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: Harold 'Hal' Armstrong, Timothy Jeong, Grace Oriol, Salvador Oriol Salazar, Phoebe Nightingale, Elisabeth 'Betty' Ledoux, Michel 'Mitch' Ledoux, Tobias McKay
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 11: The Fever
"Mh, mh, mh, you were not exaggerating, he is a pretty boy."
Jace chuckled amused. Grace had dragged him together with four other omegas of the clan to Pandemonium, to meet up with some non-vampire omega friends of hers too. They met up at a booth at the club. One of them, Jace recognized – Phoebe Nightingale, a werewolf with dark-brown curls and deep-green eyes. She'd been with them a couple of times when going out for drinks. Next to her sat a short, plus-sized woman with dark skin and a bright-red wig. Her eyes were running over Jace as she had just spoken and commented on his look.
"Tha—at's Betty, she and her brother moved to New York recently," Phoebe offered.
"Betty Ledoux, pretty boy," Betty held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."
Jace couldn't help but grin at how intense she was as he shook her hand. "I'm Jace. But I think I'll have to disappoint you, I'm… taken."
"Oh, no," Betty huffed and shook her head. "I'm not into pretty boys."
"Did you hear that?" Grace draped herself all over Jace. "He is taken!"
Betty raised a confused eyebrow at that. "I heard him."
"That's not what she means," Phoebe chuckled. "The local clan-leaders – mated alpha-pair – have been dancing around him for, like, months, according to Grace. So what Gracie's getting at is that they finally got their act together! Good for them, good for them."
A blush lit up Jace's cheeks at how bluntly they put it. This whole thing was still new to him – having friends, outside his siblings, outside the institute even – and 'omega-bonding' even more so. It was good, but new. Someone came and brought a round of drinks and Jace was grateful for it. He grabbed the glass and started nursing it slowly. With half an ear, he listened to Grace and Phoebe explaining the whole situation – Jace's relationship – to Betty. He found it strangely hard to follow their conversation. Everything felt a bit too much – too bright, too loud, too many scents.
"Come and dance with me," Phoebe grabbed his hand. "C'mon."
Jace bit back the exhaustion and put on a smile. Pushing down bad feelings was what he did best. So he smiled and moved to the beat, with the brunette wolf in front of him, moving just as well. It didn't take long until the two gorgeous drew the attention of alphas. Usually, Jace reveled in the attention. Today, he just found their scents too strong, nearly nauseating.
"I'm tapping out, Phoebes," Jace cleared his throat.
Phoebe frowned at him. "Okay, you know what. Enough dancing. Let's go back to the table."
Once they sat, Jace found himself leaning into Grace. The vampire's skin was so refreshingly cold. He breathed deep and slow. His eyelids felt heavy.
"Darling, are you quite alright?" Grace asked when Jace leaned more into her.
Startled, Jace sat up straight. "What. Yeah. Sorry."
"Are you…" Phoebe trailed off when she pressed a hand to Jace's forehead. "You are burning up. Wolves run hotter, but Shadowhunters shouldn't, right?"
"Oh, dear, Phoebe is right," Grace gasped surprised. "Let's get you out of here and back home."
She urged Jace up, but as soon as he stood, he felt oddly dizzy, going back down onto his seat. He tilted his head back and watched how Grace and Phoebe exchanged a concerned look. Betty grabbed him by the arm, trying to help him up, and Phoebe was quick on his other side.
"Up you go, pretty boy," Betty grunted as they maneuvered him away from the table. "Okay, you are a little heavier than you look."
"Shadowhunters, pure muscles," Phoebe huffed.
Jace being supported by other people did draw attention though and Jace could already see Hal heading their way. The tall alpha was working security at Magnus' club.
"Ah, perfect timing!" Betty sounded pleased, waving. "Come here, give us a hand, gorgeous!"
Hal paused, startled. He looked around, like he was checking who Betty was talking to.
"Would you, please?" Betty huffed. "This one's all muscle, so could you help us out, gorgeous?"
"Hal, she's talking to you," Grace grunted. "Jace isn't feeling well. Can you…"
She didn't even have to finish the sentence, the next moment, Hal easily took Jace from the two werewolves, holding him upright with one arm around Jace's waist. Jace groaned softly.
"Wha… Uh, what do I do now?" Hal asked, looking at the women.
"Best you bring him home, gorgeous," Betty frowned concerned.
Hal's entire face turned dark red, the blush spreading all the way down his neck. "Yes, ma'am."
"You guys should stay," Jace looked at his friends, who all seemed ready to follow. "Really. I don't need anyone hovering about. I'll… text you, okay?"
Grace sighed but she nodded and then kissed his cheek. "Get better soon."
They made it all the way out of the club before Hal paused. "Jace. Uh. Where to?"
Home, was what Betty had suggested. Not the institute. The thought of going there, while he felt this vulnerable was… wrong. Even though he'd been living there for months again, the feeling of it no longer being safe had never truly left him. The hotel. No. No, why had that even crossed his mind, that wasn't his home, that was just where Raphael and Simon were living. He closed his eyes. The loft. Part of why the institute still didn't fully feel like home again was because his parabatai was mostly living at the loft by now. The loft was safe, had Magnus' wards and Jace's parabatai.
"Magnus' loft," Jace whispered after a moment. "You know where he lives?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I helped escort him home when he'd had, uh, a little too much to drink to portal," Hal paused. "Don't tell him I told you this. But that's not super close. Do you… Can I… carry you?"
It wasn't very close, and this half-support was awkward at best due to their size-difference and it would take forever. The indignation of being carried around like a fainting damsel. Jace closed his eyes tightly in frustration before he nodded his consent. The next moment, Hal picked him up.
"One last thing, Jace," Hal's voice dropped and his cheeks got all red. "The, uh, the pretty lady called me gorgeous, Jace. Did you hear that?"
Jace huffed out a soft laugh at that. "Yeah, I heard that, big guy. Maybe, after you dropped me off at Magnus', you could go back to them and tell them I'm safe with the High Warlock. And maybe you could ask her for a dance then. But first, get me to the loft?"
"Right. Yeah. Sorry. I just…" Hal trailed off and his blush intensified.
Damn, that was surprisingly endearing of the big guy. Jace tilted his head to lean against Hal's chest while the vampire sped through the streets of New York to reach their destination quicker. Once at the loft, he knocked harshly on the door until a very displeased and tired Magnus opened.
"Wha…" Magnus' face softened in concern. "Why are you house-delivering me a Jace, Harold?"
"He wasn't feeling well and he said to bring him here. Can I put him somewhere?"
Jace huffed, utterly humiliated, but he cracked an eye open to watch as Magnus led the way… to Jace's old bedroom. Jace blinked surprised to find it looking just as he had left it, sans his personal items that he'd taken back to the institute again. Hal carefully put him down on the bed.
"Thank you, Harold," Magnus spoke gently. "You can go now, I'll take it from here."
Even as he spoke, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Hal waved at Jace before leaving. With a heavy sigh did Jace snuggle into his old pillow. This was better. Scents he was familiar with. No loud noises. Not so many people. He startled a little when a hand was placed on his forehead.
"Alexander, I don't want you to worry but your parabatai is at our place and he is running a fever. More concerning, he let Harold carry him here. Yes, full princess style. Without complaining."
Jace turned to glare at Magnus, even though he knew the warlock wasn't wrong. Jace never admitted weakness, he pushed through those notions. So this was somewhat concerning. The next moment, Magnus opened a portal and a very worried Alec walked through it.
"You're not listening to your husband," Jace grunted. "Magnus said don't worry."
Alec huffed as he sat down on Jace's other side, gently pushing blonde hair out of his face. "What… What's wrong with him, Magnus? He looks… awful. And he's feeling hot."
"I'm calling Catarina right now," Magnus looked at him gently. "But it's late so… Ah, Catarina! I'm sorry to wake you. I was wondering if you could come by and take a look at Jace, he's running a fever and I'd… I'd like your opinion first, before we do anything drastic. He's at my place."
That made Jace frown, though he was also adjusting himself to now rest his head on Alec's lap. Alec smelt calming. He heaved a small sigh and relaxed more when Alec started running his fingers through Jace's hair. They shouldn't bother Cat, she always worked so hard, and they had Madzie so she didn't get too much me-time either. The next moment, a portal opened – and Catarina wasn't alone as she stepped through it. Luke was right at his girlfriend's side, holding her hand.
"Hey, kiddo," Luke's voice was soft as he sat down next to Alec. "How do you feel?"
Luke was… fatherly. That was the only word Jace could think of. And even after months, Jace still struggled with the concept of a father figure who just loved him and worried about him and chose to do so, without having any obligations to do so. He curled together tighter around Alec.
"Answer Luke's question, Jace. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong," Cat urged.
"Dizzy," Jace sighed. "Headache. I feel hot and… queasy. The club was… overwhelming. Too loud, too full, too hot, too many noises, too many scents…"
"Okay," Cat sighed. "Everyone who isn't Jace out, so I can take a closer look."
/break\
Simon was mildly hyperventilating. Grace had texted them that Jace wasn't feeling well. He immediately tried calling Jace, but the blonde didn't pick up. Then Hal texted him and Raphael both separately, telling them that he had dropped 'their Jace' off at Magnus'. Raphael was currently on the phone with Magnus, while Simon paced the room nervously. A portal opened, finally, and Raphael took his hand, trying to sooth Simon, running his thumb over the back of his hand.
"He's with Magnus, and Magnus called Catarina to take a look," Raphael whispered.
This wasn't helping Simon though. Something was wrong with their omega. The living room of the loft was a little crowded with Luke, Alec, Magnus and now also Raphael and Simon. It took Raph holding his hand to stop Simon from immediately storming into the guest-room.
"What is wrong with him?" Simon asked, more forceful than usual.
"We don't know," Alec growled, as tense as Simon and for the same reason. "Cat's with him."
Raphael reached out to also take Simon's other hand, pulling him close against him. He then wrapped his arms around Simon in a soothing hug and okay, Simon felt a little better. He tensed immediately though when the door opened and Catarina joined them. Both Simon and Alec took a step forward, toward her. Alec knew Jace the longest, he knew Jace wasn't one to admit weakness. Heck, that boy had powered through being possessed! Simon was worried sick.
"It's okay, you can relax," Catarina chuckled softly. "He's not sick."
"I'm sorry but I find that hard to believe, he has a fever, he was-" Alec started to argue.
"He's close to his heat," Catarina interrupted him, leveling a stern look at Alec. "It's… his first heat, since he has been on suppressants all his life he's never had a heat before. So he's reacting more… strongly. Has he been more… affectionate lately? Perhaps hoarding softer things?"
"I…" Alec furrowed his brows. "Yeah. He's been more physical lately, the other day he even jumped me for a hug? And he… he was fidgeting with his loose feathers too."
The look on Catarina's face turned more amused. "Fidgeting, mh? He might have tried to start nesting, but since he never built a nest… It didn't help that he's been ignoring the symptoms in the past couple days, pushing it down and thinking he was just feeling a little sick."
"So… So he's alright?" Simon whispered worried.
"He will be," Catarina clarified. "For now, he needs rest and he also needs to hydrate. And then he needs to start building a real nest, that he can retreat to. But with his strong reaction, I think you should pull him off duty already, Alec. Give him a chance to recover before his heat hits."
"Right, of course," Alec nodded and relaxed slowly.
"Can… we see him?" Raphael asked, worried. "Or is that a bad idea, since we're alphas?"
Catarina smiled. "That depends on him. Alphas can be overwhelming, but if he wants to see you, you should. Comfort will help him recover faster. For now, he asked for his parabatai though."
Simon stared after Alec with something akin to envy, and a heavy feeling in his stomach.
/break\
"Parabatai?" Alec's voice was a whisper. "Are you awake?"
"Awake, embarrassed and ready to be swallowed by the ground," Jace groaned and buried his face in his pillow. "A heat, Alec. The most basic thing to happen to an omega and I…"
"Jace, no," Alec sighed and sat down next to him. "Cat explained to us that you're… It's so strong because of the suppressants you were on for so long. You never had a heat. Of course did you not know what was wrong, it's okay that you freaked out about that. And that you reacted strongly."
Pausing, Jace frowned at him and sniffed before groaning again. "...You called Simon and Raphael. No. That just makes it even more embarrassing, c'mon…"
"Technically, Raphael called Magnus," Alec corrected him. "They're here because they're worried about you, Jace. But if you don't want to see them, we will send them away."
The archer was startled when Jace actually growled at him. And then Jace looked just as startled.
"No… uh… okay. I guess I want to see them," Jace sighed. "I'm exhausted."
"Can… I ask why you came here?" Alec asked softly.
"Safe," Jace turned away from him. "Magnus' wards. And you. I'll always seek you out when I need someone to have my back, parabatai."
Alec smiled and got up. "Do… you want me to send them in?"
Jace nodded a little, looking embarrassed. Alec placed a kiss on his parabatai's forehead. Not running as hot anymore, he noted. Catarina must have given him something against the fever. Back in the living room, Alec was greeted by the worried faces of Simon and Raphael. The two vampires really did care about his parabatai, mh. This wasn't the outcome he'd expected when Jace had become their liaison, but if they truly cared for him, and made him happy, then… that was all Alec could want for Jace. Even though he still found Simon mildly annoying.
"He wants to see you two," Alec jerked his head. "But don't stay too long, he's… he needs rest."
As soon as the two vampires were out of the room did Alec go to lean against his alpha. Magnus laid his arms around Alec, holding him close and safe until Alec could relax.
"I got really scared when you called," Alec whispered softly. "I… He never gets sick. Even if he has a cold, he powers through it because he's too stubborn to be sick. After he… died… and then the possession, I just… I got scared, Magnus."
"I know, darling," Magnus kissed the top of his head gently. "How is he?"
"Mostly embarrassed," Alec huffed out a laugh. "Cat gave him something, right? His fever is already down a little, which is a huge relief."
"She did," Magnus confirmed. "And she left me some, as well as recommended remedies that I will start brewing up tomorrow, to help ease the pains."
"He came here because he feels safe here," Alec's voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. "I don't know how to feel about that. I'm glad that he feels safe with you. You're my mate, I want my parabatai to feel safe with you. But I'm also… the institute should feel safe to him…"
Magnus simply hummed, running his hands over Alec's spine. "Let's not worry about that, love."
/break\
Raphael felt a pang as he laid eyes on Jace. Their Shadowhunter was curled together in the center of the bed, looking unfathomably small and exhausted. His cheeks were flushed from the fever, hair wet with sweat and clinging to his forehead. Raphael went and got the blanket from the armchair in the corner to throw it over the omega. Immediately did Jace snuggle into it.
"Hey, angelito," Raphael kept his voice soft and gentle. "How are you feeling?"
"Like shit," Jace grunted with a glare. "I don't want you to see me like this."
"Alec said you wanted to see us," Simon frowned confused.
"Yes," Jace groaned annoyed. "I want to see you. I don't want you to see me like this."
"Why not?" Raphael approached the bed and came to stand next to it, next to him.
"I must look like dog-shit, the way I feel. I'm… weak… and… useless and… that's not me. I'm strong, I'm a fighter, I'm a soldier, that's who I am, not… this…"
Simon turned to exchange a perplexed look with Raphael. With a sigh did Raphael kneel down next to the bed, reaching a hand out to cup Jace's cheek. The blonde nuzzled into the touch, but his eyes were on Simon, like he was waiting for something. He looked mildly annoyed too.
"So, when we said we want to date you, we kinda meant you, not soldier-you," Simon motioned around awkwardly. "You do not need to play tough soldier with us. We want you to open up to us. To know you can be weak with us – not weak, I didn't mean…"
Now Simon looked frustrated, causing Raphael to sigh. "What Simon means is that we want to be there for you and for you to feel comfortable enough with us to let your walls down. That includes not powering through feeling sick. So, how are you feeling, beside 'shit'?"
"Cold," Jace mumbled, pulling the blanket closer around himself. "I'm tired and achy…"
"Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?" Raphael asked gently.
"The blanket helped, with the cold," Jace looked to Simon again, who was awkwardly standing around. "Can you… You're probably busy, you should go and take care of your clan-"
"I texted Lily, she has everything covered," Raphael interrupted him, shaking his head. "I also texted Grace, since she was the one to alert us to your situation, and I reassured her that a medical professional was taking care of you and that we're with you. She sends best wishes."
Jace offered a tired smile at that, before looking sad. "I was actually looking forward to tonight, with the girls. Cat said that it might have… triggered things to be this bad so suddenly. Since I am also not spending enough time with other omegas."
"You don't have to worry about that, I'm sure Grace will be happy to reschedule," Raphael offered a reassuring smile. "Now, what is it that we can do for you? Because there is something, you were trying to justify why you shouldn't ask for it. Stop doing that and tell us what we can do, because we are here for you, we… were incredibly worry when we got Grace and Hal's texts."
"I'm sorry," Jace looked away from them. "I didn't want to worry you."
"Don't apologize, this isn't something that's your fault," Simon frowned. "What can we do?"
Jace decidedly avoided looking at them, clearly embarrassed. "...Can you just… lay with me? I liked that, falling asleep with you, it's… soothing. I think I… could need that right now… It's okay if you have to go and do something more important-"
"Nothing," Raphael interrupted him in a firm tone. "Absolutely nothing is more important right now than you, and us being there for you, angelito."
Simon looked at him with gratitude and relief. He was struggling with his words right now, overwhelmed with this situation and filled with anxiety due to his worry, but Raphael could articulate what needed to be said. The two alphas climbed into the bed to join and hold their omega.
Author's note: Everybody gets to worry about Jace for a bit! Next chapter, Jace gets to nest for the first time, and his alphas get to fuss :3