pulled up a chair next to Sebastian's bedside, making himself comfortable.

For a while Sebastian sat up completely rigid, and neither boy spoke, but soon enough Sebastian eyelids started to become heavy, and he once again was claimed by sleep. It wasn't too long after that, and before Alec's brain could remind him of Magnus, that Alec too fell asleep.

"Magnus isn't going to be happy when he finds out about this," Izzy whispered to Jace as the two looked in from the doorway of Sebastian's room.

"Oh come on, it's not like they're actually in bed together," Jace said.

Within the room the voices of his siblings made Alec stir, and he shifted in the chair he had fallen asleep in. At some point during the night had have moved so that his legs were thrown over one arm of the chair, and his neck was leaned against the other in a rather uncomfortable position. He groaned as he started to wake, his muscles sore from the awkward angle.

"If that isn't elegance, I don't know what is," Jace said sarcastically, and Izzy gestured for them to leave before Alec finished waking up.

Alec yawned and tried to stretch out, feeling surprisingly well rested for having slept in a chair for what couldn't be more than a few hours. As Alec stood he looked down at Sebastian, who was also now starting to wake up.

"Do you want me to draw on iratze on your throat? It will heal quicker," Alec said once Sebastian was fully awake and getting out of bed.

Having not actually brought anything with him, as Jonathan had taken all of his luggage, Sebastian was just in his boxers, and was trying to find his jeans. He stopped his search, and subconsciously put a hand to the cut across his throat, and after giving Alec a measured look, he nodded. Alec still had his stele in his pocket from his intended training session, and he quickly pulled it out and walked over to Sebastian, who lifted his chin up so Alec could access his neck more easily. Alec drew three runes along the long cut, just to be sure, and once he was done and had stepped away, Sebastian spoke.

"Thank you, for last night, and then this," he said gesturing to his throat, "I promise I won't always be this useless."

Rather than a self-deprecating tone, some of Sebastian's usual playfulness had returned to his voice, and Alec couldn't help but smile in response. Izzy's voice then broke through the warm atmosphere that had washed over the room.

"Alec?! What the hell is all this about a new High Warlock of Brooklyn?"