19: Alec
Jace comes home around midnight. Magnus is probably asleep.
"Keep the cat away from me," Jace warns.
I had been hoping for a better start than this. I hoped Jace and I might be able to reach an understanding.
"Magnus lives here too. I know you're upset. I get that. But it isn't his fault. We're both willing to listen if you wanna talk. Don't take it out on Magnus," I reply evenly.
"You both knew he was positive earlier, didn't you?"
"No, we didn't. His last vet never informed us."
Jace swears angrily.
"I'm not lying to you, Jace. I'm not a liar," I tell him.
The anger in Jace's amber eyes borders on hate.
"Like I said, keep him away from me," he snarls, stalking towards his room.
All I wanted was to patch things up. Instead, they're even more screwed up than before.
Magnus smiles up at me happily when I walk in our bedroom. He's reading.
"It didn't go well, did it?" he asks.
"It went horrible. I'm sorry, baby," I reply, sitting on the bed.
"What happened?"
"Um, he wants you to stay away from him."
"He didn't believe you either."
"I'm sorry, baby."
I take his hand gently in mine.
"I wasn't trying to mess things up between you," he mumbles.
"I know. I wanted to defend you," I reply.
"Maybe it'll be better in the morning."
He's wrong. It's worse.
"Do you want me to help with breakfast?" Magnus asks sleepily.
"No, I can do it," I reply.
"You're gonna try to reason with him, aren't you?"
"If I can."
I lock the door behind me before going to the kitchen.
Jace is already cooking.
"Do you want some help?" I offer.
"Go play with your pet," he replies.
"Jace, can we at least talk? Without you being a snippy butt?"
"He ruined my life, Alec. What don't you get?"
"That's how he felt when you raped him. Jace, you don't even know if you have it."
"You don't wanna know what will happen if I do."
"If you hurt him, I will end you. I'm not dealing with someone breaking him apart, especially when he's starting to get better."
Jace simply rolls his eyes.
"And I'm not making him stay cooped up in the bedroom all day because you're being a jerk," I inform him.
"That's where he belongs, isn't it?" Jace asks.
"What did you say?"
"You've probably gotten it on by now. Isn't that what he's for?"
I'm very close to punching him. I don't realize how close until it actually happens. It turns into an all-out fight between the two of us until Izzy and Magnus break us apart.
I'm not sure if I'm more shocked by my own behavior or Jace's. I do know I'm staring at him like he's a stranger. After the way he's treated Magnus, he sorta is. I never thought he'd be capable of the things he's put my boyfriend through.
"Jace, I'm not dealing with you acting like this. When I go back to work, I'm gonna have to worry about Magnus all the time if you're here," I say.
I hate kicking my brother out. But I'm past done.
"I saved his life. Doesn't that get me anything?" Jace responds.
"You told him you wouldn't have stopped that psycho if you knew Magnus was sick. So, no, it doesn't."
"I'm your brother."
"You're not acting like it. I don't even know you anymore, Jace. You're gonna have to leave until you get over this and can be nice to Magnus without me having to babysit you. I'm not letting anyone talk about him the way you have."
"So you're picking me over the slut? Admit it, Alec. That's what he is."
Magnus has started growling quietly. I really don't need or want him getting in a fight with Jace. One toe out of line from Mags will be the only excuse Jace needs to hurt him. And I'm not risking it.
"That was out of his control. Get your stuff and get out. I'm not playing," I tell Jace firmly.
"Look who finally grew a pair."
With that, he stalks off.
"Are you okay?" Magnus asks worriedly once Jace leaves the room.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry," I reply, smiling.
"Why're you sorry?"
"Because I threw the first punch."
I turn my attention to what used to be food and is now charcoal. Thankfully, it's not smoking horribly, but we still have to open windows and use a fan.
"Pick a place and we'll get the food," I tell Izzy.
I don't want Magnus in the same apartment as Jace, even if Jace is supposed to be leaving.
Ten minutes later, Magnus and I are on our way to Hardee's to pick up breakfast.
"I'm sorry you saw me lose my temper," I tell him.
"What happened that made you snap anyway?" he asks.
"He suggested that I bought you for sex. And that you belonged in the bedroom."
"I would've punched him too."
"I wish I'd settled it a different way."
"You went with what you thought of at that moment."
I really do hate the way Jace has treated my boyfriend. I hate that I ever trusted Jace enough to let him move in, but things were okay between he and Magnus when he moved in. I hate I got in a fistfight with my brother, but, like Magnus said, I went with what I thought of at that point in time to defend my boyfriend. I hate I was reckless and impulsive because I was angry. I could've hurt someone besides Jace. What if I accidentally hurt Magnus or Izzy?
"Earth to Alec!" Magnus says, waving his hand in front of my face.
I jerk back to reality. His golden eyes sparkle with amusement.
"What were you saying, Mags?" I ask.
"We're here," he replies.
The Hardee's is pretty packed with people getting breakfast before work.
"Are we gonna be okay with you not working?" he asks.
"I'm allowed to take leave if you get sick or injured. We're gonna be okay. I'm getting paid to take care of you," I tell him.
"What do you want for Christmas? I've never bought anyone presents before."
"There's a couple things I want, but anything you get me will be fine."
Jace's ex, Clary, is the cashier. Her warm smile makes me feel better. I wasn't sure how she felt about hybrids.
"Hey, Alec. Is this Magnus? Izzy told me you were dating a neko," she says.
"Yeah. We've been together almost four months," I tell her.
"I'd love to sketch him sometime. He's really pretty."
Magnus beams at the compliment.
He asks for a Monster biscuit and a vanilla milkshake. I get Izzy her sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit before ordering myself a breakfast burrito.
It's starting to snow when we step outside the restaurant. Magnus seems really excited to see it.
"When was the last time you saw snow?" I ask gently.
"A really long time," he replies.
"If you feel like it, we could make snow angels later. Or go Christmas shopping."
"Christmas shopping."
He sticks his tongue out to try catching snowflakes. Just when I think he can't get any cuter, he does something like this. He grins when he finally catches one.
"Do you know what you want me to get you?" I ask.
"Anything you get me will be perfect," he tells me.
Three hours later, we're at the mall. Izzy's looking for something for Simon. Magnus is looking at makeup and nail polish. I'm watching Magnus. I've found a body spray for Izzy.
"Do you want me to get you some makeup?" I ask.
I plan on getting him several presents since this is his first real Christmas.
"If you want," he replies shyly.
I'm out of my depth, but it isn't as bad as the time Izzy took me in Victoria's Secret. It was before I came out and she wanted me to have a general idea of what girls liked for when I got a girlfriend. I still have nightmares. She'd said it'd take five minutes and all she was getting was body spray. Nope. Two hours and three bags later, we left the store.
I find several tubes of flavored lipgloss I think he might like on the bottom shelf. I know he favors lipgloss over lipstick. I also find an eyeshadow that matches his gorgeous eyes perfectly on the rack above the lipgloss.
"What do you think?" I ask, showing him the makeup.
"Is the lipgloss your way of saying you wanna make out?" he smirks.
"Maybe. Do you like them?"
"I do. Um, I don't really see anything else I want."
"Where do you wanna go after this?"
"Wherever you want. I wanna know what you want for Christmas."
"I told Izzy what to get me. I want you to get me whatever you want."
I'm curious to see what he'll get me. I have a bad feeling his idea of a Christmas present is gonna mean clothes-shopping. He thinks I need clothes that haven't had holes or rips. I don't like getting new clothes, even if it's a gift.