The group emerged in front of the Institute. The familiar bustling noises of New York surrounded them. The sky was dark, stars sparkling brilliantly up above, accompanied by a beaming full moon.
The group stood facing each other, no one quite sure of what to say. They were all exhausted and in need of a bath. It was obvious what they were all thinking, though no one spoke.
Clary's eyes darted to Jonathan, who was standing a bit apart from everyone else, looking down at his feet.
"Well, we will be going then, while you sort this unpleasantness out," said Magnus airily, breaking the silence.
"We?" asked Alec, his voice hopeful.
"What, you thought we were going to hook up in the demon dimension and then never speak again?" asked Magnus, his cat eyes narrowing.
Alec shook his head, smiling slightly. "Alright, alright."
He patted Jace on the shoulder and followed the warlock into the night.
"I should be going as well," said Isabelle. "Do you want to come?" she added, to Simon.
He glanced up at the Institute looming over them. "I would, but being damned and all…I feel like it would be a shame to die tonight, after everything we've been through."
"We could go to your apartment," she said softly. For the first time Clary saw something like uncertainty in her eyes. Isabelle was always so confident, never needing to ask what to do. Had something finally happened between them?
Simon nodded. "You okay Clary?" he shot a suspicious look at Jonathan.
Clary smiled at him, though it must have looked forced. "I'm fine," she said quietly. Simon stepped forward and gave her a hug. Clary hugged him back, relishing the familiarity. She was beginning to realize that she had changed things irrevocably by bringing Jonathan here.
They walked away, the darkness swallowing them up.
All that was left was Clary, her mother, Luke, and Jonathan and Jace. At the moment Clary wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep, leaving the consequences of her decisions behind her. She couldn't help but feel like a storm was coming, a storm that she undoubtedly had caused.
"I'm going to my apartment," said Luke suddenly. "Would you like me to take Clary?" he added. It was obvious that he didn't trust Jonathan, and he had good reason not to. He was the reason Amatis was dead, the reason that hundreds of Shadowhunters were dead.
"I'll take Jonathan to the Institute," said Jace. "I'll make sure he doesn't get up to no good."
Jace smiled weakly. He too looked drained and exhausted, covered in grime and dirt. Clary was sure she looked the same.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" asked Clary nervously. She didn't like the idea of leaving Jace alone with Jonathan, especially with what had happened last time.
"I think you're forgetting who you're speaking too," said Jace. "While I may be blindingly good looking, I am also a trained demon hunter. I think I can handle another teenage boy."
Except he's not your average teenage boy, thought Clary. She shook her head. They couldn't stand out here forever, and this was the best option. She needed time away from Jonathan to sort out her thoughts. Plus, she would get to go home. The thought filled her with warmth.
"I won't cause any trouble," promised Jonathan. His eyes were shadowed due to the darkness, and for a shivering moment Clary imagined she could see Sebastian reemerging. She turned away quickly.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Jace," she said.
He smiled, flashing his pearly teeth. "Good night."
Alec entered the apartment, still amazed that this was really happening. For a moment his worries about Jonathan were melting away, replaced by pure happiness. Magnus still loved him.
The apartment was brightly colored, with canary yellow walls and white furnishings. Alec wondered if Magnus's living space reflected his emotions, and if so, the bright colors were a good sign.
Alec took a deep breath, smelling the familiar scents he associated with Magnus—the sweet zing of his hairspray, the rich odor of coffee, and the sensual hints of his favorite cologne.
"I'm going to go change," said Magnus, sounding exhausted but pleased all the same. "Do you want anything?"
"Sure," said Alec. He was still wearing his filthy Shadowhunter garb. "But nothing with glitter, sparkles, mesh or rainbow pattern," he added quickly.
Magnus groaned from the other room. "Alexander, you do realize you just eliminated over half my wardrobe?"
Alec shook his head and plopped himself down on the white couch. He had missed his eccentric boyfriend more than he wanted to admit. The war had been hard on him, but now it was over—he hoped. It was unsafe to say that the conflict would cease completely, due to the fact that Sebastian—Jonathan, he corrected himself—was still alive.
He was furious that Clary had let him live. If it was up to him, he would have killed Sebastian on the spot. After all, Sebastian was the one that had murdered Max. That was something that he would never, ever forget and never forgive him for. He had a feeling deep in his gut that there was something seriously wrong with Jonathan, even though the demon blood had been burned from his system.
Magnus emerged from the bedroom, dressed in pajamas—a loose violet t-shirt and black sweatpants patterned with cupcakes. He was holding a bundle of clothing, which he tossed to Alec.
Alec unfolded the bundle, finding a plain gray sweater and black pj bottoms. He was surprised that Magnus even owned something so drab.
"Thanks," said Alec, grateful for the clothes. He headed off to the bathroom to change and wash up.
After a hot shower he emerged smelling strongly of sandalwood (Magnus's preferred scent). He toweled his black hair dry, reducing it to a straggly mess that fell into his eyes. Once he had changed he felt much better. Now all he had to do was scrub the memories off himself, a task that would be significantly harder.
Magnus was waiting in the living room, his long legs draped over the side of the couch. He was rubbing his eyes, removing excess glitter that Alec would undoubtedly find days later in strange places.
Alec sat down beside his boyfriend, their shoulders touching.
"I'm worried," said Magnus, breaking the silence.
Alec's heart sped up. After all that, was Magnus going to break up with him anyway?
"Why?" asked Alec nervously, tugging at the hem of his sweater absentmindedly.
"Sebastian. Jonathan. Whatever the hell you want to call him."
Alec's shoulders slumped with relief. So this wasn't about their relationship after all.
"I don't trust him," said Alec. "It's just like Clary to do something like this, to jeopardize everything we've worked for with one quick decision. He deserves to be dead or at least trapped in the demon dimension where he'll never escape," he finished bitterly.
Magnus turned and looked at him, his gold-green eyes softening thoughtfully. "This is about Max, isn't it?"
Alec looked down at his hands. "No. Yes. I don't know. I know I shouldn't base my judgment completely off of my personal feelings, but there's something wrong with Jonathan. He may be different now, but I think she's forgetting all of the things he's done."
"Agreed," said Magnus softly, finding Alec's hand and lacing his long fingers through his. "And the implications will be awful. Jia Penhallow will have discovered by now that we've escaped and have disappeared…"
Alec sighed and leaned his head against Magnus's shoulder, their hair mingling.
"I swear, if he turns evil overnight and does something, I'll kill him myself," said Alec seriously. He, unlike Clary, had no complicated personal feelings toward Jonathan.
"I love it when you're all vengeful like this," said Magnus, laughing gently. He put a finger underneath Alec's chin and tilted his face up towards his.
"I missed you so much," whispered Alec. He winced inwardly. He hoped that he didn't sound too needy.
"The feeling is mutual, Alexander," replied Magnus.
The space between them vanished in an instant. Their lips collided, desperate to make up for their time apart.
Alec sighed with contentment as Magnus stroked his tangled hair, pushing it away from his face. Alec wrapped his arms around the warlock, holding him close.
Warmth was spreading through Alec, warmth dismissing the blanket of cold that had possessed him ever since they had split up. At last he felt whole again, safe in Magnus's arms. Whatever happened next, he would be fine. His sparkly guardian angel was beside him once more.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I figured that since this story is happening right after CoHF, there should be some explanation of what happens between Alec and Magnus. Plus they're just adorable together, so I couldn't resist. Remember to leave comments! I love feedback and it will help me improve the story. I will be updating soon!
~SQuid