Shadowhunters || Jimonael || Light of Their (After)Life || Jimonael || Shadowhunters
Title: Light of Their (After)Life – How Jace Accidentally Got Two Sugar Daddies
Fandom: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
Disclaimer: All rights to the Shadowhunters show reserved to Ed Decter, the books the show is based off and its characters belong to Cassandra Clare. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: polyamory (m/m/m), alpha/beta/omega dynamics, wingfic, hurt/comfort, courting, fluff, BDSM, kneeling, spanking, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, knotting, sex toys, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Raphael/Simon/Jace
Side Pairings: Magnus/Alec, Lydia/Izzy, Luke/Catarina
Shadowhunters Characters: Jace Herondale, Simon Lewis, Raphael Santiago, Lily Chen, Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Max Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood, Lydia Branwell, Clary Fray, Luke Garroway, Madzie Loss, Catarina Loss, Imogen Herondale, Rebecca Lewis, Elaine Lewis
Original Characters: Hal Armstrong, Tim Jeong, Grace Oriol, Salvador Salazar, Phoebe Nightingale
Summary: In the aftermath of the war, the New York Institute wants to strengthen its bonds to the local Downworlders by assigning permanent liaisons to each fraction. Jace becomes the liaison to the vampire clan and thus starts spending much more time with the mated Alpha clan-leader pair, Raphael and Simon. At the same time, he's come to the decision to start embracing his omega nature and get off the suppressants he'd been on his entire life.
Light of Their (After)Life
How Jace Accidentally Got Two Sugar Daddies
Chapter 8: The Conversation
Magnus heaved a sigh as he opened a portal to let the Shadowhunters go through it to the institute. All the Shadowhunters, including his own. There hadn't even been a question about that; after what Simon and Raphael had said before dinner, of course would Alexander want to check in with his parabatai. And it was just as well, because Magnus would like to speak to his son.
"I wasn't aware you were interested in Jace, mijo."
Magnus tilted his head as he approached the kitchen, where Simon and Raphael were cleaning up, most likely under the impression all their guests had left, considering Simon's startled reaction. Raising one judgmental eyebrow, Magnus sat down at the kitchen table, watching them.
"W… What does that mean? We were just helping out a friend-" Simon sputtered.
"Simon, cut it," Magnus leveled a glare at him. "I've seen your reaction to what Isabelle and Alexander said. I… can smell Jace all over this place. As your liaison, you could be meeting him in your office, but it seems that you are meeting him in your home, and… for long enough periods so his scent can linger. Do not take me for a fool, Simon Lewis."
"Perhaps I elected not to tell you, papá," Raphael's voice is even. "Because I know of your own… attachment to Jace. I thought it might put you in a peculiar position."
"Mh," Magnus tilted his head thoughtfully, sipping his drink. "Perhaps, a little bit. I do care quite a lot about Jace, and he is my mate's parabatai. But you are my son. You should know that you can always talk to me and tell me when something is happening in your life."
Raphael heaved a sigh and tilted his head some, his hand reaching out to hold onto Simon's. "It's… also still very new. I only realized the… extend of my… feelings for Jace while we were at the clan-leader meeting. It had been slowly building up and I was unaware of just… how much."
Magnus raised his eyebrows and tried to suppress a smile. "So there are feelings, mh?"
"I mean, there have been feelings from my end for a while," Simon admitted awkwardly. "Raph knew about them. But when Jace became out liaison, I thought… maybe they could be… friends. I totally didn't expect for Raph to also fall for Jace. But he so did."
Raphael aimed a light glare at Simon. "Yes, I did, I suppose."
"Well then," Magnus smiled softly. "It seems you are not the only ones. I do remember from when Jace was living at the loft, he only ever let Alec touch his wings. He still does that, come over just for a grooming, even though it would be more convenient to ask someone at the institute. It is a big deal that he let you touch his wings. And I'm… very proud of him for it."
"Yeah?" Simon frowned curiously at him.
"That boy carries so much trauma for someone so young," Magnus grunted, eyebrows furrowed. "I know about trauma and tragedy, but… he is still so young, and he's been through so much. That he's trying to open up, instead of covering everything with sarcasm and snark? I'm proud of that."
Simon hummed softly at that and nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Like, the Jace I first met, he was such an arrogant asshole. Keeping people away. So, him… sharing stuff, and letting people close… Yeah."
"Now, what are you going to do with this?" Magnus raised his eyebrows.
"Court him," Raphael looked up at him, an honest expression on his face. "Talk to him, first, about… this, what it means for him, from his perspective. I do not want to misinterpret his actions, I do not want to… assume anything. I want to hear it from him, and if we… are on the same page, then Simon and I will start courting him, properly."
He turned to look at Simon for confirmation and the other vampire was nodding so wildly, Magnus feared his head would fly off any second. "Yes! Yes, definitely! Yeah."
It made Magnus chuckle softly. Oh, these two were quite gone on Jace. How adorable.
/break\
When Alec found his parabatai, Jace was in the training room sparring with Clary. The two omegas always went at it hard but they also always seemed to be having a lot of fun. Omegas were faster and more agile, while alphas fought with more force and strength. Clary and Jace were a flurry of feathers and clashing blades. For a bit, Alec simply stood there and watched them.
"Parabatai," Jace's eyes landed on him as soon as the match ended.
"Came to steal Jace again," Clary rolled her eyes. "I thought we could hang out."
"You will have to reschedule," Alec shrugged. "Yes, I'm here to 'steal' my parabatai, though I do not consider it stealing since he is my parabatai."
Now it was Jace's turn to roll his eyes, though he pulled Clary into a brief hug before sprinting over to Alec, practically jumping him in a hug. Mh. Very affectionate today. They hugged, a lot, but Jace was never quite that clingy. Alec wrapped his arms around Jace to hold him close. Whatever it was, it meant Jace wanted comfort and Alec was never going to deny his parabatai comfort, especially not when he asked for it. Jace's wings wrapped around them both, cocooning them in.
"Why do you smell like Simon and Raphael?" Jace asked after a moment, sniffing.
Alec hummed curiously. The fact that Jace was familiar enough with their scents that he could pick it up, faint as it would be, after Alec had just spent three hours at their place. Reluctantly letting go of his parabatai, he pulled Jace along toward Jace's room.
"I've been over there for dinner, with Lydia, Izzy and Magnus," Alec replied, reaching for the feather in his jacket pocket. "And look what I found there."
They'd reached Jace's room and entered it. Jace frowned, though there was a faint blush on his cheeks as he reached out to take the feather from Alec. Crossing his arms over his chest, Alec stood there and stared at the omega, waiting. Knowing if he waited, he'd get a reply.
"Can I go and take a shower first, before the inquisition?"
Oh, Jace was really trying to avoid him. Alec raised both his eyebrows, but in the end he nodded. He sat down on Jace's bed and got his phone out to text his mate and see how his conversation was going. After a while, he checked the time and noted that Jace was taking a very long shower. This was truly more serious than Alec had expected. That much for a 'crush', huh.
"Okay, what do you want," Jace sighed in defeat.
With a surprised grunt did Alec raise his eyebrows again when he looked at his parabatai. Jace did not own any band-shirts and Alec also didn't know that hoodie he was wearing over the band-shirt.
"Since when do you own these clothes?"
Jace paused awkwardly, looking down himself. "Uhm, I… borrowed… those from Simon and Raphael when I was… over there. Last Friday."
"I think there is a lot you should tell me about last Friday."
Jace went to sit down next to his parabatai, legs crossed beneath him. It nearly looked like he was trying to hide in Raphael's hoodie, fidgeting with the sleeve. His parabatai's eyes were boring into his soul, trying to coax the truth out of him. A heavy sigh escaped Jace.
"It was raining last week," Jace started, voice soft. "When I got to the hotel, they insisted that I should take a hot shower, so I won't get a cold or whatever. Since my clothes were wet, they offered me their clothes. Nothing to it."
"Aside from the part where you're wearing them now, at home, instead of having returned them."
At that, Alec received a glare that lacked heat, because Jace was well-aware that he was in no position to argue. Instead, he fidgeted more with his sleeves again. Trying to stall.
"And then they groomed my wings, since I took a shower and you know how uncomfortable wings get when they dry after a shower without being groomed."
Alec took a slow, deep breath, knowing this was going to test his patience. "Jace, stop trying to bullshit me. You let them touch your wings. You told me about your crush on Simon, but you let them touch your wings. Both of them, at that. C'mon, parabatai, talk to me."
"I don't know," Jace groaned in defeat. "Maybe it was more than just a crush on Simon before this whole thing started, but it's… been growing, a lot, since then. He's… cute. Alphas aren't cute. Alphas are bossy and annoying and easy to ignore because of that."
"Shadowhunter alphas maybe," Alec chuckled. "Downworlders are… different."
A huff from Jace and he crossed his arms. "He's funny, he cares so much, he's… really handsome."
"You like Simon. I knew that. What about Raphael."
Another defeated noise as Jace collapsed backward onto his bed. "He is so… intelligent, charming, suave, good looking, damn it. This whole liaison thing made me actually get to know him. He was supposed to be the thing standing between me and Simon and that's it."
"And you let them touch your wings," Alec's voice, at this point, was a soft whisper.
"I don't know, Alec," Jace heaved a tired sigh. "I just… I just knew that, when I got out of the shower, I was… so frustrated with myself. Because I was wearing their clothes and I was so happy about it, feeling like, hey, that's as close as I'll get to knowing what hugging them feels like. And I got really… angry at that, because it's pathetic. I've been working so hard on getting better, but that's where I'm at? I should… I should be able to ask for more, I just…"
Alec's face softened and he laid down next to his parabatai. It took Jace only half a second to roll over and curl against Alec. The beta wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer.
"You deserve to be happy, Jace," Alec whispered warmly. "Don't let Valentine, or anyone else, tell you otherwise. You deserve to be loved, Jace. And you're not… it's not pathetic that it takes you time to trust people, you've made so many new friends since this war started, you have been trusting people. You… You don't need to push yourself, Jace, but you also shouldn't hold yourself back. If… you like them… you should… talk to them."
"That sentence physically hurt you, didn't it?" Jace laughed softly.
"It's Simon," Alec grumbled a little. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the rambling mundie turned vampire. But if he is who you like, who… you think will make you happy – and he better make you happy, or else I will pull his fangs one by one."
"Don't play the overprotective parabatai," Jace huffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm a big omega, I don't need you to stick up for me like that, you know."
"Got nothing to do with you being an omega, I would be threatening them even if you were an alpha," Alec spoke, voice calm and serious. "You are my parabatai, I will always protect you."
Jace smiled softly and snuggled up to him a little, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Alec."
/break\
After their little talking to by Magnus, Simon decided that he needed a bit of a pep-talk, so he called his people up to meet at the Jade Wolf. Maia and Bat sat opposite him, Bat having an arm around his alpha's back, staring at Simon eager and expectant. He was the newest member to their world, having been thrust into it during the war. Simon and Maia had been right there, helping him adjust. As someone still new to this world himself, Simon had really latched onto Bat and quickly become friends with him. When Maia and Bat finally started dating after the war, Simon had been their number one supporter and cheerleader, which Maia usually rolled her eyes at.
"So, what's this about, Si?" Clary asked as she took her seat next to him.
"I am," Simon bit his lips. "Uh, I mean, me and Raph are considering, we want to… I think, or we think, that we want to… court… Jace. Together."
Maia raised both of her eyebrows at him. "Took you long enough to act on that. I really thought you would be going for him before you got together with Raphael. I gotta admit, didn't think you would go for him while being together with Raphael."
"So, like, a throuple then?" Bat tilted his head. "And Raphael is into that?"
"Raph is into Jace," Simon shrugged flustered. "And so am I. So. I mean, it totally depends on what Jace wants, which is why I called you guys, because I am majorly freaking out about that, because what if he says no or maybe gets offended or weirded out and things get super awkward between us because we have just become friends and I would-"
"Stop, please, stop talking," Clary was smiling amused. "Look at me. Look at me, your best friend and also ex-girlfriend. And then look at Maia, who is also your ex-girlfriend. If you can manage to not just stay friends with two of your exes, but also… call said exes to talk about your current interest… I think you can survive being let down gently. If he's even gonna do that."
"Yeah! Don't sell yourself and your mate short," Bat agreed. "You're like total catches. I'm sure he's gonna say yes and you're gonna live happily ever after. Also, looking at it from Clary's angle, I feel like you and I should have hooked up at some point too, to make it even."
Simon sputtered out a laugh, while Clary giggled and Maia shook her head fondly. "Well, I wouldn't have objected to a threesome, but then Simon was already with Raphael."
More sputtering from Simon and if he still could, he would be blushing furiously. That was what he got for having horrible, awful, no-good friends. Though his horrible, awful, no-good friends also kind of did have a point. If he was still such good friends with Clary and Maia – even though things between him and Clary had needed healing after the breakup – and Raph was still friends with Isabelle, then yeah, he could totally handle Jace rejecting them too. And if he didn't risk that rejection, he would not gain the chance of him saying yes either.
Simon smiled at them, bright and determined. "Thanks. You guys are the best."
/break\
Jace frowned when there was a knocking on the door again, maybe three hours after Alec had left. Izzy? To check in on him, after giving him some time after Alec left? So Jace reluctantly left his bed, where he'd been busying himself with the feathers he'd brought with him from Hotel Dumort, to go and open the door. He was surprised to find Raphael and Simon in front of it. The two vampires had never visited him at the institute before, not in his room at least.
When their expressions changed, from a friendly smile in greeting to flustered surprise in Simon's case and a deeply pleased expression on Raphael's face, did Jace slowly look down himself, realizing that he was indeed still wearing their clothes. In his room. The clothes he should have washed and then returned to them days ago but instead had chosen to keep and even to wear. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment and he instinctively tried to close the door, just to have Raphael hold against it. Damn vampire strength. With a defiant glare did Jace open the door.
"Yes?" Jace growled, defensive because he felt caught.
"Are you going to invite us in, or do you want to have this conversation in the hall?"
That earned Raphael another glare, though Jace did step aside and then he walked back toward his bed, sitting down on it with his arms crossed. Raphael and Simon entered his bedroom, both letting their eyes roam curiously. They'd never been in here, after all.
"You're… wearing our clothes," Simon whispered in awe.
"They're comfortable," Jace frowned and tilted his head, not looking at them.
"Alec… told us what Valentine used to do to your wings. To you," Raphael spoke gently. "Why did you let us groom your wings, Jace?"
"Don't make me say it," Jace heaved a sigh. "Come on, if Alec told you… You're not dumb."
A light chuckle came from Raphael, though it was humorless. "We're not dumb, but we also don't want to… make any assumptions. Yes, we do need you to say it, Jace."
"Because I lo… like you," Jace gritted his teeth, glaring at the floor. "There. Happy."
"Y… Yeah," Simon hiccuped out a laugh. "Yeah, that makes me so happy, you have no idea! Jace, I've had a crush on you since like when we first met. I mean, sure you were kind of an asshole to me, but you were also really hot. But the more I got to know you, the real you, the more I liked you, all of you, not just your pretty face and gorgeous eyes and ridiculous abs and hot ass and-"
"Simon," Raphael heaved a fond sigh as he interrupted his mate. "Focus."
"Right," Simon cleared his throat. "There is going to be a better time to list all about you that I find attractive. Right now, what matters is that we like you, that we want you, that we love you."
Jace's head snapped up at that. Love? His expression twisted, between disbelief, hope and dread. To love is to destroy. But for the first time, there was a voice louder than his father's in his mind. Simon's voice. Simon saying that they loved him. It echoed over and over in his head and in his heart. They loved him. The two alphas he'd been longing for, for months, wanted him.
"But…" Jace frowned and turned to look at Raphael, not fully believing it yet.
"I…" Raphael paused, considering his words, considering how much to tell Jace. "I've known about Simon's feelings for you for a long time and I was… not a fan of you for that reason. But over the past months, since you became our liaison, I… have grown more fond of you than I ever thought possible. And I didn't even realize the whole extend, until the clan-leader meeting."
"What?" Jace's frown deepened and he unglamoured his wings subconsciously.
His wings were protection and he was feeling very confused and vulnerable right now. Not feelings that he enjoyed a lot. Raphael was immediately distracted by the Shadowhunter's wings, staring at them in awe and adoration. It flustered Jace a little bit, but it also pleased him.
"The suit, the brooch, my… reaction to how McKay talked about you," Raphael made direct eye contact with Jace, wanting to make sure Jace saw his sincerity. "I spent much more on you than I would have for a work acquaintance, more than even for a friend. And… I've been… feeling very possessive of you. The brooch, my clan's symbol on you. My symbol on you. The suit, something I picked and bought for you. You… wearing our clothes, right now. It satisfies a primal part in me."
Jace blushed again, overwhelmed by the look in Raphael's eyes and his words. This had never been an option in his mind. Especially after he realized he was developing feelings for Raphael too, he only saw heartbreak for himself. Even the part of him that wanted them and that had wanted to do something to get them – to show his trust by letting them groom him – even that part hadn't thought he could actually have them. So all he could do was stare at them, completely lost.
"I… don't know what to do now," Jace admitted after a moment.
"Then let us tell you what we would want next," Raphael offered, then looking at Simon.
"Right, yes. Raph and I talked about this before coming here," Simon nodded, looking way too eager. "So, obviously do we want to date you. Take you out on real, proper dates to like restaurants or the theater or I don't know what. Just, to let you know we want… to be seen with you. We want a real relationship, out there, not something behind closed doors. Because we also want to court you."
"Court," Jace's eyes widened. "No."
"No?" Simon deflated and gave him the saddest, most hurt puppy-dog eyes. "Oh…"
"No, I mean," Jace lifted his hands and his wings. "That's what alphas do with omegas they want to bond with. A mate-bond, that's not… something to take lightly!"
"Why do I feel like we're being chided by our chosen omega for choosing him?" Simon whispered.
"Because we are," Raphael turned to look at Jace with soft eyes. "We are not taking this lightly, Jace. And if you… can't see that, that you are the kind of omega an alpha would want as their mate, then let us prove you wrong. Let us prove that we do want you, by courting you."
"You're both so confusing," Jace frowned at them. "Why do I want you so much."
That put the blinding smile right back onto Simon's face. Even though this was all a bit overwhelming for Jace, he knew that he preferred that look to the sad puppy-dog eyes.
Author's note: BEHOLD! THE SHIP HAS SAILED! Conversations all around! And though I think Jace would have worked up to Relationship, the idea of being courted, of someone wanting him as their mate, still freaks him out. Which means Si and Raph have their work cut out for them to convince Jace they do want him as their mate and it would not be a mistake! Next up, the courting will officially start ;)