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 9: The Courting (1)

Simon had potentially never been this nervous before in his life. Him and Raphael were about to take their chosen omega out on their first date. They'd confessed to Jace yesterday and immediately invited him out for dinner the next day. Jace had said yes. Today was the next day.

"Amor, you need to calm down," Raphael's voice was so even and warm.

He caught Simon's hands and forced him to stop pacing. Blinking, Simon looked up at his mate. He was just so nervous. How could Raphael be this calm? They were about to go on their date! What if Jace didn't have a good time and changed his mind? Plus, Jace had already signaled that he didn't think they should court him – sounding more like he didn't think they should want to court him – which meant they had to work really hard to convince him that they were serious and that they were right. So much was depending on this dinner and it made Simon nearly hyperventilate.

"Simon," Raphael spoke more firmly this time, resting a hand in Simon's neck. "Stop breathing."

What? Oh. Right. He was a vampire, he didn't need to breath so he could just… stop breathing to not hyperventilate. Huh. So startled by that realization, he did start to calm down. Blinking slowly, he leaned against Raphael, tilting his head so he could rest his cheek against Raphael's chest.

"I'm glad one of us is level-headed, I am losing my mind."

"I'm nervous too," Raphael chuckled and wrapped his arms around Simon's waist.

"You are?" Simon looked up, locking eyes with his mate. "I'm not the only one nervous?"

"Of course not," the easy smile slipped from Raphael's lips, replaced by a more concerned look. "I have never courted an omega before. I want to do right by him too, and by you. I know how much he means to you, so if this doesn't out, it's not just going to hurt me, it would hurt you too, and I don't want that. I'm also nervous about how he will take my sexuality."

Simon's brows furrowed. "Oh. Right."

That hadn't even crossed his mind yet. Raphael was asexual and he was sex-repulsed and it had been a part of their relationship from the get-go, it was just… how it was, for Simon. That Raphael might be worried about Jace's rejection, that Jace may be put off by it… Wrapping his arms around Raphael's neck, he pulled the other alpha into a gentle, soft kiss.

"You are an amazing man, Raphael Santiago. And I'm sure you'll make him fall as hard as you made me fall," Simon peppered Raphael's face with feather-light kisses.

Raphael smiled softly, nuzzling into his mate's neck. "Thank you, amor. Now come, it's time we pick our omega up for our first date, mh?"

/break\

"This… is not what I was expecting, to be honest," Jace looked around Taki's Diner with curious eyes. "Somehow, I expected you to go way overboard and take me to the fanciest restaurant."

"Well," Raphael cleared his throat. "After the… room-service, I thought we should tune it down, since you didn't quite appreciate that."

Jace raised one eyebrow at him. "That was… I don't think you should spend a lot of money on apologies, I think those should come from the heart to show they're sincere. Dates are different though. I wouldn't mind trying a fancy restaurant out with you guys if it's a date."

"You want to be spoiled by us," Simon offered the most teasing grin.

Raphael couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the faintest blush on Jace's cheeks. Interesting. So their omega did want to get spoiled. Raphael hadn't been too sure about it, since Jace had complained about the suit, and then there had been the room-service incident. That was why he had suggested something very casual for their first date with Jace, because he didn't want the Shadowhunter to be uncomfortable with them. Lifting his glass of blood up to his lips, Raphael started scheming, giddy to spoil his chosen one.

"I'm not saying that I'm expecting you to do… that," Jace couldn't even say 'spoiled', he looked so embarrassed. "I was just teasing. This is great. I mean it, I don't-"

"Angelito," Raphael interrupted him gently, reaching out for one of Jace's hands to take. "It's okay. We… would like to spoil you, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable with it. If it's something you wouldn't be uncomfortable with, then… Simon and I would like to spoil you. Will you let us?"

Jace's eyes were on their linked hands and he swallowed hard. "I mean… if it makes you happy…"

"It would," Raphael assured him, smiling. "I know where we'll go after dinner."

At that, Jace turned to look at Simon, worried and doubtful. All Simon did was grin and shrug.

"We have to show you that we are super serious about this, plus, we both want to do the courting right," Simon took Jace's other hand to squeeze gently. "Prepare to be swept off your feet."

Jace huffed amused and leaned back in his seat, not letting go of either of their hands. Not until the waitress came with their food. Taki's Diner was a Downworlder business, so they also had meals for vampires, specifically prepared with blood. Jace just had a regular burger with fries and a strawberry milkshake. Raphael and Simon sat next to each other, opposite Jace, so they could both gaze at their new boyfriend. Jace looked right back at them though, with such soft eyes.

"I'm glad you agreed to go out with us, even if you're still… reluctant about courting."

Jace turned to focus on Raphael at that, dipping a fry into his milkshake before answering. "I… I'm not reluctant, I just don't think it's a good idea for you guys."

"Why do you say that?" Raphael pushed, this time, earning an elbow from Simon. "No. I do think that if we want to date, if we want to court him, we should… talk about this."

Jace ate his fry, slowly and then licked his fingers, which wildly distracted Simon, Raphael could tell. Delaying. Or thinking about what to say. Raphael wasn't going to push too hard. Instead, he took a sip from the wine he'd ordered. Cheap, this was a diner after all, but still wine.

"When this all started, when I came to you so you could get used to my scent…" Jace licked his lips, brows furrowing. "You remember what I told you there?"

"That you were doing it to leave Valentine's teachings behind," Raphael paused, trying to contain his anger. "That he taught you omegas are worthless."

Jace swallowed hard, an expression passing over his face. "Right. You… were listening well…"

"Tough not to when the guy you have a crush on tells you that the man who raised him taught him that he's worthless for how he was born," Simon grunted and crossed his arms.

Hard to argue that. And much like Simon, Raphael felt his appetite decreasing at the memory. Sure, it had been before he had been romantically interested in Jace, but even so it was hard to forget. It had always been obvious that Jace's childhood could not have been a happy one, because there was no way Valentine Morgenstern was a loving father, but every time Raphael learned another new fact about the abuse Jace had suffered, it made his blood boil.

"Right," Jace turned away to look out the window instead of looking at them. "Fat… Valentine raised me to do better, be better, be stronger, work harder, to… not be an omega. I spent my life trying to pass for a beta while simultaneously work hard enough to keep up with alphas. I've never… been an omega before. And it's only been like four months since I went off my suppressants. I'm… I'm still learning what it means to be an omega for myself. How could I be a good omega for you? I'm not… mate-material. You two are the clan-leaders, you represent something. If you want an omega, you need one who's… who's qualified to be a co-leader, not one who is still struggling with his most basic instincts."

"Jace…" Simon frowned distressed, looking at Raphael for words.

"You misunderstand one thing, angelito," Raphael whispered, voice gentle and warm. "You assume that the omega you are isn't perfect for us. We love you. You could be an alpha, a beta, an omega, it doesn't matter to us. Look at us, we're an… unusual couple, two alphas mated to each other. We don't need the poster-boy of omegas as our mate. We want you, as you are. We don't want you to change. If you want to change for yourself, because it will make you more comfortable in your own skin, then we'll support you, but we don't need you to change for us. You're perfect for us."

Jace ground his teeth together and kept staring out of the window, a sarcastic half-smile on his lips. "I… I appreciate your words, but… You have to understand that… I can't believe them. I'm struggling to unlearn ten years of lessons and abuse, I'm struggling with… who I am, really. Because embracing my omega nature does change me, therapy does change me. I'm not the guy I was a year ago. I… It's not as easy as you telling me something is alright and me simply believing it, even if I would… like to believe it."

"I understand that," Simon was the one to speak up and reach out, taking Jace's hand again. "I do. I went to therapy before too, you know. When my… When my dad died. I… don't know how much you caught, through Izzy and Clary, but… my mom, she… didn't take the loss well, she started drinking. She thought me and Becky didn't know, but… we knew. We saw. Kids see so much more than you think. And people kept telling me that it was going to get better, but… that was hard to believe. I kind of… I developed some anxiety about it. Therapy did help me and… it did get better. But you have to reach that point on your own. So. Yeah. We'll wait. Hey, if there is one thing we have, it's time, because we're vampires."

He offered a crooked grin and earned a genuine, though small, laugh from Jace.

/break\

"This is really not necessary," Jace frowned. "I have clothes."

"You do," Raphael nodded in agreement and took a sip from his wine. "And as good as you look in torn, washed out jeans and too tight shirts, you deserve to wear something as stunning as you are."

Jace heaved a sigh as Marco nudged him to spread his arms. Another fitting. Not for just one suit, though. Pants, shirts, multiple suits. A whole wardrobe, really. Raphael had insisted on taking him shopping, the day after the alphas' declaration of their intends. They wanted to court him. Jace still didn't know what to do with that. Dating was one thing, but courting had the intend of a mate-bond.

Something he could only compare to the parabatai-bond – tying your soul to someone, a bond that could not easily be broken, and even more importantly in this case, a bond that would make them share their immortality with Jace. Beyond the bite, the only way to become immortal was a mate-bond with an immortal. Jace knew that, very well, because he'd been doing research into it ever since Magnus and Alec had sealed their mate-bond. There was no way Jace was going to leave Alec behind for eternity with a broken parabatai-bond. But Jace wasn't entirely sure if Raphael and Simon were aware that the mate-bond would mean they'd be stuck with him for eternity.

"Piece of advise: Just let him have this," Simon grinned softly at Jace. "I meant it, Raph really does like to spoil those he cares about. So, give up and let him spoil you."

Jace turned his head a little so they wouldn't see the blush on his face. Spoil him. He wasn't used to being spoiled. His father surely never spoiled him. And at the institute, he never expected more than was necessary either. He'd also never had a real partner – not for a relationship, only one-night-stands and hook-ups – so there had never been a lover in his life who liked to spoil him. He supposed the closest to getting spoiled had been when he'd lived with Magnus. The warlock with the too big heart had not just given him a room, he'd also done his best to try and make Jace feel at home. Still, this was vastly different. He looked over at the two alphas, who were sitting together on the leather sofa, watching him with fond and love-filled eyes.

/break\

Jace fidgeted with the sleeve of his new, expensive dress-shirt. He really did have a whole new wardrobe now. Not meant for hunting and patrol, but definitely for dates, diplomatic missions and his liaison work. And though it wasn't the same as wearing their clothes, there was a strange sense of pleasure to wearing clothes they had chosen and bought for him. Courting gifts. Raphael had made very sure to spell that out for Jace. They were courting Jace, they wanted him to have fine, beautiful things from them. That only made him feel even more filled with pride, regardless of how torn he felt about this still. He wasn't fit to be someone's mate and he still had to talk to them about their immortality. It hadn't felt right to bring it up at the diner, they'd already dived deeper into his own feelings than he would have liked. One serious conversation at a time.

Jace knocked softly on the door in front of him. "Iz? Are you decent?"

After a moment, the door opened and Isabelle stood in front of him, wearing nothing but one of Lydia's shirts. "I wasn't a moment ago. I was very busy. I would like to return to being busy. Oh. You're looking nice. What are you dressed up for?"

"Nothing," Jace shrugged, trying to sound casual and not to preen too much. "It's just… new clothes… Si and Raph took me shopping yesterday."

"Oh," a broad grin spread over Izzy's lips. "So, they're being serious now."

Rolling his eyes, Jace shrugged again. "I guess. They're saying so, at least. But… I wanted to do something for them. And I was… wondering if you could maybe help me with it…"

Isabelle straightened up, looking intrigued. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

/break\

There had been flowers and chocolates in front of Jace's door the next day, with a cheesy card. They were really being serious and Jace desperately wanted them to be serious. He wanted it, he wanted them. What he was struggling with was whether or not he deserved that.

"Jace! It's not your usual day. Do the bosses know you're coming?"

Jace grinned as he was greeted by Hal. Hal was quite possibly the most adorable alpha he'd ever met. And 'adorable' wasn't a word he usually used. But this man had such a big heart and he was so light and friendly. The perfect kind of security for a clan. Big, broad, strong, intimidating – for outsiders. But warm, kind and safe for the members of the clan.

"They do not. I thought I'd…" Jace bit his lips to keep from grinning. "I thought I'd surprise my… boyfriends. Don't tell me they're not here, or busy."

"Boyfriends?" Hal's face lit up. "Did the bosses finally ask you out? Aw, I'm so happy! Well, Tim's not gonna be as happy, he thought they'd take another month, at least, so he lost the pool…"

"There was… betting?" Jace raised his eyebrows and let his gaze wander to find Tim.

Tim Jeong was Hal's best friend, a tall Korean-American man with long, dark hair put up in a messy ponytail usually. He was handsome, an alpha too. If Hal was the muscle of security, Tim was the brains of security, the one who kept track of everything and everyone.

"Of course there was betting," Tim huffed, frowning at him. "They've been heart-eyed about you for months now. It was a matter of time. Good for them. Good for you too."

The man smiled at Jace and clapped him on the shoulder once, causing Jace to feel flustered. People in the clan had been rooting for them…? But he wasn't leader's-mate-material. Why would they…?

"They only have a clan-meeting coming up in like half an hour," Hal smiled as he walked ahead. "So you have at least some time with them before business calls. Oh. Oh, I see you're wearing the fancy pin they got you. That's a really cute first courting gift."

This time, Jace couldn't help but blush. Yes, he'd put on the brooch when heading to the hotel. It felt right. Jace was glad when they reached the suite and Hal knocked. Though Jace could easily find his way himself, he knew that Hal took his job very seriously, so Jace wasn't going to take this away from him. Bringing guests to the clan-leaders and not letting anyone go there unattended.

"Bosses," Hal called out as he knocked. "Your Jace is here!"

Their… Jace. Jace shook his head and covered his face with one hand in amusement. The door opened and a startled but happy Simon with messy hair and only in boxers and a loose shirt stood in front of them. Hal remained standing next to Jace, smiling very pleased.

"Jace said you asked him out," Hal turned to look at Simon. "That's great!"

"Oh," Simon looked surprised by that, staring at Jace. "You. Uh. Huh."

"Yeah…?" Jace frowned. "I mean, you… said you want it all in the open. Shouldn't I have…?"

"What, no, that's not!" Simon shook his head widely. "I just didn't expect you to be ready to be that open just yet. Super not upset. Just surprised. Anyway. Thanks for the delivery, Hal. See you later."

He wrapped an arm around Jace's waist to steer the blonde in and then closed the door behind them. Raphael was sitting on the couch, holding a newspaper but looking at them. Looking pleased.

"Did… Did you know your clan had a betting pool on when you'll ask me out?" Jace frowned, pointing at the door. "Hal and Tim said so. That's…"

"I overheard something like that," Simon hummed with a grin. "I think it's cute."

"It's good to have you over, angelito," Raphael smiled as he walked over to him.

He pulled Jace close enough to place a soft kiss on his lips. Angelito. That was what he'd called Jace during their date too. The first time, Jace figured he must have heard wrong. But now Raphael had said it often enough that Jace was pretty sure he had a petname.

"And you're wearing the brooch," Raphael sounded so pleased as he straightened the brooch. "And the new suit we got you. It looks incredible on you, Jace."

Not just pleased, but possessive. The alpha was definitely being possessive. And Jace definitely liked that. He cleared his throat, trying not to think about that too hard. Instead, he put his hand in his pocket and started fidgeting with the box he was carrying.

"Was there something specific you wanted, or did you just come over because you missed your boyfriends?" Simon grinned broadly, nosing Jace's neck. "Which, just to clarify, you can come over any time. We are happy to see you. You don't need a reason to be here."

"Good to know," Jace smiled a little as he leaned into them both.

His eyelids fluttered shut as he was surrounded by their scent. Being hugged by them. This was the good stuff. All their scent, their bodies against him, holding him. He started purring softly, startling the two alphas into exchanging a happy look behind his back.

"Well?" Raphael asked after another moment. "Did you come just to be with us? Because we do have a meeting in half an hour and Simon was in the middle of getting ready."

"Right," Jace blinked, shaking himself out of it. "I… I kind of did want to see you, but it was also something else. It's just, you spent so much money on me during our first date… even though we ate at a diner, which I have to say that contrast was wild."

"We are courting you, that will include spending money on you," Raphael argued. "And we do have the money. I… have… money. So please don't worry about that."

Jace held tighter onto the box in his pocket. Half an hour wasn't a lot of time and Simon was in the middle of getting ready for it. They were the clan-leaders, they should probably be there before the others, so even less time. He took his hand out, leaving the box inside.

"Is the meeting gonna be long?" Jace asked.

Raphael shook his head. "And hour, maybe two."

"Can I just… stay here and wait for you? I did want something, but… after?"

"Of course," Raphael smiled as he cupped Jace's cheek. "You're always welcome here."

"And knowing you're waiting for us here is like… a reward for getting through the boring meeting," Simon grinned. "Feel at home and get comfortable, okay? We'll make the meeting fast."

Author's note: Sooo this is part 1 of 2 because somehow I only managed to cover half the stuff I WANTED to cover in this chapter so the next one will cover the rest, including Jace's mysterious box ;D