Alec stalked through the Institute's hallways. Last night had been a shit storm, with a stupid mundane screaming while they tried to stop a demon. And Jace had been more than willing to indulge it. Izzy had cornered the demon, Jace had kept to the back and somehow Alec was left dealing with it. At least Jace tore his eyes away from the redhead long enough to kill the demon. One of these days Jace's flings will get them all in trouble.
Now, he's nowhere to be found. Alec had gotten back late last night and for all he knows Jace and Izzy decided to head back out to whatever party or distraction they could find. Alec could only assume that Jace had met his soulmate and had gone back out to find her. It was past time for them to meet and surely he knew who she was. Alec didn't know what he was hoping for more, that she's a stupid mundane, or a Downworlder. Either way Maryse and Robert would not be happy about it. It's not very likely that there were any Shadowhunters there last night and none of them had noticed.
They should both be up by now, but Alec couldn't find them. He continued searching through the training rooms, the bedrooms, the kitchen – though help him if he found Izzy there – and finally to the entrance where he found Izzy, coming home from a wild night it seemed. If the glitter and bruises on her neck were any indication.
"Where the hell have you been?" Alec asked. He crossed his arms and glared while Izzy took off her heels. She was still in her skin tight white dress from last night, but she'd ditched the wig somewhere along the way.
She leant on Alec to pull off her boots while answering his question, "There was an after party that I just had to go to. You wouldn't believe what the Seelies can do with a little magic." Izzy shook out her hair, sprinkling the front entrance with a bit too much glitter, and started heading towards her bedroom.
"Yes, Izzy, I think I would seeing as though I'm usually the one dealing with them." Alec glared at her. "And where the hell is Jace?" Alec yelled this time. He understood the responsibilities as the elder brother, but he shouldn't have to babysit two underage teenagers who seem to want to escape more than him. And of course, they always got away with it. Max wasn't as much trouble as Jace and Izzy, and Alec was wishing he could get a night off babysitting duty.
"He left before me. Seemed really off. Must have met his soulmate and gone to find them." Izzy made her way down to her bedroom with a smile.
Alec had realised that Jace would have met his soulmate already. It would explain why he was gone; maybe they'd spent the night doing anything but talking. Even if Jace was meant to spend his entire life with her it wouldn't surprise Alec if he wasn't back for a few days. Now that he thought about it his parabatai rune was thrumming with excitement and anxiety. He'd been so pissed and concerned he hadn't even noticed until now. His gut twisted, everything would be different now. He rubbed his hand over his heart and shook his head.
Izzy would find hers soon, Alec thought glumly. And then he would find his. Not surprising that Alec wanted to hold onto normality for a little bit longer. He figured he might as well enjoy the last day of his life without yet another person being added. He went to the kitchen, Izzy would be hungry when she finished her shower, and there was no way in hell that Alec would let her try to cook again, after having to explain to Hodge what happened to the three strainers that the Institute used to have. She'd have spent the night dancing, but not eating anything in the Seelie Realm, and would only be twenty minutes getting showered and changed before she was back and nagging for food.
Who needed Church when Izzy was nearby?
Izzy came into the kitchen freshly showered and rubbing a towel through her hair. Her skin-tight training gear meant she'd give Alec a couple rounds of sparring before having to deal with patrolling tonight. With any luck Jace would be back in time for a quick briefing before Hodge sends them out the door for another wild goose chase, but Alec wasn't holding his breath.
Izzy dropped the towel over one of the chairs at the family table. "C'mon, Big Bro. You should have taken some time last night to check out what life would be like without being head of the Institute," she said while raising her eyebrow. She walked over to the counter and settled into one of the stools there.
"Why should I?" Alec mumbled as he flipped an egg. "Mum will have me marry some Shadowhunter girl from a good family and then we'll run the Institute while you and Jace run around and try to kill me with your near-death stunts." He shrugged as he turned to dish out the eggs onto plates with toast and bacon. "They have my life is pretty figured out. You just use the last year of your freedom to have fun before you have to 'be responsible'." Alec said, using air quotes to paraphrase his mother's words. He placed a plate in front if Izzy and the empty chair beside her.
Izzy sighed. Alec knew that Izzy didn't want the life that Maryse had mapped out, for her for Jace or Alec. There was a life that she wanted and the life that Her children would be happy with. And Alec marrying 'some Shadowhunter girl' was never going to make Alec happy, though it could make Jace or Izzy happy. Funny how life had turned out. It was doing take a major shake-up for Alec to really be who he was, for him to be honest and chose happiness over familial duty.
Izzy looked forward to meeting Alec's soulmate more than her own, but Alec had never discussed his timer with anyone, no one but Alec knew how long he had left. She knew that Jace had met his by now, and she was mere hours away from knowing who was going to change her life. Maybe they would be what Maryse wanted, a good Shadowhunter boy from a good family who would either enrich the Lightwood name or have Izzy enrich the other family. Maybe they would share Izzy's need to be free and encourage that.
Alec watched Izzy's face change with her thoughts. "You know that it doesn't matter what Mum says, right? The Clave has given their support for soulmate matches." Alec used his fork to break the egg yolk and he watched as it spread over his toast. Even as he said it, he knew that even the Clave had their reservations and would happily remove the obstacles to their perfect world. But he couldn't stop trying to reassure his baby sister.
"Okay, this conversation is get very depressing. Cmon, let's go, I'm ready to kick your ass." Izzy pushed her plate away and jumped off her stool. When she stopped in the doorway and watched Alec finish his brakfast she spoke again, "Alec, you know that no matter what, Jace and I, we just want you to be happy."
She left the room and Alec sitting in it, wondering just when his annoying baby sister learned to read him just as well as he could read her. Moments like this proved just how much they had all grown up and become more and more supportive and secretive with their lives. For a long time Alec couldn't bring himself to admit that he envied Jace and Izzy, even Max to a degree, but right now he could. He could see them both happily settled with their soulmates, even if it meant throwing their lives with the Clave away to do it, because he knew they both had an inner strength that he didn't.
Alec wanted that kind of love, but even he knew that being soulmates didn't mean avoiding heartache. There would come a point where Alec would grit his teeth and bare it or take a leap of faith, but no one who knew him were confident enough to bet on which outcome he would choose.
Izzy prayed to the Angel that Alec's soulmate was either insanely stubborn or insanely patient, because Alec would need one or the other to choose a love that deep-down he wants, but is too afraid of the repercussions to desire.
SOOOO sorry. Long story short: Exams, sister moving country, mother unwell and Adelaide roadtrip meant that this took soooo much longer than it should have. Good news though, the next chapter should be up in a day or two, I just need to flesh it out.
I've also decided that this will be solely focused on Malec, but I will have a couple one shots after it (that will be linked) for Jace, Simon, Izzy and Clary. So stay tuned when this is over for those.